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A06863 A booke of notes and common places, with their expositions, collected and gathered out of the workes of diuers singular writers, and brought alphabetically into order. A worke both profitable and also necessarie, to those that desire the true vnderstanding & meaning of holy Scripture By Iohn Marbeck Merbecke, John, ca. 1510-ca. 1585. 1581 (1581) STC 17299; ESTC S112020 964,085 1,258

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their Brides doe sette themselues foorth at the gates of the Cities by the space of seauen daies together to be abused in fornication And by this meanes Iuda was deceiued of Thamar his daughter in lawe ANABAPTISTS How this sect began and who was the Author thereof About the yeare of our Lord 1525. in Mulhausen a t●w●● in Thuringe was a Preacher named Monetarius which taught openlie that he would reforme the state of the Church and made aduaunt priuelie that reuelations were shewed to him by God and that the sword of Gedeon was committed to him to ouerthrowe the tyrannie of the Impius He led out great companies commaunding them to spoile and rob Monasteries and the palaces of great men But while the vnrulie people were scattered and disseuered without order the Princes of Saxonie sodainlie oppressed them and tooke their Captaine whome they put to death This Monetarius was the first Author of the diuelish sect of heresie of the Anabaptists which long time after vexed Germanie and is not yet altogether extinguished The Anabaptists caused great trouble and rufling in the North parts of Germanie and at the Citie Monstere choosing to their King one Iohn a leade a Coblar as saith Sledane exercised much crueltie expelling other out of the Citie that would not condescend vnto their beliefe This Iohn a leade in token that he had both heauenlie and earthlie power gaue to his Garde gréene and blew and had for his Armes the figure of the world with a sword thrust through it He married himselfe fiftéene wiues and ordeined that other should haue as manie as they listed and all other thinges to bée common amonge them The Bishop of Monstere by the aide of other Princes besieged the Citie against the rebellious Anabaptists fiftéene or sixtéene monethes In which time the stubborne and froward people sustained so great scarsitie and hungar that they béeing aliue were like dead corses and did eate commonlie dogs cats mice with other wilde beasts and séething hides leather and olde shooes did powne the same and make bread thereof After long siege the Citie was wonne spoiled and destroied with great crueltie and slaughter of that wicked people Cooper ANANIAS How his dissembling was punished Brought a certaine part and laid it at the Apostles féete ¶ By the casting of his moneie at the Apostles féete would he haue bene counted to be one of the Christian Congregation and that one of the chiefe But in holding part backe he declared vtterlie what he was that is subtill and an hypocrite mistrusting the Holie ghost which thing because Peter would in no condition should be vsed among that sort therefore punished hée it so earnestlie Tindale How he needed not to haue sold his possession if he had lust Was it not thine owne and after it was sold was it not in thine owne power c. ¶ By this place we maie euidentlie sée that in the Primitiue Church no man was compelled to make his goods common for Peter telleth plainlie that it did lie in Ananias power whether he would sell his land or no and when he had sold it the moneie was his owne so that he might haue kept it if he had lusted ANATHEMA What Anathema is ANathema saith Chrisostome are those things which being consecrated to God are laied vp from other things and which also no man dare either touch or vse Pet. Mart. ANDREVV Of the death of Andrew the Apostle I Erome in his booke De catologo Scriptorum Eccl. writeth how that Andrew the Apostle and brother to Peter which did preach to the Scitians Sogdians Saxons and to the Citie Augustia was crucified of Eneas the Gouernour of the Edessians was buried in Patris a citie of Achaia Booke of Mar. fol. 52. Of an heretike called Andrew This man was an Italian who went about the countreie leading a blinde redde dogge and by telling mens fortunes he brought them into great misfortunes by deceiuing of them with heriticall fables Futrop ab vsperg ANGEL What an Angell is ANgell is a Gréeke word and signifieth messenger and all the Angels are called messengers because they are sent so oft from God to man on message Euen so Prophets Preachers and the Prelates of the Church are called Angells that is to say messengers because their office is to bring the message of God vnto the people The good Angels héere in this booke are the true Bishops and Preachers and the euill Angels are the heretikes and false preachers which euer falsifie Gods word with which the Church shall be thus miserablie plagued vnto the end of the world Tindale This word Angell hath vndoubtedlie sprong from the Gréeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which in Latin is as much to saie as Nuncius a Messenger By the which it is plaine that Saint Augustine saith Angelus non nature sed officij nomen est As I am a man naturallie but I am a priest a preacher by office So naturallie an Angell is a spirit but when he is sent on message then is he an Angell Saint Augustine defineth an Angell on this wise Angelus spiritus est substantia in corpora inuisibilis rationabilis intellectualis immortalis An Angell is a spirit that word Spiritus is in the place of Genesis a spirit that is a substaunce bodilesse or a substaunce without a bodie inuisible endued with reason vnderstanding and immortall They eate not they drinke not they marrie not they sléepe not but liue euermore in heauenlie ioie and fruition of God fulfilling his blessed will and pleasure with all readinesse without anie wearinesse or slacknesse and therefore we saie in the Lords praier Fiat voluntas tua sicut in coelo in terra They serue God not with crieng of the mouth for they haue none but with crieng of minde and that they doe continuallie And as Esay the Prophet saith these be part of their holie crieng Sanctus sanctus sanctus Dominus Deus Sabaoth As they are without bodie so they occupie no circumscriptiue place that is to saie no bodilie place no seuerall nor quanticatiue place and yet their intellectiue and spirituall place is so that when they be in Heauen they be not in earth And contrarie when they be in earth they be not in Heauen For there is no power finite that can be in two places at once And if ye will knowe saith Saint Austen how Angels doe eate and drinke yée shall vnderstand that Angels taking vpon them the visible and tangible bodies of men Edent habent potestatem sed non necessitatem Rich. Turnar Wherefore Angels were made An Angell is the creature of God in spirituall vnderstanding mightie made to serue God in the Church from which end of their creation some are fallen and become enimies of the Church Other that fell not but continued in their innocencie doe serue to God and his Church How Angels ought not to be worshipped We ought saith Saint Austine to beléeue that the bountifull Angels
worthy sauing peraduenture when new Phriests were appointed for the Parishes for then it behoued that the multitude of the place namely should consent Whether it is any meruaile y● the people in his behalfe was little carefull in kéeping their owne right for no mā was made a subdecon that had not shewed a long proofe of himselfe in his being a clarke vnder y● seueritie of discipline which then was vsed After y● he had ben tried in y● degrée he was made a Deacon From thence he came to y● honour of Priesthood if hée had behaued himselfe faithfully So no man was promoted of whome there had not ben in déed a trial had many years before y● eies of the people And there were many Canons to punish their faults So y● the Church could not be troubled with euill Priests or deacons vnlesse it neglected y● remedies howbeit in y● Priests also ther was required y● consent of them of the same citie which the very first canō testifieth in his 67. distinctiō which is fathered vpō Anacletus Finally al y● admissiōs into y● orders were therfore done at certein appointed times of y● yeare y● no man should priuely créepe in without the consent of the faithfull or should with too much easinesse be promoted without witnesses Cal. in his Insti 4. b. chap. 4. Sect. 11. Wherfore brethren looke ye out among you seauen men of honest report c. ¶ If the Church had kept still this order in choosing of Ministers it had bene better with the christen common wealth and religion Lampridius a notable histori●graph in the life of Al●xander Seuerus doth write y● this was vsed customably among the christians when they should choose or make any Minster they did first publish his name abrode And if any man could alleadge any notable crime against him he was expelled and put backe from his office Sir I. Cheeke Why the Ministers are not now chosen as they were in the primitiue Church The alteration of gouernement and orders of the Church of Christ is well set out by Ambrose in the. 4. to the Eph. vpon these words Et ipse dedit c. Wher he saith on this sort That the number of the Christians might increase and be multiplied in the beginning it was permitted to euery one to preach the Gospell to baptise to expound the Scriptures but when the Church was enlarged there were certeine preachers appointed gouernours other officers ordeined in the church c. Therfore the writings of the Apostles doe not in all things agrée with the orders that are now in the church D. Whitegift Musculus also in his common places answering to this question why that Ministers of the word are not chosen now by the Ministers and the people as they were in the Primitiue Church but appointed by the Magistrate saith thus Such was the state of the Churches that they could choose their Ministers none otherwise because they had no christen magistrate If thou wouldest haue the manners and customes of these times then must thou call backe their condition and state How Ministers ought not to forsake their vocation Ministers must abide in their vocation so long as y● strength of the bodie will suffer them and that they be not thrust out by force For y● men people cōmitted to their charge ought neuer to be forsaken so long as they can abide to heare the word of God And if they be altogethers contēners of y● word of y● Lord wil not suffer it to be preached then as Christ cōmaunded his Apostles let them shake of the dust of their feete against them depart But so long as there are anie among them which will suffer the pastor to preach to intreat of the word of God he ought not to giue ouer his ministratiō Wherfore I know not whether Melitius did wel or no or whom Theodoretus maketh mentiō in his 2. booke 31. chap. y● he forsooke the Bishoprick of a certein church in Armenia being offēded with the ouer great disobediēce of his flock But the same man afterward being chosē Bishop of Antioch was for the defēding y● catholike faith against the Arriās thrust into exile In which fact God peraduenture declared that he was not wel pleased that he had departed from his first vocation Pet. Mar. vpon the Rom. fo 334. How a Scisme ought not to be made for the euill life of the Minister The Scribes Pharesies sit in Moses c. All therfore whatsoeuer they bid you obserue that obserue and do but after their works do not for they say do not c. ¶ Behold y● Lord sayth they say and doe not therefore the teachers liues were not agreeable to their doctrine yet for that they stood in Moses seate that is to say because they taught the word of God lawfullye and sincerely he biddeth to receiue their sincere doctrine but their life not being agréeable to their doctrine that he biddeth to refuse And therfore to make a scisme for the Preachers euil liues sake the Lord doth forbid Bullinger fo 846. MIRACLES A definition of true Miracles A Miracle is a worke hard and vncustomed by the power of God which passeth all facultie of nature created to this ende wrought to cause the beholders to wonder and to confirme faith towards the worde of God Wherefore the matter of miracles are workes and the forme is that they be harde and vnaccustomed The efficient cause is the power of God which ouercommeth nature created the end of them is both admiration and also confirmation of faith Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 126. To what vse Miracles doe serue Miracles serue for thrée vses First that he which is healed thereby shoulde sinne no more● Secondlye that the beholders shuld put their trust in the healer Thirdly that we which read of the miracles of the Lord should be confirmed in the glorye and doctrine of Christ and therewithall conceiue faith in him Hemmy●g Brethren be not in loue with signes which may be had common with the reprobate but loue ye rather miracles of charitie and true godlynesse which the more secret the more secure and for the which the lesse estimation that there is with men the greater is the reward with God In the beginning gathering of y● Church many things were necessary which now is néedlesse Miracles were vsed then which outwardly be diuided now When we go about to plāt a tree so long we water it vntill we sée it haue takē root But whē it is once substantially grounded braunches spread abroad we take no more paine to water it on like sort as long as y● people were altogether faithlesse this meane of miracles was of indulgence graunted them But when spirituall instruction had taken better place the corporall signes surceased straight Wherefore the Apostle sayth Lingua in signum sunt non fidelibus sed infidelibus Straunge tongues are for a signe not to them that
there was an other booke opened which is the Booke of life ¶ This is the booke wherein the chosen are reported to be written before the beginning of the world by reason of the certaintie of their Predestination whereof thou readest thus either forgiue them this offence or if thou wilt not doe it wipe out of the booke of life which thou hast written Exodus 32. 32. Also be glad for your names are written in heauen Luk. 10. 20 Also whose name are in the booke of life Phil. 4. 3. Moreouer it is a similitude borrowed of the custome of men who in taking musters are wont to write the choicer sort and to call them by name So is God said to take view of his seruaunts by name and to call them by name Exo. 33. 12. and Iohn 10. 3. Mar. vpon the Apoc. fol. 281. ¶ After this was an other booke opened of a farre diuerse nature from the other bookes for it was the swéete booke of life wherein were registred all that were predestinate to be saued from the worlds beginning And this booke is the eternall predestination of God Bale Who be written or wiped out of the booke of life And I will not wipe him out of the booke of life ¶ To bée wiped out of the booke of life is as much as not to be reckoned among the liuing blessed and happie sort For the booke of life is nothing els but the register of the righteous which are fore ordeined to life according as Moses saith Exo. 32. 32. And as it is written in Psal. 69. 27. and in Dan. 12. 2. This regester saith Gasper Megander doth God reserue in his owne kéeping And therefore it is nothing els but his eternall dteermination fore purposed in his brest In like manner Dauid saith let them be wiped out of the booke of the liuing Psal. 69. 27. that is to saie let them not be reckoned among Gods chosen whom he allotteth to the possession of his church and kingdome In this booke of life that is to saie in this election or choice determination purpose knowledge or predestination of God there is not registred ante misbeléeuing Turke anie wicked Iewe anie vn●epentant noughtie packe nor anie stubborne hypocrite vnlesse they turne to the Lord acknowledge Christ the onelie sonne of God For none be written in it but such as beléeue aright in Christ. And that we maie read this booke we need not to climbe vp into heauen with the worldlie wise men to search out Gods secrets but must come to the plaine Shepheard to the Dxe ●all where Christ laie Luke 2. 16. We must looke vpon Christ who is become man and was crucified and put to death for vs and if we finde our selues in Christ then doe we reade our name written in the booke of life For he that beléeueth in the sonne of God hath euerlasting life Iohn 3. 36. And he shall not come to damnation but is passed from death to life Iohn 5. 24. And in this place Christs meaning is that he which ouercommeth not but like a weakling and coward shrinketh in this incounter by consenting to wicked errour shall be cast awaie with shame haue his name striken out of the booke of life Marl. vpon the Apoc. fol. 59. And the Bookes were opened● ¶ These bookes séeme to be the consciences of all men be they good or bad which shall be then laied open according as the Apostle witnesseth Rom. 2. 15. 1. Cor. 4●5 by reason that Christ shall bring all the things to light which were couered before Other some take these bookes to be the olde and newe Testaments that forasmuch as there is shewed in them what God had commanded it shuld appeare also by them what euerie man had done or not done But the first exposition is the truer Marl. vpon the Apoc. fol. 280. Of what credit the bookes of Machabees be in the scripture Saint Austen receiued it for Canonicall But first of what sure credite did he receiue it The Iewes saith he estéeme not the writings of the Machabees as they doe the Lawe the Prophets and the Psalmes of which the Lord himselfe hath witnessed as of his witnesses saieng It was necessarie that all things should be fulfilled that are writen in the Lawe and the Psalmes and Prophets concerning me But it hath bene receiued of the Church not vnprofitablie if it be sob●rlie read or heard And Hierome teacheth without anie doubting that the Authoritie thereof is of no force to the prouing of Doctrines And it euidentlie appeareth by that olde booke which is intituled vnder the name of Cipriane concerning the exposition of the Crede that it had no place at all in the olde Church But why do I héere striue without cause as though the Authour himselfe did not sufficientlie shewe how much he is to be credited when in the ende he craueth pardon if he haue spoken anie thing not well Truelie he that confesseth his writing to néede pardon saith plainlie that they are not the Oracles of the Holie Ghost Beside all that the godlinesse of Iudas is praised for none other cause but for that he had an assured hope of the last resurrection when he sent an offering for the dead to Hierusalem Neither doth the writer of that historie referre that which Iudas did to be a price of redemption but that they might be partakers of the eternall life with the other faithfull that had died for their Countrey and Religion This doing was indéed not without superstition and preposterous zeale but they are more then fooles that drawe a Sacrifice of the Lawe so farre as vnto vs forasmuch as we knowe that things doe cease by the comming of Christ that then were in vse Caluine in his institutions 3. li. chap. 5. Sect. 8. Of certeine bookes of holie scripture lost Whereof it shall be spoken in the booke of the Battailes of the Lord. ¶ Which séemeth to be the Booke of the Iudges or as some thinke a Booke which is lost Geneua Is it not written in the booke of Iasher ¶ Some read in the booke of the righteous meaning Moses The Chaldes text readeth in the Booke of the Lawe but it is like that it was a booke thus named which is now lost Geneua In the Booke of Nathan the Prophet in the Booke of Gad ¶ The Booke of Nathan the Prophet and the Booke of Gad are thought to haue bene lost in the Captiuitie Geneua Written in the Booke of Chronicles of the Kings of Iuda ¶ Which Bookes are called the Bookes of Semeia and Iddo the Prophets 2. Par. 12. 15. Geneua Of the booke of the Lawe found I haue found the Booke of the Law of the Lord. ¶ This was the copie that Moses left them as appeareth 2. Par. 34● 14. which either by the negligence of the Priests had bene lost or els by the wickednesse of idolatrous Kings had bene abolished Geneua BORDERS Wherefore
sanctifie their spirits which doth set their trust onlie in the redemption promised thē in Christs blessed bloud this church by Christ is made without spot or wrinkle D. Barnes fol. 313. The Church saith Lyra doth not stand by reason of spirituall power or secular dignitie for many Princes many Popes other inferiour persons haue swarued from the faith wherfore the church doth stand in those persons in whom is the true knowledge and confession of faith and veritie Lyra in Math. Chap. The holie church are we saith Augustine but I do not say are we as who should say we that be héere alonelie that heare me now but as manie as bee héere faithfull christen men in this church the is to say in this citie as manie as be in this regigion as many as be beyonde the sea as manie as be in all the whole world for from the rising of the Sunne vnto the going downe of the same is the name of God praised So is the church our mother August sermo 99. de tempore Saint Paule calleth the church the spouse of Christ for that she ought in all things to giue eare to the voice of the Bridegrome Likewise he calleth the church the piller of the truth for that that she ●aieth hir selfe onlie by the word of God without which word the church were it neuer so beautifull should bée n● church The holie church is all they that haue bene and that nowe are and alwaies to the end of the world shall bée a people the which shall endeuour them to know to kéepe the commandements of God dreading ouer all things to offend God and louing and séeking most to please him c. Booke of Mar. 632. The church saith Lambart I doe take for to be all those that GOD hath chosen or predestinate to be inheritours of eternall blisse and saluation whether they be temporall or spirituall king or subiect bishop or deaco● father or childe Grecian or Romaine c. Booke of Mar. fol. 1276. Of whom the Church began When Adam and Eue his wife had taken comfort of Gods promises which was that Christ should come of the womans séede to redeeme the world from sinne death and hell then they beléeuing the same stedfastlie in their heartes were the beginning of the true Church Lanquet Whie the Church is holie and Catholike On this consideration saith Saint Austen the Church is holy and Catholike not because it dependeth on Rome or anie other place nor of anie multitude obedient to Rome both which are donatistical but Quia recte credit in Deum because it beléeueth rightly in God I. Bridges fol. 543. The Fathers began to call this true and right teaching the Church of Christ the catholike Church which is as much to saie as vniuersall Augustine to his cosin Seuerinus This is saith he the catholike Church wherevpon it is also called Catholice in Gréeke because it is spred throughout al the world Isichius vpon Leuiticus For the vniuersal Church saith he is Hierusalem the citie of the liuing God which conteineth the Church of the first begotten written in heauen And Gelasius vnto Anastatius the Emperour The same is called saith he the Catholike Church which is by a pure cleane and vndefiled fellowship sequestred from all the vnfaithfull and their successours and companions otherwise there should not be a difference giuen of God but a miserable mingle mangle c. Musculus fol. 258. Cipriane the Bishop and Martyr in his booke De simplicitate Clericorum saith The Church is one which is spread further and further abrode by fertile increase euen as there are manie heames of the Sunne and but one light and manie boughes of a tree yet but one Oke grounded vpon a stedfast roote And where as manie brookes issue out of one spring though the number séeme to be increased by the abundaunce of store yet it is but one at the head Plucke a beame of the Sun from the Gloabe that one once separated is voide of light Breake a bough from the Tree it can bring foorth no fruite Cutte a Brooke from the Springe and béeing cutte of it drieth vp Guen so the Church lightened with Gods light which is spread euerie where neither is the vnitie of the bodie seperated she extendeth hot braunches with plenteous increase throughout all the earth she sendeth out her plentifull riuers all abrode Yet is there but one head and one spring and one mother plentifull with fertile success●● c. Bullinger fol. 841. How the Church is made cleane by Christ. If the feare of God haue deliuered you then are yée trulie deliuered You are washed you are sanctified you are iustified in the name of Iesus Christ and in the spirit of God Of Christ is the Church made faire first she was filthie in sinnes afterward by pardon and grace was she made faire D. Barnes 253. How the Church hath spots and wrinkles in her The whole Church praieth Lorde forgiue vs our sinnes wherefore she hath spottes and wrinkles but by knowing of them her wrinkles are stretched out knowledging her spots be washed awaie The Church continueth in praier that shée might be cleansed by knowledging of her sinnes and as long as we héere liue so standeth it And when euerie man departeth out of this bodie all such sinnes are forgiuen him which ought to be forgiuen him For they be forgiuen by dailie praier and he goeth hence cleansed And the Church of God is laide vp in the treasure of God for golde and by this meanes the Church of God is the treasure of our Lord without spotte or wrinkle Sequitur Let vs praie that God maie forgiue vs and that we maie forgiue our debters séeing it is said And it shall be forgiuen vnto you Wee saie this dailie and dailye we doe this and this thing is done dailie in vs. We are not héere without sinne but we shall depart without sinne D. B. fol. 254. How it is said aright that the Church cannot erre The Church is the pillor and foundation of the truth how then can it erre Wée aunswere brieflie saith Musculus wée doe knowe right well that the Church is the onelie and welbeloued spouse of Christ the kingdome of heauen the it is ruled by the masterie and leading of the holie spirit and that wée bée alwaies taught by his anoninting and that it is the piller and foundation of the truth But these saiengs do perteine not vnto all particuler Churches but vnto that onelie vpright and catholike church which is the communion of the Saints and elect throughout all the worlde which doth beléeue in Christ their Lord and spouse in all ages And touching this ther is no variaunce there is none of vs that saie that the catholike church hath erred in the faith of Christ. For how can it erre when it followeth Christ and walketh not in darknesse but hath the light of
maketh these ten strings the ten Commaundements and when he had spoken somewhat of one of them at last he commeth to the Sabboth daie I saie not saith he to liue delicatelie as the Iewes were wont For it is better to digge all the whole daie then to daunce on the Sabboth daie Pe. Mar. vpon Iudic. fo 287. Chrisostome in his 56. Homelie vpon Genesis when he entreateth of the mariages of Iacob Ye haue heard saith he of mariages but not of daunces which he there calleth diuelish and he hath manie things in the same place on our side And among other he writeth The Bridegroome and the Bride are corrupted by dauncing and the whole Familie is defiled Againe in the 48. Homelie Thou séest saith he mariages but thou seest no daunces for at that time they were not so lasciuious as they be now a daies And he hath manie things of the 14. chapter of Mathew where he spake vnto the people of the dauncing of the Daughter of Herodias amongst other things he saith At this daie Christians do deliuer to destruction not halfe their Kingdome not another mans head but euen their owne soules And he addeth that whereas is wanton dauncing there the Diuell daunceth together with them c. Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 287. Dauncing taken in good part Thou hast turned my mourning into dauncing ¶ By the word Dauncing there is not meant euerie manner wantonnes or Ruffianlie leaping and frisking but a sober and holie vtteraunce of gladnesse such as the holie Scripture maketh mention of when Dauid conuaied the Arke of Couenaunt into his place Caluine What the Ethnikes opinion was of Dauncing Aemilius Probus in ●he life of Epa●●● ondas saith that 〈…〉 sing and to daunce was not verie honourable among the Romanes when the Grecians had it in great estimation Salust● in Cantilinario writeth that Sempronia a certaine lasciuious and vnchast woman was taught to sing and daunce more elegantlie then became an honest matrone and there he calleth these two things the instruments of leche●id Cicero in his booke of Offices writeth that an honest and good man will not daunce in the market place although he might by that meanes come to great possessions And in his Oration which he made after his returne into the Senate he calleth Aulus Oab●●us his enimie in reproth Sa 〈…〉 or Cal 〈…〉 str●●us that is The fine Dauncer It was obiected to Lucius Aurona for a fault because he had daunced in Asia● The same thing also was obiected vnto y● king Deiotarus Cicero aunswereth for Murena No man daunceth being sober vnlesse peraduenture he be mad neither in the wildernesse neither yet at a moderate honest banket The same Cicero in Philippi●●s vpbraideth vnto Autonie among other● his vices Dauncing Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 287. DEACONS What the Deacons office was THe Deacons receiued the dailie offerings of the faithfull the yearelie reuenewe 〈…〉 of the Church to bestow them vpon true vses that is to saie to distribute them to feede partlie the ministers and partlie the poore but by the appointment of the Bishop to whom also they yearelie rendred accompts of their distribution Caluine in his inst 4. b. cha 4. sect 5. Of the election of Deacons Ideo hoc non permiserunt sort c. The Apostles saith Chrisostome did not commit the election of Deacons to lottes neither they being moued with the spirit did choose them though they might haue so done for to appoint the number to ordeine them to such an vse they challenged as due vnto themselues And yet do they permit y● election of them to the people lest they shuld be thought to be partial or to do any thing for sauor D. W. How Deacons maie preach and baptise In the beginning of the 8. Chapter of the Acts Saint Luke declareth that all the Apostles did still remaine at Hierusalem wherefore it could not be Philip the Apostle which was now at Hierusalem but it must néedes be Philip the Deacon that was dispearsed with the rest came to Samaria where he now preached and baptised And of this iudgment is Caluine whose words vpon the place and Chapter be these S. Luke had before declared that the Apostles did not step from Hierusalem it is probable that one of the 7. Deacons whose daughters did prophecie is héere mentioned c. D. W. Although saith Gualter it was the office of Deacons to take charge of the common treasures of the Church and of the poore yet was it héerewith permitted vnto them to take the office of preaching if at anie time necessitie required as we haue hetherto seene in the example of Stephen And peraduenture there was not so great neede of Deacons at Hierusalem when the Church was through persecution dispearsed and therefore they which before wer stewards of the Church goods did giue themselues whollie to the ministerie of the word Tertulian in his booke de Baptismo hath these words Baptiz●●di c. The high Priest which is the Bishop● hath authoritie to baptise so haue the Ministers and Deacons but not without the authoritie of the Bishop for the honor of the Church Hierom aduersus Luciferianos saith thus I doe not denie but that it is the custome of the Church that the Bishop shuld gae to laie his hands by the inuocation of the holie spirit which a ●arre off in little Cities by Ministers and Deacons wer baptised And a little after he saith Neither y● Minister nor deacon haue authoritie to baptise without y● cōmandement of y● Bishop Beza saith that Deacons did oftentimes supplie the office of Past ours in the administration of the Sacraments and celebrating of marriage and to pr●●e this he noteth 1. Cor. 14. 1● Iohn 4. 2. D. W. fol. 588. DEAD To be Dead to the Lawe what it is EUen so ye my bretheren are dead concerning the Lawe ¶ To be dead concerning the Law is to be made free from the Lawe and from the burden therof and to receiue the spirit by which we maie doe after the Lawe and the same is to be deliuered from the Lawe of death Tindale ¶ Are dead concerning the Lawe by the bodie of Christ. ¶ Because the bodie of Christ is made an offering and a Sacrifice for our sinnes wherby God is pleased and his wrath appeased and for Christs sake the holie Ghost is giuen to all beléeuers whereby the power of sinne is in vs dailie weakened we are counted dead to the Lawe for that the Lawe hath no damnation ouer vs. The Bible note The Dead shall heare how it is vnderstood The Dead shall heare the voice of the Sonne of God ¶ Héere he speaketh of the resurrection of iustification whereby the wicked ariseth from his wickednesse and whereby the sinner is brought from the death of his sinnes into the life of righteousnesse and speciallie of the calling of the Gentiles which was done after the comming of the holie Ghost For
in remēbring y● benefits of God This inuention although at the first sight it might séeme trim yet it agréeth not with Christs libertie For we must think vpon the benefits of God and our great ingratitude other most gréeuous sinnes not only fortie daies but also continally Further by this meanes they opened a most wide window to liue securely rechlye For if they once had performed fullye these fortie daies they thought that all the whole yeare after they might giue themselues wholy to all kinde of pleasures lusts For they referred the time of repentaunce to these fortie daies And although the elders had a Lent yet as Eusebius saith in his 5. booke and 24. Chapter it was left frée vnto all men For Ireneus after this manner intreated with Victor Bishop of Rome when he would have excommunicated the East Church because in the obseruing of Easter it agréed not with the Church of Rome What sayth he can we not liue at concord although they vse their owne cities as we vse ours for some fast in Lent two dayes some foure dayes some x. daies some fiftéene daies some twentie and other some forty dayes And yet is concord neuerthelesse kept in the Church Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fo 279. LEPER What the Leper signifieth THe Leper signifieth properly mans doctrine which spreadeth abrode like a canker And to be short all infection of vngodlynesse therefore must the Leuites giue diligent héede thereto for a little leauen sowreth all the whole lumpe of dowe T. M. ¶ He meaning the Priest shall iudge the plague to be cleane ¶ For it is not that contagious leper that infecteth but a kind of scurffe which maketh not the flesh rawe as the leprosie doth Geneua ¶ Of the leprosie in clothes which was vsed among the Iewes let them iudge This is euident that we in our time suffer ouer many leprosies in clothes T. M. ¶ The leprosie in houses is anye thing thereto perteining whereby the dweller might take anie harme in health of bodie in hurting of his goods or otherwise as if it stoode in an euill ayre T. M. If I send the plague of leprosie in an house c. This declareth that no plague nor punishment commeth to man without Gods prouidence and his sending Geneua How a Leper was knowne A leper had these fiue marks to be knowne by his garment was vpon him and cut in twaine his head vncouered his face mufled his dwelling from the companie of men proclaimed openly to be a leper and vncleane Hemmyng Of the leprosie that Christ healed The leprosie that Christ healed in S. Mathewes Gospell was not like the leprosie that is now but was a kinde thereof which was vncurable Geneua LESSE The meaning of this place following NOtwithstanding he that is lesse in the kingdome of heauen is greater then he ¶ Christ which humbled himselfe to the crosse was of lesse reputation in this world then Iohn Baptist was yet in the kingdome of heauen Christ was greater then hée Tindale The least of them that shall preach the Gospell in the new estate of Christes Church shall haue more knowledge then Iohn and their message shall be more excellent Geneua LETANIES What the Letanies are LEtanies are nothing else but humble praiers and supplications to God to procure his fauo●r and turne awaye his wrath and wer receiued long before procession came in place Some be called Minores the lesse some Maiores the greater The lesse were instituted by Mamartus Bishop of Vienna in the yeare of our Lord. 469. as Sigebertus sayth 02. 488. as Polichronicon reporteth The order of them was but a solempne assembly of people vnto prayer at such time as we call the rogation wéeke The cause was for earthquake and tempests and inuasion of wilde beasts which then did greatlye destroye the people The greater Letanie was deuised by Gregorie the Pope Anno. 592. When as the cause béeing lyke as before the superstition beganne to be more for by the reason of a great pestilence following a floud the Bishoppe by Ceremonies thought to appease the wrath of God and therefore made Septiformen Laetanian a seauenfold Letanie One of the clergie an other of the Monks one of men an other of their wiues One of maidens an other of widowes the last of poore and children together These people so distinct in the seauen orders shoulde come from seauen seuerall places and then it was thought they should be heard the sooner but in their Procession fourescore persons were striken with the plague to shewe howe well God was pleased with them Notwithstanding how thinges of a good deuotio● instituted in time doe growe to great abuse For what the order and solempnitie of them was we reade in the counsell of Mentz celebrated 813. yeares after Christ. The words of the decrée be these Placint nobis c. Our will is that the greate Letanie bée obserued of all Christians thrée daies And as our holye Fathers haue ordeined it not riding nor hauing precious garments on them but bare footed in Sackcloth an Ashes vnlesse infirmitie doe let Thus farre the Counsell LETTER What the Letter signifieth AVgustine in his third booke and. 5. Chapter De doctrina Christiana writeth that they sticke in the Letter which take the signes for the thinges and that which is figuratiuely spoken in the holy Scriptures they take it so as if it were spoken properlye And so lowe crope they on the ground that when they heare the name of the Sabboth they remember nothing but the seauenth day which was obserued of the Iewes Also when they heare of a Sacrifice they thinke vppon nothing but the sacrifices which were killed And though ther bée some seruitude tollerable yet hée calleth that a miserable seruitude when wée take the signes for the thinges wherein there is a greate offence committed in these dayes in the Sacrament of the Eucharist for howe manye shall a man finde which beholding the outwarde signes of the Sacrament calleth to memorye the death and passion of Christ whereof it is most certeine that they are signes or which thinketh within himselfe that the bodye and bloud of Christ is a spirituall meate for the soule through fayth euen as breade and wine are nourishmentes for the bodye Or which weigheth with himselfe the coniunction of the members of Christ betweene themselues and with the head These thinges are not regarded and they cleaue onelye to the sight of the signes and men thinke it is inough if they haue looked vppon bowed the knée and worshipped This to imbrace the Letter and not to giue eare vnto the sayde Augustine who in the place wée haue now cited and a little afterwarde most appertlye affirmeth that to eate the bodye of Christ and to drinke his bloud are figuratiue kinde of speaches So are the Iewes accused because they cleauing onely to the Letter and circumcision were transgrassers of the lawe Pet. Mar. vpon the Rom. fol. 49.
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 Apo●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 y● 20. yere of Constantius y● 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 y● other bookes which are intitled the Gospell the corne of wheate are cast into the ground discribed But héere in this booke y● 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
in the sixt yeare of the same Darius So that from the second yeare of Cyrus vnto the. 6. yeare of Darius were 46. yeares wherein they were a building The meaning of this place following I will worship towards the holy Temple c. ¶ Both the temple and ceremoniall seruice at Christs comming wer abolished so that now God will be worshipped onely in spirit and truth Geneua Of them that trusted in the outward seruice of the Temple Trust not in lyeng words saieng The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord c. ¶ Beleeue not the false Prophets which say that for the temples sake the sacrifice there the Lord will preserue you and so nourish you in your sinne and vaine confidence for in the next verse after God sheweth on what condition he made his promise to this temple y● they should be an holy people vnto him as he would be a faithfull God vnto them Geneua How Churches or Temples are not to be builded to Saints Saint Austen in his booke De imitat Dei sayth plainely we build no Temple vnto our Martirs And againe in his first booke against Maximinus a Bishop of the Arrians if we shuld saith he build a Church of timber stones vnto some excellent holy Angell shoulde we not be accursed by the truth of Christ and the Church of God Therefore if we should commit sacriledge in making a temple to euery creature whatsoeuer how may it be that God is not true vnto whome wée make no Temple but wée our selues are a Temple for him Bullinger fol. 1127. How the Pope doth sit in the temple of God as God Compare the commaundements of God with the constitutions of men and you shall easily vnderstand y● the Bishop of Rome whom they call the Pope to sit in the temple of God as God and to bée extolled aboue all that is named God It is written The Temple of the Lorde is holy which is you Therfore the conscience of man is the temple of the holy Ghost in which Temple I will proue the Pope to sit as God and to be exalted aboue all that is called God For who so contemneth the Decalogue or the Table of the ten commandements of God there is but a smal punishment for him neither is that punishment to death but contrariwise he that shall contemne or violate speaking to Frier Brusiard the constitutions which you call the sanctions of men is counted by all mens iudgements guiltie of death what is this but the Bishop of Rome to sit and to reigne in the Temple of God that is in mans conscience as God Bilney in the booke of Mar. fol. 1140. TEMPTATION What Temptation is TEmptation is nothing else but to take proofe or triall of any thing wherefore the end of temptation is rightly called knowledge And they which will passe ouer a water doe trie out the shallowe places to know the depth of the water wounds also are tried of Surgions to féele the déepenesse of them In tempting therefore knowledge is sought But God néedeth not that new and fresh knowledge for such is his nature that he knoweth all things most perfectly But when he tempteth he onely doth it to leade men to the knowledge of those things which they ought to knowe Wherefore when he sometime tempteth good and holymen hée bringeth into lyght and maketh open the fayth obedience● strength and godlynesse which before laye hidde in their heartes that they which sée the same things might glorifie God the authour of them And that they which are so tempted when they haue gotten the victorye may giue thankes and desire of him that euen as he hath done now so he woulde vouchsafe to helpe them continually in temptations Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic fol. 33. How temptation generally is not euill All temptations or tryall is not euill For God tempted his seruauntes One friende is tempted of an other The childe is tried by the Father the wife by her husband the seruaunt by his Maister not that they might bée hurt by tryall but rather that they might thereby bée profited The Diuell also tempteth wherevpon also hee is called a temptor in the Scripture Also enimies vse to tempt not to profite thereby but to hurt and destroye This kinde of temptation is wicked Therefore the Lorde hath exhorted vs to beware of those which tempt with an euill minde when hée willeth vs not onely to bee innocent as Doues but also wise as Serpents Marlo vpon Iohn fol. 283. The Israelites are rebuked of Moses for tempting the Lord. Wherefore do ye tempt the Lord. ¶ Why distrust you God Why looke ye not for succour of him without murmuring against God Geneua How God tempteth no man to euill God tempteth not vnto euill ¶ Almightye GOD hath euer tempted and proued his elect by trouble and persecution and by nur●uring them with outwarde plagues neuerthelesse he doth it not vnto euill but for good namelye because he loueth them and will haue their fayth exercised Thus tempted hée Abraham Genesis 22. ● and the Israelites Deut. 8. 2. As for temptation that we praye in our Pater noster to bee deliuered from it is the 〈…〉 and concupiscence of our flesh whereby we are entised vnto euill Tindale ¶ This worde to Tempt is taken two manner of wayes first it ●etokeneth to entice a man to euill after this sayeng we saye that God tempted no man For as GOD is of his owne nature good and can●e in no wise be entised to euill so doth hée moue or entice no man to sinne which he himselfe doth detest and abhorre Héere we learne that if we sinne we ought not to putte the fault in God but in our owne selues Secondly this worde to Tempt is taken for to proue As when wée saye God tempted Abraham Gen. 22. 1. And that hée did tempt the Israelites Deut. 8. 2. that is to saye did proue Abraham and tryed the Israelites whether they loued him or not Sir I. Cheeke Of the Pharesies and Saduces tempting of Christ. Then came the Pharesies and Saduces to tempt him ¶ To trye whether hée coulde doe that which they desired but their purpose was naught for they thought to finde some thing in him by that meanes wherevpon they might haue iust occasion to reprehende him Or distrust and curiositye moued them so to doe for by such meanes also is God sayde to bée tempted that is to saye prouoked to anger as though men would striue with him Beza ¶ Men tempt God either by their incrudelitie or curiositie Geneua How Christ is tempted of the Diuell To bée tempted of the Diuell ¶ To the ende hée ouercomming these temptations might gette the victorye for vs. Geneua Christ is by and by after Baptime tempted which thing we must looke for Yea the more wée shall encrease in fayth and vertuous liuing the more strongly will Satan assault vs. Sir I. Cheeke When the diuell had ended his temptations
for all that we can doe is gone after him Tertulian sayth The greatest crueltie that ye can deuise is an entisement to our sect how many of vs so eu●r ye murther when ye come to the view ye finde vs moe and moe The séeds of this increase is christian bloud For what man saith he beholding the paineful torments and the perfect patience of them will not search and inquire what is the cause And when hée hath found it out who will not agrée vnto it who will not desire to suffer for it Thus saith he this sect will neuer dye which the more it is cut downe the more it groweth For euery man séeing and wondering at the sufferance of the Saint is moued the more thereby to search the cause in scarching he findeth it and in finding he followeth it S. Austen saith they were scattered they were imprisoned they were beaten they wer ract they wer burnt yet they multiplied Aug. de ciuit li. 12. cap. 6. Nazianzen sayth By death it liueth by wounds it springeth by diminishing it increaseth Nazian in● reditum suum ex agro How the word and flesh be not both of one nature If the word and flesh were both of one nature séeing that the word is euery where why is not the flesh then euery where for when it was in earth then verily it was not in heauen now when it is in heauen it is not surely in earth And it is so sure that it is not in earth that as concerning it we looke for him to come from heauen When as concerning his eternall word we beleeue to be with vs in earth Therefore by your doctrine saith Vigelius vnto Eutiches who defended that the diuinitie and humanitie in Christ was but one nature either the word is conteined in a place with his flesh or else the flesh is euery where with his word For one nature cannot receiue in it selfe two natures and contrary things But these two things be diuerse and farre vnlike that is to say to be conteined in a place and to be euery where Therfore insomuch as the word is euery where and the flesh is not euery wher it appeareth plainely that one Christ himselfe hath in him two natures and that by his diuine nature he is euery where and by his humanitie he is conteined in a place that he is created hath no beginning that he is subiect to death and cannot dye Whereof one he hath by the nature of his word whereby hee is God and the other he hath by the nature of his flesh wherby the same God is made man also Therefore one sonne of God the selfe same was made the sonne of man and hée hath a beginning by the nature of his flesh and no beginning by the nature of his Godhead He is comprehended in a place by the nature of his flesh and not comprehended by the nature of his Godhead He is inferiour to Angells in the nature of his flesh and is equall to his Father in the nature of his Godhead He died by the nature of his flesh died not by the nature of his Godhead This is the faith and catholike confession which the Apostles taught the martirs did co●oborate and faithfull people kéepe vnto this day Cranmer fol. 113. How the word of God ought not onely to be read to the people but also to be expounded vnto them Esdras the Priest brought the lawe the booke of Moses and stóod vpon a Turret of wood that is in the holy Pulpet And Esdras opened ye. booke before the congregation of men womē and whosoeuer else had any vnderstanding And the Leuites stood with him so that he read out of the booke and the Leuites instructed the people in the lawe and the people stood in their place and they read in the booke of the lawe distinctly expounding the sense causing them to vnderstand the reading Héere it appeareth that the lawfull and holy ministers of the church of God did not onely read the word of God but also expound it And this our Sauiour Christ practised himselfe when he entered into the Sinagogue at Nazareth expounded a certeine place out of the. 61. Chapter of Esay And also after his rising from death he appeared to the two Disciples which went to Emaus expounding to them whatsoeuer was written of him in the Scriptures which example in expounding the word of God all the Apostles followed c. Bullinger fo 24. VVORKES How the deeds and works of the lawe iustifie not BY the déeds of the law shall no flesh be iustified ¶ God in his lawe doth not onely require of vs outward righteousnesse but also an inward perfection that is to say we are not onely bound to fulfil the works of the law outwardly in our liuings but also inwardly in our hearts to be most sincere to loue entirely aboue all things and our neighbour as our selfe But our nature is so corrupted that no man liuing is able to do the same wherefore no man can be iustified by the works of the lawe Sir I. Cheeke ¶ He meaneth the lawe either written or vnwritten which commandeth or forbiddeth any thing whose works cannot iustifie because we cannot performe them Geneua ¶ He includeth heere the whole law both the ceremonial mor●all whose works cānot iustify because they be imperfect in all men The Bible note No man is iustified by the déeds of the lawe but by y● faith of Iesus Christ. ¶ This S. Paule proueth by the words of the Prophet Abacucke 2. 4. A righteous man liueth by faith If he liue by any part of workes then liueth he not by fayth but partly by works and then were Saint Paules probation vnperfect which cannot be With this agréeth Athanasius prouing that fayth alonely hath the vertue in him to iustifie before God Before man peraduenture they may saith he be reckoned righteous that sticke to the lawe but not before God D. Barnes Good workes make not men righteous but followeth him that beléeueth and is already become righteous in Christ. Like as good fruite maketh not a trée to be good but a trée is knowne to be good by the good fruite of it Beza Ye see then how that of déeds a man is iustified and not of faith onely ¶ When we reade in S. Paule that we are iustified through fayth without the workes of the lawe it is to bée vnderstood that through faith whereby we take holde of the mercy of God so plentifully declared vnto vs in our Sauiour Iesus Christ we are without any demerites or deseruings of ours counted iust and righteous before God so that our sinnes shall be no more imputed vnto vs. Héere in Saint Iames to be iustified is to be declared righteous before men and that by good workes which are infallible witnesses of the true iustifieng fayth and therefore he sayth Shew me thy fayth by thy déedes Againe he bringeth the example
soule Cooper APOSTLE What an Apostle is APostle is an Ambassadour a Messenger or one sent And after this manner Christ is our Apostle sent of his Father Tindale Who were Apostles Apostles are those chosen sorte which were sent by Christ himselfe to preach the Gospell ouer all the world confirming the same with miracles and bearing witnesse of Christs resurrection of which sort were the twelue Mat. 10. 1. into whose state Paule was called afterward These béeing bound to no certein abiding went from countrie to countrie preaching Christ and trauailed as ambassadours to sundrie nations planting Churches and setting vp Christs kingdome wheresoeuer they came Marl. vpon the Apoc. fol. 259. How the Apostles were not called the heads of the Church Augustine in his third booke writing against the letters of Petulian denieth that the Apostle Paule could be the head of the whom he had planted in the faith of Christ saieng O what a rashnesse and pride is this of man Why doest thou not rather suffer that Christ should alwaies giue faith and to make thée a Christian in the giuing of it Why doest thou not suffer that Christ should be euer the beginning of the Christian man and that the Christian man should fasten his roote in Christ that Christ be the head of the Christian man For what time 〈…〉 the spirituall grace is bestowed vnto the beléeuers by the holie and faithfull ministers the Minister himselfe doth not iustifie but he onelie of whom it is said that he doth iustifie the wicked For the Apostle Paule was not the head and beginning of them whom he planted nor Apollo the roote of them whom he watered but he which gaue them increase as he himselfe saith in the third chapter in the first Epistle to the Corinthians I haue planted Apollo hath watered but God hath giuen increase So that not be which planteth is anie thing nor he which watereth but God hath giuen increase nor he was not the roote of them but he rather which said I am the Uine and you be the braunches And how could he be their head when he said wée being manie are one bodie in Christ And when he doth report most plainlie in manie places that Christ himselfe is the head of the whole bodie This saith Augustine Musculus fol. 261. How the Apostles were equall with Peter Saint Cipriane saith Non erant vtique caeteri Apostoli c. The rest of the Apostles were the same that Peter was all endewed with one fellowship both of honour of power Yet the beginning is taken of one to shewe that the Church is one Cipri de simplicita Prçlatorum Iewel fol. 109. Saint Hierom saith Dices super Petrum fundatur Ecclesia c. Ye will say the Church is founded vppon Peter Notwithstanding in another place the same thing is done vppon all the Apostles and all receiue the keies of the kingdome of heauen and the strength of the Church is founded equallie vppon them all Hierom aduers. Iouinia li. 1. Iewel fol. 107. Origen saith Quod si super vnum illū Petrum tantum c. If thou thinke the whole Church was builded vpon Peter what wilt thou then say of Iohn the sonne of thunder and of euerie of the Apostles Origen in Math. tract 1. Iewel fol. 107. S. Chrisostome of Peter saith thus Duplex crimen erat c. Peter was in double fault both for that he withstood Christ and also for that he fell himselfe before the rest Chrisost. in Math. hom 83. S. Austen saith Inter se concorditer c. Peter and his fellowes liued agréeable together August Epist. 86. Againe he saith Christus sine personarum c. Christ without anie choice of persons gaue the same authoritie to Paule to minister among the Heathen that he gaue to Peter among the Iewes The ordinarie glose saith thus of Saint Paule Non didici c. I learned not of Peter and others as of my betters but I had conference with them as with equalls and friends Glos. Gal. 2. Iewel fol. 107. Paule himselfe saith Iames Peter and Iohn that séemed to be pillers gaue vnto me and Barnabas the right hands of the fellowship which the glose expoundeth thus Societatis c. O● fellowship that is of equalitie Iewel fol. 107. How the Apostles had wiues Haue we not power to lead about a wife being a sister as well as other Apostles and as the Bretheren of the Lord and Ceyphas ¶ This text cléerelie proueth that Peter and other Apostles had wiues and wherefore then should it be vnlawfull for Priests to marrie they are no better nor no holier then the Apostles were But héere will some say that the Apostles had wiues before that Christ did choose them but afterward they forsooke their wiues followed Christ which thing is not true that they forsooke their wiues for that had bene plainly against the doctrine of their master Christ which taught thē not to forsake their wiues but in any wise to kéepe them sauing onelie for fornication And this place of S. Paule Haue we not power c. doth proue how S. Peter after his Apostleship and also other disciples of Christ carried their wiues about with them when they went a preaching wherefore it is a false lie that they had forsaken them D. Barnes Eusebius in the third booke of the Ecclesiasticall storie in the 27. chapter reporteth Clements wordes thus Clement whose words we haue héere marked writing against them which despise mariage saith these words Do they also disallow the Apostles for Peter Philip had wiues and gaue their daughters to be maried vnto men And also Paule the Apostle is not ashamed to make mention in a certeine Epistle of his owne make and companion and to greete her whom he said that he led not about with him that he might be the more readie and comberlesse to preach the Gospell I doe not backbite th● other blessed men which were coupled in matrimonie of whom I made mention now For I wish that being worthie of God I may be found in his kingdome at their feete as Abraham Isaac Iacob as Ioseph Esay other Prophets were As Peter and Paule and the other Apostles which were coupled in mariage which had wiues not to fulfill the 〈…〉 s of the flesh but to haue issue and posteritie 〈…〉 Ignatius in Epist. ad Philadel Erasmus in his annotations vpon the fourth Chapter of the Epistle to the Philipians reporteth the witnesse of Ignatius on this wise The holie Martir Ignatius in an Epistle to the Philedelphians doth plainlie graunt that not onelie Peter but also Paule and other of the Apostles had wiues And that they had them in no lesse reputation therefore because Patriarchs and Prophets were married not for lusts sake but for childrens sake Chrisostome graunteth that there were some which reckoned that Paule did speake vnto his wife but dissenteth shewing no
taken in this place following Baptime which now saueth vs. ¶ By Baptime héere doe diuers learned Interpreters vnderstand the bloud and Passion for a figure taking the signe for the thing signified thereby for this doth baptime signifie vnto vs besides other things that as we are there washed with water so are our sins washed away with the shedding of Christs bloud For Saint Peter sheweth that we are saued by Baptime not by washing away of the filthie flesh but by the examination of a good conscience in God Tindale BARCHOCHEBAS BArchochebas a Captaine of the Iewes alluding vnto his name affirmed that he was the Light or a Starre come downe from Heauen to comfort the Iewes He ledde them to rebellion so that as Dion Cass. in Adriano writeth ther were slaine of them aboue fiftie thousand Euseb. li. 4. cap. 6. BARIESV Of the craft and subtiltie of this false Sorcerer THey found in the Citie of Paphos a certaine Sorcerer a false Prophet which was a Iewe named Bariosu ¶ Bariesu that is by interpretation Iesus sonne Euen this name had this Sorcerer gotten to blinde the world withall as now our Sorcerers and Coniorers when they goe to worke they fall to crossing and praieng with all holy words to deceiue the people withall making them to iudge that they rather talked with God then with the Diuell And Elimas was his name by interpretation saith the Text which as Erasmus affirmeth in his Paraphrasis soundeth as much in the Sirians language as great and false Prophet Tindale ¶ This Iewe being a false Prophet and a Sorcerer went about to peruert and turne from the faith Sergius Paulus the Deputie Paule the Apostlo reprehended him so that the Sorcerer was smi●●ten with blindnesse and the Deputie conuerted of whom Paul● borrowed his name Act. 13. Beda BARREN What a reproch it was to women that were barren To take from me my rebuke among men ¶ For it was a chiefe blessing of God to be fruitfull in children Gen. 7. 3. Exo. 23. 26. Psal. 127. 3. 128. 4. Because it was a multiplieng of the Lords people fulfilling of Gods promises Gen. 14. And therfore was taken among the Iewes for a reproch to the Barren The Bible note ¶ For the Barren women enioied not the promise which God made to them that were married to haue issue but principallie they were depriued of that promise which God made to Abraham that he would increase his séede Geneua How barren mothers haue brought forth excellent men And his name was Manoah whose wife was Barren ¶ When God decréed to send anie notable and excellent man he verie oftentimes stirred him vp out of a Barren woman Which thing also we sée come to passe in Sampson likewise in Samuel and Iohn Baptist and in very manie other that it might manifestlie appeare to be altogether the worke of God Barrennesse among the Hebrewes was a thing ignominious but God because he would declare that of things most contemptible he can bring forth thing● excellent hath verie oftentimes done after this manner And that fault of barrennesse was in this place in the woman and not in the man For sometime it maie be in both but the Scripture héere pronounceth it of the woman and not of the man Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 200. The meaning of this place following Then the children whom the Barren shall bring foorth vnto thée shall saie in thine eare this place is too narrow c. ¶ Some read Yet shall the children of thy barrennesse saie in thine eare c. The meaning is when thou art most Barren hast fewest of y● faithfull in thée that is to saie the twelue Apostles and a few of their disciples Iewes borne by and by shalt thou heare a noise that these are increased to such a number that they shall not finde place sufficient to dwell in At the first sermon of Peter were there increased thrée thousand Act. 2. 41. T. M. A Prophecie of the Church and why it is called barren Reioice thou Barren that didst not beare c. ¶ After that he hath declared the death of Christ he speaketh to the Church because it should féele the fruite of the same calleth hir Barren because that in the captiuitie she was as a widdow without hope to haue anie children Geneua BARTHELMEVV Of his death and martirdome THis Apostle is said to preach to the Indians and to haue conuerted the Gospell of S. Mathew into their tongue where he continued a great space doing manie miracles At last in Albania a Citie of great Armenia after diuers persecutions hée was beaten downe with staues and after being excordiate hée was at length beheaded In the booke of Mar. fol. 52. BASILIDES What his heresies were and who confuted them EVsebius writeth that one Agrippa Castor a stout champion a famous writer of those times published a confutation of Basilides disclosing all his Satanicall iugling Hauing displaied his secrecie he reporteth that Basilides wrote 24. bookes vppon the Gospell faining vnto himselfe Prophets whom he called Barcabus and Barcoph certeine others neuer heard of before Inuenting those barbarous names to amaze the hearers with all teaching that indifferentlie things offered to Idols mais be eaten that in time of persecution the faith with periurie maie be renounced commaunding silence after the manner of Pythagoras for the space of 5. yeares And such like heresies of Basilides the said writer hath plainlie confuted Euse. li. 4. ca. 7. BASTARD What childe is called a Bastard A Bastard is he which cannot tell who is his father Or if he can tell one whom it is not lawfull for him to haue to his father as it is written in the Digestes De statu personarum in the Lawe Vulgo concepti How bastards are not admitted to the inheritaunce of their fathers Chrisostome vpon the Epistle to the Romanes when he interpreteth these words Now is the houre for vs to rise from sléepe he vehementlie inueigheth against whoremongers Why dost thou sowe saith hée that which is not lawfull for thée to reape Or if thou doe gather it is ignomious vnto thée for infamie will thereby come both to him which shall be borne to thée also For he as long as he liueth shal be full of ignomie and thou both when thou art liuing when thou art dead shall be noted of filthie lusts c. Wherfore it is ordeined by the lawes that Bastards should not be admitted to the inheritance of their fathers Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 177. A Bastard shall not enter into the Congregation of y● Lord. ¶ This was to cause them to liue chastlie that their posteritie might not be reiected Geneua If therfore ye be without correction c. then are ye bastards and not sonnes ¶ He concludeth that they which refuse the Crosse denie to be of the number of Gods children but are bastards Geneua ¶ Read Eccl. 40. 15 and 41.
life Christ hath not forsaken it nor neuer will forsake it all our whole strife is vpon the particular churches which be mingled with good and euill together They not onelie can erre but also haue erred and doe erre yet in manie points c. Musculus fol. 267. Saint Augustine in his preface vpon the 47. Psalme alleadgeth this place of the Apostle in this wise Therefore wée must vnderstād by the second of the sabboth none but the church of Christ but the church of Christ in his Saintes the church of Christ in them which be written in heauen the church of Christ in them which doe not yéelde vnto temptations of this world for they be worthie to beare the name of the firmament Therefore the church in them which be strong of whom the Apostle saith Wée which be strong beare with the infirmities of the weake is called the firmament whereof it is song in the Psalme Let vs heare let vs knowe let vs sound let vs glorie let vs reigne For heare you and knowe that the same also is called the firmament by the writing of the Apostle which is saith he the church of the liuing God the piller and firmament of truth Thus saith Augustine Chrisostome doth expound this place in this sort Not as the Iewish church for this is that which conteineth the faith that is to saie the piller and establishment of the church and the preaching For truth is the piller and establishment of the church this saith he He maketh not the church to be the piller establishment of the truth but the truth of the church c. Mus. fo 268 To proue that the congregation of faithfull men is the church that cannot erre heare their owne law The whole church cannot erre ● Againe The congregation of faithfull men must néeds be which also cannot erre ¶ This church which is spred abrode throughout all the world and standeth in the vnitie of faithfull christen men is the church that God suffereth not to erre in those things that belong to saluation D. B. fol. 254. How the Church is knowne Whereas the word of God is purelie and sincerely preached the Sacraments orderlie ministred after the blessed ordinance of Christ. And wheras men do patiently suffer for the veritie And the hearers doe applie their liuing to Christ doctrine and with méeknesse receiue the holie Sacraments these be good and present tokens to iudge vpon that there be certeine members of Christs church and to proue this read the doctors following Our mother holie church faith Augustine throughout all the world scattered farre and wide in her true head Christ taught hath learned not to feare the contumelies of the crosse nor yet of death but more and more is she strengthened not in resisting but in suffering They that be in Iudea let them flie vnto the mountaines that is to saie they the be in Christendome let them giue themselues to the scriptures for in that time in the which heresies haue obteined into the church there can be no true probation of christendome nor no other refuge vnto christen men willing to knowe the veritie of faith but by the Scriptures of God Afore by manie waies was it shewed which was the church of Christ and which was the congregation of the Gentiles But now there is none other waie to them the will know which is the verie true church of Christ but onely by Scriptures By works first was the church of Christ knowne when the congregation of christen men either of all or of manie were holie the which holinesse had not the wicked men But nowe christen men are as euill or worse then heretiks or Gentiles yea greater continence is found among them then among christen men Wherefore he the will knowe which is the verie church of Christ how shal he know but by the scriptures only And therefore our Lord considering that the great confusion of things should come in the latter daies for that cause cōmaunded he that christen men willing to reserue the stablenesse of the true faith shuld flée vnto none other thing but vnto the scriptures For if they haue respect vnto other things they shall bée slaūdred shal perish not vnderstāding which is the true church The same Doctour saith ● It can no waie bée knowne what is the Church but onelie by the Scriptures Againe Christ commaundeth that who so will haue the assuraunce of true faith séeke to nothing else but vnto the Scriptures Otherwise if they looke to anie thing else they shall be offended and shall perish not vnderstanding which is the true Church and by meanes héereof they shall fall into the abhomination of desolation which standeth in the holie places of the Church There bée certeine bookes of our Lord vnto the authoritie whereof each part agréeth there let vs séeke for the church Thereby let vs examine and trie our matter Againe hée saith in the same Chapter I will ye shew me the holie church not by decrées of men but by the word of God August de vnit eccl cap. 3. The question or doubt is where the Church should bee what then shall wée doe Whether shall we séeke the Church in our owne wordes or in the wordes of her head which is our Lord Iesus Christ In my iudgement we ought rather to séeke the Church in his words for that he is the truth and best knoweth his owne bodie August de vnit eccle Chap. 2. Whether of vs be Scismatikes wée or you aske not me I will not aske you Let Christ be asked that hée maie shewe vs his owne Church Augustine cont litter Petilium li. 2. chap. 85. In times past saith Chirsostome there were manie waies to knowe the church of Christ that is to saie by good lyfe by myracles by chastitie by doctrine by ministring the Sacraments But from that time heresies did take holde of the church it is onelie knowne by the Scriptures which is the true church They haue all things in outward shew which the true church hath in truth They haue Temples like vnto ours c. Wherefore onely by the Scriptures doe we knowe which is the true church Verses Hoc est nescire sine Christo plurima scire Si Christum bene s●is satis est si caetera nescis Englished This is to be ignorant to know manie things without Christ If thou knowest Christ well thou knowest inough though thou knowest no more What is meant by the militant and triumphant Church Men doe diuide the true Church of Christ into the militant the triumphant church So that the militant church should be of them which doe yet trauaile in this mortall flesh do striue with Satan the flesh and the world● The triumphant of them which are passed to heauen and haue ouercome all manner of their enimies In this sort Augustine placeth the Angels also These bée not two churches but the
parcels of one selfe same church of which the one is alreadie gone to that dwelling of heauen the other doth follow euerie daie vntil that at the last in the end of the world they shall bee both ioyned together liue euerlastinglie in blisse with Christ our Sauiour Musculus fol. 255. Who is the true head of the true church And he hath made subiect saith the Apostle all things vnder his féete he speaketh of Christ and he hath giuen him to be the head ouer all things to that church which is his bodie the accomplishment of him which fulfilleth all things in all men Againe But let vs saith he follow the turth in loue and in all things grow in him which is the head that is to saie Christ in whome if the whole bodie be ioined and compact together in euerie ioint of aide and reliefe according to the working of euerie part in his proportion it maketh vp the increase of the bodie to the building vp of it selfe by charitie Againe You wiues be subiect vnto your own husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the wiues head euen as Christ is also the head of the congregation and the same which ministreth saluation to the bodie And in an other place All thinges were created by him and for him and he is before all thinges by him all things haue their béeing and the first begotten of the dead that he might haue the preheminence How the church is vnspot'ed Albeit that Paule doe call the spouse of Christ vnspotted and not beraied with anie wrinkles or moules Yet doth it not followe that the faithfull sinne not as the vnskilfull Anabaptists chatter For then had Iohn bene a liar in writing If we saie we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues and the truth is not in vs. 1. Iohn 1. 8. And where as the same Iohn saith He that is of God sinneth not neither can sinne Iohn 3. 9. And whereas Saint Paule telleth vs that Christs Church is vnblameable The cause is this that although the godlie and the faithfull be sinners and do dailie offend yet notwithstanding their peace maker and bridegrome Iesus Christ laieth not their sinnes to their charge by reason of their wedding garment that is to saie of their beliefe in him Wherefore those that by this and such other like places doe gather with the Pelageans to proue the perfectnes of the church in this life they maie bée disproued without anie trouble c. Marl. vpon the Apoc. fol. 293. How the Church receiued not her first preaching of the Gospell from Rome Eusebius fol. 28. saith that Saint Marke the Euangelist first erected congregations and taught the Gospell at Alexandria Nicephorus saith that S. Marke went preaching ouer all Aegypt Libia and Sireni and Pentapolis the whole countrie of Barbarie in the time of the Emperour Tiberius which was at the least sixe yeares before Peter came to Rome Therefore it cannot be true that the Church receiued from Rome the first preaching of the Gospell How the Church is hidden In Helias time the Church was not knowne vnto men but vnto God onelie for else Helias would not haue said that he ws left alone And this is plaine inough by that which the text hath namelie that God saith Reliqui mihi I haue reserued to me 7000. Marke that he saith God hath reserued to himselfe to his owne knowledge as I doubt not but an hundred yeares agoe God had his 7000. in his proper places though men knew not thereof Bradford It is it saith S. Austen that is sometime darkned and couered with multitude of offences as with a Cloude Sometime in calmenesse of time appeareth quiet frée Somtime is hidden and troubled with waues of tribulations and temtations He bringeth foorth examples that oftentimes the strongest pillers either valiantlie suffered banishment for the faith or were hidden in the world Caluin in his insti 4. li. Chap. 2. Sect. 3. Obiection Where was your church in such and such yeares Aunswere I answere out of my Créede thus I beléeue that there hath bene is and shall be an holie catholike Church My senses cannot shew it and therefore I beléeue it It is not necessarie that we shall from time to time sée the church But we ought to beléeue from time to time that there is an holie church Scripture saith Thou art verilie a hidden God So the church is oftentimes hidden The husband of an hidden condition and the spouse of an hidden condition Christ was in the middest of them and they knew it not The church was in the middest of them and they knew it not c. How the Church is not aboue the word of God Obiection How can a man come to the knowledge of the word of God but as they be taught by the Church Aunswere The Church by premonstration declareth what is the word of God Ergo is the Church aboue the word of God This argument is not good No more then if you would say Iohn Baptist doth shew Christs cōming to the people Ergo Iohn Baptist is aboue Christ. Or as if I should shew the king to one who knew him not and tell him this is he by and by you shoulde say that I was aboue the king Hemmyng How the Church hath no authoritie to reforme the Scriptures The Scriptures of God hath authoritie to reforme the church but the church hath no authoritie to reforme the Scripture Christ reformed the errours of the church in his time by the Scriptures saieng vnto the Scribes Pharesies Scrip●●m est S. Paule reformed the Corinthians in his time fo●●● vsing the holie communion by y● scriptures saieng I 〈…〉 you that thing that I receiued of the Lord Iewel against 〈…〉 How the authoritie of the church moued Saint Austen to beleeue in Christ. I would giue no credence saith S. Austen vnto the gospell if the authoritie of the catholike church did not moue me ¶ Gerson the chauncellour of Paris a right excellent famous man in his time doth in his second booke De vita spirituali like a discrete profound learned clarke saie that Saint Austen in this place taketh the Church for the primitiue congregation of those faithfull christen men that heard and sawe Christ and were his record bearers For when ther crept out diuerse sundrie Gospels in the church while the Apostles and Disciples of Christ were yet liuing they that had séene Christ himselfe and had heard his Apostles could testifie which were right and true and which were not Saint Austen before he was conuerted was an heathen man and a Philosopher full of worldlie wisdome vnto whom the preaching of Christ is foolishnesse saith S. Paule 1. Cor. 1. 18. And he disputed with blinde reasons of worldlie wisdome against the christen Neuerthelesse the earnest liuing of the christians according to their doctrine and the constant suffering of persecution and aduersitie for their doctrine sake moued him and
stirred him to beléeue that it was no vaine doctrine but that it must néeds be of God in the it had such power with it For it happeneth that they which will not heare the word at beginning are afterward moued by the holie conuersation of them the beléeue c. Read 1. Pet. 3. 1. 1. Cor. 16. Tin How the church is our Mother Christ is our Father as the Church his sponse is our Mother As all men naturallie haue Adam for their father Eue for their mother so all spirituall men haue Christ for their Father and the church for their mother And as Eue was taken out of Adams side so was the church taken out of Christs side whereout flowed bloud for the satisfaction and purging of our sinnes D. Harpsfield in the booke of Mar. fol. 1791. He shall not haue God to be his Father which acknowledgeth not the church to be his Mother Moreouer without the church saith Saint Austen be the life neuer so well spent it shall not inherit the kingdome of heauen ¶ This is not ment of the Popish Church but of the holie catholike or vniuersall Church which is the communion of Saints the house of God the citie of God the spouse of Christ the piller and staie of the truth out of this Church there is no saluation indeede N. Ridley How the Church is visible The Church is none otherwise visible then Christ was héere on earth that is by no exteriour pompe or showe● that setteth hir foorth commonlie and therfore to see hir we must put on such eies as good men put on to see Christ when he walked heere on earth for as Eua was of the same substaunce that Adam was of so was the Church of the same substaunce that Christ was of flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone as Paule saith Ephe. 5. 30. Looke therfore how Christ was visiblie known to be Christ when he was héere on earth that is by considering him after the word of God so is the Church knowen Bradford Markes whereby the Church is knowen The Church saith the Papists hath thrée markes vnitie antiquitie and consent These thrée saith the Aunswere maie be as well in the euill as in the good as well in sinne as in vertue as well in the Diuells church as in Gods Church As for example Idolatrie among the Israelites had all these thrée Chrisostome telleth plainlie that the Church is well knowen tantummodo per Scripturas alonelie by the Scriptures Bradford Master Caluine saith This honour is méete to be giuen to the word of God and to his Sacrraments that wheresoeuer we see the word of God trulie preached and God according to the same trulie worshipped and the Sacraments without superstion administred there we maie without all controuersie conclude the Church of God to be And a little after So much we must estéeme the word of God and his Sacraments that whersouer we may finde them to be there we certainelie know the Church of God to be although in the common life of men manie faults and errours be found Whitegift fol. 81. Of the Church of Antichrist the Pope The tyrannie of the Popes Church sheweth them not to be Christs Church The Church saith S. Hylarie doth threaten with vanishments and impr●onments and the compelleth men to beleeue hir which was exi●ed and cast into prison She hangeth on the dignitie of their fellowship the which was consecrated by the threatnings of persecutors she causeth priests to flée that was increased by the chasing away of Priests Shée glorieth that she is loued of the world the which could neuer be Christs except the world did hate hir To proue that the spirituall a●ai● and gorgeous apparrell that is vsed in the Popes Church doth not make the Church S. Barnard saith thus They be the Ministers of Christ but they serue Antichrist They go gorgeouslie araied of our Lords goods vnto whom they giue no honour And of these commeth the decking of harlots that thou seest dailie the game-plaiers disguisings and kings apparrell Of this commeth golde in their bridles in their saddles and in their spurres so that their spurres be brighter thē the Altars Of this commeth their plenteous wine presses and their full sellers belking from this vnto that Of this commeth their Tonnes of sweete wines Of this bée their bagges so filled For such things as these be wil they be rulers of the Church as Deacons Archdeacons Bishops and Archbishops c. D. Barnes fol. 2 6. Obiection Hath God saith the Papists forsaken his Church a thousand yeares and were all our fathers deceiued before Luther was borne such antiquitie vnitie and vniuersalitie was it al in errour c. Aunswere Was the world deceiued so manie hundred yeares Whie should it not The Lord ordeined that there should come an apostacie and generall fall from the saith of Christ that the world might be seduced with the man of sin whose age began in the Apostles time and shall not vtterlie die till the daie of Christ. Thus the Lord appointed and so let it be for all things are for his glorie Deering Of the vniuersall Church ¶ Looke Vniuersall CIRCVMCISION What circumcision doth represent CIrcumcission representeth the promises of God to Abraham on the one side and that Abraham and his séede should circumcise and cut of the lusts of their flesh on the other side to walke in the waies of the Lord. Tindale fo 6. There be two Circumcisions the one outward made in the flesh by mens hands cutting awaie a round péece of the skinne of the secret members And this Circumcision was not necessarie to saluation after the Gospell was openlie preached after Christs passion but was abrogated and left as indifferent and not necessarie to saluation The other Circumcision was the inward Circumcision by y● spirit of God by y● which y● who le bodie is mortified put away cléerelie by the spirit by faith in Christ. And this Circumcision is necessarie to saluation L. Ridley Circumcision is nothing of it self it signifieth y● blessed séede in which al nations are blessed And it signifieth y● circumcision of the hart which consisteth in y● spirit not in y● flesh D. Heynes The Nazares did contend no Nation to appertaine to the Church of God vnlesse they were circumcised Paule Barnabas said that all as well Gentiles as Iewes if they beléeue in Christ should be saued without circumcision D. Heynes Circumcision was the holie action whereby the flesh of the fore-skinne was cut awaie for a signe of the couenaunt that God made with men Or to describe it more largelie Circumcision was a marke in the priuie members of men betokening the eternall Couenaunt of God and was ordeined by God himselfe to testifie his good will towards them that were circumcised to warne them of regeneration and cleannesse and to make difference betwixt the confederates of God and other people or nations Bullinger fol. 355. What
life of man did set certaine lawes the which certaine men would haue had a Lawe to be brought in that the Bishops Priests Deacons and Subdeacons should not lie with their wiues which they had married before their consecration But Paphuntius a Confessour being vnmarried himselfe did withstand them and said that their marriage was honourable and it was pure Chastitie for them to lie with their wiues So that the Councell was perswaded not to make anie such law affirming it to be a grieuous occasion both vnto them and also vnto their wiues of fornication The Councel did allow this sentence so y● nothing was decréed as concerning this thing but euery man was left to his own frée wil not bound of any necessitie ¶ Héere is to be noted that this holy Councell did not recken it an vnpure filthie thing for a Bishop or a Priest to companie with his wife but to graunt that it is a pure a cleane chastitie for a Priest to companie with his wife Also at this Councell it was decréed that the Patriarkes of Alexandria and Antiochia should haue like power ouer the Countreies about those Cities as the Bishops of Rome had ouer the Countreies about Rome D. Barnes A Councell was holden at Sardis where 300. Bishops approued the Actes of Nicene Councell But the Bishops of the East refused to be in their companie and assembled them at Philipolis where they cursed the sentence of the foresaide Councell of Nicene Cooper A Councell helde at Eliberis in Spaine in the time of Constantine decréed that the Usurer should be excommunicated that Tapers shuld not burne in the daie time in Churchyards that women should not frequent vigills that Images should be banished the Church that nothing should be painted on the wall to be worshipped that euerie one should communicate thrice in the yeare Tom. 1. concil In the Councell of Gangreus this decrée was made If anie man doe iudge or condemne a Priest that is maried that he maie not by the reason of his mariage doe sacrifice but will abstaine from his Masse by reason thereof cursed be he The occasion of this Councell was this There was a certaine heretike called Eustachius the which did among other heresies teach that no maried man should be saued Also he taught that priests which did marrie ought to be despised and in no wise for to handle the blessed Sacrament D. B. In this Councell it is written on this wise Considering that it is decréed among the lawes made by them of Rome that no Deacon nor Priests shall companie with their wiues therfore we notwithstanding that decrée following the rules of the Apostles and the constitutions of holie men will that from this daie foorth mariage shall be lawfull in no wise dissoluing the matrimonie betwéen them and their wiues nor depriuing them their familiaritie in time conuenient Whosoeuer therfore shall be found able of the order of Deacons Subdeacons or of priesthood we will that no such men be prohibited to ascend the dignities aforesaid for the cohabitation of their wiues Nor that they be constrained at the receipt of the orders to professe chastitie ●or to abstain from the companie of their lawfull wiues It followeth if anie man presume therefore against the Canons of the Apostles to depriue Priests or Deacons from the copulation and fellowship of their lawfull wiues let such a man bée deposed Semblablie both Priests and Deacons which putteth away their wiues vnder the colour of holines let them be excommunicate but if they continue in the same let them be deposed ¶ Note how this Councell doth condemne by name the Popes Decrées which hath commaunded spirituall men to forsake their wiues D. Barnes A Councell was assembled at Arminium in the which 200. Bishops of the West established the Councell of Nicene But the Arrians would not agrée therevnto The Bishops of y● East by the commaundement of Constantius helde a Councell at Necomedia and from thence were transferred to Seleucia and there indeauoured to confirme the heresie of the Arrians In the third Councell at Carthage it was decréed that the Cleargie in their yeares of discreatién should either marrie or vowe chastitie that the chiefe Bishop should not be called the Prince of Priests or highest Priest but onlie the Bishop of the chiefe Sea Tom. 1. concil A Councell helde at Hippo. Anno Domini 417. decréed that Bishops and Priests should looke well vnto their owne children that no Bishop should app●ale ouer the Sea that the Bishop of the head Sea should not be called the chiefe Priest that no Scripture be read in the Church but Canonicall Tom. 1. concil A Councell holden at the citie of Pize where both Gregorie and Benet were deposed and Alexander the 5. chosen Bishop of Rome Gregorie and Benet that deposition notwithstanding helde stil the title of Papalitie and so were there 3 Bishops vntill the comming of Constaunce Cooper By procurement of the Emperour Sigismound a great Councell was holden at Constaunce for y● vnion of the Church which continued for the space of 4. yeares To what profite of the Church let him iudge that hath diligentlie read the Histories of that time with the A●tes of the Councell and well considered what thereof ensued In this Councell were 3. Bishops deposed the doctrine of Wickleffe condemned with Master Iohn Hus and Hierom of Phrage adiudged to be burned for preaching against the Bishop of Romes vsurped power At this Councell it was enacted that no faith is to be kept with heretikes Cooper The second Councell of Nice was 781. yeare after Christ holden by a multitude of idolatrous flattering and vnlearned Priests which to féede the humour of that wicked Empresse Irene were gathered together not in the name of Christ but against Christ c. And against this vnlearned and blasphemous Councel Carolus Magnus wrote a booke in which he confuteth that grose heresie of adoration of Images About the yeare of our Lord 1435. was kept the Councell of Basile without anie profite to the Church and to the great trouble and disquieting of the same For there was a long season horrible contention among the Prelates and Bishops ther assembled whether the authoritie of the Romane Bishop were of more power then a generall Councel or not Insomuch that of diuers learned Bishops and other it was concluded that the Bishop of Rome was an Heretike and by their consents was deposed because he would not obey the authoritie of the generall Councell Eugenius the Bishop perceiued that the Councell entended diuers things contrarie to his prerogatiue endeuoured by all meanes possible to delaie the same councell or to transfer it to some other place wher more fauour shuld be shewed him as at Bouenia Ferraria Florentia or other where but by the aduertisement of the Emperour he graunted it to procéede at Basile But
is the childe of God and in the faith of Christ and whether his conscience doe beare him witnesse that Christs bodie was broken for him and whether the lust he hath to praise GOD and thanke him with a faithfull heart in the middest of the bretheren doe driue him thetherward or els whether hee dooe it for the meates sake or to kéepe the custome for then were it better that he were awaie For he that eateth or drinketh vnworthelie eateth drinketh his owne damnation because he maketh no difference of the Lords bodie Frith ¶ Looke Weake and Sicke ¶ We must marke that in this examination he sendeth no man to another but euerie man to himselfe The Papists bid thée goe to an auricular Confessour there to confesse thy selfe to receiue absolution and to make satisfaction for thy sinnes according to the forme that is commaunded thée But Paule the Doctour of the Gentiles and the vessell of election speaketh not a word of these things but saith simplie Let a man examine himselfe and so let him eate of that bread and drinke of that Cup for like as God is the searcher of the hearts and requireth the inward affection of the minde and hateth hipocrisie so none knoweth what is in the heart of man or what affections we beare to Godward but we our selues doe therefore he willeth vs our selues to examine euerie thing in our selues That is to saie he willeth euerie man to descend into himselfe and to examine himselfe Bullinger fol. 1109. ¶ Looke Prouing EXCOMMVNICATION What Excommunication is IT is the separation and reiection from the holie assemblie of our Lord Iesus Christ the which is done by the Church against open and obstinate sinners Tindale ¶ Excommunication is a censure of the Eldership whereby he that is guiltie of some most grieuous crime is without anie certaine prescription of time shut from the sacraments and banished the companie of the faithfull This is the sorest punishment of the Church which also is called of Saint Paule a deliuering vp to Satan of Christ to be as an Ethnike and Publicane which aunswereth the Iewes cutting them off from the Couenaunt so often repeated to the people of God by Moses Héereof is oft mention made in the new Testament Iohn 9. 18. And 1. Cor. 5. 4. 2. The. 3. 15. and in other places mo Now wheras it is so grieuous a punishment it is executed on none but on him that is guiltie of some heinous trespasse which kind of sinnes are rehearsed by Saint Paule 1. Cor. 5. 11. and 2. Thessa. 3. 14. Yet count him not as an Enimie but warne him as a Brother ¶ The ende of Excommunication is not to driue from the Church such as haue fallen but to winne them to the Church by amendement Geneua They shall excommunicate you ¶ In that he saith they shall be excommunicated his meaning is this They shall cast you out of their Sinagogues they shall condemne you of impietie and heresie they will refraine you of water and fire and such necessaries They will banish you and sell your goods and they will account you not for Israelites but for Gentiles and Atheists For the good as subiect not onelie to persecution but also to ignomie and reproach euen as saith the Apostle Paule Be thinketh that God hath set foorth vs which are the last Apostles as it were men appointed to death for we are made a gasing stocke vnto the world and to the Angells and to men Christ notwithstanding commaundeth to stande firme and stedfast against this temptation because though they bée thrust out of Synagogues yet neuerthelesse they shall abide in the kingdome of God Marl. vpon Iohn fol. 527. What S. Paule meant by the excommunicating of Alexander And Alexander which I haue deliuered to Satan ¶ Wheras Saint Paule saith that he did deliuer Alexander and Himeneus vnto Satan he meaneth none other thing therby but that he did excommunicate them openlie as no true Christians and that he did threaten them if they would not repent and tourne that GOD woulde punish them euerlastinglie by Satan and his Angells Sir I. Cheeke Saint Austen saith What is a man the worse if the ignoraunce of a man strike him out of the booke of the Church if his conscience strike him not out of the booke of life In this case saith Saint Austen it commeth sometimes to passe that there be manie Sheepe without the Church manie Wolues within the Church EXORCISTES What the Office of an Exorcist was THe Exorcists office was by a speciall gift of God seruing onelie for that time to call foorth foule spirites out of the bodies of them that were possessed Iewel fol. 98. EXTREMEVNCTION ¶ Looke Oile Face What the Face of Christ is IN the Face of Iesus Christ. ¶ That is to saie in the knowledge of Iesus Christ not in the Face of Moses which is the knowledge of the Lawe for by Christ came we to the knowledge of God Tindale What the Face of God is ¶ The face of God is the knowledge of his diuine nature of the which it is written Shew vs the light of thy countenaunce and we shall be whole that is graunt vs to knowe thée Otherwise Gods face doth signifie the inuisible nature of Christs Diuinitie Exo. 33. 23. You shall sée my hinder parts but my Face you cannot sée that is You shall sée Christs humanitie but his diuinitie cannot be séene The Face of God is that which is described in the 26. of Leuiticus I will tourne my face to you I will make you fruitfull I will giue you raine in season and peace in the earth the sword shall not come in the Land if ye wil walke in my statutes and kéepe my precepts c. Plenteousnesse and goodnesse and all Gods benefites that is Gods face T. Drant What is the Face or countenaunce of God It is not a shape like vnto a mans visage which hath nose eies mouth but the Face of God is the recorde which he giueth vs when we knowe his will God therefore sheweth vs his Face when he telleth vs why he doth this thing or that and it is all one as if wée sawe him before our Eies Contrariwise hée hideth his face from vs when hée afflicteth vs when things séeme straunge vnto vs and when we knowe no reason why he worketh after that sort Therefore when God holdeth vs in ignoraunce it is an hiding of his Face from vs. Cal. vpon Iob. fol. 629. ¶ Thou maist not sée my face for there shall no man see me aliue ¶ There shall no man see my face liue not that the face of God which is the face of life is the cause of death to them y● see it for the Saints that are in heauen do indeed sée it but none that liueth in the bodie can sée neither comprehend the maiestie of his face but must be first purified by death as Paule declareth it 1.
of tongue in suppressing of anger in cutting off concupiscence back biting lie●g and periurie c. True fasting is a religious worke ordeined to testifie our humlitie and to make the flesh make obedient vnto the spirite that we mai● be the quicke● to praie 〈…〉 to all good workes Iewel fol. 15. ¶ Looke Abstinence ¶ The true vse of fasting which is spoken of in holie Scripture is the taming and subduing of the flesh thereby either to be the better disposed 〈…〉 ●ditation and to those praiers which thou offere●● to God or els for a●estimonie of humblenesse at such time as thou confessest thy faults before God himselfe F. N. B. the Italian ¶ Fasting is to abstaine from surfetting or ouermuch eating from dronkennesse and care of this world as thou maist read Luke 21. 34. And the ●n●e of fasting is to tame the bodie that the spirite maie haue a frée course to God maie quietlie talke with God For ouermuch eating and drinking care of worldlie businesse presse downe the spirit choke hir tangle hir that she cannot lift vp hir selfe to God now he that fasteth for anie other intent then to subdue the bodie that the spirite maie wait on God and freelie exercise hir selfe in the things of God the same is blinde woteth not what he doth erreth shooteth at a wrong marke his intent and imagination is abhominable in the sight of God When thou fastest from meate drinke all daie is that a christian fast either to eate at one meale that were sufficient for foure A man at foure times maie beare that that he cannot do at once Some fast from meate and drinke yet so tangle themselues in worldlie busines y● they cannot once thinke on God Some abstaine from butter some from egges some from all manner of white meate some this daie some that daie some in the honour of this saint some of that euery man for a sundrie purpose Some for the tooth-ach some for y● head-ach for feuers pestilence for sodaine death for hanging drowning to be deliuered from the paines of hell Some are so mad that they fast one of the Thursoaies betwéen the two S. Maries daies in the worship of that Saint whose daie is hallowed betwéene● Christmas and Candelmas All these men fast without conscience God without knowledge of the true intent of fasting do none oth●●●●●onour Saints as the Gentiles and Heathen worshipped their Idolls are drowned in blindnes know not of the Testament that God hath made to man-ward in Christs bloud In God haue they neither hope nor confidēce neither beleeue his promises neither know his will but are yet in captiuitie vnder the Prince of darknesse Tindale fol. 80 ¶ Fasting standeth not in eating and drinking onelie and much lesse in flesh alone but in abstinence of all that mooueth the flesh against the spirit as long sléeping idlenesse and filthie communication and all worldlie talking as of couetousnesse promotion and such like and wanton companie and softe cloathes and soft beddes and so foorth Which are that right hande and right eie that must be cutte off and plucked out that the whole man perish not Obiection Some man will saie séeing fasting is to withdrawe all pleasures from the bodie and to punish the flesh then God delighteth in our paines taking Aunswere God delighteth in true obedience and in all that wée doe at his commaundement and for the intent he commaunded it for If thou loue and pitie thy neighbour and help him thine almes is acceptaple If thou doe it of vaine glorie to haue the praise that belongeth to God or for a greater profite onelie or to make satisfaction for thy sinnes past and to dishonour Christs bloud which had made it alreadie then is thine almes abhominable If thy praier be thankes in heart or calling to God for helpe with trust in him according to his promise then thy praier pleseth If thou beleeue in Christs bloud for the remission of sins and hencefoorth hate sinne that thou punishest thy bodie to slaie the lusts and to keepe them vnder that thou sinne not againe then it pleaseth God exceedinglie But and if thou thinke that God delighteth in thy worke for the worke it selfe the true intent awaie and in thy paine for the paine it selfe thou art as far our of the waie as from heauen to the earth If thou wouldest kill thy bodie or when it is tame enough punish it farther that thou wert not able to serue God and thy neighbour according to the roome and estate that thou●a●● in thy Sacrifice were cleane without falt altogether vnsauerie in the ta●●e of God and thou mad and out of thy wit But and if thou trust in thy worke thou art then abhominable Tindale fol. 229. How it is not appointed in Scripture vpon what da●es we ought to fast Saint Austeni●●●th Quibus die bus oporte●t ioiunare c. Upon what daies we ought not to fast and vpon what daie we ought to fast I finde it not appointed by anie commaundement either of our Lord or of the Apostles Iewel fol. 197. Who first prescribed la●ves of fasting Eusebius in his 5. booke and. 16. chapter saith that Montanus the Heretike was the first that prescribed lawes of fasting How the Maniches fast and the Papists were much alike The Maniches of whom S. Austen testifieth vnder the colour of abstinence refrained from anie liuing thing from drinking of wine yet did they 〈…〉 pamper themselues with delicate fruites and spices with drinke made of the ●uice of Dates which fast was much like to our Papists fast How Fasting is of three sorts Fasting is an outward for bearing of meate and drinke for a time whereby the bodie is kept lewe and as it were mortified And it is of thrée sorts indifferent godlie and vngodlie The indifferent Fast is when a man abststaineth either for pouertie or for health sake c. The godlie fast is not onelie an abstinence from meate and drinke but also from all other things that may delight or prouoke the flesh to sinne The vngodlie Fast is an abstinence from certaine kinde of meates which of it selfe is thought to be a worshipping of God and a thing acceptable to God for the workes sake and therefore also meritorious c. And this hypocriticall Fast is it that the Prophet doth condemne Hemmyng The manner of Fasting in the olde time I caused a Fast to be proclaimed c. Fasting as the Scripture maketh mention haue bene common humiliations and supplications done before God either for some great tribulation suffered or comming at hand or for a singular repentaunce and earnest fore-thinking of their sinnes as it is written 1. Reg. 7. 6. and. 31. 13. 2. Esd. 1. 4. ¶ When Iehoakim King of Iuda heard that the King of Babilons armie was comming to besiege Hierusalem he appointed a solemne and publike fast for all the people commanding them to resort
weake infirmitie and want of desert Hemmyng ¶ Therefore euerie man in his vocation as he is called first ought to goe forward and encourage others seeing the hire is indifferent for all Geneua FISHERS The meaning of this place following I Will send out manie fishers to take them ¶ By these fishers are vnderstoode the hoastes by whome the Lorde scourged the Iewes and fished awaie their rulers at foure sundrie draughtes were foure of their kings taken and at euerie time some of the chiefe of the people withall but at the last in the time of Zedekiah was all the rest of the people hunted out of those cruell hunters the Chaldees 4. Reg. 25. T. M. ¶ By the fishers and hunters are meant the Babilonians and Chaldeans who should destroie them in such sorte that if they escaped the one the other should take them Geneua The first in●enter of fisher-boates ¶ Looke Zabulon FIVE LOAVES Applied to the good indeuour of the Pastour WE haue héere but fiue loaues and two fishes ¶ Though we thinke our selues vnable to teach Christs congregation yet let vs at the commaundement of Christ emploie and bestowe that little that we haue vppon Christs flocke And hée that augmented the fiue loaues two fishes shal also augment in vs his owne gifts Sir I. Cheeke FLIENG Of fl●ng 〈…〉 time of persecution AND the woman fiedde into wildernesse c. Although the Church knowe most certeinlie that God hath a care for her whose defence is more for her safetie then all the power and fauour of men yet notwithstanding least she might tempt her mainteiner and defender sometimes shee fileth when shée is assailed by enimies and yet for all that she waiteth quietl●e for 〈…〉 at the Lordes hande So we reade that Moses fledde for displeasure of the king of Aegypt and abode priuelie with his father in law lethro the Priest of the Madianites by the space of 40. yeares Exo. 2. 21. And also that Dauid and his companie hidde themselues in caues of mountaines for feare of Saules displeasure 1. Reg. 24. 1. And also that Elias hidde himselfe out of the waye by the space of thrée yeares and an halfe to eschewe the wrath of Iezabel 3. Reg. 19. 3. Likewise the hundred Prophets of the Lorde whome Abdias had hidde in two caues for feare of the same lezabel 3. Reg. 18. 4. Concerning which men looke also Heb. 11. 38 ●o did the Lordes Disciples shut the boores to them and kept themselues out of the waie for a 〈…〉 Iohn 20. 19. Paule béeing let downe in a basket by the brethren at Damasco went aside for a while into Arabia Act. 9. 25. Finallie who is ignoraunt of the hiding of 〈…〉 and of other Catholike Bishoppes in the time of the persecutio● stirred vp by the Arrians and moreouer of man 〈…〉 Aegypt which sought the innermost courts of the wildernesse by reason of the vngratiousnesse of the same 〈…〉 of whome Eusebius writeth manie thinges in the fourth chapter of his eleuenth booke of the stories of the church c. Marl. vpon the Apoc. fol. 172. ¶ The church was remoued from among the Iewes to the Gentiles which were as a 〈…〉 wildernesse and so it is perfec●ted 〈…〉 Geneua Of two manner of fliengs There is a flieng of the bodie a flieng of the minde The one is sometime lawfull and the other neuer The flieng of the bodie is when the true preacher flieth the cruell persecution of tyrants that séekes his death and destruction And this maie he doe lawfullie both by the doctrine and example of Christ. The flieng of the minde is when one flieth from dooing his duetie and will not defend the true doctrine by rebuking and condemning the false Hemmyng FLESH What is vnderstood by flesh FLesh is not vnderstood as though flesh were onelie the which perteineth vnto vnchastitie But Paule calleth flesh héere as Christ doth Iohn 3. All that is borne of flesh that is to wit the whole man with life soule bodie wit will reason whatsoeuer he is or doth within or without because that those al all that is in man studie after the world and the flesh c. Tindale By y● déeds of the law no flesh shal be iustified ¶ Flesh in Paule doth not signifie as the schoolmen dreame manifest grose sins for these he vseth to call by their proper names as adulterie fornication vncleanenesse such like but by flesh Paule meaneth héere as Christ doth in the third chapter of Iohn That which is borne of flesh saith he is flesh Flesh therefore signifieth the whole nature of man This flesh saith he is not iustified by works no nor of the lawe Flesh therefore according to Paule signifieth all the righteousnesse wisdome deuotion religion vnderstanding will that is possible to be in a naturall man So that if a man be neuer so righteous according to reason and the lawe of God yet with all his righteousnesse works merits deuotion and religion he is not iustified c. Luther vpon the Gal. fol. 65. That which is borne of flesh is flesh c. ¶ That is fleshlie to wit wholie vncleane and vnder the wrath of God And therefore this worde Flesh signifieth The corrupt nature of man contrarie to which is the Spirit that is the man ingraffed into Christ through the grace of the holie Ghost whose nature is euerlasting and immortall though the strife of the flesh remaineth Beza By the workes of the law no flesh shall be iustified ¶ Flesh is héere taken for man as in manie other places and furthermore hath heere a greater feare for it is héere put to shew the contrarietie betwéene God and man as if you would saie man who is nothing els but a péece of flesh defil●d with s●●me and God who is most purs and most perfect in himselfe Beza The meaning of this place following Such shall haue trouble in the flesh ¶ By the flesh he vnderstandeth what things soeuer belongeth to this present life for marriage bringeth with it manie discommodities so that he bendeth more to a sole life not because it is a seruice more agreeable to God then marriage b●t for those 〈…〉 which if it were poss 〈…〉 hee would with all men to be void of that they might giue themselues to God onelie Beza What it is to be in the flesh Neither doth Saint Paule in this place where he saith Yée are not in the Flesh meane anie other thing then did the Lord in the Gospell when he said vnto his disciples ye are not of this world Wherefore Ambrose saith that we haue such a nature framed vnto vs as we féele it to be and he addeth moreouer that the wise men of the world are in the flesh because they resist faith and will beléeue those things onelie which are agréeable to reason This place againe teacheth vs that Ambrose by the name of flesh vnderstandeth reason and the higher parts of of
the Harpe sing ye Psalmes with Lute and Instrument of ten strings ¶ Concerning these instruments Harpe and Lute we read oftentimes in the Scriptures and specially in the booke of Psalmes which instruments vndoubtedly were vsed in the Temple at Ierusalem in the seruice of God and namely at their singing of Psalmes For the Leuites did not sing their Psalmes onely with the voice of men and children as we doe but they ioyned with mens voices the swéete harmonie of musicall instruments and namely of the Harpe Lute Cymbales and Psalteries of ten strings These instruments as Iosephus writeth li. 8. Chap. 3. Salomon ordeined quadraginta milia fortie thousand which were made Ex. electro 1. of mixture of golde and siluer For Electrum is golde whereof the fift part is siluer mingled among the golde such a mixture is called Electrum And of that mettal were those instruments which Salomon did ordeine to be vsed in the Temple and were made of fine wood as our Harpes and Lutes be c. Ric. Turnar INTENT What the word signifieth and how it is defined INtent signifieth a motion of the minde whereby by some meane we tend to an ende As if a man should studye by giuing of giftes or by seruices to attaine vnto anye honour for the nature of things is of such sort that many thinges are so anexed togethers betwéene themselues that by the one is made a steppe to the other For by medicines and drinks we atteine to health By studies readings and teachers vnto wisedome wherefore an intent is an action of the will for it is his office to moue and stirre vp the minde And forsomuch as the will doth not perceiue the things that he desireth before that it hath the knowledge thereof it moueth not nor forceth the minde before knowledge which raigneth in the power of intelligence or vnderstanding it perceiueth both the ende and those thinges which serue to the ende and ministreth them vnto the will Therefore intent stirreth vp to the ende as to atteine by those things which vnto it are directed Let this be his definition A will tending vnto the ende by some meanes Will which is his general word is an act of the power that willeth The difference is taken of the obiect namely of the end and these things which are ordeined vnto it as now as touching Gedeon his intent was 〈…〉 of his will to keepe the memorie of the victorye giuen him by the Ephod he had made● In wil therefore he comprehended at once both the ende and the meane c. Pet. Mar. vpon Iudicum fol. 152. Of good intents ¶ Looke before after the word Good INTERCESSION ¶ Looke Saints IN THE CHVRCH How it is an errour to say I beleeue in the Church SAint Cyprian in his exposition of the Apostles Créed saith He said not in y● holy Church nor in the remission of sins nor in the resurrection of the body For if he had added the preposition In then had the force of those clauses ben all one with the force of that that went before For in those words wherein our Beliefe touching the Godhead is set downe in God the Father in Iesus Christ his Sonne and in the Holy Ghost but in the rest where the speach is not of the Godhead but touching the creatures or mysteries the preposition is not added that we may say in the holy Church but that the holy Church is to bée beléeued not as we beléeue in God but as a Congregation gathered to God and that the forgiuenesse of sinnes is to be beleeued not that we ought to beleeue in the forgiuenenesse of sinnes and that the resurrection of the flesh is to beléeued not that we ought to beléeue in the resurrection of the flesh So that by this Sillable In the Creator is discerned from the Creatures and that that is Gods from that that is mans Bullinger fol. 78. Saint Augustine in his Booke De fide Symbolo hath I beléeue the holy Church not in the holy Church There are alleadged also his wordes in his Epistle Ad Neciphyros touching consecration Distinct. 4. cap. 1. We said not that ye had to beléeue in the Church as in God but vnderstand how we said that ye being conuersant in the holy Catholike Church should beléeue in God Paschasius in the first Chapter of his first booke De Spiritu sancto saith We beléeue the Church as the Mother of regeneration we doe not beléeue in the Church as the Authour of saluation Hée that beleeueth in the Church beléeueth in man Leaue off therefore this blasphemous perswasion to thinke that thou hast to beléeue in anye worldlye creature since thou maist not beléeue neither in Angell nor Archangell The vnskilfulnesse of some haue drawen and taken the Preposition In from the sentence that goeth next before and put it to that that followeth adding thereto also too too shamefully somewhat more then néeded Thomas of Aquine reasoning of Faith in the 2. Booke part 2. Article 9. question 1. saith If we saye I beléeue in the holye Church we must vnderstande that our ●aith is referred to the Holy ghost which sanctifieth the Church and so make the sense to bée thus I beléeue in the holye Spirite that sanctifieth the Church but it is better and according to the common vse not to adee at all the sillable In but simply to saye The holy Catholike Church euen as also Pope Leo saith Bullinger fol. 79. INVOCATION What Inuocation is WE call that Inuocation when we desire some good things to be giuen vs or some euill to be taken away from vs. Proues against the inuocation of Saints As touching Inuocation that is to wit calling vpon them we haue in Scripture how we should call vpon almightie God in all necessities or tribulations As in the Psalmes euerye where as in this Call vpon me in time of your tribulation and I shall delyuer you Marke how he saith héere Call vpon me appointing neither S. Thomas nor Master Iohn Shorne Also in another place The Lord is nigh vnto them that call vpon him that call vpon him truly and with that he sheweth who calleth vpon him truly saieng thus He shall doe the will or desire of them that reuerence him and shall heare graciously their praier and make them safe for the Lord loueth all that loueth him and all sinners shall be destroyed c. In the bo of Mar. fo 1264. There is one Mediator betwéene God and man the man Christ Iesus the which hath giuen himselfe the redemption of all men ¶ Saint Paule saith There is but one Mediatour betwéene God and man Where there is but one there cannot Saints come in Saints be men and must haue a Mediatour for themselues and then they cannot be Mediatours for other men Moreouer the Mediator betwéene God and man is called Christ Iesus now is there no Saint that hath that name if there be none then is there none that vsurpe this
sinne wherefore hast thou made me such a one If thou be the preseruer of men ●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 y● 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 y● 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 ●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 a● 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 ¶ Th●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
familiar signe among the Iewes so often as there was any solempne kinde of praier or blessing as when they offered sacrifice We haue also an example in Isaac more agreeable to the place when he laid his hands vpon his sonne Iacob as though he did consecrate and offer him to God that hée might be the promised heire That this was a common custome among the Iewes it is euident by another example of Iacob which blessed the two children of his sonne Ioseph namely Ephraim and Manasses But they were not wont to lay handes of any man which were not endued with some notable power and vertue or set in some high office Euen as the Apostle taketh an argument of the blessing of Melchisedech which blessed Abraham neither doth he faine the argument For it is oftentimes read that ther were Priests chosen which might blesse the people euen as though God were present to blesse himselfe The manner of blessing was prescribed vnto Moses by the mouth of the Lord when he said Ye shall blesse the Children of Israel and say vnto them The Lord blesse thee and kéepe thée the Lord make his face to shine vpon thee the Lord lifte vp his countenaunce vpon thée and giue thée peace The like we haue also in the 118. Psalme Séeing therefore that the laieng on of hands was an auncient solempne order of blessing among the Iewes it is no meruaile if the parents desire Christ to vse this ceremonie in blessing their children Marlor fol. 425. By the putting on of my hands c. ¶ As in the Baptime the outward ministerie or mysticall washing doth regenerate wash away sinnes cleanse and purge vs from our filthinesse so doth the imposition or laieng on of hands giue vs the gift of the holy Ghost But the outward and mysticall washing doeth onely represent vnto vs that in Christs bloud our sinnes are cleane washed away When Mathias was chosen by lotte it is not to be doubted but that the Apostles after their common manner praied for him that God woulde giue him grace to minister his office trulye and put their hands on him and exhorted him and gaue a charge to be diligent and faithfull and then was he as great as the best Act. 6. When the Disciples that beléeued had chosen vij Deacons to minister to the Widdowes the Apostles prayed and put their hands on them and admitted them without any more adoe Their putting on of hands was not after the manner of the dumbe blessing of our holy Bishops with two fingers but they spake vnto them and tolde them their dutie and gaue them a charge and warned them to be faithfull in the Lordes businesse as we choose temporall Officers and read their dutie vnto them and they promise to be faithfull Ministers and then are admitted Neither is there any other manner or Ceremonie at all required in making of our spirituall Officers then to choose an able person and then to rehearse him his duetie and to giue him his charge and so to put him in his roome Tindale And layed his hande vpon Ephraims head The putting on of hands was commonly vsed of the Hebrewes when they commended or offered any thing to God as Leuit. 1. 4. T. M. What is meant by laieng ones hande vpon his mouth Whereas Iob saith he will lay his hand vpon his mouth it is a signe of protestation that he will not procéede any further And y● manner of speach is rife in y● scripture And it serueth to do vs to vnderstand that we must refrain our foolish appetites And that when our flesh tickeleth vs to speake we must resist it as if it were by putting a mussell or bridle vpon our mouths to refrain them If a man were so wise of himselfe as he wold not be tempted to speake amisse he should not néede to laye his hande vpon his mouth for he would refraine of his owne accord and he should néede neither stoppe nor barre But now on the contrary part whereas it is saide that we must laye our hande vppon our mouth is to doe vs to wit that we haue to fight against our fonde lusts and likings which doe continually make vs too hastie in speaking insomuch that our tongue shall still bée sharpe set to cast foorth some thing or other that is nought woorth against God c. Caluine fol. 724. LAMPES What the Lampes and Oyle doe signifie THe foolish tooke their Lamps but tooke none oyle with them ¶ By Lampes without Oyle vnderstand works without faith which cannot shine because they are without light Tindale ¶ These Lampes do signifie all manner of outward things whereby we are knowen to be Christians The Oyle betokeneth the lyuely Faith which worketh by vnfained loue and charitie All the whole Parable speaketh of true and false Christians Sir I. Cheeke LANDE What is ment by the crieng of the lande BUt if case be that my lande crye out against me c. ¶ The lande cryeth against him when the husbandmen defrauded of their wages crye therefore against him So the hyre of the workman cryeth Iames. 5. 4. And the furrowes make lamentation when they that plowe the ground and make the furrowes are depriued of their duetie T. M. LAODICIA What the word signifieth THis Citie standeth in the lesse Asia not farre from Hierapolis and Collossus Of this Citie were the Laodicians of whom Paule hath spoken somewhat Coll. 4. 13. and 16. And this word Laodicia signifieth by interpretation a righteous people Marl. fol. 20. Of the strife that was in Laodicia for the keeping of Easter Melito the Pastor of the Church that was at Sardis maketh mention in his booke of the Passeouer with these words Under Sergius the Uice-president of Asia saith he at what time Sagadis was crowned with Martirdome ther arose a great strise at Laodicia about the kéeping of the Easter c. Read Eusebius in the 26. chapter of his fourth bóoke of Church matters concerning Socrates Eusebius Anatolius Stephanus and Theodorus Bishops of the same Church looke the same Eusebius in the 28. and 29. chapters of his seauenth booke of Church matters Marl. vpon the Apoc. fol. 66. LAST Of the last daye ¶ Looke Daye Who be the last and who be the first ANd the last shall be first ¶ He tak●th away all desperation from the greatest sinner Whom the good man of the house may call into his vineyard to be a labourer when he will and giue him eternall life as to the théefe hanging on the Crosse which deserued no such thing Doe we not see that the Iewes boasting themselues in the lawe to be last and to be reiected And that the Gentiles which were last are now become first most acceptable vnto God to whome he hath giuen repentance vnto life c. Marl. fol. 440. ¶ Looke more in this word First Of the last farthing Looke Farthing LATRIA What this word Latria signifieth LAtria after the minde of Dunce is
Ghost They taught also to reiect ciuill power For Matrimonye and gouernaunce of Common wealth they sayde to haue their ofspring from the euill God and not to be ordeined of the good God Carion Wherein the Papists agree with the Maniches They called their vnmarried Ministers as S. Austen Epist. 72. faith Electos they ministred the holy mysteries vnder one kind They yelded more credit to their own deuises thē to Gods holy word They say the scriptures are falsified ful of errors They abstaine from flesh yet in their fast they had and vsed all manner delicates and straunge fruits with sundry sorts of spices in great abundaunce They abstained from wine and yet vsed other lyquors more daintie precious then any wine and thereof dranke while their bellies would hold Manes the Hereticke whereof the Maniches haue their appellation had his originall in Persia as Epiph. haeres 66. writeth about the. 4. yeare of Aurelianus He called himselfe Christ and the comforter He chose vnto himselfe xij Apostles He said that Christ was not truly borne but phantastically Euseb. li. 7. cap. 30. Socrates li. l. cap. 17. saith of him that at the first he was called Cubricus Afterward chaunging his name he went into Persia found the bookes of Buddas and published them in his owne name He taught that there were many Gods that the Sunne was to be worshipped that there was fatall destenie that the soules went from one body into another The king of Persia sonne fell sicke Manes through Sorcerie tooke vpon him to cure him and killed him The King caused him to be clapt in prison but he brake prison and fled into Mesopotamia there was he taken and flayed aliue his skinne filled with chaffe hanged at the gates of the Citie The Maniches confuted He walked on the water to goe to Iesus ¶ This place confuteth the Maniches and such like Heretikes which denied the truth of the humaine nature of Christ saieng that his bodye was not a true body but a phantasticall bodie Thus they reasoned to vphold their errours It pertaineth not to a true bodie to walke on the Sea but Christ walked vpon the Sea therfore he had no true nor reall bodie but a phantasticall bodie These men consider nothing more to be in Christ then in a bare man as though it were impossible for God to helpe an humaine bodie from sinking in the Sea But what saye they vnto this y● Peter at the commaundement of Christ walked vpon the Sea Why do they not consider that he which caused Peter to walke vpon the Sea with an humaine body can much more easely himselfe doe the like They should weigh the power of Christ if not in his owne déede yet at the least by the deede of Peter Marlorate 324. MANY ¶ Looke Call Loue. MANNA What Manna signifieth THen eate they Angells foode ¶ Manna is called the foode of Angells not that the Angells vse such foode but because it came downe from heauen which is the dwelling place of Angels and therefore doe some read héere the bread of the cloudes because it came from the cloudes Some the bread of the mightie because it came from the Almightie Exo. 16. 14. Sap. 16. 20. lohn 6. 31. T. M. How Manna is not the true bread that came from heauen Moses gaue you not that bread from heauen c. ¶ He denieth that Manna was that true heauenly bread saith that he himselfe is that true bread because he féedeth vnto the true and euerlasting life And as for that that Paule 1. Cor. 10. calleth Manna spirituall foode it maketh nothing against this place for he ioyneth the thing signified with the signes but in this whole disputation Christ dealeth with the Iewes after their owne opinion and conceipt of the matter and they haue no further consideration of the Manna but that it fed the belly Beza ¶ Manna is called the bread of heauen and of Angells because it rained from heauen by the ministerie of Angells Ther be some that do interpret this to be the bread of Princes or of great men because of the Hebrue word which in another place signifieth Princes or Noble men Marl. vpon Iohn fol. 206. Of those that eate Manna and are dead Your Fathers did eate Manna in the Wildernesse and are dead ¶ This verse is two waies expounded Some vnderstand it generally of all those fathers of the Iewes which did eate Manna in Moses time in the Desart as well godly as vngodly insomuch that the Lord speaketh héere in this place not of the death of the soule but of the body But other some expoūd it of the wicked onely which did eate Manna without faith of the truth in the which is life and therefore are also dead that is to say they perished euerlastingly but it séemeth not necessary that we heere distinguish betwéene the beléeuing the vnbeléeuing Iewes Onely Christ saith y● Manna was a corruptible meate to the Fathers being foode not of the soule but of the body not sempiternall but temporall which could not saue them from death It followeth therefore that mens soule finde foode no where but in him whereby they may be fed into euerlasting life for we must remember what was spoken in another place that there is no mention made heere of Manna as Christ was a secret figure for in that respect Paule calleth him spirituall meate but héere Christ frameth his speach to his hearers who beeing onely carefull for the feeding of their bellyes had no farther consideration of any thing in Manna He doeth therefore iustly pronounce that their fathers are dead that is to say which were in like manner addict to their bellyes Marl. vpon Iohn fol. 221. What Manna and the white stone signifieth To him that ouercommeth will I giue to eate Manna that is hid and will giue to him a white stone c. ¶ By Manna vnderstande the word of God and true heartie loue by the white stone is signified the election before God and also euerlasting peace and confidence in the grace and fauour of God vnto euerlasting life Sir I. Cheeke How Manna the water brought out of the Rocke is compared to our bread and wine in the Sacrament The Manna which God sent downe from heauen to féede the people of Israel in the wildernesse and the water which he brought out of the stone to refresh and comfort them were euen the same things vnto them that bread wine is now vnto vs. For as S. Austen saith as many as in that Manna vnderstoode Christ did eate the same spirituall meate that we doe But as many as sought onely to fill their bellies of that Manna the fathers of the vnfaithfull did eate are dead And likewise the same drinke for the stone was Christ. Héere may we gather of S. Austen that the Manna was vnto them 〈…〉 the bread is vnto vs. And likewise that the water was to them as the
bloud out of his bodie soked therein the bread and made a Sacrament thereof If the boy died he was counted a marti● if otherwise a great Priest Epiph. h●raes 48. August li. de heraes Eus●bius in his 5. booke and. 18. chapter writeth that one Appolonius reproued Montanus because he was the first that wrote lawes of fasting as though the Church before him was frée He by lawes prescripts prescribed what daies men should fast and what meat they should absteine from Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 278. MONKES Of the life of Monkes in S. Hieromes time S. Hierome describing the life and order of Monks in his time saith thus They brag not of their sole single life All cōtention is who may be most humble Whosoeuer is la●● is coūted first There is neither difference nor wondring in apparell howsoeuer it pleaseth a man to goe hée is neither slaundered for it nor commended no man is aduaunced for his fasting neither his abstinence praised nor sober refection condemned Each man either standeth or falleth vnto his Lord. No man iudgeth other least of the Lord he himselfe be iudged Of the Monkes that be now If the name of Monks that is to say Solitari be not sufficient to declare that those which at this day be named Monks be nothing lesse then that they be called there be other reasons sufficient to conuince them For the auncient Monestaries were as Colleges into the which men resorted for two causes First the better to be at quiet to studie Scriptures The second to exercise patience and austeritie of life Notwithstanding it was not to be strained and bound to one place during lyfe without exception but contrariwise to be the more méet to serue the churches when they should be called and elected therunto as it appeareth by Gregorie Nazienzene Basile Chrisottome namely in S. Augustines time To be idle and not to worke with the hands was intollerable for on the contrary they liued onely by the labour of their owne handes yea and they did giue the rest of their labour vnto the poore So that a Monke not trauailing for his liuing was estéemed as a thée●e according to the rule of S. Paule And to put saluation partly or altogether in their abstinence how extreme or hard so euer they wer they neuer thought it For they knew very wel what S. Paule had written of that point Moreouer S. Austen testifieth and saith Let none be oppressed aboue his power least ther be superstition in the abstinence of meates for the weake refusing foolishly the vse of wine were admonished brotherly that by their superstition they brought themselues rather more weake then holy it appeareth moreouer by that which S. Cipriane sayd y● it wer better for the virgins which wer dedicate by promise vnto God y● is to wit to the seruice of the poore not to be idle in couents if they wold not or could not continue y● they should marry rather then fall into the fire and burne by their delights as also Paule hath ordeined If this be heresie then Saint Cipriane must be an heretike Theo. Beza Apud hos c. Amōg these mē meaning Monks al things are counterfait their wide sléeues their great boots their course gownes their often sighes their visiting of Uirginnes their backbiting of Priests and if there come an holy day they ease vntill they be faine to perbrake S. Austen saith vnto the olde heretikes called the Maniches Ye say we maye not examine what men they be that professe your sect but onely what is their profession what thing can there be found more false more deceiptfull more malitious then yeu are● The olde Fathers opinions of Monkes Gods seruice These Monkes satih S. Austen serue not God they serue their bellies August de opera Monacho cap. 12. Againe We cannot tell saith he whether they became Monkes of purpose to serue God or els being wearye of theyr poore painfull life were rather desirous to be fed and cloathed doing nothing Under the colour of holinesse saith S. Hilary they seeke for daintie fare they maintaine their storehouses by the vnprofitable seruice of religious people of whome it is written They deuoure vp widowes houses although they think to serue God yet the same aunswere shall bée made them that is written in the Gospell We know that God giueth no eare to sinner● They are loth to be abiects and in ser●ile state For idlenes they will not labour to beg they are ashamed for being valiant and lustie people no man would giue them any thing Of the idlenesse of Monkes They speake much of their idlenesse as if it were the kéeper and Castle of the Gospel Againe in the same chapter he saith the same thing happeneth vnto them that S. Paule speaketh of young widowes liuing out of order they learne to be idle and not onely idle but also curious and full of words speaking such things as are not méete Saint Austen saith Unto the seruaunts of God there is nothing worse then idlenesse let them therefore worke in the name of God These Monkes saith S. Austen will haue idle hands full bellies Aug. de opere Monicho cap. 23. A learned Father was wont to say by the report of Soc●ates A Monke that laboureth not with his handes maye be re sembled vnto a thiefe They meaning Monkes saith S. Barnard must néedes be in trauailes with Diuels that are not in the trauailes of men Such a number of Hipocrites saith S. Austen hath the Diuell scatter●d abroad euery where vnder the colour of Monkes Aug. de opere Monicho cap. 28. Of the originall of Monkes S. Hierom disputing of the originall of Monkes in the Iyfe of Paul●s hath thus written Among many it hath oftentimes bene called into question who first began chiefly to dwel in the wildernes of the Monks some fetching the matter somwhat too far off began to recken from Helias the holy prophet S. Iohn of whom Helias séemeth to vs to haue ben more then a Monk that S. Iohn began to prophecie before he was born But others in which opinion the most part of all people do● commonly agrée affirme that S. Antonie was the first beginner of that order which in part is true For the was not onely the first but also the motioner of all others therevnto Amathas and Macarius S. Antonies scholars whereof the first buried his maisters body doe now affirme that one Paulus Thebius was the first beginner of that way which thing we also confirme not onely in name but also in opinion Bull. fol. 1135. The forme of a Monkish absolution God forgiue thee my brother the merite of the passion of our Lord Iesus Christ and of blessed S. Mary alwayes a Uirgin and of all the Saints the merites of thine Order the straightnesse of thy religion the humilitie of thy confession the contrition of thine heart the good
they that are vnder Christs Priesthoode are not vnder the sacrifices or ceremonies And of this manner iuggle they with all the Scripture which falshoode least the laye men shoulde perceiue with reading the processe of the text is all their feare whatsoeuer they pretend Tindale Moe of the Papists reasons for the Popes supremacie Peter drewe his sword and cut of Malchas eare therefore the Pope is head of the Church The world was finished in 7. daies therefore none must marrie within 7. degrees of kinred God made two great lights the Sunne the Moone therefore as much as the Sun is brighter then y● Moone so much y● Pope is greater then the Emperour The Prophet saith Behold the face of thine annoynted this saith the Pontificall is a Bishops prayer ouer the Popes Legate when he knéeleth before the Altar Behold I send my messenger to prepare the way before thy face saith God by the Prophet Esay the Pontificall this is a Prophecie fulfilled when the Popes Legate méeteth the Emperour to receiue him into any Citie I haue found Dauid my seruaunt and annoynted him with holy Oyle My Loue is beautifull among the daughters of Hierusalem this they apply to Kings Quéenes when the Clergie receiueth them personally into their Churches The Prophet saith Sprinkle me Lord with Hisope I shall be cleane that they apply to the Priest sprinkling with holy water Lift vp your heads O ye gates ye euerlasting dores lift vp your selues that is when the Clearke openeth the Church dore for the Priest to come in with the Crosse on Palme Sunday Ten thousand such applications and expositions are in their bookes such as no bedlem man could deuise more vaine and foolish Deering ¶ Looke Vniuersall head How the Popes Doctors proue him the head of the Church Nicolaus Cusanus saith The truth clea●eth fast to the Popes chaire therefore the members vnited to the chaire and ioined to the Pope make the Church Iohannes de parisijs saith There shall be one flocke one shepheard which thing cannot be taken of Christ we must néedes vnderstande it of some other Minister that ruleth in his stéede Hosius saith It is so necessary a thing that one onely man ouer rule the whole Church that without the same the Church cannot be one The Canonists say It is plaine that therefore the Church is one because that in the whole vniuersall Church is one supreame head that is the Pope They alledge S. Hieroms words to the same purpose The safetie of the Church hangeth of the worship of the high Priest meaning the Pope Peters successour But S. Hierome meant not thereby the Bishop of Rome but euery seuerall Bishoppe within his owne charge euerye which Bishop he calleth the high Priest Of the Popes triple crowne and signification thereof A man can receiue nothing except it be giuen him from aboue ¶ If a man can receiue nothing except it be giuen him from heauen that howsoe●er humaine wisedome braggeth and boasteth it selfe yet notwithstanding it cannot haue in verye déede that which it hath not receiued from heauen although the world attribute the same vnto him Therefore although the Bishop of Rome to signifie his power and authoritie in heauen earth and in hell weareth the triple crowne on his head and would haue all men to worship the same being héerein like vnto Iupiter of whom the Poet faigneth with the triple seepter yet notwithstanding because he hath receiued the same from Constantine as some affirme and not from heauen he sheweth himselfe to be vain-glorious and nothing inferiour in pride to Luciter And whereas his faulters and defenders obiect vnto the Church it skilleth not for it is not written h●ere by the Euangelist except it be giuen him from the Church but hée saith except it be giuen him from heauen Marl. vpon Iohn fol. 90. How the Pope blasphemeth God The Bishop of Rome ought to be abashed ashamed and to abhorre his owne pride For in this be outragiously doth offend God and blasphemeth him in that he presumeth to take this high name from our Bishoppe Christ in that he taketh away as much as lieth in him the glory of God the Maiestie appertaining to Christ in that he taketh vpon him these names onely appropriate to Christ. Summus Pontifex maximus Pontifex vniuersalis Pontifex The highest Bishop the greatest Bishop the vniuersal Bishop of al the world I much meruaile how he dare be so bolde to vsurpe and take these great names vpon him Greater blasphemie can there not be then to take from God that that naturally belongeth vnto him then to tak● from God his glory and honour then to vindicate and take vppon him such high names as beséemeth no Christen man to vsurpe God said by his Prophet Non dabo gloriam meam alteri I will not giue my glory away to any other to any creature he doth reserue that glory that laud and honour that belongeth to him vnto himselfe no man to attempt so far no man to take so much vpon him B. Langland in the b. of Ma. fo 1251 How the Pope is an Idoll And the Lord saith Zachary said vnto me Take yet vnto thée the instrument of a foolish Shepheard for loe I will rayse vp a Shepheard in the lande which shall not looke for the thing that is lost nor séeke the tender Lambes nor heale that that is hurt nor féede that that standeth but he shall eate the flesh of the fat and teare their clawes in péeces O Idoll Shepheard that leaueth the flocke The sword shall be vpon his arme and vpon his right eye his arme shall be cleane dried vp his right eye shall be vtterly darkened ¶ Who exerciseth this tyranny ouer the people and the Princes too eating them to the bones yea bones and all deposing them destroieng them and pilling their kingdomes with insatiable extortions but y● Pope The Popish gloses ascribe it to Antichrist but they describe the Popes practises A Pastor in the land saith Lyra that is Antichrist to rule therein that shall not visite the forsaken that is he shall doe no worke of godlinesse but shall be of great crueltie toward the iust and therefore he saith and shall eate the flesh of the fat that is by spoyling of their goods and teare their clawes in péeces by afflicting and killing them Againe what Pastour may better be called an Idoll than this Antichrist the Pope That is called an Idoll saith Lyra that is worshipped for God and is not God And so shall it be of Antichrist that shall sit in the Temple of God as though he were God O Pastour and Idoll saith the Glose thou art so wicked that thou shalt not be called a worshipper of Idols but shalt be called an Idoll while thou wilt be worshipped of men who leaueth the flocke to be deuoured of Beastes that the Lorde had alwaies kept This Pastour shall therefore arise in Israel because the true
seauenth daye hée rested and so shalt thou Saint Paule sayth he that laboureth not let him not eate And againe if any prouide not for his owne and specially for them of his householde the same hath denied the faith and is worse then an Infidell And so he commaundeth seruants to bée seruable vnto their maisters and to doe their worke truely behinde their backes as well as before their faces Now to declare y● true meaning of such scriptures as séemed to make for the Massalians S. Austen saith on this wise All such places of the Scriptures as seeme to commend continuall praieng are to be vnderstood of the learnedst the feruent perpetuall desire that we ought to haue to praye wherof we haue an example in that holy widowe named Anne the daughter of Phanuel Quae non discedebat de Templo ieiunijs ac deprecationibus ●eruiens nocte ac die In which wordes we must graunt the tropicall speach called Hiperbole For it cannot bée auoided but that this holy woman did eate drink and was sometime occupied about her necessarie businesse at home But because she was most commonly in the temple praieng therefore the Euangelist saith that shée was there night and daye So that the Saints do fulfill this Scripture praieng continually when they pray often and feruently to God And if anye man now should aske this question forasmuch as Christ hath forbidden much babling in the time of praieng whether do they ●in or no which do pray long To this is answered thus In a case they sinne and in a case they sinne not but doe verye well and godly In case they put their trust in their long praieng thinking that therefore they shall be heard as the Gentiles doe then they sinne as they doe and are condempned by the sentence of Christ in the Gospell But if they praye long with feruent faith and true deuotion then they sinne not no though they pray with often repeating of one praier but they folow the example of Christ which in mount Oliuete did oftentimes repeate one praier which in effect was none other but this Pater si possibile est transeat a me calex iste Wherefore Saint Austen most holyly and truely maketh a distinction betwixt Multum loqui multum precari Much babling and long praieng To pray long with godly and deuout exercising of the heart it is a good thing but to aske a good thing with superfluous an vnprofitable heape of wordes the minde not occupied it is naught And againe saith S. Austen How can any man condemne long praier séeing that of Christ it is written Quod pernoctauit in orando that he was occupied all night in praier But this doe I counsell saith Saint Austen Ad probam Si quis nausiam If any man supposeth lothsomenesse to arise of long praieng let him well consider although it be not long yet often it is lawfull to pray And whatsoeuer he be that so shall pray often he shall neuerthelesse fulfill the example of the Prophet Dauid which saith to the prouoking and teaching of all other men to praye often Benedicam Dominum in omni tempore semper laus ●ius in ore meo I will alwaies praise the Lord and euermore shall his praise be in my month Ric. Turnar ¶ Like as he that is in prison desireth euer to be deliuered whether he be eating drinking or sléeping as he that is sick destreth alwayes to bée whole euen so doth euery christen man pray continually yea euen when he séemeth not to pray For praier consisteth not in much babling Mat. 6. 7. but in spirite and veritie Iohn 4. 24. and in vehement desire of the heart towards God Tindale What the praiers of Saints in the Apocalips meaneth And when he had taken the booke the foure beastes and the. 24. elders fell downe before the lambe hauing euerie one harpes and golden Uialls full of odours which are the praiers of the Saints And in an other place of the same booke he saith And an other Angell came and stoode before the altar hauing a golden censour and much of odours were giuen vnto him that he shuld offer the praiers of the Saints vpon the gloden altar which is before the throne These places the Papists do alledge for the inuocation of Saints Aunswere Ye must vnderstand that there be two kinde of praiers the one is inuocation or petition the other is giuing of thankes laude and praise The petition if néede were might be proued by the fourth Chapter of the Epistle to the Philippians Wée call that inuocation when we desire some good thing to bée giuen vnto vs or some euill to be taken away from vs. Giuing of thanks doth conteine the praising and lauding or magnifieng of the name of God for his excéeding great benefits which we receiue daily and hourely at his hands It is manifest by y● which followeth that the Apostle doth speake of the last and not of the first These be the words and they song a new song saieng Thou art worthy to take the booke and to open the seales thereof because thou wast killed and hast redéemed vs to God by thy bloud out of euerie kinred and tongue and people and nation and hast made vs vnto our God kings and Priests we shall reigne on the earth Now what doth this make for the intercession of the blessed spirits or soules that the Saints doe sing praises vnto God in heauen In the other place is meant none other but that the Angell did ioyne his laude and praise which hée gaue vnto God with the Hymnes and songs of the elect Saint Austen expounding this place writeth thus Alius Angelus ipse est Iesus Christus c. The other Angell sayth he is Iesus Christ hauing a golden censour which is an holy body for the Lord himselfe was made a censour out of the which God receiued a swéete odour and was made mercifull vnto the worlde for hée offered himselfe a sacrifice of swéete smell and the Angell did take the censour and did fill it with the fire of the altar Iesus tooke a body that is to say the Church and did fill it with the fire of the holye Ghost The meaning of this place following Withdrawe not your selues one from an other ¶ S. Paule speaketh not this of that kinde of prayer that is commonly and dayly vsed of all faithfull as well married as vnmarried but onely of the generall and solemne prayer of the whole congregation which then as in time of persecution and feare of enimies was kept onely in the night And all the whole multitude of the faythfull was charged to be present at the same At which time it was necessarie that both the man and the woman should leaue the others companie and resort to prayer To this reade Ioel. 2. at the place Blow vp the trumpet in Syon Iewel fol. 172. A praier for the King and chiefe
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 y● 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 y● 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 ●●●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 y● 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 people● Ribaulders oppresse thée women haue rule of thée O my people thy leaders deceiue thée ¶ Some read ●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 thēselues 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 y● 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
himselfe the Empires both of God and man Hitherto Chrisostome And it is manifest to all men that the papa● grew tooke increase by the decay of the Empire at the fall of the Monarch they challenged full possession of all dominion both spirituall and temporall Of the same iudgement is S. Hierome writing vpon the same place of Paul vnto Aglasia in the eleuenth question whose words are these Nec vult aperti c. Neither will he openly say that the Romane Empire should be destroied which they y● gouerne it thinke to be euerlasting wherefore according to the reuelation of S. Iohn In the forehead of the purple whoore ther is written a name of blasphemy which is Rome euerlasting The same Hierome in his 13. booke of his Commentaries of the Prophesie of Esay vpon the 24. chapter writeth thus Licet ex eo quod iuxta septuaginta c. Forasmuch as the seauentie Interpreters write not the daughter Babylon but the daughter of Babylon some do interpret the rest not Babylon in Chaldea but the citie of Rome which in the reuelation of S. Iohn the Epistle of Peter is specially called Babylon The same in his preface vnto the booke of Didimus De spiritu sancto which he translated out of Greeke into Latin writing to Pauinianus he vttereth these words Cum in Babylone versarer c. Of late saith he when I was in Babylon was an inhabitant of the purple harlot liued after the lawes of the Romaines I thought to intreate somewhat of the holy Ghost The same writing to Marcella a vertuous gentlewoman of Rome whom he allured to forsake Rome to dwell néere vnto him in Bethleem one especiall reason that he vseth to perswade her is this that as Bethleem whither he would haue her to repaire is situated in the holy land and the place consecrated to the birth of Christ so Rome where she desired to remaine was the Babylonicall harlot according to the Reuelation of Saint Iohn appointed for the birth of Antichrist which there should arise and exercise tyrannye and from thence shoulde deceiue the whole world with his wicked wiles Hue vsque Hieronimus Ambrose writing a Commentarie vpon the Reuelation of S. Iohn is of the same iudgement Primasius also a verye auncient writer who lykewise Commenteth vppon the Apocalips expoundeth these Prophesies of Antichrist to bée fulfilled in the Romane Empire Augustine in his worke De ciuitate Dei not once or twise but oftentimes is bolde to call Rome Babylon and Babylon Rome As in his 6. booke and. 17. Chapter he calleth Rome an other Babylon in the West And in his 18● booke and second chapter hée calleth Babylon of Chaldea the first Rome and Rome of Italy the second Babylon willing men to consider that in the beginning of the Citie of God which was the Church in Abrahams time the first Rome that was Easterne Babylon her enimie was builded in Chaldea about the same time that the first Babylon was destroied least the citie of God should lacke her enimie the second Babylon which is Rome in Italy was erected Hue vsque August ¶ Looke more in Antichrist Babylon If Caput come of Capio which signifieth take Thē may Rome wel be called so which nothing doth forsake If you decline Capio capis and to the grounds come Her nets are large cannot misse to ca●ch both all and some RVDIMENTS What these Rudiments were and wherefore they were called poore WEake and beggerly Rudiments ¶ The poore and weake Rudiments be circumcision sacrifices the choise of daies and meates and other obseruation and kéeping as a thing necessarie to obteine euerlasting life the grace of God He calleth them poore or weake because they be not nor consist of themselues whose nature onely consisteth in signifieng And what strength so euer they haue that they haue because they import or signifie some waightie thing Doctor Heynes ¶ The Galathians of Panims beganne to be Christians but by false Apostles were tourned backward to beginne a new the Iewish ceremonies and so in stéed of going forwarde toward Christ they ran backward from him Geneua Sabboth Wherefore the Sabboth was instituted YE shall doe no labour therein but hallowe the sabboth as I commanded your fathers ¶ The foundation of the faith is to beléeue Gods premise that he made the whole world doth also gouerne it further that he knoweth will iudge all things c. Those things did the law require in keping of the sabboth to confesse both with word and signe to giue diligent héed to the hearing interpreting of the law to thinke of the glory of God to reléeue the faithful soule with the foode of the word to minister occasion also vnto the simple that they likewise might attempt such things in their houses amongst their household folks to be pitifull ouer the wearines of such neighbours as laboured sore al the wéeke long reléeue them to attend giue héed to the exercises of the spirit to the consolation and comforting of their neighbours not onely to absteine from outward works and fulfill their appetites and lustes for that did the Lorde forbid The Sabboth should bée applyed to the lawfull seruing of God not to sinfulnesse and wantonnesse It is commaunded to be sanctified and not polluted and defiled with naughtinesse To God alone must wée also kéepe it and call on his name Other Gods or Gods fellowes ought we not to enquire of nor fall downe vnto them But when such occasions come as turne our rest into occupation labour then ought we remember that the Sabboth was ordeined for man not man for the Sabboth So that in the meane season the feare of God and the charitie towards our neighbour which are the chiefe and principall things in the obseruation of the Sabboth be not lightly regarded T. M. A Sabboth of rest it shall be vnto you ¶ Sabboth feasts and new moones signifie the ioye and gladnesse of the conscience the renuing of man and the rest wherein wée rest from our owne workes not doing our wills but Gods which worketh in vs through the Gospell and gladde tidings while wée earnestly beléeue it Exech 20. 12. Exo. 20. 8. 31. 13. Deut. 5. ●4 God rested the seauenth day ¶ What we should learne in this we may plainly sée in the commaundement Kéepe holye the Sabboth day for that day was instituted for this cause because then God rested from his works in that day a rest is commaunded vs that in it we should do no manner of worke and why déerely beloued shall we rest God is not pleased with idlenesse he will not haue vs like the idle men y● in the ninth houre of the day stand still idle in the market but God commaunded vs to kéepe that day holy vnto him which is to serue him in it and not our selues
man may there choose a conuenient remedie for his disease Basil vpon the first Psal. I. Northbrooke In the word of God is plentie for the strong man to eate there is inough for the childe to sucke There is also milke to drinke wherwith the tender infants of the faithfull be nourished and strong meats wherwith the lustie youth of them that is perfect may receiue the spirituall increasement of holy vertue Fulgentius in his Sermon of the confessours I. Northb. Nothing can deceiue them that search the holy Scriptures for that is the candle whereby the theefe is spied Theophilactus of Lazarus I. N. The Scripture is a flud wherin the little lambe may wade and the great Olyphant may swimme Gregorie in his Epistle to Leonard I. N. The Scriptures are easie to the slaue to the husbandman to the childe and to him that may séeme to be verye simple of vnderstanding Chrisost. in his first Homil. vpon Mat. How Christ and the Church are learned in the Scriptures In the Scriptures we haue learned Christ In the Scriptures we haue learned the Church These Scriptures wée haue commonlye and why doe wee not commonlye retaine both Christ and the Church in them August Epist. 166. Against them that finde fault that the Scriptures be darke The holy spirit hath so nobly and wholesomely tempered the holy Scriptures that he might with the easie places of it serue the greedy hunger of men and with the dark places to take away the loathsomenesse For there is no point almost found in the darknesse of it which is not plainely spoken in some other place Whereby saith Musculus it is manifest inough that if any thing be spoken darkly in some place of the Scriptures the light of it must be sought ought of those places where the matter is more plainly expressed c. Mus. fol. 151. Where things are more plainely vttered in the Scriptures there must we learne how they are to be vnderstood in darke places August li. 83. quest Let vs come saith Chrisostome to the leuell and marke of the holy Scripture which doth expound it selfe And by and by after The sacred Scripture expoundeth himselfe and suffereth not the hearer for to erre Chrisostom in his 2. chap. Gen. Homil. 13. In the Scriptures are all things needfull for our saluation The holy Scriptures béeing inspired from God are sufficient to all instructions of truth Athanasius against the Gentiles Not all things the the Lord Iesus did are written as the Euangelist witnesseth For the Lord both did sayd many things that are not written but these were chosen out to be written which séemed sufficient for the saluation of the vnbeleeuers Augustin to the Bre. in the wildernesse in his 49. treatise vppon Iohn Whatsoeuer is required for our saluation is already conteined in the holy Scriptures He that is ignoraunt shall finde there what he may learne He that is stubburne and a sinner may finde there scourges of the iudgement to come the which he may feare He that is troubled may finde ioyes and promises of euer●asting lyfe through the beholding of which he may be stirred to good works Chrisost. in his 19. Homil. vpon Math. Reade the Scriptures wherein ye shall finde fully what is to be followed and what is to be auoided not all thinges that our Lorde Iesus did are written c. As before is sayd Augustine to the brethren in c. For as much as Christ himselfe hath not reuealed these things which of vs will saye they bée these or these For who is there either so vaine or so rash who notwithstanding hée speaketh the truth to whome he lysteth and what he ly●teth will affirme without anye testimonie of the Scriptures that these be the things that the Lord would not then open Augustine in the. 96. treatise vpon Iohn If there be anie thing néedfull to be knowne or not to b●e knowne we shall learne it by the holy Scriptures if we shall néed to report a falsehood we shal fetch it out from thence if to be corrected to be chastened to be exhorted or comforted to be short if ought lacke that ought to be taught or learned we shall also learne it out of the same Scriptures Chrisost. vpon the. 2. of Tim. the 3. chap. Lyke as in a Merchaunts ship are carried diuerse things necessarie for mans lyfe So in the Scriptures are conteined all things néedfull to saluation Lyra vpon the last chap. of the Prouerbs How holy Scripture is to be read Now to the intent that the reading of holy Scripture may be to our profite we must applye our selues to it not onelye thankfully and reuerently but also with great sobernesse and pure affection ioyning prayer therevnto also For God reuealeth his mysteries out of heauen Dan. 2. 18. He giueth vnderstanding to the lyttle ones Psal. 119. 130. according also as Christ teacheth Mat. 12. 25. Notwithstanding for as much as it is not giuen to all men to read holy writ ther is expresse mention made of hearing which ingendereth faith by the effectuall working of y● holy Ghost in mens harts for fayth commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God Rom. 10. 27. Marl. vpon the Apoc. fol. 6. ¶ Looke Search Of the ignoraunce and knowledge of Scriptures Ignoraunce of the Scriptures sayth Saint Hierome is the mother and cause of errours And in an other place he saith the knowledge of the Scriptures is the food of euerlasting life Hierom. in the. 23. of Math. How by the Scriptures all doubts are tried Consider in what daunger they be that haue no care to read the holy Scriptures for by the same Scriptures only the iudgement of this triall must be allowed Origen in his ●0 boo 16. chap. to the Rom. Neuer moue question héereof but onely learne of the holy Scriptures For the onely proues that ye shall there finde are sufficient to proue the Godhead of the holy God We must needes call to witnesse the holy Scriptures for our iudgements and expositions without these witnesses they carrie no credit Origen in his first Homely vpon Ieremy We must read the Scriptures with all dilligence and bée occupied in the lawe of the Lord both day night y● we may become perfect exchangers be able rightly to discerne what money is lawfull and what is counterfait Hierom. in his 3. b. and. 5. chap. to the Ephe. I require the voice of the shepheard read me this matter out of the Prophets read me out of the Psalmes read it out of the lawe read it out of the Gospels read it out of the Apostles August in his booke of Pastors the. 14. chap. Neither will I alleadge the Councell of Nice against you nor shall you alleadge the Councell of Arminium against mée By the authoritie of Scriptures let vs weigh matter with matter cause with cause
reason with reason August contra Maxi. li. 3. chap. 14. More weightie is the doctrine of the Scripture and the Prophets then of such as be raised from the dead doe report any thing or if an Angell descend from heauen As for the things they talke they be but seruants that speake them but whatsoeuer the Scripture vttereth the Lord hath spoken it The Lord therfore doth teach vs that we should thinke credit shuld be rather giuen vnto the Scriptures then to all other things Chrisost. de Lazaro concione 4. No man will giue héede to the Scriptures for if we did consider them we shuld not onely not fall into ●rrours our selues but also thereof deliuer other that are deceiued and put them from perill Chrisost. in Epist. ad Heb. Homil. 8. Let vs not bring deceitfull ballances wherein we may weigh whatsoeuer we lust at our owne discretion saieng this is heauie this is light but let vs bring the heauenly ballance of the holy Scripture as from the treasure of the Lord therin let vs weigh what is of more weight Hierome causa 24. quest chap. 1. non adfera How Christ ouercommeth Satan with Scriptures Iesus sayd vnto him it is written againe ¶ Christ woulde not ouercome Satan by his diuine and almightie power but with the Scriptures and word of God to teach vs by his own example to fight against Satan with the holy sacred Scripture which are our heauenly armour the word of the spirit Beza How this place following is to be vnderstood Among the which some things are hard to be vnderstoode c. ¶ That is to say among the which things for he disputeth not héere whether Paules Epistles be plaine or darke but saith that amongest those things which Paule hath written off in his Epistles and Peter himselfe in these two of his owne there are some things which cannot be so easily vnderstood and therfore are of some drawne to their owne destruction that hée saith to make vs more attentiue and dilligent and not to remoue vs from reading of holy things For to what end should they haue written vaine speculations Beza ¶ As no man condempneth the brightnesse of the Sunne because his eyes is not able to susteine the cleerenesse thereof so the hardnesse which we cannot somtime compasse or perfectly vnderstand in the Scriptures ought not to take away from vs the vse of the Scriptures Geneua Of them which say that Scripture hangeth vpon the iudgement of the Church I know saith Caluine that they haue commonly the saieng of Augustine where he sayth he would not beléeue the Gospel saue that the ●uthoritie of the Church moued him therevnto But ●ow vntrue and cauillously it is alleaged for such a meaning by the whole tenour of his writing it is easie to perceiue He had to doe with the Maniches which desired to be beleeued without gaine saieng when they vaunted that they had y● truth on their side but proued it not Now Augustine asketh them what they would doe if they did light vpon a man that would not beleeue the Gospell it selfe with what manner of perswasion they wold drawe him to their opinion Afterward he saith I myselfe would not beleeue the Gospel c. saue y● the authoritie of the church moued me therto meaning y● he himselfe when hée was a straunger from the faith could none otherwise be brought to embrace the gospell for the assured truth of God but by this the he was ouercome by the authoritie of the Church And what meruaile is it if a man not yet knowing Christ haue regard to men Augustine therfore doth not there teach y● the faith of the godly is grounded vpon the authoritie of the Church nor meaneth that the certeintie of the gospel hangeth theron but simply onely that there should be no assurednesse of the gospell to the Infidels wherby they might be won to Christ vnles y● consent of the church did driue them vnto it And the same meaning a little before he doth plainly confirme in this saieng When I shal praise y● which I beléeue scorne the which thou beléeuest what thinkest thou méet for vs to iudge or do but the we forsake such men as first call vs to come know certeine truths after commaunded vs to beléeue things vncerteine And that we follow them that require vs first to beléeue that which we are not yet able to sée that being made strong by beléeuing we may attain● to vnderstand the thing that we beléeue not men now but God himselfe inwardly strengthening giuing light to our minds These are the very words of Saint Austen Caluin 1. booke chap. 7. Sect. 3. The Papists say it must be vnderstood after the interpretation of the Church of Rome which is false When the Apostles bad vs trie the spirits whether they be of God or no meant he trow ye we shuld trie them according to the testimony of the Church of Rome When the men of Thessalonica tried the Apostles doctrine whether it wer true or no Asked they y● iudgement of the Church of Rome c. Deering Obiection How is the word of God and the Scriptures knowne but by the Church Aunswere The Church was and is a meane to bring a man more spéedely to know the scriptures and the word of God as was the woman of Samaria a meane that the Samaritanes knew Christ but as when they had heard him speake they sayde Now we know that he is Christ not because of thy words but because we our selues haue heard him So after we came to the hearing and reading the Scriptures shewed vnto vs and discerned by the Church we doe beleeue them and know them as Christs shéepe not because the Church sayth they are the Scriptures but because they be so being assured therof by the same spirit which wrote and spake them Bradford in the booke of Mar. fol. 1794. When the Scriptures was in English ¶ Looke Bible Of the burning of Scriptures ¶ Looke Herode SEA Of the diuerse names giuen to this Sea OUer the sea of Galile ¶ This is a lake which is called in the Scripture the sea or lake of Ginnereth which some interpret the sweete sea is called of the Gréeks Genezar or Genazareth Of this Iosephus maketh mention in his third booke of the war of the Iewes 18. chapter S. Iohn calleth it the sea of Tiberias because the citie of Tiberias so called of Herode the Tetrach for the honour of Tiberius Caesar bounded vpon the East part of the same Wherefore by this portion the Euangelist doth more plainly describe the place whither Christ went For the whole lake was not called the sea of Tiberias but onely that part which lay more to the shore vpon the which Tiberias was scituate Marl. fo 188. What the Sea of Glasse signifieth As it were a Sea of Glasse ¶ The Hebrues betoken all manner of
fol. 102. 103. Who brought singing first into the West Church Saint Austen in his booke of Confessions testifieth that singing in the west Church happened in the time of Ambrose For when that holy man together with the people watched euen in the Church least he should haue béene betraied vnto the A●ans he brought in singing to auoide tediousnesse and to driue away the time The iudgement of diuerse learned men concerning singing Franciscus Petrarcha in his booke De remedijs vtriusque fortunae declareth that S. Athanasius did vtterly forbid singing to be vsed in the Church at seruice time because saith hee he would put away all lightnesse and vanitie which by the reason of singing doth oftentimes arise in the mindes both of the singers and of the hearers We ought saith S. Hierome to sing to make melodye and to praise the Lord rather in minde then in voice And this it is that is sayd Singing and making melodie to the Lord in your hearts Let young men sayth he heare these things yea let thē heare whose office it is to sing in the Church that they must sing to God not in the voice but in the hart neither must their throate be annointed after the manner of game plaiers with swéete ointments that in the church singing more sit for game-players should be heard but in feare in worke in knowledge of the Scriptures ought they to sing in the Lord. Let the voice of the singer so sing that not the voice of him y● singeth but the wordes that are read may delight It is without doubt sayth Saint Ambrose a great incrudelitie and vnfaithfulnesse to thinke thus of the power of God that thou canst not be heard except thou criest out Let thy worke cry let thy faith cry let thy minde cry let thy passions sufferings cry let thy bloud as the bloud of holy Abel cry wherof God said to Cain the voice of thy brothers bloud crieth vnto me For he heareth in secret which maketh cleane in secret We cannot heare man except he speaketh vnto vs but vnto God not words but thoughts doe speake Guilhelmus Durandus saith that the vse of singing was ordeined for carnall and fleshly men and not for spirituall godly minded men Rat. Di. Off. Saint Gregory did greatly disalow certeine deacons of Rome in his time which when they ought by their office to haue giuē their mindes to the preaching of the Gospell and the prouision for the poore set all their pleasure on pleasaunt singing not caring how they liued afore God so that with their voices they might please the world He was therefore compelled to make a decrée that all such as be in the holy ministrie should from thence forth vnder the paine of excommunication giue their mindes no more to singing but applye themselues to the studies of the holy Scriptures and the reading of the Gospell S. Iohn Chrisostome saith on this manner It is the dutie of a deuout minde to pray to God not with the voice or with the sound of the voice but with the deuotion of the minde and with the faith of the heart Againe he sayth the crieng of the voice is not the worke in praier vnto God whome we knowe that he beholdeth the secrets of the heart but the crieng of faith the deuotion of a godly pure minde Therfore the best way to pray is to pray with hart minde spirit soule inward mā Erasmus Roterodamus expresseth his minde concerning the curious manner of singing vsed in Churches on this wise and ●aith Why doth the Church doubt to follow so worthy an authour Paule Yea how dare it be bolde to descent from him What other thing is heard in Monestaries in Colledges in Temples almost generally then a confused noise of voices but in the time of Paule there was no singing but saieng onely Singing was with great difficultie receiued of them of the latter time and yet such singing as was none other thing then a distinct and plaine pronunciation euen such as wée haue yet among vs when we sound the Lords praier in the holy Canon And the tongue wherin these things were sung the common people did then vnderstand and aunswered Amen Now what other thing doth the common people heare then voyces signifieng nothing And such for the most parte is the pronunciation that not so much as the wordes or voices are heard onely the sound beateth the eares When plaine song prick-song and descant were brought into the Church Pope Gelasius Pope Gregory the first S. Ambrose with other brought in first of all the plaine song into the Churches Antonius Guil. Durand Pope Vitalian being a lustie singer and a fresh couragious Musition himselfe brought into the Church pricke song Descant and all kinde of swéete and pleasaunt melodie and because nothing should want to delight the vaine foolish and idle eares of fond and fantasticall men he ioyned the Organs to the curious musikell Thus was Paules preaching and Peters praieng turned into vaine singing and childish plaieng vnto the great losse of time and to the vtter vndoing of christen mens soules which liue not by singing and piping but by euery word that commeth out of the mouth of God In the yeare c. 653. Theo. Basil in his b. of Reliques ¶ Looke Musicke SINGLE LIFE What the fruites of single lyfe among the Priests are NOt onely they doe not that they teach but also cruelly without mercy they lay their iniūctions vpon others not cōsidering each mans abilitie Such be they that forbidde men to marry And from that thing that is lawfully to be done driue force men to an vnreasonable purity They binde lay on heauie burdens and cause men to fall vnder them And often time we sée them that teach such things to doe contrary to their owne saiengs They teach chastitie and yet kéepe no chastitie They doe all things for the commendation of men and vaineglory that they may be séene and noted of the people And commonly they be such as loue the highest places at feasts and bankets and to be saluted and honoured in the market places of the people to be called Rabby that will be called Bishops Priests and Deacons Origen in Mat. tract 24. They refuse marriage but not lust or pleasure For they estéeme not chastitie but hypocrisie and yet the same hypocrisie they will haue called chastitie Epiphan contra Origen heraef 42. Chrisostome writeth of the vowed and chast women in his time saieng we may say saith he that marriage is a great deale better then such virginitie héereafter it were better ther were no virgins at all The name of virginitie continueth still but virginitie it selfe in their bodies is quite gone They liue more in pleasure then harlots in the stewes Ther is often and dayly running for midwiues to virgins houses This manner of virginitie of women amongest men is more
her from sin if she repented but he tooke not away the punishment publike example Euen as also he receiueth the penitent faithful théefe into the fauour grace of God but yet did not delyuer him from the punishment which he had deserued for theft Marl. fo 288. ¶ Goe and sinne no more This is the penance that Christ doth enioyne to all sinners that is to saye that they sinne no more In the meane season we must marke that if this woman had bene condemned by the lawe he wold not haue quited her from temporall punishment● for he was not come to break the lawe Sir I. Cheeke Of a woman taken in warre And seest among the captiues a beautifull woman and hast a fansie to her that thou wouldest haue her to wife ¶ Héer● were they permitted to take a wife of the Gentiles but first to shaue her head and cut her nayles c. which ceremonie signified that she should be instruct to cut away the wantonnesse and superfluous decking with the delicate conditions of the Gentiles least the cleane people of the Iewes shoulde in short space abhorre her if shee continued in her olde manners T. M. How women are called Ministers Looke Phebe How women ought not to baptise But how the custome was before that Augustine was borne first is gathered of Tertulian that it is not permitted to a woman to speake in the Church not to teach nor to baptise nor to offer that she should not claime to her selfe the execusion of any mans office much lesse of the Prie 〈…〉 s. Of the same thing Epiphanius is a substantia● witnesse where he reproueth Martion that he gaue women libertie to baptise neither am I ignoraunt of their aunswere which thinke otherwise that is that common vse much differeth from extraordinarye remedie when extreame necessity en●oreeth But when he p●onouncing that it is mockery to giue women libertie to baptise excepteth nothing It sufficiently appereth that he condemneth this corruption So that it is by no coulour excusable Also in the third booke where teaching that it was not permitted euen to the holy mother of Christ he addeth no restraint Caluine What the woman clothed in the Sunne signifieth A woman clothed with the Sunne ¶ In this third vision is declared how the Church which is compassed about with Iesus Christ the sonne of righteousnesse is persecuted of Antichrist Geneua Why women are commaunded to keepe silence in the Church Saint Paule both in the Epistle to Timothy and in the first Epistle to the Corinthians commaundeth that a woman should keepe silence in the Church And hee assigneth causes of ●his silence so commaunded namelye because they ought to bee subiect vnto their husbandes but the office of a teacher hath a certeine authoritie ouer those which are taught which is not to be attributed vnto women ouer men for shee was made for the man whome shee ought alwayes to haue a regard to obeye which thing is also appointed her by the sentence of God whereby after sinne committed he said vnto the woman Thy lust shall perteine vnto thy husband Farther the Apostle giueth another reason drawne from the first front because he saith Eue was seduced and not Adam wherfore if women should ordinarily be admitted vnto the holye mysterie of the Church men might easily suspect that the Diuell by his accustomed instrument woulde deceiue the people and for that cause they would the lesse regard the ecclesiasticall function if womē shuld be beleeued It ought therfore to be cōmitted only vnto men and that by ordinary right and the Apostles rule c. Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fo 93. Let your women kéepe silence in the Churches ¶ Because this disorder was in the Church that women vsurped y● which was peculiar to men The Apostle heere sheweth what is meet to be done and what is not And albeit he mentioned this abuse afore yet he reserueth it to this place to be reproued because there he brought it in for an other purpose Gen. 3. 16. Geneua What is meant by the foolish woman A foolish woman is troublesome ¶ By the foolish woman some vnderstande the wicked Preachers who counterfeite the word of God as appeareth verse 16. where he sayth Who so is simple let him come hether and to him that is destitute of wisdome he sayth Which are the words of the true preachers ver 4. but their doctrine is but as stolen water meaning that they are but mens traditions which are more pleasant to the flesh then the word of God and therfore they themselues boast thereof Geneua What is meant by the straunge woman And it shall deliuer thée from the straunge woman c. Meaning that wisdome which is the word of God shall preserue vs from al vices naming this vice of whooredome whervnto man is most pro●e Geneua The meaning of this place following A woman shall compasse a man ¶ This doe they commonly expound of the redemption of Israel by the similitude of a woman searching her husband as though the Prophet aadde sayd The people of Israel after they haue of long time forsaken their spouse God shall yet at the last returne and imbrace him with the armes of faith charitie and obedience Some expound it of the virgin Mary and some of the Church the spouse of Christ. T. M. Because their deliueraunce from Babylon was a figure of their deliuerance from sinne he sheweth how this shoulde bee procured to wit by Iesus Christ whom a woman should conceiue and beare in her wombe which is a straunge thing in earth because he should be borne of a woman without man or 〈…〉 meaneth that Hierus●l●m which was lyke a barren woman in her captiuitie should be fruitfull as she that is ioyned in marriage and whome God blesseth with children Geneua VVORD OF GOD. What the word of God is THE word of God doth signifie the vertue and power of God It is also put for the son of God which is the second person in the most reuerent Trinitie for the saieng of the holy Euangelist is euident to all men The word was made flesh Bullinger fol. 2. How the word was made flesh And the word was made flesh c. That is to say the euerlasting word which is the only begotten sonne of God did take our fraile nature and flesh vpon him in the which being equal with the father touching his Godhead he was made a curse for vs that is to say he did take vpon him that malediction and curse that was due vnto vs for the breaking of the law of God Sir I. Cheeke ¶ He was formed and made man by the operation of the holy Ghost without the operation of man Geneua ¶ That is the word the second person of the Godhead Iesus Christ came downe and was made flesh that is to wit receiued the nature of man wholy and perfectly both bodye and soule vniting the same to the person of his
is to heare the Gospell to beléeue it with heart to confesse God with mouth which worship Paul laieth it as the foundation of all righteousnes saluation saieng Nigh is the word vnto thée euen in thy mouth heart and this is the word of faith which we preach For faith in our hearts iustifieth and the confession with our mouth bringeth saluation c. Melancthon vpon Dan. How God onely is to be worshipped Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serue saith our Sauiour Iesus Christ Whervpon it may be argued thus Whosoeuer is neither our Lord nor our God to him ought we in no wise to giue godly honor nor yet to worship him but neither the Angells nor the dead Saints are our Lords and Gods but are ministers of our Lord God vnder him our fellow seruaunts To them therefore ought we in no wise to giue godly honour nor yet to worship them neither do we honour and worship Christ because he is holy righteous or because that he is beloued of God but because he is true and naturall God of one substaunce with the Father and the Holy ghost Veron Of the worshipping of Saints ¶ Looke Saints VVRATH What wrath is in God BY wrath is vnderstood not a disturbaunce or perturbation of mind for these things can haue no place in God but as Augustine hath well interpreted in his Booke of the Trinitie Wrath in God signifieth a iust vengeaunce And God is saide to be angry when he sheweth forth the effects of an angry man which are to punish and auenge So he is said to repent himself that he had made man because lyke a man that repenteth himselfe he would ouerthrow his worke Pet. Mar. vpon the Rom. fol. 107. ¶ Looke Anger VVRITTEN So much is written as is necessary for our saluation I Suppose the world could not containe the bookes y● should be written ¶ This is a figuratiue speach which doth signifie y● there was many things mo to write but there remaineth so much written as is necessary sufficiēt for our saluatiō Ti. ¶ But God would not charge vs with so great an heape séeing therefore that we haue so much as is necessary we ought to content our selues and praise his mercie Geneua ¶ These things are written which being well weyed are plentifull inough to instruct vs in all godlinesse I wold to God they were so exactly discussed to imbrace godlinesse as they are narrowly sifted and stretched to maintaine contention and brawle Marl. vpon Ioh. fo 613. ¶ S. Austen plainly declareth and saith True it is that the Lord hath done many things the which be not all written but they haue written those things which ought to be written and which is sufficient for all beléeuers Aug. vpon the 11. of Iohn tract 49. I am not ignoraunt saith Bullinger but that I knowe that the Lord Iesus both did and spake many things which wer not written by the Apostles but it followeth not therefore that the doctrine of the word of God taught by the Apostles is not absolutely perfect For Iohn the Apostle and Euangelist doth fréely confesse that the Lord did many other things also which wer not written in his booke but immediately he addeth this saith But these are written that ye might beléeue the Iesus is Christ the sonne of God that in beléeuing ye might haue life through his name He affirmeth by this doctrine which he contained in writing that faith is fully taught and that through faith there is graunted by God euerlasting life Bullinger fo 17. What it is to be written in the ear●h Domine omnes qui te derelinquunt confundentur recedentes a te in terra scribentur quoniam derelinquerunt venam aquarum vi●entium Domini Lord all they that forsake thée shall come to shame all they that run from the trust in thy gouernaunce and diuine prouidence hoping and trusting in the pollicies of Princes and might of men they shall be written in the earth that is their name shall be spoken off héere in the earth amongst men they shall haue cappe and knée and manye gaye good morrowes in this lyfe In terra scribentur but in Heauen and in the booke of lyfe they shall not come Why so For they haue forsaken the vaine of liuing waters I meane the Lord and his word Ric. Turnar Whose names are written in the booke of life and whose in earth Whose names are not written in the Lambes booke of life ¶ The names of the Apostles and all beléeuers are written in heauen and the names of the wicked are written in the earth according to this saieng They that depart from thée shall bée written in the earth Iere. 17. 13. that is to say they shal be forgotten before God and before the Congregation of the righteous which thing is expressed vnder another borrowed speach The vngodly are not so but they be as chaffe which the winde tosseth about Psal. 1. 4. Marl. fol. 191. ¶ They onely shall possesse that which are written in the Lambes booke of life y● were predestinate therevnto in Christ before the worlds constitution to be holy and vnspotted in his sight These are they whom he hath in a perpetuall remembraunce whom he hath ord●ined of goodnesse chosen of mercie called by the Gospell iustified through faith and glorified in the perfourmaunce of his commaundements that they shoulde bée lyke fashioned to the shape of his sonne Though these of frailenesse offend many times as the flesh can doe none other yet denie they not the veritie they abhorre not the scriptures But after they haue fallen they repent from the heart they séeke y● remedies they hate their owne déedes they call vnto Christ they lament their chance they hunger and thirst continually for the righteousnesse of God and such other lyke Bale Yeare How the yeare is now as it was in the olde time THat which Macrobius doth only attribute vnto the Aegyptians shuld haue ben more better attributed to the Hebrues among whom there was alwaies a certaine course of y● yere which by the circuit of the Sunne was obserued The yeare was then of twelue months as it is now The month contained that time as it doth now the whole course of the Moone the day lyke of 24. houres Whereby worthely is refused the errour of them which would the yeares of that age to be ten times shorter then they be now which the holy scripture testifieth to be false The floud began in the 600. yeare of the life of Noe in the 17. daye of the second month ceased the 30. day of the same month in the yere following in which place the 11. months is read whereby it appeareth that there were no fewer months in a yere then there be now and as they lyned then much longer then we doe now so is it plain that they had farre greater bodies then we haue now Lanquet How the yeare was
〈…〉 Apoc. 16. 1● Ioh. 12. 2● Math. 13. 1● ● Re. 8. 15 〈…〉 14. 15. Gen. 3. 15. Heretikes Confuted about the yeare of our Lord. 247. I●●as 2. 2. Esa. 38. 10 Esa. 38. 18 Mat. 5. 22 Heretike Mat. 9. 20 Heretikes Gen. 5. 24. Gen 38. 7. Mat. 17. 5 Tit. 3. 10. 1. Herode Mar. 2. 16 Ambr. in Luca. lib. 3. cap. 3. Iosephus Ant. Iud. li. 17. cap. 8. 9. Anno Christi 6. Augu 47. Euse. chr Mat. 14. 1. 2. Herode Mat. 14. 3. Iosephus deceiued Luke 23. 7 Act. 12. 1. Heretikes Eze. ● 5. Deu. 31. 17 E●● 13. 19 2. Tim. 2. 17. Luke 3. 2 Hierome Tertulian Augustin● Ex● 29. 40 Augustin Apo. 22. 1● Apo. 11. 18 Nu. 10. 29 ●poc 20. 6 Apo. 3. 7. Esaie 6. ● Psa. 1● 25. Act. 8. 17. 1. Cor. 3. 16 ● Cor. 6. 16 1. Cor. 6. 19 1. Cor. 1. 11 Rom. 8. 11 Rom. 8. 9. Act. 2. 5. Luke 4. 18 Esa. 61. 1. 1. Iohn 5. 7 Act. 12. 24 Act. 13. 2. Act. 20. 28 August Nazianzenus Didimus Basil. Nu. 5. 17. Rom. 12. 10 1. Pet. 3. 7. Exe. 20. 12 3. manner of honors Rom. 8. 24 Augustin Luke 1. 69 Psal. 18. 2. Exo. 23. 28 Iosu. 24. 12. Pro. 30. 15 Mat. 〈…〉 〈…〉 Math. 20. 3 Eleuenth houre Apoc. 8. 1. 1. Ti. 3. 1● Gen 28. 17 Exo. 1. 21. Psa. ●34 2 Psal. 25. 9. Mat. 19. 29 Math. 5. 6. Iob. 1. 1 Eph. 5. 25. 1. Tim. 3. 2 Tit. 1. 6. Hiero. in Epist. ad Tit. cap. 1 Apo. 21. 20 Exo 26. 1. Gen. 25. 29 Figure Psal. 24. 6. Iacobs face Gen. 27. 19 Iacobs lie Gen 32. 24 Iacobs vvrastling● Esay 44. 3 Iacobs seede Nu. 23. 23 No sinne in Iacob Psal. 20. ● God of Iacob Exo. 3. 14. Gal. 1. 20. Hist. Ecle li. 2. cap. 9. A notable conuersiō of a wicked accuser after a martyr Exo. 7. 11. Apo. 21. 19 1. Cor. 8. 4. Ier. 10. 11 Dan. 3. 2. Apoc. 21. ● Rom. 1. 28 Luk 21. 20 Mar. 4. 3● Ioh. ●1 33. Ge. 43. 30. Rom. 11. 26. August ● quest Canon ca. 33 Origen in his 2. booke 45. ca. Chrisost. in his 3. ser. of Lazarus Mat. 15. 14 Mat. 12. 45 Similitude Esay 20. 6 Exo. 20. 4. Exo. 20. 5. Images broken 1000. years ago Cicero Ieroboams calse Clement li 5. ad Iaco. Aug de vera religione ca. vlti Marcella Li. 2. ca. 19 Lay mens bookes Abac. 2. 18 Teacher of lies Doctrine of vanitie Worke of errour Iere. 10. 8. Set vp in high places Dan● 3. 2 Leo Em. Images taken out of Churches Constantine Em. Epiphanius Image of Christ pulled down Mar. 〈…〉 16 Athanas. in li. con Gent. Image caruers Sap. 14. 10. Harme by Images Tertul. de Idolatria Image of Trinitie Act. 19. 35 Dan. 3 ● Eze. 8. 3. Esa. 44. 13 Image caruer Colosci 1. Tim● 6. 16. Psal. 36. 9 Math. 19. 24. Ier. ●3 23 Heb. 6. 4 Heb. 3. 12 Psal. 33. 2. Iudie 3. 27 Augustin Psal. 50. 15 Psa. 145. 18. 1. Tim. 2. 5 1. Iohn 2. 1 Rom. 8. 26 Rom. 8. 34. Ioh. 14. 6 Ioh. 16. 23. Rom. 8. 33. Iames. 1. 17 Iob 3. 2. Iob. 3. 1. Iob. 2. 7. Iob. 9. 20● Iob. 16. 18. Mat. 14. 2. Mat. 17. 12 Iohn 10. 41 Mat. 21. 25 Act. 19. 3. Ihon. 1. 41. 2. Pa. 17. 7 2. Par. 19. Lyra. Math. 1. 19 Gen. 41. 38. Iosu. 24. 32 4. Re. 22. 2 4. Re. 23. 9 Psa. 51. 7. Esa. 48. 10 Gal. 6. 16. Leui. 25. 10. Leui. 25. 9 Mat. 26. 23. Luke 6. 16. Luke 1● 14. 1. Cor. 6. 2. Luke 12. 13 Mat. 7. 1. Io●n 8. 15. Rom. 2. 3. Iudgment of God Rom. 2. 1. Exo. 22. 9 Gods Iohn 1. 34. Last iudgment ● Tim. 1. 9 God Christ. Faith The historical Faith The iustifieng Faith Act. 10. 4. Rom. 3. 24 Rom. 2. 13 Rom. 4. 5. Two iustifications Rom. 3. 19. Tertulian Hierom. Chrisostō Math. 18. 20. Ioh. 20. 23 De sim. Cleri Homil. in Iohn 50 Homi. 11. Dunce mē Ma. 16. 19 key berers Apoc. 3. 7. Key of Dauid Apoc. 9. 1. Keyes of hell Ioh. 14. 24. Io● 7. 20. Iohn 8. 40 Exo. 32. 28. Nu. 25 7. 1. Re. 15. 33. 3. Reg. 20. Exo. 19. 6. 1. Pet. 2. 5. 9. Kings Priests 3. good kings 1. Pa. 15. 11 3. Re. 2. 35 2. Pa. 29. 5 Euseb. li. 3 deui chris In his 6. bo 162. ca. Polichro Fabian Polichro Fabian Math. Paris Polichro Fabian Found in the aunciēt records of Londō remaining in the Guild Hall Pr● 8. 15. Psa. 49. 23 Nurses Iosu. 10. ●4 Ose. 8. 4. 4. R●g 21. A good man may haue a wicked sonne a vvicked man a good son 4. Reg. 22. Tokens of a vvicked king A kings worde Math. 6. 10 Act. 1. 3. Mar. 12. 34● Luke 9. 27● Luk. 17. 21 Iohn 18. 36 The exposition of Ludolphus gathered out of Crisost other aunciēt fathers Ioh. 10. 14 Iohn 13. 18. Math. 1. 25 Li 4. ca. 33 Cato li. desenectu●e Socrates Gen● 31. 30 Iohn 4. 34. Gen. 28. 12 Deut. 4. 9. Deut. 6. 4. Psa. 119. 105. Psal. 1. 2. Ephe. 6. 17 2. Iohn 10 Iohn 5. 39. 2. Tim. 3. 16. 1. Cor. 14. 34. Act. 17. 11 Act. 18. 26. Act. 8. 27. Col. 3. 16. August ad fra 6. 38 August in his 59. Sermon Athanasius in Epis. ad Ephe. 6. Chri. in Gen. ca. 9. homil 28 Hierom in his Prohe in Epist. ad Eph. li. 2. Chris. vpō the Col. in his 9. Homil. Chriso in Math. 10. 1. Homil. 2. Theodore tus in his 5. booke of the nature of man Tertulian Ambrose Cal. ca. 17 sect 16. Augu. ad Fortunat. Mat. 19. 13 2. Tim. 1. 6 Act. 1. 23 Gen. 48. 17 Iob. 39. 37. Mat. 25. 3. Io● 31. 38. Apoc. 1. 11 Math. 19. 30. 1. Table 2. Table Plato Vse of the lawe Lawe of Nature Lavve vvritten Morall lavve Iudicialls schoolemaister Gal 3. 24. Gal. 3 19 The lavvs entring Exo. 20. 18 Lavve of the 10. cō writen by God and not by Moses Law impossible By Moses Gal. 2. 19 Dead Rom. 7. ● Rom. 5. 20 Sinne. Messenger of death Loue. Rom. 7. 14 Vnder the lavve Dead to the lawe Not vnder the Lawe Gal. 4. 20 Booke of Gene. called the Lawe Psa. 35. 19 Lavv impossible Ambrose ad Gal. 〈…〉 Act. 15. 10 Yoake God and mans lavv Rom. 10. 4 Lavv fulfilled Ende of the lawe Rom. 2. 12 Gentiles had the Lavve of Nature Rom. 3. 19 Sinners Rom. 7. 14 Lawe spirituall Gal. 2. 19 Dye to the lawe Dye for the lavve Gal. 3. 10. No man fulfilleth the lavve Gal. 4. 1. Heire Argumēt Lawe and Gospell Lawe and Gospell Ioh. 11. 44 Mat. 26. 53. Gen. 9. 13. Gen. 17. 10 Exo. 24. 4 I●s● 24. 26 Leuit. 13. Leuit. 13. 13● Leui. 13. 45 Clothes Leui 14. 34● Houses Leui. 14. 34. Math. 8. 3. Mat. 11. 11 2. Cor. 3. 6. Origen in Leuit. homil 7. Rom. 2. 27. Mat. 16. 6. Mar. 8. 1● Mar.