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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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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
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
keyes of heauen what thing that thou binde on earth the same shall bée bound in heuen what thing soeuer thou shalt loose vpon earth shall be loosed in heauen also And to him after his resurrection doth Christ say Feede my shéepe And albeit he gaue equall power vnto all his Apostles after his resurrection and saith Lyke as my father sent me doe I also sende you take you the Holy Ghost If you shall retaine to any man his sinnes they shall be retained if you shall remitte to any man his sinnes to him they shall bée remitted Neuerthelesse because hée woulde declare vnitie he ordeined by his authoritie the originall of the same vnitie beginning of one The other Apostles truely were the same that Peter was endued with equall partaking both of honour and authoritie or power but the beginning commeth of one that the congregation shoulde be shewed to be one These are the wordes of Cipriane in a treatise called De simplicitate prelatorum where you may sée that Christ made all the Apostles of equall honour and like authoritie notwithstanding because he would testifie the vnitie of his Church or congregation he spake it as it were alonely to Peter when he sayd feede my shéepe and I shall giue thée Peter the keyes of heauen but in so saieng though the words séeme spoken to Peter onlye yet they were spoken to him in that he susteined the generall person of all the Church béeing as it were a common speaker for the same So that in speaking to him Christ spake vnto al other the Apostles vnto whom he gaue all the same authoritie that he gaue to Peter as you may sée both in the words of Cipriane and also the same is cléerely shewed of Saint Augustine in diuerse places but no where more plainly then in a treatise called De agone Christiano Lambart in the booke of Mar. fol. 1278. These words of Christ Louest thou me Féed my shéepe Whē they are spokē to Peter they are spokē to al priests ministers He addeth further and sayth Therefore wretched men while in Peter they vnderstood not Christ that is the Rocke while they will not beléeue that the keies of the kingdome of heauen are giuen not to Peter alone but vnto the church they haue quite lost the keies out of their hands Peter when he receiued the keies signified the holy Church August in Iohn Tract 50. So sayth Saint Basil Christ sayd to Peter Louest thou me Féede my shéepe in lyke sort vnto all Pastors and Doctors he gaue the same power a token whereof is this that al others bind loose equally as wel as hée Basil. in vita sel● taria cha 23. Saint Ambrose sayth Our Lord sayd to Peter Féede my shéepe which shéepe and flocke not onely blessed Peter then receiued but he receiued the same together with vs and all w●e haue receiued together with him Christ saith S. Cipriane gaue vnto his Apostles like equal power Cipriane de sim. p●ela Saint Bede sayth The power of binding and loosing notwithstanding it séeme to be giuen onely to Peter yet without all doubt we must vnderstand that it was giuen also to the rest of the Apostles Bede in Homil. in Euangel Quem me dicunt If we speake that Peter spake we are made Peter and vnto vs it shall be sayd thou art Peter for he is the Rocke that is the Disciple of Christ. Againe he that is bound with the bandes of his owne sinne bindeth and looseth in vaine How Peter was neuer at Rome The mainteiners of the Popish kingdome do holde an opinion that Peter came to Rome the second yeare of Claudius the Emperour and dwelt there 25. yeares by whose preaching Rome was brought to the faith of Christ as both Eusebius and Saint Hierome hath written say they To this it is aunswered thus Plaine it is that Christ suffered vppon the Crosse the. 18. yeare of Tiberius the Emperour who reigned 23. yeares After him succéeded Gaius reigned foure yeares then followed after Claudius Nowe then if Peter came to Rome the second yeare of Claudius it must néedes be graunted that Peter came to Rome within a. 11. yeares after Christes death Againe on the other side it is plaine by the wordes of holy Scripture that Paule was not onely not conuerted to the fayth when Christ suffered vpon the Crosse but it appeareth also that hée was not conuerted when Steuen was stoned for the Scripture is plaine that he kept their Garmentes which stoned Steuen to death This being so Paule himselfe writeth to the Galathians that he came to Hierusalem 17. yeares after he was conuerted and that then he founde Peter there which was at the least 18. yers after the death of Christ. Thē if Peter wer yet at Hierusalem 18. yeares after Christ howe can it bée that he came to Rome the second yeare of Claudius which as they say was the. 11. yeare after Christs death Furthermore Peter was at Hierusalem not onely 18. yeares after the death of Christ but the same time also was he sent to preach the Gospell not to the Romanes but to the Iewes And it is to be beléeued that he preched the Gospell among the Iewes For when Paule wrote to the Romanes and saluted a greate manye there by name it is thought he would haue saluted Peter also if hée had then bene the chiefe Bishop there Wherefore it is a verie false lye that the Papists historiograpers doe write that Peter was first Pope of Rome and died there Bar. Och●●e Saint Hierome vpon the Epistle to the Romanes sayth that he hath read in certeine olde bookes that at the sending of this Epistle Narcissus whome with his family Paule saluteth was then the Senior of the congregation at Rome Ergo not Peter Iohn Bale in the pageant of popes fol. 9. Of the shadow of Peter That at the least way the shaowe of Peter when he came by might shadowe some of them ¶ God at the first publishing of his Gospell wrought wonders by these thinges that seemed trifles to the world which things as they were done for a time so now the lyke must not be looked for The Bible note How Peter is but a figure of the Church To thée will I giue the keyes of heauen ¶ To this Saint Austen saith that if Peter there had not bene the figure of the Church the Lorde had not sayde vnto him To thée will I giue the keies of the kingdome of Heauen The which if Peter receiued them not the Church hath them not if the Church hath them then Peter hath them not Philpot in the booke of Mar. PHARAO Whereof the word Pharao is deriued AMbrose writeth that the name of Pharao was not a proper name but rather a surname of al y● kings of Aegipt for at y● time they wer al called Pharaos as afterward they wer called Ptolomei when the Macedonians were the chiefe Lordes ouer all
tearmed the Abhomination desolation for the punishmēt y● ensued which punishmēt was the desolation wast of al the Iewish people ¶ Meaning by desolation that Hierusalem and the sanctuarie should be vtterlie destroied for their rebellion against God and their Idolatrie or some read that the plagues should be so great that they should all be astonied at them Geneua ABIMELECH Hovv Abimelech is put in steed of Achis IN the title of the. 34. Psalme it is said that Dauid changed his countenance before Abimelech And in the first booke of kings the. 21. Chapter the storie saith he feigned himselfe before Achis Héere séemeth to be a great contrarietie to make these two places agrée manie hath taken Ahimelech for Abimelech yet there is great difference in these two names for Ahimelech is as much to saie in latine as Frater meus Rex my brother the King and Abimelech is as much to saie in latine as Pater meus Rex my Father the King So that they cannot bée all one name But admitte it were so yet it cannot be true for though Dauid did dissemble his aduersitie and persecution before Abimelech the Priest yet he did not chaunge his chéere nor countenance before him but made good semblance as though all had bene quiet betwéene king Saule him and on the other side Dauid did intreat him friendlie and verie gentlie not roughlie But when he came before Achis he fained himselfe mad as the storie saith Therefore to make this plaine ye shall vnderstand that Abimelech which is mentioned in the title of the 34. Psal. is the selfe same person that is called in the text Achis the king of Geth So that Achis and Abimelech is all one person and all one king For like as the Emperours of Rome are called Caesars of Iulius Caesar the kings of Aegypt generallie called by the name of Pharao so all the kings of the Philistines were generallie called by the name Abimelech And so in the one place he is called by his generall name Abimelech in the other by his proper name Achis Bi. Turnar ¶ Whereas in stéede of Achis there is put Abimelech it is a likelihood that the latter name was commonlie vsed among the Philistines like as the Aegyptians called their kings Pharaoz like as the Romane Emperours haue borrowed the name of Caesar of Iulius Caesar who made himselfe the first tyrant among them And we knowe that manie hundred yeares before Dauid was borne the kings that raigned in Gerar in the time of Abraham were called by the name Abimelech wherefore it is no meruaile that this name shall passe to their successors from hand to hand so as it should become common to all the kings of Palestine Caluin Of the vices of Abimelech the sonne of Ierobaal or Gedeon First he was verie ambitious he deceiptfullie and falslie accused his bretheren vseth the corruption of briberie to worke treason is a robber of the common treasurie he wrought by open violence and at the last committed murther of his bretheren called Parricidium Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 157. ¶ Read more of his properties in Bramble ABRAHAM How Abraham is the heire of the world THere is no where by expresse words had anie such promise made to Abraham howbeit it is conteined in the promises which we haue in the Scripture For God said to him that his séede should be multiplied like the sand of the Sea the starres of heauen Wherefore heerein consisteth the promise This his séede should fill the whole world For they are not counted his séede which haue procéeded from him onelie as touching the flesh but which imitate his faith And forasmuch as such are dispersed throughout the whole world by them hath Abraham the inheritance of y● who le world which selfe thing is verie expreslie spoken when God made this promise to him And in thy séede shall all nations of the earth be blessed Pet. Mar. vpon the Ro. ●o 88. What is meant by Abrahams bosome Some by the bosome of Abraham doe vnderstand the faith of Abraham Other some also vnderstand it of the place where the elect and chosen that folowe the faith of Abraham do rest after their death But where that place is because the Scripture doth not expreslie determine it can we not tell And therefore maie no man be so bold as to define it W. Tindale ¶ The ecclesiasticall writers doe vnderstand by Abrahams bosome either the promise made to Abraham In thy séede shall all nations be blessed or Christ himselfe which came of the bosome and seede of Abraham or els the fellowship of them that died in the faith of Abraham Sir I. Cheeke ¶ As the Fathers in the old lawe were said to be gathered into the bosome of Abraham because they receiued the fruit of the same faith with him So in the new Testament we saie that the members of Christ are ioined to their head gathered vnto him The Bosome signifieth y● most blessed life which they that die in the faith y● Abraham did shall enioie after this world Geneua How Abrahams lie to Abimelech is excused Abraham also is obiected who said that Sara was his sister but heerein as Augustine teacheth he lied not he told that which was true but yet he spake not all the truth And that is of no man required to vtter all that is true which he knoweth He did not tell that she was his wife yet because she was his kinswoman he might according to the manner of the Hebrewes trulie saie that she was his sister but he seemeth not to be vtterlie excused for although he lied not in calling her sister yet it séemeth that therein he fell because in not opening that shée was his wife he put her in danger of léesing her chastitie for he left her naked of that aid whereby onelie she might haue bene defended from comming into strange loues Neither is it necessarie y● I shuld labour vtterlie to defend Abraham for he was a man by ouer much feare he might easilie fal Howbeit Augustine mentioneth y● Abraham was then in danger two manner of waies one least he should be killed himselfe the other was the adulterie of his wife The first daunger he might auoide by calling her sister but the other namelie least she should be defiled he was not able to repell For although he had said that he was her husband that would not haue serued to haue deliuered her from the filthie lusts of the Aegyptians Wherefore he committed vnto God that which he himselfe could not turne from him And in that which he had in his owne power he would not tempt God This séemeth to be Augustines Iudgement ¶ He said to Abimelech she is not my wife but she is my sister which was true for she was his sister by his fathers side but not by his mother the daughter of Aran his brother consequentlie of his father Forasmuch
Testament Currus falcati sickle Carts The Horses y● did draw these Cartes were wel harnessed especiallie the men y● rode vpon them These Chariots was a terrible kinde of Engine and in great price among the Aegyptians as it appeareth by king Pharao when he followed the Children of Israel with ●00 of chosen Chariots And in what estimation they were in among the Philistines ye shall find in the first booke of the Kings 13. Chapter that they came against king Saule with thirtie thousand Chariots beside other horsemen and warriours a great number Vigetius in his third booke de re militari saith that Chariots wer most vsed of Darius Antiochus and Mithridates but at length the Romanes inuented a trick that caused Chariots to be nothing set by The inuention was this They inuented Caltropes which when the Chariot came nigh vnto them with a great race mightie force they did cast from them their Caltropes which pricked their horses in the féete so sore that down came the Chariots horsemen and all This inuention saith Vigetius caused chariots to be laid down But héere in this realme of England they were had in vse and great price at such time as Iulius Caesar after he had conquered Fraunce came into the land called Britaine Iulius Caesar doth not call them Currus falcatus but he in his 5. booke of his Commentaries doth cal thē Esseda the chariot driuers Essedarij These be his words Equites Britaniorum Essedarij● acriter praelio cum equitatu nostra in itinere confluxerunt The horsemen of the Britaines and their chariot men verie fiercelie did sette vppon our men saith Iulius Caesar. Thus ye sée in what estimation Chariots were in the old time insomuch that the Prophet Dauid which had all his confidence in the Lords helpe said Hij in curribus hij in equis c. Some put their trust in horses and some in chariots but we will put our trust in the name of the Lord our God Ri. Turnar Because they had yron Chariots ¶ He that shall reade the Iliades of Homer shal easelie perceiue that the men in the olde time vsed Chariots in battailes and also the same may be gathered both out of the most auncient histories also out of the later writers amongst other Quintus Curtius writing the life of Alexander doth plainlie make mention of such Chariots in the battaile ●ought against Darius But I thinke no Writer writeth more plainlie of them then doeth Plinie For he in that Battailes wherein Antiochus was ouercome of the Romanes which is in the 4. Decade and 7. booke thus describeth Chariots which he calleth hooked He saith that they were chiefelie fonsed after this manner The points about the draught trée standing out from the yoke had as it were hornes wherewith whatsoeuer they met they might thrust it through and two hookes hong out at the ende of the Cart the one euen with the Cart the other fastened downeward to the earth The former serued to cut a sonder whatsoeuer came on the side of it the other was made to crush them which fell downe and went vnder There were also two sundrie hookes fastened after the same sort to the Exeltrées of both the wheeles c. The vse therfore of these Chariots endured till y● time that An●ochus was ouercome Howbeit we neuer read that y● Romanes vsed them And that they were horible to behold and hard to be conquered maie manifestlie be gathered by the booke of Iosua for there in the 17. Chapter when the Tribe of Ioseph complained because it was so manie in number and had obtained so narrow a Lot Iosua commaunded this that if they had not roome inough they should go and dwell or els conquere the places of their Enimies adioining vnto them They excusod themselues y● they could not doe so because their neighbours had yron Chariots But to repeate more auncienter things Pharao as it is written in the booke of Exodus when he persecuted the Israelites which fled is said to haue had Chariots and with the same he tooke vpon him to enter into the Sea but they being ouerthrowen by the power of God he was punished for breaking his fidelitie Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 32. CHARITIE What Charitie is CHaritie is the loue of thy neighbour The rule of Charitie is this Doe as thou wouldst be done vnto for Christ holdeth all alike the rich the poore the friend the foe the thankfull and the vnthankefull the kinsman and straunger Booke of Mar. fol. 1112. ¶ Charitie is a good a gracious effect of the soule wherby mans heart hath no fantasie to estéeme valour or ponder anie thing in this wide world beside or before the care and studie to know God c. Lupset ¶ Looke Loue. CHASTISE What the word Chastise betokeneth TO chastise is to correct one to his behoofe And therefore héere is to be noted the difference betwéene the afflictions of the godlie and the vngodlie For the godlie are afflicted to their owne profit namelie that they maie be nurtured vnto patience and helde fast in the feare of the Lord according as ye maie sée in Iob. ● 17. Iere. 31. 18. 46. 28. Pro. 3. 11. Heb. 12. 10. But the correction of the vngodly is called a consuming of them Iere. 30. 23. 24. and 46. 10. And therefore the chosen to amend at the Lords chastisement as Dauid 2. Reg. 12. 13. But the reprobate are hardened the more by Gods scourges as Pharao was Exo. 9. 7. 35. Marl. vpon the Apoc. fol. 69. O Lord correct me but with iudgement ¶ Considering that God had reuealed vnto him the certaintie of their captiuitie meaning the Iewes chap. 7. 16. He onelie praieth that he would punish them with mercie which Esay calleth in measure chap. 27. 8. measuring his rods by their infirmitie 1. Cor. 10. 13. For héereby Iudgement is ment not onlie punishment but also the mercifull moderation of the same as chap. 30. 11. ¶ Looke Affliction Punishment CHASTITIE How Hierom expoundeth chastitie HE expoundeth it of virginitie onelie as though they that were married could not be chast or though the Apostles did write these things onelie to virgins In the first second chapter to Tit. he warneth also Bishops young men and maried folkes both man and wife to be chast and pure Luther vpon the Gal. fol. 262. And there be some chast which made themselues chast c. ¶ He maketh himselfe chast for y● Kingdome of heauen sake which either hauing the gifte of sole life vseth the same to the setting foorth of Gods word or els béeing a perfect and a naturall man taketh to himselfe an honest yoake-fellowe and liueth in chast wedlocke with hir setting foorth neuerthelesse GODS truth to his vttermost power Sir I. Cheeke ¶ The word Chast signifieth Gelded and they were so made because they shuld kéepe the chambers of noble women for they were iudged chast Geneua ¶ There he some
that it may appeare that we destroie them for Religion sake and not for couetousnesse But when they are conuerted not into priuate and our owne vse but into common vses or into the honour of the true God that is done and brought to passe in them which is done and brought to passe in men themselues when of Idolaters and wicked persons they are changed into true Religion This hath God him selfe taught in those testimonies which thou thy selfe hast vsed when as God himselfe commaunded that of that same Groue which was dedicate to strange Gods there should be woo●e taken for his sacrifice And of Hierico that all the golde siluer and brasse should be brought into the Treasurie of the Lord. Wherefore that also which is written in Deutronomy● Thou shalt not couet their siluer nor their gold neither shalt thou take any thing thereof to thy selfe least thou offend because it is abhomination vnto the Lord thy God c. It manifestly appeareth that either priuate vses is forbidden in such things or that nothing should be brought into thy house to be honoured for then it is abhomination I. Whitegift fol. 272. IEHOVAH What Iehouah is IEhouah is Gods name neither is anye creature so called and it is as much to saye as one that is of him-selfe and dependeth of nothing Moreouer as often as thou séest Lord in great letters except there be any errour in the printing it is in Hebrue Iehouah thou that art or he that is Tindale fol. 6. How the Hebrues doe speake of the name Iehoua Rabbi Moses an Aegyptian in the Hebrue called More saith thus All the names of the Creator that be found in all bookes be deriued of effects sauing that name onely Iehouah And it is a name appropriate vnto the most high Creator And therefore it is called an expresse name He meaneth saith Musculus that there is signified and shewed thereby the substance of the Creator and that there is nothing in it common vnto God and creatures But the rest of his names haue some double or mingled signification because they come of workes like vnto them which be deriued in vs. Thus the Hebrewes doe speake of the name of God Iehouah Muscu fol. 367. IERVSALEM The meaning of this place following WHen ye sée Ierusalem bes●eged with an Hoast ¶ The same is that Mathew and Marke do call the Abhomination of desolation The Hoast of the Romanes is called héere desolation because that by them the Citie and Temple were destroied the Countrie made wast And they are also called Abhomination both for their heathenish impietie and also for the putting downe of the true worshipping and Religion By the holy place both Ierusalem and the Temple is vnderstoode Daniel 9. 26. How Ierusalem was called holy Where manye hundred thousands of men are there are scarcely seauen thousand which knowe God or beléeue in God and yet for their sakes the whole multitude is called godlye people Euen so was it in Ierusalem Albeit the greater parte were wicked and godlesse yet was Ierusalem called holy not onely in respect of a small number of the godlye but also because GOD had his abiding there So when there was not one iuste personne in Sodome but Lot with his two Daughters yet coulde not the Angell destroye Sodome with fire so long as Lot was in it Likewise where foure or fiue or ten godlie persons are to be found for their sakes the whole citie is called holie Luther vpon the Psal. fol. 88. IESVS Of the mysticall and hid signification of this name IEsus the sonne of God and of the most pure Uirgin Marie although in the common translation of the Bible in Latine it séemeth there were diuerse other Iewes so named Yet in the Hebrue tongue as Rencl●ne writeth in his booke De verbo mirifico There was some diuersitie in the letters of the name of our Sauiour from them that were in the other called Iesus For in his glorious and wonderfull name were the vowels called Tetragrammaton with one consonant called Schin which is one S. of the Hebrewes wherein was a mysticall or hid signification of his diuinitie although the whole name be interpreted Sauiour who beeing equall in diuinitie with God the Father begotten of him before the worlde was created without time willinglie for the redemption of man descended into the blessed bodie of the Uirgin Marie and was conceiued in her by the holie Ghost the thirde person in Godhead And of her borne y● 3962 yeare after the creation of the world And being God and man liued héere 32. yeares in forme of pouertie and than béeing betraied of his own Disciple was by the Iewes his owne people most cruellie nailed on the Crosse the yeare after the creation of the world 3994. Eliote What is meant by that that Iesus was seene alone with Moses and Helias And sawe no man more then Iesus onelie with them ¶ In this that Iesus after the departing of Moses Helias is séene alone it is to be noted that the lawe beeing by Christs death remoued and the prophesies fulfilled wée ought onelie to haue respect vnto Christ the only begotten sonne of God our sauiour and redéemer Sir I. Cheeke What is meant by Iesus sleeping in the Ship And he was in the sterne a sleepe on a pillowe ¶ It is sayde that the Lord sléepeth when in the troubles and aduersities of this worlde he deferreth to heare and succour his elect and chosen which thing was héere prefigured by Iesus sleeping Sir I. Cheeke ¶ Christ leaueth vs oftentimes to our selues both as well that we maie learne to knowe our weaknesse as his mightie power Geneua What is meant by Iesus groning in the spirit And he groned in the spirit ¶ Whereas Saint Iohn saith Iesus groned in the spirit he meaneth that he was so moued in the vowells of mercie that for the time he coulde not speake This motion alwaye goeth before teares in such as are vehemently affected For the like also we reade of Ioseph who being moued with compassion towards his brethren sought wher to wéepe Marl. vpon Iohn fol. 414. IEVVES Of whom they tooke their name THere was great lamentation among the Iewes ¶ The Iewes were first called Hebrues of Heber the eldest sonne of Selah sonne of A●phaxat as it appeareth Gen. 11. 14. 1. Par. 1. 18. After were they called Israel of Iacob and after Iewes of one of the sonnes of Iacob that is to wit of Iuda T. M. Of the miserie that happened to the Iewes ¶ Looke in these words Fishers Selum Why the Iewes were suffered to sweare by the name of God In the olde lawe the Iewes in an earnest iust or waightie cause were permitted to sweare in the name of GOD but not by all manner creatures least they dwelling amonge the Heathen and accustoming their oathes should by continuaunce of time fall vnto the filthie worshippinge of their Idolles forgetting God Sweare by his name saith
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
ordeined by his decrée If any man héere inueigh against the foreknowledge of God he rashly vnaduisedly stūbleth For what matter is there I beséech you why the heauenly Iudge should be accused for y● he was not ignorāt of y● which was to come Therfore if there be anie iust or coulourable complaint it toucheth Predestination Neither ought it to serue an absurditie which I say that God foresawe not onley the fall of the first man in him the ruine of his posteritie but also disposed it after his own wil. For as it belongeth to his wisdome to foreknow all things that shall be So it belongeth to his power to rule gouerne all things with his hand● And this question Augustine very well discusseth as ●e doth other saieng We must wholesomely confesse y● which we must rightly beleeue that the God and Lord of all things which created all things very good and foreknew that euill things should spring out of good and knew that it more perteined to his almightie goodnesse euen of euill things to doe well then not to suffer them to be euill That he so ordered the lyfe of Angels men that in it hée might first shew what frée will could doe then y● the benefit of his grace and iudgement could doe Cal. in his Insti 3. b. cap. 23. Sect. 7. They aske how it commeth to passe that of two betwéene whom no deseruing putteth any difference God in his election passeth ouer the one and taketh the other I ●on the other side do aske them whether they thinke that in him that is taken there is anie thing that may make the minde of God to encline toward him If they confesse as they néedes must that there is nothing it shall followe that God looketh not vppon man but from his owne goodnesse ●ot●heth a cause why to do good to him Whereas therefore God chooseth one man refusing another this commeth not of respect of man but of his mercie alone which ought to haue libertie to shew forth and vtter it selfe where and when it pleaseth him For wee haue in an other place also shewed that there were not from the beginning manye called noble or wise or honourable that GOD might humble the pride of the flesh so farre is it off that his fauour was bound vnto persons Cal. in his Insti 3. b. cha 23. Sect. 10. Of Gods mercie and our vndeseruing in Predestination In giuing that vnto some which they doe not deserue he doth shew his frée mercie and grace but in not giuing it to al men hée doth declare what all did deserue He is good in shewing mercye to some he is iust in punishing the rest Places out of S. Austen for Predestination Christs shéepe heare his voice and he calleth his own shéepe by name for he hath their names written in the booke of lyfe he calleth his owne shéepe by name Héereof commeth it that the Apostle sayth The Lord knoweth who they be that be his Augustin his 45. treatise vpon Iohn I haue kept those that thou hast giuen me and no man of them is perished saue onely the childe of perdition that the Scripture might be fulfilled He that betraied Christ is called the son of perdition because he was prodestinate vnto destruction according to the Scripture which in the. 109. Psal. chiefely is prophesied of him August in his 107. treatise vpon Iohn Wherefore is that man or that man and wherefore is not that man and that man predestinate Aske not of mée I am a man I turne me to the depth of the Crosse I doe not enter farre in I am afraide I am no seacher in his iudgements are vnsearchable thou art a man I am a man it was a man that sayde O man what art thou that disputest with God Augustine in his Epistle to Paulinus 7. Sermon But thou wilt saye wherefore made hée mée to honour and an other to dishonour What shall I aunswere Wilt thou heare Augustine that wilt not heare the Apostle sayeng O man what art thou that disputest with God There are two lyttle children borne if thou séekest a due or a right both are made of one lumpe of perdition but wherefore the Mother beareth one to grace and the other choketh being asléepe What wilt thou saye vnto me what did he deserue that was ●●oked vp by his mother in sleeping both of them deserued no good But the Potter hath power ouer the clay of the same lumpe to make one vessell to honour and an other to dishonour wilt thou dispute with me Rather wilt thou wonder and cry out with mée O the great depth of his riches let vs agrée together in feare least we perish in er●our Augustin in the same booke and. 12. Sermon The Predestination of God by no meanes doth make that the children of God should bée made the children of the Diuells o● of the temple of the holy Ghost the temple of Diuells or of the members of Christ the members of an harlot But rather Predestination doth make that of the children of the Diuell are made the children of God or of the● temples of diuells are made the temple of the holy Ghost o● of the members of an Harlot are made the members of CHRIST because he hath bounde the strong man and spoiled him of his armour Obiection If God doe finde all men guiltie let him punish them all alike If he finde them vnguiltie let him with-hold the rigour of his iustice from them all Aunswere Sith saith Saint Austen that in the first man all the whole 〈…〉 of mankinde did fall into condempnation the vessell● that are made of it vnto ho●our are n●● the vessells of their owne righteousnesse but of the mercy of GOD and some are made vessells to dishonour it ought not to bée imputed vnto anye vnrighteousnesse or iniquitie but vnto iudgement Againe that God doth recompense due punishment vnto them whom he doth reproue and giueth vndeserued grace vnto them whome hée doth choose he is de●●uered from all blame by the similitude of a creditour in whose power it lyeth to forgiue some the whole debt and to make the other to paye the vttermost farthing Therefore God maye giue his grace to whom he wil because that he is mercifull not giue it to al men because y● he is a righteous Iudge In giuing that vnto some which they do not deserue he 〈…〉 his free mercy and grace and not giuing it to all men he doth declare what we all doe deserue The similitude If a man hath many debters that do all owe vnto him the like summe of money doth it not lye in his power to forgiue some of them the whole debt and to make the other to paye to the vttermost farthing who canne laye anie thing to his charge if he will so doe Then marke we are debters vnto God for we haue all deserued euerlasting dampnation That then hée doth of his frée mercie
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
doubt not thereof eod L. Labans Gods how they were stolne 596. Labours The meaning of the place eod Ladder what is signified thereby eod Lay men how they ought to read the scriptures 597. The doctours affirmations 598. Of laye mens bookes 600. How saye men may baptise eod The opinion of Iohn Caluine eod How they haue ministred the sacrament 601. Laieng on of hands whoo the custreof me arose eod The meaning of the place 603. Lampes what they without oyle doe signifie eod Land what is ment by the crieng of the lande 604. Laodieia what the word signifieth eod Of the stri●e y● was ther for Easter eod Last Of the last day eod Who be last and who be first 605 Of the last farthing eod Latria what the word signifieth eod Lawe what the lawe is 606. Platoes definition of the lawe 607. What the office the vse of the law is 608. What the lawe of nature is eod What the lawe written is eod How the lawe is our scho lem●●ster 609. How the lawe first entred 610. How the lawe was giuen in thunder eo Wherefore the lawe was giuen eod How the lawe was giuen by Moses 611. How we are dead through the lawe eod How the lawe increaseth sinne 612. Why it is called y● messenger of death eod What the lawe of God requireth eod What it is to be vnder the lawe eod What it is not to be vnder the lawe 613. Why Paule calleth the booke of Genesis the lawe eo How the law is impossible to fulfill eod How the lawe is called a yoke 614. The difference between Gods lawe and mans eod Who hath fulfilled the lawe eod How the Gentiles wer not wtout law eod How the law maketh all men sinners eo How it maketh vs to hate God 615. How the law is spirituall eod How we dye to the lawe eod To die in the defence of the law eod The meaning of these places eod The argument of the lawe 616. The nature and office of the lawe and Gospell 617. Lazarus how the poore rich are matched together eod Of the loosing of Lazarus eod Left hand what Gods left hand sig 618. Legion what a Legion is eod League what a league is eo Of three kinde of seagues 619. Lend Net lend vpon vsury eo Len● wherevpon the lenten fast is gro●ided eod Why the father 's instituted Lent 620 Leper what the Leper signifieth 621 How a Leper was knowen eod Of the leprosie that Christ healed eod Lesse The meaning of the place eod Letanies what the Letanies were 622. Letter● what the letter signifieth eod How the letter killeth 623 How the letter and circumcision is taken heere 624 Leuen how it is diuersly taken in scrip eo Leuy Of Leuy otherwise called Mathew 625. Leuites what their office was eod How the place is to be vnderstood 626 Leu●athan what Lemathā signifieth 627 Libanus Charmel what they signi eod Libertie of Christ. To stand therein 628. Lye The definition of a lye eod Whether wee may lye to preserue or no. eod Of the Midwiues lye of Rahabs lye 629. How Paules Iye is excused eod Of one that would not lye 630 Of Abrahams Iye eo Of Dauids Iye eo Life how the places are expounded eod Whether a man may lengthen or shorten his life 631. Light who is the true light eod The meaning of the places 632. What is ment by the shining light 633. Wherfore these lights were ordeined eod Lilies what it is to gather vp Lilies eod Lion The meaning of the place 634 How they bee compared to the persecuters of Christ. eod How Tirants are likened to Lions 635 How they are fed by Gods prouidence 636. Locusts what manner of beasts they wer eod Loynes gird what is ment thereby eod The meaning of the place eod Long life how a good man may desire it eod Lord. how he is our shepheard feedeth vs. 638. Of the Lords helpe in trouble eod How the Lord suffereth long 639 Lordship The meaning of the place eod Lots how they may be vsed lawfully 640 Loue. Of the order of loue eod How it is the fulfilling of the lawe 641. How we ought to loue God 642. Why loue hath the chiefe place eod Of Mary Magdelens loue 643 How perfect loue casteth out all feare 644 The meaning of the place eod The difference betweene loue and charitie 645. Of 5● manner of loues eod Lowlinesse wherefore lowlinesse come to worship 646 Loosing and binding eod Of the loosing of Lazarus eod Lucifer what is ment by Lucifer eod Luke The life of Saint Luke eod Luke warme what it meaneth 648. Lunatike Of the man y● was lunatike eo Luther what he was eod The cause why he first wrote against the Pope eo How he wrote to Pope Leo. 649. How he was troubled with the lusts of the flesh eod Of his question a little before his death 650. His praier before his death eod What sects is said to rise out of him eod M. MAcedonius Of his crueltie and tumult 650 Magi. What the Magies were 651. Magistrate what a magistrate is eod How they are y● ministers of gods in 652 How the Ecclesiasticall person is subiect vnto him eod How magistrates the do not perswade the people to Gods worde are not to bee obeyed in cause of conscience eod Magnifie what it is to magnifie 653. Mahomet of y● rising vp of this false pr. eo Of his faire shew of holinesse 654 Mayzim what this word signifieth 656. Maker against the word maker in y● sacr eo Malachy of y● sacrifice he speketh off 657 Mammon what Mammon signifieth 658 Man how he was made after the image of God eod How god made mā to be vndestroied eo How the death of man and beast is alike 659 How mans life is but sorrow care eod Of mans good purpose before grace eod How mans ordinance may be altred 660 Of the disposition of man eod Of mans will and running 661. Of 2. Hebrue words y● signifie man eod Of the first man Adam and the seconde man Christ. 662. Of the man that gathered stickes on the Sabboth day eod Of the man wounded 663. How the birth of man is 4. manner of wayes eo Mandragoras What Mandragoras is eod Manes how the sect of the Maniches rose of this man 664. Wherein y● Papists agree with them eo The ●aniches con●uted 665. Many of many that be called 666 Manna What Manna signifieth eod How it is not the true bread that came downe from heauen eo Of those that eat Manna are dead eo What Manna and the white stone signifieth 667. How Manna the water brought out of the Rocke is c. eod Maranatha What this word signifieth 668. Marcion Of his damnable heresie eo A comparison betweene Marcions doctrine and the Popes 669. An example of Ma●cions chast life 670. Marcus The detestable heresie of this man eod Mary how she ought not to bee worshipped 671. Of the painting of hir
As manie as I loue I rebuke and chasten ¶ To chastice saith Gasper Megander is to correct one to his behoose And therfore héere is to be noted the difference betwéene the afflictions of the godlie the vngodlie for the godlie are afflictted to their owne profit namelie that they maie be nurtured to patience holde fast in the feare of the Lord according as you maie sée in Iob. 5. 17. lere 31. 18. and. 47. 28. Pro. 3. 11. Heb. 12. 6. But the correction of the vngodlie is called a consuming of them Ieremie 30. 23. 24. and 46. 10. And therefore the chosen doe amend at the Lords chatisement as did Dauid 3. Reg. 12. 13. but the reprobates are hardened the more by Gods scourge as Pharao was Exo. 9. 7. 35. Marlo vpon the Apo. fol. 69. Whie the iust be afflicted There are two principall causes whie God doth yéelde the iust men to be punished of the vngodlie and vniust The one is for their exercise the other for a speciall example For exercise that they maie thereby be trained in faith hope praier and praise of his name Such a matter Paule expressed saieng We will not haue you ignorant brethren of our trouble which betided vs in Asia c. The other is the elect and godlie persons be made examples of faith and patience when they doe with constant faith and sufferaunce beare the struglings of their afflictions in this world and so doe shine as bright as starres in the Church of the faithfull c. Musculus fol. 511. How our afflictions suffered for the truth shall be witnesses against our enimies And this shall turne to you for a testimoniall ¶ This shall be the end of your troubles and afflictions They shall be witnesse both before God and man as well of the trecherous and cruell dealing of your enimies as also of your constancie A notable saieng that the afflictions of the godlie and holie men perteine to the witnesse of the truth Beza ¶ This their sufferance shall both be a great confirmation of the Gospell and also by their constancie the tyrannie of their enimies shall at length be manifest before God and man Chapter 12. 12. Mathew 10. 19. Marke 13. 11. Geneua How afflictions are called light things For our light afflictions which is but for a moment ¶ Afflictions are not called light as though they were light of themselues but because they passe awaie quicklie when as indeede our whole life is of no great continuaunce Beza Light afflictions which is so called in respect of the euerlasting life Geneua How the rest of Christs afflictions are fulfilled And fulfill the rest of Christs afflictions c. ¶ The afflictions of the Church are said to bée Christes afflictions by reason of that fellowshippe and knitting together that the bodie and the head haue the one with the other not that there is anie more néede to haue the Church redéemed but that Christ sheweth his power in the dailie weaknesse of his and that for the comfort of the whole bodie As Christ hath once suffered in himselfe to redéeme his Church to sanctifie it so doth he dailie suffer in his members as partakers of their infirmities and therefore a reuenger of their iniuries Geneua Looke passion AGAINST Who is against Christ and who not WHosoeuer is not against vs is on our side ¶ Hée that doth not withstand the Gospell nor let the preaching of it but rather doth fauour it and willeth it to bée set foorth suffering himselfe to bée taught and rebuked by it though that he doe not followe Christ in all things yet ought wée not to count him for an enimie but much rather for a friend Christ saith in the. 12. Chapter of Mathew He that is not with me is against me but that saieng is nothing contrarie to this where he saith Hée that is not against vs is with vs. For in the twelfe of Mathew he speaketh of open blasphemies and haters of the truth Sir I. Cheeke Although he shew not himselfe to be mine yet in that he beareth reuerence to my name it is inough for vs. Geneua He that is not with mée is against me ¶ Hée declareth to the Pharesies that they were in two sorts his enimies not onelie because they did forsake him but also make open war against him Geneua AGONIE Whie Christ was in such an agonie BUT being in an agonie he praied more earnestlie ¶ This agonie sheweth that Christ stroue much was in great distresse for Christ stroue not onelie with the feare of death as other men vse to doe for so manie martyrs might séeme more constant then Christ but with the fearfull iudgement of his angrie Father which is the fearefullest thing in the world and the matter was for that he tooke the burthen of all our sinnes vpon himselfe Beza ¶ The word signifieth the honour that Christ had receiued not onelie for feare of death but of his Fathers iudgement and wrath against sinne Geneua AGRIPPA For what cause Agrippa was so willing to heare Paule I Would also heare the man my selfe ¶ Agrippa will heare Paule not for to learne the truth whereof he was nothing desirous but that he might heare some new thing beeing in this matter like vnto manie which now a daies goe to sermons not to learne how to amend their liues but to heare newes Sir I. Cheeke Agrippa said vnto Paule somewhat thou perswadest me to be a Christian. ¶ He sawe a little light but it was soone out much like vnto those that hearing a Sermon are for the time well minded but after returne to their olde trade The Bible note ALABASTER What the propertie of Alabaster is SAuing an Alabaster bore ¶ This was a verie fine and delicate boxe being made of Alabaster which was a kinde of glasse verie necessarie to preserue ointment in it was so called of the Grecians and of taking the primatiue A because for the smoothnesse thereof it could not be held Pl●ie in his 36. booke and viij Chapter maketh mention of the Alabaster stone For when he had spolien in the. 35. Chapter of the Onix stone he goeth forward thus Some men saith he call this the Alabaster stone the which they make holowe to put in ointment bicause it is said to preserue the same verie well These things agrée with that which Homere writeth saieng the little Onir will drawe vnto it a pipe of the Oile Spiknard or Nardus ointment Marl. vpon Mathew fol. 620. ALBANENSES The opinions that these hereti●es held THis sect began about the yeare of our Lord. 1120. which held sundrie heresies One was that the soule of man after his death was put into an other bodie An other that Baptisme was of no efficacie The third that there were two Gods one good and an other euill And that of the good God procéeded good thinges and of the euill God euill things The fourth that in hell were
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
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
that by that instrument he worketh manie things c. Pet. Mar. fol. 325. And his arme shall rule for him ¶ His power shal be sufficient without helpe of anie other and shall haue all meanes in himselfe to bring his will to passe Geneua ¶ Where the Lord saith he hath made bare his holie Arme is as much to saie as he is readie to smite his enimies and to deliuer his people Geneua Therefore mine owne Arme helped me ¶ God sheweth that he hath no néede of mans helpe for the deliueraunce of his and though men refuse to doe their dutie through negligence ingratitude yet he himselfe will deliuer his Church and punish the enimies Read Chap. 59. 10. Geneua ARMINIANS Of their hereticall and damnable opinions THese people were of the Countreie of Armenia and of late yeares christened but now they be subiect to the Turkes They in some things erred from the Church of the Latines and Greekes They haue one great Bishop whom they cal Catholicum They celebrate much like vnto our fashion They kéepe holie neither the Natiuitie of Christ nor his Baptime saieng he néeded not to be purged nor clensed of sin Also they tooke from all sacraments the vertue to confer grace They eftsoones baptise those that came from the Church of the Latines to them saieng that we be not of the Catholike faith but they They saie that no man maie be christened vnlesse he receiue the Sacrament of the Altar that Infants néed not to be baptised affirming that in them is no Originall sinne That the holie Ghost procéedeth of the Father and not of the Sonne That the Sacrament of the Altar maie not be consecrated of bread cleane without leauen Also in the consecration they put no water into the wine Moreouer they saie that the receiuing of the Sacrament profiteth onelie the bodie That when Christ descended into Hell he led with him all that wer there That Matrimonie is no Sacrament and may bée dissolued at the will of the man or woman That Christ did rise the Saterdaie after good Friday All these and other heresies are condempned by sundry generall counsailes and the consent of all Christendome Eliote ARRIVS Of his heresie and lamentable end ARrius borne in Libia yet a Priest of Alexandria hearing Alexander the Bishop intreating curiouslie of y● Trinitie thought verilie that he maintained the opinion of Sabellius set himselfe against the Bishop and said that the sonne of God had a beginning of essence that there was a time when he was not he said that God was not alwaies a Father that the sonne was not from euerlasting but had his beginning of nothing Béeing called before the Emperour he would subscribe to the Nicene counsell and sweare to His deceipt was to carrie in his bosome his hereticall opinion written in a péece of paper and when he came to the booke he would sweare y● he thought as he had written meaning in his bosome His end was lamētable for comming from the Emperour after the oth he had taken with great pompe through the stréet of Constantinople he was taken with sodeine feare withall he felt a laske immediatlie he asked of them where there was anie house of office thither he went and voided his guts As manie as went by were wont to point at the place with the finger and saye in yonder Iakes died Arrius the heretike Socrates li. 1. cap. 3. 25. Epiphan Haeres 68. 69. ¶ About the yeare of our Lord. 499. Transamandus king of the Vandales in Afrike banished 220. Bishops for that they withstood and resisted the heresie of Arrius ¶ About the yeare of Christ. 522. Iustine the Emperour banished all the Bishops of the Arrians Maniches and other heretikes and indeuoured to restore againe the pure and sincere Christian faith But shortlie after he fearing of the power of Theodorich the king of the Ostrogothes permitted the Arrians to turne to their Churches ¶ About the yeare of our Lord. 591. Leonigildus king of Spaine slew his own sonne Hermogile because he would not consent to the heresie of Arrius Cooper Of the con●utation of the Arrians Looke Christ. ARROVVES What the Arrowes of the Almightie are FOr the Arrowes of the Almightie is in mée c. ¶ The Arrowes of the Almightie after some mens opinion are the sorenesse of his iudgement and his wrath After some other they are the trouble which the lawe moueth in the hearts of men while they therby are stirred to hate themselues so are healthfullie killed as it is said Psalme 38. 2. Some againe expound them to be the crosse of miserie and wretchednesse wherein God had now wrapped him For the Saints saie they receiue their crosse of the hand of God The same wil that this sentence be an increasing and amplifieng of that which his aduersarie had fierslie laide against him Eliphas in the beginning of the fourth Chapter had said that the plague was come vpon him had touched him With this say they meteth he now Beholde it not onelie toucheth mée but woundeth mée with Arrows and those venoumed with venome haply with the gall of Dragons with which touching both my bloud waxed wood and all my spirit is suppled vp Moreouer God hath not onelye throwne these dartes vppon mée but also his dreadfull feares that is whatsoeuer hée hath that is terrible laieth he on mée T. M. How Arrowes are sometimes taken ●or thunder and lightnings Then he sent his Arrowes that is to saie his lightninges and scattered them Read Psalme 77. 17. Geneua How they are sometimes taken for sicknesse For thine Arrowes haue light vppon mée ¶ Thy sicknesse where with thou hast visited mée Geneua ASIA What Asia is ASia is one of the three parts of the world conteining Asia the lesse Lidia Caria Bith●●●a Galatia Capadocia Armenia Cilicia Sarmatia Assiria Arabia Persia Hircania Media the two Indies with manie mo as Ptolome describeth in his twelue Tables Cooper Of whom Asia was first possessed Sem the first sonne of Noe Prince of Asia called also of some Melchisedech a iust and peaceable King a Priest of Almightie God from whome Christ liniallie descended possessed Asia with his children For of Elam came first the Persians of Assur the Assirians of Arphaxat the Chaldeans of Lud the Lidians and of Aram the Sirians Grafton ASKING The manner of asking of God THis saith Dauid Kimhi was the manner of asking of God Hée which would enquire concerning anie publike affaire or otherwise of anie weightie matter came vnto the Priest and hée putting on an Ephod stoode before the Arke of the Lord. In the Ephod or in the brest plate were 12. precious stones wherein were written the name of the twelue Tribes And there were also set the names of Abraham Isaac and Iacob And in those stones were all the letters of the Alphabet The asker ought to turne his face vnto the Priest and to aske not in déede so apertlie that his
voice should bée hearde neither yet so softlie that hée should onelie thinke in minde the things which he● desired but in such sort as wée reade that Hanna praied in the first booke of Samuel where it is sayde that shée moued hir lippes onelie neither spake shée anie thing that could be heard Then was the Oracle giuen on this manner vnto the Priest By the power of the holie Ghost certeine letters appeared aboue the other in the brest plate and that either in place or in brightnesse wherein the Priest read the Oracle and will of God And these things are those Vrim and Thumim which the Priest bare in his breast lappe This is Kimhies opinion vnto whom what faith is to be giuen I cannot tell for it might be that the spirit of God did without letters giue Oracles by the voice of the high Priest whose heart he inspired with prophesie c. Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. 272 Of whom we ought to aske our petition Uerily verily I say vnto you whatsoeuer ye aske y● father in my name he wil giue it vnto you ¶ He saith not whatsoeuer ye aske the Father in the name of Saint Peter Saint Paule or other Saints but in my name Let vs aske therefore helpe in the name of him which is able to obteine for vs of his Father whatsoeuer we aske least peraduenture héereafter in the end of the world at the straight iudgement we shall heare Hitherto in my name yée haue asked nothing Bilney in the booke of Mar. fol. 1139. How Christ asked what men did saie of him He asked of his Disciples saieng whom do men saie that I the sonne of man am ¶ If anie man saith Origen be a Bishop or a Magistrate let him hardlie aske this question what doe men saie of mee but this they must aske of them that will tell the truth without flatterie Cheeke ASSVR How the people of Assiria tooke their name of him THe Assirians which is a part of Asia came of Assur the second sonne of Sem which Assur as Lyra saith would not rebell against God with Nemroth in the building of the towre of Babilon but fled out of the land of Senhar into a nother farre countrie where he first inhabited by reason wherof the countrie tooke his name and was called Assiria In the which countrie he builded a citie that in processe was called Niniue which citie was so great that it was thrée daies iourney to goe through it Lyra. What is meant by Assur in this place following Assur also shall be slaine with the sword not with a mans sword ¶ The Prophet should héere séeme to prophesie of the great destruction that happened vnto Sennacherib 2. Par. 32. 21. And Esaie 37. 36. which was done by the sword of the Angell not by the sword of man as ye maie there sée Sennacherib was the king of Assiria and therefore is the destruction of the Assirians which happened vnder him signified by this word Assur Some because the Prophet a little before in the Text● moueth the people to forsake Idols expound it thus not by our Idols not by our strength not by mannes helpe which all maie be called the sword of man shall our spirituall enimie which is signified by Assur perish but by the power of God and the inuisible sword that cannot bée séene with which the Angell slewe an hundred foure score and fiue thousand in one night T. M. ASTHAROTH What manner of Idoll it was THis Idoll Astharoth was so called because it stoode to be worshipped in the forme of a Shéepe For a shéepe in Hebrue is called Aschtor And as it appeareth by the fourth booke of kings Cap. 23. 13. it was an Idoll of the Sidonians wherevnto Salomon by the instigation of his wiues builded sometime a Cappell c. Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 68. ● ASTROLOGIE What Astrologie is AStrologie is the knowledge of the naturall order and disposition that God hath set in the starres and planets to iudge of the office propertie and vertue and to bring all to their end and vse Caluine The Astrologer is he that knoweth the course and motions of the heauens and teacheth the same which is a vertue if it passe not his bondes and he become of an Astrologer an Astronomer Who taketh vpon him to giue iudgement and censure of those motions and course of the heauens what they prognosticate and destinie vnto the creatures of the earth man beast and other what shall be the temperature of the aire the condition of the earth the state successe of such fruite as it bringeth foorth By this knowledge they forespeake of pestilence and other discases and séeth the death of great men to come such commotions and warres as shall followe betwéene the Princes of the world And thus they saie they knowe by the course of the heauens Whereas they sée the coniunctions of manie planets of figures and fatall disposition and qualitie concurre by reason of whose influence into these inferiour partes all those calamities must happen Heere they abuse not onelie the name of God and the naturall discourse of reason which hath comprehended the motions and course of heauens but also heauen it selfe and attribute vnto the heauens the thing that onelie apperteineth to God To saie the health of man the sickenesse of man the plentie of the earth and scarcitie of the same the regument of common and the life death of gouernours thereof Their knowledge and practise in those things is nothing at all For almightie God hath not made the heauens to that end and purpose that man shold learne of them good fortune or ill as it is plaine Gen. 1. In the second daie God made the Firmament and superiour Starres which the text calleth Rakiah to this end that it should seperate the waters that be vnder the Firmament from those that be aboue the Firmament and God called the Firmament heauen In the fourth daye GOD made the Sunne the Moone and the Star●es And sheweth to what purpose and ende he made them the one to haue dominion in the daie the other in the night and God put them in the Firmament of heauen to giue light vnto the earth These rule in the daie and night and put difference betwéene light and darknesse to diuide the yeare into his portes the Spring Sommer Autume and Winter They are in signes likewise saith the Text. The which the Husbandman that tilleth and soweth the ground obserueth without superstition to sowe and reape his corne Hée casteth it into the ground in the Winter and receiueth it againe in the Summer So doth the Marriner make the reuolution of the Moone his decrease and increase whereby he knoweth the tides the ebbes and flowe of the same And the latter Phisitions Auicene and Auerrois hath likewise assigned their vse in mans bodie therefore they appoint diuersitie of daies in the practise of Phisicke one to bée more apt for letting of bloude then other
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.
the Iewes did weare borders on their garments ANd make large borders on their garments ¶ Read N● 15. chapter and verse 38. and there thou shalt learne why the Iewes did weare such borders on their garments Sir I. Cheeke ¶ Looke Gardes Philacteries BORNE ¶ Looke Water and Spirit BOSOME How it is diuer●lie taken For I haue giuen my maide into thy ' Bosome ¶ Bosome after the manner of the Hebrues is taken for companieng with a woman And it is also taken for faith as in Luke 16. 23. of Lazarus T. M. In the Bosome of the father ¶ This is a speach borrowed out of the custome of 〈…〉 For when we will signifie that we will commit our secret to anie we saie we will admit him to our Bosome So the meaning is that he meaning Christ is priuie to all Gods secrettes and therefore can shew vs such heauenlie mysterie as no man can declare And this exposition Saint Austen followeth Cyrill thinketh that in the Bosome is as much to saie as in the Father and of the Father and as you vsing manie wordes in the inward part of the Father for he is not a péece cut off and deuided from the substaunce of the Father as it fareth in mans begetting but hee so begotten as he is still in the Father Traheron● Of the bosome of Abraham Looke Abraham BRAMBLE The propertie of a bramble compared to Abimelech Plinie in his 24. book● and 14. Chapter writeth of this kind of Thorne And as ●ou●hing this matter these are the properties thereof ●t is a 〈…〉 it was Abimelech who was a bastard and borne of an handmaide so that he was not to be compared with his bretheren And as he without any vtilitie gouerned the Israelites so is the bramble wont to bring foorth no fruit The Bramble also pri●keth euen as Abimelech verie much huried the Israelites Moreouer some write that the boughes of Brambles are 〈…〉 〈…〉 so vehementlie shaken and moued with the winde that out of the●● is fire kindeled where with not onelie they themselues brent but the whole woode wherein they growe is burnt which thing Iothan now foretelleth to come to passe of Abimelech wherefore the properties doe wonderfullie well agrée Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 160. ¶ Sée more in Abimelech BOOVV DOVVNE What it is to Boow downe TO bowe downe is to cap and● to knée to ducke with the head and bend the bodie to fall downe to honour to worship and to reuerence Bullinger fol. ●22 Bowe downe their backes c. ¶ To bowe downe their backes doth not onelie signifie that they should be brought vnder of the Gentiles and oppressed● with all kinde of euill but that● they should not once● looke vp to call on the Lord with sure beliefe of heart Tind●le BOVVE How the Gospell is likened to a Bowe ¶ Looke Gospell BRAVNCHES Who are the braunches cut off Though some of the braunches be broken of The braunches that are broken off are the Iewes which are forsaken and cast off The wilde Oliue trée are the Gentiles The right Oliue trée is the Couenaunt or faith and vocation of the Sainte The fatnesse thereof is the grace of God and the glorie of the elect The Iewes then being come of the fathers were as a man might say naturallie grafted in the couenaunt but the Heathen being come of Idolaters were as wilde Oliue trees grafted therein Sir I. Cheeke ¶ These broken braunches were the vnbeléeuing Iewes which for their vnbeliefe were cut off from the promise of God in whose stéede was the wilde Oliue that is the Gentiles grafted through faith The Bible note BREAD What Bread is in Scripture BRead in scripture is taken for all that is necessarie to this present life And I will fet a morsell of Bread to comfort your hearts withall And as we saie in our Lords praier Giue vs this daie our dailie Bread Tindale How Bread is called Christs bodie Ireneus writing against the Valentinians in his fourth booke saith that Christ confessed bread which is a creature to be his bodie and the Cup to be his bloud and in the same booke hée writeth thus also The Bread wherein the thankes be giuen is the bodie of the Lord. And yet againe in the same booke hée saith that Christ taking bread of the same sort that our bread is off confessed that it was his bodie and that the thing which was tempered in the Chalice was his bloud And in the fift booke he writeth further that of the Chalice● which is his bloud a man is nourished and doth growe by the bread which is his bodie ¶ These words of Ireneus be most plaine that Christ taking verie material bread a creature of God and of such sort as other bread is which we doe vse called that his bodie when hée said This is my bodie and the wine also which doth féede and nourish vs he calleth his bloud ¶ T●ertulian in his booke written against the Iewes saith that Christ called bread his bodie And in his booke against Marcion he oftentimes repeateth the selfe same words ¶ Saint Cipriane in the first booke of his Epistles saith that Christ called such bread as is made of manie cornes ioined together his bodie and such wine he named his bloud as is pressed out of manie Grapes and made into wine And in his second booke he saith these words Water is not the bloud of Christ but wine And againe in the same Epistle he saith that it was wine which Christ called his bloud and that if wine be not in the Chalice then we drinke not of the fruite of the Uine And in the same Epistle he saith that meale alone or water alone is not the bodie of Christ except they be both ioined together to make thereof bread ¶ Epiphanius saith that Christ speaking of a loafe which is round in fashion and cannot see nor féele said of it This is my bodie ¶ Saint Hierom writing ad Hedibiam saith these words Let vs marke that the bread which the Lord brake and gaue to his Disciples was the bodie of our Sauiour Christ he said vnto them Take and eate this is my bodie ¶ Saint Augustine saith that although we maie set foorth Christ by mouth by writing and by the Sacrament of his bodie and bloud yet we call neither our tongue nor words nor inke letters nor paper the bodie and bloud of Christ but that we call the bodie and bloud of Christ which is taken of the fruite of the earth and consecrated by mysticall praier Also he saith Iesus called meate his bodie and drinke his bloud ¶ Cyrill vpon Saint Iohn saith that Christ gaue to his disciples péeces of bread saieng Take eate this is my bodie Cyrill in Iohn li. 4. ca. 14. ¶ Theodoretus saith When Christ gaue the holie mysteries he called bread his bodie and the cup mixt with wine and water he called his
bloud ¶ By all these foresaid Authours and places with manie moe it is plainlie proued that when our Sauiour Christ gaue bread vnto his Disciples saieng Take and eate this is my bodie and likewise when he gaue them the cup saieng Drinke this among you and drinke you all of this for this is my bloud hée called then the materiall bread his bodie and the verie wine his bloud ¶ Thus much out of Cranmers booke fol. 118. 119. How bread is a figure of Christs bodie ¶ Christ himselfe saith Tertulian did not reprooue or discommend bread which doth represent his bodie ¶ For the vnderstanding of this place you must know that there was an Heretike called Marcion which did reproue creatures saide that all manner of creatures were euill This thing doeth Tertulian improue by the Sacrament and saith Christ did not reproue or discommend bread the which doth represent his bodie As though he should saie If Christ had counted the bread euill then would hée not haue lefte it for a Sacrament to represent his bodie meaning that it is a Sacrament token signe and memoriall of his bodie not the bodie it selfe And that this his meaning doth plainlie appeare in his sourth booke as followeth Christ taking bread and distributing vnto his Disciples made it his bodie saieng This is my bodie But this could not haue bene a true figure of it except Christ had had a true bodie for a vaine thing or fantasie can take no figure ¶ For the vnderstanding of this place you must marke that this Heretike Marcion against whom this Authour writeth did holde opinion that Christ had no naturall bodie but onelie a phantasticall bodie the which Tertulian improueth by the Sacrament of the Altar saieng The Sacrament is a figure of his bodie Ergo Christ had a true bodie for a vaine thing or fantasie can take no figure After the mysticall Easters Lambe fulfilled and that Christ had eaten the Lambes flesh with the Apostles hée tooke bread which comforteth the heart man and passeth to the true Sacrament of the Easters Lambe that as Melchisedech brought foorth Bread and Wine figuring him so might he likewise represent the truth of his bodie c. ¶ Héere doth Saint Hierome speake after the manner of Tertulian before That Christ with his bread and wine did represent the truth of his bodie For except he had had a true bodie he could not leaue a figure of it nor represent it vnto vs for a vaine thing or fantasie can haue no figure nor cannot be represented As by example how canne a man make a figure of a Dreame or represent it vnto our memorie But CHRIST hath left vs a figure and representation of his bodie in bread and wine Therefore it followeth that he had a true bodie This thing S. Bede doth more copeouslie set forth writing vpon S. Luke You shall not eate this bodie that you sée nor drinke that bloud which they that crucifie me shall shed out I haue giuen a certeine Sacrament vnto you if it be spirituallie vnderstood it quickeneth you but flesh profiteth nothing This is plaine enough spoken ¶ Thus much out of Frith Looke Figure How bread remaineth after the consecration Theodoretus saith The mysticall signes after the blessing of the Priest depart not from their owne nature For they remaine in their former substaunce figure and forme Further he saith yet the same bread and wine remaining as they were before are vnderstood and beléeued and adored as y● things that they are beléeued The saieng of Thomas Salisburiensis No man saith hée be he neuer so simple or neuer so wise ought preciselie to beléeue that this is the bodie of our Lord that the Priest hath consecrate but onelie vnder this condition if all things concerning the consecration be done as apperteineth For otherwise he shal auouch a creature to be the creator which were Idolatrie Surelie the Sacrament of the bodie and bloud of Christ which we receiue are a godlie thing and therefore through them are we made partakers of the godlie nature and yet doth it not cease to be the substaunce and nature of bread and wine but they continue in the properties of their owne nature And surelie the Image and similitude of the bodie and bloud are celebrated in the act of the mysteries ¶ Looke Oyle That which you sée saith S. Austen in the Altar is the bread and the cup which also your eies doe shew you but faith sheweth further that bread is the bodie of Christ the cup his bloud ¶ Héere he declareth two things That in the Sacrament remaineth bread wine which we maie discerne with our eies that the bread and wine be called the bodie and bloud of Christ. Craumer He that called his naturall bodie saith Theodoretus wheate and bread and also called himselfe a Uine the selfe same called bread and wine his bodie and bloud and yet chaunged not their natures And in his second Dialogue he saith more plainelie For saith he as the bread and wine after the consecration loose not their proper nature but kept their former substaunce forme and figure which they had before euen so the bodie of Christ after his ascention was chaunged into the godlie substaunce Although ye make mée to abide yet I will not eate of your bread ¶ This Hebrue worde Lechem signifieth not onelye bread but sometime meate in vniuersall yea and sometime flesh also Héereof was inuented the subtiltie of the Papists to whom when we saie the bread remaineth in the Eucharist and proue it by that which Paule writeth The bread which we breake is it not the communicating of the bodie of Christ they aunswere that the bread in that place maie signifie flesh as it doth oftentimes in the holie Scriptures But they ought to remember that Paule wrote these words in Gréeke not in Hebrue But Arnos that is bread in Gréeke cannot signifie as Lechem maie in Hebrue Farther in the holie Supper the flesh of Christ is not broken but they are Symboles or Signes which are broken Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 205. How the sacramentall bread ought not to be reserued Saint Cipriane saith this bread is receiued and not shut vp Clemens saith Let there be as manie hoasts or so much bread offered at the Altar as maie be sufficient for the people if anie thing remaine let it not bée kept vntill the morning Origen or Cyrillus saith The bread that our Lord gaue to his Disciples he lengered if not nor bad it to be kept til the morning whose reason is grounded vpon Christs institution for Christ said not take and kéepe but take and eate Of the breaking of bread And brake bread in euerie house ¶ This place ought not to be vnderstood of the Communion or Sacrament of the bodie and bloud of Christ as the place before but of the hospitalitie that was among them that
much shadowed Marl. vpon Iohn fol. 574. ¶ Brooke Cedron was a déepe valleie through the which a streame ranne after a great raine Geneua BRVSED REDE Looke Rede BVDDAS Of his heresie and finall end BVddas otherwise called Terebinthus was a little before Manes the heretike He taught about Babilon that he himselfe was borne of a Uirgin and that he was bred and brought vp in the mountaines He wrote 4. bookes The first of Mysteries the second he called the Gospell the third Thesaurus the fourth a Summerie Through witchcraft he tooke his flight into the aire to offer sacrifice but the diuell threw him downe and broke his necke Socrates li. 1. cap. 17. BVLL The Bull of Pope Clement the sixt published for the yeare of Iubelie 1350. WHosoeuer purposeth for trauaile sake to come to Rome maie choose that daie whereon he setteth forward a confessor or confessours or els in his iourneie by the waie or in anie other place vnto the which confessour or ghostlie Father we giue full power to giue absolution in all causes that concerne the Popes owne prerogatiue in as ample manner as if our owne person were present Item we graunt that if anie béeing confessed die by the waie that he shall bée frée and discharged from all their sinnes And farthermore we commaund the Angels of Paradise that his soule béeing fullie deliuered from Purgatorie they receiue it into Paradise In an other Bull he writeth thus We will not that anie man be formented in himself with the paine of hell And also we graunt to al those that weare the crosse thrée or foure soules at their pleasure whom soeuer they will to deliuer them out of Purgatorie Bale Of a certeine Priest that cast the Popes Bull before the Popes feet There was a certeine Priest which comming before the Pope cast the Popes Bull downe before his féete saieng Loe héere take your Bull vnto you for it doth me no good at all I haue laboured now these thrée yeares with all and yet notwithstanding for all this your Bull I cannot be restored to my right The Pope hearing this commanded the poore Priest to be seourged and after to be cast into prison what became of him afterward the writer of the Storie Henricus de Erphodia maketh no mention In the Booke of Mar. fol. 487. How Doctour Whittington was slaine with a Bull. There was a faithfull woman that suffered martyrdome in a certeine towne called Cheping Sadberie in the time of king Henrie the seuenth condemned by the Chauncelour called doctour Whittington At whose death a great concourse of people there gathered together to beholde hir end Among the which the foresaid Chauncellour was there present to sée execution done The Sacrifice béeing ended the people began to returne homeward comming from the burning of this blessed martyr It happened in the meane time that as the Catholike executioners were buisie in slaieng this séelie lambe at the towne side a certeine Butcher in the towne was as buisie in slaieng of a Bull which Bull he had fast bounde in ropes readie to knocke him on the head But the Butcher belike not so skilfull in his art of killing beastes as the Papists be in murthering Christians as he was lifting his Axe to strike the Bull sailed in his stroke and smit a little too lowe or els howe hée smote I know not This was certeine that the Bull although some what gréeued at the stroke but yet not striken downe put his strength to the ropes and brake loose from the Butcher into the streete the verie same time as the people were comming in great prease from the burning Who séeing the Bull comming towards them and supposing him to be wilde as was no other like gaue waie for the beast euerie man shifting for himselfe as well as hée might Thus the people giuing backe and making a lane for the Bull he passed through the throng of thein touching neither man nor childe till hée came where the Chauncellour was Against whome the Bull as pricked with a sodeine vehementie ranne full but with his hornes and taking him vpon the panch gored him through through and killed him immediatlie carrieng his guttes and trailing them with his hornes all the stréet ouer to the great admiration and wonder of all them that sawe it Booke of Mar. fol. 919. Wherevnto the Bulls of Basan are compared The strong or fatte Bulls of Basan haue compassed mée in on euerie side ¶ A Bull is a beast not onelie stoute and strong but also boisterous blockish fierce and cruell If his nimblenesse and quicknesse were to his might there were lightlie no beast to bée compared vnto a Bull Of these naturall properties and speciallie of his hornewoode and madde fiercenesse when hée is well baited and bitten with dogges the cruell enimies and the spitefull persecutours of our Sauiour Christ are verie aptlie and liuelie called Tauri robusti Boisterous Bulles By Basan ye shall vnderstand that it was a plentiful land full of woods and pastures ouer the which Og that great fat hogge was king Which Og was a Gyaunt whose bed was of yron in length 13. foote and a halfe and in breadth 6. foote and an halfe This countrie Basan ● Pinguedo was a land of such fertiltie and plentie that the Prophet verie aptlie doth translate and applie the same vnto the persecutors of Christ which for their worldie wealth their tyrannie and pride are verie properlie called fat Buls of Basan ● men wallowing in wealth in riches and plentie euen as the Bulles of Basan doe wallow in fat pastures And if a man would nowe narrowlie drawe and applie this place of the Prophet vnto the manners of such wicked men which now a daies doe persecute Christ in his members then by the fat Bulls of Basan ye maie wel easilie vnderstand al such idle rich fat couetous worldlie rich men which in our time doe so much gather togethers and kéepe to them and to their hefres that no poore man nor meane man nor handie craftes man can haue anie competent liuing by the true labour of their handes Ric. Turnar ¶ He meaneth by the Bulles of Basan that his enimie● were so fat proude and cruell that they were rather beastes then men Geneua BVRDEN What is meant by the word burden I will laie none other burden vpon you ¶ Although there be some which in this place vnderstand the worde burden to be ment of the griefe of minde and bitternesse of heart which the godlie shold susteine by reason of his errour which they should be faine to indure till Christ come and deliuer them by his visitation yet is the place more rightlie vnderstood of the burden of the lawe For we know it was the propertie of heretikes and false Apostles to burden the Church with ceremonies whereas contrariwise Christ saith my yoke is swéete and my burden light Mat. 11. 30. c. Read Act. 15. 10. Rom 8. 15. Gal.
Iewes was more easie then the Christians vnder traditions so sore had the tyrannie of the Shepheards inuaded the flocke alredie in those daies almost twelue hundred yeares passed How out of ceremonies sprang the ignorance of the Scriptures Our grieuous fall and horrible blindnesse wherein we were so déepe and so deadlie brought a sléepe is to be imputed vnto nothing els then to the multitude of Ceremonies For as soone as the ● Prelates had set vp a rabble of ceremonier they thought it superfluous to preach the plaine text anie longer the Law of God the faith of Christ the loue towards our neighbour and the order of our iustifieng and saluation forasmuch as all such things were plaied before the peoples faces dailie in the Ceremonies but got them to Allegories faining them euery man after his owne braine without rule almost on euerie ●illable from thence vnto disputing and wasting their braines about words not attending the significations vntill at the last the laie people had lost the meaning of the Ceremonies and looking on the holinesse of the déedes to be iustified by dooing of them they made them Image-seruice hatefull to God and rebuked of the Prophets c. What Ceremonies or Traditions are to be refused I thinke all Ceremonies or Traditions are to be refused which are against the word of God which are idle vaine vnprofitable which are vnhonest and vncomelie which haue but a shew of superstition which are grieuous and burdenous Musculus ¶ Looke Traditions CESARE A PHILIPPI Of two cities called Cesarea INto the parts of Cesarea Philippi ¶ This Cesarea is at the riuer of Iordan and was called at the first Panneas but afterward it was called Cesarea Philppi by Philip the sonne of Herode the great the brother of the Tetrarch which beheaded Iohn The which Cesarea also after that for the honour of Nero was called by Agrippa Neronia as appeareth by Iosephus in his 18. booke of the Antiquities of the Iewes the 3. chapter But the bound or borders of this Cesarea Philippi was the Region of the Iewes wherevpon it was inhabited both by the Syrians and Iewes together Of this citie there is often mention made in Luke in the Actes of the Apostles There is also another Cesarea namelie that auncient and noble Cesarea which at the first was called the Tower of Strato This Citie Herode the great builded betwéene Dora Ioppa and for the loue of Augustus Cesar he called it Cesarea Of this first Cesarea our Euangelist maketh mention and because hée would make a difference he called it Cesarea Philippi Marl. fol. 355. ¶ There were two Cesareas the one called Stratonis vpon the Sea Mediterranie which Herode built sumptuouslie in the honour of Octauius Iosep. booke 15. The other was Cesarea Philippi which Herode the great Tetrarchs sonne by Cleopatra built in the honour of Tiberius at the foote of Libanon Ioseph booke 15. Beza CHALCEDON Of the nature of this stone and what is ment by it THe third a Chalcedon ¶ This stone hath the colour of a dimme candle It shineth abroad and is darke within dores It will not be cut by anie engrauing It casteth ●orth beames of a finger long and draweth Chaffe vnto it It be●●okeneth the flame of the inward charitie of the Saints who shine but dim abroad and yet they resist all priuie vnderminings For in the troubles of this world their Charitie is strong and vnable to be appaired but when it is willed to prefer other folkes then it appeareth what brightnesse it hath within Marl. vpon the Apoc. fol 299. The third a Chalredon which is yet more course to looke vpon then the Saphire but in nature pretious mightie and strong Of this nature were Helias and Iohn Baptist whose conuersation was in the wildernesse rough hard and vnplesant Yet appeared they precious at the times appointed mighteli● rebuking sinne drawing vnto them the chaffe as the propertis is of the Chalcedon which are the common people but vtterlis throwing foorth againe the Idolatrous and Hypocrites The word of Helias brent like a cresset and Iohn was a shining lanterne before the world Bale CHAMBER What this word Chamber signifieth BUt when thou praiest enter into thy chamber ¶ Chamber héere signifieth a secret place seperated frō all worldly noise when we goe about such things as we would no man should knowe of As it is said Esay 26. 20. Such a chamber must thou make of thine owne heart and there praie Tindale ¶ Of entering into the chamber shutting the dore too I say as aboue of that the left hand should not know what the right hand doth that the meaning is that we should auoid all worldlie praise and profit and praie with a single eie and true intent according to Gods word and is not forbidden thereby to pray openlie c. Tindale ¶ Enter thou into thy chamber and 〈…〉 dor after thée He exhorteth the faithfull to be patient in their affi●●ions and to wait vpon Gods worke Geneua CHARIBDIS AND SCILLA What these two of the Poets are fained to be THese two are fained of the Poets to be 2. great Monsters of the Sea in the waie betwéene Calabria and Cicilia standing the one directlie against the other and the same so daungerouslie that they destroie all the ships that come within the reach of either of them for Charibdis they fable to be a Monster that swalloweth vp all things the same shortlie after sponteth vp againe But in venie deed it is a dangerous Goulfe making sore ourrsalles by reason of the méeting of sundrie streames in one point And Seilla in verie deede is a great rocke in the same straight standing so directlie against Charibdis that except the ships cu● and take course euen iustlie betwéene both they hardlie scape drowning And because that Scilla a far of representeth to the ●ie the figure shape of a christen bodie to the eare by roring reson of beating of the waues is represented the barking of dogges Therefore the Poets haue fained that Scilla is a Monster of the Sea hauing in the vpper parte the shape of a maiden and in the neather parte the likenesse of a Fish the bodie of a Wolfe and the taile of a Dolphin fish as witnesseth Virgilius in the third Uolume of the Aeneidos Albeit Homere writeth Scilla hath sixe heades and twelue féete and barketh like a Dogge N. Vdal CHARIOT What a Chariot is and how they were vsed at the first and after put downe AChariot which we call a Cart was a certeine Engine of warre made with long and sharpe pikes of yron set in the forefront and with thrée sharpe pointed swords on either side And behind it had sharp crooked yrons made much like Sithes or rather like Sickles for the crookednesse thereof And of these manner of sharpe yrons they are called in the first of Iudicum diuers other places of the olde
pleasure is to be done Ric. Turnar CHIEFE PRIEST ¶ Looke Supremacie CHILDREN How children are not forbidden to come to Christ. SUffer ye children to come vnto mée c. ¶ Unto such as children be doth the kingdome of God perteine therefore ought children to be brought vnto Christ not onelie by Baptime which is the seale of the kingdome of heauen but also by godlie education and bringing vp Sir I. Cheeke They brought vnto him also Babes ¶ The children were tender and young in that they were brought which appeareth more euidentilie in that that they were infants which is to be marked against them that are enimies to the baptising of child 〈…〉 Beza And shall be filled with the holie Ghost ¶ Sith that children m●ie be filled with the holie Ghost euen in their mothers wombe● who can forbid them to be baptised For Saint Peter saith who can forbid those folkes to be baptised with water sith that they haue receiued the holy Ghost as well as we Act. ●o1 47. Againe Paule faith He that hath not the spirite of Christ is not his But the children are Christs they then haue the spirit of Christ so ought to be baptised Sir I. Check ¶ Looke Baptising of children How children ought to be brought vp Saint Paules doctrine is that children be brought vp in godlinesse and good ciuilitie which both be comprehended in his words when he saith Yée parents bring vp your children in nurture and awe of the Lord. The same is taught and confirmed in Tobie where he saith All the daies of thy life beare God in thy minde beware thou consent not vnto sinne First he willeth him to studie godlinesse next to beware of sinne that he be not entised therevnto Hemming Of children adopted ¶ Looke Adoption Of the children of this world Children of this world are wiser in their generation then the children of light ¶ This is a most gréeuous complaint that worldlie men are more carefull in getting temporall goods which perteine onelie to this present life and continue but a verie short time then Christians are carefull for the getting of heauenlie goods which shall endure for euer Hemming Men that are giuen to this present life contrarie to whome the children of light are set S. Paule calleth those spirituall and the other carnall Beza How the children of God are holpen of the Infidels And all that were about them strengthen●d their handes with vessels of siluer and golde c. ¶ The Babilonians Chaldeans gaue them these gifts Thus rather then the children of God should want for their necessities he would stirre vp the verie hearts of Infidels to helpe them Geneua What is vnderstood by children in this place If a man die hauing no children c. ¶ Under which name are daughters also comprehended but yet as touching the familie and name of a man because he that left daughters was in no better case then if he had left no children at all for they were not reckoned in the familie By the name of children are sonnes vnderstood Beza CHILIASSIS Of the fond opinion of this man THe Chiliassis whō in latin we maie call Mellenarij thought that this inheritaunce of the whole world shal be declared before the ende of this worlde when Christ as they thought should reigne a thousand years in this world with his Saints hauing destroied and ouercome all the wicked And these men it should seeme followed the Oracle which is said to come from Elias y● the world should endure 6000. yeares these yeares they thus describe saieng that 2000. yeares passed away before the lawe 2000. vnder the lawe and so manie shall be vnder y● Gospell Afterward they adde a thousand years in which say they shall be the chiefe rest so that the thousand last years they call the sabaoth And so they appoint a wéeke in which euerie particular daie is called for a thousand yeares according to that which is said A thousand yeares is with the Lord as one day and againe One daie as a thousand yeares Augustine maketh mention of this opinion in his 20. booke and 7● chapter De ciuitate Dei and saith that it was after ● 〈…〉 tollerable and that he himselfe once was of the same opinion But that which they added concerning pleasures delighte worldlie honours which they said all the faithfull shoulde for the space of those thousand yeares eni●ie togethers with Christ he ear●estly veproueth c. Eus●bius Cesariensis in the third booke of his history saith that this opinion had his beginning of Cheri●hus the heretik of whom D●omsius Bishop of Alexandria exp●unding the Apocalips of Iohn thus writeth That hée was altogether giuen to lustes and vnto the bellie and therefore attributed these carnall delights vnto the kingdome of Christ which shuld continue a thousand yeares Pet. Ma● vpon the Rom. fol. 88. CHORE How this Psalme made by the children of Chore is vnderstood A Mysticall Psalme made by the children of Chore. ¶ We reade in the 16. Chapter of the booke of Numeri that a certeine man named Chore which was the great Nephew of the Patriarke Leui or els to whom Leui was Perannus his great graund-father with other Captaines mo rebelled against Moses and Aaron whose fact displeased almightie God so sore that he caused the earth to open and to swallowe vp Chore with all his companie their wiues children and all their substaunce Now séeing that all his substance wife and children went the same waie that he did how can it be true that the children of Chore should be makers and setters foorth of this 42. Psal. of Dauid as the title thereof maketh mention To this question aunswere is made in the 26. of Nu. where it is written y● when Chore was swallowed vp of the earth God miraculouslie preserued certeine of Chores children of whose ofspring there came afterward certeine that proued verie excellent learned men and notable wise men namelie these foure Ethan Heman Calcal and Darda as who should saie these men excelled all other Loe such noble men came of the spring of Chore of whome the title of this Psalme and diuerse other Psalmes to their perpetuall name and renowme doth make mention calling them the children of Chore because they sprang of y● séede of Chore and of his children whom God did miraculously preserue from the swallowing of the earth and not because they were his naturall children For it is well knowne that Chore liued in Moses time against whō he was y● chiefe in stirring vp of rebellion against him Againe Ethan Heman Calcal Darda which were the naturall sonnes of Mahol liued and flourished in Salomons time which was 400. and almost or altogether fourescore yeares after that Chore was killed So that these men could not be the naturall sonnes of Chore but they are called his children and his sonnes because they came of his porgenie and of his ofspring CHOSEN Wherefore
no robberie to bée equall with God neuerthelesse he made himselfe of no reputation taking on him the shape of a seruant and was found in his apparel as a man c. Héere we sée that forasmuch as he was in the shape of God he was equall with God and inasmuch as he was in the shape of man he was lesse then the father for he made himself of no reputation Thus ye doe sée the sentence they bring foorth is verie true and yet maketh nothing for that purpose they alleadge it But if they list to cauill about this word shape or likenesse of God therefore he was not God for it is one thing to be in the shape and likenesse of GOD and another to bée GOD. To that I aunswere that as he saith he was in the shape of GOD so he saith also that he tooke on him the shape of a seruant and was found as a man And if they will prooue him heereby not to bée God so on the other side I will proue him not to be man because he tooke on him the shape of a seruant and was found as a man and the one is euen as true as the other which if it shuld bée graunted the whole work of our saluation should be of none effect Thus do you sée of what force this argument of theirs is Obiection Christ saith all power is giuen vnto me in heauen earth And againe the Father loueth the sonne hath giuen al things into his hand Thus sée we the Father giueth and the sonne receiueth and greater is he that giueth then he that receiueth wherefore it cannot be that he should be equall and all one God with the Father Aunswere This obiection maie be answered like as the other the Christ was equall with his Father as touching his diuinitie lesse then the Father as concerning his humanitie In the which humanitie he receiued all things of his Father but as touching his diuinitie he created and made all thinges and giueth the selfe same gifts to men that the Father giueth For Saint Iohn saith the world was made by him and as manie as receiued him to them gaue he power to bée the sonnes of God Thus sée we the Scripture which they alleadge serueth nothing for their purpose Obiection S. Paule 1. Cor. 15. 25. saith Then commeth the end when Christ hath deliuered vp the kingdome to God the Father whē he hath put downe all rule all authoritie and power For hée must reigne vntill he put all his enimies vnder his feet For as much then as Christ shall deliuer vp his kingdome to God the Father and shall reigne vntill he put all his enimies vnder his feete néeds it must be graunted that his kingdome shall haue an end whereby it is euident that he is not God Aunswere The kingdome of Christ doth consist in conquering our auncient enimie the diuell vnder whom we were a long time in bondage in that he should die to redeeme the people and so together in one and so to ascend vp on high and to leade awaie captiuitie captiue to sit on the right hand of God to make intercession for vs and last of all to sit in iudgement on all flesh whereof part is alreadie done and the other part is a dooing part to be done For first y● redemption of man is alreadie done and wrought by his death and passion Againe euen vnto this daie he fighteth in his members against Satan the enimie of God and reigneth as a king in the heartes of them that be his beside this he continuallie maketh intercession for vs. And the last daie he shall as a righteous Iudge reward them that be his with eternall lyfe but the vngodlie with death euerlasting All the which béeing done this kingdome of his shall cease For he shall deliuer it vp vnto his Father so haue an end For it shal be no longer néedfull forasmuch as the saluation of man shall there vs altogether finished and made perfect But doth it nowe followe that although this kingdome of his shall haue an end that then he shall cease to reigne and haue no kingdome By the selfe same reason maie it bée proned that God the Father was without a kingdome all the while y● this kingdōe of Christ hath continued for Christ saith All power is giuen me of my Father Héere ye sée that the Father gaue all power and authoritie vnto Christ Ergo the Father was without power and authoritie for the time that Christ had it The which I am well assured that no man that is in his right minde will bée content to graunt And beside all this we haue the plaine testimonie of Scripture that the kingdome of Christ is euerlasting For the Angell said Of his Kingdome there shall bée no ende Thus if the Scripture be well weied it maketh nothing at all for their purpose What Christ hath done for vs. Christ is the Sauiour of the world Iohn 4. 42. Christ is the Sauiour Luke 2. 11. Christ died for vs. Rom. 5. 6. Christ died for our sins Rom. 4. 25. Christ bought vs with his bloud 1. Pe. 1. 17. Christ washt vs with his bloud Apo. 1. 5. Christ offered himselfe for vs. Gal. 1. 4. Christ bare our sinnes vpon his back Esay 53. 11. Christ came into the world to saue sinners 1. Tim. 1. 15. Christ came into this world to take awaie our sins 1. Iohn 3. 5. Christ was the price that was giuen for vs and our sins 1. Timo. 2. 6. Christ hath paied our debt for he died for vs. Coll. 2. 14. Christ is our sanctification 1. Cor. 1. 30. Christ is our redemption 1. Cor. 1. 30. Christ is our peace Coll. 2. verse 14. Christ hath pacified the Father of heauen for vs. Rom. 5. 1. Christ is ours and all his 1. Cor. 3. 22. Christ hath deliuered vs from the lawe from the diuel and from hell Coll. 2. 14 The Father of heauen hath forgiuen vs our sinnes for Christs sake or anie other like the same which declare vnto vs the mercie of God ● Iohn 1. 7. In the booke of Mar. fol. 1110 CHRISTIAN The definition of a Christian. SEE that will expresse the name of a Christian must bée such a man as excelleth through the knowledge of Christ and his doctrine in modestie righteousnesse of minde in constancie of life in vertuous fortitude and in confessing of sincere pietie toward the one and the onely vniuersall God Eusebius fol. 8 The right Christen man consenteth to the lawe that it is righteous and iustifieth God in the lawe For he affirmeth that God is righteous and iust which is the author of the law He beléeueth the promises of God and iustifieth God iudgeing him true and beleeuing that he will fulfill his promises With the lawe he condemneth himselfe and all his déedes and giueth all the praise to God He beléeueth the promises and ascribeth all truth vnto God thus euerie where
they which haue bene greate and gréeuous sinners then they beginne to singe the swéete song of the Signet then they crie confesse openly their sinnes their naughtie doings their malice against their innocent brother They are not ashamed of anie thing that maie saue their soules and turne to the glorie of God The second confession is made but seldome the more● is the pitie but ought to be made vnto man and that verie oft euen so oft as one christen man offendeth an other but vnderstand ye of the offence giuen and not taken For of them that be offended without a cause they must be made at one againe without amends And as Christ said to the Pharesies Sinite illos quia ceci sunt duces cecorum If the offender bee gréeued with the preacher or with the magistrate neither the preacher nor the magistrate in that case is bound to reconcile or confesse himselfe to his brother whome he hath offended with true seruing of God and so in such like But in all other cases where we hurt our brother by our déed or word we must harken to obeie the voice of Christ S●f●ater tuus aliqui aduersus te c. In all such cases wée must followe the counsell of S. Iames Confitemini alter alterum peccata vestra orate pro inuicem vt saluemini Confesse reconcile your selues one to another and doe praie one for an other that ye maie be saued Both these kinds of confession made vnto man whether it bée the open confession or secrete confession betwixt neighbour and neighbour bée verie godlye wholesome and pro●able The third condition● which commonlie is called Auricular confession after the opinion of that great learned Lawier Gracianus by whose studie the booke of the Canon lawe called the Decrées was made● a man that liued about a 400● yeares a goe was deuised and ordeined by godlie Bishoppes to make the people the more afraide and ashamed of their sinnes The deuise was good and godlie Neuerthelesse this constitution and ordinaunce was neuer begunne nor receiued in the vniuersall Church but onelie in this our Occidentall Church The Gréekes and Orientall Church were euer frée from this secret confession wherefore wée must néedes graunt that this confession was without Gods owne making from the beginning but onely deuised by good Fathers and godly Bishoppes for to bring the laye and vnlearned people to the more feare of GOD and knowledge of their duetie vnto him and to their neighbour And for the better performaunce of this their purpose they ordeined that hée that shoulde heare anie mans confession shoulde haue these foure properties First to bée a man of honest and godlye conuersation Second a secrete kéeper no babler nor talker Thirdly a wise discrete man and fourthlye a man learned in Gods lawes This was wonderfully godlie begunne and prospered well and did much good Till it cha●mced at the Citie of Constantinople in the dayes of a Bishoppe called Nectarius the next Bishoppe there before Saint Iohn● Chrisostome that a certeine noble woman of bloude and faire of skinne and bone which had beene there in the Church of Constantinople commaunded by the Priest that had heard her confession to resort dailie to the Church for a certeine space there to watch in fasting and praier This Priest intended well he thought that such an entera●ce and beginning of a new life should haue done that lady good which by subtiltie of the diuell wickednesse of man turned cleane contrarie as thus A certeine Deacon of that church fell in familiaritie with that woman more then godlinesse honestie required To be short he laie with her did stuprate her The matter was tried and confessed where vppon a great outcrie wond●●ment was made against the Deacons Priests of Constantinople● insomuch Nectarius the Bishop deposed the Deacon from ministrie for a quieting of the people and stopping of their months commaunded confession to bée frée and at euerie mans libertie whether he would be confessed or no. Thus for a while confession was left till within processe of few yeares carnall libertie and licentious liuing had so much ouer whelmed the worlde that the Fathers of the Occidentall Church for the greate loue they did beare vnto the people thought themselues bounde to restore confession againe but without anie scrupulus burden of impossible enumeration of sinnes without the opinion of dampnation to hang ouer their heads which had not bene confessed but tooke and vsed it as a meane to giue good counsell vnto the ignorant people Thus it continued manie years in the Occidentall Church whereby the people were brought to great amendement of lyfe by the true searching of their consciences and againe to greate knowledge of God through the godlye counsell that was then giuen them by the learned Fathers and godlie Counsellers manie men that were robbed and wronged by that meanes had their goods and good name restored to them againe All this was done so long as the olde Canon was obserued that is no man to heare confession except he had the foure properties aforesaid so long this discipline was had in great estimation and did much good But after that wicked Rome with dispensations had in the stéed of learning nourished ignoraunce for diligence slouth and idlenesse for wisdome and wise counsailers lowtish lobbes and ignoraunt dawes In stéede of good counsaile and amendement of lyfe had clogged the consciences of men with enumeration of sins with manie moe like inconueniences almightie God the louer of truth the spouse of his Church hath stirred vppe in euerie Realme learned men to inueigh against these abuses So that now we are left frée againe euerie man to confesse or not to confesse as shall séeme to him good and most for his owne comfort Thus ye sée what beginning this secret or auricular confession had what increase at the last what decrease againe Ric. Turn●r Sozomenus reporteth that this constitution of Bishops was diligentlie kept in the west Churches but speciallie at Rome Whereby he sheweth that it was no vniuersall ordinaunce of all Churches But he saith that there was one of the Priestes peculiarlie appointed to serue for this office Whereby he doth sufficientlie confute that which these men doe falsely say of the keies giuē for this vse vniuersallie to the whole order of Priesthoode For it was not the common office of all Priests but the speciall dutie of some one that was chosen thervnto by the Bishop The same is he whom at this daie in all Cathedrall churches they call Penitentiari the examiner of hainous offences and such whereof the punishment perteineth to good example Then hée saith immediatlie after y● this was also the manner at Constantinople till a certeine woman faining y● shée came to confession was found so to haue couloured vnder that pretence the vnhonest companie that shée vsed with a certeine Deacon For this act Nectarius a man notable in
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
cast awaye as if anie owner hath cast awaye anie thing the same thing if a man ●eteine when he hath founde it hée committeth not theft But if that thing which is founde be not willinglie● cast awaye neither thought to haue bene willlinglie lost of the owner As when a Ring is founde or a Purse or anie such thing which is not wont to bée cast a side the same thing if thou retaine it is theft vnlesse thou kéepe it by thee with a will and minde to restore it againe Wherefore thou must publiklie testifie that thou hast ●ounde those thinges whereby the owner maye come to his owne agayne as it is decréed● in the Digestes De furtis In the lawe F●ssus in the Paragraphe qui alienum But if thou kéepe it by thée with the minde not to restore it it is theft Which thing Augustine in the place now alleadged reproueth Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 283. FINGER OF GOD. What the Finger of God is GOds finger is the holye Ghost Luke 11. 20. If I cast out Diuells in the finger of God c. Where Luke hath in the finger of God it is in Math. 22. 28. If I cast out Diuells in the spirit of God Gods finger therefore is the holie Ghost FIRST Of the first begotten sonne An aunswere to Helindius the heretike Obiection Our Sauiour Christ was called her first begotten sonne and none sayth Helindius canne hee called first begotten but hée that hath bretheren euen as hée is called the onelie begotten sonne which is the onelye sonne of his Father Aunswere That is not true for euerie onelye sonne is the first begotten although he haue no brethren and therefore in the booke of Numbers the almightie God doth define who or what is the first begotten saieng All that breaketh the matric● in all flesh whether it bée of men or of beastes shall bée slaine neuerthelesse the first borne of man thou shalt redéeme Héere the worde of the Lorde doth define what first borne is that is euerie one that openeth the matrice first namelye whether it be onelye begotten or first begotten The Lorde saith not tarrie vnto the sccond be borne but he saith Those that are to be redéemed shalt thou redéeme from the age of a moneth for the value of a moneth namelie for fiue Sickles For if it shoulde haue bene so that he that first openeth the matrice shoulde not be called the first borne vntill he haue bretheren then might some man haue saide I owe nothing vnto the Priest till that he be brought foorth by whome he that is alreadie borne be made first begotten Also in Exodus it is said And at midnight the Lorde smote all the first borne in the lande of Aegypt both of man and beast Now if it be true that none are first begotten but they that haue brethren then the onelie begotten although they were first borne perished not Marl. fol. 19. What is meant by breaking of our first Faith Prima fides is not taken for the vow of chastitie but for the faith we promise in Baptime after the minde of Saint Hierome who wrote on this wise Non sunt digoi fide c. They be not worthie to be beléeued that haue forsaken their first faith I meane Marcion and Basilides These two famous heretikes Marcion and Basilides were not condemned for anie vowe of chastitie but for the refusing of the faith of Christ. Which Saint Hierome calleth the first faith Iewel fol. 170. They haue not onelie done dishono●r to Christ in leauing their vocation but also haue broken their faith Geneua ¶ Looke more in this word Widowe What the first fruits signifie in the lawe In the lawe it was commaunded that of all the increase and fruits of the earth shuld be giuen vnto God the first fruits yea also the first borne of liuing creatures were due vnto him And when Paule maketh mention of the masse or 〈…〉 he alludeth to that which we reade in the 15. Chapter of the booke of Numbers that some part of the lumpe of new dowe was commanded to bée separated for God before that the new bread should be tasted of for thereof were made swéete cakes which were offered vnto God Which thing he therefore caused to be done that men by that ceremonie might vnderstand and of their owne accorde testifie that God is vnto them the giuer and distributer of all fruites Wherefore that oblation increased not the riches of God which are otherwise infinite but also nourished in men a gratefull memorie of benefites receiued As oftentimes Emperours and greate and mightie kings giue vnto some one man a citie or prouince or some certeine dominion with this condition That he shall paie vnto him euerie yeare some thing of small value in the name of a Tribute not that they séeke by that talent to be enriched but that they maie perpetuallie vnderstande and testifie that he dependeth vppon that Prince and that he hath at his handes obteined that dignitie which he nowe enioyeth Moreouer this commoditie had the Common weale by that ceremonie that by such oblations the holie ministrie was susteined whose vse is so great that it ought to be mainteined yea though with great charge Moreouer in all the first fruites was signified Christ the first borne of all creatures and namelie the first fruites of them that rose againe from the dead whereby all the faythfull are sanctified for by first fruites was made holye that which was remaining and left at home to susteine the familie Yea and this manner of offering first fruites was deriued also vnto the Ethnikes for the Uirgins called Vestae offered first fruites vnto their domesticall Gods And as Plutarch telleth in Symposiacis the men in olde time dranke not anie Wine before that they had first offered sacrifice to some God that that which they dranke might not hurt them And at Athens the xi daie of the moneth they offered the first fruites of Wine In all these things wée maie beholde the steppes of that holie institution Although y● Ethnikes had with idolatrus superstition violated that which was well instituted At this daye also although the yoke of the Ceremonies of Moses be taken away yet should it be verie well done of vs of our frée and liberall will to offer vnto God the first fruites by giuing them to the poore Pet. Mar. vpon the Rom. fol. 351. The meaning of this place following The first shall be last c. ¶ To be made of the first last is to be excluded and shut out of the kingdome of heauen As in a running game not they that runne first but they that come first to the game winue the game and beare awaie the praise Sir I. Cheeke ¶ Those bée last with God that are first with themselues in their owne opinion and in the estimation of their owne workes And they be first with God that be last with themselues in acknowledging their owne vilenesse
reasoning mildly as it is written It becommeth not the seruaunt of the Lord to striue but to be lowly towards all men fauourably to teach patient reforming them that be of a contrarie minde with modestie Muscu●us fol. 535. How they ought not to be compelled Christ came not into this worlde to compell men vnto him c. Chrisostome saith In case that they which doe allure men from vs vnto the company sect of most silthy folke think that they be able to get away some great notable person then they tremble and quake excéedingly and be much afraid least he shall turne backe againe He will be of their side say they indéede such a fellow will turne a thousand times I meane not of them y● be sinners but in case ther be any which is without any spot of sin wil be turned altered let him go turne Surely I am sorie for it do waile lament am striken to the very heart with all no lesse then if it chaunced me to haue one of mine owne members cut off But yet for all that I doe not so lament that that I shall be driuen vppon this feare to doe anye thing that is vncomely We doe not lordly rule and gouerne your faith my most deare bretheren neither doe we command yo● these things vpon any title of imperie or lordlinesse It is the doctrine of the worde which is committed vnto vs not the authoritie of Princelinesse or power We stand in the degree of counsailers and aduisers he which giueth his aduice sheweth his opinion doth not compel the hearer but doth leaue a free choice to his power what to doe And he is to be blamed onelie for this if he saie not those things which becommeth him and which he is bound to doe This saith Chrisostome Muscu fol. 536. Of the opinions of Heretikes looke at their proper names as they fall out in this booke HERODE Of his great crueltie HErode the first which was also called Ascalon had manie children among the which he himself caused thrée to be slaine Aristobolus Alexander and Antipater by reason of a conspiracie that they had made against their father But after him remained aliue Archelaus Herodes which was surnamed Antipas and Philippus These parted the kingdome among them Carion fol. 75. And siue all the children that were in Bethleem ¶ Of this is mention made in the second Booke and fourth Chapter of his Saturnalies How Augustus Caesar hearing that Herode had likewise killed his owne sonne said It were better to be Herodes Swine then his Sonne T. M. ¶ When Macrobius heard that all the Children that were two yeare olde and vnder should be slaine and that among the multitude his owne Sonne was slaine also he said I had rather be Herodes dogge then his sonne Marl. 34. How and for what cause this Herode burnt the Scriptures King Herode for that he well vnderstood the basenesse of his house therefore he burnt the Scriptures least by y● meane of such auncient Records some doubt might after ward be mooued against his posteritie For he thought if he had once remoued such monuments it could neuer be proued by any māner of other witnesse but that he came by descent from the stock of the Patriarches olde Proselites whereas indéed saith Master Iewel he was a méere Aliene and a straunger to the house of Israel and a verie tyrannous vsurper of the Crowne as being 〈…〉 allie descended not from Iacob but from Esau. Iewel sol 477. Of his death it is written thus Herodes disease vexed him more more God executing iustice on him●for the thing which he impioustie committed It was a slow o● slack fire yet yéelding not so great inslamation outwardlie to the beholders as vexation inwardly to the int●rnal parts he had a vehement desire gr●ed●lie to take some thing yet was there nothing that sufficed him Moreouer inward rotting of the bowells and specially 〈…〉 〈…〉 uous Fluxe in the Fundament a rawe and a running fl●ame about his féete and the like maladie vexed him about his Bladder His priuie members put●ified engendring wormes which swarmed out a shrill stretched winde he had great pain 〈…〉 br●athing and a grose breath hauing throughout all the parts of his bodie such a Crampe as strength was not able to sustaine It was reported by them which were inspired from aboue and to whome the gift of Diuination was graunted that God en●o●ned the Prince this punishment for his great impietie Eusebius fol. 12. Of the second Herod sonne to the first At that time Herode Tetrarcha c. ¶ This Herode was the sonne of y● Herod of the great Antipater surmaned of some Ascalon which slue the I●fants in Bethleem being a most pernitious Rauen hatched of so wicked an Egge Some call this Herode Antipas sor his surname He is the verie same which araied our Sauiour with a white vesture and de●ided his Diuine wisedome making an open iest and laughing slocke of him Of this man Iosephus maketh mention in his 18. Booke of the Antiquities of the Iewes Marl. vpon Mathew fol. 305. How he led awaie his brother Philips wife This man was surnamed Antipas the brother of Archel●us and made Prince of Galile by his father Herode The same tooke his brother Philips wife from him he being yet aliue the which happened by this occasion Herode went to Rome and by the waie he lodged by chaunce with his brother Philip who dwelled in the forepart of Iewrie As Herod Herodias had now made acquaintance which Herodias was the daughter of Aristobolus and sister to Herode Agrippa they were agreed y● he comming from Rome should lead hir with him the which was done Iohn Baptist rebuked this wickednesse who was therefore beheaded Howbeit Herod went not vnpunished at the last for it For by Caius Caligula was he sent in exile at Leonia in Galile with Herodia the which constrained him to goe to Rome and require a kingdome but comming home with out doing ought he lost that part also of the kingdome which he possessed afore He reigned 24. yeares in Galile For Herode had taken Iohn and bound him c. ¶ The Euangelists affirme that Iohn was taken because he openlie cōdemned the incestious Matrimonie of Herode with Herodias which was his brother Philips wife for Iohn said to him It is not lawfull for thée to know hir Iosephus alledgeth another cause why he was put in prison namelie because by his doctrine to the which the people wonderfullie resorted he brought himselfe in some suspition with Herod of the mouing of some new attempt or vnwonted matter But it might be that the wicked Tyraunt tooke this as a cloake to couer his cruel murthering of Iohn Or it might be that this wicked rumour was spread abroad of him for vniust violence and crueltie is neuer without diuers accusations But the Euangelist shew the verie cause
open y● thing vnto you which is of truth So that you must do well vnto man the which is made vnto the Image of God giue him honour reuerence giue him meate when he is hungry giue him drinke when hée is a thirst cloath him when he is naked serue him when he is sicke giue him lodging when he is a straunger and when hee is in prison minister vnto his necessities this is the thing that shall be counted to be giuen God truely What honour is this of God to runne about foolishly to stonie and woodie Images and to honour as Gods Idols and dead figures and to despise man in whome is the verie true Image of God Wherefore vnderstane you that this is the suggestion of the Serpent that lurketh within thee which doth make you beléeue that you bée not wicked when you hurt sensible and reasonable men c. Also the same Doctour saith in the same booke What thing is so wicked and so vnthankfull as to receiue a benefit of God and to giue thanke to stocks and stones wherefore awake and vnderstand your health ¶ We are vnthankfull vnto God of whome we haue receiued all things and for them giue thankes to the worme eaten Gods D. Barnes Looke in the word Latria Let vs not le●● anie visible spectacles least by erring from the veritie and by louing shadowes we be brought into darknesse Let vs haue no deuotion to our fantasies It is better to haue a true thing whatsoeuer it be then all manner of thinges that may be fained at our owne pleasure c. ¶ Images are but visible spectacles and shadowes D. Barnes To worship Images is heresie Saint Austen in his Catalogue wherein he rehearseth all the heresies of his time reckoneth among them one Marcella a woman of Capadocia which worshipped the Images of Iesus Christ of Paule of Pithagoras and of Homer with making of adoration and incensing of them I. Olde No religion where Images be vsed There is no doubt saith Lactantius Constantinus Shoolmaster but there is no religion whersoeuer an Image is I. Olde How Images are the teachers of Iyes and not lay mens bookes Damascene doth teach in his fourth booke de Orthodoxa fide and also Gregorie the great in his Registers or booke of Epistles .10 chap. and 4. Epistle that Images be lay mens bookes and godly meanes to stirre vp the hearts of the people to deuotion Aunswere The Prophet Abacuc saith What profiteth the Image for the maker thereof hath made it an Image and a teacher of lies whereby it followeth that the Images are the bookes of lyes and that they came of him who is a lyar from the beginning as the Father of lyes Howe well then are the simple and ignoraunt people for whome our Sauiour Christ did vouchsafe to shed his déere heart bloud prouided for when such bookes are deliuered vnto them in stéede of the liuing preaching of Gods worde It is not for naught that Ieremy doth crye out They altogether doate and are foolish for the stocke is a doctrine of vanitie Meaning that nothing more displeaseth GOD nor bringeth men into greater errour and ignoraunce of God then Images doe wherefore he calleth them the doctrine of vanitie and the worke of errour as Abacu● calleth them the teacher of lies who in the same Chapter thundreth out against the wicked opinion of them the calleth them the bookes of the laye people on this manner Wo vnto him that saith vnto the wood awake to the dombe stone arise vp should the same teach Should the same be laied ouer with gold siluer there is no breth in it but the Lord is in his holy temple As if he shuld say there is no breath no lyfe nor mouing in the Image how shuld they teach then Therefore it is more vanitie fondnesse to set forth Images vnto the people for their teachers schoolemaisters sith y● the liuing God who is the true teacher is in the middest of the temple that is in the hharts of the faithfull teaching those things that are both profitable the euerlasting whervnto may be added the saieng of Saint Paule What agréement hath the temple of GOD with Images but ye are the Temple of the liuing God who liueth and worketh in you More credit ought to be giuen to the testimonies of the Scriptures as of the Prophets and the Apostles then to the vaine gloses of all Gregories or Damascenes in the world I. Veron But altogether they doate and are foolish for the stocke is a doctrine of vanitie ¶ Because the people thought that to haue Images was a meane to serue GOD and to bringe them to the knowledge of him he sheweth that nothing more displeaseth God nor bringeth men into greater errours and ignoraunce of GOD And therefore he calleth them the doctrine of vanitie the word of errours ver 15. and Abacuc 2. ver .18 calleth them the teacher of lyes contrarie to that wicked opinion that they are the bookes of the lay people Geneua How Images moue weake hearts to Idolatry S. Austen in his Epistle to one called Deo gracias writeth in this manner Who doth doubt but that Idolles and Images are without all sense of feeling but when they are set vp in high and honourable places that they maye be beholden of th●m that doe either praye or offer they doe with the similitude or lykenesse of liu●lye and sensibles although they bee both insensible and without lyfe moue the weake mindes so that they seeme to bée aliue and to haue breath ¶ Heere wée see to be attributed vnto Images that with the lykenesse of liuely members they doe moue weake hearts And therefore they are perillousiye set foorth vnto them whose bookes they are thought to be and speciallye if they be put in high and honourable places where praier and common exercise of religion is vsed I. Veron That they should come to the dedication of the Image ¶ Shewing that the Idoll is not knowne for an Idoll so long as he is with the workman but when ceremonies and customes are recited and vsed and the consent of the people is there then of a blocke they thinke they haue made a God When Images were taken out of Churches About the yeare of our Lorde 726. Leo the Emperour commaunded that all that were vnder the Empire shoulde tak● away the Images and pictures of Saintes out of Churches for auoiding Idolatrie But the Pope did resis● the Emperour and wrote into all partes of the worlde that neither for feare nor intreatie they shoulde obeye the Emperours commaundement in this behalfe and with so vehement perswasions withdrewe the people of Italy from the obdience of their Emperour Leo that they would haue chosen them a new Emperour ¶ He also in the yeare of Christ. 728. commaunded all Images to be taken out of the Churches of Constantinople to be burned and put to death
to bée verie Apostles of our Sauiour Christ preaching the Gospell to mens thinking most sincerely and purelye but at length they doe cleane fall awaye from Christ and become enimies of the worde Such were Philetus Himeneus and Demas with manye other These were giuen Christ of his heauenlye Father for to bée in such high roomes and offices for a time but not to be kept vnto eternall lyfe else howe canne that stande where he sayth This is the will of my Father that sent mée that I loose none of all those that he hath giuen mée but that I doe rayse them vp at the last daye So that they which bée giuen to Christ of his Father for to bée fellowe heires with him in his kingdome canne neuer perish I. Veron Wherevnto Iudas was called ¶ Looke Chosen What the cause of Iudas dampnation was The cause of Iudas dampnation was for that he layed holde onely vpon the iudgement of GOD sette forth in his Lawe without layenge holde vppon the grace and mercye of God sette foorth in his Gospell to all repentauntes and faythfull As Saint Peter did apprehende it after he had renownced Iesus Christ. Pet. Viret Of Iudas the brother of Iames. Iudas brother to Iames called also Thaddeus and Lebbeus preached to the Edessens and to al Mesepotamia He was slaine vnder Agbarus of the Edessens in Berito Booke of Mar. fol. 52. IVDGE How Christians may iudge in matters of controuersies Man who made mée a Iudge or a diuider ouer you ¶ It is to be noted that Christ at his first comming came not to be a Iudge but to be iudged and yet it cannot followe by this but that Christians may be Iudges in matters of controuersie Sir I. Cheeke ¶ Christ chiefely came to be iudged and not to iudge notwithstanding he willeth the Christians to be Iudges decide controuersies betwéene their brethren Geneua Are ye not good inough to iudge small trifles c. ¶ We learne héere in this place that we may haue our matters discussed before christen Iudges that is to say before them that be of a good and vncorrupted conscience Howbeit it were good that in euerie parish some honest and conscionable men should be appointed to make vnitie and peace betwéene neighbour and neighbour Maister bid my brother diuide the inheritaunce with me Christ answered Man who made me a Iudge or a diuider ouer you ¶ Christ came indéede to be iudged and not to iudge hée came to worke the worke of our redemption not to decide controuersies touching landes and possessions The Anabaptists vse this text for one of their reasons to condempne magistracie amonge Christians and therefore a verye learned and late writer in his exposition of this place writeth thus Hinc colligitur c. Héereof it may be gathered howe greatlye they doate which condemne Magistrates among the Christians by this place For Christ doth not reason of the thing it selfe as though it were prophane but of his owne vocation because hée was sent to another end although the thing it selfe is holy and good Iudgement of spirituall matters to whom it perteineth It perteineth to ecclesiasticall persons to iudge in spiritual causes But if any of thē do swarue from y● right rule of iustice he is subiect to the correctiō punishment of the ciuil magistrate As Aaron had his authoritie of iudgement in spirituall causes yet was he reproued by Moses And Abiathar the high Priest was deposed by Salomon and Sadoch set in his place And so should● Ahas if he had bene a good Prince haue deposed Vriah for making the prophane Altar What iudgement is forbidden Iudge not and ye shall not bée iudged ¶ Christ doth not héere forbid that kinde of iudgement that perteineth to Magistrates whereby euill dooers are iudged and punished and the innocent deliuered of the which kinde of iudgement Exo. 18. 19 Psa. 82. 1. Esa. 1. 17. but rather héere we are instructed and taught that we doe not rashly vncharitably iudge or condemne other mens faults hauing alwaies an eye vnto their faults and forgetting our owne ¶ He commaundeth vs not to be curious or malitious to try out and condemne our neighbours fault for hypocrits hide their owne faultes séeke not to amend them but are curious to reproue other mens Geneua ¶ This is not meant of the temporall iudgement for Christ forbadde not that but oft did stablish it as doe Peter Paule in their Epistles also Nor heere is not forbidden to iudge those déedes which are manifest against the lawes of God for those ought euery christian man to persecute yet must they do after the order that Christ hath set but when he saith Hypocrite cast out first the beame that is in thine owne eyes it is easie to vnderstand what manner of iudgement he meaneth c. Tindale fol. 137. The meaning of these places following Iudge no man c. ¶ Some distinguish thus that he iudgeth not as man iudgeth Other referre it to the time because he being in earth tooke not vpon him as yet the office of a Iudge But more rightly it is ioyned with the sentence following that the sence may be thus Christ iudgeth not and if hee doe his iudgement is firme and a●tenticall because it is diuine So that the former parte where he denieth that he iudgeth ought eyther to be restrayned to the circumstaunce of the present place For that hée might the better conuince his enimies of pride he vseth this comparison because they vsurped to themselues license to iudge preposterouslye and yet neuerthelesse could not abide him teaching simply and absteining from the office of a Iudge Marl. vpon Iohn fol. 294. Of iudgement because the Prince of this worlde is iudged c. When they shall knowe that I whome they called the Carpenters sonne and willed to come downe from the Crosse am the verye sonne of GOD which haue ouercome all the power of hell and reigne ouer all 2. Cor. 10. 12. Ephe. ● 19. Geneua Thinkest thou c. that thou shalt escape the iudgement of God ¶ We maye well excuse our selues before men and make them to beléeue that we are both iust and righteous for why Men can only iudge according to the outwarde workes and according to that which they sée and heare but hée that searcheth the heart and reines nothing canne bée hidden from him Therfore we cannot escape his true iudgement Sir I. Cheeke What it is to stand in iudgement The vngodlye shall not be able to stande in Iudgement ¶ To stande in Iudgement is to winne the processe and to haue sentence pronounced on their side and to robbe Iudgement is to let the processe and to haue sentence pronounced against right and truth Esay 10. 1. So then this text meaneth no more but that the wicked shall haue such a terrible sentence giuen vppon them that they shall not bée able to abide when the Lord shall come then to generall
that saieng Cursed is he that abideth not in all things that are written in the lawe Therefore he that teacheth the lawe is a minister of the lawe c. Luth. vpon the Gal. fol. 69. What the lawe of nature is The law of nature is that light and iudgement of reason whereby we doe discerne betwixt good and euill Thomas Aquinus saith that the law of nature is nothing els but the perticipation of the eternall law in a reasonable creature That definition indeede doth expresse vnto vs of whom this iudgement light of reason commeth vnto vs that is to say from the eternal law but what it is it declareth not And that parte in a reasonable creature maye comprise also Angells of whose nature heere is nothing in question Other doe define this lawe more largely in this sort The lawe of nature is the common sentence of iudgement wherevnto all men together assent and furder which God graued in euery mans minde appointed to frame mens manners withall c. Musc. fol. 30. What the lawe written is We call that the lawe written which God gaue to Israel by Moses and which Moses comprehended in his booke of Exodus and Leuiticus Numery and Deuteronomy This was deliuered vnto Moses by Angels and Steuen witnesseth saieng Ye haue receiued the lawe by the order of Angells And the Apostle saith The lawe is giuen by Angells in the hand of a Mediatour The same they doe commonly deuide and well inough for the purpose into the Morall precepts Iudiciall and Ceremoniall or into precepts statutes and iudgements By statutes they vnderstand all that pertaineth vnto rites ceremonies by Morall precepts the Tables by Iudicialls all those lawes which they vse in the matters and controuersies of the policies and for punishment of the offenders Musculus fol. 34. How the Lawe is our schoolemaister The schoolemaster is appointed for the childe to teach him to bring him vp and to kéepe him as it were in prison but to what ende and how long Is it to the ende that this straight sharpe dealing of the schoolmaster should alwaies continue Or that the childe should remaine in continuall bondage Not so but onely for a time that this obedience this prison and correction might tourne to the profite of the childe that in time hée might be heire and Prince For it is not the fathers will that his sonne should alwaies be subiect to the schoolemaister and alwayes beaten with roddes but that by his instruction and discipline he may be made able and meete to be his fathers successour Euen so the lawe saith Paule is nothing els but a schoolmaister not for euer but till it haue brought vs to Christ as in other wordes he said also before The lawe was giuen for transgressions vntill the blessed séede shuld come Also the scripture hath all vnder sinne Againe we were kept vnder shut vp vnto faith which should after be reuealed wherefore the law is not onely a schoolemaister but it is a schoolemaister to bring vs vnto Christ. What a schoolemaister were he which would alwaies torment and beate the childe and teach him nothing at all And yet such schoolemaisters were there in time past when schooles were nothing els but a prison and a very hell the schoolmaisters cruell tyraunts and very butchers The children were alwaies beaten they learned with continuall paine and trauaile and yet fewe of them came to any proofe The Lawe is not such a schoolemaister for it doth not onely terrifie and torment as the foolish schoolmaister beateth his scholers teacheth them nothing but with his rods he driueth vs to Christ like as a good schoolemaister instructeth and exerciseth his scholers in reading and writing to the ende they maye come to the knowledge of good letters and other profitable things that afterward they may haue a delight in dooing of that which before when they were constrained thervnto they did against their wils c. Luther vpon the Gal. fol. 163. How the lawe first entred The lawe entred first into the world by mans disobedience in Paradise was not so much giuen by Gods owne frée motion as by mans owne séeking wilfull procuring which neuer was nor neuer shall be in his power to perfourme Fox in his sermon of Christ crucified How the lawe was giuen in thunder The lawe was giuen in thunder lightening fire smoke and the voice of a trumpet and terrible sight Exo. 20. 18. So that the people quaked for feare and stood a farre off saieng vnto Moses Speake thou vnto vs and we will heare let not the Lord speake to vs least we dye No eare if it be awaked and vnderstand the meaning is able to abide the voice of the lawe except the promises of mercie be by That thunder except the raine of mercie be ioined therewith destroieth all and buildeth not The law is a witnesse against vs and testifieth that God abhorreth the sins that are in vs and vs for our sinnes sake Tindale fol. 118. ¶ The ceremoniall iudiciall lawes were reuealed of God to Moses by the Angells and by Moses to the people and by Moses at Gods commaundement they were inserted into a written booke But the lawe of the ten commaundements was not reuealed by man or any meanes of man but by God himselfe at the mount Sina and written not by the hand of Moses but with the finger of God in tables not made of matter easie to be dissolued but made of stone to indure for euer Bull. fo 111. Wherefore the lawe was giuen The lawe was giuen saith S. Austen that man might finde himselfe not to make his sicknesse whole but by his preaching the sicknesse increased the Phisition might be sought Wherefore the lawe threatning not fulfilling that thing that he commaundeth maketh a man to be vnderneth him But the law is good if a man vse it wel What is that to vse the law wel By the law to know our selues to séeke Gods help to help our health ¶ Héere we sée by S. Austen that the commandements of God giueth vs no strength nor yet declareth any strengh to be in vs but sheweth vs our dutie and weaknesse and also mooueth vs and causeth vs to séeke further for strength D. Barnes ¶ Of profiting to craue the grace of Gods helpe Augustine speaketh ofte as when he writeth to Hilary The lawe commaundeth that endeuouring to do the things commaunded and being wearied with our weakenesse vnder the lawe we should learne to aske the helpe of grace Againe to Aselius The profit of the lawe is to conuince man of his owne weaknesse compell him to craue the Phisicke of grace which is in Christ. Againe to Innocent of Rome The lawe commaundeth and grace ministreth strength to doe Againe to Valentine God commaundeth these things y● we cannot doe that we may learne to know what to aske of him Againe The law was giuen
to accuse you that being accused ye should feare fearing you should cra●e pardon not presume of your owne strength Againe The law was giuen for this purpose of great to make little to shew that thou hast no strengh of thine owne to righteousnesse that thou as poore vnworthy and néedie shouldst flye vnto grace After he furneth his speach to God saith Doe so Lord doe so mercifull Lord● commaund that which cannot be fulfilled yea command that which cannot but by thy grace be fulfilled that when men cannot fulfill it by their owne strength euery mouth maye bee stopped no man may think himselfe great Let all be litle ones let al y● world be guiltie before thée Ca. in his In. 2. b. ca. 7. se. 9. How the lawe was giuen by Moses The lawe was giuen by Moses but grace veritie came by Iesus Christ. ¶ This place doth Tindale in his exposition of the 5. 6. 7. of S. Mathew expound on this wise Though Moses saith he gaue the lawe yet he gaue no man grace to doe it nor to vnderstand it aright or wrote it in any mans hart to consent that it was good and to wish after power to fulfill it But Christ giueth grace to doe it and to vnderstand it aright and writeth it with his holy spirit in the tables of the hearts of men and maketh it a true thing there and no hypocrisie Folio 184. How we are dead through the lawe But I through the lawe am dead to the lawe that I might liue vnto God ¶ But I through the lawe am dead to the lawe that is by the lawe of libertie grace graunted in Christ I am deliuered from the lawe of bondage ministred by Moses and from the burthen and cursse thereof Tindale ¶ Are dead concerning the lawe by the body of Christ. ¶ Because the body of Christ is made an offering and a sacrifice for our sinnes whereby God is pleased and his wrath appeased for Christs sake the Holy Ghost is giuen to all beléeuers whereby the power of sinne is in vs daily weakned we are accounted dead to the lawe for that the lawe hath no dominion ouer vs. The Bible note ¶ Looke Vnder the lawe How the Lawe increaseth sinne But the lawe in the meane time entred in that sinne should increase ¶ The lawe increaseth sinne and maketh our nature more gréedie to doe euill because the law ministreth no power nor lust to y● the biddeth or to refrain from y● the forbiddeth Tin Why the lawe is called the messenger of death The lawe is called the messenger of death namely becaus that if we haue no more but the doctrine that is contained in the lawe we shall be vtterly ouerwhelmed afore God we shal be cast away without any remedy Then if God indite vs but according to the forme of y● lawe he shall discouer filthines inough in vs. Cal. vpon Iob. fo 172. What the lawe of God requireth The lawe of God requireth loue from the bottome of the heart and cannot be satisfied nor fulfilled with the workes therof as mans lawe is for the lawe is spirituall as S. Paule saith Rom. 7. which no earthly creature by his owne strength enforcement is able to fulfill but by the operation and working of the spirit of God Tindale What it is to be vnder the lawe To be vnder the lawe is to deale with the workes of the law and to worke without the spirit and grace for so long no doubt sinne raigneth in vs through the lawe that is to say the lawe declareth that we are vnder sinne and that sinne hath power and domination ouer vs séeing we cannot fulfill the lawe namely with the heart forasmuch as no man of nature fauoureth the lawe consenteth therevnto and delighteth therein which thing is excéeding great sinne y● we cannot consent to the lawe which lawe is nothing els but the will of God c. So that to be vnder the lawe is not to be able to fulfill the lawe but to be debter to it and not able to paye that which the Lawe requireth c. Tindale ¶ To be vnder the lawe is nothing els but to be bounde or subiect vnto sinne for the law through sinne condemneth vs as guiltie But to be dead vnto the law is nothing els but to haue that extinguished in vs by which the law accuseth and condemneth vs and that is the olde man the flesh naturall lust corruption of nature when these things be once dead in vs that Christ liueth and raigneth in vs we can by no meanes be condemned by the law c. Pet. Mar. vpon the Rom. fol. 161. What it is not to be vnder the Lawe Not to be vnder the lawe is to haue a frée hart renued with the spirite so that thou hast lust inwardly of thine own accord to do that which the lawe commaundeth without compulsion yea though there were no lawe Tin in his pro. to the Rom. Why Paule calleth the booke of Genesis the lawe Tell me ye that would be vnder the law c. ¶ Why doth Paule call the booke of Genesis out of the which he alledgeth the historie of Ismael and Isaac the Lawe séeing that booke containeth nothing at all concerning the law but onely containeth a plaine historie of Abrahams two children Paule is wont to call the first booke of Moses the law after the manner of the Iewes which although it containe no lawe besides the lawe of circumcision but the principall doctrine thereof is concerning faith and that Patriarks pleased God because of their faith yet the Iewes notwithstanding onely because of the law of circumcision which is there contained called the booke of Genesis the lawe as well as the other bookes of Moses so did Paule himselfe also being a Iewe. And Christ vnder the title of the lawe comprehendeth not onely the bookes of Moses but also the Psalmes Iohn 15. 25. But it is that the words might be fulfilled which were writen in the lawe They hated me without a cause Luther vpon the Gal. fol. 205. How the lawe is impossible for a man to fulfill The Pelagians saith S. Austen thinke themselues cunning men when they say God would not commaund that thing that he knoweth a man is not able to doe who is there that knoweth not this But therefore God commaundeth vs to do some thing that we are not able to doe that we may vnderstand what we ought to craue of him Iewel fol. 3●7 ¶ And the law had righteousnes but for a time not because it could iustifie before the Lord for it could not so forgiue sinne that of sinners it could make them iust But to this end it was giuen that it might be a terrour prouoking men to a godly life punishing the disobedient and vnreuerent persons Therefore is not a lawe giuen which can giue life but condempne I. Gough
meanes Ponet Gregory Bishop of Rome writing to Peter Subdeacon of Sicilia saith Durū est c. It is a hard thing that such deacons as haue not found the gifte of sole life should be compelled to abstaine A suis vxoribus that is from their owne wiues in the which words their owne wiues no man can denie but that by Gregories iudgement the mariage of a Priest was a mariage Ponet Doctor Gracian a principall Doctor of the Popes side saith thus Copula sacerdotalis c. Priests mariage is not forbidden by any authoritie either of the Lawe of Moses or of the Gospell or of the Apostles Iewel fol. 171. Clement Alexandrinus saith Omnes Apostol Epistolae c. All the Epistles of the Apostles which teach sobrietie and continent life whereas they containe inuumerable precepts touching Matrimonie bringing vp of children and gouernement of house yet they neuer forbad honest and lawfull mariage Iew. The Canon commonly called of the Apostles doth excommunicate a Bishop or a Clearke that doth put away his wife vnder the colour of Religion The Councell of Chalcedon Canon 13. forbiddeth Clearkes to marrie wiues of a contrary religion as Iews and Pagans but not simply forbiddeth them much lesse would allow them to put away their lawfull wiues By whom mariage of Priests was forbidden About the yeare of our Lord. 1074. Gregory the 7. was Bishop of Rome He decreed that Priests should haue no more wiues and that they which already hadde should be diuorsed and that no man should thenceforth be admitted to Priesthood but they vowed perpetuall chastitie Against this decrée repugned the Bishops Priests of Germany and withstood it a long season About the yeare of Christ. 1106. the Priestes of Englande were constrained to forgo their wiues by meanes of Anselme Archbishop of Canterbury The saieng of Hierocles concerning mariage It is méere folly saith he lack of wit which make those things that of thēselues are easie to be born troublesome make a wife a grieuous clogge vnto hir husband for mariage to many men hath bene intollerable not because that wedding state is by default of it selfe or owne proper nature so troublesome and comberous but for our matching as we should not it falleth out as we would not causeth our marriages to be gréeuous and noi●ome To this end verily our dayly marriages doe commonly come For they marry wiues vsually not for the begetting of children or societie of lyfe but some for a great dowrie some for a beautifull bodie and some being seduced by such kinde of cautiles as it were men abused by vnfaithfull counsailers haue no regard to the disposition and manners of their spouse but marrie at aduentures to their owne decay and vtter destruction Bullinger fol 228. The Latine Church had her married Priests a long season as testifieth the storie of Sericij the Pope which first laboured in Spaine to diuorse Priests from their wiues albeit y● Priests of Spaine refused to obey the decree of Sericij hauing for their patrone and defence the Bishop of Tarracony aunswering the Bishop of Rome and reciting the saieng of the Gospell which forbiddeth marriage to be dissolued To the which saith Melancthon Siricius wrote againe so arrogantly and so foolishlye that meruaile it is to see so great ignoraunce audacitie impietie so great tiranny to haue had raigned then in their church For he rebuketh sayth he honest married men calleth them contumeliously the defenders of lechery sull foolishly wrasting Paules sayeng If ye liue after the flesh ye shall dye to make against Matrimonie If there were then saith Melancthon so great foolsh ignoraunce in the man as to thinke wedlocke reuiled and dampned by this text surely Sircius had ben more méet to haue rowed in a gally or to haue holden the plough then to haue had that seate therein to sit and gouerne the Church of Christ. Or else if he did so mocke out this thing wittinglye his shamelesse rescription is more worthy to be abhorred hated then his fond ignoraunce For to liue after the flesh is to fall against the commaundements of God and not to signifie the honest vse of chast wedlocke or lawfully to vse meat drinke according to Gods precept Melancthon in a little booke hee wrote to King Henrie the. 8. in the defence of Priestes Marriage The vse of Marriage among the Chaldeans The Chaldeans honoured the fire for their God and had this vsage among them that none was suffred to haue fire in his house but those y● were married for the custodie of Gods sayd they might be cōmitted to none but married auncient folkes And this was their order in marriage The daye when anie person should be married the Priest came into the house to light new fire the which neuer ought to be put out vntill the houre of his death And if perchaunce during the lyfe of the husband and of the wife they should finde the fire dead and put out the marriage betwéene them was dead and vndone yea though they had bene xl years married And of this occasion came the Prouerbe which of many is read and of few vnderstood that is to wit Prouoke me not too much that I throw water into the fire The Chaldeans vsed such words when they wold diuorse or seperate the marriage For if the woman were ill contented with her husband in casting a little water on the fire immediatly she might marry with an other And if the husband like did put out the fire he might with an other woman contract marriage I pray God there be none at this day among the Christians that wold be content to put out the fire and to cast out the ashes and all to be at libertie Cynna Catul. MARINVS Of this mans hereticall opinion MArinus the Arrian thought that the Father was a Father when there was no sonne Such as were of this opinion were called Psathyrians the reason why is to be séene in Socrates li. 5. chap. 22. MARKE Of the lyfe of Saint Marke the Euangelist MArke the Disciple and interpreter of Peter béeing desired of the brethren at Rome wrote a short Gospell according as he heard Peter pr●ach and shew euery thing by mouth The which gospel the same Peter after he had herd it did allow publish by his authoritie because it shuld be read in the congregation as recordeth Clement in the 6. booke of his worke intituled Dispositiones Of this Marke Papius also Bishop of Hierusalem maketh mention And Peter in his first Epistle where vnder the name of Babilon by a figuratiue manner of speaking hée vnderstandeth Rome The congregation of them which at Babilon are companions of your election saluteth you and so doth Marke my sonne Wherefore he tooke the Gospell that he himselfe had written and went into Aegypt and first of all men preached Christ at Alexandria where hée ordeined a Church or
congregation of such pure doctrine and perfect liuing that he made all that professed Christ to followe his example To be short philo the eloquentest writer of y● Iews perceiuing the first congregation of Alexandria yet to perseuer in the Iewish religion wrote a booke of their conuersation as it were in the praise of his Nation and as Luke sheweth how all thinges were common amonge the beléeuers at Hierusalem So did he put in writing al that euer he sée done at Alexandria during the time that Marke there taught preached He died in the eight yeare of Neros reigne was buried at Alexandria In whose place succéeded Aniamis Erasmus Of the martirdome of this Euangelist This Marke was the first Bishop of Alexandria and preached the Gospell in Aegypt and there drawne with ropes vnto the fire was burned and afterward buried in a place called there Bucolus vnder the raigne of Traianus the Emperour Booke of Mar. fol. 52. What the Marke in the right hand signifieth And made all c. to receiue a marke in their right hand and in their forehead c. ¶ Wherby he meaning the Pope renounseth Christ for as faith the word the Sacraments are y● christians markes so this Antechrist will accept none but such as will approue his doctrine so that it is not inough to confesse Christ beléeue the Scriptures but a man must subscribe to y● popes doctrine Moreouer their chrismatories greasings vowes othes shauings are signes of this marke Insomuch y● no nation was excepted y● had not many of these marked beasts Ge. Markes to know the false Apostles by There are two markes to know the false Apostles by The one is when they leaue Christ serue their bellies the other when they regard not the holy Scriptures preach lyes and their owne fantasies as S. Paule saith they serue not Christ but their owne bellies and with swéete and flattering words deceiue the hearts of the innocents Rom. 6. 18. MARS STRETE What Mars strete is PAule stoode in the middest of Mars strete ¶ This was a place so called as you woulde saye Mars hill where the Iudges sat which were called Areopagitae vpon weightie affaires which in olde time arrained Socrates and afterward condempned him of impietie Theo. Beza MARTIR What maketh a Martir IT is not the death but the cause of the death that maketh a Martir Saint Austen saith Tres erant in cruce c. There were three hanged on the crosse The iust was the Sauiour the second to be saued the third to be dampned The paine of all thrée was one but the cause was diuerse Iewel fol. 30. It is no hard matter by words to testifie the truth But those testimonies are most weightie which are sealed with bloud and with death Howbeit this is to be knowne as Augustine putteth vs in minde that the paines and punishmentes or death make not martirs but the cause For otherwise manye suffer many gréeuous things which yet are not martirs for the same Augustine to Bonifacius of the correction of the Donatists and in many other places testifieth that there were in his time Circumcelliones a furious kinde of men which if they coulde finde none that would kill them oftentimes threw themselues downe headlong and killed themselues These men saith hée are not to be counted for martirs Wherefore there séeme to be thrée things required to cause a man to be a martir First that the doctrine which he defendeth be true and agréeable with the holy Scriptures The second is that there be ioyned integritie and innocencie of lyfe that he not onely by his death but also by his lyfe and manners doe edifie the Church The third is that they séeke not to dye for boasting sake or desire of name or fame c. Pet. Mar. vpon the Rom. fo 233. How Martirs ought not to be worshipped Cyrillus in his sixt booke Contra Iulianum sayth We neyther say that the holy Martirs are Gods neither are we wont to worship them but rather we doe honour them with laudes and praises because they did stoutly fight for the truth y● they might keepe the sinceritie of faith MASSE How the Masse as they call it was vsed at the first FIrst they sayd Confiteor and acknowledged themselues to be sinners And then the Priest prayed in generall for all estates and degrees and for increase of grace and in especially if neede required Unto which prayers the people harkened and sayd Amen And then the Gospell and glad tidings of sorgiuenesse of sinnes was preached to stirre our faith and then the Sacrament was ministred for the confirmation of y● faith of the Gospell and of the testament made betweene God and vs of ●orgiuenesse of sinnes in Christs bloud for our repentance and faith As ye sée how after all bargaines there is a signe thereof made eyther clapping of hands or bowing a pennie or a grote or a peece of golde or giuing some earnest And as I shewed you after a truse made they slewe beasts for a confirmation And then men departed euerye man to his businesse full certified that their sinnes were forgiuen and armed with the remembraunce of Christs passion death for y● mortifieng of the flesh all the day after And in all these was neither the Sacrament neither other ceremonies of the Masse Image seruice to God holy déeds to make satisfaction for our sinnes or to purchase such worldly things as the Gospell teacheth vs to despise And now compare this vse of the Masse to ours sée whether y● Masse be not become y● most damnable Idolatry Image seruice that euer was in the world Tindale fol. 427. How the Popish Masse is falsified vpon S. Iames. The Papists doe bragge that S. Iames did vse their manner of Masse at Hierusalem S. Marke at Alexandria and S. Peter at Antioch But they haue no historie touching this matter worthy Though they vsed y● Lords supper as Christ our Maister did and as Paule also at Corinth yet they did not vse it as the péeuish Papists doe now the Masse That Ignatius Policarpus Ireneus make mention of is not like the popish Masse They confesse y● Basilius Magnus Hierome Ambrose vsed an other order in the administration of the Lords supper then is now vsed and that diuerse haue vsed diuerse fashions therin by their owne words Therefore it is manifest that this kinde of Massing is not the ordinance of Christ but inuēted by mans wit and pollicie without the word of God Thus saith the prechers of the Gospell at Basil. Bibliander S. Gregory saith that the Apostles had no peculiar manner in celebrating the Masse but that they only sayd y● Lords praier whose words be these The manner of the Apostles was y● onely at the saieng of the Lords praier they consecrated the sacrament D. Barnes fol. 356. By whom the Popish Masse was patched Who so list to know the often alterations and chaunges of
beléeue but to them that beléeue not And plainly to argue that a thing is good because a miracle is shewed by it or else to approue a present vse by that which néedfully sometime was done hath too many absurdities and inconueniences to bée yéelded to D. Calfehill Whether we should beleeue miracles If onely the word of God is to be beléeued why said Christ that if they would not beléeue him they should yet at the least beleeue his works To this we aunswere that miracles are as testimonies by which men are the easilier brought to beléeue so that they are things by meanes whereof men beléeue not that faith is directed vnto them as vnto his obiect although as touching the miracles of Christ of the Apostles we must beléeue y● they were done by God not by Belzabub or by the diuell as the Pharesies slaunderously reported and this is conteined in the word of God for it giueth testimony y● these miracles should be wrought that they were wrought in their due time namely in the preaching of the second doctrine c. Pet. Mar. vpon the Rom. fol. 326. In olde time it was knowne by miracles who were the true Christians and who the false but nowe the working of miracles is taken quite away and rather found among them that be false Christians Why miracles be not done now a daies To these that demaund this question why is not miracles done now a daies by the ministers of Gods word Aunswere Because that the glorie of Christ truth of Gods word was confirmed by miracles long agoe which being done they haue discharged their duetie Hemmyng Pope Leo maketh them answere thus ye foolish Scribes wicked Priests the power of our sauiour was not to be shewed at the discretion of your blindnesse God sheweth his miracles when and where and to whom he will Whosoeuer requireth miracles to bring him to the faith is himself a great miracle that the world beléeuing remaineth still in vnbeliefe How Miracles are wrought by the diuell In the end of time power shal be giuen to the diuel to work profitable signes and miracles so that then we cannot knowe the mysteries of Christ by that they work profitable miracles but by that they worke no miracles Let no man say saith S. Austen therfore it is true for that this man or that man hath wrought this or that miracle or for that men make their praiers at the tombs of the dead and obteine their desire or for that these or these miracles be wrought there c. Away with these things they may be either the iuglings and mockeries of deceitfull men or else illusions of lieng spirits S. Austen saith Contra istos c. My God hath warned me to beware of those mongers of miracles saieng In the last day shall rise vp false Prophets working signes wonders to the end of it be possible to bring the elect to errour behold I haue forewarned you therfore the bridegrome hath willed vs to beware for we may not be deceiued no not by miracles Alexander of Halys saith In the sacrament it selfe there appeareth flesh sometimes by the conueiance of men sometimes by the working of the diuell Nicholas de Lyra saith sometime in the Church the people is shamefullye deceiued with feined miracles wrought either by the Priestes or else by their companions for lucre sake S. Austen saith to Faustus the Maniche ye worke no miracles and yet if ye wrought anie at your hands we wold take heede of them The Prophet Ieremy saith They haue deceiued my people by their lies and by their false miracles These wonders which they call miracles be wrought daily in the Church not by the power of God as many one thinke but by the illusion of Satan rather who as the Scripture witnesseth hath bene loose now abroad 500. yeares according as it is written in the booke of the Apocalips after a thousand years Satan shall be loose c. Neither are they to be called miracles of true christian men but illusions rather whereby to delude mens mindes to make them put their trust in our Ladie and in other Saints and not in God alone to whom be honour and glory for euer Bilney in the bo of Mar. fol. 1140. Vulgus hominū c. The common people saith he estéemeth Saints by miracles counteth him the greater that hath done m● miracles but they erre manifestly that so iudge Miracles are indéed to vse S. Paules words the operatiō of great works the gift of the holy Ghost But heereon they are not onely estéemed Saints else the blessed virgin and Iohn Baptist were of all Saints y● least that are dead to haue wrought no miracles We may not therefore esteeme Saints héerevpon Moreouer oftentimes miracles are giuen to the euill for many shall say in y● day Lord Lord haue we not cast out diuels in thy name and I shall say vnto them I haue not knowne you Why Christ did not many miracles in his owne country And he did not many miracles there● c. ¶ Christ might haue wrought miracles yea though they beleeued not but he did not work many y● for their own profit Least if he had done there as he did in other places their condemnation should haue ben greater Sir I. Cheeke How to know true miracles from false Euen as we take those Sacraments for true Sacraments ceremonies which preach vnto vs Gods word so do we account these for true miracles only which moue vs to harken vnto y● word of God Other rule thē this to discerne thē by ther is not namely y● the true are done to prouoke mē to come harkē vnto Gods word and y● false to confirme doctrine y● is not gods word How faith grounded vpon miracles abideth not What a multitude came out of Aegipt vnder Moses of which the Scripture testifieth y● they beléeued moued by y● miracles of Moses Neuertheles y● scripture testifieth y● vi hundred thousād of those beléeuers perished through vnbeliefe left their carcasses in the wildernes neuer entred into y● land y● was promised them Iudas beléeued because of Christ his miracles Symon Magus beléeued through occasion of Philips preaching but Peter sayde that his heart was not a●ight with God Act. 8. How false teachers shall deceiue by nothing more then by miracles Christ saith there shall arise false anointed and false Prophets and shall shew great miracles Also in the same chapter verse 5. Many shall come in my name c. by the which words it appeareth that they must be in the church of Christ of them that shall call themselues Christians What the cause of false miracles is The cause of false miracles is for that they loue not the truth and therfore God hath promised by S. Paule to send them abundance of false miracles to stablish them in lies and to deceiue them lead them
had compassion on them Thē was the day of their birth And in like case after the destruction of Hierusalem and in their imprisonment at Babylon at both these times were they motherlesse helplesse concerning their owne strength but were yet cared for of God and receiued by his mercie The Prophet borroweth his fashion of speaking of the manners of mothers after the birth of their children which first dresse their nauells and wash them with s●lt then swadle them c. Such helpe had Israel none in his aduersitie in Aegypt and Babylon but lay ouer whelmed in their filthines miseries were regarded as bastards vnworthely intreated of all men Ther was no man but only God that tooke thought for them and that he onely of his méere mercie without anye of their deseruings T. M. NAZARAEANS What these Nazaraeans were in their opinions THe Nazaraeans were such as vsed no liuing creatures they abhorred the eating of flesh They allowed of Moses and of y● law written by him but they denied y● the. 5. bookes vnder his name were written by him affirming themselues to haue foūd other bookes Epiphan li. 1. Tom. 1. heraes 18. ¶ Nazaraei were Iewes which beléeued in Christ so called themselues of Nazareth They contraried the Iewes in that they confessed Iesus to be the sonne of God They erred in christian religion for that they addicted themselues wholy to the obseruation of the whole lawe Epiph. heraes 29. NECENAS What he vvas NEcenas was a noble man in Rome and a great man with Augustus Caesar and so great a ●auourer and promoter and setter forth of V●●gil Horace and such other learned men that euer since his time all those that doe notably promote helpe or ●auour students or learned men are of his name called Necenates V dal NEGINOTH What it is TO him that excelleth on Neginoth a Psalme ¶ Among them that were appointed to sing the Psalmes and to play on the instruments one was appointed chiefe to set the tune and so begin who had the charge because he was most excellent and he began this Psalme on the instrument called Neginoth or in a tune so called Geneua ¶ Caluine doth take this word Neginoth for the chiefe master of the Quere And I do Saith he deriue this word Neginoth of Nagaz which signifieth to strike and therfore I doubt not but that it was an instrument of musicke whervpon it followeth that this Psalme was to be song not onely in an high note but also with plaieng vpon instruments which were ruled and ordered by the same maister of whome mention is made Cal. vpon the. 4. Psalme ¶ Neginoth signifieth the tune or note of the instrument where after the Psalme before which it is prefixed were song for the Psalmes were song at certeine instruments but so that the swéete tune melody of the instruments prepared the minde more perfectly to perceiue the worde of the holy ditie T. M. NEGLIGENCE What negligence is NEgligence is nothing else then a priuation of that ende●our which we ought to applye for the gouerning of things by it the will is weakened and the chéerefulnesse of the body is diminished Pet. Mar. vpon Indic fo 247. NEHILOTH What it signifieth NEhiloth signifieth by interpretation heritages or as some will a certeine instrument of musicke T. M. NEHVSTAN What Nehustan is and how the Serpent was so called And he called it Nehustan ¶ That is a péece of brasse thus hée calleth the Serpent by contempt which notwithstanding was sette vp by the worde of God and miracles were wrought by it yet when it was abused to Idolatrie this good king destroied it not thinking it worthy to bée called a Serpent but a péece of brasse Geneua NEIGHBOVR What this word Neighbour signifieth NEighbour is a word of loue and signifieth that a man should be euer nigh and at hande and readie to helpe in time of néede As the Samaritane was to helpe his neighbour that was wounded with théeues leauing behinde with his hoste two pence to bestow vpon him more if néede were signifieng thereby that h● was euerye where mercifull both present and absent without faining cloaking complaining or excusing and forsooke not his neighbour as long as he had néede Tindale Who is our neighbour Augustine doth proue by many arguments that euery man is to be vnderstood in the name of a neighbour and he hath respect therein vnto the fellowshippe and companye of our common nature But yet they which doe liue in places farre off from vs albeit they be man also that cannot for all that conueniently be called our neighbours which by any occasion are ioyned vnto vs so that their necessitie may be presented vnto our senses become able to receiue of our benefites and well doings August de doct Christ. chap. 30. Et libro de vera religi ¶ My neighbour is euerye man specially which hath néede of my helpe As Christ expoundeth it in the. 10. chap. of Luke Who although he hath done mée some wronge of hurt me by any manner way yet notwithstanding he hath not put off the nature of man or ceased to bée flesh and bloud and the creature of God most lyke vnto thy selfe brieflye he ceaseth not to be my neighbour As longe then as the nature of man remaineth in him so longe also remayneth commaundement of loue which requireth at my hande that I shoulde not despise mine owne flesh nor render euill for euill but ouercome euill with good or else shall loue neuer be as Paule describeth it ● Cor. 13. Luther vpon the Gal. How our neighbour ought to be loued Loue thy neighbour as thy selfe ¶ Indéede this is brieflye spoken but yet verie aptly to the purpose No man can giue a more certeine a better or a néerer example then a mans owne selfe Therefore if thou wouldest knowe how thy neighbour ought to be loued and wouldest haue a plaine example thereof consider well how thou louest thy selfe If thou shouldest be in necessitie or daunger thou wouldest be glad to haue the loue and friendship of all men to be holpen with the counsell the goods and the strength of all men and of all creatures Wherefore thou hast no néede of any booke to instruct and admonish thée how thou oughtest to loue thy neighbour for thou hast an excellent booke of all lawes euen in thy heart Thou néedest no schoolemaister in this matter Aske counsell onelye of thine owne heart and that shall teach thée sufficiently that thou ought to loue thy neighbour as thy selfe Luther vpon the Gal. fol. 245. NESTORIVS Of this mans heresie NEstorius the heretike by birth a Germaine yet Priest of Antioch was sent for by Theodotius to Constantinople and there made Bishoppe For his crueltie hée was called a fire-brand Hée brought from Antioch a Priest in his companye whose name was Anastasius which taught in the Church that Marie was not to bée called the mother
OTHONIEL How he was called the brother of Caleb THis Othoniel was called Calebs brother to whom Caleb gaue Achsa his daughter to wife for winning of Kari●h Sepliar that is the Citie of letters which kinde of marriage was forbidden by the lawe of Moses Leuit. 18. Therefore Othoniel did contrary to the lawe to marry his brothers daughter To this it is sayd that Othoniel was the naturall sonne of Kenes which Kenes was brother to Caleb which was the natural son of Iephune Now when Iephune the father of Caleb was dead Kenes married his mother which afterwarde had the charge of Caleb in bringing him vp wherefore Caleb notwithstanding he was the naturall sonne of Iephune was called the son of Kenes as in Iosua 14. 6. So that Othoniel was Calebs nephew and might therefore marry his daughter by the lawe Othoniel is héere none otherwise called the brother of Caleb but as Loth was called the brother of Abraham which indéed was Abrahams brother sonne As in Gen. 13. 8. Lyra. OVVNE Why Christ calleth the people of the Iewes his owne HE came in to his owne ¶ The Iewes were called Gods peculiar people because that although all Nations are his yet of his onely mercie he chose them to whome he would commit his holy word and Sacraments and among whom he would haue an open face of his Church In this place S. Iohn calleth them not his owne because they were his chosen but because they bare the name of his people and the title of his Church Traheron OXE Of the Oxe that treadeth out the corne NON alligabis os bouis triturantis in acca fruges tuas Israel thou shalt not mosell the Oxe that treadeth out the corne in the flore of the barne but forasmuch as he treadeth and as I might say thresheth out the Wheate so let him eate of the best and mosell him not Now this proposition beeing spoken litterally of the libertie that husbandmen ought to shew to their threshing Oxen Saint Paule doth drawe this proposition to an allegorie sense for where he had giuen a commandement to the lay brethren to be curteous and liberall to all them that did looke dilligently and tooke paines to teach and to instruct the congregation he rendereth as it were a cause of this his precept law by this place of the Scripture Dicit non Scriptura Non alligabis os boui trituranti Thou shalt not mosell the Oxe that treadeth out thy corne vnderstanding by the Oxe the Minister of Gods mysteries It cannot be denied now but this sentence Non alligabis os boui trituranti was first spoken of the Oxe that tooke paines for the profit of the husbandman Séeing then God would the Oxe to liue of his labours How much more then by all right and reason behoueth it them to liue liberally in this worlde by whose paines other men doe liue euerlastingly in the worlde to come So that the allegorie of this proposition Non alligabis hath a pretie quicke and a vehement kinde of probation to the purpose that Saint Paule went about more then the text spoke plainly which is this That the Ministers of spiritual things ought of duetie to reape temporall things Ric. Turnar Patience What true patience is THat which the latin Interpreters of the holy Scriptures haue translated Patience is in the Hebrue as much to say as farre from anger as we may perceiue in the Prouerbs and in Ecclesiastes In the Gréeke it is called Nouollone which signifieth sufferance patience Cicero in his booke De inuencione maketh a difference betwéene perseueraunce and patience And defineth perseuerance to be a stedfast and continuall abiding in a matter well considered and weighed and patience to be a willing and long sufferaunce of harde and painefull thinges for honesties sake and profite So that perseueraunts is the generall vertue whereby we doe constantly abide and procéede in all that which wée haue begunne vppon some good reason And that Patience is a kinde of perseueraunce when wée doe willingly and constantly suffer thinges that be harde painefull sorrowfull and to our losse I doe not mislike this definition of Cicero For euerye suffering of aduersitie ought not straight to bée called Patience for there is no man in the worlde but that he suffereth many thinges which he would not doe if hée could anye wise withstande it and yet we doe not call them all patience lyke as we doe not call them impatient neither which doe suffer no aduersitie but doe susteine it with euill will and discontented minde Therefore lyke as vnto patience there is requisite a willinge sufferaunce so it is vnpatiencie when we doe vnwillinglye striuing and with anger suffer that which we doe suffer And he did vpon a good consideration put in the definitiō of patience not onely the willing but the long sufferaunce also of euils for the vertue of patience consisteth not onely in this if the sufferaunce bée willing but there is requisite also a constancye in suffering You shall finde manye that be willing to suffer for a while but they bée soone gone and become impatient vnto them cannot be attributed true patience which is of that sorte that it must bée both willing and continuall Lyke as the fayth of them which doe beléeue for a time and do shrinke away at time of temptation is not true fayth nor their loue true which doe loue to daye and hate to morowe so it is no true patience neither if thou be patient for a season and within a while after do chaunge thy patience into impatiencie The truth of vertues cannot stand without constancie Musculus fo 522 ¶ This worde patience or patientnesse betokeneth not that men should become blockish so as they should haue no heauinesse at all nor be combred with anye griefe when they féele aduersitie but the vertue is when they canne moderate themselues and holde such a measure as they cease not to glorifie God in the middest of all their miseries nor be so ouercompred and swallowed vp with sorrowe and anguish as to quaile altogether but fight against their owne passions vntill they may be able to frame themselues to the good will of God and to say as Iob doth that he is righteous in all respects Caluine in Iob. fol. 29. How we ought to be patient vnder the Crosse. With your patience possesse your soules ¶ The soule is possessed that it perish not but is saued by patience if it through fayth in Christ doe patiently suffer in aduersitie Tindale ¶ Those possesse their soules in patience vnto whome God giueth a ioyfull minde vnder the crosse euen vnto the ende The Bible note ¶ Possesse your soules that is liue ioyfully blessedly euen vnder the crosse Geneua PAINTED VVALL How this place following is vnderstood GOD smite thée thou Painted w●●l ¶ By a figuratiue speach we call him a Painted wall which pretendeth himselfe to be one thing and is an other As if a man
the Saints washed their garments in the bloud of the Lambe The Pardons teache men to washe their garmentes in the bloude of Saints Leo Bishoppe of Rome writeth notablye well to the Padestines against these Sacri●edges Although sayth hée the death of manye Saintes hath béene precious in the ●ight of the Lorde yet the killing of no innocent hath béene the perpetuation of the worlde The righteous receiued but gaue no Crownes and out of the valyauntnesse of the faythfull are graue examples of patience not giftes of righteousnesse for their deathe it were euerye one singular to themselues and none of them did by his ende paye the debt of an other for as much as there is one Lord Christ in whom all are crucified all are dead buried and raised vp againe Which sentence as it was worthy to bée remembred he repeated in an other place Saint Austen speaketh no lesse fitlye to the same effect Though fayth hee wee bye bretheren for bretheren yet the bloud of no Martyrs is shedde for the forgiuenesse of sinnes Which thing Christ hath done for vs that wée shoulde followe him but hath giuen vs a thing to reioyce vppon Againe in an other place As onely the sonne of GOD was made the sonne of man to make vs with him the sonnes of GOD So hée alone for vs hath taken vppon him punishment without euill deserninges that wée by him might without good deseruings obteine grace not due vnto vs. Caluine is his Institu 3. 〈…〉 chap. 5. Sect. 2. and. 3. Pardons are not knowne vnto vs by the authoritie of the Scriptures but by the authoritie of the Church of Rome and of the Popes which is greater then the authoritie of the Scriptures O blasphemous mouth so to saye I. N. Thus I aunswere It cannot well appeare from whom Pardons first begunne Amonge the olde Doctoure and Fathers of the Church there was either no talke at all or very little talke of Purgatorie But as long as Purgatorye was not cared for there was no man that sought for Pardons for the whole price of Pardons hangeth vppon Purgatorye take awaye Purgatorye● and what shall wée néede of Pardons Pardons beganne when folkes were afraide of the paines of Purgatorie I. N. There is nothing in the Scripture lesse opened or wherof the olds learned fathers haue lesse written then Pardons Of Pardons there is no mention Alphe de Castro in his 8. booke or Pardons ¶ Looke Purgatorie PASSEOVER How the Lambe was called the passeouer FOr it is the Lords passeouer ¶ The 〈…〉 was called the passeouer that the very name it selfe should kéepe in memorie what was signified thereby which phrase and manner of speaking the Scripture vseth often calling the signe by the name of the thing that is signified As Gen. 16. b. T. M. ¶ The Lambe was not the passeouer but signified it As the Sacraments are not the thing it selfe which they do represent but signifie it Geneua ¶ This was the passeouer of the Iewes but our paschall Lambe is Christ as witnesseth Saint Paule 1. Co● 5. 7. The Bible note What the passeouer was The passeouer was an holy action ordeined by God in the killing eating of a Lambe partly to the end that the Church might kéepe in memorie the benefit which God did for them in the land of Aegypt to be a testimonie of Gods good will towards the faithfull to be a tipe of Christ and part●ye also togather all the p●r takers thereof into the fellowship of one body and to put them in minde to be thankfull and innocent Bullinger fol. 362. And they ●●ue the passouer ¶ The Scripture vseth in sundrie places to call the Lambe the passeouer which was but the signe of the passeouer Because in all Sacraments y● signes haue the names of the things signified How this place following is vnderstood There was no passeouer holden like that which Iosias held from the dayes of the Iudges that iudged Israel nor in all the dayes of the kings of Israel and the kings of Iuda ¶ This is onel● spoken in the respect of the multitude zeale of the people ●●ith the great preparation not because the passeouer was not all th●● time celebrated D. Whitegift fol. 9. Of the passeouer offering of the cleane and vncleane If a man be cleane and not let in a iourney and yet was negligent to offer passeouer the same soule shal perish from his people c. ¶ In like manner it is with vs in our spirituall Easter or passeouer whosoeuer doth not reuerently beléeue the redemption of mankinde which was throughly finished in the true lambe Christ and amendeth not his life nor turneth from vice to vertue in the time of this mortall lyfe shall not belong vnto the glorie of the resurrection which shall be giuen to the● true worshippers of Christ but shal be rooted out from the companie of the Saints T. M. PASSION What a passion is WHatsoeuer moueth the minde in an vngodly desire is called a passion as malice rancour ire enuie ambition couetousnesse lecherie pride hatred studie of praise studie of enuieng and such other which stirre akd moue the minde out of his naturall rest to loue or to hate without reason measure As when a body suffereth any torment we say we be in a passion So whē our minde suffreth any such inordinate desire we haue the mindes passion And euery such motion of minde out of his due course is called a passion Lupset What is now the passions and sufferings of Christ. Now ioye I in my sufferings which I suffer for you fulfill that which is behinde of the passions of Christ in my flesh c. ¶ Passions sufferings of Christ is the passions which we must suffer for his sake for we haue professed and are appointed to suffer with Christ. Iohn 20. 21. As my Father sent mée so send I you Tindale ¶ As Christ hath once suffered in himselfe to redéeme his Church to sanctifie it so doth daily suffer in his members as pertakers of their infirmities therfore a reuenger of their iniuries Geneua PASTOR Who are pastors and Shepheards PAstors or Shepheards are such as being endued with a singular gift know how to féed Christs hungry shéepe with his healthfull word as with most pleasaunt pasture how to heale them that be attainted how to bring backe them y● be astray to kéepe away the wolues from the Lords flocke These haue some certeine flocke committed to their charge which is the marke wherby they be discerned from the other afore And concerning these ther be diuerse things written by the Prophets and specially by Ezec. 34. 1. and also by Iohn 10. 11. 21. 15. And in the Act. 20. 28. Marl. vpon the Apoc. fol. 259. Looke Shepheard PATERNIANI What the opinions of these heretikes were PAterniani were heretikes which thought that the neather partes of mans bodie were made not by God but by the
meanes seperated from the vnbeléeuers Or inasmuch as it was with God from eternitie before men were borne Of this Paule speaketh writing to the Gala●hians that hée was sette aparte to preach the Gospell from his mothers wombe longe before hée was conuerted And vnto the Ephesians also he sayth that we were predestinate before the foundation of the worlde were layde And to the Romanes of the Twinnes he sayth before they hadde done either good or bad Iacob haue I loued and Esau haue I hated And we at this present speake of this eternall Predestination of God Wherefore the other is nothing but a declaration of this Predestination therefore maye bée taken both commonly and properly But forsomuch as God doth all thinges by an appointed Counsell and nothing by chaunce or fortune vndoubtedly whatsoeuer he createth or doth he appointeth to some ende and vse After this manner neither the wicked nor the Diuell himselfe nor sinners canne be excluded from Predestination for all these things doth God vse according to his will c. Pet. Mar. vpon the Rom. fol. 291. Augustine in his booke De Predestinatione sanctorum the 10. Chapter thus defineth Predestination that it is a preperation of grace And in the. 12. Chapter hée sayth it is foreknowledge and a preparation of the gifts of GOD by which they are certeinly deliuered which are deliuered but the rest are left in the masse and lumpe of perdition In an other place he calleth it the purpose of hauing mercye The Maister of the Sentences in the first booke Distinct. 40. defineth it to bée a preparation of grace in this present time and of glorye in time to come These definitions I reiect not Howbeit because they comprehende not the whole matter I will bring in an other definition more full as nigh as I canne I saye therefore that Predestination is the most wise purpose of GOD whereby he hath before all eternitie constantlye decréed to call those whome hée hath loued in Christ to the adoption of his children to iustification by faith and at length to glorye through good workes that they maye bée made lyke to the Image of the sonne of God and that as then should bée declared the glorye and mercye of the creator This definition as I thinke comprehendeth all thinges that perteine vnto the nature of Predestination and all the partes thereof maye be proued by Scripture Pet. Mart. vpon the Rom. fol. 292. Predestination wée call the eternall and immutable decrée of God by the which he hath once determined with himselfe what hée will haue to bée done with euerye man For he hath not created all to bée of one condition Or if we will haue the definition of Predestination more large wée saye that it is the most wise most iust purpose of God by the which before all times hée constantly hath decréed to call those whome hee hath loued in Christ to the knowledge of himselfe and of his sonne Christ Iesus that they maye bée assured of theyr adoption by the iustification of fayth which working in them by charitie maketh their workes to shine before men to the glorie of their Father so that they made conforme to the Image of the same God maye finally receiue the glorye which is prepared for the vessells of mercye These latter partes to wit of vocation iustification of fayth and of the effect of the same I haue added for such as thinke that wée imagine it sufficient that we bée predestinate howe wickedlye soeuer wée liue We constantly affirme the playne contrarye to wit that none liuing wickedly canne haue the assuraunce that he is predestinate to lyfe euerlasting yea though man and Angell woulde beare recorde with him yet will his owne conscience condempne him vnto such time as he vnfeinedly turne from his conuersation Knox. Who hath predestinate vs to the adoption of children by Iesus Christ. ¶ This is the true vnderstanding of Predestination that without anye merites or deseruings of ours yea afore the foundation of the world was laid GOD hath decreed with himselfe to saue through Christ all them that doe beléeue How Predestination was the first worke that God made God before the be●inning of the worlde did worke but onelye the worke of Predestination of the which Saint Paule sayth Ephesians 1. GOD hath predestinate and chosen vs to him through Christ our Lord before the foundation of the world was laide So that the work of Predestination was the first worke of God that we doe reade of in the scripture which was perfectly finished before the world began The second worke of God was the worke of creation that is of making all things of nothing Of this worke it is written Qui viuit in eternum creauit omnia semel He that liueth euerlastingly without beginning and without ending made all things at once By all thinges is vnderstoode the matter and substaunce whereof all thinges was afterwarde made which is called of Moses Coelum terram That vndigested and vnshaped and vnfashioned lumpe called of the Poettes Chaos whereof all the Firmament and the foure Elementes were afterwarde made that was made by the woorke of creation Idque semel and that all at once The worke of creation béeing ended God procéeded to the diuiding and setting of things in order which is called Opus distinctionis And in this worke we reade that GOD was occupied sixe daies This worke béeing ended almightie God ceased from making of any mo new things and yet he neuerthelesse worketh continually in the redressing in the preseruing and in the gouerning of the things that he hath made Indéede vpon the sixt day he made man and blessed him with the strength of generation in his posteritie vnto the end of the worlde by vertue of which blessing all men doe increase doe multiplye doe flourish and come into the world And yet notwithstanding that work of the sixt day God stil a pace worketh by his diuine prouidence gouerning of man wonderfully which is called Opus gubernationis for the which his worke we are bound euery man to praise him and to magnifie him according as we be taught by the prophet in the Psalme saieng in the person of Christ O Father Tues qui extraxisti me de ventre c. Thou art he y● tookest me out of my Mothers wombe Ric. Turnar No reason can be giuen why God did predestinate this man more then that but onely that it was his pleasure so to doe I aske how came it to passe that the fall of Adam did wrap vs in eternal death so many nations with their children being infants without remedy but because it so pleased God Heare their tongues which are otherwise so pratling must of necessity be dumb It is a terrible decrée I graūt yet no man shal be able to deny but y● God foreknew what end man shuld haue ere hee ●reated him therfore foreknew it because he had so
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
the winde doth signifie a man inconstant As in Math. 11. 7. and Luke 7. 24. Geneua What is meant by the brused Rede A brused Réede shall he not breake c. ¶ By the brused Réede and smoking flaxe the aduersaries of Christ the Scribes and Phares●es are vnderstoode whose power is likened vnto a brused R●ede and their fur●e wherwith they persecuted the innocent vnto smoking flaxe so that it had bene as easie for Christ to haue destroyed them as it is to breake a sunder a brused Réede or to quench smoking flaxe Some suppose that the same should be vnderstoode of the Publicans and sinners whom he did not contemne nor despise but mercifully called them vnto him Sir I. Cheeke A brused Réede c. ¶ That is he will beare with them that is infirme and weake Geneua READING What profit commeth of reading holy Scripture AVgustine sayth Reading cléereth and purgeth all things who will euer be with God must euermore pray and read Aug. de t●mpor sermo ● If we either read not the Scriptures our selues or bée not desirous to heare other read them then are our 〈…〉 dictnes turned into wou 〈…〉 and then where we might haue had remedy we shall haue iudgement Aug. Ser. 55. Heare me ye men of the world get ye the Bible that most wholesome remedy for the soule if ye will nothing else yet at the least get the new testament S. Paules Epistles the Acts that may be your continuall and earnest teachers Chr● vpon the Coll. in h● 9. Hom●● Isidore saith saith that reading bringeth great profit to the hearers Tertulian saith when ye come together to the reading of holy Scripture wée féede our faith with these heauenly voyces we raise vp our affiaunce wée fasten our hope And againe he calleth the reading of th● scriptures the féeding of our fayth Let one of you take in hand the holy booke let him call his neighbours about him by the heauenly words let him water their mindes and also his owne Chris. in Gen. hom 6. Being at home we may both before and after meat take the holy booke in hand thereof receiue great profit and minister spirituall foode vnto our soules Chris. in Gen. Homi. 10. Would God we would all doe according as it is written Search the Scriptures Origen in Esay Homi. 10. Harken not héereto onely héere in the Church but also at home let the husband with the wife the father with the childe talke together of these matters and both to and fro let them enquire and giue their iudgements and would God they wold begin this good custome Chrisost. in Math. Homil. 78. Looke Scripture REGENERATION What this word Regeneration importeth THis worde Regeneration importeth as much as a man might say new birth As if after that wée were once borne we are borne yet againe And therefore it importeth forthwith a reformation fo the man which is a rising againe from the dead which is wrought in the spirit as the last resurrection shall be wrought in the flesh Pet. Viret Regeneration standeth chiefly in these two points In mortification that is to say a resisting of the rebellious lusts of the flesh and in newnesse of life whereby we continually striue to walke in that purenesse and perfection wherewith we are clad in Baptime How Regeneration is taken in these places following Ye which followed me in the regeneration c. In this worke whereby the world is chaunged renued and regenerate or to ioyne this word with the sentence following and so take regeneration for the day of iudgement when the elect shall in soule and body enioy their inheritaunce to the end that they might know that it is not sufficient to haue begun once Geneua By the washing of the new birth ¶ Baptime is a sure signe of our regeneration which is wrought by the holy Ghost Geneua How this place is vnderstood Except a man be borne of water and spirit ¶ Nichodemus vnderstoode not the opinion concerning regeneration or newe birth of man Therefore our louing and mercifull Sauiour more plainely expoundeth these things which before he spake mystically teaching that to be borne againe is nothing else but to be borne of water and of the spirit and that the same is the true manner of regeneration But all men for the most part by this sentence of our Sauiour Christ vnderstand Baptime and many of them doe héereby make Baptime so necessary that they affirme it impossible for a man to attaine to saluation except he be washed with the water of Baptime so disorderly they include the assuraunce of our saluation vnder the signe when as the whole Scripture attributeth the grace and power of regeneration to the Holye ghost as maye appeare in diuers places of Scripture but specially by these places noted in the margent And as touching this place we ought to vnderstand the same simply of mans regeneration and not of Baptime For the purpose of Christ was to exhort Nichodemus to newnesse of life because he was not capable of the Gospell vntill he was a newe man Therefore this is the simple meaning of this place That it behooueth vs to be born againe that we may be the sonnes of God and also that the Holy ghost is the Author of the second birth Marl. vpon Ioh. fol. 66. REYNES What they signifie YE shall vnderstand that the reynes or kidneyes of a man is that intire part from which springeth chiefely the strength the desire of naturall generation which effect or desire in man because of all other effects it is the most mightiest therfore the Scripture vseth to call the secrets or the priuie thought or effects of a man by the name of the reynes or the kidneyes Insomuch as when the Scripture saith that God knoweth all our harts our thoughts then the Scripture saith Scrutans corda re●es Deus God is the searcher of hearts and reynes that is of the most priuie and secret thoughts that be in man R. Tur. Trye out my reynes and my heart ¶ By the heart and reynes will he signifie the delectations and affections of y● flesh which let him to follow God As in the Psa. 16. 7. T. M. ¶ My reynes also teach me in the night ¶ God teacheth me continually by secret inspiration Geneua ¶ Examine my reynes and my hea●t ¶ My very affections and inward motions of the heart Geneua Thou hast possessed my reynes ¶ Thou hast made me in all parts and therefore most needes know me Geneua Thou art néere in their mouth and farre from their reynes They professe God in mouth and denye him in heart which is héere meant by the reynes Esay 29. 13. Math. 15. 8. Geneua REIOICE Wherefore we should chiefely reioice REioice because your names are written in heuen ¶ Though we should worke miracles and cast foorth diuells yet ought
confusion superstition Idolatry impietie as Babilon the first Monarch was destroid so shal this wicked kingdome of Antichrist haue a miserable ruine though it hée great and séemeth to extend throughout all Europa Geneua And their corps shall lye in the stréets of the great citie which spiritually is called Sodome and Aegypt where our Lord was crucified ¶ Meaning the whole iurisdiction of the Pope which is compared to Sodome and to Aegypt because the true libertie to serue God is taken away from the faithfull and Christ was condemned by Pilate who represented the Romane power which should be enimie to the godly Obiection What impudencie is it to affirme that Christ was crucified at Rome and all the worlde knoweth he suffered death at Hierusalem Aunswere Rome béeing vnderstood for the Regiment c. As is aforesaid the proofe is euidently made that our Sauiour Christ suffered and was crucified at Rome Reasons to proue that Christ suffered at Rome By whom was he condemned was it not by Pilate the deputie or lieuetenant of the Romane Empire c For what cause or crime was he iudged to dye Was it not for treason pretended to be committed against the Romane Empire With what kinds of execution was he put to death Was it not such as was vsuall by the lawes of the Romanes for such hainous offences as were vniustlye layde to his charge Finally was not the place where he suffered within the circuite of the Romane Empire May not then iustly affirme that he was crucified at Rome when by the Romane Iudge he was condemned for a crime against the Romane state executed by a kinde of death appointed by the Romane lawes in a place of the Romane dominion As for the Iewes they had at that time no authoritie to put any man to death as they confesse themselues when Pilat● had them take him iudge him according to their owne lawe meaning they shuld decree some light punishment against him they aunswered It is not lawfull for vs to put any man to death he hath defe●ued to die As touching to cause although they accused him of blasphemy because he made himselfe the son of God yet could he not be condemned for that because Pilate wild admit no accusation but such as conteined a crime against the Romane lawes And as for the death of the crosse it is manifest to be prope● to the Romanes for the Iewes would haue stoned him if they might haue condemned him for blaphemie according to y● law● of Moses And that the Angell in that place by no meanes can vnderstand Hierusalem it is manifest by these reasons First that he calleth it the greate Citie which tearme coulde neuer bée spoken of Hierusalem Also vs calleth it Sodoma and Aegypt which was the Sea of the monsterons beast Antichrist which in other places is often called Babylon c. Adde héerevnto that Hierusalem the place where Christ suffered was vtterly destroyed in Saint Iohns time which wrote this reuelation For the second proofe sée the. 13. Chapter of this Reuelation and the. 17. chapter where this euill shapen beast is described with 7. heads 10 hornes Also sée Daniel the 7. Chapter describing the foure beastes especially the fourth beast which all men must confesse to be the Monarch of Rome which is the fourth Monarch The third Argument or proofe is taken out of the 17. chapter verse 9. of this Reuelation Where the Angell expounding to Saint Iohn the mysterie of the beast with seauen heads declareth in verye plaine wordes that the seauen heads do signifie seauen hills wherevpon the woman sitteth which al writers Poets historiers cosmographers with one consent do confesse to be Rome which is builded vpon 7. hills whose names are these Palatinus Capitolinus Auentinus Exquilinus Viminalis Quirinalis Caelius The Poet Virgil describeth Rome with this Periphrasis in his Georgikes Septem quae vna sibi muro circundedit arces Which hath compassed 7. hils within her walls The fourth and last proofe is taken out of the. 17. chapter of this Reuelation the last verse where the Angell expoundeth that the woman which Saint Iohn sawe which was the great whoore Babylon is that great Citie which hath cominion ouer the kings of the earth And what man is so impudent as to saye that anie other Citie in Saint Iohns time had dominion ouer the kings of the earth but Rome How Babylon is proued to bee Rome by the Doctours Ireneus one of the most auncient and autenticall writers that the Church hath in the fift booke of his treatise against all hereliks speking of the sea of Antichrist vpon the last verse vppon the. 13. chap. of this Reuelation where it is said y● the number of the beasts name is sixe hundred sixtie and sixe sheweth that the opinion of many in his time was that séeing this name Lateinos which is in English the Latin man or Romane in the numerall Gréeke letters conteineth this number that Antichrist must be sought at Rome his words are these Sed a Lateinos nomen fex centorum sexaginta sex numerorum c. Et valde verisimile est quoniam verissim regnum hoc habet vocabulum Latini enim sunt qui nunc regnant Also saith he this name Lateinos conteining the number of 666. is thought to be the name of Antichrist it is very like so to be for that which most vndoubtedly is a kingdom hath that name for they be Latines which now doe reigne Tertulianus a verye auncient writer in his third booke against Marcion which denied that Christ had a true bodye wherefore Tertulian vseth this reason against him That thing which hath a figure in it might bée a thing of truth so discoursing of many things figured and the figures of them commeth to these● wordes Si● Babylon apud Iohannem nostrum c. Euen so doth Babylon in the Apocalipsis of our Saint Iohn beare the figure of the Citie of Rome which is altogether as great and as proude in reigne● and as great a persecuter of the Saintes as Babylon was Chrisostome in his Commentaries vppon the seconde Epistle to the Thessalo●●ans Capter 2. in his fourth Homelye where as Paule speaketh of the manifestation of Antichrist sayth they knewe what was the cause that hée was not presentlye reuealed ● but when that staye is taken awaye hée shoulde bee r●●●●led in his due time Chrisostome 〈…〉 deth this staye too bee the Romane Empire which must giue place to Antichrist that like as the Persians came in place of the Chaldeans the Grecians in the place of the Persians and the Romanes in the place of the Grecians Euen so our Antichrist should inuade the Empire of the Romanes Vacantem imperi● principatum inuadit tentabit ad se capere hominum De● imperium Antichrist saith he shal inuade the vacant principalitie of the Empire and shall assay to drawe vnto
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
that his body was slaine and his bloud shed for thy sins beléeuest it so art thou saued iustified therby if not so helpeth it thée not though thou herest a thousand Masses in a day or though thou dost nothing els al thy life long then eat his body drink his bloud no more then it shuld help thée in a dead thirst to behold a bush at a Tauerne dore if thou knewest not therby the ther wer wine wtin to be solde Tin This word sacrament did not signifie the same with the olde Writers as it doth now in the Church for they call a sacrament the oth or religious bond which was of the strength of an oth So they called y● souldiers oth wherby they sware when they shuld go a warfare for the Common wealth that they would serue faithfully The souldiers sacrament as we may perceiue by Seruius and Vigetius in their bookes of warre matters Augustine defineth a sacrament in this sort The visible sacrifice saith he is the sacrament of the inuisible sacrifice that is to say the holy signe And againe A sacrament saith he is a visible forme of an inuisible grace c. Musc. fol. 272. S. Austen describeth a sacrament thus The word of God comming to the Element maketh the sacrament And againe in another place he saith A sacrament is a thing wherin the power of God vnder the forme of visible things doth worke secret saluation And the Master of the sentences doeth describe a sacrament none otherwise A Sacrament saith he is an inuisible grace and hath a visible forme and by this inuisible grace saith he I meane remission of sinnes In the b. of Mar. fo 1352. What the Sacrament doth signifie The signification and substaunce of the Sacrament is to shewe how we are fed with the body of Christ that is that like as materiall bread feedeth the body so the body of Christ nailed vpon the Crosse embraced and eaten by faith féedeth the soule The like representation is also made in the Sacrament of Baptime that as our bodies is washed cleane with water so is our soules cleane with Christs bloud How the sacrament is called the body of Christ. It is called the body of Christ that is to say it signifieth the body of Christ. Glosa de consecra dist 2. Hoc est The right consecrating of the sacrament The same Christ that did adorne and beautifie the Table is now present and he doth consecrate the same also For it is not men that doth make these things that be set before vs of the consecration of y● Lords table to be y● body bloud of Christ but the same Christ which was crucified for vs. The words are pronounced by the mouth of the Priest but the things are consecrated by the power grace of God This is saith he my body by this word are the things y● are set before vs consecrated And euen as y● voice which saith grow be multiplied replenish y● earth was but once spoken but yet doth at all times by the work of nature féele effect to generation so that voice also was but once spoken yet it giueth sure staye to the sacrifice throughout al y● tables of the Church euen to this daye from henceforth til his comming ¶ Chrisostome doth héere compare y● words y● Christ spake at y● insitution of his supper to the words y● God spake when he appointed man to be multiplied by generation affirmeth y● the same power y● worketh stil in the one doth stil work in the other also Not to charm out the substance of bread● to charme in y● substance of Christ vnder the accidēts of bread as you do teach meaning Watson But y● as by naturall order y● generation of mankind is continued according to the first voice so the inuisible graces y● wer promised by the death bloudshedding of our Sauiour Christ are by y● sacramentall vse of these creatures according to his commaundement continually preached to our senses and by ●aith receiued into our soules Crowley How the sacrament is a memoriall or signe of Christs death If Iesus haue not dyed whose memoriall and signe is this Sacrifice Thou seest what diligence he gaue that we shuld continually keepe in memory that he dyed for vs c. ¶ Héere Chrisostome calleth the Sacrament a memoriall or signe of Christ and that it was instituted to kéepe his death in perpetuall remembraunce And where he calleth it a Sacrifice he meaneth it to be a remembraunce of that holy sacrifice that Christ made vpon the C●osse once for all for he can be sacrificed no more seeing he is immortall I. Frith How the sacrament is receiued with our mouth Rabanus Maurus saith The sacrament is receiued with the mouth of our body but the body of Christ is receiued into the inner man and that with the spirituall mouth of our soule How the sacrament is more then bare bread or wine Our Bread and Cup be not of the common sort as in stéede of Christ bound togethers in eares of corne and twigs as they that is the Maniches do foolishly imagine but by vndoubted consecration it is made vnto vs mystical or sacramental bread it doth not growe such wherefore that foode that is not so made although it be bread and wine it is a nourishment of refection but not a sacrament of religion otherwise then that we blesse and giue thankes to God in all his gifts not onely spirituall but corporall also How the sacrament is made of two natures Ireneus saith that the Sacrament is made of two natures of an heauenly nature of a terrenall earthly nature now take away the substaunce of bread what earthly nature or substaunce remaineth in this holy Sacrament How sacraments are no cause of grace In Sacraments the onely promise of God by Christ both by word and signe are exhibited vnto vs which promises if we apprehende by faith then is the grace increased in vs and the gifte of God by faith receiued is by the Sacrament ●ealed in vs. What ought to be considered in sacraments S. Augustine saith in Sacraments we must consider not they be indéede but what they signifie All misteries or sacraments must be considered with inward eyes that is to say spiritually How the sacraments are holie whether the minister or receiuer be good or bad S. Augustin in this place against the Donatists shooteth not at this But whether Christs verye naturall bodie be receiued with our mouths but whether the Sacraments in generall bee receiued both of good and bad And he declareth that it is all one water whether Symon Peter or Symon Magus be christened in it all one Table of the Lord and one Cup whether Peter sup thereat or Iudas all one Oyle whether Dauid or Saule were annoynted therewith Wherefore he concludeth thus Memento ergo sacramentis Dei c. Remember
to make thee an Infidell and not to beléeue in Christ. Yea he séeketh as much as lyeth him to make God a lyar in whom not in thée is the certeintie of thy faith grounded F. N. B. the Italian How our saluation is neerer now then when we beleeued For now is our saluation néerer then when we beléeued ¶ The farther we go the néerer are we to the end now therefore our perfect and full saluation is néerer vnto vs then when we began first to beléeue The Bible note ¶ Before we beléeued it had ben in vaine to tell vs these things But now seeing our saluation is néere let vs take héede that we neglect not this occasion Geneua To worke out our saluation what it meaneth Worke out your owne saluation ¶ Our health hangeth not of our works yet are they said to worke out their health who doe runne in the race of iustice for although we be saued fréely in Christ by faith yet must we walk by the way of iustice vnto our health The Bible note ¶ Runne forward in that race of righteousnesse wherin God hath fréely placed you through Iesus Christ conducteth you his children by his spirit to walke in good workes so make your vocation sure Geneua SALVTE The meaning of these places following SAlute no man by the way ¶ This is spoken after the manner of a figure which men vse when they put downe more in words then is meant vsually among the Hebrues when they cōmaund a thing to be done spéedely without delay As Reg. 4. 29. For otherwise curteous and gentle salutations are pointes of christen duetie as for this calling it was but for a season Beza He willeth that they should dispatch this iourney with diligence not occupieng themselues about other dueties Math. 10. 12. Mar. 6. 10. Geneua When Heliah sent Gehazi his seruaunt to the Sunamite he charged him saieng If thou meete any salute him not and if any salute thée answere him not as though he shuld say Make spéed as nothing may let thée by the way Geneua SAMARITANES Of their opinions THE Samaritanes as Iosephus Antiq. li. 11. cap. vlt. denye the Iewes in aduersitie in prosperitie they call them cosins deriuing their pedigrées from Ioseph Ephraim Manasses c. They onely receiue the fiue bookes of Moses denieng all the prophesies after him They reteine all the Iewish ceremonies except the abhorring of the Gentiles They denie moreouer the resurrection of the dead Epiphan Praefae li. 1. de heraes SAMVEL How these words of Samuel in this place are to be vnderstood HOw can this be true that Samuel sayd to Saule I will not returne with thée and yet he went with him It is to bée vnderstood that Samuel spake it for the time present and not for the time following As our Sauiour Christ in the 7. of Iohn sayth I will not goe vp to the feast yet afterward he went priuely So Samuel intending not at that time to returne with Saul●● but after his minde being chaunged for certeine causes went with Saule Ly●a Of the raising vp of Samuel And Saule perceiued that it was Samuel ¶ To his imagination albeit it was Satan indéed who to blinde his eies toke vpon him the forme of Samuel as he can doe an Angell of light Geneua SANCTA SANCTORVM What the meaning of these words are THis bread and this cup are the holy things of the holy You sée that he saith not onely they are holy things but he addeth beside of the holy As if he would say This bread is not common to all men nor euery vnworthie but it is the bread of the holy How much more may we saye the same of Gods worde This worde is not of men or of euery body but of the holy There S. Chrisostome saith that the Priest was wont to shew forth the bread in the time of the holy mysteries and say Sancta sanctis holy things for the holy And this is the meaning of Sancta sanctorum SANCTIFIE What it is to Sanctifie SAnctifie to cleanse and purifie to appoint a thing to holy vses and to separate from vncleane and vngodly vses Tindale And for their sakes sanctifie I my selfe ¶ To sanctifie is to separate to diuine vses I sanctifie my selfe that is I dye for them that they by my death may bée filled with the spirit of sanctification and may bee made the holye vessels of God by the reuealed spirit of the Gospell Marl. vpon Iohn fol. 568. Sanctifie them with thy truth ¶ To sanctifie is to select and choose out a thing from a prophane vse to the true worshipping of God the faithfull then are by the truth of Gods worde sanctified that is to saye selected and chosen out from the stocke of Adam béeing cleansed by the bloud of Iesus Christ from the filthinesse of this world Christ doth sanctifie himselfe when he offereth himselfe vpon the crosse for vs. Heere we must note that Christ doth in this place pray as a very natural man and not as God Blessed the seauenth day and sanctified it ¶ Sanctifie in this place is as much to say as to dedicate and ordeine a thing to his owne vse As Exo. 13. 2. Tindale The meaning of this place following For both he that sanctifieth and they which are sanctified are all one ¶ That is to saie as well Christ that doth sanctifie as we that are sanctified be all of one Father which is Abraham whose seede Christ tooke vpon him and not Angels that so by offering of his body and shedding of his bloud he might sanctifie vs for euer Sir I. Cheeke ¶ The head and the members are of one nature So Christ which sanctifieth vs and wee that are sanctified are all one by the vnion of our flesh Geneua How our meates are sanctified For it is sanctified by the word of God and praier ¶ We confesse and acknowledge that God is the maker and giuer of these creatures which we vse Secondly that we are of y● number of those who through Christs benefits haue receiued that right ouer all creatures that Adam lost by his fall Thirdly by our praier we craue of the Lord that we may vse those meats with a good conscience which we receiue at his hands Fourthly we make an ende of our eating and drinking with thankes giuing and praier so are our meates sanctified vnto vs. Beza SANCTVARIE Of the praiers made in the Sanctuary MIttat tibi auxilium de sancto de Syon tueatur te The Lord send thée helpe from the Sanctuary and strengthen thée out of Syon ¶ This is a praier for the King and the second verse of the. 20 Psalme And albeit the power of God is as ready and as able to helpe vs calling vnto him in the broade fields or in the wilde woods with seruent faith as if wee make our prayers in the Sanctuary that is the holy place
represented by the Paschall Lambe should abstaine from leauened bread Yea how dare your Priests eate anye leauened bread at anye time sith that they doe eate and drinke the bodie and bloud of Christ almost euery day How the Lords death is shewed As often as ye shall eate this bread drinke of this Cup ye shall shew the Lords death c. ¶ The Lords death is not shewed except both parts of the Sacrament be ministred because in his death the bloud was diuided from the bodie it is necessary that the same diuision be represented in the supper otherwise the supper is not a shewing of the Lords death Latimer SHOE What Gods shooe is OUer Edom will I stretch out my shooe ¶ Edom is the earth The Apostles féete be his shooes for it is writtē How bewtifull are the feete of them which bring glad tidings of peace He stretched out his shooe vppon the earth when he sent them to preach to all creatures for their sound went into all lands their words to the ende of the world SHORT LIFE How short life is not a generall rule of Gods indignation IT is a certaine token but no sure token of Gods indignation when a man is snatched away with vnripe death in his flourishing age Then what shall we saye to the sentence written in the Booke of Sapience 4. chapter The iust man is snatched out of this world that the mallice of men and wickednesse of the worlde shoulde not tourne his minde and least lyeng should deceiue his soule And againe The righteous man what death soeuer he be preuented withall his soule shall go to rest The Innocents that Herod did murther for Christs cause Iohn Baptist whom he did behead are the blessed Martirs of Christ. This must néedes be graunted y● sometime God taketh out of this world the righteous onely because the world is not worthy to haue them among them sometime least the mallice lewd example of men shoulde tourne their hearts to vngodlinesse But now this taking away of righteous men out the world is not a rule nor an order generall that God vseth with men but it is onely Per accidens because that troublesome times are at hand as of famine warres and such others and in such perticular cases It is true that Christ saide Beati sterilis c. Happye are the barren and the wombes that neuer bare c. And yet the rule generall of all women is this that fruite of their wombe is a blessing the contrary a woman to be barren is a displeasure a plague more grieuous to them then pouertie or hunger Ric. Turnar SICERA What kinde of drinke it was THis Sicera as Hierom writeth to Nepotianus was a kinde of drinke much like vnto wine which was made either of Wheate or of Apples or of Dates or els of other fruits Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 202. SICLE What a Sicle is A Sicle as Iosephus saith cōteined 4. drams of Athens And a dran● of Athens as Budens gathereth in his booke de ass conteined 3. shillings of Towers A shilling of Towers is y● half part of a Ba●se Wherefore a dram was as much in value as a shilling of Argentine that is thrée halfe Batses that is foure shillings But there were two manner of Sicles one was vsuall and prophane and the other was of the Sanctuary The holy sickle was double so much as the prophane Wherefore Ezechiel in his 45. chapter verse 12. saith that a prophane sickle containeth 20. halfe pence but the sicle of the Sanctuary 40. Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 238. ¶ A Sicle was a péece of money in value worth 4. grotes equiualent with that which is called Stater whereof the halfe part of this sicle is two grotes that is to saye the 5. part of a French Crowne as they went in Fraunce as very exactly declareth the learned Master William Budns in his booke De Assi Marl. fol. 390. ¶ A Sicle after the Hebrues is an Ounce but after the Gréekes and Latines it is but th● fourth part of an Ounce and is contained 12. Geras as in Exo. 30. 13. which is ten pence sterling or thereabout T. M. Take 5. Sicles of euery head ¶ Sicles were of two sorts the one common the other belonging to the Sanctuary and that of the Sanctuary was double the waight of the common The common Sicle weighed two grotes and the Sanctuary Sicle 4. The Scripture in this place and in the 30. of Exo. us Ezechiel fortie and fiue saith that the Sanctuary Sicle doth weigh 20. Geras which the Grecians doe call Obolus and we in English an halfe peny when 8. grotes of our money was an ounce and the Hebrues do think that Obolus doth weigh the waight of 16. barly Cornes The Bible note SICHEM What Dauid meaneth by the deuiding of Sichem SIchem was the most richest and the most strongest Citie in all the Tribe of Ephraim wherof Isboseth was king ouer all Israel beside The Tribe of Iuda onely except which stucke vnto Dauid Now where the Prophet doth prophecie make his bost in God saieng Dominus loquutus est è sanctuario suo laetabor diuidam Sichem The Lord hath spoken it out of his holy place I will reioice and diuide Sichem is no more to say but that Dauid should conquere Sichem and be king therof and diuide it and lot it as Iosua did as all conquerours do when they conquer any countrey or lande And as Dauid shoulde conquere Sichem so was it saide that hée shoulde meate out y● valley of Sucoth for Dauid reioysing afore hand of Gods goodnesse towards him saith Ego vallem s●coth demetiar It is not Isboseth that shall long continue king of sucoth but it is I whome the Lord hath appointed to be king of sucoth and as I haue now sayd of sichem and sucoth so will I saye of Galaad and Manasses Meus est Galaad meus est Manasses Galaad is mine and Manasses is mine And to know what Sucoth Galaad and Manasses were ye shall vnderstande that sucoth was a vale nigh vnto the citie of sichem in the land of Canaan In the which vale Iacob pitched his tents after he had met his brother Esau and was departed from him And of his pitching his tents there the va●le had this name sucoth giuen him for Sucoth by interpretation and turning of the word into Latine is as much to say as Tabernacula Galaad was the name of a little hillocke as we read in Gen. 31. When Iacob fled away sodeinly and priuely from Laban his father in lawe with his wiues Lea and Rachel Then at the ende of seauen daies iourney Laban ouertooke Iacob in mount Galaad where he reproued him not onely of running away deceitfully but also of theft which when he coulde not proue Laban cooled himselfe and so did shake hands with Iacob And in witnes of friendship of vnfeined reconciliation
shall be vp waked c. ¶ To dye is not els but after labour ● wearinesse of body to go to bed and sléepe and so to rise vp early more fresh and lustie by which vprising he describeth our resurrection By sleep is vnderstood the rest of our bodies in our graues for our soules sléep not but be receiued into the handes o● our Father in heauen blessed with Christ in the fruition of his pres●nce by the rising vp again in the morning is vnderstood y● resurrection of our dead bodies vnto life eternal our soules ioyned againe to them Melan. vp Da. ¶ Meaning all shall rise at the generall resurrection which thing he heere meaneth because the faithfull shoulde haue ●uer their respect to that for in the earth there shall be no sure comfort Geneua How God is said to sleepe God is said to sleepe when Christ laye dead in his graue whose death is called a swéete sléepe of ●eremie or els when he is slowe to helpe his elect out of trouble as in the Psa. 44. 23. Arise wherefore dost thou sléepe O Lord. SLIME What Slime was SLime was their mortar ¶ That slime was a fatnes y● issued out of the earth like vnto tarre thou maist call it Sement and if thou wilt In the 14. Chap. verse 10. ye shall read of Slime pits SMYRNA What Smyrna was ANd vnto Smyrna ¶ This was the famous Citie of all Ionia by the record of Plinie in his 5. Booke and 29. Chapter and of Strabo in his 14. Booke This word Smyrna soundeth as much as Myrrhe Marl. fol. 19. SNARE What the snare signifieth FRom the snare of the hunter ¶ The snare héere signifieth al naughtie doctrine whether it be taken of the Scripture euil expounded or of the euill inuentions of men As in the Psa. 69. 22. and 119. 110. T. M. That is Gods helpe is most redy for vs whether Satan assaile vs secretly which he calleth a snare or openly which is heere ment by the pestilence Geneua The meaning of this place following Let their Table be made a snare to take themselues withal ¶ That is let their opinion and doctrine be the cause of their stiffenesse and destruction as it is come to the Iewes Ro. 11. 9. The Hebrue Paraphrast saith thus Let such a dinner be sette before them wherevnto they may be so bound that they cannot escape The Scripture is a snare vnto the vngodly wherewith they be trapped although they be neuer so wel learned for only the spirituall perceiueth the meaning On the other side vnto the godly though they haue neuer so little learning it is the Riuer of the water of life Iohn 7. 38. T. M. ¶ The Iewes carry about in their hands the bookes of Moses and vnderstand them not they read the Prophecies denie that in thē is promised But where vnto maketh this some man will say They are blindfolded they are snared they be bowed downe and become deafe Eras. in his Paraphrase SNOVV Of the ingendring of snow WHen God couereth the whole earth with snow whence taketh he so great quantitie of waters Truly men will it is ingendered in the middle roomth of the ayer which is colde that when a great quantitie of vapours be drawen vp thether at length the same commeth together and fréeseth and thereof ingendereth the snow and if the same stuffe be more harder bound then is hayle ingendered because y● thing is become more fast and substantiall c. Cal. vpon Iob. fol. 704. Snow is a Cloud congeled by great cold before it be perfectly resolued frō vapors into water Snow is white not of the proper colour but by receiuing the light into it in so many smal parts as in fome or the white of an Egge beaten Snow is often vppon high Hills lyeth long there because their tops are colde as they be neare to the middle region of the ayer For oftentimes it rayneth in the valley when it snoweth on the Hills Snowe melting on the high hills and after frosen againe becommeth so hard that it is a stone and is called Christall Sléet is generated euen as Snow but of lesse colde or els beginneth to melte in the falling Snow causeth things growing to be fruitfull increase because the colde driueth heate into the rootes and so cherisheth the plants W. Fulee SOLD What it is to be sold vnder sinne BUt I am carnall sold vnder sinne ¶ Lyke as bond-men are violently thrust hurled turmoiled as it pleaseth their cruell master so are we through heapes of sinnes draw●n to many euill doings which we neither doe lyke nor allow The Bible note ¶ Read 3. Reg. 21. 20. of Achab. SONNE OF MAN What is ment by the Sonne of man BEcause he is the Sonne of man ¶ To be the Sonne of man according to the phrase of Scripture is nothing els then to be a very man euen as that he is said to be the Sonne of God is meant that he is very God The meaning of Christ is that he came foorth vnto men adorned with such power that hée might communicate and bestow that vpon them which he had receiued of his father And in that he is man he was ordeined by the Father to be the Authour of lyfe least we shoulde séeke him a farre off For Christ hath not receiued any thing wherof he himselfe stoode in néede but rather to make vs rich with his abundaunt treasure The summe and meaning is that in the man Christ the same is reueled vnto vs which was hidden in God and the life which men before could not attaine vnto is now at hand Also it is worthy to be noted y● when he might haue said because he is man he chose rather to saye because hée is the Sonne of man Let this serue our faith against those that teach that Christ tooke flesh not of the Uirgin Mary y● is to say of the séede of Abraham which the whole Scripture teacheth but that he brought the same with him from Heauen But Christ héere plainely calleth himselfe the Sonne of man not man onely Marl. vpon Iohn fol. 168. But the Sonne of man hath not whereon to rest his head ¶ Christ calleth himselfe the Sonne of man that is very natural man shewing in that his humilitie goodnesse which humbled himselfe to the death of the Crosse for our saluation Tindale Whosoeuer speaketh a word against the Sonne of man c. ¶ To speake a word against the Sonne of man is to be offenwith the humanitie or manhoode of Iesus Christ for his humble and lowe degrée as were manye of the Iewes Tindale Behold one lyke the Sonne of man came in the cloudes ¶ Which is ment of Christ who had not yet taken vpon him mans nature neither was the Sonne of Dauid according to the flesh as he was afterward but appeared then in a figure and that in the Cloudes that is being seperate from the common sort
SVSPENTION What Suspention is SUspention is the censure of the Eldershippe whereby one is for a time depriued of the Communion of the Sacraments Often this sorte are forbidden which as yet make profession of religion And in olde time among the Iewes the vncircumcised whether they were straungers or Iewes Exo. 12. 48. 49. Thus with vs they were by the same reason to bée debarred for a time which haue not embraced true religion or embracing make no profession thereof They also are put backe which professing religion commit any haynous crime for thus in times past the vncleane although not with greatest pollution were put of for a time as namelye those that were vncleane by touching of a dead bodye Num. 8. which after the same manner ought to bée obserued with vs. Neither it is doubtfull but when as Christ hath warned that he against whome a brother is offended shoulde not offer his gifte vntill hée were reconciled if hée doe it not of his owne frée will if the offence be knowne ought to be by the authoritie of the Senate compelled therevnto SVVEARING Why the Iewes were suffered to sweare by the name of God IN the olde lawe the Iewes in an earnest iust weightie cause were permitted to sweare in the name of God but not by all manner of creatures least they dwelling among the Heathen and accustoming their othes shuld by continuance of time fall into the filthy worshipping of their Idolls forgetting God Sweare by his name saith Moses Deut. 6. 13. and see that ye walke not after strange Gods of the Nations y● you remaine among So that ye neither make mention saith Iosua 23. 7. nor yet sweare by the names of their Gods Who sweareth aright They sweare iustly being required of the Magistrates which minding fraud nor deceit witnesseth onely the truth Which séeketh no parcialitie but the right not themselues but the glory of God the profit of their neighbour and the Common-wealth of Gods people What swearing is lawfull And sweare by his name c. ¶ To sweare that which is true in a cause of faith either to the honour of God or profit of thy neighbour is lawfull and then will Moses that the oth bee made in the name of God By which he meaneth that if we must néedes sweare we referre the oth to God onely although thou sweare by a booke or other thing as Paul did by his conscience Rom. 9. 1. T. M. And shall sweare by his name ¶ We must feare God serne him and confesse his name which is done by swearing lawfully Geneua To sweare by the Lord and to the Lord are two things And they sweare to the Lord c. ¶ To sweare vnto the Lord is to giue thy selfe wholly to him with a pure hart which thing true worshippers do as is said of Dauid Psal. 132. 2. But to sweare by the Lord is to call on the name of the Lord as a witnesse and Iudge as it is said Iosua 2. 12. T. M. Thou shalt not forsweare thy selfe ¶ As we are forbidden to take the name of God in vaine or to sweare by any manner thing giuing the honour and glory vnto creatures that ought to be ascribed onely to God the Creator so when we are called before Magistrates we may lawfully take an Oth and sweare the Lord liueth Exo. 32. 8. 9. 10. 11. Deut. 6. 13. Heb. 4. 3. Rut. 1. 17 1. Reg. 20. 3. Sir I. Cheeke All priuate swearing is forbidden Sweare not at all saith Christ but let your communication be yea yea nay nay ¶ He saith twice yea and twice nay that is yea in heart and yea in mouth nay in heart and nay in mouth And if men when you meane truly will not beléeue you by your yea and nay let them take héede saith S. Basil ●or they shall tast the paine that belongeth to the vnbeléeuers therfore it is both foolish and damnable when a man cannot be beléeued by yea and nay without an oth because he wold be beleeued to sweare The Gospell saith S. Hierom permitteth no manner of priuate swearing because the whole language of a Christian should be so faithfull true and perfect that euery sentence thereof shall be able to stand for an oth How customable swearing is daungerous Of customable swearing commeth the damnable vice of peri●●●e If a man shall vse commonly to sweare he cannot chuse but many times damnably to forsweare himselfe That a man hath in custome● he shall doe at all times but he shall not at all times refraine it The Lord saith Moses will not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his name in vaine Deut. 5. 11. Exo. 20. 7. A man that vseth much swearing saith Iesus Sirach shall bée full of iniquitie and neuer shall the plague depart from his house All théeues and swearers are vnder one curse of God saith Zachary Stoned was he by the law that blasphemed the name of the Lord in Israel The Doctors against swearing Tell vnto me my friend saith Iohn Chrisostom what do●● thou pro●●te by thy swearing If thine aduersary shuld thinke thée to sweare aright he would neuer compell thee to it but because he thinketh thee thereby to become a peri●rer therefore enforceth he thée to an oth Seldome hath the priuate oth a good conclusion But happely thou wilt say I cannot ●●ll my wares vnlesse I doe sweare or my debter beleeueth me not vnlesse I make him an oth Wherevnto I aunswere rather be content to haue thy wares vnsolde and to loose thy money then thy saluation in Christ. Reason faithfully with conscience and let thy soule be more deare vnto thee then thy corruptible substaunce For though thou loose part of thy substance yet maist thou liue but if thou loose God thou canst not liue A greater reward shalt thou haue for loosing of it in the feare of God then if thou hadst giuen it in almes for that is done in paine for the loue of the Lord requireth a more worthy crowne then that is done without paine Moreouer I counsell thée as my friend saith Chrisostome if thou be a true Christian that thou neuer compell any other man to sweare For whether he sweareth right or wrong thou art not without daunger afore God considering that Christ whose seruaunt thou oughtest to be hath giuen thee a sore commaundement to the contrary Beside that though his oth were true yet is not thy conscience cléere from periury for so much as the matter being doubtfull vnto thée thou puttest him to the daunger thereof And if it were false then hast thou enforced him to periury and so for lacke of Christen charitie lost both his soule and thine owne for whom Christ suffered his death Worse is he saith S. Austen then an homicide that compelleth a man to sweare whome he knoweth to forsweare himselfe For the homicide slayeth but the body whereas he slayeth the soule yea two soules rather That is to
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
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
office without blaspheming of Christ. Furthermore he hath redéemed vs without the helpe of Saints why shal he not be whole Mediator without Saints redemption is the chiefe act of a Mediatour D Barnes If any man doe sinne we haue an Aduocate by the Father Christ Iesus ¶ Heere is none assigned but Christ Iesus by him haue we onely remission of our sinnes D. Barnes The spirite of God maketh intercession for vs with mightie desires that cannot be expressed with tongue ¶ If the spirite of God make intercession for vs then haue we no néede of other Mediatours for he is able to obtaine all things for vs and hath taken this office on him for vs It were a great rebuke to him that Saints should be set in his steede and ioyned with him in his office as though he were vnsufficient D. Barnes Christ sitteth also on the right hand of the Father the which doth also pray for vs. Héere S. Paule saith That Christ praieth for vs can the Father of heauen denye and thing of his praier Doth not he aske things necessary for vs And as Scripture saith He is our wisedome he is our iustice he is our sanctification and our redemption made of God Now what resteth for Saints to aske What will you desire more then wisdome iustice sanctification and redemption All these hath Christ obteined for vs. D. Barnes Christ saith No man commeth to the Father but by mée ¶ Note these words First he saith No man c. Ergo as many as euer shall come to the Father of heauen be héere conteined Then addeth he But by me héere be all Saints and merites cleane excluded in this word But wherefore it is plaine that whatsoeuer he be that maketh any other Mediatour or goeth about by any meanes seeme it neuer so holy but by Christ onely to come to the Father of Heauen First he dispiseth Christ and if he dispise Christ he dispiseth also the Father which hath allowed him onely to be our Mediatour and waye to him as it is written I am the waye onely to the Father D. Barnes Whatsoeuer you aske in my name the Father shall giue it you ● Marke these words Whatsoeuer and that we should runne to none other he adddeth In my name Héere is nothing excluded but all things be giuen vs fréely and that for his names sake not for no Saints name nor for none of our merites Therefore let vs not run from the swéete promises of our most louing Sauiour Redeemer and onely Mediatour Iesus Christ to Saints for that is an euident token of our infidelitie and that we thinke him vntrue and will not fulfill his promise and make him a lyar D. Barnes Saint Paule saith He meaning the Father of heauen hath giuen his onely sonne for vs how canne it be that he shall not giue all things with him ¶ Marke he saith all things He y● saith all things excludeth not the tooth-ake D. B. All good things commeth from the father of light ¶ Héere they make a distinction that God is good onely for his owne nature and Saints are good by receiuing goodnesse of him Aunswere Saints haue no more goodnesse then they haue receiued and that that they receiued was for themselues onelye and canne giue none of it to other for they receiued it for themselues and no more then was necessarie and that but onely of mercye as it is open in Mathewe in the Parable of the fiue wise virgins and the fiue foolish Thus we doe openly against God when we desire anie thing of Saints séeing the Scripture knoweth all good things to come of God onely and that he is the onelye giuer of them All the Prophets and Fathers in all their tribulations cried vnto him as Dauid testifieth of himselfe saieng When I am in trouble I will crye vnto the Lord and hée will helpe me Psal. 120. 1. My helpe is of God that made heauen and earth Psal. 121. 2. Christ also himselfe teaching all creatures to pray biddeth vs not to go to any other but onely to the father of heauen Math. 6. 9. D. Barnes Obiection The Saints must pray for vs and be mediatours to God for vs that by them we may be able to receiue our petition This is Richards opinion De media villa Aunswere This is a great blasphemie to Christs bloud for if Saintes be necessarie to be mediatours for vs then is Christ vnsufficient For Philosophers did neuer put two causes when one was sufficient And if anie thing be giuen vs for Saintes sake then be not all things giuen vs for Christes sake The which is plainly against Saint Paules saieng Rom. 8. 32. God for vs all hath giuen his sonne and shall he not giue vs all things with him D. Barnes An other of his reasons If Saints when they were heere and not confirmed in grace did of their Charitie praye for vs Ergo now must they praye much more séeing they are now confirmed in Charitie Aunswere A reason without Scripture must haue a like aunswere The Saints when they were héere did of their Charitie cloath naked men and féede the hungrie and gaue drinke to the thirstie and visited them that wer in prison Ergo much more now for they be confirmed in Charitie Likewise Saint Paule when he was héere did of his charitie write Epistles and declare the veritie Ergo now must he much more write so that where afore he wrote but one now must he at the least write thrée or els he is not confirmed in Charitie D. Barnes Another like reason Lyke as a man cannot come to the speach of a King but that he must haue certaine Mediators as Dukes Earles and such men as be in fauour betwéene him and the King that may intreate his matter Aunswere Saint Ambrose aunswereth this reason thus Men are wont saith he to vse this miserable excusation that by these things we maye come to God as we maye come to Kings by Earles I aunswere We come vnto the King by the meanes of Dukes Earles because that the King is a man and knoweth not to whome he may commit the Common weale But to God from whom nothing can be hid he knoweth all mens merites we néede no spokes-men nor no Mediator but only a deuo●t minde D. Barnes ¶ Looke Saints Mediator IOB His name interpreted SOme interprete this name of Iob to signifie wéeping or wailing And other some take it for an vtter Enemie not such a one as he hateth but such a one as is as it were a white for m●n to shoote at Cal. vpon Iob. fol. 2. It is not knowen nor can be gessed in what time Iob liued sauing that it may be perceiued he was of great antiquitie Some of the Iewes haue bene of opinion that Moses was the Authour of his booke But forsomuch as there is no certaintie thereof it is left in suspense Yet it may be well perceiued by the Prophet Ezechiel that
the name of Iob was renowmed among the people of Israel For in his 14. chapter verse 20. hee saith That if Noe Iob and Daniel were among the people that should perish they should saue no mo mens liues but their owne and all the rest of the people shoulde bée destroied Also Saint Iames reporteth that he was of great patience So that by these two Ezechiel and Saint Iames it is plainelye shewed that there was a Iob indéede Caluine vpon Iob. fol. 1. Wherefore Iob curseth the day of his Natiuitie Let the daye perish wherein I was borne ¶ He curseth not his daye because he was weary of it as one desperate but rather wishing to be dissolued least by farther troubles he should be forced to offend God The Bible note ¶ Men ought not to be weary of their life and curse it because of the infirmities that it is subiect vnto but because they are giuen to sinne and rebellion against God Geneua And cursed his daye ¶ Héere Iob beginneth to feele his great imperfection in this battell betwéene the spirite and the flesh Rom. 7. 18. And after a manner yéeldeth but in the ende he getteth victorie though he was in the meane time greatly wounded Geneua ¶ Lyke as a man hauing an Impostume saith Chrisostome if he be cut of the Surgeon hauing nothing wherewith he may resist during the time of his curing holdeth fast the things that be nigh him and is readie to bite them that stand by him and yet can doe nothing vnto them euen so Iob fearing the grieuousnesse of blaspheming and cursing doeth wrong to vnliuely things and speaking after the manner of the common people which impute their miseries to the influence of the starres and to the daye of their birth curseth his daye that is testi●eth with cursing how bitter a lyfe he liueth and vnto how great miseries he was borne as we commonly saye in an vnhappy houre euen as though now a daies a man repenting his sinnes should saye Woe is mée wretch in an vnhappie houre was I borne which with my déedes haue denied my maker woe woorth it c. How God suffered Satan to smite Iob with sores And smote Iob with sore Byles c. ¶ This sore was most vehement where-with also God plagued the Aegyptians Exodus 9. 9. And threateneth to punish the rebellious people Deuteronomy 28. 27. So that this temptation was most grieuous For if Iob had measured Gods fauour by the vehemencie of his disease he might haue thought that God had cast him off Geneua How Iob doth not iustifie himselfe IF I will iustifie my selfe mine owne mouth shall condemne me ¶ Héere it is good to sée that Iob presumeth not of his owne righteousnesse but plainely confesseth himselfe vnrighteous and a sinner before God although before the world he had lyued blamelesse GOD looketh on the heart though men looke onely on the outwarde appearaunce His aduersaries thought that he should neuer haue had such a Crosse layed on him vnlesse then he had also outwardly and openly lyued in wickednesse To that aunswereth Iob in diuers places that he therein was not culpable and therefore accuseth as it were after the manner of men the iudgement of God concerning such as are outwardly righteous and stud●ous to lyue vertuously namely such as lyue without blame among men and that both intend and doe well to all men and yet are wrapped in manye miseryes and wretchednesse often-times ouer cruell And héerein lyeth the chiefe of the controuersie betwixt Iob and his aduersaries that Iob defendeth himselfe not to haue deserued his punishment by his outwarde lyuing whereas his aduersaries armed onely with manly and fleshly wit thinke God to be vnrighteous if he would so grieuously punish him that had not bene an outward sinner against him Iob his conscience bearing him witnesse had liued innocently and straightly and hurt no man had alwayes feared GOD and worshipped him onely his children had he also nourtured to the feare of God and coulde of no man be accused of wickednesse yet witnesseth he héere as all the godly doe that he was not vtterly without sinne for otherwise had he bene a lyar 1. Iohn 1. 8. If we say we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues the truth is not in vs. Wherfore in the place where he saith that he hath not deserued his punishment and that should séeme to shew him blamelesse knowe that hée speaketh of his outward manner of liuing not of the inward thoughts and desires of the heart where he was vndoubtedly an offender T. M. How this place of Iob is vnderstood O earth couer not my bloud c. ¶ That is as Rab Abraham expoundeth it Hide not my bloud so but that it may bée auenged let not the auengement thereof be vnknowen but open vnto all mens eyes as was the auengement of Dathan and Abiram whom the earth swallowed Nu. 16. 32. ¶ Let my sinne be knowen if I be such a sinner as mine aduersaries accuse me and lette me finde no fauour Geneua IOHN BAPTIST Of the buriall of Iohn Baptist. ANd his Disciples came and tooke vp his bodie and buried it ¶ How it was lawfull for the Disciples of Iohn to take away his bodie which was slaine it may well be demaunded because that Iosephus saith that he was beheaded in the Castle of Macheron Aunswere Some doe aunswere that the Disciples had accesse or lybertie to come to the Castle as appeareth in the 11. Chapter before when Iohn as yet laye bound in prison whereby it may be gathered that they were not prohibited But forasmuch as this did pertaine to the crueltie of the woman y● the bodie of the holy man should lye vnburied it is probable forsomuch as the Disciples tooke vpon them to burie it that it was cast out by souldiers of the Tyrant And although the honor or pompe of buriall profiteth nothing those that are dead yet notwithstanding it is the Lords will to haue the same reuerenced of vs. And truly it were farre from humanitie to suffer the dead to lye vnburied like the ca●kases of brute beasts for what sight can be more sorrowfull vglye or horrible then to sée a dead a mans body vnburied Furthermore buriall is a figure of the resurrection to come Wherefore this diligence of the Disciples of Iohn in comming to burie the bodie of their maister was acceptable vnto God Moreouer this seemeth much to confirme their godly mindes earnest loue which they bare to their maister when he was aliue for by this meanes they professed that the doctrine of this holy man Iohn remained yet in their hoa●tes This confession therefore was laudable and deserued no small commondation seeing it was done with daunger and great aduenture of perill because they could do no honour to their maister béeing put to death without prouoking great displeasure and outragious reuenge of the tyrant against them Héere we are taught what we owe to the dead bodies