17. The text And ⸫ they did all eate and had their fill The note The miraculous prouidence of God towards such as follow Christ into deserts prisons banishment or whether soeuer The answer Manie things besides may be noted as to giue thanks to God for his gifts though they séeme neuer so small or course and to marke that he can make so small a matter to suffice great multitudes and such like Luk. 9. 41. The text And Iesus answering said ⸫ O faithles and peruerse generation how long shall I be with you and suffer you The note Incredulitie hindreth the effect of exorcismes and other miraculous power giuen to the church The answer The power of myraculous working was granted to the church but for a time for the better confirming of men in the doctrine then deliuered The doctrine continuing one and the same new miraculous confirmations are not to be looked for Yet exorcismes in your church are verie common and how bad soeuer your popish priests are yet they must worke or else you beguile both your selues and others Luk. 9. 46. The text And there entred ⸫ a cogitation into them which of them should be greater The note Desire of preheminence is an humane infirmitie often euen among the good Against which Christ teacheth humilitie but forbiddeth not superioritie The answer Ambition in truth is a disease very common and good men very often haue béene therewith infected But for pride and preheminence ambiciously sought and tyrannously kept the pope hath no péere the diuell and great Turke onely excepted But by this it appéereth that the Apostles knew not which of them Christ had appointed to be greatest Luk. 9. 50. The text And Iesus said to him ⸫ prohibite not For he that is not against you is for you The note There be some that follow not Christ precisely in life and doctrine of whom we may make our aduantage toiâ—â—e propagation of Christs honor and religion when they do any thing for the aduancement thereof of what intention soeuer they do it The answer If you preached Christ and not your selues you might be the better borne with So his honor were aduanced your intentions néeded the lesse to be looked vnto But now you aduance the power of the pope the abilitie of fréewill and the valure of merits into the place of Christ the power of God to saluation to beléeuers and therefore are iustly prohibited Luke 9. 58. The text Iesus said to him ⸫ the foxes haue holes and the foules of the aire nests but the sonne of man hath not where to repose his head The note This man would haue followed him for temporall commodities and therefore was not suffered The answer This man then was méete to haue made a papist For it is plaine and euident that there was neuer any religion in the world deuised so gainefull and so apt and méete to bring in all maner of worldly coÌ„modities to the teachers thereof as popery Luk. 10. 1. The text And after this our Lord designed also other ⸫ seuentie two and he sent them two and two before his face into euery citie and place whether himselfe would come The note As the twelue Apostles did represent the higher degree of the cleargie called bishops So these seauentie two beare the figure of the inferiour cleargie called priests Beda The answer It is apparant and euident as well by the scriptures as by testimonie of antiquitie that at the first there was no such distinction of higher and lower orders of cleargie men called bishops and priests but that they were al one till for the better order of gouernment some one among a multitude of priests being chosen to gouerne guide and direct the rest had the name of bishop for distinctions sake giuen to him And therfore this prefiguring or representing that which then was not thought of is but a dreame of Master Beda But I maruell that Master Beda found no more of your cleargie orders there prefigured especially the pope and his cardinals belike the one was not growne then to his full height and the other scant hatched Luk. 10. 12. The text I saie to you it shall bee more tolerable for Sodom in that daie then for that citie The note Difference of pains and damnation in hell according to the difference of demerits August Lib. 5. cap. 5. contra Iulianum The answer It was néedlesse for you in this matter to quote your doctor considering that in it at this day so far I know you haue none aduersaries I hope you do not take hell for purgatorie nor make any of the differences temporall and then I sée no great cause to contend with you Howbeit in citing the place of Augustine either you delt very negligently or else you trusted your note booke too well for in the place you sende vs to Augustine hath no such thing Luk. 10. 13. The text Wo be to thee Chorozaim wo be to thee Bethsaida for if in Tire and Sidon had been wrought the myracles that haue been wrought in you they had done penance sitting ⸫ in sackcloth and ashes long ago The note True penance not onely to leade a new life but to punish the body by such things as heere be recorded for the ill life past The answer Who euer denied that penitent men should shew outward tokens of the greatnes of their inward sorrow conceiued for their sinnes or that they should not punish their bodie to the end that by not satisfieng the lusts and desires thereof it may be the lesse rebellious and more obedient to the spirit But all this is farre from that which you imagine concerning satisfieng by that meanes for ill life past Luk. 10. 16. The text ⸫ He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me The note It is all one to despise Christ and to despise his priests and ministers in the catholike church to refuse his doctrine and theirs The answer I will not quarrell with you about your word priests though I iustly might being taken of you for sacrificers But I returne your note against your selfe that therefore you despise Christ and his doctrine bicause you despise vs whom Christ hath sent to be teachers of his people in the Catholike Church Luk. 10. 35. The text And the next day he tooke foorth two pence and gaue to the hoast and said haue care of him and whatsoeuer thou shalt supererogate I at my returne will repaie thee The note Saint Augustine saith that the Apostle 1. Cor. 9 according to this place did supererogate that is did more than he needed or was bouÌ„d to do when he might haue required all duties for preaching the Gospel but would not Lib. de oper monachor cap. 5. whereof it commeth that the works which we do more than precept be called works of Supererogation and whereby it is also euident against the protestants that there be such works See Optatus
3. The text Blessed is he that readeth and heareth the words of this prophecie and ⸫ keepeth those things which be written in it for the time is nigh The note There be manie speciallie now a daies that be great readers hearers talkers of Scriptures but that is not inough to make them good or blessed except they keepe the things prescribed and taught therein according to our Sauiours saieng Luke 11. Blessed are they that heare the word of God and keepe it The answer It is verie true that except men kéepe the word all their other indeuors about the word are little worth but men can not kéepe that which they know not Reading and hearing as here appeareth is the ordinarie meanes that men should vse to come by knowledge but you to the end you might maintaine blindnesse and ignorance haue kept the people from reading and hearing therfore you haue made â—ure worke that they should not attaine blessednes by kéeping Apocal. 1. 9. The text I Iohn your brother and partaker in tribulation and the kingdome and patience in Christ Iesus was in ⸫ the Iland which is called Patmos for the word of God and the testimonie of Iesus The note Banished thither for religion by Nero or rather by Domitian almost 60. yeeres after Christs ascension The answer By whom he was banished it is not materiall as long as wée coÌ„sent that these things were reuealed to him in his banishment Apocal. 1. 10. The text I was ⸫ in the spirit on the dominicall daie and heard behind me a great voice as it were of a trumpet saieng that which thou seest write in a booke c. The note I had a vision not with my corporall eies but in spirit I beheld the similitude of the things following The answer As Peter and Paul so Iohn in spirit also had reuelations and yet neuer none of them saw or knew of saint Patriks purgatory Apocal. 1. 12. The text ⸫ And I turned to see the voice that spake with me The note The first generall vision of the seuen according to Saint Ambrose The answer You delight your selues with fathers when and where you néede them not Your blind followers when and where they see any father cited suppose that it is for some matter of controuersie and thinke that all antiquitie make for you but in truth where you most néede them there you haue none at all Apoc. 1. 1â— The text And being turned I sawe seuen candlestickes of gold and in the middest of the seuen candlesticks one like to the Sonne of man vested in a priestlie garment to the foote and girded about neere to the pappes with a girdle of gold The note It seemeth not to be Christ him selfe but an angell bearing Christes person and vsing diuers speeches proper to Christ. The answer I sée no cause why it should not be Christ him selfe Apoc. 1. 20. The text And ⸫ the seuen candlestickes are the seuen churches The note Saint Irenaeus alluding to this saith The church euery where preacheth the truth and this is the seuenfolde candlesticke bearing the light of Christ. libro 5. aduersus haere The answer We are to obserue héere first that the signes here beare the names of the things which they signifie for the seuen starres are the angels of the seuen churches and the seuen candlestickes are the seuen churches euen none otherwise then bread is the bodie of Christ. Secondlie the cause whie the church is compared to a candlesticke is bicause it carieth that light whereof all godlie men are partakers And bicause in it as candles or shining lights the Apostles Prophets Euangelists Pastors and doctors do shine by the most wholsome doctrine of Christ. Apoc. 2. 1. The text And ⸫ to the Angell of the church of Ephesus write thus saith he c. The note That which before he willed him to write to the church he now willeth to be written to the Angels or bishops of the same onlie where we see that it is all one to the church and the head or gouernour thereof The answer It is euident that Iohn was commanded afore to send that which he wrote to the churches and it is also plaine that he is commanded to write the same to the Angels that is to the pastors and gouernors of the church But that which thence you collect that it is all one to sende to the church and to the heads and gouernors thereof is true but sometimes and not alwaies As when some faithfull are saluted by the apostle and the church that is in their house it is manifest that by the church gouernors are not ment And againe bicause you set head and gouernor in the singular number wherein we suppose that you haue a secret relation to the onely soueraigne of your church therfore we are to admonish the Reader that when by the church the gouernors thereof be vnderstood there is neuer anie one gouernor of the whole church ment Apoc. 2. 4. The text But I haue against thee a few things bicause ⸫ thou hast left thy first charitie The note By this we see is plainly refuted that which some heretikes hold that a man once in grace or charitie can neuer fall from it The answer First we do not hold that a man cannot fal but that he whom God looueth cannot finally fall the contrarie whereof doth not héere appéere Secondly that by the angell of the church any one particular man is ment cannot be prooued but rather a societie or succession of men whereof the later may be vnlike the former Whereof S. Paul speaketh to the ministers of the same church that of themselues shoulde arise gréeuous woolues and whereof we haue had great experience in the church of Rome in the later bishops who are as vnlike the former as lions are vnlike to lambes or drosse vnlike to golde And therefore this cannot be iustly applied to any mutation in one and the same particular man Apoc. 2. 9. The text I know thy tribulation and thy ⸫ pouertie but thou art rich and thou art blasphemed of them that saie themselues to be Iewes and are not but are the synagogue of sathan The note This church representeth the state of them that are spoiled of their goods emprisoned and manifoldly afflicted for the catholike faith The answer And it is to be noted withall who afflicted them spoiled them blasphemed them that is spake and did al maner of euil of them and to them For the afflictors and persecutors here spoken of are such as saie themselues to be Iewes and are not that is such as take vpon them wrongfully the name title of Gods church and people being in déed and truth the synagogue of sathan How néere this toucheth you that violently vsurpe the name of catholikes consider with your selues well for the afflictions you haue brought vpon others are manifest Apoc. 2. 10. The text Be thou faithfull vnto death and I will giue thee ⸫ a crowne of life The note
thing or such a thing in the scriptures is also in your church seruice It were too great a disgrace for you to say or sing in plaine English praise yée the Lord. Apoc. 19. 7. The text Let vs be glad and reioice and giue glorie to him bicause ⸫ the marriage of the Lambe is come and his wife hath prepared hir selfe The note At this day shall the whole church of the elect be finally and perfectly ioined vnto Christ in marriage inseparable The answer In the meane space we had néed to take great héed of being seduced by your perswasions and so of forsaking Christ and coupling our selues to another man that is to the pope which is both the popes and yours whole endeuors Apoc. 19 9. The text And he said to me write Blessed be they that are called to the ⸫ supper of the marriage of the Lambe The note That is the feast of eternall life prepared for his spouse the church The answer And not for you which imbrace another head and spouse in his stéede to whom you haue giuen greater preheminence then to Christ himselfe Apoc. 19. 13. The text And he was clothed with a garment sprinckled with blood and his name is called the word of God The note The second person in Trinitie the Sonne or the word of God which was made flesh Io. 1. The answer Who shall confound antichrist and all the power of the earth which taketh his part euen with the sword that procéedeth out of his mouth Apoc. 19. 16. The text And he hath in his garment and in his thigh written king of kings and lord of lords The note Euen according to his humanitie also The answer Our Lord and Sauior Christ God and man after his resurrection is aduanced aboue all principalities and powers and euery name that is named in heauen and in earth Apoc. 20. 1. The text And I sawe an angell descending from heauen hauing the key of the bottomlesse depth and a great chaine in his hand The note See in S. Augustine lib. 20. de ciuit ca. 7. 8. seq the exposition of this chapter The answer Your referring men to the doctors sheweth that your care is not for ignorant men to profite them for they are not the better for this reference and the learned néedeth it not Apoc. 20. ◠The text And I sawe seates and they sate vpon them and iudgement was giuen them and the soules of the beheaded for the testimonie of Iesus and for the word of God and that adored not the beast nor his image nor receiued his character in their foreheads or in their hands and haue liued and reigned with Christ a thousand yeeres The note Quid in millenario numero nisi ad proferendam nouam sobolem perfecta vniuersitas praestitae generationis exprimitur hinc per Iohannem dicitur Et regnabunt cum illo mille annis quia regnum sanctae ecclesiae vniuersitatis perfectione solidatur D. Gregorius libro 9. moral cap. 1. The answer Your poore countrimen are greatlie beholding to you they are much the better for your note they vnderstand it as well and are edified as much by it as by your church seruice And for my part bicause you haue not vouchsafed to turne it into English your selues and bicause it toucheth no matter of controuersie betwixt vs I will also take mine ease and leaue it as I finde it Apoc. 20. 7. The text And when the thousand yeeres shall be consummate Satan shalbe loosed out of his prison and shall go foorth and seduce ⸫ the nations that are vpon the foure corners of the earth Gog and Magog and shall gather them into battell the number of whom is as the sand of the sea The note Saint Augustine thinketh that these do not signifie anie certaine nations but all that shall then be ioyned with the diuell and Antichrist against the church lib. 20. de ciuitate cap. 11. See Saint Hierome in Ezechielem lib. 11. The answer We agrée with Augustine that all enemies of the church are signified open as Turkes and such like priuie as the Pope papists and such like who vnder the name and title of Christ persecute the members of Christ which the text it selfe doeth plainlie insinuate which saith that they are the nations which are vpon the foure corners of the earth Apoc. 20. 11. The text And I sawe a great white throne and one sitting vpon it from whose sight ⸫ earth and heauen fled and there was no place found for them The note They shall then be new not the substance but the shape changed 2. Peter 3. See Saint Augustine lib. 20. de ciuit cap. 14. The answer That this is to be expounded of the innouation of heauen and earth we consent but I muse for whome you gathered your notes The learned without you know whither to repaire for resolution in their doubts The vnlearned can not consult with Augustine though they would These references to sée the iudgement of Doctors haue no profit but to make a shew of your reading Apoc. 20. 12. The text And I sawe the dead great and little standing in the sight of the throne and ⸫ bookes were opened and another booke was opened which is of life the dead were iudged of those things which were written in the bookes according to their works The note The bookes of mens consciences where it shalbe plainlie read what euerie mans life hath bene The answer Our owne consciences and thoughts at that day shall either accuse or excuse vs. Looke therefore well into your consciences and take héede that you trust not too much and to farre to your Pope of Rome for it is well knowen that he is but a mortall man and not God Apoc. 20. 15. The text And ⸫ he that was not found written in the booke of life was cast into the poole of fire The note Such as do no good workes if they haue age and time to do them are not found in the booke of life The answer Your note is neither gathered out of this place neither warranted by anie other He that liueth to mans state hath age and he that liueth long hath time to do good workes but suppose they haue done none shal we cut frō them hope of mercie afore the last gaspe may not the like grace be shewed them that was graunted to the penitent theefe The time therefore of working must begin at their conuersion and true turning to God whether it be earlie or late otherwise this place sheweth nothing but that onlie the elect shalbe saued Others though in shew they haue led a painfull religious life though they shalbe able to say Lord haue not we done thus and thus in thy name yet shall haue answere depart from me ye workers of iniquitie I neuer knew you Apoc. 21. 2. The text And I Iohn sawe ⸫ the holie citie Hierusalem new descending from heauen prepared of God as a bride adorned for hir husband The note The Church
his office that is to offer propitiatorie sacrifice for vs. Hebr. 7. â—5 The text Whereby he is able to saue vs for euer going by himselfe to God ⸫ alwaies liuing to make intercession for vs. The note Christ according to his humaine nature praieth for vs and continuallie representeth his former passion and merit to God the father The answer You would make vs beléeue that Christ was our priest onlie in respect of our nature directly against the worde and against this present place For the priests appointed by the lawe were men hauing infirmitie but our priest is the sonne for euer perfect where perfection is opposed to infirmitie and the sonne of God is opposed to men which sheweth the coupling of both natures aswell in exercising of his office as in his person But you of purpose in your translation haue omitted the worde men to obscure and darken the sense of the text Hebr. 8. â—2 The text We haue such an high priest who is set on the right hand of the seate of maiestie in the heauens a ⸫ minister of the holies and of the true tabernacle which our Lord pight and not man The note Christ liuing and reigning in heauen continueth his priestly function still and is minister not of Moyses Sancta and tabernacle but of his owne bodie and blood which be the true holies and tabernacle not formed by man but by Gods owne hand The answer Paule setteth Christ in heauen at the right hand of maiestie you set him in earth in the sacrament of the altar Paule teacheth that he continueth in his priestly function you haue appointed priests to offer propitiatorie sacrifice as if his priesthood were ceased Paule saith that if Christ were vpon the earth againe he were no priest you teach that he is againe vpon earth therefore your doctrine maketh him no priest Hebr. 8. 7. The text For ⸫ if that former had beene voide of fault there should not certes a place for a second been sought The note The promises and effects of the law were temporall but the promises and effects of Christs Sacraments in the church be eternall The answer This is plaine and flat Manicheisme If the high priest were a figure of Christ if Sancta sanctorum were a figure of heauen if the sacrifices of the old law were figures of Christs sacrifice then how can the promises or effects perteining to them be temporal The differences that I haue learned betwéene the sacraments of the law and the Gospell do not consist in diuersitie of promises and effects but in cléerenes number and time Cléerenes bicause that which then was obscurely shadowed is now cléerely reuealed number bicause they had a great multitude of sacramentall figures we as few in number and as effectual in signification as possible may be in time bicause theirs nursed in them the faith of Christ to come and ours confirmeth to vs the faith of Christ which is alreadie come and hath accomplished all things which are necessarie for our redemption Hebr. 9. 8. The text The holie Ghost signifieng this that the way of the holies â—as ⸫ not yet manifested the former tabernacle yet standing The note The way to heauen was not open before Christs passion and therfore the Patriarks and good men of the old testament were in some other place of rest vntill then The answer You dreame of a drie sommer Christ was alwaies the waie but Christ was not alwaies manifested or made openly knowne during the former tabernacle as now he is What maketh this for your dream of shutting the fathors out of heauen and causing them to go séeke another place of rest Was not Christ the lambe slaine from the beginning of the world And was not faith in his blood as auailable to the fathers as to vs Hebr. 9. 9. The text Which is a ⸫ parable of the time present The note All things done in the old testament and priesthood were figures of Christs actions The answer If all things done in the olde Testament and priesthoode haue relation to Christ and that which he perfourmed for vs then how are the promises temporall as before you said Liars had néed of good memories or els with one breath they denie and ouerthrow that which they affirme with another Hebr. 9 19. The text For all the commandement of the lawe being read of Moises to all the people he taking the blood of calues and goates with ⸫ water and skarlet wooll and ysope sprinkled the verie booke also it selfe and all the people saieng This is the blood of the Testament which God hath commanded you The note Heere we may learne that the Scriptures conteine not all necessarie rites or truthes when neither the place to the which the Apostle alludeth nor anie other mentioneth halfe these ceremonies but he had them by tradition The answer The Scriptures you say containe not all necessarie rites and truthes whie do you couple rites and truthes togither You know that we hold that rites and ceremonies may be variable according to diuersitie of times places and maners of people so the generall rules of Scriptures giuen to frame them by be obserued But truth is alwaies one and the same not to be found but in the word of truth and therefore though you could haue prooued that some of these rites were had by tradition yet it would not followe that anie necessarie truth were omitted in scriptures But let vs sée how doughtilie you prooue that forsooth halfe the ceremonies here spoken of are not mentioned in the place of Scripture to the which the Apostle alludeth nor in anie other place and therfore it can not be otherwise but he had them by tradition As you are true in this so I would you might finde credit in all things els first in the place by your selues quoted the reading of the Lawe the sprinkling of the people and the book with the blood of the sacrifices with the words here rehearsed are mentioned Then resteth water skarlet wool and hissope to be shewed els where In Leuiticus we finde that water was mingled with the blood which was to be sprinckled and that the sprinckle it selfe was made of cedar wood of hissope and of a skarlet lace Thus haue you one place for the sprinckling and another for the sprinkle and nothing héere at all by tradition which you so contend for Hebr. 9. 28. The text And as it is appointed to men to die once and after this the iudgement so also Christ was offered once to ⸫ exhauste the sinnes of manie The note By this word which signifieth to emptie or draw out euen to the bottome is declared the plentifull perfect redemption of sinnes by Christ. The answer When the holie Ghost by such significant and forcible wordes hath taught vs to ascribe our whole and full remission of sinnes to Christ what impudencie and shamelessenes is in you to ioine to Christ a number of trumperies of your own and as it were
downe granted you or else your conclusion carieth not so much as anie shew or likelihood of following That diuers take this Angell to be Christ you your selues confesse and that Christ is many times in scriptures called an Angell I am sure you will not denie That one Angell offereth and not many what can it signifie but that we haue one mediator not many and if we haue but one then why may not Christ be he That of the 24. elders in the fift chapter is a vision of the saints vpon the earth offering their owne praiers For Iohn in that chapter doth not describe the state of the church as it shall be in heauen but as it is héere vpon the earth and therefore setteth it downe magnifieng and praising the lambe by whom the booke was opened that is Gods will in his word reuealed and made knowen But you did well to tell vs that saints héere are taken for holy persons vpon earth for your blind schollers do not imagine that there be any saints but those which are dead and gone and which the pope hath canonized and are to be found in his calendar If the superior saints offer the praiers of the inferior then we néed to learne the orders of saints and Angels in heauen that we go not to them that themselues néed the helpe and intercession of others But who can so tell vs that we may beléeue him You say it is not against the scriptures If it be scripture that telleth vs that we haue an aduocate with the father Iesus Christ who is the propitiation for our sinnes and that we haue one mediator then multitude of mediators and aduocates is against scripture We dare not beléeue your dreames which are no where warranted in the word And we maruell not that you thinke it no derogation to Christ to take away his mediatorship of intercession when you make him but halfe a redéemer and halfe a sauiour As for that of Raphaell it may serue to deceiue your simple followers withall but not to confirme any matter of controuersie against your learned aduersaries who know it not to be canonicall scriptures Apoc. 9◠1. The text And the fift Angell sounded with the trumpet and I saw ⸫ a star to haue fallen from heauen vpon the earth and there was giuen to him the key of the pit of bottomlesse depth The note Most vnderstand all this of heretikes The fall of an archheretike as Arius Luther and Caluin out of the Church of God which haue the key of hell to open and bring foorth all the old condemned heresies buried before in the depth The answer And we also vnderstand this of archheretikes But as you erre in your iudgement of heresie so you set them downe for archheretikes who were not but principall and woorthie ministers of God in his church Your odious coupling of Luther and Caluin with Arius is ridiculous when neither they had nor held any of Arius heresies It is true and signified by the star that heretikes rise of those that haue béen of great account amongst Christians and therfore haue the more opportunitie to deceiue with and become sectmasters as the bishops of Rome who were sometimes most highly and woorthily estéemed and now are become apostataes These as they rightfully challenge to themselues the keies of hell so haue they let abroad in a maner al condemned heresies Ebions heresie in denieng that faith alone sufficeth for iustification Montanus heresie in making lawes for fasting daies The Manichées heresie in forbidding priests to marrie and so consequently of most heresies one péece or other Apoc. 9. 3. The text And from the smoke of the pit there issued foorth ⸫ locusts into the earth and power was giuen to them as the scorpions of the earth haue power And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grasse of the earth nor any green thing nor any tree but onely men which haue not the signe of God in their foreheads The note Innumerable petie heretikes following their maisters after the opening and smoke of the bottomlesse pit The answer The innumerable locusts that deuour the wealth of the earth and with their vaine speculatious sting and poison those which loue not the truth are by the pope let out of hell and haue sparsed ouer the christian world in infinite multitudes as both his schoolemen and the sundry and diuers orders of his religious do testifie For what estimate may be made of the whole number when only one order namely the Franciscane friers were able to spare to the pope thirtie thousand able men to beare armour at one time Apoc. 9. 11. The text And they had ouer them a king the angell of the bottomlesse depth whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon The note The cheefe master of heretikes The answer You say that in English his name is destroyer We sée then the diuell who was an homicide and a destroier from the beginning is this king and captaine ouer the archheretike and his locustes and that they vnder him worke the great and mightie destruction of men which here is prophesied And this agréeth with the prediction of the apostle Paule That antichrist should come by the working of sathan with all power and signes and lieng woonders The pope therefore and his cleargie haue both a mightie and a cunning king and captaine to conduct them to destroy and to be destroied Apoc. 9. 20. The text ⸫ And the rest of men which were not slaine with these plagues neither ⸫ haue done penance from the works of their hands not to adore deuils and idols of gold siuer and brasse and stone and wood which neither can see nor heare nor walke and haue not done penance from their murders nor from their sorceries nor from their fornication nor from their thefts The note Pagans infidels and sinfull impenitent catholikes must be condemned also This phrase being the like both in Greeke and Latin signifieth such sorrowfull and penall repentance as causeth a man to forsake his former sinnes and to depart from them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 See the same phrase cap. 2. 21. 22. Acts. 8. 22. The answer Your two notes being both out of one sentence which could not well be deuided I haue coupled togither And bicause I am sure that by catholikes you meane none other but papists therefore you do well to couple them with pagans infidels For touching saluation and damnation they stand all in one state case that is in the state of damnation except they repent As for your phrase which you make so much a doo about it hath alreadie béen diuers tunes examined prooued that your imagined satisfactorie penance can not be gathered out of it Otherwise we do think that repentance to be but counterfet which wanteth the testimonies of true repentance doth not cause men to forsake their former sins and to depart from them But I pray you tell me your images of gold siluer
brasse stone and wood can they see heare or walke haue you done penance from the works of your hands or will you wilfully go to the diuell Apoc. 10. ◠The text And I saw an other angell strong descending from heauen clothed with a cloud and a rainbowe on his head and his face was as the sunne and his feet as a pillar of fier The note Christ the valiant angell is heere described The answer I maruell that you followed not your Liranus to expounde this of the bishop of Rome but that flatterie you are ashamed of though in other things you excéede him But the circumstances make it plaine his dignitie power strength his decking from top to toe the greatnes of his voice the brightnes of his countenance his vnused steps comprehending lande and sea togither can not well agrée to any other Apoc. 10. ◠The text And when the seauen thunders had spoken their voices I was about to write And I heard a voice from heauen saieng vnto me Signe the things which the seauen thunders haue spoken and ⸫ write them not The note Manie great mysteries and truths are to be preserued in the church which for causes knowen to Gods prouidence are not to be written in the booke of holie Scripture The answer Farre fetched and déere bought is good for ladies Iohn was forbidden to write Ergo they are kept in the church When you can prooue that your church knoweth those things which Saint Iohn was forbidden to write and those things which Saint Paule heard and sawe in heauen and might not vtter then will I beléeue all your vnwritten verities Apoc. 10. ◠The text And the angell which I saw standing vpon the sea and vpon the land ⸫ lifted vp his hand to heauen and he sware by him that liueth for euer and euer c. The note This was the maner of taking an othe by the true God as Deut. 32. The answer There were diuers and sundrie maners of taking othes by the true God which I do not thinke so necessarie here to be noted as that you haue taught men to forsake God and to sweare by those which are not Gods and as the thing which is héere sworne that is that time shalbe no more which is most necessarie for men to consider that they flatter not them selues with the eternall continuance of the world Apoc. 10. ◠The text And he said to me Take the booke and ⸫ deuoure it The note By earnest studie and meditation The answer You say well adde this I pray you that it is not onlie to be read studied and thought vpon but also in as large measure as we are able to attaine to vnderstood and laied vp in our harts Apoc. 10. 9. The text And it shall make thy bellie to be bitter but in thy mouth it shalbe ⸫ sweete as it were honie The note Sweete in the reading but in the fulfilling somewhat bitter bicause it commandeth works of penance and suffring of tribulations The answer The promises of the most gratious fauour of God and good life to beleeuers are swéete and delectable but that we must passe through manie and bitter tribulations to come to life to flesh and blood can not be but bitter As for your satisfactorie workes of penance which your mind runneth on are not to be found any where in this booke but your hart is alwaies on your half penie Apoc. 11. 2. The text But the court which is without the temple cast foorth and measure not that bicause it is giuen to the Gentiles and they shall tread vnder foot the holie citie ⸫ two fourtie moneths The note Three yeeres and an halfe which is the time of Antichrists raigne and persecution The answer But that these moneths are to be measured here by our ordinarie moneths that resteth to be prooued The onlie thing that we can learne by this is that Antichrists raigne shall not endure alwaies but in comparison of Christes raigne which shalbe eternall if shalbe verie short But how long or how short so euer the time is this is certaine and plaine against the papists that during Antichrists raigne the holie citie that is the church shall be troden vnder foote Apoc. 11. 7. The text And when they shall haue finished their testimonie the ⸫ beast which ascended from the depth shall make warre against them and shall ouercome them and kill them The note The great Antichrist The answer The bishop of Rome who though in the eies of the world séeme to preuaile and to kill the witnesses of Gods truth yet he can not do it till they haue finished their testimonie that is the time that God hath appointed them for the execution of their office Apoc. 11. 8. The text And their bodies shall lie in the streets of the ⸫ great citie which is called spiritually Sodom and Egypt where the Lorde also was crucified The note He meaneth Hierusalem named Sodome and Egypt for imitation of them in wickednes so that we see his chiefe raigne shalbe there though his tirannie may extend to all places of the world The answer How faine you would turne mens eies from Rome to looke for the great Antichrist els where Séeing the names and other attributes are spirituall descriptions of this citie and that Rome resembleth Hierusalem in killing Christ in his members is like Sodom in beastlie filthinesse and like Egypt both in ambition and superstition and in indeuor to hold the people of God in seruitude and thraldom I sée not why we should still thinke that to be the great citie here spoken of Apoc. 11. 10. The text And the inhabitants of the earth ⸫ shall be glad vpon them and make merrie The note The wicked reioice when holie men are executed by the tirants of the world bicause their life and doctrine are burdenous vnto them The answer This is verie true and taught by dailie experience vnder the Pope and such tirannous princes as bend their might force and authoritie to aduance his dignitie Apoc. 11. 15. The text And the seuenth Angel sounded with a trumpet and there were made loud voices in heauen saieng ⸫ The kingdome of this world is made our Lordes and his Christes and he shall raigne for euer and euer Amen The note The kingdome of this world vsurped before by Satan and Antichrist shall afterward be Christs for euer The answer This last trumpet summoneth all the dead to rise againe and so to come to iudgement at which time all enemies shalbe destroied and God sole seazed in quiet possession for euer and euer of the whole world Apoc. 11. 18 The text And the Gentiles were angrie and thy wrath is come and the time of the dead to be iudged and ⸫ to render reward to thy seruants the prophets and saints and to them that feare thy name little and great c. The note To repaie the hire or wages for so both the Greeke word and the Latin signifie due to holie men proueth against