and they adored the beast saying Vvho is like to the beast and vvho shal be able to fight vvith it ✠verse 5 And there was giuen to it a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies and povver vvas giuen to it to vvorke tvvo and fourtie monethes ✠verse 6 And he opened his mouth vnto blasphemies tovvard God to blaspheme his name and his tabernacle and those that dvvel in heauen ✠verse 7 And it vvas giuē vnto him ″ to make battail vvith the sainctes to ouercome them And povver vvas giuen him vpon euery tribe and people and tongue and nation ✠verse 8 and al that inhabite the earth adored it * vvhose names be not written in the booke of life of the Lambe vvhich vvas slaine from the beginning of the vvorld ✠verse 9 If any man haue an eare let him heare ✠verse 10 He that shal leade into captiuitie goeth into captiuitie * he that shal kil in the svvord he must be killed vvith the svvord here is the patience and the faith of sainctes ✠verse 11 And I savv an other beast cōming vp from the earth and he had tvvo hornes like to a lambe he spake as a dragon ✠verse 12 And al the povver of the former beast he did in his sight and he made the earth and the inhabitants therein to adore the first beast vvhose vvound of death vvas cured ✠verse 13 And he did many signes so that he made also fire to come dovvne from heauen vnto the earth in the sight of men ✠verse 14 And he seduceth the inhabitants on the earth through the signes vvhich vvere giuē him to doe in the sight of the beast saying to them that dwel on the earth that they should make ″ the image of the beast vvhich hath the stroke of the sword and liued ✠verse 15 And it vvas giuen him to giue spirit to the image of the beast and that the image of the beast should speake and should make that vvhosoeuer shal not adore the image of the beast be slaine ✠verse 16 And he shal make al litle great and rich and poore and free-men and bond-men to haue a character in their right hand or in their foreheads ✠verse 17 and that no man may bie or sel but he that hath ″ the character or the name of the beast or the number of his name ✠verse 18 Here is vvisdom He that hath vnderstanding ″ let him count the number of the beast For ″ it is the number of a man ″ the number of him is sixe hundred sixtie sixe ANNOTATIONS CHAP. XIII 8. A beast comming vp This beast is the vniuersal companie of the vvicked vvhose head is Antichrist the same is called Apoc. 17 the vvhoore of Babylon The 7 heades be expounded Apoc. 17 seuen kings fiue before Christ one present and one to come The 10 hornes be also there expounded to be to kings that shal reigne a short vvhile after Antichrist This dragon is the Diuel by vvhose povver the vvhoore or beast or Antichrist vvorketh for in the vvordes folovving v. 3 4 Antichrist is called the beast to vvhom the dragon that is the Deuil giueth that povver of feined miracles and as vve adore God for giuing povver to Christ and his folovvers so they shal adore the Deuil for assisting Antichrist and giuing him povver 7. To make battel vvith the saincts He shal kil the saincts then liuing Elias and Enoch and infinite moe that professe Christ vvhereby vve must learne not to maruel vvhen vve see the vvicked persecute and preuaile against the iust in this life Then shal his great persecution and crueltie trie the saincts patience as his vvonderful meanes to seduce shal trie the stedfastnes of their faith vvhich is signified by these vvordes folovving Here is the patience and the faith of saincts And vvhen it is said They adored the beast vvhose names are not vvritten in the booke of life of the Lambe it giueth great solace and hope to al them that shal not yeld to such persecutions that they are of Gods elect and their names vvritten in the booke of life 14. The image of the beast They that novv refuse to vvorship Christs image vvould then vvorship Antichrists And vve may note here that as the making or honouring of this image vvas not against the honour of Antichrist but vvholy for it as also the image erected of Nabuchodo nosor and the vvorship thereof vvas altogether for the honour of him so is the vvorship of Christs image the honour of Christ him self and not against him as Protestants madly imagin 17. The character or the name As belike for the peruerse imitation of Christ vvhose image specially as on the Roode or crucifixe he seeth honoured and exalted in euery Church he vvil haue his image adored for that is Antichrist in emulation of like honour aduersarie to Christ so for that he seeth al true Christian men to beare the badge of his Crosse in their foreheads he likevvise vvil force al his to haue an other marke to abolish the signe of Christ By the like emulation also and vvicked opposition he vvil haue his name and the letters thereof to be sacred and to be vvorne in mens cappes or vvritten in solemne places and to be vvorshipped as the name of IESVS is and ought to be among Christian men And as the ineffable name of God vvas among the Ievves expressed by a certaine number of 4 characters therfore called Tetragrāmmaton so it seemeth the Apostle alludeth here to the number of Antichrists name And here it is much to be noted that the Protestants plucking dovvne the image of Christ out of al Churches his signe of the crosse from mens foreheads and taking avvay the honour and reuerence of the name IESVS doe make roome for Antichrists image marke and name And vvhen Christs images and ensignes or armes shal be abolished and the Idol of Antichrist set vp in steede thereof as it is already begonne then is the abomination of desolation vvhich vvas foretold by Daniel and our Sauiour 18. Let him count Though God vvould not haue it manifest before hand to the vvorld vvho in particular this Antichrist should be yet it pleased him to giue such tokens of him that vvhen he commeth the faithful may easily take notice of him according as it is vvritten of the euent of other prophecies concerning our Sauiour That vvhen it is come to passe you may beleeue In the meane time vve must take heede that vve iudge not ouer rashly of Gods secretes the holy vvrite here signifying that it is a point of high vnderstanding illuminated extraordinarily by Gods spirit to recken right and discipher truely before hand Antichrists name and person 18. It is the number of a man A man he must be and not a Diuel or spirit as here it is cleere and by S. Paul 2 Thessal 2.
and they came to the monument ✠verse 4 And both ranne together and that other disciple did out-runne Peter and came first to the monument ✠verse 5 And vvhen he had stouped dovvne he savv the linnen clothes lying but yet he vvent not in ✠verse 6 Simon Peter therfore coÌ„meth folovving him and vvent in to the monument and savv the linneÌ„ clothes lying ✠verse 7 and the napkin that had been vpon his head not lying vvith the linnen clothes but apart vvrapped vp into one place ✠verse 8 Then therfore vvent in that other disciple also vvhich came first to the monument and he savv and beleeued ✠verse 9 For as yet they knevv not the scripture that he should rise againe from the dead ⊢ ✠verse 10 The disciples therfore departed againe to them selues ✠verse 11 But * Marie stoode at the monument vvithout vveeping Therfore as she vvas vveeping she stouped dovvne looked into the monument ✠verse 12 and she savv tvvo Angels in vvhite sitting one at the head and one at the feete vvhere the body of IESVS had been laid ✠verse 13 They say to her VvomaÌ„ vvhy vveepest thou She saith to them Because they haue taken avvay my Lord and I knovv not vvhere they haue put him ✠verse 14 Vvhen she had said thus she turned backvvard and savv IESVS standing and she knevv not that it is IESVS ✠verse 15 IESVS saith to her VvomaÌ„ vvhy vveepest thou vvhom seekest thou She thinking that it vvas the gardiner saith to him Sir if thou hast caried him avvay tel me vvhere thou hast laid him I vvil take him avvay ✠verse 16 IESVS saith to her Marie She turning saith to him Rabbóni vvhich is to say Maister ✠verse 17 IESVS saith to her Do not touche me for I am not yet ascended to my Father but goe to my brethren and say to them I ascend to my Father and your Father my God and your God ✠verse 18 Marie Magdalene commeth and telleth the disciples That I haue seen our Lord and thus he said vnto me ⊢ verse 19 Therfore vvhen it vvas * late that day the first of the Sabboths and ″ the doores vvere shut vvhere the disciples vvere gathered together for feare of the Ievves IESVS came and stoode in the middes and saith to them Peace be to you ✠verse 20 And vvhen he had said this he shevved them his handes and side The disciples therfore vvere glad vvhen they savv our Lord. ✠verse 21 He said therfore to them againe Peace be to you ″ As my Father hath sent me I also doe send you ✠verse 22 Vvhen he had said this ″ he breathed vpon them and he saith to them Receiue ye the Holy Ghost ✠verse 23 ″ VVHOSE SINNES YOV SHAL FORGIVE THEY ARE FORGIVEN THEM AND VVHOSE YOV SHAL RETEINE THEY ARE RETEINED ✠verse 24 But Thomas one of the Tvvelue vvho is called Didymus vvas not vvith them vvheÌ„ IESVS came ✠verse 25 The other disciples therfore said to him Vve haue seen our Lord. But he said to them Vnles I see in his handes the print of the nailes and put my finger into the place of the nailes and put my hand into his side I vvil not beleeue ✠verse 26 And after eight daies againe his disciples vvere vvithin and Thomas vvith them IESVS commeth the doores being shut and stoode in the middes and said Peace be to you ✠verse 27 Then he saith to Thomas Put in thy finger hither and see my handes and bring hither thy hand and put it into my side be not incredulous but faithful ✠verse 28 Thomas ansvvered said to him My Lord my God ✠verse 29 IESVS saith to him Because thou hast seen me Thomas thou hast beleeued blessed are they that haue not seen haue beleeued ⊢ ✠verse 30 * Many other signes also did IESVS in the sight of his disciples vvhich are not vvritteÌ„ in this booke ✠verse 31 And these are vvritten that you may beleeue tht IESVS is CHRIST the sonne of God and that beleeuing you may haue life in his name ⊢ ANNOTATIONS CHAP. XX. 19. The doores vvere shut Such Heretikes as deny Christs body to be or that it can be in the B. Sacrament for that it is in heauen and can not be in two places at once nor without the natural maner of the quantitie space or place agreable to the condition of his humanitie be inuincible refuted by Christs entering into the Disciples the doores shut and by that that his true natural body whole and perfect in al his limmes length bredth and thicknes distincte and diuers from the substance and corpulence of the wood was in the same proper place that the wood was in and passed through the same as he also came out of his mothers wombe the clausure not sturred and passed through the stone out of his Sepulcher By al which the Heretikes being plainely reproued and conuinced of infidelitie they boldly deny the plaine Scriptures or so fondly shift them selues from the euideÌ„ce thereof that their impudencie is specially to be marked in this point Some say that he came in at the window some that the doore opened of it self to let him in some that to come in the doores being shut signifieth no more but that he came in late in the euening at what time men vse to shut their doores and such other flightes to defend falshod against â—â—presse Scriptures aud against the Apostles testimonie who therfore tooke him to be a Spirit because they saw him stand sodenly in the middes of them al the house being close shut And the Fathers al confesse that he went in the doores being shut See S. Ambrose li. 10 in Lucam c. â—4 S. Augustine ep â— ad Volusiâ—n li. 22 de ciuit c. 8 S. Cyril in Io. li. 12 c. 53 S. Hiero. li. 1 cont Iouinâ—anum c. 21. we know it is the natural course od Gods ordinance that euery body should haue but one and his owne proper place fitted to the lineaments quantitie termes and limites of the same without which naturally the bodies were no where and consequently not at al as S. Augustine saith ad Dardanum but that God supernaturally and miraculously can not by his omnipotencie dispose otherwise of his owne body then the natural forme or quantitie or qualitie thereof require that is great incredulitie seing we must beleeue that he can doe so with any other body of mere men or other creatures the Scripture being plaine that he can make a camel passe through a nedles eie continuing in his natural figure and quantitie stil and S. Augustine telleth of a woman whose ring fel from her girdle both being fast and whole and Rupertus of a Religious man whose girdle fast buckled fel downe before him from his body De off Eccl. Therfore it is to
vpon Seuens seuen Churches seuen Angels seuen starres seuen spirites seuen candlestickes seuen lampes seuen trumpets seuen vialâ— seuen horneâ— of the Lambe seuen hilles seuen thunders seuen heades of the Dragon signifying the Diâ—el seuen of the beast that is Antichrist seuen of the beast that the harlot rid vpon finally the number also of the visions is specially marked to be seuen in this booke and euery time that this number is vsed in this prophecie it hath a mysterie a more large meaning then the nature of that number is precisely and vulgarly taken for As vvhen he vvriteth to seuen Churches it is to be vnderstood of al the Churches in the vvorld as the seuen Angels for al the Angels or gouernours of the vvhole Catholike Church and so forth in the rest because the number of Seuen hath the perfection of vniuersalitie in it as S. Augustine saith li. 5 quâ—st in Deuter. q. 42. 4. From the 7 spirites The Holy Ghost may be here meant and so called for his seuen fold giftes and graces as some expositours thinke but it seemeth more probable that he speaketh of the holy Augels by comparing this to the like in the 5 Chapter folovving vvhere he seemeth to call these the seuen spirites sent into al the vvorld as S. Paul to the Hebrues c. 1. 14 speaketh of Angels and so the Protestants take it in their coÌ„mentaries vvhich vve note because therevpon they must needes confesse that the Apostle here giueth or vvisheth grace and peace not from God onely but also from his Angels though that benediction commeth one vvay of God and an other vvay of his Angels or Sainctes being but his creatures And so they may learne that the faithful often loyning in one speache God and our Lady our Lord and any of his Saincts to helpe vs or blesse vs is not superstitious but an Apostolical speache and so the Patriarch said Gen. 48. v. 16. The Angel that deliuereth me from al euils blesse these children See the Annot. Act. 25 28. 6. A kingdom and Priests As al that truely serue God and haue the dominion and superioritie ouer their concupiscences and vvhatsoeuer vvould induce them to sinne be kings so al that employ their vvorkes and them selues to serue God offer al their actions as an acceptable sacrifice to him be priests Neuerthelesse as if any man vvould therevpon affirme that there ought to be no other earthly povvers or kings to gouerne in vvorldly affaires ouer Christians be vvere a seditious Heretike euen so are they that vpon this or the like places vvhere al Christians be called priests in a spiritual sort vvould therfore inferre that euery one is in proper signification a Priest or that al be Priests alike or that there ought to be none but such spiritual priests for it is the seditious voice of Corè saying to Moyses and Aaron Let it suffiâ—â— you that al the multitude is of holy ones and the Lord is in theâ—â— Vvhy are you extolled ouer the people of the Lord Num. 16. 10. On the Dominical day Many notable pointes may be marked here first that euen in the Apostles time there vvere daies deputed to the seruice of God and so made holy and different though not by nature yet by vse and benediction from other profane or as vve call them vvorke-daies Secondly that the Apostles and faithful abrogated the Sabboth vvhich vvas the seuenth day and made holy day for it the next day folovving being the eight day in count from the creation and that vvithout al Scriptures or coÌ„maundement of Christ that vve reade of yea vvhich is more not onely othervvise then vvas by the Lavv obserued but plainely othervvise then vvas prescribed by God him self in the second commaundement yea and othervvise then he ordained in the first creatioÌ„ vvhen he sanctified precisely the Sabboth day not the day folovving Such great povver did Christ leaue to his Church and for such causes gaue he the holy Ghost to be resident in it to guide it into al truthes euen such as in the Scriptures are not expressed And if the Church had authoritie inspiration from God to make Sunday being a vvorke-day before an euerlasting holy day and the Saturday that before vvas holy day novv a common vvorkeday vvhy may not the same Church prescribe appoint the other holy feasts of Easter Vvhitsuntide Christmas and the rest for the same vvarrant she hath for the one that she hath for the other Thirdly it is to be noted that the cause of this change vvas for that novv vve Christians esteeming more our redemption then our first creation haue the holy day vvhich vvas before for the remembrance of Gods accomplishment of the creation of things novv for the memorie of the accomplishment of our redemption Vvhich therfore is kept vpon that day on vvhich our Lord rose from life to death vvhich vvas the day after the Sabboth being called by the Ievves vna or prima Sabbathi the first of or after the Sabboth Mat 28. Act. 10. 1 Cor. 16. Fourthly it is to be marked that this holy day by the Apostles tradition also vvas named Dominiâ—â—â— dieâ— our Lordes day or the Dominike vvhich is also an old Ecclesiastical vvord in our language for the name Sunday is a heathenish calling as al other of the vveeke daies be in our laÌ„guage some imposed after the names of planets as in the Romans time some by the name of certaine Idols that the Saxons did vvorship to vvhich they dedicated their daies before they vvere Christians Vvhich names the Church vseth not but hath appointed to call the first day the Dominike after the Apostle here the other by the name of Feries vntil the last of the vveeke vvhich she calleth by the old name Sabboth because that vvas of God and not by imposition of the heathen See the marginal Annotation Luc. 24 1. Lastly obserue that God reuealeth such great things to Prophets rather vpon holy daies and in times of contemplation sacrifice and praier then on other profaue daies and therfore as S. Peter Act. 10 had a reuelation at the six houre of praier and Zacharie Luc. 1 at the houre of incense and Cornelius Act. 10 vvhen he vvas at his praiers the ninthe houre so here S. Iohn noteth that he had al these maruelous visions vpon a Sunday 13. Vested in a Priestly garment He appeared in a long garment or vestment proper vnto Priests for so the vvord poderes doth signifie as Sap. 18 24 and that vvas most agreable for him that represented the person of Christ the high Priest and appeared to Iohn being a most holy Priest and vvho is specially noted in the Ecclesiastical historie for his Priestly garment called péâ—alon or lamina Euseb li. 3 hist Eccl. c. 25. li. 5 c. 23. 20. The seuen starres The Bishops are the starres of the Church as the Churches them selues are the golden
is here cōmended in them thirdly vvisedom diligence in trial of false Apostles and preachers comming in sheepe-skinnes vvhere is signified the vvatchful prouidence that ought to be in them that Heretikes enter not into their flockes 5. Vvil moue Note that the cause vvhy God taketh the truth from certaine countries and remoueth their Bishops or Churches into captiuitie or desolation is the sinne of the Prelates and people And that is the cause no doubt that Christ hath taken avvay our golden candlesticke that is our Church in England God graunt vs to remember our fall to doe penance and the former vvorkes of charitie vvhich our first Bishops and Church vvere notable and renovvmed for 6. Because thou hatest Vve see here that of al things Christian people specially Bishops should haue great zeale against Heretikes and hate them that is their vvicked doctrine and conditions euen as God hateth them for vvhich onely zeale our Lord saith here that he beareth vvith some Churches and Prelates and saueth them from perishing 6. Of the Nicolaites Heretikes haue their callings of certaine persons as is noted at large Act. 11 26. These had their name of Nicolas one of the 7 first Deacons that vvere chosen Act. 6. Vvho is thought to haue taught communitie of vvomen or vviues and that it vvas lavvful to eate of meates offered to idols Vvhich later point is such a thing as if one should hold it lavvful to receiue the bread or vvine of the nevv Communion vvhich is a kinde of Idolothytae that is idolatrous meates for though such creatures be good by creation yet they be made execrable by profane blessings of Heretikes or Idolaters And concerning the name of Nicolaites giuen here by our Lord him self to those Heretikes it is a very paterne and marke vnto the faithful for euer vvhat kinde of men they should be that should be called after the like sort Arians Macedonians Nestorians Lutherans Zuinglians c. See S. Hierom cont Lucifer in fine 14. To cast a scandal Iosephus vvriteth that vvhen Balaam could not curse Gods people nor othervvise anoy them he taught Balaca vvay hovv to ouerthrovv them to vvit by presenting vnto them their Heathen vvomen very beautiful and delicate dishes of meate offered to Bel-phego◠that so being tempted they might fall to heathenish maners and displease God To vvhich craftie counsel of Balaam the Apostle resembleth Heretikes fraude vvho by offering of libertie of meate vvomen Church goodes breache of vovves and such other licentious allurements cause many moe to fall then by their preaching 20. The vvoman Iezabel He vvarneth Bishops to be zelous and stout against false Prophets and Heretikes of vvhat sort soeuer by alluding couertly to the example of holy Elias that in zeale killed 450 false prophets of Iezabel and spared not Achab nor Iezabel them selues but told them to their faces that they troubled Israel that is the faithful people of God And vvhether there vvere any such great vvoman then a furtherer and promotour of the Nicolaites vvhom the Prophete should here meane it is hard to say 21. She vvil not repent See free vvil here most plainely and that God is not the proper cause of obduration or impenitence but man him self onely Our Lord giueth sinners so long life specially to expect their amendment but Iezabel to vvhom the Apostle here alludeth vvould neuer repent 22. They that cōmit aduoutrie vvith her Such as communicate vvith Heretikes shal be damned alas vvith them for not onely such as vvere in their hartes of Iezabels religion or invvardly beleeued in Baal but such as externally for feare vvorshipped him vvhich the Scriptures call bovving of their knees to Baal are culpable as novv many bovv their knees to the Communion that bovv not their hartes 26. I vvil giue him povver Obserue that not onely Angels haue povver and regiment ouer Countries vnder God but novv for the honour of Christ humane nature and for his ministerie in the vvorld the Saincts deceased also being in heauen haue gouernement ouer men and Prouinces and therfore haue to doe vvith our affaires in the vvorld Vvhich is against the Heretikes of these daies that to take avvay our praiers to Saincts vvould spoile them of many soueraine dignities vvherein the Scriptures make them equal vvith Angels CHAP. III. He is commaunded to vvrite to the Churches of Sardis Philadelphia and Laodicia recalling them that erre to penance by threatening but praising the rest and promising revvard to him that ouercommeth 15 detesting also the cold indifferent Christian 20 He saith that God knocketh at the doore of mens hartes by offering his grace for to enter in to him that vvil open vnto him by consent of free vvil verse 1 ANd to the Angel of the Church of Sardis write Thus saith he that hath the seuē Spirites of God and the seuen starres I know thy vvorkes that thou hast the name that thou liuest and thou art dead ✠verse 2 Be vigilant and confirme the rest of the things vvhich vvere to die For I finde not thy vvorkes ful before my God ✠verse 3 Haue in minde therfore in vvhat maner thou hast receiued and heard and keepe and doe penance If therfore thou vvatch not * I vvil come to thee as a theefe thou shalt not knovv vvhat houre I vvil come to thee ✠verse 4 But thou hast a fevv names in Sardis vvhich haue not defiled their garments and they shal vvalke vvith me in vvhites because they are vvorthy ✠verse 5 ″ He that shal ouercome shal thus be vested in vvhite garmentes and I vvil not put his name out of the booke of life and I vvil confesse his name before my father and before his Angels ✠verse 6 He that hath an eare let him heare vvhat the Spirit saieth to the Churches ✠verse 7 And to the Angel of the Church of Philadelphia vvrite Thus saith the Holy one and the True one he that hath the * key of Dauid he that openeth and no man shutteth shutteth and no man openeth ✠verse 8 I know thy vvorkes Behold I haue giuen before thee a doore opened vvhich no man can shut because thou hast a litle povver and hast kept my vvord and hast not denied my name ✠verse 9 Behold I vvil giue of the synagogue of Satan vvhich say they be Ievves and are not but doe lie Behold I vvil make them come and ″ adore before thy feete and they shal knovv that I haue loued thee ✠verse 10 because thou hast kept the vvord of my patience and I vvil keepe thee from the houre of tentation vvhich shal come vpon the vvhole vvorld to tempt the inhabitants on the earth ✠verse 11 Behold I come quickely hold that vvhich thou hast ″ that no man take thy crovvne ✠verse 12 He that shal ouercome I vvil make him a piller in the temple of my God and he
the Church militant may ioyne vvith the triumphant and vvith al the orders of Angels vvho also are present at the consecration and doe seruice there to our common Lord and Maister as S. Chrysostom vvriteth li. 6 de Sacerdotie and hâ— 1. de verb. Esa to 1. The Greekes call it the hymne Trisagies that is Thrise holy CHAP. V. 4. S. Iohn vveeping because no man could open the booke sealed vvith seuen seales â— the Lambe that vvas slaine opened it vvhich being done 8 the foure beastes and foure and tvventie seniors vvith an innumerable multitude of Angels al creatures did glorifie him excedingly verse 1 AND I savv in the right hand of him that sate vpon the throne a booke vvritten vvithin and vvithout sealed vvith seuen seales ✠verse 2 And I savv a strong Angel preaching vvith a loude voice Vvho is vvorthie to opeÌ„ the booke to loose the seales thereof ✠verse 3 And no man vvas able neither in heauen nor in earth nor vnder the earth to open the booke nor looke on it ✠verse 4 And I vvept much because no man vvas found vvorthie to open the booke nor to see it ✠verse 5 And one of the seniors said to me Vveepe not behold the * lion of the tribe of Iuda the roote of Dauid hath vvonne to open the booke and to loose the seuen seales thereof ✠verse 6 And I savv and behold in the middes of the throne and of the foure beastes and in the middes of the seniors a Lambe standing as it were slaine hauing seuen hornes seuen eies vvhich are the seuen spirites of God sent into al the earth ✠verse 7 And he came and receiued the booke out of the right hand of him that sate in the throne ✠verse 8 And vvhen he had opened the booke the foure beastes and the foure and tvventie seniors fel before the Lambe hauing euery one harpes and golden vials ful of odours which are ″ the praiers of sainctes ✠verse 9 and they sang a nevv canticle saying Thou art vvorthie o Lord to take the booke and to open the seales thereof because thou vvast slaine and hast redeemed vs to God in thy bloud out of euery tribe and tonge and people and nation ✠verse 10 and * hast made vs to our God ″ a kingdom ' and priestes and vve shal reigne vpon the earth ✠verse 11 And I looked and heard the voice of many Angels round about the throne and of the beastes of the seniors and the number of them vvas * thousandes of thousandes ✠verse 12 saying vvith a loud voice The Lambe that vvas slaine is vvorthie to receiue povver and diuinitie ' and vvisedom strength and honour and glorie and benediction ⊢ ✠verse 13 And ″ euery creature that is in heauen and vpon the earth and vnder the earth and that are in the sea and that are therein al did I heare saying * To him that sitteth in the throne to the Lambe benediction and honour and glorie and povver for euer and euer ✠verse 14 And the foure beastes said Amen And the foure and tvventie seniors fel on their faces and adored him that liueth for euer and euer ⊢ ANNOTATIONS CHAP. V. 8. The praiers of Saincts Hereby it is plaine that the Saincts in heauen offer vp the praiers of faithful and holy persons in earth called here saincts and in Scripture often vnto Christ And among so many diuine vnsearcheable mysteries set dovvne vvithout exposition it pleased God yet that the Apostle him self should open this one point vnto vs that these odours be the laudes and praiers of the faithful ascending and offered vp to God as incense by the Saincts in heauen that so the Protestants may haue no excuse of their errour That the Saincts haue no knovvledge of our affaires or desires 10. A kingdom and priests To serue God and subdue vices and sinnes is to reigne or to be a king spiritually likevvise to offer vnto him the sacrifices of good vvorkes is to be a priest after a sort though neither the one nor the other in proper speache See the Annotation before Chap. 1. v. 6. 13. Euery creature He meaneth the creatures in heauen as Angels and Saincts the holy persons in earth and those that vvere in Limbo or be in Purgatorie for of the damned in hel he can not speake in this case lastly of the peoples in Ilands here called the sea vvhich the Prophets vse often to name seuerally vvhen they foretel the spreading of Christs glorie through the vvorld as Esa c. 49. Heare ye â—â—andes and you people a far of c. CHAP. VI. 1 Foure seales of the seuen being opened there folovv diuerse effectes against the earth 9 vvhen the fifth seale vvas opened the soules of martyrs desire that the iudgement may be hastened 12 and at the opening of the sixt there are signes shovved of the iudgement to come verse 1 AND I savv that the Lambe had opened one of the seuen seales and I heard one of the foure beastes saying as it vvere the voice of thunder Come and see ✠verse 2 And I savv And behold a vvhite horse and he that sate vpon him had a bovv and there vvas a crovvne giuen him and he vvent forth conquering that he might conquer ✠verse 3 And vvhen he had opened the second seale I heard the second beast saying Come see ✠verse 4 And there vvent forth an other horse redde and he that sate thereon to him it vvas giuen that he should take peace from the earth and that they should kil one an other and a great svvord vvas giuen to him ✠verse 5 And vvhen he had opened the third seale I heard the third beast saying Come and see And behold a blacke horse and he that sate vpon him had a balance in his hand ✠verse 6 And I heard as it vvere a voice in the middes of the foure beastes saying Tvvo poundes of vvheate for a penie and thrise tvvo poundes of barley for a penie and vvine and oile hurt thou not ✠verse 7 And vvhen he had opened the fourth seale I heard a voice of the fourth beast saying Come see ✠verse 8 And behold a pale horse and he that sate vpon him his name vvas death and hel folovved him and povver vvas giuen to him ouer the foure partes of the earth to kil vvith svvord vvith famine and vvith death and vvith beastes of the earth ✠verse 9 And vvhen he had opened the fifth seale I savv ″ vnder the altar the soules of them that vvere slaine for the vvord of God and for the testimonie vvhich they had ✠verse 10 ″ and they cried vvith a loude voice saying Hovv long Lord holy true iudgest thou not and ″ reuengest thou not our bloud of them that dvvel on the earth ✠verse 11 And vvhite stoles vvere giuen to
our Lord the Prophets of God the Gospel Scriptures the name of IESVS such like vvhich be by vse signification or sanctification made holy are not â—ovv to be reuerenced and they shal finde al these things to haue been reuerenced of al the faithful vvithout any dishonour of God and much to his honour Secondly that this reuerence is named adoration in the Seriptures these speaches do proue Ps 93. Adore ye his footestoole because it is holy and Hebr. 11. He adored the toppe of his rod. Thirdly that the Scriptures also vvarrant vs as the nature of the vvord adoratioÌ„ giueth in al three tonges to bowe downe our bodies to fall flat on the ground at the presence of such thinges and at the feete of holy persons specially Angels as Iohn doth here these examples proue Abraham adored the Angels that appeared to him Moyses also the Angel that shewed him self out of the bush vvho vvere creatures though they represented Gods person as this Angel here did that speake to S. Iohn Balaam adored the Angel that stoode before him vvith a svvord drawen Num. 22. Iosuè adored falling flat downe before the feete of the Angel calling him his Lord knowing by the Angels owne testimonie that it vvas but an Angel Vvho refused it not but required yet more reuerence commaunding him to plucke of his shoes because the ground vvas holy no doubt so made by the presence onely of the Angel Yea not onely to Angels but euen to great Prophets this deuotion vvas done as to Daniel by Nabuchodonosor vvho fell flat vpon his face before him and did other great offices of religion vvhich the Prophet refused not because they vvere done to God rather then to him as S. Hierom defendeth the same against Porphyrie vvho charged Daniel vvith intolerable pride therein and the said holy doctor alleageth the fact of Alexander the great that did the like to Ioiadas the high priest of the â—evves Hovvsoeuer that be for of the sacrifice there mentioned there may be some doubt vvhich the Church doth alvvaies immediatly to God and to no creature the fact of the prophets 4 Reg. 2 to Elizeus is plaine vvhere they perceiuing that the double grace and spirit of Elias vvas giuen to him fel flat dovvne at his feete and adored So did * the Sunamite to omit that Achior adored Iudith falling at her feete as a vvoman blessed of God and infinite other places Al vvhich thinges by comparing the Scriptures our Aduersaries should haue found to be lavvfully done to men and Angels and soueraine holy creatures Vvhereby they might conuince them selues perceiue that that thing could not be forbidden S. Iohn to doe to the Angel which they pretend though the Angel for causes might refuse euen that vvhich S. Iohn did lawfully vnto him as S. Peter did refuse the honour giuen him by Cornelius according to S. Chrysostoms opinion he 23 in c 10 Act. yea euen in the third chapter of this booke if our Aduersaries vvould looke no further they might see where this Augel prophecieth promiseth that the Ievves should fall dovvne before the feete of the Angel of Philadelphia and adore See the Annot there CHAP. XX. An Angel casteth the dragon or diuel bound into the depth for a thousand yeres in vvhich the soules of martyes in the first resurrection shal reigne vvith Christ 7 After vvhich yeres Satan being let loose shal raise Gog and Magog an innumerable armie against the beloued citie 9 but a fire from heauen shal destroy them 12 Then bookes are opened and he that sitteth vpon the throne iudgeth al the dead according to their vvorkes verse 1 AND I savv an Angel descending from heauen hauing the key of the bottomles depth and a great chaine in his hand ✠verse 2 And he apprehended the dragon the old serpent vvhich is the Deuil and Satan and â— bound him for a thousand yeres ✠verse 3 and he threvv him into the depth and shut him vp and sealed ouer him that he seduce no more the nations til the thousand yeres be consummate and after these thinges he must be loosed a litle time ✠verse 4 And â— I savv seates and they sate vpon them iudgement vvas giuen them â— and the soules of the beheaded for the testimonie of IESVS and for the vvord of God and that adored not the beast not his image nor receiued his character in their foreheads or in their handes and haue liued and reigned vvith Christ a thousand yeres ✠verse 5 â— The rest of the dead liued not til the thousand yeres be consummate ″ This is the first resurrection ✠verse 6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection in these the second death hath not povver but â— they shal be priestes of God and of Christ and shal reigne vvith him a thousand yeres ✠verse 7 And vvhen the thousand yeres shal be consummate â— Satan shal be loosed out of his prison and shal goe forth and seduce the nations that are vpon the foure corners of the earth * Gog and Magog and shal gather them into battel the number of vvhom is as the sand of the sea ✠verse 8 And they ascended vpon the bredth of the earth and compassed â— the campe of the Sainctes and the beloued citie ✠verse 9 And â— there came dovvne fire from God out of heauen and deuoured them ✠verse 10 and the Deuil vvhich seduced them vvas cast into the poole of fire and brimstone vvhere both the beast and the false-prophet shal be tormented day and night for euer and euer ✠verse 11 And I savv a great vvhite throne and one sitting vpon it from vvhose sight earth and heauen fled and there vvas no place found for them ✠verse 12 And I savv the dead great and litle standing in the sight of the throne and bookes vvere opened and * â— an other booke vvas opened vvhich is of life and the dead vvere iudged of those thinges vvhich were vvritten in the bookes according to their vvorkes ✠verse 13 and the sea gaue the dead that vvere in it and death and hel gaue their dead that vvere in them and it vvas iudged of euery one according to their vvorkes ✠verse 14 And hel and death vvere cast into the poole of fire This is the second death ✠verse 15 And he that vvas not found vvritten in the booke of life vvas cast into the poole of fire ANNOTATIONS CHAP. XX. 2. bound him Christ by his Passion hath abridged the povver of the Deuil for a thousand yeres that is the vvhole time of the nevv Testament vntil Antichrists time vvhen he shal be loosed againe that is be permitted to deceiue the vvorld but for a short time only to vvit three yeres and a halfe 4 I savv seates S. Augustine li. 20 de Ciuit. Dei c. 9 taketh this to be spoken not
the citie vvere adorned vvith al pretious stone The first foundation the iasper the second the saphire the third the calcedonius the fourth the emerauld ✠verse 20 the fifth the sardonix the sixt the sardius the seuenth the chrysolithus the eight the beryllus the ninthe the topazius the tenth the chrysoprasus the eleuenth the hyacinthe the tvvelfth the amethysâ—e ✠verse 21 And the twelue gates there are twelue pearles one to euery one euery gate vvas of one seueral pearle the streate of the citie pure gold as it vvere traÌ„spárent glasse ✠verse 22 And temple I savv not therein for our Lord the God omnipotent is the temple thereof and the Lambe ✠verse 23 And * the citie needeth not sunne nor moone to shine in it for the glorie of God hath illuminated it and the Lambe is the lampe thereof ✠verse 24 And * the Gentiles shal vvalke in the light of it and the kinges of the earth shal bring their glorie and honour into it ✠verse 25 And * the gates thereof shal not be shut by day for there shal be no night there ✠verse 26 And they shal bring the glorie and honour of nations into it ✠verse 27 There shal not enter into it any polluted thing nor that doeth abomination and maketh lie but * they that are vvritten in the booke of life of the Lambe ANNOTATION CHAP. XXI 18. Pure gold S. Gregorie li. 18. Moral 6 28 saith the heauenly state is resembled to gold pretious stone crystal glasse and the like for the puritie claritie glittering of the glorious bodies vvhere one mans body conscience and cogitations are represented to an other as corporal things in this life are seen through crystal or glasse CHAP. XXII The tree of life being vvatered vvith liuing vvater yeldeth fruictes euery moneth 3 There is neither curse nor night in the citie 6 The Angel that shevved Iohn al these things refuseth to be adored of him 14 He telleth him that the iust shal enter into the citie but the rest shal be cast forth 18 Lastly â—e protesteth and threateneth against them that shal presume to adde to this prophecie or take avvay from the same verse 1 AND he shevved me a riuer of â— liuing water ' cleere as crystal proceding from the seate of God and of the Lambe ✠verse 2 In the middes of the streate thereof and on both sides of the riuer the tree of life yelding tvvelue fruites rendring his fruite euery moneth and the leaues of the tree for the curing of the Gentiles ✠verse 3 And no curse shal be any more and the seate of God and of the Lambe shal be in it and his seruantes shal serue him ✠verse 4 And they shal see his face and his name in their foreheads ✠verse 5 And * night shal be no moâ—e and they shal not neede the light of lampe nor the light of the sunne because our Lord God doth illuminate them and they shal reigne for euer and euer ✠verse 6 And he said to me These vvordes are most faithful and true And our Lord the God of the spirites of the prophetes sent his Angel to shevv his seruantes those thinges vvhich must be done quickly ✠verse 7 And behold I come quickly Blessed is he that keepeth the vvordes of the prophecie of this booke ✠verse 8 And I Iohn vvhich haue heard and seen these thinges And * after I had heard and seen I fel dovvne to adore before the feete of the Angel vvhich shevved me these thinges ✠verse 9 and he said to me See thou doe not for I am thy fellow-seruant and of thy brethren the prophetes and of them that keepe the vvordes of this booke Adore God ✠verse 10 And he saith to me Seale not the vvordes of the prophecie of this booke for the time is neere ✠verse 11 He that hurâ—eth let him hurt yet and he that is in filth let him be filthie yet and he that is iust let him be iustified yet and let the holy be sanctified yet ✠verse 12 Behold I come quickly and my revvard is vvith me * to render to euery man according to his vvorkes ✠verse 13 I am * Alpha and Omega the first and the last the beginning and the end ✠verse 14 Blessed are they that vvash their stoles that their povver may be in the tree of life and they may enter by the gates into the citie ✠verse 15 Vvithout are dogges and sorcerers and the vnchast and murderers and seruers of Idols euery one that loueth and maketh a lie ✠verse 16 I IESVS haue sent mine Angel to testifie to you these thinges in the Churches I am the roote and stocke of Dauid the bright and morning starre ✠verse 17 And the Spirit the bride say Come And he that heareth let him say Come And * he that thirsteth let him come and he that vvil let him take the vvater of life gratis ✠verse 18 For I testifie to euery one hearing the vvordes of the prophecie of this booke â— If any maÌ„ shal adde to these things God shal adde vpon him the plagues vvritten in this booke ✠verse 19 And if any man shal diminish of the wordes of the booke of this prophecie God shal take avvay his part out of the booke of life and out of the holy citie and of these thinges that be vvritten in this booke ✠verse 20 saith he that giueth testimonie of these things Yea I come quickely Amen â— Come Lord IESVS ✠verse 21 The grace of our Lord IESVS Christ be vvith you al. Amen ANNOTATIONS CHAP. XXII 11. He that hurteth It is not an exhortation but a commination or threatening that hovv far soeuer the vvicked increase in naughtines God hath prouided ansvverable punishment for them 18. If any man shal adde The author of the commentaries vpon this booke bearing the name of S. Ambrose saith thus of this point He maketh not this protestation against the expositours of his prophecie but against Heretikes for the expositour doth addâ— or diminish nothing but openeth the obscuritie of the narration or shevveth the moral or spiritual sense He curseth therfore Heretikes that vsed to adde somevvhat of their ovvne that vvas false and to take avvay other things that vvere contrarie to their heresies So saith this auncient vvriter And this vvas the propertie of them in al ages and so is it of ours novv as vve haue noted through the vvhole Bible and as vve haue in sundrie places set forth to the sight of al indifferent readers in the nevv Testament that al the vvorld may see that the Apostles curse is fallen vpon them and may bevvare of them 20. Come Lord Iesus And novv ô Lord Christ most iust and merciful vve they poore creatures that are so afflicted for confession and defense of the holy Catholike and Apostolike
vnlike to the Protestants our Aduersaries vvhich make no scruple to leaue out the name of Paul in the title of the Epistle to the Hebrues though it be in euery Greeke booke vvhich they translate And their most authorised English Bibles leaue our Catholike in the title of S. Iames Epistle and the rest vvhich vvere famously knovven in the primitiue Church by the name of Catholicae Epistolae Euseb hist Eccl. li. 2 c. 22. Item vve giue the Reader in places of some importance an other reading in the margent specially vvhen the Greeke is agreable to the same as Io. 4. transiet de morte ad vitam Other Latin copies haue transiit and so it is in the Greeke Vve binde not our selues to the pointes of any one copie print or edition of the vulgar Latin in places of no controuersie but folovv the pointing most agreable to the Greeke and to the fathers commentaries As Col. 1 10. Ambulantes dignè Deo per omnia placentes Vvalking vvorthy of God in al things pleasing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. 1 17. Vve point thus Deus Domini nostri Iesu Christi pater gloriae as in the Greeke and S. Chrysostom S. Hierom both in text and commentaries Vvhich the Catholike reader specially must marke lest he finde fault vvhen he seeth our translation disagree in such places from the pointing of his Latin Testament Vve translate sometime the word that is in the Latin margent and not that in the text when by the Greeke or the fathers we see it is a manifest fault of the writers heretofore that mistooke one word for an other As In fine not in side 1. Pet. 3. v. 8. praesentiam not praescientiam 2 Pet. 1. v. 16. Heb. 13. latuerunt not placueâ—unt Thus we haue endeuoured by al meanes to satisfie the indifferent reader and to helpe his vnderstanding euery way both in the text and by Annotations and withal to deale most sincerely before God and man in translating and expounding the most sacred text of the holy Testament Fare wel good Reader and if we profit the any whit by our poore paines let vs for Gods sake be partakers of thy deuout praiers together with humble and contrite hart call vpoÌ„ our Sauiour Christ to cease these troubles stormes of his derest spouse in the meane time comforting our selues with this saying of S. Augustine That Heretikes vvhen they receiue povver corporally to afflict the Church doe exercise her patience but vvhen they oppugne her onely by their euil doctrine or opinions then they exercise her vvisedom De ciuit Dei li. 18. ca. 51. THE SIGNIFICATION OR MEANING OF THE NVMBERS AND MARKES vsed in this Nevv Testament THe numbers in the inner margent of the text shevv the number of verses in euery Chapter The numbers in the Arguments before euery Chapter point to the same numbers of verses in the text treating of the same matter The numbers in the beginning of the AnnotatioÌ„s signifie that the Annotation is vpon such a verse of the text The numbers in the inner margent or els vvhere ioyned to the citations of Scripture if they be vvritten thus Gen. 4 16. the first is the chapter the second is the verse If thus Gen. 4. 16. both are the Chapters If thus Gen. 4 16. 17. 18. the first is the chapter al the rest the verses If thus Gen. 4 16. 5 7. it signifieth chap. 4. vers 16. and chap. 5. vers 7. ✠This crosse signifieth the beginning of euery verse ″ This marke in the text signifieth that there is an Annotation vpon that vvord or vvordes vvhich folovv the said marke * This starre in the text or in the Annotations signifieth the allegations cited ouer against the same in the margent or some other thing ansvvering therevnto ` ’ This marke shevveth an other reading in the margent And if there be nothing in the margent it signifieth that those vvordes are not in some copies a b These notes in the text referre the reader to the self same in the margent Mt. for Matthevv Mr. for Marke ⊢ This marke signifieth the ending of Gospels and Epistles Their beginning is knovven by the margent vvhere directly at the beginning of them is set The Gospel or The Epistle vpon such a day And if it could not be so set directly because of other marginal notes then b is the marke of their beginning And if some fevv by ouersight be not noted in the margent it is supplied in the table of Epistles and Gospels at the end of this booke ⧠THE BOOKES OF THE NEVV Testament according to the counte of the Catholike Churche 4 GOSPELS The Gospel of S. Matthevv The Gospel of S. Marke The Gospel of S. Luke The Gospel of S. Iohn The ACTES of the Apostles S. PAVLES EPIST. 14. The Epistle to the Romanes The 1 Epistle to the Corinthians The 2 Epistle to the Corinthians The Epistle to the Galatians The Epistle to the Ephesians The Epistle to the Phillppians The Epistle to the Colossians The 1 Epist to the Thessalonians The 2 Epistle to the ThessaloniaÌ„s The 1 Epistle to Timothee The 2 Epistle to Timothee The Epistle to Titus The Epistle to Philemon The Epistle to the Hebrevves THE 7 CATHOL EPISTLES The Epistle of S. Iames. The 1 Epistle of S. Peter The 2 Epistle of S. Peter The 1 Epistle of S. Iohn The 2 Epistle of S. Iohn The 3 Epistle of S. Iohn The Epistle of S. Iude. The APOCALYPSE of S. Iohn 1 The infallible authoritie and excellencie of them aboue al other writings S. Augustine li. II. cont Faustum cap. 5. THe excellencie of the Canonical authoritie of the old and new Testament is distincted from the bookes of later writers which being confirmed in the Apostles times by the succession of Bishops and propagations of Churches is placed as it were in a certaine throne on high wherevnto euery faithful godly vnderstanding must be subiect and obedient There if any thing moue or trouble thee as absurd thou maiest not say The author of this booke held not the truth but either the copie is faultie or the Translatour erred or thou vnderstandest not But in the workes of them that wrote afterward which are conteined in infinite bookes but are in no case equal to that most sacred authoritie of CANONICAL SCRIPTVRES in which soeuer of them is found euen the same truth yet the authoritie is far vnequal 2 The discerning of Canonical from not Canonical and of their infallible truth and sense commeth vnto vs only by the credite vve giue vnto the CATHOLIKE CHVRCHE through vvhose coÌ„mendation vve beleeue both the Gospel and Christ him self Vvhereas the Sectaries measure the matter by their fantasies and opinion S. Augustine cont Epist fundamenti cap. 5. I for my part vvould not beleeue the Gospel vnles the authoritie of the CATHOLIKE CHVRCH moued me They therfore whom I obied saying Beleeue the Gospel vvhy should I not beleeue them saying Beleeue
ynough S. Matthew addeth these wordes also of our Sauiour teaching them to obserue al things whatsoeuer I haue commaunded you which conteineth al good workes and the whole iustice of a Christian man 17. These signes shal folow It is not meant that al Christians or true beleeuers should doe miracles but that some for the proofe of the faith of al should haue that gift The which is the grace or gift of the whole Church executed by certaine for the edification and profite of the whole THE ARGVMENT OF S. LVKES GOSPEL S Lukes Gospel may be diuided into fiue partes The first part is of the Infancie both of the precursor and of Christ himselfe chap. 1 and 2. The second of the Preparation that vvas made to the manifestation of Christ chap. 3 and a piece of the 4. The third of Christes manifesting him selfe by preaching and miracles specially in Galilee the other piece of the 4 chap. vnto the middes of the 17. The fourth of his comming into Iurie tovvards his Passion the other piece of the 17 chap. vnto the middes of the 19. The fifth of the Holy weeke of his Passion in Hierusalem the other part of the 19 chap. vnto the end of the booke S. Luke vvas sectator saith S. Hierome that is a disciple of the Apostle Paul and a companion of 〈◊〉 his peregrination And the same vve see in the Actes of the Apostles Vvhere from the 16 chap. S. Luke putteth him selfe in the traine of S. Paul vvriting thus in the storie Forthwith we sought to goe into Macedonia and in like maner in the first person commonly through the rest of that booke Of him and his Gospel S. Hierom vnderstandeth this saying of S. Paul Vve haue sent with him the brother vvhose praise is in the Gospel through al Churches where also he addeth Some suppose so often as Paul in his Epistles saith According to my Gospel that he meaneth of Lukes booke And againe Luke learned the Gospel not onely of the Apostle Paul who had not been with our Lord in flesh but of the other Apostles which him selfe also in the beginning of his booke declareth saying As they deliuered to vs who them selues from the beginning saw and were ministers of the word It foloweth in S. Hierome Therfore he wrote the Gospel as he had heard but the Actes of the Apostles he compiled as he had seen S. Paul vvriteth of him by name to the Colossians Luke the Physicion saluteth you and to Timothee Luke alone is with me Finally of his end thus doth S. Hierome vvrite He liued fourescore and foure yeres hauing no wife He is buried at Constantinople to vvhich citie his bones vvith the Relikes of Andrew the Apostle were translated out of Achaia the twentith yere of Constantinus And of the same Translation also in another place against Vigilantius the Heretike It grieueth him that the Relikes of the Martyrs are couered with pretious couerings and that they are not either tied in cloutes or throwen to the dunghil why are we then * sacrilegious when we enter the Churches of the Apostles Was Constantinus ' the Emperour sacrilegious who translated to Constantinople the holy Relikes of Andrew Luke and Timothee at which the Diuels rore and the inhabiters of Vigilantius confesse that they feele their presence His sacred body is novv as Padua in Italie Vvither it vvas againe translated from Constantinople THE HOLY GOSPEL OF IESVS CHRIST ACCORDING TO LVKE CHAP. I. The Annunciation and Conception first of the Precursor 26 and sixe moneths after of Christ also him self 39 The Visitation of our Ladie vvhere both the mothers do Prophecie 5â— The Natiuitie and Circuâ—cision of the Precursor vvhere his father doth prophecie 80 The Precursor is from a childe an Eremite verse 1 BECAVSE many haue gone about to compile a narration of the things that haue been accomplished among vs ✠verse 2 according as they haue deliuered vnto vs vvho from the beginning them selues savv and vvere ministers of the vvord ✠verse 3 it seemed good also vnto me ″ hauing diligently atteined to al things from the beginning to vvrite to thee in order good * Theophilus ✠verse 4 that thou maist knovv the veritie of those vvordes vvhere of thou hast been instructed ✠verse 5 There vvas in the daies of Herod the king of Ievvrie a certaine Priest named Zacharie of the * course of Abia and his vvife of the daughters of Aaron and her name Elizabeth ✠verse 6 And they vvere both ″ iust before God vvalking ″ in al the commaundements ″ and iustifications of our Lord vvithout blame ✠verse 7 and they had no sonne for that Elizabeth vvas barren and both vvere vvel striken in their daies ✠verse 8 And it came to passe vvhen he executed the priestly function in the order of his course before God ✠verse 9 according to the custome of the Priestly function he vvent forth by lot * to offer incense entring into the temple of our Lord ✠verse 10 and * al the multitude of the people vvas praying vvithout at the houre of the incense ✠verse 11 And there appeared to him an Angel of our Lord standing on the right hand of the altar of incense ✠verse 12 And Zacharie vvas troubled seeing him and feare fel vpon him ✠verse 13 But the Angel said to him Feare not Zacharie for thy praier is heard and thy vvife Elizabeth shal beare thee a sonne and thou shalt cal his name Iohn ✠verse 14 and thou shalt haue ″ ioy and exultation and many shal reioyce in his natiuitie ✠verse 15 for he shal be great before our Lord and vvine and sicer he shal not drinke and he shal be replenished vvith the Holy Ghost euen from his mothers vvombe ✠verse 16 and he shal * conuert many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God ✠verse 17 and he shal goe before him * in the spirit and vertue of Elias that he may conuert the hartes of the fathers vnto the children and the incredulous to the vvisedom of the iust to prepare vnto the Lord a perfect people ⊢ ✠verse 18 And Zacharie said to the Angel Vvhereby shal I knovv this for I am old and my vvife is vvel striken in her daies ✠verse 19 And the Angel ansvvering said to him I am Gabriel that assist before God and am sent to speake to thee and to euangelize these things to thee ✠verse 20 And behold thou shalt be dumme and shalt not be able to speake vntil the day vvherein these things shal be done for-because thou hast not beleeued my vvordes vvhich shal be fulfilled in their time ✠verse 21 And the people vvas expecting Zacharie and they marueled that he made tariance in the temple ✠verse 22 And comming forth he could not speake to them and they knevv that he had seen a
the chaffe he vvil burne vvith vnquencheable fire ✠verse 18 Many other things also exhorting did he euangelize to the people ✠verse 19 * And Herod the Tetrarch vvhen he vvas rebuked of him for Herodias his brothers ' vvife and for al the euils vvhich Herod did ✠verse 20 ″ he added this also aboue al and shut vp Iohn into prison ✠verse 21 * And it came to passe vvhen al the people vvas baptized IESVS also being baptized and praying heauen vvas opened ✠verse 22 and the Holy Ghost descended in corporal shape as a doue vpon him and a voice from heauen vvas made Thou art my beloued sonne in thee I am vvel pleased ✠verse 23 And IESVS him self was beginning to be about thirtie yeres old as it was thought the sonne of Ioseph vvho vvas ″ of Heli ✠verse 24 vvho vvas of Matthat vvho vvas of Leui vvho vvas of Melchi vvho vvas of Ianné vvho vvas of Ioseph ✠verse 25 vvho vvas of Matthathias vvho vvas of Amos vvho vvas of Naum vvho vvas of Hesli vvho vvas of Naggé ✠verse 26 vvho vvas of Mahath vvho vvas of Matthathias vvho vvas of Semei vvho vvas of Ioseph vvho vvas of Iuda ✠verse 27 vvho vvas of Iohanna vvho vvas of Resa vvho vvas of Zorobabel vvho vvas of Salathiel vvho vvas of Neri ✠verse 28 vvho vvas of Melchi vvho vvas of Addi vvho vvas of Cosam vvho vvas of Elmadan vvho vvas of Her ✠verse 29 vvho vvas of IesuS vvho vvas of Eliézer vvho vvas of Iorim vvho vvas of Matthat vvho vvas of Leui ✠verse 30 vvho vvas of Simeon vvho vvas of Iudas vvho vvas of Ioseph vvho vvas of Iona vvho vvas of Eliacim ✠verse 31 vvho vvas of Melcha vvho vvas of Menna vvho vvas of Matthatha vvho vvas of Nathan vvho vvas of Dauid ✠verse 32 * vvho vvas of Iessé vvho vvas of Obed vvho vvas of Booz vvho vvas of Salmon vvho vvas of Naasson ✠verse 33 vvho vvas of Aminadab vvho vvas of Aram vvho vvas of Efron vvho vvas of Phares vvho vvas of Iudas ✠verse 34 vvho vvas of Iocob vvho vvas of Isaac vvho vvas of Abraham vvho vvas of Tharé vvho vvas of Nachor ✠verse 35 vvho vvas of Sarug vvho vvas of Ragau vvho vvas of Phaleg vvho vvas of Heber vvho vvas of Salé ✠verse 36 vvho vvas of Cainan vvho vvas of Arphaxad vvho vvas of Sem vvho vvas of Noë vvho vvas of Lamech ✠verse 37 vvho vvas of Mathusalé vvho vvas of Henoch vvho vvas of Iared vvho vvas of Malaleel vvho vvas of Cainan ✠verse 38 vvho vvas of Henos vvho vvas of Seth vvho vvas of Adam vvho vvas of God ANNOTATIONS CHAP. III. 20. He added this aboue al. The fault of Princes and other great men that can not only not abide to heare their faults but also punish by death or emprisonment such as reprehend them for the same specially if they warne them as Prophets and Priests doe from God is exceding great 23. Of Heli. Vvhereas in S. Matthevv Iacob is father to Ioseph and here Heli the case vvas thus Mathan named in S. Matthevv of his vvife called Escha begat Iacob and after his death Melchi named here in S. Luke of the same vvoman begat Heli so that Iacob and Heli vvere brethren of one mother This Heli therfore marrying and dying vvithout issue Iacob his brother according to the Lavv married his vvife and begat Ioseph and so raised vp seede to his brother Heli. whereby it came to passe that Iacob was the natural father of Ioseph which as S. Matthew saith begat him and Heli was his legal father according to the Law as S. Luke signifieth Euseb li. 1 Ec. Hist c. 7 Hiero. in 6. 1 Mat. Aug. li. 2 c. 2. 3 de cons Euang. CHAP. IIII. Christ going into the Desert to prepare him self before his manifestation ouercommeth the tentations of the Diuel 14 then beginning gloriously in Galilee 16 he sheweth to them of Nazareth his commission out of Esay the Prophet 23 insinuating by occasion the Ievves his countriemens reprobation 31 In Capharnaum his doctrine is admired 33 specially for his miracle in the Synagogue 38. from vvhich going to Peters house he shevveth there much more povver 42 Then retiring into the vvildernesse he preacheth aftervvard to the other cities of Galilee verse 1 AND IESVS ful of the Holy Ghost returned from Iordan and vvas driuen in the spirit into the desert ✠verse 2 fourtie daies and vvas tempted of the deuil And he did eate nothing in those daies and vvhen they vvere ended he vvas an hungred ✠verse 3 And the Deuil said to him If thou be the sonne of God say to this stone that it be made bread ✠verse 4 And IESVS made ansvver vnto him It is vvritten That not in bread alone shal man liue but in euery vvord of God ✠verse 5 And the Deuil brought him into an high mountaine and shevved him al the kingdoms of the vvhole vvorld in a moment of time ✠verse 6 and he said to him To thee vvil I giue this vvhole povver and the glorie of them for to me they are deliuered and to vvhom I vvil I doe giue them ✠verse 7 Thou therfore if thou vvilt adore before me they shal al be thine ✠verse 8 And IESVS ansvvering said to him It is vvritten Thou shalt adore the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serue ✠verse 9 And he brought him into Hierusalem and set him vpon the pinnacle of the temple and he said to him If thou be the sonne of God cast thy self from hence dovvnevvard ✠verse 10 For it is vvritten that He hath giuen his Angels charge of thee that they preserue thee ✠verse 11 and that in their hands they shal beare thee vp lest perhaps thou knocke thy foote against a stone ✠verse 12 And IESVS ansvvering said to him It is said Thou shal not tempt the Lord thy God ✠verse 13 And al the tentation being ended the Deuil ″ departed from him vntil a time ✠verse 14 * And IESVS returned in the force of the spirit into Galilee and the fame vvent forth through the vvhole countrie of him ✠verse 15 And he taught in their synagogues and vvas magnified of al. ✠verse 16 * And he came to Nazareth vvhere he vvas brought vp and he entred according to his custom on the Sabboth day into the synagogue and he rose vp to reade ✠verse 17 And the booke of Esay the Prophet vvas deliuered vnto him And as he vnfolded the booke he found the place vvhere it vvas vvritten ✠verse 18 The Spirit of the Lord vpon me for vvhich he anointed me to euangelize vnto the poore he sent me to heale the contrite of hart ✠verse 19 to preach to the captiues remission and sight to the blinde to dimisse the bruised vnto remissiō to
vvhiles he ″ blessed them he departed from them and vvas caried into heauen ✠verse 52 And they adoring vvent backe into Hierusalem vvith great ioy ✠verse 53 and they vvere alvvaies in the temple praising and blessing God ANNOTATIONS CHAP. XXIIII 30. Tooke bread The Fathers in diuers places take this to be meant of the B. Sacrament Author operis imperf ho. 17. S. Augustine li. 39 de consensu Euang. c. 25 ser 140 de temp ep 59 ad Paulinum q. 1◠Paulinus him self in the next epistle before that among S. Augustines Venerable Bede also vpon this place Theophylacte vpon this place And that it should be meant of the holy Sacrament the forme of solemne taking the bread into his handes blessing it breaking it and reaching it to his disciples exceding proper to the consecration and common to none other vulgar benediction nor any where vsed but in Christs miraculous multiplying the loaues and the singular effecte in notifying Christ vnto them do proue And if it be the Sacrament as it is most probable then is it an euident example and vvarrant of ministration in one kinde 46. Penance to be preached He shevved vnto them out of the Scriptures not onely the things that were now accomplished in himself but also that were yet to come about his Church as where it should begin to vvit at Hierusalem and hovv farre it should goe to vvit to al nations that he might not suffer vs saith S. Augustine to erre neither in the bridegrome nor in the bride For this maketh manifestly against al Heretikes and Schismatikes that set vp nevv churches in particular countries dravving the people from the foresaid onely true Church vvhich from Hierusalem so grovveth ouer al nations til the end of the vvorld come 50. Blessed them Christ our high priest prefigured specially therein by Melchisedec often gaue his blessing to his somtimes by vvordes as Peace be to you somtimes by imposing his handes and now here by lifting vp his hands ouer his Disciples as it vvere for his farewel In vvhat forme the Scripture doth not expresse but very like it is that in forme of the crosse as Iacob the Patriarch blessed his nephewes for signification of Christs benediction for now the crosse began to be glorious among the faithful and the Apostles as it is most certaine by the fathers vvhich call it an ancient tradition vsed that signe for an external note of benediction Yea S. Augustine saith in Ps 30. Conc. 3 that Christ him self not without cause would haue his signe to be fixed in our foreheads as in the feate of shame fastnes that a Christian man should not be ashamed of the reproche of Christ and what forme can a Christian man vse rather to blesse him self or others then that which was dedicated in Christs death and is a conuenient memorial of the same Howsoeuer it be that the Bishops and Priests of Gods Church blesse with an external signe no man can reprehend being warranted by Christs owne example and action †THE ARGVMENT OF S. IOHNS GOSPEL S Iohns Gospel may be diuided into foure partes The first part is of the actes of Christ before his solemne manifestation of himselfe vvhile Iohn Baptist vvas yet baptizing Chap. 1. 2. 3. 4. The second of his Actes in Iurie hauing novv begonne his solemne manifestation in Galilee Mat. 4 12 the second Easter or Pasche of his preaching Chap. 5. For of the first pasche we had in the first part chap. 2 13 And the pasche of the Iewes was at hand And that feast vvhereof vve haue in this second part chap. 5 1 After this there was a festiual day of * the Iewes is thought of good Authors to be the feast of Pasche The third part is of his Actes in Galilee and in Iurīe about the third Pasche and after it cap. 6 to the 12. For so vve haue chap. 6 4 And Pasche the festiual day of * the Iewes was at hand The fourth part is of the fourth pasche vvhich vve haue in the end of the chap. 11 55 And the pasche of * the Iewes was at hand that is to say of the Holy vveeke of his Passion in Hierusalem chap. 12. vnto the end of the booke By vvhich diuision it is manifest that the intent of this Euangelist vvriting after the other three vvas to omit the Actes of Christ in Galilee because the other three had vvritten them at large and to reporte his Actes done in Iurie vvhich they had omitted And this he doth because Iurie vvith Hierusalem and the Temple beeing the principal parte of the Countrey there abode the principal of the Ievves both for authoritie and also for learning in the lavv or knovvledge of the Scriptures and therfore that vvas the place vvhere our Lord IESVS finding in the Head it selfe and in the leaders of the rest such vvilful obstinacie and desperate resistance as the Prophets had foretold did by this occasion much more plainely then in Galilee both say and proue at sundry times euen euery yere of his preaching himselfe to be the CHRIST that had bene so lōg promised vnto them expected of them the same CHRIST to be not onely a man as they imagined but also the natural consubstantial coëternal Sonne of God the Father vvho novv had sent him Therfore these vvere the vvordes and deedes that serued best the purpose of this Euangelist being to shevv the glorie excellencie of this person IESVS that thereby the Gētils might see hovv vvorthily Hierusalem the Ievves vvere reprobated vvho had refused yea crucified such an one and hovv vvel to their ovvne saluation themselues might doe to receiue him and to beleeue in him For this to haue bene his purpose him selfe declareth in the end saying These are written that you may beleeue that IESVS is CHRIST the Sonne of God and that beleeuing you may haue life in his name And herevpon it is that S. Hierome vvriteth thus in his life Iohn the Apostle whom IESVS loued very much the sonne of Zebedee the brother of Iames the Apostle whom Herod after our Lords Passion beheaded last of al wrote the Gospel at the request of the Bishops of Asia against Cerinthus and other Heretikes and specially against the assertion of the Ebionites then rising who say that Christ was not before MARIE Wherevpon also he was compelled to vtter his Diuine Natiuitie Of his three Epistles and of his Apocalypse shal be said in their ovvne places It folovveth in S. Hierome that In the Second persecution vnder Domitian fourtene yeres after the persecution of Nero he was exiled into the ile Patmos But after that Domitian was slaine and his actes for his passing crueltie repealed by the Senate vnder Nerua the Emperour he returned to Ephesus and there continuing vnto the time of Traiane the Emperour he founded and gouerned al the Churches of Asia and
them al Bishops and Lawful Pastors to be his witnesses from Hierusalem to the ends of the world 39. Searche the Scriptures He reprehendeth the Iewes that reading daily the Scriptures and acknowledging that in them they should finde life and saluation they yet looked ouer them so superficially that they could not finde therein him to be CHRIST their King Lord life and Sauiour For the special maisters Scribes of the Ievves then were like vnto our Heretikes novv vvho be euer talking and turning and shuffling the Scriptures but are of al men most ignorant in the deepe knovvledge thereof And therfore our Maister referreth them not to the reading onely or learning them without booke or hauing the sentences thereof gloriously painted or vvritten in their Temple houses or coates but to the deepe searche of the meaning and mysteries of the Scriptures vvhich are not so easily to be seen in the letter CHAP. VI. Hauing vvith fiue loaues fed fiue thousand 16 vvalking also the night after vpon the sea 22 on the morovv the people there vpon resorting vnto him 27 he preacheth vnto them of the Bread vvhich he vvil giue telling them that he is come from heauen and therfore able to giue such bread as cā quicken the word euen his ovvne flesh and that al his Elect shal beleeue as much 60 Many not vvith standing do murmur at this doctrine yea and become apostataes thoug he tel them that they shal see by his Ascension into heauen that he is descended from heauen but the Tvvelue sticke vnto him beleeuing that he is God omnipotent as he said Among vvhom also that no man be scandalized he signifieth that he foreknovveth vvhich vvil become a traiter as among the foresaid vvhich vvould become apostataes verse 1 AFTER these things IESVS vvent beyond the sea of Galilee vvhich is of Tiberias ✠verse 2 and a great multitude folovved him because they savv the signes vvhich he did vpon those that vvere sicke ✠verse 3 IESVS therfore went vp into the mountaine and there he sare vvith his Disciples ✠verse 4 And the Pasche vvas at hand the festiual day of the Ievves ✠verse 5 Vvhen IESVS therfore had lifted vp his eies and savv that a very great multitude commeth to him he saith to Philippe Vvhence shal vve bie bread that these may eate ✠verse 6 And this he said tempting him for him self knevv vvhat he vvould doe ✠verse 7 Philippe ansvvered him Tvvo hundred penie vvorth of bread is not sufficient for them that euery man may take a litle peece ✠verse 8 One of his Disciples Andrevv the brother of Simon Peter saith to him ✠verse 9 There is a boy here that hath fiue barley loaues tvvo fishes but vvhat are these among so many ✠verse 10 IESVS therfore saith Make the men to sit dovvne And there vvas much grasse in the place The men therfore sate dovvne in number about fiue thousand ✠verse 11 IESVS therfore tooke the loaues and vvhen he had giuen thankes he distributed to them that sate in like maner also of the fishes as much as they vvould ✠verse 12 And after they vvere filled he said to his Disciples Gather the fragments that are remaining lest they be lost ✠verse 13 They gathered therfore and filled tvvelue baskets vvith fragments of the fiue barley loaues vvhich remained to them that had eaten ✠verse 14 Those men therfore vvhen they had seen vvhat a signe IESVS had done said That this is the Prophet in deede that is to come into the vvorld ✠verse 15 IESVS therfore vvhen he knevv that they vvould come to take him and make him king * he fled againe into the mountaine him self alone ⊢ ✠verse 16 And vvhen euen vvas come his Disciples vvent dovvne to the sea ✠verse 17 And vvhen they vvere gone vp into the shippe they came beyond the sea into Capharnáum and novv it vvas darke and IESVS vvas not come vnto them ✠verse 18 And the sea arose by reason of a great vvinde that blevv ✠verse 19 Vvhen they had to vved therfore about fiue and tvventie or thirtie furlonges they see IESVS vvalking vpon the sea and to dravv nigh to the shippe and they feared ✠verse 20 But he saith to them It is I feare not ✠verse 21 They vvould therfore haue taken him into the shippe and forthvvith the shippe vvas at the land to vvhich they vvent ✠verse 22 The next day the multitude that stoode beyond the sea savv that there vvas no other boate there but one and that IESVS had not entred into the boate vvith his Disciples but that his Disciples only vvere departed ✠verse 23 but other boates came in frō Tiberias beside the place vvhere they had eatē the bread our Lord giuing thankes ✠verse 24 Vvhen therfore the multitude savv that IESVS vvas not there nor his Disciples they vvent vp into the boates came to Capharnaū seeking IESVS ✠verse 25 And vvhē they had found him beyond the sea they said to him Rabbi vvhē camest thou hither ✠verse 26 IESVS ansvvered them and said Amen amen I say to you you seeke me not because you haue seene signes but because you did eate of the loaues and vvere filled ✠verse 27 ″ Vvorke not the meate that perisheth but that endureth vnto life euerlasting vvhich the Sonne of man vvil giue you For him the Father God hath signed ✠verse 28 They said therfore vnto him Vvhat shal vve doe that vve may vvorke the vvorkes of God ✠verse 29 IESVS ansvvered and said to them This is the vvorke of God that you beleeue in him vvhom he hath sent ✠verse 30 They said therfore to him Vvhat signe therfore doest thou that vve may see and may beleeue thee vvhat vvorkest thou ✠verse 31 Our * fathers did eate Manna in the desert as it is vvritten Bread from heauen he gaue them to eate ✠verse 32 IESVS therfore said to them Amen amen I say to you Moyses gaue you not the bread from heauen but my Father giueth you ″ the true bread from heauen ✠verse 33 For the bread of God it is that descendeth from heauen and giueth life to the vvorld ✠verse 34 They said therfore vnto him Lord giue vs alvvaies this bread ✠verse 35 And IESVS said to them I am the bread of life he that commeth to me shal not hunger and he that beleeueth in me shal neuer thirst ✠verse 36 But I said to you that both you haue seen me and you beleeue not ✠verse 37 Al that the Father giueth me shal come to me and him that commeth to me I vvil not cast forth ✠verse 38 Because I descended from heauen not to doe mine ovvne vvil but the vvil of him that sent me ✠verse 39 For this is the vvil of him that sent me the Father that al that he hath giuē me I leese not thereof
Father in me The vvordes that I speake to you of my self I speake not But my father that abideth in me he doeth the vvorkes ✠verse 11 Beleeue you not that I am in the Father and the Father in me Othervvise for the vvorkes them selues beleeue ✠verse 12 Amen amen I say to you he that beleeueth in me the vvorkes that I doe he also shal doe and greater then these shal he doe ✠verse 13 because I goe to the Father and vvhatsoeuer you shal aske in my name that wil I doe ⊢ that the Father may be glorified in the Sonne ✠verse 14 If you aske me any thing in my name that vvil I doe ✠verse 15 If you loue me keepe my commaundements ✠verse 16 And I vvil aske the father and he vvil giue you an other Paraclete that he may abide vvith you for euer ✠verse 17 the Spirit of truth vvhom the vvorld can not receiue because it seeth him not neither knovveth him but you knovv ' him because he shal abide vvith you and shal be in you ✠verse 18 I vvil not leaue you orphanes I vvil come to you ✠verse 19 Yet a litle vvhile and the vvorld seeth me no more But you see me because I liue and you shal liue ⊢ ✠verse 20 In that day you shal knovv that I am in my father and you in me and I in you ✠verse 21 He that hath my commaundements and keepeth them he it is that loueth me And he that loueth me shal be loued of my father and I vvil loue him and vvil manifest my self to him ⊢ ✠verse 22 Iudas saith to him not that Iscariote Lord vvhat is done that thou vvilt manifest thy self to vs and not to the vvorld ✠verse 23 IESVS ansvvered and said to him If any loue me he vvil keepe my vvord and my father vvil loue him and vve vvil come to him and vvil make abode vvith him ✠verse 24 He that loueth me not keepeth not my vvordes And the vvord vvhich you haue heard is not mine but his that sent me the Fathers ✠verse 25 These things haue I spoken to you abiding vvith you ✠verse 26 But the Paraclete the holy Ghost vvhom the Father vvil send in my name he shal teach you al things suggest vnto you al things vvhatsoeuer I shal say to you ✠verse 27 Peace I leaue to you my peace I giue to you not as the vvorld giueth doe I giue to you Let not your hart be troubled nor feare ✠verse 28 You haue heard that I said to you I goe and I come to you If you loued me you vvould be glad verily that I goe to the Father because the Father is greater then I. ✠verse 29 And novv I haue told you before it come to passe that vvhen it shal come to passe you may beleeue ✠verse 30 Novv I vvil not speake many things vvith you for the prince of this vvorld commeth and in me he hath not any thing ✠verse 31 But that the vvorld may knovv that I loue the Father and as the Father hath giuen me commaundement so doe I ⊢ Arise let vs goe hence ANNOTATIONS CHAP. XIIII 12. Greater then these S. Chrysostom in a whole booke against the Pagans proueth that this was fulfilled not onely in Peters shadow and Paules garments which as we read in the Actes healed infirmities but also by the Relikes and monuments of Saincts namely of S. Babylas of whom he there treateth thereby inferring that Christ is God who could and did performe these wonderful wordes by the very ashes of his seruants The Protestants cleane contrarie as patrones of the Pagans infidelitie as though our Sauiour had promised these the like miraculous workes in vaine either not meaning or not able to fulfil thē so do they discredite al the approued histories of the Church concerning miracles wrought by Saincts namely that S. Gregorie Thaumaturgus remoued a mountaine the miracles of S. Paul the eremite and S. Hilarion written by S. Hierom the miracles of S. Martin written by Seuerus Sulpitius the miracles testified by S. Augustine de Ciuit Dei the miracles approued by S. Gregorie in his Dialoges the miracles reported by S. Bede in his Ecclesiastical storie and liues of Saincts and al other miracles neuer so faithfully recorded in Ecclesiastical writers In al which things aboue their reach of reason and nature they are as litle persuaded and haue no more faith then had the Pagans against whom S. Chrysostom in the foresaid booke and S. Augustine de Ciu. Dei li. 22 c. 8 and other Fathers heretofore haue written No man therfore needeth to maruel that the very Image of our Lady the like doe miracles euen as Peters shadow did nor wonder if such things seeme stranger and greater then those which Christ him self did whereas our Sauiour to put vs out of doubt saith expresly that his Saincts shal doe greater things then him self did 16. For euer If the Holy Ghost had been promised onely to the Apostles their successors and the Church after them could not haue chalenged it but it vvas promised them for euer Whereby we may learne both that the priuileges and promisses made to the Apostles were not personal but pertaining to their offices perpetually and also that the Church and Pastors in al ages had and haue the same Holy Ghost to gouerne them that the Apostles and primitiue Church had 17. The spirit of truth They had many particular giftes and graces of the Holy Ghost before and many vertues by the same as al holy men haue at al times but the Holy Ghost here promised to the Apostles and their successors for euer is to this vse specially promised to direct them in al truth and veritie and is contrarie to the spirit of errour heresie and falshod And therefore the Church can not fall to Apostasie or Heresie or to nothing as the Aduersaries say 28. Father greater then I. There is no place of Scripture that seemeth any thing so much to make for the Sacramentaries as this and other in outward shew of wordes seemed to make for the Arians who denied the equalitie of the Sonne with the Father Which wordes yet in deede rightly vnderstood after the Churches sense make nothing for their false secte but only signifie that Christ according to his Manhod wa◠inferior in deede and that according to his Diuinitie he came of the Father And if the Heresie or disease of this time were Arianisme we should stand vpon these places and the like against the Arians as we now do vpon others against the Protestants whose secte is the disease and bane of this time CHAP. XV. He exhorteth them to abide in him that is his Church being the true vine and not the Synagogue of the Ievves any more 9 and in his loue louing one an other and keeping his commaundements 13 shevving hovv much
✠verse 19 And this he said signifying by vvhat death he should glorifie God ⊢ And vvhen he had said this he saith to him Folovv me ✠verse 20 Peter turning savv that disciple vvhom IESVS loued folovving * vvho also leaned at the supper vpon his breast and said Lord vvho is he that shal betray thee ✠verse 21 Him therfore vvhen Peter had seen he saith to IESVS Lord and this man vvhat ✠verse 22 IESVS saith to him So I vvil haue him to remaine til I come vvhat to thee folovv thou me ✠verse 23 This saying therfore vvent abrode among the brethren that that disciple dieth not And IESVS did not say to him he dieth not but So I vvil haue him to remaine til I come vvhat to thee ✠verse 24 This is that disciple vvhich giueth testimonie of these things and hath vvritten these things and vve knovv that his testimonie is true ⊢ ✠verse 25 But there are * many other things also vvhich IESVS did vvhich if they vvere vvritten in particular neither the vvorld it self I thinke vvere able to conteine those bookes that should be vvritten ANNOTATIONS CHAP. XXI 17. Feede my sheepe As it was promised him Mat. 16 that the Church should be builded vpoÌ„ him and that the keies of heauen should be giuen to him so here it is performed he is actually made the general Pastor and Gouerner of al Christs sheepe For though the other ten as Matthias and Paul also afterward were Apostles Bishops Priests aud had authoritie to binde and loose to remitte and reteâ—ne to preach baptize and such like as wel as he Yet in these things and al other gouernement Christ would haue him to be their head and they to depend of him as head of their College and consequently of the whole flocke of Christ no Apostle nor no Prince in earth if he acknowledge him self to be a sheepe of Christ exempted from his charge And that Christ maketh a difference betwixt Peter and the rest and giueth him some greater preeminence and regiment then the rest it is plaine by that he is asked whether he loue our Lord more then the other Apostles do where for equal charge no difference of loue had bene required To Peter saith S. Cyprian our Lord after his Resurrection said Feede my sheepe and buildâ—d his Church vpon him alone and to him he giueth the charge of feeding his sheepe For although after his Resurrection he gaue his povver alike to al saying As my Father sent me so I send you take the Holy Ghost if you remitte to any their sinnes they shal be remitted c. Yet to manifest vnitie he coÌ„stituted one Chaire so disposed by his authoritie that vnitie should haue origine of one The rest of the Apostles vvere that Peter vvas in equal fellovvship of honour and povver but the beginning coÌ„meth of vnitie the Primacie is giuen to Peter that the Church of Christ may be shewed to be one one Chaire S. Chrysostome also saith thus Why did our Lord shede his bloud truely to redeeme those sheepe the cure of vvhich he committed both to Peter and also to his Successors And a litle after Christ vvould haue Peter indued vvith such authoritie and to be far aboue al his other Apostles for he saith Peter dost thou loue me more then al these do Wherevpon our Maister might haue inferred If thou loue me Peter vse much fasting sleepe on the hard floure vvatch much be patrone to the oppressed father to the orphans and husband to the vvidovves but omitting al these things he saith Feed my sheepe For al the foresaid vertues certes may be done easily of many subiects not onely men but vvomen but vvhen it commeth to the gouernement of the Church and committing the charge of so many soules al vvoman kind must needes vvholy giue place to the burden and greatnes thereof and a great number of men also So writeth he And because Protestants would make the vnlearned thinke that S. Gregorie deemeÌ„d the Popes Supremacie to be wholy vnlawful and Antichristian for that he condemneth Iohn of Constantinople for vsurping the name of vniuersal Bishop resembling his insolence therein to the pride of Antichrist note wel the wordes of this holy father in the very same place and Epistle against the B. of Constantinople by which you shal easily see that to deny him to be vniuersal Bishop is not to deny Peter or the Pope to be head of the Church or supreme Gouerner of the same as our Aduersaries fraudulently pretend It is plaine to al men saith he that euer read the Gospel that by our Lordes mouth the charge of the vvhole Church vvas committed to S. Peter Prince of the Apostles for to him it vvas said Feed my sheepe for him vvas the prayer made that his faith should not faile to him vvere the keies of heauen giuen and authoritie to binde and loose to him the cure of the Church and principality vvas deliuered and yet he vvas not called the vniuersal Apostle This title in deed vvas offered for the honour of S. Peter Prince of the Apostles to the Pope of Rome by the holy Councel of Chalcedon but none of that See did euer vse it or consent to take it Thus much S. Gregorie who though he both practised iurisdictioÌ„ through out al Christendom as other of that See haue euer done and also acknowledged the Principality and Soueraintie to be in Peter and his Successors yet would he not for iust causes vse that title subiect to vanitie misconstructioÌ„ But both he al the Popes since haue rather called them selues Seruos seruorum Dei the Seruants of Gods seruants Though the word vniuersal Bishop in that sense wherein the holy Councel of Chalcedon offered it to the See of Rome was true and Lawful For that Councel would not haue giuen any Antichristian or vniust title to any man Onely in the B. of Constantinople and other which in no sense had any right to it and who vsurped it in a very false and tyrannical meaning it was insolent vniust and Antichristian See also the Epistles of S. Leo the Great concerning his practise of vniuersal iurisdiction though he refused the title of vniuersal Bishop And S. Bernard that you may better perceiue that the general charge of Christs sheepe was not onely giuen to Peters person but also to his successors the Popes of Rome as S. Chrysostom also before alleaged doth testifie writeth thus to Eugenius Thou art he to whom the keies of heauen are deliuered to whom the sheepe are coÌ„mitted there be other Porters of heaueÌ„ other Pastors of flockes but thou hast inherited in more glorious differeÌ„t sort For they haue euery one their particular flocke but to thee al vniuersally as one flocke to one maÌ„ are credited being not onely the Pastor of the sheepe but the one Pastor of al the
blessing them Ascendeth into heauen ⧠THE ARGVMENT OF THE ACTES OF THE APOSTLES THE Gospel hauing shevved hovv the Ievves most impiously rèiected Christ as also Moyses and the Prophets had foretold of them and therefore deserued to be reiected themselues also of him novv folovveth this booke of the Actes of the Apostles vvritten by S. Luke in Rome the fourth yâ—râ— of Nero An. Dom. 61 and shevveth hovv notvvithstanding their desertes Christ of his mercy as the Prophets also had foretold of him offered him selfe vnto that vnvvorthy people yea after that they had Crucified him sending vnto them his tvvelue Apostles to moue them to penance and so by Baptisme to make them of his Church and vvhiles al the Tvvelue vvere so occupied about the Ievves hovv of a persecuting Ievve he made an extraordinarie Apostle vvho vvas S. Paul and to auoide the scaÌ„dal of the Ievves to vvhom onely him selfe likevvise for the same cause had preached sent him and not any of his Twelue by and by who were his knovven Apostles vnto the Gentiles vvho neuer afore had Heard of Christ and vvere vvorshippers of many Gods to moue them also for that likevvise the Prophets had foretold to faith and penance and so by Baptisme to make them of his Church and hovv the incredulous Ievves euery vvhere resisted the same Apostle and his preaching to the Gentiles persecuting him and seeking his death and neuer ceasing vntil he fel into the handes of the Gentils that so as not onely he euery vvhere but also the Prophets afore him and Christ had foretold the Gospel might be taken avvay from them and giuen to the Gentiles euen from Hierusalem vvhose reprobation also by name had been often foretold the headcitie of the Iewes vvhere it began translated to Rome the headcitie of the Gentiles Al this vvil be euident by the partes of the booke vvhich may be these sixe First hovv Christ Ascending in the sight of his Disciples promised vnto them the Holy ghost fortelling that of him they should receiue strength and so begin his Church in Hierusalem and from thence dilate it into al that Countrie that is into al Iurie yea and into Samaria also yea into al Nations of the Gentiles be they neuer so far of You shal receiue saith he the vertue of the Holy ghost coÌ„ming vpon you and you shal be witnesses vnto me in Hierusalem in al Iurie and Samaria and euen to the vtmost of the earth Chap. 1. Secondly the beginning of the Church in Hierusalem accordingly Chap. 2. Thirdly the propagation of it consequently into al Iurie and also to Samaria Chap. 8. Fourthly the propagation of it to the Gentiles also Chap. 10. Fifthly the taking of it avvay from the obstinate Ievves and geuing of it to the Gentiles by the ministerie of S. Paul and S. Barnabee Chap. 13. Sixthly of taking it avvay from Hierusalem it selfe the headcitie of the Ievves and sending it as it vvere to Rome the headcitie of the Gentiles and that in their persecuting of Paul so far * that he appealed to Caesar and so deliuering him after a sort vnto the Romanes as they bad * before deliuered to them also Christ him selfe vvhere as S. Peters first coÌ„ming thither vvas vpon an other occasion as shal be said anone Of vvhich Romanes and Gentiles therfore the same S. Paul being novv come to Rome the last Chap. of the Actes foretelleth the obstinat Ievves there saying Et ipsi audient You vvil not heare but they vvil heare that so the prediction of Christ aboue rehearsed might be fulfilled And euen to the vtmost of the earth And there doth S. Luke end the booke not caring to tel so much as the fulfilling of that vvhich our Lord had foretold Act. 27 24 to S. Paul Thou must appeare before Caesar because his purpose vvas no more but to shevv the nevv Hierusalem of the Christians vvhere Christ vvould place the cheefe seate of his Church as also in deede the Fathers and al other Catholikes haue in al ages looked thither vvhen they vvere in any great doubt no lesse then the Ievves to Hierusalem as they vvere appointed in the old Testament Deut. 17 8. And so this Booke doth shevv the true Church as plainely as the Gospel doth shevv the true Christ vnto al that do not vvilfully shut their ovvne â—ies to vvit this to be the true Church vvhich beginning visibly at Hierusalem vvas taken from the Ievves and translated to the Gentils and namely to Rome continuing visibly and visibly to continue hereafter also Vntil the fulnes of the Gentiles shal be come in that then also Al Israël may be saued and then is come the end of the vvorld For so did Christ most plainely foretel vs This Gospel of the Kingdom shal be preached in the vvhole world for a testimonie to al Nations and then shal come the consummation For the conuersion of vvhich Nations and accomplishing the fulnes of al Gentiles the foresaid Church Catholike being mindful of her office to be Christes witnes euen to the vtmost of the earth doth at this present as alvvaies send preachers to conuert and make them also Christians vvhereas the protestants and * al other Heretikes do nothing els but subuert such as before vvere Christians And this being the Summe and scope of this Booke thus to giue vs historically a iust sight of the fulfilling of the Prophets Christes prediction about the Church it is not to be marueiled at vvhy it telleth not of S. Peter coÌ„ming to Rome considering that his first coÌ„ming thither vvas not as S. Paules vvas by the Ievves deliuerie of him working so to their ovvne reprobatioÌ„ but vpoÌ„ another occasion to vvit to confound Simon Magus Eus Hist li. 2. c. 12. 13. For vvho also seeth not that it maketh no mention of his préaching to any Gentiles at al those fevv onely Act. 10 excepted vvho vvere the first and therefore lest the Gentiles should seeme lesse cared for of God then the Ievves Peter being the Head of al vvas elected of God to incorporate them into the church as before he had done the Ievves God saith he among vs chose that by my mouth the Gentiles should heare the vvord of the Gospel and beleeue and S. Iames therevpon Simon hath told how God first visited to take of the Gentiles a people to his name But othervvise I say here is no mention of Peters preaching to any Gentiles no nor of the other eleuen Apostles Vvil any man therfore inferre that neither Peter nor the other Eleuen preached to any Nation or citie of the Gentiles No the meaning of the Holy ghost vvas not to vvrite al the Actes of al the Apostles no nor the preaching of Peter and his to the Gentiles but onely to the Ievves thereby to set out vnto the vvorld the great mercy of Christ tovvard those vnvvorthy Ievves and consequently their most vvorthy reprobation for coÌ„temning
also ✠verse 12 And vvhen day vvas come certaine of the Ievves gathered them selues together â— vovved them selues saying that they vvould neither eate nor drinke til they killed Paul ✠verse 13 And they vvere more then fourtie men that had made this conspiracie ✠verse 14 vvho came to the cheefe priests and the auncients and said By execration vve haue vovved our selues that vve vvil eate nothing til vve kill Paul ✠verse 15 Novv therfore giue you knovvledge to the Tribune vvith the CouÌ„cel that he bring him forth to you as if you meant to knovv some more certaintie touching him But we before he come neere are ready for to kil him ✠verse 16 Vvhich vvhen Paules sisters sonne had heard of their lying in vvaite he came and entred into the castel and told Paul ✠verse 17 And Paul calling to him one of the Centurions said Bring this yong man to the Tribune for he hath some thing to tel him ✠verse 18 And he taking him brought him to the Tribune and said The prisoner Paul desired me to bring this yong man vnto thee hauing some thing to say to thee ✠verse 19 And the Tribune taking him by the hand vvent aside vvith him apart and asked him Vvhat is it that thou hast to tel me ✠verse 20 And he said The Ievves haue agreed to desire thee that to morovv thou vvilt bring forth Paul into the Councel as though they meant to inquire some more certaintie touching him ✠verse 21 But doe not thou credite them for there lie in vvaite for him more then fourtie men of them vvhich haue vovved neither to eate nor to drinke til they kil him and they are novv ready expecting thy promisse ✠verse 22 The Tribune therfore dimissed the yong man commaunding that he should speake to no man that he had notified these things vnto him ✠verse 23 And calling tvvo Centurions he said to them Make ready tvvo hundred souldiars to goe as farre as Caesaréa and seuentie horsemen and launces tvvo hundred from the third houre of the night ✠verse 24 and prepare beasts that setting Paul on they might bring him safe to Felix the President ✠verse 25 For he feared lest perhaps the Ievves might take him avvay and kil him and him self aftervvard should sustaine reproche as though he vvould haue taken money ✠verse 26 vvriting a letter conteining this much Claudius Lysias to the most excellent President Felix greeting ✠verse 27 This man being apprehended of the Ievves and ready to be killed of them I comming in vvith the band deliuered him vnderstanding that he is a Romane ✠verse 28 and meaning to knovv the cause that they obiected vnto him I brought him downe into their Councel ✠verse 29 Vvhom I found to be accused concerning questions of their lavv but hauing no crime vvorthie of death or of bandes ✠verse 30 And vvhen it vvas told me of embushments that they had prepared against him I sent him to thee signifying also to the accusers to speake before thee Fare vvel ✠verse 31 And the souldiars according as it vvas commaunded them taking Paul brought him by night to Antipatris ✠verse 32 And the next day sending avvay the horsemen to goe vvith him they returned to the castel ✠verse 33 Vvho vvhen they vvere come to Caesaréa and had deliuered the letter to the President they did set Paul also before him ✠verse 34 And vvhen he had read and had asked of vvhat prouince he vvas and vnderstanding that of Cilicia ✠verse 35 I vvil heare the said he vvhen thy accusers are come And he commaunded him to be kept in Herods palace ANNOTATIONS CHAP. XXIII â— I knevv not Our Lord saith S. Cyprian in the Gospel when it was said to him Answerest thou the high Priest 〈◊〉 teaching that the honour of Priesthod must be kept said nothiÌ„g to the high Priest but only purging his innocencie said If I haue spoken euil beare witnes of euil but if wel why smitest thou me Also the blessed Apostle vvhen it vvas said to him Doest thou assaile the high Priest so with il wordes spake not any thing coÌ„tumeliously against the Priest whereas he might haue put forth him self stoutly against them which had both crucified our 〈◊〉 and vvhich had novv also lost their God and Christ Temple and Priesthod but though in false and spoiled Priests yet coÌ„sidering the very bare shadovv of the name of Priests he said I knew not brethren that he vvas high Priest By vvhich vvordes of the Apostle either it maâ— be thought he knevv not in deed that he vvas in that function because he had not beene of long time in those partes or els that he so said in respect of the abrogation of the high Priesthod of the Ievves vvhereby he knevv this man not to be truely any Priest as also because at this time they came not orderly to it by succession of Aaron and Lavv of Moyses but by the Roman Emperours fâ—uour * as is said before though as it is lavvful in such a case the Iesse to irritate them he frameth his speach so 〈◊〉 they might not take occasion of further accusation against him 8. The Sadducees This vvas the vvorst Heresie among the Ievves denying that there be any Angels or spirits the ResurrectioÌ„ also of the bodies consequeÌ„tly as it may very vvel be gathered by the booke of the Machabees they denied praier for the dead for to offer or pray for the dead to thinke rightly religiously of the ResurrectioÌ„ are made there sequels one of an other Of this sect of Sadducees vvas as Eusebius vvriteth li. 2. c. 2â— Ec. hist this Ananias the High Priest that caused Paul to be smitten for their Priesthod had novv no more the protection of God to preserue it in truth and right iudgement the Christian Priesthod being then established 12. Vovved them selues Such vovve other or execrations as this binde no man before God yea they must in no vvise be obserued It is a great offence either to vovv voluntarily or to take any such thing vpon a man for feare or by commaundement For example if thou haue rashly by promes vow or othe appointed to be reuenged vpon any man thou bindest not thy self thereby neither must thou keepe thy promes If thou be put to an othe to accuse Catholikes for seruing God as they ought to do or to vtter any innocent man to Gods enemies and his thou oughtest first to refuse such vnlavvful othes but if thou haue not constancie and courage so to do yet know thou that such othes binde not at al in conscience and Lavv of God but may and must be broken vnder paine of damnation For to make or take such vowes or othes is one sinne aâ—d to keepe them is an other far greater as vvhen Herode to keepe his othe killed Iohn Baptist And such vowes and othes to God as these are
vvriting to the Romanes but his desire vvas to preach vnto them for that vvas the proper commission giuen to the Apostles to preach to al nations The vvriting of the bookes of the Testament is an other part of Gods prouidence necessary for the Church in general but not necessarie for euery man in particular as to be taught and preached vnto is for euery one of age and vnderstanding And therfore S. Peter vvho vvas the cheefe of the Commission vvrote litle many of them vvrote nothing at al and S. Paul that vvrote most vvrote but litle in comparison of his preaching nor to any but such as vvere conuerted to the faith by preaching before 17. Liueth by faith In the 10. to the Hebrevves he shevveth by this place of the Prophete Abacue's that the iust though he liue here in peregrination and seeth not presently nor enioyeth the life euerlasting promised to him yet holdeth fast the hope thereof by faith In this place he applieth the Prophetes vvordes further to this sense That it is our faith that is to say the Catholike beleefe saith S. Augustine li. â— cont â— ep Pelag. Which maketh a iust man and distinguisheth betvvene the iust and vniust and that by the lavv of faith and not by the lavv of vvorkes Vvhereof it riseth that the Ievv the Heathen Philosopher and the Heretike though they excelled in al vvorkes of moral vertues could not yet be iust and a Catholike Christian man liuing but an ordinarie honest life either not sinning greatly or supplying his faults by penance is iust And this difference riseth by faith not that faith can saue any man vvithout vvorkes For it is not a reprobate faith that vve speake of as the holy Doctor saith but that vvhich vvorketh by charitie and therfore remitteth sinnes and maketh one iust See S. Augustines place 18. Is reuealed By al the passage folovving you may see that the Gospel and Christs lavv consisteth not only in preaching faith though that be the ground and is first alvvaies to be done but to teach vertuous life and good vvorkes and to denounce damnation to al them that commit dealdy sinnes and repent not And againe vve see that not only lacke of faith is a sinne but al other actes done against Gods commaundements 26. Hath deliuered them vp As he saith here God deliuered them vp so to the Ephesians c. 4 19 he saith of the same persons and things They deliuered them selues vp to al vncleannesse So that it is not meant here that God doth driue force or cause any man to sinne as diuers blasphemous Heretikes do hold but only that by his iust iudgement for their ovvne deseruing and for due punishment of their former greuous offenses he vvithholdeth his grace from them and so suffereth them to fall further into other sinnes As for their crime of Idolatrie to suffer them to fall into vnnatural abominations as novv for heresie he taketh his grace and mercie from many and so they fall headlong into al kind of turpitude as contrarievvise for il life he suffereth many to fall into heresie And for Christes sake let euery one that is entangled vvith the ldolatrie of this time that is to say vvith these nevv sectes looke vvel into his ovvneconscience vvhether his forsaking the true God may not come vnto him for a punishment of his former or present il life vvhich he liueth 12. Worthy of death Here you see vvhy the Church taketh some sinnes to be deadly and calleth them mortal to vvit because al thaâ— doe them are vvorthy of damnation others be venial that is to say pardonable of their ovvne nature and not vvorthy of damnation CHAP. II. Nâ—vv also he shevveth that neither the levves could be saued by the knovvledge of the Lavv of the vvhich they did so much braggâ— against the Genâ—ils seing they did notvvithstanding sinne as the Gentils did 14 And therfore that the true levv is the Christian though he be a Gentil vvho by grace in his hart doeth the good vvorkes that the Lavv commaundeth verse 1 FOR the vvhich cause thou art inexcusable ô man vvhosoeuer ″ thou be that iudgest For vvherein thou iudgest an other thou condemnest thy self for thou doest the same things vvhich `thou ' iudgest ✠verse 2 For vve knovv that the iudgement of God is according to veritie vpon them that doe such things ✠verse 3 And doest thou suppose this ô man that iudgest them which doe such things and doest the same that thou shalt escape the iudgement of God ✠verse 4 Or ″ doest thou contemne the riches of his goodnes and patience and longanimity not knovving that the benignity of God bringeth thee to penance ✠verse 5 But according to thy hardnes and impenitent hart thou heapest to thy self vvrath in the day of vvrath and of the reuelation of the iust iudgement of God ✠verse 6 vvho vvil * render to euery man ″ according to his vvorkes ✠verse 7 to them truely that according to patience in good vvorke seeke glorie and honour and incorruption life eternal ✠verse 8 but to them that are of contention and that obey not the truth but giue credite to iniquitie vvrath and indignation ✠verse 9 Tribulation and anguish vpon euery soul of man that vvorketh euil of the Ievve first and of the Greeke ✠verse 10 but glorie and honour and peace to euery one that vvorketh good to the Ievv first and to the Greeke ✠verse 11 for * there is no acception of persons vvith God ✠verse 12 For vvhosoeuer haue sinned vvithout the Lavv vvithout the Lavv shal perish and vvhosoeuer haue sinned in the Lavv by the Lavv shal be iudged ✠verse 13 For * ″ not the hearers of the Lavv are iust vvith God but the doers of the Lavv ″ shal be iustified ✠verse 14 For vvhen the Gentiles vvhich haue not the Lavv naturally doe those things that are of the Lavv the same not hauing the Lavv them selues are a lavv to them selues ✠verse 15 vvho shevv the vvorke of the Lavv vvritten in their hartes their conscience giuing testimonie to them and among them selues mutually their thoughtes accusing or also defending ✠verse 16 in the day vvhen God shal iudge the secretes of men according to my Gospel by IESVS CHRIST ✠verse 17 But if thou be surnamed a Ievv and restest in the Lavv and doest glorie in God ✠verse 18 and knovvest his vvil and approuest the more profitable things instructed by the Lavv ✠verse 19 presumest that thy self art a leader of the blinde a light of them that are in darknes ✠verse 20 a teacher of the folish a maister of infants hauing the forme of science of veritie in the Lavv. ✠verse 21 Thou therfore that teachest an other teachest not thy self that preachest men ought not to steale thou stealest ✠verse 22 that saiest men should not commit aduoutrie thou committest aduoutrie
9 to many other good actions 17 and specially to louing of their enemies verse 1 I BESECH you therfore brethren by the mercie of God * that you exhibite your bodies ″ a liuing host holy pleasing God your reasonable seruice ✠verse 2 And be not conformed to this vvorld but be reformed in the newnes of your minde * that you may proue vvhat the good and acceptable and perfect vvil of God is ✠verse 3 for I say by the grace that is giuen me to al that are among you not to be more vvise then behoueth to be vvise but to be vvise vnto sobrietie * to euery one as God hath deuided the measure of faith ✠verse 4 For as in one body vve haue many members but al the members haue not one action ✠verse 5 so vve being many are one body in Christ eche one an others members ⊢ ✠verse 6 And hauing giftes according to the grace that is giuen vs differēt either prophecie ″ according to the rule of faith ✠verse 7 or ministerie in ministring or he that teacheth in doctrine ✠verse 8 he that exhorteth in exhorting he that giueth in simplicitie he that ruleth in carefulnes he that shevveth mercie in cheerefulnes ✠verse 9 Loue vvithout simulation Hating euil cleauing to good ✠verse 10 Louing the charitie of the brotherhod one toward an other Vvith honour preuenting one an other ✠verse 11 In carefulnes not slouthful In spirit feruent Seruing our Lord. ✠verse 12 Reioycing in hope Patient in tribulation Instant in praier ✠verse 13 Communicating to the necessities ' of the sainctes Pursuing hospitalitie ✠verse 14 Blesse them that persecute you blesse and curse not ✠verse 15 To reioyce vvith them that reioyce to vveepe vvith them that vveepe ✠verse 16 Being of one minde one tovvard an other Not minding high things but cōsenting to the humble ⊢ Be not vvise in your ovvne conceite ✠verse 17 To no man rendring euil for euil Prouiding good things not only before God but also before al men ✠verse 18 If it may be as much as is in you hauing peace vvith al men ✠verse 19 Not reuenging your selues my deerest but giue place vnto vvrath for it is vvritten Reuenge to me I vvil revvard saith our Lord. ✠verse 20 but if thine enemie hunger giue him meate if he thirst giue him drinke for doing this thou shalt heape coales of fire vpon his head ✠verse 21 Be not ouercome of euil but ouercome in good the euil ⊢ ANNOTATIONS CHAP. XII 1. A liuing host Lest men should thinke by the former discourse of Gods eternal predestination that no reward were to be had of good life and workes the Apostle now earnestly recommendeth to them holinesse of life 1. A liuing host Man maketh his body a sacrifice to God by giuing it to suffer for him by chastising it vvith fasting vvatching and such like and by occupying it in workes of charitie and vertue to Gods honour whereby appeareth how acceptable these workes are to God and grateful in his sight being compared to a sacrifice which is an high seruice done to him 6. According to the rule of faith By this and many places of holy write we may gather that the Apostles by the holy Ghost before they were sundered into diuers Nations set downe among them selues a certaine Rule and forme of faith and doctrine conteining not onely the Articles of the Crede but al other principles groundes and the whole platforme of al the Christian religion Which Rule was before any of the bookes of the new Testment were written before the faith was preached among the Gentiles by vvhich not onely euery other inseriout teachers doctrine was tried but al the Apostles and Euangelistes preaching vvriting interpreting which is here called prophecying were of gods Church appointed and admitted or disproued and reiected This forme by mouth and not by Scripture euery Apostle deliuered to the countrie by them conuerted For keeping of this forme the Apostle before praised the Romanes and afterward earnestly warneth them by no man 〈◊〉 speache to be drawen from the same This he commendeth to Timothee calling it his 〈◊〉 For not holding this fast and sure he blameth the Galatians further also denouncing to him self or an Angel that should write teach or expound against that which they first receiued 〈…〉 and commanding alwaies to bevvare of them that taught otherwise For feare of missing this line of truth him self notwithstanding he had the Holy Ghost yet lest he might haue preached in vaine and lost his labour he went to conferre with Peter and the rest for tho fast keeping of this Rule of truth the Apostles held Councels and their successors by their example For the holding of this Rule and by the measure thereof were al the holy Scriptures written for and by the same al the glorious doctors haue made their sermons commendries and interpretations Gods vvork al vvritings and interpretatiōs no otherwise admitted nor deemed to be of God but as they be agreable to this Rule And this is the sure Analogies 〈◊〉 measure of faith set downe and commended to vs euery where for the Apostles tradition and not the phantastical rule or square that euery Sectmaister pretendeth to gather out of the Scriptures falsely vnderstood and wrested to his purpose by which they iudge of doctor Scripture Church and al. Arîus had by that meanes a rule of his owne Luther had his false weightes and Caluin his owne also According to which seueral measure of euery Sect they haue their expositions of Gods word and in England as in other infected Countries they kept of lare an apish imitation of this prophecying which S. Paul here and in other places speaketh of and which was an exercise in the primitiue Church measured not by euery mans peculiar spirit but by the former Rule of faith first set downe by the Apostles And therfore al this new phantastical Prophecying al other preaching in Caluins schoole is iustly by this note of the Apostle condemned for that it is not according to but quite against the Rule of faith CHAP. XIII To yeld obedience and al other duties vnto Potestats 8 to loue their neighbour vvhich is the fulfilling of the Lavv 11 and specially to consider that novv being the time of grace vve must doe nothing that may not beseeme day light verse 1 LET ″ euery soul be subiect to higher powers for there is ″ no povver but of God And those that are of God are ordeined ✠verse 2 Therfore he that resisteth the povver resisteth the ordinance of God And ″ they that resist purchase to them selues damnatiō ✠verse 3 for princes are no feare to the good worke but to the euil But wilt thou not feare the povver Doe good and thou shalt haue praise of the same ✠verse 4
Ecclesiast Hier. c. 1 part â— in princip and before the receiuing the vvhole Church of God crieth vpon it Domine non sum digniâ—s Deus propitius este mihi peccators Lambe of God that takest avvay the sinnes of the vvorld haue mercie on vs. And for better discerning of this diuine meate vve are called from common profane houses to Gods Churchs for this vve are forbidden to make it in vulge apparel and are appointed sacred solemne vestiments Hiero. in Epitaph Nâ—pot li. 2 adu Pelag. c. 9. Paulinus ep 12 ad Seuer Io. Diaco in vit D. Greg. li. 3 c. 59. For this is the halovving of Corporals and Chalices Ambr. 2 Off. c. 28. Nazianz Orat. ad Arianos Optatuâ— li. 6 in initio for this profane tables are remoued and altars consecrated August Ser de temp 255. for this the very Priests them selues are honorable chast sacred Hiero. ep 1 ad Heliodorum c. â— Liâ— adu Iouin c. 19 Ambros in 1 Tim. 3. for this the people is forbidden to touch it vvith coÌ„mon hands Nazianz. orat ad Aâ—â—anoâ— in initio for this great care and solicitude is taken that no part of either kinde fall to the ground Cyril Hieros mystag 5 in fine Orig. ho. 13 in c. 25 Exod. for this sacred prouision is made that if any hosts or parts of the Sacrament do remaine vnreceiued they be most religiously reserued vvith al honour and diligence possible and for this examination of consciences confession continencie as S. Augustine saith receiuing it fasting Thus dovve Catholikes and the Church of God discerne the holy Body and bloud by S. Paules rule not onely from your profane bread and vâ—ine vvhich not by any secrete abuse of your Curats or Clerkes but by the very order of your booke the Minister if any remaine after your Communion may take home vvith him to his ovvne vse and therfore is no more holy by your ovvne iudgement then the rest of his meates but from al other either vulgar or sanctified meates as the Catechumens bread and our vsual holy bread If al this be plaine and true and you haue nothing agreable to the Apostles nor Christes institution but al cleanâ— contrarie then imporet vobis Deus and confound you for not discerning his holy Body and for conculcating the bloud of the nevv Testament â—0 Many sleepe Vve see here by this it is a fearful case and crime to defile by sinne as much as in vs lieth the body of Christin the Sacrament seeing God strooke many to death for it in the Primitiue Church and punished others by greuous sicknes No maruel that so many strange diseases and deaths fall vpon vs novv in the vvorld 31. Iudge your selues Vve may note here that it is not ynough onely to sinne no more or to repent lightly of that vvhich is past but that vve should punish our selues according to the vveight of the faults past and forgiuen and also that God vvil punish vs by temporal scourges in this life or the next if vve do not make our selues very cleane before vve come to receiue his holy Sacrament vvhose heaâ—y hands vve may escape by punishing our selues by fasting and other penance 33. Expect one an other Returning novv to their former fault and disorder for the vvhich he tooke this occasion to talke of the holy Sacrament and hovv great a fault it is to come vnvvorthely to it he exhorteth them to keepe their said suppers or feastes in vnitie peace and sobrietie the riche expecting the poore c. 34. I vvil dispose Man particular orders decrees moe then be here or in any other booke of the nevv Testament expresly vvritten did the Apostles as we see here and namely S. Paul to the Corinthians set dovvne by tradition vvhich our vvhole ministration of the MASSE is agreable vnto as the substance of the Sacrifice and Sacrament is by the premisses proued to be most consonant Caluins supper and Communion in al points vvholy repugnant to the same And that it agreeth not to these other not vvritteÌ„ traditions they easely confesse The * Apostles deliuered vnto the Church to take it onely fasting they care not for it The Apostles taught the Church to consecrate by the vvordes and the signe of the Crosse vvithout vvhich saith S. Augustine tract in Io. 118. Ser. â—5 in append Chrys ho. 〈◊〉 in 16 Mat. no Sacrament is rightly perfited the Protestants haue takeÌ„ it avvay The Apostles taught the Church to keepe * a Memorie or inuocatioÌ„ of Saincts in this Sacrifice the Caluinists haue none The Apostles decreed that in this Sacrifice there should be special praiers for the dead Chrys ho. in ep ad Philip. Aug. de cur pro mort c. 1 they haue none Likewise that water should be mixed with the winâ— and so forth See Annot. in c. 11 〈◊〉 23. Bread Therfore if Caluin had made his new administration according to all the Apostles written wordes yet not knovving how many things beside the Apostle had to prescribe in these wordes Catera cum venerâ— disponam the rest I wil dispose when I come he could not haue satisfied any wise man in his new chaunge But now seeing they are fallen to so palpable blindnes that their doing is directly opposite to the very Scripture also which they pretend to folow onely and haue quite destroied both the name substance and al good accidents of Christes principal Sacrament we trust al the world wil see their folly and impudencie CHAP. XII They must not make their diuersitle of Giftes an occasion of Schisme considering that al are of one Holy Ghost and for the profit of the one body of Christ vvhich in the Church 12 Vvhich also could not be a body vvithout such varietie of members 12 Therfore neither they that haue the inferiour giftes must be discontent seing it is Gods distribution nor they that haue the greater contemne the other considering they are no lesse necessarie 25 but al in al ioyne together 2â— and euery one knovv his ovvne place verse 1 ANd concerning spiritual things I vvil not haue you ignoraÌ„t brethren ✠verse 2 You know that vvhen you vvere heathen you vvent to dumme Idols according as you vvere ledde ✠verse 3 Therfore I doe you to vnderstand that no maÌ„ speaking in the Spirit of God saith anáthema to IESVS And no man can say Our Lord IESVS but in the holy Ghost ✠verse 4 And there are diuisions of graces but one Spirit ✠verse 5 Andthere are diuisions of ministrations but one Lord. ✠verse 6 And there are diuisions of operations but one God vvhich vvorketh al in al. ✠verse 7 And the manifestation of the Spirit is giuen vnto euery one to profit ✠verse 8 To one certes by the Spirit is giuen the vvord of vvisedom and to an other the vvord of knovvledge according to the same Spirit ✠verse 9 to an other
vnderstanding of the vvhole assemblie edifieth not him self alone but al his hearers 6. If I come That is If I your Apostle and Doctor should preach to you in an vnknovven tongue and neuer vse any kinde of exposition interpretatioÌ„ or explication of my strange vvordes vvhat profite could you take thereby 8. If the trumpet As the Trumpeter can not giue vvarning to or from the fight vnles he vse a distinct intelligible sound or stroke knovven to the souldiars euen so the preacher that exhorteth to good life or dehorteth from sinne except he doe it in a speach vvhich his hearers vnderstand can not attaine to his purpose nor doe the people any good 13. Let him pray that He that hath onely the gift of strange tonges let him pray to God for the gift of interpretation that the one may be more profitable by the other for to exhort or preach in a strange tongue vvas not vnlavvful nor vnprofitable but glorious to God so that the speach had bene either by him self or by an other aftervvard expounded 14. My spirit praieth Also vvhen a man praieth in a strange tongue vvhich him self vnderstandeth not it is not so fruitful for instruction to him as if he knevv particularly vvhat he praied Neuertheles the Apostle forbiddeth nor such praying neither confessing that his spirit hart and affection praieth vvel tovvardes God though his minde and vnderstanding be not profited to instruction as othervvise it might haue bene if he vnderstood the vvordes Neither yet doth he appoint such an one to get his strange praier translated into his vulgar tongue to obteine thereby the foresaid instruction See the Declaration folovving of this Chapter 22. A signe The extraordinarie gift of tonges vvas a miraculous signe in the primitine Church to be vsed specially in the Nations of the Heathen for their conuersion 23. Infidels In the primitiue Church vvhen Infidels dvvelt neere or among Christians and often times came vnto their publike preaching exercises of exhortation and exposition of Scriptures and the like it vvas both vnprofitable and ridiculous to heare a number talking teaching singing Psalmes the like one in this language an other in that al at once like a blacke saunts and one often not vnderstood of an other sometime not to them selues and to strangers or the simple standâ—râ—s by not at al. Vvhere othervvise if they had spoken either in knovven tonges or had done it in order hauing an expositor or interpreter vvithal the Infidels might haue bene conuinced 26. A Psalme Vve see here that those spiritual exercises consisted specially first in singing or giuing forth nevv Psalmes or praiers and laudes secondly in Doctrine teaching or reading lectures thirdly in Reuelation of secrete things either present or to come fourthly in speaking Tonges of strange Nations lastly in translating or Interpreting that vvhich vvas said into some common knovven language as into Greeke Latin c. Al vvhich gifts they had among them by miracle from the holy Ghost 27. In course Al these things they did vvithout order of pride and contention they preached they prophecied they praied they blessed vvithout any seemely respect one of an other or obseruing of turnes and entercourse of vttering their Giftes Yea vvomen vvithout couer or veile and vvithout regard of their sexe or the Angels or Priests or their ovvne husbands malepartly spake tonges taught or prophecied vvith the rest This vvas then the disorder among the Corinthians vvhich the Apostle in this vvhole chapter reprehendeth and sought to redresse by forbidding vvomen vtterly that publike exercise and teaching men in vvhat order and course as vvel for speaking in tonges as interpreting and prophecying it should be kept A MORE AMPLE DECLARATION OF THE sense of this 14 Chapter This then being the scope and direct drift of the Apostle as is most cleere by his vvhole discourse and by the record of al antiquitie let the godly graue and discrete Reader take a tast in this one point of the Protestants deceitful dealing abusing the simplicitie of the popular by peruerse application of Gods holy vvord vpon some smal similitude and equiuocation of certaine termes against the approued godly vse and truth of the vniuersal Church for the seruice in the Latin or Greeke tongue which they ignorantly or rather vvilfully pretend to be against this discourse of S. Paul touching strange tonges Know therfore first that here is no vvord written or meant of any other tongues but such as men spake in the Primitiue Church by miracle and that nothing is meant of those tongues vvhich were the common languages of the vvorld or of the Faithful vnderstood of the learned and ciuil people in euery great citie and in which the Scriptures of the Old or new Testament vvere written as the Hebrevv Greeke and Latin for though these also might be giuen by miracle without study yet being knovven to the Iewes Romans or Greekes in euery place they be not counted among the differences of barbarous and strange tonges here spoken of which could not be interpreted commonly but by the miraculous gift also of interpretation And therfore this Apostle as the Euangelists also and others did their bookes vvrote his Epistles in Greeke to the Romans and to al other Churches Vvhich vvhen he vvrote though he penned them not in the vulgar language peculiar to euery people yet he vvrote them not in Tongue that is in any strange tongue not intelligible vvithout the gift of interpretation vvhere of he speaketh here but in a notable knovven and learned speach interpretable of thousands in euery countrie No more did S. Augustine our Apostle speaking in Latin bringing in the Scriptures and Seruice in Latin preach and pray in Tonges according to the Apostles meaning here for the Latin vvas not nor is not in any part of the Vvest either miraculous or strange though it be not the National tongue of any one countrie this day And therfore S. Bede saith li. 1 hist Angl. c. 1 that being then foure diuers vulgar languages in our countrie the Latin vvas made common to them al. And in deede of the tvvo though in truth neither sort be forbidden by this passage of S. Paul the barbarous languages of euery seueral prouince in respect of the vvhole Church of Christ are rather the strange Tonges here spoken of then the common Latin tongue vvhich is vniuersally of al the Vvest Church more or lesse learned and pertaineth much more to vnitie and orderly coniunction of al Nations in one faith Seruice and vvorship of God then if it vvere in the sundry barbarous speaches of euery Prouince Vvherein al Christians that trauel about this part of the vvorld or the Iudes either vvhere so euer they come shal finde the self same Masse Mattins and Seruice as they had at home Vvhere novv if vve goe to Germanie or the Germans or Geneuians come to vs eche others Seruice shal be thought strange and
″ much more the ministerie of iustice aboundeth in glorie ⊢ ✠verse 10 For neither vvas it glorified vvhich in this part vvas glorious by reasō of the excelling glorie ✠verse 11 For if that which is made void is by glorie much more that vvhich abideth is in glorie ✠verse 12 Hauing therfore such hope vve vse much confidence ✠verse 13 and not * as Moyses put a vele vpon his face that the children of Israël might not behold his face vvhich is made voide ✠verse 14 but their senses vvere dulled For vntil this present day ″ the self same vele in the lecture of the old testament remaineth vnreuealed because in Christ it is made voide ✠verse 15 but vntil this present day vvhen Moyses is read a vele is put vpō their hart ✠verse 16 But vvhen he shal be conuerted to our Lord the vele shal be taken avvay ✠verse 17 And * our Lord is a Spirit And vvhere the Spirit of our Lord is there is ″ libertie ✠verse 18 But vve al beholding the glorie of our Lord vvith face reuealed are transformed into the same image from glorie vnto glorie as of our Lordes Spirit ANNOTATIONS CHAP. III. 1. The Epistle of Christ S. Paul and other holy vvriters of Scriptures did set dovvne many thinges in vvriting by penne inke and paper al vvhich be of the Holy Ghost but the special and proper booke of Christes truth and Gospel is not the external vvriting in those dead creatures but in the hartes of the faithful being the proper subiecte of these truthes and graces preached in the nevv Testament and the habitacle of the Holy Ghost In the vvhich booke of faithful mens hartes S. Paul vvrote diuers thinges not vttered in any Epistle as sundrie of the Apostles vvrote the Christian religion in the hartes of their hearers onely and in other material bookes not at all Vvhereof S. Irenaeus li. 3. ◠4. saith What and if the Apostles also had left no Scriptures ought vve not to folovv the order of the tradition vvhich they deliuered vnto them to vvhom they committed the Churches◠to the vvhich ordinance many nations of those barbarous people that haue beleeued in Christ do consent vvithout letter or inke hauing saluation vvritten in their hartes and keeping diligently the tradition of the elders And S. Hierom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hiero◠c. 9. ad Pa◠In the Greede of our faith and hope vvhich being deliuered by tradition from the Apostles is not vvritten in paper and inke but in the tables camal of the hart And this is the Churches booke also vvhereby and vvherein she keepeth faithfully al truth vvritten in the hartes of those to vvhom the Apostles did preach vvith the like diligence as she keepeth and preserueth the other booke vvhich is of holy Scriptures from al corruption of Heretikes and other iniuries 5. Of our selues This maketh first against the Heretikes called Pelagians that hold our meritorious actions or cogitations to be of free vvil onely and not of Gods special grace Secondly against the Protestantes vvho on the contrarie side referre al to God and take avvay mans freedom and proper motion in his thoughtes and doings the Apostle confessing our good cogitations to be our ovvne but not as comming of our selues but of God 6. The letter killeth As the letter of the old Lavv not truely vnderstood nor referred the Christ commaunding and not giuing grace and spirit to fulfil that vvhich vvas commaunded did by occasiō kill the carnal Iew so the letter of the nevv Testamēt not truely taken nor expounded by the Spirit of Christ vvhich is onely in his Church killeth the Heretike vvho also being carnal and void of spirit gaineth nothing by the external precepts or good lessons of the Scriptures but rather taketh hurt by the same See S. Augustine to 〈◊〉 Ser. 70 1000 de tempore li. de Sp. lit c. 5. 6. seq 9. Much more The preeminence of the new Testament and of the priesthod or Ministerie thereof before the old is that the nevv by al her Sacraments and Priests as ministers immediate of grace and remission of sinnes doth so ex opere operato giue the spirit of life and charitie into the hartes of the faithful as the old did giue the letter or external act of the Lavv. 14. The self same vele As the Ievves reading the old Testament by reason of their blindnes vvhich God for the punishment of their incredulitie suffereth to remaine as a couer vpon their eies and hartes can not see Christ in the Scriptures vvhich they daily heare read in their Synagogs but shal vvhen they beleeue in him and haue the couer remoued perceiue al to be most plainely done and spoken of him in their law Scriptures euen so Heretikes hauing as S. Augustine noteth a farre greater couer of blindnes and incredulitie ouer their hartes in respect of the Catholike Church vvhich they impugne then the Iewes haue concerning Christ can not see though they read or heare the Scriptures read neuer so much the maruelous euidence of the Catholike Church and truth in al pointes but vvhen they shal returne againe to the obedience of the same Church they shal finde the Scriptures most cleere for her and her doctrine and shal vvonder at their former blindnes 17. Libertie The Spirit and grace of God in the nevv Testament dischargeth vs of the bondage of the Lavv and sinne but is not a vvarrant to vs of fleshly licence as S. Peter vvriteth nor dischargeth Christians of their obedience to order lavv and power of Magistrates spiritual or temporal as some Heretikes of these daies do seditiously teach CHAP. IIII. That according as so glorious a ministerie requireth he liueth and preacheth sincerely 〈◊〉 the vvhich glorie his Aduersaries can not count vaine considering his persecutions because persecution is to Gods glorie and to our humilitie and hope and meritorious of increase of grace in this life and of most glorious bodies and soules aftervvard verse 1 THERFORE hauing this ministration according as vve haue obteined mercie vve faile not ✠verse 2 but vve renounce the secrete things of dishonestie not walking in crastines nor ″ adulterating the vvord of God but in manifestation of the truth commending our selues to euery conscience of men before God ✠verse 3 And if our Gospel be also hidde in them that perish it is hidde ✠verse 4 in vvhom the God of this vvorld hath blinded the mindes of the infidels that the illumination of the Gospel of the glorie of Christ vvho is the image of God might not shine to them ✠verse 5 For vve preache nor our selues but IESVS Christ our Lord and vs your seruants by IESVS ✠verse 6 because God that commaunded light to shine of darkenes he hath shined in our hartes to the illumination of the knovvledge of the glorie of God in the face of Christ IESVS ✠verse 7
as the Anabaptistes argue falsely against Gentlemen and the Caluinistes applie it peruersely against the vacant life of the Clergie specially of Monkes and other Religious men But it is a natural admonitioÌ„ onely giuen to such as had not vvherevvith to liue of their ovvne or any right or good cause vvhy to chalenge their finding of others and to such as vnder the colour of Christian libertie did passe their time idly curiously vnprofitably and scandalously refusing to do such vvorkes as vvere agreable to their former calling and bringing vp Such as these vvere not tolerable specially there and then vvhen the Apostle and others that might lavvfully haue liued of the altar and their preaching yet to disburden their hearers and for the better aduancement of the Gospel vvrought for their liuing * protesting neuertheles continually that they might haue done othervvise as vvel as S. Peter and the rest did vvho vvrought not but vvere found othervvise iustly and lavvfully as al sortes of the Clergie preaching or seruing the Church and the alter be and ought to be by the lavv of God and nature Vvhose spiritual labours far passe al bodily trauailes where the dueties and functions of that vocation be done accordingly as S. Augustine affirmeth of his ovvne extraordinarie paines incident to the Ecclesiastical affaires and regiment in steede of vvhich if the vse of the Church and his infirmitie vvould haue permitted it he vvisheth he might haue laboured vvith his handes some houres of the day as some of the Clergie did euer voluntarily occupie them selues in teaching vvriting grauing painting planting sovving embrodering or such like seemely and innocent labours See S. Hierom ep 114 seu praef in Iob. and in vit Hilario And Monkes for the most part in the primitiue Church fevv of them being Priests and many taken from seruile vvorkes and handicraftes yea often times professed of bondmen made free by their maisters to enter into religioÌ„ vvere appointed by their Superiors to vvorke certaine houres of the day to supply the lackes of their Monasteries as yet the Religious do vvomen specially in many places vvhich standeth vvell vvith their profession And S. Augustine vvriteth a vvhole booke de opera Monachorum to 3. against the errour of certaine disordered Monkes that abused these vvordes Nolite esse soliciti he not careful c. and Respicite vâ—latilia cali behold the foules of the aire c. to proue that they should not labour at al but pray only and commit their finding to God not only so excusing their idlenes but preferring them selues in holines aboue other their fellowes that did worke and erroneously expounding the said Scriptures for their defence as they did other Scriptures to proue they should not be shauen after the maner of Monkes Vvhich letting their heads to grow he much blameth also in them See li. 2. Retract c. 21. â— op Monach. c. 31. and S. Hieromes ep 48. c. 3. of Nonnes cutting their heare Vvhere by the vvay you see that the Religious vvere shauen euen in S. Augustines time vvho reprocheth them for their heare calling them Crinitos Hearelings as the Heretikes novv contrarievvise deride them by the vvord Rasos Shauelings So that there is a great difference betvvene the auncient Fathers and the nevv Protestant And as for hand labours as S. Augustine in the booke alleaged would not haue Religious folke to refuse them vvhere necessitie bodily strength and the order of the Church or Monasterie permit or require them so he expresly vvriteth that al can not nor are not bound to vvorke and that vvho so euer preacheth or ministreth the Sacraments to the people or serueth the altar as al Religious men commonly now do may chalenge their liuing of them vvhom they serue and are not bound to vvorke * no nor such neither as haue been brought vp before in state of Gentlemen and haue giuen avvay their lands or goods and made them selues poore for Christes sake Vvhich is to be noted because the Heretikes affirme the said Scripture and S. Augustine to condemne al such for idle persons 14. Obey not Our Pastors must be obied and not onely secular Princes and such as vvill not be obedient to their spiritual gouernours the Apostle as S. Augustine saith giueth order and commaundement that they be corrected by correption or admonition By degradation excommunication and other lavvful kindes of punishments Cont. Donatist post collat c. 4. 20. Read also this holy fathers answer to such as said Let our Prelates commaund vs onely vvhat vve ought to do and pray for vs that vve may do it but let them not correct vs. Vvhere he proueth that Prelates must not onely commaund and pray but punish also if that be not done vvhich is commaunded Li. de correp grat c. 3. 14. Note him Disobedient person to be excommunicated and the excommunicated to be separated from the companie of other Christians and the faithful not to keepe any companie or haue conuersation vvith excommunicated person neither to be partaker vvith them in the fault for vvhich they are excommunicated nor in any other act of religion or office of life except cases or mere necessitie and other prescribed and permitted by the law al this is here insinuated and that al the Churches censures be grounded in Scriptures and the examples of the Apostles THE ARGVMENT OF THE FIRST EPISTLE OF S. PAVL TO TIMOTHEE AFTER the Epistles to the Churches novv folovv his Epistles to particular person as to Timothee to Titus vvho vvere Bishops and to Philémon Of Timothee vve reade Act. 16. hovv S. Paul in his visitation tooke him in his traine at Lystra circumciding him before because of the Ievves he vvas then a Disciple that is to say a Christian man Aftervvard the Apostle gaue him holy Orders and consecrated him Bishop as he testifieth in both these Epistles vnto him 1. Tim. 4. v. 14. and 2. Tim. 1. v. 6. He vvriteth therfore vnto him as to a Bishop and him self expresseth the scope of his first Epistle saying These things I vvrite to thee that thou maiest knovv hovv thou oughtest to conuerse in the House of God vvhich is the Church And so he instructeth him and in him al Bishops hovv to gouerne both himself others and touching himself to be an example a spectacle to al sortes in al vertue as touching others to prohibit al such as goe about to preach othervvise then the Catholike Church hath receiued and to inculcate to the people the Catholike faith to preach vnto yong and old men and vvomen to seruants to the riche to euery sort conueniently Vvith vvhat circumspection to giue orders to vvhat persons for vvhom to pray vvhom to admit to the vovv of vvidovvhod c. This Epistle vvas vvritten as it seemeth after his first emprisonmeÌ„t in Rome vvhen he vvas dismissed and set at libertie and therevpon it is that he might say here I hope
thee Amen ANNOTATIONS CHAP. VI. 4. Languishing Euen these be the good disputes of our nevv Sect-maisters and the vvorld hath to long proued these inconueniences here named to be the fruites of such endles altercations in religion as these vnhappie sectes haue brought forth 20. Depositum The vvhole doctrine of our Christianitie being taught by the Apostles and deliuered to their successors and comming dovvne from one Bishop to an other is called the Depositum as it vvere a thing laid into their hands and committed vnto them to keepe Vvhich because it passeth from hand to hand from age to age from Bishop to Bishop vvithout corruption change or alteration is al one vvith Tradition and is the truth giuen vnto the holy Bishops to keepe and not to lay men See the notable discourse of Vincentius Lirinensis vpon this text li. cont profan har Nouationes And it is for this great old and knovven treasure committed to the Bishops custodie that S. Irenaeus calleth the Catholike Church Depositorium diues the rich treasurie of truth li. 3. c. 4. And as Clemens Alexandrinus vvriteth li. 2 Strom this place maketh so much against al Heretikes vvho do al change this Depositum that 〈◊〉 onely such men in his daies denied this Epistle The Heretikes of our daies chalenge also the truth and say it is the old truth but they leape 14 or 15 hundreth yeres for it ouer mens heads to the Apostles But vve call for the Depositum and aske them in vvhose hands that truth vvhich they pretend vvas laid vp and hovv it came dovvne to them for it can not be Apostolical vnles it vvere Depositum in some Timothees hand so to continevv from one Bishop to an other vntil our time and to the end 20. Profane nouelties Non dixit antiquitates saith Vincentius Lirinensis non dixit vetustates sed prophanas nouitates Nam si vitanda est nouitas tenenda est antiquitas si prophana est nouitas sacratae est vetustas that is He said not ANTIQVITIES he said not AVNCIENTNES but PROFANE NOVELTIES For if noueltie is to be auoided antiquitie is to be kept if noueltie be profane auncientnes is holy and sacred See his vvhole booke against the profane nouelties of heresies Vve may not measure the nevvnes or oldnes of wordes and termes of speaking in religion by holy Scriptures only as though all those or only those were new and to be reiected that are not expresly found in holy vvrite but vve must esteeme them by the agreablenes or disagreablenes they haue to the true sense of Scriptures to the forme of Catholike faith and doctrine to the phrase of the old Christians to the Apostolike vse of speache come vnto vs by tradition of all ages and Churches and to the prescription of holy Councels and Schooles of the Christian world vvhich haue giuen out according to the time and questions raised by heretikes and contentious persons very fit artificiall and significant vvordes to discerne and defend the truth by against falshod These termes Catholike Trinitie Person Sacrament Incarnation Masse and many moe are not in that sense vvherein the Church vseth them in the Scriptures at all and diuers of them were spoken by the Apostles before any part of the nevv Testament vvas vvritten some of them taken vp straight after the Apostles daies in the vvrittings and preachings of holy Doctors and in the speach of all faithfull people and therfore can not be counted Nouelties of vvordes Others beside these as Consubstantial Deipara Transsubstantiation and the like vvhich are neither in expresse termes found in Scriptures not yet in sense if vve should folovv the iudgement of the speciall sectes against vvhich the said vvordes were first inuented the Arians crying out against Nicene Councel for the first the Nestorians against the Ephesiue Coūcel for the second the Lutherans Caluinists against the Laterā and the later Councels for the third these vvordes also notwithstanding by the iudgemēt of holy Church and Councels approued to be consonant to Gods vvord and made authenticall among the faithfull are sound and true vvordes and not of those kinde vvhich the Apostle calleth Nouelties The vvordes then here forbidden are the new prophane termes and speaches inuented or specially vsed by heretikes such as S. Irenee recordeth the Valentinians had a number most monstruous as the Manichees had also diuers as may be seene in S. Augustine The Arians had their Similis substantia and Christ to be ex non existentibus the other heretikes after those daies had their Christiparam and such like agreable to their sectes But the Protestants passe in this kinde as they excede most heretikes in the number of new opinions as their Seruum arbitrium ' their sole faith their fiduce their apprehension of Christes iustice their imputatiue righteousnes their horrible termes of terrors anguishes distresses distrust feares and feeling of hell paines in the soule of our Sauiour to expresse their blasphemous fiction of his temporall damnation vvhich they call his descending to hell Their markes tokens and badges Sacramentall their Companation Impanation Circumpanation to auoid the true conuersion in the Eucharist their presence in figure in faith signe spirit pleadge effect to auoid the reall presence of Christes body These and such like innumerable vvhich they occupie in euery part of their false doctrine are in the sense that they vse them all false captious and deceitfull vvordes and are nouitates vocum here forbidden And though some of the said termes haue been by some occasion obiter vvithout il meaning spokē by Catholikes before these Heretikes arose yet now knovving thē to be the propre speaches of Heretikes Christiāmen are boūd to auoid them Wherein the Church of God hath euer been as diligent to resist Nouelties of vvordes as her Aduersaries are busy to inuent them for vvhich cause she vvil not haue vs cōmunicate vvith them nor folow their fashion and phrase nevvly inuented though in the nature of the vvordes sometime there be no harme In S. Augustines daies vvhen Christiā men had any good befallē them or entered into any mans house or met any frind by the vvay they vsed alvvaies to say Deo gratias The Donatistes and Circumcellions of that time being nevvsangled forsooke the old phrase and vvould alvvaies say Laus Deo from vvhich the Catholike men did so abhorre as the said Doctor vvriteth that they had as leefe mette a theefe as one that said to them Laus Deo in steede of Deo gratias As novv vve Catholikes must not say The Lord but Our Lord as vve say Our Lady for his mother not The Lady Let vs keepe our forefathers vvordes and vve shal easily keepe our old and true saith that vve had of the first Christians Let them say Amendement abstinence the Lordes Supper the Communion table Elders Ministers Superintendent Congregation so be it praise ye the Lord Morning-Praier Euening-praier and the rest as they vvill
other but not al that suffer persecution be holy as al malefactors The Church and Catholike Princes persecute heretikes and be persecuted of them againe as S. Augustine often declareth See ep 48. 13. Prosper Though heresies and the authors of them be after a while discouered by litle and litle forsaken generally of the honest discrete and men careful of their owne saluation yet their authors and other great sinners proceede from one errour and heresie to an other and finally to plaine Atheisme and al Diuelish disorder 16. Al Scripture Besides the Apostles teaching and tradition the reading of holy Scriptures is a great defense and helpe of the faithful aud specially of a Bishop not onely to auoid and condemne al heresies but to the guiding of a man in al iustice good life and vvorkes Vvhich commendation is not here giuen to the bookes of the new Testament onely vvhereof he here speaketh not as being yet for a great part not vvritten but to the Scripture of the old Testament also yea and to euery booke of it For there is not one of them nor any part of them but it is profitable to the end aforesaid if it be read and vnderstood according to the same Spirit vvherewith it vvas vvritten The Heretikes vpon this commendation of holy Scriptures pretend very simply in good sooth that therfore nothing is necessarie to iustice and saluation but Scriptures As though euery thing that is profitable or necessarie to any effect excluded al other helpe and vvere onely ynough to attaine the same By vvhich reason a man might as vvel proue that the old Testament vvere ynough and so exclude the new or any one peece of al the old and thereby exclude the rest For he affirmeth euery Scripture to haue the foresaid vtilities and they might see in the very next line before that he requireth his constant perseuêrance in the doctrine vvhich he had taught him ouer and aboue that he had learned out of the Scriptures of the old Testament vvhich he had read from his infancie but could not thereby learne al the mysteries of Christian religion therein Neither doth the Apostle affirme here that he had his knowledge of Scriptures by reading onely vvithout helpe of maisters and teachers as the Aduersaries herevpon to committe the holy Scriptures to euery mans presumption do gather but affirmeth onely that Timothee knevv the Scriptures and therfore had studied them by hearing good readers and teachers as S. Paul him self did of Gamaliel and the like and as al christian students doe that be trained vp from their youth in Catholike vniuersities in the studie of Diuinitie CHAP. IIII. He requireth him to be earnest vvhile he may because the time vvil come vvhen they vvil not abide Catholike preaching 5 and to fulfil his course as him self novv hath done 9 and to come vnto him vvith speede because the rest of his traine are dispersed and he dravveth novv to heauen verse 1 I Testifie before God and IESVS Christ vvho shal iudge the liuing and the dead and by his aduent and his kingdom ✠verse 2 Preach the vvord vrge in season out of season reproue beseeche rebuke in al patience and doctrine ✠verse 3 For ″ there shal be a time vvhen they vvil not beare â—ound doctrine but according to their ovvne desires they vvil heape to them selues maisters hauing itching eares ✠verse 4 and from the truth certes they vvil auert their hearing and to fables they vvil be conuerted ✠verse 5 But be thou vigilant labour in al things doe the vvorke of an Euangelist fulfil thy ministerie Be sober ✠verse 6 For I am euen novv to be sacrificed the time of my resolutioÌ„ is at hand ✠verse 7 I haue fought a good fight I haue consummate my course I haue kept the faith ✠verse 8 Concerning the rest there is laid vp for me ″ a crovvne of iustice vvhich our Lord vvil render to me in that day a iust iudge and not only to me but to them also that loue his comming ⊢ ✠verse 9 Make hast to come to me quickly ✠verse 10 For Demas hath left me louing this vvorld and is gone to Thessalonica Crescens into Galatia Titus into Dalmatia ✠verse 11 * Luke only is vvith me Take Marke and bring him vvith thee for he is profitable to me for the ministerie ✠verse 12 But Tychicus I haue sent to Ephesus ✠verse 13 The cloke that I left at Troas vvith Carpus coÌ„ming bring vvith thee and the bookes especially the parchement ✠verse 14 Alexander the Coppersmith hath shevved me much euil our Lord vvil revvard him according to his vvorkes ✠verse 15 vvhom doe thou also auoid for he hath greatly resisted our vvordes ✠verse 16 In my first ansvver no man vvas with me but al did forsake me be it not imputed to them ✠verse 17 But our Lord stoode to me and strengthened me that by me the preaching may be accomplished and al Gentiles may heare and I was deliuered from the mouth of the lion ✠verse 18 Our Lord â— hath deliuered ' me from al euil vvorke and vvil saue me vnto his heauenly kingdom to vvhom be glorie for euer euer Amen ✠verse 19 Salute Prisca and Aquila and * the house of Onesiphorus ✠verse 20 Erastus remained at Corinth And Trophimus I left sicke at Milêtum ✠verse 21 Make hast to come before vvinter Eubûlus and Pudens and Linus and Claudia and al the brethren salute thee ✠verse 22 Our Lord IESVS Christ be vvith thy spirit Grace be vvith you Amen ANNOTATIONS CHAP. IIII. 3. There shal be a time If euer this time come as needes it must that the Apostle foresavv and foretold novv it is vndoubtedly for the properties fall so iust in euery point vpon our nevv Maisters and their Disciples that they may seeme to be pourtered out rather then prophecied of Neuer vvere there such delicate Doctors that could so pleasantly clavv and so svveetly rubbe the itching eares of their hearers as these vvhich haue a doctrine framed for euery mans phamsie lust liking and desire the people not so fast crying Speake placentia things that please but the Maisters as fast vvarranting them to doe placentia 8. Acrovvne of iustice This place conuinceth for the Catholikes that al good vvorkes done by Gods grace after the first iustification be truely and properly meritorious and fully vvorthy of euerlasting life and that therevpon heauen is the due and iust stipend crovvne or recompense vvhich God by his iustice ovveth to the persons so vvorking by his grace for he rendreth or repaieth heauen as a iust iudge and not onely as a merciful giues and the crovvne vvhich he paieth is not onely of mercie or fauour or grace but also of iustice It is his merciful fauour and grace that vve vvorke vvel merite heauen it is his iustice for those merites to giue vs
he hath novv giuen and of the bloud vvhich he hath shed in illis praenuntiabarut occidendus in hoc annuntiatur occisus In them he vvas forshevved as to be killed in these he is shevved as killed And S. Gregorie Naziaâ—â—â—â— saith oral in morbum that the Priest in this sacrifice immiscet se magnis Chrisi Passionibus S. Ambrose li. 1. Offic. c. 48. Offertur Christus in imagine quasi recipiens passionem Alexander the first ep 〈◊〉 Orthodox nu 4. 〈◊〉 1. Conc. Cuius corpus sanguis conficitur passio etiam celebratur S. Gregorie ho. 37 in Euang. So often as vve offer the host of his Passion so often vve removve his Passion And He suffeteth for vs againe in mysterie And Isychius li. 26. â— in Leuit. post mâ—d By the sacrifice of the onely-begotten many thinges are giuen vnto vs to vvitte the remission or pardoning of al mankinde and the singular introduction or bringing in of the mysteries of the nevv Testament And the said fathers and others by reason of the difference in the maner of Christes presence and oblation in respect of that on the Crosse called this the vnblouddy sacrifice as * Caluin him self confesseth but ansvvereth them in the pride of hereticall spirit vvith these vvordes Nihil moror quòd siâ— loquantur vttusti scriptores that is I passe not for it that the auncient vvriters do so speake calling the distinction of blouddy and vnblouddy sacrifice scholasticall and friuolous and diabolicum commentâ—â—m a diuelish deuise Vvith such ignorant and blasphemous men vve haue to do that thinke they vnderstand the Scriptures better then all the fathers CHAP. X. Because in the yerely feast of Expiation vvas only a commoration of sinnes therfore in place of al those old sacrifices the Psalme telleth vs of the oblation of Christes body 10 vvhich he offered blouddily but once the Leuitical Priests offering so euery day because that once vvas sufficient for euer 15 in that it purchased as the prophet also vvitnesseth remission of sinnes 19 After al this he prosecuteth and exhorteth them vnto perseuirance partly vvith the opening of Heauen by our high-priest 26 partly vvith the terrour of damnation if they fall againe 32 bidding them remember hovv much they had suffered already and not lose their revvard verse 1 FOR the lavv hauing ″ a shadovv of good things to come not the very image of the things euery yere vvith the self same hostes which they offer incessantly can neuer make the commers thereto perfect ✠verse 2 othervvise ″ they should haue ceased to be offered because the vvorshippers once cleansed should haue no conscience of sinne any longer ✠verse 3 but in them there is made a coÌ„memotation of sinne euery yere ✠verse 4 for it is ″ impossible that vvith the bloud of oxen and goates sinnes should be taken avvay ✠verse 5 Therfore comming into the vvorld he saith ″ Host and oblation thou vvouldest not ″ but a body thou hast fitted to me ✠verse 6 Holocaustes and for sinne did not please thee ✠verse 7 Then said I Behold I come in the head of the booke it is vvritten of me That I may doe thy vvil ô God ✠verse 8 Saying before Because hostes and oblations holocaustes for sinne thou vvouldest not ″ neither did they please thee vvhich are offered according to the lavv ✠verse 9 then said I Behold I come that I may doe thy vvil ô God he taketh avvay the first that he may establish that that folovveth ✠verse 10 In the vvhich vvil vve are sanctified by the oblation of the body of IESVS Christ once ✠verse 11 And euery priest in deede is ready daily ministring and ″ often offering the same hostes vvhich can neuer take avvay sinnes ✠verse 12 but this man offering one host for sinnes for euer * sitteth on the right hand of God ✠verse 13 hence forth expecting vntil his enemies be put the footestoole of his feete ✠verse 14 For by one oblation hath he consummated for euer them that are sanctified ✠verse 15 And the holy Ghost also doth testifie to vs. For after that he said ✠verse 16 And this is the Testament vvhich I vvil make to them after those daies saith our Lord giuing lavves in their hartes in their mindes vvil I superscribe them ✠verse 17 and their sinnes and iniquities I vvil novv remeÌ„ber no more ✠verse 18 But vvhere there is remission of these ″ novv there is not an oblation for sinnes ✠verse 19 Hauing therfore brethren confidence in the entring of he holies in the bloud of Christ ✠verse 20 vvhich he hath dedicated to vs a nevv and liuing vvay by the vele that is his flesh ✠verse 21 and a high priest ouer the house of God ✠verse 22 let vs approche vvith a true hart in fulnesse of faith hauing our hartes sprinkled from euil consciencel and our body vvashed vvith cleane vvater ✠verse 23 let vs hold the confession of our hope vndeclining for he is faithful that hath promised ✠verse 24 and let vs consider one an other vnto the prouocation of charitie and of good vvorkes ✠verse 25 not forsaking our assemblie as some are accustomed but comforting and so much the more as you see the day approching ✠verse 26 * For ″ if vve sinne vvillingly after the knovvledge of the truth receiued novv there is not left an host for sinnes ✠verse 27 but a certaine terrible expectation of iudgement and rage of fire vvhich shal consume the aduersaries ✠verse 28 A man making the lavv of Moyses frustrate vvithout any mercie * dieth vnder tvvo or three vvitnesses ✠verse 29 hovv much more thinke you doth he deserue vvorse punishements vvhich hath troden the sonne of God vnder foote and estemed ″ the bloud of the testament polluted vvherein he is sanctified and hath done contumelie to the spirit of grace ✠verse 30 For vve knovv him that said Reuenge to me I vvil repay And againe That our Lord vvil iudge his people ✠verse 31 ″ It is horrible to fal into the handes of the liuing God ✠verse 32 But call to minde the old daies vvherein being illuminated you sustained a great fight of passions ✠verse 33 and on the one part certes by reproches and tribulations made a spectacle and on the other part made companions of them that conuersed in such sort ✠verse 34 For ″ you both had compassion on them that vvere in bondes and the spoile of your ovvne goodes you tooke ″ vvith ioy knovving that you haue a better and a permanent substaÌ„ce ✠verse 35 Do not therfore leese your confidence vvhich hath a great remuneration ✠verse 36 For patience is necessarie for you that doing the vvil of God you may receiue the promise ✠verse 37 For * yet a litle and a very litle
booke to be Canonical Scripture But Caluin and his companions disagreing vvith their Maisters confesse it to be holy Scripture but their shiftes and fond gloses for ansvver of so plaine places be as impudent as the denying of the Epistle vvas in the other vvho vvould neuer haue denied the booke thereby to shevv them selues Heretikes if they had thought those vulgar euasions that the Zuinglians and Caluinists do vse vvhereof they vvere not ignorant could haue serued In both sortes the Christian Reader may see that al the Heretikes vaunting of expresse Scriptures the vvord of God is no more but to delude the vvorld vvhereas in deede be the Scriptures neuer so plaine against them they must either be vvrested to sound as they say or els they must be no Scriptures at all And to see Luther Caluin Beza their fellovves sitte as it vvere in iudgement of the Scriptures to allovv or disallovv at their pleasures it is the most notorious example of Heretical pride miserie that can be See their prefaces and censures vpon this Canonical Epistle the Apocalypse the Machabees and other 21. Abraham vvas he not iustified by vvorkes It is much to be noted that S. Augustine in his booke de fide operibus c. 14. vvriteth that the heresie of onely faith iustifying or sauing vvas an old Heresie euen in the Apostles time gathered by the false interpretation of some of S. Paules profound disputation in the Epistle to the Romans vvherein he commended so highly the faith in Christ that they thought good vvorkes vvere not auilable adding further that the other three Apostles Iames Iohn and Iude did of purpose vvrite so much of good vvorkes to correct the said errour of onely faith gathered by the misconstruction of S. Paules vvordes Yea vvhen S. Peter Ep. 2 c. 3. vvarneth the faithful that many things be hard in S. Paules vvritings and of light vnlearned men mistaken to their perdition the said S. Augustine affirmeth that he meant of his disputation concerning faith vvhich so many Heretikes did mistake to condemne good vvorkes And in the preface of his commentarie vpon the 31 Psalme he vvarneth al men that this deduction vpon S. Paules speache Abraham vvas iustified by faith therfore vvorkes be not necessarie to saluation is the right vvay to the gulfe of Hel and damnation And lastly vvhich is in it self very plaine that vve may see this Apostle did purposely thus commend vnto vs the necessitie of good vvorkes and the inanity aud insufficiencie of onely faith to correct the errour of such as misconstrued S. Paules vvordes for the same the said holy Doctor noteth that of purpose he tooke the very same example of Abraham vvhom S. Paul said to be iustified by faith and declareth that he vvas iustified by good vvorkes specifying the good vvorke for vvhich he vvas iustified and blessed of God to vvitte his obedience and immolation of his onely sonne But hovv S. Paul saith that Abraham vvas iustified by faith see the Annotations vpon that place Ro. 4. v. 1. 22. Faith did vvorke vvith Some Heretikes hold that good vvorkes are pernicious to saluation and iustification other that though they be not hurtful but required yet they be no causes or vvorkers of saluation much lesse meritorious but are as effectes and fruites issuing necessarily out of faith Both vvhich fictions falshods and flightes from the plaine truth of Gods vvord are refuted by these vvordes vvhen the Apostle saith That faith vvorketh together vvith good vvorkes making faith to be a coadiutor or cooperator vvith vvorkes and so both ioyntly concurring as causes and vvorkers of iustification yea aftervvard he maketh vvorkes the more principal cause vvhen he resembleth faith to the body and vvorkes to the spirit or life of man 23. The frend of God By this also an other false and friuolous euasion of the Heretikes is ouertaken vvhen they feine that the Apostle here vvhen he saith vvorkes do iustifie meaneth that they shew vs iust before men and auaile not to our iustice before God For the Apostle euidently declareth that Abraham by his vvorkes vvas made or truely called the freend of God and therfore vvas not as the Heretikes say by his vvorkes approued iust before man onely 24. Not by faith onely This proposition or speache is directly opposite or contradictorie to that vvhich the Heretikes hold For the Apostle saith Man is iustified by good workes and not by faith only but the Heretikes say Man is not iustified by good vvorkes but by faith only Neither can they pretend that there is the like contradiction or contrarietie betwixt S. Iames speache and S. Paules for though S. Paul say man is iustified by faith yet he neuer saith by faith onely nor euer meaneth by that faith vvhich is alone but alvvaies by that faith vvhich vvorketh by charitie as he expoundeth him self Though concerning vvorkes also there is a difference betwixt the first iustification vvhereof S. Paul specially speaketh and the second iustification vvhereof S. Iames doth more specially treate Of vvhich thing els vvhere there is ynough said The fathers in deede vse sometimes this exclusiue sola onely but in far other sense then the Protestants For some of them thereby exclude only the vvorkes of Moyses law against the Iewes some the vvorkes of nature and moral vertues vvithout the grace or knowledge of Christ against the Gentiles some the necessitie of external good vvorkes vvhere the parties lacke time and meanes to doe them as in the case of the penitent theefe some the false opinions sectes and religions contrarie to the Catholike faith against Heretikes and miscreants some exclude reason sense and arguing in matters of faith and mysterie against such as vvil beleeue nothing but that they see or vnderstand some the merite of vvorkes done in sinne before the first iustification some the arrogant Pharisaical vaunting of mans ovvne proper vvorkes and iustice against such as referre not their actions and good deedes to Gods grace To these purposes the holy Doctors say sometimes that only faith saueth and serueth but neuer as the Protestants vvould haue it to exclude from iustification and saluation the cooperation of mans free vvil dispositions and preparations of our hartes by praiers penance and sacraments the vertues of hope and charitie the purpose of vvel-vvorking and of the obseruation of Gods commaundements much lesse the vvorkes and merites of the children of God proceding of grace and charitie after they be iustified and are now in his fauour vvhich are not only dispositions and preparations to iustice but the meritorious cause of greater iustice and of saluation 25. Rahab This Apostle alleageth the good vvorkes of Rahab by vvhich she vvas iustified and S. Paul 11 Hebr. saith she vvas iustified by faith Vvhich are not contrarie one to the other for both is true that she vvas saued by faith as one faith and that she vvas saued by her vvorkes as the
number of places specially of the English Bible printed the yere 1562 that vve neede not much to stand vpon it As this also is seen to al the vvorld that they doe it of purpose to seduce the poore ignorant people and to make them thinke that vvhatsoeuer in the Scriptures is spoken against the idols of the Gentiles vvhich the Prophet calleth Simulachra Gentium is meant of pictures sacred images holy memories of Christ and his Saincts Against such seducers the second sacred Councel of Nice called the seuenth Synode decreeth thus Act. 4. pag. 122. Quicunque sententias sacrae scriptura de Idolis contra venerendas imagines adduâ—unt anathema Qui venerandas imagines idola appellant anaÌ„thema Qui dicuntâ— Christiani adorant imagines vt Deos anathema that is AnaÌ„thema to al them that bring the sentences of holy Scripture touching Idols against the venerable images Anáthema to them that call the venerable images idols Anáthema to them that say Christiam adore images as gods Novv in their later translations the Heretikes perceiuing that the vvorld seeth their vnhonest dealing corrected them selues in some places and in this place haue put idols in the text but to giue the people a vvatchvvord that the Churches images are to be comprised in the vvord idols they haue put images in the margent But concerning this matter it is most euident that neither euery idol is an image nor euery image an idol and that hovvsoeuer the origine or etymologie of the vvord idol may be taken in the Greeke yet both the vvordes and the things be in truth and by the vse of al tonges far differing The great dragon that the Babylonians adored Dan. 14 vvas an idol but not an image the Cherubins in Salomons temple vvere images but not idols and the face of the Queene in her coine or elsvvhere as Caesars face vpon the coine that Christ called for is an image but not an idol and the Heretikes dare not translate that text of Scripture thus Vvhose idol is this superscription nor call the Queenes image the idol of the Queene nor Christ the idol of his father nor vvoman the idol of the man nor man the idol of God al vvhich in Scripture be named images for al that and be so in deede and not idols vvhich conuinceth that the Heretikes be false corrupt translatours in this place and other the like confounding these tvvo vvordes as if they vvere al one But as for the hauing of images or purtraites of holy things not onely in priuate houses but also in Churches God him self doth vvarrant vs vvho * coÌ„maunded euen the Ievves them selues a people most prone to idolatrie and that after he had giuen them a special precept of not hauing making or vvorshipping of idols to make the images of Angels the Cherubins and that in the soueraine holiest place of adoration that vvas in the Temple about the Arke yea and in respect of vvhich sacred images partly they did as S. Hierom saith ep 17 c. 3 so great reuerence to the holy place called Sancta sanctorum If they then vvere vvarranted and commaunded to make and haue in so great reuereÌ„ce the images of mere spirites or Angels vvhose natural shape could not be expressed hovv much more may vve Christians haue and reuerence the images of Christ his B. mother the Apostles and other Saincts being men vvhose shape may be expressed So doth the said Nicene Councel argue against the Heretikes vvhich at that time vvere the Aduersaries of images And note here that eight hundred yeres agoe they vvere straight counted Heretikes that began to speake against images and that Councel vvas called purposely for them and condemned them for Heretikes confirmed the former auncient reuerence and vse of sacred images vvhich began euen in our Sauiours time or litle after vvhen good religious folke for loue and reuerence made his image namely the vvoman that he healed of the blouddy fluxe vvhich image vvas also approued by miracles as the Ecclesiastical historie telleth and namely Eusebius Eccl. hist li. 7 c. 14. vvho also vvitnesseth that the images of Peter and Paul vvere in his daies as you may see also in S. Augustine li. d. consens Euangelist c. 10 that their pictures commonly stoode together in Rome euen as at this day Of our Ladies image see S. Gregorie li. 7. ep 5. indict 2 ad Ianuar. ep 53. In vvhom also li. 7. ep 109 you may see the true vse of images that they are the bookes of the vnlearned and that the people ought to be instructed and taught the right vse of them euen as at this day good Catholike folke doe vse them to helpe increase their deuotion in al Catholike Churches yea the Lutherans them selues reteine them still S. Damascene vvrote three bookes in defense of sacred images against the foresaid Heretikes THE SECOND EPISTLE OF IOHN THE APOSTLE He commendeth the lady and her sonnes for continuing in the old saith bidding them so to doe hereafter also lest they lose the revvard of their vvorkes in the day of iudgement and to Ioue the true beleeuers but vvith Heretikes to haue no societie exprâ—ssing also the points then in controuersie verse 1 THE Senior to the lady Elect and her children vvhom I loue in truth and not I onely but also al that haue knowen the truth ✠verse 2 for the truth vvhich abideth in vs and shal be vvith vs for euer ✠verse 3 Grace be vvith you mercie peace from God the Father and from Christ IESVS the sonne of the Father in truth and charitie ✠verse 4 I vvas exceding glad because I haue found of thy children vvalking in truth as vve haue receiued commaundement of the Father ✠verse 5 And novv I beseeche thee Lady not as vvriting a nevv commaundement to thee but that vvhich vve haue had ″ from the beginning * that vve loue one an other ✠verse 6 And this is charitie that vve vvalke according to his commaundements For this is the commaundement that as you haue heard from the beginning you walke in the same ✠verse 7 because many seducers are gone out into the vvorld which do not confesse IESVS Christ to haue come into flesh this is a seducer and an antichrist ✠verse 8 Looke to your selues that you lose not the thinges vvhich you haue vvrought but that you may receiue a ful revvard ✠verse 9 Euery one that reuolteth and persisteth not in in the doctrine of Christ hath not God He that persiteth in the doctrine the same hath both the Father and the Sonne ✠verse 10 If * any man come to you and bring not ″ this doctrine ″ receiue him not into the house ″ nor say God saue you vnto him ✠verse 11 For he that saith vnto him God saue you communicateth vvith his vvicked vvorkes ✠verse 12 Hauing moe thinges to vvrite vnto you I
thus the damnation of the vvhole adulterous blouddy societie he doth also expresly report of their three graÌ„d Captaines damnation vvhich are these Antichrist and his False prophet and the Deuil him self the author of al this mischiefe Finally on the other side in the fifth part he reporteth the vnspeakeable and euerlasting glorie that the Church after al this suffering shal by Christ her glorious Spouse be assumpted vnto And so he concludeth the booke THE APOCALYPSE OF IOHN THE APOSTLE CHAP. I. 9. S. Iohn being banished in the ile Patmos is commaunded to vvrite to the seum Churches of Asia signified by the seuen candlestickes that vvhich he savv vpon a Sunday round about the Sonne of man 13 vvhose maner of apparâ—tion is described verse 1 THE ″ Apocalypse of IESVS Christ vvhich God gaue him to make manifest to his seruants the thinges vvhich must be done quickly and signified sending by his Angel to his seruant Iohn ✠verse 2 vvho hath giuen testimonie to the vvord of God and the testimonie of IESVS Christ vvhat things soeuer he hath seen ✠verse 3 Blessed is he that readeth and heareth the wordes of this prophecie and keepeth those thinges Which be vvritten in it for the time is nigh ✠verse 4 Iohn ″ to the seuen churches vvhich are in Asia Grace to you and peace from * him that is and that vvas and that shal come and ″ from the seuen spirites vvhich are in the sight of his throne ✠verse 5 and from IESVS Christ vvho is the faithful vvitnes the * first borne of the dead the prince of the kings of the earth vvho hath loued vs and * vvashed vs from our sinnes in his bloud ⊢ ✠verse 6 and hath made vs * ″ a kingdom and priestes to God and his father to him be glorie and empire for euer and euer Amen ✠verse 7 Behold he commeth vvith the cloudes and euery eie shal see him and * they that pricked him And al the tribes of the earth shal bevvaile them selues vpon him yea Amen ✠verse 8 * I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and end saith our Lord God vvhich is and vvhich vvas and vvhich shal come the omnipotent ✠verse 9 I Iohn your brother and partaker in tribulation and the kingdom and patience in Christ IESVS vvas in the Iland vvhich is called Patmos for the vvord of God and the testimonie of IESVS ✠verse 10 I vvas in spirit ″ on the Dominical day and heard behind me a great voice as it vvere of a trompet ✠verse 11 saying That vvhich thou feest vvrite in a booke and send to the seuen churches vvhich are in Asia to Ephesus and Smyrna and Pergamus and Thiatîra and Sardis and Philadelphia and Laodicia ✠verse 12 And I turned to see the voice that spake vvith me And being turned I savv seuen candlestickes of gold ✠verse 13 in the middes of the seuen candlestickes of gold one like to the Sonne of man ″ vested in a priestly garment to the foote and girded about neere to the pappes vvith a girdle of gold ✠verse 14 and his head and heares vvere vvhite as vvhite vvoole as snovv and his eies as the flame of fire ✠verse 15 and his feete like to latten as in a burning fornace and his voice as the voice of many vvaters ✠verse 16 and he had in his right hand seuen starres and from his mouth proceded a sharpe tvvo edged svvord and his face as the sunne shineth în his vertue ✠verse 17 And vvhen I had seene him I fel at his feete as dead And he put his right hand vpon me saying Feare not * I am the first and the last ✠verse 18 and aliue and vvas dead and behold I am liuing for euer and euer and haue the keies of death and of hel ✠verse 19 Vvrite therefore the thinges vvhich thou hast seene and that are and that must be done after these ✠verse 20 The sacrament of the seuen starres vvhich thou hast seene in my right hand and the seuen candlestickes of Gold ″ the seuen starres are ″ the angels of the seuen churches and the seuen candlestickes are the seuen churches ANNOTATIONS CHAP. I. 1. APOCALYPSE Of the Apocalypse thus vvriteth the auncient father Denys Bishop of Corinth as Eusebius alleageth him li. 7 c. 20 hist Eccl. Of this booke saith he this is my opinion that the matter thereof is far more profound then my vvit can reache vnto and I doubt not but almost in euery sentence of it there lieth hidden a certaine sense exceding mystical and maruelous vvhich though I vnderstand not yet I conceiue that vnder the vvordes there is a deepe meaning and I measure not the matter by reason but attribute al to faith taking it to be more high and diuine then I can by cogitation comprise not reprouing that vvhich I vnderstand not but therfore I admire vvith reuereÌ„ce because my vvit can not attaine to it Againe S. Augustine saith that in the Apocalypse many things are obscurely spoken to exercise the minde of the reader and yet some fevv things left euident that through them a man may vvith labour searche out the rest specially for that the author so repeateth the same things in diuers sortes that seeming to speake of sundry matters in deede is found bus to vtter the same things diuers vvaies li. 20 de Ciuit. Del c. 17. Vvhich vve set dovvne here in the beginning to vvarne the good Christian reader to be humble and vvise in the reading both of al other holy Scriptures and namely of this diuine and deepe prophecie giuing him further to vnderstand that vve vvil in our Annotations according to our former trade and purpose onely or cheefely note vnto the studious such places as may be vsed by Catholikes or abused by Heretikes in the controuersies of this time and some other also that haue special matter of edification and that as breefely as may be for that the volume grovveth great 4. To the 7 Churches That certaine numbers may be obserued as significatiue and mystical it is plaine by many places of holy Scripture and by the auncient Doctors special noting of the same to many purposes Vvhereby vve see the rashnes of our Aduersaries in condemning generally al religious respect of certaine numbers in our praiers fastes or actions Namely the number of Seuen is mystical and prophetical perfect and vvhich as S. Augustine saith the Church knovveth by the Scriptures to be specially dedicated to the Holy Ghost and to appertaine to spiritual mundation as in the Prophets appointing of Naam in to vvash seuen times in lordan and the sprinkling of the bloud seuen times against the tabernacle li. 4 quâ—st in numer q. 33 See li. 5. c. 5 de Gen. ad lit li. 5 quest in Deuter. q. 42. Al these visions stand
vpoÌ„ S. Iohn the Euangelists day in Christmas Decembris 27. Io. 13 23 c So readeth S. Ambrose in Ps 45. ser 20 in Ps 118. S. Aug. tract 124 in Io. most ancient copies and seruice bookes extant in Latine other reade If I vvil other If so I vvil c. ⸬ Hovv fevv things are written of Christs actes doctriÌ„e in coÌ„parison of that vvhich he did and spake and yet the Heretikes wil needes haue al in Scripture trusting not the Apostles ovvne preaching or report of any thing that our Maister did or said if it be not vvritten Io. 20 30. Peter is here made the general Pastor and the Church is builded vpon him The ProtestaÌ„ts otherwise denying this preeminence of Peter yet to vphold their Arch bishops do aâ—ouch proue it against the Puritanes Cypr. de vnit Eâ— Li. 2 de Sacerd. Peters successors succede hiÌ„ in vniuersal authoritie S. Gregorie though he misliked the title of Vniuersal Bishop yet is most plaine both in his writings doings for the Popes Supremacie as also S. Leo the great Grego li. 4 ep 76. * See li. â— ep 72. 73 li. 2 ep 37. 45. li. 4 ep 95 li 7 ep 62. The title of vniuersal Bishop refused but vniuersal iurisdiction alwaies acknowledged and practised Bernard li. 2. c. 8. de coÌ„sider The Pope is Pastor of al Pastors 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * 2 Reg. c. 5. Ps 77. Beza in hunc locuÌ„ Peter crucified at Rome THE 1 PART conteining the Infancie of Christ and the time that he liued obscurely The 2 part conteining the time of the preparatioÌ„ toward his manifestation THE 1. PASCHE The 3 part from the time that he began Mat. 4 1â— 17. to manifest him self by preaching and miracles THE 2 PASCHE THE 3 PASCHE The 4 part from the time that he began Mat. 16 â—â— to foretel to his Disciples that he must goe suffer in Hierusalem The 5 part of his going into Ievvrie toward his Passion PALME sunday The 6 part conteining the holy weeke of his Passion in Hierusalem TVESDAY night TENEBRE vvenesday MAVNDY thursday The 4 Pasche Al THVRSDAY night GOOD FRIDAY EASTER DAY LOVV SVNday ASCENSION day * Hier. in Catal. Act. 13 46 1â— 6 â—9 9. 28 28. Mat. 21 23 Esa 1. Luc. 13 33. Act. 25. 11. Luc. 23 1. Act. 28 28. Rom. 11 25. Mat. 24 â—4 Tertul. de prâ—â—â—e Act. 15. 7. Act. 15 14. Rom. 15 19. Gal. 2 9. Rom. 1 8. Mat. 21 43. The CHVRCH readeth this booke at Mattins from Low SuÌ„day vnto the 3 Sunday after Easter euen as in S. Augustines time See serm 83 93 de Diuersis â—o 10. The 1. part The expectatioÌ„ of the Holy Ghost betwene the AscensioÌ„ of Christ and the beginning of the Church ⸬ Not al particularly for the other Euangelists write diuers thinges not touched by him but al the principal and most necessarie thinges Lu. 1 3. The Epistle â—t Masse vpon Ascension day Iu. 24 49. Io. 14 26. ⸬ Iohns Baptisme gaue not the Holy Ghost ⸬ The aboundaÌ„t powring of the Holy Ghost vpon them on whitsunday he calleth baptisme Lu. 3 16. Lu. 24 49. Act. 2 1. Mar. 16 19. Lu. 24 51. ⸬ This visible companie was the true Churche of Christ which he left commauÌ„ded to keepe together til the coÌ„ming of the Holy Ghost by h to be further informed furnished to gaine al natioÌ„s to the same Societie ⸬ The Heretikes some in the text other in the margeÌ„t traslate Wiues to wit of the Apostles most Impudently knowiÌ„g in their coÌ„sciences that he meaneth the Maries other holy women that folowed Christ as Lu. 1 2 24 10. See Beza the Engl. Bible 1579. a The Epistle vpoÌ„ S. Mathias day Febr. â—4 Ps 40 9 Io. 13 18 Luc. 22 47. Io. 18 3. Mt. 27 5. 7. Psa 68 26. Ps 108 8. ⸬ No smal mysterie that the number of the twelue Apostles must needes be made vp againe The times and moments of things to come pertaine not to vs. Christ is ascended and yet really in the B. Sacrament Our B. LADY Her life Io. 19 26. 27. Dionys ep ad Timotheum Her death Her ASSVMVTION The ProtestaÌ„ts haue no feast of her at al as they haue of other Saincts How the Primitiue Church auncient fathers honoured our B. Lady * Lu. 1 48. S. Athanasius S. Ephrem S. Cyril The Greeke Liturgies of S. Iames S. Basil S. Chrysostom S. Augustine * vnica spes Sancta MARIA succurre miseris c. S. Damascene * vnicum leuamen S. Irenaeus As Adam and Eue so Christ our Lady See S. Greg Nzian in fi Trag. Christus patiens The meaning of the titles and termes giuen to our B. Lady Peter beginneth to practise his Primacie Beza in no. Test 〈◊〉 an 1565. Casting of lottes The 2 part THE comming of the Holy Ghost and beginning of the Church in Hierusalem Act. 1 4 The Epistle vpoÌ„ whitsunday Mt. 3 11. Io. 7 39. ` do vâ—e heare ` do heare a The lesson before the Epistle on Imber wenesday in whitsonweeke ⸬ Peter the head of the rest and now newly replenished with al knowledge and fortitude maketh the first Sermon Ioël 2 28. Ps 15 8. ⸬ Who but an infidel saith S. Augustine wil deny Christ to haue descended to Hel ep 99. ⸬ As his soul suffered no paines in Hel so neither did his body take any corruptioÌ„ in the graue 3. Reg. 2 10. Ps 131 11. ` this gift vvhich Ps 109 1 Contrition ⸬ Not onely amendment of life but penaÌ„ce also required be fore Baptisme in such as be of age though noâ— in that sort as aftervvard in the SacrameÌ„t of penance Aug. de fid et oper c. 11. 〈◊〉 ep 108. ⸬ Three thousand were conuerted at this first sermon 〈◊〉 they were put to the other visible companio and Church c This was the B. Sacrament which the Apostles daily ministred to the Christians at least in one kinde See chap. 20 7. Act. 4 32. The feastes of Pasche Pentecost The sending of the Holy Ghost on whitsunday and the effectes thereof Lu. 24 49 Our B. Ladie Beza Annot in hoc 〈◊〉 v. 1. Gods determination that Christ should die excuseth not the Iewes Bâ—za * Li. 12 c. 13 de Gen. 〈…〉 Corrupt translation against the Article of Christs descending into Hel. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Eng. Bible 〈◊〉 * No. Test an 1556. annot in 2 Act. v 27 24. in 1 Pet. â— 19. Liuing in common The increase perpetuitie of the VISIBLE CHVâ—â—H 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Epistle vpoÌ„ SS Peter and Paules eue Iun. 28. ⸬ This maketh for distinction of Canonical houres and diuersitie of appointed times to pray in Seâ— Anno◠〈…〉 The Epistle vpoÌ„ wenesday in Easter weeke Luc. 23 28. ⸬ This faith was not the faith of the same man for he looked onely for almes nor a special faith of the Apostles owne saluatioÌ„ but the whole
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Holy bread August ep 31. 34 35. 36. The signe of the crosse vsed in blessing The Churches exorcismes Luc. â— Holy vvater The force of sanctified creatures The holy land Relikes theodoret li. 36. 3. The crosse The name of IESVS Remission of venial sinnes annexed to halovved creatures Ia. c. 5. S. Gregorie The difference betvvene the Churches exorcismes other coniurations Grace giuen in the SacrameÌ„t of Orders ConsecratioÌ„ of Priests by imposition of handes In Esa c. 58. Holy Orders a Sacrament Conc. Carth 4 c. 3. Beza in cap. 6. Act. Men also are called sauiours vvithout derogatioÌ„ to Christ The Epistle for holy vvidovves ⸬ Because of this continual praier vvhich standeth not vvith coÌ„iugal carnal actes of matrimonie as the Apostle signifieth 1 Cor. 7 5 therfore vvere these vvidovves to liue in the state of perpetual continencie c Double honour and liuelihod due to good Priestes Deu. 25. 1. Cor. 9. Mat. 10 10. ⸬ Here the Apostle vvil not haue euery light felovv to be heard against a priest so S. Augustin for the like reuerence of priesthod admonisheth Pâ—Ì„carius that in no vvise he admitte any testimonies or accusations of Heretikes against a Catholike priest ep 212. ⸬ Bishops must haue great care that they giue not orders to any that is not wel tried for his faith learning and good behauiour Ambr. in hunc loc Luc. c. 2 37. widowhod widowes called Diaconissa their office These widowes must haue had but one husbaÌ„d wherof many Catholike coÌ„clusioÌ„s are deduced C. 3 2. Beza vpon this place The Caluinists most absurd exposition of the Apostles wordes Their blasphemie against the plaine text * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The very vvil to breake the vovv of chastitie is damnable * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Breaking of their first faith is by the consent of a antiquitie vvheÌ„ they breâ—ke their vovv of chastitie Why this vow is called faith or fidelitie Vvhy the first faith The heretikes exposition of this first faith impossible against the text S. Paul meaneth not that vvidovves professed should marie * othervvise Agâ—ruchia ep 11. It is better for the frailer sort that are in danger of falling to marie rather then to vow Yong vvomen may be professed taken into religion To marie after the vovv of Chastitie is to goe after Satan 1 Cor. 7. The heretikes only remedie against concupiscence is mariage The vow of chastitie lawful possible to be kept more grateful to God Iouinians heresie in this point coÌ„demned of old is called of the Protestants Gods vvord Many good vvorthie Bishops that haue not the gift of preaching and teaching c See the anÌ„oâ—ation before cap. 1 3. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 b The epistle for S. Alexius â—ul 17. Iob 1 21. Mat. 6 25. ⸬ As in the 1. chap. lacke of faith and good conscience so here couetousnes or desire of these temporal things in the end of this chap. presumption and boasting of knowledge are causes of falling from the faith heresie often being the punishmeÌ„t of former sinner b The epistle for S. Timothee Ian. 24. Io. 18 37 Apoc. 17 14. 19 16. Io. 1 18. ⸬ Almes deedes and good workes laide for a fouÌ„datioÌ„ and ground to attaine euerlasting life So say the doctors vpoÌ„ this place c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 S. Chrysostom Depositum is the Catholike truth descending from the Apostles by succession of Bishops euen vnto the end The ProtestaÌ„ts can shew no such depositum Prophane nouelties of vvordes how to be tried and examined Catholike termes not expresly in the Scriptures but in sense are no such nouelties of vvordes Heretical nouelties of vvordes * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The ProtestaÌ„ts prophane nouelties of vvordes Catholikes must abhorre from heretical phrases and vvordes â— Ps 132. Heretikes arrogate knowledge falsely so called ⸬ Here againe it is plaine that holy Orders giue grace that euen by and in the external ceremonie of imposing the Bishops hands And it is a maner of speach specially vsed in this Apostle and S. Luke that Orders giue grace to the ordered that to take orders or authoritie to minister SacrameÌ„ts or preach is to be giuen or deliuered to Gods grace Act. 14 25. Tit. 3 5. Tit. 1 â— 1 Timo. 2 7. c Faith and loue coupled commonly together in this Apostles vvritings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Tim. 4 19. ⸬ Vvhat a happie meritorious thiÌ„g it is to relieue the afflicted for religioÌ„ not to be ashamed of their disgrace yroÌ„s or what miseries so euer A great blessing to haue Catholike progenitors and very coÌ„mendable to cleaue fast to their faith Apol. coÌ„t Ruff. li. 1. c. 8. The peoples speaches of their fathers faith is very Christian and laudable Deut. 32. Ps 43. * Act. 24. 2 Cor. 11. Al our good deedes are laid vp vvith God to be revvarded We must speake in Catholike termes after a certaine rule of faith and forme of vvordes Relieuers of Cath. prisoners ⸬ Marke here that the elect though sure of saluation yet are saued by meanes of their preachers teachers as also by their ovvne endeuours Mat. 10 Ro. 3 3. c See the AnnotatioÌ„ before 1 Tim. 6. v. 20. Tit. 3 9. ⸬ Conuersion from sinne and heresie is the gift of God and of his special grace yet here vve see good exhortations and praier and such other helpes of man be profitable therevnto Vvhich could not be if vve had not free vvill Vvhat secular affaires do not agree nor coÌ„sist vvith spiritual mens function Hovv spiritual men may serue secular Princes deale in ciuil causes in vit 8. Ambr. Bern. Catholikes only right haÌ„dlers of the Scripture 2 Cor. 2 4. Heretical bookes and sermoÌ„s are to be auoided Who are out of the Church or vvithin it Free vvil 1 Timot. 4 1. ⸬ That those Magicians vvhich resisted Moyses were thus called it is not written in al the old TestameÌ„t therfore it came to the Apostles knowledge by tradition as the Church novv hath the names of the 3 kings of the peniteÌ„t theefe of the souldiar that pearced Christes side on the Crosse and of the like Exo. 7. ⸬ In al danger and diuersitie of false sectes S. Paules admonition is euer to abide in that vvas first taught deliuered neuer to giue ouer our old faith for a new fansie This is it which before he calleth depositum 1. Tim. 6. and 2. Tim. 1. 2. Pet. 1 21. Women easily seduced by heresie The folly of Heretikes in time appeareth Persecution The great profit of reading the Scriptures The Heretikes folish argumeÌ„t Al Scripture is profitable ergo only Scripture is necessarie sufficient The Epistle for holy Doctors and for S. Dominike August 4. ⸬ The martyrdom of saincts is so acceptable to God that it is counted as it vvere a sacrifice in his sight and therfore hath many effectes both in the partie that suffereth it