to bée verie Apostles of our Sauiour Christ preaching the Gospell to mens thinking most sincerely and purelye but at length they doe cleane fall awaye from Christ and become enimies of the worde Such were Philetus Himeneus and Demas with manye other These were giuen Christ of his heauenlye Father for to bée in such high roomes and offices for a time but not to be kept vnto eternall lyfe else howe canne that stande where he sayth This is the will of my Father that sent mée that I loose none of all those that he hath giuen mée but that I doe rayse them vp at the last daye So that they which bée giuen to Christ of his Father for to bée fellowe heires with him in his kingdome canne neuer perish I. Veron Wherevnto Iudas was called ¶ Looke Chosen What the cause of Iudas dampnation was The cause of Iudas dampnation was for that he layed holde onely vpon the iudgement of GOD sette forth in his Lawe without layenge holde vppon the grace and mercye of God sette foorth in his Gospell to all repentauntes and faythfull As Saint Peter did apprehende it after he had renownced Iesus Christ. Pet. Viret Of Iudas the brother of Iames. Iudas brother to Iames called also Thaddeus and Lebbeus preached to the Edessens and to al Mesepotamia He was slaine vnder Agbarus of the Edessens in Berito Booke of Mar. fol. 52. IVDGE How Christians may iudge in matters of controuersies Man who made mée a Iudge or a diuider ouer you ¶ It is to be noted that Christ at his first comming came not to be a Iudge but to be iudged and yet it cannot followe by this but that Christians may be Iudges in matters of controuersie Sir I. Cheeke ¶ Christ chiefely came to be iudged and not to iudge notwithstanding he willeth the Christians to be Iudges decide controuersies betwéene their brethren Geneua Are ye not good inough to iudge small trifles c. ¶ We learne héere in this place that we may haue our matters discussed before christen Iudges that is to say before them that be of a good and vncorrupted conscience Howbeit it were good that in euerie parish some honest and conscionable men should be appointed to make vnitie and peace betwéene neighbour and neighbour Maister bid my brother diuide the inheritaunce with me Christ answered Man who made me a Iudge or a diuider ouer you ¶ Christ came indéede to be iudged and not to iudge hée came to worke the worke of our redemption not to decide controuersies touching landes and possessions The Anabaptists vse this text for one of their reasons to condempne magistracie amonge Christians and therefore a verye learned and late writer in his exposition of this place writeth thus Hinc colligitur c. Héereof it may be gathered howe greatlye they doate which condemne Magistrates among the Christians by this place For Christ doth not reason of the thing it selfe as though it were prophane but of his owne vocation because hée was sent to another end although the thing it selfe is holy and good Iudgement of spirituall matters to whom it perteineth It perteineth to ecclesiasticall persons to iudge in spiritual causes But if any of theÌ„ do swarue from yâ— right rule of iustice he is subiect to the correctioÌ„ punishment of the ciuil magistrate As Aaron had his authoritie of iudgement in spirituall causes yet was he reproued by Moses And Abiathar the high Priest was deposed by Salomon and Sadoch set in his place And so shouldâ— Ahas if he had bene a good Prince haue deposed Vriah for making the prophane Altar What iudgement is forbidden Iudge not and ye shall not bée iudged ¶ Christ doth not héere forbid that kinde of iudgement that perteineth to Magistrates whereby euill dooers are iudged and punished and the innocent deliuered of the which kinde of iudgement Exo. 18. 19 Psa. 82. 1. Esa. 1. 17. but rather héere we are instructed and taught that we doe not rashly vncharitably iudge or condemne other mens faults hauing alwaies an eye vnto their faults and forgetting our owne ¶ He commaundeth vs not to be curious or malitious to try out and condemne our neighbours fault for hypocrits hide their owne faultes séeke not to amend them but are curious to reproue other mens Geneua ¶ This is not meant of the temporall iudgement for Christ forbadde not that but oft did stablish it as doe Peter Paule in their Epistles also Nor heere is not forbidden to iudge those déedes which are manifest against the lawes of God for those ought euery christian man to persecute yet must they do after the order that Christ hath set but when he saith Hypocrite cast out first the beame that is in thine owne eyes it is easie to vnderstand what manner of iudgement he meaneth c. Tindale fol. 137. The meaning of these places following Iudge no man c. ¶ Some distinguish thus that he iudgeth not as man iudgeth Other referre it to the time because he being in earth tooke not vpon him as yet the office of a Iudge But more rightly it is ioyned with the sentence following that the sence may be thus Christ iudgeth not and if hee doe his iudgement is firme and aâ—tenticall because it is diuine So that the former parte where he denieth that he iudgeth ought eyther to be restrayned to the circumstaunce of the present place For that hée might the better conuince his enimies of pride he vseth this comparison because they vsurped to themselues license to iudge preposterouslye and yet neuerthelesse could not abide him teaching simply and absteining from the office of a Iudge Marl. vpon Iohn fol. 294. Of iudgement because the Prince of this worlde is iudged c. When they shall knowe that I whome they called the Carpenters sonne and willed to come downe from the Crosse am the verye sonne of GOD which haue ouercome all the power of hell and reigne ouer all 2. Cor. 10. 12. Ephe. â— 19. Geneua Thinkest thou c. that thou shalt escape the iudgement of God ¶ We maye well excuse our selues before men and make them to beléeue that we are both iust and righteous for why Men can only iudge according to the outwarde workes and according to that which they sée and heare but hée that searcheth the heart and reines nothing canne bée hidden from him Therfore we cannot escape his true iudgement Sir I. Cheeke What it is to stand in iudgement The vngodlye shall not be able to stande in Iudgement ¶ To stande in Iudgement is to winne the processe and to haue sentence pronounced on their side and to robbe Iudgement is to let the processe and to haue sentence pronounced against right and truth Esay 10. 1. So then this text meaneth no more but that the wicked shall haue such a terrible sentence giuen vppon them that they shall not bée able to abide when the Lord shall come then to generall
therefore she doth willingly submit her self to them in all things for God For she knoweth verie well that God would that euerie man should be subiect vnto them in all things which are of their charge And that they which doe resist the same resist the ordinance of God and do set vp themselues against him Ro. 13. 1. 1. Pet. 2. 13. Pet. Viret How the Ecclesiasticall person is subiect to the ciuill Magistrate It perteineth to ecclesiasticall persons to iudge in spirituall causes but if anie of them swarue from the right rule of iustice he is subiect to the correction and punishment of the ciuill magistrate As Aaron had his authoritie of iudgement in spiritual causes yet was he reproued by Moses And the high Priest was deposed by Salomon and Sadoc set in his place And so shuld Ahas if he had ben a goodly prince haue deposed Vriah for making the prophane Altar How Magistrates that doe not perswade the people to Gods worde are not to be obeied in cause of conscience The. xxi Princes that were sent to explorate and search the priuitie and conditions of the land of Canaan two of them perswaded the people to beleeue Gods promises and not to feare the people that dwell in the lande Unto these godlye Princes was no faith nor eredence giuen of the people The Princes that perswaded the thing contrarie vnto God were beleeued of the people and their counsell admitted By this we learne that such Magistrates as perswade the people to Gods word should be beléeued and obeied the other not in cause of conscience ther must God onely be heard Act. 5 29. Math. 10. 28. Or els people shall faile of a right faith For he that knoweth not what his duetie is to God and his lawes will beléeue rather a lye with his fore-fathers then the truth with yâ— worde of God And this man is no méet auditor nor disciple of the word of God 1. North. MAGNIFIE What it is to Magnifie THis day will I begin to magnifie thée ¶ To magnifie properly is to aduaunce and set forth excéedingly and to bring him in estimation as it is sayde Gen. 12. and often in the Psalmes T. M. MAHOMET Of the rising vp of this false Prophet MAhomet of Arabia as most men saye of the mother side descended from Abraham by the linage of Ismael his son which he had by Agar his seruaunt which was a Iew béeing fatherlesse and motherlesse He was by the Scenites solde to a great rich Merchaunt who loued him so greatly for his fauour and wit that he made him ruler of all his merchaundise and businesse and was verie diligent in his maisters affayres and gained much by occupieng with the Iewes Christians and in vsing their company learned many things both of the one lawe and of the other His Maister chaunced to dye without heyre leauing his wise verie rich who being about the age of 50. yeares liked the younge man Mahomet so well that shée tooke him to husband and made him of a poore man very rich At the same time it chaunced a Monke named Sergius a man of verie euill nature and verie subtile who fled Constantinople for heresie to fall into familiaritie with Mahomet by whose instruction he increased so in Magicall arte that by his counsell and aide hée tooke vppon him to make the people beléeue that he was a Prophet and shewing some points of Magike he first perswaded his wife and his householde He had also an infirmitie called the falling sicknesse And when his wife being sore afraide thereof would aske him what it was hée made her beléeue that it was the Angell of God which came oftentimes to speake vnto him and forasmuch as he coulde not abide as man the diuine presence he fell into such agonie and alteration of spirit After this his wife died and left him meruailous riches who then what for the riches yâ— constaÌ„t report that went on Mahomet the Prophet he became in greate reputation amonge the Gentiles And so by the counsell of Sergius he called himselfe the greate Prophet of God and shortly after when his name was published and of great authoritie he deuised a lawe or kinde of religion called Alcaron In the which he toke some part well neere of all the heresies that had ben before his time With the Sabellians he diuided the trinitie with yâ— Maniches he affirmed to be but two persoÌ„s in the deitie he denied the equalitie of the father the son with Eâ—nonius and sayd with Macedone the holy Ghost was a creature and approued the multitude of wiues with yâ— Nicholaâ—tes he borrowed of the Iewes circumcision and of the Gentiles much superstition and somewhat he toke of the Christian veritie beside many diuelish fantasies inuented of his own braine Those that obeied his lawes be called Saraseâ—s When he had liued fortie yeares he died of the falling sicknesse which he had of long time saieng that when he was taken therewith yâ— the Angell Gabriel appeared vnto him whose brightnesse he could not behold He was buried at Medina thrée daies iourney from the red sea an hundred miles from Mecha where is now the chiefe temple of his law He was after yâ— incarnation of Christ 600. yeares Of the faire shew of holynesse in the kingdome of Mahomet In outward pretence of religion euen the common sorte of their people excell the Popish Monksâ— Yeaâ— euen they that are best reformed For not onely their Clergie Monks but also their communaltie say the coÌ„mon praiers together fiue times euerie day Namely at the Sun rising at noone at after noone at the Sun setting and after supper when they goe to bed At which time or they go to pray they wash themselues they make themselues bare foote they knéele downe vpon the ground and the noble men and commons intermedling themselues altogether with the King accomplish their ordinarye praiers with certeine bowing and falling flatte downe without some lawfull let no man may neglect the ordinary praiers vnpunished They keepe their ordinarie holydayes and fasting daies with great deuotion and reuerence They make often exhortation to holynesse of lyfe to the people-ward To dealing of doles To making of pilgrimages in remembraunce of their Saints and specially of the Prophet Mahomet They haue many Hospitals as well in their high waies as in their cities for the receiuing and succouring of poore folke Pilgrimes They haue Monkes of such spare and staied behauiour as neuer was heard of both in diet in apparell in forsaking of al things and in withdrawing themselues from the company of the common multitude So as they maye seeme to resemble rather Iohn Baptist yea or the very Apostles for the straitnesse of their lyfe Some of them haue visions rauishments traunces and some of them are renowmed for myracles as well in their life as after their death Moreouer ther is wonderfull honestie and behauiour among them
By whom they ought to be rebuked The ministers ought to preach against abuses Iohn Baptist rebuked king Herod for kéeping his brother Philips wife S. Paule rebuked the Corinthians for hauing of sects among them for one held of Paule an other held of Apollo some held of Peter and some of Cephas For suffering a fornicator among them euen such one as kept his fathers wife For bicause they accused one an other before vnlawfull Iudges and not rather set an vnitie betwéene brother and brother among themselues For bicause they sat with the Gentiles in their Tables and did eate with them of their sacrifices For praieng in a tongue that men vnderstood not And also bicause they doubted in the resurrection 1. Cor. 15. 8 All manner of méere traditions are abuses In vaine doe yée worship me saith Christ teaching the traditions and precepts of men Mat. 15. 8. Esaie 29. 13. Tindale ACHAB Of Satans deceiuing of Achab how it is vnderstood WHo is it saith God that shall beguile me Achab Satan preuēted not God in this case neither came he afore hand to saie If thou wilt giue mée leaue to beguile Achab I will do whatsoeuer thou wilt haue me to do but God beginneth saieng where shall I finde a lieng spirit to go and deceiue Achab for I sée he will néedes bée deceiued euen to the bottome of hell And wherefore is it that God speaketh so Euen bicause the case stood vpon executing of iust vengeance vpon an hypocrite a despiser full of crueltie and a mortall enimie of all goodnesse Achab was a man that had peruerted all Gods seruice vtterlie was wholie defiled with his owne Idols and therewithall also is full of sturdinesse and malice against the Prophets and would giue no eare to anie admonition When he was thus hardened in his sinnes in such sort that a man could gaine nothing by séeking to bring him into the right waie after that God had assaide all waies and sawe hée was a man forlorne when hée held his assises and demaunded who was he that would deceiue Achab for it was Gods will to execute the office of a Iudge Wée sée then that when God meaneth to punish wicked folke and to execute his wrath vpon them according to their deserts hee tarrieth not till hée be moued to it by Satan but preuenteth him c. Caluine vpon Iob. fol. 220 ACCIDENT What an Accident is AN Accident is a thing that maie bée or not be without corruption of that wherein it is As for example One maie take awaie the whitenesse of a wall yet the substance doth still remaine Erasmus How an Accident is not without his subiect In the Sacrament of the Altar saith hée after the consecration there is not neither can be anie Accident without the subiect but there verilie remaineth the same substaunce and the verie visible and incoruptible bread and likewise the verie same wine the which before the consecration were set vpon the Altar to bée consecrated by the Priest likewise as when a Pagan or Infidell is baptised he is spirituallie conuerted into a member of Christ through grace and yet remaineth the verie same man which before hée was in his proper nature and substance This was the opinion of Iohn Puruaie in the daies of king Henrie the fourth In the booke of Mar. fol. 649. ADAM How he was the first man that God created ADam was the first man that God created héere in earth after hee had made both heauen and it with all the ornaments and things belonging vnto them both The first yeare of the world and the yeare before Christ after the supputation that is set out in the end of the Bible of Geneua 3974. hée liued 930. yeares Of certeine notable things done by Adam and Seth. Iosephus writeth that Adam and Seth made two columnes or pillers one of Brasse the other of stone for they foreséeing an extermination of all things to be one by the power of fire the other by the violence and greatnesse of the waters graued therein those things which they had inuented with the prophesies by the which the worde of God might be preserued so that they should remaine as a perpetuall monument to their successours to declare what had bene done He writeth furthermore they diuided the yeare into xij monethes and first obserued and taught the course of the celestiall bodies for it is vnpossible that mans wit could attaine to the vnderstanding of so high and difficult things except God had shewed the knowledge thereof Lanquet Of the comparison the Apostle doth make betweene Adam and Christ. They also obiect vnto vs that the Apostle compared Adam with Christ said vnto the Romanes the euen as in Adam we all die so in Christ we are all quickened Wherefore by this meanes they saie the the grace of Christ ought vniuersallie to be laid forth vnto all men But if they wil so take this cōparison they shall be compelled to graunt the all shall by Christ be brought to felicitie as by Adam all throwne headlong into sinne into death◠But seeing that the thing it selfe declareth the contrarie they maie easilie perceiue that this similitude is not to be taken as touching all the parts thereof especiallie when as none fall of their owne consent into originall sinne but these men will not haue grace to be receiued but through a mans owne consent Wherfore if they admit this difference how dare they affirme that the matter is on each side a like The scope of the Apostle in this comparison is to be considered and beside the scope nothing is to be inferred And in that comparison Paule ment nothing els but that Christ is to those which are regenerate the beginning of life and blessednesse as Adam is to them that are deriued of him the cause of death and of sinne Now whosoeuer is afterward beside this scope gathered touching the equalitie of multitude or of the manner the same is Per accidens that is by chance and perteineth not vnto the scope and substance of the similitude Pet. Mar. fol. 305. How Adam did eate Christs bodie and drinke his bloud As soone as Adam had transgressed the Lords precepts and was fallen vnder condemnation our most mercifull Father of his gracious goodnesse gaue him the promise of health comfort whereby as manie as beleeued were saued from the thraldome of their transgression The word and promise was this I shall put enmitie betwéene thy séede and her séed that séed shall tread thoe on the head and thou shalt tread if on the heele In this promise they had knowledge that Christ should destroie the diuell with all his power and deliuer his faithfull from their sinnes And where he said that the diuell should tread it on the héele they vnderstood right well that the diuell should finde the meanes by his wiles and wicked ministers to put Christ to death And they knewe that God was
at the last baptised him and sawe such towardnes in the man that hée committed vnto him the ouersight of a certeine cure in the Lords behalfe The young man being now at libertie it chaūced certeine of his old companions and familiars to resort vnto his companie who being idle dissolute and wicked persons enticed him to all mischiefe insomuch that at the last he became as head and captaine among them in committing all kinde of murther and felonie In the meane time it chaunced Iohn to come into that quarters méeting the Bishop required of him the pledge that he left with him The Bishop was now so amazed that he could not tell what to aunswere Then Iohn perceiuing his doubting said It is the young man the soule of our brother committed to your custodie which I require Then y◠Bishop with great sorow wéeping said he was dead By what death quoth Iohn◠He is dead to God quoth the Bishop for he is how become an euill man the head Captaine of theeues which doth frequent this mountaine When Iohn the Apostle heard this he rent his clothes for sorrow and rode in al hast toward the place where the young man lay and by the way was taken with théeues Then sayde Iohn to the théeues for this cause came I hether therfore bring me to your Captaine And being brought vnto him the young man béeing all armed began at the first to looke féercely vpon Iohn but comming to the knowledge of him he was striken with great confusion and shame and began to flée but Iohn following sayd My sonne why doest thou flée from thy Father An armed man from one naked a young man from an olde man haue pitie vpon me my sonne for there is yet hope of saluation I will answere for thee vnto Christ I will die for thée if néede be as Christ hath dyed for vs. I will giue my life for thée Beleeue me Christ hath sent me The young man hearing stoode still cast downe his weapon sorrowed out of measure for his offence And Iohn comforting him in Christ and in the sweete promises of saluation for his sake neuer left him vntill he had restored him vnto the congregation againe and made him a great example and triall of regeneration and a token of the visible resurrection The booke of Mar. fol. 56. How this Iohn is called a barbarous fellow Numenius an Heathen Philosopher when he had read the beginning of Iohns Gospell burst out into these words I pray God I die and if this barbarous followe haue not comprehended in few words all that our Plato prosequuteth in so manye words He calleth him barbarous because he was an Hebrew and in his writing leaueth traces of his mothers tongue and followeth not curiously the finenesse properties of the Gréeke manner of speaking but he graunted vnto him as much knowledge as the most famous Philosopher and father of all learned wits Plato had and more shortnesse in writing which is more commendable in a writer of graue matters Writers of histories shew many wonderfull things of this Iohn as that he was put in boiling oyle and came out againe vnhurt c. But it shal be sufficient for vs to knowe and consider that he was one of the most excellent singular and speciall Apostles and therefore a méete witnesse of the Lord Iesus B. Traheron IONA The interpretation of this word Iona. THou art Symon the sonne of Iona. ¶ Whereas our text hath the sonne of Iona Noinus readeth it the sonne of Iohn and not of Iona to the which agréeth this place Symon Iohanna or Symon the sonne of Iohn louest thou me But it is likely that the father of Symon was called Iochanan wherevpon the letter of Asperation being altered out of his place s. put to the end came Iohannes the which also afterward being made short became Iona. And Iochanan or Iochana doe signifie that which we call in English Iohn and is as much to say as Grecians Marl. vpon Iohn fol. 37. IOSAPHAT Of his supreme gouernement HE sendeth out Preachers throughout all Iewrie ¶ Héere is declared saith Lyra how he instructed his people to wit by the Priests and Leuits whom he sent to this purpose with them certeine of his Princes to moue the people to obedience and to punish the rebellious if they shoulde finde anie I. Bridges fol. 265. And Iosaphat appointed in Hierusalem Leuits and Priests and families of Israel that they might giue iudgement and iudge the cause of the Lord to the inhabitants therof c. And he commaunded them saieng Thus shall ye do in the feare of the Lord faithfully and with a perfect heart in euery cause that shall come vnto you and your brethren that dwell in their Cities betweene bloud and bloud betwéene law and precept statutes and iudgements ye shal iudge them and admonish them c. Wherevpon saith Lyra Hic ordinatur c. Héere is ordeined the gouernement of the people in difficult causes which could not well be cut off without recourse had to Hierusalem according to the which is commaunded Deut. 17. 8. where it is said If thou shalt perceiue the iudgement before thée to be difficult and doubtful arise and get thée vp to the place which the Lord shall choose c. And therefore Iosaphat appointed Iudges there to determine such difficult matters wherefore it followeth euerie cause which commeth vnto you c. Wheresoeuer the question is if it be of the lawe so farre forth as perteineth to the commaundementes of the tables if it bée of the preceptes of the tenne commaundementes as it were certeine conclusions picked out If it be of the Ceremonies so farre forth as perteineth to ceremonial matters of iustifications that is to say of iudiciall matters wherby iustice is to be conserued among men ¶ Thus is there no part ecclesiasticall or temporall exempted from the ouersight care direction and appointment of the King I. Bridges fol. 272. IOSEPH Of Ioseph the husband of Marie THen Ioseph her husbande beeinge a iust man c. ¶ Upright and fearing God and therefore suspectinge that she had committed fornication before shée was betrothed woulde neither receiue her which by the lawe should be married to an other neither accusing her put her to shame for her fault Geneua Of the equall way that Ioseph the sonne of Iacob deuised for the Aegyptians in the time of dearth That Ioseph brought the Aegyptians into such subiection woulde séeme vnto some a very cruell déede howbeit it was a very equall way for they paied but the fift part of that the grew of the grounde and therewith were they quite of all duetyes both of rent custome tribute and tolle And the king therewith found them Lordes and all ministers and defended them We now paye halfe so much to the Priest onelye beside their craftie exactions Then paye we rent yéerely though ther grow neuer so little on