he accounteth of them by this that he dieth for them 15 and reuealeth vnto them the secretes of heauen 17 and appointeth their fruite to be perpetual 1◠confirming them also against the persecutions and hatred of the obstinate Ievves verse 1 I AM the true vine and my father is the husband-man ✠verse 2 Euery branche in me not bearing fruite he vvil take it avvay and euery one that beareth fruite he vvil purge it that it may bring more fruite ✠verse 3 Novv you are cleane for the word vvhich I haue spoken to you ✠verse 4 Abide in me and I in you As the branche can not beare fruite of it self vnles it abide in the vine so you neither vnles you abide in me ✠verse 5 I am the vine you the branches he that abideth in me and I in him the same beareth much fruite for vvithout me you can doe nothing ✠verse 6 If any abide not in me he shal be cast forth as the branche and shal vvither and they shal gather him vp and cast him into the fire and he burneth ✠verse 7 If you abide in me and my vvordes abide in you you shal aske vvhat thing soeuer you vvil and it shal be done to you ⊢ ✠verse 8 In this my father is glorified that you bring very much fruite and become my Disciples ✠verse 9 As my father hath loued me I also haue loued you Abide in my loue ✠verse 10 If you keepe my precepts you shal abide in my loue as I also haue kept my fathers precepts and doe abide in his loue ✠verse 11 These things I haue spoken to you that my ioy may be in you and your ioy may be filled ✠verse 12 * This is my precept that you loue one an other as I haue loued you ✠verse 13 Greater loue then this no man hath that a man yeld his life for his frendes ✠verse 14 You are my frendes if you doe the things that I commaund you ✠verse 15 Novv I cal you not seruants for the seruant knovveth not vvhat his lord doeth But you I haue called frendes because al things vvhatsoeuer I heard of my father I haue notified vnto you ✠verse 16 You chose not me but I chose you and haue appointed you that you goe bring fruite and your fruite abide that vvhatsoeuer you aske the father in my name he may giue it you ⊢ ✠verse 17 These things I commaund you that you loue one an other ✠verse 18 If the vvorld hate you knovv ye that it hath hated me before you ✠verse 19 If you had been of the vvorld the vvorld vvould loue his ovvne but because you are not of the world but I haue chosen you out of the vvorld therfore the vvorld hateth you ✠verse 20 Remembre my vvord that I said to you * The seruant is not greater then his maister If they haue persecuted me you also vvil they persecute if they haue kept my vvord yours also vvil they keepe ✠verse 21 But al these things they vvil doe to you for my name sake because they knovv not him that sent me ✠verse 22 If I had not come and spoken to them they should not haue sinne but novv they haue no excuse of their sinne ✠verse 23 He that hateth me hateth my Father also ✠verse 24 If I had not done amōg them vvorkes that no other man hath done they should not haue sinne but novv both they haue seen and they doe hate both me and my Father ✠verse 25 But that the vvord may be fulfilled vvhich is vvritten in their lavv That they hated me gratis ⊢ ✠verse 26 But vvhen the Paraclete commeth vvhom I * vvil send you from the Father the Spirit of truth vvhich procedeth from the Father he shal giue testimonie of me ✠verse 27 and you shal giue testimonie because you are vvith me from the beginning ANNOTATIONS CHAP. XV. 4. Vnles you abide These conditional speaches If you remaine in the vine If you keepe my commaundements and such like giue vs to wit that we be not sure to persist or perseuêre nor to be saued but vnder conditions to be fulfilled by vs. Aug. de corrept gra c. 13. 4. Vnles it abide Whosoeuer by Heresie or Schisme or for any other cause is cut of or separated from the Church he can do no meritorious worke to Saluation 10. Keepe my praecepts This careful and often admonition of keeping his commaundements proueth that a Christian mans life is not onely or principally in faith but in good workes 24. If I had If the Iewes had not sinned by refusing Christ in case he had not done greater miracles then any other then were it a great folly of Catholikes to beleeue Luthers or Caluins new opinions without any miracles at all 26. Whom I vvil send The Holy Ghost is sent by the Sonne therfore he procedeth from him also as from the Father though the late Schismatical Greekes thinke otherwise 27. You shal giue He vouchsafeth to ioyne together the testimonie of the Holy Ghost and of the Apostles that we may see the testimonie of truth ioyntly to consist in the Holy Ghost and in the Prelats of the Church CHAP. XVI The cause vvhy be foretelleth them their persecution by the Ievves is that they be not aftervvard scandalized thereat 4 Though they thinke this heauie nevves it is for their vantage that he departeth because of the great benefites that they shal receiue by the comming them of the Holy Ghost vvho shal also be his vvitnes against his enemies 16 Although in this vvorld they shal so be persecuted yet to his heauenly Father they and their praiers made in his name shal be most acceptable and at length the childe that is Christ in al his members being borne their ioy shal be such as no persecutor can take from them 31 Hovvbeit at this instant of his apprehension they vvil al forsake him verse 1 THESE things haue I spoken to you that you be not scandalized ✠verse 2 Out of the synagogs they vvil cast you but the houre commeth that euery one vvhich killeth you shal thinke that he doeth seruice to God ✠verse 3 and these things they vvil doe to you because they haue not knovven the Father nor me ✠verse 4 But these things I haue spoken to you that vvhen the houre shal come you may remember them that I told you ⊢ ✠verse 5 But I told you not these things from the beginning because I vvas vvith you And novv I goe to him that sent me and none of you asketh me Vvhither goest thou ✠verse 6 But because I haue spoken these things to you sorovv hath filled your hart ✠verse 7 But I tel you the truth it is expedient for you that I goe For if I goe not the Paraclete shal not come to
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
tribunal of Pope Councels Bishops Synodes but eche man to his ovvne phantastical spirit his ovvne sense of Scriptures and his ovvne vvilful obdurate rebellion against Gods Church and his Superiors in the same But here vve see S. Paul and Barnabas men that vvere Apostles and ful of the Spirit of God and the other parties though neuer so much partial to the ceremonies of their Lavv by their former long vse and education therein yet not to stand stifly to their ovvne opinion on either side but to condescend to referre the vvhole controuersie and the determination thereof to the Apostles Priests or Auncients of Hierusalem that is to say to commit the matter to be tried by the heads and Bishops and their determination in Councel This is Gods holy and vvise prouidence among other iudgements in his Church to keepe the Christian people in truth and vnitie and to condemne sectes and false teachers and troublers of the Church By vvhich iudgements and order vvhosoeuer vvil not or dare not be tried in al their doctrine and doings they shevv them selues to mistrust their ovvne cause and to flee from the light and ordinance of God Vvithout vvhich order of appeasing al differences in faith and constructions of the Scriptures the Church had beene more defectual and insufficient then any Commonvvealth or Societie of men in the vvorld none of vvhich euer vvanteth good meanes to decide al discordes and dissension arising among the subiects citizens of the same 6. Apostles and Auncients The Heresies of our Protestants vvhich vvould haue al men to giue voice or to be present in Councels and of others that vvould haue none but the holy or elect to be admitted are refuted by this example vvhere vve see none but Apostles Priests or Ancients assembled to dispute of the matter though many deuout people vvere in the citie the same time Neither did euer any other in the Auncient Councels of the Church assemble to debate and define the matter but such though many other for other causes be euer present Secular men or vvomen be their gifts neuer so great can not be iudges in causes of faith and religion If any thing saith God â—e hard and doubtful thou shalt come to the Priests of the Leuitical stocke and thou shalt folovv their sentence Againe The lippes of the Priest shal keepe knovvledge and the Lavv thou shalt require of his mouth Againe Aske the Lavv of the Priest Much more must vve referre al to our Bishops and Pastors vvhom God hath placed in the regiment of the Church vvith much larger priuilege then euer he did the old Priests ouer the Synagogue to vvhom it is said He that despiseth you despiseth me And it is to be noted that the Bishops so gathered in Councel represent the vvhole Church haue the authoritie of the vvhole Church and the Spirit of God to protect them from error as the vvhole Church SS Paul and Barnabas come hither for the definition of the vvhole Church The sentence of a plenarie or general Councel saith S. Augustine is the consent of the vvhole Church And so it must needes be in the Church because the Magistrates Senate Councel or deputies of al commonvvealthes represent the vvhole body and to haue it othervvise as the Churches Rebels vvish vvere to bring al to hel and horrour and them selues to be perpetually by the seditious and popular persons vpholden against Lavv reason and religion in their vvickednes â— Assembled A Councel vvas called to discusse the matter vvhich Councel vvas the more easily gathered because the Christian Bishops and countries vvere not yet so many but that the principal Gouernours of the Church being not far dispersed and as many learned men as vvere necessarie might be in Hierusalem or easily called thither And it vvas not a Prouincial Councel or Synode only but a general Councel consisting of the cheefe Apostles and Bishops that then vvere though the number vvas nothing so great as aftervvard vsed to assemble vvhen the Church vvas spred into al nations 7. Peter rising vp S. Peter as the head of the Church speaketh first as his Successors haue euer had not only in their personal presence but in their absence by their legates and substitutes the cheefe voice in al Councels general none euer receiued into authoritie and credite in the Church vvithout their Confirmation And therefore the Councels of the Arians and of other Heretikes vvere they neuer so great vvanting the Popes assent assistance or Confirmation did shamfully erre as Ariminense for the Arians and Ephesinum secundum for the Nestorians and such like condemned Assemblies 7. Chose that by my mouth Though Paul vvere called and appointed specially to be the Apostle of the Gentils yet that vvas S. Peters special priuilege by Gods ovvne choise that the first Gentils should be called by his mouth and that he first should vtter to the Church that truth of the admission of the Gentils him self for that he vvas Christes Vicar being notvvithstanding as his Maister vvas Minister Circuncisionis that is Apostle of the Ievves Christ deferring al preeminence vnto him in that point also 1â— Iames. S. Iames because he vvas an Apostle and also Bishop of Hierusalem gaue his sentence next for the speache interposed of SS Paul and Barnabas vvas but for their better information in the decision of the matter and for confirmation of S. Peters sentence though they being Apostles and Bishops had voices in the Councel also as many mâ— had though their sentences be not heare reported And vvhere S. Iames in his speach saith I iudge it is not meant that he gaue the principal definitiue sentence for he as al the rest folovved and allovved the senteÌ„ce of S. Peter as it is plaine in the text the vvhole assembly for reuerence of his person and approbation of his sentence holding their peace Al the multitude saith S. Hierom held their peace and into his sentence Iames the Apostle al the Priests did passe together For though S. Iames did particularise certaine points incident to the question debated as of eating strangled meates c. yet the proper controuersie for vvhich the Councel assembled vvas Vvhether the Gentils conuerted vvere bound to obserue the Lavv of Moyses and it vvas concluded that they vvere not bound nor ought not to be charged vvith Moyses Lavv or the Sacraments and ceremonies of the same this is the substance and principal purpose of this Councels decree vvhich doth binde for euer and Peter saith S. Hierom in the same place vvas Prince or author of this decree the matter of fornication and Idolothytes being but incident to the question or resolution and the forbidding of eating strangled and bloud but a temporal prohibition vvhich by the consent of the Church or othervvise aftervvard vvas abrogated the Church of God hauing the true sense of difference of times place persons vvhen and
hovv far such things are to be obserued and vvhen not And in such things as these and in other like vvhich according to circunstances require alteration it is that S. Augustine saith li. 2 de bapt c. 3. to 7. The former general or plenarie Councels may be amended by the later â—â— Fornication Fornication and contamination vvith Idols are of them selues mortal sinnes and therfore can neuer be lavvful yet because the Gentiles by custome vvere prone to both and of fornication made very smal account it pleased the Holy Ghost to forbid both specially Concerning the other points of absteining from bloud and stiffled meates they vvere things of their ovvne nature indifferent in vvhich for a time the Ievves vvere to be borne vvithal and the Gentils to bâ— a litle exercised to obedience By vvhich vve may see the great authoritie of Gods Church and Councels vvhich may commaund for euer or for a time such things as be fitte for the state of times and nations vvithout any expresse Scriptures at al and so by commaundement make things necessarie that vvere before indifferent 24. Going forth from vs. A proper discription or note of Heretikes Schismatikes and seditious teachers to go out from their spiritual Pastors and Gouernours and to teach vvithout their commission and approbation to disquiet the Catholike people vvith multitude of vvordes and svveete speaches and finally to ouerthrovv their soules 28. To the Holy Ghost and to vs. By this first vve note that it is not such a fault as the Heretikes vvould make it in the sight of the simple or any incongruitie at al to ioyne God and his creatures as the principal cause and the secondarie in one speache and to attribute that to both vvhich though diuersely yet procedeth of both God and you say good people commonly God and our Ladie Christ and S. Iohn We confesse to God and to Peter and Paul as God and his Angel To our Lord and Gedeon The svvord of our Lord and of Gedeon Our Lord and Moyses Christ and his Angels Our Lord and al Saincts ep ad Philem. S. Paul and our Lord 1 Thes 1 6. Al these speaches being partly Scriptures partly like vnto the Scriptures speaches are vvarraÌ„ted also by this Councel vvhich saith boldly hath giuen the forme thereof to al other Councels lavvfully called and confirmed to say the like It hath pleased the Holy Ghost and vs. S Cyprian ep 54. nu 2. reporting the like of a Synode holden in Afrike saith It hath pleased vs by the suggestion of the Holy Ghost Secondly vve note that the holy Councels lavvfully kept for determination or cleering of doubtes or condemning of errors and Heresies or appeasing of Schismes and troubles or reformation of life and such like important matters haue euer the assistance of Gods Spirit and therfore can not erre in their sentences and determinations concerning the same because the Holy Ghost can not erre from vvhom as you see here ioyntly vvith the Councel the resolution procedeth Thirdly vve learne that in the holy Councels specially though othervvise and in other Tribunals of the Church it be also verified Christes promes is fulfilled * that the Holy Ghost should suggest them and teach them al truth and that not in the Apostles time only but to the vvorldes end for so long shal Councels the Church and her Pastors haue this priuilege of Gods assistance as there be either doubtes to resolue or Heretikes to condemne or truthes to be opened or euil men to be reformed or Schismes to be appeased for vvhich cause S. Gregorie li. 1 ep 24 sub fin reuerenceth the foure general Councels Nicen Constantinop Ephes Chalced. as the foure bookes of the holy Gospel alluding to the number and of the fifth also he saith that he doth reuerence it alike and so vvould he haue done moe if they had beene before his time vvho saith of them thus Whiles they are concluded and made by vniuersal consent him self doth he destroy and not them vvhosoeuer presumeth either to loose whom they binde or to binde vvhom they loose S. Gregorie therfore reuerencing al fiue alike it may be marueled vvhence the Heretikes haue their fond difference betvvixt those foure first and other later attributing much to them and nothing to the rest Vvhereas in deede the later can erre no more then the first foure being holden and approued as they vvere and hauing the Holy Ghost as they had But in those first also vvhen a man findeth any thing against their Heresies as there be diuers things then they say plainely that they also may erre and that the Holy Ghost is not tied to mens voices nor to the number of sentences Vvhich is directly to reproue this first Councel also of the Apostles and Christes promes of the Holy Ghosts assistance to teach al truth Yea that you may knovv and abhorre these Heretikes throughly heare ye vvhat a principal Sect-Maister vvith his blasphemous mouth or penne vttereth saying that In the very best times such vvas partly the ambition of Bishops partly their folishnes and ignorance that the very blind may easily perceiue Satan verily to haue beene president of their assemblies Good Lord deliuer the people and the vvorld from such blasphemous tongues and bookes and giue men grace to attend to the holy Scriptures and Doctors that they may see hovv much not only S. Augustine and other fathers attribute to al general Councels specially to vvhich they referre them selues in al doubtes among them selues and in al their controuersies vvith Heretikes but to vvhich euen S. Paul him self so specially taught by God and others also yelded them selues Notorious is the saying of S. Augustine concerning S. Cyprian Vvho being a blessed Catholike Bishop and Martyr yet erred about the rebaptizing of such as vvere Christened by Heretikes If he had liued saith S. Augustine li. 2 de bapt c. 4 to haue seen the determination of a plenarie Councel vvhich he savv not in his life time he vvould for his great humilitie and charitie straight vvay haue yelded and preferred the general Councel before his ovvne iudgement and his fellovv Bishops in a Prouincial Councel only Vvhereby also vve learne that Prouincial Councels may erre though many times they do not and being conformable to the general Councels or confirmed and allovved by them or the See Apostolike their resolutions be infallible as the others are If any here aske vvhat neede so much disputing study and trauail in Councels to find out and determine the truth if the Holy Ghost infallibly guide them Vve ansvver that such is the ordinarie prouidence of God in this case to assist them vvhen they doe their endeuour and vse all humane meanes of industrie and not els And so though somvvhat othervvise God assisted the Euangelistes and other vvriters of the holy Scriptures that they could not erre in penning the same but yet they did
Lavv or in the name either of Ievv or Christian but in doing good vvorkes and keeping the Lavv by Gods grace 29. In spirit not letter The outvvard ceremonies Sacraments threates and commaundements of God in the Lavv are called the letter the invvard vvorking of God in mens hart and enduing him vvith faith hope and charitie and vvith loue liking vvil and abilitie to keepe his commaundements by the grace and merites of Christ are called the spirit In vvhich sense the carnal Ievv vvas a Ievv according to the letter and he vvas circumcised after the letter but the true beleeuing Gentil obseruing by Gods grace in hart and in Gods sight that vvhich vvas meant by that carnal signe is a Ievv according to the spirit and iustified by God Of the spirit and letter S. Augustine made a famous vvorke very necessarie for the vnderstanding of this Epistle CHAP. III. He graunteth that the Ievves did passe the Heathen Gentils in Gods benefits 9 but not in their ovvne vvorkes concluding that he hath shevved both Ievv and Gentil to be sinners 18 and therfore inferring that there must be some other vvay to Saluation indifferent to both vvhich is to beleeue in IESVS CHRIST that for his sake their sinnes may be forgiuen them verse 1 WHAT preeminence then hath the Ievv or what is the profit of circumcision ✠verse 2 Much by al meanes First surely because the vvordes of God vvere coÌ„mitted to them ✠verse 3 for vvhat if certaine of them haue not beleeued Hath their incredulitie made the faith of God frustrate ✠verse 4 God forbid but * God is true * euery man a lyer as it is vvritten That thou maiest be iustified in thy vvordes and ouercome vvhen thou art iudged ✠verse 5 But ″ if our iniquitie commend the iustice of God vvhat shal vve say Is God vniust that executeth vvrath I speake according to man ✠verse 6 God forbid othervvise hovv shal God iudge this vvorld ✠verse 7 For if the veritie of God hath abounded in my lie vnto his glorie vvhy am I also yet iudged as a sinner ✠verse 8 and not as vve are blasphemed and as some report vs to say let vs doe euil that there may come good vvhose damnation is iust ✠verse 9 Vvhat then do vve excel them No not so For vve haue argued the Ievves and the Greekes al to be vnder sinne ✠verse 10 as it is vvritten That ″ there is not any man iust ✠verse 11 there is not that vnderstandeth there is not that seeketh after God ✠verse 12 Al haue declined they are become vnprofitable together there is not that doeth good there is not so much as one ✠verse 13 Their throte is an open sepulchre vvith their tonges they dealt deceitefully The venim of aspes vnder their lippes ✠verse 14 Vvhose mouth is ful of malediction and bitternes ✠verse 15 Their feete svvift to shede bloud ✠verse 16 Destruction and infelicitie in their vvaies ✠verse 17 and the vvay of peace they haue not knovven ✠verse 18 There is no feare of God before their eies ✠verse 19 And vve knovv that vvhatsoeuer the Lavv speaketh to them it speaketh that are in the Lavv that euery mouth may be stopped and al the vvorld may be made subiect to God ✠verse 20 because * ″ by the vvorkes of the Lavv no flesh shal be iustified before him For by the Lavv is the knovvledge of sinne ✠verse 21 But novv vvithout the Lavv ″ the iustice of God is manifested testified by the lavv and the Prophets ✠verse 22 And the iustice of God by faith of IESVS CHRIST vnto al and vpoÌ„ al that beleeue in him For there is no distinction ✠verse 23 For al haue sinned and doe neede the glorie of God ✠verse 24 Iustified gratis by his grace by the redemption that is in CHRIST IESVS ✠verse 25 vvhom God hath proposed a propitiation ' by faith in his bloud to the shevving of his iustice for the remission of former sinnes ✠verse 26 in the toleration of God to the shevving of his iustice in this time that he may be iust and iustifying him that is of the faith of IESVS CHRIST ✠verse 27 Vvhere is then thy boasting it is excluded by vvhat lavv of deedes No but by the lavv of faith ✠verse 28 For vve account a man to be iustified ″ by faith vvithout the vvorkes of the Lavv. ✠verse 29 Is he God of the Ievves only is he not also of the Gentiles Yes of the Gentiles also ✠verse 30 For it is one God that iustifieth circumcision by faith and prepuce by faith ✠verse 31 Do vve then destroy the Lavv by faith God forbid but vve do establish the Lavv. ANNOTATIONS CHAP. III. 5. If your iniquitie No maruel that many novv a daâ—es deduce false and detestable conclusions out of this Apostles high and hard vvritings seeing that S. Peter noted it in his daies and him self here confesseth that his preaching and speaches vvere then falsely misconstrued as though he â—ad taught that the Ievves and Gentils il life and incredulity had been directly the cause of Gods more mercie and that therfore sinne commeth of God to the aduancement of his glorie and consequently that men might or should doe il that good might ensue thereof Vvhich blasphemous constructions they tooke of these and the like vvordes vvhere sinne abounded there did grace more abound and The Lavv entered in that sinne might abound and our our of the Psalme 50. That thou maiest be iustified in thy vvordes and ouercome vvhen thou art iuâ—ged As though he meant that men do sinne to the end that God may be iustified And at al these and the like places of the Apostle though forevvarned by S. Peter and by the Apostles ovvne defense and Protestation that he neuer meant such horrible things yet the vvicked also of this time do stumble and fall But the true meaning is in al such places that God can and doth vvhen it pleaseth him conuert those sinnes vvhich man committeth against him and his commaundements to his glorie though the sinnes them selues stand not vvith his vvil intention nor honour but be directly against the same and therfore may not be committed that any good may fall for vvhat good so euer accidentally falleth it procedeth not of the sinne but of Gods mercie that can pardon and of his omnipotencie that can turne il to good And therfore against those earnal interpretations S. Paul very carefully diligently giueth reason also in this place v. 6 that it is impossible because God could not iustly punish any man nor sit in iudgement at the later day for sinne vvithout plaine iniurie if either him self vvould haue sinne committed or man might doe it to his glorie Therfore let al sincere readers of the Scriptures and specially of S.
And the God of peace be vvith you all Amen CHAP. XVI 〈…〉 and him self to many there by name 〈◊〉 he declareth the doctrine vvhich the Romanes had learned to be the touchstone is knovv Seducers 21 he doth vnto them the commendations of al the Churches and of certaine persons by names â—5 and concludeth verse 1 AND I commend to you Phoebè our sister vvho is in the ministerie of the Church that is in Cenchris ✠verse 2 that you receiue her in our Lord as it is vvorthie for saincts and that you assist her in whatsoeuer busines she shal neede you for she also hath assisted many and my self ✠verse 3 Salute Prisca and Aquila my helpers in Christ IESVS ✠verse 4 vvho for my life haue laid dovvne their neckes to vvhoÌ„ not I only giue thankes but also al the Churches of the Gentiles ✠verse 5 and their domestical Church Salute Epaenetus my beloued vvho is the first fruite of Asia in Christ ✠verse 6 Salute Marie vvho hath laboured much about vs. ✠verse 7 Salute Andrónicus and` Iulia ' my cosins and fellovv captiues vvho are noble among the Apostles vvho also before me vvere in Christ ✠verse 8 Salute Ampliátus my best beloued in our Lord. ✠verse 9 Salute Vrbánus our helper in Christ IESVS and Stachys my beloued ✠verse 10 Salute Apelles approued in Christ Salute them that are of Aristóbolus house ✠verse 11 Salute Herodion my kinsman Salute them that are of Narcissus house that are in our Lord. ✠verse 12 Salute Tryphaena and Tryphósa vvho labour in our Lord. Salute Persis the beloued vvho hath much laboured in our Lord. ✠verse 13 Salute Rufus the elect in our Lord and his mother and mine ✠verse 14 Salute Asyncritus Phlegon Hermas Pátrobas Hermes and the brethren that are vvith them ✠verse 15 Salute Philólogus and Iulia Nereus and his sister and Olympias and al the saincts that are vvith them ✠verse 16 ″ Salute one an other in a ″ holy kisse Al the churches of Christ salute you ✠verse 17 And I desire you brethren ″ to marke them that make dissensions and scandals contrarie to the doctrine vvhich you haue learned and auoid them ✠verse 18 For such doe not serue Christ our Lord ″ but their ovvne belly and by svveete speaches and benedictions seduce the hartes of innocents ✠verse 19 For ″ your obedience is published into euery place I reioyce therfore in you But I vvould haue you to be vvise in good and simple in euil ✠verse 20 And the God of peace crush Satan vnder your feete quickely The grace of our Lord IESVS Christ be vvith you ✠verse 21 Timothee my coadiutor saluteth you and Lucius and Iason and SosÃpater my kinsmen ✠verse 22 I Tertius salute you verse 23 that vvrote the epistle in our Lord. Caius mine host and the whole Churches saluteth you Erastus the Cofferer of the citie saluteth you and Quartus a brother ✠verse 24 The grace of our Lord IESVS Christ be vvith al you Amen ✠verse 25 And to him that is able to confirme you according to my Gospel and preaching of IESVS Christ according to the reuelation of the mysterie from eternal times kept secrete ✠verse 26 vvhich novv is opened by the Scriptures of the prophets according to the precept of the eternal God to the obedieÌ„ce of faith knovven in al Gentiles ✠verse 27 to God the only vvise through IESVS Christ ⊢ to vvhom ' be honour glorie for euer and euer Amen ANNOTATIONS CHAP. XVI 14. Salute one an other Neuer Sectmaisters made more foule or hard shifts to proue or defend falsehood then the Protestants but in tvvo points about S. Peter specially they passe euen them selues in impudencie The first is that they hold he vvas not preferred before the other Apostles vvhich is against al Scriptures most euidently The second is that he vvas neuer at Rome vvhich is against al the Ecclesiastical histories al the Fathers Greeke and Latine against the very sense and sight of the monuments of his Seate Sepulcher doctrine life and death there Greater euidence certes there is thereof and more vveighty testimonie then of Romulus Numas Caesars or Ciceros being there yet vvere he a very brutish man that vvould deny this to the discredite of so many vvriters and the vvhole vvorld Much more monstruous it is to heare any deny the other Theodorete saith he vvas there vvriting vpon this chapter Prosper also carmine de ingratis in principio S. Leo de natali Petri S. Augustine to 6 c. 4. cont ep fund Orosius li. 7 c. 6. S. Chrysostome in ps 48. S. Epâ—phanius haer 27. Prudentius in hymno 2. S. Laurentij hymno 12. Optatus li. 2. contra Donatistas S. Hierome in Catalogo Lactantius li. 4. c. 21 de vera sapientia Eusebius hist Eccl. li. 2 c. 13 15. S. Athanasius de fuga sua S. Cyprian ep 55. nu 6 Tertullian de prascriptionibus nu 14. and li 4 contra Marcionem nu 4. Origen in Genes apud Euseb li. 3 c. 1. Irenaeus li. 3 c. â— Hegesippus li. 3. c. 2 de excid Hierosolym Caius and Papias the Apostles ovvne scholers and Dionysius the B. of Corinth alleaged by Eusebius li. 2 c. 14. 24. Ignatius ep ad Romanos The holy Councel of Chalcedon and many other affirme it yea Peter him self according to the iudgement of the auÌ„cient Fathers confesseth he vvas at Rome calling it Babylon 1. ep c. 5. Euseb li. 2. c. 14. hist. Ec. Some of these tel the time and cause of his first going thither some hovv long he liued there some the maner of his death there some the place of his burial and al that he vvas the first Bishop there Hovv could so many of such vvisedom and spirit so neere the Apostles time deceiue or be deceiued how could Caluin and his after fiftene hundred yeres knovv that vvhich none of them could see Some great argument must they needes haue to controule the credite of the vvhole vvorld This of truth is here their argument neither haue they a better in any place to vvit If S. Peter bad bene at Rome S. Paul vvould haue saluted him as he did others here in the end of his letter to the Romanes Is not this a high point to disproue al antiquitie by Any man of discretion may straight see that S. Peter might be knovven vnto S. Paul to be out of the Citie either for persecution or busines vvhen this epistle vvas written for he went often out as S. Epiphanius declareth so the omitting to salute him can proue no more but that then he vvas not in Rome but it proueth not so much neither because the Apostle might for respect of his dignitie and other the Churches affaires write vnto him special letters and so had no cause to salute him in his common Epistle Or hovv knovv they
to them selues nor novv to be approued or examined in the assemblies but they are such as vvere giuen and vvritten by the Holy Ghost and prescribed by Christ and his Church for the faithful to vse namely the Pater noster the Auâ— Marie and the Creede our Ladies Mattins the Litanies and the like Therfore the Apostle prescribeth nothing here thereof condemneth nothing therein toucheth the same nothing at al. But the deuout people in their auÌ„cient right may and ought stil vse their Latin primars beades and praiers as euer before Vvhich the wisedom of the Church for greate causes hath better liked and allowed of then that they should be in vulgar tonges though she wholy forbiddeth not but sometimes graunteth to haue them translated and vvould gladly haue al faithful people in order and humilitie learne as they may the contents of their praiers and hath commaunded also in some Councels that such as can not learne distinctly in Latin specially the Pater noster the Creede should be taught them in the vulgar toÌ„gue And therfore as vve doubt not but it is acceptable to God auailable in al necessities more agreable to the vse of al Christian people euer since their conuersion to pray in Latin then in the vulgar though euery one in particular vnderstand not vvhat he saith so it is plaine that such pray vvith as great consolation of spirit vvith as litle tediousues vvith as great deuotion and affection and oftentimes more then the other and alvvaies morethen any Schismatike or Heretike in his knovven language Such holy Oraisons be in maner consecrated and sanctified in and by the Holy Ghost that first inspired them and there is a reuerence and Maiestie in the Churches tongue dedicated in our Sauiours Crosse and giueth more force and valure to them said in the Churches obedience then to others The children cried Hosanna to our Sauiour and vvere allovved though they knevv not vvhat they said It is vvel neere a thousand yeres that * our people vvhich could nothing els but barbarum frendere did sing Alleluia and not Praiseye the Lord. and longer agoe since the poore husband men sang the same at the plough in other Countries Hiero. to 1 ep 58. And Sursum corda and Kyrie eleison and the Psalmes of Dauid sung in Latin in the Seruice of the Primitiue Church haue the auncient and flat testimonies of S. Cyptian S. Augustine S. Hierom and other Fathers Grego li. 7 ep 6â— Cypr. exp orat Do. nu 13. August c. 13 de dono perseuer de bono vid. c. 16. and ep 178. Hiero. prafat in Psal ad Sephron Aug. de Catechiz rud c. 9. de Doct. Chr. li. 2 c. 13. See ep 10. August of S. Hieroms latin translation readde in the Churches of Africa Praiers are not made to teache make learned or increase knovvledge though by occasion they sometimes instruct vs. but their special vse is to offer our hartes desires and vvants to God and to shevv that vve hang of him in al things and this euery Catholike doth for his condition vvhether he vnderstand the vvordes of his praier or not The simple sort can not vnderstand al Psalmes nor scarse the learned no though they be translated or read in knovven tonges men must not cease to vse them for al that vvhen they are knovven to containe Gods holy praises The simple people vvhen they desire any thing specially at Gods hand are not bound to knovv neither can they tel to vvhat petition or part of the Paternoster their demaund pertaineth though it be in English neuer so much they can not tel no more vvhat is Thy kingdome come then Adueniat regnum tuum not vvhether their petition for their sicke children or any other necessitie pertaine to this part or to Fiat voluntas tua or Nâ—nos inducas or to vvhat other part els It is ynough that they can tel this holy Oraison to be appointed to vs to call vpon God in al our desires more then this is not necessarie And the translation of such holy things often breedeth manifold danger and irreuerence in the vulgar as to thinke God is author of sinne vvhen they read Leade vs not into tentation and seldom any edification at al. For though vvhen the prayers be turned and read in English the people knovveth the vvordes yet they are not edified to the instruction of their minde and vnderstanding except they knevv the sense of the vvordes also and meaning of the holy Ghost For if any man thinke that S. Paul speaking of edification of mans minde or vnderstanding meaneth the vnderstanding of the vvordes onely he is fouly deceiued for vvhat is a childe of fiue or sixe yeres old edified or increased in knovvledge by his Pater noster in English It is the sense therfore vvhich euery man can not haue neither in English nor Latin the knovvledge vvhereof properly and rightly edifieth to instruction and the knovvledge of the vvordes onely often edifieth neuer a vvhit and some times buildeth to error and destruction as it is plaine in al Heretikes and many curious persons besides finally both the one and the other vvithout charitie and humilitie maketh the Heretikes and Schismatikes vvith al their English and vvhat other tonges and intelligence so euer to be as sonans cymbalum tinniens sounding brasse and a tinkling cymbal To conclude for praying either publikly or priuately in Latin vvhich is the common sacred toÌ„gue of the greatest part of the ChristiaÌ„ world this is thought by the vvisest godliest to be most expedient and is certainely seen to be nothing repugnant to S. Paul If any yet vvil be contentious in the matter vve must ansvver them vvith this same Apostle The Church of God hath no such custome and vvith this notable saying of S. Augustine ep 118. c. 5. Any thing that the vvhole Church doth practise and obserue through out the vvorld to dispute thereof as though it vvere not to be done is most insolent madnesse 14. Let vvomen hold their peace There be or vvere certaine Heretikes in our Countrie for such euer take the Scriptures diuersely for the aduantage of time that denied vvomen to hold lavvfully any kingdom or temporal Souerainty but that is false and against both reason the Scriptures This onely in that sexe is true that it is not capable of holy orders spiritual Regiment or Cure of soules and therfore can not doe any function proper to Priests and Bishopes not speake in the Church and so not preach nor dispute nor haue or giue voice either deliberatiue or definitiue in Councels and publike Assemblies concerning matters of ReligioÌ„ nor make Ecclesiastical lavves concerning the same nor binde nor loose nor excoÌ„municate nor suspend nor degrade nor absolue nor minister SacrameÌ„ts other then Baptisme in the case of mere necessitie when neither Priest nor other man can be had much lesse prescribe any thing to
through faith and that not of your selues for it is the gift of God ✠verse 9 not of vvorkes that no man glorie ✠verse 10 For vve are his vvorke created in Christ IESVS in good vvorkes vvhich God hath prepared that vve should vvalke in them ✠verse 11 For the vvhich cause be mindeful that sometime you vvere Gentils in the flesh vvho vvere * called prepuce of that vvhich is called circumcision in the flesh made vvith hand ✠verse 12 vvho vvere at that time vvithout Christ alienated from the conuersation of Israël and * strangers of the testaments hauing no hope of the promis and vvithout God in this vvorld ✠verse 13 But novv in Christ IESVS you that sometime vvere farre of are made nigh in the bloud of Christ ✠verse 14 For he is our peace vvho hath made both one and dissoluing the middle vvall of the partition the enmities in his flesh ✠verse 15 euacuating the lavv of cōmaundements in decrees that he may create the tvvo in him self into one new man making peace ✠verse 16 and may reconcile both in one body to God by the crosse killing the enmities in him self ✠verse 17 And comming he euangelized peace to you that vvere farre of and peace to them that vvere nigh ✠verse 18 For * by him vve haue accesse both in one Spirit to the Father ✠verse 19 Novv then you are not strangers and forreiners but you are citizens of the sainctes and the domesticals of God ✠verse 20 ″ built vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets IESVS Christ him self being the highest corner stone ✠verse 21 in vvhom al building framed together grovveth into an holy temple in our Lord ✠verse 22 in vvhom you also are built together into an habitation of God in the holy Ghost ⊢ ANNOTATIONS CHAP. II. ◠By grace you are saued through faith Our first iustification is of Gods grace and not of our deseruings because none of al our actions that vvere before our iustification could merite or iustly procure the grace of iustification Againe he saith through faith for that faith is the beginning foundation and roote of al iustification and the first of al other vertues vvithout which it is impossible to please God 20. Built vpon the foundation Note against the Heretikes that thinke it dishonorable to Christ to attribute his titles or callings to mortal men that the faithful though builded first principally and properly vpon Christ yet are said here to be built also vpon the Apostles and Prophets Vvhy may not the Church then be builded vpon Peter CHAP. III. For vvitnessing the vocation of the Gentils as being the Apostle of the Gentils he is 〈◊〉 prison 1◠Wherein the Gentils therfore haue cause to reioyce rather then to shrinke So he saith 14 and also praieth to God vvho is almightie to confirmed their invvard man though the outvvard be infirmed by persecutions verse 1 FOR this cause I Paul the prisoner of IESVS Christ for you Gentiles ✠verse 2 if yet you haue heard the dispensation of the grace of God vvhich is giuen me tovvard you ✠verse 3 because according to reuelation the sacrament vvas made knovven to me as I haue vvrittē before in breife ✠verse 4 according as you reading may vnderstand my vvisedom in the mysterie of Christ ✠verse 5 vvhich vnto other generations vvas not knovven to the sonnes of men as novv it is reuealed to his holy Apostles Prophets in the Spirit ✠verse 6 The Gentils to be coheires concorporat and comparticipant of his promis in Christ IESVS by the Gospel ✠verse 7 vvhereof I am made a minister according to the gift of the grace of God which is giuen me according to the operation of his povver ✠verse 8 To me * the least of al the sainctes is giuen this grace among the Gentils to euangelize the vnsearcheable riches of Christ ✠verse 9 and to illuminate al men vvhat is the dispensatiō of the sacrament hidden from vvorldes in God vvho created al things ✠verse 10 that the manifold vvisedom of God may be notified to the Princes and Potestats in the celestials by the Church ✠verse 11 according to the prefinitiō of worldes vvhich he made in Christ IESVS our Lord. ✠verse 12 In vvhom vve haue affiance and accesse in confidence by the faith of him ✠verse 13 For the vvhich cause I desire that you faint not in my tribulations for you vvhich is your glorie ✠verse 14 For this cause I bovve my knees to the Father of our Lord IESVS Christ ✠verse 15 of vvhom al paternitie in the heauens and in earth is named ✠verse 16 that he giue you according to the riches of his glorie povver to be fortified by his Spirit in the inner man ✠verse 17 Christ to dvvel by faith in your hartes rooted and founded in charitie ✠verse 18 that you may be able to comprehend vvith al the sainctes vvhat is the bredth and length and height and depth ✠verse 19 to knovv also the charitie of Christ surpassing knovvledge that you may be filled vnto al the fulnes of God ✠verse 20 And * to him that is able to doe al things more aboundantly then vve desire or vnderstand according to the povver that vvorketh in vs ✠verse 21 to him be glorie in the CHVRCH and in Christ IESVS vnto al generations vvorld vvithout end Amen CHAP. IIII. He exhorteth them to keepe the vnitie of the Church most 〈…〉 vvith al humilities bringing them many motiues therevnto 7 and 〈…〉 that 〈◊〉 the diuersitie it self of offices is not for diuision as being the gift of Christ him self 〈◊〉 to build vp the Church and to held al in the vnitie therof against the 〈…〉 of Heretikes that vnder Christ the head in the Church being the body euery member may prosper 17 Neither as touching life most vve 〈◊〉 like the Heathen but as it becommeth Christians laying of al our old corrupt maners and increasing daily in al goodnes verse 1 I Therfore prisoner in our Lord beseeche you that you vvalke vvorthy of the vocation in vvhich you are called ✠verse 2 vvith al humilitie mildenes vvith patience supporting one an other in charitie ✠verse 3 careful to keepe the vnitie of the spirit in the bond of peace ✠verse 4 One body and one spirit as you are called in one hope of your vocation ✠verse 5 One Lord ″ one faith one baptisme ✠verse 6 * One God and Father of al vvhich is euer al and by al and in al vs. ⊢ ✠verse 7 But * to euery one of vs is giuen grace according to the measure of the donation of Christ ✠verse 8 For the vvhich he saith Ascēding on high he ledde captiuitie captiue he gaue giftes to men ✠verse 9 And that he ascended
Let vs auoid those Nouelties of vvordes according to the Apostles prescript and keepe the old termes Penance Fasting Priest Church Bishop Masse Mattins Euensong the B. Sacrament Altar Oblation Host Sacrifice Alleluia Amen Lent Palme-Sunday Chrisimas the very vvordes vvil bring vs to the faith of our first Apostles and condemne these nevv apostates nevv faith and phrases 20. Falsely called knovvledge It is the propertie of al Heretikes to arrogate to them selues great knovvledge and to condemne the simplicitie of their fathers the holy Doctors and the Church but the Apostle calleth their pretended skill a knovvledge falsely so called being in truth high and deepe blindnes Such saith S. Irenaeus li. 5 c. 17. as forsake the preaching of the Church argue the holy Priests of vnskilfulnes not considering hovv far more vvorth a religious idiote is them a blasphemous and impudent sophister such as al Heretikes be And againe Vincentius Lirinensis speaking in the person of Heretikes saith Come ô ye folish and miserable men that are commonly called Catholikes and learne the true faith vvhich hath been hid many ages heretofore but is reuealed and shevved of late c. See his vvhole booke concerning these matters THE ARGVMENT OF THE SECOND EPISTLE OF S. PAVL TO TIMOTHEE THE cheefe scope of this second to Timothee is to open vnto him that his martyrdom is at hand Vvhich yet he doth not plainely before the end preparing first his minde vvith much circumstance because he knevv it vvould grieue him sore and also might be a tentation vnto him Therfore he talketh of the cause of his trouble of the revvard that the one is honorable and the other most glorious and exhorteth him to be constant in the faith to be ready alvvaies to suffer for it to fulfil his ministerie to the end as him self novv had done his Vvhereby it is certaine that it vvas vvritten at Rome in his last apprehension and emprisonment there as he signifieth by these vvordes Cap. 1 Onesiphorus vvas not ashamed of my chaine but when he was come to Rome carefully sought me c. And of his martyrdom thus For I am novv ready to be offered and the time of my resolution or death is at hand cap. 4. THE SECOND EPISTLE OF PAVL TO TIMOTHEE CHAP. I. Vvith his praises he couertly exhorteth him not to be dismaied for his trouble 6 hauing grace giuen in Orders to helpe him 8 and knovving for vvhat cause he is persecuted and namely vvith the example of Onesiphorus verse 1 PAVL an Apostle of IESVS Christ by the vvil of God according to the promisse of the life which is in Christ IESVS ✠verse 2 to Timothee my deerest sonne grace mercie peace from God the father and Christ IESVS our Lord. ✠verse 3 I giue thankes to God vvhom I serue from my progenitours in a pure conscience that vvithout intermission I haue a memorie of thee in my praiers night and day ✠verse 4 desiring to see thee mindeful of thy teares that I may be filled vvith ioy ✠verse 5 calling to minde that faith vvhich is in thee not feined vvhich also dvvelt first ″ in thy grandmother Loïs and thy mother Eunîce and I am sure that in thee also ✠verse 6 For the vvhich cause I admonish thee that thou resuscitate the grace of God vvhich is in thee by the imposition of my handes ✠verse 7 For God hath not giuen vs the spirit of feare but of povver and loue and sobrietie ✠verse 8 Be not therfore ashamed of the testimonie of our Lord nor of me his prisoner but trauail vvith the Gospel according to the povver of God ✠verse 9 vvho hath deliuered and called vs by his holy calling * not according to our vvorkes but according to his purpose and grace vvhich vvas giuen to vs in Christ IESVS * before the secular times ✠verse 10 But it is manifested novv by the illumination of our Sauiour IESVS Christ vvho hath destroied death illuminated life and incorruption by the Gospel ✠verse 11 vvherein * I am appointed a preacher and Apostle and Maister of the Gentiles ✠verse 12 For the vvhich cause also I suffer these things but I am not cōfounded For I know whom I haue beleeued I am sure that he is able to keepe my ″ depositum vnto that day ✠verse 13 Haue thou ″ a forme of sound vvordes vvhich thou hast heard of me in faith in the loue in Christ IESVS ✠verse 14 Keepe the good depositum by the holy Ghost vvhich dvvelleth in vs. ✠verse 15 Thou knovvest this that al vvhich are in Asia be auerted from me of vvhom is Phigelus and Hermogenes ✠verse 16 Our Lord giue mercie to * the house of Onesiphorus because he hath often refreshed me and hath not been ashamed of my chaine ✠verse 17 but vvhen he vvas come to Rome he sought me carefully and found me ✠verse 18 ″ Our Lord graunt him to finde mercie of our Lord in that day And how many things he ministred to me at Ephesus thou knovvest better ANNOTATIONS CHAP. I. 5. In thy grandmother Though God shevv mercie to many that be of incredulous heretical or il parents yet it is a goodly benediction of God to haue good education and to haue good faithful progenitors and Catholike parents And it is a great sinne to forsake the faith of our fathers that be Catholikes or contrarie to our education in the Church to folovv strange doctrines abandoning not onely our next natural parents faith but the aūcient faith and beleefe of al our progenitors for many hundred yeres together And if to folovv the faith of mother and grandmother onely the Christian religion being then but nevvly planted vvas so commendable euen in a Bishop hovv much more is it novv laudable to cleaue fast to the faith of so many our progenitors and ages that continued in the same Christian religion vvhich they first receiued Our Protestants in their great vvisedom laugh at good simple men vvhen they talke of their fathers faith But S. Hierom I am a Christian saith he and borne of Christian parents and carie the signe of the crosse in my forehead And againe ep 65. c. 3. Vntil this day the Christian vvorld hath been vvithout this doctrine that faith vvil I hold fast being an old man vvherein I vvas borne a child And the holy Scriptures set vs often to schole to our fathers Aske thy fathers and they vvil shevv thee thy auncetours and they vvil tel thee And againe Our fathers haue shevved vnto vs. And cōmonly the true God is called the God of the faithful and of their forefathers Dan. 2. 3. And false Gods and nevv doctrines or opinions be named Nevv and fresh such as their fathers vvorshipped not Deut. 32. Finally S. Paul both here and often els alleageth for his defense and commendation that he vvas of faithful progenitors
a crovvne correspondent in heauen S. Augustine vpon these vvordes of the Apostle expresseth both breifely thus Hovv should be repay as a iust iudge vnles he had first giuen as a merciful father 〈◊〉 de grat lib. arbit c. 6. And vvhen you heare or read any thing in the Scriptures that may seeme to derogate from mans vvorkes in this case it is alvvaies meant of vvorkes considered in their ovvne nature and valure not implying the grace of Christ by vvhich grace it coÌ„meth not of the vvorke in it self that vve haue a right to heauen deserue it vvorthily vvhich the Apostle in the 6 to the Hebrues more then insinuateth saying these vvordes God is not vniust to forget your vvorke loue vvhich you haue shovved in his name c. As though he vvould say that he vvere vniust if he did forget to recompense their vvorkes * The parable also of the men sent into the vineyard proueth that heauen is our ovvne right bargained for and vvrought for and accordingly paid vnto vs as our hire at the day of iudgement for that is 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vvhereby the Scripture so often calleth it It is the goale the marke the price the hire of al striuing running labouring due both by promis and by couenant and right dette See a notable place in S. Augustine in Psal 83 in fine and 100 in initie ho. 14 c. 2. li. 50 hom S. Cyprian also and namely the later end of his booke de opere â—â—â—mosyna and thou shalt easily contemne the contrarie falshod vvhich doth not so much derogate from mans vvorkes as from Gods grace vvhich is the cause and ground of al vvorthines in mans merites S. Augustines vvordes be these Marke that he to vvhom our Lord gaue grace hath our Lord also his detter He found him a giuer in the time of mercie he hath him his detter in the time of iudgement See the place and the rest her coted vvhere he examineth and explicateth the matter at large THE ARGVMENT OF THE EPISTLE OF S. PAVL TO TITVS THAT Titus vvas a Gentil and not a Ievv and that he vvas in S. Paules traine at the least the 14 yere after his conuersion if not before vve vnderstand by the Epistle to the Galatians c. 2. And that he continued vvith him to the very end appeareth in the second to Timothee c. 4. Vvhere he maketh mention that he sent him from Rome into Dalmatia vvhen him self vvas shortly after to be put to death And therefore although S. Luke neuer name him in the Actes as neither him self yet no doubt he comprehendeth him commonly vvhen he speaketh thus in the first person plurall Forthvvith vve sought to goe into Macedonia Act 16. For S. Paul also sent him to Corinth betvvene the vvriting of his 1 2 to the Corinthians vvhich time concurreth vvith Act. 19 by occasion vvhereof he maketh much and honorable mention of him in the said second Epistle c 2. c. 7. and againe * he sent him vvith the same Epistle both times about great matters so that no doubt he vvas euen then also a Bishop and receiued accordingly of the Corinthians vvith feare and trembling 2. Cor. 7 v. 15. But the same is plainer in this Epistle to him self c. 1. v. 5. Vvhere the Apostle saith for this cause I left thee at Crete c. By vvhich vvordes it is manifest also that this Epistle vvas not vvritten during the storie of the Actes seing that no mention is there of S. Paules being in the I le of Crete but after his dismission at Rome out of his first trouble and before his second or last trouble there as is euident by these vvordes Vvhen I shall send to thee Artemas or Tychicus make hast to come to me to Nicopolis for there I haue determined to vvinter Tit. 3. Therefore he instructeth him and in him all Bishops much like as he doth Timothee vvhat qualities he must require in them that he shall make priests and Bishops in vvhat sort to preach and to teach al sortes of men to commend good vvorkes vnto them finally him self to be their example in all goodnes THE EPISTLE OF PAVL TO TITVS CHAP. I. Of vvhat qualitie the Priests and Bishops must be 9 namely learned considering the Iudaical seducers of that time 12 That the Cretensians must be roughly vsed 10 haue them continue sound in faith verse 1 PAVL the seruant of God and an Apostle of IESVS Christ according to the faith of the elect of God and knowledge of the truth vvhich is according to pietie ✠verse 2 into the hope of life euerlasting vvhich he promised that lieth not God * before the secular times ✠verse 3 but hath manifested in due times his vvord in preaching vvhich is coÌ„mitted to me according to the precept of our Sauiour God ✠verse 4 to Titus my beloued sonne according to the coÌ„mon faith grace and peace from God the father and Christ IESVS our Sauiour ✠verse 5 For this cause left I thee in Crete that thou shouldest reforme the things that are vvanting and shouldest ″ ordaine priestes by cities as I also appointed thee ✠verse 6 * if any be vvithout crime the husband ″ of one vvife hauing faithful children not in the accusation of riote or not obedient ✠verse 7 For a Bishop must be vvithout crime as the stevvard of God not proud not angrie not giuen to vvine no striker not couetous of filthy lucre ✠verse 8 but giuen to hospitalitie gentle sober iust holy continent ✠verse 9 embracing that faithful vvord vvhich is according to doctrine that he may be able to exhort in sound doctrine to reproue them that gainesay it ✠verse 10 For there be many disobedient vaine-speakers and seducers especially they that are of the Circumcision ✠verse 11 vvho must be controuled vvho subuert vvhole houses teaching the things they ought not for filthie lucre ✠verse 12 One of them said their ovâ—ne proper prophete The Cretensians alvvaies lierâ— naughtie beastes slouthful bellies ✠verse 13 This testimonie is true For the vvhich cause rebuke them sharpely that they may be sound in the faith ✠verse 14 not attending to Ievvish fables and commaundements of men auerting them selues from the truth ✠verse 15 * Al things are cleane to the cleane but to the polluted and to infidels nothing is cleane but polluted are both their minde and conscience ✠verse 16 They confesse that they knovv God but in their vvorkes they deny vvhereas they be abominable and incredulous and to euery good vvorke reprobate ANNOTATIONS CHAP. I. 5. Ordaine Priests Though Priests or Bishops may be nominated and elected by the Princes people or Patrons of places according to the vse of the time and diuersitie of Countries and fashions yet they can not be ordered and consecrated but by a Bishop vvho vvas him self rightly ordered or consecrated
good might be not as it vvere of necessitie but voluntarie ✠verse 15 For perhaps therfore he departed for a season from thee that thou mightest take him againe for euer ✠verse 16 novv not as a seruant but for a seruant a most deere brother especially to me but hovv much more to thee both in the flesh and in our Lord ✠verse 17 If therfore thou take me for thy fellovv receiue him as my self ✠verse 18 And if he hath hurt thee any thing or is in thy dette that impute to me ✠verse 19 I Paul haue vvritten vvith mine ovvne hand I vvil repay it not to say to thee that thou ovvest me thine ovvne self also ✠verse 20 Yea brother God graunt I may enioy thee in our Lord. Refresh my bovvels in our Lord. ✠verse 21 Trusting in thy obedience I haue vvritten to thee knovving that thou vvilt doe aboue that also vvhich I do say ✠verse 22 And withal prouide me also a lodging for I hope by your praiers that I shal be giuen to you ✠verse 23 There salute thee Epaphras my fellovv-prisoner in Christ IESVS ✠verse 24 Marke Aristarchus Demas and Luke my coadiutors ✠verse 25 The grace of our Lord IESVS Christ be with your spirit Amen ANNOT. 5. Tovvard al the sainctes The Apostle sticketh not to say Charitie and faith in Christ and al his Saincts vvhich our captious Aduersaries count in Catholike mens speaches and vvritings very absurd feining that in al such vve make no difference betvvixt the loue vve beare to Christ and the loue vve owe to our neighbours betvvixt the trust or beleefe vve haue in God and that vvhich vve haue in his holy Saincts Malice and contention doth so blinde al Heretikes THE ARGVMENT OF THE EPISTLE OF S. PAVL TO THE HEBREVVES THAT the Hebrevves vvere not all the Ievves but only a part of them it is manifest Act 6 vvhere the primitiue Church of Hierusalem although it consisted of Ievves only as vve reade Act. 2 yet is said to consist of tvvo sortes Greekes Hebrues Vvhich againe is manifest Phil. 3. vvhere S. Paul coÌ„paring him self with the Iudaical false-Apostles saith that he also is an Hebrue of Hebrues Finally they seeme to haue been those Ievves vvhich vvere borne in Iurie vvhich for the most part dwelled also there Therefore to the Christian Ievves in Hierusalem and in the rest of Iurie S. Paul vvriteth this Epistle out of Italic saying therevpon The brethreÌ„ of Italie salute you Heb. 13. By vvhich vvordes by these other in the same place Knovv ye our brother Timothee to be dimissed vvith vvhom if he come the sooner I vvil see you it is euident that he vvrote this not only after he vvas brought prisoner to Rome vvherein S. Luke endeth the Actes of the Apostles but also after he vvas set at libertie there againe Many causes are giuen of the Doctors vvhy vvriting to the Ievves he doth not put his name in the beginning Paul an Apostle c. as he doth lightly in his Epistles to the Churches and Bishops of the Gentils The most likely cause is for that he vvas the preacher and Apostle and Maister of the Gentils And againe in an other place he saith that himself vvas appointed the Apostle of the Gentils at Peter of the Ievves Gal. 2. Only S. Peter therfore vvriting to the Ievves doth vse this stile Peter an Apostle of IESVS Christ c. because he vvas more peculiarly their Apostle as being the vicar of Christ vvho vvas also himself more specially the minister of the Circumcision that is as him self speaketh not senâ— but to the sheepe vvhich vvere lost of the house of Israël Mat. 15. The Argument of the Epistle S. Paul him self doth tell vs in tvvo vvordes calling it verbum solatij the vvord of solace and comfort Vvhich also is plaine in the vvhole course of the Epistle namely in the tenth chapter v. 32. c. Vvhere he exhorteth them to take great comfort and confidence in their manifold tribulations sustained of their ovvne countrie men the Ievves vvhereof the Apostle also maketh mention to the Thessalonians 1. Thess 2. v. 14. Those persecutions then of the obstinate incredulous Ievves their countrie men vvas one great tentation vnto them An other tentation vvas the persuasions that they brought vnto them out of Scriptures to cleaue vnto the Lavv and not to beleeue in IESVS the dead man And vvhereas the Ievves did magnifie their lavv by the Prophetes and by the Angels by vvhom it vvas giuen and by Moyses and by their land of promise into vvhich Iosue brought them and by their father Abraham and by their Aaronicall or Leuitical priesthâ—d and sacrifices by their Tabernaâ—le by their Testament he shevveth that our Lord IESVS as being the natural sonne of God passeth incomparably the Prophetes the Angels and Moyses that the Rest or quietnes vvhich God promised vvas not in their earthly land but in heauen that his figure Melchisedec far passed Abraham and that his priesthod Sacrifice Tabernacle and testament far passed theirs In al vvhich he shooteth often at these three markes to take avvay the scandal of Christes death by giuing them sundrie good reasons testimonies of it to erect their mindes from visible and earthly promises to vvhich only the Ievves vvere vvholy bent to inuisible and heauenly and to insinuate that the Ceremonies should novv cease the time of their correction by Christ being novv come The Epistle may be deuided into these partes the first Of Christes excellencie aboue the Prophetes Angels Moyses and Iosue c. 1. 2. 3. 4. The second of his priesthod and excellencie thereof aboue the priesthod of the old Testament c. 5. vnto the middest of the 10. The last part is of exhortation c. 10. v. 9. to the end of the Epistle THE EPISTLE OF PAVL THE APOSTLE TO THE HEBREVVES Let the Christian Reader note the corruption and impudent boldnes of our Aduersaries that vpon a false priuate persuasion of their ovvne that S. Paul vvas not the author of this Epistle leaue out his name in the title of the same contrarie to the authentical copies both Greeke and Latin In old time there vvas some doubt vvho should be the vvriter of it but then vvhen it vvas no lesse doubted vvhether it vvere Canonical Scripture at al. Aftervvard the vvhole Church by vvhich onely vve knovv the true Scriptures from other vvritings held it and deliuered it as novv she doth to the faithful for Canonical and for S. Paules Epistle Notvvithstanding the Aduersaries vvould haue refused the Epistle as vvel as they do the Author but that they falsely imagine certaine places thereof to make against the Sacrifice of the Masse CHAP I. God spake to their fathers by the Prophets but to them selues by his ovvne Sonne 14 vvho incomparably passeth al the Angels verse 1 DIVERSELY and many vvaies in times past God speaking to the
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
there be three vvhich giue testimonie in earth the spirit vvater and bloud and these three be one ' ✠verse 9 If vve receiue the testimonie of men the testimonie of God is greater because this is the testimonie of God vvhich is greater that he hath testified of his sonne ✠verse 10 * He that beleeueth in the sonne of God hath the testimonie of God in him self ⊢ He that beleeueth not the Sōne maketh him a lier because he beleeueth not in the testimonie vvhich God hath testified of his sonne ✠verse 11 And this is the testimonie that God hath giuen vs life euerlasting And this life is in his sonne ✠verse 12 He that hath the Sonne hath life he that hath not the sonne of God hath not life ✠verse 13 These thinges I vvrite to you that you may knovv that you haue eternal life which beleeue in the name of the sonne of God ✠verse 14 And this is the confidence which vve haue toward him that * vvhat soeuer vve shal aske according to his vvill he heareth vs. ✠verse 15 And vve knovv that he heareth vs vvhatsoeuer vve shal aske vve knovv that vve haue the petitions vvhich vve request of him ✠verse 16 He that knoweth his brother to sinne a sinne not to death let him aske and life shal be giuen him sinning not to death There is ″ a sinne to death ″ for that I say not that any man aske ✠verse 17 Al iniquitie is sinne And there is a sinne to death ' ✠verse 18 Vve know that euery one vvhich is borne of God sinneth not but the generation of God preserueth him and the vvicked one toucheth him not ✠verse 19 Vve knovv that vve are of God and the vvhole vvorld is set in vvickednesse ✠verse 20 And vve knovve that the sonne of God commeth and he * hath giuen vs vnderstanding that vve may knovv the true God may be in his true sonne This is the true God life euerlasting ✠verse 21 My litle children keepe your selues ″ from Idols Amen ANNOTATIONS CHAP. V. 5. His commaundements are not heauie Hovv can the Protestants say that Gods commaundements can not possibly be fulfilled or kept in this life seing the Apostle saith they be not heauie and Christ saith his yoke is svveete and his burden light See for the ful vnderstanding of this place S. Augustine de perfectione iustitia c. 10. The Heretikes in fauour of their foresaid errour rather translate His commaundements are not greuous then are not heauie 7. Three vvhich giue testimonie An expresse place for the distinction of three persons the vnitie of nature and essence in the B. Trinitie against the Arians and other like Heretikes vvho haue in diuers ages found them selues so pressed vvith these plaine Scriptures that they haue as it is thought altered and corrupted the text both in Greeke and Latin many vvaies euen as the Protestants handle those textes that make against them But because vve are not novv troubled vvith Arianisme so much as vvith Caluinisme vve neede not stand vpon the varietie of readings or expositions of this passage See S. Hierom in his epistle put before the 7 Canonical or Catholike Epistles 16. A sinne to death A sinne to death is an other thing then a mortal sinne for it is that mortal sinne onely vvhereof a man is neuer penitent before his death or in vvhich he continueth til death and dieth in it I affirme saith S. Augustine de correp grat c. 12 that a sinne to death is to leaue faith vvorking by charitie euen til death So likevvise in the vvordes before a sinne not to death is not that vvhich vve call a venial sinne but any that a man committeth and continueth not therin til death 16. For that I say not If the sinne to death vvhere of he speaketh be the sinne vvherein a man dieth vvithout repentance according to S. Augustines vvordes before rehearsed then the praier vvhich he speaketh of must needes be praier for the dead because he speaketh of praying or not praying for them that died in deadly sinne exhorting vs to pray and encouraging vs to doe it vvith confidence to be heard if vve pray for them that departed this life not in deadly sinne and contrarivvise in maner dissuading discouraging vs from praying for such as continued in vvickednes euen til their liues end And S. Augustine setteth dovvne the Churches practise agreable to the Apostles meaning li. 21 c. 24. de Ciuit. Dei if there be any saith he that persist til death in impenitence of hart doth the Church novv pray for them that is for the soules of them that so are departed So saith he And this is the cause that Concilium Bracharense primum sap 34 forbiddeth to pray for such as die in desperation or kil them selues and the reason vvhy the Church forbeareth to pray for Heretikes that die in their heresie or mainteine heresie vnto death and by their death And that the place is most properly or onely meant of praying for the departed this conuinceth that neither the Church nor any man is dehorted here from praying for any sinner yet liuing not for he remission of any sinne in this life al sinnes of vvhat sort soeuer being pardonable so long as the committers of them be in case and state to repent as they be so long as they be in this vvorld And vve see that the Church praieth and is often heard for Heretikes Ievves Turkes Apostataes and vvhat other infidels or il men soeuer during their liues And it is great blasphemie that the Caluinistes vtter vpon this place to vvit that Apostasie and certaine other sinnes of the reprobate can not be forgiuen at al in this life Vvhich they hold onely to auoid the sequele of praying for the dead vpon these vvordes of S. Iohn besides that they must take vpon them presumptuously to knovv and discerne of Gods secretes vvho be reprobate and vvho be not and according to that pray for some and not for othersome al vvhich is most vvicked and absurd presumption As for their allegation that S. Ieremie the Prophet vvas forbidden to pray for the Ievves and vvarned that he should not be heard Chap. 7. 11. 14 there is great difference first he had a reuelation by the vvordes of God that they vvould continue in their vvickednes as vve haue not of any certaine person vvhereof S. Iohn here speaketh secondly Ieremie vvas not forbidden to pray for the remission of their sinnes nor had denial to be heard therein for any mans particular case vvhereof the Apostle here speaketh but he vvas told that they should not escape the temporal punishment and affliction vvhich he had designed for them and that he vvould not heard him therein 21. From idols It is so knovven a treacherie of Heretikes to trāslate idola images as here and in a
vvould not by paper and inke for I hope that I shal be vvith you and speake mouth to mouth that your ioy may be ful ✠verse 13 The children of thy sister electe salute thee ANNOT. 6. From the beginning This is the rule of a Christian Catholike man to vvalke in that faith and vvorship of God vvhich he hath receiued from the beginning Vvhich is that vvhich vve novv call according to the Scriptures the tradition of the Apostles that vvhich is come to vs from man to man from Bishop to Bishop and so from the Apostles So shal a faithful man auoid seducers that rise vp in euery age teaching nevv doctrine 10. This doctrine The Apostles and true Pastors their lavvful successors and the Church of God in holy Councel vse to set dovvne the true doctrine in those pointes vvhich Heretikes call into controuersie Vvhich being once done and declared to the faithful they neede no other marke or description to knovv an Heretike or false teacher by but that he commeth vvith an other doctrine then that vvhich is set dovvne to them Neither can the Heretikes shift them selues as novv a daies they vvould doe saying ô let vs first be proueds Heretikes by the Scriptures let them define an Heretike No this is not the Apostles rule Many a good honest shepheard knovveth a vvoolfe that can nor define him but the Apostle saith If he bring not this set doctrine he is a seducer So holy Church saith novv Christ is really in the B. Sacrament vnder forme of bread and vvine c. If therfore he bring not this doctrine he is a seducer and an Heretike and vve must auoide him vvhether in his ovvne definitions and censures he seeme to him self an Heretike or no. 10. Receiue him not Though in such times and places vvhere the communitie or most part be infected necessitie often forceth the faithful to conuerse vvith such in vvorldly affaires to salute them to eate and speake vvith them and the Church by decree of Councel for the more quietnes of timorous consciences prouideth that they incurre not excommunication or other censures for communicating in vvorldly affaires vvith any in this kinde except they be by name excommunicated or declared to be Heretikes yet euen in vvordly coonuersatioÌ„ and secular actes of our life vve must auoid them as much as vve may because their familiaritie is many vvaies contagious and nolsome to good men namely to the simple but in matter of religion in praying reading their bookes hearing their sermons presence at their seruice partaking of their Sacraments and al other communicating vvith them in spiritual things It is a great damnable sinne to deale vvith them 10. Nor say God saue you S. Iohn 〈…〉 anotable storie of this holy Apostle touching to is point out of S. Polycarpus vvhich is this There be some saith he that haue heard Polycarpe say that vvhen Iohn the disciple of our Lord vvas going to Ephesus into a bath to vvash him self and savv Corinthus the Heretikes vvithin the same he so denly skipt out saying that he feared lest the bath should fall because Corinthus the enemie of truth vvas vvithin So saith he of S. Iohn and addeth also a like vvorthie example of S. Polycarpe him self vvho on a time meeting Marcion the Heretike and the said Marcion calling vpon him and asking him vvhether he knew him not Yes quoth Polycarpe I knovv thee for Satans sound and heire So great feare saith S. Irernaeus had the Apostles and their disciples to communicate in vvord onely vvith such as vvere adulterers or corrupters of the truth as S. Paul also uvarned vvhen he said A man that is an Heretike after the first and second admonition auoid So far Irenaeus If then to speake vvith them or salute them is so earnestly to be auoided according to this Apostles example doctrines vvhat a sinne is it to flatter them to serue them to marie vvith them and so forth THE THIRD EPISTLE OF IOHN THE APOSTLE He commendeth Gaiues for continuing in the truth and for susteining or succouring true preachers 9 noting Diotrepes for the contrarie and praising Demétrius verse 1 THE Seniour to Gaius the deerest whom I loue in truth ✠verse 2 My deerest concerning al thinges I make my praier that thou proceede prosperously and fare vvel as thy soule doth prosperously ✠verse 3 I vvas exceding glad vvhen the brethren came and gaue testimonie to thy truth euen as thou vvalkest in truth ✠verse 4 Greater thanke ' haue I not of them then that I may heare my children do vvalke in truth ✠verse 5 My deerest thou doest faithfully vvhatsoeuer thou vvorkest on the brethren and that vpon strangers ✠verse 6 they haue rendred testimonie to thy charitie in the sight of the Church vvhoÌ„ thou shalt doe vvel bringing on their vvay in maner vvorthie of God ✠verse 7 For for his name did they depart taking nothing of the Gentiles ✠verse 8 Vve therfore ought to receiue such that vve may be coadiutors of the truth ✠verse 9 I had vvritten perhaps to the Church but he that loueth to beare primacie among them Diótrepes doth not receiue vs. ✠verse 10 For this cause if I come I vvil aduertise his vvorkes vvhich he doeth vvith malicious vvordes chatting against vs. and as though these thinges suffise him not neither him self doth receiue the brethren and them that do receiue he prohibiteth and casteth out of the Church ✠verse 11 My deerest do not imitate euil but that vvhich is good He that doeth vvel is of God he that doeth il hath not seen God ✠verse 12 To Demetrius testimonie is giuen of al and of the truth it self yea and vve giue testimonie and thou knovvest that our testimonie is true ✠verse 13 I had many thinges to vvrite vnto thee but I vvould not by inke and penne vvrite to thee ✠verse 14 But I hope forthvvith to see thee and vve vvil speake mouth to mouth Peace be to thee The freendes salute thee Salute the freendes by name THE ARGVMENT OF THE EPISTLE OF S. IVDE IN the Gospel these are called Fratres Iesu the brethren of Iesus Iames and Ioseph and Simon and Iude. Their father is called Alphaâ—us vvhere Iames is termed Iames of Alphaeus aâ—d their mother Maria Iacobi minoris Marie the mother of Iames the yonger and of Ioseph Vvhich Marie in an other place being called Maria Cleophae vve perceiue their father vvas named both Alphaeus and also Cleophas And that this Cleophas vvas brother to Ioseph our Ladies husband Hegesippus telleth vs. Therfore because Ioseph vvas called the father of Christ his brothers children vvere called the brethren that is according to the custom of the scripture also the kinsmen of our Lord and not because they vvere the children of Ioseph him self by an other vvife much lesse as Heluidius the heretike did blaspheme by our
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
in the Churches seruice expounded in sermons alleaged and interpreted in the Commentaries and vvritings of the auncient fathers of the Latin Church 5. The holy Councel of Trent for these and many other important considerations hath declared and defined this onely of al other latin translations to be authentical and so onely to be vsed and taken in publike lessons disputations preachings and expositions and that no man presume vpon any pretence to reiect or refuse the same 6. It is the grauest sincerest of greatest maiestie least partialitie as being vvithout al respect of controuersies and contentions specially these of our time as appeareth by those places vvhich Erasmus and others at this day translate much more to the aduantage of the Catholike cause 7. It is so exact and precise according to the Greeke both the phrase and the word that delicate Heretikes therfore reprehend it of rudene◠And that it follovveth the Greeke far more exactly then the Protestants translations beside infinite other places we appeale to these Tit. 3. 14. Curent bonis operibus praeesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Engl. bib 1577 to mainteine good vvorkes and Hebr. 10 20. Viam nobis initiatut 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 English Bib. he prepared So in these vvordes Iustificationes Traditiones Idola c. In al vvhich they come not neere the Greeke but auoid it of purpose 8. The Aduersaries them selues namely Beza preferre it before al the rest Inpraefat no. Test an 1556. And againe he saith that the old Interpreter translated very religiously Annot. in 1. Luc. v. 1. 9. In the rest there is such diuersitie and dissension and no end of reprehending one an other and translating euery man according to his fantasie that Luther said If the vvorld should stand any long time vve must receiue againe which he thought absurd the Decrees of Councels for preseruing the vnitie of faith because of so diuers interpretations of the Scripture And Beza in the place aboue mentioned noteth the itching ambition of his fellovv-translators that had much rather disagree and dissent from the best then seeme them selues to haue said or vvritten nothing And Bezas translation it self being so esteemed in our countrie that the Geneua English Testaments be translated according to the same yet sometime goeth so vvide from the Greeke and from the meaning of the holy Ghost that them selues which protest to trāslate it dare not folow it For example Luc. 3 36. They haue put these wordes The sonne of Cainan which he wittingly and wilfully left out and Act. 1 14. they say Vvith the vvomen agreably to the vulgar Latin where he saith Cum vxoribus vvith their vviues 10. It is not onely better then al other Latin trāslations but then the Greeke text it self in those places where they disagree The proofe hereof is euident because most of the auncient Heretikes were Grecians therfore the Scriptures in Greeke were more corrupted by them as the auncient fathers often complaine Tertullian noteth the Greeke text which is at this day 1 Cor. 19. 47 to be an old corruption of Marcion the Heretike and the truth to be as in our vulgar latin Secundus homo de coelo coelestis The second man from heauen heauenly So reade other auncient fathers and Erasmus thinketh it must needes be so and Caluin him self folovveth it Instit li. 2. c. 13. parag 2. Againe S. Hierom noteth that the Greeke text 1 Cor. 7 33 which is at this day is not the Apostolical veritie or the true text of the Apostle but that which is in the vulgar Latin Qui cum vxore est solicitus est quae sunt mundi quomodo placeat vxori diuisus est He that is vvith a vvife is careful of vvorldly things hovv he may please his vvife and is deuided or distracted The Ecclesiastical historie called the Tripartite noteth the Greeke text that now is 1 Io. 4 3 to be an old corruption of the auncient Greeke copies by the Nestorian Heretikes the true reading to be as in our vulgar Latin Omnis spiritus qui soluit IESVM ex Deo non est Euery spirit that dissolueth IESVS is not of God and Beza confesseth that Socrates in his Ecclesiastical historie readeth so in the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. But the proofe is more pregnant out of the Aduersaries them selues They forsake the Greeke text as corrupted and translate according to the vulgar Latin namely Beza and his scholers the English translatours of the Bible in these places Hebr. chap. 9 vers 1. saying The first couenant for that vvhich is in the Greeke The first tabernacle vvhere they put couenant not as of the text but in an other letter as to be vnderstood according to the vulgar Latin vvhich most sincerely leaueth it out altogether saying Habuit quidem prius instificationes c. The former also in deede had iustifications c. Againe Ro. 11 vers 21. They translate not according to the Greeke text Temporiseruientes seruing the time vvhich Beza saith must needes be a corruption but according to the vulgar Latin Domino seruientes seruing our Lord. Againe Apoc. 11 vers 2. they translate not the Greeke text Atrium quod intra templum est the court vvhich is vvithin the teme but cleane contrarie according to the vulgar Latin vvhich Beza saith is the true reading Atrium quod est foris templum the court vvhich is vvithout the temple Onely in this last place one English Bible of the yere 1562 folovveth the errour of the Greeke Againe 2 Tim. 2. vers 14. they adde but more then is in the Greeke to make the sense more cōmodious and easie according as it is in the vulgar Latin Again Ia. 5 12. they leaue the Greeke and folovv the vulgar Latin saying lest you fall into condemnation I doubt not saith Beza but this is the true and sincere reading and I suspect the corruption in the Greeke came thus c. It vvere infinite to set dovvne al such places vvhere the Aduersaries specially Beza folovv the old vulgar Latin and the Greeke copie agreable therevnto condemning the Greeke text that novv is of corruption Againe Erasmus the best translatour of al the later by Bezas iudgement saith that the Greeke sometime hath superfluities corruptly added to the text of holy Scripture as Mat. 6. to the end of the Pater noster these vvordes Because thine is the kingdom the povver and the glorie for euer-more Vvhich he calleth nugas trifles rashly added to our Lords praier and reprehendeth Valla for blaming the old vulgar Latin because it hath it not likevvise Ro. 11 6. these vvordes in the Greeke and not in the vulgar latin But if of vvorkes it is not novv grace othervvise the vvorke is no more a vvorke and Mar. 10 29. these vvordes or vvife and such like Yea the Greeke text in these superfluities condemneth
TestameÌ„t they are forced to forsake the Greeke of the nevv or if they vvil mainteine the Greeke of the nevv they must forsake sometime the Hebrue in the old but this argument shal be forced against them els vvhere By this litle the Reader may see vvhat gay patrones they are of the Greeke text and how litle cause they haue in their owne iudgements to translate it or vaunt of it as in derogation of the vulgar Latin translation how easily we might answer them in a word why we translate not the Greeke forsooth because it is so infinitely corrupted But the truth is we do by no meanes grauÌ„t it so corrupted as they say though in comparison we know it lesse sincere incorrupt then the vulgar Latin and for that cause and others before alleaged we preferre the said Latin and haue translated it If yet there remaine one thing which perhaps they wil say when they can not answer our reasons aforesaid to wit that we preferre the vulgar Latin before the Greeke text because the Greeke maketh more against vs we protest that as for other causes we preferre the Latin so in this respect of making for vs or against vs we allow the Greeke as much as the Latin yea in sundrie places more then the Latin being assured that they haue not one and that we haue many aduantages in the Greeke more then in the Latin as by the Annotations of this new Testament shal euidently appeare namely in al such places where they dare not translate the Greeke because it is for vs against them as when they translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ordinances and not iustification and that of purpose as Beza confesseth Luc. 1 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ordinances or instructions and not traditions in the better part 2 Thess 2 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Elders and not Priests 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 images rather then idols and especially when S. Luke in the Greeke so maketh for vs the vulgar Latin being indifferent for them and vs that Beza saith it is a corruption crept out of the margent into the text Vvhat neede these absurd diuises and false dealings with the Greeke text if it made for them more then for vs yea if it made not for vs against them But that the Greeke maketh more for vs see 1 Cor. 7. In the Latin Defraude not one another but for a time that you giue your selues to prayer in the Greeke to fasting and prayer Act. 10 30. in the Latin Cornelius saith from the fourth day past vntil this houre I vvas praying in my house and behold a man c. in the Greeke I vvas fasting and praying 1 Io. 5 18 in the Latin Vve knovv that euery one vvhich is borne of God sinneth not but the generation of God preserueth him c. in the Greeke but he that is borne of God preserueth him self Apoc. 22 14. in the Latin Blessed are they that vvash their garmeÌ„ts in the bloud of the lambe c. in the Greeke Blessed are they that doe his commaundements Rom. 8 38. Certus sum c. I am sure that neither death nor life nor other creature is able to separate vs from the charitie of God as though he vvere assured or we might and should assure our selues of our predestination in the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am probably persuaded that neither death nor life c. In the Euangelists about the Sacrifice and B. Sacrament in the Latin thus This is my bloud that shal be shed for you and in S. Paul This is my body vvhich shal be betraied or deliuered for you both being referred to the time to come and to the sacrifice on the crosse in the Greeke This is my bloud vvhich is shed for you and my body vvhich is broken for you both being referred to that present time when Christ gaue his body and bloud at his supper then sheading the one and breaking the other that is sacrificing it sacramentally and mystically Loe these and the like our aduantages in the Greeke more then in the Latin But is the vulgar translation for al this Papistical therfore do we folow it for so some of them call it and say it is the worst of al other If it be the Greeke as you see is more and so both Greeke and Latin and consequently the holy Scripture of the new Testament is Papistical Againe if the vulgar Latin be Papistical Papistrie is very auncient and the Church of God for so many hundred yeres wherein it hath vsed and allowed this translation hath been Papistical But wherein it is Papistical forsooth in these phrases and speaches Pâ—â—nitentiam agite Sacramentum hoc magnum est AVE GRATIA PLENA Talibus hostiis promeretur Deus and such like First doth not the Greeke say the same see the Annotations vpon these places Secondly could he translate these things Papistically or partially or rather prophetically so long before they were in controuersie thirdly doth he not say for pâ—â—nitentiam agite in an other place pâ—â—nitemini and doth he not translate other mysteries by the vvord Sacramentum as Apoc. 17 Sacramentum mulieris and as he translateth one vvord Gratia plena so doth he not translate the very like vvord plenus vlceribus vvhich them selues do folow also is this also Papistrie Vvhen he said Heb. 10 29. Quanto deteriora merebitus supplicia c. and they like it vvel ynough might he not haue said according to the same Greeke word Vigilate vt mereamini fugere ista omnia stare ante filium hominis Luc. 21 36. and Qui merebuntur saculum illud resurrectionem exmortuis c. Luc. 10 35. and Tribulationes quas sustinetis vt mereamini regnum Dei pro quo et patimini 2. Thess 1. 5. Might he not we say if he had partially affecteted the word merite haue vsed it in al these places according to his and your owne translation of the same Greeke word Hebr. 10 29 Vvhich he doth not but in al these places saith simply Vt digni habeamini and Qui digni habebâ—â—tur and how can it be iudged Papistical or partial when he saith Talibus hostiis promerâ—tur Deus Heb. 13 Vvas Primasius also S. Augustines scholer a Papist for vsing this text and al the rest that haue done the like Vvas S. Cyprian a Papist for vsing so often this speach promereri Dominum iustis operibus poâ—nitentia c. or is there any difference but that S. Cyptian vseth it as a deponent more latinly the other as a passiue lesse finely Vvas it Papistrie to say Senior for Presbyter Ministrantibus for sacrificantibus or liturgiam celebrantibus simulacbris for idolis fides tuaete saluum fecit sometime for sanum fecit Or shal we thinke he was a Caluinist for translating thus as they thinke he was a Papist when any
very place in S. Matthew and in the Actes where our Sauiour and S. Paul speake thus They haue heard heauily and haue shut their eies left perhaps they may see and vnderstand and be conuerted and I heale them Whereby it is euident that the speaking in parables was not the cause for many beside the Apostles heard and vnderstood but them selues would not heare and vnderstand and be conuerted and so were the cause of their owne wilful and obstinate infidelity And therfore also he spake in parables because they were not worthy to vnderstand as the other to whom he expounded them 27. And sleepe The Church and Christs doctrine sleepe we wake we increaseth by the great prouidence of God only the preachers must sow and plant and water and * God wil giue the increase nourishing the seede in mens harts And therfore we may not giue ouer or be impatient and solicitous if we haue not alwaies good successe but doing our duty commit the rest to God 31. Mustard seed If the Church and Truth had more and more decaied and been obscured after the Apostles time vnto ours as the Heretikes hold then had it been great in the beginning and smal afterward where this Parable saith contrary that it was a mustard seed first and afterward a great tree vide Chrys to 5 contra Gentiles in vita S. Babylae Mart. 32. The birdes Of al sectes or doctrine Christs religion at the beginning was the smallest and most contemptible but the successe thereof farre passed al mans doctrine in so much that afterward al the wisest and greatest of the world made their residence and rest therein CHAP. V. To the Gerasens and in them to al men Christ manifesteth how the Diuel of his malice would vse them if he would permitte 17 and yet they like not their Sauiours presence 21 A woman Gentil that began her sicknesse when the Iewes daughter began her life signifying Abrahams time he cureth by the way as he was comming to heale the Iewes And euen then the Iewes do die but yet them also he wil reuiue as here the Iewes daughter verse 1 AND they came beyond the straite of the sea into the countrie of the Gerasens ✠verse 2 And as he vvent out of the boate immediatly there mette him out of the sepulchres a man in an vncleane spirit ✠verse 3 that had his dvvelling in the sepulchres and neither vvith chaines ″ could any man novv binde him ✠verse 4 for being often bound vvith fetters and chaines he had burst the chaines and broken the fetters and no body could tame him ✠verse 5 and he vvas alvvaies day and night in the sepulchres and in the mountaines crying and cutting him self vvith stones ✠verse 6 And seeing IESVS a farre of he ranne and adored him ✠verse 7 and crying vvith a great voice said What to me and thee IESVS the sonne of God most high I adiure thee by God that thou torment me not ✠verse 8 For he said vnto him Goe out of the man thou vncleane spirit ✠verse 9 And he asked him What is thy name And he saith to him My name is Legion because vve are many ✠verse 10 And he besought him much that he vvould not expel him out of the countrie ✠verse 11 And there vvas there about the mountaine a great heard of svvine feeding ✠verse 12 And the spirits besought him saying Send vs into the svvine that vve may enter into them ✠verse 13 And IESVS immediatly graunted vnto them And the vncleane spirits going out entred into the svvine and the heard vvith great violence vvas caried headlong into the sea about tvvo thousand and vvere stifled in the sea ✠verse 14 And they that fed them fled and caried nevves into the citie and into the fields And they vvent forth to see vvhat vvas done ✠verse 15 and they come to IESVS and they see him that vvas vexed of the deuil sitting clothed and vvel in his vvittes and they vvere afraid ✠verse 16 And they that had seen it told them in vvhat maner he had been dealt vvithal that had the diuel and of the swine ✠verse 17 And they began to desire him that he vvould depart from their coastes ✠verse 18 And vvhen he vvent vp into the boate he that had been vexed of the diuel began to beseeche him that he might be vvith him ✠verse 19 and he admitted him not but saith to him Goe into thy house to thine and tel them hovv great things the Lord hath done for thee and hath had mercie vpon thee ✠verse 20 And he vvent his vvay and began to publish in Decapolis hovv great things IESVS had done to him and al marueled ✠verse 21 * And vvhen IESVS had passed in boate againe ouer the straite a great multitude assembled together vnto him and he vvas about the sea ✠verse 22 And there commeth one of the Archsynagogs named Iaîrus and seeing him he falleth dovvne at his feete ✠verse 23 and besought him much saying That my daughter is at the point of death come impose thy hands vpon her that she may be safe and liue ✠verse 24 And he vvent vvith him and a great multitude folovved him and they thronged him ✠verse 25 And a vvoman vvhich vvas in an issue of bloud tvvelue yeres ✠verse 26 and had suffred many things of many Physicions and had bestovved al that she had neither vvas any thing the better but vvas rather vvorse ✠verse 27 vvhen she had heard of IESVS she came in the preasse behind him and touched his garment ✠verse 28 for she said That ″ if I shal touche but his garment I shal be safe ✠verse 29 And forthvvith the fountaine of her bloud vvas dried and she felt in her body that she vvas healed of the maladie ✠verse 30 And immediatly IESVS knovving in him self ″ the vertue that had proceeded from him turning to the multitude said Who hath touched my garments ✠verse 31 And his Disciples said to him Thou seest the multitude thronging thee and sayest thou who hath touched me ✠verse 32 And he looked about to see her that had done this ✠verse 33 But the vvoman fearing and trembling knovving vvhat vvas done in her came and fel dovvne before him and told him al the truth ✠verse 34 And he said to her Daughter thy faith hath made thee safe goe in peace and be vvhole of thy maladie ✠verse 35 As he vvas yet speaking they come to ' the Archsynagogue saying That thy daughter is dead vvhy doest thou trouble the Maister any further ✠verse 36 But IESVS hauing heard the vvord that vvas spoken saith to the Archsynagogue Feare not ″ only beleeue ✠verse 37 And he admitted not any man to folovv him but Peter and Iames and Iohn the brother of Iames. ✠verse 38 And they come to the Archsynagogs house
Holy Ghost ruled the penne of holy vvriters that they might not erre yet did they vse humane meanes to search out and find the truth of the things they wrote of Euen so doe Councels and the President of them Gods vicar discusse and examine al causes by humane meanes the assistance of the Holy Ghost concurring and directing them into al truth according to Christes promise Io. 16 13 as in the very first Councel of the Apostles them selues at Hierusalem is manifest Act. 15 7 and 28. Againe here vve haue a familiar preface of the Author as to his frende or to euery godly Reader signified by Theophilus cōcerning the cause and purpose and maner of his vvriting and yet the very same is confessed Scripture vvith the vvhole booke folovving Maruel not then if the Author of the second booke of the Machabees * vse the like humane speaches both at the beginning and in the later end neither do thou therfore reiect the booke for no Scripture as our Heretikes doe or not thinke him a sacred vvriter 6. Iust before God Against the Heretikes of this time here it is euident that holy men be iust not only by the estimation of men but in deede and before God 6. In al the commaundements Three things to be noted directly against the Heretikes of our time first that good men doe keepe al Gods commaundements which they say are impossible to be kept Againe that men be iustified not by only imputation of Christes iustice nor by saith alone but by walking in the commaundements Againe that the keeping and doing of the commaundements is properly our iustification 6. Iustifications This word is so vsual in the Scriptures namely in the Psal 118 to signifie the commaundements of God because the keeping of them is iustification and the Greeke is alwaies so fully correspōdent to the same that the Heretikes in this place otherwise pretending to esteeme much of the Greeke blush not to say that they auoid this word of purpose against the iustification of the Papists And therfore one vseth Tullies word forsooth in Latin constituta and his scholers in their English Bibles say Ordinances 14. Ioy and exultation This was fulfilled not only when he was borne but now also through the whole Church for euer in ioyful celebrating of his Natiuitie 2◠He departed In the old Law saith S. Hierom they that offered hostes for the people were not only not in their houses but were purified for the time being separated from their wiues and they dranke neither wine nor any strong drinke which are wont to prouoke concupiscence Much more the Priests of the new Law that must alwaies offer sacrifices must alwaies be free from matrimonie Li. 1 c. 19. adu louin and ep 50 c. 3. See S. Ambrose in 1 Tim. 3. And therfore if there were any religion in Caluins Communion they would at the least giue as much reuerence in this point as they in the old Law did to their sacrifices and to the loaues of proposition 1 Reg. 21. 28. Haileful of grace Holy Church and al true Christian men doe much and often vse these wordes brought from heauen by the Archangel as wel to the honour of Christ and our B. Ladie as also for that they were the wordes of the first glad tidings of Christs Incarnation and our Saluation by the same and be the very abridgement and summe of the whole Gospel In so much that the Greeke Church vsed it daily in the Masse 28. Ful of grace Note the excellent prerogatiues of our B. Lady and abhorre those Heretikes which make her no better then other vulgar women and therfore to take from her fulnes of grace they say here Haile freely beloued contrarie to al significations of the Greeke word which is at the lest endued with grace as S. Paul vseth it Ephes 1. by S. Chrysostoms interpretation or rather ful of grace as both * Greeke and Latin fathers haue alwaies here vnderstood it and the Latines also read it namely S. Ambrose thus wel 〈◊〉 she only called ful of grace vvho only obteined the grace vvhich no other vvoman deserued to be replenished with the author of grace And if they did as wel know the nature of these kind of Greeke wordes as they would seeme very skilful they might easily obserue that they signifie fulnes as when them selues translate the like word Luc. 1◠20 ful of sores Beza vlcerosus 14. I know not man These wordes declare saith S. Augustine that she had now vowed virginitie to God For otherwise neither would she say How shal this be done nor haue added because I know not man Yea if she had said only the first wordes How shal this be done It is euident that she would not haue asked such a question hovv a vvoman should beare a sonne promised her if she had married meaning to haue carnal copulation c. 4 de virgin As if he should say If she might haue knovven a man and so haue had a childe she vvould neuer haue asked How shal this be done but because that ordinarie way vvas excluded by her vow of virginitie therfor she asketh How And in asking How The plainly declareth that she might not haue a childe by knowing man because of her vow See S. Grego Nyssene de sancta Christi Natiuitate 36. Elisabeth thy Cosin By this that Elisabeth and our Lady were cosins the one of the tribe of Leui the other of Iuda is gathered that Christ came of both tribes Iuda and Leui of the kings and the priests him self both a king and a priest and the Anointed to vvit by grace spiritually as they vvere vvith oile materially and corporally August 2 de Consens Euang. c. 1. 42. Blessed art thou At the very hearing of our Ladies voice the infant and she vvere replenished vvith the Holy Ghost and she sang praises not only to Christ but for his sake to our B. Lady calling her blessed and her fruite blessed as the Church doeth also by her vvordes and example in the AVE MARIE 43. Mother of my Lord. Elizabeth being an exceding iust and blessed vvoman yet the vvorthines of Gods mother doth so far excel her and al other vvomen as the great light the litle starres Hiero. Praef. in Sophon 48. Shal call me blessed This Prophecie is fulfilled when the Church keepeth her Festiual daies and when the faithful in al generations say the AVE MARIE and other holy Antems of our Lady And therfore the Caluinistes are not among those generations which call our Lady blessed 63. Iohn is his name wee see that names are of signification and importance God him self changing or giuing names in both Testaments as Abraham Israel Peter and the principal of al others IESVS and here IOHN vvhich signifieth Gods grace or mercie or God vvil haue mercie For he vvas the Precursor and Prophet of the mercie
for lone is forbidden as by other places of Scripture it is condemned and is a thing against the Lavv of nature and nations And greate shame and pitie it is that it should be so much vsed or suffered among Christians or so couered and cloked vnder the habite of other contractes as it is CHAP. VII He testifieth the faith of the Centurion who was a Gentil to be greater them he found among al the Iewes and cureth his seruant absent 11 the vvidovves sonne he reuiueth and restoreth to her and is renowmed therevpon 18 To Iohns messengers he answereth vvith miracles leauing to Iohn to preach thereby vnto them that he is Christ 24 And afterward he declareth how vvorthy credit was Iohns testimonie 29 inueighing against the Pharisees 31 Who vvith neither of their maners of liuing could be wonne 36 shewing also vnto them by occasion of Marie Magdalen how he is a frende to sinners not to maintaine them in sinne but to forgiue them their sinnes vpon their faith and penance verse 1 AND vvhen he had fully said al his vvords into the cares of the people he entred into Capharnaum ✠verse 2 And the seruant of a certaine Centurion being sicke vvas readie to die vvho vvas deere vnto him ✠verse 3 And when he had heard of IESVS he sent vnto him the Auncients of the Ievves desiring him to come and heale his seruant ✠verse 4 But they being come to IESVS besought him earnestly saying to him That he is vvorthie that thou shouldest doe this for him ✠verse 5 for he loueth our nation and he hath ″ built a synagogue for vs. ✠verse 6 And IESVS vvent vvith them And vvhen he vvas novv not farre from the house the Centurion sent his frends vnto him saying Lord trouble not thy self for I am not vvorthie that thou shouldest enter vnder my roofe ✠verse 7 for the vvhich cause neither did I thinke my self vvorthie to come to thee but say the vvord and my seruant shal be made whole ✠verse 8 for I also am a man subiect to authoritie hauing vnder me souldiars and I say to this goe and he goeth and to an other come and he commeth and to my seruant doe this and he doeth it ✠verse 9 Vvhich IESVS hearing marueiled and turning to the multitudes that folovved him he said Amen I say to you neither in Israel haue I found so great faith ✠verse 10 And they that vvere sent being returned home found the seruant that had been sicke vvhole ✠verse 11 And it came to passe aftervvard he vvent into a citie that is called Naim and there vvent vvith him his Disciples and a very great multitude ✠verse 12 And vvhen he came nigh to the gate of the citie behold a dead man vvas caried forth the only sonne of his mother and she vvas a vvidovv and a great multitude of the citie vvith her ✠verse 13 Vvhom vvhen our Lord had seen being moued vvith mercie vpon her he said to her Vveepe not ✠verse 14 And he came neere and touched the coffin And they that caried it stood stil and he said Yong man I say to thee Arise ✠verse 15 And he that vvas dead sate vp and beganne to speake And he gaue him to his mother ✠verse 16 And feare tooke them al and they magnified God saying That a great Prophet is risen among vs and That God hath visited his people ✠verse 17 And this saying vvent forth into al Ievvrie of him and into al the countrie about ✠verse 18 And Iohns disciples shevved him of al these things ✠verse 19 * And Iohn called tvvo of his disciples and sent them to IESVS saying Art thou he that art to come or expect vve an other ✠verse 20 And vvhen the men vvere come vnto him they said Iohn the Baptist hath sent vs to thee sying Art thou he that art to come or expect vve an other ✠verse 21 And the self same houre he cured many of maladies and hurtes and euil spirits and to many blinde he gaue sight ✠verse 22 And ansvvering he said to them Goe and report to Iohn vvhat you haue heard and seen * That the blinde see the Iame vvalke the lepers are made cleane the deafe heare the dead rise againe ✠verse 23 the poore are euangelized and blessed is he vvhosoeuer shal not be scandalized in me ✠verse 24 * And vvhen Iohns messengers vvere departed he began to say of Iohn to the multitudes Vvhat vvent you out into the desert to see a reede moued vvith the vvinde ✠verse 25 But vvhat vvent you forth to see a man clothed in soft garments behold they that are in costly apparel and delicacies are in the house of kings ✠verse 26 But vvhat vvent you out for to see a Prophet Certes I say to you and more then a Prophet ✠verse 27 this is he of vvhom it is vvritten Behold I send mine Angel before thy face vvhich shal prepare thy vvay before thee ✠verse 28 For I say to you A greater Prophet among the children of vvomen then Iohn the Baptist there is no man but he that is the lesser in the kingdom of God is greater then he ✠verse 29 And al the people hearing and the Publicans iustified God being baptized vvith Iohns baptisme ✠verse 30 But the Pharisees and the lavvyers despised the cousel of God against them selues being not baptized of him ✠verse 31 And our Lord said Vvherevnto then shal I liken the men of this generation and vvherevnto are they like ✠verse 32 They are like to children sitting in the market-place and speaking one to an other and saying Vve haue piped to you and you haue not daunced vve haue lamented and you haue not vvept ✠verse 33 For Iohn the Baptist came * neither eating bread nor drinking vvine and you say He hath a deuil ✠verse 34 The sonne of man came eating and drinking and you say Behold a man that is a gurmander and a drinker of vvine a frende of Publicans and sinners ✠verse 35 And vvisedom is iustified of al her children ✠verse 36 And one of the Pharisees desired him to eate vvith him And being entred into the house of the Pharisee he sate downe to meate ✠verse 37 And behold a vvoman that was in the citie a sinner as she knevv that he vvas set dovvne in the Pharisees house she brought an alabaster boxe of ointment ✠verse 38 and standing behind beside his feete she began to vvater his feete vvith teares vviped them vvith the heares of her head and kissed his feete anointed them with the ointmēt ✠verse 39 And the Pharisee that had bid him seeing it spake vvithin him self saying This man if he vvere a Prophet vvould knovv certes vvho and vvhat maner of vvomā she is vvhich toucheth him that she is a sinner ✠verse 40 And IESVS ansering
Peter might redound by Peter to the rest of the Apostles S. Augustine also Christ praying for Peter prayed for the rest because in the Pastor and Prelate the people is corrected or commended And S. Ambrose writeth that Peter after his tentation was made Pastor of the Church because it was said to him Thou being conuerted confirme thy brethren Neither was this the priuilege of S. Peters person but of his Office that he should not faile in faith but euer confirme al other in their faith For the Church for whose sake that priuilege was thought necessarie in Peter the Head thereof was to be preserued no lesse afterward then in the Apostles time wherevpon al the Fathers apply this priuilege of not failing and of confirming other in faith to the Romane Church and Peters successors in the same To which saith S. Cyprian infidelity or false faith can not come And S. Bernard saith writing to Innocentius Pope against Abailardus the Heretike we must referre to your Apostleship al the scandals and perils which may fall in matter of faith specially For there the defects of faith must be holpen where faith can not faile For to what other See was it euer said I haue prayed for thee Peter that thy faith do not faile So say the Fathers not meaning that none of Peters seate can erre in person vnderstanding priuate doctrine or writings but that they can not nor shal not euer iudicially conclude or giue definitiue sentence for falshod or heresie against the Catholike faith in their Consistories Courts Councels decrees deliberations or consultations kept for decision and determination of such controuersies doubts or questions of faith as shal be proposed vnto them because Christes prayer and promes protecteth them therein for confirmation of their brethren And no maruel that our Maister would haue his vicars Consistorie Seate infallible seeing euen in the old Law the high Priestod and Chaire of Moyses wanted not great priuilege in this case though nothing like the Churches and Peters prerogatiue But in both any man of sense may see the difference betwene the person and the Office as wel in doctrine as life Liberius in persecution might yeld Marcellinus for feare might commit Idolatrie Honorius might fall to Heresie and more then al this some Iudas might creepe into the Office and yet al this without preiudice of the Office and Seate in which saith S. Augustine our Lord hath set the doctrine of truth Caiphas by priuilege of his Office prophecied right of Christ but according to his owne knowlege and faith knew not Christ The Euangelists and other penners of holy write for the execution of that function had the assistance of God and so far could not possibly erre but that Luke Marke Salomon or the rest might not erre in other their priuate vvritings that we say not It was not the personal wisedom vertue learning or faith of Christs Vicars that made S. Bernard seeke to Innocentius the third S. Augustine and the Bishops of Afrike to Innocentius the first and to Celestinus ep 90. 92. 95 S. Chrysostome to the said Innocentius S. Basil to the Pope in his time ep 52 S. Hierom to Damasus ep 57. 58. to 2. but it was the prerogatiue of their Office and higher degree of Vnction and Christs ordinance that would haue al Apostles and Pastors in the vvorld for their confirmation in faith and Ecclesiastical regiment depend on Peter The lacke of knowledge and humble acceptation of which Gods prouidence that is that one is not honoured and obeyed of al the brotherhod is the cause of al Schismes and Heresies saith S. Cyprian A point of such importance that al the Twelue being in Apostleship like Christ would yet for the better keeping of vnity and truth haue one to be head of them al that a head being once appointed occasion of Schisme might be taken away saith S. Hierom. li. 1. adu Iouinian c. 14. CHAP. XXIII The Ievves accuse him to Pilate the Gentil 4 Who seeking earnestly to deliuer him specially after that Herod sent him backe 17 they not onely preferre the murderer Barabbas but also crie CRVCIFIGE 26 in the vvay to Caluarie he foretelleth the vvomen that lamented vpon him the horrible destruction of their Hierusalem â—2 vpon the crosse he is betvvene tvvo theeues â—5 scorned of the Ievves 36 of the souldiars 39 and of one of the theeues 40 but euen there confessed of the other theefe 44 and after his death because of the great miracles concurring also of the Centurion 4â— yea and of the vvhole multitude 50 and finally he is buried honorably verse 1 AND all the multitude of them rising vp led him to Pilate ✠verse 2 And they began to accuse him saying Vve haue found this man subuerting our nation prohibiting to giue tributes to Caesar and saying that he is Christ the king ✠verse 3 And Pilate asked him saying Art thou the king of the Ievves But he ansvvering said Thou sayest ✠verse 4 And Pilate said to the cheefe Priests and multitudes I finde no cause in this man ✠verse 5 But they vvere more earnest saying He stirreth the people teaching through out al Ievvrie beginning from Galilee euen hither ✠verse 6 But Pilate hearing Galilee asked if the man vvere of Galilee ✠verse 7 And vvhen he vnderstoode that he vvas of Herods iurisdiction he sent him backe to Herod vvho vvas also him self at Hierusalem in those daies ✠verse 8 And Herod seeing IESVS vvas very glad for he vvas desirous of a long time to see him for because he heard many things of him and he hoped to see some signe vvrought by him ✠verse 9 And he asked him in many vvordes But he ansvvered him nothing ✠verse 10 And there stoode the cheefe Priests and the Scribes constantly accusing him ✠verse 11 And Herod vvith his armie set him at naught and he mocked him putting on him a vvhite garment and sent him backe to Pilate ✠verse 12 And Herod and Pilate vvere made frendes that day for before they vvere enemies one to an other ✠verse 13 And Pilate calling together the cheefe Priests and magistrates and the people ✠verse 14 said to them You haue presented vnto me this man as auerting the people and behold I examining him before you haue found no cause in this man of those things vvherein you accuse him ✠verse 15 No nor Herod neither for I sent you to him and behold nothing vvorthie of death is done to him ✠verse 16 I vvil chasten him therfore and dimisse him ✠verse 17 And he of necessitie had to release vnto them vpon the feast day one ✠verse 18 But the vvhole multitude together cried out saying Dispatch him and release vs Barabbas ✠verse 19 vvho vvas for a certaine sedition made in the citie and murder cast into prison ✠verse 20 And Pilate againe spake to them desirous
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
elements vnder which it is and we eate it that the vnfaithful and infirme do so stumble at Christ in the Sacrament as the Iewes and Gentils did at Christ in his humanitie For the causes of contradictions of the Incarnation and Transsubstantion be like And it may be verily deemed that whosoeuer now can not beleeue the Sacrament to be Christ because it is vnder the formes of bread and wine and is eaten and drunken would not then haue beleued that Christ had bene God because he was in shape of man and crucified To conclude it was not a figure nor a mysterie of bare bread and wine nor any Metaphorical or Allegorical speach that could make such a troupe of his Disciples reuolt at once when he said he was a doore a vine away a Pastor and such like vnto which kinde of speaches the protestants ridiculously resemble the wordes of the holy Sacrament who was so mad to mistake him or to forsake him for the same For the Apostles at the least would haue plucked them by the sleeues and said Goe not away my maisters he speaketh parables The cause therfore was their incredulitie and the height of the Mysterie for that they neither knew the meanes how it might be present nor would beleeue that he was able to giue his flesh to be eaten in many places And euen such is the vnbeleefe of the Heretikes about this matter at this day â—â— Peter ansvvered Peter answereth for the Twelue not knowing that Iudas in hart was already naught and beleued not Christs former wordes touching the B. Sacrament but was to reuolt afterward as wel as the other Wherein Peter beareth the person of the Church and al Catholike men that for no difficulty of his word nor for any reuolt be it neuer so general of Schismatikes Heretikes or Apostataes either for this Sacrament or any other Article wil euer forsake Christ And when company draweth vs to reuolt let vs say thus Lord whither or to whom shal we goe when we haue forsaken thee to Caluin Luther or such and forsake thee and thy Church with the vnfaithful multitude No thou hast the wordes of life and we beleeue thee and thy Church wil not nor can not beguile vs. Thou hast saith S. Augustine life euerlasting in the ministration of thy body and bloud and a litle after Thou art life euerlasting it self and thou giuest not in thy flesh and bloud but that vvhich thy self art CHAP. VII The Iewes of Hierusalem seeking his death he walketh in Galilee where he signifieth to his brethren that not in this feast Scenopégia but in an other to wit Pasche folovving the Ievves should kil him that is not vvhen they vvould but vvhen he vvil 10 In so much that at this feast he teacheth openly in the Temple and conuerteth many 14 both in the middle day 37 and the last day thereof vvithout any hurt though also the Rulers send to apprehend him verse 1 AFTER these things IESVS vvalked into Galilee ' for he vvould not vvalke into Ievvrie ' because the Ievves sought to kil him ✠verse 2 And the festiual day of the Ievves * Scenopégia vvas at hand ✠verse 3 And his brethreÌ„ said to him Passe from hence and goe into Ievvrie that thy Disciples also may see thy vvorkes vvhich thou doest ✠verse 4 For no man doeth any thing in secrete and seeketh him self to be in publike If thou doe these things manifest thy self to the vvorld ✠verse 5 For neither did his brethren beleeue in him ✠verse 6 IESVS therfore saith to them My time is not yet come but your time is alvvaies readie ✠verse 7 The vvorld can not hate you but me it hateth because I giue testimonie of it that the vvorkes there of are euil ✠verse 8 Goe you vp to this festiual day I goe not vp ' to this festiual day because my time is not yet accomplished ✠verse 9 when he had said these things him self taried in Galilee ✠verse 10 But after his brethren vvere gone vp then he also vvent vp to the festiual day not openly but as it vvere in secrete ✠verse 11 The Ievves therfore sought him in the festiual day and said Vvhere is he ✠verse 12 And there vvas much murmuring in the multitude of him For certaine said That he is good And others said No but he seduceth the multitudes ✠verse 13 Yet no man spake openly of him for feare of the Ievves ⊢ ✠verse 14 And vvhen the festiuitie vvas novv halfe done IESVS vvent vp into the teÌ„ple and taught ✠verse 15 And the Ievves marueiled saying Hovv doth this man knovv letters vvhereas he hath not learned ✠verse 16 IESVS ansvvered them and said My doctrine is not mine but his that sent me ✠verse 17 If any man vvil doe the vvil of him he shal vnderstand of the doctrine vvhether it be of God or I speake of my self ✠verse 18 He that speaketh of him self seeketh his ovvne glorie But he that seeketh the glorie of him that sent him he is true and iniustice in him there is not ✠verse 19 Did not Moyses giue you the lavv and none of you doeth the lavv ✠verse 20 * Vvhy seeke you to kil me The multitude ansvvered and said Thou hast a deuil vvho seeketh to kil thee ✠verse 21 IESVS ansvvered and said to them One vvorke I haue done and you doe al marueil ✠verse 22 Therfore * Moyses gaue you circuncision not that it is of Moyses but * of the fathers and in the Sabboth you circuncise a man ✠verse 23 If a man receiue circuncision in the Sabboth that the lavv of Moyses be not broken are you angrie at me because I haue healed a man vvholy in the Sabboth ✠verse 24 Iudge not according to the face but iudge iust iudgement ✠verse 25 Certaine therfore of Hierusalem said Is not this he vvhom they seeke to kil ✠verse 26 And behold he speaketh openly and they say nothing to him Haue the Princes knovven in deede that this is CHRIST ✠verse 27 But this man vve knovv vvheÌ„ce he is But vvhen CHRIST coÌ„meth no man knovveth vvhence he is ✠verse 28 IESVS therfore cried in the temple teaching and saying Both me you doe knovv and vvhence I am you knovv And of my self I am not come but he is true that sent me vvhom you knovv not ✠verse 29 I knovv him because I am of him and he sent me ✠verse 30 They sought therfore to apprehend him and no man laide handes vpon him because his houre vvas not yet come ✠verse 31 But of the multitude many beleeued in him ⊢ and said CHRIST vvhen he coÌ„meth shal he doe more signes then these vvhich this man doeth ✠verse 32 The Pharisees heard the multitude murmuring these things touching him and the Princes ' and Pharisees sent ministers to apprehend him
✠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
to Caesaréa and sent him avvay to Tarsus ✠verse 31 The ⸬ CHVRCH truely through al Ievvrie Galilee and Samaria had peace vvas edified vvalking in the feare of our Lord and vvas replenished vvith the consolation of the holy Ghost ✠verse 32 And it came to passe that Peter as he passed through al came to the saincts that dvvelt at Lydda ✠verse 33 and he found there a certaine man named Aeneas lying in his bed from eight yeres before vvho had the palsey ✠verse 34 And Peter said to him Aeneas our Lord IESVS CHRIST heale ' thee arise and make thy bed And incontinent he arose ✠verse 35 And al that dvvelt at Lydda and Satóna savv him vvho conuerted to our Lord. ✠verse 36 And in Ioppé there vvas a certaine disciple named Tabitha vvhich by interpretation is called Dorcas This vvomā vvas ful of good vvorkes and almes-deedes vvhich she did ✠verse 37 And it came to passe in those daies that she vvas sicke and died Vvhom vvhen they had vvashed they laid her in an vpper chamber ✠verse 38 And vvhereas Lydda vvas nigh to Ioppé the disciples hearing that Peter vvas in it they sent tvvo men vnto him desiring him Be not loth to come so farre as to vs. ✠verse 39 And Peter rising vp came vvith them And vvhen he vvas come they brought him into the vpper chamber and al the vvidovves stoode about him vveeping and shevving him the coates and garments vvhich Dorcas made them ✠verse 40 And al being put forth Peter falling on his knees praied and turning to the body he said Tabitha arise And she opened her eies and seeing Peter she sate vp ✠verse 41 And giuing her his hand he lifted her vp And vvhen he had called the saincts and the vvidovves he presented her aliue ✠verse 42 And it vvas made knovven through out al Ioppé and many beleeued in our Lord. ✠verse 43 And it came to passe that he abode many daies in Ioppé vvith one Simon a tanner CHAP. X. Because the Ievves so much abhorred the Gentils for the better vvarrant of their Christening an Angel appeareth to Cornelius the deuout Italian 9 and a vision is shevved to Peter him self the cheefe and Pastor of al 19 and the Spirit speaketh to him 34 yea and as he is Catechizing them about IESVS 44 the holy Ghost commeth visibly vpon them and therfore not fearing any longer the offense of the Ievves he commaundeth to baptize them verse 1 AND there vvas a certaine man in Caesaréa named Cornelius Centurion of that vvhich is called the Italian band ✠verse 2 religious fearing God vvith al his house ″ doing many almes-deedes to the people And alvvaies praying to God ✠verse 3 he savv in a vision manifestly about the ninthe houre of the day an Angel of God comming in vnto him and saying to him Cornelius ✠verse 4 But he beholding him taken vvith feare said Vvho art thou Lord And he said to him Thy praiers and thy almes-deedes are ascended into remembrance in the sight of God ✠verse 5 And novv send men vnto Ioppé and call hither one Simon that is surnamed Peter ✠verse 6 he lodgeth vvith one Simon a tanner vvhose house is by the sea side he vvil tel thee vvhat thou must doe ✠verse 7 And vvhen the Angel vvas departed that spake to him he called tvvo of his houshold and a souldiar that feared our Lord of them that vvere vnder him ✠verse 8 To vvhom vvhen he had told all he sent them vnto Ioppé ✠verse 9 And the next day vvhiles they vvere going on their iourney and dravving nigh to the citie Peter vvent vp into the higher partes ″ to pray about the sixt houre ✠verse 10 And being hungrie he vvas desirous to take somevvhat And as they vvere preparing there fel vpon him an excesse of minde ✠verse 11 and he savv the heauen opened and a certaine vessel descending as it vvere a great lin̄en sheete vvith foure corners let dovvne from heauen to the earth ✠verse 12 vvherein vvere al foure-footed beastes and that creepe on the earth and foules of the aire ✠verse 13 And there came a voice to him Arise Peter kil and eate ✠verse 14 But Peter said God forbid Lord for I did neuer eate any common and vncleane thing ✠verse 15 And a voice came to him againe the second time That vvhich God hath purified doe not thou cal common ✠verse 16 And this vvas done thrise and forthvvith the vessel was taken vp againe into heauen ✠verse 17 And vvhiles Peter doubted vvithin him self vvhat the vision should be that he had seen behold the men that vvere sent from Cornelius inquiring for Simons house stood at the gate ✠verse 18 And vvhen they had called they asked if Simon that is surnamed Peter vvere lodged there ✠verse 19 And as Peter vvas thinking of the vision the Spirit said to him Behold three men doe seeke thee ✠verse 20 Arise therfore and get thee dovvne and goe vvith them doubting nothing for I haue sent them ✠verse 21 And Peter going dovvne to the men said Behold I am he vvhom you seeke vvhat is the cause for the vvhich you are come ✠verse 22 Vvho said Cornelius the Centurion a iust man that feareth God and hauing testimonie of al the nation of the Ievves receiued an ansvver of an holy Angel to send for thee into his house and to heare vvordes of thee ✠verse 23 Therfore bringing them in he lodged them ✠And the day folovving he arose and vvent vvith them and certaine of the brethren of Ioppé accompanied him ✠verse 24 And on the morow he entred into Caesaréa And Cornelius expected them hauing called together his kinne and special frendes ✠verse 25 And it came to passe Vvhen Peter vvas come in Cornelius came to meete him and falling at his feete ″ adored ✠verse 26 But Peter lifted him vp saying Arise my self also am a man ✠verse 27 And talking vvith him he vvent in and findeth many that vvere assembled ✠verse 28 and he said to them You knovv hovv abominable it is for a man that is a Ievve to ioyne or to approche vnto a stranger but God hath shevved to me to call no man cōmon or vncleane ✠verse 29 For the vvhich cause making no doubt I came vvhen I vvas sent for I demaund therfore for vvhat cause you haue sent for me ✠verse 30 And Cornelius said Foure daies since vntil this houre I vvas praying the ninthe houre in my house and behold a man stoode before me in vvhite apparel ✠verse 31 and said Cornelius thy praier is heard and thy almes-deedes are in memorie in the sight of God ✠verse 32 Send therfore to Ioppé and call hither Simon that is surnamed Peter he lodgeth in the house of Simon a tanner by the sea side ✠verse 33
and Icónium and persvvading the multitudes and * stoning Paul they drevv him out of the citie thinking him to be dead ✠verse 19 But the disciples compassing him round about he rising vp entred into the citie and the next day he vvent forth vvith Barnabas vnto Derbè ✠verse 20 And vvhen they had euangelized to that citie and had taught many they returned to Lystra and Icónium and to Antioche ✠verse 21 confirming the hartes of the disciples and exhorting them to continue in the faith and that by many tribulations vve must enter into the kingdom of God ✠verse 22 And vvhen they ″ had ordained to them ″ Priests in euery Church and had praied vvith fastings they commended them to our Lord in vvhom they beleeued ✠verse 23 And passing through Pisidia they came into Pamphylia ✠verse 24 and speaking the vvord of our Lord in Pergé they vvent dovvne into Attalia ✠verse 25 and from theÌ„ce they sailed to Antioche * vvhence they had been deliuered to the grace of God vnto the vvorke vvhich they accomplished ✠verse 26 And vvhen they vvere come and â—ad assembled the Church they reported vvhat great things God had done vvith them that he had opened a doore of faith to the Gentils ✠verse 27 And they abode no litle time vvith the disciples ANNOTATIONS CHAP. XIIII 12. They vvould sacrifice This loe is the diuine vvorship consisting in external sacrifice and in acknovvledging the parties vvorshipped to be gods vvhich * may be done to no man nor creature and therfore the Apostles refuse it vvith al possible diligence and al the Angels and Saincts in heauen refuse that adoration by sacrifice The Catholike Church suffereth no Priest nor other so to vvorship any Sainct in heauen or earth She hath but one external Sacrifice vvhich is in the holy Masse of Christs body and bloud that she offereth to God alone and neither to Peter nor to Paul saith S. Augustine though the Priest that sacrificeth standeth ouer their bodies and offereth in their memories But other kindes of honours and dueties inferior vvithout al comparison hovv great so euer they be to this vve do as the Scriptures and Nature teache vs to al Superiors in heauen and earth according to the degrees of grace honour and blessednes that God hath called them vnto from our B. Ladie Christs ovvne mother to the lest seruant he hath in the vvorld for vvhich the Heretikes vvould neuer accuse Christian people of Idolatrie if they had either grace learning faith or natural affection â—â— Had ordained The Heretikes to make the vvorld beleeue that al Priests ought to be chosen by the voices of the people and that they neede no other Ordering or Consecration by Bishops pressing the proâ—ane vse of the * Greeke vvord more then the very natural signification requireth and Ecclesiastical vse beareth translate thus Ordained by election Vvhereas in deede this vvord in Scripture signifieth Ordering by imposition of hands as is plaine by other vvordes equiualent Act. 6 13. 1 Tim. 4. â— 2 Tim. 1. Vvhere the Ordering of Deacons Priests and others is called * Imposition of hands not of the people but of the Apostles And this to be the Ecclesiastical vse of the vvord appeareth by S. Hierom saying as is before alleaged that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 iâ— the Ordering of Clerkes or Clergie men by praier of voice and imposition of hand â—â— Priests Euen so here also as before fleing from the proper apt knovven vvord vvhich is most precisely correspondent to the very Greeke in our tongue and al nations they translate for Priest Elder that is for a calling of Office a vvord of age for a terme of art and by consent of al the Church and Apostolike authoritie and Fathers appropriated to holy Order a vulgar common and profane terme Vvith as litle grace as if they should translate Pontificem a bridgemaker the Maior of London the Bigger of London And thus you see vvithin three vvordes compasse they flee guilefully from the Latin to the Greeke and againe guilefully from the Greeke to the vulgar English Such corruption of Scriptures their hatred of Priesthod driueth them vnto If they had translated it so vvhen the Scriptures vvere first vvritten at vvhich time the vvord vvas but nevvly receiued into the special and Ecclesiastical signification and vvhen it vvas yet taken sometimes in common profane sort as 1 Tim. 5. or there only vvhere our auÌ„cient Latin version turneth Presbyter into Senior because the vvord vvas not yet vvholy and only appropriated to holy Orders as aftervvard by vse of many hundred yeres it vvas and is their dealing might haue had some colour of honestâ—e and plainesse vvhich novv can not be but of plaine falshod and corruption and that of further purpose then the simple can see Vvhich is to take avvay the office of Sacrificing and other functions of Priests proper in the nevv TestameÌ„t to such as the Apostles often and the posteritle in maner altogether call Priests Presbyteros Vvhich vvord doth so certainely imply the authoritie of sacrificing that it is by vse made also the onely English of Sacerdos the Aduersaries them selues as vvel as vve so translating it in al the old and nevv Testament though they can not be ignorant that Priest commeth of Presbyter and not of Sacerdos and that antiquitie for no other cause applied the signification of Presbyter to Sacerdos but to shevv that Presbyter is in the nevv Lavv that vvhich Sacerdos vvas in the old the Apostles abstaining from this and other like old names at the first and rather vsing the vvordes Bishops Pastors and Priests because they might be distinguished from the Gouernours and sacrificers of Aarons order vvho as yet in the Apostles time did their old functions still in the Temple And this to be true and that to be a Priest is to be a man appointed to sacrifice the Heretikes them selues calling Sacerdos alvvaies a Priest must needes be driuen to confesse Although their folly is therein notorious to apply vvillngly the vvord Priest to Sacerdos and to take it from Presbyter vvhereof it is properly deriued not only in English but in other languages both french and Italian Vvhich is to take avvay the name that the Apostles and fathers gaue to the Priests of the Church to giue it vvholy onely to the order of Aaron vvhich neuer had it before our Priesthod began Neuer did there Heretikes stand so much vpon doubtful deriuations and descant of vvordes as these Protestants do and yet neuer men behaued them selues more fondly in the same as vvhosoeuer marketh the distinction of their Elders Ministers Deacons and such like shal perceiue CHAP. XV. Some of those Ievves also that vvere Christians do fall and are authors of the Heresie of Iudaizing 2 They referre the matter to Councel 7 Wherein after great disputation Peter striking the stroke
and ought to vse al possible humane diligence to knovv and learne out the histories and truth of matters as is plaine in the beginning of S. Lukes Gospel els the Holy Ghost vvould not haue assisted them Euen so in this Councel of the Apostles though they had the holy Ghost assistant yet the text saith cum magna conquisitio fieret Vvhen there vvas great disputation search and examination of the case then Peter spake c. If againe it be demaunded vvhat neede is there to expect the Councels determination if the Popes or See Apostolikes iudgement be infallible and haue the assistance of God also as the Catholikes affirme Vve ansvver that for the Catholike and peaceable obedient children of the Church it is a comfort to haue such various meanes of determination trial and declaration of the truth and that it is necessarie for the recouery of Heretikes and for the contentation of the vveake vvho not alvvaies giuing ouer to one mans determination yet vvil either yeld to the iudgement of al the learned men and Bishops of al Nations or els remaine desperate and condemned before God and man for euer And as I said before this assistance of the Holy Ghost promised to Peters See presupposeth humane meanes of searching out the truth vvhich the Pope alvvaies hath vsed vvil must vse in matters of great importance by calling Councels euen as here you see SS Peter and Paul them selues and al the Apostles though indued vvith the Holy Ghost yet thought it notvvithstanding necessarie for further trial cleering of truth and maintenance of vnitie to keepe a Councel Lastly it is to be noted that as Christ and the Holy Ghost be present by his promes to al such assemblies as gather in the obedience vnitie of the Church vvith ful minde to obey vvhatsoeuer shal be determined vvhereby the assembled though of diuers iudgements before do most peaceably yeld to truth and agree in one vniforme determination of the same so al such as gather out of the Church vvithout humilitie or intention to yeld one to an other or to any Superior man or Councel or vvhat els so euer but chalenge to them selues learning spirit and vve can not tel vvhat such hovv many meetings so euer they make being destitute of the Holy Ghost the author of truth and concord are further of and further out then euer before as God hath shevved by the successe of al Heretical Colloquies Synodes and Assemblies in Germanie France Poole and other places in our daies Read a notable place in S. Cyprian that the promes of Christ that he vvould be in the middes of tvvo or three gathered in his name pertaineth not to them that assemble out of the Church 3â— Reioyced vpon the consolation Straight vpon the intelligence of the Councels determination not only the Gentils but euen the Maisters of the former troubles and dissension vvere at rest al tooke great comfort that the controuersie vvas so ended And so should al Christian men do vvhen they see the sectes of our time condemned by the like authoritie and most graue iudgement of the holy Councel of Trent Against vvhich the Heretikes of our time make the like friuolous exceptions and false cauillations as did the old Heretikes heretofore against those Councels that specially condemned their errors The Pope and Bishopes say they are a partie and they ought not to be our iudges they are partial and come vvith preiudicate mindes to condemne vs and vve accuse them al of Idolatrie and other crimes and vve vvil be tried by Gods vvord only and vve vvil expound it according to an other rule that is to say as vve list So say they against this Councel and the like said the Arians against the first Nicene Councel and al such like against those Councels namely that condemned their heresies And so say al theeues against their correctors and punishers and vvould both say and do more against temporal tribunals Iudges Iustices and Iuries if they had as much licence and libertie in those matters as men haue novv in religion 37. Dissension Such occasions of differences fall out euen among the perfect men often vvithout any great offence And this their departing fell out to the great increase of Christians And therfore it is very ridiculously applied to excuse the disagreing of the Heretikes among them selues in the principal pointes of religion namely the Sacrament CHAP. XVI Paul hauing for his part visited the Churches of Syria Cilicia and Lycaonia deliuering vnto them vvithal to keepe the Decrees of the Councel 6 beginneth a nevv iourney ouer Phrygia Galatia Mysia 8 Yea into Europe also he passeth admonished by a vision and commeth into Macedonia 12 and there he beginneth the Church of the Philippians vvorking miracles and suffering persecution verse 1 AND he came to Derbé and Lystra And behold there vvas a certaine disciple there named Timothee the sonne of a â—vvidovv ' vvoman that beleeued of a father a Gentile ✠verse 2 To this man the brethren that vvere in Lystra and Iconium gaue a good testimonie ✠verse 3 Him Paul vvould haue to goe forth vvith him and taking him he circumcised him because of the Ievves that vvere in those places For they al knevv that his father vvas a Gentile ✠verse 4 And vvhen they passed through the cities they deliuered vnto them to keepe the decrees that vvere decreed of the Apostles and Auncients which were at Hierusalem ✠verse 5 And the Churches vvere confirmed in faith and did abound in number daily ✠verse 6 And passing through Phrygia and the countrie of Galatia they vvere forbidden by the holy Ghost to preach the vvord in Asia ✠verse 7 And vvhen they vvere come into Mysia they attempted to goe into Bithynia and the Spirit of IESVS permitted them not ✠verse 8 And vvhen they had passed through Mysia they vvent dovvne to Troas ✠verse 9 and a vision by night vvas shevved to Paul There vvas a certaine man of Macedónia standing and beseeching him and saying passe into Macedónia and helpe vs. ✠verse 10 And as soone as he had seen the vision forthvvith vve sought to goe into Macedónia being assured that God had called vs to euaÌ„gelize to them ✠verse 11 And sailing from Troas vve came vvith a straight course to Samothrácia and the day folovving to Neapolis ✠verse 12 and from thence to Philippi vvhich is the first citie of the part of Macedonia a colónia And vve were in this citie certaine daies abiding ✠verse 13 And vpon the day of the Sabboths vve vvent forth vvithout the gate beside a riuer vvhere it seemed that there vvas praier sitting vve spake to the vvomen that vvere assembled ✠verse 14 And a certaine vvoman named Lydia a seller of purple of the citie of the Thyatirians one that vvorshipped God did heare vvhose hart our Lord opened to attend to those things vvhich vvere
in Asia For he hastened if it vvere possible for him to keepe the day of â— Pentecost at Hierusalem ✠verse 17 And sending from Milétum to Ephesus he called the Auncients of the Church ✠verse 18 Vvho being come to him and assembled together he said to them You knovv * from the first day that I entred into Asia in vvhat maner I haue been vvith you al the time ✠verse 19 seruing our Lord vvith al humilitie and teares and tentations that did chaunce to me by the conspiracies of the Ievves ✠verse 20 Hovv I haue vvithdravven nothing that vvas profitable but that I preached it to you taught you openly and from house to house ✠verse 21 testifying to Ievves and Gentils penance tovvard God and faith in our Lord IESVS CHRIST ✠verse 22 And novv behold being bound by the spirit I goe to Hierusalem not knovving vvhat things shal befall me in it ✠verse 23 but that the Holy Ghost through out al cities doth protest to me saying that bands and tribulations abide me at Hierusalem ✠verse 24 But I feare none of these things neither doe I make my life more pretious theÌ„ my self so that I may coÌ„suÌ„mat my course ministerie vvhich I receiued of our Lord IESVS to testifie the Gospel of the grace of God ✠verse 25 And novv behold I doe knovv that you shal no more see my face al you through vvhom I haue passed preaching the kingdom of God ✠verse 26 Vvherefore I take you to witnesse this present day that I am cleere from the bloud of al. ✠verse 27 For I haue not spared to declare vnto you al the counsel of God ✠verse 28 Take heede to your selues and to the vvhole flocke vvherein the Holy Ghost hath placed you bishops to rule the Church of God vvhich he hath purchased with his ovvne bloud ✠verse 29 I knovv that after my departure there vvil â— rauening vvolues enter in among you not sparing the flocke ✠verse 30 and out of your ovvne selues shal arise men speaking peruerse things to dravv avvay disciples after them selues ✠verse 31 For the vvhich cause be vigilant keeping in memorie that for three yeres night and day I ceased not vvith teares to admonish euery one of you ✠verse 32 And novv I commend you to God and to the vvord of his grace vvho is able to edifie and to giue inheritance in al the sanctified ✠verse 33 No mans siluer and gold or garment haue I coueted ✠verse 34 Your selues knovv that for such things as vvere needful for me and them that are vvith me these hands haue ministred ✠verse 35 I haue shevved you al things that so labouring you must receiue the vveake and remember the vvord of our Lord IESVS because he said â— It is a more blessed thing to giue rather then to take ✠verse 36 And vvhen he had said these things falling on his knees he praied vvith al them ✠verse 37 And there vvas great vveeping made of al and falling vpon the necke of Paul they kissed him ✠verse 38 being sorie most of al for the vvord vvhich he had said that they should see his face no more And they brought him going vnto the shippe ANNOTATIONS CHAP. XX. 16. Pentecost Though the Apostles might desire to come to the Ievves Festiuities by reason of the general concourse of people to the same the better to deale for their saluation and â—o spred the Gospel of Christ yet it is like that they novv kept solemly the Christian Pentecost or vvhitsontide for memorie of the Holy Ghost and that S. Paul vvent to that Feast of the Christians rather then the other of the Ievves And Ven. Bede saith here The Apostle maketh hast to keepe the fifteth day that is of remission and of the Holy Ghost For that the Christians already kept the eight day that is the Sunday or our Lordes day and had altered already the ordinarie Sabboth into the same it is plaine by the Scriptures 1 Cor. 16 2. Apoc. 1 10. and by antiquitie Iustin Mart. Apolog. 2 ad Anton. Pium in fine And it is as like that they changed the Ievves Pasche and Pentecost as that specially vvhen it is euident that * these Festiuities be kept by Apostolike tradition and approued by the vse of al auncient Churches and Councels â—9 Rauening vvolues The gouernours of the Church are foretold of the great danger that should fall to the people by vvolues that is to say by Heretikes vvhose cruelty tovvard the Catholikes is noted by this terme They be knovveÌ„ by the forsaking the vnitie of the Church vvhereof they vvere before by going out and dravving many disciples after them and by their peruerse doctrine Such vvolues came aftervvard in deede in diuers ages Arius Mâ—cedonius Nestorius Eutyches Luther Caluin great bloudsucking vvolues and vvasters of the flocke of Christ 35. More blessed to giue Among many other infinite goodly things and speaches vvhich Christ spake and be not vvritten in the Gospels this sentence is one vvhich S. Paul heard of some of the Apostles daily conuersant vvith him or els learned of Christ him self or of the Holy Ghost And it signifieth that vvhereas the vvorld commonly counteth him happie that receiueth any benefite as almes either temporal or spiritual yet in deede he that giueth or bestovveth is more happie Vvhich if the vvorld did vvel consider men vvould giue almes faster then they do if it vvere but for their ovvne benefite CHAP. XXI From MileÌ„tum going on his iourney 4 he can not be dissuaded neither as Tyre 8 nor at Caesarea in both vvhich places the Holy Ghost reueled hovv he should be handled in Hierusalem 10 the Prophet Agabuâ— expresly foretelling that the Ievves there should deliuer him to the Gentils 15 but to Hierusalem he coÌ„meth vvhere being vvelcome to the Christians and namely to Iames the Bishop and to the Priests vvhile he goeth about to satisfie the Christian Ievves there vvho had been misinformed of him as if he had taught it to be vnlawful for the Iewes to keepe Moyses Lavv 27 he is inuaded by the infidel Ievves and ready to be murdered by them vntil the Romane souldiars do rescue him verse 1 AND vvhen it came to passe that vve sailed being caried from them vvith a straight course vve came to Cóos and the day folovving to Rhodes and from thence to Pátara ✠verse 2 And when vve had found a ship that passed ouer to Phoenîce going vp into it vve sailed ✠verse 3 And vvhen vve vverâ— in the sight of Cypres leauing it on the left hand vve sailed into Syria and came to Tyre for there the ship vvas to discharge her lode ✠verse 4 And finding disciples vve taried there seuen daies vvho said to Paul by the Spirit that he should not goe vp to Hierusalem ✠verse 5 And the daies being expired departing vve vvent forvvard al bringing vs on
that abhorrest idols thou doest sacrilege ✠verse 23 that doest glorie in the Lavv thou by preuatication of the Lavv doest dishonour God ✠verse 24 For the name of God through you is blasphemed among the Gentiles as it is vvriten ✠verse 25 Circumcision in deede profiteth if thou obserue the Lavv but if thou be a preuaricátour of the Lavv thy circumcision is become prepuce ✠verse 26 If then the prepuce ″ keepe the iustices of the Lavv shal not his prepuce be reputed for circumcision ✠verse 27 and shal not that vvhich of nature is prepuce fulfilling the Lavv iudge thee that by the letter and circumcision art a preuaricátour of the Lavv ✠verse 28 For not he that is in open shevv is a Ievv not that vvhich is in open shevv in the flesh is circumcision ✠verse 29 but he that is in secrete is a Ievv and the circumcision of the hart ″ in spirit not in the letter vvhose praise is not of men but of God ANNOTATIONS CHAP. II. 1. Thou that iudgest Such as by publike authoritie either spiritual or temporal haue to punish offenders be not forbidden to iudge or condemne any for their offenses though them selues be sometimes guilty in their conscience of the same or greater yet may it be matter of aggrauating sinnes before God vvhen they vvil not repent of those offenses them selues for the vvhich they punish others but if they be open offenders them selues in the same sort for vvhich they iudge other they giue scandal and thereby aggrauate their sinnes very much Proprely here he forbiddeth to charge an other falsely or truely vvith these crimes vvhereof him self is as farre guilty or more then the other as the Ievves specially did the Gentils to vvhom he speaketh here 4. Doest thou contemne This proueth that God offereth his grace and mercie to many and by long patience and sufferance expecteth their repētance differring their punishment of purpose that they may amend and that he is not delighted in their perdition nor is the cause of their sinne but contrarievvise that they harden their ovvne hartes and of their ovvne free vvil relect his grace and contemne his benignitie 6. According to his vvorkes Though the holy Apostles special purpose be in this Epistle to commend vnto the Gentiles that trusted so much in their moral vvorkes the faith in Christ yet lest any man should thinke or gather vntruely of his vvordes that Christian mens vvorkes vvere not meritorious or the cause of Saluation he expresly vvriteth that God giueth as vvel euerlasting life and glorie to men for and according to their good vvorkes as he giueth damnation for the contrarie vvorkes And hovv so euer Heretikes fondly flee from the euidence of these places yet S. Augustine saith Life euerlasting to be rendered for good vvorkes according to this manifest Scripture God shal render to euery man according to his vvorkes 13. Not the hearers This same sentence agreable also to Christes vvordes Mat. ◠21 is the very ground of S. Iames disputation that not faith alone but good vvorkes also do iustifie Therfore S. Paul hovvsoeuer some peruersly conster his vvordes in other place meaneth the same that S. Iames. And here * he speaketh not properly of the first iustification vvhen an Infidel or il man is made iust vvho had no acceptable vvorkes before to be iustified by of vvhich kind he specially meaneth in other places of this Epistle but he speaketh of the second iustification or increase of former iustice vvhich he that is in Gods grace daily procedeth in by doing al kind of good vvorkes vvhich be iustices and for doing of vvhich he is iust in deede before God and of this kinde doth S. Iames namely treate Vvhich is directly against the Heretikes of this time vvho not only attribute nothing to the vvorkes done in sinne and infidelitie but esteeme nothing at al of al Christian mens vvorkes tovvard iustification and saluation condemning them as vncleane sinful hy pocritical Pharisaical vvhich is directly against these other Scripture and plaine blaspheming of Christ and his grace by vvhose spirit and cooperation vve doe them 13. Shal be iustified Of al other Articles deceitfully handled by Heretikes they vse most guile in this of Iustification and specially by the equiuocation of certaine vvordes vvhich is proper to al contentious vvranglers and namely in this vvord Iustifie Vvhich because they finde sometime to signifie the acquiting of a guilty man of some crime vvhere of he is in deede guilty for vvhich he ought to be condemned as by mans iudgement either of ignorance or of purpose often a very malefactor is deemed or declared and pronounced innocent they falsly make it so signifie in this place and the like vvheresoeuer man is said to be iustified of God for his vvorkes or othervvise as though it vvere said that God iustifieth man that is to say imputeth to him the iustice of Christ though he be not in deede iust or of fauour reputeth him as iust vvhen in deede he is vvicked impious and vniust Vvhich is a most blasphemous doctrine against God making him either ignorant vvho is iust and so to erre in his iudgement or not good that can loue and saue him vvhom he knovveth to be euill And a maruelous pitieful blindnes it is in the Churches Aduersaries that they should thinke it more to Gods glorie and more to the commendation of Christes iustice merites and mercie to call and count an il man so continuing for iust then by his grace and mercie to make him of an il one iust in deede and so truely to iustifie him or as the vvord doth here signifie to esteeme and approue for iust in deede him that by his grace keepeth his lavv and commaundements For that the keepers or doers of the commaundements be iust and so reputed it is plaine by the correspondence to the former vvordes Not the hearers are iust but the doers Vvherevpon S. Augustine de Sp. lit c. 26. to ◠hath these vvordes When it is said The doers of the Lavv shal be iustified vvhat other thing is said then The iust shal be iustified for the doers of the Lavv verily are iust 26. Keepe the iustices If a Gentile either novv since Christ by his grace and faith or any other before Christ not of the stocke of Abraham through the Spirit of God keepe the iustices of the Lavv he is iust no lesse then if he had been outvvardl◠circumcised and shal condemne the circumcised Ievv not keeping the Lavv vvithout vvhich his outvvard Sacrament can not serue him but shal be much to his condemnation that hauing the Lavv and peculiar Sacraments of God he did not keepe the Lavv nor invvardly exercise that in his hart vvhich the outvvard signe did import And al this is no more but to insinuate that true iustice is not in faith only or knovvledge of the
for he is gods minister vnto thee for good But if thou doe euil feare for he ″ beareth not the svvord without cause For he is Gods minister a reueÌ„ger vnto vvrath to him that doeth euil ✠verse 5 Therfore be subiect of necessitie not only for vvrath but also for conscience sake ✠verse 6 For therfore ″ you giue tributes also for they are the ministers of God seruing vnto this purpose ✠verse 7 Render therfore to al men their devv * to vvhom tribute tribute to vvhom custom custom to whom feare feare to vvhoÌ„ honour honour ✠verse 8 Ovve no man any thing but that you loue one an other For he that loueth his neighbour hath fulfilled the lavv ✠verse 9 For Thou shalt not commit aduoutrie Thou shalt not kil Thou shalt not steale Thou shalt not beare false vvitnes Thou shalt not couet and if there be any other commaundement it is comprised in this vvord Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy self ✠verse 10 The loue of thy neighbour vvorketh no euil Loue therfore is the fulnesse of the lavv ⊢ ✠verse 11 And that knovving the season that it is novv the houre for vs to rise from sleepe For novv our saluation is neerer then vvhen vve beleeued ✠verse 12 The night is passed and the day is at hand Let vs therfore cast of the vvorkes of darknesse and doe on the armour of light ✠verse 13 As in the day let vs vvalke honestly not in banketings and drunkennes not in chamberings and impudicities not in contention and emulation ✠verse 14 but doe ye on our Lord IESVS Christ ⊢ and make not prouision for the flesh in concupiscenees ANNOTATIONS CHAP. XIII 1. Euery soul be subiect Because the Apostles preached libertie by Christ from the yoke of the Law and seruitude of sinne and gaue al the faithful both example and commaundement to obey God more then men and withal euer charged them expresly to be obedient and subiect to their Prelates as to them which had cure of their soules and were by the Holy Ghost placed ouer the Church of God there were many in those daies newly conuerted that thougt them solues free from al temporal Botestats carnal Lordes and humane creatures or powers wherevpon the bondman tooke him self to be loose from his seruitude the subiect from his Soueraine were he Emperour King Duke or what other secular Magistrate so euer specially the Princes of those daies being Heathens and persecutors of the Apostles and of Christes religion for which cause and for that the Apostles were vntruely charged of their Aduersaries that they withdrevvâ— men from order and obedience to Ciuil lavves and Officers S. Paul here as S. Peter doth 1 Chap. 2. cleereth him self and expresly chargeth euery man to be subiect to his temporal Prince and Superior Not euery man to al that be in Office or Superiority but euery one to him whom God hath put in authoritie ouer him by that he is his Maister Lord king or such like 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 either to them in matters of religion or regiment of their soules for most part vvere Pagans whom the Apostle could not vvill men to obey in matters of faith but to them in such things onely as 〈…〉 and what other causes so euer consist vvith Gods holy vvill and ordinance for * against God no power may be 〈◊〉 1. No povver but of God S. Chrysostome here noteth that power 〈◊〉 Superioritie is Gods ordinance but not ofâ—somes al Princes because to any may vsur 〈◊〉 who reigne by his permission onely and not by his appointment nor al actions that euery one doeth in and by his soueraine povver as Iuâ—ians apostaste and 〈◊〉 of Catholikes 〈…〉 oppression of the Israelites Achaâ—s persecution of the Prophets Neros executing of the Apostles Herods and Pilats condemning of Christ al which things God permitted them by he abuse of their power to accomplish 〈◊〉 they vvere out of the compasse of his causing and ordinance 2. They that resist Vvhosoeuer resisteth or obeieth not his lavvful Superior in those causes vvherein he is subiect vnto him withstandeth Gods appointment sinneth â—oadly and is vvorthy to be punished both in this vvorld by his Superior and by God in the next life for in temporal gouernement and causes the Christians vvere bound in conscience to obey their Heathen Imperours though on the other side they were bound vnder paine of deâ—â—ation to obey their Apostles and Prelates and not to obey their kings or Emperours in matters of religion Vvhereby it is cleere that vvhen vve be commaunded to obey our Superiors it is meant alvvaies and onely in such things as they may lawfully commaund and in respect of such matters Vvherein they be our Superiors 4. Beareth not the sword That the Apostle meaneth here specially of temporal povvers vve may see by the svvord tribute external compulsion vvhich he here attributeth to them And the Christian men then had no doubt vvhether they should obey their Spiritual povvers but novv the disease is cleane contrarie for al is giuen to the secular povver and nothing to the spiritual vvhich expresly is ordained by Christ and the Holy Ghost and al the faithful are commaunded to be subiect there vnto as to Christs ovvne vvord and vvill There vvere Heretikes called Begardi that tooke avvay al rule and Superioritie The wâ—â—lefists vvould obey nor Prince nor Prelate if he vvere once in deadly sinne The Protestants of our time as vve may see in al Countrieâ— vvhere the secular svvord is dravven against their Sectes care neither for the one nor for the other though they extol onely the secular vvhen it maketh for them The Catholikes onely most humbly obey both euen according to Gods ordinance the one in temporal causes and the other in Spiritual in vvhich order both these States haue blessedly florished in al Christian countries euer since Christeâ— time and it is the very vvay to preserue both as one day al the vvorld shal confesse vvith vs. 6. Ten giue tributes Though euery man ought to be ready to serue his temporal Prince vvith his goods by tributes of vvhat other lavvful taxes and subsidies so euer yet they may exempt by priuileges vvhom they thinke good As in al countries Christian Priests for the honour of Christ whose Ministers they be haue by the grauntes and auncient charters or kings be he excepted and exempted Notvvithstanding they vvere neuer vnready to serue voluntarely their soueraine in al common causes vvith vvhatsoeuer they had See Annot. in Mat. 17 26. â—â— Not in 〈◊〉 This vvas the very place vvhich S. Augustine that glorious Doctor vvas by a voice from heauen directed vnto at his first miraculous and happy conuersion not only to the Catholike faith but also to perpetual continencie by this voice comming from heauen Tolle lege Tolle lege Take vp and read take vp
sacrifices that it hath the force and vertue of al other to be offered for al persons and causes that the others for the liuing and the dead for sinnes and for thankes giuing and for vvhat other necessitie so euer of body or soule Vvhich holy action of Sacrifice they also call the MASSE in plaine vvordes August ser 251. 91. Con. Carthag 2 c. 3. 4. c. â—4 Mileuit c. 12. Leo ep 88. 81 c. 2. Grego li. 2. ep 9 93. c. This is the Apostles and Fathers doctrine God graunt the Aduersaries may find mercie to see so euident and inuincible a truth 21. Partakers of the table Though the faithful people be many vvaies knovven to be Gods peculiar and be ioyned both to him among them selues and also seuered and distinguished from al others that pertaine not to him as vvel Ievves and Pagans as Heretikes and Schismatikes by sundry other external signes of Sacraments doctrine and gouernement yet the most proper and substantial vnion or difference consisteth in the Sacrifice and Altar by vvhich God so specially bindeth his Church vnto him and him self vnto his Church that he acknovvledgeth none to be his that is not partaker of his one onely Table and Sacrifice in his Church and acquitteth him self of al such as ioyne in felovvship vvith any of the Heathen at their Idolatrie or vvith the Ievves at their Sacrifices or vvith Heretikes and Schismatikes at their prophane and detestable table Vvhich because it is the proper badge of their separation from Christ and his Church and an altar purposely erected against Christes Altar Priesthod and Sacrifice is in deede a very sacrifice or as the Apostle here speaketh a table and cuppe of Diuels that is to say wherein the Diuel is properly serued and Christes honour no lesse then * by the altars of Ieroboam or any prophane superstitious rites of Gentilitiâ— defiled And therfore al Catholike men if they locke to haue felovvship with Christ and his members in his body and bloud must deeme of it as of Idolatrie or sacrilegious superstition and abstaine from it and from al societie of the same as good To bie did from Ieroboams calues and the altars in Dan and Bethel and as the good faithful did from the Excelses and from the temple and sacrifices of Samaria Novv in the Christian times vve haue no other Idols but heresies nor Idolothytes but their false seruices shifted into our Churches in steede of Gods true and onely vvorship Cypr. de vnit Ec. nu 2 Hiero. in 11 Osee 8. Amos. in 2. Habat Aug. in ps 80. v. 10. De Ciu. Dei li. 18. c. 51. 23 Al things are lavvful Hitherto the Apostles arguments and examples vvhereby he vvould auert them from the meates offered to Idols seeme plainly to coÌ„demne their fact as Idololatrical or as participant accessory to Idolatrie not onely as of scaÌ„dal giuen to the weake brethren and so no doubt it vvas in that they went into the very temple of the Idols and did vvith the rest that serued the Idols eate and drinke of the flesh and libaments directly offered to the Idol yea and feasted together in the same bankets made to the honour of the same Idols vvhich could not but defile them and entangle them vvith Idolatrie not for that the meate it self vvas iustly belonging to any other but to God or could be defiled made noisome or vnlawful to be eaten but for and in respect of the abuse of the same and detestable dedicating of that to the diuel vvhich belonged not to him but to God alone Of vvhich sacrilegious act that ought not to be partakers as needes they must entering and eating with them in their solemnities to this end hath S. Paul hiâ— her to admonished the Corinthians Novv he declareth that othervvise in prophane feasts it is lavvful to eate vvithout curious doubting or asking vvhether this or that vvere offered meates and in markettes to bye vvhatsoeuer is theresold vvithout scruple and vvithout taking knovvledge vvhether it be of the Idolothytes or no vvith this exception first that if one should inuite him to eate or bye this or that as sacred and offered meates that then he should not eate it lest he should seeme to approue the offering of it to the Idol or to like it the better for the same Secondly vvheÌ„ the vveake brother may take offence by the same For though it be lavvful in it self to eate any of these meates vvithout care of the Idol yet al lavvful things be not in euery time and place expedient to be done CHAP. XI He commendeth them for keeping his Traditions generally 3 and in particular for this that a man praied and prophecied bareheaded a vvoman veiled he bringeth many reasons 17 About another he reprehendeth the riche that at the Charitable supper supped vncharitably as telling them that they receiued therfore vnvvorthely the B. Sacrament 23 telling them that they receiued therfore vnvvorthely the B. Sacrament and shevving them vvhat an heinous sinne that is seeing it is our Lordes body and the representation of his death as he by tradition had taught them verse 1 BE ye folovvers of me as I also of Christ ✠verse 2 And I praise you brethren that in al things you be mindeful of me and as I haue deliuered vnto you you keepe ″ my precepts ✠verse 3 And I vvil haue you knovv that the head of euery man is Christ and the head of the vvoman is the man and the head of Christ is God ✠verse 4 Euery man praying or prophecying vvith his head couered dishonesteth his head ✠verse 5 But ″ euery vvoman praying or prophecying vvith her head not couered dishonesteth her head for it is al one as if she vvere made balde ✠verse 6 For if a vvoman be not couered let her be polled but if it be a foule thing for a vvoman to be polled or made balde let her couer her head ✠verse 7 The man truely ought not to couer his head because he is the image and glorie of God but the vvoman is the glorie of the man ✠verse 8 For the man is not of the vvoman but the vvoman of the man ✠verse 9 For * the man vvas not created for the vvoman but the vvoman for the man ✠verse 10 Therfore ought the vvoman to haue povver vpon her head for the Angels ✠verse 11 But yet neither the man vvithout the vvoman not the vvoman vvithout the man in our Lord. ✠verse 12 For as the vvoman is of the man so also the man by the vvoman but al things of God ✠verse 13 Your selues iudge doth it become a vvoman not couered to pray vnto God ✠verse 14 Neither doth nature if self teach you that a man in deede if he nourish his heare it is an ignominie for him ✠verse 15 but if a vvoman nourish her heare it is a glorie
or from him self to change euery yere or in euery epistle to forme of his former teaching to come daily vvith nevv deuises repugnant to his ovvne rules vvere not agreable to an Apostle and true teacher of Christ but proper to false prophets and Heretikes Vvhereof vve haue notorious examples in the Protestants vvho being destitute of the spirit of peace concord constancie vnitie and veritie as they varie from their ovvne vvritings vvhich they retract reforme or deforme continually so both in their preachings forme of Seruice they are so restles changeable and repugnant to them selues that if they vvere not kept in avve vvith much a do by temporal lavves or by the shame and rebuke of the vvorld they vvould coine vs euery yere or euery Parliament nevv Communions nevv faithes and nevv Christes as you see by the manifold endeuours of the Puritans And this to be the proper note of false Apostles and Heretikes see in S. Irenâ—us li. â— c. 18. and Tertul. de praescript S. Basil ep 82. 22. Hath sealed The learned Diuines proue by this place and by the like in the fourth to the Ephesians that the Sacrament of Baptisme doth not onely giue grace but imprinteth and sealeth the soule of the baptized vvith a spiritual signe marke badge or token vvhich can neuer be blotted out neither by sinne heresie apostasie nor other vvaies but remaineth for euer in man for the cognisance of his Christendom and for distinction from others vvhich vvere neuer of Christes fold by vvhich also he is as it were consecrated and deputed to God made capable and partaker of the rightes of the Church and subiect to her lavves and discipline See S. Hierom in 4. Ephes S. Ambrose li. 1 de Sp. sancto cap. 6. S. Cyril Hierosol Catechesi â—7 at the end and S. Dionysius Areopag c. 2. Eccl. Hierarch The which fathers expresse that spiritual signe by diuers agreable names vvhich the Church and most Diuines after S. Augustine call the character of Baptisme by the truth and force of vvhich spiritual note or marke of the soul he specially conuinceth the Donatistes that the said Sacrament though giuen and ministred by Heretikes or Schismatikes or vvho els so euer can neuer be reiterated See ep â—7 li. 6 cont Donatist cap. 1. li. 2 cont Parmenianum 6. 1â— As the like indeleble characters giuen also by the Sacraments of Confirmation and Orders do make those also irreiterable and neuer to be receiued but once Vvhereas al other Sacraments sauing these three may be often receiued of the self same person And that holy Orders can not be iterated see S. Augustine li. 2 cont Parmen c. 13. li. de bono coniug c. 24. and S. Gregorie li. 2 Rggist ep 32. The like of Confirmation is decreed in the most auÌ„cient Councel Tarracon cap. 6. Finally that this character is giuen onely by these said three Sacraments and is the cause that none of them can be in any man repeated or reiterated see the decrees of the Councels Florentine and Trent Vvhich yet is no nevv deuise of them as the Heretikes falsely affirme but agreable as you see both to the Scriptures and also to the auncient fathers and Councels â—4 Not because vve ouerrule Caluin and his seditious Sectaries vvith other like vvhich despise dominion as S. Iude describeth such vvould by this place deliuer them selues from al yoke of spiritual Magistrates and Rulers namely that they be subiect to no man touching their faith or for the examination and trial of their doctrine but to God and his vvord onely And no maruel that the male factors and rebelles of the Church vvould come to no tribunal but Gods that so they may remaine vnpunished at least during this life for though the Scriptures plainely condemne their heresies yet they could vvrithe them selues out by false gloses constructions corruptions and denials of the bookes to be Canonical if there vvere no lavves or iudicial sentence of men to rule and represse them Notvvithstanding then these vvordes of S. Paul vvhereby onely tyrannical insolent and proud behauiour and indiscrete rigor of Prelates or Apostles tovvards their flockes is noted as also in the first of S. Peter cap. 5. the Greeke vvord in these places and in the Gospel Mt. 20 25. Mr. 10 42. signifying lordly and insolent dominion yet he had and exercised iust ruâ—e preeminence and prelacie ouer them not onely for their life but also and principally touching their faith for he might did call them to account for the same and excoÌ„municated heretikes for foresaking their faith 1 Cor. 4 5. 2 Cor. 10 4. 13 10. 1 Tim. 1 20. Tit. â— 11. And al Christian men are bound to obey their lavvful Prelates in matters of faith and doctrine specially and must not vnder that ridiculous pretence of obeying Gods vvord onely vvhich is the shifte of al other Heretikes as Anabaptistes Arians and the like as vvel as the Protestants disobey Gods Church Councels and their ovvne Pastors and Bishops vvho by the Scriptures haue the regiment of their soules and may examine and punish as vvel Iohn Caluin as Simon Magus for falling from the Catholike faith for though God alone be the Lord author and giuer of faith yet they are his * cooperators and coadiutors by vvhom the faithful do beleeue and be preserued in the true faith and be defended from vvolues vvhich be Heretikes seeking to corrupt them in the same And this same Apostle * chalengeth to be their father as he that begat and formed them by his preaching in Christ CHAP. II. Prosecuting the true cause vvhich in the last chapter he gaue of his not comming 6 he pardoneth novv after some part of penance him that for incest he excommunicated in the last epistle requiring them obediently to consent therevnto 12 Then of his going from Troâ—â— into Macedonia God euery vvhere giuing him the triumph verse 1 AND I haue determined vvith my self this same thing not to come to you againe in sorovv ✠verse 2 For if I make you sorie and who is it that can make me glad but he that is made sorie by me ✠verse 3 And this same I vvrote to you that I may not vvhen I come haue sorovv vpon sorovv of the vvhich I ought to reioyce trusting in you al that my ioy is the ioy of you al. ✠verse 4 For of much tribulation and anguish of hart I vvrote to you by many teares not that you should be made sorie but that you may knovv vvhat charitie I haue more aboundantly tovvard you ✠verse 5 And if any man hath made sorovvful not me hath he made sorovvful but in part that I burden not al you ✠verse 6 To him that is such a one ″ this rebuke sufficeth that is giuen of many ✠verse 7 so that coÌ„trariewise you should rather pardon and comfort him lest perhaps such an one be svvallovved vp vvith ouer great sorovv âœ
or Peter so bouÌ„d to the Ievves only that he could not meddle vvith the Gentiles seing he vvas * the man chosen of God by whom the Gentils should first beleeue vvho first baptized them and first gaue order concerning them Therfore the treacherie of Caluin is intolerable that vpon this distinction of the Apostles charge vvould haue the simple suppose that S. Peter could not be Bishop of Rome so might he barre â— Iohn from Ephesus also nor deale among the Gentiles as a thing against Gods ordinance and the appointment betvvene him and S. Paul as though thereby the one had bound him self to the other not to preach or meddle vvithin his fellovves compasse And vvhich is further most seditious he exhorteth al men to keepe fast the foresaid compact and rather to haue respect to S. Paules Apostleship then to S. Peters as though the preaching authoritie and Apostleship of both vvere not a like true and al of one holy Spirit vvhether they preached to Iewes or Gentiles as both did preach vnto both peoples as is already proued and at length partly by the daily decay of the Ievvish state and their incredulitie and partly for that in Christianitie the distinction of Iew Gentil ceased after a season both vvent to the cheefe citie of the Gentiles and there founded the Church common to the Hebrues and al nations Peter first and Paul aftervvard And therfore Tertullian saith de prâ—script nu 14. O happie Church to vvhich the Apostles povvred out al doctrine vvith their bloud Where Peter suffereth like to our Lordes passion vvhere Paul is â—rovvned vvith Iohn Baptists death 9. Gaue the right handes of societie There is and alwaies ought to be a common fellowship and fraternitie of al Pastores and preachers of the Church Into vvhich societie who so euer entereth not but sandeth in Schisme and separation from Peter and the cheefe Apostolike Pastors what pretence so euer he hath or vvhence so euer he chalengeth authoritie he is a vvolfe and no true Pastor Vvhich vnion and communion together was so necessarie euen in S. Paules case that notvvithstanding his special calling of God yet the Holy Ghost caused him to go vp to his elder Apostles to be receiued into their fellovvship or brotherhod for it is to be noted that SS Peter Iames and Iohn vvere not sent to S. Paul to ioyne vvith him or to be tried for their doctrine and calling by him but contrariewise he vvas sent to them as to the cheefe and knovven ordinarie Apostles They therfore gaue Paul their handes that is to say tooke him into their societie and not he them And S. Hieroms rule concerning this shal be found true to the vvorldes end speaking of S. Peters successor He that gathereth not vvith thee scattereth Ep. 17. And in an other place for the same cause he calleth Rome tutissimum Communionis portum the most safe and sure hauen of communion or Societie Ep. 16. 6. â— And vvhereas the Heretikes by this also vvould proue that Peter had no preemineÌ„ce aboue Paul being his fellovv Apostle it is ridiculous As though al of one fellowship or brotherhod he alvvaies equal or as though there vvere not order and gouernement superioritie and inferioritie in euery societie vvel appointed And they might perceiue by this vvhole passage that Peter vvas the special and in more singular sort the Apostle of the Ievves though Iames and Iohn vvere also as S. Paul is also called in more singular sort the Apostle and doctor of the Gentiles then S. Barnabas and yet they vvere both alike taken here into this societie as they were both at once and alike segregated into this ministerie and ordered together Act. 13. It is a poore reason then to say or thinke S. Peter not to be aboue S. Barnabas neither because of this societie and fellovvship vnto vvhich he vvas receiued together vvith S. Paul 11. I resisted him Vvicked Porphyrie as S. Hierom vvriteth chargeth S. Paul of enuie and malâ—part boldnes and S. Peter of errour Proâ—m Comment in Galat. Euen so the like impious sonnes of Cham for this and for other things gladly charge S. Peter as though he had committed the greatest crimes in the vvorld for it is the propertie of Heretikes and il men to be glad to see the Saincts reprehended and their faultes discouered as vve may learne in the vvritings of S. Augustine against Faustus the Manichee vvho gathered out al the actes of the holy Patriarches that might seeme to the people to be vvorthy blame Vvhom the said holy Doctor defendeth at large against him as both he and before him S. Cyprian finde here vpon this Apostles reprehension much matter of praising both their vertues S. Paules great zeale and S. Peters vvonderful humilitie that the one in the cause of God vvould not spare his Superior and that the other in that excellent dignitie vvould not take it in il part nor by allegation of his Supremaâ—iâ— disdaine or refuse to be controvvled by his iunior vvhich of the tvvo they count the greater grace and more to be imitated For neither Peter saith S. Cyprian Whom our Lord chose the first and vpon vvhom he built the Church vvhen Paul disputed vvith him of circumcision chalâ—vged insolently or arrogantly tooke any thing to him self saying that he had the Primacie and therfore the later Disciples ought rather to obey him ep 71 ad Quintum nu 2. And S. Augustine ep 19. c 2 in fine That saith he vvhich vvas done of Paul profitably by the libertie of charitie the same Peter tooke in good part by holy and benigne godlines of humilitie and so he gaue vnto posteritie a more rare and holy example if at any time perhaps they did amis to be content to be corrected of their iuniors then Paul for to be bold and confident yea the inferiors to resist their betters for defending the truth of the Gospel brotherly charitie alvvaies preserued By vvhich notable speaches of the Doctors vve may also see how friuolously the Heretikes argue herevpon that S. Peter could not be Superior to S. Paul being so reprehended of him vvhereas the Fathers make it an example to the Superiors to beare vvith humilitie the correption or controulement euen of their inferiors Namely by this example S. Augustine li. 2 de bapt 6. 1. excellently declareth that the B. Martyr S. Cyprian vvho vvalked avvry touching the rebaptizing of them that vvere christened of Heretikes could not nor vvould not haue been offended to be admonished reformed in that point by his fellovves or inferiors much lesse by a vvhole Councel We haue learned saith he that Peter the Apostle in vvhom the Primacie of the Apostles by excellent grace is so preeminent vvhen he did othervvise concerning circumcision then the truth required vvas corrected of Paul the later Apostle I thinke vvithout any reproch vnto him Cyprian the Bishop may be compared to Peter the Apostle hovvbeit I ought rather
as it is plaine by the place of Deuteronomie vvhence he reciteth this text but onely such as commit great and damnable crimes and so by greuous and mortal transgressions vvholy breake Gods precepts and thereby incurre the curse of the Lavv from vvhich the said Lavv could not deliuer them of it self nor by any other meanes but by the faith and grace of CHRIST IESVS 11. Liueth by faith It is neither the Heretikes special presumption and confidence nor the faith of Diuels nor faith vvithout vvorkes vvhich is dead in it self as S. Iames saith that can giue life to the iust for that vvhich is dead can not be the cause of life but it is the Catholike faith as S. Augustine vvriteth vvhich vvorketh by charitie according to the Apostles ovvne explication of this vvhole passage by vvhich the iust liueth Li. 3 c. 5. cont duas ep Pelag. See the Annotation vpon the same vvordes Rom. 1. 27. Haue put on Christ Here the Aduersaries might haue seen if they vvere not blinded by contentious striuing against Gods Church that vvhen Iustification is attributed to faith vvithout mention of good vvorkes or other Christian vertues Sacraments it is not meant to exclude any of the same from the vvorking of iustice or saluation for here vve learne that by the Sacrament of Baptisme also vve put on Christ vvhich is to put on faith hope charitie and al Christian iustice By the same vve proue also that the Sacraments of the nevv iavv giue grace for that the receiuers thereof put on Christ And the Aduersaries euasion that it is faith vvhich vvorketh in the Sacrament and not the Sacrament it self is plainely false Baptisme giuing grace and faith it self to the infant that had none before CHAP. IIII. That the Lavv vvas fit for the time of nonnage but being novv come to ful age to desire such seruitude is absurd specially for Gentils 12 And that he vvriteth this not of any displeasure but to tel them the truth remembring hovv passingly they honoured him vvhom he vvas present and exhorting them therfore not to harken to the false Apostles in his absence 21 By the allegorie also of Abrahams tvvo sonnes shevving that the children of the Ievves Synagogue shal not inherite but vve vvho are the children of the free vvoman that is of the Cath. Church of Christ verse 1 AND I say as long as the heire is a litle one he differeth nothing from a seruant although he be lord of al ✠verse 2 but is vnder tutors and gouernours vntil the time limited of the father ✠verse 3 so vve also vvhen vve vvere litle ones vvere ″ seruing vnder the elemētes of the vvorld ✠verse 4 But vvhen the fulnes of time came God sent his sonne made of a vvoman made vnder the Lavv ✠verse 5 that he might redeeme them that vvere vnder the Lavv that vve might receiue the adoption of sonnes ✠verse 6 And because you are sonnes * God hath sent the Spirit of his sonne into your hartes crying Abba Father ✠verse 7 Therfore novv he is not a seruant but a sonne And if a sonne an heire also by God ⊢ ✠verse 8 But then in deede not knowing God you serued them that by nature are not Gods ✠verse 9 But novv vvhen you haue knovven God or rather are knovven of God hovv turne you againe to the ″ vveake poore elements vvhich you vvil serue againe ✠verse 10 ″ You obserue daies and moneths and times and yeres ✠verse 11 I feare you lest perhaps I haue laboured in vaine among you ✠verse 12 Be ye as I because I also am as you brethren I beseeche you you haue hurt me nothing ✠verse 13 And you knovv that by infirmitie of the flesh I euangelized to you heretofore ✠verse 14 and your tentation in my flesh you despised not neither reiected but as an Angel of God you receiued me as Christ IESVS ✠verse 15 Vvhere is then your blessednes for I giue you testimonie that if it could be done you vvould haue plucked out your eies and haue giuen them to me ✠verse 16 Am I then become your enemie telling you the truth ✠verse 17 They emulate you not vvel but they vvould exclude you that you might emulate them ✠verse 18 But do you emulate the good in good alvvaies and not only vvhen I am present vvith you ✠verse 19 My litle children vvhom I trauail vvithal againe vntil Christ be formed in you ✠verse 20 And I vvould be vvith you now and chaunge my voice because I am confounded in you ✠verse 21 Tel me you that vvil be vnder the Lavv haue you not read the Lavv ✠verse 22 For it is vvritten that * Abraham had tvvo sonnes one of the bond-vvoman and one of the free-vvoman ✠verse 23 But he that of the bond-vvoman vvas borne according to the flesh and he that of the free-vvoman by the promisse ✠verse 24 vvhich things are said ″ by an allegorie For these are the tvvo testaments The one from mount Sina gendring vnto bondage vvhich is Agar ✠verse 25 for Sina is a mountaine in Arabia vvhich hath affinitie to that vvhich novv is Hierusalem and serueth vvith her children ✠verse 26 But that Hierusalem vvhich is aboue is free vvhich is our mother ✠verse 27 For it is vvritten Reioyce thou barren that bearest not breake forth and crie that trauailest not because many are the children of the desolate more then of her that hath a husband ✠verse 28 But * we brethren according to Isaac are the children of promis ✠verse 29 But as then he that vvas borne according to the flesh persecuted him that vvas after the spirit so novv also ✠verse 30 But vvhat saith the Scripture Cast out the bond-vvoman and her sonne for the sonne of the bond-vvoman shal not be heire vvith the sonne of the free-vvoman ✠verse 31 Therfore brethren vve are not the children of the bond-vvoman but of the free by the ″ freedom vvhere vvith Christ hath made vs free ⊢ ANNOTATIONS CHAP. IIII. ◠Seruing. There can be no external vvorship of God nor association of men in religion either true or false vvithout the vse of corporal things or elements The Heathen so vsed the creatures of elements that they serued them as their goddes The Ievves of vvhom the Apostle here speaketh serued not the creatures them selues vvhich they occupied in their ceremonies but they serued the only true God vnder the elements that is to say being serullely clogged yoked kept occupied and in avve vvith innumerable fleshly grosse and combersom offices about creatures The Christians neither serue elements as the one nor be kep◠in seruile thraldom thereby as the other but occupie only a fevv exceding easie svvete seemely and significant for an agreable exercise both of body and minde Vvhereof S. Augustine saith thus li. 3. c. 9
one an other ✠verse 14 For al the Lavv is fulfilled in one vvord Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy self ✠verse 15 But if you bite and eate one an other take heede you be not consumed one of an other ✠verse 16 And I say vvalke in the spirit and the Iustes of the flesh you shal not accomplish ✠verse 17 For the flesh Iusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh for these are aduersaries one to an other that not vvhat things soeuer ″ you vvil these you doe ✠verse 18 But if you be ledde by the spirit you are not vnder the Lavv. ✠verse 19 And the vvorkes of the flesh be manifest vvhich are fornication vncleannes impudicitie lecherie ✠verse 20 seruing of Idols vvitch-craftes enmities coÌ„tentions emulations angers bravvles dissensions sectes ✠verse 21 enuies murders ebrieties commessations and such like vvhich I foretel you as I haue foretold you that they vvhich doe such things shal not obteine the kingdom of God ✠verse 22 But the fruite of the Spirit is Charitie ioy peace patience benignitie goodnes longanimitie ✠verse 23 mildnes faith modestie coÌ„tinencie chastitie Against such there is no lavv ✠verse 24 And they that be Christs haue crucified their flesh vvith the vices and concupiscences ⊢ ✠verse 25 If vve liue in the spirit in the spirit also let vs vvalke ✠verse 26 Let vs not be made desirous of vaine glorie prouoking one an other enuying one an other ANNOTATIONS CHAP. V. 6. Faith This is the faith vvorking by charitie vvhich S. Paul meaneth els vvhere vvhen he faith that faith doth iustifie And note vvel that by these termes circumcision prepuce not auailable to iustification it is plaine that in the other places he meaneth the vvorkes of Circumcision and Prepuce that is of the Ievves and the Gentils vvithout faith vvhich auaile not but faith vvorking by charitie as vvho should say faith and good vvorkes not vvorkes vvithout faith Againe note here that if the Protestants vvho pretend conference of places to be the best or only vvay to explicate hard speaches of the holy Scriptures had folovved but their ovvne rule this one text vvould haue interpreted cleated vnto them al other vvhereby iustice and saluation might seeme to be attributed to faith alone the Apostle here so expresly setting dovvne the faith vvhich he commendeth so much before not to be alone but vvith charitie not to be idle but to be vvorking by Charitie as S. Augustine noteth defid ep c. 14. Further the good Reader must obserue that vvhereas the Protestants some of them confesse that Charitie and good vvorkes be ioyned and requisite also and that they exclude them not but commend them highly yet so that the said Charitie or good vvorkes are no part of our iustice or any cause of iustification but as fruites and effectes of faith onely vvhich they say doth all yea though the other be present this false glose also is reproued euidently by this place vvhich teacheth vs cleane contrarie to vvitte that faith hath her vvhole actiuitie and operation tovvard iustice and saluation of charitie and not contrarievvise vvithout vvhich it can not haue any act meritorious or agreable to God for our saluation for vvhich cause S. Augustine saith li. 〈◊〉 de Trin. c. 18. Fidem non facit vtilem nisi charitas nothing maketh faith profitable but charitie But the Heretikes ansvver that vvhere the Apostle saith faith vvorketh by charitie he maketh charitie to be the instrument only of faith in vvel vvorking and therfore the inferior cause at the least but this also is easily refuted by the Apostles plaine testimonie affirming that charitie is * the greater vertue that if a man had al faith and lacked charitie he vvere vvorth nothing And againe * that Charitie is the perfection and accoÌ„plishment of of the Iavv as faith iâ— not vvhich can not agree to the instrumental or inferior cause And therfore vvhen it is said that faith vvorketh by charitie it is not as by an instrument but as the body vvorketh by the soul the matter by the forme vvithout vvhich they haue no actiuitie Vvherevpon the the Schooles call Charitie the forme or life of faith that is to say the force actiuitie operatiue qualitie thereof in respect of merite and iustice Vvhich S. Iames doth plainely insinuate vvhen he maketh faith vvithout Charitie to be as a dead corps vvithout soul or life and therefore vvithout profitable operation c. 2. v. 26. â—â— Libertie an occasion They abuse the libertie of the Gospel to the aduantage of their flesh that vnder pretense therof shake of their obedience to the lavves of man to the decrees of the Church and Councels that vvil liue and beleeue as they list and not be taught by their Superiors but fornicate vvith euery Sect maister that teacheth pleasant licentious things and al this vnder pretence of spirit libertie and freedom of the Gospel Such must learne that al heresies schismes and rebellions against the Church and their lavvful Prelates be counted here among the vvorkes of the flesh Sâ—â— S. Augustine de fid op c. 24. 25. If any do sinne therest that do the vvorkes of the Holy Ghost must not therfore take pride in them selues but rather make humilitie of it partly by fearing their ovvne fall partly by looking straitly to their ovvne vvorkes 6 He exhorteth earnestly to good vvorkes assuring them that they shal reaps none other then here they sovv 11 With his ovvne hand he vvriteth telling them the true cause vvhy those false Apostles preach circumcision to be only to please the Ievves 17 and a plaine argument that he preacheth it not to be this that he is persecuted of the Ievves verse 1 BRETHREN and if a man be preoccupared in any fault you that are spiritual instruct such an one in the spirit of lenitie considering thine ovvne self lest thou also be tempted ✠verse 2 Beare ye one an others burdens so you shal fulfil the lavv of Christ ✠verse 3 For if any man esteeme him self to be something vvhereas he is nothing he seduceth him self ✠verse 4 But let euery one proue his ovvne vvorke so in him self only shal he haue the glorie and not in an other ✠verse 5 For euery one shal beare his ovvne burden ✠verse 6 And let * him that is catechized in the vvord communicate to him that catechizeth him in al his goods ✠verse 7 Be not deceiued God is not mocked ✠verse 8 For what things a maÌ„ shal sow those also shal he reape For he that sovveth in his flesh of the flesh also shal reape corruptioÌ„ but he that soweth in the spirit of the spirit shal reape life euerlasting ✠verse 9 And * doing good let vs not faile For in due time vve shal reape not failing ✠verse 10 Therfore vvhiles
mans perdition but hath prouided a general medicine redemption to saue al from perishing that vvil accept it or that haue it applied vnto them by his Sacraments and other meanes by him ordained and so vvould haue al saued by his conditional vvil and ordinance that is if men vvil them selues by accepting doing or hauing done vnto them al things requisite by Gods lavv for God vseth not his absolute vvil or povver tovvardes alâ—â—â— this case But he that list see the manifold senses al good and true that these vvordes may beare let him see S. Augustine Ad articul sibi false impos resp â— to 7. Eâ—ch c. 103. Ep. 107. De cor grat c. 15. and S. 〈◊〉 li. 2. de orthod fide â— 29. 5 One mediator The Protestants are to peuish and pitifully blind that charge the Catholike Church Catholikes vvith making moe Mediators then one vvhich is Christ our Sauiour in that they desire the Saincts to pray for them or to be their patrones and intercessors before God Vve tel them therfore that they vnderstand not vvhat it is to be a Mediator in this sense that S. Paul taketh the vvord and in vvhich it is properly and onely attributed to Christ For to be thus a Mediator is by nature to be truely both God and man to be that one eternal Priest and Redeemer vvhich by his sacrifice and death vpon the Crosse hath reconciled vs to God and paied his bloud as a full and sufficient raunsom for al our sinnes him self vvithout neede of any redemption neuer subiect to possibilitie of sinning againe to be the singular Aduocar and Patrone of mankind that by him self alone and by his ovvne merites procureth al grace mercie to mankind in the sight of his â—ather none making any intercession for him nor geuing any grace or force to his praiers but he to al none asking or obtaining either grace in this life or glorie in the next but by him In this sort then as S. Augustine truely saith Cont. ep Parm. li. 2. c. 8. neither Peter nor Paul no nor our B. Lady nor any creature vvhatsoeuer can be our Mediator The aduersaries thinke to basely of Christes mediation if they imagine this to be his onely prerogatiue to pray for vs or that vve make the saincts our Mediators in that sort as Christis vvhen vve desire them to pray for vs. vvhich is so far inferior to the singular mediation of him that no Catholike euer can or dare thinke or speake so basely vnto him as to desire him to pray for vs but vve say Lord haue mercie vpoÌ„ vs Christ haue mercie vpon vs not Christ pray for vs as vve say to our Ladie and the rest Therfore to inuocate Saincts in that sort as the Catholike Church doth can not make them our Mediators as Christ is vvhom vve must not inuocate in that sort And as vvel make vve the faithful yet liuing our Mediators by the Aduersaries arguments vvhen vve desire their praiers as the departed Saincts But novv touching the vvord Mediator though in that singular sense proper to our Sauiour it agreeth to no mere creature in heauen or earth yet taken in more large and common sort by the vse of Scriptures doctors and vulgar speach not onely the Saincts but good men liuing that pray for vs and help vs in the vvay of saluation may and are rightly called Mediators As S. Cyril li. 22 Thesaur c. 10 proueth that Moyses according to the Scriptures and Ieremie and the Apostles and others be Mediators Read his ovvne wordes for they plainely refute al the Aduersaries cauillations in this case And if the name of * fauiour and redeemer be in the Scriptures giuen to men vvithout derogation to him that is in a more excellent and incomparable maner the onely Sauiour of the vvorld vvhat can they say vvhy there may not be many Mediators in an inferior degree to the only and singular Mediator S. Bernard saith Opus est mediatore ad Mediatorem Christum nec alter nobis vtilior quam Maria. that is We haue neede of a mediator to Christ the Mediator and there is none more for our profite then our Ladie Bernard Ser. qui incipit Signum magnum apparuit c. post Ser. 5 de Assumpt S. Basil also in the same sense vvriting to Iulian the Apostata desireth the mediation of our Ladie of the Apostles Prophets and Martyrs for procuring of Gods mercie and remission of his sinnes His vvordes are cited in Conc. Nic. 2. act 4. pag. 110 111. Thus did and thus beleeued al the holy fathers most agreably to the Scriptures and thus must al the children of the Church do be the Aduersaries neuer so importunate and vvilfully blinde in these matters 12. I permit not In times of licentiousnes libertie and heresie vvomen are much giuen to reading disputing chatting and langling of the holy Scriptures yea and to teach also if they might be permitted but S. Paul vtterly forbideeth it and the Greeke Doctors vpon this place note that the vvoman taught but once that vvas vvhen after her reasoning vvith Satan she persuaded her husband to transgression and so she vndid al mankind And in the Ecclesiastical vvriters vve find that vvomen haue been great promoters of euery sort of heresie vvhereof see a notable discourse in S. Hierom ep ad Ctâ—siph cont Pelag. c. 2. vvhich they vvould not haue done if they had according to the Apostles rule folovved pietie and good vvorkes and liued in silence and subiection to their husbands CHAP. III. Of vvhat qualitie they must be vvhom he ordaineth Bishops â— and Deacons 14 and the cause of his vvriting to be the excellencie of the Catholike Church and of Christ vvho is the obiect of our religion verse 1 A Faithful saying If a man desire a Bishops office he desireth ″ a good worke ✠verse 2 * It behoueth therfore ″ a Bishop to be irreprehensible the husband ″ of one vvife sobre vvise comely chast a man of hospitalitie a teacher ✠verse 3 not giuen to vvine no fighter but modest no quareler not couetous ✠verse 4 vvel ruling his ovvne house hauing his children subiect vvith al chastitie ✠verse 5 But if a man knovv not to rule his ovvne house hovv shal he haue care of the Church of God ✠verse 6 ″ Not a neophyte lest puffed into pride he fall into the iudgment of the Deuil ✠verse 7 And he must haue also good testimonie of them that are vvithout that he fall not into reproch and the snare of the Deuil ✠verse 8 Deacons in like maner chast not double tonged not giuen to much vvine not folovvers of filthie lucre ✠verse 9 hauing the mysterie of faith in a pure coÌ„science ✠verse 10 And let these also be proued first so let them minister hauing no crime ✠verse 11 The vvomen in like maner
chast not detracting sober faithful in al things ✠verse 12 Let deacons be the husbandes of one vvife vvhich rule vvel their children their houses ✠verse 13 For they that haue ministred vvel shal purchase to them selues a good degree and much confidence in the faith vvhich is in Christ IESVS ✠verse 14 These things I vvrite to thee hoping that I shal come to thee quickly ✠verse 15 but if I tary long that thou maiest knovv how thou oughtest to conuerse ″ in the house of God which is the CHVRCH of the liuing God ″ the piller and ground of truth ✠verse 16 And manifestly it is a great sacrament of pietie vvhich vvas manifested in flesh vvas iustified in spirit appeared to Angels hath beene preached to gentils is beleeued in the vvorld is assumpted in glorie ANNOTATIONS CHAP. III. 1. A good vvorke Nothing saith S. Augustine in this life and specially in this time is easier pleasanter or more acceptable to man then the office of a Bishop Priest or Deacon if the thing be done onely for fashion sake and â—â—â—â—â—ringly but nothing before God more miserable more lamentable more damnable Againe There is nothing in this life and specially at this time harder more laborious or more dangerous then the office of a Bishop Priest or Deacon but before God nothing more blessed if they vvarre in such sort as our Captaine commaundeth August ep 148. 2. A Bishop That vvhich is here spoken of a Bishop because the vvordes Bishop Priest in the nevv Testament be often taken indifferently for both or either of the tvvaine as is noted in an other place the same is meant of euery Priest also though the qualities here required ought to be more singular in the Bishop then in the Priest according to the difference of their degrees dignities and callings â— Of one vvife Certaine Bishops of Vigilantius sect vvhether vpon false construction of this text or through the filthines of their fleshly lust vvould take none to the Cleargie except they vvould be maried first not beleeuing saith S. Hierom aduers Vigilant c. 1. that any single man liueth chastly shevving hovv holily they liue them selues that suspect il of euery man and vvil not giue the Sacrament of Order to the Cleargie vnlâ—s they see their vviues haue great bellies and children vvalling at their mothers breastes Our Protestants though they be of Vigilantius sect yet they are scarse come so farre to commaund euery Priest to be maried Neuertheles they mislike them that vvill not marrie so much the vvorse and they suspect il of euery single person in the Church thinking the gift of chastitle to be very rare among them they do not onely make the state of mariage equal to chast single life vvith the Heretike Iouinian but they are bold to say sometimes that the Bishop or Priest may do his duety and charge better maried then single expresly against S. Paul vvho affirmeth that the vnmaried thinke of the things that belong to God and that the maried be diuersely distracted and intangled vvith the vvorld The Apostle then by this place vve novv treate of neither commauÌ„deth nor counseleth nor vvisheth nor vvould haue Bishops or Priests to marrie or such onely to be receiued as haue been maried but that such an one as hath been married so it vvere but once and that to a virgin may be made Bishop or Priest Which is no more then an inhibition that none hauing been tvvise maried or being bigamus should be admitted to that holy Order And this exposition onely is agreable to the practise of the vvhole Church the definition of auÌ„cient Councels the doctrine of al the fathers vvithout exception and the Apostles tradition Vvhich sense S. Chrysostom vvholy folovveth vpon the Epistle to Titus though here he folovv not vvholy the same sense Ho. 2 in ep ad Tit. S. Ambrose also vpon this place and most plainely and largely in his 82 Epistle post med giuing the cause why bigamus can not be made Bishop or Priest in fine affirmeth not onely the Apostle but the holy Councel of Nice to haue taken order that none should be receiued into the Cleargie that vvere tvvise maried S. Hierom Ep. 83. ad Oceanum c. 2. ep â— c. 18. ep 11. â— 2 expresly vvriteth that the Cleargie is made of such as haue had but one vvife at least after Baptisme for he thought that if one vvere often maried vvhen he vvas yet no Christian he might notvvithstanding be ordered Bishop or Priest But S. Ambrose ep 82. S. Augustine de bono Coniug c. 18. S. Innocentius the first ep 2. c. 5. â— to 1. Concil S. Leo ep 87â— S. Gregorie after them the vvhole Church exclude those also vvhich haue been tvvise maried vvhen so euer vvhereof S. Augustine giueth goodly reason and example in the place alleaged S. Leo ep 87 addeth further proueth that the maÌ„ is couÌ„ted bigamus not the husband of one vvife in respect of holy Orders not onely if he hath had tvvo vviues but if his one vvife vvere not a virgin vvhich being obserued in the high Priests of the old lavv must needes be much rather kept novv See also the booke de Ecclesiasticis dogmatibus c. 72 in S. Augustines vvorkes And by these fevv you may see hovv shamefully the state of the new heretical Cleargie of our time is fallen from the Apostolike and al the fathers practise and doctrine herein Vvho do not onely take men once or twise maried before but vvhich vvas neuer heard of before in any person or part of the Catholike Church they marie after they be Bishops or Priests once tvvise and as often as their lustes require Whereas it vvas neuer lawful in Gods Church to marrie after Holy Orders Neither is there one authentical example thereof in the world For those of vvhom Nice Councel speaketh vvere maried before were but tolerated onely to vse their wiues the fathers in the same Councel prouiding expresly at the same time that none from thence forth should marrie after they came to holy Orders and that according to the auÌ„cient tradition of the Church as Socrates and Sozomenus declare in most plaine vvordes See Suidas in the vvord Paphnutius And in vvhat countrie so euer they haue been permitted to haue carnal dealing euen vvith their vviues whom they had before it was not according to the exact rule of the Apostles Churches tradition by vvhich al that be in holy Orders should wholy abstaine not onely from marying but euen from their wiues before maried Vvhereof thus vvriteth S. Epiphanius hares 59 câ—nt Cathares The holy preaching of God receiueth not after Christ them that marrie againe after their vviues departure by reason of the great dignitie and honour of Priesthod And this the holy Church of God obserueth vvith al sinceritie Yea she doth not receiue the once maried person that yet
He prophecieth that certaine should depart from the Catholike faith vvilling Timothee therfore to inculcate to the people those articles of the said faith 7 Item to exercise him self in spiritual exercise 12 to gette authoritie by example of good life 13 to studie to teach to increase in the grace giuen him by holy orders verse 1 AND the Spirit manifestly saith that in the last times certain â— shal depart from the faith attending to spirites of errour and doctrines of diuels ✠verse 2 speaking lies in hypocrisie and hauing their conscience seared ✠verse 3 â— forbidding to marie to abstaine from meates vvhich God created to receaue vvith thankes-giuing for the faithful and them that haue knovven the truth ✠verse 4 For euery creature of God is good and nothing to be reiected that is receiued â— vvith thankes-giuing ✠verse 5 For it is â— sanctified by the vvord of God and praier ✠verse 6 These things proposing to the brethren thou shalt be a good minister of Christ IESVS nourished in the vvordes of the faith and the good doctrine vvhich thou hast attained vnto ✠verse 7 But folish and old vviues fables auoid and exercise thy self to pietie ✠verse 8 For corporal exercise is profitable to litle but pietie is profitable to al things hauing promisse of the life that novv is and of that to come ✠verse 9 A faithful saying and vvorthie of al acceptation ✠verse 10 For to this purpose vve labour and are reuiled because vve hope in the liuing God vvhich is the Sauiour of al men especially of the faithful ✠verse 11 Commaund these things and teach ✠verse 12 Let no man contemne thy youth but be an example of the faithful in vvord in conuersation in charitie in faith in chastitie ✠verse 13 Til I come attend vnto reading exhortation doctrine ✠verse 14 Neglect not ″ the grace that is in thee vvhich is giuen thee by prophecie vvith imposition of the handes ″ of priesthod ✠verse 15 These things doe thou meditate be in these things that thy profiting may be manifest to al. ✠verse 16 Attend to thy self and to doctrine be earnest in them For this doing thou shalt ″ saue both thy self and them that heare thee ANNOTATIONS CHAP. IIII. 1. Shal depart It is the proper description of Heretikes to forsake their former faith and to be Apostataes as the Greeke vvord importeth to giue care to particular spirites of error deception rather then to the Spirit of Christ in his Church to folovv in hypocrisie and shevv of vertue the pernicious doctrine of Diuels vvho are the suggesters and prompters of al Sectes and are lying spirites in the mouthes of al Heretikes and false preachers men that haue put their conscience to silence and made it senses to the holy hurches admonition the Apostle noting * once before also in this same Epistle that Heretikes haue no conscience vvhich is the cause both of their fall and of their obduration in heresie â— Forbidding to marrie He speaketh saith S. Chrysostom of the Manichees Encratites and Marcionistes hâ— 12 in 1 Tim. S. Ambrose vpon this place addeth to these the Patritians also S. Irenaeus li. 1 c. 30. S. Epiphanius har 45. 26. 61. 30. S. Hierom 1 cont louin c. 1. ep 50 c. 1 3. S. Augustine har 25. 40. and generally al antiquitie affirme the same both of them and also of the Heretikes called Apostolici Ebionitae and the like Their heresie about mariage vvas that to marrie or to vse the act of matrimonie is of Satan as S. Irenaeus vvitnesseth li. 1 c. 22 and that the distinction of male and femal and the creation of man and vvoman for generation came of an il God They taught their hearers saith S. Augustine that if they did vse vvomen they should in any vvise prouide that they might not conceiue or beare children Clemens Alexandrinus li. 3. Strom in principie vvriteth that such admit no mariage nor procreation of children lest they should bring into the vvorld creatures to suffer miserie and mortalitie And this is the damnable opinion concerning mariage noted here by the Apostle For the second point consisting in the prohibition of meates or vse of certaine creatures made to be eaten the said Heretikes or diuers of them for they vvere not al of one sect touching these points taught that men might not eate certaine sortes of meates specially of beastes and liuing creatures for that they vvere not made say they of the good God but of the euil And vvine they called the gall of the Prince of darkenes and not to be drunke at al and the Vine vvhereof it came to be of the Diuels creation And diuers other creatures they coÌ„demned as things by nature and creation polluted and abominable August har Manich. 46. har 25 Tatian toto libro de mâ—r Manich. to 1. Lo these vvere the Heretikes and their heresies vvhich S. Paul here prophecieth of that forbid mariage and meates as you haue heard for vvhich they and their folovvers vvere condemned in diuers Councels Is it not novv an intolerable impudencie of the Protestants vvho for a smal similitude of vvordes in the eares of the simple apply this text to the fastes of the Church and the chastitie of Priests and Religious As though either by appointing or vsing some daies of abstinence from certaine meates the Church or any Catholike man condemned the said meates vnles the Rechabites Hierom. 35. or the Nazarites Num. 6. or the Niniuites Ion. 3. or Moyses Exod. 34. or Elias 3 Reg. 19. or holy Anna the vvidow Luc. 2 or Iohn Baptist Mat. 3 9. or Christ him self Mâ— 4. commending vsing and folovving a prescript number of fasting daies or God him self that in the very beginning in Paradise prescribed abstinence from the fruite of one certaine tree and after appointed so many fastes in the Lavv vnles he therfore condeÌ„ned his ovvne creatures the rest those creatures from vvhich they abstained No there be many good and lavvful causes to forbid some or to abstaine froÌ„ some meates as for obedience as in Paradise for significatioÌ„ as the Ievves for that they haue been offered to Idols as in the Epistle to the Corinthians for chastening the bodie and penance for health also and onely those causes are vnlavvful for vvhich the Manichees and other Heretikes abstained Concerning mariage likewise they may as vvel charge God or the Church for forbidding the father to marrie the daughter or the brother the sister or other prohibited persons in the Lavv as vvel might they charge Christ and the Apostle for prohibiting the man to marrie during his vviues life and appointing vvidowes that serue the Church to liue vnmaried and not admitting a maried woman as vvel as vvidovv nor her that hath had moe husbands as vvel as her that hath beeÌ„ maried but once as they
charge the Church for not admitting maried persons to the altar and for forcing them Religious persons to keepe their promis of chastitie No the holy Church is so farre from condemning wedlocke that she honoureth it much more then the Protestants accounting it an holy Sacrament vvhich they do not who onely vse it to iust as the Heathen doe and not to religion But it is an old deceitful practise of Heretikes to charge Catholike men vvith old condemned heresies The Eutychians slaundered the Councel of Chalcedon and S. Leo to be Nestorians and to make two persons in Christ because they said there vvere tvvo natures Vigilius li. 5. cont Euâ—ychen Arius charged Alexander his Bishop of Sabellianisme for auouching the vnitie of substance in Trinitie Socrat. li. 1. c. 3. Iulianus accused S. Augustine of the heresie of Apollinaris li. 5. conâ— Iulian. c. 15. Other Pelagians chalenged him for condemning mariage Retrait li. 2. c. 53. And that our Protestants bragge not to much of their goodly inuention louinian the old Heretike their Maister in this point accused the holy doctors and Catholikes vpon this same place to be Manichees and to condemne meates and mariage as both S. Hierom and S. Augustine do testifie And they both answer to the Heretike that the Church in deede Catholikes do abstaine froÌ„ some for euer and some for certaine daies and euery Christian man lightly al the 40 daies of Lent fast not for that they thinke the meates vncleane abominable or of an il creation as the Manichees do but for punishment of their bodies and taming their concupiscences Hiero. li. 2. cont Iouin c. 11. Aug. cont Adimantum c. 14. Li. de mor. Cath. Eo Hiero. in c. 4. ad Galat. And as for mariage the said doctors answer that no Catholike man condemneth it for vnlavvful as the old Heretikes did but onely preferreth virginitie and continencie before it as a state in it self more agreable to God and more meete for the Cleargie See S. Augustine against Faustus the Manichee li. 30 c. 5. 6. and har 25 in the name Apostolici S. Hierom ep 50. c. 1. 3. Al this the Catholikes continually tel the Aduersaries and they can not but see it Yet by accustomed audacitie and impudencie they beare it out still 4. With thankes giuing By the most auÌ„cient custom of the faithful both before Christ and sithence men vse to blesse their table and meates by the hand and word of a Priest if any be present othervvise by such as can conueniently do it And in husbandmens houses vvhere they haue no other meanes they should at least blesse Gods giftes and them selues vvith a Pater noster or the signe of the Crosse not onely to acknowledge from whom they haue their concinual sustenauce but also to blesse their meate and sanctifie it For the Greeke vvord vsed of S. Paul by Ecclesiastical vse vvheÌ„ it coÌ„cerneth meates signifieth not onely thankes giuing but blessing or sanctifying the creatures to be receiued as being al one vvith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in English vve call it grace not onely that after meate which is onely thankes to God but that before meate vvhich is alvvaies a benediction of the creatures as it is plaine in the prescript and vsual formes of grace For vvhich cause a Priest should euer do it rather then a lay man or any of inferior order in the Cleargie In so much that S. Hierom ep 85 reprehendeth certaine Deacons vvhom he savv say grace or blesse the meate and the companie in the presence of a Priest Vvho also recordeth in the life of S. Paul the holy Eremite the great curtesie and humilitie of him and S. Antonie yelding one to the other the preeminence of blessing their poore dinner For to blesse is a great thing and a Priestly prerogatiue as the Apostle vvitnesseth declaring the preeminence of Melchise dec in that he blessed Abraham Read the note folowing 5. Sanctified Al creatures be of Gods creation none of the Diuel or of any other cause and beginning as the Manichees blasphemed and therfore none are il abominable or vncleane by creation nature and condition but al good and made for mans vse though al be not alike holy nor equally sanctified God made seuen daies but he sanctified onely one of them he made al places but he sanctified none but the Temple and such like deputed to his seruice as the Arke the altar and the rest vvhich vvere by sacred vse both holy them selues and gaue also holines and sanctification to things that touched them or vvere applied vnto them So our Sauiour saith that the Temple sanctified the gold and the altar the gift and generally al creatures secured from common and profane vse to religion and vvorship of God are made sacred thereby So the places and daies of Gods apparition or vvorking some special vvonders or benefites tovvard the people vvere holy as Bethel Sinai and others And much more those times and places of Christes Natiuitie Passion burial Resurrection Ascension vvhich is so plaine a case that the hâ—l vvhere he vvas transfigured onely is called therfore by S. Peter the holy mount These therfore be holy memories and monuments of al sortes sanctified besides that creatures as vve see here be sanctified also by the vvord of God and praier that is to say by benediction inuocation of our Lordes holy name vpon them specially by the signe of the Crosse as S. Chrysostom noteth on this place ho. 12 in 2 ad Tim. by the vvhich the aduersarie povver of Satan vsurping vniustly vpon Gods creatures through mans sinne and seeking deceitfully in or by the same to annoy mans body or soule is expelled and the meates purged from him and made holesom S. Gregorie li. 1 Dialog c. 4. recordeth that the Diuel entered into a certaine religious vvoman by eating the herbe lettiâ—e vnblessed And S. Augustine li. 18. de ciu Dei â— 18. shevveth at large vvhat vvaies he hath by meates and drinkes and other vsual creatures of God to annoy men though is povver be much lesse then it vvas before Christ but still much desire he hath on al sides to molest the faithful by abusing the things most neere and necessarie vnto them to their hurt both bodily and Ghostly for remedie vvhereof this sanctification vvhich the Apostle speaketh of is very soueraine pertaining not onely to this common and more vulgar benediction of our meates and drinkes but much more as the proprietie of the Greeke vvord vsed by the Apostle for sanctification doth import to other more exact sanctifying and higher applying of some creatures and blessing them to Christes honour in the Church of God and to mans spiritual and corporal benefites For as S. Augustine vvriteth li. 2 de peâ— merit c. 26. besides this vsual blessing of our daily foode the Cathecumens that is such as vvere taught tovvard Baptisme are sanctified by the signe
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
✠verse 5 So Christ also ″ did not glorifie him self that he might be made a high priest but he that spake to him My Sonne art thou I this day haue begotteÌ„ thee ✠verse 6 As also in an other place he saith Thou art ″ a priest for euer according to the order of Melchisedec ⊢ ✠verse 7 Vvho in the daies of his flesh ″ vvith a strong crie and teares offering praiers and supplications to him that could faâ—e him from death vvas heard ″ for his reuerence ⊢ ✠verse 8 And truely vvhereas he was the Sonne he learned by those things vvhich he suffered obedience ✠verse 9 and being consummate ″ vvas made to al that obey him cause of eternal saluation ✠verse 10 called of God a high priest according to the order of Melchisedec ✠verse 11 Of vvhome vve haue great speache and ″ inexplicable to vtter because you are become vveake to heare ✠verse 12 For vvhereas you ought to be maisters for your time you neede to be taught againe your selues vvhat be the elements of the beginning of the vvordes of God and you are become such as haue neede of milke not of strong meate ✠verse 13 For euery one that is partaker of milke is vnskilful of the vvord of iustice for he is a childe ✠verse 14 But strong meate is for the perfect them that by custome haue their senses exercised to the discerning of good euil ANNOTATIONS CHAP. V. 1. Euery high Priest By the description of a Priest or high Priest for to this purpose al is one matter he proueth Christ to be one in most excellent sort First then a Priest must not be an Angel or of any other nature but mans Secondly euery man is not a Priest but such an one as is specially chosen out of the rest and preferred before other of the community seuered assumpted and exalted into a higher state and dignitie then the vulgar Thirdly the cause and purpose vvhy he is so sequestred and piked out from the residue is to take charge of Diuine things to deale as a mediator betvvixt God and the people to be the Deputie of men in such things as they haue to craue or to receiue of God and to present or giue to him againe Fourthly the most proper and principal part of a Priests office is to offer oblations giftes and sacrifices to God for the sinnes of the people vvithout vvhich kind of most soueraine dueties no person people or Commonvvealth can appertaine to God and vvhich can be done by none of vvhat other dignitie or calling soeuer he be in the vvorld that is not a Priest diuers Princes as vve read in the Scriptures punished by God and king Saul deposed from his kingdom specially for attempting the same And generally vve may learne here that in ijs qua sunt ad Deum in an matters touching God his seruice and religion the Priest hath onely charge and authority as the Prince temporal is the peoples gouernour guider and so retaine in the things touching their vvorldly affaires Vvhich must for al that by him be directed and manneged no othervvise but as is agreable to the due vvorship and seruice of God against vvhich if the terrene Povvers commit any thing the Priests ought to admonish them from God Vve learne also hereby that euery one is not a Priest and that the people must alvvaies haue certaine persons chosen out from among them to deale in their sutes and causes vvith God to pray to minister Sacraments and to sacrifice for them And vvhereas the Protestants vvil haue no Priest Priesthod nor sacrifice but Christ and his death pretending these vvordes of the Apostle to be verified onely in the Priesthod and Seruice of the old lavv and Christes person alone and after him of no moe therein they shevv them selues to be ignorant of the Scriptures and of the state of the nevv Testament and induce a plaine Atheisme and Godlesnesse into the vvorld for so long as man hath to doe vvith God there must needes be some deputed and chosen out from among the rest to deale according to this declaration of the Apostle in things pertaining to God and those must be Priests for els if men neede to deale no more but immediatly vvith Christ vvhat doe they vvith their Ministers Vvhy let they not euery man pray and minister for him self and to him self Vvhat doe they vvith Sacraments seing Christes death is as vvel sufficient vvithout them as vvithout sacrifice Vvhy standeth not his death as vvel vvith Sacrifice as vvith Sacraments as vvel vvith Priesthod as vvith other Ecclesiastical functioÌ„ There is no other cause in the vvorld but that Sacrifice being the most principal act of religion that man ovveth to God both by his Lavv and by the lavv of nature the Diuel by these his ministers vnder pretence of deferring or artributing the more to Christes death vvould abolish it This definition of a Priest and his function vvith al the properties thereto belonging holdeth not onely in the lavv of Moyses and order of Aarons Priesthod but it vvas true before in the lavv of nature in the Patriarches in Melchisedec and novv in Christ and all his Apostles and Priests of the nevv Testament sauing that it is a peculiar excellencie in Christ that he onely offered for other mens sinnes and not at all for his ovvne as all other doe 4. Taketh to him self A special prouiso for all Priests preachers and such as haue to deale for the people in things pertaining to God that they take not that honour or office at their ovvne hands but by lavvful calling and consecration euen as Aaron did By vvhich clause if you examine Luther Caluin Beza and the like or if al such as novv a daies intrude them selues into sacred functions looke into their consciences great and foul matter of damnation vvil appeare 5. Did not glorifie him self The dignity of Priesthod must needes be passing high and soueraine vvhen it vvas a promotion and pereferment in the sonne of God him self according to his manhod and vvhen he vvould not vsurpe nor take vpon him the same vvithout his fathers expresse commission and calling therevnto An eternal example of humility and an argument of condemnation to al mortal men that arrogate vniustly any function or povver spiritual that is not giuen them from aboue and by lavvful calling and commission of their superiors 6. A Priest for euer In the 109 Psalme from vvhence this testimonie is taken both Christes kingdom and Priesthod are set fourth but the Apostle vrgeth specially his Priesthod as the more excellent and preeminent state in him our Redemption being vrought atchieued by sacrifice vvhich vvas an act of his Priesthod and not of his kingly povver though he vvas properly a king also as Melchisedec vvas both Priest and king being a resemblance of Christ in both but much more in his
first effect of this Sacrament is to saue the soule by giuing grace and comfort to vvithstand the terrours and tentations of the enemie going about specially in that extremitie of death to driue men to desperation or distresse of minde and other damnable inconueniences the vvhich effect is signified in the matter of this Sacrament specially 15. Shal lift him vp Vvhen it shal be good for the saluation of the partie or agreable to Gods honour this SacrameÌ„t restoreth also a man to bodily health againe as experience ofteÌ„ teacheth vs. Vvhich yet is not done by vvay of miracle to make the partie sodenly vvhole but by Gods ordinarie prouidence and vse of second causes vvhich othervvise should not haue had that effect but for the said Sacrament This is the second effect 15. They shal be remitted him Vvhat sinnes soeuer remaine vnremitted they shal in this Sacrament and by the grace thereof be remitted if the persons vvorthely receiue it this is the third effect S. Chrysostom of this effect saith thus They speaking of Priests do not onely remit sinnes in baptisme but aftervvard also according to the saying of S. Iames. If any be sicke let him bring in the Priests c. Li. 3 de Sacerd. prope initiuÌ„ Let the ProtestaÌ„ts marke that he calleth Presbyterâ—s sacerdotes that is Priests and maketh them the onely ministers of this Sacrament and not elders or other lay men By al vvhich you see this Sacrament of al other to be maruâ—lous plainely set forth by the Apostle Onely sicke men and as the Greeke vvord giueth men very vveake must receiue it onely Priests must be the ministers of it the matter of it is holy oile the forme is praier in such sort as vve see novv vsed the effects be as is aforesaid Yet this so plaine a matter and so profitable a Sacrament the enemie by Heretikes vvould vvholy abolish 16. Confesse therfore It is not certaine that he speaketh here of sacramental Confession yet the circumstance of the letter vvel beareth it and very probable it is that he meaneth of it and Origen doth so expound it ho. 2 in Leuit. Venerable Bede vvriteth thus In this sentence saith he there must be this discretion that our daily and litle sinnes vve confesse one to an other vnto our equals and beleeue to be saued by their daily praier but the vncleannes of the greater leprosie let vs according to the lavv open to the Priest and at his pleasure in vvhat maner and hovv long time he shal commaund let vs be careful to be purified But the Protestants fleing from the very vvord confession in despite of the Sacrament translate thus Acknovvledge your faultes one to an other They do not vvel like to haue in one sentence Priests praying ouer the sicke anoiling them forgiuing them their sinnes confession and the like 17. He praied The Scriptures to vvhich the Apostle alludeth make no meÌ„tion of Elias praier therfore he knevv it by tradition or reuelation Vvhereby vve see that many things vnvvritten be of equal truth vvith the things vvritten 20. Maketh to be conuerted Here vve see the great revvard of such as seeke to conuert Heretikes or other sinners from errour and vvickednes and hovv necessarie an office it is specially for a Priest 20. Shal saue Vve see it derogateth not from God to attribute our saluation to any man or Angel in heauen or earth as to the vvorkers thereof vnder God by their praiers preaching correction counsel or othervvise Yet the Heretikes are so folish and captious in this kinde that they can not heare patiently that our B. Lady or others should be counted meanes or vvorkers of our saluation THE ARGVMENT OF BOTH THE EPISTLES OF S. PETER THE FIRST AND THE SECOND OF S. Peter vve reade at large both in the Gospels and in the Actes of the Apostles and namely that Christ designed him and also made him his vicaâ— as S. Mathevv for that cause in the catalogue of the Apostles calleth him Primus the first and all antiquitie Princeps Apostolorum the Prince of the Apostles and that he accordingly executed that office after Christes departure plating the Church first among the Ievves in Hierusalem and in al that countrey and coastes about as Christ also him self before had preached to the Ievves alone But preaching at length to the Gentiles also according to Christes commission Mat. 28. v. 19. and being novv come to Rome the head citie of the Gentiles from thence he vvriteth this Epistle to his Christian Ievves hauing care of them in his absence no lesse then vvhen he vvas present and not to the Ievves that vvere at home belike because they had S. Iames or his successor S. Simon Cleophâ— resident vvith them but * to them that vvere dispersed in Pontus Galatia Cappadocia and Bithynia And that he vvriteth it from Rome him self signifieth saying The Church that is in Babylon saluteth you Vvhere by Babylon he meaneth Rome as al antiquitie doth interpret him not that he so calleth the Church of Rome but the heathen state of the Romane empire vvhich then and 300 yeres after vnto the conuersion of Constantinus the Emperour did persecute the elect Church of Rome in so much that the first 33 Bishops thereof vnto S. Siluester vvere al Martyrs For the matter vvhereof he vvriteth him self doth signifie it in these vvordes This loe the second Epistle I vvrite to you my deerest in vvhich Epistles I stirre vp by admonition your sincere minde that you may be mindeful of those vvordes c. So he saith there of both together And againe of the first to the same purpose in an other place I haue breefely vvritten beseeching and testifying that this is the true grace of God vvherein you stand For there vvere at that time certaine Seducers as S. August also hath told vs vvho vvent about to teach Onely faith as though good vvorkes vvere not necessarie nor meritorious there vvere also great persecutions to compel them vvith terrour to denie Christ al his religioÌ„ He therfore exhorteth theÌ„ accordingly neither for persecution neither by seduction to forsake it though in the first his exhortation is more principally against persecution and in the second more principally against seduction The first epistle is noted to be very like to S. Paules epistle to the Ephesians in vvordes also and so thicke of Scriptures as though he spake nothing els The time vvhen the first vvas vvritten is vncertaine the second vvas vvritteÌ„ a litle before his death as is gathered by his vvordes in the same c. 1. v. 14. THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PETER THE APOSTLE CHAP. I. He comforteth them in their persecutions being novv by Baptisme made the children of God vvith the hope of their heauenly exhâ—ritance 6 shevving hovv meritorious it is for them to be so constant in faith 10 and confirming them therein vvith the authoritie of the Prophets and of the
nor Schismatikes but rather to auoid al such as the forerunners of Antichrist and to remember that Catholikes neede not to goe to schole to any such Masters hauing at home in the Catholike Church the doctrine of the holy Ghost him self vvho vvas giuen to the Church visibly in the beginning to leade her into al truth and to continue vvith her for euer Therfore he saith That vvhich you haue heard from the beginning let it abide in you Likevvise a litle after v. 27. and ep 2. v. 6. This is the commaundement that as you haue heard from the beginning you vvalke in the same because many seducers are gone out into the vvorld and v. 8. 9. And not only thus in general but also in particular he expresseth the pointes vvhich the heretikes did then call in question Some vvere about Christ him self for they denied that IESVS is Christ that he is the very sonne of God that he is incarnate Ep. 1. c. 2. v. 22. and Ep. 2. v. 7. And against such it vvas that he vvrote his Gospel also as he there signifieth Ioh. 20. v. 31. Other pointes are about our iustification against onely faith and for good vvorkes as also S. Aug. noted vvhose vvordes vvere cited before Herevpon he saith If vve say vve haue societie vvith God and vvalke in darkenes vve lie Ep. 1. c. 1. Againe He that saith he knovveth God and keepeth not his commaundements is a lier Againe This is the charitie of God that vve keepe his cōmaundements and his commaundements are not heauie Finally Children let no man seduce you he that doth iustice is iust euen as he is iust Ep. 1. c. 3. v. 7. 8. 9. likevvise c. 2. v. 29. and in deede in all the three Epistles through out he doth inculcate good vvorkes and keeping the commaundements against the heresie of only faith THE FIRST EPISTLE OF IOHN THE APOSTLE CHAP. I. Good cause there is to beleeue the Apostles preaching 5 And this is one point of their preaching that to haue participation vvith God vve must not onely beleeue but also abstaine from al mortal sinne 8 though vve al sinne venially verse 1 THAT vvhich vvas from the beginning vvhich vve haue heard vvhich vve haue seen vvith our eies vvhich vve haue looked vpon and our handes haue handled of the vvord of life ✠verse 2 and the life vvas manifested and vve haue seen and do testifie and declare vnto you the life eternal vvhich vvas vvith the Father and hath appeared to vs ✠verse 3 that vvhich vve haue seen and haue heard vve declare vnto you that ◠you also may haue societie vvith vs and our societie may be vvith the Father and vvith his Sonne IESVS Christ ✠verse 4 And these things vve vvrite to you that you may reioyce and your ioy may be ful ✠verse 5 And this is the annuntiation vvhich vve haue heard of him and declare vnto you That * God is light and in him there is no darkenesse ✠verse 6 If vve shal say that we haue societie vvith him and vvalke in darkenesse vve lie and do not the truth ✠verse 7 But if we vvalke in the light as he also is in the light vve haue societie one tovvard an other and * ◠the bloud of IESVS Christ his sonne cleanseth vs ◠from al sinne ✠verse 8 * If vve shal say ◠that vve haue no sinne vve seduce our selues and the truth is not in vs. ✠verse 9 If vve confesse our sinnes he is faithful iust for to forgiue vs our sinnes and to cleanse vs from al iniquitie ✠verse 10 If vve shal say that vve haue not sinned vve make him a lier and his vvord is not in vs. ANNOTATIONS CHAP. I. 3. You may haue societie S. Iohn shevveth manifestly that vvhosoeuer desire to be partakers vvith God must first be vnited to the Churches societie learne that faith and receiue those Sacraments vvhich the Disciples receiued of the Truth it self conuersant vvith them in flesh So saith Venerable Bede vpon this place Vvhereby vve see there is no societie vvith God in sectes or schismes nor any vvhere but in the vnitie fellovvship and communion of that Church vvhich can proue it self to descend from the Apostles 7. The bloud of Iesus Vvhether sinnes he remitted by praiers by fasting by almes by faith by charitie by sacrifice by Sacraments by the Priests as the holy Scriptures do plainely attribute remissiō to euery of these yet none of al these do othervvise remit but in the force by the merite vertue of Christs bloud these being but the appointed meanes instruments by vvhich Christ vvil haue his holy bloud to vvorke effectually in vs. vvhich meanes vvhosoeuer contemneth depriueth him self of the cōmoditie of Christs ovvne bloud continueth still in sinne and vncleannesse vaunt he him self neuer so much of Christs death Vvhich point let the Protestants marke vvel and cease to beguile their poore deceiued folovvers persuading them that the Catholikes derogate from Christs bloud or seeke remission othervvise then by it for that they vse humbly the meanes appointed by Christ to apply the benefite of his holy bloud vnto them 7. From al sinne From original and actual venial and mortal a culpa poena that is from the fault and the paine due for the same V. Bede saith that Christs Passion doth not onely remit in Baptisme the sinnes before committed but al other aftervvard also done by frailtie yet so if vve vse for the remission of them such meanes as be requisite and as Christ hath appointed vvhereof he reckeneth some Bede vpon this place See S. Augustine also vpon this place to 9. and S. Hierome li. 2 con Pelag. c. 3. 8. That vve haue no sinne Vve gather by these vvordes and the former that there be tvvo sortes of sinnes one mortal excluding vs from light and the societie of God an other venial vvhich is found euen in those that vvalke in the light and are in the societie of God Also vve note against the Pelagians that vve be truely called the sonnes of God and so iust in deede though vve be not vvithout al sinnes euery one of vs as vvel iust as vniust being taught and bound to confesse our offenses and to aske pardon daily of God by this petition of the Pater noster Forgiue vs our debtes Therfore S. Augustine li. de natura grat c. 36. reckeneth vp al the holy Patriarches Prophets and renovvmed iust persons to haue been sinners euen vvhen they vvere in grace and Iustice excepting alvvaies our B. Ladie de qua propter honorem Domini nullam prorsus cùm de peccatis agitur habere volo quaestionem of vvhom saith he for the honour of our Lord. vvhen vve talke of sinnes I vvil haue no question And Pelagius asking vvhat sinnes Abel such iust men did commit S. Augustine āsvvereth that they might laugh
euery one of them one and it vvas said to them that they should rest yet a litle time ″ til their fellovv-seruaÌ„tes be complete and their brethren that are to be slaine euen as they ✠verse 12 And I savv vvhen he had opened the sixt seale and behold there vvas made a great earth-quake and the sunne became blacke as it vvere sacke cloth of heare and the vvhole moone became as bloud ✠verse 13 and the starres from heauen fel vpoÌ„ the earth as the figge tree casteth her greene figges when it is shaken of a great vvinde ✠verse 14 and heauen departed as a booke folded together and euery hil and ilandes vvere moued out of their places ✠verse 15 And the kinges of the earth princes and tribunes and the riche and the strong and euery bond-man and free-man * hid them selues in the dennes and the rockes of mountaines ✠verse 16 And they say to the mountaines and the rockes * Fall vpon vs and hide vs from the face of him that sitteth vpon the throne and from the wrath of the Lambe ✠verse 17 because the great day of their wrath is come and vvho shal be able to stand ANNOTATIONS CHAP. VI. 9. Vnder the altar Christ as man no doubt is this altar vnder vvhich the soules of al Martyrs liue in heauen expecting their bodies as Christ their head hath his body there already And for correspondence to their place of state in heauen the Church saieth commonly their bodies also or relikes neere or vnder the altars vvhere our Sauiour body is offered in the holy Masse and hath a special prouiso that no altars be erected or consecrated vvithout some part of a Saincts body or relikes Conâ— Asrican can 50. Carthag 5. can 14. See S. Hierom cont vigilant c. 3. S. Augustine de ciuit li. 8. c. 27. S. Gregorie li. 5. ep 50. li. 1. ep 52. li. 2 ep 58. Vvher vnto the Prophet seemeth here to allude making their soules also to haue their being in heauen as it vvere vnder the altar But for this purpose note vvel the vvordes of S. Augustine or vvhat other auncient writer soeuer vvas the author thereof Ser. 11 de Sanctis Vnder the altar saith he of God I savv the soules of the slaine What is more reuerent or honorable then to rest vnder that altar on vvhich sacrifice is done to God and in vvhich our Lord is the Priest as it is vvritten Thou art a Priest according to the order of Melchisedec Rightly do the soules of the iust rest vnder the altar because vpon the altar our Lordes body is offered neither vvithout cause do the iust there call for reuenge of their bloud vvhere also the bloud of Christ is shed for sinners and many other goodly vvordes to that purpose This place also the vvicked heretike Vigilantius as S. Hierom vvriting against him vvitnesseth c. 2 abused to proue that the soules of Martyrs and other Saincts vvere included in some certaine place that they could not be present at their bodies and monuments vvhere Christian people vsed in the primitiue Church to pray vnto them as Catholike men doe yet nor be vvhere they list or vvhere men pray vnto them To vvhich the holy doctor ansvvereth at large that they be vvheresoeuer Christ is according to his humanitie for vnder that altar they be Part of his vvordes be these that you may see hovv this blessed father refuted in that Heretike the Caluinistes so long before they vvere borne Dcst thou saith he presâ—â—ribe savves to God Doest thou feâ—ter the Apostles that they may be kept in prison til the day of iudgement and be kept from their Lord of vvhom it is vvritten They folovv the Lambe vvhither soeuer he goeth If the Lambe be in euery place then they that he vvith the Lambe must be euery vvhere And if the diuel and vvicked spirites gadding abrode in the vvorld vvith passing celeritie be present euery vvhere shal holy Martyrs after the sheading of their bloud be kept close vnder an altar that they can not sturre out from thence So ansvvereth this learned doctor Vvhich misliketh our Caluinistes so much that they charge him of great errour in that he saith Christ according to his humanitie is euery vvhere as though he vvere an Vbiquetarie Protestant Vvhere if they had any iudgement they might perceiue that he meaneth not that Christ or his Saincts should be personally present at once in euery place alike as God is but that their motion speede and agilitie to be vvhere they list is incomparable and that their povver and operation is accordingly vvhich they may learne to be the holy doctors meaning by the vvordes that folovv of the Diuel and his ministers vvhoÌ„ he affirmeth to be euery vvhere no othervvise but by their exceding celeritie of being and vvorking mischeefe novv in one place novv in an other and that in a moment For though they be spirites yet are they not euery vvhere at once according to their essence And for our nevv Diuines it vvere a hard thing to determine hovv long Satan that told our Lord he had circuited the earth vvas in his iourney and in the particular consideration and tentation of Iob and hovv many men he assaulted in that his one circuite No no. such curious companions knovv nothing nor beleeue nothing but that they see vvith corporal eies and teach nothing but the vvay to infidelitie 10. And they cried S. Hierom also against the said Vigilantius reporteth that he vsed an argument against the praiers of Saincts out of this place for that these Martyrs cried for reuenge and could not obtaine But vve vvil report his vvordes that you may see how like one heretike is to an other these of our daies to those of old Thou saiest in thy booke saith S. Hierom c. 3. that vvhiles vve be aliue one of vs may pray for an other but after vve be dead no mans praier shal be heard for an other specially seing the Martyrs asking reuenge of their bloud could not obtaine So said the Heretike Against vvhich the holy Doctor maketh a long refuâ—ation prouing that they pray much more after they be in heauen then they did here in earth and that they shal be much sooner heard of God then vvhen they vvere in the vvorld But for the Heretikes argument framed out of these vvordes of the Apocalypse thus These Martyrs did not obtaine 〈◊〉 Saincts do not pray for vs it vvas so friuolous and the antecedent so manifestly false that he vouchsaued not to stand about it For it is plaine that the Martyrs here vvere heard and that their petition should be fulfilled in time appointed by God vvherevnto they did and do alvvaies conforme them selues for it vvas said vnto them That they should rest yet a litle time til c. And that Martyrs praiers be heard in this case our Sauiour testifieth Luc 18 saying And vvil not God reuenge
that this Epistle was not sent inclosed to S. Peters to be deliuered by his meanes to the vvhole Church of the Romanes in some of the assemblies it is very like it was recommended to some one principal man or other that is not here named and tvventy causes there may be vnknovven to vs. Why he saluted him not â—but no cause vvhy our Aduersaries vpon such friuolous reasons should reproue an approued truth For euen as wel might they say that S. Iohn vvas neuer at Ephesus because S. Paul in his Epistle to the Ephesians doth not salute him And plaine it is that it is the Romane seate and faith of Peter vvhich they as all Heretikes before them do feare and hate and vvhich wil be their bane and they knovv that there is no argument vvhich conuinceth in their conscience that Peter vvas neuer at Rome Therfore to conclude vve say to them in S. Augustines vvordes Why call you the Apostolike chaire the chaire of pestilence What hath the Church of Rome done against you in vvhich S. Peter did sit and from vvhich by nefarious furie you haue separated your selues 16. Holy kisse Hereof and by the common vsage of the first Christians vvho had special regard of vnitie and peace among them selues and for â—signe and protestation thereof kissed one an other came our holy ceremonie of giuing the Pax or kissing one an other in the Sacrifice of the blessed Masse 17. To marke them He carefully warneth them to take heede of seditions sovvers of Sectes and dissension in religion and this euer to be their marke if they should teach or moue them to any thing vvhich vvas not agreable to that vvhich they had learned at their conuersion not bidding them to examine the case by the Scriptures but by their first forme of faith and religion deliuered to them before they had or did read any booke of the nevv Testament 18. But their ovvne belly Hovvsoeuer Heretikes pretend in vvordes and external shew of their sheepes cote in deede they seeke but after their ovvne profite and pleasure by the Apostles to ovvne testimonie we be vvarranted so to iudge of them as of men that in deede haue no religion nor conscience 19. Your obedience Against Heretikes and their illusions there is no better way then in simplicitie to cleaue vnto that vvhich hath bene taught before for the vvhich the Romane obedience is much commended See Annot. vpon the first chap. vers 8. ⧠THE ARGVMENT OF THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS HOVV S. Paul planted the Church at Corinth coÌ„tinuing there a yere and an halfe together vve reade Act. 18. After that vvhen he vvas at Ephesus Act. 19 about the end of the three yeres that he abode there he vvrote this first Epistle to the Corinthians For euen as S. Luke there vvriteth vvhen these things vvere ended Paul purposed in the Spirit when he had gone ouer Macedonia and Achaia to goe to Hierusalem so likevvise doth S. Paul himselfe vvrite here I vvil come to you in Achaia when I shal haue gone ouer Macedonia for I vvill go ouer Macedonia but I vvil tarie at Ephesus vntil Pentecost The matter that he vvriteth of is not one as in the Epistle to the Romanes but diuers partly such faultes of theirs as vvere signified vnto him by them that vvere of Chloè 1 Cor. 1 11. partly such questions as them selues vvrote to him of And concerning the things that you vvrote to me 1 Cor. 7 1. for so vve may as it seemeth deuide the Epistle into these tvvo partes Or to put al together he vvriteth of eight things 1 Of 〈◊〉 Schismes beginning among them by occasion of certaine preachers vvhom in 〈◊〉 Second Epistle he toucheth more plainely as being False apostles chap. 1. â— 3 4. 2 Of an incestuous fornicator and some that vvent to lavv before infidel chap. 5. 6. 3 Of Matrimonie and Continencie chap. 7. 4 Of 〈◊〉 saâ—raficed to Idols chap. 8. 9. 10. 5 Of his Traditions chap. 11. 6 Of the Giftes of the Holy Ghost chap. 12. 13. 14. 7 of the Resurrection chap. 〈…〉 of the Gentiles to succour the Christian 〈◊〉 at Hieru salem chap. 16. THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE CORINTHIANS CHAP. I. After salutation 4 hauing acknovvledged the graces of their Churche 10 he dehorteth them from their Schismatical boasting against one an other in their baptizers telling them that they must boast onely in Christ for their Baptisme 17 and in their preachers vvho had the vvisedom of vvordes telling them that it is the preaching of the Crosse vvhereby God saueth the vvorld and vvherein onely Christians should boast 26 seing God of purpose chose the contemptible that so him self might haue the glorie verse 1 PAVL called to be an Apostle of IESVS Christ by the vvil of God and Sósthenes a brother ✠verse 2 to the Church of God that is at Corinth to the sanctified in Christ IESVS called to be saincts vvith al that inuocate the name of our Lord IESVS Christ in euery place of theirs and ours ✠verse 3 Grace to you and peace from God our father and our Lord IESVS Christ ✠verse 4 I giue thankes to my God alvvaies for you for the grace of God that is giuen you in Christ IESVS ✠verse 5 that in al things you be made riche in him in al vtterance and â— in al knovvledge ✠verse 6 as the testimonie of Christ is confirmed in you ✠verse 7 so that nothing is vvanting to you in any grace expecting the reuelation of our Lord IESVS Christ ✠verse 8 vvho also vvil confirme you vnto the end vvithout crime in the day of the comming of our Lord IESVS Christ ✠verse 9 God is faithful by vvhom you are called into the societie of his sonne IESVS Christ our Lord. ✠verse 10 And I beseeche you brethren by the name of our Lord IESVS Christ that you al say one thing and that there be no schismes among you but that you be perfect in one sense in one knovvledge ✠verse 11 For it is signified vnto me my brethren of you by them that are of Chloè that there be contentions among you ✠verse 12 And I meane this for that euery one of you saith I certes am Paules I Apollos but I Cephas and I Christs ✠verse 13 Is Christ deuided Vvhy vvas Paul crucified for you or in the name of Paul vvere you baptized ✠verse 14 I giue God thankes that I baptized none of you but * Crispus and Caius ✠verse 15 lest any man say that in my name you vvere baptized ✠verse 16 And I baptized also the house of Stéphanas But I know not if I haue baptized any other ✠verse 17 For Christ sent me not to baptize but to euangelize not in vvisedom of speache that the crosse of Christ be not made void ✠verse 18 For the vvord of the crosse to them in deede