but now it hath vtterly none Penitents in the primitiue church did but giue testimonie vnto the church of their heartie and vnfained repentance and not as you would haue men imagine satisfie for their sinnes and deserue at Gods hand remission and pardon therof Augustine neuer dreamed of any such matter but he wrote against the Nouatians who denied repentance to them that sinned after they were baptized against whom he prooueth by the example of Peter which had denied Christ by the authoritie of this present text that men after baptisme were not to be excluded from repentance and so maintaineth the custome of the church in admitting penitents which had béene afore for their faults excommunicated what is this to that you alledge him for against our translation 2. Cor. 13. 10. The text Therefore these things I write absent that being present I may not deale hardly according to the power which our Lord hath giuen me vnto edification and not vnto destruction The note Ecclesiastical ⸫ power to punish offenders by the censures of the church The answer Which power we reuerence and kéepe offenders in awe withall though we contemne and despise the vsurped power of the Romish church and care not for her thunderbolts GALATHIANS Galat. 1. 6. The text I maruell that you are so soone transferred from him that called into the grace of Christ vnto another Gospel which is not another vnlesse there be some that trouble you and will ⸫ inuert the Gospel of Christ. The note New Gospellers that peruert corrupt or alter the one onlie true and first deliuered Gospell are to be auoided See Saint Augustine contra Faust. libro 32. cap. 27. The answer The Gospel of God is the power of God to saluation to euery beléeuer whosoeuer therefore doeth preach any power of pope of man of fréewill or of anie other creature or thing whatsoeuer to saluation preacheth a newe Gospell and not the Gospell of God and therefore are to be auoided The whole doctrine therefore of the Popes church is to be auoided for it is nothing els but a new coined Gospell Your note booke still deceiueth you there are not so many chapters in that booke Galat. 1. 19. The text But other of the Apostles sawe I none sauing Iames ⸫ the brother of our Lord. The note Saint Iames was called our Lords brother after the Hebrew phrase of the Iewes by which neere kinsemen are called brethren for they were not brethren in deede but rather sisters children The answer If vpon this you should méete with men as froward as your selues are in expounding this is my bodie they might make you worke by not admitting any interpretation and therefore you might sée how fond a thing it is so to sticke to the letter that you will not admit the mind of the speaker Galat. 2. 11. The text And when Cephas was come to Antioch I resisted him ⸫ in face bicause he was reprehensible The note That is in presence before them all as Beza him selfe expoundeth it yet the English Bezites to the more disgracing of saint Peter translate to his face No. Testamen anno 1580. The answer It is somwhat that once in your liues you are content to acknowledge that you haue learned somwhat of master Beza but I thinke he should not haue béene spoken of héere but to take occasion by him to vtter your choller and to ease your stomacke a little vpon those whom you call English Bezites whose intent as you surmise was in their translation to disgrace S. Peter As if it had béene greater disgrace to saint Peter to be told of his fault to his face than to be told of it reprooued for it in the presence of the multitude But howsoeuer it was we sée plainly S. Peter went awry and brought others into the like danger And further we sée that his authoritie was not so great but he might be reprooued Yet though the pope go headlong to hell and lead thousands of souls with him thither no man may say Why dost thou this Gal. 2. 16. The text But knowing that a man is not iustified by the ⸫ works of the law but by the faith of Iesus Christ we also beleeue in Iesus Christ that we may be iustified by the faith of Christ and not by the works of the law for the which cause by the works of the law no flesh shall be iustified The note By this and by the discourse of the whole epistle you may perceiue that when iustification is attributed to faith the works of charitie are not excluded but the works of Moises law that is the ceremonies sacrifices and sacraments thereof principally and consequently all works done meerly by nature and free will without the faith grace spirit and aide of Christ. The answer Helpe helpe Paul hath set the popes kitchin on fire Our Rhemists bring water but it runneth out by the way For both by this and the whole course of this epistle we sée that this new Gospell into the which the Galathians were translated was a péece of poperie Namely that they ioined in the cause of iustification saluation their works with Christ the law with the gospel But our Rhemists tel vs first that not the works of charity but the works of the law are excluded by S. Paul As who should say that there were any works of loue that are not commanded in the law And therefore if the works of the law be excluded the works of loue and charitie must be excluded also But to helpe this they adde that ceremonies sacrifices and sacraments are meant principally But against that Paul maketh him accursed that abideth not in all that is written in the law to do it If blessednes and iustification be our deliuerie from that curse who séeeth not that the whole law and euery part of it and euery worke of it must be excluded But further they adde that al works done méerely by nature and frée will are excluded wherein the word méerely is to be noted bicause it expresseth that their meaning is if there be a little helpe of faith or grace that then works be not excluded To the which I say this was the case of the Galathians and the very matter against the which the Apostle bendeth his whole force for that they being Christians and so beléeuers did not exclude their works and méerely ascribe their iustification to the grace of Christ for that they parted the matter as the papists do betwixt Christ and their works the whole maner of the Apostles reasoning in the next chapter doth plainely shew And therefore I will conclude with the Apostle By grace we are saued through faith and that not of our selues for it is the gift of God not of works that no man glorie Galat. 3. ◠The text O senselesse Galathians who hath ⸫ bewitched you not to obey the truth before whose eies Iesus Christ was proscribed being crucified among you The note For any people or
ought thereby to haue espied their owne error in imagining that Christ was no more but a méere man Such remission as Christ gaue his church power to vse is in daily practise amongst vs and for my part I know no professor of the Gospel that findeth fault with it but your proud presumption beyond any authority giuen to the church of God in binding whom you list and loosing whom please you with your gainfull marchandize made therof that with all our harts we abhorre and detest Luke 8. 10. The text To you it is giuen to know the mysterie of the kingdome of God but to the rest in parables ⸫ that seeing they may not see and hearing they may not vnderstand The note See the annotations vpon Saint Matthew cap. 13. 14. The answer We haue alreadie giuen answer to that annotation Luke 8. 13. The text For they vpon the rocke such as when they heare with ioy receiue the word and these haue no roots bicause ⸫ for a time they beleeue and in the time of tentation they reuolt The note Against the heretikes that say faith once had cannot be lost and that he which now hath not faith neuer had The answer If either you had the feare of God before your eies or els regarded your owne estimation afore men you would not thus without all cause cauill We say that those whom God by his owne wil hath begotten by the word of truth which is an incorruptible séed to beléeue in the name of his sonne and so to become the children of God it is impossible that their faith should bée quite lost and that he which hath not this faith neuer yet had it what is this to the faith here spoken of which is for a time a ioyfull and readie accepting of the doctrine preached and is therefore improperlie called beléeuing because it hath some similitude with true beléeuing But you make of the Scriptures an exercise to whet your wits to wrangle and cauill for such is your reuerence towards them Luke 8. 21. The text Who answering said to them My ⸫ mother my brethren are they that heare the word of God and doe it The note He did not heere speake disdainfullie of his mother but teacheth that our spiritual kinred is to be preferred before carnall cognation Hilar. in 12. Mat. The answer This néedlesse citing of the fathers you vse to deceiue the simple withall and to make them imagine that your aduersaries hold that Christ spake disdainfully of his mother For they do not thinke that you vse this and other authorities but onlie where you néed by that meanes to winne some credit to that which you write which in this matter was altogether néedlesse Luke 8. 24. The text And ⸫ they came and raised him saying Master we perish The note See the annotations vpon Saint Matthew cap. 8 24. The answer We haue for your pleasure lost so much labour as to looke into the place and there finde no such matter Luke 8. 43. The text And there was ⸫ a certaine woman in a fluxe of blood for twelue yeeres past c. The note See the annotations vpon Saint Matthew cap. 9. 19. The answer Your annotation is séene and shall be considered of in the answer to the rest Luke 8. 45. The text And all denying ⸫ Peter said and they that were with him Master the multitudes throng and presse thee and doest thou say Who touched me The note It is an euident signe of prerogatiue that Peter onlie is named so often as chiefe of the companie Marke 1. 36. Actes 5. 29. Luke 9. 32. Marke 16. 7. 1. Cor. 15. 5. The answer It is a very sillie argument Peter onlie is named ergo he is named as chiefe of the companie It is a poore prerogatiue that can be wonne for Peter by such kinde of reasoning The Apostles amongst whom he was conuersant knewe nothing of this his prerogatiue and superioritie as appeareth by their reasoning of the case diuerse times which of them should be greatest or chiefe And therefore it is plaine and euident that you want better helpes when you are faine to staie vp Peters authoritie with such weake proppes Luke 8. 50. The text And Iesus hearing this woord answered the father of the maide Feare not ⸫ beleeue onlie and she shalbe safe The note See the annotations vpon Saint Marke cap. 5. 36. The answer We haue looked and sée there a great péece of learning Forsooth that is an vsual spéech to saie onely do this when we meane chéefely To which we replie that it is most vsuall to saie onely do this when we require onely that which we speake of and no more And againe it is a verie sillie shift for you to flâ—e to chéefely in stéede of onely when in other places you will haue charitie chéefely required and preferre if greatly afore faith Luk. 9. â— The text And calling togither the twelue apostles he gaue them ⸫ vertue and power ouer all diuels and to cure maladies The note To command diuels and diseases either of bodie or soule is by nature proper to God onely but by gods gift men also may haue the same euen so to forgiue sinne The answer And why do you not saie euen so to create heauen and earth men and angels God doth impart to men whatsoeuer pleaseth him to giue and to bestowe and not what it pleaseth proud men to chalenge Shew to vs that God hath giuen any man authoritie to sell remission of sins Otherwise I haue alreadie answered that we vse this authoritie of remitting sins so farre foorth as God hath giuen it Luk. 9. 5. The text And whosoeuer shall not receiue you going foorth out of that citie shake of the dust also of your feete ⸫ for a testimonie vpon them The note A great fault to reiect the true preachers or not to admit them into house for needfull harbour and sustenance The answer But no fault to reiect traiterous and vndermining papists who secretlie stir vp subiects to murther their soueraignes the Lords annointed and to séeke the subuersion and destruction of their owne countrie Luk. 9. 16. The text And taking the fiue loaues and the two fishes he looked vp to heauen and ⸫ blessed them and brake and distributed to his disciples for to set before the multitude The note Here you see that he blessed the things and not onely gaue thanks to God See annot Mark cap. 8. 7. The answer Who can better tell what is ment by blessing then the holie Ghost himselfe who in the fiftéenth of Matthew in the sixt of Iohn expresseth the same by giuing of thanks Neither is there any cause or reason in this place why any farther matter should be thought or imagined to be ment by blessing And as for the seuerall blessing of the bread first and then the fishes afterward is but your dreame without warrant Your annotation shall be considered of with the residue of the same sort Luk. 9.
spirit c. The note All these gifts be those which the learned call gratias gratis daâ—as which be bestowed often vpon euill liuers which haue not the other graces of God whereby their persons should be gratefull iust and holie in his sight The answer That these graces which are here recited are fréely giuen many times to the wicked is manifest and confessed of all But that which you would secretly insinuate that the other graces wherby men are made gratefull iust and holie in Gods sight are not fréely giuen but to those that procure them by works preparatorie or to them that deserue them by inherent iustice is manifestlie and directly opposite to the Scriptures Romaines 3. 24. Ephes. 2. 8. 1. Cor. 12. 1â— The text For as the bodie is one and hath manie members and all the members of the bodie wheras they be manie yet are ⸫ one bodie so also Christ. The note A maruellous vnion betwixt Christ and his church and a great comfort to all catholikes being members thereof that the church and he the head and the bodie make and be called one Christ. Aug. de vnita Eccl. The answer A maruellous good note wherin onely this héed is to be taken that men be not deceiued by ioining themselues to those that are catholikes in name and not in déede Which it is impossible otherwise to auoide then by holding fast the societie of them that imbrace and keepe that forme of doctrine which was deliuered to the church by the apostles whom all parts confesse to be true catholikes 1. Cor. 12. 28. The text Are all apostles are all prophets are all doctors ⸫ are all myracles haue all the grace of doing cures c. The note Saint Augustine ep 137. giueth the same reason why myracles and cures be done at the memories or bodies of some saints more then at others and by the same saints in one place of their memories rather then at other places The answer Augustine was a man sometimes as well as others deceiued by illusions For why should not the same saints memories bée honored with myracles in Affrica as well as in Italie For it was not to places but to persons that the gift of doing myracles was granted How much trulier wrote Augustine that myracles were not suffered to endure to his time least men should alwaies séeke visible confirmations and least men should waxe cold by the commonnes of those things by the strangenes wherof they were first enflamed 1. Cor. 13. 2. The text And if I should haue prophecie and knew all mysteries and all knowledge and if I should ⸫ haue all faith so that I could remooue mountaines and haue not charitie I am nothing The note This prooueth that faith is nothing woorth to saluation without works and that there may be true faith without charitie The answer It is strange that when in the former chapter you haue set faith among the gifts that are giuen often vnto the wicked now the same faith being spoken of you would haue it to be taken for the faith we speake of in the cause of iustification and so consequently that it might be without charitie Whereas there is as much difference betwéene that faith and this as is betwixt the beléefe of the omnipotent power of God and affiance in his goodnes But admit that that were granted you which you so much desire that a true faith were here ment how followeth your reason Is euerie supposition a proofe Saint Paule saith if an angell from heauen teach an other gospell c. doth it follow that an angell from heauen may teach an other Gospell do you not sée the vanitie of your proofe 1. Cor. 13. 10. The text But ⸫ when that shall come that is perfect that shal be made voide that is in part The note By this text Saint Augustine lib. 22. Ciu. cap. 29. prooueth that the saints in heauen haue more perfect knowledge of our affaires here then they had whiles they liued here The answer Saint Augustine there entreateth of the knowledge and sight of God which the godly shall haue after the resurrection of their bodies And he speaketh in that place no word of the knowledge that dead men haue touching the affaires of men liuing here whiles this world endureth But touching that matter his mind is as he expresseth it else where that the saints in heauen know no more what we do here then we know what they do there But you care not how you lie so you may turne men from God to put confidence in creatures 1. Cor. 13. 13. The text And now there remaine faith hope and charitie these three But the ⸫ greater of these is charitie The note Charitie is of all three the greatest How then doth onely faith being inferior to it saue and iustifie and not charitie The answer I will not at all touch that charitie is not simply the greatest but in some certaine respects But I will come to your reason If faith iustified by the vertue and merite of it self then your reason were somewhat for then charitie being the greater vertue should rather iustifie But now when it is but an instrument to lay hold vpon Christ our righteousnes your reason holdeth not Our hands are inferior to some other parts of man yet our hands are the onely instruments whereby we lay holde on and vse such weapons as serue for our defence And therefore men are called men of their hands 1. Cor. 4. 14. The text But if thou blesse in the spirit he that supplieth the place of the ⸫ vulgar how shall he say Amen vpon thy blessing bicause he knoweth not what thou saiest The note By this word are ment all rude vnlearned men but specially the simple which were yet vnchristened as the Catechumens which came into those spirituall exercises as also infidels did at their pleasures The answer By this word are ment all priuate men for it is euident that except they vnderstoode the publike praier and thankesgiuing they could not shew foorth their assent by saieng Amen 1. Cor. 15. 3. The text For ⸫ I deliuered vnto you first of all which I also receiued That Christ died for our sinnes according to the Scriptures The note This deliuerie in the Latine and Greeke importeth tradition and so by tradition did the Apostles plant the church in all truth before they wrote any thing The answer The controuersie is not whether tradition or writing was first but whether the apostles did not write as much as is necessarie for vs to know and kéepe and whether traditions which vnder their name you obtrude be to be iudged by their writings or not As for that tradition he speaketh of here he specifieth most plainly in writing and therefore this can not make for your vnwritten verities to the which you would faine impropriate the name of traditions 1. Cor. 15. 10. The text But by the grace of God I am that which I am and his grace in
and one pastor The note He meaneth the Church of the Gentils The answer It is true that Christ made of Iewes and Gentils one folde and of both he and not the pope is the one only pastor and head Iohn 10. 29. The text My father ⸫ that which he hath giuen me is greater then al. The note Another reading is my father that hath giuen me c. The answer In diuers readings you choose that which is most obscure and can not carie any true sense if it be weied with the circumstances of the place and leaue that which is plaine and carieth an inestimable comfort to all that loue God and best agréeth the Gréeke originall Iohn 11. 44. The text Iesus said to them ⸫ Loose him and let him go The note S. Cyril lib. 7. cap. vlt. in Ioh. and Augustine tract 49. in Ioh. applie this to the Apostles and priests authority of absoluing sinners affirming that Christ doth reuiue none from sinne but in the church and by the priests ministerie The answer Wée beléeue that the promise of life eternall pertaineth to none but to such as are or shalbe of the Church of God and that the ordinarie meanes whereby God effectuallie calleth men to be of his church is the ministerie of his woord But we dare not tie God to his ordinarie meanes sith he extraordinarilie called Paul and others But how well this place is applied to the ordinarie authoritie of ministers or priestes in absoluing I will spare to speake for reuerence of them whom you alledge It is well that the church hath plaine euidence of scriptures for the authoritie of binding and loosing for if it staid it selfe vpon the authoritie of men wresting such places as this to that purpose it were but a poore sillie comfort that the conscience of a poore penitent sinner could reape by the churches absolution Iohn 11. 48. The text If we let him alone so all will beleeue in him and the Romans will come and ⸫ take away our place and nation The note All men but speciall nations must take heed that whiles to saue their temporall state they forsake God they loose not both as the Iewes did August tract 49. in Io. The answer Therefore we vndergo all the perils and dangers which by your stirring vp the force and might of all the popish princes in the world can bring vpon vs rather than to displease God by giuing ouer his truth wherwith he hath blessed vs least we should prouoke his heauie indignation against vs and so perish as the Iewes haue done before vs. Iohn 12. 3. The text ⸫ Marie therfore tooke a pound of ointment of right spikenard precious and annointed the feete of Iesus and wiped his feete with hir haire and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment The note Of this womans extraordinarie offices of deuotion and how acceptable they were to Christ See the annot Mat. 26. The answer Bicause those annotations are to receiue answer by themselues therefore I thought not good to touch them here Iohn 12. 7. The text Iesus therefore said Let hir alone that she may keepe it for the day of my ⸫ buriall The note The deuout offices of balming and annointing the dead bodies of the faithfull are here also allowed The answer And we do not disallow whatsoeuer in buriall serueth either for comfort of them that be aliue and for the honest and comely bringing the dead to the graue being the last duties that men can do to their faithfull friends Iohn 12. 8. The text For the poore you haue alwaies with you but me you shall not haue alwaies The note Not in visible and mortal condition to receiue almes of you and such like offices for supply of my necessitie The answer And why do you not say not in bodie nor in humanitie Bicause you would faine with some color shift of Christs bodily absence from the earth for the better safetie and defence of your reall preseâ—ce in the sacrament You are full of fathers in matters nâ—edlesse why do you not in this place so often repeated bring vs at the least one plaine place of some father affirming that he is not simply absent in bodie from vs but onely in such sort as you do imagine Is it not a secret confession that all antiquitie is against you I maruell that you are so impudent still to glory and to cry that your faith hath continued almost xvj hundred yéeres when you know that in a number of things you are not able to bring foorth any true authoritie of halfe the age Iohn 12. 20. The text And there were certaine Gentils of them that came vp to adore in the festiuall day The note We may see there a great difference where a man pray or adore at home or in the church and holy places When the Gentils also came of deuotion a pilgrimage to the temple in Hierusalem The answer Now pilgrimages are prooued and that full pithily For the Gentiles came to adore at Hierusalem When you can find such expresse commandement of God for running to saint Iames of Compostella or our Ladie of Walsingham or visiting the holie sepulchre as was for al both Iewes and conuerts then to appéere before the Lord at Hierusalem then your reason will hold Otherwise it is as much as if I should say The Iewes and conuerts of the Gentils obeied the commandement of God in going to Hierusalem at the feast daies to worship Ergo it is lawful for me to go a roging to what place of pilgrimage in the world séemeth best in mine owne eies without further warrant As for the difference of publike and priuate praier and of seruing God at home and in the common assemblies are both knowen and practised amongst vs. Iohn 12. 40. The text Therfore they ⸫ could not beleeue bicause Esay said againe he hath blinded their eies and indurated their harts c. The note If any man aske saith saint Augustine why they could not beleeue I answer roundly bicause they would not Tract 33. in Io. See annotations Matth. 13. 15. Mark 4. 12. The answer It is true that the corruption of mans will is the cause of all euill and wickednes in man But héere either your printer made a fault or your note booke deceiued you for it is in 53. treatise And I muze why you should so much couet so force Augustine to speake for you séeing that you know that of all other he is most earnest in this cause of frée will against you For in the same place he acknowledgeth the iust iudgement of God vpon them in leauing them in blindnes and not helping them to sée And teacheth vs in inquiring why God would so leaue them to crie out with the Apostle O the depth of the riches of the wisedome and knowledge of God c. Which exclamation sheweth that Augustine had an eie to somwhat more than their will yea and to such a somwhat as was not
But their care is far vnlike for they are seldome in their charge they visit once in thrée yéere most commonly by their deputes neither to reforme life nor maners but either to shewe themselues abroad like lords or else to fill their purses This I am sure they neither learned of Paule nor Barnabas Act. 15. 41. The text And he walked thorough Siria and Cilicia confirming the churches ⸫ commanding them to keepe the precepts of the apostles and ancients The note Not onely the things commanded by Christs expresse word or written in the Scriptures as our heretikes hold but whatsoeuer the apostles and rulers of the church command is to be kept and obeied So these words repeated againe cap. 16. 4. and that in the Greeke least any man cauill bicause here the Greeke hath them not The answer You do well to ioine apostles with rulers else no man would beléeue you But I pray you where may we â—inde those things which the apostles haue commanded and are not expressed in the scriptures If you obtrude those things which you falsely call the canons and constitutions of the apostles then we bid you first reforme your church by them For though there be some corruptions in them vnknowen in the apostles time yet your church if it had no more should want at least thrée quarters of her corruptions It were woonderfull if other men should credite your forgerie which you your selues haue small regard to If you alledge this present text it is manifest that the precepts which the apostles commanded to be kept were sent in writing by the hands of Paule and Barnabas which writing is set downe by Luke word for word How then can you gather from hence anie defence of your vnwritten verities or any credite to your deuises not warranted by the Scriptures Act. 16. 4. The text And when they passed through the cities they deliuered vnto them to keepe the ⸫ decrees that were decreed of the Apostels and ancients at Hierusalem The note Here againe they take order that the decrees and articles of faith agreed vpon in the councell of Hierusalem should be executed and obserued whereby we see both the great authoritie of councels and the diligence that all prelates ought to haue to see the decrees and canons of the councels put in execution The answer In the former note these decrées you did insinuate to be matters vnwritten and now in this note they are articles of our faith and so consequently some articles of our faith are not written O miserable men What state are they in whom you lead When you pull from them the foundation and groundworke of their faith The authoritie of lawfull councels we reuerence as much as is lawfull to reuerence men But by this councel we gather that a councell may be lawfully called though the bishop of Rome call it not and that it is not néedful that he or his legate à latere should be president in councels and that it is not of necessity requisite that he should confirme and ratifie councels For it is manifest that no bishop of Rome bare stroke in this councel Acts. 16. 6. The text And passing through Phrigia and the countrie of Galatia they were ⸫ forbidden by the holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia The note This people had not the Gospell denied vnto them altogither but for a time bicause as venerable Bede thinketh God foresaw they would not beleeue and so should haue beeâ— more grieuously damned The answer Modestie requireth that you leaue the Lords secrets to himselfe The holie Ghost hath not reuealed the cause why he forbad them to preach in Asia and permitted them not to go into Bithinia and therefore we are to leaue it as a thing which God hath not thought necessary for vs to know But this is manifest that the good desires of Gods saints are not in their owne power to bring to passe when they will Acts. 16. 12. The text And from thence to Philippie which is the first citie of Macedonia a ⸫ Colonia The note Colonia is such a citie where the most inhabitants are strangers sent thither from other great cities and states namely from the Romans The answer Your interpretation of Colonia we receiue as a thing wherof our Grammar boies are not ignorant Acts. 16. 17. The text The same following Paul and vs cried saieng These men are the seruants of the high God which preach vnto you the waie of saluation The note Either the diuell was compelled by vertue of Paules presence to saie truth or else as such do often times he spake truth now that they might the more trust him and he better beguile them at other times The answer Your later coniecture I receiue as a thing that you can speake in by great experience as hauing learned that péece of cunning of the diuell neuer to vse truth but to the end to giue color and credit to lies withall Acts. 16. 3â— The text Masters what must I do to be saued But they said ⸫ Beleeue in the Lord Iesus and thou shalt be saued and thy house The note It is none other faith that saueth but that which worketh by charity August Enchirid. cap. 67. The answer Grant vs that that faith is the onely hand whereby we take hold of Christ our saluation and then a great part of our controuersie is at an end Acts. 16. 33. The text And he taking them in the same hower of the night ⸫ washed their wounds and himselfe was baptized and all his house incontinent The note Happie gailers that do mercie toward their godly prisoners and receiue againe by them such spirituall benefits The answer It was the greatest happines that could fall vpon him and his house to receiue such vnder his â—oofe by whom God so blessed him and his On the contrarie side it is a dangerous matter for gailers and keepers to be cumbred with wicked seditious and traiterous Iesuits and seminarie priests Acts. 17. 5. The text But the Iewes ⸫ enuieng and taking to them of the rascall sort certaine naughtie men and making a tumult stirred the citie and besetting Iasons house sought to bring them foorth vnto the people The note Zelantes This is the zeale of heretikes and a liuely paterne of their dealing at this day against the catholike priests and preachers and the good Iasons that receiue them The answer Looke vpon the late storie of France and there you shall sée that it is the practise of you papists to stir vp the rascall sort to misuse nay to kill and cut the throtes of Gods déere saints Acts. 17. 23. The text For passing by and seeing your idols I found an altar also whereupon was written To the vnknowen God The note The aduersaries in the new Testament 1580. translate your deuotions most corruptly against the nature of the Greeke word 2. Thes. 2. 4. and most wickedly against the laudable deuotion of good Christians calling the pagans idolatrie and superstition their