hereafter As it is meet In these woords Paul sheweth that we are bound to giue thanks vnto God not onely when he doth power on vs good thinges but also when we call to mind his benefits bestowed on our brethren For whersoeuer we do see the goodnes of God to shine we are bound to giue thankes for the same Furthermore the sauing health of our brethren ought to be so deare vnto vs that whatsoeuer is giuen vnto thē we ought to take it as bestowed on our selues Moreouer if we do consider the holy vnitie of the body of Christ such mutuall communion and fellowship shal be among vs that we will reckon the benefite of one member to be the benefite gaine of the whole Church Therefore in praysing the benefites of God we must alwayes haue respect vnto the vniuersalitie of the Church Because that your faith groweth excedingly Here are repeated the principa◠pointes of our religion as faith charitie and sufferance but not without cause For because in the former Epistle he had praysed the faith and charitie of the Thessalonians now he speaketh of the increase of them both And in very deede it is conuenient for all the godly to obserue this order that they daily make a triall and examination of themselues how much they haue profited This therefore is the true prayse of the faithfull if they grow and increase dayly more and more in faith and in charitie Moreouer first he gaue thankes vnto God for them now he saith there is cause why he should againe giue thankes for their dayly profiting And when he giueth thankes vnto God for their profiting he doth thereby signifie and declare that as well the increase as the beginning of faith and loue commeth from God For if these sprang from the vertue that is in men the giuing of thankes should be fayned or els for nothing Three causes of thanks giuing There are therfore three causes of thankes giuing of the which the first is the increase of faith For faith in such as are consecrated vnto God how true and perfect soeuer it be doth not sodenly come to her full perfection euen as yong Trees doe not by and by grow to their full bignes but doe first spring then shout vp in talnesse and at the last come to a full groth of a Tree Euen so faith hath her degrees and is not at the first begining fully perfected but seeketh and desireth to increase it selfe daily more and more And that is the meaning of this place of Paul Rom. 1.17 where he saith From faith to faith that is to say that the same in the first beginning do not decay but rather that it be confirmed more and more vntil it come to iust perfection For according to our common māner of speaking Faith of two sortes there are two sortes of faith one imperfect the which being once begunne goeth forward by degrees and increaseth and continueth not alway in weaknes the other is perfect the which being many wayes confirmed doth constātly rest it selfe on the sure knowledge and will of God And the loue of euery one of you toward another aboundeth The Second cause of thankes giuing is the mutuall loue of the Godly which bindeth vnto her euery one whom she findeth in affliction by many benefittes And although according to the common vse of the sacred scriptures he is our neighbour which is ioyned to vs by any maner of way either of dwelling nere vnto vs either of kinred or of frendship or of societie or else of custome yet notwithstanding he also shal be our neighbour which standeth in need of our helpe whatsoeuer although he be not a Citizen with vs a fellow a cosin or any other way ioyned vnto vs Luk. 10.30 euen as that man was which fell into the hands of theeues But this loue differeth from that which we owe vnto God 1. Ioh. 4.10 which loueth him in the highest degre which loued vs first This loue is the pietie and worship which we owe vnto God And as the duties of this loue are gathered out of the first table so the duties of the other are taken out of the second table the which loue in that it springeth from the loue of God as from the fountain it cannot be but very acceptable vnto God Whereupon it commeth to passe that God doth oftē times more vrge and require the loue of our neighbour then the loue of himselfe For as it appeareth by the Prophet he doth preferre the defence and helpe of the widowes the fatherlesse and the oppressed before the sacrifices offered vnto him Esay 1.17 Loue is the handmaid of faith Gal. 5.6 For this loue is the handmaid of faith and doth so necessarily wait vpon her as doth the shadow on the body Because faith which is auailable before God is effectual and working through loue 4 So that we our selues reioyce of you in the Churches of God because of your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye suffer The Apostle could not giue vnto them a greater prayse then when he sayth that he propoundeth them as examples before other Churches to be followed for that is the meaning of these woordes We our selues reioyce of you in the Churches of God And yet Paul doth not ambitiously boast of the faith of the Thessalonians but setteth them foorth as a prouocation to make others the more earnest to imitate them In the Churches of God In that he calleth them not his Churches but the Churches of God it declareth his humilitie faithfulnesse For they are false and vntrustie who whenas they ought to be the seruants of God and the ministers of Churches desire to be called Lordes and doe vsurpe authoritie ouer other mens seruants Because of your patience The third and last cause of giuing thanks is their patience But the Apostle saith not that he doth reioyce because of the faith and loue of the Thessalonians but of their patience and faith Wherupon it followeth that patience is the fruite and testimony of faith Therefore these woordes ought to be resolued thus we reioyce of the patience which commeth of faith and doth testifie the faith excelleth in you Otherwise the text should not agree And in very deed there is nothing that doth hold vs vp more in tribulations then doth faith the which doth hereby euidently enough appeare because so soone as we forget the promises of God we fal flat to the ground Therfore the more that a man doth grow in faith the more he is armed through patience stoutly to indure all things euen as on the contrarie part cowardice and impatiēce in aduersitie doth bewray our Infidelitie especially at such time as we are to suffer persecution for the Gospell the force of faith will shew it selfe Therefore that reioycing of the Apostle Paul was no proud or vaine boasting but godly piety by which he did exalt and aduaunce with condigne prayses
the knowledge of mortall men to himselfe alone so on the contrarie part they ought to beware of that securitie which made the foolish virgins to be secluded from the ioye of the bridgrome Mat. 25. and to be vigilant because they know neither the day nor the houre 2 That yee be not sodenly moued from your minde nor troubled neither by spirite nor by worde nor by letter as it were from vs as though the day of Christ were at hand By this worde mind he vnderstandeth a sound faith which is grounded vpon wholesome doctrine For they had beene carried and rapt as it were into a traunce and astonishment by this forged imagination which the Apostle reiecteth He reherseth here three kindes of deceit of the which he would haue the Thessalonians to take heed The first of which is this Neither by spirit That is to say by reuelation or prophesie by which vngodly men haue deceiued many boasting of the spirit of God when as they were led by their wicked desires and lustes They knew that the name of the spirite was honorable and that it brought great authoritie and credit to prophesiyng Wherefore as the manner of the Diuell is 2. Cor. 11.14 to traÌ„sforme himselfe into an Angel of light so the deceiuers had stollen this title to deceiue the simple withall And although Paul might haue pulled this visor from their face yet he thought it better by way of concession to speake thus As if he should say howsoeuer they pretend to haue the spirite of reuelation yet beleeue them not according to the saying of Saint Iohn 1. Iohn 4. Prooue the spirits whether they be of God or no. With such a spirite sometime the Montanistes and Valentinians and now the Catabaptistes were and are endued by which they haue greatly deceiued the simple Therfore the Apostle would not haue the faithfull to be moued from holesome doctrine Gal. 1.8 though an Angell come from heauen and teache otherwise then he hath taught already Nor by worde The other kinde of deceit is by worde that is to say by doctrine deliuered by the mouth the which if it be furnished with eloquence and probabilitie it is most pestilent Such are those sophisticall deceiuers which gadding to and fro from place to place without calling doe cause great sturre and doe greatly trouble the godly preachers and are therefore aptly termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth a subtill kinde of deceiuers Nor by letter The third kind of deceite is by counterfeit Epistles or writings For it is the manner of wranglers to counterfeit an Epistle vnder the name of some excellent man to the end they may deceiue and may get that commended by the authority of man which els comming naked would not be receiued Hereby theÌ„ it doth appeare that this impudency hath beene practised long since to counterfeite the names of other men Whereby the mercy of God toward vs appeareth the greater and more woonderful that Paul being yet liuing and seeing his name falsly abused in forged writings his Epistles notwithstanding haue been preserued safe and sound vntil this age Verily this could not so come to passe neither by chance nor yet by the industry of men if so be God by his power had not suppressed Sathan and al his ministers By this sathanical practise which Paul here condemneth it cannot be told how filthily certaine lewd varlets haue deluded the Church of God who haue thrust vpon vs many bookes and manie moe Epistles and decretals as if they had come from the Apostles or from Apostolicall men or else from such writers as were had in greate estimation for their learning and holinesse which writinges notwithstanding these good men neuer knewe and if they were liuing would neuer allow For there are carried about Canons and Decretals of Rome certaine Canons of the Apostles certaine Epistles of Apostolicall men and many other bookes beside bearing the name of Augustine or Ambrose which bookes these men neuer saw And yet notwithstaÌ„ding there want not some who taking this place for their ground and warrant will thurst vpon the Church of God whatsoeuer they list obiecting that all thinges are not reuealed in the Scriptures which are necessarily required to true pietie and godlinesse because mention is here made of spirite of worde and of an Epistle by which say they a more absolute doctrine hath beene reuealed to posterities But these men do not see that this same very place doth forewarne men that they be not seduced from a sound faith already receiued by the traditions of men which these men couering with the visor of spirit worde and of Epistle decretal or of Apostolical and most holy doe enforce vpon vs. For thus they offer vnto vs their Masses and all other thinges which they are not able to prooue by the testimonies of Scriptures ernestly affirming that they were iustified by Apoâ—tolical tradition afterward confirmed â—oth by the Epistles of Apostolicall men also by the reuelation of the holy Ghost Let vs therefore beware of these rauenous woolues Mat. 7.15 which being couered with sheep â—kinnes doe come to no other ende but to â—rouble rent and deuoure Let vs faithâ—ully hold and keepe the minde of Christ â—nd the sound and Apostolicall groundes â—f holesome and true religion So shal we â—e deceiued by no manner of meanes As though the day of Christ were at hande This place semeth to be conâ—rarie to many other places of Scripture where the holy Ghost doth pronounce that day to be at hande But they are easily recoÌ„ciled for in respect of God it is at hand Psal 90.4 2. Pet. 3.8 with whom one day is as a thousaÌ„d yeers a thousand yeers as one day Neuertheles the Lord would haue vs daily to wait looke for the same not to appoint vnto our selues a certaine time Watch saith our Sauiour Christ for ye knowe not when the time is Mar. 13.33 But these false Prophets whom Paul confuteth seeing it stood them vpon to hold mens mindes in suspence least they shuld be wearied with the tediousnes of delay commanded them to be carelesse concerning the short speedy comming of Christ 3 Let no manne deceiue you by anye meanes for that day shall not come except there come a departing first that that man of sinne be disclosed euen the sonne of perdition Paul againe admonisheth the Thessalonians to beware that they bee not deceyued that hee might make them the more vigilaunt and heedefull to themselues and that he might discourage and dismay those whiche laye in wayte to hurt the simplicitie of such as beleeued That daie shal not come except To the end the Thessalonians might not in vayne promise to them selues that the day of their redemption was at hande he propoundeth vnto them a lamentable prophesie of the defection and dissipation of the Churche to come This agreeth with that sermon of Christ which he made vnto his Disciples when
fourth Chapter he calleth them false Prophets and teacheth men how to know the spirit of Antichrist namely thus He that denieth Iesus to be Christ He that denieth Iesus Christ to be come in the flesh That is to say he that derogateth any thing from the honor of Iesus to bee Christ and in his fleshe to haue performed the full worke of mans redemption as the Pope doth most blasphemously he is Antichrist and who so teacheth any such doctrine speaketh by the spirite of Antichrist Furthermore this kingdome of abhomination is described to vs vnder the person of one because the kingdom is one how soeuer they successiuely succeede one another Whereupon Saint Augustine saith August lib. 20. de ciuit Dei cap. 19 Antichrist shall come towarde the ending of the Romaine Empire and hee shall not be a prince or one man alone but a multitude of men are belonging vnto him who together with him shal be called Antichrist and he shall sitte in the temple of God as though he and his were the Church of God it selfe And in an other place Idem lib. de Antichristo He shal renue idolatrie he shal scater the doctrine of the Gospell and to this end he shal keepe Magicians coniurers and enchauÌ„ters c. Now euery one knoweth the fals miracles wherwith he hath abused the people to lead them away from Christ And he that will see how many of the Popes came to their Popedome by magicke and sorcery let him reade that which their owne storie writers haue written therof as Cardinal Benno Peter the monk Volateran Sabel licus Platina Thus then we see the Antichrist is not one man alone which must come at one instant of time but is an estate seat and succession of men an Empire lifted vp against Iesus Christ And for this cause he is called Antichrist that is to say contrarie to Christ the mediator and not simplely against God For as he is called Antistrategos not only which setteth him selfe against his captaine but also which taketh vpon him the place authority of the captaine being in deed but a base souldier euen so he is Antichrist which is an aduersary and yet taketh vpon him to be the vicar of Christ The Apostle also in this Epistle calleth him The man of sin Because he is both sin and a sinner and an occasion to others to sin and which maketh others yea infinit numbers to sinne He calleth him also The sonne of Perdition Whereby he meaneth that Antichrist is not onely of himselfe euill wicked sinfull prophane far from all goodnes and so the sonne of euerlasting perdition but also a deceiuer to the faith manners of an innumerable sort an offence so the author and cause of their perditioÌ„ whom he seduceth from the way of truth and of righteousnes For he is in all things contrary to Christ In priuate personal wickednesses he is hurtful to himselfe onely sauing that he is enforced through his owne wickednesse to be hurtfull to others also Therfore we must know the Antichrist is a certaine publike mischiefe and pestilent ctoÌ„agion that doth inuade and raigne in the Church of God 4 Which is an aduersary and exalteth himselfe against al that is called God or that is worshipped so that he doth sit as God in the temple of God shewing himselfe that he is God In these words the Apostle Paul doth paint forth vnto vs as in a table The qualities of Antichrist the liuely Image of Antichrist in his qualities By which woordes wee may also gather what his kingdome is and in what things it doth consist Hee attributeth to Antichrist three vices especially namely To be an aduersarie vnto God and his diuine doctrine Not to be coÌ„tented with the true worship of God And to be proud to rule ouer faith as if he were some God For as the kingdome of Christ is spirituall so this tyranny must needes bee ouer mens soules that hee may bee contrary to the kingdome of Christ Therefore that thou maiest the better knowe Antichrist set Christ ouer against him For he is an aduersary vnto Christ vnder whose tyrannie execrable dominion they doe liue which despising the simplicitie and trueth of the Gospell of Christ may giue credit to wicked and diuelish delusions Such are they that deny remission of sinnes to such as repent which ascribe saluation to their gooâ— works which haue falsely forged the meâ— sins are â—purged with purgatory fire whiâ—â— disgrace the authority of the scripture whicâ— preferre Councelles Archbishops and certaine Bishops before the canonicall scripture which take libertie to them selues to adde to or to subtract from the worde of God which put no difference between theologicall or diuine and philosophical sayinges which preferre an olde custome before the worde of God which boldly affirme that an assembly of Bishops is the Churche which saie that their Church caÌ„not erre which earnestly mainteine that the keyes of bynding and loosing are granted to the whole churche which build the Church vpon Peter and not vppon the rocke Christ which will haue the primacie of the Church a Lordship and not a ministerie which make their Pope a Bishop of Bishops for the mainteinaunce of tyranny which in making and appointing of Bishops require the iudgment of courtiers onelie which scorne this that all Christians are kings and priestes as from that number exempted which condemne â—he marriage of the ministers of the word 〈◊〉 it were with the Censors authoritie which doe not see that their good workes whatsoeuer without faith are sin which do not leaue the pardoning of sins to God alone and to his worde which make another manner of satisfaction in repentance then Christ himselfe hath done which doe allow that the masse is a sacrifice a iustifiing good woorke which pronounce that Christ died only for originall sinne and not for all sinnes in generall which sing dyrges for dead mens spirits which haue iudged that remission of sins is to be redeemed with buying of indulgences by going on pilgrimages which alter the institution of Christ in the Lords supper which abuse excommunications for another cause then to make the penitent sinner confesse his sinne which in matters and causes of faith quite without the reach of humane reason doe attribute a certaine strength to free will that is to the will and power of men which will not haue men iustified before God by faith only which giue great and diuine honour to pictures images of saints which defend that it is necessary for the obtayning of euerlasting life to make choise of dayes of meates which flatter themselues that they are able to fulfill the lawe of God without Christ which make a lawe concerning virginitie and single life which doe not thinke that chastitie is the gift of God which forbid oathes in causes of faith and godlinesse which torment mens consciences with humane precepts which discharge subiects of their obedience vnto
is the loue study and earnest desire of the trueth especially of that doctrine which is deliuered in the Gospel concerning our eternall saluation through Christe This trueth the Papists doe impugne with no lesse crueltie then they haue alwayes done the professours thereof 11 And therefore God shall sende them strong delusion that they should beleeue lyes The Apostle stil proceedeth with the punishment of incredulitie and impenitencie by which two vices it commeth to passe that some doe speake against the doctrine of truth saluation He doth not onely say that men shall beleue errors but also that the reprobate shall be blinded in such wise that without all iudgement they shall runne headlong into death For as God doth inwardly illuminate vs with his spirite that his doctrine may be effectuall with vs and doth open our eyes and heartes that it may pierce and enter therin euen so by his iust iudgement hee deliuereth those ouer into a reprobate sence whom hee hath appointed to destruction that with closed eyes and dulled minds as men voyde of sence astonished they may yeelde them selues to Sathan and to his ministers to be deceiued And being seduced they are most perilously beguiled because when they doe beleeue that they are in the way of righteousnesse of trueth and of saluation they doe walke in the waye of iniquity of lies and of euerlasting destruction And in very deed we haue a manifest spectacle of this thing in the papacie It cannot be told what a woonderfull heape of errors are therin what grosse and shamfull absurdity of superstitions and what doting dilusions and dreames farre from common sence All they which haue but a meane tast of the sacred Scriptures cannot somuch as thinke of those monstrous thinges without great horror How commeth it to passe then that all the world is astonished in such wise that they cannot see them but because the Lorde hath striken them with blindnesse turned them as it were into sencelesse blockes For deceiueable sleights are effectuall in them because the Diuell worketh together in theÌ„ blinding the minds of the vnbeleeuing that the light of the glory of the Gospell which is the image of God 2. Cor. 4. might not shine vnto them Therefore we must obserue and note in this place that impietie lyes errors sectes and heresies with such like are punishments of the contempt of Gods worde For God is not wont to suffer the contempt of his worde to escape vnpunished but doth most grieuously take vengeance on the same that men may knowe that there is no dallying with God So our auncestors were punished with deceiueable wayes in the myst of darkenesse for the contempt of the word because they beleeued lyes Now we may easily gather by examples already past what is to be feared will befall vs vnthankfull men at this day for the contempt of the Gospell of Christ 12 That all they might be iudged which beleeue not the truth but haue approued vnrighteousnesse That is to say that they might suffer the punishment due for their impietie and perish by the iust iudgment of God So that there is no cause why they that perishe should any manner of way laye the blame vpon God because they haue gotten that which they sought for For we must remember what Moses writeth that our heartes are tried and proued when false doctrines are published by deceiuers because they doe not preuaile with any but with those which doe not loue God with their whole heart Deut. 13.3 Therfore they which loue vnrighteousnes shal reape the fruite thereof So Christ said vnto the Iewes Iohn 5.40 But ye wil not come to me that ye might haue life I receiue not prayse of men But I knowe you that ye haue not the loue of God in you I am come in my fathers name and ye receiue me not If another shall come in his owne name him will ye receiue When the Apostle saith here That al he giueth vs to vnderstand that the contempt of God is not excused by their great rout and multitude which refuse to obey the Gospell For God is a iudge of the whole world who will as soone take vengeance vpon a hundred thousand as vpon one man But haue approued vnrighteousnesse He expoundeth by an Antithesis or comparison what it is not to beleeue the truth And the Greeke participle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth a willing promptnesse vnto euill and therefore it is translated of some But had pleasure in vnrighteousnes Hereby all excuse is taken from the vnthankeful seeing they take so great pleasure in vnrighteousnesse that they prefer the same before the righteousnesse of God Now if we doe compare with these woordes those things which seducers and the seduced Papistes doe account to be their great prayse we shall easily see what is the chiefe reward which is due to them namely most fearefull wrath and double condemnation â—or they will not beleeue the truth but dâ—â—light in vnrighteousnesse and in impietie being sedused by the prince of daâ—â—â—es and by Sathan the father of lyes â—s far concerning the crueltie and iâ—â—â—â—ie of Antichrist concerning of the â—euils which he hath brought into the Church by wicked doctrines and by the oppression of the Gospell of Christ 13 But we ought alwayes to giue thankes to God for you brethren beloued of the Lorde because that God hath from the beginning chosen you to saluation through sanctification of the spirit and the faith of truth The Apostle hauing before declared certaine horrible thinges which might terrefie and trouble the hearers minde doth now comfort the heartes of the faithfull and doth more plainely segregate disseuer the Thessalonians froÌ„ the reprobate least their faith might wauer with the feare of the defectioÌ„ to come Howbeit his intention was to prouide not onely for them but also for posterities to come neither doth he only confirme them that they might not be carried into the same ruine with the world but also by this câ—â—parison he doth the more coÌ„mend the 〈◊〉 of God towards the that whereas 〈◊〉 behold almost the whole world to bâ—â—ed headlong together as it were 〈◊〉 â—iolent empest they by the hand o◠〈◊〉 liued in a quiet and firme state of lâ—fe Thus it is conuenient to behold the iâ—â—â—ments of God in the reprobate that theâ— may be as it were looking glasses vnto vs to consider his mercie toward vs. For we must make this accoumpt that it commeth to passe onely by the singular grace and fauour of God that we in like manner doe not perishe miserably with them Brethren beloued of the Lorde He calleth them so that they may the better consider that they are for no other cause deliuered from the vniuersall distruction of the worlde but because God hath freely loued them Of this fauour and grace of God Moses remembred the Iewes saying Deut. 7.7 God hath not therefore so greatly exalted you because you were more mightie or
merits for the giftes of the holy Ghost are giuen vnto vs through the free grace of God only of the which we speake the more often that no man might proudly boast him selfe of the merits of his righteousnesse Cor. 4.7 For what hast thou saith Paul which thou hast not receiued Moreouer the Apostle hath very artificially comprehended the whole sūme of the Gospell in this verse namely that God hath loued mankinde and hath giuen euerlasting consolation vnto him Iesus Christ who is our hope and that he hath giuen it him through his grace and not for our merit that we liue for euer But what is the Apostles petition it followeth 17. Comfort your heartes and stablishe you in euery worde and good worke He prayeth for the Thessalonians that God so gentle and louing a father would sustaine and comfort their heartes with his consolation against all stumbling blocks and offences by which they might be brought into doubt and dispaire For it belongeth vnto him to comforte and strengthen the heartes of his faithfull seruantes that they might not faint through carefulnesse or distrust And stablish you in euery worde Then he prayeth that God would confirme them in holsome doctrine For this is the worde whereof he speaketh and not of any common worde that it may agree with that which went before And good worke This parteyneth to the whole course of a good and holy life wherein the faithfull ought to perseuere Wherefore all the duties of a Christian man are comprehended in these two partes namely that they doe abide as well in holesome doctrine as in good manners of life The which they cannot performe without the grace and helpe of our Lord Iesus Christ Who saith Iohn 15.5 Without me ye can doe nothing That is to say without my power and strength working in you And in another place it is said that we are framed by Iesus Christ vnto good workes Ephe. 2.10 which God hath prepared that we should walke in them These therefore are those good fruites which doe spring from a sanctified brest through the holy Ghost and a true faith Heb. 11.6 without the which it is not possible to please God Finally Saint Paul hath so tempered this his prayer that withall he hath prescribed what becommeth the Thessalonians namely that they giue themselues continually to all good words and good works that they doe perseuere in euery good worke but especially that they do acknowledge Christ to be the onely hope and euerlasting consolation of all the faithfull for euer CHAPTER III. 1 FVrthermore brethren pray for vs that the word of the Lord may haue free passage and be glorified euen as it is with you This is the last part of this Epistle which comprehendeth foure exhortations of the which one is the supplication of the Church the which is very necessarie and profitable For although the Lord was mightily present with the Apostle and that he did exceed al others in the feruencie of prayer yet neuerthelesse he doth not neglect the prayer of the faithfull with the which the Lorde will haue vs holpen We in like manner after his example ought alwayes to require this helpe and to stirre vp the faithfull to pray for vs. For there is nothing more auaileable with God then faithfull prayer That the worde of the Lord may haue free passage For two causes the prayer of the Church is here required of the Apostle The first is for the happie successe of the Gospel that the same being preached to other nations might be no lesse estemed then it was of the Thessalonians Therfore by these wordes Paul sheweth that he hath not so much care and consideration of him selfe as he hath of the whole Church For why doth he desire to be commended to the prayer of the Thessalonians That the doctrine of the Gospel might haue his course Therefore he would haue them to haue respect not so much to him alone as to the glorie of Christ and the common saluation of the Church And the worde of the Lord is said to haue free passage when in preaching and in doctrine it hath no let but happie successe insomuch that many beleeue it and beleeuing it doe glorifie God and are saued And be glorified He desireth that the worde of God may haue his force and efficacie to reforme men into the Image of God Therfore holines of life and integrity in christians is the beauty of the Gospell euen as they doe bring infamie and slaunder to the Gospell professing it with their mouth and liuing neuerthelesse filthylie and wickedlie Mat. 5.15 To this ende partaine the exhortations of our sauiour Christ of Peter and of others 1. Pet. 2.12 in the new Testament Euen as it is with you That is to say after the same manner forme and happie successe For this ought to be a great incouragement to the Godly that they may see all other men like to them selues in godlinesse Therefore they which are already entered into the kingdome of God are commaunded to pray daily that the same kingdome may come so farre off they ought to be from enuie when they do heare that others are come to the knowledge of the truth 2 And that we may be deliuered from vnreasonable and euill men for all men haue not faith This is the latter cause why the Apostle requireth the prayers of the faithfull The truth indeed was preached but in the meane time there sprange vp diuers scismes among them also which would seeme to be the embracers of true religion And the publike enimies of religion did both banish the truth and did also most cruelly persecute them which were maintainers of the truth neither did there want certaine hypocrites and false brethren which were worse far more pestilent thē they vnto true godlinesse For it is truly said that a counterfeit frend is much more hurtfull then an open enimie Wherefore Paul desireth to be deliuered from such For by vnreasonable and euill mē he meaneth those which vnder the name of christians lurked in the Church or else the Iewes which through a mad zeale of the law furiously persecuted the gospel For he knew how great harme was like to come by them both And this saying of the Apostle may be extended to all manner of perils For then Paul was going to Hierusalem and did write being in the middest of his iorney But it was already told him from aboue that bondes and persecutions wayted for him there Act. 20.23 From the which he doth desire to be so deliuered that he may ouercome whether it be by death or by life But now at this day the ministers of the word haue the Pope and Papistes for their principall aduersaries which are in dede vnreasonable and euill men which doe hinder the course of the doctrine of the Gospell with their accusations and doe destroy so much as lieth in them the fruit glorie of the word of God preached
maiestrates The teachers and defenders of these and such like opinions which are contrarie to the worde of God are Apostataes the followers of Antichrist The increace of these kind of men is a plaine token that the last day approcheth And exalteth him selfe against all that is called God The Pride of Antichrist The other wicked qualitie of Antichrist is to extoll himselfe aboue all that is called God By which Paul meaneth that Antichrist shall violently take to himselfe those thinges which are proper to God alone as to exalt himselfe aboue all that is called God or that 〈◊〉 woorshipped that religion and the whole woorshippe of God may lie vnder his feete For the Apostle doth not speake here of the name of God but of his maiesty and worship and so generally of al those thinges which God chalengeth to himselfe As if Paul had said That is true religion by which the true God alone is worshipped This religion the son of perdition transferreth vnto him selfe Now whosoeuer he be that hath learned out of the Scriptures what thinges are most proper vnto God and shall on the contrary part behold and consider what the pope vsurpeth to himselfe although he be but a child of ten yeeres of age he shall take no great paines in learning to knowe Antichrist Esay 33.22 Iames. 4.12 The Scripture pronounceth that God alone is the Lawe-maker who can saue and destroy the onely king to whom it belongeth to rule and gouerne mens soules by his word It teacheth that righteousnes and saluation are to be sought at the handes of Christ and no where els and it sheweth the manner way how There is none of these thinges which the Pope doth not challenge to himselfe in waye of his right He boasteth that it is in his power to binde mens consciences with wha◠lawes he lusteth and to subiect them to eternall punishments He is woorshipped of kings as a good and faithfull Pastor of the Church he being a most wicked deceiuer And although he performeth no one duty of a good shepeheard but doth all things contrary to the duty of a good Bishop yet he is proclaymed the most holy most vigilant Pastor of the Church yea which is more the Lorde and head of the Church who hath authoritie and power to prescribe articles of faith and to make new lawes for the performing of them But he condemneth the true and pure doctrine of the Gospell as wicked and hereticall so farre off is he from healing any man with the doctrine and consolations thereof and from inuiting any one to true and christian repentance And yet for all this it is not lawfull for any man to say without perill so much as why doest thou doe this But he hath at hand those which will defend him that he doth all things wel and which wil be ready seuerely to punishe those which shall reprehend him These are called inquisitors of hereticall wickednesse which will not suffer a man so much as to mutter against the Pope who notwithstanding fayneth sinne where there is no sinne and proclameth rightuousnesse where there is none at all He either appointeth new Sacraments at his pleasure or else he corrupteth those which Christ hath already instituted And why not if it be true which one hath concluded in the Parliament of Popes at Rome That God holdeth for well done all that is done of the Pope Popish blasphemies that his will is the rule of all right and righteousnesse that he can absolutely doe in this worlde all that God can doe seeing he is all and aboue all thinges that if he chaunge his purpose it is to be presumed that God chaungeth his that his power extendeth it selfe to heauen and to earth yea and downe to hel that none may appeale from him to God that he may ordaine against the Epistles of saint Paul as greater then saint Paul and against the olde Testament as greater then any authors therof And yet one hath gone further who hath disputed whether he may ordaine any thing contrarie to the Gospel whether he haue not more power then Peter whether he were simplely a man or as God To be breefe the Diuell hath gone so farre in this misterie of iniquitie that another disputed in the scooles not long afore Luthers time whether the Pope did not participate in both natures the diuine and humane with Iesus Christ What I pray you is to exalt it selfe aboue all that is called God if it be not this which is done by the Pope and his ministers The Pope spoyling and robbing God after this manner of his honor leaueth vnto him nothing but a bare and naked title transferring his whole power vnto himselfe And this is euen that which Paul now addeth saying So that he doth sit as God in the Temple of God Now the Apostle doth more openly discouer the pride of Antichrist Antichrist sitteth in the temple of God because he hath his kingdome in the same that is to say playing the false Prophet and the deceiuer he doth inwardly commaund the Church and playeth the king or rather the tyrant where he ought not Such a kingdome hath not Mahomet nor the Turke as is already said that it may be either said or thought to be the kingdome of Christ or of the Church of Christ for that kingdome hath beene gotten and enlarged hitherto by warres and by seditions and he doth set vpon the Church without But the dominion of the Pope constituted and erected by fraud and superstition is said to be the kingdome of the Church of the elect of God and of Christ Iesus and he by his tiranny and iniquitie doth spoile all thinges belonging to Christian religion He is thought to be a godly Pastor which is altogether a theefe a spoyler and a most greedy rauening woolfe In these fewe words of Paul their error or rather wilfull blindnesse is sufficiently confuted who will haue the Pope therefore to be Christes vicar because he hath his place and seate in the Church by long succession how wickedly soeuer he behaue himselfe For Paul doth not place Antichrist elsewhere then in the very sanctuary of God because he is no forraine but a domestical enemy which is an aduersary vnto Christ vnder the name of Christ Christians or rather the hearts of Christians are the temples of God Iohn 14.23 as appeareth by sundry testimonies of Scripture 1. Cor. 3.16 2. Cor. 6.16 In this temple of God Antichrist sitteth when he bindeth their consciences with his lawes when he commaundeth dayes and monethes and times to be kept when he wil haue some dayes to be fasted and some to be kept holy vpon paine of displeasure of the omnipotent God and of the blessed Apostles Peter and Paul He putteth great holinesse in vestments in shauen crouns in chaunting of quiremen in adorning of temples in vnctions and such like In the obseruation of such thinges he teacheth men to put their confidence