this sentence be interpreted For there could nothing be more foolish then this saieng of Iames if a man would thus interpret it that no man obteineth remission of sinneâ— but because his works are worthie of so great a benefit This interpretation who so sticketh frowardlie by vnderstandeth not what remissioÌ„ of sinnes is or how the coÌ„science ought to be comforted when it seeth that it bringeth no good works to God which are sufficient to please him And this interpretation is cleane contrarie to other open saiengs of the Scripture which teach yâ— remission of sins commeth fréely as yâ— Psalmist saith I said I wil acknowledge mine offence accuse my selfe vnto the Lord thou forgauest me yâ— wickednes of my sin And Ro. 4. 5. To him the worketh not but beleeueth on him yâ— iustifieth yâ— vngodly his faith is couÌ„â—ed for righteousnes What can be more plainlie then yâ— sinnes are forgiue to a wicked vngodly man yâ— worketh not yâ— is not for anie of his works but fréely To conclude if the gospel forgiue not sins but for our good works sake for our worthines it diffe reth not froÌ„ yâ— law it saueth no more theÌ„ yâ— law this I trust wil suffice yâ— good wise For as touching them yâ— bring nothing to this cause but a will to brawle chide wil neuer suffer themselues to be satisfied And yet if we would contend by the number of authorities this one place of Iames is ouerthrowne with many witnesses of Paule if men wil vnderstand by iustificatioÌ„ al one thing in theÌ„ both Therefore Paule saith Faith iustifieth vnderstand thereby yâ— faith causeth yâ— we be counted iust reputed righteous that our sins are not imputed vnto vs but forgiuen vs for Christs sake When Iames saith works iustifie he meaneth thus Works declare vs iust and shew euidentlye that we are righteous Thus shalt thou make them agree Tindale Ye shall vnderstand yâ— S. Paule S. Iames be not contrarie in this matter For Paule to yâ— Romanes Galathians disputeth against them which attributeth iustification to good works And Iames reasoneth against them which vtterlie condemne works Therefore Paule sheweth the cause of our iustification Iames the effects In Paule is declared how we are iustified in Iames how we are knowne to be iustified In Paule works are excluded as not yâ— cause of our iustification in Iames they are approued as effects procéeding thereof In Paule they are denied to go before them that be iustified in Iames they are said to followe them that are iustified Geneua Ioine yâ— liuâ—ly faith of S. Paule with the good works of S. Iames bring both these into one life and then hast thou reconciled them both and so shalt thou be sure to be iustified both before God by Paules faith before men by S. Iames works I. Fox How Faith is nourished If Faith as it is written come by hearing that is as it is added by the worde of God then followeth it of necessitie that there is nothing whereby faith is more nourished mainteined and confirmed then by conâ—tinuall reading and repeating of the worde of GOD. This thiâ—â— testified Tertulian in his Apologie where he saith That to this end holie assemblies are gathered together to heare the word of God The Philosophers saie that if faith be by the word of God then by the same also it is nourished We know moreouer that of workes often repeated are confirmed habits or qualities as contrariwise if a man cease off from actioÌ„s they waxe weake wherfore if a man cease to reade to heare or to repeate the holie Scriptures faith will waxe feeble mâ—him And they which thinke that a liuelie pure faith maie continue in Churches wouâ— often preaching doe excéedinglie erre Chrifostome hath a verie apt similitude of a light or Lamp that burneth which easilie goeth out vnlesse there bee stillâ— Oyle powred into it By the Lampe or Light he vnderstandth Faith and by Oyle the worde of Godâ— and this he there writeth of the Parable of the wise and foolish virgins Pet. Maâ— vpon the Rom fol 326. Faith is nourished by hearing the word of God for the word of God is the foote of Faith according to Saint Paules saieng Rom. 10. 17. Faith commeth by hearing Hemmyng How Faith without Charitie is nothing worth If I had all Faith so that I could moue mountaines out of their places 〈…〉 had no charitie I were nothing ¶ Of this do some gaâ—her that â—aith without charitie cannot iustifie But this cannot be gathered of Saint Paule for it is open that hee speaketh not of this thing whereby that men maie be iustified but only he teâ—heth how they yâ— be iustified must work with charitie It is 〈…〉 that he speaketh not of faith that doth iustifie 〈…〉 but of that faith that doth worke out wardlie the which is called the gift of the holy Ghost as the gift of tongues the gift of prophesies the gift of healing the gift of interpretation as it is open in the Chapter before now is this Faith not giuen to iustifie but onelie to do myracles wonders and signes by And therefore saith Paule If I had all faith so that I could moue mountaines c. Saint Paule deserâ—â—eth this faith calling it faith that worketh by charitie not that it iustifieth by charitie for he saith ther plainly it is neither circumcisioÌ„ nor vncircumcision yâ— is of valure in Christ Iesu but faith He doth heere plainlie exclude from iustification the highest worke of the lawe Circumcision setteth faith alone not the gift of faith that doth miracles but the gift of faith that worketh by charitie D. Barnes ¶ Faith is héere taken for the gift of doing miracles which the wicked may haue Mat. 7. 22. also for that faith called historicall which beléeueth the mightie power of Christ but caÌ„not apprehend Gods mercie through him this diuels haue Iames 2. 19. therefore is separated from charitie but the faith yâ— iustifieth in effect cannot As. 1. Iohn 2. 9. Mat. 17. 20. Geneua How faith â—gendereth charitie That which the schoole-men teacheth yâ— charitie is before faith hope is a madnesse It is faith yâ— first ingendereth charitie in vs how more rightlie doth Barnard teach I beléeue saith he yâ— the testimonie of conscience which Paul calleth the glorie of yâ— godly coÌ„sisteth in thrée things For first of al it is necessarie to beléeue yâ— thou canst not haue forgiuenes of sins but by yâ— pardoÌ„ of god Then yâ— thou canst haue no good workes at all vnlesse he also giue it last of all that thou canst by no workes deserue eternall life vnles it be giuen thée also fréely A little after be addeth yâ— these things suffice not but yâ— there be a certeine beginning of faith because in beléeuing yâ— sinnes cannot be forgiuen but of God we ought also beléeue yâ— they are not forgiuen vs till also we be perswaded by the testimonie of the
for of iust is deriued Iustice. And to say briefely to be iust is to be cleare sound and vpright according to the degrée condition office person which euery man beareth and to aunswere the same in all pointes without blame Each degrée condition estate and person hath his order and Iustite c. Musc. in his Com. pla fo 421. IVSTIFICATION What is vnderstood by Iustification BY iustifieng vnderstande none other thing then to be reconciled to God and to be restored into his fauour and to haue thy sinnes forgiuen thee As when I say God iustifieth vs vnderstand thereby that God for Christs sake merites and deseruings onely receiueth vs vnto his mercie fauour and grace and forgiuenesse of our sinnes And when I say Christ iustifieth vs vnderstand thereby that Christ onely hath redéemed vs bought vs deliuered vs out of the wrath of God and damnation and hath with his works onely purchased vs the mercie fauour and grace of God and the forgiuenesse of our sinnes And when I say Faith onely iustifieth vnderstand thereby that Faith and trust in the trueth of God and in the mercie promised vs for Christs sake and for his deseruings workes onely doth quiet the conscience and certefie hir that our sinnes be forgiuen and we in the fauour of God Tindale in his Prologue to the Romanes To iustifie is nothing els then to acquite him that was accused from all filthinesse as allowing his innocencie sith therefore God iustifieth vs by the intercession of Christ he doeth acquite vs not by allowaunce of our innocencie but by imputation of righteousnesse that we maye be counted for righteous in Christ which are not righteous in our selues Cal. 3. bo chap. 11. sect 3. This word iustifie in the Latine mens eares is as much to say as to make iust lyke as magnifie to make great and sanctifie to make holy And this sence of this word the Diuine schoolemen like well which they that doe followe them doe yet earnestly stand vnto Augustine also doth in diuers places still expound this word of iustifieng in this sence when he saith Beléeuing in him which iustifieth the wicked that is to say of the wicked doth make godly The Apostle Paule out of whose writings this entraunce of Iustification is principally taken vsed the word of iustifieng not in the sence that the Latine eares doe like but in that sence which the holy Scripture vseth it according to the custome of the holy language in which he was born brought vp and instructed in from his childhood In that language to iustifie is as as much to say as to quite a man of his offence and to pronounce him iust The contrary of it is to condemne a man of naughtinesse and wickednesse c. This word iustifie is not to make one iust which is vniust and wicked but is vsed in euery place for to quite a man of his fault and to pronounce and declare him iust Musc. fol. 222. How we are iustified freely and by Faith onely It is also the cause why Faith is plainly called by S. Paule the Faith of the chosen and for the which Iustification is attributed vnto it that honour is giuen vnto it forsomuch as many doth acknowledge himselfe by the same such as he is of his owne nature to wit a poore and miserable sinner the childe of wrath subiect to death and eternall damnation therefore spoyling himselfe of his owne Iustice and of all trust in his owne workes and merites he doth imbrace Iesus Christ to be cladde with his Iustice to the ende that by it his sinnes may be couered in such sort that they come not to count at the iudgement of God and so that the poore sinner by reputed iust as though he had neuer offended and that because the Iustice of Christ is allowed vnto him Faith as though the same were proper to the man to whom it is allowed Pet. Viret All men are sinners and want the glory of God but they are iustified fréely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ. ¶ Héere Paule saith We are iustified fréely If there bée any deseruing lesse or more then it is not freely He saith also Of grace if it be any part of workes then it is not of grace for as S. Paule saith Then grace were no grace S. Ambrose saith vpon this place of S. Paule All men are sinners c. They are iustified fréely saith S. Ambrose for they doing nothing nor nothing deseruing alonely by Faith are iustified by the gifte of God Héere Saint Ambrose saith Men working nothing nor nothing deseruing are iustified by Faith onely D. Barnes ¶ Origen vpon the same tâ—xt saith That the Iustification of Faith is alonely sufficient so that a man do beleeue onely he is iustified though there be no woâ—â—â—es â—oke of him at al. By Faith was the théefe iustified without yâ— workes of y◠〈…〉 for yâ— Lord did not aske him what he had done nor looke for any works of him but did accept him onely for confessing of Christ. Wherefore saith Origen a man is iustified by Faith vnto whome as concerning Iustification the works of the law help nothing ¶ Héere it is plaine by Origen that workes doe helpe nothing to Iustification but Faith onely D. Barnes What thing doth purchase Iustification The same thing that purchaseth remission of our sinnes doth also purchase Iustification For Iustification is nothing els but remission of sinnes Now Faith purchaseth vs remission of sinnes Ergo by Faith we are iustified Now that Faith purchaseth remission of sinnes is well proued by the Article of our Faith Credo remissionem peccatorum I beléeue remission of sinnes Now if I haue not this remission for Faith then Faith deceiueth me For I doe beleeue onely because I would haue remission of sinnes What néede we to beléeue remission of sinnes if I may deserue it by workes D. Barnes What the true way of Iustification is The very true way of Iustification is this First commeth God for the loue of Christ Iesus alonely of his méere mercie and giueth vs fréely the gifte of Faith whereby we doe beléeue God and his holy word sticke fast vnto the promises of God and beléeue that though heauen and earth and all that is in them should perish and come to naught yet God shall be founde true in his promise For this faith sake be we the children of God This is not such a Faith as men dreame when they beléeue that there is one God and beléeue that he is eternall beléeue also that he made the world of naught yea and beléeue that the Gospell is true and all things that God speaketh must be true and fulfilled with other such things This is not the Faith that we be iustified by for Diuells and Infidells haue this faith and also we may atteine to these things by the strength of reasonâ— But the Faithâ— that shall iustifie vs must be of another manner
Image 672. Wherein she was most blessed eod Of Mary Magdalens loue eod Of Mary the sister of Lazarus eod Mariage who ordeined mariage and how it is c. eod How euery man is commanded to mary that hath not c. 674. Against condemners of marriage eod How it is no hinderaunce to godlinesse 675. Proues for the mariage of Priests 676 By whom their mariage was forbidden 680 The saieng of Hieracles concerning mariage eod The vse of mariage among the Chaldeans 681 Marinus Of this mans hereticall opinions 682. Marke Of the life of Saint Marke yâ— Euangelist eod Of yâ— martirdoÌ„e of this Euangelist 683. What the marke in the right hand signifieth eo Markes to know yâ— false Apostles by eo Mars streete What Mars streete is 684. Martir what maketh a Martir eod How Martirs ought not to be worshipped eod Masse how it was vsed at first 685. How it is falsified vpon S. lames eod By whom it was patched vp 686. How it is no sacrifice propiciatorie eod Massiliant Of the opinions of these hereâ—ikes eod Master what the masters office is to the seruaunt 687 The dissembling Pharisies call Christ Master eod Mathew his life writteÌ„ by S. HieroÌ„ 688 Matrimony eod Mediator Proues that Christ is our only Mediatour eo Meeke Who are meeke 702. How yâ— meeke shall possesse the earth eo How that God doth guide the meeke in iudgement 703. Melchisedech how he is a figure of Christ eod How he and Sem are one person 704. The mening of Saint Paule in making mention of him eod How the Papists by him maintaine the Masse 705. Of yâ— heretiks caled Melchisedechiani eo Memorial how the sacrament is a memoriall 706. Meane How the meane is best eod Menander of his erronius opinions eod Mene. the interpretation of this word eo Men pleasers who they be the please meÌ„ 707 What it is to be men seruaunts eod Men of diuers natures properties eo Merâ—es A Latin Word 709. Mercie what mercie is and how it is defined eod What it is to haue mercie or bee mercifull eod What is meant by mercie and truth 710 What the mercie seate was eod Of the mercifulnesse of Zabulon eod Merry how the children of God may bee merry eod Merite what merite is 711. What merite of congruence is eod What merite of worthines is eod What merite of condigne is 712. How we can merite nothing after our death 714. Proues yâ— the merit of maÌ„ is nothing eo How the name of merite ought to bee abolished 716. Of two kindes of meriting 718. Mesech and Kedar what people they wer eod Messenger The meaning of the places 719. What the messenger of Satan meaneth eo Messiah how Christ in Hebrue is called Messiah eod Measure Of yâ— spirit of God giueÌ„ by mesure 720. Meate what the meat is that Christ said he had to eate eod How we may not hurt our brother with our meate eod How meate of deâ—ileth not a man 721. The meaning of the place eod Michael what the place meaneth eod Who be Michaels Angells 722. Michol Diuers doubtfull places of hir opened eod Mictham what this word MicthaÌ„ sig 723 My day The meaning of the place eod My Gospell wherefore Paule calleth it his Gospell eod Milke what is ment by milke 724. Milstone what is ment by this milsto eod What is ment by the taking it to pledge eod Minister what the minister is by the word of God 725. What men ought to bee ministers in the church of God eod The qualitie of good ministers eod How ministers ought to be prechers 726 How they ought first to be doers before they be reachers eod How they are called starres 727. How they were chosen in old time eod Why they are not now so chosen 729. How they ought not to forsake their vocation eod How a scisne ought not to be made for their euill liues 730. Miracles A definition of true miracles eo To what vse miracles doe serue eod Whether we should beleeue miracles 731 Why they be not done now a daies eod How they are wrought by the diuel 732 Why Christ did not worke many miracles in his owne country 733. How to know true mira from false eod How faith grounded vpon miracles abideth not eod How false techers shal deceiue by mi. 734 What the cause of false miracles is eo How miracles are done in these daies eo Mirrhe Aloes and Cassia What Mirrhe is c. eod Mysterie What a mysterie is 735. Moloch What manner of Idoll it was eo Money How Christ had money 736. Months The 42. months in the Apocalips expounded eod Monetarius Of whome the Anabaptists sprang vp 737. Montanus The first that wrote lawes of fasting eod Monkes Of their liues in S. Hieromes time eod Of the Monkes that be now 738. The olde fathers opinions of Monkes Gods seruice 739. Of their Idlenesse eod Of the originall of Monkes 740. The forme of a Monkish absolution eo Moone Of the profit yâ— is of the moone eo Morning Euen how yâ— place is c. 741. Mortification what true mortifieng is eo How we cannot mortifie the flesh by our owne free will 742. Moses How he came by his impediment of speach eod The cause why he fled from Pharao 743 How he seemed to doubt in Gods promises eod How the Lord was angry with Moseâ— and why eod How he stilled the peoples murmurinâ— 744 How he tooke an Aethiope to wiâ—e eod Wherefore he slue the Aegyptian 745. What Moses face is eod Of Moses Helias which talked c. eod Of Moses chaire what it signifieth 746. How Moses did eate yâ— body of Chri. 747 How the place is vnderstood eod How we are sent to Moses to the Pr. 748 How Moses was bidde to put off his shooes eod Of Moses death and buriall eod Mother of God Wherein shee was most blessed 749. How mother is takeÌ„ for graÌ„dmother eo How the church is called our mother eo Mountaines How they do signifie heere the Scriptures eod What these mountaines signifie 750. What is ment by their translating eod What yâ— name of this mountaine was eo Mourne What it is to mourne eo The mourning of the Christians vnder the crosse eod How farre mourninng for the dead is admitted 751. Mouth What the mouth of God is eod Of the staffe of Gods mouth 273. Multitude Not good alwaies to followe a multitude eo Murder who be murtherers 753. Of murder first committed eo Musickâ— The first inuenter of musick 754 How farre musicke is sufferable eo Of musicall instruments 755. What musicke S. Austen alloweth eod N. NAaman How he was iustified by faith 756. How it was against his hart to worship Idols 757. Nabuchodonosorâ— how his death is compared to Lucifer eod How he was Gods seruaunt eo What his policie was touching the kinges seede 758. For what purpose he set vp the Image of golde eod How the place is vnderstood eod What yâ— Prophet meaneth
Superstition of Angells eod Sunne The meaning of the place eod What it is to regarde the rising of the Sunne eod Supper of the Lord. Wherfore it was ordeined 1062. Why it was called a sacrifice eod The Doctors mindes vpon the supper of the Lord. 1063. How the Lords death is shewed therein 1064. The meaning of the place of Iohn eod Supremacie Proues against it eod Sure How we are sure of our saluation 1065. Surples From whence the wearing thereof came eod Suspention What suspention is eod Swearing Why the Iewes were suffered to sweare 1066. Who sweareth aright eod What swearing is lawfull eod To sweare by the Lord and to the Lord. are two eod All priuate swearing is forbidden 1067 How customable swering is dangero eod The Doctous against swearing eod Lawes made against swearing 1069. How the Pharesies corrupted swering eod Of the concealing of swearing eod Sweating The cause of sweating 1070. Sweete What is ment by sweet odours eo Swine What manner of people is ment by swine eod Swoord To whom it belongeth to punish 1071. What is meant by the two swoords eod T. Table what is ment by the table 1072. The meaning of the place 1073. Tabernacle Wherefore it was ordeined and c. eod Why it was called the Tabernacle of the congregation eod How the Tabernacle was diuided eod Why it was called the tabernacle of witnesse 1074. Of the Tabernacle of Dauid eo Of the feast of Tabernacles eo Tabithae What the word doth meane and signifie eod Tacianus Of his hereticall opinions eod Talent What a Talent is eod Of the talent left to the seruants 1075. Tapers Against the vse of them eo Taught of God How it is vnderstood eo Tell no man How the places bee vnderstood 1076. Temperaunce What it is eod Temples wherefore they are ordeined eod How God dwelleth not in temples made with hands 1077. How long the Temple was a building and c 1078. The meaning of the place eo Of them that trusted in the outward seruice of the temple eod How they are not to be builded to Sa. eo How the Pope doth sit in the temple of God 1079. Temptation What temptation is eo How generally it is not euill 1080. The Israelits rebuked for tēpting the L. eo How God tempteth no man to euill eod Of the Pharesies tēpting of Christ. 1081. How Christ to tempted of the diuel eod God suffereth none to be tempted aboue his strength 1082. Ten. what the number of ten signifieth eo How the ten commaundements are diuided eod What the ten hornes do signifie eod Of the ten virgins 1083 Tents How tents were first inuented eo Of three manner of tents eod Teares whereof teares commeth eod The meaning of these places 1084. Terebint what manner of tree it is eod Tertulianistae What heretiks they wer eo Testament what a testament is eod Tetrarchae What Tetrarchae were 1085 Teudas Of his rebellion eod Thamar Why she is reckoned in the Genealogie eod How she is thought to be Dauids naturall daughter eod Thammuz What this Thāmuz was 1086 Thankeoffering what thanke offering is eo Tharsis What Tharsis is thought to be eo Thebulis What his heresie was 1087. Theft What theft is eod Thema What Thema was eod Theodotus what his heresie was eod Theraphim What this Theraphim was eod Theudas Of his rebellion 1088 Thiatria what Thiatria was eod Thinke How of our selues we cannot thinke well eod How our sinnes shall not be thought vppon 1089. This is my body The interpretation hereof 1090. Thomas How Thomas Didimus is one name 1091. How he was reproued for his vnbeliefe eod Of his death and martirdome eo Thoughts How euery thought is not sinne eod The meaning of the place 1092 Threshing Of two manner of threshings eod What is ment by threshing of the mountaines 1093 Whereto the threshing of Gilead is compared eod Thunder What the cause is that maketh thunder eod Time The meaning of the place 1095. What is meant by time times and halfe a time 1096 Tithes what is vnderstood by tithes eod Of the tithes laide vp for the poore eod To day what the saieng meaneth eod Tongue To speak with tongues what it meaneth eo How the Apostles spake with straunge tongues eod What it is to smite with the tongue 1097 What the tongue of God is eod How the tongue is compard vnto a l◠eo What is meant by the third tongue eod Topas The description of the stone eod Topheth What it is and how it was defiled 1098. How it is taken for hell eod Touch not That is spoken against traditions eod Why Mary was forbiddē to touch Ch. eo Traditions Of the traditions of men 1099. A reason that ouerthroweth them all 1100. Transmutation When it was first inuented 1101. Transubstantiation what it signifieth eod When it was first inuented 1102. Reasons against transubstantiations eo How it hath made the Turks power to increase eod The cause wherfore it is holden defended 1103 Tree The tree falling compared to death eod What the tree of lyfe meaneth 1104 VVinter The meaning of the place eod VVisedome how it signifieth Christ. eod How wisedome is iustified of hir children 1167. VVise men what these wise men are 1168 VVith the holy The meaning of the Prophet heere eo VVitnes how y◠places are to be vnder eo VVoe What woe is 1169 What is ment by the three woes eo VVood. what it is to build on wood 1170 VVolfe how a wolfe is sometimes takē in a good sense eod The meaning of the places eod VVoman of y◠woman araied in purple eo Of womans apparell 1171 How they may not weare mans appa eo Of the woman taken in adulterie 1172. Of a woman taken in warre eod How women are called ministers eo How women ought not to baptise eod What the woman clothed in the Sunne signifieth 1173 Why women are commaunded to keepe silence in the Church eo What is ment by the foolish woman 1174 What is ment by the straunge woman eod The meaning of the place eod VVord of God What the word of God is 1175. How the word was made flesh eo What is ment by the word in this pl. 1176. How the word of God is called the light 1177. How it indureth for euer eod Of the nature and strength thereof eod How it hath sundry names 1178 How the word of God is the key eod How the word of God is plaine eod The more it is troden downe the more it groweth eod How the word and flesh bee not both of one nature 1179. How it ought not onely to be rend but expounded to the people 1180 Workes how workes of the lawe iustifie not eod Of workes done before faith 1182 That worketh not how it is vnderst eo How works are not the cause of felici eo Of workes◠loue and faith 1183. How our good workes are the workes of God eod How we deserue nothing by our good workes eod Of
that Paule was the seruant of Iesus Christ onelie and so not the seruant of God the Father nor of the Holie Ghost Or these wordes that Paule spake vnto the Kéeper Beléeue in the Lord Iesu doe discharge him from beleeuing in the other two persons of the holie Trinitie Of the Baptime of Infants Note héere that the Fathers made a league with God not onelie for themselues but also for their posteritie as God againe for his part promised them that he would be the God not onelie of them but also of their séede and post eritie wherefore it was lawfull for them to circumcise their children béeing yet Infants And in like manner it is lawfull for vs to baptise our little ones being yet Infants forasmuch also as they are comprehended in the league For they which haue now the thing it selfe there is nothing that can let but that they maie receiue the signe It is manifestlie written in the. 29. Chapter of Deu. That the league was made not onelie with them which was present but also with them which was absent and not yet borne Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 75. Concerning young children because their faith is vnknowen to vs it is requisite that they be partakers of yâ— fruites of the sacraments and it is not verie likelie that they haue faith because they haue not the vse of vnderstanding except God doe worke in them extraordinarilie the which appeareth not to vsâ— neuerthelesse we cease not to communicate to them Baptime First forasmuch as there is now the same cause in Baptime which was sometime in Circumcision which is called by Saint Paule the seale of righteousnesse which is by faith and also by expresse commaundement of God the male children were marked the eight daie Secondlie there is a speciall regard to be had to the Infants of the faithfull For although they haue not faith in effect such as those haue that be of age yet so it is that they haue the séede and the spring in vertue of the promise which was receiued and apprehended by the Elders For God promiseth not vs onelie to be our God if we beleeue in him but also that he will be the God of our ofspring and séed yea vnto a thousand degrees that is to the last end Therfore said Saint Paule that the children of the faithful be sanctified from their mothers wombe By what right or title then doe they refuse to giue them the marke ratification of that thing which they haue possesse alreadie And if they alleadge yet further that although they come of faithful Elders or parents it followeth not yâ— they be of the number of the elect by consequent they be sanctified For God hath not chosen all the children of Abraham and Isaac The aunswere is easie to be made that it is true all those be not of the kingdome of God which be borne of faithfull parents but of good right we leaue this secret to GOD for to iudge which onelie knoweth it yet notwithstanding wée presume â—â—stlie to be the children of God all those which be issued descended from faithfull parents according to the promise Forasmuch as it appeareth not to vs the contrarie According to the same we baptise the young children of the faithful as they haue vsed and done from the Apostles time in the Church of God we doubt not but God by this marke ioined with the praiers of the church which is their assistaunt doth seale the adoption election in those which he hath predestmate eternallie whether they die before they come to age of discretion or whether they liue to bring foorth the fruites of their faith in due time and according to the meanes which God hath ordeined Beza The place alleadged of the Anâ—baptists is in the Actes where the Eunuche was not permitted to be baptised before confession made of his faith ¶ The aunswere is made thus that that was done to the Eunuche must not be drawen to the Infants of Christians rashlie to kéepe them from Baptime which onelie is to be obserued in straâ—ngers to religion those that are of full age For we affirme that such as are strangers from the Church of Christ as sometimes were the Iewes and Gentiles and as are at this daie the Iewes and Turkes and other such like ought not to be baptised vntill they haue made profession of their faith But the reason of Infants borne of Christians is of a farre other sort and case for they are accounted among the children and household of the Church by reason of the lawe of Couenaunt They be holie and Christ commaundeth them to be brought vnto him It is manifest they please God because their Angels alwaies sée the face of the father And although our capacitie cannot conceiue their state and condition yet Christ testifieth they haue faith and that they haue the Holie Ghost the examples of Iohn Baptist and others teach vs. Gualter fol. 385. How baptime is no baptime but to the childe Christ bidde the Church to baptise in the name of the Father the Sonne and the holie Ghost If a Priest saie these words ouer the water and there be no child to be baptised these words onelie pronounced doe not make Baptime And againe Baptime is onelie Baptime to such as be baptised and not to anie other standing by As Baptime is no Baptime but to the childe that is baptised and not to the standers by so the Sacrament of the bodie is no Sacrament but to them that worthelie receiue Whereas Saint Austen saith that Infants are baptised In Fide Susceptorum in the faith of their Godfathers yet in so saieng hée meaneth of the faith of Christ which the Godfathers doe or ought to beléeue and none otherwise Iohn Philpot in the booke of Martirs Significations of baptime As the people of God in the time of Iosua were conueied through the water of Iordane into the Land of promise following the Arke of God which the Priest bare before them euen so are all we that beléeue in Christ conueied out of the Kingdome of Satan into the Kingdome of God by Baptime following our Arke Christ which is gone before vs. The passing of Helias through the water of Iordane and so lifte vp into Heauen doth signifie in a shadow to vs that our passage into Heauen should be made by Baptime The cleansing of Naaman the Sirian in the Water of Iordane from the filthie Leprosie at the commaundement of Helias doth prefigure vnto vs the spirituall cleansing from sinnes to be made by Baptime through the inwarde working of the holie Spirit That Baptime should be a figure of Christs death buriall and resurrection is proued by that he termed his passion by the name of Baptime when he aunswered the children of Zebedy on this wise Can ye be baptised with the Baptime that I am baptised withall Hemmyng Considerations of baptime We must be fullie resolued that
that Christ was borne of the virgin Mary saieng he was gotten of the séede of Ioseph Also that his bodie suffered and that his soule onelie was receiued into heauen He liued about the yere of our Lord. 142. CARREN OR CARKAS ¶ Looke Eagles CASTOR AND POLLVX What these two were and how they were worshipped Whose badge was Castor and Pollux ¶ These in olde time were estéemed as Gods which if they appeared both together were counted fauourable and luckie to mariners and such as trauailed the Seas If one after another or but one alone vnfortunate and cruell The owner of the ship caried the badge of them not without great confidence therein that these two Gods would prosper his voiage because he honoured them with the carieng thereof Tindale ¶ Those the Panims fained to be Iupiters children and Gods of the Sea Geneua ¶ So they vsed to decke the fore-part of their ships wherevpon the ships were called by such names Beza CAVE OR DENNE What difference is betweene a caue and a denne MAde them dennes in the mountaines and caues raelits to auoid the miseries made them caues For so doth this Hebrue word Manaharoth signifie denies It is in Hebrue writeten Mearoth But what difference there is betwéen these two words as much as I can gather by the Hebrâ—es I will declare Those first places were in bankes of hills and were so called because from the vpper parts they had certaine chinkes and holes which were like windowes so that through them they had light sufficient within And yâ— same places were verie hansome for men to dwell in theÌ„ R. Leui. saith yâ— through those holes and cliftes which were like windowes spies when they saw the Madianites comming did vse either by kindeling of fires or by some other token to giue knowledge vnto the Hebrues whereby they might gather their stuffe fruits and cattels into the dennes and lead them awaie from the enimies which were comming by For dennes were not in mountaines but places vnder the earth in the fields being darke and without light wherein men did not dwell but they might after a sorte hide their things and goods But Caues in Latine are called Specus a speciendo which is to behold and looke vpon because out of them as out of high places they which were ther vsed to looke through c. Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 112. CAVSE What the cause of vnbeliefe is and also of faith Obiection What is the cause that the one sort through vnbeliefe do reiect the Gospell when it is offered them that the other receiue it by faith Aunswere It is not to be meruailed at when men by their vnbeliefe and vnkindnesse reiect the Gospell but it is meruaile that some are found that doe receiue it by faith For that all men being corrupted with sin is of such peruerse nature wickednes that they cannot nor will not beleeue in God nor follow his word And though that manie of contrarie nature be found which not onelie receiue by faith the word of God Iesus Christ our Lord but are also readie to laie downe their life to adandon the same for the confession of their faith vnderstand they are not such of nature but by the grace of God by the which they are renued transformed into a new nature are new creatures For it is not flesh and bloud that hath reuealed it to them but the heauenlie father Pet. Viret How the cause of sinne is not to be laid vnto God God compelleth no man to sinne but euerie man willinglie sinneth wherefore the cause of sinne is not to be laied in him Pet. Mar. vpon ludic fol. 163. How the successe maketh not the cause either good or bad If the successe be euill the cause is not therfore straight way euill Neither if the successe be good is yâ— cause therfore straight way good Nabuchodonozer destroied Iewrie and led away the Nations that were adioining captiues into Babilon yet was not his cause therefore good Gods cause indéede was iust for he would by that meanes take vengeance of a rebellious people But Nabuchodonozer thought nothing els but to exercise his tyrannie Ioseph because he would auoid adulterie was cast into prison and yet was not his cause therefore euer a whit the worse Dauid was reiected of Absalom yet was not Absaloms cause therefore any whit the better In our time Princes that are Protestants haue had euill successe in warre yet is therefore not yâ— cause of the Gospell to be thought yâ— worse The Beniamites now got the victorie more then once or twice in a cause most wicked The holie Martyrs in our time are most miserarablie slaine of Tyrants that with most cruell kinde of torments and yet we nothing doubt but their cause is most excellent England had of late as touching the word of God truth a Church most rightlie instituted which was afterward miseblie disiected and seperated neither followed it thereby that the cause of Religion was euill But now thankes be giuen vnto God that hath restored it Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 271. ¶ Looke Sinne. CENCHREA How Paule vesd himselfe at Cenchrea what Cenchrea as ANd he shore his head in Cenchrea ¶ Cenchrea is an hauen at Cormth where Paule taking ship did sheare his head according to his vowe For according to the Lawe of Moses they that vowed themselues to God were commanded to suffer their haire to growe as long as they would continue Nazarites and afterward to sheare it to burne it This did Paule not forgetting what he had before decréed with yâ— Apostles touching the abolishing of yâ— law But lest the Iewes which beleeued shuld be offended he fained himselfe a Iew to win yâ— Iewes Tindale CERDON Of the wicked opinions of this man HE taught that Christ was neuer borne of a woman that he had no flesh nor suffered anie passion but séemed onely to suffer He affirmed that God which is declared in the Lawes Prophets to be God was not the father of our Sauiour Christ forsomuch as he was knowen the other vnknowen The one was iust the other was good It was his doctrine also that some creatures of themselues were euill that they were not made of the God that was the chiefe goodnesse but of another God of all naughtinesse whom he called the chiefe or principall mischiefe He was about the yeare of our Lord. 144. Eliotâ— Eusebius li. 4. cap. 10 11. CEREMONIES What Paule meaneth by Ceremonies ¶ Looke Rudiments When Ceremonies maie be retained when not SO long as it maie be vnderstood of all people what is ment by them and so long as they serue the people preach one thing or other they hurt not greatlie Although the free seruant of Christ ought not to be brought violentlie into subiection vnder bondage of mens traditions As S. Augustine complaineth in his daies how that the condition and state of the
iudge the world thether shall all gather together vnto him Tindale ¶ That is according to S. Paules interpretation when Christ commeth to Iudgement we shall betaken vp to méete him in the aire and so we shall be with him for euer ¶ That is the faithfull that beléeue the Gospell will repaire vnto him as rauenous birdes to the carion The Bible note And how I caried you vpon Eagles wings ¶ For the Eagles by flieng high is out of daunger And in carieng hir Birdes rather on her wings then in hir talents declareth hir loue Geneua ¶ The Eagle carieth hir young ones vpon hir wings fearing onelie mans violence which rather then they should take harme she would receiue the harme in hir owne bodie In stéed thereof serued the cloud that kept of the Aegyptians force The Bible note ELAM What is signified by Elam I Will breake the bowe of Elam 〈…〉 ¶ By Elam is signified Persia so called of Elam the sonne of Sem. And because the Persians were good Archers he sheweth that the thing wherein they put their trust should not profit them Geneua ¶ The Elamites were good bowe men in battaile and therefore is their bowe prophecied to be broken c. By which is meant that they should be ouercome in battaile of their Enimies and scattered abroad vnto the foure coastes of the earth T. M. ELDAD AND MEDAD ¶ Looke Moses ELDERS Why he nameth them Elders and not Priests IN the olde Testament the temporal heads rulers of the Iewes which had the gouernaunce ouer the laie or common people are called Elders as ye maie see in the foure Euangelists Out of which custome Paule in his Epistle and also Peter call the Prelates and spirituall Gouernours which are Bishops and Priests Elders Now whether ye call them Elders or Priests it is all one to me so that ye vnderstande they be officers and Seruaunts of the word of God vnto the which all men both high and lowe that will not rebel against Christ must obaie as long as they preach and rule trulie and no farther Tindale fol. 38. ELEAZER The meaning of this place that followeth THe childe of the stewardshippe of my house is this Eleazer of Damasco ¶ Eleazer was then Steward of Abrahams house which Eleazer had a sonne called Damascus which child because Sara was barren Abraham had thought to haue adopted for his sonne Of this Damascus tooke the Citie of Damasco his name Lyra. ELECTION What the cause of our Election is and how it is defined ELection is the frée mercie and grace of God in his owne will through faith in Christ his sonne chusing and preferring to life such as pleaseth him Bradford in the booke of Mar. The onelie good pleasure of the will and franke mercie of God by Iesus Christ without respect of anie works either present or for to come is the cause of the diuine Election F. N. B. the Italian The cause of our election is onelie the will of God And to proue this Saint Paule saith which sawe as farre in mens deseruings as we can doe bringeth in an euident example of Iacob and Esau how Iacob was elected and Esau reproued before they were borne or had done either good or bad To the which some will saie that God sawe afore that Iacob should bée good and therefore chose him and that Esau should doe no good and therefore repelled him But to those that will iudge of that that God sawe it maie be demaunded how they knowe that GOD sawe that and if he sawe it yet how knowe they that that was the cause of Iacobs election Saint Paule knoweth none other cause but the will of God whatsoeuer other discusse And if they should saie the cause whie God sawe before that Iacob shoulde doe good was because that God would giue him his grace therfore God sawe that he should doe good and so shoulde also the other haue done if God would haue giuen him that same grace Saint Paule concluding with these Scriptures saith I will shewe mercie to whome I shew mercie and will haue compassion on whome I haue compassion So lyeth it not in mans will and running but in the mercie of God He saith not I will haue mercie on him that I sée shall do good but I will shew mercie to whom I will He sayth not I will haue compassion on him that shall deserue it De congrua but of him of whom I will haue compassion This doth Austen wel proue in these wordes The disputation of them is vaine the which do defend the prescience of God against the grace of God and therfore saie that we were chosen before the making of the world because that God knew afore that we shuld bée good because he shoulde make vs good But he that saith you haue not chosen me saith not so for if he did therefore choose vs because that before he knew that we should be good then must hée also haue knowne before that we should first haue chosen him Héere it is plaine that the election of God is not because he saw afore that we should doe well But onelie the cause of the election is his mercie and the cause of our dooing well is his election And therefore Saint Paule saith not of workes but of calling I. Veron So then election is not of the willer but of God that taketh mercie ¶ It is euident by this Text that our works or merites doe not iustifie vs but that our saluation doth wholie depend vpon the frée election of GOD which béeing righteousnesse it selfe doth choose whome it pleaseth him vnto lyfe euerlasting Sir I. Cheeke Blessed are the people whome the Lorde hath chosen to bée his inheritaunce c. ¶ Of the Lordes frée election and choosing of his Citizens whome he hath predestinate and appointed to be saued the Scripture both in the olde and newe Testament speaketh much In the 20. of Saint Mathew verse 16. our sauiour saith Multi vocati pauci vero electi◠Manie bée called but fewe bée chosen All they bée called which haue had the word of GOD preached vnto them And they onelie are elect which finallie and eternallie shall be saued and inherit the euerlasting kingdome with Iesus Christ the first begotten and the onelie purchaser of lyfe eternall The elect haue these properties and blessings of GOD following them Though they doe fall and sinne of tentimes yea and peraduenture verie gréeuouslie as Dauid did or committing as Saint Peter did with his denieng and forswearing of CHRIST As Marie Magdalene and the woman of Samarie did with their fraile and foolish yéelding vnto the pleasure of the flesh yet they neuer fall from GOD but their grose and naturall falles doe cast them into such a shame of themselues and abhorring of sinnes that by their falling they rise vp the more stronger So that the elect cannot finallie bée seduced nor carried awaie from GOD. For whome Christ loueth In finem diligit hée
another place The Sonne of man is come to saue that which was lost And in Saint Lukes Gospell concerning the conuersion of Zacheus The Sonne of man is come to séeke and to saue that which was lost Therefore it ought to be no discomfort vnto vs to confesse that wée are vtterlye lost séeing thereby that we are assured that wée appertaine vnto Christ who came of purpose to séeke and to saue that which was lost O the wonderfull wisedome power and mercie of GOD shewed vs in CHRIST that euen then when we feele our selues lost we are founde when we sée our selues destroied we are saued when we heare our selues condemned we are iustified onely in beléeuing these words The sonne of man is come to saue that which was lost Let vs therefore with inuincible courage of faith take holde of these generall promises of God and apply them vnto our selues as the poore woman of Canany did and we shall finde it to be true which our Sauiour Christ saith vnto vs There is nothing impossible to him that beléeueth Doct. Fulke LOTTES How they may be vsed lawfully TO speake of lottes how farre foorth they are lawfull is a light question First to vse them for the breaking of sâ—riâ—e as when partners their goods as equally deuided as they can take euery man his part by lotte to auoid all suspition of deceiptfulnesse And as the Apostles in the first of the Actes when they sought another to succéede Iudas the Traitour and two persons were presented then to breake strife and to satisfie all parties did cast lottes whether should be admitted desiring God to temper them and to take whom he knewe most meete séeing they wist not whether to preferre or happely could not all agrée either is lawfull and in all like cases But to abuse them vnto the tempting of God to compell him therewith to vtter things whereof we stand in doubt when we haue no commaundement of him so to doe as these Heathen héere did though God tourned it to his glorye cannot bée but euill Tindale fol. 27. ¶ Which declareth that the matter was in great extremitie and doubt which thing was Gods motion in them for the tryall of the cause and this maye not be done but in matters of great importaunce Geneua LOVE Of the order of Loue. SOme in seeking for an order in loue doe determine by the authoritie of S. Austine that first we must loue God secondly our selues thirdly our neighbours and bretheren and fourthly our owne body and our neighbours But there is nothing in Scripture touching any such order Indéed Christ doth saye that the first Commaundement doth stand in the loue of God but he doth not giue the seconde place to the loue of our selues but vnto the loue of our neighbour where as he saith in Mathew the second is like the first So that there is a double error committed héere by them which doe vncircumspectly and vnadâ—isedly follow Augustine One in that they do recken the loue of our selues amongst the kindes of loue commaunded vs whereas there is no Commaundement touching the same for it is naturally giuen to vs all to loue our selues and that there is no néede to giue any commaundement concerning this manner of loue And whereas the same is corrupted by the sin that dwelleth within vs in our flesh that corruption is not reformed by commaunding vs to loue our selues but by the loue of God of our neighbour and bretheren which is prescribed vnto vs by expresse precepts to reforme the naturall affections of loue in vs and to direct them after a good order wherefore it is not to be feared that he which doth loue God his neighbour and bretheren aright can neglect and cast away himselfe albeit that he doe wholly denie and refuse himselfe and be addicted full and whole to the glorie of God and the saluation of his neighbours The other errour standeth in that they place the loue of our selues next vnto the loue of God whereas Christ doth assigne the second place expressely to the loue of our neighbour Musculus fol. 471. How Loue is the fulfilling of the lawe Paule Rom. 13. affirmeth that loue is the fulfilling of the law and that he which loueth doth of his owne accord all that the law requireth And first Tim. 1. 5. he saith that the loue of a pure heart and good conscience and faith vnfained is the ende fulfilling of the lawe For faith vnfained in Christs bloud causeth thée to loue for Christs sake which loue is the pure loue onely and the onely cause of a good conscience for then is the conscience pure when the eyes looketh to Christ in all hir deedes to doe them for his sake not for hir owne singular aduauntage or any other wicked purpose And Iohn both in his Gospell and also Epistles spoaketh neuer of any other law then to loue one another purely Affirming that we haue God himselfe dwelling in vs and all that God desireth if we loue one another Tindale fol. 36. Againe Loue of hir owne nature bestoweth all that she hath and euen hir owne selfe of that which is loued Thou néedest not to bidde a kinde mother to be louing to hir onely sonne Much lesse spirituall Loue which hath eyes giuen hir of God néedeth mans lawe to teach hir to doe hir dutie And as in the beginning he did put foorth Christ as the cause and Authour of our righteousnesse euen so héere setteth he him foorth as an example to counterfaite that as he hath done to vs euen so should we doe one to another Tindale fol. 49. How we ought to loue God This doe and thou shalt liue ¶ That is to say Loue thy Lord God with all thy soule with all thy strength with all thy minde thy neighbour as thy selfe as who should say if thou doe this or though canst not doe it yet if thou féelest lust therevnto and thy spirit stirreth and mourneth longeth after strength to doe it take a signe euident token thereby that the spirit of life is in thee that thou art elect to life euerlasting by Christs bloud whose gift and purchase is thy faith and that spirit that worketh the will of God in thée whose gifte also are thy déedes or rather the déedes of the spirit of Christ and not thine and whose gifte is the reward of eternall life which followeth good workes Tindale fol. 78. ¶ Ye haue not the loue of God in you ¶ The loue of God is héere taken for the whole féeling of godlinesse For no man can loue God but he must also honour him and must submitte himselfe wholly vnto him euen as where is no loue of God there is no obedience in consideration Moses maketh this the summe of the lawe that we loue God with our whole heart c. Marl. vpon Iohn fol. 181. Why Loue hath the chiefe place aboue Faith and Hope Now abideth Faith Hope Loue but
therefore she doth willingly submit her self to them in all things for God For she knoweth verie well that God would that euerie man should be subiect vnto them in all things which are of their charge And that they which doe resist the same resist the ordinance of God and do set vp themselues against him Ro. 13. 1. 1. Pet. 2. 13. Pet. Viret How the Ecclesiasticall person is subiect to the ciuill Magistrate It perteineth to ecclesiasticall persons to iudge in spirituall causes but if anie of them swarue from the right rule of iustice he is subiect to the correction and punishment of the ciuill magistrate As Aaron had his authoritie of iudgement in spiritual causes yet was he reproued by Moses And the high Priest was deposed by Salomon and Sadoc set in his place And so shuld Ahas if he had ben a goodly prince haue deposed Vriah for making the prophane Altar How Magistrates that doe not perswade the people to Gods worde are not to be obeied in cause of conscience The. xxi Princes that were sent to explorate and search the priuitie and conditions of the land of Canaan two of them perswaded the people to beleeue Gods promises and not to feare the people that dwell in the lande Unto these godlye Princes was no faith nor eredence giuen of the people The Princes that perswaded the thing contrarie vnto God were beleeued of the people and their counsell admitted By this we learne that such Magistrates as perswade the people to Gods word should be beléeued and obeied the other not in cause of conscience ther must God onely be heard Act. 5 29. Math. 10. 28. Or els people shall faile of a right faith For he that knoweth not what his duetie is to God and his lawes will beléeue rather a lye with his fore-fathers then the truth with yâ— worde of God And this man is no méet auditor nor disciple of the word of God 1. North. MAGNIFIE What it is to Magnifie THis day will I begin to magnifie thée ¶ To magnifie properly is to aduaunce and set forth excéedingly and to bring him in estimation as it is sayde Gen. 12. and often in the Psalmes T. M. MAHOMET Of the rising vp of this false Prophet MAhomet of Arabia as most men saye of the mother side descended from Abraham by the linage of Ismael his son which he had by Agar his seruaunt which was a Iew béeing fatherlesse and motherlesse He was by the Scenites solde to a great rich Merchaunt who loued him so greatly for his fauour and wit that he made him ruler of all his merchaundise and businesse and was verie diligent in his maisters affayres and gained much by occupieng with the Iewes Christians and in vsing their company learned many things both of the one lawe and of the other His Maister chaunced to dye without heyre leauing his wise verie rich who being about the age of 50. yeares liked the younge man Mahomet so well that shée tooke him to husband and made him of a poore man very rich At the same time it chaunced a Monke named Sergius a man of verie euill nature and verie subtile who fled Constantinople for heresie to fall into familiaritie with Mahomet by whose instruction he increased so in Magicall arte that by his counsell and aide hée tooke vppon him to make the people beléeue that he was a Prophet and shewing some points of Magike he first perswaded his wife and his householde He had also an infirmitie called the falling sicknesse And when his wife being sore afraide thereof would aske him what it was hée made her beléeue that it was the Angell of God which came oftentimes to speake vnto him and forasmuch as he coulde not abide as man the diuine presence he fell into such agonie and alteration of spirit After this his wife died and left him meruailous riches who then what for the riches yâ— constaÌ„t report that went on Mahomet the Prophet he became in greate reputation amonge the Gentiles And so by the counsell of Sergius he called himselfe the greate Prophet of God and shortly after when his name was published and of great authoritie he deuised a lawe or kinde of religion called Alcaron In the which he toke some part well neere of all the heresies that had ben before his time With the Sabellians he diuided the trinitie with yâ— Maniches he affirmed to be but two persoÌ„s in the deitie he denied the equalitie of the father the son with Eâ—nonius and sayd with Macedone the holy Ghost was a creature and approued the multitude of wiues with yâ— Nicholaâ—tes he borrowed of the Iewes circumcision and of the Gentiles much superstition and somewhat he toke of the Christian veritie beside many diuelish fantasies inuented of his own braine Those that obeied his lawes be called Saraseâ—s When he had liued fortie yeares he died of the falling sicknesse which he had of long time saieng that when he was taken therewith yâ— the Angell Gabriel appeared vnto him whose brightnesse he could not behold He was buried at Medina thrée daies iourney from the red sea an hundred miles from Mecha where is now the chiefe temple of his law He was after yâ— incarnation of Christ 600. yeares Of the faire shew of holynesse in the kingdome of Mahomet In outward pretence of religion euen the common sorte of their people excell the Popish Monksâ— Yeaâ— euen they that are best reformed For not onely their Clergie Monks but also their communaltie say the coÌ„mon praiers together fiue times euerie day Namely at the Sun rising at noone at after noone at the Sun setting and after supper when they goe to bed At which time or they go to pray they wash themselues they make themselues bare foote they knéele downe vpon the ground and the noble men and commons intermedling themselues altogether with the King accomplish their ordinarye praiers with certeine bowing and falling flatte downe without some lawfull let no man may neglect the ordinary praiers vnpunished They keepe their ordinarie holydayes and fasting daies with great deuotion and reuerence They make often exhortation to holynesse of lyfe to the people-ward To dealing of doles To making of pilgrimages in remembraunce of their Saints and specially of the Prophet Mahomet They haue many Hospitals as well in their high waies as in their cities for the receiuing and succouring of poore folke Pilgrimes They haue Monkes of such spare and staied behauiour as neuer was heard of both in diet in apparell in forsaking of al things and in withdrawing themselues from the company of the common multitude So as they maye seeme to resemble rather Iohn Baptist yea or the very Apostles for the straitnesse of their lyfe Some of them haue visions rauishments traunces and some of them are renowmed for myracles as well in their life as after their death Moreouer ther is wonderfull honestie and behauiour among them
worthy sauing peraduenture when new Phriests were appointed for the Parishes for then it behoued that the multitude of the place namely should consent Whether it is any meruaile yâ— the people in his behalfe was little carefull in kéeping their owne right for no maÌ„ was made a subdecon that had not shewed a long proofe of himselfe in his being a clarke vnder yâ— seueritie of discipline which then was vsed After yâ— he had ben tried in yâ— degrée he was made a Deacon From thence he came to yâ— honour of Priesthood if hée had behaued himselfe faithfully So no man was promoted of whome there had not ben in déed a trial had many years before yâ— eies of the people And there were many Canons to punish their faults So yâ— the Church could not be troubled with euill Priests or deacons vnlesse it neglected yâ— remedies howbeit in yâ— Priests also ther was required yâ— consent of them of the same citie which the very first canoÌ„ testifieth in his 67. distinctioÌ„ which is fathered vpoÌ„ Anacletus Finally al yâ— admissioÌ„s into yâ— orders were therfore done at certein appointed times of yâ— yeare yâ— no man should priuely créepe in without the consent of the faithfull or should with too much easinesse be promoted without witnesses Cal. in his Insti 4. b. chap. 4. Sect. 11. Wherfore brethren looke ye out among you seauen men of honest report c. ¶ If the Church had kept still this order in choosing of Ministers it had bene better with the christen common wealth and religion Lampridius a notable historiâ—graph in the life of Alâ—xander Seuerus doth write yâ— this was vsed customably among the christians when they should choose or make any Minster they did first publish his name abrode And if any man could alleadge any notable crime against him he was expelled and put backe from his office Sir I. Cheeke Why the Ministers are not now chosen as they were in the primitiue Church The alteration of gouernement and orders of the Church of Christ is well set out by Ambrose in the. 4. to the Eph. vpon these words Et ipse dedit c. Wher he saith on this sort That the number of the Christians might increase and be multiplied in the beginning it was permitted to euery one to preach the Gospell to baptise to expound the Scriptures but when the Church was enlarged there were certeine preachers appointed gouernours other officers ordeined in the church c. Therfore the writings of the Apostles doe not in all things agrée with the orders that are now in the church D. Whitegift Musculus also in his common places answering to this question why that Ministers of the word are not chosen now by the Ministers and the people as they were in the Primitiue Church but appointed by the Magistrate saith thus Such was the state of the Churches that they could choose their Ministers none otherwise because they had no christen magistrate If thou wouldest haue the manners and customes of these times then must thou call backe their condition and state How Ministers ought not to forsake their vocation Ministers must abide in their vocation so long as yâ— strength of the bodie will suffer them and that they be not thrust out by force For yâ— men people coÌ„mitted to their charge ought neuer to be forsaken so long as they can abide to heare the word of God And if they be altogethers conteÌ„ners of yâ— word of yâ— Lord wil not suffer it to be preached then as Christ coÌ„maunded his Apostles let them shake of the dust of their feete against them depart But so long as there are anie among them which will suffer the pastor to preach to intreat of the word of God he ought not to giue ouer his ministratioÌ„ Wherfore I know not whether Melitius did wel or no or whom Theodoretus maketh mentioÌ„ in his 2. booke 31. chap. yâ— he forsooke the Bishoprick of a certein church in Armenia being offeÌ„ded with the ouer great disobedieÌ„ce of his flock But the same man afterward being choseÌ„ Bishop of Antioch was for the defeÌ„ding yâ— catholike faith against the ArriaÌ„s thrust into exile In which fact God peraduenture declared that he was not wel pleased that he had departed from his first vocation Pet. Mar. vpon the Rom. fo 334. How a Scisme ought not to be made for the euill life of the Minister The Scribes Pharesies sit in Moses c. All therfore whatsoeuer they bid you obserue that obserue and do but after their works do not for they say do not c. ¶ Behold yâ— Lord sayth they say and doe not therefore the teachers liues were not agreeable to their doctrine yet for that they stood in Moses seate that is to say because they taught the word of God lawfullye and sincerely he biddeth to receiue their sincere doctrine but their life not being agréeable to their doctrine that he biddeth to refuse And therfore to make a scisme for the Preachers euil liues sake the Lord doth forbid Bullinger fo 846. MIRACLES A definition of true Miracles A Miracle is a worke hard and vncustomed by the power of God which passeth all facultie of nature created to this ende wrought to cause the beholders to wonder and to confirme faith towards the worde of God Wherefore the matter of miracles are workes and the forme is that they be harde and vnaccustomed The efficient cause is the power of God which ouercommeth nature created the end of them is both admiration and also confirmation of faith Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 126. To what vse Miracles doe serue Miracles serue for thrée vses First that he which is healed thereby shoulde sinne no moreâ— Secondlye that the beholders shuld put their trust in the healer Thirdly that we which read of the miracles of the Lord should be confirmed in the glorye and doctrine of Christ and therewithall conceiue faith in him Hemmyâ—g Brethren be not in loue with signes which may be had common with the reprobate but loue ye rather miracles of charitie and true godlynesse which the more secret the more secure and for the which the lesse estimation that there is with men the greater is the reward with God In the beginning gathering of yâ— Church many things were necessary which now is néedlesse Miracles were vsed then which outwardly be diuided now When we go about to plaÌ„t a tree so long we water it vntill we sée it haue takeÌ„ root But wheÌ„ it is once substantially grounded braunches spread abroad we take no more paine to water it on like sort as long as yâ— people were altogether faithlesse this meane of miracles was of indulgence graunted them But when spirituall instruction had taken better place the corporall signes surceased straight Wherefore the Apostle sayth Lingua in signum sunt non fidelibus sed infidelibus Straunge tongues are for a signe not to them that
repentaunce sought of them but onely that they must beléeue Arbitramur hominem iustificari absque operibus legis We béeing taught of Christ thinke saith Thomas according to the truth of the Apostle that euery man whether he be Ieâ— or Gentile is iustified by faith Act. 15. 19. By faith purifieng theyr hearts and that without the workes of the lawe And that not onely without the Ceremoniall workes which did not giue grace but also without the workes of the Morall commandements according to that saieng of Titus 3. ver 5. Not of the workes of the righteousnesse that we haue wrought The reason is presumed that we are saued for our merites the which he excludeth when he saith Not of the workes of the righteousnesse which we haue done but the true reason is the onely mercie of God There is not therefore in them the hope of iustifitation Sed in sola fide but in faith onely Workes are not the cause that any body is iust before God but they are rather the executions and the ministring of righteousnesse In this point though he swarue from the truth in many other points he speaketh right I. Bridges fol. 143. Our Aduersaries when they doe teach that the iustifieng of vs doth not consist in faith onely but in workes also what doe they els but obscure the glory of Gods grace and extoll the merite of our workes They doe not waye that it is necessarye that our iustifieng doe consist in faith onely for as much as it is bestowed freely If they cannot abide the word onely or alone let him leaue it and vse this word fréely For in case we be iustified fréely by faith as the Apostle doeth testifie it must néedes followe that we be not iustified by faith works but by faith onely If it be not by faith onely but by workes withall then is it not freely but of duetie If it be of dutie and not fréely then there is no glory of Gods grace at all Musculus fol. 229. ONE Of one Mediatour ¶ Looke Mediatour What the Prophet Ose doth meane by one head THen shall the Children of Iuda and the Children of Israel be gathered together and appoint themselues one head ¶ To wit after the captiuitie of Babilon when the Iewes wer restored but chiefe this is referred to the time of Christ who should be the head both of the Iewes and Gentiles Geneua ¶ The number of the Children of Israel shall be as the sande of the Sea shore that cannot be numbred And it shall come to passe in the place where it was sayde vnto them Ye are no people of mine there shall it be sayd vnto them ye are the children of the lyuing God And the Children of Iuda the Children of Israel shall assemble together and shall appoint to themselues one head Upon which words S. Hierom writeth thus All these things shall come to passe because it is the great daye of the séed of God which séede is expounded not the Pope but Christ. There shall assemble together the Children of Iuda that is to say the Apostles the Children of Israel that is to say the Heathen conuerted together that is to say in one Church and shall appoynt vnto themselues one head that is to say not one Pope but one Christ. Iewel fol. 101. ¶ Let vs remember saith Augustine the corner stone that is Christ and not the Pope and the two walls the one of the Iewes and the other of the Heathen Iewel fol. 101. Of one Sheepefold And there shall be one Shéepefold ¶ When the Gentiles haue receiued the Euangelicall faith they shal be associate and ioyned to the faithfull people of the Iewes and so of them both there shall be one folde that is of the Iewes Gentiles there shall be one Church One God saith Paule one Faith and one Baptime Therefore we must be one euen as wée are called into one hope c. They which gather vpon this place that there shall be a mutual consent and agréement among men in the whole world insomuch as none shall remaine as Inâ—â—dell or vngodly doe erre and know not the Scriptures neither doe consider what is the state and drift of this place Againe ther are some which gather of this place that after the last day of Iudgment all both good and bad shall be gathered into one place of eternall life But the opinion of those men is most foolish For then shall the Shéepe be seperated from the Goates the iudgement of the Shéepe shal be one the iudgement of the Goates another as the Scripture plainly testifieth Marâ— vpon Iohn fol. 374. Of one Spirit He that cleaneth vnto God is one spirite with him ¶ Nico. Lyra vpon this place saith Vâ—us non secundum rem c. One spirit with God not one in déede but one in loue or according to affection So that we are vnited vnto God by faith and loue and none otherwise ORACLE What an Oracle is AN Oracle is properly the minde and aunswere of God by some diuine Interpreter declared as by some Prophet Priest or otherwise by man ORIGENIANI Of whom these Heretikes bare their name ORigeniani were Heretikes called after aâ—e Origen not he that was the great Cleark of Alexandria they condemned marriage yet liued they beastly their manner was to haue among them religious women like Nunnes whom they deâ—â—led yet vsed meanes to kéepe them from swelling Epiph. haer 63. Of the Heretikes that sprang of the learned Origen Origeniani againe were Heretikes which so called themselues of Origen Adamantius the great Clearke of Alexandria they taught as Epiphan saith haeres 64. that there was no resurrection that Christ was a creature the Holy ghost a like that the soules were first in heauen came downe into the bodies as it wer into prison that in the end the diuels should be saued Epiphanius as I read in Socrates Eccl. hist. li. 6. ca. 11. was become the enimy of Origen through the spite malice of Theophilus Bishop of Alexandria The diuell bare Origen a displesure he procured heretikes to father vpon him lewd opinions He complaineth himselfe in a certaine Epistle how that Heretikes corrupted his works Pamphilus Martir the great friend and familiar of Eusebius wrote an Apologie in his behalfe Eusebius li. 6. ca. 3. 18. 20. 26. reporteth of the famous men that fauored Origen Socrates Eccle. histor lib. 6. cap. 12. writeth in his commendation Athanasius gaue of him a notable testimonie Chrisostome would in no wise bée brought to condemne either Origen or his works Socrates li. 6. cap. 11. 12. 13. ORIGINALL SINNE That no man is without originall sinne THe death of our Lord Iesus Christ the sonne of God is a mightie remedie against the wound of originall sin wherewith the nature of all men is in Adam corrupt and slaine and from whence the infection of all concupiscence hath sprong Augustine in the Articles falsely
power is that which is altogether frée and is neither gouerned or restrained by the law or will of any other The limitted power is not frée but subiect to an absolute or greater power of another which cannot of it selfe doe euery thing but that onely that the absolute power or greater authoritie doth suffer to be done and suffereth it vnder certaine conditions c. Bullinger fol. 837. PRAIER What Praier is PRaier is a mourning a longing and a desire of the spirite to God-ward for that which she lacketh as a sicke man mourneth and sorroweth in his heart longing for health Tindale fol. 8◠Againe Praier is either a longing for the honour of the name of God that all men should feare him and kéepe his precepts and beléeue in him either to giue God thankes for benefits receiued either a complaining and a shewing of thine owne miserie and necessitie or of thy neighbours before God desiring him with all the power of thine heart to haue compassion and to suceour thée and them Tindale ¶ The true and acceptable prayer consisteth not in a rabblement of words nor yet in the vehemencie of the voice but in the stedfastnesse of our beléefe in the beautie of our desires and in the pure intentiue thought of our hearts fixed on Gods diuine mercie at such time as we doe pray ¶ God hath giuen vs a speciall comaundement to pray promising to heare and graunt our requests Wherefore it is requisite when we powre out our feruent praiers vnto God that we haue a speciall regard vnto the promise for except the Lord had promised to heare vs we could obtaine nothing by our prayers And whensoeuer we obtaine any thing in our prayer we may not attribute the graunt thereof to our praiers or worthinesse but onely vnto his mercifull promise ¶ Prayer saith Augustine is the deuotion of the minde that is to say the turning vnto God by godly and humble affection but we saith Musculus define it thus that the praier which may appeare vnto God is the affection and bewayling of an afflicted heart wherby the ayd of God is most humbly besought whether the same be done with words or without wordes by wayling alone and sighes Masculus fol. 485. ¶ The right forme and affection of prayer commeth by the holy Ghost who maketh intercession tor vs not that hée prayeth and mourneth but that he so stirreth our hearts that we lift them vp to heauen earnestly and feruently which is the true prayer Heare my prayer O God ¶ True prayer is an earnest and affectious communication of the heart with God and a diligent consideration of the things that want in vs concerning the séeking of his glorye and dooing his will with a burning and feruent desire of the spirite that requyreth him to repaire and amende that which wanteth in vs. Psa. 5. 1. Pro. 15. 29. Euery godly with also is a good prayer T. M. What els is praier then a record of the faith that we haue to God-ward for by calling vpon God without Hypocrisie we witnesse openly that all our welfare lyeth in him and that he is the onely party to whom we ought to flye for succour And to be short by calling vpon God we yéelde him the glory that belongeth vnto him and which he reserueth vnto himselfe c. Cal. vpon Iob. fol. 205. ¶ The sincere praier which is appoynted of God is vsed to inflame the heart of man with a feruent desire to séeke God alwaies in true faith and euermore to haue recourse to him in all his néedes and the rather to receiue his benefites with a thankful mind when he is certefied by prayer that all benefits doe come from his bountifull hande and finally to confirme weake mindes so that they shall not haue cause to doubt in Gods prouidence when they sée God doth stirre them vp yea doth commaund them to call vpon him in their necessities by Iesus Christ doth promise them y◠he will heare their prayers through the same Iesus Christ whensoeuer they call vppon him that they may render thankes vnto him and glorifie his holy name Neither will God haue vs make our praiers without his Temple that is Iesus Christ his Sonne in whom his Deitie dwelleth effectually For as he hath giuen vs our béeing and the knowledge of him by the meanes of his Sonne so will he likewise haue vs to aske of him by this meanes not by any other And therefore whosoeuer doth praye and offer vp his petitions to any other then to God onely or doth séeke any other meanes then Iesus Christ to offer them by without doubt he doth both against the commaundements and against the promise of God and doth sinne grieuously in Gods sight F. N. B. the Italian ¶ Praier is the ordinarie instrument to attaine all things that are néedefull for vs of God Or thus Praier is a lowly listing vp of y◠minde vnto God in desiring ought at Gods hand or yéelding thankes for benefits receiued Hemmyng We are taught by Ose how we should pray The Prophet Ose telleth vs how we should praye Lord saith he take away mine iniquitie and receiue if I haue any my goodnesse and I will giue thee the Bullockes and Sacrifices of my lippes The meaning of this place following But when thou praiest enter into thy chamber ¶ The heauenly schoolemaster when he minded to set out the best rule of praieng commaunded vs to goe into our chamber and ther the dores being shut to pray to our Father which is in secret that our Father which is in secret may heare vs. For when he hath drawen them away from the example of Hypocrites which with ambitious boasting showe of prayers sought the fauour of men he therewithall addeth what is better namely to enter into our chamber and there to praye the doore being shutte in which words as I expound them he willeth vs to séeke solitarie being which may helpe vs to descend and to enter throughly with our whole thought into our heart promising to the affections of our heart that God shall be néere vs whose Temples our bodies ought to be For he ment not to deny but that it is expedient also to pray in other places but he sheweth that praier is a certaine secret thing which both is chiefly placed in the soule and requireth the quyet therof farre from all troubles and cares Cal. in his Insti 3. b. cha 20 sect◠29. ¶ Looke Chamber ¶ When thou with pray saith Christ goe into thy Closet shut the dore vpon thée and pray vnto the father in secret ¶ He spake not to this intent to restraine the praiers of his faithfull vnto chambers closets but to admonish them that they shuld specially eschew the fault of ostentation and boasting which the Pharesies vsed in their prayers praieng openly at the corners of the stréetes and in the Synagogues to be séene of men and to be taken for deuout folke
by Salt for as Salt maketh meates sauorie so godly wisdome causeth our communication and talke to be allowable and haue a grace we ought to take héede with whom and before whom we do talke according to the audience to moderate and rule our communication Sir I. Cheeke Let your speach be alwaies gratious c. ¶ Perteining to edification and mixt with no vanitie Geneua How the nature of Christ is set out by the ceremonie of salt Upon all thine offering thou shalt bring Salt ¶ By this ceremonie is the nature of Christ set forth which is figured in all sacrifices For Christ is the true and heauenly Salt by whoÌ„ all that beleeue in him be made sauorie and pleasant vnto God the father so that they shall neuer so putrifie that they shall Perish The Bible note How salt in Baptime is not Christs ordinaunce The vse of Salt in the olde Testament was appointed to the Iewes by the law prescribed by Moses to them that were vnder the lawe If it had bene Christs pleasure yâ— his ministers should haue looked backe vnto the rites of Moses taken out of them such as they listed he would rather haue had declared the same or els the Apostle wold haue done it wherefore our opinion is saith Musâ—ulus that this vse of Salt also in Baptime is to be attributed vnto yâ— wil worship of the Bishops Mus. fo 290 Of the salted couenant Let it be a salted couenant for euer ¶ Like as Salt doth preserue flesh from corruption so this couenant shuld be sure stable and incorruptible The Bible note Neither shalt thou suffer the salt of the couenant of thy God to be lacking ¶ All offerings must be salted with Salt signifieng that al our works must be directed after the doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets and then shall they be acceptable in the sight of the Lord if they sauour of the Salt thereof or else not T. M. What the sowing of Salt meaneth Destroied the citie and sowed Salt in the place ¶ He sowed Salt there to make it barren for euer for Salt maketh the â—round vnapt to bring forth any thing as saith Plinie in hisâ— 13. booke the. 17. chapter Abimelech after he had destroied the citie of Sichem soweâ— Salt therein which was a token of a wildernesse and desart For Salt drieth the ground and maketh it vnfruitfull In Hebrew Malach signifieth Salt Thereof commeth the Uerbe Malach which is to Salt but in the Coniâ—gation Niphal Niuilah is a Uerbe which signifâ—eth to destroy to breake downe to wast That word leremy vsed in his 14. chapter And Dauid in his 107. Psalme God turneth a fruitfull land into a saâ—â—ish ground that is maketh it wast desart In the yeare 1165. Frederike Oenobarbus the Emperour ouerthrew Millaine sowed Salt there For that citie tooke part with Alexander the third being Pope against Caesar which thing Frederike tooke in ill part Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 170. SALVATION A firme Argument for the certeintie of our saluation ANd seeing it is sayd that faith shall be imputed vnto vs vnto righteousnesse as it was in times past imputed vnto Abraham we haue a most firme argument of the certeintie of saluation For as Abraham behaued himselfe towardes the promise of God as touching that he should haue issue So must we behaue our selues towardes the promises of the remission of sinnes But he was certeine neither doubted hée whereof we ought to be certeine of the saluation promised vnto vs and by no meanes to doubt thereof This reason let vs holde fast and not suffer it to slip from vs. Pet. Mar. vpon the Rom. fol. 96. As the holy Scriptures teacheth vs we ought to hope such is the nature of hope not to confound we may manifestly infer that we ought not to doubt of our saluation There are which pretend the their doubt héereof springeth for yâ— they are vncertein whether they shal perseuer vnto yâ— end or no. But these meÌ„ shuld coÌ„sider yâ— we ought alwais to pray for perseueraÌ„ce For as saith Cipriane whom Augustine followeth in all the things which we aske in the Lords prayer is included perseueraÌ„ce And as Iames teacheth we must aske without doubting wherfore it is manifest yâ— we must by no meanes doubt of perseuerance especially seeing we haue in our hearts the holy Ghost alwayes bearing an excellent testimonie vnto vs thereof For as Saint Paule saith in this Epistle It is the spirit that beareth witnesse to our spirit that we are the sonnes of God and â—e which hath not the spirit of Christ is none of his And Paul writeth of himselfe that he is sure that neither life nor death nor principalitie nor power can pluck him from yâ— loue of God namely from the loue wherewith God loued him Pet. Mar. vpon the Rom. fo 967. How without the Church is no light or saluation S. Cipriane De simplicitate praelatorum saith Whosoeuer is separated from the Church is ioyned to an adulterous church yâ— same man is separated from the promises of the church neither perteineth he to Christs merits which hath left yâ— church of Christ. He is a strauÌ„ger he is vncleane he is an enimy He cannot now haue God his father who hath not the church his mother If he may scape that was out of the Arke of Noe he may also escape that is abroad out of the church He must néeds be a most wicked man whosoeuer he be that leaueth his owne country the fellowship of very good men and falleth away to the enimies Lactantius therefore most truely sayd It is onely the catholike church which receiueth true religion Héere is the fountaine of truth This is the household of faith This is yâ— temple of God into the which if one enter not or out of the which if any depart he is excluded from the hope of saluation life euerlasting for our sauiour said that out of the sheepfolde life is not to be sound Bullinger fo 843. The causes of our saluation The speciall cause why we obteine euerlasting life is yâ— voluntarie frée will of God And the second cause are yâ— merits of Christ for he died for the saluation of mankinde but this is also a frée gift of the good will of God The third cause is our faith by the which we embrace receiue this good wil of God and the merits of Christ. Marl. vpon Mat. fol. 373. It is most true that the eternall election of God in Iesus Christ is the onely and sole cause of saluation vnto vs miserable and mortall men And holy faith imbracing the mercie of God in Iesus Christ by the testimonie of the holye Ghost in our heartes is that which doth assure vs that it is so Moreouer I say vnto thée that if any man should goe about to take from thée this assurednes and to make thée doubtfull of thy saluation he goeth about
man may there choose a conuenient remedie for his disease Basil vpon the first Psal. I. Northbrooke In the word of God is plentie for the strong man to eate there is inough for the childe to sucke There is also milke to drinke wherwith the tender infants of the faithfull be nourished and strong meats wherwith the lustie youth of them that is perfect may receiue the spirituall increasement of holy vertue Fulgentius in his Sermon of the confessours I. Northb. Nothing can deceiue them that search the holy Scriptures for that is the candle whereby the theefe is spied Theophilactus of Lazarus I. N. The Scripture is a flud wherin the little lambe may wade and the great Olyphant may swimme Gregorie in his Epistle to Leonard I. N. The Scriptures are easie to the slaue to the husbandman to the childe and to him that may séeme to be verye simple of vnderstanding Chrisost. in his first Homil. vpon Mat. How Christ and the Church are learned in the Scriptures In the Scriptures we haue learned Christ In the Scriptures we haue learned the Church These Scriptures wée haue commonlye and why doe wee not commonlye retaine both Christ and the Church in them August Epist. 166. Against them that finde fault that the Scriptures be darke The holy spirit hath so nobly and wholesomely tempered the holy Scriptures that he might with the easie places of it serue the greedy hunger of men and with the dark places to take away the loathsomenesse For there is no point almost found in the darknesse of it which is not plainely spoken in some other place Whereby saith Musculus it is manifest inough that if any thing be spoken darkly in some place of the Scriptures the light of it must be sought ought of those places where the matter is more plainly expressed c. Mus. fol. 151. Where things are more plainely vttered in the Scriptures there must we learne how they are to be vnderstood in darke places August li. 83. quest Let vs come saith Chrisostome to the leuell and marke of the holy Scripture which doth expound it selfe And by and by after The sacred Scripture expoundeth himselfe and suffereth not the hearer for to erre Chrisostom in his 2. chap. Gen. Homil. 13. In the Scriptures are all things needfull for our saluation The holy Scriptures béeing inspired from God are sufficient to all instructions of truth Athanasius against the Gentiles Not all things the the Lord Iesus did are written as the Euangelist witnesseth For the Lord both did sayd many things that are not written but these were chosen out to be written which séemed sufficient for the saluation of the vnbeleeuers Augustin to the Bre. in the wildernesse in his 49. treatise vppon Iohn Whatsoeuer is required for our saluation is already conteined in the holy Scriptures He that is ignoraunt shall finde there what he may learne He that is stubburne and a sinner may finde there scourges of the iudgement to come the which he may feare He that is troubled may finde ioyes and promises of euerâ—asting lyfe through the beholding of which he may be stirred to good works Chrisost. in his 19. Homil. vpon Math. Reade the Scriptures wherein ye shall finde fully what is to be followed and what is to be auoided not all thinges that our Lorde Iesus did are written c. As before is sayd Augustine to the brethren in c. For as much as Christ himselfe hath not reuealed these things which of vs will saye they bée these or these For who is there either so vaine or so rash who notwithstanding hée speaketh the truth to whome he lysteth and what he lyâ—teth will affirme without anye testimonie of the Scriptures that these be the things that the Lord would not then open Augustine in the. 96. treatise vpon Iohn If there be anie thing néedfull to be knowne or not to bâ—e knowne we shall learne it by the holy Scriptures if we shall néed to report a falsehood we shal fetch it out from thence if to be corrected to be chastened to be exhorted or comforted to be short if ought lacke that ought to be taught or learned we shall also learne it out of the same Scriptures Chrisost. vpon the. 2. of Tim. the 3. chap. Lyke as in a Merchaunts ship are carried diuerse things necessarie for mans lyfe So in the Scriptures are conteined all things néedfull to saluation Lyra vpon the last chap. of the Prouerbs How holy Scripture is to be read Now to the intent that the reading of holy Scripture may be to our profite we must applye our selues to it not onelye thankfully and reuerently but also with great sobernesse and pure affection ioyning prayer therevnto also For God reuealeth his mysteries out of heauen Dan. 2. 18. He giueth vnderstanding to the lyttle ones Psal. 119. 130. according also as Christ teacheth Mat. 12. 25. Notwithstanding for as much as it is not giuen to all men to read holy writ ther is expresse mention made of hearing which ingendereth faith by the effectuall working of yâ— holy Ghost in mens harts for fayth commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God Rom. 10. 27. Marl. vpon the Apoc. fol. 6. ¶ Looke Search Of the ignoraunce and knowledge of Scriptures Ignoraunce of the Scriptures sayth Saint Hierome is the mother and cause of errours And in an other place he saith the knowledge of the Scriptures is the food of euerlasting life Hierom. in the. 23. of Math. How by the Scriptures all doubts are tried Consider in what daunger they be that haue no care to read the holy Scriptures for by the same Scriptures only the iudgement of this triall must be allowed Origen in his â—0 boo 16. chap. to the Rom. Neuer moue question héereof but onely learne of the holy Scriptures For the onely proues that ye shall there finde are sufficient to proue the Godhead of the holy God We must needes call to witnesse the holy Scriptures for our iudgements and expositions without these witnesses they carrie no credit Origen in his first Homely vpon Ieremy We must read the Scriptures with all dilligence and bée occupied in the lawe of the Lord both day night yâ— we may become perfect exchangers be able rightly to discerne what money is lawfull and what is counterfait Hierom. in his 3. b. and. 5. chap. to the Ephe. I require the voice of the shepheard read me this matter out of the Prophets read me out of the Psalmes read it out of the lawe read it out of the Gospels read it out of the Apostles August in his booke of Pastors the. 14. chap. Neither will I alleadge the Councell of Nice against you nor shall you alleadge the Councell of Arminium against mée By the authoritie of Scriptures let vs weigh matter with matter cause with cause
reproued of all men then fornication it selfe False Prophets false Apostles and false Priests sprang vp which vnder a counterfait religion deceiued the people the most part of them vnder the honest name of chastitie commit whooredome adultery incest commonly and without punishment The Bishops Priests of this time how do they endeuour to kéepe either in heart or in hody the holynesse of chastitie without which no man shall sée God They are giuen ouer into a reprobate minde and doe those things that are not conuenient for it were shame to vtter what these Bishops do in secret Againe he saith absteining from the remedy of marriage afterward they flow ouer into all kinde of wickednesse Againe such notorious filthynesse of lecherie there is in manye partes of the world not onely in the inferiour Clarkes but also in Priests yea in the greatest Prelates which thing is horrible to be heard Bar. de conuers ad cleri chap. 19. in ope triperti li. 3. cha 7. Huldericus the Bishop of Augusta in Germany wrote sharply against Pope Nicholas in this wise I haue founde thy decrées touching the single lyfe of Priests to be voyde of discreation thou séest that many followers of thy counsell willing vnder a feined colour of continēt life rather to please man then God commit hainous actes in the end he concludeth thus by such discipline of discretion as you know best roote this Pharesaicall doctrine out of Gods folde I beléeue it were a good lawe and for the wealth and safety of soules that such as cannot liue chast may contract matrimonie For we learne by experience that of the law of continence or single lyfe the contrarie effect hath followed for as much as now a daies they liue not spiritually nor be cleane chast but with their great sinnes are defiled with vnlawfull copulation whereas with their owne wiues they should liue chastly Therefore the Church ought to doe as the skilfull Phisition vseth to doe who if he sée by experience that his medicine hurteth rather then doth good taketh it cleane away And would to God the same waye were taken with all positiue constitutions SINNE The definition of sinne SAint Augustine in his 2. booke De consensu Euangelistarum saith Sinne is the transgression of the law Ad simpliciatum li. 1. Sin is an inordinatenesse or peruersenesse of man that is a turning from the more excellent creator a turning to the inferiour creatures De fide contra Manichaeus cap. 8. he saith What is it else to sinne but to erre in the precepts of truth or in the truth it selfe Again Contra Faustū Manicheū li. 22. ca. 27. Sin is a déed a word or a wish against the law of God The same Augustine De duobus animabus contra Manichaeus ca. 11 saith Sin is a will to reteine or obteine the which iustice forbiddeth is not frée to absteine And in Retract li. 1. cap. 5. he saith That will is a motion of the minde with copulation either not to loose or else to obteine some one thing or other All which definitions as I do not vtterly reiect saith Bullinger so do I wish this to be considered thought of with the rest Sin is the naturall corruption of mankind the action which ariseth of it contrary to the law of God whose wrath that is both death sundry punishments it bringeth vpon vs. Bullinger fo 478. What sinne is Sin in the scripture is not called the outward work only committed by the body but all the whole busines whatsoeuer acompanieth moueth or stirreth vnto the outward déede and that whence the works spring as vnbeleefe pronenesse readinesse vnto the déede in the ground of the heart with all his powers affections and appetites wherwith we can but sin So that we say the a man thē sinneth when he is carried away headlong into sinne altogether as much as he is of that poison inclination corrupt nature wherein he was conceiued and borne for there is none outward sinne committed except a man be carried away altogether with life soule heart body lust minde therevnto The Scripture looketh singularly vnto the hart vnto the race originall fountaine of all sin which is vnbeléefe in the bottome of the heart for as faith onely iustifieth and bringeth the spirit and lust vnto outward good works euen so vnbeleefe onely damneth kéepeth out the spirit prouoketh the flesh stirreth vp lust vnto euil outward works as it fortuned to Adam Eue in Paradise Ge. 3. For this cause Christ calleth sin vnbeléefe and that notably in the. 16. of Iohn The spirit saith hée shall rebuke the world of sinne because they beléeue not in me Wherefore then before all good workes there must néeds hée fayth in the heart whence they spring And before all bad déeds and bad fruits there must néedes be vnbeléefe in y◠heart as in the roote fountaine pith and strength of all sinne which vnbeléefe is called the head of the Serpent and of the olde dragon which the womans seede Christ must tread vnder foote as it was promised to Adam Tindale in his Pro. to the Rom. How euery sinne is mortall That euery sinne is mortall in that it is sinne is euident by the words of God himselfe who can best iudge in this matter In the. 18. of Ezechiel verse 4. saieng thus The soule that sinneth shall dye héere is no exception or difference made of sinne but any sinne in that it is sinne is deadly as Saint Paule sayth Rom 6. 23. For the reward of sinne is death Héere also you see that Saint Paule maketh no difference of sinne but that Mors death is the reward of sinne generally without exception And Saint Iohn sayth Euerie one that committeth sinne the same also committeth iniquitie and sinne is iniquitie Heere also you see that Saint Iohn sayth making no difference of sinne that sinne in that it is sinne it is iniquitie without exception Christ sayth that out of the heart procéedeth euill thoughts murthers adulteryes c. And againe hée sayth That whosoeuer beholdeth an other mans wife to lust after her hath already committed adulterye with her in his heart And Saint Iohn following his maister lyke a good scholler saith thus Omnis qui odit c. Whosoeuer hateth his brother is a murtherer So it is euident by the sacred Scriptures that all sinnes without exception are mortall and deadly I. Gough The Doctours saieng in this matter There were also before Christ worthy men both Prophets and Priests but yet conceiued and borne in sin Neither were they frée from originall and actuall sinne And there was found in them all either ignoraunce or insufficiencie in which they going astray haue sinned and haue néeded the mercye of God By the which béeing taught and instructed haue giuen thanks to God haue cōfessed themselues to haue lacked much of the full measure of
méeke in heart in the holinesse of Angells bringing in things which he hath not séene D. Barnes fol. 299. Why Mary was forbidden to touch Christ. Touch me not ¶ This séemeth not to agrée with the narration of Mathew For he plainly writeth that the women imbraced the féete of Christ. And séeing afterward he woulde haue his disciples to handle and to féele him what cause was there why he shuld forbid Mary to touch him For he said vnto Thomas bring hether thy finger and sée my handes and put thy finger vnto my side and be not faithlesse but beléeuing The solution thereof is very easie if so be that we consider that the women were not prohibited y◠touching of Christ before such time as they wer too busie and desirous to touch him For no doubt he did not forbid them to touch him so farre foorth as it was néedfull to take away all doubt But when he saw they were too busie in imbracing his féete he moderated and corrected that rash zeale for they depended vpon his corporall presence neither did they knowe any other waye to inioye him then if he dwelt among them vpon the earth Moreouer because his disciples doubted whether he was truly risen againe or no and because the same that appeared to them was iudged of them to be but a vision to the ende they might beléeue the resurrection he said féele and sée for a spirit hath no flesh and bones as ye sée me haue Also Thomas had said except I sée y◠print of his nailes in his hands and put my fingers into the print of the nailes my hand into his side I will not beléeue therefore Christ did very well in offering himselfe to be felt of him But in Mary there was no such doubting that there should néede any farther féeling but it was requisite y◠she shuld come to a further faith and to more plaine vnderstanding of the kingdome of Christ least she should abase him in computation more then ther was cause Marl. vpon Iohn fol. 593. TRADITIONS Of the traditions of men FRom whence haue we this tradition Whether commeth it from the authoritie of our Lord or of the Gospel or els from the Commaundements and Epistles of the Apostles Therfore if it be either commaunded in the Gospell or contained in the Epistles or Actes of the Apostles let vs kéepe the same tradition Augustine vnto Pompeius The Pharisies said not vnto Christ Wherefore doe thy disciples breake the law of Moses but wherefore do they break the traditions of the Elders Whereby it appeareth that they had altered many things whereas God had commaunded that they should neither adde nor diminish but fearing least they should loose their authoritie as if they had bene law makers to the ende they might seeme the greater they altered much which thing grewe to such a wickednesse that they kept their owne traditions more then the Commaundements of God Chrisostome in his first Homely of the Iewish fast Iohn Northbrooke Some wrast this place so far as men ought to obey all manner of things whatsoeuer the Bishops Presidents or Rulers commaund although they be vngodly and for their authorities sake when as Christ did speake onely of them which did teach rightly the lawe of Moses not of such as did snare men with their ordinaunces constitutions now peraduenture after the same manner a Bishop might be heard which preched truly the Gospell although he liue but a little according vnto the same A reason that ouerthroweth all doctrines of men all Traditions all Poperie God said to Christ Thou art my sonne therefore he is his sonne God said not so to any Angell therefore no Angell can take the name vnto him God said The true worshippers shuld not go to Mount Sion nor to Hierusalem but worship God in spirit truth where said he goe a pilgrimage or go visit this holy sepulcher God said Do not obserue dayes and months times and yeares where said he Kéepe vnto me Lent or Aduent Imber dayes or Saints eues God said to vs It is the doctrine of Diuells to forbid marriage or to commaund to abstaine from meates where said he Eate now no flesh now no whit meate let not the Ministers marrie God said Let euery soule be subiect to Kings Princes and the authoritie of such men let it not be in his Apostles Where said he let the Pope haue the gift of kingdoms be exempt from authoritie of man weare a triple crowne and haue Lords and Noble men vnder him God said Cursed is he that addeth ought to the lawe or taketh from it Where said he The Pope shall dispence against mine Apostles and Prophets God said It is better to speak fiue words which we vnderstand then ten thousand words in an vnknowen tongue where said he the ignoraunt men should pray in Latine With this very argument are ouerthrowen all doctrines of men all traditions all Popery c. Deering What an obstinacie is this or what a presumption to presume an humane tradition before Gods ordinaunce nor to consider that God taketh indignation and wrath so often as an humane tradition looseth or goeth beyond the commaundement of God as he cryeth by his Prophet Esay and saith This people honoureth me with their lips but their harts is seperated from me they worship me in vaine while they teach the commaundements doctrines of men The Lord also in y◠Gospell blaming likewise reprouing putteth forth and saith ye haue reiected Gods commaundement to stablish your tradition Of which cōmaundement S. Paule being mindfull doth likewise warne instruct saieng If any teach otherwise and contenteth not himselfe with the words of our Lord Iesus Christ his doctrine he is puft vp with blockishnes hauing skill of nothing from such a one we ought to depart S. Austen saith that the auncient actes of the godly Kings mentioned in the Propheticall bookes were figures of the like facts to be done by the godly Princes in the time of the newe Testament I. Bridges fol. 25. ¶ Looke Philosophy Walke not after the ordinaunces of your fathers ¶ Looke the exposition of this place in Father ¶ Read 1. Pet. 1. 18. TRANSMVTATION When this word was first inuented LOng after Boniface the third when Idolatry had gotten the vpper hand then did Petrus Lombardus a master of sophisticall sentences bring vp these termes of Transmutation and Transaccidentation about the yere of our Lord. 1646. out of certain blinde trades of the Doctors afore his time Then Pope Innocent the third gaue it this new name called it Accidens sine subiecta Of the which Sophisme Doctor Dunce Doctor Dorbel and Doctor Thomas de Aquino doe dispute very subtilly A. G. TRANSVESTANTIATION What the word signifieth THe word signifieth a passing or turning of one substance into another which is thought of some not tollerable to saye that the substance of