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
the chiefe of these is Loue. ¶ The chiefe of these is Loue not concerning iustification but concerning the applieng of all things to the profit of the Congregation Nothing letteth some one peculiar thing diuersly referred to be now inferiour now superiour to another Loue concerning prouiding for the necessitie of thy neighbour is chiefe and aboue Faith but concerning the obtaining of iustification and saluation doth Faith excell Loue. Now Saint Paule doth not héere dispute what Faith doth in iustification but what loue doth to them that be needie in the Congregation therin is Loue chiefe for it séeketh narrowly to see them hoâ—pen To this intent onely doth S. Paule giue Loue the chiefe place héere Erasmus in his Annotations vpon this place doth likewise expound it Tindale Of Mary Magdalens loue Many sinnes are foriuen hir for she loued much or whereby it commeth that she loued much ¶ Neither doe we héere wrest the words of the Gospell to maintaine a wrong opinion for in the history there goeth before first when they were not able to pay he forgaue them both If he forgaue them and if they were not able to pay he did not then forgiue them for their loue For if they had bene able to pay he would not haue forgiuen them Secondly ther goeth before Whether of these will loue him more Symon saith He to whom he forgaue him more Therefore the Lords aunswere could in effect be nothing els but this I haue forgiuen hir very much therefore hath she loued me much So then I say loue is of forgiuenesse and not forgiuenesse of loue And then it followeth immediately And he said to the woman thy faith hath saued thee goe in peace We do therfore conclude that there is but one onely satisfaction for the sins of all the world to wit Christ once offered vp for vs which are by faith made partakers of him Lu. For the loued much that is saith Theophilâ—ct she hath shewed hir faith abundantly And Basill in his sermon of Baptime saith he that oweth much hath much forgiuen him that he may loue much more And therefore Christs saieng is so plaine by the similitude that it is a wonder to see the enimies of yâ— truth draw and racke this place so fondly to establish their meritorious workes For the greater sinne a man hath forgiuen him the more he loueth him that hath bene so gracious vnto him And this woman sheweth the duties of loue how great the benefite was she had receiued and therefore the Charitie that is héere spoken off is not to be taken for the cause but as a signe For Christ saith not as the Pharesies did that she was a sinner but beareth hir witnesse that the sinnes of hir life past are forgiuen hir Bâ—z◠¶ Many sinnes are forgiuen hir because she loued much Not that hir loue obtained remission of hir sinnes but faith out of which hir loue procéeded and therefore Christ openly affirmeth Thy Faith hath made thée safe For as saith Saint Paule without faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11. 6. And whatsoeuer is not of faith the same is sinne Rom. 14. 23. Tindale ¶ The more we knowledge our sinnes to God the more shal be forgiuen vs. The lesse we acknowledge our offences the lesse forgiuenesse we receiue as by Christs example to Symon the Pharesie of two debters who confessed that man to loue most that had most forgiuen him So it is said of Christ by this woman meaning Mary Magdalene she hath loued me most therefore most is forgiuen hir She hath knowen hir sins most whereby she hath most loued me and thou hast lesse loued me because thou hast lesse knowen thy sinnes therefore because thou hast lesse knowen thy sinnes thou art lesse forgiuen Hemmyng We may not thinke that loue causeth remission of sinnes but that remission of sinnes causeth loue for that our loue followeth and goeth not before Christ declareth in the same place saieng He that hath much forgiuen loueth much to whome lesse is forgiuen he loueth lesse Doth not Christ héere manifestly teach that Gods forgiuing engendereth in vs much loue or little If we examine the circumstaunce of the place and ponder it diligently we shall finde it to be none other wise But how shall we aunswere the phrase of Scripture which saith that many sinnes are forgiuen hir because she loued much Sommer is high because the trees blossome and yet the blossoming of the trees doth not cause Summer but Summer causeth them to blossome So Winter causeth colde and not colde Winter yet we complaine on Winter because it is so cold So we say the tree is good because the fruite is good Tindale How perfect loue casteth out all feare ¶ Looke Feare The meaning of this place following No man knoweth whether he be worthy of loue or hatred ¶ The meaning of this place is that man knoweth not by these outward things that is by prosperitie or aduersitie whom God doth sauour or hate Luther vpon the Psal. fol. 46. ¶ By any outward thing in this life no man knoweth whether he is loued or hated of God The Bible note No man knoweth c. ¶ Meaning what thing he ought to chuse or refuse or man knoweth not by these outward things that is by prosperitie and aduersitie whome God doth sauour or hate for he sendeth them as well to the wicked as to the godly Geneua The difference betweene Loue and Charitie There is saith this Authour as much difference betwéene Loue and Charitie as is betwéene thred and twined thred For though all twined thred be thred yet all thred is not twined thred So this word Loue is more common and more generall then is Charitie For true it is that all Charitie is Loue but it is not true that all Loue is Charitie In Gréeke Charitie is Agape and loue is Eroz There is the same difference in the one word from the other that is in a pen and a quill All our pens for the most part be quills but all our quills be not pens The quill is that remaineth in his nature without anye other fashion or forme put to it The pen is a quill shaped and formed and made apt to write Lykewise Loue is the common affect or fauour Charitie is Loue reduced into a due order towards God and man as to loue God alone for himselfe to loue man for Gods sake c. Lupset Of fiue manner of loues There be fiue waies noted of louing one another Of the which number one way is praised three be vtterly dispraised one neither praised nor dispraised First I may loue my neighbour for Gods sake as euery good vertuous man loueth euerye man Second I may loue my neighbour of a naturall affection because he is my sonne my brother or my kinsman Thirdly I may loue for vaine glorie as if I looke by my neighbour to bee worshipped or aduaunced to honour Fourthly I may loue
beléeue but to them that beléeue not And plainly to argue that a thing is good because a miracle is shewed by it or else to approue a present vse by that which néedfully sometime was done hath too many absurdities and inconueniences to bée yéelded to D. Calfehill Whether we should beleeue miracles If onely the word of God is to be beléeued why said Christ that if they would not beléeue him they should yet at the least beleeue his works To this we aunswere that miracles are as testimonies by which men are the easilier brought to beléeue so that they are things by meanes whereof men beléeue not that faith is directed vnto them as vnto his obiect although as touching the miracles of Christ of the Apostles we must beléeue yâ— they were done by God not by Belzabub or by the diuell as the Pharesies slaunderously reported and this is conteined in the word of God for it giueth testimony yâ— these miracles should be wrought that they were wrought in their due time namely in the preaching of the second doctrine c. Pet. Mar. vpon the Rom. fol. 326. In olde time it was knowne by miracles who were the true Christians and who the false but nowe the working of miracles is taken quite away and rather found among them that be false Christians Why miracles be not done now a daies To these that demaund this question why is not miracles done now a daies by the ministers of Gods word Aunswere Because that the glorie of Christ truth of Gods word was confirmed by miracles long agoe which being done they haue discharged their duetie Hemmyng Pope Leo maketh them answere thus ye foolish Scribes wicked Priests the power of our sauiour was not to be shewed at the discretion of your blindnesse God sheweth his miracles when and where and to whom he will Whosoeuer requireth miracles to bring him to the faith is himself a great miracle that the world beléeuing remaineth still in vnbeliefe How Miracles are wrought by the diuell In the end of time power shal be giuen to the diuel to work profitable signes and miracles so that then we cannot knowe the mysteries of Christ by that they work profitable miracles but by that they worke no miracles Let no man say saith S. Austen therfore it is true for that this man or that man hath wrought this or that miracle or for that men make their praiers at the tombs of the dead and obteine their desire or for that these or these miracles be wrought there c. Away with these things they may be either the iuglings and mockeries of deceitfull men or else illusions of lieng spirits S. Austen saith Contra istos c. My God hath warned me to beware of those mongers of miracles saieng In the last day shall rise vp false Prophets working signes wonders to the end of it be possible to bring the elect to errour behold I haue forewarned you therfore the bridegrome hath willed vs to beware for we may not be deceiued no not by miracles Alexander of Halys saith In the sacrament it selfe there appeareth flesh sometimes by the conueiance of men sometimes by the working of the diuell Nicholas de Lyra saith sometime in the Church the people is shamefullye deceiued with feined miracles wrought either by the Priestes or else by their companions for lucre sake S. Austen saith to Faustus the Maniche ye worke no miracles and yet if ye wrought anie at your hands we wold take heede of them The Prophet Ieremy saith They haue deceiued my people by their lies and by their false miracles These wonders which they call miracles be wrought daily in the Church not by the power of God as many one thinke but by the illusion of Satan rather who as the Scripture witnesseth hath bene loose now abroad 500. yeares according as it is written in the booke of the Apocalips after a thousand years Satan shall be loose c. Neither are they to be called miracles of true christian men but illusions rather whereby to delude mens mindes to make them put their trust in our Ladie and in other Saints and not in God alone to whom be honour and glory for euer Bilney in the bo of Mar. fol. 1140. Vulgus hominuÌ„ c. The common people saith he estéemeth Saints by miracles counteth him the greater that hath done mâ— miracles but they erre manifestly that so iudge Miracles are indéed to vse S. Paules words the operatioÌ„ of great works the gift of the holy Ghost But heereon they are not onely estéemed Saints else the blessed virgin and Iohn Baptist were of all Saints yâ— least that are dead to haue wrought no miracles We may not therefore esteeme Saints héerevpon Moreouer oftentimes miracles are giuen to the euill for many shall say in yâ— day Lord Lord haue we not cast out diuels in thy name and I shall say vnto them I haue not knowne you Why Christ did not many miracles in his owne country And he did not many miracles thereâ— c. ¶ Christ might haue wrought miracles yea though they beleeued not but he did not work many yâ— for their own profit Least if he had done there as he did in other places their condemnation should haue ben greater Sir I. Cheeke How to know true miracles from false Euen as we take those Sacraments for true Sacraments ceremonies which preach vnto vs Gods word so do we account these for true miracles only which moue vs to harken vnto yâ— word of God Other rule theÌ„ this to discerne theÌ„ by ther is not namely yâ— the true are done to prouoke meÌ„ to come harkeÌ„ vnto Gods word and yâ— false to confirme doctrine yâ— is not gods word How faith grounded vpon miracles abideth not What a multitude came out of Aegipt vnder Moses of which the Scripture testifieth yâ— they beléeued moued by yâ— miracles of Moses Neuertheles yâ— scripture testifieth yâ— vi hundred thousaÌ„d of those beléeuers perished through vnbeliefe left their carcasses in the wildernes neuer entred into yâ— land yâ— was promised them Iudas beléeued because of Christ his miracles Symon Magus beléeued through occasion of Philips preaching but Peter sayde that his heart was not aâ—ight with God Act. 8. How false teachers shall deceiue by nothing more then by miracles Christ saith there shall arise false anointed and false Prophets and shall shew great miracles Also in the same chapter verse 5. Many shall come in my name c. by the which words it appeareth that they must be in the church of Christ of them that shall call themselues Christians What the cause of false miracles is The cause of false miracles is for that they loue not the truth and therfore God hath promised by S. Paule to send them abundance of false miracles to stablish them in lies and to deceiue them lead them
life Christ hath not forsaken it nor neuer will forsake it all our whole strife is vpon the particular churches which be mingled with good and euill together They not onelie can erre but also haue erred and doe erre yet in manie points c. Musculus fol. 267. Saint Augustine in his preface vpon the 47. Psalme alleadgeth this place of the Apostle in this wise Therefore wée must vnderstaÌ„d by the second of the sabboth none but the church of Christ but the church of Christ in his Saintes the church of Christ in them which be written in heauen the church of Christ in them which doe not yéelde vnto temptations of this world for they be worthie to beare the name of the firmament Therefore the church in them which be strong of whom the Apostle saith Wée which be strong beare with the infirmities of the weake is called the firmament whereof it is song in the Psalme Let vs heare let vs knowe let vs sound let vs glorie let vs reigne For heare you and knowe that the same also is called the firmament by the writing of the Apostle which is saith he the church of the liuing God the piller and firmament of truth Thus saith Augustine Chrisostome doth expound this place in this sort Not as the Iewish church for this is that which conteineth the faith that is to saie the piller and establishment of the church and the preaching For truth is the piller and establishment of the church this saith he He maketh not the church to be the piller establishment of the truth but the truth of the church c. Mus. fo 268 To proue that the congregation of faithfull men is the church that cannot erre heare their owne law The whole church cannot erre â— Againe The congregation of faithfull men must néeds be which also cannot erre ¶ This church which is spred abrode throughout all the world and standeth in the vnitie of faithfull christen men is the church that God suffereth not to erre in those things that belong to saluation D. B. fol. 254. How the Church is knowne Whereas the word of God is purelie and sincerely preached the Sacraments orderlie ministred after the blessed ordinance of Christ. And wheras men do patiently suffer for the veritie And the hearers doe applie their liuing to Christ doctrine and with méeknesse receiue the holie Sacraments these be good and present tokens to iudge vpon that there be certeine members of Christs church and to proue this read the doctors following Our mother holie church faith Augustine throughout all the world scattered farre and wide in her true head Christ taught hath learned not to feare the contumelies of the crosse nor yet of death but more and more is she strengthened not in resisting but in suffering They that be in Iudea let them flie vnto the mountaines that is to saie they the be in Christendome let them giue themselues to the scriptures for in that time in the which heresies haue obteined into the church there can be no true probation of christendome nor no other refuge vnto christen men willing to knowe the veritie of faith but by the Scriptures of God Afore by manie waies was it shewed which was the church of Christ and which was the congregation of the Gentiles But now there is none other waie to them the will know which is the verie true church of Christ but onely by Scriptures By works first was the church of Christ knowne when the congregation of christen men either of all or of manie were holie the which holinesse had not the wicked men But nowe christen men are as euill or worse then heretiks or Gentiles yea greater continence is found among them then among christen men Wherefore he the will knowe which is the verie church of Christ how shal he know but by the scriptures only And therefore our Lord considering that the great confusion of things should come in the latter daies for that cause coÌ„maunded he that christen men willing to reserue the stablenesse of the true faith shuld flée vnto none other thing but vnto the scriptures For if they haue respect vnto other things they shall bée slauÌ„dred shal perish not vnderstaÌ„ding which is the true church The same Doctour saith â— It can no waie bée knowne what is the Church but onelie by the Scriptures Againe Christ commaundeth that who so will haue the assuraunce of true faith séeke to nothing else but vnto the Scriptures Otherwise if they looke to anie thing else they shall be offended and shall perish not vnderstanding which is the true Church and by meanes héereof they shall fall into the abhomination of desolation which standeth in the holie places of the Church There bée certeine bookes of our Lord vnto the authoritie whereof each part agréeth there let vs séeke for the church Thereby let vs examine and trie our matter Againe hée saith in the same Chapter I will ye shew me the holie church not by decrées of men but by the word of God August de vnit eccl cap. 3. The question or doubt is where the Church should bee what then shall wée doe Whether shall we séeke the Church in our owne wordes or in the wordes of her head which is our Lord Iesus Christ In my iudgement we ought rather to séeke the Church in his words for that he is the truth and best knoweth his owne bodie August de vnit eccle Chap. 2. Whether of vs be Scismatikes wée or you aske not me I will not aske you Let Christ be asked that hée maie shewe vs his owne Church Augustine cont litter Petilium li. 2. chap. 85. In times past saith Chirsostome there were manie waies to knowe the church of Christ that is to saie by good lyfe by myracles by chastitie by doctrine by ministring the Sacraments But from that time heresies did take holde of the church it is onelie knowne by the Scriptures which is the true church They haue all things in outward shew which the true church hath in truth They haue Temples like vnto ours c. Wherefore onely by the Scriptures doe we knowe which is the true church Verses Hoc est nescire sine Christo plurima scire Si Christum bene sâ—is satis est si caetera nescis Englished This is to be ignorant to know manie things without Christ If thou knowest Christ well thou knowest inough though thou knowest no more What is meant by the militant and triumphant Church Men doe diuide the true Church of Christ into the militant the triumphant church So that the militant church should be of them which doe yet trauaile in this mortall flesh do striue with Satan the flesh and the worldâ— The triumphant of them which are passed to heauen and haue ouercome all manner of their enimies In this sort Augustine placeth the Angels also These bée not two churches but the
saie as he that kéepeth the commaundements is entered into life For except a man haue first the spirit of life in him by Christs purchasing it is impossible for him to kéepe the commaundements or that his heart should be loose or at libertie to lust after them for of nature we are enimies vnto the lawe of God Tindale fol. 76. Obiection If our frée will saith fleshlie reason can doe no goodnesse what neede God to commaund so manie good things what néed God to giue those Commaundements that he knoweth wel to be impossible for vs and if they be impossible what right is in him that damneth vs for that thing that is impossible for vs to doe Aunswere It is a great presumption to enquire a cause of our makers will or to murmure against his holie ordinaunce which maie not be chaunged And if he do giue vs commandements which be impossible for vs by our owne naturall strength to keepe he doth it that we thereby might knowe our weaknes so to séeke and call to him for helpe As S. Austen declareth well in these words saieng If a man doe perceiue that in the commaundements is anie thing impossible or els too hard let him not remaine in himselfe but let him runne vnto God his helper the which hath giuen his commaundements to that intent that our desire might be stirred vp that he might giue helpe c. ¶ Héere we sée S. Austen saith that the commandements be impossible for our strength but we must call to God for strength D. Barnes Whereas S. Augustine hath these saiengs That God neither could commaund things that were impossible because he is iust nor would condemne man for that he could not auoide And that God would neuer condemne the slothfull seruaunt if he had commaunded that he coulde not atchieue And also that God who is iust and good could neuer commaund things that were impossible to be done yet in his booke of refractions whereas he better aduising himselfe writ on this wise All the commaundements saith he are accompted to be done when that is pardoned which is not done A reason of the Pelagians aunswered The Pelagians did recken that they had got a great victorie when they had made this carnall reason that God would condemne nothing that were impossible of this reson did they glorie and triumph and thought they must néedes haue some naturall strength and power to fulfill the Commanndements of God séeing that God would commaund nothing impossible to man Aunswere The Pelagians saith S. Austen thinke that they knowe a wonderfull thing when they saie God will not commaund that thing the which he knoweth is impossible for man to doe Euerie man knoweth this But therfore doth he commaund certaine things that we cannot doe because we might know what thing we ought to aske of him Faith is she that by praier obtaineth that thing the Lawe commaundeth Briefelie he that saith if thou wilt thou maist kéepe my Commaundements in the same booke a little after saith He shall giue me kéeping in my mouth Plaine it is that we maie keepe the Commaundements if we will But because our wil is prepared of God of him it must be asked that he maie so much will as will suffice vs to doe them Truth it is that we will when we will but he maketh vs to will that thing which is good ¶ Heere S. Austen saith that the Commaundements of God be impossible to our naturall strength and therefore be thâ—â— giuen that â—wée shouldâ— knowe our weaknesse aske strength to fulfill them for faith by praier obtaineth strength to fulfill the impossible commaundements of the lawe Héere haue we also that God moueth vs and causeth vs to be good willers and giueth vs a good will or els we would neuer will but ill D. Baâ—nâ—â— You saie Gods Commaundements are easie and yet ye are able to shewe vs no man that euer fulfilled them altogether Againe Sette not thy face against Heauen to mockâ— fooles eares with these wordes Bée and can be For who will graunt you that a man can doe that thing that no man euer was able to doe Iewel fol. 317. A prophane example Scelurus Scitha when he gaue his children euerie one a faggotte commaunding them to breake it knewe right well before that they were not able to doe it and yet in so dooing he did both fatherlie and wiselie to the intent his children might learne thereby to sée their owne weaknesse and not to trust to their owne priuate strength too much ¶ Looke Lawe Free-will COMMON How and when all things wer in common among the people WHen the Disciples of Christ were few in number and liued al in one place at Hierusalem they had all things coÌ„mon whiâ—â—order continued but a while as it doth appeare by S. Paul which he exhorteth the Corinthians to giue almes to the poore liberallie 1. Cor. 16. And also willeth Timothy that hée charge them which are rich in this world to be redie to distribute vnto the necessitie of their bretheren 1. Tim. 6. which néeded not at al if all things had ben common among theÌ„ D. Whiteg Of Common praier ¶ Looke Praier COMMVNION Of the receiuing of the Communion THe Canons of the Apostles do excommunicate them which being present at the Common praier do not also receiue the holie Communion And vâ—to the same agréeth the decrée of Anaâ—â—tus When the consecraâ—ion is done saith he let all such communicate as intend not 〈…〉 〈…〉 excommunicate H. Latimer Augustine testifieth of his owne time The Sacrament with he of this thing of the vnitie of the Lords bodie is some where dailie some where by certaine distances of daies prepared vpon the Lords Table is there receiued at the Table to some vnto life to other some vnto destruction And in yâ— first Epistle to Iannaâ—iâ—s some doe dailie communicate of the bodie bloud of the Lord some receiue it at certaine daies in some places there is no daie lette passe wherein it is not offered in some other places onlie vpon the Saterday and the Sunday And in some other places neuer but on the Sundaie But forasmuch as the common people was as we haue said somwhat slacke the holie men did call earnestly vpon them with sharpe rebukings least they should séeme to winke at such slothfulnesse Such an example is in Chrisostome vpon the Epistle to the Ephesians It is not said vnto him that dishonored the banket Wherefore didst thou sit downe But Wherefore didst thou come in Whosoeuer is not partaker of the mysteries hée is wicked and shamelesse for that he standeth heere present I beséech you if anie be called to a banket washeth his handes sitteth down séemeth to prepare himselfe to eate and then doth tast of nothing shall he not shame both the banket and the maker of the banket So thou standing among them that with praier doe prepare themselues to receiue the holie meate hast
but to be contented with a portion of the earth to dwell vpon to get them into a corner in no wise so hardie their heads to passe their bounds limits appointed This statute was made vppon the third daie after the creation of the world as we reade in Gen. 1. Chapter on this wise Congregantur aquae sub coelo sunt in locum vnum appareat arida Let the waters that be vnder Heauen be gathered together into one place that the drie lande maie appeare And by this peculiar commaundement of God in the which the Philosopher béeing ignoraunt and séeing such a miraculous worke aboue Nature be called it Natura particularis Now ye must note that forasmuch as this peculiar order that God hath established betweene the waters and the drie lande the Earth is exalted aboue the waters euen as farre as the walles of an house are aboue the foundation In consideration of this miraculous worke of God the earth is héere said by the Prophet to be builded partlie vpon the salt Seas partlie vpon the fresh floudes because the earth is so wonderfullie exalted in euerie place aboue the waters euen as far as the walls of an house is aboue the foundation and not that the water is absolutelie the foundation or the piller of the Earth Ric. Turnar EARTHQVAKE How Earthquakes doe come AN Earthquake is a shaking of the earth which is caused by meanes of winde and exhalations that be inclosed within the caues of the earth and can finde no passage to breake foorth or els so narrow a waie that it cannot be soone enough deliuered Wherefore with great force and violence it breaketh foorth and one while shaketh the earth and another while rendeth and cleaueth the same sometime it casteth vp the earth a great height into the aire and sometime it causeth the same to sinke a great depth down swallowing both Cities and Townes yea and also mightie great Mountaines leauing in the place where they stoode nothing but great holes of an vnknown depth or els great lakes of water W. F. Aristotle the great and the learned Philosopher disputeth of Earthquakes in the 5. booke of his Mute And holdeth opinion that y◠cause efficient of Earthquakes be winde inclosed within the caues hollow places of the earth And the materiall cause he iudgeth to be Exhalations hot and drie Other of the most auncient and great Philosophers be of a cleane contrarie opinion which is this That Earthquakes doe come with the vehement pushes and beatings of great waters that be crept in at the caues of the earth afterward doe séeke a waie out which when they cannot finde the waters violently enclosed beating and rolling vp and downe within the earth doth cause earthquakes but it is to be thought that the thirde opinion which A. G. li. 2. cap. 10◠seemeth to allowe is better and a more wiser opinion no dispraise nor displeasure to Aristotle then either of both these and that is this that no man can certainlie tell the cause of Earthquakes but onelie God and these be his words Quaenam esse causam quamobrem terra motus fiant non cordibus hominum sensibus opinionibusque comitatum est Sed ne iuter phisicas quidem phinas satis constiti◠And indeede though that Earthquakes be workes and aboue our discusse of reason yet by the Scripture we be taught that Earthquakes Thunderings and Lightenings be tokens and tastes of Gods most tremed and dreadfull power And sometimes also they bée plagues inflicted to impenitent sinners in the time of Gods wrath teaching all men to stande in awe of God and to beware how they displease him with breaking of his law and holie commaundements Ric. Turnar ESAV AND ISMAEL What is to be thought of their saluation I Thinke of Esau and Ismael so much onelie as the holie Scripture hath sette foorth vnto vs. And I thinke that there are no places extant by which we maie define anie thing touching their saluation The Scripture thus speaketh of Esau that he so vehementlie hated his brother that he sought to kill him that he solde his birth-right that he prouoked his parents to anger when he had taken straunge women to wiues that he was a violent man and despised the lande of Canaan promised vnto the fathers and in the Epistle to the Hebrewes it is written that although he poured out teares yet found hée no place of repentaunce Of Ismael also we read that he was reiected not onelie by the will of Sara but also by the will of God But touching both their posterities I denie not but some of them might be saued no lesse then some of the stock of Iacob might become runnagates and obstinate For it is sufficient to the election and reiection of God that some parte of either Stocke bee either elected or reiected Peter Mar. vpon the Rom. fol. 251. Ye knowe how that afterward when he would haue inherited the blessing he was put by and he founde no meanes to come thereby againe no though he desired it with teares ¶ This text maketh not against repentaunce that is done in season for Esau repented too late therefore profited not When sentence of iudgement is giuen then hath repentance no place The dampned in Hell shall wéepe and repent but in vaine for then is the time of repenting past The blessing which Isaac gaue was vndoubted done by the inspiration of the Holie ghost and giuen in stéed of a determinate sentence and therfore must néedes be ratified and might not be called againe But and if Esau before the blessing giuen had chaunged his manners and had heartelie earnestlie repented him he had surelie not bene reproued of God This should séeme to be the verie meaning of this place Tindale ¶ He was full of despite and disdaine but was not touched with true repentaunce to be displeased for his sinnes and so seeke amendement Genena ESSENCE OF GOD. What the Essence or substaunce of God is BY Essence is meant the nature that is common to those thrée persons the Father the Sonne and the Holie ghost Theo. de Beza ESSES What manner of people the Esses were THe Esses when they perceiued that both the Pharisies and Saduces followed their appetites vnder the colour of honest Titles neither did ought in a manner that were worthie their profession therfore séemed it them good to declare the straitnes seueritie of life with the déed would be called Essei that is workers or doers For Assa whence the name Essei commeth signifieth to worke as in these times the Anabaptists doe reprooue both the Lutherians and Papists and endeauour to séeme more holier then either of them For the Essei liued in a manner in all things as the Anabaptists liue they maried not and would haue all things common among them They delighted in cleane apparell and praied before the Sunne rising c. Lanquet The Esseās celebrate festiual daies not after the Iews but
to harden GOd is said to harden when he calleth he resisteth making himselfe vnworthie of the kingdome of heauen he doth then permit him vnto himselfe that is he leaueth man vnto his owne corrupt nature according vnto the which the hart of man is stonie which is onlie mollified and made tractable by the onelie grace of God therefore the withdrawing of Gods grace is the hardening of mans hart and when we are left to our selues then are we hardened Bullinger fol. 490. ¶ God is said to harden mans heart when he doth iustly punish his obstinacie and wickednesse by withdrawing his spirite and grace The Bible note ¶ Harden his heart ¶ By returning my spirite and deliuâ—ring him to Satan to increase his 〈…〉 Geneua HEART Where the heart of man is placed THe heart of man is placed on the left side all other beasts in the middle of the â—reast The opinion of all naturall Philosophers is that the first that is formed in man is the heart and the last member that dieth in man How some mens hearts be hairie Plinie saith that some mans heart is hairie which betokeneth hardie couragious and actiue as it was proâ—ed by one Aristodamus which fought against the Lacedemonians and slew thrée hunâ—red with his owne handes and he being dead and opened his heart was found hairie How the heart of man that is poysoned will not burne Sweton and Plinie saith both that if a man die of poyson the heart of that man can not be burned though it be cast into the fire which was proued of Germanicus father to Caligula Of the heart and wombe of God The heart of God the Father signifieth the secret of his wisdome of which he begate his word that is his Sonne without beginning without anie passion Psal. 45. 1. My heart is inditing of a good matter His wombe is vsed in the same signification Psal. 110. 4. Of my womde before the morning starre I begate thée Augustine HART OR STAGGE Aâ— the Hâ—rt being poysoned doth couet the watâ—r so we being poysoned with sinne ought to flie vnto Christ for succour THose that doe write of the nature of beasts doe saie that an Hart among other his peculiar properties hath a great desire aboue all other beasts to the waters and that for thrée causes One is for the quenching of his thirst and that desire is common to him with all other beasts he hath also a naturall desire to the water when he is hot and chafed with the chasing of dogs and that for two causes One the colde water cooleth his heat and refresheth his strength Secondlie the water by the meanes of his readinesse and aptnesse to swimme doth not onelie sette him forward and giueth him a vauntage before the dogs but also doth sometime thereby deceiue the Hounds and sometime defendeth him against the â—ray-hounds So that the Hart being chased and in daunger of his 〈…〉 hearesorteth by and by for hisâ— comfort and defence Ad 〈…〉 aquarum vnto the water springs vnto the Brookes or Riuers Our Hunters I trowe tearme it not to call it the water Springs but they call it the Sound The Stagge saie they got him to the Sound and there the Hounds made a fault and had lâ—st him clearelie had not one olde Hound haue bene which iusâ—â—lie leaped into the water and on the other side tried which waie he was gone and so followed the chase afresh Beside these two great causes why the Hart desireth the water there is yet another as great as anie of the other two but not so well knowen to the most part of men as the other be In Affrike and other hot Countries where many Serpents be there is a naturall enmitie betwéene the Harte and them and as soone as the Hart hath deuoured the Serpent the poyson of the Serpent doth cast the Hart into such a feruent heate that it causeth him to haue a meruailous desire to the water without which the Hart must néede die Such a loue ought all men haue to godlinesse and to runne to God for succour when they be poysoned with the venime of sinne or oppressed with anie kinde of trouble as the Hart hath 〈…〉 runne to the water Springs when he is chased with Dogges or poysoned with Serpents So that they maie saie with the Prophet Dauid As the Hart desireth the water Springs so my soule desireth thée O Lord. Ric. Turnar HARVEST What is vnderstood by this word Haruest THe Haruest is great but the labourers are fewe ¶ The Haruest are the hearts of men prepared to heare the worde as it appeareth by the Samaritanes Iohn 4. 39. Tindale Because the haruest of the earth is ripe ¶ This Haruest is the verie same that Christ willeth to be taried for when he teacheth of the sâ—oling out of the good from the bad Suffer ye them saith he to growe together till Haruest and when Haruest commeth I will saie to the Haruest folke First gather together the Darnell and binde it vp in bundells to be burnt but gather ye the Wheate together in my Barne Mat. 13. 30. Marl. fol. 216. HATE The meaning of this place following HE that hateth his life in this world shall keepe it vnto life eternall ¶ He that can be content to loose his temporall life in this world for Christs sake and his word shall liue for eueâ— As in Maâ—h 〈…〉 Tindale When a man maie hate his neighbour WHen thy neighbour hath shewed thée more vnkindnesse tâ—en God hath loue then maâ—â— thou hate him and not before but must loue him for Gods sake till he fight against God to 〈…〉 the name and glorie of God Tindale fol. 204. HATH 〈…〉 following For 〈…〉 But whosoeuer hath not c. ¶ That is to 〈…〉 He that hath a good heart toward the word of God and a set purpose to fashion his déedes thereafter and to garnish it with godlie liuing and to testifie it to other the same shall increase more more dâ—ilie 〈…〉 the graâ—e of God and Christ. But he that loueth it not to liue thereafter and to edifie other the same shall loose the grace of true knowledge and be blinded againe and euerie daie worse and worse blinder and blinder till he be an vtter enimie vnto the word of God and his heart so hardened that it shal be impossible to conuert it Tindale ¶ He that hath anie thing as he should haue it righâ—lie and vseth it well as he should do the same shal abound and increase more and more in goodnesse and godlinesse But he that hath not euen that he hath shall be taken from him that is he that liueth not according to the knowledge he hath in Gods open word of his commaundements but knoweth the Lords will doth it not shall be depriued of that he hath and turned ouer into blindnesse and darknesse ¶ They that haue a desire of righteousnesse and of the truth shall be more and
office without blaspheming of Christ. Furthermore he hath redéemed vs without the helpe of Saints why shal he not be whole Mediator without Saints redemption is the chiefe act of a Mediatour D Barnes If any man doe sinne we haue an Aduocate by the Father Christ Iesus ¶ Heere is none assigned but Christ Iesus by him haue we onely remission of our sinnes D. Barnes The spirite of God maketh intercession for vs with mightie desires that cannot be expressed with tongue ¶ If the spirite of God make intercession for vs then haue we no néede of other Mediatours for he is able to obtaine all things for vs and hath taken this office on him for vs It were a great rebuke to him that Saints should be set in his steede and ioyned with him in his office as though he were vnsufficient D. Barnes Christ sitteth also on the right hand of the Father the which doth also pray for vs. Héere S. Paule saith That Christ praieth for vs can the Father of heauen denye and thing of his praier Doth not he aske things necessary for vs And as Scripture saith He is our wisedome he is our iustice he is our sanctification and our redemption made of God Now what resteth for Saints to aske What will you desire more then wisdome iustice sanctification and redemption All these hath Christ obteined for vs. D. Barnes Christ saith No man commeth to the Father but by mée ¶ Note these words First he saith No man c. Ergo as many as euer shall come to the Father of heauen be héere conteined Then addeth he But by me héere be all Saints and merites cleane excluded in this word But wherefore it is plaine that whatsoeuer he be that maketh any other Mediatour or goeth about by any meanes seeme it neuer so holy but by Christ onely to come to the Father of Heauen First he dispiseth Christ and if he dispise Christ he dispiseth also the Father which hath allowed him onely to be our Mediatour and waye to him as it is written I am the waye onely to the Father D. Barnes Whatsoeuer you aske in my name the Father shall giue it you â— Marke these words Whatsoeuer and that we should runne to none other he adddeth In my name Héere is nothing excluded but all things be giuen vs fréely and that for his names sake not for no Saints name nor for none of our merites Therefore let vs not run from the swéete promises of our most louing Sauiour Redeemer and onely Mediatour Iesus Christ to Saints for that is an euident token of our infidelitie and that we thinke him vntrue and will not fulfill his promise and make him a lyar D. Barnes Saint Paule saith He meaning the Father of heauen hath giuen his onely sonne for vs how canne it be that he shall not giue all things with him ¶ Marke he saith all things He yâ— saith all things excludeth not the tooth-ake D. B. All good things commeth from the father of light ¶ Héere they make a distinction that God is good onely for his owne nature and Saints are good by receiuing goodnesse of him Aunswere Saints haue no more goodnesse then they haue receiued and that that they receiued was for themselues onelye and canne giue none of it to other for they receiued it for themselues and no more then was necessarie and that but onely of mercye as it is open in Mathewe in the Parable of the fiue wise virgins and the fiue foolish Thus we doe openly against God when we desire anie thing of Saints séeing the Scripture knoweth all good things to come of God onely and that he is the onelye giuer of them All the Prophets and Fathers in all their tribulations cried vnto him as Dauid testifieth of himselfe saieng When I am in trouble I will crye vnto the Lord and hée will helpe me Psal. 120. 1. My helpe is of God that made heauen and earth Psal. 121. 2. Christ also himselfe teaching all creatures to pray biddeth vs not to go to any other but onely to the father of heauen Math. 6. 9. D. Barnes Obiection The Saints must pray for vs and be mediatours to God for vs that by them we may be able to receiue our petition This is Richards opinion De media villa Aunswere This is a great blasphemie to Christs bloud for if Saintes be necessarie to be mediatours for vs then is Christ vnsufficient For Philosophers did neuer put two causes when one was sufficient And if anie thing be giuen vs for Saintes sake then be not all things giuen vs for Christes sake The which is plainly against Saint Paules saieng Rom. 8. 32. God for vs all hath giuen his sonne and shall he not giue vs all things with him D. Barnes An other of his reasons If Saints when they were heere and not confirmed in grace did of their Charitie praye for vs Ergo now must they praye much more séeing they are now confirmed in Charitie Aunswere A reason without Scripture must haue a like aunswere The Saints when they were héere did of their Charitie cloath naked men and féede the hungrie and gaue drinke to the thirstie and visited them that wer in prison Ergo much more now for they be confirmed in Charitie Likewise Saint Paule when he was héere did of his charitie write Epistles and declare the veritie Ergo now must he much more write so that where afore he wrote but one now must he at the least write thrée or els he is not confirmed in Charitie D. Barnes Another like reason Lyke as a man cannot come to the speach of a King but that he must haue certaine Mediators as Dukes Earles and such men as be in fauour betwéene him and the King that may intreate his matter Aunswere Saint Ambrose aunswereth this reason thus Men are wont saith he to vse this miserable excusation that by these things we maye come to God as we maye come to Kings by Earles I aunswere We come vnto the King by the meanes of Dukes Earles because that the King is a man and knoweth not to whome he may commit the Common weale But to God from whom nothing can be hid he knoweth all mens merites we néede no spokes-men nor no Mediator but only a deuoâ—t minde D. Barnes ¶ Looke Saints Mediator IOB His name interpreted SOme interprete this name of Iob to signifie wéeping or wailing And other some take it for an vtter Enemie not such a one as he hateth but such a one as is as it were a white for mâ—n to shoote at Cal. vpon Iob. fol. 2. It is not knowen nor can be gessed in what time Iob liued sauing that it may be perceiued he was of great antiquitie Some of the Iewes haue bene of opinion that Moses was the Authour of his booke But forsomuch as there is no certaintie thereof it is left in suspense Yet it may be well perceiued by the Prophet Ezechiel that
in remeÌ„bring yâ— benefits of God This inuention although at the first sight it might séeme trim yet it agréeth not with Christs libertie For we must think vpon the benefits of God and our great ingratitude other most gréeuous sinnes not only fortie daies but also continally Further by this meanes they opened a most wide window to liue securely rechlye For if they once had performed fullye these fortie daies they thought that all the whole yeare after they might giue themselues wholy to all kinde of pleasures lusts For they referred the time of repentaunce to these fortie daies And although the elders had a Lent yet as Eusebius saith in his 5. booke and 24. Chapter it was left frée vnto all men For Ireneus after this manner intreated with Victor Bishop of Rome when he would have excommunicated the East Church because in the obseruing of Easter it agréed not with the Church of Rome What sayth he can we not liue at concord although they vse their owne cities as we vse ours for some fast in Lent two dayes some foure dayes some x. daies some fiftéene daies some twentie and other some forty dayes And yet is concord neuerthelesse kept in the Church Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fo 279. LEPER What the Leper signifieth THe Leper signifieth properly mans doctrine which spreadeth abrode like a canker And to be short all infection of vngodlynesse therefore must the Leuites giue diligent héede thereto for a little leauen sowreth all the whole lumpe of dowe T. M. ¶ He meaning the Priest shall iudge the plague to be cleane ¶ For it is not that contagious leper that infecteth but a kind of scurffe which maketh not the flesh rawe as the leprosie doth Geneua ¶ Of the leprosie in clothes which was vsed among the Iewes let them iudge This is euident that we in our time suffer ouer many leprosies in clothes T. M. ¶ The leprosie in houses is anye thing thereto perteining whereby the dweller might take anie harme in health of bodie in hurting of his goods or otherwise as if it stoode in an euill ayre T. M. If I send the plague of leprosie in an house c. This declareth that no plague nor punishment commeth to man without Gods prouidence and his sending Geneua How a Leper was knowne A leper had these fiue marks to be knowne by his garment was vpon him and cut in twaine his head vncouered his face mufled his dwelling from the companie of men proclaimed openly to be a leper and vncleane Hemmyng Of the leprosie that Christ healed The leprosie that Christ healed in S. Mathewes Gospell was not like the leprosie that is now but was a kinde thereof which was vncurable Geneua LESSE The meaning of this place following NOtwithstanding he that is lesse in the kingdome of heauen is greater then he ¶ Christ which humbled himselfe to the crosse was of lesse reputation in this world then Iohn Baptist was yet in the kingdome of heauen Christ was greater then hée Tindale The least of them that shall preach the Gospell in the new estate of Christes Church shall haue more knowledge then Iohn and their message shall be more excellent Geneua LETANIES What the Letanies are LEtanies are nothing else but humble praiers and supplications to God to procure his fauoâ—r and turne awaye his wrath and wer receiued long before procession came in place Some be called Minores the lesse some Maiores the greater The lesse were instituted by Mamartus Bishop of Vienna in the yeare of our Lord. 469. as Sigebertus sayth 02. 488. as Polichronicon reporteth The order of them was but a solempne assembly of people vnto prayer at such time as we call the rogation wéeke The cause was for earthquake and tempests and inuasion of wilde beasts which then did greatlye destroye the people The greater Letanie was deuised by Gregorie the Pope Anno. 592. When as the cause béeing lyke as before the superstition beganne to be more for by the reason of a great pestilence following a floud the Bishoppe by Ceremonies thought to appease the wrath of God and therefore made Septiformen Laetanian a seauenfold Letanie One of the clergie an other of the Monks one of men an other of their wiues One of maidens an other of widowes the last of poore and children together These people so distinct in the seauen orders shoulde come from seauen seuerall places and then it was thought they should be heard the sooner but in their Procession fourescore persons were striken with the plague to shewe howe well God was pleased with them Notwithstanding how thinges of a good deuotioâ— instituted in time doe growe to great abuse For what the order and solempnitie of them was we reade in the counsell of Mentz celebrated 813. yeares after Christ. The words of the decrée be these Placint nobis c. Our will is that the greate Letanie bée obserued of all Christians thrée daies And as our holye Fathers haue ordeined it not riding nor hauing precious garments on them but bare footed in Sackcloth an Ashes vnlesse infirmitie doe let Thus farre the Counsell LETTER What the Letter signifieth AVgustine in his third booke and. 5. Chapter De doctrina Christiana writeth that they sticke in the Letter which take the signes for the thinges and that which is figuratiuely spoken in the holy Scriptures they take it so as if it were spoken properlye And so lowe crope they on the ground that when they heare the name of the Sabboth they remember nothing but the seauenth day which was obserued of the Iewes Also when they heare of a Sacrifice they thinke vppon nothing but the sacrifices which were killed And though ther bée some seruitude tollerable yet hée calleth that a miserable seruitude when wée take the signes for the thinges wherein there is a greate offence committed in these dayes in the Sacrament of the Eucharist for howe manye shall a man finde which beholding the outwarde signes of the Sacrament calleth to memorye the death and passion of Christ whereof it is most certeine that they are signes or which thinketh within himselfe that the bodye and bloud of Christ is a spirituall meate for the soule through fayth euen as breade and wine are nourishmentes for the bodye Or which weigheth with himselfe the coniunction of the members of Christ betweene themselues and with the head These thinges are not regarded and they cleaue onelye to the sight of the signes and men thinke it is inough if they haue looked vppon bowed the knée and worshipped This to imbrace the Letter and not to giue eare vnto the sayde Augustine who in the place wée haue now cited and a little afterwarde most appertlye affirmeth that to eate the bodye of Christ and to drinke his bloud are figuratiue kinde of speaches So are the Iewes accused because they cleauing onely to the Letter and circumcision were transgrassers of the lawe Pet. Mar. vpon the Rom. fol. 49.
his wife and therefore béeing thought to haue bene gelous ouer her he brought her forth before the people and sayd This is my wife and that ye might vnderstand that I am not gelous ouer her I am content for my part that any of you take her to wife which thing also hee meant as farre as the lawes of God would suffer But they which were afterwarde called Nicholaites vnderstandinge his wordes peruersly supposed that the wiues amonge Christians ought to be common Pet. Mart. vpon Iudic. fo 230. NIGHT. How night is taken in this place THe night commeth when no man can work ¶ The night is when the true knowledge of Christ how he onely iustifieth is lost then can no man worke a good work in the sight of God how glorious so euer his workes appeare Tindale How the night was diuided into foure parts Augustine in his sermon De verbis Domini the. 14 Oration◠saith that the elders diuided the night into foure parts of which euerie one conteined 3. houres which he confirmeth also by the testimonies of the holy Scriptures For it is sayd that the Lord came vnto the Apostles in the. 4. watch of the night when they laboured so vehemently in the sea that their Ship was verie néere sunke The same Father writeth the like thing vpon the. 79. Psalme The glose also in the Decrées 1. question The one Super veniente pascha maketh mention of the names of those partes of the night Conticinium Intempestem Gallicinium Antelucanum That is the bed time the dead part of y◠night the cocke crowing and the dawning of the day Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 139. For a thousand years in thy sight c. as a watch in the night ¶ As touching this word watch we know how mē in old time were wont to diuide the night into foure watches of which each one consisteth in thrée houres a péece Now this similitude is added to make the matter séeme lesse as who wold say a thousand yeares in Gods sight differed nothing from 3. houres of the night in which men scarcely know whether they be a wake or a sléepe Caluine NILVS ¶ Looke Water of the Sea for the description heereof NIMROTH By this man was Idolatrie first inuented ¶ Looke Idolatry Why he was called an hunter IN that he was called an hunter is signified that he was a deceiuer of soules an oppressour of men And for that he withdrew men from the true religion of God he was so called NINE Of the nine that returned not againe vnto Christ. BUt where are those nine ¶ The Priestes had so abused the nine and made them beleeue that they were healed and cleansed of their leprosie by their workes other obseruaunces that they returned not to Christ to giue him praise which had only healed them as he had done the other I. Veron ¶ He noteth héere their ingratitude and that the greatest part neglect the benefites of God Geneua Of the ninth houre ¶ Looke Houre NOETVS What his heresie was NOetus denied that there were thrée persons saieng all thrée were on He called himselfe Moses and said that Aaron was his brother he said the Father the Sonne and the Holy ghost suffered in the flesh Epiph. haeres 57. NOMBER The nomber of the beast ¶ Looke Beast NOSE OF GOD. What the Nose of God signifieth THe Nose of God saith Augustine doth signifie his inspirations in the hearts of the faithfull Smoke went out at his nostrells 2. Reg. 22. 9. NOT. The meaning of these places following THou art not far from the kingdome of God ¶ When Christ had heard the discréete aunswere of the Scribe concerning the loue of God and the loue of his neighbour he said vnto him Thou art not farre from the kingdome of God that is thou hast the true knowledge of the lawe and lacketh nothing but faith and trust in me by which onely commeth euerlasting life To sit on my right hand and on my left is not mine to giue ¶ Though Christ had receiued all power of his Father yet had he not receiued it to this ende that he should giue the glory of his kingdome vnto other then his father had appointed Beside that Christ doth héere speake as a man For touching his Godhead he was and is equall with the Father Sir I. Cheeke ¶ God my Father hath not giuen me charge to bestow Offices but to be an example of humilitie vnto all Geneua Thou shalt not kill ¶ God saith to the priuate man Thou shalt not kill but to the Magistrate he saith Thine eye shall not spare Thou shalt not suffer the wicked Sorcerer to lyue Not possible ¶ Looke Impossibilitie Not seene c. ¶ Looke Happy Not chosen many ¶ Looke Chosen NOTHING The meaning of this place following ANd hath nothing in me ¶ Satan hath power ouer those that are subiect to sin for he worketh in the children of disobedience Therefore séeing the Lord was pure from all sinne Satan had no power at all in him c. But if Satan had no power of Christ why then did he preuaile so much that he brought him to the death of the Crosse For shortly after Christ died and that the most shamefull death of all other euen y◠death of the Crosse. Heare now the cause thereof in these wordes of our Sauiour following But that the world may know I loue the Father that is to say therfore I will giue place to the power of Satan and deliuer my selfe into the hands of sinners that the world may know I loue the father Marl. fol. 498. ¶ Satan shall assaile me with all his force but he shall not finde that in me which he looketh for for I am that innocent Lambe without spot Geneua NOVACIAN What the opinions were which this man held NOuacian a Priest of Rome fell from his order and called his sect Catharous that is Puritans He would not admit vnto the Church such as fell after repentaunce He was condemned by sundry notable men and in sundrye Councells Euseb. li. 6. ca. 42. He abhorred second marriage Epip haere 59. By what occasion the heresie of this Nouacian sprong About the yeare of Christ. 251. in Alexandria Dionisius ther Bishop was cruelly tormented and many other martired put to death all kindes of paines wer inuented 〈…〉 constraine them to forsake their Religion◠by which meanes diuers for feare denied Christ some before theyr paines and some in the time of their torments of which many repenting wer after by y◠Councell of Cipriate receiued into y◠Church Of this occasion sprang the heresie of Nouacian a Priest who was the first Anabaptist in Rome allowed not Priests marriage and taught that they which had once forsaken their faith should not be receiued againe to penaunce Cooper When the heresie of Nouacian was condemned About the yeare of Christ. 254. Cornelius the. 20. Bishop of Rome which succéeded Fabian condemned the
heresie of Nouacius concerning the peruerse doctrine of penance For he taught that they which had receiued Baptime and fell into sinne could not come againe to saluation And with this errour brought he many to desperation and spoyled the concord of the Church or Congregation Carion Obedience The definition of Obedience WE may make a definition of Obedience by yâ— very word it selfe which is called in Gréeke Lakai And is nothing els but a faithfull submission of minde wherby the word will of the commaunder is obeyed when both the heart and eares be attent vnto his words and will those things which be commaunded according to their abilitie be accomplished without any gain-saieng For true obedience must haue not onely an obedient hand but a following will also Wherefore they cannot be counted for obedient in whom the definition of true obedience taketh not place such as they be which doe obey in fact onely without the redy wil of minde or els in word or eare onely without doing it when they may For when the thing cannot be done the will to obey is reputed for the doing And so we say most commonly that God accepteth our good wil in steede of the fact Musculus fol. 479. What is ment by obeing in this place following To obey is better then Offering c. ¶ To obey what Mans inuention mans dreames or traditions Nay verely but GODS holy wordes his blessed Commaundements yea and to obey them is better then to offer Sacrifices which yet was ordeined and appointed by God himselfe How much better then is it then our Offerings which are inuented without any of Gods word or any mention theroff made the whole Scripture through Ioseph de antiq li. 6. cap. 9. expresseth Samuels saieng in lyke manner but his wordes are too long to rehearse T. M. OBSERVING OF DAIES How the obseruing of daies are reproued how they may be obserued YE obserue daies and months and times and yeares ¶ By the daies he vnderstandeth Sabboths and new Moones by the months the first seuenth month by the times Whitsontide Easter and the feast of Tabernacles by the yeres he vnderstandeth the yeares of Iubely or of forgiuenesse It is not ment but that we may well kéepe certaine daies not that one is holier then another but that we may haue time to come together both to preach and to heare the worde of God offering with one accord our common supplications vnto him Sir I. Cheeke ¶ Ye obserue daies as Sabboths and new Moones ye obserue months as the first and seuenth month ye obserue times as Easter Whitsontide the feast of Tabernacles ye obserue yeares as the Iubely or yeare of forgiuenesse which beggarly Ceremonies are most pernitious to them which haue receiued the swéete libertie of the Gospell and thrust them back into superstitious slauery Geneua ¶ Daies are obserued least the rude multitude should diminish their faith And certaine daies are appointed for vs to come together in Not to the intent the day should be more solemne or high in which we gather together but that great ioye maye rise to vs of our beholding one another D. Heynes OFFENCE Of three manner of offences SOme kinde of offences are to be eschewed which take their differences of their causes There is one kinde of offence that riseth of euill doctrine corrupting the doctrine of the Church He yâ— after this manner is an offence vnto others followeth the steps of the Diuell his father who ouerthrew the first man and woman with this kinde of stumbling block Gen. 3. Another kinde of offence is that which springeth of euil manners that is to wit when other folkes regarding thée do counterfaite thy euill conditions He that on this wise is an offence to man buildeth vp the kingdome of Satan and ouerthroweth the kingdome of Christ. The third kinde of offence riseth of the abuse of things which of their owne nature are indifferent which must be shunned yâ— the weak be not offended The wilfull and vngodly are to be despised and for warrant thereof we haue Christs example Of an offence giuen and an offence taken An offence is giuen then when by thy fault by thy importunitie I say thy lightnesse thou either dost or saist a thing for which thy brother hath a cause to be offended The other offence is not giuen but taken or picked out not by thy faults but by the works or wickednesse of another man As for example when thou doest sinne neither in worde nor déede when thy déedes are nothing insolent nor thy words vnseasonable when thou saist or doest the thing that is frée and lawfull for thée to say do and yet another taketh Pepper in nose and is offended with that libertie of thine Which is all one as if a man that walketh in a plaine path should â—ap to trip or stumble and presently quarrell with his companion as though he had laide a blocke in his way Bullinger fo 451. ¶ To giue offence is a great sinne For Christ doth saye Woe vnto the world because of offences It must néedes be that offences come but woe to the man by whom the offence commeth Whosoeuer offendeth one of these little ones c. Saint Paule also speaking to the bretheren that giue offence saith Through thy giuing of offence perisheth thy brother for whom Christ died and so ye sinning against your bretheren and wounding their weake consciences doe sinne against Christ himselfe Bullinger fol. 452. What it is to be offended in Christ. Happy is he that is not offended by me ¶ To be offended in Christ is to will neither to knowe Christ nor yet to beleeue in him And not to bée offended in him is to receiue him and knowledge by a perfect faith that he is our Sauiour ¶ Happy is he c. That take no occasion by Christ to be hindered from the Gospell Geneua How a man may offend God and not his owne conscience When Paule and Barnabas men elect to be Apostles by the reuealation of the holy Ghost as it is written in the second of the Acts fell out one with another for Iohn Marke as it is in the 15. of the Acts insomuch as the one forsooke the others company it cannot be denied but either Paule or Barnabas or both were in a great fault to fall out for such a trifle and yet there was neither of them both but he thought in his conscience that he did well and did contend for the glory of God So vndoubtedly the most circumspect men in their liuing and most studious to doe all their workes and to vtter all their words to the glory of God yet oftentimes they shall conceiue in theyr thoughts wish in their hearts and also speake and doe such things as shall be very great sinnes in the sight of God and yet they shall not offend their conscience nor think they doe amisse And therefore the Prophet Dauid desireth almightie God not onely
God alwaies singing vnto him in our hearts and so shall we be true honourers of God the Father and shall honour him in spirite and trueth Crowley Who began first to make the statute of Priests chastitie Some saith that Calixtus primus did first make the statute that Priests should vow chastitie but that is not so For all Chronicles beareth witnesse that Priestes hadde wiues in the Councell of Nicene the which was almost an hundred yeares after Calixtos daies But auncient histories doth make mention y◠Nicholas the first which was bishop of Rome the yere of our Lord. 860. did goe about this thing but he coulde not bring it to passe by the reason of an holy man S. Hulderich Bishop of Auguensais which wrote sharpe Epistles against him reprouing him sore y◠because he would compell Priests to vow chastitie his words be these Thou hast not swarued a little from discretion y◠whereas thou oughtest to haue counselled Priests to chastitie thou hast with a Lordly violence compelled them to it Is not this after the iudgement of all wise men a great violence when that thou against the institution of the Gospel and against the decrée of the Holy ghost wilt compell men to serue thy priuate decrée c. ¶ Note that this holy man saith that Priests ought to be admonished and counsailed to chastitie but not compelled For that saith he is a great violence and against Christs holy Gospell and the blessed spirit of God This holy man procéedeth further with the Bishop of Rome and telleth a fact of S. Gregory the which went about to compell Priests to vow chastitie Upon a daye S. Gregory sent vnto his Pondes for fish and in the nets that they fished withall were brought about 6000. young childrens heades the which thing when S. Gregory saw strake him sore to the heart and was very heauie of that sight and perceiued anone that his decrée that he made for Priests chastitie was the occasion of this great murther in that that Priests could not liue sole nor yet they durst not auow their children for feare of the decree And so for sauegard of their honestie they fell into a fearefull and abhominable sinne to kill their owne children And for this cause S. Gregory saith this holy Bishop did reuoke his decrée againe and did greatly allow the saieng of the Apostle It is better to marry then to burne Adding to it of his owne It is better to marry then to giue occasion of murder D. Barnes fol. 328. PRINCES How Princes ought to be obeyed A Man ought to obey his Prince but in the Lord and neuer against the Lord. For he that knowingly obeyeth his Prince against God doth not a dutie to the Prince but is a deceiuer of his Prince and an helper vnto him to worke his owne destruction He is also vniust which giueth not the Prince that is the Princes and to God that is Gods A noble saieng of Valentinianus the Emperour for choosing the Bishop of Millayne Set him saith he in the Bishoppes seate to whome i◠we as man doe offende at anye time maye submit our selues Policarpus the most constant Martir when he stoode before the chiefe Ruler and was commaunded to blaspheme Christ and to sweare by the fortune of Caesar c. he aunswered with a mild spirit We are taught saith he to giue honor to Princes which be of God but such honour as is not contrary to Gods religion Ridley in conferring with Latimer How Princes ought to doe with matters of religion ¶ Looke Kings How this place following is vnderstood O ye Princes open your gates and de ye lift vp O ye euerlasting dores and the King of glory shal enter in ¶ Much adoe there is about the exposition of this verse Some delyght in the applieng of it to the building of the Temple at Ierusalem Other in a spirituall Allegorie apply it to the mēbers of Christ which vndoubtedly agréeth very handsomely with the processe of the Prophet as thus O ye Princes open your gates By y◠Princes which haue giuen their names and their faith to Christ the holy Lord may well be vnderstood all such men which doe earnestly studie to liue a godly lyfe All they whether they be men or women poore or rich high or low in the sight of the world they are neuertheles spiritually Princes lyke as they be called spirituall Priests Priests as S. Peter doth call them because they sacrifice daily vnto god their bodely members their whole heart minde to the true seruing of God And lyke as they bée called in respect of such spirituall sacrifice Priests so may all true Christians be called princes because they haue conquered as I might say and crucified as S. Peter tearmeth it their flesh against all vice and concupisence To these Princes the Prophet now speaketh saieng O ye Princes O ye liuing Saints O ye dearely beloued members of Iesus Christ open your gates not your gates made of timber and boords but your spirituall gates the gates and dores of your soules which be spirituall and eternal open them resist not the Holy ghost quench not the spirit that Christ the king of eternall glory may come and dwell in your hearts Loue him and labour continually to kéepe his Commaundements and then surely both he and his Father with the holy Ghost will come and dwell with you Ric. Turnar PRISCILLIANVS Of the damnable heresies of this man PRiscillianus a Spaniard maintained the opinion of Gnostici Manichaeus and Sabellius being condemned by the Councel of Burdeaux he appealed vnto Maximus the vsurping Emperour which found him an Heretike and beheaded him Prosp. Chronic. He said the soule was of one substaunce with God and came downe from heauen to endure voluntary conflicts He said that mans actions were gouerned by the starres he condemned the eating of flesh he parted married couples referring the creation of the flesh not to God but to wicked Angels he allowed of the Scriptures called Apocripha Unto euerye of his followers he sayd Iura periura secretum prodere noli August li. de haeres PRIVI CONTRACT How priuie contracts are not lawfull nor good NOw also if ye will consent to deale mercifully and truely with my master tell me and if not tell me also ¶ He treateth with the mother and brother concerning the maide whereby it may appere that priuie contracts without the knowledge and consent of their parents are not good The Bible note PROCESSIONS How Processions came vp WE read not of any Processions till the time of Agapatius Pope who as Platina reporteth did first ordeine them Ann. 533. Although we read the like of Leo y◠third about 810. yeares after Christ. Surely whensoeuer Processions beganne they were taken of Gentilitie We read oft in Pliny that the Romanes in all their distresses would runne to euerye Idoll they had would goe their circuites from this place to that place and think they did acceptable
confusion superstition Idolatry impietie as Babilon the first Monarch was destroid so shal this wicked kingdome of Antichrist haue a miserable ruine though it hée great and séemeth to extend throughout all Europa Geneua And their corps shall lye in the stréets of the great citie which spiritually is called Sodome and Aegypt where our Lord was crucified ¶ Meaning the whole iurisdiction of the Pope which is compared to Sodome and to Aegypt because the true libertie to serue God is taken away from the faithfull and Christ was condemned by Pilate who represented the Romane power which should be enimie to the godly Obiection What impudencie is it to affirme that Christ was crucified at Rome and all the worlde knoweth he suffered death at Hierusalem Aunswere Rome béeing vnderstood for the Regiment c. As is aforesaid the proofe is euidently made that our Sauiour Christ suffered and was crucified at Rome Reasons to proue that Christ suffered at Rome By whom was he condemned was it not by Pilate the deputie or lieuetenant of the Romane Empire c For what cause or crime was he iudged to dye Was it not for treason pretended to be committed against the Romane Empire With what kinds of execution was he put to death Was it not such as was vsuall by the lawes of the Romanes for such hainous offences as were vniustlye layde to his charge Finally was not the place where he suffered within the circuite of the Romane Empire May not then iustly affirme that he was crucified at Rome when by the Romane Iudge he was condemned for a crime against the Romane state executed by a kinde of death appointed by the Romane lawes in a place of the Romane dominion As for the Iewes they had at that time no authoritie to put any man to death as they confesse themselues when Pilatâ— had them take him iudge him according to their owne lawe meaning they shuld decree some light punishment against him they aunswered It is not lawfull for vs to put any man to death he hath defeâ—ued to die As touching to cause although they accused him of blasphemy because he made himselfe the son of God yet could he not be condemned for that because Pilate wild admit no accusation but such as conteined a crime against the Romane lawes And as for the death of the crosse it is manifest to be propeâ— to the Romanes for the Iewes would haue stoned him if they might haue condemned him for blaphemie according to yâ— lawâ— of Moses And that the Angell in that place by no meanes can vnderstand Hierusalem it is manifest by these reasons First that he calleth it the greate Citie which tearme coulde neuer bée spoken of Hierusalem Also vs calleth it Sodoma and Aegypt which was the Sea of the monsterons beast Antichrist which in other places is often called Babylon c. Adde héerevnto that Hierusalem the place where Christ suffered was vtterly destroyed in Saint Iohns time which wrote this reuelation For the second proofe sée the. 13. Chapter of this Reuelation and the. 17. chapter where this euill shapen beast is described with 7. heads 10 hornes Also sée Daniel the 7. Chapter describing the foure beastes especially the fourth beast which all men must confesse to be the Monarch of Rome which is the fourth Monarch The third Argument or proofe is taken out of the 17. chapter verse 9. of this Reuelation Where the Angell expounding to Saint Iohn the mysterie of the beast with seauen heads declareth in verye plaine wordes that the seauen heads do signifie seauen hills wherevpon the woman sitteth which al writers Poets historiers cosmographers with one consent do confesse to be Rome which is builded vpon 7. hills whose names are these Palatinus Capitolinus Auentinus Exquilinus Viminalis Quirinalis Caelius The Poet Virgil describeth Rome with this Periphrasis in his Georgikes Septem quae vna sibi muro circundedit arces Which hath compassed 7. hils within her walls The fourth and last proofe is taken out of the. 17. chapter of this Reuelation the last verse where the Angell expoundeth that the woman which Saint Iohn sawe which was the great whoore Babylon is that great Citie which hath cominion ouer the kings of the earth And what man is so impudent as to saye that anie other Citie in Saint Iohns time had dominion ouer the kings of the earth but Rome How Babylon is proued to bee Rome by the Doctours Ireneus one of the most auncient and autenticall writers that the Church hath in the fift booke of his treatise against all hereliks speking of the sea of Antichrist vpon the last verse vppon the. 13. chap. of this Reuelation where it is said yâ— the number of the beasts name is sixe hundred sixtie and sixe sheweth that the opinion of many in his time was that séeing this name Lateinos which is in English the Latin man or Romane in the numerall Gréeke letters conteineth this number that Antichrist must be sought at Rome his words are these Sed a Lateinos nomen fex centorum sexaginta sex numerorum c. Et valde verisimile est quoniam verissim regnum hoc habet vocabulum Latini enim sunt qui nunc regnant Also saith he this name Lateinos conteining the number of 666. is thought to be the name of Antichrist it is very like so to be for that which most vndoubtedly is a kingdom hath that name for they be Latines which now doe reigne Tertulianus a verye auncient writer in his third booke against Marcion which denied that Christ had a true bodye wherefore Tertulian vseth this reason against him That thing which hath a figure in it might bée a thing of truth so discoursing of many things figured and the figures of them commeth to theseâ— wordes Siâ— Babylon apud Iohannem nostrum c. Euen so doth Babylon in the Apocalipsis of our Saint Iohn beare the figure of the Citie of Rome which is altogether as great and as proude in reigneâ— and as great a persecuter of the Saintes as Babylon was Chrisostome in his Commentaries vppon the seconde Epistle to the Thessaloâ—â—ans Capter 2. in his fourth Homelye where as Paule speaketh of the manifestation of Antichrist sayth they knewe what was the cause that hée was not presentlye reuealed â— but when that staye is taken awaye hée shoulde bee râ—â—â—â—led in his due time Chrisostome 〈…〉 deth this staye too bee the Romane Empire which must giue place to Antichrist that like as the Persians came in place of the Chaldeans the Grecians in the place of the Persians and the Romanes in the place of the Grecians Euen so our Antichrist should inuade the Empire of the Romanes Vacantem imperiâ— principatum inuadit tentabit ad se capere hominum Deâ— imperium Antichrist saith he shal inuade the vacant principalitie of the Empire and shall assay to drawe vnto
with what instrumeÌ„ts they were wont to stir vp the hearts of the people to sing praises and to bée thankefull vnto the Lorde But now vnder Christ such ceremonies of the olde lawe are cleane abolished How the dead Saintes know nothing what is done in earth S. Austen in his booke De cura pro mortuis agenda doth plainely affirme yâ— the soules of yâ— Saintes that be in heauen doe not know what the liuing doe heere in earth prouing it by example of his owne Mother and by this place of Esay Thou art our Father Abraham knoweth vs not neither is Israel acquainted with vs. And also by Iosias where God promised that he should dye and not sée those calamities plagues miseries which he threatened should come vpon that place vpon the people How Saintes cannot impart their righteousnesse to other S. Hierome saith the righteousnes of the righteous shal be vpon him and the wickednesse of the wicked shall remaine vpon him euery man shal die through his own sin euery man shal liue through his owne righteousnesse The Iewes doe say in vaine Abraham is our Father sith that they haue not the works of Abraham If we shuld put our trust in any let vs put our trust in God Cursed bee euery man that putteth his trust in men although they be Saintes although they be Prophets Wée reade Put not your trust in men Againe Better it is to trust in God then in Princes not onely in the Princes of the worlde but in the Princes of the Church which if they be righteous they shall deliuer their owne soules onely Certeine Obiections Aunswered Saints do pray for vs saith the Papists which they proue by the place of Dauid Psa. 32. 5. I will confesse my sinne vnto the Lord and so â—hou forgauest the wickednesse of my sinne for this shall euery Saint make his prayer in a time when thou maist be found Aunswere When Dauid had reasoned of the remission of sinnes and hadde appointed himselfe an example to other and had sayde I haue confessed my sinne vnto thée Lorde and thou hast forgiuen the wickednesse of my sinne he did adde by and by Manye holy and godlye men shall bée prouoked by this example of mine to call after the same sorte vppon GOD for the pardon and forgiuenesse of their sinnes in a time when thou maist be found For after that we be departed hence saith Saint Cipriane there is no place of repentaunce no effect of saluation héere the lyfe is either lost or holden héere by the worshipping of God and the fruite of sayth euerlasting saluation is prouided for◠¶ By these wordes of Ciprianâ— wee doe knowe that as long as wée bée in this lyfe we maye through fayth in our Sauiour Iesu Christ praye vnto GOD for the remission of our sinnes and that so long God may bée founde but after that we be once gone neither repentance nor yet praieng vnto God for the remission of our sinnes can profit vs nothing Obiection The Saint was great with God when he was aliue as it appeared by the miracles which God shewed for him he must therefore be great now say they Aunswere This reason appeareth wisedome but it is verye foolâ—shnesse with God for the miracle was not shewed that thou shouldest put thy trust in the Saint but in the worde of the Saint preached which word if thou beleeuest would saue thée as God hath promised would also make thée great with God as he did the Saint Obiection If a man haue a matter with a great man or a king he must goe first to one of his meane seruants and then higher higher till he come to the king Aunswere This entising argument is but a blinde reason and mans wit It is not lyke in the kingdome of the world as it is in the kingdome of God and Christ. With kinges for the most part we haue no acquaintaunce nor promise They be also most commonly mercilesse Moreouer if they promise they are yet men and vnconstant as are other people and as vntrue But with God if we haue beléefe we are accompted and haue an open way vnto him by the doore Christ which is neuer shut but through vnbeléefe neither is there any porter to kéepe any man out By him saith Paule Ephe. 2. 18. That is to saye by Christ we haue an open way into the Father so are ye now no more straungers and forriners saith he but citizens with the Saints and of the household of God God had also made vs promises and hath sworne yea hath made a testament or a couenant hath bound himselfe hath sealed his Obligation with Christs bloud and confirmed it with miracles He is also mercifull and kinde and complaineth that wée will not come to him He is mightie and able to performe that he promiseth He is true and cannot be but true as he cannot bée but GOD therefore it is not like with the king and God Obiection We be sinners say they God will not heare vs. Aunswere Beholde how they flye from God as from a tyrant mercilesse whom a man counteth most mercifull to him he soonest flyeth But these techers dare not come to God why For they are the children of Cain If the Saints loue whoÌ„ God hateth then God and his Saints are diuided When thou praiest to the Saintes how doe they know except God whom thou countest mercilesse tell them If God be so cruell and so hateth thée it is not lykely that hée will tell the Saintes that thou praiest vnto them c. Obiection Saints must pray for vs and be mediatours to God for vs that by them we may receiue our petition This is Richards opinion De media villa Aunswere This is a great blasphemy to Christs blessed bloud for if Saintes bee necessarie to be mediatours for vs then is Christ vnsufficient For Philosophers did neuer put two causes wher one was sufficient And if any thing be giuen vs for Saints sakes theÌ„ be not al things giueÌ„ vs for Christs sake The which is plainely against Saint Paules saieng Rom. 8. 33. God for vs all hath giuen his sonne and shall he not giue vs all thinges with him D. Barnes Paule saith there is but one mediatour betwéene God and man the man Christ Iesus the which hath giuen himselfe for the redemption of all men ¶ Héere he sayth there is but one mediatour betwéene God and man Where there is but one there cannot Saints come in Moreouer Saints bée men Ergo they must haue a mediatour for themselues and than they cannot be mediatours for other men Moreouer the mediatour betwéene God and man is called Christ Iesus Now is there no Saint that hath that name If there bee none then is ther none that can vsurpe this office without blaspheming of Christ. Furthermore he hath redeemed vs without the helpe of Saints why shal he not be wholy mediatour without
gathering of waters by the name of Sea according to this saieng and the gathering togethers of waters he called Seas Ge. 1. 10. And the vessell wherein the Priests washed theÌ„selues wheÌ„ they went about the holy ministrations was called the braseÌ„ sea 3. Re. 7. 23. In this place the word sea is taken for a coÌ„pany of much people whom the spirit of God enlighteneth therfore they be cléere as glasse like vnto Christall that is to saye they be deliuered from darknesse and rustinesse and soule spottes by Christ Iesus reigning in the Church c. In the. 7. chapter the word sea of some is taken for rich merchant men which traficke vpon the Seas And in the. 16. chapter verse 3. the restlesse Sea séemeth to betoken the chiefe estates of the world or the confusion or chaungeablenesse of the world or els those people that dwell farre of in out Iles. Marl. to 73. ¶ The world is compared to a Sea because of the chaunge and vnstablenesse Geneua And I saw as it were a glassie sea mingled with fire ¶ The Sea of glasse mixed with fire signifieth the wickednesse of the world and all wicked enimies and aduersaries of the truth and doctrine of the Gospell Sir I. Cheeke ¶ The glassie Sea signifieth this brittle and inconstant world mixt with fire that is troubles and afflictions but the Saints of God ouercommeth them all and sing diuine songs to God by whose power they get the victory Geneua What Iob meaneth by these two words Sea and Whale Am I a Sea or a Whale fish that thou kéepest me so in prison ¶ Am I a Sea or a Whale saith Iob that thou shouldest set as it were such barres against me and that I should be faine to haue so great lets to stop me Iob protesteth héere before God that there was no néede why he should be stopped with so great violence And why so I am not lyke a Sea saith he which hath néede of rampires and lets If a Sea haue broken ouer his bankes a thousand or two thousand men must be sent against it there must be bringing of timber of earth and of stones to make vp so great a breach Also a Whale will not suffer himselfe to be caught without great adoe but great force must be vsed to holde so strong and mightie a beast But Iob saith I am no Sea nor Whale how is it then that GOD procéedeth with so great violence against me Héereby he meaneth that the miserie which he endureth is ouer great and that God hath no néed to punish him so And héerein he sheweth that he had no such stay in himselfe as he ought to haue had Cal. vpon Iob. fol. 99. SEBELLIVS Of his hereticall opinions THis man denied Christ to be the sonne of God and sayde that he was not the first begotten before all creatures Hée denied also the vnderstanding of the holy ghost He leaned much to the opinion of Noetus as touching the thrée persons And denied that there was a Trinitie Epiph. heraes 62. August li. de heraes SECOND Of the second time of punishing that Nahum speaketh of WHat doe ye think against the Lord He will make an end neither shal tribulation rise vp the second time ¶ Which words some of the Hebrues as Hierome telleth interpret of the Assirians who when they had the first time gotten the victory against the kingdome of yâ— ten tribes thought in like manner to preuaile against the kingdome of Iuda but yâ— it should so come to passe the Prophet denieth saith That after the first tribulation the second should not follow This exposition may indéed be borne withall But there is an other which is more plaine namely to say that these things are spokeÌ„ against Sennacherib which besieged Hierusalem vnto whom God threatened a full and through ouerthrow I will saith he so blot thee out that I shal not néed to rise vp the second time against thee one plague shal be sufficient thou shalt be so vehemently afflicted with it Pet. Mar. vpon the Rom. ¶ Hee sheweth that the enterprises of the Assirians against Iuda and the Church were against God and therfore he wold so destroy them at once that he should not néede to returne the second time Geneua What is meant by the second death He that ouercommeth shall not be hurt of the second death ¶ He that so constantly perseuereth in the truth of God yâ— neither flattering perswasioÌ„ worldly promotion nor cruel tormeÌ„t can plucke his minde from it shall neuer take harme of the second death For the death of them which truly beleeueth is precious in the sight of the Lord their God neither shall sinne be imputed to him that hath fayth nor yet dampnation to them that are in Christ. Bale ¶ The first death is the naturall death of the bodye the second death is the eternall death from the which are all free that beléeue in Iesus Christ. Iohn 5. 24. Geneua SECRETNESSE How secrets ought not to be disclosed ALexander the conquerour reading a letter that came from his mother conteining matter of weight tooke Exhestion his friend to him to read the same with him And after he had read it pulled out his signet and set it to Exhestions mouth giuing to vnderstand thereby that he which knoweth a seceret ought to keepe his mouth close The Romane Fuluius opened a greate secret that Augustus had told him vnto his wife who béeing rebuked of the Emperour sell in dispaire And first rebuked his wife who made him this aunswere You blame me quoth she without a cause for sithens ye haue liued with me so long ye ought perdie to haue knowne my lightnesse long or this time and knowing of it ye should not haue credited me therwith therefore the fault how great so euer it be is your own but yet will I take the punishment vpon me first therewithall slew her selfe incontinent her husband did the like after When one asked Metellus a Romane Captaine what hée would doe touching such an enterprise in warre he aunswered him on this wise If I knew that this shirt which I haue vppon my backe were wiâ—ting what I will doe I would burne it incontinent When one asked Aristotle what thing he thought hardest he aunswered Secrets SECT What is meant by this word Sect. WHich was the sect of the Saduces ¶ The word which is vsed héere is heresie which signifieth a choise and so is taken for a right forme of learning or faction or studye and course of lyfe which the Latines call a Sect. At the first this word was indifferently vsed but at length it came to be taken onely in euil part wher vpon came the name of heretik which is takeÌ„ for one that goeth astray from sound wholsome doctrine after such sort yâ— hée setteth light by the iudgement of God and his Church and continueth in his opinion and breaketh the peace of the Church Beza
How many Sects are layde to Luthers charge Fredericus Staphilus sheweth in his Apology that out of Luther haue sprung three diuerse heresies or Sects The Anabaptists the Sacramentaries and the Confessionists otherwise called the Protestants And that the Anabaptists be diuided into sixe Sects The Sacramentaries into eight and the Confessionists into twentie Which all be laide to Luthers charge and for suffering the rude and rash people to haue the Scriptures in their owne tongue Aunswere At the first preaching of the Gospell by the Apostles of Christ and other holy Fathers there grew vp immediatly with the same sundrie sorts of Sects to yâ— number of 90. as they are reckoned in perticular by S. Augustine all flowing out of one spring all confessing one Gospell and all knowne by the name of Christ. Besides that the very Apostles and other holy fathers hath séemed to be diuided by some discention among theÌ„selues as Peter froÌ„ S. Paule S. Paule from Barnabas S. Cipriane froÌ„ Cornelius S. Augustine from Hierome S. Chrisostome from Epiphanius and so forth Now if Staphilus had ben in the primitiue church séene all these hot and troublesome discentions doubtlesse as he saith now all these diuersities sprung from D. Luther so would he then haue said all these former diuersities and formes of heresies sprang onely from Christ and so haue concluded as he doth now that the rude and rash people should in no wise be suffered to read the Scripture SECVNDIANI What they were SEcundiani of secundus together with Epiphanes and Isidorus taught the lyke with Valentinus in lyfe they were beastly all women among them were common They denyed the resurrection of the flesh Epiphan herees 32. SEE OR SELING What is meant by seeeing in this place And I turned me about to sée the voice that spake to me ¶ After the Hebrue phrase to sée is put for to vnderstande or to heare for a voyce is not séene but heard So read we in Moses the people sawe the voice Ex. 20. 18. vnlesse any man had leuer to referre this saieng vnto him yâ— vttered the voice as if Iohn should say I turned me about to see him that vttered this great voice so as the effect should be put for the cause Marl. vpon the Apoc. fol. 20. How the people sawe God And sawe the God of Israel ¶ They sawe God that is they knew certeinly that he was there present and they sawe him as in a vision not in his godly nature but as it were by a certeine reuelation T. M. And they sawe the God of Israel As perfectly as their infirmities could behold his maiestie Geneua How the iust shall see God They which are not delighted with craft deceit but walke godly purely and sincerely among men which also adioine theÌ„selues with a sincere and feruent minde vnto Christ such I say shall see God that is first they shall be endued with the perfect knowledge they shall vnderstand his will and minde last of all they shall haue euerlasting life when they shal behold him not in darke speaking of faith but face to face with his holye Angels Marl. vpon Math. fo 79. SEEDE How the seede of the righteous man is said to inherit the earth ANima eius in bonis demorabitur semen eius heriditabiâ— terram His soule shall long inioye good things and his séed shall inherit the earth ¶ This is not a generall warrant that euery good man shall haue good children which shall inioye and inherit their Fathers land For we read in Scripture of many good Fathers which haue had children some foolish some godly Isaac the holy Patriarke had to his sonnes Iacob the vertuous and Esau the scapethrift King Ezechias was a noble and a godly king of Iuda whose sonne Manasses was a murtherer of the Prophets of God and a cruell shedder of innocent bloud Salomon excelled in wisdome whose son heire named RoboaÌ„ was a rash and a foolish man And on the other â—ide Amon was a wicked Idolater but Iosias his sonne was a noble vertuous and a most excellent king wherefore we cannot certeinly conclude that the words of the Prophet when he sayth The soule of that man which feareth the Lorde shall long inioy good things and his séede shall inherit the earth that euery good man shall haue good children which shall inioy and inherit their fathers land but the meaning is this By the vertuous or righteous mans séede ye must not vnderstand his naturall séede but his spirituall séede his spirituall seede are all those which doe followe his godly steppes of liuing All that his séed which doe labour to liue a godly lyfe and study with all reuerence and feare to please the Lord all that séede shall long inioy good things c. Ric. Turnar How the field may not be sowen with mingled seede and what it meaneth Let none of thy cattell gender with a contrarie kinde neither sowe thy field with mingled seede ¶ Cattell may not gender with a contrary kinde against the order of nature much lesse reasonable creatures made to the Image of God as men and women The field may not be sowen with mixt séed that is our déede and words may not be mingled with hypocrisie neither may our garments be made of lynnen wollen that is we may not mingle false doctrine with true or shew a carnall lyfe vnder pretence of religion Tho. Mathew Thou shalt not sowe thy vineyard with diuerse kindes of séedes c. ¶ The tenour of this lawe is to walke in simplicitie and not to be curious of new inuentions Geneua SEEKE The meaning of this place following THey shall séeke me early but they shall not finde me ¶ Because they sought not with affection to God but for ease of their owne griefe Geneua They seeke me that hitherto haue not asked for mée ¶ Meaning the Gentiles which knewe not God shoulde seeke after him when he had moued their heartes with his holye spirit Rom. 10. 20. Geneua What it is to seeke after God Oâ— séeke after God ¶ To séeke after God is at no haÌ„d to séeke our owne in any thing but both to doe and suffer all things to the glory of God profit of our neighbour to denie our selues and all ours and become the seruants of all men and this is the especiall point of godlynesse against which no man striue more stifly then the bloud thirstie and deceitfull which thinke they séeke God and séeke themselues T. M. That would vnderstand and séeke God ¶ Whereby he condemneth all knowledge and vnderstanding that tendeth not to seeke God Rom. 3. 10. Geneua SELAH What this word Selah signifieth SElah signifieth a lifting vp of the voice It admonished the singers of the Psalmes to sing out in their highest tune because the matter of that part of the Psalme where that word is found was especially to be hearkened vnto and to be considered
that we haue by the same with all giftes and graces of the same The second is to yéelde thankes vnto him to giue testimonie of our faith towards him and of our charitie which we haue towards our bretheren and of the vnion with the Church The third to represent to vs by the bread and wine which are ther distributed the whole and perfect spiritual nouritour which we haue by the meanes of the body flesh and bloud of Iesus Christ to the end we may be spiritually nourished into eternall life according to our benefit which we haue already receiued by our regeneration whereof the Baptime is to vs as a Sacrament in the which we haue in the Supper as it were a gage of our resurrection the which we doe beléeue and waite for There euen as the bread and wine be giuen vnto vs visibly and bodely euen so are the body and bloud of Iesus giuen vnto vs indéede but inuisible and spiritually by the meanes of faith and by the vertue of the holy ghost for he is the meane by which we haue true communion and true vnion with Iesus Christ and all his Church the which is his body whereof all true Christians be members Pet. Viret Why the Supper of the Lord was called a Sacrifice The Supper of the Lord was not called a sacrifice because Christ shuld be offered in it but because he offereth presenteth himselfe vnto vs and that we doe through faith receiue him and giue him thankes for the great benefite that we haue receiued by the merites of his death and passion bloud shedding confessing and professing that we holde none other for our Sauiour but him and that we doe accept knowledge none other sacrifice but his onely for this cause was the Lordes Supper called Eucharistia which word doth signifie thankes giuing Thus doth S. Austen and all other Doctors of the Church expound it Veron in his b. of Purg. The Doctors mindes vpon the Supper of the Lord. If ye should sée the Sonne of man ascend vp where he was before ¶ What is this By that he resolueth those whom hée hath knowen of that he manifested the thing whereby they haue offended for they did thinke that he would giue vnto them his body but he saith that he will ascende vp into Heauen all whole saieng When ye shall sée the Sonne of man ascende where he was before at yâ— least you shall sée then that hée doth not giue his body in the same manner as ye thinke iudge at the least you shall then vnderstand that his grace is not consumed by morsells c. Aug. vpon S. Iohn in the 27. treatise vpon the 6. Chapter If faith be in vs Christ is in vs. For what other thing saith the Apostle Christ dwelling in your hearts by faith but that through the faith which thou hast of Christ Christ is in thy heart August in his 49. treatise vppon Saint Iohn 11. Chapter After he had ended the solemnitie of the auncient Passeouer the which he made in remembrance of the auncient deliuerance out of Aegypt he passeth forth to the new solemnitie yâ— which the church desireth to celebrate in remembrance of hir redemption to the end that putting the Sacrament of his flesh and of his bloud vnder the lykenesse of bread and wine in stéede of flesh and of the bloud he sheweth himself to be him vnto whom the Lord hath sworne and will not repent Thou art a Priest for euer c. It followeth after because the bread doeth fortifie the flesh and that the wine causeth the bloud in the flesh the bread is referred mystically to the body of Christ and the wine to his bloud Bede vpon the 22. Chapter of Saint Luke Let vs not staye héere belowe on the bread and wine which are set on the Lords Table but let vs lift vp our spirits on high through faith Let vs consider that the Lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world is in that holy Table which is not offered in sacrifice by the Priestes after the manner of beasts And in taking his precious body and his bloud let vs beleeue that they are the signes and tokens of our resurrection And for the same cause we eate not much but a lyttle to the end we may know yâ— the same is not ordeined for to fill our bellyes withall but for to serue to sanctitie and holinesse c. ¶ Looke Bread Body Bloud Figure Signe Sacrament Sacrifice How the Lords death is Shewed in the supper As often as ye shall eate this bread and drinke of this Cup ye shall shew the Lords death c. ¶ The Lords death is not shewed except both parts of the Sacrament be ministred and because in his death the bloud was diuided from the body it is necessary that the same diuision be represented in the Supper otherwise the Supper is not a shewing of the Lords death Latimer The meaning of this place of Iohn And when the Supper was done There be some which thinke that it ought to be thus reade And Supper béeing prepared for it may be doubted whether these things were done after the supper or in supper time It is very likely that supper was not fully ended that is to say that the Table was not yet taken away séeing it followeth by and by that the Lord tooke a morsell of bread and offered the same to Iudas Marl. vppon Iohn fol. 456. SVPREMACIE Proues against the supremacie IN the Councel of Carthage it is said thus The Bishop of Rome himselfe may not be called vniuersall Bishop Dist. 99. Prima sedes S. Gregory saith thus Nullus decessorum meorumâ— c. None of my predecessors Bishope of Rome euer consented to vse this vngodly name no Bishop of Rome euer tooke vpon him this name of singularitie we the Bishops of Rome will not receiue this honor being offered vnto vs. Greg. li. 4. Epist. 32. and. 36. Where pride and hypocrisie beareth sway there humilitie can haue no place Hesychius sen. li. 4. dist 7. Chrisostome saith Quicunque desiderauerit c. Whosoeuer desiâ—eth Primatum in earth in heauen he shall finde confusion Neither shall he be counted among the seruants of Christ that will once intreate of Primacie Iewel fol. 118. 119. SVRE How we are sure of our saluation ¶ Looke Saluation SVRPLESSE From whence the wearing of Surplesses came NIcholaus Leonicenus saith Isidis Sacerdotes in Aegypto c. The Priests of the Goodesse Isis in Aegypt vsed to weare linnen Surplesses and euermore had their heads shauen which thing séemeth to haue bene deriued from them vnto our time from hand to hand For they that among vs minister Gods seruice and serue the holy Altars are forbidden to suffer the haire of their heads or their beards to grow and in their diuine seruice vse lynnen garments Nicholaus Leonicenus in varia historia li. 2. ca. 21.
from vanitie and taught to obey thy will Geneua VVALKE What it is to walke with God TO walke with God is to liue godly and to walke in his commaundements Enoch walked with God and was no more séene he liued godly and dyed God tooke him away that is hidde his body as he did Moses and Aaron least haply they should haue made an Idoll of him for he was a great preacher and an holy man Tindale This walking with God importeth that a man so giueth himselfe to the seruice of God as he thinketh continually to giue an account acknowledgeth in himselfe after this manner he that hath created formed gouerneth guideth me I cannot shun his hand nor scape his iudgemeÌ„t therfore I must be present before his eyes so as he shall sée not onely all my works but also my thoughts lo what it is to walk with God c. It is said that Enoch walked with God why Because he was not peruerted and although the whole worlde was at that time as corrupt as might be yet notwithstanding Enoch continued vncorrupted wherof came that Because he gathered his wits to him and gaue not himselfe the bridle to deale disorderly but although iniquity was a waterflud vpon the earth yet he knew that it behoued him to walke as in the presence of God Caluine vpon Iob. How God is sayd to walke God is said to goe and walke not by chaunging of places for he filleth all places but by occupieng the minds of the faithfull as in the Prophet I will dwell among them and walke among them and be their God where dwelling walking and to be their God meane one thing VVALL What this wall was HAth broken downe the wall that was a stop betwéene vs. ¶ Moses lawe that was the wall cause of hate betwéene the Iewes and Gentiles is taken away in whose stéed is loue come to loue one another as Christ loued vs. Tindale Broken downe the wall c. ¶ That is the cause of diuision that was betwéene the Iewes and the Gentiles Geneua VVARRES What manner of warres is iust SUch a warre is counted iust which is taken in hand at the commaâ—ndement of the magistrate either to demaund things again or els to put away iniuries or to reueng theÌ„ as it is had in the 23. quest the 2. chap. iustum they are the words of Isidorus For first we must beware yâ— war be not taken in hand by the authoritie of a priuate maÌ„ But the causes wherfore war may iustly be made are these To require things taken away or else to repulse iniurie wherevnto is agréeable that which Augustine writeth in the same place in the chapter Dominus Iust warre is that which is taken to reuenge iniuryes After this manner warres is proclaimed against Cities when they will not either render things taken away or amend those things which of theirs was vniustly done For if they will not punish the guiltie it is lawfull for other to make warre against them So all Israel tooke warre against the Beniamites that a most wicked crime should not remaine vnpunished But Augustine addeth that those warres also do especially séeme iust which are taken in hand by the commandement of God as are many which are done in the olde Testament For if God once commaund to make warre we maye not seeke any other cause of iustice for God knoweth very wel what is best to be rendered to euery man For then both Captaine and souldiers are not so much to be counted authours of the warre as ministers of God and of his lawe And therefore when the people are after this manner called to warre they ought not neglect the commaundement Wherefore the same Augustin in his 205. Epistle to Bonifacius the Earle a man of war which at that time gouerned Affrick vnder Caesar. Thou oughtest not saith he to thinke yâ— they which with weapons serue the publik wealth cannot please God This was his propositioÌ„ wherof afterward he bringeth resons For Dauid saith he mode many wars yet was he dearely beloued of God Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 186. What things are to be taken heed of in iust warres In making of iust warres saith Augustine many things are to be taken héed of For it is not sufficient that the war be iust except also the world be iustly handled wherefore he admonisheth his Earle when saith he thou puttest on thine armour remember that thy strength is the gift of God and determine with thy selfe not to abuse that gift against God yea rather doe this fight for his lawes and name let promises be kept euen with enimies but much more with friends for whome thou makest warre by which wordes he reprehendeth those souldiers which are more grieuous in Cities then the very enimies Of which we sée in our daies a greate many moe then we wold which when they are in their places where they winter it is wonderfull to see how they handle the citizens and the men of the country it is horrible to sée what filthy and abhominable things they commit He addeth also the third Cantion Thinke with thy selfe that warre must not bée made but for necessitie wherefore let thy minde alwaye be enclined vnto peace Make warre because thou canst not otherwise doe but if thou canst make peace refuse it not Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 187. The Anabaptists reasons against warre These be their reasons Mine is the vengeaunce and I will requite thée the Lord. Christs kingdome say they is like the waters of Siloh which waters doe runne quietly and without hurly burly Their speares shall bée turned to shares and swoords into Mattocks If a man giue thée a blow on the right side turne thou thy left side He that smiteth with the sworde shall perish with the swoorde Let not the Cockle be pulled out till the haruest time Our weapons are not carnall but spirituall Who that will reade S. Austen to Marcellinus in the first Epistle and to Faustus Manichaeus the 22 booke in Chrisostome vpon these words Do not resist the euill shall haue all these places answered Reasons for warre A time of warre a time of peace Eccles. 3. 8. Dauid saith in 144. Psalme Blessed is God which teacheth my hands to fight and my fingers to battell Dauids fingers were fighting fingers yet Dauids fingers were holy fingers In the booke of Kings Dauid saith thus to Saule Thou fightest the Lordes battailes And Abigal sayth to Dauid Thou fightest the Lords battailes If some warres be Gods warres then all warres are not forbidden The Baptist doth séeme to allow of Souldiers for he giueth them rules of life as that they should hurt no man and that they should be content with their owne wages Paule wold haue himselfe lead to Caesaria by strength of souldiers Our Sauiour doth say giue vnto Caesar that which is Caesars That which was giuen to Caesar was tribute
all congregations of waters the Sea generallye but also because it was of olde time a constant opinion after the storyes that it hath his originall beginning from the Occean Sea Ye may also vnderstand by the drinesse of Nilus that it ouerflowed not the lande contrary to the olde accustomed manner thereof Some had leauer haue this to be figuratiuely applyed As there be certeine waters of the Gospell which the holy Ghost giueth so are there also the troubelâ—us waters of Aegypt that is of worldly doctrine Therefore when the word of God is ouerheard those waters drye vs. For the holy Ghost reprehendeth the world of sinne and openeth and declareth the works of darknesse In these waters doe Réede and Rush grow that is vaine trifling works such as are the works of hipocrits which after the outward shew and appearance séeme fresh but are within vaine and naught worth ¶ Hee sheweth that the Sea and Nilus their greate riuer whereby they thought themselues most sure shoulde not bée able to defend them from his anger but that he woulde â—â—nd the Assirians among them that they should kéepe them vnder as slaues Geneua The meaning of this place following Iesus Christ that came by water and bloud ¶ The water and bloud that came out of his side declare that we hauâ— our sinnes washed by him he hath made full satisfaction for the same Geneua How water in the Sacrament signifieth the people The people is anexed in the Sacrament through the mixture of water therefore I meru 〈…〉 le much that they are so contentions and will not see that as the water is the people so the wine is Christs body that is to say in a mystery because it representeth Christs bloud as the water doth the people Cipriane ad 〈…〉 Whiles in the Sacrament water is anneâ—ed with the wine the faythfull people is incorporate ioyned with Christ and is made one with him with a certeine knot of perâ—â—ct charitie ¶ Now whereas he sayth that we are ioyned and incorporate with Christ what fondnesse were it to contend sith we are there onely in a mysterie and not naturallye I. Frith VVAVE OFFERING What it signified ANd waue them for a waue offering ¶ This sort of offeringâ— after the Priest had lif 〈…〉 d vp was moued into euery side of all coasts to signifie that God was Lord of all the earth Tâ—e Bible note This sacrifice the Priest did moue toward the East West North and South Geneua ¶ Waue offering because it was wauen in the Priestes hands to diuerse quarters Tindale VVEDDING GARMENT What the wedding garment is and who be clothed therewith WHich had not on a wedding garment ¶ Many doe in vaine héere contend about the wedding garment whether it be fay â— or an holy and godly lyfe Séeing that fayth can neither be separated from good workesâ— neither canne good works procéede but from fayth But the onely meaning of our Sauiour Christ was this that we are called of the Lords vpon this condition that we should by the spirit be made lyke vnto him And therefore that wee might continuallye abide in his house wée must put off the olde man with all his pollutions and defiling spottes of sinne and must frame and giue our selues to a newe lyfe that our apparell maye aunswere so honourable a calling They therefore are clothed with this wedding garment which haue put on the Lord Iesus Christ and the new man which after God is shaped in righteousnesse and holynesse and as the wedding garment doth declare the minde to bee ioyfull affected towarde the wedding dinner and to reuerence the same euen so also by this wedding garment there is required that the guestâ— be such which with ioy with reuerence of the diuine maiestie and with giuing of thankes should obteine and enioy the heauenly benefits Marl. fol 499. ¶ The wedding garment is Christ himselfe whom in Baptime we put on through â—aith where from procéedeth loue and charitie which is the common badge of all true faithfull christians Sir I. Cheeke ¶ They that with their mouthes doe professe the Gospell and the true christian religion and so doe associate and a fellowship themâ—elues with the church and congregation and bee not inwardly sanctified with the spirit of God be without the bridegromes liuâ—rie ¶ Faith in Christs bloud maketh the marriage betwéene our soules and Christ and is properly called the marriage garment or the signe Tindale VVEDLOCKE ¶ Looke Marriage VVEAKE AND SICKE The meaning of Saint Paule in this place FOr this cause many are weake and sicke among you ¶ For this cause that is â—or lacke of good examining of our selues many are weake sicke in the faith many asleepe haue lost their faith in Christs bloud for lacke of remembrance of his body breaking bloudshedding not yâ— only but many are weak and sick euen striken with bodily diseases for abusing the SacrameÌ„t of his body eating the bread with their téeth not his body with their heart minde peraduenture some slaine for it by the stroke of God which if they had truely iudged and examined themselues for what intent they came thether why it was instituted should not haue ben so iudged chastened of the Lord. For the Lord doth chasten to bring vs to repentance and to mortifie our rebellious members that we may remeÌ„ber him Héere ye may shortly perceiue the minde of Paule Tindale fol. 164. ¶ Looke Examine VVEEKES How the weekes in Daniels prophesie be taken A Wéeke in Daniels prophesie is not taken for a wéeke of dayes but for a wéeke of years so that euery wéeke is counted for seuen yeares And the halfe yeare that he speaketh of is taken for the thrée years an halfe wherin Christ héere in earth stablished his Testament A wéeke is taken for seauen yeares As in Leuit. 25. 8. where the 70. wéekes that Daniel speaketh of are 190 yeares T. M. Then number 7. weeks of yeares ¶ A wéeke is sometimes taken for the number of 7. daies as before 23. 15. sometime for yâ— number of 7. yeares as heere and in Dan. 9. ver 24. 25. 26. T. M. VVELLES What the welles of the Sauiour are WIth ioy shall ye drawe water out of the welles of the Sauiour ¶ The wells of the Sauiour are the word of God the doctrine of the Gospell and promises of Christ wherewith trembling soules and afflicted consciences are refreshed Out of these saith he that they shal drawe water not out of mens traditions which are but puddles T. M. ¶ The graces of God shall be so abundant that ye may receiue them in as great plentie as waters out of a fountainâ— that is full Geneua VVENT OVT FROM VS What is meant by this place of Iohn Looke Vs. VVEEPE Causes why we should weepe AVgustine in his 4. Sermon of the first Sundaye in Lent writeth that there bée two