euery one of them one and it vvas said to them that they should rest yet a litle time ″ til their fellovv-seruaÌ„tes be complete and their brethren that are to be slaine euen as they ✠verse 12 And I savv vvhen he had opened the sixt seale and behold there vvas made a great earth-quake and the sunne became blacke as it vvere sacke cloth of heare and the vvhole moone became as bloud ✠verse 13 and the starres from heauen fel vpoÌ„ the earth as the figge tree casteth her greene figges when it is shaken of a great vvinde ✠verse 14 and heauen departed as a booke folded together and euery hil and ilandes vvere moued out of their places ✠verse 15 And the kinges of the earth princes and tribunes and the riche and the strong and euery bond-man and free-man * hid them selues in the dennes and the rockes of mountaines ✠verse 16 And they say to the mountaines and the rockes * Fall vpon vs and hide vs from the face of him that sitteth vpon the throne and from the wrath of the Lambe ✠verse 17 because the great day of their wrath is come and vvho shal be able to stand ANNOTATIONS CHAP. VI. 9. Vnder the altar Christ as man no doubt is this altar vnder vvhich the soules of al Martyrs liue in heauen expecting their bodies as Christ their head hath his body there already And for correspondence to their place of state in heauen the Church saieth commonly their bodies also or relikes neere or vnder the altars vvhere our Sauiour body is offered in the holy Masse and hath a special prouiso that no altars be erected or consecrated vvithout some part of a Saincts body or relikes Conâ— Asrican can 50. Carthag 5. can 14. See S. Hierom cont vigilant c. 3. S. Augustine de ciuit li. 8. c. 27. S. Gregorie li. 5. ep 50. li. 1. ep 52. li. 2 ep 58. Vvher vnto the Prophet seemeth here to allude making their soules also to haue their being in heauen as it vvere vnder the altar But for this purpose note vvel the vvordes of S. Augustine or vvhat other auncient writer soeuer vvas the author thereof Ser. 11 de Sanctis Vnder the altar saith he of God I savv the soules of the slaine What is more reuerent or honorable then to rest vnder that altar on vvhich sacrifice is done to God and in vvhich our Lord is the Priest as it is vvritten Thou art a Priest according to the order of Melchisedec Rightly do the soules of the iust rest vnder the altar because vpon the altar our Lordes body is offered neither vvithout cause do the iust there call for reuenge of their bloud vvhere also the bloud of Christ is shed for sinners and many other goodly vvordes to that purpose This place also the vvicked heretike Vigilantius as S. Hierom vvriting against him vvitnesseth c. 2 abused to proue that the soules of Martyrs and other Saincts vvere included in some certaine place that they could not be present at their bodies and monuments vvhere Christian people vsed in the primitiue Church to pray vnto them as Catholike men doe yet nor be vvhere they list or vvhere men pray vnto them To vvhich the holy doctor ansvvereth at large that they be vvheresoeuer Christ is according to his humanitie for vnder that altar they be Part of his vvordes be these that you may see hovv this blessed father refuted in that Heretike the Caluinistes so long before they vvere borne Dcst thou saith he presâ—â—ribe savves to God Doest thou feâ—ter the Apostles that they may be kept in prison til the day of iudgement and be kept from their Lord of vvhom it is vvritten They folovv the Lambe vvhither soeuer he goeth If the Lambe be in euery place then they that he vvith the Lambe must be euery vvhere And if the diuel and vvicked spirites gadding abrode in the vvorld vvith passing celeritie be present euery vvhere shal holy Martyrs after the sheading of their bloud be kept close vnder an altar that they can not sturre out from thence So ansvvereth this learned doctor Vvhich misliketh our Caluinistes so much that they charge him of great errour in that he saith Christ according to his humanitie is euery vvhere as though he vvere an Vbiquetarie Protestant Vvhere if they had any iudgement they might perceiue that he meaneth not that Christ or his Saincts should be personally present at once in euery place alike as God is but that their motion speede and agilitie to be vvhere they list is incomparable and that their povver and operation is accordingly vvhich they may learne to be the holy doctors meaning by the vvordes that folovv of the Diuel and his ministers vvhoÌ„ he affirmeth to be euery vvhere no othervvise but by their exceding celeritie of being and vvorking mischeefe novv in one place novv in an other and that in a moment For though they be spirites yet are they not euery vvhere at once according to their essence And for our nevv Diuines it vvere a hard thing to determine hovv long Satan that told our Lord he had circuited the earth vvas in his iourney and in the particular consideration and tentation of Iob and hovv many men he assaulted in that his one circuite No no. such curious companions knovv nothing nor beleeue nothing but that they see vvith corporal eies and teach nothing but the vvay to infidelitie 10. And they cried S. Hierom also against the said Vigilantius reporteth that he vsed an argument against the praiers of Saincts out of this place for that these Martyrs cried for reuenge and could not obtaine But vve vvil report his vvordes that you may see how like one heretike is to an other these of our daies to those of old Thou saiest in thy booke saith S. Hierom c. 3. that vvhiles vve be aliue one of vs may pray for an other but after vve be dead no mans praier shal be heard for an other specially seing the Martyrs asking reuenge of their bloud could not obtaine So said the Heretike Against vvhich the holy Doctor maketh a long refuâ—ation prouing that they pray much more after they be in heauen then they did here in earth and that they shal be much sooner heard of God then vvhen they vvere in the vvorld But for the Heretikes argument framed out of these vvordes of the Apocalypse thus These Martyrs did not obtaine 〈◊〉 Saincts do not pray for vs it vvas so friuolous and the antecedent so manifestly false that he vouchsaued not to stand about it For it is plaine that the Martyrs here vvere heard and that their petition should be fulfilled in time appointed by God vvherevnto they did and do alvvaies conforme them selues for it vvas said vnto them That they should rest yet a litle time til c. And that Martyrs praiers be heard in this case our Sauiour testifieth Luc 18 saying And vvil not God reuenge
the doting old man this the brabling sophister this on euery hand men presume to teach before they learne it Againe Some vvith poise of lofty vvordes deuise of scripture matters among vvomen othersome phy vpon it learne of vvomen vvhat to teach men and lest that be not ynough by facilitie of tong or rather audacitie teach that to others vvhich they vnderstand neuer a vvhit them selues to say nothing of such as be of my facultie vvho stepping from secular learning to holy scriptures and able to tickle the eares of the multitude vvith a smothe tale thinke all they speake to be the Law of God This he wrote then when this maladie of arrogancie and presumption in diuine matters vvas nothing so outragious as now it is S. Gregorie Nazianzene made an oration of the moderation that vvas to be vsed in these matters where he saith that some in his time thought them selues to haue all the wisedom in the world when they could once repeat tvvo or three wordes and them ill couched together out of Scriptures but he there diuinely discourseth of the orders and differences of degrees how in Christes mysticall body some are ordeined to learne some to teach that all are not Apostles all Doctors all interpreters all of tonges and knovvledge not all learned in Scriptures diuinitie that the people went not vp to talke with God in the mountaine but Moyses Aaron Eleazar nor they neither but by the difference of their callings that they that rebell against this ordinance are guilty of the conspiracie of Corè his cōplices that in Scripture there is both milke for babes and meate for men to be dispensed not according to euery ones greedines of appetit or vvilfulnes but as is most meete for eche ones necessitie and capacitie that as it is a shame for a Bishop or Priest to be vnlearned in Gods mysteries so for the common people it is often times profitable to saluation not to be curious but to folovv their Pastors in sinceritie simplicitie vvhereof excellently saith S. Augustine Fidei simplicitate sinceritate lactati nutriamur in Christo cum parui sumus maiorum cibos non appetamus that is Being fed vvith the simplicitie and sinceritie of faith as it vvere vvith milke so let vs be nourished in Christ and vvhen vve are litle ones let vs not couet the meates of the elder sort Vvho * in an other place testifieth that the vvord of God can not be preached nor certaine mysteries vttered to all men alike but are to be deliuered according to the capacitie of the hearers as he proueth both * by S. Paules example vvho gaue not to euery sort strong meate but milke to many as being not spiritual but carnal and not capable and * by our lordes also vvhho spake to some plainely and to others in parables affirmed that he had many things to vtter vvhich the hearers vvere not able to beare Hovv much more may vve gather that all thinges that be vvritten are not for the capacitie and diet of euery of the simple readers but that very many mysteries of holy vvritte be very far aboue their reach may and ought to be by as great reason deliuered them in measure meane most meete for them vvhich in deede can hardly be done vvhen the vvhole booke of the Bible lieth before euery man in his mother tonge to make choise of vvhat he list For vvhich cause the said Gregorie Nazianzen vvisheth the Christians had as good a lavv as the Hebrues of old had vvho as S. Hierom also vvitnesseth tooke order among them selues that none should read the Cantica Canticorum nor certaine other pieces of hardest Scriptures till they vvere thirtie yeres of age And truely there is no cause vvhy men should be more loth to be ordered and moderated in this point by Gods Church and their Pastors then they are in the vse of holy Sacraments for vvhich as Christ hath appointed Priestes and ministers at vvhose handes vve must receiue them and not be our owne caruers so hath he giuen * vs doctors prophetes expoūders interpreters teachers and preachers to take the lavv and our faith at their mouthes because our faith and religion commeth not to vs properly or principally by reading of Scriptures but as the Apostle saith by hearing of the preachers lavvfully sent though reading in order and humilitie much confirmeth and aduanceth the same Therfore this holy booke of the Scriptures is called of S. Ambrose Liber sacerdotalis the booke of priestes at vvhose handes and disposition vve must take and vse it Li. 2. ad Grat. The vvise vvil not here regard vvhat some vvilful people do mutter that the Scriptures are made for all men and that it is of enuie that the Priestes do keepe the holy booke from them Vvhich suggestion commeth of the same serpent * that seduced our first parents vvho persuaded them that God had forbidden them that tree of knovvledge lest they should be as cunning as him self and like vnto the Highest No no the church doth it to keepe them from blind ignorant presumption and from that vvhich the Apostle calleth falsi nominis scientiam knovvledge falsely so called and not to embarre them from the true knovvledge of Christ She vvould haue all vvise but vsque ad sobrietatem vnto sobrietie as the Apostle speaketh she knovveth the Scriptures be ordained for euery state as meates elements fire vvater candle kniues svvord the like vvhich are as needful most of them for children as old folkes for the simple as the vvise but yet vvould marre all if they vvere at the guiding of other then wise men or vvere in the handes of euery one for whose preseruation they be profitable She forbiddeth not the reading of them in any language enuieth no mans commoditie but giueth order hovv to doe it to edification and not destruction hovv to doe it without casting the holy to dogges or pearles to hogges See S. Chrysost ho. 24 in Matth declaring these hogges dogges to be carnal men Heretikes that take no good of the holy mysteries but thereby do both hurt them selues others how to doe it agreably to the soueraine sinceritie maiestie depth of Mysterie conteined in the same She vvould haue the presumptuous Heretike notvvithstanding he alleage them neuer so fast flying as it vvere through the whole Bible and coting the Psalmes Prophets Gospels Epistles neuer so readily for his purpose as Vincentius Lirinensis saith such mens fashion is yet she vvould according to Tertullians rule haue such mere vsurpers quite discharged of all occupying and possession of the holy Testament which is her old and onely right and inheritance and belongeth not to Heretikes at all vvhom Origen calleth Scripturarū fures theeues of the Scriptures She would haue the vnvvorthy repelled the curious repressed the simple measured the learned himbled and
Holy Ghost ruled the penne of holy vvriters that they might not erre yet did they vse humane meanes to search out and find the truth of the things they wrote of Euen so doe Councels and the President of them Gods vicar discusse and examine al causes by humane meanes the assistance of the Holy Ghost concurring and directing them into al truth according to Christes promise Io. 16 13 as in the very first Councel of the Apostles them selues at Hierusalem is manifest Act. 15 7 and 28. Againe here vve haue a familiar preface of the Author as to his frende or to euery godly Reader signified by Theophilus cōcerning the cause and purpose and maner of his vvriting and yet the very same is confessed Scripture vvith the vvhole booke folovving Maruel not then if the Author of the second booke of the Machabees * vse the like humane speaches both at the beginning and in the later end neither do thou therfore reiect the booke for no Scripture as our Heretikes doe or not thinke him a sacred vvriter 6. Iust before God Against the Heretikes of this time here it is euident that holy men be iust not only by the estimation of men but in deede and before God 6. In al the commaundements Three things to be noted directly against the Heretikes of our time first that good men doe keepe al Gods commaundements which they say are impossible to be kept Againe that men be iustified not by only imputation of Christes iustice nor by saith alone but by walking in the commaundements Againe that the keeping and doing of the commaundements is properly our iustification 6. Iustifications This word is so vsual in the Scriptures namely in the Psal 118 to signifie the commaundements of God because the keeping of them is iustification and the Greeke is alwaies so fully correspōdent to the same that the Heretikes in this place otherwise pretending to esteeme much of the Greeke blush not to say that they auoid this word of purpose against the iustification of the Papists And therfore one vseth Tullies word forsooth in Latin constituta and his scholers in their English Bibles say Ordinances 14. Ioy and exultation This was fulfilled not only when he was borne but now also through the whole Church for euer in ioyful celebrating of his Natiuitie 2◠He departed In the old Law saith S. Hierom they that offered hostes for the people were not only not in their houses but were purified for the time being separated from their wiues and they dranke neither wine nor any strong drinke which are wont to prouoke concupiscence Much more the Priests of the new Law that must alwaies offer sacrifices must alwaies be free from matrimonie Li. 1 c. 19. adu louin and ep 50 c. 3. See S. Ambrose in 1 Tim. 3. And therfore if there were any religion in Caluins Communion they would at the least giue as much reuerence in this point as they in the old Law did to their sacrifices and to the loaues of proposition 1 Reg. 21. 28. Haileful of grace Holy Church and al true Christian men doe much and often vse these wordes brought from heauen by the Archangel as wel to the honour of Christ and our B. Ladie as also for that they were the wordes of the first glad tidings of Christs Incarnation and our Saluation by the same and be the very abridgement and summe of the whole Gospel In so much that the Greeke Church vsed it daily in the Masse 28. Ful of grace Note the excellent prerogatiues of our B. Lady and abhorre those Heretikes which make her no better then other vulgar women and therfore to take from her fulnes of grace they say here Haile freely beloued contrarie to al significations of the Greeke word which is at the lest endued with grace as S. Paul vseth it Ephes 1. by S. Chrysostoms interpretation or rather ful of grace as both * Greeke and Latin fathers haue alwaies here vnderstood it and the Latines also read it namely S. Ambrose thus wel 〈◊〉 she only called ful of grace vvho only obteined the grace vvhich no other vvoman deserued to be replenished with the author of grace And if they did as wel know the nature of these kind of Greeke wordes as they would seeme very skilful they might easily obserue that they signifie fulnes as when them selues translate the like word Luc. 1◠20 ful of sores Beza vlcerosus 14. I know not man These wordes declare saith S. Augustine that she had now vowed virginitie to God For otherwise neither would she say How shal this be done nor haue added because I know not man Yea if she had said only the first wordes How shal this be done It is euident that she would not haue asked such a question hovv a vvoman should beare a sonne promised her if she had married meaning to haue carnal copulation c. 4 de virgin As if he should say If she might haue knovven a man and so haue had a childe she vvould neuer haue asked How shal this be done but because that ordinarie way vvas excluded by her vow of virginitie therfor she asketh How And in asking How The plainly declareth that she might not haue a childe by knowing man because of her vow See S. Grego Nyssene de sancta Christi Natiuitate 36. Elisabeth thy Cosin By this that Elisabeth and our Lady were cosins the one of the tribe of Leui the other of Iuda is gathered that Christ came of both tribes Iuda and Leui of the kings and the priests him self both a king and a priest and the Anointed to vvit by grace spiritually as they vvere vvith oile materially and corporally August 2 de Consens Euang. c. 1. 42. Blessed art thou At the very hearing of our Ladies voice the infant and she vvere replenished vvith the Holy Ghost and she sang praises not only to Christ but for his sake to our B. Lady calling her blessed and her fruite blessed as the Church doeth also by her vvordes and example in the AVE MARIE 43. Mother of my Lord. Elizabeth being an exceding iust and blessed vvoman yet the vvorthines of Gods mother doth so far excel her and al other vvomen as the great light the litle starres Hiero. Praef. in Sophon 48. Shal call me blessed This Prophecie is fulfilled when the Church keepeth her Festiual daies and when the faithful in al generations say the AVE MARIE and other holy Antems of our Lady And therfore the Caluinistes are not among those generations which call our Lady blessed 63. Iohn is his name wee see that names are of signification and importance God him self changing or giuing names in both Testaments as Abraham Israel Peter and the principal of al others IESVS and here IOHN vvhich signifieth Gods grace or mercie or God vvil haue mercie For he vvas the Precursor and Prophet of the mercie
through faith and that not of your selues for it is the gift of God ✠verse 9 not of vvorkes that no man glorie ✠verse 10 For vve are his vvorke created in Christ IESVS in good vvorkes vvhich God hath prepared that vve should vvalke in them ✠verse 11 For the vvhich cause be mindeful that sometime you vvere Gentils in the flesh vvho vvere * called prepuce of that vvhich is called circumcision in the flesh made vvith hand ✠verse 12 vvho vvere at that time vvithout Christ alienated from the conuersation of Israël and * strangers of the testaments hauing no hope of the promis and vvithout God in this vvorld ✠verse 13 But novv in Christ IESVS you that sometime vvere farre of are made nigh in the bloud of Christ ✠verse 14 For he is our peace vvho hath made both one and dissoluing the middle vvall of the partition the enmities in his flesh ✠verse 15 euacuating the lavv of cōmaundements in decrees that he may create the tvvo in him self into one new man making peace ✠verse 16 and may reconcile both in one body to God by the crosse killing the enmities in him self ✠verse 17 And comming he euangelized peace to you that vvere farre of and peace to them that vvere nigh ✠verse 18 For * by him vve haue accesse both in one Spirit to the Father ✠verse 19 Novv then you are not strangers and forreiners but you are citizens of the sainctes and the domesticals of God ✠verse 20 ″ built vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets IESVS Christ him self being the highest corner stone ✠verse 21 in vvhom al building framed together grovveth into an holy temple in our Lord ✠verse 22 in vvhom you also are built together into an habitation of God in the holy Ghost ⊢ ANNOTATIONS CHAP. II. ◠By grace you are saued through faith Our first iustification is of Gods grace and not of our deseruings because none of al our actions that vvere before our iustification could merite or iustly procure the grace of iustification Againe he saith through faith for that faith is the beginning foundation and roote of al iustification and the first of al other vertues vvithout which it is impossible to please God 20. Built vpon the foundation Note against the Heretikes that thinke it dishonorable to Christ to attribute his titles or callings to mortal men that the faithful though builded first principally and properly vpon Christ yet are said here to be built also vpon the Apostles and Prophets Vvhy may not the Church then be builded vpon Peter CHAP. III. For vvitnessing the vocation of the Gentils as being the Apostle of the Gentils he is 〈◊〉 prison 1◠Wherein the Gentils therfore haue cause to reioyce rather then to shrinke So he saith 14 and also praieth to God vvho is almightie to confirmed their invvard man though the outvvard be infirmed by persecutions verse 1 FOR this cause I Paul the prisoner of IESVS Christ for you Gentiles ✠verse 2 if yet you haue heard the dispensation of the grace of God vvhich is giuen me tovvard you ✠verse 3 because according to reuelation the sacrament vvas made knovven to me as I haue vvrittē before in breife ✠verse 4 according as you reading may vnderstand my vvisedom in the mysterie of Christ ✠verse 5 vvhich vnto other generations vvas not knovven to the sonnes of men as novv it is reuealed to his holy Apostles Prophets in the Spirit ✠verse 6 The Gentils to be coheires concorporat and comparticipant of his promis in Christ IESVS by the Gospel ✠verse 7 vvhereof I am made a minister according to the gift of the grace of God which is giuen me according to the operation of his povver ✠verse 8 To me * the least of al the sainctes is giuen this grace among the Gentils to euangelize the vnsearcheable riches of Christ ✠verse 9 and to illuminate al men vvhat is the dispensatiō of the sacrament hidden from vvorldes in God vvho created al things ✠verse 10 that the manifold vvisedom of God may be notified to the Princes and Potestats in the celestials by the Church ✠verse 11 according to the prefinitiō of worldes vvhich he made in Christ IESVS our Lord. ✠verse 12 In vvhom vve haue affiance and accesse in confidence by the faith of him ✠verse 13 For the vvhich cause I desire that you faint not in my tribulations for you vvhich is your glorie ✠verse 14 For this cause I bovve my knees to the Father of our Lord IESVS Christ ✠verse 15 of vvhom al paternitie in the heauens and in earth is named ✠verse 16 that he giue you according to the riches of his glorie povver to be fortified by his Spirit in the inner man ✠verse 17 Christ to dvvel by faith in your hartes rooted and founded in charitie ✠verse 18 that you may be able to comprehend vvith al the sainctes vvhat is the bredth and length and height and depth ✠verse 19 to knovv also the charitie of Christ surpassing knovvledge that you may be filled vnto al the fulnes of God ✠verse 20 And * to him that is able to doe al things more aboundantly then vve desire or vnderstand according to the povver that vvorketh in vs ✠verse 21 to him be glorie in the CHVRCH and in Christ IESVS vnto al generations vvorld vvithout end Amen CHAP. IIII. He exhorteth them to keepe the vnitie of the Church most 〈…〉 vvith al humilities bringing them many motiues therevnto 7 and 〈…〉 that 〈◊〉 the diuersitie it self of offices is not for diuision as being the gift of Christ him self 〈◊〉 to build vp the Church and to held al in the vnitie therof against the 〈…〉 of Heretikes that vnder Christ the head in the Church being the body euery member may prosper 17 Neither as touching life most vve 〈◊〉 like the Heathen but as it becommeth Christians laying of al our old corrupt maners and increasing daily in al goodnes verse 1 I Therfore prisoner in our Lord beseeche you that you vvalke vvorthy of the vocation in vvhich you are called ✠verse 2 vvith al humilitie mildenes vvith patience supporting one an other in charitie ✠verse 3 careful to keepe the vnitie of the spirit in the bond of peace ✠verse 4 One body and one spirit as you are called in one hope of your vocation ✠verse 5 One Lord ″ one faith one baptisme ✠verse 6 * One God and Father of al vvhich is euer al and by al and in al vs. ⊢ ✠verse 7 But * to euery one of vs is giuen grace according to the measure of the donation of Christ ✠verse 8 For the vvhich he saith Ascēding on high he ledde captiuitie captiue he gaue giftes to men ✠verse 9 And that he ascended
mans perdition but hath prouided a general medicine redemption to saue al from perishing that vvil accept it or that haue it applied vnto them by his Sacraments and other meanes by him ordained and so vvould haue al saued by his conditional vvil and ordinance that is if men vvil them selues by accepting doing or hauing done vnto them al things requisite by Gods lavv for God vseth not his absolute vvil or povver tovvardes alâ—â—â— this case But he that list see the manifold senses al good and true that these vvordes may beare let him see S. Augustine Ad articul sibi false impos resp â— to 7. Eâ—ch c. 103. Ep. 107. De cor grat c. 15. and S. 〈◊〉 li. 2. de orthod fide â— 29. 5 One mediator The Protestants are to peuish and pitifully blind that charge the Catholike Church Catholikes vvith making moe Mediators then one vvhich is Christ our Sauiour in that they desire the Saincts to pray for them or to be their patrones and intercessors before God Vve tel them therfore that they vnderstand not vvhat it is to be a Mediator in this sense that S. Paul taketh the vvord and in vvhich it is properly and onely attributed to Christ For to be thus a Mediator is by nature to be truely both God and man to be that one eternal Priest and Redeemer vvhich by his sacrifice and death vpon the Crosse hath reconciled vs to God and paied his bloud as a full and sufficient raunsom for al our sinnes him self vvithout neede of any redemption neuer subiect to possibilitie of sinning againe to be the singular Aduocar and Patrone of mankind that by him self alone and by his ovvne merites procureth al grace mercie to mankind in the sight of his â—ather none making any intercession for him nor geuing any grace or force to his praiers but he to al none asking or obtaining either grace in this life or glorie in the next but by him In this sort then as S. Augustine truely saith Cont. ep Parm. li. 2. c. 8. neither Peter nor Paul no nor our B. Lady nor any creature vvhatsoeuer can be our Mediator The aduersaries thinke to basely of Christes mediation if they imagine this to be his onely prerogatiue to pray for vs or that vve make the saincts our Mediators in that sort as Christis vvhen vve desire them to pray for vs. vvhich is so far inferior to the singular mediation of him that no Catholike euer can or dare thinke or speake so basely vnto him as to desire him to pray for vs but vve say Lord haue mercie vpoÌ„ vs Christ haue mercie vpon vs not Christ pray for vs as vve say to our Ladie and the rest Therfore to inuocate Saincts in that sort as the Catholike Church doth can not make them our Mediators as Christ is vvhom vve must not inuocate in that sort And as vvel make vve the faithful yet liuing our Mediators by the Aduersaries arguments vvhen vve desire their praiers as the departed Saincts But novv touching the vvord Mediator though in that singular sense proper to our Sauiour it agreeth to no mere creature in heauen or earth yet taken in more large and common sort by the vse of Scriptures doctors and vulgar speach not onely the Saincts but good men liuing that pray for vs and help vs in the vvay of saluation may and are rightly called Mediators As S. Cyril li. 22 Thesaur c. 10 proueth that Moyses according to the Scriptures and Ieremie and the Apostles and others be Mediators Read his ovvne wordes for they plainely refute al the Aduersaries cauillations in this case And if the name of * fauiour and redeemer be in the Scriptures giuen to men vvithout derogation to him that is in a more excellent and incomparable maner the onely Sauiour of the vvorld vvhat can they say vvhy there may not be many Mediators in an inferior degree to the only and singular Mediator S. Bernard saith Opus est mediatore ad Mediatorem Christum nec alter nobis vtilior quam Maria. that is We haue neede of a mediator to Christ the Mediator and there is none more for our profite then our Ladie Bernard Ser. qui incipit Signum magnum apparuit c. post Ser. 5 de Assumpt S. Basil also in the same sense vvriting to Iulian the Apostata desireth the mediation of our Ladie of the Apostles Prophets and Martyrs for procuring of Gods mercie and remission of his sinnes His vvordes are cited in Conc. Nic. 2. act 4. pag. 110 111. Thus did and thus beleeued al the holy fathers most agreably to the Scriptures and thus must al the children of the Church do be the Aduersaries neuer so importunate and vvilfully blinde in these matters 12. I permit not In times of licentiousnes libertie and heresie vvomen are much giuen to reading disputing chatting and langling of the holy Scriptures yea and to teach also if they might be permitted but S. Paul vtterly forbideeth it and the Greeke Doctors vpon this place note that the vvoman taught but once that vvas vvhen after her reasoning vvith Satan she persuaded her husband to transgression and so she vndid al mankind And in the Ecclesiastical vvriters vve find that vvomen haue been great promoters of euery sort of heresie vvhereof see a notable discourse in S. Hierom ep ad Ctâ—siph cont Pelag. c. 2. vvhich they vvould not haue done if they had according to the Apostles rule folovved pietie and good vvorkes and liued in silence and subiection to their husbands CHAP. III. Of vvhat qualitie they must be vvhom he ordaineth Bishops â— and Deacons 14 and the cause of his vvriting to be the excellencie of the Catholike Church and of Christ vvho is the obiect of our religion verse 1 A Faithful saying If a man desire a Bishops office he desireth ″ a good worke ✠verse 2 * It behoueth therfore ″ a Bishop to be irreprehensible the husband ″ of one vvife sobre vvise comely chast a man of hospitalitie a teacher ✠verse 3 not giuen to vvine no fighter but modest no quareler not couetous ✠verse 4 vvel ruling his ovvne house hauing his children subiect vvith al chastitie ✠verse 5 But if a man knovv not to rule his ovvne house hovv shal he haue care of the Church of God ✠verse 6 ″ Not a neophyte lest puffed into pride he fall into the iudgment of the Deuil ✠verse 7 And he must haue also good testimonie of them that are vvithout that he fall not into reproch and the snare of the Deuil ✠verse 8 Deacons in like maner chast not double tonged not giuen to much vvine not folovvers of filthie lucre ✠verse 9 hauing the mysterie of faith in a pure coÌ„science ✠verse 10 And let these also be proued first so let them minister hauing no crime ✠verse 11 The vvomen in like maner
charge the Church for not admitting maried persons to the altar and for forcing them Religious persons to keepe their promis of chastitie No the holy Church is so farre from condemning wedlocke that she honoureth it much more then the Protestants accounting it an holy Sacrament vvhich they do not who onely vse it to iust as the Heathen doe and not to religion But it is an old deceitful practise of Heretikes to charge Catholike men vvith old condemned heresies The Eutychians slaundered the Councel of Chalcedon and S. Leo to be Nestorians and to make two persons in Christ because they said there vvere tvvo natures Vigilius li. 5. cont Euâ—ychen Arius charged Alexander his Bishop of Sabellianisme for auouching the vnitie of substance in Trinitie Socrat. li. 1. c. 3. Iulianus accused S. Augustine of the heresie of Apollinaris li. 5. conâ— Iulian. c. 15. Other Pelagians chalenged him for condemning mariage Retrait li. 2. c. 53. And that our Protestants bragge not to much of their goodly inuention louinian the old Heretike their Maister in this point accused the holy doctors and Catholikes vpon this same place to be Manichees and to condemne meates and mariage as both S. Hierom and S. Augustine do testifie And they both answer to the Heretike that the Church in deede Catholikes do abstaine froÌ„ some for euer and some for certaine daies and euery Christian man lightly al the 40 daies of Lent fast not for that they thinke the meates vncleane abominable or of an il creation as the Manichees do but for punishment of their bodies and taming their concupiscences Hiero. li. 2. cont Iouin c. 11. Aug. cont Adimantum c. 14. Li. de mor. Cath. Eo Hiero. in c. 4. ad Galat. And as for mariage the said doctors answer that no Catholike man condemneth it for vnlavvful as the old Heretikes did but onely preferreth virginitie and continencie before it as a state in it self more agreable to God and more meete for the Cleargie See S. Augustine against Faustus the Manichee li. 30 c. 5. 6. and har 25 in the name Apostolici S. Hierom ep 50. c. 1. 3. Al this the Catholikes continually tel the Aduersaries and they can not but see it Yet by accustomed audacitie and impudencie they beare it out still 4. With thankes giuing By the most auÌ„cient custom of the faithful both before Christ and sithence men vse to blesse their table and meates by the hand and word of a Priest if any be present othervvise by such as can conueniently do it And in husbandmens houses vvhere they haue no other meanes they should at least blesse Gods giftes and them selues vvith a Pater noster or the signe of the Crosse not onely to acknowledge from whom they haue their concinual sustenauce but also to blesse their meate and sanctifie it For the Greeke vvord vsed of S. Paul by Ecclesiastical vse vvheÌ„ it coÌ„cerneth meates signifieth not onely thankes giuing but blessing or sanctifying the creatures to be receiued as being al one vvith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in English vve call it grace not onely that after meate which is onely thankes to God but that before meate vvhich is alvvaies a benediction of the creatures as it is plaine in the prescript and vsual formes of grace For vvhich cause a Priest should euer do it rather then a lay man or any of inferior order in the Cleargie In so much that S. Hierom ep 85 reprehendeth certaine Deacons vvhom he savv say grace or blesse the meate and the companie in the presence of a Priest Vvho also recordeth in the life of S. Paul the holy Eremite the great curtesie and humilitie of him and S. Antonie yelding one to the other the preeminence of blessing their poore dinner For to blesse is a great thing and a Priestly prerogatiue as the Apostle vvitnesseth declaring the preeminence of Melchise dec in that he blessed Abraham Read the note folowing 5. Sanctified Al creatures be of Gods creation none of the Diuel or of any other cause and beginning as the Manichees blasphemed and therfore none are il abominable or vncleane by creation nature and condition but al good and made for mans vse though al be not alike holy nor equally sanctified God made seuen daies but he sanctified onely one of them he made al places but he sanctified none but the Temple and such like deputed to his seruice as the Arke the altar and the rest vvhich vvere by sacred vse both holy them selues and gaue also holines and sanctification to things that touched them or vvere applied vnto them So our Sauiour saith that the Temple sanctified the gold and the altar the gift and generally al creatures secured from common and profane vse to religion and vvorship of God are made sacred thereby So the places and daies of Gods apparition or vvorking some special vvonders or benefites tovvard the people vvere holy as Bethel Sinai and others And much more those times and places of Christes Natiuitie Passion burial Resurrection Ascension vvhich is so plaine a case that the hâ—l vvhere he vvas transfigured onely is called therfore by S. Peter the holy mount These therfore be holy memories and monuments of al sortes sanctified besides that creatures as vve see here be sanctified also by the vvord of God and praier that is to say by benediction inuocation of our Lordes holy name vpon them specially by the signe of the Crosse as S. Chrysostom noteth on this place ho. 12 in 2 ad Tim. by the vvhich the aduersarie povver of Satan vsurping vniustly vpon Gods creatures through mans sinne and seeking deceitfully in or by the same to annoy mans body or soule is expelled and the meates purged from him and made holesom S. Gregorie li. 1 Dialog c. 4. recordeth that the Diuel entered into a certaine religious vvoman by eating the herbe lettiâ—e vnblessed And S. Augustine li. 18. de ciu Dei â— 18. shevveth at large vvhat vvaies he hath by meates and drinkes and other vsual creatures of God to annoy men though is povver be much lesse then it vvas before Christ but still much desire he hath on al sides to molest the faithful by abusing the things most neere and necessarie vnto them to their hurt both bodily and Ghostly for remedie vvhereof this sanctification vvhich the Apostle speaketh of is very soueraine pertaining not onely to this common and more vulgar benediction of our meates and drinkes but much more as the proprietie of the Greeke vvord vsed by the Apostle for sanctification doth import to other more exact sanctifying and higher applying of some creatures and blessing them to Christes honour in the Church of God and to mans spiritual and corporal benefites For as S. Augustine vvriteth li. 2 de peâ— merit c. 26. besides this vsual blessing of our daily foode the Cathecumens that is such as vvere taught tovvard Baptisme are sanctified by the signe
good might be not as it vvere of necessitie but voluntarie ✠verse 15 For perhaps therfore he departed for a season from thee that thou mightest take him againe for euer ✠verse 16 novv not as a seruant but for a seruant a most deere brother especially to me but hovv much more to thee both in the flesh and in our Lord ✠verse 17 If therfore thou take me for thy fellovv receiue him as my self ✠verse 18 And if he hath hurt thee any thing or is in thy dette that impute to me ✠verse 19 I Paul haue vvritten vvith mine ovvne hand I vvil repay it not to say to thee that thou ovvest me thine ovvne self also ✠verse 20 Yea brother God graunt I may enioy thee in our Lord. Refresh my bovvels in our Lord. ✠verse 21 Trusting in thy obedience I haue vvritten to thee knovving that thou vvilt doe aboue that also vvhich I do say ✠verse 22 And withal prouide me also a lodging for I hope by your praiers that I shal be giuen to you ✠verse 23 There salute thee Epaphras my fellovv-prisoner in Christ IESVS ✠verse 24 Marke Aristarchus Demas and Luke my coadiutors ✠verse 25 The grace of our Lord IESVS Christ be with your spirit Amen ANNOT. 5. Tovvard al the sainctes The Apostle sticketh not to say Charitie and faith in Christ and al his Saincts vvhich our captious Aduersaries count in Catholike mens speaches and vvritings very absurd feining that in al such vve make no difference betvvixt the loue vve beare to Christ and the loue vve owe to our neighbours betvvixt the trust or beleefe vve haue in God and that vvhich vve haue in his holy Saincts Malice and contention doth so blinde al Heretikes THE ARGVMENT OF THE EPISTLE OF S. PAVL TO THE HEBREVVES THAT the Hebrevves vvere not all the Ievves but only a part of them it is manifest Act 6 vvhere the primitiue Church of Hierusalem although it consisted of Ievves only as vve reade Act. 2 yet is said to consist of tvvo sortes Greekes Hebrues Vvhich againe is manifest Phil. 3. vvhere S. Paul coÌ„paring him self with the Iudaical false-Apostles saith that he also is an Hebrue of Hebrues Finally they seeme to haue been those Ievves vvhich vvere borne in Iurie vvhich for the most part dwelled also there Therefore to the Christian Ievves in Hierusalem and in the rest of Iurie S. Paul vvriteth this Epistle out of Italic saying therevpon The brethreÌ„ of Italie salute you Heb. 13. By vvhich vvordes by these other in the same place Knovv ye our brother Timothee to be dimissed vvith vvhom if he come the sooner I vvil see you it is euident that he vvrote this not only after he vvas brought prisoner to Rome vvherein S. Luke endeth the Actes of the Apostles but also after he vvas set at libertie there againe Many causes are giuen of the Doctors vvhy vvriting to the Ievves he doth not put his name in the beginning Paul an Apostle c. as he doth lightly in his Epistles to the Churches and Bishops of the Gentils The most likely cause is for that he vvas the preacher and Apostle and Maister of the Gentils And againe in an other place he saith that himself vvas appointed the Apostle of the Gentils at Peter of the Ievves Gal. 2. Only S. Peter therfore vvriting to the Ievves doth vse this stile Peter an Apostle of IESVS Christ c. because he vvas more peculiarly their Apostle as being the vicar of Christ vvho vvas also himself more specially the minister of the Circumcision that is as him self speaketh not senâ— but to the sheepe vvhich vvere lost of the house of Israël Mat. 15. The Argument of the Epistle S. Paul him self doth tell vs in tvvo vvordes calling it verbum solatij the vvord of solace and comfort Vvhich also is plaine in the vvhole course of the Epistle namely in the tenth chapter v. 32. c. Vvhere he exhorteth them to take great comfort and confidence in their manifold tribulations sustained of their ovvne countrie men the Ievves vvhereof the Apostle also maketh mention to the Thessalonians 1. Thess 2. v. 14. Those persecutions then of the obstinate incredulous Ievves their countrie men vvas one great tentation vnto them An other tentation vvas the persuasions that they brought vnto them out of Scriptures to cleaue vnto the Lavv and not to beleeue in IESVS the dead man And vvhereas the Ievves did magnifie their lavv by the Prophetes and by the Angels by vvhom it vvas giuen and by Moyses and by their land of promise into vvhich Iosue brought them and by their father Abraham and by their Aaronicall or Leuitical priesthâ—d and sacrifices by their Tabernaâ—le by their Testament he shevveth that our Lord IESVS as being the natural sonne of God passeth incomparably the Prophetes the Angels and Moyses that the Rest or quietnes vvhich God promised vvas not in their earthly land but in heauen that his figure Melchisedec far passed Abraham and that his priesthod Sacrifice Tabernacle and testament far passed theirs In al vvhich he shooteth often at these three markes to take avvay the scandal of Christes death by giuing them sundrie good reasons testimonies of it to erect their mindes from visible and earthly promises to vvhich only the Ievves vvere vvholy bent to inuisible and heauenly and to insinuate that the Ceremonies should novv cease the time of their correction by Christ being novv come The Epistle may be deuided into these partes the first Of Christes excellencie aboue the Prophetes Angels Moyses and Iosue c. 1. 2. 3. 4. The second of his priesthod and excellencie thereof aboue the priesthod of the old Testament c. 5. vnto the middest of the 10. The last part is of exhortation c. 10. v. 9. to the end of the Epistle THE EPISTLE OF PAVL THE APOSTLE TO THE HEBREVVES Let the Christian Reader note the corruption and impudent boldnes of our Aduersaries that vpon a false priuate persuasion of their ovvne that S. Paul vvas not the author of this Epistle leaue out his name in the title of the same contrarie to the authentical copies both Greeke and Latin In old time there vvas some doubt vvho should be the vvriter of it but then vvhen it vvas no lesse doubted vvhether it vvere Canonical Scripture at al. Aftervvard the vvhole Church by vvhich onely vve knovv the true Scriptures from other vvritings held it and deliuered it as novv she doth to the faithful for Canonical and for S. Paules Epistle Notvvithstanding the Aduersaries vvould haue refused the Epistle as vvel as they do the Author but that they falsely imagine certaine places thereof to make against the Sacrifice of the Masse CHAP I. God spake to their fathers by the Prophets but to them selues by his ovvne Sonne 14 vvho incomparably passeth al the Angels verse 1 DIVERSELY and many vvaies in times past God speaking to the