how to shift it For somtimes he doubteth whether they were baptised with the baptisme of Iohn or no or whether they did but faine that they were so baptized somtimes he saith that those which Iohn baptized had not their sins forgiuen them yet he addeth that he will not contend with them that thinke they were indéed remitted Which argueth Augustine in this matter not to be resolute Mark 1. 15. The text The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of heauen is at hand ⸫ be penitent and beleeue the Gospell The note He doth not preach beleefe or faith onely but penance also The answer And I pray you who euer preached faith without repentance If we be taught to beléeue the promise of remission of sinnes we be taught also that that promise is not made but to the penitent And so you seuer things inseparable The word penance you do but blear the eies of the simple withall to make them imagine of a satisfaction But that your dealing hath béene already learnedly laid out by Master Doctor Fulke against Martinius to whom I refer you Mark 1. 44. The text And he saith to him see thou tell no bodie but go shew thy selfe ⸫ to the high priest and offer for thy cleansing the things that Moises commanded for a testimonie to them The note Our Sauiour euen when he healed the leaper by extraordinarie miraculous power would not yet breake order but sent the partie to the priest The answer The orders which God hath appointed to his Church are with all reuerence and diligence to be obserued and our care is to kéepe them You cannot iustly accuse our Church of any wilfull or willing breach of them Mark 2. 5. The text When Iesus had seene ⸫ their faith he saith to the sicke of the palsie sonne thy sinnes are forgiuen thee The note Our Lord is mooued to be mercifull to sinners by other mens faith and desires and not onelie by the parties owne meanes alway The answer This note is once answered alreadie Matthew 9. And nowe againe we say that amongst the manifold meanes which God vseth in preuenting vs with grace fauour this is not the least that he maketh amongest men liuing one an instrument of an others saluation euen then often times when they that haue their saluation procured least thinke of it What is this to confidence in dead mens prayers and helpe which you draw yours to as much as in you lieth Mark 2. 20. The text The dayes will come when the bridegrome shall be taken from them and then shall they ⸫ fast in those dayes The note He foretelleth that fasting shalbe vsed in the church no lesse then in the old law or in the time of Iohn the Baptist. See Matt. c. 9. verse 15. The answer This note also hath alreadie bene answered in the place to which you referre vs. And for further answer we say that Christ doeth not prescribe that men vnder colour of fasting shall abstaine from one kinde of meate as prophane and fill their bellies with another sorte as more holy neither doeth he preferre fish and fruite before flesh egges and whit meate in abstinence from which the common fast of papistes doth consist and stand Otherwise fastes commaunded by Christ to his church both publique and priuate are in vse with vs as place time occasion serueth Mark 2. 28. The text Therefore the sonne of man is ⸫ Lord of the Sabaoth also The note The maker of the Lawe may abrogate or dispence when and where for iust cause it seemeth good to him The answer This note is true though it come out of season but the pope is not the maker of Gods lawe therefore he can not abrogate it or dispence with it as he taketh vpon him most presumptuously Mark 3. 10. The text For he healed many so that there preased in vpon him for ⸫ to touch him as many as had hurtes The note The onely touching of Christes holy person or any part of his clothes or whatsoeuer belonged to him did heale all diseases The answer This note néeded no replie if there were no secret serpent lurking vnder the grasse but bicause it is well knowen that by this and such like places the papistes séeke to maintaine their relikes and the gainfull marchandize that thereupon doth follow therefore we answer that these miracles were so many confirmations of the doctrine of Christ at the first spreading of it which after the doctrine sufficiently confirmed ceased and therefore none is not to be looked after Besides it is apparant that then the vertue and power whereby those miracles were perfourmed were neither in any other person or thing but onelie in the person of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ. Mark 3. 21. The text And when they had heard of it they went forth to lay hands on him for they said that he was become ⸫ madde The note See here the conceit of worldly friendes who thinke the zeale of religion madnesse and therefore count them mad that are zealous in Gods cause and for the Catholike faith and the more zealous the more mad The answer Alwayes worldly wise men thought the profession of Christian truth madnesse or follie and godlie wise men do thinke the like of them that are zealous they wote not for what and can giue none other reason of their faith but they beléeue as the church beléeueth which implicate faith you count Catholike and allow verie well in your blind followers Mark 4. 11. The text And he said vnto them To you it is giuen to know the mysterie of the kingdome of God but to ⸫ them that are without all things are done in parables that seeing they may see and not see The note Such as be out of the Church though they heare and read neuer so much they can not vnderstand Bede in 4. Marci The answer This note of Bede is manifestly collected out of this place and therefore we accept of it And we maruaile the lesse at your grosse ignorance and blindnesse though you count your selues great clarks bicause you haue seuered your selues from the true church of God Marke 4. 21. The text And he said to them Commeth a candle to be put ⸫ vnder a bushell or vnder a bed and not to be put vpon the candlesticke The note Christ came not to teach his doctrine in corners and hucker mucker as heretikes doe but to lighten the whole world therewith The answer It is true that the same doctrine which Christ taught in priuate houses and places he taught also in the Temple and synagogues And what heretikes they bée that teach not openlie where they may be suffered and séeke not to make their heresie as common as they can I know not And if teaching in corners and hucker mucker that doctrine which can not be openlie suffered to be taught be alwayes a necessary note of heresie then how excuse you Campion and your other champions héere in England from being
the Iewes ignorantlie vnderstood not the place in Deuteronomie of Christ and therefore they aske also whether he be the prophet there spoken of See also cap. 7. 40. The answer Whether the Iewes had in this their question reference to that place of Deuteronomie or no it is vncertaine neither can anie proofe be made of it but coniecturall The like I say to your other place cap. 7. 40. and yet we do not doubt of their blindnes and ignorance in not vnderstanding the Scriptures which appeareth manifestly in their reply to Iohn after he had told them I am the voice of one crying c. Iohn 1. 26. The text Iohn answered them saying ⸫ I baptize in water but there hath stood in the middest of you whom you know not c. The note He doth often heere signifie the great difference of his baptisme and of Christs as of his person and Christs See annot Matth. 3. The answer We haue often answered that you doo but bleare the eies of the simple with the name of Christs baptisme which they take for the baptisme of euerie minister in the church and being so taken there is no difference betwéene Iohns baptisme and it Otherwise in this place and in the like Iohn considereth of him selfe as of a seruant or minister and of Christ as of his master and Lord and attributeth to him selfe the outward worke and washing in baptisme and to Christ the inward grace and workemanship In which comparison we learne the general difference betwéene all ministers and Christ their worke and his Your annotations are séene and they are like your selues slaunderous lying vntrue and shall bée answered in the generall answer to your annotations Iohn 1. 41. The text He findeth his brother Simon and saith to him we haue found ⸫ Messiah which is being interpreted Christ. The note Messias in Hebrue in Greeke Christ in English anointed to wit with the spirituall oile of grace aboue his brethren Psalme 44. The answer You must néedes exempt the pope from amongst the brethren of Christ for he is not Christs inferior in grace if that which is attributed to him by popish parasites be true Iohn 1. 42. The text And Iesus looking vpon him said Thou art Simon the son of Iona thou shall be called ⸫ Cephas which is interpreted Peter The note Cephas in Siriacke and Peter in Greeke in English Rocke See Matthew 16. 18. The answer I maruell that Paul knew not this mysterie for he taught to build vpon Christ and not vpon Peter And Peter though he make all beléeuers liuely stones yet teacheth none other chéefe stone but our Lord and Sauiour Christ. Iohn 2. 9. The text And after the cheefe steward tasted the ⸫ water made wine and knew not whence it was but the ministers knew that had drawen the water c. The note He that seeth water turned into wine needeth not to dispute or doubt how Christ changed bread into his bodie The answer He that séeth and knoweth the perpetuall phrase and maner of speaking of the holy Ghost touching sacraments will woonder that men should be so blind or else so wilfull as to dispute and contend for such a change of bread into the bodie of Christ as neither can stand with that phrase of spéech nor with the nature of a sacrament neither yet with the articles of our beléefe Iohn 3. 8. The text The spirit breatheth where ⸫ he will and thou hearest his voice but thou knowest not when he commeth and whither he goeth The note We follow rather saint Augustine and those ancient fathers which most commonly vnderstand this place of the holy Ghost and not of wind although both be good The answer And we do follow saint Augustine and those fathers which do interpret this to be meant of the wind bicause both the hearing of the sound of it and the force of the comparison which must néedes be betwixt things diuers doth inforce it to be the truer Iohn 4. 1. The text When Iesus therefore vnderstood that the pharisies heard that Iesus maketh mo disciples and baptizeth than Iohn howbeit ⸫ Iesus did not baptize but his disciples he left Iewrie and went againe into Galile The note He did not baptize ordinarily yet that he did baptize his Apostles saint Augustine thinketh it very probably Epist. 108. The answer Augustine doubteth not but that the Apostles of Christ were baptized either by Christ or by Iohn afore they tooke vpon them to baptize but by whether he is not resolute neither is it materiall But that some of them were by Iohn baptized it is manifest bicause they were Iohns disciples afore they were Christs Apostles Iohn 4. 7. The text There commeth ⸫ a woman of Samaria to draw water Iesus said to hir Giue me to drinke The note This woman is a figure of the church not yet iustified but now to be iustified August tract 15. in Iohannem The answer You willingly follow allegories bicause many times they are far fetched and serue you to dally withall howbeit I do not sée to what vse this may serue you I do not thinke that you your selues do thinke that this womans fiue husbands were either the fiue bookes of Moses or hir fiue senses which notwithstanding Augustine affirmeth in the same treatise The lessons which the plaine letter do giue do both more edifie and are more safe Iohn 4. 9. The text How doest thou being a Iew aske of me to drink which am a Samaritane woman For the Iewes ⸫ do not communicate with the Samaritans The note There were many other causes why the faithfull Iewes could not abide the Samaritans but their precise abstaining from their companie and conuersation was their scismaticall temple and seruice in mount Garizim The answer It is very true that those which make a scisme and continue therein are not to be communicated with of faithful Christians and yet I thinke in that corrupt state of the Iewish church the other causes were rather stronger than that Iohn 4. 10. The text If thou didst know the gift of God and who is he that said to thee Giue me to drinke thou perhaps wouldest haue asked of him and he would haue giuen thee ⸫ liuing water The note He speaketh of his baptizing in the holy Ghost See Iohn 7. 39. The answer He speaketh of giuing his holy spirit to them that in faith aske and require it Iohn 4. 39. The text And of that citie many beleeued in him of the Samaritans for the words of the ⸫ woman giuing testimonie that he told me all things whatsoeuer I haue done The note This woman mysticallie being the church it is heere signified that they which at the first beleeue bicause the church teacheth so afterward be much confirmed finding it in the Scriptures also and by other instructions The answer It is here signified by what weake and vnlikelie instruments God can worke in drawing men to the knowledge of him selfe and embracing his mercies
me hath not been ⸫ voide but I haue labored more aboundantly then all they yet not I but the grace of God with me The note In him Gods grace is not voide that worketh by his freewill according to the motion and direction of the same grace The answer As you haue drawen fréewill from philosophie so you plant grace in the roome of that which the philosophers called right reason and you giue vnto it no more then they did to right reason that is to mooue and direct the will But Paule on the contrary side so attributeth all to grace that he leaueth nothing to himselfe I haue labored saith he yet not I but the grace of God with me that is to saie which is with me 1. Cor. 15. 14. The text And if Christ be not risen againe then vaine is our preaching vaine also is your faith and we are found also ⸫ false witnesses of God c. The note So we may say if the catholike faith in all points be not true then our first apostles were false witnesses then hath our countrie beleeued in vaine all this while are all our forefathers dead in their sins perished which presupposing Christ to be God were the greatest absurditie in the worlde The answer And whie did you not say if the faith which the church of Rome at this day professeth be not in al points true for that we know you meane by the Catholike faith but you would haue your words true howsoeuer your meaning was But we denie your Romish faith to be the catholike faith By our first Apostles also you meane neither Peter nor Paul nor anie of Christes Apostles but Augustine the monke pope Gregories apostle but if his doctrine were Catholike neither yours nor ours is in all points Catholike For our forefathers which you speake of you meane those which liued of late yeeres for those of elder time knew not your faith they could not tell that the Pope could not erre they thought him subiect to the whole church they knew nothing of transubstantiation of concomitance and of a number of such toies as you of late haue coined And therefore let men vnderstand that the Catholike faith is that which Paul and Peter and the other Apostles of Christ left vnto vs taught in the scriptures and that which the first church of Christ beléeued and embraced at their hands and which the church of Rome at this day persecuteth and then your note may stand vntouched 1. Cor. 15. 42. The text For ⸫ starre differeth from starre in glorie so also the resurrection of the dead The note The glorie of the bodies of saints shall not be all alike but different in heauen according to mens merits The answer The Apostle putteth no difference here betwéene the glorified bodies of the saints but betwéene the state of our bodies afore the resurrection and after the resurrection betwixt which two states of the selfe same bodies there shalbe as great difference as betwixt the glorie of the sunne the glorie of anie other starre therefore you do but according to your accustomed order wrest this text to bring men to put confidence in their owne merits 1. Cor. 15. 44. The text It is sowen a naturall bodie it shall rise a spirituall bodie The note As to become spirituall doeth not take away the substance of the bodie glorified no more when Christes bodie is said to be in spiritual sort in the sacrament doth it import the absence of his true bodie substance The answer Hungrie dogges eate durtie puddings this stuffe must serue where better can not be had Our bodies though spiritual and configured as you call it to the bodie of his glorie yet are true bodies not in manie places at once whereof it followeth that Christes bodie being a true glorified bodie is not in manie places at once for that can not stand with the trueth of his bodie 1. Cor. 15. 5◠The text This I say brethren that flesh and blood can not possesse the kingdome of God neither shall corruption possesse incorruption The note Flesh and blood signifie not here the substance of those things but the corrupt qualitie incident to them in this life by the fall of Adam The answer If you should light on men as froward and contentious as your selues they might with as great reason contend with you for the litterall sense of flesh and blood as you do for the litterall sense of This is my bodie which spéech being of a Sacrament you will by no means admit to be of the same nature and to haue like interpretation as all other spéeches of Sacraments haue 1. Cor. 16. 2. The text In ⸫ the first of the Sabaoth let euerie one of you put a part with him selfe laying vp what shall well like him that not when I come collections be made The note That is Sunday Hierome q. 4. Hedibiae So quickelie did the Christians keepe Sunday holie day and assembled to diuine seruice on the same The answer For Sunday that it was appointed by the Apostles to bée kept for the Saboath that it was so solemnized in their times it is manifest you needed not Saint Hieroms authoritie for it sauing that you loue to vse the fathers where you least need them 1. Cor. 16 8. The text But I will tarie at Ephesus till Pentecost The note The heretikes and other new fangled striue amongst themselues whether Pentecost signifie here the terme of fiftie daies or els the Iewes holie day so called But it commeth not to their minds that it is most like to be the feast of Whit suntide kept and instituted euen then by the Apostles as appeareth by the fathers See Augustine epist 119. cap. 15. and 16. Ambrose in cap. 17. Lucae The answer In Augustine I find certaine mysteries in the number of fifty noted as well out of the new testament as out of the old and that the feast of Pentecost was in his time kept of Christians but what was meant by it in this place or whether the Apostles did institute that feast to be kept of Christians or not I find nothing there In Ambrose I find that the beginning of the eighth wéeke after Easter maketh the Pentecost and that Paul in this place promised to tarrie till that time and that they kept all the fiftie daies as Easter but whether by the apostles tradition or no that is left vncertain So we sée not by your fathers that the apostles instituted the feast of Whitsuntide But we sée that you loue to trouble your selues and others with trifles 1. Cor. 16. 2◠The text If any man loue not our Lord Iesus Christ be he Anathema ⸫ Maran-atha The note That is our Lord is come Hierom ep 173. Therefore Anathema to all that loue him not or beleeue not Theophilact vpon this place The answer In matter not in controuersie betwixt vs you make vnnecessarie shew of reading If you did either in loue or in faith
shewe of that which they haue not Matth. 22. 10. The text And his seruants going forth into the waies gathered together all that they found ⸫ bad and good and the mariage was filled with guestes The note Not onelie good men be within the church but also euill men against the heretikes of these dayes The answer To which we answer that though in the outward participation of the word and sacraments many wicked are ioyned with good yet in trueth none are of the church but such as to whom the promises of remission of sins and resurrection to life eternall do pertaine And also we saie that this is a friuolous collection drawen from the outward calling to the truth of being in the church For many are called but few chosen Further nothing can iustly be gathered out of this parable but that the Iewes which were first called made themselues vnwoorthy of their calling and that in calling the Gentiles into their roomes place there was no respect had how bad they were afore their conuersion But the grossest sinners for the most part did soonest and gladliest receiue the promise of grace and fauor offered in Christ. And they that racke the calling and comming beyond this racke it beyond the meaning of Christ. And the bad that come without amendment shall be sure to be serued as he that came without his mariage garment Matth. 23. 5. The text But they do all their works to be seene of men For they make broad their ⸫ philacteries and enlarge their fringes The note These philacteries were peeces of parchment wherein they wrote the ten commandements and folded it and caried it on their fordhead before their eies imagining groslie and supersticiouslie that so they fulfilled that which is said Deut. 6. They shall be immooueable before thine eies Hierom in 23. Mat. The answere It is well that you so diligently tell vs the meaning of the worde philacteries but the simpler sort must take it vpon your owne credit for they can not looke into Hierom for it But this they may sée that the Pharisées neither in apparell nor otherwise hunted more for estimation of holines amongst men than your sectaries I should haue said religious do most manifestly Matth. 23. 37. The text Hierusalem Hierusalem which killest the prophets and stonest them that were sent to thee how often would I gather thy children as the hen doth gather hir chickens vnder hir wings and thou ⸫ wouldest not The note Freewill The answere It is true that men of their owne will do fréely and franklie sinne and refuse grace but this is their greatest slauerie bondage that can be For so they shew themselues slaues of sin And therefore if that be the fréedome of will you so much contend for you may take it to your selues Matth. 24. 11. The text And manie ⸫ false prophets shall rise and shall seduce many The note There were in the people false prophets as among you also shall be lieng masters which shall bring in sects of perdition 2. Peter 2. The answer If lieng and denieng the benefit of Christs death by which we were bought be good and true notes to know false prophets by as they are for that purpose there by Peter deliuered then all the gouernors of the popish church be false prophets Their lies are so grosse as that they themselues are ashamed of them and how they giue to others the glory of our redemption onely due to Christ he knoweth nothing that knoweth not Matth. 24. 23. The text Then if any man shal say to you Lo ⸫ here is Christ or there do not beleeue him The note Whosoeuer draweth Christ or his Church from the communion or fellowship of all nations Christened to one corner towne or countrie beleeue him not Augustine de vnit Ecclesiae cap. 3. The answer Augustine there teacheth vs to séeke the church in the Scriptures not at Rome but diffused euerywhere thorough the whole world They therefore that leade vs to Rome to seeke Christ and his church there by this rule of Augustine are not to be beléeued bicause Rome is but one litle corner countrie or rather towne of the world We embrace that doctrin which the Apostles planted in all nations and we hold that God since the calling of the Gentils hath had alwaies his church generally dispersed thorough the world though in all places and in all times not alike and though to vs which liue at this time and in one corner of the world a great number of the churches children or rather particular churches haue béene and are hidden and vnknowne But this we know that Rome somtimes a faithful citie is now and hath béene many yeeres become a harlot Matth. 24. 30 The text And then shall appeere ⸫ the signe of the sonne of man in heauen The note This signe of the sonne of man is the holie crosse which then shall appeere to the Iewes to their confusion Chrys. in Matt. homilia 77. It shall be no lesse confusion to heretikes which can not abide the signe thereof The answer This is but Chrysostomes coniecture for neither he nor you can bring any good reason why it should be so The glorie and maiestie wherein he shall come set out in the words immediately following by al reasonable coniecture should make plain the words before and declare what was meant by the signe of the sonne of man What heretikes you meane that cannot abide the signe of the crosse I know not The idolatrous abusing of the crosse in poperie and the attributing to the signe thereof the vertues which it cannot haue that no good Christians can abide who yet haue learned to glorie in nothing but in the crosse of Christ. Matt. 25. 8. The text And the foolish said to the wise Giue vs of ⸫ your oile bicause our lamps are going out The note If we be not in the fauour of God and haue not our owne merits we shall not be holpen by other mens deserts at the day of iudgement The answer If the fauour of God might so easily be procured or promerited as some papists write by saying of Aue Maria or offering to our Ladie a taper or seruing some saint I thinke few would die out of the fauour of God But to that which I take to be your meaning if men be in the fauour of God and haue some merits of their owne then they may be holpen by other mens deserts Which collection is tied to this place with points For though we should vnderstand as you do by oile meritorious works yet the quite contrarie is flatly héerof gathered First they are héere condemned for fooles that go a borrowing or séeke helpe at the merits of others Then they that b◠wise dare spare none from themselues for feare of wanting themselues And from whence then may men get that supplie of merits when they which are wisest and best can spare none But bicause you haue no manifest scriptures to
Rome The séeking of his glorie is the cause of all the mischiefes wrought by wars in the world at this present If we will not therefore be snarled in the snares of Antichrist we must séeke his onely glory that created vs as in the same treatise Augustine doth aduise vs. Ioh. 7. 20. The text The multitude answered and said ⸫ thou hast a diuell who seeketh to kill thee The note No maruell when these speake thus to Christ himselfe if â—eretikes call his vicar Antichrist The answer No maruell though sincere Christians be estéemed regarded and spoken of by papists and atheistes as Christ him selfe was by the Iewes As for any vicar of Christ we know none but euerie prince and magistrate within his owne dominion and euery pastor in his owne flocke Ioh. 7. 39. The text And this he said of the spirit that they should receiue which beleeued in him ⸫ for as yet the spirit was not giuen bicause Iesus was not glorified The note This was fulfilled on Whit sunday Acts 2. and afterward alwaies by imposition of hands in the Sacrament of Confirmation visibly in the primitiue church and inuisibly to the end of the world The answer Your sacrament of confirmation who instituted it What promise was giuen to it What signes were appointed What signification had they Who were authorised to minister it Whether the bishop alone Or euerie priest Iohn 7. 50. The text Nicodemus said to them ⸫ he that came to him by night who was one of them doth our law iudge a man vnlesse it first heare him and know what he doth The note Christ hath alwaies some good euen amongst the wicked which secretly serue him and by wise delaies auert the execution of vniust lawes against him and his people as Nicodemas and Gamaliel The answer Christ hath his amongst euery sort of men and often worketh great benefit to his church by the weakest of those that beare good will to his truth Iohn 8. 7. The text ⸫ He that is without sinne of you let him first throwe the stone at hir The note We cannot conueniently reprehend or condemne other mens faults if our selues be giltie of the same or other greater Cyrill in Io. See annot Matt. 7. 1. The answer You are great clarks that are so liberall of your fathers in matters néedlesse And yet neither Christ nor Cirill meant that none should reprehend others but such as are faultlesse themselues But onely they meant to discouer the hypocrisie of men which neuer looking vpon them selues how great soeuer their faults be yet are seuere censurers of others Iohn 8. 1â— The text And Iesus said ⸫ Neither wil I condemne thee Go and now sinne no more The note Saint Augustine by this example of our master prooueth that clergiemen specially should be giuen much to mercie and that they ought often as the cause and time require to get pardon of the secular magistrates for offenders that be penitent Epist. 54. The answer How wel you follow this which you alledge out of Augustine it is manifest in that the secular magistrates are stirred vp by you to extreme cruelties and most horrible bloodsheds and murders as all the world can witnes If euer mercie were exiled from men sure it is banished from amongst papists Which néedeth no proofe for in all places where the heresie of poperie is fauored and vpheld with the sword of authoritie experience teacheth it Your horrible tragedies my hart panteth to thinke vpon and my pen trembleth to record There are in all countries so many witnesses of your horrible cruelties that it is néedlesse to set downe any examples Iohn 8. 26. The text Iesus said to them ⸫ The beginning who also speake to you The note So read S. Cirill S. Ambrose and S. Augustine expounding it of Christs person that he is the beginning or cause of all creatures The answer If you would haue had your reading maruelled at you should héere haue brought vs some other fathers For for these we thinke you are beholding to Erasmus and Bezaes annotations whence you borrowed them But that you professe of purpose to follow the old Latin translation and therfore could not translate otherwise it had béene no hard matter to haue shewed that you willingly erre with them whom you follow Iohn 8. 31. The text Iesus therefore said to them that beleeued him the Iewes If you ⸫ abide in my word you shall be my disciples in deede The note Onely faith is not sufficient without perseuerance or abiding in the keeping of his commandements The answer Onely fire is not sufficient to warme a man standing by it without heate and in the like order you do but abuse men in diuorcing things inseparable Iohn 8. 36. The text If therefore the sonne make you free you shall be free in deede The note Man was neuer without free will but hauing the grace of Christ his will is truly made free as saint Augustine saith from seruitude of sinne also tractatu 41. in Euang. Io. The answer If you meane such fréedome of will as is in thraldom and seruitude of sinne to serue sinne willingly we will easily grant that man was neuer without it If you meane otherwise you abuse saint Augustine for that he meant not Yea when we are fréed by Christ he speaketh thus in the same treatise Partly libertie partly seruitude libertie is not yet whole pure and full bicause full eternitie is not yet It is strange that you are not ashamed to abuse men thus with the fathers Iohn 8. 39. The text If you be the children of Abraham ⸫ do the works of Abraham The note Not onely faith but good works also make men the children of Abraham according as saint Iames also speaketh of Abrahams works cap. 2. The answer If you gather no better consequences at Rhemes none of mine shall learne Logike there Howe holdeth this Do the works of Abraham if yée be the sonnes of Abraham ergo to do the works of Abraham make men the sonnes of Abraham It is a shame for children to glorie in the goodnes and vertue of their parents and not a whit to resemble them therein This is it that Christ reprooueth the Iewes for As for Iames speaketh of iustifieng by works but of being made the children of Abraham by works I finde there iust and iumpe nothing Iohn 8. 44. The text You are of your father the diuell and the desires of your father you will do He was a ⸫ man killer from the beginning he stood not in the veritie bicause veritie is not in him The note Augustine compareth heretikes in their spirituall murther by driuing Christian men out of the church to the diuell that droue our parents out of paradise Cont. Lit. Petili lib. 2. cap. 13. The answer The diuell did bereaue our first parents of their happy estate by making them beléeue they should be more happie and blessed euen so you with the swéete name of the church do allure draw and entise
and one pastor The note He meaneth the Church of the Gentils The answer It is true that Christ made of Iewes and Gentils one folde and of both he and not the pope is the one only pastor and head Iohn 10. 29. The text My father ⸫ that which he hath giuen me is greater then al. The note Another reading is my father that hath giuen me c. The answer In diuers readings you choose that which is most obscure and can not carie any true sense if it be weied with the circumstances of the place and leaue that which is plaine and carieth an inestimable comfort to all that loue God and best agréeth the Gréeke originall Iohn 11. 44. The text Iesus said to them ⸫ Loose him and let him go The note S. Cyril lib. 7. cap. vlt. in Ioh. and Augustine tract 49. in Ioh. applie this to the Apostles and priests authority of absoluing sinners affirming that Christ doth reuiue none from sinne but in the church and by the priests ministerie The answer Wée beléeue that the promise of life eternall pertaineth to none but to such as are or shalbe of the Church of God and that the ordinarie meanes whereby God effectuallie calleth men to be of his church is the ministerie of his woord But we dare not tie God to his ordinarie meanes sith he extraordinarilie called Paul and others But how well this place is applied to the ordinarie authoritie of ministers or priestes in absoluing I will spare to speake for reuerence of them whom you alledge It is well that the church hath plaine euidence of scriptures for the authoritie of binding and loosing for if it staid it selfe vpon the authoritie of men wresting such places as this to that purpose it were but a poore sillie comfort that the conscience of a poore penitent sinner could reape by the churches absolution Iohn 11. 48. The text If we let him alone so all will beleeue in him and the Romans will come and ⸫ take away our place and nation The note All men but speciall nations must take heed that whiles to saue their temporall state they forsake God they loose not both as the Iewes did August tract 49. in Io. The answer Therefore we vndergo all the perils and dangers which by your stirring vp the force and might of all the popish princes in the world can bring vpon vs rather than to displease God by giuing ouer his truth wherwith he hath blessed vs least we should prouoke his heauie indignation against vs and so perish as the Iewes haue done before vs. Iohn 12. 3. The text ⸫ Marie therfore tooke a pound of ointment of right spikenard precious and annointed the feete of Iesus and wiped his feete with hir haire and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment The note Of this womans extraordinarie offices of deuotion and how acceptable they were to Christ See the annot Mat. 26. The answer Bicause those annotations are to receiue answer by themselues therefore I thought not good to touch them here Iohn 12. 7. The text Iesus therefore said Let hir alone that she may keepe it for the day of my ⸫ buriall The note The deuout offices of balming and annointing the dead bodies of the faithfull are here also allowed The answer And we do not disallow whatsoeuer in buriall serueth either for comfort of them that be aliue and for the honest and comely bringing the dead to the graue being the last duties that men can do to their faithfull friends Iohn 12. 8. The text For the poore you haue alwaies with you but me you shall not haue alwaies The note Not in visible and mortal condition to receiue almes of you and such like offices for supply of my necessitie The answer And why do you not say not in bodie nor in humanitie Bicause you would faine with some color shift of Christs bodily absence from the earth for the better safetie and defence of your reall preseâ—ce in the sacrament You are full of fathers in matters nâ—edlesse why do you not in this place so often repeated bring vs at the least one plaine place of some father affirming that he is not simply absent in bodie from vs but onely in such sort as you do imagine Is it not a secret confession that all antiquitie is against you I maruell that you are so impudent still to glory and to cry that your faith hath continued almost xvj hundred yéeres when you know that in a number of things you are not able to bring foorth any true authoritie of halfe the age Iohn 12. 20. The text And there were certaine Gentils of them that came vp to adore in the festiuall day The note We may see there a great difference where a man pray or adore at home or in the church and holy places When the Gentils also came of deuotion a pilgrimage to the temple in Hierusalem The answer Now pilgrimages are prooued and that full pithily For the Gentiles came to adore at Hierusalem When you can find such expresse commandement of God for running to saint Iames of Compostella or our Ladie of Walsingham or visiting the holie sepulchre as was for al both Iewes and conuerts then to appéere before the Lord at Hierusalem then your reason will hold Otherwise it is as much as if I should say The Iewes and conuerts of the Gentils obeied the commandement of God in going to Hierusalem at the feast daies to worship Ergo it is lawful for me to go a roging to what place of pilgrimage in the world séemeth best in mine owne eies without further warrant As for the difference of publike and priuate praier and of seruing God at home and in the common assemblies are both knowen and practised amongst vs. Iohn 12. 40. The text Therfore they ⸫ could not beleeue bicause Esay said againe he hath blinded their eies and indurated their harts c. The note If any man aske saith saint Augustine why they could not beleeue I answer roundly bicause they would not Tract 33. in Io. See annotations Matth. 13. 15. Mark 4. 12. The answer It is true that the corruption of mans will is the cause of all euill and wickednes in man But héere either your printer made a fault or your note booke deceiued you for it is in 53. treatise And I muze why you should so much couet so force Augustine to speake for you séeing that you know that of all other he is most earnest in this cause of frée will against you For in the same place he acknowledgeth the iust iudgement of God vpon them in leauing them in blindnes and not helping them to sée And teacheth vs in inquiring why God would so leaue them to crie out with the Apostle O the depth of the riches of the wisedome and knowledge of God c. Which exclamation sheweth that Augustine had an eie to somwhat more than their will yea and to such a somwhat as was not
hundred yéeres after Christ that telleth and teacheth vs in plaine words that Christs bodie may be in manie places and that he is bodily in the sacrament Acts. 4. â— The text And ⸫ many of them that heard the word beleeued and the number of the men was made fiue thousand The note Heere againe we see the proceeding and increase of the church visibly The answer Héere we sée the church of God may procéed and increase without a bishop of Rome and without his college of cardinals in which the visibilitie of your church consisteth 〈◊〉 4. 10. The text Be it knowen to all you and to all the people of Israel that in the name of Iesus Christ of Nazareth whom you did crucifie whom God hath raised from the dead in this same this man standeth before you whole The note The name of Iesus See annot Phil. 1. 10. The answer Séeing you haue not expressed your popish meaning héere you shall be answered there Acts. 4. 1â— The text And seeing Peters constancie and Iohns vnderstanding that they were men vnlettered and of the vulgar sort they maruelled and they knew them that they had been with Iesus The note The Apostles constancie and wisedome after the comming of the holy Ghost being but idiots that is simple vnlettered and timorous before The answer The woonderfull change and alteration that sensibly appéâ—red in the Apostles did plainly and euidently set foorth to vs that saluation by Christ now preached was set out mightily not by the persuasorie words of mans wisedome but by the might power and miraculous working of God Acts. 4. 19. The text But Peter and Iohn answering said to them ⸫ if it be iust in the sight of God to heare you rather than God iudge ye The note Their constancie and courage after their confirmation being so weake before And if any magistrate 〈◊〉 against God that is to say forbid catholike Christian men to 〈…〉 this â—ame must be their answer though they be whipped and killed for 〈◊〉 labour See cap. 5. 29. The answer The constancie and courage and wise answer of the Apostles is set out for the learning and incouragement of Christians of all ages and times But sedition rebellion treason murdering of princes proâ—â—â—ing of forraine inuasions and such like in which your constancie and courage consisteth I pray you of whom haue you learned them Acts. 4. 27. The text For there assembled indeed in this citie against thy holie child Iesus whom thou hast annointed Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentils and people of Israel to do ⸫ what thy hand and thy counsell decreed to be done The note Christs death as needfull for mans redemption was of Gods determination but as of the malice of the Iewes it was not his act otherwise than by permission The answer By a blind distinction voide of all reason you will set the holie Ghost to schoole to learne of you to speake Herod Pontius Pilate the Gentiles and the people of Israel assembled to do what Gods hand and counsell had decréed to be done It is plaine that they and all the diuels in hell by their malice could execute nothing but the good wil and pleasure of God to the great comfort of the godlie So though God be not the author of the malice of men yet he can vse it to bring to passe his will to his praise honor and glorie 〈…〉 The text For as manie as were owners of lands oâ— houses ⸫ sold and brought the prices of those things which they sold and laied it before the feete of the Apostles The note Note the ardent charitie and contempt of worthly things in the first Christians who did not onely giue great almes but sold all their lands to bestow on the Apostles and the rest that were in necessitie according to Christs counsell Matth. 16 21. Note also the great honor and credit giuen to the Apostles in that the Christian men put all the goods and possessions they had to their disposition The answer The time was such as wherein an expectation was that Ierusalem should by the iust iudgement of God be destroied which ere long followed and therfore it had béene vaine to retaine their possessions the present necessity of the multitude of beléeuers which were poore being not otherwise able to be supplied by the aboundance of the rich which were but few so that this example neither fauoureth wilfull pouertie nor 〈◊〉 communitie The deserued credit and honor of the Apostles is an example to the ministers of the word to walke so carefully and vprightly in their calling as that they may gain the like amongst the people committed to their charge 〈…〉 The text And there fell great ⸫ feare in the whole church and vpon all that heard these things The note Hereupon rose great reuerence awe and feare of the vulgar Christians toward the holie Apostles for an example to all Christian people how to behaue themselues toward their bishops and priests The answer Nay rather toward their God who so seuerely punisheth dissembling lieng and hypocriticall dealing as we sée in this example of Ananias and Sapphira Act 5. 1â— The text So that they did bring foorth the sicke into the streets and laid them in bed and couches that when Peter came ⸫ his shadow at the least might ouer shadow any of them and they all might be deliuered of their infirmities The note Peters shadow The answer If you conclude hereof the lieng myracles that you attribute to relikes frame you reason we will shape you an answere Act. 5. 19. The text But an angell of our Lord by night opening the gates of the prison and leading them foorth said The note An angell leadeth them out of prison The answer Here we sée when God will haue his Gospell published the power and might of man can not suppresse it prisons and kéepers be not strong enough to kéepe in hold the ministers thereof And therefore your forcible attempts are but in vaine Act. 5. 39. The text For if this counsell or worke be of men it wil be dissolued But if it be ⸫ of God you are not able to dissolue them least perhaps yee be found to resist God also The note Time and euident successe of Christs church and religion prooue it to be of God no violence of the Iewes no persecution of the heathen princes no indeuour of domesticall aduersaries heretikes schismatikes or ill liuers preuailing against it As on the other side manie attempts haue been made by Arrius Macedonius Nestorius Luther and the like who thought themselues some bodie but after they had plaied their parts a while their memorie is buried or liueth onely in malediction and infamie and their scholers come to naught Therfore let no Catholike man be scandalized that this heresie holdeth vp for a time For the Arrians and some other florished much longer than these and were better supported by princes and learning and yet had an end The answer Time and
euident successe make as much for Turkish religion as for poperie for their continuance haue béene much alike But we know that whatsoeuer is of God that men can not dissolue Hell gates cannot preuaile against the church of God Experience hath taught and the attempts of enimies of all sorts frustrated sheweth that it is a vaine thing to assaile the people of God Of all other heretikes the papists haue béene and are the most dangerous enimies of the church which notwithstanding hath at all times béene miraculouâ—lie vpholden by the almightie power of God euen then when the might power princes and authoritie of the world were against it And we do not doubt but as popery by the truth of God hath alreadie receiued a great wound so it shall when his good wil and pleasure is be killed destroied and take an end Leaue therefore your kicking against the pricke Act. 6. 3. The text Consider therfore brethren seauen men of you of good testimonie ful of the holie Ghost and wisedome whom we may appoint ouer this busines The note The election of the seauen first deacons The answer With whom and your deacons there is almost nothing common but the bare name Act. 6 7. The text And the word of God increased and the number of the disciples was multiplied in Hierusalem exceedingly a great multitude also of the ⸫ priests obeied the faith The note Now also the priests and they of greater knowledge and estimation began to beleeue The answer That the priests beléeued we sée if it necessarily follow that they were of great knowledge and estimation then they were vnlike your ignorant sir Iohns of which sort ten for one of the priests of your church were But I thinke the time and common condition of the leuiticall priests then considered that it is likely enough that most of these were men of small knowledge and estimation And this the rather confirmeth me in that opinion that we do not read of any one of these priests here mentioned to be coÌ„uerted that prooued a famous teacher in that first church which could not haue béene if many of them had béene of great knowledge and estimation Act. 6. 15. The text And all that sat in the councell beholding him saw his face as it were ⸫ the face of an angell The note Such is the face of all constant and cheerefull Martyrs to their persecutors and iudges The answer Then burne your Martyrolog for in the traitors that haue béene executed in England there hath not appéered any chéereful face as I haue béene credibly aduertised by them that haue béene present at their deaths Act. 7. 16. The text And they were ⸫ translated into Sichem and were laid in the sepulchre that Abraham bought for a price of siluer of the sonnes of Haemor the sonne of Sichem The note Translation of saints bodies agreeable to nature and scripture And the desire to be buried in one place more then in another which the holie patriarches also had Gen. 49 29. 50 24. Hebr. 11. 22. hath somtime great causes Augustine de cura pro mortuis cap. 1. vlt. The answer The translation of the bodies of the 〈◊〉 being in them commanding it and in others executing 〈…〉 and euident testimonie of their faith in the 〈…〉 for the inheritance of the lande of Canaan is no 〈◊〉 for you to â—ake the 〈◊〉 children and saints of God out of their graues and for lucre and couetousnes to abuse the world with their bones whereas to rest in their sepulchres is more agréeable to nature and Scriptures Saint Augustine speaketh not of translation of bodies but of the desire that men had for themselues or their friends to be buried by this or that martyr and holie man which he thinketh a very good motion But the reasons wherby he séeketh to prooue it to be good are friuolous and the obiection which Paulinus brought out of Paul to the contrarie standeth firme and vntaken away 〈…〉 The text This Moyses whom they denied saieng who hath appointed thee prince and captaine him God sent prince and ⸫ redeemer with the hand of the angell that appeered to him in the bush The note Christ is our redeemer and yet Moyses is here called a redeemer so Christ is our mediator and aduocate and yet we may haue saints our inferiour mediators and aduocates also See Annot. 1. Io. 2. 1. The answer You would faine finde some what to excuse and hide your intolerable sacriledge and robbing Christ of his honor Moyses is called a redéemer in two respects One in that he was a figure of Christ and bare therefore the name of him whom he figured Secondly bicause he was Gods minister and instrument raised to redéeme and deliuer the people of Israell from the seruitude of Pharao and thraldome of Egypt What is this to those that neither are figures of Christ neither yet haue deliuered vs from any temporall bondage But if you could you would leaue Christ nothing proper or peculiar to himselfe Your annotation shall elsewhere be considered of Act. 7. â—2 The text And God turned and ⸫ deliuered them vp to serue the host of heauen c. The note For a iust punishment of their former offences God gaue them vp to worke what wickednes they would themselues as it is said of the Gentiles Rom. 1. The answer If neither Iew nor Gentile in abhominable filthines haue surpassed or excéeded your holie fathers of Rome especially in those things against nature which euerie honest eare can not abide to heare once named then it is manifest that God also hath giuen them ouer also into reprobate minds You know who hath set out a booke in praise and commendation of Sodomitrie is it not an argument that where that is suffered they are past all shame Act. 7. 45. The text Which our fathers with ⸫ Iesus receiuing brought it also into the possession of Gentils which God expelled from the face of our fathers till in the daies of Dauid The note This is Iosue so called in Greeke in type of our Sauiour The answer And was Iosue a tipe and Moises none You might as well by this example communicate the name of a sauiour to Saints as afore the name of a redéemer sith in respect of sauing and redéeming from sinnes they are both proper peculiar to Christ. Actes 7. 55. The text But he being full of the holie Ghost looking stedfastlie into heauen saw the ⸫ glorie of God and Iesus standing on the right hand of God The note The comfort of all martyrs The answer And of all other true faithful men Wherefore we pray to God most hartilie to graunt vs that casting of all things that hang heauilie on vs wée may haue our eies onlie fixed on the glorie that is set before vs. Actes 7. 60. The text And falling on his knees he cryed with a loud voice saying ⸫ Lord laie not this sinne vnto them The note Eusebius Emissenus saith when he praieth for his
is contrarie to the report of your stories And he hied him maruellous fast that was so quickly at Ierusalem againe But to let passe that fable which carieth no shew of truth Peter did not set men a worke to kill and murder Herod for the iniurie offered him but committed vengeance to him to whom it belonged Of whom then learned the pope and his adherents to set men a work to murder the Lords annointed and to giue the murderers absolution afore hand Acts. 12. 23. The text And foorthwith an Angel of the Lord ⸫ strooke him bicause he had not giuen the honor to God and being consumed of woorms he gaue vp the ghost The note Princes that take delight in the flatterie and praises of the people so much that they forget themselues to be men and to giue the honor to God may be warned by this example The answer The example is terrible and hath preuailed with many princes and great estates who héerby haue béen admonished to learne to know themselues But the man of sinne the child of perdition the bishop of Rome I meane whom you his flatterers and clawbacks aduance aboue all that is called god and who most proudly taketh vpon him that which was neuer granted to mortall man nothing can make him afraid Acts. 13. 46. The text To you it behoueth vs first to speake the word of God but bicause ⸫ you repell it and iudge your selues vnwoorthie of eternall life behold we turne vnto the Gentils The note The Iewes of their owne free will repelling the truth are vnwoorthie of Christ and woorthily forsaken And the Gentils though they beleeued specially by Gods grace and preordination yet they beleeue also by their owne free will which standeth well with Gods prouidence The answer That the Iewes repelled the grace of God offered them and would none of it we manifestly sée That the Gentils beléeued also by Gods grace and preordination that is also euident by the text it selfe For there beléeued as many as were preordinate to life euerlasting But that they beléeue by their frée will also is your addition without any warrant bicause you cannot abide that faith should be the méere gift and liberalitie of God Acts. 14. 16. The text Howbeit he left not himselfe without ⸫ testimonie being beneficiall from heauen giuing raines and fruitful seasons filling our harts with food and gladnes The note The heathen might by the daily benefits of God haue knowen him at the least to be their creator and onely Lord though the mysterie of our redemption were not opened to them The answer All nations haue so much knowledge offered them in the creatures and things which they sée and are subiect to sense as to make their damnation iust and themselues void of excuse for ignorance Acts. 14. 22. The text And when ⸫ they had ordained to them priests in euerie church and had praied with fastings they commended them to our Lord in whom they beleeued The note We see by this first that S. Paul and Barnabas were bishops hauing heere authoritie to giue holie orders secondly that there was euen then a difference betwixt bishops and priests though the name in the primitiue church was often vsed indifferently lastly that alwaies fasting and praieng were preparatimes to the giuing of holy orders The answer We cannot sée by this that Paul and Barnabas were bishops but that the Apostles at the first planting of the churches had authoritie to order them and to appoint bishops and pastors to them Neither do we find héere any mention at all of sacrificing priests much lesse any difference betwéene bishops and elders that labour in the word whom we also call priests Your last obseruation that in this example fasting and praier is commended to vs in the election choise and appointing of pastors to particular congregations is true Acts. 15. 4. The text And when they were come to Hierusalem they were receiued of the church and of the Apostles and ⸫ Ancients declaring whatsoeuer God had done with them The note Ancients heere and often in this chapter are the same that priests vers 2. as Saint Hierom taketh it also 1. Peter 5. and the Greeke approoueth being alwaies one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 priests Hierom in 1. ad Tit. 4. ad Galatas The answer For the name of priests so your sacrificers thereby be not vnderstood we stand indifferent But what reason can you shew why in English you flie the word Elders and translate it Ancients Acts. 15. 7. The text And when there was made a ⸫ great disputation Peter rising vp said to them The note See the annotation verse 28. towards the end The answer Your annotation shall be answered with the rest Act. 15. 9. The text And God which knoweth the harts gaue testimonie giuing vnto them the holie Ghost as well as to vs and hath put no difference betweene vs them ⸫ by faith purifieng their harts The note By that faith that worketh by charitie for a dead faith can not purifie the hart of man See chap. 16. 31. The answer Who doubteth of this But here is a secret confession by force of truth of your manifold cauilling in these notes in separating those things from a true liuely iustifieng faith which can not be sundered from it For if here you vnderstande that faith which worketh by charitie why do you not so to when we speak of iustification by faith Act. 15. 23. The text Then it pleased the apostles and ancients with the whole church to choose men out of them and to send to Antioch with Paule Barnabas Iudas who was surnamed Barnabas and Silas cheefe men amongst the brethren ⸫ writing by their hands The note Other latin copies and the Greeke read thus writing by their hand an epistle conteining these things The answer Whether it be expresly added or no the sence is one séeing their epistle followeth verbatim But yet this is to be marked that you make your choise in varietie of copies to follow those which furthest dissent from the Gréeke Act. 15. 36. The text And after certaine daies Paule said to Barnabas Let vs returne and ⸫ visite our brethren in all cities wherein we haue preached the worde of our Lord how they do The note Hereof our catholike bishops tooke vp the necessarie vse of often visiting their flocks and cures committed to their charge for confirmation in faith and vertue and reformation of maners both of cleargie and laitie The answer The apostolicall office being vniuersallie to spread the truth 〈◊〉 to laie the first foundation of Christian Religion necessity of doing their dutie compelled Paule and Barnabas to be absent from the churches which they had planted The knowledge of Sathans subtilties and of humaine infirmitie caused this care to visite the churches againe which they had planted and to confirme them Your bishops I doubt not would faine be Apostels in seeking euerie one to himselfe a little world to gouerne
But their care is far vnlike for they are seldome in their charge they visit once in thrée yéere most commonly by their deputes neither to reforme life nor maners but either to shewe themselues abroad like lords or else to fill their purses This I am sure they neither learned of Paule nor Barnabas Act. 15. 41. The text And he walked thorough Siria and Cilicia confirming the churches ⸫ commanding them to keepe the precepts of the apostles and ancients The note Not onely the things commanded by Christs expresse word or written in the Scriptures as our heretikes hold but whatsoeuer the apostles and rulers of the church command is to be kept and obeied So these words repeated againe cap. 16. 4. and that in the Greeke least any man cauill bicause here the Greeke hath them not The answer You do well to ioine apostles with rulers else no man would beléeue you But I pray you where may we â—inde those things which the apostles haue commanded and are not expressed in the scriptures If you obtrude those things which you falsely call the canons and constitutions of the apostles then we bid you first reforme your church by them For though there be some corruptions in them vnknowen in the apostles time yet your church if it had no more should want at least thrée quarters of her corruptions It were woonderfull if other men should credite your forgerie which you your selues haue small regard to If you alledge this present text it is manifest that the precepts which the apostles commanded to be kept were sent in writing by the hands of Paule and Barnabas which writing is set downe by Luke word for word How then can you gather from hence anie defence of your vnwritten verities or any credite to your deuises not warranted by the Scriptures Act. 16. 4. The text And when they passed through the cities they deliuered vnto them to keepe the ⸫ decrees that were decreed of the Apostels and ancients at Hierusalem The note Here againe they take order that the decrees and articles of faith agreed vpon in the councell of Hierusalem should be executed and obserued whereby we see both the great authoritie of councels and the diligence that all prelates ought to haue to see the decrees and canons of the councels put in execution The answer In the former note these decrées you did insinuate to be matters vnwritten and now in this note they are articles of our faith and so consequently some articles of our faith are not written O miserable men What state are they in whom you lead When you pull from them the foundation and groundworke of their faith The authoritie of lawfull councels we reuerence as much as is lawfull to reuerence men But by this councel we gather that a councell may be lawfully called though the bishop of Rome call it not and that it is not néedful that he or his legate à latere should be president in councels and that it is not of necessity requisite that he should confirme and ratifie councels For it is manifest that no bishop of Rome bare stroke in this councel Acts. 16. 6. The text And passing through Phrigia and the countrie of Galatia they were ⸫ forbidden by the holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia The note This people had not the Gospell denied vnto them altogither but for a time bicause as venerable Bede thinketh God foresaw they would not beleeue and so should haue beeâ— more grieuously damned The answer Modestie requireth that you leaue the Lords secrets to himselfe The holie Ghost hath not reuealed the cause why he forbad them to preach in Asia and permitted them not to go into Bithinia and therefore we are to leaue it as a thing which God hath not thought necessary for vs to know But this is manifest that the good desires of Gods saints are not in their owne power to bring to passe when they will Acts. 16. 12. The text And from thence to Philippie which is the first citie of Macedonia a ⸫ Colonia The note Colonia is such a citie where the most inhabitants are strangers sent thither from other great cities and states namely from the Romans The answer Your interpretation of Colonia we receiue as a thing wherof our Grammar boies are not ignorant Acts. 16. 17. The text The same following Paul and vs cried saieng These men are the seruants of the high God which preach vnto you the waie of saluation The note Either the diuell was compelled by vertue of Paules presence to saie truth or else as such do often times he spake truth now that they might the more trust him and he better beguile them at other times The answer Your later coniecture I receiue as a thing that you can speake in by great experience as hauing learned that péece of cunning of the diuell neuer to vse truth but to the end to giue color and credit to lies withall Acts. 16. 3â— The text Masters what must I do to be saued But they said ⸫ Beleeue in the Lord Iesus and thou shalt be saued and thy house The note It is none other faith that saueth but that which worketh by charity August Enchirid. cap. 67. The answer Grant vs that that faith is the onely hand whereby we take hold of Christ our saluation and then a great part of our controuersie is at an end Acts. 16. 33. The text And he taking them in the same hower of the night ⸫ washed their wounds and himselfe was baptized and all his house incontinent The note Happie gailers that do mercie toward their godly prisoners and receiue againe by them such spirituall benefits The answer It was the greatest happines that could fall vpon him and his house to receiue such vnder his â—oofe by whom God so blessed him and his On the contrarie side it is a dangerous matter for gailers and keepers to be cumbred with wicked seditious and traiterous Iesuits and seminarie priests Acts. 17. 5. The text But the Iewes ⸫ enuieng and taking to them of the rascall sort certaine naughtie men and making a tumult stirred the citie and besetting Iasons house sought to bring them foorth vnto the people The note Zelantes This is the zeale of heretikes and a liuely paterne of their dealing at this day against the catholike priests and preachers and the good Iasons that receiue them The answer Looke vpon the late storie of France and there you shall sée that it is the practise of you papists to stir vp the rascall sort to misuse nay to kill and cut the throtes of Gods déere saints Acts. 17. 23. The text For passing by and seeing your idols I found an altar also whereupon was written To the vnknowen God The note The aduersaries in the new Testament 1580. translate your deuotions most corruptly against the nature of the Greeke word 2. Thes. 2. 4. and most wickedly against the laudable deuotion of good Christians calling the pagans idolatrie and superstition their
praier in heauen The answer You should say Whereby S. Ierom goeth about or indeuoreth to prooue For euery word he speaketh is not by and by a proofe What the saints of God do in heauen for men that are aliue is a secret which God hath kept to himselfe and not reuealed to men Therefore the reasons from their dealings héere to their doings there are blinde hauing no ground to frame them on but mans wisedome There we do not beléeue S. Ieroms conclusions but where he hath better ground for his reasons Acts. 28. 1. The text And when we had escaped then we knew that the ⸫ Iland was called Mitilene The note This iland now Malta is the seate of the knights of the Rhodes The inhabitants wherof haue a speciall deuotion to saint Paul to whom both the cheefe church being the bishops seate is dedicated and the whole iland as they count it is consecrated Where the people shew yet to strangers his prison and other memories of his miracles The answer To leaue the manifest grosse error of your old interpretor in the name vntouched and to leaue your selues which will amend no errors nor vntruthes be they neuer so manifest To your note we say that we easily beléeue the inhabitants of Malta to be papists full of blind and ignorant deuotion 〈…〉 The text For the hart of this people is waxen grosse and with their eares haue they heauily heard and their eies ⸫ they haue shut least perhaps they may see with their eies and heare with their eares and vnderstand with their hart and be conuerted and I heale them The note Heere also as Matth. 13. it is plaine that they would not see nor heare and that their excaecation is to be attributed to themselues and not to God See annot Iohn 12 40. The answer Their excecation as their fault is to be attributed to themselues and none other and to God as a iust iudgement and punishment for their former sinnes ROMANS Roman 1. 5. The text By whom we haue receiued grace and apostleship ⸫ for obedience to the faith The note Faith must not be subiect to sense reason arguing or vnderstanding but must command and be obeied in humilitie and simplicitie The answer It is true that euery word of the Lord is with reuerence to be receiued beléeued and obeied in humility and simplicity though it be neuer so far beyond our capacitie and the reach of our reason or the compasse of our sense or vnderstanding But yet so as that we beléeue not white to be blacke sower to be swéet neither yet that the whole bodie of man may be contained within the compasse of two or thrée inches For in things subiect to sense we are no where commanded not to beléeue and trust our senses Rom. 1. 5. The text ⸫ In all nations for the name of him among whom are you also the called of Iesus Christ. The note Saint Augustine vseth this place and the like against heretikes which would draw the common catholike faith of all nations to some certaine countries and corners of the world August ep 161. The answer Whosoeuer hold any faith that was not vniuersally planted by the Apostles in all nations and which hath not béene since generally imbraced of all true Christians the same hold not the true catholike faith And therefore the faith which the church of Rome at this day holdeth is not the true catholike faith For what Apostle taught or what church in their time beleeued that Christ after his ascension was bodily héere vpon the earth and that his bodie might be in many places at once in one place hauing the quantitie of a bodie in another place void of all quantitie I would our controuersies about the church and the bishop of Romes authoritie might be decided by this epistle For he is plaine in both cases Rom. 1. 9. The text For God is my witnes whom I serue in my spirit in the Gospell of his sonne that without ⸫ intermission I make a memorie of you alwaies in my praiers c. The note He praieth without intermission that omitteth no day certaine times of praier Aust. The answer He praieth for men without intermission that being diligent in praier is therein alwaies mindefull of them But your citing now of Augustine to what end is it but to make a shew of your reading Rom. 1. 11. The text For I desire to see you that I may impart to you some spirituall grace to ⸫ confirme you The note The Romaines were conuerted and taught by Saint Peter before Therefore he vseth that speech to confirme them in their faith Author Commen apud Hieronimum Theodoret. in 16. Rom. Chryst. The answer That the Romaines to whom Paule wrote were conuerted afore it is manifest but by whose ministerie that doth not certainely appéere We know that diuers fathers are of opinion that Peter tooke paines at Rome afore Paule wrote thither But bicause the time they assigne of his comming thither and of his continuance there can neither stande with the scriptures neither with other things which they report of him there is iust cause why in this point we should not beléeue them But bicause it is not material by whom they were conuerted I let this passe But one thing I muse of and I would faine be resolued in Why the holie Ghost so diligently setting out Paules writing to the Romaines afore he went thither Paules iourney thither his paines and diligence there doth not once signifie any thing to vs of Peters being there séeing there could be nothing more necessarie for a christian to know then that If poperie be good Christianitie and if by Peters being there such woonderfull priuiledges be left vnto the bishops there as they at this day chalenge Rom. 1. 17. The text For the iustice of God is reuealed therin by faith into faith As it is written And the iust man liueth by faith The note He meaneth not Gods owne iustice in himselfe but that iustice wherwith God endueth man when he iustifieth him Aug. de spir lit cap. 9. Whereby you may gather the vanitie of hereticall imputatiue iustice The answer Whereby you may gather the impudencie of the papists in applieng fathers to that they ment not The whole scope and circumstances of the place are against inherent iustice and for the righteousnes of Christ imputed to vs. But God endueth man with righteousnes when he doth iustifie him It is true But that righteousnes whereby he maketh men iust is the righteousnes of Christ. The other wherewith he indueth vs which we call sanctification being gods gift is not sufficient to make vs iust before God but to declare vs iust before men Rom. 1. 23. The text And they changed the glorie of the incorruptible God into a ⸫ similitude of the image of a corruptible man and of fowles and foure footed beasts and of them that creepe The note Lo these and the like are the images or idols so often
wils but that they be sweetely drawen mooued and induced to do good August Euchiridion cap. 64. de verb. domini ser. 43. ca. 7. de verb. Apost ser. 13. cap. 11. 12. The answer Here you bring authorities thicke where néede none Who euer expounded this leading of the spirit of forcible constreining men against their wils Bicause your fréewill is denied you would haue your followers to beléeue that we make men blocks and stocks As for you you are so far from being led by the spirit that you haue no sence nor féeling of it and therfore dare not say that you haue the spirit of God And good reason why you should not bicause the holy Ghost hath not wrought in you any change or alteration from your superstitions follies Rom. 9. 11. The text For when they were not yet borne nor had done any good or euill that the purpose of God according to election might stande not of works but of the caller it was said to her That the elder shall serue the yoonger The note S. Hierom q. 10. ad Hedibiam All the Epistle surely to the Romaines needeth interpretation and is enwrapped with so great obscurities to vnderstand it we neede the helpe of the holie Ghost who by the Apostle did dictate these same things but especially this place Howbeit nothing pleaseth vs but that which is Ecclesiasticall that is the sense of the Church The answer Saint Hierome did not vse this spéech to fraie any from reading anie part of the scriptures and inquiring the sense of them For he himselfe séeketh to satisfie the questions propounded and that to a woman whom he scarcely knew That this epistle néedeth interpretation and especially the illumination of that spirit which caused it to be written it hath common with the rest of the Scriptures For the naturall man vnderstandeth not the things of the spirit of God which are spiritually discerned We would be loath to please our selues with any priuate interpretation not receiued nor allowed of the true church of God But you would gladly haue this whole Epistle out of the way and especially this chapter bicause it setteth out plainely Gods frée election and choise without respect or regard had to works either aforegoing or following Which sense though contrarie to the sense of your church Saint Hierome holdeth as the sense of the church then And therefore he concludeth that question that Hedibia should for euer hold her peace from inquiring anie causes of Gods will why he is mercifull to one seuere to another Rom. 9. 22. The text And if God willing to shew wrath and to make his might knowne ⸫ susteined in much patience the vessels wrath apt to destruction c. The note That God is not the cause of any mans reprobation or damnation otherwise then for punishment of his sins he sheweth by that he expecteth all mens amendment with great patience and consequently that they haue also freewill The answer The cause and matter of mans damnation is in himselfe And yet God did prepare the wicked or damned to be vessels of ignominie or dishonor It is wel that you rake so diligently amongst the vngodly and reprobate for your fréewill For they sin frankly and fréely And if you finde it not amongst the slaues of sinne you shall finde it no where But I haue told you and do tell you againe that this fréedome to do euill is the seruitude of sinne and that therefore this fréewill cannot do any thing but sinne Rom. 10. 4. The text For the end of the law is Christ vnto ⸫ iustice to euery one that beleeueth The note The law was not giuen to make a man iust or perfect by it selfe but to bring vs to Christ to be iustified by him The answer If the law were not giuen to make a man iust then how can a man be iustified by his owne works and obedience Againe how then do you holde it possible to be fulfilled by men for no doubt it maketh iust the fulfillers thereof Though you bring all your suttle shifts and euasions togither yet if you holde fast this note your inherent iustice to make a man iust withall shall be iust woorth two strawes Rom. 10. 5. The text For Moyses wrote ⸫ that the iustice which is of the law the man that hath done it shall liue in it The note The iustice of the law of Moyses went no further of it selfe but to saue a man from temporall death and punishment prescribed to the transgressors of the same The answer Were not the ten commandements part of the law of Moses And doth not Christ answer the yoong man that would know by what doing he should haue life euerlasting Kéepe the commandements Did the curse of the law from which Christ deliuered vs extend no further than to temporall punishment Perfect righteousnes bringeth perfect life The law is a perfect rule of righteousnes therefore if it could be fulfilled of vs it should bring vs to perfect eternall life What meaneth Paul by his opposition of those two sentences The iust shall liue by faith And he that doth these things shall liue in them if one and the same life eternall be not promised in both in the one to beléeuers in the other to doers Againe if this your note were true the law of it selfe and in it selfe had béene too weake to iustifie or sanctifie but saint Paul saith not it was too weake in it selfe but it was weakened by the flesh and therefore could not iustifie But as all poperie is patched togither of old and new heresies so this patch was borrowed of the Manicheans Rom. 10. 13. The text For euerie one ⸫ whosoeuer shall inuocate the name of our Lord shall be saued The note To beleeue in him and to inuocate him is to serue him with all loue and sincere affection All that so do shall doubtlesse be saued and shall neuer be confounded The answer If to inuocate him be to serue him then why teach you men to inuocate others and so consequently to serue others which are but men And thus whilest you are loth to attribute saluation to faith alone but would make it common to works also you cut your owne throtes and shew your selues to all the world to be manifest impostors and deceiuers Rom. 10. 16. The text But all ⸫ do not obey the Gospell The note We see then that it is in a mans freewill to beleeue or not to beleeue to obey or disobey the Gospell or truth preached The answer Your sight is sharpe you can sée far into a mill stone no reasonable man can sée how your consequence followeth All do not obey ergo they haue frée will to obey or not to obey It is like this All papists go not whither they list ergo no papists are in prison or restrained of libertie Rom. 11. 4. The text I haue left me seuen thousand men that haue not bowed their knees to ⸫ Baal The note The heretikes adde
to you for your selues haue learned of God to loue one another The note All catholike christians make one fraternitie The answer Howsoeuer they differ in time or place whether they be dead or aliue and wheresoeuer they be scattered vpon the face of the earth 1. Thes. 4. 11 The text But we desire you brethren that you ⸫ abound more c. The note Christian men ought to proceed and profite continually in good works and iustification The answer If you had said sanctitie or sanctification your note had béene right but you are so gréedie and egerly bent vpon your inherent iustice that you care not what you confound for in the text there is no word of iustification 1. Thes. 4. 15. The text For this we saie to you in the word of our Lord that ⸫ we which liue which are remaining in the aduent of our Lord shal not preuent them that haue slept The note He speaketh in the person those which shal be aliue when our Sauiour returneth to iudgement The answer It is verie true and the cause why he so speaketh is to teach all men so to liue as if they were continually in present expectation of the comming of our Lord Sauior Christ to iudgement 1. Thes. 5. 8. The text But we that are of the day are sober hauing on the breast-plate of faith and ⸫ charitie an helmet the hop of saluation The note A Christian mans whole armour is not faith onely but all the three vertues heere named The answer And who but papists teach otherwise As for crosse and holiwater and such like there is no mention of them and yet these be the chéefe armour and weapons which our papists teach 1. Thes. 5. 17. The text ◠Praie without intermission The note To desire eternall life of him that onlie can giue it is to praie without intermission but bicause that desire is often by worldly cares cooled certaine houres and times of vocall praier were appointed See S. August e p. 121. ad Probam The answer You are not long in one minde One time to praie continually is to praie certaine times euerie daie an other time to pray continually is to aske life euerlasting at his hand that can onlie giue it And so it is what please you to make of it but this later enterpretation as I thinke dropped out of your pen ere you were aware For if God onlie can giue eternall life why do you request it of others As for appointed times to praie being a good meanes to stir vp our coldnes and negligence therein we both vse and like of 2. Thessalonians 2. Thes. 1. 5. The text So that we our selues also glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations which you sustaine for an example of the iust iudgement of God that ⸫ you may be counted worthy of the kingdome of God for the which also you suffer The note Note that by constant and patient suffering of afflictions for Christ men are worthy so the Greeke signifieth as the aduersaries them selues translate verse 11. of the croune of the kingdome of heauen and so doe merite and deserue the same See annot Luke 20. 35. And the Apostle heeresaieth that it is Gods iustice no lesse to repaie glory to the afflicted then to render punishment to them that afflict bicause of their contrarie desertes or merits The answer If you did not racke making worthie in English beyond the meaning of the spirit of God then to be made worthie of God to be counted worthie were all one for they whom God accounteth worthie are worthie indéed But yet it followeth not that they which are made worthie do deserue or merit the kingdome of God and the crowne of glorie by their inherent righteousnes which is the thing which both you would should prooue Your reason from the iustice of God followeth not Gods iustice indéede requireth that glorie be giuen or as you say repaied to the afflicted for his sake aswell as punishment to their afflicters not for the cause which you assigne but chieflie for his word and promise sake hauing promised that they which suffer with Christ shall also reigne with him and then also bicause it is iust that he put a difference betwéene the estates of those whome hée hath made so farre to differ your annotation or rather marginal note is answered before 2. Thess. 1. 10. The text When he shall come to be ⸫ glorified in his saints and to be made maruellous in all them that haue beleeued bicause our testimonie concerning you was credited in that day The note Christ shall be glorified in his Saints that is by the great and vnspeakeable honour and exaltation of them he shalbe honoured as now he is the honour which the Church doeth to them not diminishing Christs glorie as the aduersaries foolishlie pretend but exceedinglie augmenting the same The answer Bicause it is a glorie to Christ to aduance and exalt his saints in glorie doeth it follow therefore that it is lawfull for your church to giue to saints that which Christ giueth them not or that it is not sacriledge to rob Christ of al things due to him and to giue them to men be they neuer so holie We are not against anie lawfull aduancement of saints but against such as neither they can haue nor yet can stand with the glorie of our Christ. 2. Thess. 2. 3. The text Let no man seduce you by anie meanes for vnlesse there come a reuolt first and the man of sinne be reueiled the sonne of perdition which is an aduersarie and is ⸫ extolled aboue all that is called God or that is worshipped so that he sitteth in the temple of God shewing him selfe as though he were God The note How then can the Pope by Antichrist as the heretikes fondlie blaspheme who is farre from being exalted aboue God that he praieth most humblie not onelie to Christ but also to his blessed mother and all his saints The answer The proud presumptuous prerogatiues giuen to the Pope and accepted of him doeth verie well declare this exalting of him selfe which particularlie héere to recite were too long Other men as the most Reuerend father in God Master Iuel Bishop of Salisburie and master Fore in our mother tongue for the benefit of the poore people of England haue in this matter taken great paines to whom also I referre my reader But if there were no more but that which you note as an argument proofe of his humilitie it is sufficient and inough to conuince him of Antichristian pride he that taketh vpon him to be wiser then God exalteth him selfe aboue God he that will make his praiers to anie other then God taketh vpon him to be wiser then God Ergo he that maketh his praiers to anie other but God exalteth him selfe aboue God The maior as I take it is cleare and manifest and néede no proofe The minor is
triall you flie And if anie time you make a shew of comming to it then by and by your church must giue credite to your doctrine your church cannot erre your pope cannot erre we must beléeue your doctrine not bicause you can prooue it to haue come from the Apostles but bicause your church and pope haue giuen sentence for it but if you durst abide by your note we would easily shew your doctrin to be erronious 1. Tim. 6. 10. The text For the roote of all euill is couetousnes ⸫ which certaine desiring haue erred from the faith and haue intangled themselues in manie sorrowes The note As in the first chapter the lacke of faith and good conscience so here couetousnes and the desire of these temporall things and in the ende of this chapter presumption and boasting of knowledge are causes of falling from the faith heresie often being the punishment of former sins The answer It is very true that God punisheth sin by sin and that there be many causes for which wicked men are wont to forsake the faith which they do or did somtimes professe The causes in your note assigned lacke of faith and good conscience couetousnes presumption and boasting if all the world be sought from one end to the other there cannot any be founde in whom these causes haue so euidently concurred and wrought as in your most holy fathers of Rome wherein I referre my selfe to the credite of your owne stories 1. Tim. 6. 19. The text Command the rich of this world not to be high minded nor to trust in the vncertainty of riches but in the liuing God who giueth al things aboundantly to enioy to do wel to become rich in good works to giue easelie to communicate to heape vnto themselues a good ⸫ foundation for the time to come that they may apprehend the true life The note Almes deeds and good works laid for a foundation and ground to attaine euerlasting life So say the doctors vpon this place The answer If you had shewed vs what doctors had so spoken we woulde haue shewed you their meaning But we know that neither they nor the apostles ment by the word foundation to put Christ out of his office or place but onlie to oppose against the vncertaintie of riches here the certaintie of promised blessednes in the time to come According to the saieng of our Lord and Sauiour Christ Blessed are the mercifull for they shall obtaine mercy 2. TIMOTHIE ◠Tim. 1. 6. The text For the which cause I admonish thee that thou resuscitate the grace of God which is in thee by imposition of my hands The note Heere againe it is plaine that holy orders giue grace and that euen by and in the externall ceremonie of imposing the bishops hands And it is a maner of speech specially vsed in this Apostle and S. Luke that orders giue grace to the ordered and that to take orders or authoritie to minister sacrament or preach is to be giuen or deliuered to Gods grace Acts. 14. 25. The answer Héere you say that that is plaine which no wise man can sée namely that holy orders giue grace in and by the externall ceremonie of imposing of the bishops hands For if that were so what néeded there be any choise of men furnished with gifts and graces for that purpose sith in the very ordering they should be sufficiently indued with gifts and graces necessarie and néedfull And how fel it out that there were so great a number of popish priests void and destitute of al gifts graces after their ordering when the bishop had conferred and bestowed vpon them all that he could It is euident by the manifold commendations that the Apostle giueth to Timothie as well for his owne studie in the scriptures as also for his bringing vp vnder his mother and grandmother that he was a man furnished with gifts afore Paul and the elders ordered him But bicause the praiers of the church in that his consecrating to the worke of God were not in vaine that blessing and increase of aptnesse and fitnesse which God at their petitions gaue him at that time is called the gift or grace by imposition of hands In the like order it is true that all those which be rightly ordered are deliuered to the grace of God bicause the same God who of his mercifull goodnes afore indued them with gifts made them fit and méete for the worke of his ministerie and mooued his church to call them thereunto afterward by and in the imploieng of their talents to his glorie and the benefit of his church and people increaseth and augmenteth their gifts 2. Tim. 1. 13. The text Haue thou a forme of sound words which thou hast heard of me in faith and in ⸫ the loue in Christ Iesus The note Faith and loue coupled commonly togither in this Apostles writing The answer Paul so speaketh of them bicause faith and loue be companions inseparable But such mates as you are bend themselues to vncouple these to the end they might haue some probable shew of matter to prate withall against iustification by onely faith 2. Tim. 1. 16. The text Our Lord giue mercie to the house of Onesiphorus bicause he hath often refreshed me and hath ⸫ not beene ashamed of my chaine The note What an happie and meritorious thing it is to releeue the afflicted for religion and not to be ashamed of their disgrace yrons or what miserie so euer The answer Put meritorious into your purse and vnderstand true religion and then we agrée to your note 2. Tim. 2. 10. The text Therefore ⸫ I sustaine all things for the elect that they also may obtaine the saluation which is in Christ Iesus with heauenly glorie The note Marke heere that the elect though sure of their saluation yet are saued by the means of their preachers and teachers as also by their owne endeuor The answer Marke héere the force and might of truth which hath héere wrested this confession of truth from you that the elect are sure of their saluation to which the whole course of your doctrine is opposite The ministerie of the word and mens owne endeuors to attaine the knowledge of the truth we acknowledge to be meanes appointed of God to saue those which be his 1. Tim. 2. 16. The text But profane and vaine speeches auoid The note See the annotation before 1. Timoth. 6. verse 20. The answer We haue séene your note and do sée that both your reasons and authorities there stand very well against your selues But I refer the answer of it to the answer of all your annotations 1. Tim. 2. 25. The text But the seruant of our Lord must not wrangle but be mild towards all men apt to teach patient with modestie admonishing them that resist the truth least sometime ⸫ God giue them repentance to know the truth The note Conuersion from sinne and heresie is the gift of God and of his speciall grace yet
heere we see good exhortations and praier and such other helps of man be profitable thereunto which could not be if we had not freewill The answer That conuersion from sin is the gift of God and that all helps by man which God hath thereto appointed are néedfull and necessarie it is manifest but it is impossible that the industrie of man should do good where God createth not a new hart and reneweth not a right will For the will and wisedome of man is enimitie to God And so appéereth the vanitie of your conclusion for frée will 2. Tim. 3. 8. The text But as Iannes and Iambres resisted Moises so these also resist the truth men corrupted in minde reprobate concerning the faith The note That those Magicians which resisted Moises were thus called it is not written in all the old Testament therefore it came to the Apostles knowledge by tradition as the church now hath the names of the three Kings of the penitent theefe of the souldier that pearced Christs side on the crosse The answer Howsoeuer Paul had the names of those magicians to vs it is not materiall We are sure the spirit of God hath now to vs made them knowen by him and therefore it followeth not that we must beléeue your fabulous narrations of the names number dignitie and such like of the wise men wherein you make of East West and of West East contrarie to the manifest truth so that the wiser sort of your selues do not beléeue those toies but your Romish church hath deliuered it to her children let them that will willinglie be deceiued be deceiued by her 2 Tim. 3. 14. The text But thou ⸫ continue in those things which thou hast learned and are committed to thee knowing of whom thou hast learned The note In all danger and diuersitie of false sectes Saint Pauls admonition is euer to abide in that was first taught and deliuered neuer to giue ouer our old faith for a new fansie This is it which before he calleth depositum 1. Timothie 6. and 2. Timothie 1. The answer And why did not Paul admonish men to hold fast that which the Pope and the church of Rome should prescribe bicause that should not or could not erre or stray from the first faith Or why do not you setting all other things apart enter into that triall with vs whether our doctrine or yours were the former Your whole doctrine swarueth farre from the first faith which the Apostles planted and the greatest part thereof is quite destitute of all testimonie of antiquitie 2. Tim. 4. 6. The text For I am euen now ⸫ to be sacrificed and the time of my resolution is at hand The note The martyrdome of Saints is so acceptable to God that it is counted as it were a sacrifice in his sight and therefore hath manie effectes both in the partie that suffereth it and in others that are partakers of the merit as of a sacrifice which name it hath by a Metaphore The answer The voluntarie suffrings of most bitter and cruel death for Gods cause of Gods saints are accepted of God as a most swéete sacrifice The effectes in the partie that suffereth bicause you haue not vttered what they be I can not imagine your meaning therefore know not what to say to it The effects it hath in others if you had dealt plainlie you should haue said to be the confirmation and strengthening of other christians by their suffrings But you come couertlie in with the partaking or partnership of their merits to make a way for the maintenance of your holie fathers gainfull marchandize for he hath the bestowing of all the merits of Peter and Paul and other saintes and they are admitted to be partakers of them that will paie most for them 2. Tim. 4. 21. The text Eubulus and pudens and Linus and Claudia and all the brethren salute thee The note This Linus was coadiutor with and vnder Saint Peter and so counted second in the number of the popes The answer It is strange to sée how boldly our papists can set downe that which by no meanes they can be sure of first therefore good reader thou art to vnderstand that by the testimonie of all stories Peter and Paul suffered death at Rome both in one day If euer Linus therefore were bishop of Rome by the Apostles life time he was at this present when they were so néere their end that they dailie looked to be sacrificed But it is not likelie that he was as then aduaunced to that dignitie when neither Paul mentioneth him as bishop or as his or Peters coadiutor or fellow labourer and also setteth diuers other Christians afore him in his salutation which had béene a verie vnmannerlie part and a great forgetfulnesse of dutie in the Apostles if Linus had then béene Bishop there and so Christs vicar generall But bicause you terme him Saint Peters coadiutor there I pray you tel me was Saint Peter there now or no I will not vse the reason that Paul not onlie héere but alwaies forgetteth him amongst those whom he nameth in his salutations whereof groweth great likelihood that he was neuer there whiles Paul wrote thence But if he were now and before there Paul maketh a verie great and pitifull complaint of him that he amongst the rest forsook him But I had rather say he was not yet come to Rome and that Paul made Linus the first Bishop there as your Clemens also affirmeth then to admit so great an absurditie against Peter The succession of the bishops of Rome which you so much glory of and vpon the authoritie whereof your church resteth is vncertaine vaine obscure and such as your selues can make no certaine report of TITVS Tit. 1. 15. The text All things are ⸫ cleane to the cleane but to the polluted and infidels nothing is cleane but polluted are both their minds and consciences The note He speaketh not of the church absteining from meats sometimes which is not for anie vncleannes in the creatures but for chastening their bodies but he meaneth the Iewish superstition who now being christians would not cease to put difference of cleane and vncleane according to their old law See Aug. cont Faust. lib. 31. cap. 4. The answer I easily beléeue that he ment not of that which was not for your churches superstition in that matter was not yet growne But you haue brought about by your lawes of abstinencie that your simple followers in the extremitie of sicknes when there cannot be any pretence of chastening their bodies thereby are so snarled in conscience that they dare not touch or tast that which is necessary to preserue life and to restore health withal Besides chastening of your bodies in your ordinarie abstinence in poperie hath no probable shew For your richer sort neuer fare more delicately nor fill their bellies more gluttonouslie then when they abstaine from ordinarie meats and hunt after extraordinarie delicates So that no mans bodies are