triumphant The answer The ioy and comfort of all the saints of God to thinke of Now euerie gift which we receiue in this life is a pledge and token of that loue wherewith Christ hath imbraced his church as his spouse but then she shall be perfectlie adorned and beautified and put into actuall possession of al the good things which are Christs her husbands Apoc. 21. 3. The text And I heard a loud voice from the throne saieng behold ⸫ the tabernacle of God with men and he wil dwel with them The note This Tabernacle is Christ according to his humanitie The answer Though it be true that by the incarnation of our Lord and sauiour Christ and his taking vpon him our nature God dwelleth with vs yet héere it is spoken of Gods receiuing vs into the participation of the glorie of his Christ. For then when we shall be receiued into eternall and euerlasting felicitie this societie coniunction and dwelling of God and man togither shall most cléerly and perfectly appéere Apoc. 21. 4. The text And God shall wipe away all teares from their eies and death shall be no more nor moorning nor crieng neither shall there be sorrow any more which ⸫ first things are gone The note This happie day shal make an end of all the miseries of this mortality The answer God is likened to a mother which wipeth away the teares from the infants eies and chéekes whereby is signified that not onely there shall be an end of the miseries of this mortalitie but also that there shall remaine no token step nor print of our former calamities Apoc. 21. 7. The text He that shall ouercome ⸫ shall possesse these things and I will be his God and he shall be my sonne The note He that hath the victorie in the church militant shall haue his reward in the triumphant The answer If hope of praie and spoile and liberall intertainment make men to aduenture them selues and their liues for victorie howe much more we whose liues are a continuall warfare who are most certaine and assured of victorie should manfullie and valiantlie fight against all spirituall enemies sith the liberalitie of God is so great to victors and conquerors Apoc. 21. 8. The text But ⸫ to the fearfull and incredulous and execrable and murderers and fornicators and sorcerers and idolaters and all liers their part shalbe in the poole burning with fire and brimstone which is the second death The note All that commit mortall sinnes and repent not shall be damned The answer The wages of euerie sinne is death All impenitent sinners therefore how smal soeuer their sinne séeme to be shalbe damned which is also plainly here insinuated in that not onelie vnbeléeuers other grosse and foule sinners in the common iudgement of men are reckoned but also and that first of all those which are fearfull and cowards in Gods cause are set which is a fault that most men little regard and make a small account of and therefore all sins without repentance draw men to damnation Apoc. 〈◊〉 11. The text And he tooke me vp in spirit into a mountaine great and high and he shewed me the holie citie Hierusalem descending out of heauen from God ⸫ hauing the glorie of God And the light thereof like to a pretious stone as it were to the Iasper stone euen as Christall The note The glorie of the triumphant church The answer Which though it be héere excellently swéetly and delectably shadowed yet it doth excéed far the capacitie and reach of our dull braines and weake vnderstanding in this vale of miserie Howbeit the holy Ghost doth thus describe it to the end that we considering the excellencie of this description and waieng that that the holy Ghost hath but shadowed these things by the most excellent earthly things that are we should be wholy rapt and inflamed with the loue of these things and haue our eies continually vpon them and long and earnestly desire to haue the actuall fruition of them Apoc. 21. 12. The text And it had a wall great and high hauing twelue gates and in the gates twelue Angels and names written thereon which are ⸫ the names of the twelue tribes of the children of Israel The note The names of the patriarks and apostles honorable and glorious in the triumphant church The answer In respect of the promises made to the fathers and in respect of the doctrine of truth and sauing health deliuered to the whole church by the holy apostles and in whatsoeuer respect beside that you can reckon neither derogating from the glorie of God nor dissonant from the truth of his word Apoc. 21. 16. The text And ⸫ the citie is situated quadrangle wise and the length thereof is as great as also the bredth and he measured the citie with the reed for twelue thousand furlongs the length and height and bredth thereof be equall The note See S. Hierom ep 17. touching this description of the heauenly Hierusalem which is the church triumphant teaching that thes◠things must be taken spiritually not carnally The answer This admonition is very necessarie for your poore blind followers who know nothing and are vtterly destitute of all vnderstanding But alack how is it possible for them to take these things spiritually who are altogither carnall led by masters and teachers which are themselues void of the spirit of God But out of poperie in this light of the Gospell it is hard to find any so ignorant that thinketh not that these things ought to be spiritually vnderstood Apoc. 21. 22. The text And ⸫ temple I saw not therein For our Lord God omnipotent is the temple thereof and the lambe The note All externall sacrifices which now is the necessarie duetie of the faithfull shall then cease and therefore shall neede no materiall temple The answer The sacrifice which your minde runneth of is now no dutie of a christian And though we haue now places to méete in to heare and learne the word to praie and to praise God in to celebrate the misteries which he hath left to his church and to vse all spirituall exercises yet temples we haue none for God him selfe is our temple for we dwell in him and we are his temple for his spirit dwelleth in vs. As for your propitiatorie sacrifices you may take paines to returne them to Rome from whence they came Apoc. 21. 27. The text There shall ⸫ not enter into it anie polluted thing nor that doeth abomination and maketh lie but they are written in the booke of life of the lambe The note None not perfectlie clensed of their sinnes can enter into this heauenlie Hierusalem The answer You know that in this life we know but in part we loue but in part and therefore no worke perfectlie good can procéede from vs. Those therefore that put confidence in the meritoriousnesse of mens workes can not enter into this Ierusalem And I muse that you tremble not and quake not when you
and raigne ouer actuall transgressors but also ouer infants and babes skant borne Rom. 6. 〈◊〉 The text For ⸫ we are buried together with him by baptisme into death that as Christ is risen from the dead by the glorie of the father so we also may walke in newnesse of life The note Remission of sinne new life sanctification and iustification are giuen by baptisme bicause it resembleth in vs and applieth to vs Christs death and resurrection and ingraffeth vs into him The answer And whie doo you not say that these are giuen vs by baptisme ex opere operato for that I know is your meaning And otherwise we do know that God doeth trulie exhibite his promised graces to beléeuing receiuers Rom. 6. 17. The text But thankes be to God that you were the seruants of sinne but ⸫ haue obeied from the hart vnto that forme of doctrine into the which you haue bene deliuered The note Heere againe is signified that our discharge from the bondage of sinne is by the Christian faith and by obedience to the whole doctrine of Christes religion in that the Apostle attributeth this their deliuerance from sinne to their humble receiuing of the Catholike faith The answer Here is signified that sanctification and hartie obedience to the catholike doctrine 〈◊〉 consequents of iustification by faith and so of our fréedome from sinne But that their humble receiuing and obeieng that doctrine is the cause of their deliuerance from sin is your dreame and neither the apostles spéech nor meaning Rom. 6. 19. The text For as you haue exhibited your members to serue vncleannes and iniquitie vnto iniquitie so now exhibite your members to serue ⸫ iustice vnto sanctification The note He signifieth that as when they were subiect to sinne by continual and often working wickednes they encreased in iniquitie that so also nowe being iustified they may and should by externall works of iustice encrease their iustice and sanctification The answer Under the ambiguous name of iustice you séeke to confounde iustification and sanctification to the end you may giue the better colour to your inherent righteousnes Therefore to auoide your fraude I distinctly answere that as iniquitie is increased by continuance in euill works so sanctitie begun in the children of God is augmented and encreased by all maner of holie exercises Rom. ◠2. The text For the woman that is vnder a husband ⸫ her husband liuing is bounde to the law but if her husband be dead she is loosed from the law of hir husband The note Nothing but death dissolueth the band betwixt man and wife though for fornication one may depart from an others companie Therefore to marrie againe is adulterie during the life of the partie separated The answer That death dissolueth the bande of matrimonie is in this place manifest but that nothing but death dissolueth it that is your addition and hath no iust or good ground If you woulde vouchsafe to giue vs a definition of the band of matrimonie the matter would quickly be made manifest and plaine In the meane space your conclusion which is that it is adultery to marrie againe during the life of the parfie separated followeth after your woonted maner that is like a stragler Rom. 7. 4. The text Therefore my brethren ⸫ you also are made dead to the law by the bodie of Christ that you may be an other mans who is risen again from the dead that we may fructify to god The note Being now baptized and dead to sinne and engraffed in Christs mystical body you are discharged of the law of Moyses are free in Christ. The answer If you vnderstand this our death to the law and so consequentlie our discharge from it not absolutely but as it is the strength of sinne then I allow and like of your note Rom. 7. 6. The text But now we are loosed from the law of death wherein we were deteined in so much we serue in ⸫ newnes of spirit and not in oldnes of the letter The note By baptisme we haue not Christs iustice imputed to vs but an inward newnes of spirit giuen vs and resident in vs. The answer How prooue you your negatiue Why haue we not both Do not they which are baptized put on Christ If they put on Christ are they not adorned and beautified with his righteousnes imputed to them Or doth God giue Christ to them and not the benefits of Christ togither with him Nay this newnes of spirit giuen vs and resident in vs is a necessarie consequent of the former imputed to vs by faith But you would faine exclude the former to leaue place alone for your inherent iustice Rom. 7. 8. The text But ⸫ occasion being taken sinne by the commandement wrought in me all concupiscence For without the law sinne was dead The note Sinne or concupiscence which was a sleepe before was wakened by prohibition the law not being the cause thereof nor giuing occasion therunto but occasion being taken by our corrupt nature to resist that which was commanded The answer The corrupt nature of man is prone to doo that which is forbidden no maruel then though occasion of sinning be taken from whence it is not giuen But your blindnes is maruellous that you can not sée this corruption of nature to be aswell sin as the cause of sinne in all men Rom. 8. 4. The text For that which was impossible to the law in that it was weakened by the flesh God sending his sonne in the similitude of the flesh of sinne euen of sin condemned sinne in the flesh that the ⸫ iustification of the law might be fulfilled in vs who walke not according to the flesh but according to the spirit The note This conuinceth against the churches aduersaries that the law that is Gods commandements may be kept and that the keeping thereof is iustice and that in Christian men that is fulfilled by Christs grace which by the force of the law could neuer be fulfilled The answer Who are so blinde as they which will not sée The text and circumstances thereof are plaine that whereas it is impossible for any to be iustified by obseruing or kéeping the law for that it was of no strength or as you translate it to weake for that by reason of the flesh God hath prouided a remedie for that in his Christ who being sent in our nature hath fulfilled the law for vs which benefite of his is made ours by grace of imputation and so the iustification of the law fulfilled in vs. This conuinceth that the law may be kept not by others but by Christ and that the kéeping thereof is iustice and our iustice but inherent in Christ and ours by imputation and grace and therefore is not saide to be fulfilled of vs but in vs. Rom. 8. 14. The text For whosoeuer ⸫ are by the spirit of God they are the sons of God The note He meaneth not that the children of God be violently compelled against their
men from the true catholike and vniuersall church and so bring them to the pit of perdition Iohn 8. 49. The text Iesus answered ⸫ I haue no diuell but I do honor my father and you haue dishonored me The note He denieth not that he is a Samaritane bicause he is our keeper or protector as the word signifieth and bicause he is indeed that mercifull Samaritane in the parable of the wounded man Luk. 10. 33. August tract 43. in Iohn The answer Augustine as some other also of the fathers is much delighted with allegories sometime more then enough But why did you not spare Augustine héere where you néeded him not and vse him afore in that you knew would be denied to you to prooue that works make men the children of Abraham what is it not bicause you could get no helpe at his hand Iohn 9. 3. The text Iesus answered ⸫ neither hath this man sinned nor his parents but that the works of God may be manifested in him The note Though manie infirmities fall for sinne yet not all some comming for probation and some sent that God by the cure thereof may be glorified The answer Men are not rashly to be iudged of for the afflictions or the infirmities which God laieth vpon them or theirs Considering that God hath diuers ends purposes for the which he scourgeth his owne chosen children as wel as the vngodly wicked and reprobate Iohn 9. 5. The text The night commeth ⸫ when no man can worke The note The time of working and meriting is in this life after death we can deserue no more by our deeds but must onely receiue good or ill according to the difference of works heere The answer If this note be true then how excuse you your selues in making men pay for your praiers your pardons masses diriges trentals and such like trash for the soules of their friends departed séeing works after death do them no good and séeing they must receiue according to that they haue done in their bodies whether it be good or bad Are you not ashamed to cosin your credulous followers Your coupling of works and merits déedes and deseruing is not woorth the noting bicause it cannot now besot any but méere fooles Iohn 9. 7. The text Go ⸫ wash in the poole of Siloe which is interpreted sent The note This was a figure of baptisme to which al men borne in sin and blindnes are sent for health sight Ambrose Lib. 3. cap. 2. de Sacramentis The answer Stil we must sée your great reading and your followers must thinke that there is no such clearks in the whole world againe The truth of Ambroses spéech héerin is not woorth the discussing but it is ynough to you that a father speaketh it if it be not against anie thing determined by your church of Rome Iohn 9. 24. The text They therefore againe called the man that had beene blind and said to him ⸫ Giue glorie to God we know that this man is a sinner The note So saie the heretikes when they derogate from miracles done by Saints or their relikes pharisaically pretending the glorie of God As though it were not Gods glory when his saints do it by his power vertue yea his greater glorie that doth such things by his seruants and by the meanest things belonging to them as Peters shadow Act. 5. and Paules napkin Act. 9. The answer If by pretence of giuing glorie to God the pharisies had not gone about to derogate from the glory of our Lord and Sauiour Christ their words had not béene faultie We confesse that by the smaller and weaker things God worketh the more his glory thereby appéereth Yet that maketh nothing for your impudent shamelesse forged miracles as in making our Ladie a chappell kéeper I will not saie a baude in a nunnerie xv yéeres togither to couer the vile life of Beatrix the Nun who plaied the whoore so many yéeres togither Do you thinke that such miracles as this will make to the glorie of God And yet your bookes of lies are full of them Iohn 9. 39. The text And Iesus saide to him For iudgement came I into this world ⸫ that they that see not may see and they that see may become blind The note By this we see that this miracle was not onely marueilous and beneficiall to the blind but also significatiue of taking away spirituall blindnes The answer It is very true that the miracles of Christ were not lik popish miracles strange things onlie to be wondered at but foretold by the prophet Esaie beneficiall to the parties for whom they were done or wrought and significatiue that is bearing witnes to the truth of his doctrine All which properties the lying signes and wonders of the popish church want Iohn 10. 1. The text He that entreth not by doore into the folde of sheepe but climeth vp another way he is ⸫ a thiefe and a robber The note The thiefe is the heretike speciallie and anie other that vnlawfully breake in vpon the sheepe to kill and to destroy them by false doctrine and otherwise The answer Poperie is a dunghill compacted of the shreds of many heresies Christ being the onlie doore and heauen the folde prouided for the safe kéeping of Gods flocke the papists must néedes bée théeues and robbers for that they will clime into heauen by many waies besides Christ. Iohn 10. 4. The text And when he hath let foorth his owne sheepe hee ⸫ goeth before them and the sheepe follow him bicause they knowe his voice The note That is the fashion of Iurie and other countries signifiyng that the shepherd or pastor must teach the sheepe and not they him The answer Onlie England haue their shéepe and other cattell wander abroad harmelesse hauing no kéeper which in other countries is counted a miracle Your signification we accept and therefore conclude that you are none of Christs shéepe bicause you take vpon you to set your shepherd to schoole Further it is to be noted how continuallie the scripture calleth the shéepe of Christ to the hearkening to his voice contrarie to the papists who call all to the harkening to and obeying of their church Iohn 10. 15. The text As the father knoweth me and I know my father ⸫ I yeeld my life for my sheepe The note Christs death was so necessarie for the flocke that when he might haue escaped he voluntarilie offered him selfe to death for his flocke The answer That Christs death was necessarie in word you graunt but when it cōmeth to péecing of it with other parts of your doctrine it must stand for a worke néedlesse else it can not hold togither For if the blood of saint Thomas could helpe vs to heauen what néeded Christ to haue shed his blood for vs Iohn 10. 16. The text And ⸫ other sheepe I haue that are not of this fold them also I must bring and they shall heare my voice and there shall be made one fold
making cleane but you will neuer leaue your lieng We do not so speake of preaching onely that we exclude any helpe which God hath giuen vs besides But you exclude the word when you tie grace to the outward worke of your vnpreaching priests And you adde a number of helps of your owne as salt spittle oile creame and such like trumperie which God neuer appointed to his church but the proud presumption of man hath brought in Iohn 15. 7. The text If you ⸫ abide in me and my words abide in you you shall aske what thing soeuer you will and it shall be done to you The note If a scismatike pray neuer so much he is not heard bicause he remaineth not in the bodie of Christ. The answer I conclude therefore that the praiers of papists are vnprofitable bicause they haue cut themselues from the ancient catholike church of Christ and therefore remaine not in his bodie Iohn 15. 20. The text If they haue persecuted me you also will they persecute if they haue kept my word ⸫ yours also will they keepe The note He foresheweth that many will not obey the churches wâ—rds and no maruell bicause they contemned Christs owne precepts The answer As the Iewes cried the temple of the Lord when they had conuerted it into a den of théeues euen so crie you The church The church But as then the prophets shewed to them by their manifold contempts of Gods coÌ„mandements that their words were lieng and counterfet words euen so we shew that your church is the synagog of sathan and prooue it bicause she will be credited both aboue the word of Christ and contrary to the word of Christ. Iohn 16. 2. The text Out of the synagogues they will ⸫ cast you The note The heretikes translate Excommunicate you See what corruption this is and the reason thereof Annot. ca. 9. 22. The answer If to excommunicate be to put men from their coÌ„munion and fellowship in seruice praier and sacraments then this casting out is excommunication and so rightly translated The cause that you in your annotations imagine that is to bring the churches excommunication into contempt is friuolous and beareth no shew of truth sith excommunication amongst vs is vsed as a principall censure of our church And you your selues cannot denie but when hypocrites haue crept into authoritie this censure is abused as your confesse saieng the excommunication of heretikes is ridiculous And I pray you what made the rulers of the Iewes afraid of this casting out Was it not bicause in common estimation they should be estéemed as none of Gods people and what else is excommunication but to make the excommunicate to be estéemed as ethnikes and publicans Iohn 16. 13. The text But when he the spirit of truth commeth ⸫ he shall teach you all truth The note If he shall teach all truth and that for euer as before 14. 16. how is it possible that the church can erre or hath erred at anie time or in any point The answer Whosoeuer followeth that truth which the spirit taught the Apostles and swarueth not there from doth not erre But with you the pope can not erre the councels cannot erre the multitude of those whom you account the pastors of your church cannot erre As though Christ by this promise had tied his spirit to theÌ„ which we denie and you are not able to prooue Their errors are as manifest as the light so grosse and palpable that they may be groped You know that some of the greatest learned of your side are driuen to distinguish betwéene the pope and a man bicause as a man he may erre as a pope he cannot Iohn 16. 23. The text Amen Amen I saie to you if you aske the father any thing in my name he will giue it you The note Vpon this the church concludeth all hir praiers per Christum Dominum nostrum euen those that be made to saints The answer Is Christ bound to you must he needes be at your commandement whither he will or no He promiseth indéed that if they aske the father any thing in his name he will giue it And can you constreine him to giue it if we aske others Can your fansie be an assured warrant for it or from whence else can you fetch any good ground for it The commandement of Christ the example of Christ the doctrine of Christ and the guiding and direction of the holie Ghost do leade vs to praie to none but to God And what are you Or what is your church that we should beléeue you against all these Iohn 17. 1. The text These things spake Iesus and lifting vp his eies into heauen he said Father the houre is come ⸫ glorifie thy sonne that thy sonne may glorifie thee The note The father glorifieth the sonne by raising him from death exalting him vp to his right hand making all creatures to bowe downe at his name and giuing him all power and iudgement The sonne againe glorifieth his father by making his honor which onely in a maner was in Ieâ—rie before now knowen to all nations The answer You papists spoile the sonne of all glorie first in taking awaie from his glorified bodie the nature of a bodie and so making it no bodie or nothing Secondly in giuing that to others for which he is aduanced to the right hand of his father Thirdlie in setting the pope a mortall man aboue him in power and iudgement You spoile the Father also of his glorie by taking the key of knowledge from the multitude and so as much as in you lieth reducing the knowledge of God againe to a verie fewe Iohn 17. 11. The text Holie father ⸫ keepe them in thy name whom thou hast giuen me that they may be one as also we The note His petition is specially to keepe the apostles and his church in vnitie and from schisâ—â—es The answer It is verie true that Christ doth commend vnto his fathers protection and defence the vnitie of his church and children Iohn 17. 19. The text And for them do I ⸫ sanctifie my selfe that they also may be sanctified in truth The note To sanctifie himselfe is to sacrifice himselfe by dedicating his holie bodie and blood to his father both vpon the crosse and in his holy Sacrament The answer To sanctifie himselfe is to separate and seuer himselfe wholy to the vses of God his father which dedication of himselfe was plainly and euidently to be séene in his whole life and in euerie action thereof Which in some sort may also be called a sacrifice as also our reasonable seruice of God is termed a sacrificing of our selues But bicause the chéefe part of his priestly 〈◊〉 in this life was put in execution in his death in his sacrifice vpon his crosse therfore by way of excellencie the chéefe point of our sanctifieng by him is attributed to the then dedicating of himselfe to God for vs. But what is this toward the
garments which Dorcas made them The note The praiers of our almes folke and beades men may do vs great good euen after our departure For if they procured hir temporall life how much more may they helpe vs to Gods mercie and to release of punishment in purgatorie The answer You delight your selues with fond and foolish kinds of reasoning I pray you shew me some rule for the consequence of your reason Praiers of the liuing haue somtimes obtained restitution to life of some newly dead ergo they may procure release of punishment after death Your antecedent is confirmed by manifest examples the consequent is grounded and resteth onely vpon your méer imagination and hath not so much as a color of truth Acts. 10. 15. The text And a ⸫ voice came to him againe the second time That which God hath purified do not thou call common The note Heere God first vttered to Peter that the time was come to preach also to the Gentils and to conuerse with them for their saluation no lesse than with the Iewes with full freedome to eate all meats without respect of the prohibition of certaine made in the old law The answer Héere we sée that we know but in part and that euerie man hath but his measure in gifts therefore it is but a vaine brag of papists that all knowledge resteth in the popes brest except they can prooue the pope now to haue more knowledge than Peter then had Acts. 10. 30. The text And Cornelius said Foure daies since vntill this houre I was ⸫ praying the ninth houre in my house The note At the time of praier speciallie God sendeth comfortable visitations The answer So that God be praied to and not others so mens petitions be grounded vpon Gods promises and so made in faith so mens mindes in praier be not wandering and caried away with by-thoughtes and so they be earnest and importunate and giue not ouer foorthwith God doeth not onlie graunt them the comforts they pray for but also often pitieth their ignorance in asking and graunteth that which they could not aske as héere to Cornelius the knowledge or our Saâ—iour by the ministerie of Peter Acts 10. 31. The text And behold a ⸫ man stood before me in white apparel and said Cornelius thy praier is heard and thy almes deeds are in memorie in the sight of God The note Note these apparitions and visions to Saint Peter Cornelius and others in the Scriptures verie often against the incredulitie of our heretiks that will beleeue neither vision nor miracle not expressed in scripture these being beleeued of Christian men euen before they were written The answer Miracles crediblie reported at anie time so they tend to the glorie of God and confirmation of his truth deliuered to vs in his word we easilie admit But others that bring with them no profit or vphold and giue credit to falsehood and vntruth of which sort all or in a maner all the miracles of the popish church are we holde either for lies deuised by your selues or for illusions of Sathan Acts. 10. 35. The text But in euerie nation he that feareth him and ⸫ worketh iustice is acceptable to him The note Not such as beleeue onlie but such as feare God and worke iustice are acceptable to him The answer Bée there I pray you anie infidels that worke righteousnes if there be then what is become of that without faith it is impossible to please God If none can haue good works that hath not faith than whie also on the contrarie part doo ye not graunt that none can haue a true and a liuelie faith but as time and occasion serueth he must shew it foorth by the fruits and effects thereof Your reason from doing to being alone followeth not except you will say that the tongue speaketh not alone because it is not alone in the head but I am wearie with oft answering this fond cauill Acts. 11. 18. The text Hauing heard these things they ⸫ held their peace and glorified God saying God then to the Gentiles also hath giuen repentance vnto life The note Good Christians heare and obey gladlie such truthes as be opened vnto them from God by their chiefe pastors by vision reuelation or otherwise The answer Héere are verie manie things to be noted which you are very loath to sée bicause they shake diuerse and principall pillars of your religion First the church might and did call Peter to an accompt of his doings and doctrine How then hath the Pope that prerogatiue that he may not be called in question for any thing Secondly the multitude of the visible church do notwithstanding the promise of the holie Ghost erre in a matter of so great importance as concerneth the saluation of the Gentiles what prerogatiue hath the church gotten since that the multitude thereof may not somtime in some matters erre Thirdly the whole church espieth their fault and yéeldeth to the truth at the teaching and instruction of one But with you consent of multitude must preuaile howsoeuer truth stand Acts. 12. 4. The text Whom when he had apprehended he cast into prison deliuering him ⸫ to fower quaternions of soldiers to be kept The note As Peters person was more notorious than others and therfore better garded than other for feare he should escape so Gods prouidence in preseruing and deliuering him for the longer gouernment of his church is very maruellous The answer We will not reason the matter how notorious the person of Peter was It is manifest that as yet he had not béene at Rome neither was possessed of a triple crowne But this comfort we reape out of this place that bicause the arme of God is not shortened nor his power lessened he watcheth ouer his still he sléepeth not by day nor slumbereth by night therefore he will deliuer his as maruellously still from the crueltie of the pope and his adherents Acts. 12. 12. The text And considering he came to the ⸫ house of Marie the mother of Iohn who was surnamed Marke where many were gathered and praieng The note It is much for the praise of these good Christians that the assemblie to Gods seruice and praier was kept in their houses in the time of persecution and that the Apostle came thither straight out of prison as his first refuge As now Christian people do much to their commendation in places where heresie doth raigne The answer God increase the number of such Christians and grant them comfort and defence against all crueltie and rage of vnmercifull papists Acts. 12. 17. The text And going foorth he went ⸫ into another place The note Though God had so miraculously deliuered him yet he would not tempt God by tarieng among his persecutors but according to Christs commandement fled for a time The answer Why do you not tell vs whether he fled If he went to Rome and became bishop there then belike he was bishop there afore he was bishop of Antioch which
the protestants that they did trulie merite the same in this life The answer Whatsoeuer it pleaseth you to conceiue in your imagination that is by and by sufficientlie prooued The signification of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath beene often examined and yet it could neuer be shewed that it alwaies signifieth hire or wages due and that for worke for that must be prooued afore merit can follow For that which is not otherwise due but by promise may prooue the liberalitie of the giuer but not the merit of the receiuer And thus your proofes prooue nothing but that brag is a good dog and doth diligently serue your turne Apoc. 12. ◠The text And a great signe appeered in heauen The note The dragons incredulous persecuting multitude and Antichrist the chiefe head thereof The answer You haue deliuered a briefe summe of this chapter in my iudgement both bréefly and truly Apoc. 12. 1. The text ⸫ A woman clothed with the sunne and the moone vnder hir feet and on hir head a crowne of twelue stars The note This is properly and principally spoken of the church and by allusion of our blessed Ladie also The answer There be some of your side which least they should be driuen to admit Ecclesiam latentem an hidden church wrangle hard for the contrarie and so your doctors are not agréed on the case Apoc. 12. 3. The text And there was seene another signe in heauen and behold ⸫ a great red dragon hauing seuen heads and ten horns on his head seuen diademes The note The great diuell Lucifer The answer Bicause my purpose is but to answer you where cause is and not to write commentaries therefore I will not meddle with that which might be noted vpon the description of the diuell vnder the forme of a dragon Apoc. 12. 4. The text And his taile drew the third part of the stars of heauen and cast them to the earth The note The spirits that fall from their first state into apostasie with him and by his meanes The answer The taile of the dragon be hypocriticall false prophets As dragons and serpents carie their venim that they sting and poison withall in their tailes so the diuell seduceth and beguileth by his false lieng prophets The stars of heauen cast downe to the earth are the most noble and notable men that séeme far to excell all others brought to be altogither earthly minded and to refuse celestiall things Apoc. 12. 4. The text And the dragon stood before the woman which was readie to be deliuered that when she should be deliuered he might ⸫ deuour hir sonne The note The diuels endeuor against the churches children and specially our blessed Ladies onely sonne the head of the rest The answer It is true that the diuell that is so great an enimie to the children of the church beareth also a speciall malice to Christ the head of the church and would haue deuoured him but could not And bicause he knoweth that he cannot otherwise hurt nor harm Christ therefore he séeketh to swallow and deuour vs Christs brethren by the séed of the word and mightie working of Gods spirit begotten and borne of the church to God Apoc. 12. 1◠The text And ⸫ they ouercame him by the blood of the lambe and by the word of their testimonie and they loued not their liues euen vnto death The note When the Angels or we haue the victorie we must know that it is by the blood of Christ and so all is referred alwaies to him The answer You should haue said if you would haue spoken truly and so as much as please vs is referred to him For for to haue all referred to him is al that we contend and striue for Faith in his blood is the victorie whereby we ouercome the world and all our enimies The strength of nature the abilitie of frée will merits of our works crossing holie water indulgences pardons masses and whatsoeuer trumperie you striue for beside do nothing auaile to this Apoc. 12◠14. The text And there were giuen to the woman two wings of a great eagle that she might flie into the desert vnto hir place where she is nourished ⸫ for a time and times and halfe a time from the face of the serpent The note This often insinuation that Antichrists reigne shall be but three yeeres and an halfe Dan. 7. 25. Apocalipse 11. 2. 3. and in this chapter v. 6. c. 13. 5. prooueth that the heretikes be exceedingly blinded with malice that hold the pope to be Antichrist who hath ruled so many ages The answer Master Saunders in his demonstrations hath as doughtily done for you as so darke proofes out of such doubtful places could suffer and hath already receiued answer sufficient at the hands of that learned and reuerend man Master Whitakers You know how doubtfully all expositors expound these descriptions of the time and must we néedes credit you that it must be taken according to our vsuall supputation As for the ages which you suppose your pope hath ruled you may cut off the one halfe of them which I am sure you imagine Apoc. 13. 3. The text And all the earth was ⸫ in admiration after the beast The note They that now follow the simplest and grossest heretikes that euer were without seeing miracles would then much more follow this great seducer working miracles The answer They which learne of them that preach the word truly and sincerely cannot be seduced by miracles Bicause they know and haue learned that whatsoeuer miracles serue not to the confirmation of that doctrine which is taught vs in the word they are but illusions of the diuell and lieng signes of Antichrist which God doth send permit and suffer to shew who they be which constantly cleaue to him and his truth But on the contrarie part it is no maruell though your followers be easily seduced and beguiled First bicause they be ignorant and know nothing secondly bicause they depend vpon men who as they say cannot erre and not vpon the word of truth and therefore beléeue many things wherof they haue no ground but either lies or illusions Apoc. 13. ◠The text And he opened his mouth vnto blasphemies toward God ⸫ to blaspheme his name and his tabernacle and those that dwell in heauen The note No heretikes euer liker Antichrist than these in our daies specially in blasphemies against Gods church sacraments saints ministers and all sacred things The answer Lay away lieng and speake the woorst you can truly of those whom you call the heretikes of these daies and I am sure you cannot prooue your slanderous spéeches by them But in truth none be so like Antichrist as the pope and you his friends Wherin we will report nothing maliciously by any of contrary religion vnto you deuised but truly testified reported and witnessed by friends and fautors of the Romish power in their stories and writings One poisoned his God another cast his God into the fire