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A06863 A booke of notes and common places, with their expositions, collected and gathered out of the workes of diuers singular writers, and brought alphabetically into order. A worke both profitable and also necessarie, to those that desire the true vnderstanding & meaning of holy Scripture By Iohn Marbeck Merbecke, John, ca. 1510-ca. 1585. 1581 (1581) STC 17299; ESTC S112020 964,085 1,258

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how God worketh in the outward visible sacrament but his meruailous worke is in the worthy receiuers of the sacraments The wonderful worke of God is not in the water which onely washeth the body but God by his omnipotent power worketh wonderfully in the receiuers therof scouring washing and making them cleane inwardly as it were new men and celestiall creatures This haue all olde Authors wondred at this wonder passeth the capacitie of all mens wits how damnation is turned into saluation and of the sonne of the Diuell condemned into hell is made the sonne of God an inheritour of heauen This wonderfull worke of God all men may meruaile and wonder at but no creature is able sufficiently to comprehend it And as this is wondred at in the sacrament of Baptime how he that was subiect to death receiueth lyfe by Christ and his holy spirite so is this wondred at in the sacrament of Christs holy Table how the same lyfe is continued and endured for euer by continual feeding of Christs flesh and his bloud And these wonderfull workes of God toward vs we be taught by Gods ho●y word and his sacraments of bread wine water and yet be not these wonderfull workes of God in the Sacraments but in vs. Cranmer fol. 74. How the sacrament may be poysoned Pope Victor the third was poysoned in the Sacrament The Emperour Henry the seuenth was poysoned by a Dominike Frier named Barnardmus de monte policiano in receiuing the sacrament and yet may it be none other substance but the body and bloud of our Sauiour Christ God and man where if he had bene man they had poysoned him first but if he hadde bene God he would first haue espyed their poyson because hée cannot be deceiued And because he cannot deceiue he would not haue poysoned the Emperour who mistrusted nothing A. G. How the Sacrament was cast into the fire and burnt This wicked Pope Heldibrand sought by all meanes how he might destroy Henry the Emperour and on a time demaunded of the Sacrament of Christs body as the Heathen vse to doe of their Idolls what successe he should haue against him And because the sacrament spake not gaue him no aunswere he threw it into the fire maugrie all the Eardinalls that were about him said to the sacrament most blasphemously Could the Idoll gods of y● Heathen giue thē answere of their successe and canst not thou tell me How there is but two sacraments ¶ Looke Two When the sacrament was forbidden to be ministred in both kinds The sacrament was forbidden to be giuen in both y● formes vnto lay men in the generall Councell at Constaunce which was in the yere of our Lord. 1415. The words of the Councell Although Christ after supper ordeined this worshipfull Sacrament and gaue it vnder both the formes of bread and wine to his Disciples yet that notwithstanding the authoritie of the holy Canous and the laudable and approued custome of the Church hath ord●ined that the lay men should not receiue it Sacraments of the Elders compared to ours Chrisostome bringeth a very apt similitude in his Homely which he made vpon these words of Paule Our Fathers were baptised into Moses And in his vii Homely vpon the Epistle to the Hebrues Paint●rs saith he when they intend to 〈…〉 a King first draw out the proportion vpon a table with shadows and darke colours but yet in such sort that a man may by that deliniation although it be some what obscure easely perceiue that the Image of a King is there painted and harsemen Chariots such other like things which things are not yet straight way known of all men But afterward when the Painter hath layed on fresh colours and hath finished the worke those things which before by those first lines appered scarce begon and rude are now manifestly and opresly perceiued Such saith he were the sacraments of the Elders if they be compared with ours By these words it is manifest that Chrisostome was of y● op●nion that one and the selfe same thing is represented in our sacraments and in the sacraments of Elders although in theirs more obscurely and in ours more manifestly Pet. Mar. vpon the Rom. fol. 82. SACRIFICE What a Sacrifice is A Sacrifice is a voluntary action wherein we worship God and offer vnto him somewhat wherby we testifie his chiefe dignitie and dominion and our seruitude and submission towardes him Pet. Mart. vpon the Roman●s fol. 411. Againe A sacrifice saith he is a voluntary and a religious action instituted of God to offer vnto him our things vnto his glory and that thereby we may with a straighter ●and be coupled vnto him in holy societie To this definition of sacrifices must be added a perticipation Certaine sacrifices are propiciatorie and other of thankes giuing By the first kinde God is made mercifull vnto vs by the power and iust merite thereof but of this sort we haue but onely one forasmuch as onely by the death of Christ the eternall Father is neconciled vnto vs and by the merites of this one onely Oblation the sinnes of the elect are forgiuen but in the other kinde of sacrifice wée giue thankes vnto God we celebrate his name to our power wée obey his will Pet Mar. vpon Iudic. fol 63. Of two manner of sacrifices The sacrifice of reconciliation or redemption is to delyuer sinners from the wrath of God which doeth onely pertaine to our Sauiour Iesus Christ whereof all the Leuiticall sacrifices were but shadowes signes The Sacrifice of praise or thanks giuing is all the workes of the faithful wherewith they praise and laud God and labour to be ioined with him c. S. Austen himselfe doth expound it August lib. 10. de ciuita Dei cap. 6. I. Veron One kinde of sacrifice there is which is called a propiciatory or mercifull sacrifice that is to say such a sacrifice as pacifieth Gods wrath and indignation and obtaineth mercie and forgiuenesse for all our sinnes and is the raunsome of our redemption from euerlasting damnation And although in y● olde Testament there were certaine sacrifices called by that name yet in very deede there is but one such sacrifice whereby our sinnes be pardoned and Gods mercie and fauour obtained which is the death of the Sonne of God our Lorde Iesus Christ nor neuer was any other sacrifice propiciatory at anye time nor neuer shall be This is the honour glory of this our high Priest wherein he admitteth neither partner nor successour For by his one obsation he satisfied his father for all mens sinnes and recon●iled mankinde vnto his grace and fauour And whosoeuer depriue him of this honour and goe about to take it to themselues they be very Antichrists and most arrogant 〈…〉 phemers against God and against his Sonne Iesus Christ whome hee hath sent Another sacrifice there is which doeth not reconcile v● vnto God but is made of them
doubt not thereof eod L. Labans Gods how they were stolne 596. Labours The meaning of the place eod Ladder what is signified thereby eod Lay men how they ought to read the scriptures 597. The doctours affirmations 598. Of laye mens bookes 600. How saye men may baptise eod The opinion of Iohn Caluine eod How they haue ministred the sacrament 601. Laieng on of hands whoo the custreof me arose eod The meaning of the place 603. Lampes what they without oyle doe signifie eod Land what is ment by the crieng of the lande 604. Laodieia what the word signifieth eod Of the stri●e y● was ther for Easter eod Last Of the last day eod Who be last and who be first 605 Of the last farthing eod Latria what the word signifieth eod Lawe what the lawe is 606. Platoes definition of the lawe 607. What the office the vse of the law is 608. What the lawe of nature is eod What the lawe written is eod How the lawe is our scho lem●●ster 609. How the lawe first entred 610. How the lawe was giuen in thunder eo Wherefore the lawe was giuen eod How the lawe was giuen by Moses 611. How we are dead through the lawe eod How the lawe increaseth sinne 612. Why it is called y● messenger of death eod What the lawe of God requireth eod What it is to be vnder the lawe eod What it is not to be vnder the lawe 613. Why Paule calleth the booke of Genesis the lawe eo How the law is impossible to fulfill eod How the lawe is called a yoke 614. The difference between Gods lawe and mans eod Who hath fulfilled the lawe eod How the Gentiles wer not wtout law eod How the law maketh all men sinners eo How it maketh vs to hate God 615. How the law is spirituall eod How we dye to the lawe eod To die in the defence of the law eod The meaning of these places eod The argument of the lawe 616. The nature and office of the lawe and Gospell 617. Lazarus how the poore rich are matched together eod Of the loosing of Lazarus eod Left hand what Gods left hand sig 618. Legion what a Legion is eod League what a league is eo Of three kinde of seagues 619. Lend Net lend vpon vsury eo Len● wherevpon the lenten fast is gro●ided eod Why the father 's instituted Lent 620 Leper what the Leper signifieth 621 How a Leper was knowen eod Of the leprosie that Christ healed eod Lesse The meaning of the place eod Letanies what the Letanies were 622. Letter● what the letter signifieth eod How the letter killeth 623 How the letter and circumcision is taken heere 624 Leuen how it is diuersly taken in scrip eo Leuy Of Leuy otherwise called Mathew 625. Leuites what their office was eod How the place is to be vnderstood 626 Leu●athan what Lemathā signifieth 627 Libanus Charmel what they signi eod Libertie of Christ. To stand therein 628. Lye The definition of a lye eod Whether wee may lye to preserue or no. eod Of the Midwiues lye of Rahabs lye 629. How Paules Iye is excused eod Of one that would not lye 630 Of Abrahams Iye eo Of Dauids Iye eo Life how the places are expounded eod Whether a man may lengthen or shorten his life 631. Light who is the true light eod The meaning of the places 632. What is ment by the shining light 633. Wherfore these lights were ordeined eod Lilies what it is to gather vp Lilies eod Lion The meaning of the place 634 How they bee compared to the persecuters of Christ. eod How Tirants are likened to Lions 635 How they are fed by Gods prouidence 636. Locusts what manner of beasts they wer eod Loynes gird what is ment thereby eod The meaning of the place eod Long life how a good man may desire it eod Lord. how he is our shepheard feedeth vs. 638. Of the Lords helpe in trouble eod How the Lord suffereth long 639 Lordship The meaning of the place eod Lots how they may be vsed lawfully 640 Loue. Of the order of loue eod How it is the fulfilling of the lawe 641. How we ought to loue God 642. Why loue hath the chiefe place eod Of Mary Magdelens loue 643 How perfect loue casteth out all feare 644 The meaning of the place eod The difference betweene loue and charitie 645. Of 5● manner of loues eod Lowlinesse wherefore lowlinesse come to worship 646 Loosing and binding eod Of the loosing of Lazarus eod Lucifer what is ment by Lucifer eod Luke The life of Saint Luke eod Luke warme what it meaneth 648. Lunatike Of the man y● was lunatike eo Luther what he was eod The cause why he first wrote against the Pope eo How he wrote to Pope Leo. 649. How he was troubled with the lusts of the flesh eod Of his question a little before his death 650. His praier before his death eod What sects is said to rise out of him eod M. MAcedonius Of his crueltie and tumult 650 Magi. What the Magies were 651. Magistrate what a magistrate is eod How they are y● ministers of gods in 652 How the Ecclesiasticall person is subiect vnto him eod How magistrates the do not perswade the people to Gods worde are not to bee obeyed in cause of conscience eod Magnifie what it is to magnifie 653. Mahomet of y● rising vp of this false pr. eo Of his faire shew of holinesse 654 Mayzim what this word signifieth 656. Maker against the word maker in y● sacr eo Malachy of y● sacrifice he speketh off 657 Mammon what Mammon signifieth 658 Man how he was made after the image of God eod How god made mā to be vndestroied eo How the death of man and beast is alike 659 How mans life is but sorrow care eod Of mans good purpose before grace eod How mans ordinance may be altred 660 Of the disposition of man eod Of mans will and running 661. Of 2. Hebrue words y● signifie man eod Of the first man Adam and the seconde man Christ. 662. Of the man that gathered stickes on the Sabboth day eod Of the man wounded 663. How the birth of man is 4. manner of wayes eo Mandragoras What Mandragoras is eod Manes how the sect of the Maniches rose of this man 664. Wherein y● Papists agree with them eo The ●aniches con●uted 665. Many of many that be called 666 Manna What Manna signifieth eod How it is not the true bread that came downe from heauen eo Of those that eat Manna are dead eo What Manna and the white stone signifieth 667. How Manna the water brought out of the Rocke is c. eod Maranatha What this word signifieth 668. Marcion Of his damnable heresie eo A comparison betweene Marcions doctrine and the Popes 669. An example of Ma●cions chast life 670. Marcus The detestable heresie of this man eod Mary how she ought not to bee worshipped 671. Of the painting of hir
the rocke eod How Christ is the true Rocke eod Rod. The opening of the place 923. Of the rod and staffe of God 924. Rome How Babylon is proued to bee Rome eod An obiection aunswered 925. Reasons to proue that Christ suffered at Rome eod How Babylon is proued to be Rome by the Doctors 926. Rud●ments What they were c. 927. S. SAbboth Wherefore it was instituted 928. How the Priests brake it and were blamelesse 929. What is meant by the second Sabboth eod Why the Machabees sought on the Sabboth 930. The meaning of the place eo The signification of the Latine worde Sabbathum eod Sackecloth What the wearing of sackcloth meaneth eod Sacrament What a Sacrament is 931. What are Sacrament doth signifie 933. How it is called the bodye of Christ eod The right consecrating of the Sacrament eod How it is a memorial or signe of Christs death 934. How it is receiued with our mouth eod How it is more then bare bread or wine eod How it is made of two natures eod How Sacraments are no cause of grac● eod What ought to bee considered in Sacraments eod How they be holy whether the minister be good or bad 935. What the olde Fathers doe teach of the Sacrament eod As it is our body so is it Christs 936. How it hath no Accident without his substance eod Of a new Article inuented in the Sacrament 937. Of the Sacramentall chaunge eod Of the Sacramentall word eod How in the Sacramēt remaineth bread and wine eod Of the Sacramentall eating 938. What is to bee wondered at in the Sacrament eod How the sacrament may be poisoned eo How it was cast in the fire burnt 939. How there is but two Sacraments eod When it was forbidden to bee ministred in both kindes eod Sacraments of the Elders compared to ours eod Sacrifice What a sacrifice is 940. Of two mānner of sacrifices eo How the Priests cannot offer vp Christ in sacrifice 941. How it is to offer our bodies a quick sacrifice 942. What manner of sacrifice we offer to god eod Of the sacrifice of the Table and Crosse. eod What the sacrifice of righteousnesse is 943. The difference betweene a sacrifice and a sacrament eod What sacrifices doe signifie eod Of the Leuiticall sacrifices eod Of sacrifices made by fire eod What the sacrifice of thankes is eod The sacrifice of the olde lawe what it meant 944. Sacriledge What sacriledge is eod Saduces What the Saduces were 945. Sagaion what it signifieth eod Saints how they are not to be praied vnto nor c. 946. To praise God in them what it is 947. How the dead saints knowe nothing c. eod How they cannot imparte their righteousnesse to other 948. Certaine obiections aunswered eod Wherefore Saints deedes do serue 952. How they haue not merits sufficient for themselues eod How the faithfull liuing in earth are Saints 953. How Saints shall iudge the world 954. Salomons House Of the beautie thereof c. eod Of Salamons Temple 955. What Salomons porch meaneth eo Salt What is to be salt eo Who it is meet to salt 956. Of the salting of hypocrites eo Of the salt that hath lost his saltnesse eo How our speach ought to bee powdered with salt eod How the nature of Christ is set out by the ceremonie of salt 957. How salte in Baptime is not Christs order eod Of the salted Couenaunt eod What the sowing of salt meaneth eod Saluation A firme argument of our saluation 958. How without the Church is no saluation 959. The causes of our saluation eod How our saluation is neerer now then when c. 960. To worke out our saluation what it meneth eod Salute The meaning of the places eod Samaritanes Of their opinions 961. Samuel how the place is vnderstood eod Of the raising vp of Samuel eod Sanctus sanctorum what the meaning of these are eod Sanctifie what it is to sanctifie 962. The meaning of the place eod How our meates are sanctified 963. Sanctuary Of the praiers made in the Sanctuary eod What it is to feare the Sanctuary eod Saphire The nature of the Saphire and c. 964. Sapience A definition thereof eod Sardine A description of the stone c. eod Sardis What Sardis is 965. Sardonix The description thereof c. eod Satan how Satan is taken for an enimy eod How hee is called the Prince of this world 966. How his standing among the Angells is vnderstood eod Of the man that Paule deliuered to Satan 967. How Peter is called Satan 968. How Satan can doe no more then God permitteth eod How he entered into Iudas eo Of his binding vp loosing againe 969 Satisfaction What is vnderstood thereby 970. How hurtfull the doctrine of satisfaction is 971. Of two manner satisfactions 972. Saturninus Of his opinions eod Sauiours How there is no mo Sauiours but one eod How the place is vnderstood 973. To be saued by hope what it meaneth eo Saule Why he was called Paule eo How Saule rent Samuels coate eod Scape goate 974. Scepter What the scepter of Christ is eo Scisme What Scisme is and how it is defined eod Of Scismes good and euill 975. Scorner The propertie of a Scorner 976 Scorpion The papists compared to a scorpion eod Scribe What a Scribe is 977. Scripture How the Scriptures are easie to be vnderstood 978. How Christ and the Church are learned therein 979. Against them that say they bee darke eo How in them are things needfull for our saluation 980. How holy Scripture is to be read 981. Of the ignorance knowledge of Scriptures eod How by them all doubts are tried 982. How Christ ouercommeth Satan with Scripture 983. How the place is to be vnderstood eo How it hangeth not vpon the iudgement of the Church eod Whē the Scripture was in English 985 Of Herodes burning the Scriptures eo Sea Of y● diuers name● giue to the sea eo What the sea of Glasse signifieth eod What Iob meaneth by these two Sea 〈…〉 Whale 986. Sebellius Of his hereticall opinions eo Second Of the second time of punishin● 987. What is meant by the second death eod Secretnesse How secrets ought not to be disclosed 988. Sect. What is meant by the word Sect. eo How many Sectes are laied to Luthers charge 989. Secundiani What they were eo See or seeing What is meant by the place eo How the people sawe God 990. How the iust shall see God eod Seed how the seed of the righteous is said to inherit eod How y● field may not be sowen with mingled seed 991. Seeke The meaning of the place eo What it is to seeke after God 992. Selah What the word signifieth eo Seale The opening of the seuen seales eo The meaning of the place 994. Seleuciani What their opinions were 995. Sell. How the place is vnderstood eod Solde vnder sinne what it meaneth 996. Selum The misery y● happened the Iews vnder him eod Senechdoche
What kind of figure it is 997 Sennacherib wherfore his sonnes slue him eod Sent. How this place is vnderstood eod Search why God is said to search 998. Commaunded of Christ to search the Scriptures eo Serpent What Serpent doth signifie 999 What it is to sucke y● serpents head eod Seruice what the true seruice of God is 1000. How it ought to be ministred in a known tongue eod Obiections aunswered eod Sea●e of God What y● seat of God is 1001 Sethtani What manner of heretikes they were eod Seauen How it is taken in Scripture eo What the 7. Angells doe signifie 1002. Seauentie interpreters Of their trāst 1003 Seue●us Of his hereticall opinions 1004 Shadow eod Shame What shame is eod How and whereof shame came first eod Shape of God What it is to be in the shape of God 1005. Shaue How the woman taken in warre was shauen eod Wherefore Hanon shaued the beards of Dauids ambassadours eo Sheepfolde How there shall be one sheepfolde eod Shepheard The opening of these places eo The propertie of a good shepheard 1006 Of the restoring of good shepheards eo Of the outward gouernement of foolish shepheards eod Of the swoord that should come of the shepheards 1007. Of foure kinde of shepheards eo Shew bread Wherefore it was called so eo Obiections aunswered eod How the Lords death is shewēd 1008. Shooe What Gods shooe is eod Short life How it is not a generall rule of Gods iudgement eod Sicera What kinde of drinke it was 1009 Sicle What a Sicle is eod Sichem What is meant by the diuiding of Sichem 1010. Siggaion What it is 1012. Signe What a signe is eo How it is not both the signe the thing signified 1013. Silence What is meant by the word silence eod Siloh What Siloh is 1014. The meaning of the place eod Of the soft running waters of Siloh eo How that by Siloh Christ is meant eod Of the towre of Siloh 1015. Siluer What it is to tourne siluer into drosse eod What a siluerling is eod Simon Magus Of his opinions and ende eodem Of Simon Chananeus the Apostle 1016 Simple Who are simple eod Sinagogue What a Sinagogue is 1017. Singing The meaning of the places eod When it was brought into the Church 1018. The iudgment of the learned concerning singing eod When plaine song prickesong and Descant were brought into the Church 1020. Single life What the fruits thereof are among the Priests eod Sinne. The definition of sinne 1022. What sinne is eod How euerie sinne is mortall 1023. The Doctours saiengs in that matter 1024. How God ordeined sinne and yet is not the author thereof 1025. The cause of sinne is not to be layed to God eod How all sinne is both deadly and veniall eod How it is not of Gods creation in man 1026. How it entered into the world eod How Christ is called sinne eo How no man can pardon sin but Christ. 1027. To sinne against the holy Ghost what it is eod Wherfore the holy Ghost will rebuke the world of sinne 1028. Of sinne vnto death how it is declared 1029. How our sinne is made Christs sin 1031. How sinne is forgiuen in Baptime eod Sin offering what was ment therby eo Solde vnder sinne eod Sion What Sion is 1032. What the daughters of Sion signifieth eod Sir How men of countenance may be called Sir eod Sirtes What the Sirtes were eod Sister how Abraham made his wife to say she was his sister 1033. Sit. what it is to sit in the temple of God eod What it is to sit on the right hād of God eo What it is to sit in the dust eod Why they sat not at the eating of passeouer 1034. Sixe What it is to deliuer out of six c. eo What time of the day the sixt houre was 1035. Sleepe Now sleepe is taken in Scrip eod What Dauid meant by this sleepe 1036. The meaning of the place eod How God is said to sleepe eod Slime What slime is 1037. Smirna What Smirna was eod Snare What the snare signifieth eod The meaning of t●e place eod Snow Of the ingendering of snow 1038. Solde What it is to be sold vnder sinne eo Sonne of man what is meant by the sonne of man eod How the sonne is punished for the Fathers fault 1039. Sonne of God How Christ is proued so to be 1040. Of his deliuering vp his kingdome eod How he is equall to his father 1041. Who are the sonnes of God eod How we are borne the sonnes of God 1042. Sophist what a Sophist was and what now 1043. Sorrow Of godly sorrow worldly sorrow eod How Christ ouercame the sorrowes of death 1044. Souldier what the profession of a souldier is eod The meaning of the place eo Soule The diuerse taking of the word 1045. How Christs soule was heauie 1046. Of Christs soule descending into hell eo Wherein the soule of man and beast doe differ eod Of the apparition of soules eod Of soules departed 1048 The meaning of the place eod How Satan hath no part of the soule of the godly 1049. How the soules departed know nothing what c. eod Sound How Caluine vseth this worde Sound 1050. Sowe what it is to sow in the flesh 1051. Spittle How Christ made clay with his spittle eod Spiders web What it is to weaue the Spiders web 1052. Spirit how the word spirit is vnderstood eodem How the spirit of God maketh intercession for vs. eod Who is of the spirit of truth and who is not eod Of y● spirit that Christ promised to send 1053. Why the holy Ghost is called the spirit of truth eod Of the spirit of southsaieng eod Of the spirits of the Prophets eod Of the spirits in prison eod How to serue God in spirit 1054. Spirituall who they be that be spiritual eo Of the spirituall house 1055. Of the spirituall eating of Christs body eod Spitting What is meant by spitting in hir face eod Sprinkling What is meant by the sprinkling of bloud 1056. Staffe What it is to goe with a staffe eod What the staffe of Gods mouth signifieth eod What the staffe of bread signifieth eod Stained clothes eod Starre What the starre was that appered to the Magies eod How the moone and starres are vncle●● in Gods sight 1957. Of the seauen starres called Pleiades eo How the good instructors shall shine as starres eod How starres presage nothing eod Steward Of the vniust steward eod Stoikes What they were 1058 What certeine of their opinions were eo Stone Of the stone that Iosua pitched vp eodem Of the stumbling stone and who shall stumble thereat 1059. What stones in this place signifieth eod Of the stone cut out of the mountaine eo Who is the corner stone 1060. Who is the stone full of eyes eod Straite gate What it doth signifie eod Subiection Of Christs subiection to his father eod Sucoth 1061. Superstition What it is and how it is defined eod
fol. 211. Whether Angels did in verie deede eate and drinke when they appeared Of the Schoole-men some thinke that they did eate in verie déede and other denie it Scotus thinketh that to eate is nothing els then to chawe meate and to conueigh it downe into the bellie and this thing did the Angels wherefore he gathereth that they did eate in verie déede Other doe thinke that to eate is not onelie to chawe the meate and to conueigh it downe into the bellie but moreouer to conuert it into the substaunce of his bodie by concoction through the power of vegitation This forsomuch as the Angels did not therefore they did not eate in verie déede The booke of Tobias is not in the Canon of the Hebrewes but yet it might be applied to our purpose but that there is variance in the copies for in that booke which Munster set out in Hebrewes in the twelfth Chapter Raphel the Angell saith I séemed to you to eate and to drinke but I did not eate neither drinke the common translation hath I séemed to eate to drinke but I vse inuisible meate and drinke Neither text denieth but that the Angell after a certeine manner did eate Pet. Mart. vpon Iudic. fol. 212. How Angels be by nature spirits by office messengers The Scripture declareth of the Angels that they be by nature spirits by office Angels that is to say messengers August Psal. 103. The spirits be Angels when they be spirits they be not Angels when they be sent they be Angels for Angell is the name of the office not of nature Respecting that whereof hée is he is a spirit and in respect of that which he doth he is an Angell Who maketh saith the Apostle Angels his spirits y● is to saie he maketh messengers of his spirits in the first Chapter of the Hebrewes They be all serueable spirites sent for the health of the elect Musculus fol. 10. How Angels be not borne but created of God Scripture teacheth vs that Angels be not gotten of God as Christ the onelie begotten of God but that they be created of God and made in like sort as the rest of the creatures That they bée not gotten of God as Christ was The Apostle witnesseth where he saith To which of his Angels did he saie at anie time I haue begotten thée this daie and againe I will be to him a Father and he to me a sonne but whereas in Iob the Angels bée called the sons of God it is not to be vnderstood that they be the naturall sonnes of God as Christ was but because they be the sonnes of grace and adoption as all the elect bée That they be created and made the Prophet Dauid witnesseth Psalme 148. 2. But when and what time they were made there is no mention in anie place of Scripture A man maie gather that they were made at that time when the foundation of the world was set by that we do read in Iob. 38. read the place But it appeareth not by that place plainlie determinatelie when they were created as it is not in anie place declared whereof and how they were made Musculus fol. 10. How Angels are appointed to waite on the faithfull Then said they it is his Angell ¶ There be manie places in the Scriptures where we doe plainlie learne that Angels bée appointed to wait on the faithfull euen from their verie birth Ag. 18. 10. Heb. 1. 14. And in th● Psalmes Hée hath giuen commaundement to his Angels that they kéepe thée in thy waie Such a thing is héere meant by his Disciples Sir I. Cheeke ¶ For they did know by Gods word that Angels were appointed to defend the faithfull And also in those daies they were accus●omed to sée such sights Geneua How we shall be like vnto Angels But are as Angels of God in heauen ¶ Héere we must note and marke that Christ doth not saie in the resurrection they shall be Angels but they shall bée like vnto Angels For Angels haue no bodies at all but we shall haue our bodies both raised from death and also glorified Sir I. Cheeke How Christ is greater then the Angels proued by this place He maketh his Angels spirits and his ministers a flaming fire ¶ The absolute meaning of which words we must learne of the Apostle himselfe in the 〈…〉 4. ver following where according to this testimonie he hath defined their nature and called them ministring spirits Then in these words he maketh his Angels spirits and his ministers a flaming fire according to the similitude in which their glorie hath bene séene as the Angels that were with Elize●s his seruants sawe them in Chariots of fire The similitude of the beasts which Ezechiel saw were as coles of burning fire and the Seraphins haue their names because they be of firie coulour And these words spirits ministers we must resolue thus ministering spirits So out of this text his argument standeth thus Christ is called the sonne the first begotten sonne whom the Angels worship but the Angels are his ministring spirits therfore Chris● is greater thē the Angels Deer The opinion that euerie man hath his good and bad Angell is false The opinion y● particular men haue of their particular Angell one good an other bad is an heresie saith M. Deering not much vnlike the Maniches who taught y● euerie man was violentlie drawne to do good or euill by a good spirit or euill which equalitie of themselues had rule in man c. The first author of it saith he was Empedocles the Philosopher who as Plutarch saith taught t●●t euerie man had two Angels one good and an other bad c. Plut. de Animi Tranqu The degree of Angels falselie proued aunswered The Prophet Ezechiel describing the glorie of the king of Tire he nameth nine precious stones which are in his garments in which place he nameth the same king Cherub comparing him with the Angels therefore these stones signified nine orders of Angels Aunswere Touching the argument of the nine precious stones of the king of Tyrus it is nothing but follie for what though he were cōpared to Angels in glorie because his garment was full of precious stones doth it therefore follow y● as manie kinde of stones as were in his gowne so manie orders there should be of Angels If I saw a man clothed in rich colours manie iewels about him so that I would saie he shineth like the Sunne must it néeds follow y● as many coulours as are about him so many colours are in the Sun But the thing is all false the king is not there compared to Angels but because the Cherubins y● couered the mercie seat were of beaten gold excellent workmanship with that y● king is compared called the couering and the anointed Cherub so that the nine precious stones must be nine orders of Cherubins vpon y● mercie seate or nine orders of clothing Deering What is
of good fridaie which we after our counting of y● clock do take to be toward night as it were about 3. of y● clocke in y● after noone vntil y● dawning of Easter daie in y● morning But I doubt of this doctrine saith y● Author and y● for two causes Once we read y● Christ hanging vpon y● crosse did giue vp his soule commending it into the handes tuition of his Father saieng Pater in manus c. Againe we read that Christ hanging vpon the crosse said to the good théefe that said Remember me O Lord when thou shalt come into thy kingdome Christ answered y● thiefe said● Hodie mecum eris in Paradiso This day thou shalt be with are in paradise weigh these words wel First Christ said Hodie to day y● is to say immediatly after thy soule shal depart out of thy body Mecū eris Thou shalt be y● me wher In Paradiso in paradise what shal we cal paradise Shal we not vnderstād y● kingdōe of heuen by paradise séeing y● théefe said Remember me whē thou cōmest into thy kingdom wher is Christs kingdoe but in heauen Lyra doth wrest this word paradise to signifie Limbū sanctorū patrū But Theophilactus graūteth y● paradise the kingdō of heauē is all one thing in vnderstāding yet he séemeth to lene to this conclusiō Quod Christ●s eū men●e ingressus est paradisū in infernū descēdet cū a●ima And yet he denieth y● théefe had y● fulnes of glory yea or y● the soules of y● patriarks other saints departed in of y● faith of Christ haue y● fulnesse of ioyes glory which they shal haue at y● day of dome whē y● body y● soule shal be vnited together yet he graunteth y● the théefs soule went straight to y● kingdōe of heauē S. Augustine in an epistle y● he wrote to Euodius affir moth plainly Quod anima Christi descendit ad infernos y● Christ in his soule while his bodie laie dead in y● graue went downe into hell whom Saint Bede doth follow Saint Hierome in his commentaries that he written vppon y● Psalter Si tamen Hieronimi sint hath these words Non derelinques qua ipsa ad inferna defcendit vt electos suos eijcerit diabolos ligaret qua antea iactitabat se esse omniū Dominū nunc omnium seruus And therfore S. Hierome in a certeine Epistle hath these words Quid homine imbecilius qui a carne sua vincitur quid ita homine Christi aut fortius qui diabolum mundum vincit But how Quia omnia possum in eo qui me confortat Because we put our trust in the name of Iesus which bad vs be bold vpon him saieng Confidete a me quia ego vici mundum To tell you more of their mindes that say that Christ went downe into hell in his soule Saint Gregorie and certeine other doe adde and saie moreouer Quod anima Christi passasi● apud inferos And that when Iohn Baptist béeing in prison and hearing of the myracles of Christ sending to Christ two of his Disciples with this message saieng Tu es qui venturus an alium expectamus The meaning of Saint Iohn was this Art thou he or shall wée looke for an other not meaning whether he were the true Messias incarnate for then he must haue said Tu es quivenisti an alium expectamus but Iohn said Tu es qui venturus an alium expectamus Meaning saith Saint Gregorie that where now I am in prison and sée nothing but present death what shall I in my soule like as I haue bene thy preacher and thy fore runner héere iu earth shall I in my soule also preach vnto the soules departed in the faith of thée to come These bée Saint Gregories words Debeo te nunciare inferis qui te nunciam superis As touching the second opinion that Christ descended into hell not personalie in his soule Sed in spiritu Hoc est viuifica mortis sua virtute that is by the might and power of his redēmption that he made vpon the crosse This opinion I haue not saue onelie in the learned writers of this our age which doe proue their opinion true by the wordes of Saint Peter written in his first Epistle in the third and fourth Chapters which places vndoubtedlie are verie notable These bée the wordes of Saint Peter in the third Chapter Christus in spiri●u 〈…〉 spiritibus ●ui 〈…〉 careete ●ra●t pr●dica●it Christ in spirit that is to sale in the power of his Godhead and inerites of his manhood and vertue of his passion went and preached vnto the Saints that were in prison Of the spirites that were in prison at the time of Christs suffering vnder Pontius Pilate ther wer two sundrie sorts good bad the soules of Infidels the soules of vngodlie wicked liuers in this wretched world as Cain Nemroth the Sodomits Gomorean● the Philistines the Iebusites Iudas the traitor with his fellowes And the soules of the Patriarchs Adam Abel Seth Noe Abraham Isaac Iacob Dauid and all other soules of holie men and faithfull beléeuers in Christ to come All flesh both good and badde were in prison till at the suffering of Christ vpon the Crosse but yet not all in one prison The soules of the Saints that is of good men were by themselues in one societie or fellowship which the Gospell calleth the Bosome of Abraham and S. Peter calleth it a prison in respect of the infinite pleasures To both these sorts of spirits or soules Christ preached but after a sundry sort To the good sort he preached redemption satisfaction for their sinnes paied by Christ vpon the crosse and therevpon receiued them into heauen vnto himselfe To the soules of the sinfull he preached perpetuall paines in Hell neuer to haue ende but bound and to burne continuallie with the Diuell whom they did serue when they were aliue Of the wicked and damned soules S. Peter giueth an example by whome all the world maie take héede Of the good soules he giueth no example But of the damned soules he giueth now example by them that liued i● Noes● time that were disobedient to the preaching of Noe when the long suffering of God abode excéeding patientlie but in conclusion there were no moe saued from drowning sauing onelie eight persons That the meaning of S. Peter in the third chapter should be this that I haue recited That is that Christ in the spirit that is in the power and vertue of his passion descended into hell these learned and godlie writers do proue by the exposition that Saint Peter maketh of his owne words in the next Chapter following where he saith thus Mortuis euangelizatum est vt iudicentur quidem secundum homines in carne viuant autem secundum Deum in spiritu The Gospell was preached vnto the dead that they should bée iudged in the flesh after the fashion of men but in the Spiritshould
And the same meant also S. Hilarius by this word Naturallie when he said Christ dwelleth naturallie in vs. And as Saint Paule when he said that in Christ dwelled the full diuinitie corporall by the word corporallie he meant not that the Diuinitie is a bodie and so by that bodie dwelleth bodilie in Chist But by the word corporallie he ment that the diuinitie is not in Christ accidentallie lightly slenderlie but substanciallie and perfectlie with all his might and power so that Christ was not onelie a mortall man to suffer for vs but also he was an immortall GOD able to redéeme vs c. Cranmer What Christ is in the holie Scripture In the holie Scripture Christ is nothing els but a Sauiour a Redéemer a iustifier and a perfect peace-maker betwéen God and man The prooues He shall saue the people from their sinnes Christ is made our righteousnesse our satisfaction and our redemption For the wretchednesse of my people haue I striken him There is none other name giuen vnto men wherein they must be saued He it is that hath obtained grace for our sinnes He sent his sonne to make agréement for our sinnes ¶ Héere is the verie nature of Christ and his verie properties full and whole And whosoeuer denieth anie thing thereof or taketh anie part of them applie them or giue the glorie of them vnto anie other person then to Christ onelie the same man robbeth Christ of his honour and denieth him How Christ entred the dores being shut ¶ Looke Dores How Christs naturall bodie is in one place S. Augustine saith as it is alledged by Gracian Corpus Domini in quo resurrexit The bodie of our Lord wherein hée rose againe must néedes be in one place Againe he saith Christus secundum presentiam corporalem c. Touching bodilie presence Christ could not be in the Sunne in the Moone and vpon the Crosse and all at once Iewel fo 85. 86. The heauens saith S. Peter must containe and hold him vntill the time that all things be restored ¶ Cyrillus in Iohn li. 11. cap. 3. saith Christus non poterat c. Christ could not be conuersant with his Disciples in the flesh after he had ascended vnto the Father I. Frith ¶ Looke Bodie of Christ. How Christ is called Messiah ¶ Looke Messiah How Christ is called our Altar Ireneus calleth Christ our Altar And Origen calleth our hearts our Altar not that either Christ or our hearts be Altars indéed but by a Metaphore or a manner of speach How Christ is called sinne ¶ Looke Sinne. How Christ is the Fathers word ¶ Looke Word How Christ is onelie the Image of God ¶ Looke Image How Christ in his Godhead is euerie wher Loo Godhead How Christ is not carnally presēt with vs nor in the sacramēt Christ by his Godhead saith S. Austen is euer with vs but vnlesse he had departed awaie bodilie from vs we should euer more carnallie sée his bodie These words are speciallie to bée noted If Christ were bodilie héere he should carnallie be séene Therfore S. Austens iudgement if Christ wer bodilie present in the Sacrament we should sée him carnallie in the sacrament A man maie haue Christ verely present though he haue him not in his mouth For thus S. Austen saith Habes Christum in presenti c. Thou hast Christ in the time present by his signe or token in the time present by faith in the time present by the Sacrament of Baptime Christ is present in the Sacraments as they teach that hée is present in his word when he worketh mightelie by y● fame in the harts of the hearers by which manner of speach it is not ment that Christ is corporallie present in the voice or sound of the speaker which sound perisheth as soone as the words be spoken but this speach meaneth that he worketh with his word vsing the voice of the speaker as his instrument to worke by as he vseth also Sacraments whereby he worketh and therfore is said to be present in them Cranmer The same flesh that was giuen in Christs last supper was giuen also vpon the Crosse is giuen dailie in the ministration of the Sacrament But although it be one thing yet it was diuerslie giuen for vpon the Crosse Christ was carnallie giuen to suffer and to die at his last Supper he was spirituallie giuen in a promise of his death in the Sacrament he is dailie giuen in the remēbrance of his death yet it is al but one Christ that was promised to die that died indéede whose death is remembred that is to say the very same Christ the eternall word that was made flesh the same flesh was also giuen to be spirituallie eaten was eaten indéed before his supper yea before his incarnation also Of which eating not of the sacramental eating he spake in the 6. of Iohn My flesh is verie meate my bloud is verie drinke he that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud dwelleth in me and I in him Cranmer fol. 21. How Christ dranke of it himselfe He also dranke of it least when they heard his words they should saie whie doe we then drinke bloud eate flesh and so should be troubled for when he spake these things they were offended with his words because that should not also chance he himselfe dranke first of it that he might cause them to come without feare to the partaking of those mysteries ¶ Heere Chrisostome noteth that Christ dranke of it to draw them from the grose vnderstanding of his words by his drinking to testifie vnto them that it was not his naturall flesh indéed but memorials representations of his bodie and bloud I. Frith How Christ bare himselfe in his owne hands S. Augustine hath a saieng that in the Sacrament Christ was borne in his owne hands doth expound himselfe in another place saieng Ferebatur tanquam in manibus that is he was borne after a certeine manner in his owne hands And by that y● he saith after a certaine manner we may soone perceiue what he meaneth Howbeit if S. Austen had not expounded himselfe yet he saith ad Bonifacium that the Sacrament of a thing hath a similitude or propertie of the thing which it signifieth And so he saith y● he bare himselfe because he bare the sacrament of his bodie and bloud which did so earnest expresse himselfe as nothing might more doe it I. Frith Of Christs name and Offices First he is called by the name of Iesus which signifieth Sauiour to admonish vs that he was sent vnto vs from the father to saue vs that we maie haue saluation by none other but by him onelie His Offices be these thrée A Prophet a King a Sacrificator for the name of Christ signifieth annointed because that in the auntient Church of Israel y● Priests Kings and
the Gentiles are counted as dead men in comparison of the Iewes And afterward where he saith All that are in graues shall heare the voice of the Sonne of man c. He meaneth the generall resurrection which shall be in the last daie Tindale ¶ The Dead shall heare c. ¶ And who be those Dead Surelie no man can bée exempted for where at beginning God to make his doctrine auaileable in vs euen at the drawing of vs out of the spirituall death wherein we were all held for till such time as God enlighteneth vs by his word wée bée blinde till he open our eares we be deafe till he giue vs faith we haue neither soule nor heart True it is that we maie well séeme to haue some outward shewe of life The vnbeléeuers doeate and drinke as well as the faithfull againe they can goe about their businesse yea and oftentimes there séemes to be great vertue in them but all that is nothing because that in as much as they be strangers from God all that is in them is but death and vtter confusion God then must be faine to drawe vs out of death vnto himselfe as the point wherat he must begin to make his word auaileable in vs c. Caluine vpon Iob. fol. 447. How the Dead praise not God The Dead praise not thée O Lord. ¶ It is not ment that they doe not praise him in their minde but is ment they cannot tell his praise to other Caluine ¶ The Dead praiseth not God for the benefits poured dailie vpon the earth for them as they that be aliue do or ought to doe The Bible note ¶ Though the dead set foorth Gods glorie yet he meaneth héere that they praise him not in his Church and Congregation Geneua How this place following is vnderstood Let the dead burie the dead ¶ That is Let Infidells alone with their infidelitie and followe thou me that is beleeue thou in me and goe preach the Kingdome of God Tindale ¶ We maie not followe that which séemeth best to vs but onelie Gods calling And héere by Dead he meaneth those that are vnprofitable to serue God Geneua To doe good to them that be dead what is meant thereby Doe good euen to them that be dead ¶ To do good to them that be dead is to burie their bodies with honour against the daie of resurrection as did Abraham and Ioseph c. To deale faithfullie and trulie with their children committed to thy charge as did Dauid with the children of his friend Ionathan The Bible note Of the dead Israelites O Lord God almightie the God of Israel heare now the praiers of the dead Israelites ¶ Ye must vnderstand that Baruch in his praiers speaketh not of them that wer dead with bodilie death but of the wicked which liuing vnto the world were dead vnto God which figuratiue manner of speaking is oftentimes vsed in the Scripture For in the Gospell of our sauiour Iesus Christ he saith Suffer the dead to burie the dead as if he should saie let the worldlings that be d●ad vnto God and good workes burie them that be departed out of this life for that is an office most méet for them but do thou the things that be for the liuing The like phrase or manner of speaking doth the holie Apostle vse when he saith A widdow liuing in deliciousnesse though she be aliue yet she is dead Besides this Baruch by such kinde of words doth set forth the miserable estate of the Children of Israel which were euen as dead men are in the world because of their captiuitie and thraldome straight bondage or slauerie that they were in which was vnto them as a graue or pit that the dead be buried in This is the true vnderstanding of Baruch in this place How this place following is vnderstood How shall we that are dead to sinne liue yet therein ¶ They are said of Paule to be dead to sinne which are in such sorte made pertakers of the vertue of Christ that the naturall corruption is dead in them that is the force of it is put out and it bringeth not foorth his bitter fruits and on the other side they are said to liue to sinne which are in the flesh that is whom the spirite of God hath not deliuered from the stauerie of the corruption of nature Beza Against the custome of giuing the Lords supper and Baptime ouer the Dead It hath bene also decréed and determinded that the Sacrament of thankes-giuing should not be ministred vnto the dead bodies for it is said of the Lorde Take and eate but the dead corpses canne neither take nor eate we must beware that our weake bretheren doe not beléeue that that it is lawfull to baptise ouer the dead vnto whom it is not lawfull to minister the Sacrament of thanks-giuing ¶ This doth sufficientlie declare that both S. Austen all other fathers ought to be vnderstood when they speak of the praiers for the dead of the sacrifice that is offred for them for they are not of opinion that their praiers oblations could help the soules departed out of Purgatorie which began in Austens time to be onlie in question he himselfe daring affirme nothing touching the same I. Veron Whether the dead knowe what we do in this life As concerning that Iob saith that the men which is departed knoweth not what is done héere below nor whether his ofspring be poore or rich it is not to ground an Article of our faith vpon that such as be gone out of this world knoweth not what our state is For Iob spake as a man encombred Therfore we must not take héere anie certaintie of doctrine neither is it greatly for vs to enquire of such matters And why Let it suffice vs that God hath set vs in this world to cōmunicate one with another euory man ought to employ himselfe vpon his neighbours God hath giuen me such a gift or abilitie and therfore I must applie my selfe y● waie Againe one of vs maie praie for another but when he hath taken vs out of this world the said communicating is taken awaie from vs there is no communicating as there was before Neither must we do as the Papists doe who are woont to runne to the deceased Saints as though they had not yet finished their course Now forasmuch as the Scripture teacheth vs not what we ought to doe in this behalfe lette vs leaue that thing in doubt and in suspense whereof we haue no certaine resolution by the word of God For singlenesse of minde is also a thing wherein it behooueth vs to walke c. Caluine vpon Iob. fol. 265 DECEIPT ¶ Looke Guile DEEDES ¶ Looke Workes DEAFE MAN By whose faith this deafe man was healed ANd they brought vnto him one that was deafe and had an impediment in his speach and they praied him to putte his hand vpon him ¶ It séemeth by this mans
because through his manifest temptations he maketh men sin by which death raigneth c. Deering Of euerlasting death He shall neuer sée death ¶ What els is the meaning of this which Christ saith he shall neuer sée death but because he sawe another death from y● which he came to deliuer vs. That is to sai● the second death euerlasting death death of hell fire the death of damnation with the Diuell and his Angells that is death indeede Therfore neuer to see death is nothing els but to haue euerlasting life So that we maie note and learne héere that faith is the waie to immortalitie and that Christians doe trulie liue and neuer die although in this world they bee more like to dead men then to liuing men to die in bodie by other men For the saieng of Christ héere is most true to the which also agreeth this place Euerie one which liueth and beleeuth in me shall neuer die Marl. vpon Iohn fol. 329. How this place following is vnderstood Some there be standing heere shall not tast of death til they shall sée the Sonne of man come in his kingdome ¶ The same is to be vnderstood of his glorious transfiguration as if he should saie there are some standing among you which shall not die till they haue seene me in the same glorie and maiestie that I shall come in at the last daie of Iudgement Sir I. Cheeke This was fulfilled in his Resurrection and was as an entrie into his kingdome and was also confirmed by sending the Holie Ghost whereby he wrought so great and sundrie miracles The meaning of this place following In death there is no remembraunce of thée ¶ His meaning is that if he shall by Gods grace be deliuered from death he wil be thankfull and mindfull of it And he bewaileth that this power shall be ●erefte him if he should be taken out of this world because he should be no more conuersant among men so set out the praise of God But héerevpon doe some wrongly vnskilfullie gather that the dend are void of all sense and that ther remaineth no perseuerance at all in them wheras in this place he intreateth of nothing els but of the mutuall praising of Gods grace wherein men exercise themselues while they be aliue For we knowe wée are placed on this earth to this purpose th●● wee shoulde with one consent and one mouth praise GOD which thing is the ende for which wée liue Now ●hen although that death make an ende of such praisings yet doth it not followe that the faithfull soules which are loosened from their bodies are bereft of vnderstanding or touched with no affection to God ward Caluine vpon the 6. Psal. ¶ He lamenteth that occasion should be taken from him to praise God in the Congregation Geneua In what respect the children of God maie wish death O that God would begin to smite me that he would lette his hand goe and take me awaie ¶ True it is that Gods children maie well wish death howbeit to another ende and for another respect then Iob doth héere like as all of vs must with S. Paule desire to be let loose from the bondage of sinne wherein we be helde prisoners Saint Paule is not mooued there with anie temptation of his flesh but rather the desire that he hath to imploie himselfe in Gods seruice without let seemeth him to wish that he might passe out of the prison of his bodie Why so For so long as we be in this worlde we must be wrapped in manie miseries and we cease not to offend God being so weak as we be S. Paule is then sorie that he must liue so long in offending God and this kinde of desire is good and holie and procéedeth of the holie Ghost Cal. vpon Iob. fol. 108. Of foure manner of deaths Beside the mortall and eternall death bée other two the spirituall death and the temporall death which be not so well knowen nor so soone espied of the simple as the naturall and eternall death is The spirituall death is when the bodie is yet liuing the soule is dead as the Apostles proueth by the widdowes that liue at pleasure béeing aliue in bodie and yet dead in soule The temporall death is when the affections lusts of the bodie are so killed that the spirit maie liue wherof the Apostle speaketh Col. 3. exhorting vs to mortifie our earthlie members to kill all the strength of our corrupt nature that striue against the spirite For by obaieng our lustes at the first came death into the world as it appeareth by Eue when she eate of the forbidden fruit M. Luther How death is not to be feared Example of a Panim I finde that a learned Panim wrote that we should neither care for life by it selfe nor yet for death by it selfe Hée saith that we should care to liue well and to die well and let life and death passe without care for life is not good but to liue well is good If Panims haue this right consideration of life and death what shame is it for Christen men to care for death Seeing Christ whose wordes cannot but be true so vehementlie forbiddeth vs the same that Panims sawe by reason to be done c. Lupset DEBT How debtes ought to be required and how not ESaie the Prophet seemeth to account it in the Iewes a great fault to aske their debt saieng Et Omnes debitores repetitis Ye chalenge and charge all your debters ye call all debts back againe Whie is it not lawfull for a good christen man to cal for his debts Yea and if neede so require to sue for them by the lawe God forbid else otherwise there could no good order no pollicie no ciuilitie nor Common wealth endure If buyeng and selling keeping of contracts couenants were not lawfull then all things should be common then we should liue like lawlesse beasts wée needed no king no maigistrate But yée must vnderstand that in a case charitie will not suffer right to call for her debt The case shall bée this My brother my neighbour is burnt with fire is lamed of his limmes is robbed of his sight at one word is so oppressed with pouertie that he is not able to paie In this case charitie will commaunde iustice to giue place and not to aske her debt but rather to giue more of their owne The Iewes were so hard hearted that they spared not forgaue no debters were they neuer so poore nor so pitifull And therefore Esaie layeth it to their charge saieng Omnes debitores vestros repetitis Ye cal vpon al your debters as wel them that be in extreame néede and vnable to paie as they that be wealthie and able inough to paie Beside this the Iewes had a certeine ciuill lawe giuen vnto them by God vnto the which we now are not bound The lawe was this Euerie seauenth yeare thou shalt kéepe a frée yeare
other Beholde the ouerboldnesse that hath alwaies reigned in the world which is that men will néeds be maister and make lawes at their owne pleasures and GOD must be faine to accept whatsoeuer they haue forged after that manner But contrariwse the holie Ghost telleth vs that wée must not lift vp one foote to go forward but onelie in the waie which God sheweth vs. Caluine vpon Iob. fol. 419. From whom popish deuotion sprong When men thought to serue God after their owne fashion and framed lawes for themselues saieng This will bée and such a thing will bée acceptable vnto God it was because they would make him like vnto themselues as though he delighted in all the small toyes which they had inuented That is to wit outward things and so doing they transformed God as though they would pull him out of his heauenly seate and drawe him downe hether or as though hée were a creature or a fleshlye thing For then we see all these fonde deuotions vsed in the papacie and tearmed their diuine seruice sprang of this namelie that they knowe not the highnesse of God for then would they haue concluded thus God is not delighted in the things which séemeth good in our owne eies for he is of an other nature then we bee he is a spirit and therefore must we serue him after a cleane contrarie fashion vnto that which pleaseth our nature neither must we in this case attempt anie thing of our owne heades but haue his lawe in which he hath declared his will vnto vs. Hée hath prescribed vs our rule let vs holde vs to that This is the sobrietie which God requireth by his worde and wherevnto he would haue vs to submitte our selues without swaruing anie thing at all there-from Caluine vpon Iob. fol. 399. DIFFERENCE To make difference of the Lords bodie what it is WHo so eateth drinketh vnworthelie he eateth drinketh his owne damnation making no difference of the Lordes bodie ¶ To make no difference of the Lords bodie is vnworthely to eate the Lords bread and to drinke of his cup c. Saint Austen in his 26. treatise vppon Iohn saith The Apostle speaketh of those which receiued the Lordes bodie without difference and careleslie as if it had bene anie other kinde of meat whatsoeuer Heere therefore if he be reproued which maketh no difference of the Lordes bodie that is to saie doth not discerne the Lordes bodie from other meates how then should not Iudas be dampned who came to the Lords table feining that he was a friend but was an enimie Bullinger fol. 1108. DISOBEDIENCE Examples thereof out of Scripture Through Adams disobedience we were all made sinners and subiect to death ¶ As by one mans disobedience manie wer made sinners so by the obedience of one shall manie be made righteous Rom. 5. 19. For as by Adam all die euen so in Christ shall all be made aliue ¶ Christ rose first from the dead to take possession in our flesh for vs his members And where he saith all shall be made aliue he meaneth the faithfull Geneua Lots wife for disobeieng the Lord was turned into a piller of Salt Of the plagues curses promised to the disobeiers of Gods word Read Deut. 28. and Iere. 29. The man that gathered stickes on the Sabboth daie was stoned to death Whosoeuer did not obeie the true minister of God and the Iudge was put to death Acan for his disobedience was stoned Iosu. 7. Saule for his disobedience was reiected and cast out of Gods ●auour The Prophet for disobeieng the word of the Lord was denoured of a Lion The Iewes for their disobedience were carried into captiuitie 4. Reg. 17. 23. Queene Vasthi for her disobedience was diuorced from the king Ahasuerus Iohanan disobeied the word of the Lord and carried the people into Aegypt Ionas for his disobedience was cast into the Sea Ionas 1. 15. Of disobedience to the Gospel Read Rom. 10. 16 the 16. 26 2. Thessa. 1. 8. and the. 3. 4. Of disobedience to parents Read Rom. 1. 30. 2. Tim. 3. 2. Exo. 18. Deut. 21. 18. Of disobedience to rulers Read 2. Pet. 2. 10. Iude. 8. DIVORCEMENT How and wherefore married folke maie be diuorsed THe same authoritie hath the woman to put awaie the man that the man hath to put awaie the woman Mar. 10. 11. 12. Christ saith there is no lawfull cause to dissolue matrimonie but adulterie For when the woman giueth the vse of her bodie to an other man shée is no more her first husbandes wife nor the husband no longer the husband of his wife then he obserue the faith of matrimonie with her Wheresoeuer the fault happen and can be proued by certeine signes and lawfull testimonies the persons maie by the authoritie of Gods word and ministrie of the magistrates be separated so one from the other that it shall be lawfull for the man to marrie an other wife and the wife to marrie an other husband And Christ saith Math. 5. 32. and. 19. 9. So that a man shall not néede to kéepe at home with him a woman that is no more his then an other mans neither the woman such an husband as is no more hirs then an other womans Mar. 10. 11. 12. Saint Paule 1. Cor. 7. 12. sheweth an other cause of diuorcement when one of the persons being married is an Infidell and of a contrarie faith If this person will not dwell with the other that is his fellowe in matrimonie and a christen man it is lawfull to breake the faith of matrimonie and marrie with an other So saith Saint Ambrose writing in the place of S. Paule Non debetur reuerencia c. The reuerēce of matrimonie is not due vnto him y● contemneth the author of matrimonie And in y● same place the contempt of God breketh y● right of matrimonie cōcerning him y● is forsakē least he should be accursed béeing married to an other Thus thou séest that the Lord Ma● 5. and 19. giueth license for adulterie to diuorse and marrie againe Saint Paule for infidelitie Whooper Christ speaketh expreslie of the man that he maie for fornication put awaie his wife but he sheweth not whether the woman maie leaue her husbande if he commit whooredome the reason is because he doth onely answere vnto that was demanded of him But if a generall question be moued on this behalfe there is a common and a mutuall right of either parte euen as there is a mutuall knotte of faith and promise otherwise the husbande is the heade of the wife and the wife in subiection to her husband But as farre foorth as perteineth vnto chastitie of matrimonie and to the faithfulnesse of the bed the like lawe is prescribed vnto the wife The man saith Saint Paule hath no power ouer his owne bodie but the wife neither hath the woman power of hir owne bodie but the man There is like libertie therefore if the
loueth surelye vnto the verie end Neque rapere eos de manu ei●s quisque potest No creature can plucke out of Christs handes his elect seruaunts and no meruaile for the purpose of Gods election is sure The elect vnto saluation was chosen before they were borne and before they did either good or badde as Saint Paule witnesseth prouing this example true by Iacob and Esau the sonnes of Rebecca and as it was in those two bretheren sayth Saint Paule so was it in all men before they were borne hauing done neither good nor euill The one was an elect person and the other a man reprobate according as it is written Iacob dilexi Esau autem odio habui Iacob haue I loued Esau haue I hated All this was done saith Saint Paule to the ende that all men might knowe that the frée election and choosing of God vnto saluation standeth vpon his predestinate purpose and not vpon our good workes or our good déedes which wée doe after that we beléeue and liue in this world For God before the foundation of the world was laid had predestinate and appointed all the elect to be saued and all the reprobate persons God did fore-sée and fore-knowe that they should be dampned But then it might be obiected thus If the saluation of man do rest vpon Gods election what fault is there in man though hée be dampned is not the fault in God To this Saint Paule aunswereth and saith roundlie Absit GOD forbid that anie man should so thinke but yet I will haue no man to controll mee for vnto Moses it was sayd I will shewe mercie vnto whom it pleaseth me Therefore let all men sette their heartes at rest sayth the Apostle Quia non est volentis neque currentis sed in Dei miserentis For it is not in the power of the well willer nor in the swift runner but in the power of GOD that mercie sheweth But thou wilt peraduenture saie whie doth GOD blame vs if we bée not saued séeing no man is able to resist his will and his knowledge Héere the Apostle once againe biddeth euerie man to stoppe and in no wise to enter into such disputation with GOD saith O homo quis es qui respondes Deo numquid dicit figmentum ei qui se finzit quid me fecisti sic Therefore O thou vaine man stop in this matter betimes and be not too bolde after such manner to dispute with God Thou wilt then saie what profite can come to one of vs the laie people by speaking or preaching of Gods election it séemeth to be a perillous matter to be talked of no not so doe not thou call that perillous which the holie Ghost hath ordeined for thy comfort and singular profite if thou béest of God marie if thou beest of the Diuell it shall bring thée either to desperation that thou art not elect and therefore thou must needs be dampned or else to presumption that thou art elect and therefore doe what thou wilt thou must néedes bée saued But if thou bée of GOD thou shalt take two greate benefits the one is this Where the propertie euen of the best of vs all is to be tickled with vaine glorie and pride and are alwayes readie to aduaunce our owne good workes This did I thus and thus To plucke awaie this pride this vaine glorie and reioising in our selues to make vs wholie to humble our selues vnto God there is no such thing as to saie vnto our selues It is neither in the power of the well willer nor in the swift runner but in the power of God mercie shewer This is a great profite and necessarie lesson to be taught An other to be learned of Gods election is this That in God there is most high prouidence for the gouernement of the worlde seeing that hee hath foreseene and forecast all things before the foundation of the world was laide there can no man then accuse God of negligence nor againe there néedeth no man to practise any euill craft to get a liuing séeing God forgetteth no bodie nor leaueth none of his vnprouided for so that we haue all then good cause to reioice with the Prophet and saie Blessed be those people whom the Lord hath chosen to be his inheritance As who shuld saie by the prouidence and free election of God saluation commeth to men Tur. How our election is particular and not vniuersall Election is particular and not vniuersall for surelie he that taketh al maketh no choise and he that chooseth a thing out from two other things or moe must néeds be said to refuse or forsake the thinges that he chooseth not Theo. Beza Signes of our election Whoseuer féeleth himselfe called of God both inwardlie and outwardlie and doth constantlie beléeue that he is deliuered from eternall dampnation and iustified before God by Iesus Christ onelie he surelie hath most certeine signes in himfelfe whereby he maie knowe that he is chosen of GOD to eternall glorification in Iesus Christ not béeing in himselfe capable of so excellent a thing so he holdeth Christ as it were a glasse before his eies in the which he séeth continuallie his owne eletion F. N. B. the Italian The saieng of the elect within himselfe The man y● is not endued with the spirit of adoption which is also the spirit of holinesse righteousnesse saith and life sayth thus I doe the euill that I haue a minde vnto I doe no good nor haue no list to doe it But the man that is regenerate and so consequentlie elected howbeit as still yet wrastling saith thus I doe the euill that I would not doe I doe not the good that I would doe wo is me who shall deliuer me out of the bodie of this death And in crieng out on this wise the elect person casteth his Anchore in the verie throne of God the Father whom he beholdeth in the preached word and in the Sacrament Theo. Beza ¶ The elect number haue alwaies in their hearts this humble confession Lorde we are the workmanship of thine hands made to do the thing wherevnto thou hast appointed vs by thy secret will and purpose Thy will be done in vs. Thou hast reuealed vnto vs the thinges that doe please thée and thou hast shewed vnto vs things that thou doest hate But vnlesse thou plucke vs backe by thy grace Lord we followe vpon the worse though our conscience allowe the better Crowley How to make our election sure Giue more diligence to make your election and calling sure ¶ Albeit it be sure in it selfe forasmuch as God cannot chaunge yet we must confirme it in our selues by the fruits of the spirit knowing that the purpose of God electeth calleth sanctifieth and iustifieth vs. Geneua ¶ Although the calling of God be stable and sure neuerthelesse the Apostle will that our works should declare vnto men that we are called Tindale Obiection Sith we be sure of our election what néede we haue the gospell preached
S. Paule vseth it to signifie the verie bread and verie wine or the substaunce of bread and wine not the similitude or likenesse of bread wine without the substance as you fantasie and imagine Craumer 302. FOXES Of the Foxes that Sampson caught ANd Sampson went tooke 300. Foxes c. If a man aske how Sampson got so manie Foxes he must vnderstande that as there are sundrie Regions so are there also in them manie sundrie increase of things In some place there are manie horses and those faire In some place there is great abundaunce of cattell In England there is great plentie of Connies so is there in the Ilands called Baleares In those Regions a man maie easelie in one daie in a little ground take 3. or 400. Conies which to some peraduenture might séeme incredible And so it is said the ther is a verie great abundance of Foxes in Siria speciallie in the borders of Iewrie Wherefore Salomon in his Canticles saith Take Foxes for vs which destroieth the vineyards for they delight most of al in ripe grapes Yea and Dauid saith of the vngod●●e the 〈…〉 be parts of Foxes that is their praie so that their carkasses shall be deuou●ed of them And out of the fourth chapter of Nehemias is gathered that the number of them was so great that they could in a manner ouerturne the walles of the citie And Sampson tooke them either by his owne industrie or by the helpe of his friends Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 223. FREE How we are free in Christ. THen are the children free ¶ Though we be made frée by the death of Christ yet ought we to be obedient vnto Magistrates and to paie them such tribute as they doe require of vs. Sir I. Cheeke FREE-VVILL How the word Free-wil is not found in all the Scripture THis word Frée-choise or as some men call it Frée-will is not in all the holie Sccipture but is inuented by proud men which would set vp their owne righteousnesse and put downe the righteousnes of God vpon the which also they haue grounded their merites attributing righteousnesse and saluation to their workes by the which thing they denie the merites of the passion of Christ. Rom. 3 24. Gal. 2. 16. The Free-will of man before his fall Frée-will was giuen to man when he was first created by the which he might haue chosen either to sinne or not to sinne August 12. b. 13. cha of the citie of God ¶ All men before sinne had frée-will either to followe the diuell or not Chrisostome in his sermon of the comming of our Lord in his 36. homelie ¶ Man was made good and by his frée-will was he made an euill man And shall he now saith S. Austen being euill make himselfe good seeing that wh●n he was good he could not keepe himselfe good He hath set fire and water before thée stretch out thine hand vnto which thou wilt ¶ Frée-will before the fall of man was an vpright frée-will before which fire and water was laied of God and the first man did reach his hande to which he would He did chuse fire and forsooke water So the righteous Iudge the same which man being frée did chuse he did receiue he wold haue euill and the same did follow him Augustine in his booke of the new song the 8. chapter But why God did not vphold man with the strength of his stedfast countenaunce that resteth hidden in his owne secrete councell it is our part onelie to be so farre wise as with sobrietie we maie Man receiued indéede to be able if he would but he had not to will that he might be able For of this will should haue followed stedfast continuance Yet is he not excusable which receiued so much that of his owne will he hath thought his owne destruction And there was no necessitie to compell God to giue him anie other then a meane will and a fraile will that of mans fall he might gather matter for his owne glorie Of the free-will of man after his fall Man misusing his frée-will lost both himselfe and his will Augustine in his Ench. to Laurence the 30. chap. No man can beléeue hope or loue vnlesse he will but euen the selfe same will to beleeue to hope loue commeth not but from God Frée-will once made thrall auaileth nothing now but to sinne August ad Boni in his 3. b. 8. chap. That we liue well that we vnderstand aright we haue it of God Of our selues we haue nothing but onelie sinne that is within vs. Aug. de verbis Apost Ser. 10. After that man had sinned with his frée-will we wer cast headlong downe into necessitie as manie as euer came of his stocke Aug. against Fortunatus in the 2. disp It was shewed in Adam what free-will can doe without help it is able inough of it self to do euil but not vnto goodnes except it be holpen of God Au. in his b. of the new song cap. 8. Man is apt and able to wound himselfe but he is not apt able to heale himselfe when he will he maie be sicke not when he will he maie rise Augustine vpon the 98. Psal. All men at the first wer created without fault or vice and all our natures were in health but by the transgression of the same man we haue lost it There hence is drawne mortalitie there hence are so manie corruptions of the minde ther hence is ignorance a difficultie vnprofitable cares and vnlawfull conc●●piscence● c. Amb. in his b. of the calling of the Gentiles chap. 3. We had frée-will before sinne to worke well but after sin we had none because we were not able by our owne power and strength after sinne to escape from the power of ye. diuel but as a ship when the sterne is broken is driuen hether and thether where the tempest will so by the diuell we are domen from one sinne to another neither hetherto can doe anie thing but euen as the diuell will And except God deliuer of with his strong hande of his mercie we shall remaine in bondes and chaines of sinnes vnto death Chrisostome in his 36. hom That man of his naturall power without the spirit of God can doe nothing but sin is proued by the words of Christ himselfe He that abideth in me saith Christ bringeth foorth much fruite for without me can ye doe nothing If a man bide not in me he is cast out as a braunch and he shall burne Héere it is plaine that frée-will without grace can doe nothing that is acceptable before God Saint Austen vpon this place of Iohn saith Least anie man should suppose that the braunch of it self could bring foorth at the least waie a little friute therefore saith he not Without me can ye doe a little but Without me can ye doe nothing Therefore whether it be little
suanitatis A Sacrifice vnto God a swéete sauour whole Grocers shops of spicerie all the flowers in Priapus garden all the floures in Naiades and Traiades and Satyrus that is all the flowers in Hils Dales and floures in manie a great Forest are not so delightfull and smelling The Uiolet hath not the like sauour the Rose hath not the like sauour the Lilie the like smell the Giliflower the like sent as good life through good faith yéeldeth to Gods nostrells c. T. Drant Of the good purpose of man ¶ Looke Man GOOD INTENT How our good intents must agree with Gods word NOthing can be done to the honour of God nor with a good intent but that which is done according to his word For the word of God is the verie true and onelie rule of all good intents and of the honour wherwith he ought to be honoured For it is not sufficient for man to honour God according to his own fansie and to doe whatsoeuer liketh himselfe For God hath giuen a contrarie commaundement saieng Do not euerie one of you what shall please you but that onelie which I commaunde you Pet. Viret The Lord was wroth with Oza and smote him because he put his hand to the Arke c. ¶ Oza punished because he tooke vpon him an office wherevnto he was not called for it was the Priests office Nu. 4. 15. So that all good intents be condemned except they be commaunded by the word of God Leo the first of that name in his sermon of the Passion of of the Lord saith that Peter when he cut off the eare of the seruaunt of the high Priest was moued with a godly motion but what godly motion could it be which Christ reproued yea so reproued it that he affirmed y● he which so drew the sword shuld perish with the sword What other thing was this then to haue a zeale of God but as Paul saith not according to knowledge Paule also the Apostle when he afflicted and destroied the Christians thought that he did God high seruice Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 152. Of the good intent of Nadab and Abihu The good intent of Nadab and Abihu the sonnes of Aaron doe shewe vs the fruites of mans good intent without Gods word As we maie doe nothing lesse so doth that ensample teach that we maie doe no more then is commaunded T. M. Examles of good intents out of holie Scripture ¶ The man that gathered sticks on the Sabboth daie thought he had done well and yet was stoned to death for his so dooing Nu. 15. 32. ¶ Looke Man ¶ The man that doth after the meaning of his own heart God will punish Saule of a good intent saued Agag king of Amalech contrarie to the commaundement of God by Samuel therfore was reproued 1. Reg. 15. 8. c. Iames Iohn desiring of good intent that fire might come downe from heauen and consume the Samaritanes were rebuked of Christ. Luke 9. 54. ¶ Peter of good intent would haue disswaded Christ from his suffering was called Satan for his labour Mar. 8. 32. ¶ Iudas of a good intent spake to haue the ointment solde and the monie giuen to the poore ¶ The Iewes of a good intent put Christ and Stephen to death Math. 27. Act. 7. GOODS How and where they ought to be most safelie laid vp A Mans goods are no where more safelie laid vp then in the hands of his friends As Alexander being asked the question in what place he hadde his treasure lieng in the handes of my friends quod he meaning that a mans goods are no where more safelie then so laid vp in store For when the case requireth goods so bestowed come againe to our hands with increase How the goods of the Church ought to be bestowed S. Hierom saith● so manie as with the goods of the Church satisfie their own pleasure are like to the Pharisies which gaue monie to the kéepers of Christs sepulcher to oppresse the glory of God Hierom. in Math. cap. 28. Vrban Bishop of Rome saith The goodes of the Church ought not to be turned to anie other vses then to Ecclesiastical vses and the comm●dities of the poore for they are saith he the oblations of the faithfull and the patrimonie of the poore giuen vnto the Lord for this purpose If anie man therefore which God forbid bestoweth them otherwise let him take heed he fall not into the damnation of Ananias Saphira be proued guiltie of Sacriledge Forasmuch as not onlie Tenths are not ours but are appointed for y● reliefe of y● congregation but also whatsoeuer we receiue more of God then we haue néede off that altogether ought to be bestowed on the poore If we receiue that for our owne lusts vanities which is appointed for the poore looke how manie people die either for hunger or want of cloathes in all those places where we dwell let vs be well assured that at the daie of iudgement we shall vender accompts for the liues of them all Caesarius in admonitione S. Gregory appointeth that the Church-goods should be deuided into foure parts One to the Bishop and his familie for the maintenaunce of hospitalitie and reliefe of the poore The second to the Cleargie that is to saie to the Ministers Deacons Schollers The third to the poore The fourth to the repairing of the Temple S. Gregory 12. q. 2. can quatuor GORTHEANS What the Gortheans were THe Gortheans were Sects celebrating their festiuall daies at other times then the Iewes did Epipha prefaci lib. 1. de hae res GOSPELL What the Gospell signifieth THe Gospell signifieth a message of God happie and ioifull news and sheweth to vs the grace by the which we are discharged and set frée before the iudgment of God and deliuered from the death and eternall damnation to the which we are iustlie condemned by the Law And it declareth vnto vs by by what meanes wherby and by whom we obtaine that grace and of whom Pet. Viret ¶ As touching the interpretation of this word Gospell it being taken from the Gréeke word signifieth good or glad tidings The which word the thréescore and ten Interpreters vsed so often as they found the Hebrue word Bisser which signifieth to tell and Besora Tidings being the deriuatiue of the same and also Mevasser Telling Mar●orate This word Gospell signifieth good tidings and is taken héere for the Storie which conteineth the ioifull message of the comming of the Sonne of God promised from the beginning Geneua ¶ The Gospell after S. Iohn Euangelion signifieth good tidings And in the holy writers it signifieth a publique solemne and open preaching of Christ whereby his death hath purged our sinnes and being risen from the dead raineth in the ha●ts of his chosen and renueth them vnto godlines through his spirit mortifieng from time to time their foolish lusts and abolishing more and more the remnaunt
The Gospell is the word of grace Act. 14. 20. The Lawe is the word of dispaire Deut. 27. The Gospell is the word of comfort Luke 2. The Lawe is the word of vnrest Rom. 7. The Gospell is the worde of peace Eph. 6. LAZARVS How the poore and rich are matched together RIches are not condemned in themselues as we sée how our Lord Iesus Christ hath shewed vs by matching the poore and the rich together in the kingdome of heauen when he speaketh of Lazarus in S. Luke He saith there that the Angels carried Lazarus for albeit he was an out-cast among men and a poore creature of whom no account was made insomuch that he was forsaken of all men yet neuerthelesse behold how y● Angels carrie his soule into Abrahams bosome And what was this Abraham A man rich both in cattell monie in householde and in all other things sauing houses and lands for these were not lawfull for him to haue because it behoued him to tarrie Gods leasure till he gaue him the land of Canaan to inherit True it is that he purchased a burieng place but he had not anie inheritance notwithstanding that his moueables wer verie great Therefore when we sée the soule of Lazarus carried by the Angels into the bosome of Abraham who is the Father of the faithfull we perceiue that God of his infinite grace and goodnesse calleth both rich and poore vnto saluation Cal. vpon Iob. fol. 7. Of the loosing of Lazarus Loose him and let him goe ¶ This was commaunded to be done to amplifie the glory of the myracle y● the Iewes might féele with their hands the work of God which they saw with their eies For he which had sent away death with the power of his word could either haue made the graue clothes to haue falne of by their owne accord or els y● Lazarus should haue vnwound himself But Christ would haue the hands of the standers by to be witnesse of the same But too rediculous are y● Papists which vpon this place ground their auricular confession Christ saye they wold haue Lazarus after he had restored him to life to bée loosed by his disciples therfore it is not sufficient for vs to be reconciled to God except the church also forgiue vs our sinnes But whervpon do they define gather that the office of loosing Lazarus was enioined the disciples we rather gather by the text that it was enioyned the Iewes to the end they might haue all scruple of doubting taken from them Therfore this place serueth no more their turne for auricular confession then doth y● othere of the ten lepers in the 17. chapter of Luke the which also they haue shamefully abused Marl. vpon Iohn fol. 419. LEFT HAND What the left hand of God doth signifie AS the right hand is taken for euerlasting life so doth the left hand signifie the torments of the wicked LEGION What a Legion is EUerie Legion conteined commonly 6000. footemen 732. horsemen whereby héere he meaneth an infinit number LEAGVE What a League is A League is that bonde betwéene men whereby enterchaungeably they testifie both by wordes and signes that they are bound to performe certeine things so that they handle together with good faith And if it be a bond and perteineth to relation it is grounded vpon humaine actions is referred to those things which the parties considerated ought to performe y● one to the other● It is expressed by words for the most part signes are added God when after the floud he made a league with mankinde he did not only declare the forme of y● obligation by words but also he put the rainebow in y● cloudes as a witnes And in the league which hée made with Abraham he put the signe of circumcision Furthermore in that which was made by Moses at the mount Sinai there were twelue pillers erected and the people was sprinkled with bloud Iosua also when he should dye erected vp a verye great stone thereby to seale the league renued betwéene the people and God Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 73. Of three kinde of leagues There are thrée kinde of leagues The first kinde is when the conquerours set lawes to those whome they haue conquered in punishing them and commanding them what they will haue them afterward to doe The second kinde is when things being yet soūd neither part ouercome they cōmune togethers that things taken from the one part may be restored and couenaunts of peace may bée established The third kinde is when there is no warre betwéene the parties and certeine Princes or cities are ioyned together by some couenaunts either to liue the more peaceably or els to take in hand some cōmon affaires c. Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 73. LEND ¶ Looke Vsurie LENT Wherevpon the Lenten fast was grounded THere is none other cause of this fasting thē of y● which Moses fasted when he receiued the law at the hands of y● Lord. For sith y● miracle was shewed in Moses to stablish the authoritie of the lawe it ought not to haue ben omitted in Christ least the Gospell should séeme to giue place to the lawe But since that time it neuer came in any mans minde vnder coulour of following of Moses to require such a forme of fasting in the people of Israel Neither did any of the holy prophets fathers follow it when yet they had minde and zeale inough to godly exercises for that which is sayd of Helias that he fasted fortie daies without meate or drinke tendeth to none other end but that the people should know that he was stirred vp to be a restorer of the law from y● which almost all Israel had departed Therfore it was a more wrongful zeale and ful of superstition y● they did set forth fasting with the title colour of following Christ. Howbeit in the manner of fasting there was then great diuersitie as Cassiodorus rehearseth out of So●rates in the ninth booke of his historie For the Romanes sayth he had but thrée wéekes but in these thrée was a continuall fasting except on the Sundaie and Saterday The Slauonians and Grecians had sixe weekes other had seauen But their fasting was by diuided times and they disagréed no lesse in difference of meates Some did eate nothing but bread water some added hearbs some did not forbeare fish and foule some had no difference in meates Of this diuersitie Augustine also maketh mention in the latter Epistle to Ianuary Caluine in his Insti 4. b. chap. 12. Sect. 20. Why the Fathers instituted Lent The Fathers when they sawe men liue very carelesly and negligently thought it good that they should be compelled after a sort to renew godlynesse in some part of the yeare somwhat to bridle the fiercenes of y● flesh And for this thing they thought that the fortie daies before Easter were most méet that men should so long haue their mindes both occupied in repenting also
How the Letter killeth For the Letter killeth but the Spirit giueth lyfe ¶ The Letter héere and in the seconde to the Romanes verse 27. and in diuerse other places of the Scripture signifieth the Lawe or olde Testament and the Spirit the Gospell or new Testament And so doth Saint Austen expounde them in sundrie places of his booke which hée wrote of the letter and the spirit And Erasmus also both in his Paraphrases and Annotations Because the lawe findeth vs guiltie and thervpon condemneth vs therefore saith the Apostle rightly that it killeth And the gospel because it pronounceth vs righteous in Christ and sheweth vs that by him we are iustified from all thinges whereof we could not be iustified by the lawe Act. 13. 39. doth therefore bring lyfe As for such as by the letter will vnderstand the litterall sense and by the spirit the spirituall sense can no learned or christen man allowe For these wordes Letter ministration of death ministring of condemnation and that which is destroied signifieth all one thing And these Spirit Ministration of righteousness and that remaineth be there verie contraries Now wordes meaning one thing must haue one interpretation And by some of the first cannot the litterall sense be vnderstoode nor by some of the last the spirituall Ergo neither by these wordes Letter or Spirit sith Letter is all one with the first and spirit with the latter Tindale ¶ Origen writeth thus Et est in Euangelio littera c. Euen in the Gospell there is a Letter that killeth For when as Christ sayth Unlesse ye eate the flesh of the sonne of man c. If ye take the same according to the Letter the Letter killeth What is Littera occidens the murthering Letter Truely the lawe which causeth anger by which commeth knowledge of sinne which is a Schoolemaster vnto Christ. The lawe first killeth y● Christ may make aliue it condemneth y● Christ may iustifie it sheweth sinne it healeth sinne Ro. Hutchynson How letter and circumcision is taken in this place Which being vnder the Letter Circumcision doth transgresse the law ¶ The letter is héere taken for the outward shew or ceremonie as a little after by the spirit he vnderstandeth the circumcision of the heart Sir I. Cheeke ¶ When the Lawe is called the Letter or that is prouoketh death in vs or that it killeth or is the minister of death or that it is the strength of sinne it is meant as we consider the law of it selfe without Christ. Geneua LEVEN How Leuen is diuersely taken in the Scripture Leuen is sometimes taken in an euill sense for the doctrine of the Pharesies which corrupted the swéetnesse of the word of God with the leuen of their gloses And sometime in a good sense for the kingdome of heauen that is to saye the Gospell and glad tidings of Christ. For as leuen altereth the nature of dowe and maketh it through sowre euen so the Gospel turneth a man into a new lyfe and altereth him a little and little first the heart and then the members Tindale fo 226. Take heede and beware of the leuen of the Pharesies and of the Saduces ¶ By leuen héere is vnderstoode the doctrine and inuention of the Pharesies and of all other men lyke conditioned vnto them Sometime leuen in the Scripture is taken in an euill sense as héere and sometime in a good sense As in the. 13. 33. and in the 12. of Saint Luke verse 1. it is noted by the name of hypocrisie because it is deceitfull false and vngodly and maketh all the louers thereof hypocrits Tindale ¶ Leuen héere is taken for the ●rronious doctrine of the Pharesies Saduces which with their gloses deprauated the Scriptures Some thinke this word 〈…〉 n is taken for wholesome doctrine of the Gospell Math. 13. 33. Sir I. Cheeke Beware of the leuen of the Pharesie● ¶ He wi 〈…〉 eth the in to beware of contagious doctrine and such s●bile practises as the aduersarie vsed to suppresse the Gospell Ge 〈…〉 LEVY Of Leuy otherwise called Mathew AND sawe Leuy the sonne of Alphe● sit at the r●ec 〈…〉 e of ●ustome ¶ He that is heere in Marke called Leuy in the Gospell before Chapter 9. and verse 9. is called Mathew in whom we haue an example how they that be called and beléeue ought to bring foorth worthy fruites of repentaunce Sir I. Cheeke ¶ Looke Mathew LEVITES What their office was TAke the summe c. from thirtie yeare olde and aboue ¶ The Leuits were numbred after thrée sortes first at a moneth olde when they were consecrate to the Lord next at 25. yeare old when they were appointed to serue in the tabernacle and at 30. yeare olde to beare the burthen of the tabernacle Geneua ● He sayd vnto the Leuites that taught all Israel and were sanctified vnto the Lorde put the holy Arke in the house which Solo●on the sonne of Dauid king of Israel did builde it shall ●e no more a burthen vppon your shoulders ¶ It appeareth héere that the Leuites charge was not onely to minister in the Temple but also to instruct the people in the worde of God And where as he sayth It shall bée no more a burthen vpon your shoulders that is as it was before the temple was built● Therefore your office onely is now to teach the people to praise God Geneua How this place following is to be vnderstood For the Leuites were purer hearted to bée sanctified then the Priestes ¶ Pelicane translateth the wordes thus Leuitae quip 〈…〉 〈…〉 ritu c. For the Leuites were sooner or easier sanctified then the Priestes which he expoundeth more plainely in his Commentaries saieng Intiligitur Sacerdotum numerum imminutum fuisse c. It is to bée vnderstoode that the number of the Priestes was diminished which should haue sufficed for to prepare the Sacrifices and therefore they desired the helpe of the Leuites that all thinges might bée done more diligentlye There was also an other cause of the Leuites helpe for the sanctifieng of the Temple and the preparation of the Sacrifice was so sodeinly commaunded that many of the Priestes had not time to sanctifie themselues according to the lawe which required a certeine space for the same and the Leuites might bée sanctified with lesse adoe and in shorter time And surelye the verye circumstaunce of the place doe proue this to be the true vnderstanding of it for these be the wordes that immediatelye goe before but the Priests were too fewe and were not able to sleye all the burnt offeringes therfore their brethren the Liuites did helpe them vntill they had ended the worke and vntil other Priests were sanctified I. W. fol. 11. LEVIATHAN What Leuiathan signifieth DArest thou drawe out Leuiathan with an Angle c. ¶ Leuiathan as diuerse learned men expounde signifieth the greatest fish that liueth in the Sea which is a Whale T. M. Euen
Euangelist vseth is Anthropos And as Plato techeth it is made o● vp looking for y● state of mans body is vpright his face is aduanced to heauen he is not bent downeward to the ground after the manner of other beasts which thing the Greeks noted by the name of a man calling him Anthropos an vp looker They haue also another word Aner In the holy scripture written in Gréeke this worde Anthropos signifieth a man compassed with misery for in the tenth of the Acts when Cornelius worshipped Peter he sayd vnto him arise I also am Anthropos a mortall man And againe Paule and B●●●abas when at Lustra i●●●ters Chaplaines wold haue sacrificed vnto them rent their clothes and cried saieng Men why do ye these things we also are Anthropoi men subiect to the same passions and miseries y● you be See then the measure y● the Euangelist kepeth whē he saith y● I was sent of God he adorneth him with high authoritie setteth him vp on high aboue the common sorte of men but vsing together this word Anthropos he tempereth the matter with iust measure y● no man should think of Iohn more then he was● For our nature and custome is either to aduance man too high or to abase or depresse thē too low The Iews extolled Iohn Baptist too high for some thought y● he was no man but an Angel in a mans bodie Some tooke him for the promised Messias The Euangelist weigheth him in a true paire of ballance neither diminishing any thing that God had giuen him nor adding more then was found in him c. Traheron Of the first man Adam and the second man Christ. The first man was of the earth earthly the second man is the Lord from heauen ¶ S. Paules purpose in this place is not to speake of the substance of our bodies or of y● substance of the Lords bodie but of the qualities as the words following declare Hoios Of what qualitie y● earthly of y● qualitie are the earthly of what qualitie the heauenly is of that qualitie are the heauenly This then is the sense The first man was of y● earth earthly that is subiect to sinne and corrupt affections which bring death The second heauenly that is full of heauenly qualities which through the power of Gods spirit draweth them lyfe and immortalitie As we beare the Images of the earthly y● is were sinfull and therefore compassed with death so shal we beare the Image of the heauenly that is our spirites shall bée renued to true holynesse our bodyes to immortalitie Wherfore when he saith the second man is the Lord from heauen hée meaneth not that he brought his body from heauen but that he is heauenly as he expoundeth himselfe that he is endued with heauenly qualyties Traheron ¶ Whereas he sayth The second man is the Lord from heauen it is attributed to Christ as concerning his diuinitie not in respect of his humanitie whose flesh hath this glorie by the power of God who dwelleth in it Geneua Of the man that gathered stickes on the Sabboth day They found a man gathering stickes on the Sabboth day ¶ Necessitie droue him not to gather stickes therefore was he worthy his cruell death forasmuch as he despised to heare the word of God wherevnto he was so straightly commanded to giue eare on the Sabboth day T. M. Of the man wounded There was a man saith Christ that trauailed from Hierusalem to Iericho by the way fell among théeues was spoiled wounded c. ¶ In which person mankinde is signified much more cruelly handled by the diuell then the figure expresseth we were spoiled of the gifts y● God had endued Adam withal as innocencie immortalitie the Image of God not onely in daunger of temporall but euerlasting death from which wee could neuer deliuer our selues The priest Leuit ministers of the law by whom y● law is signified passed by they ne could ne would help the afflicted They loked vpon him they saw that was all for the law sheweth reuealeth our misery reléeueth it not The Samaritane in whom our sauiour Christ the christian righteousnesse cōming by him is signified powreth Oyle into his wounds bindeth them vp carrieth him to the Inne wherein is noted both our lacke and miserie and also our help from whence it commeth How the birth of man is foure manner of waies Men haue bene brought into the world 4. manner of waies The first manner was of Adam who was shaped of the ●lime of the earth The second was of Eue who was brought out of a rib of Adams The third was of Christ only who was borne of a pure virgin The fourth is the cōmon birth of all other men which are conceiued of the séede of male and female together Hemmyng MANDRAGORAS What Mandragoras is AND found Mandragoras in the field ¶ The Hebrues call it an hearbe or rather a root that beareth y● similitude of mans body Other cal it an Apple which being eaten with meat causeth conception S. Austen thinketh that it pleaseth women because it hath a pleasaunt sauour or rather for deinti 〈…〉 because there was not many of them to get T. M. ¶ The Mandrake is a kinde of hearbe whose root hath a certeine likenesse of the figure of a man Geneua MANES How the sect of Maniches rose of this man Of this man came the sect of the Maniches he was a Persian borne in manners rude and barbarous and of a fierce and cruel nature and without all modestie he endeauoured to perswade the people that he represented the forme of Christ. Sometime he sayde that he was Paraclitus that is the true comforter that was promised by Christ. His followers denied Christ to haue taken very flesh They reiected also the old Testament and part of the new Cooper In the time of Aurelianns began first the Maniches and one Manes born● in Persia was the beginner of them This same spread his venim abrode largely First by y● Arabians afterward in Affrica which went to spéedely on y● it could not be swaged the space of two hundred yeares afterward The chiefe of their doctrine was y● ther wer two Gods the one good the other euill both like euerlasting This doctrine seemed vnto mans reason allowable For séeing God is good by nature that in the meane season the euill hath such power it is necessary ther be also a peculiar God which is authour doer of euils equal to the other God with power euerlastingnes Beside these had they other opinions the they taught namely y● Christ was no true God neither receiued they the bookes of the Apostles but fained their seueral doctrines y● which they called Christs gospel also They bosted also of seueral illuminatiōs of heauen said they gaue the holy Ghost They ordeined sundrye ceremonies They vsed also choise of meates They forbad wedlocke saieng that thereby is obteyned the holy
wine is to vs which thing appeareth more plaine by the words of Saint Austen following which be these Manducauit Moses Manna c. Moses did also eate Manna Aaron Phinehes did eate of it which pleased God are dead wherfore because they vnderstood y● visible meat spiritualy They wer spiritualy an hūgred they tasted it spiritualy y● they might be spiritualy replenished They did all eate the same spirituall meate and all dranke the same spiritually which we doe and they all did drinke the same spirituall drinke They dranke one thing and we another but that was in the outward appearaunce which neuerthelesse did signifie the same thing spiritually How dranke they the same drinke They saith the Apostle dranke of the spirituall stone following them and that stone was Christ. And thereto Saint Bede addeth these words Videte autem fide manente signa variata Behold that the signes are altered and yet the faith abideth one Of these places it may plainely be perceiued that it is no Article necessary to be beleeued vnder paine of damnation that the Sacrament should be the naturalll body of Christ seeing the olde fathers neuer beleeued it And as they were saued without beleeuing that Manna was altered into Christes body euen so shall we be saued without beleeuing that the substaunce of bread is turned into his naturally body for the same faith shall saue vs that saued them And we are bound to beléeue no more vnder paine of damnation then they wer bound to beleeue I. Frith MARANATHA What this word Maranatha signifieth LEt him be had in execration Maranatha ¶ By these words is betokened the seuerest kinde of cursse and excommunication that was among the Iewes and the words are as much to say as our Lord commeth So that his meaning maye be this Let him be accursed euen to the comming of the Lord that is to say to his deaths daye euen for euer S. Hierome doth expound this word Maranatha the Lord commeth as if he should say If a man doe not beleeue our Lord Iesus Christ let him be accursed and let him be sure that the the Lord against whō no hatred can preuaile doth come Some againe doe expound it thus Let him be as a rotten member cut off and perish vtterly Sir I. Cheeke ¶ Maranatha a word wherewith the accursed or vyle person in the extreame degrée is signified The Bible note MARCION Of the damnable heresies of this man MArcion of Pontus encreased the doctrine of Cerdon He liued in the time of Iustinus Martir which wrote a booke against him He met Policarpus and asked of him Knowest thou vs Policarpus I knowe thée for the first begotten of Satan Euseb. li. 4. cap. 11. 14. He said the soule onely should bée saued and not the body He thought that Cain with the Sodomites Aegyptians c. were saued when Christ went downe to Hell Irenaeus li. 1. ca. 29. Epiph. haeres 42. writeth of him that he was a Bishops sonne who when he had de●●oured a Uirgin was by his own father excommunicated the church afterward he fled to Rome Being there because they admitted him not into the Church he began to preach detestable doctrine That there were three beginnings good iust and euill That the new Testament was contrarye to the olde He denied the resurrection of the body A comparison betweene the Marcions doctrine and the Popes The Marcions receiued no man to be a Christen man except he would refuse mariage The Pope receiueth no Priests except they fo rs weare mariage So that there is no diuersitie betwéene these heretikes and the Pope but that these Heretikes doth except a greater number then the Pope doth and speaketh more generally but the thing is all one For the Marcionites indgeth mariage vncleane for their sort and so doth the Pope for his sort Farther more Marcion saith that among christen men may be no temporall mariage but all conjunction must be turned into a spirituall mariage And the selfe same thing saith the Pope of his Priests wherfore seeing y● they do graunt how that S. Paule and also holy Fathers hath condemned this heresie of the Marcionites it must néedes followe that the opinion of the Pope is likewise damned But héere will some obiect and say as Eckius hath written that the Pope doth not condemne mariage but he causeth men alonely to keep his vowe Aunswere First the Pope compelleth them and if they will be Priests to vowe fo rs weare mariage For if ther wer no statute made afore of the Pope y● all Priests shuld fo rs weare mariage thē shuld ther no vowes he made of priests against mariage but the thing shuld be frée So y● the vowe commeth out of the Popes decrée prohibition not the decrée out of the vowe Ergo the prohibition goeth before the vowe wherefore this euation can haue no place Example The Emperour maketh a statute that no man shall be admitted into his seruice except he first sweare to be an enimie vnto the Kings grace of England Is not now the Emperour first an enimie vnto the Kings person and then also a forbidder of loue and fauour towards the Kings grace of England I thinke his grace will take his acte none otherwise For though he doe not nor cannot make all men the Kings enimies yet he maketh all that appertaine vnto him to be the kings enimies So likewise the Pope though he doe not forbidde all men mariage yet he forbiddeth as many as will be Priests yea and he will admit no man to be Priest except he first forswears mariage So that the vowe is first made or the Priesthood bée giuen D. Barnes A notable example of Marcions chast life Marcion and Montanus two ranke Heretikes anone after the Apostles daies sprong vp and fained such a chaste holinesse of life that they forbad and damned mariage But Epiphanius writeth that Marcion when he was receiued as a guest in the house of a certaine Deacon in Cipres he caried away his Hosts wife deceiued with his holy pretence of his new chast religion And when Doctor Marcion had taken his pleasure of hir and cast hir vp the miserable woman constrained to returne to hir husband lamenting hir fault asked him forgiuenesse This carefull woman saith Epiphanius was afterward a good warning for many other women monishing them to beware of Bishop Marcion his doctrine This Marcion and Montanus were the onely beginners of the lawe of wiuelesse and husbandlesse chastitie and the first authours and patrons of the Monkes religion Melancthon MARCVS The d●testable heresies of this man MArcus of whom Marcosij Colorbasus of whom Colorbasij and Heracleon after whom the Heretikes are called Hera●leonites sacrificed with witchcraft to amaze their auditory they pronounced Hebrue words they said vnto the women open your mouthes and prophecie through the power which commeth from vs. Many women came to the Church and vnder colour of prophecie confessed
him from Least hée bée compelled to pay his debt with double disprofite one that his milstone is idle in the meane time another that he is constrained to come further in debt otherwise to sell his necessarye goods without which he cannot liue to make payment T. M. ¶ By the neather or vpper milstone is vnderstoode anye thing whereby a man getteth his liuing Geneua MINISTER What the Minister is by the word of God THE true Minister is the eye of the bodye The workman in the haruest Math. 9. 38. The messenger that calleth to the marriage Math. 22. 3. The Prophet that telleth the will of the Lorde Math. 23. 34. The Scribes that doth expound the lawe The seruaunt that occupieth his Maisters talent vnto gaine Math. 25. 16. The witnesse that beareth testimonie of Christ to all people Luke 24. 48. The dispensers of the mysteries of God 1. Cor. 4. 1. The Stewardes that giueth meate in due season vnto the residue of the householde Math. 24. 45. The Sacrificer of the Gospell of GOD to make the oblation of his flocke acceptable Rom. 15. 16. The Minister by whome the people doe beléeue The labourers of God to till the husbandry The Shepheard to féede the Church of God which he hath purchased with his bloud What men ought to be Ministers in the Church of God As in the olde lawe it was forbidden that anye man shoulde prease to come to the altar and to offer the bread of God which had anye manner blemish or deformitie in the bodye So ought no man nowe to take vppon him the preaching of Gods holye worde and ministration of the holye Sacramentes that is deformed with vice but innocent pure faultlesse and vncorrupt both in lyfe and doctrine Theo. Basil. The qualitie of Gods Minister They must be blamelesse watchfull sober modest herberous wise gentle apt to teach able to conuince the aduersarie such as gouerne wel their whole families no drunkards no quarellers no contentious men these be y● qualities that God requireth How ministers ought to be Preachers He is a dead Priest saith Gregorie and therfore no Priest no more then a dead man is a man which doth not preach for he kindleth the wrath of God the great iudge against him if he walke without the sword of preaching Againe he saith you Priests encrease your owne sinnes with the death of others and you kill and murther so manye as you sée daily without all care holding your peace go to their death How Ministers ought first to be doers and then teachers But whosoeuer doeth and teach the same c. This that is spoken héere perteineth to the ministers of the word He teacheth them therefore what perfection is required of them namely that they expresse declare those thinges in their life which by their doctrine they declare teach Saint Paule did chastise his bodie and brought it into subiection least when he preached to others he himself shuld be a castaway And writing to Timothy Be saith he vnto them the beléeue an example in word in conuersation in loue in spirit in faith in purenesse And to Titus he saith in all things shew thy selfe an example of good works in the doctrine with honestie with grauitie with the wholesome worde which cannot be rebuked that he which withstandeth may be ashamed hauing no euill to say on you The lyke wordes hath Saint Peter in effect Marl. fol. 92. ¶ Whosoeuer doth c. Christ maketh mention first of the worke and then of the doctrine for if the workes goe before though the doctrine doe not followe yet shall the verye worke more suffice to teach them that looke vpon vs then any words shall doe First of all teach with works and then with wordes least the saieng of Saint Paule be obiected Thou that teachest another teachest not thy selfe The saieng of Cato The things which in other thou art wont to blame Be well ware that thou offend not in the same For it is very shame when a man will preach If that his deeds against his words doe teach The saieng of Menander The manners of the speaker are they that perswade not that which is spoken How the Ministers of the Church are called Starres The seauen Stars are the Angels of the seauen Churches ¶ The ouerséers of Churches are in Scriptures called Stars and Angels Starres in respect of the brightnesse both of their heauenly doctrine and of their heauenly conuersation Angels because they report vnto vs the will of God the Father According also as in the same respect Christ is called the Angell of the Testament Mal. 3. 1. And Iohn Baptist is called an Angell Mal. 3. 1. Math. 11. 10. So also in this place the rulers of the Churches are called Angells which thing appeareth chieflye héerby that héereafter in y● second chapter the first verse they be willed to repent which thing coulde in no wise agrée with the heauenly spirits Therfore like as the Starres shine in the Skie so must the ministers of Gods word shine in y● Church goe before other in purenesse of doctrine and christen conuersation But a great part of them alas for sorrowe walke as enimies of Christs crosse whose end is damnation whose God is their belly and their glorie is shame which séeke after earthly things when as notwithstanding their conuersation ought to be heauenly Phil. 3. 18. Marl. fol. 28. How ministers were chosen in the olde time Ministers in the olde time were elect and chosen by the whole consent of the people as Cypriane reporteth The common people themselues haue before all other power either to choose worthy Priests or to refuse the vnworthy This order tooke his beginning of Gods authoritie for God sayd to Moses Take thy brother Aaron and Ehazarus his sonne and set them on the mount before all the co●gregation and put off Aarons apparell and put it vpon Eleazarus his son which declareth that ministers ought not to be admitted vnto the ministrie but with the consent and knowledge of the people Theo. Basil. In olde time none was receiued into the companie of clarkes without the consent of all the people insomuch that Cipriane laboured earnestly to excuse y● he appointed one Aurelius to be a reader without asking aduise of y● church because y● was done beside the custome though not without reason For this he saith before In ordering of clarks déere brethren we are wont to aske your aduise and by common counsell to weigh y● manners deseruings of euery one But because in these lesser exercises there was not much perill because they were chosen to a long proofe and not to a great office therfore y● consent of the people ceased to be asked Afterward in the other degrées also except the Bishoprick the people commonly left y● iudgement and choise of them to the Bishop the Priests that they should examine who were méet and
his wife and therefore béeing thought to haue bene gelous ouer her he brought her forth before the people and sayd This is my wife and that ye might vnderstand that I am not gelous ouer her I am content for my part that any of you take her to wife which thing also hee meant as farre as the lawes of God would suffer But they which were afterwarde called Nicholaites vnderstandinge his wordes peruersly supposed that the wiues amonge Christians ought to be common Pet. Mart. vpon Iudic. fo 230. NIGHT. How night is taken in this place THe night commeth when no man can work ¶ The night is when the true knowledge of Christ how he onely iustifieth is lost then can no man worke a good work in the sight of God how glorious so euer his workes appeare Tindale How the night was diuided into foure parts Augustine in his sermon De verbis Domini the. 14 Oration● saith that the elders diuided the night into foure parts of which euerie one conteined 3. houres which he confirmeth also by the testimonies of the holy Scriptures For it is sayd that the Lord came vnto the Apostles in the. 4. watch of the night when they laboured so vehemently in the sea that their Ship was verie néere sunke The same Father writeth the like thing vpon the. 79. Psalme The glose also in the Decrées 1. question The one Super veniente pascha maketh mention of the names of those partes of the night Conticinium Intempestem Gallicinium Antelucanum That is the bed time the dead part of y● night the cocke crowing and the dawning of the day Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 139. For a thousand years in thy sight c. as a watch in the night ¶ As touching this word watch we know how mē in old time were wont to diuide the night into foure watches of which each one consisteth in thrée houres a péece Now this similitude is added to make the matter séeme lesse as who wold say a thousand yeares in Gods sight differed nothing from 3. houres of the night in which men scarcely know whether they be a wake or a sléepe Caluine NILVS ¶ Looke Water of the Sea for the description heereof NIMROTH By this man was Idolatrie first inuented ¶ Looke Idolatry Why he was called an hunter IN that he was called an hunter is signified that he was a deceiuer of soules an oppressour of men And for that he withdrew men from the true religion of God he was so called NINE Of the nine that returned not againe vnto Christ. BUt where are those nine ¶ The Priestes had so abused the nine and made them beleeue that they were healed and cleansed of their leprosie by their workes other obseruaunces that they returned not to Christ to giue him praise which had only healed them as he had done the other I. Veron ¶ He noteth héere their ingratitude and that the greatest part neglect the benefites of God Geneua Of the ninth houre ¶ Looke Houre NOETVS What his heresie was NOetus denied that there were thrée persons saieng all thrée were on He called himselfe Moses and said that Aaron was his brother he said the Father the Sonne and the Holy ghost suffered in the flesh Epiph. haeres 57. NOMBER The nomber of the beast ¶ Looke Beast NOSE OF GOD. What the Nose of God signifieth THe Nose of God saith Augustine doth signifie his inspirations in the hearts of the faithfull Smoke went out at his nostrells 2. Reg. 22. 9. NOT. The meaning of these places following THou art not far from the kingdome of God ¶ When Christ had heard the discréete aunswere of the Scribe concerning the loue of God and the loue of his neighbour he said vnto him Thou art not farre from the kingdome of God that is thou hast the true knowledge of the lawe and lacketh nothing but faith and trust in me by which onely commeth euerlasting life To sit on my right hand and on my left is not mine to giue ¶ Though Christ had receiued all power of his Father yet had he not receiued it to this ende that he should giue the glory of his kingdome vnto other then his father had appointed Beside that Christ doth héere speake as a man For touching his Godhead he was and is equall with the Father Sir I. Cheeke ¶ God my Father hath not giuen me charge to bestow Offices but to be an example of humilitie vnto all Geneua Thou shalt not kill ¶ God saith to the priuate man Thou shalt not kill but to the Magistrate he saith Thine eye shall not spare Thou shalt not suffer the wicked Sorcerer to lyue Not possible ¶ Looke Impossibilitie Not seene c. ¶ Looke Happy Not chosen many ¶ Looke Chosen NOTHING The meaning of this place following ANd hath nothing in me ¶ Satan hath power ouer those that are subiect to sin for he worketh in the children of disobedience Therefore séeing the Lord was pure from all sinne Satan had no power at all in him c. But if Satan had no power of Christ why then did he preuaile so much that he brought him to the death of the Crosse For shortly after Christ died and that the most shamefull death of all other euen y● death of the Crosse. Heare now the cause thereof in these wordes of our Sauiour following But that the world may know I loue the Father that is to say therfore I will giue place to the power of Satan and deliuer my selfe into the hands of sinners that the world may know I loue the father Marl. fol. 498. ¶ Satan shall assaile me with all his force but he shall not finde that in me which he looketh for for I am that innocent Lambe without spot Geneua NOVACIAN What the opinions were which this man held NOuacian a Priest of Rome fell from his order and called his sect Catharous that is Puritans He would not admit vnto the Church such as fell after repentaunce He was condemned by sundry notable men and in sundrye Councells Euseb. li. 6. ca. 42. He abhorred second marriage Epip haere 59. By what occasion the heresie of this Nouacian sprong About the yeare of Christ. 251. in Alexandria Dionisius ther Bishop was cruelly tormented and many other martired put to death all kindes of paines wer inuented 〈…〉 constraine them to forsake their Religion● by which meanes diuers for feare denied Christ some before theyr paines and some in the time of their torments of which many repenting wer after by y● Councell of Cipriate receiued into y● Church Of this occasion sprang the heresie of Nouacian a Priest who was the first Anabaptist in Rome allowed not Priests marriage and taught that they which had once forsaken their faith should not be receiued againe to penaunce Cooper When the heresie of Nouacian was condemned About the yeare of Christ. 254. Cornelius the. 20. Bishop of Rome which succéeded Fabian condemned the
keyes of heauen what thing that thou binde on earth the same shall bée bound in heuen what thing soeuer thou shalt loose vpon earth shall be loosed in heauen also And to him after his resurrection doth Christ say Feede my shéepe And albeit he gaue equall power vnto all his Apostles after his resurrection and saith Lyke as my father sent me doe I also sende you take you the Holy Ghost If you shall retaine to any man his sinnes they shall be retained if you shall remitte to any man his sinnes to him they shall bée remitted Neuerthelesse because hée woulde declare vnitie he ordeined by his authoritie the originall of the same vnitie beginning of one The other Apostles truely were the same that Peter was endued with equall partaking both of honour and authoritie or power but the beginning commeth of one that the congregation shoulde be shewed to be one These are the wordes of Cipriane in a treatise called De simplicitate prelatorum where you may sée that Christ made all the Apostles of equall honour and like authoritie notwithstanding because he would testifie the vnitie of his Church or congregation he spake it as it were alonely to Peter when he sayd feede my shéepe and I shall giue thée Peter the keyes of heauen but in so saieng though the words séeme spoken to Peter onlye yet they were spoken to him in that he susteined the generall person of all the Church béeing as it were a common speaker for the same So that in speaking to him Christ spake vnto al other the Apostles vnto whom he gaue all the same authoritie that he gaue to Peter as you may sée both in the words of Cipriane and also the same is cléerely shewed of Saint Augustine in diuerse places but no where more plainly then in a treatise called De agone Christiano Lambart in the booke of Mar. fol. 1278. These words of Christ Louest thou me Féed my shéepe Whē they are spokē to Peter they are spokē to al priests ministers He addeth further and sayth Therefore wretched men while in Peter they vnderstood not Christ that is the Rocke while they will not beléeue that the keies of the kingdome of heauen are giuen not to Peter alone but vnto the church they haue quite lost the keies out of their hands Peter when he receiued the keies signified the holy Church August in Iohn Tract 50. So sayth Saint Basil Christ sayd to Peter Louest thou me Féede my shéepe in lyke sort vnto all Pastors and Doctors he gaue the same power a token whereof is this that al others bind loose equally as wel as hée Basil. in vita sel● taria cha 23. Saint Ambrose sayth Our Lord sayd to Peter Féede my shéepe which shéepe and flocke not onely blessed Peter then receiued but he receiued the same together with vs and all w●e haue receiued together with him Christ saith S. Cipriane gaue vnto his Apostles like equal power Cipriane de sim. p●ela Saint Bede sayth The power of binding and loosing notwithstanding it séeme to be giuen onely to Peter yet without all doubt we must vnderstand that it was giuen also to the rest of the Apostles Bede in Homil. in Euangel Quem me dicunt If we speake that Peter spake we are made Peter and vnto vs it shall be sayd thou art Peter for he is the Rocke that is the Disciple of Christ. Againe he that is bound with the bandes of his owne sinne bindeth and looseth in vaine How Peter was neuer at Rome The mainteiners of the Popish kingdome do holde an opinion that Peter came to Rome the second yeare of Claudius the Emperour and dwelt there 25. yeares by whose preaching Rome was brought to the faith of Christ as both Eusebius and Saint Hierome hath written say they To this it is aunswered thus Plaine it is that Christ suffered vppon the Crosse the. 18. yeare of Tiberius the Emperour who reigned 23. yeares After him succéeded Gaius reigned foure yeares then followed after Claudius Nowe then if Peter came to Rome the second yeare of Claudius it must néedes be graunted that Peter came to Rome within a. 11. yeares after Christes death Againe on the other side it is plaine by the wordes of holy Scripture that Paule was not onely not conuerted to the fayth when Christ suffered vpon the Crosse but it appeareth also that hée was not conuerted when Steuen was stoned for the Scripture is plaine that he kept their Garmentes which stoned Steuen to death This being so Paule himselfe writeth to the Galathians that he came to Hierusalem 17. yeares after he was conuerted and that then he founde Peter there which was at the least 18. yers after the death of Christ. Thē if Peter wer yet at Hierusalem 18. yeares after Christ howe can it bée that he came to Rome the second yeare of Claudius which as they say was the. 11. yeare after Christs death Furthermore Peter was at Hierusalem not onely 18. yeares after the death of Christ but the same time also was he sent to preach the Gospell not to the Romanes but to the Iewes And it is to be beléeued that he preched the Gospell among the Iewes For when Paule wrote to the Romanes and saluted a greate manye there by name it is thought he would haue saluted Peter also if hée had then bene the chiefe Bishop there Wherefore it is a verie false lye that the Papists historiograpers doe write that Peter was first Pope of Rome and died there Bar. Och●●e Saint Hierome vpon the Epistle to the Romanes sayth that he hath read in certeine olde bookes that at the sending of this Epistle Narcissus whome with his family Paule saluteth was then the Senior of the congregation at Rome Ergo not Peter Iohn Bale in the pageant of popes fol. 9. Of the shadow of Peter That at the least way the shaowe of Peter when he came by might shadowe some of them ¶ God at the first publishing of his Gospell wrought wonders by these thinges that seemed trifles to the world which things as they were done for a time so now the lyke must not be looked for The Bible note How Peter is but a figure of the Church To thée will I giue the keyes of heauen ¶ To this Saint Austen saith that if Peter there had not bene the figure of the Church the Lorde had not sayde vnto him To thée will I giue the keies of the kingdome of Heauen The which if Peter receiued them not the Church hath them not if the Church hath them then Peter hath them not Philpot in the booke of Mar. PHARAO Whereof the word Pharao is deriued AMbrose writeth that the name of Pharao was not a proper name but rather a surname of al y● kings of Aegipt for at y● time they wer al called Pharaos as afterward they wer called Ptolomei when the Macedonians were the chiefe Lordes ouer all
2. 31. Ro. 10. 13. Now they that forsake the truth blaspheming Christ taking part against the Holy ghost cannot repent For if sinners would conuert call vpon God they should be sure of remission Tindale Christ himselfe said vnto the Pharesies Euery blasphemi● shall be forgiuen but the blasphemie against the Holy ghost which Iohn calleth a sinne vnto death shall neuer be forgiuen but is guiltie vnto euerlasting damnation What sinne or blasphemie is this Uerely that declareth S. Marke saieng They said he had an vncleane spirite that was the sinne vnto death euerlasting that was the sinne that should neuer be foruen He proueth so euidently vnto them that his miracles wer done by the spirit of God that they could not denie it and yet of an hard and obstinate hart euen knowing the contrary they said that he had a Diuell within him These Pharesies dyed not forthwith but lyued peraduenture many yeares after Notwithstanding if all the Apostles had praied for these Pharesies while they were yet liuing for all that their sinne shoulde not haue bene forgiuen them And truth is that after they dyed in impatiencie and desperation which was the fruit of their sin but not the sinne it selfe Now see ye the meaning of this text and what the sinne vnto death or against the Holy ghost is If any man perceiue his brother to sinne a sinne not vnto death that is not against the Holy ghost let him aske he shall giue him life that is let him pray vnto God for his brother and his sinne shall be forgiuen him But if he see his brother sinne a sinne vnto death that is against the Holy ghost let him neuer pray for him for it booteth not and so is not the text vnderstood of prayer after this lyfe as Master Moore imagineth but euen of prayer for our brother which is lyuing with vs. I. Frith How our sinne is made Christs sinne Longe a salute mea ¶ Séeing that this is most true that S. Paule saith of Christ that he neuer did sinne neither was there any guile or deceipt found in his mouth how then can these words be verified in the person of Christ Longe á salute mea verba delictorum meorum The words of my sinnes or my sinfull words are ●arre from my health Uerely they cannot bée applyed to Christ for his owne person Neuerthelesse after the minde of S. Austen these words are therefore spoken by Christ the head because they be only verefied in Christs members So that the Prophet maketh Christ in this place to speake in his owne person that thing which is verefied of vs that be sinners for whose sake he suffered his death passion that in this place is so lyuely touched Yea this is S. Austens saiengs these be his words Christ did wel say My sinful words are far from my health not for any of his owne sinne Sed nostra delicta sua delicta fecit vt suam iustitiam nostram iustitiam facerit But hée hath made our sinnes to be his sinnes that he might make his righteousnesse to be our righteousnesse That is he is contented to be reputed and deemed as a sinner because that in his vniust suffering he might iustly saue sinners that beleeue in him The most part of the learned Expositours be of this minde Ric. Turnar How sinne is forgiuen in Baptime Saint● Austen saith that all sinne is forgiuen in Baptime not that it should not be at all but that it should not be reckoned for sinne Sinne offering what was ment thereby They that offered a Sinne offering must lay their hand vppon it meaning that they themselues had deserued that death also that they did consecrate it to God therby to be sanctified Sold vnder sinne ¶ Looke Solde SION What Sion is AS many as haue euill will at Sion ¶ Sion in the Scripture signifieth the whole Church and Congregation of God and euery faithfull soule that hath his whole intent affection desire towards God T. M. What the daughters of Sion signifieth Therefore shall the Lord shane the heads of the daughters of Sion ¶ To shaue the heads of women is to make them confounded and ashamed for it is a shame for a woman to be shauen 1. Cor. 11. 5. So that the Prophet héereby signifieth by a borrowed speach that the Lord shall make the daughters of Sion by which vnderstand the women of Iewrie confounded and ashamed and bring them to extreme aduersitie and pouertie and euen to naught Iosephus maketh mention that Hierusalem which was the chiefe Citie thereof was once so famished that a certaine woman of the Citie eate hir owne childe Albeit some vnderstand euen heere also by the daughters of Sion the townes villages and castells of Sion as it doth indéed oftentimes in the Scripture Because the daughters of Sion are hautie c. ¶ He meaneth the people because of the pride and arrogancie of their women which gaue themselues to all wantonnes dissolution Geneu SIR How men of countenaunce may be called Sir SIr we would faine sée Iesus ¶ These Greekes call Philip Sir and he refuseth not the same It was the custome of those Countries to call men of wealth and countenaunce by that name Wherevpon also Mary Magdalen called Christ at the Sepulcher after he was risen Sir when as notwithstanding she tooke him to be a gardener The Apostles did not gainsay this custome neither were they serupulous in the same as we sée the Anabaptists to be Mar. vpon Iohn fol. 434. SIRTES What the Sirtes were LEast we should haue fallen into the Sirtes ¶ Sirtes are peri●lous sundry places in the Sea about the coasts of Affrica of the nature of Whirlepooles Tindale SISTER How Abraham made his wife to say she was his sister SAy I pray thée that thou art my Sister ¶ By this we maye learne not to vse vnlawful meanes nor to put other in danger to saue our selues Read ver 20. Albeit it may appeare that Abraham feared not so much death as that if he should dye with out issue Gods promise should not haue taken place wherein appeared a weake faith Geneua ¶ Looke Abraham SIT What it is to sit in the Temple of God SHall sit as Godin the Temple of God ¶ To sit in the Temple of Ged is to rule in the consciences to commaund wher God onely hath place ought onely to raigne which is as much as to be exalted aboue God Tindale Who sitteth in the Temple of God Compare the commaundements of God with the constitutions of men and you shall easely vnderstand that the Bishop of Rome whom they call the Pope to sit in the Temple of God as God and to be exalted aboue all that is called God It is written The Temple of the Lord is holy which is you Therfore the conscience of man is the Temple of the Holy ghost in which Temple I will proue the Pope to
shall be vp waked c. ¶ To dye is not els but after labour ● wearinesse of body to go to bed and sléepe and so to rise vp early more fresh and lustie by which vprising he describeth our resurrection By sleep is vnderstood the rest of our bodies in our graues for our soules sléep not but be receiued into the handes o● our Father in heauen blessed with Christ in the fruition of his pres●nce by the rising vp again in the morning is vnderstood y● resurrection of our dead bodies vnto life eternal our soules ioyned againe to them Melan. vp Da. ¶ Meaning all shall rise at the generall resurrection which thing he heere meaneth because the faithfull shoulde haue ●uer their respect to that for in the earth there shall be no sure comfort Geneua How God is said to sleepe God is said to sleepe when Christ laye dead in his graue whose death is called a swéete sléepe of ●eremie or els when he is slowe to helpe his elect out of trouble as in the Psa. 44. 23. Arise wherefore dost thou sléepe O Lord. SLIME What Slime was SLime was their mortar ¶ That slime was a fatnes y● issued out of the earth like vnto tarre thou maist call it Sement and if thou wilt In the 14. Chap. verse 10. ye shall read of Slime pits SMYRNA What Smyrna was ANd vnto Smyrna ¶ This was the famous Citie of all Ionia by the record of Plinie in his 5. Booke and 29. Chapter and of Strabo in his 14. Booke This word Smyrna soundeth as much as Myrrhe Marl. fol. 19. SNARE What the snare signifieth FRom the snare of the hunter ¶ The snare héere signifieth al naughtie doctrine whether it be taken of the Scripture euil expounded or of the euill inuentions of men As in the Psa. 69. 22. and 119. 110. T. M. That is Gods helpe is most redy for vs whether Satan assaile vs secretly which he calleth a snare or openly which is heere ment by the pestilence Geneua The meaning of this place following Let their Table be made a snare to take themselues withal ¶ That is let their opinion and doctrine be the cause of their stiffenesse and destruction as it is come to the Iewes Ro. 11. 9. The Hebrue Paraphrast saith thus Let such a dinner be sette before them wherevnto they may be so bound that they cannot escape The Scripture is a snare vnto the vngodly wherewith they be trapped although they be neuer so wel learned for only the spirituall perceiueth the meaning On the other side vnto the godly though they haue neuer so little learning it is the Riuer of the water of life Iohn 7. 38. T. M. ¶ The Iewes carry about in their hands the bookes of Moses and vnderstand them not they read the Prophecies denie that in thē is promised But where vnto maketh this some man will say They are blindfolded they are snared they be bowed downe and become deafe Eras. in his Paraphrase SNOVV Of the ingendring of snow WHen God couereth the whole earth with snow whence taketh he so great quantitie of waters Truly men will it is ingendered in the middle roomth of the ayer which is colde that when a great quantitie of vapours be drawen vp thether at length the same commeth together and fréeseth and thereof ingendereth the snow and if the same stuffe be more harder bound then is hayle ingendered because y● thing is become more fast and substantiall c. Cal. vpon Iob. fol. 704. Snow is a Cloud congeled by great cold before it be perfectly resolued frō vapors into water Snow is white not of the proper colour but by receiuing the light into it in so many smal parts as in fome or the white of an Egge beaten Snow is often vppon high Hills lyeth long there because their tops are colde as they be neare to the middle region of the ayer For oftentimes it rayneth in the valley when it snoweth on the Hills Snowe melting on the high hills and after frosen againe becommeth so hard that it is a stone and is called Christall Sléet is generated euen as Snow but of lesse colde or els beginneth to melte in the falling Snow causeth things growing to be fruitfull increase because the colde driueth heate into the rootes and so cherisheth the plants W. Fulee SOLD What it is to be sold vnder sinne BUt I am carnall sold vnder sinne ¶ Lyke as bond-men are violently thrust hurled turmoiled as it pleaseth their cruell master so are we through heapes of sinnes draw●n to many euill doings which we neither doe lyke nor allow The Bible note ¶ Read 3. Reg. 21. 20. of Achab. SONNE OF MAN What is ment by the Sonne of man BEcause he is the Sonne of man ¶ To be the Sonne of man according to the phrase of Scripture is nothing els then to be a very man euen as that he is said to be the Sonne of God is meant that he is very God The meaning of Christ is that he came foorth vnto men adorned with such power that hée might communicate and bestow that vpon them which he had receiued of his father And in that he is man he was ordeined by the Father to be the Authour of lyfe least we shoulde séeke him a farre off For Christ hath not receiued any thing wherof he himselfe stoode in néede but rather to make vs rich with his abundaunt treasure The summe and meaning is that in the man Christ the same is reueled vnto vs which was hidden in God and the life which men before could not attaine vnto is now at hand Also it is worthy to be noted y● when he might haue said because he is man he chose rather to saye because hée is the Sonne of man Let this serue our faith against those that teach that Christ tooke flesh not of the Uirgin Mary y● is to say of the séede of Abraham which the whole Scripture teacheth but that he brought the same with him from Heauen But Christ héere plainely calleth himselfe the Sonne of man not man onely Marl. vpon Iohn fol. 168. But the Sonne of man hath not whereon to rest his head ¶ Christ calleth himselfe the Sonne of man that is very natural man shewing in that his humilitie goodnesse which humbled himselfe to the death of the Crosse for our saluation Tindale Whosoeuer speaketh a word against the Sonne of man c. ¶ To speake a word against the Sonne of man is to be offenwith the humanitie or manhoode of Iesus Christ for his humble and lowe degrée as were manye of the Iewes Tindale Behold one lyke the Sonne of man came in the cloudes ¶ Which is ment of Christ who had not yet taken vpon him mans nature neither was the Sonne of Dauid according to the flesh as he was afterward but appeared then in a figure and that in the Cloudes that is being seperate from the common sort
of them which beléeue in the name of Christ and doe receiue the right of the adoption of the sonnes of God they which are such are not borne of flesh bloud but of God flesh bloud begetteth not the children of God That which is of the flesh is flesh that which is of the spirit is spirit By these words the Euangelist meaneth nothing els but the carnall birth For he maketh a comparison of the generation of the flesh and the spirit reiecting the one and allowing the other c. They which beléeue in Christ being before vncleane Gentiles are not borne the sonnes of God out of the wombe or by flesh and bloud but are brought therevnto by the workmanship of the holy Ghost And although properly he hath respect vnto the Iewes which were proud in the flesh yet notwithstanding of this place a generall doctrine maye be gathered namely that whereas we are counted the sonnes of God it commeth not by the propertie of our nature neither of our selues but because the Lord hath begotten vs of his owne frée will singular loue Marl. vpon Iohn fol. 19. That we should be called the sonnes of God ¶ Being made the sons of God in Christ he sheweth what qualities we must haue to be discerned from bastards Geneua SOPHIST What a Sophist was at the beginning and what it is now SOphists at the first beginning were men that professed to be teachers of wisdome and eloquence And the name of Sophists was had in honour and price and they were of the same estimation and of the verie same facultie science that afterward wer called Rhetores that is Rethoritians yea also Logitians For when the Sophists fell to cauilling brawling and tri●ling by little and little the estimation decayed So that or the time that Socrates liued in a Sophist was a name of contempt and hatred and so it is yet still at this day Vdal SORROVV Of godly sorrow and worldly sorrow FOR godly sorrow causeth repentaunce vnto saluation Godly sorrow is when we are not terrified with the feare of punishment but because we féele we haue offended God our most mercifull Father Contrarye to this there is an other sorrow that onely feareth punishment or when a men is vexed for the losse of some worldly goods the fruite of the first is repentaunce the fruite of the second is desperation vnlesse the Lord helpe spéedely Beza ¶ Ther be two manner of sorrowes The one commeth of God and engendereth repentaunce vnto life The other commeth of the flesh and bréedeth desperation vnto death We haue examples of both in Cain and Dauid in Iudas and Peter for they all sorrowed but the sorrow of Cain and Iudas was fleshly carnall and therfore being without godly comfort it did driue them to desperation Whereas Dauid and Peter in their godly sorrow did flye vnto the father of mercie with a true repentaunt heart and were receiued againe into the fauour of God Sir I. Cheeke ¶ Whose heart Gods spirit doth teach he is sorrie for his sinnes committed against so mercifull a God these are the fruites of his repentaunce as witnesse Dauids and Peters teares Other which are sorrie for their sinnes onely for feare of punishment and Gods vengeance fall into desperation As Cain Saule Iudas Achitophel c. Geneua How Christ ouercame the sorrowes of death And loosed the sorrowes of death ¶ The death that was full of sorrowe both of body and minde Therfore when death appeared conquerour and victour ouer those sorrows Christ is rightly sayd to haue ouercome those sorrowes of death when as being dead he ouercame death to liue for euer with his father Beza ¶ Both as touching the paine and also the horrour of Gods wrath and curse Geneua SOVLDIER What the profession of a souldier is TO professe a souldier is of it selfe saith Erasmus to confesse the puddle and sinke of all mischiefe The meaning of this place following Thou therfore suffer afflictiō as a good soldier of Iesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himselfe with the affaires of this lyfe because he woulde please him that hath chosen him to be a souldier ¶ The latter sentence is generall and perteyneth to all men The meaning is this Whosoeuer would be a souldier vnto Christ must leaue all worldly things and follow him And what Saint Paule meaneth by the affaires of this lyfe Heare Maister Caluines iudgement by the affaires of this life the Apostles vnderstandeth the care of gouerning his family and other ordinary businesse He also applieth the place on this wise Now this comparison saith he is to be applied to the present purpose that whosoeuer will playe tho warrier vnder Christ leauing all worldly matters and impediments must giue himselfe wholy vnto him SOVLE The diuerse taking of this word Soule THe soules of them that were put to death c. ¶ The worde soule is put somtime for the life because the soule is y● cause of lyfe and because the life consisteth in the soule as in y● Psal. 119. 109. and in Iob. 16. 4. Also it is taken for will minde or desire because it is the seate of the will and desire In which sense the soule of Ionathas is sayd to be linked to the soule of Dauid 1. Re. 18. 1. And the soule of Sichem is saide to haue cleued to Dina the daughter of Iacob Ge. 24. 8. And Luke saith that the multitude that beléeued were of one heart and of one soule Act. 4. 32. Many times it is taken for the whole liuing man as when it is saide that thréescore sixtéene soules went with Iacob into Aegypt Ge. 46. 27. Also the soule that sinneth the same shall dye Eze. 18. 20. And the soule that steppeth aside to witches and southsayers shall dye the death c. Leuit. 20. 6. And again eight soules wer saued by water ● Pet. 3. 20. Somtime it is taken for the breath which men doe breath in out wherein consisteth the liuely mouing of the body like as when it is said perplexity hath caught hold of me although my whole soule be still within m●● 2. Reg. 1. 9. And his soule is in him Act. 20. 10. Also let the soule of the child returne into his bowels 3. Reg. 17. 21. And like as in the Latin phrase of speach they be commonly wont to say that the soule is puffed or breathed out so also doth the scripture say that the soule passeth or goeth out as it is said in Rachel And as her soule was passing or going out for she was then vieng she called the child Benony Gen. 35. 18. But most often the soule is taken for the immortall spirit of man lyke as it is sayd feare not them that kill the bodye but cannot kill the soule Math. 10. 28. In this sense doth Iohn say héere that he sawe the soules of them that were put to death c. Marl. vpon the Apoc.
fol. 96. ¶ The soules of the Saintes are vnder the Altar which is Christ meaning that they are in safe custodye in the heauens Geneua How Christs soule was heauie My soule is heauie euen vnto death ¶ Héere we learne that Christ did not onely take an humane body vpon him but also an humane soule So that he was both a perfect man and perfect God else if the Godhead had ben vnto him in stéed of his soule he could not haue bene heauy Sir I. Cheeke Of Christs soule descending into hell That his soule should not be left in hell ¶ Saint Augustine writing of the presence of God vnto Dardanus 2. chap. alleadgeth this saieng of the Apostle and thereby goeth about to proue that the soule of Christ went downe in very déed to hell but that he suffered nothing there Other doe affirme that it is sayd by a figuratiue manner of speaking that he went downe to hell because that the merit of his death and passion was profitable to them that after died in the faith of Abraham Some againe by the word Inferi doe vnderstand the graue I would wish we should alwaies studie to vnitie and peace and leaue these vnfruitfull questions Sir I. Cheeke ¶ Looke Christs descending into hell Thou shalt not leaue my soule in hell ¶ That is thou shalt not forsake me that my soule shall dye and that followeth neither shalt thou suffer thy Saints to see corruption signifieth thou shalt not suffer my body to abi●● in the graue and so to corrupt So doth Peter expound this place of Christ. Act. 2. 27 and Paule Act. 13. 7 T. M. ¶ This is chiefly spoken of Christ by whose resurrection all his members haue immortalitie Geneua Wherein the soule of man and beast do differ In man the soule by which he knoweth iudgeth and hath discreation is called liuing The soule of beasts haue none other facultie but to giue mouing vnto their bodies Caluine Of the apparition of soules The soules that is departed from the body cannot wander in this countries or regiōs for the soules of the righteous are in the handes of God and also the soules of sinners are straight waies after their departure led away it is made manifest by the rich man and Lazarus Chrisostome in his 29. Homil. vpon the. 8. of Mathew T. M. But the Lord doth say in an other place this day will I fetch againe thy soule from thée Therefore the soule after it is once gone from the body cannot wander heere among vs and not without a good cause For if they that go in a iourney if they chaunce to come into some vnknowne country cannot tell whither to goe except they haue a guide how much more shall the soule being departed from the bodie when she entereth into life and way that is altogether new vnto her bée vncerteine and ignorant whither she may goe except shée gette a guide It may be proued by many places of Scripture that y● soules of the righteous men doe not wander heere after their death For Stephen sayth Lord receiue my spirit And Paule did desire to be loosed and to be with Christ. The Scripture also doth say of the Patriarke and he was layd to his Fathers being dead in a good age And that the soules of sinners cannot abide there neither heare the rich what he sayth marke and weigh what he doth aske and not obteine If the soules of men might be conuersant héere he would haue come himselfe as his desire was and certified his bretheren of the torments of hell By the which place of the scripture this is also most manifest and plaine that the soules after they be gone out of their bodyes are lead into a certein place from whence they come not againe at their owne will and pleasure but doe tarry there for the dreadfull day of iudgement God forbid that we should beléeue that the soule of any Saint much lesse of a Prophet haue ben fetched vp by the diuel being taught that Satan himselfe is transformed into an Angell of light much more into a man of light and that he shall also affirme himselfe to be God and worke wonderfull signes for to subuert euen the very elect if it were possible But although the vertue of God hath called againe certein soules into their bodyes for to teach vs that he might doe it by his owne right it shall not therefore be communicated or graunted vnto the confidence and boldnesse of Magitians or Sorcerers and vnto the deceitfulnesse of dreames and lyeng Poets but when in the example of the resurrection the vertue or power of God doth bring againe the very soules into the bodies it is shewed with a whole full truth and which can bée touched and handled that is a shape and forme of veritie or that is a true and vnfeined shape or forme so that thou maist iudge that all fetching vp appearing of the dead without bodies are méere illusions and deceitfulnesse There be such now a dayes which are wont to say Who hath seene what is done in hell who euer came to bring vs word But let them heare what Abraham sayth for if we doe not beléeue the Scriptures we wold not beléeue them neither that should come from hell The Iewes haue well declared the same which because that they beléeued not the Scriptures would in no wise beléeue them that were raised againe from the dead but wold haue slaine Lazarus that was raised againe And although many were raised againe from death after that Christ was crucified yet did they not let to persecute the Apostles most cruelly afterward Theophilact vpon the 16. of Luke I. N. The spirit of Samuel which the woman Sorcerer raysed vp to Saule was not the soule of Samuel but the diuell which appeared in Samuels lykenesse for to deceiue Saule Aug. to simpl 3. quest Of soules departed S. Austen writeth that the soules of the Saints be in the secret receptacles vntill they shall receiue the crowne of glorie in the day of iudgement Againe in an Epistle he wrote to Saint Hierome A soule saith he after bodely death shall haue rest and than after that shall take her body that she may haue glory S. Barnard saith the swéetnesse which the soules of the Saints haue at this present is great but it is not yet perfect for it shall be made perfect when they shall sit on seates as Iudges When they haue put of their bodies they be forthwith brought into rest but not into the glorie of the kingdome He saith farther that there be thrée estates of the soule The first is in the body as in a tabernacle the second after death as in a porch of the temple the third in heauen with his glorified body The meaning of this place following And shall winne his soule for a praye ¶ That is shall escape daunger It is all one with that which goeth before he
the spirit of God is lead by his naturall affections Sir I. Cheeke Of the spirituall house ¶ Looke Stone Of the spirituall eating of Christs body As the body of Christ is séene so is it touched and as it is touched so is it eaten But it is not seene with bodily ●ies it is not touched with bodily fingers S. Ambrose saith Fide tangitur Christus c. By faith Christ is touched By faith Christ is seene therfore the body of Christ is not eaten with the bodily mouth but only by faith which is the spirituall mouth of the soule SPITTING What is meant by spitting in her face IF her Father had spit in her face should she not be ashamed 7. dayes ¶ To spit in her face is to punish her and to cause her to sée her offēce The Lord is a father punisheth his chosen not to vampne them but to correct feare them and to driue them to earnest repentance After 7. daies was she receiued againe into y● hoast So after repentance had must we be receiued into the congregation T. M. SPRINKLING What is meant by the sprinkling of bloud AND sprinkling of the bloud of Iesus Christ. ¶ Héere S. Peter séemeth to haue had a respect vnto the olde ceremony of bloud sprinkling For euen as it was not inough then y● the sacrifice should be offered and the bloud therof vnlesse the people had ben sprinkled with the same So now at this present it shall profit vs nothing that Christs bloud is shed vnlesse our conscience be cleansed purified therewith which thing is done by the ministring of the holy Ghost who doth sprinkle our consciences with Christs bloud to wash them with all S. I. C. STAFFE What it is to goe with a Staffe FOr with my staffe came I ouer this Iordane ¶ To go with a staffe is a manner of speaking of the Hebrewes which signifieth nothing els but to go simply barely without any riches or strength As in Mar. 6. 8. T. M. What the staffe of Gods mouth signifieth With the staffe of his mouth shall be sley the wicked ¶ With the staffe of his mouth c. That is with the word of preaching not with harnesse will I destroye Antichrist 2. Thessa. 2. 8. ¶ All these properties can agrée to none but onely vnto Christ for it is he that onely toucheth the hearts of the faithfull and mortifieth their concupiscences And to the wicked he is the sauour of death and to them that shall perish So that all the world shall be smitten with this rod which is his word Geneua What the staffe of bread signifieth When I shall breake the staffe of your bread ¶ That is the strength whereby the lyfe is suffeined or the force and strength wherewith it should nourish As Eze. 4. 16. and. 5. 16. STAINED CLOTHES ¶ Looke Edom. STARRE What the starre was that appeared to the Mages THe Starre that appeared to the Mages differed from other common stars thrée manner of waies first in place for y● it was set in the lowest part of the aire to guid the trauailers the better and surer on the way Second in mouing for y● it is moued not circle wise but went right forward as a guid to them as the cloud and piller of fire was a guid vnto the children of Israel at their going out of Aegypt Thirdly in brightnesse for that it shined not onely in the night as other Starres did but gaue light also euen in the broad daie Wherefore it was no naturall starre but out of all doubt as Epiphanius saith it was an Angell of God in the shape of a starr● Hemmyng How the Moone and Starres are vncleane in Gods sight And the starres are vncleane in his sight ¶ If God shew his power the Moone and stars cannot haue their light which is giuen them much lesse can man haue any excellencie but of God Geneua The seauen starres called Pleiades Wilt thou hinder the swéet influence of the seauen Stars ¶ Which stars arise when the Sun is in Taurus which is the spring time and bring floures Geneua How the instructers of the people shall shine as Stars And they that turne many to righteousnesse shall shine as the starres for euer euer ¶ He chiefly meaneth the ministers of Gods word next all the faithfull which instruct the ignorant and bring them to the true knowledge of God Geneua How Starres presage nothing Starres presage nothing for if we should say they presage good vnto vs then would we thinke that good commeth naturally vnto vs and not through the benefit of God If they shuld presage euill then might it be said that it commeth vnto vs by the naturall influence and not by the secrets of God STEVVARD Of the vniust Steward ANd the Lord commended the vniust steward ¶ This parable doth not approue the stewards naughtie dealing for it was very theft but Parables are set foorth to shew a thing couertly and as it were vnder a figure to represent the truth though it appeare not throughly with the matter it selfe So that Christ meaneth by this parable to teach vs y● wordly men are more héedy in their affaires of this world then the children of God are carefull for euerlasting lyfe Beza God who doth here represent the maister of the house doth rather commend the prodigall wast of his goods the liberall giuing of the same to the poore then the straite kéeping and hoording of them Geneua ¶ He speaketh after the common sort not that such vntruth is praise worthy but because it is thought wisdome in the eies of the world The Bible note STOIKES What they were THe Stoikes were a kinde of learned men which wanting the knowledge of God affirmed that mans whole felicitie and happinesse did consist in the qualities and vertues of the minde The Bible note What certeine of their opinions were Among other dampnable and false opinions the Stoiks had this was one They did place such power in the Starres and in their oppositions that impossible they affirmed it was to chaunge or auoid that which by their constellation influence was appointed to come Insomuch that they held that Iupiter himself whom they called the great and supreame God could neither alter nor stop the operation of the starres and the effects that should follow therevpon And so they affirmed that the mutation of kingdomes the honours of some the deiection of others and finally that both vice and vertue wer altogether in the power of the starres Against this pestilent opinion straightly and learnedly disputeth S. Austen in diuerse places but chiefly in his first booke of that work intituled Of the Citie of God affirming that onely by the prouidence of God are kingdomes erected mainteined and chaunged that starres haue no power neither to encline man to vertue nor to vice That such blasphemies ought to bée expelled from the eares of all men Knox
that we haue by the same with all giftes and graces of the same The second is to yéelde thankes vnto him to giue testimonie of our faith towards him and of our charitie which we haue towards our bretheren and of the vnion with the Church The third to represent to vs by the bread and wine which are ther distributed the whole and perfect spiritual nouritour which we haue by the meanes of the body flesh and bloud of Iesus Christ to the end we may be spiritually nourished into eternall life according to our benefit which we haue already receiued by our regeneration whereof the Baptime is to vs as a Sacrament in the which we haue in the Supper as it were a gage of our resurrection the which we doe beléeue and waite for There euen as the bread and wine be giuen vnto vs visibly and bodely euen so are the body and bloud of Iesus giuen vnto vs indéede but inuisible and spiritually by the meanes of faith and by the vertue of the holy ghost for he is the meane by which we haue true communion and true vnion with Iesus Christ and all his Church the which is his body whereof all true Christians be members Pet. Viret Why the Supper of the Lord was called a Sacrifice The Supper of the Lord was not called a sacrifice because Christ shuld be offered in it but because he offereth presenteth himselfe vnto vs and that we doe through faith receiue him and giue him thankes for the great benefite that we haue receiued by the merites of his death and passion bloud shedding confessing and professing that we holde none other for our Sauiour but him and that we doe accept knowledge none other sacrifice but his onely for this cause was the Lordes Supper called Eucharistia which word doth signifie thankes giuing Thus doth S. Austen and all other Doctors of the Church expound it Veron in his b. of Purg. The Doctors mindes vpon the Supper of the Lord. If ye should sée the Sonne of man ascend vp where he was before ¶ What is this By that he resolueth those whom hée hath knowen of that he manifested the thing whereby they haue offended for they did thinke that he would giue vnto them his body but he saith that he will ascende vp into Heauen all whole saieng When ye shall sée the Sonne of man ascende where he was before at y● least you shall sée then that hée doth not giue his body in the same manner as ye thinke iudge at the least you shall then vnderstand that his grace is not consumed by morsells c. Aug. vpon S. Iohn in the 27. treatise vpon the 6. Chapter If faith be in vs Christ is in vs. For what other thing saith the Apostle Christ dwelling in your hearts by faith but that through the faith which thou hast of Christ Christ is in thy heart August in his 49. treatise vppon Saint Iohn 11. Chapter After he had ended the solemnitie of the auncient Passeouer the which he made in remembrance of the auncient deliuerance out of Aegypt he passeth forth to the new solemnitie y● which the church desireth to celebrate in remembrance of hir redemption to the end that putting the Sacrament of his flesh and of his bloud vnder the lykenesse of bread and wine in stéede of flesh and of the bloud he sheweth himself to be him vnto whom the Lord hath sworne and will not repent Thou art a Priest for euer c. It followeth after because the bread doeth fortifie the flesh and that the wine causeth the bloud in the flesh the bread is referred mystically to the body of Christ and the wine to his bloud Bede vpon the 22. Chapter of Saint Luke Let vs not staye héere belowe on the bread and wine which are set on the Lords Table but let vs lift vp our spirits on high through faith Let vs consider that the Lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world is in that holy Table which is not offered in sacrifice by the Priestes after the manner of beasts And in taking his precious body and his bloud let vs beleeue that they are the signes and tokens of our resurrection And for the same cause we eate not much but a lyttle to the end we may know y● the same is not ordeined for to fill our bellyes withall but for to serue to sanctitie and holinesse c. ¶ Looke Bread Body Bloud Figure Signe Sacrament Sacrifice How the Lords death is Shewed in the supper As often as ye shall eate this bread and drinke of this Cup ye shall shew the Lords death c. ¶ The Lords death is not shewed except both parts of the Sacrament be ministred and because in his death the bloud was diuided from the body it is necessary that the same diuision be represented in the Supper otherwise the Supper is not a shewing of the Lords death Latimer The meaning of this place of Iohn And when the Supper was done There be some which thinke that it ought to be thus reade And Supper béeing prepared for it may be doubted whether these things were done after the supper or in supper time It is very likely that supper was not fully ended that is to say that the Table was not yet taken away séeing it followeth by and by that the Lord tooke a morsell of bread and offered the same to Iudas Marl. vppon Iohn fol. 456. SVPREMACIE Proues against the supremacie IN the Councel of Carthage it is said thus The Bishop of Rome himselfe may not be called vniuersall Bishop Dist. 99. Prima sedes S. Gregory saith thus Nullus decessorum meorum● c. None of my predecessors Bishope of Rome euer consented to vse this vngodly name no Bishop of Rome euer tooke vpon him this name of singularitie we the Bishops of Rome will not receiue this honor being offered vnto vs. Greg. li. 4. Epist. 32. and. 36. Where pride and hypocrisie beareth sway there humilitie can haue no place Hesychius sen. li. 4. dist 7. Chrisostome saith Quicunque desiderauerit c. Whosoeuer desi●eth Primatum in earth in heauen he shall finde confusion Neither shall he be counted among the seruants of Christ that will once intreate of Primacie Iewel fol. 118. 119. SVRE How we are sure of our saluation ¶ Looke Saluation SVRPLESSE From whence the wearing of Surplesses came NIcholaus Leonicenus saith Isidis Sacerdotes in Aegypto c. The Priests of the Goodesse Isis in Aegypt vsed to weare linnen Surplesses and euermore had their heads shauen which thing séemeth to haue bene deriued from them vnto our time from hand to hand For they that among vs minister Gods seruice and serue the holy Altars are forbidden to suffer the haire of their heads or their beards to grow and in their diuine seruice vse lynnen garments Nicholaus Leonicenus in varia historia li. 2. ca. 21.
Godhead S. Iohn sayth not Caro verbum facta est as the Arrians expound it and say the flesh receiued the worde but hée sayth Verbum caro factum est The word was made flesh I. Proctour ¶ In that he sayth the word became flesh and not man hée sheweth how farre Gods sonne humbled and abased himselfe For the Scripture calleth man flesh when he will signifie the pouertie vilenesse and miserie of man As when it is said All flesh is grasse and he remembred that we were but flesh my spirit shall not euer striue in man for he is flesh But when y● Euangelist sayth The word became flesh we may not imagin that Gods sonne ioyned to his diuine nature flesh only and not mans soule as Appolinaris thought in his traunce that flesh and the Godhead made one person without mans soule For he imagined that the diuinitie was in steede of a soule But so it should follow that the Lord Iesus was not a very man For flesh is not a man For the soule is the formall part of a man namely that wherby a man is a man without which a man cannot be And that the Lord had a mans soule beside his diuinitie he himselfe testifieth where he saith My soule is heauy vnto y● death Neither can Appol 〈…〉 is aide himselfe with this place For when the Scripture calleth men flesh it meaneth not that they are without soule for then they were no men indeede Trahe●on What the Euangelist meaneth by the word in this place of Iohn In the beginning was the worde c. ¶ By the word the Euangelist meaneth the second person in the holy Trinitie namely our Lord Iesus Christ touching his diuine nature as it appeareth afterward when he saith And the worde became flesh Héere we must consider why Gods son is called a word Auncient writers consider a worde two wayes For they teach that there is an outward word and an inward word The outward word is that foundeth and passeth awaye The inwarde worde is the conceite of the heart which remaineth still in the heart when the sound is past So they saye that God hath an outward worde which is sounded pronounced and written in bookes And that hée hath an inwarde worde which remaineth within himselfe whereof the outwarde worde is an Image effect and fruite This inwarde worde euer remaining in him is called his sonne as the conceite of the heart maye bée called the ingendered fruite of the heart and the heartes childe They thinke also that he is called the worde of God because that as a worde is the Image of mans minde and representeth it vnto vs so the Lorde Iesus is Gods Image and most liuely representeth vnto vs his power his Godhead and his wisedome For whatsoeeuer is in the Father shineth in the Sonne Some other thinke that the worde héere is taken for a thing after the Hebrew manner of speaking For the Hebrewes vse Dabar which signifieth a worde for a thing When Esay the Prophet asked king Ezechias what the Babylonians had seene in his house he aunswereth thus They sawe all that was in my house Iohaial dabar there was not a word that is to say any one thing that I shewed not vnto them in my treasures The Prophet replyeth Behold the daies come that whatsoeuer is in thine house shall be taken away and whatsoeuer thy father haue laid vp in store vnto this day shal be carried to Babylon Ioij vather dabar ther shall not a word remain saith the Lord that is to say there shall not one thing be left behinde The Angel also in S. Luke when the virgin Mary meruailed how she shuld coceiue a childe without mans helpe sayd vnto her No word shall be impossible vnto God y● is nothing shal be impossible for him to do So that after this vnderstanding S. Iohns mening is that in the beginning ther was a diuine and heauenly thing with God Traheron How the word of God is called the light Thy word saith Dauid is a lanterne vnto my féet Psa. 119. 105 Againe the commaundements of the Lord is lightsome giuing light to the eyes Psal. 19. 7. Theophilact saith Verbum Dei est lucerna c. The word of God is the candle whereby the théefe or false preacher is espied How the word of God endureth for euer S. Hierome sayth Quomodo eternae erunt Scripturae diuin● c. How shall the holy Scriptures be euerlasting séeing the world shall haue an ende True it is that the parchment or leaues of the books with the letters and all shall bée abolished but forsomuch as the Lord addeth My words shal neuer passe doubtlesse though the papers and letters perish yet the thing that is promised by the same letters shall last for euer Of the nature and strength of the word of God For the word of God is liuely and mighty in operation and sharper then anye two edged swoorde and entereth through euen to the diuiding asunder of the soule and the spirit of the ioyntes and of the marrowe and is a discouerer of the thoughts and the intent of the heart neither is there any creature which is not manifest in his sight but all thinges are naked and open vnto his eyes with whome wée haue to doe Surely as the raine commeth down and the Snow from heauen and returneth not thether but watereth the earth and maketh it to bring forth bud that it may giue séed to the sower and bread to him that eateth so shall my word be that goeth out of my mouth it shall not returne vnto me in vaine but it shall accomplish that which I will and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it How the word of God hath sundrie names The word of God according to the sundry effectes and propertyes thereof hath sundry names as thus It is called seed for that it encreaseth and multiplyeth It is called a sword for that it cutteth the heart and diuideth the flesh from the spirit It is called a net for that it taketh vs and encloseth vs together It is called water for that it washeth vs cleane it is called fire for that it inflameth vs It is called bread for that it féedeth vs. Euen so it is called a key for that it giueth vs an entrye into the house The house is the kingdome of heauen Christ is the doore the word of God is the keye Iewel fo 144. How the word of God is the key ¶ Looke Key How the word of God is plaine They are all plaine vnto him that will vnderstand ¶ Meaning that the word of God is easie to al that haue a desire vnto it and which are not blinded by the Prince of this worlde Geneua The more that Gods word is troden downe the more it groweth The Pharesies sayd thus of Christ Videtis nos nihil proficere c. Ye sée we can doe no good lo the whole world
for all that we can doe is gone after him Tertulian sayth The greatest crueltie that ye can deuise is an entisement to our sect how many of vs so eu●r ye murther when ye come to the view ye finde vs moe and moe The séeds of this increase is christian bloud For what man saith he beholding the paineful torments and the perfect patience of them will not search and inquire what is the cause And when hée hath found it out who will not agrée vnto it who will not desire to suffer for it Thus saith he this sect will neuer dye which the more it is cut downe the more it groweth For euery man séeing and wondering at the sufferance of the Saint is moued the more thereby to search the cause in scarching he findeth it and in finding he followeth it S. Austen saith they were scattered they were imprisoned they were beaten they wer ract they wer burnt yet they multiplied Aug. de ciuit li. 12. cap. 6. Nazianzen sayth By death it liueth by wounds it springeth by diminishing it increaseth Nazian in● reditum suum ex agro How the word and flesh be not both of one nature If the word and flesh were both of one nature séeing that the word is euery where why is not the flesh then euery where for when it was in earth then verily it was not in heauen now when it is in heauen it is not surely in earth And it is so sure that it is not in earth that as concerning it we looke for him to come from heauen When as concerning his eternall word we beleeue to be with vs in earth Therefore by your doctrine saith Vigelius vnto Eutiches who defended that the diuinitie and humanitie in Christ was but one nature either the word is conteined in a place with his flesh or else the flesh is euery where with his word For one nature cannot receiue in it selfe two natures and contrary things But these two things be diuerse and farre vnlike that is to say to be conteined in a place and to be euery where Therfore insomuch as the word is euery where and the flesh is not euery wher it appeareth plainely that one Christ himselfe hath in him two natures and that by his diuine nature he is euery where and by his humanitie he is conteined in a place that he is created hath no beginning that he is subiect to death and cannot dye Whereof one he hath by the nature of his word whereby hee is God and the other he hath by the nature of his flesh wherby the same God is made man also Therefore one sonne of God the selfe same was made the sonne of man and hée hath a beginning by the nature of his flesh and no beginning by the nature of his Godhead He is comprehended in a place by the nature of his flesh and not comprehended by the nature of his Godhead He is inferiour to Angells in the nature of his flesh and is equall to his Father in the nature of his Godhead He died by the nature of his flesh died not by the nature of his Godhead This is the faith and catholike confession which the Apostles taught the martirs did co●oborate and faithfull people kéepe vnto this day Cranmer fol. 113. How the word of God ought not onely to be read to the people but also to be expounded vnto them Esdras the Priest brought the lawe the booke of Moses and stóod vpon a Turret of wood that is in the holy Pulpet And Esdras opened ye. booke before the congregation of men womē and whosoeuer else had any vnderstanding And the Leuites stood with him so that he read out of the booke and the Leuites instructed the people in the lawe and the people stood in their place and they read in the booke of the lawe distinctly expounding the sense causing them to vnderstand the reading Héere it appeareth that the lawfull and holy ministers of the church of God did not onely read the word of God but also expound it And this our Sauiour Christ practised himselfe when he entered into the Sinagogue at Nazareth expounded a certeine place out of the. 61. Chapter of Esay And also after his rising from death he appeared to the two Disciples which went to Emaus expounding to them whatsoeuer was written of him in the Scriptures which example in expounding the word of God all the Apostles followed c. Bullinger fo 24. VVORKES How the deeds and works of the lawe iustifie not BY the déeds of the law shall no flesh be iustified ¶ God in his lawe doth not onely require of vs outward righteousnesse but also an inward perfection that is to say we are not onely bound to fulfil the works of the law outwardly in our liuings but also inwardly in our hearts to be most sincere to loue entirely aboue all things and our neighbour as our selfe But our nature is so corrupted that no man liuing is able to do the same wherefore no man can be iustified by the works of the lawe Sir I. Cheeke ¶ He meaneth the lawe either written or vnwritten which commandeth or forbiddeth any thing whose works cannot iustifie because we cannot performe them Geneua ¶ He includeth heere the whole law both the ceremonial mor●all whose works cānot iustify because they be imperfect in all men The Bible note No man is iustified by the déeds of the lawe but by y● faith of Iesus Christ. ¶ This S. Paule proueth by the words of the Prophet Abacucke 2. 4. A righteous man liueth by faith If he liue by any part of workes then liueth he not by fayth but partly by works and then were Saint Paules probation vnperfect which cannot be With this agréeth Athanasius prouing that fayth alonely hath the vertue in him to iustifie before God Before man peraduenture they may saith he be reckoned righteous that sticke to the lawe but not before God D. Barnes Good workes make not men righteous but followeth him that beléeueth and is already become righteous in Christ. Like as good fruite maketh not a trée to be good but a trée is knowne to be good by the good fruite of it Beza Ye see then how that of déeds a man is iustified and not of faith onely ¶ When we reade in S. Paule that we are iustified through fayth without the workes of the lawe it is to bée vnderstood that through faith whereby we take holde of the mercy of God so plentifully declared vnto vs in our Sauiour Iesus Christ we are without any demerites or deseruings of ours counted iust and righteous before God so that our sinnes shall be no more imputed vnto vs. Héere in Saint Iames to be iustified is to be declared righteous before men and that by good workes which are infallible witnesses of the true iustifieng fayth and therefore he sayth Shew me thy fayth by thy déedes Againe he bringeth the example