beléeue to sée them As soone therefore as our soules shall enter into the celestiall ioye prepared for vs in Christ we haue the very sight and fruition of that euerlasting blisse which we beléeued and hoped to come vnto and therfore when Christ saith to Peter I haue praied that thy faith shall neuer faile it is ment of the confession that Peter made when he said Thou art Christ the Sonne of God This thy confession Symon Peter this thy faith shall neuer faile vnto the worlds ende And that it may the better stande and flourish see that thou Symon Peter after thou shalt be throughly conuerted which shall bée after my Passion and receiuing of the Holy Ghost in a visible signe Confirma fratres tuos Sée that thou do confirme thy bretheren exhort them comfort them and encourage them manfully to resist Satan and all his people and to cleaue to the faith that thou hast confessed Ric. Turnar When Christ praied for Peter that his faith should not faile it did not follow therfore that he was Pope and could not erre for he erred after that time sundry times and namely when he expressely denyed Christ the Sonne of God But when Christ perceiued Peters timerous boldnesse that shortly after he would shamefully denie him to arme and strengthen him against the temptation which should ensue least the greatnesse of the fault might hurle him downe into desperation hée sayd vnto him Satan goeth about to sifte you lyke Chaffe and to vndoe and destroy you yea you had bene already vtterly lost if I had not praied for you and for thée especially Peter by name that thy faith shoulde not faile because thou wilt fall fowler then the rest And I knowe that God hath heard my prayer For although thou wilt denye me with thy mouth yet thou wilt not denye me with thy heart Thou wilt sinne but sinne shall not raigne in thée so that in thy heart thou shalt not yéelde to naughtie temptations I will suffer thée to haue a foule fall that by the meanes thereof thy timerous boldnesse may be brideled and rebuked And againe that after when thou shalt come to thy selfe and perceiue thine owne infirmitie thy heart shall be touched with compassion against those that shall sinne raising them vp with knowledge and confirming and boldening them with thine example Barnar Ochine Peter I haue praied for thée that thy faith shall neuer faile and thou being once conuerted confirme thy bretheren ¶ Surely that speaketh onely of the fall of Peter knowen to Christ by his godly prescience whereof he gaue him an inckling that after the time of his fall he should not dispaire but retourâ—e againe and confirme his bretheren as he euer being most seruent of them was wont to doe The place doth plainlye open it selfe it cannot be otherwise taken but this to be the verye meaning of it and not to be spoken but to Peter For els his successours must first fayle in the faith and then conuert and so confirme the bretheren Tonstall in the b. of Mar. fol. 1212. Christ sayd to Peter I haue praied for thée that thy faith shal neuer faile ¶ Saint Austen saith Numquid pio petro rogabat c. Did Christ praye for Peter and did hee not praye for Iohn and Iames. Againe This night hath Satan desired to thresh you as it were wheate but I â—aue praied to my father not for Peter onely but for you that your faith may not faile Origen saith Numquid audeamus dicere c. May we dare to say that the gates of Hell shall not preuaile against Peter but shall preuayle against the other Apostles and Rulers of the Church Were the â—â—yes of the kingdome of Heauen giuen onely to Peter And shall no holye man els receiue the same Naye all the thinges both that were sayde before and also that followe after as spoken to Peter are common and belong vnto them all Peters seate what it is Peters seate is no stoole or chayre for what hath the kingdome of God to doe with such baggage but it is a spirituall thing Christ saith in the Gospell The Scribes and Pharesies sit in Moses seate what was Moses seate there a Chayre or a Temple or the Church or Synagogue of the Lord Nay verely for Moses came neuer there But Moses seate was Moses Lawe and doctrine Euen so Peters seate is Peters doctrine the Gospell of Christ which Peter taught and the same doctrine is Peters keyes So that Peters seate Peters keyes and Peters doctrine is all one thing Now is Peters doctrine Paules doctrine and the doctrine of all the twelue Apostles indifferently for they taught all one thing Wherefore it followeth that Peters keyes and Peters seate be the keyes and seate of Paule also and of all the other xij Apostles and are nothing saue the Gospell of Christ. And thus as Peters doctrine is no better then Paules but one thing euen so Peters seate is no greater nor higher or holyer then the seate of the other xij Peters seate now is Christs seate Christs Gospel on the which all the Apostles sate and on which this day sitteth they only which preach Christ truly Wherfore as Antichrist preacheth not Christs doctrine which is Christs Gospell he sitteth not on Peters seate but on the seate of Satan whose Uicar he is and on the seate of his owne lawes and ceremonies and false doctrine wherevnto he compelleth all men with violence of sword Tindale 359. How Peter was rebuked of S. Paule There was a fault in Peters conuersation not any errour in his doctrine or preaching for in their doctrine Peter Paule agréed wonderfull well It is not good and profitable saith S. Austen to correct an open fault in secret An open correction is better then a secret loue Pro. 27. 5. D. Heynes How Peter had a wife ¶ Looke Apostles How Peter suffered nothing for the truth against his will And lead thée whether thou wouldest not ¶ Not that Peter suffered ought for the truth of God against his will for we read that he came with ioye and gladnesse when he returned from the Councell where he was whipped but because this wil commeth not from the flesh â—ut from that gifte of the spirite which is giuen vs from aboue therefore he sheweth ther shuld be a certaine striuing and conflict or repugnacie which also is in vs in all our sufferaunces as touching the flesh Theo. Beza How Peters power was no greater then the rest of the Apostles As Peter was Christs Uicar euen so was Paule and the other Apostles and the one no lesse then the other If it be true that Saint Cipriane doeth write which is also consenting to Scripture He saith thus That Christ spake vnto Peter saieng I say quoth our Sauiour that thou art Peter and vpon this Rocke of stone shall I build my Congregation the gates of hell shal not ouercome it to thée wil I giue the
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 yâ— 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 yâ— 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 yâ— 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 coâ—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 yâ— he appointed one Aurelius to be a reader without asking aduise of yâ— church because yâ— 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 yâ— 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 yâ— consent of the people ceased to be asked Afterward in the other degrées also except the Bishoprick the people commonly left yâ— iudgement and choise of them to the Bishop the Priests that they should examine who were méet and
worthy sauing peraduenture when new Phriests were appointed for the Parishes for then it behoued that the multitude of the place namely should consent Whether it is any meruaile yâ— the people in his behalfe was little carefull in kéeping their owne right for no maÌ„ was made a subdecon that had not shewed a long proofe of himselfe in his being a clarke vnder yâ— seueritie of discipline which then was vsed After yâ— he had ben tried in yâ— degrée he was made a Deacon From thence he came to yâ— honour of Priesthood if hée had behaued himselfe faithfully So no man was promoted of whome there had not ben in déed a trial had many years before yâ— eies of the people And there were many Canons to punish their faults So yâ— the Church could not be troubled with euill Priests or deacons vnlesse it neglected yâ— remedies howbeit in yâ— Priests also ther was required yâ— consent of them of the same citie which the very first canoÌ„ testifieth in his 67. distinctioÌ„ which is fathered vpoÌ„ Anacletus Finally al yâ— admissioÌ„s into yâ— orders were therfore done at certein appointed times of yâ— yeare yâ— no man should priuely créepe in without the consent of the faithfull or should with too much easinesse be promoted without witnesses Cal. in his Insti 4. b. chap. 4. Sect. 11. Wherfore brethren looke ye out among you seauen men of honest report c. ¶ If the Church had kept still this order in choosing of Ministers it had bene better with the christen common wealth and religion Lampridius a notable historiâ—graph in the life of Alâ—xander Seuerus doth write yâ— this was vsed customably among the christians when they should choose or make any Minster they did first publish his name abrode And if any man could alleadge any notable crime against him he was expelled and put backe from his office Sir I. Cheeke Why the Ministers are not now chosen as they were in the primitiue Church The alteration of gouernement and orders of the Church of Christ is well set out by Ambrose in the. 4. to the Eph. vpon these words Et ipse dedit c. Wher he saith on this sort That the number of the Christians might increase and be multiplied in the beginning it was permitted to euery one to preach the Gospell to baptise to expound the Scriptures but when the Church was enlarged there were certeine preachers appointed gouernours other officers ordeined in the church c. Therfore the writings of the Apostles doe not in all things agrée with the orders that are now in the church D. Whitegift Musculus also in his common places answering to this question why that Ministers of the word are not chosen now by the Ministers and the people as they were in the Primitiue Church but appointed by the Magistrate saith thus Such was the state of the Churches that they could choose their Ministers none otherwise because they had no christen magistrate If thou wouldest haue the manners and customes of these times then must thou call backe their condition and state How Ministers ought not to forsake their vocation Ministers must abide in their vocation so long as yâ— strength of the bodie will suffer them and that they be not thrust out by force For yâ— men people coÌ„mitted to their charge ought neuer to be forsaken so long as they can abide to heare the word of God And if they be altogethers conteÌ„ners of yâ— word of yâ— Lord wil not suffer it to be preached then as Christ coÌ„maunded his Apostles let them shake of the dust of their feete against them depart But so long as there are anie among them which will suffer the pastor to preach to intreat of the word of God he ought not to giue ouer his ministratioÌ„ Wherfore I know not whether Melitius did wel or no or whom Theodoretus maketh mentioÌ„ in his 2. booke 31. chap. yâ— he forsooke the Bishoprick of a certein church in Armenia being offeÌ„ded with the ouer great disobedieÌ„ce of his flock But the same man afterward being choseÌ„ Bishop of Antioch was for the defeÌ„ding yâ— catholike faith against the ArriaÌ„s thrust into exile In which fact God peraduenture declared that he was not wel pleased that he had departed from his first vocation Pet. Mar. vpon the Rom. fo 334. How a Scisme ought not to be made for the euill life of the Minister The Scribes Pharesies sit in Moses c. All therfore whatsoeuer they bid you obserue that obserue and do but after their works do not for they say do not c. ¶ Behold yâ— Lord sayth they say and doe not therefore the teachers liues were not agreeable to their doctrine yet for that they stood in Moses seate that is to say because they taught the word of God lawfullye and sincerely he biddeth to receiue their sincere doctrine but their life not being agréeable to their doctrine that he biddeth to refuse And therfore to make a scisme for the Preachers euil liues sake the Lord doth forbid Bullinger fo 846. MIRACLES A definition of true Miracles A Miracle is a worke hard and vncustomed by the power of God which passeth all facultie of nature created to this ende wrought to cause the beholders to wonder and to confirme faith towards the worde of God Wherefore the matter of miracles are workes and the forme is that they be harde and vnaccustomed The efficient cause is the power of God which ouercommeth nature created the end of them is both admiration and also confirmation of faith Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 126. To what vse Miracles doe serue Miracles serue for thrée vses First that he which is healed thereby shoulde sinne no moreâ— Secondlye that the beholders shuld put their trust in the healer Thirdly that we which read of the miracles of the Lord should be confirmed in the glorye and doctrine of Christ and therewithall conceiue faith in him Hemmyâ—g Brethren be not in loue with signes which may be had common with the reprobate but loue ye rather miracles of charitie and true godlynesse which the more secret the more secure and for the which the lesse estimation that there is with men the greater is the reward with God In the beginning gathering of yâ— Church many things were necessary which now is néedlesse Miracles were vsed then which outwardly be diuided now When we go about to plaÌ„t a tree so long we water it vntill we sée it haue takeÌ„ root But wheÌ„ it is once substantially grounded braunches spread abroad we take no more paine to water it on like sort as long as yâ— people were altogether faithlesse this meane of miracles was of indulgence graunted them But when spirituall instruction had taken better place the corporall signes surceased straight Wherefore the Apostle sayth Lingua in signum sunt non fidelibus sed infidelibus Straunge tongues are for a signe not to them that
By what meanes the plough goeth awry 832. Polichronicon What Polichronicon is 833. Poligamy What Poligamy is eod Poore How the place is vnderstood eo What the complaint of the poore is 834. How the poore in spirit are blessed eod How the poore receiueth vs into euerlasting tabernacles eod Pope Reasons of the Papists answered 835. Mo of the Papists fond reasons 838. How the Popes doctors proue him the head 839. Of the Popes triple crowne eod How the Pope blasphemeth God 840. How the Pope is an Idoll eod In what respect yâ— Papists may be called catholiks 841. What the Pope saith of himselfe eod What his owne lawe saith 842. How the Pope hath power ouer Angels eod How he is the diuels viceregent Antichrist eod Power None hath power to forgiue sins but God eod How all power is in and of God and not in man 843. How yâ— higher powers are to be obeied eo What absolute power is 844. Praier What praier is eod The meaning of the place 847. How prayer for the dead auaileth not 848. Praier in a strange tongue profiteth not 851. Of common praier eod Of praier and fasting 852. How praier ought to be made eod What modestie ought to be vsed in praier eod To pray continually how it is vnderstood 853. What the praiers of Saints in the Apo. meaneth 855. The meaning of the place 856. A praier for the king or chiefe gouernour eod What priuate praier is 857. Of publike praier eod Preachers What doctrine they ought to teach eod That we must not presume of inspiration without preaching eod How they ought not to yeld to the wicked 858. What weapons they must vse eod What preachers may flie c. eod Of generall preaching eod Predestination What Predestination is eod How is was the first worke that God made 861. No reason can be giuen why God doth predestinate more one c. 862. Of Gods mercy in predestination 864. Places out of S. Austen for predestination eod Obiections answered 865. Prescience what the prescience of God is 867. Pricke of the flesh The meaning of Paule therein 868. Priest What a Priest doth signifie eod Of the Priests deceiuing of the people 869. How his office ought not to be despised for his c. eod How all men be Priests 870. How to know â— true Priest 871. How they are forbidden to be at yâ— death c. eod How they eate the sinnes of the people 872. Of Priests marriage eod How the Priesthood is translated eod Who made the statute of Priests chastitie eod Princes How they ought to be obeied 873. How they haue to do in matters of rel eo How the place is vnderstood eod Priscillianus Of his damnable heresi eo Priuie contract How it is not lawful 875 Processions How they came vp eod Promise A constant rule of all humaine promises 876. How promises may be broken eod Proper and improper Speaches in Scripture eod Of proper and improper speaches in Christs words 877. Prophesie How wicked men sometime do prophesie eo Prophets What the Prophets were 878. Against false Prophets eod How the people gaue eare rather to the false Prophets eod How a false Prophet is knowne 879. The meaning of the place eod Proselite What a Proselite is eod Protestants How the name came vp eodem Prouidence What the prouidence of God is eod Prouing What the prouing of a mans selfe is 881. Pâ—olomeus Of his hereticall opinions eod Publican What the Publicans were eod Punishment How it doth not satisfie for sinne eo Pure in heart who they be that are so called 883. Purgatory How it is disproued by scripture 883. How it and pardons came ioyntly together 885. How it was not known 400. yeres after Christ. eod How it came from the heathen 886. An Argument of Purgatory eod An obiection aunswered eo How our sinnes are onely purged by Christ. eod Doctor Readmans opinion of Purgatorie eod Purple and linnen eod Putting on of hands 888. Q. QVeene of heauen Who it was they so called 888. Questions S. Paules teaching of questions eod Of good questions 889. Of vaine questions eod Of the foolish questions of schoolmeÌ„ 890 R. RAbbi What the word doth signifie 891 Racha What Racha signifieth eod Rachel The opening of the place 892 Raguel how he and Iethro were not both one person 893. Rahab How she was no harlot eod Of Rahabs lye she made 894. How she confesseth God eo Why she and Ruth are named in the Genealogy eod Rainebow What it sigifieth eo Rauen. how yâ— rauens feedeth Helias 895 How God feedeth the Rauens eod Of the Rauen and Doue sent out of the Arke eod Realitie When by whom it was inuented eo Receiued All that wee haue we receiue of God 896. Reconciliation What it is to be reconciled eod Reede What is signified by the Reed eod How the power of Aegypt is compared to a Reed eod What is meant by the brused Reede eod Reading what profit commeth by reading the Scriptures 897 Regeneration What the word importeth 898. How it is taken in these places eod Raines What they signifie 899. Reioyce Wherefore we should chiefly reioyce 900. Releasment How it and paiment cannot stand together eod Religion Of couples ioyned in contrarie religion eod The diuell is sorrie to see Christs religion flourish 901. Remember How God is said to remember eod Remnant Of the remnaÌ„t that God reserued eo Rent What is meant by renting of clothes eod What is ment by renting of the hart 903 Repentaunce What it is and how it is defined eod How it is attributed to God 904. Of Esaus repentance 905. Of two manner of repentance eod Reprobation How it is defined 906. How the iust cause thereof is hid vnto vs. 907. Reseruing of the bread eo Rest. How rest is vnderstood eo How it is taken for the land of Canaan eod Resurrection How that we all doe rise by Christ. 908. The meaning of the place eod Infallible tokens of Christs resurrection eod What the first resurrection is eod Of two resurrections eod Reward How Reward is defined 909. Riches What the true vse of riches is 910. The rich that trust therein are discommended eod Of the rich mans burieng 911. How the poore and rich are ioyned together eod Riddles Why they were put foorth in feasts eod Righteous Who are righteous 912. How and by whom we are righteous eo How the righteous is allowed to praise God eod The proues thereof 913. Righteousnesse What Righteousnesse is 914. The christian righteousnesse eod Of the righteousnesse which commeth by faith 915. How by Christs righteousnesse wee are iustified eod How righteousnesse is to be vnderstood 916. Of outward and inward righteousnesse eod How we receiue our righteousnesse c. 917. Right hand What is meant by Gods right hand 918. What the right hand here doth signifie 921. Of the right hand of Christ. eod Robbe how it is no theft when God commaundeth it 922. Rocke How Christ was
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. Rudâ—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 gracâ— 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 SacrameÌ„t 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 maÌ„nner 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 WheÌ„ the Scripture was in English 985 Of Herodes burning the Scriptures eo Sea Of yâ— diuers nameâ— 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 punishinâ— 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 yâ— 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 yâ— happened the Iews vnder him eod Senechdoche
soule Cooper APOSTLE What an Apostle is APostle is an Ambassadour a Messenger or one sent And after this manner Christ is our Apostle sent of his Father Tindale Who were Apostles Apostles are those chosen sorte which were sent by Christ himselfe to preach the Gospell ouer all the world confirming the same with miracles and bearing witnesse of Christs resurrection of which sort were the twelue Mat. 10. 1. into whose state Paule was called afterward These béeing bound to no certein abiding went from countrie to countrie preaching Christ and trauailed as ambassadours to sundrie nations planting Churches and setting vp Christs kingdome wheresoeuer they came Marl. vpon the Apoc. fol. 259. How the Apostles were not called the heads of the Church Augustine in his third booke writing against the letters of Petulian denieth that the Apostle Paule could be the head of the whom he had planted in the faith of Christ saieng O what a rashnesse and pride is this of man Why doest thou not rather suffer that Christ should alwaies giue faith and to make thée a Christian in the giuing of it Why doest thou not suffer that Christ should be euer the beginning of the Christian man and that the Christian man should fasten his roote in Christ that Christ be the head of the Christian man For what time 〈…〉 the spirituall grace is bestowed vnto the beléeuers by the holie and faithfull ministers the Minister himselfe doth not iustifie but he onelie of whom it is said that he doth iustifie the wicked For the Apostle Paule was not the head and beginning of them whom he planted nor Apollo the roote of them whom he watered but he which gaue them increase as he himselfe saith in the third chapter in the first Epistle to the Corinthians I haue planted Apollo hath watered but God hath giuen increase So that not be which planteth is anie thing nor he which watereth but God hath giuen increase nor he was not the roote of them but he rather which said I am the Uine and you be the braunches And how could he be their head when he said wée being manie are one bodie in Christ And when he doth report most plainlie in manie places that Christ himselfe is the head of the whole bodie This saith Augustine Musculus fol. 261. How the Apostles were equall with Peter Saint Cipriane saith Non erant vtique caeteri Apostoli c. The rest of the Apostles were the same that Peter was all endewed with one fellowship both of honour of power Yet the beginning is taken of one to shewe that the Church is one Cipri de simplicita Prçlatorum Iewel fol. 109. Saint Hierom saith Dices super Petrum fundatur Ecclesia c. Ye will say the Church is founded vppon Peter Notwithstanding in another place the same thing is done vppon all the Apostles and all receiue the keies of the kingdome of heauen and the strength of the Church is founded equallie vppon them all Hierom aduers. Iouinia li. 1. Iewel fol. 107. Origen saith Quod si super vnum illū Petrum tantum c. If thou thinke the whole Church was builded vpon Peter what wilt thou then say of Iohn the sonne of thunder and of euerie of the Apostles Origen in Math. tract 1. Iewel fol. 107. S. Chrisostome of Peter saith thus Duplex crimen erat c. Peter was in double fault both for that he withstood Christ and also for that he fell himselfe before the rest Chrisost. in Math. hom 83. S. Austen saith Inter se concorditer c. Peter and his fellowes liued agréeable together August Epist. 86. Againe he saith Christus sine personarum c. Christ without anie choice of persons gaue the same authoritie to Paule to minister among the Heathen that he gaue to Peter among the Iewes The ordinarie glose saith thus of Saint Paule Non didici c. I learned not of Peter and others as of my betters but I had conference with them as with equalls and friends Glos. Gal. 2. Iewel fol. 107. Paule himselfe saith Iames Peter and Iohn that séemed to be pillers gaue vnto me and Barnabas the right hands of the fellowship which the glose expoundeth thus Societatis c. O◠fellowship that is of equalitie Iewel fol. 107. How the Apostles had wiues Haue we not power to lead about a wife being a sister as well as other Apostles and as the Bretheren of the Lord and Ceyphas ¶ This text cléerelie proueth that Peter and other Apostles had wiues and wherefore then should it be vnlawfull for Priests to marrie they are no better nor no holier then the Apostles were But héere will some say that the Apostles had wiues before that Christ did choose them but afterward they forsooke their wiues followed Christ which thing is not true that they forsooke their wiues for that had bene plainly against the doctrine of their master Christ which taught thē not to forsake their wiues but in any wise to kéepe them sauing onelie for fornication And this place of S. Paule Haue we not power c. doth proue how S. Peter after his Apostleship and also other disciples of Christ carried their wiues about with them when they went a preaching wherefore it is a false lie that they had forsaken them D. Barnes Eusebius in the third booke of the Ecclesiasticall storie in the 27. chapter reporteth Clements wordes thus Clement whose words we haue héere marked writing against them which despise mariage saith these words Do they also disallow the Apostles for Peter Philip had wiues and gaue their daughters to be maried vnto men And also Paule the Apostle is not ashamed to make mention in a certeine Epistle of his owne make and companion and to greete her whom he said that he led not about with him that he might be the more readie and comberlesse to preach the Gospell I doe not backbite th◠other blessed men which were coupled in matrimonie of whom I made mention now For I wish that being worthie of God I may be found in his kingdome at their feete as Abraham Isaac Iacob as Ioseph Esay other Prophets were As Peter and Paule and the other Apostles which were coupled in mariage which had wiues not to fulfill the 〈…〉 s of the flesh but to haue issue and posteritie 〈…〉 Ignatius in Epist. ad Philadel Erasmus in his annotations vpon the fourth Chapter of the Epistle to the Philipians reporteth the witnesse of Ignatius on this wise The holie Martir Ignatius in an Epistle to the Philedelphians doth plainlie graunt that not onelie Peter but also Paule and other of the Apostles had wiues And that they had them in no lesse reputation therefore because Patriarchs and Prophets were married not for lusts sake but for childrens sake Chrisostome graunteth that there were some which reckoned that Paule did speake vnto his wife but dissenteth shewing no
God is iust and good although his hand be fore vpon him Geneua He that shall blesse in the earth shall blesse himselfe in the true God and he that sweareth in the earth shall sweare by the true God By blessing and by swearing is ment the praising of God for his benefites the true worshipping of him which shall not be onelie in Iudea but through all the world Geneua How this place of the Psalme is expounded And he shall receiue a blessing of the Lord. ¶ When he speaketh of blessing he doth vs to wit that not all they which in title onely vaunt themselues for worshippers of God shal be pertakers of the promised blessednesse but they that are aunswerable to their calling from the heart Howbeit it is a very effectuall encouragement to godlinesse to and good life when the faithfull heare that they misspend not their labour in following righteousnesse because there is an assured blessing laied vp for them with God Caluine BLINDE Who be blinde ANd blinde ¶ That is to saie one whom Christ enlighteth not which knoweth not God nor Iesus Christ whome hée hath sent Concerninn blindnesse sée Iohn 9. 41. Also he is called blinde which séeth not how miserable and néedie himselfe is Marl. vpon the Apoc. fol. 68. Why God is said to blinde men The cause why God is said to blinde men is for that when he hath bereft them of right vnderstanding of minde and of the light of his holie spirit he giueth them vp to the Diuell to be caried awaie into a wilfull wicked minde Rom. 1. 28. and sendeth them strong illusions 2. Thes. 2. 11. And so executeth iust vengeaunce vpon them by the minister of his wrath Marl. vpon the Apoc. fol. 92. ¶ God is said to blinde mens eies so oft as he doth reuoke or take awaie the contemned light of his truth and sinceritie leauing them that delight in darknes stil for then the Lord permitteth his worde to be preached to the vnthankfull and vngodlie receiuers vnto their iudgement or condemnation For so verelie doth the Euangelicall and Apostolique doctrine teach vs to thinke This saith the Lord is condemnation or this is iudgement that the sonne of God the verie true light came into the world and the world loued darknesse more then light And Paule said If yet the Gospell be hid it is hid in them that perish in whom the God of this world hath blinded the senses of their vnderstanding c. Pullinger in his Decades fol. 492. The meaning of this place following Except thou take awaie the blinde and the lame thou shalt not come in hether ¶ The Iebusites spake this in derision béeing perswaded that the◠strong holde was of such force y◠Dauid could not ouercome it although it were defended onelie by lame and blinde men Some write that they spake this of a confidence they had in their Idolls which the children of God estéemed as blinde and lame The Bible note ¶ The Children of God called Idolls blinde lame guides Therefore the Iebusites meant that they should proue y◠their Gods were neither blinde nor lame Geneua BLOVD What is meant by bloud And bloud went out of the wine fat vnto the Horse bridles ¶ By the name of bloud the Scripture is wont to betoken vengeaunce and reuengement and so meant Iohn to describe the greatnesse of Gods wrath in this place Marl. vpon the Apoc. fol. 218. ¶ By this similitude he declareth the horrible confusion of the Tyraunts and Infidells which delight in nothing but warres slaughters persecutions and effusion of bloud Geneua How our cleansing is by Christs bloud And made them white in the bloud of the Lambe ¶ That is to saie in faith and in following the sufferings of Christ. But how can bloud make them white will some man saie I aunswere after the same manner that the Authour of the Epistle to the Romanes saith If the bloud of Bulls and Goates and the ashes of a Bullocke besprinkling them that are defiled doe hallowe them as touching the cleansing of the flesh how much more shall the bloud of Christ who by the euerlasting spirite hath offered himselfe vnspotted vnto GOD cleanse your consciences from deade workes to serue the liuing GOD. The Saints therefore and the faithfull being cleansed by the bloud of the Lambe both from originall sinne and also from actuall sinne committed through humaine ignoraunce and weaknesse and béeing preserued that they should not giue their assent to pestilent errours against y◠faith are said to haue cleare yea and also comelie garments Marl. vpon the Apoc. fol. 111. ¶ There is no puritie nor cleannesse but by the bloud of Christ onelie which purgeth our sinnes and so maketh them white Geneua And sprinckling of the bloud of Iesus Christ. ¶ Héere S. Peter séemeth to haue had respect vnto the olde Ceremonie of bloud sprinckling for euen as it was not inough then that the Sacrifice should be offered and the bloud thereof shed vnlesse the people had bene sprinkeled with the same so now at this present it shall profit vs nothing that Christs bloud is shed vnlesse our conscience be cleansed and purified therewith which thing is done by the ministring of the holie Ghost which doth sprinkle our consciences with Christs bloud to wash them withall Sir I. Cheeke How the verie flesh and bloud of Christ is not in the Sacrament It was not lawfull by Moses lawe to eate nor drinke the bloud neither of man nor of beast And the Apostles themselues somewhat fauouring the infirmitie of the Iewes did institute that men should abstaine from bloud Now if the Apostles had taught that in the sacrament the very flesh and bloud of Christ is eaten and dronken with the téeth and mouth it had bene a great occasion to haue excluded al y◠Iewes at once from Christ againe the Apostles would haue bene too scrupulous if they had so groselie vnderstood it to haue dronken the very bloud séeing it was so plaine against Moses Lawe Reade the 10. of the Actes where as Peter had the cloath sent downe I. Frith Bloud is the soule ¶ S. Augustine vppon these wordes saith thus So is the Bloud the Soule euen as the Rocke was Christ. And in the same Chapter he ioineth these thrée sentences together The Bloud is the Soule the Rocke was Christ and This is my Bodie as being all both of like meaning and also of like manner of vtteraunce ¶ Saint Ambrose expounding the same words saith thus When Moses in that place called the Bloud the Soule doubtlesse he meant thereby that the Bloud is one thing◠and the Soule another For this is my bloud in the new Testament ¶ The wine signifieth that our soules are refreshed and satisfied with the bloud of Christ spirituallie receiued so that without him we haue no nourishment Geneua How the bloud of Martirs is the seede of the Church And there fell
pleasure is to be done Ric. Turnar CHIEFE PRIEST ¶ Looke Supremacie CHILDREN How children are not forbidden to come to Christ. SUffer ye children to come vnto mée c. ¶ Unto such as children be doth the kingdome of God perteine therefore ought children to be brought vnto Christ not onelie by Baptime which is the seale of the kingdome of heauen but also by godlie education and bringing vp Sir I. Cheeke They brought vnto him also Babes ¶ The children were tender and young in that they were brought which appeareth more euidentilie in that that they were infants which is to be marked against them that are enimies to the baptising of child 〈…〉 Beza And shall be filled with the holie Ghost ¶ Sith that children mâ—ie be filled with the holie Ghost euen in their mothers wombeâ— who can forbid them to be baptised For Saint Peter saith who can forbid those folkes to be baptised with water sith that they haue receiued the holy Ghost as well as we Act. â—o1 47. Againe Paule faith He that hath not the spirite of Christ is not his But the children are Christs they then haue the spirit of Christ so ought to be baptised Sir I. Check ¶ Looke Baptising of children How children ought to be brought vp Saint Paules doctrine is that children be brought vp in godlinesse and good ciuilitie which both be comprehended in his words when he saith Yée parents bring vp your children in nurture and awe of the Lord. The same is taught and confirmed in Tobie where he saith All the daies of thy life beare God in thy minde beware thou consent not vnto sinne First he willeth him to studie godlinesse next to beware of sinne that he be not entised therevnto Hemming Of children adopted ¶ Looke Adoption Of the children of this world Children of this world are wiser in their generation then the children of light ¶ This is a most gréeuous complaint that worldlie men are more carefull in getting temporall goods which perteine onelie to this present life and continue but a verie short time then Christians are carefull for the getting of heauenlie goods which shall endure for euer Hemming Men that are giuen to this present life contrarie to whome the children of light are set S. Paule calleth those spirituall and the other carnall Beza How the children of God are holpen of the Infidels And all that were about them strengthenâ—d their handes with vessels of siluer and golde c. ¶ The Babilonians Chaldeans gaue them these gifts Thus rather then the children of God should want for their necessities he would stirre vp the verie hearts of Infidels to helpe them Geneua What is vnderstood by children in this place If a man die hauing no children c. ¶ Under which name are daughters also comprehended but yet as touching the familie and name of a man because he that left daughters was in no better case then if he had left no children at all for they were not reckoned in the familie By the name of children are sonnes vnderstood Beza CHILIASSIS Of the fond opinion of this man THe Chiliassis whoÌ„ in latin we maie call Mellenarij thought that this inheritaunce of the whole world shal be declared before the ende of this worlde when Christ as they thought should reigne a thousand years in this world with his Saints hauing destroied and ouercome all the wicked And these men it should seeme followed the Oracle which is said to come from Elias yâ— the world should endure 6000. yeares these yeares they thus describe saieng that 2000. yeares passed away before the lawe 2000. vnder the lawe and so manie shall be vnder yâ— Gospell Afterward they adde a thousand years in which say they shall be the chiefe rest so that the thousand last years they call the sabaoth And so they appoint a wéeke in which euerie particular daie is called for a thousand yeares according to that which is said A thousand yeares is with the Lord as one day and againe One daie as a thousand yeares Augustine maketh mention of this opinion in his 20. booke and 7â— chapter De ciuitate Dei and saith that it was after ◠〈…〉 tollerable and that he himselfe once was of the same opinion But that which they added concerning pleasures delighte worldlie honours which they said all the faithfull shoulde for the space of those thousand yeares eniâ—ie togethers with Christ he earâ—estly veproueth c. Eusâ—bius Cesariensis in the third booke of his history saith that this opinion had his beginning of Cheriâ—hus the heretik of whom Dâ—omsius Bishop of Alexandria expâ—unding the Apocalips of Iohn thus writeth That hée was altogether giuen to lustes and vnto the bellie and therefore attributed these carnall delights vnto the kingdome of Christ which shuld continue a thousand yeares Pet. Maâ— vpon the Rom. fol. 88. CHORE How this Psalme made by the children of Chore is vnderstood A Mysticall Psalme made by the children of Chore. ¶ We reade in the 16. Chapter of the booke of Numeri that a certeine man named Chore which was the great Nephew of the Patriarke Leui or els to whom Leui was Perannus his great graund-father with other Captaines mo rebelled against Moses and Aaron whose fact displeased almightie God so sore that he caused the earth to open and to swallowe vp Chore with all his companie their wiues children and all their substaunce Now séeing that all his substance wife and children went the same waie that he did how can it be true that the children of Chore should be makers and setters foorth of this 42. Psal. of Dauid as the title thereof maketh mention To this question aunswere is made in the 26. of Nu. where it is written yâ— when Chore was swallowed vp of the earth God miraculouslie preserued certeine of Chores children of whose ofspring there came afterward certeine that proued verie excellent learned men and notable wise men namelie these foure Ethan Heman Calcal and Darda as who should saie these men excelled all other Loe such noble men came of the spring of Chore of whome the title of this Psalme and diuerse other Psalmes to their perpetuall name and renowme doth make mention calling them the children of Chore because they sprang of yâ— séede of Chore and of his children whom God did miraculously preserue from the swallowing of the earth and not because they were his naturall children For it is well knowne that Chore liued in Moses time against whoÌ„ he was yâ— chiefe in stirring vp of rebellion against him Againe Ethan Heman Calcal Darda which were the naturall sonnes of Mahol liued and flourished in Salomons time which was 400. and almost or altogether fourescore yeares after that Chore was killed So that these men could not be the naturall sonnes of Chore but they are called his children and his sonnes because they came of his porgenie and of his ofspring CHOSEN Wherefore
Sacrificators were annointed by the ordinance of God in testimonie of their vocation and office they were called by that name And because they were true figures of yâ— verie anointed of the Lord which is the verie sonne of God which was annointed by the holie Ghost which was giuen to him without measure aboue all other men And therefore Christ is named with that name as well because of the same vnction as because that all those Offices were enioined to him by the father Pet. Viret Who they be that come before Christ. All that come before me saith Christ are théeues and robbers ¶ He meaneth all the false Prophets who led not men to Christ but from him Geneua To come before Christ is to despise Christ and to séeke other meanes beside him to enter into the folde They also come before Christ which doe attribute and ascribe vnto themselues or to their owne inuentions that thing which onelie ought to bée ascribed vnto Christ. Sir I. Cheeke ¶ This place hath bene diuerslie expounded being restrained of some to Iudas of Galilee and to such like but Christ generallie compareth all false doctrines with the Gospell and all false Prophets with godlie Teachers c. For to come before Christ in this place is not to goe before Christ in time but to teach other doctrine beside the doctrine of Christ. Moses was before Christ the Prophets also were before Christ but they taught the church of the Lord by the spirite of Christ and preached Christ plainlie though he laie hid vnder shadows tipes For Peter saith that the spirite of Christ was in them also hée saith that the holie men of God spake being inspired with the spirit of Christ wherefore they are with true Pastours because they enter into the church by the word of the Lord and fedde the people of God in the Pastures of Christ c. All the teachers of humane Traditions and the carnall interpreters of the Law are théeues and murtherers for with their pestilent doctrine they murther soules For they which beleeue lies doe perish together with the lies which they beléeue Marl. fol. 364. Of the right hand of Christ. ¶ Looke Right hand Wherefore Christ is worshipped ¶ Looke Worship How we cannot haue Christ heere alwaies But me ye shall not haue héere alwaies ¶ We cannot haue Christ alwaies with vs touching his manhood for he is ascended vp into heauen with it and sitteth on the right hand of the Father but as touching his Godhead he is alwaies with vs vnto the worlds ende Sir I. Cheeke ¶ Christ is not present with vs bodilie or to be honoured with anie outward pompe Geneua How Christ is our Apparell our House our Roote c. Chrisostome saith Christ is become all things vnto thée thy Table thy Apparell thy House thy Head and thy roote How is Christ our Table S. Iohn saith Who so eate me shall liue through me How is he our Apparell S. Paule saith As manie of you as are baptised in Christ ye haue put on Christ. How is he our House S. Iohn saith Who so eateth my flesh dwelleth in me and I in him How is he our Roote S. Iohn saith I am the Uine and ye are the braunches How Christ was subiect to the Lawe After the Lawe of Moses c. ¶ Christ was subiect vnto the Lawe and in all things obeied the Lawe that so he should deliuer vs from the tyrannie and cursse of the Law and also therby to giue vs an example that we though we be made frée by him from the cursse thereof ought to be obedient vnto all ordinaunces and lawes How to know Christ aright That I maie knowe him ¶ The most excellent and the most perfect knowledge of Christ is to knowe that Christ is both a true naturall God and a true naturall man who hauing pitie and compassion vpon vs came downe and was incarnate and at length nailed vpon the Crosse for the satisfaction of our sinnes Sir I. Cheeke ¶ To knowe Christ aright is to knowe and confesse that of him onelie and by him commeth our saluation that by him our good déedes are acceptable vnto almightie God the Father that by him the Fathers wrath is pacified that by him we be enfraunched from the captiuitie and thraldome of the Diuell And to be short that by him we are adopted chosen to be the children of God and inheritâ—â—s of the Kingdome of heauen Erasmus in his Paraphrasis How Christ suffereth in his members And fulfill that which is behinde of the passions of Christ. ¶ Saint Paule doth not meane that there wanteth anie thing in the passion of Christ which maie be supplied by men for the passion of Christ as touching his owne person is that most perfect and onelie sufficient Sacrifice whereby we are made perfect as manie as are sanctified in his bloud But these words ought to be vnderstood of the elect and chosen in whom Christ is and shall be persecuted vnto the worlds ende Act. 9. The passion of Christ then as touching his mysticall bodie which is the Church shall not be perfect till they haue all suffered whom God hath appointed to suffer for his sonne Sir I. Cheeke As Christ hath once suffered in himselfe to redéeme his Church and to sanctifie it so doth he dailie suffer in his members as partaker of their infirmities and therefore a reuenger of their iniuries Geneua ¶ Looke Passion Affliction How Christ is the head of the Church militant and not the Pope God saith Saint Paule hath raised vp Christ from the dead set him at his right hand in the heauenlie places farre aboue all principalities and powers might dominion and euerie name that is named not in this world onelie but also in that that is to come And hath made all things subiect vnder his féete and hath appointed him ouer all things to bée head to the Curch which is his bodie euen the fulnesse of him that filleth all in all things Bullinger fol. 865. Which is the head that is to saie Christ in whom all the bodie is coupled and knit together c. ¶ Héere we learne that as the spirit of life doth come downe from the head into the whole bodie which is sundrie wise compact made of manie members so is the Congregation of the faithfull quickned by the spirit of Christ which is the head of the Church The Ioint that ioineth this mysticall bodie together and wherewith the grace of God is ministred to euerie member is loue and vnitie For neither the hande nor yet the foote being cut off can be partaker of the heauenlie vertue that commeth from the head Sir I. Cheeke How Christ doth call â— bretheren Narrabo nomentuum fratribus â—eis I will spreade abroad thy name among my Bretheren ¶ These be the words spoken in the person of Christ vnto the Father of Heauen The blessed Apostle Saint Paule in the
life Christ hath not forsaken it nor neuer will forsake it all our whole strife is vpon the particular churches which be mingled with good and euill together They not onelie can erre but also haue erred and doe erre yet in manie points c. Musculus fol. 267. Saint Augustine in his preface vpon the 47. Psalme alleadgeth this place of the Apostle in this wise Therefore wée must vnderstaÌ„d by the second of the sabboth none but the church of Christ but the church of Christ in his Saintes the church of Christ in them which be written in heauen the church of Christ in them which doe not yéelde vnto temptations of this world for they be worthie to beare the name of the firmament Therefore the church in them which be strong of whom the Apostle saith Wée which be strong beare with the infirmities of the weake is called the firmament whereof it is song in the Psalme Let vs heare let vs knowe let vs sound let vs glorie let vs reigne For heare you and knowe that the same also is called the firmament by the writing of the Apostle which is saith he the church of the liuing God the piller and firmament of truth Thus saith Augustine Chrisostome doth expound this place in this sort Not as the Iewish church for this is that which conteineth the faith that is to saie the piller and establishment of the church and the preaching For truth is the piller and establishment of the church this saith he He maketh not the church to be the piller establishment of the truth but the truth of the church c. Mus. fo 268 To proue that the congregation of faithfull men is the church that cannot erre heare their owne law The whole church cannot erre â— Againe The congregation of faithfull men must néeds be which also cannot erre ¶ This church which is spred abrode throughout all the world and standeth in the vnitie of faithfull christen men is the church that God suffereth not to erre in those things that belong to saluation D. B. fol. 254. How the Church is knowne Whereas the word of God is purelie and sincerely preached the Sacraments orderlie ministred after the blessed ordinance of Christ. And wheras men do patiently suffer for the veritie And the hearers doe applie their liuing to Christ doctrine and with méeknesse receiue the holie Sacraments these be good and present tokens to iudge vpon that there be certeine members of Christs church and to proue this read the doctors following Our mother holie church faith Augustine throughout all the world scattered farre and wide in her true head Christ taught hath learned not to feare the contumelies of the crosse nor yet of death but more and more is she strengthened not in resisting but in suffering They that be in Iudea let them flie vnto the mountaines that is to saie they the be in Christendome let them giue themselues to the scriptures for in that time in the which heresies haue obteined into the church there can be no true probation of christendome nor no other refuge vnto christen men willing to knowe the veritie of faith but by the Scriptures of God Afore by manie waies was it shewed which was the church of Christ and which was the congregation of the Gentiles But now there is none other waie to them the will know which is the verie true church of Christ but onely by Scriptures By works first was the church of Christ knowne when the congregation of christen men either of all or of manie were holie the which holinesse had not the wicked men But nowe christen men are as euill or worse then heretiks or Gentiles yea greater continence is found among them then among christen men Wherefore he the will knowe which is the verie church of Christ how shal he know but by the scriptures only And therefore our Lord considering that the great confusion of things should come in the latter daies for that cause coÌ„maunded he that christen men willing to reserue the stablenesse of the true faith shuld flée vnto none other thing but vnto the scriptures For if they haue respect vnto other things they shall bée slauÌ„dred shal perish not vnderstaÌ„ding which is the true church The same Doctour saith â— It can no waie bée knowne what is the Church but onelie by the Scriptures Againe Christ commaundeth that who so will haue the assuraunce of true faith séeke to nothing else but vnto the Scriptures Otherwise if they looke to anie thing else they shall be offended and shall perish not vnderstanding which is the true Church and by meanes héereof they shall fall into the abhomination of desolation which standeth in the holie places of the Church There bée certeine bookes of our Lord vnto the authoritie whereof each part agréeth there let vs séeke for the church Thereby let vs examine and trie our matter Againe hée saith in the same Chapter I will ye shew me the holie church not by decrées of men but by the word of God August de vnit eccl cap. 3. The question or doubt is where the Church should bee what then shall wée doe Whether shall we séeke the Church in our owne wordes or in the wordes of her head which is our Lord Iesus Christ In my iudgement we ought rather to séeke the Church in his words for that he is the truth and best knoweth his owne bodie August de vnit eccle Chap. 2. Whether of vs be Scismatikes wée or you aske not me I will not aske you Let Christ be asked that hée maie shewe vs his owne Church Augustine cont litter Petilium li. 2. chap. 85. In times past saith Chirsostome there were manie waies to knowe the church of Christ that is to saie by good lyfe by myracles by chastitie by doctrine by ministring the Sacraments But from that time heresies did take holde of the church it is onelie knowne by the Scriptures which is the true church They haue all things in outward shew which the true church hath in truth They haue Temples like vnto ours c. Wherefore onely by the Scriptures doe we knowe which is the true church Verses Hoc est nescire sine Christo plurima scire Si Christum bene sâ—is satis est si caetera nescis Englished This is to be ignorant to know manie things without Christ If thou knowest Christ well thou knowest inough though thou knowest no more What is meant by the militant and triumphant Church Men doe diuide the true Church of Christ into the militant the triumphant church So that the militant church should be of them which doe yet trauaile in this mortall flesh do striue with Satan the flesh and the worldâ— The triumphant of them which are passed to heauen and haue ouercome all manner of their enimies In this sort Augustine placeth the Angels also These bée not two churches but the
the soule we saie therfore that to be in the flesh according to the Apostles meaning signifieth nothing els then in all our actions to be ruled and gouerned by the sense and effect of Nature not yet regenerate in Christ. Pet. Mar. vpon the Rom. fol. 198. Againe this place Ye are not in the Flesh cannot but be figuratiuelie interpreted for if we should vnderstand simply that we are not in the Flesh the truth would shew the contrarie Wherefore Chrisostome vpon this place saith that it is a thing verie daungerous alwaies to vnderstande the Scriptures according to the proper signification of the words I meruaile therfore what our aduersaries meane so much to iangle and make such 〈…〉 that when we saie that these wordes of the Lorde This is my bodie are spoken figuratiuelie and that we vnderstand meane by this place the filthie lusts and incontinencie of the flesh But by the vnquietnesse of the flesh and messenger of Satan he vnderstandeth the persecutions and troubles which by the meanes and stirring of Satan he was 〈…〉 to suffer continuallie for the Gospells sake not onelie of the open 〈…〉 but also of the false Bretheren And for 〈…〉 his 〈…〉 persecutions and troubles that happened vnto 〈…〉 praie vnto the Lord that he would deliuer 〈…〉 these afflictions and troubles which his flesh did 〈…〉 Thus both Theodoretus Ambrose and also Erasmus 〈…〉 place ¶ Looke Messenger of 〈…〉 ¶ Looke Pricke of the flesh To take no thought for the flesh how it is expounded Take no thought for the flesh to fill the lusts of it ¶ By the flesh he hèere vnderstandeth not naturall health for that is not to bée neglected that wee maie bee able the more constantlie to serue GOD. Paule writeth to Timothie Use a little Wine because of the stomacke and often 〈…〉 Heere hee prohibiteth onelie the pleasures and delights of the flesh For when wée lette loose the bridle to them the flesh is made vnrulie Wherefore seeing that we ought continuallie to wrastle against the prone affects thereof lette vs take héede that with ouer much delicatenesse we nourish them not Pet. Mar. fol. 434. The meaning of this place following My flesh is verelie meate and my bloud verelie drinke ¶ When Christ spake thâ—se words he spake nothing of the Sacrament for it was not instituted vntill his last Supper Upon this S. Austen saith Why preparest thou either tooth or bellie beléeue and then thou hast eaten him And when Christ sawe them offended hée said vnto them Doth this offende you What will ye saie then when ye shall see the Sonne of man ascending thether whence he was before Then addeth Saint Austen You shall know that he meant not to giue his flesh to eate with your téeth for he shall ascende whole And Christ addeth it is the spirite that quickeneth the Flesh profiteth nothing the wordes that I speake are spirite and life that is to saie saith S. Austen are spirituallie to be vnderstood And when Christ saith his flesh profiteth nothing meaning of his owne flesh as Austen saith he meaneth that it profiteth not as they vnderstood him that is to saie it profiteth not if it were eaten but it doth much profite to be slaine that through it and the shedding of his bloud the wrath of God our father is pacified our sinnes forgiuen His Disciples which followed him wer astonied and abhorred his words and vnderstoode them not Againe in another place he saith when Christ said Except a man eate my flesh and drinke my bloud he shall haue no life in him they because they vnderstood him not said to each other This is an hard saieng who can heare him August in sermo ad infan What flesh shall inherit the kingdome of Heauen Flesh and bloud cannot inherite the kingdome of Heauen ¶ Our beliefe is that there shall be a generall Resurrection of the flesh according to the Scripture Esaie 26. 19. Rom. 12. 2. Iob. 19. 26. Iohn 5. 29. Neuerthelesse it shall be purged from all corruption and be chaunged to immortall life for it must be an vncorrupt flesh that shall inherit the kingdome of God Of the battaile betweene the flesh and the spirite Betwéene the flesh and the spirite is a continuall strife if the spirit ouercome in temptation then is the stronger and the flesh weaker but if the flesh get a custome then is the spirite none other oppressed then as though she had a mountaine vpon hir backe and as we sometime in our dreame thinke that we beare heauier then a milstone vpon our breastes or when wée dreame now and then that we would runne awaie for feare our legges seeme heauier then leadâ— euen so is the spirit oppressed and ouerladen of the flesh and striueth to gette vppe and breake loose in vaine till God of his mercie which heareth his grone through Iesus Christ come and loose him with his power and put his crosse of tribulation on the back of the flesh to kéepe it downe to minish hir strength and to mortifie her Tindale fol. 186. What flesh and spirite signifieth Flesh and spirite maist thou not héere vnderstande as flesh were onelie that which perteineth vnto vnchastitie and the spirit that which inwardlie pertaineth vnto the heart â—ut Paule calleth flesh heere as Christ doth Iohn 3. All that is borne of the Flesh that is to wit the whole man with life soule bodie wit will reason and whatsoeuer he is or doth within or without because that those all and all that is in man studie after the world and the Flesh. Call Flesh therefore whatsoeuer as long as we are without the spirit of God we thinke or speake of God of faith of good workes and of spirituall matters Call Flesh also all workes which are done without grace and without the working of the spirit of God howsoeuer good holie and spirituall they seeme to be as thou maist proue by the 5. to the Galathians ver 19. 20. where Paule numbreth worshipping of Idolls witchcraft â—nuie and hate among the deedes of the Flesh. And by the eight to the Romanes ver 3. where he saith that the Lawe by the reason of the Flesh is weake which is not vnderstood of vnchastitie onelie but of all sinnes and most speciallie of vnbeliefe which is a vice most wicked and ground of all sinnes and as thou callest him which is not renued with the spirit and borne againe of Christ Flesh and all his deedes euen the verie motions of his heart and minde his learning doctrine and contemplation of high things his preaching teaching and studie in the Scripture building of Churches founding of Abbaies giuing of Almes Masse Mattinâ— and whatsoeuer he doth though it seeme spirituall and after the Lawes of God So contrariwise call him spirituallâ— which is renued in Christ and all his deedes which springeth of faith seeme they neuer so grose as the washing of the Disciples feete done by Christ and Peters fishing after
allow not that which I doe for what I would that doe I not but that I hate that doe I. Rom. 7. 15. Not that we are sufficient as of our selues to thinke anie thing but our ablenesse is of God 2. Cor. 3. 5. For it is God that worketh in you both the will the déede euen of his good pleasure Phil. 2. 13. What little freedome of will Saint Paule had Read Rom. 7. 14. c. FRVITE The meaning of these two places following And blessed is the fruite of thy wombe ¶ Christ could not haue bene the fruite of the virgins wombe if he had not taken the substaunce of his bodie of her substance that by the mightie power of the holie ghost Sir I. Cheeke By their fruits ye shall know them ¶ Christ giueth vs this lesson not to trie the true doctrine from the false but a true professour from an hypocrite otherwise our liues must be tried by the gospell and not the gospell by our liues FOVNDATION How Christ is the foundation of the Church and not Peter Other foundation none can be laide but onelie that is laide alreadie which is Christ Iesus ¶ Saint Paule found great fault with the Corinthians that sayde I holde of Apollo I holde of Paule I holde of Peter but the Catholikes say thou art Peter and vpon this foundation the pillers of the Church which are the Bishops are sure set And so deuising an other foundation beside Christ and contrarie to S. Paules doctrine would haue all the Bishops of the world holde of Peter Gaderenes The vnderstanding of this place following AND preached throughout all the citie ¶ To wit the Citie of the Gaderenes And though Marke saie in the 5. Chapter verse 20 that he preached it in Decapolis they descent not for Plinie recordeth li. 3. Chap. 18. That Gadara is a towne of Decapolis So that Decapolis was partlie on this side Iordan and partlie on the other side Beza GALGAL What this word signifieth IOsua pitched in Galgal ¶ Galgal is betwéene Iordane and Iericho of the East end of the citie The worde signifieth by interpretation taking awaie because the Lord ther tooke away the reproofe and shame of Aegypt as in the next chapter verse 9. where he saith This day haue I taken the shame of Aegypt from you c. Before saith the Bible note they were like to the vncircumcised Aegyptians whom though they serued yet they disdained and iudged them prophane and shamefull This authour saith that Shame in the 5. Chapter verse 9. signifieth miserie wretchednesse contempt despite vilenesse bondage Iosephus de Antiqui li. 5. cha 10. saith that Galgal signifieth libertie T. M. GALILEANS How we ought not to iudge rashlie of the Galileans SUppose ye that those Galileans were greater sinners then all the other Galileans because they suffered such punishment ¶ The Iewes tooke occasion héereby to condemne them as most wicked men Geneua ¶ We ought in no wise to iudge rashlie of them that receiue punishmēts for their misdeeds nor yet to despise thē For if our sinnes and lewdnesse were openlie knowne we shoulde be counted of like punishment Againe God doth otherwhile punish some as them vppon whome the Towre fell in Siloe for to admonish other that they perish not lykewise Sir I. Cheeke ¶ The Galileans as I suppose were they of whome certeine had shewed vnto Christ Luke 13 that Pilate had mingled their bloud with their owne Sacrifices Wherevppon Ambrose in Luke noteth their Sacrifice to haue béene abhominable Euse. Eccle. Hist. lib. 1. Chap. 6. mencioneth the heresie of the Galileans out of Iosephus to haue spronge vp of one Iudas Galileus in the time of Augustus when Cyrenius was President of Iudaea and vnder the sayde Emperour of an other called Symon Galileus vnder Copinius the President They exhorted the Iewes to a lawelesse and carnall libertie affirming that Taxe and Tribute was nothing else but slauish seruitude They misliked moreouer with the Iewes that they suffered mortall men vnder God to reigne ouer them Of the same opinion were the Galileans in the time of Pilate vnder the Emperour Tiberius Wherefore Iudas as Iosephus writeth was hanged together with his complises Symon came to naught and Pilate rewarded them vnder him as rebells deserued Antiqui li. 20. Chap. 5. Bel. Iude. li. 2. Chap. 7. Luke 13. GALL. What is signifie◠thereby AND closed me with Gall c. ¶ Gall for sorrowfulnesse as in the Psal. 69. 21. They gaue me Gall to eate c. That is they that should haue comforted me did me most griefe and augmented my sorrowe as if one should giue bitter meates to him that is hungrie Howbeit that Prophesie was also fulfilled in our Sauiour Christ of whom Dauid was héere a figure as in Saint Mathew 27. T. M. And giuen vs water of Gall to drinke ¶ That is hath brought vs into extreme affliction and thus they shall not attribute this plague to fortune but to Gods iust iudgement Chap. 9. 15. and. 23. 15. Geneua I sée that thou art in the gall of bitternesse ¶ Or thine heart is full of despitefull malice and diuelish poison of impietie So that now Satan hath thée ties in captiuitie in his hands Deut. 29. 18. Geneua GARDS What the Gards did signifie ANd let them make the gards of Ribād of Iacinct c. ¶ Such gards should the Christen haue déepelie fixed in their hearts cōsidering what they are bound to the Lord of what God what a seruice they haue taken vpon them that they might with all diligence and circumspection fulfill that which they haue promised T. M. ¶ Reade the text at this place Nu. 15. 38. thou shalt learne whie the Iewes did weare such borders vpon their garmentes ¶ Looke Philacteries Borders GARMENT OF HEALTH What the Garment of health is FOR he shall put vpon me the garment of health ¶ The Garmēt of health is faith that worketh by charitie which is called the wedding garment Mat. 22. 11. This Garment sayth the Prophet shall Christ put vpon the Church For all that beléeue in God shall be saued through Christ and be his beloued children by election and iustified by his bloud Ephe. 1. 7. T. M. GATE How this word Gate is taken in Scripture IN the Scripture the worde Gate signifieth iudgement Because mens causes were wont to be debated there And it was the place where common assemblies were made And finallie it was the seate of iustice and this is it that is meant in the Psalme 118. 20. where it is said that the children of good men and of such as are blessed of God shal be mainteined in the Gats and put their enimies to flight Caluine vpon Iob. fol. 83. Then Booz went vnto the Gate ¶ The Gates in the scripture do oftentimes signifie the places wher the people did commonlie assemble and when iudgements were giuen and causes determined for in olde time was such
of Saints namely buriall not papistical canoniâ—ation or false worshipping which hath bene vsed with great abuse Marl. vpon Math. fol. 313. How Iohn is thought to worke miracles after his death He is risen from death and therefore are miracles wrought by him ¶ It is an Heathenish beliefe to thinke that men can do greater things after their death then in their life time and héereof did spring the vaine worshipping of dead folkes Sir I. Cheeke ¶ He spake after the common errour for they thought that the soules of them that were departed entered into another bodie Geneua Wherefore Iohn was called Helias Iohn Baptist was called Helias because he came in the spirit and power of Helias most sharply rebuking sin That so men knowing their owne sinfull nature and the damnation yâ— hung ouer them should the more gladly embrace Christ the sauiour redéemer of the world Sir I. Cheeke Wherefore Iohn Baptist did no miracles Iohn did no miracles ¶ God would haue no miracles done by Iohn least the people should haue attributed too much vnto him And therefore he would haue him onely to teach to testifie For as the bodie of Moses his sepulchre are hid vnto this present day and that by the iust prouidence of God least that superstitious flesh in visiting the body of Moses should commit Idolatrie euen so for iust cause Iohn than whome other wise there arose not a greater among womens children wrought no miracles For if so be the gift of miracles had bene ioyned to his doctrine and holinesse of lyfe the people could scarce haue ben driuen srom beléeuing him to be Christ c. Marl. vpon Iohn fol. 394. Of Iohns Baptime The Baptime of Iohn whence was it c. ¶ Héere the Baptime of Iohn is taken for that heauenlye doctrine which he taught For as water doth wash awaye the filthinesse of the bodie so doth true doctrine make the soule cleane deliuering it from superstition and erronious doctrine Sir I. Cheeke Unto what then were ye baptised and they said vnto Iohns Baptime ¶ By this place Iohns Baptime signifieth Iohns doctrine which therefore is so called for that he sealed his doctrine with the seale of Baptime in them that beléeued The Bible note Meaning what doctrine they did professe by their Baptime for to be baptised in Iohns Baptime signifieth to professe the doctrine which he taught and sealed with the signe of Baptime to bée baptised in the name of the Father c. is to be dedicate and consecrate vnto him To be baptised in the death of Christ or for the dead or into one bodye vnto remission of sins is that sinne by Christes death may be abolished and die in vs and that we maye growe in Christ. Math. 3. 11. Mar. 1. 8. Luke 3. 16. Ihon. 1. 27. Act. 1. 5. and 2. 2. 11. 16. Geneua Baptime in this place is taken for the doctrine and not for the lauer of water For the baptime of Christ and the baptime of Iohn which is done in the water is all one els Christ who was baptised by Iohn ought to haue bene baptised againe Héere then we doe gather that these folkes not twice baptised with the water of Baptime but were twice instruccted and at length after perfect instruction they were baptised with water in the name of Christ. Sir I. Cheeke Of the difference betweene Iohns Baptime and the Apostles The difference betwéene the Baptime of Iohn and the Apostles was onelye this that Iohn baptised them to beléeue in Christ that was for to come and the Apostles baptised them to beléeue in Christ which was come alreadie and had suffered for the remission of sinnes of as manie as beléeued in him Tindale IOHN THE EVANGELIST Of this Iohns life written by Saint Hierome IOhn the Apostle whome Iesus loued right well béeing the sonne of Zebedeus and Iames the Apostles brother whome after the Lordes death Herode had beheaded wrote his Gospell last of all the rest being desired there to by the Bishops of Asia both against Cerinthus and diuerse other heretiks But principally against the Ebeonites which euen then arose which Ebeonites auouch that Christ was not before Marieâ— by reason whereof he was enforced to shew of his diuine natiuitie They say that beside this there was an other cause of his writing because that when he had read the volumes of Mathew Marke Luke he well allowed the text of the storie and affirmed that they had said truth but had onely made their storie of one yeares act in the which after the imprisonment of Iohn Christ suffered Wherefore omitting that yeares actes which were sufficientlye entreated of all thrée he sheweth such thinges as were done before Iohn was imprisoned which thing maye euidently appeare to such as shall diligentlye read the volumes of the foure Gospels the which thing also doth take awaie the disagreeing that séemeth to be betweene Iohn the rest He wrote beside the premises one Epistle which beginneth thus That which was from the beginning which we haue heard which we haue seene with our eyes c. The other two which beginne The elder to the well beloued Ladie and her children c. And the elder to the best deloued Caius whom I loue in the truth c. are affirmed to haue bene written of Iohn the Priest whose seuerall tombe is at this day to be seene at Ephesus many suppose that there are two memorials of this same Iohn the Euangelist of which matter we wil entreate after we shal by order come to yâ— lyfe of Papias his scholer In the 14. yeare â—hen at what time Domicianus after Nero stirred vp the second persecution Iohn being banished into the I le of Pathmos wrote yâ— reuelation which is intituled the Apocalips which Iustin the martir and Ireneus doe make Commentaries vpon But after Domician was slaine and all his acts reuoked by the Senate because of his ouermuch crueltie he returned to Ephesus in the time of Prince Neruai and continued there vntil the time of the Emperour Traiane he instituted and gouerned all the Churches of Asia and ther continued till he was impotent for age He died the thréescore and eight yeare after the passion of the Lord Iesus And was buried a little beside the same Citie Eras. in his Paraphras A noâ—able historie of this Iohn When Iohn was returned to Ephesus fr 〈…〉 the I le of Pathmos he was desired for matters of religion to resort to yâ— places borâ—â—ring néere vnto him And comming to a certeine place he sawe a goodly young man both of bodie and countenaunce on whom he east such a fauourâ— that he committed him to the Bishoppe there charging the Bishoppe most earnestly and that two seuerall times to sée him diligently instructed in the doctrine and faith of Christ. And so Iohn returning againe to Ephesus the Bishop toke the young man and brought him home and diligently instructed him in the waies of Christ and
But if they will teach you things of their owne then heare them not then dde it not For certainly such men séeke their owne and not the things that pertaine to Christ Iesu. ¶ The Chaire of the which our Sauiour Christ maketh mention héere doth not signifie the authoritie of Moses which the Scribes abused but it signifieth the place out of the which they purely red and interpreted the law of Moses ¶ To sit in Mosâ—s chaire is nothing els then to shewe out of the Lawe of God how men ought to liue And although it be not certaine out of what place they didde speake or preach yet notwithstanding their coniectures is probable which referre it to the Pulpet which Esdras made to haue the Laws taught in He therefore sitteth in Moses Chaire which preacheth not of his â—wne braine but by the authoritie and word of God Marl. vpon Math. fol. 521. ¶ So long as the Scribes safe in Moses seate and continued in the pure and simple interpretation of the Lawe teaching those things which the Lord had commaunded and taught in the name of God For Saint Austen very well and according to the minde of Christ expoundeth that the Scribes sitting vpon Moses seate taught the Lawe of God and that therefore the shéepe ought to heare the shepheards by them as by hirelings To the which words he addeth by and by saieng God therefore teacheth by them But if they goe about to teach theyr owne inuentions neither heare them nor follow them To the which sentence agréeth that which the same Father hath in his fourth booke De doctrina Christiana saieng Because the good and faithfull do not heare euery man but obediently heare God himselfe therefore they are heard profitably which also lyue not profitably Therefore the seate not of the Scribes but of Moses constrained them to teach that which was good For in their life they did what them lust but the seate being none of theirs suffered them not to teach what they lusted Marl. vpon Math. fol. 522. ¶ We ought to haue an eye most especially vnto the doctrine of the Preachers whether they sit in Christs chaire or not that is to say whether they teach Christs doctrine or not for by their doctrine we shall be either iustified or condemned and not by their liuing Sir I. Cheeke How Moses did eate the body of Christ ¶ Looke Manna How this place is vnderstood And Moses wrote this Lawe ¶ Before Moses time the doctrine which contained the manner of seruing God was not put in writing but onely deliuered by word of mouth by the fathers to theyr children from one generation to another The Bible note How we are sent to Moses and the Prophets They haue Moses and the Prophets let them heare them ¶ We are bidden to beléeue Moses and the Prophets and not the dead and if we will néedes heare the dead speake Christ ought to be sufficient for vs which being reuiued taught none other doctrine but that which he had taught in his time that is to say Moses and the Prophets Sir I. Cheeke ¶ Which declareth that it is too late to be instructed by the dead if in their life time they cannot profite by the liuely word of God as faith commeth by Gods word so is it maintained by the same So that neither we ought to looke for Angells from heauen or the dead to confirme vs there by onely the word of God is sufficient to life euerlasting Geneua Why Moses was bid to put off his shooes Put off thy shooes from thy feete ¶ Moses could not be suffered to talke with God afore he didde put off his shooes whereby we vnderstande that wée must put awaye all fleshly and carnall lusts and so approach vnto God in faith purenesse of heart Let them héere which will not touche holye things with theyr bare hands without gloues learne of the Angell of the Lorde what they ought for to doe in such things Of Moses death and buriall which maketh against reliques We read of Moses the seruaunt of the Lorde that hée died in the lande of Moab and the Angell of the Lord buryed him in a valley but no man knoweth of his Sepulcher vnto this daye which thing was of purpose by the prouidence of God appointed so that the Iewes might haue no occasion thereby to comâ—nitte Idolatry But if the translating of dead bones had bene either for the glorye of God or commoditie of man the reliques of such a one as Moses was should not haue bene hidden For doubtlesse of all Prophets he was the greatest by the testimonie of God himselfe who called him faithfull in all his house to whom he spake mouth to mouth by vision and not in darke wordes and yet was not his body shrined nor his bones carried in procession nor anye Chappell erected for him Indeed the Diuell did attempt no lesse then to make it matter of superstition for we read that there was a strife betwixt him and Michael about Moses body but the Angell of the Lorde withstood him I. Calfehill MOTHER OF GOD. Wherein Mary the mother of God was most blessed TO be the childe of God is a great deale greater grace then to be the mother of God which Saint Austen proueth thus Beatior â—rgo Maria c. Mary was more blessed or full of grace in that the receiued the faith of Christ then in that she conceiued the flesh of Christ. Motherly kinred coulde haue done Mary no good vnlesse she had borne Christ more blessed in hir heart then shée bare him in hir flesh Againe he sayth Master mea quam c. My mother whom ye haue called blessed therefore is blessed because she hath kept the word of God not because the word in hir was made flesh How mother is taken for grandmother He put downe Miacha his mother ¶ Mother for grandmother As Dauid is oftentimes called father of them of whom he was grandfather And as Zephora Moses wife calleth Raguel father which yet was hir grandfather How the Church is called our mother Forsake not thy mothers teaching ¶ That is of the Church wherein the faithfull are begotten by the incorruptible séede of Gods word Geneua MOVNTAINES How Mountaines heere doe signifie Scriptures LEt them that be in Iewry flye then to the mountaines ¶ That is to say let them that be in Christs profession flye to the scriptures the scriptures of the Apostles and Prophets be the mountaines c Our Lord knowing that there should be such confusion in the last daies therfore commaundeth that Christen men yâ— beléeue in Christ willing to haue an assurance of the true faith shuld haue recourse to nothing els but vnto the scriptures Otherwise if they haue regard vnto any other thing they shal be offendâ—d and perish not vnderstanding what is the true Church and by meanes héereof they shall fall in abhomination of desolation Iewel fo 722. ¶ S.
heresie of Nouacius concerning the peruerse doctrine of penance For he taught that they which had receiued Baptime and fell into sinne could not come againe to saluation And with this errour brought he many to desperation and spoyled the concord of the Church or Congregation Carion Obedience The definition of Obedience WE may make a definition of Obedience by yâ— very word it selfe which is called in Gréeke Lakai And is nothing els but a faithfull submission of minde wherby the word will of the commaunder is obeyed when both the heart and eares be attent vnto his words and will those things which be commaunded according to their abilitie be accomplished without any gain-saieng For true obedience must haue not onely an obedient hand but a following will also Wherefore they cannot be counted for obedient in whom the definition of true obedience taketh not place such as they be which doe obey in fact onely without the redy wil of minde or els in word or eare onely without doing it when they may For when the thing cannot be done the will to obey is reputed for the doing And so we say most commonly that God accepteth our good wil in steede of the fact Musculus fol. 479. What is ment by obeing in this place following To obey is better then Offering c. ¶ To obey what Mans inuention mans dreames or traditions Nay verely but GODS holy wordes his blessed Commaundements yea and to obey them is better then to offer Sacrifices which yet was ordeined and appointed by God himselfe How much better then is it then our Offerings which are inuented without any of Gods word or any mention theroff made the whole Scripture through Ioseph de antiq li. 6. cap. 9. expresseth Samuels saieng in lyke manner but his wordes are too long to rehearse T. M. OBSERVING OF DAIES How the obseruing of daies are reproued how they may be obserued YE obserue daies and months and times and yeares ¶ By the daies he vnderstandeth Sabboths and new Moones by the months the first seuenth month by the times Whitsontide Easter and the feast of Tabernacles by the yeres he vnderstandeth the yeares of Iubely or of forgiuenesse It is not ment but that we may well kéepe certaine daies not that one is holier then another but that we may haue time to come together both to preach and to heare the worde of God offering with one accord our common supplications vnto him Sir I. Cheeke ¶ Ye obserue daies as Sabboths and new Moones ye obserue months as the first and seuenth month ye obserue times as Easter Whitsontide the feast of Tabernacles ye obserue yeares as the Iubely or yeare of forgiuenesse which beggarly Ceremonies are most pernitious to them which haue receiued the swéete libertie of the Gospell and thrust them back into superstitious slauery Geneua ¶ Daies are obserued least the rude multitude should diminish their faith And certaine daies are appointed for vs to come together in Not to the intent the day should be more solemne or high in which we gather together but that great ioye maye rise to vs of our beholding one another D. Heynes OFFENCE Of three manner of offences SOme kinde of offences are to be eschewed which take their differences of their causes There is one kinde of offence that riseth of euill doctrine corrupting the doctrine of the Church He yâ— after this manner is an offence vnto others followeth the steps of the Diuell his father who ouerthrew the first man and woman with this kinde of stumbling block Gen. 3. Another kinde of offence is that which springeth of euil manners that is to wit when other folkes regarding thée do counterfaite thy euill conditions He that on this wise is an offence to man buildeth vp the kingdome of Satan and ouerthroweth the kingdome of Christ. The third kinde of offence riseth of the abuse of things which of their owne nature are indifferent which must be shunned yâ— the weak be not offended The wilfull and vngodly are to be despised and for warrant thereof we haue Christs example Of an offence giuen and an offence taken An offence is giuen then when by thy fault by thy importunitie I say thy lightnesse thou either dost or saist a thing for which thy brother hath a cause to be offended The other offence is not giuen but taken or picked out not by thy faults but by the works or wickednesse of another man As for example when thou doest sinne neither in worde nor déede when thy déedes are nothing insolent nor thy words vnseasonable when thou saist or doest the thing that is frée and lawfull for thée to say do and yet another taketh Pepper in nose and is offended with that libertie of thine Which is all one as if a man that walketh in a plaine path should â—ap to trip or stumble and presently quarrell with his companion as though he had laide a blocke in his way Bullinger fo 451. ¶ To giue offence is a great sinne For Christ doth saye Woe vnto the world because of offences It must néedes be that offences come but woe to the man by whom the offence commeth Whosoeuer offendeth one of these little ones c. Saint Paule also speaking to the bretheren that giue offence saith Through thy giuing of offence perisheth thy brother for whom Christ died and so ye sinning against your bretheren and wounding their weake consciences doe sinne against Christ himselfe Bullinger fol. 452. What it is to be offended in Christ. Happy is he that is not offended by me ¶ To be offended in Christ is to will neither to knowe Christ nor yet to beleeue in him And not to bée offended in him is to receiue him and knowledge by a perfect faith that he is our Sauiour ¶ Happy is he c. That take no occasion by Christ to be hindered from the Gospell Geneua How a man may offend God and not his owne conscience When Paule and Barnabas men elect to be Apostles by the reuealation of the holy Ghost as it is written in the second of the Acts fell out one with another for Iohn Marke as it is in the 15. of the Acts insomuch as the one forsooke the others company it cannot be denied but either Paule or Barnabas or both were in a great fault to fall out for such a trifle and yet there was neither of them both but he thought in his conscience that he did well and did contend for the glory of God So vndoubtedly the most circumspect men in their liuing and most studious to doe all their workes and to vtter all their words to the glory of God yet oftentimes they shall conceiue in theyr thoughts wish in their hearts and also speake and doe such things as shall be very great sinnes in the sight of God and yet they shall not offend their conscience nor think they doe amisse And therefore the Prophet Dauid desireth almightie God not onely
mortifie his body for to liue according to the doctrine yâ— he himselfe did teach least be should be reproued of men when they should sée him doe contrary or contemne yâ— thing which he taught other to doe Ric. Turnar Of Paules vnquietnesse of the flesh ¶ Looke Flesh. How Paule wrought with his hands He abode with them wrought Their craft was to make tents ¶ How doe they followe Paules example which neither giue themselues to the studie of holy Scriptures to feede the flocke of Christ nor yet will labour with their hands but liue idly with the sweate of other mens browes there was a lawe among the Massilians that if any man did go about to liue idly vnder the pretence of some kind of religion he shuld in no wise be receiued into their citie Sir I. Cheeke ¶ Thus he vsed where euer he came but principally at Corinthus because of the false Apostles which preached without wages to winne the peoples fauour His craft was to make tents or pauilions which were made of skinnes Geneua Wherefore Paule wished himselfe to be seperate from Christ. For I haue wished my selfe to be seperated from Christ for my bretheren c. ¶ The Apostle loued his bretheren so entirely that if it had bene possible he would haue bene ready to haue redeemed the casting away of the Israelites with the losse of his owne soule for euer For this word seperate betokeneth as much in this place Beza ¶ He sawe the losse and destruction of his whole nation falling so farre from Gods true religion he considered how far God should be dishonoured when his wonderfull benefits and blessings bestowed vpon his people should take none effect but vtterly be defaced which so mightely moued him the he wished rather to be cut off from Christ then those things should come to passe The Bible note ¶ He would redéeme the reiection of the Iewes with his owne dampnation which declareth his zeale towardes Gods glorie Read Exo. 32. 32. Geneua How Paule had a wife Paule wished that all men were as he was That is hée wished that all the Corinthians which aduaunced themselues of virginitie widowhood could liue chast without a woman as he did which left his wife in an other place then where hée preached that all men were without care as he was which thing commonly followeth marriage ¶ Looke Apostles had wiues what Erasmus saith thereof ¶ Ignatius and also Clemens Alexandrinus which were verie nigh the Apostles time doth plainely affirme that S. Paule had a wife Ecclesiast histo li. 3. cap. 30. What Paule calleth the infirmitie of the flesh Paule calleth the infirmity of the flesh no disease of yâ— body or temptation of the flesh but his suffering and affliction which he suffered in his bodie So that he setteth the same against the vertue and power of the spirit But least we should séeme to wrast and peruert Paules words let vs heare himselfe speaking in the. 2. Cor. 12. 10. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities in reproches in necessities in persecutions and anguish for Christs sake for when I am weake then am I stronge And in the. 11. chapt 13. In labours more abundant in stripes aboue measure in prisons more plenteous in death oft of the Iewes fiue times receiued I fortie stripes saue one I was thrise beaten with roddes I was once stoned I suffered thrise shipwracke c. These afflictions which hée suffred in his body he calleth infirmities of the flesh and not corporall diseases Of Paules voice Looke Voice PAVLVS SAMOSATENVS Of the heresie that this man taught THis man was Bishop of Antioch He denied the trinitie He taught that Christ tooke his beginning of our lady And was a man onely of our common nature which heresâ—e was condemned by a generall Councell Paulus excommunicated He was about the yeare of our Lord. 267. PEACE How Christ came not to send peace on earth but debate SUppose ye that I am come to send peace on earth I tell you nay but rather debate ¶ So the peace as this world loueth which is then at peace when mens appetites and desires are satisfied and when the euill agrée with the euill came I not to send on earth but therfore came I with yâ— words of very peace to destroy the peace of this world For sith the doctrine of the Gospell which teacheth all peace shal be enuied of many it cannot be but debate must arise euen amongest greatest friends while they that loue this world will sooner exercise cruelty towards them yâ— they loue best then leaue yâ— vices which they haue bene accustomed vnto And againe those whome the fire of the charitie belonging to the Gospell hath touched will by no meanes suffer themselues to be deuided from that which they haue begun to cleaue to Betwixt these two am I not come to set peace but debate Tindale What it is to be at peace with God Because therefore that we are iustified by faith we are at peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ. ¶ To be at peace with God is none other thing then to haue tranquility rest in our hearts to Godward knowing assuredly the we be accepted of him do please him which thing we finde by fayth onely in that it receiueth forgiuenesse of sinnes newnesse of life euerlasting by mercy obteined at Christs hands Our own workes can bring no such tranquilitie because they be vnsure and engender doubt of which followeth desperation and of it dampnation we are not ashamed of our hope for we are sure by the death of Christ that God loueth vs and will bring our hope to passe ¶ By peace héere is meant that incredible and most constant ioye of minde when we are deliuered from all terrour of conscience and fully perswaded of the fauour of God this peace is the fruit of faith Geneua ¶ By peace which is the fruite of faith is ment the incredible and most constant ioy of minde our conscience being quiet and established in Gods grace The Bible note How peace makers be blessed Blessed be the peace makers c. ¶ To inherit this blessing it is not onely required that thou haue peace in thy selfe and that thou take all to the best and be not offended lightly and for euery small trifle alway ready to forgiue nor sowe â—o discord nor auenge thine owne wrong But also that thou be feruent and diligent to make peace go betwéene person persoÌ„ that thou leaue nothing vnsought to set theÌ„ at one Tin ¶ Cursed be the peace breakers pikequarrellers whispers backebiters sowers of discord dispraisers of them that be good stirrers vp of Princes to battell bée-liers of the true preachers of Gods word c. Tindale What peace offering is To offer peace offering of Oxen vnto the Lorde ¶ Peace offering is to reconcile God towards men to be at peace with them to forgiue
and vnder that pretence to deuour and spoyle the houses of widowes c. ¶ What doest thou séeke an apt and holy place when thou wouldest pray vnto God Cleanse thine own inward partes in scouring out all naughtie desires from thence prepare thy selfe a secret corner in the quietnesse of thy heart When thou praiest in the Church pray within thy selfe and so doe alwaies that thou maist be the Temple of God for there God doth heare where he doth dwell Thus saith he by which words it appeareth sufficiently inough that euen in his daies many of yâ— Christians were so fallen backe to the superstitions of Temples Churches not onely in seruices but in praiers also that they thought the prayers were more effectuall in Churches then in other places which they tooke to be as prophane and not meete for prayer Musculus fol. 489. How prayer for the dead auaileth not When we be once departed out of this life there is no more place of repentaunce there is no more effect or working of satisfaction life is héere either lost or wonneâ— euerlasting saluation is héere prouided by the due worshipping of God the fruites of faith Then he shal be without fruite of repentance and griefe of paine In vaine shall wéeping be and prayer shall be of no force nor effect Cypr. in his first treatise against Demetrius We know in this world we can be helped one of another either with prayer or with counsell but after we be come once before yâ— iudgment seate of Christ neither Iob nor Daniel nor Noe is able to pray for any body but euery man shall beare his owne burthen Hierom in his 13. questi c. 2. chap. When thou doest heare that our Lord did rise againe naked cease I pray thee from the mad expence of the burieng what meaneth this superstuitie and vnprofitable dispence which vnto them that make it bringeth hurt and no profite to the dead but rather harme Chrisost. in his 48. homil vpon the 20. of Iohn For if he had not hoped that they which were slaine should rise againe it had bene superfluous and vaine to praye for the dead ¶ From this verse to the ende of this Chapter the Gréekes text is corrupt so that no good sense much lesse certain doctrine can be gathered thereby Also it is euident that this place was not written by the holy Ghost both because it dissenteth from the rest of the holy Scriptures also the Authour of this booke acknowledging his own infirmitie desired pardon if he haue not attained to that he should And it séemeth that this Iason of Ceronean out of whom he tooke this Abridgment is Ioseph Bengorion who hath written in Hebrue 5. bookes of these matters intreting this place maketh no mention of the praier for the dead And though Iudas had so done yet perticular example is not sufficient to establish a doctrine no more theÌ„ Ziphorahs was to proue that women might minister the Sacraments Exo. 4. 25. Or the example of Razis that one might kill himselfe whom this Author so much commendeth 2. Mac. 14. 41. Geneua Truly I thinke that Iudas beléeued that ther shuld be a resurrection as the text praised him saieng Thinking well and denoutly of the resurrection of our flesh they that beleeued wer yet so rude ignorant that they thought they shuld rise but to obtaine a carnall kingdome and haue their enimies subdued vnder them without rebellion And thereto sticke the Iewes vnto this day And it is most lyke that this should be his meaning we shall all rise againe and possesse this lande in peace these men which are slaine are out of the fauour of God because they haue contrary to the lawe Deut. 7. tooke of the Idolls oblations therefore it is best that we send a Sacrifice to Hierusalem to pacifie the wrath of God towards theÌ„ lest when they rise again the Lord shuld send some plague among vs for their transgression which they committed while they were héere liuing If any man can better gesse I am well content to admit it But this is plaine though he thought that this sacrifice coulde not helpe them before they should rise againe which doth fully destroy Purgatory for where he saith that it were void vaine to praye for the dead except they shoulde rise againe is euen as much to say vnto him that hath any wit as that this prayer sacrifices can doe them no good before they be risen againe froÌ„ death for els wer it not in vaine to pray for them although they should neuer rise againe As by this example if I say to a man that he shall neuer obtaine his purpose except he shuld sue to the kings grace it is euen as much to say to a man that hath any wit he shal neuer obtaine his purpose before he hath suâ—d to the Kings highnesse I. Erith It wer an hard matter for a man to teach the ther wer any sacrifices praiers vsed in the Apostles time for the faithfull wheÌ„ they were departed But afterward it fell out by the good zeale of the Bishops yâ— ther was a solemne remembrance kept of theÌ„ which died in the Lord specially of Martirs ther were also sacrifices offered I meane of thanks-giuing but they wer not done for the dead to auaile to their saluation but for yâ— faithful yâ— wer aliue that their hearts might be the better confirmed in the faith of Christ. Of these sacrifices Cypriane maketh mention how they vsed to offer sacrifices for the martirs LaureÌ„tius Ignatius yâ— rest Wherefore it appeareth that they had not the same manner of Sacrificing for the dead at that time as it is now vsed in the Popery They did sacrifice for the Martyrs but so that they did not pray for them at all as Augustine doth also testifie so that this sacrifice for the dead had no praier for them ioyned withall but for the faithfull which were alyue Musculus fol. 493. To leane saith Ireneus vpon the holy Scriptures which are the sure and vndoubted truth is to builde his house vppon a sure and strong Rocke But if leauing it I meane the trueth of the Scriptures any man doe sticke to some other doctrines the same is to build his house vpon the vnstedfast Sand where it shall easely fall ¶ The Canonicall Scriptures make no mention at all of the praieng for the dead therefore saith Ireneus if we doe follow the doctrines of men in this point it is none other but to build vppon the vnstedfast Sande I. Veron We doe saith Ambrose condemne by right all newe things that Christ hath not taught For Christ to the faithfull is the way if Christ therefore hath not taught this that we teach we doe also iudge it detestable ¶ If it cannot be prooued by Christs holy Gospell and word that he hath not taught vs to praye for the dead then whosoeuer teacheth that doctrine we
gouernour Exaudiatte Dominus in die tribulatione protiget te nomen Dei Iacob The Lord heare thée in the day of trouble the name of the God of Iacob defend thée These words be words of praier and to be offered vnto God for the preseruation of the king Therefore when ye do pray and say The Lord heare thée vnderstand for example by this word Thée our king or chiefe gouernour and then the praier is plaine And héere by the way note that the Prophet sayth not as the olde superstition was wont our blessed Lady and all the whole companie of heuen heare thée for theÌ„ he had taught vs to cal vpon creatures which can neither heare vs nor helpe vs but the Prophet as he doth alwaies so he doth héere teach vs to crie vnto God himselfe in the day of trouble And in that he saith the name of the God of Iacob defend thée it is nothing els to say but the power the might of the most high omnipotent God of Iacob defend thée Ric. Turnar What priuate praier is Priuate praier is made vnto God by euery faithfull man in what place so euer either in the house or without doores in the closet of his hart temple of his own body For S. Peter went vp into the vppermost part of the house praier Act. 10. 9. S. Paule 1. Tim. 2. sayth I will therefore that the men pray euery where lifting vp pure hands And Christ our Lord himself very often departed euen out of the temple into the mount to pray And in the Gospell Mat. 6. he saith When thou praiest enter into thy chamber and when thou hast shut the doore pray to thy father which is in secret c. Bullinger Of publike praier Publike praier is that which is vsed vnto God in the holy assemblie according to the accustomed order of euery Church Bullinger fol. 914. PREACHERS What doctrine preachers ought to teach TEaching them to obserue all things whatsoeuer I commaund you ¶ Héere doe all Preachers learne what they should teach nothing els but Gods word nothing else but that the Lord hath commaunded them Not their owne dreames and inuentions Sir I. Cheeke ¶ Men may not teach their owne doctrine but whatsoeuerâ— Christ hath taught for he reserueth this authoritie to himselfe to be the onely teacher and author of the doctrine Geneua That we must not presume of inspiration without preaching Saule was sent by the vision to Damascus to Ananias to be instructed and yet we maye not despise the meanest minister that teacheth vs for Ananias and Philip were meane and obscure and vnknowne men this is not notable yet Paule who was notable and instructed at the féeâ—e of Gamaâ—â—el was sent vnto them by the vision Cornelius was sent to Peter The Eunuch vnderstood not till Phlip came vnto him Dauid could not vnderstand the ridle of Nathan vntil it was by Nathan himselfe expounded How Preachers ought not to yeeld to the wicked Moses sayd to Pharao there shall not one hoofe therof be left for thereof we must serue the Lord our God What weapons the preachers must vse They must fight with the word not with the swoord their weapons are praiers and teares What Preachers may flye when and in what place But if it be in such a case that the minister alone is sought after by the enimie or be forsaken of them which were his congregation or if no ruine or detriment ensue vnto the congregation by his departing then is there no cause why he may not reserue himselfe for a more commodious season But they that forsake the publike cause of the congregation goe from them that holde fast the profession of fayth these indéede be Apostatus and hirelings who Christ saith vse to flye when the woolfe comes Iohn 10. 5. We ought to followe Saint Ambrose who denied to deliuer his Churches to the Arrians although yâ— Emperour commaunded Gualter Suelacts fol. 358. This saieng when they persecute you in one citie flye to an other c. was spoken vnto the Apostles because the building of the Church depended vpon their preaching who were also but fewe in number It was méete therefore that they should be preserued vntill the worke were ended But once hauing perswaded their congregatioâ—s to the faith and hauing ended their worke it was méet that they should refuse to flye sealâ— their doctrine with their â—loud as they did indéede because then the â—earcitie of Preachers being holpen it was méete that the members of new conuerts should be confirmed c. Of generall preaching By the vse of generall preaching neither had Dauid bene touched by Nathan to repentance nor Herode bene touched by Iohn Baptist to griefe For he that speaketh generally speaketh to no man PREDESTINATION What Predestination is PRedestination is Gods euerlasting and vnchaungeable ordinaunce going in order before all the causes of saluation and dampnation whereby God hath determined to bée glorified by some by sauing them of his owne méere grace in Christ and in other some by dampning them through his rightfull iudgement in Adam and in themselues And after the custome of the Scripture we call the sormer sorte the vessells of glorye and the elect or chosen that is to saye folkes appointed to saluation before the world through mercye And the other sort we call reprobates or castawayes and vessells of wrath that is to saye appointed likewise to rightfull dampnation from euerlasting either of both which GOD hath knowne seuerally from time without beginning Theo. Beza By the eternall Predestination of GOD is vnderstoode his eternall ordinaunce whereby hée hath ordeined before the creation of the worlde that which hée hath determined to doe with all men to be glorified in them as well in his mercy as in his iust iudgement In his mercy he is glorified in shewing the riches of his glorie in his vessells of mercye which are his chosen yâ— which he hath prepared to glory in the iust iudgement he is glorified in shewing his wrath and giuing to vnderstanding his power after that he hath endured in greate patience the vessells of wrath prepared to perdition P. Viret I thinke it best with this definition to begin with that that the Logitians call Quid nominis what the worde signifieth The Grecians call Predestination Oûproris non of this Uerbe Cûporitas which signifieth to determine and appoint before For Oros is Terminus that is a bande or limit Wherefore the elect are seperated a sunder from them that are not elect the Latine men call it Praedestinatio For Destinare is nothing else but firmely to determine and constantly to appoint anye thing in the minde or by some firme decrée of the minde to direct anye thing to some one end But Predestination which wée speake of maye bée taken two manner of wayes either as touching the bringing of it to the effect as that Paule going to Damascus was conuerted to Christ and by that
méeke in heart in the holinesse of Angells bringing in things which he hath not séene D. Barnes fol. 299. Why Mary was forbidden to touch Christ. Touch me not ¶ This séemeth not to agrée with the narration of Mathew For he plainly writeth that the women imbraced the féete of Christ. And séeing afterward he woulde haue his disciples to handle and to féele him what cause was there why he shuld forbid Mary to touch him For he said vnto Thomas bring hether thy finger and sée my handes and put thy finger vnto my side and be not faithlesse but beléeuing The solution thereof is very easie if so be that we consider that the women were not prohibited y◠touching of Christ before such time as they wer too busie and desirous to touch him For no doubt he did not forbid them to touch him so farre foorth as it was néedfull to take away all doubt But when he saw they were too busie in imbracing his féete he moderated and corrected that rash zeale for they depended vpon his corporall presence neither did they knowe any other waye to inioye him then if he dwelt among them vpon the earth Moreouer because his disciples doubted whether he was truly risen againe or no and because the same that appeared to them was iudged of them to be but a vision to the ende they might beléeue the resurrection he said féele and sée for a spirit hath no flesh and bones as ye sée me haue Also Thomas had said except I sée y◠print of his nailes in his hands and put my fingers into the print of the nailes my hand into his side I will not beléeue therefore Christ did very well in offering himselfe to be felt of him But in Mary there was no such doubting that there should néede any farther féeling but it was requisite y◠she shuld come to a further faith and to more plaine vnderstanding of the kingdome of Christ least she should abase him in computation more then ther was cause Marl. vpon Iohn fol. 593. TRADITIONS Of the traditions of men FRom whence haue we this tradition Whether commeth it from the authoritie of our Lord or of the Gospel or els from the Commaundements and Epistles of the Apostles Therfore if it be either commaunded in the Gospell or contained in the Epistles or Actes of the Apostles let vs kéepe the same tradition Augustine vnto Pompeius The Pharisies said not vnto Christ Wherefore doe thy disciples breake the law of Moses but wherefore do they break the traditions of the Elders Whereby it appeareth that they had altered many things whereas God had commaunded that they should neither adde nor diminish but fearing least they should loose their authoritie as if they had bene law makers to the ende they might seeme the greater they altered much which thing grewe to such a wickednesse that they kept their owne traditions more then the Commaundements of God Chrisostome in his first Homely of the Iewish fast Iohn Northbrooke Some wrast this place so far as men ought to obey all manner of things whatsoeuer the Bishops Presidents or Rulers commaund although they be vngodly and for their authorities sake when as Christ did speake onely of them which did teach rightly the lawe of Moses not of such as did snare men with their ordinaunces constitutions now peraduenture after the same manner a Bishop might be heard which preched truly the Gospell although he liue but a little according vnto the same A reason that ouerthroweth all doctrines of men all Traditions all Poperie God said to Christ Thou art my sonne therefore he is his sonne God said not so to any Angell therefore no Angell can take the name vnto him God said The true worshippers shuld not go to Mount Sion nor to Hierusalem but worship God in spirit truth where said he goe a pilgrimage or go visit this holy sepulcher God said Do not obserue dayes and months times and yeares where said he Kéepe vnto me Lent or Aduent Imber dayes or Saints eues God said to vs It is the doctrine of Diuells to forbid marriage or to commaund to abstaine from meates where said he Eate now no flesh now no whit meate let not the Ministers marrie God said Let euery soule be subiect to Kings Princes and the authoritie of such men let it not be in his Apostles Where said he let the Pope haue the gift of kingdoms be exempt from authoritie of man weare a triple crowne and haue Lords and Noble men vnder him God said Cursed is he that addeth ought to the lawe or taketh from it Where said he The Pope shall dispence against mine Apostles and Prophets God said It is better to speak fiue words which we vnderstand then ten thousand words in an vnknowen tongue where said he the ignoraunt men should pray in Latine With this very argument are ouerthrowen all doctrines of men all traditions all Popery c. Deering What an obstinacie is this or what a presumption to presume an humane tradition before Gods ordinaunce nor to consider that God taketh indignation and wrath so often as an humane tradition looseth or goeth beyond the commaundement of God as he cryeth by his Prophet Esay and saith This people honoureth me with their lips but their harts is seperated from me they worship me in vaine while they teach the commaundements doctrines of men The Lord also in y◠Gospell blaming likewise reprouing putteth forth and saith ye haue reiected Gods commaundement to stablish your tradition Of which cōmaundement S. Paule being mindfull doth likewise warne instruct saieng If any teach otherwise and contenteth not himselfe with the words of our Lord Iesus Christ his doctrine he is puft vp with blockishnes hauing skill of nothing from such a one we ought to depart S. Austen saith that the auncient actes of the godly Kings mentioned in the Propheticall bookes were figures of the like facts to be done by the godly Princes in the time of the newe Testament I. Bridges fol. 25. ¶ Looke Philosophy Walke not after the ordinaunces of your fathers ¶ Looke the exposition of this place in Father ¶ Read 1. Pet. 1. 18. TRANSMVTATION When this word was first inuented LOng after Boniface the third when Idolatry had gotten the vpper hand then did Petrus Lombardus a master of sophisticall sentences bring vp these termes of Transmutation and Transaccidentation about the yere of our Lord. 1646. out of certain blinde trades of the Doctors afore his time Then Pope Innocent the third gaue it this new name called it Accidens sine subiecta Of the which Sophisme Doctor Dunce Doctor Dorbel and Doctor Thomas de Aquino doe dispute very subtilly A. G. TRANSVESTANTIATION What the word signifieth THe word signifieth a passing or turning of one substance into another which is thought of some not tollerable to saye that the substance of
is to heare the Gospell to beléeue it with heart to confesse God with mouth which worship Paul laieth it as the foundation of all righteousnes saluation saieng Nigh is the word vnto thée euen in thy mouth heart and this is the word of faith which we preach For faith in our hearts iustifieth and the confession with our mouth bringeth saluation c. Melancthon vpon Dan. How God onely is to be worshipped Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serue saith our Sauiour Iesus Christ Whervpon it may be argued thus Whosoeuer is neither our Lord nor our God to him ought we in no wise to giue godly honor nor yet to worship him but neither the Angells nor the dead Saints are our Lords and Gods but are ministers of our Lord God vnder him our fellow seruaunts To them therefore ought we in no wise to giue godly honour nor yet to worship them neither do we honour and worship Christ because he is holy righteous or because that he is beloued of God but because he is true and naturall God of one substaunce with the Father and the Holy ghost Veron Of the worshipping of Saints ¶ Looke Saints VVRATH What wrath is in God BY wrath is vnderstood not a disturbaunce or perturbation of mind for these things can haue no place in God but as Augustine hath well interpreted in his Booke of the Trinitie Wrath in God signifieth a iust vengeaunce And God is saide to be angry when he sheweth forth the effects of an angry man which are to punish and auenge So he is said to repent himself that he had made man because lyke a man that repenteth himselfe he would ouerthrow his worke Pet. Mar. vpon the Rom. fol. 107. ¶ Looke Anger VVRITTEN So much is written as is necessary for our saluation I Suppose the world could not containe the bookes yâ— should be written ¶ This is a figuratiue speach which doth signifie yâ— there was many things mo to write but there remaineth so much written as is necessary sufficieÌ„t for our saluatioÌ„ Ti. ¶ But God would not charge vs with so great an heape séeing therefore that we haue so much as is necessary we ought to content our selues and praise his mercie Geneua ¶ These things are written which being well weyed are plentifull inough to instruct vs in all godlinesse I wold to God they were so exactly discussed to imbrace godlinesse as they are narrowly sifted and stretched to maintaine contention and brawle Marl. vpon Ioh. fo 613. ¶ S. Austen plainly declareth and saith True it is that the Lord hath done many things the which be not all written but they haue written those things which ought to be written and which is sufficient for all beléeuers Aug. vpon the 11. of Iohn tract 49. I am not ignoraunt saith Bullinger but that I knowe that the Lord Iesus both did and spake many things which wer not written by the Apostles but it followeth not therefore that the doctrine of the word of God taught by the Apostles is not absolutely perfect For Iohn the Apostle and Euangelist doth fréely confesse that the Lord did many other things also which wer not written in his booke but immediately he addeth this saith But these are written that ye might beléeue the Iesus is Christ the sonne of God that in beléeuing ye might haue life through his name He affirmeth by this doctrine which he contained in writing that faith is fully taught and that through faith there is graunted by God euerlasting life Bullinger fo 17. What it is to be written in the earâ—h Domine omnes qui te derelinquunt confundentur recedentes a te in terra scribentur quoniam derelinquerunt venam aquarum viâ—entium Domini Lord all they that forsake thée shall come to shame all they that run from the trust in thy gouernaunce and diuine prouidence hoping and trusting in the pollicies of Princes and might of men they shall be written in the earth that is their name shall be spoken off héere in the earth amongst men they shall haue cappe and knée and manye gaye good morrowes in this lyfe In terra scribentur but in Heauen and in the booke of lyfe they shall not come Why so For they haue forsaken the vaine of liuing waters I meane the Lord and his word Ric. Turnar Whose names are written in the booke of life and whose in earth Whose names are not written in the Lambes booke of life ¶ The names of the Apostles and all beléeuers are written in heauen and the names of the wicked are written in the earth according to this saieng They that depart from thée shall bée written in the earth Iere. 17. 13. that is to say they shal be forgotten before God and before the Congregation of the righteous which thing is expressed vnder another borrowed speach The vngodly are not so but they be as chaffe which the winde tosseth about Psal. 1. 4. Marl. fol. 191. ¶ They onely shall possesse that which are written in the Lambes booke of life yâ— were predestinate therevnto in Christ before the worlds constitution to be holy and vnspotted in his sight These are they whom he hath in a perpetuall remembraunce whom he hath ordâ—ined of goodnesse chosen of mercie called by the Gospell iustified through faith and glorified in the perfourmaunce of his commaundements that they shoulde bée lyke fashioned to the shape of his sonne Though these of frailenesse offend many times as the flesh can doe none other yet denie they not the veritie they abhorre not the scriptures But after they haue fallen they repent from the heart they séeke yâ— remedies they hate their owne déedes they call vnto Christ they lament their chance they hunger and thirst continually for the righteousnesse of God and such other lyke Bale Yeare How the yeare is now as it was in the olde time THat which Macrobius doth only attribute vnto the Aegyptians shuld haue ben more better attributed to the Hebrues among whom there was alwaies a certaine course of yâ— yere which by the circuit of the Sunne was obserued The yeare was then of twelue months as it is now The month contained that time as it doth now the whole course of the Moone the day lyke of 24. houres Whereby worthely is refused the errour of them which would the yeares of that age to be ten times shorter then they be now which the holy scripture testifieth to be false The floud began in the 600. yeare of the life of Noe in the 17. daye of the second month ceased the 30. day of the same month in the yere following in which place the 11. months is read whereby it appeareth that there were no fewer months in a yere then there be now and as they lyned then much longer then we doe now so is it plain that they had farre greater bodies then we haue now Lanquet How the yeare was
Euangelist vseth is Anthropos And as Plato techeth it is made oâ— vp looking for yâ— 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 Bâ—â—â—abas when at Lustra iâ—â—â—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 yâ— you be See then the measure yâ— the Euangelist kepeth wheÌ„ he saith yâ— 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 yâ— no man should think of Iohn more then he wasâ— For our nature and custome is either to aduance man too high or to abase or depresse theÌ„ too low The Iews extolled Iohn Baptist too high for some thought yâ— 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 yâ— substance of the Lords bodie but of the qualities as the words following declare Hoios Of what qualitie yâ— earthly of yâ— 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 yâ— 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 yâ— 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 yâ— 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 yâ— 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 coÌ„ming 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 â—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 coÌ„mon 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 yâ— 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 bornâ— in Persia was the beginner of them This same spread his venim abrode largely First by yâ— Arabians afterward in Affrica which went to spéedely on yâ— it could not be swaged the space of two hundred yeares afterward The chiefe of their doctrine was yâ— 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 yâ— Christ was no true God neither receiued they the bookes of the Apostles but fained their seueral doctrines yâ— which they called Christs gospel also They bosted also of seueral illuminatioÌ„s 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
Ghost They taught also to reiect ciuill power For Matrimonye and gouernaunce of Common wealth they sayde to haue their ofspring from the euill God and not to be ordeined of the good God Carion Wherein the Papists agree with the Maniches They called their vnmarried Ministers as S. Austen Epist. 72. faith Electos they ministred the holy mysteries vnder one kind They yelded more credit to their own deuises thē to Gods holy word They say the scriptures are falsified ful of errors They abstaine from flesh yet in their fast they had and vsed all manner delicates and straunge fruits with sundry sorts of spices in great abundaunce They abstained from wine and yet vsed other lyquors more daintie precious then any wine and thereof dranke while their bellies would hold Manes the Hereticke whereof the Maniches haue their appellation had his originall in Persia as Epiph. haeres 66. writeth about the. 4. yeare of Aurelianus He called himselfe Christ and the comforter He chose vnto himselfe xij Apostles He said that Christ was not truly borne but phantastically Euseb. li. 7. cap. 30. Socrates li. l. cap. 17. saith of him that at the first he was called Cubricus Afterward chaunging his name he went into Persia found the bookes of Buddas and published them in his owne name He taught that there were many Gods that the Sunne was to be worshipped that there was fatall destenie that the soules went from one body into another The king of Persia sonne fell sicke Manes through Sorcerie tooke vpon him to cure him and killed him The King caused him to be clapt in prison but he brake prison and fled into Mesopotamia there was he taken and flayed aliue his skinne filled with chaffe hanged at the gates of the Citie The Maniches confuted He walked on the water to goe to Iesus ¶ This place confuteth the Maniches and such like Heretikes which denied the truth of the humaine nature of Christ saieng that his bodye was not a true body but a phantasticall bodie Thus they reasoned to vphold their errours It pertaineth not to a true bodie to walke on the Sea but Christ walked vpon the Sea therfore he had no true nor reall bodie but a phantasticall bodie These men consider nothing more to be in Christ then in a bare man as though it were impossible for God to helpe an humaine bodie from sinking in the Sea But what saye they vnto this y◠Peter at the commaundement of Christ walked vpon the Sea Why do they not consider that he which caused Peter to walke vpon the Sea with an humaine body can much more easely himselfe doe the like They should weigh the power of Christ if not in his owne déede yet at the least by the deede of Peter Marlorate 324. MANY ¶ Looke Call Loue. MANNA What Manna signifieth THen eate they Angells foode ¶ Manna is called the foode of Angells not that the Angells vse such foode but because it came downe from heauen which is the dwelling place of Angels and therefore doe some read héere the bread of the cloudes because it came from the cloudes Some the bread of the mightie because it came from the Almightie Exo. 16. 14. Sap. 16. 20. lohn 6. 31. T. M. How Manna is not the true bread that came from heauen Moses gaue you not that bread from heauen c. ¶ He denieth that Manna was that true heauenly bread saith that he himselfe is that true bread because he féedeth vnto the true and euerlasting life And as for that that Paule 1. Cor. 10. calleth Manna spirituall foode it maketh nothing against this place for he ioyneth the thing signified with the signes but in this whole disputation Christ dealeth with the Iewes after their owne opinion and conceipt of the matter and they haue no further consideration of the Manna but that it fed the belly Beza ¶ Manna is called the bread of heauen and of Angells because it rained from heauen by the ministerie of Angells Ther be some that do interpret this to be the bread of Princes or of great men because of the Hebrue word which in another place signifieth Princes or Noble men Marl. vpon Iohn fol. 206. Of those that eate Manna and are dead Your Fathers did eate Manna in the Wildernesse and are dead ¶ This verse is two waies expounded Some vnderstand it generally of all those fathers of the Iewes which did eate Manna in Moses time in the Desart as well godly as vngodly insomuch that the Lord speaketh héere in this place not of the death of the soule but of the body But other some expoūd it of the wicked onely which did eate Manna without faith of the truth in the which is life and therefore are also dead that is to say they perished euerlastingly but it séemeth not necessary that we heere distinguish betwéene the beléeuing the vnbeléeuing Iewes Onely Christ saith y◠Manna was a corruptible meate to the Fathers being foode not of the soule but of the body not sempiternall but temporall which could not saue them from death It followeth therefore that mens soule finde foode no where but in him whereby they may be fed into euerlasting life for we must remember what was spoken in another place that there is no mention made heere of Manna as Christ was a secret figure for in that respect Paule calleth him spirituall meate but héere Christ frameth his speach to his hearers who beeing onely carefull for the feeding of their bellyes had no farther consideration of any thing in Manna He doeth therefore iustly pronounce that their fathers are dead that is to say which were in like manner addict to their bellyes Marl. vpon Iohn fol. 221. What Manna and the white stone signifieth To him that ouercommeth will I giue to eate Manna that is hid and will giue to him a white stone c. ¶ By Manna vnderstande the word of God and true heartie loue by the white stone is signified the election before God and also euerlasting peace and confidence in the grace and fauour of God vnto euerlasting life Sir I. Cheeke How Manna the water brought out of the Rocke is compared to our bread and wine in the Sacrament The Manna which God sent downe from heauen to féede the people of Israel in the wildernesse and the water which he brought out of the stone to refresh and comfort them were euen the same things vnto them that bread wine is now vnto vs. For as S. Austen saith as many as in that Manna vnderstoode Christ did eate the same spirituall meate that we doe But as many as sought onely to fill their bellies of that Manna the fathers of the vnfaithfull did eate are dead And likewise the same drinke for the stone was Christ. Héere may we gather of S. Austen that the Manna was vnto them 〈…〉 the bread is vnto vs. And likewise that the water was to them as the
chastitie Let euery man for auoyding of fornication haue his wife and euery woman haue hir husband ¶ Héere S. Paule commaundeth that where as any daunger of fornication is yâ— euery man in auoiding of vicious lyuing should take a wife héere is no man excepted for the text saith euery man and specially to them that cannot liue sole The occasion that S. Paule had to write this text to the Corinthians there were certaine men among them that reckoned it an holinesse and a perfection as certaine men do now for Priests that Christen men should liue sole without wiues as the text declareth it is good for a man not to touch a woman To this their holy hypocrisie S. Paule doth aunswere in this manner To auoyd fornication saith he let euery man marrie a wife marke how he biddeth them to marrie he biddeth them not to fast nor to labour nor yet to weare haire to chasten their bodyes but alonely to marry As who should saye God had ordained and approued a lawfull and lawdable remedie for euery man that had not the gifte of chastitie D. Barnes Against condemners of marriage The spirit speaketh euidently that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith and shall giue héede vnto spirites of errour and doctrines of diuells which speake false through hypocrisie and haue their conscience burned with an hot yron forbidding to marry c. ¶ S. Paule hauing the spirite of God did prophecie that there should come men in the latter dayes which should forbid mariage and these men shall speake lyes through hyprocrisie Now marke the text Men shall forbid mariage and that in the latter daies The truth is that no man hath forbidden any certaine state of men to marrie but the Pope onely wherefore this text must néedes touch his kingdome seeing that he is also in the latter dayes There were certaine Heretikes called Taciani which did condemne fully and wholy all manner of marriage And though S. Paule speaketh against them yet in very deede the Popes doctrine is not excepted séeing it is contained in these latter dayes For though there were twentie heresies more then â—aciam yet must the text be applied against them all that doth condemne or els dispise marriage in the whole or in part for the text is against them all that doth condemne marriage specially in the latter daies But he that doth forbid his Priests to marry doth forsomuch forbid marriage Ergo the texte is against the Pope Note also that these men which forbid marriage shall haue an holy colour of hypocrisie Now hath the Pope forbidden the Priests to marry vnder the coulour of holynesse because as he saith his Priests must be pure and cleane As who should saye that marriage were vncleane and vnpure for Priests to vse What can be holy hypocrisie if this be not hypocrisie Heere is the holy and pure institution of God condemned as a thing vncleane for his Priests to vse Moreouer the Tacians did not forbid marriage vnder the coulour of holinesse but they said it was fully and wholly an vnlawfull thing the which doctrine had no manner of colour But the Pope saith Mariage is good and laudable in it selfe but his Priests be too pure and too holy for to vse that simple thing for it is not a thing saith he that doeth become the state of perfect men but it belongeth to weake and vnperfect men Now iudge whether the Taciani or the Papiani doth pretend the greatest colour of holinesse Heretikes saith S. Hierome and all such as pretend that they loue chastitie doe very seldome loue it indéede as Manicheus Arrius Marâ—ion Tacianus the renuers of the olde heresie They promise honny with a poysoned mouth but according to the saieng of the Apostle It is a filthy thing to vtter what they doe in secret Eph. 5. 12. ¶ Saint Hierome in this place inueigheth against the old heretiks which wold not marrie themselues nor allow marriage in other but pretended such a hollinesse with a shewe of virginitie and hatred of marriage that with their holy lookes and swéete wordes they deceiued the people Doct. Ponet How marriage is no hinderaunce to godlinesse Notwithstanding marriage haue much trouble in it selfe yet may it be so taken and vsed that it shall be no hinderance to perfect lyfe Againe he sayth excuse not thy selfe by thy marriage thy Lorde was at the marriage feast be honoured marriage with his presence And yet doest thou blame marriage And saist thou that marriage is an hinderance vnto godlines I tell thee marriage is no manner hinderance vnto godlinesse Wilt thou know that it hindereth not to haue wife children Had not Moses wife and children Behold Peter a piller of the Church he had a wife therefore finde no fault with marriage Againe writing vpon the words of the Prophet Esay Vidi dominum c. He sayth who speaketh these words Esaias the beholder of the celestial Seraphins Who not withstanding he had company with his wife yet he quenched not the grace of God Againe Esay had a sonne and a wife that thou maist vnderstand that marriage is not euill but that fornication is ill Againe what did marriage hinder thee No thy wife is giuen thee to be thy helper and not to deceiue thée Iewel fol. 178. and. 179. Proues for the marriage of Priests For this is the will of God euen that ye should be holy and that ye should absteine from fornication that euery one of you should knowe to kéepe his own vessell in holynesse and honour ¶ Héere Saint Paule saith that it is the wil of God that euery man should abhorre fornication who will then resist the wil of God and not regard the thing that God will haue done Furthermore the will of God is sayth S. Paule yâ— euery man should kéepe his vessell in honour Now if Priestes be men haue not the gift of chastitie then are they bound to regard this commaundement for he saith euery man Marke how S. Paule also calleth the vessell of married men honourable sanctified wherefore then shuld it be vnlawfull for a Priest to vse a sanctified and an holy vessell How can man now for anie occasion curse that thing that God hath sanctified or make it vncleane that God hath purified but Saint paule prophesied of such men D. Barnes Haue we not power to lead about a wife béeing a sister as well as other Apostles as the brethren of the Lord and Cephas ¶ This text doth cleerly proue that Peter other Apostles had wiues And wherefore then shoulde it be vnlawfull for Priests to marrie they are no better nor no holyer then the Apostles were But heere will some say that the Apostles hadde wiues before that Christ did choose them but afterwarde they forsooke their wiues and followed Christ which thinge is not true that they forsooke their wiues for that hadde beene plainely against the doctrine of their Maister
CHRIST which taught them not to forsake their wiues but in any wise to kéepe them sauing alonely for fornication And this place of S Paule Haue we not power c. doth proue how S. Peter after his Apostleshippe and also other disciples of Christ caried their wiues about with them when they went a preaching Wherefore it is a false lye to say that they had forsaken their wiues D. Barnes Let Bishops and Priests read this thing he speaketh against mispending of goods that is offered to helpe poore men with the which doth teach their children prophane letters and maketh them to read Comedies and to sing baudy songs of iestes and these children they finde of the charges of the Church ¶ Heere the Bishoppes and Priestes had children which they could not lawfully haue if they were vnmaried D. Bar. The Councell of Nicene willing to reforme the life of men did set certaine lawes At the which certaine men would haue had a lawe to be brought in that the Bishops Priests Deacons and Subdeacons should not lye with their wiues which they had maried before their consecration But Paphuntius a Confessour being vnmaried himselfe did withstand them and saide that their mariage was honourable and it was pure chastitie for them to lye with their wiues so that the Councell was perswaded not to make any such lawe affirming it to be a grieuous occasion both vnto them also vnto their wiues of fornication The Councell did allowe this sentence so that nothing was decreed as concerning this thing but euery man was left vnto his free-will and not bound of any necessitie ¶ Héere is to be noted that this holy Councell did not recken it an vnpure or a filthie thing for a Bishop or a Priest to company with his wife but doe graunt that it is a pure and a cleane chastitie for a Priest to company with his wife D. B. Innocentius the thirde in his Decretalls writeth on this manner These Priests that after the manner of the countrie hath not forsaken the coniunction of mariage if they doe breake wedlocke ought grieuously to be punished seeing that they may vse lawfully Matrimonie ¶ Marke that this was the manner of certaine Countreyes that Priests might marry Ergo it must néedes followe that Priests mariage is not forbidden by Gods Lawe And if it be not forbidden by Gods Lawe is it in the Pope to compell men so violently vnto that thing the which God hath not bound them too D. B. The Maister of the sentence writeth on this manner Our weaknesse is prone to fall into filthinesse But it is helped with honest mariage And that thing that is vnto whole men an offence is vnto sicke men a remedie ¶ Marke how the Maister of the sentence saith that we are ready to fall into filthinesse and how mariage is an honest remedy how can men then after their owne learning condemne mariage as no honest thing séeing their owne Clearkes calleth it honest D. B. We read in our owne Chronicles that in the time of King Henry the third which raigned the yeare of our Lord. 1101. Priests might lawfully marrie wiues insomuch that Anselme then Archbishop of Canterbury in a Seane that he helde at London did make a Decrée that Priests should forsake their wiues the which was both against Gods lawe and mans For the text of our Sauiour Christ is cléere Quos Deus coniunxit homo non seperat It is better saith Epiphanius for him that is fallen in his course meaning them that cannot continue in the thing that they haue vowed to take a wife openly according to the lawe and so to be restored into the Church againe as one that before hath done euill and as one that hath fallen and hath bene broken and hath now néede to be bound and not daily to be inwardly wounded by secret dartes wherewith the Diuell continually doth assault them ¶ Loe héere Epiphanius doth not onely allowe marriage of Priests Uotaries before priesthood and vowing but also after priesthood vowing nameth marriage done in such case lawfull that marriage after their vowe so broken is a meane to restore them againe to the Church if they were fallen from it by breking their vowe So that you sée by Epiphanius iudgment yâ— the marriage of priests euen after their vowe is not onely a marriage but also a lawfull marriage Wherefore they that say the marriage of such meaning of them that marrie after they haue vowed is no marriage but rather adulterie me séemeth they doe not aduisedlye inough consider what they say for they be deceiued by an appearaunce of truth for by the meanes of that foolish opinion whereby they thinke the marriage of such professed women as haue forsaken their vowe is no marriage if they marrye there commeth no small inconuenience which inconuenience is this wiues bée seperated from their husbands as though they were whores and not wiues And when they will restore the diuorsed to sole life their husbandes are compelled to be verye adulterers when their owne wiues beeing alyue they marrye other husbands Saint Paule speaking of marriage and meate saith thus Euery creature of God is good to the faithfull and none is to be refused béeing taken with thankes-giuing for it is sanctified by the word of God and praier ¶ This Maior or ground we haue of Saint Paule wherevnto I adde this Minor or meane proposition But marriage is a creature of God that I am sure you cannot denie vnlesse ye will saye marriage is a creature of the Diuell as the olde Heretikes Saturnius Basilides and their fellowes did whervpon must follow this cenâ—â—sion Ergo mariage is good and not to be refused béeing taken with thankes-giuing for it is sanctified by the worde of God and prayer This sounde Silogismus prooueth plainely that the marriage of a Priest is not onely a marriage but also a good marriage and a good thing for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer Ponet Saint Paule calleth the Bishop Priest and Deacon by the name of husband and their yoake-fellowes by the name of wiues and saith the Bishop must be the husband of one wife and lykewise the Deacon And further hee saith For the auoyding of fornication let euery man haue his wife c. In which generall sentence Priests must be comprehended if they bée men Yea and their marriage not onely a marriage but also an honouradle marriage or els cannot marriage be honourable in all estates as Saint Paule writeth to the Hebrewes Ponet Siritius being an enimie to Priests marriage calleth theyr wiues Suas vxores their owne wiues which thing he would not haue done if he had taken their marriage to be no marriage And furthermore he maketh a distinction betweene yâ— children whom the Priests had A proprijs vxoribus by their own wiues and those children which they had a Turpi coitu by vnlawfull