in your account ✠verse 18 But I haue al things and abound I vvas filled after I receiued of Epaphroditus the things that you sent an odour of svveetenes an ″ acceptable host pleasing God ✠verse 19 And my God supply al your lacke according to his riches in glorie in Christ IESVS ✠verse 20 And to God our father be glorie vvorld vvithout end Amen ✠verse 21 Salute ye euery saincte in Christ IESVS The brethren that are vvith me salute you ✠verse 22 Al the sainctes salute you but especially they are of Caesars house ✠The grace of our Lord IESVS Christ be vvith your spirit Amen ANNOTATIONS CHAP. IIII. 1. My ioy He calleth them his ioy and crovvne for that he expected the crovvne of euerlasting life as a revvard of his labours tovvardes them Vvhereby vve may learne also that besides the essential glorie vvhich shal be in the vision and fruition of God there is other manifold fellcitie incident in respect of creatures â— Sincere companion The English Bibles vvith one consent interprets the Greeke vvordes faithful yokefellovv perhaps to signifie as some vvould haue it that the Apostle here speaketh to his vvife but they must vnderstand that their Maisters Caluin and Beza mislike that exposition and * al the Greeke fathers almost much more reiect it and it is against S. Paules ovvne vvordes speaking to the vnmaried That it is good for them to remaine so euen as him self did 1 Cor. 7 8. Vvhereby it is euident he had no vvife and therfore meaneth here some other his coadiutor and fellovv-labourer in the Gospel 1â— Acceptable Hovv acceptable almes are before God vve see here namely vvhen it is giuen for religion to deuout persons for a recompense of spiritual benefites for so it putteth on the condition of an oblation or sacrifice offered to God and is most acceptable and svvete in his sight THE ARGVMENT OF THE EPISTLE OF S. PAVL TO THE COLOSSIANS THE Epistle to the Colossians is not only in sense but almost in vvordes also all one vvith the Epistle to the Ephesians and vvas sent also by the same messenger Tychicus c. 4 â— 7. And in it he maketh like mention of his bandes and sufferings c. 1. v. 24. and c. 4. v. 3 18. And therfore no doubt is vvas vvritten at Rome at the same time to vvitte in his last apprehension yet before he knevv of his martyrdom This difference there is that he had himself preached to the Ephesians but vvith the Colossians he had neuer bene as he signifieth c. 2. v. 1. Therefore although in matters of exhortation he be here briefer then to the Ephesians yet in matters of doctrine be is longer And generally he assureth them that to be the truth vvhich their Apostle Epaphras had taught them but namely he giueth them vvarning both of the Iudaical False-apostles vvho sought to corrupt them vvith some ceremonies of Moyses lavv and also of the Platonike Philosophers vvho reiected Christ vvho is in deede the head of the Church and Mediator to bring vs to God and in steed of him brought in certaine Angels as more excelleÌ„t then be vvhom they termed Minores dij teaching the people to sacrifice vnto them calling that humilitie that they might bring them to the great God Vvith vvhich falsehood the heresie of Simon Mague a long time deceiued many as vve reade in Epiph. har 21. Against such therefore S. Paul telleth the Colossians that Christ is the Creator of all the Angels God in person the head of the Church the principall in all respects that he is the Redeemer Mediator and pacifier betvvene God and men and therefore by him vve must goe to God so that vvhether vve pray our selues or desire any other in earth or in heauen to pray for vs al must be done as the Cath. Church in euery Collect doth Per Christum dominum nostrum that is through Christ our Lord. or per Do. nostrum Iesum Christum filium tuum qui tecum viuit regnat c. Vvhereby the Church professeth coÌ„tinually against such seductions both the Mediator ship and the Godhead of Christ THE EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE COLOSSIANS CHAP. I. Saying that he thanketh God for their excellent faith and charitie and continually praieth for their encrease he doeth vvithal giue vvitnes to the preaching of their Apostle Epaphrâ—s and extelleth the grace of God in bringing them to Christ vvho is cheefe aboue al and peacemaker by his bloud This is the Gospel not of Epaphras alone but of the vniuersal Church and of Paul him self vvho also suffereth for it verse 1 PAVL an Apostle of IESVS Christ by the vvil of God and brother Timothee ✠verse 2 to them that are at Colossa sainctes and faithful brethren in Christ IESVS ✠verse 3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and our Lord IESVS Christ Vve giue thankes to God and the Father of our Lord IESVS Christ alvvaies for you praying ✠verse 4 hearing your faith in Christ IESVS and the loue vvhich you haue tovvard al the saincts ✠verse 5 for the hope that is laid vp for you in heauen vvhich you haue heard in the vvord of the truth of the Gospel ✠verse 6 that is come to you as also in the vvhole vvorld it is and fructifieth and grovveth euen as in you since that day that you heard knevv the grace of God in truth ✠verse 7 as you learned of Epaphras our deerest fellovv-seruant vvho is a faithful minister of IESVS Christ for you ✠verse 8 vvho also hath manifested to vs your loue in spirit ✠verse 9 Therefore vve also from the day that vve heard it cease not praying for you and desiring that you may be filled vvith the knovvledge of his vvil in al vvisedom and spiritual vnderstanding ✠verse 10 that you may vvalke vvorthie of God in al things pleasing Fructifying in al good vvorke increasing in the knovvledge of God ✠verse 11 in al povver strengthened according to the might of his glorie in al patience and longanimitie vvith ioy ✠verse 12 giuing thankes to God and the Father vvho hath made vs vvorthy vnto the part of the lot of the sainctes in the light ✠verse 13 vvho hath deliuered vs from the povver of darkenes and hath translated vs into the kingdom of the sonne of his loue ✠verse 14 in vvhom vve haue redemption the remission of sinnes ⊢ ✠verse 15 vvho is thâ— * image of the inuisible God the first-borne of al creature ✠verse 16 because * in him vvere created al things in heauen and in earth visible and inuisible vvhether Thrones or Dominations or Principalities or Potestates ✠al by him in him vvere created ✠verse 17 and he is before al and al consist in him ✠verse 18 And he is the head of the body the CHVRCH vvho is the beginning first-borne of
my beloued sonne in vvhom I am vvel pleased ANNOTATIONS CHAP. III. 1. Desert Of this word desert in Greeke eremus commeth the name Eremitages and Eremites that liue a religious and austere life in deserts and solitatie places by the example of S. Iohn Baptist whom the holy Doctors therfore call the Prince and as it were the author of such profession S. Chrys ho. 1 in Marcum ho. de Io. Baptista Hiero. ad Eustoch de eâ—stod virg Isid li. 1. c. 15 de diu off Bernardus de excel Io. Baptista Wherewith the Protestants are so offended that * they say S. Chrysostom spake rashly and vntruely And no maruel for whereas the Euangelist himself in this place maketh him a perfect paterne of penance and Eremitical life for desert or wildernes for his rough and rude apparel for abstayning from al delicate meates according to our Sauiours testimonie also of him Mt. 11 8 Luc. 7 33 they are not ashamed to peruert all with this strange commentarie that it was a desert * full of townes and villages his garment was * chamlet his meate * such as the countrey gaue and the people there vsed to make him thereby but a common man like to the rest in his maner of life cleane against Scriptures fathers 〈◊〉 reason 2. Doe penance So is the Latin word for word so readeth al antiquitie namely S. Cyprian ep 52 often and S. Augustine li. 13 Confes c. 12. and it is a very vsual speache in the New Testament specially in the preaching of S. Iohn Baptist * Christ him self and * the Apostles to signifie perfect repentance which hath not onely confession and amendment but contrition or sorow for the offense and paineful satisfaction such as S. Cyprian speaketh of in al the foresaid epistle But the Aduersaries of purpose as * namely Beza protesteth mislike that interpretation because it fauoureth Satisfaction for sinne which they cannot abide Where if they pretend the ⸬ Greeke word we send them to these places Mat. 11 21. Lu. 10 13. 1 Cor. 7 9. where it must needes signifie sorowful payneful and satisfactorie repentance we tel them also that * S. Basil a Greeke Doctor calleth the Niniuites repentance with fasting and hearecloth and ashes by the same Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And more we wil tell them in other places 8. Confessing their sinnes Iohn did prepare the way to Christ and his Sacraments not only by his baptisme but by inducing the people to confession of their sinnes Which is not to acknowledge them selues in general to be sinners but also to vtter euery man his sinnes 9. Fruite worthie He preacheth satisfaction by doing worthy fruites or workes of penance which are as S. Hierom saith in 2. Ioel fasting praying almes and the like 10. The axe Here preachers are taught to dehort from doing euil for feare of Hel and to exhort to doe good in hope of heauen which kind of preaching our Aduer doe condemne 11. In water Iohns baptisme did not remitte sinnes nor was comparable to Christs Baptisme as here it is playne and in manie other places Hiero. adu Lucifer Aug. de Bapt. cont Donat. li. 5. c. 9. 10. 11. Yet is it an article of our Adu that th one is no better then the other which they say not to extol Iohns but to derogate from Christes baptisme so far that they make it of no more valure or efficacie for remission of sinnes and grace and iustification then was Iohns thereby to mainteine their manifold heresies that Baptisme taketh not away sinnes that a man is no cleaner nor iuster by the Sacrament of Baptisme then before that it is not necessarie for children vnto saluation but it is ynough to be borne of Christian parents and such like erroneous positions wel knowen among the Caluinists 12. Floore This floore is his Church militant here in earth wherein are both good and bad here signified by corne and chaffe til the separation be made in the day of iudgement contrarie to the doctrine of the Heretikes that hold the Church to consist onely of the good 16. Opened To signifie that heauen was shut in the old law til Christ by his Passion opened it and so by his Ascension was the first that entered into it contrarie to the doctrine of the Heretikes See Hebr. 9 â— and 11 40. CHAP. IIII. Christ going into the desert â—o prepare him self before his Manifestation ouercometh the Deuils tentations 12 Beginning in Galilee as the Prophet said he should 18 he calleth foure Disciples and with his preaching and miracles draweth vnto him innumerable folowers verse 1 THEN * IESVS was ledde of the Spirit into the ″ desert to be tempted of the Deuil ✠verse 2 And vvhen he had ″ fasted fourtie daies and fourtie nightes aftervvard he vvas hungrie ✠verse 3 And the tempter approched sayd to him If thou be the sonne of God commaund that these stones be made bread ✠verse 4 Who ansvvered said It is vvritten Nor in bread alone doth man liue but in euery word that procedeth from the mouth of God ✠verse 5 Then the Deuil tooke him vp into the holy citie and set him vpon the pinnacle of the TeÌ„ple ✠verse 6 and sayd to him If thou be the sonne of God cast thy self dovvne for ″ it is vvritten That he wil giue his Angels charge of thee in their hands shal they hold thee vp lest perhaps thou knocke they foote agaynst a stone ✠verse 7 IESVS sayd to him againe It is vvritten Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God ✠verse 8 Againe the Deuil tooke him vp into a very high mountaine and he shevved him al the Kingdoms of the vvorld and the glorie of them ✠verse 9 and sayd to him Al these vvil I giue thee if falling dovvne thou vvilt adore me ✠verse 10 Then IESVS sayth to him Auant Satan for it is vvritten The Lord thy God shalt thou adore ″ him onely shalt thou serue ✠verse 11 Then the Deuil left him and behold Angels came and ministred to him ⊢ ✠verse 12 And * vvhen IESVS had heard that Iohn vvas deliuere vp he retyred into Galilee ✠verse 13 and leauing the citie Nazareth came dvvelt in Capharnaum a sea tovvne in the borders of Zabulon Nephthali ✠verse 14 that it might be fulfilled vvhich vvas sayd by Esay the Prophet ✠verse 15 Land of Zabulon land of Nephthali the way of the sea beyond Iordan of Galilee of the Gentils ✠verse 16 the people that sate in darknesse hath seen great light and to them that sate in a countrey of the shadow of death light is risen to them ✠verse 17 From that time IESVS began to preach and to say ″* Doe penance for the Kingdom of heauen is at hand ✠verse 18 And IESVS * vvalking by the sea
✠verse 3 And behold certaine of Scribes sayd vvithin them selues ″ He blasphemeth ✠verse 4 And IESVS seeing their thoughtes said Wherfore thinke you euil in your hartes ✠verse 5 ″ Whether is easier to say thy sinnes are forgiuen thee or to say Arise and vvalke ✠verse 6 But that you may knovv that the ″ Sonne of man hath povver in earth to forgiue sinnes then sayd he to the sicke of the palsey Arise take vp thy bedde and goe into thy house ✠verse 7 And he arose and vvent into his house ✠verse 8 And the multitudes seeing it vvere afrayd and ″ glorified God that gaue such povver ″ to men ⊢ ✠verse 9 And * vvhen IESVS passed forth from thence he savv a man sitting in the custome-house named Matthevv And he sayth to him Folovv me And he arose vp and folovved him ✠verse 10 And it came to passe as he vvas sitting at meate in the house behold many Publicans and sinners came and sate dovvne vvith IESVS and his Disciples ✠verse 11 And the Pharisees seeing it sayd to his Disciples vvhy doth your Master eate vvith Publicans sinners ✠verse 12 But IESVS hearing it sayd They that are in health neede not a physicion but they that are il at ease ✠verse 13 But go your vvayes and learne vvhat it is I vvil mercie ″ not sacrifice For I am not come to cal the iust but sinners ⊢ ✠verse 14 Then * came to him the Disciples of Iohn saying vvhy do vve and the Pharisees ″ fast often but thy Disciples do not fast ✠verse 15 And IESVS sayd to them Can the children of the bridegrome mourne as long as the bridegrome is vvith them But the dayes vvil come vvhen the bridegrome shal be taken avvay from them and then they shal fast ✠verse 16 And no body putteth a peece of ravv cloth to an old garment For he taketh avvay the peecing therof from the garment and there is made a greater rent ✠verse 17 Neither do they put ″ nevv vvine into old bottels Othervvise the bottels breake and the vvine runneth out and the bottels perish But nevv vvine they put into nevv bottels and both are preserued together ✠verse 18 * As he vvas speaking this vnto them behold a certaine Gouernour approched and adored him saying Lord my daughter is euen novv dead but come lay thy hand vpon her and she shal liue ✠verse 19 And IESVS rysing vp folovved him and his Disciples ✠verse 20 And behold a vvoman vvhich vvas troubled vvith an issue of bloud ″ tvvelue yeres came behind him and touched the hemme of his garment ✠verse 21 For she sayd vvithin her self If I shal ″ touch only his garment I shal be safe ✠verse 22 But IESVS turning and seeing her sayd Haue a good hart daughter thy faith hath made the safe And the vvoman became vvhole from that houre ✠verse 23 And vvhen IESVS vvas come into the house of the Gouernour savv minstrels and the multitude keeping a sturre ✠verse 24 he sayd Depart for the vvenche is not dead but sleepeth And they laughed him to skorne ✠verse 25 And vvhen the multitude vvas put forth he entred in and held her hand And the mayde arose ✠verse 26 And this bruite vvent forth into al that countrie ✠verse 27 And as IESVS passed forth from thence there folovved him tvvo blinde men crying and saying Haue mercie on vs O sonne of Dauid ✠verse 28 And vvhen he vvas come to the house the blinde came to him And IESVS sayth to them ″ Do you beleeue that I can doe this vnto you They say to him Yea Lord. ✠verse 29 Then he touched their eyes saying According to your faith be it done to you ✠verse 30 And their eyes vvere opened and IESVS threatened them saying See that no man knovv it ✠verse 31 But they vvent forth bruited him in al that countrey ✠verse 32 And vvhen they vvere gone forth behold they brought him a dumme man possessed vvith a diuel ✠verse 33 And after the diuel vvas cast out the dumme man spake and the multitudes marueled sying Neuer vvas the like seene in Israel ✠verse 34 But * the Pharisees sayd In the prince of diuels he casteth out diuels ✠verse 35 And IESVS vvent about al the cities and tovvnes teaching in their synagogs and preaching the Gospel of the kingdom and curing euery disease and euery infirmitie ✠verse 36 And seing the multitudes he pitied them because they vvere vexed and lay like sheepe that haue not a shepheard ✠verse 37 Then he sayth to his Disciples The haruest surely is great but the vvorkemen are fevv ✠verse 38 ″ Pray therfore the Lord of the haruest that he send forth vvorkemen into his haruest ANNOTATIONS CHAP. IX 3. He blasphemeth When the Iewes heard Christ remitte sinnes they charged him with blasphemie as Heretikes now charge his priests of the new Testament for that they remitte sinnes to whom he sayd Whose sinnes you shal forgeue they are forgeuen c. Io. 20. 5. Whether is easier The faithlesse Iewes thought as Heretikes now a daies that to forgeue sinnes was so proper to God that it could not he communicated vnto man but Christ sheweth that as to worke miracles is otherwise proper to God only and yet this power is communicated to men so also to forgeue sinnes 6. The sonne of man in earth Christ had power to remit sinnes and often executed the same not only as he was God but also as he was a man because he was head of the Churche and our cheefe Bishop and Priest according to his manhod in respect wherof al power was geuen him in heauen and earth Mat. 28 v. 18. 8. Glorified The faythful people did glorifie God that gaue such power to men for to remit sinnes and to doe miracles knowing that that which God committeth to men is not to his derogation but to his glorie him self only being stil the principal worker of that effect men being only his ministers substitutes and working vnder him and by his commission and authoritie ◠To men Not only Christ as he was man had this power to forgeue sinnes but by him and from him the Apostles and consequently Priests Mat. 28. Al power is geuen me Mat. 18. Whatsoeuer you shal loose in earth shal be loosed in heauen Ioan. 20. Whose sinnes you shal forgeue they are forgeuen 13. Not sacrifice These are the wordes of the Prophete who spake them euen then when sacrifices where offered by Gods commaundement so that it maketh not agaynst sacrifice but he saith that sacrifice only without mercie and charitie and generally with mortal sinne is not acceptable The Iewes offered their sacrifices dewely but in the meane time they had no pitie nor mercie on their brethren that is it which God misliketh 14. Fast often
things ✠verse 57 And they vvere scandalized in him But IESVS said to them There is not a Prophet vvithout honour but in his ovvne countrie and in his ovvne house ✠verse 58 And he vvrought not many miracles there because of their incredulity ANNOTATIONS CHAP. XIII 8. One an hundred This difference of fruites is the difference of merites in this life and rewardes for them in the next life according to the diuersities of states or other differences of states as that the hundred fold agreeth to virgins professed threescore fold to religious widowes thirtiefold to the maried Aug. li. de S. Virginit c. 44. seq Which truth the old Heretike Iouinian denied as ours doe at this day affirming that there is no difference of merites or rewardes Hiero. li. 2 adu Iouia Ambros ep 82. Aug. her 82. 11. To you is giuen To the Apostles and such as haue the guilding and teaching of others deeper knowledge of Gods word and mysteries is giuen then to the common people As also to Christians generally that which was not giuen to the obstinate Iewes 15. They haue shut In saying that they shut their owne eies which S. Paul also repeateth Act. 28 he teacheth vs the true vnderstanding of al other places where it might seeme by the bare wordes that God is the very author and worker of this induration and blindnes and of other sinnes * which was an old condemned blasphemie and is now the Heresie of * Caluin whereas our Sauiour here teacheth vs that they shut their owne eies and are the cause of their owne sinne and damnation God not doing but permitting it and suffering them to fall further because of their former sinnes as S. Paul declareth of the reprobate Gentiles Ro. 1. 25. Ouersowed First by Christ and his Apostles was planted the truth and falshod came afterward and was ouersowen by the enemy the Diuel and not by Christ who is not the author of euil Tertul de praescript 29. Left you plucks vp also The good must tolerate the euil when it is so strong that it can not be redressed without danger and disturbance of the whole Church and committe the matter to Gods iudgement in the later day Otherwise where il men be they Heretikes or other malefactors may be punished or suppressed without disturbance and hazard of the good they may and ought by publike authority either Spiritual or temporal to be chastised or executed 30 Suffer both to grow The good and bad wee see here are mingled together in the Churche Which maketh against certaine Heretikes and Schismatikes which seuered them selues of old from the rest of the whole world vnder pretence that them selues only were pure and al others both Priests and people sinners and against some Heretikes of this time also which say that euil men are not of or in the Churche 32. The least of al seedes The Church of Christ had a smal beginning but afterward became the most glorious and knowen common-welth in earth the greatest powers and the most wise of the world putting them selues into the same 35. Carpenters sonne Herevpon Iulian the Apostata and his flatterer Libanius tooke their scoffe against our Sauiour saying at his going against the Persians to the Christians what doeth the Carpenters sonne now and threatening that after his returne the Carpenters sonne should not be able to saue them from his furie Wherevnto a godly man answered by the Spirit of Prophecie He whom Iulian calleth the Carpenters sonne is making a woodden coffin for him against his death And in deede not long after there came newes that in that bataile he dyed miserably Sozo li. 6 c. 2. Theodo li. 36. 28. The very like scoffe vse Heretikes that call the body of Christ in the B. Sacrament bakers bread It seemeth in deede to the senses to be so as Christ seemed to be Iosephs natural sonne but faith telleth vs the contrarie as wel in the one as in the other CHAP. XIIII Hearing the vnvvorthy decollation of Iohn Baptist by Herode is he betaketh him to his vsual solitarines in the desert and there feedeth 5000 vvith fiue loaues 23. And then after the night spent in the mountaine in prayer he vvalketh vpon the sea signifying the vvide vvorld 28 yea and Peter also vvherevpon they adore him as the sonne of God 35 And vvith the very touche of his garments hemme he healeth innumerable verse 1 AT that time * Herod the Tetrach heard the fame of IESVS ✠verse 2 and said to his seruants This is Iohn the Baptist he is risen from the dead and therefore vertues vvorke in him ✠verse 3 For Herod apprehended Iohn and bound him and put him into prison because of Herodias his brothers ' vvife ✠verse 4 For Iohn said vnto him It is not lavvful for thee to haue her ✠verse 5 And vvilling to put him to death he feared the people because they esteemed him as a Prophet ✠verse 6 But on Herods birth-day the daughter of Herodias daunced before them and pleased Herod ✠verse 7 Wherevpon he promised with an othe to giue her vvharsoeuer she vvould aske of him ✠verse 8 But she being instructed before of her mother saith Giue me here in a dish the head of Iohn the Baptist ✠verse 9 And the king vvas stroken sad yet because of his othe and for them that sate vvith him at table he commaunded it to be giuen ✠verse 10 And he sent and beheaded Iohn in the prison ✠verse 11 And his head vvas brought in a dish and it vvas giuen to the damsel and she brought it to her mother ✠verse 12 And his Disciples came and tooke the body and ″ buried it and came and told IESVS ✠verse 13 Which vvhen IESVS had heard * he ″ retired from thence by boate into a desert place apart and the multitudes hauing heard of it folovved him on foote out of the cities ✠verse 14 And he coming forth savv a great multitude and pitied them and cured their diseased ✠verse 15 And vvhen it vvas euening his Disciples came vnto him saying It is a desert place and the houre is novv past dimisse the multitudes that going into the tovvnes they may bye them selues victuals ✠verse 16 But IESVS said to them They haue no neede to goe giue ye them to eate ✠verse 17 They ansvvered him We haue not here but fiue loaues and tvvo fishes ✠verse 18 Who said to them Bring them hither to me ✠verse 19 And vvhen he had commaunded the multitude to sitte dovvne vpon the grasse he tooke the fiue loaues and the tvvo fishes and looking vp vnto heauen he blessed and brake and gaue the loaues to his Disciples and ″ the Disciples to the multitudes ✠verse 20 And they did al eate and had their fil And they tooke the leauings twelue ful baskettes of the fragments ✠verse 21 And the number of
but by Christes warrant and authoritie and by such as he hath placed to rule his Church of whom he saith He that heareth you heareth me he that despiseth you despiseth me They are made by the Holy Ghost ioyning with our Pastors in the regiment of the faithful they are made by our Mother the Church which whosoeuer obieth not we are warned to take him as an Heathen But on the other side al lawes doctrines seruice and iniunctions of Heretikes how soeuer pretended to be consonant to the Scriptures be commaundements of men because both the things by them prescribed are impious and the Authors haue neither sending nor commission from God 11. Not that which entereth The Catholikes doe not abstaine from certaine meates for that they esteeme any meate vncleane either by creation or by Iudaical obseruation but they abstaine for chastisment of their concupiscences Aug. li. de mor. Ec. Cath. c. 33. 18. Defile a man It is sinne only which properly defileth man and meates of them selfe or of their owne nature doe not defile but so farre as by accident they make a man to sinne as the disobedience of Gods commaundement or of our Superiours who forbid some meates for certaine times and causes is a sinne As the apple which our first parents did eate of though of it self it did not defile them yet being eaten against the precept it did defile So neither flesh nor fish of it self doth defile but the breach of the Churches precept defileth CHAP. XVI The obstinate Pharisees and Sadducees as though his foresaid miracles were not sufficient to proue him to be Christ require to see some one from heauen 5 Wherevpon forsaking them he warneth his disciples to beware of the leauen of their doctrine 〈◊〉 and Peter the time now approching for him to goe into lewrie to his Passion for confessing him to be Christ he maketh the Rocke of his Churche geuing fulnes of Ecclesiastical power accordingly 21 And after he so rebuketh him fordissuading his Crosse and Passion that he also affirmeth the like suffering in euery one to be necessarie to sâ—luation verse 1 AND there came to him the Pharisees and Sadducees tempting and they demaunded him to shevv them a signe from heauen ✠verse 2 But he ansvvered said to them when it is euening you say It vvil be faire-vvether for the elemeÌ„t is redde ✠verse 3 And in the morning This day there vvil be a teÌ„pest for the element doth glovve and lovvre The face therfore of the element you haue skil to discerne and the signes of times can you not ✠verse 4 The * naughtie and aduouterous generation seeketh for a signe and there shal not a signe be giuen it but the signe of Ionas the Prophet And he left them and vvent avvay ✠verse 5 And * vvhen his disciples vvere come ouer the vvater they forgot to take bread ✠verse 6 Who said to them Looke vvel and bevvare of the leauen of the Pharisees Sadduces ✠verse 7 But they thought vvithin them selues saying Because vve tooke not bread ✠verse 8 And IESVS knovving it said why do you thinke vvithin your selues O ye of litle faith for that you haue not bread ✠verse 9 Do you not yet vnderstand neither do you remember * the fiue loaues among fiue thousand men and how many baskets you tooke vp ✠verse 10 neither the * seuen loaues among foure thousand men and hovv many maundes you tooke vp ✠verse 11 Why do you not vnderstand that I said not of bread to you Bevvare of the leauen of the Pharisees Sadducees ✠verse 12 Then they vnderstoode that he said not they should bevvare of the leauen of bread but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees ✠verse 13 And * IESVS came into the quarters of Caesarea Philippi and he asked his disciples saying ″ whom say men that the Sonne of man is ✠verse 14 But ″ they said Some Iohn the Baptist othersome Elias and others Hieremie or one of the Prophets ✠verse 15 IESVS saith to them But vvhom do you say that I am ✠verse 16 Simon Peter ansvvered said Thou art Christ the sonne of the liuing God ✠verse 17 And IESVS ansvvering said to him ″ Blessed art thou Simon bar-Iona because flesh bloud hath not reuealed it to thee but my father vvhich is in heauen ✠verse 18 And ″ I say to thee That ″ thou art * Peter and ″ vpon this ″ Rocke vvil I ″ build my Church and the ″ gates of hel shal not preuaile against it ✠verse 19 And I * vvil giue ″ to thee the ″ keies of the kingdom of heauen And ″ vvhatsoeuer thou shalt binde vpon earth it shal be bound also in the heauens and vvhatsoeuer thou shalt loose in earth it shall be loosed also in the heauens ⊢ ✠verse 20 Then he commaunded his disciples that they should tel no body that he vvas IESVS CHRIST ✠verse 21 From that time IESVS began to shevv his disciples that he must goe to Hierusalem suffer many things of the Ancients Scribes cheefe-Priestes and be killed and the third day rise againe ✠verse 22 And Peter taking him vnto him began to rebuke him saying Lord be it farre from thee this shal not be vnto thee ✠verse 23 Who turning said to Peter Goe after me Satan thou art a scandal vnto me because thou sauourest not the things that are of God but the things that are of men ✠verse 24 Then IESVS said to his disciples If any man wil come after me let him denie him self and take vp his crosse and follow me ✠verse 25 For he that will saue his life shal lose it and he that shal lose his life for me shal finde it ✠verse 26 For what doth it profite a man if he gaine the vvhole vvorld and sustaine the damage of his soule Or vvhat permutation shal a man giue for his soule ✠verse 27 For the Sonne of man shal come in the glorie of his father vvith his Angels and then vvil he render to euery man according to his ″ vvorkes ⊢ ✠verse 28 Amen I say to you * there be some of them that stand here that shal not taste death til they see the Sonne of man comming in his kingdom ANNOTATIONS CHAP. XVI 13. Whom say men Christ intending here to take order for the founding regiment and stabilitie of his Church after his deceaâ—e and to name the person to whom he meant to geue the general charge thereof would before by interrogatories draw out and namely out of that one whom he thought to make the cheefe the professioÌ„ of that high and principal Article That he was the sonne of the liuing God Which being the ground of the Churches faith was a necessarie qualitie and condition in him that was to be made Head
of the Apostles confessing the faith and receiuing these things in other mens names Where the holy Doctors meane only that these prerogatiues were not geuen to him for his owne vse but for the good of the whole Church and to be imparted to euery vocation according to the measure of their callings and that these great priuileges geuen to Peter should not decay or die with his person but be perpetual in the Church in his successors Therfore S. Hierom to Damasus taketh this Rocke not to be Peters person only but his successors and his Chaire I saith he folowing no cheefe or principal but Christ ioyne my self to the communion of Peters chaire vpon that rocke I know the Church was built And of that same Apostolike Chaire S. August saith That same is the Rocke which the proud gates of Hel do not ouercome And S. Leo Our Lord would the Sacrament or mysterie of this gift so to pertaine vnto the office of al the Apostles that he placed it principally in blessed S. Peter the cheefe of al the Apostles that from him as from a certaine head he might poure out his giftes as it were through the whole body that he might vnderstand him self to be an aliene from the diuine mysterie that should presume to reuolt from the soliditie or stedfastnes of Peter 1â— Build my Church The Church or house of Christ was only promised here to be builded vpon him which was fulfilled Io. 21 1â— the foundation stone and other pillers or matter being yet in preparing and Christ him self being not only the supereminent foundation but also the founder of the same which is an other more excellent qualitie then was in Peter for which he calleth it my Church meaning specially the Church of the new Testament Which was not perfectly formed and finished and distincted from the Synagogue til whitsunday though Christ gaue Peter and the rest their commissions actually before his Ascension 18. Gates of hel Because the Church is resembled to a house or a citie the aduersarie powers also be likened to a contrarie house or towne the gates wherof that is to say the fortitude or impugnations shal neuer preuaile against the citie of Christ And so by this promis we are assured that no heresies nor other wicked attempts can preuaile against the Church builded vpon Peter which the Fathers call Peters see and the Romane Church Count saith S. Augustine the Priests from the very See of Peter and in that order of fathers consider vvho to vvhom hath succeeded that same is the rocke vvhich the proud gates of Hel do not ouercome And in an other place that is it which hath obtained the toppe of authoritie Heretikes in vaine barking round about it 19. To thee In saying to thee vvil I geue it is plaine that as he gaue the keies to him so he builded the Church vpon him So saith S. Cyprian To Peter first of al vpon vvhom our Lord built the Church and from vvhom he instituted and shevved the beginning of vnitie did he geue this povver that that should be loosed in the heauens vvhich he had loosed in earth Wherby appeareth the vaine cauil of our Aduersaries which say the Church was built vpon Peters Confession only coÌ„mon to him and the rest and not vpon his person more then vpon the rest 19. The keies That is The authoritie or Chaire of doctrine knowledge iudgement and discretion betwene true and false doctrine the height of gouernement the power of making lawes of calling Councels of the principal voice in them of confirming them of making Canons and holesom decrees of abrogating the contrarie of ordaining Bishopes and Pastors or deposing and suspending them finally the povver to dispense the goods of the Church both spiritual and temporal Which signification of preeminent power and authoritie by the vvord keies the Scripture expresseth in many places namely speaking of Christ I haue the keies of death and Hel that is the rule And againe I vvil geue the key of the house of Dauid vpon his shoulder Moreouer it signifieth that men can not come into heauen but by him the keies signifing also authoritie to open and shut as it is said Apoc. 3. of Christ who hath the key of Dauid he shutteth and no man openeth By which wordes we gather that Peters authoritie is maruelous to whom the keies that is the power to open and shut heauen is geuen And therfore by the name of keies is geuen that supereminent power which is called in comparison of the power graunted to other Apostles Bishops aud Pastors plenitude potestatis fulnes of power Bernard lib. 2. de considerat c. 8. 19. Whatsoeuer thou shal bind Al kind of discipline and punishment of offenders either spiritual which directly is here meant or corporal so farre as it tendeth to the execution of the spiritual charge is comprised vnder the word bind Of which sort be Excommunications Anathematismes Suspensions degradations and other censures and penalties or penances enioyned either in the Sacrament of Confession or in the exterior Courtes of the Church for punishment both of other crimes and specially of heresie and rebellion against the Church and the cheeâ—e pastors therof 19. Loose To loose is as the cause and the offenders case requireth to loose them of any the former bandes and to restore them to the Churches Sacraments and Communion of the faithful and execution of their function to pardon also either al or part of the penances enioyned or what debtes so euer man oweth to God or the Church for the satisfaction of his sinnes forgeuen Which kind of releasing or loosing is called Indulgence finally this whatsoeuer excepteth nothing that is punishable or pardonable by Christ in earth for he hath committed his power to Peter And so the validitie of Peters sentence in binding or loosing whatsoeuer shal by Christes promis be ratified in heauen Leo Ser. de Transfig Ser. 2. in anniuers-assumpt ad Pontif. Hilar. can 16. in Matth. Epiph. in Ancherato prepe initium If now any temporal power can shew their warrant out of scripture for such soueraine power as is here geuen to Peter and consequently to his successors by these wordes whatsoeuer thou shal binde and by the very keies wherby greatest soueraintie is signified in Gods Church as in his familie and houshold and therfore principally attributed and geuen to Christ * who in the scripture is said to haue the key of Dauid but here coÌ„municated also vnto Peter as the name of Rocke if I say any temporal potestate can shew authoritie for the like soueraintie let them chalenge hardly to be head not only of one particular but of the whole vniuersal Church 27. Workes He saith not to geue euery man according to his mercie or their faith but according to their workes August de verb. Apost Ser. 35. And againe How should our Sauiour reward euery one according to their workes if
yet here caÌ„not cast theÌ„ out But as for haeretikes they can neuer doe it nor any other true miracle to confirme their false saith 20. Faith as mustard seed This is the Catholike faith by which only al miracles are wrought yet not of euery one that hath the Catholike faith but of such as haue a great and forcible faith and withal the gift of miracles These are able as here wee see by Christes warrant not only to doe other wonderful miracles here signified by this one but also this very same that is to moue mountaines in deede as S. Paul also presupposeth and S. Hierom affirmeth and Ecclesiastical histories namely telleth of Gregorius Neocaesariensnis that he moued a mountaine to make roome for the foundation of a Church called therfore and for other his wonderful miracles Thaumaturgus And yet faithlesse Heretikes laugh at al such things and beleue them not 21. Prayer aud fasting The force of fasting and praying whereby also we may see that the holy Churche in Exorcismes doeth according to the Scriptures When shee vseth beside the name of IESVS many prayers and much fasting to driue out Deuils because these also are here required beside faith 26. The Children fres Though Christ to auoid scandal payed tribute yet in deede he sheweth that both him self ought to be free from such payments as being the kings sonne aswel by his eternal birth of God the Father as temporal of Dauid and also his Apostles as being of his familie and in them their successors the whole Clergie who are called in Scripture the lotte and portion of our Lord. which exemption and priuilege being grounded vpon the very law of nature it self and therfore practised euen among the Heathen Gen. 42 27. good Christian Princes haue confirmed and ratified by their lawes in the honour of Christ whose ministers they are and as it were the kings sonnes as S. Hierom declareth playnly in these wordes We for his honour pay not tributes and as the Kings sonnes are free from such payments Hiero. vpon this place 27. Me and thee A great mysterie in that he payed not only for him self but for Peter bearing the Person of the Churche and in whom as the cheefe the rest were conteyned Aug. q. exno Test q. â—5 to 4. CHAP. XVIII To his Disciples he preacheth against ambition the mother of Schisme 7 foretelling both the author vvhosoeuer he be and also his folovvers of their vvo to come 〈◊〉 and shevving on the contrary side hovv precious Christian soules are to their Angels to the Sonne of man and to his Father 15 charging vs therfore to forgiue our brethren vvhen also vve haue iust cause against them be it neuer so often and to labour their saluation by al meanes possible verse 1 AT that houre the Disciples came to IESVS saying ″ Who thinkest thou is the greater in the kingdom of heauen ✠verse 2 And IESVS calling vnto him a litle childe set him in the middes of them ✠verse 3 and said Amen I say to you vnles you be conuerted and become as litle children you shal not enter into the kingdom of heauen ✠verse 4 Whosoeuer therfore shal humble him self as this litle childe he is the greater in the kingdom of heaueÌ„ ✠verse 5 And he that shal receiue one such litle childe in my name receiueth me ✠verse 6 And * he that shal scandalize one of these litle ones that beleeue in me it is expedient for him that a milstone be hanged about his necke and that he be drovvned in the depth of the sea ✠verse 7 Vvo be to the vvorld for scandals for it is necessary that scandals do come but neuerthelesse vvo to that man by vvhom the scandall commeth ✠verse 8 And * if thy ″ hand or thy foote scandalize thee cut it of and cast it from thee It is good for thee to goe in to life maimed or lame rather then hauing tvvo hands or tvvo feete to be cast into euerlasting fire ✠verse 9 And if thine eye scandalize thee plucke him out and cast him from thee It is good for thee hauing one eye to enter into life rather then hauing tvvo eyes to be cast into the hel of fire ✠verse 10 See that you despise not one of these litle ones for I say to you that ″ their Angels in heauen alvvaies do see the face of my father vvhich is in heauen ✠verse 11 For * the Sonne of man is come to saue that vvhich vvas perished ✠verse 12 * Hovv thinke you If a man haue an hundred sheepe and one of them shal goe astray doth he not leaue ninetie nine in the mountaines and goeth to seeke that which is straied ✠verse 13 And if it chaunce that he finde it amen I say to you that he reioyceth more fore that then for the ninetie nine that vvent not astray ✠verse 14 Euen so it is not the vvil of your father vvhich is in heauen that one perish of these litle ones ✠verse 15 But * if thy brother shal offend against thee goe and rebuke him betvvene thee and him alone If he shal heare thee thou shalt gaine thy brother ✠verse 16 and if he vvil not heare thee ioyne vvith thee besides one or tvvo that in the mouth of * tvvo or three vvitnesses euery vvord may stand ✠verse 17 And if he vvil not heare them tel the Church And if he vvil not heare the Church let him be to thee as ″ the heathen and the Publican ✠verse 18 Amen I say to you whatsoeuer you ″ shal binde vpon earth shal be bound also in heauen and vvhatsoeuer you ″ shal loose vpon earth shal be loosed also in heauen ✠verse 19 Againe I say to you that if tvvo of you shal consent vpon earth concerning euery thing vvhatsoeuer they shal aske it shal be done to them of my father vvhich is in heauen ✠verse 20 For vvhere there be tvvo or three gathered in my name there am I ″ in the mindes of them ✠verse 21 Then came Peter vnto him and said * Lord how often shal my brother offend against me and I forgiue him vntil seuentimes ✠verse 22 IESVS said to him I say not to thee * vntil seuen times but vntil ″ seuentie times seuen times ⊢ ✠verse 23 Therfore is the kingdom of heauen likened to a man being a king that vvould make an account vvith his seruants ✠verse 24 And vvhen he began to make the account there vvas one presented vnto him that ovved him ten thousand talents ✠verse 25 And hauing not vvhence to repay it his lord commaunded that he should be sold and his wife and children and all that he had and it to be repayed ✠verse 26 But that seruant falling dovvne besought him saying Haue patience tovvard me and I vvil repay thee
And al this vvas done that the scriptures of the Prophers might be fulfilled TheÌ„ the disciples al leauing him fled ✠verse 57 But they taking hold of IESVS led him to Caiphas the high Priest vvhere the Scribes and auncients vvere assembled ✠verse 58 And Peter folovved him a farre of euen to the court of the high Priest And going in he sate vvith the seruants that he might see the end ✠verse 59 And the cheefe Priestes and the vvhole Councel sought false vvitnes against IESVS that they might put him to death ✠verse 60 and they found not vvhereas many false vvitnesses had come in And last of al there came tvvo false vvitnesses ✠verse 61 and they said * This man said I am able to destroy the temple of God and after three dayes to reedifie it ✠verse 62 And the high Priest rising vp said to him Ansvverest thou nothing to the things vvhich these do testifie against thee ✠verse 63 But IESVS held his peace And the high Priest said to him I adiure thee by the liuing God that thou tel vs if thou be Christ the sonne of God ✠verse 64 IESVS saith to him Thou hast said neuertheles I say to you hereafter you shal see * the Sonne of man sitting on the right hand of the povver of God and comming in the cloudes of heauen ✠verse 65 Then the high Priest rent his garments saying He hath blasphemed vvhat neede vve vvitnesses any further behold novv you haue heard the blasphemie ✠verse 66 hovv thinke you But they ansvvering said He is guilty of death ✠verse 67 Then did they spit on his face and buffeted him and other smote his face vvith the palmes of their hands ✠verse 68 saying Prophecie vnto vs O Christ vvho is he that strooke thee ✠verse 69 But Peter sate vvithout in the court and there came to him one â— vvenche saying Thou also vvast vvith IESVS the Galilean ✠verse 70 But he denied before them all saying I vvot not vvhat thou sayest ✠verse 71 And as he vvent out of the gate an other vvenche savv him and she saith to them that vvere there And this felovv also vvas vvith IESVS the Nazarite ✠verse 72 And againe he denied vvith an othe That I knovv not the man ✠verse 73 And after a litle they came that stoode by and said to Peter Surely thou also art of them for euen thy speache doth bevvray thee ✠verse 74 Then he began â— to curse and to svveare that he knevve not the man And incontinent the cocke crevve ✠verse 75 And Peter remembred the vvord of IESVS vvhich he had said Before the cocke crovv thou shalt deny me thrise And going forth ″ he vvept bitterly ANNOTATIONS CHAP. XXVI 1. This wast Cost bestowed vpon Christes body then aliue being to the same not necessary seemed to the disciples lost and fruitles so the like bestowed vpon the same body if the Sacrament vpon altars or Churches seemeth to the simple lost or lesse meritorious then if the same were bestowed vpon the poore 10. Good worke Cost bestowed for religion deuotion and signification is a meritorious worke and often more meritorious then to geue to the poore though both be very good and in some case the poore are to be preferred yea * in certaine cases of necessity the Church wil breake the very coÌ„secrated vessels and iewels of siluer and gold and bestow them in workes of mercy But we may remember very wel and our fathers knew it much better that the poore were then best releeued when most was bestowed vpon the Church 11. Haue not We haue him not in visible maner as he conuersed on the earth with his disciples needing releefe like other poore men but we haue him after an other sort in the B. Sacrament and yet haue him truly and really the self same body Therfore he saith they should not haue him because they should not so haue him but after an other maner as when he said Luc. 24 as though he were not then with them when I was with you 20. Twelue It must needes be a great mysterie that he was to worke in the institution of the new Sacrifice by the maruelous transmutatioÌ„ of bread and wine into his body and bloud Whereas he admitted none although many present in the citie but the twelue Apostles vvhich were already taught to beleue it without contradiction Io. 6 and were to haue the administration and consecration thereof by the Order of Priesthod which also was there geuen theÌ„ to that purpose Whereas at the eating of the Paschal lambe al the familie was wont to be present â—6 He tooke bread Here at once is instituted for the continuance of the external office of Christes eternal Priesthod according to the order of Melchisedec both a Sacrifice and a Sacrament though the Scriptures geue neither of these names to this action and our Aduersaries without al reason or religion accept in a sort the one and vtterly deny the other A Sacrifice in that it is ordeined to continew the memory of Christes death and oblation vpon the Crosse and the application of the general vertue thereof to our particular necessities by coÌ„secrating the seueral â—lemeÌ„ts not into Christes whole person as it was borne of the virgin or now is in heauen but the bread into his body apart as betrayed broken and geuen for vs the wine into his bloud apart as shed out of his body for remission of sinnes and dedication of the new Testament which be conditions of his person as he was in sacrifice and oblation In which mystical and vnspeakable maner he would haue the Church to offer and sacrifice him daily and he in mysterie and Sacrament dyeth though now not only in heauen but also in the SacrameÌ„t he be in deede per Concomitantiaâ— as the Church calleth it that is by sequele of al his partes to ech other whole aliue and immortal Which point because ouâ— Aduersaries vnderstand not not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God they blaspheme and abuse the people to their damnation It is also a Sacrament in that it is ordeined to be receiued into our bodies and to feede the same to resurrection and immortality and to geue grace and saluation to our soules if we worthely receiue it 26. Blessed Our Aduersaries for the two wordes that are in Greeke and Latin benedixit and gratias egit he blessed he gaue thankes vse only the later of purpose to signifie that Christ blessed not nor consecrated the bread and the wine and so by that blessing wrought any effect vpon them but gaue thankes only to his father as we doe in saying grace But the truth is that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth properly to blesse and is referred to the thing that is blessed as Luc. 9 of the fishes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 benedixit eis he blessed them and
Propitiatorie and the Arke of the Testament Manna Aarons rodde and the golden altar Doth not the Sepulcher of our Lord seeme vnto thee more honorable Which as often as we enter into so often doe we see our Sauiour lie in the sindon and staying there a while we see the Angel againe sitte at his feete and at his head the napkin wrapped together The glorie of whose Sepulcher we know was long prophetied before Ioseph hewed it out by Esay saying And his rest shal be honour to witte because the place of our Lordes burial should be honoured of al men And at this present notwithstanding the Turkes dominion yet doe the Religious Christian Catholike men by Gods mighty prouidence keepe the holy Sepulcher which is within a goodly Church and Christians come out of al the world in Pilgrimage to it 19. Going then Commission to baptize and preache to al Nations geuen to the Apostles and grounded vpon Christes soueraine authority to whom was geuen al power in heauen and in earth 20. With you al daies Here Christ doth promise his concurrence with his Apostles and their successors as wel in preaching as ministring the Sacraments and his protection of the Church neuer to cease til the worlds end contrary to our Aduersaries saying that the Church hath failed many hundred yeres til Luther and Caluin ⧠THE ARGVMENT OF S. MARKES GOSPEL S Markes Gospel may be vvel diuided into foure partes The first part of the preparation that was made to the manifestation of Christ chap. 1. in the beginning The Second of his manifesting himselfe by Preaching and Miracles and that in Galilee the residue of the 1. chap. vnto the 10. chap. The third of his comming into Iurie tovvards his Passion chap. 10. The fourth of the Holy weeke of his Passion in Hierusalem chap. 11. to the end of the booke Of S. Marke and his conuersation with the tvvo Apostles S. Paul and S. Barnabee vve haue at large Act. 12 and 15. somevvhat also Col. 4. and 2. Tim. 4. and to Philémon Moreouer of his familiaritie vvith the Prince of the Apostles S. Peter vve haue 1 Pet. 5. For so it pleased our Lord that onely tvvo of the Euangelistes should be of his tvvelue Apostles to vvit S. Matthew and S. Iohn The other tvvo S. Marke and S. Luke he gaue vnto vs of the Disciples of his two most principal and most glorious Apostles S. Peter and S. Paul Whose Gospels therefore were of Antiquitie counted as the Gospels of S. Peter and S. Paul them selues Marke the disciple and interpreter of Peter saith S. Hierom according to that which he heard of Peters mouth wrote at Rome a briefe Gospel at the request of the Brethren about 10 or 12 yeres after our Lordes Ascension Which when Peter had heard he approued it and with his authoritie did publish it to the Church to be read as Clemens Alexandrinus writeth li. 6. hypotypos In the same place S. Hierom addeth hovv he vvent into Aegypt to preach and vvas the first Bishop of the cheefe Citie there named Alexandria and hovv Philo Iudaeus at the same time seeing and admiring the life and conuersation of the Christians there vnder S. Marke vvho vvere Monkes vvrote a booke thereof vvhich is extant to this day And not onely S. Hierom in Marco in Philone but also Eusebius Hist li. 2. ca. 15. 16. 17. Epiphanius Secta 29 Nazaraeorum li. 1. to 2. Cassianus de Instit Caenobiorum li. 2. c. 5. Sozomenus li. 1. c. 12. Nicephorus li. 2 c. 15. and diuerse others do make mention of the said Monkes out of the same Author Finally He died saith S. Hierom the 8 yere of Nero and was buried at Alexandria Anianus succeding in his place But from Alexandria he vvas translated to Venice Anno Dom. 830. It is also to be noted that in respect of S. Peter vvho sent S. Marke his scholer to Alexandria and made him the first Bishop there this See vvas esteemed next in dignitie to the See of Rome and the Bishop thereof vvas accounted the cheefe Metropolitane or Patriarch of the East and that by the first Councel of Nice Whereof see S. Leo ep 53. S. Gregorie li. 5. ep 60. li. 6. ep 37. THE HOLY GOSPEL OF IESVS CHRIST ACCORDING TO MARKE CHAP. I. Iohn the Eremite of vvhom the Prophets preaching penance and liuing him self accordingly baptizeth the people to prepare them to Christ 7 telling them that it is not his but Christs Baptisme in vvhich they shal receiue the Holy Ghost 9 IESVS there is manifested from heauen 12 and by and by he also goeth into the vvildernesse 14 Beginning in Galilee 16 after that he hath called foure Disciples 21 he preacheth first in Capharnaum confirming his doctrine vvith beneficial Miracles to the great admiration of al 35 then also but first retiring into the vvildernes in al the rest of Galilee vvith like miracles verse 1 THE beginning of the Gospel of IESVS CHRIST the sonne of God ✠verse 2 As it is vvritten in â— Esay the Prophet ' Behold I send mine Angel before thy face vvho shal prepare thy vvay before thee ✠verse 3 A voice of one crying in the desert Prepare ye the vvay of our Lord make straight his pathes ✠verse 4 * Iohn vvas in the desert baptizing and preaching the baptisme of penance vnto remission of sinnes ✠verse 5 And there vvent forth to him al the countrie of Ievvrie and al they of Hierusalem and vvere baptized of him in the riuer of Iordan â— confessing â— their sinnes ✠verse 6 And Iohn vvas â— clothed vvith camels heare and a girdle of a skinne about his loines and he did eate locustes and vvild honie ✠verse 7 And he preached saying There commeth a stronger then I after me vvhose latchet of his shoes I am not vvorthie stouping dovvne to vnloose ✠verse 8 I haue baptized you â— vvith vvater but he shal baptize you vvith the holy Ghost ✠verse 9 And it came to passe in those daies came IESVS from Nazareth of Galilee and vvas ″ baptized of Iohn in Iordan ✠verse 10 And forth vvith comming vp out of the vvater he savv the heauens opened and â— the Spirit as a doue descending and remaining on him ✠verse 11 And a voice vvas made from heauen Thou art my beloued sonne in thee I am vvel pleased ✠verse 12 And forth vvith * the Spirit droue him out into â— the desert ✠verse 13 And he vvas in the desert fourtie daies and fourtie nightes and vvas tempted of Satan and he vvas vvith beastes and the Angels ministred to him ✠verse 14 And * after that Iohn vvas deliuered vp IESVS came into Galilee preaching the Gospel of the kingdom of God ✠verse 15 and saying That the time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand be penitent and beleeue the Gospel âœ
of the palsey Sonne â— thy sinnes are forgiuen thee ✠verse 6 And there vvere certaine of the Scribes sitting there and thinking in their hartes ✠verse 7 why doth he speake so he blasphemeth * Who can forgiue sinnes but only God ✠verse 8 Which by and by IESVS knovving in his spirit that they so thought vvithin them selues saith to them why thinke you these things in your hartes ✠verse 9 Whether is easier to say to the sicke of the palsey Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee or to say Arise take vp thy couche and vvalke ✠verse 10 But that you may knovv that â— the Sonne of man hath povver â— in earth to forgiue sinnes he saith to the sicke of the palsey ✠verse 11 I say to thee Arise take vp thy couche and goe into thy house ✠verse 12 And forthvvith he arose and taking vp his couche vvent his vvay in the sight of al so that al marueled and glorified God saying That vve neuer savv the like ✠verse 13 And he vvent forth againe to the sea and al the multitude came to him and he taught them ✠verse 14 And vvhen he passed by * he savv Leui of Alphaeus sitting at the custome place and he saith to him Folovv me And rising vp he folovved him ✠verse 15 And it came to passe as he sate at meate in his house many Publicans and sinners did sit dovvne together vvith IESVS and his Disciples for they vvere many vvho also folovved him ✠verse 16 And the Scribes and the Pharisees seeing that he did eate vvith Publicans and Sinners said to his Disciples why doth your Maister eate and drinke vvith Publicans and sinners ✠verse 17 IESVS hearing this saith to them The vvhole haue not neede of a Physicion but they that are il at ease for I came not to call the iust but sinners ✠verse 18 And * the disciples of Iohn and the Pharisees did vse to fast and they come and say to him Why do the disciples of Iohn and of the Pharisees fast but thy disciples do not fast ✠verse 19 And IESVS said to them why can the children of the mariage fast as long as the bridegrome is vvith them So long time as they haue the bridegrome vvith them they can not fast ✠verse 20 But the daies vvil come vvhen the bridegrome shal be taken avvay from them and then they shal fast in those daies ✠verse 21 No body sovveth a peece of ravv cloth to an old garment othervvise he taketh avvay the nevv peecing from the old and there is made a greater rent ✠verse 22 And no body putteth nevv vvine into old bottels othervvise the vvine bursteth the bottels and the vvine vvil be shed and the bottels vvil be lost but nevv vvine must be put into nevv bottels ✠verse 23 And * it came to passe againe vvhen he vvalked through the corne on the Sabboths and his Disciples began to goe forvvard and to plucke the eares ✠verse 24 And the Pharisees said to him Behold vvhy do they on the Sabboths that vvhich is not lavvful ✠verse 25 And he said to them Did you neuer read vvhat Dauid did vvhen he vvas â— in necessitie and him self verse 26 vvas an hungred and they that vvere vvith him hovv * he entred into the house of God vnder Abiathar the high Priest and did eare the loaues of Proposition vvhich it vvas not lavvful to eate * but for the Priests and did giue vnto them vvhich vvere vvith him ✠verse 27 And he said to them The Sabboth vvas made for man and not man for the Sabboth ✠verse 28 Therfore the sonne of man is Lord of the Sabboth also ANNOTATIONS CHAP. II. 4. Vncouered Such diligence ought to be vsed to bring sinners to Christ in his Sacraments as was vsed to procure this man and others by Christ the health of their bodies 5. Sicke of the palsey Such as this man was in body by dissolution of his limmes such also was he in soule by the noisome desires of the world occupying his hart and withdrawing him from al good workes Aug. de Pastor c. 6 to 9. 5. Thy sinnes Hereby it appeareth that Christ healed this sicke man first in his soule before he tooke away his bodily infirmity which may be an instruction for al men in bodily disease first to call for the Sacraments which be medicines of the soule As hereby also may be gathered that many diseases come for sinne and therfore can not be healed til the sinnes be remitted 10. The Sonne of man As Christ proueth vnto them that him self as man and not as God only hath power to remitte sinnes by that in al their sightes he was able to doe miracles and make the sickman sodenly arise so the Apostles hauing power graunted them to doe miracles though they be not God may in like maner haue authority from God to remitte sinnes not as God but as Gods ministers 10. In earth This power that the Sonne of man hath to remitte sinnes in earth was neuer taken from him but dureth still in his Sacraments and ministers by whom he remitteth sinnes in the Church and not in heauen only For concerning sinne there is one court of conscience in earth and an other in heauen and the iudgement in heauen foloweth and approueth this on earth as is plaine by the wordes of our Sauiour to Peter first and then to al the Apostles Whatsoeuer you shal bind vpon earth shal be bound in heauen Whatsoeuer you shal loose vpon earth shal be loosed in heauen wherevpon S. Hierom saith That Priests hauing the keies of the kingdom of heauen iudge after a sort before the day of iudgement And S. Chrysost li. 3 de Sacerd. paul post princip more at large 25. In necessity In necessity many things be done without sinne which els might not be done and so * the very chalices and consecrated iewels and vessels of the Church in cases of necessity are by lawful authority turned to profane vses which otherwise to alienate to a mans priuate commoditie is sacrilege CHAP. III. The blind Pharisees seeking his death for doing good vpon the Sabboths he meekely goeth out of the vvay vvhere the people that flocke vnto him and his Miracles are innumerable 13 Yea to his Tvvelue also hauing neede of moe vvorkmen he geueth povver to vvorke Miracles â—0 He so occupieth him self for soules that his kinne thinke him madde 22 The Scribes of Hierusalem come so farre and yet haue nothing but absurdly to blaspeme his casting out of Diuels to their ovvne damnation â—1 That the Ievves should not after their maner thinke it ynough that he is of their bloud he telleth that such rather are deere to him as keepe Gods commaundements verse 1 AND he entred againe into the Synagogue and there vvas a man there that had a vvithered hand ✠verse 2 And they
and Iohn the sonnes of Zebedee vvho vvere Simons fellovves And IESVS said to Simon Feare not from this time novv ″ thou shalt be taking men ✠verse 11 And hauing brought their shippes to land leauing al things they folovved him ⊢ ✠verse 12 * And it came to passe vvhen he vvas in one of the cities and behold a man ful of leprosie and seeing IESVS and falling on his face besought him saying Lord if thou vvilt thou canst make me cleane ✠verse 13 And stretching forth the hand he touched him saying I vvil be thou made cleane And immediatly the leprosie departed from him ✠verse 14 And he commaunded him that he should tel no body but Goe shevv thy self to the Priest and offer for thy cleansing * as Moyses commaunded for a testimonie to them ✠verse 15 But the bruite of him vvent abrode the more and great multitudes came together to heare and to be cured of their infirmities ✠verse 16 And he retired into the desert and praied ✠verse 17 * And it came to passe one day and he sate teaching And there vvere Pharisees sitting and Doctors of Lavv that vvere come out of euery tovvne of Galilee and Ievvrie and Hierusalem and the vertue of our Lord vvas to heale them ✠verse 18 And behold men carying in a bed a man that had the palsey and they sought to bring him in and to lay him before him ✠verse 19 And not finding on vvhich side they might bring him in for the multitude they ″ vvent vp vpon the roofe and through the tiles let him dovvne vvith the bed into the middes before IESVS ✠verse 20 ″ Vvhose faith vvhen he savv he said Man thy sinnes are forgiuen thee ✠verse 21 And the Scribes and Pharisees began to thinke saying who is this that speaketh blasphemies who can forgiue sinnes but only God ✠verse 22 And vvhen IESVS knevve their cogitations ansvvering he said to them Vvhat doe you thinke in your hartes ✠verse 23 Vvhich is easier to say Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee or to say Arise and vvalke ✠verse 24 but that you may knovv that ″ the sonne of man hath povver in earth to forgiue sinnes he said to the sicke of the palsey I say to thee Arise take vp thy bed and goe into thy house ✠verse 25 And forth vvith rising vp before them he tooke that vvherein he lay and he vvent into his house magnifying God ✠verse 26 And al vvere astonied and they magnified God And they vvere replenished vvith feare saying That vve haue seen maruelous things to day ⊢ ✠verse 27 * And after these things he vvent forth and savv a Publican called Leui sitting at the Custome-house and he said to him Folovv me ✠verse 28 And ″ leauing al things he rose and folovved him ✠verse 29 and Leui made him a great feast in his house and there vvas a great multitude of Publicans and of others that vvere sitting at the table vvith them ✠verse 30 And their Pharisees and Scribes murmured saying to his disciples why doe you eate and drinke vvith Publicans and sinners ✠verse 31 And IESVS ansvvering said to them They that are vvhole neede not the Physicion but they that are il at ease ✠verse 32 I came not to call the iust but sinners to penance ⊢ ✠verse 33 But they said to him * Vvhy doe the disciples of Iohn fast often and make obsecrations and of the Pharisees in like maner but thine doe eate and drinke ✠verse 34 To vvhom he said why can you make the children of the bridegrome fast vvhiles the bridegrome is vvith them ✠verse 35 But the daies vvil come and vvhen the bridegrome shal be taken avvay from them then they shal fast in those daies ✠verse 36 And he said a similitude also vnto them That no man putteth a peece from a nevv garment into an old garment othervvise both he breaketh the nevv and the peece from the nevv agreeth not vvith the old ✠verse 37 And no bodie putteth nevv vvine into old bottels othervvise the nevv vvine vvil breake the bottels and it self vvil be shed and the bottels vvil be lost ✠verse 38 But nevv vvine is to be put into nevv bottels and both are preserued together ✠verse 39 And no man drinking old vvil nevv by and by for he saith The old is better ANNOTATIONS CHAP. V. 3. One ship Simons It is purposely expressed that there were two shippes and that one of them was Peters and that Christ went into that one and sate downe in it and that sitting he taught out of that ship no doubt to signifie the Church resembled by Peters ship and that in it is the chaire of Christ and only true preaching 6. A great multitude of fishes Likewise by this significatiue miracle wrought about Peters fishing is euidently forshewed vvhat wonderful successe Peter should haue in conuerting men to Christ both Ievves and Gentiles as vvhen at one draught that is to say * at one Sermon he drewe into his ship which is Christes Church a great number of men as he did now fishes and so continually by him self and his Successors vnto the worlds end 7. Beckened to their fellowes Peter had so much worke that he called for helpe and ioyned vnto him the other ship representing to vs his Copartiners in the preaching of the Gospel and the coniunction of the Synagogue and the people of Gentilitie vnto Peters ship that is to the Church of Chriss Ambro. li. 4. in Luc. c. vlt. 10. Thou shalt be taking men That al this aforesaid did properly meane Peters trauailes to come in the cōuersion of the world to Christ and his prerogatiue before al men therein it is euident by Christ special promis made to him seuerally and apart in this place that he should be made the taker of men though to other he giueth also as to Peters cooperators and coadiutors the like office Mat. 4. 19. 19. Went vp vpon the roofe A strange diligence in procuring corporal health of and by Christ and an example for vs of the like or greater to obteine saluation of him either for our selues or our frendes and to seeke to his Church and Sacraments with what extraordinarie paine soeuer 20. Whose faith Great is God saith S. Ambrose and pardoneth one sort through the merites of others therfore if thou doubt to obtaine forgiuenesse of thy great offenses ioyne vnto thy self intercessors vse the Churches helpe which may pray for thee and obtaine for thee that which our Lord might denie to thy self Amb. li. 5 in Luc. 24. The sonne of man in earth By which act * saith S. Cyril it is cleere that the Sonne of man hath power in earth to remit sinnes which he said both for him self and vs. For he as God being made man and Lord of the Law forgiueth
vvisedom of Salomon and behold more then Salomon here ✠verse 32 The men of Niniuee shal rise in the iudgement vvith this generation and shal condemne it * because they did penance at the preaching of Ionas and behold more then Ionas here ✠verse 33 * No man lighteth a candel and putteth it in secrete neither vnder a bushel but vpon a candlesticke that they that goe in may see the light ✠verse 34 * The candel of thy body is thine eie If thine eie be simple thy vvhole body shal be lightsome but if it be naught thy body also shal be darkesome ✠verse 35 See therfore that the light vvhich is in thee be not darkenesse ✠verse 36 If then thy vvhole body be lightsome hauing no part of darkenesse it shal be lightsome vvholy and as a bright candel it shal lighten thee ⊢ ✠verse 37 And vvhen he vvas speaking a certaine Pharisee desired him that he vvould dine vvith him and he going in sate dovvne to eate ✠verse 38 And the Pharisee began to thinke vvithin him self and to say Vvhy he vvas not vvashed before dinner ✠verse 39 And our Lord said to him * Novv you Pharisees doe make cleane that on the out side of the cuppe and of the platter but that of yours vvhich is vvithin is ful of rapine and iniquitie ✠verse 40 Fooles did not he that made that on the outside make that also that is on the inside ✠verse 41 But yet that that remaineth ″ giue almes behold al things are cleane vnto you ✠verse 42 But vvo to you Pharisees because you tithe minte and revve and euery herbe and passe ouer iudgement and the charitie of God but these things you ought to haue done and not to omit those ✠verse 43 Vvo to you Pharisees because you loue the first chaires in the synagogs and salutations in the market-place ✠verse 44 Vvo to you because you are as monuments that appeare not and men vvalking ouer are not vvare ✠verse 45 And one of the Lavvyers ansvvering saith to him Maister in saying these things thou speakest to our reproche also ✠verse 46 But he said ″ Vvo to you Lavvyers also because you lode men vvith burdens which they can not beare and your selues touch not the packes vvith one of your fingers ✠verse 47 Wo to you that build the monumēts of the Prophets and your fathers did kil them ✠verse 48 Surely you doe testifie that you consent to the vvorkes of your fathers because they in deede did kil them and you build their sepulchres ✠verse 49 For this cause the vvisedō also of God said I vvil send to them Prophets and Apostles and of them they vvil kil and persecute ✠verse 50 that the bloud of al the Prophets that vvas shed from the making of the vvorld may be required of this generation ✠verse 51 * from the bloud of Abel vnto the * bloud of Zacharie that vvas slaine betvvene the altar and the temple Yea I say to you it shal be required of this generation ⊢ ✠verse 52 Vho to you Lavvyers because you haue taken avvay the key of knovvledge your selues haue not entred and those that did enter you haue prohibited ✠verse 53 And vvhen he said these things to them the Pharisees and the Lavvyers began vehemently to vrge him and to stoppe his mouth about many things ✠verse 54 lying in waite for him seeking to catch some thing of his mouth that they might accuse him ANNOTATIONS CHAP. XI 27. Blessed is the vvombe Let vs also saith Venerable Bede lift vp our voice vvith the Catholike Church of vvhich this vvoman vvas a figure let vs lift vp our hartes among the people and say to our Sauiour Blessed be the vvombe that bare thee and the pappes vvhich thou didst sucke for blessed in deede is the mother vvhich bare the King that ruleth heauen and earth for euer 29. The signe of Ionas Of al miracles his Resurrection after he had been according to his body in the graue according to his soule in Hel three daies vvas the greatest and most conuinceth the incredulous Ievves and therfore a greater or more euident then that he saith he vvil not giue them 41. Giue almes The great force of almes is here and in diuers places of holy vvrite signified In one place they extinguish sinne in an other they redeeme sinnes in an other they deliuer from death in an other to them giuen or omitted our iudgement to heauen or hel is attributed and here they make cleane and satisfie for the Ievves former offenses for as S. Augustine saith c. 70 Enchiridij almes deedes profite not a man that hath a vvill to continevv in his sinnes but they are to be done for a propitiation to God of former offenses Novv hovv vvel the Protestants like this doctrine so euidently set forth in Scripture let the indifferent iudge and hovv vvel it agreeth vvith their onely faith 46. Wo to you Lavvyers These vvere Doctors of Moyses Lavv othervvise called Scribes Shal we therfore crie out against al Lavvyers novv or ought the name of Lavvyer be odious vvith vs because of these naughty Lavvyers among the Ievves much lesse ought the name of Priests to be odious as Heretikes would haue it because of the Ievves Priests that vvere so busy against our Sauiour CHAP. XII He prepareth his Disciples against persecutions to come vpon them at their publishing of his doctrine 13 With deuiding the brethrens inheritance he wil not medle but exhorteth them against auarice 22 and his Disciples by this occasion against solicitude so much as of necessaries 32 yea counseling them to geue al in almes 35 and to be ready at a knocke 41 namely admonishing Peter and other Prelats to see to their charge 49 and al not to looke but for persecution 54 The Iewes he reprehendeth for that they wil not see this time of grace 58 whereas it is so horrible to die without reconciliation verse 1 AND when great multitudes stoode about him so that they trode one an other he began to say to his Disciples Take good heede of the leauen of the Pharisees vvhich is hypocrisie ✠verse 2 * For nothing is hid that shal not be reuealed nor secrete that shal not be knovven ✠verse 3 For the things that you haue said in darknesse shal be said in the light and that vvhich you haue spoken into the eare in the chambers shal be preached in the house-toppes ✠verse 4 And I say to you my frendes Be not afraid of them that kil the body and after this haue no more to doe ✠verse 5 But I vvil shevv you vvhom ye shal feare feare him vvho after he hath killed hath povver to cast into hel yea I say to you feare him ✠verse 6 Are not fiue sparovves sold for tvvo farthings
these things vvas stroken sad because he vvas very riche ✠verse 24 And IESVS seeing him stroken sad said Hovv hardly shal they that haue money enter into the kingdom of God ✠verse 25 For it is easier for a camel to passe through the eie of a nedle then for a riche man to enter into the kingdom of God ✠verse 26 And they that heard said And vvho can be saued ✠verse 27 He said to them The things that are impossible vvith men are possible vvith God ✠verse 28 And Peter said Loe vve haue left al things and haue folovved thee ✠verse 29 Vvho said to them Amen I say to you There is no man that hath leaft house or parents or brethren or vvife or children for the kingdom of God ✠verse 30 and shal not receiue much more in this time and in the vvorld to come life euerlasting ✠verse 31 * And IESVS tooke the Tvvelue and said to them Behold vve goe vp to Hierusalem and al things shal be consummate vvhich vvere vvritten by the Prophets of the sonne of man ✠verse 32 For he shal be deliuered to the Gentiles and shal be mocked and scourged and spit vpon ✠verse 33 and after they haue scourged him they vvil kil him and the third day he shal rise againe ✠verse 34 And they vnderstoode none of these things and this vvord vvas hid from them and they vnderstoode not the things that vvere said ✠verse 35 And it came to passe vvhen he drevv nigh to Iericho a certaine blinde man sate by the vvay begging ✠verse 36 And vvhen he heard the multitude passing by he asked what this should be ✠verse 37 And they told him that IESVS of Nazareth passed by ✠verse 38 And he cried saying IESVS sonne of Dauid haue mercie vpon me ✠verse 39 And they that vvent before rebuked him that he should hold his peace But he cried much more Sonne of Dauid haue mercie vpon me ✠verse 40 And IESVS standing commaunded him to be brought vnto him And vvhen he vvas come neere he asked him ✠verse 41 saying Vvhat vvilt thou that I doe to thee but he said Lord that I may see ✠verse 42 And IESVS said to him Do thou see thy faith hath made thee vvhole ✠verse 43 And forthvvith he savv and folovved him magnifying God And al the people as they savv it gaue praise to God ⊢ ANNOTATIONS CHAP. XVIII 8. Shal he finde faith The Luciferians and Donatists vsed this place to excuse their fall from the Church as our Aduersaries novv doe saying that it vvas decaied in faith vvhen they forsooke it To vvhom vve answer as S. Hierom and S. Augustin answered them that Christ saith not that there should be no faith leaft in earth but by this maner of speache the insinuateth that at the later day in the great persecution of Antichrist faith should be more rare and the faithful among so many wicked not so notorious specially that perfect faith containing deuotion trust and affection toward God which our Maister so praised in certaine vpon whom he wrought miracles and by force vvhereof mountaines might be moued vvhich is rare euen vvhen the Church florisheth most CHAP. XIX In Ieriche he lodgeth in the house of Zachaus a Publicane and against the murmuring Iewes openeth the reasons of his so doing 11 He shevveth that the last day should not be yet 15 and whas then in the iudgement he vvil doe both to vs of his Church as vvel good as bad 47 and also to the reprobate Ievves 29 Being nevv come to the place of his Passion he entreth vveeping and foretelling the destruction of blinde Hierusalem vvhich triumph as their Christ 4◠He shevveth his zeale for the house of God and teacheth therein euery day 47 The rulers would destroy him but for feare of the people verse 1 AND entring in he vvalked through Iericho ✠verse 2 And behold a man named Zachaeus and this vvas a Prince of the Publicans and he riche ✠verse 3 And he sought to see IESVS vvhat he vvas and he could not for the multitude because he vvas litle of stature ✠verse 4 And running before he ″ vvent vp into a sycomore tree that he might see him because he vvas to passe by it ✠verse 5 And vvhen he vvas come to the place IESVS looking vp savv him and said to him Zachaeus come dovvne in hast because this day I must abide in thy house ✠verse 6 And he in hast came dovvne and receiued him reioycing ✠verse 7 And vvhen al savv it they murmured saying that he turned in to a man that vvas a sinner ✠verse 8 But Zachaeus standing said to our Lord Behold the halfe of my goods Lord I giue to the poore and if I haue defrauded any man of any thing ″ I restore fourefold ✠verse 9 IESVS said to him That this day saluation is made to this house because that he also is the sonne of Abraham ✠verse 10 * For the Sonne of man is come to seeke and to saue that vvhich vvas lost ⊢ ✠verse 11 They hearing these things he added and spake a parable for that he was nigh to Hierusalem and because they thought that forthvvith the kingdom of God should be manifested ✠verse 12 He said therfore * A certaine noble man vvent into a farre countrie to take to him self a kingdom and to returne ✠verse 13 And calling his ten seruants he gaue them ten poundes and said to them Occupie til I come ✠verse 14 And his citizens hated him and they sent a legacie after him saying Vve vvil not haue this man reigne ouer vs. ✠verse 15 And it came to passe after he returned hauing receiued his kingdom and he commaunded his seruants to be called to vvhom he gaue the money that he might knovv how much euery mā had gained by occupying ✠verse 16 And the first came saying Lord thy pound hath gotten ten poundes ✠verse 17 And he said to him Vvel fare thee good seruant because thou hast been faithful in a litle thou shalt haue povver ouer ten cities ✠verse 18 And the second came saying Lord thy pound hath made fiue poundes ✠verse 19 And he said to him And be thou ouer fiue cities ✠verse 20 And an other came saying Lord loe here thy pound vvhich I haue had laid vp in a napkin ✠verse 21 for I feared thee because thou art an austêre man thou takest vp that thou didst not set dovvne and thou reapest that vvhich thou didst not sovv ✠verse 22 He saith to him By thine ovvne mouth I iudge thee naughtie seruant Thou didst knovv that I am an austere man taking vp that I set not dovvne and reaping that vvhich I sovved not ✠verse 23 and vvhy didst thou not giue my money to the banke and I comming might certes vvith vsurie haue
the poole of Siloé and wash And I vvent and vvashed and savv ✠verse 12 And they said to him Vvhere is he He saith I knovv not ✠verse 13 They bring him that had been blinde to the Pharisees ✠verse 14 And it vvas the Sabboth vvhen IESVS made the clay and opened his eies ✠verse 15 Againe therfore the Pharisees asked him hovv he savv But he said to them He put clay vpō mine eies I vvashed and I see ✠verse 16 Certaine therfore of the Pharisees said This man is not of God that keepeth not the Sabboth But others said Hovv can a man that is a sinner doe these signes And there vvas a schisme among them ✠verse 17 They say therfore to the blinde againe Thou vvhat saiest thou of him that opened thine eies And he said That he is a Prophet ✠verse 18 The levves therfore did not beleeue of him that he had been blinde and savv vntil they called the parents of him that savv ✠verse 19 and asked them saying Is this your sonne vvhom you say that he vvas borne blinde hovv then doeth he novv see ✠verse 20 His parents ansvvered them and said Vve knovv that this is our sonne and that he vvas borne blinde ✠verse 21 but hovv he novv seeth vve knovv not or vvho hath opened his eies vve knovv not aske him self he is of age let him self speake of him self ✠verse 22 These things his parents said because they feared the levves for the Ievves had novv conspired that if any mā should cōfesse him to be CHRIST he should be ″ put out of the Synagogue ✠verse 23 Therfore did his parents say That he is of age aske him self ✠verse 24 They therfore againe called the man that had been blinde and said to him Giue glorie to God vve knovv that this man is a sinner ✠verse 25 He therfore said to them Whether he be a sinner I know not one thing I know that vvhereas I vvas blinde novv I see ✠verse 26 They said therfore to him Vvhat did he to thee hovv did he open thine eies ✠verse 27 He ansvvered them I haue novv told you and you haue heard vvhy vvil you heare it againe vvil you also become his disciples ✠verse 28 They reuiled him therfore said Be thou his disciple but we are the disciples of Moyses ✠verse 29 We know that to Moyses God did speake but this man vve knovv not vvhence he is ✠verse 30 The man ansvvered and said to them For in this it is marueilous that you knovv not vvhence he is and he hath opened mine eies ✠verse 31 and vve knovv that sinners God doth not heare but if a man be a seruer of God and doe the vvil of him him he heareth ✠verse 32 From the beginning of the vvorld it hath not been heard that any man hath opened the eies of one borne blinde ✠verse 33 Vnles this man vvere of God he could not doe any thing ✠verse 34 They ansvvered and said to him Thou vvast vvholy borne in sinnes and doest thou teach vs And they did cast him forth ✠verse 35 IESVS heard that they cast him forth and vvhen he had found him he said to him Doest thou beleeue in the sonne of God ✠verse 36 He ansvvered and said Vvho is he Lord that I may beleeue in him ✠verse 37 And IESVS said to him Both thou hast seen him and he that talketh vvith thee he it is ✠verse 38 But he said I beleeue Lord. And falling dovvne he adored him ⊢ ✠verse 39 And IESVS said to him For iudgement came I into this vvorld that they that see not may see and they that see may become blinde ✠verse 40 And certaine of the Pharisees that vvere vvith him heard and they said to him Vvhy are vve also blinde ✠verse 41 IESVS said to them If you vvere blinde you should not haue sinne but novv you say That vve see Your sinne remaineth ANNOTATIONS CHAP. IX 6. Made clay Christ that could haue cured this man by his onely wil or word yet vsed certaine creatures as his instruments in working and diuers circumstances and ceremonies clay water anoynting washing c. No maruel then that he and his Church vse such diuersities of Sacraments and ceremonies external in curing our soules 22. Put out of the Synagogue The Heretikes vntruely translate here v. 35. Excommunicate to make the simple conceaue the Churches Excōmunication to be no other or no better or no more rightly vsed against them then this casting our of the Synagogue of such as confesssed our Sauiour They might as wel haue translated for Synagogue Church for the Old Testament the new for Law grace for flesh spirit for Moyses Christ For no lesse difference is there betwene casting out of the Synagogue and Excommunication Besides that not euery one which was not of the Iewes Synagogue was therfore out of the communion of the Faithful many true beleeuers being in other partes of the world not subiect to the Iewes Synagogue Law nor Sacraments And therfore it was not al one to be out of the Synagogue and to be excommunicated as now whosoeuer is out of the Churches communion either by his owne wil or for his iust deserts thrust out of it by the spiritual Magistrate he is quite abandoned out of al the societie of Saincts in heauen and earth so long as he so continueth As for the cause of thrusting this poore man and such other out of the Synagogue and excommunicating Heretikes there is as great oddes as betwixt heauen and hel he being vsed so for folowing Christ and his Church these for forsaking Christ and his Church Some more agreement there is betwene that corrupt sentence of the Iewes against the folowers of Christ and the pretended excommunication executed against Catholike men by our Heretikes although in truth there is no great resemblance For the Iewes though they abused their power sometimes yet had they authoritie in deed by Gods law so to punish contemners of their Law therfore it was feared and respected euen of good men But the excommunication vsed by heretikes against Catholikes or any offenders is not to be respected at al being no more but a ridiculous vsurpation of the Churches right and fashion of the same for out of their Synagogues al faithful men ought to flee and not tarie to be thrust out according to the warning giuen against Coré and Dathan Be ye separated from their tabernacles lest you be vvrapped in their sinnes CHAP. X. He continueth his talke to the Pharisees shevving that they and al other that wil not enter in by him are wolues and that they which heare them are not the true sheepe 11 But that him self is the good Pastor and therfore to saue the sheepe from these wolues he wil yeld his life which othervvise no might of theirs could take from
shal be bound in heauen and vvhatsoeuer you shal loose in earth shal be loosed in heauen The earthly Princes in deede haue also povver to binde but the bodies onely but that bond of Priests vvhich I speake of toucheth the very soule is self and reacheth euen to the heauens in so much that vvhatsouer the Priests shal doe beneath the self same God doth ratifie aboue and the sentence of the seruants the Lord doth confirme for in deede vvhat els is this then that the povver of al heauenly things is graunted them of God Whose sinnes so euer saith he you shal reteine they are reteined What povver I beseche you can be greater then this one The Father gaue al povver to the Sonne but I see the same povver altogether deliuered by the Sonne vnto them And as this concerneth the Priests high authoritie to absolue so therevpon concerning confession also to be made vnto them the ancient Fathers speake in this sort S. Cyprian de Lapsis nu 11. They saith he that haue greater faith and feare of God though they did not fall in persecution yet because they did onely thinke it in their minde this very cogitation they confesse to Gods Priests sorovvfully and plainely opening their conscience vttering and discharging the burden of their minde and seeking holesome medicine for their vvoundes though but smal and litle And a litle after Let euery one my brethren I beseeche you confesse his sinne vvhiles he is yet aliue vvhiles his confession may be admitted vvhiles satisfaction and remission made by the Priests is acceptable before God S. Cyril or as some thinke Origen li. 2 in Leuit. calleth it a great part of penance when a man is ashamed and yet openeth his sinnes to our Lords Priest See also Tertul. li. de Poenit. S. Hiero. in c. 10 Ecclesiastae S. Basil in Regulis brâ—u quaest 229. Who compare sinners that refuse to confesse to them that haue some disease in their secrete partes and are ashamed to shew it to the Physicion or Surgeon that might cure it Where they must needes meane secrete confession to be made to them that may absolue And S. Leo ep 80 most plainely as before S. Cyril expresly nameth Priests That confession is sufficient vvhich is made first to God then to the Priest also And againe It is sufficient that guiltines of mens consciences be vttered to the Priests onely by the secrecie of confession S. Hierome in 16 Mat. saith that Priests loose or binde audita peccatorum varietate hauing heard the varietie and differences of sinnes S. Paulinus writeth of S. Ambrose that as often as any confessed his sinne vnto him for too receiue penance he so vvept for compassion that thereby he caused the penitenâ— to weepe also He addeth moreouer that this holy Doctor was so secrete in this case that no man knew the sinnes confessed but God and him self And S. Augustine ho. 49 de 50 homilijs to 10. saith thus Doe penance such as is done in the Church Let no man say I doe it secretly I doe it to God in vaine then vvas it said Whatsoeuer you shal loose in earth shal be loosed in heauen See S. Ambrose de poenitentia through out S. Cyprian de Lapsis the booke de vera falsa panit in S. Augustine beside al antiquitie which is ful of these speaches concerning absolution and confession CHAP. XXI Appearing againe in Galilee where Peter was fishing with his fellowes and causing them after they had al night taken none to catch a great multitude which Peter draweth to land where he also dineth them 15 He expressing what this fishing signified maketh Peter his Vicar committing vnto him the feeding of his lambes and sheepe 18 and reuealeth vnto him that he also shal be crucified to the glorie of God 20 admonishing him to minde that rather then to be curious about Iohns death verse 1 AFTER IESVS manifested him self againe at the sea of Tibérias And he manifested thus ✠verse 2 There vvere together Simon Peter and Thomas vvho is called Didymus and Nathanael vvhich vvas of Cana in Galilee and the sonnes of Zebedee and tvvo others of his disciples ✠verse 3 Simon Peter saith to them I goe to fish They say to him Vve also come vvith thee And they vvent forth and got vp into the boate and that night they tooke nothing ✠verse 4 But vvhen morning vvas novv come IESVS stoode on the shore yet the disciples knevv not that it vvas IESVS ✠verse 5 IESVS therfore saith to them ChildreÌ„ haue you any meate They ansvvered him No. ✠verse 6 He saith to them Cast the nette on the right side of the boate and you shal finde They therfore did cast it and novv they vvere not able to dravv it for the multitude of fishes ✠verse 7 That disciple therfore vvhom IESVS loued saith to Peter It is our Lord. Simon Peter vvheÌ„ he had heard that it is our Lord girded his coate vnto him for he vvas naked and cast him self into the sea ✠verse 8 But the other disciples came in the boate for they vvere not farre from the land but as it vvere tvvo hundred cubits dravving the nette of fishes ✠verse 9 Therefore after they came dovvne to land they savv hote coles lying and fish laid thereon and bread ✠verse 10 IESVS saith to them Bring hither of the fishes that you tooke novv ✠verse 11 SimoÌ„ Peter vvent vp and drevv the nette to the land ful of great fishes an hundred fiftie three And although they vvere so many the nette vvas not broken ✠verse 12 IESVS saith to them Come dine And none of them that sate at meate ' durst aske him Vvho art thou knovving that it is our Lord. ✠verse 13 And IESVS commeth and taketh the bread and giueth them and the fish in like maner ✠verse 14 This novv the third time IESVS vvas manifested to his disciples after he vvas risen from the dead ⊢ ✠verse 15 Therfore vvhen they had dined IESVS saith to Simon Peter Simon of Iohn louest thou me more then these He saith to him Yea Lord thou knovvest that I loue thee he saith to him FEEDE MY LAMBES ✠verse 16 He saith to him againe Simon of Iohn louest thou me he saith to him Yea Lord thou knovvest that I loue thee He saith to him FEEDE MY LAMBES ✠verse 17 He saith to him the third time SimoÌ„ of Iohn louest thou me Peter vvas stroken sad because he said vnto him the third time Louest thou me And he said to him Lord thou knovvest al things thou knovvest that I loue thee He saith to him ″ FEEDE MY SHEEPE ✠verse 18 AmeÌ„ amen I say to thee vvhen thou vvast yonger thou didst girde thy self and didst vvalke vvhere thou vvouldest but vvhen thou shalt be old thou shalt stretch forth thy handes and ″ an other shal girde thee and leade thee vvhither thou vvilt not
blessing them Ascendeth into heauen ⧠THE ARGVMENT OF THE ACTES OF THE APOSTLES THE Gospel hauing shevved hovv the Ievves most impiously rèiected Christ as also Moyses and the Prophets had foretold of them and therefore deserued to be reiected themselues also of him novv folovveth this booke of the Actes of the Apostles vvritten by S. Luke in Rome the fourth yâ—râ— of Nero An. Dom. 61 and shevveth hovv notvvithstanding their desertes Christ of his mercy as the Prophets also had foretold of him offered him selfe vnto that vnvvorthy people yea after that they had Crucified him sending vnto them his tvvelue Apostles to moue them to penance and so by Baptisme to make them of his Church and vvhiles al the Tvvelue vvere so occupied about the Ievves hovv of a persecuting Ievve he made an extraordinarie Apostle vvho vvas S. Paul and to auoide the scaÌ„dal of the Ievves to vvhom onely him selfe likevvise for the same cause had preached sent him and not any of his Twelue by and by who were his knovven Apostles vnto the Gentiles vvho neuer afore had Heard of Christ and vvere vvorshippers of many Gods to moue them also for that likevvise the Prophets had foretold to faith and penance and so by Baptisme to make them of his Church and hovv the incredulous Ievves euery vvhere resisted the same Apostle and his preaching to the Gentiles persecuting him and seeking his death and neuer ceasing vntil he fel into the handes of the Gentils that so as not onely he euery vvhere but also the Prophets afore him and Christ had foretold the Gospel might be taken avvay from them and giuen to the Gentiles euen from Hierusalem vvhose reprobation also by name had been often foretold the headcitie of the Iewes vvhere it began translated to Rome the headcitie of the Gentiles Al this vvil be euident by the partes of the booke vvhich may be these sixe First hovv Christ Ascending in the sight of his Disciples promised vnto them the Holy ghost fortelling that of him they should receiue strength and so begin his Church in Hierusalem and from thence dilate it into al that Countrie that is into al Iurie yea and into Samaria also yea into al Nations of the Gentiles be they neuer so far of You shal receiue saith he the vertue of the Holy ghost coÌ„ming vpon you and you shal be witnesses vnto me in Hierusalem in al Iurie and Samaria and euen to the vtmost of the earth Chap. 1. Secondly the beginning of the Church in Hierusalem accordingly Chap. 2. Thirdly the propagation of it consequently into al Iurie and also to Samaria Chap. 8. Fourthly the propagation of it to the Gentiles also Chap. 10. Fifthly the taking of it avvay from the obstinate Ievves and geuing of it to the Gentiles by the ministerie of S. Paul and S. Barnabee Chap. 13. Sixthly of taking it avvay from Hierusalem it selfe the headcitie of the Ievves and sending it as it vvere to Rome the headcitie of the Gentiles and that in their persecuting of Paul so far * that he appealed to Caesar and so deliuering him after a sort vnto the Romanes as they bad * before deliuered to them also Christ him selfe vvhere as S. Peters first coÌ„ming thither vvas vpon an other occasion as shal be said anone Of vvhich Romanes and Gentiles therfore the same S. Paul being novv come to Rome the last Chap. of the Actes foretelleth the obstinat Ievves there saying Et ipsi audient You vvil not heare but they vvil heare that so the prediction of Christ aboue rehearsed might be fulfilled And euen to the vtmost of the earth And there doth S. Luke end the booke not caring to tel so much as the fulfilling of that vvhich our Lord had foretold Act. 27 24 to S. Paul Thou must appeare before Caesar because his purpose vvas no more but to shevv the nevv Hierusalem of the Christians vvhere Christ vvould place the cheefe seate of his Church as also in deede the Fathers and al other Catholikes haue in al ages looked thither vvhen they vvere in any great doubt no lesse then the Ievves to Hierusalem as they vvere appointed in the old Testament Deut. 17 8. And so this Booke doth shevv the true Church as plainely as the Gospel doth shevv the true Christ vnto al that do not vvilfully shut their ovvne â—ies to vvit this to be the true Church vvhich beginning visibly at Hierusalem vvas taken from the Ievves and translated to the Gentils and namely to Rome continuing visibly and visibly to continue hereafter also Vntil the fulnes of the Gentiles shal be come in that then also Al Israël may be saued and then is come the end of the vvorld For so did Christ most plainely foretel vs This Gospel of the Kingdom shal be preached in the vvhole world for a testimonie to al Nations and then shal come the consummation For the conuersion of vvhich Nations and accomplishing the fulnes of al Gentiles the foresaid Church Catholike being mindful of her office to be Christes witnes euen to the vtmost of the earth doth at this present as alvvaies send preachers to conuert and make them also Christians vvhereas the protestants and * al other Heretikes do nothing els but subuert such as before vvere Christians And this being the Summe and scope of this Booke thus to giue vs historically a iust sight of the fulfilling of the Prophets Christes prediction about the Church it is not to be marueiled at vvhy it telleth not of S. Peter coÌ„ming to Rome considering that his first coÌ„ming thither vvas not as S. Paules vvas by the Ievves deliuerie of him working so to their ovvne reprobatioÌ„ but vpoÌ„ another occasion to vvit to confound Simon Magus Eus Hist li. 2. c. 12. 13. For vvho also seeth not that it maketh no mention of his préaching to any Gentiles at al those fevv onely Act. 10 excepted vvho vvere the first and therefore lest the Gentiles should seeme lesse cared for of God then the Ievves Peter being the Head of al vvas elected of God to incorporate them into the church as before he had done the Ievves God saith he among vs chose that by my mouth the Gentiles should heare the vvord of the Gospel and beleeue and S. Iames therevpon Simon hath told how God first visited to take of the Gentiles a people to his name But othervvise I say here is no mention of Peters preaching to any Gentiles no nor of the other eleuen Apostles Vvil any man therfore inferre that neither Peter nor the other Eleuen preached to any Nation or citie of the Gentiles No the meaning of the Holy ghost vvas not to vvrite al the Actes of al the Apostles no nor the preaching of Peter and his to the Gentiles but onely to the Ievves thereby to set out vnto the vvorld the great mercy of Christ tovvard those vnvvorthy Ievves and consequently their most vvorthy reprobation for coÌ„temning
man standing on the right hand of God ✠verse 57 And they crying out vvith a loude voice stopped their eares vvith one accord ranne violently vpon him ✠verse 58 And casting him forth vvithout the citie they ″ stoned him and the vvitnesses laid of their garments * beside the feete of a yong man that vvas called Saul ✠verse 59 And they stoned Steuen inuocating and saying Lord IESVS receiue my spirit ✠verse 60 And falling on his knees he cried vvith a loude voice saying Lord lay not this sinne vnto them And vvhen he had said this he fel a sleepe And Saul vvas consenting to his death ANNOTATIONS CHAP. VII 33. Holy ground If that apparition of God him self or an Angel could make the place and ground holy and to be vsed of Moyses with al signes of reuerence and feare-how much more the corporal birth abode and wonders of the Sonne of God in Iewrie and his personal presence in the B. Sacrament may make that countrie and al Christian Churches altars holy And it is the greatest blindnes that can be to thinke it superstition to reuerence any things or places in respect of Gods presence or wonderous operation in the same See S. Hierom. ep 17 18. 27. of the holy land 48. Not in houses The vulgar Heretikes alleage this place against the corporal being of Christ in the B. Sacrament in Churches by which reason they might haue driuen him out of al houses Churches and corporal places when he vvas visible in earth But it is meant of the Diuinitie only spoken to correct the carnal Ievves who thought God either so to be conteined compassed and limited to their Temple that he could be no vvhere els or at least that he vvould not heare or receiue mens praiers and sacrifices in the Churches of the Gentiles or els vvhere out of the said Temple And so as it maketh nothing for the Sacramentaries no more doth it serue for such as esteeme Churches and places of publike praier no more conuenient nor more holy then any other profane houses or chambers For though his person or vertue be not limited to any place yet it pleaseth him condescending to our necessitie and profite to vvorke his vvonders and to be vvorshipped of vs in holy places rather then profane 38. They stoned him Read a maruelous narration in S. Augustine of one stone that hitting the Martyr on the elbovv rebounded backe to a faithful man that stood neere Who keeping and carying it vvith him vvas by reuelation vvarned to leaue it at Ancóna in Italie vvherevpon a Church or Memorie of S. Steuen vvas there erected and many miracles done after the said Martyrs body vvas found out and not before Aug. â—o 10 ser 38 de diuersis in edit Paris CHAP. VIII So farre is persecution from preuailing against the Church that by it the Church greweth from Hierusalem into al Ievvrie and Samaria 5 The second of the Deacons Philip conuerteth vvith his miracles the citie it self of Samaria and baptizeth them euen Simon Magus also him self among the rest 14 But the Apostles Peter and Iohn are the Ministers to giue them the Holy Ghost 18 Which ministerie Simon Magus vvould bie of them 16 The same Philip being sent of an Angel to a great man of Aethiopia Who came a Pilgrimage to Hierusalem first catechizeth him 16 and then he professing his faith and desiring Baptisme doth also baptize him verse 1 AND the same day there vvas made a great persecution in the Church vvhich vvas at Hierusalem and al vvere dispersed through the countries of Ievvrie and Samaria sauing the Apostles ✠verse 2 And ″ deuout men tooke order for Steuens funeral and made great mourning vpon him ✠verse 3 But Saul * vvasted the Church entring in from house to house and dravving men and vvomen deliuered them into prison ✠verse 4 They therfore that vvere dispersed passed through euangelizing the vvord ✠verse 5 And Philippe descending into the citie of Samaria preached CHRIST vnto them ✠verse 6 And the multitudes vvere attent to those things vvhich vvere said of Philippe vvith one accord hearing and seing the signes that he did ✠verse 7 For many of them that had vncleane spirits crying vvith a loud voice vvent out And many sicke of the palsey and lame vvere cured ✠verse 8 There vvas made therfore great ioy in that citie ⊢ ✠verse 9 And a certaine man named Simon vvho before had been in that citie a Magician seducing the nation of Samaria saying him self to be some great one ✠verse 10 vnto vvhom al harkened from the least to the greatest saying This man is the povver of God that is called great ✠verse 11 And they vvere attent vpon him because a long time he had bewitched them vvith his magical practises ✠verse 12 But vvhen they had beleeued Philippe euangelizing of the kingdom of God and of the name of IESVS CHRIST they vvere baptized men and vvomen ✠verse 13 Then Simon also him self beleeued and being baptized he cleaued to Philippe Seing also signes and very great miracles to be done he vvas astonied vvith admiration ✠verse 14 And vvhen the Apostles vvho vvere in Hierusalem had heard that Samaria had receiued the vvord of God theysent vnto them Peter Iohn ✠verse 15 Vvho vvhen they vvere come praied for them that they might receiue the holy Ghost ✠verse 16 For he vvas not yet come vpon any of them but they vvere only baptized in the name of our Lord IESVS ✠verse 17 Then did ″ they impose their handes vpon them and they ″ receiued the holy Ghost ⊢ ✠verse 18 And vvhen Simon had seen that by the imposition of the hand of the Apostles the holy Ghost vvas giuen he ″ offered them money ✠verse 19 saying Giue me also this povver that on vvhomsoeuer I impose my handes he may receiue the holy Ghost ✠verse 20 But Peter said to him Thy money be vvith thee vnto perdition because thou hast thought that the gift of God is purchased vvith money ✠verse 21 Thou hast no part nor lot in this vvord For thy hart is not right before God ✠verse 22 ″ Doe penance therfore from this thy vvickednesse and pray to God ″ if perhaps this cogitation of thy hart may be remitted thee ✠verse 23 For I see thou art in the gall of bitternes and the obligation of iniquitie ✠verse 24 And Simon ansvvering said ″ Pray you for me to our Lord that nothing come vpon me of these things vvhich you haue said ✠verse 25 And they in deede hauing testified and spoken the vvord of our Lord returned to Hierusalem and euangelized to many countries of the Samaritans ✠verse 26 And an Angel of our Lord spake to Philippe saying Arise and goe tovvard the South to the vvay that goeth dovvne from Hierusalem into Gaza ″
and Icónium and persvvading the multitudes and * stoning Paul they drevv him out of the citie thinking him to be dead ✠verse 19 But the disciples compassing him round about he rising vp entred into the citie and the next day he vvent forth vvith Barnabas vnto Derbè ✠verse 20 And vvhen they had euangelized to that citie and had taught many they returned to Lystra and Icónium and to Antioche ✠verse 21 confirming the hartes of the disciples and exhorting them to continue in the faith and that by many tribulations vve must enter into the kingdom of God ✠verse 22 And vvhen they ″ had ordained to them ″ Priests in euery Church and had praied vvith fastings they commended them to our Lord in vvhom they beleeued ✠verse 23 And passing through Pisidia they came into Pamphylia ✠verse 24 and speaking the vvord of our Lord in Pergé they vvent dovvne into Attalia ✠verse 25 and from theÌ„ce they sailed to Antioche * vvhence they had been deliuered to the grace of God vnto the vvorke vvhich they accomplished ✠verse 26 And vvhen they vvere come and â—ad assembled the Church they reported vvhat great things God had done vvith them that he had opened a doore of faith to the Gentils ✠verse 27 And they abode no litle time vvith the disciples ANNOTATIONS CHAP. XIIII 12. They vvould sacrifice This loe is the diuine vvorship consisting in external sacrifice and in acknovvledging the parties vvorshipped to be gods vvhich * may be done to no man nor creature and therfore the Apostles refuse it vvith al possible diligence and al the Angels and Saincts in heauen refuse that adoration by sacrifice The Catholike Church suffereth no Priest nor other so to vvorship any Sainct in heauen or earth She hath but one external Sacrifice vvhich is in the holy Masse of Christs body and bloud that she offereth to God alone and neither to Peter nor to Paul saith S. Augustine though the Priest that sacrificeth standeth ouer their bodies and offereth in their memories But other kindes of honours and dueties inferior vvithout al comparison hovv great so euer they be to this vve do as the Scriptures and Nature teache vs to al Superiors in heauen and earth according to the degrees of grace honour and blessednes that God hath called them vnto from our B. Ladie Christs ovvne mother to the lest seruant he hath in the vvorld for vvhich the Heretikes vvould neuer accuse Christian people of Idolatrie if they had either grace learning faith or natural affection â—â— Had ordained The Heretikes to make the vvorld beleeue that al Priests ought to be chosen by the voices of the people and that they neede no other Ordering or Consecration by Bishops pressing the proâ—ane vse of the * Greeke vvord more then the very natural signification requireth and Ecclesiastical vse beareth translate thus Ordained by election Vvhereas in deede this vvord in Scripture signifieth Ordering by imposition of hands as is plaine by other vvordes equiualent Act. 6 13. 1 Tim. 4. â— 2 Tim. 1. Vvhere the Ordering of Deacons Priests and others is called * Imposition of hands not of the people but of the Apostles And this to be the Ecclesiastical vse of the vvord appeareth by S. Hierom saying as is before alleaged that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 iâ— the Ordering of Clerkes or Clergie men by praier of voice and imposition of hand â—â— Priests Euen so here also as before fleing from the proper apt knovven vvord vvhich is most precisely correspondent to the very Greeke in our tongue and al nations they translate for Priest Elder that is for a calling of Office a vvord of age for a terme of art and by consent of al the Church and Apostolike authoritie and Fathers appropriated to holy Order a vulgar common and profane terme Vvith as litle grace as if they should translate Pontificem a bridgemaker the Maior of London the Bigger of London And thus you see vvithin three vvordes compasse they flee guilefully from the Latin to the Greeke and againe guilefully from the Greeke to the vulgar English Such corruption of Scriptures their hatred of Priesthod driueth them vnto If they had translated it so vvhen the Scriptures vvere first vvritten at vvhich time the vvord vvas but nevvly receiued into the special and Ecclesiastical signification and vvhen it vvas yet taken sometimes in common profane sort as 1 Tim. 5. or there only vvhere our auÌ„cient Latin version turneth Presbyter into Senior because the vvord vvas not yet vvholy and only appropriated to holy Orders as aftervvard by vse of many hundred yeres it vvas and is their dealing might haue had some colour of honestâ—e and plainesse vvhich novv can not be but of plaine falshod and corruption and that of further purpose then the simple can see Vvhich is to take avvay the office of Sacrificing and other functions of Priests proper in the nevv TestameÌ„t to such as the Apostles often and the posteritle in maner altogether call Priests Presbyteros Vvhich vvord doth so certainely imply the authoritie of sacrificing that it is by vse made also the onely English of Sacerdos the Aduersaries them selues as vvel as vve so translating it in al the old and nevv Testament though they can not be ignorant that Priest commeth of Presbyter and not of Sacerdos and that antiquitie for no other cause applied the signification of Presbyter to Sacerdos but to shevv that Presbyter is in the nevv Lavv that vvhich Sacerdos vvas in the old the Apostles abstaining from this and other like old names at the first and rather vsing the vvordes Bishops Pastors and Priests because they might be distinguished from the Gouernours and sacrificers of Aarons order vvho as yet in the Apostles time did their old functions still in the Temple And this to be true and that to be a Priest is to be a man appointed to sacrifice the Heretikes them selues calling Sacerdos alvvaies a Priest must needes be driuen to confesse Although their folly is therein notorious to apply vvillngly the vvord Priest to Sacerdos and to take it from Presbyter vvhereof it is properly deriued not only in English but in other languages both french and Italian Vvhich is to take avvay the name that the Apostles and fathers gaue to the Priests of the Church to giue it vvholy onely to the order of Aaron vvhich neuer had it before our Priesthod began Neuer did there Heretikes stand so much vpon doubtful deriuations and descant of vvordes as these Protestants do and yet neuer men behaued them selues more fondly in the same as vvhosoeuer marketh the distinction of their Elders Ministers Deacons and such like shal perceiue CHAP. XV. Some of those Ievves also that vvere Christians do fall and are authors of the Heresie of Iudaizing 2 They referre the matter to Councel 7 Wherein after great disputation Peter striking the stroke
verse 8 For the vvhich cause ″ I beseeche you that you confirme charitie tovvard him ✠verse 9 For therfore also haue I written that I may knovv the experiment of you vvhether in al things you be ″ obedient ✠verse 10 And vvhom you haue pardoned any thing ″ I also For my self also that vvhich I pardoned if I pardoned any thing ″ for you ″ in the person of Christ ✠verse 11 that vve be not ″ circumuented of Satan for vve are not ignorant of his cogitations ✠verse 12 And vvhen I vvas come to Troas for the Gospel of Christ and a doore vvas opened vnto me in our Lord ✠verse 13 I had no rest in my spirit for that I found not Titus my brother but bidding them fare vvel I vvent forth into Macedonia ✠verse 14 And thankes be to God vvho alvvaies triumpheth vs in Christ IESVS and manifesteth the odour of his knovvledge by vs in euery place ✠verse 15 For vve are the good odour of Christ vnto God in them that are saued and in them that perish ✠verse 16 To some in deede the odour of death vnto death but to others the odour of life vnto life And to these things vvho is so sufficient ✠verse 17 For vve are not as very many ″ adulterating the vvord of God but of sinceritie and as of God before God in Christ vve speake ANNOTATIONS CHAP. II. â— This rebuke sufficeth This Corinthian for incest vvas excommunicated and put to penance by the Apostle as appeareth in the former Epistle c. 5. And here order is giuen for his absolution and pardoning Vvherein first vve haue a plaine example and proofe of the Apostolike povver there of binding and here of loosing there of punishing here of pardoning there of retaining sinnes here of remission Secondly vve may hereby proue that not onely amendment ceasing to sinne or repentance in hart and before God alone is alvvaies ynough to obteine ful reconcilement vvhereas vve see here his separation also from the faithful and the Sacraments and from al companie or dealing vvith other Christian men besides other bodily affliction al vvhich called of the Apostle before interitus carnis the destruction of the flesh and named here Rebuke or as the * Greeke word also importeth mulct penaltie correction chastisment were enioyned him by the Apostles commaundement in the face of the Church and by the offender patiently susteined so long Thirdly we see that it lieth in he handes of the Apostles Bishops and spiritual Magistrates to measure the time of such penance or discipline not onely according to the weight of the offence committed but also according to the weaknes of the persons punished and other respectes of time and place as to their wisedom shal be thought most agreable to the parties good and the Churches edification Lastly by this vvhole hardling of the offenders case we may refute the vvicked heresie of the Protestants that vvould make â—he simple beleeue no punishment of a mans ovvne person for sinnes coÌ„mitted nor penance enioyned by the Church nor any paines temporal or satisfaction for our life past to be necessarie but al such things to be superfluous because Christ hath satisfied ynough for all Vvhich Epicurian doctrine is refelled not onely hereby but also by the Prophets Iohn the Baptistes Christes and the Apostles preaching of penance and condigne workes or fruites of repentance to euery man in his ovvne person and not in Christes person onely and by the vvhole life and most plaine speaches and penitential canons of the holy doctors and Councels prescribing times of penance commending penance enioyning penance and continually vsing the word satisfaction in this case through out al their vvorkes as our Aduersaries them selues can not but confesse 8. I beseche you They vvhich at the beginning did beare to much vvith the offender and seemed Ioâ—h to haue him excommunicated in so austere maner yet through their obedience to the Apostle became on the other side so rigorous and so farre detested the malefactor after he vvas excommunicated that the Apostle novv meaning to absolue him vvas glad to intreate and commaund them also to accept him to their companie and grace againe 9. Obedient Though in the last chapter he discharged him self of tyrannical dominion ouer them yet he chalengeth their obedience in al things as their Pastor and Superior and consequently in this point of receiuing to mercie the penitent Corinthian Vvhereby vve see that as the power and authoritie of excommunicating so of absoluing also vvas in S. Paules person though both vvere to be done in the face of the Church els he vvould not haue commaunded or required their obedience 10. I also The Heretikes and others not vvel founded in the Scriptures and antiquitie maruel at the Popes pardons counting them either fruitles or vnlavvful or no elder then S. Gregorie But in deede the authoritie power and right of them is of Christes ovvne vvord and commission principally giuen to Peter and so aftervvard to al the Apostles and in their persons to al the cheefe Pastors of the Church vvhen it vvas said Whatsoeuer you loose in earth shal be loosed in heauen By vvhich commission the holy Bishops of old did cut of large peeces of penance enioyned to offenders and gaue peace grace or indulgence * before they had accomplished the measure of their appointed or deserued punishment and that is to giue pardon And so S. Paul here did tovvardes the Corinthian vvhom he assoiled of mere grace and mercie as the vvord donare or â—endonare doth signifie when he might longer haue kept him in penance and temporall affliction for his offence Vvherof though he had already before God invvardly repented yet vvas he iustly holden vnder this correction for some satisfaction of his fault past during the Apostles pleasure To remit then the temporal punishment or chastisment due to sinners after the offence it self and the guilt therof be forgiuen of God is an Indulgence or pardon vvhich the principal Magistrates of Gods Church by Christes vvarrant and the Apostles example haue euer done being no lesse authorised to pardon then to punish and by imitation of our Maister who forgaue * the aduouteresse and diuers other offenders not only their sinnes but also often the temporal punishments due for the same are as much giuen to mercie as to iustice 10. For you Theodorete vpon this place saith that the Apostle gaue this pardon to the Corinthian at the intercession of the blessed men Timotheus and Titus And we may read in sundrie places of S. Cyprian namely that Indulgences or remissions vvere giuen in the primitiue Church by the mediation of holy Confessors or Martyrs and by coÌ„municating the satisfactorie vvorkes of one to another to vvhich end they gaue their letters to Bishops in the behalfe of diuers their ChristiaÌ„ brethreÌ„ a thing most agreable to the
according to the purpose of him that vvorketh al things according to the counsel of his vvil ✠verse 12 that vve may be vnto the praise of his glorie vvhich before haue hoped in Christ ✠verse 13 in vvhom you also vvhen you had heard the vvord of truth the Gospel of your saluation in vvhich also beleeuing you vvere signed vvith the holy Spirit of promis ✠verse 14 vvhich is the pledge of our inheritance to the redemption of acquisition vnto the praise of his glorie ✠verse 15 Therfore I also hearing your faith that is in our Lord IESVS and loue tovvard al the sainctes ✠verse 16 cease not to giue thankes for your making a memorie of you in my praiers ✠verse 17 that God of our Lord IESVS Christ the father of glorie giue you the spirit of vvisedom and of reuelation in the knovvledge of him ✠verse 18 the eies of your hart illuminated that you may knovv vvhat the hope is of his vocation and vvhat are the riches of the glorie of his inheritance in the sainctes ✠verse 19 and vvhat is the passing greatnes of his povver tovvard vs that beleeue according to the operation of the might of his povver ✠verse 20 vvhich he vvrought in Christ raising him vp from the dead and setting him on his right hand in celestials ✠verse 21 aboue ″ al Principalitie Potestate Power and Domination and euery name that is named not only in this vvorld but also in that to come ✠verse 22 And he hath * subdued al things vnder his feete and hath made him ″ head ouer al the CHVRCH ✠verse 23 vvhich is his body the fulnes of him vvhich is filled al in al. ANNOTATIONS CHAP. I. 21. Al Principalitie The Fathers vpon this and other places of the old and new Testament vvhere they finde the orders of holy Angels or spirites named agree that there be nine orders of them Of vvhich some be here counted and called as vve see in the Epistle to the Colossians the order of Thrones is specified vvhich maketh fiue to vvhich if vve adde these foure Cherubim Seraphim Angels and Archangels vvhich are commonly named in holy vvrite in al there be nine S. Denys coel Hier. c. 7. 8. 9. Ec. Hier. c. 1. S. Athanas li de Communi essent in fine Gregor Moral li. 32. c. 18. Therfore good Reader make no accoumpt of * Caluins and others infidelitie vvhich blasphemously blame and condemne the holy doctors diligence in this point of curiousitie and impietie The vvhole endeuour of these heretikes is to bring al into doubt and to corrupt euery Article of our Religion 22. Head It maketh a high proofe among the Protestants that no man can be head of the Church because it is a calling and dignitie proper to Christ But in truth by as good reason there should be no king nor lord because He is king and lord neither should there be Bishop or Pastor because he is the Bishop and Pastor of our soules nor Pontifex nor Apostle for by those titles S. Paul termeth him Hebr. 3 none should be piller foundation rocke light or maister of the Church or truth because Christ is properly al these And yet our nevv doctors though they be exceding seditious and vvould for the aduantage of their sect be gladly ridde of kings and al other Superiors temporal if they feared not the sword more then God and vvould finde as good Scriptures to be deliuered of them as they now finde to discharge them selues of obedience to Popes yet I say they vvil not deny al the former titles and dignities notvvithstanding Christes soueraine right in the same to be giuen and communicated to the Princes and Magistrates of the earth both spiritual and temporal though Christ in a more diuine ample absolute excellent and transcendent sort haue al these things attributed or appropriated to him self So then though he be the head of the Church and the onely head in such soueraine and principal maner as no earthly man or mere creature euer is or can be and it ioyned to the Church in a more excellent sort of coniunction then any king is to his subiects or Countrie or any Pope or Prelate to the Church vvhereof he is gouernour euen so farre that it is called his body Mystical life motion spirit grace issuing dovvne from him to it and the members of the same as from the head of the natural body though in this sort we say no man can be head but Christ nor the Church be body to any but to Christ yet the Pope may be the ministerial head that is to say the cheefe Gouernour Pastor and Prelate of the same and may be his Vicar or Vicegerent in the regiment of that part vvhich is in earth as S. Hierom calleth Damasus the Pope Summum Sacerdotem the cheefe and highest Priest and the Apostle saith of this ministerial head The head can not say to the feete you are not necessarie for me For therein also is a great difference betvvene Christ and euery mortal I relate that as the Apostle here saith he is head of the vvhole Church meaning of the triumphaÌ„t of al Angels also though in an other sort no lesse theÌ„ of the Church militaÌ„t So Peter vvas not nor any Pope nor any man can be Where you must obserue that for this soueraine preeminence of Christ in this case the Church is not called the body mystical of any Gouernour Peter Paul or vvhat Prelate or Pope so euer CHAP. II. He putteth them in minde of their vnvvorthines before they vvere Christians that al the praise may be giuen to the grace of God 11 and of the enmitie that vvas thâ—â— betvvene the Ievv and the Gentil 〈◊〉 vntil nevv that Christ by his Crosse hath made both one taking avvay the ceremâ—nies of the Lavv and making one body and building one holy Temple of al in his Catholike Church verse 1 AND you vvhen you vvere dead by your offenses sinnes ✠verse 2 vvherein sometime you vvalked according to the course of this vvorld according to the * prince of the povver of this aire of the spirit that novv vvorketh on the childreÌ„ of diffidence ✠verse 3 in vvhom also vve al conuersed sometime in the desires of our flesh doing the vvil of the flesh and of thoughtes and vvere by nature the children of vvrath as also the rest ✠verse 4 but God vvhich is riche in mercie for his exceding charitie vvhervvith he loued vs ✠verse 5 euen vvhen vve vvere dead by sinnes quickened vs together in Christ by vvhose grace you are saued ✠verse 6 and raised vs vp vvith him and hath made vs sit vvith him in the celestials in Christ IESVS ✠verse 7 that he might shevv in the vvorldes succeding the aboundant riches of his grace in bountie vpon vs in Christ IESVS ✠verse 8 For by ″ grace you are saued
say alvvaies Dimitte noâ—is debita nostra Forgiue vs our detes August li. 2. Retract c. 18. 29. At Christ the Church It is an vnspeakable dignitie of the CHVRCH vvhich the Apostle expresseth often els vvhere but specially in this vvhole passage to be that creature onely for vvhich Christ effectually suffered to be vvashed and embrued vvith vvater and bloud issuing out of his holy side to be nourished vvith his ovvne body for so doth S. Irenaeus expound li 5. in principio to be his members to be so ioyned vnto him as the body and members of the same flesh bone and substance to the head to be loued and cherished of him as vvife of husband yea to be his vvife and most deere spouse taken and formed as S. Augustine often saith out of his ovvne side vpon the Crosse as Eue our first father Adams spouse vvas made of his tibbe In Psal 126. in Psal 127. tract 9 in Ioan. tract 120. In respect of vvhich great dignitie and excellencie the same holy father affirmeth the CHVRCH to be the principal creature and therfore named in the Creede next after the Holy Ghost and he proueth against the Macedonians the Holy Ghost to be God because he is named before the Church in the confession of our faith Of vvhich Incomparable excellencie of the Church so beloued of Christ and so inseparatly ioyned in mariage vvith him if the Heretikes of our time had any sense or consideration they vvould neither thinke their coÌ„temptible companie or coÌ„gregation to be the glorious spouse of our Lord nor teach that the Church may erre that is to say may be diuorced from her spouse for Idolatrie superstition Heresie or other abominations Vvherevpon one of these absurdities vvould ensue that either Christ may sometimes be vvithout a Church spouse in earth as he vvas al the vvhile there vvere no Caluinists if their Church be the spouse of Christ or els if the Catholike Church onely is and hath been his vvife and the same haue such errors as the Heretikes falsely pretend that his vvife so deere and so praised here is notvvithstanding a very vvhoore Vvhich horrible absurdities proue and conuince to any man of common sense both that the Catholike Church alvvaies is and that it teacheth truth alvvaies and to honour God truely and sincerely alvvaies vvhatsoeuer the adulterous generation of Heretikes thinke or blaspheme â—â— This is a great Sacrament Mariage a great SacrameÌ„t of Christ and his Church prefigured in the first pareÌ„ts Adam saith S. Augustine tract 15 in Io. vvho vvas a forme or figure of him that vvas to come yea rather God in him gaue vs a great token of a Sacrament For both he deserued sleeping to take a vvise and of his ribbs his vvife vvas made vnto him because of Christ sleeping on the Crosse the Church vvas to be made out of his side In an other place he maketh Matrimonie a SacrameÌ„t of Christ and his Church in that that as the maried maÌ„ must forsake father mother and cleaue vnto his vvife so Christ as it vvere left his father exiâ—anâ—â—ing him self by his incarnatioÌ„ left the Synagogue his mother ioyned him self to the Church Li. 12 c. 8. cont Faustum In diuers other places he maketh it also a Sacrament specially in that it is an inseparable bond betvvixt tvvo and that can neuer be dissolued but by death signifying Christs perpetual and indissoluble coniunction vvith the Church his one onely spouse de Gen. ad lit li. 9 c. 7. Cont Pelag. de pec orig li. 2. c. 34. De fid et ep c. 7. De bono coniug c. 7. 18. And in an other place The good of Mariage saith he among the people of God is in the holines of a Sacrament De bono coÌ„iugali c. 24. Vvho vvould haue thought such mysteries and SacrameÌ„ts to be in Mariage that the ioyning of man vvife together should represent so great a myserie if the Apostle him self after him this holy father and others had not noted it or vvho can maruel that the holy Church taketh this to be a Sacrament and to giue grace of sanctification to the parties maried that they may liue together in mutual fidelitie bring vp their children in faith aud feare of God and possesse their vessel as the Apostle speaketh in sanctification and honour and not in passion of lust and ignominie as the Heathen do vvhich knovv not God and as our brutish nevv Maisters seeme to do that commend mariage aboue al things so farre as it feedeth their concupiscences but for grace Sacrament mysterie or sanctification thereby they care no more then the Heathen or brute beastes do And thus vve gather that matrimonie is a Sacrament and not of the Greeke vvord Mysterie onely as Caluin falsely saith not of the Latin vvord Sacrament both vvhich vve knovv haue of their nature a more general signification and that in the Scriptures also but vvhereas these names are here giuen to Matrimonie by the Apostle are not giuen in the Scriptures to Baptisme and the Eucharist let them tel vs vvhy they also apply these vvordes from their general signification to signifie specially and peculiarly those tvvo SacrameÌ„ts neuer so named expresly in Scripture and do not likevvise folovv the Catholike Church in calling matrimonie by the same name vvhich is here so called of the Apostle specially vvhereas the signification in it is as great as in any other of the Sacraments and rather greater CHAP. VI. Likevvise children and parents he exhorteth â— item seruants and maisters 〈◊〉 Then that al take courage in the might of God but so that vvithal they armâ— them selue considering vvhat mightie enemies they haue vvith al peeces of spiritual armour◠〈◊〉 praying alvvaies feruently and for him also verse 1 CHILDREN obey your parents in our Lord. for this is iust ✠verse 2 Honour thy father and thy mother vvhich is the first commaundement in the promis ✠verse 3 that it may be vvel vvith thee and thou maiest be long-liued vpon the earth ✠verse 4 And you fathers prouoke not your children to anger but bring them vp in the discipline and correption of our Lord. ✠verse 5 * Seruants be obedient to your lordes according to the flesh with feare and trembling in the simplicitie of your hart as to Christ ✠verse 6 not seruing to the eie as it vvere pleasing men but as the seruants of Christ doing the vvil of God froÌ„ the hart ✠verse 7 vvith a good vvil seruing as to our Lord and not to men ✠verse 8 Knovving that euery one vvhat good soeuer he shal doe that shal he receiue of our Lord vvhether he be bond or free ✠verse 9 And you maisters doe the same things to them remitting threatenings knovving that both their Lord and yours is in heauen and * acception of persons is not
the sacrifice of Christes body and bloud and al the sacraments and graces giuen by the same is named the Nevv mandatum for vvhich our forefathers called the Thursday in the holy vveke Maundy thursday because that in it the new law and Testament was dedicated in the Chalice of his bloud the old mandatum law Priesthod and sacrifices for that they vvere insufficient and vnperfect being taken avvay and this new sacrifice after the order of Melchisedec giuen in the place thereof 19. The introduction Euer obserue that the abrogation of the old law is not an abolishing of al Priesthod of al Priesthod but an introductiō of a new conteining the hope of eternal things vvhere the old had but temporal 21. With an othe This othe signifieth the infallible and absolute promis of the eternitie of the new Priesthod and state of the Church Christ by his death and bloud shed in the sacrifice of the Crosse confirming it sealing it and making him self the surety and pledge therof For though the new Testament vvas instituted giuen and dedicated in the Supper yet the vvarrant confirmation and eternal operation therof vvas atchieued vpon the Crosse in the one oblation and one general and euer lasting redemption there made 23. Being many The Protestants not vnderstanding this place feine very folishly that the Apostle should make this difference betvvixt the old state and the new that in the old there were many Priests in the new none at all but Christ Which is against the Prophet Esay specially prophecying of the Priests of the new Testament as S. Hierom declareth vpon the same place in these vvordes You shal be called the Priests of God the ministers of our God shal it be said to your it taketh away al visible Priesthod consequently the lawful state that the Church and Gods people haue in earth vvith al Sacraments and external vvorship The Apostle then meaneth first that the absolute sacrifice of cōsummation perfection and vniuersal redemption vvas but one once done and by one onely Priest done and therfore it could not be any of the sacrifices or al the sacrifices of the Iewes law or vvrought by any or by all of them because they vvere a number at once and succeding one an other euery of their offices and functions ending by their death and could not vvorke such an eternal redemption as by Christ onely vvas vvrought vpon the Crosse Secondly S. Paul insinuateth therevpon that Christ neuer loseth the dignitie or practise of his eternal Priesthod by death nor othervvise neuer yeldeth it vp to any neuer hath successors after him that may enter into his roome or right of Priesthod as Aaron and al other had in the Leuitical Priesthod but that him self vvorketh and concurreth vvith his ministers the Priests of the new Testament in al their actes of Priesthod as vvel of sacrifice as Sacrament blessing preaching praying and the like vvhat so euer This therfore vvas the fault of the Hebrues that they did not acknowledge their Leuitical sacrifices and Priesthod to be reformed and perfited by Christes sacrifice on the Crosse and against them the Apostle onely disputeth and not against our Priests of holy Church or the number of them vvho al confesse their Priesthod and al exercises of the same to depend vpon Christes onely perpetual Priesthod 27. This did he once This is the special preeminence of Christ that the offereth for other mens sinnes onely hauing none of his owne to offer for as al other Priests both of the old and new law haue And this againe is the special dignitie of his owne person not communicable to any other of vvhat order of Priesthod so euer that he by his death which is the onely oblation that is by the Apostle declared to be irreiterable in it self paied the one full sufficient ransom for the redemption of all sinnes CHAP. VIII Out of the same Psalme 109 he vrgeth this also Sit thou on my right hand shevving that the Leuitical tabernacle on earth vvas but a shadovv of his true Tabernacle in heauen vvithout vvhich he should not be a Priest at all 6 Vvhereas he is of a better Priesthod the◠they as also he proueth by the excellencie of the nevv Testament aboue the old verse 1 BVT the summe concerning those things vvhich be said is Vve haue such an high priest vvho is sette on the right hand of the seate of maiestie in the heauens ✠verse 2 a minister of the holies and of the true tabernacle vvhich our Lord pight not man ✠verse 3 For euery high priest is appointed to offer giftes and hostes vvherfore it is ″ necessarie that he also haue some thing that he may offer ✠verse 4 ″ if then he vvere vpon the earth neither vvere he a priest vvhereas there vvere that did offer giftes according to the Lavv ✠verse 5 that serue the exampler shadow of ″ heauenly things As it vvas ansvvered Moyses vvhen he finished the tabernacle * See quod he that thou make al things according to the exampler vvhich vvas shevved thee in the mount ✠verse 6 But novv he hath obtained a better ministerie by so much as he is mediatour of a better testament vvhich is established in better promises ✠verse 7 For if that former had been void of fault there should not certes a place of a secōd been sought ✠verse 8 For blaming them he saith Behold the daies shal come saith our Lord and I vvil consummate vpon the house of Israel and vpon the house of Iuda a nevv Testament ✠verse 9 not according to the testament vvhich I made to their fathers in the day that I tooke their hand to bring them out of the land of Aegypt because they did not continue in my testament and I neglected them saith our Lord. ✠verse 10 For this is the testament vvhich I vvil dispose to the house of Israel after those daies saith our Lord Giuing my lavves ″ into their minde in their hart vvil I superscribe them and I vvil be ″ their God and they shal be my people ✠verse 11 and eueryone ″ shall not teach his neighbour and euery one his brother saying Knovv our Lord because al shal knovv me from the lesser to the greater of them ✠verse 12 because I wil be merciful to their iniquities their sinnes I wil not now remember ✠verse 13 And in saying a nevv the former he hath made old And that vvhich grovveth auncient and vvaxeth old is nigh to vtter decay ANNOTATIONS CHAP. VIII 3. Necessarie that he also Euen now being in heauen because he is a Bishop and Priest he must needes haue somewhat to offer and vvherein to do sacrifice and that not in spiritual sort onely for that could not make him a Priest of any certaine order And it is most false and vvicked to hold vvith the Caluinistes that Melchisedecks Priesthod
vvas vvholy spiritual For then Christs death vvas not a corporal external visible and truely named sacrifice neither could Christ or Melchisedec be any otherwise a Priest then euery faithful man is vvhich to hold as the Caluinists folowing their owne doctrine must needes do is directly against the Scriptures and no lesse against Christes one oblation of his body vpon the Crosse then it is against the daily sacrifice of his body vpon the altar Therfore he hath a certaine host in external and proper maner to make perpetual oblation thereby in the Church for visible and external act of sacrificing in heauen he doth not exercise 4. If vpon the earth It is by his death and resurrection to life againe that his body is become apt and fitte in such diuine sort to be sacrificed perpetually For if he had liued in mortal sort still that vvay of mystical representation of breaking his body and separating the bloud from the same could not haue been agreable and so the Church and Christian people should haue lacked a priesthod and sacrifice Christ him self should not haue been a Priest of a peculiar order but either must haue offered in the things that Aarons Priests did or els haue been no Priest at all For to haue offered onely spiritually as all faithful men do that could not be ynough for his vocation and our redemption and state of the new Testament How his flesh vvas made fit to be offered and eaten in the B. Sacrament by his death see Isychius li. 1 in leuit cap. 2. 5. Heauenly things As the Church or state of the new Testament is commonly called Regnum coelorum Dei in the Scriptures so these heauenly things be probably taken by learned men for the mysteries of the new Testament And it seemeth that the paterne giuen to Moyses to frame his tabernacle by vvas the Church rather then the heauens them selues al S. Paules discourse tending to shew the difference betwixt the new Testament and the old and not to make comparison betwene the state of heauen and the old law Though incidently because the condition of the new Testament more neerely resembleth the same then the old state doth he sometime may speake somewhat therof also 10. Into their minde This also and the rest folowing is fulfilled in the Church and is the proper effect of the new Testament vvhich is the grace and spirit of loue graffed in the hartes of the faithful by the holy Ghost vvorking in the Sacraments and sacrifice of the new law to that effecte 10. Their God This mutual couenant made betwixt God and the faithful is that vvhich vvas dedicated and established first in the chalice of his bloud called therfore the nevv Testament in his bloud and vvhich vvas straight after ratified by the death of the â—â—stator vpon the Crosse 11. Shal not teach So it vvas in the primitiue Church in such specially as vvere the first founders of our new state in Christ And that vvhich vvas verified in the Apostles and other principal men the Apostle speaketh generally as though it vvere so in the vvhole as S. Peter applieth the like out of Ioël and our Sauiour so speaketh vvhen he saith that such as beleeue in him shal vvorke miracles of diuers sortes Christian men then must not abuse this place to make chalenge of new inspirations and so great knowledge that they neede no Scriptures or teaching in this life as some Heretikes doe vvith much like reason and shew of Scriptures as the Protestants haue to refuse external sacrifice And it is no lesse phantastical madnesse to deny external sacrifice sacraments or Priesthod then it is to abolish teaching and preaching CHAP. IX In the old Testament that secular Sanctuarie had tvvo partes the one signifying that time vvith the ceremonies therof for the emundation of the flesh the other signifying heauen vvhich then vvas shut vntil our High priest Christ entered into it and that vvith his ovvne bloud shed for the emundation of our consciences Wherevpon he concludeth the excellencie of his tabernacle and host aboue the old 25 Noting also the differences that he entered but once so effectual vvas that one blouddy offering of himself for euer vvheras the Leuitical High priest entered euery yere once verse 1 THE former also in deede had iustificatioÌ„s of seruice and a secular sanctuarie ✠verse 2 For the tabernacle vvas made the first vvherin vvere the candlestickes and the table and the proposition of Ioaues vvhich is called Holy ✠verse 3 But after the second vele the tabernacle vvhich is called Sancta Sanctorum ✠verse 4 hauing a golden censar and the arke of the testameÌ„t couered about on euery part vvith gold in the vvhich vvas ″ a golden potte hauing Manna and the rod of Aaron that had blossomed * the tables of the testament ✠verse 5 and ouer it vvere * the ″ Cherubins of glorie ouers had ovving the propitiatorie of vvhich things it is not needeful to speake novv particularly ✠verse 6 But these things being so ordered in the first tabernacle in deede the priests alvvaies entered accoÌ„plishing offices of the sacrifices ✠verse 7 But in the second * once a yere the high priest only not vvithout bloud vvhich he offereth for his ovvne and the peoples ignorance ✠verse 8 the holy Ghost signifying this that the vvay of the holies was not yet manifested the former tabernacle as yet standing ✠verse 9 vvhich is a parable of the time present according to vvhich are offered giftes and hostes vvhich can not concerning the conscience make perfect him that serueth ✠verse 10 onely in meates and in drinkes and diuerse baptismes and iustices of the flesh laid on them ″ vntil the time of correction ✠verse 11 But Christ assisting an high Priest of the good things to come by a more ample and more perfect tabernacle not made vvith hand that is not of this creation ✠verse 12 neither by the bloud of goates or of calues but by his ovvne bloud entered in once into the Holies ″ eternal redemption being found ⊢ ✠verse 13 For * if the bloud of goates and of oxen the ashes of an heifer being sprinkled sanctifieth the polluted to the cleansing of the flesh ✠verse 14 hovv much more hath ' the bloud of Christ vvho by the holy Ghost offered himself vnspotted vnto God cleansed ' our conscience from dead vvorkes to serue the liuing God ✠verse 15 And therfore he is the mediatour of the nevv Testament that death being a meane vnto the redemption ″ of these preuarications vvhich vvere vnder the former testament they that are called may receiue the promise of eternal inheritance ⊢ ✠verse 16 For * vvhere there is a testament the death of the testatour must of necessitie come betvvene ✠verse 17 For a testament is confirmed in
temporal commodities sake either coiâ—ath or folovveth nevv opinions S. August li. de Vtil â—red cap. 1. And lastly by the resemblance they haue vvith the auncient and notorious Schismatike Corè and his companions vvho forsooke the ordinarie Priesthod appointed by God and would needes doe sacrifice them selues without lavvful calling Such in deede be al Heretikes and such be al their sacraments seruice and offices in their Church as Cores vvere in his schismatical tabernacles And as pride vvas the cause of his reuolting from the obedience of Moyses and Aaron his Priests and true Gouernours so is intolerable pride the cause of al Heretikes forsaking their lavvful Pastors and Rulers and namely of forsaking Christes owne Vicar in earth our true Aaron as S. Bernard calleth him De consid li. 2. cap. 8. To al such forsakers the Apostle here giueth the curse and Va due to the said three Cain Balaam and Corè and telleth them that the storme of darkenes and eternal damnation is prouided for them most liuely describing al Heretikes as in some vve to our woe haue experience by their maners in our daies in al this passage euen to the end of the epistle 19. These are they vvhich segregate them selues The conditions in the later daies that is euer since Christs time not of these onely of our age For there were many that forsooke Gods Church and segregated them selues from the fellowship of the faithful euen in the primitiue Church that vve may the lesse maruel at these mens segregating them selues and going out from the rest into seueral sectes which S. Augustine therfore calleth Segregations THE ARGVMENT OF THE APOCALYPSE OF S. IOHN THAT vvhich the old Testament foretold of Christ him self the Apostles could report the fulfilling thereof in the nevv Testament by vvay of an historie euen from his Conception to his Glorification But of his Church they could not doe the like because in their time it did but beginne being to continue long after them euen to the end of the vvorld and then at length to be glorified as Christ her Spouse alreadie is Herevpon God vvould haue S. Luke to report in the Actes of the Apostles the storie of the Churches beginning and for the rest of it to the end that vve might receiue this benefite also by the Apostles handes he vvould S. Iohn to tell vs of it in this booke by vvay of a prophecie Of vvhich booke S. Hierome saith The Apocalypse of S. Iohn hath as many sacrament or mysteries as vvordes Yea more then that In euery vvord there are hid manifold and sundrie senses Therfore it is very litle that can here be noted in respect Yet to giue the good Catholike vvhose comfort is here some litle helpe the booke may be deuided into fiue partes The first after the Proâ—â—me conteineth seuen Epistles from Christ novv in glorie to seuen Churches of Asia or for these he maketh al one to the seuen Bishops of those Churches meaning no to those only but to al his Churches Bishops throughout the vvorld saying therefore in euery one of them to al in general He that hath an eare let him heare vvhat the Spirit saith to the Churches As also in euery one he exhorteth vs to fight manfully in this spiritual vvarfare of ours against sinne for the victorie and in euery one accordingly promiseth vs a revvard in heauen But before this in the beginning of euery one be partly commendeth partly reprehendeth and exhorteth to penance Vvhere this is much to be noted and feared that among so many he reproueth somevvhat in al saue only in tvvo vvhich are the second the sixt In the beginning also of euery one he taketh some peece out of the apparition going before to frame thereof his slyle agreably to the matter of eche Epistle After this admonition to Pastors and their flockes the second part folovveth vvherein the Church and vvhole course thereof from the beginning to the end is expressed in the opening of a booke in Gods hand and the seuen seales thereof by Christ for the vvhich he seeth praise sung novv in heauen and earth not only to the Godhead as before but also after a nevv manner to Christ according to his Manhod And here vvhen he is come to the opening of the last seale signifying Domesday he letteth that matter alone for a vvhile and to speake more fully yet of the said course of the Church he bringeth in an other pagent as it vvere of seuen Angels vvith seuen Trumpets The effect of both the Seales Trumpets in this That the Church beginning and proceding there should be raised against it cruel persecutions and pestilent heresies and at length after al heresies a certaine most blasphemous Apostasie being the next preparatiue to the comming of Antichrist After al vvhich Antichrist him self in person shal appeare in the time of the sixt seale and sixt trumpet persecuting and seducing for the short time of his reigne more then al before him The Church notvvithstanding shal still continue and vvade through al because Christ her Spouse is stronger then al these aduersaries vvho also straight after the said sixt time shal in the seuenth come in maiestie and iudge al. Of the vvhich iudgement differring yet a vvhile to speake at large he doth first in the third part intreate more fully of the Deuils vvorking by Antichrist and his companie against the Church that the iustice of Christ aftervvard in iudging may be more manifest At length therefore in the fourth part he commeth to the seuen last plagues the seuenth of them conteining the final damnation of the vvhole multitude societie or corps of the vvicked from the beginning of the vvorld to the end Vvhich multitude in the Gospel and first Epistle of this same S. Iohn as also in the other Scriptures commonly is often called Mundus the vvorld and here he calleth it partly Meretricem a vvhore or harlot because vvith her concupiscence she entiseth the carnal and earthly men avvay from God partly Ciuitatem Babylon the Citie of Babylon because it maketh vvarre against Hierusalem the Citie of God and laboureth to hold Gods people captiue in sinne as it vvas shadovved in Nabuchodonosor his Babylonias leading and holding the Ievves vvith their Hierusalem in captiuitie vntil Cyrus in figure of Christ deliuered them But vvhether al these seuen plagues should be vnderstood as the seuenth of Domesday it self it is hard to define More like it is that the first sixe are to goe before Domesday but vvhether corporally and literally so as Moyses plagued Egypt or rather spiritually it is more hard to define Yet it seemeth more easie to vnderstand them corporally as also the plagues vvherevvith Elias and his fellovv shal in the time of Antichrist plague the vvicked vvhich peraduenture shal be the same last plagues vvhere of vve reade in this booke c. 11. v. 6. But not content to haue described
of the last iudgement but of the Sees or Consistories of Bishops and Prelates and of the Prelates them selues by vvhom the Church is novv gouerned As the iudgement here giuen can be taken no othervvise better then of that vvhich vvas said by our Sauior Mat. 18. Whatsoeuer you binde in earth shal be bound in heauen and therfore the Apostle saith What haue I to doe to iudge of them that are vvith out 4. And the soules He meaneth saith S. Augustine in the place alleaged the soules of Martyrs that they shal in the meane time during those thousand yeres vvhich is the time of the Church militant be in heauen vvithout their bodies and reigne vvith Christ for the soules saith he of the godly departed are not separated from the Church vvhich is euen novv the kingdom of Christ for els there should be kept no memorie of them as the altar of God in the communicating of the body of Christ neither should it auaile to hasten to Baptisme in the perils of death for feare of ending our life vvithout it nor to hasten to be reconciled if vve fortune for penence or of il conscience to be separated from the same body And vvhy are al these things done but for that the faithful departed also be members of the Church And though for an example the Martyrs be onely named here yet it is meanâ— of others also that die in the state of grace 5. The rest liued not The rest vvhich are not of the happie number aforesaid but liued and died in sinne reigne not vvith Christ in their soules during this time of the nevv Testament but are dead in soule spiritually and in body naturally til the day of iudgement S. August ibidem 3. This is the first resurrection As there be tvvo regenerations one by faith vvhich is novv in Baptisme and an other according to the flesh vvhen at the later day the body shal be made immortal and incorruptible so there are tvvo resurrections the one novv of the soules to saluation vvhen they die in grace vvhich is called the first the other of the bodies at the later day S. August liâ— 20 de Ciuiâ— c. 6. 6. They shal be Priests It is not spoken saith S. Augustine li. 20 de Ciuit. c. 10 of Bishops and Priestâ— onely vvhich are properly novv in the Church called Priests but as vve call al Christians for the mystical Chrisme or ointment so al Priests because they are the members of one Priest of vvhom the Apostle Peter saith A holy people a kingly Priesthod Vvhich vvordes be notable for their learning that thinke there be none properly called Priests novv in the nevv Testament no othervvise then al Christian men and vvomen and a confusion to them that therfore haue turned the name Priests into Ministers 7. Satan shal be loosed In the vvhole 8 chapter of the said 20 booke de Ciuitate Dei in S. Augustine is a notable commentarie of these vvordes Vvhere first he declareth that neither this binding nor loosing of Satan is in respect of seducing or not seducing the Church of God prouing that vvhether he be bound or loose he can neuer seduce the same The same saith he shal be the state of the Church at that time vvhen the Diuel is to be loosed euen as since it vvas instituted the same hath it been shal be at al time in her children that succede eche other by birth death And a litle after This I thought vvas therfore to be mentioned left any man should thinke that during the litle time wherein the Diuel shal be loosed the Church shal not be vpon the earth he either not finding it here vvhen he shal be leâ— loose or consuming it vvhen be shal by al meanes persecute the same Secondly he declareth that the Diuel to be bound is nothing els but not to be permitted by God to exercise al his force or fraude in tentations as to be loosed is to be suffered by God for a small time that is for three yeres and a halfe to practise and proue al his povver and artes of tentations against the Church and her children and yet not to preuaile against them Thirdly this Doctor shevveth by vvhat great mercie our Lord hath tied Satan and abridged his povver during the vvhole millenarie or thousand yeres vvhich is al the time of the nevv Testament vntil then vvith vvhat vvisedom he permitteth him to breake loose that litle time of three yeres and sixe moneths tovvard the later day vvhich shal be the reigne of Antichrist Lastly he shevveth vvhat kinde of men shal be most subiect to the Diuels seductioÌ„ euen such as novv by tentation of Heretikes goe out of the Church and vvho shal auoid it By al vvhich vve may confute diuers false expositioÌ„s of old late Heretikes first the auÌ„cient sect of the Millenaries that grounded vpon these thousand yeres named by the Prophet this heresie that there should be so many yeres after the resurrectioÌ„ of our bodies in vvhich vve should reigne vvith Christ in this vvorld in our bodies in al delites and pleasures corporal of meates drinkes and such like vvhich they called the first resurrection of vvhich heresie Cerinthus vvas the author Epiph. haer 77. in fine Hiero. Câ—mment in c. 19 Mat. August har 8 ad Quodvulâ— Deum Eusâ—bius also li. 3 historia c. 33 shevveth that some principal men vvere in part though after a more honest maner coÌ„cerning those corporal delicacies of the same opinion by misconstruction of these vvordes of S. Iohn Vvhereby vve learne and al the vvorld may perceiue the holy Scriptures to be hard vvhen so great clerkes did erre and that there is no securitie but in that sense vvhich the Church allovveth of The late Heretikes also by the said S. Augustines vvordes are fully refuted affirming not only that the Church may be seduced in that great persecution of the Diuels loosing but that it hath been seduced euen a great peece of this time vvhen the Diuel is bound holding that the very true Church may erre or fall from truth to errour and idolatrie yea vvhich is more blasphemie that the cheefe gouernour of the Church is Antichrist him self and the very Church vnder him the vvhooâ—e of Babylon and that this Antichrist vvhich the Scriptures in so many places and here plainely by S. Augustines exposition testifie shal reigne but a small time and that tovvard the last iudgement hath been reuealed long sithence to be the Pope him self Christs ovvne Vicar and that he hath persecuted the Saincts of their secte for these thousand yeres at the least Vvhich is no more but to make the Diuel to be loose and Antichrist to reigne the vvhole thousand yeres or the most part thereof that is almost the vvhole time of the Churches state in the new TestameÌ„t vvhich is against this and other Scriptures euidently appointing that to be the time of
the Diuels binding Yea it is to make Antichrist and the Diuel vveaker tovvard the day of iudgement then before and the truth better to be knovven and the faith more common the neerer vve come to the same iudgement vvhich is expresly * against the Gospel and this prophecie of S. Iohn Vve see that the sectes of Luther Caluin and other be more spred through the vvorld then they vvere euer before and consequently the Pope and his religion lessened and his povver of punishing or as they call it persecuting the said Sectaries through the multitude of his aduersaries diminished How then is the Pope Antichrist Whose force shal be greater at the later end of the vvorld then before or how can it be othervvise but these Sectâ—Maisters should be Antichrists neere precursors that make Christs cheefe Ministers the Churches cheefe gouelnours that haue been these thousand yeres and more to be Antichristes â— and them selues and their sectes to be true that come so neere the time of the Diuels loosing and seduction of the personal reigne of Antichrist 8. The campe of the Saincts S. Augustine in the said 20 booke de Cluiâ— Dei cap. 11. It is not saith he to be taken that the persecutors shal gather to any place as though the campe of the saincts or the beloued citie should be but in one place vvhich in deede are no other thing but the Church of Christ spred through the vvhole vvorld And therfore vvheresoeuer the Church shal then be vvhich shal be in al Nations euen them for so much is insinuated by this latitude of the earth here specified there shal the tents of saincts be and the beloued citie of God and there shal she be besieged by al her enemies vvhich shal be in euery countrie vvhere she is in most cruel and forcible sort So vvriteth this profound holy Doctor Vvhereby vve see that as novv the particular Churches of England Scotland Flanders and such like be persecuted by their enemies in those countries so in the time of Antichrist the Churches of al Nations as of Italie Spaine France and al other vvhich novv be quiet shal be assaulted as novv the foresaid are and much more for that the general persecution of the vvhole shal be greater then the particular persecution of any Churches in the vvorld 9. There came dovvne a fire It is not meant of the fire of Hel saith S. Augustine ib. c. 12 into which the vvicked shal be cast after the resurrection of their bodies but of an extraordinarie helpe that God vvil send from heauen to giue succourse to the Saincts of the Church that then shal fight against the vvicked or the very feruent and burning zeale of religion and Gods honour vvhich God vvil kindle in the hartes of the faithful to be constant against al the forces of that great persecution 12. An other booke This is the booke of Gods knovvledge or predestination vvherein that vvhich before vvas hid to the vvorld shal be opened and vvherein the true record of euery mans vvorkes shal be conteined and they haue their iudgemeÌ„t diuersly according to their vvorkes and not according to faith only or lacke of faith only for al infidels as Turkes obstinate â—evves and Heretikes shal neuer come to that examination being othervvise condemned CHAP. XXI Heauen and earth being made nevv S. Iohn seeth the nevv citie Hierusalem prepared and adorned for the spouse of the Lambe 6 The iust are glorified 7 and the vvicked thrust into the poole of fire 12 The vvall and gates and foundations of the citie are described and measured 18 al vvhich are gold and crystal pretious stones and pearles verse 1 AND I savv a nevv heauen and a nevv earth for * the first heauen and the first earth vvas gone the sea novv is not ✠verse 2 And I Iohn savv the holy citie Hierusalem nevv descending from heauen prepared of God as a bride adorned for her husband ✠verse 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying Behold the tabernacle of God vvith men and the vvil dvvel vvith them And they shal be his people and he God vvith them shal be their God ✠verse 4 and * God shal vvipe avvay al teares from their eies and death shal be no more not mourning nor crying neither shal there be sorovv any more vvhich ' first thinges are gone ✠verse 5 And he that sate in the throne said * Behold I make al thinges nevv ⊢ And he said to me Vvrite because these vvordes be most faithful and true ✠verse 6 And he said to me It is done * I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end To him that thirsteth I vvil giue of the fountaine of the water of life gratis ✠verse 7 He that shal ouercome shal possesse these thinges and I vvil be his God and he shal be my sonne ✠verse 8 But to the feareful and incredulous and execrable and murderers and fornicators and sorcerers and Idolaters and al liers their part shal be in the poole burning vvith fire and brimstone vvhich is the second death ✠verse 9 And there came one of the seuen Angels that had the vials ful of the seuen last plagues and spake vvith me saying Come I vvil shevv thee the bride the vvife of the Lambe ✠verse 10 And he tooke me vp in spirit vnto a mountaine great and high and he shevved me the holy citie Hierusalem descending out of heauen from God ✠verse 11 hauing the glorie of God and the light thereof like to a prerious stone as it vvere to the iaspetr stone euen as crystal ✠verse 12 And it had a vvall great and high hauing tvvelue gates and in the gates tvvelue Angels names written thereon vvhich are the names of the tvvelue tribes of the children of Israël ✠verse 13 On the East three gates and on the North three gates and on the South three gates and on the Vvest three gates ✠verse 14 And the vvall of the citie hauing tvvelue foundations and in them tvvelue names of the tvvelue Apostles of the Lambe ✠verse 15 And he that spake vvith me had a measure of a reede of gold to measure the citie and the gates thereof and the vvall ✠verse 16 And the citie is situated quadrangle-vvise and the length thereof is as great as also the bredth and he measured the citie vvith the reede for tvvelue thousand furlonges the length and height and bredth thereof be equal ✠verse 17 And he measured the vvall thereof of an hundred fourtie foure cubites the measure of a man vvhich is of an Angel ✠verse 18 And the building of the vvall therof vvas of iasper stone but the citie it self â— pure gold like to pure glasse ✠verse 19 And the foundations of the vvall of