seauenth daye hée rested and so shalt thou Saint Paule sayth he that laboureth not let him not eate And againe if any prouide not for his owne and specially for them of his householde the same hath denied the faith and is worse then an Infidell And so he commaundeth seruants to bée seruable vnto their maisters and to doe their worke truely behinde their backes as well as before their faces Now to declare yâ— true meaning of such scriptures as séemed to make for the Massalians S. Austen saith on this wise All such places of the Scriptures as seeme to commend continuall praieng are to be vnderstood of the learnedst the feruent perpetuall desire that we ought to haue to praye wherof we haue an example in that holy widowe named Anne the daughter of Phanuel Quae non discedebat de Templo ieiunijs ac deprecationibus â—eruiens nocte ac die In which wordes we must graunt the tropicall speach called Hiperbole For it cannot bée auoided but that this holy woman did eate drink and was sometime occupied about her necessarie businesse at home But because she was most commonly in the temple praieng therefore the Euangelist saith that shée was there night and daye So that the Saints do fulfill this Scripture praieng continually when they pray often and feruently to God And if anye man now should aske this question forasmuch as Christ hath forbidden much babling in the time of praieng whether do they â—in or no which do pray long To this is answered thus In a case they sinne and in a case they sinne not but doe verye well and godly In case they put their trust in their long praieng thinking that therefore they shall be heard as the Gentiles doe then they sinne as they doe and are condempned by the sentence of Christ in the Gospell But if they praye long with feruent faith and true deuotion then they sinne not no though they pray with often repeating of one praier but they folow the example of Christ which in mount Oliuete did oftentimes repeate one praier which in effect was none other but this Pater si possibile est transeat a me calex iste Wherefore Saint Austen most holyly and truely maketh a distinction betwixt Multum loqui multum precari Much babling and long praieng To pray long with godly and deuout exercising of the heart it is a good thing but to aske a good thing with superfluous an vnprofitable heape of wordes the minde not occupied it is naught And againe saith S. Austen How can any man condemne long praier séeing that of Christ it is written Quod pernoctauit in orando that he was occupied all night in praier But this doe I counsell saith Saint Austen Ad probam Si quis nausiam If any man supposeth lothsomenesse to arise of long praieng let him well consider although it be not long yet often it is lawfull to pray And whatsoeuer he be that so shall pray often he shall neuerthelesse fulfill the example of the Prophet Dauid which saith to the prouoking and teaching of all other men to praye often Benedicam Dominum in omni tempore semper laus â—ius in ore meo I will alwaies praise the Lord and euermore shall his praise be in my month Ric. Turnar ¶ Like as he that is in prison desireth euer to be deliuered whether he be eating drinking or sléeping as he that is sick destreth alwayes to bée whole euen so doth euery christen man pray continually yea euen when he séemeth not to pray For praier consisteth not in much babling Mat. 6. 7. but in spirite and veritie Iohn 4. 24. and in vehement desire of the heart towards God Tindale What the praiers of Saints in the Apocalips meaneth And when he had taken the booke the foure beastes and the. 24. elders fell downe before the lambe hauing euerie one harpes and golden Uialls full of odours which are the praiers of the Saints And in an other place of the same booke he saith And an other Angell came and stoode before the altar hauing a golden censour and much of odours were giuen vnto him that he shuld offer the praiers of the Saints vpon the gloden altar which is before the throne These places the Papists do alledge for the inuocation of Saints Aunswere Ye must vnderstand that there be two kinde of praiers the one is inuocation or petition the other is giuing of thankes laude and praise The petition if néede were might be proued by the fourth Chapter of the Epistle to the Philippians Wée call that inuocation when we desire some good thing to bée giuen vnto vs or some euill to be taken away from vs. Giuing of thanks doth conteine the praising and lauding or magnifieng of the name of God for his excéeding great benefits which we receiue daily and hourely at his hands It is manifest by yâ— which followeth that the Apostle doth speake of the last and not of the first These be the words and they song a new song saieng Thou art worthy to take the booke and to open the seales thereof because thou wast killed and hast redéemed vs to God by thy bloud out of euerie kinred and tongue and people and nation and hast made vs vnto our God kings and Priests we shall reigne on the earth Now what doth this make for the intercession of the blessed spirits or soules that the Saints doe sing praises vnto God in heauen In the other place is meant none other but that the Angell did ioyne his laude and praise which hée gaue vnto God with the Hymnes and songs of the elect Saint Austen expounding this place writeth thus Alius Angelus ipse est Iesus Christus c. The other Angell sayth he is Iesus Christ hauing a golden censour which is an holy body for the Lord himselfe was made a censour out of the which God receiued a swéete odour and was made mercifull vnto the worlde for hée offered himselfe a sacrifice of swéete smell and the Angell did take the censour and did fill it with the fire of the altar Iesus tooke a body that is to say the Church and did fill it with the fire of the holye Ghost The meaning of this place following Withdrawe not your selues one from an other ¶ S. Paule speaketh not this of that kinde of prayer that is commonly and dayly vsed of all faithfull as well married as vnmarried but onely of the generall and solemne prayer of the whole congregation which then as in time of persecution and feare of enimies was kept onely in the night And all the whole multitude of the faythfull was charged to be present at the same At which time it was necessarie that both the man and the woman should leaue the others companie and resort to prayer To this reade Ioel. 2. at the place Blow vp the trumpet in Syon Iewel fol. 172. A praier for the King and chiefe
By whom they ought to be rebuked The ministers ought to preach against abuses Iohn Baptist rebuked king Herod for kéeping his brother Philips wife S. Paule rebuked the Corinthians for hauing of sects among them for one held of Paule an other held of Apollo some held of Peter and some of Cephas For suffering a fornicator among them euen such one as kept his fathers wife For bicause they accused one an other before vnlawfull Iudges and not rather set an vnitie betwéene brother and brother among themselues For bicause they sat with the Gentiles in their Tables and did eate with them of their sacrifices For praieng in a tongue that men vnderstood not And also bicause they doubted in the resurrection 1. Cor. 15. 8 All manner of méere traditions are abuses In vaine doe yée worship me saith Christ teaching the traditions and precepts of men Mat. 15. 8. Esaie 29. 13. Tindale ACHAB Of Satans deceiuing of Achab how it is vnderstood WHo is it saith God that shall beguile me Achab Satan preuēted not God in this case neither came he afore hand to saie If thou wilt giue mée leaue to beguile Achab I will do whatsoeuer thou wilt haue me to do but God beginneth saieng where shall I finde a lieng spirit to go and deceiue Achab for I sée he will néedes bée deceiued euen to the bottome of hell And wherefore is it that God speaketh so Euen bicause the case stood vpon executing of iust vengeance vpon an hypocrite a despiser full of crueltie and a mortall enimie of all goodnesse Achab was a man that had peruerted all Gods seruice vtterlie was wholie defiled with his owne Idols and therewithall also is full of sturdinesse and malice against the Prophets and would giue no eare to anie admonition When he was thus hardened in his sinnes in such sort that a man could gaine nothing by séeking to bring him into the right waie after that God had assaide all waies and sawe hée was a man forlorne when hée held his assises and demaunded who was he that would deceiue Achab for it was Gods will to execute the office of a Iudge Wée sée then that when God meaneth to punish wicked folke and to execute his wrath vpon them according to their deserts hee tarrieth not till hée be moued to it by Satan but preuenteth him c. Caluine vpon Iob. fol. 220 ACCIDENT What an Accident is AN Accident is a thing that maie bée or not be without corruption of that wherein it is As for example One maie take awaie the whitenesse of a wall yet the substance doth still remaine Erasmus How an Accident is not without his subiect In the Sacrament of the Altar saith hée after the consecration there is not neither can be anie Accident without the subiect but there verilie remaineth the same substaunce and the verie visible and incoruptible bread and likewise the verie same wine the which before the consecration were set vpon the Altar to bée consecrated by the Priest likewise as when a Pagan or Infidell is baptised he is spirituallie conuerted into a member of Christ through grace and yet remaineth the verie same man which before hée was in his proper nature and substance This was the opinion of Iohn Puruaie in the daies of king Henrie the fourth In the booke of Mar. fol. 649. ADAM How he was the first man that God created ADam was the first man that God created héere in earth after hee had made both heauen and it with all the ornaments and things belonging vnto them both The first yeare of the world and the yeare before Christ after the supputation that is set out in the end of the Bible of Geneua 3974. hée liued 930. yeares Of certeine notable things done by Adam and Seth. Iosephus writeth that Adam and Seth made two columnes or pillers one of Brasse the other of stone for they foreséeing an extermination of all things to be one by the power of fire the other by the violence and greatnesse of the waters graued therein those things which they had inuented with the prophesies by the which the worde of God might be preserued so that they should remaine as a perpetuall monument to their successours to declare what had bene done He writeth furthermore they diuided the yeare into xij monethes and first obserued and taught the course of the celestiall bodies for it is vnpossible that mans wit could attaine to the vnderstanding of so high and difficult things except God had shewed the knowledge thereof Lanquet Of the comparison the Apostle doth make betweene Adam and Christ. They also obiect vnto vs that the Apostle compared Adam with Christ said vnto the Romanes the euen as in Adam we all die so in Christ we are all quickened Wherefore by this meanes they saie the the grace of Christ ought vniuersallie to be laid forth vnto all men But if they wil so take this cōparison they shall be compelled to graunt the all shall by Christ be brought to felicitie as by Adam all throwne headlong into sinne into death◠But seeing that the thing it selfe declareth the contrarie they maie easilie perceiue that this similitude is not to be taken as touching all the parts thereof especiallie when as none fall of their owne consent into originall sinne but these men will not haue grace to be receiued but through a mans owne consent Wherfore if they admit this difference how dare they affirme that the matter is on each side a like The scope of the Apostle in this comparison is to be considered and beside the scope nothing is to be inferred And in that comparison Paule ment nothing els but that Christ is to those which are regenerate the beginning of life and blessednesse as Adam is to them that are deriued of him the cause of death and of sinne Now whosoeuer is afterward beside this scope gathered touching the equalitie of multitude or of the manner the same is Per accidens that is by chance and perteineth not vnto the scope and substance of the similitude Pet. Mar. fol. 305. How Adam did eate Christs bodie and drinke his bloud As soone as Adam had transgressed the Lords precepts and was fallen vnder condemnation our most mercifull Father of his gracious goodnesse gaue him the promise of health comfort whereby as manie as beleeued were saued from the thraldome of their transgression The word and promise was this I shall put enmitie betwéene thy séede and her séed that séed shall tread thoe on the head and thou shalt tread if on the heele In this promise they had knowledge that Christ should destroie the diuell with all his power and deliuer his faithfull from their sinnes And where he said that the diuell should tread it on the héele they vnderstood right well that the diuell should finde the meanes by his wiles and wicked ministers to put Christ to death And they knewe that God was
the Minister to the Archbishop aboue the Bishop so we sée no cause of inequalitie why one Minister should be aboue another Minister one Bishop in his degrée aboue another Bishop to deale in his diocesse or an Archbishop aboue another Archbishop And this is to kéepe an order dulie and truelie in the Church according to the true nature and definition of order by the authoritie of Augustine lib. de ciui Ordo est parium dispariumque rerum sua cuique loca tribuens dispositio M. Fox ARCHONTICI THese were heretikes in Palestina which referred the creation of all things to mans powers They said that the Sabaoth was the God of the Iewes and that the Diuell was the sonne of the Sabaoth Epiphan haeres 40. August li. de haeres They denied the resurrectin of the bodie Eliote ARCHDEACON When the Archdeacons beganne THe Archdeacons began then to be created when the plentie of the goods required a new and more exact manner of disposing them albeit Hierom doth saie that it was euen in hiâ— age In their charge was the summe of their reuenewes possessions and store and the collection of the dailie offerings Whervpon Gregorie declareth to the Archdeacon of Salon that hée should be holden guiltie if anie of the goods of the Church perished either by his fraud or negligence But where as it was giuen to them to read the Gospell to the people to exhort them to praier whereas the power admitted to deliuer the Cup in the holie Supper that was rather done to garnish their office that they should execute it with more reuerence when by such signes they were admonished that it was no prophane Bailiwicke that they exercised but a spirituall function and dedicate to God Caluine 4. li. cha 4. Sect. 6. Damasus calleth Stephen an Archdeacon Hierom in his Epistle Ad Euagrium hath this name Archdeacon Sextus in his decrées saith that Laurence the Martir was an Archdeacon Sozomenus lib. 7. cap. 19. maketh mention of an Archdeacon reading the Scriptures and these be his words And this also is a strange thing in the Church of Alexandria whiles the Gospell are a reading the Bishop doth not rise vp which I heard of others This holie booke a Monke that is an Archdeacon readeth there in other places Deacons in manie places the Priests onelie but in principall Feasts Bishops Socrates in the seuenth booke of his Ecclesiasticall historie speaketh of one Timothie an Archdeacon I. W. Fol. 344. 345. ARKE What the Arke of couenaunt was THis was a Cofer or Chest made by Moses in the Desart fiue cubites in length and thrée in breadth wherein were put the Table of the olde Lawe and Rod of Moses and part of Manna It was made of strong wood and soote and couered as well within as without with fine golde And on the top were two Images of Angels Cherubins Cooper ¶ Tindale saith it was a Cofer or Chest as our Shrines saue it was flat And the example of ours was taken thereof Tindale fol. 11. What is meant by the Arke of the Testament And the Arke of his Testament was séene ¶ That is to saie Christ is now disclosed in the doctrine of his Gospell and in all the new Testament in whom all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge are bestowed Col. 2. 3. Who hath fulfilled the olde Testament and filled the new For Christ being man is the true Arke of the couenaunt because the whole fulnesse of the Godhead lieng inclosed in him as in an Arke or Chest dwelleth in him bodelie Col. 2. 9. At the beholding of whom God is become at one with vs. For God the Father hath set him foorth to be the attonement maker through faith by the meanes of his bloud Rom. 3. 25. In respect whereof he is also called the Attonement for our sinnes 1. Iohn 2. 2. Marl. vpon the Apoc. fol. 166. Of the Arke of Noe. The Arke of Noe was a great Uessell which God commaunded Noe to make that he his wife his thrée sonnes and their wiues might be preferued from the vniuersall floud the yeare of the world 1652. And before the Incarnation 2310. yeares The Uessell contained in length 300. Cubites Geometricall euerie Cubite containing as Saint Augustine saith sixe common cubites which is 9. foote And so it was in length two thousand seuen hundred foote And in déepenesse from the vpper decke to the bottome 30. Cubites which was 270. foote And the roofe ouer it was one Cubite which was 9. foote This Arke was not by mans power brought into the Sea but by the course of the waters rising vp it was borne away and rather by diuine prouidence then by mans policie it was gouerned from running to wracke And Noe began to build this Arke in the 533. yeare of his age and before the floud as Berosus saith 78. yeares Lanquet Grafton ARMAGEDDON The interpretation of this word WHich in Hebrue is called Armageddon ¶ In the Scriptures places take their names either of some notable aduenture or by some notable mischaunce As for example the Graues of lust in Nu. 11. 34. Meriboth or the waters of strife Nu. 20. 24. And other like in the Scriptures So also doth Armageddon by preuention in this place which maie be interpreted the Armie of wasting or slaughter representing euen by the vnluckie name of it what shall beâ—all at length to the armie of Antichrist Hierom whom Aurigallus followeth in his Hebrue places interpreteth Armageddon to be a certaine Mountaine where the Israelites wer wont to pitch their tents Other thinke rather that Armageddon should be called Gospell hill or the Hill of glad tidings or Apple hill or the Hill of choice fruits And trulie the Kings and Princes of the Earth haue none other quarrell to fight against the godlie but onelie for Christes Gospell wherevnto all power ought to bée subiect Mâ—lorate vpon the Apocalips fol. 233. ¶ Armageddon As if he would saie the craftinesse of destruction when as Kings and Princes shall warre against GOD but by the craft of Satan are brought to that place where they shall be destroied Geneua ARME What is to be vnderstood by the Arme of God THe Arme of God signifieth Christ of whome Ieremie 32. 21 writeth thus Thou hast brought the people of Israel out of the lande of Aegypt with a mightie hand and stretched out Arme. ¶ By the Arme we vnderstand the mightie power of GOD to saue for so Paule defineth the Gospell that it is the power and might of GOD to saluation Neither is there anie cause but that also by the Arme of GOD wée maie well vnderstande Christ for as euerie man by the Arme doeth all things that hée doeth So GOD by his woorde createth gouerneth and iustifieth and therefore his word which is Iesus Christ is called his Arme. Neither is this word Arme applied onelie to a man but also the long snout of an Elephant is called an hand or an arme for
to be brought before them as thou readest Exo. 22. Tindale AVIMS What this word doth signifie AVims was a kinde of Gyaunts and the word signifieth crooked vnright or weaked Tindale fol. 15. AVRICVLAR CONFESSION ¶ Looke Confession AXE What is meant by this Axe that Iohn speaketh of heere NOw also is the Axe put to the root of the trée ¶ The iudgement of God is at hand to destroie such as are not méete for his Church Geneua ¶ Some doe expound it thus The Axe is the power of the Romaines which were the iustruments of God to destroie vtterlie the wicked and vnfaithfull generation of the Iewes Sir I. Cheeke BAAL What Baal was and what the word signifieth OF which neuer man bowed his knée to Baal ¶ Baal was as some thinke a common name of all straunge Gods because it commonlie signifieth Lord or Maister and thereof tooke the Gods of the Gentiles their names as Baal Phegor or Phogor or Baal Peor that is the Lord or Maister or Phegor c. T. M. ¶ Baal signifieth as much as Maister or patron or one in whose power an other is which name the Idolaters at this daie giue their Idolls naming them patrons and patronesses or Ladies Beza What Baal Berith was And made Baal Berith their God ¶ In this place is perticular mention made of Baal Berith which a man maie call Iouem faederis or Iouem faederatum him made they meaning the Israelites a God ouer them and worshipped him for their God The worshipping of him séemeth to be this that they referred all the good things which they had as receiued of him they beléeued that he turned awaie from them those euills which they were not troubled with By reason of which faith they counted him for their God and worshipped his outwarde Image Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 155. What Baal Peor was They ioined themselues also to Baal Peor ¶ Baal Peor was the Idoll of the Madianites but why he was named so it is not fullie agréed vpon Truelie Bagual importeth as much as a a patron or aduocate and because P haguar signifieth to open some interpret it the God of opening and they adde that the cause was for that they destroied their priuie members before him which thing I dare not auouch for certeintie And it maie bee that it is the name of some place according as we knowe that oftentimes the heathen men gaue their Idols the names of the Countries Calâ—â—â—e vpon the Psal. BABEL What Babel signifieth BAbel signifieth confusion or mirture It was the name of a Towre builded by Nemroth before the incarnation At the building héereof was the first confusion of tongues This was done in the lande of Sennaar in the Countreie of Chaldea Eliote For what intent the Towre of Babel was built The lande was of one language at the building of the Towre of Babel which Nemroth and his people beganne to builde intending that the toppe thereof shoulde haue touched the Heauen wherein they might haue saued themselues if anie Deluge shoulde afterwarde haue happened But God séeing their pride and rebellion confused so their language that euerie one spake in such sundrie speaches that one vnderstood not an other whereby of necessitie the worke was left vnfinished Lyra. BABILON What Babilon signifieth BAbilon the great Citie ¶ Babilon signifieth Rome for as much as the vices which were in Babilon are founde in Rome in greate abundaunce as persecution of the Church of God oppression and slaunders with destruction of the people of God confusion superstition idolatrie impietie And as Babilon the first monarch was destroied so shall the wicked kingdome of Antichrist haue a miserable ruine though in bée greate and séemeth to extend throughout all Europe Geneua Whie Babilon is called an hill Beholde I will come vpon thée thou noisome hill ¶ Babilon is called an hill although it stood in a lowe place and no hills about it for that hir walls and buildings were so greate and hie as mountaines The Bible note ¶ Not that Babilon stood on a hill or mountaine but because it was stronge and séemed inuincible Geneua The description of Babilon and how it was wonne In the land of Sennaar that is in the land of the Chaldes in a great plaine was Babilon builded in processe of time mightelie stronglie augmented with rich pallaices pleasant houses strong walles and towres called the head Citie and Empire of all the world so celebrated and standing inuict with manie glorious victories by the space of 1495. yeares hauing the whole world vnder their dominion It was builded foure in square thrée thousand paces ouer from wal to wal The wall was 200. foote high and. 500. foote broade And yet was euerie foote longer by thrée fingers then ours It was in circuite without the outward walls 480. furlonges It was double walled with manie high and strong towres and by a meruailous craft and labour the floud Euphrates was brought to runne rounde about it betwixt and without the walls and through manie places of the citie It is so described of the auncient historie writers as of Ioseph Plinie Herodoto Orosio as no Citie else to bée like it But this so mightie a Citie and golden head when the king Balthazar with his nobles were feasting and banketting in the night in most securitie for that they thought their Citie to bée inexpugnable Then came king Cyrus and laide siege to Babilon Hée digged vp the bankes of Euphrates and turned the floud cleane from the Citie so that without perill hée might with his hoast enter in and then hauing the king of Babilon in such drunkennesse and securitie he slewe him and tooke the citie In that Citie yet as it is left there remaineth the Temple of Iupiters Image called Bele the finder of the Syderall science or els is there none other memoriall or scant anie vestigie thereof Melan cthon and others vpon Daniel How Babilon is fallen three manner of waies Shée is fallen in wealth and riches Her Abbeies Monesteries Nunries Frieries Hospitals Chauntreis Churches and Chappelles now ouerthrowne and made euen with the ground All landes Iewels Ornaments and great treasures that belong to the same are cleane taken awaie from them She is fallen in power and authoritie for the kings of the earth which sometimes were subiect to that monsterous beast yea the most part of the ten hornes which were all the kings and potestates of the earth which gaue ouer their power and authoritie vnto the same beast that acknowledged the Pope for their souereigne Lord doe now hate and abhorre that harlot of Rome and doe withdrawe their subiects obedience from her Shée is fallen and that chieflie in the credit of her doctrinâ— Forâ— besides so manie states of Christendome and Princes that by publike authoritie haue receiued the Gospell and vtterlie abolished all Babilonicall doctrine euen in the middest of her bloudie tyrannie and persecution greate multitudes
obedience soeuer the fathers had towards the commandemeÌ„ts of God also faith in the promises they were not deriued from their own strength power but euen as it also happeneth vnto vs they came vnto them by the grace of God and Christ. Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 74. FAT What is ment by the fatâ— the inwards two kidneies THe fat that couereth the inwards ¶ By taking away of the fat the inwards two kidneies and the kall is signified vnto vs that if we wil be a swéet sacrifice vnto the Lord we must cut off all concupiscence and mightie desires of the flesh and the euill vse of all our members and must subdue and mortifie our affections and offer them to God by the mortification of the crosse as saith the Prophet Psa. 25. T. M. What the fatted Calfe signifieth And bring hether the fatted Calfe ¶ That fat Calfe is Christ which hath washed awaie our sinnes in his bloud and féedeth vs dailie through faith with his bodie and bloud vnto life euerlasting for he was killed therefore that he might be the foode and meate of our soules Sir I. Cheeke What fat Bread signifieth Of Aser commeth fat bread ¶ Fat bread is plenteousnes of the earth as increase of corne and other c. therewith shall féede Kings all the men of the earth As 2. Esd. 9. T. M. FAVOVR How Fauour casteth manie a man awaie DEsired fauour against him ¶ Héere we doe learne that manie good men are by fauour of them that be in authoritie or by hatred of the Iud ges cast awaie Sir I. Cheeke FEEDE The exposition of this place Feede my sheepe WHereas you thinke that this place of the Gospell of Iohn was spoken onlie to Peter and that these wordes make him shepheard ouer all and aboue all S. Peter himselfe testifieth the contrarie in his canonicall Epistle where he saith to all Priests Féed yâ— flock of Christ which is among you which he bad them doe by the authoritie yâ— Christ had put them in as followeth And when the chiefe shepheard Christ shal appeare ye shall receiue the incorruptible crowne of eternall glorie Tonstall in the b. of Mar. fol. 1212. Whosoeuer they be saith S. Austen that féede the shéepe to the end to make them theirs not Christs they loue theÌ„selues not Christ for desire either of glorie or of rule or of gaine Iewel fol. 18. FELIX Wherefore he is praised of Tertullâ—s the Orator FElix by his diligence had taken Eleazarus the Captaine of the murtherers put the Aegyptians of flight which raised vp tumults in Iewrie for these yâ— Orator praised him Otherwise he was both cruell and couetous Read Iosephus lib. 2. Antiq. cha 11. 12. And li. 2. De bello Iudaico cap. 12. Geneua Of Felix trembling Felix trembled ¶ The feare of the dreadfull iudgement of God profiteth nothing vnlesse it do ingender true repentance in mens hearts Felix was afraid at the preaching of the iudgment but he was neuer the better for it for why he did gape still for bribes and rewards as a most corrupted Iudge Sir I. Cheeke ¶ The word of God maketh the verie wicked astonished therefore to them it is the â—auour of death vnto death Geneua Wherefore Felix would haue pleasured the Iewes And willing to get fauour of the Iewes left Paule in prison ¶ For whereas he had behaued himselfe verie wickedlie in the Prouince hadde it not bene for fauour of his brother Pallas he should haue died for it So that we maie gather héereby why he would haue pleasured the Iewes Beza FEARE A definition of feare FEare is nothing els but a certaine affect of the minde wherby we are striken by reason of some great and hurtfull euill which is at hand We are not commonlie moued by such daungers which are far from vs but by those which seeme to be euen now at hand neither do things light and of small waight make vs afraid Wherefore feare as a Diuine speaketh of feare hath a respect vnto sinne vnto the wrath of God vnto chastisement scourges and finallie vnto hell fire But there are noted two kinde of feares of which the one is commonly called filiall that is pertaining to a naturall childe and the other seruile that is pertaining to a bond-man And that is called a seruile feare which onelie by the feare of paines of hell fire either draweth vs backe from doing euill or impelleth vs to do well Euen so signified an Ethnike Poet when he wrote Oderunt peccareâ—maâ— formidine poenâ— that is The wicked hate to sinne for feare of punishment But the finall feare is whereby men liue vpright and flie wickednesse for that they desire to set foorth the glorie of God and for that they allow righteousnesse euen for his owne sake wherfore the same Poet saith Oderunâ— peccare boâ—â— virtutis amore that is The good hate to sinne for the loue of vertue c. Pet. Mar. vpon the Rom. fol. 209. Difference of feares Peter feared otherwise then did Iudas For Iudas indéede so feared that he despaired but Peter so feared that he gotte him againe vnto Christ whom before by denieng he had forsaken Where we saie that a seruile feare is whereby we so abhorre God being angrie and flie from him that we are vtterly void of faith But a filial feare is wherby in the midst of terrors we are lifted vp through faith neither suffer we our selues to be swallowed vp with feare Wherfore in godlie men feare is neuer seioined from faith For these 2. things are so to be knit together yâ— faith alwaies gouerneth feare for if it shuld not desperation wold easily succéed for euen as the law ought alwaies to be ioined with the gospell so also ought feare to be euer ioined with faith We do not so imbrace the gospell but yâ— we alwaies think vpoÌ„ the obedieÌ„ce of the coÌ„mandemeÌ„ts of God when we see how often how grieuously we fal we call our selues back again by repeÌ„tance And contrariwise the law is not to be receiued without the gospell for if it should we could neuer obey it without Christ nor also obtaine pardon for the offences which we committed against it Pet. Mar. vpon the Ro. fol. 207. What Feare importeth Feare importeth as much as yâ— our life must be ruled according to the will of God For what becommeth of men when they know not themselues to be subiect to their maker They rush out into al naughtines We know what our lusts are theÌ„ if the feare of god raign in vs we must acknowledge yâ— he hath not put vs into the world to liue at such libertie as we lust our selues but reserueth his whole right ouer vs so as we must obey him behold I say what the word feare importeth yâ— is to say yâ— we shuld lern to direct our whole life to the wil of god c. Ca. vp Iob.
sinne wherefore hast thou made me such a one If thou be the preseruer of men â—hy shouldest thou condempne me so seeing it lyeth in thée to saue me But a man may well sée that this is not the naturall meaning And such as take it so neuer knewe the intent of the Holy ghost as touching this streine and moreouer they haue ill considered yâ— which is witnessed vnto vs concerning lob how he was patient howsoeuer the world went with him What is it then that Iob ment It is as if he should say Well I confesse my fault and I cannot escape the iudgement of God why so He is the kéeper of men But this word Keeper hath bene misconstrued for men haue taken it for a preseruer of mankind for one that shieldeth them vnder his protection It is certaine that as yâ— Gréeke Translater also hath well marked which thing he is commonly wont to doe Iob ment to say that God wayteth vpon vs that he watcheth vs and that he knoweth all as if a man should watch one to spye and marke all that euer he doeth and saith We sée then in what sence Iob applyeth this title vnto God that is The kéeper of men Cal. vpon Iob. fol. 135. KILL How the intent to kill is worse then the slaughter it selfe BUt ye goe about to kill me c. ¶ We are taught by this place that the minde and purpose to do any work is accounted for the worke it selfe Yea if thou consider well the intent to doe any euill thing is worse then the worke it selfe and the intent to doe any good worke is better then the worke it selfe Better is the desire to doe good to those that are in misery then the Almes déede it selfe And the intent to kill is worse then the murther it selfe The Almes déede may be so done that it may displease God concerning the which reade the 5. of Mathew verse 42. A murderous déede may be so done that it may please God as may appeare in the Leuiticus in Phinehes in Iehu and so refused that God may be displeased for the not dooing of it as we may sée in Agag Amalech whom Saule kept alyue But the desire and intent to do good cannot displease God euen as the desire to kill cannot please him Marl. vpon Iohn fol. 317 KING How and wherefore we are called Kings and Priests AS euery perfect beléeuing man in our Sauiour Christ are called Priests of offering of spirituall Sacrifices so are they â—alled Kings of ruling and subduing the temptations and suggestions of their sinfull appetites vnto reason and to the will of God vppon the perfourmaunce of this condition Moses doeth call vs Kings and Priests saieng If ye will heare my voice and kéepe my appointment ye shall be mine owne aboue all Nations For all the earth is mine ye shall be also vnto me a Kingdome of Priests and an holy people Ric. Turnar Of the Kings of Israel and Iuda how many were good Of all the kings that reigned ouer Israel and Iuda there were no mo but Dauid Ezechias and Iosias that continued perfectly vnto the ende of their liues in the true religion of God not that these thrée were men of such perfection that they did not notably offende the lawe of God in their life time But these wer such men that they wer neuer infected with the foule sinne of Idolatrie and wicked worshipping of straunge Gods Into other sinnes in déede they fell and from the same by true repentaunce obteined mercie and forgiuenesse aâ— Gods hand So that notwithstanding both the murther adulterie of Dauid the foolish vaine glory of Ezechias that shewed all his treasure and all his secrets vnto the Ambassadours of Babilon for the which Esay the Prophet did openly reproue him to his face Yet otherwise they stoode vpright kéeping themselues pure and cleane from the most detestable sinne of Idolatry And therefore Dauid strong in the armes and amiable of countenaunce and Ezechias which by interpretation is called the health of our Lorde and Iosias Fortitudo Domini the strength of the Lord These thrée doe beare the bell away and are preferred aboue all the Kings of Iuda as we reade in the Booke of Ecclesiasticus 40. Chapter where their praises are commended to endure to the worlds ende Ric. Turnar How Kings haue to doe in matters of religion Dauid commaunded Sadoch and Abiathar the Priests and the Leuites to bring the Arke of the Lord God into the place which he had prepared for it Salomon displaced Abiathar from the high Priests office put Sadoch into his roome Heare me O you Leuites and be sanctified cleanse the house of the God of your Fathers and take awaye all vncleannesse from the Sanctuary ¶ Thâ—se are not words of entreatie but flat commaundements as Lyra saith Ezechia cupiens renouare foedus c. Ezechias desirous to renue the Couenaunt with the Lord first did commaund the Leuites to be sanctified Second by them being sanctified the Temple to be cleansed Thirdly by those which were cleansed sacrifice to be made for the offence of the people Fourthly by sacrificing God to be praised Fiftly by cleansing the holye Burnt-offerings to bée offered vp ¶ Thus were all things done by his commaundement by his constitution and at his pleasure c. I. Bridges fol. 285. Nunc mihi debio c. I iudge it saith Constantine the great that this ought before all other things to be my scope that among the most holy multitude of the Catholike Church one faith and sincere Charitie and godlynesse agréeing together towards almightie God might be conserued I. Bridges fol. 117. Quanto subditorum gloria c. How much more saith the king of Spaine called Richardus we are exalted in royall glorie ouer the subiects so much more ought we to be carefull in those matters that apperteine vnto God Either to augment our owne hope or else to looke to the profit of the people committed to vs of God And as ye sée me in very déede inflamed with the seruice of faith God hath stirred me vp to this end that the obstinacie of infidelitie béeing expelled and the furie of discorde remoued I should reuoke the people to the knowledge of faith and to the fellowship of the Catholike Church who serued errour vnder the name of religion These be the wordes of this christen king which he spake openly in the third counsel at To-let before all the Bishops there assembled S. Austen sayth that the auncient actes of the godly kings mentioned in the propheticall bookes were signes of the like factes to be done by the godly Princes in the time of the new testament I. Bridges fol. 505. Of Iosaphats supreme gouernement ¶ Looke Iosaphat Carolus Magnus commaunded that nothing should be read openly in the Church sauing onely the Canonicall bookes of the holy Scripture And that the faithfull people should receiue
his Crosse and in mortifieng the peruerse and crooked disposition of the flesh We ought alwaies to beare in minde the saieng of our Sauiour Christ If any man will follow me let him deny him selfe and take vp his Crosse and follow me c. Marl. fo 432. How mans perfection is vnperfect Thou shalt loue thy Lord thy God with all thy heart with all thy soule with all thy power Ye shall not turne neither to the right hand nor to the lefte Accursed is he that standeth not in euery thing that is written in the law to performs the same And S. Iames saith Who so offendeth in one commaundement is guiltie in all And Christ saith Be ye perfect not meaning your selues by your owne abilitie but as your father is perfect which is in heauen And yet héerby he meaneth not the perfection that is in God and his Angells but onely the perfection that is required in man I beseech you saith S. Hierom hath God commaunded me that I should be the same that God is that there should be no difference in perfection betwéene me and my Lord the Creator that I should be aboue the highnesse of Angells or that I shuld haue that the Angells haue not I sayd it is possible that a man maye be without sinne if he want not will the power of God assisting him And yet I finde that besides Christ in whom all men shall be quicknesse to life there was neuer man nor neuer shall be who being in this life shall haue this perfection Wherefore doth Christ say Be ye perfect wherefore doeth Paule say As many of vs as be perfect c. Heereto S. Hierom aunswereth thus What then doe we think or what ought we to thinke that be not perfect We ought to confesse that we are vnperfect and that we haue not yet gotten nor taken that perfection that is required This is the true wisedome of a man to know himselfe to be vnperfect And as I might say the perfection of all iust men liuing in the flesh is vnperfect He hath much profited in this life that by his profiting hath learned how farre he is from the perfection of righteousnesse Our very righteousnesse it selfe is so great in this life that it standeth rather in forgiuenesse of our sinnes then in perfection of righteousnesse Iewel fo 316. 317. 318. ¶ Looke Sound PERGAMVS What Pergamus was CHurch which is at Pergamus ¶ Pergamus was the name of a famous Citie in olde time in Asia where the kings of the Atalians were alwaies resident The faith of them of Pergamus is much cōmended because they remained constant euen in the very heate of persecution Theo. Beza PEARLE What a Pearle in Scripture doth signifie NEither cast ye your Pearles before swine ¶ A Pearle hath his name among the Grecians for the orient brightnesse that is in it And a Pearle in auncient time was in great estimation among the Latines for a Pearle that Cleopatra had was valued at two hundred and fiftie thousand Crownes and the word is now borrowed from that to signifie the most precious heauenly doctrine Theo. Beza PERIVRIE How periury is made lawfull by the Popes law YE shal vnderstand that these two worthy Martirs of Iesus Christ Iohn Hus and Hierom of Prage were called to the generall Councell holden at Constaunce and faith was made to them that by safe conduct they should come safe and returne safe and yet were they contrary to the faith taken and burned And least that holy Councell should séeme to doe anye thing wherein all their sect did not consent they made this Antichristian lawe in the 19. Session Presens sancta Synadus c. This present holy Counsell doth publish and declare that there can no preiudice hurt or hinderaunce come to the Catholike faith or to the Ecclesiastical iurisdiction by reason of any safe conduct graunted by the Emperour by Kings or other Princes of the earth to any which either be heretikes or defamed of heresie for what bond or promise soeuer the same Princes haue made vnto them their safe conduct notwithstanding it is lawfull for any compitent Ecclesiasticall Iudge to enquire of the errours yea although they come to y◠place of iudgement trusting vpon their safe conduct so that otherwise they would not haue come Neither he that maketh any such promise any whit bound to performe it if he haue done that that lay in him otherwise I. Pon. PERMISSION Of Gods permission or suffering WE must note that when either the Scriptures or Fathers doe séeme God to be the cause of sinne this word permission is not there so to be added as though he only suffered men to sinne and by his prouidence or gouernment wrought nothing as concerning sinnes Indéede he letteth them not though he can but vseth them and sheweth in them his might and not onely his patience which thing Augustin vnderstood right wel and disputed against Iulianus he confuted that sentence wher it is sayd that God suffereth sinne onely according to patience and proueth that his might is also therevnto to be added by the words of Paule who wrote vnto the Romanes If God by much patience haue suffered vessells of wrath prepared for destruction to shewe forth his anger and to make knowen his might And vndoubtedly there are many things in the holy scripture which cannot alwaies be dissolued by the word of permission or patience For the heart of the King is said to be in the hand of the Lord so that he inclineth it whether soeuer it pleaseth him And Iob testifieth that it was so done as God would But as touching the sinne of the first man when yet nature was not viciated corrupted we graunt y◠the cause therof came from the will of Adam suggestion of the Diuell we saye that God permitted it because when hée might haue withstood and letted it he would not doe it but decreed to vse that sinne to declare his Iustice and goodnesse Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic fol. 167. PERSECVTION What persecution is PErsecution is an obstinate pursuing to destroy by the which there is no place of rest and quietnesse giuen but the destruction of Innocents is sought with all kinde of violence and deceits Mar. vpon Math. fol. 81. They which doe follow vpon any man for to be reuenged so that they make no ende of pursuing of him nor leaue from that which they had begun withal be rightly called persecuters although that at length they be compelled to leaue off contrary to their determination and purpose as it betideth to all persecuters which are at the last constrained whether they will or not to breake off the race and course of their persecution Some doe take the word of persecuting or pursuing to be a ful following or pursuing in all poynts As when an Hound followeth the Deare a drye foote vp hill and downe through thick and thinne c. Both senses be applyed
Pastour had sayd I will not féede you This Pastour by an other name is called the Abhomination of desolation that shall sit in the Temple of God as though he were God Therefore the sword of the Lord shall be vpon his right arme vpon his right eye that the force of him all y◠bosting of his might might be dried vp withered awaye the knowledge that vnder a false name he promised to himselfe shall be◠obscured with eternall darknesse I. Bridges fol. 1092. In what respect the Popish Church may be called Catholike As a certaine scholer of Oxford by a certaine woman whom other praised did merily say she was a Catholike woman meaning a common queane So the Popish Church in like sence is a Catholike Church that is to say a common strumpet prostitute to all Idolatry and not the chast spouse of Christ c. I. Bridges fol. 165. What the Pope saith of himselfe I cannot erre I haue all lawes both temporall spirituall in my brest I am aboue all general Councels I may iudge al mē but all the world may not iudge me be I neuer so wicked I am king of kings lord of lords I can do whatsoeuer Christ himself can do I am all aboue all all power is giuen to me as well in heauen as in earth c. What the Popes owne lawe saith If the Pope care neither for his own health neither for his brothers be found vnprofitable and negligent in his workes further apt to no good that hurteth himselfe and other leadeth with him people innumerable by Legions vnto the Diuell to be punished with him in paines most dolorous for euer being Pope no man should presume to reprehend his faults for he iudgeth all men and is to be iudged of no man How the Pope hath power ouer Angells The Pope saith Felinus hath Christs lieuetenauntship not onely ouer things in heauen ouer things in earth ouer things in hell but also ouer the Angells both good and badde Iewel fol. 543. How the Pope is the Diuels Viceregent and Antichrist It is most certaine that the Pope is Uicar to the Prince of this world and the Diuell is said in the Gospell to be the Prince of this world Who doubteth then but if the Pope bée Uicar to the Prince of this world he is Uiceregent to the Diuell and as Iesus Christ appeared to this world to vndoe the workes of the Diuell so likewise the Diuell hath made the Pope who is his Neatheard héere vpon earth to appeare to the world to vndoe the workes of Iesus Christ. And therefore the Pope studieng diligently to obay the will of his Prince fully is forced dayly to be contrary to Iesus Christ and what is this but onely to be Antichrist F. N. B. the Italian POVVER How neither Pope nor Priest hath power to forgiue sinnes THe word of God forgiueth sinnes the Priest is the iudge the Priest executeth his office but he exerciseth no right of power The Lord hath graunted the office of baptising to manye but the power and authoritie in Baptisme to forgiue sinnes he hath reserued onely to himselfe So saith Ambrose it is our part to remoue the stone from the graue by preaching by counsell and by exhortation but it is the Lords worke to raise vp the dead it is the Lordes worke to bring him from the pitte It is not the ambassadour it is not the messenger but the Lord himselfe that hath saued the people The Lord remaineth alone For no man can be partner with God in forgiuing sins This is Christs onely office that hath taken away the sinnes of the world And yet is not the Priests office void of power He hath power and commission to open the will of God and as S. Paule saith to speake vnto the people euen as in the person of Christ. So Tertulian saith The chiefe Priest that is to say the Bishop hath right and power to giue Baptime But as S. Austen saith God gaue the ministerie of remission of sinnes vnto his seruaunts but the power thereof he retained vnto himselfe c. Iewel 158. How all power is in and of God and not in man Thou couldest haue no power against me except it were giuen thée from aboue ¶ Héere we doe learne that all power is of God Yea the power of darkenesse which God causeth to raigne for our sinnes and disobedience to him his word Iob. 34. Whosoeuer therefore resisteth any power he doth resist the ordinaunce of God and so purchaseth vnto himselfe vtter destruction vndoing Let also Magistrates remember of whom they haue receiued their power and vse their authoritie according to the will of him vnto whom they must render accompt of all their doings Sir I. Cheeke How the higher powers are to be obaied The powers that be are ordeined of God ¶ We are bounde in all manner of things to obaye the Magistrates sith that they are the ordinaunce of God whether they be good or euill vnlesse they command Idolatry and vngodlinesse that is to say things contrary to true Religion Then ought we to saye with Peter We ought rather to obaye God then men But wée must beware of tumult and insurrection The weapon of a Christian man in this matter ought to be the sword of the spirite which is Gods worde and prayer coupled with humilitie and due submission and with heart ready rather to dye then to doe any vngodlinesse Sir I. Cheeke Let euerye person be subiect to the higher Powers ¶ This saith Chrisostome is ordained to the Ecclesiasticall◠and Cleargie and to the Monkes or any other whatsoeuer it be For thy obedience and subiection doth not alter thy seruice towards God ¶ By what title saith Saint Barnard is it speking of the temporall sword that the Pope selleth these things it is not according to the right vse Apostolicall for Saint Peter could not giue that which he himselfe had not but hée hath left to his successours that which he had to wit the order of the Churches Item saith he your powers are not ouer possessions but ouer the sinnes forasmuch as ye haue receiued the keyes of the kingdome of heauen not to be great Lords but to haue the correction of vices which dignitie séemeth greatest to you to forgiue sinnes or to distribute possessions There is no comparison These earthly superiorties haue their Iudges which be Kings of the earth And wherefore vsurpe you the Office dignities and lymittes of other men Learne saith he to haue a Spade to delue and dresse the Uineyard of the Lord not to beare a Scepter And yet more it is saith he a cleare thing that all Lordships is forbidden to the Apostles Go thou then which vsurpest the title of an Apostle in ruling Lordlike goe where the authoritie and power is fette in the Apostolike seate c. Theodore Beza What absolute power is Absolute
confusion superstition Idolatry impietie as Babilon the first Monarch was destroid so shal this wicked kingdome of Antichrist haue a miserable ruine though it hée great and séemeth to extend throughout all Europa Geneua And their corps shall lye in the stréets of the great citie which spiritually is called Sodome and Aegypt where our Lord was crucified ¶ Meaning the whole iurisdiction of the Pope which is compared to Sodome and to Aegypt because the true libertie to serue God is taken away from the faithfull and Christ was condemned by Pilate who represented the Romane power which should be enimie to the godly Obiection What impudencie is it to affirme that Christ was crucified at Rome and all the worlde knoweth he suffered death at Hierusalem Aunswere Rome béeing vnderstood for the Regiment c. As is aforesaid the proofe is euidently made that our Sauiour Christ suffered and was crucified at Rome Reasons to proue that Christ suffered at Rome By whom was he condemned was it not by Pilate the deputie or lieuetenant of the Romane Empire c For what cause or crime was he iudged to dye Was it not for treason pretended to be committed against the Romane Empire With what kinds of execution was he put to death Was it not such as was vsuall by the lawes of the Romanes for such hainous offences as were vniustlye layde to his charge Finally was not the place where he suffered within the circuite of the Romane Empire May not then iustly affirme that he was crucified at Rome when by the Romane Iudge he was condemned for a crime against the Romane state executed by a kinde of death appointed by the Romane lawes in a place of the Romane dominion As for the Iewes they had at that time no authoritie to put any man to death as they confesse themselues when Pilatâ— had them take him iudge him according to their owne lawe meaning they shuld decree some light punishment against him they aunswered It is not lawfull for vs to put any man to death he hath defeâ—ued to die As touching to cause although they accused him of blasphemy because he made himselfe the son of God yet could he not be condemned for that because Pilate wild admit no accusation but such as conteined a crime against the Romane lawes And as for the death of the crosse it is manifest to be propeâ— to the Romanes for the Iewes would haue stoned him if they might haue condemned him for blaphemie according to yâ— lawâ— of Moses And that the Angell in that place by no meanes can vnderstand Hierusalem it is manifest by these reasons First that he calleth it the greate Citie which tearme coulde neuer bée spoken of Hierusalem Also vs calleth it Sodoma and Aegypt which was the Sea of the monsterons beast Antichrist which in other places is often called Babylon c. Adde héerevnto that Hierusalem the place where Christ suffered was vtterly destroyed in Saint Iohns time which wrote this reuelation For the second proofe sée the. 13. Chapter of this Reuelation and the. 17. chapter where this euill shapen beast is described with 7. heads 10 hornes Also sée Daniel the 7. Chapter describing the foure beastes especially the fourth beast which all men must confesse to be the Monarch of Rome which is the fourth Monarch The third Argument or proofe is taken out of the 17. chapter verse 9. of this Reuelation Where the Angell expounding to Saint Iohn the mysterie of the beast with seauen heads declareth in verye plaine wordes that the seauen heads do signifie seauen hills wherevpon the woman sitteth which al writers Poets historiers cosmographers with one consent do confesse to be Rome which is builded vpon 7. hills whose names are these Palatinus Capitolinus Auentinus Exquilinus Viminalis Quirinalis Caelius The Poet Virgil describeth Rome with this Periphrasis in his Georgikes Septem quae vna sibi muro circundedit arces Which hath compassed 7. hils within her walls The fourth and last proofe is taken out of the. 17. chapter of this Reuelation the last verse where the Angell expoundeth that the woman which Saint Iohn sawe which was the great whoore Babylon is that great Citie which hath cominion ouer the kings of the earth And what man is so impudent as to saye that anie other Citie in Saint Iohns time had dominion ouer the kings of the earth but Rome How Babylon is proued to bee Rome by the Doctours Ireneus one of the most auncient and autenticall writers that the Church hath in the fift booke of his treatise against all hereliks speking of the sea of Antichrist vpon the last verse vppon the. 13. chap. of this Reuelation where it is said yâ— the number of the beasts name is sixe hundred sixtie and sixe sheweth that the opinion of many in his time was that séeing this name Lateinos which is in English the Latin man or Romane in the numerall Gréeke letters conteineth this number that Antichrist must be sought at Rome his words are these Sed a Lateinos nomen fex centorum sexaginta sex numerorum c. Et valde verisimile est quoniam verissim regnum hoc habet vocabulum Latini enim sunt qui nunc regnant Also saith he this name Lateinos conteining the number of 666. is thought to be the name of Antichrist it is very like so to be for that which most vndoubtedly is a kingdom hath that name for they be Latines which now doe reigne Tertulianus a verye auncient writer in his third booke against Marcion which denied that Christ had a true bodye wherefore Tertulian vseth this reason against him That thing which hath a figure in it might bée a thing of truth so discoursing of many things figured and the figures of them commeth to theseâ— wordes Siâ— Babylon apud Iohannem nostrum c. Euen so doth Babylon in the Apocalipsis of our Saint Iohn beare the figure of the Citie of Rome which is altogether as great and as proude in reigneâ— and as great a persecuter of the Saintes as Babylon was Chrisostome in his Commentaries vppon the seconde Epistle to the Thessaloâ—â—ans Capter 2. in his fourth Homelye where as Paule speaketh of the manifestation of Antichrist sayth they knewe what was the cause that hée was not presentlye reuealed â— but when that staye is taken awaye hée shoulde bee râ—â—â—â—led in his due time Chrisostome 〈…〉 deth this staye too bee the Romane Empire which must giue place to Antichrist that like as the Persians came in place of the Chaldeans the Grecians in the place of the Persians and the Romanes in the place of the Grecians Euen so our Antichrist should inuade the Empire of the Romanes Vacantem imperiâ— principatum inuadit tentabit ad se capere hominum Deâ— imperium Antichrist saith he shal inuade the vacant principalitie of the Empire and shall assay to drawe vnto
Paule maketh no moe Sauiours but God alone for he attributeth saluation vnto the instruments whereby God worketh saluation When as Dauid killed Golias with a sling he that saith Dauids sling killed Golias with a â—ling saith not there was more slayers of Golias beside Dauid for the sling was the proper weapon that Dauid killed Golias with And so is Timothy Gods instrument wherby he wrought the saluation of Timothy and of them that beleeued his preaching But if a man say that a launce killed Golias the same man maketh another killer of Golias beside Dauid for the Launce was none of the weapons that Dauid killed Golias with So he that giueth saluation instrumentally to any instruments which God hath onely appointed and vsed to worke saluation vnto other instruments then are peculiar and proper vnto God which God neither appointed neither at any time hath vsed neither will allowe for his instruments maketh another Sauiour beside God I. Veron Thou gauest them Sauiours c. ¶ Sauiours are héere called the Princes or Captaines which saued the people from theyr enimies Iudic. 3. T. M. How this place following is vnderstood Whosoeuer will saue his lyfe shall loose it ¶ Whosoeuer will saue his lyfe that is whosoeuer in this world regardeth so his lyfe that he will not put it in ieopardye for me when the time requyreth the same shall loose his lyfe eternally Tindale To bee saued by hope what it meaneth For we are saued by hope ¶ We are saued by hope that is we hope to be deliuered out of the corruption of our bodyes into the glory that Christ now is in and therefore saint not in our tribulations Tindale SAVLE Why he was called Paule THen Saule which also is called Paule ¶ Of the name of Paule doe manye dispute but the most allowed opinion is that of the Hebrewes hée was called Saule and after the manner of speach of the Gentiles and Romanes hée was called Paule How Saule rent Samuels coate When Saule tooke Samuel by the lap of his coate and rent it Samuel said vnto Saule The Lord hath rent the Kingdome of Israel from thee this day Some expositours doe say that Samuel did giue this token to Saule that such a man shuld raigne in his steede as should cut off the lap of his coate which thing Dauid did For Saule when he saw the lap of his coate in Dauids hand said vnto him Now I know surely that thou shalt raigne after me Lyra. SCAPE GOATE ¶ Looke Goate SCEPTER What the Scepter of Christ is HIs scepter is a scepter of righteousnesse not onely a righteous Scepter that is that whatsoeuer he ordeineth it is righteous but the scepter of righteousnes that is whatsoeuer is righteous is ordeined of him and all spirituall scepters of all Kings which are not directed by him they are crooked broken scepters of superstition and scepters of Idolatry there is none of righteousnesse but only the scepter of Iesus Christ. The Scepter is a little wande which Princes haue accustomed to beare in their hands and it is a signe of their gouernment and by a Metonimia it signifieth héere the gouernmeÌ„t it selfe Now the scepter of Christ is as his kingdome is not a scepter of wood or mettall like other kings for his kingdome is not of this worlde as theirs is but his scepter the Prophet Esay in plaine words describeih it He shall smite the earth saith he with the scepter of his mouth with the breath of his lips shall kill the vngodly In which words of the Prophet we sée both what is the scepter why it hath the name of righteousnes The scepter is the word of his mouth yâ— is the preaching of the Gospell not decrées nor decreâ—alls nor traditions of men nor vnwritten verities by none of al these we haue receiued the spirit of God but onely by hearing faith preached it therefore alone is the scepter c. Deering SCISME What Scisme is and how it is defined SCisme is a Gréeke word lyke as Hersie is and signifieth a cutting off a diuision or a breach deriued from the Gréek word Okizio which is as much to say as to cut to deuide and to breake asunder Augustine doth allow their definition which doe define Scisme to be a new discention of some Congregation vpon a diuersitie of opinions and Heresie an olde worne Scisme But séeing the signification of this word is manifest knowen I thinke it a plainer way to define a Scisme to bée a cutting a sunder of the Ecclesiasticall vnitie and peace whereby the fellowship of the faithful is deuided into two parts and opinions and that it skilleth not whether it be new or olde or els from whome it procéede It was surely a Scisme that the Corinthians were deuided into two parts and said one I am of Paule and another I am of Cephas and another I am of Apollo Like as the Scisme of the kingdome of the Israelites was when the ten Tribes were separated from Iuda and Beniamin vnder Roboam was as well a Scisme when it came to be olde vnder the last king of that people as when it was yet new begun vnder Roboam So the Schismes of the Church be as well Scismes after all their auncientie of times and continuance as they were at the first beginning though they conuey themselues neuer so great a colour of the Catholike church because they haue bene so long vsed and accustomed Mus. fol. 542. Of Scismes good and euill That is an euill schisme whereby the good vnitie and concord is cut and put a sunder and that is a good scisme when the naughtie knot and nest was broken The vnitie of the Iewes was naught before they heard the doctrine of Christ concord was broken by scisme after the hearing of Christ. So we do read in Iohn And ther was a scisme a new among the Iews because of these words talke For many of them saide He hath a Diuell and is mad why doe ye hearken vnto him Other sayde These be not the words of one that hath the Diuell can a diuell open the eyes of the blind This scisme the doctrine of Christ stirred vp among the Iewes And what godly person will say that the vnitie concord which went before was better then it By the lyke scisme the whole world was dâ—uided afterwarde through the preaching of Christs Gospell which diuision Christ doth expresly challenge to himselfe saieng I came not to send peace but a sword for I came to seperate c. This scisme came vpon good that is to say vpon the Gospell of saluation and it tendeth to good ende that is to saye vnto the saluation of mankinde and it did breake vp the naughtie vnitie which rested in the Catholike or vniuersall blindnesse of mens mindes and it called all men vnto the true vnitie Muscul. fol. 543. SCORNER The propertie of a scorner or mocker REproue not a scorner least he
How many Sects are layde to Luthers charge Fredericus Staphilus sheweth in his Apology that out of Luther haue sprung three diuerse heresies or Sects The Anabaptists the Sacramentaries and the Confessionists otherwise called the Protestants And that the Anabaptists be diuided into sixe Sects The Sacramentaries into eight and the Confessionists into twentie Which all be laide to Luthers charge and for suffering the rude and rash people to haue the Scriptures in their owne tongue Aunswere At the first preaching of the Gospell by the Apostles of Christ and other holy Fathers there grew vp immediatly with the same sundrie sorts of Sects to yâ— number of 90. as they are reckoned in perticular by S. Augustine all flowing out of one spring all confessing one Gospell and all knowne by the name of Christ. Besides that the very Apostles and other holy fathers hath séemed to be diuided by some discention among theÌ„selues as Peter froÌ„ S. Paule S. Paule from Barnabas S. Cipriane froÌ„ Cornelius S. Augustine from Hierome S. Chrisostome from Epiphanius and so forth Now if Staphilus had ben in the primitiue church séene all these hot and troublesome discentions doubtlesse as he saith now all these diuersities sprung from D. Luther so would he then haue said all these former diuersities and formes of heresies sprang onely from Christ and so haue concluded as he doth now that the rude and rash people should in no wise be suffered to read the Scripture SECVNDIANI What they were SEcundiani of secundus together with Epiphanes and Isidorus taught the lyke with Valentinus in lyfe they were beastly all women among them were common They denyed the resurrection of the flesh Epiphan herees 32. SEE OR SELING What is meant by seeeing in this place And I turned me about to sée the voice that spake to me ¶ After the Hebrue phrase to sée is put for to vnderstande or to heare for a voyce is not séene but heard So read we in Moses the people sawe the voice Ex. 20. 18. vnlesse any man had leuer to referre this saieng vnto him yâ— vttered the voice as if Iohn should say I turned me about to see him that vttered this great voice so as the effect should be put for the cause Marl. vpon the Apoc. fol. 20. How the people sawe God And sawe the God of Israel ¶ They sawe God that is they knew certeinly that he was there present and they sawe him as in a vision not in his godly nature but as it were by a certeine reuelation T. M. And they sawe the God of Israel As perfectly as their infirmities could behold his maiestie Geneua How the iust shall see God They which are not delighted with craft deceit but walke godly purely and sincerely among men which also adioine theÌ„selues with a sincere and feruent minde vnto Christ such I say shall see God that is first they shall be endued with the perfect knowledge they shall vnderstand his will and minde last of all they shall haue euerlasting life when they shal behold him not in darke speaking of faith but face to face with his holye Angels Marl. vpon Math. fo 79. SEEDE How the seede of the righteous man is said to inherit the earth ANima eius in bonis demorabitur semen eius heriditabiâ— terram His soule shall long inioye good things and his séed shall inherit the earth ¶ This is not a generall warrant that euery good man shall haue good children which shall inioye and inherit their Fathers land For we read in Scripture of many good Fathers which haue had children some foolish some godly Isaac the holy Patriarke had to his sonnes Iacob the vertuous and Esau the scapethrift King Ezechias was a noble and a godly king of Iuda whose sonne Manasses was a murtherer of the Prophets of God and a cruell shedder of innocent bloud Salomon excelled in wisdome whose son heire named RoboaÌ„ was a rash and a foolish man And on the other â—ide Amon was a wicked Idolater but Iosias his sonne was a noble vertuous and a most excellent king wherefore we cannot certeinly conclude that the words of the Prophet when he sayth The soule of that man which feareth the Lorde shall long inioy good things and his séede shall inherit the earth that euery good man shall haue good children which shall inioy and inherit their fathers land but the meaning is this By the vertuous or righteous mans séede ye must not vnderstand his naturall séede but his spirituall séede his spirituall seede are all those which doe followe his godly steppes of liuing All that his séed which doe labour to liue a godly lyfe and study with all reuerence and feare to please the Lord all that séede shall long inioy good things c. Ric. Turnar How the field may not be sowen with mingled seede and what it meaneth Let none of thy cattell gender with a contrarie kinde neither sowe thy field with mingled seede ¶ Cattell may not gender with a contrary kinde against the order of nature much lesse reasonable creatures made to the Image of God as men and women The field may not be sowen with mixt séed that is our déede and words may not be mingled with hypocrisie neither may our garments be made of lynnen wollen that is we may not mingle false doctrine with true or shew a carnall lyfe vnder pretence of religion Tho. Mathew Thou shalt not sowe thy vineyard with diuerse kindes of séedes c. ¶ The tenour of this lawe is to walke in simplicitie and not to be curious of new inuentions Geneua SEEKE The meaning of this place following THey shall séeke me early but they shall not finde me ¶ Because they sought not with affection to God but for ease of their owne griefe Geneua They seeke me that hitherto haue not asked for mée ¶ Meaning the Gentiles which knewe not God shoulde seeke after him when he had moued their heartes with his holye spirit Rom. 10. 20. Geneua What it is to seeke after God Oâ— séeke after God ¶ To séeke after God is at no haÌ„d to séeke our owne in any thing but both to doe and suffer all things to the glory of God profit of our neighbour to denie our selues and all ours and become the seruants of all men and this is the especiall point of godlynesse against which no man striue more stifly then the bloud thirstie and deceitfull which thinke they séeke God and séeke themselues T. M. That would vnderstand and séeke God ¶ Whereby he condemneth all knowledge and vnderstanding that tendeth not to seeke God Rom. 3. 10. Geneua SELAH What this word Selah signifieth SElah signifieth a lifting vp of the voice It admonished the singers of the Psalmes to sing out in their highest tune because the matter of that part of the Psalme where that word is found was especially to be hearkened vnto and to be considered
set from thence foure hundred twenty talents of gold ¶ In the. 2. Par. 8. 18. is made mention of thirtie more which séeme to haue bene employed for their wages Geneua Of the pound or talent which the noble man left with his seruants The money pound or talent which Christ left with his seruants to occupie till he came signifieth nothing els but a fraÌ„k and frée gift giuen of God to euerie one of vs to be vsed and exercised to the glorie of his holy name and profit of his faithfull congregation We haue nothing as sayth the Apostle but that wée haue receiued as saith the Apostle 1. Cor. 4. 7. What hast thou that thou hast not receiued And againe Iames. â— 17. Euery good gift and euery perfect gift is from aboue c. Wee be commaunded to occupie our Lords money and not to hide it and sléepe our Maisters businesse as did the sluggish seruant which suffered tares to bée sowen among the corne and also the foolish virgins that fell on sléepe and let their lamps burne out Theo. Basil. TAPERS ¶ Looke Candles TAVGHT OF GOD. How this place is to be vnderstood AND they shall bée all taught of God ¶ This instruction of God is the inward illumination of the heart Notwithstanding we may not héereby take occasion to contemne vocal predication and external hearing For God verily teacheth but yet by externall meanes for fayth commeth by hearing he giueth his good spirit but yet by the preaching of the Gospell he giueth increase but yet by the planting of Paule and by the watering of Apollo Wherfore God teacheth man ministreth and faith receiueth doctrine God giueth his spirit the Apostle ministreth the beléeuer receiueth And so those things are ministred and distributed by the seruice of the Apostles whereof God is the authour himselfe This place All ought to bée restrained to Gods elect which onely are the naturall sonnes of the Church Marl. fol. 201. And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord. ¶ By the hearing of his word and inward mouing of his spirit Gene. TELL NO MAN How these two places following are vnderstood AND he commaunded them that they should tell no man ¶ In this place we are taught when we do any good deed yâ— we should not hunt and hauke after the praise of men They therefore that doe béere so earnestly spread abroad the benefits and power of God sinne not against Christs wordes For in other places he requireth thankfulnesse of vs that we should alwayes setâ— forth the bounteous liberalitie of our heauenly father Theophilactus Charged them that they should tell no man what they had séene ¶ Christ forbiddeth the Apostles to tell forth the vision afore his rising againe from death least when men shoulde sée him to be crucified of whom so excellent and glorious things were spoken they should therewith be offended hauing his Apostles in dirision â—or telling of such things Sir I. Cheeke TEMPERAVNCE What Temperaunce is TEmperaunce is a sobrietie or modestie of the whole life of man which Paule setteth against the flesh He would therefore that Christians should liue soberly and chastly that they shoulde be no adulterers no fornicatours no wantons And if they cannot liue chastly he would haue them to marrie Also that they should not be couetous nor quarrellers that they should not be giuen to drunkennesse or surâ—etting but that they shoulde absteine from all those things Luther fol. 262. TEMPLES Wherefore Temples or Churches are ordeined MY house shall bée called the house of prayer but yée haue made it a denne of théeues ¶ For this finall cause or end are yâ— temples of christians ordeined that they may haue some conuenient places to assemble themselues together for to offer with one accord their Sacrifices of prayers and thanksgiuing vnto God for to preach and heare Gods word and for to minister the Sacraments duely and rightly but if there be hypocrisie superstition and false doctrine the people are robbed and spoyled and the Temples made dennes of théeues Sir I. Cheeke Is this house become a denne of thées ¶ As théeues hid in holes and dennes thinke themselues safe So when you are in my Temple you thinke to be couered with the holynes therof and that I cannot see your wickednesse Geneua How God dwelleth not in Temples made with hands Where shall now the house stand that ye will builde vnto me c. ¶ As who should say whereto make ye me a Temple of mans handy worke which rule the whole world hether to haue I suffered the temple to kéepe you Iewes in a certeine manner of instruction and obedience and choose you one place for your seruice to the intent ye should not fall to the Idols of the Gentiles but now will I haue all Idols banished and for Iewry will I challenge vnto me the whole world for one people all the dwellers on the earth which shall bée my worshippers in the spirit and truth Iohn 4. 23. I will not be superstitiously worshipped with sacrifices and ceremonies in the temple but with righteousnesse with fayth and with the spirit The same song that the Prophet héere singeth in the latter end of his Prophesie sung he before in the beginning euen in the first chapter Let the Christians note these two Chapters I meane the first and the last well and then shall they perceiue how greatly God abhorreth such hypocritish works done without faith although they séeme appeare outwardly to be most godly T. M. ¶ My maiestie is so great that it filleth both heauen and earth and therfore cannot bée included in a temple like an Idoll condemning héereby their vaine confidence which trusted in the temple and sacrifices Geneua The most highest dwelleth not in temples made with hands ¶ He reproueth the grose dulnesse of the people which abused the power of God in that they would haue conteined it within the temple Geneua How long the temple was a building and what Christ meant by the temple When the Iewes asked of Christ what meruailous signe he would worke to perswade them that he might doe such as he did he said Destroy this Temple meaning his body and in thrée daies I will build it vp again Then they vnderstanding he had meant the Temple of lime and stone sayd Forty yearâ— was this Temple a building and wilt thou build it in thrée dayes Héere we see how the Temple was a building fortye yeares not meaning that they were continually working on the same so long for sometimes it was forbidden and stopped by the kings that ruled after Cyrus but that there were so many yeares from the beginning of that worke vnto the finishing of the same For in the second yeare of king Cyrus they layde the foundation and in the second yeare of Darius the sonne of Assuerus and Ester they were willed by Aggeus the Prophet to take in hand their worke againe which they finished