also to shevv to the vvorld that no obstinacie of neuer so mightie offenders can resist me to doe any thing vvhich shal not fall to my glorie Vvhich is no more to say but that God often for the punishment of Nations and to shevv his iustice and glorie giueth vvicked Princes vnto them and indueth them vvith povver and al prosperitie and taking his grace from them vpon their deserts hardeneth their hartes so as they vvithsand and contemne God and afflict his people in vvhose end and fall either temporal or eternal at the length God vvil euer be glorified Neither vvould he either raise or suffer any such or giue them povver and prosperitie in this life vvherevpon he knovveth they vvil be vvorse but that he can vvorke al that to his honour and glorie mary that he vseth not such rigorous iustice on al that deserue it that is his great grace and mercie And that he exerciseth his iustice vpon some certaine persons rather then vpon other some of equal deserts that lieth vvholy vpon his vvil in vvhose iudgements there be many things secrete but nothing vniust 20. Who art thou Here the Apostle staieth the rashnes and presumption of such poore vvormes as take vpon them to question vvith God of their election or reprobation as certaine impious Heretikes of our time haue done setting out bookes farsed vvith most blasphemous and erroneous doctrine cōcerning this high and hidden mysterie and haue giuen occasion to the ignorant vvhich alvvaies be curious to iangle and perniciously to erre in these things that are impossible to be vnderstood of any or vvel thought of but of the obedient and humble 31. The potter This example of the pot and potter reacheth no further but to declare that the creature may not reason vvith God his maker vvhy he giueth not one so great grace as an other or vvhy he pardoneth not one as vvel as an other no more then the chamber pot may chalenge the Potter vvhy he vvas not made a drinking pot as vvel as an other And therfore the Heretikes that extend this similitude to proue that man hath no free vvil no more then a peece of clay doe vntruely and deceitfully apply the example specially vvhen vve may see expresly in the booke of Exodus that Pharao notvvithstāding his indurate hart had free vvil vvhere both it is said He vvould not dismisse the people and He indurated his owne hart him self Exo. c. ◠15. and in the Hebrue v. 32. c. 9. 35. 1 Reg. 6 6. And this Apostle also vvritheth that * a man may cleanse him self from the filthy and so become a vessel of honour in the house of God CHAP. X. The Lavv vvar not as the Ievves ignorant zeale supposed for them to iustifie them selues by it considering that they could not fulfil it ◠but to bring them to Christ to beleeue in him and so for his sake to be iustified by the grace of God 5 according to Moyses saying and the Apostles preaching 11 that so the Gentils also according to the Prophets hearing and beleeuing might come to iustice the Ievves in the meane time though inexcusably remaining incredulous verse 1 BRETHREN the vvil of my hart surely and praier to God is for them vnto saluation ✠verse 2 For I giue them testimonie that they haue zeale of God but not according to knovvledge ✠verse 3 For not knovving ″ the iustice of God seeking to establish their ovvne they haue not been subiect to the iustice of God ✠verse 4 For the end of the Law is Christ vnto iustice to euery one that beleeueth ✠verse 5 for Moyses vvrote that the iustice vvhich is of the Lavv the man that hath done it shal liue in it ✠verse 6 But ″ the iustice vvhich is of faith saith thus Say not in thy hart Vvho shal ascend into heauen that is to bring Christ dovvne ✠verse 7 Or vvho descendeth into the depth that is to call Christ againe from the dead ✠verse 8 But vvhat saith the Scripture The vvord is nigh in thy mouth and in thy hart this is the vvord of faith vvhich vve preach ✠verse 9 For if thou confesse vvith thy mouth our Lord IESVS and in thy hart beleeue that God hath raised him vp from the dead thou shalt be saued ✠verse 10 For vvith the hart vve beleeue vnto iustice but vvith the mouth confession is made to saluation ✠verse 11 For the Scripture saith Vvhosoeuer beleeueth in him shal not be confounded ✠verse 12 For there is no distinction of the Iew and the Greeke for one is Lord of al riche tovvard al that inuocate him ✠verse 13 For euery one vvhosoeuer shal innocate the name of our Lord shal be saued ✠verse 14 ″ Hovv then shal they inuocate in vvhom they haue not beleeued Or hovv shal they beleeue him vvhom they haue not heard And hovv shal they heare without a preacher ✠verse 15 But hovv shal they preach ″ vnles they be senti as it is vvritten Hovv beautiful are the feete of them that euangelize peace of them that euangelize good things ✠verse 16 But al do not obey the Gospel For Esay saith Lord vvho hath beleeued the hearing of vs ✠verse 17 Faith then is by hearing and hearing is by the vvord of Christ ✠verse 18 But I say haue they not heard And certes into al the earth hath the sound of them gone forth and vnto the endes of the vvhole vvorld the vvordes of them ⊢ ✠verse 19 But I say hath not Israel knovven Moyses first saith I vvil bring you to emulation in that vvhich is not a nation in a folish nation I vvil driue you into anger ✠verse 20 But Esay is bold and saith I vvas found of them that did not seeke me openly I appeared to them ″ that asked not of me ✠verse 21 But to Israel he saith Al the day haue I spred my handes to a people that beleeueth not and contradicteth me ANNOTATIONS CHAP. X. ◠The iustice of God The iustice of God is that vvhich God giueth vs through Christ the Ievves ovvne or proper iustice is that vvhich they had or chalenged to haue of them selues and by their ovvne strength holpen onely by the knovvledge of the Lavv vvithout the helpe or grace of Christ 6. The iustice of faith The iustice vvhich is of faith reacheth to the life to come making man assured of the truth of such Articles as concerne the same as of Christs Ascension to heauen of his Descending to Hel of his comming dovvne to be Incarnate and his Resurrection and returne againe to be glorified by vvhich his actions vve be pardoned iustified and saued as by the Lavv vve could neuer be 8. The vvord of faith The vvord of faith is the vvhole Lavv of Christ concerning both life and doctrine grounded vpon this
things must be done but the end is not yet ✠verse 7 for nation shal rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom and there shal be pestilences and famines and earth-quakes in places ✠verse 8 and al these things are the beginnings of sorovves ◠✠verse 9 Then * shal they deliuer you into tribulation and shal kil you and you shal be odious to al nations for my names sake ✠verse 10 And then many shal be scandalized and they shal deliuer vp one an other and they shal hate one an other ✠verse 11 And many false-prophets shal rise and shal seduce many ✠verse 12 And because â— iniquitie shal abound the charitie of many shal vvaxe cold ✠verse 13 But he that shal perseuêre to the end he shal be saued ◠✠verse 14 And this Gospel of the kingdom â— shal be preached in the vvhole vvorld for a testimonie to al nations and then shal come the consummation ✠verse 15 Therfore vvhen you shal see â— the abomination of desolation vvhich vvas spoken of by Daniel the Prophet standing in the holy place he that readeth let him vnderstand ✠verse 16 then they that are in levvrie let them flee to the mountaines ✠verse 17 and he that is on the house-toppe let him not come dovvne to take any thing out of his house ✠verse 18 and he that is in the field let him not goe backe to take his coate ✠verse 19 And vvo to theÌ„ that are vvith childe and that giue sucke in those dayes ✠verse 20 But pray that your flight be not in the vvinter or on the Sabboth ✠verse 21 For there shal be then great tribulation such as hath not been from the beginning of the vvorld vntil novv neither shal be ✠verse 22 And vnles those daies had been shortened no flesh should be saued but for the elect the daies â— shal be shortened ✠verse 23 Then if any man shal say vnto you Loe here is Christ or there do not beleeue him ✠verse 24 For there shal rise false-Christes and false-Prophets and shal shevv â— great signes and vvonders so that the elect also if it be possible may be induced into errour ✠verse 25 Loe I haue foretold you ✠verse 26 If therfore they shal say vnto you Behold he is in the desert goe ye not out behold â— in the closets beleeue it not ✠verse 27 For as lightening coÌ„meth out of the east and appeareth euen into the vvest so shal also the aduent of the sonne of man be ✠verse 28 Wheresoeuer the body is thither shal the egles also be gathered together ✠verse 29 And â— immediatly after the tribulation of those dayes * the sonne shal be darkened and the moone shal not giue her light and the starres shal fal from heauen and the powers of heauen shal be moued ✠verse 30 and then shal appeare the signe of the Sonne of man in heauen and then shal al tribes of the earth bevvaile and they shal see the Sonne of man comming in the cloudes of heauen vvith much povver and maiestie ✠verse 31 And he shal send his Angels vvith a trumpet and a great voyce and they shal gather together his elect from the foure vvindes from the furthest partes of heauen euen to the endes thereof ✠verse 32 And of the figtree learne a parable When novv the bough thereof is tender and the leaues come forth you knovv that sommer is nigh ✠verse 33 So you also vvhen you shal see these things knovv ye that it is nigh euen at the doores ✠verse 34 Amen I say to you that this generation shal not passe til al these things be done ✠verse 35 Heauen and earth shal passe but my vvordes shal not passe ◠✠verse 36 But of that day and houre no body knovveth neither the Angels of heauen but the Father alone ✠verse 37 And as * in the dayes of Noe so shal also the comming of the Sonne of man be ✠verse 38 For as they vvere in the dayes before the floud eating and drinking marying and giuing to mariage euen vnto that day in vvhich Noe entred into the arke ✠verse 39 and knevve not til the floud came and tooke them al so also shal the coÌ„ming of the Sonne of man be ✠verse 40 Then two shal be in the field one shal be taken and one shal be left ✠verse 41 tvvo vvomen grinding in the mill one shal be taken and one shal be left ✠verse 42 Watch therfore because you knovv not vvhat houre your Lord vvil come ✠verse 43 But this knovv ye that * if the good man of the house did knovv vvhat houre the theefe vvould come he vvould surely vvatch and vvould not suffer his house to be broken vp ✠verse 44 Therefore be you also ready because at vvhat houâ—e you knovv not the Sonne of man vvil come ✠verse 45 Who thinkest thou is a faithful and vvise seruant vvhom his lord hath appointed ouer his familie to giue them meate in season ✠verse 46 Blessed is that seruant vvhom vvhen his lord coÌ„meth he shal finde so doing ✠verse 47 Amen I say to you that ouer al his goods shal he appoint him ⊢ ✠verse 48 But if that naughtie seruant shal say in his hart My lord is long a comming ✠verse 49 and shal beginne to strike his felovv-seruants and eateth and drinketh vvith drunkards ✠verse 50 the lord of that seruant shal come in a day that he hopeth not and an houre that he knovveth not ✠verse 51 and shal deuide him and appoint his portion vvith the hypocrites there shal be vveeping and gnashing of teeth ANNOTATIONS CHAP. XXIIII 2. Not left This was fulfilled 40 yeres after Christes Ascension by Vespasian the Emperour and his sonne Titus Euseb li. â— c. 6. seq ex Iosepho Vpon which wordes There shal not be left c. which threaten the destruction of the Iewes Temple and those wordes Vpon this Rocke I wil build my Church which promise the building of the Catholike Church of al nations S. Châ—ysostome making a long comparison of these two prophecies of Christ saith thus Thou seest in both his great and vnspeakable power in that that he increased and built vp them that worshipped him and those that stumbled at him he abased destroyed and plucked them vp by the roote Doest thou see how whatsoeuer he hath built no man shal destroy and whatsoeuer he hath destroyed no man shal build He builded the Church and no man shal be able to destroy it he destroyed the Temple and no man is able to build it and that in so long time For they haue endeuoured both to destroy that and could not and they haue attempted to build vp this and they could not doe that neither c. 3. The signe Our Maister knowing that it was not profitable nor
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
mutual entercourse that is betvvene the members of Christes mystical body and very ansvverable to Gods iustice * vvhich by supply of the one sort that aboundeth standeth entire in respect of the other sort also that wanteth In vvhich kinde the Apostle confesseth that him self by his suffering and tribulations supplieth the vvantes of such passions as Christ hath to suffer not in his ovvne person but in his body vvhich is his Church Vvherevpon vve inferre most assuredly that the satisfactorie and penal vvorkes of holy Sainctes suffered in this life be communicable and applicable to the vse of other faithful men their fellovv-members in our Lord and to be dispensed according to euery ones necessitie and deseruing by them vvhom Christ hath constituted ouer his familie and hath made the dispensers of his treasures 10. In the person of Christ For that many might of ignorance or pride reproue the practise of Gods Church and her Officers or deny the Apostles authoritie to be so great ouer mens soules as to punish and pardon in this sort S. Paul doth purposely and precisely tell them that he doth giue pardon as Christes Vicar or as bearing his person in this case and therfore that no man may maruel of his povver herein except he thinke that Christes povver authoritie and commission is not sufficient to release temporal punishment due to sinners And this to be the proper meaning of these vvordes In the person of Christ and not as the Protestants vvould haue it the better to auoid the former conclusion of the Apostles giuing indulgence In the face or sight of Christ you may easily vnderstand by the Apostles like insinuation of Christes povver vvhen he committed this offender to Satan affirming that he gaue that sentence in the name and vvith the vertue or povver of our Lord IESVS CHRIST In al vvhich cases the Protestants blindnes is exceding great vvho can not see that this is not the vvay to extol Christes povver to deny it to his Priests seing the Apostle chalengeth it by that that Christ hath such povver that him self doth it in his name vertue and person So novv in this and in no other name giue Popes and Bishops their pardons Vvhich pertaining proprely to releasing onely of temporal punishment due after the sinne and the eternal punishment be forgiuen is not so great a matter as the remission of the sinne it self vvhich yet the Priests * by expresse commission do also remitte 11. Circumuented of Satan Vve may see hereby that the dispensation of such discipline and the releasing of the same be put into the povver and handes of Gods ministers to deale more or lesse rigorously to pardon sooner or later punish longer or shorter vvhile as shal be thought best to their vvisedom for the end of al such correction or pardoning must be the saluation of the parties soul as the Apostle noted 1 Cor. 5 5. Vvhich to some and some certaine times may be better procured by rigour of discipline then by indulgence to some others by leuitie and humane dealing so pardoning of penance is called in old Councels rather then by ouermuch chastisemeÌ„â— for consideration vvhereof in some ages of the Church much discipline great penance and satisfaction vvas both enioyned and also vvillingly susteined and then vvas the lesse pardoning and fevver indulgences because in that voluntary vse and acceptation of punishment and great zeale and feruor of spirit euery man fulfilled his penancÌ„e and fevv asked pardon Novv in the fall of deuotion and lothsomnes that men commonly haue to do great penance though the sinnes be far greater then euer before yet our holy mother the Church knovving vvith the Apostle the cogitations of Satan hovv he vvould in this delicate time driue men either to desperation or to forsake Christ and his Church and al hope of saluation rather then they vvould enter into the course of canonicall discipline enioyneth small penance and seldom vseth extremitie vvith offenders as the holy Bishops of the primitiue Church did but condescending to the vveaknes of her children pardoneth exceding often and much not onely al enioyned penance but also al or great partes of vvhat punishment temporal so euer due or deserued either in this vvorld or in the next As for the Heretikes vvhich neither like the Churches lenitie and pardoning in these daies nor the old rigor of the primitiue Church they be like to the Ievves â— that condemned Iohn the Baptist of austeritie and Christ of to much freedom and libertie not knovving nor liking in deede either Christes ordinance and commission in binding or loosing or his prouidence in the gouernement of the Church 17. Adulterating The Greeke vvord signifieth to make commoditie of the vvord of God as vulgar Vinteners do of their vvine Vvhereby is expressed the peculiar trade of al Heretikes and exceding proper to the Protestants that so corrupt Scriptures by mixture of their ovvne phantasies by false traÌ„slations glosses colorable and pleasant commentaries to deceiue the tast of the simple as tauerners and tapsters do to make their vvines salable by manifold artificial deceites The Apostles contrarievvise as all Catholikes deliuer the Scriptures and vtter the vvord of God sincerely and entirely in the same sense and sort as the fathers left them to the Church interpreting them by the same Spirit by vvhich they vvere vvritten or spoken CHAP. III. Lest the Iudaical false Apostles should obiect againe that he praiseth him self he saith that the Corinthians are his commendation and they in their hartes being iustified by his ministerie he thereof inferreth that the ministers of the nevv Testament are farre more glorious them they of the old 12 and our people more lightened then theirs verse 1 BEGIN we againe to commend our selues or do vve neede as certaine epistles of commendation to you or from you ✠verse 2 Our epistle you are vvritten in our hartes vvhich is knovven and read of al men ✠verse 3 being manifested that you are ″ the epistle of Christ ministred by vs vvritten not vvith inke but vvith the Spirit of the liuing God not in tables of stone but in the tables carnall of the hart ✠verse 4 And such confidence vve haue by Christ God ✠verse 5 not that vve be sufficient to thinke any thing ″ of our selues as of our selues but our sufficience is of God ✠verse 6 Vvho also hath made vs meete ministers of the nevv â—estament not in the letter but in the Spirit For ″ the letter killeth but the Spirit quickeneth ✠verse 7 And if the ministration of death with letters figured in stones vvas in glorie so that the children of Israël could not behold the face of Moyses for the glorie of his countenaÌ„ce that is made void ✠verse 8 how shal not the ministration of the Spirit be more in glorie ✠verse 9 For if the ministratioÌ„ of damnation be in glorie
vve haue time let vs vvorke good to al but ″ especially to the domesticals of the faith ⊢ ✠verse 11 See vvith vvhat maner of letters I haue written to you vvith mine ovvne hand ✠verse 12 Vvhosoeuer vvil please in the flesh they force you to be circumcised only that they may not suffer the persecution of the crosse of Christ ✠verse 13 For neither they that are circumcised do keepe the Lavv but they vvil haue you to be circumcised that they may glorie in your flesh ✠verse 14 But God forbid that I should glorie sauing in the crosse of our Lord IESVS Christ by vvhom the vvorld is crucified to me and I to the vvorld ✠verse 15 For in Christ IESVS neither circumcision auaileth ought nor prepuce but ″ a nevv creature ✠verse 16 And vvhosoeuer shal folovv this rule peace vpō them and mercie and vpon the Israël of God ✠verse 17 From hencefurth let no man be troublesome to me for I beare the markes verse 18 of our Lord IESVS in my body The grace of our Lord IESVS Christ be vvith your spirit brethren Amen ⊢ ANNOTATIONS CHAP. VI. 6. Communicate The great duety respect that vve ought to haue to such as preach or teach vs the Cath. faith and not in regard onely of their paines taken vvith vs and vvel-deseruing of vs by their doctrine but that vve may be partakers of their merites vve ought specially to do good to such or as the Apostle speaketh cōmunicate vvith them in al our temporal goods that vve may be partakers of their spiritual See S. Augustine li. 2. Euang. quaest q. 8. 10. Especially In giuing almes though vve may do vvel in helping al that are in necessitie as farre as vve can yet vve are more bound to succour Christians then Ievves or Infidels and Catholikes then Heretikes See S. Hierom q. 1. ad Hedibiam 15. A nevv creature Note vvel that the Apostle calleth that here a nevv creature vvhich in the last chapter he termed faith vvorking by charitie 1 Cor. 7 19 the obseruatiō of the cōmaundemēts of God Vvhereby vve may learne that vnder the name of faith is conteined the vvhole reformation of our soules and our nevv creation in good vvorkes and also that Christian iustice is a very qualitie condition and state of vertue and grace resident in vs and not a phantastical apprehension of Christes iustice only imputed to vs. Lastly that the faith vvhich iustifieth ioyned vvith the other vertues is properly the formal cause and not the efficient or instrumental cause of iustification that is to say these vertues put together being the effect of Gods grace be our nevv creature and our iustice in Christ ⧠THE ARGVMENT OF THE EPISTLE OF S. PAVL TO THE EPHESIANS OF S. Paules first comming to Ephesus and short abode there vve reade Act. 18. And immediatly Act. 19. of his returning thither according to his promise vvhat time he abode there three moneths speaking to the Ievves in the Synagogue Act. 19. v. 8. and aftervvard apart from them because they vvere obstinate tvvo yeres in a certaine schoole so that al that dvvelt in Asia heard the vvord of our Lord Ievves and Gentiles Act. 19. v. 10. The vvhole time himself calleth three yeres in his exhortation at Milétum to the Cleargie of Ephesus Act. 20. v. 31. After all this he vvriteth this Epistle vnto them from Rome as it is said being then prisoner and in chaines and that as it seemeth not the first time of his being in bonds there vvhereof vve reade Act. 28 but the second time vvhereof vve reade in the Ecclesiasticall Stories aftervvard because he saith in this Epistle c. 6. v. 21. Tychicus vvil certifie you of al things vvhom I haue sent to you Of vvhom againe in the 2. to Tim. c. 4. v. 12. he saith Tychicus I haue sent to Ephesus And the said 2. Epistle to Timothee no doubt vvas vvritten very litle before his death for in it thus he saith I am euen novv to be sacrificed the time of my resolution is at hand 2. Tim. 4 6. In the three first chapters he commendeth vnto them the grace of God in caling of the Gentiles no lesse then the Ievves and making one blessed Church of both Vvherein his intention is to moue them to perseuêre for othervvise they should be passing vngratefull and specially not to be moued vvith his trouble vvho vvas their Apostle knovving belike that it vvould be a great tentation vnto them if they should heare soone after that he vvere executed therfore also arming them in the end of the Epistle as it vvere in complete harnesse In the other three chapters he exhorteth them to good life in all pointes and all states as it becommeth Christians and afore all other things that they be most studious to continue in the vnitie of the Church and obedience of the pastors thereof vvhom Christ hath giuen to continue and to be our stay against all Heretikes from his Ascension euen to the full building vp of his Church in the end of the vvorld THE EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE EPHESIANS CHAP. I. He magnifieth the grace of Gods eternal predestination and temporal vecation 11 both of the Ievves 13 and also of the Ephesians being Gentils 13 for vvhose excellent faith and charitie he reioyceth and continually praieth for their increase that they may see more cleerly the greatnes both of the inheritance in heauen and also of Gods might vvhich helpeth them therevnto 20 an example of vvhich might they may behold in the supereminent exalting of Christ verse 1 PAVL an Apostle of IESVS Christ by the vvil of God to al the saincts that are at Ephesus and to the faithful in Christ IESVS ✠verse 2 Grace to you and peace from God our father and our Lord IESVS Christ ✠verse 3 Blessed be God and the Father of our Lord IESVS Christ vvhich hath blessed vs in al spiritual blessing in coelestials in Christ ✠verse 4 as he chose vs in him before the constitution of the vvorld that vve should be holy and immaculate in his sight in charitie ✠verse 5 Vvho hath predestinated vs vnto the adoption of sonnes by IESVS Christ vnto him self according to the purpose of his vvil ✠verse 6 vnto the praise of the glorie of his grace vvherein he hath gratified vs in his beloued sonne ✠verse 7 In vvhom vve haue redemption by his bloud the remission of sinnes according to the riches of his grace ✠verse 8 Vvhich hath superabounded in vs in al vvisedō and prudence ✠verse 9 that he might make knovven vnto vs the sacrament of his vvil according to his good pleasure vvhich he purposed in him self ✠verse 10 in the dispensation of the fulnes of times to perfit al things in Christ that are in heauen and in earth in him ✠verse 11 In vvhom vve also are called by lot predestinate
through faith and that not of your selues for it is the gift of God ✠verse 9 not of vvorkes that no man glorie ✠verse 10 For vve are his vvorke created in Christ IESVS in good vvorkes vvhich God hath prepared that vve should vvalke in them ✠verse 11 For the vvhich cause be mindeful that sometime you vvere Gentils in the flesh vvho vvere * called prepuce of that vvhich is called circumcision in the flesh made vvith hand ✠verse 12 vvho vvere at that time vvithout Christ alienated from the conuersation of Israël and * strangers of the testaments hauing no hope of the promis and vvithout God in this vvorld ✠verse 13 But novv in Christ IESVS you that sometime vvere farre of are made nigh in the bloud of Christ ✠verse 14 For he is our peace vvho hath made both one and dissoluing the middle vvall of the partition the enmities in his flesh ✠verse 15 euacuating the lavv of cōmaundements in decrees that he may create the tvvo in him self into one new man making peace ✠verse 16 and may reconcile both in one body to God by the crosse killing the enmities in him self ✠verse 17 And comming he euangelized peace to you that vvere farre of and peace to them that vvere nigh ✠verse 18 For * by him vve haue accesse both in one Spirit to the Father ✠verse 19 Novv then you are not strangers and forreiners but you are citizens of the sainctes and the domesticals of God ✠verse 20 ″ built vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets IESVS Christ him self being the highest corner stone ✠verse 21 in vvhom al building framed together grovveth into an holy temple in our Lord ✠verse 22 in vvhom you also are built together into an habitation of God in the holy Ghost ⊢ ANNOTATIONS CHAP. II. ◠By grace you are saued through faith Our first iustification is of Gods grace and not of our deseruings because none of al our actions that vvere before our iustification could merite or iustly procure the grace of iustification Againe he saith through faith for that faith is the beginning foundation and roote of al iustification and the first of al other vertues vvithout which it is impossible to please God 20. Built vpon the foundation Note against the Heretikes that thinke it dishonorable to Christ to attribute his titles or callings to mortal men that the faithful though builded first principally and properly vpon Christ yet are said here to be built also vpon the Apostles and Prophets Vvhy may not the Church then be builded vpon Peter CHAP. III. For vvitnessing the vocation of the Gentils as being the Apostle of the Gentils he is 〈◊〉 prison 1◠Wherein the Gentils therfore haue cause to reioyce rather then to shrinke So he saith 14 and also praieth to God vvho is almightie to confirmed their invvard man though the outvvard be infirmed by persecutions verse 1 FOR this cause I Paul the prisoner of IESVS Christ for you Gentiles ✠verse 2 if yet you haue heard the dispensation of the grace of God vvhich is giuen me tovvard you ✠verse 3 because according to reuelation the sacrament vvas made knovven to me as I haue vvrittē before in breife ✠verse 4 according as you reading may vnderstand my vvisedom in the mysterie of Christ ✠verse 5 vvhich vnto other generations vvas not knovven to the sonnes of men as novv it is reuealed to his holy Apostles Prophets in the Spirit ✠verse 6 The Gentils to be coheires concorporat and comparticipant of his promis in Christ IESVS by the Gospel ✠verse 7 vvhereof I am made a minister according to the gift of the grace of God which is giuen me according to the operation of his povver ✠verse 8 To me * the least of al the sainctes is giuen this grace among the Gentils to euangelize the vnsearcheable riches of Christ ✠verse 9 and to illuminate al men vvhat is the dispensatiō of the sacrament hidden from vvorldes in God vvho created al things ✠verse 10 that the manifold vvisedom of God may be notified to the Princes and Potestats in the celestials by the Church ✠verse 11 according to the prefinitiō of worldes vvhich he made in Christ IESVS our Lord. ✠verse 12 In vvhom vve haue affiance and accesse in confidence by the faith of him ✠verse 13 For the vvhich cause I desire that you faint not in my tribulations for you vvhich is your glorie ✠verse 14 For this cause I bovve my knees to the Father of our Lord IESVS Christ ✠verse 15 of vvhom al paternitie in the heauens and in earth is named ✠verse 16 that he giue you according to the riches of his glorie povver to be fortified by his Spirit in the inner man ✠verse 17 Christ to dvvel by faith in your hartes rooted and founded in charitie ✠verse 18 that you may be able to comprehend vvith al the sainctes vvhat is the bredth and length and height and depth ✠verse 19 to knovv also the charitie of Christ surpassing knovvledge that you may be filled vnto al the fulnes of God ✠verse 20 And * to him that is able to doe al things more aboundantly then vve desire or vnderstand according to the povver that vvorketh in vs ✠verse 21 to him be glorie in the CHVRCH and in Christ IESVS vnto al generations vvorld vvithout end Amen CHAP. IIII. He exhorteth them to keepe the vnitie of the Church most 〈…〉 vvith al humilities bringing them many motiues therevnto 7 and 〈…〉 that 〈◊〉 the diuersitie it self of offices is not for diuision as being the gift of Christ him self 〈◊〉 to build vp the Church and to held al in the vnitie therof against the 〈…〉 of Heretikes that vnder Christ the head in the Church being the body euery member may prosper 17 Neither as touching life most vve 〈◊〉 like the Heathen but as it becommeth Christians laying of al our old corrupt maners and increasing daily in al goodnes verse 1 I Therfore prisoner in our Lord beseeche you that you vvalke vvorthy of the vocation in vvhich you are called ✠verse 2 vvith al humilitie mildenes vvith patience supporting one an other in charitie ✠verse 3 careful to keepe the vnitie of the spirit in the bond of peace ✠verse 4 One body and one spirit as you are called in one hope of your vocation ✠verse 5 One Lord ″ one faith one baptisme ✠verse 6 * One God and Father of al vvhich is euer al and by al and in al vs. ⊢ ✠verse 7 But * to euery one of vs is giuen grace according to the measure of the donation of Christ ✠verse 8 For the vvhich he saith Ascēding on high he ledde captiuitie captiue he gaue giftes to men ✠verse 9 And that he ascended
the man of sinne be reuealed the sonne of perdition ✠verse 4 vvhich is an aduersarie is ″ extolled aboue al that is called God or that is worshipped so that he sitteth ″ in the temple of God shevving him self as though he were God ✠verse 5 Remember you not that vvhen I vvas yet vvith you I told you these things ✠verse 6 And now ″ vvhat letteth you knovv that he may be reuealed in his time ✠verse 7 For novv the mysterie of iniquitie vvorketh only that he vvhich novv holdeth doe hold vntil he be taken out of the vvay ✠verse 8 And then that vvicked one shal be reuealed * vvhom our Lord IESVS shal kil vvith the spirit of his mouth shal destroy vvith the manifestation of his aduent him ✠verse 9 vvhose comming is according to the operatioÌ„ of Satan ″ in al povver and lying signes and vvonders ✠verse 10 and in al seducing of iniquitie to them that perish for that they haue not receiued the charitie of the truth that they might be saued ✠verse 11 Therfore God vvil send them the operation of errour to beleeue lying ✠verse 12 that al may be iudged vvhich haue not beleeued the truth but haue consented to iniquitie ✠verse 13 But vve ought to giue thaÌ„kes to God alvvaies for you brethreÌ„ beloued of God that he hath chosen you first-fruites vnto saluation in sanctification of spirit and faith of the truth ✠verse 14 into the vvhich also he hath called you by our Gospel vnto the purchasing of the glorie of our Lord IESVS Christ ✠verse 15 Therfore brethren stand and hold the ″ traditioÌ„s vvhich you haue learned vvhether it be by vvord or by our epistle ✠verse 16 And our Lord IESVS Christ him self and God our father vvhich hath loued vs and hath giuen eternal consolation and good hope in grace ✠verse 17 exhort your hartes and confirme you in euery good vvorke and vvorde ANNOTATIONS CHAP. II. â— Aâ— though the day The curiositie of man fed by Satans deceites hath sought to knovv and to giue out to the vvorld such things as God vvil not impart to him nor be necessarie or profitable for him to knovv so farre that both in the Apostles daies and often aftervvard some haue feined reuelations some falsely gathered out of the Scriptures some presumed to calculate and coniecte by the starres and giuen furth to the vvorld a certaine time of Christes coming to iudgement Al vvhich seducers be here noted in the person of some that vvere about to deceiue the Thessalonians therein And S. Augustine in his 80 Epistle ad Hesychium proueth that no man can be assured by the Scriptures of the day yere or age that the end of the vvorld or the second Aduent shal be â— Vnles there come a reuolt first Though vve can not be assured of the moment houre or any certaine time of our Lordes coÌ„ming yet he vvarranteth vs that it vvil not be before certaine things be fulfilled vvhich must come to passe by the course of Gods prouidence and permission before vvhich are diuers vvhereof in other places of Scriptures vve be forevvarned Here he vvarneth vs of tvvo specially of a reuolt defection or an apostasie and of the comming or reuelation of Antichrist Vvhich tvvo pertaine in effect both to one either depending of the other and shal fall as it may be thought neere together and therfore S Augustine maketh them but one thing This apostasie or reuolt by the iudgement in maner of al auncient vvriters is the general forsaking fall of the Romane empire So Tertullian li. de resur carnis S. Hierom q 11 ad Algasiam S. Chrysostom ho. 4. and S. Ambrose vpon this place S. Augustine De Ciuit. Dei li. 20 c. 19. Al vvhich fathers and the rest * Caluin presumpâ—kously condemneth of errour and follie herein for that their exposition agreeth not vvith his and his fellovves blasphemous fiction that the Pope should be Antichrist To establish vvhich false impietie they interprete this reuolt or apostasie to be a general reuolt of the visible Church from God vvhose house or building they say vvas sodenly destroied and lay many yeres ruined and ruled onely by Satan and Antichrist So faith the foresaid Arch-heretike here though for the aduantage of his defence and as the matter els vvhere requireth he seemeth as al their fashion is to speake in other places quite contrarie but vvith such colour and collusion of vvordes that neither other men nor him self can tell vvhat he vvould haue or say And his fathers Vvicleffe and Luther his fellovves and folovvers Illyricus Beza and the rest are for the time of the Churches falling from Christ so various among them selues and so contrarie to him that it is horrible to see their confusion and a pitieful case that any reasonable man vvil folovv such companions to euident perdition But concerning â—his errour and falshod of the Churches defection or reuolt it is refuted suffiâ—iently by S. Augustine against the Donatistes in many places Vvhere he proueth that the Church shal not faile to the vvorldes end no not in the time of Antichrist affirming them to deny Christ and to robbe him of his glorie inheritance bought vvith his bloud vvhich teach that the Church may faile or perish Li. de vnit Ec. c. 12. 13. De Ciuit. li. 20. c. 8. In Psal 85 ad illud Tu soâ—u Deus magnus ps 70 Conc. 2. Psal 60. De vtil cred c. 8. S. Hierom refuteth the same vvicked Heresie in the Luciferians prouing against them that they make God subiect to the Diuel and a poore miserable Christ that imagine the Church his body may either perish or be driuen to any corner of the vvorld both of them ansvver to the Heretikes arguments grounded on Scriptures falsely vnderstood vvhich vvere to long here to rehearse It is ynough for the Christian reader to knovv that it is an old deceite and excuse of al Heretikes and Schismatikes for defence of their forsaking Gods Church that the Church is perished or remaineth hidden or in them selues onely and in those places vvhere they and their folovvers dvvel to knovv also that this is reproued by the holy Doctors of the primitiue Church and that it is against Christes honour povver prouidence and promis If the Aduersaries had said that this reuolt vvhich the Apostle foretelleth shal come before the vvorldes end is meant of great numbers of Heretikes Apostataes reuolting from the Church they had said truth of them selues and such others vvhom S. Iohn calleth Antichristes And it is very like be it spoken vnder the correction of Gods Church and al learned Catholikes that this great defection or reuolt shal not be onely from the Romane empire but specially from the Romane Church and vvithal from most points of Christian religion not that the Catholike Christians either in the time of
the king ✠verse 18 Seruants be subiect in al feare to your maisters not only to the good modest ″ but also to the vvaivvard ✠verse 19 For this is thanke if for coÌ„science of God a man sustaine sorovves suffering vniustly ✠verse 20 For vvhat glorie is it if sinning and buffeted you suffer but if doing vvel you sustaine patiently this is thanke before God ✠verse 21 For vnto this are you called because Christ also suffred for vs ' leauing you ' an example that you may folovv his steppes ✠verse 22 vvho did no sinne neither vvas guile found in his mouth ✠verse 23 vvho vvhen he vvas reuiled did not reuile vvhen he suffred he threatened not but deliuered him self to him that iudged him vniustly ✠verse 24 vvho him self * bare our sinnes in his body vpon the tree that dead to sinnes we may liue to iustice by vvhose stripes you are healed ✠verse 25 For you vvere as sheepe straying but you be conuerted novv to the Pastor and Bishop of your soules ⊢ ANNOTATIONS CHAP. II. â— Spiritual hostes Here vve see that as he speaketh of spiritual hostes vvhich euery Christian man offereth so he speaketh not properly of priesthod vvhen he maketh al Priests but of a spiritual priesthod Which spiritual priesthod vvas also in al the Iewes but the priesthod properly so called vvas onely in the sonnes of Aaron and they offered the sacrifices properly so called vvhich none besides might offer 13. Be subiect Not onely our Maister Christ but the Apostles and al Christians vvere euer charged by such as thought to bring them in hatred vvith Princes vvith disobedience to kings and temporal Magistrates therfore both * S. Paul and this Apostle do specially vvarne the faithful that they giue no occasioÌ„ by their il demeanure to secular Princes that the Heathen should count them disobedient or seditious vvorkers against the States of the vvorld 13. To euery humans creature So he calleth the temporal Magistrate elected by the people or holding their Souerainty by birth carnal propagation ordained for the vvorldly vvealth peace and prosperitie of the subiects to put a difference betvvixt that humane Superiority and the spiritual Rulers and regiment guiding and gouerning the people to an higher end and instituted by God him self immediatly for Christ did expresly constitute the forme of regiment vsed euer since in the Church He made oue the cheese placing Peter in the Supremacie he called the Apostles and Disciples giuing them their seueral authorities Aftervvared * God guided the lot for choise of S. Marthias in Iudas place and the Holy Ghost expresly and namely seuered and chose Paul and Barnabas vnto their Apostolical function and generally the Apostle faith of al spiritual Rulers The holy Ghost hath placed you to rule the Church of God And although al povver be of God and kings rule by him yet that is no othervvise but by his ordinarie concurrence and prouidence vvhereby he procureth the earthly coÌ„modity or vvealth of men by maintaining of due superiority and subiection one tovvards an other and by giuing povver to the people and Commonvvealth to choose to them selues some kinde or forme of Regiment vnder vvhich they be content to liue for their preseruation in peace and tranquillity But Spiritual superiority is far more excellent as in more excellent â—ort depending not of mans ordinance election or as this Apostle speaketh creation but of the Holy Ghost vvho is alvvaies resident in the Church vvhich is Christs body mystical and therfore an other manner of Commonwealth then the earthly concurring in singular sort to the creation of al necessarie Officers in the said Church euen to the vvorlds end as S. Paul vvriteth to the Ephesians Lest therfore the people being then in so precise sort alvvaies vvarned of the excellencie of their Spiritual gouernours * and of their obedience tovvard them might neglect their dueties to Temporal Magistrates specially being infidels and many times tyrants and persecutors of the faith as Nero and other vvere then therfore S. Peter here vvarneth them to be subiect for their bodies and goods and other temporal things euen to the vvorldly Princes both infidels and Christians vvhom he calleth humane creatures 13. To the king as excelling Some simple heretikes other also not vnlearned at the begining for lacke of better places vvould haue proued by this that the king vvas head of the Church and aboue al Spiritual rulers and to make it â—ound better that vvay they falsely translated it To the king as to the cheefe head In the Bible of the yere 1562. But it is euident that he calleth the king the precellent or more excellent in respect of his Vicegerents vvhich he calleth Dukes or Gouernours that be at his appointment and not in respect of Popes Bishops or Priests as they haue the rule of mens soules vvho could not in that charge be vnder such kings or Emperours as the Apostle speaketh of no more then the kings or Emperours then could be heads of the Church being Heathen men and no members thereof much lesse the cheefe members See a notable place in S. Ignatius ep ad Smyrnenses vvhere he exhorteth them first to honour God next the Bishop then the king This is an inuincible demoÌ„stration that this text maketh not for any spiritual claime of earthly kings because it giueth no more to any Prince then may and ought to be done and graunted to a Heathen Magistrate Neither is there any thing in al the nevv Testament that proueth the Prince to be head or cheefe gouernour of the Church in spiritual or Ecclesiastical causes more then it proueth any heathen Emperour of Rome to haue been for they vvere bound in temporal things to obey the heathen being lavvful kings to be subiect to them euen for conscience to keepe their temporal lavves to pay them tribute to pray for them and to doe al other natural duties and more no scriptures binde vs to doe to Christian kinges 16. Not as hauing There vvere some Libertines in those daies as there be novv that vnder pretence of libertie of the Gospel sought to be free from subiection and lawes of men as now vnder the like vvicked pretence Heretikes refuse to obey their spiritual rulers and to obserue their lawes 18. But also the vvaivvard The Vviclefistes and their folovvers in these daies sometimes to moue the people vnto sedition hold and teach that maisters and magistrates lose their authoritie ouer their seruants and subiects if they be once in deadly sinne and that the people in that case neede not in conscience obey them Vvhich is a pernicious and false doctrine as is plaine by this place vvhere vve be expresly commaunded to obey euen the il-conditioned vvhich must be alvvaies vnderstood if they commaund nothing against God for then this rule is euer to be folovved Vve must obey God
he is our onely aduocate because he is our onely redeemer and herevpon he alone immediatly by and through him self and vvithout the aide or assistance of any other man or Angel in his ovvne name right and merites confidently dealeth in our causes before God our iudge so procureth our pardon vvhich is the highest degree of aduocation that can be Al vvhich notvvithstanding yet the Angels and Saincts and our fellovves aliue may and do pray for vs and in that they deale vvith God by intercession to procure mercie for vs may iustly be called our aduocates not so as Christ is vvho demaundeth al things immediatly by his ovvne merites but as secondary intercessors vvho neuer aske nor obtaine any thing for vs but per Christum Dominum nostrum by and through Christ our common Lord Aduocate and Redeemer of mankinde And behold hovv S. Augustine tract 1 in ep Io. vpon these very vvordes preuented the Heretikes cauillations Sed dicit aliquis c. But some man vvil say Do not the Saincts them pray for vs do not Bishops then or Prelates and Pastors pray for the people Yetâ— saith he Marke the Scriptures and you shal finde that the Apostles praied for the people and againe desired the people to pray for them and so the head praieth for al and the members one for an other And likevvise lest the Heretikes should say there is a difference betvvixt the liuing and the dead in this case thus the same holy father vvriteth vpon the 85 Psalme in fine Our Lord Iesus Christ doth yet make intercession for vs al the Martyrs that be vvith him pray for vs neither vvil their intercession cease til vve cease our gronings In this sense therfore vvhosoeuer praieth for vs either aliue or dead is our aduocate as S Augustine ep 59 to Paulinus circa med calleth Bishops the peoples aduocates vvhen they giue them their benediction or blessing So doth the holy Church call our B. Lady our aduocate by the very vvordes of S. Irenaeus that you may see such speaches be no nevv inuentions of the later ages but Apostolical The obedient Virgin MARIE saith he is made the aduocate of the disobedient virgin Eue. And to confound the ProtestaÌ„ts plainely in that they thinke or pretend that the aduocation or patronage of Saincts should be iniurious to Christ remeÌ„ber that * our Sauiour acknovvledgeth Angels to be deputed for the protection vvhich is nothing els but aduocation of infants before the face of God besides the plaine examples in the old Testament Gen. 48. v. 16. Tob. 5. v. 27. c. 12. v. 12. Dan. 10. And this not onely the Catholike Church but the very English Protestants them selues in their seruice booke and in the Collect of Michelmas day professe and pray for the same protection or aduocation of Angels and defend the same against their yonger brethren the Puritanes 2. For the vvhole vvorlds S. Augustine gathereth hereof against the Donatistes and al other Heretikes that vvould driue the Church into corners or some certaine countries from the vniuersalitie of al Nations vvhereof it vvas named by the Apostles Catholike that the true religion and Church and consequently the effect of Christs propitiation death and aduocation pertaineth not to one age nation or people but to the vvhole vvorld S. Augustine vpon this place to 9. tract 1 in ep Io. 4. He that saith he knovveth To knovv God here signifieth as it doth often in the Scriptures to loue that is as in the last chapter to be in societie vvith him and to haue familiar and experimental knovvledge of his graces If any vaunt them selues thus to knovv God and yet keepe not his commaundements he is a lier as al Caluinistes and Lutherans that professe them selues to be in the fauour of God by onely faith affirming that they neither keepeâ— not possibly can keepe his commaundements 18. Many antichrists The holy Apostle S Iohn saith S. Cyprian did not put a difference betvvixt one heresie or schisme and an other not meant any sort that specially separated them selues but generally called al vvithout exception antichristes that vvere aduersaries to the Church or vvere gone out from the same And a litle after It is euident that al be here called antichristes that haue seuered them selues from the charitie and vnitie of the Catholike Church So vvriteth he ep 76. nu 1 ad Magnum Vvhereby vve may learne that al Heretikes or rather Arch-heretikes be properly the precursors of that one and special Antichrist vvhich is to come at the last end of the vvorld vvhich is called here immediatly before 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that peculiar and singular Antichrist 19. They vvent cut from vs. An euident note and marke vvhereby to conuince al Heretikes and false teachers to vvit that being once of the common Catholike Christian fellovvship they forsooke it and vvent out from the same Simon Magus Nicolas the Deacon Hymenaeus Alexander Philétus Arîus Macedonius Pelagius Nestorius Eutyches Luther Caluin and the like vvere of the common societie of al vs that be Christian Catholikes they vvent out from vs vvhom they savv to liue in vnitie of faith and religion together and made them selues nevv conuenticles therfore they vvere as the Apostle here shevveth antichristes and vve and al that abide in the auncient fellovvship of Christian religion that vvent not out of their fellovvship in vvhich vve neuer vvere nor out of any other societie of knovven Christians can not be Schismatikes or Heretikes but must needes be true Christian Catholike men Let our aduersaries tel vs out of vvhat Church vve euer departed vvhen and vvhere and vnder vvhat persons it vvas that vve reuolted as vve can tel them the yere the places the Ringleaders of their reuolt 19. They vvere not of vs. He meaneth not that Heretikes vvere not or could not be in or of the Church before they vvent out or fel into their heresie or schisme but partly that many of them vvhich aftervvard fall out though they vvere before vvith the rest and partakers of al the Sacraments vvith other their fellovves yet in deede vvere of naughtie life and conscience vvhen they vvere vvithin and so being rather as if humors and superfluous excrements then true and liuely partes of the body after a sort may be said not to haue been of the body at al. So S. Augustine expoundeth these vvordes in his commentarie vpon this place tract 3. but els vvhere more agreably as it seemeth that the Apostle meaneth that such as vvil not tarie in the Church but finally forsake it to the end in the prescience of God and in respect of the small benefite they shal haue by their temporal smal abode there be not of or in the Church though according to this present state they are truely members thereof Li. de corrept gr c. 9 de dono perseuâ—â— c. 8. 19. That they may be manifest God permitteth
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