me hath not been ⸫ voide but I haue labored more aboundantly then all they yet not I but the grace of God with me The note In him Gods grace is not voide that worketh by his freewill according to the motion and direction of the same grace The answer As you haue drawen fréewill from philosophie so you plant grace in the roome of that which the philosophers called right reason and you giue vnto it no more then they did to right reason that is to mooue and direct the will But Paule on the contrary side so attributeth all to grace that he leaueth nothing to himselfe I haue labored saith he yet not I but the grace of God with me that is to saie which is with me 1. Cor. 15. 14. The text And if Christ be not risen againe then vaine is our preaching vaine also is your faith and we are found also ⸫ false witnesses of God c. The note So we may say if the catholike faith in all points be not true then our first apostles were false witnesses then hath our countrie beleeued in vaine all this while are all our forefathers dead in their sins perished which presupposing Christ to be God were the greatest absurditie in the worlde The answer And whie did you not say if the faith which the church of Rome at this day professeth be not in al points true for that we know you meane by the Catholike faith but you would haue your words true howsoeuer your meaning was But we denie your Romish faith to be the catholike faith By our first Apostles also you meane neither Peter nor Paul nor anie of Christes Apostles but Augustine the monke pope Gregories apostle but if his doctrine were Catholike neither yours nor ours is in all points Catholike For our forefathers which you speake of you meane those which liued of late yeeres for those of elder time knew not your faith they could not tell that the Pope could not erre they thought him subiect to the whole church they knew nothing of transubstantiation of concomitance and of a number of such toies as you of late haue coined And therefore let men vnderstand that the Catholike faith is that which Paul and Peter and the other Apostles of Christ left vnto vs taught in the scriptures and that which the first church of Christ beléeued and embraced at their hands and which the church of Rome at this day persecuteth and then your note may stand vntouched 1. Cor. 15. 42. The text For ⸫ starre differeth from starre in glorie so also the resurrection of the dead The note The glorie of the bodies of saints shall not be all alike but different in heauen according to mens merits The answer The Apostle putteth no difference here betwéene the glorified bodies of the saints but betwéene the state of our bodies afore the resurrection and after the resurrection betwixt which two states of the selfe same bodies there shalbe as great difference as betwixt the glorie of the sunne the glorie of anie other starre therefore you do but according to your accustomed order wrest this text to bring men to put confidence in their owne merits 1. Cor. 15. 44. The text It is sowen a naturall bodie it shall rise a spirituall bodie The note As to become spirituall doeth not take away the substance of the bodie glorified no more when Christes bodie is said to be in spiritual sort in the sacrament doth it import the absence of his true bodie substance The answer Hungrie dogges eate durtie puddings this stuffe must serue where better can not be had Our bodies though spiritual and configured as you call it to the bodie of his glorie yet are true bodies not in manie places at once whereof it followeth that Christes bodie being a true glorified bodie is not in manie places at once for that can not stand with the trueth of his bodie 1. Cor. 15. 5◠The text This I say brethren that flesh and blood can not possesse the kingdome of God neither shall corruption possesse incorruption The note Flesh and blood signifie not here the substance of those things but the corrupt qualitie incident to them in this life by the fall of Adam The answer If you should light on men as froward and contentious as your selues they might with as great reason contend with you for the litterall sense of flesh and blood as you do for the litterall sense of This is my bodie which spéech being of a Sacrament you will by no means admit to be of the same nature and to haue like interpretation as all other spéeches of Sacraments haue 1. Cor. 16. 2. The text In ⸫ the first of the Sabaoth let euerie one of you put a part with him selfe laying vp what shall well like him that not when I come collections be made The note That is Sunday Hierome q. 4. Hedibiae So quickelie did the Christians keepe Sunday holie day and assembled to diuine seruice on the same The answer For Sunday that it was appointed by the Apostles to bée kept for the Saboath that it was so solemnized in their times it is manifest you needed not Saint Hieroms authoritie for it sauing that you loue to vse the fathers where you least need them 1. Cor. 16 8. The text But I will tarie at Ephesus till Pentecost The note The heretikes and other new fangled striue amongst themselues whether Pentecost signifie here the terme of fiftie daies or els the Iewes holie day so called But it commeth not to their minds that it is most like to be the feast of Whit suntide kept and instituted euen then by the Apostles as appeareth by the fathers See Augustine epist 119. cap. 15. and 16. Ambrose in cap. 17. Lucae The answer In Augustine I find certaine mysteries in the number of fifty noted as well out of the new testament as out of the old and that the feast of Pentecost was in his time kept of Christians but what was meant by it in this place or whether the Apostles did institute that feast to be kept of Christians or not I find nothing there In Ambrose I find that the beginning of the eighth wéeke after Easter maketh the Pentecost and that Paul in this place promised to tarrie till that time and that they kept all the fiftie daies as Easter but whether by the apostles tradition or no that is left vncertain So we sée not by your fathers that the apostles instituted the feast of Whitsuntide But we sée that you loue to trouble your selues and others with trifles 1. Cor. 16. 2◠The text If any man loue not our Lord Iesus Christ be he Anathema ⸫ Maran-atha The note That is our Lord is come Hierom ep 173. Therefore Anathema to all that loue him not or beleeue not Theophilact vpon this place The answer In matter not in controuersie betwixt vs you make vnnecessarie shew of reading If you did either in loue or in faith
making cleane but you will neuer leaue your lieng We do not so speake of preaching onely that we exclude any helpe which God hath giuen vs besides But you exclude the word when you tie grace to the outward worke of your vnpreaching priests And you adde a number of helps of your owne as salt spittle oile creame and such like trumperie which God neuer appointed to his church but the proud presumption of man hath brought in Iohn 15. 7. The text If you ⸫ abide in me and my words abide in you you shall aske what thing soeuer you will and it shall be done to you The note If a scismatike pray neuer so much he is not heard bicause he remaineth not in the bodie of Christ. The answer I conclude therefore that the praiers of papists are vnprofitable bicause they haue cut themselues from the ancient catholike church of Christ and therefore remaine not in his bodie Iohn 15. 20. The text If they haue persecuted me you also will they persecute if they haue kept my word ⸫ yours also will they keepe The note He foresheweth that many will not obey the churches wâ—rds and no maruell bicause they contemned Christs owne precepts The answer As the Iewes cried the temple of the Lord when they had conuerted it into a den of théeues euen so crie you The church The church But as then the prophets shewed to them by their manifold contempts of Gods coÌ„mandements that their words were lieng and counterfet words euen so we shew that your church is the synagog of sathan and prooue it bicause she will be credited both aboue the word of Christ and contrary to the word of Christ. Iohn 16. 2. The text Out of the synagogues they will ⸫ cast you The note The heretikes translate Excommunicate you See what corruption this is and the reason thereof Annot. ca. 9. 22. The answer If to excommunicate be to put men from their coÌ„munion and fellowship in seruice praier and sacraments then this casting out is excommunication and so rightly translated The cause that you in your annotations imagine that is to bring the churches excommunication into contempt is friuolous and beareth no shew of truth sith excommunication amongst vs is vsed as a principall censure of our church And you your selues cannot denie but when hypocrites haue crept into authoritie this censure is abused as your confesse saieng the excommunication of heretikes is ridiculous And I pray you what made the rulers of the Iewes afraid of this casting out Was it not bicause in common estimation they should be estéemed as none of Gods people and what else is excommunication but to make the excommunicate to be estéemed as ethnikes and publicans Iohn 16. 13. The text But when he the spirit of truth commeth ⸫ he shall teach you all truth The note If he shall teach all truth and that for euer as before 14. 16. how is it possible that the church can erre or hath erred at anie time or in any point The answer Whosoeuer followeth that truth which the spirit taught the Apostles and swarueth not there from doth not erre But with you the pope can not erre the councels cannot erre the multitude of those whom you account the pastors of your church cannot erre As though Christ by this promise had tied his spirit to theÌ„ which we denie and you are not able to prooue Their errors are as manifest as the light so grosse and palpable that they may be groped You know that some of the greatest learned of your side are driuen to distinguish betwéene the pope and a man bicause as a man he may erre as a pope he cannot Iohn 16. 23. The text Amen Amen I saie to you if you aske the father any thing in my name he will giue it you The note Vpon this the church concludeth all hir praiers per Christum Dominum nostrum euen those that be made to saints The answer Is Christ bound to you must he needes be at your commandement whither he will or no He promiseth indéed that if they aske the father any thing in his name he will giue it And can you constreine him to giue it if we aske others Can your fansie be an assured warrant for it or from whence else can you fetch any good ground for it The commandement of Christ the example of Christ the doctrine of Christ and the guiding and direction of the holie Ghost do leade vs to praie to none but to God And what are you Or what is your church that we should beléeue you against all these Iohn 17. 1. The text These things spake Iesus and lifting vp his eies into heauen he said Father the houre is come ⸫ glorifie thy sonne that thy sonne may glorifie thee The note The father glorifieth the sonne by raising him from death exalting him vp to his right hand making all creatures to bowe downe at his name and giuing him all power and iudgement The sonne againe glorifieth his father by making his honor which onely in a maner was in Ieâ—rie before now knowen to all nations The answer You papists spoile the sonne of all glorie first in taking awaie from his glorified bodie the nature of a bodie and so making it no bodie or nothing Secondly in giuing that to others for which he is aduanced to the right hand of his father Thirdlie in setting the pope a mortall man aboue him in power and iudgement You spoile the Father also of his glorie by taking the key of knowledge from the multitude and so as much as in you lieth reducing the knowledge of God againe to a verie fewe Iohn 17. 11. The text Holie father ⸫ keepe them in thy name whom thou hast giuen me that they may be one as also we The note His petition is specially to keepe the apostles and his church in vnitie and from schisâ—â—es The answer It is verie true that Christ doth commend vnto his fathers protection and defence the vnitie of his church and children Iohn 17. 19. The text And for them do I ⸫ sanctifie my selfe that they also may be sanctified in truth The note To sanctifie himselfe is to sacrifice himselfe by dedicating his holie bodie and blood to his father both vpon the crosse and in his holy Sacrament The answer To sanctifie himselfe is to separate and seuer himselfe wholy to the vses of God his father which dedication of himselfe was plainly and euidently to be séene in his whole life and in euerie action thereof Which in some sort may also be called a sacrifice as also our reasonable seruice of God is termed a sacrificing of our selues But bicause the chéefe part of his priestly 〈◊〉 in this life was put in execution in his death in his sacrifice vpon his crosse therfore by way of excellencie the chéefe point of our sanctifieng by him is attributed to the then dedicating of himselfe to God for vs. But what is this toward the
heere we see good exhortations and praier and such other helps of man be profitable thereunto which could not be if we had not freewill The answer That conuersion from sin is the gift of God and that all helps by man which God hath thereto appointed are néedfull and necessarie it is manifest but it is impossible that the industrie of man should do good where God createth not a new hart and reneweth not a right will For the will and wisedome of man is enimitie to God And so appéereth the vanitie of your conclusion for frée will 2. Tim. 3. 8. The text But as Iannes and Iambres resisted Moises so these also resist the truth men corrupted in minde reprobate concerning the faith The note That those Magicians which resisted Moises were thus called it is not written in all the old Testament therefore it came to the Apostles knowledge by tradition as the church now hath the names of the three Kings of the penitent theefe of the souldier that pearced Christs side on the crosse The answer Howsoeuer Paul had the names of those magicians to vs it is not materiall We are sure the spirit of God hath now to vs made them knowen by him and therefore it followeth not that we must beléeue your fabulous narrations of the names number dignitie and such like of the wise men wherein you make of East West and of West East contrarie to the manifest truth so that the wiser sort of your selues do not beléeue those toies but your Romish church hath deliuered it to her children let them that will willinglie be deceiued be deceiued by her 2 Tim. 3. 14. The text But thou ⸫ continue in those things which thou hast learned and are committed to thee knowing of whom thou hast learned The note In all danger and diuersitie of false sectes Saint Pauls admonition is euer to abide in that was first taught and deliuered neuer to giue ouer our old faith for a new fansie This is it which before he calleth depositum 1. Timothie 6. and 2. Timothie 1. The answer And why did not Paul admonish men to hold fast that which the Pope and the church of Rome should prescribe bicause that should not or could not erre or stray from the first faith Or why do not you setting all other things apart enter into that triall with vs whether our doctrine or yours were the former Your whole doctrine swarueth farre from the first faith which the Apostles planted and the greatest part thereof is quite destitute of all testimonie of antiquitie 2. Tim. 4. 6. The text For I am euen now ⸫ to be sacrificed and the time of my resolution is at hand The note The martyrdome of Saints is so acceptable to God that it is counted as it were a sacrifice in his sight and therefore hath manie effectes both in the partie that suffereth it and in others that are partakers of the merit as of a sacrifice which name it hath by a Metaphore The answer The voluntarie suffrings of most bitter and cruel death for Gods cause of Gods saints are accepted of God as a most swéete sacrifice The effectes in the partie that suffereth bicause you haue not vttered what they be I can not imagine your meaning therefore know not what to say to it The effects it hath in others if you had dealt plainlie you should haue said to be the confirmation and strengthening of other christians by their suffrings But you come couertlie in with the partaking or partnership of their merits to make a way for the maintenance of your holie fathers gainfull marchandize for he hath the bestowing of all the merits of Peter and Paul and other saintes and they are admitted to be partakers of them that will paie most for them 2. Tim. 4. 21. The text Eubulus and pudens and Linus and Claudia and all the brethren salute thee The note This Linus was coadiutor with and vnder Saint Peter and so counted second in the number of the popes The answer It is strange to sée how boldly our papists can set downe that which by no meanes they can be sure of first therefore good reader thou art to vnderstand that by the testimonie of all stories Peter and Paul suffered death at Rome both in one day If euer Linus therefore were bishop of Rome by the Apostles life time he was at this present when they were so néere their end that they dailie looked to be sacrificed But it is not likelie that he was as then aduaunced to that dignitie when neither Paul mentioneth him as bishop or as his or Peters coadiutor or fellow labourer and also setteth diuers other Christians afore him in his salutation which had béene a verie vnmannerlie part and a great forgetfulnesse of dutie in the Apostles if Linus had then béene Bishop there and so Christs vicar generall But bicause you terme him Saint Peters coadiutor there I pray you tel me was Saint Peter there now or no I will not vse the reason that Paul not onlie héere but alwaies forgetteth him amongst those whom he nameth in his salutations whereof groweth great likelihood that he was neuer there whiles Paul wrote thence But if he were now and before there Paul maketh a verie great and pitifull complaint of him that he amongst the rest forsook him But I had rather say he was not yet come to Rome and that Paul made Linus the first Bishop there as your Clemens also affirmeth then to admit so great an absurditie against Peter The succession of the bishops of Rome which you so much glory of and vpon the authoritie whereof your church resteth is vncertaine vaine obscure and such as your selues can make no certaine report of TITVS Tit. 1. 15. The text All things are ⸫ cleane to the cleane but to the polluted and infidels nothing is cleane but polluted are both their minds and consciences The note He speaketh not of the church absteining from meats sometimes which is not for anie vncleannes in the creatures but for chastening their bodies but he meaneth the Iewish superstition who now being christians would not cease to put difference of cleane and vncleane according to their old law See Aug. cont Faust. lib. 31. cap. 4. The answer I easily beléeue that he ment not of that which was not for your churches superstition in that matter was not yet growne But you haue brought about by your lawes of abstinencie that your simple followers in the extremitie of sicknes when there cannot be any pretence of chastening their bodies thereby are so snarled in conscience that they dare not touch or tast that which is necessary to preserue life and to restore health withal Besides chastening of your bodies in your ordinarie abstinence in poperie hath no probable shew For your richer sort neuer fare more delicately nor fill their bellies more gluttonouslie then when they abstaine from ordinarie meats and hunt after extraordinarie delicates So that no mans bodies are
the protestants that they did trulie merite the same in this life The answer Whatsoeuer it pleaseth you to conceiue in your imagination that is by and by sufficientlie prooued The signification of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath beene often examined and yet it could neuer be shewed that it alwaies signifieth hire or wages due and that for worke for that must be prooued afore merit can follow For that which is not otherwise due but by promise may prooue the liberalitie of the giuer but not the merit of the receiuer And thus your proofes prooue nothing but that brag is a good dog and doth diligently serue your turne Apoc. 12. ◠The text And a great signe appeered in heauen The note The dragons incredulous persecuting multitude and Antichrist the chiefe head thereof The answer You haue deliuered a briefe summe of this chapter in my iudgement both bréefly and truly Apoc. 12. 1. The text ⸫ A woman clothed with the sunne and the moone vnder hir feet and on hir head a crowne of twelue stars The note This is properly and principally spoken of the church and by allusion of our blessed Ladie also The answer There be some of your side which least they should be driuen to admit Ecclesiam latentem an hidden church wrangle hard for the contrarie and so your doctors are not agréed on the case Apoc. 12. 3. The text And there was seene another signe in heauen and behold ⸫ a great red dragon hauing seuen heads and ten horns on his head seuen diademes The note The great diuell Lucifer The answer Bicause my purpose is but to answer you where cause is and not to write commentaries therefore I will not meddle with that which might be noted vpon the description of the diuell vnder the forme of a dragon Apoc. 12. 4. The text And his taile drew the third part of the stars of heauen and cast them to the earth The note The spirits that fall from their first state into apostasie with him and by his meanes The answer The taile of the dragon be hypocriticall false prophets As dragons and serpents carie their venim that they sting and poison withall in their tailes so the diuell seduceth and beguileth by his false lieng prophets The stars of heauen cast downe to the earth are the most noble and notable men that séeme far to excell all others brought to be altogither earthly minded and to refuse celestiall things Apoc. 12. 4. The text And the dragon stood before the woman which was readie to be deliuered that when she should be deliuered he might ⸫ deuour hir sonne The note The diuels endeuor against the churches children and specially our blessed Ladies onely sonne the head of the rest The answer It is true that the diuell that is so great an enimie to the children of the church beareth also a speciall malice to Christ the head of the church and would haue deuoured him but could not And bicause he knoweth that he cannot otherwise hurt nor harm Christ therefore he séeketh to swallow and deuour vs Christs brethren by the séed of the word and mightie working of Gods spirit begotten and borne of the church to God Apoc. 12. 1◠The text And ⸫ they ouercame him by the blood of the lambe and by the word of their testimonie and they loued not their liues euen vnto death The note When the Angels or we haue the victorie we must know that it is by the blood of Christ and so all is referred alwaies to him The answer You should haue said if you would haue spoken truly and so as much as please vs is referred to him For for to haue all referred to him is al that we contend and striue for Faith in his blood is the victorie whereby we ouercome the world and all our enimies The strength of nature the abilitie of frée will merits of our works crossing holie water indulgences pardons masses and whatsoeuer trumperie you striue for beside do nothing auaile to this Apoc. 12◠14. The text And there were giuen to the woman two wings of a great eagle that she might flie into the desert vnto hir place where she is nourished ⸫ for a time and times and halfe a time from the face of the serpent The note This often insinuation that Antichrists reigne shall be but three yeeres and an halfe Dan. 7. 25. Apocalipse 11. 2. 3. and in this chapter v. 6. c. 13. 5. prooueth that the heretikes be exceedingly blinded with malice that hold the pope to be Antichrist who hath ruled so many ages The answer Master Saunders in his demonstrations hath as doughtily done for you as so darke proofes out of such doubtful places could suffer and hath already receiued answer sufficient at the hands of that learned and reuerend man Master Whitakers You know how doubtfully all expositors expound these descriptions of the time and must we néedes credit you that it must be taken according to our vsuall supputation As for the ages which you suppose your pope hath ruled you may cut off the one halfe of them which I am sure you imagine Apoc. 13. 3. The text And all the earth was ⸫ in admiration after the beast The note They that now follow the simplest and grossest heretikes that euer were without seeing miracles would then much more follow this great seducer working miracles The answer They which learne of them that preach the word truly and sincerely cannot be seduced by miracles Bicause they know and haue learned that whatsoeuer miracles serue not to the confirmation of that doctrine which is taught vs in the word they are but illusions of the diuell and lieng signes of Antichrist which God doth send permit and suffer to shew who they be which constantly cleaue to him and his truth But on the contrarie part it is no maruell though your followers be easily seduced and beguiled First bicause they be ignorant and know nothing secondly bicause they depend vpon men who as they say cannot erre and not vpon the word of truth and therefore beléeue many things wherof they haue no ground but either lies or illusions Apoc. 13. ◠The text And he opened his mouth vnto blasphemies toward God ⸫ to blaspheme his name and his tabernacle and those that dwell in heauen The note No heretikes euer liker Antichrist than these in our daies specially in blasphemies against Gods church sacraments saints ministers and all sacred things The answer Lay away lieng and speake the woorst you can truly of those whom you call the heretikes of these daies and I am sure you cannot prooue your slanderous spéeches by them But in truth none be so like Antichrist as the pope and you his friends Wherin we will report nothing maliciously by any of contrary religion vnto you deuised but truly testified reported and witnessed by friends and fautors of the Romish power in their stories and writings One poisoned his God another cast his God into the fire