were the heads of the twelue Tribes Rachel Ioseph Ge. 35.22 these were the heads of the twelue Tribes Beniamin Ge. 35.22 these were the heads of the twelue Tribes Bala Dan Ge. 35.22 these were the heads of the twelue Tribes Nephtali Ge. 35.22 these were the heads of the twelue Tribes he liued 147. yeres Gen. 47. ve 28. hee was 70. yeeres in Egypt Ioseph was ruler of Egypt 80. yeeres he died when he was one hundred and tenne yeres old Gen. 50. verse 26. After these Patriarks the Hebrews liued in bondage to the Egyptians but 144. yeeres albeit as is already prooued their whole abode in Egypt was 215. yeares See the third age and the probation thereof CHAP. V. Containing a Table of the Princes and Iudges of the Hebrewes The princes of the Hebrewes were these two Moses he ruled 40. yeares Iosue he ruled 27. yeres or 40 together w t Othoniel Moses and Iosue are not reckoned among the Iudges because they did not onely iudge but also rule the people Lyranus There were 13. Iudges ouer the Hebrewes amoÌ„g whom Othoniel A. M. 2572 ruled yeres A. M. 2852 40 Aioth A. M. 2572 ruled yeres A. M. 2852 80 Barach A. M. 2572 ruled yeres A. M. 2852 40 Gedeon A. M. 2572 ruled yeres A. M. 2852 40 Abimelech A. M. 2572 ruled yeres A. M. 2852 3 Thola A. M. 2572 ruled yeres A. M. 2852 23 Iair A. M. 2572 ruled yeres A. M. 2852 22 Iephthe A. M. 2572 ruled yeres A. M. 2852 6 Abesan A. M. 2572 ruled yeres A. M. 2852 7 Ahialon A. M. 2572 ruled yeres A. M. 2852 10 Abdon A. M. 2572 ruled yeres A. M. 2852 8 Samson A. M. 2572 ruled yeres A. M. 2852 20 Heli y e priest A. M. 2572 ruled yeres A. M. 2852 40 All this is prooued in the second chapter aforegoing in the fourth age Here is to be obserued that from Iair to Iepthe there was no iudge which was for the space of eighteene yeeres together Iud. 10. verse 4 5 8 seq The prophet Elias was Gods messenger in Samaria in the dayes of Asa and Iosaphat the good kings of Iuda 3. Ki. 15.24 and in the time of Achab the bad king of Israel 3. Ki. 18. the heart of king Asa was perfit all his dayes 2. Paralip 15.17 and king Iosaphat sought the Lord and walked in the wayes of his father Dauid 2. Paral. 17. about the age of the world 3088. CHAP. VI. Containing a Table of the kings of Iuda and of Israel The kingdome of the Hebrewes vnited vnder king Saul with whom was Samuel Acts 13 Dauid Salomon deuided into the kingdom of Iuda or the two tribes of Iuda and Beniamin whose kings were Roboam Anno mundi 3030 and raigned Anno mundi 3410 17 yeeres Abias Anno mundi 3030 and raigned Anno mundi 3410 3 Asa Anno mundi 3030 and raigned Anno mundi 3410 41 Iosaphat Anno mundi 3030 and raigned Anno mundi 3410 25 Ioram Anno mundi 3030 and raigned Anno mundi 3410 8 Ochozias Anno mundi 3030 and raigned Anno mundi 3410 1 Athalia Anno mundi 3030 and raigned Anno mundi 3410 7 Ioas Anno mundi 3030 and raigned Anno mundi 3410 40 Amazias Anno mundi 3030 and raigned Anno mundi 3410 29 Ozias Anno mundi 3030 and raigned Anno mundi 3410 52 Ioathan Anno mundi 3030 and raigned Anno mundi 3410 16 Achaz Anno mundi 3030 and raigned Anno mundi 3410 16 Ezechias Anno mundi 3030 and raigned Anno mundi 3410 29 Manasses Anno mundi 3030 and raigned Anno mundi 3410 55 Amon Anno mundi 3030 and raigned Anno mundi 3410 2 Iosias Anno mundi 3030 and raigned Anno mundi 3410 31 Ioachas Anno mundi 3030 and raigned Anno mundi 3410 3 moneths Eliachim or Ioachim Anno mundi 3030 and raigned Anno mundi 3410 11 yeeres Iechonias or Ioachim or Coniah Anno mundi 3030 and raigned Anno mundi 3410 3 moneths Sedechias Anno mundi 3030 and raigned Anno mundi 3410 11 yeeres Israel or Samaria whose kings were Ieroboam Anno mundi 3030 and raigned Anno mundi 3283 21 yeeres Nadab Anno mundi 3030 and raigned Anno mundi 3283 2 Baasa Anno mundi 3030 and raigned Anno mundi 3283 24 Hela Anno mundi 3030 and raigned Anno mundi 3283 2 Amri or Omri Anno mundi 3030 and raigned Anno mundi 3283 12 Achab Anno mundi 3030 and raigned Anno mundi 3283 22 Ochozias Anno mundi 3030 and raigned Anno mundi 3283 2â— Ioram Anno mundi 3030 and raigned Anno mundi 3283 12 Iehu Anno mundi 3030 and raigned Anno mundi 3283 28 Ioachas Anno mundi 3030 and raigned Anno mundi 3283 17 Ioas Anno mundi 3030 and raigned Anno mundi 3283 16 Hieroboam Anno mundi 3030 and raigned Anno mundi 3283 41 Zacharias Anno mundi 3030 and raigned Anno mundi 3283 6 moneths Sellum Anno mundi 3030 and raigned Anno mundi 3283 1 moneth Manahen Anno mundi 3030 and raigned Anno mundi 3283 10 yeeres Phacêas or Pekahiah Anno mundi 3030 and raigned Anno mundi 3283 2 Phacêe or Pekah Anno mundi 3030 and raigned Anno mundi 3283 20 Oseâ—or Hosheah Anno mundi 3030 and raigned Anno mundi 3283 9 yeeres Peruse the second chapter aforegoing where these things are prooued sufficiently CHAP. VII Of the captiuitie and circumstances thereto pertaining The first Section Of the time of the Captiuitie THe Babylonians besieged the citie of Hierusalem and tooke it in the eleuenth yeare of the raigne of Sedechias in the ninth day of the 4. month to whom Nabuchodonozor had giuen commission for the siege while himselfe was at Reblatha The city being taken king Sedechias with his wiues children nobles and friendes fled away by night into the wildernesse But the Babylonians pursued after them and Sedechias with his wiues children and friendes were brought before the king Nabuchodonozor whom after the king had sharply reprooued for the breach of promise he caused his children and friendes to be slaine before his eies That done he caused Sedechias to be bound in chaines his eies to be pulled out and so to be carried to Babylon In the first day of the first moneth he commanded to burne the citie to bring away all the vessels of gold and siluer out of the temple and to leade all the people captiue vnto Babylon Ioseph 10. lib. antiq cap. 11. The temple was burnt after the building thereof 470. yeares monethes sixe dayes ten after the departure out of Egypt 1062. yeares moneths sixe dayes ten after the deluge 1950. yeares moneths sixe dayes ten after the creation of Adam 3513. yeres monethes sixe daies ten so writeth Iosephus who was himselfe a Iew a Priest otherwise of good credite and wrote the thinges that were done in his time neuerthelesse I haue prooued in the second chapter where the fift age is handled that the temple could not stand
alledged by Gratianus in the popes owne Decrees Solent plures qui se ieiunare putant in quadragesima mox vt signum audierint ad horam nonam comedere qui nullatenus ieiunare credendi sunt fi ante manducauerint quam vespertinum celebretur offâ—cium Many who thinke they fast in Lent vse to eate so soone as they heare the bell at the ninth houre who by no meanes can be thought to fast if they eate before the euening praier Out of which wordes of the auncient holy councill I note this constant decree to wit that whosoeuer eate before the ninth houre cannot truely fast And consequently that no papists fast in their holy Lent howsoeuer they bragge or boast thereof The reason hereof is euident because all papistes vsually dine at noone that is three houres at the least before the time appointed by the councill I say at the least because they vse to anticipate noone some more some lesse For better explication whereof wee must obserue two thinges the one concerning noone the other concerning the euening praier I say therefore that by the ninth houre the councell with all antiquitie vnderstandeth three of the clocke at afternoone for in the time of the Apostles and long after them the day was deuided into twelue houres which day was againe distributed into foure Vigils whereof euery Vigil contained three houres so that their ninth houre was with vs three of the clocke in the after noone Now for the obscuring of this euident confutation of the popish supposed fasting the papistes of latter dayes haue deuised this miserable shift a fit inuention of their newly hatched Romishe religion The Pope forsooth hath dispenced with his greedy religious godlesse people who will needes be thought deuout fathers albeit they fast not one day in the whole yeare that they may huddle vp their vespertine houres or euening praier at anie time before twelue of the clocke and then at their pleasures to eate drinke and make good cheere And if it please your worships this done with full panches to beginne their discontinued disholy fast againe The ninth proposition Of fastinges some are priuate and some publicke Priuate fastes may be vsed of ones owne accord when and so often as shall seeme conuenient so they be referred to the glory of God and true mortification of the bodie or bee vsed for the good of our neighbour Thus fasted king Dauid all the time his childe was sicke After the death whereof hee surceased from praier and fasting and ate meate 2. King 12. Thus fasted Nehemiah when he vnderstood the affliction of the Iewes he sate downe wept and mourned certaine dayes hee fasted and prayed before the Lord of heauen Nehem. 1.4 Thus fasted Daniel when hee perceiued the captiuitie of his countriemen spoken of by the prophet Ieremie He confessed his owne sinnes and the sinnes of the people and turned to the Lord in fasting heartie prayer Dan. 9. vers 2 3 4 5. Publique fasts are appointed either by God in his holy word or by the magistrate hauing his authoritie Thus did Samuel appoint the Israelites to fast at such time as the Philistims did greeuously afflict them 1. Kin. 7. ver 3 6. Thus king Iosaphat proclamed a fast throughout all Iuda when the Ammonites Moabites and Idumeans oppressed them 2. Par. 20.3 10 22. Thus did queene Hester appoint a publique fast to all the Iewes by the mouth of Mardocheus Hest. 4. v. 16. Thus did the king of Niniueh command a publike fast after he vnderstood Gods wrath by his prophet Ionas 3. verse 7. Here endeth the first Booke containing yeeres 3426. The second book containeth the description of the first Monarchie that is of the Assyrians or Babylonians The first chapter of the originall and continuance of the monarchie The first Section of the reason of the inscription ALbeit this first Monarchie was either wholy or in effect expired before the accomplishment of the captiuitie of the two tribes Iuda and Beniamin yet haue I thought good to had le it in a seuerall tract after the saide captiuitie so to auoide confusion and for perspicuitie sake The second section of the originall of the monarchie King Ninus the sonne of Belus was the first king of Asia except the Indians whome the Assyrians named their god he reigned 52. yeeres and in the 43. yeere of his raigne was Abraham borne He builded the citie Ninum in Assyria nowe called Niniueh Euseb. in chronico When Ninus was dead Semiramis his wife raigned she feared lest for the tender yeres of her sonne Nunas and for hir feminine sex the people should reuolt from their due loyaltie For which cause she clad her selfe in mans apparel and fained her selfe to be the kings sonne She excelled in heroicall feats and raigned 42. yeeres in great felicitie She fortified the citie of Babylon which Ninus had conquered from the Chaldeans with rampires ditches and walles After her death Zameis aliâs Ninias reigned 30. yeres in all peace and tranquilitie Euseb. Carion The kings of the Assyrians Ninus Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 52 Kings 36 Semiramis Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 42 Kings 36 Ninias Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 â—8 Kings 36 Arius Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 30 Kings 36 Arelius Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 40 Kings 36 Xerxes Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 30 Kings 36 Armametres Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 38 Kings 36 Belochus Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 35 Kings 36 Baleus Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 52 Kings 36 Altadas Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 32 Kings 36 Mamitus Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 30 Kings 36 Mancaleus Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 30 Kings 36 Ipheréus Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 20 Kings 36 Mamylas Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 30 Kings 36 Spaâ—êtus Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 40 Kings 36 Ascades Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 40 Kings 36 Amyntas Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 45 Kings 36 Belothus Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 25 Kings 36 Bellepares Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 30 Kings 36 Lamprides Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 32 Kings 36 Sosares Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 20 Kings 36 Lampares Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 30 Kings 36 Pannias Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 45 Kings 36 Sosarmus Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 19 Kings 36 Mitreus Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 27 Kings 36 Tantanes Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres
behalfe Some God be thanked for it are wholy and soundly reformed Othersome are inforced so to doubt of your doctrine as they know not in the worlde what to say or thinke thereof Othersome either seduced by your sinister report or else to saue your credite if it would be affirme very desperately that you haue answered my Motiues already and all generally both thinke and say that yee will shortly answere them if there be any trueth on your side One whole yeere I haue expected your putatiue answere as who had then and still haue a most feruent desire speedily to reply vpon the same Now since mine expectation is in that point frustrate in this second yeere I haue addressed my selfe to giue you a further prouocation In this Booke I haue not concealed any thing that I knew or could possibly say for you I haue not dissembled the mightiest obiections that can be made in your defence neither haue I passed slenderly ouer them but confuted them so pithily and so exactly as if any of you or of your brethren abroad shall be able to yeelde a sufficient answere in your defence I promise vnfainedly to subscribe vnto his doctrine Remember therfore what the Orator saith to wit that to erre standeth with mans infirmitie but to perseuere in errour is proper to fooles alone If you can deuise how and in what sort to answer me all wise men both say and thinke that ye will doe it vndoubtedly If you know not how to defend your cause because the trueth preuaileth so mightily then shew your selues to be wise men by embracing the trueth willingly and not to be fooles by striuing against the same wilfully Haue the feare of God before your eies pray that your hearts may be inlightened with the true knowledge of his sacred word and let not the shame of the world keep you backe from the publike confession of the known truth Peruse my Booke seriously ponder my discourse deepely contemne nothing wilfully examine all my reasons sincerely and that done giue your indifferent censures accordinglie If you finde Poperie confuted effectuallie then yeelde to the trueth and giue God the glorie if you thinke I faile in prouing my intended purpose then vse your wittes and your pennes as well for my confutation as for the credit of your cause and the expectation of your seely brethren who shortly will renounce all Poperie if ye with speede doe not defend the same Amen To the Christian Reader IN this small volume gentle reader thou maiest behold the original of Poperie with the daily increments therof liuely discouered before thine eies as also an euident confutation of whatsoeuer can possibly be said in defence of the same Thou hast together with this a fruitfull summarie of the olde and newe Testament contained in the first second part of this present Suruey Throughout which discourse thou must euer remember that in the bookes of the Kings and of the Psalmes I commonly follow the supputation of the latins And if thou canst reape any commodity by this my labor then thanke God for it and pray that my daily studies may still tend to his glorie and the common good of his churche I haue long expected an answere from the Papists either seuerally from some one or ioyntly from many If they be still silent the world must needes iudge that the trueth is not on their side How sincerely I am perswaded as I write to God the iust iudge I appeale for witnesse Albeit the malitious and mal-content seeke by the contrarie and like slanderous reports to bring me in disgrace But as Christs Apostle saith to them that loue God all things in the end will turne to the best Fare well in Christ Iesus and continue in louing me christianly as I hope thou doest The postscript to all the readers of this Suruey in generall AFter that I had accomplished this present volume a friend of mine gaue me to vnderstand that some persons were offended because I say in the epistle dedicatory of my Motiues that S. Paul erred gentilizing For whose satisfaction if they wil be satified with reason I say first that the nature and condition of some persons is such that though they be slow to doe well themselues yet are they very propense to reprehend that which is well done by others I say secondly that if such persons would deeply consider the prudent law of the sage wise Persians other things well said shuld haue mooued them to conceale that fault though it were as ill as they imagine I say thirdly that such persons seeke Nodum in scirpo and that it is no fault at all I prooue it euidently because to gentilize is nothing els but to play the part of a gentile and consequently since S. Paul then named Saul did as cruelly persecute the Christians as euer did the tyrannicall gentiles Nero Domitianâ— Traiane Seuerus Maximinus Dâ—cius or Dioclesianus It followeth of necessitie that he did gentilize indeed For as holy writ recordeth Hee breathed out threatninges and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord. He desired letters to Damascus that hee might bring bound to Ierusalem all aswell women as men that professed the name of Christ Iesus insomuch that a voice cried from heauen vnto him and saide Saul Saul why persecutest thou me He likewise saith of himselfe that hee is not worthy to be called an apostle because he persecuted the church of God and all this doubtlesse he did in error because as himselfe saith of the Iewes his brethren if they had knowen they would neuer haue crucified the Lord of glorie Yea hee himselfe saith of himselfe that hee was receiued to mercie because hee erred ignorantly through vnbeliefe S. Paul therefore erred gentilizing though hee were a Iew in that he persecuted Christ and his church euen as did the Gentiles in the error of Gentilitie Which thing being spoken obiter in the way of mine honest purgation and not to establish anie point of doctrin was not a sufficient motiue to offend anie wel affected reader Well I say with the apostle Si hominibus placerem Christi seruus non essem As before so now againe I willingly employ my whole industry to glorifie my God and to profite his church if by any meanes I can And as I greatly wish to pleasure thankful persons who euer accept in good part godly labors so do I make no great account to discontent malitious Zoili who seldom or neuer broke that wel which is well done by others THE FIRST PART Containeth the state of the Church from Adam vntil the Monarchie of the Romanes The first booke is of the time and memorable actes from Adam vnto the captiuitie of the two Tribes The first Chapter of the Creation and other things coincident The first Section of the creation of Man GOd created heauen the foure elements and all things contained therein and this he did of nothing that is without any
without consent of the patient which neuerthelesse the best learned papistes will haue to be no sinne at all I say fiftly that Abimelech inquired of cleannesse from women not in respect of the coniugall act but for many other contaminations which might haue happened by comming neere to any woman in her monethly course For not only the woman her self was thereby vncleane in lawe and legall ceremonie but also all such as touched her clothes her bed her seate or whatsoeuer els Which inquisition Abimilech made least hee shoulde seeme to contemne the law that so Dauid if perhaps he had been any way polluted legallie might haue had saltem desiderio purification accordingly I say sixtly that the high priest in the olde lawe was married and begate children and that euen in those daies when he ministred to the Lord for he was bound to offer vp incense on the altar of sweete perfume that was neere the arke of testimonie before the mercy seate not this day or that day onely but euery morning and euery euening throughout their generations for euer Since therefore the high priestes marriage and coniugall acts were nothing preiudiciall to his holy function it followeth consequently that neither can holy wedlocke be now preiudiciall to the ministerie of the newe Testament The fift obiection The councels of Carthage Toledo Agatha and some others haue flatly prohibited the marriage of priestes which doubtlesse they would neuer haue done if it had been a lawfull thing The answere I say first that mans authoritie cannot abridge take away from man that libertie which God himselfe hath graunted vnto man For the inferior cannot alter the law of his superior as is already prooued I say secondly that though the pope and his late councels doe roundly impose lawes against holy wedlocke yet doth S. Paule plainly confesse that hee hath no authoritie so to doe Praeceptum inquit domini non habeo consiliū autem do I haue no commandement of the Lord but I giue mine aduise I say thirdly that the councell of Agatha doth euidently insinuate that the prohibition of priestes marriages was but of late yeares These are the wordes of the councell Presbyteri diaconi subdiaconi vel deinceps quibus ducendi vxores licentia modo non est etiam aliarum nuptiarum euitent conuiuia Priests deacons subdeacons and the rest who this day haue not licence to marry must not be present at the feasts of other marriages This councell was holden in Narbon about 439. yeares after Christ which was 51. yeares after Pope Syricius who first abandoned the mariage of priestes as I haue prooued To which time this councell of Agatha alludeth when it saith who are now debarred from marriage as if it had said Before they might haue married but now it is forbidden them I say fourthly that their owne deere Gratian in his glosse vpon pope Martins wordes confesseth matrimonie to be of so great force euen in deacons that marry after their orders that neither the popes decree nor the vow by him annexed to orders is able to dissolue the same These are his expresse wordes Si vero diaconus a ministerio cessare voluerit contracto matrimonio licitè potest vti nam etsi in ordinatione sua castitatis votū obtulerit tamen tanta est vis in sacramento coniugij quod nec ex violatione voti potest dissolui ipsum coniugium But if a deacon will cease from the ministerie hee may lawfully haue the vse of wedlocke contracted in time of his deaconship for although he offered the vow of chastitie when he tooke orders yet so great is the force of matrimonie that it cannot be dissolued by breaking the vow Out of which words I note two things the one that Gratian speaketh of that matrimonie which deacons contract after they be made deacons the other that such matrimonie is perfect of force notwithstāding y e vow annexed by popish law To which I adde other two thinges first that Gratian auoucheth S. Austen to be of his opinion whose wordes he alledgeth in the next canon Secondly that since marriage is of force after orders in a deacon it is so also in subdeacons priestes and the rest The reason is euident because the vow is of the same force in all neither can or will any learned papist say the contrary I say fiftly that it skilleth not much what many councels say as I haue prooued at large in my booke of Motiues yet here I adde one decree out of one of their councels which maketh the controuersie manifest Thus therefore appointeth the first councel holden at Toledo or Toletanum Si quis habens vxorem fidelis concubinam habeat non communicet Caeterum is qui non habet vxorem pro vxore concubinam habet a communione nō repellatur tantum vt vnius mulieris aut vxoris aut concubinae vt ei placuerit sit coniunctione contentus If anie of the faithfull hauing a wife haue also a Concubine let him not receiue the holy communion but hee that hath no wife and keepeth a concubine in steed of his wife let him be admitted to the communion yet so as hee be content with one onely either woman wife or concubine as pleaseth him Loe this councell giueth a man free libertie to keepe woman wife or concubine at his pleasure so he be content with one at once Neither doth it forbid such an one to receiue the holie communion Yet it prohibiteth euery priest from the communion that keepeth his lawfull wife but the famous councels of Nice and Constantinople were of another minde as I haue prooued The 6. obiection Vow saith the prophet and performe vnto the Lord your God all ye that be round about Therefore priestes and religious men and women which haue vowed cannot marrie at all The answere I say first that this obiection can at the most prooue onely this euen by popish doctrine to wit that such as vow chastitie cannot marry without sinne but not that their marriages bee not of force or not true marriages indeed I prooue it euidently because marriages after simple or single vowes be of force with them and reputed as they are for true marriages indeed And this obiection speaketh of such vowes because the scripture is nothing acquainted with popish solemne vowes I say secondly that they are not only true marriages and of force but also contracted lawfully and without sinne I prooue it because as it is sin to make ill vowes so is it lawful to break the same and double sinne to performe them This is euident in Iephthe who to accomplish his vow became the murderer of his own only daughter In wicked king Herode the Tetrarch who for sake of his vow beheaded S. Iohn the baptist In the fourtie Iewes who to performe their bloudie vow say in wait to destroy S. Paule These wicked votaries as they sinned most greeuously in making their vowes so did
damned in hell blaspheme Christ ergo there be some vnder the earth that is in purgatorie which worship and adore Christ. The answer I answere that the bowing of the knee whereof the apostle speaketh doth not signify worship or adoration but that subiection which shalbe shewed openlie in the last iudgement when and where the deuilles as well as men and the good angels shall yeeld homage and dominion vnto Christ. For so S. Paul expoundeth S. Paul in his epistle to the Romaines and S. Luke recordeth that the deuill falleth prostrate before Christ and acknowledgeth his power ouer him which is that bowing of the knee whereof S. Paul speaketh Other expositions whatsoeuer are repugnant to the text The replie S. Iohn saith that hee heard all the creatures which are in heauen and on earth and vnder the earth and in the sea and al that are in them saying in this maner praise and honor and glorie and power be vnto him that sitteth vpon the throne and vnto the Lambe for euermore Therefore they be vnder the earth which truely worship Christ and consequently since the deuils as yee grant do rather blaspheme then worship Christ they that worship Christ vnder the earth must needes bee the soules in purgatory The answere I answere that S. Iohn meaneth nothing els then that which S. Paul hath vttered he vseth the figure Prosopopeia after the vsuall course of the scriptures causeth things senselesse and voide of reason to sounde out the praise of God so saith the Psalmograph Dauid All thy workes praise thee O Lord and thy saints blesse thee and in another place thus The heauens declare the glorie of God and the firmament sheweth the worke of his hands yea as the prophet saith and as the three holy Hebrewes sang fire heate winter summer frost snow light darkenesse the starres the sunne the moone and creatures blesse the Lord. The tenth obiection S. Iohn saith that no vncleane thing shall enter into heauen but many depart out of this life which are not pure ergo such must be purged in purgatorie before they come in heauen The answere I say first that faith in Christ Iesus can as well purge a man in this life as the Popes pardons and yet as your selues teach vs a plenarie indulgence will salue this impuritie I say secondly that it is a needelesse thing to establish popish purgatorie because popish pardons supplie the want thereof This is proued copiously in my booke of Motiues I say thirdly that the faithfull and elect children of God haue their cleanenesse before him in Christ his sonne with which they may enter into heauen For as S. Iohn saith they haue washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lambe who as S. Paul saith when hee knew no sinne was yet made the sacrifice for sin that we might be the righteousnes of God in him And as S. Peter saith their hearts are purified by faith yea as Christ himself saith his sacred word hath made them cleane In fine holy Writ pronounceth them blessed that die in the Lord that they rest from their labors Which being so they neither haue any impurity nor suffer any purgatorie paine The replie You all confesse that your inherent iustice is vnperfect and impure and so your vncleanenes must be taken away after this life be fore yee come into heauen ergo there is a purgatorie The answere I answere that original concupiscence is an inseperable accidēt during this life aswel in you as in vs but as it is proper to this state so is it taken away in that very instant in which our state is altered The 11. obiection S. Peter saith that God raised vp Christ after he had loosed the sorrows of hel This place saith our Iesuite must needs be vnderstood of purgatory for first it cānot be meant of the damned because their paines shal neuer end Secondly it cannot be meant of the sorrowes of Christ because they were finished on the crosse Thirdly it cannot be meant of the fathers in Limbo because they had no paine at all it therefore remaineth that it be meant of the sorrowes which soules abide in purgatorie The answere I say first that if their Latin text were sound this obiection would solue it selfe for the originall and Greeke text is this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hauing loosed the sorrowes of death Out of which words nothing can be gathered that fauoreth purgatory any thing at al. I say secondly that if it were as y e papists do reade the sorrowes of hel being loosed their soules should alwayes feele paine but neuer haue an end Which cannot be truely verified of their purgatorie fire I say thirdly that the fathers whō the papists hold to haue bin in Limbo at that time did according to their owne doctrine suffer poenam damni because they were not as yet partakers of the cleare vision beatificall which Bellarmine granteth in another place and so is repugnant to himselfe But let that be deemed a small fault in a Iesuite which is thought a great crime in another man Adde hereunto that poena damni is a greater pain then poena sensus by their best popish diuinitie I say fourthly that by the sorrows of death is meant nothing els but the bitter paines which Christ suffered vpon the crosse to accomplish mans redemption For then did he properly perfectly triumph ouer death when he rose againe from death who was deliuered to death for our sins saith Saint Paul and is risen againe for our iustification And the verie words of the text next following in the Actes doe confirme this exposition for there it is thus written whome God raised vp and loosed the sorrowes of death because it was vnpossible that he should be holden of it as if S. Peter had said although the passion of Christ was so bitter exceeding great as implying the curse and malediction due for our sinnes insomuch that the remembrance therof caused him to sweate out drops of blood yet could not death possiblie preuaile against him but that he should rise againe and conquer both hel and it The replie Although the greek word in the 24. verse signifieth death yet in the 27 verse it signifieth hel and so the sense is against you The answere I answer that the hebrew word in the psalme from whence this sentence is taken is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and signifieth a sepulchre or graue and so doth your owne great linguiste Arias Montanus interpret it as if the Prophet hadde saide thou wilt not leaue my soule or life in the graue For the course of holy scripture doth comprehende our life vnder the name of the Soule so saith the Prophet Ionas therefore now O Lord take I beseech thee my soule from me for it is better for me to die then to liue So is it in the Hebrew and original and yet by
to auoid the scandall of some persons that are either holy or troublous I dare not freely reprehēd many such things But I am very sory for this that many wholesome precepts in Gods bookes are little regarded and that all things are so full of presumptions that he is more sharply reprooued which toucheth the ground in his octaues with his bare foote then he that shall lye drunken in the streete All things therefore which neither are contayned in the holy scriptures neither in the decrees of bishops neither established by the custome of the vniuersal church but are infinitely varied by the diuersitie of maners in diuerse places so that seldome or neuer the causes can be knowen which men respected in the ordinance thereof I thinke they are to be taken away without any stop where power and authority is at hand For although it cannot bee found howe they make against the catholike faith yet doe they clog the religion with seruile bondage which our mercifull God would haue freely celebrated with verie few and manifest sacraments so that now the condition of the Iewes is more tolerable who though they haue not acknowledged the time of libertie yet are they subiect to legal burdens not to humaine presumptions Thus saith holy and learned Austen Out of whose words I note first that S. Austen for feare of scandall and other humaine respects durst not speake all he thought nor freely reproue euerie abuse as he wished in his heart I note secondly that al the bishops learned fathers of the church did not at all times like and approue all things which were publikely done in the church thogh they spoke not flatly and openly against the same Which point if it be wel noted doth more then a little gall our papists I note thirdly that Gods word was little regarded euen in Saint Austens time and that superstition in steede thereof raigned euerie where and therefore no maruell if so much Romish trumperie did after Saint Austens time abound in their visible church I note fourthly that euen in Saint Austens dayes odde conceits of superstitious trumperie were more regarded then the chiefest points of religion I note fiftly that manie superstitious errours haue crept into the church the causes wereof neither are nor can bee knowen and therefore by Saint Austens iudgement all such trumperie ought to bee cut off by the authoritie of the Magistrate I note sixtly that the church was brought into seruile bondagt by reason of beggarly ceremonies other superstition so as in S. Austens time the state of the Iewes was more tolerable then the condition of faithful christians I note seauenthly that the christian libertie of the new testament may not bee charged with superfluous ceremonies The second conclusion The bodies bones and reliques of Gods Saints and martyres are not to be contēned reiected or disdainfully cast away but to be buried honourably and esteemed reuerently as wel to giue a signe of our hope in the resurrection of our bodies and theirs as to signifie their true faith in the euerliuing God This conclusion may euidently be proued by many texts of holy writ Pretious in the sight of the Lord saith Dauid is the death of his saints Again in another place Great are the troubles of the righteous but the Lord deliuereth him out of them all he keepeth all his bones not one of them is broken Againe in another place Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord in another place the Psalmograph yeeldeth the reason why the bodies reliques of y e dead be honorable to wit for the hope of the resurrection that they shal once be glorified for my flesh saith he shall rest in hope and in the Hebrew more significantly shall dwell in hope to expresse the full assurance of the resurrection In this hope did S. Ioseph cause his fathers bodie be enbalmed being accompanied with al the seruants of R. Pharao both the elders of his house all the elders of the land of Egypt and with his brethren and others of his fathers house he went vp into the land of Canaā there to burie his father with great honour and solemnitie The prophet Daniel when he died was buried with great honor so was Micheas Ioel many others the prophets apostles seruants of the liuing god In regard wherof prudently said Syrach Let their bones flourish out of their place and their names by succession remaine to them that are most famous of their children All which Saint Austen comprised briefly in these golden words Nec tamen contemnenda abiicienda sunt corpora defunctorum maximèque iustorum atque fidelium quibus tanquam organis vasis ad omnia bona opera sanctus vsus est spiritus Si enim paterna vestis annulus ac si quid huiusmodi tanto charius est posteris quanto erga parentes maior extitit affectus nullo modo ipsa spernenda sunt corpora quae vtique multo familiarius atque coniunctius quam quaelibet indumenta gestamus Haec enim non ad ornamētum vel adiutorium quod adhibetur extrinsecus sed ad ipsam naturam hominis pertinent Neither are the bodies of the dead to be dispised and cast away specially the bodies of the iust and of the faithful whom the holie ghost hath vsed as instruments and vessels to all good workes For if the fathers garment and ring and the like bee so much the dearer to the posteritie by howe much our affection was greater to our parents then doubtlesse their bodies are no way to be contemned which are more familiar and nearer to vs thē anie garment for they pertaine not to the ornament or helpe which we vse externally but euen to the nature of man it selfe The third conclusion To goe from place to place on pilgrimage to learne experience ciuil maners customes and lawes of other countries or christianly to profit others therby is a godly act highly to be commended The painful godly peregrinatiōs of Christ him selfe and of his chosen vessels will make this conclusion euident For Christ was conceiued in Nazareth borne in Bethlehem the eight day presented in Hierusalem Hee fled into Egypt he returned and dwelt in Nazareth Being twelue yeres of age hee disputed in the temple at Hierusalem from whence he returned with his parents and came to Nazareth Being thirtie yeeres olde hee was baptized in Iorden tempted of the Deuill in the wildernesse placed on a Pinnacle of the temple and after that carried into an exceeding high mountaine In Cana of Galilee he was present at a marriage where he changed water into wine Hee abode a while at Capernaum with his mother and his friendes He went throughout Galilee teaching in the synagogues Besides the sea of Galilee hee calleth Simon Andrew Iames and Iohn From thence he came to the region of the Gerasenes where the swine were drowned in the
and that it is truely receiued by faith and spirite according to this doctrine of our maister Christ. The wordes that I spake vnto you are spirite and life Seuenthly he telleth vs that as Christ is on earth still according to his deitie so is he in heauen til the daie of doome according to his humanitie And that as he is present in his god-head till that time so is hee absent in his manhood For saith S. Austen touching the presence of his fleshe hee was but a fewe daies on earth Yea say the papistes S. Austen lieth and when he thus wrote he was a sleepe and so were the rest of the fathers that hold as he doth We affirme without scriptures fathers rime and reason that hee is carnally present at the priestes appointment in ten thousand pixes at once More absurdly then this we say that a mouse can catch Christes carnall body carry it away into an hole and there deuoure it with her teeth Of which blasphemous doctrine the great papist Petrus Lombard surnamed their master of sentences knoweth not what to say or thinke but being at his wits end what answere to make thus answereth the question without answere for his answere is answerelesse in these wordes Quid ergo sumit mus vel quid manducat Deus nouit hoc What therefore doth a mouse take when shee catcheth the reserued hoast or what doth she eate God knoweth this Lo is not this a graue answere of the grauest father amongst our popish doctors He is tearmed the master of sentences and his bookes are publikely read in their schooles of diuinitie and so of the next authoritie to the holy scriptures And for al this so doubtfull and vncertaine is their faith that when a mouse catcheth their accidents without subiects he knoweth not in the world what is become of their carnall reall presence Eeightly he telleth vs that the sacrament of Christs body is not his body properly but after a sort and that sort he affirmeth to be this to wit as the sacrament of faith is faith Now euerie childe knoweth that baptisme or the sacrament of faith is not faith properly but improperly figuratiuely and by way of signification onely Ninthly Saint Ambrose whom â—he papists thinke to make wholy for their side hath these expresse words Si tanta vis est in sermone Domini Iesu vt inciperent esse quae non erant quanto magis operatorius est vt sint quae erant in aliud commutentur If there be so great power in the word of our Lord Iesus that things beganne to be which were not how much more is it workefull that things bee which were and bee changed into another thing In these words Saint Ambrose declareth the creatures of bread and wine to remaine still in their proper nature and substaunce and withall to bee changed into another thing that is to say into the sacraments of Christs true body and bloud To this our Iesuite Bellarmine answereth in these words Non dixit vt sint id quod erant tunc enim panis manere deberet sed vt sint quae erant id est nâ—n annihilentur sed maneant quamuis mutata Hee saide not that they may bee that which they were for then the bread ought to remaine indeede but that they may stil be which were before that is that they bee not annihilated but abide still though changed To this answere of our Iesuite I say first that Saint Ambrose meaneth no other thing then did Saint Austâ—n when he called baptisme the sacrament of faith For the omnipotencie of Christs word is required of them both in both sacraments And as the water is changed into another thing that is to be a sacrament and â—eaâ—e of Gods fauor which before was but common water euen so bread is chaunged into another thing that is to be the sacrament of Christs body which was before but common bread I say secondly that as a married man is by matrimonie chaâ—ged into another thing and yet keepeth still the nature of a man and as a Bishop by orders is altered into another thing and yet keepeth still his former substance euen so the bread in the Eucharist is changed mystically and still remaineth true bread This is a good argument against the papists who defend matrimonie and orders to be two holy sacraments I say thirdly that if aliud must needes signifie an essentiall change as master Harding our Iesuite and the rest will haue it to doe then either married men haue gotten nothing by their matrimoniall contractes nor Bishoppes by their consecrations or at least all married men and Bishops haue lost the natures of men and are changed into another substance But as the Logicians tel vs these three transcendents ens res aliquid may bee affirmed of whatsoeuer is and for the order of Bishops the papists tell vs that it imprinteth an indeleble character touching matrimonie Christ himselfe telleth vs that it is an indissoluble band Touching the persons themselues experience telleth vs that they are still as truâ—ly men as they were before and consequently the word aliud may as well signifie an accidentall alteration as an essentiall transmutation I say fourthly that euerie thing is truely denominate of it essentiall forme and therefore if the substance and essentiall partes of bread and wine bee cleane gone and the externall accidents thereof onely remaine as Bellarmine woulde gladly glosse Saint Ambrose then doubtlesse may wee truely say that they are gone which were before not that they still remaine vnlesse perhappes the papists will say that the horse remaineth when nothing is left but his skin and that a man liueth after he be dead For in both more remaineth then of their wine and bread I say fiftly that by Bellarmines answere if himselfe were changed into the essentiall nature of an asse and kept still the externall figure of a man yet shoulde hee still be as truely Bellarmine as he was before and so Iesuits may be both Asses and men at once a priuiledge granted to all others of their crew The first obiection S. Austen alluding to the facts and wordes of Dauid by which Christ was prefigured writeth in this maner Manibus aliorum potest portarâ— homo manibus suis nemo portatur quomodo intelligatur in ipso Dauid secundum literam non inuenimus in Christo autem inuenimus Ferebatur enim Christus in manibâ—suâ—s quando coÌ„mendans ipsum corpus suum ait Hoc est corpus meum Ferebat enim illud corpus in manibus suis ipsa est humilitas Dom. nostri Iesu Christi A man may bee carried in the hands of others but no man is carried in his own hands How this may be vnderstoode in Dauid literally we doe not finde but in Christ wee doe it finde For Christ was borne in his owne hands when he commended his owne bodie and saide This is my body For he helde
that body in his handes such is the humilitie of our Lord Iesus Christ. Thus saith Saint Austen By whose words it is euident that that which Christ at his last supper gaue to his disciples was his true reall naturall body euen that which was borne of the virgin Mary For first he telleth vs that Christ did that which Dauid could not do to wit that he did beare himselfe in his own hands Secondly he saith that this was done literally euen as the words do sound Thirdly he coÌ„mendeth Christs great humility in that fact Now it is cleare y t if this could be vnderstood figuratiuely it might be well verified in Dauid for Dauid might haue born the picture figure or image of his owne body in his hands yea this he might haue done literally haue shewed no humilitie therin But Christ did so beare himselfe in his owne hands saith saint Austen as no man can do the like This reason is inuincible all protestants in the world cannot answere the same The answere I say first that this reason seemeth indeede to be inuincible and so my selfe haue sometime thought I say secondly that if S. Austen should so meane as you gather of these words he should contradict himself in many other places as is already proued and consequently his authoritie should be of no force in this behalfe I say thirdly that Saint Austen doth a little after expound his owne meaning in these expresse words Et ferebatur in manibus suis. Quomodo ferebatur in manibus suis quia cum commendaret ipsum corpus suum sanguinem suum accepit in manus suas quod 〈◊〉 fideles ipse se portabat quodammodo cùm diceret hoc est corpus meuÌ„ And he was borne in his hands How was he borne in his hands because when he commended his owne body and his blood hee tooke into his hands that the faithful know and he bare himselfe after a sort when he saide This is my body Where I wish the Reader to marke well the worde quadammodo after a sorte for Christ had his true reall and natural bodie in his handes after a sort that is sacramentally when he said This is my body He had his 〈◊〉 body in his hands but it was after a sort not simplie but sacramentally not naturally but mystically not carnally I say fourthly that neither Dauid nor any other creature coulde haue borne himselfe after this sort in his owne hands For as Aquinas Victoria Antoninus Couarruuias Bellarminus and all learned papists grant no mortall man can institute any sacrament and so no mortal man being pure man could sacramentally beare himselfe in his owne hands I say fiftly that greater humilitie coulde not be then that the Lord of glorie should offer himselfe on the crosse so to appease Gods wrath and to make attonement for our sins and withall shoulde giue vs the sacrament of his body bloud as a seale of our reconciliation and of his beneuolence towards vs. All this discourse S. Austen confirmeth in another place where he hath these words Non hoc corpus quod videtis manducaturi estis bibituri illum sanguinem quem effusuri sunt qui me â—rucifigent Sacramentum aliquod vobis commendaui spiritualiter intellectum viuificat vos Yee shall not eate this body that ye see and drinke that blood which they shal shed that will crucifie me I haue commended a sacrament to you which being vnderstood spiritually doth quicken you The second obiectâ—on S. Cyprian doth prooue this veritie in most plaine and manifest tearmes Thus doeth he write Panis iste quem Dominus discipulis porrigebat non effigie sed natura mutatus omnipotentia verbi factus est caro The bread which our Lord did reach to his disciples being chaÌ„ged not in shape but in nature became flesh by the omnipotencie of the word Lo bread was changed not in shape or figure which our sense telleth vs to be so but in nature or substance as the catholike church teacheth vs. And how is it changed euen into flesh and yet wil not you haue Christ to be present in flesh bloud and bone But if it were otherwise the omnipotent power of Gods word shoulde be needelesse which yet Saint Cyprian saieth is it that worketh this mightie change If yee yeeld not to this testimonie ye shew your selfe to be obstinate The answere I say first that the grosse and carnal sense of these words did wonderfully seduce my selfe when the time was I say secondly that if Saint Cyprian meant as you woulde haue him hee should bee contrarie to himselfe For hee affirmeth it to be true wine which Christ gaue to his Apostles I haue already alleaged his expresse words peruse them and marke them well I say thirdly that S. Cyprian can neuer bee more truely expounded then when his owne meaning in one place is gathered out of his owne words in another place That therefore all his words may be consonant one to another we must ioine antecedent to consequent former to latter and one place to another This done wee shal finde with facilitie that hee speaketh onely of sacramentall alteration and that by the word nature hee meaneth natural properties Yea euen so do the papists interprete the same word in their Gelasius concerning this question nowe in hand Thus doeth Saint Cyprian say immediately after the other wordes Et sicut in persona Christi humanitas videbatur latebat diuinitas ita sacramento visibili ineffabiliter diuina se infudit essentia Infrà Nostra vero ipsius coniunctio nec miscet personas nec vnit substantias sed affectus consociat confoederat voluntates Iterum sicut panis communis quem quotidie edimus vita est corporis ita panis iste supersubstantialis vita est animae sanitas mentis Panem Angelorum sub sacramento manducamus in tâ—rris eundem sine sacramento manifestiùs edemus in coelis non ministerio corporali And as the humanitie was seene in the person of Christ and the diuinitie hidden euen so hath the diuine essence powred out it selfe vnspeakeably in the visible sacrament For both ours and his coniunction neither mingleth persons nor yet vniteth substances but procureth fellowship in affection and agreement in willes And as the common bread which wee eate daily is the life of the body so is this supersubstantiall bread the life of the soule and the health of the minde We eate here on earth Angel-foode vnder the sacrament but wee shall eate the same more clearely without the sacrament in heauen and that without help of the body Out of these wordes I note first that Christs diuinitie is after an vnspeakeable manner in the sacrament but so is noâ— his bodie or humanitie and consequently that Christ is not there in inuisible carnall presence I note secondly that this sacramentall vnion doth not vnite substances but affections and willes and yet should our bodies be