we thus cleaue to God with strong faith beléeue his words Then as sayth Paule God is faithfull that he will not suffer vs to be tempted aboue that we are able or aboue our strength that is to sayâ— if we cleaue to his promises and not to our owne fantasies and imaginations he wil put might and power into vs that shall be stronger then all temptations which he shall suffer to be against vs. Tindale fo 81. What is vnderstood by watchmen For his watchmen are all blinde c. ¶ By those blinde watchmen vnderstand the chiefe Priests yâ— Scribes Pharesies c. which were the peruerters and deprauers of the law of God These for filthy lucre sake abolished the true seruice of God and were the chiefe causers of the forsaking of Israel They were sluggish and sought not that which was for the edification of the people and for the glory of God but that which was for their owne priuate profit and pleasure They were slothfull to roote out vice and to plant vertue and driuen into the profound déepe sléepe of ignorance of idlenesse of lecherousnesse of pride As oft as the Prelates of the people Bishops Abbots and they that auaunt themselues for religious be such there hangeth a great scourge ouer the whole flocke of Christ. T. M. ¶ He sheweth that the affliction shal come through the fault of the gouernours Prophets and pastours whose ignorance negligence auarice obstinacy prouoketh Gods wrath against them Geneua I haue made thée a watchman to the house of Israel ¶ By this watchman are figured Bishops Priests aâ—d Preachers which must take the occasion of their speaking and exhorting at the mouth of God and speake not in their owne but in his name T. M. He sheweth that the people ought to haue continually gouernours teachâ—rs which may haue a care oner them and â—o warne theÌ„ euer of the daungers which are at hand Eze. 33. 2. Ge. The meaning of this place following The voice of thy watchmen shall be heard ¶ The Prophets which are thy watchmen shall publish this thy deliueraunce This was begun vnder Zorobabel Ezra Nehemiah but was accomplished vnder Christ. Geneua Of the watchman that Daniel speaketh of And behold a watchman and an holy one came downe from heauen Meaning the Angell oâ— God which neither eateth nor sleepeth but is euer ready to doe Gods will and is not infect with mans corruption but is euer holy and in that that he commaundeth to cut downe this tree â—e knew that it shoulde not be cut downe by man but by God Geneua What the fourth watch meaneth And in the fourth watch of the night The Hebrewes diuided the night inâ—o â—oure parts which they called the foure watches wherefore the fourth watch was next to the morning and was called the morning watch As in the. 1. Reg. 11. 11. Tindale VVATER How it is not water that doth wash away our sinnes ARise and be baptised and wash away thy sinnes We ought not to thinke that water washeth away our sinnes but the mercy and grace of God which is signified and represented vnto vs by the water Ye shall note that by a figure named Allocosis the same is ascribed vnto the outward signe which doth onely perteine vnto the grace election of God Sir I. Cheeke He sheweth that sins cannot be washed away but by Christ who is the substance of Baptime in whom also is comprehended the father and the holy Gost. Geneua The meaning of this place following Whosoeâ—er drinketh of this water c. To drinke this water is to beléeue credit the word of God and to receiue the testimony of Christ which thing onely can quench the thirst of the soule Sir I. Cheeke What is signified by water and spirit Except a man be borne of water and spirit ¶ Héere by the water he vnderstandeth the worde and grace of God and also the illumination of the holy Ghost which is that heauenly water that Esay the Prophet doth speake of saieng All that be a thirst come vnto the waters Iohn 4. 14. and. 7. 38. Iere. 2. 13. By the spirit he vnderstandeth the inspiration of the holy Ghost and the heauenly working of the spirit of God So that this place helpeth them nothing that doe affirme that the children of the faithfull are damned and that they shall neuer enter into the kingdome of heauen if they dye before they canne be baptised Sir I. Cheeke ¶ This place of Iohn is not to be vnderstood of the outwarde signe of holy Baptime but simply of the inward and most spirituall regeneration of the holye spirit which when Nichodemus vnderstoode not perfectly the Lorde figured and made the same manifest by Parables of water and of the spirit that is to saye of the winde or the aire by Elements very base and familyar for by an by hée addeth That which is borne of flesh is flesh c. Againe The winde bloweth where it lysteth c. Which must néedes bée meant of the ayre For the other part of the comparison followeth So is euery one that is borne of the spirit Bullinger fol. 1048. ¶ By this is signified the Baptime which is the mortification of the flesh preached by Iohn Baptyst and the renuing of the spirit which is remission of sinnes obteined by Christ. Tindale What the water of Siloh doth signifie Forsomuch as the people refuse the still running water of Siloh c. ¶ Hee calleth the kingdome of Dauid which figureth the kingdome of Christ the still running water of Siloh which thing agréeth verie well vnto Christ that was meeke and lowlye of heart Math. 11. 29. Zach. 9. 9. Beholde thy king commeth vnto thée poore and lowly c. He raigneth in still and peaceable consciences Siloh was a spring at the foote of the hill of Syon which hath not continally water but springâ—th certeine houres and dayes and commeth with a great sound by the bottome of the ground and rifts and holes of an hard rocke The manner of speaking is borrowed of the despised littlenesse of the water which signifieth the small estimation and pouertie of the christen T. M. ¶ Looke Siloh What is meant by the water of the Sea The water of the sea shall bée drawne out Nilus shall sinke away and be dronke vp ¶ The water of the sea c. Aegipt as stories shew receiueth no raine forth of the aire but is ouerflowed with yâ— water Nilus at certein times 14. 15. or 16. cubits high froÌ„ the ground for if it increse to any lesse height the Countrey scapeth not a dearth sayth Plinie And therefore by the scarcenesse and want of water is the desolation of the land described Nilus is heere called by diuerse names Sometime the Sea sometime riuers sometime wells sometime pondes c. For that fludde runneth seuen sundry wayes and it is called the Sea not onelye because the Hebrewes call
is adorned with vnderstanding and reason and aduaunced therevnto whereby excelleth all other earthly creatures And these two latter expositions though they varye somewhat in expressing the matter yet come to this ende that Gods sonne is the authour of vnderstanding reason in men which is a sound and a true sense and may be most certeinly gathered out of the words following namely these That was the true light that lighteneth euery man c. Thus much than maye be drawne out of this sentence that Gods sonne being the authour of vnderstanding is verye God B. Traheron No man taketh it from me but I lay it downe of my selfe ¶ If so be to lay downe his lyfe signifieth nothing else but to dye euen as to take away the lyfe is to kill how then sayth he that no man taketh the same from him Did not the Iewes kill him yes verily If they then killed him they also toke his lyfe away from him Indéede they tooke it awaye but they did not extort it from him by violence against his will For they could not haue taken the same from him except he would willingly haue died Marlâ— vpon Iohn fol. 375. He that findeth his lyfe shall loose it ¶ They are sayd to finde their lyfe which deliuer it out of daunger this is spoken after the opinion of the people which thinke them cleane lost that dye because they thinke not of the lyfe to come Beza ¶ To finde his lyfe is to satisfie the desire of his heart Tin ¶ He that doth preferre his life before my glorie Geneua Whosoeuer shall loose his lyfe for my sake shall finde it ¶ Shal gaine himselfe and this is his meaning they that deny Christ to saue themselues do not onely not gaine yâ— which they looke for but also loose the thing which they would haue kept that is themselues which losse is the greatest of all but as for them that doubt not to die for Christ it fareth farre otherwise with them Iohn 12. 25. Beza Whether a man may lengthen or shorten his ownelyfe Salomon witnesseth of God that he doth lengthen the lyfe of his and shorteneth the lyfe of the wicked saieng The feare of the Lord maketh a long lyfe but the yeares of the vngodlye shall be shortened Ro. Hutchynson LIGHT Who is the true light THat was the true light ¶ Héere the Euangelist putteth a difference betwéene light and light Iohn was a lyght indéede as the Lord sayth Hée was a Candle burning and shining and Gods ministers are called the light of the world But their light is a borrowed light a light giuen vnto them not naturallye dwelling in them The Candle hath no light of it selfe but hath light sent into it of an other This place plainly seuereth the Lord Iesus froÌ„ creatures for it affirmeth him to be the true light and denieth them to be the true light The Lord Iesus is light by nature creatures by borrowing of an other he giueth light creatures receiue light They neede lyght because they haue none by nature he is full of light and giueth lyght to them that need Seeing then that there is so great difference betwéene the Lords light and mans light the Lord must néedes be of an other nature then a creature For if a creature could be the true light it could not be sayd of the sonne onely that he is the true lyght But because a creature is not the true lyght and Gods sonne is the true lyght therefore Gods sonne is another thing then a creature No creature can shine and giue light of it selfe by nature Gods son shineth and giueth light of himself naturally for he is the true light so is no creature B. Traheron The meaning of these places following And the light shineth in darknesse and the darknesse comprehended it not ¶ By the light is vnderstoode Christ and by the darknesse vngodly and vnbeleeuing men amonge whome Christ came and they receiued him not Tindale ¶ Read the 18. verse in the fourth Chapter to the Ephesians The true light is not héere opposed or compared to the false light but the Euangelist héere goeth about to putte a difference betwéene our Sauiour Christ and all other least that any man should think that he is euen the same light no better then that which Angels and men are sayd to be But this is the difference that whatsoeuer is bright and shining in heauen and in earth it borroweth his brightnesse from another but Christ is lyght of himselfe and shining by himslefe and lightening with his brightnesse the whole worlde insomuch that there is no other cause or originall of brightnesse but he He called therefore that the true lyght to whose nature it is proper to shine Therefore this is he first note by the which Christ is discerned from Iohn and from al other Apostles For Iohn and the Apostles were light as it is sayd before but not the true light that is to say not that naturall light which shineth of it selfe and which taketh not force to shine of anye other Such one is Christ but Iohn and the Apostles not so for if the Lord had nto béene illuminated with this lyght they had béene altogether darknesse Marl. vpon Iohn fol. 15. He was a burning and shining light ¶ Whereas our sauiour calleth Iohn a burning light he doth thereby the more reproue the ingratitude of the Iewes for itâ— followeth that they were willinglye blinde when they refused the Candle of God that was set before their eyes as if he should say God would not haue you to erre for he appointed Iohn to be a candell that by his light he might direct you in the right way Therefore in that ye doe not know me to be the sonne of God your voluntarie errours is the cause thereof Euen so they which at this daye is willingly blinde in the mids of the light of the Gospell haue no excuse for the Lord séeketh by the preaching of his word to bring men out ot darknesse into light in consideration whereof he calleth his Apostles the light of the world that the darknesse of ignoraunce being driuen awaye the hearts of mortall men maye be illuminated with the knowledge of God and true pietie Marl. vpon Iohn fol. 175. I am the light of the world c. ¶ If Christ onely bee the light of the world then the whole world is in darknesse subiect to the kingdome of Satan insomuch that neither mans reason nor strength hath any light in it except it receiue the same from Christ otherwise it were but vaine and superstitious to giue light vnto light Therefore without Christ there is no one sparke of true light There may appeare some shew of brightnesse but it is like a sodaine flash which doth nothing els but â—asill the eyes Marl. vpon Iohn fol. 290. What is ment by the shining light Let your light so shine before men that they maye sée your
cause of his dissention But to whom it is more right that we should sticke to Clement and Ignatius of which the one was Saint Peters companion and the other was Saint Marke the Euangelists disciple or shall wée better beléeue Chrisostome which was so long a space after the Apostles time Thus farre Erasmus Of foure manner of Apostles Paule an Apostle not of men ¶ There be foure manner of Apostles or Messengers The first which were neither sent of men but by Iesus Christ and God the Father as was Esaie the Prophet and Paule himselfe The second of God but by man as Iosua was ordeined of God but by Moses which was a man The third sort are such as by fauour or monie to get yâ— roome of Ministers The 4. are false Apostles Apostles of whom S. Paule writeth on this wise such false Apostles do fashion them selues as though they were the Apostles of Christ dare saie This saith the Lord whereas the Lord hath not sent them Sir I. Cheeke How we are warned to take heede of false Apostles Such as saie they are Apostles and are not ¶ That is to saie such as bragge that they be sent of God to the ende they maie the easâ—ier beguile the rechlesse and simple sort And are not that is to wit no true Apostles but false teachers sent of themselues and not of God according as the Lord complaineth of the false prophets by his Prophet â—eremie 14. 14. Héere wée sée how Satan is wont to take vppon him the shape of an Angell of light according as Paule saith 2. Cor. 11. 14. After yâ— same manner doe his Ministers also when they vaunt themselues of the name of Apostles as for example Himmineus and Alexander 1. Ti. 1. 20. And also Philogus Hermogenes 2. Tim. 1. 15. and therfore doth Paule the Apostle also commend the â—aith and constancie of the Ephesians in that they gaue no place but rather stoutlie withstood the doctrine of the false Apostles Eph. 1. 15. Marl. vpon the Apoc. fol. 32. Of the Apostles traditions ¶ Looke Tradition AQâ—AR II. THese were heretikes which offered water in the Sacrament in stéede of wine August li. de haerel ARCHBISHOP How this name is approued POlidore Virgil. li. 4. de mâ—entoribus rerum cap. 12. saith that Clement in his booke intituled Compendiarum christiana religionis testifieth yâ— the Apostle Peter did in euery Prouince appoint one Archbishop whom all other Bishops of the same Prouencie should obey He saith also that the same Archbishop was called Primas Patriarcha and Metropolitanus In those daies saith Eusebius Iohn the Apostle Euangeliâ—â— whom yâ— Lord loued liued as yet in Asia which did gouerne the Churches there after he was returned out of yâ— I le from banishment after the death of Domitian a little after he saith yâ— he went being desired Ad vicina Gentium loca c. Unto the places of the Gentiles adioining partlie that he might appoint Bishops partlie that he might establish whole Churches partlie that he might by lot choose such into the charge as the holie ghost should assigne So that whether he had the name of Archbishop or no certaine it is that he had the gouernment and direction of the rest I. W. Cipriane speaking of the office of an Archbishop saith thus Neque enim aliunde haeroses aboâ—â—e c. Neither haue heresies or scismes risen of anie other occasion then of that that the Priest of God is not obeied neither one Priest for the time in the Church and one iudge for the time in the stéede of Christ thought vpon to whom if the whole brotherhood would be obedient according to Gods teaching no man would moue anie things against the Colledge of Priests Cornelius being Bishop of Rome and hauing excommunicated certaine notorious wicked men afterward being threatened and ill vsed at their hands Cipriane hearing therof wrote comfortablie vnto him and willed him in anie wise to procéed shewing further what sects and schismes ensueth in anie Prouince or Diocesse whereas the Bishops authoritie is despised For in these words he speaketh not of the vsurped authoritie of the Bishops of Rome ouer all Churches but against the insolencie of some which despising their Metropolitane or Archbishop did with their factiousnesse trouble the Church For hée would haue an Archbishop in euerie Prouince which shoulde beare the chiefe rule ouer the rest of the Clergie and so doe the godliest and best learned expound Cipriane I. W. fol. 354. Cipriane writing to one Florentius Pupianus speaking in his owne behalfe being Bishop of Carthage saith on this sort Vnde scismata c. From whence hath heresies and schismes sprong héeretofore and whereof spring they now but that the Bishop which is one and gouerneth the Church by the presumptuous disdaine of certaine is despised and a man preferred by Gods allowaunce is examined and iudged by vnworthie men For it is the chiefe and principall office of an Archbishop to kéepe vnitie in the Church to confound couetousnesse to redresse heresies schismes factions to sée that Bishoppes and all other of the Clergie which is vnder him to doe their duties c. I. Whitegift fol. 155. Caluine in his Institution saith on this sort that euerie Prouince had among their Bishops an Archbishop and that the Counsell of Nice did appoint Patriarches which should be in order and dignitie aboue Archbishops it was for the preseruation of discipline Therefore for this cause especiallie were those degrées appointed that if anie thing shoulde happen in anie particular Church which could not there be decided it might bée remooued to a Prouinciall Synode from whence there was no Appeale but vnto a generall Counsell This kinde of gouernement some called Hierarchiam an improper name and not vsed in the Scriptures For the spirite of GOD will not haue vs to dreame of Dominion and rule in gouernment of the Church But if omitting the name we shall consider the thing it selfe we shal find that these olde Bishops did not frame anie other kinde of gouernment in the Church from that which the Lord hath prescribed in his word ¶ Caluine héere mistiketh this name Hierarchia but he alloweth the name and authoritie of Patriarchs and Archbishops thinketh the gouernment of the church then vsed not to differ from that which God in his word prescribeth I. W. fol. 417. In the Ecclesiasticall estate we take not awaie the distinction of ordinarie degrées such as by the Scripture be appointed or by the Primatiue Church allowed as Patriarchs or Archbishops Bishops Ministers and Deacons for of these foure we especiall read as chiefe In which foure degrées as we graunt diuersitie of office so we admit the same also diuersitie of dignitie neither denieng that which is due to each degrée neither yet mainteining the ambition of any singular person for as we giue to the Minister place aboue the Deacon to the Bishop aboue
that by that instrument he worketh manie things c. Pet. Mar. fol. 325. And his arme shall rule for him ¶ His power shal be sufficient without helpe of anie other and shall haue all meanes in himselfe to bring his will to passe Geneua ¶ Where the Lord saith he hath made bare his holie Arme is as much to saie as he is readie to smite his enimies and to deliuer his people Geneua Therefore mine owne Arme helped me ¶ God sheweth that he hath no néede of mans helpe for the deliueraunce of his and though men refuse to doe their dutie through negligence ingratitude yet he himselfe will deliuer his Church and punish the enimies Read Chap. 59. 10. Geneua ARMINIANS Of their hereticall and damnable opinions THese people were of the Countreie of Armenia and of late yeares christened but now they be subiect to the Turkes They in some things erred from the Church of the Latines and Greekes They haue one great Bishop whom they cal Catholicum They celebrate much like vnto our fashion They kéepe holie neither the Natiuitie of Christ nor his Baptime saieng he néeded not to be purged nor clensed of sin Also they tooke from all sacraments the vertue to confer grace They eftsoones baptise those that came from the Church of the Latines to them saieng that we be not of the Catholike faith but they They saie that no man maie be christened vnlesse he receiue the Sacrament of the Altar that Infants néed not to be baptised affirming that in them is no Originall sinne That the holie Ghost procéedeth of the Father and not of the Sonne That the Sacrament of the Altar maie not be consecrated of bread cleane without leauen Also in the consecration they put no water into the wine Moreouer they saie that the receiuing of the Sacrament profiteth onelie the bodie That when Christ descended into Hell he led with him all that wer there That Matrimonie is no Sacrament and may bée dissolued at the will of the man or woman That Christ did rise the Saterdaie after good Friday All these and other heresies are condempned by sundry generall counsailes and the consent of all Christendome Eliote ARRIVS Of his heresie and lamentable end ARrius borne in Libia yet a Priest of Alexandria hearing Alexander the Bishop intreating curiouslie of yâ— Trinitie thought verilie that he maintained the opinion of Sabellius set himselfe against the Bishop and said that the sonne of God had a beginning of essence that there was a time when he was not he said that God was not alwaies a Father that the sonne was not from euerlasting but had his beginning of nothing Béeing called before the Emperour he would subscribe to the Nicene counsell and sweare to His deceipt was to carrie in his bosome his hereticall opinion written in a péece of paper and when he came to the booke he would sweare yâ— he thought as he had written meaning in his bosome His end was lameÌ„table for comming from the Emperour after the oth he had taken with great pompe through the stréet of Constantinople he was taken with sodeine feare withall he felt a laske immediatlie he asked of them where there was anie house of office thither he went and voided his guts As manie as went by were wont to point at the place with the finger and saye in yonder Iakes died Arrius the heretike Socrates li. 1. cap. 3. 25. Epiphan Haeres 68. 69. ¶ About the yeare of our Lord. 499. Transamandus king of the Vandales in Afrike banished 220. Bishops for that they withstood and resisted the heresie of Arrius ¶ About the yeare of Christ. 522. Iustine the Emperour banished all the Bishops of the Arrians Maniches and other heretikes and indeuoured to restore againe the pure and sincere Christian faith But shortlie after he fearing of the power of Theodorich the king of the Ostrogothes permitted the Arrians to turne to their Churches ¶ About the yeare of our Lord. 591. Leonigildus king of Spaine slew his own sonne Hermogile because he would not consent to the heresie of Arrius Cooper Of the conâ—utation of the Arrians Looke Christ. ARROVVES What the Arrowes of the Almightie are FOr the Arrowes of the Almightie is in mée c. ¶ The Arrowes of the Almightie after some mens opinion are the sorenesse of his iudgement and his wrath After some other they are the trouble which the lawe moueth in the hearts of men while they therby are stirred to hate themselues so are healthfullie killed as it is said Psalme 38. 2. Some againe expound them to be the crosse of miserie and wretchednesse wherein God had now wrapped him For the Saints saie they receiue their crosse of the hand of God The same wil that this sentence be an increasing and amplifieng of that which his aduersarie had fierslie laide against him Eliphas in the beginning of the fourth Chapter had said that the plague was come vpon him had touched him With this say they meteth he now Beholde it not onelie toucheth mée but woundeth mée with Arrows and those venoumed with venome haply with the gall of Dragons with which touching both my bloud waxed wood and all my spirit is suppled vp Moreouer God hath not onelye throwne these dartes vppon mée but also his dreadfull feares that is whatsoeuer hée hath that is terrible laieth he on mée T. M. How Arrowes are sometimes taken â—or thunder and lightnings Then he sent his Arrowes that is to saie his lightninges and scattered them Read Psalme 77. 17. Geneua How they are sometimes taken for sicknesse For thine Arrowes haue light vppon mée ¶ Thy sicknesse where with thou hast visited mée Geneua ASIA What Asia is ASia is one of the three parts of the world conteining Asia the lesse Lidia Caria Bithâ—â—â—a Galatia Capadocia Armenia Cilicia Sarmatia Assiria Arabia Persia Hircania Media the two Indies with manie mo as Ptolome describeth in his twelue Tables Cooper Of whom Asia was first possessed Sem the first sonne of Noe Prince of Asia called also of some Melchisedech a iust and peaceable King a Priest of Almightie God from whome Christ liniallie descended possessed Asia with his children For of Elam came first the Persians of Assur the Assirians of Arphaxat the Chaldeans of Lud the Lidians and of Aram the Sirians Grafton ASKING The manner of asking of God THis saith Dauid Kimhi was the manner of asking of God Hée which would enquire concerning anie publike affaire or otherwise of anie weightie matter came vnto the Priest and hée putting on an Ephod stoode before the Arke of the Lord. In the Ephod or in the brest plate were 12. precious stones wherein were written the name of the twelue Tribes And there were also set the names of Abraham Isaac and Iacob And in those stones were all the letters of the Alphabet The asker ought to turne his face vnto the Priest and to aske not in déede so apertlie that his
to purge and to bane then the other If they maie be obserued without superstition it maie be suffered So that notwithstanding that such as obserue not these latter rules may both minister and receiue medicines for the heauens were made to serue vs and not to master vs were created for man and not man for them Therefore it is a false superstition to saie good or bad plentie or scarcitie sicknesse or health warre or peace dependeth of the influence of the heauens c Whooper Authorities against the abuse of Astrologie Where are now thy wise men that they maie tell thée or maie knowe what the Lord of hoasts hath determined against Aegipt And yet there was no part of Astrologie but it was there The Prophet doth as it were speake in despite against all them that meddle with it saieng that it is not their office to knowe the things which come to passe as they make profession Caluine Thou art warned in the multitude of thy counsells let now the Astrologers the Stargasers and Pronosticatours stand vp and saue thee from those things that shall come vpon thée beholde they shall be as stubble the fire shall burne them c. ¶ The Chaldeans wer most renowmed in Astrologie that euer were anie so that all they which haue thrust themselues into this curiositie did borrowe their name from them Wherefore we sée how God reproueth and condemneth them and pronounceth plainlie that men cannot learne of the starre the mutation and falls of kingdomes And that he will punish the pride of them which haue thrust themselues in to enterprise it c. Caluine This saith the Lord Learne not the waie of the heathen be not afraide for the signes of heauen though the heathen bée afraide of such ¶ God forbiddeth his people to giue credite or feare the constellations and coiunctions of starres and planets which haue no power of themselues but are gouerned by him and their secrete motions and influences are not knowne to man and therefore there can be no certeine iudgement thereof Deut. 18. 9. Geneua I destroie the tokens of the Southsaiers make them that coniecture fooles turne the wise men backward and make their knowledge foolishnesse ¶ He armeth them against the Sothsaiers of Babilon which would haue borne them in hand that they knew by the Starres that God would not deliuer them and that Babilon should stand Geneua It is not without cause saith Austen that men supposeth that when the Astrologers do meruaâ—lousie in their answeres declare manie truths the same is done by a secrete instinct of wicked spirits whose care is to fasten and confirme in mens mindes these false and hurtfull opinions of starrie destinies and not by anie art or cunning of the noting and beholding of the birth starre for there is no such art at all August of the Citie of God li. 5. Chap. 7. Looke there be no deuiner which doth diuine and foretell things be found among you nor obseruer of daie nor that hath respect to birds nor witch nor coniurer which doth coniure nor anie which doth counsell or aske counsell of familiar spirites nor coniuring the dead for all that so doe are abhomination vnto God Looke more in Starres ASTRONOMIE What Astronomie is THe true Astronomie that can be bidden by by learning is no more but a coniecturall science it is no demonstratiue science no more then Phisicke is And yet both well vsed are verie good But to coulour witchraft sorcerie and familiaritie with the diuell with the name and coulour of Astronomie as some doe is a diuellish and a damnable practise condemned by the word of God in a thousand places would haue man wholie and onelie to trust in Gods promises and in his gouernaunce and so to let the iudiciall Astronomer and palmisters goe like limmes of the diuell which denie Gods prouidence R. Turnar The first inuenter of Astronomie I finde alledged by Berosus that Noe had an other sonne beside Sem borne after the floud who was named Ionithus or Ionichus which was a great Astronomer and was the first that atteined to the whole science of Astronomie and thereby did deuine and shew before what should after happen to the foure principall Monarchies of the world Hée was also schoolemaster to Nemroth who began the building of the towre of Babilon and at that time all the people of the world spake but one tongue Graston in his Chro. fol. 13. AVE MARIA A new Aue Maria of Pope Sextus making IN English thus Haile Marie full of grace the Lord is with thée blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruite of thy wombe Iesus Christ and blessed is Anna thy mother of whom thy virgins flesh hath procéeded without blot of original sinne ¶ Héere is thrée things to be noted First how the Pope turneth vnproperlie into a praier which properlie was sent of God for a message or tidings Secondly how the Pope addeth to the words of Scripture contrarie to the expresse precept of the Lord. Thirdly how the Pope exempteth Marie the blessed Uirgin not onelie from the séede of Abraham and Adam but also from the condition of a mortall creature For if there be in hir no originall sinne then she beareth not the Image of Adam neither doth she descend of that séede of whose seede euill procéedeth vpon all men women to condemnation as Paule doth teach Rom. 5. 12. wherfore if shée descended of that séede then the infection of originall euill must necessarilie procéede vnto hir If she descended not therof then shée commeth not of the séede of Abraham nor of the séede of Dauid c. Againe séeing that death is the effect and stipend of sinne by the doctrine of Saint Paule Rom. 6. 23. Then had hir flesh iniurie by the lawe as Christ himselfe had to suffer the malediction and punishment of death and so should neuer haue died if originall sinne had no place in hir c. Booke of Mar. fol. 925. AVENGE How we ought not to auenge our selues AUenge not thy selfe ¶ As a Father ouer his children is both Lord and iudge forbidding one brother to auenge himselfe on an other but if anie cause of strife be betwéene them will haue it brought to himselfe or his assignes to bee iudged correct so God forbiddeth all men to auenge themselues and taketh the authoriâ—â— and office of auenging vnto himselfe saieng vengeaunce is mine and I will reward Deut. 32. 35. which Text Paule alleadgeth Rom. 12. 19. For it is impossible that a man should be a righteous and equall or an indifferent iudge in his owne cause lustes and appetites so blinde is our affections in vs. Moreouer when thou auengest thy selfe thou makest not peace but stirreth vp more debate God therefore hath giuen lawes vnto all Nations and in all landes hath héeput lungs and gouernours and rulers in his owne stead to rule the world through them and hath commaunded all causes
5. 6. BATHES How bathes without God are of no force or vertue IF the Bathes that be in Swicerland◠in Iuliers in Sicilie in Valeria in England and diuers other countreies doe helpe those that are diseased the same is to be attrributed to the goodnesse of God For there is no earthlie things which haue in them any force or vertue to help men except they be made effectuall by the power of him is y◠Omnipotent Neuertheles those benefits which are giuen to vs by meanes are not to be contemned neither ought we to abuse them For all the giftes of God ought to be vsed to the glorie of God to our soules health and for the necessitie of our bodie But we must alwaies beware that we doe not ascribe that to Creatures which belongeth onelie to God Marl. vpon Iohn fol. 147. Of Bath a certaine measure And it contained two thousand Bath ¶ Bath Epha séeme to be both one measure Euerie Bath conteined ten pottels The Epha conteined in drie things that which Bath did in liquor Read Eze. 45. 10. Geneua BEELZABVB An Idoll whom the Philistines worshipped GOe and enquire of Beelzabub the God of Ekron ¶ The Philistines which dwelt at Ekron worshipped this Idoll which signifieth the God of flies thinking that he could preserue them from the biting of flies Or els he was so called because flies were ingendred in great abundance of the Sacrifices that were offered to that Idoll Geneua If they haue called the master of the house Beelzabub ¶ It was the name of an Idoll which signified the God of Flies and in despite thereof was attributed to the Diuell and the wicked called Christ by this name Geneua BEHEMOTH What beast this is thought to be THe word Behema signifieth simplie a Beast and vnder that name are Oxen al other Beasts comprehended Héere it is said in the plurall number Looke vpon Behemoth whom I created with them◠although y◠word Behemoth be the plurall number in the Hebrue yet it is spoken wit of one Beast no moe Howbeit forasmuch as God meant to betoken héere one sort of beasts that is the cause why he setteth Behemoth in the plural number Neuertheles it cannot be coniectured what kinde or beast it is that he speaketh except it be an Elephant by reason of the hugenesse of that beasts bodie c. Caluine vpon Iob. fol. 730. ¶ The Hebrues vnderstand by Behemoth the greatest beast in the earth that is an Elephant Other vnderstand thereby anie earthlie beast that is great but vnto an Elephant doe all the properties héere recited right well agrée wherfore it séemeth most agréeable to the truth that by the word by signified in Elephant T. M. BELEEVE What it is to beleeue TO beléeue is not to doubt of the promises of God but rather to be fullie perswaded of the promises of God that as God hath promised so shall it vndoubtedly chaunce vnto vs. Basill ¶ To beléeue is certainlie to be perswaded and assured in minde through the holie Ghost that by the Lord Iesus we are purged from our sinnes and made the children of God that by his mans nature we are made pertakers of his Diuinitie by his mortalitie we haue obtained immortalitie by his cursse euerlasting blessing by his death life brieflie that by his descending into the earth we ascend into heauen Traheron ¶ To beléeue in the name of Christ is to receiue him as the Sonne of God and the Sauiour of the whole world which is done of vs when we depende whollie vppon him by a sincere faith and trust and commit our selues whollie as disciples vnto him c. Marl. vpon Iohn fol. 18. ¶ To beléeue in God is to be sure that all thou hast is of him and all thou néedest must come of him Which if thou doe thou canst not but continuallie thanke him for his benefites which continuallie without ceasing receiuest of his hande and therto euer crie for helpe for thou art euer in néede canst no where els be holpen And thy neighbour is in such necessitie also wherefore if thou loue him it will compell the◠to pittie him and to crie to God for him continuatlie and to thanke as well for him as thy selfe Tindale fol. 238. How it is prophecied that few will beleeue Christs words Who will beléeue our report and to whom is the Arme of the Lord reuealed The Prophet sheweth that very few shall receiue this their preaching of Christ of their deliuerance by him Iohn 12. 38. Rom. 10. 16. And that none can beléeue but whose hearts God toucheth with the vertue of his holie spirit Geneua Lord who hath beléeued our report ¶ Meaning the Gospell and the good tidings of saluation which they preached Geneua How men are driuen to beleeue through the workes of God Then beléeued they his workes ¶ The wonderfull workes of God caused them to beléeue for a time and praise him Geneua The meaning of this place following He that beléeueth shall not make hast ¶ He shall be quiet and séeke none other meanes but be content with Christ. Geneua I beléeued therfore did I speake ¶ I felt all these things therfore was moued in faith to confesse thē 2. Co. 4. 13. Geneua BEAME What this beame signifieth O Hypocrite cast out first the Beame that is in thine owne eie c. ¶ Thou vnderstandest all Gods lawes falselie and therefore thou kéepest none of them trulie his lawes require mercie and not Sacrifice moreouer thou hast a false intent in all thy workes that thou doest and therefore are they all damnable in the sight of God Hipocrite cast out the Beame that is in thine owne eie learne to vnderstand the law of God truly and to doe thy workes aright and for the intent that God ordeined them and then thou shalt sée whether thy brother haue a mote in his eie or not and if he haue how to plucke it out or els not Tindale fol. 237. BENEDICT Why he is set among the Heretikes THis man was the first founder of the order commonlie called Saint Benedicts and died saith Volateran li. 21. in the yeare of our Lord. 518. He was the first and the onelie deuiser of a seuerall trade of life within y◠first 600. yeares after Christ and because he presumed to inuent a new waie which all the godlie Fathers before him neuer thought of I saith the Authour laied him heere downe for a Schismatike couched him in this Catalogue of Heretikes BERILL The description of Berill and what is betokened thereby THe eight a Berill ¶ This stone glittereth like water when the Sunne shineth vpon it and it is said to heate the hand of him that holdeth it It betokeneth men enlightened with the grace of the holie Ghost which bring other to the loue of heauenlie things by preaching and teaching the same grace Marl. vpon the Apoc. fol. 300. ¶ The Berill is of a pale
the poore and sicke Geneua The Bishops oth to the Pope â— N. elect Bishop of N. from this time forth will be faithfull and obedient to blessed Peter and to the holie Apostolique Church of Rome and to our Lord N. the Pope and to his successours entring canoniallie The Counsell which they shall commit vnto mée by themselues messengers or by their letters to their hinderaunce I will not willinglie disclose to any man I will be an helper vnto them to reteine and defende against all men the Popedome of Rome the roialtie of Saint Peter I will doe my endeauour to kéepe defend increase and inlarge the rights honors priuiledges authoritie of the Church of Rome of our Lord the Pope of his foresaid successours Neither wil I be in counsell practise or treatie wherin shal be imagined against our Lord the Pope himselfe or the same Church of Rome any sinister or preiudicial matter to their persons right honor state or power And if I shall vderstand such things to be imagined or procured by anie I wil hinder the same as much as lieth in me with as much spéed as conuenientlie I maie I wil signifie the same vnto our said Lord or to some other by whom it maie come to his knowledge The rules of the holie Fathers the decrées ordinaunces sentences dispositions reseruations prouisions commaundements Apostolica I will obserue with my whole might and cause them to be obserued of other Heretikes scismatikes and rebells against our Lord the Pope I will persecute and to my abilitie fight against Héere is not one word of the Gospell neither yet of Christ. Bullinger How by meanes of this oth certeine Bishops rebelled heere at home against their owne Prince About the yeare of Christ. 1102. Ranulph Bishop of Durham excited Robert Curtâ—eise Duke of Normandie to warre vpon his brother Henrie the first who fauoured nothing the vsurped power of the Bishop of Rome for the crowne of England who assembled a strong armie and landed at Portsmouth But by meditation peace was made on this condition that Henrie should paie 3000. marks yearlie to Duke Robert ¶ About the yeare of our Lord. 1106. Anselme the Bishop of Canterburie by whose meanes the Priestes of England were constrained to forgo their wiues stroue with Henrie the first for the inuestitute of Bishops and giuing of benefices ¶ About the yeare of our Lord. 1164. Thomas Becket Bishop of Canterburie stroue with king Henrie the second for the liberties of the holie Church as he called them ¶ About the yeare of our Lord. 1045. in the seauenth yeare of king Henrie the fourth sir Richard Scrupe Archbishoppe of Yorke and diuerse other of the house of the Lord Mumbrey for grudge they bare to king Henrie gathered to them a great power of Scots and Northumbers intending to haue deposed him from all kinglie authoritie but he had knowledge thereof and made against them in so spéedie wise that he came vpon them vnwares and taking the said Bishoppe with his Alies commaunded them to be beheaded at Yorke Cooper BLASPHEMIE What blasphemie is BLasphemie is to withstand the truth which a man knoweth as did the Pharises attributing the works of Christ vnto the diuell Tindale ¶ To blaspheme signifieth among the diuines to speak wickedlie and among the more eloquent Grecians to slaunder Beza vpon Mat. 9. 3. But for thy blasphemie ¶ The name of blasphemie the which prophane writers vse generallie for euerie kinde of reproch the Scripture referreth vnto God when his maiestie and his glorie is defaced And there are two sortes of blasphemie as either when God is robbed of his proper honour as if so bée a man should arrogate yâ— vnto himselfe which is proper to God or els when anie thing is attributed and giuen to him which his nature will not beare Therfore they call Christ a sacrilegious blasphemous person because hée béeing a mortal man vsurped to himselfe diuine honour And this was a true definition of blasphemie if so bée Christ had bene nothing more then a man Onelie they sinne in this that they refuse to beholde the diuinitie which was euident to be seene in his myracles Marl. vpon Iohn fol. 389. ¶ Blasphemie is to attribute that thing vnto a creature which is proper or peculiar to God as to forgiue sinnes is proper vnto God who saith by the Prophet Esay I am I am hée that wipeth awaie thine iniquities for mine own name sake c. Of this place the Scribes Pharises argued that Christ was a blasphemer because he tooke vpon him to forgiue sins which no doubt had bene a true argument if Christ had bene like vnto the Scribes that is to wit if he had ben méere man and not God also c. What blasphemie of the holie spirit is Blasphemie of the holie spirit is when men sée and knowe the open manifest truth of God his word their conscience being fullie certified therof And yet notwithstanding wil raile vpon it and persecute it to the vttermost of their power saieng it is of the diuell and not of God which sinne shall neuer bée forgiuen Tindale ¶ Looke Sinne against the holie Ghost BLESSE What it is to blesse and who be blessed To blesse God is to giue him praise and thanks for his benefites ¶ To blesse a king or a Prince is to thanke him for his kindnesse and to praie to God that he may long raigne to the laude of God and wealth of his Commons ¶ To blesse a mans neighbour is to praie for him and to doe him good ¶ To blesse my bread meat is to giue God thanks for it To blesse my selfe is to giue God thanks for his great benefites that I haue receiued of him to praie to God of his infinit goodnesse he wil increase those gifts yâ— he hath giuen mée vnto his laude and praise and as touching this flesh to fulfill his will in it not to spare it but to scourge cut and burne it onelie that it maie be to his honour glorie This is the forme of blessing and not to wagge two fingers ouer vs. I. Frith To blesse in the Hebrue manner of speach is nothing else but to with an happie successe and to desire good things for him As Symeon when he blessed Christ and his parents shewed by his affection that he wished well to the kingdome of their new king Hemmyng ¶ The word blesse when we talke of men signifieth among the Hebrues to with well when it is referred to God it betokeneth as much as to giue a man good fortune as they terme it or to enrich him abundantlie with all good thinges For in as much as Gods fauour is workfull his blessing bringeth foorth of it self abundance of al good things Cal. in the. 5. Psal. verse 12 To blesse is to speake well professe well liue well S. Augustine saith I will blesse the Lord in all
beléeued Therefore they that by this place doe take a boldnesse to vse the communion priuelie in their house haue no example at all of that thing in the Scripture and therefore they doe naught vnlesse they be thereto driuen by sicknesse Sir â—â—â—eeke Béeing come togethor 〈…〉 to breake bread ¶ By this it is euident and plaine that in the administration of the Sacraments we are bound neither to time nor yet to place For Paule did breake the bread and did minister the Communion in the night time and we doe it in the daie time Againe hée did both preach Christ and minister the Lordes supper in a Parler and these things are we not wont customablie to do in the Church Howbeit all things ought to be done in a due decent order Sir I. Cheeke And when he had broken them ¶ The breaking of bread was so common and vsuall with Christ that by the same hée was knowne to his two Disciples as they were going to Emaus This manner of broaking of bread was verie fatherlike and commendable among the elders of olde time as it is hetherto in manie places and after the same sort best beséeming and belonging vnto Christ by whom we are all fed Furthermore this breaking of bread hath in it selfe a signe to diuide as appeareth by this place of the Prophet Breake thy lofe to the hungrie For a lofe cannot refresh manie without it be broken and diuided And by this meanes it aunswereth and is agréeable to the mysterie of the communicating the bodie of the Lord. The Apostle saieng The bread which we breake is it not the participation of the bodie of the Lord not that the bodie of Christ is therefore said to be broken because it hath in it selfe some cut but because it is made communicable that is apt and meete to be participated and receiued of manie The Apostle Paule saith in an other place in the person of Christ. This is my bodie which is broken for you in stéed of the which Saint Luke hath which is giuen for you c. Marlorate Of three kindes of Breads The Hebrues as Lyra saith hath thrée kinds of Breads Panis propositionis siue facierum panis oblationis panis laicos siue coÌ„munis Holie shew bread set before the face of the Lord vpon the propiciatorie seate and this bread belonged onelie to Aaron and his sonnes Hoc est soli Sacerdotibus The bread offered vpon the oltar of Holocaust that was not to be eaten but of the Leuits And ther was common bread indifferent for euerie man that list Ric. Turnar BRETHREN OF CHRIST Who are called the bretheen of Christ. THen came his mother and his brethren ¶ Héere they are called Christs brethren which in déed were not his naturall brethren but his cosins and kinsfolks euen as Lot is called Abrahams brother which was his brother Arams sonne Conferre the sixt of Marke and the. 13. of Mathew with the 19. of Iohn and thou shalt finde the virgin Marie had neuer no moe sonnes and daughters but Christ onelie Sir I. Cheeke Is not his Mother called Marie and his brethren Iames and Ioses and Symon and Iudas c. This place and the first of the Acts and Gal. the first Helindius bringeth to proue that Marie Christs mother was no virgin Aunswere In the Scripture a man is said to be our brother 4. manner of waies that is to saie by nature by countrie by kinred and affection By nature brethren are as Esau and Iacob the twelue Patriarches Andrew and Peter Iames and Iohn By Countrie brethren are said to be as the Iewes which among themselues were called brethren as in Deut. If thou buy thy brother which is an Hebrue he shal serue thée six years And so S. Paule I haue wished my selfe to be accursed from Christ for my brethren and kinsmen according to the flesh By kinred they are said to be brethren which come of one house that is when of one stocke a multitude doe spring as in Genesis Abraham said to Lot Let ther be no contentioÌ„ betwéene thée and me and betwéene my Shepheardes and thy Shephearde because we are all brethren And againe Laban said to Iacob because thou art my brother thou shalt not serue me fréelie for nothing Those that bée brethren by affection are diuided into two sortes into spirituall and common They are spirituall brethren which are Christians as in the Psalme 133. Beholde how ioyfull a thing it is brethren to dwell together in vnitie Commonly we be called brethren because we came all of one brother By this diuision it is apparaunt that they were sayde to be the brethren of CHRIST by kinred not by nature not by Countreie nor affection Therefore as Ioseph was called the Father of Christ euen so were they said to be his brethren that both in one respect For Ioseph was thought to be the Father of Iesus and so were Iames Ioses and others thought to be his brethren But none will contend about this but such as be too curious Mar. fol. 20. ¶ Looke Christ. BRIDE-GROME Who is the Bride-grome and whereto the parable tendeth TO méete the Bride-grome ¶ It is verie corruptlie added of the olde interpretour in that he saith to méet the Bridegrome and the Bride séeing it is found in none of the Gréeke bookes And as for Chrisostom Hillarius Theophilact they make no mention of the Bride For Christ is the Bridegrome And the whole parable tendeth to this end that he comming we should go foorth to méete him No part of the parable perteine to the Bride naie they which come to méete the Bridegrome in good time euen they I saie are the Bride Saint Augustine expounding this place in a sermon which he made of the words of Christ out of the 22. of Mathew neither readeth nor maketh anie mention of this word Brid Marl. fol. 592. ¶ The pompe of Bridealls was wont for the most part to be kept in the night seasons and that by Damsels Bezâ— When the Bride-grome shall bée taken from them ¶ The Bride-grome is taken from vs when euill affections concupicense and lustes doe driue Christ out of our heartes Then ought we to vse abstinence therby to tame our wanton flesh and to giue our selues to earnest praiers that so the spirit of God maie be renued in vs. Sir I. Cheeke BROOKE CEDRON Wherefore it was so called OUer the Brooke Cedron ¶ Some thinke that this Brooke was called the brooke of Ceders because many Ceder trées grew about the same but it is verie like notwithstanding that this name came vp through errour For of the vallcie or brooke of Cedron there is mention oftentimes made in the Scripture where the Hebrue worde doth not signifie Ceder trées but dimnesse or darknesse Concerning the which brooke we read in the booke of kings This place was so called because of the darknesse because it was a déepe valleâ—e
we are chosen WE are not chosen of God to breake his commaundements but for to liue in holinesse and righteousnesse all the daies of our lyfe How God hath chosen vs and we not him You haue not chosen me saith Christ but I haue chosen you ¶ Who hearing this saieng of our Lord dare bee so bolds as to saie that men are chosen through beliefe whereas rather they are chosen that they maie beléeue least y◠they should bée found to haue chosen Christ first contrarie to the sentence of the truth vnto whom Christ saith you haue not chosen me but I haue chosen you Pet. Viret Obiection We were chosen do some saie before the foundations of the world were made because that God did foresee that we shoulde be good and not that he himselfe should make vs good Aunswere God saith ye haue not chosen me but I haue chosen you for if he had therefore chosen vs because he had foreséene that we shoulde bée good he should also haue knowne before that we should haue chosen him Veron How God is said not to haue chosen manie wise men Paule saith that God hath not chosen manie wise men after the flesh nor manie men of power nor manie noble men borne And yet the same man saith God will haue all men saued how then doth he nor choose God is said not to haue chosen them not because he would not haue them saued but for the sequele of it that is to saie because the wisedome of this world power nobilitie of birth do like baits entice and withdrawe manie from the obedience of the Gospell Dauid was rich and puissant and so was Nero. But Dauid was not entised by the riches and power to fall from the Gospell as Nero was to his owne destruction And so foorth of other like Hemmyng Of Marie Magdalens good choosing Marie hath chosen that good part which shall not be taken from hir ¶ She hath chosen the hearing of the word of God which euer endureth is the onelie waie to euerlasting life Tindale ¶ The good part that is the hearing of the word of God from the which it was not méete that she should bée drawne hauing not alwaies opportunitie to heare the same The Bible note How God chooseth two manner of waies I haue chosen you twelue saith the Lord and one of you is the diuell ¶ It is to bee vnderstood that there is two manner of choosing The one whereby the Apostles were chosen to that most worthie office of Apostleshippe that they were in and the other wherby they wer chosen into life euerlasting Therfore when Christ saith that Iudas was chosen with the other Apostles that same must be vnderstood of the office wherevnto he was called and chosen with the other For when he speketh of the election that doth perteine to life euerlasting hée doth altogether exclude him from the number of the chosen I doe not saith he speake of you all I know whom I haue chosen I. Veron ¶ Looke Iudas Calling Election Predestination Of the choosing of Ministers Looke Ministers CHRISOLITE The nature of this stone and what it betokeneth The seauenth a Chrisolite ¶ This stone glittereth like gold and casteth out burning sparkes Wherby are ment those that vnderstand the diuine Scriptures both in word worke doe vtter that vnto others which they themselues vnderstand Marl. fol. 300. ¶ The seauenth foundation is of a Chrisolite or Turcas which shineth as golde and séemeth as it shoulde send foorth sparkes vnder this are they comprehended which hauing the wisdome of the spirit inflameth other with it prouoking them thereby to the loue of God and their neighbour This did Moses Esau Barnabas and Paule in whom the glorie of the Lord appeared plenteouslie Bale CHRISOTRACE The description of this stone and what it betokeneth THe 〈…〉 a Chrisoprade ¶ This is of a greene colour intermedled with golde and it betokeneth such as resembleth the freshnesse of the euerlasting countrie by charitable intercommuning one with an other Mirl vpon the Apoc. fol. 300. ¶ The tenth was a Chrisoprace whose condition is to shine like golde and yet he is greene in sight Such are they which hauing godlie wisdome vttereth it according to the talent giuen them of the Lord thereby renuing the dull spirits of other vnto heauenlie things Among this sort maie 〈…〉 be numbred which sawe manie wonderfull visions And so maie Simeon and Anna in the Gospell Bale CHRIST How Christ was first promised to Adam WHen the first man Adam through the craft and subtiltie of the Serpent whom the diuell had set for his minister to deceiue him had lost the felicitie of Paradise and made himselfe and all his posteritie for euer subiect to death and all other calamities and nuseries of this world where afore it was in his power alwaies to haue liued Then almightie God for the saluation of mankinde promised that of the séed of the woman Christ should come and destroie the power of Satan and deliuer vs frée from sinne and death Lanquet How Christ grew in age and wisdome Christ as touching his Godhead did not grow in age wisdome and fauour but in respect of his manhood in that he was verie man whose example would God we could follow that as we grow in yeares so we might grow in wisdome and fauour with God and men Hemming How Christ is called Dauids sonne If Dauid call him Lord how is he then his sonne ¶ Christ in that he is a verie naturall man is Dauids sonne but in that he is a true and a naturall God equall with the Father he is also his Lord. Sir I. Cheeke How Christ had moneie Looke Moneie Whie Christ became man As through a naturall man we were banished out of Paradise made the children of dampnation so it pleased the almightie trinitie neither by an Angell nor Archangell but by a naturall man to restore vs againe and made vs heires of saluation as Paule witnesseth By a man came death and by a man commeth the resurrection of the dead for as by Adam all die euen so by Christ all be made aliue R. Hutchynson Whie Christ fasted Like as it pleased God to giue power vnto Moses xl daies twice in the mountaine not for the auoiding of temptation but for to set foorth the glorious lawe and will of the Father then to be published And Elias béeing sent to anoint a king ouer Siria a king and a Prophet ouer Israel by whom both these kingdomes should be cleane altered and chaunged did fast fortie daies from all maner meates for the declaring of the power of God in his works So did it please Christ of his owne power to fast fortie daies that the Iewes shoulde haue none occasion to thinke him inferiour to those tw◠their great Prophets in the publishing of his Gospell and gladde tidings vnto the world and his renuing of all things not to the
stirred him to beléeue that it was no vaine doctrine but that it must néeds be of God in the it had such power with it For it happeneth that they which will not heare the word at beginning are afterward moued by the holie conuersation of them the beléeue c. Read 1. Pet. 3. 1. 1. Cor. 16. Tin How the church is our Mother Christ is our Father as the Church his sponse is our Mother As all men naturallie haue Adam for their father Eue for their mother so all spirituall men haue Christ for their Father and the church for their mother And as Eue was taken out of Adams side so was the church taken out of Christs side whereout flowed bloud for the satisfaction and purging of our sinnes D. Harpsfield in the booke of Mar. fol. 1791. He shall not haue God to be his Father which acknowledgeth not the church to be his Mother Moreouer without the church saith Saint Austen be the life neuer so well spent it shall not inherit the kingdome of heauen ¶ This is not ment of the Popish Church but of the holie catholike or vniuersall Church which is the communion of Saints the house of God the citie of God the spouse of Christ the piller and staie of the truth out of this Church there is no saluation indeede N. Ridley How the Church is visible The Church is none otherwise visible then Christ was héere on earth that is by no exteriour pompe or showeâ— that setteth hir foorth commonlie and therfore to see hir we must put on such eies as good men put on to see Christ when he walked heere on earth for as Eua was of the same substaunce that Adam was of so was the Church of the same substaunce that Christ was of flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone as Paule saith Ephe. 5. 30. Looke therfore how Christ was visiblie known to be Christ when he was héere on earth that is by considering him after the word of God so is the Church knowen Bradford Markes whereby the Church is knowen The Church saith the Papists hath thrée markes vnitie antiquitie and consent These thrée saith the Aunswere maie be as well in the euill as in the good as well in sinne as in vertue as well in the Diuells church as in Gods Church As for example Idolatrie among the Israelites had all these thrée Chrisostome telleth plainlie that the Church is well knowen tantummodo per Scripturas alonelie by the Scriptures Bradford Master Caluine saith This honour is méete to be giuen to the word of God and to his Sacrraments that wheresoeuer we see the word of God trulie preached and God according to the same trulie worshipped and the Sacraments without superstion administred there we maie without all controuersie conclude the Church of God to be And a little after So much we must estéeme the word of God and his Sacraments that whersouer we may finde them to be there we certainelie know the Church of God to be although in the common life of men manie faults and errours be found Whitegift fol. 81. Of the Church of Antichrist the Pope The tyrannie of the Popes Church sheweth them not to be Christs Church The Church saith S. Hylarie doth threaten with vanishments and imprâ—onments and the compelleth men to beleeue hir which was exiâ—ed and cast into prison She hangeth on the dignitie of their fellowship the which was consecrated by the threatnings of persecutors she causeth priests to flée that was increased by the chasing away of Priests Shée glorieth that she is loued of the world the which could neuer be Christs except the world did hate hir To proue that the spirituall aâ—aiâ— and gorgeous apparrell that is vsed in the Popes Church doth not make the Church S. Barnard saith thus They be the Ministers of Christ but they serue Antichrist They go gorgeouslie araied of our Lords goods vnto whom they giue no honour And of these commeth the decking of harlots that thou seest dailie the game-plaiers disguisings and kings apparrell Of this commeth golde in their bridles in their saddles and in their spurres so that their spurres be brighter theÌ„ the Altars Of this commeth their plenteous wine presses and their full sellers belking from this vnto that Of this commeth their Tonnes of sweete wines Of this bée their bagges so filled For such things as these be wil they be rulers of the Church as Deacons Archdeacons Bishops and Archbishops c. D. Barnes fol. 2 6. Obiection Hath God saith the Papists forsaken his Church a thousand yeares and were all our fathers deceiued before Luther was borne such antiquitie vnitie and vniuersalitie was it al in errour c. Aunswere Was the world deceiued so manie hundred yeares Whie should it not The Lord ordeined that there should come an apostacie and generall fall from the saith of Christ that the world might be seduced with the man of sin whose age began in the Apostles time and shall not vtterlie die till the daie of Christ. Thus the Lord appointed and so let it be for all things are for his glorie Deering Of the vniuersall Church ¶ Looke Vniuersall CIRCVMCISION What circumcision doth represent CIrcumcission representeth the promises of God to Abraham on the one side and that Abraham and his séede should circumcise and cut of the lusts of their flesh on the other side to walke in the waies of the Lord. Tindale fo 6. There be two Circumcisions the one outward made in the flesh by mens hands cutting awaie a round péece of the skinne of the secret members And this Circumcision was not necessarie to saluation after the Gospell was openlie preached after Christs passion but was abrogated and left as indifferent and not necessarie to saluation The other Circumcision was the inward Circumcision by yâ— spirit of God by yâ— which yâ— who le bodie is mortified put away cléerelie by the spirit by faith in Christ. And this Circumcision is necessarie to saluation L. Ridley Circumcision is nothing of it self it signifieth yâ— blessed séede in which al nations are blessed And it signifieth yâ— circumcision of the hart which consisteth in yâ— spirit not in yâ— flesh D. Heynes The Nazares did contend no Nation to appertaine to the Church of God vnlesse they were circumcised Paule Barnabas said that all as well Gentiles as Iewes if they beléeue in Christ should be saued without circumcision D. Heynes Circumcision was the holie action whereby the flesh of the fore-skinne was cut awaie for a signe of the couenaunt that God made with men Or to describe it more largelie Circumcision was a marke in the priuie members of men betokening the eternall Couenaunt of God and was ordeined by God himselfe to testifie his good will towards them that were circumcised to warne them of regeneration and cleannesse and to make difference betwixt the confederates of God and other people or nations Bullinger fol. 355. What
euen in this that thou hast not gone awaie confessed that thou art one of the number of them at the least thou doest not partake had it not bâ—ne better that thou hadst not bâ—ne present Thou wilt saie I am vnworthie therefore neither wast thou worthie of the Communion of praier which is a preparing to the receiuing of the holie mysterie Cal. in his Insti 4. li. cap. 17. Sect. 45. How the Sacrament at the Communion ought to be receiued in both kindes WE haue found saith Gelasius that some receiuing onely the portion of the holie bodie doe abstaine from the Cup let them without doubt because they séeme to be bound with I wot not what supersticion either receiue the Sacraments whole for the deuiding of this mysterie is not committed without great sacriledge Cal. in his Inst. 4. b. cap. 17. sect 49. Reasons made of the Catholikes to proue a Communion in one kinde Aunswered 1. Reason Christ brake bread to his Disciples in Emaus and vanished out of their sight before he tooke the Cup blessed it Of which place they gather yâ— the communion was ministred in one kinde Aunswere S. Augustine Gregorie Iulianus Dionisius Lyra Winford with others saie it was not the Sacrament but the breaking of bread there was hospitalitie and enterteining of strangers Their words be these First S. Augustine saith because they were giuen to hospitalitie they knewe him in breaking of the bread whom they knewe not in the expounding of the Scriptures Gregorie saith they laie the table and set foorth bread and meate and God who they knewe not in the expounding of the Scriptures they knew in breaking of bread Dionisius He tooke bread and blessed it but he turned it not into his bodie as he did at his Supper but onelie as the manner is to saie grace or to blesse the meate Antonius Iulianus He tooke bread blessed it brake it and gaue it to them as his manner was before his passion Lyra saith They knewe him for that he brake the bread so euen as if it had bene cut with a knife Winford It cannot be gathered saith he neither by the texte of S. Luke nor by the Glose nor by the auntient Doctours that the bread that Christ brake after his resurrection was the consecrate or sacramentall bread therfore I saiâ— that foolishlie by consequence that falselie he alledgeth S. Augustin to his purpose Thus by these authorities it is proued not to be the sacrament In the text ther is no mention made of consecration neither yet yâ— either Christ himself or the Apostles did eate the bread 2. Reason The breaking of bread in the 27. of the Acts of the Apostles by S. Paule they affirme to be the Sacrament Aunswere If S. Paule gaue the Sacrament being at that time in perill of shipwracke he gaue it onelie to Infidels that knew not Christ. And Chrisostome enlarging S. Pauls words saith thus I praie you take some sustenaunce it is behouefull that ye so do yâ— is to saie take some meate lest perhaps ye die for hunger 3. Reason Egesippus witnesseth of S. Iames that he neuer drank wine but at our Lords Supper Aunswere S. Hierom saith that S. Iames continued Bishop in Hierusalem the space of 30. yeares vntill the seauenth yeare of Nero. If it then be true that Egesippus writeth of S. Iames that he neuer dranke wine but at our Lords Supper then it must néeds follow yâ— being bishop in Hierusalem the space of 30. yeres he neuer said Masse or els consecrated in one kinde which thing by Gelasius is counted Sacriledge 4. Reason Melciades Bishop of Rome ordeined that sundrie Hoasts should be consecrated and sent abroad among the Churches Parishes that Christen folkes should not be frauded of the holie Sacrament whereof they doe gather a Communion in one kinde because the wine could not be so conuenientlie caried Aunswere Whereas the maintainers of the Communion in one kind make so great a matter of the carieng of the wine defrauding the people of one kinde of Christs institution marke this that followeth S. Hierom writing of Exuperius Bishop of Tholouse in Fraunce saith thus There was no man richer then he that caried the Lords bodie in a wicker basket and his bloud in a glasse Also Iustâ—us Martir declaring the order of his Church in his tune saith thus Of the things that be consecrate that is the bread water and wine euerie man taketh part the same things are deliuered to the deacons to be caried vnto them that be awaie Héere ye sée it was a common vsage in those daies to carie the Sacrament in both kindes 5. Reason The Councell of Nice decréed that in the Church where neither Bishoppes nor Priests were present the Deacons themselues bring foorth and eate the holie Communion which cannot be referred saie they to the forme of wine for cause of sowring and corruption if it be long kept Aunswere Rufinus writeth in this sort In the presence of the priests let not the Deacons deuide or minister the Sacrament but onlie serue the Priests in their office But if there be no Priest present then let it be lawfull for the Deacon to minister Héere is no mention made of these words Let them bring it foorth themselues and eate Which wordes in verie déede is neither found in the Gréeke nor in the decrees nor in the former ediction of the Councell nor yet alledged by Gracian Therefore the meaning of the Counsell of Nice is not that the Deacons shall goe to the Pix and take the Sacrament reserued and eate it But in the absence of the Priest they might consecrate the holie mysteries and deliuer the same vnto the people as maie be gathered by the words of Rufinus before rehearsed 6. Reason Women receiued the Sacrament in a linnen cloth Tertulians wife receiued it at home before meate S. Cipriane saith a woman kept it at home in a chest These examples they alledge to proue that the people receiue the Sacrament in one kinde and not in both Aunswere That women and other kept the Sacrament and caried it about them and that in both kindes is manifestlie proued by these Authorities following Gregorie Nazianzene writing of his Sister Gorgonia saith thus If hir hand had laied vp anie token of the pretious bodie and of the bloud mingling it with hir teares c. Héere hée saith shée had laied vp both parts Againe Amphilochius saith that a certeine Iewe came and receiued among the faithfull and priuelie caried part of either home with him how or wherein it is not written Truly the thrée examples aboue rehearsed are nothing els but méere abuses of the Sacrament and therefore as it appeareth by Saint Cipriane God shewed himselfe by myracle to be offended with it fraieng the woman that so had kept it with a flame of fire And it was decréed in the Councell holdon at Cesarea Augusta in Spaine that if a man receiued the Sacrament and eate not the
is spoken by a figure taking the cup for that which is conteined in the cup. And againe the Hebrues vnderstande by this word cup sometime the manner of punishment which is rendered to sinne as Psal. 11. 6. or the ioie that is giuen to the faithfull As. Psal. 23. 5. and sometime a lotte or condition As Psal. 16. 5. What the Cup of the new Testament signifieth This Cup is the new Testament in my bloud This Cup or Chalice is the new Testament that is this Cup or Chalice which I deliuer vnto you doth signifie the new Testament ¶ Héere it is plaine the Cup is not the new Testament but doth signifie the new Testament Therefore the bread is not the bodie but doth signifie the bodie I. Frith ¶ The signe of the new Testament which is established and ratified by Christs bloud Geneua ¶ As the Cup is the new Testament so the bread is the bodie of Christ. By the new Testament he vnderstandeth the forgiuenesse of sinnes Heb. 8. 12. But the Cup doth onelie represent vnto vs the new Testament that is to saie the forgiuenesse of our sinnes that we haue in the bloud of Christ. Sir I. Cheeke ¶ Héere is a double Metonymia For first the vessell is taken for that which is conteined in the vessell as the Cup for the wine which is within the Cup. Then the wine is called the Couenant or Testament whereas in déede it is but the signe of the Testament or rather of the bloud of Christ whereby the Testament was made neither is it a vaine signe though it be not all one with the thing it representeth Beza What is meant by the Cup of saluation I will take the Cup of saluation and call vpon the name of the Lord. ¶ In the lawe they vsed to make a banket when they gaue solempne thanks vnto God and to take the Cup and to drinke in signe of thanks-giuing Geneua ¶ I will take the Cup c. In token of my deliueraunce The Bible note ¶ He alludeth to the manner that was vsed vnder the law For when they gaue solempne thanks vnto God there was also a feast made whereat was made an holie drinking in token of gladnesse and because this dooing was as a Sacrament of their deliuerance out of Aegypt hée tearmed it the Cup of saluation Caluine Of the cup of blessing Is not the Cup of blessing which we blesse partaking of the bloud of Christ c. ¶ That is to saie they that doe eate of the bread and drinke of the Cup of the Lord with thanksgiuing are the Communion of the bodie and bloud of Christ that is to saie the congregation of them that are washed in the bloud of Chrst beeing made his bodie and members Sir I. Cheeke The Cup of blessing ¶ Of thankesgiuing wherevpon that holye banket was called Eucharist that is a thankesgiuing Is it not the Communion c. A most effectuall pleadge and note of our knitting together with Christ and ingraffing to him Beza Is not the Communion c. ¶ The effectuall badge of our coniunction and incorporation with Christ. Geneua How the Cup is taken for the drinke in the Cup. Drinke of it all for it is my bloud of the new Testament ¶ For it is that is to saie the drinke that is in the Cup or if ye list the Cup is my bloud of the new Testament taking the Cup for drinke by a manner of speaking vsed in all tongues as when we saie I haue dronke a Cup of good wine wée take there the Cup for the wine my bloud of the new Testament that is to saie my bloud for whose shedding sake this new Testament and couenaunt is made vnto you for the forgiuenesse of sinnes Tindale How by the Cup is signified Christs passion Ye shall drinke of my Cup. ¶ By the Cup and Baptime be vnderstood his bitter passion and death as he himselfe testifieth a little after saieng Let this Cup passe from me Sir I. Cheeke How the Cup is taken for the crosse of affliction Are ye able to drinke of the Cup c. ¶ He setteth the crosse before their eyes to drawe them from ambition calling it a Cup to signifie the measure of the afflictions which God hath ordeined for euerie man The which thing also he calleth baptime Geneua Of the Popes golden Cup. Hauing a Cup of golde in her hand ¶ Hee speaketh of vntoward and counterfet doctrine The Pope boasteth himselfe to haue the Scripture but he corrupteth it with his bloudie gloses and maketh men to drinke of the troubled or rather stinking water of puddles in stéede of Gods pure wordes which is the meate and drinke of our saules These blasphemous and abhominable decretals which the Romish Antichrist serueth his guests withal are yet extant howbeit yâ— he serueth them in a golden Cup that is to wit vnder the name of Christs Uicarship vnder the coulour of the Gospell and vnder such glorious names as that all things procéede of the instinct of the holye Ghost and that hée cannot erre c. This is the golden Cuppe which hath beguiled manie c. Marl. vpon the Apoc. fol. 242. CVRSE What this word curse impôrteth AS concerning this word curse let vs marke that it giueth vs not scope to wish the mischiefe or confusion of the partie I meane through desire of vengeaunce as oftentimes wée bée so carried awaie by our passions as there reigneth nothing in vs but heart burning and bitternesse or at least wise a foolish and vndiscrete zeale But whereas it is sayd that Eliphas cursed the wicked mans house it importeth nothing else but that he hold him to that which the scripture teacheth and sheweth vs. And therefore it is not for vs to bée Iudges for it were too great a rashnesse if we should take so much preheminence vpon vs as to saie O that man shall make an euill ende or such a man shall come to shame A man must not presume so farre but it belongeth to God onelie to curse or to blesse Cal. vpon Iob. fol. 80. Of two manner of cuâ—ses Upon mée bée thy curse my sonne ¶ There are two manner of curses in the Scripture the one is in the soule that perteineth to the soule as sinne and wickednesse And the other to the bodie as all temporall miserie and wretchednesse As Gen. 3. and Deut. 23. T. M. Of the curse of good men What strength the curse of holy men oppressed with wrong hath to bring the vengeaunce of God vpon the oppressors may appeare by Ioathan the sonne of Ierobaal and likewise by Eliseus the Prophet And cursed them in the name of the Lord. ¶ Perceiuing their malicious heart against the Lorde he desireth God to take vengeaunce of that iniurie done vnto him Geneua The meaning of this place following Cursed be he that doth the worke of the Lord negligentlie and cursed be he that kéepeth backe his
pledge and then he glorieth with Paule and reioiceth saieng Now it is not I that liue but it is Christ that liueth within me These things be practised and vsed among faithfull people and to pure mindes the eating of his flesh is no horrour but honour and the spirite deliteth in the drinking of the holie and sanctified bloud and dooing this we whet not our teeth to bite but with pure faith we breake the holie Bread These be the words of Cipriane De coena Domini The Word saith Origen was made flesh verie meate which who so eateth shall surelie liue for euer which no euill man can eate For if it could be that he that continueth ill might eate the Word made flesh séeing that he is the Word and Bread of life it should haue bene written Whosoeuer eateth this Bread shall liue for euer Origen in Mathew chapter 15. The Authour of this tradition Saint Cypriane said that except we eate his flesh and drinke his bloud we should haue no life in vs instructing vs with a spirituall lesson and opening to vs a waie to vnderstand so priuie a thing that we shuld know that the eating is our dwelling in him our drinking is as it were an incorporation in him beeing subiect vnto him in obaieng ioined vnto him in our wills and vnited in our affections the eating therefore of this flesh is a certaine hunger and desire to dwell in him S. Austen saith vpon the Gospell of Iohn that he that doth not eate his flesh and drinke his bloud hath not in him euerlasting life and he that eateth his flesh and drinketh his bloud hath euerlasting life But it is not so in those meates which we take to sustaine our bodies for although without them we cannot liue yet it is not necessarie that whosouer receiueth them shall liue for they maie die by age sicknesse and other chaunces But in this meate and drinke of the bodie and bloud of our Lord it is otherwise for both they that eate and drinke them not haue not euerlasting life And contrariwise whosoeuer eate drinke them haue euerlasting life Who doe eate and drinke the bodie and flesh of Christ. They which doe beléeue in Christ and doe assuredlie perswade themselues that he died for their sakes they I saie doth both eate the flesh of Christ and drinke his bloud to which vse the Simboles or fignes for that they stirre vp the senses are verie much profitable not that the flesh bleud of Christ are powred into the bread wine or are by any means included in those Elements but because these things are of the true beléeuers receiued with a true faith For they are an inuisible norishment which is receiued onelie in the minde as Augustine hath faithfullie admonished saieng Why preparest thou the téeth and the bellie beléeue and thou hast eaten Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 212. What it is to eate God To eate God is to haue the fruition of the diuine nature to be incorporate into God But the Maiestie of God so farre surmounteth the capacitie of man that as he is in himselfe in nature and Godhead no naturall creature is able ot conceiue him but onelie in the face and sight of Iesus Christ the sonne of God Therefore S. Paule saith Christ is the brightnesse of the glorie and the expresse Image of the substaunce of God Iewel fol. 240. Of the true sacramentall eating and of the true eating of Christs bodie The Sacrament that is to saie the Bread is corporallie eaten and chawed with the téeth in the mouth The verie bodie is eaten and chawed with faith in the spirite Ungodlie men when they receiue the sacrament they chaw in their mouths like vnto Iudas the sacramentall bread but they eate not the celestiall bread which is Christ. Faithfull christian people such as bée Christs true disciples continuallie from time to time record in their minde the beneficiall death of our Sauiour Christ chawing it by faith in the cud of their spirit and digesting it in their hearts féeding and comforting themselues with that heauenlie meat Also they dailie receiue not the sacrament therof so they eate Christs bodie spirituallie although not the sacrament therof But when such men for their more comfort confirmation of eternal life giuen vnto thē by Christs death come vnto the Lords holie Table then as before they fedde spirituallie vpon Christ so now they féede corporallie also vpon the sacramentall bread By which sacramentall féeding in Christs promises their former spirituall feeding is increased and they growe and waxe continuallie more strong in Christ vntill at the last they shall come to the full measure and perfection in Christ. This is the teaching of the true Catholike Church as it is taught by Gods word And therefore Saint Paule speaking of them that vnworthelie eate saith that they eate the bread but not that they eate the bodie of Christ but their owne damnation Cranmer fol. 79. ETERNALL LIFE How Eternall life is sometime called a reward ETernall life is sometimes in the holie Scriptures called a reward but then it is not that reward which Paule writeth to be giuen according to debt but is all one as if it shuld be called a recompensation Gods will and pleasure was that there should be this coniunction that after good workes should followe blessednesse but not yet as the effect followeth the cause but as a thing ioined with them by the appointment of God Therefore we maie not trust vnto workes for they are feeble and weake and doe alwaies wauer stagger Wherfore the promises of God depend not vpon them neither haue they in themselues as they come from vs that they can mooue God to make vs blessed We saie therefore that God iudgeth according because according as they are either good or euill we shall obtaine either eternall life or eternall damation But thereby it followeth not that workes are the cause of our saluation Pet. Mar. vpon the Rom. fo 39. EVANGELISTS Who be Euangelists EUangelists were next vnto Apostles and had their Office much like them sauing that they were beneath them in degrée of dignitie These gaue themselues chiefelie to instructing of the people and preaching the Gospell to them as plainlie and simplie as might be of which sort was Timothie and such like For although Paule match Timothie with him in dooing commendations yet doth he not make him his followe in Apostleship but kéepeth that name peculiarlie to himselfe 2. Cor. 1. 1. Col. 1. 1. And in writing to him he saith thus Be watchfull in all things harden thy selfe in afflictions go through with the worke of an Euangelist 2. Tim. 4. 5. EVER How this word Euer is taken ANd to thy séede for euer ¶ Euer is not héere taken for a time without ende but for a long season that hath not his ende appointed T. M. ¶ Meaning a long time and till the comming of Christ. And spirituallie this is
his help but goe about without him to helpe them selues by ther owne workes and wisedome or are impatient in their troubles them doth he forsake vtterlie in the middes of their afflictions Sir I. Cheeke What Gods curse is Gods curse is the taking awaie of his benefites As God cursed the earth and made it barren so now hunger dearth warre pestilence and such like are yet right curses and signes of the wrath of God vnto the vnbeléeuers but vnto them that know Christ they are verie blessings and that wholsome crosse and true Purâ—â—torie oâ— our flesh through which all must go that will liue godlie and be saued As thou readest Math. 5. 10. Blessed are they that suffer persecution for righteousnesse sake c. And Heb. 12. 6. The Lord chasteneth whom he loueth and scorgeth all the children that he receiueth Tindale What God appointeth and no more Whatsoeuer thy hand and thy counsell determined before to be done ¶ Héere we doe learne that the enimies of Christ can goâ— no farther then God hath appointed them Therefore let the Preacher of the truth be of good comfort though Satan with all his legion of diuells the world all the mightie Princes thereof doe arise and conspire against them yet they can doe no more then the Lords hand and counsell hath appointed before Sir I. Cheeke How all things come to passe by Gods will ¶ Looke Will Of two wills in God ¶ Looke Will. How God ordeined sinne and yet is not the author of sinne ¶ Looke Sinne. Of the God of this world Iâ— whom the God of this world hath blinded the mindes of them which beléeue not ¶ Satan is Gods minister and can doe no more then he appointeth him to doe Neuertheles Christ calleth him the Prince of this world Iohn 16. 11. And héere the Apostle calleth him the God of this world because the worlde doth most commonlie forsake the true God and serueth him For vnto whom soeuer we obaie we make him our God As S. Paule calleth the bellie their God that are earthlie minded serue their owne bellies Phil. 3. 19. What is meant by the God of Iacob ¶ Looke Iacob What the seate of God is ¶ Looke Seate GODHEAD IN CHRIST How Christs Godhead is vnderstood FOr in him dwelleth all the fulnesse of the Godhead bodelie ¶ We must beware that we doe not with the Antropomorphiâ—es think that God hath a bodilie shape because the Apostle saith that the Godhead dwelleth in Christ bodelie for that is as much to saie that the Godhead doth dwell trulie and naturallie in Christ being a 〈…〉 and◠〈…〉 God and that therefore he is a sufficient treasure of all 〈…〉 riched Sir I. Cheeke ¶ In saieng that the Godhead is reallie in Christ he sheweth that he is verie God Also saieng In him he declareth two distinct natures And by this word Dwelleth he proueth that he is there foreuer Geneua How Christ in his Godhead is euerie where How maie Christ be called a straunger is he departed into a straunge countrie Séeing he is with vs vnto the worlds end and is among them that he gathered in his name Aunâ—were Christ is both God and man hauing in him two natures and as man he is not with vs vnto the worldes ende nor is present with his faithfull gathered together in his name But his diuine power and spirite is euer with vs. Paule saith he was absent from the Corinthians in bodie but he was present with them in spirite So is Christ gone hence saith he and absent in his humanitie which his diuine nature is euerie where And in these saiengs we reserue to both his natures their owne properties Origen in Math. homil 33. GODS MERCIE Of such as presume too much thereof MAnie doe presume so much of Gods mercie that they sinne at pleasure and repent at leasure But be not seduced saith S. Paule for God is not mocked whatsoeuer a man soweth that shall he reape Hemmyng How the Magistrates are called Gods ¶ Looke Iuâ—ges What the nature of Gods word is ¶ Looke Word Nature GODLIE SORROVV What godlie sorrow bringeth to a man FOr godlie sorrow causeth repentaunâ—â— c. ¶ There be two manners of sorrow The one commeth of God and ingendereth repentaunâ—e 〈…〉 life The other commeth of the flesh and bréedeth desperation vnto death We haue examples of both in Cain and Dauid in Iudas and Peter For they all sorrowed but the sorrow of Cain and of Iudas was fleshlie and carnall and therefore being without godlie comâ—ort it did driue them to desperation Whereas Dauid and Peter in their godlie sorrow did flie vnto the father of mercies with a true repentant heart and were receiued againe into the fauour of God Sir I. Cheeke ¶ Whose heart Gods spirite doth touch he is sorie for his sinnes committed against so mercifull a father and these are the fruites of his repentaunce as witnesse Dauids and Peters teares Others which are sorie for their sinnes onelie for feare of punishment and Gods vengeaunce fall into desperation as Cain Saule Achitophel and Iudas Geneua GODLINESSE What Godlinesse is GOdlinesse is not made of words as wood is made of Trées but it is an earnest loue procéeding from a pure heart and a good conscience and an vnfained faith in which we maie glorifie God and doe good to his people Paule was godlie when he gloried in nothing but in the crosse of Iesus Christ by which the world was crucified vnto him and he vnto the world They are godlesse hypocrites which in word confesse they know God but in deede doe denie him They are Christs which haue crucified the flesh with the affections and concupiscence of it They are of their father the Diuell that in wickednesse doe the desire of the Diuell c. M. Deering GOG AND MAGOG What they were and what they doe signifie SAint Austen in his 20. booke De ciuitate Dei willeth by Gog to be signified the glorious hypocrites of the world by Magog the open enimies of righteousnesse pretending the contrarie As testifieth Berosus the Chaldean in the first booke of his histories 5. chapter Gog was a mightie gouernour in the land of Sabea Arabia the rich vnder Nimroth the great king of Babilon and there ruled with Sabâ—s his Father in the 18. yeare of his raigne In the 38. Chapter of Ezechielâ— Prophecie ver 2. he is called the chiefe Prince of Mosoch and Tâ—â—bal whom some Expositours taketh for Capadoce and Spaine But after the opinion of S. Hierom and Isidorus which was a Spaniard the Hebrue taketh this Thubal for Italy which is much more agréeable to the purpose Magog was the seconde sonne of Iaphet which was the third sonne vnto Noe. This Magog as witnesseth Iosephus in the first booke of his Antiquities the 11. chapter was the first beginner of the Magogites whom the Greekes called the Scythians and we now the Tartarians And all the chiefe
and strong doubting of altering in no parte but by all meanes studieth euerie daie to make their faith more stronger and stronger by all manner of good workes Bibliander vpon Iude. HELINDIVS What his heresie was HElindius said that Marie was a Uirgin when Christ was borne Yet afterward to haue borne the bretheren of Christ. August Gennad catalog vir illustrâ— HEM How we touch the hem of Christs vesture ANd touched the hem of his vesture ¶ We touch the hem of Christs vesture when we beléeue that he did take our fraile nature vpon him to heale the filthie diseases of our corruptible flesh Sir I. Cheeke HEMEROBAPTISTS What manner of Heretikes they were THe Hemerobaptists were Iewes in all points they affirmed that it was impossible for anie man to attaine vnto euerlastiâ—g life vnlesse he were euerie daie purified and baptised Epiphan perâ—a lib. 1. de heres HENOCH What his taking vp into heauen signifieth THis is not Henoch the first sonne of Caâ— but Henoch the sonne of Iared whose taking vp into heauen doth manifest vnto vs the immortalitie that remaineth after this life and that God would iudge the world who will saue those that be righteous and dampne those that be wicked Lanquet For God tooke him awaie ¶ To shewe that there was a better life prepared and to be a Testimonie of the immortalitie of soules and bodies As to enquire where he became is méere curiositie Geneua HER AND ANAN How they were slaine for not vsing the lawfull benefite of mariage HEr the eldest sonne of Iuda was maried to Thamar of Mesopotamia the daughter of Aran. Now Her was a wicked impe and doubted of Thamar because she was not of the lande of Chanaan therfore the Angell of the Lord slew him the third night after his mariage when he had not yet companied with hir by reason of his mothers subtiltie and so he died in his naughtinesse for she was loath that he should haue anie child by hir When Anan was mariageable Thamar was giuen vnto him and he also of a spite companied not with hir notwithstanding that he liued a full yeare with hir and when he was threatened of his father Iuda then he companied with hir but yet by his mothers commandement he let his séed fall vpon the ground and so he also died in his wickednesse ¶ This Storie is in the booke of the 12. Patriarks HEARE HIM How Christ is to be heard in all things THis is my deare sonne in whom I delight heare him ¶ Sith that we are from aboue by the voice of the heauenlie Father bidden to heare Christ we ought not as Saint Cyprian saith to care what the Fathers haue done before vs but much rather what Christ which was before the Fathers did commaund vs to doe that are we most bound to follow and to doe Sir I. Cheeke HERESIE The definition of Heresie AS touching the definition of Heresie S. Austen saith To expresse by orderly definition what thing maketh and Heretike as I iudge is either impossible or verie hard ¶ The word Heresie is deriued of a Uerbe which signifieth to elect or chuse vnto themselues some certain opinions which are against the holy Scriptures and do stubbornly defend the same And the causes of this their choise for the most part are either because they are ignoraunt of the holy Scriptures or els if they knowe them they despise them and being driuen by some couetousnesse they apply themselues to the inuention of some errours Wherefore Augustine in his booke De vtilitate credendi writeth An Heretike is he which for the loue of gaine or rule either bringeth vp or els followeth new opinions The definition therefore of Heresie is a choice and stubborne defending of opinions which are against the holy Scriptures either by reason of ignoraunce or els contempt of them to the ende the easier to obtaine their owne pleasures and commodities The choise and stubborne defending is in this definition in steed of the forme but the opinions disagréeing with the holy Scriptures serue for the matter Pride and couetousnesse make Heresie And the obtaining of dignities gaine and pleasures are appointed the endes of this so great a mischiefe By this definition it is manifest inough as I thinke who be Heretikes Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 58. What things are required for the proofe of Heresie For iust proofe of Heresie thrée things necessarie are required for the proofe of Heresie First that it be an errour Second that it be an errour against the truth of Gods word Thirdly that it be stoutly and willingly maintained Otherwise an errour in Gods truth without wilfull maintenaunce is not an Heresie S. Austen saith Errare possum c. In an errour I maie be but an Heretike I cannot be Iewel How Heresie is to be auoyded and punished A man that is giuen to Heresie after the first and second admonition auoid c. After that the godlie Minister hath by the mightie word of God conuinced any man of heresie if that man will obstinately abide in his erronious opinion doctrine it is lawfull for the godly Magistrate to punish him with the sword this place which doth only pertain to the Minister vnto whom the temporall sword is not deliuered notwithstanding Paule did smite Bariesu with blindnesse Act. 13. 11. And the Lord Deut. 13. 5. did commaund yâ— the false Prophet shall be slaine put to death This law is not yet abolished Sir I. Cheeke ¶ This Commaundement is giuen to the Minister and so particularly to all men to whom the sword is not committed but els the Magistrate whose chiefe office is to maintain Gods glorie in his Church ought to cut of all such rotten infectious members from the bodie Geneua HERETIKE What is to be done with Heretikes MY bretheren saith Iames if anie of you doe straie from the truth so that anie man conuert him he must know that who soeuer doe cause a sinner to turne from the errour of his waie shall saue a soule from death But now a daies you maie find men that will trauaile rather to ouerthrow then to turne heretiks The Lord saith Augustin doth ouerthrow the kingdomes of errour through his seruaunts but he giueth charge that the men forasmuch as they be men should be rather reformed then lost Neither ought we to dispaire of the turning of our brother which is fallen into Heresie For vnlesse that such a one might be conuerted by the grace of the Lord the aduise of Iames hadde bene vtterly to no purpose This Augustine knew well and therefore he emploied himselfe whollie vnto the conuerting of Heretikes and that with great lenitie and mildenesse of spirite according vnto the monition of the Apostle Againe he saith It was our dutie to chuse and to wish the best that we might make our waie to your reformation not in contention wrawling and persecution but by comforting of you gently by aduising you fauourably by
that it may appeare that we destroie them for Religion sake and not for couetousnesse But when they are conuerted not into priuate and our owne vse but into common vses or into the honour of the true God that is done and brought to passe in them which is done and brought to passe in men themselues when of Idolaters and wicked persons they are changed into true Religion This hath God him selfe taught in those testimonies which thou thy selfe hast vsed when as God himselfe commaunded that of that same Groue which was dedicate to strange Gods there should be wooâ—e taken for his sacrifice And of Hierico that all the golde siluer and brasse should be brought into the Treasurie of the Lord. Wherefore that also which is written in Deutronomyâ— Thou shalt not couet their siluer nor their gold neither shalt thou take any thing thereof to thy selfe least thou offend because it is abhomination vnto the Lord thy God c. It manifestly appeareth that either priuate vses is forbidden in such things or that nothing should be brought into thy house to be honoured for then it is abhomination I. Whitegift fol. 272. IEHOVAH What Iehouah is IEhouah is Gods name neither is anye creature so called and it is as much to saye as one that is of him-selfe and dependeth of nothing Moreouer as often as thou séest Lord in great letters except there be any errour in the printing it is in Hebrue Iehouah thou that art or he that is Tindale fol. 6. How the Hebrues doe speake of the name Iehoua Rabbi Moses an Aegyptian in the Hebrue called More saith thus All the names of the Creator that be found in all bookes be deriued of effects sauing that name onely Iehouah And it is a name appropriate vnto the most high Creator And therefore it is called an expresse name He meaneth saith Musculus that there is signified and shewed thereby the substance of the Creator and that there is nothing in it common vnto God and creatures But the rest of his names haue some double or mingled signification because they come of workes like vnto them which be deriued in vs. Thus the Hebrewes doe speake of the name of God Iehouah Muscu fol. 367. IERVSALEM The meaning of this place following WHen ye sée Ierusalem besâ—eged with an Hoast ¶ The same is that Mathew and Marke do call the Abhomination of desolation The Hoast of the Romanes is called héere desolation because that by them the Citie and Temple were destroied the Countrie made wast And they are also called Abhomination both for their heathenish impietie and also for the putting downe of the true worshipping and Religion By the holy place both Ierusalem and the Temple is vnderstoode Daniel 9. 26. How Ierusalem was called holy Where manye hundred thousands of men are there are scarcely seauen thousand which knowe God or beléeue in God and yet for their sakes the whole multitude is called godlye people Euen so was it in Ierusalem Albeit the greater parte were wicked and godlesse yet was Ierusalem called holy not onely in respect of a small number of the godlye but also because GOD had his abiding there So when there was not one iuste personne in Sodome but Lot with his two Daughters yet coulde not the Angell destroye Sodome with fire so long as Lot was in it Likewise where foure or fiue or ten godlie persons are to be found for their sakes the whole citie is called holie Luther vpon the Psal. fol. 88. IESVS Of the mysticall and hid signification of this name IEsus the sonne of God and of the most pure Uirgin Marie although in the common translation of the Bible in Latine it séemeth there were diuerse other Iewes so named Yet in the Hebrue tongue as Renclâ—ne writeth in his booke De verbo mirifico There was some diuersitie in the letters of the name of our Sauiour from them that were in the other called Iesus For in his glorious and wonderfull name were the vowels called Tetragrammaton with one consonant called Schin which is one S. of the Hebrewes wherein was a mysticall or hid signification of his diuinitie although the whole name be interpreted Sauiour who beeing equall in diuinitie with God the Father begotten of him before the worlde was created without time willinglie for the redemption of man descended into the blessed bodie of the Uirgin Marie and was conceiued in her by the holie Ghost the thirde person in Godhead And of her borne yâ— 3962 yeare after the creation of the world And being God and man liued héere 32. yeares in forme of pouertie and than béeing betraied of his own Disciple was by the Iewes his owne people most cruellie nailed on the Crosse the yeare after the creation of the world 3994. Eliote What is meant by that that Iesus was seene alone with Moses and Helias And sawe no man more then Iesus onelie with them ¶ In this that Iesus after the departing of Moses Helias is séene alone it is to be noted that the lawe beeing by Christs death remoued and the prophesies fulfilled wée ought onelie to haue respect vnto Christ the only begotten sonne of God our sauiour and redéemer Sir I. Cheeke What is meant by Iesus sleeping in the Ship And he was in the sterne a sleepe on a pillowe ¶ It is sayde that the Lord sléepeth when in the troubles and aduersities of this worlde he deferreth to heare and succour his elect and chosen which thing was héere prefigured by Iesus sleeping Sir I. Cheeke ¶ Christ leaueth vs oftentimes to our selues both as well that we maie learne to knowe our weaknesse as his mightie power Geneua What is meant by Iesus groning in the spirit And he groned in the spirit ¶ Whereas Saint Iohn saith Iesus groned in the spirit he meaneth that he was so moued in the vowells of mercie that for the time he coulde not speake This motion alwaye goeth before teares in such as are vehemently affected For the like also we reade of Ioseph who being moued with compassion towards his brethren sought wher to wéepe Marl. vpon Iohn fol. 414. IEVVES Of whom they tooke their name THere was great lamentation among the Iewes ¶ The Iewes were first called Hebrues of Heber the eldest sonne of Selah sonne of Aâ—phaxat as it appeareth Gen. 11. 14. 1. Par. 1. 18. After were they called Israel of Iacob and after Iewes of one of the sonnes of Iacob that is to wit of Iuda T. M. Of the miserie that happened to the Iewes ¶ Looke in these words Fishers Selum Why the Iewes were suffered to sweare by the name of God In the olde lawe the Iewes in an earnest iust or waightie cause were permitted to sweare in the name of GOD but not by all manner creatures least they dwelling amonge the Heathen and accustoming their oathes should by continuaunce of time fall vnto the filthie worshippinge of their Idolles forgetting God Sweare by his name saith
them that would not obey ¶ About the yeare of our Lord. 747. Constantine the Emperour did persecute them which worshipped Images When we were going saith Epiphanius to the holye place which is called Bethel there to celebrate the Communion with them according to the Ecclesiasticall manner and was come to the farme place called Anablatha and did sée there passing by a light burning and did aske what the place was and had learned that it was a Church and hadde gone for to praye there I found as it were a vale dyed or painted and hauing the Image as it were of Christ or of some Saint for I doe not well remember whose Image it was Therfore when I did sée the Image of man did hange in the Church contrarye to the Scriptures I rent it and did rather giue counsell to the Wardens of the place that they shoulde wind some poore dead body therin And a little after Bid I be séeâ—h thâ— yâ— elders of yâ— place to receiue of the bearer the vale yâ— is sent by vsâ— charge from hencefoorth yâ— no such vales be hanged in the Church of Christ yâ— are contrary to our religion For it becommeth thine honestie to haue 〈…〉 care that the 〈…〉 for the church 〈…〉 Christ and the people comm 〈…〉 〈…〉 I. Veron Epiphanius saith Estote memores c. My deere children be ye mindfull yâ— ye bring no Images into the Churches that ye erect vp none at yâ— burial of Saints But euermore carie God in your heartsâ—â—ay suffer not Images 〈…〉 not in your priuate houses For it is not lawfull to lead a Christian man by the eyes but rather by studie exercise of the minde For this cause Epiphanius saith The superstition of Images is vnfit for the Church of Christ. Iewel fol. 505. How God cannot be presented by no manner or similitude or Image Whose is this Image and superscription ¶ Tho Image 〈…〉 God is not in the gold but in the man therfore gold and siluer with other riches ought to be paide vnto Caesar. But our consciences and soules ought to be kept cleane vnto the Lorde our God Sir I. Cheeke Let them tell me I pray them how God doth aunswere or is knowne by such thinges Is it by the matter or stuffe that is about them and whereof they be made or by the forme or shape that is giuen them If it be of the stuffe what néede is there of the forme or shape and why did not God rather aford they were fashioned and shapen appeare and manifest himselfe by the vniuersall stuffe But if the forme or shape that they haue receiued is the knowledge of God what néed is there of golde or anie other stuffe Or why is not God rather reuealed by the true liuing creatures whose shapes and â—ormes the Images are for truely according to their owne reason the glorie of God should better be knowne if God were manifested or reuealed rather by the liuing and reasonable creatures then by the vnliuing and vnreasonable No caruer or maker of Images was esteemed among the Iewes Origen in his fourth booke against Celsus commendeth the Iewes on this wise Among them saith hée nothing was euer accounted God beside him which ruleth all nor in their Common-wealth any caruer of Idols or Image maker was as whome the lawe it selfe droue awaye from them to the intent they shoulde haue no occasion to make anye Images which might plucke certeine foolish persons from God and turne the eyes of their soules to the contemplation of earthlye things Of the harme that commeth by Images It is written in the booke of wisedome that the creature of God through the vse of Images be made temptation to the soules of men and a trappe to the féete of the vnwise for as much as the séeking out of Images is the beginning of whooâ—dome and the finding of them is the corruption of mans lyfe Also in the xv chapter it is sayd that they lead into errour and that their worke is without fruit and that by their sight alone they stirre a desire in the foolish The Church cannot haue Images without ieopardie for if there were no perill of Idolatrie in hauinge of Images what néeded Iohn to haue sayde Beware of Images A place of Chrisostome opened Chrisostome sayth That he that doth anie iniurie or villanie to the Image of Caesar he doth commit the same against Caesar himselfe ¶ Chrisostome in this saieng concludeth not that therefore wée must haue Images of God and of Christ in the Church but he that doth iniurye to anye man that is made after the Image of God or disobeyeth a magistrate which representeth the person of God c. He doth iniurie to God for he that doth make an Image of God doth God greate iniurie transforming the glorie of the inuisible God into the shape of any corruptible creature Rom. 1. 23. God hath forbidden an Image or an Idoll as well to be made as to bee worshipped as farre as making goeth before worshipping so farre is it before that the thing be not made that may be worshipped Some men will saye I make it but I worshippe it not as though he durst not to worshippe it for anie other cause but onelye for the same cause for which he ought not to make it I meane both wayes for Gods displeasure naye rather thou worshippâ—â— the Image that giueth the cause for others to worship it Saint Austen is against the Image of the Trinitie Man was made after the similitude and likenesse of God howe Not in bodye but in soule and minde in the inwarde man Wherefore Saint Austen a man most expert in Gods worde crieth out against the Image of the Trinitie callinge it Sacrilegium a staining of Gods honour and an Idoll because the glorye of the immortall God is chaunged into the similitude and Image of mortall man forbidding such an Image not onelye in the Church but also in thought and mind When Philip desired Christ to shew him the Father hée rebuked him and aunswered Hée that séeth mee séeth the Father It is sinne to set foorth to the inuisible and vnfashionable God an Image of an olde man with an hore head For it is forbidden that no Image bée made for God Deut. 4. 12. You sawe no likenesse in that daye when the Lorde God spake to you in Hebrewe And Esias 40. 18. sayth To whome therefore shall wée make God like Or what Image shall we set to him It is a verye wicked matter to chaunge the glorie and maiestie of the inuisible and incorruptible God into the liâ—enesse of a corruptible man as we maye sée in the Epistle to the Romanes 1. 23. And because they shall not saye that the blame which the Apostle founde was to bée vnderstoode onelye of the Gentiles they shall bee yet stopped with the writinge of Saint Austen who writeth thus Wée beléeue also that hée sitteth at the right hande
of Saints namely buriall not papistical canoniâ—ation or false worshipping which hath bene vsed with great abuse Marl. vpon Math. fol. 313. How Iohn is thought to worke miracles after his death He is risen from death and therefore are miracles wrought by him ¶ It is an Heathenish beliefe to thinke that men can do greater things after their death then in their life time and héereof did spring the vaine worshipping of dead folkes Sir I. Cheeke ¶ He spake after the common errour for they thought that the soules of them that were departed entered into another bodie Geneua Wherefore Iohn was called Helias Iohn Baptist was called Helias because he came in the spirit and power of Helias most sharply rebuking sin That so men knowing their owne sinfull nature and the damnation yâ— hung ouer them should the more gladly embrace Christ the sauiour redéemer of the world Sir I. Cheeke Wherefore Iohn Baptist did no miracles Iohn did no miracles ¶ God would haue no miracles done by Iohn least the people should haue attributed too much vnto him And therefore he would haue him onely to teach to testifie For as the bodie of Moses his sepulchre are hid vnto this present day and that by the iust prouidence of God least that superstitious flesh in visiting the body of Moses should commit Idolatrie euen so for iust cause Iohn than whome other wise there arose not a greater among womens children wrought no miracles For if so be the gift of miracles had bene ioyned to his doctrine and holinesse of lyfe the people could scarce haue ben driuen srom beléeuing him to be Christ c. Marl. vpon Iohn fol. 394. Of Iohns Baptime The Baptime of Iohn whence was it c. ¶ Héere the Baptime of Iohn is taken for that heauenlye doctrine which he taught For as water doth wash awaye the filthinesse of the bodie so doth true doctrine make the soule cleane deliuering it from superstition and erronious doctrine Sir I. Cheeke Unto what then were ye baptised and they said vnto Iohns Baptime ¶ By this place Iohns Baptime signifieth Iohns doctrine which therefore is so called for that he sealed his doctrine with the seale of Baptime in them that beléeued The Bible note Meaning what doctrine they did professe by their Baptime for to be baptised in Iohns Baptime signifieth to professe the doctrine which he taught and sealed with the signe of Baptime to bée baptised in the name of the Father c. is to be dedicate and consecrate vnto him To be baptised in the death of Christ or for the dead or into one bodye vnto remission of sins is that sinne by Christes death may be abolished and die in vs and that we maye growe in Christ. Math. 3. 11. Mar. 1. 8. Luke 3. 16. Ihon. 1. 27. Act. 1. 5. and 2. 2. 11. 16. Geneua Baptime in this place is taken for the doctrine and not for the lauer of water For the baptime of Christ and the baptime of Iohn which is done in the water is all one els Christ who was baptised by Iohn ought to haue bene baptised againe Héere then we doe gather that these folkes not twice baptised with the water of Baptime but were twice instruccted and at length after perfect instruction they were baptised with water in the name of Christ. Sir I. Cheeke Of the difference betweene Iohns Baptime and the Apostles The difference betwéene the Baptime of Iohn and the Apostles was onelye this that Iohn baptised them to beléeue in Christ that was for to come and the Apostles baptised them to beléeue in Christ which was come alreadie and had suffered for the remission of sinnes of as manie as beléeued in him Tindale IOHN THE EVANGELIST Of this Iohns life written by Saint Hierome IOhn the Apostle whome Iesus loued right well béeing the sonne of Zebedeus and Iames the Apostles brother whome after the Lordes death Herode had beheaded wrote his Gospell last of all the rest being desired there to by the Bishops of Asia both against Cerinthus and diuerse other heretiks But principally against the Ebeonites which euen then arose which Ebeonites auouch that Christ was not before Marieâ— by reason whereof he was enforced to shew of his diuine natiuitie They say that beside this there was an other cause of his writing because that when he had read the volumes of Mathew Marke Luke he well allowed the text of the storie and affirmed that they had said truth but had onely made their storie of one yeares act in the which after the imprisonment of Iohn Christ suffered Wherefore omitting that yeares actes which were sufficientlye entreated of all thrée he sheweth such thinges as were done before Iohn was imprisoned which thing maye euidently appeare to such as shall diligentlye read the volumes of the foure Gospels the which thing also doth take awaie the disagreeing that séemeth to be betweene Iohn the rest He wrote beside the premises one Epistle which beginneth thus That which was from the beginning which we haue heard which we haue seene with our eyes c. The other two which beginne The elder to the well beloued Ladie and her children c. And the elder to the best deloued Caius whom I loue in the truth c. are affirmed to haue bene written of Iohn the Priest whose seuerall tombe is at this day to be seene at Ephesus many suppose that there are two memorials of this same Iohn the Euangelist of which matter we wil entreate after we shal by order come to yâ— lyfe of Papias his scholer In the 14. yeare â—hen at what time Domicianus after Nero stirred vp the second persecution Iohn being banished into the I le of Pathmos wrote yâ— reuelation which is intituled the Apocalips which Iustin the martir and Ireneus doe make Commentaries vpon But after Domician was slaine and all his acts reuoked by the Senate because of his ouermuch crueltie he returned to Ephesus in the time of Prince Neruai and continued there vntil the time of the Emperour Traiane he instituted and gouerned all the Churches of Asia and ther continued till he was impotent for age He died the thréescore and eight yeare after the passion of the Lord Iesus And was buried a little beside the same Citie Eras. in his Paraphras A noâ—able historie of this Iohn When Iohn was returned to Ephesus fr 〈…〉 the I le of Pathmos he was desired for matters of religion to resort to yâ— places borâ—â—ring néere vnto him And comming to a certeine place he sawe a goodly young man both of bodie and countenaunce on whom he east such a fauourâ— that he committed him to the Bishoppe there charging the Bishoppe most earnestly and that two seuerall times to sée him diligently instructed in the doctrine and faith of Christ. And so Iohn returning againe to Ephesus the Bishop toke the young man and brought him home and diligently instructed him in the waies of Christ and
called the friend of God Thus wée sée S. Paule Lames reconciled both teach Iustification by faith in the sight of God I. Gough How God is iustified in vs. To the end saith S. Paule that all months might be stopped and all the world acknowledge it selfe to be indebted vnto God and that he onely should be iustified ¶ After what sorte is it that God shall be iustified in vs according to S. Paule To wit when all of vs condemne our selues and haue not the boldnesse to striue against God but doe willingly confesse that all of vs are indaungered vnto him if we be once come to that point then is God iustified yâ— is to say his righteousnes is commended by vs with such praise as he deserueth But contrariwise if men exalt themselues and acknowledge not that they be indaungered vnto God so as may condemne them nor confesse the bonde of debt which they haue forfeited vnto him although they protest that they minde to iustifie him that is to say to confesse that he is righteous yet neuerthelesse they condemne him Cal. vpon Iob. fol. 562. ¶ Looke in Workes in Faith that iustifieth How wisedome is iustified ¶ Looke Wisedome Obiection Men will waxe remisse in doing good workes if Faith alone iustifie Aunswere In Iustification a pardon is graunted for sinnes past and not of sinnes to come And if any man liue wickedly after Iustification without doubt he dispiseth the grace of iustification For who doth digge about the roote of a trée to the ende it shuld onely be a trée and not rather that it should be a good trée and bring foorth fruite Origen A liuely comparison for Iustification The iustifieng Faith is as it were a flame of fire which cannot but cast foorth brightnes And lyke as yâ— flame burneth the wood without the helpe of the light and yet the flame cannot be without the light so is it assuredly true that Faith alone consumeth and burneth away sinne without the helpe of workes and yet that the same Faith cannot be without good workes Wherefore lyke as we sée a flame of fire that giueth no lyght we know by by that it is but vaine and painted even so when we see not some light of good workes in a man it is a token that hée hath not the true inspired Faith which God giueth to his elect and chosen to iustifie and glorifie them withall And hold it for a certeintie that S. Iames meant so when he said Shewe me thy faith by thy workes and I will shew thée my faith by my workes Bar. Traheron IVSTINVS How he suffered martirdome for the defence of Christes Religion THis man in learning and Philosophie was excellent and a great defender of Christian Religion He exhibited vnto the Emperour and to the Senate a Booke or Apologie in defence of the Christians and afterward himselfe also died a Martir He suffered martirdome in the yeare of our Lord. 154. vndeâ— Antonius Pius as the Chronicles doe witnesse Abb. Vesperg and Eusebius in his Chronicle in the 13. yeare of the Emperour Antonius In the bo of Mar. fo 58. What moued him to imbrace the faith of Christ. This Iustinus Martir when he was an Heathen Philosopher as he confesseth of himselfe was moued to imbrace the Faith and Religion of Christ in beholding the constant patience of the Martirs which suffered for Christ in his time Keye What a Keye is after the minde of S. Austen SAint Austen saith that must be called a Keye whereby the hardnesse of our hearts are opened vnto faithâ— and whereby the secretnes of minds are made manifest A keye is it saith he the which doth both open the conscience to yâ— knowledge of sinne also including grace vnto the whole sonnes of euerlasting mystery This is the definition of this keye we speake off after S. Austen D. Barnes fo 258. ¶ The Law in hir right vnderstanding is the keye or at the lest way the first and principall keye to open the â—ore of the Scripture Tindale fo 184. ¶ What keye had the Doctors of the lawe sauing the exposition of the lawe Tert. cont Marcion lib. 4. The Captaines of the Church haue the keyes of knowledge to open the Scriptures vnto the people to them committed Therefore Commaundement is giuen that the Minister shuld open and the scholer should enter Hier. in Esa. li. 6. ca. 24. ¶ The keye is the knowledge of the scriptures whereby is opened the gate of turth Chrisostome in Math. homil 44. How the word of God is the right keye The word of God is the very keye in that is all the might and power to looke our sinnes and a man is but a minister and a seruaunt vnto this word This may be proued by our Master Christs words where he saith Goe your wayes into all the world and preach the Gospell vnto all creatures and hée that doeth beleeue and is baptised shall be saued but hée that doeth not beléeue shall be damned Heere maye you plainely sée that the Apostles be but ministers and seruaunts and haue no power but all onely ministration c. D. Barnes fol. 259. How the keyes were giuen vnto the Church Christ say they appointed Peter Prince of the whole Church when he promised that he would giue him the keyes But that which he then promised to one in another place he gaue it also to all the rest and deliuered it as it were into their hands If the same power were graunted to all which was promised to one wherein shall he be aboue his fellowes Héerein say they he excelleth because he receiued it both in common What if I aunswere with Cipriane and Augustine that Christ did it not for this purpose to preferre one man before other but so to settâ— out the vnitie of the Church for thus saith Cipriane that God in the person of one gaue the keyes to all to signifie the vnitie of all and that the rest were the same thing that Peter was endued with like partaking both of honour and power but the beginning is taken at vnitie that the Church of Christ maye bée shewed to be one Augustine saith If there were not in Peter a mysterie of the Church the Lord would not say vnto him I will giue thée the keyes for if this wer said to Peter the Church hath them not but if the Church hath them then Peter when he receiued them betokened the whole Church And in another place when they were all asked onely Peter aunswered Thou art Christ and it is said to him I will giue thée the keyes as though he alone had receiued the power of binding and loosing whereas he being one said the one for all and he receiued the other withall as hearing the person of vnitie Therefore one for all because there is vnitie in all Cal. 4. book chap. 6. sect 4. How the Dunce men interpreteth the keyes Dunce and all his
Leuiathan that crooked Serpent ¶ Leuiathan betoketh héere the Diuell after some expositours Albeit that it properlye signifie a Whale as it is sayd Iob. 40. Serpents also betokeneth the Diuell because of their subtilenesse and wilinesse Gen. 3. 1. The Hebrews vnderstand héere by Serpents mightie kings and Princes T. M. ¶ By Leuiathan the greatest of fishes in the sea is meant the kingdome of Satan and the mightie tyrants of the world enimies of Christ and persecutors of his religion The Bible noâ—e The Lord with his sore and great and mightie sword shall visite Leuiathan ¶ That is by his mightie power and by his worde hée prophesieth héere of the destruction of Satan and his kingdome vnder the name of Leuiathan Geneua LIBANVS AND CHARMEL What Libanus and Chaâ—mel doe signifie Sée ye not that it is harde by that Libanus shall bée truned into Charmel c. ¶ As though hée shoulde saye it is not longe to that goodlye trées which are signified by Libanus shall be tourned into plaine fieldes and that the plaine fieldes which are signified by Charmel shall become â—ough and full of bushes The time that Christ should come is â—he short time that hée meaneth which the Scripture doth oft call a short time Then shall the vnfruitfull rough and woodye heathnesse which is vnderstoode by Libanus bée tourned vnto the religion of Christes congregation or Church and vnto the true seruice of the true GOD which is vnderstoode by Charmel that fruitfull and well tilled fielde T. M. ¶ Shall there not be a chaunge of all things Charmel that is a plentifull place in respect of that it shall be then may bée taken as a forrest as Cha. 32. 15 and thus he speaketh to comfort the faithfull Geneua LIBERTIE OF CHRIST What it is to stand in the liberties of Christ. STand fast therefore in the libertie wherewith Christ hath made vs frée ¶ They do not stand in yâ— libertie of Christ which being not content with the sole onely grace of Christ doe set their mindes vpon the lawe as though Christ were not sufficient to saue alone but had néede of the helpe of the lawe Yet we must take héede that we doe not misuse this libertie thinking we may doe whatsoeuer we list Sir I. Cheeke ¶ The libertie and fréedome that we haue in Christ ought euery man to stand by Tindale LYE The definition of a lye HE is sayde to lye which with a will to receiue speaketh that which is false and that to lye is nothing else but to speake against the minde for lyers speake otherwise then they haue in their hearts But the desire to deceiue is vtterly against iustice and amitie which we mutually owe one to an other There are thrée things therfore in a lye First to speake that which is false secondly his will in speaking and thirdly desire to deceiue The first part longeth to the matter The other two partes perteine vnto the forme Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 87. ¶ Octauian the Emperour demanded vpon a time this question of Pisto the Philosopher Tell me Pisto what shall men doe if he be brought to this extremitie that if he speake truth he condemneth himselfe and if he make a lye he saueth himself The vertuous man saith he ought rather to choose to be ouercome with truth then to ouercome by lyes for it is vnpossible that a man which is a lyar shoulde continue longe in prosperitie Whether we may lye to preserue the lyfe of our neighbour or no. What if a murtherer shoulde persecute a man to kill him and thou knowest that he lyeth there kidden where thou presentlye art and they demaunde of thée if thou knowest whether he be there or no He aunswereth that if thou be of a valiant courage and as it becommeth a Christian thou must saye where he is I knowe but I will not vtter it doe ye what ye will But when the matter commeth to this point that for the safetie of any mans life thou must make a lye know thou that thou oughtest to commit the thing vnto God that thou hast nothing therein more to doe Either thou must answere that thou wilt not betray him or els thou must hold thy peace But by thy silence the murtherer will suspect that he is in thy house and thou shalt séeme to giue occasion of his taking But in verie déede thou hast not so done for thou canst not let him to thinke what he will Wherefore the matter is rather to be committed vnto God then that thou shouldest make a lie Howbeit thou must verie well weigh with thy selfe namely to speake so that thou say not al and yet speake not falsely For in these cases I thinke it is not forbidden yea I iudge it is most lawfull to speake doubtfully Pet. Mart. vpon Iudic. fol. 90. Of the Midwiues lye and of Rahabs lye Now to speak of the Midwiues of Aegypt of Rahab God did not reward them for their lye but for their mercie because they dealt kindly with his people for which also he forgaue them theyr lye wherein they sinned vndoubtedlye g 〈…〉 uously For the mouth which lieth killeth the soule Sap. 1. 11 If those Midwiues had béene perfect women they would haue refused that office wherevnto Pharao appointed them for it was to murther the infants of the Israelites And Rahab had done better if she had not lyed but answered I know where they bee but because Ilfeare God I will neuer shew it they could haue lost nothing by this answere although they had suffered death therefore For blessed be the dead that die in the Lord. How Paules lye is excused Saint Paule made no lye when he sayd that he was a citizen of Rome for he was indéed a citizen of Rome because his father was frée As at London the children of frée men be Citizens and free Of one that would not lye When the Emperour sent his officers to one Ferninus Bishop of Tagasta to search after a certeine man whome hée had hidden hée béeing enquired for him sayde that he woulde not denie that he had hidden him because of lieng but that he wold neuer betray him for which aunswere he was grieuously punished but no paine could cause him to disclose where the man was The Emperour meruailing at his stedfastnesse deliuered him Ro. Hutchynson Of Aabrahams lye to Abimelech ¶ Looke Abraham Of Dauids Iye to Ahimelech ¶ Looke Dauid LIFE How these places following are expounded AND the life was the light of men ¶ This sentence is sundrie wise expounded for some thinke that the meaning is that the lyfe which Gods sonne giueth creatures shoulde be a light to man to shew them Gods sonne Some take the worde Life for Gods sonne himselfe as if Saint Iohn should saye that Gods sonne who is verye lyfe is the lyght of men Some other gather this sentence that the lyfe that Gods son giueth to men
wine is to vs which thing appeareth more plaine by the words of Saint Austen following which be these Manducauit Moses Manna c. Moses did also eate Manna Aaron Phinehes did eate of it which pleased God are dead wherfore because they vnderstood yâ— visible meat spiritualy They wer spiritualy an huÌ„gred they tasted it spiritualy yâ— they might be spiritualy replenished They did all eate the same spirituall meate and all dranke the same spiritually which we doe and they all did drinke the same spirituall drinke They dranke one thing and we another but that was in the outward appearaunce which neuerthelesse did signifie the same thing spiritually How dranke they the same drinke They saith the Apostle dranke of the spirituall stone following them and that stone was Christ. And thereto Saint Bede addeth these words Videte autem fide manente signa variata Behold that the signes are altered and yet the faith abideth one Of these places it may plainely be perceiued that it is no Article necessary to be beleeued vnder paine of damnation that the Sacrament should be the naturalll body of Christ seeing the olde fathers neuer beleeued it And as they were saued without beleeuing that Manna was altered into Christes body euen so shall we be saued without beleeuing that the substaunce of bread is turned into his naturally body for the same faith shall saue vs that saued them And we are bound to beléeue no more vnder paine of damnation then they wer bound to beleeue I. Frith MARANATHA What this word Maranatha signifieth LEt him be had in execration Maranatha ¶ By these words is betokened the seuerest kinde of cursse and excommunication that was among the Iewes and the words are as much to say as our Lord commeth So that his meaning maye be this Let him be accursed euen to the comming of the Lord that is to say to his deaths daye euen for euer S. Hierome doth expound this word Maranatha the Lord commeth as if he should say If a man doe not beleeue our Lord Iesus Christ let him be accursed and let him be sure that the the Lord against whoÌ„ no hatred can preuaile doth come Some againe doe expound it thus Let him be as a rotten member cut off and perish vtterly Sir I. Cheeke ¶ Maranatha a word wherewith the accursed or vyle person in the extreame degrée is signified The Bible note MARCION Of the damnable heresies of this man MArcion of Pontus encreased the doctrine of Cerdon He liued in the time of Iustinus Martir which wrote a booke against him He met Policarpus and asked of him Knowest thou vs Policarpus I knowe thée for the first begotten of Satan Euseb. li. 4. cap. 11. 14. He said the soule onely should bée saued and not the body He thought that Cain with the Sodomites Aegyptians c. were saued when Christ went downe to Hell Irenaeus li. 1. ca. 29. Epiph. haeres 42. writeth of him that he was a Bishops sonne who when he had deâ—â—oured a Uirgin was by his own father excommunicated the church afterward he fled to Rome Being there because they admitted him not into the Church he began to preach detestable doctrine That there were three beginnings good iust and euill That the new Testament was contrarye to the olde He denied the resurrection of the body A comparison betweene the Marcions doctrine and the Popes The Marcions receiued no man to be a Christen man except he would refuse mariage The Pope receiueth no Priests except they fo rs weare mariage So that there is no diuersitie betwéene these heretikes and the Pope but that these Heretikes doth except a greater number then the Pope doth and speaketh more generally but the thing is all one For the Marcionites indgeth mariage vncleane for their sort and so doth the Pope for his sort Farther more Marcion saith that among christen men may be no temporall mariage but all conjunction must be turned into a spirituall mariage And the selfe same thing saith the Pope of his Priests wherfore seeing yâ— they do graunt how that S. Paule and also holy Fathers hath condemned this heresie of the Marcionites it must néedes followe that the opinion of the Pope is likewise damned But héere will some obiect and say as Eckius hath written that the Pope doth not condemne mariage but he causeth men alonely to keep his vowe Aunswere First the Pope compelleth them and if they will be Priests to vowe fo rs weare mariage For if ther wer no statute made afore of the Pope yâ— all Priests shuld fo rs weare mariage theÌ„ shuld ther no vowes he made of priests against mariage but the thing shuld be frée So yâ— the vowe commeth out of the Popes decrée prohibition not the decrée out of the vowe Ergo the prohibition goeth before the vowe wherefore this euation can haue no place Example The Emperour maketh a statute that no man shall be admitted into his seruice except he first sweare to be an enimie vnto the Kings grace of England Is not now the Emperour first an enimie vnto the Kings person and then also a forbidder of loue and fauour towards the Kings grace of England I thinke his grace will take his acte none otherwise For though he doe not nor cannot make all men the Kings enimies yet he maketh all that appertaine vnto him to be the kings enimies So likewise the Pope though he doe not forbidde all men mariage yet he forbiddeth as many as will be Priests yea and he will admit no man to be Priest except he first forswears mariage So that the vowe is first made or the Priesthood bée giuen D. Barnes A notable example of Marcions chast life Marcion and Montanus two ranke Heretikes anone after the Apostles daies sprong vp and fained such a chaste holinesse of life that they forbad and damned mariage But Epiphanius writeth that Marcion when he was receiued as a guest in the house of a certaine Deacon in Cipres he caried away his Hosts wife deceiued with his holy pretence of his new chast religion And when Doctor Marcion had taken his pleasure of hir and cast hir vp the miserable woman constrained to returne to hir husband lamenting hir fault asked him forgiuenesse This carefull woman saith Epiphanius was afterward a good warning for many other women monishing them to beware of Bishop Marcion his doctrine This Marcion and Montanus were the onely beginners of the lawe of wiuelesse and husbandlesse chastitie and the first authours and patrons of the Monkes religion Melancthon MARCVS The dâ—testable heresies of this man MArcus of whom Marcosij Colorbasus of whom Colorbasij and Heracleon after whom the Heretikes are called Heraâ—leonites sacrificed with witchcraft to amaze their auditory they pronounced Hebrue words they said vnto the women open your mouthes and prophecie through the power which commeth from vs. Many women came to the Church and vnder colour of prophecie confessed
But if they will teach you things of their owne then heare them not then dde it not For certainly such men séeke their owne and not the things that pertaine to Christ Iesu. ¶ The Chaire of the which our Sauiour Christ maketh mention héere doth not signifie the authoritie of Moses which the Scribes abused but it signifieth the place out of the which they purely red and interpreted the law of Moses ¶ To sit in Mosâ—s chaire is nothing els then to shewe out of the Lawe of God how men ought to liue And although it be not certaine out of what place they didde speake or preach yet notwithstanding their coniectures is probable which referre it to the Pulpet which Esdras made to haue the Laws taught in He therefore sitteth in Moses Chaire which preacheth not of his â—wne braine but by the authoritie and word of God Marl. vpon Math. fol. 521. ¶ So long as the Scribes safe in Moses seate and continued in the pure and simple interpretation of the Lawe teaching those things which the Lord had commaunded and taught in the name of God For Saint Austen very well and according to the minde of Christ expoundeth that the Scribes sitting vpon Moses seate taught the Lawe of God and that therefore the shéepe ought to heare the shepheards by them as by hirelings To the which words he addeth by and by saieng God therefore teacheth by them But if they goe about to teach theyr owne inuentions neither heare them nor follow them To the which sentence agréeth that which the same Father hath in his fourth booke De doctrina Christiana saieng Because the good and faithfull do not heare euery man but obediently heare God himselfe therefore they are heard profitably which also lyue not profitably Therefore the seate not of the Scribes but of Moses constrained them to teach that which was good For in their life they did what them lust but the seate being none of theirs suffered them not to teach what they lusted Marl. vpon Math. fol. 522. ¶ We ought to haue an eye most especially vnto the doctrine of the Preachers whether they sit in Christs chaire or not that is to say whether they teach Christs doctrine or not for by their doctrine we shall be either iustified or condemned and not by their liuing Sir I. Cheeke How Moses did eate the body of Christ ¶ Looke Manna How this place is vnderstood And Moses wrote this Lawe ¶ Before Moses time the doctrine which contained the manner of seruing God was not put in writing but onely deliuered by word of mouth by the fathers to theyr children from one generation to another The Bible note How we are sent to Moses and the Prophets They haue Moses and the Prophets let them heare them ¶ We are bidden to beléeue Moses and the Prophets and not the dead and if we will néedes heare the dead speake Christ ought to be sufficient for vs which being reuiued taught none other doctrine but that which he had taught in his time that is to say Moses and the Prophets Sir I. Cheeke ¶ Which declareth that it is too late to be instructed by the dead if in their life time they cannot profite by the liuely word of God as faith commeth by Gods word so is it maintained by the same So that neither we ought to looke for Angells from heauen or the dead to confirme vs there by onely the word of God is sufficient to life euerlasting Geneua Why Moses was bid to put off his shooes Put off thy shooes from thy feete ¶ Moses could not be suffered to talke with God afore he didde put off his shooes whereby we vnderstande that wée must put awaye all fleshly and carnall lusts and so approach vnto God in faith purenesse of heart Let them héere which will not touche holye things with theyr bare hands without gloues learne of the Angell of the Lorde what they ought for to doe in such things Of Moses death and buriall which maketh against reliques We read of Moses the seruaunt of the Lorde that hée died in the lande of Moab and the Angell of the Lord buryed him in a valley but no man knoweth of his Sepulcher vnto this daye which thing was of purpose by the prouidence of God appointed so that the Iewes might haue no occasion thereby to comâ—nitte Idolatry But if the translating of dead bones had bene either for the glorye of God or commoditie of man the reliques of such a one as Moses was should not haue bene hidden For doubtlesse of all Prophets he was the greatest by the testimonie of God himselfe who called him faithfull in all his house to whom he spake mouth to mouth by vision and not in darke wordes and yet was not his body shrined nor his bones carried in procession nor anye Chappell erected for him Indeed the Diuell did attempt no lesse then to make it matter of superstition for we read that there was a strife betwixt him and Michael about Moses body but the Angell of the Lorde withstood him I. Calfehill MOTHER OF GOD. Wherein Mary the mother of God was most blessed TO be the childe of God is a great deale greater grace then to be the mother of God which Saint Austen proueth thus Beatior â—rgo Maria c. Mary was more blessed or full of grace in that the receiued the faith of Christ then in that she conceiued the flesh of Christ. Motherly kinred coulde haue done Mary no good vnlesse she had borne Christ more blessed in hir heart then shée bare him in hir flesh Againe he sayth Master mea quam c. My mother whom ye haue called blessed therefore is blessed because she hath kept the word of God not because the word in hir was made flesh How mother is taken for grandmother He put downe Miacha his mother ¶ Mother for grandmother As Dauid is oftentimes called father of them of whom he was grandfather And as Zephora Moses wife calleth Raguel father which yet was hir grandfather How the Church is called our mother Forsake not thy mothers teaching ¶ That is of the Church wherein the faithfull are begotten by the incorruptible séede of Gods word Geneua MOVNTAINES How Mountaines heere doe signifie Scriptures LEt them that be in Iewry flye then to the mountaines ¶ That is to say let them that be in Christs profession flye to the scriptures the scriptures of the Apostles and Prophets be the mountaines c Our Lord knowing that there should be such confusion in the last daies therfore commaundeth that Christen men yâ— beléeue in Christ willing to haue an assurance of the true faith shuld haue recourse to nothing els but vnto the scriptures Otherwise if they haue regard vnto any other thing they shal be offendâ—d and perish not vnderstanding what is the true Church and by meanes héereof they shall fall in abhomination of desolation Iewel fo 722. ¶ S.
imputed vnto him the first Article All men were in the first man created without sinne all by the transgression of the same man haue lost the freedome of our nature from thence we tooke the manifolde corruption both of body and soule from thence ignoraunce and dulnesse hath ensued c. Ambr. in his 1. booke and 3 Chapter of the calling of the Gentiles In the lawe it is commaunded that for him that is borne a paire of Turtles or young Pigeons shoulde be offered of the which the one should be for a sinne Offering and the other for a burnt Offering For what sinne is this one Pigeon offered Could this new borne childe sinne Yea euen then he hath sin for the which he is commaunded to offer a sinne Offering from the which ther is no man cleane and though he be but one day olde Origen in his 5. booke and 6. chap. vpon the Rom. No man lyueth heere vpon earth without sinne Hiero. in his 29. Epistle There shall be no iudgment without mercie for because ther can no man liuing be found cleane without filthines no though he were but one day olde from his birth Basil. vpon the 32. Psalme No man is cleane from filthinesse no not an Infant of a daye olde hath a cleane life héere vpon earth Barnard in his second sermon vpon the first Sunday after the Epiphany OTH What an Oth is AN Oth is the calling or taking to witnesse of Gods name to confirme the truth of that we saye c. Bullinger fol. 132. An Oth is a way or meane whereby contreuersies are ended and promises perfourmed by the calling vpon the name of God For it is written in the Lawe If a man deliuer vnto his neighbour Oxe or Asse or Shéepe to pasture and it dye or be hurt or driuen away no man séeing it then shall an Oth of the Lord goe betweene them and he shall sweare whether he hath put any hand to the taking away of his neighbors goods or not And the owner of the goods shall receiue the Oth. And if he by the Oth that he hath taken saith that he hath put no hand to it then shall he not make it good c. And this must bée done before the Gods that is to saye before the Iudges and Magistrates ¶ An Oth is also a meane whereby promises are performed as in Gen. 21. where Abraham sware to Abimelch y◠he wold neither hurt him nor his posteritie and performed it indéed How an Oth is lawfull Lawfull it is for the Magistrate when they put any man in office to take an Oth of him that he shall be true diligent and faithfull therein as Iacob for the commoditie and profit of his posteritie tooke an Oth of Laban the Idolater Lykewise Iudas Machabeus of the Romanes for the same purpose Also Princes may demaund an Oth of their Subiects Commons for the sauegard of their lands and people But they that sweare must haue these properties They béeing required of the Magistrate must sweare truly minding neither fraude or deceipt but witnesse onely the truth séeking no parcialitie but the truth not themselues but the glory of God the profite of of theyr neighbour and the Common wealth of GODS people How an Oth is damnable To sweare to doe euill as to slaye to rauish or to robbe is damnable without faile and to performe such an Oth or to doe those wickednesses indéede is a double damnation both to him that so sweareth and also to the Iudge that causeth him to sweare Such an Oth was the cursed Oth that King Herod made vnto the Daughter of Herodias his harlot for the heade of holy Iohn Baptist whome Christ calleth a wily Foxe for his craftie conueyaunce A colour was this Oth of his cruell Tyranny and a cloake to his most spitefull murder For through that meanes was Iohn done to death Neither was an Oth ordeined after the minde of Saint Austen to binde the perfourmaunce of man-slaughter robberie Idolatry or other sinnes Rather had Dauid breake his Oth then to fulfil it with bloudshedding Wheras Dauid did not by shedding of bloud performe his promise bound with an Oth therein his godlines was the greater Dauid sware rashly but vpon better and godly aduise he performed not the thing he had sworne By this and by like it is declared that many Othes are not to be obserued Now he that sweareth so doth sinne but in chaunging his Oth hée doth very well He that chaungeth not such an oth committeth a double sinne First for swearing as he ought not and then for doing that he should not Bullinger fol. 134. How wicked Othes vowes are to be broken Othes are to be obserued when their ende is not euill nor to the hinderaunce of soules health In which promises sayth Isidore let faithfulnesse haue place In filthie vowes chaunge thy decréed purpose Doe not the thing in effect that thou hast without consideration sworne vnto for the promise is euermore wicked that cannot be done without sinne Therefore if the Iudges or Rulers should inforce the inferiour subiect to sweare to the things that were against soules health or Gods honour as to worship an Idol or to an Innocents vndoing they ought rather to dye then to obey as did Eleazarus with the seauen faithful bretheren and their mother in the Machabees for much better it is saith Saint Peter in such a cause to obey God then man Of Herodes wicked Oth. Neuerthelesse for his Oth sake c. ¶ Better it is otherwhises to forswere himselfe then to do any vngodly thing This déede of Herod can in no wise be excused for if she had asked his owne head or hir mothers head he would not haue graunted hir Sir I. Cheeke How Othes first began When the Lawe of naturall loue which God had inwardly written in the hearts of men remained among the good fathers Adam Seth Enoch Noe Abraham Moses other godly men then was no swearing but euery man did vnto his neighbour as he would his neighbour should doe vnto him But when the wicked as Cain the filthie Giaunts Nymroth Cham and such lyke beganne to increase in the lande they contrariwise for want of that rule fell into all manner of abhominable sinnes so that daylye more and more great mischiefes increased And as Ose the Prophette complaineth there was no faithfulnesse no brotherly loue no truth among men but bitternesse lieng manslaughter thefte and adulterie hath gotten the ouer hand In their dayly occupieng was much falshood vsed and that was thought well wonne good that was gotten by deceipt Uery seldome in their bargaining were promises perfourmed more seldome a great deale was faithfull honestie regarded In processe of time therfore were very few or none beleeued vnlesse they tooke God to witnesse that the matter was true Wherepon first of all came vp the swearing of Othes among men to confirme their sayeng with ¶ Looke Swearing
diuell and therefore yéelded all those parts vnto all beastly life Some called those men Venustianos August PATHMOS What Pathmos is WAs in the I le of Pathmos ¶ Pathmos is one of the Iles of Sporas whether Iohn was banished as some write PATRICIANI What manner of heretikes these were PAtriciani said that mans flesh was not made of God but of the diuell so that some dispatched themselues to cast off the flesh August PAVLE How Paules afflictions is prophesied of Agabus SO shall the Iewes at Hierusalem binde the man that oweth this girdle ¶ God for the most part is wont to warne his elect before what afflictions and troubles shall happen vnto theÌ„ for his sake not to fray them therby but rather to prepare and arme their mindes against the boisterous tempests of persecution Therefore doth he now send Agabus vnto Paule to prophesie vnto him of his imprisonment and bonds that he should suffer at Hierusalem where we haue also a good example of constancie stedfastnesse in Paule which regarding nothing the teares of his familiar friends nor yet perill of his owne lyfe did through fire and water goe on still to set forth the glorie of God Sir I. Cheeke ¶ God would â—haue his seruaunts bands knowne to the intent that no man should thinke that he cast himself into wilful daunger This was not to make Paule afraid but to encourage him against the brunt Geneua How Paule persecuted Christ in his members I am Iesus whom thou persecutest ¶ Iesus was now in heauen and could not be persecuted of Paule But the persecution which Paule exercised against the faithfull being his members Christ counted it as done vnto himselfe The Bible note Of the comfort that God gaue to paule in his iourney to Rome And he entered into a ship to Adrâ—mitium ¶ The lyfe of man is a perpetuall warfare vpon the earth Paule being deliuered out of the hands of the vngodly and that so many times is now faine to commit himselfe to the rough waters of the sea where he was a long season in great perill and ieopardy of his owne life God being alwayes to the great comfort of all them that heard of it most ready to helpe succour him First he did send him a most friendly company I meane Aristarcus and Lucas so ruling the heart also of the vndercaptaine that he was beneficiall vnto him alwayes In lyke manner God did in the olde time appoint men for Ioseph and the Prophet Ieremy when they were in their most troubles Of Paules purifieng We haue foure men which haue a vowe on them them take and purifie thy selfe with them ¶ Paule yéelding to this ceremonie offended as sore as Peter did when he was reproued of Paule for absteining from meate s in presence of the Gentiles notwithstanding through feruencie of his zeale he did ieopard much to winne thousandes of the Iewes for the saluation of whom he wished himselfe to be seperated from Christ. The Bible note ¶ The end of this ceremonie was thanks-giuing was instituted by God and partly of ignoraunce and infirmitie receiued Therefore S. Paule supported therein the weaknesse of others and made himselfe all to all men not bindring his conscience Geneua Of Paules appealing I appeale to Caesar. ¶ The iniquitie of the Iudge who contrarie to equitie willing to pleasure the Iewes deuised how to betray Paule draue Paule to appeale which is the vttermost remedie for such as by wrong iudgement are oppressed And this appellation by Gods prouidence was a meane that Paule shoulde testifie of Christ at Rome also The Bible note How Paule had his authoritie from God and not from Peter Paule an Apostle not of men neither by man but by Iesus Christ and by God the Father c. ¶ Paule though he came long after the Apostles yet had he not his authoritie of Peter or of any that went before him Neither brought he with him letters of recommendation or Bulls of confirmation but the confirmation of his Apostleship was the word of God conscience of men and the power of the spirit that testified with him by miracles and manifolde gifts of grace Tindale How Paule and Iames are made to agree The saiengs of the two Apostles Paule and Iames are not contrary wheras Paule saith a man is iustified without works and Iames sayth faith without workes is in vaine For Paule speaketh of the works that goe before faith Iames speaketh of the works that follow after August lt 8. quae qua 76. Iames. 5. The ordinarie glose out of Saint Austen sayth that Paule and Iames doe agrée in this sort That whereas Abraham was iustified by fayth without good workes it is vnderstoode of the workes that went before for he was not made iust for the workes he did but for faith onely And héere it is meant of the works which doe follow fayth by which he was iustified the more wheras he was iust before by faith Wherfore Paul sayth Abraham offered vp Isaac when he was proued This oblation was the worke and testimonie of his faith and iustice This hée writeth vpon the Epistle of Saint Iames. So that if the offering of Isaac was the testimonie of the faith and iustice of Abraham than he was not iustified by it but declared thereby to be iust Musculus fol. 230. ¶ Ioyne the liuely faith of S. Paule with the good works of S. Iames and bring both these into one lyfe And then hast thou reconciled them both so shalt thou be sure to be iustified both afore God by Paules faith and before man by S. Iames works M. Foxe How Paule denieth to be crucified for vs. Was Paule crucified for you ¶ It is euident by Saint Paules saieng that Christ only who was crucified for vs ought to be our Lord that in matters of religion we ought only to haue our name of him and not to be called after this Doctor or that Doctors name for that is to deny Christ and so to bring againe the hypocriticall sectes of Friers and Monkes Sir I. Cheeke Of Paules beating and mortifieng his body I beate my body saith S. Paule and bring it into subiection least by any meanes after that I haue preached to other I my selfe should be reproued ¶ Whereas some doe gather of this place that Paule did mortifie in himself the fire of inconstancy by long fasting and by beating and scourging of his body it is nothing so For what néede had hée to â—ame his body with fasting when he was shut vp in prison and had nothing to eate either yet to beat and scourge his body when he suffred stripes inough of his enimies S. Paule had the gift of continencie as it appeareth 1. Cor. 7. I would sayth he that all men were as I my selfe am but euery man hath his proper gift of God c. Then by these words Saint Paule doth meane that he did subdue and
and vnder that pretence to deuour and spoyle the houses of widowes c. ¶ What doest thou séeke an apt and holy place when thou wouldest pray vnto God Cleanse thine own inward partes in scouring out all naughtie desires from thence prepare thy selfe a secret corner in the quietnesse of thy heart When thou praiest in the Church pray within thy selfe and so doe alwaies that thou maist be the Temple of God for there God doth heare where he doth dwell Thus saith he by which words it appeareth sufficiently inough that euen in his daies many of yâ— Christians were so fallen backe to the superstitions of Temples Churches not onely in seruices but in praiers also that they thought the prayers were more effectuall in Churches then in other places which they tooke to be as prophane and not meete for prayer Musculus fol. 489. How prayer for the dead auaileth not When we be once departed out of this life there is no more place of repentaunce there is no more effect or working of satisfaction life is héere either lost or wonneâ— euerlasting saluation is héere prouided by the due worshipping of God the fruites of faith Then he shal be without fruite of repentance and griefe of paine In vaine shall wéeping be and prayer shall be of no force nor effect Cypr. in his first treatise against Demetrius We know in this world we can be helped one of another either with prayer or with counsell but after we be come once before yâ— iudgment seate of Christ neither Iob nor Daniel nor Noe is able to pray for any body but euery man shall beare his owne burthen Hierom in his 13. questi c. 2. chap. When thou doest heare that our Lord did rise againe naked cease I pray thee from the mad expence of the burieng what meaneth this superstuitie and vnprofitable dispence which vnto them that make it bringeth hurt and no profite to the dead but rather harme Chrisost. in his 48. homil vpon the 20. of Iohn For if he had not hoped that they which were slaine should rise againe it had bene superfluous and vaine to praye for the dead ¶ From this verse to the ende of this Chapter the Gréekes text is corrupt so that no good sense much lesse certain doctrine can be gathered thereby Also it is euident that this place was not written by the holy Ghost both because it dissenteth from the rest of the holy Scriptures also the Authour of this booke acknowledging his own infirmitie desired pardon if he haue not attained to that he should And it séemeth that this Iason of Ceronean out of whom he tooke this Abridgment is Ioseph Bengorion who hath written in Hebrue 5. bookes of these matters intreting this place maketh no mention of the praier for the dead And though Iudas had so done yet perticular example is not sufficient to establish a doctrine no more theÌ„ Ziphorahs was to proue that women might minister the Sacraments Exo. 4. 25. Or the example of Razis that one might kill himselfe whom this Author so much commendeth 2. Mac. 14. 41. Geneua Truly I thinke that Iudas beléeued that ther shuld be a resurrection as the text praised him saieng Thinking well and denoutly of the resurrection of our flesh they that beleeued wer yet so rude ignorant that they thought they shuld rise but to obtaine a carnall kingdome and haue their enimies subdued vnder them without rebellion And thereto sticke the Iewes vnto this day And it is most lyke that this should be his meaning we shall all rise againe and possesse this lande in peace these men which are slaine are out of the fauour of God because they haue contrary to the lawe Deut. 7. tooke of the Idolls oblations therefore it is best that we send a Sacrifice to Hierusalem to pacifie the wrath of God towards theÌ„ lest when they rise again the Lord shuld send some plague among vs for their transgression which they committed while they were héere liuing If any man can better gesse I am well content to admit it But this is plaine though he thought that this sacrifice coulde not helpe them before they should rise againe which doth fully destroy Purgatory for where he saith that it were void vaine to praye for the dead except they shoulde rise againe is euen as much to say vnto him that hath any wit as that this prayer sacrifices can doe them no good before they be risen againe froÌ„ death for els wer it not in vaine to pray for them although they should neuer rise againe As by this example if I say to a man that he shall neuer obtaine his purpose except he shuld sue to the kings grace it is euen as much to say to a man that hath any wit he shal neuer obtaine his purpose before he hath suâ—d to the Kings highnesse I. Erith It wer an hard matter for a man to teach the ther wer any sacrifices praiers vsed in the Apostles time for the faithfull wheÌ„ they were departed But afterward it fell out by the good zeale of the Bishops yâ— ther was a solemne remembrance kept of theÌ„ which died in the Lord specially of Martirs ther were also sacrifices offered I meane of thanks-giuing but they wer not done for the dead to auaile to their saluation but for yâ— faithful yâ— wer aliue that their hearts might be the better confirmed in the faith of Christ. Of these sacrifices Cypriane maketh mention how they vsed to offer sacrifices for the martirs LaureÌ„tius Ignatius yâ— rest Wherefore it appeareth that they had not the same manner of Sacrificing for the dead at that time as it is now vsed in the Popery They did sacrifice for the Martyrs but so that they did not pray for them at all as Augustine doth also testifie so that this sacrifice for the dead had no praier for them ioyned withall but for the faithfull which were alyue Musculus fol. 493. To leane saith Ireneus vpon the holy Scriptures which are the sure and vndoubted truth is to builde his house vppon a sure and strong Rocke But if leauing it I meane the trueth of the Scriptures any man doe sticke to some other doctrines the same is to build his house vpon the vnstedfast Sand where it shall easely fall ¶ The Canonicall Scriptures make no mention at all of the praieng for the dead therefore saith Ireneus if we doe follow the doctrines of men in this point it is none other but to build vppon the vnstedfast Sande I. Veron We doe saith Ambrose condemne by right all newe things that Christ hath not taught For Christ to the faithfull is the way if Christ therefore hath not taught this that we teach we doe also iudge it detestable ¶ If it cannot be prooued by Christs holy Gospell and word that he hath not taught vs to praye for the dead then whosoeuer teacheth that doctrine we
gouernour Exaudiatte Dominus in die tribulatione protiget te nomen Dei Iacob The Lord heare thée in the day of trouble the name of the God of Iacob defend thée These words be words of praier and to be offered vnto God for the preseruation of the king Therefore when ye do pray and say The Lord heare thée vnderstand for example by this word Thée our king or chiefe gouernour and then the praier is plaine And héere by the way note that the Prophet sayth not as the olde superstition was wont our blessed Lady and all the whole companie of heuen heare thée for theÌ„ he had taught vs to cal vpon creatures which can neither heare vs nor helpe vs but the Prophet as he doth alwaies so he doth héere teach vs to crie vnto God himselfe in the day of trouble And in that he saith the name of the God of Iacob defend thée it is nothing els to say but the power the might of the most high omnipotent God of Iacob defend thée Ric. Turnar What priuate praier is Priuate praier is made vnto God by euery faithfull man in what place so euer either in the house or without doores in the closet of his hart temple of his own body For S. Peter went vp into the vppermost part of the house praier Act. 10. 9. S. Paule 1. Tim. 2. sayth I will therefore that the men pray euery where lifting vp pure hands And Christ our Lord himself very often departed euen out of the temple into the mount to pray And in the Gospell Mat. 6. he saith When thou praiest enter into thy chamber and when thou hast shut the doore pray to thy father which is in secret c. Bullinger Of publike praier Publike praier is that which is vsed vnto God in the holy assemblie according to the accustomed order of euery Church Bullinger fol. 914. PREACHERS What doctrine preachers ought to teach TEaching them to obserue all things whatsoeuer I commaund you ¶ Héere doe all Preachers learne what they should teach nothing els but Gods word nothing else but that the Lord hath commaunded them Not their owne dreames and inuentions Sir I. Cheeke ¶ Men may not teach their owne doctrine but whatsoeuerâ— Christ hath taught for he reserueth this authoritie to himselfe to be the onely teacher and author of the doctrine Geneua That we must not presume of inspiration without preaching Saule was sent by the vision to Damascus to Ananias to be instructed and yet we maye not despise the meanest minister that teacheth vs for Ananias and Philip were meane and obscure and vnknowne men this is not notable yet Paule who was notable and instructed at the féeâ—e of Gamaâ—â—el was sent vnto them by the vision Cornelius was sent to Peter The Eunuch vnderstood not till Phlip came vnto him Dauid could not vnderstand the ridle of Nathan vntil it was by Nathan himselfe expounded How Preachers ought not to yeeld to the wicked Moses sayd to Pharao there shall not one hoofe therof be left for thereof we must serue the Lord our God What weapons the preachers must vse They must fight with the word not with the swoord their weapons are praiers and teares What Preachers may flye when and in what place But if it be in such a case that the minister alone is sought after by the enimie or be forsaken of them which were his congregation or if no ruine or detriment ensue vnto the congregation by his departing then is there no cause why he may not reserue himselfe for a more commodious season But they that forsake the publike cause of the congregation goe from them that holde fast the profession of fayth these indéede be Apostatus and hirelings who Christ saith vse to flye when the woolfe comes Iohn 10. 5. We ought to followe Saint Ambrose who denied to deliuer his Churches to the Arrians although yâ— Emperour commaunded Gualter Suelacts fol. 358. This saieng when they persecute you in one citie flye to an other c. was spoken vnto the Apostles because the building of the Church depended vpon their preaching who were also but fewe in number It was méete therefore that they should be preserued vntill the worke were ended But once hauing perswaded their congregatioâ—s to the faith and hauing ended their worke it was méet that they should refuse to flye sealâ— their doctrine with their â—loud as they did indéede because then the â—earcitie of Preachers being holpen it was méete that the members of new conuerts should be confirmed c. Of generall preaching By the vse of generall preaching neither had Dauid bene touched by Nathan to repentance nor Herode bene touched by Iohn Baptist to griefe For he that speaketh generally speaketh to no man PREDESTINATION What Predestination is PRedestination is Gods euerlasting and vnchaungeable ordinaunce going in order before all the causes of saluation and dampnation whereby God hath determined to bée glorified by some by sauing them of his owne méere grace in Christ and in other some by dampning them through his rightfull iudgement in Adam and in themselues And after the custome of the Scripture we call the sormer sorte the vessells of glorye and the elect or chosen that is to saye folkes appointed to saluation before the world through mercye And the other sort we call reprobates or castawayes and vessells of wrath that is to saye appointed likewise to rightfull dampnation from euerlasting either of both which GOD hath knowne seuerally from time without beginning Theo. Beza By the eternall Predestination of GOD is vnderstoode his eternall ordinaunce whereby hée hath ordeined before the creation of the worlde that which hée hath determined to doe with all men to be glorified in them as well in his mercy as in his iust iudgement In his mercy he is glorified in shewing the riches of his glorie in his vessells of mercye which are his chosen yâ— which he hath prepared to glory in the iust iudgement he is glorified in shewing his wrath and giuing to vnderstanding his power after that he hath endured in greate patience the vessells of wrath prepared to perdition P. Viret I thinke it best with this definition to begin with that that the Logitians call Quid nominis what the worde signifieth The Grecians call Predestination Oûproris non of this Uerbe Cûporitas which signifieth to determine and appoint before For Oros is Terminus that is a bande or limit Wherefore the elect are seperated a sunder from them that are not elect the Latine men call it Praedestinatio For Destinare is nothing else but firmely to determine and constantly to appoint anye thing in the minde or by some firme decrée of the minde to direct anye thing to some one end But Predestination which wée speake of maye bée taken two manner of wayes either as touching the bringing of it to the effect as that Paule going to Damascus was conuerted to Christ and by that
béeing receiued Christ departeth For there is no agréement betwéene Christ and Behal Marl. vpon Iohn fol. 441. How the standing of Satan among the Angels is to be vnderstood And Satan also came among them ¶ It is not so to be vnderstood that Satan wound himselfe in as though he had bene of the company and order of the Angells but it is to shewe vs that he is vnder Gods obeysaunce as well as the Angells howbeit that it is in a farre other qualitie For the Holy ghost nameth him aduersarie whereas the Angels be called the children of God to signifie vnto vs that the Angells â—â—e â—bey with their good will and that they be willing seruants whereas Satan is inforced so as there is nothing but necessitie and constraint in him Cal. vpon Iob. fol. 16. When the seruaunts of God came and stoode before the Lord Satan came also among them ¶ Thinke not that God sometime appeareth to the Angells and sometime not for the good Angels do alwaies see the face of God neither communeth God either with the Angels or with the Diuel with bodely speach but the holy ghost in the scripture speketh many things vnto vs according to our féeling and vseth a manner of speaking familiar vnto vs attributing appearing speaking enquiring and aunswering to God and to Angells which thing man onely vseth to the intent that we thereby may the easlier perceiue his meaning The comming of the Angells héere is none other thing then to giue accompts of the office enioyned them which they giue knowing that God seeth with what trust they did it and to giue thankes and waite for their reward They came saith Origen honouring magnifieng praising giuing thankes Of Satan also writeth he thus He came neither with gooing too or comming in but he came in thought counsell and most wicked desire to accuse the righteous before God his thought and desire are taken for a comming The Diuell then is counted to haue come into the sight of God not that the most wicked came indeede in the sight of the good God but because his cruell and most wicked thoughts came into the sight of God And thus euen now a dayes also commeth the Diuell with them into the sight of God in that he daily accuseth findeth faults persecuteth and troubleth the godly T. M. ¶ This declareth that although Satan be aduersarye vnto God yet is he compelled to obey him and doe him all homage without whose permission and appointment he can do nothing Geneua Of the man that Paule deliuered to Satan what it meaneth To deliuer him to Satan ¶ To deliuer to Satan is 〈…〉 banish a man from the Congregation of the faithfull which is the mysticall body of Christ. Ye shall vnderstand that there vs but two Kingdomes that is to say the Kingdome of Christ which is the Church or Congregation of the faithfull and the Kingdome of Satan Whosoeuer then is a rotten member cut off from the body of Christ he is immediately receiued into the kingdome of the Diuell as though he were delyuered vp vnto Satan and that ought to be done to the intent that carnal and fleshly wisdome hautines of minde may be ther-through abated Sir I. Cheeke ¶ Which is to be as an Heathen man and Publican For being wounded with shame and sorrow his flesh or olde man should dye and the spirit or new man shall remaine alyue and enioye the victorye in that daye when the Lord shall iudge the quicke and the dead 1. Pet. 4. 6. Geneua How Peter is called Satan Get thée behinde me Satan ¶ The Hebrues call him Satan that is to say an aduersarie whom the Grecians call Diabolos that is to say slaunderer or tempter But it is spoken of them that either of mallice as Iudas Iohn 6. 70. or of lyghtnes and pride resist the will of God Beza ¶ Which words signifieth an aduersarie who resisteth the wil of God either of mallice as did Iudas or of rashnesse and arrogancie as Peter did Geneua ¶ We ought to rebuke sharply all them that goe about to pluck vs away from the obedience that we owe vnto God and to his word Sir I. Cheeke How Satan can do no more then God permitteth him Go then went they out departed into the Heard of Swine ¶ Satan the diuel can do no more then God doth permit suffer him no not so much as to enter into a filthie hog we are much better then many Hogges before God if we cleaue vnto his sonne by faith Sir I. Cheeke How Satan entered into Iudas And after the soppe Satan entered into him ¶ He was entered into him before as this Euange list affirmeth in the beginning of this Chapter verse 2. but now began he more to inforce his strength and more openly to shewe himselfe In like manner as the Apostles had the Holy Ghost before Christs resurrection when they beléeued in him when they confessed him to be the Sonne of God but they euidently receiued him when Christ was ascended Act. 2. Tindale Of the binding vp and loosing againe of Satan And I saw an Angell descending from heauen hauing a key of the bottomlesse Pit a great chaine in his hand he tooke the Dragon the old Serpent which is the Diuell Satanas bound him for a thousand yeares and put him in the bottomles dungeon shut him vp signed him with his seale that hée should no more seduce the Gentiles till a thousand yeres were expired and after that he must be loosed againe for a litle shew of time And I saw seates and they sate vpon them and iudgement was giuen vnto them and the soules I sawe of them which were beheaded for the testimonie of Iesus ¶ By these words of the Reuelation héere recited three special times are to be noted First the being abroad of Satan to deceiue the world Second the binding vp of him Thirdly the loosing out of him againe after a thousand yeres consumate for a time Concerning the interpretation of which times I sée the common opinion of many to be deceiued by ignoraunce of Histories and state of things done in the Church supposing that the comming vp of Satan for a thousand yeares spoken of in the Reuelation was ment from the time of Christ our Lord. Wherein I graunt that spiritually the strength dominion of Satan in accusing and condemning vs for sinne was cast downe at the passion and by the passion of Christ our Sauiour and locked vp not onely for a thousand yeare but for euer and euer Albeit as touching his malitious hatred and fury of that Serpent against the outward bodyes of Christs poore Saints which is the héele of Christ to afflict and torment the Church outwardly that I iudge to bée meant in the Reuelation of Saint Iohn not to bée restrayned till the ceasing of those terrible persecutions of the Primitiue Church At which time it pleased God to pittie
SVSPENTION What Suspention is SUspention is the censure of the Eldershippe whereby one is for a time depriued of the Communion of the Sacraments Often this sorte are forbidden which as yet make profession of religion And in olde time among the Iewes the vncircumcised whether they were straungers or Iewes Exo. 12. 48. 49. Thus with vs they were by the same reason to bée debarred for a time which haue not embraced true religion or embracing make no profession thereof They also are put backe which professing religion commit any haynous crime for thus in times past the vncleane although not with greatest pollution were put of for a time as namelye those that were vncleane by touching of a dead bodye Num. 8. which after the same manner ought to bée obserued with vs. Neither it is doubtfull but when as Christ hath warned that he against whome a brother is offended shoulde not offer his gifte vntill hée were reconciled if hée doe it not of his owne frée will if the offence be knowne ought to be by the authoritie of the Senate compelled therevnto SVVEARING Why the Iewes were suffered to sweare by the name of God IN the olde lawe the Iewes in an earnest iust weightie cause were permitted to sweare in the name of God but not by all manner of creatures least they dwelling among the Heathen and accustoming their othes shuld by continuance of time fall into the filthy worshipping of their Idolls forgetting God Sweare by his name saith Moses Deut. 6. 13. and see that ye walke not after strange Gods of the Nations yâ— you remaine among So that ye neither make mention saith Iosua 23. 7. nor yet sweare by the names of their Gods Who sweareth aright They sweare iustly being required of the Magistrates which minding fraud nor deceit witnesseth onely the truth Which séeketh no parcialitie but the right not themselues but the glory of God the profit of their neighbour and the Common-wealth of Gods people What swearing is lawfull And sweare by his name c. ¶ To sweare that which is true in a cause of faith either to the honour of God or profit of thy neighbour is lawfull and then will Moses that the oth bee made in the name of God By which he meaneth that if we must néedes sweare we referre the oth to God onely although thou sweare by a booke or other thing as Paul did by his conscience Rom. 9. 1. T. M. And shall sweare by his name ¶ We must feare God serne him and confesse his name which is done by swearing lawfully Geneua To sweare by the Lord and to the Lord are two things And they sweare to the Lord c. ¶ To sweare vnto the Lord is to giue thy selfe wholly to him with a pure hart which thing true worshippers do as is said of Dauid Psal. 132. 2. But to sweare by the Lord is to call on the name of the Lord as a witnesse and Iudge as it is said Iosua 2. 12. T. M. Thou shalt not forsweare thy selfe ¶ As we are forbidden to take the name of God in vaine or to sweare by any manner thing giuing the honour and glory vnto creatures that ought to be ascribed onely to God the Creator so when we are called before Magistrates we may lawfully take an Oth and sweare the Lord liueth Exo. 32. 8. 9. 10. 11. Deut. 6. 13. Heb. 4. 3. Rut. 1. 17 1. Reg. 20. 3. Sir I. Cheeke All priuate swearing is forbidden Sweare not at all saith Christ but let your communication be yea yea nay nay ¶ He saith twice yea and twice nay that is yea in heart and yea in mouth nay in heart and nay in mouth And if men when you meane truly will not beléeue you by your yea and nay let them take héede saith S. Basil â—or they shall tast the paine that belongeth to the vnbeléeuers therfore it is both foolish and damnable when a man cannot be beléeued by yea and nay without an oth because he wold be beleeued to sweare The Gospell saith S. Hierom permitteth no manner of priuate swearing because the whole language of a Christian should be so faithfull true and perfect that euery sentence thereof shall be able to stand for an oth How customable swearing is daungerous Of customable swearing commeth the damnable vice of periâ—â—â—e If a man shall vse commonly to sweare he cannot chuse but many times damnably to forsweare himselfe That a man hath in customeâ— he shall doe at all times but he shall not at all times refraine it The Lord saith Moses will not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his name in vaine Deut. 5. 11. Exo. 20. 7. A man that vseth much swearing saith Iesus Sirach shall bée full of iniquitie and neuer shall the plague depart from his house All théeues and swearers are vnder one curse of God saith Zachary Stoned was he by the law that blasphemed the name of the Lord in Israel The Doctors against swearing Tell vnto me my friend saith Iohn Chrisostom what doâ—â— thou proâ—â—te by thy swearing If thine aduersary shuld thinke thée to sweare aright he would neuer compell thee to it but because he thinketh thee thereby to become a periâ—rer therefore enforceth he thée to an oth Seldome hath the priuate oth a good conclusion But happely thou wilt say I cannot â—â—ll my wares vnlesse I doe sweare or my debter beleeueth me not vnlesse I make him an oth Wherevnto I aunswere rather be content to haue thy wares vnsolde and to loose thy money then thy saluation in Christ. Reason faithfully with conscience and let thy soule be more deare vnto thee then thy corruptible substaunce For though thou loose part of thy substance yet maist thou liue but if thou loose God thou canst not liue A greater reward shalt thou haue for loosing of it in the feare of God then if thou hadst giuen it in almes for that is done in paine for the loue of the Lord requireth a more worthy crowne then that is done without paine Moreouer I counsell thée as my friend saith Chrisostome if thou be a true Christian that thou neuer compell any other man to sweare For whether he sweareth right or wrong thou art not without daunger afore God considering that Christ whose seruaunt thou oughtest to be hath giuen thee a sore commaundement to the contrary Beside that though his oth were true yet is not thy conscience cléere from periury for so much as the matter being doubtfull vnto thée thou puttest him to the daunger thereof And if it were false then hast thou enforced him to periury and so for lacke of Christen charitie lost both his soule and thine owne for whom Christ suffered his death Worse is he saith S. Austen then an homicide that compelleth a man to sweare whome he knoweth to forsweare himselfe For the homicide slayeth but the body whereas he slayeth the soule yea two soules rather That is to
giuen to finde souldiers as Augustine doth often say Now reasons why ther shuld be wepons ther be many But this is yâ— speciall reson which the Cantons wher euery man wereth a weapon alledge for their so doing that the magistrate country may be assisted and defended And euery man do weare wepon ought to weare wepon for the magistrate ought not only to weare it but also to drawe it at the Magistrates voice to do as it is said in the. 3. booke fourth Chapter of Esdras If the king alone saie Doe kill they do kill If he say do forgiue they forgiue If he say smite they do smite If he say banish they do banish If he saye cut off they cut off I say if the people ought thus to do for the Prince magistrate to draw their weapons in his cause to lay downe their life at their foote how much more ought the magistrate for his owne cause and for all their causes to beare weapon and not to beare it in vaine but to purpose c. T. Draut Warres sent of God And sent forth his warriours to destroye those murtherers ¶ This was done by the Emperours of Rome Vespatianus Titus which destroied HierusaleÌ„ slew aboue eleuen hundred thousand men Note that the Romanes are héere called the armies of the Lord euen as they of the Assirians is in the Prophet called the seruants of God because that by him God did punish his people Sir I. Cheeke Of him that warreth vnder Christ. ¶ Looke Souldier VVASHING Wherevnto the washing of feet had relation IN those places that are extreame hotte when men haue done their iourney they vse to wash their béete and to wipe away the dust which office was somtime shewed vnto Christ our sauiour And he againe executed the same vnto his Apopostles Paule also required this of good widowes namelye to wash the féete of thâ— Saintes c. Pet. Mart. vppon Iudic. fol. 252. How this word wash is taken If I wash thée not ¶ There are some which refer this word Wash vnto the free remissâ—on of sinnes And there are other fome also which referre the same to newnesse of life And a third forte vppon a good consideration referre it to both For Christ washeth vs when he wipeth awaye our sinnes by the offering vp himselfe least they should come into iudgement Moreouer he washeth vs wheÌ„ by his holy spirit he abolisheth the wicked and sinfull desires of the flesh Marl. vpon Iohn fol. 461. Ye also ought to wash one anothers feete ¶ The Bishop of Rome too apishly foolloweth Christ in many thinges And in this he would seeme to follow Christ washing once in a yeare the feete of certeine poore folkes which haue bene washed before and not onely washed but also perfumed with swéete odours and waters And thus by a bare and naked ceremony they thinke that they haue done very well And when they haue done it they can be conâ—eÌ„ted to contemne their brethren and cruelly to teare the members of Christ and to spit in his face Wherfore that comminical pompe is nothing else but a filthy scorning of Christ. And verely Christ doth not héere commend vnto vs a yearely ceremonie but commaundeth vs all our lyfe time to be ready to wash our bretherens féete When Abigal sayd to the messengers of Dauid Beholde let thine handmaide be a seruaunt to wash the féete of the seruants of my Lord shée meant not such a counterfeit seruice as the imitating enimies of Christ doe vse but she meant that she would be so obedient loyall and seruable to Dauid that she would not refuse to wash euen the feet of his seruants So Saint Paule vnderstoode washing of the féete when hée required the good and vertuous widow to be a washer of the Saints féete that is to saye to be serueable to them in each point Christ sayth not ye ought to wash my féete but to wash one an others féete Marl. vppon Iohn fol. 463. Saint Augustine ad Iannar saith thus If thou demaunde vpon what consideration this ceremony of washing féete first began notwithstanding I haue well thought of it yet canne I finde nothing that séemeth more likely then this For that the bodyes of them that hadde appointed to be baptised at Easter being ill cherished by reason of the lenten fast wold haue had some loathsomnesse in the touching vnlesse they â—ad bene washed at sometime before And that therefore they chose this day chiefly to that purpose vppon which daye the Lordes supper is yearely celebrated Héere Saint Austen sayth it was the fulsomnesse of the bodyes loathsomenesse of the senses that first began this ceremonye and not the institution or commaundement of Christ. What is signified by washing of Christs Disciples feet And beganne to was his Disciples féete ¶ Hée washed their féete to declare that hée came to minister vnto other and not be ministred vnto And further to teach by this washing that his ministration was to purge and wash away the â—ilth of sinne which is done by the shedding of his bloud for the bloud of Christ sprinkled into our hearts by the worde of his Gospel and receiued by sayth cleanseth vs from all sinne Tindale ¶ He that is washed néedeth not saue to wash his feete ¶ Whosoeuer is washed that is to saye whosoeuer beleeueth in the bloud of Christ which doth wash away all our sinnes hée is cleane but yet he hath néede to wash his féet that is to say hée hath néed with continuall watch to came his carnal affections and fleshly concupiscenses dayly with a true repentant heart flieng vnto the Lord for mercye and pardon of his sinnes Héere they be confounded that affirme vs to be without sinne after we be regenerate Sir I. Cheeke Saue to wash his feete ¶ That is to be continually purged of his corrupt affections worldly cares which remain dayly in vs. Geneua VVAST SEA How Babylon is compared to the wast sea ¶ Looke Babylon VVATCH What it is to watch WAtch is not onely to absteine from sleepe but also to be circumspect and to cast all perills as a man should watch a Towre or Castle we must remember that the snares of the diuell are infinite and innumerable and that euerye moment arise new temptations and that in all places méete vs fresh occasions against which we must prepare our selues and turne to God and complaine to him and make our moue desireâ— him of his mercy to be our shield our towre our castle defence from all euill to put his strength in vs for with out him we can do nothing and aboue all thing we must call to minde what promises God hath made and what he hath sworne that he will doe to vs for Christs sake and with strong faith cleaue vnto them and desire him of his mercie and for the loue hée hath to Christ and for his truths sake to fulfill his promises If
diuided Iosephus writeth that Adam and Seth diuided the yeare into twelue months and first obserued and taught the course of the celestiall bodies Lanquet YOKE How the yoke of Christ is to be vnderstood TAke my yoke on you and learne of me ¶ We must so shake of the yoke of mens traditions that in the meane season we doe not refuse to submit our neckes vnto the swéete pleasant yoke of our Sauiour Christ that is to say we must so put the intollerable burdens of Antichrists dreames that in the meane season we seeke no carnall libertie in the Gospell S. I. Cheeke Take my yoke vpon you saith Christ for my yoke is sweet my burthen is light ¶ By which words they argue the commaundements of God to be easie possible to be kept I aunswere that these words of Christ meane not the law of Moses but are to be vnderstood of the receiuing to be our Messias and Sauiour and that we should become subiects vnder his kingdome that is to beléeue in him and to be his Disciples who in so doing shall finde his yoke and subiection vnder him to be plesaunt and swéete For there shall we haue remission of all our sinnes shall ouercome the Diuel and the world shal be frée from death shal be eased of ceremonies shal be raised in the resurrection to euerlasting life andâ— in the meane time shall tast yâ— swéete comfort of the Holy ghost in our hearts Fox ¶ In that Christ calleth it Iugum meum my yoke he meaneth a difference betwéen his doctrine and the lawe and that in respect of the straitnesse of the law and the easinesse of his doctrine and of that he requireth of his children and scholars but how heauie a lumpe the lawe is S. Peter describeth in the 15. of the Acts where he saith thus Nunc ergo c. Now therefore why tempt ye God to put on the disciples necks the yoke which neither our fathers nor we were able to beare I. Gough What the yoke of seruitude is The yoke of seruitude is to beléeue that Circumcision and the fulfilling of the lawe is necessary to obtaine euerlasting saluation D. Heynes What this yoke signifieth For thou shalt breake the yoke of the peoples burthen the staffe of his shoulder c. ¶ This yoke figureth the yoke and burthen of the law which so oppressed the people that Saint Peter could say to the Apostles yâ— neither they nor their fathers were able to keepe it Act. 15. 10. This yoke hath Christ broken according to the Prophecie of Esay and vtterly discharged the burden thereof For we know now that God is satisfied and contented in the bloud of his sonne Christ and that the many thousand fold punishments which are due to our sinnes are cleane pardoned and forgiuen for the merites of the same Christ. 1. Iohn 2. 2. The Hebrues expound this of the destruction of the hoast of Sennacherib which was done by the Angell of the which in the 37. ver 36. And call the hoast of the Assyrians the yoke of the peoples burthen the staffe of the shoulder the rod of the oppressour But it is a more grieuous bondage wherewith the spirituall Sennacherib of whom the Assyrians was a certaine figure and shadow bound vs and from which Christ hath deliuered vs. T. M. What the yoke of transgression is The yoke of my transgression is bound vppon his handes ¶ Mine heauie sinnes are continually before his eyes as hée that tyeth a thing to his hand for a remembraunce Geneua What is ment by the yoke in this place It is good for a man that he â—eare the yoke of his youth He sheweth that we can neuer begin too timely to be exercised vnder the Crosse that when the afflictions grow greater our patience also by experience may be stronger Geneua YRON FVRNACE What is meant by this yron furnace ANd brought you out of the yron furnace of Aegypt By this yron furnace is vnderstood anguish and griefe sorrow carefulnesse of heart 3. Reg. 8. 51. for Aegypt was to them an yron furnace for the great anguish sorrow and carefulnesse of heart which they there suffered T. M. Zachary How Zachary and his wife are counted iust in Scripture SCripture commendeth Zachary and Elizabeth to be both iust before God and to walke in all the commaundements and iustifications of the Lord. To this saith Master Fox I could aunswere thus yâ— if Zachary Elizabeth his wife were both iust before God it was not because God could not but because he would not finde fault with them But to let mine owne aunswere goe I will set S. Hierome to aunswere therevnto where he declareth two manner of perfections to be in holy Scriptures One which is agréeable to the vertues of God and is voide of all sinne and immutable And this saith he is appropriate onely to God was héere declared in Christ The other which agreeth to our fragilitie and is not pure from all sinne and is called perfect not by comparison to Gods iustice but so accounted in the knowledge of God who séeth the good indeuour of the fraile creature accepteth the same in the same produceth this example both of Zachary Elizabeth also of Iob. The like answere may be gathered out of S. Austen who speaking of the worthinesse which is in iust men heere saith yâ— it may be called perfect so far as they both truly acknowledge humbly confesse their own imperfection going wtall c. So yâ— of the righteousnes of Zachary we may say as S. Paule said by the righteousnes of Abraham yâ— if he haue any thing to glory he hath to glory with men not with god in whose iudgment saith Dauid no flesh shal be iustified c. only yâ— flesh of the sonne of God excepted who onely being iust died for yâ— vniust as Saint Peter witnesseth wherevpon I ground this reason Christ dyed for the vniust Zachary and Elizabeth were not vniust before God as they say Ergo Christ died not for them which is absurd to graunt so that rather this argument is to be holden A sensu contrario Christ dyed for the vniust Christ dyed for Zachary and Elizabeth Ergo Zachary and Elizabeth were vniust Againe They that doe the commaundements doe liue therein Zachary and Elizabeth lyued not in the commandements but died Ergo Zachary and Elizabeth did not all the commaundements so iustly as they should Master Fox in his sermon of Christ crucified fo 36. ¶ They were both righteous before God walked in all the lawes ordinaunces of the Lord without reproch These words are not to be vnderstood as though Zachary Elizabeth absolutely fulfilled the law for then they had no néed of Christ and Christ had not then said truly in the 17. of Luke Dicite c. Say ye we are vnprofitable seruants c. But therfore they are said to be iust because God in Christ