the holy oracles and wordes of god should get their credite by men which are otherwise lyers But these things they faine to the entēt that seyng they are manifestlye founde often tymes to haue decreed and ratified in the Sacraments doctrines farre otherwise than the holy scriptures will beare Whiche thing they would defend that they may do it bycause the Churche whiche doth bring authoritie and credite to the worde of God may alter things in the holy Scriptures as pleased it Wherfore we must resiste them by all meanes possible in this thyng which they take vpon them to do We may not suffre our selues to be brought to thys poynte to thincke that the Scriptures haue had their credite and authority by the Churche And yet do I not write these thynges as thoughe I woulde despise or contemne the dignitie of the Churche vnto the whiche There be three offices of the Churche touching the word of God The Churche as a witnesse kepeth the holy Bookes I do attribute thre offices and them moste excellent as touchyng the worde of GOD. The firste of them is that I do confesse that the Church as a witnesse hath kept the holy bokes But thereby it can not be proued that it is lawful for it to peruert or alter any thing in the holy bookes Experience teacheth vs that publique and priuate wrytinges are committed to scriueners whiche are commonly called notaryes to be layd vp and diligently kept of thē And yet there is none that is in his right wittes which wil say that he may alter any thing in them or wil beleue that their authoritie is of greater force than their willes were whiche desired to haue the same written The worde of God reuealed and written Neither shall it be here vnprofitable to obserue the difference betwene the worde of god as it was reuealed at the beginning to the Prophetes sainctes as it was afterwardes preached or written For we do easely acknowledge betwene these that there is onely difference of tyme and not of the authoritie or efficacie For we confesse that the worde vnwritten was more auncient than that which was afterward appointed to letters and we graunt that either cōferred together was geuen to the Churche but in suche sorte that the Churche as we haue sayd can not by any meanes wrest or chaunge it The office of the Churche is to publishe and preache the worde of God And this vndoubtedly is the second office of the Church to preach publish the wordes committed vnto it by God In which thing it is lyke a common crier who althoughe he do publishe the decrees of princes and magistrates yet he is not aboue the decrees or equal vnto them in authoritie But his whole office is faithfully to pronounce all thynges as he hath receaued them of the princes and magistrates And if he should otherwise do he should be counted altogether for a traytour Wherfore the ministers of the Churche ought to care and study for nothing so much as to be founde faithfull We acknowledge also the last office of the Churche to be The Churche discerneth the holy bokes frō counterfaite such as are Apochriphas that seyng it is endued with the spirite of God it must therfore discerne the sincere vncorrupted bookes of holy Scriptures from the counterfaite and Apocriphas whiche is not yet to be in authoritie aboue the worde as many do foolishely dreame For there are very many which can discerne the true propre writings of Plato and Aristotle from other falsely put to them yet in comparison of iudgement they are neither of greater lernyng nor yet of equall with Plato or Aristotle And euery one of vs cā easely know God from the deuill yet are we not to be coūted equal with God much lesse can we thinck that we do excel him So the Churche ought not bycause of this to preferre faith or authoritie thereof before the Scriptures Augustine But they say Augustine sayeth I would not beleue the Gospell except the authoritie of the Churche did moue me therunto But in that place is read to moue together for in very dede Faith is not poured in by the minister but by God it is the spirite of God which poureth faith into the hearers of his worde And bycause the ministers of the Churche are his instrumentes they are rather to be sayd to moue with than absolutely to moue The same Augustine writeth in his 28. booke and second chap. against Faustus that the Maniches ought so to beleue that the first chap. of Matthew was writtē by Matthew euen as they did beleue that the Epistle whiche they called Fundamentum was written by Maniche bycause vndoubtedly they were so kept by their elders from hande to hand deliuered vnto them This is it therfore that the Churche moueth withall to beleue the Gospell bycause faithfully it kepeth the holy scriptures preacheth them and discerneth them from straunge Scriptures The same father manifestly witnesseth in his 6. booke of his confessions the 4. and 5. chap. that God him selfe in very dede did geue authoritie to the holy scriptures Tertullianus Irenaeus But Tertullianus and Irenaeus hauing to do against heretikes did therfore send thē to the Apostolicall Churches bycause they did not admitte the whole scriptures Wherfore they would that they should take their iudgemēt of those Churches which were certainly knowen to be Apostolical For it was meete that those Churches should continuallye remayne both witnesses and also keapers of the holy scriptures and yet therfore they did not decree that the authoritie of the Churche should be preferred before the scriptures What is to be thought of a certayn rule of the Logiciens But the aduersaries say that they are led by the sentence whiche is cōmonly vsed among Logiciens Euery thyng is such a thyng by reason of an other VVherfore that other shal more be counted suche Wherfore they reason after this maner If by the Churche the Scripture hath hys authoritie it must nedes be that the Church much more hath that authoritie But they remēber not that this sentence put by the Logiciens taketh place onely in finall causes and is of no strength in efficient causes For althoughe our inferior worlde be made warme by the sunne and the starres yet doth it not thereby followe that they are farre more warmer And agayne when immoderate men by wyne are made droncke we can not therby conclude the wyne to be more dronken than they Yea the Logiciens teache this that this their sentence is then strong and of efficacy in efficient causes when such efficient causes are brought forth whiche are whole and perfect and not whiche are perciall and maymed whiche rule is not obserued of our aduersaries in this argument For the Churche is not the whole and perfect efficient cause of that faith and authoritie whiche the holy Scriptures haue with the faithfull For if it were
ouer the red sea But for thys it is woorthy to beare awaye the garland bycause of that tribe Messias should be geuen not onely to the Iewes but also to al the world Neither happened these priuileges and dignities to Iudah by order of birth For it was reckoned the fourth amōg the sonnes of Iacob Ruben in deede was fyrst borne but bycause of his vile incest wherby he abstayned not euen from his fathers bed he was throwne downe from hys proper dignity and in his steade as concerning the kyngdome Iudah was substituted But the dignity of birthright was geuen to Ioseph Wherein Iudah excelled the tribe of Ephraim Wherefore his first tribe called Ephraim was not onely valiant mighty but also was exalted to the kyngdom of ten trybes which kingdome neuerthelesse was both vnconstant and also abode not alwayes in that famyly But the principallity of Iudah is euerlasting bycause it was not taken away from it euen to Christes tyme and he comming of that family raygneth and shall raygne for euer All whych thynges Iacob hym selfe confirmed wyth hys noble prophecye wherein he fore sayde to hys children what thynges shoulde happen to them in the latter tymes Wherfore it is not to be maruelled if his Prophecies be in some parte fulfilled now For the spirite of god doth euer wel agree with it selfe as it whiche bringeth those things to passe which are agreable to his prophecyes How farre the oracle geuē to the Israelites pertaineth vnto vs. And that which is sayd here to be answered to the Israelites let vs thinke also to be answered vnto vs that if we will be sure to obtayne the victory agaynst the enemyes of mans saluatiō we must haue him to be the captaine of our battayle which by the holy Prophecye of Iacob is called the Lyon of the tribe of Iudah If by hys conductyng and name we wil fyght agaynste the deuil the fleshe the world death and hell our victorye shall not then in any poynte be doubtfull but most certayne And yet would I not haue the reader to thinke bycause I haue put thys allegorye in that therfore I will vse many allegoryes in thys historye for I will vse them rarely and very seldome Allegoryes are not alwaies to he discōmēded not that I would haue theyr pleasantnes and elegancye be vtterly dispised The old fathers certaynly delited very much in them I will not say to much Yea and we fynde them sometymes applyed in the holy Scriptures For Christ in the gospell compared hymselfe allegorically both to Salomon and to Ionas and also to the serpent which Moyses at the commaundemente of God hong vp in the wildernesse I will not speake of Paule who writing to the Galathians made Isaac and Ismaell the sonnes of Abraham two peoples and pronounced Sara and Agar to be two Testamentes applying the Hebrewes to the Mounte Sina and the Christian Church to the Citye of Ierusalem but euen as Allegoryes are not vtterly to be dispised Allegories must not be rashly vsed so are they not to much rashly to be vsed For although it be free for euery man in thys kynde of interpretation to deuise what things he lyste so that he straye not from the rules of fayth and holy Scriptures yet haue we not therby any strong or certaine argumentes for the confyrmation of the doctrine of fayth Therefore there is smal profyte by the labour taken in them Neuerthelesse I except those which are put in the holy Scriptures Whither firme argumēts may be brought frō Allegories for they are to be counted the wordes of the holy ghost Wherfore theyr authoritye is great both in prouing alledging of testimonyes But the other wherin the wits of men haue dalied although with Godlynes and in a ryght vnderstanding bicause they are the inuentions of men theyr cōclusions and argumentes are very weake For men being the authors of them myght both be deceaued and also deceaue But thys Allegorye by me broughte forth namely that the aunswere of God for the appoynting of the tribe of Iudah to be captaine of the warres doth no lesse belong to vs than to the Hebrues hath no small certaynty and scarcely pertayneth to allegoryes For whatsoeuer they were that defended the people of God in the olde time Christ was theyr hed and captayne Wherfore whatsoeuer they dyd in defendyng of hys members they did it as his ministers and vicars Wherby he which religiously reuolueth their actes in his minde and then putting them asyde doth behold the hed and chiefe captayne Howe those thinges agree with Christ which seme to be spoken of Dauid Salomon by whose conducting they obtayned the victoryes He I saye doth not straye from the marke which the holy ghost had in the holy bookes After thys maner those thyngs which are red in the holy Scriptures both of Salomon and also of Dauid and seme to be spoken of them in respecte of the historye are not allegorically applyed by the Apostles in the new Testamente to Christ seing that the holy ghost spake them purposedly of hym Wherefore I haue not absurdely sayde that the oracle geuen to the Israelites shoulde be thoughte to bee spoken vnto vs. Behold I haue geuen the land into his hands God sheweth forth in this place his liberal boūtefull goodnes He doth not only geue answer to that which he was demaūded but also addeth therunto a most notable promise He first appointeth the tribe by name which he wyll haue to make warre first before the other tribes against the Chananites Then he promised to geue them the land of the Chananites whych he dyd to their great commoditye for he made the Iewes more cherefull to fight in that he sayde that he woulde helpe them Moreouer he wold not haue the possession of those regions ascribed vnto their own strength or power but vnto him selfe Ye shall not take it saith he but I haue deliuered the land into their handes And he vseth a verbe of the preterperfect tense wherby the certainty of hys sayinges shoulde be expressed Of this place we may iustlye gather We must aske counsel of God when wee take any thinges or affaires in hād that in busines which we take in hande what so euer they be God must alwaies be asked counsel of And thys maye be proued not onely by this example but also by infinite other whych the treasures of the holye scriptures minister vnto vs to which cōmeth a most strong reason What so euer is not of faith sayth Paul is synne wherby it followeth that no man should attempt any thing without fayth And that is no fayth whych leaneth not to the woorde of God For as the same Apostle hath taught From whence the woord of God is to bee sought faith commeth of hearing and hearing commeth by the woord of God which woord we cannot haue by any other accustomed rule and ordinary way than out of Gods oracles which haue bene set foorth
the signification of that woord farre otherwise than to the holy Communion For by Masse hee vnderstandeth perfection finishing and absolution Wherfore he saith praestolatur congregationis missam Let him tarye the ende or fulnes of the congregation That is that the multitude and congregation maye be absolued and fulfyled And by and by after Contenti somno quia missa vigiliarum vsque ad lucem conceditur That is being content with the sleepe which is permitted them froÌ„ the end of the vigiles vnto day light wherby this woord Missa he vnderstandeth that time of the watch wherin the vigiles wer ended For then was it lawfull for the Monkes to slepe vntil day light Neither must I ouership that ther is meÌ„cion most manifestly made of Masses in the exposition of the .xi. chap. of the Prouerbs of Salomon which exposition is ascribed to Ierome The exposition of the Prouerbes is falsely ascribed to Ierome But that boke without coÌ„trouersy is none of Ieromes writing For Gregory is there alledged who liued long after Augustine and Ierome Bruno Amerbachius in his epistle which he set before the booke saith that he saw in an old booke that that interpretatioÌ„ was entituled to Beda Many abuses in the church in the time of Beda And if it wer so then it is no maruaile if hee made mention of Masses for then in the time of Beda the priest many abuses had crept into the church I do therfore admonish you of that bicause in that place that couÌ„terfait Ierome affirmeth that the souies of such as are dead are by the celebrations of Masses deliuered out of Purgatory Ierome was not so wont to speake From whence thys woorde Masse coÌ„meth Now resteth to declare from whence the name of Masse which vndoubtedly is a latin word semeth to be deriued The old fathers if a man wyll diligentlys marke their writinges did put this word remissa which is forgeuenes for this woord remissio Tertullian which is also forgeuenes Tertullianus in his .4 booke agaynsts Marcion the .249 syde We haue spoken saith he de remissa peccatorum that is of the remission of synnes Ciprian Ciprian de bono patientiae saith Qui remissam peccatorum erat daturus lauatro regenerationis tingi non est dedignatus He whyche came to geue remission of synnes disdained not to be washed with the lauacre of regeneration The same man writeth in the .14 epistle of his .13 booke Qui blasphemat spiritum sanctum remissam peccatorum non habet that is he which blasphemeth the holye Ghost hath not remission of sinnes Wherefore seing in steede of remissio they haue said remissa they may be counted also in stede of missio to haue vsed this word missa Therfore that which was done in the Church post missionem Cathecumenorum Cathecumenites that is after the sending away of the Cathecumenites they called Missa that is Masse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to declare that also by the way is to teache to enstruct especially by voice and not by writing whereof they wer called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which wer not yet washed with the lauacre of regeneration but wer instructed of their faith Tertullian called them Audientes or Auditores that is hearers But Augustine called them Competentes that is desirers or requesters that is of baptisme For before they should be baptised at Easter they signified their names .40 daies before in which space they wer instructed not onely their faith but also their life and maners wer examined of the Pastors of the church The Cathecumenites not coÌ„municantes wer sent out by the Deacon Cyrillus Gregory But in the holy assembling when the holy scriptures wer red the sermon done the Deacon cryed Exeunto Catechumeni that is let the Cathecumenites go forth the Grecians said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is holye thinges for holy ones as it is gathered out of the seruice booke of the elders Also out of Cyrillus vpon Iohn the .xii. boke .l. chap yea in Gregories time as hee testifieth him self in his second booke .23 chap. of his dialogues it was sayd if any man coÌ„municate not let him geue place And that maner maye appeare to be very like vnto a certaine custome of the Ethnikes For in a certayne vsage of their seruice of God as Festus declareth the Sargeant said Festus A maner of the Ethnikes in a certaine seruice of theirs Apuleius Exesto hostis victus mulier virgo that is let the ouercome enemy the woman the maide go foorth for in that kinde of seruice it was forbidden that those kinde of persons shoulde be present And Apuleius in his .2 booke saith that the Priest did vse when he offered sacrifices to say thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is who shal abide here To whom was answered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As though it should haue bene said honest good men when as they which wer polluted vnworthy wer gon So was it done in our church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for after that saying aforesaid of the Deacon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fallers away such as wer put to repentance went their way Of these orders Dionisius made mencion They wer called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which wer vexed with euyll spirits Peraduenture they wer excoÌ„municated for those at that time I meane in the primatiue church wer deliuered vp to Sathan Missa as it wer Missio Ambrose Therfore as it now appeareth by that which we haue said the Latin church called the celebration of the sacrament of the holy supper Missam as it wer missionem that is a sending away For Ambrosius also said in a certain place missas facere And surely this sentence semeth muche more probable vnto me than doth theirs which thinke that name to be deriued of this hebrew woorde Masse But now that we haue entreated of the name of Masse Partes of the Masse we wyl also set foorthe the partes thereof as they were had among the elders The Grecians seeme to haue begon their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the exercise of the Lords supper at 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Lord haue mercy vpon vs As though before al they would implore forgeuenes of their sinnes Which phrase the latin church hath borowed of the which some attribute to Gregory But whylest the people gathered together and before they were assembled they song a peece of some Psalme Introitus or some part of the scripture and that song they called Introitus that is an entraunce bicause that at that time the people might enter in And they make Celestine authour of that After 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the people being in a maner glad for the obtaining of pardon for their synnes to geue thankes vnto God Gloria in excelâ—s Collectes did syng this hymne Gloria in altissimis that is
thinke Gideon was a holy man That they cannot deny forasmuch as the Epistle to the Hebrues the xi chapter notably testifieth him so to be I wyll demaunde of them also whyther Aaron were a holy man They wil not deny it I suppose when as hee was of God appointed to be the highe Priest and the fellowe of Moses in woorking of miracles And yet for all that either of them when they instituted a woorshipping without the woord of God are greuously accused by the holye Scriptures Let them therefore cease to obtrude vnto vs the Saintes but when we require the woord of God if they wil that we should beleue them let them bring foorth the holy scriptures We know that rites and worshippinges instituted euen by God himselfe are not acceptable vnto him when they are done without fayth as Esay Ieremy and Dauid most manifestly teache howe muche lesse wyll hee receaue those thinges which are inuented of men whiche for that they are not grounded on his woord doo vtterly want fayth ¶ Of a good Intent BVt bycause there is something alledged of a good Intent whereby some go about to excuse Gideon I thinke it good briefelye to touche those thynges which are necessary as concerning it As touching the signification of the woorde Intent signifieth a motion of the mynde whereby by some meane we tende vnto an ende as if a man shoulde study by geuing of gifts or by seruices to attain vnto any honor For the nature of thinges is in such sort that many thinges are so connexed together betwene themselues that by the one is made a steppe vnto the other For by medecines drinkes we attaine vnto health by studies reading teachers vnto wisdome Wherfore an intent is an action of the wil for it is his office to moue and stirre vp the mynde And forasmuch as the wyl doth not perceaue the thinges that he desireth before that it hath the knowledge thereof it moueth not nor forceth the minde before knowledge which raygneth in the power of intelligence or vnderstanding It perceaueth both the end and those things which serue to the end and ministreth them vnto the wyl Therfore Intent stirreth vp to the end as to a terme The definition of an intent by those thinges which vnto it are directed Let this be his definition A wyl tending vnto the ende by some meanes Wyl which is his generall woord is an act of the power that wylleth The differrence is taken of the obiect namely of the ende and these thinges which are ordeined vnto it as nowe as touching Gideon his intent was a motion of his wyll to keepe the memory of the victory geuen him by the Ephod which he had made In will therefore he comprehended at once both the end and the meane There is bothe a good intent an euyll An Intent in deuided into a good intent and an euyll And to a good intent this is chiefely required that the ende be a thing iust and good which yet is not sufficient For if a man should steale to geue almes he vndoubtedlye shoulde set before his eyes a good thing but bycause the meane is euyll therefore the intent can not be called good But if the ende bee both vnlawfull and euyll then shall the intent also be euyll Wherefore that the intent be good both the ende and the meane must be honest and good thinges Howbeit certayne thinges are by theyr nature so euyll that we can neuer vse them rightly As theft periury adulterye An euill intent of two kyndes and suche lyke Wherefore the Apostles rule must alwayes be firme that wee must neuer doo euyll thinges whereby good thynges maye followe Therefore an euyll intent is two maner of wayes that is eyther by the naughtynesse of the ende Twoo thinges are required in a good intent or els of the meanes But the intent can neuer bee good except bothe ende and meane be good Thus farre the Philosophers and schoole Deuines agree wyth vs. Nowe must we see wherein they differ from vs. The Philosophers doo thinke that the righteousnes of the ende and meanes dependeth of humane reason or naturall vnderstanding as though it were sufficient to put a difference betwene iust thinges and vniust but that we denye and requyre fully fayth and the woorde of God Augustine as sure rules whych thyng Augustine testifieth in many places and especiallye vpon the .xxxi. Psalme where he sayth Doo not count thy woorkes good before faythe whyche are nothyng els then as me thynketh great strengthes and a most swyft course out of the waye and he which so maketh haste runneth headlong to destruction Wherefore a good intent maketh a good action Faith directeth the intent but fayth directeth the intent Wherefore we must take heede when we purpose any woorke that our hart haue a regarde vnto fayth whereby it may direct his endeuours The schoole Deuines wyll easelye graunt that fayth gouerneth the intent and maketh it good But we differ from them for three causes Fyrst bicause we affirme that faith dependeth onely of the woorde of God but they wyll haue it to leane vnto Fathers and Counsels Faith must not cleaue vnto fathers coūsels and that in no case maye be graunted vnto them forasmuche as fayth must bee constant and vtterlye without errour whych twoo thynges are not founde in the Fathers and Counsels bicause they speake thinges one contrary to an other Fathers very often stryue wyth Fathers and Counsels are against Counsels and those Fathers are rare yea in a maner none whych haue not sometyme erred and that in thinges most waightye and very many Counsels haue neede of amendement Doth not the scripture by expresse woordes testify that all men are lyers The other thing wherein wee can not assent vnto the Schoolemen is bycause by a good intent they affirme that our woorkes are made meritorious yea and that of eternall lyfe Which thing how farre of it is from the truth the nature of merite may teache vs whereof I mynde not nowe to speake The thyrde thing wherein we differ from the Schoolemen is bycause they wyl haue the worke to be made good by an habitual good entent as they speke The habitual entent of the Scholemen That is to saye done without any good mocion of the hart They fayn that our actions do please god as prayers reading of Psalmes and geuing of Almes although in act we thinke nothing of God they suppose that thys habitual entent which they place in him is sufficient inough So that if thou shouldst demaūd of him whych doth these thyngs why he doth so he may be redy to aunswer that he doth it to the glory of god especially whē in doing of it he hath not a cōtrary mind or repugnant will But this can we not graunt vnto them for asmuch as in this negligence wherby when we work we think not of god nor of his glory the commaundement of
writeth Euen as welles the more they are drawen the better they are so vndoubtedly are the wordes of God for the more diligently they are handled and vsed the more plentiful fruit is by them receaued therfore I tooke in hand to interpretate this history And although I am not ignorant that you do so abound with the most learned woorkes of other men that ye neede not thys my commentary yet to that I answer that to riche men also are debtes payde and giftes are geuen vnto kinges who otherwise are more riche Who is more riche then God himselfe Vnto whoÌ„ neuertheles al the godly do both geue thankes also to their power referre thankes Wherefore I doo not offer vnto you thys slight gift bicause I thinke that ye haue neede thereof but that your benefites should not remayne with me longer then is meete as though they wer neglected Farther that we might be styl more and more bound together in amity For these duties are certayn common bondes wherwith men are pleasauntlye and profitably bound together betwene themselues I haue in deede bene long in your debt yea rather I shal alwayes be in your debt for I shal neuer be able to pay al that I owe vnto you wherfore I wil gladly be perpetually in your debt And wil with great pleasure alwayes behold keepe and preserue your benefits layd vp with me so that they shal neuer dye nor neuer at anye time slyp out of my mynde So fare you wel most worthy and noble men God the father of mercy encrease prosper and for euer blesse you together with your publike wealth Church and Schoole in al good thinges through Iesus Christ our Sauiour Amen At Tigure the .22 of December 1560. ¶ Places of the scripture which here and there a man shall finde in these CommeÌ„taries expounded or learnedly and wittely alledged wheras the first number signifieth the chapter the other the verse or verses of the same chapter as they be distinguished and set foorth in the Byble printed at Geneua the most expedite and ready way for speedy finding of the same GEnesis 1.1 In the begynning 262. b 6.2 The sonnes of God saw the daughters of men that they were faire 15. b. and .285 33 18 Iaacob came safe to Sechem 159. 47 22 Onely the land of the priestes bought he not 264. Exodus 12.12 I wyll pas thorow the land of Egipt 128. b 20.13 15. .16 Non dices falsum testimonium 39. b Non furaberis NoÌ„ occides 39. b 20 16 Thou shalt not beare false wytnes c. 87. b. 22 16 .17 If a manne entyse a mayd that is not betrothed 284. b 33 11 Face to face Deuter. 5.9 Visiting the sinnes of the fathers vpon the children c. 178. b. c. 181. b 7.1.2.5 When the Lorde shall geue the land into thy power 245 24.3 .4 The first shal not take agayne a wyfe repudiated after the second husbands death or diuorsment 250. 1. Kings 3.16 There came .ii. harlots vnto the king 233 4. Kings 5.18 Herein the Lorde be mercifull 50. b Ezra 7.24 No tole tribute or custome to be laid vpon the priestes 264 Psalme 2.11 Kynges serue the Lord. 54. b 15.4 He that sweareth to his hinderaÌ„ce chaÌ„geth not 85 b. 86 b 33.16 The kyng is not saued by the multitude 91. b 50.18 If thou sawest a thiefe 232 73.2 My feete were almoste moued 142. b. 14â— 170. b 78.49 Vexation by sending oute of euil angels 128. b 82.1 God standeth in the assembly of the Gods 267. b 91.1 He that dwelleth vnder the helpe 247 102.22 When the people shall be gathered together and kynges to serue the Lord. 266 111.10 Feare of the Lorde is the beginning of wysdome 246. b Prouerb 18.23 He that retaineth an aduoutrous woman is vngodly and a foole 249. b Esay 7.12 I wyll not aske nor tempt God 131. b 66.3 He that sacrificeth a sheepe is as if he slew a dog 206. b Ieremy 1 10 I haue appoynted thee ouer nacions and kyngdoms 262. 31.31 I wyll make a newe couenaunt 74. b Ezechil 17.13 King of Babel had taken an othe of Zedechias 85. b 18.20 The sun shall not beare the iniquity of the father 179. Daniel 4.24 Peccata tua elcemosynis redime 72. Hosea 1.2 Take thee a wyfe of fornications 233. b 6.6 I desyred mercy and not sacrifice 194. 8.4 They haue set vp a king but not by me 256. b Ecclesiasti 16.14 He wyll make place to al mercy 272. b Baruc. 6.3 When ye shal se gods of gold and syluer 51. Mathew 5.16 That they may se your good works glorifi 157 b 5. 18 If thy hande foote or eye offend thee cut it of 46. 5.23 If thou bring thy gift to the altar 206. b 6.1.2.5 To be sene of men 153. 6.22 The light of the body is the eye 153. 7.1 Iudge not that ye be not iudged 277. b 9.30 See that no man know it 10.37 He that loueth father and mother more theÌ„ me is not worthy of me 265. 12.20 A brused reede shall he not breake 134. 14.6 But wheÌ„ Herods birth day was kept the daughter of Herodias daunced 287. b 15.4 Honour thy father and mother 189. b 16.18 Vpon thys rocke I wyll build my church c. wyll geue the keyes 149. 17.20 Faith as much as a graine of musterd seede 130. 17.21 This kinde goeth not out but by prayer and fasting 276. 19.28 Ye shall sytte vpon twelue seates 175. 21.31 Publicans harlotes shall go before you into the kingdome of heauen 232. b 23.24 Strain at a gnat and swalow a camell 201. b 25.41 Go ye cursed into euerlasting fyre prepared for the deuyl and his angels 208. b 26.4.5 The syxt houre 166. Marke 10.4 Moses suffered to write a bil of diuorcement 233. b 15.25 The third houre 166. Luke 18.13.14 Publican prayed and departed iustified 207. b 22.38 Behold here are two swerdes 259. b 22.35 When I sent you wythout bag or scrip dyd ye at anye tyme want any thing 260. 24.39 Feele and see for a spirite hath not flesh 209. Iohn 6.15 They would come c to make him a king 147. 8.44 The deuil wheÌ„ he speaketh a lie he speaketh of his own 167 9.31 God heareth no synners 78. and. 207. 18.11 Put vp thy sword into thy sheath 260. b 20.26 The dores being shut 211. b 21.15 c. Feede my lambes 149. Actes 7. â—0 An angel of the Lord in a flame 120. 10.25 Cornelius met Peter and fel down at his feete 69. b. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 41. b 21.25 Paul was purified 51. b. 15.29 That ye abstain froÌ„ things offred to Idols 229.233 b. Romains 3.8 Why do we not euil that good may come thereof 39. and. 253. 6.23 The wages of syn is death 272. b 9.3 I would wysh my selfe seperated from Christe for my brethren 253. b 11.29 Giftes and calling of God are without repentance 188. b 12.19 Vengeance is mine
this horrible wickednesse there hangeth vpon this our world most sharpe punishments Yet in this kind of arguments that vice is most diligently to be taken hede of Of examples we reasō what vices are to be eschewed which creapeth vpō one before he beware thereof And the commeth two maner of wayes First that we take not vpon vs to follow those doynges of the sainctes which they sometimes committed vnaduisedly For euē as men they fell sometimes that most filthily Wherfore the things done by thē which we do set forth as examples to be folowed of vs must with great iudgement be examined Augustine Augustine writeth of this thing in his 2. booke against the 2. epi. of Gaudētius after this sort We must not alwaies imitate or allowe whatsoeuer good men haue done but we must adde therunto the iudgement of the scriptures marke whither thei allow these dedes This father doth very wel admonish vs here that although they wer holy mē pleased god very many waies The fallings of the sainctes are not to be folowed the holy scriptures witnessed excellently well of them yet are not all their actions to be iudged absolute and without fault For euery man both is a lyar and oftentimes sinneth For who woulde followe Dauyd his horrible aduoutrye and betraying of faythfull Souldiours or the forswearyng of Peter or hys wycked dissimulation surely none which hathe but euen a cromme of godlinesse Moreouer it sometymes happeneth that that worke whiche is done well and rightly by some excellent person is forbidden of other men bycause God whiche hath geuen a lawe to men is not so bounde vnto the same that he may not lose some frō that common bonde when it semeth good vnto him It is not lawfull for any man to steale God will some times haue certaine thinges done of godly men whiche be not lawfull for others to do and yet the Hebrewes when they were led out of Egypt were permitted yea and commaunded of god to cary awaye the Egyptians goodes whiche they had borowed of them euen agaynst their willes and without their knowledge What shal we do then Thus truly we must well and diligently cōferre those thinges which are expounded in the holy histories with the general rules of the cōmaundementes of God wherewith when we do perceaue that they do agree The doynges of saintes must be weighed by the rules of gods Law let vs boldly vse them But if they disagree from thē let vs recken them either for certaine fallinges or singular prerogatiues of some and kepe our selues backe from following of them And these prouisoes beyng added great profit shall come by reading of histories and especially diuine histories And that did Chrisostome very well vnderstand when as in the preface of his exposition vpō the Epistle to Philemon Chrisostome he wished that all those thinges had bene written for vs which the Apostles spoke and did when they sat downe what they did eate or what they did write other thinges of this kynde And the same Chrisostome writeth in his 57. Homily vpon Genesis that histories were geuen vs by the holy ghost to the entente we shoulde followe them Augustine Also Augustine in his seconde booke and 28. chap. De doctrina Christiana teacheth that many darcke and hard thinges may some times onely be opened by the knowledge of an history Moreouer who soeuer muche exerciseth him selfe in redyng ouer of histories he doth not without fruite reuolue with him selfe the doinges examples of our times There was vpon a tyme a certaine man euill fauored enoughe Note a pleasaunte historie who neuerthelesse was meruelous desirous of beautifull children and yet he maryed a fowle wyfe wherfore he was mocked of euery bodye This man went into the Citie where he bought most fayre ymages whiche he set in his chambre and gaue his wife charge that for a certayne space she should euery day most earnestly looke vpon those ymages She obeyed her husbandes commaundement and by that meanes brought him forth most beautifull children So wil it also come to passe with vs which thoughe we by reason of naturall sinne grafted in vs are defourmed lothsome and are continually prouoked as well by the deuill as by wicked men to vnlawfull thinges yet if we will attentiuely diligently gather together the exāples of the sainctes trimly paynted forth in the diuine histories and if we reuolue the same in our mynde we shall forthwith shewe forth most excellent workes acceptable to God And now that I haue entreated enough as I suppose of the matter and forme of writing of this booke the nexte is to speake some what of the efficient cause What is the efficient cause of this booke If we would searche to knowe the man by whom God would haue these thinges written that can we not vnderstand by the holy Scriptures The Hebrewes affirme that Samuel put these thinges in wryting but they speake that without testimonie of the Scriptures Other also thincke that euerye Iudge wrote suche thinges as were done in his own time which monument of theirs being in sondry pampheletes Samuel afterwarde compiled into one certain body or volume Agayne there be some whiche ascribe all this to Esdras or to Ezechias the king which Ezechias the booke of Prouerbes mencioneth to haue gathered together some of the sentences or as some call them the parable of Salomon but I thincke it is not mete for me to stāde about this matter for there is no cause why we should curiously searche out those things which God will not reueale in his oracles wherfore I will returne to declare the principall efficient cause of this booke The spirite of God is properly the aucthour of this Booke We must ascribe al what soeuer it is to the spirite of God For Paul writing to Timothe sayth that the scriptures were reuealed by god and there is no doubte but he spake then of the bookes of the olde Testament But thou wilte aske who shall persuade vs that the holy bookes were reuealed vnto men by the holy ghost The spirite of God testifieth vnto the faithful that the holy Scriptures came frō God Euen the same spirit which hath prouided to haue these things written doth make vs assuredly to beleue that they are not the inuentions of men For nether can the holy lyfe of the teachers nor yet miracles be sufficient to persuade vs of this It is the spirite the spirit I say of god which testifieth vnto our spirite of this thyng The moste daungerous error of the Antichristes must diligently be taken hede of whiche dare affirme It is not the Church which geueth authoritie to the Scriptures that it is the Churche which bringeth authoritie to the holy Scriptures when as it is cleane contrary For what soeuer authoritie or estimation cōmeth vnto the Churche that all whole cōmeth of the worde of God It is horrible to be heard that
vnto vs in the holy scriptures And it wer good to marke the difference which is found betwene the asking counsel of God in the old time and ours at this present Howe wee and the elders do diuersly aske coūsel of God They were very much carefull for the successe of thinges and they almost desyred alwayes to knowe when they tooke warres in hand or attempted anye other thyng whether they should speede wel or il in them And that was not hard for them to do for they had an oracle prepared of God for them for that purpose And God had promysed that he would answer them out of the mercy seate what soeuer they should demaunde or aske of him But we if we should aske counsel of the holye scriptures for the successe and end of our enterprises and purposes cōcerning earthly infelicities and misfortunes we should seeme and that not vnwoorthily to play the fooles For there is no place there at all which answereth anye thyng for our singular and priuate thinges But that onelye remayneth for vs to enquire for whether that which we begyn or go about be allowed to be iust holy and acceptable to God by the testimonies of the holy scriptures But why the Iewes had proper and certayne oracles geuen them for theyr matters and we haue nothing answered vs particularly Why we haue not oracles as the Iewes had I thynke there be no other cause but bycause vnto that people a certain assured publique wealth was due by the immutable coūsel of God which should endure to the time of Christ and therefore there were prepared for it certaine extraordinarye aydes aboue the power of nature whereby it should be kept and defended by God But vnto vs there is no such promise made of any certain seate or publique wealth seing that our church is dispersed throughout the whole world whereunto is no certaine seate or place promised and therefore it needed not that concernyng humaine thinges our publique wealthes should be particularly gouerned by certaine oracles answers for temporal thinges Besides this the volumes of the holy scriptures are more aboundaunt in our tyme than they were at that time with the Hebrewes when these thinges were done whych we nowe expounde They had but the law onelye we haue receaued nowe the bookes of the Prophetes and of wyse men vnto which are added also al the writinges of the new Testament And seing that those writinges are so manye so excellent it is no maruayle if we are not euery day enstructed of god by new oracles answers Neyther ought we to thinke bicause of that that God setteth lesse by vs than he dyd by the Hebrewes I wyl not speake howe hys spirite is geuen to vs thorow Christ more aboundantly and more openly than it was in the olde tyme to the Iewes Finally our publique weales dominions and kingdomes at endewed with many more artes which serue for peace and warre than the people of the Hebrewes were How we ought to behaue our selues in asking counsel of God Wherefore it is no maruel if we being heaped vp with so many other gyftes be destitute of singular oracles It shal be our part therefore aboue al thinges when we haue any affaires to take in hand diligently to consider the woord of God wherein is opened vnto vs hys commaundement or wyl afterward to embrace the same with a firme and stedfast fayth wherby we maye bee vehementlye kyndled to cal vpon our heauenlye father by the which we may be able to fulfyl that which he hath commaunded and to obtayn that which he hath promysed 3. And Iudah said vnto his brother Simeon Go vp with me into my lot that we may fight agaynst the Chananites and I wyl also go with thee into thy lot And Simeon went with hym The tribe of Iudah doth associate to it selfe the Simeonites to make warre against the Chananites which most euidentlye testifieth that the answer of God dyd not speake of any one singuler man but of the whole tribe of Iudah For neither Othoniel Why Simeon is taken into felowshyp wyth Iudah nor yet Caleb had any brother which was called Simeon and therefore there is no mencion made of them by Gods oracle but it comprehendeth the whole tribe of Iudah But the cause why Simeon is called of Iudah to be as a companion of hys warre and that they twoo ayded one an other is bycause the possession of the tribe of Simeon was mingled and scattered among the fieldes and countries belonging to the tribe of Iudah Neighbourhed therefore made them to defende and succour one the other And this coniunction of these two tribes is most manifestly gathered out of the .xv. chapter of the booke of Iosua It is not agaynst fayth to vse the ayde of men Let vs learne hereby that it is not agaynst the true fayth for vs to vse vsual aydes and mans strength when occasion serueth to obtayne the easelyer those thinges which God of his goodnes hath liberally promised vnto vs. God had promised vnto the tribe of Iudah that he would geue the land of Chanaan into their handes which althoughe they of Iudah faythfullye beleued yet were they not afeard to cal vnto them the Symeonites whych were their neighbours that they myght bee ayded of them in their fight For by that meanes they thought they should be the stronger to ouercome their enemies Christ hath no otherwyse confuted the deuyl which counselled hym to cast him selfe down hed long vnder the pretence of Gods promise wherin he sayd that he had now committed his health to the Angels whych sentence he put foorth out of the holye scriptures But the sonne of God answered that God must not be tempted but he must rather vse staires which were made for that purpose to serue to come downe by Moreouer al they are counted to tempt God which trusting to gods promises do neglect humane helpe which are already or maye be easelye prepared and gotten Dauid in the latter booke of Samuel setteth him selfe foorth vnto vs as an example who beyng wonderfullye adourned with the promises of God vsed for al that in the insurrection of Absalon not onely to flye away but also the diligence of Chusay the Arachite and of the Priestes Yea and Paul the Apostle as it is written in the Actes of the Apostels althoughe his onelye confidence was in Christ yet he appealed vnto Cesar made a discension betwene the Pharisies and Saduces and testified that he was a Citizen of Rome It is euident therfore by these manyfest examples that we must vse the helpe of nature and wysdome to obtayne those thinges which God hath promised to geue vs. Yong men are to be exhorted to good studies Wherefore the yong men of our tyme are diligently to be admonished to labour to attayne vnto languages good artes and sciences and that wyth great study Which they may when oportunity serueth vse in preaching and defending the
Glory to God on high which they wil haue to be the inuention of Telesphorus Then had they Collectes which are ascribed vnto Gelasius Moreouer certain lessons were rehearsed out of the holye scriptures either out of the old testament or els out of the Actes or Epistles of the Apostles The Epistle Whiche lessons being done there was to be rehearsed some part of the Euangelicall hystory But when the Readers had red vnto the church the fyrst lessons the deacon stoode vp in a high place or pulpit namely to be sene and to be vnderstande of al men The Gospel The graduale Halleluiah wher he distinctly pronounced that which was to be redde out of the Gospell But whylest hee went and ascended vp the stayres the people vsed to syng some verses of Psalmes which commonlye they called Graduales that is stayre songes They added also vnto them Halleluiah that is prayse the Lord as it were clapping of hands with a ioyous cry for the glad tidinges of the gospell This hebrewe woord Halleluiah semeth to be taken out of the Churche of Ierusalem whereof there is mencion made also in the Apocalipse and in the tytle of certayne Psalmes When the Deacon had red the Gospell the Byshop A Sermon or the Pastor of the Churche added thereunto an interpretation and exhortation wherin vices were reproued and deliberation taken of such as wer to be excommunicated Which thinges being thus finished The Papistes haue transposed the sendyng away of the people the Cathecumenites and others which woulde not communicatr were sent awaye But in our tyme bycause there are found very seldome any Cathecumenites and they whych do not communicate doo stande myngled with the rest yea almost none communicate except it be the Sacrificer alone The Papistes haue differred that Missio that is that sendyng awaye to the ende of their abhominations For then they vse to say with a loude voyce Ite Missa est That is Go your way Ite Missa est nowe is the departure But in the olde tyme those thinges being finished The Symbole of the fayth whyche wee haue rehearsed they which abode to be partakers of the holy Supper dyd sing the Simbole of the fayth that they might diligentlye instruct one an other in the principal heades of religion wherein they consented For in Symboles is comprehended the fumme of faith whiche comprehension or summe The Symbole is called the tradition of the Church Tertulian The counsel of Nice if a man wyll diligently reade the olde Fathers he shal finde to be called Traditio Ecclesiae that is the tradition of the Churche which is both taken out of the holy Scriptures and also necessarye to be beleued for saluation And sometimes Tertullian bringeth it agaynst the heretickes which denyed the holy Scriptures The Synode holden at Nicena made a full and perfecte Symbole but not the fyrste for as muche as there were certaine Symboles before as we may know euen of Tertullian hym selfe Then whyle they soong the Creede or Symbole such as were present offered of theyr goods suche thynges as they thought good Three vses of oblation The offering serued for three maner of vses for parte of it was spent on certayne moderate banquets whiche the Christians dyd at that tyme verye religiouslye celebrate among them selues and they were commonly called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Charitable banquetes that is charitable banquets Part of that which remained was distributed vnto the poore And finally some of the bread wyne was layd vp for the vse of the holye Supper And that thys oblation of thinges was then added Offertory Collectes twoo thinges doo testefye Fyrst certayne verses which were soong by the people whilest the offering was in doing which was therfore called of theÌ„ Offertorium that is an offring The same is also knowen by those collectes which are redde in that part of the Masse Yea and Iustinus the most auncient Martyr hath made mencion of the same oblation in his Apologie or defence and Ciprian also and some of the old Fathers Sursum corda After these thinges when they came to administer the holye Supper they sayde Sursum corda that is Lyft vp your hartes as the Ethnickes vsed to cry in their holy thinges Hoc age Hoc age that is do this And surely the Christians said so verye aptlye and in conuenient time thereby to admonishe them selues to thinke at that time vpon no carnal nor earthly thing but wholy to lyft vp their myndes vnto heauen where Christ is to be sought and not in earth as thoughe he were included in the breade or wyne After that they gaue thankes when they sayd Gratias agimus tibi From whence is had the name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Proper words of the Supper The Lordes Prayer Sancâ—us Prefaces Canon We geue thankes O Lorde holye father almightye and euerlasting God through Christ our Lorde c. These thinges are moste auncient and are found very often in old ecclesiasticall wryters Yea and that mystery of the bodie and bloud of Christ was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is geuing of thankes bycause all the accomplishing thereof dependeth vp on thankes geuing And when the people had sayd Through our Lorde Christe he went to the proper woordes of the Supper Which being rehearsed there was said the Lordes praier But Xystus before the rehersall of it would haue the people to sing Sanctus Sanctus c. that is holy holy c. And that there might be better occasion geuen to come to that song certaine prefaces were put before And to those they peeced theyr Canon which one Scolasticus as Gregory mencioneth in his Register made whiche in deede the same Gregory alloweth not bycause he woulde put in thinges of hys owne and neglected the Lordes prayer The kysse of peace is sayd to be the inuention of Leo the seconde Kisse of peace Which seemeth not so to me for as muche as that maner was in the Churche euen in the tyme of the Apostels that Christians shoulde entertayne one another wyth the kysse of peace Yea and Paule in hys Epistles hath made mencion of that kynd of saluation Agnus dei And Iustine also the martyr in his second Apology hath mencioned of this kysse The song of Agnus dei that is the Lambe of God Distribution of the sacrament is said to haue beene brought in by one Innocentius And when all these thinges were finished they came to the distribution of the Sacrament Whych whilest it was in doing or when it was finished they song a song of thanks geuing Post coÌ„munion Praiers at the end which they called Post Communionem that is an after Communion And all these thinges beyng finished and ended the Minister sent away the people blessing them with a lucky blessing All these thinges althoughe they led awaye the Christian people from that fyrst simplicity of vsyng the Lordes Supper very manye
lest their lyes shoulde be founde out For there they saye Take ye and eate and also The Papistes in the Masse make many Lyes As often as ye shall do these thynges ye shall do them in remembraunce of me When as neuerthelesse they haue appoynted to eate and drinke it alone And vndoubtedly very many other thynges speake they secretly and openly in the Masse as thoughe many did communicate or should communicate when as the sacrificer alone doth it in dede A lye is euer fylthy but then most filthy of all when it is admitted in holy thinges and before the Lord. But what shall we saye of their applications They affirme that they can as they luste them selues applye the sacrifices whiche they make vnto the quicke and the dead Euery man is iustified by his owne faith and lyueth dyeth in hys owne righteousnesse But the Scripture teacheth that euery man is iustifyed by hys owne fayth and that all men shall either dye or lyue in their owne ryghteousnesse or vnryghteousnesse but they saye otherwyse for they can as they saye helpe both the quicke and the dead by their Masses If they woulde attribute that vnto prayers namely that they taught that by prayers they mought helpe the necessityes of others it myght be borne with all By praiers we heâ—pe other But when they affirme that the worke it selfe namely of the Masse hath in it so muche power and vertue that it can helpe all kynde of men that maye by no meanes be suffred Besides this Masses are very oftentymes celebrated in the honour of certayne Sainctes whiche vndoubtedly is moste farre from the truthe for as muche as Christe hath for thys purpose instituted hys Supper that it shoulde be a memorie of hys death and not of other Saynctes I will not speake howe that it is moste commonly sene that there is nothyng founde certaine of those Sainctes whome they there worshyppe The lyues of many sainctes are Apochripha and full of Fables the lyues of them are Apochripha and very often also full of fables and Poetes faynenyngs There are also in it certayne yea very many straunge rites signes to be laughed at gestures in a manner foolyshe and garmentes not vsed the significations of whiche thynges are vtterly vnknowen not onelye of them whiche stande by but euen the sacrificers them selues SignificatioÌ„s of Ceremonies in the Masse are not knoweÌ„ if they shoulde be demaunded what they meant they coulde not aunswere Wherefore either they aunswere nothyng or if they go aboute to saye any thyng they bryng forth not one thyng but thyngs moste disagreyng whereby thou mayste easely gather that there is no truth in their wordes Wherefore fayth can haue no place in these thinges whiche they do in theyr Masse when as it onely there hath place where the worde of God offreth it selfe vnto vs. And that they can not defend them selues from the detestable synne of Idolatry the ymages do testifye Images are worshipped in the masse vnto the whiche they turnyng them selues do celebrate their most vnpure seruices For they can not be content in the Masses to looke vpon them but they cense them and kneele before them and finally they do vnto them all kynde of worshippyng whiche is to be done onely to God And bycause as I haue before mencioned they dare affirme that the Masse hath affinitie I can not tell what with the institution of Christ it shall not be from the purpose Sacrifices of the Ethnikes are more agreable with sacrifices appointed by God thaÌ„ is the Masse with the holy supper and it is easy to be done to declare that if we marke the tokens the olde Ethnikes may with much more likelyhode excuse and defend their sacrifices than these can defend the Masses For the sacrifices of the gentiles did not differ from the maner of sacrificyng whiche the fathers had before the lawe and whiche God allowed in his lawe when as these men in their Masse differ from that supper whiche Christ prescribed and as the EuaÌ„gelistes and the Apostle Paul haue deliuered There on euery syde was inuocation of God a temple an alter Sacrifices Priestes Killing sheding of Bloud Salte Wyne Oyle Meale a holy banket religious garmentes washynges fumigations continuall fyer singing oracles and such lyke whiche would be to long to rehearse Let the Popishe sacrificers shewe as many thinges if they can in their Masse whiche do agree with those thinges whiche Christ did in the supper But if so be they can not let them then thinke that their Masse doth no more agree with the godly celebration of the holy Supper than do the rites of the Idolatrers agree with the legall sacrifices Wherfore let them cease of so to kysse their littel daughter and to preache that it ought to be counted the institution of Christ and of the Apostles I will not speake of the yearely Obites and Funerals of the dead whiche are oftentymes vsed there of whiche thinges the Lord hath nothing commaunded By it they stablishe Purgatory wherof the holy scriptures write nothyng That furthermore is most farre from pietie bycause in their Masse they poure out prayers vnto sainctes whiche are already departed out of this lyfe In hearyng of Masses the anger of God is not pacified but prouoked Finally all the thynges whiche they there do they make a market of them sell bargayne and set them out to most filthy gayne Wherfore we must diligentlye take hede that whilest we desyre to worshyp GOD and to haue hym mercifull vnto vs we do not in hearyng of Masses exceadyngly prouoke hys anger agaynst vs. What is to be answerd to the exaÌ„ple of Naaman the SiriaÌ„ These superstitious men go forwarde and by the example of Naaman the Sirian will proue that it is permitted them to be present at the most fylthy Masses Naaman prayed Elizeus the Prophet that if he bowed his knee in the teÌ„ple of the Idoll Rimnon when the kyng whiche leaned his hand on his shoulder should so do he would implore for hym mercy and forgeuenesse of GOD. To whom Elizeus aunswered only go in peace These our men ought to consider with theÌ„ selues whether they onely haue sene and read this diuine history I thinke not For the holy Martyrs in the olde Churche were studious day and nyght in the holy Scriptures Wherfore this history of Naaman was not hidden from them And what cause was there then that they would not followe such an example and that with the losse of their lyfe These auncient noble men and pillers of our fayth sawe that whiche our aduersaryes recken not with them selues namely that that Naaman whiche is set before vs was newly conuerted vnto the true God and was yet a weake souldiour who was not also yet ready to deny both hys owne and hym selfe for Gods cause but desyred after a sorte to kepe hys olde place and dignitie with hys kynge The whiche thyng to attayne vnto he sawe
before other kynde of men had the promise of saluation neither are they paste all hope when as daylye some of them although but a fewe retourne vnto Christ Blindnesse sayeth Paule to the Romanes fell partly on Israel as though he woulde say not on al. Moreouer the same Apostle addeth when the fulnesse of the Gentiles is entred then all Israell shall be saued And least thou shouldest peraduenture thinke that these wordes are to bee vnderstand allegorically Paule writeth them as a miserye and to confyrme his sentence he bryngeth the Prophecye of Esay the Prophet namely that iniquitie shal be then taken away from Iacob Furthermore they are now called enemyes vnto God for our sakes but called frends bycause of their fathers The same Augustine in hys Questions vppon the Gospell the second boke and xxxiii Question if that these bookes be of Augustine his writing when he interpreteth the parable of the prodigal sonne he sayeth that that sonne signifyeth the Gentiles For it is written that he departed into a farre countrey bycause the Ethnikes were so farre departed from God that they openly worshipped Idoles and with open profession But the elder sonne by whome was shadowed the people of the Hebrewes went not so farre And although he were not in hys Fathers house whiche is the Churche he dwelled for all that in the fielde For the Iewes are exercised in the holy Scriptures whiche they doe not ryghtlye vnderstande nor yet with that spirituall sense wherein the Churche of Christe taketh them but in an earthlye and carnall sense Wherefore they are not vnaptelye sayde to bee in the fielde Thys Elder sonne entreth not at the begynnyng into the house of hys Father but in the latter dayes he shall also bee called and come The same Father also bringeth for thys sentence that which is written in the 58. Psalme as he readeth it Do not kil them least they forget thy law but in thy power disperse them The Sonne of God sayth he prayeth vnto the father that that nation might not be destroyed but might wander euery where throughout the worlde Other prouinces when they were ouercome of the Romanes followed the lawes and rites of the Romanes The Iewes receaued not the lawes and customes of the Romanes so that at the length they were made Romanes but the Iewes although they were ouercome by the Romanes yet woulde they neuer followe their lawes rites and ceremonies they yet obserue theyr owne as muche as they maye and being dispersed they wander abroade Neither haue they vtterly forgotten the lawe of GOD not that they Godlye applye themselues to obserue it but only reade it and kepe certayne signes and institutions wherby they are discerned from other Nations Moreouer it semeth that God hath put a signe vppon them as he dyd vppon Caine bycause he had killed his brother Abell namely that euery man shoulde not kill them The dispersing of the Iewes is profitable to Christians Neyther is thys theyr dispersion through oute the worlde vnprofitable to the Christians bycause as it is written to the Romanes they are shewed vnto vs as broken bowes And for so much as we were grafted in their place when as we see that they were so miserably cut of we acknowledge the grace of god toward vs and by beholding of them we are taught to take heede that we also bee not likewyse cut of for infidelitie sake for which self cause they are broken of There is also an other commoditie whiche commeth vnto vs by theyr dispersing bycause our bookes are saued by them I meane the holy Byble whiche they euery where carye aboute with them and reade And althoughe bycause they are blynded Against those whiche burne the Bibles in Hebrewe they beleue not yet they confesse that those writynges are moste true They are in harte deadly enemyes agaynst vs but by these bookes which they haue and reuerence they are a testimonye to our religion Wherefore I can not inough meruaile at those whiche doe so much hate the Iewes tongue and Bibles in Hebrewe Augustine that they desire to haue them destroyed and burnte when as Augustine de doctrina Christiana thinketh that if we chaunce somtymes to doubt of the Greke or Latin translation we must fly vnto the truth of the Hebrue And Ierome in many places writeth the same Whether the Hebrues haue corrupted the bokes of holy scriptures Ierome But they say that the holy bookes were vitiated and corrupted by the Hebrues To thys Ierome vpon Esaye the .vi. Chapter towarde the ende aunswereth thus Eyther they dyd thys before the comming of Christ and Preachyng of the Apostles or els afterwarde If a man will saye that it was done of them before then seing Christ and his Apostles reprehended the moste greuous wicked actes of the Iewes I maruaile why they would speake nothing of that sacrilege and so detestable a wicked acte Vndoubtedly they woulde haue reproued them for viciating and corrupting the Scriptures But if thou wilt contend that there were afterward faultes brought in by them then will I say that they ought chiefly to haue corrupted those places which do testifye of Christ and his religiō and which were alledged by the Lord himself and of the Apostles in the newe Testament But they remaine vncorrupt and the same sentence remaineth stil in the Hebrue Bibles which they put For they wer not so carefull for the words Wherfore it is not likely that they as touching other places haue corrupted the holy scriptures Yea if a man diligently reade ouer their bookes he shall finde in them a great many more testimonyes and those more plaine and manifest than our common traslatiō hath Do not they read in the second Psalme Kysse ye the sonne which ours haue translated Take ye hold of discipline Which woordes vndoubtedly are referred vnto Christ But I meane not at this present to bring all such testimonies It is sufficient if with Ierome I proue that the bokes of holy Scriptures are not corrupted by the Hebrues neither assuredly if they woulde they should haue missed of their purpose For there are found many most auncient handwritten bookes which haue bene of a long time most diligently kept by Christians which came neuer in their hands to corrupt But let vs retourne to treate of that commoditye which Augustine hath declared There are very many sayeth he that would peraduenture thinke that those things which we declare of the auncient people and of the Prophets are vayne and fayned of vs vnlesse they saw the Iewes yet remaining on liue The Hebrues their bokes ar most plaine witnesses of our fayth which with their bookes maintaine our sentence euē against their will Wherfore although the Hebrues be blinded in hart are against vs as much as they maye yet are they with their bokes most plaine witnesses of our fayth And vndoubtedly of al testimonies that testimony is most of value God wil haue a church euen
naturally is not moued eyther by anger or hatred or any passion semeth to be prouoked vnto wrath c. And aptely is there mencion made of the anger before the punishment is rehearsed For mē vse fyrst to be angry before they reuenge What anger is Neyther is anger any other thyng ells if we may beleue Aristotell in hys Rhetorikes but a desire of reuengement bicause of contentempte For they which perceaue themselues to be despised and contemned do straightway thinke how they may be reuenged and they diligently meditate howe by some punishment they may requite the iniurye or despite done vnto them Two kindes of punyshments are mencioned in thys place Two kynds of punishmentes the taking away of goodes and seruitude of the which the one is grieuouser than the other For it is far more grieuous to be brought into bondage than to be spoyled of goods But God vseth so to do to punyshe by certayne degrees those which haue deserued euill For he doth not by and by punyshe most greuously And as touching the woordes we must note that Schis and Schisch signifye one thing for Shin and Samech haue great affinitie the one with the other which D. Kimhi hath also noted in thys place Moreouer where it is sayd whether soeuer they wente oute the same interpreter addeth to fyghte And in deede it is very lykely although I am not ignoraunte that that sentence may be more largely taken namely to vnderstande that whatsoeuer they tooke in hande to do or to what thinges so euer they applyed themselues vnto all those thynges happened vnluckely vnto them By this place is gathered that no mans goodes are taken awaye neyther are any brought into bondage excepte God himselfe both will and also bryng to passe the same For it is sayd here that he gaue them into the handes of raueners and sold them into the handes of their enemyes round aboute them Dauid in hys .xliiii. Psalme grieuously complayneth of this plague and saith that God had solde hys withoute any price Augustine which place Augustine consideryng he sayeth that at the fyrst sighte it semeth absurde that any shoulde be solde when no price is geuen But thus he aunswereth as touching the enemies which solde the Israelites there was a price geuen by the byers But as touching God which was the principall cause of the selling he tooke no price For what could those Idolatrous violent and rauenous men vnto whom the Iewes were deliuered to be sold geue vnto him Vndoubtedly they neither bought nor deserued those commodities with any reward Or ells we may thynke that the price of the Hebrewe bondmen was so small and vile that it was counted for nothyng The wicked sell themselues to sinnes without any price and so by thys figure of speach they were sayd to be sold without any price Wherefore Esaye in hys .lii. Chapter writeth Ye are solde for nought And this phrase serueth very well for those which do binde thēselues to sinnes and wickednesse when as therby they shall get no commoditie at all And how hard this bondage was which the Hebrewes serued when they were so solde by their enemies it is manifestly expressed in Deuteronomye for there it is sayde Thou shalt serue thine enemye whom the Lord shall send vppon thee in Hunger in thurst and in nakednesse and also in al penurye and he shal put an yron yoke vppon thy necke till he shall destroye thee Moreouer by these examples we are also taughte what Christians euery where deserue for their daylye transgressions and innumerable superstitions and also Idolatrous woorshippynges Neyther is it to bee doubted but that a heape of euelles are at hande excepte Christ by fayth deliuer vs from those curses of the lawe The hand of the Lord is alwayes present in all our actions VVhether soeuer they went the hand of the Lord was agaynst thē with euell lucke In all our actions the hande of the Lorde is continually presente for withoute hys myghte and power we can not so muche as moue oure selues Wherefore both good successes and euell are to bee ascribed vnto hym Neyther had they any power any longer to stande before theyr enemyes And no meruayle for by reason their goods were spoyled and their number diminished bicause of those which wer brought into bondage they wer so impayred and weakened that they could by no meanes match with their aduersaries Vndoubtedly if we diligently consider the histories from that time wherin superstition began to reygne in the church we shal fynde that our princes haue had either no good successe at al or els very smalin their expeditiōs against the enemies of the fayth The cause of the vnluckye battels against the Turkes We haue fought and the oftentimes against the Turkes and Sarazens but for the moste part vnluckely Neither do the gouernours both of the publicque wealth and also of the Churche feele that the hand of the Lord is agaynst them with euill lucke and that that is the cause why they can not stand before their enemyes Agayne let vs note that the Scripture doth here most manifestly testifye that God him selfe deliuered the Israelites into the handes of rauenors solde them into bondage for that that thinges were done by hys motion And this doth Ezechiel the Prophete euidentlye shewe where he describeth how Nabuchad-nezar standyng in the ende of two wayes and in a maner determining to directe his host one way was of God chaunged and after a sorte forced to turne his armye agaynst Ierusalem And yet must we not vnderstand these thinges so How god may be sayde to worke euyll workes in the wicked as thoughe we should thinke that God doth instille a new malice into the heartes of the wicked For they nede it not For of what sorte soeuer they be they are framed of malice and synnes but GOD seyng he is a strength and workyng of most efficacy driueth them as he doth all other thyngs to be moued to worke Wherfore they whiche are altogether corrupte and voyde and destitute of the grace and fauour of God can do nothyng but onely worke euill But God God vseth the sinnes of the wicked by whose motion they are stirred vp to worke directeth their euill doynges cruelties spoylinges lustes and tyrannies to what end so euer it shall seme good to his iustice and most highe prouidence Moreouer let vs here consider It is most vnhappy to haue God angrye how miserable and wretched a thing it is for a man to haue God angry Wherfore let vs most diligently take hede that in all our affayres that we take in hande we first of all reconcile him vnto vs by an vpright faith in Christ for he beyng angry agaynst vs nothyng can prosperously go forward These thynges did the Lorde as he had spoken and sworne Threatninges are set forth here and there in the lawe of GOD and especially in Deut. But we neuer read that I
they haue in the churches fully worshipped God wheÌ„ they haue long much soong and bleated Farther we must take hede that in it be not put merite or remissioÌ„ of synnes For there are very many Priestes and Monkes which for this cause do thinke they haue very wel deserued of God bicause they haue soong very many Psalmes Yea and the Pope also Cardinals Bishops Abbots when they haue heard songes of Masses and Euensonges do oftentimes pronounce vnto the people indulgences of synnes This vice also is to be taken away that singing be not so much occupied in the Churche that there bee no time in a maner left for to preach the woord of God and holy doctrine as they doo almost euerye wher For they so chaunt all thinges with synging and piping that there is no part of the time reserued for preaching Wherby it coÌ„meth to passe that the people depart out of the Church ful of Musick and harmony but yet hungerstoruen and fasting as touching heauenly doctrine Moreouer so riche large stipendes are appointed for Musicians that either very litle or in a maner nothing is prouided for the Ministers which labor in the woord of God Neither may that broken quauering Musicke be lawfully retayned wherewith the standers by are so letted that they cannot vnderstand the wordes no though they woulde We must also take heede that in the Church nothing be soong without choyse but onely those thinges which are contained in the holy scriptures or which are by iust reasons gathered out of them and do exactly agree with the woord of God For if there should be a wyndow opened vnto the inuentions of men it wer to be feared least Ecclesiastical Musicke should at the last be chaunged into trifles and fables Yea we already see that there are brought into the assemblye verye many foolish Sequences as they call them and fayned Hymnes and manye other thinges also which doo styrre vp vnto the hearers rather a laughter and a wearynes Hymnes of Ambrose than a true fayth Neither doo I speake these thinges as thoughe I would disprayse the Hymnes of Ambrose and other whiche are of that kynde forasmuch as by them I iudge that the faythful maye be both instructed and also admonished The Symbole of Athanasius The Psalmes of Augustine The Psalmes of Chrisostome The Symbole of Athanasius seemeth also to bee allowed and the Psalmes of Augustine against the Donatistes and also the Psalmes of Chrisostome of which the Ecclesiasticall history of Eusebius maketh mention in the .7 booke if they were remayning For whatsoeuer thinges were written in them we must beleue that they agree with the holy scriptures and that they doo aduaunce the edification of the faithfull in the Churche The Psalmes of Valentine But contrarywyse the Psalmes of Valentine of which Tertulian maketh mencion ar aboue al things to be condemned Psalmes in the honour of Samosatenus And with them the most corrupt Psalmes whych were soong in the Temple in the honour of Paulus Samosatenus as the history of Sozomenus declareth But now to conclude the matter I affirme that godly religious songes maye be retained in the Churche and yet I confesse that there is no precept geuen in the new Testament of that thing Wherfore if ther be any Church Ther is no precepte geuen for the hauing of Musicke in the Churche which vpon iust causes vseth it not the same Church cannot iustly be condemned so that it defend not that the thing it selfe of his own nature or by the coÌ„maundement of God is vnlawful and that it do not for the same cause reproue other Churches which vse singing Musicke or els exclude them from the fellowship of Christ For the Church of Alexandria as it is before said vsed either very litle singing or els almost none at al. For they saw the infirmity of the people to be so great that they gaue more heede to the harmony than they did to the wordes Wherefore if in these daies we shal perceaue that the Christian people do runne vnto the Churches as to a stage play where they may be delighted with piping singing in this case we must rather abstaine from a thing not necessarye than to suffer their pleasures to be cockered with the destruction of their soules But now I thinke it good to returne vnto the history Then sang Deborah and Barak Who made this song It seemeth that Deborah alone made thys ditty for the spirite of prophecy had persed her and not Barak Howbeit hee is ioyned with her bicause euen as in the battayle he was the Captaine so also among the singers and those which gaue thankes vnto God he was the chiefe In that day We may thus enterprise that in the selfe same day of victorye this song of victory was both made and also song which lyketh me verye well that we might hereby learne straightwaye to geue thankes for the benefites receaued For to deferre it as some do It is vicious to defer thanks geuing it can scarcely be defended from the vyce of ingratitude Neither can the maner of certaine men be commended which to obtayne anye thing at Gods handes cease not wyth moste importunate vowes to pray vnto him but when they haue obtayned their request they scarce returne vnto God to geue him thankes sometymes at the last The Ethnikes as we gather by good authors writers of histories when they had gotten the victory did strayghtway syng hymnes in praises of their Gods CoÌ„querers did straightwaye syng Hymnes vnto their gods if they with so great a study gratified their false Gods howe muche more ought we for the benefites which we haue receaued without any tarying to offer thankes vnto the true and liuely God whom we woorship Prayse ye the Lord for the auenging of Israel Bicause thys Hebrue woorde Perag is doubtful therfore the sense therof may be taken diuers waies Fyrst it signifieth to make naked to spoyle as it is put in Exodus when Aaron tooke golden ornamentes of the Israelites to make the molten Calfe For he was reproued of Moyses bicause he had with ignominy made naked the people Wherfore according to this signification the sense of the dittye is Geue thankes vnto God which first made you naked both of strength and of his ayde when we wer geuen ouer vnto the Chananites Furthermore geue hym thankes bicause he hath afterward made you prompt both to take in hand warre and also to recouer your liberty Eche of these actions of God is to bee praysed To the elect 〈◊〉 is profitable both to beâ— câ—st down 〈◊〉 be deliueâ— We must 〈◊〉 thankes oâ— God for proâ—â—â—rity aduersitâ— for they turned to good to his people For the deiection calleth them backe to repentaunce and the deliuery deliuereth them from a grieuous yoke Let god therefore be praysed which both leadeth to hel and bringeth from hel Neither must we geue hym
he would not labour in the publike wealth What the Popes oughte to haue before theyr eyes but bicause he vnderstode that it was no lawful vocatioÌ„ which the Popes also ought to regard He had before his eyes the law in Deut. now alledged The Pope ought also to loke vpon the words of Christ Kinges of the nations sayth the Lord bear rule ouer theyr subiectes but ye shal not do so and being demaunded who should be greatest he aunsweared that he which was lowest and which more serued others This is to gouern the church not to commaund but to serue Peter himselfe also taught ministers not to beare dominion ouer their flocke Who are in the church to â—â—uerenced aboue other And Paule hath written that Christ is set the hed of the church not men although in it they are aboue other to be much made of to be honored whych more then other profet the faythfull and are more largely endewed with good gracious giftes and as Christe required of Peter doo more depely loue him and which ar more aboundantly endewed with those qualities which Paule to Timothe and Titus requireth in bishops If we highlier honor such men in the church aboue other not as lords not as vniuersal bishops not as heads of the church but as excellent ministers thereof the authority and obedience of the word of god should therby be nothing diminished An error verye hurtful in the church But they do not so They haue fixed the exellency and dignity of the ministers of the church vnto chayres places and cities howsoeuer he be in greater price honor which sytteth in those chayres or places and what manner of man so eueâ— he be in lyfe and manners And so is there no regarde had to the graces and giftes of God but onely to the place and seate This vndoubtedly was the fountayne ofpring and beginning of al euils and superstitions Our elders thought it good that in cities which were more famous where marchandises were traded and were assemblies of men where Proconsuls or Presidentes gouerned there also the bishops should be of greater authority and iurisdiction Whereby custome obteined that those Churches and chayres were had in greater honor But as it commeth to passe ambicion crepte in and in those places byshoppes were ordeyned not alwaye suche as were more worthye but such as were better fauored of Princes And oftentimes the better learned and more holy were geuen ouer to small and abiecte bishoprikes When Augustine was Bishop of Hippouerhegium one called Aurelius gouerned the most honorable church of Carthago And who knoweth not that Augustine in doctrine maners and authoritye farre excelled Aurelius The same thinge happened vnto Gregorius Nazianzenus who was byshop in an abiect place namelye in Sassimis when as many other not to be compared with him obtayned the chief chayres After this way maner the bishop of Rome began to be preferred aboue other namelye bycause of the moste ample dignitye of the citye The cause why the bishop of Rome was preferred before other whyche cause neuerthelesse he vnderstanding that it was no firme groundsele of the honor which he had obteyned he hath fained other causes of his excellency And first he pretendeth that he had this priueledge by the councel of Nice which yet he could not proue before the fathers of Africa bicause in that Sinode the charge onelye of suburbe churches was committed vnto hym Not a charge to beare dominion but to geue counsel to admonish and if there wer any things of more waight to referre the same to the counsell As to the bishop of Alexandria the suburbe churches of Egipt and to the byshop of Antioch of the suburbe churches of the east parties And it was not geuen the bishop of Rome to be the vniuersall pastor Neyther is it possible that a weake and mortall man should feede the flocke of Christe in all countries Farthermore the bishop of Rome boasted that he was set to be the head of the church The bishop of Rome canot be hed of the whol church whych cannot be meete for any man For from the heade ar deriued mouinge and sense by the sinewes into al members as Paule very well teacheth to the Ephesians and Colossians But no man can performe that as of himselfe by closures ioynts to quickeÌ„ the meÌ„bers of the church with the sprite of god It loÌ„geth onely to christe Magistrates princes may be called heads of the people to destribute vnto his meÌ„bers spiritual mocions illustracion of the minde and eternall life Indede kings and magistrates may be called heads of the people bicause they gouerne ciuily and from them we may looke for good lawes and ciuyle mouinges but in the church men entreat not of ciuile life but of spiritual and eternall life which we cannot loke for but at gods hand neyther can any mortall men quicken the members of the church Kinges magistrates when they are godlye in my iudgemente oughte to haue the chiefe place in the church and to them it pertaineth if religion be il administred to correcte the defaultes For therfore they beare the sword to maintayne Gods honor But they cannot be heades of the churche Paule to the Romaines and to the Corinthians where he maketh rehearsal of the members of the churche putteth some to be eyes some noses eares hands and feete but he adorneth none with the dignity of the heade who yet to the Ephesians sayth this of Christe that god had geuen hym to be the head of the body of the church We must not make the church two headed Let the papistes shew writen in any other places of the holy scriptures that Christ gaue an other hed vnto the church they shall haue the victory But I know assuredly they caÌ„not For if that could haue bene done the church should be a two hedded monster But it is a sporte to heare what Iohn sometimes B. of Rochester in defendyng the Pope auÌ„swered to this To graunt two heads of the Church sayth he is not absurd for the Apostle writeth the man is the head of the womaÌ„ neuertheles euery wife hath byside her husband which is the head an other head also Wherfore he concluded that we may thus affirme of the church namely that it hath both Christ and the Pope to be head But this man faileth by a false Sillogismus of equiuocatioÌ„ For speaking now of a head as it is attributed vnto the Church he falleth to a natural head In matrimony the husband is the head of the wife not the natural hed How the husband is the hed of the wyfe but as touching aeconomical life But the natural head of the woman is the beginning of her natural life And vndoubtedly if we looke vpon the natural head in the church we shal finde that it is not one head but looke howe manye men there be in it so many heades shal there be for there is none
without an heade in it And when we speake of the head of the Churche we must keepe our selues in the Metaphore and as it should be absurde and monstrous for one man to haue two natural heades so shal it be iudged as portentous for the Churche to haue two Metaphorical that is spiritual heads We must alwaies wheÌ„ we entreate of any thing persist in the same order and kinde which thing if wee doo not obserue we shal easily be deceaued by equiuocation But let vs returne to the Pope Of the keyes foundation of the Churche who least he shoulde seme to be destitute of testimonies of the holy scriptures taketh two places out of them Whereof the one is Vpon this rocke I wil builde my Churche and wyll gyue the keyes c. But that place pertaineth to al those which confesse the verity of faith for Peter when the Lord demaunded what the Apostles beleued of him aunswered in the name of them al that he was the sonne of the liuing God Wherefore that which Christ speaketh vnto him pertaineth to all them whych together wyth him beleue and professe the same selfe thing For the keyes are geuen vnto the Church And in Iohn the Lord after his resurrection gaue them vnto all them at the last also when he should ascend vp into heauen he sent them all alike to preache throughout the world And as touching the fouÌ„dation the Church hath no other foundation but Christ For Paul vnto the Corinth sayde No man can lay any other foundation then that which is already layde How the Apostles are called foundations of the Church which is Christ Iesus And if at any time the Apostles be called foundacions of the churche that is to be vnderstand bicause they in the first time of the Churche cleaued vnto the foundation as the first and greater stones not bicause the Churche leaned vnto them as to the principal foundation The other place which they bring out of the scriptures is Not onely to Peter was the coÌ„maundement geuen to feede the flocke of Christ bicause Christ saith vnto Peter feede my Lambes But they are excedingly deceaued for it was not the office of Peter onely but also of the other Apostles to feede the flocke of the Lord. But it was so sayd peculiarly vnto Peter bicause he had denyed the Lord thrise and therefore he might haue seemed to haue fallen from the fellowship of the Apostles vnles he had of Christ bene restored by certaine woordes And that not onely he but also other ought to feede the shepe of Christ his own woordes testify which be writeth in his Epistle wher he admonisheth other Ministers to feede the flocke of the Lorde But graunt that the Lorde gaue vnto Peter anye principal thing what hath the bishop of Rome common with him Let hym declare his spirite and as Peter hath labored for the Church let hym also labour which thing if he performe then wil we acknowledge him not as an vniuersal bishop but as a good Minister of Christ The spirite of Christ is not bouÌ„d to chairs He sayth that hee hath the chaire that Peter had What seate I pray you speaketh he of The holy ghost is not bounde to seates But graunt that it were so Antioche had Peter sitting in it before Rome had For that church he planted and long whyle gouerned But they say that he was slayne at Rome But the Iewes crucified Christ himselfe at Ierusalem which is a thing of greater waight Wherfore if we should follow this argument the bishop of Ierusalem should be preferred aboue all other Yea and Peter as it is written to the Galathians was not the Apostle of the Gentiles but of circumcision as it was agreed betwene Paul Iames Iohn and Barnabas Neither do we euer reade that Peter prescribed the other Apostles any thyng or that they depended of him Yea Paul most manifestly testifieth that he receaued nothing of Peter Farther it is certaine that Peter was slain vnder Nero Iohn liued euen to the time of Traiane And they say that Cletus Linus and Clemens succeded Peter at Rome What then shal we thinke that Iohn the Apostle was subiect vnto Clemens And of necessity he should be so if the Byshop of Rome be the vniuersal head or general bishop But who wil say that this may be suffred Moreouer An Epistle of Clemens lyes may be confuted with lyes Our aduersaries bring the Epistle of Clemens which is a fained Epistle as a thing certaine We wyl gratefy theÌ„ in this thing Clemens Iacobo â—ratri domini Epis copo EpiscoruÌ„ regnanti Ecclesiam que esi Hierosolymis omnes que suÌ„t vbique Dei prouidentia and we wyll now graunt that to be true which is false Let them marke his superscription which is written after thys maner Clemens to Iames the brother of the Lord by the prouidence of God the bishop of bishops gouernour of the Church which is at Ierusalem and of al the Churches euery where What wyl they say here The bishop of Rome ascribeth his title vnto the Byshop of Ierusalem and attributeth this vniuersall charge of all Churches vnto him and not to himselfe This argument maketh verye muche agaynste those which haue vnto the Churches obtruded this Epistle for true ratefied it But that can nothing hurt vs which is takeÌ„ out of that epistle against our doctrine For we know that it is a fayned thing as that which was neuer alledged by any of the fathers And in it the same Clemens affirmeth that he hym selfe wrote the litle booke called Itenarium Perri which booke as it is said in the Decrees is counted among the Apocripha bookes But of this thing I haue spoken sufficient these thinges haue I rehearsed onely that we might vnderstand howe much Gideon is to be preferred before the Antechristes of Rome Whither the gouernment of God bee excluded by humane Magistrates Here is put forth an other question whether the rule and gouernmeÌ„t of God be therfore excluded bicause the Magistrate of a publike wealth or of Aristocratia or of a kingdome is geuen vnto a man The cause of the doubt is bicause when it was sayd vnto Gideon Thou shalt raygne ouer vs he answered I wyl not raygne ouer you but the Lord shal raign ouer you It is not hard to dissolue this question proposed forasmuch as the administration wherwith God gouerneth publike wealthes hindreth not the Magistrate which is his Vicar Minister And assuredly God raigned together with Dauid and Iosias and the Israelites at that tyme had a certaine Magistrate and one of their own with whom also God himselfe also gouerned Wherfore the wordes of Gideon do not teach this that God cannot raigne there where as is a lawfull king But this thyng onelye he regarded that the present state of thinges whiche was instituted by God When God is sayd to gouerne pub wealthes ought not to be altred
The custom of God in punishing A similitude Thus God vseth to doo first to punish his owne before he afflict straungers Phisitions also when a man hath taken poyson haue thys as their chiefe care to driue away the poyson from the hart from the lyuer and other principal partes of the body then they apply medicines vnto the other mēbers of the body So also the good man of the house firste enstructeth and chastiseth his chyldren and afterwarde he enstructeth other Wherfore Paul wryteth of a Bishop If he cannot wel gouerne his owne family how shall hee gouerne the church of God Wherfore it is no maruayle if god chastised Samson fyrst afterward grieuously afflicted the Philistines But in that it is writtē that his heare was growen againe we must not beleue that hys strength lay in hys heare for it was a gift of god geuen him freely The vowe of the Nazarites being violated was renewed but yet God required that for that gift he should be a Nazarite vnto which it belonged to let the heare growe and not to cut it with a rasor But if a man had transgressed he did not therfore straight way cease to be a Nazarite but ought to let his heare grow and be clensed and so begyn againe his institucion which he tooke in hand Wherefore Samson repented that he had violated his vow and returned to the rule of a Nazarite and when his heare was growen and he restored both vnto god and to his olde state and strength being assured of the helpe of god he tooke vengeaunce of hys enemyes In the meane time the Philistines ascribe their victory against Samson vnto their god Dagon What Dagon was But what this god was it is not very wel knowen Howbeit as farre as may be iudged by the Etimology of the woorde it was some god of the sea For Dag in hebrew signifieth a fyshe And that both the Grecians and the Latines worshipped gods of the sea Gods of the sea it is certayne For they had Neptune Leucothea and Triton Aboue the belly as they say it had the forme of a man downward it ended in the forme of a fyshe Suche a god woorshipped the Philistines And vndoubtedly the old Ethnikes synned grieuously therin in that they woulde rather serue the creature as Paul sayth then the creator and chaunged the glory of the immortal God and transferred it not onely into the similitude fashioned like a mortal man but also into the images of birdes fourefooted beastes What maner of thinges the Gods of heretikes are and Serpentes or creeping thinges Neither did they onely woorship those things which ar in nature but also they fained vnto thē selues Monsters which appeare no where Such gods in a maner do heretikes woorship For they doo set before them selues some shape and head of God when they confesse that they heleue in God the creator of heauen earth But when farther they adde their own thoughtes and fansies they make the inferiour part to ende in a fishe Of this Dagon there is manifest mencion made in the first booke of Samuel The Philistines extolled their Dagon bycause he had deliuered their ennemye into their handes whiche was nothing els then to blaspheme the name of the true God For they attributed his woorkes vnto an idole Neither considered they that Samson was therfore taken bicause he had sinned against God Wherfore our synnes are a cause why God is blasphemed for when by reason of them we are destitute of the helpe of God our enemies whiche get the victorye againste vs doo ascribe the same both vnto their owne strengthes and to their supersticions So happened it in the conqueryng of Constantinople Horrible examples of blasphemies where the Turkes when they had gotten the city caried about in derision the image of Christ clothed with the apparel of the Turkes throughout al the host and throughout all the wayes of the City And not many yeares ago when the Emperour Charles the fift lost a great nauy and many souldiours at Argery I remember I hearde some soldiours say that Christ our sauiour was now become a Mahomitan or Moore How holy men called vpō 〈◊〉 in tribulacions neither considered they that they them selues wer become farre woorse then the Mahomites So the name of God is mocked for our synnes Wherefore holy men were wont not without a cause thus to pray and to implore mercye that the name of God should not be euil spoken of among the Gentiles So delt Moses with God when he was angry with the people for making the golden Calfe The Prophets also sayd Be mercyful vnto vs Lord for thine own sake and for thine names sake least the nacions say wher is their God Let vs in the meane time when we heare or reade these thinges thus thincke with our selues Seing God hath for synne so grieuouslye afflicted Samson so great a man sanctified from his mothers wombe and appointed to deliuer Israel what shall become of vs if we synne So Paul to the Corrinthians in his first Epistle setteth foorth vnto vs the examples of the Israelites to consider whom God sundry wayes chastised And to the Romanes he sayth If he hath not spared the natural braunches take heede that he spare not thee Marke the goodnes and seuerity of God his seuerity on those which haue fallen and his goodnes in thee if thou abide in goodnes otherwise thou also shalt be cut of Wherefore by these cogitacions we may take fruite by the punishment of other For this vse are examples set foorth vnto the Churche What is the fruit of holy histories that we in readyng them shoulde become better Paule sayde what soeuer thinges are before wrytten are written for our learning that wee throughe pacience and consolacion of the scriptures shoulde haue hope Wherefore when we reade that holye men were so corrected we ought to tremble least we also fall into the lyke anger of God If we doo not take suche fruite by reading of the holy scriptures we then reade them in vayne The Philistines geue thankes vnto Dagon their God for the victorye So were they delyuered vp into a reprobate sense to geue thankes for those thinges for whych they ought most of all to haue bene sory For how obtayned they Samson By the artes of an harlot and by most fylthye deceate After sacrifices followeth a verye sumptuous banquet For in those holye seruices of Idoles was set foorth a certaine communion that the people in that feast shoulde reioyce together wyth a certaine common ioy So also in the olde Testament the Israelites in theyr peace offeringes feasted and reioyced together before the Lord. Neyther is it vnlykely but that the Fathers also before the law had suche holy seruices and solemnities To what ende the Supper of the Lorde was instituted Christ also our Sauiour instituted a Communion and holye Supper that wee shoulde there celebrate hys name and healthfull death But
answer of Bonifacius a deceite of equiuocation For we demaund whither an ecclesiastical Minister may beare the office of a ciuil Magistrate and vse a ciuil sword and they remit vs vnto the sword of Peter a man otherwise priuate Bernardus Howbeit Bernardus in his .4 booke de Consider ad Eugenium semeth to interprete the two swordes I graunt that Bernard hath certaine thinges lyke vnto this but yet not vtterly the same But we must remember in what tyme Bernardus lyued He liued at that time wherein all thinges were corrupted in the Church and if a man reade those his bokes de Consideratione he shal se that he grieuously complaineth of the corruption of his time Eugenius was by the Romanes excluded the City and peraduenture he meditated by violence to restore himselfe Wherefore Bernard exhorted them to preache the Gospell to deale aganst the Romanes with the woorde and with Sermons rather then wyth the sword Eugenius said what wilt thou haue That I should feede Serpentes and Dragons and Beastes Yea rather assayle them saith Bernard with the woord not with iron And in an other place he saith If thou wilt haue both swordes thou shalt leese both Neither is it to be thought that Eugenius would by himself haue fought but peraduenture he assayed to moue warre by other from whiche purpose Bernard disswaded him And thus much of him But in that Bonifacius addeth that those swords of the church ought to be in order namely that the one should be subiect vnto the other that he proueth by thys saying of Paule Those powers that are are ordeined of God is manifestly declared how this man wresteth the scriptures For this word ordinatae that is ordered is in Greeke written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is nothing els then instituted or appointed But be it so as Bonifacius hath expounded it what manner of order shal this be at the length Vndoubtedly it shoulde be that the Minister shoulde teache and the ciuil power shoulde heare and beleue But this is nothing vnto the Pope which teacheth nothing The lowest thinges saith Dionisius are by meanes reduced vnto the hyghest Wherfore Bonifacius concludeth that the outward sword ought to be referred vnto God by the spiritual Vndoubtedly I wil easely graunt that the swoord of the spirit that is the word of God is the meane wherby the other sword namely the outwarde ought to be tempered and directed vnto God But why doth not the Pope retaine this meane The Pope vseth not the swoorde of the woord Why vseth he not the word Why teacheth he not why preacheth he not Nndoubtedly princes that stray are not by him reuoked into the right way yea rather contrarywise the Pope and bishops of the Church are somtimes rebuked and iustly reproued of princes Aaron assuredly being high priest It longeth to princes sometimes to admonish and correct Ecclesiastycall men fel greuously in making the golden calfe and obeing the foolishnes of the people Moses accused him greiuously whome it is certayne that he was a ciuil magistrate For toward the end of Deut. he is called a king And when the priestes abused the mony which was offred for the mending of the couerings of the temple who remedied that but onely Ioas the king I will not speake of Dauid and Salomon and others which deuided the lottes of the priest orders of the Leuites And I will not at this time proue these things by any more examples For they are manifest inough of them selues Wherefore I graunte that the ciuill power maye be corrected of the ministers by preaching of the word But the Pope vseth not this kind of gouernment but rather an incredible tirrannye They boaste moreouer that they themselues are greater in dignitye for that they excercise spirituall heauenly thinges where as princes are occupied onely about earthly and ciuill thinges Be it so for we deny not but that ministers are occupied about thinges greater and more deuine then magistrates are But doth the Pope alone minister them Yea rather he neuer doth it at al. Wherfore if the dignity of the ministery depend of those things then will it follow that many bishops and priestes do in dignity far excell the Pope which neuer preacheth most rarely and to very few administreth the Sacraments Let vs come to tenthes Of tenthes by the paiment wherof Bonifacius laboreth to proue that al princes ar subiect vnto him This argumēt semeth to haue some shew bicause at the first sight it agreeth with the .7 chap. of the Epistle to the Hebrewes wher Paul proueth the dignitie of christ to be greater thē the dignity of the priesthode of the Leuits For thus he gathereth Abraham payd tenthes vnto Melchisedech at which time Leui was not yet but was at the time in the loins of Abrahā so paid tēthes in him And he which payeth tenths to an other by the self same thing professeth himself to be inferior vnto him Christ was priest accordinge to the order of Melchisedech Wherfore the Apostle concludeth that the priesthode of the Leuits was much inferior vnto the priesthode of Christ I haue opened the spring frō whence Bonifacius deriued his argumēt The place is very dark and nedeth explicatiō and moreouer Bonifacius doth not aptly apply it to his purpose First we ought to vnderstand that tenthes in the old time pertayned vnto ceremonies that aswel in Melchisedech as in the Leuites Both the priesthode of Leui also of Melchisedech signified Christ For in either priesthode they were referred vnto Christ And either priesthode was in very dede a figure of Christ for euen as the Leuiticall prieste entred once euery yeare into the Sancta Sanctorum and that neuer without blood So Christ by his blood entred once into the tabernacle that is into heauen and agayne Melchisedeche for that he had neyther father nor mother resembled Christ which in respect that he was God had no mother and in respect that he was a man wanted a father But what signified the tenthes in either priesthode Christe was more playnelye signified by the priesthode of Melchisedech then by the Leuiticall priesthode Vndoubtedly they signified nothing els then that the elders ought to referre al theyr things vnto christ By that ceremony the people worshipped euen Christ And if a man wil conferre Melchisedech and the priesthode of Leui together although both of them seme to shadow Christ yet shall he se that he is more expressedly manyfestly signified by Melchisedech as the Epistle to the Hebrewes testifieth Bonifacius sayth we receiue tenthes of all the lay men Ye do take them indede but now that Christ is come the paying of tenthes is no more a ceremony as it was before the comming of Christ when by tēthes men worshipped Christ which was to come in the flesh and confessed that they ought vnto him both thēselues and al that they had After which self same manner they payd the
sometimes to call vs hys fellowe workers Bonifacius goeth on the lay power ought to be iudged of the Ecclesiasticall but by what kind of iudgement Vndoubtedly by this that in the churche he set forth the anger of God against sinners that they be admonished and corrected by the holy scriptures But the bishops may expel kings and put them out of their kingdome wher is the permitted Frō whence haue they that what writings wil they bring for it The Pope ought to be iudged of the church But that is most intollerable that the Pope sayth that he can be iudged of no man And yet Iohn .23 was in the counsel of Constance put downe and not onely by god but also by men So these men plant and replant Canons and the same they allow and disalow as often as they think good Yea and Emperors haue sometimes thrust out and put down Popes as it is before said Paul to the Gal. sayth If an Aungell from heauen preach any other gospel let him be accursed If the Pope which may come to passe and hath alredy long since come to passe obtrude wicked opinions who shall pronounce him accursed It is the dewty of the magistrate to execut the sentence of the church agaynst the pope Shall he be vtterly iudged of no man The church vndoubtedly shal geue sentence vpon him and the magistrate for that he is the chiefest part of the church shal not onely iudge together with it but also shall execute the sentence Farther it longeth vnto the magistrate to prouide that the riches of the churche be not geuen vnto the enemies of godlines Wherefore if bishoppes become enemies of the churche a faythfull magistrate ought not to suffer the goods of the church to be consumed by them The Canonists haue this oftentimes in theyr mouth That for the office sake is geuen the benefice When therfore they do not their office ought the magistrate to suffer them to enioy their benefices But let vs heare howe Bonifacius proueth that he can be iudged of no man Bycause he that is spiritual sayth he iudgeth all thinges but he himselfe is iudged of no man A godly and wel applied argument I promise you But let vs se what kind of iudgement Paul writeth of in that place He speaketh not vndoubtedly of the common kind of iudgement whereby men are either put to death or put oute of theyr roome He entreateth there onelye of the vnderstandinge of thinges deuine and which auaile vnto saluation These thinges I say properlye belong vnto the iudgement of the spiritual man but concerning common iudgementes and knowledge of ciuill causes Paule neuer thoughte of them in that place Which is easely perceaued by his wordes we haue not receiued saith he the sprite of this world but a sprite which is of God If thou wilt demaund for what vse the sprite is geuen vs He answereth that we should know those things that are geuen vs of God And bycause the sprite of this worlde cannot geue iudgemente of thinges deuine it is added The carnall man vnderstandeth not those things which ar of the sprite of god The spiritual man iudgeth al things What Doth he iudge also ciuill and common causes No vndoubtedlye but he iudgeth those thinges whiche pertayne vnto the saluation of men he himselfe is iudged of no man Without doubt both Peter and Paul were iudged by the ciuil power wherunto Paul appealed to be iudged there and yet were they both spirituall Peter Paule were iudged by the ciuil power But that place is thus to be vnderstanded He that is spirituall in that he is such a one cannot in thinges deuine and such as pertaine vnto saluation bee rightely iudged of any mā which is not endewed with the same sprite that he is The wicked and worldly ones count him oftentimes for a sedicious vnpure infamous fellow but only God and his sprite looketh vpon the hartes Note Lastly Bonifacius concludeth that there is one onely chiefe power which longeth vnto the pope least we should seme with the Maniches to make many beginninges We put this one onely beginninge and not many And he addeth That god in the beginning and not in the beginnings created the world We also abhorre from the Maniches and do put one onely beginning and pronounce one onely fountayne and ofspring of all powers namely god and his word without which can be no power either ciuil or Ecclesiasticall For the foundation of either of them dependeth of the word of god so we make but one beginning not two Farther if Bonifacius wil vrge these words of Genesis In the beginning god created c. there oughte to be in the world but one onely king For when Paul sayde One Lord one faith one baptisme he added not one Pope A Schisme of thre Popes At the length our Thraso commeth so farre that hee excludeth them from the hope of saluation which acknowledge not the Pope for the chief prince head of the church But when ther were two or three Popes al at one time which thing both happened and also endured the space of .60 yeares full it muste needes be that those were at that time Maniches and did put two beginnings which were of Bonifacius opinion Moreouer what thinke they of the Gretians of the Persiās and Christians which dwell in the East part for as much as they acknowledge not the Pope who yet neuerthelesse reade the scriptures beleue in our Lord Iesus Christ and both are also ar called christians Al them Bonifacius excludeth from the hope of saluation This is the ambicion and vnspeakeable tirannye of the Popes When we obiecte vnto the papistes these wordes of Paule let euery soule be subiect vnto the superior powers they aunswere that euery soul ought to be subiect vnto the superior power but yet to theyrs not to other mens power otherwise the frenchmen ought to be subiect vnto the Spaniardes the Spaniardes to the Germaines which thing for that it is absurd it is concluded that euery man ought to obey his own Magistrat But now the clergy acknowledge the bishops for theyr power and ought to be subiect vnto thē and the bishops acknowledge the Archbishoppes and Primates and they lastly acknowledge the Pope After this manner say they we obey the power and satisfye Paule What haue we to do with kings or ciuil magistrats But this is nothing els then most filthily to abuse the wordes of Paule The Papistes do rēt into two partes both the kingdomes and the people Doo they not see that they deuide the publike wealth into two bodies which oughte to be one body onely For when they deuide the kyngdome of the Clergye from the kingedome of the laitye they make in one kyngedome twoo peoples and doo sette ouer eyther people a Magystrate And thereby commeth to passe that the Clergy whiche are Frenchemen seeme not to be Frenchemen and the Germanes seeme not to be
troublesome dreames 137. b Bearing with others weaknes 52 Beda liued in a corrupt time 42. b Bearfoote is Elleborus 164. b Bees of bullockes dead 218 Begging disalowed 203 Behauor in prosperiti aduersiti 6 Benefits degres worthines 198 Benefits whether they be to be wtdraweÌ„ froÌ„ vnthaÌ„ful persons 198 Benefits of god ar of .2 sorts 198 b Beniamin had .x. families 269 Beniamites worthy to be condemned 271 Beniamites how many of theÌ„ wer slayne by the Israelites 273. b Berdes of Priestes 201. b Bernhards error of angels 209 Bethabara 141 Bethel is not alwayes a propper name of a place but wher the ark of the couenant remained 269. b Bethlehem .2 of that name 239. b Betraying handled 36 b Betraying defined 37 Betraying wurs theÌ„ besieging 37 Betraying lawful 37. b Betraying examples 38. b Betrothing in woordes of the future tence 284. b Bezek situate 11 Bibles preserued by the Iewes 57 b Bishop of Rome hath nothing common with Peter 149 Bishops of Rome refused kingdom in the church at the first 147 Bishops ambicious 12 Bishops coÌ„secrating of kings whether they be therein greater then kinges 261. b Blabbing a vice moste peculiare to women 221. b Blasphemies horrible 235 Bloudshedding iustly and rightly restrayneth not from the holy ministery 146. b Boasting what 87. b Boasting against God 132. b Body what it signifieth with Tertulian 209 Body spiritual how 211 Body and bloud of Christe howe it is eaten 212. b Bodies of men after the floud whether lesse then before 17 Body humaine cannot consist with out flesh and bones 118. Body remoueth vs not from the beholding of God 117. b Bodye is ioyned to the soule for a helpe and not punishment 208. b Body is anoyed with druÌ„keÌ„nes 163. b Bodely diseases les grieuous then the mindes 247. b Bona goods 139. b Bondage first of the Israelits 77 Bondage more grieuous then losse of goods 70 Bondage is agaynste the nature of man 80 Bondage is a ciuill death 36 Bond saruants may not flye from their masters 227. b Bonifacius the right 257. Booke de Patientia none of Augustines 158. b Booke de Dogmate ecclesiastico is none of saint Augustines 121 borders of the Hebrues couÌ„tri 267 Bramble a vile plant 160. b Breade remayning in the Eucharist 205 brethreÌ„ for al maner of kinsfolks 23 Brothers children ar not forbidden to mary by Gods lawe .19 but by the law of nature 21 Brothers wyfe onelye lawfull for the Iewes to mary 21. b Bribery of Abimilech 158 Burials of the Hebrues in their own possessions 66 Burnt offringes 271 Burthens personall 263. b C. CAesar touched 153. b Caiphas the hie priest was no prophet 137 Calcedonia Synode 147. b Calfes made by Aaron IeroboaÌ„ were made of a good intent 48. b Calues of the lyps 192 Canons of the apostles allow mariage of Ministers 94. b Canons latter corrupt 215 Canons authority aboue the Ciuill lawes 217. b Cantones vilages of Heluetia â—67 Captains ouer ten Centurions c why God appointed 115. b Captaynes to haue Ministers in their campes 96. b Captaine needefull in great daungers 176. b captiues returning or escaping 85 b Carthage inhabited wyth Sidonians 243. b Cardinals hoorehunters 232 Carefulnes contrary to securitye yet not alwaies to be praised 247 case new requireth a new help 88 b Cases of lying to auoyd dauÌ„ger 90 Castels whether it bee lawfull to fence 113 Castels municions cannot defend from the anger of God 112. b Cathecumeni 42 b Cato burthened with droÌ„kennes 163 Caues described 112. b Cause of synne is not to be layd vnto God 167 Cause iust vniust differ much 271 Causes first more to be considered then the second 71 Centurions c. why God appointed 115. b Ceremonies complayned on 190. b Ceremonies neede not be all a lyke euery where 54. b Ceremonies of the law howe long they might be vsed 52 Ceremonies of the law howe farre Paule condemned them 51. b Ceremonies are not good bycause they had a good begynning but bicause they be good of theyr nature 48 Ceremonies in the Masse what they signify is vnknowen 50 Chaire of Peter 149 Chaldry paraphrast with the Hebrues is of great authority 285. b Chalebs petigree 18. b Chaleb a faythful spy 18 Chanaan nation discussed 7 ChanaaÌ„ deuided by Iosua before it was possessed by the Israelits 7. b Chananites why God woulde not by and by destroy them 8 Chananites expelled by the Israelites went into Affricke 7 Charges extraordinary 263. b Chariotes for warre described 32. they can not resist God 32 b Charity is neglected when we depart from the true God 155. b Charity not broken in destroying of Cities 31 Chaunce is not with God 172 ChauÌ„ce is not wtout gods wil 165 b Chaunge is not in God 175 Chemos god of the Amonites 185 Cherem vowes 192 Ches play 220 Children many is an excellent gyft of God 200 Children fayre of foule Parentes how 4. b Childe of a day old is not pure 180 Children are more of the father theÌ„ of the mother 156. b Children deuided for legitimacion c. 177. b Childrens obedience to their Parentes 203. b Childrens duties to their parents al one with subiects to their Magistrates 265 Children whether they may marye wtout coÌ„sent of their parents 214 Children when they maye disobeye their parentes 253 ChildreÌ„ ar not punished for theyr fathers as touching eternal life 182 Choyce of meates is not to bee followed 278 Christ is man 211. b Christ is the vniuersal head 147. b Christ the head of the church 241 Christ dissembled 89. b Christ as wee reade oft wept but neuer laught 63 Christ how he resembled Melchisedech 261 Christe is the mediator in makyng leagues 73. b Christ refused a kingdoÌ„ offred 147 Christ is our peace 122. b Christes appearing to the olde Fathers how it may be proued 119 b Christ how he is taught bi the boke of Iudges 2. b Christ had a true body after hys resurrection 209 Christes bodye howe it entred the doores shut 211. b Christ appeared to Gedion 115 Christes body bloud ar not included in the simbols or signes 212 b Chronicles howe they differ from histories 3 Chrysippus foolish answer 147 Church is gouerned of God wyth a singuler care 203 Church had not two swords in the apostles time 260. b Churche howe it maye haue twoo swordes 259. b Churche geueth not authoritye to the scriptures but contrary 5 Church hath three offices touching the word of God 5 Churches consent if it be to be waited for in reformacion of religion 265 Church ought to entreat for the reconciliation of the repentant 250 Church that payeth tythes is greater then the minister 261. b CipriaÌ„ resisted the church of Rome 148 Circumstances make much in euery matter 101 City of Palmes what 27. b Cities whether it bee lawfull to fence 113 Cities of refuge beloÌ„ged to the Leuites 18 Citizen good who 150 Ciuil lawes are to bee corrected by the woord
health 135. b Dreames it is not vtterly forbidden to regard them 138. b Dreames of prophecieng geuen by God to the wicked 134. Dreames some ar sent by God 137 Drunkennes hurtes 163. b Drunkennes hath 2. sences 162. Drunkennes bringeth all vices to light 164. b Dwelling of Christians with infidels or godly with vngodly 44. b E. EAre rynges 250. b Eating defined 212. Ecclesiasticall power and Ciuill 257. b Ecclesiasticall causes pertayne to the Magistrate 266. Ecclesiasticall power is subiect to the ciuill 258. b Elect are punished to their saluation 33. Electors of Princes 90. b Elements of bread wine and water 134. b Elias was of the tribe of Beniamin 272. Elloborus is bearfoote 164. b Elohim and Iehouah 112 b Elohim whom it is attributed vnto 206. b Emaus called Nicopolis 41. Emperours why they were ordained 2. Emperour subiect to the pope 257 Emperor corrected of a bishop 145 Emperours all were not consecrated of the Pope 261. b Emulation handled 141. b Emulation described 143. b Enak defined 15. Enakim 15. b Endeuour or labour is required to be ioyned with faith 13. b Enemies described 85. Enemies god destroieth somtimes without the helpe of man 99. England 271. d Enochs booke 16. Enterprises require three things 271. b Enuy intreated of 141. b Enuy described and mother therof 143. Enuious persons described 141. b Epha measure 116. b Ephod what 150 b Ephod what 238. b Ephori 90. b Ephraites more noblethen Manasses 141. b Ephramites pride 197. Epitaphes soong 102. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reioycing at an other maÌ„s hurt 143 Errour very hurtfull 〈◊〉 the church 148. b Errours of fathers 279. Errour of Ambrose 194. Errour of Augustine 195. b Errours of Grigory 147. b Errour of Grigorye Byshoppe of Rome 56. Esay was maryed 94. Esay deth what occasioned 117. b Espials thre meÌ„cioned in the scripture 35. b Essence of God shal be knowen of vs in the lyfe euerlasting 121 Eternal life fully geuen vs is presently possessed onely in part 7. b Eternall lyfe whether it may be called a reward 272. Ethniks had better knowledge of God then the Papistes 207. b Euensong before noone 277. b Euents no good trial of lawful actions 227. Euils is not to be committed to auoyde euyl 253. Euil lesse is to bee preferred before the greater 253. Euil how it is taken away 268. b Euil not euill if God commaunde it 39 Euil in the fight of the Lord. 67. b Euil works how God may be said to worke in the wicked 7. Euill men sometymes punished by wurs 80. b Euil spirit signifieth either the deuil or wicked affections 168 Euil thinges muste not onelye bee left but good thynges also put in vre 176. Euripides sentence 158. Examples of drunkennes 163 Examples profitable 2. wayes 4 Examples of sayntes abused 4 Examples of Gods doinges is not to be reasoned of alwayes by vs. 233. b Excommunicate person 285. Excommunicate persons howe we may keepe coÌ„pany with theÌ„ 45. b Exercises of the bodi haue no great vtility but piety 140 Exodus what it entreateth of 1. b Ezechias liued in Romulus time 3. b Ezechiel was maried 94 F. FAble defined 159. b Fable of frogs in Aesop 160 Face of the mynde aswell as of the body 121 Fayning is not alwaies lying 209. Fallacy a secundum quid ad simpli citer et accidentis 256. b Faithes efficacy 98. Faith of three sortes 130. b Faith of hospitality 252. b Faith is to be kept with the ennemy 85. b Faith to heretiks is to be kept 86 Faith is not to be kept to him that breaketh faith 85. b Faithes beginning 207. b Faith obtaineth promises 13. b Faithe of no force if it want the word of God 152. Faith cannot sufficiently be confirmed by myracles 129. b Faith iustified the fathers as well as vs. 74. b Faith refuseth not humain help 125 Faithes effectes is prayer and fasting 276. Faith coÌ„meth not of miracles but is confirmed by them 127. Faith is the soul of good works 242 Faith whyther it go before miracles or miracles before faith 130 Faith directeth good intent cleaueth onely to the woord of God not to fathers or counsels 152. b Faith is the gift of God 122 Fals of godli meÌ„ churches 226 b Fathers synnes whether the sonne shall beare 178. b Fathers iustified by fayth as wee 74. b Fathers the more auÌ„cient the more sincere 216 Fathers are not to be excused in all thinges 20 Fathers are neither constant nor without errour 152. b Fathers authoritye yll compared with the scriptures 152 Fasting handled 274 Fastes of sundry kindes 278 Fasting distinguished into common and priuate 94. Fastinges abuses 279. Fastes denounced of Princes whither they are to be obeyed 277 Fastings vpon saints euens 140 Fault where none is ought none to confes 90 Feare of God contrarye to securitye 246. b Feare comprehendeth al maner religion of worshipping 113. b Feare maye not moue againste iustice 38 Feare godly driueth not a man to parricide 194. Feare of the enemies once knoweÌ„ is a good begiÌ„ning of victory 134 Feare at the sight of God or angel how it commeth 117. b Feare euil of two sortes 247. b Feastes are wont to haue ryddels 218. b Felicity of the vngodly 170. b Fellowship of the wicked is to bee fled 251. b Fellowship of godlye with vngodlye 44. b Fellowship of the godlye is profitable 29 Feeding of the flocke was not onely Peters office 149 Feete washing much vsed in Syria 252. b Figuratiue speeches ar no lies 111 Filthy burthens defined 263. b Fish counted among delicates 278 Finders of things ought to restore them 283 Flatterers vsage 84. b Flesh and bone of any man is the most coniunction that may be 156. b Flesh refreining 278 Flight for truth 52. b Foode of angels 212. b Foote measure 16. b Forbidding of things is to some an alluring to the same 158. b Forgeuenes of synnes 13 Forgiuenes of syns may be wythâ—out restitucioÌ„ of so happy state as we had before we synned 65. b Formes why they are more seene sleeping then waking 135 Fornication handled 229 Fornication is hurtful to the common wealth 130. b Forswearing is alwayes vnlawfull 39. b Fortune ruleth not things but the prouidence of God 172 Found things must be restored 283 Foundation church hath none but Christ 149 FoundatioÌ„ of the church is Christ 241. b Foule parents how they shal haue fayre children 4. b Foxes plenty in Syria 223. b Free men may chaunge their dwellings for iust causes 227. b Free will confuted 104. b Free will cannot be gathered of the commaundements 73 freÌ„dships fouÌ„datioÌ„ is honesty 166. b Frendship grounded vpon profit or pleasure is weake 26. b Frendes dreame ofte of their frendes 135. b FroÌ„wardnes of ours whence it springeth 167 G GAbaonites god fauoured 36 Gabaonites traitors â—8 b Gabaonites wickednes 252 Gaine more commonly soughte for then health 174 Garmentes of nedle worke or dyuers colours attributed onely to prynces 111. b