is defined CIcero doth define mercie to be the sorrowe of the minde and griefe conceiued vpon the misery of some other redy to aids the same Seneca in his booke De clementia saith that mercie is the griefe of minde had vpon the séeming of the miseries of others or els the sorrow conceiued for other mens euills which it is thought that they deserue not Augustine saith what is mercie but a certaine compassion in our heart of some others misery wherby we be compelled to help them if we can For who knoweth not that mercie is named of that that it maketh a mans heart miserable pitifull sorrowing for another mans euill So they doe define mercie commonly to be touched stroken within in the heart with the misery of others The Hebrues do cal mercy by this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which word doth properly signifie the belly they do apply it vnto the signification of mercy because y◠the inward parts of them which be touched with y◠sight of other mens miseries are wont to be moued with some affection of compassion pitie Mus. fo 978. What it is to haue mercie or be mercifull To haue mercie or be mercifull is to haue compassion and to féele another mans disease and to mourne with them that mourne and suffer with them that suffer and to helpe and succour them that are in tribulation and aduersitie and to comfort them with good counsell and wholesome instruction and louing wordes And to bée mercifull is louingly to forgiue them that offende thee as soone as they knowledge their misdoing and aske thée mercie To be mercifull is patiently long to abide the conuersion of sinners with a lustie courage and hope that God will at the last conuert them and in the meane time to pray instantly for them And to be mercifull is to interpret all things to the best and to looke through the fingers at many things and not to make a grieuous sinne of euery small trifle And to suffer forbeare in his owne cause the malice of them that will not repent nor be a knowen of their wickednesse as long as hée canne suffer it and as long as it ought to be suffered and when he can no longer then to complaine to them that haue authoritie to forbid wrong and to punish euill doers Tindale Blessed are the mercifull for they shall obtaine mercie ¶ Héere God hath made a couenaunt with vs to be mercifull vnto vs if we will be mercifull one to another So that the man which sheweth mercie vnto his neighbour maye bée bolde to trust in GOD for mercie at all needes And contrariwise iudgement without mercie shall be to him that sheweth not mercie So now if he that sheweth no mercie trust in God for mercie his faith is carnall and worldly and but vaine presumption For God hath promised mercie onely to the mercifull and therefore the mercilesse haue not Gods word that they shall haue mercie but contrariwise that they shall haue iudgement without mercie Tindale What is meant by mercie and truth Let not mercie and truth forsake thée binde them vpon thy necke and write them vpon the table of thine heart ¶ By mercie and truth he meaneth the commaundements of the first and second table or els the mercie and faithfulnesse that we ought to vse toward our neighbours Kéepe them saith he as a most precious Iewell and haue them euer in remembraunce Gen. What the mercie seate was And he made a mercie seate ¶ Mercie seate was the place where God spake vnto the Children of Israel which was vpon the Arke of witnesse figuring Christ as it is said He. 9. 8. T. M. Of the mercifulnesse of Zabulon ¶ Looke Zabulon MERRY How the children of God may and ought to be merry TRue it is that the children of God may will be merry when they haue prosperitie lyke as when God sendeth vs wherewith to be fed and maintained when he dealeth so with vs as we want nothing when he giueth vs health quyetnesse and all other like things we may well be merrie yea and we ought so to be according as it is said in the law Thou shalt eate and drinke before thy God and be merry But yet must not the faithfull settle their ioye vppon the present benefits nor hold themselues onely tyed vnto them yea rather if they want meate and drinke or be troubled with sicknesse they must not therefore cease to trust in God but must learne Saint Paules lesson which is to haue skill both to be poore and rich to endure hunger and scarcitie and also to haue abundaunce Thus ye see that the mirth of Gods Children differeth greatly from the mirth of the vnbeléeuers and worldlyngs c. Caluine vpon Iob. MERIT What Merit is MErit is sometime taken for the worke it selfe which is taken to be meritorious In which sence Augustine in a place saith that merit must goe before the reward Sometime it is taken for the reward which is worthely giuen to him that worketh The first sence is concerning him that worketh the la◠concerneth him that giueth the reward to the other c. Musculus fol. 234. What merit of congruence is Some will haue the merit of congruence to be when although that he to whom the thing is giuen bee vnworthye to haue it giuen him and that his dooing is not such that it deserueth it yet that it becommeth him to whome it is done to giue him As although the sinner deserue no fauour yet it is conuenient for God of his goodnesse to forgiue the repentaunt and to giue him his grace But some saye that the merit of congruence is when a man of his owne good motion comming by nature doth deserue the first grace which they call the preuenting grace What merit of worthinesse is They call the merit of worthinesse when the iust person doth intreate for the sinner For they saye it is worthye that the iust be heard So when grace is giuen to the sinner at the prayer of the iust they doe attribute this to the merit of worthinesse that is to say of the iust which doth make meanes for him What merit of condigne is They will haue the merit of condigne to be when a man holpen by the first grace doth make himselfe by the first grace worthy of euerlasting life for he by that meanes doing well is worthy they say to haue reward for his labour This pestilent plague of the Pelagians is to bée withstoode with all our might and we must firmely hold that we cannot deserue neither grace nor saluation by any strength or works of our owne for any merit either of congruence worthinesse or condigne but that all is simply and méerly to be referred to the grace of God in Christ. You be saued through grace by faith saith the Apostle and that not of your selues it is the gifte of God not by workes least any man might
as the Romaine Emperours were called Caesars or Augusti But wherehence that word was deriued at the beginning this we may by coniecture gather This Hebrew word Pharao amongest other thinges signifieth to auenge and especiall in the coniugation Hiphil Wherefore I thinke that the wise men of the Aegyptians in those auncient times meant by that surname to signifie what manner a thing the function power of a king is namely that that the Prince is the minister of God who as Paule sayth to the Romanes Beareth the swoorde and is auenger agaynst those that doe euill Wherefore the king of Aegypt so often as hée heard that his might cal to memorie that the auenging of sins and wicked factes perteined vnto his office And the subiects being terrified by that name might be kept in true obedience if yet it may be admitted out of the Hebrew tongue to deriue the Etimologie of an Aegyptian worde c. Pet. Mart. vpon the Rom. fol. 264. How Pharaos heart was hardened both by God and himselfe Suppose that there were a Carter hauing many horses which is continually whipped forwarde neither suffereth hée them to stand still They being driuen forwarde must néedes moue and as many as are whole and sound of legges goe vprightly but if there be any amongst them that haue lame or diseased féete or legges they also goe when they are whipped forward but yet slowly and euill fauouredly for they halt but that halting should not be vnlesse they were driuen forward For when the horses stand still the halting is not perceiued but the beginning of halting that is the disease of lamenesse of the legges the horses haue in themselues and receiue it not at the Carters hand So God forsomuch as he by his mightie working perpetually moueth and stirreth vs vp maketh vs to light vppon diuerse occasions which we for that we are euill cannot vse well But in this similitude this difference ought to be noted that it lieth in the hand of God by his liberal grace and spirit to deliuer vs from sinne graffed in vs by nature when it lyeth not in the power of the Carter to heale the diseased féete of the horses c. Pet. Mar. vpon the Rom. fo 265. Why Pharao was called Leuiathan Thou brakest the head of Leuiathan ¶ I am of opinion saith Caluine that Pharao his army are betokned by way of a Metaphore because such manner of speach is verie rife among the Prophets specially when they intreate of the Aegyptians whose land was susteined with fish of the Sea and the riuer Nilus running through it Not without cause therefore is Pharao termed Leuiathan by reason of the commoditie of the Sea because he reigned there as a Whale in the water Caluine PHARISES What the Pharesies were THe Pharises were among the Iewes certeine men which professed a forme of liuing more straight and deuout then other of that people and were therefore called by that name for Phares in the Hebrew tongue signifieth deuided They professed continence virginitie fast and abstinence from meat twise in the sabboth daies They slept onely vpon boords some vpon stones or else on thornes to kéepe them from stirring of fleshly appetite They ware in their foreheads scrowles of parchment wherein were written the tenne commaundements giueÌ„ by God to Moses which they called Philaterias They had in great reuerence their elders insomuch that they would not with a word displease theÌ„ Notwithstanding they beleeued that all things happened by constellation and yet tooke they not away frée will from man They affirmed that soules are immortall and that God shall come to iudgement Héereby they came into wonderfull credence with people wherby they drew to them great multitudes and of them were diuerse good men among whom was Saint Paule Nichodemus and other which afterward were Christs Disciples although the multitude taking the profession for vaine glorie peruerted that honest forme of liuing into hypocrisie deceiuing the people whome Christ sharpely rebuked and declared their folly And yet with some of them which by likelihood wer good men he dined otherwise vsed them familiarly Eliote As concerning the Pharises Saduces and Esses read Iosephus in his second booke De bello Iudaico These were speciall sectes among the people The Pharises professed the more surer knowledge of right and customes of the lawe they were had in great vneration and reuerence of the people and they gate vnto themselues the greatest part of dominion and rule Neither did they onely oppresse the people with the burden of the prescript lawe but also with their owne traditions in the which thing the Saduces were greatlye against them as we read in Iosephus But they are deceiued which thinke them to be so named of the diuision as though they being seperated froÌ„ the order of the common sort of people might take a degree proper vnto themselues They were called also Pherussâ—â— that is to saie Interpreters because not being content with the simple letter they profesied that they had the way to vnderstande secret mysteries Whereof theâ—e arose a wonderfull mixture confusion of errours when as they taking to themselues the dignitie of maistershippe did with their wicked lust and sense and also with wonderfull pride thrust in stéede of the truth their owne inuentions c. Read Act. 23. 6. Marl. vpon Math. fo 45. When the sect of the Pharises began About the yeare before Christ. 150. through the warres and descention of the Iewes there arose among them sundry sectes and opinions in their religions of which ther were thrée sorts The first were called Pharesei that is segregate or chosen They vsed certeine constitutions of men beside the lawe of Moses by which they were segregate from the residue of the people They reputed themselues better then all other They obserued fained fastes praied commonly in the stréetes that they might be séene and called maisters Their learning was somewhat better then the others for they taught the immortalitie after this life that God wold punish sin They beléeued also Messias to come to saue such as beléeued to iudge such as sinned Lanquet Tindale supposeth the Pharesies were righteous men which had professed not as nowe one Dominicke the other Fraunces and an other Barnardyns rules but euen to holde the very lawe of God with praier fasting and almes déede and were the floure of perfection of all the lawe As Saint Paule reioyseth of himselfe Phil. 3. 5. saieng I am an Hebrewe and as concerning the lawe a Pharesie and concerning the righteousnesse of the lawe was faultlesse Tindale fo 201. What the wickednesse of the pharesies was The wickednesse of the Pharesies was the leauen of their Gloses to the morall lawes by which they corrupted the commaundements of God and maketh them no more Gods and their false fayth in the ceremonies that the bare worke was a sacrifice and a seruice to God the significations lost and opinion of false righteousnesse in their
inferior more obscure then the bright shew of Christs works Mar. fol. 176. Though I beare record of my selfe yet my record is true The sense meaning is this Although euery man is suspected in his owne cause although it be prouided by lawes that no man speaking in his owne cause shuld be credited yet notwithstanding this can take no place in the son of God which is aboue the whole world for he is not to be reckoned in the order of men but hath this priuiledge from his father to gouerne all men with his word alone Mar. fol. 293. That which Christ denieth chap. 5. 37. héere he graunteth to declare vnto them their stubburnes saith that béeing God he beareth witnes to his humanitie likewise doth God the father witnes the same wher are two distinct persons though but one God Geneua At the mouth of two witnesses c. Not that the testimony of two witnesses are alwaies true but because it is to be counted true For otherwise the testimonie of men may be false as it is to be séene in the 3. of Kings chapter 21. 13. Math. 26. 6. Susanna 13. VVOE What woe is THis word Woe as Basil saith is a lamentable mone wherewith all they yâ— grone vnder the crosse doth vtter their griefe What is betokened by the 3. woes in the reuelation of Iohn One woe is past and behold two woes come yet heereafter ¶ The fiâ—st woe betokeneth the mischiefe that is brought into the world by the false prechers Cloister men which aduanced Antichrist vnto so great authoritie yâ— he began to be estéemed for a God and Sauiour when notwithstanding he was but a destroier rooter out loe saith the text ther came yet two woes after this yâ— is to wit in the opening of the trumpets of the sixt seuenth Angels For the second woe is ment of the time wherin Antichrist raigneth with most cruel persecutions against the godly through the whole world And the third is about yâ— ende destruction of Antichrist whome the Lord shall dispatch with the breath of his mouth and rid quite away through the brightnesse of his comming 2. The. 2. 8. Mar. fol. 135. VVOOD What it is to build on wood haye or stubble IF any doe build on this foundation wood haye or stubble ¶ That is if a man of good intent but yet through ignorance preach teach you to sticke vnto ceremonies mens traditions although they seeme neuer so glorious to such things as are not grounded on scriptures as S. Cyprian taught defended to rebaptise him that was once baptised after fallen into heresie yea many Bishops consented vnto him yet was it surely a great errour This is wood haye and stubble that cannot endure the fire of temptation light of Gods word c. I. Frith fol. 43. VVOLFE How a Wolfe is sometime taken in a good sense BEniamin is a rauishing Wolfe ¶ Wolfe is héere taken in â— a good sense and signifieth a feruent preacher of Gods word as was Paule in whom the text is verefied T. M. The meaning of these places following The Wolfe the Lambe shall féede together ¶ The meaning is that the most wicked cruell men shall at the comming of Christ agrée with the good peaceable that the Gentiles which for their beastly liuing are often signified vnder the name of beasts shal be at vnitie with the faithfull the one liue ioyfully with the other without strife The very selfe saieng haue ye in the 11. Chap. ver 6. T. M. The Wolfe shall dwell with the Lambe ¶ Men because of their wicked affections are named by the name of beasts wherin the like affections raigne but Christ by his spirite shall reforme them worke in them such mutuall charitie that they shal be lyke Lambes fauouring and louing one another cast off all their cruell affections Geneua VVOMAN Of the woman arayed in Purple ANd the woman araied in Purple c. ¶ This woman is Antichrist that is the Pope with the whole bodye of his filthyâ— creatures as is expounded ver â—8 whose beautie only staÌ„deth in outward pompe and impudencie and craft like a strumpet Geneua ¶ The womans variable garments be tokeneth diuerse liueryes of religious orders or the Rose coulour may signifie a readinesse to shedde christen bloud The cup â—ull of abhominations c. the Popes decrées decrefalls Bulles dispensations suspensations and cursings The beast she sat on is the Papall seate Sir I. Cheeke Of womens apparell The Prophet Esay reckoneth vp their bracelets their tablets their bonets their nosegaies iewels their vailes their wimples c. ¶ In rehearsing all these things perticularly he sheweth the lightnesse and vanitie of such as cannot be content with comelye apparell according to their degrée Geneua Tertulian in his booke of the â—ttire of women setting forth a better new apparell of women saith thus Prodite vos feminae c. Come ye forth ye women hauing your beauties bettered with the helps and ornaments of the Apostles taking white liues of simplicitie and readynesse of shamefastnesse hauing your eyes painted with shamefastnesse and your spirits with secresie putting into your eares the word of God tieng to your neckes the yoake of Christ put vnder your neckes to your husbands and ye shall be well apparelled Haue alwaies what to doe in your hands and fasten your féete at home and ye shall bee better lyked of them and if ye were in gold Clad you with the silke of sinceritie with the saten of sanctitie with the purple of probitie Thus prune and pricke vp your selues and God himselfe shall be your paramour c. How women may not weare mans apparell The woman shall not weare that which perteineth to man c. ¶ It is not forbidden but that to eschew or auoide ieopardy or to passe the time merely or to beguile our enimies a womaÌ„ may weare a mans harnesse or vestiments and contrariwise a man womans clothes but that they be not earnestly and customably vsed that due honour and dignitie may be obserued of both kindes seeing to doe contrariwise is vncomely T. M. Of the woman taken in adultery Neither doe I condemne thee goe and sinne no more ¶ Hée sayth not neither shall any man condemne thée because hée would not abrogate the office of yâ— lawful iudge Therfore they which gather heereby yâ— adultery is not to be punished by death by the same it is necessarie that they graunt yâ— an inheritaunce ought not to be diuided because Christ would not make himselfe an arbitrer or vmper in that businesse betwéene two bretheren yea let euery wickednesse be exempted from the punishment of the lawe if so be adulterers may escape vnpunished they open the gate to treason to murther to rapine and theft If the magistrate had lawfully condemned adulterye Christ would not haue absolued the same He absolued
Looke Saluation Of the workes of darknesse and of the spirit For ye were sometimes darknesse ¶ They are called darknesse that walke yet in the night of incredulitie misbeléefe doing the works of darknesse which are whooredome adultery wantonnesse c. but they are contrariwise called the children of light that bring forth the fruits of the spirit Gal. 5. 21. How they know not God that denieth him in deedes They confesse they know God but with works they deny him ¶ As infidelitie is the headspring of all wickednesse and vice so on the contrarie side faith is the original well fountaine of all vertue and godlynesse Which faith is declared not onely by works but by such déeds works as God hath commaunded vs in his holy and sacred Scriptures And where no such works be speake they neuer so godly ther is no true liuely faith Sir I. Cheeke VVORLD What the world signifieth in this place ANd the world knew him not◠The world in this place signifieth all men for it cannot be taken in a straighter sense In the sentence going before the world was made by him In other places of Scripture the world signifieth y◠reprobate onely Héere the world is condemned of vnthankfulnesse vnkindnesse that it hath not embraced but shamefully refused reiected his maker It is vnnaturall it is horrible abhominable that men should not acknowledge him by whom they haue euen this that they be men Trah Why Paule doth call this world present and euill To deliuer vs from this present and euill world ¶ Hée calleth this whole world which hath bene is and shall be the present world to put a difference betwixt this and that euerlasting world which is to come Moreouer he calleth it an euill world because that whatsoeuer is in this worlde is subiect to the mallice of the Diuell reigning ouer the whole world◠For this cause the world is sayd to be the kingdome of the Diuell for ther is nothing else in this world but ignorance contempt blasphemy and hatred of God Also disobedience against all the words and works of God In and vnder the kingdome of this world are we c. Luther vpon the Gal. fol. 20. Of the disputers of this world Where is the disputer of this world ¶ He that is so subtile in discussing of questions and héerein Paule reprocheth euen the best lerned as though not one of them could perceiue by his owne wisdome this mysterie of Christ reuealed in the Gospell Geneua The meaning of this place following We haue receiued not the spirit of the world Wée are not moued with that spirit which techeth things wherwith the world is delighted which men vnderstand by nature◠Ge. VVORME How Christ compareth himselfe to a worme EGo sum vermis non homo I am a worme and no man The scorne of men the outcast of the people ¶ How truly and how iustly Christ might say I am a worme no man euery man knoweth that hath read either the. 26. of Mathew or the. 14. of S. Marke how the Iewes did spit in his face did buffet him with fists so vilely intreated him as no man could be worse and therefore it is very properly said of the Prophet◠I am a worme and no man A worme is a vile thing in daunger of treading on and killing with euery mans foot No man regardeth it no man loueth it nor pittieth it though he be a right good man To expresse therefore liuely and properly the vile reputation of Christ at the time of his passion it is verye aptly sayde Ego sum vermis non homo c. Beside this Saint Austen supposeth him to bée called Vermis for an higher consideration Why is Christ called Vermis saith he Because he aunswereth he was mortall he was borne of the flesh and begotten without the companieng together of man and woman in the act of generation And therefore he sayth thus Sicut vermis calefaciente sole de puro limo formatur sic spiritu sancto c. As the worme is ingendered of the pure and onely slime or mudde being made hotte with the warme Sunne Euen so the holy Ghost illustrating and halowing the heart of the virgin She was conceiued with childe without any humane act of ingendering wrought therein In consideration whereof Christ comparing himselfe to a worme sayth by Dauid I am a worme and no man that is I am not conceiued after the manner fashion of man Thus farre Saint Austen Ric. Turnar VVORMEVVOOD How false teachers heretiks be compared to wormewood THe name of the starre was called wormewood Wormewood is an hearbe faire inough vnto the eye◠but very bitter to the tast Euen so be heretiks and as many as fauour Antichrist the more they seeme to excell in holines the more do they annoy Marl. ¶ The nature of wormwood is to withdraw all sweetnesse These meaning pernitious heretikes with their bitter heresies and their noysome doctrine destroyed y◠pits of Abraham they troubled the text they mixed the truth with falshoode they poysoned the waters they tooke away the louesomnes of them they left them vnpure and vnperfect not that they can be so of themselues but of their false working they made them vnpleasaunt vnprofitable yea and most perillous vnto many c. Bale ¶ The third plague came vpon the starres of heuen that is vpon the most holiest people which were taken for the spirituall state order as Monkes Friers Priests which through their hipocrisie haue heaped vnto themselues money goods and treasures and haue gotten lands and dominions for the which great diuision was among them And whereas the world shuld haue learned of them faith loue and knowledge it was nothing but slaundered offended deceiued seduced and sore hindered by them both in faith and in godly liuing behauiour both which were vtterly decayed in these persons to the great vndoing and destruction both of body and soule And thus the swéete honnye of Christian loue and concord among these Orders is turned into bitter wormwood by the which many soules are destroyed Erasmus in his Paraphrase VVORSHIP What is meant by worshipping BY worshipping whether it was in the olde Testament or new vnderstand the bowing of a mans selfe vpon y◠ground as we oftentimes as we knéele in our praiers boow our selues and lye on our armes and hands with our faces to the ground Tindale fol. 11. ¶ Whereas the Latin word of worshipping is of that nature that it signifieth both to serue and obserue and honour it is aptly referred to God so that all that seruice obseruation reuerence and deuotion whereby we doe worship God as wel inwardly in our hearts as outwardly in deede is called the worship of God Muscul. fol. 351. ¶ To worship God is the first precept euen to beléeue him to be our God and to haue no strange Gods in his sight that