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A06863 A booke of notes and common places, with their expositions, collected and gathered out of the workes of diuers singular writers, and brought alphabetically into order. A worke both profitable and also necessarie, to those that desire the true vnderstanding & meaning of holy Scripture By Iohn Marbeck Merbecke, John, ca. 1510-ca. 1585. 1581 (1581) STC 17299; ESTC S112020 964,085 1,258

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inclosed in a Boxe of an inche and an halfe déepe when the Priest will mumble vppe foure wordes in a corner and there bée tied till he waxe foistie vnlesse the Priest loose him A. G. How God is called a Rocke The Lord is my Rocke ¶ Godlie men haue called the Lord by diuers names according to their faith that is as they thought of God within themselues and as they also had proued As Dauid héere calleth him his rocke his Castle his deliuerer his strength his shield his horne of defence Psal. 18. 1. T M. ¶ By the diuersitie of these comfortable names he sheweth how his faith was strengthened in all temptations Geneua ¶ God is called a Rock because he his word lasteth for euer He is sure to trust to and a present comfort to bel●●uers their singular defence at all times T. M. How God is not chaunged If I shall speake euill against anie Nation saith the Lord and that Nation shall repent I will also repent me of that euill which I said I would doe And that Ieremie might more manifestlier vnderstande the things that were spoken he bad him goe into the house of the Potter where he saw the Potter make a vessell of claie which was broken in the handes of the workman But the Potter made againe another vessell of the same claie So saith the Lord if they repent I will also repent I do now make for them euill things but for euill things I will make good And yet as I haue said he changeth not his sentence because such threatenings and promises doe depend vpon a condition which is sometimes chaunged when as God abideth the selfe same Of this thing right well writeth Chrisostome vpon Genesis in his 25. homelie The Lord commanded Noe to build an Arke threatened that after an 120. yeres he wold destroie all mankinde by a floud but when in the meane time they nothing at all profited he cut off 20. yeres sent the floud in y● hundred yeare and yet was not God chaunged but the conditions of men veried The same Chrisostome also vpon Math. in his 65. homelie when he interpreteth this Uerelie I saie vnto you ye which haue forsaken all things c. demaundeth Was not Iudas one of the twelue And shall Iudas sit vppon the seates and iudge the twelue Tribes of Israel Did Christ chaunge his sentence No saith he but Iudas was chaunged Which selfe same thing we must iudge of the citie of Niniue of King Ezechias whom God pronounced should die For neither Niniue at that time perished nor Ezechias di●d because they were changed God said at the beginning that the feare of man shuld be vpon beasts but it happeneth contrarie For men are now afraid of Lions Beares and Tigers because they are of them oftentimes torne but that commeth héereof because the condition of men is chaunged and not the councell of God Pet. Mart vpon Iudie fol. 175. How God heareth no sinners God heareth no sinners that is he heareth none that repenteth not nor is not in minde to leaue their euill life Tindale ¶ Saint Austen saith This was not spoken of the Lord but of him that had alreadie his bodelie eies restored but the ei●s of the heart was ●ot yet opened and therefore he thought of the Lord that he was but a Prophet for afterward knowing that he was the Sonne of God hée worshipped him But the Lord himselfe when two did praie together in one Temple a Pharisie an● a Publicane doth saie that the Publicane confessing his sinnes● was more iustified then the Pharisie boasting his merites● for although being iustified he ceased not to bée a sinner yet while he was a sinner he did praie and confesse his sinnes that he might be iustified and being heard he was iustified that he might cease to be a sinner and trulie he should not cease to be a sinner vnlesse he were heard being yet a sinner ¶ This place doth not so meane that God will heare no sinners that is alwaies readie to repent but of such as will neuer repent but still continue in their sinnes We must vnderstande that there be two kinde of sinners They that acknowledge their sinnes and repent vnfainedlie are heard and forgiuen of God Math. 9. 13. and. 28. Eze. 18. 21. But they that doe of an infidelitie continue in their sinfull abhominable liuing and despaire of the mercie of God shall neuer bée heard Iohn 5. 16. Sir I. Cheeke How God tempteth no man to euill ¶ Looke Temptation How we are made like vnto God After his owne likenesse ¶ That is after the shape and Image which was before appointed for the Sonne of God The ●hiefe part of man which is the soule is made like vnto God in a certaine proportion of nature of power of working so that in that● we are all made like vnto God T. M. ¶ This Image and likenesse of God in man is expounded where it is written that man was created after God in righteousnesse and true holinesse meaning by these two words all perfection as immortalitie wisedome truth innocencie power c. The Bible note How to ser●e God in the spirit ¶ Looke Spirit Of Gods permission or suffering ¶ Looke Permission What the hiding of Gods face is ¶ Looke Hide How God is to be worshipped ¶ Looke Worship How God is called a consuming fire For the Lord thy God is a consuming fire ¶ Because God proueth his by afflictions therefore he is called a consuming fire Heb. 12. 29. And because he consumeth the vnfaithfull remednesse for there is nothing that can resist his anger towards them T. M. How Gods ordinaunce may not be broken There were some orders in the Primatiue Church commanded by God and some there were deuised by man for the better training of the people Such orders as were commaunded by God maie in no wise be chaunged onlie because God commanded them For as God is euerlasting so is his word commandement euerlasting On the other side such orders as hath bene deuised by men maie be broken vppon some good consideration onelie because they were men that deuised them For as they be mortall so all their wisedomes and iudgements be but mortall And so indéede as touching such things as hath bene ordeined by men we are not bound of necessitie to the order of the Church but such things as God hath commaunded preciselie by his worde maie not bée broken by anie custome or consent How God was seene ¶ Looke See Of Gods consolation in trouble And that because we should not put our trust in our selues but in God ¶ God doth helpe and deliuer vs when we doe patientlie beare his crosse that is to saie the persecution trouble and aduersitie that he doth send vnto vs. For God will neuer forsake them that do patientlie wait for his aide succour Againe they y● wil not wait for
méeke in heart in the holinesse of Angells bringing in things which he hath not séene D. Barnes fol. 299. Why Mary was forbidden to touch Christ. Touch me not ¶ This séemeth not to agrée with the narration of Mathew For he plainly writeth that the women imbraced the féete of Christ. And séeing afterward he woulde haue his disciples to handle and to féele him what cause was there why he shuld forbid Mary to touch him For he said vnto Thomas bring hether thy finger and sée my handes and put thy finger vnto my side and be not faithlesse but beléeuing The solution thereof is very easie if so be that we consider that the women were not prohibited y● touching of Christ before such time as they wer too busie and desirous to touch him For no doubt he did not forbid them to touch him so farre foorth as it was néedfull to take away all doubt But when he saw they were too busie in imbracing his féete he moderated and corrected that rash zeale for they depended vpon his corporall presence neither did they knowe any other waye to inioye him then if he dwelt among them vpon the earth Moreouer because his disciples doubted whether he was truly risen againe or no and because the same that appeared to them was iudged of them to be but a vision to the ende they might beléeue the resurrection he said féele and sée for a spirit hath no flesh and bones as ye sée me haue Also Thomas had said except I sée y● print of his nailes in his hands and put my fingers into the print of the nailes my hand into his side I will not beléeue therefore Christ did very well in offering himselfe to be felt of him But in Mary there was no such doubting that there should néede any farther féeling but it was requisite y● she shuld come to a further faith and to more plaine vnderstanding of the kingdome of Christ least she should abase him in computation more then ther was cause Marl. vpon Iohn fol. 593. TRADITIONS Of the traditions of men FRom whence haue we this tradition Whether commeth it from the authoritie of our Lord or of the Gospel or els from the Commaundements and Epistles of the Apostles Therfore if it be either commaunded in the Gospell or contained in the Epistles or Actes of the Apostles let vs kéepe the same tradition Augustine vnto Pompeius The Pharisies said not vnto Christ Wherefore doe thy disciples breake the law of Moses but wherefore do they break the traditions of the Elders Whereby it appeareth that they had altered many things whereas God had commaunded that they should neither adde nor diminish but fearing least they should loose their authoritie as if they had bene law makers to the ende they might seeme the greater they altered much which thing grewe to such a wickednesse that they kept their owne traditions more then the Commaundements of God Chrisostome in his first Homely of the Iewish fast Iohn Northbrooke Some wrast this place so far as men ought to obey all manner of things whatsoeuer the Bishops Presidents or Rulers commaund although they be vngodly and for their authorities sake when as Christ did speake onely of them which did teach rightly the lawe of Moses not of such as did snare men with their ordinaunces constitutions now peraduenture after the same manner a Bishop might be heard which preched truly the Gospell although he liue but a little according vnto the same A reason that ouerthroweth all doctrines of men all Traditions all Poperie God said to Christ Thou art my sonne therefore he is his sonne God said not so to any Angell therefore no Angell can take the name vnto him God said The true worshippers shuld not go to Mount Sion nor to Hierusalem but worship God in spirit truth where said he goe a pilgrimage or go visit this holy sepulcher God said Do not obserue dayes and months times and yeares where said he Kéepe vnto me Lent or Aduent Imber dayes or Saints eues God said to vs It is the doctrine of Diuells to forbid marriage or to commaund to abstaine from meates where said he Eate now no flesh now no whit meate let not the Ministers marrie God said Let euery soule be subiect to Kings Princes and the authoritie of such men let it not be in his Apostles Where said he let the Pope haue the gift of kingdoms be exempt from authoritie of man weare a triple crowne and haue Lords and Noble men vnder him God said Cursed is he that addeth ought to the lawe or taketh from it Where said he The Pope shall dispence against mine Apostles and Prophets God said It is better to speak fiue words which we vnderstand then ten thousand words in an vnknowen tongue where said he the ignoraunt men should pray in Latine With this very argument are ouerthrowen all doctrines of men all traditions all Popery c. Deering What an obstinacie is this or what a presumption to presume an humane tradition before Gods ordinaunce nor to consider that God taketh indignation and wrath so often as an humane tradition looseth or goeth beyond the commaundement of God as he cryeth by his Prophet Esay and saith This people honoureth me with their lips but their harts is seperated from me they worship me in vaine while they teach the commaundements doctrines of men The Lord also in y● Gospell blaming likewise reprouing putteth forth and saith ye haue reiected Gods commaundement to stablish your tradition Of which cōmaundement S. Paule being mindfull doth likewise warne instruct saieng If any teach otherwise and contenteth not himselfe with the words of our Lord Iesus Christ his doctrine he is puft vp with blockishnes hauing skill of nothing from such a one we ought to depart S. Austen saith that the auncient actes of the godly Kings mentioned in the Propheticall bookes were figures of the like facts to be done by the godly Princes in the time of the newe Testament I. Bridges fol. 25. ¶ Looke Philosophy Walke not after the ordinaunces of your fathers ¶ Looke the exposition of this place in Father ¶ Read 1. Pet. 1. 18. TRANSMVTATION When this word was first inuented LOng after Boniface the third when Idolatry had gotten the vpper hand then did Petrus Lombardus a master of sophisticall sentences bring vp these termes of Transmutation and Transaccidentation about the yere of our Lord. 1646. out of certain blinde trades of the Doctors afore his time Then Pope Innocent the third gaue it this new name called it Accidens sine subiecta Of the which Sophisme Doctor Dunce Doctor Dorbel and Doctor Thomas de Aquino doe dispute very subtilly A. G. TRANSVESTANTIATION What the word signifieth THe word signifieth a passing or turning of one substance into another which is thought of some not tollerable to saye that the substance of
as Fil●●s fil●orum dicuntur etiam filij auorum The sonnes sonnes daughters are also called the sonnes daughters of the grandfather And so she was Abrahams sister because she was his brothers daughter How Abraham did eate Christs bodie When this promise was established to Abraham by the word of God which said In thy séed shal all the nations of the earth be blessed he beléeued which was counted to him for righteousnesse and did both eate his bodie drinke the bloud of Christ through faith beléeuing verelie that Christ should take our nature and spring out of his séede as touching the flesh also that he should suffer death to redéeme vs. And as Christ testifieth he heartelie desired to sée the daie of Christ who sawe it reioiced He sawe it in faith had the daie of Christ that is to saie all those things that shuld chance him plainlie reuealed vnto him albeit he were dead manie hundred yeres before it was actuallie fulfilled reuealed vnto the world by that faith was he saued yet neuer did eate his flesh with his téeth nor neuer beléeued y● bread shuld be his bodie wine his bloud And therefore sith he was saued without that faith and the same faith shall saue vs that saued him I thinke we shall also be saued if we eate him spirituallie as he did although we neuer beléeue that the bread is his bodie I. Frith vpon the Lords supper against Moore How Abraham sawe the daie of Christ. ¶ Looke My daie Of the communication betwene Abraham and the glutton The communication that the glutton had with Abraham happened spirituallie for so thought the glutton with himselfe in his torments and such aunswere receiued he in his owne conscience Heming How God tried Abrahams faith Take now thy sonne c. and offer him vp there ¶ Héerein stoode the chiefest point of his temptation séeing he was commanded to offer vp him in whom God had promised to blesse all the nations of the world Geneua How Abraham is said to be a Prophet Deliuer the man his wife againe for he is a Prophet ¶ That is one to whom God reuealeth himselfe familiarlie Geneua ¶ Of the doubting of Abraham Looke Doubt ¶ Of Abrahams riches Looke Lazarus ABSOLVTION How no mortall man can absolue from sinne THeir absolution also iustifieth no man from sinne for with the heart do men beléeue to be iustified with all faith Saint Paule Rom. 10. ver 10. that is through faith beléeuing the promises are we iustified as I haue sufficientlie proued in other places with the scripture Faith saith Saint Paule in the same place commeth by hearing that is to saie by hearing the preacher that is sent from God and preacheth Gods promises Now when they absolue in latine the vnlearned heareth not for how saith Paule 1. Cor. 14. ver 16. when thou blessest in an vnknowne tongue shall the vnlearned saie Amen vnto thy thankes giuing for he wotteth not what thou saist So likewise the laie man wotteth not whether thou loose or binde or whether thou blesse or cursse In like manner it is if the laie vnderstand Latine or though the Priest absolue in English for in his Absolution he rehearseth no promise of Christ but speaketh his owne words saieng I by the authoritie of Peter and Paule absolue and loose thée from all thy sinnes Thou saist so which art but a lieng man and neuer more then now verelie Thou saist I forgiue thée thy sinne and the scripture Iohn the first that Christ onelie forgiueth and taketh awaie the sinnes of the world and Paul Peter and all the Apostles preacheth that all is forgiuen in Christ for Christs sake Gods word onely looseth thou in preaching that mightst loose also els not T●m● fo 149. How absolution standeth not in the will of the Priest Gratian saith Voluntas sacerdotis c. The will of the priest can neither further nor hinder but the merite of him that desireth absolution Iewel fol. 138. ABSTINENCE What the abstinence of a Christian man is THe abstinence of a Christian man is to withdrawe himselfe from sin As it is said in Toby how that he taught his sonne from his youth vp to feare God to refraine from sinne And S. Paule exhorteth the Thessalonians from fornication and other sinnes Tindale What difference is betweene fasting and Abstinence True fasting is a religious worke ordeined to testifie our humilitie and to make the flesh the more obedient vnto the spirit that we maie be the quicker to praie to all good workes But Abstinence from this or that meat with opinion of holinesse supersticious it maie easilie make a man but holie it cannot S. Paule saith It is not meat that maketh vs acceptable vnto God 1. Cor. 8. ver 8. Againe It is good to confirme the heart with grace not with meates wherein they that haue walked haue found no profit Heb. 13. Ver. 9. The meate serueth for the bellie the bellie for the meate the Lord will destroie them both 1. Cor. 6. ver 13. And againe The kingdome of God is not meate drinke Rom. 14. ver 17. Likewise Christ saith The thing that entreth into the mouth defileth not the man Ma● 1● ver 〈…〉 Héere it is easie to sée that fasting is one thing abstinence from flesh another The Nazaries in the Testament absteined not from flesh yet they fasted Elias 3. Reg. 17. ver 6. was fed with flesh Iohn the Baptist eate y● flesh of loc●stes yet they both fasted Socrates saith that manie Christians in y● Lent season did eate fish birds Manie ab●●ained vntill 3. of the clock in the afternoone then receiued all kind of meats either fish or flesh wtout difference Likewise Epiphanius saith some eate all kind of birds or fowle absteining onelie from the flesh of foure footed beasts And yet they kept their lent trulie fasted as well as anie others Wherefore abstinence from anie one certeine kinde of meat is not of it selfe a work of religion to please God but onelie a méere positiue policie S. Austine saith Non quaero c. I demaund not what thou eatest but wherein thou hast pleasure And Saint Hierome saith of the Maniches Ieiunant illi c. They fast in déed but their fasting is worse then if they filled their bellies Iewell fol. 15. ABVSES By whom they ought to be reformed THe abuses that he in the Church ought to be corrected by Princes Let euerie soule saith Saint Paule submit himselfe to the higher powers Hezekia destroied the brasen Serpent when he sawe the children of Israel abuse it Iosaphat sent abrode his commission to suppresse and banish all Idolatrie and superstition out of his land Iosia cleansed his land from Idolatrie witchcraft sorceries and all other abuses Ioas destroied the house of Baal brake downe the Altars and corrected manie other abuses within his dominions
rest of the hornes strength of y● empire of Rome So y● we now sée plainly inough y● the people hath not onlie shronke from the obedience of the Empero●r of Rome but also y● the Emperours haue no dominiō in Rome more thē these 700. years The Bishops haue occupied this place in the stead of y● Emperours by the which Bishops chieflie The Emperours power hath béene diminished wherefore we must graunt that they bée right Antichrists B. Ochine The Lord shal not come vnlesse there come first a decaie that the sinfull man be reuealed the childe of perdition which shall bee the aduersarie bée aduaunced aboue all that is called God or godlie c. ¶ No man doubteth but that he doth speake of Antichrist that hée reporteth y● he shal be reuealed before the comming of Christ so that the reuealing or opening of Antichrist is the token of these times which doe goe before the comming of the Lord. And héere we maie sée what Barnard saith vppon the Psalme Qui habitat Sermo 6. at the end Now saith hée there is peace with pagans peace with heretikes but we haue not peace with false children Thou hast multiplied people Lord Iesus but thou hast not multiplied gladnesse for there be manie called and few chosen All Christian men and well néere all doe séeke things of their owne and not of Iesus Christ. Yea the verie offices of the dignities of the Church are chaunged into a filthie gaine trafike of darknesse and there is not sought in them the saluation of mens soules but the wast of riches for this they be sworne for this they doe haunt Churches saie Masses sing Psalmes they doe striue shamefullie now a daies for Bishopriks for Abbotshippes for Archdeaconries and other dignities so that the rents of the Churches be wasted in the vse of superfluitie and vanitie There remaineth that the man of sinne the childe of perdition be reuealed the diuell not onelie of the daie but of the noone daie which is not onelie transfigured into an Angell of light but is aduaunced also ouer all that is called God or that is worshipped This saith Barnard wherby it appeareth well inough vnto whō he thought that the words of the Apostle should be referred so that no man can charge vs y● we be the first that haue referred the same vnto the head of the most corrupt Clergie I meane the Simon of Rome He gathered by y● simonie buieng selling couetousnes excesse of the Church-men in his time that the reuelation of Antichrist was at hand Where we must marke by the waie that Barnard did not onlie acknowledge the Antichrist should soone be reuealed but also that he was in the Church els he could not haue bene reuealed if that his comming had bene yet behinde as it is surmised in the Poperie Musculus fol. 451. Proues that the Pope is Antichrist no heathen Prince First S. Paule 2. Thes. 2. speaking purposelie of Antichrist saith expreslie that he shall sit in the Temple of God which is the Church of Christ. And Christ saith Mat. 24. that they must come in his name But it is manifest that the Heathen Emperours did not ●it in this Temple of God therefore Heathen Emperours be not this Antichrist And by the same reason Mahomet is not Antichrist because he sitteth without the Temple of God And so Ottomanus Now the Pope sitteth in the mids of the Temple of God and boasteth himselfe to be God chalenging vnto himselfe such authoritie as is proper onelie vnto God and vsurping such honour as in peculiar vnto God Therefore not in the heathen Emperours but in the Pope is the Prophecie accomplished Againe it is manifest in scripture that Antichrist shuld deceiue the world with false doctrine vnder pretence and colour of true religion and therefore the scriptures so oftentimes warneth men that they be not seduced by him which were néedlesse if anie open professed enimies of Christ shuld be that Antichrist For there is no likelihood that anie heathen man a Iewe or a Turke should deceiue anie multitude of true Christians but he that vnder the pretence of the name of Christ seeketh most of all to deface the honour of Christ he is a subtill aduersarie the verie spirit of Antichrist As Saint Iohn also in his Epistle cap. 2. doth testifie It is cléere therefore that Antichrist is no Heathen Emperour which was neuer of the Church nor anie false Prophet that tooke vpon him to teach in the Church The same may be said of Mahomet But that the Pope is most euidentlie Antichrist vpon the words of our Sauiour Christ when he commaunded that he which had no sword should sell his coate and buy one signifieng the great daunger that was at hand Lord said the Apostles héere are two swords These words saith the Romish gloser are the Ciuill and Ecclesiasticall power which remained in Peter and therefore his successors the Pope hath preheminence of both W. Fulke The markes to know Antichrist by Saint Gregorie saith He is Antichrist that shall claime to be called the vniuersall Bishop and shal haue a gard of Priests to tend vpon him Gregorie li. 4. Epist. 38. Sacer. Againe he saith Ego fidenter dico c. I speak it boldlie whosoeuer calleth himselfe the vniuersall Priest or desireth to be so called as doth the Pope in the pride of his heart he is the forerunner of Antichrist Grego li. 4. Againe in the same place he saith The king of pride that is Antichrist is comming to vs and an armie of Priests is prepared which thing is wicked to be spoken S. Barnard saith thus Bestia illa c. That beast that is spoken of in the booke of Reuelation vnto the which beast is giuen a mouth to speake blasphemie and to kéepe warre against the Saints of God is now gotten into Peter chaire as a Lion prepared vnto his praie Bar. epis 125. pag. 311. Antichrist shall cause all religion to be subiect vnto his power Hierom aglasiani The greatest terror and furie of his Empire the greatest woe that he shall worke shall be by the bankes of Tiber. The place of Antichrists raigne Daniel the Prophet describeth the foure Monarchs of the world vnder a similitude of foure Beasts that is to saie the Empire of Babilon which was of the Assirians The Empire of the Persians of the Grecians and of the Romaines And out of the fourth Beast that is to saie out of the head of y● Monarch of Rome sprang a little horne that is to saie Antichrist himself who hath so aduaunced his might and power that he hath broken the power both of the other hornes and also the Empire of Rome and hath preuailed against the godly The same thing Paule the Apostle confirmeth saieng Before Antichrist be reuealed and appeare verie strong there must be a daparting or going away that is to say the people must
our Baptime is a certaine most frée ensealement and Sacrament of our attonement with God and that this attonement is made by the bloud death and resurrection of Christ and to put vs in minde of the mortifieng of the flesh of the quickening of the spirit and continuall repentaunce of the glorifieng that shall be héereafter by Christ. It must also put vs in minde that the benefite of regeneration is the gift and worke of the whole Trinitie in whose name we are baptised to the intent we should sticke therevnto and worship it all our life long Hemmyng How baptime purifieth and cleanseth Baptime hath also his word and promise which the Priest ought to teach the people and christen them in the English tongue and not to plaie the Popengaie with Credo saie yee Volo saie ye Baptismum saie ye for there ought to be no mumming in such matter The Priest before he baptiseth asketh saieng Beleeuest thou in God the Father Almightie and in his sonne Iesus Christ and in the Holie Ghost and that the Congregation of Christ is holie and they saie yea Then the Priest vpon this faith baptiseth the childe in the name of the Father of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost for the forgiuenes of sinnes as Peter saith Act. 2. The washing without the word helpeth not but through the word it purifieth and cleanseth vs. As thou readest Ephe. 5. 26. Now Christ cleanseth the Congregation in the Fountaine of water through the Word The Word is the promise that God hath made Now as Preachers in preaching the word of God saueth the hearers that beléeue so doth the washing in that it preacheth and representeth vnto vs the promise that God hath made vnto vs in Christ. The washing preach vnto vs that we are cleansed with Christs bloudshedding which was an offering and a satisfaction for the sinne of all that repent and beléeue consenting and submitting themselues vnto the will of God The plunging into the water signifieth that we die are buried with Christ as cōcerning the olde life of sinne which is Adam And the pulling out againe signifieth that we rise againe with Christ in a new life full of the holie Ghost which shall rule vs and guide vs and worke the will of God in vs as thou s●est Rom. 6. 4. Tindale fol. 143. To be baptised in Christ what it is To be baptised in Christ is nothing els then according to his commaundement and institution to be imitated And by this forme of speaking is signified that we doe passe into Christ to the end we maie be more straightlie ioined together with him in faith hope and charitie For euen as Souldiers doe sweare to the name of obedience of their Captaine and are so bound vnto him that afterward it is not lawfull for them to be conuersant in the Campe of their enimies which thing if they doe shoulde be death vnto them So we in Baptime are bound vnto Christ and doe sweare that we will neuer afterward fall away vnto the Diuell c. Pet. Mar. fol. 143. To be baptised in Moses what it is Whereas in the Epistle to the Corinthians it is said that the Fathers are baptised in Moses the sence of that place is that the Israelites passed ouer the Sea trusting to those promises which were set foorth of God by Moses Pet. Mar. ¶ Moses being their guide or minister or as some read they were baptised vnto Moses Lawe other by Moses Geneua To be baptised by the holie Ghost what it is To be baptised by the holie Ghost is to receiue the visible graces and giftes of the holie Ghost or to be endued with the graces of the holie Ghost The Bible note Geneua To be baptised ouer the dead what it signifieth Baptised ouer the dead ¶ Some men saie that in token of the generall resurrection certeine Christian men were baptised ouer dead mens graues signifieng that the same dead men should rise at the last daie Tindale ¶ That is as dead and because they were but newly come to Christ would be baptised before they died Except these things be true of Christs kingdome and his subiection what shall become of them whom the Church dailie baptiseth for to destroie death in them which is the ende of Baptime and so they to rise againe Geneua ¶ Among the Corinthians if anie had deceased afore hée could be baptised some did take in hande to bée baptised for them thinking that the same should be auaileable vnto the dead against the resurrection Tertulian Theophilactus Ambrose Though Saint Paule did not allow this superstition yet thereby did he take an occasion to confute them which among the Corinthians denied the rising againe of the dead I. Cheeke What Iohns Baptime signifieth Indeed I baptise you with water to amendment of life ¶ The outward signe putteth vs in minde of this that wée must ●haunge our liues and become better assuring vs as by a seale that we are ingraffed into Christ whereby our olde man dieth and the new man riseth vp Beza Of dipping in Baptime As touching the dipping downe of the childe that is to be baptised I thinke saith Musculus it is not so necessarie but that the Church is at libertie to baptise either by dipping in or els by sprinkling We maie sée in Augustine that this libertie was ●ept in the Churches He that is 〈…〉 baptised saith he doth confesse his● aith before the Priest and doth aunswere as he is asked 〈…〉 And after his aunswering he is either sprinkled with water or dipped into it And Cipriane doth vphold the vse of sprinkling in Baptime but yet so that he saith it is at mens libertie Masculus fol. 29● Of the Sacrament of Baptime The Sacrament of Baptime saith the Master of the Sentences doth consist in two things that is to saie in the Word and in the Element so that although that the other things bée awaie which were instituted for the better beautifieng of the Sacrament in case that the Word be there and the Element For both in this and in other Sacraments also there are accustomed to be done some things to the beautie comelinesse and some things which belong to the substance and cause of the Sacrament The Word and the Element be of the substaunce of the Sacrament the rest is applied to the solemnitie of it Thus saith he Of which saith Musculus I like well that he doth acknowledge that the wholenesse and substaunce of Baptime doth consist in two things that is to wit the Word and the Element And that the Sacrament is true and holie if it haue these two things though the rest be awaie But wheras he doth referre the rest vnto beautie comelinesse and solemnitie what followeth thereof els but that Iohn and the Apostles did baptise neither beautifullie nor comelie nor Colemnlie for as much as they vsed none of these things Musculus fol. 291. How Baptime is
the poore and sicke Geneua The Bishops oth to the Pope ● N. elect Bishop of N. from this time forth will be faithfull and obedient to blessed Peter and to the holie Apostolique Church of Rome and to our Lord N. the Pope and to his successours entring canoniallie The Counsell which they shall commit vnto mée by themselues messengers or by their letters to their hinderaunce I will not willinglie disclose to any man I will be an helper vnto them to reteine and defende against all men the Popedome of Rome the roialtie of Saint Peter I will doe my endeauour to kéepe defend increase and inlarge the rights honors priuiledges authoritie of the Church of Rome of our Lord the Pope of his foresaid successours Neither wil I be in counsell practise or treatie wherin shal be imagined against our Lord the Pope himselfe or the same Church of Rome any sinister or preiudicial matter to their persons right honor state or power And if I shall vderstand such things to be imagined or procured by anie I wil hinder the same as much as lieth in me with as much spéed as conuenientlie I maie I wil signifie the same vnto our said Lord or to some other by whom it maie come to his knowledge The rules of the holie Fathers the decrées ordinaunces sentences dispositions reseruations prouisions commaundements Apostolica I will obserue with my whole might and cause them to be obserued of other Heretikes scismatikes and rebells against our Lord the Pope I will persecute and to my abilitie fight against Héere is not one word of the Gospell neither yet of Christ. Bullinger How by meanes of this oth certeine Bishops rebelled heere at home against their owne Prince About the yeare of Christ. 1102. Ranulph Bishop of Durham excited Robert Curt●eise Duke of Normandie to warre vpon his brother Henrie the first who fauoured nothing the vsurped power of the Bishop of Rome for the crowne of England who assembled a strong armie and landed at Portsmouth But by meditation peace was made on this condition that Henrie should paie 3000. marks yearlie to Duke Robert ¶ About the yeare of our Lord. 1106. Anselme the Bishop of Canterburie by whose meanes the Priestes of England were constrained to forgo their wiues stroue with Henrie the first for the inuestitute of Bishops and giuing of benefices ¶ About the yeare of our Lord. 1164. Thomas Becket Bishop of Canterburie stroue with king Henrie the second for the liberties of the holie Church as he called them ¶ About the yeare of our Lord. 1045. in the seauenth yeare of king Henrie the fourth sir Richard Scrupe Archbishoppe of Yorke and diuerse other of the house of the Lord Mumbrey for grudge they bare to king Henrie gathered to them a great power of Scots and Northumbers intending to haue deposed him from all kinglie authoritie but he had knowledge thereof and made against them in so spéedie wise that he came vpon them vnwares and taking the said Bishoppe with his Alies commaunded them to be beheaded at Yorke Cooper BLASPHEMIE What blasphemie is BLasphemie is to withstand the truth which a man knoweth as did the Pharises attributing the works of Christ vnto the diuell Tindale ¶ To blaspheme signifieth among the diuines to speak wickedlie and among the more eloquent Grecians to slaunder Beza vpon Mat. 9. 3. But for thy blasphemie ¶ The name of blasphemie the which prophane writers vse generallie for euerie kinde of reproch the Scripture referreth vnto God when his maiestie and his glorie is defaced And there are two sortes of blasphemie as either when God is robbed of his proper honour as if so bée a man should arrogate y● vnto himselfe which is proper to God or els when anie thing is attributed and giuen to him which his nature will not beare Therfore they call Christ a sacrilegious blasphemous person because hée béeing a mortal man vsurped to himselfe diuine honour And this was a true definition of blasphemie if so bée Christ had bene nothing more then a man Onelie they sinne in this that they refuse to beholde the diuinitie which was euident to be seene in his myracles Marl. vpon Iohn fol. 389. ¶ Blasphemie is to attribute that thing vnto a creature which is proper or peculiar to God as to forgiue sinnes is proper vnto God who saith by the Prophet Esay I am I am hée that wipeth awaie thine iniquities for mine own name sake c. Of this place the Scribes Pharises argued that Christ was a blasphemer because he tooke vpon him to forgiue sins which no doubt had bene a true argument if Christ had bene like vnto the Scribes that is to wit if he had ben méere man and not God also c. What blasphemie of the holie spirit is Blasphemie of the holie spirit is when men sée and knowe the open manifest truth of God his word their conscience being fullie certified therof And yet notwithstanding wil raile vpon it and persecute it to the vttermost of their power saieng it is of the diuell and not of God which sinne shall neuer bée forgiuen Tindale ¶ Looke Sinne against the holie Ghost BLESSE What it is to blesse and who be blessed To blesse God is to giue him praise and thanks for his benefites ¶ To blesse a king or a Prince is to thanke him for his kindnesse and to praie to God that he may long raigne to the laude of God and wealth of his Commons ¶ To blesse a mans neighbour is to praie for him and to doe him good ¶ To blesse my bread meat is to giue God thanks for it To blesse my selfe is to giue God thanks for his great benefites that I haue receiued of him to praie to God of his infinit goodnesse he wil increase those gifts y● he hath giuen mée vnto his laude and praise and as touching this flesh to fulfill his will in it not to spare it but to scourge cut and burne it onelie that it maie be to his honour glorie This is the forme of blessing and not to wagge two fingers ouer vs. I. Frith To blesse in the Hebrue manner of speach is nothing else but to with an happie successe and to desire good things for him As Symeon when he blessed Christ and his parents shewed by his affection that he wished well to the kingdome of their new king Hemmyng ¶ The word blesse when we talke of men signifieth among the Hebrues to with well when it is referred to God it betokeneth as much as to giue a man good fortune as they terme it or to enrich him abundantlie with all good thinges For in as much as Gods fauour is workfull his blessing bringeth foorth of it self abundance of al good things Cal. in the. 5. Psal. verse 12 To blesse is to speake well professe well liue well S. Augustine saith I will blesse the Lord in all
perfect faith Of the spirituall sacrifice that the Christians doe dailie offer vnto God Looke Rom. 12. 1. Phi. 4. 18. 1. Pet. 2●5 Ric. Turnar Sée more in the word Sacrifice CAINE How and by what meanes Caine was slaine IN the beginning of the world most people went naked sauing that they were partlie couered with skinnes of some beast at that time they had no dwelling house to defende them neither from the colde neither yet from heate but after their owne phantasies they made with pretie boughs and twigs of trées such little pretie lodgings as we call Cabens or Boothes And it so chaunced that Caine béeing verie olde and also wearie happened one daie to laie him downe to rest in a bush that was enclosed with gréene boughs as aforesaid And Lamech one of y● kinred of Caine in the fift degrée who by reason of his greate age had lost his sight and yet at a time was disposed to go abrode to kill some wilde beast And taking his Bowe and Arrowes he toke also a little boie to leade and direct him where hee might haue a good shoote And when he drew somewhat néere vnto the bush where Caine laie the little boie espieng the bush to wagge séeing as it were a great thing in the midst therof he imagined that there laie some wilde beast and the boye béeing afraide thereof gaue knowledge to olde Father Lamech that in a bush standing right before him not farre off there laie a great and terrible beast And Lamech vppon the report of the childe stretched out his arme drew a straight draught toward the bush where he slew his cosin Caine that laie in the same after he had liued 730. yeares as saith Philo Graftonan his Chro. fol. 7. ¶ Lyra saith that when Lamech perceiued he had slaine Caine whom the Lord had forbidden him in paine of greate punishment he fell vpon his owne seruant beat him so that he died Of a certeine sect called Caini Caini were heretiks which honoured Caine and tooke him for their father They highlie estéemed of Esau Chore Dathan Abiram with the Sodomits They called Iudas the traitour their cosin honouring him for betraieng of Christ affirming y● he foresawe how great a benefit it would become vnto mākinde They reade a certeine Gospell written as they saie by Iudas they reuiled the lawe and denied the resurrection Epiphani haeres 38. August de haeres CAIPHAS How he was the mouth of God and the mouth of the diuell all at one time HE was the mouth of God in as much as God made him to saie that his people could not be saued but onely by the death of his sonne Iesus Christ but he was the mouth of the diuell according to his intent after the which he so spake for he did not speak according to the meaning of the holie Ghost but as a murtherer an enimie of truth pretending the death of Iesus Christ because of the hatred which he bare towardes him ¶ God made him to speake neither could his impietie let Gods purpose who caused this wicked man euen as he did Balaam to be an instrument of the holie Ghost Geneua ¶ The spirit of prophesie doe manie times speake by the mouth of an vngodly man for the vngodlie are so excecated and blinded that they do oftentimes speak against theirown selues vnwittinglie and that to their vtter vndoing and destruction ● Sir I. Cheeke CALL What it is to call vpon the name of the Lord. IN that time beganne men to call vppon the name of the Lord. ¶ To call vpon the name of the Lord is to require all things of him and to trust in him giuing him the honour and worship that belongeth vnto him as in Gen. 12. 8. T. M. ¶ In these daies God began to moue the heartes of the godly to restore religion which a long time by the wicked had ben supprest Geneua Of three mnner of callings Manie are called c. ¶ Christ speaketh of the externall calling by the preaching of the Gospell of y● which there are three degrées All men are called yea euen they which heare not these which are dumme and are deafe minded are also called The second sort enter in and promise that they will serue God neuertheles their consciences condemneth them because they haue not the true root As Symon Magus which did faine himselfe to beléeue of the faithful being conuicted in his conscience by the truth of the Gospell professed the same but he had no roote as Peter casteth him in the téeth Such are they trulie to whom the Lord sendeth his holie spirit and whome for a time he illuminateth but at the length by the iust desert of their ingratitude he forsaketh them and striketh them with great blindnesse The third calling is speciall of great efficacie by the which God doth verie much aduance the elect faithfull onelie when that by the inward lightening of the spirit he bringeth to passe that the word preached abideth in their hearts To these testimonie is giuen by the same spirit that they are the adopted sonnes of God We cannot iudge who are the elect and who are the reprobate for we ought to leaue this iudgement vnto God Notwithstanding by signes there maie be some coniecture had but we must alwaies beware of rash iudgement Euerie man that is elected and chosen of God is fullie certified in himselfe of his calling The which thing we maie dailie beholde For manie are brought into the Church which afterward fall awaie from the same either béeing terrified by persecution or els béeing ouercome with some other temptation Such trulie are of the number of them that are called but are not elected for héereby our election is proued if we perseuer vnto the last end Mar. fol. 51. ¶ First all men be generallie called euen those that doth not heare the word for vnto them both heauen and earth and and the creatures comprehended therein doth not cease to preach the almightie power of God and also his goodnesse and mercie so that all men as the Apostle saith are vnexcusable before the maiestie of God And with them maie be comprehended those that heare the word who though they be called be so deafe in their hearts and mindes that they will neither giue care nor héede to the calling The second sort that be called doe professe the Christian religion receiue the word but it hath no true root in them as Symon Magus being conuinced in his heart y● the gospel was true did for a time professe but because it had no root in him he did soone fall awaie from it Such are them to whom y● Lord doth giue his holy spirit illuminating thē for a time but after ward he doth forsake them because of their ingratitude and vnthankfulnesse doth strike them with great blindnesse The third manner of calling is both particular and also most effectuall For by it the Lord
The Church is likened to a Candelsticke because the true light shineth in it whereof all the godly are pertakers And therefore Paule calleth the Church the piller and ground-worke of truth 1. Tim. 3. 15. Or els Christs Church is called a candelstick because there are in it Prophets Apostles Euangelists Pastors and Teachers Eph. 4. 11. to giue light vnto others by the most wholesome doctrine of Christ together with the holinesse of their owne life thereby to guide them in their trauailing through the darknesse of this life vnto the heauenlie heritage as it is said 2. Pet. 1. 19. The Church then is as a cresset set vp in an hauen to shewe the hauen a farre off to such as wander vpon the déepe sea in the night season Euen so doth our Sauiour saie of Iohn Baptist that he was a burning and blasing cresset Iohn 5. 35. And vnto his disciples You are the light of the world Mat. 5. 14. Marl. vpon the Apo. fo 28. ¶ Consider also the 7. golden candelstickes which thou sawest about me to be the said 7. Congregations vpon whom I ought to shine which am the light of the world in whose works I ought to appeare which am the cléerenesse of the Gentiles They are called héere 7. golden Candelsticks as most pretious in value forsomuch as they are pretious in the sight of God and were also redéemed and bought with a great price euen with the pretious bloud of the vndefiled Lambe Iesus Christ. Bale CAPTIVITIE The meaning of this place following HE that leadeth into Captiuitie goeth into Captiuitie ¶ This is said for the comfort of the godly to the end they maie knowe that they shall be deliuered from captiuitie and con●rariwise that such as holde them captine shall be caried into captiuitie according to this text He lead Captiuitie captiue Psa. 68. 18. Eph. 4. 8. Wherwithall agreeth this saieng of y● Prophet Woe vnto thée that spoilest hast not bene spoiled which dost wrong hast had no wrong done vnto thée For when thou hast done spoiling thou shalt be spoiled thy selfe when thou hast made an ende of doing wrong thou shalt haue wrong done vnto thée Esay 33. 1. Also Behold the Lord commeth with his thousand of Saints to doe iudgement vpon all men and to reproue all such as are wicked of all the deeds which they haue wrought wickedlie and of all the hard things that the wicked sinners haue spoken against thée Iude. vers 14. 15. Also It belongeth to Gods righteousnes to render affliction vnto such as afflict you and vnto you that are afflicted reliefe c. 2. The. 1. 6. Most foolish then are they and farre from vnderstanding the minde of the Holie Ghost which impute the Turkes suceesse victories to his religion and iust dealing and not rather to their owne sinnes For they are like those that fathered all the prosperitie of the Heathen vpon the seruing of their Idols and con●rariwise their owne miserie vpon the neglecting of their Idol seruice as it is written in Iere. 44. 18. Therefore such as lead men captine from the faith and doctrine of the Gospell as Antichrist now doth shall be lead into captiuitie of endlesse damnation except they repent Marl. vpon the Apo. fol. 194. ¶ As God ouercame the enimies of his Church tooke them prisoners and made them tributaries so Christ which is God manifested in flesh subdued Satan and sinne vnder vs gaue vnto his Church most liberall giftes of his spirit Geneua ¶ The Messias came downe from heauen into the earth to triumph ouer Satan Death and Sinne and lead them as prisoners and slaues which before were Conquerours and kept all in subiection which victorie he gate and also gaue it as a most pretious gift to his Church Geneua CARE What Care is forbidden BE not carefull afore hand c. ¶ We are not forbidden to thinke before hand but pensiue carefulnesse whereby men discourage themselues which procéedeth from distrust want of confidence and sure hope of Gods assistaunce that carefulnesse we are forbidden to beware of Mat. 6. 27. Beza ¶ All manner of Care is not forbidden but that worldlie diuelish care y● springeth of an inordinate loue to worldlie things and of mistrust in God As for an example I couet inordinate more then sufficient or but euen that I haue néede of And it because I mistrust God and haue no hope in him and therfore praie not to him commeth not then I mourne forrowe pine awaie and am whole vnquiet in my heart Or whether I haue too much or but sufficient and loue it inordinatelie then I care for the kéeping And because I mistrust God and not hope in him that he will helpe me therefore when I haue locked dores chambers and cofers I am neuer the néerer at rest but care still and cast a thousand waies and perills of which y● most part were not in my might to auoide if I neuer slept where this care is there can the word of God haue no resting place but is choked vp as soone as it is sowen Tindale fol. 236. Care not then for to morrow c. ¶ It is commanded vs in the sweate of our faces to winne our bread but not to be carefull what profit should come vnto vs thereof for that were to care for to morrow we must commit that to God which to prosper our labours with his blessing and that abundantlie so that most shall we profit when we are least carefull Tind ¶ God will prouide for euerie daie that that shall be necessarie though we doe not increase the present griefe by the carefulnesse how to liue in time to come Geneua What care we ought chiefely to care for Care daie by daie and houre by houre earnestly to kéepe the couenaunt of the Lord thy God and to record therein daie and night and to do thy part vnto the vttermost of thy power And as for Gods part let him care for it himselfe and beleeue thou his word stedfastlie and be sure that heauen and earth shal sooner perish then one iot bide behind of that he hath promised c. Tindale fol. 235. CARPOCRATES Of his wicked opinions and diuelish illusions CArpocrates as Ireneus li. I. ca. 24. writeth liued in the time of Saturnius Basilides He gloried of charmed loue drinks of diuelish dreames of associate spirits Euse. li. 4. cap. 7. Carpocrates patched his opinions out of Simon Menander Nicholas Saturnius Basilides Besides the wicked doctrine of these Heretikes which he maintained he worshipped as Epiphanius saith the Images of Iesus of Paule Pythagoras Plato Aristotle c. He denied that the bodie should be saued Epipha haeres 27. Augu. li. de haeres Eliote rehearseth his opinions on this wise He denied saith he Christ to be God affirming that he was pure man Affirmed also the world to be made by Angels He reiected the olde Law and denied the generall resurrection He denied
iustifieth he God praiseth God Tindale fol. 380 Where the name of Christian began The Disciples at Antioch were the first that were called Christians ¶ They that beléeued in Christ were afore this called Disciples and beganne first to be named Christians at Antioch which name we haue of our Lord Iesus Christ in whom we beléeue and béeing pertakers of his spirite doe reioyce in our saluation purchased vnto vs by him Therfore we must take héede that we doe not by our vncleane conuersation pollute and defile this most excellent name and so giue occasion vnto the heathen for to misreport and blaspheme it Sir I. Cheeke A Christian after the Popes religion After the Popes Catholike religion a true Christen man is thus defined First to be baptised in the Latine tongue where the Godfathers professe they cannot tell what Then confirmed by the Bishop the mother of the childe to be purified After he be growne in yeares then to come to the Church to kéepe his fasting daies to fast the Lent to come vnder Benedicite that is to be confessed to the Priest to do his penance At Caster to take his rightes to heare Masse diuine seruice to set vp candles before Images to creepe to the Crosse to take holie bread and holie water to go on Procession to carrie his Palmes and Candles and to take Ashes to fast the Imber-daies and vigils to kéepe his holie daies and to paie his tiths and offering daies to go on pilgrimage to buie pardons to worship his maker ouer the Priests head to receiue the Pope for his supreame head and to obeie his lawes to receiue S. Nicholas Clarkes to haue his beads and to giue to the high Altar to take orders if he will be a Priest to saie his Mattins to sing his Masse to lift vp faire to kéepe his vowe and not to marrie when he is sicke to be anealed and take the rightes of holie Church to be buried in the Churchyard to be rong for to be song for to be buried in a Friers coate to finde a soule Priest c. Booke of Mar. fol. 44. How the Christian maie warrant himselfe the forgiuenesse of his sinnes Saint Hilarie in his 5. Canon vpon Mathew saith It is Gods will that we should hope without anie doubting of his vnknowne will for if the beliefe be doubtfull there can be no righteousnesse obteined by beleeuing And thus we see that according to S. Hilarie a man obteineth not forgiuenesse of his sinnes at Gods hand except he beléeue vndoubtedly to obteine it And good right it is it shuld be so For he that doubteth is like a waue of the sea which is tossed turmoiled with the winde And therefore let not such a one thinke to obteine anie thing at Gods hand Let such foolish imaginations saith Saint Austen murmure as much as it listeth saieng Who are they How great is that glorie By what desert hopest thou to obteine it I answere assuredlie I know in whom I haue beléeued I know that he of his great goodnes hath made me his sonne I know he is true of his promise and able to performe his word for he can doe what he will And when I thinke vppon the Lordes death the multitude of my sinnes cannot dismaie me for in his death doe I put all my trust His death is my whole desart it is my refuge it is my saluation my life and resurrection the mercie of the Lorde is my desart I am not poore of desart so long as the Lord of mercie faileth me not And sith the mercies of the Lord are manie manie are also my deseruinges The more he is of power to saue the more am I sure to bée saued The same Saint Austen talking with God in an other place saith that he had dispaired by reason of his great sinnes and infinit negligences if the worde of God had not become flesh And anone after he saith these wordes All my hope all the assuraunce of my trust is setteled in his precious bloud which was shed for vs and for our saluation In him my poore heart taketh breath putting my whole trust in him I long to come vnto thée O Father not hauing mine owne righteousnesse but the righteousnesse of thy sonne Iesus Christ. In these two places S. Austen sheweth plainlie that the Christian must not be afraide but assure himselfe of righteousnesse by grounding himselfe not vpon his owne workes but vppon the precious bloud of Iesus Christ which cleanseth vs from all our sinnes and maketh our peace with God S. Barnard in his first sermon vpon the Annuntiation saith most euidentlie the it is not inough to beléeue that a man can haue forgiuenesse of his sinnes but by Gods mercie nor anie one good desire or abilitie to doe so much as one good worke except God giue it him no nor that a man can deserue eternall life by his workes but if God giue him the gift to beléeue But beside all these things saith Saint Barnard which ought rather to be counted a certeine enteraunce and foundation of our faith It is néedfull that thou beleeue also that thy sinnes are forgiuen thée for the loue of Iesus Christ c. CHVRCH What a Church or the Church is To the seauen Churches ¶ A Church is properlie a Companie or Congregation of Christen folkes redéemed by the bloud of Christ which suffer themselues to be ruled by Gods word and are alwaies in this world mingled with the vngodlie vnbeléeuers therefore being knowne onelie vnto God They be preserued vnder the protection of Christ their Shepheard that they maie not perish with this world Therfore wheresoeuer we sée Gods word sincerely preached heard and the Sacraments ministred according to Christs institution it is not to be doubted but ther is some church of God considering that his promise cannot deceiue which is Wheresoeeuer two or thrée be gathered together in my name there am I in the middest of them Marl. fol. 7. If we take the Church in generall it signifieth assembly or companie But when we speake of the Church of God wée take it not onelie for the assemblie and companie of all sorts of people but for a companie and assemblie of men the which God hath chosen from others hath consecrated and sanctified them vnto himselfe in his sonne Iesus Christ by his holie spirit for this cause she is called holie the co●●●union of saints they be all the true faithfull which by faith are made members of Iesus Christ which is the holie one of holinesse the which hath giuen his holie spirit to his Church to sanctifie it And therefore S. Paule doth call all Christians saints Viret The verie true Church of God is not a felowship gathered in a consent of exterior thing and ceremonies as other politike felowships be but it is a felowship gathered together in the vnitie of faith hauing the holie Ghost within them to
shut it vp If man doe confesse his sinne God doth forgiue his sinnes Manie men by this place of the Prophets haue gone about to stablish secret confession which some doe call auricular confession where the Prophet by his owne expressed words do declare that he speaketh héere of the confession that a sorrowfull sinner maketh to God saieng Delictum meum cognitum tibi feci O Lord to thée haue I declared my sinne and thou hast forgiuen it me This confession as S. Hilarie saith is nothing els but a continuall calling to remembraunce of our sinnes with a true repentant heart for the same That man or woman doth onely confesse themselues vnto God which in his heart in his spirit béeing pricked and afflicted doth vtterly detest and abhorre his olde filthie life defieth d●nieth himselfe hateth his owne dooings and doth wholie consecrate himselfe both bodie and soule vnto God doth care for nothing but to fashion his life vnto the will and pleasure of God who so hath not this minde this spirit and this purpose when he confesseth him vnto God he is but a mocker of God Ric. Turnar If we doeconsesse our sinnes he is faithfull iust to forgiue vs our sinnes c. ¶ S. Austen doth expound this If thou tell not God what thou art God doth condemne that which he shall finde in thée wilt thou not y● he shall condemne thée condemne thou thy selfe Wilt thou haue him pardon thée acknowledge thou thy self that thou maist saie vnto God Turne away thy face from my sinnes and saie also the words vnto him of the same Psalme for I doe acknowledge my wickednesse Thus saith Austen M. 218. What haue I to do with men saith Augustine to heare my confession as though they were able to heale my diseases They be a curious kinde of men that will séeke to knowe an other bodies life and be slowe to amend their owne Whie doe they séeke to heare of me what I am which will not heare of another man what they bée And how doe they know when they doe heare me tell of my selfe whether I doe saie true or no For no man doth knowe what is done within man but the spirit of man which is in man Thus saith Augustine Musculus fo 228. I saie not vnto thée that thou shouldest bewraie thy selfe abrode openlie neither yet accuse thy selfe before other but I will they obeie the Prophet which saith Shewe vnto the Lord thy waie that is the manner of thy liuing Therfore confesse thy sinnes before God confesse thy sinnes before the true Iudge with praier for the wrong that thou hast done not with thy tongue but with the memorie of thy conscience Chrisost. in his 3. Homi. vpon the. 12. to the Hebre. It is not now necessarie to confesse other béeing present which might heare our confessions Let the séeking out of thy sinnes be in thy thought let this iudgement be without the presence of anie bodie let onelie God sée the making of thy confession God which doth not vpbraide thée for thy sinnes and cast them in thy téeth but looseth them in thy confession Chrisost. in his ser. of conf and repen Beware thou tell anie man thy sinnes least he cast them in thy téeth reuile thée for them Neither doe thou confesse them vnto thy fellow seruant that he might tell thy faultes abroade but to him which is thy Lord and maister which also careth for thée to him that is kinde and gentle and thou shewest thy woundes vnto him that is a Phisition Chrisost. in his 4. ser. ad Lazarus I doe not call thée before men for to discouer thy sinnes vnfolde thine owne conscience before God shew thy woundes and stripes vnto the Lorde who is the Phisition and praie him to remedie it he it is which doth not checke and which gentlye healeth the poore sicke persons Chrisostome in the fift homili of the incomprehensible nature of God against the Anomians The Church of Rome doth commaund to confesse all our ●nnes not excepting anie Aunswere Dauid saith who can tell how oft he offendeth O cleanse thou me from my secret faults Psal. 19. 11. Peter powred foorth teares not praieng in voice I doe finde that he did wéepe and lament but I doe not finde what hée hath said I doe reade of his teares but I reade not of satisfaction Saint Ambrose of the repentaunce of S. Peter in his 46. Sermon Iesus Christ did heale him that had the leprosie and sayde vnto him Goe shew thy selfe vnto the Priest and offer that which Moses commaunded in the lawe for thy healing O thing neuer heard The Lord healed the disease yet neuerthelesse hée did send them to the lawe of Moses Wherefore did he so For none other cause but that the Iewes might not reproue him as a transgressour of the lawe Chrisostome in the 12. Homilie of the Cananite Blessed Rheuanus a man of great reading and singular iudgement writeth thus Tertulianus c. Tertulian of this priuie confession of sinnes saith nothing neither doe we reade that the same kinde of priuie confession in olde time was euer commaunded Bea. Rheua in argum li. Ter. de penit Erasmus saith thus Tempore Hieronimi c. It appeareth that in the time of Saint Hierome which was 400. yeares after Christ secret confession of sins was not yet ordeined which notwithstanding was afterward wholesomely profitably appointed by the church so y● it be well vsed as well by y● Priest as by the people But héerein certeine diuines not considering aduisedly what they saie are much deceiued for whatsoeuer the auncient fathers write of generall and open confession they wreast and drawe the same to this priuie and secret kinde which is farre of an other sort It is better said saith the Glose that confession was appointed by some tradition of the vniuersall church then by anie authoritie or commaundement of the new or olde Testament De poenit dist 5. in poeni in glossa Of three manner of confessions to men allowed by Gods word There maie be an open confession made vnto men as that was which S. Paule made vnto Timothie I thanke the Lord Christ Iesus O brother Timothie for that he hath made mée strong and hath now committed vnto me the office of Apostleship to bée a preacher of the Gospell which héeretofore haue bene a blasphemer of Christ a railer a persecuter of the Gospel a verie sturdie bloudie Tyrant against all them y● beléeued in him To this manner of confession maie bée reduced such godlie talke and godlie confession as sicke men haue oftentimes when they lie vppon their death bed Cantantes Cygnea cantionem Singing swéetlie as the prouerbe saith lyke Swannes and Signets which song albeit all their lyfe time it is most mournefull and vnpleasant to be heard yet against death almost contrarie to nature their song is most swéete and pleasant So oftentimes
pledge and then he glorieth with Paule and reioiceth saieng Now it is not I that liue but it is Christ that liueth within me These things be practised and vsed among faithfull people and to pure mindes the eating of his flesh is no horrour but honour and the spirite deliteth in the drinking of the holie and sanctified bloud and dooing this we whet not our teeth to bite but with pure faith we breake the holie Bread These be the words of Cipriane De coena Domini The Word saith Origen was made flesh verie meate which who so eateth shall surelie liue for euer which no euill man can eate For if it could be that he that continueth ill might eate the Word made flesh séeing that he is the Word and Bread of life it should haue bene written Whosoeuer eateth this Bread shall liue for euer Origen in Mathew chapter 15. The Authour of this tradition Saint Cypriane said that except we eate his flesh and drinke his bloud we should haue no life in vs instructing vs with a spirituall lesson and opening to vs a waie to vnderstand so priuie a thing that we shuld know that the eating is our dwelling in him our drinking is as it were an incorporation in him beeing subiect vnto him in obaieng ioined vnto him in our wills and vnited in our affections the eating therefore of this flesh is a certaine hunger and desire to dwell in him S. Austen saith vpon the Gospell of Iohn that he that doth not eate his flesh and drinke his bloud hath not in him euerlasting life and he that eateth his flesh and drinketh his bloud hath euerlasting life But it is not so in those meates which we take to sustaine our bodies for although without them we cannot liue yet it is not necessarie that whosouer receiueth them shall liue for they maie die by age sicknesse and other chaunces But in this meate and drinke of the bodie and bloud of our Lord it is otherwise for both they that eate and drinke them not haue not euerlasting life And contrariwise whosoeuer eate drinke them haue euerlasting life Who doe eate and drinke the bodie and flesh of Christ. They which doe beléeue in Christ and doe assuredlie perswade themselues that he died for their sakes they I saie doth both eate the flesh of Christ and drinke his bloud to which vse the Simboles or fignes for that they stirre vp the senses are verie much profitable not that the flesh bleud of Christ are powred into the bread wine or are by any means included in those Elements but because these things are of the true beléeuers receiued with a true faith For they are an inuisible norishment which is receiued onelie in the minde as Augustine hath faithfullie admonished saieng Why preparest thou the téeth and the bellie beléeue and thou hast eaten Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 212. What it is to eate God To eate God is to haue the fruition of the diuine nature to be incorporate into God But the Maiestie of God so farre surmounteth the capacitie of man that as he is in himselfe in nature and Godhead no naturall creature is able ot conceiue him but onelie in the face and sight of Iesus Christ the sonne of God Therefore S. Paule saith Christ is the brightnesse of the glorie and the expresse Image of the substaunce of God Iewel fol. 240. Of the true sacramentall eating and of the true eating of Christs bodie The Sacrament that is to saie the Bread is corporallie eaten and chawed with the téeth in the mouth The verie bodie is eaten and chawed with faith in the spirite Ungodlie men when they receiue the sacrament they chaw in their mouths like vnto Iudas the sacramentall bread but they eate not the celestiall bread which is Christ. Faithfull christian people such as bée Christs true disciples continuallie from time to time record in their minde the beneficiall death of our Sauiour Christ chawing it by faith in the cud of their spirit and digesting it in their hearts féeding and comforting themselues with that heauenlie meat Also they dailie receiue not the sacrament therof so they eate Christs bodie spirituallie although not the sacrament therof But when such men for their more comfort confirmation of eternal life giuen vnto thē by Christs death come vnto the Lords holie Table then as before they fedde spirituallie vpon Christ so now they féede corporallie also vpon the sacramentall bread By which sacramentall féeding in Christs promises their former spirituall feeding is increased and they growe and waxe continuallie more strong in Christ vntill at the last they shall come to the full measure and perfection in Christ. This is the teaching of the true Catholike Church as it is taught by Gods word And therefore Saint Paule speaking of them that vnworthelie eate saith that they eate the bread but not that they eate the bodie of Christ but their owne damnation Cranmer fol. 79. ETERNALL LIFE How Eternall life is sometime called a reward ETernall life is sometimes in the holie Scriptures called a reward but then it is not that reward which Paule writeth to be giuen according to debt but is all one as if it shuld be called a recompensation Gods will and pleasure was that there should be this coniunction that after good workes should followe blessednesse but not yet as the effect followeth the cause but as a thing ioined with them by the appointment of God Therefore we maie not trust vnto workes for they are feeble and weake and doe alwaies wauer stagger Wherfore the promises of God depend not vpon them neither haue they in themselues as they come from vs that they can mooue God to make vs blessed We saie therefore that God iudgeth according because according as they are either good or euill we shall obtaine either eternall life or eternall damation But thereby it followeth not that workes are the cause of our saluation Pet. Mar. vpon the Rom. fo 39. EVANGELISTS Who be Euangelists EUangelists were next vnto Apostles and had their Office much like them sauing that they were beneath them in degrée of dignitie These gaue themselues chiefelie to instructing of the people and preaching the Gospell to them as plainlie and simplie as might be of which sort was Timothie and such like For although Paule match Timothie with him in dooing commendations yet doth he not make him his followe in Apostleship but kéepeth that name peculiarlie to himselfe 2. Cor. 1. 1. Col. 1. 1. And in writing to him he saith thus Be watchfull in all things harden thy selfe in afflictions go through with the worke of an Euangelist 2. Tim. 4. 5. EVER How this word Euer is taken ANd to thy séede for euer ¶ Euer is not héere taken for a time without ende but for a long season that hath not his ende appointed T. M. ¶ Meaning a long time and till the comming of Christ. And spirituallie this is
of tongue in suppressing of anger in cutting off concupiscence back biting lie●g and periurie c. True fasting is a religious worke ordeined to testifie our humlitie and to make the flesh make obedient vnto the spirite that we mai● be the quicke● to praie 〈…〉 to all good workes Iewel fol. 15. ¶ Looke Abstinence ¶ The true vse of fasting which is spoken of in holie Scripture is the taming and subduing of the flesh thereby either to be the better disposed 〈…〉 ●ditation and to those praiers which thou offere●● to God or els for a●estimonie of humblenesse at such time as thou confessest thy faults before God himselfe F. N. B. the Italian ¶ Fasting is to abstaine from surfetting or ouermuch eating from dronkennesse and care of this world as thou maist read Luke 21. 34. And the ●n●e of fasting is to tame the bodie that the spirite maie haue a frée course to God maie quietlie talke with God For ouermuch eating and drinking care of worldlie businesse presse downe the spirit choke hir tangle hir that she cannot lift vp hir selfe to God now he that fasteth for anie other intent then to subdue the bodie that the spirite maie wait on God and freelie exercise hir selfe in the things of God the same is blinde woteth not what he doth erreth shooteth at a wrong marke his intent and imagination is abhominable in the sight of God When thou fastest from meate drinke all daie is that a christian fast either to eate at one meale that were sufficient for foure A man at foure times maie beare that that he cannot do at once Some fast from meate and drinke yet so tangle themselues in worldlie busines y● they cannot once thinke on God Some abstaine from butter some from egges some from all manner of white meate some this daie some that daie some in the honour of this saint some of that euery man for a sundrie purpose Some for the tooth-ach some for y● head-ach for feuers pestilence for sodaine death for hanging drowning to be deliuered from the paines of hell Some are so mad that they fast one of the Thursoaies betwéen the two S. Maries daies in the worship of that Saint whose daie is hallowed betwéene● Christmas and Candelmas All these men fast without conscience God without knowledge of the true intent of fasting do none oth●●●●●onour Saints as the Gentiles and Heathen worshipped their Idolls are drowned in blindnes know not of the Testament that God hath made to man-ward in Christs bloud In God haue they neither hope nor confidēce neither beleeue his promises neither know his will but are yet in captiuitie vnder the Prince of darknesse Tindale fol. 80 ¶ Fasting standeth not in eating and drinking onelie and much lesse in flesh alone but in abstinence of all that mooueth the flesh against the spirit as long sléeping idlenesse and filthie communication and all worldlie talking as of couetousnesse promotion and such like and wanton companie and softe cloathes and soft beddes and so foorth Which are that right hande and right eie that must be cutte off and plucked out that the whole man perish not Obiection Some man will saie séeing fasting is to withdrawe all pleasures from the bodie and to punish the flesh then God delighteth in our paines taking Aunswere God delighteth in true obedience and in all that wée doe at his commaundement and for the intent he commaunded it for If thou loue and pitie thy neighbour and help him thine almes is acceptaple If thou doe it of vaine glorie to haue the praise that belongeth to God or for a greater profite onelie or to make satisfaction for thy sinnes past and to dishonour Christs bloud which had made it alreadie then is thine almes abhominable If thy praier be thankes in heart or calling to God for helpe with trust in him according to his promise then thy praier pleseth If thou beleeue in Christs bloud for the remission of sins and hencefoorth hate sinne that thou punishest thy bodie to slaie the lusts and to keepe them vnder that thou sinne not againe then it pleaseth God exceedinglie But and if thou thinke that God delighteth in thy worke for the worke it selfe the true intent awaie and in thy paine for the paine it selfe thou art as far our of the waie as from heauen to the earth If thou wouldest kill thy bodie or when it is tame enough punish it farther that thou wert not able to serue God and thy neighbour according to the roome and estate that thou●a●● in thy Sacrifice were cleane without falt altogether vnsauerie in the ta●●e of God and thou mad and out of thy wit But and if thou trust in thy worke thou art then abhominable Tindale fol. 229. How it is not appointed in Scripture vpon what da●es we ought to fast Saint Austeni●●●th Quibus die bus oporte●t ioiunare c. Upon what daies we ought not to fast and vpon what daie we ought to fast I finde it not appointed by anie commaundement either of our Lord or of the Apostles Iewel fol. 197. Who first prescribed la●ves of fasting Eusebius in his 5. booke and. 16. chapter saith that Montanus the Heretike was the first that prescribed lawes of fasting How the Maniches fast and the Papists were much alike The Maniches of whom S. Austen testifieth vnder the colour of abstinence refrained from anie liuing thing from drinking of wine yet did they 〈…〉 pamper themselues with delicate fruites and spices with drinke made of the ●uice of Dates which fast was much like to our Papists fast How Fasting is of three sorts Fasting is an outward for bearing of meate and drinke for a time whereby the bodie is kept lewe and as it were mortified And it is of thrée sorts indifferent godlie and vngodlie The indifferent Fast is when a man abststaineth either for pouertie or for health sake c. The godlie fast is not onelie an abstinence from meate and drinke but also from all other things that may delight or prouoke the flesh to sinne The vngodlie Fast is an abstinence from certaine kinde of meates which of it selfe is thought to be a worshipping of God and a thing acceptable to God for the workes sake and therefore also meritorious c. And this hypocriticall Fast is it that the Prophet doth condemne Hemmyng The manner of Fasting in the olde time I caused a Fast to be proclaimed c. Fasting as the Scripture maketh mention haue bene common humiliations and supplications done before God either for some great tribulation suffered or comming at hand or for a singular repentaunce and earnest fore-thinking of their sinnes as it is written 1. Reg. 7. 6. and. 31. 13. 2. Esd. 1. 4. ¶ When Iehoakim King of Iuda heard that the King of Babilons armie was comming to besiege Hierusalem he appointed a solemne and publike fast for all the people commanding them to resort
the soule we saie therfore that to be in the flesh according to the Apostles meaning signifieth nothing els then in all our actions to be ruled and gouerned by the sense and effect of Nature not yet regenerate in Christ. Pet. Mar. vpon the Rom. fol. 198. Againe this place Ye are not in the Flesh cannot but be figuratiuelie interpreted for if we should vnderstand simply that we are not in the Flesh the truth would shew the contrarie Wherefore Chrisostome vpon this place saith that it is a thing verie daungerous alwaies to vnderstande the Scriptures according to the proper signification of the words I meruaile therfore what our aduersaries meane so much to iangle and make such 〈…〉 that when we saie that these wordes of the Lorde This is my bodie are spoken figuratiuelie and that we vnderstand meane by this place the filthie lusts and incontinencie of the flesh But by the vnquietnesse of the flesh and messenger of Satan he vnderstandeth the persecutions and troubles which by the meanes and stirring of Satan he was 〈…〉 to suffer continuallie for the Gospells sake not onelie of the open 〈…〉 but also of the false Bretheren And for 〈…〉 his 〈…〉 persecutions and troubles that happened vnto 〈…〉 praie vnto the Lord that he would deliuer 〈…〉 these afflictions and troubles which his flesh did 〈…〉 Thus both Theodoretus Ambrose and also Erasmus 〈…〉 place ¶ Looke Messenger of 〈…〉 ¶ Looke Pricke of the flesh To take no thought for the flesh how it is expounded Take no thought for the flesh to fill the lusts of it ¶ By the flesh he hèere vnderstandeth not naturall health for that is not to bée neglected that wee maie bee able the more constantlie to serue GOD. Paule writeth to Timothie Use a little Wine because of the stomacke and often 〈…〉 Heere hee prohibiteth onelie the pleasures and delights of the flesh For when wée lette loose the bridle to them the flesh is made vnrulie Wherefore seeing that we ought continuallie to wrastle against the prone affects thereof lette vs take héede that with ouer much delicatenesse we nourish them not Pet. Mar. fol. 434. The meaning of this place following My flesh is verelie meate and my bloud verelie drinke ¶ When Christ spake th●se words he spake nothing of the Sacrament for it was not instituted vntill his last Supper Upon this S. Austen saith Why preparest thou either tooth or bellie beléeue and then thou hast eaten him And when Christ sawe them offended hée said vnto them Doth this offende you What will ye saie then when ye shall see the Sonne of man ascending thether whence he was before Then addeth Saint Austen You shall know that he meant not to giue his flesh to eate with your téeth for he shall ascende whole And Christ addeth it is the spirite that quickeneth the Flesh profiteth nothing the wordes that I speake are spirite and life that is to saie saith S. Austen are spirituallie to be vnderstood And when Christ saith his flesh profiteth nothing meaning of his owne flesh as Austen saith he meaneth that it profiteth not as they vnderstood him that is to saie it profiteth not if it were eaten but it doth much profite to be slaine that through it and the shedding of his bloud the wrath of God our father is pacified our sinnes forgiuen His Disciples which followed him wer astonied and abhorred his words and vnderstoode them not Againe in another place he saith when Christ said Except a man eate my flesh and drinke my bloud he shall haue no life in him they because they vnderstood him not said to each other This is an hard saieng who can heare him August in sermo ad infan What flesh shall inherit the kingdome of Heauen Flesh and bloud cannot inherite the kingdome of Heauen ¶ Our beliefe is that there shall be a generall Resurrection of the flesh according to the Scripture Esaie 26. 19. Rom. 12. 2. Iob. 19. 26. Iohn 5. 29. Neuerthelesse it shall be purged from all corruption and be chaunged to immortall life for it must be an vncorrupt flesh that shall inherit the kingdome of God Of the battaile betweene the flesh and the spirite Betwéene the flesh and the spirite is a continuall strife if the spirit ouercome in temptation then is the stronger and the flesh weaker but if the flesh get a custome then is the spirite none other oppressed then as though she had a mountaine vpon hir backe and as we sometime in our dreame thinke that we beare heauier then a milstone vpon our breastes or when wée dreame now and then that we would runne awaie for feare our legges seeme heauier then lead● euen so is the spirit oppressed and ouerladen of the flesh and striueth to gette vppe and breake loose in vaine till God of his mercie which heareth his grone through Iesus Christ come and loose him with his power and put his crosse of tribulation on the back of the flesh to kéepe it downe to minish hir strength and to mortifie her Tindale fol. 186. What flesh and spirite signifieth Flesh and spirite maist thou not héere vnderstande as flesh were onelie that which perteineth vnto vnchastitie and the spirit that which inwardlie pertaineth vnto the heart ●ut Paule calleth flesh heere as Christ doth Iohn 3. All that is borne of the Flesh that is to wit the whole man with life soule bodie wit will reason and whatsoeuer he is or doth within or without because that those all and all that is in man studie after the world and the Flesh. Call Flesh therefore whatsoeuer as long as we are without the spirit of God we thinke or speake of God of faith of good workes and of spirituall matters Call Flesh also all workes which are done without grace and without the working of the spirit of God howsoeuer good holie and spirituall they seeme to be as thou maist proue by the 5. to the Galathians ver 19. 20. where Paule numbreth worshipping of Idolls witchcraft ●nuie and hate among the deedes of the Flesh. And by the eight to the Romanes ver 3. where he saith that the Lawe by the reason of the Flesh is weake which is not vnderstood of vnchastitie onelie but of all sinnes and most speciallie of vnbeliefe which is a vice most wicked and ground of all sinnes and as thou callest him which is not renued with the spirit and borne againe of Christ Flesh and all his deedes euen the verie motions of his heart and minde his learning doctrine and contemplation of high things his preaching teaching and studie in the Scripture building of Churches founding of Abbaies giuing of Almes Masse Mattin● and whatsoeuer he doth though it seeme spirituall and after the Lawes of God So contrariwise call him spirituall● which is renued in Christ and all his deedes which springeth of faith seeme they neuer so grose as the washing of the Disciples feete done by Christ and Peters fishing after
his help but goe about without him to helpe them selues by ther owne workes and wisedome or are impatient in their troubles them doth he forsake vtterlie in the middes of their afflictions Sir I. Cheeke What Gods curse is Gods curse is the taking awaie of his benefites As God cursed the earth and made it barren so now hunger dearth warre pestilence and such like are yet right curses and signes of the wrath of God vnto the vnbeléeuers but vnto them that know Christ they are verie blessings and that wholsome crosse and true Pur●●torie o● our flesh through which all must go that will liue godlie and be saued As thou readest Math. 5. 10. Blessed are they that suffer persecution for righteousnesse sake c. And Heb. 12. 6. The Lord chasteneth whom he loueth and scorgeth all the children that he receiueth Tindale What God appointeth and no more Whatsoeuer thy hand and thy counsell determined before to be done ¶ Héere we doe learne that the enimies of Christ can go● no farther then God hath appointed them Therefore let the Preacher of the truth be of good comfort though Satan with all his legion of diuells the world all the mightie Princes thereof doe arise and conspire against them yet they can doe no more then the Lords hand and counsell hath appointed before Sir I. Cheeke How all things come to passe by Gods will ¶ Looke Will Of two wills in God ¶ Looke Will. How God ordeined sinne and yet is not the author of sinne ¶ Looke Sinne. Of the God of this world I● whom the God of this world hath blinded the mindes of them which beléeue not ¶ Satan is Gods minister and can doe no more then he appointeth him to doe Neuertheles Christ calleth him the Prince of this world Iohn 16. 11. And héere the Apostle calleth him the God of this world because the worlde doth most commonlie forsake the true God and serueth him For vnto whom soeuer we obaie we make him our God As S. Paule calleth the bellie their God that are earthlie minded serue their owne bellies Phil. 3. 19. What is meant by the God of Iacob ¶ Looke Iacob What the seate of God is ¶ Looke Seate GODHEAD IN CHRIST How Christs Godhead is vnderstood FOr in him dwelleth all the fulnesse of the Godhead bodelie ¶ We must beware that we doe not with the Antropomorphi●es think that God hath a bodilie shape because the Apostle saith that the Godhead dwelleth in Christ bodelie for that is as much to saie that the Godhead doth dwell trulie and naturallie in Christ being a 〈…〉 and● 〈…〉 God and that therefore he is a sufficient treasure of all 〈…〉 riched Sir I. Cheeke ¶ In saieng that the Godhead is reallie in Christ he sheweth that he is verie God Also saieng In him he declareth two distinct natures And by this word Dwelleth he proueth that he is there foreuer Geneua How Christ in his Godhead is euerie where How maie Christ be called a straunger is he departed into a straunge countrie Séeing he is with vs vnto the worlds end and is among them that he gathered in his name Aun●were Christ is both God and man hauing in him two natures and as man he is not with vs vnto the worldes ende nor is present with his faithfull gathered together in his name But his diuine power and spirite is euer with vs. Paule saith he was absent from the Corinthians in bodie but he was present with them in spirite So is Christ gone hence saith he and absent in his humanitie which his diuine nature is euerie where And in these saiengs we reserue to both his natures their owne properties Origen in Math. homil 33. GODS MERCIE Of such as presume too much thereof MAnie doe presume so much of Gods mercie that they sinne at pleasure and repent at leasure But be not seduced saith S. Paule for God is not mocked whatsoeuer a man soweth that shall he reape Hemmyng How the Magistrates are called Gods ¶ Looke Iu●ges What the nature of Gods word is ¶ Looke Word Nature GODLIE SORROVV What godlie sorrow bringeth to a man FOr godlie sorrow causeth repentaun●● c. ¶ There be two manners of sorrow The one commeth of God and ingendereth repentaun●e 〈…〉 life The other commeth of the flesh and bréedeth desperation vnto death We haue examples of both in Cain and Dauid in Iudas and Peter For they all sorrowed but the sorrow of Cain and of Iudas was fleshlie and carnall and therefore being without godlie com●ort it did driue them to desperation Whereas Dauid and Peter in their godlie sorrow did flie vnto the father of mercies with a true repentant heart and were receiued againe into the fauour of God Sir I. Cheeke ¶ Whose heart Gods spirite doth touch he is sorie for his sinnes committed against so mercifull a father and these are the fruites of his repentaunce as witnesse Dauids and Peters teares Others which are sorie for their sinnes onelie for feare of punishment and Gods vengeaunce fall into desperation as Cain Saule Achitophel and Iudas Geneua GODLINESSE What Godlinesse is GOdlinesse is not made of words as wood is made of Trées but it is an earnest loue procéeding from a pure heart and a good conscience and an vnfained faith in which we maie glorifie God and doe good to his people Paule was godlie when he gloried in nothing but in the crosse of Iesus Christ by which the world was crucified vnto him and he vnto the world They are godlesse hypocrites which in word confesse they know God but in deede doe denie him They are Christs which haue crucified the flesh with the affections and concupiscence of it They are of their father the Diuell that in wickednesse doe the desire of the Diuell c. M. Deering GOG AND MAGOG What they were and what they doe signifie SAint Austen in his 20. booke De ciuitate Dei willeth by Gog to be signified the glorious hypocrites of the world by Magog the open enimies of righteousnesse pretending the contrarie As testifieth Berosus the Chaldean in the first booke of his histories 5. chapter Gog was a mightie gouernour in the land of Sabea Arabia the rich vnder Nimroth the great king of Babilon and there ruled with Sab●s his Father in the 18. yeare of his raigne In the 38. Chapter of Ezechiel● Prophecie ver 2. he is called the chiefe Prince of Mosoch and T●●bal whom some Expositours taketh for Capadoce and Spaine But after the opinion of S. Hierom and Isidorus which was a Spaniard the Hebrue taketh this Thubal for Italy which is much more agréeable to the purpose Magog was the seconde sonne of Iaphet which was the third sonne vnto Noe. This Magog as witnesseth Iosephus in the first booke of his Antiquities the 11. chapter was the first beginner of the Magogites whom the Greekes called the Scythians and we now the Tartarians And all the chiefe
the Masse let them read Platina and Polidore Virgil touching the same and ther shall they finde how by whom vpon what occasion and in what processe of time all the parts of the Masse were peeced and set together And that in the space of seauen hundred years surely and with much ado it was made vp at last and brought to some perfection Iewel How the Masse is not a sacrifice propiciatorie It is proued by Saint Paule in his Epistle to the Hebrues that the offring of the Priest in the Masse or the appointing of his ministration at his pleasure to them that be quicke or dead cannot merit or deserue neither to himself nor to them for whō he singeth or saith the remission of their sinnes but y● such popish doctrine is contrarie to the doctrine of the Gospel iniurious to the sacrifice of Christ. For if onely the death of Christ be the oblation sacrifice and price wherfore our sins be pardoned then the act or ministration of the Priest cannot haue the same office Wherfore it is abhominable blasphemy to giue that office or dignitie to a Priest which perteineth only to Christ or to affirme that the Church néed of any sacrifice as who should say that Christs sacrifice were not sufficient for the remission of our sinnes or else that his sacrifice shoulde hang vppon the sacrifice of a Priest Cranmer MASSILIANI Of the opinions of these Heretikes MAssiliani were idle Monks whom the diuell had possessed they sayd that the body of Christ in the Sacrament did neither good neither harme They said Baptime was to no purpose Lentus Bishop of Melitena draue the théeues out of their dennes the wolues from among the shéepe set the Monastaries on fire Theodoretus li. 4. chap. 11. These heretiks wer called also Euchitae so called because of their continual praieng It is a wonder saith Augustine to heare what a number of praiers they run ouer much like vnto the late mumbling of praiers vpon beads where Christ said pray alwaies S. Paule Pray without intermission which is deuoutly to be taken for euery day they do it too much therfore saith Augustine to be nūbred among heretiks They say when the soule is purged y● a Sow with her pigs is séene to come out of mans mouth that a visible fire entereth in which burneth not These Euchits did think that it apperteined not vnto Monks to get their liuing with y● sweat of their browes but to liue idly Epiphanius saith that when Luppicianus the Praetor executed some of them for their lewdnesse they called themselues Martirianos Some of them thought that it was their duetie to worship the diuell least he should hurt them These were called Satiniani If ye called any of them Christ a Patriarke a Prophet or an Angell he would answere that he was They slept like Swine men and women all in one heape August li de haeraes Epi. haer 80. These Massilians were condempned in the generall counsell helde at Ephesus in the time of Theodosius lunior Cyril li. Apologet. MAISTER What the Maisters office is to the Seruaunt Ye Maisters doe vnto your seruaunts that which is iust and right putting away all bitternes and threatnigs knowing that ye also haue a Maister in heauen The Pharesies dissembling in calling Christ Maister Maister we know that thou art true ¶ This is a deceitful dissimulation they are not ashamed of inconstancie by the which they now call him Maister whereas before they blasphemed him saieng that he had the spirit of Belzabub euen so in an other place the Pharesies which were the Maisters of these Ambassadours sayd vnto Christ Maister wée woulde sée a signe of thee And againe Maister this woman was taken in adulterie But they called him Maister whose disciples they would not be for they sayd vnto that begger to whom Christ restored his sight be thou his Disciple for we are Moses Disciples Heere the Prouerbe is fulfilled Such lippes such lettice The Pharesies were dissemblers and hypocrites their Disciples follow them in all points Marl. fo 502. MATHEVV The lyfe of Saint Mathew written by Saint Hierome MAthew which was otherwise also called Leuy being of a publican made an Apostle first of al other cōposed wrote in Iewry the Gospell of Christ in the Hebrew tongue for their behoofe and cause which being of the circumcision had beleeued which Gospell what person did afterwarde translate into Greeke it is not very certeynly knowne But truelye the very Hebrue it selfe is had euen vntil this present day in y● Librarie of Cae 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 e which Librarie Pamphilus the martir did with all possible studiousnesse set vp and make And I my selfe also had the same Gospell of Mathew in Hebrewe lent me to coppye it out of the Nazarites which in Beroea a Citie in Syria doe vse the same booke wherein is to be noted and obserued y● wheresoeuer the Euangelist either in his owne person or else of the person of our Sauiour doth vse any allegations of the olde Testament he doth not followe the authoritie of Septuaginta that is to say of the threescore and ten translaters but of the Hebrue Of the which sort are set forth these two citations heere ensuing Out of Aegypt haue I called my sonne And for a Nazarite shall he be called Erasmus MATRIMONIE ¶ Looke Marriage MEDIATOVR Proues that Iesus Christ is the onely Mediatour betweene God and man ¶ There is one God and one mediatour betwéene God and man which is the man Christ Iesus ¶ If there be but one mediatour as Saint Paule saith there is not then cannot Saints come to make mo then one Saintes cannot be mediatours for other because they haue néede of a mediatour themselues D. Barnes Christ is our mouth wereby we speake vnto the Father our eyes whereby we sée the Father our right hande whereby wée offer our selues to the Father without whose intercession neither we nor all the Saints haue ought to doe with God Ambrose in his booke of Isaac and the soule We haue all things in Christ If thou desire to be cured of thy wounds he is thy Phisition If thou be gréeued with thy sinnes he is thy righteousnesse If thou lacke helpe he is thy strength If thou feare death he is thy lyfe If thou be in darknesse he is light If thou wilt goe into heauen he is thy way If thou séeke meate he is thy nourishment Ambrose in his 4. booke vpon Saint Luke We are reconciled and brought in fauour againe with God through Christ which is the mediatour that of enimies wée might be made sonnes Neither should we be deliuered through him as onely y● mediatour of God and man Christ Iesus if he were not also God But when Adam was made that is to wit a right man he néeded no mediatour but when as sinnes did separate sunder mankinde farre from God we must be brought in fauour againe with
workes which thou hast done and shall doe for the loue of our Lord Iesus Christ be vnto thée auailable for the remission of thy sinnes the increase of desert grace and the reward of euerlasting life Amen ¶ Ye heare the merite of Christ mentioned in these words but if ye weigh them well ye shall perceiue that Christ is there altogether vnprofitable and that the glory and name of a iustifier and Sauiour is quite taken from him and giuen to Monkish merites Is not this to take the name of God in vaine Is not this to confesse Christ in words and in very deede to denye his power and blaspheme his name c. Luther vpon the Gal. fol. 72. Of the profite that is of the Moone HE appointed the Moone for certaine seasons ¶ The Interpreters agrée that this ought to be vnderstood of the ordinary and appointed ●easts For inasmuch as the Hebrewes are wont to recken their months by the Moone they vse h●r as the directer of their festiuall daies and as well ●or their holy assemblies as for their méetings about politike affaires Notwithstanding I doubt not but that ther is the figure Synechdoche as if the Prophet had said that the Moone not onely putteth a difference betweene the nights and the dayes but also boundeth the yeres and months consequently serueth to many purposes because the distinction of times is fetched out of h●r course MORNING AND EVENING How this place of Iob is vnderstood FRom Morning to Euening they be destroied ¶ Some expounde this as though it were meant that men perish in small time and that is very true But héerewithall there is yet more that is to wit that we passe not a minute of our lyfe but it is as it were approching vnto death If we consider it wel when a man riseth in the morning he is sure that he shall not step forth one pace he is sure he shall not turne about his hand but he shall still waxe elder elder and his life euer shorteneth Then must we consider euen by eye sight that our lyfe fléeteth slideth away from us Thus we sée what is meant by consuming from morning to euening Ca. vpon Iob. fo 75. MORTIFICATION What true mortifieng is TO mortifie is nothing els but for a man to be violent against himselfe and to withstand and resist wicked lusts Pe● Mar. vpon the Ro. fol. 203. The flesh is mortified when the custome of sinne is abolished and the spirit is quickened when we begin to performe newe obedience vnto God Mortifie therefore your members c. ¶ The true morti●ieng is when the feare of God doth fray vs from sinne so that our hearts trembleth for feare of Gods iudgement when wée are tempted or entised vnto sinne The heart beeing thus striken with the feare of God acknowledgeth his weaknes and calleth vnto God vnfainedly for helpe This mortifieng is the worke of the Holy ghost Rom. 8. and worketh out wardly a sobernesse of liuing and other godly exercises Sir I. Cheeke ¶ Extinguish all the strength of the corrupt nature which resisteth against the spirit that ye may liue in the spirit and not in the flesh Geneua How we cannot mortifie the flesh by our owne free-will If you mortifie the déedes of the flesh by the spirite ye shall liue ¶ S. Austen vpon this place Thou wilt say saith he that can my will doe that can my frée-will doe What will what manner of free-will except he lift thée vp thou lyest still how canst thou doe it then by thy spirit seeing that the Apostle saith as many as be led by the spirit of God be the children of God wilt thou doe of thy selfe Wilt thou be ledde of thine owne selfe to mortifie the déeds of the flesh What wil it profite thée for if thou be not voluptuous with the Epicures thou shalt be proud with the Stoikes Whether thou be an Epicure or a Stoike thou shalt not be among the children of God for they that be guided by the spirit of God be the children of God not they that lyue after their owne flesh not they that lyue after their owne spirit but as many as be led by the spirit of God But héere a man will say Ergo then are we ruled and we doe not rule I auns were thou both rulest and art ruled But thou dost then rule well if thou be ruled by the good spirit vtterlye if thou doe want the spirit of God thou canst doe no good Thou dost truly without his helpe by the frée-will but it is but euill done vnto that is thy will which is called frée-wil and by euill doing is she made a bondseruaunt When I say Without the help of God thou dost nothing I vnderstand by it no good thing For to doe euill thou hast frée-will without the helpe of God though that be no fréedome Wherefore you shall know that so doe you goodnesse if the helping spirite bée your guider the which if he be absent can doe no good at all Augu● de verbis Apost ser. 13. MOSES How Moses came by his impediment of speach OF Moses it is written that the King of Aegypt on a time for his daughters sake tooke the childe Moses in his armes and set the crowne vpon his head which Moses as it were childishly playing hurled if downe to the ground and with his fee●e spurned it Then the Priests and Soothsaiers séeing that cried out saieng that this was he whom before he had prophecied should be borne which should destroy the kingdome of Aegypt except he wer● preuented by death Then Termuth the Kings daughter excused the childe alleadging that his age had yet ●o discretion And for proofe thereof caused burning coales to bée put to his mouth which the childe with his tongue lick●d wherby he euer after had an impediment in his tongue And by this meanes their furie at that time was appeased T. Lanquet The cause why Moses fled from Pharao Moses being about the age of 40. yeares fledde for feare of Pharao when he had slaine the Aegyptian Iosephus saith that it was for displeasure because in the warres of Aethiope wherof he was Captaine he tooke to wise the Kings Daughter of Aethiope How Moses seemed to doubt in Gods promises When God said to Moses that he wold giue the people flesh to eate euen a moneth long he aunswered shall the Shéepe and the Oxen be slaine for this people to eate which are vi hundred thousand or shall the fish of the Sea be gathered together to serue them ¶ Héere it séemeth that Moses did doubt in Gods promise which was not so For he doubted no more that God was able to accomplish and fulfill his word then Mary the mother of Christ did doubt in the words of the Angell when shée said How shall this be séeing I know no man Lyra. How the Lord was angry with Moses and why Moses being in his Inne the Lord met
Pastour had sayd I will not féede you This Pastour by an other name is called the Abhomination of desolation that shall sit in the Temple of God as though he were God Therefore the sword of the Lord shall be vpon his right arme vpon his right eye that the force of him all y● bosting of his might might be dried vp withered awaye the knowledge that vnder a false name he promised to himselfe shall be● obscured with eternall darknesse I. Bridges fol. 1092. In what respect the Popish Church may be called Catholike As a certaine scholer of Oxford by a certaine woman whom other praised did merily say she was a Catholike woman meaning a common queane So the Popish Church in like sence is a Catholike Church that is to say a common strumpet prostitute to all Idolatry and not the chast spouse of Christ c. I. Bridges fol. 165. What the Pope saith of himselfe I cannot erre I haue all lawes both temporall spirituall in my brest I am aboue all general Councels I may iudge al mē but all the world may not iudge me be I neuer so wicked I am king of kings lord of lords I can do whatsoeuer Christ himself can do I am all aboue all all power is giuen to me as well in heauen as in earth c. What the Popes owne lawe saith If the Pope care neither for his own health neither for his brothers be found vnprofitable and negligent in his workes further apt to no good that hurteth himselfe and other leadeth with him people innumerable by Legions vnto the Diuell to be punished with him in paines most dolorous for euer being Pope no man should presume to reprehend his faults for he iudgeth all men and is to be iudged of no man How the Pope hath power ouer Angells The Pope saith Felinus hath Christs lieuetenauntship not onely ouer things in heauen ouer things in earth ouer things in hell but also ouer the Angells both good and badde Iewel fol. 543. How the Pope is the Diuels Viceregent and Antichrist It is most certaine that the Pope is Uicar to the Prince of this world and the Diuell is said in the Gospell to be the Prince of this world Who doubteth then but if the Pope bée Uicar to the Prince of this world he is Uiceregent to the Diuell and as Iesus Christ appeared to this world to vndoe the workes of the Diuell so likewise the Diuell hath made the Pope who is his Neatheard héere vpon earth to appeare to the world to vndoe the workes of Iesus Christ. And therefore the Pope studieng diligently to obay the will of his Prince fully is forced dayly to be contrary to Iesus Christ and what is this but onely to be Antichrist F. N. B. the Italian POVVER How neither Pope nor Priest hath power to forgiue sinnes THe word of God forgiueth sinnes the Priest is the iudge the Priest executeth his office but he exerciseth no right of power The Lord hath graunted the office of baptising to manye but the power and authoritie in Baptisme to forgiue sinnes he hath reserued onely to himselfe So saith Ambrose it is our part to remoue the stone from the graue by preaching by counsell and by exhortation but it is the Lords worke to raise vp the dead it is the Lordes worke to bring him from the pitte It is not the ambassadour it is not the messenger but the Lord himselfe that hath saued the people The Lord remaineth alone For no man can be partner with God in forgiuing sins This is Christs onely office that hath taken away the sinnes of the world And yet is not the Priests office void of power He hath power and commission to open the will of God and as S. Paule saith to speake vnto the people euen as in the person of Christ. So Tertulian saith The chiefe Priest that is to say the Bishop hath right and power to giue Baptime But as S. Austen saith God gaue the ministerie of remission of sinnes vnto his seruaunts but the power thereof he retained vnto himselfe c. Iewel 158. How all power is in and of God and not in man Thou couldest haue no power against me except it were giuen thée from aboue ¶ Héere we doe learne that all power is of God Yea the power of darkenesse which God causeth to raigne for our sinnes and disobedience to him his word Iob. 34. Whosoeuer therefore resisteth any power he doth resist the ordinaunce of God and so purchaseth vnto himselfe vtter destruction vndoing Let also Magistrates remember of whom they haue receiued their power and vse their authoritie according to the will of him vnto whom they must render accompt of all their doings Sir I. Cheeke How the higher powers are to be obaied The powers that be are ordeined of God ¶ We are bounde in all manner of things to obaye the Magistrates sith that they are the ordinaunce of God whether they be good or euill vnlesse they command Idolatry and vngodlinesse that is to say things contrary to true Religion Then ought we to saye with Peter We ought rather to obaye God then men But wée must beware of tumult and insurrection The weapon of a Christian man in this matter ought to be the sword of the spirite which is Gods worde and prayer coupled with humilitie and due submission and with heart ready rather to dye then to doe any vngodlinesse Sir I. Cheeke Let euerye person be subiect to the higher Powers ¶ This saith Chrisostome is ordained to the Ecclesiasticall● and Cleargie and to the Monkes or any other whatsoeuer it be For thy obedience and subiection doth not alter thy seruice towards God ¶ By what title saith Saint Barnard is it speking of the temporall sword that the Pope selleth these things it is not according to the right vse Apostolicall for Saint Peter could not giue that which he himselfe had not but hée hath left to his successours that which he had to wit the order of the Churches Item saith he your powers are not ouer possessions but ouer the sinnes forasmuch as ye haue receiued the keyes of the kingdome of heauen not to be great Lords but to haue the correction of vices which dignitie séemeth greatest to you to forgiue sinnes or to distribute possessions There is no comparison These earthly superiorties haue their Iudges which be Kings of the earth And wherefore vsurpe you the Office dignities and lymittes of other men Learne saith he to haue a Spade to delue and dresse the Uineyard of the Lord not to beare a Scepter And yet more it is saith he a cleare thing that all Lordships is forbidden to the Apostles Go thou then which vsurpest the title of an Apostle in ruling Lordlike goe where the authoritie and power is fette in the Apostolike seate c. Theodore Beza What absolute power is Absolute
power is that which is altogether frée and is neither gouerned or restrained by the law or will of any other The limitted power is not frée but subiect to an absolute or greater power of another which cannot of it selfe doe euery thing but that onely that the absolute power or greater authoritie doth suffer to be done and suffereth it vnder certaine conditions c. Bullinger fol. 837. PRAIER What Praier is PRaier is a mourning a longing and a desire of the spirite to God-ward for that which she lacketh as a sicke man mourneth and sorroweth in his heart longing for health Tindale fol. 8● Againe Praier is either a longing for the honour of the name of God that all men should feare him and kéepe his precepts and beléeue in him either to giue God thankes for benefits receiued either a complaining and a shewing of thine owne miserie and necessitie or of thy neighbours before God desiring him with all the power of thine heart to haue compassion and to suceour thée and them Tindale ¶ The true and acceptable prayer consisteth not in a rabblement of words nor yet in the vehemencie of the voice but in the stedfastnesse of our beléefe in the beautie of our desires and in the pure intentiue thought of our hearts fixed on Gods diuine mercie at such time as we doe pray ¶ God hath giuen vs a speciall comaundement to pray promising to heare and graunt our requests Wherefore it is requisite when we powre out our feruent praiers vnto God that we haue a speciall regard vnto the promise for except the Lord had promised to heare vs we could obtaine nothing by our prayers And whensoeuer we obtaine any thing in our prayer we may not attribute the graunt thereof to our praiers or worthinesse but onely vnto his mercifull promise ¶ Prayer saith Augustine is the deuotion of the minde that is to say the turning vnto God by godly and humble affection but we saith Musculus define it thus that the praier which may appeare vnto God is the affection and bewayling of an afflicted heart wherby the ayd of God is most humbly besought whether the same be done with words or without wordes by wayling alone and sighes Masculus fol. 485. ¶ The right forme and affection of prayer commeth by the holy Ghost who maketh intercession tor vs not that hée prayeth and mourneth but that he so stirreth our hearts that we lift them vp to heauen earnestly and feruently which is the true prayer Heare my prayer O God ¶ True prayer is an earnest and affectious communication of the heart with God and a diligent consideration of the things that want in vs concerning the séeking of his glorye and dooing his will with a burning and feruent desire of the spirite that requyreth him to repaire and amende that which wanteth in vs. Psa. 5. 1. Pro. 15. 29. Euery godly with also is a good prayer T. M. What els is praier then a record of the faith that we haue to God-ward for by calling vpon God without Hypocrisie we witnesse openly that all our welfare lyeth in him and that he is the onely party to whom we ought to flye for succour And to be short by calling vpon God we yéelde him the glory that belongeth vnto him and which he reserueth vnto himselfe c. Cal. vpon Iob. fol. 205. ¶ The sincere praier which is appoynted of God is vsed to inflame the heart of man with a feruent desire to séeke God alwaies in true faith and euermore to haue recourse to him in all his néedes and the rather to receiue his benefites with a thankful mind when he is certefied by prayer that all benefits doe come from his bountifull hande and finally to confirme weake mindes so that they shall not haue cause to doubt in Gods prouidence when they sée God doth stirre them vp yea doth commaund them to call vpon him in their necessities by Iesus Christ doth promise them y● he will heare their prayers through the same Iesus Christ whensoeuer they call vppon him that they may render thankes vnto him and glorifie his holy name Neither will God haue vs make our praiers without his Temple that is Iesus Christ his Sonne in whom his Deitie dwelleth effectually For as he hath giuen vs our béeing and the knowledge of him by the meanes of his Sonne so will he likewise haue vs to aske of him by this meanes not by any other And therefore whosoeuer doth praye and offer vp his petitions to any other then to God onely or doth séeke any other meanes then Iesus Christ to offer them by without doubt he doth both against the commaundements and against the promise of God and doth sinne grieuously in Gods sight F. N. B. the Italian ¶ Praier is the ordinarie instrument to attaine all things that are néedefull for vs of God Or thus Praier is a lowly listing vp of y● minde vnto God in desiring ought at Gods hand or yéelding thankes for benefits receiued Hemmyng We are taught by Ose how we should pray The Prophet Ose telleth vs how we should praye Lord saith he take away mine iniquitie and receiue if I haue any my goodnesse and I will giue thee the Bullockes and Sacrifices of my lippes The meaning of this place following But when thou praiest enter into thy chamber ¶ The heauenly schoolemaster when he minded to set out the best rule of praieng commaunded vs to goe into our chamber and ther the dores being shut to pray to our Father which is in secret that our Father which is in secret may heare vs. For when he hath drawen them away from the example of Hypocrites which with ambitious boasting showe of prayers sought the fauour of men he therewithall addeth what is better namely to enter into our chamber and there to praye the doore being shutte in which words as I expound them he willeth vs to séeke solitarie being which may helpe vs to descend and to enter throughly with our whole thought into our heart promising to the affections of our heart that God shall be néere vs whose Temples our bodies ought to be For he ment not to deny but that it is expedient also to pray in other places but he sheweth that praier is a certaine secret thing which both is chiefly placed in the soule and requireth the quyet therof farre from all troubles and cares Cal. in his Insti 3. b. cha 20 sect● 29. ¶ Looke Chamber ¶ When thou with pray saith Christ goe into thy Closet shut the dore vpon thée and pray vnto the father in secret ¶ He spake not to this intent to restraine the praiers of his faithfull vnto chambers closets but to admonish them that they shuld specially eschew the fault of ostentation and boasting which the Pharesies vsed in their prayers praieng openly at the corners of the stréetes and in the Synagogues to be séene of men and to be taken for deuout folke
God alwaies singing vnto him in our hearts and so shall we be true honourers of God the Father and shall honour him in spirite and trueth Crowley Who began first to make the statute of Priests chastitie Some saith that Calixtus primus did first make the statute that Priests should vow chastitie but that is not so For all Chronicles beareth witnesse that Priestes hadde wiues in the Councell of Nicene the which was almost an hundred yeares after Calixtos daies But auncient histories doth make mention y● Nicholas the first which was bishop of Rome the yere of our Lord. 860. did goe about this thing but he coulde not bring it to passe by the reason of an holy man S. Hulderich Bishop of Auguensais which wrote sharpe Epistles against him reprouing him sore y● because he would compell Priests to vow chastitie his words be these Thou hast not swarued a little from discretion y● whereas thou oughtest to haue counselled Priests to chastitie thou hast with a Lordly violence compelled them to it Is not this after the iudgement of all wise men a great violence when that thou against the institution of the Gospel and against the decrée of the Holy ghost wilt compell men to serue thy priuate decrée c. ¶ Note that this holy man saith that Priests ought to be admonished and counsailed to chastitie but not compelled For that saith he is a great violence and against Christs holy Gospell and the blessed spirit of God This holy man procéedeth further with the Bishop of Rome and telleth a fact of S. Gregory the which went about to compell Priests to vow chastitie Upon a daye S. Gregory sent vnto his Pondes for fish and in the nets that they fished withall were brought about 6000. young childrens heades the which thing when S. Gregory saw strake him sore to the heart and was very heauie of that sight and perceiued anone that his decrée that he made for Priests chastitie was the occasion of this great murther in that that Priests could not liue sole nor yet they durst not auow their children for feare of the decree And so for sauegard of their honestie they fell into a fearefull and abhominable sinne to kill their owne children And for this cause S. Gregory saith this holy Bishop did reuoke his decrée againe and did greatly allow the saieng of the Apostle It is better to marry then to burne Adding to it of his owne It is better to marry then to giue occasion of murder D. Barnes fol. 328. PRINCES How Princes ought to be obeyed A Man ought to obey his Prince but in the Lord and neuer against the Lord. For he that knowingly obeyeth his Prince against God doth not a dutie to the Prince but is a deceiuer of his Prince and an helper vnto him to worke his owne destruction He is also vniust which giueth not the Prince that is the Princes and to God that is Gods A noble saieng of Valentinianus the Emperour for choosing the Bishop of Millayne Set him saith he in the Bishoppes seate to whome i● we as man doe offende at anye time maye submit our selues Policarpus the most constant Martir when he stoode before the chiefe Ruler and was commaunded to blaspheme Christ and to sweare by the fortune of Caesar c. he aunswered with a mild spirit We are taught saith he to giue honor to Princes which be of God but such honour as is not contrary to Gods religion Ridley in conferring with Latimer How Princes ought to doe with matters of religion ¶ Looke Kings How this place following is vnderstood O ye Princes open your gates and de ye lift vp O ye euerlasting dores and the King of glory shal enter in ¶ Much adoe there is about the exposition of this verse Some delyght in the applieng of it to the building of the Temple at Ierusalem Other in a spirituall Allegorie apply it to the mēbers of Christ which vndoubtedly agréeth very handsomely with the processe of the Prophet as thus O ye Princes open your gates By y● Princes which haue giuen their names and their faith to Christ the holy Lord may well be vnderstood all such men which doe earnestly studie to liue a godly lyfe All they whether they be men or women poore or rich high or low in the sight of the world they are neuertheles spiritually Princes lyke as they be called spirituall Priests Priests as S. Peter doth call them because they sacrifice daily vnto god their bodely members their whole heart minde to the true seruing of God And lyke as they bée called in respect of such spirituall sacrifice Priests so may all true Christians be called princes because they haue conquered as I might say and crucified as S. Peter tearmeth it their flesh against all vice and concupisence To these Princes the Prophet now speaketh saieng O ye Princes O ye liuing Saints O ye dearely beloued members of Iesus Christ open your gates not your gates made of timber and boords but your spirituall gates the gates and dores of your soules which be spirituall and eternal open them resist not the Holy ghost quench not the spirit that Christ the king of eternall glory may come and dwell in your hearts Loue him and labour continually to kéepe his Commaundements and then surely both he and his Father with the holy Ghost will come and dwell with you Ric. Turnar PRISCILLIANVS Of the damnable heresies of this man PRiscillianus a Spaniard maintained the opinion of Gnostici Manichaeus and Sabellius being condemned by the Councel of Burdeaux he appealed vnto Maximus the vsurping Emperour which found him an Heretike and beheaded him Prosp. Chronic. He said the soule was of one substaunce with God and came downe from heauen to endure voluntary conflicts He said that mans actions were gouerned by the starres he condemned the eating of flesh he parted married couples referring the creation of the flesh not to God but to wicked Angels he allowed of the Scriptures called Apocripha Unto euerye of his followers he sayd Iura periura secretum prodere noli August li. de haeres PRIVI CONTRACT How priuie contracts are not lawfull nor good NOw also if ye will consent to deale mercifully and truely with my master tell me and if not tell me also ¶ He treateth with the mother and brother concerning the maide whereby it may appere that priuie contracts without the knowledge and consent of their parents are not good The Bible note PROCESSIONS How Processions came vp WE read not of any Processions till the time of Agapatius Pope who as Platina reporteth did first ordeine them Ann. 533. Although we read the like of Leo y● third about 810. yeares after Christ. Surely whensoeuer Processions beganne they were taken of Gentilitie We read oft in Pliny that the Romanes in all their distresses would runne to euerye Idoll they had would goe their circuites from this place to that place and think they did acceptable
let the whole body of Christ crie out whēsoeuer it suffereth afflictions diuers temptations innumerable slaunders preserue my soule for I am a Saint Ric. Turn To al you of Rome beloued of god saints by calling ●Saints by calling is as much to say as called to be saints called to holynesse holy things For the Scripture is accustomed to call them that be aliue Saints And it ought to be all one to say S Saint or a christen man or a christian Tindale How Saints shall iudge the world They shall iudge saith Chrisostome not they themselues sitting in iudgement and exacting an accompt God forbid But they shall condemne the world the which signifieng he sayth And if in you c. He sayth not of you but in you as who should say the iust condempnation of those that are the worldlinges shall shine in the saluation of you that are in his Saintes I. Bridges SALOMONS HOVSE Of the beautie thereof and wherevnto it is applied SAint Hierome and other learned interpreters in reading and pointing doe swarue quite and cleane from our Latine Bibles reading this clause of commending of Salomons goodly house on this wise Epalatijs eburneis vt te exhilerent● and yet héere is still Eclipsis which may be thus made vp Supplia vestimenta deprompta e palatijs eburneis vt te exhileret Out of the Iuory pallaices and not Iuory places but out of Iuory pallaces are thy swéet garments brought out to make thée mer●ie and ioyfull for that is one of the properties of sweete odours to make the spirits of a man merrie and chéerefull Thus then doth the Prophet commend Salomon the figure of Christ. He saith that Salomon had not onely a princely store of sw●●t● and goodly garments smelling of Mirre Aloes Eassia but also they were said vp in pallaices of Iuorie Of Salamons most princely house the Scripture maketh mention 3. Reg. 7. Where it is sayde that Salomons house was a building xi● yeares There was none other timber occupied in the making of the roofe certeine other parts but only Cedar which wood is costly hard to be gotten The walls were in many places set with precious stones and the pillers of Ceder plated ouer with golde This was a sumptuous house But yet we read not that Salomons pallaice was made of Iuorie No of Iuorie there is no mention and no meruaile for Iuorie is onely the bone of an Elephants tooth So that it is not lykely that such plentie of Elephants téeth could be gathered or gotten that should make or couer Salomons pallaice that was so great so large that it was xiii yeares a building wherefore by these words Domus eburnea Iuorie pallaices we must vnderstand nothing else but most goodly and sumptuous houses so pleasant and so beautifull as if they had ben made of white Iuorie of the shining teeth of Elephants Thus then hath the prophet in this dark place E domibus eburncis And if ye will applie these words vnto Christ then ye must allegorically vnderstand by the Iuory houses the white and the pure hearts of the elect Saints seruants of God wherin through the sanctifieng of the holy Ghost Christ dwelleth more princely then euer Salomon did in anie of his gorgeous houses Of Salomons Temple Which had séene the first house c. Wept with a loud voyce ¶ Because they sawe that it was nothing so glorious as that Temple which Salomon had built notwithstanding Aggeus comforteth them and prophesieth that it shall be more beautifull then the first Agge● 2. meaning because Christ and his Apostles should preach the Gospell and worke miracles therein The Bible note ¶ The note in the Bible of Geneua hath thus in the ende meaning the spirituall Temple which are the members of Christs body What Salomons porch meaneth In Salomons porch ¶ The Euangelist calleth Salomons porch the Temple not because it was the Sanctuarie but a part of the same Therefore this place in the which Christ walked belonged not to the Scribes and Pharesies but to the common sort of people For it is certeine the this porch of the which mention is made héere was not the same which is described in y● booke of Kings for that was taken away by the Chaldees and quite ouerthrown but the same which the Iewes straight after their returne from their exile into Babylon builded according to the paterne of the olde Marl. vpon Iohn fo 391. Which was builded againe after the paterne of that which Salomon builded Geneua SALT What it is to salt THE office of an Apostle and true preacher of Christ is to salt not onely the corrupt manners and conuersations of earthly people but also the rotten heart within and all that springeth out thereof their naturall reason their will their vnderstanding and wisedome yea and their fayth and beleefe and all that they haue imagined without Gods worde concerning righteousnesse inuocation satisfaction and seruing God c. Tindale fol. 196. Who is meete to Salt The true preaching is a salting that stirreth vp persecution and an office that no man is méete for saue he that is seasoned himselfe before with pouertie in spirit softnesse méeknesse patience mercifulnesse purenesse of heart and hunger for righteousnesse and looking for persecution to and hath al his comfort and hope in the blessing onely and in no worldly thing Tindale fol. 196. Of the salting of hypocrites The nature of Salt is to bite fret make smart though the sicke patients of the world canne suffer their grose sinnes to be rebuked vnder a fashion as in a Parable a farre of yet to haue their righteousnesse their holynesse and seruing of God and his Saintes disallowed improued and condempned for dampnable and diuellish that may they not abide Tindale fo 196. Of salt that hath lost his saltnesse If Salt haue lost his saltnesse it is good for nothing but to be troden vnder foote of men ¶ That is if the preacher which for his doctrine is called Salt haue lost his nature of Salt the is to say his sharpnesse in rebuking all vnrighteousnesse all naturall reason naturall will and vnderstanding and all trust confidence in whatsoeuer it be saue in the bloud of Christ he is condempned of God and disallowed of all them that cleaue to the truth c. Tindale fol. 197. Ye are the Salt of the earth c. ¶ The ministers of Gods word are called the Salt of the earth because the men are made by their true doctrine being receiued through faith sauory vnto the Lord. And the Salt hath lost his saltnesse when the ministers fall from Gods worde vnto the dreames and traditions of Antichrist Beza How our speach ought to be poudred with salt Let your speach be gratious alway and poudred with salt Héere wée haue a goodly lesson how that our communication ought to bée tempered with godly wisedome which he vnderstandeth
to make thee an Infidell and not to beléeue in Christ. Yea he séeketh as much as lyeth him to make God a lyar in whom not in thée is the certeintie of thy faith grounded F. N. B. the Italian How our saluation is neerer now then when we beleeued For now is our saluation néerer then when we beléeued ¶ The farther we go the néerer are we to the end now therefore our perfect and full saluation is néerer vnto vs then when we began first to beléeue The Bible note ¶ Before we beléeued it had ben in vaine to tell vs these things But now seeing our saluation is néere let vs take héede that we neglect not this occasion Geneua To worke out our saluation what it meaneth Worke out your owne saluation ¶ Our health hangeth not of our works yet are they said to worke out their health who doe runne in the race of iustice for although we be saued fréely in Christ by faith yet must we walk by the way of iustice vnto our health The Bible note ¶ Runne forward in that race of righteousnesse wherin God hath fréely placed you through Iesus Christ conducteth you his children by his spirit to walke in good workes so make your vocation sure Geneua SALVTE The meaning of these places following SAlute no man by the way ¶ This is spoken after the manner of a figure which men vse when they put downe more in words then is meant vsually among the Hebrues when they cōmaund a thing to be done spéedely without delay As Reg. 4. 29. For otherwise curteous and gentle salutations are pointes of christen duetie as for this calling it was but for a season Beza He willeth that they should dispatch this iourney with diligence not occupieng themselues about other dueties Math. 10. 12. Mar. 6. 10. Geneua When Heliah sent Gehazi his seruaunt to the Sunamite he charged him saieng If thou meete any salute him not and if any salute thée answere him not as though he shuld say Make spéed as nothing may let thée by the way Geneua SAMARITANES Of their opinions THE Samaritanes as Iosephus Antiq. li. 11. cap. vlt. denye the Iewes in aduersitie in prosperitie they call them cosins deriuing their pedigrées from Ioseph Ephraim Manasses c. They onely receiue the fiue bookes of Moses denieng all the prophesies after him They reteine all the Iewish ceremonies except the abhorring of the Gentiles They denie moreouer the resurrection of the dead Epiphan Praefae li. 1. de heraes SAMVEL How these words of Samuel in this place are to be vnderstood HOw can this be true that Samuel sayd to Saule I will not returne with thée and yet he went with him It is to bée vnderstood that Samuel spake it for the time present and not for the time following As our Sauiour Christ in the 7. of Iohn sayth I will not goe vp to the feast yet afterward he went priuely So Samuel intending not at that time to returne with Saul●● but after his minde being chaunged for certeine causes went with Saule Ly●a Of the raising vp of Samuel And Saule perceiued that it was Samuel ¶ To his imagination albeit it was Satan indéed who to blinde his eies toke vpon him the forme of Samuel as he can doe an Angell of light Geneua SANCTA SANCTORVM What the meaning of these words are THis bread and this cup are the holy things of the holy You sée that he saith not onely they are holy things but he addeth beside of the holy As if he would say This bread is not common to all men nor euery vnworthie but it is the bread of the holy How much more may we saye the same of Gods worde This worde is not of men or of euery body but of the holy There S. Chrisostome saith that the Priest was wont to shew forth the bread in the time of the holy mysteries and say Sancta sanctis holy things for the holy And this is the meaning of Sancta sanctorum SANCTIFIE What it is to Sanctifie SAnctifie to cleanse and purifie to appoint a thing to holy vses and to separate from vncleane and vngodly vses Tindale And for their sakes sanctifie I my selfe ¶ To sanctifie is to separate to diuine vses I sanctifie my selfe that is I dye for them that they by my death may bée filled with the spirit of sanctification and may bee made the holye vessels of God by the reuealed spirit of the Gospell Marl. vpon Iohn fol. 568. Sanctifie them with thy truth ¶ To sanctifie is to select and choose out a thing from a prophane vse to the true worshipping of God the faithfull then are by the truth of Gods worde sanctified that is to saye selected and chosen out from the stocke of Adam béeing cleansed by the bloud of Iesus Christ from the filthinesse of this world Christ doth sanctifie himselfe when he offereth himselfe vpon the crosse for vs. Heere we must note that Christ doth in this place pray as a very natural man and not as God Blessed the seauenth day and sanctified it ¶ Sanctifie in this place is as much to say as to dedicate and ordeine a thing to his owne vse As Exo. 13. 2. Tindale The meaning of this place following For both he that sanctifieth and they which are sanctified are all one ¶ That is to saie as well Christ that doth sanctifie as we that are sanctified be all of one Father which is Abraham whose seede Christ tooke vpon him and not Angels that so by offering of his body and shedding of his bloud he might sanctifie vs for euer Sir I. Cheeke ¶ The head and the members are of one nature So Christ which sanctifieth vs and wee that are sanctified are all one by the vnion of our flesh Geneua How our meates are sanctified For it is sanctified by the word of God and praier ¶ We confesse and acknowledge that God is the maker and giuer of these creatures which we vse Secondly that we are of y● number of those who through Christs benefits haue receiued that right ouer all creatures that Adam lost by his fall Thirdly by our praier we craue of the Lord that we may vse those meats with a good conscience which we receiue at his hands Fourthly we make an ende of our eating and drinking with thankes giuing and praier so are our meates sanctified vnto vs. Beza SANCTVARIE Of the praiers made in the Sanctuary MIttat tibi auxilium de sancto de Syon tueatur te The Lord send thée helpe from the Sanctuary and strengthen thée out of Syon ¶ This is a praier for the King and the second verse of the. 20 Psalme And albeit the power of God is as ready and as able to helpe vs calling vnto him in the broade fields or in the wilde woods with seruent faith as if wee make our prayers in the Sanctuary that is the holy place
owe thée euill will ¶ Scornful or mocking persons after Dauid Kimhi are those which be subtill and craftie to hurt other and which are ready to defame other and to open and tell secrets and so to breake concord vnitie those also which make a mocke at the word of God and despise it for foolishnesse as in the 14. 6. and. 19. 25. and. 22. 10. ¶ Rebuke not a scorner c. Meaning them that are incorrigible which Christ calleth dogs swine or he speaketh this in comparison not that the wicked should not be rebuked but hée sheweth their mallice and the small hope of profit Geneua SCORPION The Papists compared to Scorpions IN three resp●cts are Heretikes and specially the Disciples of Antichrist Hipocrites compared to Scorpions First because that lyke as a Scorpion whereas he is milde to looke vnto doth at length strike priuely with venomous sting for these men pretend simplicitie before the world and yet worke mischiefe by defaming men behinde their backes Secondly because that the Scorpions ●ting s 〈…〉 ngeth with his taile so these men preferre temporail gaine before spirituall graces wound mens consciences deadly when they promise most to help thē And thirdly because that when a Scorpion stingeth with his taile he is not felt at the first but yet sheweth in his poyson by little and little afterward So they that be beguiled with those Heretikes féele not the wound at the first but when the poyson hath rankeled through all the inward parts then they feele thēselues stong in the end Of these men the Apostle writeth thus They that be of that sect serue not the Lord Iesus but their bellies and deceiue the hearts of the simple through faire speach flatterie Marl. vpon the Apoc. fol. 129. ¶ They stung their consciences with terrible dreames and visions and with fearfull re●elations of Purgatorie of Hell to builde them vp faire houses and to lyue in wealth and pleasure Finally they venomed their faith with their poysoned councells and promises so tooke they from them y● true hope in Christ making merchandise of them through couetousnes faire words Thus cloystering together lyke Locusts they haue left nothing gréene but they haue withered and destroyed No workes might then be vsed of Gods prescription but such as were fantasied by them for aduauntage as Masses founding Chauntries building Priests singing Images gylting kissing of reliques praieng to dead men and such lyke And when they were once franke and full they stoode vp togethers proudly against the Lord and his word Bale ¶ As the Scorpions of the earth haue power That is secretly to persecute and to sting with their taile as Scorpions do such is the fashion of the Hypocrites Geneua As the paine that commeth of a Scorpion when hée hath stong a man ¶ For at the beginning the sting of the conscience séemeth as nothing but except they soone seeke remedye they perish Esay 2. 19. Ose. 10. 8. Luke 23. 30. Geneua SCRIBE What a Scribe is A Scribe was he that had the office of interpreting aunswering vnto the sentences of the Prophets as it appeareth of Herod as king the Scribes in the third chapter afore In an other place he supposeth that they wer officers as our Bishops Chauncelers Commissioners Archdeacons Officials Tind Euery Scribe which is taught c. ¶ The office of Scribes was to interpret and to expound the Law and the Prophets He is then a Scribe taught to the Kingdome of God that hath the spirit that is to say the true meaning of the Law and of the Prophets and not onely out of the dead letter but out of the treasure of his heart and with a feruent spirite of GOD bringeth ●oorth Christ out of the Lawe and Prophets Sir I. Cheeke ¶ Because the Scribes office was to expound the scriptures he meaneth him that doth interpret them aright and according to the spirit Geneua ¶ Euery Scribe bringeth forth of his treasure things both new and olde new things that is the swéete tidings of y● Gospell to vnbinde vs and olde things that is the olde Testament and Moses lawe to binde vs. The Scribes were the Doctors of the Lawe foolish and superstitious Glosers maintainers of blinde customes contrarye to the truth Epiph. de haeres SCRIPTVRE How the Scriptures are easie to be vnderstood IT may be said the Scriptures are hard yet that notwithstanding if thou read them they shall doe thee good for the Lord Iesus Christ if he finde vs occupied in the scriptures and exercised in the studie thereof not only vouchsafeth himselfe to be refreshed and fed in vs but also séeing such a banket prepared bringeth with him his father vnto vs. Origen in his 20. hom vpon Iosua Northbrooke At the comming of Messias the people shall be lifted vp and shall prophecie that before lay asléepe vnder their masters And they shall goe vnto the mountaines of the Scriptures there shall they finde Mountaines Moses and Iosua the sonne of Nun the Mountaines of the Prophets the Mountaines of the new Testament the Apostles and Euangelists and when they shall flye to such Mountaines and shall be occupied in the reading therof if they finde not one to teach them yet shal their indeuour or good minde be allowed for that they haue fledde to the Mountaines Hierom vpon the. 3. Chap. of Nahum I. Northbrooke It cannot be possible that he that with earnest studie and feruent desire readeth the Scriptures should euermore be forsaken for although he want the instruction of man yet God him selfe from aboue entring into our hearts lighteneth the minde powreth his beames into our wits openeth things that wer hidden becommeth vnto vs a schoolemaster of that we know not Namely if we will doe so much as lyeth in vs. Chrisost. in his 36. hom vpon Genesis I. Northbrooke We by our selues without a master shal be able to vnderstand the things which are there intreated off So that we occupie our selues in these Epistles day and night for we doe not by the sharpnesse of wit and vnderstanding pearse vnto all those things which we vnderstand For euen they which are of more dull wits doe by continuall studie atteine to hard things Euen as the cogitations and senses of man are most hard to bée knowne yet notwithstanding our friends whom we feruently loue and with whom we are continually conuersant do oftentimes euen by a becke open vnto vs the cogitations and senses of their mindes without any token of words speach by them spoken So shall it come to passe in these Epistles of holy scriptures so that a man loue them and be continually conuersant in them He which asketh receiueth and he which séeketh findeth vnto him that knocketh it shall be opened Chris. in his Pref. to the Rom. I. N. The Scripture of God is lyke vnto a Pothecaries shoppe full of medicines of sundrie sortes that euery
of them which beléeue in the name of Christ and doe receiue the right of the adoption of the sonnes of God they which are such are not borne of flesh bloud but of God flesh bloud begetteth not the children of God That which is of the flesh is flesh that which is of the spirit is spirit By these words the Euangelist meaneth nothing els but the carnall birth For he maketh a comparison of the generation of the flesh and the spirit reiecting the one and allowing the other c. They which beléeue in Christ being before vncleane Gentiles are not borne the sonnes of God out of the wombe or by flesh and bloud but are brought therevnto by the workmanship of the holy Ghost And although properly he hath respect vnto the Iewes which were proud in the flesh yet notwithstanding of this place a generall doctrine maye be gathered namely that whereas we are counted the sonnes of God it commeth not by the propertie of our nature neither of our selues but because the Lord hath begotten vs of his owne frée will singular loue Marl. vpon Iohn fol. 19. That we should be called the sonnes of God ¶ Being made the sons of God in Christ he sheweth what qualities we must haue to be discerned from bastards Geneua SOPHIST What a Sophist was at the beginning and what it is now SOphists at the first beginning were men that professed to be teachers of wisdome and eloquence And the name of Sophists was had in honour and price and they were of the same estimation and of the verie same facultie science that afterward wer called Rhetores that is Rethoritians yea also Logitians For when the Sophists fell to cauilling brawling and tri●ling by little and little the estimation decayed So that or the time that Socrates liued in a Sophist was a name of contempt and hatred and so it is yet still at this day Vdal SORROVV Of godly sorrow and worldly sorrow FOR godly sorrow causeth repentaunce vnto saluation Godly sorrow is when we are not terrified with the feare of punishment but because we féele we haue offended God our most mercifull Father Contrarye to this there is an other sorrow that onely feareth punishment or when a men is vexed for the losse of some worldly goods the fruite of the first is repentaunce the fruite of the second is desperation vnlesse the Lord helpe spéedely Beza ¶ Ther be two manner of sorrowes The one commeth of God and engendereth repentaunce vnto life The other commeth of the flesh and bréedeth desperation vnto death We haue examples of both in Cain and Dauid in Iudas and Peter for they all sorrowed but the sorrow of Cain and Iudas was fleshly carnall and therfore being without godly comfort it did driue them to desperation Whereas Dauid and Peter in their godly sorrow did flye vnto the father of mercie with a true repentaunt heart and were receiued againe into the fauour of God Sir I. Cheeke ¶ Whose heart Gods spirit doth teach he is sorrie for his sinnes committed against so mercifull a God these are the fruites of his repentaunce as witnesse Dauids and Peters teares Other which are sorrie for their sinnes onely for feare of punishment and Gods vengeance fall into desperation As Cain Saule Iudas Achitophel c. Geneua How Christ ouercame the sorrowes of death And loosed the sorrowes of death ¶ The death that was full of sorrowe both of body and minde Therfore when death appeared conquerour and victour ouer those sorrows Christ is rightly sayd to haue ouercome those sorrowes of death when as being dead he ouercame death to liue for euer with his father Beza ¶ Both as touching the paine and also the horrour of Gods wrath and curse Geneua SOVLDIER What the profession of a souldier is TO professe a souldier is of it selfe saith Erasmus to confesse the puddle and sinke of all mischiefe The meaning of this place following Thou therfore suffer afflictiō as a good soldier of Iesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himselfe with the affaires of this lyfe because he woulde please him that hath chosen him to be a souldier ¶ The latter sentence is generall and perteyneth to all men The meaning is this Whosoeuer would be a souldier vnto Christ must leaue all worldly things and follow him And what Saint Paule meaneth by the affaires of this lyfe Heare Maister Caluines iudgement by the affaires of this life the Apostles vnderstandeth the care of gouerning his family and other ordinary businesse He also applieth the place on this wise Now this comparison saith he is to be applied to the present purpose that whosoeuer will playe tho warrier vnder Christ leauing all worldly matters and impediments must giue himselfe wholy vnto him SOVLE The diuerse taking of this word Soule THe soules of them that were put to death c. ¶ The worde soule is put somtime for the life because the soule is y● cause of lyfe and because the life consisteth in the soule as in y● Psal. 119. 109. and in Iob. 16. 4. Also it is taken for will minde or desire because it is the seate of the will and desire In which sense the soule of Ionathas is sayd to be linked to the soule of Dauid 1. Re. 18. 1. And the soule of Sichem is saide to haue cleued to Dina the daughter of Iacob Ge. 24. 8. And Luke saith that the multitude that beléeued were of one heart and of one soule Act. 4. 32. Many times it is taken for the whole liuing man as when it is saide that thréescore sixtéene soules went with Iacob into Aegypt Ge. 46. 27. Also the soule that sinneth the same shall dye Eze. 18. 20. And the soule that steppeth aside to witches and southsayers shall dye the death c. Leuit. 20. 6. And again eight soules wer saued by water ● Pet. 3. 20. Somtime it is taken for the breath which men doe breath in out wherein consisteth the liuely mouing of the body like as when it is said perplexity hath caught hold of me although my whole soule be still within m●● 2. Reg. 1. 9. And his soule is in him Act. 20. 10. Also let the soule of the child returne into his bowels 3. Reg. 17. 21. And like as in the Latin phrase of speach they be commonly wont to say that the soule is puffed or breathed out so also doth the scripture say that the soule passeth or goeth out as it is said in Rachel And as her soule was passing or going out for she was then vieng she called the child Benony Gen. 35. 18. But most often the soule is taken for the immortall spirit of man lyke as it is sayd feare not them that kill the bodye but cannot kill the soule Math. 10. 28. In this sense doth Iohn say héere that he sawe the soules of them that were put to death c. Marl. vpon the Apoc.
¶ This word spirit is to be taken heere as it is set against that commaundement which is called carnall Heb. 7. 16. as the commaundement is considered in it selfe And so he speaketh of truth not as we set it against a lye but as we take it in respect of the outward ceremonies of the lawe which did onely shadow that which Christ performed in déede Beza ¶ God being of a spirituall nature requireth a spirituall seruice and agreeable to the nature Geneua How the spirit of God maketh intercession for vs. But the spirit maketh great intercession for vs c. ¶ The right forme affection of praier commeth by the holy Ghost who maketh intercession for vs not that he prayeth mourneth but that he so stirreth our heartes that we lift them vp to heauen earnestly and seruently which is the true praier The Bible note Who is of else spirit of truth and who is not Euen the spirit of truth c. ¶ The spirit which Christ did promise shal teach onely these things which Christ had taught before whosoeuer therfore doth teach any other doctrine besides Christs doctrine he is not of the spirit of truth but of the spirit of leasing Sir I. Cheeke Of the spirit that Christ promised to send The spirit saith h● which I will 〈…〉 from my father shall lead you into all truth but how● Because saith he he shal put you in minde of all those things that I haue told you Ther he giueth warning that there is nothing more to be looked for of his spirit but that he should enlighten our minds to perceiue the truth of his doctrine Therfore Chrisostome Sermo de sanc adon spi. Iohn 12. 〈…〉 10. saith excellently wel Many saith he do boast of the holy spirit but they which speak their owne do falsely pretend that they haue him As Christ testified that he spake not of himselfe because he spake out of the lawe the Prophets So if any thing beside the Gospell be thrust in vnder the title of the spirit let vs not beléeue it because as Christ is the fulfilling of the l●we and Prophets so is y● spirit of the Gospell C●● in his Inst. 4. b. cap. 8. Sect. 13. Why the holy Ghost is called the spirit of truth Who is the spirit of truth He is called the spirit of truth not onely because he is true but because he maketh the men in to whom he entereth true whereas all that they doe without the spirit is none other thing but lyes Tindale So called because he worketh in vs the truth Geneua Of the spirit of southsaieng A certeine damosell possessed with the spirit of southsaieng met vs. Which could tell things past gesse at things to come which knowledge in many things God permitteth to the diuell to this end as Austen writeth that he might th● more mightely deceiue those that woulde beleeue him The Bible note Of the spirit of the Prophets For the spirits of the Prophets are in the power of y● Prophets Héere he speaketh not of the holy Ghost in whose power all men ought to be but of the seuerall gifts of the spirit which are now in the power of them that haue them that they may alwaies without contention vse them to y● odifieng of the Church of Christ. Sir I. Cheke Spirits of the Prophets y● is the doctrine that they doe bring as being put in minde by the spirit of God The Bible note Or learning which Gods spirit moueth them to vtter Ge. Of the spirits in prison And preached vnto the spirits in prison ¶ It is vnknowne to vs where this prison was for the holy Scripture speaketh nothing of it In the Gospell it is called the bosome of Abraham It is sufficient for vs to know and beléeue that all the soules of the Saintes or faythfull which dyed since the beginning of the world are saued by the bloud of Christ howbeit the Gospell was sundrie wayes preached vnto the dead For vnto the holy Patriarkes deliueraunce and saluation vnto the vnfaythfull deserued dampnation was preached Sir I. Cheeke ¶ Christ being from the beginning head and gouernour of his Church came in the dayes of Noe not in the bodye which he then had not but in the spirit and preached by the mouth of Noe for the space of an hundred and twentie yeares to the disobedient which would not repent and therfore are now in prison reserued to the last iudgement Geneua How to serue God in the spirit To serue God in the spirit is to honour God with a true ●ffection procéeding from a pure and cleane heart and not by Images or other visible and corruptible things or else by shewes and outward ceremonies Pet. Viret SPIRITVALL Who they be that be spirituall ALL be spirituall men which are lead by Gods spirit hée who hath more abundaunce of Gods spirit is more spirituall Of a lyke manner S. Paule speaking to the married sorte in Rome as wel as to the rest said Vos non estis in carne sed in spiritu You be not in the flesh but in the spirit And Saint Iohn in his first Chapter nameth all to be spirituall that beléeue in Christ for flesh and bloud is not able to bring foorth such a child And if the outward admission were able to make a man spirituall then should Iudas and such lyke who had the outward election yet inwardly folowed the spirit of the flesh of the Diuell be worthely called spirituall But our Sauiour Christ reasoning with Nichodemus maketh a plaine proofe by euident demonstration that onely such as be endued with Gods spirit be worthy of the name spirituall and that such as bée not borne of Gods spirit bée not spirituall but carnall And in the same place the Lord hath giuen a generall resolution that no man can enter into the kingdome of heauen vnles he become a spirituall man and be borne a newe not onely of water but also of the holy Ghost Ponet fol. 34. For the spirituall iudgeth all things ¶ Who is that spirituall Not such as we now call men of holy Church but all that haue the true interpretation of the law in their hearts The right faith of Christ the true intēt of works which God biddeth vs to worke He is spirituall and iudgeth all things is iudged of no man Tindale The naturall man perceiueth not the things of the spirit of God c. but he that is spirituall discusseth all things ¶ Paule doth call him spirituall which is renued by the spirit of God and béeing gouerned by the same spirit doth examine and trye all things with the true touchstone of Gods word which is set forth vnto vs by the inspiration of the same spirit that hée is inclined withall but he himself that is to say the spirit is iudged of no man Héere also the naturall man is taken for him which being without
set from thence foure hundred twenty talents of gold ¶ In the. 2. Par. 8. 18. is made mention of thirtie more which séeme to haue bene employed for their wages Geneua Of the pound or talent which the noble man left with his seruants The money pound or talent which Christ left with his seruants to occupie till he came signifieth nothing els but a frāk and frée gift giuen of God to euerie one of vs to be vsed and exercised to the glorie of his holy name and profit of his faithfull congregation We haue nothing as sayth the Apostle but that wée haue receiued as saith the Apostle 1. Cor. 4. 7. What hast thou that thou hast not receiued And againe Iames. ● 17. Euery good gift and euery perfect gift is from aboue c. Wee be commaunded to occupie our Lords money and not to hide it and sléepe our Maisters businesse as did the sluggish seruant which suffered tares to bée sowen among the corne and also the foolish virgins that fell on sléepe and let their lamps burne out Theo. Basil. TAPERS ¶ Looke Candles TAVGHT OF GOD. How this place is to be vnderstood AND they shall bée all taught of God ¶ This instruction of God is the inward illumination of the heart Notwithstanding we may not héereby take occasion to contemne vocal predication and external hearing For God verily teacheth but yet by externall meanes for fayth commeth by hearing he giueth his good spirit but yet by the preaching of the Gospell he giueth increase but yet by the planting of Paule and by the watering of Apollo Wherfore God teacheth man ministreth and faith receiueth doctrine God giueth his spirit the Apostle ministreth the beléeuer receiueth And so those things are ministred and distributed by the seruice of the Apostles whereof God is the authour himselfe This place All ought to bée restrained to Gods elect which onely are the naturall sonnes of the Church Marl. fol. 201. And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord. ¶ By the hearing of his word and inward mouing of his spirit Gene. TELL NO MAN How these two places following are vnderstood AND he commaunded them that they should tell no man ¶ In this place we are taught when we do any good deed y● we should not hunt and hauke after the praise of men They therefore that doe béere so earnestly spread abroad the benefits and power of God sinne not against Christs wordes For in other places he requireth thankfulnesse of vs that we should alwayes set● forth the bounteous liberalitie of our heauenly father Theophilactus Charged them that they should tell no man what they had séene ¶ Christ forbiddeth the Apostles to tell forth the vision afore his rising againe from death least when men shoulde sée him to be crucified of whom so excellent and glorious things were spoken they should therewith be offended hauing his Apostles in dirision ●or telling of such things Sir I. Cheeke TEMPERAVNCE What Temperaunce is TEmperaunce is a sobrietie or modestie of the whole life of man which Paule setteth against the flesh He would therefore that Christians should liue soberly and chastly that they shoulde be no adulterers no fornicatours no wantons And if they cannot liue chastly he would haue them to marrie Also that they should not be couetous nor quarrellers that they should not be giuen to drunkennesse or sur●etting but that they shoulde absteine from all those things Luther fol. 262. TEMPLES Wherefore Temples or Churches are ordeined MY house shall bée called the house of prayer but yée haue made it a denne of théeues ¶ For this finall cause or end are y● temples of christians ordeined that they may haue some conuenient places to assemble themselues together for to offer with one accord their Sacrifices of prayers and thanksgiuing vnto God for to preach and heare Gods word and for to minister the Sacraments duely and rightly but if there be hypocrisie superstition and false doctrine the people are robbed and spoyled and the Temples made dennes of théeues Sir I. Cheeke Is this house become a denne of thées ¶ As théeues hid in holes and dennes thinke themselues safe So when you are in my Temple you thinke to be couered with the holynes therof and that I cannot see your wickednesse Geneua How God dwelleth not in Temples made with hands Where shall now the house stand that ye will builde vnto me c. ¶ As who should say whereto make ye me a Temple of mans handy worke which rule the whole world hether to haue I suffered the temple to kéepe you Iewes in a certeine manner of instruction and obedience and choose you one place for your seruice to the intent ye should not fall to the Idols of the Gentiles but now will I haue all Idols banished and for Iewry will I challenge vnto me the whole world for one people all the dwellers on the earth which shall bée my worshippers in the spirit and truth Iohn 4. 23. I will not be superstitiously worshipped with sacrifices and ceremonies in the temple but with righteousnesse with fayth and with the spirit The same song that the Prophet héere singeth in the latter end of his Prophesie sung he before in the beginning euen in the first chapter Let the Christians note these two Chapters I meane the first and the last well and then shall they perceiue how greatly God abhorreth such hypocritish works done without faith although they séeme appeare outwardly to be most godly T. M. ¶ My maiestie is so great that it filleth both heauen and earth and therfore cannot bée included in a temple like an Idoll condemning héereby their vaine confidence which trusted in the temple and sacrifices Geneua The most highest dwelleth not in temples made with hands ¶ He reproueth the grose dulnesse of the people which abused the power of God in that they would haue conteined it within the temple Geneua How long the temple was a building and what Christ meant by the temple When the Iewes asked of Christ what meruailous signe he would worke to perswade them that he might doe such as he did he said Destroy this Temple meaning his body and in thrée daies I will build it vp again Then they vnderstanding he had meant the Temple of lime and stone sayd Forty year● was this Temple a building and wilt thou build it in thrée dayes Héere we see how the Temple was a building fortye yeares not meaning that they were continually working on the same so long for sometimes it was forbidden and stopped by the kings that ruled after Cyrus but that there were so many yeares from the beginning of that worke vnto the finishing of the same For in the second yeare of king Cyrus they layde the foundation and in the second yeare of Darius the sonne of Assuerus and Ester they were willed by Aggeus the Prophet to take in hand their worke againe which they finished
all congregations of waters the Sea generallye but also because it was of olde time a constant opinion after the storyes that it hath his originall beginning from the Occean Sea Ye may also vnderstand by the drinesse of Nilus that it ouerflowed not the lande contrary to the olde accustomed manner thereof Some had leauer haue this to be figuratiuely applyed As there be certeine waters of the Gospell which the holy Ghost giueth so are there also the troubel●us waters of Aegypt that is of worldly doctrine Therefore when the word of God is ouerheard those waters drye vs. For the holy Ghost reprehendeth the world of sinne and openeth and declareth the works of darknesse In these waters doe Réede and Rush grow that is vaine trifling works such as are the works of hipocrits which after the outward shew and appearance séeme fresh but are within vaine and naught worth ¶ Hee sheweth that the Sea and Nilus their greate riuer whereby they thought themselues most sure shoulde not bée able to defend them from his anger but that he woulde ●●nd the Assirians among them that they should kéepe them vnder as slaues Geneua The meaning of this place following Iesus Christ that came by water and bloud ¶ The water and bloud that came out of his side declare that we hau● our sinnes washed by him he hath made full satisfaction for the same Geneua How water in the Sacrament signifieth the people The people is anexed in the Sacrament through the mixture of water therefore I meru 〈…〉 le much that they are so contentions and will not see that as the water is the people so the wine is Christs body that is to say in a mystery because it representeth Christs bloud as the water doth the people Cipriane ad 〈…〉 Whiles in the Sacrament water is anne●ed with the wine the faythfull people is incorporate ioyned with Christ and is made one with him with a certeine knot of per●●ct charitie ¶ Now whereas he sayth that we are ioyned and incorporate with Christ what fondnesse were it to contend sith we are there onely in a mysterie and not naturallye I. Frith VVAVE OFFERING What it signified ANd waue them for a waue offering ¶ This sort of offering● after the Priest had lif 〈…〉 d vp was moued into euery side of all coasts to signifie that God was Lord of all the earth T●e Bible note This sacrifice the Priest did moue toward the East West North and South Geneua ¶ Waue offering because it was wauen in the Priestes hands to diuerse quarters Tindale VVEDDING GARMENT What the wedding garment is and who be clothed therewith WHich had not on a wedding garment ¶ Many doe in vaine héere contend about the wedding garment whether it be fay ● or an holy and godly lyfe Séeing that fayth can neither be separated from good workes● neither canne good works procéede but from fayth But the onely meaning of our Sauiour Christ was this that we are called of the Lords vpon this condition that we should by the spirit be made lyke vnto him And therefore that wee might continuallye abide in his house wée must put off the olde man with all his pollutions and defiling spottes of sinne and must frame and giue our selues to a newe lyfe that our apparell maye aunswere so honourable a calling They therefore are clothed with this wedding garment which haue put on the Lord Iesus Christ and the new man which after God is shaped in righteousnesse and holynesse and as the wedding garment doth declare the minde to bee ioyfull affected towarde the wedding dinner and to reuerence the same euen so also by this wedding garment there is required that the guest● be such which with ioy with reuerence of the diuine maiestie and with giuing of thankes should obteine and enioy the heauenly benefits Marl. fol 499. ¶ The wedding garment is Christ himselfe whom in Baptime we put on through ●aith where from procéedeth loue and charitie which is the common badge of all true faithfull christians Sir I. Cheeke ¶ They that with their mouthes doe professe the Gospell and the true christian religion and so doe associate and a fellowship them●elues with the church and congregation and bee not inwardly sanctified with the spirit of God be without the bridegromes liu●rie ¶ Faith in Christs bloud maketh the marriage betwéene our soules and Christ and is properly called the marriage garment or the signe Tindale VVEDLOCKE ¶ Looke Marriage VVEAKE AND SICKE The meaning of Saint Paule in this place FOr this cause many are weake and sicke among you ¶ For this cause that is ●or lacke of good examining of our selues many are weake sicke in the faith many asleepe haue lost their faith in Christs bloud for lacke of remembrance of his body breaking bloudshedding not y● only but many are weak and sick euen striken with bodily diseases for abusing the Sacramēt of his body eating the bread with their téeth not his body with their heart minde peraduenture some slaine for it by the stroke of God which if they had truely iudged and examined themselues for what intent they came thether why it was instituted should not haue ben so iudged chastened of the Lord. For the Lord doth chasten to bring vs to repentance and to mortifie our rebellious members that we may remēber him Héere ye may shortly perceiue the minde of Paule Tindale fol. 164. ¶ Looke Examine VVEEKES How the weekes in Daniels prophesie be taken A Wéeke in Daniels prophesie is not taken for a wéeke of dayes but for a wéeke of years so that euery wéeke is counted for seuen yeares And the halfe yeare that he speaketh of is taken for the thrée years an halfe wherin Christ héere in earth stablished his Testament A wéeke is taken for seauen yeares As in Leuit. 25. 8. where the 70. wéekes that Daniel speaketh of are 190 yeares T. M. Then number 7. weeks of yeares ¶ A wéeke is sometimes taken for the number of 7. daies as before 23. 15. sometime for y● number of 7. yeares as heere and in Dan. 9. ver 24. 25. 26. T. M. VVELLES What the welles of the Sauiour are WIth ioy shall ye drawe water out of the welles of the Sauiour ¶ The wells of the Sauiour are the word of God the doctrine of the Gospell and promises of Christ wherewith trembling soules and afflicted consciences are refreshed Out of these saith he that they shal drawe water not out of mens traditions which are but puddles T. M. ¶ The graces of God shall be so abundant that ye may receiue them in as great plentie as waters out of a fountain● that is full Geneua VVENT OVT FROM VS What is meant by this place of Iohn Looke Vs. VVEEPE Causes why we should weepe AVgustine in his 4. Sermon of the first Sundaye in Lent writeth that there bée two
A definition of fasting eod What true fasting is eod No daies of fasting appointed in scripture 380● Who first prescribed laws of fasting 381 The Maniches fast the Papists c. eo How fasting is of three sorts eod The manner of fasting in the old time eo Against superstitious fasting 382. How hipocrites will haue their fasting accepted eod How fasting driueth out diuells eod The vnderstanding of these places 383 Of miraculous fast eod Of the fast compelled eod Father how these places bee expounded 384. The Fathers wickednesse punished in their children 386. How our fathers did eate the same c. eod How our fathers were iustified by faith as we are now 387. Fat what is ment by the fat eod What the fatted Calfe signifieth 388. What fat bread signifieth eod Fauour how fauour casteth many away eod Feede Feede my sheepe expounded eod Felix wherefore he is praised eod Of his trembling 389. Why he wold haue pleased y● Iewes eod Feare A definition of feare eod Difference of feares 390. What feare importeth eod What the feare of God is eod How the place is expounded 391. Of feare that commeth of faith 392 How we cannot shake off all feare eod Feruent Of two sorts of feruentues 393 Feasts Feast of dedication eod Feast of Passcouer eod Feast of Penticost 394. Feast of Tabernacles eod Of the omitting thereof eod Festus Ascribed madnes to S. Paul 395. Fee●e of God What they signifie eod Fire how euery mās work is tried c. eo The meaning of the place 397. Figge tree That Christ cursed 398. Figure proues how y● bread is a figure eo Figures of Christs resurrection 400. Figuratiue speach how they are known eo Of figuratiue speaches 402. Finding of things lost eod Finger of God What it is 403. First Of the first begotten sonne eod Of the breathing of our first faith 404. What the first fruits do signifie in y● law eo The meaning of the first and last 406. Fishers The meaning of the place eod The first inuenter of fisher boates eod Fiue loaues how they are applied eod Flieng Of flieng in tune of persecut 407. Of two manner of fliengs eod Flesh. what is vnderstood by flesh 408. The meaning of the place 409. What it is to be in the flesh eod What it is to liue after the flesh 410. Unquietnes of the flesh expounded eod To take no thought for the flesh 411. The meaning of the place eod What flesh shall inherit heaue● 412. Of the battell betweene the flesh and the spirit eod What flesh and spirit signifieth eod How the flesh profiteth not eod Florinus Of his heresie 414. Followers Who be y● followers of Christ eod Foole. That calleth his brother foole eod Of the Foolish woman eod Forget how God is said to forget eod Forgiue How it is vnderstood 415. Fornicatour How hee was deliuered to Satan 416. Forsake What it is to forsake a mans selfe eod What it is to forsake the Lord. 417. Fortune Nothing ascribed to fortune eod Foote What the foote doth signifie 418. What the feete of God signifieth eod Footstoole What the footestoole was eo Foure Of the foure Angels 419. Of the fourth watch eo Fourteene generations eod Forme of God What it is so to be eod What it is to take the forme of a seruant eod How form signifieth very bread c. 420. Foxes Of the Foxes the Sampson caught eod Free How we are free in Chrst. 421. Free will How the word is not founde in Scripture eod The free wil of man before his fall eod The free will of man after his fall 422. The Coūcel of Milenitan in 2. Can. 425 How God ordereth mans free wil examples 426. Fruit. The meaning of these two places eod Foundation How Christ is the foundation of c. 427. G. Gaderenes Of the citie of Gaderenes 427. Galgal what the word signifieth eod Galileans how we ought to iudge of thē eod Gall what is signified thereby 428. Gardes what they do signifie 429. Garment of health what it is eod Gate How it is taken in scripture eod How the gates of hell is vnderstood 430 What the gates of Sion signifieth eo Of the gates of Brasse eod How the gates doe mourne 431. Of the gates of righteousnesse eod What the gates of death are eod Gelded how it signifieth chastitie eod Gelousie what the lawe of gelousie is eod After what manner God is gelous eod Wherefore Paule was gelous eod Genealogy Of Adam and Christ. eod Generation How it is taken eod Gentiles how God chose y● Gentiles 433. How they found that which they sought not for eod Gentlenesse what a vertue it is 434. Giuen To whom it is giuen to know eo Guide who is the guide of a womans youth 435. Gifte what the gifte of God is eod Githith what it signifieth eod Glory what glory is 436. How glory doth follow true vertue eod How the glory of the Lord is taken eod What is signified by y● glorie of God eod What is vnderstood by glory heere eod Glorifie what it is to glorifie God 437. How God is glorified in his sonne eod Gluttony what gluttony is eod Gnostici what heretiks they were 438. God How there is no God but one eod How God is the Sauiour of all men eod Who they be that are without God 439 How God is almightie eod How God did foreknowe Adams fall 440. How God is sayd to laugh eod How God is said to sleepe 441. How God is said to awake eod How God is said to forget eod How God is said to sit eod How God is said to stand eod How he is said to rise eod How he is said to walke eod How he is said to be a shooter eod How God is said to remember eod How God is said to be angry eod How God onely forgiueth sinnes eod How God will haue all men saued 442. How God is said to haue shoulders eod How he is said to haue wings eod How he is said to haue eyes eod How he is said to haue eares eod Of Gods face eod What the nose of God doth signifie eod What the mouth of God signifieth eod What the tongue of God is eo What the arme of God is eod What the hand of God is eod What his right hand doth signifie eod What his left hand signifieth eod What the finger of God is eod What the feete of God are eod What his hinder part is eod What the shooe of God is eod How God is said to come downe eod How God is said to looke 443. How God is said to search eod How God is said to rest eod How he cannot be shut vp in a pixe eod How God is called a Rocke eod How God is not chaunged 444. How God heareth no sinners eod How God tempteth no man to euill 445. How we are made like vnto God eod How to serue God in spirit eod Of Gods permission and suffering eod What the hiding of Gods face
is eod How God is to be worshipped eod How God is a consuming fire 446. How his Ordinaunces may not be broken eod How God was seene eod Of Gods consolation in trouble eod What Gods cursse is eod What God appointeth and no more 447 How things come to passe by Gods wil. eod Of two wills in God eod How God ordeined sinne and yet is not the Author eod Of the God of this world eod What is ment by the God of Iacob eod What the seate of God is eod Godhead in Christ. How it is vnderstood eod How Christ in his Godhead is euerye where 448. Gods mercie Of such as presume to much thereof eod How y● Magistrates are called gods eo What the nature of Gods word is eod Godly sorrow What it bringeth to a man eod Godlinesse What godlinesse is 449. Gog Magog What they were eod How they shall be destroyed 450. Golde What is ment by golde siluer and precious stones 451. Of Golde frankencense Mirrhe eod Golgotha What the word signifieth eod Good What good or goodnesse is 451. How there is none good but God eod Of good and euill doing eod What a good age is eod How y● good life of a christē smelleth 453 Of the good purpose of a man eod Good intent How it must agree with Gods word eod Of y● good intent of Nadab Abihu 454 Examples of good intents eod Goods Wher they ought to be laid vp 455. How the Church goods ought to bee bestowed eod Gortheans What they were eod Gospell What the Gospell signifieth 456. Of the Gospel preached to the dead 457. How it is likened to a bowe 458. Why the gospell is said to be euerlasting eod How it is no lesse to bee regarded then the bodie of Christ. 459. Whether the Booke or leaues bee the Gospell eod An exposition of the place 460. Goate How it signifieth Christ. eod Grace What grace is 461. The true definition of grace eod What it is to reiect grace eod The difference betweene grace and gift eod The difference betweene grace and the lawe 462. What is vnderstoode by grace and peace 464. How grace and truth are expounded eo The meaning of the place 465. Graffing How we are graffed in Christ. 466. Griefe What it is and how it is defined 467. Greekes Of whom they came eod The meaning of the places eod Great The meaning of the place 468. Groue The meaning of the places 469. Guyle The definition thereof 470. Of good and euill guyle eod H. HAlcion What Halcion was 470. What the Halcion daies be eod Hand What the hande of God signifieth 471. Of the hand that Balthasar saw eod What is ment by the place eod Hand writing what it was eod Happy The meaning of the place 472. Harden How God is said to harden 473. Heart Where the heart of man is placed eod How some mans heart is hairie eod How mās hart poisoned will not burn eo Of the heart and wombe of God eod Hart or Stag. As the Hart coueteth the water 474. Haruest What is vnderstood by har 475. Hate The meaning of the place eod When a man may hate his neighbor eod Hath The vnderstanding of the place eod Hazael How he came to his kingdome 476. Hebron What Hebron was eod Head What is ment by head of God 477 What y● head of the serpent signifieth eod Haires of God What they doe signifie eod H●lchesaites What their opinions wer eo Helias Of the strange vision seene at his birth eod Heliseus What befell at his birth 478. Hell How it is taken in Scripture eod The meaning of the place 479. What hell meaneth heere eod Helpers of faith How men be helpers of faith eod Helindius What his heresie was 480. Hem. How we touch the hem of Christs vesture eod Hemerobapti What heretiks they wer eo Henoch What his taking vp signifieth eo Her and Anan How they wer slaine 481. Heare him How Christ is to be c. eod Heresie The definition of heresie eod The proofe of heresie 482. How it is to be auoided eod Heretikes What is to be done with thē 483. How they ought not to be compelled eo Herode Of his great crueltie 484. Why he burned the Scriptures eod Of his death 485. Of the second Herode eod How he ledde away his brother Philips wife eod Of Herode Agrippa 487. What the Herodians were 488. Heauen Of the opening of heauen eod Hide What the hiding of Gods face is eo Hien● Of the propertie of this beast eod Hime ●eus Of his opinion 489. High Priest How y● office was diuided eo How ●uery Bishop is called c. eod Hill W●at is ment by this hill eod Hin W●at manner of mesure it was eod Hi●d●rpart What is ment thereby eod Hipo● rite What an hipocrite is eod Hipocrisie described eod Hipo●iposis What the word signifieth 491. Hire What is ment by hire eod Why eternall life is called hire eod Historie What an historie in 492. Hobab What this Hobab was eod Holy Who is holy eod How Christ is called holy 493. What is ment by the Angels crieng Holy Holy eod The meaning of the Prophet eod Holy ghost How whē he was c. 494. How the holy Ghost is God 495. Proued by auncient Doctors 497. Holy water How it was called of old eod Of the Popes holy water 598. Homilies Bucers iudgment thereof eod Honour What honour signifieth eod What honor is to be giuen to the wife 499 What it is to honour parents eod Of 3. manner of honours eod Hope A definition of hope 500. How hope is of things absent eod How hope hangeth vpon faith 501. Of Augustines hope eod Hormis What people they were 502. Horne What it signifieth eod Hornet What an Hornet is 503. Horseleach What hir 2. daughters be eod Hosanna What the word betokeneth eod Hot. What it is to be neither hot c. 504. Houres The distribution of y● houres eod What is ment by halfe an houre eod House of God What y● house of God is eo How the place is vnderstood 505. Humilitie A definition thereof eod Who they be that be humble 506. Hundred fold What it is to receiue c. eo Hunger and thirst eod Hu● Of the land of Hus. 507. Husband What the husbands office is eo What is ment by the husband of one c. eo I. IAcinct The description thereof 508 What Iacinct signifieth heere 509. Iacob how he is a figure of the church eo What is ment by this word Iacob c. eo Of Iacobs Iye to his father 510. Of his wrastling with the Angell 511. What the seede of Iacob is eod How God beholdeth no sin in Iacob eod Of the finding of Iacob in Bethel eod The vnderstanding of the place eod ●am The meaning of the place 512. Iames. why he was called y● Lords brother eod Of the death of this Iames. eod Of the deth of Iames the brother of Iohn eod Iannes
sanctifie their spirits which doth set their trust onlie in the redemption promised thē in Christs blessed bloud this church by Christ is made without spot or wrinkle D. Barnes fol. 313. The Church saith Lyra doth not stand by reason of spirituall power or secular dignitie for many Princes many Popes other inferiour persons haue swarued from the faith wherfore the church doth stand in those persons in whom is the true knowledge and confession of faith and veritie Lyra in Math. Chap. The holie church are we saith Augustine but I do not say are we as who should say we that be héere alonelie that heare me now but as manie as bee héere faithfull christen men in this church the is to say in this citie as manie as be in this regigion as many as be beyonde the sea as manie as be in all the whole world for from the rising of the Sunne vnto the going downe of the same is the name of God praised So is the church our mother August sermo 99. de tempore Saint Paule calleth the church the spouse of Christ for that she ought in all things to giue eare to the voice of the Bridegrome Likewise he calleth the church the piller of the truth for that that she ●aieth hir selfe onlie by the word of God without which word the church were it neuer so beautifull should bée n● church The holie church is all they that haue bene and that nowe are and alwaies to the end of the world shall bée a people the which shall endeuour them to know to kéepe the commandements of God dreading ouer all things to offend God and louing and séeking most to please him c. Booke of Mar. 632. The church saith Lambart I doe take for to be all those that GOD hath chosen or predestinate to be inheritours of eternall blisse and saluation whether they be temporall or spirituall king or subiect bishop or deaco● father or childe Grecian or Romaine c. Booke of Mar. fol. 1276. Of whom the Church began When Adam and Eue his wife had taken comfort of Gods promises which was that Christ should come of the womans séede to redeeme the world from sinne death and hell then they beléeuing the same stedfastlie in their heartes were the beginning of the true Church Lanquet Whie the Church is holie and Catholike On this consideration saith Saint Austen the Church is holy and Catholike not because it dependeth on Rome or anie other place nor of anie multitude obedient to Rome both which are donatistical but Quia recte credit in Deum because it beléeueth rightly in God I. Bridges fol. 543. The Fathers began to call this true and right teaching the Church of Christ the catholike Church which is as much to saie as vniuersall Augustine to his cosin Seuerinus This is saith he the catholike Church wherevpon it is also called Catholice in Gréeke because it is spred throughout al the world Isichius vpon Leuiticus For the vniuersal Church saith he is Hierusalem the citie of the liuing God which conteineth the Church of the first begotten written in heauen And Gelasius vnto Anastatius the Emperour The same is called saith he the Catholike Church which is by a pure cleane and vndefiled fellowship sequestred from all the vnfaithfull and their successours and companions otherwise there should not be a difference giuen of God but a miserable mingle mangle c. Musculus fol. 258. Cipriane the Bishop and Martyr in his booke De simplicitate Clericorum saith The Church is one which is spread further and further abrode by fertile increase euen as there are manie heames of the Sunne and but one light and manie boughes of a tree yet but one Oke grounded vpon a stedfast roote And where as manie brookes issue out of one spring though the number séeme to be increased by the abundaunce of store yet it is but one at the head Plucke a beame of the Sun from the Gloabe that one once separated is voide of light Breake a bough from the Tree it can bring foorth no fruite Cutte a Brooke from the Springe and béeing cutte of it drieth vp Guen so the Church lightened with Gods light which is spread euerie where neither is the vnitie of the bodie seperated she extendeth hot braunches with plenteous increase throughout all the earth she sendeth out her plentifull riuers all abrode Yet is there but one head and one spring and one mother plentifull with fertile success●● c. Bullinger fol. 841. How the Church is made cleane by Christ. If the feare of God haue deliuered you then are yée trulie deliuered You are washed you are sanctified you are iustified in the name of Iesus Christ and in the spirit of God Of Christ is the Church made faire first she was filthie in sinnes afterward by pardon and grace was she made faire D. Barnes 253. How the Church hath spots and wrinkles in her The whole Church praieth Lorde forgiue vs our sinnes wherefore she hath spottes and wrinkles but by knowing of them her wrinkles are stretched out knowledging her spots be washed awaie The Church continueth in praier that shée might be cleansed by knowledging of her sinnes and as long as we héere liue so standeth it And when euerie man departeth out of this bodie all such sinnes are forgiuen him which ought to be forgiuen him For they be forgiuen by dailie praier and he goeth hence cleansed And the Church of God is laide vp in the treasure of God for golde and by this meanes the Church of God is the treasure of our Lord without spotte or wrinkle Sequitur Let vs praie that God maie forgiue vs and that we maie forgiue our debters séeing it is said And it shall be forgiuen vnto you Wee saie this dailie and dailye we doe this and this thing is done dailie in vs. We are not héere without sinne but we shall depart without sinne D. B. fol. 254. How it is said aright that the Church cannot erre The Church is the pillor and foundation of the truth how then can it erre Wée aunswere brieflie saith Musculus wée doe knowe right well that the Church is the onelie and welbeloued spouse of Christ the kingdome of heauen the it is ruled by the masterie and leading of the holie spirit and that wée bée alwaies taught by his anoninting and that it is the piller and foundation of the truth But these saiengs do perteine not vnto all particuler Churches but vnto that onelie vpright and catholike church which is the communion of the Saints and elect throughout all the worlde which doth beléeue in Christ their Lord and spouse in all ages And touching this ther is no variaunce there is none of vs that saie that the catholike church hath erred in the faith of Christ. For how can it erre when it followeth Christ and walketh not in darknesse but hath the light of
a liar Faith knoweth God Incrudelitie knoweth him 〈…〉 Faith loueth both God his neighbour Incrudelitie loueth neither of them faith only saueth vs Incrudelitie only condemneth vs. Faith extolleth God and his deeds Incrudelitie extolleth her selfe and her owne déeds Of onelie faith ¶ Looke Onelie FAIT●●VLL Hovv God hath deliuered the Faithfull God deliuered Noe from the floud Ge. 6. 8. 7. Lot was deliuered from the Sodomit●● Ge. 19. 10 Iacob frō the wrath of his brother Esau Ge. 33. Ioseph out of prison Ge. 41. 14. The childrē of lsrael out of Aegipt● Exo. 14. 21. Moses frō y● rebellion of Corah N● 16 The two messengers frō y● mē of Ier● cho Io. 2. Mardocheus frō the cōspiracie of Am● Hoster 6. 7. Dauid frō the persecutiō of Saul 1. Reg. from the. 18. Chap. to the. 26. Elias from the hands of Iezabel 3. Reg. 19. Heliseus from the Assirians 4. Reg. 6. 18. Ieremie out of prison Iere. 39. 13. Toby from deuouring of the fish Toby 6. 2. Iudith vndefiled from Holofernes Iudith 13. Daniel from the lyons Dan. 6. The thrée children from the strie ●uen Dan. 3. Susan from the false Iudges Dan. 13. Paule frō laieng in wait of the gouernour of Damascus Act. 9. 2. Cor. 12. Peter from the hands of Herode Act. 12. FALL How Christ is the fall and vprising of manie Behold this child is appointed for the fall rising againe of manie in Israel ¶ To be the fall of the reproba●e which perish through their owne default raising vp of the elect to whom God giueth faith Geneua Obiection How is Christ will some saie a fall to y● vnbeléeuers which are alreadie cast awaie Aunswere The vngodly do perish two maner of waies first they are lost through their owne vnbeliefe secondly for that they wilfully depriue themselues of the saluation that is offered vnto them by Christ. As if a man that is once condemned of theft should afterward not regard the kings sonne that sueth for his par●● but vtterlie ●espi●e y● deliueraunce offered by him Hemmyng FALSE ¶ Of false Christs MAnie shall come in my name saie that I am Christ. ¶ Iosephus maketh mention in his 20. booke the 12. chapter of a certeine Aegiptian which was a false Prophet who in his own opinion thinking himselfe to be a prophet gathered almost thirtie thousand together whom when he brought out of the wildernesse of the mount of Oliues or Oliuet he went about to take Hierusalem but they were oppressed by Felix the presidēt at that time of the which Felix ther is mention made in the. 21 of the Act. Lastlie● the same Iosephus writeth of another also which promised the people quietnes rest frō all euils if they wold follow him into the desart By many such were the people of the Ie●ws mocked deceiued al which as they promised liberty saluation of the people so they affirmed y● they were Christs And vnder this name they ●ossed the thēselues also for the true promised 〈…〉 of whō y● prophets scriptures testifieth Such one was Simon Magus which perswaded the Samaritanes that he was the power of God which was called great ¶ Looke Teudas who was such another Marl. fol. 557. What the false Prophets are Beware of false Prophets which come vnto you in shéepes clothing but inwardlie they are rauening Wolues c. ¶ False Prophets are Preathers that ●eruert wrest the word of God Sheepe ●innes signifie the appearaunce of outward holinesse Rauening Wolues are Tyrants that delight in persecuting and shedding of bloud Tindale False Prophets shal euer impugne the faith of Christs bloud and inforce to quench the true vnderstanding of the lawe and the right meaning and intent of all the workes commaunded by God which fight is a fight aboue all fights First they shall be in such number that Christs true Disciples shall be but a small stocke in respect of them They shall haue workes like Christ so that fasting praier pouertie obedience and chastitie shall be the names of their profession For as Paule saith to the Corinthians The Angels or messengers of Satan shal change themselues into the Angells or messengers of light and truth They shall come in Christs name and that with signes miracles and haue the vpper hande also euen to deceiue the verie elect if it were possible Yea and beyond all this if thou get the victorie of the false Prophets plucke a multitude out of their hands there shall immediatelie rise vp of the same and sette vp a new false sect against thee And against all those Amalechites the onelie remedie is to lifte vp the hands of thy heart to God in continuall praier which hands if thou for wearinesse oncelet fall thou goest to the worse immediatelie Tin fo 239. FANNE What the Fanne is Whose Fanne is in his hand c. ¶ Which is the preaching of the Gospell whereby he gathereth the Faithfull as good Corne and scattereth the Infidells as Chaffe Geneua Another Expositor saith thus The Fanne is Gods word The Flower is the people of Israel the Garner is the kingdome of Heauen ● By the Wheate he vnderstandeth the elect and true Israelit●s by the Chaffe he vnderstandeth the vnfaithfull FARE FAIRE VVITH MEN. How this place is vnderstood SEing then that we knowe the feare of the Lord we fare faire with men ¶ We fare faire with men that is wée plaie not the Tyrants with cursings excommunications neither vse we violence malitioustie among the people but feate God and intreat the people louinglie to draw them vnto God Tindale FARTHING What this Farthing meaneth THou shalt not goe thence till thou haue paid the last Farthing ¶ Christs meaning is that he shall neuer come out● for that he must euermore paie the last farthing while he ●u●fereth euerlasting punishment for his sinnes committed in this world Hier 〈…〉 b. cha 1. vpon the Lam. of Ierem. I. North bridge And that some make Purgatorie of the last Farthing they shew their deepe ignoraunce For first no similitude holdeth euerie word and sillable of the similitude Furthermore when they dispute till he paie the last farthing Ergo he shall paie but not in Hell Ergo in Purgatorie a wise reason Ioseph knewe not Marie till she had borne his first sonne Ergo she bare the second or he knew hi● afterward I will not forgiue thee till I be dead nor while I liue Ergo I will do it after my death And a thousand like Tin fol. 204. FASTING A Definition of Fasting FAsting was a certaine discipliue and measurable castigation or cha●●isoment of the bodie alwaies vsed of the auncient fathers and Saints of God vsurped to this ende that the substaunce of heauenlie things might the more be inflamed that the fleshlie desires of the bodie might the more be quenched Marl. fol. 126. What true Fasting is True fasting saith Basile consisteth in fréenesse from ●ites in continencie