the vnablenesse of our workes 1184. The meaning of the place eod Of the works of darknes of the spirit eod How they know not God that deny him in deedes eo Vvorld what the world signifieth here 1185 Why it is called of Paule preseÌ„t euil eo Of the disputers of this world eod The meaning of the place eod Vvormeâ— how Christ compareth himselfe to a worme 1168 Vvormewood Compared to false teachers c. eod Vvorship what is ment by worship 1187. How God only is to be worshipped 1188 Of the worshipping of Saints eod Vvrath what wrath is in God eod Vvritten so much as is necessary for our our saluation eo What it is to be written in the earth 1189. Who are written in the book of life 1190 Y. Yeare how it is as it was in the olde time 1190 How the yeare was diuided 1191. Yoke how the yoke of Christ is vnderstood eod What the yoke of seruitude is 1192. What this yoke signifieth eod What the yoke of transgression is eod What is ment by the yoke in this place eo Yron furnace what is ment thereby eod Z. Zachary how he his wife are iust 1193 Zeale A definition thereof 1194. FINIS ¶ Common places with their expositions collected and gathered out of the workes of diuers singular Writers And brought Alphabeticallie into order AARON How long Aaron was before Christ. AAron the sonne of Amram nephew to Leuy and brother to Moses was borne about the yeare before Christs incarnation 1609. at what time as Amenophis was king of Aegypt Lanquet How Aaron is a figure of Christ. And he stood betwéene the dead ¶ Aaron is héere a figure of Christ which is the mediatour betwéene God and the Church which restraineth the iust vengeance of God for the sinnes of the world which helpeth the chosen when they be in miserie T. M. A comparison betweene Aaron and Christ. Aaron was in nature a perfect man and so was Christ and more excellent in propertie being without sinne Aaron ministred not for the peoples sake but for his owne also being a sinner Christ for the people onelie himselfe néeding nothing Aaron offered Sacrifice but other things none of his owne Christ offered his Sacrifice his owne and himselfe c. Deering What Aarons Bels signified As Aaron with his succession was a liuelie figure of our Sauiour Christ Iesu who is the high Priest for euer after the order of Melchisedech by whom they had all a full perfect saluation that by him do come to God liuing alwaies to this end that he maie appeare in the sight of God for vs. So the golden Bels that he was commanded to haue in the hem of his Tunicle did signifie the earnest liuelie preaching of the Gospell whereby Christ our sauiour and his Apostles did waken the world out of the sléepe of death as all good faithfull ministers of the Church following his example and the example of the Apostles ought to doe So doth Origen expound it saieng Let also the high souereigne Priest haue bels about his garment that when he goeth into the holie place he maie giue a sound and not enter into it with silence And these Bels that ought alwaies to ring are put in the hem of his Tunicle which as I beléeue is done to this end that thou shouldest neuer hold thy peace of the latter daies and of the end of the world but thou shouldest alwaies ring of it according to that that is said RemeÌ„ber the end thou shalt liue 1. Veron ABADDON How it is the right name both of Satan and of the Pope WHose name in Hebrew is Abaddon ¶ Abad in Hebrew signifieth to destroie whereof commeth Abaddon as ye would say a destroier or destroieng in Gréeke ApollyoÌ„ For in Gréeke Apollyon signifieth the same yâ— Abaddon doth in Hebrew The old translator in latin hath added Habens nomen exterminans that is to saie in English Hauing the name of destroier For Iohn wrote in Gréeke and passed for no more but to be vnderstood of them that knewe the Gréeke And yet it must not séeme against reason that the auncient translator was desirous to haue the latine men knowe what Apollyon signifieth to the ende that all men might beware of Antichrists wiles For this name agreeth verie fitlie to Satan and to Antichrist his sonne For like as Satan is a murtherer from the beginning Iohn 8. ver 44. and vndid all mankinde with his naughtinesse euen so hath Antichrist with the venime of his errours led awaie an innumerable multitude of men into deadlie yea spéedie destruction In which respect Paule tearmeth him the child of perdition 2. The. 2 a. ver 3. And Christ saith A theefe commeth not but to steale to murder to destroie Iohn 10. b. ver 10. Marl. vpon the Apo. fo 134. ¶ Abaddon that is destroier for Antichrist the son of perdition destroieth mens soules with false doctrine and the whole world with fire and sword Geneua ABHOMINABLE Who be abhominable ANd the Abhominable ¶ He tearmeth them Abhominable who after the knowledge of the truth do not onelie slide backe from it by Apostasie but also become most deadlie enimies therof biting blaspheming it with their currish chaps finallie abhorre the truth are likewise abhorred of God who is the truth For Abhominable signifieth anie thing that the stomacke loatheth or abhorreth Concerning such loathlie abhominable creatures looke M. t. 12 d. ver 45. Heb. 6. a. ver 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. and 2. Pet. 2. ver 20. 21. 22. Therefore we must regard not what pleaseth the world but what pleaseth God least we vouchsafe chiefe honour vpon those whom God doth worthilie abhorre For saith Mâ—rlarat this saieng of our Sauiour is well knowne That which is highlie in the fauour of men is abhominable before God Marl. vpon the Apoc. fol. 289. ¶ Abhominable They which iest mocke at religion Geneua ABHOMINATION OF DESOL Hovv this place of Daniel is vnderstood THese words of Christ Daniel are diuerslie applied Origen in Mat. Tract 29. saith thus Antichrist is the abhomination of desolation S. Chrysost. in opere imperfecto hom 44 saith This Antichrist is called the abhomination of desolation for yâ— he shall cause the soules of manie Christians to be desolate forsaken of God Greg. Nazianzenus saith Antichrist shall come in the desolation of the world for he is the abhomination of desolation S Hierom in Mat. cap. 24. saith By the abhomination of desolation we maie vnderstand all peruerse doctrine he saith also the abhomination of desolation shal stand in the Church vntill the consummation of the world lewel fol. 446. ¶ This Abhomination yâ— Daniel speaketh of was the wickednes Idolatrie of the Iewes wherewith almost all the whole nation was infected It is called abhomination which is as much to saie as lothlines because God lothed it as a most silthie thing it was
Looke Saluation Of the workes of darknesse and of the spirit For ye were sometimes darknesse ¶ They are called darknesse that walke yet in the night of incredulitie misbeléefe doing the works of darknesse which are whooredome adultery wantonnesse c. but they are contrariwise called the children of light that bring forth the fruits of the spirit Gal. 5. 21. How they know not God that denieth him in deedes They confesse they know God but with works they deny him ¶ As infidelitie is the headspring of all wickednesse and vice so on the contrarie side faith is the original well fountaine of all vertue and godlynesse Which faith is declared not onely by works but by such déeds works as God hath commaunded vs in his holy and sacred Scriptures And where no such works be speake they neuer so godly ther is no true liuely faith Sir I. Cheeke VVORLD What the world signifieth in this place ANd the world knew him not◠The world in this place signifieth all men for it cannot be taken in a straighter sense In the sentence going before the world was made by him In other places of Scripture the world signifieth y◠reprobate onely Héere the world is condemned of vnthankfulnesse vnkindnesse that it hath not embraced but shamefully refused reiected his maker It is vnnaturall it is horrible abhominable that men should not acknowledge him by whom they haue euen this that they be men Trah Why Paule doth call this world present and euill To deliuer vs from this present and euill world ¶ Hée calleth this whole world which hath bene is and shall be the present world to put a difference betwixt this and that euerlasting world which is to come Moreouer he calleth it an euill world because that whatsoeuer is in this worlde is subiect to the mallice of the Diuell reigning ouer the whole world◠For this cause the world is sayd to be the kingdome of the Diuell for ther is nothing else in this world but ignorance contempt blasphemy and hatred of God Also disobedience against all the words and works of God In and vnder the kingdome of this world are we c. Luther vpon the Gal. fol. 20. Of the disputers of this world Where is the disputer of this world ¶ He that is so subtile in discussing of questions and héerein Paule reprocheth euen the best lerned as though not one of them could perceiue by his owne wisdome this mysterie of Christ reuealed in the Gospell Geneua The meaning of this place following We haue receiued not the spirit of the world Wée are not moued with that spirit which techeth things wherwith the world is delighted which men vnderstand by nature◠Ge. VVORME How Christ compareth himselfe to a worme EGo sum vermis non homo I am a worme and no man The scorne of men the outcast of the people ¶ How truly and how iustly Christ might say I am a worme no man euery man knoweth that hath read either the. 26. of Mathew or the. 14. of S. Marke how the Iewes did spit in his face did buffet him with fists so vilely intreated him as no man could be worse and therefore it is very properly said of the Prophet◠I am a worme and no man A worme is a vile thing in daunger of treading on and killing with euery mans foot No man regardeth it no man loueth it nor pittieth it though he be a right good man To expresse therefore liuely and properly the vile reputation of Christ at the time of his passion it is verye aptly sayde Ego sum vermis non homo c. Beside this Saint Austen supposeth him to bée called Vermis for an higher consideration Why is Christ called Vermis saith he Because he aunswereth he was mortall he was borne of the flesh and begotten without the companieng together of man and woman in the act of generation And therefore he sayth thus Sicut vermis calefaciente sole de puro limo formatur sic spiritu sancto c. As the worme is ingendered of the pure and onely slime or mudde being made hotte with the warme Sunne Euen so the holy Ghost illustrating and halowing the heart of the virgin She was conceiued with childe without any humane act of ingendering wrought therein In consideration whereof Christ comparing himselfe to a worme sayth by Dauid I am a worme and no man that is I am not conceiued after the manner fashion of man Thus farre Saint Austen Ric. Turnar VVORMEVVOOD How false teachers heretiks be compared to wormewood THe name of the starre was called wormewood Wormewood is an hearbe faire inough vnto the eye◠but very bitter to the tast Euen so be heretiks and as many as fauour Antichrist the more they seeme to excell in holines the more do they annoy Marl. ¶ The nature of wormwood is to withdraw all sweetnesse These meaning pernitious heretikes with their bitter heresies and their noysome doctrine destroyed y◠pits of Abraham they troubled the text they mixed the truth with falshoode they poysoned the waters they tooke away the louesomnes of them they left them vnpure and vnperfect not that they can be so of themselues but of their false working they made them vnpleasaunt vnprofitable yea and most perillous vnto many c. Bale ¶ The third plague came vpon the starres of heuen that is vpon the most holiest people which were taken for the spirituall state order as Monkes Friers Priests which through their hipocrisie haue heaped vnto themselues money goods and treasures and haue gotten lands and dominions for the which great diuision was among them And whereas the world shuld haue learned of them faith loue and knowledge it was nothing but slaundered offended deceiued seduced and sore hindered by them both in faith and in godly liuing behauiour both which were vtterly decayed in these persons to the great vndoing and destruction both of body and soule And thus the swéete honnye of Christian loue and concord among these Orders is turned into bitter wormwood by the which many soules are destroyed Erasmus in his Paraphrase VVORSHIP What is meant by worshipping BY worshipping whether it was in the olde Testament or new vnderstand the bowing of a mans selfe vpon y◠ground as we oftentimes as we knéele in our praiers boow our selues and lye on our armes and hands with our faces to the ground Tindale fol. 11. ¶ Whereas the Latin word of worshipping is of that nature that it signifieth both to serue and obserue and honour it is aptly referred to God so that all that seruice obseruation reuerence and deuotion whereby we doe worship God as wel inwardly in our hearts as outwardly in deede is called the worship of God Muscul. fol. 351. ¶ To worship God is the first precept euen to beléeue him to be our God and to haue no strange Gods in his sight that
we are chosen WE are not chosen of God to breake his commaundements but for to liue in holinesse and righteousnesse all the daies of our lyfe How God hath chosen vs and we not him You haue not chosen me saith Christ but I haue chosen you ¶ Who hearing this saieng of our Lord dare bee so bolds as to saie that men are chosen through beliefe whereas rather they are chosen that they maie beléeue least y◠they should bée found to haue chosen Christ first contrarie to the sentence of the truth vnto whom Christ saith you haue not chosen me but I haue chosen you Pet. Viret Obiection We were chosen do some saie before the foundations of the world were made because that God did foresee that we shoulde be good and not that he himselfe should make vs good Aunswere God saith ye haue not chosen me but I haue chosen you for if he had therefore chosen vs because he had foreséene that we shoulde bée good he should also haue knowne before that we should haue chosen him Veron How God is said not to haue chosen manie wise men Paule saith that God hath not chosen manie wise men after the flesh nor manie men of power nor manie noble men borne And yet the same man saith God will haue all men saued how then doth he nor choose God is said not to haue chosen them not because he would not haue them saued but for the sequele of it that is to saie because the wisedome of this world power nobilitie of birth do like baits entice and withdrawe manie from the obedience of the Gospell Dauid was rich and puissant and so was Nero. But Dauid was not entised by the riches and power to fall from the Gospell as Nero was to his owne destruction And so foorth of other like Hemmyng Of Marie Magdalens good choosing Marie hath chosen that good part which shall not be taken from hir ¶ She hath chosen the hearing of the word of God which euer endureth is the onelie waie to euerlasting life Tindale ¶ The good part that is the hearing of the word of God from the which it was not méete that she should bée drawne hauing not alwaies opportunitie to heare the same The Bible note How God chooseth two manner of waies I haue chosen you twelue saith the Lord and one of you is the diuell ¶ It is to bee vnderstood that there is two manner of choosing The one whereby the Apostles were chosen to that most worthie office of Apostleshippe that they were in and the other wherby they wer chosen into life euerlasting Therfore when Christ saith that Iudas was chosen with the other Apostles that same must be vnderstood of the office wherevnto he was called and chosen with the other For when he speketh of the election that doth perteine to life euerlasting hée doth altogether exclude him from the number of the chosen I doe not saith he speake of you all I know whom I haue chosen I. Veron ¶ Looke Iudas Calling Election Predestination Of the choosing of Ministers Looke Ministers CHRISOLITE The nature of this stone and what it betokeneth The seauenth a Chrisolite ¶ This stone glittereth like gold and casteth out burning sparkes Wherby are ment those that vnderstand the diuine Scriptures both in word worke doe vtter that vnto others which they themselues vnderstand Marl. fol. 300. ¶ The seauenth foundation is of a Chrisolite or Turcas which shineth as golde and séemeth as it shoulde send foorth sparkes vnder this are they comprehended which hauing the wisdome of the spirit inflameth other with it prouoking them thereby to the loue of God and their neighbour This did Moses Esau Barnabas and Paule in whom the glorie of the Lord appeared plenteouslie Bale CHRISOTRACE The description of this stone and what it betokeneth THe 〈…〉 a Chrisoprade ¶ This is of a greene colour intermedled with golde and it betokeneth such as resembleth the freshnesse of the euerlasting countrie by charitable intercommuning one with an other Mirl vpon the Apoc. fol. 300. ¶ The tenth was a Chrisoprace whose condition is to shine like golde and yet he is greene in sight Such are they which hauing godlie wisdome vttereth it according to the talent giuen them of the Lord thereby renuing the dull spirits of other vnto heauenlie things Among this sort maie 〈…〉 be numbred which sawe manie wonderfull visions And so maie Simeon and Anna in the Gospell Bale CHRIST How Christ was first promised to Adam WHen the first man Adam through the craft and subtiltie of the Serpent whom the diuell had set for his minister to deceiue him had lost the felicitie of Paradise and made himselfe and all his posteritie for euer subiect to death and all other calamities and nuseries of this world where afore it was in his power alwaies to haue liued Then almightie God for the saluation of mankinde promised that of the séed of the woman Christ should come and destroie the power of Satan and deliuer vs frée from sinne and death Lanquet How Christ grew in age and wisdome Christ as touching his Godhead did not grow in age wisdome and fauour but in respect of his manhood in that he was verie man whose example would God we could follow that as we grow in yeares so we might grow in wisdome and fauour with God and men Hemming How Christ is called Dauids sonne If Dauid call him Lord how is he then his sonne ¶ Christ in that he is a verie naturall man is Dauids sonne but in that he is a true and a naturall God equall with the Father he is also his Lord. Sir I. Cheeke How Christ had moneie Looke Moneie Whie Christ became man As through a naturall man we were banished out of Paradise made the children of dampnation so it pleased the almightie trinitie neither by an Angell nor Archangell but by a naturall man to restore vs againe and made vs heires of saluation as Paule witnesseth By a man came death and by a man commeth the resurrection of the dead for as by Adam all die euen so by Christ all be made aliue R. Hutchynson Whie Christ fasted Like as it pleased God to giue power vnto Moses xl daies twice in the mountaine not for the auoiding of temptation but for to set foorth the glorious lawe and will of the Father then to be published And Elias béeing sent to anoint a king ouer Siria a king and a Prophet ouer Israel by whom both these kingdomes should be cleane altered and chaunged did fast fortie daies from all maner meates for the declaring of the power of God in his works So did it please Christ of his owne power to fast fortie daies that the Iewes shoulde haue none occasion to thinke him inferiour to those tw◠their great Prophets in the publishing of his Gospell and gladde tidings vnto the world and his renuing of all things not to the
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 thâ—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 leadâ— 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 â—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 â—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 Mattinâ— and whatsoeuer he doth though it seeme spirituall and after the Lawes of God So contrariwise call him spirituallâ— 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
of men by manifest signes of his Diuinitie Geneua How the sonne is punished for the fathers fault He shall dye the death and his bloud shall be vpon him ¶ He sheweth how the sonne is punished for his fathers fault that is if he be wicked as his Father was doeth not repent he shall be punished as his father was or els not Geneua SONNE OF GOD. How Christ is proued to be the Sonne of God THou art my sonne this daye haue I begotten thée ¶ That is this daye haue I declared that thou art my naturall son meaning especially the time in which he made him knowen in the world by his wonderfull workes as S. Paule ment when he said God was made manifest in the flesh noting the working of the spirit working in his birth life death resurrection ascension so this daye noteth no perticular time but al times in generall wherein God hath shewed his power in Christ as especially in the time he liued among vs c. Deering Of the Sonne of Gods deliuering vp his kingdome vnto his father Then commeth the ende when he hath deliuered vp the kingdome to God the father when he hath put downe all rule authoritie and power for he must raigne till he haue put all his enimies vnder his feete but where he saith all things are put vnder him it is manifest that he is excepted which did put all things vnder him when all things are subdued vnto him then shall the sonne also himselfe be subiect vnto him that put all things vnder him that God may be all in all ¶ S. Paule in this place doth the Corinthians to wit that then shall the ende come that all things shall be subdued vnto Iesus Christ and Christ his Sonne shall delyuer vnto his Father his kingdome that is the Church the whole number of the elect which he hath by his death redéemed Then also Christ the son himselfe shall be subiect vnto the father touching the dispensation of his flesh in his members the Saints by which it is meaned that then the mysterie of Christ shall cease the preaching of the Gospell shall be left and no longer any such in the euerlasting kingdom of God the saints shal be as was in the militant Church when the world was subiect vnto the preaching of the Gospell For wher no sin nor disease is ther néedeth no remission or medicine And this subiection of the Saints shal be the most frée kingdom vnto them for then Iesus Christ very God man shal be al in al God in God raigning in all things creature in creatures to God subiect as a creature c. Uerely touching the dispensation of the flesh and the misterie now in force and vre Christ shal be subiect to his father but being true God and cousubstanciall sonne of God the Father hath and shal euerlastingly haue one indiuisible raigne kingdome with the father I. Proctor ¶ Now Christ shall surrender the Kingdome that was giuen vnto him that we may cleaue perfectly vnto God howbeit he shall not by that meanes vtterly giue vp his kingdom wherof as the Scripture teacheth there is no ende but he shall as it were conuay it from his manhood to his Godhead For then we shall haue an open entrie and frée accesse to the diuine maiestie where now our weaknesse will not suffer vs to approch Christ then shall this waye bée subiect to his Father for then the vale shall be taken away and the office of his mediation shall some way cease and we shall sée God face to face raigning in his glory without any countring or meane And where S. Paul saith that God may be all in all some think he speaketh so because we shall haue than without any meane many commodities which God now ministreth vnto vs by creatures For maintenance of our lyfe we shal then haue no néed of bread and drinke c. Neither for edifieng shall we haue any néede of the Sacraments of the Church nor the outward word of the Scripture nor Ecclesiasticall offices for God by himself shall be all in all Other teach the meaning of those wordes to be that the flesh shall couet no more the spirit but God shal possesse euery part of vs and raigne in vs fully perfectly which thing in this life is only begun B. Traher ¶ Looke Subiection How the sonne of God is equall to his father Thought it no robbery to be equall with God ¶ If the sonne be equall to the father then is ther of necessitie an equalitie which Arrius that Heretike denieth And if the sonne bée compared with the father then is there a distinction of persons which Sebellius that heretike denieth Beza Who are the sonnes of God The sonnes of God are the sonnes of Seth which hadde instructed and nourished them in the feare of God The sonnes of men are the sonnes of Cain instructed of him to all wickednesse Tindale The sonnes of God séeing the daughters of men that they were faire S. Austen saith that those which are ther called the sonnes of God were in very déede men namely comming of the stocke of Seth. For when they worshipped God truly sincerely and called vpon him holily and purely being adorned with his fauour and grace they are called by the Scriptures the sons of God But when at the length they began to burne in filthie lusts with those women which came of the stocke of Cain and by that meanes fell into fellowship with the vngodly taking them to their wiues and cleauing also to superstitious and wicked worshippings they were chaunged from the sonnes of God not onely into men but also into flesh And this will I say by the waye Aquila translating these wordes out of Hebrue They were not saith he the sonnes of God but the sonnes of Gods for the cause so called as I suppose because their progenitours were holy men but their Children miserably fell from God and godlinesse by inordinate loue of women And Simmachus translateth it the sonnes of the naughtie c. Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 16. ¶ By the sonnes of God are vnderstood those that descended from Seth which wer instruct in the true knowledge and worship of God as in manye places both in the olde Testament and in the new the faithfull are called the sonnes of God And by the daughters of men are vnderstoode the women that came of the generation of Cain which were giuen to all vngodlynesse and with them Seth commaunded his children by the will of GOD that they should make no contract of marriage as the Lord commaunded the Children of Israel to make no marriage with the women of the Cananites Lyra. ¶ The Sonnes of the godlye ioyned themselues with the Daughters of the wicked without all feare of God Geneua How we are borne the sonnes of God Which are borne not of bloud c. ¶ These words pertain◠to the description
as Filâ—â—s filâ—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 yâ— 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 Tâ—mâ— 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 Maâ— 1â— 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 yâ— flesh of locâ—stes yet they both fasted Socrates saith that manie Christians in yâ— Lent season did eate fish birds Manie abâ—â—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
and the most excellent ministers of God will haue vs worship one God with them by whose contemplation they are all blessed Neither doe we build temples for them for they will not be so honoured of vs because that they knowe that when we are godlie we are the Temples of God Therefore it is well and rightlie written that man was forbidden of the Angell to worship him but one God vnder whom he was his fellow-seruant How this place following is vnderstood Which after his owne imagination walketh in the humblenesse and holinesse of Angels ¶ By religion of Angels saith the olde translation Erasmus By superstition of Angels What S. Paule meaneth héere I cannot well tell except he meane that false Apostles phantasied some hie honour worship to be giuen to holie Angels if they kéepe yâ— law giuen by the ministration of holie Angels and those to displease the Angels yâ— kéepe not the lawe giuen by Angels holie Angels to honour them that obserue the lawâ— So they taught yâ— Angels of God to venge their iniurie displeasures in them yâ— kéepe not the law of Moses So these Pseudo Apostles taught it to be a worshipping of Angels to obserue yâ— lawe the workes of the lawe as necessarie to saluation which thing S. Paule counteth here no honour nor worship of Angels but superstition of Angels a pretence to honour Angels do dishonour them most rebuke to Angels that can be done Or els this place maie be otherwise expounded after this manner That some Pseudo Apostles among the Collâ—sians studied to deceiue them saieng they were the Angels of God sent from God aboue that they had receiued certeine visions of Angels and of holie spirits in some Oracles wherin they were shewed the will pleasure of God what God wold haue done of men in the earth that was that they must néeds kéepe the law of Moses the workes of it or els they said they could not be saued which thing S. Paule reproueth in all his Epistles but most plainlie improued condempned of yâ— Apostles of Christ. Act. 15. Such Pseudo Apostles was among vs sometimes that said holie Angels holie spirits soules of men departed to haue appeared vnto them that they should goe this pilgrimage to this Image or that Image in such a place that they should cause to be said or song so manie Dâ—riges so many Masses found such a foundatioÌ„ for Masses for prescript praiers purchase such Pardons such Indulgenties and manie like reuelations hath bene shewed to men as Pseudo Apostles said by the which meanes they deceiued manie of a long time but thanks be to God their deceit is knowne in a manner to all men how vaine foolish it was how vngodly how perilous contrary to mans saluation how it came not of God but of the diuell was inuented of men and maintained for lucre sake I. Ridley Of good and euill Angels Of good Angels that doe â—erue God and his Church The Epistle to the Hebrewes saith thus Are not all ministering spirits and sent to minister for their sakes which shall be heires of saluation Heb. 1. 14. Of the euill Angell the Lord saith that Satan with his companie is a liar and a murtherer from the beginning And Saint Peter saith The diuell goeth about like a roring lion séeking whom he maie deuâ—ure Iohn 8. 44 1. Pet. 5. 8. How the Angels are not against the authoritie of Magistrates When the Angels which are greater both in power might giue not railing iudgement against them before God ¶ Albeit the Angels condemne the vice iniquitie of wicked magistrates yet they blame not the authoritie and power which is giuen them of God Geneua Whie the Angels be called powers principalities vertues c. Although Angels be called powers principalities vertues it is not for that God hath resigned his owne office vnto them it is not for that he hath dispoiled himselfe of his owne power it is not for that he himselfe abideth idle in heauen But it is for that the Angels are instruments of his power to the ende it should be spread out ouer all c. Caluin vpon Iob. fol. 15. How Angels be called the sonnes of the Gods Among the sonnes of the Gods ¶ He calleth the Angels the sonnes of the Gods because they neither haue had their beginning of the earth nor are clad with corruptible bodies but are heauenlie spirits endued with the glorie of God Not yâ— they bée anie part of gods being or substance as brainsick persons dreame but because God vttereth his mightie power in them therfore is their nature distinguished from ours by this title The effect thereof is that although there shine foorth a greater maiestie is yâ— Angels then in other creatures insomuch that they rauish vs to wonder at them yet come they nothing néere vnto God that they should dimme him with their excellencie or part stakes of souereigntie with him which thing is to be marked aduisedlie because yâ— although God do euerie where auouch yâ— Angels to bée but seruaÌ„ts redie at his coÌ„maundement yet yâ— world being not contented with the one God forgeth to it selfe many Gods Caluin How Angels appearing in humaine bodies were not men Two things are diligentlie héere to be weighed One is whether Angels when they after this sort put on humaine bodies maie be called men I think not For if we vnderstand humaine flesh which is formed borne of a resonable soule vndoubtedlie Angels after that manner cannot be said to haue hamaine flesh What then will some men saie Were the sences deceiued wheÌ„ men sawe them Not so For the sences iudge onelie outward things such things as appeare But what inwardly impelleth or moueth these things which they sée they iudge not That longeth to reason to séeke search out This also is to be added that Angels did not continuallie retaine these bodies bicause they were not ioined to them in one and the selfe same substaunce so yâ— an Angel a bodie were made one person The holie Ghost also although hée was a true Doue where he desceÌ„ded yet was not he together one substance with it wheâ—fore the Doue was not yâ— holie Ghost not yâ— holie Ghost the Doue Otherwise Angels may as we haue before taught enter indéed into a body before made which before had his being as it is read of yâ— Angel which spake in yâ— Asse of Balaâ—m and of the diuell which by the Serpent talked with Eue. But at this present we dispute not of that kinde but onelie saie that Angels working in this manner in the bodies of creatures are not ioined vnto them in one and the selfe same substaunce Wherefore the asse could not bée called an Angell neither was the Angell an Asse euen as the Serpent was not in verie déede the diuell neither was the diuell the Serpent Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic.
that Paule was the seruant of Iesus Christ onelie and so not the seruant of God the Father nor of the Holie Ghost Or these wordes that Paule spake vnto the Kéeper Beléeue in the Lord Iesu doe discharge him from beleeuing in the other two persons of the holie Trinitie Of the Baptime of Infants Note héere that the Fathers made a league with God not onelie for themselues but also for their posteritie as God againe for his part promised them that he would be the God not onelie of them but also of their séede and post eritie wherefore it was lawfull for them to circumcise their children béeing yet Infants And in like manner it is lawfull for vs to baptise our little ones being yet Infants forasmuch also as they are comprehended in the league For they which haue now the thing it selfe there is nothing that can let but that they maie receiue the signe It is manifestlie written in the. 29. Chapter of Deu. That the league was made not onelie with them which was present but also with them which was absent and not yet borne Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 75. Concerning young children because their faith is vnknowen to vs it is requisite that they be partakers of yâ— fruites of the sacraments and it is not verie likelie that they haue faith because they haue not the vse of vnderstanding except God doe worke in them extraordinarilie the which appeareth not to vsâ— neuerthelesse we cease not to communicate to them Baptime First forasmuch as there is now the same cause in Baptime which was sometime in Circumcision which is called by Saint Paule the seale of righteousnesse which is by faith and also by expresse commaundement of God the male children were marked the eight daie Secondlie there is a speciall regard to be had to the Infants of the faithfull For although they haue not faith in effect such as those haue that be of age yet so it is that they haue the séede and the spring in vertue of the promise which was receiued and apprehended by the Elders For God promiseth not vs onelie to be our God if we beleeue in him but also that he will be the God of our ofspring and séed yea vnto a thousand degrees that is to the last end Therfore said Saint Paule that the children of the faithful be sanctified from their mothers wombe By what right or title then doe they refuse to giue them the marke ratification of that thing which they haue possesse alreadie And if they alleadge yet further that although they come of faithful Elders or parents it followeth not yâ— they be of the number of the elect by consequent they be sanctified For God hath not chosen all the children of Abraham and Isaac The aunswere is easie to be made that it is true all those be not of the kingdome of God which be borne of faithfull parents but of good right we leaue this secret to GOD for to iudge which onelie knoweth it yet notwithstanding wée presume â—â—stlie to be the children of God all those which be issued descended from faithfull parents according to the promise Forasmuch as it appeareth not to vs the contrarie According to the same we baptise the young children of the faithful as they haue vsed and done from the Apostles time in the Church of God we doubt not but God by this marke ioined with the praiers of the church which is their assistaunt doth seale the adoption election in those which he hath predestmate eternallie whether they die before they come to age of discretion or whether they liue to bring foorth the fruites of their faith in due time and according to the meanes which God hath ordeined Beza The place alleadged of the Anâ—baptists is in the Actes where the Eunuche was not permitted to be baptised before confession made of his faith ¶ The aunswere is made thus that that was done to the Eunuche must not be drawen to the Infants of Christians rashlie to kéepe them from Baptime which onelie is to be obserued in straâ—ngers to religion those that are of full age For we affirme that such as are strangers from the Church of Christ as sometimes were the Iewes and Gentiles and as are at this daie the Iewes and Turkes and other such like ought not to be baptised vntill they haue made profession of their faith But the reason of Infants borne of Christians is of a farre other sort and case for they are accounted among the children and household of the Church by reason of the lawe of Couenaunt They be holie and Christ commaundeth them to be brought vnto him It is manifest they please God because their Angels alwaies sée the face of the father And although our capacitie cannot conceiue their state and condition yet Christ testifieth they haue faith and that they haue the Holie Ghost the examples of Iohn Baptist and others teach vs. Gualter fol. 385. How baptime is no baptime but to the childe Christ bidde the Church to baptise in the name of the Father the Sonne and the holie Ghost If a Priest saie these words ouer the water and there be no child to be baptised these words onelie pronounced doe not make Baptime And againe Baptime is onelie Baptime to such as be baptised and not to anie other standing by As Baptime is no Baptime but to the childe that is baptised and not to the standers by so the Sacrament of the bodie is no Sacrament but to them that worthelie receiue Whereas Saint Austen saith that Infants are baptised In Fide Susceptorum in the faith of their Godfathers yet in so saieng hée meaneth of the faith of Christ which the Godfathers doe or ought to beléeue and none otherwise Iohn Philpot in the booke of Martirs Significations of baptime As the people of God in the time of Iosua were conueied through the water of Iordane into the Land of promise following the Arke of God which the Priest bare before them euen so are all we that beléeue in Christ conueied out of the Kingdome of Satan into the Kingdome of God by Baptime following our Arke Christ which is gone before vs. The passing of Helias through the water of Iordane and so lifte vp into Heauen doth signifie in a shadow to vs that our passage into Heauen should be made by Baptime The cleansing of Naaman the Sirian in the Water of Iordane from the filthie Leprosie at the commaundement of Helias doth prefigure vnto vs the spirituall cleansing from sinnes to be made by Baptime through the inwarde working of the holie Spirit That Baptime should be a figure of Christs death buriall and resurrection is proued by that he termed his passion by the name of Baptime when he aunswered the children of Zebedy on this wise Can ye be baptised with the Baptime that I am baptised withall Hemmyng Considerations of baptime We must be fullie resolued that
times alwaies his praise shall be in my mouth Chrisostome saith when God is blessed and thanks be giuen of men vnto him then more plentious blessing is wont to be giuen of him for their sakes by whom he is blessed For he that blesseth maketh him debter of a greater blessing Calfehill fol. 116. By blessing vnderstand not the wagging of the popes or Bishops hand ouer thy head but praier as when we saie GOD make thée a good man Christ put his spirit in thée or giue thée grace and power to walke in the truth to followe his commaundemēts as Rebeccaes friends blessed hir when she departed saieng Thou art our sister growe into thousand thousands thy séed possesse the gates of their enimies And as Isaac blessed Iacob saieng God giue thée of the dew of heauen and of the fatnesse of the earth abundance of corne wine and oile And Gen. 28. 3. Almightie God blesse thée and make thée grow and multiplie thée that thou maist be a great multitude of people giue to thée and to thy séede after thee the blessing of Abraham that thou maist possesse the land wherein thou art a straunger which he promised to thy grandfather such like Tindale fol. 145. What Gods blessings are Gods blessings are his giftes as in the first Chapter of Genesis he blessed them saieng Grow and multiplie haue dominion And in the. 9. Chapter he blessed Noe his sonnes and gaue dominion ouer all beasts authoritie to eate them And God blessed Abraham with cattel and other riches And Iacob desired Esau to receiue the blessing which he brought him that is the present and gift God blessed the. 7. daie That is gaue it a preheminence that men should rest therein from bodilie labour and learne to know the wil of God and his lawes how to worke their works godlie all the wéeke after God also blessed all nations in Abrahams séed that is he turned his loue and fauour vnto them giueth them his spirit and knowledge of the true waie and lust and power to walke therein and all for Christs sake Abrahams sonne Tindale fol. 5. Who is blessed and sanctified of God He is blessed which kéepeth himselfe that which he is by new birth that is to wit which continueth in walking in newnes of life according to the which Christ saith Blessed are they which heare the word of God and kéepe it Luke 11. 28. Also Blessed is he to whom the Lord imputeth no sin in whose heart there is no guile Psal. 32. 1. 2. Rom. 4. 8. Marl. vpon the Apoc. fol. 276. ¶ Blessed is that man of the Lord yea holie iust and perfect maie he be reported also of all men which hath portion conuenient in y◠first resurrection with Dauid Magdalene Zacheus Peter Happy are they which hearing the word of God retaineth it in their liuing for they being renued with the glad tidings of life are depured by the spirit of Christ sanctified so made the habitacles of the holie Ghost Bale vpon the Apoc. fol. 59. Some peraduenture will aske who be they that be blessed and sanctified of God truelie all they whome Christ hath sanctified in his bloud and washed their sinnes in his bloud that hath faith and doth beléeue their sinnes onelie to bée taken awaie by Christ and his bloudshed for their remission of sinnes which will beléeue surelie till they die These be they which be truelie hallowed and sanctified in God the father and these bée holie and blessed whether men do blesse them or curse them Other there be that be sanctified as of men and of the Pope of the Cardinalls of Bishops or Abbots but these be not holie nor blessed except that Christ hath sanctified them in his bloud and hath remission of their sinnes by Iesus Christ which thing they beléeue surelie or els they be not sanctified of God nor blessed be they neuer so oftentimes blessed of the popes holy hand and all his thrée crosses with all the miters of his Cardinalls and Bishops Bibliander in the exposition of Iude. Of the sacramentall blessing Iesus tooke bread blessed c. ¶ To blesse is not to make a crosse but rather to giue thanks as he himselfe doth expresse by by when he speaketh of the cup. Againe where Marke vseth this word blessed Mathew Luke and Paule doe saie he gaue thanks both in Gréeke and in the Latine Sir I. Cheeke And when he had blessed ¶ Marke saith had giuen thanks and therefore blessing is not a consecrating with a coniuring of murmuring force of words and yet the bread the wine are chaunged not in nature but in qualitie for they become vndoubted tokens of the bodie and bloud of Christ not of their owne nature and force of words but by Christ his institution which must be recited and laied foorth that faith maie finde what to laie holde on both in the word and the element Beza The cup of blessing which we blesse c. ¶ When I spake saith Chrisostome of blessing I spake of thanksgiuing and speaking of thanksgiuing I open all the treasure of the goodnesse of God and rehearse those great giftes of his For with the cup we adde the vnspeakable benefites of God and whatsoeuer we haue obteined So we come vnto him we communicate with him thanking him that he hath deliuered mankinde from errour that when we had no hope and were wicked persons he admitted vs brothers and companions to himselfe with those and such other rendrings of thankes we come vnto him Héere ye sée what Chrisostome tooke blessing to be Calfehil fol. 106. What it is to blesse the Lords name Blessed be the name of the Lord. ¶ We maie not onelie picke out the words but also consider of what minde they procéede and that they be spoken trulie and vnfainedlie for how is it possible that we should blesse the name of God if we doe not first acknowledge him to be righteous But he that grudgeth against God as though he were cruell and vnkinde cursseth God because that as much as in him lieth he lifteth himselfe vp against him He that acknowledgeth not God to be his father and himselfe to be Gods childe ne yéeldeth record of his goodnesse blesseth not God And why so For they which taste not of the mercie and grace that God sheweth vnto men when he afflicteth them must néedes grinde their téeth at him and cast vp and vomit out some poyson against him Therefore to blesse the Lords name importeth as much as to perswade our selues that he is iust and righteous of his owne nature and not onelie that but also that he is good and merciful Lo◠héere how we maie blesse Gods name after the example of Iob that is by acknowledging his Iustice and vprightnesse and moreouer also his grace and fatherlie goodnesse towards vs c. Caluine vpon Iob. fol. 32. ¶ Héereby he confesseth that
intent that we should followe him and thereby haue purgation for our sinnes For beside that it is impossible to followe him without an especiall worke of the spirit either in that he fasted fortie daies or in that he was neuer hungrie This were a plaine deniall of the benefits of his passion and the setting vp of our owne worke which is vnperfect For what great matter is it to eate meate but once euerie daie to drink two or thrée times many haue so liued in old yâ— time And what holines is it to eat fish onelie do not Cormerants and such as liue by the sea side liue so like wise Christ hath commaunded vs to followe him in loue peace mercie such like But in this example as a thing impossible we haue no such commaundement except we be drawne into wildernesse by the spirit as Christ was or by anie other worke of God we be destitute of food the comfort of creatures Then loe yâ— example of Christ may strength vs teach that not by bread onelie doe we liue but by euerie word that procéed out of the mouth of God A. G. fol. 187. Why Christ is called holie ¶ Looke Holie Why Christ is called true ¶ Looke True Why Christ was borne of a woman Whie was Christ borno of a woman truelie because â—nne and death ouerflowed the world through the first woman hee worketh the mysterie of life and righteousnesse by an other woman that the blame of sinne should not be imputed to the creature which is good but to the will by which Eue sinned R. Hutehynson Why Christ died for vs. And I was dead ¶ This cannot be verified of the Angels because they be inuisible and immortall spirits But Christ to obeie his Father and to wash awaye the sinnes of mankinde was contented to yéeld himself to death for a time to the intent that he might at length by death destroie him that had yâ— power of death that is to wit the diuell and set them at libertie which for feare of death were subiect to bondage all their lyfe long Heb. 2. 14. 15 for euen from the beginning God purposed vpon the sacrifice wherin Christ the true shepheard of all men gaue his life for his sheepe Iohn 10. 15. 17. And like as Christ the head of the Church entered into his glorie by death Luke 24. 26. So becommeth it all the godlie to die with him that they maie be glorified together with him according as Paule teacheth Rom. 8. 17. 2. Timo. 2. 12. 13. and Acts. 14. 22. Marl. fol. 27. Christ died for vs. ¶ They alleadge also that Christ died for vs all and thereof they inferre that his benefits is common to all men which thing we also will easilie graunt if onelie the worthinesse of the death of Christ be considered for as touching it it might be sufficient for al the sinnes of the world but although in it selfe it bée sufficient yet it neither had nor hath nor shall haue effect in all men which thing the schoolemen also confesse when they affirme that Christ hath redéemed all men sufficientlie but not effectuallie for there vnto it is necessarie that the death of Christ be healthfull vnto vs that we take holde of it which cannot otherwise be done then by â—aith which faith is the gift of God and not giuen to all men Pet. Mar. vpon the Rom. fol. 305 Obiection why did Christ choose to die vpon the crosse before other kinde of death Aunsvvere Truly because this kinde of death is accursed all that die on it as it is written Cursed is euerie one that hangeth on tree for so it commeth to passe that Christ was accursed for vs to deliuer vs from Gods curse as Paule saith Christ hath deliuered vs from the curse of the law in that he was made accursed for vs. R. Hutchynson The time and houre of Christs crucifieng One of the Euangellsts saith yâ— Christ was crucified the third houre the other the sixt houre Augustine affirmeth both to be true for yâ— Iews at the third houre cried Crucifie crucifie wherefore as touching them they slue the Lord then who yet was afterward at the sixt houre crucified by the souldiers of Pilate Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 166. Of Christs calling vpon God in his passion My God my God whâ—e hast thou forsaken me ¶ NotwithstaÌ„nding yâ— he feeleth himselfe as it were wounded with Gods wrath forsaken for our sinnes yet he ceaseth not to put his confidence in God and call vpon him which is written to teach vs in all afflictions fo trust still in God be the assalts neuer so greeuous vnto the flesh Geneua How Christ baptised and baptised not Though that Iesus himselfe baptised not but his disciples ¶ It is said in the 22. verse of the chapter going before yâ— Christ was in Iewrie that he there baptised the which Saint Iohn heere expoundeth saieng that he baptised by his disciples Therefore the Lord baptised baptised not For he baptised because it was he yâ— cleansed washed purified the sinne He baptised not bicause he vsed not the outward sacrament of dipping or ducking in the water The Disciples vsed the ministerie of the bodie And he ioyned therewith his maiestie grace Therfore the Lord baptised by the ministerie of his Disciples Marl. fol. 10â— Of Christs humanitie The Marin Vigilius saith Dei filius secundu humanitatem c. The sonne of God according to his manhood is departed from vs according to his Godhead he is euer with vs. Vigilius li 2. contra Euti Cyrillus saith Secundum carnem c. according to the flesh onelie he would depart but by the presence of his Godhead he is euer present Cyrillus in Iohn li. 9. cap. 21. Gregorie saith Verlium incarnatâ—m manet recaedet c. The word incarnate both abâ—deth with vs and departeth from vs. It abideth with vs by the Godhead it departeth from vs by the bodie or manhood â— Gregorie de pasc homi 30. Augustin saith Ibat per id quod home erat c. Christ departed by yâ— he was maÌ„ abode by yâ— he was God He departed by that yâ— he was in one place he abod by yâ— yâ— he was in al places The heauens saith Saint Peter must containe and holde him vntill the time that all things bée restored Act. 3. 21. Cyrillus saith Christus non poterat c. Christ could not be conuersant with his Apostles in his flesh after he ascended vnto the Father Cyril in Iohn li. 11. chap. 3. Of Christs descending into hell three opinions Lyra saith yâ— Christs soule was 39. houres in Lymbo sanctoru patrum In yâ— place wher yâ— soules of yâ— holie Patriarks wer reserued kept till Christs coÌ„ming he saith yâ— Christs soule was 39. houres in yâ— place which he calleth Lymbus yâ— is to saie froÌ„ yâ— 9. houre
of tongue in suppressing of anger in cutting off concupiscence back biting lieâ—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 maiâ— be the quickeâ— 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 〈…〉 â—ditation and to those praiers which thou offereâ—â— to God or els for aâ—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 â—nâ—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 yâ— 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 yâ— 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 betwéeneâ— Christmas and Candelmas All these men fast without conscience God without knowledge of the true intent of fasting do none othâ—â—â—â—â—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 confideÌ„ce 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 thouâ—aâ—â— in thy Sacrifice were cleane without falt altogether vnsauerie in the taâ—â—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 daâ—es we ought to fast Saint Austeniâ—â—â—th Quibus die bus oporteâ—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 laâ—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 â—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
of the letters but the Gospell is in the marking of the sentence of Scriptures This sentence approueth Saint Paule saieng thus The kingdome of God is not in worde but in vertue and Dauid saith The voice of the Lorde that is his worde is in vertue And after Dauid saith Through the worde of God the heauens were made And in the spirit of his mouth is all the vertue of them In the booke of Mar. fol. 644. An exposition of this place following For I am not ashamed of the Gospell ¶ The Gospell is that heauenly message which declareth vnto vs yâ— Iesus Christ is the power of God in whom and by whom God doth set foorth vnto the world all his heauenlie treasures that whosoeuer doth beléeue in him whether he be a Romaine or a Iew Gréeke or other he should not perish but haue lyfe euerlasting Sir I. Cheeke Saint Bede affirmeth that in his time and almost a thousand yeares after Christ héere in Britaine Easter was kept after the manner of the East church in the full moone what daie in the wéeke so euer it fell on and not on the Sundaie as wée doe now whereby it is to be collected that the first preachers in this land haue come out froÌ„ the East part of yâ— world where it was so vsed rather then from Rome Petrus Cluniacensis writing to Barnard affirmeth that the Scottes in his time did celebrate their Easter not after the Romaine manner but after the Gréeks And as the sayd Britaines were not vnder the Romaines in the time of this Abbot of Cluniake So neither were they nor would bee vnder the Romaine Legate in the time of Gregorie nor woulde admit anie primacie of the Bishop of Rome to be aboue them Ghildas saith that Ioseph of Aramathia that tooke downe Christ from the crosse béeing sent hether by Philip the Apostle out of Fraunce he beganne to preach the Gospell first in this Realme in the time of Tiberius the Emperour Nicephorus saith that Symon Zelottes about the same time came into this land and did the like Theodoretus sayth that Saint Paule immediatly after his first deliuerie in Rome vnder the Emperour Nero preched the Gospell in this Ilande and in other Countries of the West Tertulian saith of his time that the countries of Britaiâ—e which the Romaines could neuer attaine vnto are now subiâ—ct to Christ. Origen saith the same GOATE How this Goate doth figure Christ. PUtting them vpon the head of the Goat ¶ Héere this Goat is a true signe of Iesus Christ who beareth the sinnes of the people Esay 53. 5. Geneua Why it is called the scape Goate And the other for a scape Goate ¶ In the Hebrew it is called Azazel which some saie is a mountaine néere Sinai whether this Goate was sent but rather is called scape Goate because it was not offered but sent into the desart as verse 21. Geneua GRACE What Grace is BY grace vnderstand the fauour of God and also the gifte of working of the spirit in vs as loue kindnesse patience obedience mercifulnesse despising of worldlie thinges peace concord and such like Tindale The true definition of grace The true definition of Grace and agréeing to the holy scriptures is the free beneuolence of God whereby he counteth vs déere in Christ Iesus and forgiueth vs our sinnes giueth the holie Ghost an vpright life and eternall felicitie by this definition is séene not onlie what we call grace but also by whom we haue it and with all the principall effects thereof Pet. Mar. vpon the Rom. fol. 140. Receiued grace of all Apostleship ¶ Grace is throughout all the Epistles of Paule taken for the fauour and frée mercie of God whereby he saueth vs fréelie without anie desertes or workes of the lawe In like maner peace is taken for the tranquilitie of the conscience being fullie perswaded that through the merites of Christs death and bloud-shedding there is an attonement and peace made betwéene God and vs so that God will no more impute our sinnes vnto vs nor yet condemne vs. Sir I. Cheeke What it is to reiect grace To reiect and refuse the grace of God is to séeke righteousnesse by the law or to deserue grace by our owne righteousnes What difference is betweene grace and gift Grace properlie is Gods fauour beneuolence or kind mind which of his owne selfe without deseruing of vs he beareth vnto vs wherby he was moued inclined to giue Christ vnto vs with all his other gifts of grace Gift is the holie Ghost his working whom he powreth into the hearts of theÌ„ on whom he hath mercie whom he fauoureth Though the gifts of yâ— spirit increase in vs dailie haue not yet the full perfection yea though there remaine in vs yet euill lusts sinne which fight against the spirit as he saith héere in the seauenth Chapter and in the fift to the Galathians and as it was spoken before in the third Chapter of Genesis of the debate betwéene the womans seede and the séede of the Serpent yet neuerthelesse GODS fauour is so greate and so strong ouer vs for Christs sake that wee are counted for full whole and perfect before God For Gods fauour towardes vs diuideth not her selfe increasing a lyttle and little as doe the giftes but receyueth vs whole and altogether in full loue for Christes sake our intercessour and Mediatour And because the giftes of the spirite and the battell betwéene the spirite and euill lustes are begunne in vs alreadie Of this nowe vnderstande thou the. 7. Chapter where Paule accuseth himselfe as a sinner and yet in the 8. Chapter sayth There is no dampnation to them that are in Christ and that because of the spirite and because the gifts of the spirite are begunne Sinners wée are because the flesh is not full killed and mortified Neuerthelesse in as much as we beléeue in Christ and haue the earnest and beginning of the spirite and woulde faine bée perfect GOD is so louing and fauourable vnto vs that he will not looke on such sin neither will count it as sinne but will deale with vs according to our beliefe in Christ and according to his promises which hée hath sworne to vs vntill the sinne bée full slaine in vs and mortified by death Tindale in his Prol. to the Rom. The difference betweene grace and the Lawe Chrisostome noteth certeine diefferences betwéene the Lawe and Grace The Lawe sayth hée setteth â—oorth a Crowne but first requireth workes and battailes Grace first crowneth and afterwarde bringeth vnto the battayle By this hée teacheth that the righteousnesse which is set forth the Lawe is obteined by workes for wée cannot bée iustified by the lawe vnlesse wée haue accomplished all the thinges which are commaunded in the lawe But that other righteousnesse which wée haue by grace through fayth doth first crowne vs with a newe generation and adoption to be the children of
to accuse you that being accused ye should feare fearing you should craâ—e pardon not presume of your owne strength Againe The law was giuen for this purpose of great to make little to shew that thou hast no strengh of thine owne to righteousnesse that thou as poore vnworthy and néedie shouldst flye vnto grace After he furneth his speach to God saith Doe so Lord doe so mercifull Lordâ— commaund that which cannot be fulfilled yea command that which cannot but by thy grace be fulfilled that when men cannot fulfill it by their owne strength euery mouth maye bee stopped no man may think himselfe great Let all be litle ones let al yâ— world be guiltie before thée Ca. in his In. 2. b. ca. 7. se. 9. How the lawe was giuen by Moses The lawe was giuen by Moses but grace veritie came by Iesus Christ. ¶ This place doth Tindale in his exposition of the 5. 6. 7. of S. Mathew expound on this wise Though Moses saith he gaue the lawe yet he gaue no man grace to doe it nor to vnderstand it aright or wrote it in any mans hart to consent that it was good and to wish after power to fulfill it But Christ giueth grace to doe it and to vnderstand it aright and writeth it with his holy spirit in the tables of the hearts of men and maketh it a true thing there and no hypocrisie Folio 184. How we are dead through the lawe But I through the lawe am dead to the lawe that I might liue vnto God ¶ But I through the lawe am dead to the lawe that is by the lawe of libertie grace graunted in Christ I am deliuered from the lawe of bondage ministred by Moses and from the burthen and cursse thereof Tindale ¶ Are dead concerning the lawe by the body of Christ. ¶ Because the body of Christ is made an offering and a sacrifice for our sinnes whereby God is pleased and his wrath appeased for Christs sake the Holy Ghost is giuen to all beléeuers whereby the power of sinne is in vs daily weakned we are accounted dead to the lawe for that the lawe hath no dominion ouer vs. The Bible note ¶ Looke Vnder the lawe How the Lawe increaseth sinne But the lawe in the meane time entred in that sinne should increase ¶ The lawe increaseth sinne and maketh our nature more gréedie to doe euill because the law ministreth no power nor lust to yâ— the biddeth or to refrain from yâ— the forbiddeth Tin Why the lawe is called the messenger of death The lawe is called the messenger of death namely becaus that if we haue no more but the doctrine that is contained in the lawe we shall be vtterly ouerwhelmed afore God we shal be cast away without any remedy Then if God indite vs but according to the forme of yâ— lawe he shall discouer filthines inough in vs. Cal. vpon Iob. fo 172. What the lawe of God requireth The lawe of God requireth loue from the bottome of the heart and cannot be satisfied nor fulfilled with the workes therof as mans lawe is for the lawe is spirituall as S. Paule saith Rom. 7. which no earthly creature by his owne strength enforcement is able to fulfill but by the operation and working of the spirit of God Tindale What it is to be vnder the lawe To be vnder the lawe is to deale with the workes of the law and to worke without the spirit and grace for so long no doubt sinne raigneth in vs through the lawe that is to say the lawe declareth that we are vnder sinne and that sinne hath power and domination ouer vs séeing we cannot fulfill the lawe namely with the heart forasmuch as no man of nature fauoureth the lawe consenteth therevnto and delighteth therein which thing is excéeding great sinne yâ— we cannot consent to the lawe which lawe is nothing els but the will of God c. So that to be vnder the lawe is not to be able to fulfill the lawe but to be debter to it and not able to paye that which the Lawe requireth c. Tindale ¶ To be vnder the lawe is nothing els but to be bounde or subiect vnto sinne for the law through sinne condemneth vs as guiltie But to be dead vnto the law is nothing els but to haue that extinguished in vs by which the law accuseth and condemneth vs and that is the olde man the flesh naturall lust corruption of nature when these things be once dead in vs that Christ liueth and raigneth in vs we can by no meanes be condemned by the law c. Pet. Mar. vpon the Rom. fol. 161. What it is not to be vnder the Lawe Not to be vnder the lawe is to haue a frée hart renued with the spirite so that thou hast lust inwardly of thine own accord to do that which the lawe commaundeth without compulsion yea though there were no lawe Tin in his pro. to the Rom. Why Paule calleth the booke of Genesis the lawe Tell me ye that would be vnder the law c. ¶ Why doth Paule call the booke of Genesis out of the which he alledgeth the historie of Ismael and Isaac the Lawe séeing that booke containeth nothing at all concerning the law but onely containeth a plaine historie of Abrahams two children Paule is wont to call the first booke of Moses the law after the manner of the Iewes which although it containe no lawe besides the lawe of circumcision but the principall doctrine thereof is concerning faith and that Patriarks pleased God because of their faith yet the Iewes notwithstanding onely because of the law of circumcision which is there contained called the booke of Genesis the lawe as well as the other bookes of Moses so did Paule himselfe also being a Iewe. And Christ vnder the title of the lawe comprehendeth not onely the bookes of Moses but also the Psalmes Iohn 15. 25. But it is that the words might be fulfilled which were writen in the lawe They hated me without a cause Luther vpon the Gal. fol. 205. How the lawe is impossible for a man to fulfill The Pelagians saith S. Austen thinke themselues cunning men when they say God would not commaund that thing that he knoweth a man is not able to doe who is there that knoweth not this But therefore God commaundeth vs to do some thing that we are not able to doe that we may vnderstand what we ought to craue of him Iewel fol. 3â—7 ¶ And the law had righteousnes but for a time not because it could iustifie before the Lord for it could not so forgiue sinne that of sinners it could make them iust But to this end it was giuen that it might be a terrour prouoking men to a godly life punishing the disobedient and vnreuerent persons Therefore is not a lawe giuen which can giue life but condempne I. Gough
Churches in this sorte Although a man had lyen with our Ladye Christs mother and had begotte her with childe yet were he able by the Popes pardons to pardon the fact How he wrote to Pope Leo. In the yeare of our Lorde 1518. the tenth yeare of King Henry the eight Luther wrote first to Leo Biopsh of Rome concerning the vse of pardons and in certeine priuate disputations called in doubt diuerse things concerning the Bishops supremacie for which after he was troubled lastly proclaimed an heretike vnder the defence and maintenaunce of Frederike◠Duke of Saxonie he preached writ against his power All Germanie soone after forsooke the Bishop of Rome and so was the whole state of Religion by his meanes altered among them Sleadane How he was troubled with the lusts of the flesh When I was a Monke I thought by and by that I was vtterly cast away if at any time I felt the lust of the flesh that is to saye if I felt any euill motion fleshly lust wrath hatred or enuie against my brother I assaide manie wayes to helpe to quiet my conscience but it wold not be for the concupiscence and lust of my flesh did alwaies returne so that I coulde not rest but was continually vexed with these thoughts This or that sinne thou hast committed Thou art infected with enuy with impaciencie and such other sinnes therefore thou art entered in this holy order in vaine and all thy good works are vnprofitable If then I had rightly vnderstood the sentences of Saint Paule The flesh lusteth contrary to the spirite and the spirit contrary to the flesh and these two are one against another so that ye cannot doe the things that ye would do I shuld not haue so miserablye tormented my selfe but shoulde haue thought and sayde vnto my selfe as now commonlye I doe Martin thou shalt not vtterlye be without sinne for thou hast flesh thou shalt therefore féele the battell thereof according to that saieng of S. Paule The flesh resisteth the spirit Dispaire not therefore but resist it strongly and fulfill not the lusts therof thus doing thou art not vnder the lawe c. Luther vpon the Gal. fol. 251. Let all troubled consciences comfort themselues by this example of Martin Luther and say as he sayde The question that Luther put foorth a little before his death Luther a little before his death moued this question to his friends as they sate at supper Whether we should know one an other in the lyfe to come or no and when they were al desirous to learne of him What saith he chaunced to Adam He had neuer seene Eue but what time god shaped her he was cast into a meruailous dead and sound sléepe But awaking out of the same when he sawe her he asked not whence shée is nor whence shée came but sayth Shée is flesh of his flesh and bone of his bones But howe knewe he that Uerily béeing full of the holy Ghost and replenished with true knowledge of God he spake thus In lyke manner shall we also in another life bée renued with Christ and shall knowe more perfectlye our parents wiues children and whatsoeuer is besides then Adam that time knew Eue. Sleadane Luthers praier before his death O God my heauenly Father the father of our Lord Iesus Christ and of all consolation I giue thée thanks that thou hast reuealed vnto me thy sonne Iesus Christ whome I haue beléeued whome I haue professed whome I haue loued whom I haue set foorth and honoured whome the Bishoppe of Rome and all that wicked rabell doe persecute and dishonour I beséech thée my Lorde Iesus Christ receiue my soule my heauenly Father although I be taken out of this lyfe albeit I must leaue this bodye yet knowe I assuredly that I shall remaine with thée for euer and that no man can take me out of thy hand Slea What sects is sayd to rise out of him Looke Sect. Macedonius Of his crueltie and tumult he caused in the Church MAcedonius a Priest of Constantinople taught that the holy Ghost was a creature and no God Betwéene this man and one Paulus was great strife whether of them should succéede Alexander in the Bishoprick of Constantinople So that Hermogenes maister of the chiualrie was slaine of the people when he came with the Emperours authoritie to stablish Macedonius whom the Arrians fauoured And being Bishoppe of Constantinople he practised extreame crueltie in the Church constraining the Christians to receiue the Communion with the Arrians in such wise that if women or children refused to doe the same he did either cut off their paps or by such other cruell torments force them therevnto He caused much tumult and businesse in the Church till at last a Sinode was assembled at Constantinople of 180. Bishops against him Cooper ¶ Macedonius at the first being an Arrian deposed by Acacius sect could not quiet himselfe but fell from the Arrians into an other heresie He denied the Godhead of the holye Ghost terming him the seruant and drudge of the Father and of the sonne This opinion they say Marathonius Bishop of Nicomedia taught before him These heretiks be called Pneumatomachoi Socrat. li. 2. chap. 25. Epiph. haeraes 73. MAGI What the Magies were BEholde there came wise men from the East to Hierusalem ¶ Wise men or Magi in the Persians tongue signifieth Philosophers Priestes or Astronomers and are héere the first fruites of the Gentiles that came to worshippe Christ. Geneua ¶ The wise men called Magi that came fom the East were neither kings nor Princes but as Strabo sayth which was in their time sage men among the Persians as Moses was among the Hebrewes He saith also that they were the Priests of the Persians Tindale MAGISTRATE What a Magistrate is THE worde Magistrate is deriued from Maister and signifieth the authoritie office of them which do eyther by right of inheritance gouerne subiects peoples or cities either haue y◠rule appointed thē by free electiō choise some do deriue the word Maister from the Latin Aduerbe Magis which is to say More for that master can do no more them others and excelling them in dignitie and authoritie Some doe drawe the worde Maister from the Gréeke word Menisos which signifieth greatest But whether that Maister come of the Aduerbe Magis either of the Greeke word Mènisos euerie way Magistrates do represent y◠authoritie office of Maisters And we be also therby enformed that it were méete for them which doe rule others to aduance and passe them whome they do rule in the prerogatiue of wisdome and authoritie Musc. fol. 546. How Magistrates are the Ministers of Gods iustice As the true Church doth acknowledge the ministers of the Gospell as the true ministers of God ordeined by him for the administration of spirituall things euen so doe shee knowledge the Magistrates as ministers of his iustice ordeined of him for the confirmation of the publike peace and
works that I haue they come of thée First of all thou must beléeue that thou canst not haue remission of sinnes but through pardon and forgiuenesse of God And then next that thou canst haue no good worke except hée giue it thée Last of all that euerlasting life cannot be deserued with any workes except it be giuen vnto thee also fréely What worthy thing doe we that we maye be founde in the heauenly spirits The Apostle saith I iudge that the afflictions of this time are not worthy of that glory that shall be reuealed in vs therefore I take him to be the sounder Diuine the faithfuller Catholike and more agréeable to the holy scriptures that vtterly denyeth all such kinde of merits Waldensis in his booke against Wicleffe Meritum meum c. My merite saith Saint Barnard is the mercie of God So long as God is not poore of mercie so long cannnot I be poore of merite If his mercie bee great then am I great in merite This is the whole merite of man if he put his whole affiaunce in the Lord. Forasmuch as all men are shut vp and closed vnder sinne now the saluation of man standeth not in mans merits but in Gods mercie For nothing thou shouldest saue them What is meant by these words For nothing thou shouldest saue them This is the meaning Thou findest nothing in them wherefore thou shouldest saue them and yet thou sauest them Thou findest nothing wherefore thou shouldest saue them but thou findest wherefore thou shouldest saue them but thou findest wherefore thou shouldest condemne them Aug de verbis Apostoli sermo 15. Againe Deserued paine would throwe all men into death vnlesse the vndeserued grace of God deliuered some from it Trust in mens merits leadeth to desperation and therefore S. Cypriane saith They teach vs night in stéede of day destruction in stéede of health desperation vnder the colour of hope infidelitie vnder the pretence of faith Antichrist vnder the name of Christ. Doth he thanke that seruaunt ¶ Christ doth héere with a lyuely example teach vs that nothing is due to our merites or much rather that we deserue nothing at all Our duetie is to walke diligently and with all feare in the commaundements of God and if he rewardeth vs any thing it is of his mercie and goodnesse Sir I. Cheeke How the name of merite ought to be abolished The name of merit if we will speake properly ought to be banished out of our mouths I knowe that the fathers somtimes vsed that word but yet not properly But that worde is not found in all the holy Scriptures For the nature of merite is that there be a iust proportion and equall consideration betwéene that which is giuen and that which is taken But betwéene the good things which we looke for those things which we either suffer or doe there is no proportion or agréement For Saint Paule saith that the passions of this time are not worthy the glory to come which shall be reuealed in vs. Farther merit hath ioyned vnto it debt which thing Paule testifieth when he saith that to him which worketh reward is rendered according vnto debt is not imputed according to grace Which selfe same Paule writeth expresly that the grace of God is eternall life Lastly vnto the nature of merite there is required that that which is giuen pertaineth to the giuer and be not due vnto him which receiueth it but workes are not of our selues for they are called the gifte of God which he worketh in vs. Wherefore Augustine verye wisely saith that God doeth crowne his giftes in vs. Now if our workes be due vnto him which we cannot denie then vndoubtedly the nature of merite is vtterly taken away c. Pet. Mart. vpon the Rom. fol. 39. Saint Austen saith Let merites of men héere holde theyr peace which haue perished by Adam and let the grace of God raigne by Iesus Christ. Againe The Saints giue nothing to their owne merits they will giue all to none but to thy mercie O God In another place When man seeth that whatsoeuer good he hath he hath it not of himselfe but from his God he séeeth that all that is praised in him is not of his owne merites but of the mercie of God You sée how taking from men yâ— power of dooing well he also throweth downe the dignitie of merit And Chrisostome saith Our workes if there be any which followe the frée calling of God are repaiment and debt but the gifts of God and grace and bountifulnesse and the greatnesse of liberall giuing But leauing the name lette vs looke vpon the thing I haue verely before alledged a sentence out of Barnard as it sufficeth to merit not to presume to merite so to want merits sufficeth to iudgment but by adding foorthwith an exposition he sufficiently mitigateth the hardnesse of yâ— word where he saith Therefore care thou to haue merites when thou hast them knowe that they are giuen hope for fruit the mercie of God and so thou hast escaped all daunger of pouertie vnthankfulnesse and presumption Happy is the Church which neither wanteth merites without presumption nor presumption without merites And a little before he had largely shewed how godly a meaning he vsed For of merites saith he why should the Church be carefull which hath a stedfaster and a surer cause to glory of the purpose of God God cannot denye himselfe he will doe that which he hath promised If there be no cause why shouldest aske by what meanes may we hope for good things Specially when thou hearest sayd Not for your sakes but for my sake it sufficeth to merite to know that merites suffice not Caluine in his Inst. 3. b. cha 15. sect 2. S. Barnard saith Non est qua gratia intret c. Where merite hath taken vp the roome ther is no place for grace to enter Bar. super Canti Ser. 17. Saint Augustine saith Hoc est electio gratia c. This is the election of grace because 〈…〉 good merites of manâ—â— are preuented For if it were giuen by any good merites then wer it not giuen frée but rendred as ought And by this means it is not by a true name called grace where reward is As the saine Apostle saith it is not imputed according to grace but according to dutie But if that it be true grace yâ— is to say fréely giuen it findeth nought in man to whom it may be worthely owing August lib. de patientia cap. 2. Of two kindes of meriting There be two kindes of meriting that is to say of good and euill The good kinde of meriting is by Christ through Christ for Christ and in Christ. That is by casting all our care on him onely hauing him continually beaten and crucified before our eyes and crucifieng our selues vnto the world hauing no trust in our selues nor in any worke that we can doe or any other for vs setting
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 â—easts For inasmuch as the Hebrewes are wont to recken their months by the Moone they vse hâ—r as the directer of their festiuall daies and as well â—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 hâ—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 Peâ— 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 mortiâ—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 Auguâ— 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 feeâ—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 werâ— preuented by death Then Termuth the Kings daughter excused the childe alleadging that his age had yet â—o discretion And for proofe thereof caused burning coales to bée put to his mouth which the childe with his tongue lickâ—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
as the Romaine Emperours were called Caesars or Augusti But wherehence that word was deriued at the beginning this we may by coniecture gather This Hebrew word Pharao amongest other thinges signifieth to auenge and especiall in the coniugation Hiphil Wherefore I thinke that the wise men of the Aegyptians in those auncient times meant by that surname to signifie what manner a thing the function power of a king is namely that that the Prince is the minister of God who as Paule sayth to the Romanes Beareth the swoorde and is auenger agaynst those that doe euill Wherefore the king of Aegypt so often as hée heard that his might cal to memorie that the auenging of sins and wicked factes perteined vnto his office And the subiects being terrified by that name might be kept in true obedience if yet it may be admitted out of the Hebrew tongue to deriue the Etimologie of an Aegyptian worde c. Pet. Mart. vpon the Rom. fol. 264. How Pharaos heart was hardened both by God and himselfe Suppose that there were a Carter hauing many horses which is continually whipped forwarde neither suffereth hée them to stand still They being driuen forwarde must néedes moue and as many as are whole and sound of legges goe vprightly but if there be any amongst them that haue lame or diseased féete or legges they also goe when they are whipped forward but yet slowly and euill fauouredly for they halt but that halting should not be vnlesse they were driuen forward For when the horses stand still the halting is not perceiued but the beginning of halting that is the disease of lamenesse of the legges the horses haue in themselues and receiue it not at the Carters hand So God forsomuch as he by his mightie working perpetually moueth and stirreth vs vp maketh vs to light vppon diuerse occasions which we for that we are euill cannot vse well But in this similitude this difference ought to be noted that it lieth in the hand of God by his liberal grace and spirit to deliuer vs from sinne graffed in vs by nature when it lyeth not in the power of the Carter to heale the diseased féete of the horses c. Pet. Mar. vpon the Rom. fo 265. Why Pharao was called Leuiathan Thou brakest the head of Leuiathan ¶ I am of opinion saith Caluine that Pharao his army are betokned by way of a Metaphore because such manner of speach is verie rife among the Prophets specially when they intreate of the Aegyptians whose land was susteined with fish of the Sea and the riuer Nilus running through it Not without cause therefore is Pharao termed Leuiathan by reason of the commoditie of the Sea because he reigned there as a Whale in the water Caluine PHARISES What the Pharesies were THe Pharises were among the Iewes certeine men which professed a forme of liuing more straight and deuout then other of that people and were therefore called by that name for Phares in the Hebrew tongue signifieth deuided They professed continence virginitie fast and abstinence from meat twise in the sabboth daies They slept onely vpon boords some vpon stones or else on thornes to kéepe them from stirring of fleshly appetite They ware in their foreheads scrowles of parchment wherein were written the tenne commaundements giueÌ„ by God to Moses which they called Philaterias They had in great reuerence their elders insomuch that they would not with a word displease theÌ„ Notwithstanding they beleeued that all things happened by constellation and yet tooke they not away frée will from man They affirmed that soules are immortall and that God shall come to iudgement Héereby they came into wonderfull credence with people wherby they drew to them great multitudes and of them were diuerse good men among whom was Saint Paule Nichodemus and other which afterward were Christs Disciples although the multitude taking the profession for vaine glorie peruerted that honest forme of liuing into hypocrisie deceiuing the people whome Christ sharpely rebuked and declared their folly And yet with some of them which by likelihood wer good men he dined otherwise vsed them familiarly Eliote As concerning the Pharises Saduces and Esses read Iosephus in his second booke De bello Iudaico These were speciall sectes among the people The Pharises professed the more surer knowledge of right and customes of the lawe they were had in great vneration and reuerence of the people and they gate vnto themselues the greatest part of dominion and rule Neither did they onely oppresse the people with the burden of the prescript lawe but also with their owne traditions in the which thing the Saduces were greatlye against them as we read in Iosephus But they are deceiued which thinke them to be so named of the diuision as though they being seperated froÌ„ the order of the common sort of people might take a degree proper vnto themselues They were called also Pherussâ—â— that is to saie Interpreters because not being content with the simple letter they profesied that they had the way to vnderstande secret mysteries Whereof theâ—e arose a wonderfull mixture confusion of errours when as they taking to themselues the dignitie of maistershippe did with their wicked lust and sense and also with wonderfull pride thrust in stéede of the truth their owne inuentions c. Read Act. 23. 6. Marl. vpon Math. fo 45. When the sect of the Pharises began About the yeare before Christ. 150. through the warres and descention of the Iewes there arose among them sundry sectes and opinions in their religions of which ther were thrée sorts The first were called Pharesei that is segregate or chosen They vsed certeine constitutions of men beside the lawe of Moses by which they were segregate from the residue of the people They reputed themselues better then all other They obserued fained fastes praied commonly in the stréetes that they might be séene and called maisters Their learning was somewhat better then the others for they taught the immortalitie after this life that God wold punish sin They beléeued also Messias to come to saue such as beléeued to iudge such as sinned Lanquet Tindale supposeth the Pharesies were righteous men which had professed not as nowe one Dominicke the other Fraunces and an other Barnardyns rules but euen to holde the very lawe of God with praier fasting and almes déede and were the floure of perfection of all the lawe As Saint Paule reioyseth of himselfe Phil. 3. 5. saieng I am an Hebrewe and as concerning the lawe a Pharesie and concerning the righteousnesse of the lawe was faultlesse Tindale fo 201. What the wickednesse of the pharesies was The wickednesse of the Pharesies was the leauen of their Gloses to the morall lawes by which they corrupted the commaundements of God and maketh them no more Gods and their false fayth in the ceremonies that the bare worke was a sacrifice and a seruice to God the significations lost and opinion of false righteousnesse in their
how God worketh in the outward visible sacrament but his meruailous worke is in the worthy receiuers of the sacraments The wonderful worke of God is not in the water which onely washeth the body but God by his omnipotent power worketh wonderfully in the receiuers therof scouring washing and making them cleane inwardly as it were new men and celestiall creatures This haue all olde Authors wondred at this wonder passeth the capacitie of all mens wits how damnation is turned into saluation and of the sonne of the Diuell condemned into hell is made the sonne of God an inheritour of heauen This wonderfull worke of God all men may meruaile and wonder at but no creature is able sufficiently to comprehend it And as this is wondred at in the sacrament of Baptime how he that was subiect to death receiueth lyfe by Christ and his holy spirite so is this wondred at in the sacrament of Christs holy Table how the same lyfe is continued and endured for euer by continual feeding of Christs flesh and his bloud And these wonderfull workes of God toward vs we be taught by Gods hoâ—y word and his sacraments of bread wine water and yet be not these wonderfull workes of God in the Sacraments but in vs. Cranmer fol. 74. How the sacrament may be poysoned Pope Victor the third was poysoned in the Sacrament The Emperour Henry the seuenth was poysoned by a Dominike Frier named Barnardmus de monte policiano in receiuing the sacrament and yet may it be none other substance but the body and bloud of our Sauiour Christ God and man where if he had bene man they had poysoned him first but if he hadde bene God he would first haue espyed their poyson because hée cannot be deceiued And because he cannot deceiue he would not haue poysoned the Emperour who mistrusted nothing A. G. How the Sacrament was cast into the fire and burnt This wicked Pope Heldibrand sought by all meanes how he might destroy Henry the Emperour and on a time demaunded of the Sacrament of Christs body as the Heathen vse to doe of their Idolls what successe he should haue against him And because the sacrament spake not gaue him no aunswere he threw it into the fire maugrie all the Eardinalls that were about him said to the sacrament most blasphemously Could the Idoll gods of yâ— Heathen giue theÌ„ answere of their successe and canst not thou tell me How there is but two sacraments ¶ Looke Two When the sacrament was forbidden to be ministred in both kinds The sacrament was forbidden to be giuen in both yâ— formes vnto lay men in the generall Councell at Constaunce which was in the yere of our Lord. 1415. The words of the Councell Although Christ after supper ordeined this worshipfull Sacrament and gaue it vnder both the formes of bread and wine to his Disciples yet that notwithstanding the authoritie of the holy Canous and the laudable and approued custome of the Church hath ordâ—ined that the lay men should not receiue it Sacraments of the Elders compared to ours Chrisostome bringeth a very apt similitude in his Homely which he made vpon these words of Paule Our Fathers were baptised into Moses And in his vii Homely vpon the Epistle to the Hebrues Paintâ—rs saith he when they intend to 〈…〉 a King first draw out the proportion vpon a table with shadows and darke colours but yet in such sort that a man may by that deliniation although it be some what obscure easely perceiue that the Image of a King is there painted and harsemen Chariots such other like things which things are not yet straight way known of all men But afterward when the Painter hath layed on fresh colours and hath finished the worke those things which before by those first lines appered scarce begon and rude are now manifestly and opresly perceiued Such saith he were the sacraments of the Elders if they be compared with ours By these words it is manifest that Chrisostome was of yâ— opâ—nion that one and the selfe same thing is represented in our sacraments and in the sacraments of Elders although in theirs more obscurely and in ours more manifestly Pet. Mar. vpon the Rom. fol. 82. SACRIFICE What a Sacrifice is A Sacrifice is a voluntary action wherein we worship God and offer vnto him somewhat wherby we testifie his chiefe dignitie and dominion and our seruitude and submission towardes him Pet. Mart. vpon the Romanâ—s fol. 411. Againe A sacrifice saith he is a voluntary and a religious action instituted of God to offer vnto him our things vnto his glory and that thereby we may with a straighter â—and be coupled vnto him in holy societie To this definition of sacrifices must be added a perticipation Certaine sacrifices are propiciatorie and other of thankes giuing By the first kinde God is made mercifull vnto vs by the power and iust merite thereof but of this sort we haue but onely one forasmuch as onely by the death of Christ the eternall Father is neconciled vnto vs and by the merites of this one onely Oblation the sinnes of the elect are forgiuen but in the other kinde of sacrifice wée giue thankes vnto God we celebrate his name to our power wée obey his will Pet Mar. vpon Iudic. fol 63. Of two manner of sacrifices The sacrifice of reconciliation or redemption is to delyuer sinners from the wrath of God which doeth onely pertaine to our Sauiour Iesus Christ whereof all the Leuiticall sacrifices were but shadowes signes The Sacrifice of praise or thanks giuing is all the workes of the faithful wherewith they praise and laud God and labour to be ioined with him c. S. Austen himselfe doth expound it August lib. 10. de ciuita Dei cap. 6. I. Veron One kinde of sacrifice there is which is called a propiciatory or mercifull sacrifice that is to say such a sacrifice as pacifieth Gods wrath and indignation and obtaineth mercie and forgiuenesse for all our sinnes and is the raunsome of our redemption from euerlasting damnation And although in yâ— olde Testament there were certaine sacrifices called by that name yet in very deede there is but one such sacrifice whereby our sinnes be pardoned and Gods mercie and fauour obtained which is the death of the Sonne of God our Lorde Iesus Christ nor neuer was any other sacrifice propiciatory at anye time nor neuer shall be This is the honour glory of this our high Priest wherein he admitteth neither partner nor successour For by his one obsation he satisfied his father for all mens sinnes and reconâ—iled mankinde vnto his grace and fauour And whosoeuer depriue him of this honour and goe about to take it to themselues they be very Antichrists and most arrogant 〈…〉 phemers against God and against his Sonne Iesus Christ whome hee hath sent Another sacrifice there is which doeth not reconcile vâ— vnto God but is made of them
fol. 102. 103. Who brought singing first into the West Church Saint Austen in his booke of Confessions testifieth that singing in the west Church happened in the time of Ambrose For when that holy man together with the people watched euen in the Church least he should haue béene betraied vnto the Aâ—ans he brought in singing to auoide tediousnesse and to driue away the time The iudgement of diuerse learned men concerning singing Franciscus Petrarcha in his booke De remedijs vtriusque fortunae declareth that S. Athanasius did vtterly forbid singing to be vsed in the Church at seruice time because saith hee he would put away all lightnesse and vanitie which by the reason of singing doth oftentimes arise in the mindes both of the singers and of the hearers We ought saith S. Hierome to sing to make melodye and to praise the Lord rather in minde then in voice And this it is that is sayd Singing and making melodie to the Lord in your hearts Let young men sayth he heare these things yea let theÌ„ heare whose office it is to sing in the Church that they must sing to God not in the voice but in the hart neither must their throate be annointed after the manner of game plaiers with swéete ointments that in the church singing more sit for game-players should be heard but in feare in worke in knowledge of the Scriptures ought they to sing in the Lord. Let the voice of the singer so sing that not the voice of him yâ— singeth but the wordes that are read may delight It is without doubt sayth Saint Ambrose a great incrudelitie and vnfaithfulnesse to thinke thus of the power of God that thou canst not be heard except thou criest out Let thy worke cry let thy faith cry let thy minde cry let thy passions sufferings cry let thy bloud as the bloud of holy Abel cry wherof God said to Cain the voice of thy brothers bloud crieth vnto me For he heareth in secret which maketh cleane in secret We cannot heare man except he speaketh vnto vs but vnto God not words but thoughts doe speake Guilhelmus Durandus saith that the vse of singing was ordeined for carnall and fleshly men and not for spirituall godly minded men Rat. Di. Off. Saint Gregory did greatly disalow certeine deacons of Rome in his time which when they ought by their office to haue giueÌ„ their mindes to the preaching of the Gospell and the prouision for the poore set all their pleasure on pleasaunt singing not caring how they liued afore God so that with their voices they might please the world He was therefore compelled to make a decrée that all such as be in the holy ministrie should from thence forth vnder the paine of excommunication giue their mindes no more to singing but applye themselues to the studies of the holy Scriptures and the reading of the Gospell S. Iohn Chrisostome saith on this manner It is the dutie of a deuout minde to pray to God not with the voice or with the sound of the voice but with the deuotion of the minde and with the faith of the heart Againe he sayth the crieng of the voice is not the worke in praier vnto God whome we knowe that he beholdeth the secrets of the heart but the crieng of faith the deuotion of a godly pure minde Therfore the best way to pray is to pray with hart minde spirit soule inward maÌ„ Erasmus Roterodamus expresseth his minde concerning the curious manner of singing vsed in Churches on this wise and â—aith Why doth the Church doubt to follow so worthy an authour Paule Yea how dare it be bolde to descent from him What other thing is heard in Monestaries in Colledges in Temples almost generally then a confused noise of voices but in the time of Paule there was no singing but saieng onely Singing was with great difficultie receiued of them of the latter time and yet such singing as was none other thing then a distinct and plaine pronunciation euen such as wée haue yet among vs when we sound the Lords praier in the holy Canon And the tongue wherin these things were sung the common people did then vnderstand and aunswered Amen Now what other thing doth the common people heare then voyces signifieng nothing And such for the most parte is the pronunciation that not so much as the wordes or voices are heard onely the sound beateth the eares When plaine song prick-song and descant were brought into the Church Pope Gelasius Pope Gregory the first S. Ambrose with other brought in first of all the plaine song into the Churches Antonius Guil. Durand Pope Vitalian being a lustie singer and a fresh couragious Musition himselfe brought into the Church pricke song Descant and all kinde of swéete and pleasaunt melodie and because nothing should want to delight the vaine foolish and idle eares of fond and fantasticall men he ioyned the Organs to the curious musikell Thus was Paules preaching and Peters praieng turned into vaine singing and childish plaieng vnto the great losse of time and to the vtter vndoing of christen mens soules which liue not by singing and piping but by euery word that commeth out of the mouth of God In the yeare c. 653. Theo. Basil in his b. of Reliques ¶ Looke Musicke SINGLE LIFE What the fruites of single lyfe among the Priests are NOt onely they doe not that they teach but also cruelly without mercy they lay their iniuÌ„ctions vpon others not coÌ„sidering each mans abilitie Such be they that forbidde men to marry And from that thing that is lawfully to be done driue force men to an vnreasonable purity They binde lay on heauie burdens and cause men to fall vnder them And often time we sée them that teach such things to doe contrary to their owne saiengs They teach chastitie and yet kéepe no chastitie They doe all things for the commendation of men and vaineglory that they may be séene and noted of the people And commonly they be such as loue the highest places at feasts and bankets and to be saluted and honoured in the market places of the people to be called Rabby that will be called Bishops Priests and Deacons Origen in Mat. tract 24. They refuse marriage but not lust or pleasure For they estéeme not chastitie but hypocrisie and yet the same hypocrisie they will haue called chastitie Epiphan contra Origen heraef 42. Chrisostome writeth of the vowed and chast women in his time saieng we may say saith he that marriage is a great deale better then such virginitie héereafter it were better ther were no virgins at all The name of virginitie continueth still but virginitie it selfe in their bodies is quite gone They liue more in pleasure then harlots in the stewes Ther is often and dayly running for midwiues to virgins houses This manner of virginitie of women amongest men is more
reproued of all men then fornication it selfe False Prophets false Apostles and false Priests sprang vp which vnder a counterfait religion deceiued the people the most part of them vnder the honest name of chastitie commit whooredome adultery incest commonly and without punishment The Bishops Priests of this time how do they endeuour to kéepe either in heart or in hody the holynesse of chastitie without which no man shall sée God They are giuen ouer into a reprobate minde and doe those things that are not conuenient for it were shame to vtter what these Bishops do in secret Againe he saith absteining from the remedy of marriage afterward they flow ouer into all kinde of wickednesse Againe such notorious filthynesse of lecherie there is in manye partes of the world not onely in the inferiour Clarkes but also in Priests yea in the greatest Prelates which thing is horrible to be heard Bar. de conuers ad cleri chap. 19. in ope triperti li. 3. cha 7. Huldericus the Bishop of Augusta in Germany wrote sharply against Pope Nicholas in this wise I haue founde thy decrées touching the single lyfe of Priests to be voyde of discreation thou séest that many followers of thy counsell willing vnder a feined colour of continēt life rather to please man then God commit hainous actes in the end he concludeth thus by such discipline of discretion as you know best roote this Pharesaicall doctrine out of Gods folde I beléeue it were a good lawe and for the wealth and safety of soules that such as cannot liue chast may contract matrimonie For we learne by experience that of the law of continence or single lyfe the contrarie effect hath followed for as much as now a daies they liue not spiritually nor be cleane chast but with their great sinnes are defiled with vnlawfull copulation whereas with their owne wiues they should liue chastly Therefore the Church ought to doe as the skilfull Phisition vseth to doe who if he sée by experience that his medicine hurteth rather then doth good taketh it cleane away And would to God the same waye were taken with all positiue constitutions SINNE The definition of sinne SAint Augustine in his 2. booke De consensu Euangelistarum saith Sinne is the transgression of the law Ad simpliciatum li. 1. Sin is an inordinatenesse or peruersenesse of man that is a turning from the more excellent creator a turning to the inferiour creatures De fide contra Manichaeus cap. 8. he saith What is it else to sinne but to erre in the precepts of truth or in the truth it selfe Again Contra Faustū Manicheū li. 22. ca. 27. Sin is a déed a word or a wish against the law of God The same Augustine De duobus animabus contra Manichaeus ca. 11 saith Sin is a will to reteine or obteine the which iustice forbiddeth is not frée to absteine And in Retract li. 1. cap. 5. he saith That will is a motion of the minde with copulation either not to loose or else to obteine some one thing or other All which definitions as I do not vtterly reiect saith Bullinger so do I wish this to be considered thought of with the rest Sin is the naturall corruption of mankind the action which ariseth of it contrary to the law of God whose wrath that is both death sundry punishments it bringeth vpon vs. Bullinger fo 478. What sinne is Sin in the scripture is not called the outward work only committed by the body but all the whole busines whatsoeuer acompanieth moueth or stirreth vnto the outward déede and that whence the works spring as vnbeleefe pronenesse readinesse vnto the déede in the ground of the heart with all his powers affections and appetites wherwith we can but sin So that we say the a man thē sinneth when he is carried away headlong into sinne altogether as much as he is of that poison inclination corrupt nature wherein he was conceiued and borne for there is none outward sinne committed except a man be carried away altogether with life soule heart body lust minde therevnto The Scripture looketh singularly vnto the hart vnto the race originall fountaine of all sin which is vnbeléefe in the bottome of the heart for as faith onely iustifieth and bringeth the spirit and lust vnto outward good works euen so vnbeleefe onely damneth kéepeth out the spirit prouoketh the flesh stirreth vp lust vnto euil outward works as it fortuned to Adam Eue in Paradise Ge. 3. For this cause Christ calleth sin vnbeléefe and that notably in the. 16. of Iohn The spirit saith hée shall rebuke the world of sinne because they beléeue not in me Wherefore then before all good workes there must néeds hée fayth in the heart whence they spring And before all bad déeds and bad fruits there must néedes be vnbeléefe in y◠heart as in the roote fountaine pith and strength of all sinne which vnbeléefe is called the head of the Serpent and of the olde dragon which the womans seede Christ must tread vnder foote as it was promised to Adam Tindale in his Pro. to the Rom. How euery sinne is mortall That euery sinne is mortall in that it is sinne is euident by the words of God himselfe who can best iudge in this matter In the. 18. of Ezechiel verse 4. saieng thus The soule that sinneth shall dye héere is no exception or difference made of sinne but any sinne in that it is sinne is deadly as Saint Paule sayth Rom 6. 23. For the reward of sinne is death Héere also you see that Saint Paule maketh no difference of sinne but that Mors death is the reward of sinne generally without exception And Saint Iohn sayth Euerie one that committeth sinne the same also committeth iniquitie and sinne is iniquitie Heere also you see that Saint Iohn sayth making no difference of sinne that sinne in that it is sinne it is iniquitie without exception Christ sayth that out of the heart procéedeth euill thoughts murthers adulteryes c. And againe hée sayth That whosoeuer beholdeth an other mans wife to lust after her hath already committed adulterye with her in his heart And Saint Iohn following his maister lyke a good scholler saith thus Omnis qui odit c. Whosoeuer hateth his brother is a murtherer So it is euident by the sacred Scriptures that all sinnes without exception are mortall and deadly I. Gough The Doctours saieng in this matter There were also before Christ worthy men both Prophets and Priests but yet conceiued and borne in sin Neither were they frée from originall and actuall sinne And there was found in them all either ignoraunce or insufficiencie in which they going astray haue sinned and haue néeded the mercye of God By the which béeing taught and instructed haue giuen thanks to God haue cōfessed themselues to haue lacked much of the full measure of
¶ 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 hâ— which I will 〈…〉 from my father shall lead you into all truth but howâ— 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 lâ—we and Prophets so is yâ— spirit of the Gospell Câ—â— 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 thâ— 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 yâ— 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 yâ— odifieng of the Church of Christ. Sir I. Cheke Spirits of the Prophets yâ— 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 â—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 inteÌ„t 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
be degraded from all their degrées of Ecclesiasticall office and made irriguler because they haue sought to liue by filthie gaine contrary to the expresse word of God Pope Martin in the Councell he called saith If a man forgetting the feare of God the holy scriptures which do say Hée that hath not giuen his money to vsury shal enter into the Tabernacle of God do after knowledge had of this generall councel commit vsury or take Centesimam vsuram which is twelue in the hundred or by any filthy trade doth make his gaine taking for diuers sorts of things for either wine or corne or any other thing els by buying and selling more then he hath layed out shall be put out of the Clergie for euer Pope Leo doth also forbid the same in the laitie being very sory yâ— any christian man shuld be an vsurer saieng that yâ— Clergie ought to be the more sharply punished for such offence because all others should be the more afraid to offend when the Clergie is not spared The decree saith further that no almes ought to be giuen of euill gotten good which cannot be worse gotten then by vsury A statute made against vsurie by a Christian Emperour called Leo. Although saith this godly Emperour many of our auncestors haue thought that lending for vsury might be admitted onely for that the creditours were so hard as men loth els to lend yet we haue thought it most vnworthy among the Christians to be vtterly abhorred eschewed as a thing forbidden by the law of God Therefore our Maiestie doth commaunde that it be not lawfull for any man to take vsury for any cause least whiles we go about to keepe the lawes statutes of men we do transgresse thereby the law of God But whatsoeuer any man doth take the same shall be receiued into the principall Places of scripture against vsurie If thou lend mony to any of my people that is poore by thée thou shalt not be an vsurer vnto him neither shalt thou oppresse him with vsurie If thy brother be waxen poore fallen into decay with thée receiue him as a stranger or a soiourner let him liue by thee thou shalt take no vsury of him nor yet vantage but shalt feare thy God that thy brother may liue with thée thou shalt not lend him thy money vpon vsury or lend him of thy foode to haue an aduantage by it for I am yâ— Lord your God which brought you out of the land of Aegypt to giue you the land of Canaan and to be your God Lord who shall enter into thy Tabernacle he aunswereth He that giueth not his mony vpon vsury and taketh no reward against the innocent The soule yâ— sinneth shall dye If a man be godly doe that is equall right yâ— taketh not other mens goods by violence yâ— parteth his meate to the hungry that clotheth the naked that lendeth nothing vpon vsury yâ— taketh nothing ouer this is a righteous man he shall surely liue saith the Lord but he that gréeueth the poore néedie yâ— robbeth spoileth that giueth not the debter his pledge again yâ— lendeth vpon vsury taketh more ouer shal this man liue no he shal not liue seing he hath done al these abhominations he shall dye and his bloud shall be vpon him Of whom a man may take vsury Unto a straunger thou maist lend vpon vsury c. ¶ This was permitted for a time for the hardnesse of their hearts Aske vsury of him onely whom thou desirest worthely to hurt and with whom thou maist lawfully wage battaile for of him thou maist lawfully demaund vsury and be bold to bite him therewith because thou maist kil him without offence He fighteth without weapon that taketh vsurye yea hée doth reuenge himselfe of his enemie without any swoord that doth exaxt vsurie of his enimie And truely there is no cunninger way to vndoe a man then by vsurye for vnder the coulour of pleasuring him he is vndone before he be aware D. Wilson fol. 23. Lend one to another hoping for nothing ouer and aboue that you did lend whereby not onely all contracts and vsuries vpon lone in respect of time are forbidden but the verye hope also to looke for a good turne againe or any thing else ouer and aboue the principall is vtterly barred and cleane taken awaye Neither is your exposition sound Maister Ciuilian in this behalfe that would haue Christs meaning to be that men should neuer looke for their principall againe for then Christ might haue said giue freelyâ— whereby is included a cléere renouncing to aske backe a gift giuen wheras in â—â—nding it was neuer so meant in common reason that a man should neuer hope to haue his own againe Neither will men loose their principall except some great matter moue them as the extreame pouertie of the party or some other lyke thing c. VVAY What it is to prepare the way and path of the Lord. PRepare ye the way of the Lord make his paths straight ¶ To prepare the waye of the Lord is to receiue gladly his grace béeing offered vnto vs and with repentaunce and amendement of lyfe to passe awaye those things that may offend the eyes of his diuine maiestie To make his paths straight is to interpret or expound his holy law after the spirit to seeke Iesus in the spirit For they yâ— do yet sticke to the letter of the lawe and séeke to be iustified by their owne works knowing not the righteousnesse of God which consisteth in the spirit faith and truth doe walke in crooked paths Sir I. Cheeke Prepare ye the way of the Lord. ¶ Meaning Cyrus Darius which should deliuer Gods people out of captiuitie and make them a readie way to Hierusalem And this was fully accomplished when Iohn the Baptist brought tidings of Iesus Christs comming who was the true deliuerer of his Church from sinne and Satan Math. 3. 3. Geneua What the way of sinners is That abideth not in the way of sinners c. ¶ The way of sinners is their manner and ordinaunces in which they walke as it were in a way Way in the Scripture is taken for whatsoeuer we do or goe about be it good or bad as in the last verse of this Psalme T. M. What the way of truth is I haue chosen the way of truth ¶ The way of truth is the life that is ordered after the word of truth which is conteined in the Scripture Therein saith Dauid that he hath walked not in feined traditions and holynesse imagined by himselfe or by any mortall man In yâ— same significatioÌ„ vseth S. Peter this word 2. Pet. 2. 1. and 2. There shall be false teachers c. by which the way of truth shall be euill spoken of T. M. Take from me the way of lieng ¶ Instruct me in thy word whereby my minde may be purged
we thus cleaue to God with strong faith beléeue his words Then as sayth Paule God is faithfull that he will not suffer vs to be tempted aboue that we are able or aboue our strength that is to sayâ— if we cleaue to his promises and not to our owne fantasies and imaginations he wil put might and power into vs that shall be stronger then all temptations which he shall suffer to be against vs. Tindale fo 81. What is vnderstood by watchmen For his watchmen are all blinde c. ¶ By those blinde watchmen vnderstand the chiefe Priests yâ— Scribes Pharesies c. which were the peruerters and deprauers of the law of God These for filthy lucre sake abolished the true seruice of God and were the chiefe causers of the forsaking of Israel They were sluggish and sought not that which was for the edification of the people and for the glory of God but that which was for their owne priuate profit and pleasure They were slothfull to roote out vice and to plant vertue and driuen into the profound déepe sléepe of ignorance of idlenesse of lecherousnesse of pride As oft as the Prelates of the people Bishops Abbots and they that auaunt themselues for religious be such there hangeth a great scourge ouer the whole flocke of Christ. T. M. ¶ He sheweth that the affliction shal come through the fault of the gouernours Prophets and pastours whose ignorance negligence auarice obstinacy prouoketh Gods wrath against them Geneua I haue made thée a watchman to the house of Israel ¶ By this watchman are figured Bishops Priests aâ—d Preachers which must take the occasion of their speaking and exhorting at the mouth of God and speake not in their owne but in his name T. M. He sheweth that the people ought to haue continually gouernours teachâ—rs which may haue a care oner them and â—o warne theÌ„ euer of the daungers which are at hand Eze. 33. 2. Ge. The meaning of this place following The voice of thy watchmen shall be heard ¶ The Prophets which are thy watchmen shall publish this thy deliueraunce This was begun vnder Zorobabel Ezra Nehemiah but was accomplished vnder Christ. Geneua Of the watchman that Daniel speaketh of And behold a watchman and an holy one came downe from heauen Meaning the Angell oâ— God which neither eateth nor sleepeth but is euer ready to doe Gods will and is not infect with mans corruption but is euer holy and in that that he commaundeth to cut downe this tree â—e knew that it shoulde not be cut downe by man but by God Geneua What the fourth watch meaneth And in the fourth watch of the night The Hebrewes diuided the night inâ—o â—oure parts which they called the foure watches wherefore the fourth watch was next to the morning and was called the morning watch As in the. 1. Reg. 11. 11. Tindale VVATER How it is not water that doth wash away our sinnes ARise and be baptised and wash away thy sinnes We ought not to thinke that water washeth away our sinnes but the mercy and grace of God which is signified and represented vnto vs by the water Ye shall note that by a figure named Allocosis the same is ascribed vnto the outward signe which doth onely perteine vnto the grace election of God Sir I. Cheeke He sheweth that sins cannot be washed away but by Christ who is the substance of Baptime in whom also is comprehended the father and the holy Gost. Geneua The meaning of this place following Whosoeâ—er drinketh of this water c. To drinke this water is to beléeue credit the word of God and to receiue the testimony of Christ which thing onely can quench the thirst of the soule Sir I. Cheeke What is signified by water and spirit Except a man be borne of water and spirit ¶ Héere by the water he vnderstandeth the worde and grace of God and also the illumination of the holy Ghost which is that heauenly water that Esay the Prophet doth speake of saieng All that be a thirst come vnto the waters Iohn 4. 14. and. 7. 38. Iere. 2. 13. By the spirit he vnderstandeth the inspiration of the holy Ghost and the heauenly working of the spirit of God So that this place helpeth them nothing that doe affirme that the children of the faithfull are damned and that they shall neuer enter into the kingdome of heauen if they dye before they canne be baptised Sir I. Cheeke ¶ This place of Iohn is not to be vnderstood of the outwarde signe of holy Baptime but simply of the inward and most spirituall regeneration of the holye spirit which when Nichodemus vnderstoode not perfectly the Lorde figured and made the same manifest by Parables of water and of the spirit that is to saye of the winde or the aire by Elements very base and familyar for by an by hée addeth That which is borne of flesh is flesh c. Againe The winde bloweth where it lysteth c. Which must néedes bée meant of the ayre For the other part of the comparison followeth So is euery one that is borne of the spirit Bullinger fol. 1048. ¶ By this is signified the Baptime which is the mortification of the flesh preached by Iohn Baptyst and the renuing of the spirit which is remission of sinnes obteined by Christ. Tindale What the water of Siloh doth signifie Forsomuch as the people refuse the still running water of Siloh c. ¶ Hee calleth the kingdome of Dauid which figureth the kingdome of Christ the still running water of Siloh which thing agréeth verie well vnto Christ that was meeke and lowlye of heart Math. 11. 29. Zach. 9. 9. Beholde thy king commeth vnto thée poore and lowly c. He raigneth in still and peaceable consciences Siloh was a spring at the foote of the hill of Syon which hath not continally water but springâ—th certeine houres and dayes and commeth with a great sound by the bottome of the ground and rifts and holes of an hard rocke The manner of speaking is borrowed of the despised littlenesse of the water which signifieth the small estimation and pouertie of the christen T. M. ¶ Looke Siloh What is meant by the water of the Sea The water of the sea shall bée drawne out Nilus shall sinke away and be dronke vp ¶ The water of the sea c. Aegipt as stories shew receiueth no raine forth of the aire but is ouerflowed with yâ— water Nilus at certein times 14. 15. or 16. cubits high froÌ„ the ground for if it increse to any lesse height the Countrey scapeth not a dearth sayth Plinie And therefore by the scarcenesse and want of water is the desolation of the land described Nilus is heere called by diuerse names Sometime the Sea sometime riuers sometime wells sometime pondes c. For that fludde runneth seuen sundry wayes and it is called the Sea not onelye because the Hebrewes call
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 troubelâ—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 â—â—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 hauâ— 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 anneâ—ed with the wine the faythfull people is incorporate ioyned with Christ and is made one with him with a certeine knot of perâ—â—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 offeringâ— 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 Tâ—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 â— or an holy and godly lyfe Séeing that fayth can neither be separated from good workesâ— 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 guestâ— 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 â—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 themâ—elues with the church and congregation and bee not inwardly sanctified with the spirit of God be without the bridegromes liuâ—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 â—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 yâ— only but many are weak and sick euen striken with bodily diseases for abusing the SacrameÌ„t 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 remeÌ„ber 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 yâ— 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 fountainâ— 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
of Abraham of whom it is written 30. yeares before he offered his sonne Isaac Abraham beléeued it was reckoned vnto him for righteousnesse Gen. 15. 6. wherby we doe euidently sée that Saint Iames meaning is that Abrahams fayth was no idle fayth but such faith as made him obedient to God which thing he did well declare when he did so willingly offer his sonne at Gods commaundement All that S. Iames goeth about then is to proue that faith cannot be without good works And as by fayth onely we are iustified before God so by good workes procéeding from a liuely fayth wée are iustified before men Heere wée learne also that where no good workes be there is no true iustifieng fayth but a lyght vnprofitable beléeue such as is in diuels and yet we must beware that we ascribe no parte of our iustification before God vnto our good works Sir I. Cheeke Ther can be no good work reckoned to be in any man but in him alone whose sinnes God hath forgiuen Forasmuch as our best déeds are lame and corrupt Therefore they are héere called the doers of good works whom Paule calleth zelous and louers of good works But this estimation and iudgement dependeth vpon the fatherly clemency and acceptation of our God who alloweth that freely for good which deserueth to be reiected as euill and vnperfect c. Marl. fol. 170. Indéede works doe iustifie taking iustifie to be to declare iust Euen as white haires do make a man olde because they be a signe of age But works doe this before men not before God Nor they cannot take hold of forgiuenesse of sins deliuerance from their deserued condemnation For then it should be false that the Apostle saith we be iustified fréely by his grace for to him that worketh the reward is imputed vnto him for a duety and not vpon grace and fauour Wherfore the errours of those men is too grose to deceiue any of them which hath looked ouer the holy Scriptures neuer so slightly Nor it doth not agrée with the sense neither when they will haue iustifie to be as much as to make iust For works doe not go before him that is to bée iustified â—but doe followe him which is alreadye iustified witnesse Augustine and workes doe come of grace and not grace of workes witnesse the same Augustine de fide opere cap. 14. Musculus fol. 227. Of workes done before faith Saint Austen condemneth all our good workes before faith as vaine and nothing worth Read him In probo Psal. 31. That worketh not how it is vnderstood To him that worketh not but beleeueth ¶ That dependeth not on his workes neither thinketh to merit by them Gene. That is which meaneth not to obteine saluation through the worthinesse of his works The Bible note How workes are not the causes of felicitie Works indeed are to be had but not as causes wherfore Christ admonished vs saieng When ye haue done al these things say we are vnprofitable seruants we haue done but the thing which we ought to doe Neither passe we any thing vpon their caueling which say yâ— therfore we are vnprofitable seruaÌ„ts because our good works being no coÌ„modity vnto God forasmuch as God néedeth none of our good works but say they it caÌ„not be denied but yâ— we are by good works profitable vnto our selues Wée graunt indéed that it is profitable vnto vs to liue well But that vtilitie is not to be attributed vnto our workes that they should be the causes of our blessednesse to come Wee haue nothing in vs whereby we can make God obstruct or bound vnto vs. For whatsoeuer we doe the same doe we wholy owe vnto God and a great deale more then we are able to performe Wherfore as Christ admonisheth The Lord giueth not thanks vnto his seruant when he hath done his duetie And if the seruant by wel doing cannot binde his Lord to giue him thanks how shal he binde him to render vnto him great rewards Pet. Mar. vpon the Rom. fol. 29. Of workes loue and faith Works are the outward righteousnesse before the world may be called the righteousnesse of the members and spring of inward loue Loue is the righteousnesse of the hart springeth of faith Faith is the trust in Christs bloud and is the gift of God Ephe. 2. 8. Tindale How our good workes are the workes of God Although it be written that God will render to euery man according to his works yet is yâ— so to be vnderstood yâ— if they be good works they are for none other cause caled any maÌ„s works but for that they are wrought in him namely by the power of the spirit of God whereby they are in very déede the workes of God S. Austen most truely saith that God crowneth in vs his owne gifts for as touching vs we deserue nothing but death Pet. Mar. vpon the Rom. fol. 367. How we deserue nothing by our good workes Wo be to all our iustice saith S. Austen if it be iudged setting mercy a part Therefore this is a christen sentence worthy to be beaten in al mens heads Let not thy left hand know what the right hand doth Let our right hand worke those things which be good and pleasant vnto God And in the meane season let our heartes depend vpon the grace of Gods goodnesse onely not thy left hand write into thy kalender those things which be somewhat well done by the right hand Let the note of our owne good works be in Gods hand not in our owne Whatsoeuer he doth reward vs either in this life either in the life to come let vs thanke his grace for it and not our deserts Musculus fol. 234. Of the vnablenesse of our workes If the séeking of righteousnesse and forgiuenesse of sinnes by the kéeping of the law which God gaue vpon mount Sinai with so great glory and maiestie by the denyeng of Christ of his grace what shall we say to those yâ— will néeds iustifie themselues afore God by their owne laws and obseruances I wold wish that such folks should a little compare the one with the other and afterward giue iudgement themselues God minded not to do that honour nor to giue that glorye vnto his owne law yet they wil haue him to giue it to mens laws ordinaÌ„ces But that honour is giuen onely to his onely begotten son who alone by the sacrifice of his death passion hath made ful amends for all our sinnes past present and to come as saith S. Paule Heb. 7. 25. The meaning of this place following Work out your own saluatioÌ„ with fere trembling ¶ S. Paul saith we must work out our saluation with feare trembling But this feare riseth in consideration of our weaknesse and vnworthinesse not of any distrust or doubt in Gods mercy but rather the lesse cause we haue to trust in our selues the morâ— cause we haue to trust in God Iewel fol. 76.
Superstition of Angells eod Sunne The meaning of the place eod What it is to regarde the rising of the Sunne eod Supper of the Lord. Wherfore it was ordeined 1062. Why it was called a sacrifice eod The Doctors mindes vpon the supper of the Lord. 1063. How the Lords death is shewed therein 1064. The meaning of the place of Iohn eod Supremacie Proues against it eod Sure How we are sure of our saluation 1065. Surples From whence the wearing thereof came eod Suspention What suspention is eod Swearing Why the Iewes were suffered to sweare 1066. Who sweareth aright eod What swearing is lawfull eod To sweare by the Lord and to the Lord. are two eod All priuate swearing is forbidden 1067 How customable swering is dangero eod The Doctous against swearing eod Lawes made against swearing 1069. How the Pharesies corrupted swering eod Of the concealing of swearing eod Sweating The cause of sweating 1070. Sweete What is ment by sweet odours eo Swine What manner of people is ment by swine eod Swoord To whom it belongeth to punish 1071. What is meant by the two swoords eod T. Table what is ment by the table 1072. The meaning of the place 1073. Tabernacle Wherefore it was ordeined and c. eod Why it was called the Tabernacle of the congregation eod How the Tabernacle was diuided eod Why it was called the tabernacle of witnesse 1074. Of the Tabernacle of Dauid eo Of the feast of Tabernacles eo Tabithae What the word doth meane and signifie eod Tacianus Of his hereticall opinions eod Talent What a Talent is eod Of the talent left to the seruants 1075. Tapers Against the vse of them eo Taught of God How it is vnderstood eo Tell no man How the places bee vnderstood 1076. Temperaunce What it is eod Temples wherefore they are ordeined eod How God dwelleth not in temples made with hands 1077. How long the Temple was a building and c 1078. The meaning of the place eo Of them that trusted in the outward seruice of the temple eod How they are not to be builded to Sa. eo How the Pope doth sit in the temple of God 1079. Temptation What temptation is eo How generally it is not euill 1080. The Israelits rebuked for tēpting the L. eo How God tempteth no man to euill eod Of the Pharesies tēpting of Christ. 1081. How Christ to tempted of the diuel eod God suffereth none to be tempted aboue his strength 1082. Ten. what the number of ten signifieth eo How the ten commaundements are diuided eod What the ten hornes do signifie eod Of the ten virgins 1083 Tents How tents were first inuented eo Of three manner of tents eod Teares whereof teares commeth eod The meaning of these places 1084. Terebint what manner of tree it is eod Tertulianistae What heretiks they wer eo Testament what a testament is eod Tetrarchae What Tetrarchae were 1085 Teudas Of his rebellion eod Thamar Why she is reckoned in the Genealogie eod How she is thought to be Dauids naturall daughter eod Thammuz What this Thāmuz was 1086 Thankeoffering what thanke offering is eo Tharsis What Tharsis is thought to be eo Thebulis What his heresie was 1087. Theft What theft is eod Thema What Thema was eod Theodotus what his heresie was eod Theraphim What this Theraphim was eod Theudas Of his rebellion 1088 Thiatria what Thiatria was eod Thinke How of our selues we cannot thinke well eod How our sinnes shall not be thought vppon 1089. This is my body The interpretation hereof 1090. Thomas How Thomas Didimus is one name 1091. How he was reproued for his vnbeliefe eod Of his death and martirdome eo Thoughts How euery thought is not sinne eod The meaning of the place 1092 Threshing Of two manner of threshings eod What is ment by threshing of the mountaines 1093 Whereto the threshing of Gilead is compared eod Thunder What the cause is that maketh thunder eod Time The meaning of the place 1095. What is meant by time times and halfe a time 1096 Tithes what is vnderstood by tithes eod Of the tithes laide vp for the poore eod To day what the saieng meaneth eod Tongue To speak with tongues what it meaneth eo How the Apostles spake with straunge tongues eod What it is to smite with the tongue 1097 What the tongue of God is eod How the tongue is compard vnto a l◠eo What is meant by the third tongue eod Topas The description of the stone eod Topheth What it is and how it was defiled 1098. How it is taken for hell eod Touch not That is spoken against traditions eod Why Mary was forbiddē to touch Ch. eo Traditions Of the traditions of men 1099. A reason that ouerthroweth them all 1100. Transmutation When it was first inuented 1101. Transubstantiation what it signifieth eod When it was first inuented 1102. Reasons against transubstantiations eo How it hath made the Turks power to increase eod The cause wherfore it is holden defended 1103 Tree The tree falling compared to death eod What the tree of lyfe meaneth 1104 VVinter The meaning of the place eod VVisedome how it signifieth Christ. eod How wisedome is iustified of hir children 1167. VVise men what these wise men are 1168 VVith the holy The meaning of the Prophet heere eo VVitnes how y◠places are to be vnder eo VVoe What woe is 1169 What is ment by the three woes eo VVood. what it is to build on wood 1170 VVolfe how a wolfe is sometimes takē in a good sense eod The meaning of the places eod VVoman of y◠woman araied in purple eo Of womans apparell 1171 How they may not weare mans appa eo Of the woman taken in adulterie 1172. Of a woman taken in warre eod How women are called ministers eo How women ought not to baptise eod What the woman clothed in the Sunne signifieth 1173 Why women are commaunded to keepe silence in the Church eo What is ment by the foolish woman 1174 What is ment by the straunge woman eod The meaning of the place eod VVord of God What the word of God is 1175. How the word was made flesh eo What is ment by the word in this pl. 1176. How the word of God is called the light 1177. How it indureth for euer eod Of the nature and strength thereof eod How it hath sundry names 1178 How the word of God is the key eod How the word of God is plaine eod The more it is troden downe the more it groweth eod How the word and flesh bee not both of one nature 1179. How it ought not onely to be rend but expounded to the people 1180 Workes how workes of the lawe iustifie not eod Of workes done before faith 1182 That worketh not how it is vnderst eo How works are not the cause of felici eo Of workes◠loue and faith 1183. How our good workes are the workes of God eod How we deserue nothing by our good workes eod Of