set from thence foure hundred twenty talents of gold ¶ In the. 2. Par. 8. 18. is made mention of thirtie more which séeme to haue bene employed for their wages Geneua Of the pound or talent which the noble man left with his seruants The money pound or talent which Christ left with his seruants to occupie till he came signifieth nothing els but a fraÌ„k and frée gift giuen of God to euerie one of vs to be vsed and exercised to the glorie of his holy name and profit of his faithfull congregation We haue nothing as sayth the Apostle but that wée haue receiued as saith the Apostle 1. Cor. 4. 7. What hast thou that thou hast not receiued And againe Iames. â— 17. Euery good gift and euery perfect gift is from aboue c. Wee be commaunded to occupie our Lords money and not to hide it and sléepe our Maisters businesse as did the sluggish seruant which suffered tares to bée sowen among the corne and also the foolish virgins that fell on sléepe and let their lamps burne out Theo. Basil. TAPERS ¶ Looke Candles TAVGHT OF GOD. How this place is to be vnderstood AND they shall bée all taught of God ¶ This instruction of God is the inward illumination of the heart Notwithstanding we may not héereby take occasion to contemne vocal predication and external hearing For God verily teacheth but yet by externall meanes for fayth commeth by hearing he giueth his good spirit but yet by the preaching of the Gospell he giueth increase but yet by the planting of Paule and by the watering of Apollo Wherfore God teacheth man ministreth and faith receiueth doctrine God giueth his spirit the Apostle ministreth the beléeuer receiueth And so those things are ministred and distributed by the seruice of the Apostles whereof God is the authour himselfe This place All ought to bée restrained to Gods elect which onely are the naturall sonnes of the Church Marl. fol. 201. And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord. ¶ By the hearing of his word and inward mouing of his spirit Gene. TELL NO MAN How these two places following are vnderstood AND he commaunded them that they should tell no man ¶ In this place we are taught when we do any good deed yâ— we should not hunt and hauke after the praise of men They therefore that doe béere so earnestly spread abroad the benefits and power of God sinne not against Christs wordes For in other places he requireth thankfulnesse of vs that we should alwayes setâ— forth the bounteous liberalitie of our heauenly father Theophilactus Charged them that they should tell no man what they had séene ¶ Christ forbiddeth the Apostles to tell forth the vision afore his rising againe from death least when men shoulde sée him to be crucified of whom so excellent and glorious things were spoken they should therewith be offended hauing his Apostles in dirision â—or telling of such things Sir I. Cheeke TEMPERAVNCE What Temperaunce is TEmperaunce is a sobrietie or modestie of the whole life of man which Paule setteth against the flesh He would therefore that Christians should liue soberly and chastly that they shoulde be no adulterers no fornicatours no wantons And if they cannot liue chastly he would haue them to marrie Also that they should not be couetous nor quarrellers that they should not be giuen to drunkennesse or surâ—etting but that they shoulde absteine from all those things Luther fol. 262. TEMPLES Wherefore Temples or Churches are ordeined MY house shall bée called the house of prayer but yée haue made it a denne of théeues ¶ For this finall cause or end are yâ— temples of christians ordeined that they may haue some conuenient places to assemble themselues together for to offer with one accord their Sacrifices of prayers and thanksgiuing vnto God for to preach and heare Gods word and for to minister the Sacraments duely and rightly but if there be hypocrisie superstition and false doctrine the people are robbed and spoyled and the Temples made dennes of théeues Sir I. Cheeke Is this house become a denne of thées ¶ As théeues hid in holes and dennes thinke themselues safe So when you are in my Temple you thinke to be couered with the holynes therof and that I cannot see your wickednesse Geneua How God dwelleth not in Temples made with hands Where shall now the house stand that ye will builde vnto me c. ¶ As who should say whereto make ye me a Temple of mans handy worke which rule the whole world hether to haue I suffered the temple to kéepe you Iewes in a certeine manner of instruction and obedience and choose you one place for your seruice to the intent ye should not fall to the Idols of the Gentiles but now will I haue all Idols banished and for Iewry will I challenge vnto me the whole world for one people all the dwellers on the earth which shall bée my worshippers in the spirit and truth Iohn 4. 23. I will not be superstitiously worshipped with sacrifices and ceremonies in the temple but with righteousnesse with fayth and with the spirit The same song that the Prophet héere singeth in the latter end of his Prophesie sung he before in the beginning euen in the first chapter Let the Christians note these two Chapters I meane the first and the last well and then shall they perceiue how greatly God abhorreth such hypocritish works done without faith although they séeme appeare outwardly to be most godly T. M. ¶ My maiestie is so great that it filleth both heauen and earth and therfore cannot bée included in a temple like an Idoll condemning héereby their vaine confidence which trusted in the temple and sacrifices Geneua The most highest dwelleth not in temples made with hands ¶ He reproueth the grose dulnesse of the people which abused the power of God in that they would haue conteined it within the temple Geneua How long the temple was a building and what Christ meant by the temple When the Iewes asked of Christ what meruailous signe he would worke to perswade them that he might doe such as he did he said Destroy this Temple meaning his body and in thrée daies I will build it vp again Then they vnderstanding he had meant the Temple of lime and stone sayd Forty yearâ— was this Temple a building and wilt thou build it in thrée dayes Héere we see how the Temple was a building fortye yeares not meaning that they were continually working on the same so long for sometimes it was forbidden and stopped by the kings that ruled after Cyrus but that there were so many yeares from the beginning of that worke vnto the finishing of the same For in the second yeare of king Cyrus they layde the foundation and in the second yeare of Darius the sonne of Assuerus and Ester they were willed by Aggeus the Prophet to take in hand their worke againe which they finished
true would fulfill his promise vnto them and heartilie longed for this seede and so did both eat his bodie drinke his bloud Acknowledging with infinit thankes that Christ should for their sins take the perfect nature of manhood vpon him also suffer the death This promise was giuen to Adam and saued as manie as did beléeue and were thankfull to God for his kindnesse I. Frith fol. 109. Of the first Adam earthlie and the second heauenlie The first man was of earth earthlie and the second man the Lord himself from heauen ¶ As concerning Adam it hath no darknes in it at all It is knowne how he is of the earth is called earthlie But where as Christ the second Adam is said to bée from heuen that is peruerted by heretiks The true meaning of it is that Christ Adam are alledged by the Apostle as the two heads in mankind to this intent that he might expresse by them the condition of our mortalitie and glorification As manie as be of Adam be earthlie and bearing the Image of their parent subiect vnto death and corruption And this all we be vniuersallie On the other side the elect which be borne not of bloud nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God they be called héere heauenlie albeit in flesh they be of Adam and of them it is reported that they shall be such in the resurrection as the heauenlie Christ is also If the Valâ—ntinians and the Euthichians doe gather of this the one sort that the flesh of Christ commeth not of our flesh the other sort that it did not holde the true nature of man it followeth that the flesh of the elect persons also is of the verie same condition For the Apostle saith héere not onelie that the second man Christ is of heauen heauenlie but he addeth that also manifestlie saieng And such as is the heauenlie such be they also that be heauenlie And because you shall not referre it to Angels in knitting vp the matter he doth conclude Therfore like as we haue borne the image of the earthlie so we shall beare also the image of the heauenlie Wherfore it appeareth that the Apostle doth attribute this vnto the faithfull bicause they do expresse in them both the Images of Adam of Christ one of corruption mortalitie the other of incorruption and immortalitie So that in the former they do expresse the earthlie Adam in that they do die be corrupted In the latter they do expresse the heauenlie Adam that is Christ when they shall rise in the end of the world to glorifieng immortalitie and incorruption This is the true right meaning of the Apostle which cannot stand vnlesse we do graunt that the flesh of Christ was taken of our flesh without sinne carried into heauen to the glorie of immortalitie through the coniunction of the word and the power of God Otherwise we can haue no hope that after the Image of the earthlie man we shall be like vnto the heauenlie Musculus fol. 138. How Adam was not deceiued but Eue. And Adam was not deceiued but the woman ¶ The woman was first deceiued and so became the instrument of Sathan to deceiue the man And though therefore God punish them with subiection and paine in their trauaile yet if they be faithfull and godlie in their vocation they shall be saued Geneua How the sect of the Adamites sprang vp The Adamites were a sect of heretikes which tooke their beginning of a Pickard who came into the land of Boheme and said that he was the sonne of God and named himselfe Adam And he commaunded all men and women to goe naked that whosoeuer desired to companie carnallie with anie woman should take her by the hand and bring her to him and saie hée feruentlie desired her companie and then would Adam saie Go together and increase and multiplie This heresie was begun in the yeare of our Lord. 1412. in the time of Sigismonde the Emperour And men suppose that it endureth yet not onelie in Bohemia but in other places also ADDE What it is to Adde or take awaie from the word of God TO Adde or take awaie from the word of God is this To thinke otherwise or teach otherwise of God then he hath in his word reueled They ta kt from the word that beléeue lesse then in his word is expressed Those adde to the word first which teach or decrée anie thing either in matters of faith or ceremonies contrarie to the word Secondlie such as make anie religion or opinion of merits in anie thing that they themselues haue inuented beside the word of God Last of all they doe adde to the word which forbid that for a thing of it selfe vnlawfull which Gods word doth not forbid and to make that sinne which Gods word doth not make sinne If anie man shall adde vnto these things c. ¶ The effect is that men must neither put anie thing to nor take anie thing awaie from the Scripture â— according as it is said in an other place All the saiengs of God are as it were cleansed with fire they are a shield to them that trust in them put not anie thing to the words thereof least he perchance do reproue thée and thou be found a liar Pro. 30. 5. 6. Marl. vpon the Apoc. fol. 317. They saith Gasper Megander be said to adde to the Scripture which counterfeit it and marre it and make a cloke of it for their leasings and errours of which sort be the heretikes and deceiuers c. Marl. vpon the Apoc. fol. 317. ADOPTION How the Lawiers define adoption THE Lawiers as it is had in the institutions define Adoption to be a legitimate an imitating nature found out for their solace and comfort which haue no children Further they make a distinction betwéene Adoption and Arrogation For Arrogation they saie is when he which is his owne man and at libertie is receiued in stéede of a sonne But Adoption is when hee which is receiued is vnder an other mans power Howbeit the lawes forbid that the elder should be adopted of the younger for it séemeth a thing monstrous that the sonne should erréed the father in yeares And therefore Cicero oftentimes vehementlie inueigheth against that Adoption of Clodius Now God adopteth vnto himselfe his elect not for that he had not an other sonne for he had his onlie begotten sonne Christ in whom he was well pleased but for that in all the nature of man he had yet no children for through Adam we were all made strangers vnto him Wherefore God for this cause sent his naturall and legitimate sonne into the world that by him he might adopt vnto himselfe manie children out of our kinde c. Pet. Mar. fol. 205. We haue receiued the spirit of Adoption saith S. Paule ¶ Adoption is the inheritance promised by grace Tindale ¶ So he meaneth the holie Ghost of
vnderstood by the foure Angels By these foure Angels are vnderstood noisome ministers which go about to hinder both the life doctrine of the gospell the true faith The Angell which ascended from the rising of the Sunne c. is our sauiour Christ which alwaies procureth some to further the Gospel against tyrants Antechrists Sir I. Cheek I sawe foure Angels saith S. Iohn c. These are the hypocrites with their false doctrine The Antechrists with their pestilent degrées traditions The cruel princes with their tyrannous lawes the vngodlie magistrates with their ignorance blindnesse These stand vpon yâ— foure corners of the earth they reigne in the foure quarters of yâ— world with lies in hypocrisie errours in superstition with tyrannie in power crueltie in executing humaine lawes These with-hold â—he â—oure winds of the earth The doctrine of the spirit which God hath sent to bée blowne the world ouer they withstand resist stop vexe euermore persecute least it shold blow vpon yâ— earth which is yâ— gardein of god driuing away froÌ„ thence all filth corruption Bale What is meant by the seauen Angels And I sawe the seauen Angels c. ¶ These seauen Angels bée manie Antechristes and those mightie that do harme to the faithfull hinder yâ— Gospel But Iesus Christ standeth at the Altar with the oblacion of his bodie for yâ— faithfull Sir I. Cheek Who the Angell was And shewed by his Angel ¶ Ther be yâ— think yâ— by this Angell was meant Christ but more rightlie do other vnderstand him to haue ben some one of those heauenlie spirits yâ— are called ministering spirits are sent abroad about seruice for their sake yâ— shall be heires of saluation He. 1. 14. for by this meanes Christ proued to be the Lord of Angels as by whose seruice in yâ— wonderfull administration of his kingdome he both deliuereth the godlie out of the hands of the vngodly and also punisheth the wicked from time to time Beside this we shall sée the Angell more then once refuse the worshippe that Iohn was about to yéeld vnto him in this present booke 19. 10. and. 22. 9. which thing Christ would not haue done inasmuch as he is far more excellent not onelie then man but also then all the Angels Mar. vpon the Apoc. fol. 5. Of the Angell that went downe into the poole where the sicke laie For an Angell went downe at a certeine season into the poole c. ¶ It is vncerteine when or how often the Angell came downe to the water whether once in a yeare or oftner Some thinke that he descended euerie feastiuall daie that then some one sicke person or other was healed Other-some thinke yâ— this was done vpon the daie of Pentecost Notwithstanding this is most certeine that the benefit is to bée ascribed vnto God who in working hath euer vsed the ministerie of Angels of men of Elements For that which the Angell did héere hée did it as a minister of God For it is a worke proper vnto God to cure the sicke But as he hath euer vsed the hand and worke of Angels so he hath committed these partes in charge to the Angels for the which cause the Angels are called powers or vertues not because God resigning his power vnto them sitteth himselfe idle in heauen but because he working mightelie in them mightelie declareth vnto vs his power Therefore they doe verie wickedlie which ascribe anie thing to Angels which is proper to God or which make them such mediatours betwéene God and vs that they obscure the glorie of God when as we ought rather directlie to come vnto Christ that by his conducting aide and commaundement we maie haue the Angels helpers and ministers of our saluation Mar. vpon Iohn fol. 146. ANGER What Anger is by Aristotles definition Anger is nothing els if we maie beléeue Aristotle in his Rhetorikes but a desire of reuengement because of contempt For they which perceiue themselues to be despised and contemned do straight waie thinke how they maie be reuenged and they diligentlie meditate how by some punishment they maie requite the iniurie or despite done vnto them How Anger in some respect is no sinne ANger is no sinne so that the originall thereof and the ende whether it extendeth be vertuous and procéede with charitie Moses was angrie and brake the tables of God in his zealous and godlie passion He put the idolaters to death but the ende was to destroie vice and mainteine vertue So was Dauid so was Saule so was Christ but it sprang of a loue towards God and extended to a vertuous ende the punishment of vice and commendation of vertue Whooper Be angrie and sinne not ¶ Christ was angrie at the blindnesse of the Iewes Mat. 23. and so was Moses at the idolatrie of the Israelites Exo. 32 and at the sedition of Chore Dathan and Abiram Num. 16. neuertheles this anger or wrath was but a verie zeale vnto the law of God as thou maist sée by Phinehes in Nu. 25 and by Mathathias 1. Mac. 2. As for malice vnlawfull wrath it is vtterlie forbidden as it followeth in the same chapter where he saith let not the Sunne goe downe vppon your wrath Tindale I haue bene through angrie for the Lord God of hoasts sake ¶ Anger is not héere taken for such as is betwéene enimies but such as procéedeth of seruent loue as when the Father is angrie with the sonne not bicause he would him euill but sheweth thereby that he loueth him better for in correcting him he prouideth that he fall not into worse Such an anger zeale or iealousie had Phinehes also Nu. 25. What Anger is forbidden Christ prohibiteth anger as the beginning of hatred murther and destruction For he said he that is angrie with his brother is worthie of iudgement for anger and reuengement are seperate one from an other onelie as the roote and the fruit For he that is angrie with anie man if he hurt him not that chaunceth bicause either he cannot or els feareth the punishment of the lawes He that hateth his brother saith Iohn is a murtherer But among those which are counted verie angrie kings aboue other are numbered when they perceiue that they are despised of their subiects Wherefore Homere saith Great is the anger of a kings displeasure Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 166. How anger or wrath is in God God is said to be angrie kisse the sonne least the Lord bée angrie when we breake his commaundements despise his threatnings set light by his promise and follow our owne corrupt appetites God is said to be angrie and chaunged but the chaunge is in vs and not in him for he is immutable with whom saith S. Iames is no variablenesse neither is he chaunged The Psalmist saith 101. He chaungeth all things as a vesture but he himselfe is immutable vnchaungeable Lactantius in the booke which he writeth of the anger of
a great feare vpon those that sawe them ¶ That is to saie when the enimies of the truth sawe they auailed nothing by putting the Preachers of the word to death they were sore afraid like as at this daie manie of the persecuters of the Gospell are constrained to saie that they loose their labour vtterlie in persecuting those that be against the Popish doctrine For the moe of them that be burned and put to death the mo do come away from the vntoward doctrine to the doctrine of the Gospel for the bloud of Martirs is the séed of the church◠Marl. vpon the Apoc. fol. 159. BODIE What a naturall bodie is A Naturall bodie is he that is led by his affections not vnderstanding the things of the spirit of God Tindale What a spirituall bodie is A spirituall bodie is he that is led by the spirit of God How the bodie of Christ is in one place Dardamus did write vnto Saint Austen for the exposition of these words that Christ spake vnto the Thiefe saieng This daie shalt thou be with me in Paradise and wist not how to vnderstand it whether Christ meant that the Thiefe should be in Paradise with Christs soule or with his bodie or with his Godhead Therevpon Saint Austen writeth that as touching Christs bodie that daie it was in the Sepulcher saith it was not in Paradise although it was in a garden that he was buried for Christ he saith meant of a place of ioie and that was not saith S. Augustine in his Sepulcher And as for Christs soule it was that daie in hell and no man will saie that Paradise is there wherefore saith S. Austen the text must néedes be vnderstood that Christ spake it of his Godhead ¶ Héere S. Austen saith plainlie that Christs bodie as touching his manhood was in the graue and as touching his Soule it was in Hell so that while his bodie was in the graue it was not in Paradise For if he had thought that Christs bodie or soule might haue bene in diuers places at once he would not haue said that the text must néedes be vnderstood of his Diuinitie Againe As touching his Manhoode he was in Earth and not in Heauen where he now is when he said No man ascendeth into Heauen but he that descended from Heauen the Sonne of man which is in Heauen ¶ Doubt not saith Austen againe but that Christ our Lord the onelie begotten sonne of God equall with the Father and the same being the sonne of man wherein the Father is greater is whole present in all places as touching his Godhead and dwelleth in the same Temple of God as God and in some place of heauen for the cordicion of his verie bodie Héere S. Austen saith as touching his Manhood he is onelie in one certaine place in heauen and not in manie places at once ¶ The same one man is locall that is to saie contained in one place as touching his manhood which is also God vnmeasurable from the father The same one man as touching the substaunce of his manhood was absent from heauen when he was in earth and so forsaking the earth when he ascended into Heauen but as touching his Godhead vnmeasurable substance he neither forsooke heauen when he descended from heauen nor forsooke the earth when he ascended into heauen which maie be knowen by the most sure word of the Lord which to shew his humanitie to be locall that is to say conteined in one place onelie did say vnto his Disciples I ascend vnto my father your father my God and your God Of Lazarus also when he said I am glad for your sakes that you may beléeue for that I was not there And againe shewing the vnmeasurablenesse of his Godhead said vnto his Disciples I am with you vnto the worlds ende How did he ascend into heauen but because hée is locall and a verie man or how is he present vnto his faithfull but because he is vnmeasurable and verie God ¶ Now may Christ be called a straunger is he departed into a strange countrey séeing he is with vs vnto the worlds end and is among them that be gathered in his name Aunswere Christ is both God and man hauing in him two natures And as man he is not with vs vnto the worlds ende nor is present with his faithfull gathered together in his name But his diuine power spirit is euer with vs. Paule saith he was absent from the Corinthiaris in bodie but he was present with them in spirit So is Christ gone hence saith he and absent in his humanitie which in his diuine nature is euerie where and in these saiengs we reserue to both his natures their properties ¶ A bodie must néedes bée in some place if it be not within the compasse of a place it is no where if it be no where it is not ¶ Doubt not but Iesus Christ as concerning the nature of his manhood is now there from whence he shall come And we may not thinke that his mans nature is euerie where for we must beware that we doe not so stablish his diuinitie to take awaie the vertue of his bodie ¶ Christian people must beléeue that although Christ be absent from vs concerning his bodie yet by his power he gouerneth vs all things For like as when he was conuersant héere in earth as man yet then he filled heauen Euen so being in heauen with his flesh yet filleth the Earth and is in them that loue him ¶ S. Ambrose saith We must not séeke Christ vpon earth nor in earth but in heauen where he sitteth at the right hande of his Father ¶ To goe to his father from vs was to take from the world the nature which he receiued of vs. He is with vs and not with vs. For touching the forme of a seruaunt which he tooke away from vs into heauen he is absent frōm vs but by y◠forme of God he is present with vs. And neuerthelesse both present absent he is all one Christ. ¶ If the word flesh wer both of one nature séeing that the word is euerie where why is not the flesh then euerie where For when it was in Earth then verelie it was not in heauen And when it is in heauen it is not surelie in earth And so sure that it is not in earth that we looke for him to come from heauen ¶ To be conteined in a place and to be euerie where be diuers and contrarie one nature cannot receiue in it selfe two diuers and contrarie things ¶ He is created by nature of his flesh and not created by the nature of his Godhead He is comprehended in a place by the nature of his flesh and not comprehended in a place by the nature of his Godhead ¶ Thus much of this matter gathered out of the workes of I. Frith BOOKE What the booke of life is ANd
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
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
the Resurrection yea and all the déedes of Matrimonie are pure spirituall if they proceede of faith and whatsoeuer is done within the lawes of God though it be wrought by the bodie as the verie wiping of shooes such like howsoeuer grose they appeare outward Without such vnderstanding of these words thou canst neuer vnderstand this Epistle of Paule neither any other place in the holie scripture Take héed therfore for whosoeuer vnderstandeth these words otherwise the same vnderstaÌ„deth not Paul whatsoeuer he be Tin in his Prol. to the Ro. The meaning of this place following The Flesh profiteth nothing ¶ The flesh of Christ profiteth nothing to wit if it be considered as separated from his diuine nature and from his holie spirit but it is the spirit that giueth life meaning God dwelling in Iesus Christ corporallie as Paule saith Col. 2. 9. To dwell reallie and indéede reconciling the world vnto himselfe Tindale ¶ To wit if it be separated from the spirit whereof it hath the force that commeth of the power of the spirit that the flesh giueth vs life and féedeth And therefore that we maie be truly fed and nourished with it wée must bring the spirituall mouth of faith to receiue it The Bible note ¶ Saint Austen expoundeth these words thus Understand ye spirituallie the things that I haue spoken ye shall not eate the bodie that ye sée Likewise Chrisostome saith My words must be heard spirituallie who so heareth them carnallie or according to the flesh getteth nothing nor hath no profitte by them FLORINVS Of the heresie he taught at Rome FLorinus a Priest of Rome and one Blastus fell from the Church and taught at Rome that God was the authour of euill whom Ireneus confuted Euse. li. 5. ca. 13. 18. FOLLOVVERS Who be the followers of Christ and of his Apostles ANd ye became followers of vs and of the Lord. ¶ They are true followers of the Apostles and of Christ which receiue the word of God They do receiue the word of God which doe beléeue it and frame their liues after it béeing readie to suffer patientlie all manner of aduersities for the name of the Lord as the Lord himselfe and all the Apostles did S. I. Cheeke FOOLE That calleth his brother fole ¶ Looke Racha Of the foolish woman ¶ Looke Woman FORGET How God is said to forget God is said to forget when he taketh his mercie from vs forgetting his statutes ordinaunces commaundements and to remember vs when we chaunge and not he ¶ Although God take vs out of this world yet forgetteth hée vs not though he séeme to forget vs hée keepeth those that are his alwaies in his hande and custodie And as for those that are damned they be reserued as it were in chaines vnto the daie of executing the sentence Ye see then that God doth beare vs alwaies in minde And when the Scripture saith that he hath forgot vs it is because we perceiue not his present succour like as if a poore man that lingereth in paine desire God to helpe him and féele not his helpe nor sees any likelihood that God heareth him Thus ye sée after what sorte it is saide that he hath forgotten vs but yet for all that hée remembreth vs continuallie Cal. vpon Iob. fol. 257. FORGIVE How it is vnderstood FOrgiue vs our trespasses as we forgiue our trespassers ¶ We maie not thinke that by forgiuing vnto our brethren we shall obtaine forgiuenesse of our sinnes but rather this is added for a plaine and infallible token to certifie therewith our conscience that we haue through faith in Iesus Christ for remission of our sins For if we can finde in our hearts vnfainedlie to forgiue vnto our bretheren their trespasses it is a most infallible token that our sinnes are cleane washed awaie quite forgiuen Sir I. Cheeke ¶ Because he knoweth that our nature is so weake that we cannot but sinne dailie therefore he teacheth vs dailie to repent and to reconcile our selues together dailie to aske God forgiuenesse Séeing he commandeth vs to aske we may be bold so to do and to beléeue that he will forgiue vs. No man therefore néedeth to despaire that can repent aske forgiuenesse how déepe soeuer he hath sinned And me thinke if we looke a little néere vpon this text we néeded not to make the Pope so great a God for his pardons For Christ which is a man to be beléeued sheweth vs héere a more sure way yea and that a sensible way which we may féele that we be pardoned our sinnes forgiueÌ„ We can haue no experience of the Popes things whether they be so or no He can with all his Pardons deliuer no man of any Pargatorre that God putteth vs vnto in this world He cannot blesse or heale anie man so mush as of a poore â—gue or Tooth-ach which diseases yet by his own confession GOD putteth on vs to purge vs from our sinne But where we cannot see feele or haue anie experience at all that it so is there is he mightie If I were come home out of a land where neuer man was before and were sure neuer man should come I might tell as many wonders as Master Moore doth of Vtopia and no man could rebuke me But héere Christ maketh thée sure of pardon for if thou canst forgiue thy Brother GOD hath bound himselfe to forgiue thee What if no man haue sinned against mee that were hard in this life Neuerthelesse if that profession be in thy heart that thou knowest that is thy dutie to forgiue thy brother for thy fathers sake and art obedient vnto thy fathers ordinaunce and wouldest forgiue if anie of thy bretheren had offenced thée and did aske thee forgiuenesse then hast thou that same spirit which God desireth to be in 〈…〉 Marke what Christ saith aboue in the beginning of the 〈…〉 chapter Blessed be the mercifull for they shall haue mercie Doest thou 〈…〉 thy bretheren that sinne and doest thy best to aâ—â—nd them that thy fathers name maie be honoured Then hast thou that whereby thou art sure of mercie as soone as thou desirest it And againe Blessed be the peace makers for they shall be Gods children Loe if there be anie variaunce among thy bretheren that one haue offended the other do thy best to set them at one and thou hast the same thing that God 〈…〉 of 〈…〉 and â—orthwith he hath bound himself to forgiue thée Tindale in the 6. of Math. FORNICATOR ¶ Looke Sa 〈…〉 FORSAKE What it is to forsake a mans selfe IF anie man will follow me let him forsake himselfe ¶ To forsake himselfe is vtterlie to 〈…〉 against the will of the flesh mortifâ—eng the affections of his minde working the glorie of God and the 〈…〉 of his neighbour as is 〈…〉 Rom. 15. 2. ¶ None of them saith S. Luke that refuseth not all that he possesseth can be my disciple that is he that casteth not away
his help but goe about without him to helpe them selues by ther owne workes and wisedome or are impatient in their troubles them doth he forsake vtterlie in the middes of their afflictions Sir I. Cheeke What Gods curse is Gods curse is the taking awaie of his benefites As God cursed the earth and made it barren so now hunger dearth warre pestilence and such like are yet right curses and signes of the wrath of God vnto the vnbeléeuers but vnto them that know Christ they are verie blessings and that wholsome crosse and true Purâ—â—torie oâ— our flesh through which all must go that will liue godlie and be saued As thou readest Math. 5. 10. Blessed are they that suffer persecution for righteousnesse sake c. And Heb. 12. 6. The Lord chasteneth whom he loueth and scorgeth all the children that he receiueth Tindale What God appointeth and no more Whatsoeuer thy hand and thy counsell determined before to be done ¶ Héere we doe learne that the enimies of Christ can goâ— no farther then God hath appointed them Therefore let the Preacher of the truth be of good comfort though Satan with all his legion of diuells the world all the mightie Princes thereof doe arise and conspire against them yet they can doe no more then the Lords hand and counsell hath appointed before Sir I. Cheeke How all things come to passe by Gods will ¶ Looke Will Of two wills in God ¶ Looke Will. How God ordeined sinne and yet is not the author of sinne ¶ Looke Sinne. Of the God of this world Iâ— whom the God of this world hath blinded the mindes of them which beléeue not ¶ Satan is Gods minister and can doe no more then he appointeth him to doe Neuertheles Christ calleth him the Prince of this world Iohn 16. 11. And héere the Apostle calleth him the God of this world because the worlde doth most commonlie forsake the true God and serueth him For vnto whom soeuer we obaie we make him our God As S. Paule calleth the bellie their God that are earthlie minded serue their owne bellies Phil. 3. 19. What is meant by the God of Iacob ¶ Looke Iacob What the seate of God is ¶ Looke Seate GODHEAD IN CHRIST How Christs Godhead is vnderstood FOr in him dwelleth all the fulnesse of the Godhead bodelie ¶ We must beware that we doe not with the Antropomorphiâ—es think that God hath a bodilie shape because the Apostle saith that the Godhead dwelleth in Christ bodelie for that is as much to saie that the Godhead doth dwell trulie and naturallie in Christ being a 〈…〉 and◠〈…〉 God and that therefore he is a sufficient treasure of all 〈…〉 riched Sir I. Cheeke ¶ In saieng that the Godhead is reallie in Christ he sheweth that he is verie God Also saieng In him he declareth two distinct natures And by this word Dwelleth he proueth that he is there foreuer Geneua How Christ in his Godhead is euerie where How maie Christ be called a straunger is he departed into a straunge countrie Séeing he is with vs vnto the worlds end and is among them that he gathered in his name Aunâ—were Christ is both God and man hauing in him two natures and as man he is not with vs vnto the worldes ende nor is present with his faithfull gathered together in his name But his diuine power and spirite is euer with vs. Paule saith he was absent from the Corinthians in bodie but he was present with them in spirite So is Christ gone hence saith he and absent in his humanitie which his diuine nature is euerie where And in these saiengs we reserue to both his natures their owne properties Origen in Math. homil 33. GODS MERCIE Of such as presume too much thereof MAnie doe presume so much of Gods mercie that they sinne at pleasure and repent at leasure But be not seduced saith S. Paule for God is not mocked whatsoeuer a man soweth that shall he reape Hemmyng How the Magistrates are called Gods ¶ Looke Iuâ—ges What the nature of Gods word is ¶ Looke Word Nature GODLIE SORROVV What godlie sorrow bringeth to a man FOr godlie sorrow causeth repentaunâ—â— c. ¶ There be two manners of sorrow The one commeth of God and ingendereth repentaunâ—e 〈…〉 life The other commeth of the flesh and bréedeth desperation vnto death We haue examples of both in Cain and Dauid in Iudas and Peter For they all sorrowed but the sorrow of Cain and of Iudas was fleshlie and carnall and therefore being without godlie comâ—ort it did driue them to desperation Whereas Dauid and Peter in their godlie sorrow did flie vnto the father of mercies with a true repentant heart and were receiued againe into the fauour of God Sir I. Cheeke ¶ Whose heart Gods spirite doth touch he is sorie for his sinnes committed against so mercifull a father and these are the fruites of his repentaunce as witnesse Dauids and Peters teares Others which are sorie for their sinnes onelie for feare of punishment and Gods vengeaunce fall into desperation as Cain Saule Achitophel and Iudas Geneua GODLINESSE What Godlinesse is GOdlinesse is not made of words as wood is made of Trées but it is an earnest loue procéeding from a pure heart and a good conscience and an vnfained faith in which we maie glorifie God and doe good to his people Paule was godlie when he gloried in nothing but in the crosse of Iesus Christ by which the world was crucified vnto him and he vnto the world They are godlesse hypocrites which in word confesse they know God but in deede doe denie him They are Christs which haue crucified the flesh with the affections and concupiscence of it They are of their father the Diuell that in wickednesse doe the desire of the Diuell c. M. Deering GOG AND MAGOG What they were and what they doe signifie SAint Austen in his 20. booke De ciuitate Dei willeth by Gog to be signified the glorious hypocrites of the world by Magog the open enimies of righteousnesse pretending the contrarie As testifieth Berosus the Chaldean in the first booke of his histories 5. chapter Gog was a mightie gouernour in the land of Sabea Arabia the rich vnder Nimroth the great king of Babilon and there ruled with Sabâ—s his Father in the 18. yeare of his raigne In the 38. Chapter of Ezechielâ— Prophecie ver 2. he is called the chiefe Prince of Mosoch and Tâ—â—bal whom some Expositours taketh for Capadoce and Spaine But after the opinion of S. Hierom and Isidorus which was a Spaniard the Hebrue taketh this Thubal for Italy which is much more agréeable to the purpose Magog was the seconde sonne of Iaphet which was the third sonne vnto Noe. This Magog as witnesseth Iosephus in the first booke of his Antiquities the 11. chapter was the first beginner of the Magogites whom the Greekes called the Scythians and we now the Tartarians And all the chiefe
Hierome saith The people before the second comming of Christ which shall be in glory shall leaue their negligent idle schoolmaisters which haue of long time deceiued them and shall flye to the mountaines of the Scriptures and albeit they finde not one to teach them yet shall their desire and endeauour be accepted before God for that they haue sought vnto thesâ— mountaines and the negligence and slothfulnesse of their maisters shall be reproued Iewel fol. 721. What these Mountaines signifie That the Mountaines may bring peace ¶ By the mountaines are vnderstoode the great men and Rulers that receiue the word of peace and by the little hills their subiects Psal. 114. 4. 148. 9. Luk. 3. 5. T. M. What is ment by the translating of Mountaines He translateth Mountaines ¶ God translateth Mountaines not onely those of the earth but also the arrogant and proude Tyrants and the great Realmes of the world which by a borrowed speach are oftentimes in the sriptures signified by mountaines and hills So translated he Pharao Exo. 14. 28. and king Senacharib Eze. 37. What the name of this Mountaine was Our Fathers worshipped in this mountaine ¶ The name of this mountaine is Garizim wherevpon Sanabalecta the Cuthite built a Temple by Alexander of Macedony his leaue after the victory of Issica and made there Maâ—asses his sonne in lawe high Priest Iosephus bo 11. MOVRNE What it is to Mourne MOurne wéepe c. ¶ To mourne in the Scripture signifieth sometime to make an vnmeasurable and grieuous lamentation as when a man for impatience and griefe smiteth his owne bodie renteth his clothes teareth his haire c. So in Math. 24. 30. And then shall all the kingdomes of the Earth mourne T. M. The mourning of the Christians vnder the Crosse. Blessed are they that mourne c. ¶ This mourning is that Crosse without the which was neuer Disciple of Christ nor neuer shall be For of whatsoeuer state or degrée thou be in this world if thou professe the Gospell there followeth thâ—e a Crosse as warmnesse followeth the Sunne shining vnder the which thy spirit shall grone and mourne secretly not onely because the world and thine owne flesh carrye thâ—e away cleane contrary to the purpose of thine owne heart but also to see and behold the wretchednes and misfortunes of the bretheren which because thou louest them as thy selfe thou shalt mourne sorrow no lesse then for thy selfe Tindale fol. 190. How farre mourning for the dead is admitted The Scripture admitteth the mourning for the dead For in Deut. 34. the people mourned for Moses Abraham bewayled his wife Sara Ioseph mourned for his father Iacob Dauid mourned for Ammon Israel for Samuel Martha for Lazarus And our Lord himselfe wept for Lazarus Iesus the sonne of Syrach saith 38. chapter verse 16. My sonne shed thy teares ouer the dead But Ier. 22. 10 saith Bewaile not yâ— dead And Christ saith Luke 7. 13. to the woman whose sonne was dead Wéepe not Which counter saieng Paule recoâ—cileth 1. Tess. 4. 13. where he saith Bretheren I would not haue you ignoraunt concerning them that be fallen a sleepe that ye sorrowe not as other doe which haue no hope So it is â—eâ—thenish sorrowe that is forbid which haue no hope nor comfort of the resurrection Hemâ—yng And made great lamentation for him ¶ A moderate mourning for the dead ought not to be reproued so yâ— all supersâ—ition be layed aside howbeit these godly deuout persons yâ— be spoâ—en of héere did rather make this lamentation for Steuen because they had lost such an â—arnest and valiaunt deâ—â—nder of the truth then for any other thing For without all peraduenture they had a hope of resurrection and that no harme was happened vnto him Sir I. Cheeke MOVTH What the mouth of God is GOds mouth is taken for the sonne of God the Father or his commaundements Esay 40. 5. the mouth of the Lordâ— hath spoken it The meaning of this place following He hath made my mouth lyke a sharpe sword c. ¶ That is he hath giuen me the spirite of sharpe and pithye speach so that my words shall euen cut a sunder as it were the hearts of the chosen which heare me and driue them to repentaunce and declare the offences of the wicked and without excuse This doth the spirit of Prophecie and of true preaching of the word Apoc. 16. T. M. He hath made my mouth lyke a sharpe sword That is spoken in the person of Christ to assure the faithful that these promises should come to passe for they were all made in him and in him should be performed Geneua Of the staffe of Gods mouth ¶ Looke Staffe MVLTITVDE How it is not good alwaies to follow a multitude THe Turkes being in number fiue times moe then wée Christians doe knowledge one God and beleeue manye things of God moued onely by the authoritie of their Elders and presume that God will not let so great a multitude erre so long time and yet they haue erred and bene faithlesse 800. yeares And the Iewes beléeue this daye as much as the carnall sort of them euer beléeued moued also by the authoritie of the Elders onely thinke that it is impossible for them to erre being Abrahams séede the children of them to whom the promise of all that we beléeue wer made And yet they haue erred and haue bene faithlesse this 15. hundred yeares The elect which are few shall among that great multitude neuer be without persecution and temptation of their faith as the great multitude of the Pope persecute and suffer not and yet the same in the middes of their persecution shall be kept by the mightie hande of GOD against all naturall possibilitie We must suspect as many things as the rude multitude with great assent and consent appeareth Many be called but few be chosen Broad is the waye that leadeth to destruction and manye there be that enter thereinto Of séede sowen in foure places fruite was brought foorth but in one MVRDER Who be Murderers ANd murderers ¶ That is to wit with tongue minde hand or by with-holding of things néedfull of which sort be those Canâ—sh Gyaunts and great men of name like Nymrod the strong hunter which murder guiltlesse persons at their pleasure and make them as shéepe to the slaughter Which thing no man doth more cruelly at this daye then doth the Romish Bishop the Uicar and stepfollower of that méeke Lambe and the successour of Peter whome Christ commaunded to put vp his sword And there be other of the chiefe Prelates also which are verye diligent in following the example of the Romish Bishop but God will abhorre those bloudthirstie and deceiptfull men Psal. 5. 6. Mar. vpon the Apo. fo 289. ¶ The vnpitifull murderers are also the same bloudthirstâ—e Prelates those Caines and those boysterous Nemrothes that neuer will be satisfied with the slaughter of Innocents No cruell
flesh was clensed the God of Israel was reuealed vnto him he receiued the holy Ghost for thus he saith Now I know assuredly that there is none other God in all the world but in Israel He doth nothing at all he kéepeth not the law he is not circumcised but onely praieth that so much of that earth might be giuen vnto him as two mules should be able to carrie away Moreouer it appeareth that faith was not idle in him for he saith to the Prophet Eliseus Thy seruaunt will henceforth neither offer burnt sacrifice nor offering vnto any other God sauing the Lorde But in this thing the Lord be mercifull vnto thy seruaunt that when my Maister goeth into the house of Rimmon to worship there and leaneth vpon my hand and I boowe my selâ—e in the house of Rimmon when I boowe downe I say in yâ— house of Rimmon The Lord be mercifull vnto thy seruaunt in this point to whom the Prophet sayth Go in peace So was hee iustified The Iew hering this freâ—teth for anger sayth What Should the Gentile be iustified without the keeping of yâ— law Should he be compared with vs which are circumcised c. Luther vpon the Gal. fol. 91. How it was against Naamans heart to worship Idols anie more Héerein the Lord be mercifull vnto thy seruant that when my Maister goeth into the house of Rimmon to worship there and leaneth on my handâ— and I boowe my selfe in the house of Rimmon c. He feeleth his conscience wounded in béeing present at Idolls seruice therefore desireth God to forgiue him least others by his example might fall to Idolatrie for as for his owne part he confesseth that he will neuer serue anie but the true God Geneua NABVCHODONOSOR How his death is compared to Lucifer HOw aâ—t thou falne from heauen O Lucifer thou faire morning childe ¶ He compareth the death of Nabuchodonosor to the falling of Lucifer the morning starre which he calleth yâ— childe of the morning because it appeared onelye in the morning The meaning is no such thing ought to haue happened vnto thee that in earth was lyke the morning starre which no man can take out of heauen thou that wast so mightie yâ— thou destroiâ—dst what people thou wouldest and to whome it was pastime to ouerthrow nations hast receiued such measure as thou broughtest Such a like thing is there in Ezechiel 28. against king Tyrus T. M. Thou that thoughtest thy selfe most glorious as it were placed in the heauen for the morning starre that goeth before the Sun is called Lucifer to whom Nabuchonodosor is compared Geneua How Nabuchodonosor is Gods seruaunt And I will prepare Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon my seruant and will bring him vpon this land ¶ So the wicked and Satan himselfe are Gods seruaunts because be maketh them to serue him by constraint and tourneth that which they doe of mallice to his honour and glory Geneua What his pollicie was to haue of the kings seede and of the Princes of Israel That he should bring certeine of the kings séede and of the Princes ¶ His purpose was to kéepe them as Hostages and that he might shew himselfe victorious and also by their good intreatie and learning of his religion they might fauour rather him then the Iewes and so to be able to serue him as gouernours in their land Moreouer by this meanes the Iewes might be better kept in subiection fearing otherwise to procure hurt to these noble men Geneua For what purpose he set vp Image of golde Nabuchodonosor the king made an Image of golde c. ¶ Under pretence of religion and holinesse in making an Image to his Idoll Bel he sought his ambition and vainglorie And this declareth he was not touched with the true feare of God but that he confessed him of a sodeine motion as the wicked when they are ouercome with the greatnesse of his works The Gréeke interpreters write that this was done 18. yeares after the dreame and as may appeare the king feared least the Iewes by their religion should haue altered the state of his common weale therefore he meant to bring all to one kinde of religion and so rather sought his own quietnesse then Gods glorie Geneua How this place following is vnderstood Hell trembleth at thy comming c. ¶ That is euen they that be in hell will tremble when Nabuchodonosor commeth thether It is figuratiuely spoken to the further setting forth of the mischiefe of Nabuchodonosor T. M. Who is meant by Lucifer in this place of Esay Thy pride saith Esay is driuen downe to hell c. How â—ellest 〈…〉 â—ucifer from heauen which did rise in the morning and 〈…〉 will 〈…〉 vp to heauen I will aduance my selfe 〈…〉 of God I will sit in the mount of witnesse in the sides of the North I will goe vp aboue the highest of the clowdes I will be like the highest but for al that thou shalt be thrust downe to hell c. ¶ Without al nay sayth Musculus it conteyâ—eth the prophesie of the proud king of Babylon which was then to come although it be by some expounded for the fal of Satan Musculus so 10. NATION Whom he calleth a Nation I Will prouoke you to enuie by a Nation that is no Nation ¶ He calleth all prophane people a Nation that is no Nation as they are not sayd to liue but to dye which are appointed for euerlasting condemnation Esay 65. 1. Beza NAKED How this word Naked is to be vnderstood IF that we be found clothed and not naked c. ¶ They are naked that haue not the wedding garment of faith working through loue vpon them They are naked that without all shame doe giue themselues in this world to filthy wicked and diuelish conuersation putting awaye from them the spirite of God and reason It is sayd that our mantion is from heauen and not because it commeth from heauen but because that it receiueth from thence the grace or gift of immortalitie and incorruption Sir I. Cheeke How Saule is said to be naked And â—ell naked all that day ¶ Saule is sayd to fall naked for so much as he put of his kinglye apparell and putte on such as the Prophets vsed to weare in the time of prophesieng Geneua How that the people is said to be naked Sawe that the people were naked ¶ That is destitute of Gods grace wilde licentious and readie to fall into all kind of Idolatry whereby they gaue their enimies an occasion to speake euill of their God Geneua NARROVV VVAY What the narrovv vvay is ANd the way is narrow that leâ—â—eth to lyfe ¶ The narrow way is to liue after the true knowledge of the lawe and the true intent of works he that will enter in at this gate must be made a new his head will else bée to great He must be vntaught all that he hath learned to be made lesse to enter in
Beza PLANT How this sentence following is expounded EUerie plant which is not of my fathers planting shall bée plucked vp ¶ Some vnderstand this sentence of opinions as if it should haue ben sayd that all the inuentions of men whatsoeuer came not out of the mouth of God must be plucked and rooted out and perish But Christ rather had a respect vnto men so that these words are in effect as if he should haue sayd that it is no meruaile that if the doctrine of saluation were mortiferous and deadly to the reprobate because they are alwayes carried headlong into destruction Wherefore we must vnderstand those to be planted by the hand of God which by his frée adoption are graffed in the trée of lyfe Marl. vpon Math. fol. 336. ¶ Euerie plant c. That is to saye the tradition of man is to bée rooted out by the loue whereof they transgressed the commaundements of the lawe and therefore are they blinde leaders of the blinde promising the way of eternall life which themselues cannot sée And so being blinde themselues and guides of the blinde they tumble into the ditch together I. Bridges fol. 454. All plants c. That is all doctrines that are not grounded on the word of God shall perish Tindale ¶ All they that are not graffed in Iesus Christ by frée adoption and euerie doctrine that is not established by Gods word Geneua ¶ All kindes of religion and doctrine that is not of God shal be plucked vp by the roots onely the word of God shal remaine for euer Sir I. Cheeke PLOVGH By what meanes the plough of Gods word goeth awrie THe kingdome of Christ is a spirituall kingdome which no man can minister well and a temporall kingdome too Because that no man which putteth his hand to the plough and looketh backe is apt for the kingdome of heauen As Christ answered Luke 9. vnto him that woulde haue followed him but would first haue taken leaue of his household If a man put his hand to the plough of Gods word to preach it looke also to worldly businesse his plough will surely go awry And therfore saith Christ vnto an other that would likewise follow him but desired first to goe burie his father let the dead bury the dead but come thou and shew or preach the kingdome of God As who should say he that will preach the kingdome of God which is Christs Gospell truely must haue his heart no where else Tindale POLICRONICON What Policronicon is POlicronicon is as much to saye as a Chronicle of manye times POLIGAMIE What Poligamie is POligamie is when a man hath many wiues or a woman many husbands Bibhan fol. 27. POORE How this place following is vnderstood THe poore yée shall euermore haue with you but mée ye shal not haue ¶ Let good men heare this and not be carefull for this he speaketh of the presence of his body For according to his maiestie according to his prouidence according to his vnspeakable and inuisible grace it is fulfilled that he said I am with you vnto the consummation of the world But according to the flesh that the word receiued according to that he was borne of a virgin according to that he was taken of the Iewes according to that he was nailed to the crosse according to that he was taken downe and lapt in a shroud laide in a graue and rose againe and shewed himselfe In this respect it is true that he sayd ye shall not euermore haue me with you ¶ He speaketh of the presence of his bodie when he saith The poore you shall alwaies haue with you but me shal ye not haue alwaies For in respect of his maiestie of his prouidence and of his vnspeakable grace is that fulfilled which he spake Beholde I am with you alwaies vnto the end of the world But in respect of the flesh which the word tooke vpon it In respect that he was borne of a virgin that he was taken by the Iewes that he was nailed to the crosse that he was wound in a shéet that he was laide into the sepulchre that he was manifested in the resurrection you shall not haue me with you alwaies And why so Because he was conuersaunt as touching his bodelye presence fortie dayes with his Disciples and they accompanieng him but not following him he ascended into heauen and is not héere For there he sitteth at the right hand of the Father And he is héere for he is not gone hence in respect of the presence of his maiestie Bullinger fol. 1096. What the complaint of the poore is He forgetteth not the complaint of the poore ¶ The complaint of the poore is the feruent desire and burning affection wherewith they crie vnto the Lorde and be heard By the poore in the scripture are vnderstood the afflict which féele their néed temptation which sorow and lament that the truth is ouertroden which put no trust at all in any thing that is in this world yea which are despised and forsaken of the world and cleaue onely to the liuing God assured at his hande they shall finde help though the world be neuer so extreme against them And in the next Psalme T. M. How the poore in spirit are blessed Blessed are the poore in spirit ¶ That is to say the rich that haue not their confidence nor consolation in the vanitie of their riches the poore that desiâ—eth not inordinatly to be rich but haue their trust in the liuing God for foode and raiment for all that perteineth either to the bodie or to the soule for theirs is the kingdome of heauen Tindale ¶ None is poore in spirit but he which being humble lowly in his owne eyes trusteth onely to the mercie of God For they which are ouerwhelmed with desperation when they fret fume against God are puffed vp with a lustie proude spirit Marl. vpon Mat. fo 76. ¶ Christ calleth them héere poore which are poore in spirit that is which trust in no worldly thing are forsaken despised of other being poore and contrite of heart which often doe not prosper in the world because they lead a godly lyfe put their whole trust and confidence in God Tindale How the poore receiueth vs into euerlasting Tabernacles That when you haue néede they may receiue you into euerlasting habitations ¶ It is manifest that Christ receiueth the beléeuers into euerlasting habitations for eternall lyfe is GODS gifte by Iesus Christ. And where as it is sayde in this text that the poore shall receiue vs into euerlasting Tabernacles it is meant that they shall be as witnesses and aueâ—chers of our faith Tindale POPE Reasons of the Papists to confirme the Popes supremacie aunswered Their first reasons AS the first begotten in the olde Law was Lord ouer his bretheren euen so because it is euident that Peter was the first begotten of Christ he must be Lord
SEleuciani or Hermiani of one Seleucus taught that the substaunce whereof the world was made was not made of God but was coeternall with God That God maketh not the soule but Angells of fire and spirit that euil is somtimes of God and sometimes of the thing it selfe that Christ sitteth not in the flesh at the right hand of the father but hath his seate in the Sunne that there was no visible Paradise that Baptime is not to be receiued by water that there shall be no resurrection but the dayly generation of children Aug. li. de haer SELL How this place following is vnderstood GOe and sell all that thou hast and giue to the poore ¶ Go and sell all that thou hast that is plucke thy heart from all that thou dost possesse and so forsake them with all thy heart that in thy minde thou doest sell them and be readye also indéede to sell them if the necessitie of thy neighbour require it the effect and trust in things possessed must we euer renounce or els are we not perfect As Mat. 19. 21. Luke 12. 33. Tindale ¶ He hath sold all that euer he hath that surely intendeth for the loue of Christ to helpe the poore withall that he may Voluntas reputatur pro facto The will is accepted to the deede as is said commonly And this saieng both of Iames and also of the Euangelist I thinke verely belongeth to all Christen men that they should performe it none except neither man ne woman as wée vse to say but to them as well as to any other we call religious Lamb. in the b. of Mar. fol. 1266. ¶ This is to be noted that Christ doth not onely commaund to sell all that we haue but also to giue vnto the poore because to cast away riches without any regard is not a vertue but rather vaine ambition Crates of Thebes is highly commended of prophane Historiographers because he cast his money his precious Iewells that he had into the Sea because that hée thought that without the losse of his riches he could not be safe As though indéed it had not ben better to distribute yâ— to others which he counted superfluous vnto himselfe then so to haue done Truly seeing that charitie is the bond of perfection hée that depriueth himselfe of the vse of money deserueth no commendation at all Therefore the selling of the goods is not héere commended simplye of our Sauiour Christ but the lyberalytie in helping the poore Marl. fol. 431. ¶ Christ héere discouereth his Hipocrisie and caused him to feele his owne weaknesse not generally commaunding all to doe the lyke Geneua Solde vnder sinne what it meaneth But I am carnall solde vnder sinne ¶ Lyke as bond-men are violently thrust hurled and turmoiled as it pleaseth theyr cruel master so are we through heaps of sins drawen to many euill dooings which wée doe neither lykeâ— nor allowe The Bible note SELVM The misery that happened vnto the Iewes is described vnder this man AS touching selum the sonne of Iosiah c. ¶ Some vnderstand héere by Selum all the sonnes of Iosiah verely they were all taken prisoners with great shame and dyed out of Hierusalem yea out of the land of Israel and were buried without the honour due vnto Kings First Iehoahaz whom manye thinke to be specially signified by Selum was brought into Aegypt and there he dyed 4. Reg. â—3 31. And his brother Eliakim which came in his stéed was taken of Nabuchodonosor fettered brought to Babilon 2. Par. 36. 4. Whose successour Iehoachim was also brought to Babilon and his mother too 4. Reg. 24. 25. At the last his Unckle Zedekiah through his falsehoode both to God and man betrayed the whole kingdome and was also brought to Babylon and there had his children slaine before his face his own eyes put out 4. Re. 25. 7. Al this lamentable businesse should Ieremy séeme to note héere in few words If any man think this Prophecie to belong onely to Iehoahaz with him will I not striue T. M. SENECHDOCHE What kinde of figure it is SEnechdoche is a figure where part is vsed for the whole and the whole for the part SENNACHARIB How and wherefore his owne sonnes slewe him WHen the Princes of Assyria sawe such a number of the Assyrians slaine in one night by the Angell of God for the great pride of Sennacherib and his blasphemy against the God of Israel they were sore troubled and moued against him The King fled to Niniue and being in great feare of his lyfe gate him into the Temple of his God Nesrah and prayed promising his God that if he escaped the great daunger he was in of his Lords and Commons that he would sacrifice both his sonnes vnto him for a Sacrifice His sonnes now hearing of this fell vpon their father in the Temple and slew him and so fled into yâ— land of Armenia They did not thus slay their father of a desire they had to raigne after him for then they wold not haue fled but they slew him only to saue their own liues Lyra. ¶ This was the iust iudgement of God for his blasphemy yâ— he shuld be slain before yâ— Idol whom he preferred to the liuing God by theÌ„ by whom he ought of nature to haue ben defended Ge. SENT How this place following is vnderstood HOw shall they preach except they be sent ¶ Except they be sent that is except the worde bée giuen them of God Except they be sent ye wil aske of whoÌ„ Uerely of him which is the owner of the Gospel yâ— is God of him be they sent which preach Christ truly and purely without the desire of vaine-glorie or gaines Of the same manner doth Christ proue that hée was sent of his father because he spake to the glory of his father not of himselfe Iohn 7. 17. But such as vnder the pretence of preaching the Gospell preach mens traditions whereby they seeke the praise of themselues are false Apostles and sent of Antichrist not of Christ. Tindale SEARCH Why God is sayd to search GOd is said to search for that that which men desire perfectly and exactly to know they diligently search for it so God because he beholdeth our most hidden thoughts is saide to search the harts otherwise he before he begin to search knoweth what we haue néede of Pet. Mar. vpon the Rom. fo 224. How we are commaunded of Christ to search the Scriptures Search the Scriptures ¶ The Scriptures are giuen to vs from aboue not to the ende we might haue onely in bookes so layed vp as our treasure as we see many men doe neither yet are they giuen that we might simply slightly read them either that by a supersticious opinion the reading of theÌ„ might be in stéede of worship and diuine seâ—uice as we sée the Papists doe and as the Iewes continually doe on the Sabboth dayes but they are giuen to this
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
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
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