Catholike Church that is to say that visible companie of Christians vvhich hath euer had and by good records can proue they haue had a continual ordinarie succession of Bishops Pastors and Doctors to be the onely true Church and these other good fellovves that for many vvorldes or ages together can not shevv that they had any one Bishop or ordinarie yea or extraordinaâ—â—e officer for them and their sect to be an adulterous Heretical generation And this place of the Apostle assuring to the true Church a perpetual visible continuance of Pastors and Apostles or their successors vvarranted the holy fathers to trie al Heretikes by the most famous succession of the Popes of Rome So did S. Irenaeus li. 3. c. 3. Tertullian in prascript Optatus li. 2 cont Parm. S. Augustine in ps cont part Donat. et cont ep Manich. c. 4. et ep 165. Epiph. har 27. and others 14. With euery vvinde The special vse of the spiritual Gouernours is to keepe vs in vnitie and constancie of the Catholike faith that vve be not carried avvay vvith the blast or vvind of euery heresie Vvhich is a very proper note of sectes and nevv doctrines that trouble the infirme vveaklings of the Church by certaine seasons of diuerse ages as sometime the Arians then the Manichees an other time the Nestorians then the Lutherans Caluinists and such like vvho at diuers times in diuers places haue blovven diuers blastes of flase doctrine CHAP. V. He continueth his exhortation to good life 5 assuring them against al deceiuers that no committer of mortal sinne shal be saued considering that for such sinnes it is that the Heathen shal be damned â— that Christians must rather be the light of al others 22 Them he commeth in particular and exhorteth husbands and vviues to do their duety one tovvardes the other by the example of Christ and his obedient and beloued spouse the Church verse 1 BE ye therfore folovvers of God as most deere children ✠verse 2 and * walke in loue as Christ also loued vs and deliuered him self for vs an oblation and host to God in an odour of svvetenes ✠verse 3 But * fornication and al vncleannes or auarice let it not so much as be named among you as it becommeth sainctes ✠verse 4 or filthines or foolish talke or scurrilitie being to no purpose but rather giuing of thankes ✠verse 5 For vnderstanding knovv you this that no fornicatour or vncleane or couetous person vvhich is the seruice of Idols hath inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God ✠verse 6 Let no man seduce you vvith vaine vvordes For for these things commeth the anger of God vpoÌ„ the children of diffidence ✠verse 7 Become not therfore partakers vvith them ✠verse 8 For you vvere sometime darkenes but novv light in our Lord. Vvalke as children of the light ✠verse 9 for the fruite of the light is in al goodnes and iustice and veritie ⊢ ✠verse 10 prouing vvhat is vvel pleasing to God ✠verse 11 and communicate not vvith the vnfruitful vvorkes of darkenes but rather reproue them ✠verse 12 For the things that are done of them in secrete it is shame euen to speake ✠verse 13 But al things that are reproued are manifested by the light for al that is manifested is light ✠verse 14 for the vvhich cause he saith Rise thou that sleepest and arise from the dead and Christ vvil illuminate thee ✠verse 15 See therfore brethren how you vvalke vvarily not as vnvvise but * as vvise ✠verse 16 redeeming the time because the daies are euil ✠verse 17 Therfore become not vnvvise but * vnderstanding vvhat is the vvil of God ✠verse 18 And be not drunke vvith vvine vvherein is rioteousnes but be filled vvith the Spirit ✠verse 19 speaking to your selues in psalmes hymnes and spiritual canticles chauÌ„ting and singing in your hartes to our Lord ✠verse 20 giuing thankes alvvaies for al things in the name of our Lord IESVS Christ to God the Father ✠verse 21 Subiect one to an other in the feare of Christ ✠verse 22 Let * vvomen be subiect to their husbandes as to our Lord ✠verse 23 because * the man is the head of the woman as Christ is the head of the CHVRCH Him self ″ the sauiour of his body ✠verse 24 But as the CHVRCH is subiect to Christ so also the vvomen to their husbands in al things ✠verse 25 Husbands loue your vviues as Christ also ″ loued the CHVRCH and deliuered him self for it ✠verse 26 that he might sanctifie it cleansing it by the lauer of vvater in the vvord ✠verse 27 that he might present to him self a glorious CHVRCH not hauing spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it may be holy and vnspotted ✠verse 28 So also men ought to loue their vviues as their ovvne bodies He that loueth his vvife loueth him self ✠verse 29 For no man euer hated his ovvne flesh but he nourisheth cherisheth it ″ as also Christ the CHVRCH ✠verse 30 because vve be the members of his body of his flesh of his bones ✠verse 31 For this cause shal maÌ„ leaue his father mother and shal cleane to his vvife and they shal be tvvo in one flesh ✠verse 32 ″ This is a great sacrameÌ„t but I speake in Christ and in the CHVRCH ✠verse 33 Neuertheles you also euery one let eche loue his vvife as him self and let the vvife feare her husband ⊢ ANNOTATIONS CHAP. V. 21. Sauiour of his body None hath saluation or benefite by Christ that is not of his body the Church And vvhat Church that is S. Augustine expresseth in these vvordes The Catholike Church onely is the body of Christ vvhereto she is â—ead out of this body the Holy Ghost quickeneth no man And a litle after He that vvil haue the Spirit let him bevvare he remains not out of the CHVRCH let him bevvare he enter not into it fâ—inedly August ep 50 ad Bonifacium comitem in fine 24. Subiect to Christ The CHVRCH is alvvaies subiect to Christ that is not onely vnder him but euer obedient to his vvordes and commaundement Vvhich an euident and inuincible demonstration that she neuer rebelleth against Christ neuer falleth from him by error Idolatrie or false vvorship as the Heretikes novv and the Donatistes of old did teach 25. Loued the Church Loe Christes singular loue of the CHVRCH for vvhich onely the members thereof he effectually suffered his Passion and for vvhose continual cleansing and purifying in this life he instituted holy Baptisme and other Sacraments that at length in the next life it may become vvithout al spot vvrinkle or blemish for in this vvorld by reason of the manifold infirmities of diuers her members she can not be vvholy vvithout sinne but must
Al vvhich being vvel considered the Heretikes are to contentious and incredulous to discredite the same as they commonly doe CHAP. XII 4 The great dragen the Diuel vvatching the vvoman that brought forth a man childe to deuoure it God tooke avvay the childe to him self and fed the vvoman in the desert 7 Michael fighting vvith the dragon ouercoÌ„meth him 13 vvho being throvven dovvne to the earth persenâ—teth the vvomaÌ„ her seede verse 1 AND a great signe appeared in heauen a vvoman clothed vvith the sunne and the moone vnder her feete on her head a crovvne of tvvelue starres ✠verse 2 being with childe she cried also traueling and is in anguish to be deliuered ✠verse 3 And there vvas seen an other signe in heauen and behold a great red dragon hauing seueÌ„ heades ten hornes and on his heades seuen diademes ✠verse 4 his taile drevv the third part of the starres of heauen and cast them to the earth and the dragon stoode before the vvoman vvhich vvas ready to be deliuered that vvhen she should be deliuered he might deuoure her sonne ✠verse 5 And she brought forth a man childe vvho vvas * to gouerne al nations in an yron rodde her sonne vvas taken vp to God and to his throne ✠verse 6 ″ the vvoman fled into the vvildernesse where she had a place prepared of God that there they might feede her a thousand tvvo hundred sixtie daies ✠verse 7 And there vvas made ″ a great battel in heauen Michael and his Angels fought vvith the dragon and the dragon fought and his Angels ✠verse 8 and they preuailed not neither vvas their place found any more in heauen ✠verse 9 And that great dragon vvas cast forth the old serpent vvhich is called the Deuil and Satan vvhich seduceth the vvhole vvorld and he vvas cast into the earth his Angels vvere throvven downe vvith him ✠verse 10 And I heard a great voice in heauen saying Novv is there made saluation and force and the kingdom of our God and the povver of his Christ because the accuser of our brethren is cast forth vvho accused them before the sight of our God day and night ✠verse 11 And they ouercame him by the bloud of the Lambe and by the vvord of their testimonie and they loued not their liues euen vnto death ✠verse 12 Therfore reioyce ô heauens and you that dvvel therein Vvo to the earth and to the sea because the Diuel is desceÌ„ded to you hauing great vvrath knovving that he hath a litle time ✠verse 13 And after the dragon savv that he vvas throvven into the earth he persecuted the vvomaÌ„ vvhich brought forth the man-childe ✠verse 14 and there vvere giuen to the vvoman tvvo vvinges of a great egle that shee might flie into the desert vnto her place vvhere she is nourished for a time times halfe a time from the face of the serpent ✠verse 15 And the serpent cast out of his mouth after the vvoman vvater as it vvere a floud that he might make her ″ to be caried avvay vvith the floud ✠verse 16 And the earth holpe the vvoman and the earth opened her mouth and svvallovved vp the floud vvhich the dragon cast out of his mouth ✠verse 17 And the dragon vvas angrie against the vvoman and vvent to make battel vvith the rest of her seede vvhich keepe the commaundements of God and haue the testimonie of IESVS Christ ✠verse 18 And he stood vpon the sand of the sea ANNOTATIONS CHAP. XII 6. The vvoman fled This great persecution that the Church shal flee from is in the time of Antichrist and shal endure but three yeres and a halfe as is noted v. 14 in the margent In vvhich time for al that she shal not vvant our Lordes protection nor true Pastors nor be so secrete but al faithful men shal knovv and folovv her much lesse shal she decay erre in faith or degenerate and folovv Antichrist as Heretikes do vvickedly feine As the Church Catholike novv in England in this time of persecution because it hath no publike state of regiment nor open free exercise of holy functions may be said to be fled into the desert yet it is neither vnknovven to the faithful that folovv it nor the enemies that persecute it as the hidde company that the protestants talke of vvas for some vvorldes together neither knovven to their frendes nor foes because there vvas in deede none such for many ages together And this is true if vve take this flight for a very corporal retiring into vvildernes Vvhere in deede it may be and is of most expounded to be a spiritual flight by forsaking the ioyes and solaces of the vvorld and giuing her self to contemplation and penance during the time of persecution vnder Antichrist And by enlarging the sense it may also very vvel signifie the desolation and affliction that the Church suffereth and hath suffered from time to time in this vvildernes of the vvorld by al the forerunners and ministers of Antichrist Tyrants and Heretikes 7. A great battel In the Church there is a perpetual combat betvvixt S. Michael protector of the Church militant as he vvas sometime of the Ievves Synagogue Dan. 10 21 and his Angels and the Deuil and his ministers the perfect victorie ouer vvhom shal be at the iudgement Marke here also the cause vvhy S. Michael is commonly painted fighting vvith a dragon 15. To be caried avvay By great persecution he vvould dravv her that is her children from the true faith but euery one of the faithful elect gladly bearing their part thereof ouercome his tyranoie At vvhose constancie he being the more offended vvorketh malicious attempts in assaulting the frailer sort vvho are here signified by the rest of her seede that keepe the commaundemants but are not so perfect as the former CHAP. XIII 1 A beast rising vp out of the sea hauing seuen heades and ten hornes ten diademes 5 blasphemeth God 7 and vvarreth against the Saincts destroieth them 11 And an other beast rising out of the earth vvith tvvo hornes vvas altogether for the foresaid beast constraining men to make and adore the image thereof and to haue the character of his name verse 1 AND I savv ″ a beast comming vp from the sea hauing seuen heades and ten hornes vpon his hornes ten diademes and vpon his heades names of blasphemie ✠verse 2 And the beast vvhich I savv vvas like to a libarde and his feete as of a beare and his mouth as the mouth of a lion And the dragon gaue him his ovvne force and great povver ✠verse 3 And I savv one of his heades as it vvere slaine to death and the vvound of his death vvas cured And al the earth vvas in admiration after the beast ✠verse 4 And they adored the dragon vvhich gaue povver to the beast
came into the land of Israel ✠verse 22 But hearing that Archelaus reigned in Ievvrie for Herod his father he feared to goe thither and being vvarned in sleepe retyred into the quarters of Galilee ✠verse 23 And coming he dvvelt in a citie called Nazareth that it might be fulfilled vvhich vvas sayd by the Propheres That he shal be called a Nazarite ANNOTATIONS CHAP. II. 1. Behold Our Lordes apparition or Epiphanie to these Sages being Gentils their Pilgrimage to him and in them the first homage of Gentilitie done vnto him the twelfth day after his Natiuitie and therfore is Twelfth day highly celebrated in the Catholike Churche for ioy of the calling of vs Gentils His baptisme also and first miracle are celebrated on the same day 2. Starre Christs Natiuitie depended not vpon this starre as the Priscillianists falsely surmised but the starre vpon his Natiuitie for the seruice wherof it was created Grego Ho. 10. 2. Come to adore This coming so far of deuotion to visite and adore Christ in the place of his birth was proprely a Pilgrimage to his person and warranteth the faithful in the like kind of external worship done to holy persons places and things 4. Inquired of them The high Priests were rightly consulted in quaestion of their law and religion and be they neuer so il are often forced to say the truth by priuilege of their vâ—ction as here and after they did concerning the true Messias 11. Adored him This body saith S. Chrysostom the Sages adored in the cribbe Let vs at the least imitate them thou seest him not now in the cribbe but on the altar not a woman holding him but the Priest present and the Holy Ghost powred out aboundantly vpon the sacrifice Ho. 24. in 1. Cor. Ho. 7. in Mt. Ho. de sancto Philogonio 11. Treasures These treasures are as it were the first fruites of those riches and gifts which according to the Prophecies of Dauid and Esay Gentilitie should offer to Christ and his Churche and now haue offered specially from the time of Constantine the Great As also these three Sages being principal men of their Countrie represent the whole state of Princes kings and Emperours that were according to the said Prophecies to beleeue in Christ to humble them selues to his crosse to foster enriche adorne and defend his Church Wherevpon it is also a very conuenient and agreable tradition of antiquitie and a receiued opinion among the faithful * not lacking testimonies of ancient writers and much for the honour of our Sauiour that these three also were kings to Witte either according to the state of those Countries * where the Princes were Magi and * Magi the greatest about the Prince or as we read in the Scriptures of Melchisedec king of Salem and many other kings that dwelt within a small compasse or as * Iobes three freendes are called kings These are commonly called the three kings of Colen because their bodies are there translated thither from the East Countrie their names are said to haue been Gaspar Melchior Baltasar 11. Gifts These Sages were three and their gifts three and eche one offered euerie of the three to expresse our faith of the Trinitie The Gold to signifie that he was a King the frankincense that he was God the myrrhe that he was to be buried as man Aug. ser i. de Epiph. 15. Out of Aegypt This place of the Prophete and the like in the new Testament here applied to Christ wheras in the letter it might seeme otherwise reacheth vs how to interprete the old Testament and that the principal sense is of Christ and his Churche 16. Murdered By this example we learne how great credite we owe to the Churche in Canonizing Saints and celebrating their holy daies by whose only warrant without any word of Scripture these holy Innocents haue been honoured for Martyrs and their holy day kept euer since the Apostles time although they died not voluntarily nor al perhaps circuncised and some the children of Pagans Aug. ep â—â— Orig. ho. 1. in diuersos CHAP. III. Iohn Baptist by his Eremites life by his preaching and baptisme calleth al vnto penance to prepare them to Christ 10. He preacheth to the Pharisees and Sadducees threatening to them vnles they truly doe penance reprobation here and damnation hereafter and so saluation sendeth them to Christ and his baptisme Which being far more excellent then Iohns yet Christ him self among those penitents vouchsafeth to come vnto Iohns baptisme where he hath testimonie from heauen also verse 1 AND in those dayes * cometh Iohn the Baptist preaching in the ″ desert of Ievvrie ✠verse 2 saying ″ Doe penance for the Kingdom of heauen is at hand ✠verse 3 For this is he that vvas spoken of by Esay the Prophet saying A voyce of one crying in the desert prepare ye the way of our Lord make straight his pathes ✠verse 4 And the sayd Iohn had his garment of camels heare a girdle of a skinne about his loynes and his meate was locustes vvilde honie ✠verse 5 Then vvent forth to him Hierusalem al Ievvrie and al the countrey about Iordan ✠verse 6 vvere baptized of him in Iordan ″ confessing their sinnes ✠verse 7 And seeing many of the Pharisees Sadducées coming to his baptisme he sayd to them Ye vipers brood vvho hath shevved you to flee from the vvrath to come ✠verse 8 Yeld therfore ″ fruite vvorthie of penance ✠verse 9 And delite not to say vvithin your selues vve haue Abraham to our father for I tel you that God is able of these stones to raise vp children to Abraham ✠verse 10 For novv the ″ axe is put to the roote of the trees Euery tree therefore that doth not yeld good fruite shal be cut dovvne cast into the fyre ✠verse 11 I in deede baptize you ″ in vvater vnto penance but he that shal come after me is stronger then I vvhose shoes I am not vvorthie to beare he shal baptize you in the Holy Ghost fire ✠verse 12 Whose fanne is in his hand and he shal cleane purge his ″ floore and he vvil gather his vvheate into the barne but the chaffe he vvil burne vvith vnquencheable fire ✠verse 13 Then cometh IESVS from Galilee to Iordan vnto Iohn to be baptized of him ✠verse 14 But Iohn stayed him saying I ought to be baptized of thee and comest thou to me ✠verse 15 And IESVS ansvvering sayd to him Suffer me for this time for so it becommeth vs to fulfil al iustice Then he suffered him ✠verse 16 And IESVS being baptized forthvvith came out of the vvater and loe the heauens vvere ″ opened to him and he savv the Spirit of God descending as a doue coming vpon him ✠verse 17 And behold a voyce from heauen saying This is
things therfore vvhatsoeuer you vvil that men doe to you doe you also to them For this is the Lavv and the Prophets ✠verse 13 Enter ye by the narrovv gate because brode is the gate and large is the vvay that leadeth to perdition and many there be that enter by it ✠verse 14 Hovv narrovv is the gate and straite is the vvay that leadeth to life and fevv there are that finde it ✠verse 15 Take ye great heede of false Prophets vvhich come to you in the ″ clothing of sheepe but invvardly are rauening vvolues ✠verse 16 ″ By their fruites you shal knovv them Do men gather grapes of thornes or figges of thistels ✠verse 17 Euen so euery good tree yeldeth good fruites and the euil tree yeldeth euil fruites ✠verse 18 A good tree can not yeld euil fruites neither an euil tree yeld good fruites ✠verse 19 Euery tree that yeldeth not good fruite shal be cut dovvne and shal be cast into fyre ✠verse 20 Therfore by their fruites you shal knovv them ✠verse 21 Not euery one that sayth to me ″ Lord Lord shal enter into the Kingdom of heauen but he that doeth the vvil of my father vvhich is in heauen he shal enter into the kingdom of heauen ⊢ ✠verse 22 Many shal say to me in that day Lord Lord haue not vve prophecied in they name and in thy name cast out diuels and in thy name vvrought many miracles ✠verse 23 And then I vvil cōfesse vnto them That I neuer knevv you depart from me you that vvorke iniquitie ✠verse 24 Euery one therfore that heareth these my vvordes and doeth them shal be likened to a vvise man that built his house vpon a rocke ✠verse 25 and the rayne fel and the fluddes came the vvindes blevve and they beate agaynst that house and it fel not for it vvas founded vpon a rocke ✠verse 26 And euery one that heareth these my vvordes doeth them not shal be like a foolish man that built his house vpon the sand ✠verse 27 and the rayne fel and the fluddes came and the vvindes blevve and they beate agaynst that house and it fel the fall therof vvas great ✠verse 28 And it came to passe vvhen IESVS had fully ended these vvordes the multitutde vvere in admiration vpon his doctrine ✠verse 29 For he vvas teaching them as hauing povver and not as their Scribes and Pharisees ANNOTATIONS CHAP. VII 1. Iudge not It is not Christian part to iudge il of mens actes which be in them selues good and may procede of good meaning or of mans inward meanings and intentions which we can not see of which fault they must beware that are to suspicious and giuen to deeme alwayes the worst of other men But to say that Iudas or an Heretike euidently knowen to die obstinatly in heresie is damned and in al other playne and manifest cases to iudge is not forbidden 6. Holy to dogges No holy Sacrament and specially that of our Sauiours blessed body must be geuen wittingly to the vnworthy that is to them that haue not by confession of al mortal sinnes examined and proued them selues See the Annot. 1. Cor. 11 27. 28. 29. ◠Euery one that asketh Al things that we aske necessarie to saluation with humilitie attention continuance and other dewe circunstances God wil vndoubtedly graunt when it is best for vs. 15. Clothing of sheepe Extraordinarie apparance of zeale and holines is the sheepes cote in some Heretikes but these of this time weare not that garment much being men of vnsatiable sinne This is rather their garment common to them with al other Heretikes to crake much of the word of the Lord and by pretensed allegations and * sweete wordes of benediction and specially by promise of knowledge light and libertie of the Gospel to seduce the simple and the sinful 16. Fruites These are the fruites which Heretikes are knowen by diuision from the whole Churche diuision among them selues taking to them selues new names and new malsters inconstancie in doctrine disobedience both to others and namely to spiritual officers loue and liking of them selues pride and intolerable vaunting of their owne knowledge aboue al the holy Doctors corruption falsification and quite denying of the parts of Scriptures that specially make agaynst them and these be common to al Heretikes lightly Othersome are more peculiar to these of our time as Incestuous mariages of vowed persons Spoile of Churches Sacrilege and profanation of al holy things and many other special poynts of doctrine directly tending to the corruption of good life in al states 21. Lord Lord. These men haue faith otherwise they could not inuocate Lord Lord Ro. 10. But here we see that to beleeue is not ynough and that not only infidelitie is sinne as Luther teacheth Yea Catholikes also that worke true miracles in the name of our Lord and by neuer so great fayth yet without the workes of iustice shal not be saued 1. Cor. 13. Agayne consider here who they are that haue so often in their mouth The Lord the Lord and how litle it shal auaile them that set so litle by good workes and contemne Christian iustice CHAP. VIII Immediatly after his Sermon to confirme his doctrine with a miracle he cureth a Leper 5 But aboue him and al other Iewes he cōmendeth the faith of the Centurion who was a Gentil and foretelleth by that occasion the vocation of the Gentiles and reprobation of the Iewes 14 la Peters house he sheweth great grace 18 In the way to the sea he speaketh with two of folowing him 23 and vpon the sea commaundeth the tempest 28 and beyond the sea he manifesteth the deuils malice agaynst man in an heard of svvine verse 1 AND vvhen he vvas come dovvne from the mountaine great multitudes folovved him ✠verse 2 And * behold a leper came and adored him saying Lord if thou vvilt thou canst make me cleane ✠verse 3 And IESVS stretching forth his hand touched him saying I vvil be thou made cleane And forthvvith his leprosy vvas made cleane ✠verse 4 And IESVS sayth to him See thou tel no body but goe * shevv thy self to the ″ priest offer the ″ gift vvhich Moyses commaunded for a testimonie to them ✠verse 5 And * vvhen he vvas entred into Capharnaum there came to him a Centurion beseeching him ✠verse 6 saying Lord my boy lieth at home sicke of the palsey is sore tormēted ✠verse 7 And IESVS sayth to him I vvil come cure him ✠verse 8 And the Centurion making ansvver sayd Lord ″ I am not vvorthie that thou shouldest enter vnder my roofe but only say the vvord and my boy shal be healed ✠verse 9 For I also am a man subiect to authoritie hauing vnder me souldiars and I say to this goe and he goeth and to an other come
them that did eate vvas fiue thousand men beside vvomen and children ✠verse 22 And forth vvith IESVS commaunded his Disciples to goe vp into the boate and to goe before him ouer the vvater til he dimissed the multitudes ✠verse 23 And hauing dimissed the multitude he * ascended into a mountaine alone to praye And vvhen it vvas euening he vvas there alone ✠verse 24 But the boate in the middes of the sea vvas tossed vvith vvaues for the vvinde vvas contratie ✠verse 25 And in the fourth vvatch of the night he came vnto them vvalking vpon the sea ✠verse 26 And seeing him vpon the ″ sea vvalking they vvere troubled saying That it is a ghost and for feare they cried out ✠verse 27 And immediatly IESVS spake vnto them saying Haue confidence it is I feare ye not ✠verse 28 And Peter making ansvver said Lord if it be thou bid me come to thee vpon the vvaters ✠verse 29 And he said Come And Peter descending out of the boate ″ vvalked vpon the vvater to come to IESVS ✠verse 30 But seeing the vvinde rough he vvas afraid and vvhen he began to be drovvned he cried out saying Lord saue me ✠verse 31 And incontinent IESVS stretching forth his hand tooke hold of him and said vnto him O thou of litle faith vvhy didst thou doubt ✠verse 32 And vvhen they vvere gone vp into the boate the vvinde ceased ✠verse 33 And they that vvere in the boate came and adored him saying In deede thou art the sonne of God ⊢ ✠verse 34 And hauing passed the vvater they came into the countrie of Genesar ✠verse 35 And vvhen the men of that place vnderstoode of him they sent into al that countrie and brought vnto him al that vvere il at ease ✠verse 36 and they besought him that they might touche but the hemme of his garment and vvhosoeuer did touche vvere made hole ANNOTATIONS CHAP. XIIII 3. Because of Herodias It is to ordinary in Princes to put them to death that freely tel them such faultes women whom they fansie specially inciting them to such mischeefe 12. Buried it An example of duty toward the dead bodies of the faithful Wherein see the difference of Catholike Christian men and of al infidels be they Pagans Apostataes or Heretikes For whereas the Christians had layd the body of this blessed Prophete and Martyr ◠in Samaria with the Relikes of Elias and Abdias by vertue wherof wōderful miracle were wrought in that place in Iulian the Apostataes time when men might doe al mischeefe freely against Christian religion the Pagans opened the tombe of S. Iohn Baptist burnt his bones scattered the ashes about the fields but certaine religious Monkes coming thither a pilgrimage at the same time aduentured their life and saued as much of the holy Relikes as they could and brought them to their Abbot Philip a man of God who esteeming them to great a treasure for him and his to keepe for their priuate deuotion sent them to Athanasius the B. of Alexandria and he with al reuerence layd them in such a place as it were by the Spirit of Prophecie where afterward by occasion of them was built a goodly chappel Theod. li. 3 c. 6. Ruff. li. 2 c. 28. 27. Marke here that the Heretikes of our time doe as those Pagans to the bodies and Relikes of al blessed Saints that they can destroy and Catholikes contrariwise haue the religious deuotion of those old Christians as appeareth by the honour done now to his head at Amiens in France 13. Retired Christ much esteemed Iohn and withdrewe him self aside to giue example of moderate mourning for the departed and to shew the horrour of that execrable murder as in the Primitiue Churche many good men seing the miserable state of the world in the time of persecution and the sinnes that abounded withal tooke an occasion to forsake those tumults and to giue them selues to contemplation and for that purpose retired into the deserts of Aegypt and els where to doe penance for their owne sinnes and the sinnes of the world Wherevpon partly rose that infinite number of Monkes and Eremites of whom the fathers and Ecclesiastical histories make mention Hiero. to 2 in vit Pauli Eremita Sozo li. 1 c. 12. 13. 19. The Disciples to the multitudes A figure of the ministerie of the Apostles who as they here had the distribution and ordering of these miraculous loaues so had they also to bestow and dispense al the foode of our soules in ministering of the vvord and Sacraments neither may lay men chalenge the same 26. Walking When not only Christ but by his power Peter also walketh vpon the vvaters it is euident that he can dispose of his owne body aboue nature and contrary to the natural conditions thereof as to goe through a doore Io. 20. to be in the compasse of a litle bread Epiphan in Anchorato 29. Walked Peter saith S. Bernard walking vpon the waters as Christ did declared him self the only Vicar of Christ which should be ruler not ouer one people but ouer al. For many waters are many peoples Bernard li. 2 de consid c. 8. See the place how he deduceth from Peter the like authoritie and iurisdiction to his successor the Bishop of Rome CHAP. XV. The Pharisees of Hierusalem comming so farre to carpe him he chargeth vvith a tradition contrarie to Gods commaundement 10 And to the people he yeldeth the reason of that vvhich they reproued 15 and againe to his Disciples shevving the ground of the Pharisaical vvashing to vvitte that meates othervvise defile the soule to be false 21 then he goeth aside to hide him self among the Gentils vvhere in a vvoman he findeth such faith that he is faine lest the Gentils should before the time extort the vvhole bread as she had a crumme to returne to the levves 34 vvhere al contrarie to those Pharises the common people seeke vvonderfully vnto him and he after he hath cured their diseased feedeth 4000 of them vvith seuen loaues verse 1 THEN came to him from Hierusalem Scribes and Pharisees saying ✠verse 2 Why do thy Disciples transgresse the tradition of the Auncientes For they wash not their hāds when they eate bread ✠verse 3 But he ansvvering said to them Why do you also transgresse the cōmaundement of God for your tradition For God said ✠verse 4 Honour father and mother and Heth it shal curse father or mother dying let him dye ✠verse 5 But you say Whosoeuer shal say to father or mother The gift vvhatsoeuer procedeth from me shal profite the ✠verse 6 and shal not honour his father or his mother and you haue made frustrate the cōmaundement of God for your ovvne tradition ✠verse 7 Hypocrites vvel hath Esay Prophecied of you saying ✠verse 8 This people honoureth me vvith their ″ lippes but their hart is farre from me
* And it came to passe the day folovving vvhen they came dovvne from the mountaine there mette him a great multitude ✠verse 38 And behold a man of the multitude cried out saying Maister I beseeche thee looke vpō my sonne because he is mine only one ✠verse 39 and loe the spirit taketh him and he sodenly crieth and he dasheth him and teareth him that he fometh and vvith much a doe departeth renting him ✠verse 40 And I desired thy disciples to cast him out and they could not ✠verse 41 And IESVS ansvvering said O faithles and peruerse generation hovv long shal I be vvith you and suffer you bring hither thy sonne ✠verse 42 And vvhen he came to him the deuil dashed and tore him And IESVS rebuked the vncleane spirit and healed the lad and rendred him to his father ✠verse 43 And al vvere astonied at the might of God and al merueiling at al things that he did he said to his disciples ✠verse 44 Lay you in your hartes these vvordes for it shal come to passe that the Sonne of man shal be deliuered into the hands of men ✠verse 45 But they did not knovv this vvord and it vvas couered before them that they perceiued it not And they vvere afraid to aske him of this vvord ✠verse 46 * And there entred a cogitation into them vvhich of them should be greater ✠verse 47 But IESVS seeing the cogitations of their hart tooke a childe and set him by him ✠verse 48 and said to them whosoeuer receiueth this childe in my name receiueth me and vvhosoeuer receiueth me receiueth him that sent me For he that is the lesser among you al he is the greater ✠verse 49 * And Iohn ansvvering said Maister vve savv a certaine man casting out deuils in thy name and vve prohibited him because he folovveth not vvith vs. ✠verse 50 And IESVS said to him Prohibit not for he that is not against you is for you ✠verse 51 And it came to passe vvhiles the daies of his assumption vvere accōplishing and he fixed his face to goe into Hierusalem ✠verse 52 And he sent messengers before his face and going they entred into a citie of the Samaritans to prepare for him ✠verse 53 And they receiued him not because his ″ face vvas to goe to Hierusalem ✠verse 54 And vvhen his disciples Iames and Iohn had seen it they said Lord vvilt thou vve say that fire come dovvne from heauen and consume them ' ✠verse 55 And turning ″ he rebuked them saying You knovv not of vvhat spirit you are ✠verse 56 The sonne of man came not to destroy soules but to saue And they vvent into an other tovvne ✠verse 57 And it came to passe as they vvalked in the vvay a certaine man said to him * I vvil folovv thee vvhithersoeuer thou goest ✠verse 58 IESVS said to him The foxes haue holes and the foules of the aire nestes but the sonne of man hath not vvhere to repose his head ✠verse 59 But he said to an other Folovv me And he said Lord permit me first to goe and to burie my father ✠verse 60 And IESVS said to him Let the dead burie their dead but goe thou set forth the kingdom of God ✠verse 61 And an other said I vvil folovv thee Lord but permit me first to take my leaue of them that are at home ✠verse 62 IESVS said to him ″ No man putting his hand to the plough and looking backe is apt for the kingdom of God ANNOTATIONS CHAP. IX 27. Til they see To the Apostles that had to preach the kingdom of God and to suffer so much miserie for the same in this vvorld he vvil shevv his glorie and giue them a tast of his owne ioyful state and of his Saincts in heauen calling thither Moyses and Elias that the Lavv and Prophets might be vvitnesses of the same See the annotation vpon S. Matthevv c. 17 2. 53. Face to goe to Hierusalem The Samaritans vvere Schismatikes from the Ievves and had a Schismatical temple in mount Garîzim of purpose to dravv men thither from Gods temple in Hierusalem vvhere only vvas the true and as it vvere the Catholike seruice and Sacrifice vnto God Therfore they did not gladly receiue our Sauiour because they perceiued he vvas going to Hierusalem 53. He rebuked them Not iustice nor al rigorous punishment of sinners is here forbidden not Elias fact reprehēded nor the Church or Christian Princes blamed for putting Heretikes to death but that none of these should be done for desire of our particular reuenge or vvithout discretion regard of their amendement and example to others Therfore S. Peter vsed his povver vpon Ananias and Sapphira vvhen he strooke them both dovvne to death for defrauding the Church 62. No man looking backe It is a dangerous temptation for a man that hath lost or left his goods for Christ to looke much backe at them and to remember vvith delight the pleasures and eases of this vvorld for it breedeth in him discontentment of the troubles and crosses that are incident to the state of such as fully folovv Christ In vvhich case a man should euer looke forvvard tovvards heauen and neuer backevvard to the vvorld CHAP. X. He sendeth yet 72 moe to preach to the Iewes with power also of miracles 13 crying w◠to the cities impenitent 17 At their returne he agniseth the great power he gaue them but yet teacheth them not to be proud thereof 21 and praiseth God for his grace 23 his Church also for her happy state 2◠To one of the Scribes he sheweth that the loue of God and of his neighbour wil bring him to life euerlasting 29 teaching him by the parable of the Samaritane to take euery one for his neighbour that needeth his charitie 38 To Martha he sheweth that Maries Contemplatius life is the better verse 1 AND after this our Lord designed also other seuentie tvvo and he sent them tvvo and tvvo before his face into euery citie and place vvhither him self vvould come ✠verse 2 And he said to them The haruest truely is much but the vvorkemen fevv Desire therfore the lord of the haruest that he send vvorkemen into his haruest ✠verse 3 Goe behold I send you as lambes among vvolues ✠verse 4 Carie not purse not skrip nor shoes and salute no body by the vvay ✠verse 5 Into vvhatsoeuer house you enter first say Peace to this house ✠verse 6 and if the sonne of peace be there your peace shal rest vpon him but if not it shal returne to you ✠verse 7 And in the same house tarie you eating and drinking such things as they haue * For the vvorkeman is vvorthie of his hire Remoue not from house to house ✠verse 8 And into vvhat citie soeuer you enter
oile and vvine his Sacraments the host the priests his ministers Vvhereby is signified that the Lavv could not recouer the spiritual life of mankind from the death of sinne that is iustifie man but Christ onely vvho by his passion and the grace and vertue thereof ministred in and by his Sacraments iustifieth and increaseth the iustice of man healing and abling free-vvil to doe al good vvorkes 42. Marie the best part Tvvo notable exaÌ„ples one of the life Actiue in Martha the other of the life ConteÌ„platiue in Marieâ— representing vnto vs that in holy Church there should be alvvaies some to serue God in both these seueral sorts The life conteÌ„platiue is here preferred before the actiue the Religious of both sexes are of that more excellent state and therfore our Protestants haue wholy abandoned them out of their common wealth which the true Church neuer wanted But to say truth they haue neither Martha nor Marie our Lord geue them grace to see their miserie If ours were not answerable to their profession or were degenerated why haue they no new ones if our Churches Votaries vowed vnlawful things Chastitie Pouertie Obedience Pilgrimage what other Votaries or lawful vowes haue they For to offer voluntarily by vow besides the keeping of Gods commaundements wherevnto we are bound by precept and promise in our Baptisme our soules bodies goods or any other acceptable thing to God is an acte of soueraine worship belonging to God onely and there was neuer true religion without such vowes and Votaries If there be none in their whole Church that professe contemplation or that vow any thing at al to God voluntarily neither in their bodies nor in their goods God and the world knovv they haue no Church nor religion at al. CHAP. XI He teacheth a forme of prayer â— and exhorteth to pray instantly 11 assuring that so God wil giue vs good things 14 The Iewes blaspheming his casting out of Diuels and asking for a miracle from heauen 17 he defendeth his doing 〈◊〉 foretelling also the Diuels expulsion by him out of the world that is the vocation of the Gentils 24 and his reentrie into their nation 27 with their reprobation though he be of their flesh 29 and also their final most worthy damnation 37 Againe to the Pharisees and Scribes he crieth wo as authors of the said â—â—probation now at hand verse 1 AND it came to passe vvhen he vvas in a certaine place praying as he ceased one of his Disciples said to him Lord teach vs to pray as Iohn also taught his Disciples ✠verse 2 And he said them * Vvhen you pray say FATHER sanctified be thy name Thy kingdom come ✠verse 3 Our daily bread giue vs this day ✠verse 4 and forgiue vs our sinnes for because our selues also doe forgiue euery one that is in debt to vs And lead vs not into temptation ✠verse 5 And he said to them Vvhich of you shal haue a frende and shal goe to him at midnight and shal say to him Frende lend me three loaues ✠verse 6 because a frende of mine is come out of his way to me and I haue not what to set before him ✠verse 7 he from vvithin ansvvering saith Trouble me not novv the doore is shut and my children are vvith me in bed I can not rise and giue thee ✠verse 8 And if he shal perseuêre knocking I say to you although he vvil not rise and giue him because he is his frende yet for his importunitie he vvil rise and giue him as many as he needeth ✠verse 9 * And I say to you Aske and it shal be giuen you seeke and you shal finde knocke and it shal be opened to you ✠verse 10 For euery one that asketh receiueth and he that seeketh findeth and to him that knocketh it shal be opened ✠verse 11 And vvhich of you if he aske his father bread vvil he giue him a stone or a fish vvil he for a fish giue him a serpent ✠verse 12 Or if he aske an egge vvil he reach him a scorpion ✠verse 13 If you then being naught knovv hovv to giue good giftes to your children hovv much more vvil your father from heauen giue the good spirit to them that aske him ⊢ ✠verse 14 * And he vvas casting out a deuil and that vvas dumme And vvhen he had cast out the deuil the dumme spake and the multitudes marueiled ✠verse 15 * And certaine of them said In Beel-zebub the prince of Deuils he casteth out Deuils ✠verse 16 And other tempting asked of him a signe from heauen ✠verse 17 But he seeing their cogitations said to them Euery kingdom deuided against it self shal be made desolate and house vpon house shal fall ✠verse 18 And if Satan also be deuided against him self hovv shal his kingdom stand because you say that in Beel-zebub I doe cast out Deuils ✠verse 19 And if I in Beel-zebub cast out Deuils your children in vvhom doe they cast out therfore they shal be your iudges ✠verse 20 But if I in the finger of God doe cast out Deuils surely the kingdom of God is come vpon you ✠verse 21 Vvhen the strong armed keepeth his court those things are in peace that he possesseth ✠verse 22 But if a stronger then he come vpon him and ouercome him he vvil take avvay his vvhole armour vvherein he trusted and vvil distribute his spoiles ✠verse 23 He that is not vvith me is against me and he that gathereth not vvith me scattereth ✠verse 24 Vvhen the vncleane spirit shal depart out of a man he vvandereth through places vvithout vvater seeking rest And not finding he saith I vvil returne into my house vvhence I departed ✠verse 25 And vvhen he is come he findeth it svvept vvith a besome and trimmed ✠verse 26 Then he goeth and taketh seuen other spirits vvorse then him self and entring in they dvvel there And the last of that man be made vvorse then the first ✠verse 27 And came to passe vvhen he said these things a certaine vvoman lifting vp her voice out of the multitude said to him ″ Blessed is the vvombe that bare thee and the pappes that thou didst sucke ✠verse 28 But he said Yea rather blessed are they that heare the vvord of God and keepe it ⊢ ✠verse 29 And the multitudes running together he began to say * This generation is a vvicked generation it asketh a signe and a signe shal not be giuen it but ″ the signe of Ionas the Prophet ✠verse 30 * For as Ionas vvas a signe to the Niniuites so shal the Sonne of man also be to this generation ✠verse 31 * The Queene of the South shal rise in the iudgement vvith the men of this generation and shal condemne them because she came from the endes of the earth to heare the
end ceasing of their sacrifice adoration in both the Temples should shortly be and euen then vvas begone to be fulfilled instructing her in three things concerning that point first that the true Sacrifice should be tied no more to that one place or nation but that true adoration should be through out al Nations according to the Prophecie of Malachie Secondly that the grosse and carnal adoration by the flesh and bloud of beastes and other external terrene creatures nor hauing in them grace spirit and life should be taken avvay an other sacrifice succeede which should be in it self inuisible celestial diuine ful of life Spirit and grace and thirdly that this adoration and sacrifice should be the veritie it self vvhereof al the former sacrifices and hostes were but shadovves and figures and he calleth that here spirit and truth vvhich in the first Chapter is called grace and truth Al vvhich is no more but a prophecie and description of the Sacrifice of the faithful Gentils in the body and bloud of Christ not that it is not by external meanes giuen to vs for othervvise vve being men consisting of flesh and bloud could not be capable thereof but that it is spirit and life in it self being the flesh of the VVORD of God And if a man enlarge the vvord of AdoratioÌ„ vvhich here as is said signifieth properly the worship of God by sacrifice to al the Sacraments of the new Law they al likewise be spirit and grace the Holy Ghost working inuisibly and internally vpon our soules by euery one of them WherevpoÌ„ our Baptisme is water the Holy Ghost our Penance the word of absolution and the Holy Ghost our ConfirmatioÌ„ oile the Holy Ghost by imposition of handes finally al the adoration of the Catholike Church is properly spiritual though certaine external creatures for our natures state and necessitie be ioyned therevnto Take heede therfore thou gather not of Christs wordes that Christian men should haue no vse of external office towards God for that would take away al sacrifice Sacraments praiers Churches and societie of men in his Seruice CHAP. V. Curing a bedâ—ed man at the pond of miracle because he doth it on the Sabboth the blind Ievves do persecute him 7 and againe because he saith that God is his natural father 19 He therevpon continueth saying the Fathers operation and his to be in euery thing alone and that he shal do greater things then these miraculous cures to vvit 21 quicken the dead in soule by sinne as being appointed Iudge of al 21 yea and quicken the dead in bodies also incoÌ„tinent iudging al vprightly 31 And that these are not bragges of his ovvne but his vvitnesses to be 33 Iohn Baptist 36 his ovvne miraculous vvorkes 37 his fathers voice at his baptisme 39 the Scriptures also namely of Moyses verse 1 AFTER these things there vvas a festiual day of the Ievves and IESVS vvent vp to Hierusalem ✠verse 2 And there is at Hierusalem `vpon ' Probatica a ″ pond vvhich in hebrevv is surnamed Bethsaida ' hauing fiue porches ✠verse 3 In these lay a great multitude of sicke persons of blinde lame vvithered expecting the stirring of the vvater ✠verse 4 And an Angel of our Lord descended at a certaine time into the pond and the vvater vvas stirred And he that had gone dovvne first into the pond after the stirring of the vvater vvas made vvhole of vvhatsoeuer infirmitie he vvas holden ✠verse 5 And there vvas a certaine man there that had been eight and thirtie yeres in his infirmitie ✠verse 6 Him vvhen IESVS had seen lying knevv that he had novv a long time he saith to him Vvilt thou be made vvhole ✠verse 7 The sicke man ansvvered him Lord I haue no man vvhen the vvater is troubled to put me into the pond For vvhiles I come an other goeth dovvne before me ✠verse 8 IESVS saith to him Arise take vp thy bed and vvalke ✠verse 9 And forthvvith he vvas made vvhole and he tooke vp his bed and vvalked And it vvas the Sabboth that day ✠verse 10 The Ievves therfore said to him that vvas healed It is the Sabboth thou maist not take vp thy bed ✠verse 11 He ansvvered them He that made me vvhole he said to me Take vp thy bed and vvalke ✠verse 12 They asked him therfore Vvhat is that man that said to thee Take vp thy bed and vvalke ✠verse 13 But he that vvas made vvhole knevv not vvho it vvas For IESVS shronke aside from the multitude standing in the place ✠verse 14 Aftervvard IESVS findeth him in the temple and said to him Behold thou art made vvhole ″ sinne no more lest some vvorse thing chaunce to thee ✠verse 15 That man vvent his vvay and told the Ievves that it vvas IESVS that made him vvhole ⊢ ✠verse 16 Therevpon the Ievves persecuted IESVS because he did these things on the Sabboth ✠verse 17 But IESVS ansvvered them My father vvorketh vntil novv and I doe vvorke ✠verse 18 TherevpoÌ„ therefore the Ievves sought the more to kil him because he did not only breake the Sabboth but also he said God was his father making him self aequal to God ✠verse 19 IESVS therfore ansvvered and said to them Amen amen I say to you The Sonne can not doe any thing of him self but that vvhich he seeth the Father doing For vvhat things soeuer he doeth these the Sonne also doeth in like maner ✠verse 20 For the Father loueth the Sonne and shevveth him al things that him self doeth and greater vvorkes then these vvil he shevv him that you may marueil ✠verse 21 For as the Father doth raise the dead and quickeneth so the Sonne also quickeneth vvhom he vvil ✠verse 22 For neither doth the Father iudge any man but al iudgement he hath giuen to the Sonne ✠verse 23 that al may honour the Sonne as they doe honour the Father He that honoureth not the Sonne doth not honour the Father vvho sent him ✠verse 24 Amen amen I say to you that he vvhich heareth my vvord and beleeueth him that sent me hath life euerlasting and he commeth not into iudgement but shal passe ' from death into life ✠verse 25 Amen amen I say to you that the houre commeth and novv it is vvhen the dead shal heare the voice of the Sonne of God and they that haue heard shal liue ✠verse 26 For as the Father hath life in him self so he hath giuen to the Sonne also to haue life in him self ✠verse 27 and he hath giueÌ„ him povver to doe iudgement also because he is the Sonne of man ✠verse 28 Marueil not at this because the houre commeth vvherein al that are in the graues shal heare his voice ✠verse 29 and they that haue done good things shal come forth into the resurrection of life but they that haue done
hovv far such things are to be obserued and vvhen not And in such things as these and in other like vvhich according to circunstances require alteration it is that S. Augustine saith li. 2 de bapt c. 3. to 7. The former general or plenarie Councels may be amended by the later â—â— Fornication Fornication and contamination vvith Idols are of them selues mortal sinnes and therfore can neuer be lavvful yet because the Gentiles by custome vvere prone to both and of fornication made very smal account it pleased the Holy Ghost to forbid both specially Concerning the other points of absteining from bloud and stiffled meates they vvere things of their ovvne nature indifferent in vvhich for a time the Ievves vvere to be borne vvithal and the Gentils to bâ— a litle exercised to obedience By vvhich vve may see the great authoritie of Gods Church and Councels vvhich may commaund for euer or for a time such things as be fitte for the state of times and nations vvithout any expresse Scriptures at al and so by commaundement make things necessarie that vvere before indifferent 24. Going forth from vs. A proper discription or note of Heretikes Schismatikes and seditious teachers to go out from their spiritual Pastors and Gouernours and to teach vvithout their commission and approbation to disquiet the Catholike people vvith multitude of vvordes and svveete speaches and finally to ouerthrovv their soules 28. To the Holy Ghost and to vs. By this first vve note that it is not such a fault as the Heretikes vvould make it in the sight of the simple or any incongruitie at al to ioyne God and his creatures as the principal cause and the secondarie in one speache and to attribute that to both vvhich though diuersely yet procedeth of both God and you say good people commonly God and our Ladie Christ and S. Iohn We confesse to God and to Peter and Paul as God and his Angel To our Lord and Gedeon The svvord of our Lord and of Gedeon Our Lord and Moyses Christ and his Angels Our Lord and al Saincts ep ad Philem. S. Paul and our Lord 1 Thes 1 6. Al these speaches being partly Scriptures partly like vnto the Scriptures speaches are vvarraÌ„ted also by this Councel vvhich saith boldly hath giuen the forme thereof to al other Councels lavvfully called and confirmed to say the like It hath pleased the Holy Ghost and vs. S Cyprian ep 54. nu 2. reporting the like of a Synode holden in Afrike saith It hath pleased vs by the suggestion of the Holy Ghost Secondly vve note that the holy Councels lavvfully kept for determination or cleering of doubtes or condemning of errors and Heresies or appeasing of Schismes and troubles or reformation of life and such like important matters haue euer the assistance of Gods Spirit and therfore can not erre in their sentences and determinations concerning the same because the Holy Ghost can not erre from vvhom as you see here ioyntly vvith the Councel the resolution procedeth Thirdly vve learne that in the holy Councels specially though othervvise and in other Tribunals of the Church it be also verified Christes promes is fulfilled * that the Holy Ghost should suggest them and teach them al truth and that not in the Apostles time only but to the vvorldes end for so long shal Councels the Church and her Pastors haue this priuilege of Gods assistance as there be either doubtes to resolue or Heretikes to condemne or truthes to be opened or euil men to be reformed or Schismes to be appeased for vvhich cause S. Gregorie li. 1 ep 24 sub fin reuerenceth the foure general Councels Nicen Constantinop Ephes Chalced. as the foure bookes of the holy Gospel alluding to the number and of the fifth also he saith that he doth reuerence it alike and so vvould he haue done moe if they had beene before his time vvho saith of them thus Whiles they are concluded and made by vniuersal consent him self doth he destroy and not them vvhosoeuer presumeth either to loose whom they binde or to binde vvhom they loose S. Gregorie therfore reuerencing al fiue alike it may be marueled vvhence the Heretikes haue their fond difference betvvixt those foure first and other later attributing much to them and nothing to the rest Vvhereas in deede the later can erre no more then the first foure being holden and approued as they vvere and hauing the Holy Ghost as they had But in those first also vvhen a man findeth any thing against their Heresies as there be diuers things then they say plainely that they also may erre and that the Holy Ghost is not tied to mens voices nor to the number of sentences Vvhich is directly to reproue this first Councel also of the Apostles and Christes promes of the Holy Ghosts assistance to teach al truth Yea that you may knovv and abhorre these Heretikes throughly heare ye vvhat a principal Sect-Maister vvith his blasphemous mouth or penne vttereth saying that In the very best times such vvas partly the ambition of Bishops partly their folishnes and ignorance that the very blind may easily perceiue Satan verily to haue beene president of their assemblies Good Lord deliuer the people and the vvorld from such blasphemous tongues and bookes and giue men grace to attend to the holy Scriptures and Doctors that they may see hovv much not only S. Augustine and other fathers attribute to al general Councels specially to vvhich they referre them selues in al doubtes among them selues and in al their controuersies vvith Heretikes but to vvhich euen S. Paul him self so specially taught by God and others also yelded them selues Notorious is the saying of S. Augustine concerning S. Cyprian Vvho being a blessed Catholike Bishop and Martyr yet erred about the rebaptizing of such as vvere Christened by Heretikes If he had liued saith S. Augustine li. 2 de bapt c. 4 to haue seen the determination of a plenarie Councel vvhich he savv not in his life time he vvould for his great humilitie and charitie straight vvay haue yelded and preferred the general Councel before his ovvne iudgement and his fellovv Bishops in a Prouincial Councel only Vvhereby also vve learne that Prouincial Councels may erre though many times they do not and being conformable to the general Councels or confirmed and allovved by them or the See Apostolike their resolutions be infallible as the others are If any here aske vvhat neede so much disputing study and trauail in Councels to find out and determine the truth if the Holy Ghost infallibly guide them Vve ansvver that such is the ordinarie prouidence of God in this case to assist them vvhen they doe their endeuour and vse all humane meanes of industrie and not els And so though somvvhat othervvise God assisted the Euangelistes and other vvriters of the holy Scriptures that they could not erre in penning the same but yet they did
for her because heare is giuen her for a veile ✠verse 16 But if any man seeme to be contentious vve haue no such ″ custome nor the ` CHVRCH ' of God ✠verse 17 And this I commaund not praising it that you come together not to better but to vvorse ✠verse 18 First in deede vvhen you come together into the Church I heare that there are schismes among you and in part I beleeue it ✠verse 19 For ″ there must be heresies also that they also vvhich are approued may be made manifest among you ✠verse 20 Vvhen you come therfore together in one is it not novv to eate ″ our Lordes supper ✠verse 21 For euery one taketh his ovvne supper before to eate And one certes is an hungred and an other is drunke ✠verse 22 Vvhy haue you not houses to eate and drinke in or contemne ye the Church of God and confound them that haue not Vvhat shal I say to you praise I you in this I do not praise you ✠verse 23 For I receiued of our Lord that vvhich also ″ I haue deliuered vnto you that our Lord IESVS ″ in the night that he vvas betraied ″ tooke ″ bread ✠verse 24 and giuing thankes brake and said ″ Take ye eate ″ THIS IS ″ MY BODY VVHICH SHAL BE DELIVERED FOR YOV ″ this doe ye for the commemoration of me ✠verse 25 In like maner also the chalice after he had supped saying THIS CHALICE IS THE NEVV TESTAMENT IN MY BLOVD this doe ye as often as you shal drinke for the coÌ„memoration of me ✠verse 26 For as often as you shal eate this bread and drinke the chalice ″ you shal shevv the death of our Lord vntil he come ✠verse 27 Therfore vvhosoeuer shal eate this bread or drinke the chalice of our Lord vnvvorthily he shal be ″ guilty of the body and of the bloud of our Lord. ✠verse 28 But let a man proue him self and so let him eate of that bread and drinke of the chalice ✠verse 29 For he that eateth and drinketh vnvvorthily eateth and drinketh iudgement to him self ″ not discerning the body of our Lord. ⊢ ✠verse 30 Therfore are there among you many weake and feble and ″ many sleepe ✠verse 31 But if vve did ″ iudge our selues vve should not be iudged ✠verse 32 But vvhiles vve are iudged of our Lord vve are chastised that vvith this world vve be not damned ⊢ ✠verse 33 Therfore my brethren vvhen you come together to eate ″ expect one an other ✠verse 34 If any man be an hungred let him eate at home that you come not together vnto iudgement And the rest ″ I vvil dispose vvhen I come ANNOTATIONS CHAP. XI 2. My precepts Our Pastors and Prelates haue authoritie to commaund and vve are bound to obey And the Gouerners of the Church may take order and prescribe that vvhich is comely in euery state as time and place require though the things be not of the substance of our religion 5. Euery vvoman Vvhat gifts of God so euer vvomen haue though supernatural as some had in the Primitiue Church yet they may not forget their vvomanly shamefastnes but shevv them selues subiect and modest and couer their heads vvith a veile 16. Custome If vvomen or other to defend their disorder malipertnes dispute or alleage Scriptures and reasons or require causes of their preachers vvhy by vvhat authoritie they should be thus restrained in things indifferent make them no other ansvver but this This is the custome of the Church this is our custome Vvhich is a goodly rule to represse the saucinesse of contentious â—anglers vvhich being out of al modestie and reason neuer vvant vvordes and replies against the Church Vvhich Church if it could then by prescription of tvventy or thirty yeres and by the authority of one or tvvo of their first preachers stoppe the mouthes of the seditious vvhat should not the custome of fiftene hundred yeres the decrees of many hundred Pastors gaine of reasonable modest and humble men 19. There must be heresies Vvhen the Apostle saith Heresies must be He shevveth the euent and not that God hath directly so appointed it as necessarie for that they be it commeth of mans malice and free vvil but that they be conuerted to the manifestation of the good and constant in faith the Churches vnitie that is Gods special vvorke of prouidence that vvorketh good of euil And for that there should fall Heresies and Schismes specially concerning the Article and vse of the B Sacrament of the Altar vvhereof he novv beginneth to treate it may make vs maruel the lesse to see so great dissensions Heresies and Schismes of the vvicked and vveake in faith concerning the same Such things then vvil be but vvo to him by vvhom scandals or Sectes do come Let vs vse Heretikes saith S. Augustine not to that end to approue their errours but that by defending the Catholike doctrine against their deceices vve may be more vvatchful and vvary because it is most truely vvritten There must be heresies that the tried and approued may be manifested or discoured from the holovv hartes among you Let vs vse this benefite of Gods prouidence for Heretikes be made of such as vvould erre or be naught though they vvere in the Church but being out they profite vs excedingly not by teaching the truth vvhich they knovv not but by stirring vp the carnal in the Church to seeke truth and the spiritual Catholikes to deere the truth for there be innumerable holy approued men in the Church but they be not discerned from other among vs nor manifest so long as vve had rather sleepe in darknes of ignorance then behold the light of truth therfore many are raised out of their sleepe by Heretikes to see the day of God and are glad thereof August c. 8. de vera relig 20. Our Lordes supper The Christians at or about the time of the Churches onely Sacrifice and their communicating thereof kept great feastes vvhich continued long for that the reliefe of the poore vpon the common charges of the richer sort and the charitie and vnitie of al sortes vvere much preserued thereby for vvhich cause they vvere called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Charities of the auncient Fathers and vvere kept commonly in Church houses or porches adioyning or in the body of the Church vvhereof see Tertullian Apolog. c. 19. Clemens Alexand. S. Iustine S. Augustine cont Faiest li. 20 c. 20. after the Sacrifice and Communion vvas ended as S. Chrysostom ho. 27. in 1 Cor. in initio iudgeth Those feastes S. Paul here calleth Coenas Dominicas because they vvere made in the Churches vvhich then vvere called Dominica that is Our Lordes houses The disorder therfore kept among the Corinthians in these Church-feastes of Charitie the Apostle seeketh here to redresse from the foule abuses
vvhat is it but because he descended also first into the inferiour partes of the earth ✠verse 10 He that descended the same is also he that is ascended aboue al the heauens that he might fill al things ✠verse 11 And * he gaue * some Apostles and some Prophets and othersome Euangelists and othersome pastors and doctors ✠verse 12 to the consummation of the sainctes vnto the vvorke of the ministerie vnto the edifying of the body of Christ ✠verse 13 ″ vntil we meete al into the vnitie of faith and knovvledge of the sonne of God into a perfect man into the measure of the age of the fulnes of Christ ⊢ ✠verse 14 that novv vve be not children vvauering and caried about ″ vvith euery vvinde of doctrine in the vvickednes of men in craftines to the circumuention of errour ✠verse 15 But doing the truth in charitie let vs in al things grow in him vvhich is the head Christ ✠verse 16 of vvhom the vvhole body being compacte and knit together by al iuncture of subministration according to the operation in the measure of euery member maketh the increase of the body vnto the edifying of it self in charitie ✠verse 17 This therfore I say and testifie in our Lord that novv you vvalke not as also the * Gentiles vvalke in the vanitie of their sense ✠verse 18 hauing their vnderstanding obscured vvith darkenes alienated from the life of God by the ignorance that is in them because of the blindenes of their hart ✠verse 19 vvho despairing * haue giuen vp them selues to impudicitie vnto the operation of al vncleannes vnto auarice ✠verse 20 But you haue not so learned Christ ✠verse 21 if yet you haue heard him and haue been taught in him as the truth is in IESVS ⊢ ✠verse 22 * Lay you avvay according to the old conuersation the old man vvhich is corrupted according to the desires of errour ✠verse 23 And be renevved in the spirit of your minde ✠verse 24 and put on the nevv man vvhich according to God is created in iustice and holinesse of the truth ✠verse 25 For the vvhich cause laying avvay lying * speake ye truth euery one vvith his neighbour because vve are members one of an other ✠verse 26 * Be angrie and sinne not let not the sonne goe dovvne vpon your anger ✠verse 27 Giue not place to the Deuil ✠verse 28 He that stole let him novv not steale but rather let him labour in vvorking vvith his handes that vvhich is good that he may haue vvhence to giue vnto him that suffereth necessitie ✠verse 29 Al naughtie speache let it not proceede out of your mouth but if there be any good to the edifying of the faith that it may giue grace to the hearers ✠verse 30 And contristate not the holy Spirit of God in vvhich you are signed vnto the day of redemption ✠verse 31 Let al bitternes and anger and indignation and clamour and blasphemie be taken avvay from you vvith al malice ✠verse 32 And be gentle one to an other merciful pardoning one an other as also God in Christ hath pardoned you ANNOTATIONS CHAP. IIII. 5. One faith As rebellion is the bane of ciuil Commonvvealths and kingdoms and peace and concord the preseruation of the same so is Schisme diuision and diuersitie of faiths or felovvships in the seruice of God the calamitie of the Church and peace vnitie vniformitie the special blessing of God therein and in the Church aboue al Commonvvealths because it is in al pointes a Monarchie tending euery vvay to vnitie but one God but one Christ but one Church but one hope one faith one baptisme one head one body Vvhereof S. Cyprian li. de vnit Eâ—nu 3. saith thus One Church the Holy Ghost in the person of our Lord designeth faith One is my doâ—e This vnitie of the Church he that holdith not doth he thinke he holdeth the faith He that vvithstandeth and resisteth the Church he that forsaketh Peters chaire vpon vvhich the Church vvas built doth he trust that he is in the Church When the blessed Apostle S. Paul also shevveth this Sacrament of vnitie saying One body and one spirit c. Which vnitie vve Bishops specially that rule in the Church ought to hold fast and maintaine that vve may proue the Bishoply function also it self to be one and vndiuided c. And againe There is one God and one Christ and one Church and one Chaire by our Lordes voice founded vpon Peter An other altar to be sette vp or a novv Priesthod to be made besides one altar one Priesthod is impossible Whosoeuer gathereth els vvhere scattereth it is adulterous it is impious it is sacriligious vvhatsoeuer is instituted by mans furie to the breach of Gods diuine disposition Get ye far from the contagion of such men fleâ— from their speaches at a canker and pestilenâ—â— our Lord hauing praemonished and vvarned before hand They are blind leaders of the blind c. Vvhereby vve learne that this vnitie of the Church commended so much vnto vs consisteth in the mutual fellovvship of al Bishops vvith the See of the Peter S. Hilarie also li. ad Constantium Augustum thus applieth this same place of the Apostle against the Arians as vve may do against the Caluinists Perilous and miserable it is saith he that there are novv so many faithes as vvilles and so many doctrines as 〈◊〉 vvhiles either faithes are so vvritten ad vve vvill or as vve vvil so are vnderstood and vvhereas according to one God and one Lord and one Baptisme there is also one faith vve fall avvay from that vvhich is the only faith and vvhiles mee faithes be made they beginne to come to that that there is none at al. 11. Some Apostles Many functions that vvere euen in the Apostles time are not here named vvhich must be noted against the Aduersaries that call here for Popes as though the names of Bishops Priests or Deacons vvere not as vvel leaft out as Popes vvhom yet they can not deny to haue been in vse in S. Paules daies And therfore they haue no more reason out of this place to dispute against the Pope then against the rest of the Ecclesiastical functions Neither is it necessarie to reduce such as be no specified here to these here named though in deede both other Bishops and Prelates and specially Popes may be conteined vnder the names of Apostles Doctors and Pastors Certes the roome and dignitie of the Pope is a very continual Apostleship and S. Bernard calleth it Apostolatum Bernard ad Eugen. li. 14. c. 4 c. 6 in fine 13. Vntil vve meete The Church of God shal neuer lacke these spiritual functions or such as be ansvverable to them according to the time and state of the Church til the vvorldes end Vvhereby you may proue the
iust but that vvhich is in men from God and by his gift li. 3 cont â— ep Pelag. c. 7. de Sp. lit c. 9. 12. Not that novv No man in this life can attaine the absolute perfectnes either of iustice or of that knovvledge vvhich shal be in heauen but yet there is also an other perfectnes such as according to this state a man may reach vnto vvhich in respect of the perfection in glorie is small but in respect of other lesser degrees of mans iustice and knovvledge in this life may be called perfectnes And in this sense the Apostle in the next sentence calleth him self and others perfect though in respect of the absolute perfectnes in heauen he saith here he is not yet perfect nor hath yet attained therevnto 15. Othervvise minded Vvhen Catholike men novv a daies charge Heretikes vvith their horrible diuisions dissensions combattes contentions and diuersities among them selues as the Catholikes of al other ages did chalenge their Aduersaries most truely and iustly for the same both because vvhere the Spirit of God is not nor any order or obedience to Superiors there can be no peace nor vnitie and specially for that it is as S. Augustine saith li. de agenâ— Christ c. 29 the iust iudgement of God that they vvhich seeke nothing els but to diuide the Church of Christ should them selues be miserably diuided among them selues therfore I say vvhen men charge the Protestants vvith these things they flee for their defence to this that the old Fathers vvere not al of one iudgement in euery point of religion that S. Cyprian stood against others that S. Augustine and S. Hierom vvrote earnestly in a certaine matter one against an other that our Dominicans and Franciscans our Thomists and Scotists be not al of one opinion in diuers matters and therfore diuisions and contentions should not be so preiudicial to the Zuinglians and Lutherans as men make it Thus they defend them selues but ridiculously and against the rule of S. Paul here acknovvledging that in this imperfection of mens science in this life euery one can not be free from al error or thinke the same that an other thinketh vvherevpon may rise differences of vnderstanding opinion and iudgement in certaine hard matters vvhich God hath not reuealed or the Church determined and therfore that such diuersitie is tolerable and agreable to our humane condition and the state of the vvay that vve be in alvvaies prouided that the controuersie be such and in such things as be not against the set knovven rule of faith as he here speaketh and such as breake not mutual societie fellovvship and communion in praier seruice Sacraments and other offices of life and religion for such diuisions and differences come neuer but of Schisme or Heresie and such are among the Heretikes not onely in respect of vs Catholikes but among them selues at they knovv that be acquainted vvith the vvritings of Luther against Zuinglius or Vvestphalus against Caluin or the Puritans against the Protestants not onely charging one an other vvith Heresie Idolatrie Superstition and Atheisme but also condemning ech others ceremonies or maner of administrations til it come to excommunication and banishment yea sometimes burning one of an other Thus did not S. Cyprian S. Augustine S. Hierom the Dominicans Franciscans Thomists Scotists vvho al agree in one rule of faith al of one communion al most deere one to an other in the same al thankes be to God come to one holy Masse and receiue the same Sacraments and obey one head through out al the vvorld S. Augustine li. 2 de bapt c. 5. shal make vp this matter vvith this notable sentence We are men saith he and therfore to thinke somevvhat othervvise them the thing it is an humane tentation but by louing our ovvne sentence to much or by enuying our betters to procede vnto the sacrilege of deuiding the mutual societie and of making schisme or heresie it diuelish prosumption in nothing to haue other opinion then the truth is that is Angelical perfection And a litle after If you be any other vvise minded this God vvil reueale but to them only saith he that vvalke in the vvay of peace and that stroy a side into no diuision or separation Vvhich saying vvould God al our deere countrie men vvould marke and come into the Church vvhere onely God reuealeth truth CHAP. IIII. He exhorteth them to perseuâ—rantâ— 2 and certaine by name to vnitie â— to modestie â— to peace vvithout solicitude or careful anxietie 8 to al that good is 9 to such things as they see in him self 10 that be reioyced in their contribution not for his ovvne neede but for their merite verse 1 THERFORE my deerest brethren and most desired my ″ ioy and my crovvne so stand in our Lord my deerest ✠verse 2 ' Euchodia ' I desire Syntyché I beseeche to be of one minde in our Lord. ✠verse 3 Yea and I beseeche thee my ″ sincere companion helpe those vvomen that haue laboured vvith me in the Gospel vvith Clement and the rest my coadiutors vvhose names are in the booke of life ⊢ ✠verse 4 Reioyce in our Lord alvvaies againe I say reioyce ✠verse 5 Let your modestie be knovven to al men Our Lord is nigh ✠verse 6 Be nothing careful but in euery thing by praier supplicatioÌ„ vvith thaÌ„kesgiuing let your petitions be knovven vvith God ✠verse 7 And the peace of God vvhich passeth al vnderstanding keepe your hartes and intelligences in Christ IESVS ⊢ ✠verse 8 For the rest brethren vvhat things so euer be true vvhatsoeuer honest whatsoeuer iust vvhatsoeuer holy whatsoeuer amiable vvhatsoeuer of good fame if there be any vertue if any praise of discipline these things thinke vpon ✠verse 9 Vvhich you haue both learned and receiued and heard seen in me these things doe ye and the God of peace shall be vvith you ✠verse 10 And I reioyced in our Lord excedingly that once at the length you haue reflorished to care for me as you did also care but you vvere occupied ✠verse 11 I speake not as it vvere for penurie for I haue learned to be coÌ„tent vvith the things that I haue ✠verse 12 I knovv both to be brought lovv I knovv also to abound euery vvhere and in al things I am instructed both to be ful to be hungrie both to abound and to suffer penurie ✠verse 13 I can al things in him that strengtheneth me ✠verse 14 Neuerthelesse you haue done vvel communicating to my tribulation ✠verse 15 And you also knovv ô Philippians that in the beginning of the Gospel vvhen I departed from Macedonia no church communicated vnto me in the account of gift and receite but your only ✠verse 16 for vnto Thessalonica also once and tvvise you sent to my vse ✠verse 17 Not that I seeke the gift but I seeke the fruite abounding
chast not detracting sober faithful in al things ✠verse 12 Let deacons be the husbandes of one vvife vvhich rule vvel their children their houses ✠verse 13 For they that haue ministred vvel shal purchase to them selues a good degree and much confidence in the faith vvhich is in Christ IESVS ✠verse 14 These things I vvrite to thee hoping that I shal come to thee quickly ✠verse 15 but if I tary long that thou maiest knovv how thou oughtest to conuerse ″ in the house of God which is the CHVRCH of the liuing God ″ the piller and ground of truth ✠verse 16 And manifestly it is a great sacrament of pietie vvhich vvas manifested in flesh vvas iustified in spirit appeared to Angels hath beene preached to gentils is beleeued in the vvorld is assumpted in glorie ANNOTATIONS CHAP. III. 1. A good vvorke Nothing saith S. Augustine in this life and specially in this time is easier pleasanter or more acceptable to man then the office of a Bishop Priest or Deacon if the thing be done onely for fashion sake and â—â—â—â—â—ringly but nothing before God more miserable more lamentable more damnable Againe There is nothing in this life and specially at this time harder more laborious or more dangerous then the office of a Bishop Priest or Deacon but before God nothing more blessed if they vvarre in such sort as our Captaine commaundeth August ep 148. 2. A Bishop That vvhich is here spoken of a Bishop because the vvordes Bishop Priest in the nevv Testament be often taken indifferently for both or either of the tvvaine as is noted in an other place the same is meant of euery Priest also though the qualities here required ought to be more singular in the Bishop then in the Priest according to the difference of their degrees dignities and callings â— Of one vvife Certaine Bishops of Vigilantius sect vvhether vpon false construction of this text or through the filthines of their fleshly lust vvould take none to the Cleargie except they vvould be maried first not beleeuing saith S. Hierom aduers Vigilant c. 1. that any single man liueth chastly shevving hovv holily they liue them selues that suspect il of euery man and vvil not giue the Sacrament of Order to the Cleargie vnlâ—s they see their vviues haue great bellies and children vvalling at their mothers breastes Our Protestants though they be of Vigilantius sect yet they are scarse come so farre to commaund euery Priest to be maried Neuertheles they mislike them that vvill not marrie so much the vvorse and they suspect il of euery single person in the Church thinking the gift of chastitle to be very rare among them they do not onely make the state of mariage equal to chast single life vvith the Heretike Iouinian but they are bold to say sometimes that the Bishop or Priest may do his duety and charge better maried then single expresly against S. Paul vvho affirmeth that the vnmaried thinke of the things that belong to God and that the maried be diuersely distracted and intangled vvith the vvorld The Apostle then by this place vve novv treate of neither commauÌ„deth nor counseleth nor vvisheth nor vvould haue Bishops or Priests to marrie or such onely to be receiued as haue been maried but that such an one as hath been married so it vvere but once and that to a virgin may be made Bishop or Priest Which is no more then an inhibition that none hauing been tvvise maried or being bigamus should be admitted to that holy Order And this exposition onely is agreable to the practise of the vvhole Church the definition of auÌ„cient Councels the doctrine of al the fathers vvithout exception and the Apostles tradition Vvhich sense S. Chrysostom vvholy folovveth vpon the Epistle to Titus though here he folovv not vvholy the same sense Ho. 2 in ep ad Tit. S. Ambrose also vpon this place and most plainely and largely in his 82 Epistle post med giuing the cause why bigamus can not be made Bishop or Priest in fine affirmeth not onely the Apostle but the holy Councel of Nice to haue taken order that none should be receiued into the Cleargie that vvere tvvise maried S. Hierom Ep. 83. ad Oceanum c. 2. ep â— c. 18. ep 11. â— 2 expresly vvriteth that the Cleargie is made of such as haue had but one vvife at least after Baptisme for he thought that if one vvere often maried vvhen he vvas yet no Christian he might notvvithstanding be ordered Bishop or Priest But S. Ambrose ep 82. S. Augustine de bono Coniug c. 18. S. Innocentius the first ep 2. c. 5. â— to 1. Concil S. Leo ep 87â— S. Gregorie after them the vvhole Church exclude those also vvhich haue been tvvise maried vvhen so euer vvhereof S. Augustine giueth goodly reason and example in the place alleaged S. Leo ep 87 addeth further proueth that the maÌ„ is couÌ„ted bigamus not the husband of one vvife in respect of holy Orders not onely if he hath had tvvo vviues but if his one vvife vvere not a virgin vvhich being obserued in the high Priests of the old lavv must needes be much rather kept novv See also the booke de Ecclesiasticis dogmatibus c. 72 in S. Augustines vvorkes And by these fevv you may see hovv shamefully the state of the new heretical Cleargie of our time is fallen from the Apostolike and al the fathers practise and doctrine herein Vvho do not onely take men once or twise maried before but vvhich vvas neuer heard of before in any person or part of the Catholike Church they marie after they be Bishops or Priests once tvvise and as often as their lustes require Whereas it vvas neuer lawful in Gods Church to marrie after Holy Orders Neither is there one authentical example thereof in the world For those of vvhom Nice Councel speaketh vvere maried before were but tolerated onely to vse their wiues the fathers in the same Councel prouiding expresly at the same time that none from thence forth should marrie after they came to holy Orders and that according to the auÌ„cient tradition of the Church as Socrates and Sozomenus declare in most plaine vvordes See Suidas in the vvord Paphnutius And in vvhat countrie so euer they haue been permitted to haue carnal dealing euen vvith their vviues whom they had before it was not according to the exact rule of the Apostles Churches tradition by vvhich al that be in holy Orders should wholy abstaine not onely from marying but euen from their wiues before maried Vvhereof thus vvriteth S. Epiphanius hares 59 câ—nt Cathares The holy preaching of God receiueth not after Christ them that marrie againe after their vviues departure by reason of the great dignitie and honour of Priesthod And this the holy Church of God obserueth vvith al sinceritie Yea she doth not receiue the once maried person that yet
the dead in the name of our Lord. for the vvhich S. Hierom also as is noted before saith that the ordering of Priests is by imposition of handes and imprecation of voice 14. Of Priesthod The practise of the Church giueth vs the sense of this place vvhich the auncient Councel of Carthage doth thus set dovvne When a Priest taketh orders the Bishop blessing him and holding his hand vpon his head let al the Priests present lay also their hands on his head by the Bishops hands c. Vvho seeth not novv that holy Orders giuing grace by an external ceremonie and vvorke is a Sacrament So al the old Church counteth it And S. Augustine cont ep Parmen li. 2 c. 13. plainely saith that no man doubteth but it is a Sacrament and lest any man thinke that he vseth not the vvord Sacrament proprely and precisely he ioyneth it is nature and name vvith Baptisme Againe vvho seeth not by this vse of imposition of hands in giuing Orders and other Sacraments that Christ the Apostles and the Church may borovv of the Ievvish rites certaine conuenient ceremonies and Sacramental actions seing this same as * the Heretikes can not deny vvas receiued of the maner of Ordering Aaron and the Priests of the old lavv or other heads of the people See Exod. 39. Num. 27 23. 16. Saue both thy self Though Christ be our onely Sauiour yet the Scriptures forbeare not to speake freely and vulgarly and in a true sense that man also may saue him self and others But the Protestants notvvithstanding folovv such a captious kind of Diuinitie that if a man speake any such thing of our Lady or any Sainct in heauen or other meane of procuring saluation they make it a derogation to Christes honour Vvith such hypocrites haue vve novv a daies to do CHAP. V. Hovv to behaue himself tovvardes yong and old 3 to bestovv the Churches oblations vpon the needy vvidovves 9 and not to admitte the said Churches vvidovves vnder threescore yeres old 17 In distribution to respect vvel the Priests that are painful 19 and hovv in his Consistorie to heare accusations against Priests 22 to be straite in examining before he giue Orders to be chast and to remitte somevvhat of his drinking vvater verse 1 A Seniour rebuke not but beseeche as a father yong men as brethren ✠verse 2 old vvomen as mothers yong vvomen as sisters in al chastitie ✠verse 3 Honour vvidovves vvhich are ″ vvidovves in deede ✠verse 4 But if any vvidovv haue children or nephevves let her learne first to rule her ovvne house and to render mutual dutie to her parents for this is acceptable before God ✠verse 5 But she that is a vvidovv in deede and desolate let her hope in God and continue in obsecrations praiers night and day ✠verse 6 For she that is in deliciousenes liuing is dead ✠verse 7 And this commaund that they be blamlesse ✠verse 8 But if any man haue not care of his ovvne and especially of his domesticals ″ he hath denied the faith and is vvorse then an infidel ✠verse 9 ″ Let a vvidovv be chosen of no lesse theÌ„ three score yeres vvhich hath been the ″ vvife of one husband ✠verse 10 hauing testimonie in good vvorkes if she haue brought vp her children if she haue receiued to harbour if she haue vvashed the Saincts feete if she haue ministred to them that suffer tribulation if she haue folovved euery good vvorke ⊢ ✠verse 11 But the yonger vvidovves auoid For vvhen they shal be ″ vvanton in Christ ″ they vvil marie ✠verse 12 ″ hauing damnation because they haue made void ″ their first faith ✠verse 13 and vvithal idle also they learne to goe about from house to house not only idle but also ful of vvordes and curious speaking things vvhich they ought not ✠verse 14 ″ I vvil therfore the yonger to marie to bring forth children to be housevviues to giue no occasion to the aduersarie for to speake euil ✠verse 15 For novv certaine are turned backe ″ after Satan ✠verse 16 If any faithful man haue vvidovves let him minister to them and let not the Church be burdened that there may be sufficient for them that are vvidovves in deede ✠verse 17 The priestes that rule vvel let them be esteemed vvorthie of double honour especially they that labour ″ in the vvord and doctrine ✠verse 18 For the Scripture saith Thou shalt not moosel the mouth to the oxe that treadeth out the corne and The vvorke man is vvorthie of his hâ—re ✠verse 19 Against a priest receiue not accusation but vnder tvvo or three vvitnesses ✠verse 20 Them that sinne reproue before al that the rest also may haue feare ✠verse 21 I testifie before God and Christ IESVS and the elect Angels that thou keepe these things vvithout preiudice doing nothing by declining to the one part ✠verse 22 Impose haÌ„des on no man lightly neither do thou communicate vvith other mens sinnes Keepe thy self chast ✠verse 23 Drinke not yet ″ vvater but vse a litle vvine for thy stomake and thy often infirmities ✠verse 24 Certaine mens sinnes be manifest going before to iudgement and certaine men they folovv ✠verse 25 In like maner also good deedes be manifest they that are othervvise can not be hidde ANNOTATIONS CHAP. V. 3. Widovves in deede S. Ambrose calleth them vvidovves and desolate in deede that might marie but to make them selues better and more vvorthy of God refuse mariage vvhich they knovv to be but once blessed imitating * holy Anne vvho in fasting and praiers serued God night and day neuer knovving but one husband Such professed vvidovves then are to be honoured and succoured Neither doth he speake onely of the Churches vvidovves of vvhom specially aftervvard but of al that by profession kept their vvidovvhod exhorting them to passe their time in praier and fasting v. 5. Vvhich vvas an honorable and holy state much vvritten of and commended in the primitiue Church namely by S. Ambrose and by S. Augustine vvho vvrote bookes intitled thereof and make it next to virginitie Ambr. de viduis August de bono viduitatis 8. He hath denied Not that by this or by any other deadly sinne except incredulitie or doubtfulnes in beleefe they lose their faith but that their factes be not ansvverable to their faith and to Christian religion vvhich prescribeth al such duties 9. Let a vvidovv be chosen Novv he speaketh more particularly and specially of such vvidovves as vvere nourished and found by the oblations of the faithful the almes of the Church and did vvithal some necessarie seruices about vvomen that vvere to be professed or baptized for their instruction and addressing to that and other Sacraments and also about the sicke and impotent and vvithal sometimes they had charge of the Church goods or the disposition
of them vnder the Deacons in respect vvhereof they also and the like are called Diaconissae Eusebius li 6 c 35 reciteth out of Cornelius Epistle that in the Church of Rome there is one Bishop 40 Priests sixe Deacons seuen Subdeacons Acoluthi 42 Exorcistes Lectors and Ostiarij 52 vvidovves together vvith the poore 150 al vvhich God nourisheth in his Church See Act. Apost c. 6. S. Chrysostom li. 3 de Sacerdâ—â—ip propius finem S. Epiphanius in haresi 79 Collyridianorum Novv then vvhat maner of vvomen should be taken into the fellovvship of such as vvere found of the Church he further declareth 9. The vvife of one husband If you vvould haue a plaine paterne of Heretical fraude corruption and adulteration of the natiue sense of Gods vvord and an inuincible demonstration that these nevv Glosers haue their consciences feared and hartes obdurated vvillingly peruering the Scriptures against that vvhich they knovv is the meaning thereof to the maintenance of their sectes marke vvel their handling of this place about these vvidovves of the Church S. Paul prescribeth such onely to be admitted as haue been the vviues of one husband that is to say once onely maried not admitting any that hath been tvvise maried By vvhich vvordes the Catholikes proue first that the like phrase * vsed before of Bishops and Deacons that they should be the husbands point 1 of one vvife must needes signifie that they can not be tvvise maried nor admitted to these and the like functions if they vvere more then once maried before point 2 Secondly vve proue by this place against the Aduersaries that the state of vvidovvhod is more vvorthy honorable decent and pure in respect of the seruice of the Church and more to be relieued of the reuenues thereof then the state of maried folkes and that not onely as the Aduersaries perhaps may ansvver for their greater necessitie or more leisure freedom or expedition to serue in that they be not combered vvith husband and houshold but in respect of their vidual continencie chastitie and puritie for els such as vvere vvidovves vvith intention and freedom to marie aftervvard might haue been admitted by the Apostle as vvel as those that vvere neuer to marie againe point 3 Thirdly vve proue that second mariage not onely after admission to the almes or seruice of the Church but before also is disagreable and a signe of incontinencie or more lust and fleshlines then is agreable or comely for any person belonging to the Church and consequently that the Apostle in the last chapter treating of the holy functions of Bishops Priests Deacons and of the Churches refusing generally bigamos or tvvise maried persons must needes much more meane that no man tvvise maried should be receiued to holy Orders and further that as none vvere admitted to be vvidovves of the Church that euer intended to marie againe so none should euer be receiued to minister the Sacraments vvhich is a thing infinitely more and requireth more puritie and continencie then the office or state of the said vvidovves that intended to marie againe To receiue the body of Christ saith S. Hierom in Apolog. pro lib. cont Iouin ep 50. c. 6. is a greater and holier thing then praier and therfore Priests that must both continually pray and also be occupied about the receiuing or ministring the holy Sacrament daily must liue continently verse 4 Fourthly vve proue that it is not vnlavvful to annexe by precept or the parties promis single life or chastitle to a vvhole state or order of the faithful because the Apostle the vvhole Church verse 5 in his time ioyned to this state of the Churches vvidovves perpetual coÌ„tinencie Fifthly vve proue hereby that to refuse and not to accept the tvvise maried or such as vvil not liue single into the state of vvidovves or holy Orders is not to condemne or forbid second mariage or once often marying vvith the Manichees according to the doctrine of Diuels as the Protestants and before them the old condemned Iouinianistes do blaspheme the Church for then did S. Paul allovv and teach doctrine of Diuels vvho refuseth a tvvise maried vvoman and bindeth others by their entering into this state neuer to marie againe as no doubt he did the Cleargie men much more in the 3 chapter before Thus loe vve Catholikes coÌ„ferre conster the Scriptures for this meaning vve haue al the Doctors vvithout exception Vvhat shift then haue the Heretikes here for marie and remarie they must let the Scriptures al the Doctors in the vvorld say nay to it In truth they do not expound the vvord of God but â—lee from the euidence of it some one vvay some an other And of al other their extremest and most shameful tergiuersation is that the Apostle here forbiddeth * not the admission of such vvidovves as haue been tvvise maried but onely them that haue had tvvo husbands at once vvhich vvas a very vnprobable and extorted exposition before concerning Bishops and Deacons c. 3. and as S. Hierom saith ep 83. malo nâ—do malus cuneus but here that an exception should be made onely against vvidovves that had had tvvo husbands together vvhich vvas a thing neuer lavvful noâ— neuer heard of that is a most intolerable impudencie and a coÌ„struction that neuer came to any vvise mans cogitation before and yet these their fansies must be Gods vvord and bigamus or bigamîa must against their old natures and vse of al vvriters be al one vvith Polygamus and Polygamia They giue an example of such vvidovves in vvomen diuorced iustly from their husbands in the old lavv As though S. Paul here tooke order for the Ievves vvidovves onely or that had been such a coÌ„mon case among the Ievves also that the Apostle needed to take so careful order for it finally they let not to say that if the Apostle should be vnderstood to refuse a vvidovv tvvise maried at sundrie times it vvere vnreasonable iniurious to second mariages vvhich haue no more indecencie or signe of incontinencie say they then the first Thus bold they are vvith the Apostle and al antiquitie 11. Wanton in Christ Vvidovves vvaxing vvarme idle and vvel fedde by the Church Iust after husbands as also Apostate-Priests and Superintendents marie specially after they haue gotten good Ecclesiastical liuings Which is to waxe vvanton in Christ or against Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Greeke vvord signifieth to cast of the raines or bridle that is the bond or promis of continencie which they had put vpon them 11. They vvil In the chastitie of vvidovvhod or Virginitie saith S. Augustine the excellencie of a greater gift is sought for Which being once desired chosen and offered to God by vovv it is not onely damnable to enter aftervvard into mariage but though it come not actually to mariage onely to haue the vvil to marie is damnable Aug. li. de bono viduit cap. 9. 12. Hauing damnation It signifieth
an external Priesthod or Christes death to abolish the same for this is a demonstration that if Christ haue abolished Priesthod he hath abolished the nevv lavv vvhich is the nevv Testament and state of Grace vvhich as Christian Commonvvealths liue vnder Neither vvere it true that the Priesthod vvere traÌ„slated vvith the Lavv if al external Priesthod ended by Christes death vvhere the nevv lavv began for so the lavv should not depend on Priesthod but dure vvhen al Priesthod vvere ended vvhich is against S. Paules doctrine Furthermore it is to be noted that this legitimation or putting Communities vnder lavv and Priesthod of vvhat order soeuer is no othervvise but ioyning one vvith an other in one homage or sacrifice external vvhich is the proper act of Priesthod for as no lavvful state can be vvithout priesthod so no priesthod can be vvithout sacrifice And vve meane alvvaies of Priesthod sacrifice taken in their ovvne proper signification as here S. Paul taketh them for the constitution difference alteration or traÌ„slation of states and lavves rise not vpon any mutation of spiritual or metaphorically taken Priesthod or sacrifice but vpon those things in proper acception as it is most plaine Lastly it foloweth of this that though Christ truely sacrificed him self vpon the Crosse there also a Priest according to the order of Melchisedec and there made the ful redemption of the vvorld confirmed and consummated his compact and Testament and the lavv and priesthod of this his nevv and eternal state by his bloud yet that can not be the forme of sacrifice into vvhich the old Priesthod and sacrifices vvere translated vvherevpon the Apostle inferreth the translation of the Law For they all vvere figures of Christes death and ended in effect at his death yet they vvere not altered into that kind of sacrifice vvhich vvas to be made but once and vvas executed in such a sort that peoples and nations Christened could not meete often to vvorship at it nor haue their law and Priestes constituted in the same though for the honour and duety remembrance and representatioÌ„ thereof not onely vve Christianâ— but also al peoples faithful both of Iewes Gentiles haue had their priesthod and sacrifices according to the difference of their states Vvhich kind of Sacrifices vvere translated one into an other and so no doubt is the Priesthod Leuitical properly turned into the Priesthod and sacrifice of the Church according to Melchisedecks rite and Christes institution in the formes of bread and vvine See the next note 17. A Priest for euer Christ is not called a Priest for euer onely for that his person is eternal or for that he sitteth on the right hand of God and perpetually praieth or maketh intercession for vs or for that the effect of his death is euerlasting for al this proueth not that in proper signification his Priesthod is perpetual but according to the iudgement of al the fathers grounded vpon this deepe and diuine discourse of S. Paul and vpon the very nature definition and propriety of Priesthod and the excellent act and order of Melchisedec and the state of the new law he is a Priest for euer according to Melchisedecks order specially in respect of the sacrifice of his holy body and bloud instituted at his last supper and executed by his commission commaundement and perpetual concurrence vvith his Priests in the formes of bread and vvine in vvhich things onely the said high Priest Melchisedec did sacrifice For though S. Paul make no expresse mention hereof because of the depth of the mysterie and their incredulity or feeblenesse to vvhom he vvrote yet it is euident in the iudgement of all the learned fathers vvithout exception that euer vvrote either vpon this epistle or vpon the 14 of Genesis or the Psalme 109 or by occasion haue treated of the sacrifice of the altar that the eternity and proper act of Christes Priesthod and consequently the immutability of the new law consisteth in the perpetual offering of Christes body and bloud in the Church Which thing is so vvell knowen to the Aduersaries of Christes Church and Priesthod and so graunted that they be forced impudently to cauill vpon certaine Hebrue particles that Melchisedec did not offer in bread and vvine yea and vvhen that vvill not serue plainely to deny him to haue been a Priest vvhich is to giue checkmate to the Apostle and to ouerthrow all his discourse Thus vvhiles these vvicked men pretend to defend Christes onely Priesthod they in deede abolish as much as in them lieth the vvhole order office and state of his eternall law and Priesthod Arnobius saith By the mysterie of bread and vvine he vvas made a Priest for euer And againe The eternal memorie by vvhich he gaue the food of his body to them that feare him in psal 109. 110. Lactatius In the Church he must needes haue his eternal Priesthod according to the order of Melabisedec Li. 14. Institut S. Hierom to Luagrius Aarons Priesthod had an end bus Melchisedecks that is Christes and the Churches is perpetuall both for the time past and to come S. Chrysostom therfore calleth the Churches sacrifice hostiaâ— inconsumptibâ—em an host or sacrifice that can not be consumed ho. 17 in 9 Hebr. S. Cyprian bostiam qua sublatae nulla esset futura religio an host vvhich being taken away there could be no religion de Canaâ— Dâ—mini nu 2. Emissenus perpetuam oblationem perpetuò currentem redemptionem a perpetual oblation and a redemption that runneth or continueth euerlastingly ho. 5 de Pasch And our Sauiour expresseth so much in the very institution of the B. Sacrament of his body and bloud specially vvhen he calleth the later kind the nevv Testament in his bloud signifying that as the old law vvas established in the bloud of beastes so the new vvhich is his eternal Testament should be dedicated and perpetual in his owne bloud not onely as it vvas shed on the Crosse but as giuen in the Chalice And therfore into this sacrifice of the altar saith S. Augustine li. 17 de Ciuit. c. 20. S. Leo ser 8 de Passione and the rest vvere the old sacrifices to be translated See S. Cyprian ep 63 ad Cecil nu 2. Ambrose de Sacram. li. 5. 6. 4. S. Augustine in Psal 33. Conc. â— and li. 17. de Ciuit. c. 17. S. Hierom ep 17. c. 2. ep 126. Epiph. har 55. Theodoret in Psal 109. Damascene li. 4. c. 14. Finally if any of the fathers or all the fathers had either vvisedom grace or intelligence of Gods vvorde and mysteries this is the truth If nothing vvil serue our Aduersaries Christ Iesus confound them and defend his eternal Priesthod and state of his new Testament established in the same 18. Of the former commaundement The vvhole law of Moyses conteining all their old Priesthod sacrifice sacraments and ceremonies is called the Old commaundement and the new Testament conteining
vvas vvholy spiritual For then Christs death vvas not a corporal external visible and truely named sacrifice neither could Christ or Melchisedec be any otherwise a Priest then euery faithful man is vvhich to hold as the Caluinists folowing their owne doctrine must needes do is directly against the Scriptures and no lesse against Christes one oblation of his body vpon the Crosse then it is against the daily sacrifice of his body vpon the altar Therfore he hath a certaine host in external and proper maner to make perpetual oblation thereby in the Church for visible and external act of sacrificing in heauen he doth not exercise 4. If vpon the earth It is by his death and resurrection to life againe that his body is become apt and fitte in such diuine sort to be sacrificed perpetually For if he had liued in mortal sort still that vvay of mystical representation of breaking his body and separating the bloud from the same could not haue been agreable and so the Church and Christian people should haue lacked a priesthod and sacrifice Christ him self should not haue been a Priest of a peculiar order but either must haue offered in the things that Aarons Priests did or els haue been no Priest at all For to haue offered onely spiritually as all faithful men do that could not be ynough for his vocation and our redemption and state of the new Testament How his flesh vvas made fit to be offered and eaten in the B. Sacrament by his death see Isychius li. 1 in leuit cap. 2. 5. Heauenly things As the Church or state of the new Testament is commonly called Regnum coelorum Dei in the Scriptures so these heauenly things be probably taken by learned men for the mysteries of the new Testament And it seemeth that the paterne giuen to Moyses to frame his tabernacle by vvas the Church rather then the heauens them selues al S. Paules discourse tending to shew the difference betwixt the new Testament and the old and not to make comparison betwene the state of heauen and the old law Though incidently because the condition of the new Testament more neerely resembleth the same then the old state doth he sometime may speake somewhat therof also 10. Into their minde This also and the rest folowing is fulfilled in the Church and is the proper effect of the new Testament vvhich is the grace and spirit of loue graffed in the hartes of the faithful by the holy Ghost vvorking in the Sacraments and sacrifice of the new law to that effecte 10. Their God This mutual couenant made betwixt God and the faithful is that vvhich vvas dedicated and established first in the chalice of his bloud called therfore the nevv Testament in his bloud and vvhich vvas straight after ratified by the death of the â—â—stator vpon the Crosse 11. Shal not teach So it vvas in the primitiue Church in such specially as vvere the first founders of our new state in Christ And that vvhich vvas verified in the Apostles and other principal men the Apostle speaketh generally as though it vvere so in the vvhole as S. Peter applieth the like out of Ioël and our Sauiour so speaketh vvhen he saith that such as beleeue in him shal vvorke miracles of diuers sortes Christian men then must not abuse this place to make chalenge of new inspirations and so great knowledge that they neede no Scriptures or teaching in this life as some Heretikes doe vvith much like reason and shew of Scriptures as the Protestants haue to refuse external sacrifice And it is no lesse phantastical madnesse to deny external sacrifice sacraments or Priesthod then it is to abolish teaching and preaching CHAP. IX In the old Testament that secular Sanctuarie had tvvo partes the one signifying that time vvith the ceremonies therof for the emundation of the flesh the other signifying heauen vvhich then vvas shut vntil our High priest Christ entered into it and that vvith his ovvne bloud shed for the emundation of our consciences Wherevpon he concludeth the excellencie of his tabernacle and host aboue the old 25 Noting also the differences that he entered but once so effectual vvas that one blouddy offering of himself for euer vvheras the Leuitical High priest entered euery yere once verse 1 THE former also in deede had iustificatioÌ„s of seruice and a secular sanctuarie ✠verse 2 For the tabernacle vvas made the first vvherin vvere the candlestickes and the table and the proposition of Ioaues vvhich is called Holy ✠verse 3 But after the second vele the tabernacle vvhich is called Sancta Sanctorum ✠verse 4 hauing a golden censar and the arke of the testameÌ„t couered about on euery part vvith gold in the vvhich vvas ″ a golden potte hauing Manna and the rod of Aaron that had blossomed * the tables of the testament ✠verse 5 and ouer it vvere * the ″ Cherubins of glorie ouers had ovving the propitiatorie of vvhich things it is not needeful to speake novv particularly ✠verse 6 But these things being so ordered in the first tabernacle in deede the priests alvvaies entered accoÌ„plishing offices of the sacrifices ✠verse 7 But in the second * once a yere the high priest only not vvithout bloud vvhich he offereth for his ovvne and the peoples ignorance ✠verse 8 the holy Ghost signifying this that the vvay of the holies was not yet manifested the former tabernacle as yet standing ✠verse 9 vvhich is a parable of the time present according to vvhich are offered giftes and hostes vvhich can not concerning the conscience make perfect him that serueth ✠verse 10 onely in meates and in drinkes and diuerse baptismes and iustices of the flesh laid on them ″ vntil the time of correction ✠verse 11 But Christ assisting an high Priest of the good things to come by a more ample and more perfect tabernacle not made vvith hand that is not of this creation ✠verse 12 neither by the bloud of goates or of calues but by his ovvne bloud entered in once into the Holies ″ eternal redemption being found ⊢ ✠verse 13 For * if the bloud of goates and of oxen the ashes of an heifer being sprinkled sanctifieth the polluted to the cleansing of the flesh ✠verse 14 hovv much more hath ' the bloud of Christ vvho by the holy Ghost offered himself vnspotted vnto God cleansed ' our conscience from dead vvorkes to serue the liuing God ✠verse 15 And therfore he is the mediatour of the nevv Testament that death being a meane vnto the redemption ″ of these preuarications vvhich vvere vnder the former testament they that are called may receiue the promise of eternal inheritance ⊢ ✠verse 16 For * vvhere there is a testament the death of the testatour must of necessitie come betvvene ✠verse 17 For a testament is confirmed in
first effect of this Sacrament is to saue the soule by giuing grace and comfort to vvithstand the terrours and tentations of the enemie going about specially in that extremitie of death to driue men to desperation or distresse of minde and other damnable inconueniences the vvhich effect is signified in the matter of this Sacrament specially 15. Shal lift him vp Vvhen it shal be good for the saluation of the partie or agreable to Gods honour this SacrameÌ„t restoreth also a man to bodily health againe as experience ofteÌ„ teacheth vs. Vvhich yet is not done by vvay of miracle to make the partie sodenly vvhole but by Gods ordinarie prouidence and vse of second causes vvhich othervvise should not haue had that effect but for the said Sacrament This is the second effect 15. They shal be remitted him Vvhat sinnes soeuer remaine vnremitted they shal in this Sacrament and by the grace thereof be remitted if the persons vvorthely receiue it this is the third effect S. Chrysostom of this effect saith thus They speaking of Priests do not onely remit sinnes in baptisme but aftervvard also according to the saying of S. Iames. If any be sicke let him bring in the Priests c. Li. 3 de Sacerd. prope initiuÌ„ Let the ProtestaÌ„ts marke that he calleth Presbyterâ—s sacerdotes that is Priests and maketh them the onely ministers of this Sacrament and not elders or other lay men By al vvhich you see this Sacrament of al other to be maruâ—lous plainely set forth by the Apostle Onely sicke men and as the Greeke vvord giueth men very vveake must receiue it onely Priests must be the ministers of it the matter of it is holy oile the forme is praier in such sort as vve see novv vsed the effects be as is aforesaid Yet this so plaine a matter and so profitable a Sacrament the enemie by Heretikes vvould vvholy abolish 16. Confesse therfore It is not certaine that he speaketh here of sacramental Confession yet the circumstance of the letter vvel beareth it and very probable it is that he meaneth of it and Origen doth so expound it ho. 2 in Leuit. Venerable Bede vvriteth thus In this sentence saith he there must be this discretion that our daily and litle sinnes vve confesse one to an other vnto our equals and beleeue to be saued by their daily praier but the vncleannes of the greater leprosie let vs according to the lavv open to the Priest and at his pleasure in vvhat maner and hovv long time he shal commaund let vs be careful to be purified But the Protestants fleing from the very vvord confession in despite of the Sacrament translate thus Acknovvledge your faultes one to an other They do not vvel like to haue in one sentence Priests praying ouer the sicke anoiling them forgiuing them their sinnes confession and the like 17. He praied The Scriptures to vvhich the Apostle alludeth make no meÌ„tion of Elias praier therfore he knevv it by tradition or reuelation Vvhereby vve see that many things vnvvritten be of equal truth vvith the things vvritten 20. Maketh to be conuerted Here vve see the great revvard of such as seeke to conuert Heretikes or other sinners from errour and vvickednes and hovv necessarie an office it is specially for a Priest 20. Shal saue Vve see it derogateth not from God to attribute our saluation to any man or Angel in heauen or earth as to the vvorkers thereof vnder God by their praiers preaching correction counsel or othervvise Yet the Heretikes are so folish and captious in this kinde that they can not heare patiently that our B. Lady or others should be counted meanes or vvorkers of our saluation THE ARGVMENT OF BOTH THE EPISTLES OF S. PETER THE FIRST AND THE SECOND OF S. Peter vve reade at large both in the Gospels and in the Actes of the Apostles and namely that Christ designed him and also made him his vicaâ— as S. Mathevv for that cause in the catalogue of the Apostles calleth him Primus the first and all antiquitie Princeps Apostolorum the Prince of the Apostles and that he accordingly executed that office after Christes departure plating the Church first among the Ievves in Hierusalem and in al that countrey and coastes about as Christ also him self before had preached to the Ievves alone But preaching at length to the Gentiles also according to Christes commission Mat. 28. v. 19. and being novv come to Rome the head citie of the Gentiles from thence he vvriteth this Epistle to his Christian Ievves hauing care of them in his absence no lesse then vvhen he vvas present and not to the Ievves that vvere at home belike because they had S. Iames or his successor S. Simon Cleophâ— resident vvith them but * to them that vvere dispersed in Pontus Galatia Cappadocia and Bithynia And that he vvriteth it from Rome him self signifieth saying The Church that is in Babylon saluteth you Vvhere by Babylon he meaneth Rome as al antiquitie doth interpret him not that he so calleth the Church of Rome but the heathen state of the Romane empire vvhich then and 300 yeres after vnto the conuersion of Constantinus the Emperour did persecute the elect Church of Rome in so much that the first 33 Bishops thereof vnto S. Siluester vvere al Martyrs For the matter vvhereof he vvriteth him self doth signifie it in these vvordes This loe the second Epistle I vvrite to you my deerest in vvhich Epistles I stirre vp by admonition your sincere minde that you may be mindeful of those vvordes c. So he saith there of both together And againe of the first to the same purpose in an other place I haue breefely vvritten beseeching and testifying that this is the true grace of God vvherein you stand For there vvere at that time certaine Seducers as S. August also hath told vs vvho vvent about to teach Onely faith as though good vvorkes vvere not necessarie nor meritorious there vvere also great persecutions to compel them vvith terrour to denie Christ al his religioÌ„ He therfore exhorteth theÌ„ accordingly neither for persecution neither by seduction to forsake it though in the first his exhortation is more principally against persecution and in the second more principally against seduction The first epistle is noted to be very like to S. Paules epistle to the Ephesians in vvordes also and so thicke of Scriptures as though he spake nothing els The time vvhen the first vvas vvritten is vncertaine the second vvas vvritteÌ„ a litle before his death as is gathered by his vvordes in the same c. 1. v. 14. THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PETER THE APOSTLE CHAP. I. He comforteth them in their persecutions being novv by Baptisme made the children of God vvith the hope of their heauenly exhâ—ritance 6 shevving hovv meritorious it is for them to be so constant in faith 10 and confirming them therein vvith the authoritie of the Prophets and of the
during al eternitie 31. That is in Babylon The Protestants shevv them selues here as in al places vvhere any controuersie is or that maketh against them to be most vnhonest and partial handlers of Gods vvord The auÌ„cient fathers namely S. Hierom in Catalogo de scriptoribus Ecclesiasticis verbo Marcus Eusebius li. 2 c. 14 hist Oecumenius vpon this place and many moe agree that Rome is meant by the vvord Babylon here also as in the 16 and 17 of the Apocalypse saying plainely that S. Peter vvrote this Epistle at Rome vvhich is called Babylon for the resemblance it had to Babylon that great citie in Chaldaea vvhere the Ievves vvere captiues for magnificence Monarchie resort and confusion of al peoples and tongues and for that it vvas before Christ and long after the seate of al Ethnike superstition idolatrie the slaughter house of the Apostles other Christian men the Heathen Emperours theÌ„ keeping their cheefe resideÌ„ce there See S. Leo Ser. 1. in Nati Petri Pauli This being most plaine and coÌ„sonant to that vvhich folovveth of S. Marke vvhom al the Ecclesiastical histories agree to haue been Peters scholer at Rome and that he there vvrote his Gospel yet our Aduersaries fearing hereby the sequele of Peters or the Popes supremacie at Rome deny that euer he vvas there or that this Epistle vvas vvritten there or that Babylon doth here signifie Rome but they say that Peter vvrote this Epistle at Babylon in haldaea though they neuer reade either in Scriptures or other holy or profane historie that this Apostle vvas euer in that tovvne but see their shameles partiality here Babylon say they is not taken for Rome because it vvould folovv that Peter vvas at Rome c. but in the Apocalypse vvhere al euil is spoken of Babylon there they vvill haue it signifie nothing els but Rome and the Romane Church also not as the fathers interprete it the temporal state of the Heathen Empire there So do they folovv in euery vvord no other thing but the aduantage of their ovvne heresie See the Annotation vpon the last of the Romans v. 16. and vpon the 17 of the Apocalypse v. 5. And as for their vvrangling vpon the supputation of the time of his going thither and the number of yeres that he vvas there the diuersitie that seemeth to be in the Ecclesiastical vvriters concerning the same read B. Fisher and other that substantially ansvver al such cauils And if such contentious reasoning might take place vve should hardly beleeue the principal things recorded either in Ecclesiastical histories or in the Scriptures them selues Concerning the time of Christs fleing into Aegypt of the comming of the Sages to adore him yea of the yeres of his age time of his death al auÌ„cient vvriters do not agree and concerning the day of his last supper and institution of the holy Sacrament there is diuersitie of opinions Shal vve therfore inferre that he neuer died and that the other things neuer vvere Can the Heretikes accord al the histories that seeme euen in holy Scripture to haue contradiction Can they tel vs certainely vvhen Dauid first came to Saul and the like doubt they vvhether the vvorld vvas euer created because the count of the yeres is diuers Do they not beleeue that Paradise euer vvas because no man knovveth vvhere it is and such other like things infinite to rehearse Vvhich vvhen they vvere done vvere plaine and knovven things in the vvorld and novv for vs to call them to an account after so many yeres ages and vvorldes is but sophistication and plaine infidelitie And this sect of the Protestants standing onely vpon destruction and negatiues dealing vvith our religion euen as Iulian Porphyrie and Lucian did it is an easie thing for them to bestovv their time in picking of quarels THE SECOND EPISTLE OF PETER THE APOSTLE CHAP. I. Hovv much God hath done for them making them Christians 5 and that they againe must doe their part not hauing onely faith but al other vertues also and good vvorkes that so they may haue the mâ—re assurance to enter into the kingdom of heauen 13 And that he is so careful to admonish them knovving that his death is as hand knovving also most certainely the â—â—â—ming of Christ by the vvitnes of the Father him self as also by the Prophets Concerning vvhom he vvarneth them that they folovv not priuate spirites but the holy Ghost speaking nevv in the Church verse 1 SIMON PETER seruant and Apostle of IESVS Christ to them that haue obtained equal faith vvith vs in the iustice of our God and Sauiour IESVS Christ ✠verse 2 Grace to you and peace be accomplished in the knovvledge of God and Christ IESVS our Lord ✠verse 3 as al things of his diuine povver vvhich pertaine to life and godlines are giuen vs by the knovvledge of him vvhich hath called vs by his ovvne propre glorie and vertue by vvhom he hath giuen vs most great and pretious promises that by these you may be made partakers of the diuine nature fleeing the corruption of that concupiscence vvhich is in the vvorld ✠verse 5 And you employing al care minister ye in your faith vertue and in vertue knovvledge ✠verse 6 and in knovvledge abstinence and in abstinence patience and in patience pietie ✠verse 7 and in pietie loue of the fraternitie and in the loue of the fraternitie charitie ✠verse 8 For if these things be present vvith you abound they shal make you not vacant nor vvithout fruite in the knovvledge of our Lord IESVS Christ ✠verse 9 For he that hath not these things ready is blinde and groping vvith his haÌ„d hauing forgotten the purging of his old sinnes ✠verse 10 Vvherfore brethren labour the more that â— by good vvorkes you may make sure your vocation and election for doing these things you shal not sinne at any time ✠verse 11 For so there shal be ministred to you aboundantly an entrance into the euerlasting kingdom of our Lord and Sauiour IESVS Christ ✠verse 12 For the vvhich cause I wil begin to admonish you alvvaies of these things and you in deede knovving being confirmed in the present truth ✠verse 13 But I thinke it meete as long as I am in this tabernacle to stirre you vp by admonition ✠verse 14 being certaine that the laying avvay of my tabernacle is at hand according as our Lord IESVS Christ also signified to me ✠verse 15 And I vvil doe my diligence you to haue often â— after my decease also that you may keepe a memorie of these things ✠verse 16 For not hauing folovved vnlearned fables haue vve made the povver and â—presence ' of our Lord IESVS Christ knovven to you but made beholders of his greatenesse ✠verse 17 For * he receiuing from God his father honour and glorie this maner of voice comming dovvne to him from the magnifical glorie This is
my beloued sonne in vvhom I haue pleased my self heare him ✠verse 18 And this voice vve heard brought from heauen vvhen vve vvere vvith him in the holy mounte ✠verse 19 And we haue the prophetical vvord more sure vvhich you doe vvel attending vnto as to a candel shining in a darke place vntil the day davvne and the day starre arise in your hartes ⊢ ✠verse 20 vnderstanding this first that no prophecie of scripture is made by ◠priuate interpretation ✠verse 21 For * not by mans vvil vvas prophecie brought at any time but the holy men of God spake inspired vvith the holy Ghost ANNOTATIONS CHAP. I. 10. By good vvorkes Here vve see that Gods eternal predestination and election consisteth vvith good vvorkes yea that the certainty and effect thereof is procured by mans free vvill and good vvorkes and that our vvel doing is a meane for vs to attaine to the effect of Gods predestination that is to life euerlasting and therfore it is a desperate folly and a great signe of reprobate persons to say If I be predestinate doe vvhat I vvil I shal be saued Nay the Apostle saith If thou hope to be one of the predestinate for knovv it thou canst not do vvel that thou maist be the more assured to attaine to that thou hopest or make it sure by good vvorkes The Protestāts in such cases not much liking these vvordes by good vvorkes though the latin haue it vniuersally and some Greeke copies also as Beza confesseth leaue them out in their translations by their vvonted pollicie 15. After my decease also These vvordes though they may be easily altered by cōstruction into diuers senses not vntrue yet the correspondēce of the partes of the sentēce going before and folovving giue most plaine this meaning that as during his life he vvould not omit to put them in memorie of the things he taught them so after his death vvhich he knew should be shortly he vvould not faile to endeuour that they might be mindeful of the same Signifying that his care ouer them should not cease by death that by his intercession before God after his departure he vvould doe the same thing for them that he did before in his life by teaching and preaching This is the sense that the * Greeke Scholies speake of and this is most proper to the text and consonant to the old vse of this Apostle and other Apostolike Saincts and fathers of the primitiue Church S. Clement in his Epistle to S. Iames our Lordes brother vvitnesseth that S. Peter encouraging him to take after his decease the charge of the Apostolike Romane See promised that after his departure he vvould not cease to pray for him his flocke thereby to ease him of his Pastoral burden To. 1 Concil ep 1. S. Clem. in initio And S. Leo the Great one of his successors in the said See often attributeth the good administration and gouernement thereof to S. Peters praiers and assistance namely in these goodly vvorkes Ser 3 in anniuers 〈◊〉 assumpt ad Pontif. We are much bound saith he to giue thankes to our Lord and Redeemer Iesus Christ that hath giuen so great povver to him vvhom he made the Prince of the vvhole Church that if in our time also any thing be done vvel be rightly ordered by vs it is to be imputed to his vvorkes and his geuernement to vvhom it vvas said And thou being conuerted confirme thy brethren and to vvhom our Lord after his resurrection said thrise leede my sheepe Which novv also vvithout doubt the godly Pastor doth execute confirming vs vvith his exhortations and not ceasing to pray for vs that vve be euercome vvith no tentation c. Yea it vvas a common thing in the primitiue Church among the auncient Christians and alvvaies since among the faithful to make couenant in their life time that vvhether of them vvent to heauen before the other he should pray for his frende and fellovv yet aliue See the Ecclesiastical historie of the holy virgin and Martyr Potamiaena promising at the houre of her Martyrdom that after her death she vvould procure mercie of God to Basilides one of the souldiars that ledde her to execution and so she did Euseb li. 6. c. 4. Also S. Cyprian ep 57 in fine Let vs saith he pray mutually one for an other and vvhether of vs tvvo shal by Gods elemencie be first called for let his loue continue and his praier not cease for his brethren and sisters in the vvorld So said this holy Martyr at that time vvhen Christiās vvere so far from Caluinisme vvhich abhorreth the praiers of Saincts praying to them that to be sure they bargained before hād to haue the martyrs other Saincts to pray for them The same S. Cyprian also in his booke De disciplina habitu virginum in fine after a godly exhortation made to the holy Virgins or Nonnes in his time speaketh thus vnto them Tantum tunc mementote nostri cùm incipiet in vobis virginitas honorari that is Onely then haue vs in remembrance vvhen your virginitie shal begin to be honoured that is after their departure Vvhere he insinuateth the vse of the Catholike Church in keeping the festiual daies and other dueties tovvard the holy Virgins in heauen S. Hierom also in the same manner speaketh to Heliodorus saying that vvhen he is once in heauen then he vvil pray for him that exhorted and incited him to the blessed state of the Monastical life Ep. 1. c. 2. And so doth he speake to the vertuous matrone Paula after her death desiring her to pray for him in his old age affirming that she shal the more easily obtaine the neeres she is novv ioyned to Christ in heauen in Epitaph Paule in fine It vvere to long to report hovv S. Augustine desireth to be holpen by S. Cyprians praiers then and long before a Sainct in heauen to the vnderstanding of the truth concerning the peace and regiment of the Church li. 5 de Bapt. cont Donatistas c. 17. And in an other place the same holy Doctor alleageth the said S. Cyprian saying that great numbers of our parents brethren children frendes and other expect vs in great solicitude and carefulnes of our saluation being sure of their ovvne li. 1 de praedest Sanctorum c. 14. S. Gregorie Nazianzene in his orations of the praise of S. Cyprian in fine and of S. Basil also in fine declareth hovv they pray for the people vvhich tvvo Saincts he there inuocateth as al the auncient fathers did both generally al Saincts and as occasion serued particularly their special Patrones Among the rest see hovv holy Ephrem in orat de laud. S. Deipara praied to our B. Ladie vvith the same termes of Aduocatt Hope Reconciliatrix that the faithful yet vse and the Protestants can not abide S. Basil ho. de 40 Martyribus in fine S. Athanasius Ser. in Euang. de
he is our onely aduocate because he is our onely redeemer and herevpon he alone immediatly by and through him self and vvithout the aide or assistance of any other man or Angel in his ovvne name right and merites confidently dealeth in our causes before God our iudge so procureth our pardon vvhich is the highest degree of aduocation that can be Al vvhich notvvithstanding yet the Angels and Saincts and our fellovves aliue may and do pray for vs and in that they deale vvith God by intercession to procure mercie for vs may iustly be called our aduocates not so as Christ is vvho demaundeth al things immediatly by his ovvne merites but as secondary intercessors vvho neuer aske nor obtaine any thing for vs but per Christum Dominum nostrum by and through Christ our common Lord Aduocate and Redeemer of mankinde And behold hovv S. Augustine tract 1 in ep Io. vpon these very vvordes preuented the Heretikes cauillations Sed dicit aliquis c. But some man vvil say Do not the Saincts them pray for vs do not Bishops then or Prelates and Pastors pray for the people Yetâ— saith he Marke the Scriptures and you shal finde that the Apostles praied for the people and againe desired the people to pray for them and so the head praieth for al and the members one for an other And likevvise lest the Heretikes should say there is a difference betvvixt the liuing and the dead in this case thus the same holy father vvriteth vpon the 85 Psalme in fine Our Lord Iesus Christ doth yet make intercession for vs al the Martyrs that be vvith him pray for vs neither vvil their intercession cease til vve cease our gronings In this sense therfore vvhosoeuer praieth for vs either aliue or dead is our aduocate as S Augustine ep 59 to Paulinus circa med calleth Bishops the peoples aduocates vvhen they giue them their benediction or blessing So doth the holy Church call our B. Lady our aduocate by the very vvordes of S. Irenaeus that you may see such speaches be no nevv inuentions of the later ages but Apostolical The obedient Virgin MARIE saith he is made the aduocate of the disobedient virgin Eue. And to confound the ProtestaÌ„ts plainely in that they thinke or pretend that the aduocation or patronage of Saincts should be iniurious to Christ remeÌ„ber that * our Sauiour acknovvledgeth Angels to be deputed for the protection vvhich is nothing els but aduocation of infants before the face of God besides the plaine examples in the old Testament Gen. 48. v. 16. Tob. 5. v. 27. c. 12. v. 12. Dan. 10. And this not onely the Catholike Church but the very English Protestants them selues in their seruice booke and in the Collect of Michelmas day professe and pray for the same protection or aduocation of Angels and defend the same against their yonger brethren the Puritanes 2. For the vvhole vvorlds S. Augustine gathereth hereof against the Donatistes and al other Heretikes that vvould driue the Church into corners or some certaine countries from the vniuersalitie of al Nations vvhereof it vvas named by the Apostles Catholike that the true religion and Church and consequently the effect of Christs propitiation death and aduocation pertaineth not to one age nation or people but to the vvhole vvorld S. Augustine vpon this place to 9. tract 1 in ep Io. 4. He that saith he knovveth To knovv God here signifieth as it doth often in the Scriptures to loue that is as in the last chapter to be in societie vvith him and to haue familiar and experimental knovvledge of his graces If any vaunt them selues thus to knovv God and yet keepe not his commaundements he is a lier as al Caluinistes and Lutherans that professe them selues to be in the fauour of God by onely faith affirming that they neither keepeâ— not possibly can keepe his commaundements 18. Many antichrists The holy Apostle S Iohn saith S. Cyprian did not put a difference betvvixt one heresie or schisme and an other not meant any sort that specially separated them selues but generally called al vvithout exception antichristes that vvere aduersaries to the Church or vvere gone out from the same And a litle after It is euident that al be here called antichristes that haue seuered them selues from the charitie and vnitie of the Catholike Church So vvriteth he ep 76. nu 1 ad Magnum Vvhereby vve may learne that al Heretikes or rather Arch-heretikes be properly the precursors of that one and special Antichrist vvhich is to come at the last end of the vvorld vvhich is called here immediatly before 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that peculiar and singular Antichrist 19. They vvent cut from vs. An euident note and marke vvhereby to conuince al Heretikes and false teachers to vvit that being once of the common Catholike Christian fellovvship they forsooke it and vvent out from the same Simon Magus Nicolas the Deacon Hymenaeus Alexander Philétus Arîus Macedonius Pelagius Nestorius Eutyches Luther Caluin and the like vvere of the common societie of al vs that be Christian Catholikes they vvent out from vs vvhom they savv to liue in vnitie of faith and religion together and made them selues nevv conuenticles therfore they vvere as the Apostle here shevveth antichristes and vve and al that abide in the auncient fellovvship of Christian religion that vvent not out of their fellovvship in vvhich vve neuer vvere nor out of any other societie of knovven Christians can not be Schismatikes or Heretikes but must needes be true Christian Catholike men Let our aduersaries tel vs out of vvhat Church vve euer departed vvhen and vvhere and vnder vvhat persons it vvas that vve reuolted as vve can tel them the yere the places the Ringleaders of their reuolt 19. They vvere not of vs. He meaneth not that Heretikes vvere not or could not be in or of the Church before they vvent out or fel into their heresie or schisme but partly that many of them vvhich aftervvard fall out though they vvere before vvith the rest and partakers of al the Sacraments vvith other their fellovves yet in deede vvere of naughtie life and conscience vvhen they vvere vvithin and so being rather as if humors and superfluous excrements then true and liuely partes of the body after a sort may be said not to haue been of the body at al. So S. Augustine expoundeth these vvordes in his commentarie vpon this place tract 3. but els vvhere more agreably as it seemeth that the Apostle meaneth that such as vvil not tarie in the Church but finally forsake it to the end in the prescience of God and in respect of the small benefite they shal haue by their temporal smal abode there be not of or in the Church though according to this present state they are truely members thereof Li. de corrept gr c. 9 de dono perseuâ—â— c. 8. 19. That they may be manifest God permitteth
there be three vvhich giue testimonie in earth the spirit vvater and bloud and these three be one ' ✠verse 9 If vve receiue the testimonie of men the testimonie of God is greater because this is the testimonie of God vvhich is greater that he hath testified of his sonne ✠verse 10 * He that beleeueth in the sonne of God hath the testimonie of God in him self ⊢ He that beleeueth not the Sōne maketh him a lier because he beleeueth not in the testimonie vvhich God hath testified of his sonne ✠verse 11 And this is the testimonie that God hath giuen vs life euerlasting And this life is in his sonne ✠verse 12 He that hath the Sonne hath life he that hath not the sonne of God hath not life ✠verse 13 These thinges I vvrite to you that you may knovv that you haue eternal life which beleeue in the name of the sonne of God ✠verse 14 And this is the confidence which vve haue toward him that * vvhat soeuer vve shal aske according to his vvill he heareth vs. ✠verse 15 And vve knovv that he heareth vs vvhatsoeuer vve shal aske vve knovv that vve haue the petitions vvhich vve request of him ✠verse 16 He that knoweth his brother to sinne a sinne not to death let him aske and life shal be giuen him sinning not to death There is ″ a sinne to death ″ for that I say not that any man aske ✠verse 17 Al iniquitie is sinne And there is a sinne to death ' ✠verse 18 Vve know that euery one vvhich is borne of God sinneth not but the generation of God preserueth him and the vvicked one toucheth him not ✠verse 19 Vve knovv that vve are of God and the vvhole vvorld is set in vvickednesse ✠verse 20 And vve knovve that the sonne of God commeth and he * hath giuen vs vnderstanding that vve may knovv the true God may be in his true sonne This is the true God life euerlasting ✠verse 21 My litle children keepe your selues ″ from Idols Amen ANNOTATIONS CHAP. V. 5. His commaundements are not heauie Hovv can the Protestants say that Gods commaundements can not possibly be fulfilled or kept in this life seing the Apostle saith they be not heauie and Christ saith his yoke is svveete and his burden light See for the ful vnderstanding of this place S. Augustine de perfectione iustitia c. 10. The Heretikes in fauour of their foresaid errour rather translate His commaundements are not greuous then are not heauie 7. Three vvhich giue testimonie An expresse place for the distinction of three persons the vnitie of nature and essence in the B. Trinitie against the Arians and other like Heretikes vvho haue in diuers ages found them selues so pressed vvith these plaine Scriptures that they haue as it is thought altered and corrupted the text both in Greeke and Latin many vvaies euen as the Protestants handle those textes that make against them But because vve are not novv troubled vvith Arianisme so much as vvith Caluinisme vve neede not stand vpon the varietie of readings or expositions of this passage See S. Hierom in his epistle put before the 7 Canonical or Catholike Epistles 16. A sinne to death A sinne to death is an other thing then a mortal sinne for it is that mortal sinne onely vvhereof a man is neuer penitent before his death or in vvhich he continueth til death and dieth in it I affirme saith S. Augustine de correp grat c. 12 that a sinne to death is to leaue faith vvorking by charitie euen til death So likevvise in the vvordes before a sinne not to death is not that vvhich vve call a venial sinne but any that a man committeth and continueth not therin til death 16. For that I say not If the sinne to death vvhere of he speaketh be the sinne vvherein a man dieth vvithout repentance according to S. Augustines vvordes before rehearsed then the praier vvhich he speaketh of must needes be praier for the dead because he speaketh of praying or not praying for them that died in deadly sinne exhorting vs to pray and encouraging vs to doe it vvith confidence to be heard if vve pray for them that departed this life not in deadly sinne and contrarivvise in maner dissuading discouraging vs from praying for such as continued in vvickednes euen til their liues end And S. Augustine setteth dovvne the Churches practise agreable to the Apostles meaning li. 21 c. 24. de Ciuit. Dei if there be any saith he that persist til death in impenitence of hart doth the Church novv pray for them that is for the soules of them that so are departed So saith he And this is the cause that Concilium Bracharense primum sap 34 forbiddeth to pray for such as die in desperation or kil them selues and the reason vvhy the Church forbeareth to pray for Heretikes that die in their heresie or mainteine heresie vnto death and by their death And that the place is most properly or onely meant of praying for the departed this conuinceth that neither the Church nor any man is dehorted here from praying for any sinner yet liuing not for he remission of any sinne in this life al sinnes of vvhat sort soeuer being pardonable so long as the committers of them be in case and state to repent as they be so long as they be in this vvorld And vve see that the Church praieth and is often heard for Heretikes Ievves Turkes Apostataes and vvhat other infidels or il men soeuer during their liues And it is great blasphemie that the Caluinistes vtter vpon this place to vvit that Apostasie and certaine other sinnes of the reprobate can not be forgiuen at al in this life Vvhich they hold onely to auoid the sequele of praying for the dead vpon these vvordes of S. Iohn besides that they must take vpon them presumptuously to knovv and discerne of Gods secretes vvho be reprobate and vvho be not and according to that pray for some and not for othersome al vvhich is most vvicked and absurd presumption As for their allegation that S. Ieremie the Prophet vvas forbidden to pray for the Ievves and vvarned that he should not be heard Chap. 7. 11. 14 there is great difference first he had a reuelation by the vvordes of God that they vvould continue in their vvickednes as vve haue not of any certaine person vvhereof S. Iohn here speaketh secondly Ieremie vvas not forbidden to pray for the remission of their sinnes nor had denial to be heard therein for any mans particular case vvhereof the Apostle here speaketh but he vvas told that they should not escape the temporal punishment and affliction vvhich he had designed for them and that he vvould not heard him therein 21. From idols It is so knovven a treacherie of Heretikes to trāslate idola images as here and in a
of the Pagan gods Then vvas it Babylon vvhen S. Iohn vvrote this and then vvas Nero and the rest figures of Antichrist and that citie the resemblance of the principal place vvheresoeuer it be that Antichrist shal reigne in about the later end of the vvorld Novv to apply that to the Romane Church and Apostolike See either novv or then vvhich vvas spoken onely of the terrene state of that citie as it vvas the seate of Peter vvhen it did slea aboue 30 Popes Christs Vicars one after an other endeuoured to destroy the vvhole Church that is most blasphemous and foolish The Church in Rome vvas one thing Babylon in Rome an other thing Peter sate in Rome and Nero sate in Rome but Peter as in the Church of Rome Nero as in the Babylon of Rome Vvhich distinction the Heretikes might haue learned by S. Peter him self ep 1. chap. 5. vvriting thus The Church saluteth you that is in Babylon coëlect So that the Church and the very chosen Church vvas in Rome vvhen Rome vvas Babylon vvhereby it is plaine that vvhether Babylon or the great vvhoore do here signifie Rome or no yet it can not signifie the Church of Rome vvhich is novv and euer vvas differing from the terrene Empire of the same And if as in the beginning of the Church Nero and the rest of the persecuting Emperours vvhich vvere figures of Antichrist did principally sit in Rome so also the great Antichrist shal haue his seate there as it may vvel be though others thinke that Hierusalem rather shal be his principal citie yet euen then shal neither the Church of Rome nor the Pope of Rome be Antichrist but shal be persecuted by Antichrist and driuen out of Rome if it be possible for to Christs Vicar and the Romane Church he vvil beare as much good vvil as the Protestants novv doe and he shal haue more povver to persecute him and the Church then they haue S. Hierom epist 17. c. 7. to Marcella to dravv her out of the citie of Rome to the holy land vvarning her of the manifold allurements to sinne and il life that be in so great and populous a citie alludeth at length to these vvordes of the Apocalypse and maketh it to be Babylon and the purple vvhoore but straight vvay lest some naughtie person might thinke he meant that of the Church of Rome vvhich he spake of the societie of the vvicked only he addeth There is there in deeds the holy Church there are the triumphans monuments of the Apostles and Martyrs there is the true confession of Christ there is the faith praised * of the Apostle and Gentilitie troden vnder foote the name of Christian daily aduancing it self on high Vvhereby you see that vvhatsoeuer may be spoken or interpreted of Rome out of this vvord Babylō it is not meant of the Church of Rome but of the terrene state in so much that the said holy Doctor li. 2. aduers Iouinian c. 19. signifieth that the holines of the Church there hath vviped avvay the blasphemie vvritten in the forehead of her former iniquitie But of the difference of the old state and dominion of the Heathen there for vvhich it is resembled to Antichrist and the Priestly state vvhich novv it hath reade a notable place in S. Leo serm 1 in natali Petri Pauli 5. Mysterie S. Paul calleth this secrete and close vvorking of abomination the mysterie of iniquitie 2. Thessal 2. and it is called a litle after in this chapter vers 7. the Sacrament or mysterie of the vvoman and it is also the marke of reprobation and damnation 6. Drunken of the bloud It is plaine that this vvoman signifieth the vvhole corps of al the persecutors that haue and shal shede so much bloud of the iust of the Prophets Apostles and other Martyrs from the beginning of the vvorld to the end The Protestants folishly expound it of Rome for that there they put Heretikes to death and allovv of their punishment in other countries but their bloud is not called the bloud of saincts no more then the bloud of theeues mankillers and other malefactors for the sheding of vvhich by order of iustice no Commonvvealth shal ansvver 9. Seuen hilles The Angel him self here expoundeth these 7 hilles to be al one vvith the 7 heads and the 7 kings yet the Heretikes blinded excedingly vvith malice against the Church of Rome are so madde to take them for the seuen hilles literally vpon vvhich in old time Rome did stand that so they might make the vnlearned beleeue that Rome is the seate of Antichrist But if they had any consideration they might marke that the Prophets visions here are most of them by Seuens vvhether he talke of heads hornes candlestickes Churches kings hilles or other thinges and that he alluded not to the hilles because they vvere iust seuen but that Seuen is a mystical number as sometimes Ten is signifying vniuersally al of that sort whereof he speaketh as that the seuen heads hilles or kingdoms which are here al one should be al the kingdoms of the world that persecute the Christians being heads and mountaines for their height in dignitie aboue others And some take it that there were seuen special Empires kingdoms or States that vvere or shal be the greatest persecutors of Gods people as of Aegypt hanaan Babylon the Persians and Greekes which be fiue-sixtly of the Romane Empire which once persecuted most of al other and which as the Apostle here saith yet is or standeth but the seuenth then vvhen S. Iohn vvrote this vvas not come neither is yet come in our daies vvhich is Antichrists state vvhich shal not come so long as the Empire of Rome standeth as S. Paul did Prophecie 2 Thessa◠2. 13. The same is the eight The beast it self being the congregation of al these vvicked persecutors though it consist of the foresaid seuen yet for that the malice of al is complete in it may be called the eight Or Antichrist him self though he be one of the seuen yet for his extraordinarie vvickednes shal be counted the odde persecutor or the accomplishment of al other therfore is named the eight Some take this beast called the eight to be the Diuel 18. The great citie If it be meant of any one citie and not of the vniuersal societie of the reprobate vvhich is the citie of the Diuel as the Church the vniuersal fellovvship of the faithful is called the citie of God it is most like to be old Rome as some of the Greekes expound it from the time of the first Emperours til Constantines daies vvho made an end of the persecution for by the authoritie of the old Romane Empire Christ vvas put to death first and aftervvard the tvvo cheefe Apostles the Popes their successors and infinite Catholike men through out the vvorld by lesser kings vvhich then vvere subiect to Rome Al vvhich Antichristian persecution◠ceased vvhen
of the last iudgement but of the Sees or Consistories of Bishops and Prelates and of the Prelates them selues by vvhom the Church is novv gouerned As the iudgement here giuen can be taken no othervvise better then of that vvhich vvas said by our Sauior Mat. 18. Whatsoeuer you binde in earth shal be bound in heauen and therfore the Apostle saith What haue I to doe to iudge of them that are vvith out 4. And the soules He meaneth saith S. Augustine in the place alleaged the soules of Martyrs that they shal in the meane time during those thousand yeres vvhich is the time of the Church militant be in heauen vvithout their bodies and reigne vvith Christ for the soules saith he of the godly departed are not separated from the Church vvhich is euen novv the kingdom of Christ for els there should be kept no memorie of them as the altar of God in the communicating of the body of Christ neither should it auaile to hasten to Baptisme in the perils of death for feare of ending our life vvithout it nor to hasten to be reconciled if vve fortune for penence or of il conscience to be separated from the same body And vvhy are al these things done but for that the faithful departed also be members of the Church And though for an example the Martyrs be onely named here yet it is meanâ— of others also that die in the state of grace 5. The rest liued not The rest vvhich are not of the happie number aforesaid but liued and died in sinne reigne not vvith Christ in their soules during this time of the nevv Testament but are dead in soule spiritually and in body naturally til the day of iudgement S. August ibidem 3. This is the first resurrection As there be tvvo regenerations one by faith vvhich is novv in Baptisme and an other according to the flesh vvhen at the later day the body shal be made immortal and incorruptible so there are tvvo resurrections the one novv of the soules to saluation vvhen they die in grace vvhich is called the first the other of the bodies at the later day S. August liâ— 20 de Ciuiâ— c. 6. 6. They shal be Priests It is not spoken saith S. Augustine li. 20 de Ciuit. c. 10 of Bishops and Priestâ— onely vvhich are properly novv in the Church called Priests but as vve call al Christians for the mystical Chrisme or ointment so al Priests because they are the members of one Priest of vvhom the Apostle Peter saith A holy people a kingly Priesthod Vvhich vvordes be notable for their learning that thinke there be none properly called Priests novv in the nevv Testament no othervvise then al Christian men and vvomen and a confusion to them that therfore haue turned the name Priests into Ministers 7. Satan shal be loosed In the vvhole 8 chapter of the said 20 booke de Ciuitate Dei in S. Augustine is a notable commentarie of these vvordes Vvhere first he declareth that neither this binding nor loosing of Satan is in respect of seducing or not seducing the Church of God prouing that vvhether he be bound or loose he can neuer seduce the same The same saith he shal be the state of the Church at that time vvhen the Diuel is to be loosed euen as since it vvas instituted the same hath it been shal be at al time in her children that succede eche other by birth death And a litle after This I thought vvas therfore to be mentioned left any man should thinke that during the litle time wherein the Diuel shal be loosed the Church shal not be vpon the earth he either not finding it here vvhen he shal be leâ— loose or consuming it vvhen be shal by al meanes persecute the same Secondly he declareth that the Diuel to be bound is nothing els but not to be permitted by God to exercise al his force or fraude in tentations as to be loosed is to be suffered by God for a small time that is for three yeres and a halfe to practise and proue al his povver and artes of tentations against the Church and her children and yet not to preuaile against them Thirdly this Doctor shevveth by vvhat great mercie our Lord hath tied Satan and abridged his povver during the vvhole millenarie or thousand yeres vvhich is al the time of the nevv Testament vntil then vvith vvhat vvisedom he permitteth him to breake loose that litle time of three yeres and sixe moneths tovvard the later day vvhich shal be the reigne of Antichrist Lastly he shevveth vvhat kinde of men shal be most subiect to the Diuels seductioÌ„ euen such as novv by tentation of Heretikes goe out of the Church and vvho shal auoid it By al vvhich vve may confute diuers false expositioÌ„s of old late Heretikes first the auÌ„cient sect of the Millenaries that grounded vpon these thousand yeres named by the Prophet this heresie that there should be so many yeres after the resurrectioÌ„ of our bodies in vvhich vve should reigne vvith Christ in this vvorld in our bodies in al delites and pleasures corporal of meates drinkes and such like vvhich they called the first resurrection of vvhich heresie Cerinthus vvas the author Epiph. haer 77. in fine Hiero. Câ—mment in c. 19 Mat. August har 8 ad Quodvulâ— Deum Eusâ—bius also li. 3 historia c. 33 shevveth that some principal men vvere in part though after a more honest maner coÌ„cerning those corporal delicacies of the same opinion by misconstruction of these vvordes of S. Iohn Vvhereby vve learne and al the vvorld may perceiue the holy Scriptures to be hard vvhen so great clerkes did erre and that there is no securitie but in that sense vvhich the Church allovveth of The late Heretikes also by the said S. Augustines vvordes are fully refuted affirming not only that the Church may be seduced in that great persecution of the Diuels loosing but that it hath been seduced euen a great peece of this time vvhen the Diuel is bound holding that the very true Church may erre or fall from truth to errour and idolatrie yea vvhich is more blasphemie that the cheefe gouernour of the Church is Antichrist him self and the very Church vnder him the vvhooâ—e of Babylon and that this Antichrist vvhich the Scriptures in so many places and here plainely by S. Augustines exposition testifie shal reigne but a small time and that tovvard the last iudgement hath been reuealed long sithence to be the Pope him self Christs ovvne Vicar and that he hath persecuted the Saincts of their secte for these thousand yeres at the least Vvhich is no more but to make the Diuel to be loose and Antichrist to reigne the vvhole thousand yeres or the most part thereof that is almost the vvhole time of the Churches state in the new TestameÌ„t vvhich is against this and other Scriptures euidently appointing that to be the time of
marg 419. marg See Schisme The Protestants at the first auoided the name of Church and thrust it out of the Bible pag. 521. 522 marg It can neuer faile not erre pag. 11. nu 23. pag. 70. 85. 192. 238. nu 68. pag. 261. 264 marg 266. 267. 522. 523. 555. 572. 573 721. 740. 303. m. 536. marg The Protestants blasphemie cōcerning the Churches apostasie and reuolt from God pag. 555. nu 3. Christ vvithout his Church as the head vvithout a body 514. marg Alvvaies visible pag. 14. 290 marg 295 marg 296. 298 marg 323. 555. 556. 572. 573. 701. Elias vvordes make nothing to the cōtrarie pag. 411. The state thereof in Antichrists time 721. Smal in the beginning grovving great aftervvard pag. 38. nu 32. pa. 71 nu 14. pag. 97. nu 27. 31. 32. pag. 150. nu 6. 7. 10. p. 213. nu 46. pag. 175 marg 178 marg 295 marg 296. 298 marg 316. ma. 536. marg Her lavves customs Gouernours must be obeied p. 43. nu 9. p. 51. marg p. 53. 336. marg 337. nu 20. 450. nu 2. 16. p. 471. nu 24. p. 480. 550. 562. nu 14. p. 639. 262. marg She only hath the true sense of Scriptures pag. 477. 429. marg She iudgeth al and is iudged of none p. 429. She iudgeth betwene canonical Scriptures not canonical p. 499. vvhich are Sacramēts which not 258. 259. She consisteth of good and bad p. 9. nu 12. p. 37. marg 38. 62 marg 64. 74. 262 marg not without vvrinkle in this life p. 522. nu 35. The seuenfold candlesticke in the Apocalypse 699 marg The woman clothed with the sunne whom the dragon persecuteth 720 marg The wife of the Lambe 734. The campe of Saincts 741. The true Church is proued by succession pag. 228. 520. 303 m. Christ left many things to be taught by the Church 265. 717 marg The custom of the Church is a good answer against al wranglers 450. Out of the Church no saluation p. 522. 676. p. 573. al blindnes lacke of vnderstāding 95 marg no praier auailable 262 m. Christ head of the Church in a most excellent sort 514. 515. The B. of Rome the ministerial head 515. No temporal prince can be head 47. 64. 639. nu 17. pa. 659. No woman 280. 463. The Church that is the Prelates and cheefe Pastors of the Church 51 marg 701 m. To contemne their wordes is to contemne Christ 262 marg The Churches order of diuine seruice in reading the Scriptures that it is according to the primitiue Church 268. in 288. 289 m. 382. 641. 698. See the table of Epistles and Gospels at the end of the booke Church militāt resembleth the triumphant in heauen 707 m. and nu 8. 736. The triumphant Church called the new citie of Hierusalem the state and glorie thereof 741. 742. 743. 635 marg Material churches The building of them pa. 158. Dedication of churches 250. Cost in adorning them p. 78. nu 8. 10. p. 106 nu 11. p. 128. 256. God wil be honoured in them rather then els where p. 309. 471. nu 11. p. 254 marg How he dwelleth not in material temples 309. 343 marg Not to be profaned p. 59 m. 118. 222. Our parents and other necessities of poore men are sometime to be preferred before the adorning of Churches 106. 92. nu 25. Clergie The name p. 665. their difference from the Laitie ib. nu 3. The maner dignitie of their calling p. 330. nu 4. p. 352 marg Degrees of superioritie among them selues and ouer other p. 57 marg 58. nu 28. p. 206. nu 24. p. 472. 492. 665. Their good life much edifieth p. 14. nu 17. their exemption and priuileges p. 50. 416. They may not exercise holy functions for filthy lucre 664 marg Commaundements possible to be kept p. 30. 138. nu 6. p 169. 260 marg 682 nu 22 p. 686. 400 marg 415 marg Keeping the commaundements profitable and necessarie to saluation 14. nu 20. p. 440. nu 19. p. 645. 54 marg 114 marg 191. m. 725 m. They differ from Counsels 114 marg 191 marg By keeping of them man is iustified 138. 400 marg Commaundements of men what they are and that they make nothing against the Apostles and Churches traditions 406. See Tradition Heretical lawes and doctrines are cōmaundements of men 43. nu 9. p. 106. Communion The protestants Communion p. 451. 452. 453. 454. They imitate not in the same Christs institution ib. p. 451. much lesse the Apostles traditions p. 454. Comming to the Communion against our conscience 442. They call it vnproperly the Cōmunion p. 452. and the supper of the Lord. p. 451. nu 20. Their communion bread profane p. 453 n 29. Caluins bread 228. It is the very table cuppe of Diuels p 448. is accordingly to be abhorred ibid. Communitie of life and goodes in the first Christians vsed now of the religious only p. 296. not a commaundement but a counsel only ibidem Concupiscence after Baptisme is of it self no sinne without consent p. 397. 399. 643. 682. It moueth to sinne 642. mar How the Apostle calleth it sinne pag. 397. It maketh not al the actions of a iust man sinnes p. 399. nu 25. Cōfession in particular p. 8. nu 6. p. 89. 276. 348 m. Secret or auricular cōfession p. 277. to a priest 190. 277. 653. of al mortal sinnes 653. before the receiuing of the B. Sacrament 453. The English Ministers heare confessions and absolue against their owne doctrine pag. 277. See Penance Confessing of Christ his religion highly esteemed 27. 702. m. See Faith They that dare not confesse and professe the Cath. religion to whom they are like 255 marg To deny that thou art a Catholike is to deny Christ 269. Confirmation other wise called Bishoping pag. 314. It is a Sacrament pag. 313. The grace and effect thereof 241 m. 313. nu 17. p. 514 marg The old and new heresies against this Sacrament pag. 313. Chrisme or holy oile in cōfirmation ib. Conscience Doing against our conscience p. 83. 109. 131. nu 15. Horrour of conscience for sheding innocent bloud 83. 131. nu 15. Continencie See Chastitie Examples of notable persons that liued continently from vviues 596. The continencie of maried folke for praier sake pag. 439. for the more worthie receiuing of the B. Sacrament p. 463. Perpetual cōtinencie of man ad wife p. 439. 440. Contrition 483. See Penance Corporals for the B. Sacrament p. 84. Councels of what persons they consist p. 336. They represēt the whole Church ibid. Peter and his successors presidēts in Councels p. 337. Councels of no force with out their confirmation p. 337. Controuersies in religion to be decided by Coūcels p. 336. They haue the assistance of the holy Ghost p. 337. 338. 138. nu 3. 263. nu 27. p. 265. 266. 388 marg of Christ 51 marg 53. This assistance taketh not away due examination
9. ⸬ By this we see that this miracle was not onely maruelous and beneficial to the blinde but also significatiue of taking away spiritual blindnesse External ceremonies Heretical traÌ„slation Casting out of the Synagogue The Churches ExcoÌ„municatioÌ„ See in the Annot Mat. 18 17. The Heretikes ridiculous ExcommunicatioÌ„ Num. 16. The Gospel vpoÌ„ Tuesday in whitson weeke ⸬ The theefe is the Heretike specially any other that vnlawfully breake in vpoÌ„ the sheepe to kil destroy them by false doctrine and otherwise ⸬ That is the fashion of Iewrie other countries signifying that the shepheard or Pastor must teach the sheepe and not they him The Gospel vpoÌ„ the 2 Sunday after Easter and for S. Thomas of Canterburie Decemb. 29. Esa 40 11. Ezec. 34 23. ⸬ Christes death was so necessarie for the flocke that when he might haue escaped he voluntarily offered him self to death for his flocke c He meaneth the Church of the Gentils Ezec. 37 24. Esa 53 7. 1 Mach. 4 56. 59 The Gospel vpoÌ„ Wenesday in Passion weeke An other reading is My father that hath giuen me c. c vnum Ps 81 6. Arch-heretikes specially are the theeues that clime in an other way not by the doore WheÌ„ the Pastor must tarie or may flee Iudas Machabaeus Dedication of Churches * 2 Macha 12. Christs essence diuine nature of the Father Caluins autotheisme The Gospel vpoÌ„ Friday in the 4 weeke of Lent Lu. 7 37 Mat 26 7. Mar. 14 3. Io. 12 3. c de dormitione somni The Gospel in a Masse for the dead vpon the day of the burial or deposition Io. 9 6. ⸬ S. Cyril li. 76. vlt. in Io. and S. August Tract 49 in Io. apply this to the Apostles and Priests authoritie of absoluing sinners affirming Christ to reuiue none froÌ„ sinne but in the Church and by the Priests ministerie The Gospel vpoÌ„ friday in Passion vveeke ⸬ All men but specially NatioÌ„s must take hee-de that vvhiles to saue their temporal state they forsake God they lose not both as the Iewes did Aug. tract 49 in Io. The priuilege of the office order though in a wicked person Lu. 22 23. The 4 part THE 4 Pasche holy weeke of his Passion in Hierusalem Mt. 26 6. Mar. 14 3. The Gospel vpâ—Ì„ Munday in Holy weeke PALME SVNDAY eue ⸬ Of this womans extraordinarie offices of deuotion how acceptable they were to Christ see the Annot. Mt. 26. ⸬ The deuout offices of balming and anointing the dead bodies of the faithful are here also allowed ⸬ Not in visible and mortal coÌ„dition to receiue almes of you or such like offices for supply of my necessities The Gospel vpoÌ„ Saturday in Passion weeke PALME SVNDAY * Mt. 21 7. Mr. 11 7. Lu. 19 35. Ps 117 26. Zach. 9 9. ⸬ We may see there is a great differeÌ„ce where a man pray or adore at home or iÌ„ the Church holy places when the Gentils also came of deuotion a pilgrimage to the Temple in Hierusalem b The Gospel for S. Ignatius Febr. 1. And for a martyr that is no Bishop as namely S. Laurence Aug. 10. The Gospel vpoÌ„ Holy roode day Septemb. 14. in latin Exaltatio S. Cruciâ— Io. 3 14. Es 53 1. ⸬ If any man aske saith S. Augustine why they could not beleeue I answer rouÌ„dly because they would not Tract 13. in Io. See the meaniÌ„g of this speach Annot. Mat. 18. 15. Mar. 4 12. Esa 6 9. Mt. 13 14. Mr. 4 12. Lu 8 〈◊〉 Act. 28 27. ⸬ This is the case of many principal men in such countries where heresie hath the vpperhand who know and beleeue the Catholike faith but making cholse rather to keepe mans fauour theÌ„ Gods they dare not confesse the same Such may pray that God and the world agree together for els it is seen whose part they wil take Church ornaments Toleration of the euill The Gospel vpoÌ„ MauÌ„dy thursday at Masse and at the washing of feete Mt. 26 1 Mr. 14 1. Luc. 22 1. ⸬ By supper he meaneth the eating of the Paschal lambe for the institution of the B. Sacrament was after this MAVNDY THVRSDAY Ps 40 10. Mat. 26 18. Mar. 14 16. Luc. 22 21. ⸬ Christ had some prouision before hand giuen him by the Collections of the faithful which was vsed both in his owne necessities bestowed vpon the poore Io. 7 34. 1 Io. 3 23. Mt. 26 35. Mr. 14 29. Lu. 22 33. Puritie required to the receiuing of the B. Sacrament Venial sinnes taken avvay by sacred ceremonies Ambr. Bern. locis citaâ—is The Church defineth which are Sacraments and which not c. The Gospel vpoÌ„ SS Philip and Iacobs day Maij. 1. ⸬ These mansioÌ„s signifie differences of glorie in heauen Hiero. li. â— adu Iouin ` doe knovv The Gospel in a votiue Masse for the election of the Pope vpon whitsun eue ⸬ It is then possible both to loue Christ and to keepe his coÌ„maundements c Paraclete by interpretation is either a comforter or an aduocate and therfore to traÌ„slate it by any one of them only is ê‘haps to abridge the sense of this place ` shal knovv The Gospel vpoÌ„ whitsunday And in a Votiue Masse of the holy Ghost ⸬ See the Annot vpoÌ„ the 16 Chap. vs 12 13. li. de Babyla mart â—o 5. We may and must easely beleeue the miracles of Saincts of their relikes wheÌ„ Christ him self foretelleth they shal doe such wonderful things * Act. 5 15 19 1â— * See Annot Mat. 1â— â—0 The Heretikes as faithles iÌ„ this point as the old Pagans The HOLY GHOST is promised to the CHVRCH for euer The Spirit of truth shal assist the CHVRCH alvvaies The Arians alleage as plaine Scriptures as the ProtestaÌ„ts The Gospel for one Martyr ⸬ Christ hath some branches in his body mystical that be fruitles therfore il liuers also may be members of Christ the Church ⸬ Man may coÌ„tinually increase in iustice and sanctification so long as he liueth ⸬ S. Augustine expoundeth it of the SacrameÌ„tal word of Baptisme and not as Heretikes do of preaching onely Tract 80. in Io. ⸬ If a Schismatike pray neuer so much he is not heard because he remayneth not in the body of Christ Io. 13 34 The Gospel vpoÌ„ S. Barnabees day and on the eue of an Apostle The Gospel vpoÌ„ SS Simon and Iudes day Io. 13 16 Mt. 10 24. Lu. 6 40. ⸬ He foresheweth that many wil not obey the Churches wordes no maruel because they coÌ„temned Christes owne precepts The Gospel vpoÌ„ Sunday after the Ascension and in a Votiue of the B. Trinitie Ps 24 19. Act. 2 1. No man sure of perseuêrance Not onely faith ⸬ The Heretikes translate Excommunicate you See what corruption this is and the reason thereof Annot. c. 9 22. The Gospel vpoÌ„ the 4 Sunday after Easter ⸬ If he shal teach al truth that for euer as before c. 14. 16 how is it possible that the Church
but in spirit I beheld the similitudes of the thinges folovving b The I GENERAL VISION of the 7 according to S. Ambrose ⸬ It seemeth not to be Christ him self but an Angel bearing Christes person vsing diuers speaches proper to Christ c podére Sap. 18 24. Esa 41 4. 44 6. ⸬ S. Irenaeus alluding to this saith The Church euery vvhere preacheth the truth and this is the seuenfold candlesticke bearing the light of Christ c. Li. 5. aduersâ—haer An admonition to the reader concerning the difficultie of this booke Numbers mystical The number of Seuen mystical specially in this booke Grace peace from God the holy Angels God and our Ladie saue vs and the like Hovv al Christians be both kings Priests Difference of holy daies and vvorkedaies Sunday made holiday by the Apostles the Churches authoritie Other feastes ordained by the Church As Saturday was in memorie of the creation so Sunday of Christs resurrection The Church vseth not the Heathenish names of daies but Dies Dominicus feriae Sabbatum God giueth greater grace at holy times of praier fasting Priestly garments The true religioÌ„ manifest as the light on a candlesticke Mat. 5. 15 Angels Protectors Bishops Priests are called Angels Malach. 2 7. ⸬ That vvhich before he vvilled him to vvrite to the church he now vvilleth to be vvritten to the Angels or Bishops of the same onely vvhere vve see it is al one to the Church and to the head or gouernour therof ⸬ By this vve see is plainely refuted that vvhich some Heretikes hold that a man once in grace or charitie can neuer fall from it Apoc. 1 17. ⸬ This Church representeth the state of them that are spoiled of their goodes emprisoned manifoldly afflicted for the catholike faith ⸬ The singular revvard of Martyrdom ⸬ The death of the body is the first death the death of the soule the secoÌ„d vvhich Martyrs are surest to escape of al men ⸬ The special residence of Satan is vvhere the faithful are persecuted for Christes truth vvhere not to deny the Cath. faith for feare is much here commended Nu. 24 14. 25 2. c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 calculâ—Ì„ ⸬ None of these are any thing vvorth vvithout the other 3 Reg. 18. 1 Reg. 16. ⸬ Vvho 〈◊〉 nor here that good vvorkes deserue al utioÌ„ as il workes damnation and that it is not faith alone that God revvardeth but that faith vvhich vvorketh by charitie Ps 7 10 Ier. 11 20. ` depthes Ps 2 9. ⸬ This great priuilege of Saâ—cts riseth of the povver and preeminence of Christ vvhich his father gaue him according to his humanitie and therfore to deny it to Saincts is to deny it to Christ him self Christs care of his Church Special vertues required in a Bishop Sinne is the cause that God taketh the Cath. faith from couÌ„tries Zeale against Heretikes Nicolaites the first Heretikes so called as a paterne of Arians Lutherans and the like peculiar callings Balaam ouercomming Gods people by persuasion of lecherie and bellicheere vvas a type of Heretikes li. 4. Antiq c. 6. 2. Pet. 2 15. Iuda v. 11. Zeale against Heretikes 3 Reg. 18. Achab and Iezabel Free vvil God is not author of euil They that communicate vvith Heretikes shal be daÌ„ned vvith them 3 Reg. 19. v. 18. Ro. 11. Saincts also are Patrones not only Angels 1 Thes 5 2. 2 Pet. 3 10. Apo. 16 15. c Such as haue not coÌ„mitted deadly sinne after baptisme ⸬ Note that there is in maÌ„ a vvorthinesse of the ioyes of heauen by holy life this is a coÌ„moÌ„ speache in holy Scripture that man is worthy of God of heaueÌ„ of saluatioÌ„ Esa 22 22. c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ecclesiastici 24 9. 14. Col. 1 15. Prou. 3 12. Heb. 12 6. ⸬ God first calleth vpoÌ„ man and knocketh at the doore of his hart that is to say offereth his grace and it lieth in man to giue coÌ„sent by free wil holpen also by his grace Doing vvel in respect of revvard Adoration of creatures called Dulia Perseuêrance in good continuing to the end Neuters of indifferents in religion The 2 part first the booke with 7 seales secoÌ„dly 7 Angels with trumpets THE 2 VISION In which is represented vnto vs the glorie and maiestie of God in heauen and the incessant honour praises of al Angels and Saincts assisting him Vvhich is resembled in the daily honour done to him by al orders and sortes of holy men in the Church militant also ⸬ These foure beastes and the like described Ezaech 1 by the iudgement of the holy Doctors signifie the 4 Euangelistes and in them al true preachers the man Mathevv the lioÌ„ Marke the calle Luke the egle Iohn See the causes hereof in the Summe of the 4 Euangelist pag. 1. S. Gregoin 1. Ezech. Es 6 3. The Sanctus thrise repeated THE 3 VISION ⸬ S. Gregorie taketh it to be the booke of holy Scripture li. 4. Dialog c. 42. ⸬ He speaketh not of the damned in Hel of vvhom there could be no question but of the faithful in Abrahams bosome in Purgatorie c So did Iacob Gen. 49. call Christ for his kingly fortitude in subduing the vvorld vnto him Gen. 49 9. b The Epistle vpon al-Hallovves eue ⸬ So Christ is called for that he is the immaculate host or sacrifice for our sinnes ⸬ This maketh against the Caluinistes vvho are not coÌ„tent to say that vve merite not but that Christ merited not for him self Calu. Philip 2. v. 9. 1 Pet. 2. ` kinges The Epistle in a votiue Masse of the holy Angels Dan. 7. 10. ` riches ⸬ Al the said creatures are bound to giue honour not onely to God but to Christ as man and our redeemer so they here doe Apoc. 4 11. The Saincts in heauen offer our praiers to God Spiritual kings and Priests Limbus Patrum and Purgatorie ⸬ This one stole signifieth the glorie or blisse of the soule onely but at the day of iudgement they shal haue it doubled by adding the glorie of their body also c The tribulation that shal fall in the time of Antichrist Osâ—e 10. Lu. 23 50. Consecration of altars vvith Sainctâ— relikes Saincts be present at their tombes and relikes The Caluinistes heresie concerning the Saincts consuted by S. Hierom long agoe Apoc. 14. They vnlearnedly accuse S. Hierom aâ— an Vbiquiste Hovv S. HieroÌ„ saith Christ his Saincts are euery vvhere Iob. 1. That Saincts pray for vs S. Hierom proueth against the Heretike Vigilantius Hovv Martyrs crie for reuenge b The Epistle vpon Al hallovves day ⸬ It is an allusion to the signe of the Crosse vvhich the faithful beare in their foreheads to shevv they be not ashamed of Christ S. August tract 43. in Io. c Of al the tribes put together so many 144000. He signifieth by these thousands and the multitude folowing al the elect but the elect of the Ievves to be in a certaine number the elect of
the Gentiles to be innumerable c The elect of the Gentiles ⸬ Boughes of the palme tree be tokens of triumph and victorie The Epistle for many Martyrs The glorie of Martyrs Esa 49 10. Es 25 8. Apo. 21 4. THE 4 VISION ⸬ The Priest standing at the altar praying offering for the people in the time of the high mysteries Christ him self also being present vpon the altar is a figure of this thing therevnto he alludeth c If this be S. Michael or any Angel and not Christ him self as some take it Angels offer vp the praiers of the faithful as the 24 Elders did chap. 5. for this vvvord Saincts is taken here for the holy persons on earth as often in the Scripture though it be not against the Scriptures that the inferior Sainct or Angel in heaueÌ„ should offer their praiers to God by their superiors there But hereby vve coÌ„clude against the Protestants that it derogateth not from Christ that Angels or Saincts offer our praiers to God as also it is plaine of Raphael Tob. 12 12. Most vnderstand al this of Heretikes ⸬ The fall of an Arch heretike as Arius Luther Caluin out of the Church of God Which haue the key of Hel to open bring forth al the old condemned heresies buried before in the depth c Innumerable peâ—y heretikes folowing their Maisters after the opening the smoke of the bottomlesse pit Apoc. 6 16. The cheefe Maister of heretikes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In English Destroier c Pagans Infidels and sinful impenitent Catholikes must be condemned also ⸬ This phrase being the like both in greeke and latin signifieth such sorowful penal repentance as causeth a man to forsake his former sinnes and depart from them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 See the same phrase c. 2 21 22. Act. â— v. 22. Vvho are seduced by Heretikes The manifold hypocrisie of Heretikes Herâ—t translation CHRIST the valiant Angel is here described ` pillers ⸬ Many great mysteries and truthes are to be preserued in the Church vvhich for causes knovven to Gods prouidence are not to be vvritten in the booke of holy Scripture Dan. 12 7. c This vvas the maner of taking an othe by the true God as 〈◊〉 32. Ezec. 3 1 c By earnest studie and meditation ⸬ Svveete in the reading but in fulfilling somevvhat bitter because it coÌ„mauÌ„deth workes of penance and suffering of tribulatioÌ„s ⸬ Three yeres and a halfe vvhich is the time of Antichrists reigne and persecution ⸬ The great Antichrist c He meaneth Hierusalem named Sodom and Aegypt for the imitatioÌ„ of theÌ„ in wickednes So that we see his cheefe reigne shal be there though his tyrannie may extend to al places of the vvorld ⸬ The wicked reioyce vvhen holy men are executed by the tyrants of the vvorld because their life and doctrine are hurdenous vnto them ⸬ The kingdoÌ„ of this world vsurped before by Satan Antichrist shal aftervvard be Christes for euer ⸬ To repay the hire or wages for so both the Greeke vvord and the latin signifie due to holy men proueth against the protestaÌ„ts that they did truely merite the same in this life Enoch Elias yet aliue shal preach in the time of Antichrist THE 3 PART ⸬ This is properly principally spoken of the Church and by allusion of our B. Lady also The Dragons incredulous persecuting multitude and Antichrist the cheefe head thereof c The great Diuel Lucifer ⸬ The spirites that fall from their first state into Apostasie vvith him and by his meanes c The Diuels endeuour agaiÌ„st the Churches children and specially our B. Ladies onely sonne the head of the rest Ps 2 9. Apoc. 2 27. ⸬ Vvhen the Angels or vve haue the victorie vve must knovv it is by the bloud of Christ and so al is referred alvvaies to him ⸬ This often insinuatioÌ„ that Antichrists reigne shal be but three yeres a halfe Dan. 7 25. Apoc. 12 2. 3. in this chap. v. 6. c. 13 5. proueth that the heretikes be excedingly blinded vvith malice that hold the Pope to be Antichrist who hath ruled so many ages The Church shal flee as to a desert in Antichrists time but not decay or be vnknowen no not for so short a time S. Michael fighting vvith the dragon Antichrists atteÌ„pts to draw from the true faith ⸬ They that now folow the simplest grossest heretikes that euer were without seeing miracles vvould then much more folow this great seducer working miracles ⸬ No heretikes euer liker Antichrist theÌ„ these in our daies specially in blasphemies against Gods Church Sacraments Saincts ministers and al sacred thinges Apoc. 3. 5 Gen. 9 6 Mt. 26 52. ⸬ An other false prophet inferior to Antichrist shal vvorke vvonders also but al referred to the honour of his maister Antichrist So doth Caluin other Arch-heretikes peruert the world to the honour of Antichrist and so do their scholers also for the honour of them Many mysteries expounded Great persecution by Antichrist and his ministers Their blessednes that continue coÌ„stant The honour of Christs image is for the honour of Christ Antichrists triple honour against the honour of Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The ProtestaÌ„ts by abolishing of Christes image crosse and irreuereÌ„ce to the name IESVS make a ready vvay to the honour of Antichrist Io. 14 29. Antichrists name secrete Antichrist shal be one special man and of a peculiar name The Pope can not be Antichrist Al scaming of letters to expresse Antichrists name is vncertaine Irem li. 5 in fine The Epistle vpoÌ„ S. Innocents day in Christmas ⸬ Christ and the same number of elect that were signed chap. 7. ` learne 〈◊〉 ⸬ One state of life more excelleÌ„t then an other and virgins for their puritie passing the rest alwaies accompanying Christ according to the Churches hymne out of this place Quecunque pergis virgines sequuntur c. c This the Church applieth to the holy Innocents that died first for Christ Ps 145. Act. 14. Esa 21. ⸬ The citie of the diuel which is the vniuersal societie of the wicked misbeleuers il liuers in the vvorld Ier. 51. Apo. 18. ⸬ The great damnatioÌ„ that shal folovv them that forsake Christ the Church worship Antichrist or his image ⸬ Faith is not ynough to saluatioÌ„ without fulfilling of Gods coÌ„mauÌ„dements b The Epistle in a daily Masse for the dead Ioel 3. Mat. 13. c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lacuÌ„ fat trough lake Beza Praying for the dead and vnto Saincts at the altar The place abused against Purgatorie ansvvered ` á modo ` 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Photius in Lexico THE 4 PART Of the 7 last plagues final damnatioÌ„ of the vvicked The tribulations about the day of iudgement c Baptisme ⸬ The song of Moyses and Christ is the new TestameÌ„t and the old ` Saincts THE EIETH VISION linen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ⸬
The great reuenge that God vvil doe at the later day vpon the persecutors of his Saincts ⸬ The desperate and damned persons shal blaspheme God perpetually vvhich shal be such onely as do not repent in this life c See chap. 9. v. 20 in the margent ⸬ The dragon is the Diuel the beast Antichrist or the societie wherof he is head the false-prophet either Antichrist him self or the companie of Heretikes and seducers that folovv him ` issue forth three Apoc. 3. 2 Cor. 5 3. c The hil of theaues by S. Hieroms interpretation ⸬ The citie or coÌ„monvvealth of the vvicked deuided into three partes into infidels Heretikes and euil Catholikes This citie is here called BabyloÌ„ vvhereof see the Annorat vpon the next chapter v. 5. Ier. 25 15. ⸬ The final damnation of the vvhole companie of the reprobate called here the great vvhoore c These many vvaters are many peoples v. 15. ⸬ It signifieth the short reigne of Antichrist vvho is the cheefe horne or head of the beast ⸬ Some expound it of ten smal kingdoms into which the Romane Empire shal be deuided vvhich shal al serue Antichrist both in his life and a litle after ` doe 1 Tim. 6 15. Apo. 19 16. ⸬ Not forcing or mouing any to folow Antichrist but by his iust iudgement for punishment of their sinnes permitting theÌ„ to beleeue and coÌ„sent to him The ProtestaÌ„ts here vvil needs haue BabyloÌ„ to be Rome but not in S. Peters epistle By Babylon according to al the fathers is signified partly the whole societie of the wicked partly the citie of Rome only in respect of the terrene heathenish state of them that persecuted the Church li. aduers Iudan The Church of Rome is neuer called Babylon Ro. 1. Mysterie This woman signifieth al persecutors of saincts Putting heretikes to death is not to shede the bloud of saincts The Protestants madnes in expounding the 7 hilles of Rome the Angel himself expounding it otherwise Vvhat is the eight beast The double interpretation of Babylon Apo. 14 8. c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ⸬ The measure of paines damnation according to the wicked pleasures or vnlawful delites of this life which is a fore sentence for such people as turne their whole life to â—â—st and riot Es 47 8 ⸬ Kings and Marchants are most encombered dangered and drovvned in the pleasures of this vvorld vvhose vvhole life traficke is if they be not exceding vertuous to finde varietie of earthly pleasures Vvho seing once the extreme end of their ioyes and of al that made their heauen here to be turned into paines damnation eternal then shal houle vveepe to late c The Angels and al Saincts shal reioyce and laude â—od to see the wicked confounded and Gods iustice executed vpon their oppressors persecutors and this is that vvhich the Martyrs praied for chap. 6. Ier. 51. 63. ⸬ By this it seemeth cleere that the Apostle meaneth not any one citie but the vniuersal companie of the reprobate vvhich shal perish in the day of iudgement the old prophets also naming the vvhole nuÌ„ber of Gods enemies mystically Babylon as Ierem. â— 52. The Epistle for many martyrs ALLELVIA ⸬ This often repeating of Allelu-ia in times of reioycing the Church doth folow in her Seruice ⸬ At this day shal the whole Church of the elect be finally perfectly for euer ioyned vnto Christ in mariage inseparable Mat. 22 Lu. 14 ⸬ That is the feast of eternal life prepared for his spouse the Church Apoc. 22. 9. Es 63 1. c The second person in Trinitie the Sonne of the Vvord of God vvhich vvas made flesh Io. 1. Apoc. 2 27. Apo. 17 14. ⸬ Euen according to his humanitie also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Amen Alleluia not translated Alleluia often vsed in the Church specially in Easter time Epist ad Ian. c. 17. c. 15. It signifieth more then as the Protestants traÌ„slate it praise ye the lord â—Palse translation Amen and Alleluia should not be translated into vulgar tongues Al nations in the primitiue Church sang Amen and Alleluia The ProtestaÌ„ts profane this vvord by translating it and diminish the signification thereof Psal 136. IustificatioÌ„s are good vvorkes not as the effectes of saith iustifying but because them selues also with faith iustifie a man Beza S. Iohns adoring of the Angel explicated against the protestaÌ„ts abusing the same The ProtestaÌ„ts are reâ—elled by their ovvne reason S. Iohn erred only in the person mistaking the Angel to be Christ him self and so adoring him as God Apoc. c. 1. Esa 9 in Graco Malac. 3. S. Iohn sinned not in this adoration An other explication of this place The ProtestaÌ„ts by conference of Scriptures might finde â—eligious adoratioÌ„ of creatures Aug. de vera relig c. 55. Three points herein examined and proued by Scriptures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ps 5. 137. 1 Religious vvorship of creatures Dan. 6. 3 Reg. 8. Ios 7. Ps 98. 131. 2 The same is called adoration 3 Falling prostrat before the persons or things adored Gen. 18. Exod. 3. Iosue 5. Adoring of Angels Adoring of Prophets and holy persons Dan. 2. * or Iaddus 4 Reg. 4. Iudith 13. See in S. Augustine li. 20. de Ciuit. c. 7. 8. seq the exposition of this chapter ⸬ Quid in millenariâ— numero nisi ad proferandam nouam sobolem perfecta vniuersitas praesâ—ita generationis exprimâ—◠〈◊〉 hinc per 〈◊〉 dicitur It regnabunt cuÌ„ 〈◊〉 â—illâ— aâ—nis 〈◊〉 regnum sancta Ecclesia vniuersitatis perfâ—câ—ione soâ—iidatur D. Gregor li. 9. Moral c. 1. ⸬ S. Augustine thinketh that these do not signifie any certaine natioÌ„s but al that shal then be ioyned vvith the Diuel and Antichrist against the Church li. 20. de Ciuit. c. 11. See S. Hierom in Exech li. 11. Ezec. 38 14. 39 2. See S. Hierom in Exech li. 11. THE 6 VISION ⸬ They shal then be new not the substaÌ„ce but the shape chaÌ„ged 2 Pet. 3. See S. Augustine li. 20. de Ciuit. c. 14. c The bookes of mens conscieÌ„ces where it shal plainely be read vvhat euery mans life hath been Apoc. 3 5. 21 27. ⸬ Such as doe no good workes if they haue age and time to doe them are not found in the booke of life Bishops consistories iudicial power 1. Cor. 5. During a thousand yeres that is the time ofthis militant Church saints reigne vvith Christ in soule only The rest are dead and damned in soule during the same time The first resurrection of the soule only Priests some proprely so called some vnproprely 1. Pet. â— The binding and loosing of Satan explicated by S. Augustine The short reigne of Antichrist Millenarij or Chiliastâ— The Scriptures hard By S. Augustines foresaid explication is eurdently deduâ—ed against the ProtestaÌ„ts that the Churche can not erre and that the Pope can not possibly be Antichrist An inuincible demoÌ„stration Mat. 24. Lu. 18 8. The campâ— of Saincts is the Catho Church through the vvorld As novv Heretikes in particular countries so Antichrist shal persecute the Churches of al nations Vvhat is meanâ— by fire from heauen The booke of euery mans workes opened in the day of iudgement THE 5 PART The final glorificatioÌ„ of the Church Esa 63 17. 66 21. The Epistle vpon the dedication of a Church 2 Pet. 3 13. c The Church triumphant ⸬ This tabernacle is Christ according to his humanitie Es 25. 8. Apoc. 7 17. c This happie day shal make an end of al the miseries of this mortalitie ` because the Esa 43 19. Apoc. 1 8. 22 13. ⸬ He that hath the victorie against sinne in the Church militant shal haue his revvard in the triumphant c Al that commit mortal sinnes and repent not shal be damned THE 7 AND LAST VISION ⸬ The glorie of the Church triumphant c The names of the Patriarches and Apostles honorable and glorious in the triumphant Church ⸬ See S. Hierom ep 17. touching this description of the heauenly Hierusalem vvhich is the Church triuÌ„phaÌ„t teaching that these things must be taken spiritually not carâ—â—ally ⸬ Al external sacrifice which now is necessarieâ—dutie of the faithful shal then cease and therfore there shal neede no material temple Esa 60 19 Es 60 3. Esa 60 11. ⸬ None not perfectly cleaÌ„sed of their suâ—nes can enter into this heauenly Hieruselem Apo. 20 12. The state of glorified bodies ◠′ vvater of life ⸬ Christ is our tree of life in the Church by the B. Sacramé in heauen by his visible presence and influence of life euer lasting both to our bodies and soules of vvâ—oÌ„ Salomon saith The tree of life to al that apprâ—heâ—d him Prou. 3. Apo. 21. Esa 60 THE CONCLVSION Apo. 19 10. ⸬ You see it is al one to adore before the feete of the angel to adore the Angel though to adore him â—e not expressed as in the 19 chap. See the anÌ„otatioÌ„ there v. 10. c Man by Gods grace doing good workes doth increase his iustice ⸬ Heauen is the reward hire repaiment for good workes in al the Scriptures yet the aduersaries wil not see it Ro. 2 6. Apo. 21 6. 1 8. Es 55 1. The curse agaiÌ„st adding or diminishing is against Heretikes not Catholike expositours A breefe petitioÌ„ vnto IESVS Christ to come quickly as S. Iohn here speaketh and to iudge the cause of Catholikes Protestants * The Epistles omitted are taken out of the Old TestameÌ„t ☞ ☞ ☞ ☞ ☞ ☞ ☞ ☞ ☞ ☞ ☞ ☞ ☞ ☞ ☞ ☞ ☞ ☞ ☞ ☞ ☞ ☞ ☞ ☞ ☞ ☞ ☞ ☞ ☞ ☞ ☞ ☞ ☞ ☞ ☞ ☞ ☞ ☞ ☞ ☞