THE Agreemente of Sondry places of Scripture seeming in shew to Iarre Seruing in stead of Commentaryes not onely for these but others lyke Translated out of French and nowe fyrst publyshed by Arthure Broke ¶ Seene and allowed accordyng to the ordre appoynted in the Queenes Maiestyes Iniunctions Imprynted at London in Paules Churchyard at the signe of the Crane by Lucas Harrison Anno. 1563. The Prynter to the Reader THE AVTHOVRS ABsence whose only couÌ„tenauÌ„ce wold haue feared faults polished a far meaner work pleadeth in excuse of the apparauÌ„t flacknesse in perusiÌ„g this smal treatise which as now it swarmes with matter and singuler ê“fite had also flowed wyth EloqueÌ„cemought he haue enioyed himself wheÌ„ the Realm thought good to coÌ„mauÌ„d him But syth euen absent he mought hereby benefit the godly though repyning to see his learned knowledge racked froÌ„ EloqueÌ„ce enforced he was by my oft entreaties to leaue behinde him this orphane Babe Worthy in deede for lawfull and vnspotted doctrine to beare his Syres Name howbeit yet rough vnmete to match with many other his trauaylles satisfieng the hygh expectation that fame had blowen of hym NotwithstaÌ„ding syth it is not the least tryal of mercy to father the fatherlesse what he disdayneth in this youÌ„g Imp for it hath not yet raught the honorable roomes of the rest that ye to whoÌ„ hereby coÌ„modity by our meanes shall grow accept to your patronage That as the cause of imperfection if any be rose for your sakes through my meanes so the ê“tection froÌ„ the enuious sitheuen much it shroudeth worthy enuy may ê“cede froÌ„ your Curtesyes It doing yâ—ure selues shal ye discharge of vnkindnesse me of blame him of feare Which if by one prayse worthye worke ye wyll not small encouragement hath be hereafter wyth the venture of hys fame to tender your profyte And I as lyght cause to hâ—sard my thanckes in lyke importunity on the Lerned Shame therefore be it to neglecte your frendes Feare and doubt to hynder your selues Which as ye shal seke to auoid so in eschuing the Causes pursue the contrary SOme meÌ„ heretofore haue attempted this self maner of writyng y e same worke that is here offred vnto you Neyther was their labour altogether vayne For at the least if they had but gathered suche places of Scripture as seme to dysagree and done theirendeuour to agree theÌ„ thoughe they haue not yelded the true meanyng of places which thei had takeÌ„ in hand to expouÌ„d yet so it is y e thys inuention of theirs hath geuen a taste opened away vnto such other as followed theÌ„ who were able to geue a more certayne resolutioÌ„ of the same differences Let euery one haue hys prayse but chiefly let not the first inuentours be greued y â— those whiche came after holpe theÌ„selues w t their inuentioÌ„ and y t hauing a greater light of y â— scripture they laboured to open y â— whiche beefore was very darkly handled Neither let y â— laste sort seke to set forth themself to y e dyscoÌ„mendation of those y â— went before but let both partes setting abrode simply y t which god hath geuen theÌ„ bryng forth their workes w t a common agreement to the glorye of hym only whiche openeth the eyes of men and geueth them vnderstandyng and wysedome to speake well Be it so than frendly Reader that you read y â— others workes y t haue treated on thys maner or be it y â— you be desirous to take profite of thys presente worke I pray you bring with you a sober quiet Iudgement And I hope y â— wheÌ„ you shal haue red y e other you wil not refuse y â— reading of this as vnprofitable As at other tymes it hath bene nedeful to represse the fransy of many troubled spirits so thinke you y â— at this day all such are not yet so stilled but y â— they geue many occasions of terrible frayes ouerthrowing corruptyng y â— meanyng of y e scriptures to confyrme their opinions And it is necessary that they should be withstode And bicause y â— moste troublesome and hard fighte of theirs y â— we must abyde is when y â— assault is geueÌ„ vs by y e holy â–ª scriptures of which self scriptures we must borrowe al oure strength defence it behoueth vs in this case to vse great wisedome by which we may repulse y â— deceiptes sleyghtes of our aduersaries and so to applie theÌ„ to our purpose as neuerthelesse we mystake theÌ„ not so bee destitute of weapon defence For if wee were assayled by any other meane eyther by Philosophye or by any other doctrine of men it were an easye matter to repulse such assaults for y â— worde of God which we make our bucklar defence is of strength agaynst al doctrynes is aboue al doctrynes But here in is al y e doubt wheÌ„ by y â— word meÌ„ wil destroy y â— word in vs and vs in the word There are many y t reade y e holy scriptures to this purpose only y â— by the they may establysh y e traditions ordinances of men They seke in theÌ„ some couer to kepe their trifling ceremonies Ther ar other y t hauyng Imagined or takeÌ„ some opinioÌ„ in their head holding wilfully and stubbornly y t whiche they haue once conceaued they wrest awrie ouerthwartly the places of scripture hauyng regard to their own ambition rather theÌ„ to y â— teaching edifâ—yng of y e symple ones There are also diuerse whiche not caring for any religioÌ„ but rather wishing y â— al thing wer disordered y â— euery one shold do what semeth hiÌ„ best wickedly take certain scrapings of y â— holy scriptures and assone as they haue fouÌ„d in theÌ„ some litle shew of discord they lay hand on y â— as if they had ouer coÌ„me al tending to no other end but to briÌ„g y â— word of god to be despised hated the readyng of it suspected How is y e world at thys day fyld ful of Epicures contemners CoÌ„trarywise ther ar very fewe y â— hyt y â— marke which bryng with theÌ„ a good mynde read heare y e scriptures to fynde Christ in theÌ„ to coÌ„fyrme theÌ„ self in y e true faith to obey God deuoutly as they ought But these Hogs Dogs wold not once voutchsafe to opeÌ„ their eies to loke vpoÌ„ one only sillable in theÌ„ if it were not to finde some Iarre in theÌ„ to make theÌ„ disagree to haue some occasioÌ„ to find fault with theÌ„ But y e holy ghost which is y e teacher and author of y e scriptures who is y â— spirit of truth euer like to him self alwaies fast coÌ„stant profers nor brings forth any thing y t is contrary to himselfe nor any thing to entangle or trouble y e spirit of y â— fathful reader or to make him vncertayn or in doubt what opinioÌ„ to beleue what not
to beleue For verely if there be any disagreeing in y e holy scriptures how maye a man know what is certayne sound How shal a mā discerne y ◠truth frō y ◠whiche is false y ◠good frō y ◠il y ◠certain from y ◠vncertayne the lyght frō y ◠darknesse Wherfore we must not feare that the scriptures deceaue vs as if ther wer any disagreeing in thē neither nede we doubt y t the false expoūders of thē shal haue y e vpper hand reach to y ◠marke y ◠they shotte at if to y ◠readyng of thē we bryng with vs a spirite ready to be taught but rather we shal haue wheron to staye vs to defende vs agaynst al assaultes I hope y t they which shalbe guyded with such a spirit of mekenesse may be holpe by this worke which as yet is but begon Thys is but only a profe offered in hast at whiche if you shal beginne to take profite let vs vnderstand it you shal geue hym y ◠hath thus begon y e occasion to go further foreward whiche thyng also he promiseth you Read and profiite in the feare of the Lorde FINIS 1 No Man knoweth vvhether he bee vvorthye of Loue or of Hate Ecclesiast ◠I knovv in vvhom I beleue and am sure that he can keepe that vvhych I gaue hym to keepe vntyl that Daye Tym. ◠ep ◠THE MOST IGNORANT of al so they be not stubborne may easely vnderstande what Salomon meaneth in thys part of Scripture to 〈◊〉 y ◠we trauail in hayne if we iudge by the presente state whome God loueth or whom he hateth for God sheweth not his loue continually to those whom he wil prosper nor hys hate to them whō he wyll afflict And that to reproue the vayrenesse of mannes vnderstanding whiche is dull euen in those thinges which chiefly ought to be knowen But thys that is spoken touching y e iudgement of outward things and so farre foorth as a man may Iudge of hymself letts not at al the certainty of fayth neyther doth it cause a faythfull man to be vnassured of y ◠loue of God and not resolued that life is layd vp for him in heauen This assurednesse maketh vs know what difference there is betwene faith and opinion Fayth leaneth not on the authority of men neither doth it doutfully rest on God but a certayne knowledge is ioyned wyth fayth So if according to the conceit of men we speake of things that chaunce vnto vs we haue no assurance of gods goodnesse toward vs. But when fayth guydeth the sprite of man then man is well assured what so euer betyde hym that nothyng shall separate hym from the loue wherwith God loueth him 2 Seeke and you shall finde Math. 7. I vvas found of those that sought me not Esai 65. THis commodity we haue by faith in our praiers y ◠if in faith we seke God we shal find him always redi to succor vs in al our necesities he is prest of hymself to graunt our requestes so that we pray to him And his riches shalbe displayed vnto vs so that we seke them and aske them It is certaine that God watcheth often for the safety of hys faythful when they slepe to the ende he may preuent their prayers For we were more than miserable if in thys our brutall dulnesse God taried for our prayers But bicause Christ speaketh here to hys Disciples he sheweth them playnly in what maner the heauenly father wyll make vs partakers of his gifts Although therfore he geue vs all good things freely yet notwithstandyng to exercise our fayth he wyl haue vs seke hym by our prayers on which he wyl bestow that which proceadeth from hys goodnesse only So God wyl haue vs seke hym yet he is the first that sought and foūd vs which thing appeareth in that he saith he was found but it was of those that sought hym not which was when he graffed vs into his household by faith And therin he declareth that hys grace and mere goodnesse hath preuēted vs that we brought wyth vs no desert or worthinesse at all 3 I vvyll remēbre their sinne no more Genesis 3 Verely I saye to thee thou shalt not depart from thens til thou haue paid the last farthing Math. 5. EVEN after that we haue offēded God notw tstanding promyseth to be at one w t vs for of nature he is gentle and prone to pardō ells our offences and wickednesse wold shut the doore and entraunce to hys bounty yf we had not thys thing euer set before our eyes that he easely pardoneth and forgetteth our sinnes he kepeth not in mind the faultes and wrongs that are done to him for he condescendeth wyllingly and of his owne accord to fal to agremēt But it behoueth vs to know that thys is not spoken to all mankind indifferently but is a priuiledge belōging properly to his Church For it is saide in Deutronomy that God reuēgeth terribly casting back the faults of the Fathers into the bosome of the Children Gods wrath agaynst rebelles vnbeleuers and obstinate persones shall neuer be appeased And in some sorte that may agree hereunto which Christ our Lord saith Verely I say vnto thee thou shalt not come oute from thens tyll thou haue payed the vttermost Farthing Albeit Christ simply geueth warning that it is very profitable for vs euen after the maner of men to agree with our aduersaries betime bycause that rigorous men are often domaged by their owne euel desire Yet this similitude may be well and fytly applied to God that Iudgement with out mercy shalbe executed on him that wil not agre or be reconciled with hys brethren or that shall striue to the vttermost 4 Art thou called a seruaunt care not 1. Corint 7. Yet if thou cā be at liberty be so rather 1. Corint 7. EVery man muste be content wyth hys calling and follow it not that men are so bound but some may lawfully chaunge their estate or trade of life but men ought to amend their vnaduised desire by which some are stird to chaunge their sort of life without any iust occasion whether it be through superstition or curiousnesse of conscyence or some other fond motion To be short this sentence bringeth al men to thys poynt to remembre what stādeth with their calling If any be called to bōdage sayth Saint Paul he must not be vexed with carefulnesse but rather masse haue his conscience quiet He wil haue bondmen to be of good there and not troubled as thoughe bondage shuld let them frō the seruice and true obedience of God Notwithstanding he mitigateth that sentence for sayeth he if the seruaunte can fitly bryng to pas to com into fredome let him take to hym that more comodious state of lyfe He teacheth that liberty not only is good but also more cōmodious thā bondage This then maketh these two sentences no whitte to disagree For Saint Paul biddeth not
bare sygne they haue nothing that they may attribute to themselues The truth of Cyrcumcision did consyste in the spiritual promisse to which Fayth must necessarily be adioyned The Iewes dispised the one and the other both Faith and y â— promysse Al then that they had was but a fond and vayne trust Wherfore applying hys purpose to this so grosse an errour he leaueth to speake of the chiefe vse of Circumcision They thought that Circumcision was of it selfe a work mete to purchace righteousnesse To speake then after their opinion he sayth that if a man loke vpon the work in circumcision he that is circumcised must shew himself a perfect and sound seruaunte of God The worke then of circumcision shal be perfection as if S â–ª Paul should say If you wil haue Circumcision profit or serue for any thing it shalbe when you perfitly kepe y â— law As much may a man say now a dayes of our Baptisme if any maÌ„ leaning to y â— trust of the water of Baptyme thynke to be iustified bycause he hath receiued the outer sygne as though he had alredy holinesse by that worke and that by that meanes he should not regarde the end of Baptyme to were that by it the Lorde calleth vs to holinesse of lyfe What shoulde then becoÌ„me of the promesse and grace which Baptime testifieth and sealeth vnto vs it were to coÌ„tent vs with a vaine signe and not to care for that which is sound and fast in the Baptyme Here then he speaketh not of Circumcision purposely what it is worth in it selfe but he speaketh to those that did falsely interprete the signes and sendeth theÌ„ to the truth Here he meaneth that men must obserue the law before CircuÌ„cision 〈◊〉 profit him He tendeth to another ende in thys place of the Epistle to the Galathians wher he sayth beholde I Paul declare vnto you that if you beâ— Circumcised Christ profiteth you nothing he speaketh not onely of the outward cutting 〈◊〉 the ceremony but he striueth agaiÌ„st the peruerse doctrine of false Apostels which sayd that it ought to be kepte as a 〈◊〉 of God necessary for al faithful and that in the same was a certain desert These gloses and Diuellyshe inuentions made Christ vnprofitable not y â— the false Apostels denied Christ or would that he were altogether cast of and takeÌ„ away but they made such a partenership betwene his grace and y e works of y e law that they did ascribe vnto him but y e halfe part of saluation But the soÌ„ne of God wil not be so deuided and yet he can nothyng at al profit vs vnlesse we receue him al whole To be short it is vnpossible to mingle the grace of Christ meritorious works together CircuÌ„cisioÌ„ theÌ„ profiteth if a maÌ„ ioine y e truth to it on y e other part if we go about to ioine CircuÌ„cisioÌ„ w t y e grace of Christ as if by it a man were helped to get saluatioÌ„ not only it is vnprofitable but also it diminisheth the grace of Christ 84 Thou shalt vvorship the Lord thy God and him only thou shalt serue Deut. 6. Abraham rising vp vvorshipped the people of the Land Genesis 2â— IT is not nedefull to heape vp many testimonies of Scripture to proue y â— only God is worthy of worshippe for it is cleare enough and easy to be knowen And though in this first sentence thys word alone be not added to the first part but onely to the second yet it wer a triflyng and more than childish cauillation to say that God ought to be serued onely But as touching worshipping there are other to whome it maye wel be offred as men speak of the worship of seruice which is geuen to saintes that are dead and to their Images and Idols and to their bones and reliques but we must loke vpoÌ„ the deed rather thaÌ„ vpoÌ„ a word or two as oft as the seruice of God is spoken of This sentence is manifeste and playne and is sufficiently vnderstode of it selfe Thou shalt honour the Lord thy God and shalte serue hym onely and if it haue nede of an expounder why was the Diuel when he would haue made christ to worship hiÌ„ repulsed by this self seÌ„teÌ„ce but bicause y â— soÌ„ne of God gaue to vnderstand that no other ought to be worshypped but God The Scripture appoynteth and commaundeth that God only should be worshipped serued and honored Wee muste see to what ende If man take away or breake how litle so euer it be of Gods glory to geue it to creatures it is a haynous robbing of Godds seruice and honor And seâ—we not playnly that this is done as oft as we acknowlege these benefites to com from creatures of which God would be acknowleged y e only autor Nowe euen as to speake proprely religion is spirituall but y â— outward profession of religioÌ„ belongeth to y â— body so not only y e seruice and inward obedience are due to God alone but also we must ioyne to it the outwarde wytnesse This then is certayne that onely God oughte to bee honoured Notwithstanding the Scripture leaueth not to vse the same word in many places in another meaning As in thys sentence we heare that Abraham worshipped the people of the land of whose inhabitaÌ„ts he went about to bie a pece of inheritaÌ„ce for a buryiÌ„g place Now by this maner of speaking Moises signifieth that Abraham did reuerence to the people as custome is to do in bowing the knee or by some other countenance or gesture of the body This reuerence is done both to men and to God but the end is very diuers Men one to another bend theire knee when they meete or bow downe y â— hed or put of their cap and thys is don for good manners or ciuile honours sake but if they do it one to another for religion or conscience sake it is Idolatrie and an outragious sacrilege for religion suffreth no other seruice or honour to be done but that which belongeth to God Moreouer it was the comon fasshioÌ„ of those of y e East which wer to ful of ceremonies as it appeareth by y e histories Therfore we must not mesure thys honor which Abraham did to this people according to the maners of the people of these partes whych are not so ceremonial 85 Eue speaking of Cayn her sonne sayd I haue gotten a man of the Lord â–ª Genesis 4 â–ª Not as Cayn vvhich vvas of the vvicked and kylled his brother â— Ioan. 3. HOwsoeuer this place of Genesis may be expounded a man myght thinke that Cayn was blessed of God Fyrste if it be expounded I haue gotten a man wyth the Lord thys is as if it wer sayd by the benefit or grace of god as if Eue imputed it to the blessing of God that she had ofspring as it is sayd in the. 126. Psalme The fruyte of the wombe is a gyfte and blessing of God Secondarily if a man say I haue gotteÌ„ or
e equitie of God who is not a God willing or allowing iniquitye And yet a man might thinke y t this were signifieng by these words y â— God wil visite y t iniquitie vnto the thyrde fourth generatioÌ„ What hath he deserued y â— is not yet If a maÌ„ consider y â— coÌ„dition of mankind thys doubt shal easely be soyled No maÌ„ can loke for any thing els but y t the wrath of God shold fal on hys head and y t shoulde coÌ„me to passe of very right for we ar al sinners and vnworthy of y t fauour of God If God leaue vs as we are what occasion haue wee to complayne to hym It is not ynough to saye that children shall abyde temporall paynes for the synnes and offences of their fathers For thys is farther extended the reuenge or punishment which he threateneth here can not bee restrayned to the presente life but as it is a signe of his loue wheÌ„ he blesseth hys seruauntes children so when he leaueth the sede of y â— wicked in hys curse it is a witnesse of his vengeance on them In thys maner seing al y t nature of man is worthy of condemnatioÌ„ they to whoÌ„ God sheweth no fauour can loke for nothyng els but the destruction which is prepared for theÌ„ What caÌ„ a father forsaken of the holy ghost do but liue wickedly Lykewyse his sonne forsakeÌ„ of God what can he do but followe y e trace of perditioÌ„ And they y â— shal folow what shal they do but goe after into y e same ruyne By thys meanes a maÌ„ may see y t euery one perysheth by hys own iniquitie not by y t vniuste hate of God Touching y t the chyldren are punnyshed for the offences of their fathers it is bycause they followe theÌ„ and though they be warned yet they amende not But as touching that Ezechiell sayeth in hys 18. Chapter that the sonne shall not beare the wickednesse of hys father that was a coÌ„mon prouerb in y e mouth of the Israelites that their fathers had eaten sower things and their teth weâ— on edge with it They signified therby that their fathers had coÌ„mitted y â— fault and that they endured y e il and puÌ„nyshment w tout deseruing it But the Prophet Ezechiel pronouÌ„ceth y t they suffer for their owne faultes and y t it is in no sort agreing w t the iustice of God that the iuste and innocent childe should be puÌ„nished for y â— faults and offences of another Neither is it ment by this sentence y t he visiteth the iniquity of y e fathers in their childreÌ„ for touching that the curse falleth vpoÌ„ their head it is bicause they follow y â— condicions and the tracte of those that wente before them And therfore are punished as their fathers were And althoughe God leaue them in cursednesse before they come into the world yet he doth theÌ„ no wroÌ„g neither caÌ„ they accuse him of vnrighteousnesse 103 Psalm 5. Thou shalt destroy theÌ„ that speak Lies Genesis 12. Abraham Lied and vvas not destroyed GOD so often forbidding Lieng in the holy Scriptures and witnessing that Liars are not welcome vnto him sheweth sufficiently how he wil punish al Liars for seeing y â— truth is in such sorte natural to him that w tout it he wer not God 〈◊〉 should he leaue Lies vnpunished seeing they he altogether contrarye to his righteousnesse and truth And hereupon we gather that a man ought not to excuse any maner of Lie with what fayre color soeuer a maÌ„ couer 〈◊〉 It is not inough to reiect or condemne Lies that ar domageable or ioined with forswearing but those also that are called pleasaunt Lies or Lies for recreation or those that may serue to saue the lyfe of anye â—an As â—ruth cannot be but of God so a Lie what one soeuer it be caÌ„not be but of the Diuel In this place of the fyft Psalme Dauid speaketh more specially he setteth forth the iudgemente of God vpon those that geue themselfe to deceyte Lieng and vnrighteousnes And therwithal he coÌ„forteth the faithful to the end that as often as they shal haue occasion to beare the oppression of the vnryghteous they should wythdrawe themself toward God whoe abhorreth all vnryghteousnesse For it is a good consequent God hateth al the vnryghteous it followeth he will punishe al the vnryghteous But as touching Abraham who lied saieng Sara his wife was his sister Truly a man can not excuse his fault for God had had other meanes to saue his life than by his endangering his Wifes chastitis by help of a Lie Hee excuseth him selfe after that he hath not lied and that he forged nothing contrary to the truth This was surely a great fault for it was not loÌ„g of him that his Wife was abaÌ„doned ouer to adultry If he were carefull of his life which thing was lawfull for him and right at y e least he should haue cast his care on God True it is that the prouidence of God letteth not the faithfull from prouidyng for them selfe but it ought so to be done that they passe not the limites which God hath set for theÌ„ It is their certayne that Abraham offended but what reason were it to put thys holy patriark in y e ranck of y e wicked whiche haue al their delite in dealyng deceiptfullye wyth theire neighbors lying yea before y e eies of god Abrahams ly Isaacks hys sonnes the lyes of al other faythful are worthy of blame yea and of punyshment but wher faith hath place there is also forgeuenesse of sinnes And God suffereth not a faythful soule so to straye in such impietie y t at the last dystruction shuld followe yet notwithstandyng y e grace that is geueÌ„ to the faythful shal not let the truth of thys sentence that will destroye al Liars 104 Thou hast layd the earth from the beginning O Lord and the heauens are the vvoorkes of thy handes they shal perysh but thou art euerlasting Psalm 21. Hebre. 1. The earth abydeth for euer Ecclesias 1. WHEN it is sayed the earth abydeth for euer it is in respect of meÌ„ y t their vanitie might be rebuked and their pride beaten downe One generation passeth and another coÌ„meth on and the earth serueth for a continual dwelling place for men euen to the ende of ages The seasons haue their ouerturnings and the nightes follow after the dayes there are diuerse chauÌ„ges and wonderful which a man seeth to com ordinarily and al that doth not make the earth to waste or to stir oute of her place The â—louds of the sea rore and swel as it were to swallow al vp and yet the earth ceaseth not yearly to bring forth her frutes and to serue meÌ„ for their abode Such is Gods excelleÌ„t workmanshyp such is his wonderful goodnesse toward mankinde For how commeth it that the earth is aboue the waters but that God would of purpose prepare a lodging for men The Philosophers