is defined CIcero doth define mercie to be the sorrowe of the minde and griefe conceiued vpon the misery of some other redy to aids the same Seneca in his booke De clementia saith that mercie is the griefe of minde had vpon the séeming of the miseries of others or els the sorrow conceiued for other mens euills which it is thought that they deserue not Augustine saith what is mercie but a certaine compassion in our heart of some others misery wherby we be compelled to help them if we can For who knoweth not that mercie is named of that that it maketh a mans heart miserable pitifull sorrowing for another mans euill So they doe define mercie commonly to be touched stroken within in the heart with the misery of others The Hebrues do cal mercy by this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which word doth properly signifie the belly they do apply it vnto the signification of mercy because y◠the inward parts of them which be touched with y◠sight of other mens miseries are wont to be moued with some affection of compassion pitie Mus. fo 978. What it is to haue mercie or be mercifull To haue mercie or be mercifull is to haue compassion and to féele another mans disease and to mourne with them that mourne and suffer with them that suffer and to helpe and succour them that are in tribulation and aduersitie and to comfort them with good counsell and wholesome instruction and louing wordes And to bée mercifull is louingly to forgiue them that offende thee as soone as they knowledge their misdoing and aske thée mercie To be mercifull is patiently long to abide the conuersion of sinners with a lustie courage and hope that God will at the last conuert them and in the meane time to pray instantly for them And to be mercifull is to interpret all things to the best and to looke through the fingers at many things and not to make a grieuous sinne of euery small trifle And to suffer forbeare in his owne cause the malice of them that will not repent nor be a knowen of their wickednesse as long as hée canne suffer it and as long as it ought to be suffered and when he can no longer then to complaine to them that haue authoritie to forbid wrong and to punish euill doers Tindale Blessed are the mercifull for they shall obtaine mercie ¶ Héere God hath made a couenaunt with vs to be mercifull vnto vs if we will be mercifull one to another So that the man which sheweth mercie vnto his neighbour maye bée bolde to trust in GOD for mercie at all needes And contrariwise iudgement without mercie shall be to him that sheweth not mercie So now if he that sheweth no mercie trust in God for mercie his faith is carnall and worldly and but vaine presumption For God hath promised mercie onely to the mercifull and therefore the mercilesse haue not Gods word that they shall haue mercie but contrariwise that they shall haue iudgement without mercie Tindale What is meant by mercie and truth Let not mercie and truth forsake thée binde them vpon thy necke and write them vpon the table of thine heart ¶ By mercie and truth he meaneth the commaundements of the first and second table or els the mercie and faithfulnesse that we ought to vse toward our neighbours Kéepe them saith he as a most precious Iewell and haue them euer in remembraunce Gen. What the mercie seate was And he made a mercie seate ¶ Mercie seate was the place where God spake vnto the Children of Israel which was vpon the Arke of witnesse figuring Christ as it is said He. 9. 8. T. M. Of the mercifulnesse of Zabulon ¶ Looke Zabulon MERRY How the children of God may and ought to be merry TRue it is that the children of God may will be merry when they haue prosperitie lyke as when God sendeth vs wherewith to be fed and maintained when he dealeth so with vs as we want nothing when he giueth vs health quyetnesse and all other like things we may well be merrie yea and we ought so to be according as it is said in the law Thou shalt eate and drinke before thy God and be merry But yet must not the faithfull settle their ioye vppon the present benefits nor hold themselues onely tyed vnto them yea rather if they want meate and drinke or be troubled with sicknesse they must not therefore cease to trust in God but must learne Saint Paules lesson which is to haue skill both to be poore and rich to endure hunger and scarcitie and also to haue abundaunce Thus ye see that the mirth of Gods Children differeth greatly from the mirth of the vnbeléeuers and worldlyngs c. Caluine vpon Iob. MERIT What Merit is MErit is sometime taken for the worke it selfe which is taken to be meritorious In which sence Augustine in a place saith that merit must goe before the reward Sometime it is taken for the reward which is worthely giuen to him that worketh The first sence is concerning him that worketh the la◠concerneth him that giueth the reward to the other c. Musculus fol. 234. What merit of congruence is Some will haue the merit of congruence to be when although that he to whom the thing is giuen bee vnworthye to haue it giuen him and that his dooing is not such that it deserueth it yet that it becommeth him to whome it is done to giue him As although the sinner deserue no fauour yet it is conuenient for God of his goodnesse to forgiue the repentaunt and to giue him his grace But some saye that the merit of congruence is when a man of his owne good motion comming by nature doth deserue the first grace which they call the preuenting grace What merit of worthinesse is They call the merit of worthinesse when the iust person doth intreate for the sinner For they saye it is worthye that the iust be heard So when grace is giuen to the sinner at the prayer of the iust they doe attribute this to the merit of worthinesse that is to say of the iust which doth make meanes for him What merit of condigne is They will haue the merit of condigne to be when a man holpen by the first grace doth make himselfe by the first grace worthy of euerlasting life for he by that meanes doing well is worthy they say to haue reward for his labour This pestilent plague of the Pelagians is to bée withstoode with all our might and we must firmely hold that we cannot deserue neither grace nor saluation by any strength or works of our owne for any merit either of congruence worthinesse or condigne but that all is simply and méerly to be referred to the grace of God in Christ. You be saued through grace by faith saith the Apostle and that not of your selues it is the gifte of God not by workes least any man might
¶ This word spirit is to be taken heere as it is set against that commaundement which is called carnall Heb. 7. 16. as the commaundement is considered in it selfe And so he speaketh of truth not as we set it against a lye but as we take it in respect of the outward ceremonies of the lawe which did onely shadow that which Christ performed in déede Beza ¶ God being of a spirituall nature requireth a spirituall seruice and agreeable to the nature Geneua How the spirit of God maketh intercession for vs. But the spirit maketh great intercession for vs c. ¶ The right forme affection of praier commeth by the holy Ghost who maketh intercession for vs not that he prayeth mourneth but that he so stirreth our heartes that we lift them vp to heauen earnestly and seruently which is the true praier The Bible note Who is of else spirit of truth and who is not Euen the spirit of truth c. ¶ The spirit which Christ did promise shal teach onely these things which Christ had taught before whosoeuer therfore doth teach any other doctrine besides Christs doctrine he is not of the spirit of truth but of the spirit of leasing Sir I. Cheeke Of the spirit that Christ promised to send The spirit saith hâ— which I will 〈…〉 from my father shall lead you into all truth but howâ— Because saith he he shal put you in minde of all those things that I haue told you Ther he giueth warning that there is nothing more to be looked for of his spirit but that he should enlighten our minds to perceiue the truth of his doctrine Therfore Chrisostome Sermo de sanc adon spi. Iohn 12. 〈…〉 10. saith excellently wel Many saith he do boast of the holy spirit but they which speak their owne do falsely pretend that they haue him As Christ testified that he spake not of himselfe because he spake out of the lawe the Prophets So if any thing beside the Gospell be thrust in vnder the title of the spirit let vs not beléeue it because as Christ is the fulfilling of the lâ—we and Prophets so is yâ— spirit of the Gospell Câ—â— in his Inst. 4. b. cap. 8. Sect. 13. Why the holy Ghost is called the spirit of truth Who is the spirit of truth He is called the spirit of truth not onely because he is true but because he maketh the men in to whom he entereth true whereas all that they doe without the spirit is none other thing but lyes Tindale So called because he worketh in vs the truth Geneua Of the spirit of southsaieng A certeine damosell possessed with the spirit of southsaieng met vs. Which could tell things past gesse at things to come which knowledge in many things God permitteth to the diuell to this end as Austen writeth that he might thâ— more mightely deceiue those that woulde beleeue him The Bible note Of the spirit of the Prophets For the spirits of the Prophets are in the power of yâ— Prophets Héere he speaketh not of the holy Ghost in whose power all men ought to be but of the seuerall gifts of the spirit which are now in the power of them that haue them that they may alwaies without contention vse them to yâ— odifieng of the Church of Christ. Sir I. Cheke Spirits of the Prophets yâ— is the doctrine that they doe bring as being put in minde by the spirit of God The Bible note Or learning which Gods spirit moueth them to vtter Ge. Of the spirits in prison And preached vnto the spirits in prison ¶ It is vnknowne to vs where this prison was for the holy Scripture speaketh nothing of it In the Gospell it is called the bosome of Abraham It is sufficient for vs to know and beléeue that all the soules of the Saintes or faythfull which dyed since the beginning of the world are saued by the bloud of Christ howbeit the Gospell was sundrie wayes preached vnto the dead For vnto the holy Patriarkes deliueraunce and saluation vnto the vnfaythfull deserued dampnation was preached Sir I. Cheeke ¶ Christ being from the beginning head and gouernour of his Church came in the dayes of Noe not in the bodye which he then had not but in the spirit and preached by the mouth of Noe for the space of an hundred and twentie yeares to the disobedient which would not repent and therfore are now in prison reserued to the last iudgement Geneua How to serue God in the spirit To serue God in the spirit is to honour God with a true â—ffection procéeding from a pure and cleane heart and not by Images or other visible and corruptible things or else by shewes and outward ceremonies Pet. Viret SPIRITVALL Who they be that be spirituall ALL be spirituall men which are lead by Gods spirit hée who hath more abundaunce of Gods spirit is more spirituall Of a lyke manner S. Paule speaking to the married sorte in Rome as wel as to the rest said Vos non estis in carne sed in spiritu You be not in the flesh but in the spirit And Saint Iohn in his first Chapter nameth all to be spirituall that beléeue in Christ for flesh and bloud is not able to bring foorth such a child And if the outward admission were able to make a man spirituall then should Iudas and such lyke who had the outward election yet inwardly folowed the spirit of the flesh of the Diuell be worthely called spirituall But our Sauiour Christ reasoning with Nichodemus maketh a plaine proofe by euident demonstration that onely such as be endued with Gods spirit be worthy of the name spirituall and that such as bée not borne of Gods spirit bée not spirituall but carnall And in the same place the Lord hath giuen a generall resolution that no man can enter into the kingdome of heauen vnles he become a spirituall man and be borne a newe not onely of water but also of the holy Ghost Ponet fol. 34. For the spirituall iudgeth all things ¶ Who is that spirituall Not such as we now call men of holy Church but all that haue the true interpretation of the law in their hearts The right faith of Christ the true inteÌ„t of works which God biddeth vs to worke He is spirituall and iudgeth all things is iudged of no man Tindale The naturall man perceiueth not the things of the spirit of God c. but he that is spirituall discusseth all things ¶ Paule doth call him spirituall which is renued by the spirit of God and béeing gouerned by the same spirit doth examine and trye all things with the true touchstone of Gods word which is set forth vnto vs by the inspiration of the same spirit that hée is inclined withall but he himself that is to say the spirit is iudged of no man Héere also the naturall man is taken for him which being without
Image 672. Wherein she was most blessed eod Of Mary Magdalens loue eod Of Mary the sister of Lazarus eod Mariage who ordeined mariage and how it is c. eod How euery man is commanded to mary that hath not c. 674. Against condemners of marriage eod How it is no hinderaunce to godlinesse 675. Proues for the mariage of Priests 676 By whom their mariage was forbidden 680 The saieng of Hieracles concerning mariage eod The vse of mariage among the Chaldeans 681 Marinus Of this mans hereticall opinions 682. Marke Of the life of Saint Marke yâ— Euangelist eod Of yâ— martirdoÌ„e of this Euangelist 683. What the marke in the right hand signifieth eo Markes to know yâ— false Apostles by eo Mars streete What Mars streete is 684. Martir what maketh a Martir eod How Martirs ought not to be worshipped eod Masse how it was vsed at first 685. How it is falsified vpon S. lames eod By whom it was patched vp 686. How it is no sacrifice propiciatorie eod Massiliant Of the opinions of these hereâ—ikes eod Master what the masters office is to the seruaunt 687 The dissembling Pharisies call Christ Master eod Mathew his life writteÌ„ by S. HieroÌ„ 688 Matrimony eod Mediator Proues that Christ is our only Mediatour eo Meeke Who are meeke 702. How yâ— meeke shall possesse the earth eo How that God doth guide the meeke in iudgement 703. Melchisedech how he is a figure of Christ eod How he and Sem are one person 704. The mening of Saint Paule in making mention of him eod How the Papists by him maintaine the Masse 705. Of yâ— heretiks caled Melchisedechiani eo Memorial how the sacrament is a memoriall 706. Meane How the meane is best eod Menander of his erronius opinions eod Mene. the interpretation of this word eo Men pleasers who they be the please meÌ„ 707 What it is to be men seruaunts eod Men of diuers natures properties eo Merâ—es A Latin Word 709. Mercie what mercie is and how it is defined eod What it is to haue mercie or bee mercifull eod What is meant by mercie and truth 710 What the mercie seate was eod Of the mercifulnesse of Zabulon eod Merry how the children of God may bee merry eod Merite what merite is 711. What merite of congruence is eod What merite of worthines is eod What merite of condigne is 712. How we can merite nothing after our death 714. Proues yâ— the merit of maÌ„ is nothing eo How the name of merite ought to bee abolished 716. Of two kindes of meriting 718. Mesech and Kedar what people they wer eod Messenger The meaning of the places 719. What the messenger of Satan meaneth eo Messiah how Christ in Hebrue is called Messiah eod Measure Of yâ— spirit of God giueÌ„ by mesure 720. Meate what the meat is that Christ said he had to eate eod How we may not hurt our brother with our meate eod How meate of deâ—ileth not a man 721. The meaning of the place eod Michael what the place meaneth eod Who be Michaels Angells 722. Michol Diuers doubtfull places of hir opened eod Mictham what this word MicthaÌ„ sig 723 My day The meaning of the place eod My Gospell wherefore Paule calleth it his Gospell eod Milke what is ment by milke 724. Milstone what is ment by this milsto eod What is ment by the taking it to pledge eod Minister what the minister is by the word of God 725. What men ought to bee ministers in the church of God eod The qualitie of good ministers eod How ministers ought to be prechers 726 How they ought first to be doers before they be reachers eod How they are called starres 727. How they were chosen in old time eod Why they are not now so chosen 729. How they ought not to forsake their vocation eod How a scisne ought not to be made for their euill liues 730. Miracles A definition of true miracles eo To what vse miracles doe serue eod Whether we should beleeue miracles 731 Why they be not done now a daies eod How they are wrought by the diuel 732 Why Christ did not worke many miracles in his owne country 733. How to know true mira from false eod How faith grounded vpon miracles abideth not eod How false techers shal deceiue by mi. 734 What the cause of false miracles is eo How miracles are done in these daies eo Mirrhe Aloes and Cassia What Mirrhe is c. eod Mysterie What a mysterie is 735. Moloch What manner of Idoll it was eo Money How Christ had money 736. Months The 42. months in the Apocalips expounded eod Monetarius Of whome the Anabaptists sprang vp 737. Montanus The first that wrote lawes of fasting eod Monkes Of their liues in S. Hieromes time eod Of the Monkes that be now 738. The olde fathers opinions of Monkes Gods seruice 739. Of their Idlenesse eod Of the originall of Monkes 740. The forme of a Monkish absolution eo Moone Of the profit yâ— is of the moone eo Morning Euen how yâ— place is c. 741. Mortification what true mortifieng is eo How we cannot mortifie the flesh by our owne free will 742. Moses How he came by his impediment of speach eod The cause why he fled from Pharao 743 How he seemed to doubt in Gods promises eod How the Lord was angry with Moseâ— and why eod How he stilled the peoples murmurinâ— 744 How he tooke an Aethiope to wiâ—e eod Wherefore he slue the Aegyptian 745. What Moses face is eod Of Moses Helias which talked c. eod Of Moses chaire what it signifieth 746. How Moses did eate yâ— body of Chri. 747 How the place is vnderstood eod How we are sent to Moses to the Pr. 748 How Moses was bidde to put off his shooes eod Of Moses death and buriall eod Mother of God Wherein shee was most blessed 749. How mother is takeÌ„ for graÌ„dmother eo How the church is called our mother eo Mountaines How they do signifie heere the Scriptures eod What these mountaines signifie 750. What is ment by their translating eod What yâ— name of this mountaine was eo Mourne What it is to mourne eo The mourning of the Christians vnder the crosse eod How farre mourninng for the dead is admitted 751. Mouth What the mouth of God is eod Of the staffe of Gods mouth 273. Multitude Not good alwaies to followe a multitude eo Murder who be murtherers 753. Of murder first committed eo Musickâ— The first inuenter of musick 754 How farre musicke is sufferable eo Of musicall instruments 755. What musicke S. Austen alloweth eod N. NAaman How he was iustified by faith 756. How it was against his hart to worship Idols 757. Nabuchodonosorâ— how his death is compared to Lucifer eod How he was Gods seruaunt eo What his policie was touching the kinges seede 758. For what purpose he set vp the Image of golde eod How the place is vnderstood eod What yâ— Prophet meaneth
What kind of figure it is 997 Sennacherib wherfore his sonnes slue him eod Sent. How this place is vnderstood eod Search why God is said to search 998. Commaunded of Christ to search the Scriptures eo Serpent What Serpent doth signifie 999 What it is to sucke yâ— serpents head eod Seruice what the true seruice of God is 1000. How it ought to be ministred in a known tongue eod Obiections aunswered eod Seaâ—e of God What yâ— seat of God is 1001 Sethtani What manner of heretikes they were eod Seauen How it is taken in Scripture eo What the 7. Angells doe signifie 1002. Seauentie interpreters Of their traÌ„st 1003 Seueâ—us Of his hereticall opinions 1004 Shadow eod Shame What shame is eod How and whereof shame came first eod Shape of God What it is to be in the shape of God 1005. Shaue How the woman taken in warre was shauen eod Wherefore Hanon shaued the beards of Dauids ambassadours eo Sheepfolde How there shall be one sheepfolde eod Shepheard The opening of these places eo The propertie of a good shepheard 1006 Of the restoring of good shepheards eo Of the outward gouernement of foolish shepheards eod Of the swoord that should come of the shepheards 1007. Of foure kinde of shepheards eo Shew bread Wherefore it was called so eo Obiections aunswered eod How the Lords death is sheweÌ„d 1008. Shooe What Gods shooe is eod Short life How it is not a generall rule of Gods iudgement eod Sicera What kinde of drinke it was 1009 Sicle What a Sicle is eod Sichem What is meant by the diuiding of Sichem 1010. Siggaion What it is 1012. Signe What a signe is eo How it is not both the signe the thing signified 1013. Silence What is meant by the word silence eod Siloh What Siloh is 1014. The meaning of the place eod Of the soft running waters of Siloh eo How that by Siloh Christ is meant eod Of the towre of Siloh 1015. Siluer What it is to tourne siluer into drosse eod What a siluerling is eod Simon Magus Of his opinions and ende eodem Of Simon Chananeus the Apostle 1016 Simple Who are simple eod Sinagogue What a Sinagogue is 1017. Singing The meaning of the places eod When it was brought into the Church 1018. The iudgment of the learned concerning singing eod When plaine song prickesong and Descant were brought into the Church 1020. Single life What the fruits thereof are among the Priests eod Sinne. The definition of sinne 1022. What sinne is eod How euerie sinne is mortall 1023. The Doctours saiengs in that matter 1024. How God ordeined sinne and yet is not the author thereof 1025. The cause of sinne is not to be layed to God eod How all sinne is both deadly and veniall eod How it is not of Gods creation in man 1026. How it entered into the world eod How Christ is called sinne eo How no man can pardon sin but Christ. 1027. To sinne against the holy Ghost what it is eod Wherfore the holy Ghost will rebuke the world of sinne 1028. Of sinne vnto death how it is declared 1029. How our sinne is made Christs sin 1031. How sinne is forgiuen in Baptime eod Sin offering what was ment therby eo Solde vnder sinne eod Sion What Sion is 1032. What the daughters of Sion signifieth eod Sir How men of countenance may be called Sir eod Sirtes What the Sirtes were eod Sister how Abraham made his wife to say she was his sister 1033. Sit. what it is to sit in the temple of God eod What it is to sit on the right haÌ„d of God eo What it is to sit in the dust eod Why they sat not at the eating of passeouer 1034. Sixe What it is to deliuer out of six c. eo What time of the day the sixt houre was 1035. Sleepe Now sleepe is taken in Scrip eod What Dauid meant by this sleepe 1036. The meaning of the place eod How God is said to sleepe eod Slime What slime is 1037. Smirna What Smirna was eod Snare What the snare signifieth eod The meaning of tâ—e place eod Snow Of the ingendering of snow 1038. Solde What it is to be sold vnder sinne eo Sonne of man what is meant by the sonne of man eod How the sonne is punished for the Fathers fault 1039. Sonne of God How Christ is proued so to be 1040. Of his deliuering vp his kingdome eod How he is equall to his father 1041. Who are the sonnes of God eod How we are borne the sonnes of God 1042. Sophist what a Sophist was and what now 1043. Sorrow Of godly sorrow worldly sorrow eod How Christ ouercame the sorrowes of death 1044. Souldier what the profession of a souldier is eod The meaning of the place eo Soule The diuerse taking of the word 1045. How Christs soule was heauie 1046. Of Christs soule descending into hell eo Wherein the soule of man and beast doe differ eod Of the apparition of soules eod Of soules departed 1048 The meaning of the place eod How Satan hath no part of the soule of the godly 1049. How the soules departed know nothing what c. eod Sound How Caluine vseth this worde Sound 1050. Sowe what it is to sow in the flesh 1051. Spittle How Christ made clay with his spittle eod Spiders web What it is to weaue the Spiders web 1052. Spirit how the word spirit is vnderstood eodem How the spirit of God maketh intercession for vs. eod Who is of the spirit of truth and who is not eod Of yâ— spirit that Christ promised to send 1053. Why the holy Ghost is called the spirit of truth eod Of the spirit of southsaieng eod Of the spirits of the Prophets eod Of the spirits in prison eod How to serue God in spirit 1054. Spirituall who they be that be spiritual eo Of the spirituall house 1055. Of the spirituall eating of Christs body eod Spitting What is meant by spitting in hir face eod Sprinkling What is meant by the sprinkling of bloud 1056. Staffe What it is to goe with a staffe eod What the staffe of Gods mouth signifieth eod What the staffe of bread signifieth eod Stained clothes eod Starre What the starre was that appered to the Magies eod How the moone and starres are vncleâ—â— in Gods sight 1957. Of the seauen starres called Pleiades eo How the good instructors shall shine as starres eod How starres presage nothing eod Steward Of the vniust steward eod Stoikes What they were 1058 What certeine of their opinions were eo Stone Of the stone that Iosua pitched vp eodem Of the stumbling stone and who shall stumble thereat 1059. What stones in this place signifieth eod Of the stone cut out of the mountaine eo Who is the corner stone 1060. Who is the stone full of eyes eod Straite gate What it doth signifie eod Subiection Of Christs subiection to his father eod Sucoth 1061. Superstition What it is and how it is defined eod
word of God but that hee maie come to saluation and therefore we ought to praie for all kinde of men But héereof we cannot inserre that God endueth euerie man with grace or predestinateth euerie man to saluation as in the time of the floude all liuing creatures are said to haue bene saued in the Arke with Noe for that onelie some of euerie kinde were gathered together in it Or we maie vnderstand it thus that God will haue all men to be saued for that as manie as are saued are saued by his will As if a man should saie of one that teacheth Rhetoricke in a citie that he teacheth all men By which kinde of speach is not signified that all the citizens are learners of Rhetoricke but as manie as learne are taught of him And this also is like If a man pointing to the gate of an house should saie that all men enter in this waie we must not thereby vnderstand that all men enter into that house but as manie as doe enter doe enter in by that gate onelie c. Pet. Mar. vpon the Rom. fol. 306. Obiection If God saie they would haue all men saued how can that stand firme and stedfast that he hath chosen some onelie to saue and refused the rest Aunswere To this Saint Augustine saith thus which would haue all men saued not that there should be no man whom he would not haue saued Which would doe no vertue of miracles amongest them which he said would haue done penaunce if hée had done them but wée shoulde vnderstand by all men all sorts of men distributed in certaine differences kings priuate persons noble and base high and lowe c. And a litle after for the Apostle commaunded that they should praie for all men and speciallie he added for kings and them that were in high estate which might haue bene thought to refraine from the basenesse of the christian faith for a loftinesse of courage and a worldlie pride Therefore when he said This is good before God our sauiour that is to saie that we should praie also for such hée did adde by and by to take awaie desperation Which would all men to be saued In another place he saith thus But as that which is said All shall be restored to life in Christ whereas for all that manie are condemned to eternall death it is said therefore because that all as manie as doe enioie euerlasting life doe not enioie it but in Christ so the same that is spoken God wil haue all men saued whereas he willeth not to haue so manie saued it is spoken therefore because that they which be saued are not saued but as he willeth And in case these words of the Apostle maie be anie otherwise vnderstood so that for all that they maie not be contrarie to this most manifest truth wherein wee doe sée so manie not saued where as men would and God willeth not This saith Augustine Whereby we doe sée that the words of the Apostle are not so to be taken that of all men God hath refused none but that he would haue no sort of men shutte out from his saluation and knowledge of the truth c. Musculas fol. 214. The meaning of this place following All things are yours ¶ This place of S. Paule Athanasius that auncient writer expoundeth on this wise All things are yours onelie for that God hath subiect all things vnto you and hath ordeined all things to serue your commoditie and pleasure you are Christs through your creation and seruitude Christ is Gods because he was before the world with the father was of the same essence substance that God the father was of c. I. P. ALMES What almes signifieth THis word Almes importeth as much as mercie Now we sée that among other titles God challengeth this vnto himselfe that he is gentle and mercifull Then can we not be his children neither will he acknowledge vs for such except we labour to followe his example in this behalfe namelie to be moued to pitie when we sée anie poore folke in aduersitie and to go about to prouide for them euerie of vs according to his abilitie True it is that we maie giue all our substaunce and yet our doing shall not be counted a vertue For before the hand be opened to giue it behoueth the heart to be touched with compassion but if we haue pitie of those which are in aduersitie it behouâ—th vs also to succour them to our power For as â—â—â—ames saith If I saie to a poore man my friend God helpe thée thereby I shew that I haue no loue in me If I saie it is great pitie of this man and yet in the meane while labour not to succour him whom I ought to relieue it is a mockerie I am but an hypocrite That is to saie I sée there how God sheweth me a pitifull case it is as much as if God gaue me occasion to emploie my selfe thereby I sée that he calleth me yet in the meane time I make no countenance of it at all If there were but one drop of kindnesse in me would I not endeauour to helpe such a necessitie for my part So then we haue to beare in minde in this text that the holie ghost exhorteth vs to almes déedes that the same consisteth in two points that is to saie in being pitifull towards our neighbors when we see theÌ„ in aduersitie also when we haue such pitiful affection as we séeke the meanes to succour them euerie man straineth himselfe to his power True it is that we cannot stead all the necessities that we sée And therefore a christian man maie well mourne in his heart without putting his hand to his pursse For it is impossible euen for them that be best minded to helpe at all times And therefore this pitifulnes shall suffice them God accepteth it for an Almes déede as if the poore were norished and fed by them And when they haue this compassion vpon a poore man it is as great a Sacrifice vnto God as if he had giuen and dealt dole out of a full pursse c. Caluin vpon Iob. fol. 535. ¶ Almes déeds properlie is mercifulnesse notwithstanding vse and custome hath brought to passe that almes is called a gifte that of compassion and mercie is giuen vnto him that néedeth But in that diuersitie there lieth no waight nor force whether thou read righteousnesse or almes because it is manifest inough that by them both the vice of ambition is reprooued which in doing wel looketh to haue praise of men as did the Scribes Phariseies of whom Christ speaketh thus All that they doe is to be séene of men He forbiddeth not héere to doe well in the sight of men but that we should not doe it to this end to be commended of them For otherwise it is lawfull for vs to giue our almes publikelie so that our minde haue respect vnto God and brotherlie loue to
God doth not onelie attribute this vnto God that he séemeth to be angrie when he doth chasten and punish sinners but he doth expreslie giue vnto him a certeine commotion also which we doe call anger And I will not grudge to resite his words These things saith he which be naught must of necessitie displease him that is good and iust and he that is displeased with euill is moued when he seeth it done We doe rise to reuenge not because we be hurt and anoied but that discipline maie be kept mens manners corrected libertie refrained This is a iust anger which as it is necessarie in man for the redresse of naughtinesse so is it also in God from whom the example came vnto man For like as it behooueth vs to chasten them which be subiect vnto our iurisdiction so it beséemeth God to chasten the sinnes of all and that he maie doe that he must néedes be angrie For it is naturall for the good to bee moued and stirred at the sinne of an other Therefore they shold haue defined it thus that anger is the motion of the mind meaning to chastice sinne For the definition of Cicero Anger is a desire to reuenge is not much different from that we said afore But the same angerâ— which we maie call either furie or rage ought not to be in man because it is altogether faultie But that anger which belongeth to correction of vice neither ought to be taken from man neither can be taken from God because it is both profitable necessarie for meÌ„ This saith Lactantius by which words he doth not take from God the commotion and sturre of anger but that onelie which is ioined with fault and is vnséemelie also for man Musculus fol. 438. For some when they heard prouoked him to anger ¶ He is angrie héere because they refused wisdome and imbraced follie because they forsooke yâ— word of truth â—olowed vaine deuices because they would not enter into the rest promised them but had more desire to returne to yâ— heauie labour bondage of Aegipt This madnesse of yâ— people the Lord is angrie with as a louing Father yâ— had care ouer them So if we will haue holie anger let it be frée from all hatred reuenge arise onelie for the profit and well dooing of our neighbour Thus we read our Sauiour Christ was angrie when he sawe yâ— frowardnesse of the Iewes who by no admonitions would be made wiser Thus S. Paule prouoketh Timothie when he saith Reproue sharplie rebuke men yâ— they turne not awaie from yâ— truth So S. Iude biddeth vs all if we fall into companie with froward men to saue them with feare as if we would sodeinlie pluck them out of the fire Thus if we can haue our affections moued we are holiâ—â—e angrie for the end of our doings is yâ— profit of our brother Deering By wrath is vnderstood not a disturbance or perturbatioÌ„ of the mind for these things can haue no place in God But as Augustin hath wel interpreted in his booke of yâ— Trinitie Wrath in God signifieth a iust vengeance And God is said to be angrie when he sheweth foorth his effects of an angrie man which are to punish aâ—enge So he is said to repent himselfe that he had made man because like a man that repenteth himselfe he would ouerthrow his worke Pet Mart. vpon the Rom. 107. And the wrath of the Lord wared hotâ—e against Israel c. Wheras yâ— wrath of God wared hot against Israel is not so to be vnderstood as though God had anie affections for that perteineth onelie vnto men But according to the coÌ„mon receiued exposition of these places we féele yâ— God is like vnto men yâ— are angrie after which selfe same reson it is written yâ— he somtime repenteth wherefore God either to repent or to be angrie is nothing els but that he doth those things which men repenting or to be angrie vse to doe for the one do either alter or els ouerthrowe that which before they had done and the other take vengeance or iniuries done vnto them Ambrâ—se in his booke of Noe the Arke the 4. Chapter speketh otherwise of the anger of God for neither doth God saith he thinke as men doe as though some contrarie sentence should come vnto him neither he is angrie as though hâ—â— wore mutable but therefore these things are beléeued to expresse the bitternesse of our sinnes which hath deserued the wrath oâ— God to declare that the fault hath so much so farre increased that euen God also which naturallie is hot moued either by anger or hatred or anie passion séemeth to be prouoked to wrath c. And aptlie is there mention made of the anger before the punishment For men vse first to be angrie before they reuenge Pet Mar. vpon Iudic. fol 70. Of two kindes of Anger He was excéeding wrath c. ¶ There are two kindes of anger the one deserued the other vndeserued The deserued anger is with the which God is prouoked against sinners parents against disobedient children Magistrates against wicked subiects and maisters against negligent schollers and such like He that giueth occasion of such anger offendeth and is in fault bicause the partie against whome the offence is committed is iustlie angrie but such was not the anger of Herod The vndeserued anger is when as they are let by some meanes or other from their wicked intent and purpose He that giueth occasion to these is not in fault With this kinde of anger was Herod angrie therefore the fault was in himselfe and not in the wise men Marl. vpon Math. fol. 24. ANOINTING What is meant by the Anointing of the head But wheu thou fastest anoint thy head c. ¶ To anoint the head is meant as turning the other chéeke and of that the left hand should not knowe what the right did That is that they should auoide all vaine glorie and fast to God and for the intent that God ordeined it for And that with a merie heart and cheerefull countenaunce thereby to seeke the working of God and to be sure of his fauour Such is the meaning and not to binde them that fast to anoint their heades and wash their faces And the manner and phrase of speaking commeth of an vsage that was among the Iews to anoint themselues with swéete and odiferous ointmentes when they were disposed to be merie and to make good cheere As ye sée how Mary of Bethanie powred a boxe of precious ointments vpon Christs head as he sate at supper Tindale Of the anointing of the sicke with Oyle what was meant thereby And they anointed manie that were sicke with Oyle ¶ In healing the sicke the Apostles did vse oyle to signifie thereby that they were healed by the vertue of the holie Ghost which in the holie Scriptures manie times is signified by outward vnction Sir I. Cheeke Looke Oyle ANTES The first
fall away from the obedience of the Emperour Moreouer Iohn in his Apocalips setting foorth the Church of Rome vnto vs to be not the spouse of Christ but of Antichrist saith That he saw a certeine whore the mother of all vncleannesse abhomination of all the world holding a golden Cup in her hand of whose mingled liquor all the dwellers of the earth should be made dronke from the highest to the lowest And further this whore shall be made dronke with the blood of Saints and of the Martirs of Christ and vpon hir forhead she had written Babilonia And least any man should doubt whether Iohn speake of Rome or not hée saith plainlie that the Whore sate vpon seauen hills which thing is well knowen to be agréeable vnto Rome wherevpon it is called the Citie with seauen hills wherefore Antichrist seate must be at Rome which thing is euident both by holie scripture and also by Hierom in an Epistle he wrote to Fabiola against Iouinian to Marcello and Aglasia in the 47. Chapter of his Commentaries vpon Esay and in the second Chapter vpon Ose The same is confirmed by authoritie of Tertulian writing against the Iewes and the Gentiles in a booke of the resurrection of the bodie and of Saint Austen also in his booke De ciuitate Dei In the same opinion is Nicolaus de lyra and many other beside Bar. Ochine Of Antichrists disciples Saint Paule foretelleth of Antichrists disciples 1. Timo. 4. that they shall beare a great countenaunce of continent life forbid mariage And of such Saint Hierom saith Iactant pudicitiam suam inpudenti facie They make bragge of their chastitie with whorish countenaunce Iewel Of Antichrists progenie Antichrist was the sonne of a certaine wicked person called Sinne hauing to his mother a certaine woman called Perdition who caused him to be brought vp of a corrupt nursse called dame Falsehood the daughter of Satan The person of this Antichrist is not simple but compounded of two natures that is to say diabolicall and humaine as Iesus Christ is compounded both of diuine and humaine And as of God and man is made one Iesus Christ so of the Diuell and of the Pope is made one Antichrist And as Iesus Christ is the head of the beléeuing Church which is his bodie so is Antichrist likewise the head of the malignaunt Church which is his bodie and doth receiue of him béeing hir head all manner of corrupt humours running downe into her And because he is borne into the world onelie to bée contrarie to Iesus Christ therefore all his thoughts all his will all his workes all his doctrine and briefelie all his life is repugnaunt to IESUS CHRIST euen to the drawing of his sword against him Albeit he would haue the world beléeue that hée doth all this for the better obseruing of Christian religion F. N. B. the Italian ¶ Looke more of Antichrist in Rome Pope ANTIPAS Of his faithfull seruice to God ANtipas my faithfull witnesse was put to death among you ¶ It is a likelihood that this Antipas was some one of the notable Ministers of the Church whom the seruants of Satan could the lesse away with because he taught Christ there more earnestlie and stronglie then other did and stood more stoutly against the aduersaries in defence of the things which the true faith conteineth and that is to be coniectured vpon this that he calleth him a faithfull witnesse such a one as Stephen was at Hierusalem And trulie this name agréed verie well vnto him for this word Antipas is as much to say as before or against all men For nothing ought to moue a Christian heart from the constancie of faith and pure confession of the truth Marl. vpon the Apoc. fol. 44. ANTROPOMORPHITAE What a kinde of Heretikes they were THese were Monkes inhabiting the Desarts of Aegypt who affirmed that God had a bodie and members as a man had And héere vpon it rose saith Socrates li. 6. cap. 7. that God the father hath bene painted like an olde man in a graie beard They were about the yeare of our Lord. 380. The Antropomorphites perswaded themselues that God might be known by the senses as men which did attribute vnto God a humane bodie but their opinion is vtterlie reiected for the holie scripture testifieth that God is a spirit and it also putteth a manifest difference betwéene a spirit a bodie when our Sauiour saith Féele and sée because a spirit hath neither flesh nor bones And there is none which vnderstandeth not that a humaine bodie and his members cannot consist without flesh and bones Further their foolishnesse héereby appeareth because there is not a bodie found which is euerie way pure and simple for let it be as equall as thou wilt at the least way it hath parts whereof it is composed and that all composition is against the nature of God euen the Ethnicke Philosophers perceiued c. Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 118. APPARICIONS OF SOVLES ¶ Looke Soule APELLES What his heresie was APelles was a Marcionite he said that Prophecies were of a contrarie spirit he was guided by one Philumena a woman He thought it was not for men to reason of religion but euerie one to continue as he beléeued Eusebius li. 5. cap. 12. How Tertulian confuteth his heresies Apelles the Heretike being in manner ouercome with the foresaid reasons of Tertulian graunteth that Christ had indéed true flesh but he denied that he was borne but brought from heauen and he obiected that the bodies which were taken by Angels were true bodies but they were not borne such a bodie saith he had Christ. Tertulian aunswereth héerevnto They saith he which set forth y◠flesh of Christ after the example of the Angels saieng that it was not born namely a fleshly substance I would haue them compare the causes also as well of Christ as of the Angels for which they came into the flesh No Angel did at any time therefore descend to be crucified to suffer death and to rise againe from death If there were neuer anie such cause why Angels should be incorporate then hast thou a cause why they tooke flesh and yet were not borne They came not to die therefore they cannot be borne But Christ being sent to die it was necessarie that he should be borne that he might die for none is woont to die but he which is borne c. Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 210. APOLINARIS Of the heresies he fell into THis man was Bishop of Laodicia Who notwithstanding he had written 30. bookes of our faith against Porphirius fell into heresie saieng that Christ receiued no flesh of the Uirgin Mary but that in the act of his incarnation◠some part of the word was conuerted into flesh He said that Christs soule was not of that part that was rationall but onlie of that part which kept the bodie liuing And therfore in his incarnation he tooke onelie the bodie and not the
spoken of in the same that in the flame they felt no heate and in the fire they felt no consumption And I constantlie beléeue that howsoeuer the stubble of this my bodie shall be wasted by it yet my soule spirit shall be purged thereby A paine for a time whereon nowithstanding followeth ioie vnspeakable And he much intreated of this place of Scripture Noli timere c. Feare not for I haue redéemed thée and called thée by name Thou art mine owne when thou goest through the water I will bée with thée and the strong floud shall not ouerthrow thée when thou walkest in the fire it shall not burne thée and the flame shall not kindle vpon thée for I am the Lord thy God the holie one of Israel Which he did most comfortablie intreat off as well in respect of himselfe as appling it to the perticular vse of his friendes there present Of whom some tooke such swéet fruit therein that they caused the whole sayd sentence to be faire written in tables and some in their bookes the comfort whereof in diuerse of them was neuer taken from them to their dieng daie In the booke of Mar. fol 1131. His aunswere to a proude Papist BIlney béeing demaunded in dirision by a proud Papist when hée went to his death whie hée wrought no Myraâ—les béeing so holy a man as he was accompted aunswered with milde voice and countenance God onely sayd he worketh myracles wonders he it is that hath wrought this one wonder in your eies that I being wroÌ„gfullie accused falslie belied opprobriouslie and spitefullie handled imprisonned buffeted and condmned to the fire yet hitherto haue I not once opened my mouth with one ill word against anie of you This passeth the worke of nature and is therefore the manifest miracle of God who will by my suffering and death be glorified and haue his truth enhaunced Of the Bill of diuorcement ¶ Looke Diuorcement BINDING AND LOOSING What is meant heereby TO binde and loose is to preach the lawe of God and the Gospel or promises as thou maist sée in the third chapter of the second epistle to the Corinthians wher Paule calleth the preaching of the lawe the ministration of death and damnation and the preaching of the promises the ministring of the spirit and of righteousnesse For when the lawe is preached al men are found sinners and therefore dampned And when the Gospell of glad tidings are preached then are all that repent and beléeue found righteous in Christ c. Tindale fol. 150. Whatsoeuer ye binde on earth c. ¶ That is whatsoeuer ye condemne by my word in earth the same is condempned in heauen And that ye allow by my word in earth is allowed in heauen Tindale In the. 16. Chapter verse 19. he meant this of doctrine and héere of Ecclesiasticall discipline which dependeth of the doctrine Geneua ¶ To binde is to banish the stifnecked and vnrepentant sinner from the congregation of the Saints to loose is when he repenteth and submitteth himselfe to receiue him againe into the fellowship of the elect and chosen people of God Sir I. Chee ¶ God in promising men the forgiuenesse of their sinnes giueth charge and commission to the ministers of his worde to drawe them from death according as it is expreslie saide that the keies of the kingdome of heauen are coÌ„mitted so those which preach the gospell to what end To forgiue sinnes not of their owne authoritie but to the intent that the wretched man bée the better assured of their saluation and not doubt but God receiueth them to mercie Cal. â—pon Iob. fol. 592. BISHOP What a Bishop and his office is IF a man couet the office of a Bishoppe he desireth a good worke c. ¶ Bishop is as much to say as séer to or an ouer séer Which when he desireth to féede Christs flocke with the foode of health that is with his holie word as the Bishops did in Paules time desireth a good work and the verie office of a Bishop But he that desireth honour gapeth for lucre thirsteth great rentes séeketh preheminence pompe dominion coueteth abundance of al things without want rest and hearts ease castles parkes Lordships Earledomes c. desireth not a worke much lesse a good worke and is nothing lesse then a Bishop as Saint Paule héere vnderstandeth a Bishop Tind How Bishops were chosen In choosing of Bishops the people had their libertie long preserued that none should be thrust in that were not accepted of all This therfore was forbidden in the counsell at Antioch that none should be thrust in to them against their wil Which thing also Leo the first doth diligentlie confirme Héerevpon came these saiengs Let him be chosen whom the Clergie and the people or the greater number shal require Againe let him that shall beare the rule ouer all be chosen of all For it must needs be the he that is made a ruler being vnknowne and not examined is thrust in by violence Againe let him be chosen by the Clarks and desired by the people and let him be consecrate by them of that prouince with the iudgemeÌ„t of the Metropolitane The holy Fathers tooke so great héed that the libertie of the people should by no meanes be diminished that when the generall Synode gathered together at Constantinople did ordeine Nectarius they would not doe it without the allowance of the whole Clergy and people As they testified by thrée Epistles to the Synode at Rome Therfore when anie Bishop did appoint a successor to himselfeâ— it was none otherwise stablished vnlesse yâ— who le people did confirme it Whereof you haue not onely an example but also yâ— verie forme in Augustine in the naming of Gradius And Theodorâ—te when he reheraseth that Peter was named by Athanasius to bée his successor by by addeth yâ— the elders of Priests confirmed it the magistrate nobility the people approued it with their allowing shoute Caluine in his insti 4. â— Chap. 4. Sect. 11. Of the ordination of Bishops and Ministers The ordination of Bishops hath nothing proper or peculiar besides fruits commodities that necessarilie depend therof for it is the decrée of the Lord that of them to whome they minister the secrets and mysteries of the heauenlie life they receiue the things that belong to the necessarie vses and maintenaunce of this lyfe As Saint Paule plainlie proueth to the Corinthians 1. Chapter 9. from the. 4. verse to the. 15. And the 1. to Timothie 5. 17. 18. And to the Gal. 6. 6. which thing also Christ teacheth Mat. 10. 10. Luke 10. 17. So the this is the iust right lawe of God that the Bishoppes or ministers are to bée mainteined of the Churches and such a measure is to be kept the they be neither pressed with ouer great néed nor runne riot with too much excesse for in either of them a regard is to bée had to the calling of a
5. 1. Marl. vpon the Apocalips fol 53. ¶ My minde is to yoke you with no other lawe nor to burden you with anie other traditions then I haue alredie giuen you neither with ceremonies rites nor auncient customes in the obseruation of daies moneths times nor yeares in holie daies fastings vigils nor Sabotes for they were but shadowes of things to come Bale vpon the Apoc. fol. 40. The meaning of this place following What is the burden of the Lord. The Prophets called their threatnings Gods burden which the sinners were not able to susteine Therefore the wicked in deriding the word would aske of the Prophets what was the burden as though they would saye you séeke nothing els but to lay burdens vpon our shoulders And thus they reiected the word of God as a burden But bicause this word was brought to contempt and derision he will saith the Prophet teach them another manner of speach and will cause this word burden to cease and teach them to aske with reuerence what saith the Lord. For the thing that they mocke and contemne shall come vpon them Geneua ¶ The wicked mens hearts were so hardened against 〈…〉 truth that they vsed scornefullie to scosfe at Gods threatening prophestes in mocking calling them Gods fardle or burden The Bible note Of the burden of Babel The burden of Babel which Esaie the sonne of Amos did sée ¶ That is the great calamitie which was prophesied to come on Babel as a most gréeuous burden which they were not able to beare In these twelue Chapters following he speaketh of the plague wherwith God would smite those straunge nations whom they knew to declare that God chastened the Israelites as his children and these other as his enimies And also that if God spared not these that are ignoraunt that they must not think straunge if he punish them which haue knowledge of his lawe and kéepe it not Geneua BVRIAL How Buriall is a looking glasse of resurrection BUriall was brought in by God It is no inuention of man without good ground but it is Gods ordinaunce to the end it should be a witnesse to vs of the resurrection and euerlasting life When men be buried they are laid vp in the earth as in a store house vntill they be raised vp againe at the last daie and so our buriall is vnto vs a loking glasse of the resurrection Caluine vpon Iob. fol. 472. The Pompe of buriall forbidden But when thou doest heare saith Chrisostome that our Lord did rise againe naked cease I praie thée from the madde expence of the burieng what meaneth this superfluous and vnprofitable expence which vnto them that make it bringeth hurt and no profite to the dead but rather harme What the Greekes and Hebures doe call their buring places The Gréekes doe call their burieng places Camâ—tereum that is to saie a Dorter or sléeping place signifieng thereby that we ought to be as sure or rather more sure that they that be buried shall be raised againe at the last daie of the generall resurrection then we are sure to rise againe when we lay our selues downe to sléepe and that therefore we ought no more to 〈…〉 be wâ—ese 〈…〉 out friends when wée sée anie of them to be laide into the ground then wée ought to be soriâ— when we sée them goe to â—edde and laie themselues downe to take their rest béeing most assured by the vndouted infallible word of God that we shall receiue them againe immortall and most gloriouâ—â— The Hebrues doe call their burieng placed oâ— the 〈…〉 〈…〉 the liuing because that they that be buried 〈…〉 God and shall be receiued againe by his 〈…〉 I. Veron What 〈…〉 is to be buried with Christ. 〈…〉 buried with Christ 〈…〉 Bapâ—â—â—e in to his death that like as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorie of the Father so wée also should walke in newnesse of life ¶ This partaking of death and life with Christ is nothing els but the mortifieng of our owne flesh the quickening of the spirit in that the olde man is crucified and we may walke in newnesse of life Calâ—ehill Of the Burial of Iohn Baptist. ¶ Looke Iohn Baptist. BVRNE What it is to Burne IT is is better to marrie then to burne ¶ To burne after Saint Ambrose is when the will consenteth to the lust of the flesh Tindale ¶ Then to burne with the fire of concupisence that is when mans will so giueth place to the lust that tempteth that he cannot call vpon God with a quiet conscience Geneua What these burning lights doe signifie And your lights burning ¶ These burning lightes that Christ willeth us to haue in our handes are a liuelie faith working through charitie The works of the Christians ought to be liuelie feruent and burning Sir I. Cheeke Of burnt offerings and peace offerings They offered burnt offerings and peace offerings ¶ Burnt offerings were they which were all burnt but of peace offerings a certeine part was offered an other part was giuen vnto the Priest an other part returned vnto him which offered it to eate it with his friends in the sight of the Lord. Pet Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 271. Whie it was called a whole burnt offering And offered a whole burnt offering◠¶ It is called a whole burnt offering because the whole sacrifice was consumed with fire by the which is signified that the person which did offer the same should haue his heart and minde wholie vppon God as it is written Loue thy God with all thy heart with all thy soule c. The Bible note How the Christians doe offer burnt 〈…〉 Although that the burnt offering of 〈…〉 〈…〉 Sheepe of Calues and Birdes offered in the olde lawe be abolished by the glorie of Christ whose death and passion they did adâ—â—brate aâ— S. Paule witnesseth Heb. 10. Shall we thinke thereâ— fore that we now which be Christians haue not burnt 〈…〉 fice to offer vnto God yes mâ— then they had For so often as we doe preach or the king or anie other godlie man doth cause or helpe Christs Gospell to be purelie and sincerelie preached to the people so oft doe we offer a burnt sacrifice of swéete sauour vnto God a sacrifice that pleaseth God farre aboue the offering of a young fat calfe that hath hornes and houesâ— This is that swéete sacrifice whereof Malachie the Prophet doth speake in the first Chapter saieng From the rising of the Sunne to the going downe of the same great is my name among the Gentiles and in euerie place shall sacrifice be made and offering set vp to my name This sacrifice and burnt offering is not the sacrifice of the wicked Masse but it is the sacrifice of the preaching of Christes death and the meritas of hiâ—â—sionâ— We doe also offer burnt sacrifices vnto the Lord when we doe offer our selues our hearts our mindes and all 〈…〉 dilie members to the true seruing of God in
that Christ was borne of the virgin Mary saieng he was gotten of the séede of Ioseph Also that his bodie suffered and that his soule onelie was receiued into heauen He liued about the yere of our Lord. 142. CARREN OR CARKAS ¶ Looke Eagles CASTOR AND POLLVX What these two were and how they were worshipped Whose badge was Castor and Pollux ¶ These in olde time were estéemed as Gods which if they appeared both together were counted fauourable and luckie to mariners and such as trauailed the Seas If one after another or but one alone vnfortunate and cruell The owner of the ship caried the badge of them not without great confidence therein that these two Gods would prosper his voiage because he honoured them with the carieng thereof Tindale ¶ Those the Panims fained to be Iupiters children and Gods of the Sea Geneua ¶ So they vsed to decke the fore-part of their ships wherevpon the ships were called by such names Beza CAVE OR DENNE What difference is betweene a caue and a denne MAde them dennes in the mountaines and caues raelits to auoid the miseries made them caues For so doth this Hebrue word Manaharoth signifie denies It is in Hebrue writeten Mearoth But what difference there is betwéen these two words as much as I can gather by the Hebrâ—es I will declare Those first places were in bankes of hills and were so called because from the vpper parts they had certaine chinkes and holes which were like windowes so that through them they had light sufficient within And yâ— same places were verie hansome for men to dwell in theÌ„ R. Leui. saith yâ— through those holes and cliftes which were like windowes spies when they saw the Madianites comming did vse either by kindeling of fires or by some other token to giue knowledge vnto the Hebrues whereby they might gather their stuffe fruits and cattels into the dennes and lead them awaie from the enimies which were comming by For dennes were not in mountaines but places vnder the earth in the fields being darke and without light wherein men did not dwell but they might after a sorte hide their things and goods But Caues in Latine are called Specus a speciendo which is to behold and looke vpon because out of them as out of high places they which were ther vsed to looke through c. Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 112. CAVSE What the cause of vnbeliefe is and also of faith Obiection What is the cause that the one sort through vnbeliefe do reiect the Gospell when it is offered them that the other receiue it by faith Aunswere It is not to be meruailed at when men by their vnbeliefe and vnkindnesse reiect the Gospell but it is meruaile that some are found that doe receiue it by faith For that all men being corrupted with sin is of such peruerse nature wickednes that they cannot nor will not beleeue in God nor follow his word And though that manie of contrarie nature be found which not onelie receiue by faith the word of God Iesus Christ our Lord but are also readie to laie downe their life to adandon the same for the confession of their faith vnderstand they are not such of nature but by the grace of God by the which they are renued transformed into a new nature are new creatures For it is not flesh and bloud that hath reuealed it to them but the heauenlie father Pet. Viret How the cause of sinne is not to be laid vnto God God compelleth no man to sinne but euerie man willinglie sinneth wherefore the cause of sinne is not to be laied in him Pet. Mar. vpon ludic fol. 163. How the successe maketh not the cause either good or bad If the successe be euill the cause is not therfore straight way euill Neither if the successe be good is yâ— cause therfore straight way good Nabuchodonozer destroied Iewrie and led away the Nations that were adioining captiues into Babilon yet was not his cause therefore good Gods cause indéede was iust for he would by that meanes take vengeance of a rebellious people But Nabuchodonozer thought nothing els but to exercise his tyrannie Ioseph because he would auoid adulterie was cast into prison and yet was not his cause therefore euer a whit the worse Dauid was reiected of Absalom yet was not Absaloms cause therefore any whit the better In our time Princes that are Protestants haue had euill successe in warre yet is therefore not yâ— cause of the Gospell to be thought yâ— worse The Beniamites now got the victorie more then once or twice in a cause most wicked The holie Martyrs in our time are most miserarablie slaine of Tyrants that with most cruell kinde of torments and yet we nothing doubt but their cause is most excellent England had of late as touching the word of God truth a Church most rightlie instituted which was afterward miseblie disiected and seperated neither followed it thereby that the cause of Religion was euill But now thankes be giuen vnto God that hath restored it Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 271. ¶ Looke Sinne. CENCHREA How Paule vesd himselfe at Cenchrea what Cenchrea as ANd he shore his head in Cenchrea ¶ Cenchrea is an hauen at Cormth where Paule taking ship did sheare his head according to his vowe For according to the Lawe of Moses they that vowed themselues to God were commanded to suffer their haire to growe as long as they would continue Nazarites and afterward to sheare it to burne it This did Paule not forgetting what he had before decréed with yâ— Apostles touching the abolishing of yâ— law But lest the Iewes which beleeued shuld be offended he fained himselfe a Iew to win yâ— Iewes Tindale CERDON Of the wicked opinions of this man HE taught that Christ was neuer borne of a woman that he had no flesh nor suffered anie passion but séemed onely to suffer He affirmed that God which is declared in the Lawes Prophets to be God was not the father of our Sauiour Christ forsomuch as he was knowen the other vnknowen The one was iust the other was good It was his doctrine also that some creatures of themselues were euill that they were not made of the God that was the chiefe goodnesse but of another God of all naughtinesse whom he called the chiefe or principall mischiefe He was about the yeare of our Lord. 144. Eliotâ— Eusebius li. 4. cap. 10 11. CEREMONIES What Paule meaneth by Ceremonies ¶ Looke Rudiments When Ceremonies maie be retained when not SO long as it maie be vnderstood of all people what is ment by them and so long as they serue the people preach one thing or other they hurt not greatlie Although the free seruant of Christ ought not to be brought violentlie into subiection vnder bondage of mens traditions As S. Augustine complaineth in his daies how that the condition and state of the
Testament Currus falcati sickle Carts The Horses yâ— did draw these Cartes were wel harnessed especiallie the men yâ— rode vpon them These Chariots was a terrible kinde of Engine and in great price among the Aegyptians as it appeareth by king Pharao when he followed the Children of Israel with â—00 of chosen Chariots And in what estimation they were in among the Philistines ye shall find in the first booke of the Kings 13. Chapter that they came against king Saule with thirtie thousand Chariots beside other horsemen and warriours a great number Vigetius in his third booke de re militari saith that Chariots wer most vsed of Darius Antiochus and Mithridates but at length the Romanes inuented a trick that caused Chariots to be nothing set by The inuention was this They inuented Caltropes which when the Chariot came nigh vnto them with a great race mightie force they did cast from them their Caltropes which pricked their horses in the féete so sore that down came the Chariots horsemen and all This inuention saith Vigetius caused chariots to be laid down But héere in this realme of England they were had in vse and great price at such time as Iulius Caesar after he had conquered Fraunce came into the land called Britaine Iulius Caesar doth not call them Currus falcatus but he in his 5. booke of his Commentaries doth cal theÌ„ Esseda the chariot driuers Essedarij These be his words Equites Britaniorum Essedarijâ— acriter praelio cum equitatu nostra in itinere confluxerunt The horsemen of the Britaines and their chariot men verie fiercelie did sette vppon our men saith Iulius Caesar. Thus ye sée in what estimation Chariots were in the old time insomuch that the Prophet Dauid which had all his confidence in the Lords helpe said Hij in curribus hij in equis c. Some put their trust in horses and some in chariots but we will put our trust in the name of the Lord our God Ri. Turnar Because they had yron Chariots ¶ He that shall reade the Iliades of Homer shal easelie perceiue that the men in the olde time vsed Chariots in battailes and also the same may be gathered both out of the most auncient histories also out of the later writers amongst other Quintus Curtius writing the life of Alexander doth plainlie make mention of such Chariots in the battaile â—ought against Darius But I thinke no Writer writeth more plainlie of them then doeth Plinie For he in that Battailes wherein Antiochus was ouercome of the Romanes which is in the 4. Decade and 7. booke thus describeth Chariots which he calleth hooked He saith that they were chiefelie fonsed after this manner The points about the draught trée standing out from the yoke had as it were hornes wherewith whatsoeuer they met they might thrust it through and two hookes hong out at the ende of the Cart the one euen with the Cart the other fastened downeward to the earth The former serued to cut a sonder whatsoeuer came on the side of it the other was made to crush them which fell downe and went vnder There were also two sundrie hookes fastened after the same sort to the Exeltrées of both the wheeles c. The vse therfore of these Chariots endured till yâ— time that Anâ—ochus was ouercome Howbeit we neuer read that yâ— Romanes vsed them And that they were horible to behold and hard to be conquered maie manifestlie be gathered by the booke of Iosua for there in the 17. Chapter when the Tribe of Ioseph complained because it was so manie in number and had obtained so narrow a Lot Iosua commaunded this that if they had not roome inough they should go and dwell or els conquere the places of their Enimies adioining vnto them They excusod themselues yâ— they could not doe so because their neighbours had yron Chariots But to repeate more auncienter things Pharao as it is written in the booke of Exodus when he persecuted the Israelites which fled is said to haue had Chariots and with the same he tooke vpon him to enter into the Sea but they being ouerthrowen by the power of God he was punished for breaking his fidelitie Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 32. CHARITIE What Charitie is CHaritie is the loue of thy neighbour The rule of Charitie is this Doe as thou wouldst be done vnto for Christ holdeth all alike the rich the poore the friend the foe the thankfull and the vnthankefull the kinsman and straunger Booke of Mar. fol. 1112. ¶ Charitie is a good a gracious effect of the soule wherby mans heart hath no fantasie to estéeme valour or ponder anie thing in this wide world beside or before the care and studie to know God c. Lupset ¶ Looke Loue. CHASTISE What the word Chastise betokeneth TO chastise is to correct one to his behoofe And therefore héere is to be noted the difference betwéene the afflictions of the godlie and the vngodlie For the godlie are afflicted to their owne profit namelie that they maie be nurtured vnto patience and helde fast in the feare of the Lord according as ye maie sée in Iob. â— 17. Iere. 31. 18. 46. 28. Pro. 3. 11. Heb. 12. 10. But the correction of the vngodly is called a consuming of them Iere. 30. 23. 24. and 46. 10. And therefore the chosen to amend at the Lords chastisement as Dauid 2. Reg. 12. 13. But the reprobate are hardened the more by Gods scourges as Pharao was Exo. 9. 7. 35. Marl. vpon the Apoc. fol. 69. O Lord correct me but with iudgement ¶ Considering that God had reuealed vnto him the certaintie of their captiuitie meaning the Iewes chap. 7. 16. He onelie praieth that he would punish them with mercie which Esay calleth in measure chap. 27. 8. measuring his rods by their infirmitie 1. Cor. 10. 13. For héereby Iudgement is ment not onlie punishment but also the mercifull moderation of the same as chap. 30. 11. ¶ Looke Affliction Punishment CHASTITIE How Hierom expoundeth chastitie HE expoundeth it of virginitie onelie as though they that were married could not be chast or though the Apostles did write these things onelie to virgins In the first second chapter to Tit. he warneth also Bishops young men and maried folkes both man and wife to be chast and pure Luther vpon the Gal. fol. 262. And there be some chast which made themselues chast c. ¶ He maketh himselfe chast for yâ— Kingdome of heauen sake which either hauing the gifte of sole life vseth the same to the setting foorth of Gods word or els béeing a perfect and a naturall man taketh to himselfe an honest yoake-fellowe and liueth in chast wedlocke with hir setting foorth neuerthelesse GODS truth to his vttermost power Sir I. Cheeke ¶ The word Chast signifieth Gelded and they were so made because they shuld kéepe the chambers of noble women for they were iudged chast Geneua ¶ There he some
life Christ hath not forsaken it nor neuer will forsake it all our whole strife is vpon the particular churches which be mingled with good and euill together They not onelie can erre but also haue erred and doe erre yet in manie points c. Musculus fol. 267. Saint Augustine in his preface vpon the 47. Psalme alleadgeth this place of the Apostle in this wise Therefore wée must vnderstaÌ„d by the second of the sabboth none but the church of Christ but the church of Christ in his Saintes the church of Christ in them which be written in heauen the church of Christ in them which doe not yéelde vnto temptations of this world for they be worthie to beare the name of the firmament Therefore the church in them which be strong of whom the Apostle saith Wée which be strong beare with the infirmities of the weake is called the firmament whereof it is song in the Psalme Let vs heare let vs knowe let vs sound let vs glorie let vs reigne For heare you and knowe that the same also is called the firmament by the writing of the Apostle which is saith he the church of the liuing God the piller and firmament of truth Thus saith Augustine Chrisostome doth expound this place in this sort Not as the Iewish church for this is that which conteineth the faith that is to saie the piller and establishment of the church and the preaching For truth is the piller and establishment of the church this saith he He maketh not the church to be the piller establishment of the truth but the truth of the church c. Mus. fo 268 To proue that the congregation of faithfull men is the church that cannot erre heare their owne law The whole church cannot erre â— Againe The congregation of faithfull men must néeds be which also cannot erre ¶ This church which is spred abrode throughout all the world and standeth in the vnitie of faithfull christen men is the church that God suffereth not to erre in those things that belong to saluation D. B. fol. 254. How the Church is knowne Whereas the word of God is purelie and sincerely preached the Sacraments orderlie ministred after the blessed ordinance of Christ. And wheras men do patiently suffer for the veritie And the hearers doe applie their liuing to Christ doctrine and with méeknesse receiue the holie Sacraments these be good and present tokens to iudge vpon that there be certeine members of Christs church and to proue this read the doctors following Our mother holie church faith Augustine throughout all the world scattered farre and wide in her true head Christ taught hath learned not to feare the contumelies of the crosse nor yet of death but more and more is she strengthened not in resisting but in suffering They that be in Iudea let them flie vnto the mountaines that is to saie they the be in Christendome let them giue themselues to the scriptures for in that time in the which heresies haue obteined into the church there can be no true probation of christendome nor no other refuge vnto christen men willing to knowe the veritie of faith but by the Scriptures of God Afore by manie waies was it shewed which was the church of Christ and which was the congregation of the Gentiles But now there is none other waie to them the will know which is the verie true church of Christ but onely by Scriptures By works first was the church of Christ knowne when the congregation of christen men either of all or of manie were holie the which holinesse had not the wicked men But nowe christen men are as euill or worse then heretiks or Gentiles yea greater continence is found among them then among christen men Wherefore he the will knowe which is the verie church of Christ how shal he know but by the scriptures only And therefore our Lord considering that the great confusion of things should come in the latter daies for that cause coÌ„maunded he that christen men willing to reserue the stablenesse of the true faith shuld flée vnto none other thing but vnto the scriptures For if they haue respect vnto other things they shall bée slauÌ„dred shal perish not vnderstaÌ„ding which is the true church The same Doctour saith â— It can no waie bée knowne what is the Church but onelie by the Scriptures Againe Christ commaundeth that who so will haue the assuraunce of true faith séeke to nothing else but vnto the Scriptures Otherwise if they looke to anie thing else they shall be offended and shall perish not vnderstanding which is the true Church and by meanes héereof they shall fall into the abhomination of desolation which standeth in the holie places of the Church There bée certeine bookes of our Lord vnto the authoritie whereof each part agréeth there let vs séeke for the church Thereby let vs examine and trie our matter Againe hée saith in the same Chapter I will ye shew me the holie church not by decrées of men but by the word of God August de vnit eccl cap. 3. The question or doubt is where the Church should bee what then shall wée doe Whether shall we séeke the Church in our owne wordes or in the wordes of her head which is our Lord Iesus Christ In my iudgement we ought rather to séeke the Church in his words for that he is the truth and best knoweth his owne bodie August de vnit eccle Chap. 2. Whether of vs be Scismatikes wée or you aske not me I will not aske you Let Christ be asked that hée maie shewe vs his owne Church Augustine cont litter Petilium li. 2. chap. 85. In times past saith Chirsostome there were manie waies to knowe the church of Christ that is to saie by good lyfe by myracles by chastitie by doctrine by ministring the Sacraments But from that time heresies did take holde of the church it is onelie knowne by the Scriptures which is the true church They haue all things in outward shew which the true church hath in truth They haue Temples like vnto ours c. Wherefore onely by the Scriptures doe we knowe which is the true church Verses Hoc est nescire sine Christo plurima scire Si Christum bene sâ—is satis est si caetera nescis Englished This is to be ignorant to know manie things without Christ If thou knowest Christ well thou knowest inough though thou knowest no more What is meant by the militant and triumphant Church Men doe diuide the true Church of Christ into the militant the triumphant church So that the militant church should be of them which doe yet trauaile in this mortall flesh do striue with Satan the flesh and the worldâ— The triumphant of them which are passed to heauen and haue ouercome all manner of their enimies In this sort Augustine placeth the Angels also These bée not two churches but the
when his Father was dead he laboured by the helpe of his kinred by his mothers side to be made king And to the end he might atteine vnto the crowne he slew 69. of his owne naturall brethren Nowe marke Gedeon was a iust and a godlie man high in Gods fauour he therefore would not and againe hauing so manie wiues of his owne he néeded not to haue kept Droma which is called his concubine as a priuie whoore Therefore it must be taken that Concubina is not taken In malem partem for an harlot and an whoore but euerie woman which is Serua aut ancilla a libero homine ducta in vxorem concubina dicitur For ye shall vnderstande that in the olde time bond men and bond women were counted so vile that they were neither taken nor vsed as men and women be but bought and solde as a bullocke or an horse is And if it so happened y◠a bond man a bond woman did marrie together it was not counted nor called matrimonie but Contubernium a companie kéeping as an horse and a mare as a bull a cow doth yet such companie kéeping if it were betwéene a man and a woman not prohibited by the law of God it were before him good and lawfull matrimonie but by the ciuil lawe of men it were no matrimonie because that the children begotten betwéene such a Father and such a mother were not in their power nor at the commaūdement of their parents but at their Lords commaundement And if they and their parents did get anie goods the children should not inherit but the Lord. And moreouer if a frée man did marrie a bond woman this lawfull wife should not be named a wife but a concubine and her children should not inherit their Fathers landes but onelie receiue such moueable goods as their Father would giue them by his Testament And after that sort did Abraham deale with the sonnes of Agar and Kethura which were no whoores but his lawfull wiues Neuerthelesse because they were bond women before he married them therfore they were called his concubines So likwise Salomon had 700. wiues that is 700. Quéenes which were frée women borne and. 300 concubines which were also his lawful wiues but because they were not frée women borne therefore they are called concubines R. T. The difference betweene a wife and a concubine Tooke to wife a concubine of Bethleem Iuda ¶ This difference was betwéene the wife and the concubine that the wife was taken with certeine solemnities of marriage and her children did inherit The concubine had no solemnities in marriage neither did her children inherite but a portion of goods or moneie was giuen vnto them The Bible note And his concubine called Reumah◠¶ Concubine is oftentimes taken in the good part for those women which were inferiour to the wiues Geneua CONCVPISCENCE What concupiscence is COncupiscence is that euil inclination and nature which we haue of the olde man which draweth vs to euill as GOD saith in Genesis The imagination of mans heart is euill from his youth Concupiscence is a motion or affection of the minde which of our corrupt nature doth lust against God and his lawe and stirreth vs vp to wickednesse although the consent or déede it selfe doth not presently followe vpon our conceit For if the déed doe followe the lust then doth the sinne increase by steps and degrées Bullinger fol. 325. How concupiscence is sinne Against concupiscence of the flesh Saint Paule is forced to mourne and crie out on this wise I sée an other lawe in my members fighting against the lawe of my minde and leading mée prisoner vnto the lawe of sinne And againe O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from this bodie of death Saint Ambrose saith Non inuenitur in vllo homine c. There is not found in anie man such concord betwéene the flesh and the spirit but that the lawe of concupiscence which is planted in the members fighting against the lawe of the minde And for that cause the words of Saint Iohn the Apostle are taken as spoken in the person of all Saints If we saie we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues and the truth is not in vs. Saint Austen saith also Concupiscencia carnis c. The concupiscence of the flesh against which the good spirit lusteth is both sinne and the paine of sinne and the cause of sinne Againe he saith◠Quamdiu viuis c. As long as thou liuest there must néeds be sinne in thy members One of the Popes principall doctors writeth thus Augustinus tradet hanc ipsam concupisentiam c. S. Augustine teacheth vs that this same concupiscence planted in our bodie in them y◠be not regenerate by baptime verilie in plaine manner of speach is sinne and that the same concupiscence is forgiuen in baptime but is not vtterly taken awaie Against Saint Paule and these holy Fathers S. Ambrose and Augustine the late Counsell of Trident hath decréed thus Hanc concupiscentiam quam Apostolus c. The concupiscēce which the Apostle Saint Paule sometime calleth sinne this holie counsell declareth that the catholike church neuer vnderderstood it to be called sinne for that it is so indéede and in proper name of speach in them that be baptised but because it is of sinne and inclineth vs to sinne And if anie man thinke the contrarie accursed be he So that by this degrée S. Ambrose S. Austen and other holie fathers that haue written the same are all accursed Iewel fol. 217. and. 218. CONFESSION When confession first began LOthernus Leuita a Doctor of Paris béeing once made Bishop of Rome and named Innocent the third he called together at Rome a generall counsell called Lateranense in which he made a lawe which Gregorie the ninth reciteth in his decretall of penance remission li. 5. chap. 12. almost in these verie words Let euerie person of either sexe after they are come to yeares of discretion faithfullie confesse alone at least once in a yeare their sins vnto their owne proper Priest and do their endeuour with their owne strength to doe the penance that is enioyned them receiuing reuerently at Easter at the least the Sacrament of the Eucharist vnlesse peraduenture by y◠counsel of their owne Priest for some resonable cause they thinke it good for a time to absteine from receiuing it otherwise in this life let them be prohibited to enter into the church when they are dead◠to be buried in christen buriall Of confession to God And against auricular confession Delictum meum cognitum◠bi iniusticiā meam non abscondi c. I haue reknowledged my sinnes vnto thée and mine vnrighteousnesse is not his ¶ S. Austen vpon this place hath a verie prétie saieng Marke saith S. Austen Quando homo detegit Deus tegitesi homo agnoscit Deus igno scit Whensoeuer man discloseth his sinnes then God doth close and
sinke into it It made Balaam which knewe all the trueth of GOD to hate it and to giue most pestilent counsell against it It taught the false prophets in the olde Testament to interpret the Law of God falslie c. It kept Iudas in vnbeliefe c. And compelled him to sell Christ vnto the Scribes and Pharesies for couetousnesse is a thing mercilesse Couetousnesse made the Pharisies to lye on Christ to persecute and falselie to accuse him It made Pilate though he found him an Innocent yet to slaie him It caused Herode to persecute Christ in his cradle It maketh hypocrites to persecute the truth against their owne conscience c. Finallie Couetousnes maketh manie whom the truth pleaseth at the beginning to cast it vp againe and to be afterwarde the most cruell enimies thereof after the ensample of Symon Magus Act. 8. Tindale fol. 230. Through Couetousnesse shall they with fained words make marchandise of you c. ¶ False Prophets must néedes be among vs and also preuaile and that because we haue no loue vnto the truth And Couetousnesse is the father of them and their preaching confidence in workes is the denieng of Christ. Tindale ¶ This is euidentlie séene in the Pope and his Priests which by lies and flatteries sel mens soules so that it is certaine that he is not the successour of Symon Peter but of Symon Magus Geneua COVNCELS Of a Councell a little before that Christ reuealed himselfe THere was a Councell gathered together at Hierusalem a little before yâ— Christ reueled himselfe to chuse a Priest in the roome of one that was deceased Looke how manie letters there are in the Hebrue tongue so manie Priests there were in the Temple to wit 22. The manner was to register in a certaine â—ooke reserued in the Temple the daie of the election the name of the elected the name of his father of his mother and of his Tribe Whilest that they thought some on one man some on another ther stepped forth a Priest one of the multitude said My wil is that Iesus the sonne of Ioseph the carpenter be elected Priest who though he be young in yeares yet passeth he in vtteraunce wisedome and manners I thinke trulie there was neuer séene in Hierusalem such a one both for eloquence life and manners the which I am sure all that inhabite Hierusalem doe knowe as well as I. The which was no sooner spoken but was allowed of and the partie I meane Iesus chosen to be a Priest They doubt of his Tribe againe they wer therin resolued They call for his parents to register their names The Priest that sauoured Iesus made aunswere that Ioseph his father was dead yet Mary his mother was a liue She was brought before them she affirmed that she was his mother and that Iesus was hir sonne But she said moreouer that hée had no father on earth that she was a Uirgin and the holie Ghost had ouershadowed hir They sent for the Midwiues and also for such as had bene present at the birth she was found to be a virgin In the ende they concluded with one voice that hée should be registred Iesus the Sonne of God and of Mary the virgin We remember moreouer Iosephus to haue said that Iesus sacrificed in the Temple together with the Priests Héerevpon also it fell out that as Iesus entered into the Synagogue of the Iewes the booke was deliuered vnto him where he read of the Prophet Esay whereby we gather that if Iesus had not bene Priest among the Iewes the bóoke would not haue bene deliuered vnto him Neither is it permitted amongst vs Christians for anie to read holie Scripture in the open assemblie vnlesse he be of the Cleargie So farre Suidas as he learned of a Iewe. A Councell of the Scribes and Pharisies The Scribes and the Pharisies gathered a Councel at Hierusalem and sent from them Scribes Pharisies and Leuites vnto Iohn Baptist to know who and what he was Ioh. 1. 19. A Councell of the high Priests and Pharisies The high Priestes and Pharisies gathered a Councell in the hall of the high Priest to aduise them what was best to be done touching the doings of Christ. If they let him alone then feared they least the Romanes came and tooke their place Nation They decréed therein that whosoeuer knewe the place of his abode he should enforme them thereof they decréed also that whosoeuer confessed Christ shuld be excommunicated they consulted how they might put Lazaâ—us to death and how they might take Iesus by subtiltie and kill him Then Iudas went in to them and said what will ye giue me I will deliuer him into your hands and they appointed him 30. péeces of siluer Iohn 12. 12. Mat. 26. 3. A Councell of the Scribes Pharisies and Elders The Scribes Pharisies Elders hearing that Christ was risen from the dead gathered a Councell for to suppresse the rumor thereof and concluded that a péece of moneie should be giuen to the souldiers for saieng that his disciples stole him away by night Mat. 28. 12. Councells helde of the Apostles The Apostles immediatelie after the Ascension of our Sauiour returned from Mount Oliuet to Hierusalem and ther assembled together for the election of one to succéede in the roome of Iudas the traitor where they chose Mathias A Councell is summoned of the Apostles and disciples of Christ at Hierusalem for the remouing of the tumult risen betwéene the Grecians and the Hebrwes about the contemning of their widowes wherein they chose 7. Deacons The Apostles Elders and Bretheren gathered a Councell at Hierusalem Anno. 4. Claudij to determine what was to be done touching the doctrine sowed by certaine bretheren of the Pharisies which came from Iudaea affirming that Circumcision was necessarie the obseruation of the Lawe This newes Paule Barnabas and Titus brought vnto them Gal. 2. Where they decréed that the faithfull should abstaine from things offered to Idolls from bloud from that that is strangled and from fornication the which they published by their letters vnto the Church of Antioch Syria and Cilicia with Silas and Iudas which accompanied Paule and Barnabas Beda Lyra. Iames Bishop of Hierusalem Paule and the Elders summoned a Councell at Hierusalem for the remouing of the slaunder bruted by the Iewes of Paule that he was no obseruer of the Lawe that he spake against Moses wherefore for the remouing of this suspition and for the winning of the bretheren the Councell decréed that Paule should cleare him and purisie himselfe according vnto the Lawe yéelding a little for a time vnto the Ceremonies of the Lawe Of certaine generall Councells At Nicena was called a generall Councell in yâ— which the Emperour Constantine was present with 318. Bishops by whome was determined against Arrius that the Sonne was equall with the Father Which decrée was confirmed by the Emperour and Arrius with 6. Bishops banished This Councell willing to reforme the
swoord from shedding of bloud ¶ The Hebrues exround this of the Chalâ—ees that they should haste to destroie the whole kingdome of the Moabites as though the text should meane thus much Cursed bée hee that negligently performeth the vengeance of the Lord that spareth these most wicked Moabites and that with-holdeth his swoord from shedding of their bloud T. M. ¶ Hee sheweth that God would punish the Chaldeans if they did not destroie the Aegyptians and that with a courage and calleth this executing of his vengeaunce against his enimies his worke though the Chaldeans sought an other end Geneua What Gods curse is ¶ Looke God CVSTOME A definition of custome CUstome saith Ostiensis is an vse agréeing with reason allowed by the common institution of them that vse it whose beginning is time out of minde or which is by a iust time prescribed and confirmed so that it is by no contrarie act interrupted but allowed with contradictorie iudgement This is as he thinketh a full definition But in that hee saith that that vse ought to bée agréeing with reason it is not sufficient But first it is to be said that it ought to agrée with the word of God for that is to be counted for the chiefe reason Afterward it must be allowed by the institution of the people and of whose beginning there is no mention or that it is prescribed by a iust time and appointed by the laws neither is interrupted by anie contrarie action For if a Iudge or Prince shall giue iudgement against it the custome is broken As it also happeneth in prescription is cast out of his possession or the matter is called into lawe the matter is in plead the prescriptioÌ„ is broken Also the allowing of the contradictorie iudgement ought to be had that is wheÌ„ one part alleadgeth the custome and an other part denieth it If it be pronounced on the custome side that doth confirme it But all these things as I haue before saide must be reckoned vnto the rule of Gods word Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 190. Of vicious customes and what difference is betweene a lawe and a custome In the countrie of Taurus there was a custome to kill straungers and guestes The Persians had a custome neuer to deliberate of waightie matters but in feastes and when they were dronke Among the Sauromates there was a custome that when they were drinking they solde their daughters These prescribe not when they are manifestly vicious and ill But that custome prescribeth which is neither against the worde of God nor the lawe of nature nor the common lawe For the right of custome commeth by the approbation and secret consent of the people Otherwise whie are we bounde vnto lawes But because they were made the people consenting and agréeing vnto them For this is the difference betwéene a custome and a lawe because in the one is a secrete assent but in the other an open assent Wherefore such customes cannot bée reckoned without daunger Aristotle in Polîticis admonisheth that men which haue learned to doe sinister things ought not to bée compelled to doe thinges dextere Wherefore in thinges indifferent and of no great value custome is to be retained It is an olde Prouerbe Lawe and Countrie for euerie region hath certeine customes of their owne which cannot easilie bée chaunged But it is sayd when they are against the word of God or against nature or the common lawe they are not prescribe For then are they not onelie customes but beastlie cruelties Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 189. How custome must yeeld to the word of God and to truth It is chieflie to be considered howe the Apostle layeth the Oracle of God against an olde receiued custome We are taught by this example that such is the authoritie of Gods worde that vnto it all thinges which were instituted of men of a godlie zeale and holye intent ought to giue place as soone as they séeme anie waies to make against the will of God Therefore their obstinacie is verie péeuish and pernicious that goe about to reteine these Ceremonies in the church which it appeareth haue béene deuised by foolish men for the confirmation of superstition and are verie derogatorie to the merites of Christ. They thinke it a daungerous matter to alter or chaunge anie thing But it is much more daungerous to sticke to the obseruation of olde errours with the losse of saluation And wée ought to remember that the obedience of faith is the ende of true christianitie which requireth of vs to denie our selues and to resigne and yeelde vp all our thoughts and iudgementes vnto the will and power of God Gualter vpon the words of Saint Peter to Cornelius men vz. But God hath shewed me that I should not call anie thing common or vncleane c. After the truth is once found out let custome giue place vnto the truth let no man set custome before the truth and reason for reason and truth putte euermore custome to silence If you laye custome for your selfe ye must remember that Christ sayth I am the waie the truth and the life he saith not I am custome and doubtlesse anie custome bée it neuer so auncient neuer so common yet must it néedes yéelde vnto truth If onelie Christ must be heard we maie not weigh what anie man hath thought good to doe that hath bene before vs but what Christ hath first done which is before all for wée maie not followe the custome of man but the truth of God Speciallie for that God saith by the Prophet Esaie they worshippe me in vaine teaching the commaundements and doctrines of men CVSTOMES What customes are CUstomes are these which are paide of Merchaundises and of those things which are either carried out or brought in Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 263. CVT OF What is meant by this cutting of And will cut him of ¶ To wit from the rest or will cutte him into two parts which was a most cruell kinde of punishment Wherewith as lustine Martir witnesseth Esay the Prophet was executed by the Iewes The like kinde of punishment we reade of 1. Reg. 15. 33. and Dani. 3. 29. Beza DAIE How the daies were first called and after chaunged â— The Iewes did call the whole wéeke Sabbatum As we reade in the Gospell where the Pharesie boasted himselfe of his fasting saieng Ieiuno bis in Sabbato I fast twice euerie wéeke And like as the Iewes did call the whole wéeke Sabbatum so did they call the feast and the chiefe daie of the wéeke Sabbatum the Sabboth daie And the next daie they called Prima Sabbati As we maie perceiue by the wordes of the Euangelist Saint Mathewe saieng Vespere autem sabbati quae lucessit in prima sabbati venit Maria Magdalena altera Maria videre sepnlchrum Upon the Sabboth daie at night which dawneth vpon the first of the sabbots came Marie Magdalene and an other Marie to behold the Sepulchre and that same daie that
the tyrant Antiochus Read the 2. chapter of the second booke of Machabees Notwithstanding there are some which referre this daie of dedication to that first daie when the people returned from Babilon of which mention is made in the sixt Chapter of the first booke of Esdras Reade Iosephus in his 22. booke and 14. chapter But it maketh no great matter of which dedication or renouation you saye that this was the seast daie whether of the first or of the last Marl. vpon Iohn fo 381. Feast of pasâ—e-ouer wherefore it was instituted The feast of pase ouer◠〈…〉 〈…〉 was instituted in the 〈…〉 from their bondage in 〈…〉 Feast of Penticost wherefore it was instituted The feast of Penticost was in remembraunce of the lawe that was giuen 〈…〉 ount 〈…〉 Of the feast of Tabernacles The feast of tabernacles was 〈…〉 of the dwelling of the Israelites fortie yeares in tents Hemmyng The Iewes feast of tabernacles was at hand ¶ Ey this feast of tabernacles we are aâ—monished yâ— we are but pilgrimes straungers as long as we liue in this naturall bodie that we haue no permanent citie heere therfore ought we earnestlie to desire that we maie enter into the lande of promission which is the land of the liuing Of this feast read Leuit. 23. ver 34. Sir I. Cheeke ¶ At this feast they dwelled 7. daies in the tents which put them in remembrance that they had no citie heere permanent but that they must seeke one to come Geneua This feast of tabernacles or tents was so called because the children of Israel abode in their tents 7. daies for a remeÌ„brance that God made their fathers dwell in tents when he brought them out of the land of Aegypt This feast is celebrated from the fiâ—téenth daie of the seauenth moneth which we call October vnto the. 21. daie of the same As is to be séene in Leuiticus Marl. vpon Iohn fol. 242. Of the omitting of the feast of Tabernacles For since the time of Iosua yâ— sonne of Nun vnto this daie had not the children of Israel done so c. ¶ The mening is not yâ— the feast of tabernacles was not celebrated from yâ— time of Iosua the son of Nun vnto that daye which was almost a thousand yeares but yâ— it was not celebrated in that manner yâ— is with such solemnitie so great 〈…〉 gladnes as the vâ—rie words themselues declare both in the Hebrue text in the best translations And so doth 〈…〉 expound that place who saith yâ— those words since the time of Iosua the sonne of Nun c. be spoken in the respect of greatnesse of the ioie which there happened vnto the peopleâ— Lyra also expoundâ—th the same place much after the same sort and presupposeth nothing lesse then that the feast were omitted all this time for he affirmeth yâ— they were much more solempnlie with greater cost celebrated in the time of Dauid Salomon Therefore saith he the comparison is Secundum quid propertionaliter For I vse his words because in all this time sithence Iosua it is not read yâ— the people wer so gathered together in Hierusalem as we read in the beginning of this chapter that they were at this time And againe he saith yâ— it was more for the people newlie returned from captiuitie to celebrate such a feast with that solempnitie then it was to mightie kings and people béeing in prosperitie and setteled in a kingdome to celebrate the same daie with much more cost and solempnitie D. Whitgaâ—t fo 9. FESTVS How he ascribed madnesse to Saint Paule FEstus said with a loude voice Paule thou art beside thy selfe much learning hath made thee mad ¶ Festus béeing much troubled with Paules declaration and hauing nothing to saye against it yet wold not yeeld vnto it but â—â—amorouslie condemned it as wicked superstitious For worldlings are loth to be combred with godlie matters and count all such as foolish that trouble themselues therewith The Bible note FEET OF GOD. ¶ Looke Foot FIRE How euerie mans worke is tried by the fire IN the fire it shall be shewed ¶ If anie mans worke that he hath builded doe abide this fire yâ— is if the word yâ— a man hath preached doe abide all assalts temptations it is a token that they are surelie grounded on the Scripture of God then shall the preacher receiue his reward If anie mans worke be burnt that is the preachers word will not abide the triall and light but vanish away then it is a token that they are not wel grounded on Scripture and so shall he suffer hurt for it shal be a great crosse and vexation to the preacher that he hath béene so deceiued himselfe and also hath lead other into his errour Notwithstanding he shall be saued because of his faith in the foundation which is Christ and his ignoraunce shall bee pardonedâ— sith heeâ—erred not of a malitious purpose but of a good zeale But yet shall it bée as it were a fire vnto him for it shall gréeue his heart to sée that he had laboured â—n vaine and that hée must destroie the same which he before through ignoraunce preached This is the processe and pure vnderstanding of the text I. Frith fo 44. ¶ By fire Saint Paule doth vnderstand persecution and trouble By golde siluer and precious stones he vnderstandeth them that in the middest of persecution doe abide stedfastlie in the word By timber haie and stubble are meant such as in the time of persecution doe fall awaie from the truth If they then which beléeue doe in the time of persecution stand stedfastlie in the truth the builder shall receiue a reward the worke shall be preserued and saued But if so be that they swarne goe backe when persecution ariseth he shall suffer losse that is to saie the builder shall loose his labour and cost But yet the builder I meane the preacher of the word shall be saued if he béeing tried by persecution doe abide fast in the faith Sir I. Cheeke ¶ The meaning of Saint Paule when he wrote this to the Corinthians was to aduise the ministers of the Gospell that wheÌ„ as he had laide Iesus Christ as the foundatioÌ„ of our health they should build nothing vpon it but onlie heauenly doctrine which is like to golde siluer precious stones For if anie man would build vpon it mans doctrine which is not grounded vppon the word of God but is like to timber haie and stubble euerie mans doctrine shall bee examined and tried by the fire that is the holie Ghost And that doctrine which is altogether agréeable to the foundation shall stand still And that doctrine which is not fullie agréeable and yet hath kept the foundation whole shall be consumed by the fire of the holie Ghost who worketh by his grace that such ministers as doth repent them of those errours which they haue committed in their doctrine vnagreeble vnto
the word of God should be saued by the fiâ—e of this examination F. N. B. the Italian If anie man build vpon this foundation golde siluer precious stones wood haie or stubble c. Heere the Apostle woulde haue vs to be feruent in good workes and earnest to doe wel he wisheth vs to be occupied in yâ— labouâ— which when the iudge of all shall come maie in his sight be acceptable maie to his word be commendable and that we should well beware what works we build vpon our foundation he plainlie sheweth that at the last daie all our dâ—â—ing shall be opened and that then the same shall be so tried as the golde-smith in fining his mettalls trieth out the drosse and base matter from the pure perfect and fine The daie saith he of our Lord shall declare it because it shall appeare in fire The daie of our Lord is the daie of iudgement the thing is so plaine as no man though he be verie peruerse maie denie it But when shall it appeare in fire euen then at the generall iudgement so is the Text. This place is onelye spoken of those which shall be saued of such as build vpon Iesus Christ vpon which foundation as all cannot builde golde precious stones and siluer as all cannot be perfect neither by martirdome be crowned nor yet by good learning shine like the starres of heauen So thereon building being bâ—t wood or haie be it but verie stubble though the worke it selfe be in the ende burned though he himselfe receiue no such reward as yâ— others yet shall he be saued and hom As it were through fire Not through fire but through the greate feare wherein he then shall stand of the iustice and iudgement of God O how comfortable is this doctrine How farre passeth it all their painted fires and â—ained flames of Purgatorie You see now that the Scripture admitteth no such place you sée the right meaning of the Apostle c. L. Euans The meaning of these places following And he heard him from heauen in fire vpon the Altar of whole burnt offerings ¶ God declared that he heard his request in that he sent downe fire from heauen for els they might vse no fire but of that which was reserued still vppon the Altar Leuit. Chap. 6. 13. and came downe from heauen Chap. 9. 14. as appeareth by the punishment of Nadab and Abihu Leuit. cap. 10. â— Geneua Shal be worthie to be punished with heâ—fire ¶ The Iewes vsed foure kindes of punishments before their gouernement was taken awaie by Herode hanging beheading stoning and burning This is it that Christ shot at because burning was the greatest punishment therefore in that he maketh mention of a iudgement a counsell and a fire he sheweth that some sins are worse then other some but yet they are all such yâ— we must giue an account for them and shall be punished for them Beza FIGGE-TREE Of the Figge-tree that Christ cursed ANd spied a Figge-trée in the waie and came to it and found nothing thereon but leaues onelie ¶ By this Figge-tree Christ doth sufficient lie shew that the Iews although they had an appearaunce of holinesse by their ceremonies yet neuerthelesse they had not the fruite of charitie by which he signified yâ— they should worthely be depriued put from this false appearance by the destructioÌ„ of Hierusalem Mar. 13. 2. Luk. 21. 6. Tin Cut it downe whie combereth it the ground ¶ Unles we do beléeue also bring foorth fruite worthie repentance we shall with the vnprofitable figge-trée be cut downe also our talent shall be taken from vs and giuen vnto an other that shall put it to better vse Sir I. Cheeke FIGVRE Proues how the bread in the Sacrament is a figure of Christs bodie THe Lord doubted not to saie This is my bodie when hée gaue a signe of his bodie And after in the same Chapter he expoundeth it For trulie so the bloud is the soule Christ was the stone And yet the Apostle doth not say the stone did signifie Christ but he saith the stone was Christ. ¶ Héere Christ calleth the figure of his bodie his bodie saith S. Austen doth compare the thrée texts of scripture This is my bodie The bloud is the soule Christ was the stone Declaring them to be one phrase and to be expounded after one fashion August contraâ— Adam The Priest saith make vs this â—â—lation acceptable c. For it is a figure of the bodie of our Lord Iesus Christ. ¶ Héere he calleth it plainlie a figure of Christs bodie Ambrose li. 3. de Sacra â—et that saieng be expounded by a figure I saie the thing that is spoken is not true indéede but figured vnder the cloude of an allegorie Hieromâ— aduers. 〈…〉 Ye haue heard that it is a figure Therefore meruaile not â— And béeing a figure require not al things to agrée for otherwise it were no figure Chrisostome in Gen. Homil. 35. First of all thou must take heede that thou take not a figuratiue speach according to the letter for that is it wherof Saint Paule saith The letter killeth For when the thing that is spoken vnder a figure is so taken as if it wer plainlie spoken ther is a fleshlie vnderstanding neither is there anie thing that may better be called the death of the soule August de doct Chri. li. 3. ca. 5. Figures be in vaine serue for no purpose when the things of them signified be present Lactan. insti li. 2. â—ap 1. A figure of a bodie saith Tertulian presupposeth a verie naturall bodie for of a shew or a fancie ther can be no figure But Christ gaue vnto his Disciples a figure of his bodie therefore it must needs follow that Christ had a verie naturall bodie His words be these Christ taking the bread and distributing it to his Disciples made it his bodie saieng This is my bodie that is to say This is a figure of my bodie but a figure it could not bée vnlesse there were a bodie of a truth and indeede for a voide thing as is a fantasie can receiue no figure Tertulian contra Mar. li. 4. There is a figure saith Hilarie for bread and wine be outwardlie seene And there is also a truth of that figure for the bodie and bloud of Christ be of a truth inwardlie seene This Hilarie was within lesse then 350. yeares after Christ. Crisostome affirmeth saieng that if a man vnderstand the words of Christ carnallie he shal surelie profit nothing therby For what meane these words the flesh auaileth nothing He meant not his flesh God forbid but he ment of them that fleshlie and carnallie vnderstood those things that Christ spake But what is carnall vnderstanding To vnderstand the words simplie as they be spoken nothing else For we ought not so to vnderstand the things which we see But all mysteries must be considered
inclosed in a Boxe of an inche and an halfe déepe when the Priest will mumble vppe foure wordes in a corner and there bée tied till he waxe foistie vnlesse the Priest loose him A. G. How God is called a Rocke The Lord is my Rocke ¶ Godlie men haue called the Lord by diuers names according to their faith that is as they thought of God within themselues and as they also had proued As Dauid héere calleth him his rocke his Castle his deliuerer his strength his shield his horne of defence Psal. 18. 1. T M. ¶ By the diuersitie of these comfortable names he sheweth how his faith was strengthened in all temptations Geneua ¶ God is called a Rock because he his word lasteth for euer He is sure to trust to and a present comfort to belâ—â—uers their singular defence at all times T. M. How God is not chaunged If I shall speake euill against anie Nation saith the Lord and that Nation shall repent I will also repent me of that euill which I said I would doe And that Ieremie might more manifestlier vnderstande the things that were spoken he bad him goe into the house of the Potter where he saw the Potter make a vessell of claie which was broken in the handes of the workman But the Potter made againe another vessell of the same claie So saith the Lord if they repent I will also repent I do now make for them euill things but for euill things I will make good And yet as I haue said he changeth not his sentence because such threatenings and promises doe depend vpon a condition which is sometimes chaunged when as God abideth the selfe same Of this thing right well writeth Chrisostome vpon Genesis in his 25. homelie The Lord commanded Noe to build an Arke threatened that after an 120. yeres he wold destroie all mankinde by a floud but when in the meane time they nothing at all profited he cut off 20. yeres sent the floud in yâ— hundred yeare and yet was not God chaunged but the conditions of men veried The same Chrisostome also vpon Math. in his 65. homelie when he interpreteth this Uerelie I saie vnto you ye which haue forsaken all things c. demaundeth Was not Iudas one of the twelue And shall Iudas sit vppon the seates and iudge the twelue Tribes of Israel Did Christ chaunge his sentence No saith he but Iudas was chaunged Which selfe same thing we must iudge of the citie of Niniue of King Ezechias whom God pronounced should die For neither Niniue at that time perished nor Ezechias diâ—d because they were changed God said at the beginning that the feare of man shuld be vpon beasts but it happeneth contrarie For men are now afraid of Lions Beares and Tigers because they are of them oftentimes torne but that commeth héereof because the condition of men is chaunged and not the councell of God Pet. Mart vpon Iudie fol. 175. How God heareth no sinners God heareth no sinners that is he heareth none that repenteth not nor is not in minde to leaue their euill life Tindale ¶ Saint Austen saith This was not spoken of the Lord but of him that had alreadie his bodelie eies restored but the eiâ—s of the heart was â—ot yet opened and therefore he thought of the Lord that he was but a Prophet for afterward knowing that he was the Sonne of God hée worshipped him But the Lord himselfe when two did praie together in one Temple a Pharisie anâ— a Publicane doth saie that the Publicane confessing his sinnesâ— was more iustified then the Pharisie boasting his meritesâ— for although being iustified he ceased not to bée a sinner yet while he was a sinner he did praie and confesse his sinnes that he might be iustified and being heard he was iustified that he might cease to be a sinner and trulie he should not cease to be a sinner vnlesse he were heard being yet a sinner ¶ This place doth not so meane that God will heare no sinners that is alwaies readie to repent but of such as will neuer repent but still continue in their sinnes We must vnderstande that there be two kinde of sinners They that acknowledge their sinnes and repent vnfainedlie are heard and forgiuen of God Math. 9. 13. and. 28. Eze. 18. 21. But they that doe of an infidelitie continue in their sinfull abhominable liuing and despaire of the mercie of God shall neuer bée heard Iohn 5. 16. Sir I. Cheeke How God tempteth no man to euill ¶ Looke Temptation How we are made like vnto God After his owne likenesse ¶ That is after the shape and Image which was before appointed for the Sonne of God The â—hiefe part of man which is the soule is made like vnto God in a certaine proportion of nature of power of working so that in thatâ— we are all made like vnto God T. M. ¶ This Image and likenesse of God in man is expounded where it is written that man was created after God in righteousnesse and true holinesse meaning by these two words all perfection as immortalitie wisedome truth innocencie power c. The Bible note How to serâ—e God in the spirit ¶ Looke Spirit Of Gods permission or suffering ¶ Looke Permission What the hiding of Gods face is ¶ Looke Hide How God is to be worshipped ¶ Looke Worship How God is called a consuming fire For the Lord thy God is a consuming fire ¶ Because God proueth his by afflictions therefore he is called a consuming fire Heb. 12. 29. And because he consumeth the vnfaithfull remednesse for there is nothing that can resist his anger towards them T. M. How Gods ordinaunce may not be broken There were some orders in the Primatiue Church commanded by God and some there were deuised by man for the better training of the people Such orders as were commaunded by God maie in no wise be chaunged onlie because God commanded them For as God is euerlasting so is his word commandement euerlasting On the other side such orders as hath bene deuised by men maie be broken vppon some good consideration onelie because they were men that deuised them For as they be mortall so all their wisedomes and iudgements be but mortall And so indéede as touching such things as hath bene ordeined by men we are not bound of necessitie to the order of the Church but such things as God hath commaunded preciselie by his worde maie not bée broken by anie custome or consent How God was seene ¶ Looke See Of Gods consolation in trouble And that because we should not put our trust in our selues but in God ¶ God doth helpe and deliuer vs when we doe patientlie beare his crosse that is to saie the persecution trouble and aduersitie that he doth send vnto vs. For God will neuer forsake them that do patientlie wait for his aide succour Againe they yâ— wil not wait for
of their naturall corruption and this indéede is verie good tidings for heereby we are deliuered from the fearâ— of death and damnation and from the bondage of sinne and Satan Briefelie héereby we are remoued from darknesse to light from despaire to good hope from death to life from Hell to Heauen Now because the office of proclaiming and publishing this most ioifull tidings was committed to the Ministers of the newe Testament the name of the Euangelists is most properlie attributed vnto them and speciallie to those that the Natiuitie conuersation death resurrection of the Lord Iesus wherin the blesfulnesse resteth that we sée so much aduaunced Some writers affirme that as manie promises of felicitie and saluation as there is so manie Gospells there bée and that therefore the Prophets are Euangelists When they speake of the redemption that Gods annointed shoulde accomplish I thinke it not good to striue about words and I denie not that the Hebrewe word Bassac which signifieth the Euangelize and to preach good tidings is applied in some place to yâ— men of yâ— olde time howbeit I beléeue rather that Euangelion is an open publishing of saluation alredie performed and accomplished then of the same promised And therfore they speake more distinctlie and properlie that giue the name of Euangelists to the Apostles and writers of the histories of the Lord Iesus and finallie to the ministers of the new Testament And to giue place rather to this iudgement the wordes of our Sauiour in the. 16. of Luke moueth me where he saith That the Law and the Prophets were vntill Iohn Baptist and from that time the kingdome of God was Euangelized Trah What is meant by the Gospell preached to the dead For vnto this purpose verilie was the Gospel preached vnto the dead that they should be iudged like other men in the flesh but shall liue before God in the spirit ¶ As certeine learned expositours will that he héere calleth preaching of the Gospell vnto the dead in the chapter going next before The preaching to the spirits that were in prison which thing saie they signifie as much as vnto the dead also or spirits in prison came that salue of medicine of the Gospell and of the glad tidings of Christs passion whereby they were loosed the strength thereof béeing so pithie that they were therwith brought out of prison to immortalitie And because it might haue bene demaunded how yâ— soules of these blessed came out of prison whether compassed with their bodies or onely in pure substaunce of yâ— spirit Therfore saith Peter that they should be iudged like other men in the fleshe that is when all other men shall be iudged in the flesh but should liue before God in the spirit which signifieth that in the meane season til that iudgement come shal their soule liue and reâ—oice before God through Christ. T. M. ¶ Although the wicked thinke this Gospell new and vexe you yâ— imbrace it yet hath it béene preached to them in time paste which nowe are dead to the intent that they might haue ben condemned or dead to sinne in the flesh and also might haue liued in the spirit which two are the effect of the Gospell Geneua How Christs Gospell is likened to a Bowe And he that satte vpon him had a bow ¶ The bow is Christs Gospell the preaching whereof is disposed at his pleasure therfore like as the enimies be ouerthrowne by the arrowes which the Bowe shooteth out a farre off euen so the nations that were farre off are subdued vnto Christ by the preaching of the Gospell Ephe. 2. 13. This did Christ promise to his Disciples saieng I will giue you a mouth and wisedome which all they that shall be against you shall not bée able to gaine saye or gaine stande Luke 21. 15. And Paule following the Prophet saith I will destroie the wisedome of the wise and shake off the vnderstanding of the skilfull Esaie 29. 14. 1. Cor. 1. 19. Also the weapons of our warre are not fleshlie but mightie to Godwarde c. 2. Cor. 10. 4. Whereto pertaine those thinges which are written in the Psal. 45. 5. 1. Cor. 14. 24. And Heb. 4. 12. Marl. vpon the Apoc. fo 90. Whie the Gospell is said to beâ— euerlasting Hauing the euerlasting Gospell An honourable Title of the Gospell and it is called euerlasting first because it bringeth and beheighteth good thinges according to this Text He that beléeueth in mée hath euerlasting Iyfe Iohn 6. 47. And this is the promise which he hath assured vs off euen euerlasting lyfe 1. Iohn 2. 25. Seconde because that accordinge to Paules saieng There is none other Gospell to bée looked for no not euen at an Angell from heaâ—en Gal. 1. 8. Thirdlye because it was promised longe agoe by the Prophettes in the holye Scriptures Rom. 1. 2. Lyke as where it was sayde The womans séede shall breake thy head Gen. 3. 15. And also in thy séede shall all Nations of the earth bée blessed Gen. 22. 18. Lastlie the Gospell is tearmed euerlasting because it shall endure for euer maâ—gre all the vngodlye for Christes reigne is such as shall haue no ende Luke 1. 33. 1. Cor. 15. 27. For it consisteth in spirite and truth and not in outward things according as it is sayd all the gloriousnesse of the kings daughter is from within Psal. 45. 13. Marl. vpon the Apoc. fol. 207. How the Gospell is no lesse to bee reuerenced then the bodie of Christ. I aske this question of you bretheren and sisters sayth Saint Austen aunswere mée whether you thinke greater the worde of God or the bodie of Christ if you will aunswere the truth verilie you ought to saie thus that the worde of GOD is no lesse then the bodye of Chrst. And therefore with what carefulnesse wée take héede when the bodie of Christ is ministred vnto vs that no parte fall thereof out of our owne hands on the earth with as greate carefulnesse lette vs take héede that the worde of God which is ministred vnto vs when wée thinke or speak of vaine matters perish not out of our hearts for he that heareth the worde of God negligentlie shall bee guiltie of no lesse faulte then he that suffereth the bodye of Chrst to fall vpon the ground through his negligence Cranmer fol. 170. Whether the booke or leaues of the booke be the Gospell By the authoritie of Saint Hierome the Gospell is not the Gospell for reading of the letter but for the beliefe that men haue in the worde of GOD. That it is the Gospell that we beléeue and not the letter that we reade For because the letter that is touched with mans hande is not the Gospell but the sentence that is verilie beléeued in mans hearte is the Gospell For so Saint Hierome saith The Gospell that is the vertue of Gods word is not in the leaues of the bookes but it is in the roote of reason Neither the Gospell he sayth is in the writing aboue
GOD And wée béeing regenerate it bringeth vs forth to battaile and vnto good workes Héerevnto Chrisostome addeth the lawe reproueth but loseth not from sinne Grace loseth from sinne and reproueth not The lawe reproueth sinne and increaseth it Grace forgiuing it suffereth vs not to be vnder sinne c. Pet. Mar. vpon the Rom. fol. 134. How this following is vnderstoode And of his fulnesse haue all wée receiued euen Grace for Grace ¶ This sentence is sundrie wise expounded I will first shew you Saint Austens minde These be his words vpon this place That brethren all we haue receiued out of his fulnesse out of the fulnesse of his mercie haue we receiued what Remission of sinnes that we might be iustified by fayth And what moreouer Grace for Grace that is to witte For this Grace whereby we liue of Fayth we shall receiue an other Grace namelie Euerlasting lyfe But what else is it saue Grace For if I shall saie this is due to me I assigne somewhat to my selfe as to whome it is due But GOD crowneth the giftes of his mercie in vs. Thus yée sée Saint Austens meaning to witte that all good giftes and in the ende euerlasting lyfe is not a recompence of our merites but commeth of the frée liberalitie of God because it pleaseth him so to reward his former graces and to crowne his owne gyftes in vs. And so hée calleth faith whereby wée are iustified one Grace and euerlaâ—ing lyfe an other grace verye truelie and godlye to the confusion of the common Idolles Souldiers Other expounding Grace for Grace Grace vppon Grace teach that out of this fulnesse of his sonne GOD gaue to our Fathers vnder the olde Testament the spirite of feare whereby as children vndâ—r a Schoolemaster they were kept in and restrained that they shoulde not stray abroad after fleshlie lusts but be ledde foorth and framed to some goodnesse And in the new Testament hée giueth the spirit of fréedome whereby with more franke and free hearts with more ioifull courage by the motion of the spirit we doe the thing that pleaseth God not that our Fathers were altogether voide of this frée spirit but because of their childlie age they were kept more vnder by feare the spirite was not so richlie larglie giuen to them as to vs I meane vniuersallie touching gods ordinarie disposition For to some speciall person the spirit was larglie giuen and more larglie then it is nowe The exposition of other is that God loueth and fauoureth vs because of the loue and fauour that he beareth to his sonne as Saint Paule writeth That he hath made vs acceptable in the beloued For by nature we are the children of wrath the loue and fauour that we finde in Gods sight is for that of his own goodnesse he hath made vs the members of his most dearelye beloued sonne and so loueth vs as a parte of his sonnes bodie Other thinke that the meaning of these words is that GOD powreth all his graces into the Lorde Iesus and by him conueieth the same vnto vs as by a Conduct pipeâ— I leaue to your choise which of these expositions ye will take B. Traheron By grace vnderstand fauour The meaning is for the fauour that God the Father hath to his sonne Christ hath he receiued vs into fauour So as Christ is beloued of his Father euen so are we beloued for his sake Rom. 5. 15. T. M. ¶ All grace and all that is pleasant in the sight of God is giuen vs for Christs sake onelie euen out of the fulnesse and abundance of the fauour that he receiueth with the father Tindale ¶ Grace for grace That is God doth fauour vs and giue grace to so manie as beléeue in Christ are become his members The Bible note What is vnderstood by grace and peace Grace to you and peace from God By grace héere is vnderstood the fauour of GOD wherewith he fréelie forgiueth sinnesâ— By peace the tranquilitie of conscience prâ—céeding therof Tindale How these words Grace and Truth are expounded But grace and truth came by Iesus Christ. ¶ By grace some vnderstand that that maketh vs amiable and acceptable and getteth vs fauour before God and man By truth they vnderstand true sincere perfect sound and sure righteousnesse Other by grace in this place vnderstand forgiuenesse of sinnes by truth the fulfilling of all the figures and shadowes in Moses lawe in which signification you shall take the words the sâ—nce shall be good and godlie B. Traheron The grace saith Saint Austen which is giuen of the largnesse of God priuilie into mans heart cannot be despised of no manner of hard heart for therfore it is giuen that the hardnesse of the heart shal be taken awaie Wherefore when the father is herde within and doth learne that he must come vnto his sonne then taketh he awaie our stonie heart and giueth vs a fleshlie heart by this meanes he maketh vs his children of promise and the vessels of mercie which he hath prepared to glorie But wherefore doth he not learne all men to come to Christ because that those yâ— he learneth he learneth of mercie and those that he learneth not of his iudgement doth he not learne them These places following are alleadged of D. Barnes against Free will Saint Austen saith that there is no hardnesse of heart that can resist grace Dunce saith that there maie bée an obstacie in mans heart S. Austen saith that grace findeth the heart in hardnesse and obstinacie But Dunce saith that there is a mollifieng that precedeth grace which is called attrition Saint Austen saith when the Father learneth vs within then taketh he awaie our stonie hearts But Dunce saith that we can doe it by the common naturall influence that is wée can dispose our selues of congruence Saint Austen saith how all men be not taught to come to Christ but onelie they that be taught of mercie be taught and if it be of mercie then it is not of congruence by attrition The meaning of these places following For by grace are ye saued through faith ¶ So then grace that is to saie the gift of God and Faith doe stande one with an other to which two these be contrarie to be saued by our selues or by our workes Therefore what meane they which would ioine together things of so contrarie nature Beza And grace for grace ¶ This place is diuerslie expounded Some vnderstand the first grace to be that by yâ— which through faith we receiue remission of our sinnes the other grace to bée lyfe euerlasting the which kinde of Grace is giuen to the faithfull according to the saieng of the Apostle but the grace of God is eternall life Rom. 6. 23. But other some will haue the first to bée that which in the olde Testament was giuen to the Iewes The other to be more copious and large and giuen to all men But the simple sence
to harden GOd is said to harden when he calleth he resisteth making himselfe vnworthie of the kingdome of heauen he doth then permit him vnto himselfe that is he leaueth man vnto his owne corrupt nature according vnto the which the hart of man is stonie which is onlie mollified and made tractable by the onelie grace of God therefore the withdrawing of Gods grace is the hardening of mans hart and when we are left to our selues then are we hardened Bullinger fol. 490. ¶ God is said to harden mans heart when he doth iustly punish his obstinacie and wickednesse by withdrawing his spirite and grace The Bible note ¶ Harden his heart ¶ By returning my spirite and deliuâ—ring him to Satan to increase his 〈…〉 Geneua HEART Where the heart of man is placed THe heart of man is placed on the left side all other beasts in the middle of the â—reast The opinion of all naturall Philosophers is that the first that is formed in man is the heart and the last member that dieth in man How some mens hearts be hairie Plinie saith that some mans heart is hairie which betokeneth hardie couragious and actiue as it was proâ—ed by one Aristodamus which fought against the Lacedemonians and slew thrée hunâ—red with his owne handes and he being dead and opened his heart was found hairie How the heart of man that is poysoned will not burne Sweton and Plinie saith both that if a man die of poyson the heart of that man can not be burned though it be cast into the fire which was proued of Germanicus father to Caligula Of the heart and wombe of God The heart of God the Father signifieth the secret of his wisdome of which he begate his word that is his Sonne without beginning without anie passion Psal. 45. 1. My heart is inditing of a good matter His wombe is vsed in the same signification Psal. 110. 4. Of my womde before the morning starre I begate thée Augustine HART OR STAGGE Aâ— the Hâ—rt being poysoned doth couet the watâ—r so we being poysoned with sinne ought to flie vnto Christ for succour THose that doe write of the nature of beasts doe saie that an Hart among other his peculiar properties hath a great desire aboue all other beasts to the waters and that for thrée causes One is for the quenching of his thirst and that desire is common to him with all other beasts he hath also a naturall desire to the water when he is hot and chafed with the chasing of dogs and that for two causes One the colde water cooleth his heat and refresheth his strength Secondlie the water by the meanes of his readinesse and aptnesse to swimme doth not onelie sette him forward and giueth him a vauntage before the dogs but also doth sometime thereby deceiue the Hounds and sometime defendeth him against the â—ray-hounds So that the Hart being chased and in daunger of his 〈…〉 hearesorteth by and by for hisâ— comfort and defence Ad 〈…〉 aquarum vnto the water springs vnto the Brookes or Riuers Our Hunters I trowe tearme it not to call it the water Springs but they call it the Sound The Stagge saie they got him to the Sound and there the Hounds made a fault and had lâ—st him clearelie had not one olde Hound haue bene which iusâ—â—lie leaped into the water and on the other side tried which waie he was gone and so followed the chase afresh Beside these two great causes why the Hart desireth the water there is yet another as great as anie of the other two but not so well knowen to the most part of men as the other be In Affrike and other hot Countries where many Serpents be there is a naturall enmitie betwéene the Harte and them and as soone as the Hart hath deuoured the Serpent the poyson of the Serpent doth cast the Hart into such a feruent heate that it causeth him to haue a meruailous desire to the water without which the Hart must néede die Such a loue ought all men haue to godlinesse and to runne to God for succour when they be poysoned with the venime of sinne or oppressed with anie kinde of trouble as the Hart hath 〈…〉 runne to the water Springs when he is chased with Dogges or poysoned with Serpents So that they maie saie with the Prophet Dauid As the Hart desireth the water Springs so my soule desireth thée O Lord. Ric. Turnar HARVEST What is vnderstood by this word Haruest THe Haruest is great but the labourers are fewe ¶ The Haruest are the hearts of men prepared to heare the worde as it appeareth by the Samaritanes Iohn 4. 39. Tindale Because the haruest of the earth is ripe ¶ This Haruest is the verie same that Christ willeth to be taried for when he teacheth of the sâ—oling out of the good from the bad Suffer ye them saith he to growe together till Haruest and when Haruest commeth I will saie to the Haruest folke First gather together the Darnell and binde it vp in bundells to be burnt but gather ye the Wheate together in my Barne Mat. 13. 30. Marl. fol. 216. HATE The meaning of this place following HE that hateth his life in this world shall keepe it vnto life eternall ¶ He that can be content to loose his temporall life in this world for Christs sake and his word shall liue for eueâ— As in Maâ—h 〈…〉 Tindale When a man maie hate his neighbour WHen thy neighbour hath shewed thée more vnkindnesse tâ—en God hath loue then maâ—â— thou hate him and not before but must loue him for Gods sake till he fight against God to 〈…〉 the name and glorie of God Tindale fol. 204. HATH 〈…〉 following For 〈…〉 But whosoeuer hath not c. ¶ That is to 〈…〉 He that hath a good heart toward the word of God and a set purpose to fashion his déedes thereafter and to garnish it with godlie liuing and to testifie it to other the same shall increase more more dâ—ilie 〈…〉 the graâ—e of God and Christ. But he that loueth it not to liue thereafter and to edifie other the same shall loose the grace of true knowledge and be blinded againe and euerie daie worse and worse blinder and blinder till he be an vtter enimie vnto the word of God and his heart so hardened that it shal be impossible to conuert it Tindale ¶ He that hath anie thing as he should haue it righâ—lie and vseth it well as he should do the same shal abound and increase more and more in goodnesse and godlinesse But he that hath not euen that he hath shall be taken from him that is he that liueth not according to the knowledge he hath in Gods open word of his commaundements but knoweth the Lords will doth it not shall be depriued of that he hath and turned ouer into blindnesse and darknesse ¶ They that haue a desire of righteousnesse and of the truth shall be more and
and strong doubting of altering in no parte but by all meanes studieth euerie daie to make their faith more stronger and stronger by all manner of good workes Bibliander vpon Iude. HELINDIVS What his heresie was HElindius said that Marie was a Uirgin when Christ was borne Yet afterward to haue borne the bretheren of Christ. August Gennad catalog vir illustrâ— HEM How we touch the hem of Christs vesture ANd touched the hem of his vesture ¶ We touch the hem of Christs vesture when we beléeue that he did take our fraile nature vpon him to heale the filthie diseases of our corruptible flesh Sir I. Cheeke HEMEROBAPTISTS What manner of Heretikes they were THe Hemerobaptists were Iewes in all points they affirmed that it was impossible for anie man to attaine vnto euerlastiâ—g life vnlesse he were euerie daie purified and baptised Epiphan perâ—a lib. 1. de heres HENOCH What his taking vp into heauen signifieth THis is not Henoch the first sonne of Caâ— but Henoch the sonne of Iared whose taking vp into heauen doth manifest vnto vs the immortalitie that remaineth after this life and that God would iudge the world who will saue those that be righteous and dampne those that be wicked Lanquet For God tooke him awaie ¶ To shewe that there was a better life prepared and to be a Testimonie of the immortalitie of soules and bodies As to enquire where he became is méere curiositie Geneua HER AND ANAN How they were slaine for not vsing the lawfull benefite of mariage HEr the eldest sonne of Iuda was maried to Thamar of Mesopotamia the daughter of Aran. Now Her was a wicked impe and doubted of Thamar because she was not of the lande of Chanaan therfore the Angell of the Lord slew him the third night after his mariage when he had not yet companied with hir by reason of his mothers subtiltie and so he died in his naughtinesse for she was loath that he should haue anie child by hir When Anan was mariageable Thamar was giuen vnto him and he also of a spite companied not with hir notwithstanding that he liued a full yeare with hir and when he was threatened of his father Iuda then he companied with hir but yet by his mothers commandement he let his séed fall vpon the ground and so he also died in his wickednesse ¶ This Storie is in the booke of the 12. Patriarks HEARE HIM How Christ is to be heard in all things THis is my deare sonne in whom I delight heare him ¶ Sith that we are from aboue by the voice of the heauenlie Father bidden to heare Christ we ought not as Saint Cyprian saith to care what the Fathers haue done before vs but much rather what Christ which was before the Fathers did commaund vs to doe that are we most bound to follow and to doe Sir I. Cheeke HERESIE The definition of Heresie AS touching the definition of Heresie S. Austen saith To expresse by orderly definition what thing maketh and Heretike as I iudge is either impossible or verie hard ¶ The word Heresie is deriued of a Uerbe which signifieth to elect or chuse vnto themselues some certain opinions which are against the holy Scriptures and do stubbornly defend the same And the causes of this their choise for the most part are either because they are ignoraunt of the holy Scriptures or els if they knowe them they despise them and being driuen by some couetousnesse they apply themselues to the inuention of some errours Wherefore Augustine in his booke De vtilitate credendi writeth An Heretike is he which for the loue of gaine or rule either bringeth vp or els followeth new opinions The definition therefore of Heresie is a choice and stubborne defending of opinions which are against the holy Scriptures either by reason of ignoraunce or els contempt of them to the ende the easier to obtaine their owne pleasures and commodities The choise and stubborne defending is in this definition in steed of the forme but the opinions disagréeing with the holy Scriptures serue for the matter Pride and couetousnesse make Heresie And the obtaining of dignities gaine and pleasures are appointed the endes of this so great a mischiefe By this definition it is manifest inough as I thinke who be Heretikes Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 58. What things are required for the proofe of Heresie For iust proofe of Heresie thrée things necessarie are required for the proofe of Heresie First that it be an errour Second that it be an errour against the truth of Gods word Thirdly that it be stoutly and willingly maintained Otherwise an errour in Gods truth without wilfull maintenaunce is not an Heresie S. Austen saith Errare possum c. In an errour I maie be but an Heretike I cannot be Iewel How Heresie is to be auoyded and punished A man that is giuen to Heresie after the first and second admonition auoid c. After that the godlie Minister hath by the mightie word of God conuinced any man of heresie if that man will obstinately abide in his erronious opinion doctrine it is lawfull for the godly Magistrate to punish him with the sword this place which doth only pertain to the Minister vnto whom the temporall sword is not deliuered notwithstanding Paule did smite Bariesu with blindnesse Act. 13. 11. And the Lord Deut. 13. 5. did commaund yâ— the false Prophet shall be slaine put to death This law is not yet abolished Sir I. Cheeke ¶ This Commaundement is giuen to the Minister and so particularly to all men to whom the sword is not committed but els the Magistrate whose chiefe office is to maintain Gods glorie in his Church ought to cut of all such rotten infectious members from the bodie Geneua HERETIKE What is to be done with Heretikes MY bretheren saith Iames if anie of you doe straie from the truth so that anie man conuert him he must know that who soeuer doe cause a sinner to turne from the errour of his waie shall saue a soule from death But now a daies you maie find men that will trauaile rather to ouerthrow then to turne heretiks The Lord saith Augustin doth ouerthrow the kingdomes of errour through his seruaunts but he giueth charge that the men forasmuch as they be men should be rather reformed then lost Neither ought we to dispaire of the turning of our brother which is fallen into Heresie For vnlesse that such a one might be conuerted by the grace of the Lord the aduise of Iames hadde bene vtterly to no purpose This Augustine knew well and therefore he emploied himselfe whollie vnto the conuerting of Heretikes and that with great lenitie and mildenesse of spirite according vnto the monition of the Apostle Againe he saith It was our dutie to chuse and to wish the best that we might make our waie to your reformation not in contention wrawling and persecution but by comforting of you gently by aduising you fauourably by
of Saints namely buriall not papistical canoniâ—ation or false worshipping which hath bene vsed with great abuse Marl. vpon Math. fol. 313. How Iohn is thought to worke miracles after his death He is risen from death and therefore are miracles wrought by him ¶ It is an Heathenish beliefe to thinke that men can do greater things after their death then in their life time and héereof did spring the vaine worshipping of dead folkes Sir I. Cheeke ¶ He spake after the common errour for they thought that the soules of them that were departed entered into another bodie Geneua Wherefore Iohn was called Helias Iohn Baptist was called Helias because he came in the spirit and power of Helias most sharply rebuking sin That so men knowing their owne sinfull nature and the damnation yâ— hung ouer them should the more gladly embrace Christ the sauiour redéemer of the world Sir I. Cheeke Wherefore Iohn Baptist did no miracles Iohn did no miracles ¶ God would haue no miracles done by Iohn least the people should haue attributed too much vnto him And therefore he would haue him onely to teach to testifie For as the bodie of Moses his sepulchre are hid vnto this present day and that by the iust prouidence of God least that superstitious flesh in visiting the body of Moses should commit Idolatrie euen so for iust cause Iohn than whome other wise there arose not a greater among womens children wrought no miracles For if so be the gift of miracles had bene ioyned to his doctrine and holinesse of lyfe the people could scarce haue ben driuen srom beléeuing him to be Christ c. Marl. vpon Iohn fol. 394. Of Iohns Baptime The Baptime of Iohn whence was it c. ¶ Héere the Baptime of Iohn is taken for that heauenlye doctrine which he taught For as water doth wash awaye the filthinesse of the bodie so doth true doctrine make the soule cleane deliuering it from superstition and erronious doctrine Sir I. Cheeke Unto what then were ye baptised and they said vnto Iohns Baptime ¶ By this place Iohns Baptime signifieth Iohns doctrine which therefore is so called for that he sealed his doctrine with the seale of Baptime in them that beléeued The Bible note Meaning what doctrine they did professe by their Baptime for to be baptised in Iohns Baptime signifieth to professe the doctrine which he taught and sealed with the signe of Baptime to bée baptised in the name of the Father c. is to be dedicate and consecrate vnto him To be baptised in the death of Christ or for the dead or into one bodye vnto remission of sins is that sinne by Christes death may be abolished and die in vs and that we maye growe in Christ. Math. 3. 11. Mar. 1. 8. Luke 3. 16. Ihon. 1. 27. Act. 1. 5. and 2. 2. 11. 16. Geneua Baptime in this place is taken for the doctrine and not for the lauer of water For the baptime of Christ and the baptime of Iohn which is done in the water is all one els Christ who was baptised by Iohn ought to haue bene baptised againe Héere then we doe gather that these folkes not twice baptised with the water of Baptime but were twice instruccted and at length after perfect instruction they were baptised with water in the name of Christ. Sir I. Cheeke Of the difference betweene Iohns Baptime and the Apostles The difference betwéene the Baptime of Iohn and the Apostles was onelye this that Iohn baptised them to beléeue in Christ that was for to come and the Apostles baptised them to beléeue in Christ which was come alreadie and had suffered for the remission of sinnes of as manie as beléeued in him Tindale IOHN THE EVANGELIST Of this Iohns life written by Saint Hierome IOhn the Apostle whome Iesus loued right well béeing the sonne of Zebedeus and Iames the Apostles brother whome after the Lordes death Herode had beheaded wrote his Gospell last of all the rest being desired there to by the Bishops of Asia both against Cerinthus and diuerse other heretiks But principally against the Ebeonites which euen then arose which Ebeonites auouch that Christ was not before Marieâ— by reason whereof he was enforced to shew of his diuine natiuitie They say that beside this there was an other cause of his writing because that when he had read the volumes of Mathew Marke Luke he well allowed the text of the storie and affirmed that they had said truth but had onely made their storie of one yeares act in the which after the imprisonment of Iohn Christ suffered Wherefore omitting that yeares actes which were sufficientlye entreated of all thrée he sheweth such thinges as were done before Iohn was imprisoned which thing maye euidently appeare to such as shall diligentlye read the volumes of the foure Gospels the which thing also doth take awaie the disagreeing that séemeth to be betweene Iohn the rest He wrote beside the premises one Epistle which beginneth thus That which was from the beginning which we haue heard which we haue seene with our eyes c. The other two which beginne The elder to the well beloued Ladie and her children c. And the elder to the best deloued Caius whom I loue in the truth c. are affirmed to haue bene written of Iohn the Priest whose seuerall tombe is at this day to be seene at Ephesus many suppose that there are two memorials of this same Iohn the Euangelist of which matter we wil entreate after we shal by order come to yâ— lyfe of Papias his scholer In the 14. yeare â—hen at what time Domicianus after Nero stirred vp the second persecution Iohn being banished into the I le of Pathmos wrote yâ— reuelation which is intituled the Apocalips which Iustin the martir and Ireneus doe make Commentaries vpon But after Domician was slaine and all his acts reuoked by the Senate because of his ouermuch crueltie he returned to Ephesus in the time of Prince Neruai and continued there vntil the time of the Emperour Traiane he instituted and gouerned all the Churches of Asia and ther continued till he was impotent for age He died the thréescore and eight yeare after the passion of the Lord Iesus And was buried a little beside the same Citie Eras. in his Paraphras A noâ—able historie of this Iohn When Iohn was returned to Ephesus fr 〈…〉 the I le of Pathmos he was desired for matters of religion to resort to yâ— places borâ—â—ring néere vnto him And comming to a certeine place he sawe a goodly young man both of bodie and countenaunce on whom he east such a fauourâ— that he committed him to the Bishoppe there charging the Bishoppe most earnestly and that two seuerall times to sée him diligently instructed in the doctrine and faith of Christ. And so Iohn returning againe to Ephesus the Bishop toke the young man and brought him home and diligently instructed him in the waies of Christ and
scholers say that these keyes be nothing els but an authoritie giuen to the Priests whereby they giue sentence that heauen must be opened to this man and shut vnto the other so that heauen is opened shut at the sentence of the Priest Saint Hierome is against Dunce whose words be these I shall giue thée the keyes of heauen c. This place saith Saint Hierome the Bishops Priests not vnderstanding haue vsurped vnto themselues somewhat of the Pharesies pride so that they thinke they may condemne innocents and loose them that be guiltie when afore God not the sentence of the priest but the life of the guiltie is regarded c. ¶ Héere you haue plainly that the sentence of the Priest is not looked vpon nor able to loose a sinner afore God Marke also that S. Hierom saith You vnderstand not this place D. Bar. fol. 257. How the Priests be but the key bearers The keye saith Chrisostome vpon Math. chapter 23. is the word of the knowledge of the Scriptures by which the gate of truth is opened vnto men And the key bearers are the priests to whome is committed the worde of teaching and interpreting the Scriptures Bullinger Of the keye of Dauid or keyes of the Church Which hath the keye of Dauid ¶ That is to say full power ouer the throne of Dauid that is to wit ouer the Church For the Metaphore of keyes not onely in the Scripture but also by the custome of men betokeneth the ful authoritie and ordering of a kingdome or a citie or a house Such as loseph had in the Realme of Pharao King of Aegypt and Eliakim in the house of the King of Iuda according as it is sayd I will laye the Keye of Dauids house vppon his shoulder hée shall open and no man shall shutte and hée shall shutte and no man shall open Esay 22. 22. Euen so CHRIST our Lorde béeing of the seede of Dauid according to the flesh hath all power in the kingdome of the heauenly father For looke whom the father hath foreordeined vnto saluation them receiueth Christ into his â—locke that is to say into his Church and thrusteth the rest out of the dores he openeth yâ— vnderstanding of his seruants yâ— they may be inlightened vnderstand the scriptures the rest he blindeth by his secret howbeit rightful Iustice. Whervpon he saith All things are deliuered me by my father Math. 11. 27. And againe All power is giuen vnto me both in Heauen and in Earth Math. 28. 18. And the Angell saide to Maâ—y The Lord will giue him the â—eate of his father Dauid and he shal reigne ouer the house of Iacob for euer and of his reigne there shall be no ende Luke 1. 32. To him alone therefore doeth it pertaine to rule the Church whereof he is head which thing he doth euen now by the seruice of his ministers to whom hee hath therefore promised the Keyes of the heauenly Kingdome to the intent they should set open the way for the godly vnto heauen and shut the vnbeléeuers out of heauen by the preaching of the Gospel Marl. vpon the Apoc. fol. 60. To whom the Keye of the Bottomelesse Pit was giuen And vnto him was giuen the keye of the bottomelesse Pit ¶ A keye is a token of power or authoritie and publike administration receiued Iohn therefore meaneth that God in his wrath hath giuen power to Heretikes and deceiuers to thrust their diuelish opinions into the Church Thou séest openly héere lyke as in many other places of the Scripture how it happeneth not but by Gods prouidence that errours and vntruths are brought in to deceiue men withall wherevnto also hée giueth such force effectuall working that they go for good payment as I said a little before Therefore we sée héere how power is giuen to deceiuers and heretikes to set their errours openly abroad and to seduce fonde men by vaine Philosophie the doctrine of whom is rightly lykened to a bottomelesse pitte For looke as no man is able to gage the ground of a bottomelesse pit euen so the more a man followeth the doctrine of heretikes so much the lesse substauncialnesse and proofe shall hée finde And in this place wee sée the Bishop of Romes Keyes which he boasteth off so greatly Marl. vpon the Apoc. fol. 126. How the Popish Prelates haue not the keyes of heauen but of hell As touching the authoritie of the keyes censours no Christian man ought to estéeme Satan whom men call the Pope and his vniust censours more then the hissing of a Serpent or the blast of Lucifer Also that no man ought to trust or put confidence in the false Indulgences of couetous Priests which Indulgences doe draw away the hope which men ought to repose in God to a sort of sinfull men and doe robbe the poore of such almes as is giuen to them such Priests be manifest betrayers of Christ and of his whole Church and be Satans owne stewards to be guilâ— Christian soules by their hypocrisie and fained pardons Also forsomuch as those Prelates and Cleargie men liue so execrable a life contrarie to the Gospell of Christ and example of his Apostles and teach not truly the Gospell but onely lyes and the traditions of wicked and sinfull men It appeareth most manifestly that they haue not the keyes of the Kingdome of heauen but rather the keyes of hell And they may bée right well assured that God neuer gaue vnto them authoritie to make and establish so many ceremonies traditions which be contrary to the libertie of the Gospell and are blockes in Christian mens wayes that they can neither know nor obserue the same his Gospell in libertie of conscience and so attaine a ready way vnto heauen Booke of Mart. fol. 651. KEEPE What it is to keepe the saiengs of Christ. HE that loueth not me kéepeth not my saiengs ¶ To kéepe the saiengs of Christ is nothing els but to beléeue that the same is true and wholesome and also to cleaâ—e vnto the same with our whole heart euen as we may gather by the Scripture Heare O Israel the Ordinaunces and the Lawes which I propose vnto you this day that ye may learne them and take heede to obserue them If by kéeping the Commaundements of God ye vnderstand the fulfilling of them no man shall keepe them but iâ— yâ— vnderstand for seeking to fulfill them then all the godly kéepe them For he cannot choose but giue himselfe to the keeping of the Commaundements of God which truly knoweth the same to be of God Contrary not to kéepe the Lordes saiengs is to reiect the doctrine of Christ and to contemne his commaundements which all the wicked are wont to doe Marl. vpon Iohn fol. 495. How this place following is vnderstood I haue sinned what shall I doe vnto thée O thou kéeper of men ¶ Some men expound this as though lob should dispute against God saieng I can doe none other but
good workes ¶ The godly couersation of the people of God doth minister occasion vnto men to praise laude and magnifie God as on the contrarie side our naughtie liuing is an occasion that God and his holy word is blasphemed and euill spoken of Sir I. Cheeke Wherefore these lights were ordeined Let there be lights for signes and seasons ¶ These lights were nto made to serue Astronomers fantasies but for signes in naturall things and tokens of Gods mercie and wrath The Bible note ¶ By the lights he meaneth the Sunne the Moone and the Starres Geneua ¶ Looke Loynes girde LILIES What it is to gather vp Lilies ANd to gather vp Lylies ¶ Rabbi Iarhi and S. Barnard expounding this place saith thus To gather vp Lilies is to gather vp men And yet euen in this one exposition resteth to be handeled that Christ is the gatherer and men the flowers If christ be a gatherer he is no disperser Indéede it is méete that the shepheard should gather his shéepe and the hen hir chicken and the husbandman the graine into his barne Euen so the Prophet Ezechiel saith that Christ should gather his sheepe out of all land and gather them into their owne land so doeth he himselfe say with affection of déepe loue O Ierusalem Ierusalem how often would I haue gathered thée together as the hen gathereth hir chickens and thou wouldest not And as Lilies grewe dispersed héere one and there one so good men growe rare thin And as Christ picketh Lilies from among thornes for they growe among thornes so picked he Abraham from the thorns of Chaldee Iob from the Hussites Hyram from the Tyrians Naaman from the Sirians the Niniuites from the Assirians Lylies grow rare and good men grow rarer lylies among thornes and good men among thornes and as the gathering of Lylies and men be like so men and Lylies be very like T. Drant LION The meaning of this place following ANd I was deliuered from the mouth of the Lyon ¶ Some men doe expound this place of Satan the Diuell which as S. Paule saith goeth about like a roaring Lyon séeking whom he may deuoure But it ought rather to be vnderstood of Nero the Emperour which was the most cruell Tyrant that euer was on the earth and such an vngodly Prince is as a Lyon and as a deuouring beare vnto his people Pro. 28. 15. Sir I. Cheeke How Lions are compared to the persecuters of Christ. A Lyon is the Lord and the fiercest of all other beastes of the earth whose propertie is to lye and lurke and in a manner to humble himselfe vntill he haue his praye and then as it is the propertie of a beare to roare when he is baited so the propertie of a Lyon is when he hath got his pray to gape vpon it and to roare and neuer before Of this propertie sauoureth the sentence of the Prophet Amos. 3. Chap. ver 4. saieng Doeth the Lyon roare in the woode except he haue his pray As who should saye the Lyons roaring and the Lyons praie goe euer together Againe Commeth there any plague within a Citie that is not of the Lords sending no more saith Amos can ye heare a Lyon roare without his praye Of this propertie of a Lion doth Aristotle write in lyke manner li. 9. de natura animalium Chap. 24. And to this propertie of a Lion doth the Prophet Dauid resemble the persecuters of Christ at his passion where he saith Aperierunt super meos suum sicut Leo They haue opened their mouths wide vpon me as it wer a Lyon ramping or roring Another propertie that a Lyon hath he is afraid of nothing except it be of the noise and rolling of a whéele-barrowe or a Timbrell or some other lyke thing as the noyse of emptie Carts And some write that he is afraid of the crowing of a Cocke so likewise the Lyons that put Christ to death and doe now spoyle the Common weale were nothing afraide of Gods displeasure wrath and vengeaunce but onely were afraid of a silly rattle as of the losse of their own vaine glory and pompe of the decay of their foolish superstitious traditions but nothing regarding the shedding of Christs innocent most precious bloud A Lyon hath also this propertie he loueth euer to féede and to walke alone not so much as the Lionesse shall be in his companie contrary to the nature of all other beasts and this propertie may be resembled to the greedie Lyons of this world that loueth to dwell alone and to eate alone for any hospitalitie they keepe in comparison of their liuing as well as vnto the Scribes and Pharesies and the high Priests who to maintaine their auarice and couetousnesse cryed Awaye with Christ crucifie him crucifie him we haue no King but Caesar let Moses and vs alone c. Ric. Turnar How tyrants are likened to Lyons The roaring of the Lyon and the voice of the Lionesse and the teeth of the Lyons Whelpes are broken ¶ Though men according to their office doe not punish tyrants whome for their crueltie he compareth to Lyons and their children to their Whelpes yet God is able and his Iustice will punish them Geneua How the Lyons are fed by Gods prouidence The Lyons roare after their pray and séeke their meate at God ¶ That is they onely finde meate according to Gods prouidence who careth euen for the brute beasts Geneua LOCVSTS What manner of beasts they were HIs meate was Locusts and wilde honny ¶ Locusts be certaine beastes which the people of Parthia and of Aethiopia didde commonly vse to eate as affirmeth Plinie in the 11 booke the 29. chapter and 16. booke and 30. chapter Yet doe some holde opinion that they be the toppes or as we call them the buddes of trées or fruits Tindale ¶ Locusts were a kinde of meate which certaine of the East people vse which were therefore called deuourers of Locusts Beza LOINES GIRDE What is ment thereby Girde vp thy loines c. ¶ For a Prophet or Preacher to girde vp his loines is boldly and constantly to resist the false opinions and doctrine of the wicked and euen to imprint in them the word of truth which engendreth hate whether they will or no and that not once or twice but vntill such time as they either amend or els waxe angrie and furious with it Yea and then to set more by the commaundements of the Lord then by the power and tyranny of the world and not to set by the threatenings or rulers which can do nothing but that which God permitteth and suffereth them Therefore are they not to be feared of an obedient and faithfull seruaunt of the Lord. T. M. The meaning of this place following Let your loynes be gird and your lights burning ¶ That is be in a readinesse to execute the charge which is committed to you Geneua The burning lights that Christ willeth vs to haue in our hands are
words al perfection as immortalitie wisdome truth innocencie power c. Geneua After the likenesse of God created he him ¶ That is after the shape and Image which was before appointed for the son of God The chiefe part of man also which is the soule is made like vnto God in a certeine proportion of nature of power working So that in that we are made like vnto God Tindale How God made man to be vndestroied God made man to be vndestroied ¶ That is when God made him in the Image of his owne likenesse neuerthelesse through the enuie of the diuell came death into the world whereby it may be easily gathered yâ— the wise maÌ„ doth speak ther of Adam being in the most perfect state of his first creation in the which if he had continued abiden still obaieng the commandement yâ— the Lord his God had giuen him neither death nor hel could haue had anie power of him he shoulde haue bene immortall he should haue liued for euer God then had created him to bée vndestroied if he had not through disobedience broken his commaundement I. Veron ¶ For God would not that man shuld perish But they after that they were created haue defiled the name of him that made them and are vnthankfull vnto him which prepared lyfe for them How the death of man and beast is alike It happeneth vnto man as it doth to beasts euen one condition to them both as the one doth so doth the other ¶ There is no difference betwéene a man and a beast as touching the body which of them both dieth but the soule of man liueth immortal the body of man riseth vp againe by the mightie power of the spirit of God The Bible note ¶ Man is not able by his reason and iudgement to put difference betwéene man and beast as touching those thinges wherevnto both are subiect or the eye cannot iudge any otherwise of a man béeing dead then of a beast which is dead Yet by the word of God and fayth we easily know the difference Geneua Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth vpward ¶ Meaning that reason cannot comprehend that which faith beléeueth héerein Geneua ¶ The immortalitie of the soule is not knowne by carnall reason or sense but by the word of the spirit of God The Bible note How mans life is but sorow and care What profit saith the wise man hath man more of all the labour wherewith he wearieth himselfe vnder the Sunne but sorrow and care and nothing without paine griefe ¶ Euripides saith if thou which art borne mortall doe thinke to liue thy selfe without labour and vnquietnesse thou art a foole I. Northbrooke Of mans good purpose before grace A reason of the Pelagians Dunce men of mans good purpose before grace The grace of God say they doth helpe mans good purpose so that man doth first intend and purpose well as Dunce saith dispose himselfe by attrition to receiue grace and then God doth helpe him Aunswere Of truth there is no good purpose in man no good disposition nor good intent but all is against goodnesse and cleane contrarie against all things that agréeth with grace till that God of his méere mercy commeth and giueth him a will to will goodnesse yea and that when he thought nothing of goodnesse but doth cleerely resist all goodnesse This doth S. Austen proue in these words The Pelagians say that they graunt how the grace doth helpe euery mans good purpose but not that he giueth that loue of vertue to him that striueth against it This thing doe they say as though man of himselfe without the helpe of God hath a good purpose and a good minde to vertue by the which merit proceeding before he is worthy to be holpen of the grace of God that followeth after Doubtlesse the grace that followeth doth helpe the good purpose of man but the good purpose should neuer haue bene if grace had not preceded And though that the good studie of men when it beginneth is holpen of grace yet it did neuer begin without grace ¶ Héere we sée S Austen cléere against them D. Barnes How mans ordinance my be altered There be some orders in the primitiue Church commaunded by God some other were deuised by men for yâ— better training of the people Such orders as were coÌ„manded by God may in no wise be chaunged onely because God commaunded them for as God is euerlasting so is his word commaundement euerlasting On the other side such order as haue bene deuised by men may be broken vpon some good consideration only because they were men that deuised them For as they be mortall so all their wisdome and inuentions be but mortall And so indéed as touching such things as haue ben ordeined by men we are not bound of necessitie to the order of the primitiue Church But such things as God hath precisely coÌ„manded by his word may neuer be broken by any custome or consent Iewel Of the disposition of man As mans strength is so is his worke as is his will so is his worke as is his forecast so is his dooing as is his heart so is his mouth as is his eye so is his sleepe as is his mind so is his talke either of the law of the Lord or of the lawe of Behal In the Testam of Neptalin Of mans will and running It lieth not in any mans will or running but in the mercie of God Whereas some vpon this place doe ascribe part of iustification vnto the grace and mercie of God part of it vnto the same will and running or indeauour of man S. Austen maketh answere thus If saith he the Apostle did meane none other thing but that it doth not onely lye in the will and running of man except the mercy of God doe helpe we may also say on the contrary that it lyeth not only in the mercy of God without the will and running of man but sith it were a plaine vngodlynesse to saye so let vs not doubt but yâ— the Apostle did attribute all to yâ— mercy of God that he did leaue no manner of thing vnto our owne will endeuour Againe he saith in an other place Therefore that we should beléeue in God liue godly it lyeth not in the will and running of man but in the mercy of God not that we ought not both to will runne but because that he himselfe doth worke in vs both to wil and also to runne I. Veron Of two Hebrew words that signifie man A man sent from God ¶ The Hebrewes haue two words to signifie man Adam and Ish. Adam signifieth a man subiect to mortalitie miserie and calamitie Ish signifieth a man of reputation The Prophet Dauid comprehendeth both in one verse in the Psal. Heare this all ye people c. Bâ—th children of Adam and children of Ish. The Greeke word which the
congregation of such pure doctrine and perfect liuing that he made all that professed Christ to followe his example To be short philo the eloquentest writer of yâ— Iews perceiuing the first congregation of Alexandria yet to perseuer in the Iewish religion wrote a booke of their conuersation as it were in the praise of his Nation and as Luke sheweth how all thinges were common amonge the beléeuers at Hierusalem So did he put in writing al that euer he sée done at Alexandria during the time that Marke there taught preached He died in the eight yeare of Neros reigne was buried at Alexandria In whose place succéeded Aniamis Erasmus Of the martirdome of this Euangelist This Marke was the first Bishop of Alexandria and preached the Gospell in Aegypt and there drawne with ropes vnto the fire was burned and afterward buried in a place called there Bucolus vnder the raigne of Traianus the Emperour Booke of Mar. fol. 52. What the Marke in the right hand signifieth And made all c. to receiue a marke in their right hand and in their forehead c. ¶ Wherby he meaning the Pope renounseth Christ for as faith the word the Sacraments are yâ— christians markes so this Antechrist will accept none but such as will approue his doctrine so that it is not inough to confesse Christ beléeue the Scriptures but a man must subscribe to yâ— popes doctrine Moreouer their chrismatories greasings vowes othes shauings are signes of this marke Insomuch yâ— no nation was excepted yâ— had not many of these marked beasts Ge. Markes to know the false Apostles by There are two markes to know the false Apostles by The one is when they leaue Christ serue their bellies the other when they regard not the holy Scriptures preach lyes and their owne fantasies as S. Paule saith they serue not Christ but their owne bellies and with swéete and flattering words deceiue the hearts of the innocents Rom. 6. 18. MARS STRETE What Mars strete is PAule stoode in the middest of Mars strete ¶ This was a place so called as you woulde saye Mars hill where the Iudges sat which were called Areopagitae vpon weightie affaires which in olde time arrained Socrates and afterward condempned him of impietie Theo. Beza MARTIR What maketh a Martir IT is not the death but the cause of the death that maketh a Martir Saint Austen saith Tres erant in cruce c. There were three hanged on the crosse The iust was the Sauiour the second to be saued the third to be dampned The paine of all thrée was one but the cause was diuerse Iewel fol. 30. It is no hard matter by words to testifie the truth But those testimonies are most weightie which are sealed with bloud and with death Howbeit this is to be knowne as Augustine putteth vs in minde that the paines and punishmentes or death make not martirs but the cause For otherwise manye suffer many gréeuous things which yet are not martirs for the same Augustine to Bonifacius of the correction of the Donatists and in many other places testifieth that there were in his time Circumcelliones a furious kinde of men which if they coulde finde none that would kill them oftentimes threw themselues downe headlong and killed themselues These men saith hée are not to be counted for martirs Wherefore there séeme to be thrée things required to cause a man to be a martir First that the doctrine which he defendeth be true and agréeable with the holy Scriptures The second is that there be ioyned integritie and innocencie of lyfe that he not onely by his death but also by his lyfe and manners doe edifie the Church The third is that they séeke not to dye for boasting sake or desire of name or fame c. Pet. Mar. vpon the Rom. fo 233. How Martirs ought not to be worshipped Cyrillus in his sixt booke Contra Iulianum sayth We neyther say that the holy Martirs are Gods neither are we wont to worship them but rather we doe honour them with laudes and praises because they did stoutly fight for the truth yâ— they might keepe the sinceritie of faith MASSE How the Masse as they call it was vsed at the first FIrst they sayd Confiteor and acknowledged themselues to be sinners And then the Priest prayed in generall for all estates and degrees and for increase of grace and in especially if neede required Unto which prayers the people harkened and sayd Amen And then the Gospell and glad tidings of sorgiuenesse of sinnes was preached to stirre our faith and then the Sacrament was ministred for the confirmation of yâ— faith of the Gospell and of the testament made betweene God and vs of â—orgiuenesse of sinnes in Christs bloud for our repentance and faith As ye sée how after all bargaines there is a signe thereof made eyther clapping of hands or bowing a pennie or a grote or a peece of golde or giuing some earnest And as I shewed you after a truse made they slewe beasts for a confirmation And then men departed euerye man to his businesse full certified that their sinnes were forgiuen and armed with the remembraunce of Christs passion death for yâ— mortifieng of the flesh all the day after And in all these was neither the Sacrament neither other ceremonies of the Masse Image seruice to God holy déeds to make satisfaction for our sinnes or to purchase such worldly things as the Gospell teacheth vs to despise And now compare this vse of the Masse to ours sée whether yâ— Masse be not become yâ— most damnable Idolatry Image seruice that euer was in the world Tindale fol. 427. How the Popish Masse is falsified vpon S. Iames. The Papists doe bragge that S. Iames did vse their manner of Masse at Hierusalem S. Marke at Alexandria and S. Peter at Antioch But they haue no historie touching this matter worthy Though they vsed yâ— Lords supper as Christ our Maister did and as Paule also at Corinth yet they did not vse it as the péeuish Papists doe now the Masse That Ignatius Policarpus Ireneus make mention of is not like the popish Masse They confesse yâ— Basilius Magnus Hierome Ambrose vsed an other order in the administration of the Lords supper then is now vsed and that diuerse haue vsed diuerse fashions therin by their owne words Therefore it is manifest that this kinde of Massing is not the ordinance of Christ but inueÌ„ted by mans wit and pollicie without the word of God Thus saith the prechers of the Gospell at Basil. Bibliander S. Gregory saith that the Apostles had no peculiar manner in celebrating the Masse but that they only sayd yâ— Lords praier whose words be these The manner of the Apostles was yâ— onely at the saieng of the Lords praier they consecrated the sacrament D. Barnes fol. 356. By whom the Popish Masse was patched Who so list to know the often alterations and chaunges of
beléeue but to them that beléeue not And plainly to argue that a thing is good because a miracle is shewed by it or else to approue a present vse by that which néedfully sometime was done hath too many absurdities and inconueniences to bée yéelded to D. Calfehill Whether we should beleeue miracles If onely the word of God is to be beléeued why said Christ that if they would not beléeue him they should yet at the least beleeue his works To this we aunswere that miracles are as testimonies by which men are the easilier brought to beléeue so that they are things by meanes whereof men beléeue not that faith is directed vnto them as vnto his obiect although as touching the miracles of Christ of the Apostles we must beléeue yâ— they were done by God not by Belzabub or by the diuell as the Pharesies slaunderously reported and this is conteined in the word of God for it giueth testimony yâ— these miracles should be wrought that they were wrought in their due time namely in the preaching of the second doctrine c. Pet. Mar. vpon the Rom. fol. 326. In olde time it was knowne by miracles who were the true Christians and who the false but nowe the working of miracles is taken quite away and rather found among them that be false Christians Why miracles be not done now a daies To these that demaund this question why is not miracles done now a daies by the ministers of Gods word Aunswere Because that the glorie of Christ truth of Gods word was confirmed by miracles long agoe which being done they haue discharged their duetie Hemmyng Pope Leo maketh them answere thus ye foolish Scribes wicked Priests the power of our sauiour was not to be shewed at the discretion of your blindnesse God sheweth his miracles when and where and to whom he will Whosoeuer requireth miracles to bring him to the faith is himself a great miracle that the world beléeuing remaineth still in vnbeliefe How Miracles are wrought by the diuell In the end of time power shal be giuen to the diuel to work profitable signes and miracles so that then we cannot knowe the mysteries of Christ by that they work profitable miracles but by that they worke no miracles Let no man say saith S. Austen therfore it is true for that this man or that man hath wrought this or that miracle or for that men make their praiers at the tombs of the dead and obteine their desire or for that these or these miracles be wrought there c. Away with these things they may be either the iuglings and mockeries of deceitfull men or else illusions of lieng spirits S. Austen saith Contra istos c. My God hath warned me to beware of those mongers of miracles saieng In the last day shall rise vp false Prophets working signes wonders to the end of it be possible to bring the elect to errour behold I haue forewarned you therfore the bridegrome hath willed vs to beware for we may not be deceiued no not by miracles Alexander of Halys saith In the sacrament it selfe there appeareth flesh sometimes by the conueiance of men sometimes by the working of the diuell Nicholas de Lyra saith sometime in the Church the people is shamefullye deceiued with feined miracles wrought either by the Priestes or else by their companions for lucre sake S. Austen saith to Faustus the Maniche ye worke no miracles and yet if ye wrought anie at your hands we wold take heede of them The Prophet Ieremy saith They haue deceiued my people by their lies and by their false miracles These wonders which they call miracles be wrought daily in the Church not by the power of God as many one thinke but by the illusion of Satan rather who as the Scripture witnesseth hath bene loose now abroad 500. yeares according as it is written in the booke of the Apocalips after a thousand years Satan shall be loose c. Neither are they to be called miracles of true christian men but illusions rather whereby to delude mens mindes to make them put their trust in our Ladie and in other Saints and not in God alone to whom be honour and glory for euer Bilney in the bo of Mar. fol. 1140. Vulgus hominuÌ„ c. The common people saith he estéemeth Saints by miracles counteth him the greater that hath done mâ— miracles but they erre manifestly that so iudge Miracles are indéed to vse S. Paules words the operatioÌ„ of great works the gift of the holy Ghost But heereon they are not onely estéemed Saints else the blessed virgin and Iohn Baptist were of all Saints yâ— least that are dead to haue wrought no miracles We may not therefore esteeme Saints héerevpon Moreouer oftentimes miracles are giuen to the euill for many shall say in yâ— day Lord Lord haue we not cast out diuels in thy name and I shall say vnto them I haue not knowne you Why Christ did not many miracles in his owne country And he did not many miracles thereâ— c. ¶ Christ might haue wrought miracles yea though they beleeued not but he did not work many yâ— for their own profit Least if he had done there as he did in other places their condemnation should haue ben greater Sir I. Cheeke How to know true miracles from false Euen as we take those Sacraments for true Sacraments ceremonies which preach vnto vs Gods word so do we account these for true miracles only which moue vs to harken vnto yâ— word of God Other rule theÌ„ this to discerne theÌ„ by ther is not namely yâ— the true are done to prouoke meÌ„ to come harkeÌ„ vnto Gods word and yâ— false to confirme doctrine yâ— is not gods word How faith grounded vpon miracles abideth not What a multitude came out of Aegipt vnder Moses of which the Scripture testifieth yâ— they beléeued moued by yâ— miracles of Moses Neuertheles yâ— scripture testifieth yâ— vi hundred thousaÌ„d of those beléeuers perished through vnbeliefe left their carcasses in the wildernes neuer entred into yâ— land yâ— was promised them Iudas beléeued because of Christ his miracles Symon Magus beléeued through occasion of Philips preaching but Peter sayde that his heart was not aâ—ight with God Act. 8. How false teachers shall deceiue by nothing more then by miracles Christ saith there shall arise false anointed and false Prophets and shall shew great miracles Also in the same chapter verse 5. Many shall come in my name c. by the which words it appeareth that they must be in the church of Christ of them that shall call themselues Christians What the cause of false miracles is The cause of false miracles is for that they loue not the truth and therfore God hath promised by S. Paule to send them abundance of false miracles to stablish them in lies and to deceiue them lead them
imputed vnto him the first Article All men were in the first man created without sinne all by the transgression of the same man haue lost the freedome of our nature from thence we tooke the manifolde corruption both of body and soule from thence ignoraunce and dulnesse hath ensued c. Ambr. in his 1. booke and 3 Chapter of the calling of the Gentiles In the lawe it is commaunded that for him that is borne a paire of Turtles or young Pigeons shoulde be offered of the which the one should be for a sinne Offering and the other for a burnt Offering For what sinne is this one Pigeon offered Could this new borne childe sinne Yea euen then he hath sin for the which he is commaunded to offer a sinne Offering from the which ther is no man cleane and though he be but one day olde Origen in his 5. booke and 6. chap. vpon the Rom. No man lyueth heere vpon earth without sinne Hiero. in his 29. Epistle There shall be no iudgment without mercie for because ther can no man liuing be found cleane without filthines no though he were but one day olde from his birth Basil. vpon the 32. Psalme No man is cleane from filthinesse no not an Infant of a daye olde hath a cleane life héere vpon earth Barnard in his second sermon vpon the first Sunday after the Epiphany OTH What an Oth is AN Oth is the calling or taking to witnesse of Gods name to confirme the truth of that we saye c. Bullinger fol. 132. An Oth is a way or meane whereby contreuersies are ended and promises perfourmed by the calling vpon the name of God For it is written in the Lawe If a man deliuer vnto his neighbour Oxe or Asse or Shéepe to pasture and it dye or be hurt or driuen away no man séeing it then shall an Oth of the Lord goe betweene them and he shall sweare whether he hath put any hand to the taking away of his neighbors goods or not And the owner of the goods shall receiue the Oth. And if he by the Oth that he hath taken saith that he hath put no hand to it then shall he not make it good c. And this must bée done before the Gods that is to saye before the Iudges and Magistrates ¶ An Oth is also a meane whereby promises are performed as in Gen. 21. where Abraham sware to Abimelch y◠he wold neither hurt him nor his posteritie and performed it indéed How an Oth is lawfull Lawfull it is for the Magistrate when they put any man in office to take an Oth of him that he shall be true diligent and faithfull therein as Iacob for the commoditie and profit of his posteritie tooke an Oth of Laban the Idolater Lykewise Iudas Machabeus of the Romanes for the same purpose Also Princes may demaund an Oth of their Subiects Commons for the sauegard of their lands and people But they that sweare must haue these properties They béeing required of the Magistrate must sweare truly minding neither fraude or deceipt but witnesse onely the truth séeking no parcialitie but the truth not themselues but the glory of God the profite of of theyr neighbour and the Common wealth of GODS people How an Oth is damnable To sweare to doe euill as to slaye to rauish or to robbe is damnable without faile and to performe such an Oth or to doe those wickednesses indéede is a double damnation both to him that so sweareth and also to the Iudge that causeth him to sweare Such an Oth was the cursed Oth that King Herod made vnto the Daughter of Herodias his harlot for the heade of holy Iohn Baptist whome Christ calleth a wily Foxe for his craftie conueyaunce A colour was this Oth of his cruell Tyranny and a cloake to his most spitefull murder For through that meanes was Iohn done to death Neither was an Oth ordeined after the minde of Saint Austen to binde the perfourmaunce of man-slaughter robberie Idolatry or other sinnes Rather had Dauid breake his Oth then to fulfil it with bloudshedding Wheras Dauid did not by shedding of bloud performe his promise bound with an Oth therein his godlines was the greater Dauid sware rashly but vpon better and godly aduise he performed not the thing he had sworne By this and by like it is declared that many Othes are not to be obserued Now he that sweareth so doth sinne but in chaunging his Oth hée doth very well He that chaungeth not such an oth committeth a double sinne First for swearing as he ought not and then for doing that he should not Bullinger fol. 134. How wicked Othes vowes are to be broken Othes are to be obserued when their ende is not euill nor to the hinderaunce of soules health In which promises sayth Isidore let faithfulnesse haue place In filthie vowes chaunge thy decréed purpose Doe not the thing in effect that thou hast without consideration sworne vnto for the promise is euermore wicked that cannot be done without sinne Therefore if the Iudges or Rulers should inforce the inferiour subiect to sweare to the things that were against soules health or Gods honour as to worship an Idol or to an Innocents vndoing they ought rather to dye then to obey as did Eleazarus with the seauen faithful bretheren and their mother in the Machabees for much better it is saith Saint Peter in such a cause to obey God then man Of Herodes wicked Oth. Neuerthelesse for his Oth sake c. ¶ Better it is otherwhises to forswere himselfe then to do any vngodly thing This déede of Herod can in no wise be excused for if she had asked his owne head or hir mothers head he would not haue graunted hir Sir I. Cheeke How Othes first began When the Lawe of naturall loue which God had inwardly written in the hearts of men remained among the good fathers Adam Seth Enoch Noe Abraham Moses other godly men then was no swearing but euery man did vnto his neighbour as he would his neighbour should doe vnto him But when the wicked as Cain the filthie Giaunts Nymroth Cham and such lyke beganne to increase in the lande they contrariwise for want of that rule fell into all manner of abhominable sinnes so that daylye more and more great mischiefes increased And as Ose the Prophette complaineth there was no faithfulnesse no brotherly loue no truth among men but bitternesse lieng manslaughter thefte and adulterie hath gotten the ouer hand In their dayly occupieng was much falshood vsed and that was thought well wonne good that was gotten by deceipt Uery seldome in their bargaining were promises perfourmed more seldome a great deale was faithfull honestie regarded In processe of time therfore were very few or none beleeued vnlesse they tooke God to witnesse that the matter was true Wherepon first of all came vp the swearing of Othes among men to confirme their sayeng with ¶ Looke Swearing
not that the Lord there speaketh of the fault of sinne Now if it be so what is that to their Purgatory forasmuch as by their opinion y◠paine is ther suffered of those sins whereof they deny not the fault to be forgiuen in this present lyfe But that they may no more carpe against vs they shall haue yet a plainer solution When the Lord meant to cut off all hope of pardon from so hainous wickednesse he thought it not inough to say that it should neuer be forgiuen but the more to amplifie it he vsed a diuision wherin he comprehended both the iudgement that euery mans conscience féeleth in this life and the last iudgement that shall be pronounced at the resurrection As though he shoulde haue sayde Beware ye of malitious rebellion as of most present damnation for he that of set purpose shall endeuour to quench the light of the holy Ghost shall not obeteine pardon neither in this lyfe which is giuen to sinners for their conuersion nor in the last day when the lambes shall be seuered by the Angels of God from the Goates and the kingdome of heauen shall bée cleansed from al offences Then they bring forth also that parable of Mathew Agrée with thine aduersarie least he delyuer thée to the Iudge and the Iudge to the Sergeant and the Sergeant to the prison from whence thou shalt not gette forth vntill thou haue paide the vttermost farthing If in this place the Iudge doe signifie God and the aduersarie plaintiue the Diuell the Sergeant the Angell and the prison Purgatory I will gladly yéeld vnto them But if it bée euident to all men that Christ meant there to shew into how many daungers mischifes they cast themselues y◠had rather obstinatly pursue the extremitie of the lawe then deale according to equitie and good right to the end to exhort his Disciples the more earnestly to agrée with equitie where then I pray you shall Purgatory be found Cal. in his Inst. 3. b. cha 5. Sect. 7. How Purgatorie came from the Heathen As for the fansie of Purgatory it sprang first from the heathen and was receiued among them in that time of darknesse long before the comming of CHRIST as it maye plainely appeare by Plato and Virgil in whome ye shall finde described at large the whole common weale and all the orders and degrées of Purgatory Saint Austen sayth the olde Heathen Romanes had a sacrifice which they called Sacrum Purgatorium a Purgatory sacrifice Iewel 300. An Argument of Purgatory It is impossible that remission or purging from sins shuld be made without bloud Paule to the Hebrues But in Purgatory ther is no bloud but fire Ergo in purgatory it is impossible that remission or purging from sinnes should be made Obiection Purgatory is good to feare men from sinne Aunswere Christ and his Apostles thought hell fire inough yet besides the fleshly imagination cannot stande with Gods word what great feare can there be of that terrible fire which thou maist quench almost for thrée halfe pence How our sinnes are onely purged by Christ. By his owne person he hath purged our sinnes ¶ These words by his owne person haue an Emphasis or vehemencie which driueth away all sacrificing Priests from such office of sacrificing séeing that which he hath done by himselfe he hath not left to be perfected by other so that the purging of our sins may more truely be thought done past then a thing to come and to be done Latimer Doctor Readmans opinion of Purgatory Being asked what his opinion was concerning Purgatory and what the Schoolemen iudged thereof he aunswered that the subtill reasons of the Schoolemen concerning Purgatorie séemed to him to be no lesse vaine and friuolous then disagréeing from the truth Adding thereto that when we be rapt vp to the clowdes to méete Christ comming to iudgement with a great number of Angels in all glorie maiestie then euerie one shall be purged with fire as it is written The fire shall goe before him and shall flame round about his enimies and the fire shall burne in sight and round about him shall be a greate tempest saieng that diuerse of the olde writers approued this his sentence concerning Purgatory Booke of Mar. fol. 1540. PVRPLE AND LINNEN WHich was clothed in Purple Linnen ¶ Uery gorgeously and sumptuously for Purple garments were costly and this fine linnen which was a kinde of linnen that came out of Achaia was deare as golde Beza PVTTING ON OF HANDS Looke Laieng on of hands Queene of Heauen Who it was they called the Queene of Heauen AND the women kneded dough to make cakes to the Quéene of heuen That is they sacrifice to the Sunne Moone and starres whom they called the Quéene of heauen Geneua As to burne incense to the Quéene of heauen c. It séemeth that the Papists gathered of this place their Salua Regina Regina coeliletare Calling the virgin Mary Quéene of heauen so of the blessed virgin and mother of our sauiour Christ made an Idoll For heere the Prophet condempneth their Idolatrie Read the fourth of Kings chap. 21. verse 5. Epiphanius saith Ne quis comedat de errore c. Let no man eate of this errour touching S. Mary For though the trée be faire yet is not this fruit to be eaten Although Mary be beautifull holy honorable yet in she not to be adored But these women worshipping S. Mary renue again y◠sacrifice of wine mingled in the honour of the Goddesse Fortuna prepare a table for the diuell not for God as it is written in the Scriptures they are fed with the meat of wickednesse And againe Their women boult flowre and the children gather stickes to make fine Cakes in the honour of Queene of Heauen Therefore let such women be rebuked by the Prophet Ieremy and let them trouble no more the worlde and let them not say we worshippe the Quéene of Heauen Iewel fol. 313. QVESTIONS AS touching Questions Saint Paule saith to Timothy thus In these things I would haue thée confirmed these be good and profitable for men but foolish questions and questions of vanities those shunne for they vnprofitable and vaine Of good questious Naaman asked Elias the Prophet whether if his maister should goe vp to the Idols Temple and worship he might do so or no. The Eunuchus asked Philip the exposition of these words He was lead as a shéepe to the slaughter Act. 8. 23. Esay 52. 7. Iohn asked this question Art thou he that shall come or shal we looke for an other Mary asked this question How can these things be done vnto me sith I haue no knowledge of man Thomas asked this question Lord tell vs the way that is Lord what is the way Peter asked this question Lord whether shall we goe Thou hast the words of eternall life Nichodemus asked this question
man may there choose a conuenient remedie for his disease Basil vpon the first Psal. I. Northbrooke In the word of God is plentie for the strong man to eate there is inough for the childe to sucke There is also milke to drinke wherwith the tender infants of the faithfull be nourished and strong meats wherwith the lustie youth of them that is perfect may receiue the spirituall increasement of holy vertue Fulgentius in his Sermon of the confessours I. Northb. Nothing can deceiue them that search the holy Scriptures for that is the candle whereby the theefe is spied Theophilactus of Lazarus I. N. The Scripture is a flud wherin the little lambe may wade and the great Olyphant may swimme Gregorie in his Epistle to Leonard I. N. The Scriptures are easie to the slaue to the husbandman to the childe and to him that may séeme to be verye simple of vnderstanding Chrisost. in his first Homil. vpon Mat. How Christ and the Church are learned in the Scriptures In the Scriptures we haue learned Christ In the Scriptures we haue learned the Church These Scriptures wée haue commonlye and why doe wee not commonlye retaine both Christ and the Church in them August Epist. 166. Against them that finde fault that the Scriptures be darke The holy spirit hath so nobly and wholesomely tempered the holy Scriptures that he might with the easie places of it serue the greedy hunger of men and with the dark places to take away the loathsomenesse For there is no point almost found in the darknesse of it which is not plainely spoken in some other place Whereby saith Musculus it is manifest inough that if any thing be spoken darkly in some place of the Scriptures the light of it must be sought ought of those places where the matter is more plainly expressed c. Mus. fol. 151. Where things are more plainely vttered in the Scriptures there must we learne how they are to be vnderstood in darke places August li. 83. quest Let vs come saith Chrisostome to the leuell and marke of the holy Scripture which doth expound it selfe And by and by after The sacred Scripture expoundeth himselfe and suffereth not the hearer for to erre Chrisostom in his 2. chap. Gen. Homil. 13. In the Scriptures are all things needfull for our saluation The holy Scriptures béeing inspired from God are sufficient to all instructions of truth Athanasius against the Gentiles Not all things the the Lord Iesus did are written as the Euangelist witnesseth For the Lord both did sayd many things that are not written but these were chosen out to be written which séemed sufficient for the saluation of the vnbeleeuers Augustin to the Bre. in the wildernesse in his 49. treatise vppon Iohn Whatsoeuer is required for our saluation is already conteined in the holy Scriptures He that is ignoraunt shall finde there what he may learne He that is stubburne and a sinner may finde there scourges of the iudgement to come the which he may feare He that is troubled may finde ioyes and promises of euerâ—asting lyfe through the beholding of which he may be stirred to good works Chrisost. in his 19. Homil. vpon Math. Reade the Scriptures wherein ye shall finde fully what is to be followed and what is to be auoided not all thinges that our Lorde Iesus did are written c. As before is sayd Augustine to the brethren in c. For as much as Christ himselfe hath not reuealed these things which of vs will saye they bée these or these For who is there either so vaine or so rash who notwithstanding hée speaketh the truth to whome he lysteth and what he lyâ—teth will affirme without anye testimonie of the Scriptures that these be the things that the Lord would not then open Augustine in the. 96. treatise vpon Iohn If there be anie thing néedfull to be knowne or not to bâ—e knowne we shall learne it by the holy Scriptures if we shall néed to report a falsehood we shal fetch it out from thence if to be corrected to be chastened to be exhorted or comforted to be short if ought lacke that ought to be taught or learned we shall also learne it out of the same Scriptures Chrisost. vpon the. 2. of Tim. the 3. chap. Lyke as in a Merchaunts ship are carried diuerse things necessarie for mans lyfe So in the Scriptures are conteined all things néedfull to saluation Lyra vpon the last chap. of the Prouerbs How holy Scripture is to be read Now to the intent that the reading of holy Scripture may be to our profite we must applye our selues to it not onelye thankfully and reuerently but also with great sobernesse and pure affection ioyning prayer therevnto also For God reuealeth his mysteries out of heauen Dan. 2. 18. He giueth vnderstanding to the lyttle ones Psal. 119. 130. according also as Christ teacheth Mat. 12. 25. Notwithstanding for as much as it is not giuen to all men to read holy writ ther is expresse mention made of hearing which ingendereth faith by the effectuall working of yâ— holy Ghost in mens harts for fayth commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God Rom. 10. 27. Marl. vpon the Apoc. fol. 6. ¶ Looke Search Of the ignoraunce and knowledge of Scriptures Ignoraunce of the Scriptures sayth Saint Hierome is the mother and cause of errours And in an other place he saith the knowledge of the Scriptures is the food of euerlasting life Hierom. in the. 23. of Math. How by the Scriptures all doubts are tried Consider in what daunger they be that haue no care to read the holy Scriptures for by the same Scriptures only the iudgement of this triall must be allowed Origen in his â—0 boo 16. chap. to the Rom. Neuer moue question héereof but onely learne of the holy Scriptures For the onely proues that ye shall there finde are sufficient to proue the Godhead of the holy God We must needes call to witnesse the holy Scriptures for our iudgements and expositions without these witnesses they carrie no credit Origen in his first Homely vpon Ieremy We must read the Scriptures with all dilligence and bée occupied in the lawe of the Lord both day night yâ— we may become perfect exchangers be able rightly to discerne what money is lawfull and what is counterfait Hierom. in his 3. b. and. 5. chap. to the Ephe. I require the voice of the shepheard read me this matter out of the Prophets read me out of the Psalmes read it out of the lawe read it out of the Gospels read it out of the Apostles August in his booke of Pastors the. 14. chap. Neither will I alleadge the Councell of Nice against you nor shall you alleadge the Councell of Arminium against mée By the authoritie of Scriptures let vs weigh matter with matter cause with cause
say his soule whom he compelleth to sweare his own soule for so compelling him Christ hath forbidden swearing saith S. Gregory that wée should the more easely auoide all manner of occasion to periury he that feareth God without an oth confesseth the veritie he that feareth him not will not with an oth confesse him Take heed saith Chrisostome you that be reckened for spirituall men very swift are ye to offer the sacred Gospell vnto 〈…〉 that sweare whereas ye ought to teach the contrary If a man may not saith Origen in euery light matter sweare no more maye they that haue authoritie for euery light matter compell a man to sweare How can you be cleane from periutie that ministreth the occasion May he that beareth fire to the burning of an house be frée from the burning of it Or he from the slaughter of a man that bringeth the weapon wherewith he is slaine Nay surelyâ— But he that giueth occasion to periury must needes be a partner or the same Withdraw the fire ther shal be no burning conueigh away the sword there shal be no murther committed sequester swering ther shal be no periury Oft swearing saith Isidore bringeth man to an vseé that vse leadeth to a custome which bringeth in periurie No néede hath the veriâ—ie of an oth where the promise is faithful and sure Isidorus li. 2. soli loquorum Lawes made against swearing King Henry the 5. made an Acte within his own Pallaice that if he were a Duke yâ— did sweare he shuld forfet for euery 〈…〉 â— xl s. If he wer a Lord or Baron xx s. A Knight or Esquire r. s. A Yeonian iii. s. iiii d. And if he were a Page Lackey or Slaue to be scourged naked with a rod or els a whip K. Edmund made this law yâ— they which wer proued once falsly forsworne shuld for euer be seperated from Gods congregation Donaldus king of Scots made this Act within his land that all periurers coÌ„mon swearers shuld haue their lips scared with a burning hot yron Which law S. Lodowike king of Fraunce put once in execution at Paris vpon a Citizen there sor blaspheming the name of Christ to yâ— example of other so caused it to be proclaimed throughout his realme for a general punishmeÌ„t Philip Earle of Flaunders made this Constitution within his Eâ—rledome An. Dom. 1178. that he that did forsweare himselfe should loose his lyfe and goods How the Pharisies had corrupted swearing As to hate in thine hart or to couet another mans wife was no sin with yâ— pharisies no more was it to hide one thing in his hart to speak another with his mouth to deceiue a mans neighbor iâ— it wer not boâ—d by an oth And though Moses say Le. 19. lye not nor deceiue any man his neighbor yet they interpreted it but good couÌ„sell if a man desired to be perfect but no precept to bind vnder pain of sin And so by yâ— meanes not only they that spake true but also they yâ— lied to deceiue wer coÌ„pelled to swere to coÌ„firm their words w e oths if they wold be beléeued Tinda Of the concealing of swearing If a soule sinne heare the voice of swearing is a witnes whether he hath seene or knowen it if he doe not vtter it he shall beare his sinne ¶ This is diuersly expounded because the Hebrue word hath a double significatioÌ„ this is the sense as some thinketh If a Iudge do minister an oth to any priuate man to declare the truth of any thing yâ— he hath seene do it not he sinneth Other this If any man sée his neighbour commit any sin which is by the law of God execrable or detestable and did conceale it and not open it as much as in him did lye he did sinne Some other take it thus All such as did heare any man curse banne and abuse the name of God and did not open it vnto the Magistrate did sinne the first sense is best lyked The Bi. note SVVEATING The cause of sweating WE will perchance say that the Sunne is hot yea but how is the sweate ingendered It is because the body is then loosened the same loosening doe so open the body that the maysture cannot tarry within Againe when it is cold weather the poores are shut vp the moisture shrinketh inward to nourish a mans lyfe whereas the contrary is done by heate Again the heat ingendereth féeblenes and that feeblenes maketh humours to melt And so ye see the cause of sweating Ca. vp Iob. fol. 686. SVVEETE What is meant by sweete odours ANd an offering of sweete odours vnto the Lord. ¶ This swéete odour is the Sacrifice of faith and of pure affection in which God is delighted as a man is delighted in the good sauour of meates as it is saide of Noe. Gen. 8. 21. T. M. How all vice at the first is sweete When wickednesse was swéete in his mouth ¶ As poyson that is swéete in the mouth bringeth destruction when it commeth into the bodye so all vices at the first is pleasaunt but afterward God turneth it to destruction Geneua SVVINE What manner of people is heere meant by Swine NEither cast ye pearles before swine c. The swine are they which for all they haue receiued the pure gospell of Christ will yet continue still in sinne and roll themselues in the puddle mire of their olde filthie conuersation and both before the ignoraunt and also the weake vse the vttermost of their lybertie interpreting it after the largest fashion and most fauour of the flesh as it were the Popes pardon and therewith make the truth euill spoken off that thousands which els might haue ben easely won will now not once heare thereof and stirre vp cruell persecution which els would be much easier yea and sometime none at all And yet will those Swine when it commeth to the point abide no persecution at all but offer themselues willingly euen at the first chop to denie or they be scarcely apposed of their doctrine Therefore lay foorth the law of God before them cal them to repentance if thou see no hope of mending in them cease there go no farther for they be swine Tin The meaning of these places following Which eate swines flesh ¶ Which was contrary to Gods commaundement Leuit. 11. 7. Deut. 14. 8. Geneua Eating swines flesh and such abhomination c. ¶ Whereby are ment them that did malitiously transgresse the law by eating beastes forbidden euen to the Mouse which abhorreth Nature Geneua SVVORD To whom the sword belongeth to punish ALl they that take the sword shall perish with the sword ¶ This ought not to be vnderstood of Magistrates which haue receiued of God authoritie to strike with the sword such as be euill doers but of priuate persons yâ— goe about to reuenge themselues Sir I. Cheeke ¶ The exercising
How our sinnes shall not be thought vpon with God They shall not be thought vpon c. ¶ The sophisters haue a proper solution for this text such like which testifieth yâ— God so forgiueth that he will not after call again his forgiuenes punish True it is say they God forgiueth the sin but not the punishment due vnto sin Seauen yeares punishment as they praie must we abide in Purgatory for euery sin whoÌ„ it is forgiueÌ„ If this be not to mocke with God his holy word I wot not what is moâ—king If God can do as they affirme giue me punishment due vnto my sin so that he neither giue me too much nor too little paine therfore yet not once thinke on my sin surely he hath a wondeâ— fult remembraunce And that hée will not thinke on it the text doth héere plainely affirme By this sophistry might the king giue a man pardon for his theft and after haâ—g him vp For he might say Sir I forgaue you your theft but not your hanging which is due vnto it Such pardon would they be loâ—hâ—to haue that first imagined it If the king which is but a man be more faithfull then to deale so with prisoners whome he forgiueth how should God then which is our heauenly Father and which is euen goodnesse it selfe haue such a subtill and vnperfect forgiuenesse that shuld after punish But héereof will I now speake no more least yée should haply smell yâ— this solution were imagined to pick mens purses thâ—ough Masse pence Dirge grotes Trentals yearemindes month mindes c. Because that although God can and may forgiue the sin yet must such things obtein the forgiuenesse of the punishment thervnto or that the Priests benefits were not sufficient for them to liue on without such pillage Or yet that the poore people could by anye other meanes bee milked from that thing wherewith their wiues their householde and children should liue T. M. THIS IS MY BODY The interpetation of these words TRuth it is indéede that the wordes be as plaine as may bâ— spoken but that the sense is not so plaine it is manifest to euery man that wayeth substancially the circumstances of the place For when Christ gaue bread to his Disciples and sayd This is body ther is no man of any discretion that vnderstandeth the English tongue that he may well knowe by the order of the speach that Christ spake those words of the bread calling it his body As all the olde authors also do affirme although some of the Papists denie the same Wherefore this sentence cannot meane as the words séeme and purport but there must néeds be some figure or mysterie in the speach more then appeareth in yâ— plaine words For by this manner of speach plainly vnderstoode without any figure as the words do lye can bée gathered none other sense but that bread is Christs body and that Christs body is bread which all christian eares do abhor to heare Wherefore in these words must néeds be sought out an other sense and meaning than the words of themselues do beare ¶ Looke Bread how it is called Christs body Cranmer Druthmarius expoundeth these wordes This is my body on this manner that is to say this is my body in a mysterie I. Frith fol. 134. This is my body ¶ This is a figuratiue speach which is called Mâ—tonymia yâ— is to say the putting of one name for another so calling the bread his body which is a signe SacrameÌ„t of his body And yet notwithstanding it is so a figuratiue and chaunged kinde of speach that the faithfull doe receiue Christ indeede with all his gifts though by a spirituall manner become one in him Beza ¶ The thing which signifieth hath of custome ben called of the name of the thing which it signified as it is written the seuen eares are seuen yeares the scripture saith not yâ— they signifie seueÌ„ years And yâ— seuen kine are seuen yers many things In like manner S. Paule saith that the Rocke was Christ and not that it signified Christ but as it had bene him in very deed yâ— which notwithstanding was not Christ by substaunce but by figuration August vpon Leuiticus ¶ When God gaue the Circumcision to Abraham he made his counenaunt before the Circumcision and yet hée calleth the Circumcision his couenant or alliance saieng Hoc est pactum meum This is my couenaunt S. Paule expounding the same saieng Abraham hath receiued the signe of Circumcision as a seale of the righteousnesse of faith God saide to the Prophet Ezechiel Thou Sonne of man take a tyle stone and lay it before thée describe vpon it yâ— citie of Hierusalem After he saith This same is Hierusalem Denis in the ecclesiastical Hierarch THOMAS How Thomas and Didimus is one name THen said Thomas which is called Didimus ¶ In that he saith Thomas was called Didimus is not so to be vnderstood as though Thomas were his proper name and Didimus his sirname For the same which the Greekes call Didimus the Hebrues call Thomas Marl. vpon Iohn fol. 405. How he was reproued for his vnbeleefe Looke Happy Of his death and martirdome Thomas as it hath bene deliuered vnto vs saith Dorotheus preached the Gospell of our Sauiour Christ Iesus vnto the Parthians Medes and Persians He preached also vnto the Caramans Hircans Bactrians and Magitians He rested at Calamina a Citie in India béeing slaine with a Darte which they call a Speare or Iauâ—lin where he was also honouradly buryed Dorotheus fol. 532. THOVGHTS How euery thought is not sinne WE teach not that euery thought is sinne but euery euill thought that riseth in the heart of man and is not resisted but with delight followed although it be not accomplished in act the same is deadly and damnable if it be not repented Mat. 5. 28. 1. Iohn â— 8. But there 〈…〉 betwéene these thoughts which our will 〈…〉 â—and with loue imbraceth and these â—ogitations which after the man 〈…〉 of a darke shaddow are wont to passe ouer the minde and but euen only in passing ouer to shew themselues which the Greekes call Tulous yâ— is a bare or naked 〈…〉 or shadowing of any thing or at yâ— least betwéen those which came into the mind with a certain 〈…〉 resisteth For yâ— losse of yâ— which as it sorroweth so it reioyâ—eth yâ— they are driuen out In those truly which shew theÌ„ selues softly to the minde doe declare them as it were flieng awayâ— theâ— is neither sinne at all nor yet battaile But in these with yâ— which for a spaâ—e the soule striueth against yâ— which the wil resisteth ther is an equal fight for either we consâ—nt are ouercome or els we withstand doe ouercome and in battaile get the victory Some therefore are the children of the world yet are not the children of the diuell For albeit the diuell is the author chiefs worker of all
Hierome aduersus Iouinian lâ— 1. Of the virgin that was sought for Dauid Let there be sought for my Lord the king c. ¶ Dauid tooke this virgin not for lust but for the health of his body by the aduise of his counsell which séemeth to be done by the speciall dispensation of God and therfore not to be followed as an example The Bible note Wherefore virginitie is praised S. Paule praiseth virginitie in them that are apt and able to embrace that state of liuing that they might with more speede go forth to preach and to serue the congregations He praiseth it not because he iudgeth that state to deserue the more grace for this errour fighting against the iustificatioÌ„ of faith he most of all abhorreth We deny it not saith Melancthon but yâ— ther be distinct states of liuing The Maior of the citie excelleth yâ— ship-maister but yet deserueth not the Maior more grace for gouerning the citie then the Shipper for ruling the Ship Yea it is possible that the shipper may worship God better in his ship then the Maior in the citie Wherefore these degrées differ not concerning the spirituall life by faith or any grace therby to be obteined although they conferred together in yâ— externe life one excelleth another for God willeth an order to be in offices and states of liuing A memorable fact of a virgin in defence of her country Aeneas Siluius otherwise Pope Pius the second in describing of Asia minor cap. 74. reciteth a certeine fact of a worthy virgin who at what time the Turkes were besieging a certeine towne in Lesbos and had cast downe a great part of the walls so yâ— al the towns men had giuen ouer putting on a mans harneis stepped forth into the breach where not only she kept the Turks from entring in but â—lue of them a great sort The citizens séeing the rare courage good successe of the maide toke to them againe their heart and harneis and so lustely laied about them that an incredible number of the Turks wer slaine The rest being repulsed from the land reculed into their ships who being then pursued by a nauie of Calisa were worthely discomfited likewise vpon the sea And thus was the I le of Lesbos at that time by a poore virgin that is by the strongâ— hand of the Lord working in a weake creature preserued from the Turks In the booke of Mar. VNBELEEVERS What S. Paule doth meane heere by vnbeleeuers BEare not the strange yoke with the vnbeléeuers ¶ Nothing in this world can hinder a man so much from true godlinesse as doth the amitie and friendship with the vngodly The sonnes of God did in the beginning ioyne themselues in amitie or friendship with the children of men and they were all destroyed by a floâ—d Hée that toucheth Pitch shall be defiled therewith Beware therefore if ye wil continue and abide stedfast in the true doctrine that ye accompanye not your selues with vngodly Epicures which without the feare of God doe giue themselues to all kinde of mischiefe and blasphemie Sir I. Cheeke ¶ He séemeth to allude to that which is written Deut. 23. 10. where the Lord commandeth that an Ore and an Asse be not yoked together because the match is vnequall So if the faythfull marrie with the Insidells or else haue to doe with them in anye thing vnlawfull it is héere reproued Geneua VNCIRCVMCISED LIPPES What is meant by vncircumcised lips SEeing that I haue vncircumcised lips ¶ To be of vncircumcised lips is to haue a tongue that lacketh good vtterance to set out matter withall T. M. ¶ Uncircumcised lips ¶ Or barbarous and rude in speach And by this word Uncircumcised is signified the whole corruption of mans nature Geneua VNCLEANE SPIRIT How this place of the Euangelist is vnderstood WHen the vncleane spirit is gone out c. ¶ Unlesse wée doe now at this present take better héede to our selues vse thankfully the grace of God nowe offered vnto vs by his Gospell and labour to expell these soule spirites that yet remaine among vs as couetousnesse whoordome vncleanenes c. the same that Christ héere threateneth vnto the Iewes shal happen vnto vs. Sir I. Cheeke When the vncleane spirit is gone out of a man c. ¶ The vncleane spirit after he is cast out when he commeth findeth his house swept and garnished taketh to him seauen worse then himselfe and commeth and entreth in and dwelleth there and so is the end of that man worse then the beginning The Iewes they had cleansed themselues with Gods worde from all outward Idolatry and worshipping of Idolls but theyr hearts remained still faithlesse to Godward and towarde his mercy and truth and therefore without loue also and lust to the law and to their neighbour for his sake and false trust in their owne works to the which heresie the childe of perdition yâ— wicked Bishop of Rome with his lawiers hath brought vs Christen were more Idolaters then before and became tenne times worse then in the beginning For the first Idolatry was soone spied and easie to be rebuked of the Prophet by yâ— Scripture But the latter is more subtile to beguile withall and an hundred times of more difficultie to be wéeded out of mens hearts Tindale fol. 35. ¶ When by the grace of God we are induced brought into the knowledge of the truth then are we deliuered from the power of Satan Therefore we must take héede that hée doe not to our vtter destruction returne againe into vs that is to say that wée fall not againe into our own infidelitie superstition and ignorance Then indéed shal we be in worse case then we were before Sir I. Cheeke What is meant by these three vncleane spirits ¶ And I sawe thrée vncleane spirits like frogges come out of the mouth of the Dragon ¶ That is a strong number of this greate Diuell the Popes Ambassadours which are euer crieng and croking lyke Frogges out of Antichrists mouth because they shoulde speake nothing but lyes and vse all manner of craft and deceite to maintaine their rich Euphrates against the true Christians Geneua VNFAITHFVLL How the vnfaithfull eate not Christs bodie ¶ Looke Eating Wicked Euill will VNGODLY The meaning of this place of the Prophet THe vngodly haue bent their bow c. ¶ That is a borrowed speach by which is signified the wicked enimies of Dauid were most prest and readyâ— to destroye him for this Psalme as some suppose was made when he fledde from Saule and hid himselfe from him in diuers and sundry places As ye read 1. Reg. from the. 22. to the. 27. wher his persecution was so great that at length he was faine to flye out of yâ— coasts of Israel vnto the Philistines after the like manner do our Saules daily persecute the christen Psa. 37. 12. T. M. ¶ Looke Wicked VNICORNES What is meant by the Vnicornes ANd heare me from among
be degraded from all their degrées of Ecclesiasticall office and made irriguler because they haue sought to liue by filthie gaine contrary to the expresse word of God Pope Martin in the Councell he called saith If a man forgetting the feare of God the holy scriptures which do say Hée that hath not giuen his money to vsury shal enter into the Tabernacle of God do after knowledge had of this generall councel commit vsury or take Centesimam vsuram which is twelue in the hundred or by any filthy trade doth make his gaine taking for diuers sorts of things for either wine or corne or any other thing els by buying and selling more then he hath layed out shall be put out of the Clergie for euer Pope Leo doth also forbid the same in the laitie being very sory yâ— any christian man shuld be an vsurer saieng that yâ— Clergie ought to be the more sharply punished for such offence because all others should be the more afraid to offend when the Clergie is not spared The decree saith further that no almes ought to be giuen of euill gotten good which cannot be worse gotten then by vsury A statute made against vsurie by a Christian Emperour called Leo. Although saith this godly Emperour many of our auncestors haue thought that lending for vsury might be admitted onely for that the creditours were so hard as men loth els to lend yet we haue thought it most vnworthy among the Christians to be vtterly abhorred eschewed as a thing forbidden by the law of God Therefore our Maiestie doth commaunde that it be not lawfull for any man to take vsury for any cause least whiles we go about to keepe the lawes statutes of men we do transgresse thereby the law of God But whatsoeuer any man doth take the same shall be receiued into the principall Places of scripture against vsurie If thou lend mony to any of my people that is poore by thée thou shalt not be an vsurer vnto him neither shalt thou oppresse him with vsurie If thy brother be waxen poore fallen into decay with thée receiue him as a stranger or a soiourner let him liue by thee thou shalt take no vsury of him nor yet vantage but shalt feare thy God that thy brother may liue with thée thou shalt not lend him thy money vpon vsury or lend him of thy foode to haue an aduantage by it for I am yâ— Lord your God which brought you out of the land of Aegypt to giue you the land of Canaan and to be your God Lord who shall enter into thy Tabernacle he aunswereth He that giueth not his mony vpon vsury and taketh no reward against the innocent The soule yâ— sinneth shall dye If a man be godly doe that is equall right yâ— taketh not other mens goods by violence yâ— parteth his meate to the hungry that clotheth the naked that lendeth nothing vpon vsury yâ— taketh nothing ouer this is a righteous man he shall surely liue saith the Lord but he that gréeueth the poore néedie yâ— robbeth spoileth that giueth not the debter his pledge again yâ— lendeth vpon vsury taketh more ouer shal this man liue no he shal not liue seing he hath done al these abhominations he shall dye and his bloud shall be vpon him Of whom a man may take vsury Unto a straunger thou maist lend vpon vsury c. ¶ This was permitted for a time for the hardnesse of their hearts Aske vsury of him onely whom thou desirest worthely to hurt and with whom thou maist lawfully wage battaile for of him thou maist lawfully demaund vsury and be bold to bite him therewith because thou maist kil him without offence He fighteth without weapon that taketh vsurye yea hée doth reuenge himselfe of his enemie without any swoord that doth exaxt vsurie of his enimie And truely there is no cunninger way to vndoe a man then by vsurye for vnder the coulour of pleasuring him he is vndone before he be aware D. Wilson fol. 23. Lend one to another hoping for nothing ouer and aboue that you did lend whereby not onely all contracts and vsuries vpon lone in respect of time are forbidden but the verye hope also to looke for a good turne againe or any thing else ouer and aboue the principall is vtterly barred and cleane taken awaye Neither is your exposition sound Maister Ciuilian in this behalfe that would haue Christs meaning to be that men should neuer looke for their principall againe for then Christ might haue said giue freelyâ— whereby is included a cléere renouncing to aske backe a gift giuen wheras in â—â—nding it was neuer so meant in common reason that a man should neuer hope to haue his own againe Neither will men loose their principall except some great matter moue them as the extreame pouertie of the party or some other lyke thing c. VVAY What it is to prepare the way and path of the Lord. PRepare ye the way of the Lord make his paths straight ¶ To prepare the waye of the Lord is to receiue gladly his grace béeing offered vnto vs and with repentaunce and amendement of lyfe to passe awaye those things that may offend the eyes of his diuine maiestie To make his paths straight is to interpret or expound his holy law after the spirit to seeke Iesus in the spirit For they yâ— do yet sticke to the letter of the lawe and séeke to be iustified by their owne works knowing not the righteousnesse of God which consisteth in the spirit faith and truth doe walke in crooked paths Sir I. Cheeke Prepare ye the way of the Lord. ¶ Meaning Cyrus Darius which should deliuer Gods people out of captiuitie and make them a readie way to Hierusalem And this was fully accomplished when Iohn the Baptist brought tidings of Iesus Christs comming who was the true deliuerer of his Church from sinne and Satan Math. 3. 3. Geneua What the way of sinners is That abideth not in the way of sinners c. ¶ The way of sinners is their manner and ordinaunces in which they walke as it were in a way Way in the Scripture is taken for whatsoeuer we do or goe about be it good or bad as in the last verse of this Psalme T. M. What the way of truth is I haue chosen the way of truth ¶ The way of truth is the life that is ordered after the word of truth which is conteined in the Scripture Therein saith Dauid that he hath walked not in feined traditions and holynesse imagined by himselfe or by any mortall man In yâ— same significatioÌ„ vseth S. Peter this word 2. Pet. 2. 1. and 2. There shall be false teachers c. by which the way of truth shall be euill spoken of T. M. Take from me the way of lieng ¶ Instruct me in thy word whereby my minde may be purged
vnto the Temple at the tune appointed and there to make their humble praiers vnto God for peace aâ—n his fauour as the manner of Gods people was in all their distresses to fast and praie in faithfull repentaunce Iere. 36. 6. The Bible note Against supersticious Fasting Behold when ye fast your lusts remaineth still ¶ This fast remaineth yet among the christen for true chastening of the bodie abstaining from vice will we yet neither vnderstand nor heare of but still think with the Iewes that we do God a great pleasure when we fast and also that we then fastâ— when we abstaine from one thing fill our bellies with another And verelie in this thing doth our superstition excéede the superstition of the Iewes for we neuer read that they euer tooke it for a fast to abstaine from flesh and eate either fish or white meate as they caâ—â— it T. M. Quid prodest oleo c. What auaileth it to eat no oile with pain much ado curiously to séek for Nelits figs pepper nuts dates fine white bread honnie Pistacia Besides this I heare saie ther be some which contrarie to the common order nature of men wil neither drink water nor eate bread but séek for delicate suppings hearbs shred togethers the iuice of Béetes receiue yâ— same not out of a cup but out of a shell fie for shame do we not bluâ—h at such foolishnesse Are we not wearie of such superstition And yet beside all this liuing in such curious delicacie we looke to be praised for our fasting How hypocrites will haue their fasting accepted Wherefore haue we fasted and thou séest it not ¶ He setteth foorth the malice and disdaine of the hppocrites which grudge against God if their workes be not accepted Geneua How Fasting driueth out Diuells Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by praier and fasting ¶ The best remedie to strengthen the weake faith is praier which hath fasting added vnto it as an help to the same Gen. ¶ For the casting foorth of diuells by fasting praier marke what Christ aunswereth he saith that the Apostles could not because of their incredulitie and weaknesse of faith and afterward he addeth these two fasting praier as wepons works of faith which cannot be seperated froÌ„ faith neither can be found in the olde bottells of the hypocrits This praier when it striueth against the diuell it surmounteth all worldlie things or plesures and the same is also the onelie true fast to neglect for the time all worldlie things to neglect meat drink whatsoeuer bodelie pleasure or desire maie be imagined yâ— in praier thy minde maie be lifted vp aboue the heauens vnto the throne of God A. G. The vnderstanding of these two places following When ye fast be not sad as the hypocrites are c ¶ By this it appeareth that the true fast is to put awaie all wanton desires and lusts c. And to rule the bodie by conuenient chastitie and mortifieng as it is said in the Psa. 35. 13. I afflicted my soule with fasting Esa. 58. 4. Behold wheÌ„ ye fast your lusts remain stil. Tin Then shall they fast in those daies ¶ Then shall they fast that is so long as I am with them they shall not féele the trouble and great persecution of the world but when I am taken from them then shall they fast that is then shall they mourne for then their persecution and trouble shall begin Tindale Of miraculous Fast. Ther is a fast which is aboue mans strength is sometime giuen of God meruailously vnto some of his saints to commend their doctrine Moses in the mountain fasted 40. daies For God wold by a notable example shew the the law which he set foorth came from himselfe was not inuented of men Neither went Moses therefore vnto the mountaine to fast but to receiue the law of God to talke with him Elias also receiuing bread water of the Angell in the strength of the meate walked 40. daies euen vnto the mount of God Horeb the he by this miracle shuld be declared to be the true reuenger of the law By this kinde of fasting our sauior coÌ„mended the preching of the Gospel yâ— it shuld not séeme to be a thing vulgar but shuld be proued a thing begun by god But these were miracles neither pertain they anie thing vnto vs but only yâ— we shuld haue theÌ„ in admiratioÌ„ by such exaÌ„ples be stirred vp with reuereÌ„ce to receue the word of god P. M. vp I. 274 And wheÌ„ he had fasted 40. daies ¶ The fasting of Christ ought to be vnto vs an example of sober liuing not for 40. daies as some do imagin of their own brains but as loÌ„g as we are heere in this wildernesâ— S. I. Che. Of the fast compelled Ther is a fast which lieth not in our power as when we béeing destitute of meate haue not whereof to â—ate Héere is need of patience we must praie vnto God yâ— he would strengthen encourage vs. So the Saints when they wandred about preached the Gospell were compelled sointinies to hunger And the disciples when they followed yâ— Lordâ— wer driueâ— by hunger to plucke the eares of corne to rub out the corne Elias also desired meate of the widdow and waited at the Brooke for such meatâ— as the Rauens should bring him This kinde of fasting men do not take vpon them of their owne frée will but it is laide vpon them by God Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 274. FATHER How these places following be expounded NO man commeth to me except my Father drawe him ¶ Manie men vnderstand these words in a wrong sence as though God required in a reasonable man no more then in a dead post and marketh not the words that follow Omnis qui audit c. that is euerie man that heareth and learneth of my father commeth to me God draweth with his word the Holie ghost but mans dutie is to heare and learne that is to saie receiue the grace offered consent vnto the promises not repugne the God that calleth God doth promise the Holie ghost to them that aske it and not to them that contemne him c. ¶ Looke Drawing My Father worketh hetherto and I worke My Father worketh that is my Father kéepeth not the Sabboth daie no more doe I. My Father vseth no common Merchandise on the Sabboth daie and no more doe I. Tindale Walke not in the steps of your Fathers Whereby the holie ghost confuteth them that saie they will follow the religion and example of their Fathers and not measure their dooings by Gods word whether they be approoueable thereby or no. Geneua When your Fathers tempted me c. ¶ Sée I praie you how perillous it is to followe the example of our fore-fathers vnlesse it be most certaine that they haue walked in the waies
of the truth and haue bene obedient vnto the word If the Religion of our fore-fathers hath bene false or contrarie to the Scriptures wée ought in no wiâ—e to followe Lactan. de Origen erro 2. cap. The Father is greater then I. First I saie that one place of the Gospell is not to be expounded against the whole purpose of the booke which is to teach that the Lord Iesus is Gods naturall sâ—nne and equall to God And sith the Euangelist hath this word Equall plainlie and expreâ—lie they shew themselues mad yâ— would make him to incounter against himselfe Second I say that in that place the Lord Iesus compareth not his substaunce with his Fathers substaunce but compareth his present humble state with the glorious state that he should haue after his Ascension And therefore all the godly old fathers well nigh haue taught these wordes to be spoken of his mans nature which should be forthwith aduaunced to immortall and incorporall glorie by the power of the Father Some Gréeke Writers indéede admit that the Father is greater then the Sonne not because he had greater power or that there is anie difference in their substance essence but in that he is the Father and begetteth the sonne is not begotten of the sonne therefore he maie be said greater The meaning also of these words The Father is greater then I maie be this The end why I trauaile with you is not that you should staie in me and looke no farther but to bring you to the Father as to the last marke that with me ye maie see him as he is whose glorie is more deere to me then mine owne glorie and therefore I séeke it more then mine own and I think that I haue not accomplished mine office vntill I haue brought you to him c. My sonne heare thy Fathers instruction ¶ He speaketh this in the name of God which is the vniuersall Father of all creatures Or in the name of the Pastour of the Church which is as a Father Geneua Heare O ye children your Fathers instruction ¶ He speaketh this in the person of a Preacher and Minister which is as a Father vnto the people Geneua Whosoeuer shall saie to the father or mother By the gifte that is offered by me thou maist haue profite ¶ The meaning is this whatsoeuer I bestow vpon the Temple is to thy profite for it is as good as if I gaue it thée For as the Pharisâ—es in our time saie it shall be meritorious for thée for vnder this colour of religion they raked all to themselues as though that he that had giuen anie thing to the Temple had done the dutie of a 〈…〉 Beza The Father haue eaten sower Grapes and the childrens téeth are set on edge ¶ The people murmured at the chastening of the Lord and therefore vsed this Prouerb meaning that their Fathers had sinned and the Children were punished for their transgressions Read Ieremie 31. 29. Geneua The fathers wickednesse punished in their children There is a double manner of punishing the wickednes of the fathers vpon the children for sometime God sheweth mercie to the children and yet notwithstanding ceaseth not to chastise the vnrighteousnes of their fathers in the persons of their children As for example we see a father that hath gotten much goods howbeit by wicked bargening by subtiltie by craft and by crueltie yet God hath pitie vpon the childe of such a man and what will he doe He will rid him quite and cleane of all those euill gotten goods because they would but bring him to confusion according as it is said that such kind of riches are as wood which in the ende will kindle the fire of Gods wrath Therefore when the Lord meaneth to saue the childe of a wicked man that hath liued amisse he bereaueth him of al the euill gotten goodes as though he should lette him bloud to saue his life that he might not be wrapped in the mischife coruption which his father had drawen vnto himselfe Behold how God punisheth the wickednes of the fathers vpon the children yet ceaseth not to be the sauiour of the children to shew them mercie Sometimes he passeth farther because the fathers haue ben so far out of al squareâ— as they haue led a stubborne froward life God forsaketh their ofspring insomuch yâ— the grace of his spirit dwelleth not with them Now when we be so destitute of Gods guiding we must néeds run into destruction néeds must the mischiefe increase more more Thus we sée yâ— when the children of the vngodly do beare the sins of their fathers it is not only for that God forsaketh them and leaueth them vp to the state of their owne natureâ— but also for that he giueth Satan full power ouer them and letteth him haue the bridle to â—aigne in such houses at his pleasure And when the diuell hath led awaie the fathers and carried them into all naughtinesse their children shall also ouer-shoote themselues into excessiue outrage We see then as now what is meant héere that is to witâ— that when the children of wicked men are 〈…〉 destitute of Gods grace walke after their inordinat◠〈…〉 they must néeds come to greater confusion then their Fathers Cal. vpon Iob. fol. 82. How our fathers did eate the same spirituall meate c. Our Fathers did all eate the same spirituall meate and did all drinke of the same spirituall drinke and then dranke of that spirituall Rocke that followed them which Rocke was Christ. ¶ These words Saint Austen expoundeth saieng What is to eate the same meate But that they did eate the same which we doe Whosoeuer in Manna vnderstoode Christ did eate the same spirituall meate that we doe that is to saie that meate which was receiued with faith and not with bodies Therefore to them that vnderstoode and beléeued it was the same meate and the same drinke So that to such as vnderstoode not the meate was onelie Manna and the drinke onelie water but to such as vnderstoode it was the same that it is now To come and is come be diuers words but it is the same Christ. These be S. Austens words De vtilita poeniten How our fathers were iustified by faith as we are now The fathers were no lesse iustified onely by the faith of Christ then we Wherfore it is written in the booke of Genesis of Abraham that he beléeued and it was counted vnto him for righteousnes Iohn also testifieth that Christ said of Abraham yâ— hée had séene his daie therin reioiced The Epistle to the Hebrewes the 13 chap. affirmeth that Christ was yesterdaie to daie remaineth for euer Wherfore euen as we are said now to be saued not by workes but by the true mercie of God by faith in Christ so was it with the Fathers at yâ— time for they wer iustified by no works but only by faith in Christ. Furthermore what
shall saue his lyfe his soule that is his life shall be vnto him as a pray because he should vtterly haue lost it if hée had bidden in Hierosalem and by flieng to the Chaldees he should winne it euen as a man winneth a praye in battell T. M. How satan hath no power of the soule of the godly God hath giuen Satan leaue to punish Iob he sayth to him beholde thou maist worke thy spite vpon his substaunce but much not his person And againe after he hath destroyed all his goods he sayth Thou maist touch his person but thou shalt not come â—eere his soule Hâ—â—reâ—â— agaâ—â— we see how God reserueth alwayes the soule of Iob sol 〈…〉 Satan can no more but torment him in his goods and in his mortall lyfe and in his honour for he had not the power to â—â—lter into his soule to seduâ—e him and to make him to burst out into impatience Caluiâ—â—e fol. 22. How the soules departed know not what is done in earth If the soules of the dead departed sayth Saint Austen were present at the affaires of the liuing then woulde they speake vnto vs when we sée them in our sléepe and to omit others my tender mother would forsake me neuer a night which followed by sea by land to the end she might liue together with me God forbid she should become cruell in the happâ—er life so that if ought al anytime greiue my heart she comfort not her sorrowfull sonne whom she loued entirely whome she would neuer see sadde But in good sooth that which the sacred Psalme soundoth out is true My Father and my Mother hath forsaken me but the Lord tooke me vp if our Fathers haue forsaken vs how are they present at our cares businesse If our parents be not present what other of the departed bée there which know what we doe or what we suffer The Prophet Esay sayth Abraham hath bene ignorant of vs and Israel hath not knowne vs. God of his great goodnesse promised Iosias that he should dye be gathered vnto his people least yâ— he should sée the plagues which he threatned shuld happeÌ„ to yâ— place people Chrisostome writeth that the diuels vseth to say to the liuing Anima talis ego sum I am such a mans soule to the ende he may deceiue him Chrisost. Mat. chap. 8. Cipriane saith The wicked spirits doe hide themselues in pictures and Images consecrated they inspire the mindes of the Prophets they holden the heart strings intrailes they gouerne the flieng of birds they sort lots they sift out Oracles they mingle alwayes falsehood and truth togethers they distemper the health for they deceiue and are deceiued They trouble the lyfe they disquiet the sléepe and créeping into the bodyes they fray the secrets of the minde they bring the limâ— out of fashion they distemper the health they vexe with diseases that they may compell the poore silly wretches to the worshipping of them that being filled with the sauour from the altars and burnt bowels of bâ—astâ— loosing the thing which they bound They may séeme to cure for this is their curing and healing when they cease to hurt Cipriane de Idol vanitate SOVND Why Caluine doth vse this word Sound and not perfect HE was a sound man ¶ This word sound in the Scripture is taken for a plainâ—nesse when there is no point of sayuing counter feiting or hypocriste in a man but that he sheweth himselfe the same out wardly that he is inwardly and specially when he hath no starting holes to shift himselfe from God but â—aâ—eth open his heart and all his thoughts and affections so that he desireth nothing but to consecrate and dedicate himself wholy vnto God The same word also hath ben translated perfect as well by the Gréekes as by the Latines But forasmuch as the word perfect hath afterward bene misconstrued it is better for vs to vse the word sound for many ignoraunt persons not knowing how the sayd perfection is to bée taken haue thought thus Beholde héere a man that is called perfect and therefore it followeth that it is possible for vs to haue perfection in our selues euen during the time wée walke in this present lyfe but they deface the grace of God whereof wée haue néede continually For euen they that haue liued most vprightly must haue recourse to Gods mercye and except their sinnes be forgiuen them and that God vpholde them they must needes all perish So then although that they which haue vsed this word perfect haue meant well yet notwithstanding forasmuch as there hath bene some that haue wrast it to a contrarye sense as I haue sayde let vs kéepe still this worde Sounde Caluine vpon Iob. fol. 3. SOVVE What it is to sowe in the flesh and to sowe in the spirit TO sow in the flesh is to prouido for the néedes of this present lyfe without regard of the lyfe to come It is to bée all for a mans owne selfe to feede his owne paunch onely and to bestowe nothing to the mainteinaunce of the spirituall functions And to sowe in the flesh is to followe the fruites of the flesh and to pamper the fleshly lusts And to sowe in the spirit is to looke more to heauen then to the earth And to frame a mans lyfe as he may séeke alwayes the kingdome of God Wée sowe in the spirit when wée doe and suffer all thing in this lyfe to the end we may be wel at ease in the lyfe to come Marl. vpon the Apoc. fol. 307. For he that soweth in the flesh c. ¶ Hée proueth that the ministers must be nourished for if men onelye prouide for worldly thinges without respect of the lyfe euerlasting then they procure to themselues death and mocke God who hath giuen them his ministers to teach them heauenly thinges Geneua SPETTLE Of the clay that Christ made with his Spettle HE spat on the ground and made clay of the spettle annointed the eyes of the blinde with the clay ¶ This was not for any vertue that was in the earth in the spettle or in the clay to make one sée but it only pleased him to vse these signes and meanes Geneua How Spettle was abused in Baptime THe spettle whereby they doe not lighten but defile and beraye the infant they tooke out of the miraculous fact of Christ where he did strike ouer the eies of him that was borne blind with the spettle and clay and opened them This miracle the Apostles did see but for all that none of them stroke their spettle in the eies of them that should be baptised Musculus fol. 291. SPIDERS VVEB What it is to weaue the Spiders web AND weaue the Spiders web ¶ To weaue the Spiders web is to goe about vaine and trifling thinges which are of no value although they seeme neuer so excellent to the dooers T. M. SPIRIT How this word spirit is vnderstood GOD is a spirit