himselfe the Empires both of God and man Hitherto Chrisostome And it is manifest to all men that the papaâ— grew tooke increase by the decay of the Empire at the fall of the Monarch they challenged full possession of all dominion both spirituall and temporall Of the same iudgement is S. Hierome writing vpon the same place of Paul vnto Aglasia in the eleuenth question whose words are these Nec vult aperti c. Neither will he openly say that the Romane Empire should be destroied which they yâ— gouerne it thinke to be euerlasting wherefore according to the reuelation of S. Iohn In the forehead of the purple whoore ther is written a name of blasphemy which is Rome euerlasting The same Hierome in his 13. booke of his Commentaries of the Prophesie of Esay vpon the 24. chapter writeth thus Licet ex eo quod iuxta septuaginta c. Forasmuch as the seauentie Interpreters write not the daughter Babylon but the daughter of Babylon some do interpret the rest not Babylon in Chaldea but the citie of Rome which in the reuelation of S. Iohn the Epistle of Peter is specially called Babylon The same in his preface vnto the booke of Didimus De spiritu sancto which he translated out of Greeke into Latin writing to Pauinianus he vttereth these words Cum in Babylone versarer c. Of late saith he when I was in Babylon was an inhabitant of the purple harlot liued after the lawes of the Romaines I thought to intreate somewhat of the holy Ghost The same writing to Marcella a vertuous gentlewoman of Rome whom he allured to forsake Rome to dwell néere vnto him in Bethleem one especiall reason that he vseth to perswade her is this that as Bethleem whither he would haue her to repaire is situated in the holy land and the place consecrated to the birth of Christ so Rome where she desired to remaine was the Babylonicall harlot according to the Reuelation of Saint Iohn appointed for the birth of Antichrist which there should arise and exercise tyrannye and from thence shoulde deceiue the whole world with his wicked wiles Hue vsque Hieronimus Ambrose writing a Commentarie vpon the Reuelation of S. Iohn is of the same iudgement Primasius also a verye auncient writer who lykewise Commenteth vppon the Apocalips expoundeth these Prophesies of Antichrist to bée fulfilled in the Romane Empire Augustine in his worke De ciuitate Dei not once or twise but oftentimes is bolde to call Rome Babylon and Babylon Rome As in his 6. booke and. 17. Chapter he calleth Rome an other Babylon in the West And in his 18â— booke and second chapter hée calleth Babylon of Chaldea the first Rome and Rome of Italy the second Babylon willing men to consider that in the beginning of the Citie of God which was the Church in Abrahams time the first Rome that was Easterne Babylon her enimie was builded in Chaldea about the same time that the first Babylon was destroied least the citie of God should lacke her enimie the second Babylon which is Rome in Italy was erected Hue vsque August ¶ Looke more in Antichrist Babylon If Caput come of Capio which signifieth take TheÌ„ may Rome wel be called so which nothing doth forsake If you decline Capio capis and to the grounds come Her nets are large cannot misse to caâ—ch both all and some RVDIMENTS What these Rudiments were and wherefore they were called poore WEake and beggerly Rudiments ¶ The poore and weake Rudiments be circumcision sacrifices the choise of daies and meates and other obseruation and kéeping as a thing necessarie to obteine euerlasting life the grace of God He calleth them poore or weake because they be not nor consist of themselues whose nature onely consisteth in signifieng And what strength so euer they haue that they haue because they import or signifie some waightie thing Doctor Heynes ¶ The Galathians of Panims beganne to be Christians but by false Apostles were tourned backward to beginne a new the Iewish ceremonies and so in stéed of going forwarde toward Christ they ran backward from him Geneua Sabboth Wherefore the Sabboth was instituted YE shall doe no labour therein but hallowe the sabboth as I commanded your fathers ¶ The foundation of the faith is to beléeue Gods premise that he made the whole world doth also gouerne it further that he knoweth will iudge all things c. Those things did the law require in keping of the sabboth to confesse both with word and signe to giue diligent héed to the hearing interpreting of the law to thinke of the glory of God to reléeue the faithful soule with the foode of the word to minister occasion also vnto the simple that they likewise might attempt such things in their houses amongst their household folks to be pitifull ouer the wearines of such neighbours as laboured sore al the wéeke long reléeue them to attend giue héed to the exercises of the spirit to the consolation and comforting of their neighbours not onely to absteine from outward works and fulfill their appetites and lustes for that did the Lorde forbid The Sabboth should bée applyed to the lawfull seruing of God not to sinfulnesse and wantonnesse It is commaunded to be sanctified and not polluted and defiled with naughtinesse To God alone must wée also kéepe it and call on his name Other Gods or Gods fellowes ought we not to enquire of nor fall downe vnto them But when such occasions come as turne our rest into occupation labour then ought we remember that the Sabboth was ordeined for man not man for the Sabboth So that in the meane season the feare of God and the charitie towards our neighbour which are the chiefe and principall things in the obseruation of the Sabboth be not lightly regarded T. M. A Sabboth of rest it shall be vnto you ¶ Sabboth feasts and new moones signifie the ioye and gladnesse of the conscience the renuing of man and the rest wherein wée rest from our owne workes not doing our wills but Gods which worketh in vs through the Gospell and gladde tidings while wée earnestly beléeue it Exech 20. 12. Exo. 20. 8. 31. 13. Deut. 5. â—4 God rested the seauenth day ¶ What we should learne in this we may plainly sée in the commaundement Kéepe holye the Sabboth day for that day was instituted for this cause because then God rested from his works in that day a rest is commaunded vs that in it we should do no manner of worke and why déerely beloued shall we rest God is not pleased with idlenesse he will not haue vs like the idle men yâ— in the ninth houre of the day stand still idle in the market but God commaunded vs to kéepe that day holy vnto him which is to serue him in it and not our selues
Deering And went into the Sinagogue on the sabboth day sat down ¶ The truth neuer feareth the light but commeth forth boldly as it appeareth by Paule Barnabas which entered into the common Sinagogue Also héere we doe learne why the sabboth was instituted not for vaine sports and pastimes but that vpon that day the people should giue themselues to praier to read heare the word of God Sir I. Cheekeâ— How the Priests brake the Sabboth and were blamelesse ¶ That on the Sabboth the Priestes in the Temple brake the Sabboth and are blamelesse ¶ Not that the Priests brake the Sabboth in doing that which was commaunded by the lawe but he speaketh this to conâ—ute the errour of the people who thought the Sabboth broken if any necessary worke were done that day Geneua Sée that ye kéepe my Sabboth ¶ The Sabboth beside that it serued to come heare the word of God to seeke his will to offer and to reconcile themselues vnto God It was a signe vnto them also did put them in remembraunce that it was God that sanctified them with his holy spirit and not they themselues with their holy workes T. M. What is meant by the second Sabboth It came to passe in the second Sabboth ¶ Epiphanius noteth well in his treatise where he confuteth Ebion that the time when the Disciples plucked the eares of corne was in the feast of vnleuened bread now wheras in these feasts which kept many daies together as the feast of tabernacles and the passeouer their first day and the last wer of like solemnitie Leâ—â— 23. Luke fitly calleth the last day the second Sabboth though Thâ—ophilact vnderstand it of any of them that followed the first Beza The feasts which conteined many daies as the passeouer and the feast of tabernacles had two Sabboths the first day of the feast and the last Geneua A sâ—ieng of S. Austen concerning the Sabboth It is lesse euill saith Saint Austen to goe to plough then to play vpon one of those daies meaning the Sabboth daies Why the Machabees fought on the Sabboth Obiection The Machabees fought and defended themselues vpon the Sabboth day notwithstanding God had appointed that day to rest Aunswere The Machabees might lawfully defend themselues vpon the Sabboth day for Christ expoundeth the law man is not made for the Sabboth but the Sabboth for the man And the Iewes did euil saith Dâ—do being besieged vpon the Sabboth day to stand to yéeld them vnto their enimies Yet did not the Machabees proclaime yâ— it shuld be lawfull vpon the sabboth day to go to the field The meaning of this place following And beare no burden on the Sabboth day ¶ By meaning the Sabboth day he comprehendeth the thing the is thereby signified for if they trangressed in the ceremony they must néeds be culpable of the rest Read Exo. 20. 8. And by the breaking of this one coÌ„mandemeÌ„t he maketh them transgressours of yâ— who le law for as much as the first second table are conteined therin Geneua The signification of the Latine word Sabbathum Sabbathum was among the Iewes accompted the seauenth day in the which they fasted in remembrance of the seuen daies in the which they were fatigate going fasting in the desart of Arabia or they came to the mount of Sinai S. Austen vpon the Psalmes writeth the Sabbathum is taken three maÌ„ner of waies for ye. 7. day is called by the name in the which almightie God rested after his worke of 6. daies Sabbathum is also eternall quietnesse Moreouer Sabbathum is the conscience of a quiet minde aduaunced by hope of the time to come not being shakeÌ„ or vexed with stormes of things present Eliote Look Winter SACKCLOTH What the wearing of sackcloth signifieth SAckcloth shéering of mens heads renting of their garments and casting of dust and ashes vpon them were â—okens of repentaunce or els of great sorrow among the people of the East countries in olde time Cal. vpon Iob. fol. 29. SACRAMENT What Sacrament is A Sacrament saith S. Austen is the signe of an holy thing ¶ If it be the signe of an holy thing then it is not the very thing it selfe which it doth signifie I. Frith It séemeth to me that a Sacrament is an outwarde signe wherewith the Lord sealeth to our consciences the promises of his good will towards vs to sustaine the weaknesse of our faith And we againe on our behalfes doe testifie our godlinesse towards him as well before him and the Angells as before men We may also with more briefenesse define it otherwise As to call it a testimonie of Gods fauour towards vs confirmed by an outward signe with a mutuall testifieng of our godlinesse towards him Whether of these definitions it differeth nothing in sense from the definition of S. Augustine which teacheth that a Sacrament is a visible signe of an holy thing or a visible forme of an inuisible grace but it doeth better and more certainely expresse the thing it selfe for whereas in the briefenesse there is some darknesse wherin many of the vnskilfull sort are deceiued I thought good in more wordes to giue a fuller sentence that there should remaine no doubt Cal. in his Instit. 4. b. chap. 14. sect 1. A Sacrament as S. Austen defineth it is a signe of an holy thing But if the Sacrament be Christs body as the Papists say it is then can it not be a Sacrament that is the signe of an holy thing for it is the holy thing it selfe So that they must either deny the sacrament to be the body bloud of Christ either els the Sacrament therof For one thing cannot be both the signe the thing signified because they be in that respect most contrary the one to the other Crowley A Sacrament is a visible signe ordeined of Iesus Christ as a seale to confirme vs the better in the faith of the promises the which God hath made vs of our saluation in him Vnet Sacrament is a signe representing such appointments and promises as the Raine-bow representeth the promise made to Noe that God will no more drowne the world Tindale This word Sacrament is as much to say as an holy signe and representeth alway some promise of God as in the olde Testament God ordeined that the Raine-bow should represent and signifie vnto all men an Oth that God sware to Noe and to all men after him that he would no more drowne the worlde with water so the Sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ hath a promise annexed which the Priest should declare in the English tongue This is my body that is broken for you This is my bloud that is shed for many vnto the forgiuenesse of sinnes This doe in the remembraunce of mée â—aith Christ. Luke 22. 19. and 1. Cor. 11. 24. If when thou seest the sacrament or eatest his body or drinkest his bloud thou haue this promise fast in thy heart
shew mercie and compassion is onely his blessed will and pleasure Proues of Gods will out of holy Scripture I will harden Pharaos heart and multiply miracles wonders in the land of Aegypt The Lord hath made all things for his owne sake yea euen the wicked for the day of euill I will shew mercie c. Which is expounded a little before Exo. 33. 19. Who hath saued vs and called vs with an holy calling not according to our workes but according to his owne purpose grace which was giuen to vs through Christ before the world was ¶ Looke Predestination Calling Why. How we ought in all things to commit our selues to the will of God If thou wilt thou canst make me cleane ¶ In all our troubles and aduersities in diseases and sicknesse let vs put our selues wholly vnto Gods plesure and wil which knoweth best and will alwayes doe the thing that is expedient for his glory and the saluation of our soules Sir I. Cheeke VVILDERNESSE What is signified by wildernesse BUt the desart and wildernesse shall reioyce ¶ By the desarte and wildernes is signified the country of the heathen which were without grace and without the fruite of good and vertuous liuing Psa. 107. 33. It is a borrowed speach taken of the roughnesse and vnfruitfulnesse of the wildernesse T. M. ¶ He prophecieth of the full restoring of the Church both of the Iewes and Gentiles vnder Christ which shal be fully accomplished at the last day albeit as yet it is compared to a desart and wildernesse Geneua The barraine nature of mankinde shal be made fruitfull by grace promised in Christ. The Bible note How the Lord doth turne the wildernesse into riuers I turne the wildernes into riuers That is I make the doctrine of truth so generall and so easie to all men that whereas wer before wast wildernesses by which vnderstand the errors of the heathen wherwith they had made all vnfruitfull drye shall now by the grace of the Holy ghost be riuers of the water of veritie where all was full of Idolatrye of abhomination and of stinking errors ther shall the harts of the chosen be watered with godly wisdome through the Gospell glad tidings and shal be endued with faith whereby they may both profite themselues and other and so shall they be fruitfull Wildernes is often thus taken as before Esay 35. T. M. The meaning of this place following Wher shall we get so much bread in the wildernes We are all in a wildernesse so many as be in this vale of misery Christ is our Pastor shepheard which feedeth vs with his blessed word in the wildernesse that is to say among so many traditions of wherewith we are burdened S. I. Cheeke VVINE Of olde wine in new vessells NEither do we put new wine into olde vessells A mind that is nourished in blinde ceremonies superstition is not a méete vessell to receiue the pleasaunt wine of the gospel S. I. C. ¶ Olde wine was wont to be put after the manner of oyle into Goates skins euen as we do put it into our wine vessells They therfore that are skilfull in vintage or making of wine brew their new wine into new vessels for they which put new wine into olde vessells suffer double losse that is to say when the new wine worketh or spourgeth the vessells breake the wine perisheth Marl. fol. 135. What is signified by wine and oyle The oyle and wine see thou hurt not The dulcet wine and the fragrant oyle see thou hurt not saith the said voyce hinder not the word of God which is the swéet wine yâ— replenisheth the heart with gladnesse the wholsome oyle yâ— comforteth the soule in trouble delicious it is in aduersitie solatious in all weaknes Corrupt not the text with false gloses take not from vs the swéetnes therof defraud vs not of yâ— fruitfull sauor let the text be whole the fruit vncorrupt the iudgment right that shal well be if nothing be added vnto it nor nothing taken from it Bale What is signified by wine milke Come buy wine milk without any mony c. ¶ The word of God is called wine milke wine because it reioyceth the heart in that it pacifieth the conscience setteth it at rest milke because it nourisheth and increaseth the little ones in faith as ye haue 1. Pet. 2. 2. And as new borne babes desire the reasonable milke T. M. ¶ By waters wine milke and bread he meaneth all things necessary to the spirituall life as these are necessary to the corporall life Geneua The forbidding of wine and strong drinke Thou shalt not drinke wine nor strong drinke Some think that Nadab Abiu being ouercome with drink did not their ser-seruice lawfully wherevpon they thinke that this lawe of forbidding wine and strong drinke was made The Bible note How wine remaineth in the Sacrament He tooke the Cup and when he had giuen thankes he gaue it to them saieng Drinke ye all of it for this my bloud of yâ— new Testament that is shed for many for the remission of sinnes I say vnto you that I wil not drinke henceforth of this fruite of the vine vntill that day when I shall drink it new with you in the kingdome of my father ¶ Heere Christ himselfe calleth it the very fruit and generation of the grape as it was afore That it was wine saith Clement that was blessed at yâ— supper Christ himselfe shewed his disciples saieng I will no more drinke of the fruit of this vine vntill I shall drinke â— with you in the kingdome of my father Clem. de pedago li. 2. cap 2. The wine pressed out of clusters many â—rapes our Lord called his bloud Cipr. li. 3. Epist 6. Ther was wine in the mysterie or sacrament of our recâ—ption when our Lord said I will not drinke henceforth of this fruite of the vine Aug. de eccl dogmat ca. 75. Iewel fo 263. VVINDE What the foure windes doe signifie â—Olding the foure windes of the earth ¶ The spirit is compared to winde and the doctrine also and though ther be one spirit and one doctrine yet foure are heere named in respect of the diuersitie of the foure quarters of the earth where the Gospell is spread and for the foure writers thereof and the preachers of the same through the whole earth Geneua They withhold the foure windes of the earth the doctrine of the spirit which God hath sent to be blown the world ouer they withstand resist stop vexe and euermore persecute Bale How the preachers of the Gospell are likened to winde That the winde should not blow vpon the earth ¶ Like as the winde raiseth vp clouds openeth the earth moysteth it maketh it fruitfull maketh it to looke cheerefully with flowers fruits euen so the preaching of the Gospell shadoweth yâ— harts of earthly
his kingdome howbeit this title should séeme more conuenient for the which after the Hebrewes is a distinct Psalme from this whereas the Latinists make this and the next both one ALTAR What an Altar is and how they began AN Altar is nothing els but a thing builded to offer Sacrifices on Altare is a Latin word which is so named as the Gramarians doe saie of Altitudo or height Not that an Altar is so great and high but because the Romaines before the receiuing of the true religion of Christ they made Altars in thrée sundrie places Some they called Altaria vpon the which they did offer Sacrifices vnto the supernall Gods Other Altars they had which were made beneath vpon the plaine ground vppon the which they did Sacrifice vnto the Gods on the earth And other Altars they made vnder the earth as were in Poules vpon the which they did offer Sacrifice Dijs infernalibus vnto Gods vnder the ground And these two last kinde were called Ara or Aâ—e but the high Altars were properlie called Altaria Thus much concerning the name of the Latin word Altare In all the newe Testament where we read this Latin word Altare as in the 5. of S. Mathew the first of S. Luke 1. Cor. 9. the 13. of the Hebrewes In all these places in the Gréeke booke is red 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which word is as much to saie in English as a Sacrificing place or a thing made to offer sacrifices on which is more plaine then the Latin word Altare is So that an Altar is nothing els but a sacrificing place or a thing made to offer sacrifices on When Noe was preserued from the generall Deluge with his wife and his thrée sons their wiues restored againe by the tender mercie of God to drie land he made an Altar vnto the Lord and offered all manner of cleane beasts and foules thereon for a sacrifice with whose doings the Lord was well pleased because he did it in the faith of Christ which was figured by the Altar and promised neuer to drowne the world anie more for mans wickednesse c. Upon the same faith did Abraham the father of all faithfull beléeuers make an Altar vnto the Lord what time as God promised vnto him that in his séede which was Christ should all the nations of the earth be blessed Likewise God commanded â—acob to build an Altar at Bethel in the remembrance that he had deliuered him from the hands and crueltie of his brother Esau. Thus in the lawe of nature Altars began But chiefelie they did flourish after the law of the ten commandements were giuen by Moses We read that God warned Moses to kéepe the people from making of Gods of gold or of siluer and to kéepe them the better from it thou shalt said he cause them to make an Altar not of gold nor siluer but make vp a litle heape of earth and therevpon do thou offer the burnt-offerings the peace-offerings And if the people be desirous to build an Altar of stone thou shale not suffer it to be made of hewen stone but of rough stone after the rudest fashion that the people take not a superstitious conceit reposing a confidence in the Altar it selfe and not in the thing that is signified by the Altar which is Christ. Yet all this while there wâ—re no perfect forme nâ—r fashion of Altars till the Tabernacle of the tastimonies was made When that was once made then Altars grewâ— to their perfection For then God commanded to make two Altars for the Tabernacle the one was called the Altar of incense which Altar was made of Sethim wood aboue couered ouer with fine gold The other Altar was made also of Sethim wood but aboue it was couered ouer onelie with Brasse and therefore sometimes it is called the brasen Altar This Altar was properlie called the Altar of burnt-offerings vpon this Altar was offered euerie daie two Lambes one in the morning and the other at night beside an innumerable sort of other Leuiticall Sacrifices Now marke in these two Altars ye must consider that it was a part of the Ceremoniall Lawe of Moses all which Lawe was but a figure and a shadowe of Christ the true light it selfe As the Apostle saith The Ceremoniall lawe was but a shadowe of good things that were then to come and giuen by Christ. But nowe hâ—erâ— maie bée thought séeing that Altars were vsed from the beginning of the world First in the lawe of Nature second in the law written by commandement giuen by Moses the man of God thirdlie frequented and vsed in Christs Church since the beginning and vsed to this daie in most places of Chrisâ—endome how is it then that the Church of England hath taken them awaie To this I aunswere that wheresoeuer Altars be vsed whether in England or in anie other places of Christendome they be an occasion of great Idolatrie blaspheming of Christs bloud and merits of his bitter passion For whereas by Christs one Sacrifice offered vpon the Altar of the Crosse we are all made cleane and inheritours of the kingdome of heauen our Altars did teach vs that he was offered vp there a newe euerie daie for our redemption by the worke of a priest which is most falâ—e and vntrue and most blasphemous iniurious to Christs merits and sacrifice offered once for all And to the end to plucke out this blasphemous opinion out of the simple peoples heads it ought to be iudged of all the Kings people as good a déede of the King and his Counsell to beate downe and destroie the Altars in England as that King Ezechias did when he brake and brent the brasen Serpent that Moses by the commandement of God did make because the people did worship it and so committed Idolatrie Though that Altars were well accepted at the handes of Noe Abraham Isaac Iacob and also commaunded during the time of Moses Lawe yet ye must vnderstand that that Lawe is now abrogated and vtterlie repelled The whole Lawe giuen by God to Moses for the people of Israel was deuided into thrée fortes lawes morall which is the lawe of the ten commaundements lawes Iudiciall or Ciuil lawes which we in the realme of England call temporall lawes The third kinde of lawes were Ceremoniall lawes The lawe of the ten Commandements doe stand in their first strength But the other two the lawe Iudiciall and the lawes ceremoniall are quite abolished and of no strength Since that Christ hath suffered his passion for our redemption And where as no nation vnder yâ— Sunne were so laden with Ceremonies as the Iewes were God did it for two purposes One was to kéepe the people from the idolatricall inuentions of their owne handes and of their owne heads The other was with pretie figures and shadows to induce the grose and stifnecked people to inbrace and beléeue the mysteries of Christes incarnation passion and resurrection which mysterie was principallie figured and sette out by
vnderstood by the foure Angels By these foure Angels are vnderstood noisome ministers which go about to hinder both the life doctrine of the gospell the true faith The Angell which ascended from the rising of the Sunne c. is our sauiour Christ which alwaies procureth some to further the Gospel against tyrants Antechrists Sir I. Cheek I sawe foure Angels saith S. Iohn c. These are the hypocrites with their false doctrine The Antechrists with their pestilent degrées traditions The cruel princes with their tyrannous lawes the vngodlie magistrates with their ignorance blindnesse These stand vpon yâ— foure corners of the earth they reigne in the foure quarters of yâ— world with lies in hypocrisie errours in superstition with tyrannie in power crueltie in executing humaine lawes These with-hold â—he â—oure winds of the earth The doctrine of the spirit which God hath sent to bée blowne the world ouer they withstand resist stop vexe euermore persecute least it shold blow vpon yâ— earth which is yâ— gardein of god driuing away froÌ„ thence all filth corruption Bale What is meant by the seauen Angels And I sawe the seauen Angels c. ¶ These seauen Angels bée manie Antechristes and those mightie that do harme to the faithfull hinder yâ— Gospel But Iesus Christ standeth at the Altar with the oblacion of his bodie for yâ— faithfull Sir I. Cheek Who the Angell was And shewed by his Angel ¶ Ther be yâ— think yâ— by this Angell was meant Christ but more rightlie do other vnderstand him to haue ben some one of those heauenlie spirits yâ— are called ministering spirits are sent abroad about seruice for their sake yâ— shall be heires of saluation He. 1. 14. for by this meanes Christ proued to be the Lord of Angels as by whose seruice in yâ— wonderfull administration of his kingdome he both deliuereth the godlie out of the hands of the vngodly and also punisheth the wicked from time to time Beside this we shall sée the Angell more then once refuse the worshippe that Iohn was about to yéeld vnto him in this present booke 19. 10. and. 22. 9. which thing Christ would not haue done inasmuch as he is far more excellent not onelie then man but also then all the Angels Mar. vpon the Apoc. fol. 5. Of the Angell that went downe into the poole where the sicke laie For an Angell went downe at a certeine season into the poole c. ¶ It is vncerteine when or how often the Angell came downe to the water whether once in a yeare or oftner Some thinke that he descended euerie feastiuall daie that then some one sicke person or other was healed Other-some thinke yâ— this was done vpon the daie of Pentecost Notwithstanding this is most certeine that the benefit is to bée ascribed vnto God who in working hath euer vsed the ministerie of Angels of men of Elements For that which the Angell did héere hée did it as a minister of God For it is a worke proper vnto God to cure the sicke But as he hath euer vsed the hand and worke of Angels so he hath committed these partes in charge to the Angels for the which cause the Angels are called powers or vertues not because God resigning his power vnto them sitteth himselfe idle in heauen but because he working mightelie in them mightelie declareth vnto vs his power Therefore they doe verie wickedlie which ascribe anie thing to Angels which is proper to God or which make them such mediatours betwéene God and vs that they obscure the glorie of God when as we ought rather directlie to come vnto Christ that by his conducting aide and commaundement we maie haue the Angels helpers and ministers of our saluation Mar. vpon Iohn fol. 146. ANGER What Anger is by Aristotles definition Anger is nothing els if we maie beléeue Aristotle in his Rhetorikes but a desire of reuengement because of contempt For they which perceiue themselues to be despised and contemned do straight waie thinke how they maie be reuenged and they diligentlie meditate how by some punishment they maie requite the iniurie or despite done vnto them How Anger in some respect is no sinne ANger is no sinne so that the originall thereof and the ende whether it extendeth be vertuous and procéede with charitie Moses was angrie and brake the tables of God in his zealous and godlie passion He put the idolaters to death but the ende was to destroie vice and mainteine vertue So was Dauid so was Saule so was Christ but it sprang of a loue towards God and extended to a vertuous ende the punishment of vice and commendation of vertue Whooper Be angrie and sinne not ¶ Christ was angrie at the blindnesse of the Iewes Mat. 23. and so was Moses at the idolatrie of the Israelites Exo. 32 and at the sedition of Chore Dathan and Abiram Num. 16. neuertheles this anger or wrath was but a verie zeale vnto the law of God as thou maist sée by Phinehes in Nu. 25 and by Mathathias 1. Mac. 2. As for malice vnlawfull wrath it is vtterlie forbidden as it followeth in the same chapter where he saith let not the Sunne goe downe vppon your wrath Tindale I haue bene through angrie for the Lord God of hoasts sake ¶ Anger is not héere taken for such as is betwéene enimies but such as procéedeth of seruent loue as when the Father is angrie with the sonne not bicause he would him euill but sheweth thereby that he loueth him better for in correcting him he prouideth that he fall not into worse Such an anger zeale or iealousie had Phinehes also Nu. 25. What Anger is forbidden Christ prohibiteth anger as the beginning of hatred murther and destruction For he said he that is angrie with his brother is worthie of iudgement for anger and reuengement are seperate one from an other onelie as the roote and the fruit For he that is angrie with anie man if he hurt him not that chaunceth bicause either he cannot or els feareth the punishment of the lawes He that hateth his brother saith Iohn is a murtherer But among those which are counted verie angrie kings aboue other are numbered when they perceiue that they are despised of their subiects Wherefore Homere saith Great is the anger of a kings displeasure Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 166. How anger or wrath is in God God is said to be angrie kisse the sonne least the Lord bée angrie when we breake his commaundements despise his threatnings set light by his promise and follow our owne corrupt appetites God is said to be angrie and chaunged but the chaunge is in vs and not in him for he is immutable with whom saith S. Iames is no variablenesse neither is he chaunged The Psalmist saith 101. He chaungeth all things as a vesture but he himselfe is immutable vnchaungeable Lactantius in the booke which he writeth of the anger of
times alwaies his praise shall be in my mouth Chrisostome saith when God is blessed and thanks be giuen of men vnto him then more plentious blessing is wont to be giuen of him for their sakes by whom he is blessed For he that blesseth maketh him debter of a greater blessing Calfehill fol. 116. By blessing vnderstand not the wagging of the popes or Bishops hand ouer thy head but praier as when we saie GOD make thée a good man Christ put his spirit in thée or giue thée grace and power to walke in the truth to followe his commaundemēts as Rebeccaes friends blessed hir when she departed saieng Thou art our sister growe into thousand thousands thy séed possesse the gates of their enimies And as Isaac blessed Iacob saieng God giue thée of the dew of heauen and of the fatnesse of the earth abundance of corne wine and oile And Gen. 28. 3. Almightie God blesse thée and make thée grow and multiplie thée that thou maist be a great multitude of people giue to thée and to thy séede after thee the blessing of Abraham that thou maist possesse the land wherein thou art a straunger which he promised to thy grandfather such like Tindale fol. 145. What Gods blessings are Gods blessings are his giftes as in the first Chapter of Genesis he blessed them saieng Grow and multiplie haue dominion And in the. 9. Chapter he blessed Noe his sonnes and gaue dominion ouer all beasts authoritie to eate them And God blessed Abraham with cattel and other riches And Iacob desired Esau to receiue the blessing which he brought him that is the present and gift God blessed the. 7. daie That is gaue it a preheminence that men should rest therein from bodilie labour and learne to know the wil of God and his lawes how to worke their works godlie all the wéeke after God also blessed all nations in Abrahams séed that is he turned his loue and fauour vnto them giueth them his spirit and knowledge of the true waie and lust and power to walke therein and all for Christs sake Abrahams sonne Tindale fol. 5. Who is blessed and sanctified of God He is blessed which kéepeth himselfe that which he is by new birth that is to wit which continueth in walking in newnes of life according to the which Christ saith Blessed are they which heare the word of God and kéepe it Luke 11. 28. Also Blessed is he to whom the Lord imputeth no sin in whose heart there is no guile Psal. 32. 1. 2. Rom. 4. 8. Marl. vpon the Apoc. fol. 276. ¶ Blessed is that man of the Lord yea holie iust and perfect maie he be reported also of all men which hath portion conuenient in y◠first resurrection with Dauid Magdalene Zacheus Peter Happy are they which hearing the word of God retaineth it in their liuing for they being renued with the glad tidings of life are depured by the spirit of Christ sanctified so made the habitacles of the holie Ghost Bale vpon the Apoc. fol. 59. Some peraduenture will aske who be they that be blessed and sanctified of God truelie all they whome Christ hath sanctified in his bloud and washed their sinnes in his bloud that hath faith and doth beléeue their sinnes onelie to bée taken awaie by Christ and his bloudshed for their remission of sinnes which will beléeue surelie till they die These be they which be truelie hallowed and sanctified in God the father and these bée holie and blessed whether men do blesse them or curse them Other there be that be sanctified as of men and of the Pope of the Cardinalls of Bishops or Abbots but these be not holie nor blessed except that Christ hath sanctified them in his bloud and hath remission of their sinnes by Iesus Christ which thing they beléeue surelie or els they be not sanctified of God nor blessed be they neuer so oftentimes blessed of the popes holy hand and all his thrée crosses with all the miters of his Cardinalls and Bishops Bibliander in the exposition of Iude. Of the sacramentall blessing Iesus tooke bread blessed c. ¶ To blesse is not to make a crosse but rather to giue thanks as he himselfe doth expresse by by when he speaketh of the cup. Againe where Marke vseth this word blessed Mathew Luke and Paule doe saie he gaue thanks both in Gréeke and in the Latine Sir I. Cheeke And when he had blessed ¶ Marke saith had giuen thanks and therefore blessing is not a consecrating with a coniuring of murmuring force of words and yet the bread the wine are chaunged not in nature but in qualitie for they become vndoubted tokens of the bodie and bloud of Christ not of their owne nature and force of words but by Christ his institution which must be recited and laied foorth that faith maie finde what to laie holde on both in the word and the element Beza The cup of blessing which we blesse c. ¶ When I spake saith Chrisostome of blessing I spake of thanksgiuing and speaking of thanksgiuing I open all the treasure of the goodnesse of God and rehearse those great giftes of his For with the cup we adde the vnspeakable benefites of God and whatsoeuer we haue obteined So we come vnto him we communicate with him thanking him that he hath deliuered mankinde from errour that when we had no hope and were wicked persons he admitted vs brothers and companions to himselfe with those and such other rendrings of thankes we come vnto him Héere ye sée what Chrisostome tooke blessing to be Calfehil fol. 106. What it is to blesse the Lords name Blessed be the name of the Lord. ¶ We maie not onelie picke out the words but also consider of what minde they procéede and that they be spoken trulie and vnfainedlie for how is it possible that we should blesse the name of God if we doe not first acknowledge him to be righteous But he that grudgeth against God as though he were cruell and vnkinde cursseth God because that as much as in him lieth he lifteth himselfe vp against him He that acknowledgeth not God to be his father and himselfe to be Gods childe ne yéeldeth record of his goodnesse blesseth not God And why so For they which taste not of the mercie and grace that God sheweth vnto men when he afflicteth them must néedes grinde their téeth at him and cast vp and vomit out some poyson against him Therefore to blesse the Lords name importeth as much as to perswade our selues that he is iust and righteous of his owne nature and not onelie that but also that he is good and merciful Lo◠héere how we maie blesse Gods name after the example of Iob that is by acknowledging his Iustice and vprightnesse and moreouer also his grace and fatherlie goodnesse towards vs c. Caluine vpon Iob. fol. 32. ¶ Héereby he confesseth that
we are chosen WE are not chosen of God to breake his commaundements but for to liue in holinesse and righteousnesse all the daies of our lyfe How God hath chosen vs and we not him You haue not chosen me saith Christ but I haue chosen you ¶ Who hearing this saieng of our Lord dare bee so bolds as to saie that men are chosen through beliefe whereas rather they are chosen that they maie beléeue least y◠they should bée found to haue chosen Christ first contrarie to the sentence of the truth vnto whom Christ saith you haue not chosen me but I haue chosen you Pet. Viret Obiection We were chosen do some saie before the foundations of the world were made because that God did foresee that we shoulde be good and not that he himselfe should make vs good Aunswere God saith ye haue not chosen me but I haue chosen you for if he had therefore chosen vs because he had foreséene that we shoulde bée good he should also haue knowne before that we should haue chosen him Veron How God is said not to haue chosen manie wise men Paule saith that God hath not chosen manie wise men after the flesh nor manie men of power nor manie noble men borne And yet the same man saith God will haue all men saued how then doth he nor choose God is said not to haue chosen them not because he would not haue them saued but for the sequele of it that is to saie because the wisedome of this world power nobilitie of birth do like baits entice and withdrawe manie from the obedience of the Gospell Dauid was rich and puissant and so was Nero. But Dauid was not entised by the riches and power to fall from the Gospell as Nero was to his owne destruction And so foorth of other like Hemmyng Of Marie Magdalens good choosing Marie hath chosen that good part which shall not be taken from hir ¶ She hath chosen the hearing of the word of God which euer endureth is the onelie waie to euerlasting life Tindale ¶ The good part that is the hearing of the word of God from the which it was not méete that she should bée drawne hauing not alwaies opportunitie to heare the same The Bible note How God chooseth two manner of waies I haue chosen you twelue saith the Lord and one of you is the diuell ¶ It is to bee vnderstood that there is two manner of choosing The one whereby the Apostles were chosen to that most worthie office of Apostleshippe that they were in and the other wherby they wer chosen into life euerlasting Therfore when Christ saith that Iudas was chosen with the other Apostles that same must be vnderstood of the office wherevnto he was called and chosen with the other For when he speketh of the election that doth perteine to life euerlasting hée doth altogether exclude him from the number of the chosen I doe not saith he speake of you all I know whom I haue chosen I. Veron ¶ Looke Iudas Calling Election Predestination Of the choosing of Ministers Looke Ministers CHRISOLITE The nature of this stone and what it betokeneth The seauenth a Chrisolite ¶ This stone glittereth like gold and casteth out burning sparkes Wherby are ment those that vnderstand the diuine Scriptures both in word worke doe vtter that vnto others which they themselues vnderstand Marl. fol. 300. ¶ The seauenth foundation is of a Chrisolite or Turcas which shineth as golde and séemeth as it shoulde send foorth sparkes vnder this are they comprehended which hauing the wisdome of the spirit inflameth other with it prouoking them thereby to the loue of God and their neighbour This did Moses Esau Barnabas and Paule in whom the glorie of the Lord appeared plenteouslie Bale CHRISOTRACE The description of this stone and what it betokeneth THe 〈…〉 a Chrisoprade ¶ This is of a greene colour intermedled with golde and it betokeneth such as resembleth the freshnesse of the euerlasting countrie by charitable intercommuning one with an other Mirl vpon the Apoc. fol. 300. ¶ The tenth was a Chrisoprace whose condition is to shine like golde and yet he is greene in sight Such are they which hauing godlie wisdome vttereth it according to the talent giuen them of the Lord thereby renuing the dull spirits of other vnto heauenlie things Among this sort maie 〈…〉 be numbred which sawe manie wonderfull visions And so maie Simeon and Anna in the Gospell Bale CHRIST How Christ was first promised to Adam WHen the first man Adam through the craft and subtiltie of the Serpent whom the diuell had set for his minister to deceiue him had lost the felicitie of Paradise and made himselfe and all his posteritie for euer subiect to death and all other calamities and nuseries of this world where afore it was in his power alwaies to haue liued Then almightie God for the saluation of mankinde promised that of the séed of the woman Christ should come and destroie the power of Satan and deliuer vs frée from sinne and death Lanquet How Christ grew in age and wisdome Christ as touching his Godhead did not grow in age wisdome and fauour but in respect of his manhood in that he was verie man whose example would God we could follow that as we grow in yeares so we might grow in wisdome and fauour with God and men Hemming How Christ is called Dauids sonne If Dauid call him Lord how is he then his sonne ¶ Christ in that he is a verie naturall man is Dauids sonne but in that he is a true and a naturall God equall with the Father he is also his Lord. Sir I. Cheeke How Christ had moneie Looke Moneie Whie Christ became man As through a naturall man we were banished out of Paradise made the children of dampnation so it pleased the almightie trinitie neither by an Angell nor Archangell but by a naturall man to restore vs againe and made vs heires of saluation as Paule witnesseth By a man came death and by a man commeth the resurrection of the dead for as by Adam all die euen so by Christ all be made aliue R. Hutchynson Whie Christ fasted Like as it pleased God to giue power vnto Moses xl daies twice in the mountaine not for the auoiding of temptation but for to set foorth the glorious lawe and will of the Father then to be published And Elias béeing sent to anoint a king ouer Siria a king and a Prophet ouer Israel by whom both these kingdomes should be cleane altered and chaunged did fast fortie daies from all maner meates for the declaring of the power of God in his works So did it please Christ of his owne power to fast fortie daies that the Iewes shoulde haue none occasion to thinke him inferiour to those tw◠their great Prophets in the publishing of his Gospell and gladde tidings vnto the world and his renuing of all things not to the
intent that we should followe him and thereby haue purgation for our sinnes For beside that it is impossible to followe him without an especiall worke of the spirit either in that he fasted fortie daies or in that he was neuer hungrie This were a plaine deniall of the benefits of his passion and the setting vp of our owne worke which is vnperfect For what great matter is it to eate meate but once euerie daie to drink two or thrée times many haue so liued in old yâ— time And what holines is it to eat fish onelie do not Cormerants and such as liue by the sea side liue so like wise Christ hath commaunded vs to followe him in loue peace mercie such like But in this example as a thing impossible we haue no such commaundement except we be drawne into wildernesse by the spirit as Christ was or by anie other worke of God we be destitute of food the comfort of creatures Then loe yâ— example of Christ may strength vs teach that not by bread onelie doe we liue but by euerie word that procéed out of the mouth of God A. G. fol. 187. Why Christ is called holie ¶ Looke Holie Why Christ is called true ¶ Looke True Why Christ was borne of a woman Whie was Christ borno of a woman truelie because â—nne and death ouerflowed the world through the first woman hee worketh the mysterie of life and righteousnesse by an other woman that the blame of sinne should not be imputed to the creature which is good but to the will by which Eue sinned R. Hutehynson Why Christ died for vs. And I was dead ¶ This cannot be verified of the Angels because they be inuisible and immortall spirits But Christ to obeie his Father and to wash awaye the sinnes of mankinde was contented to yéeld himself to death for a time to the intent that he might at length by death destroie him that had yâ— power of death that is to wit the diuell and set them at libertie which for feare of death were subiect to bondage all their lyfe long Heb. 2. 14. 15 for euen from the beginning God purposed vpon the sacrifice wherin Christ the true shepheard of all men gaue his life for his sheepe Iohn 10. 15. 17. And like as Christ the head of the Church entered into his glorie by death Luke 24. 26. So becommeth it all the godlie to die with him that they maie be glorified together with him according as Paule teacheth Rom. 8. 17. 2. Timo. 2. 12. 13. and Acts. 14. 22. Marl. fol. 27. Christ died for vs. ¶ They alleadge also that Christ died for vs all and thereof they inferre that his benefits is common to all men which thing we also will easilie graunt if onelie the worthinesse of the death of Christ be considered for as touching it it might be sufficient for al the sinnes of the world but although in it selfe it bée sufficient yet it neither had nor hath nor shall haue effect in all men which thing the schoolemen also confesse when they affirme that Christ hath redéemed all men sufficientlie but not effectuallie for there vnto it is necessarie that the death of Christ be healthfull vnto vs that we take holde of it which cannot otherwise be done then by â—aith which faith is the gift of God and not giuen to all men Pet. Mar. vpon the Rom. fol. 305 Obiection why did Christ choose to die vpon the crosse before other kinde of death Aunsvvere Truly because this kinde of death is accursed all that die on it as it is written Cursed is euerie one that hangeth on tree for so it commeth to passe that Christ was accursed for vs to deliuer vs from Gods curse as Paule saith Christ hath deliuered vs from the curse of the law in that he was made accursed for vs. R. Hutchynson The time and houre of Christs crucifieng One of the Euangellsts saith yâ— Christ was crucified the third houre the other the sixt houre Augustine affirmeth both to be true for yâ— Iews at the third houre cried Crucifie crucifie wherefore as touching them they slue the Lord then who yet was afterward at the sixt houre crucified by the souldiers of Pilate Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 166. Of Christs calling vpon God in his passion My God my God whâ—e hast thou forsaken me ¶ NotwithstaÌ„nding yâ— he feeleth himselfe as it were wounded with Gods wrath forsaken for our sinnes yet he ceaseth not to put his confidence in God and call vpon him which is written to teach vs in all afflictions fo trust still in God be the assalts neuer so greeuous vnto the flesh Geneua How Christ baptised and baptised not Though that Iesus himselfe baptised not but his disciples ¶ It is said in the 22. verse of the chapter going before yâ— Christ was in Iewrie that he there baptised the which Saint Iohn heere expoundeth saieng that he baptised by his disciples Therefore the Lord baptised baptised not For he baptised because it was he yâ— cleansed washed purified the sinne He baptised not bicause he vsed not the outward sacrament of dipping or ducking in the water The Disciples vsed the ministerie of the bodie And he ioyned therewith his maiestie grace Therfore the Lord baptised by the ministerie of his Disciples Marl. fol. 10â— Of Christs humanitie The Marin Vigilius saith Dei filius secundu humanitatem c. The sonne of God according to his manhood is departed from vs according to his Godhead he is euer with vs. Vigilius li 2. contra Euti Cyrillus saith Secundum carnem c. according to the flesh onelie he would depart but by the presence of his Godhead he is euer present Cyrillus in Iohn li. 9. cap. 21. Gregorie saith Verlium incarnatâ—m manet recaedet c. The word incarnate both abâ—deth with vs and departeth from vs. It abideth with vs by the Godhead it departeth from vs by the bodie or manhood â— Gregorie de pasc homi 30. Augustin saith Ibat per id quod home erat c. Christ departed by yâ— he was maÌ„ abode by yâ— he was God He departed by that yâ— he was in one place he abod by yâ— yâ— he was in al places The heauens saith Saint Peter must containe and holde him vntill the time that all things bée restored Act. 3. 21. Cyrillus saith Christus non poterat c. Christ could not be conuersant with his Apostles in his flesh after he ascended vnto the Father Cyril in Iohn li. 11. chap. 3. Of Christs descending into hell three opinions Lyra saith yâ— Christs soule was 39. houres in Lymbo sanctoru patrum In yâ— place wher yâ— soules of yâ— holie Patriarks wer reserued kept till Christs coÌ„ming he saith yâ— Christs soule was 39. houres in yâ— place which he calleth Lymbus yâ— is to saie froÌ„ yâ— 9. houre
the faith that iustifieth in effect cannot As. 1. Iohn 2. 9. Geneua Hast thou faith haue it with thy selfe before God ¶ He speaketh to him saith Origen which knoweth beléeueth that all kinde of meats are now frée through Christ. Let him vse this his faith towards God giue thanks to him And let him not by reason of his faith campell an other man to eate with a wauering resisting conscience And let the same man haue his â—aith with himselfe let him not boast of it to the hurt of his neighbour Neither let him with ouermuch licenciousnesse vse what meats he list Paule seemeth by a certein preuencion to answere to those which said they would liue freelie and defend the faith which they had receiued Paule aunswereth haue thou this faith before God kéep it to thy selfe Pet. Mar. vpoÌ„ the Rom. foâ— 441 ¶ Faith héere is taken for a full perswasion of the christian libertie in things indifferent as the Apostle interpreteth it in the 14. verse where he saith I know and am perswaded through the Lord Iesus that ther is nothing vncleane of it selfe but vnto him that iudgeth anie thing to be vncleane to him it is vncleane Geneua If ye haue saith like â—graine of mustard séed c. ¶ But least anie man should by by gather as certeine peruerse men do that whosoeuer hath faith as a graine of mustard séed maie remoue mountaines doe all things else say we beléeue therefore that we are able 〈…〉 all things yea if néed be to remoue mountains also to cast out euill spirits we must note of what faith the Lord speaketh heere let vs vnderstand therefore yâ— ther are thrée kindes of faith The first is that by the which certeine things are beléeued to be such as they are declared to be in the Scriptures As in Scripture we heere yâ— ther is one God being omnipotent the creatour of all things this faith is called an historicall faith The second is yâ— which we beléeue the promises of God apprehend yâ— mercy grace of God in Christ Iesu this faith is said to be a iustifieng faith The third is that by the which a man doth firmeliâ— beléeue that ther is nothing impossible vnto God the minde armed by a certeine inspiration of the spirit to doe meruailous things this is called the faith of myracles The first kinde of faith is most general insomuch yâ— it perâ—eâ—eth euen to the wicked with the which faith also Satan is indued as appeareth by the words of the Apostle Thou beleeuest that there is one God thou dost well the diuels also beleeue tremble The second kinde of faith perâ—eineith onlie to the elect chosen of God as witnesseth the Apostle Paule in his Epistle to Titus by the which faith we are made members of Christs bodâ— are saued Of this â—aith Christ speaketh not heere neither doe al they the haue the same wâ—â—â— miracles straight way The third kind of â—aith perleineth so certein christians that not at all times but it hath a certeine consideratioÌ„ also This faith maie also be called a perticular of speciall faith it is no doubt a singuler gift of the holie Ghost as S. Paule teacheth saieng To some faith is giuen by the same spirit the which truly cannot be said of the iustifieng faith which perteineth not to a certeine onely but vnto all the elect and chosen of God This faith saueth no man neither doth it change the hearts of men therfore it is such a faith as is also giuen vnto the wicked therfore we haue alredie heard in the 7. chapter going before how the wicked at the day of iudgement shall say vnto Christ Lord Lord haue we not prophesied in thy name by thy name cast out diuels done manie miracles in thy name To whom it shall be answered I neuer knew you depart froÌ„me ye the worke iniquitie And in an other place the Apostle saith If I had all faith so the I could remoue mountains haue no loue it is nothing Of this faith Christ speaketh héere wher he saith If ye haue faith like a graine of mustard seed Mar. fo 387. Of the faith of lnfants Indéed saith S. Austen albeit the faith which doth consist in the will of the beléeuers do not make the childe faithfull yet the sacrament of the faith doth make him â—aithfull for it is answered that he doth beléeue so he is called also faithful not by censenting in minde to the matters itselfe but by receiuing the sacrament of the verie same matter effect And in an other place he saith This word of saith is of so great strength in the church of Christ the it doth cleanse the infant by him that doth beléeue offer blesse and wâ—â—h him neuer so little although he 〈…〉 not yet able to beléeue in heart to righteousnesse and to confesse in mouth vnto saluatâ—â— Thus â—â—saith he Epi. 2â— ad ques Bonifacâ—â— Whaâ— the faith of hypocrits is The faith of hipocrits is yâ— god forgiueth works deserueth and the same false faith in their owne works raineth the mercy promised to the merits of their own works so is Christ vtterlie excluded Tindale fol. 187. Of two manner of faithsâ— There be two manner of faiths an historicall faith a feeling â—aith The historicall faith hangeth of the truth and honestie of the telâ—er or of the common fame and consent of manie As if one had tolde me the Turke had wonne a cidie I beléeued â—o moued with the honestie of thelmâ—n Now if â—here come another yâ— seemeth more honest or that hath better 〈…〉 that it is not so I thinke immediatlie the he lied so loose my faith againe And a feeling faith is as if a man wer ther present when it wer won there were wounded had ther lost all yâ— he had were taken prisoner there alsoâ— that man should so beléeue that all the world could not turne him from his faith Tindale fol. â—66 A comparison betweene Faith and Incrudelitie Faith is the root of all good Incrudelitie is the root of al euil Faith maketh God man friends Incrudelitie maketh them foes Faith bringeth god man togethers Incrudelitie sundreth theÌ„ All the faith doth pleaseth God All the incrudelitie both disuleseth God Faith onely maketh a man god 〈…〉 〈…〉 only maketh him vniust euil Faith maketh a maÌ„ a meÌ„ber of Christ Incrudelitie maketh him a meÌ„ber of yâ— diuel Faith maketh a man yâ— inheritour of heauen Incrudelitie maketh him yâ— inheritour of hel faith maketh a man yâ— servant of God Incrudelitie maketh him yâ— seruant of yâ— diuell Faith sheweth 〈…〉 God to be a sweet father Incrudelitie sheweth him to be a terrible Iudge Faith holdeth 〈…〉 by yâ— word of God Incrudelitie wauereth here there faith counteth boldeth God to be true Incrudelitie holdeth him false
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
and meaning of the text séemeth to be this that whatsoeâ—er graces God doth poure vpon vs they doe also spring from this Well For whatsoeuer we doe receiue of Christ he doth not onelie giue it vnto vs as GOD but also the Father hath so giuen all things into the handes of Christ that whatsoeuer we receiue from GOD they come to vs by Christ as by a conduct Pipe They iudge therefore rightlie which saie that we are watered by the graces powred vpon Christ. This was the anointing with the which he was anointed and that he might anoint vs all with him wherevpon he is called Christ that is to saie anointed and we Christians that is to saie anointed by him c. Marl. vpon Iohn fol. 24. ¶ Looke on the next Leafe before GRAFFING How we are graffed in Christ and also cut off THere be thrée kinds of graffing in and two manners of cutting off First the children of the faythfull vnto whome by the vertue of the couenaunt that is made with the Fathers the promise doth perteine are graffed in Secondlye they are graffed in that receiue the séede of the Gospel but before it can bring forth anie fruite it is choked in them Thirdlie they bée graffed in that by the vnchangeable purpose or decrée of God are ordeined and chosen to lyfe euerlasting Now the first are cutte off when they doe vnfaithfullie refuse the promise that is made vnto their Fathers or els will not of a certeine malicious minde receiue it The second are cut off when the séede is choked in them I. Veron GRIEFE What greife is and how it is defined GRiefe as saith Cicero in his Tusculane questions is a disease which vexeth the minde and it is taken by reason of the euill which séemeth to be alreadie at hande and to bée present For yâ— disease which is taken for an euil which is come is not called griefe but feare If a man demand from wheÌ„ce this griefe springeth I answere from loue For when it goeth euill with them to whom we would good we begin to be grieued But if vnto them whom we care not for or who are not déere vnto vs there happen anie misfortune that is not customablye grieuesome vnto vs. Pet. Mar. vpon the Rom. fol. 237. GREEKES Of whome the Greeks came OF Iauan the sonne of Iaphet sprang the Greekes which is a part of Europe Lanquet Whie the Title was written in Greeke Latin and Hebrew In Gréeke letters and in Latine and Hebrew ¶ That the thing might be knowne to all nations because these three languages were most common Geneua The meaning of these places following There arose a murmuring of the Grecians towards the Hebrewes ¶ Whos 's ancestors were Iewes and dwelled in Grecia Therefore these spake Greeke and not Hebrew Geneua And disputed with the Greekes ¶ Which were Iewes but so called because they were dispersed through Grecia and other countries Geneua Spake vnto the Grecians ¶ He meaneth not the Iewes which being scattered abroad in diuerse countries were called by this name but the Grecians which were Gentiles Geneua I am debter both to the Greeks and Barbarous ¶ All those that were not Iewes by a common word were called heathen And heere they are diuided into Greeks barbarous By Greeks he vnderstandeth those that were learned â—iuill of good bringing vp By Barbarous he meaneth the rude and sauage people with whom no man could wel haue to doe The Bible note Of the Iewe first and also of the Grecian By the Grecian he vnderstandeth the Gentile and euerie one that is notâ— a Iewe. Geneua GREAT An exposition of this place following WHosoeuer will be great amonge you ¶ He saith not no man ought to be chiefe among you which he should haue said If it had not bene lawfull in the kingdome of God for some to bée greate and chiefe or if it had béene necessarie that all should haue ben in all things equall The celestiall spirits be not equall The Starres be not equall The Apostles themselues be not equall Peter is found in manie places to bée the chiefe amonge the rest which wée doe not denie Therefore this is not the meaning of Christ to haue none greate or chiefe among Christians séeing the verie necessitie of our state requireth that some be superiours and betters so farre it is from béeing repugnant to charitie In like manner there must be in the Church Gouernours Presidents Rulers of whome Paule maketh mention Rom. 13. l. Cor. 12. 28. Heb. 13. 17. And there is also in the bodie some principall members some inferiour c. Therefore Christ doth not require that in his kingdome all should be equall but this he doth require That none should desire to be greate or to be thought or counted chiefe Mus◠¶ The Anabaptists saith Bucer thinke héere that they are able to proue that it perteineth not to a Christian to beare rule that no man can be together a Magistrate a Christian because Christ said héere to his disciples Vos auteÌ„ non siâ— not considering that those which godlie and according to the wil of the Lord beare rule Nihil minus c. Doe nothing lesse then beare rule indéede yea verilie doe most of all serue Surelie Christ woulde haue his Apostles to haue their authoritie in Churches and they themselues did greatlie require to be obeied but because in that they sought nothing vnto themselues but onlie saluation and the glorie of God in those whom they ruled they did gouerne the Churches They had euerie where the superioritie they ruled such as beleeued they would haue yâ— godly to be obedient vnto them Interim nihilominus seruierunt omnibus c. And yet in the meane time serued all and had dominion ouer all So also in the ciuill gouernement who was euer in greater dignitie then Moses or more to bée feared for authoritie and power And yet who euer serued mo more diligentlie and more humblie which neuer sought anie thing for himselfe c. but day and night to the vttermost of his power â—ought for the safetie of the people c. If anie now so beare office and rule the workes of the hands of the Lord and gouerne the Shéepe of his pasture according to his will what doth hée else but serue all those whome he gouerneth And therefore Christ doth not héere dehort from bearing rule and béeing a Magistrate but from â—éeking rule and dominion For I had rather take this saieng of the Lorde in this generalitie then to restraine it to the Apostles onelie Eo quod omninus pius c. Because a godlie Magistrate doth altogether serue and not beare rule and hath by himselfe all things agreeable to this present exhortation of the Lord. Bucer GROVE The meaning of these placeâ— following THe groue also remained still in Saâ—â—aâ—â—a ¶ Wherein they did committe their Idolatrie and which the Lorde had commaunded to bée destroyed Deut. 16. 21.
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
glorie After y◠schoolmens diuinitie we should haue saide you haue deserued your first grace by y◠good motion of your hearts produced of nature but ye haue not yet obtained saluation but must deserue the same by good workes of condigne when Christ saith He that beléeueth in me hath life euerlasting he speaketh not lyke a schooleman For he should haue said he that beleeueth in me by the good motion picked out of nature he shall deserue the first grace but he shall haue euerlasting lyfe at that time when he hath deserued it of a condignes by his good works Paule calleth not euerlasting life the merit of condignes but the gift of God Therefore looke how farre wide this doctrine or the merite of congruence and condigne is from the Scriptures so farre it is to be cast off from the eares and hearts of the faithfull Musculus fol. 235. Obiection THey obiect that saieng of the Apostle I haue fought a good fight I haue runne out my race I haue kept my faith for the rest there is layed vp for me a crowne of iustice which which God shall restore mée in that daye the iust Iudge Is not héere mention made of both say they by the Apostle both the good woorke which hée didde and the rewarde also which hée looked for of God Aunswere AVgustine aunswereth saieng on this wise The Lord saith he shall render me my crowne the iust iudge Ergo hée oweth it me who shall render it thée than Ergo he shall render it as a iust Iudge for when he considereth our worke hée cannot vpon that consideration of the worke deny vs a reward I haue fought a good fight it is a worke I haue finished my race it is a worke I haue kept my faith it is a worke There remaineth a Crowne of Iustice for me that is the reward As for thy rewarde thou doest nothing and as for thy worke thou doest it not alone Thy Crowne commeth from him and thy worke from thy selfe but yet not without his helpe And a lyttle after Therefore thou seest when he doth render good things he doth preuent himselfe giuing good things to thée before to whome he maye render good things also after Loe hée rendereth reward vnto that good thing by the good workes to him that fought out his fight to him that ranne out of his race and kept his faith He rendereth good things but for what good things The same that he gaue before himselfe Did not he giue it thée to fight out thy good fight If it were he that gaue it thée why doest thou saye in another place I haue laboured more then they all but not I but the grace of God with me Loe thou saist againe I haue runne out my race Did not he giue thee also to runne out thy course If he gaue it thée not to runne out thy race what is that thou sayest in another place It standeth not in the willer nor in the runner but in GOD which hath mercie I haue kept my faith hast thou kept thy faith I knowe it and am content withall I graunt thou hast kept it But vnlesse the Lord doe kéepe the Citie they doe watch in vayne that doe kéepe it Therefore thou hast both fought out thy good fight and runne out thy race and kept thy faith euen through him as ayding thée giuing it to thée Giue me leaue O Apostle I know nothing of thine own but naughtinesse Giue me leaue O Apostle we say that thou didst teach I heare thée confessing God I finde thee not vnthankefull But we perfectly knowe that there be none of thine owne things gotten to thée by thy selfe but euill things Therefore when God doth crowne thy merites hée crowneth nothing els but his owne giftes Thus saith Saint Austen Musculus fol. 237. How we can merit nothing after our death When thou art departed from hence saith S. Austen thou shalt be receiued according to thy deserts and shall rise againe to receiue that which thou hast done Then God shall crowne not so much thy merits as his owne gifts This saith he And Hierom after he had recited the opinion of them which do hold that after we be departed out of this life we may both hurt reasonable creatures do good yet he doth expound that place of Ecclesiasticus The dead knoweth nothing and there is no reward any more for them in this wise They y◠do liue may for feare of death do good works but they which be dead can adde nothing to that which they haue caried hence with them out of this life Item They can neither doe iustly nor sinne not adde neither vertue nor vice This saith he ¶ And no doubt there is one season to worke in and another season to receiue for that which a man hath wrought in this life And men shall bée iudged at the iudgment to come not for the workes or merits which bée done after this lyfe but for the same which is done in this body as the Apostle saith Wherefore it appeareth that we haue no merit neither before this life nor in this life neither after this life Muscu fol. 234. Augustin saith God doth many things in man which man doth not but man doth nothing which God maketh not man to doe Wherefore we must in any wise beware that we doe not so establish mans merits that we do make voyd y◠grace of Christ and contemne the iustice of God For merit and grace be so contrarye one to another that as Barnard saith there is no meanes for grace to enter where merit doth kéepe place Musculus fol. 238. Proues that the merit of man is nothing auailable to purchase saluation Say ye that we bée vnprofitable seruants for notwithstanding we haue done all things that are commaunded yet haue we done no good thing for if our doings were good indéed then were we not vnprofitable but any good deede of ours is called good not rightly or duely but by abuse of speach Origen in his 8. treatie vpon Math. He that trusteth not to his owne déedes nor hopeth so be iustified by his workes hath the onely hope of his saluation in the mercie of God Basil vpon the 32. Psal. This is our full and perfect reioicing in God when we acknowledge that we are voide of any of our righteousnesse and are iustified by onely faith in Christ. Basil. in his booke of humilitie I say not vnto the Lord despise not the workes of my hands I haue sought the Lord with my hands and was not deceiued But I doe not praise or commend the workes of my handes For I am afraid least when thou lookest vpon them thou shalt finde more sinnes than merits This onely I say this I praye this I couer Despise not the workes of thine hands Sée thine owne worke in me and not mine for if thou séest mine thou doest condemne if thou séest thine thou crownest For all the good
meanes seperated from the vnbeléeuers Or inasmuch as it was with God from eternitie before men were borne Of this Paule speaketh writing to the Galaâ—hians that hée was sette aparte to preach the Gospell from his mothers wombe longe before hée was conuerted And vnto the Ephesians also he sayth that we were predestinate before the foundation of the worlde were layde And to the Romanes of the Twinnes he sayth before they hadde done either good or bad Iacob haue I loued and Esau haue I hated And we at this present speake of this eternall Predestination of God Wherefore the other is nothing but a declaration of this Predestination therefore maye bée taken both commonly and properly But forsomuch as God doth all thinges by an appointed Counsell and nothing by chaunce or fortune vndoubtedly whatsoeuer he createth or doth he appointeth to some ende and vse After this manner neither the wicked nor the Diuell himselfe nor sinners canne be excluded from Predestination for all these things doth God vse according to his will c. Pet. Mar. vpon the Rom. fol. 291. Augustine in his booke De Predestinatione sanctorum the 10. Chapter thus defineth Predestination that it is a preperation of grace And in the. 12. Chapter hée sayth it is foreknowledge and a preparation of the gifts of GOD by which they are certeinly deliuered which are deliuered but the rest are left in the masse and lumpe of perdition In an other place he calleth it the purpose of hauing mercye The Maister of the Sentences in the first booke Distinct. 40. defineth it to bée a preparation of grace in this present time and of glorye in time to come These definitions I reiect not Howbeit because they comprehende not the whole matter I will bring in an other definition more full as nigh as I canne I saye therefore that Predestination is the most wise purpose of GOD whereby he hath before all eternitie constantlye decréed to call those whome hée hath loued in Christ to the adoption of his children to iustification by faith and at length to glorye through good workes that they maye bée made lyke to the Image of the sonne of God and that as then should bée declared the glorye and mercye of the creator This definition as I thinke comprehendeth all thinges that perteine vnto the nature of Predestination and all the partes thereof maye be proued by Scripture Pet. Mart. vpon the Rom. fol. 292. Predestination wée call the eternall and immutable decrée of God by the which he hath once determined with himselfe what hée will haue to bée done with euerye man For he hath not created all to bée of one condition Or if we will haue the definition of Predestination more large wée saye that it is the most wise most iust purpose of God by the which before all times hée constantly hath decréed to call those whome hee hath loued in Christ to the knowledge of himselfe and of his sonne Christ Iesus that they maye bée assured of theyr adoption by the iustification of fayth which working in them by charitie maketh their workes to shine before men to the glorie of their Father so that they made conforme to the Image of the same God maye finally receiue the glorye which is prepared for the vessells of mercye These latter partes to wit of vocation iustification of fayth and of the effect of the same I haue added for such as thinke that wée imagine it sufficient that we bée predestinate howe wickedlye soeuer wée liue We constantly affirme the playne contrarye to wit that none liuing wickedly canne haue the assuraunce that he is predestinate to lyfe euerlasting yea though man and Angell woulde beare recorde with him yet will his owne conscience condempne him vnto such time as he vnfeinedly turne from his conuersation Knox. Who hath predestinate vs to the adoption of children by Iesus Christ. ¶ This is the true vnderstanding of Predestination that without anye merites or deseruings of ours yea afore the foundation of the world was laid GOD hath decreed with himselfe to saue through Christ all them that doe beléeue How Predestination was the first worke that God made God before the beâ—inning of the worlde did worke but onelye the worke of Predestination of the which Saint Paule sayth Ephesians 1. GOD hath predestinate and chosen vs to him through Christ our Lord before the foundation of the world was laide So that the work of Predestination was the first worke of God that we doe reade of in the scripture which was perfectly finished before the world began The second worke of God was the worke of creation that is of making all things of nothing Of this worke it is written Qui viuit in eternum creauit omnia semel He that liueth euerlastingly without beginning and without ending made all things at once By all thinges is vnderstoode the matter and substaunce whereof all thinges was afterwarde made which is called of Moses Coelum terram That vndigested and vnshaped and vnfashioned lumpe called of the Poettes Chaos whereof all the Firmament and the foure Elementes were afterwarde made that was made by the woorke of creation Idque semel and that all at once The worke of creation béeing ended God procéeded to the diuiding and setting of things in order which is called Opus distinctionis And in this worke we reade that GOD was occupied sixe daies This worke béeing ended almightie God ceased from making of any mo new things and yet he neuerthelesse worketh continually in the redressing in the preseruing and in the gouerning of the things that he hath made Indéede vpon the sixt day he made man and blessed him with the strength of generation in his posteritie vnto the end of the worlde by vertue of which blessing all men doe increase doe multiplye doe flourish and come into the world And yet notwithstanding that work of the sixt day God stil a pace worketh by his diuine prouidence gouerning of man wonderfully which is called Opus gubernationis for the which his worke we are bound euery man to praise him and to magnifie him according as we be taught by the prophet in the Psalme saieng in the person of Christ O Father Tues qui extraxisti me de ventre c. Thou art he yâ— tookest me out of my Mothers wombe Ric. Turnar No reason can be giuen why God did predestinate this man more then that but onely that it was his pleasure so to doe I aske how came it to passe that the fall of Adam did wrap vs in eternal death so many nations with their children being infants without remedy but because it so pleased God Heare their tongues which are otherwise so pratling must of necessity be dumb It is a terrible decrée I grauÌ„t yet no man shal be able to deny but yâ— God foreknew what end man shuld haue ere hee â—reated him therfore foreknew it because he had so
sit as God and to bée exalted aboue all that is called God For whoso contemneth the Decalogue of the table of the commaundements of God there is but a small punishment for him neither is that punishment to death but contrariwise he yâ— shal contemn or violate speaking to Frier Brusiard the constitutions which you cal the sanctions of men is couÌ„ted by all mens iudgmeÌ„ts guiltie of death What is this but the high bishop of Rome to sit to raign in yâ— temple of God yâ— is in mans conscieÌ„ce as God Bil. in the b. of M. 1140 What it is to sit on the right hand of God Sit thou on my right hand c. ¶ To sit on the right hand is to haue yâ— same glory of the godly maiestie the he hath to rule gouern as largly as he doth Ephe. 1. 20. whom he set on his right hand in heauenly things aboue all rule c. That is made him equall with himselfe and ruler ouer all things T. M. What it is to sit in the dust Thou shalt sit in the dust ¶ To sit in the dust is to bée brought low to be poorely araied decked to sit without pompe and to fall from hir estate and degrée As is said Ionas 3. 6. The Prophet héere describeth the destruction of Babylon vnder the figure of a proud Quéene which was deliciously and dainetely brought vp and after fell into extreame pouertie miserie and wretchednesse T. M. Why they sate not downe at the eating of Passeouer ¶ Looke Passeouer SIXE TROVBLES What it is to deliuer out of vi troubles HE shall deliuer thée in vi troubles ¶ We had néede to minde well this lesson that is to wit that God wil deliuer vs out of vi troubles as if it had ben said we must not trust in God onely for a daye or two or onely for one push but forasmuch as our lyfe is full of many miseries so yâ— we be not sooner crept out of one aduersitie but there commeth another fresh in the necke of it so we be tormented with miseries out of number Therefore insomuch as we haue a continuall battell and should be ouerthrowen incontinently if God were not at hand to helpe vs we must beléeue for a certaintie that he will not faile vs. Some expound this text more precisely as though it were said that God will deliuer vs from miseries all yâ— time of our life and in the ende make vs to passe out of all by taking vs out of this world For lyke as the world was made in vi daies so also mans life is willingly comprehended in that number then commeth rest wheÌ„ God strippeth vs out of this mortall body for ye sée how he then maketh an ende of all our labours griefes and battells But let it suffice vs to hane the plain meaning of this text which is that although we be â—ossed with many miseries during this present lyfe God will continually make vs way out of them bring as to a good hauen Cal. vpon Iob. fol. 99. This sentence propounded after the manner of a Prophecie in the 5. chap. of Iob signifieth all one with that of Paul 1. Coâ— 10. 13. God is faithfull which shall not suffer you to be tempted aboue your strength but shall in the middes of the temptation make a waye to escape out Eliphas meaneth he hath verelye wrapt thée in many miseries but when the seuenth commeth when it shall seeme to him that the offence is sufficiently punished and that thou hast left thine impatiencie for that layeth he to Iob though vniustly then will he prosper thée with so great health that thou shalt after leade thy lyfe most â—ortunate T. M. ¶ Alluding the sixe troubles to the sixe daies of Gods first worke and the seuenth daye he rested meaning that of all thy cares and troubles God wil delyuer thee and bring thée to rest as in the seuenth day The Bible note ¶ He will send trouble vpon trouble that his children maye not for one time but coÌ„tinually trust in him but they shal haue a comfortable issue euen in the greatest and the last which is héere called the seuenth Geneua What time of the daye the sixt houre was ¶ Looke Houre SLEEPE How sleepe is taken in Scripture THe maide is not dead but sleepeth ¶ Sleepe in the scripture is taken oftentimes to dye neither is it so saide of the good onely but also of the wicked It is said of Steuen when he had thus spoken he fell asleepe and of Lazarus Our friend Lazarus is asléepe but I goe that I may awake him Moreouer it is written Of the which some remaine as yet other some are asléepe Also of wicked Ieroboam it is said And he slept with his Fathers Both the wicked and the vngodly sléepe vnto the Lord and shall be raised of him but this is onely beleeued of the godly which know yâ— God is not the God of the dead but of the liuing that all things liue vnto him Héer vpon yâ— Christians with a singular faith calleth the place of the burial Coimeteâ—iou which is in Latin DormitoriuÌ„ as much to say in English properly a sléeping place which commonly we now call a Sepulcher a Tombe or a graue But heere in this place Christ taketh it otherwise For Christ maketh a speciall difference betweene sleepe and death to the ende he might bring hope of life as if he should haue said She is not so dead that she sleepeth in death for ye shall see hiâ— arise by and by whome ye thinke to be deadâ— Marl. vpon Mat. fol. 191. Concerning them which are fallen asléepe ¶ To sléepe in this place is taken to dye because of the sure hope of the resurrection For we are not so sure to rise againe when we laye our selues downe to sléepe as we are sure by the word of God that our naturall bodies shall be raised againe and this sléepe ought onely to be applied to the body and not vnto the soule which is immortall S. I. Cheeke But while men slept ¶ This sléepe signifieth the negligence that men haue of God which connueth by the carefulnesse of riches and pleasures of this world Tindale Sléepe henceforth and take your rest ¶ This is an Ironie which is one thing spoken another ment And héere in hidding them sleepe he signifieth that it had bene more méeteâ— for them to haue gone about other businesse then to fall a sléeping at this time Tindale ¶ He speaketh this in a contrary sense meaning they shuld anone be well wakened Geneua What Dauid ment by this sleepe That I sléepe not in death c. ¶ That is that I sléepe not the sléepe of death that I dye not and be ouercome of mi 〈…〉 enimies and therefore followeth it least mine enimies say they haue preuailed against me T. M. The meaning of this place following And many sléeping in the earth
of men by manifest signes of his Diuinitie Geneua How the sonne is punished for the fathers fault He shall dye the death and his bloud shall be vpon him ¶ He sheweth how the sonne is punished for his fathers fault that is if he be wicked as his Father was doeth not repent he shall be punished as his father was or els not Geneua SONNE OF GOD. How Christ is proued to be the Sonne of God THou art my sonne this daye haue I begotten thée ¶ That is this daye haue I declared that thou art my naturall son meaning especially the time in which he made him knowen in the world by his wonderfull workes as S. Paule ment when he said God was made manifest in the flesh noting the working of the spirit working in his birth life death resurrection ascension so this daye noteth no perticular time but al times in generall wherein God hath shewed his power in Christ as especially in the time he liued among vs c. Deering Of the Sonne of Gods deliuering vp his kingdome vnto his father Then commeth the ende when he hath deliuered vp the kingdome to God the father when he hath put downe all rule authoritie and power for he must raigne till he haue put all his enimies vnder his feete but where he saith all things are put vnder him it is manifest that he is excepted which did put all things vnder him when all things are subdued vnto him then shall the sonne also himselfe be subiect vnto him that put all things vnder him that God may be all in all ¶ S. Paule in this place doth the Corinthians to wit that then shall the ende come that all things shall be subdued vnto Iesus Christ and Christ his Sonne shall delyuer vnto his Father his kingdome that is the Church the whole number of the elect which he hath by his death redéemed Then also Christ the son himselfe shall be subiect vnto the father touching the dispensation of his flesh in his members the Saints by which it is meaned that then the mysterie of Christ shall cease the preaching of the Gospell shall be left and no longer any such in the euerlasting kingdom of God the saints shal be as was in the militant Church when the world was subiect vnto the preaching of the Gospell For wher no sin nor disease is ther néedeth no remission or medicine And this subiection of the Saints shal be the most frée kingdom vnto them for then Iesus Christ very God man shal be al in al God in God raigning in all things creature in creatures to God subiect as a creature c. Uerely touching the dispensation of the flesh and the misterie now in force and vre Christ shal be subiect to his father but being true God and cousubstanciall sonne of God the Father hath and shal euerlastingly haue one indiuisible raigne kingdome with the father I. Proctor ¶ Now Christ shall surrender the Kingdome that was giuen vnto him that we may cleaue perfectly vnto God howbeit he shall not by that meanes vtterly giue vp his kingdom wherof as the Scripture teacheth there is no ende but he shall as it were conuay it from his manhood to his Godhead For then we shall haue an open entrie and frée accesse to the diuine maiestie where now our weaknesse will not suffer vs to approch Christ then shall this waye bée subiect to his Father for then the vale shall be taken away and the office of his mediation shall some way cease and we shall sée God face to face raigning in his glory without any countring or meane And where S. Paul saith that God may be all in all some think he speaketh so because we shall haue than without any meane many commodities which God now ministreth vnto vs by creatures For maintenance of our lyfe we shal then haue no néed of bread and drinke c. Neither for edifieng shall we haue any néede of the Sacraments of the Church nor the outward word of the Scripture nor Ecclesiasticall offices for God by himself shall be all in all Other teach the meaning of those wordes to be that the flesh shall couet no more the spirit but God shal possesse euery part of vs and raigne in vs fully perfectly which thing in this life is only begun B. Traher ¶ Looke Subiection How the sonne of God is equall to his father Thought it no robbery to be equall with God ¶ If the sonne be equall to the father then is ther of necessitie an equalitie which Arrius that Heretike denieth And if the sonne bée compared with the father then is there a distinction of persons which Sebellius that heretike denieth Beza Who are the sonnes of God The sonnes of God are the sonnes of Seth which hadde instructed and nourished them in the feare of God The sonnes of men are the sonnes of Cain instructed of him to all wickednesse Tindale The sonnes of God séeing the daughters of men that they were faire S. Austen saith that those which are ther called the sonnes of God were in very déede men namely comming of the stocke of Seth. For when they worshipped God truly sincerely and called vpon him holily and purely being adorned with his fauour and grace they are called by the Scriptures the sons of God But when at the length they began to burne in filthie lusts with those women which came of the stocke of Cain and by that meanes fell into fellowship with the vngodly taking them to their wiues and cleauing also to superstitious and wicked worshippings they were chaunged from the sonnes of God not onely into men but also into flesh And this will I say by the waye Aquila translating these wordes out of Hebrue They were not saith he the sonnes of God but the sonnes of Gods for the cause so called as I suppose because their progenitours were holy men but their Children miserably fell from God and godlinesse by inordinate loue of women And Simmachus translateth it the sonnes of the naughtie c. Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 16. ¶ By the sonnes of God are vnderstood those that descended from Seth which wer instruct in the true knowledge and worship of God as in manye places both in the olde Testament and in the new the faithfull are called the sonnes of God And by the daughters of men are vnderstoode the women that came of the generation of Cain which were giuen to all vngodlynesse and with them Seth commaunded his children by the will of GOD that they should make no contract of marriage as the Lord commaunded the Children of Israel to make no marriage with the women of the Cananites Lyra. ¶ The Sonnes of the godlye ioyned themselues with the Daughters of the wicked without all feare of God Geneua How we are borne the sonnes of God Which are borne not of bloud c. ¶ These words pertain◠to the description
set from thence foure hundred twenty talents of gold ¶ In the. 2. Par. 8. 18. is made mention of thirtie more which séeme to haue bene employed for their wages Geneua Of the pound or talent which the noble man left with his seruants The money pound or talent which Christ left with his seruants to occupie till he came signifieth nothing els but a fraÌ„k and frée gift giuen of God to euerie one of vs to be vsed and exercised to the glorie of his holy name and profit of his faithfull congregation We haue nothing as sayth the Apostle but that wée haue receiued as saith the Apostle 1. Cor. 4. 7. What hast thou that thou hast not receiued And againe Iames. â— 17. Euery good gift and euery perfect gift is from aboue c. Wee be commaunded to occupie our Lords money and not to hide it and sléepe our Maisters businesse as did the sluggish seruant which suffered tares to bée sowen among the corne and also the foolish virgins that fell on sléepe and let their lamps burne out Theo. Basil. TAPERS ¶ Looke Candles TAVGHT OF GOD. How this place is to be vnderstood AND they shall bée all taught of God ¶ This instruction of God is the inward illumination of the heart Notwithstanding we may not héereby take occasion to contemne vocal predication and external hearing For God verily teacheth but yet by externall meanes for fayth commeth by hearing he giueth his good spirit but yet by the preaching of the Gospell he giueth increase but yet by the planting of Paule and by the watering of Apollo Wherfore God teacheth man ministreth and faith receiueth doctrine God giueth his spirit the Apostle ministreth the beléeuer receiueth And so those things are ministred and distributed by the seruice of the Apostles whereof God is the authour himselfe This place All ought to bée restrained to Gods elect which onely are the naturall sonnes of the Church Marl. fol. 201. And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord. ¶ By the hearing of his word and inward mouing of his spirit Gene. TELL NO MAN How these two places following are vnderstood AND he commaunded them that they should tell no man ¶ In this place we are taught when we do any good deed yâ— we should not hunt and hauke after the praise of men They therefore that doe béere so earnestly spread abroad the benefits and power of God sinne not against Christs wordes For in other places he requireth thankfulnesse of vs that we should alwayes setâ— forth the bounteous liberalitie of our heauenly father Theophilactus Charged them that they should tell no man what they had séene ¶ Christ forbiddeth the Apostles to tell forth the vision afore his rising againe from death least when men shoulde sée him to be crucified of whom so excellent and glorious things were spoken they should therewith be offended hauing his Apostles in dirision â—or telling of such things Sir I. Cheeke TEMPERAVNCE What Temperaunce is TEmperaunce is a sobrietie or modestie of the whole life of man which Paule setteth against the flesh He would therefore that Christians should liue soberly and chastly that they shoulde be no adulterers no fornicatours no wantons And if they cannot liue chastly he would haue them to marrie Also that they should not be couetous nor quarrellers that they should not be giuen to drunkennesse or surâ—etting but that they shoulde absteine from all those things Luther fol. 262. TEMPLES Wherefore Temples or Churches are ordeined MY house shall bée called the house of prayer but yée haue made it a denne of théeues ¶ For this finall cause or end are yâ— temples of christians ordeined that they may haue some conuenient places to assemble themselues together for to offer with one accord their Sacrifices of prayers and thanksgiuing vnto God for to preach and heare Gods word and for to minister the Sacraments duely and rightly but if there be hypocrisie superstition and false doctrine the people are robbed and spoyled and the Temples made dennes of théeues Sir I. Cheeke Is this house become a denne of thées ¶ As théeues hid in holes and dennes thinke themselues safe So when you are in my Temple you thinke to be couered with the holynes therof and that I cannot see your wickednesse Geneua How God dwelleth not in Temples made with hands Where shall now the house stand that ye will builde vnto me c. ¶ As who should say whereto make ye me a Temple of mans handy worke which rule the whole world hether to haue I suffered the temple to kéepe you Iewes in a certeine manner of instruction and obedience and choose you one place for your seruice to the intent ye should not fall to the Idols of the Gentiles but now will I haue all Idols banished and for Iewry will I challenge vnto me the whole world for one people all the dwellers on the earth which shall bée my worshippers in the spirit and truth Iohn 4. 23. I will not be superstitiously worshipped with sacrifices and ceremonies in the temple but with righteousnesse with fayth and with the spirit The same song that the Prophet héere singeth in the latter end of his Prophesie sung he before in the beginning euen in the first chapter Let the Christians note these two Chapters I meane the first and the last well and then shall they perceiue how greatly God abhorreth such hypocritish works done without faith although they séeme appeare outwardly to be most godly T. M. ¶ My maiestie is so great that it filleth both heauen and earth and therfore cannot bée included in a temple like an Idoll condemning héereby their vaine confidence which trusted in the temple and sacrifices Geneua The most highest dwelleth not in temples made with hands ¶ He reproueth the grose dulnesse of the people which abused the power of God in that they would haue conteined it within the temple Geneua How long the temple was a building and what Christ meant by the temple When the Iewes asked of Christ what meruailous signe he would worke to perswade them that he might doe such as he did he said Destroy this Temple meaning his body and in thrée daies I will build it vp again Then they vnderstanding he had meant the Temple of lime and stone sayd Forty yearâ— was this Temple a building and wilt thou build it in thrée dayes Héere we see how the Temple was a building fortye yeares not meaning that they were continually working on the same so long for sometimes it was forbidden and stopped by the kings that ruled after Cyrus but that there were so many yeares from the beginning of that worke vnto the finishing of the same For in the second yeare of king Cyrus they layde the foundation and in the second yeare of Darius the sonne of Assuerus and Ester they were willed by Aggeus the Prophet to take in hand their worke againe which they finished