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A06863 A booke of notes and common places, with their expositions, collected and gathered out of the workes of diuers singular writers, and brought alphabetically into order. A worke both profitable and also necessarie, to those that desire the true vnderstanding & meaning of holy Scripture By Iohn Marbeck Merbecke, John, ca. 1510-ca. 1585. 1581 (1581) STC 17299; ESTC S112020 964,085 1,258

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the dead praise not God eod Of the dead burieng the dead 289. To doe good to them that be dead eod Of the dead Israelites eod How the place is vnderstood 290. Of the Supper Baptime giuen ouer the dead eodem Whether the dead know what we do eo Deceit Defined 291. Deeds How they iustifie not eod Deafe man By whose faith he was healed eod Denieng of God How and when men denie him eod Deepe What the deepe signifieth 292. Desperation What an offence it is eod Let no man despaire of Gods mercy eo The meanes to keepe vs frō despaire eo Desteny 293. Destroy not The meaning thereof eod Death what death is 294. How the diuell hath power of death eo Of euerlasting death eod The meaning of the places 295. How y● childrē of god may wish deth 296 Of foure manner of deaths eo How death is not to be feared eo Debt How it ought to be required how not 297. How the Lord forgaue his seruant 298. Diuell What diuell doth signifie eod In what respect the diuell is euill 299. How long he hath bene a lyar eod Who they be that offer to diuels eod How we must answere the Diuell eod Deuotion What true deuotion is 300. What the Popists call deuotion 301. From whō Popish deuotion sprong eo Difference To make difference of the Lords dody eo Disobedience Examples thereof 302. Diuorcement How diuorcement may be 303. Of the Bill of diuorcement 305. Why y● Iews wer suffred to be diuor eo The meaning of the place eod Doo Whatsoeuer God willeth to doe is well 305. How the doers of y● law are iustified eo Doctors How farre they ought to be beleeued 307. Doeg How he was a figure of Anti. 309. Dogs Who they be and what is signified thereby 310. The meaning of the places eod Domes day Of the day of dome 311. Doore An exposition of the places eod Dorcas What the word signifieth 313. Dositheans What manner of men they were eod Doubting Of the doubting of Abraham others eod Dragma What Dragma is 314. Dragon Why the King of Aegypt is called a Dragon eod The meaning of the place eod Who be the Dragons Angells 315. Of the Dragon Beast and false Prophet eod Drawing The meaning of the places eod Dreames How it is hard to discern them 316. Of dreames natural supernatural eod Dronkennesse What Dronkennesse is 317. How it is condemned by the scripture eo Prophane examples of dronkennes 318. Example thereof out of scripture 319. Drops How they shew Christ to be a true man 320. Drucilla What manner of woman shee was 321. Dwell What the word betokeneth eod How men should dwel with their wiues 322. E. EBion Of the heresie of this man 322. Edifieng What it is to edifie eod Edom. What is signified by Edom. 323 Eye A description of the Eye eod To what ende our eyes were made 324. The meaning of the place 325. Of the eyes and eye lids of God eod Eagles Of the nature of Eagles eod An exposition of the place eod Elam what is signified by Elam 327. Eldad and Medad Of their prophecie 328 Elders Why he nameth them Elders eod Eleazer The meaning of the place eod Election what y● cause of our electiō is eo How our election is perticular and not vniuersall 332. Signes of our election eod The saieng of y● elect within himselfe eod How to make our election sure 333. Elements what is signified by them 334. Eleuenth houre 335. Elias The Iewes opinion of him eod Of the comparing of Elias with Christ. eod Eliseus How he resisted not the king 336. Elizabeth how she might be Maries cosin eod Emanuel wherfore christ is so called 337. Emeralde The description of the stone eo Emims What kinde of people they wer eo Enach What the Enachs were 338. Enimie how an enimie is not to be despised eod Of a reconciled enimie eod Enon Salim why Iohn baptised ther. eo Enter how the places be expounded 339. Enuie how enuie came first into the world eod Examples of enuie eod Epha What an Epha is 340. Ephesus Of whom the Citie tooke his name eod Ephod What an Ephod is eod Of two kindes of Ephods 341. Ephraim Why his tribe is not reckned eo Epistle Why it is thought not to be S. Paules eod Equalitie of Bishops 342. Equinoctiall What it is eod Eares To what end their vse serue eod How by whō they must be opened 343. How God is said to haue eares eod Earth how it is founded vpon the Seas eo Earthquake how earthquakes do cōe 345 Esau Ismael What is to be thought of them 346 Essence of God What it is 347. Esses What manner of people they were eod Of the people called Esseni or Essei 348. Estrich Of his nature and propertie eod Eating Of the eating of Christs flesh eo Who doe eate drinke the body c. 351 What it is to eate God 352. Of the true sacramentall eating eod Eternall life how it is sometime called a reward 353. Euangelists Who be Euangelists eod Euer how the word euer is taken 354. Eucharist What Eucharist is eod Eutichee What men they were eod Eucharists What they were 355. Euill men how farre they are to be borne with 356. Eunomius Of his heriticall opinions eo Eustachius Of his opinions how eod Exalt What it is to exalt or humble 357 Examine how we shuld examine c. eod Excommunication What it is 358. What S. Paul ment by the excommunicating of Alexander 359. Exorcists What the office was eod Extreme vnction 360. F. FAce What the face of Christ is 360. What the face of God is eod How the place is vnderstood 361. Faith what faith is eod How faith is the grounde of all good works 362. How faith iustifieth 363. How faith is the worke of God 364. What faith is without workes 365. Of faith and deedes and how c. 366. How faith is nourished 368. How wtout charitie faith is nothing eod How faith ingendereth charitie 369. From faith to faith what it is eod How the faith that saued the old fathers shall saue vs. eod How faith is a worke 370. Of faith before workes eod How faith is perfect eod How faith ouercommmeth the world eod How faith inuocatiō are vnseperab eo How faith is called the mariage garm 371. Of faith loue and hope eod The office of faith eod What one mans faith doth profit and. eo How faith is taken in these places 372. Of the faith of Infants 374. What the faith of hypocrites is eod Of two manner of faiths 375. A comparison betweene faith and incredulitie eod Of onely faith eod Faithfull how God hath deliuered thē eo Fall how Christ is the fall vprising of many 376. False Of false Christs eod What the false Prophets are 377. Fanne What the fanne is eod Fare faire with men how it is vnderstood 378. Farthing What this farthing meneth eod Fasting
Cor. 15. 52. Tindale How this place following is vnderstood Because his face shall be so deformed and not as mans face ¶ That is his face shall be more deformed then other mens his beautie fouler then the beautie of the sonnes of men The whole sentence meaneth that manie men shall be estonied whē they shall sée Christ our sauiour which was excéeding beautifull before all the sonnes of men Psal. 45. 2. so wickedly and violently intreated of the Iewes spit vpon scourged crowned with thorne all be blouded yea greatlier humbled contemned and despised then euer was anie mortall man T. M. FAITH What Faith is FAith is a sure confidence of things which are hoped for and a certeintie of things which are not seene ¶ Faith trust in Christ onelie is the life and quietnesse of the conscience not trust in works how holie so euer they be or appere Works cānot set the heart at rest because we euer think they be not inough nor yet good inough but to few and so fal we to mistrusting after which followeth despairing and so damnation if we leaue not the confidence in them and sticke to faith which canne receiue and beléeue without mistrust that Christs workes on the crosse hath full purged cleansed and loosed vs from our sinnes Againe Faith is a liuely and stedfast trust in the fauour of God wherewith we commit our selues altogether vnto God and that trust is so surelie grounded and sticketh so fast in our hearts that a man wold not once doubt of it though he should die a thousand times therfore and such trust wrought by the holie Ghost through faith maketh a man gladde lustie chéerefull and true hearted vnto God and all creatures by the meanes whereof willingly and without compulsion he is glad and readie to do good to euerie man to suffer all things that God maie beloued and praised which hath giuen him such grace so that it is impossibl● to separate good works from faith euen as it is impossible to separate heate and burning from fire Therefore take heede and beware of thine owne fantasies which to iudge of faith good workes will se●me wise when indéede they are starke blinde and of all things most foolish Praie God that hée will vouthsafe to worke faith in thine heart or else thou shalt remaine euermore faithlesse faine thou imagine thou enforce thou wrastle with thy selfe and doe what thou wilt Againe Faith is the beléeuing of Gods promises a sure trust in the goodnesse and truth of God which faith iustified Abraham● Gen. 15. was the mother of al his good works which he afterward did for faith is the goodnesse of all workes in the sight of God Good works are things of Gods cōmaundement wrought in faith And to shew a show at the commandement of God to do thy neighbour seruice with all with faith to be saued by Christ as God promiseth vs● is much better thē to build an Abbeie of their own imagination trusting to be saued by y● fained works of hypocrits Iacob robbed Laban his vnckle Moses robbed the Aegiptians Abraham is about to sley burne his own son al are holy works because they are wrought in faith at Gods commandement To steale rob murther are no holy works before worldly people but vnto thē the haue their trust in God they are holie when God commandeth them What God commaundeth not getteth no reward with God Holy works of mens imagination receiue their reward héere as Christ testifieth Math. 6. 2. Tindale Faith is an vndoubted beliefe most firmelie grounded in the minde Bullinger fo 30. Againe True faith is the wel-spring root of all vertues good works first of al it satisfieth the minde and desire of man and maketh it quiet and ioyfull Bullinger fol. 54. How Faith is the ground of all good works As a good trée in the time of the yeare bringeth foorth good apples not to make him good for he is good before nor yet this apple is to his owne profit but vnto other mens notwithstanding the good nature the is in him must needs bring it forth So like wise y● iust man must needs do good works not by them to be iustified but alonelie in them to serue his brother for he hath no néed of thē concerning iustification This is the verie true way maner of doing good works how the no man can do goods workes but a iustified man as our sauiour Christ saith either make y● trée good and then his fruit must be good or els the tree euill and his fruit also euil for a good trée must néedes bring forth good fruite and a bad euill fruite D. Barnes How Faith iustifieth The faith of true beleeuers is the God iustifieth or forgiueth Christ deserueth it the faith trust in Christs bloud receiueth it certifieth the conscience thereof saueth deliuereth from feare of death dampnation this is it the we meane when we saie faith iustifieth the faith I meane in Christ not in our own works certifieth the conscience the our sins are forgiuen vs for Christs bloud sake Tindale fol. 187. Againe when I saie the faith iustifieth the vnderstanding is the faith receiueth the iustifieng God promiseth to forgiue our sinnes to impute vs for full righteous And God doth iustifie vs actiuely y● is to saie forgiueth vs for ful righteous Christs bloud deserueth it saith in the promiser receiueth it certifieth the conscience therof Faith chalengeth it for Christs sake which hath deserued all that is promised cleaueth euer to the promise truth of the promiser pretendeth not the goodnes of the worke but knowledgeth that our works deserue it not but are crowned and rewarded with the deseruinges of Christ. Take an example of young children when the Father promiseth them a good thing for dooing of some trifle and when they come for their reward dalyeth with them saieng What that thou hast done is not worth halfe so much Should I giue thée so great a thing for so little a trifle Ye did promise mée ye said I should haue it why did you promise and whie● did you saye so And let him saie what he will to driue them off they will euen saie againe you did promise me so yée did you said I should haue it so ye did But hirelings will pretend their worke and saie I haue deserued it I haue done so much my worke is worthie it c. Tindale fol. 225. That faith the mother of all good workes iustifieth before wée can bring forth anie good worke as the husbād marrieth his wife before he can haue anie lawfull children by her Furthermore as y● husbād marieth not his wife the she shuld cōtinue vnfruitful as before as she was in the state of virginity wherein it was impossible for her to heare fruit but contrariwise to make her fruitfull euen so faith iustifieth
vs not that is to saie marrieth vs not vnto God that we shuld continue vnfruitfull as before but the he should put his séed of his holie spirit in vs as S. Iohn in his first Epistle calleth it to make vs fruitfull For saith Paule Ephe. 2. 8. For by grace are ye made safe through faith that not of our selues for it is the gift of God and commeth not of works least anie man should boast himselfe For we are his workmanship created in Christ Iesus vnto good works which God hath ordeined that we should walke in them Tin fol 59. But who shall glorie of his owne righteousnesse when hee heareth God by his Prophet saieng That all your righteousnes is lyke a most filthy defiled cloath The onely true glorieng therefore is in the faith of the crosse of Christ which excludeth all that glorieng which descendeth of the workes of the lawe Origen in his 13. booke ad Rom. We thinke that a man is iustified by faith without the works of the lawe For because there is one God which iustifieth circumcision of the law and vncircumcision of faith It manifestly sheweth that righteousnesse is not in the merit of man but in the grace of God who without the workes of the law accepteth the faith of them that beleeue Againe In li●● contra Ecudem he saith thus ●unc ergo iusti sumus c. Therefore we are then righteous when we confesse our selues sinners And our righteousnesse standeth not vpon our owne merit but vpon the merit of God Hicrome li. 2. contra Pelag. We be not iustified by works but by faith For the weaknes of the flesh is a let vnto workes but the brightnesse of faith shadoweth the errour of déedes which des●rueth pardon of sinnes S. Ambrose ●de Iacobo Cap. 21. For the théefe beléeued and was iustified by the most mercifull God And héere saie not vnto me that he lacked time to liue vprightlie and to doe good workes for I contend not about that but this onelie I stedfastly affirme that onelye faith by it selfe saued him Chrisostome de fide lege How faith is the worke of God Faith is the worke of God and it commeth of God as Saint Iohn saith This is the work of God then you should beléeue in him Saint Paule witnesseth the same saieng Philip. 1 ●9 Not onlie it is giuen to you that ye should beléeue in God but also y● ye should suffer for hi● sake Of this it is an euident saieug liuing or dead not to haue had faith of thēselues or of their owne might ● power but to haue receiued it of God which giueth faith to whome he wil when he will although S. Paule saith Faith to come by hearing of the worde of God which worde although manie maie heare it yet no man shall beléeue but he to whom God giueth faith and in whom God worketh faith and loue Bibliander vpon the expos of ●ude What faith is without workes What auaileth it my brethren y● man say he hath faith whē he hath no deeds Can faith saue him ¶ Can faith saue him S. Iames speketh not héere of true faith which by loue is mightie in operation but of the vaine imagination opinion y● the vnthankfull people haue of faith and therefore he doth call it dead faith because ther follow no good works of it as there do of the faith that iustifieth in the sight of God To be iustified heere in all the Chapter ouer is to be counted iust that before the world as in Luke 10. 29 and 16. 15. and not to bee made iust in the sight of God So that when he saith was not Abraham our Father iustified through works c. signifieth thus much was not Abraham our Father by his workes declared iust That is did not his workes declare and shew that he was iust and were sure tokens or his righteousnesse it signifieth that Abraham was by his workes made iust before God reputed righteous obteined remission of sinnes for by Faith he came thereby not by workes as witnesseth S. Paule Rom. 4●2 Tindale Wilt thou vnderstand D thou vaine man that faith without déeds is vaine was not our Father Abraham iustified of his déedes when he offered his son Isaac on the Alter c. ¶ Wheras Saint Iames bringeth that Abraham was iustified by offering his sonne I●●ac that is cleane contrarie as manie as doe take it First vnto Moses whereas the verie originall is For it is openlie declared Gen. 15. 6. where these wordes were spoken of Abraham Abraham did beléeue and it was reputed vnto him for iustification where there is no word of Isaac for hée was neither yet ●orn nor promised yet must Abraham néeds be iustified for the holie Ghost saith it And when the wordes were spoken vnto him he was at the most but 86. yeares olde as it is declared in the. 16. Chapter verse 16. But when Isaac was promised him by name then was Abraham 99. years olde as it is open in the. 17. Chapter and the yeare after was Isaac borne And when Isaac was borne was Abraham 100. yeare olde as it is plaine in the. 21. 5. Now would I knowe that where that Abraham was iustified from that he was 86. yeare olde till he was an hundred yeare olde you cannot say by offering vp of Isaac for you sée he is not borne D. Barnes Therefore by faith is the inheritaunce giuen that it might come of fauour and the promise might be sure to all the séede ¶ Therefore by faith c. Therefore are ye pronounced righteous by faith by which vnderstand euen the mercie of God receiued by faith that the conscience might be surelie certified of the wil of God and of the promises of the Gospel that is of remission of sinnes of reconciliation or reputation of righteousnesse of the gift of euerlasting life that these things cléerelye be performed which were not possible if the promise shoulde depende and hang on our workes For then shall the conscience be vnsure doubting whether we had works inough whether God would be mercifull whether the law which we haue trangressed would condemne vs c. Now when doubtfulnesse remaineth in vs ther remaineth also fearefulnes by which commeth desperation death for so long as the law sheweth vs the anger of God feare of death cannot be ouercome Therfore must we néeds sticke onelie to faith in the mercifull promises of God surelie certified and they shall be fulfilled although our works haue not deserued the fulfilling of them Tindale Of faith and deeds And how Saint Paule and Iames doe agree therein Ye sée then how that of déeds a man is iustified and not of faith onelie ¶ Ye sée then the a man is iustified c. That is is declared iust is openlie knowne to be righteous like as by the fruites the good tree is knowne to be good otherwise maie not
this sentence be interpreted For there could nothing be more foolish then this saieng of Iames if a man would thus interpret it that no man obteineth remission of sinne● but because his works are worthie of so great a benefit This interpretation who so sticketh frowardlie by vnderstandeth not what remissiō of sinnes is or how the cōscience ought to be comforted when it seeth that it bringeth no good works to God which are sufficient to please him And this interpretation is cleane contrarie to other open saiengs of the Scripture which teach y● remission of sins commeth fréely as y● Psalmist saith I said I wil acknowledge mine offence accuse my selfe vnto the Lord thou forgauest me y● wickednes of my sin And Ro. 4. 5. To him the worketh not but beleeueth on him y● iustifieth y● vngodly his faith is coū●ed for righteousnes What can be more plainlie then y● sinnes are forgiue to a wicked vngodly man y● worketh not y● is not for anie of his works but fréely To conclude if the gospel forgiue not sins but for our good works sake for our worthines it diffe reth not frō y● law it saueth no more thē y● law this I trust wil suffice y● good wise For as touching them y● bring nothing to this cause but a will to brawle chide wil neuer suffer themselues to be satisfied And yet if we would contend by the number of authorities this one place of Iames is ouerthrowne with many witnesses of Paule if men wil vnderstand by iustificatiō al one thing in thē both Therefore Paule saith Faith iustifieth vnderstand thereby y● faith causeth y● we be counted iust reputed righteous that our sins are not imputed vnto vs but forgiuen vs for Christs sake When Iames saith works iustifie he meaneth thus Works declare vs iust and shew euidentlye that we are righteous Thus shalt thou make them agree Tindale Ye shall vnderstand y● S. Paule S. Iames be not contrarie in this matter For Paule to y● Romanes Galathians disputeth against them which attributeth iustification to good works And Iames reasoneth against them which vtterlie condemne works Therefore Paule sheweth the cause of our iustification Iames the effects In Paule is declared how we are iustified in Iames how we are knowne to be iustified In Paule works are excluded as not y● cause of our iustification in Iames they are approued as effects procéeding thereof In Paule they are denied to go before them that be iustified in Iames they are said to followe them that are iustified Geneua Ioine y● liu●ly faith of S. Paule with the good works of S. Iames bring both these into one life and then hast thou reconciled them both and so shalt thou be sure to be iustified both before God by Paules faith before men by S. Iames works I. Fox How Faith is nourished If Faith as it is written come by hearing that is as it is added by the worde of God then followeth it of necessitie that there is nothing whereby faith is more nourished mainteined and confirmed then by con●tinuall reading and repeating of the worde of GOD. This thi●● testified Tertulian in his Apologie where he saith That to this end holie assemblies are gathered together to heare the word of God The Philosophers saie that if faith be by the word of God then by the same also it is nourished We know moreouer that of workes often repeated are confirmed habits or qualities as contrariwise if a man cease off from actiōs they waxe weake wherfore if a man cease to reade to heare or to repeate the holie Scriptures faith will waxe feeble m●him And they which thinke that a liuelie pure faith maie continue in Churches wou● often preaching doe excéedinglie erre Chrifostome hath a verie apt similitude of a light or Lamp that burneth which easilie goeth out vnlesse there bee still● Oyle powred into it By the Lampe or Light he vnderstandth Faith and by Oyle the worde of God● and this he there writeth of the Parable of the wise and foolish virgins Pet. Ma● vpon the Rom fol 326. Faith is nourished by hearing the word of God for the word of God is the foote of Faith according to Saint Paules saieng Rom. 10. 17. Faith commeth by hearing Hemmyng How Faith without Charitie is nothing worth If I had all Faith so that I could moue mountaines out of their places 〈…〉 had no charitie I were nothing ¶ Of this do some ga●her that ●aith without charitie cannot iustifie But this cannot be gathered of Saint Paule for it is open that hee speaketh not of this thing whereby that men maie be iustified but only he te●heth how they y● be iustified must work with charitie It is 〈…〉 that he speaketh not of faith that doth iustifie 〈…〉 but of that faith that doth worke out wardlie the which is called the gift of the holy Ghost as the gift of tongues the gift of prophesies the gift of healing the gift of interpretation as it is open in the Chapter before now is this Faith not giuen to iustifie but onelie to do myracles wonders and signes by And therefore saith Paule If I had all faith so that I could moue mountaines c. Saint Paule deser●●eth this faith calling it faith that worketh by charitie not that it iustifieth by charitie for he saith ther plainly it is neither circumcisiō nor vncircumcision y● is of valure in Christ Iesu but faith He doth heere plainlie exclude from iustification the highest worke of the lawe Circumcision setteth faith alone not the gift of faith that doth miracles but the gift of faith that worketh by charitie D. Barnes ¶ Faith is héere taken for the gift of doing miracles which the wicked may haue Mat. 7. 22. also for that faith called historicall which beléeueth the mightie power of Christ but cānot apprehend Gods mercie through him this diuels haue Iames 2. 19. therefore is separated from charitie but the faith y● iustifieth in effect cannot As. 1. Iohn 2. 9. Mat. 17. 20. Geneua How faith ●gendereth charitie That which the schoole-men teacheth y● charitie is before faith hope is a madnesse It is faith y● first ingendereth charitie in vs how more rightlie doth Barnard teach I beléeue saith he y● the testimonie of conscience which Paul calleth the glorie of y● godly cōsisteth in thrée things For first of al it is necessarie to beléeue y● thou canst not haue forgiuenes of sins but by y● pardō of god Then y● thou canst haue no good workes at all vnlesse he also giue it last of all that thou canst by no workes deserue eternall life vnles it be giuen thée also fréely A little after be addeth y● these things suffice not but y● there be a certeine beginning of faith because in beléeuing y● sinnes cannot be forgiuen but of God we ought also beléeue y● they are not forgiuen vs till also we be perswaded by the testimonie of the
called the friend of God Thus wée sée S. Paule Lames reconciled both teach Iustification by faith in the sight of God I. Gough How God is iustified in vs. To the end saith S. Paule that all months might be stopped and all the world acknowledge it selfe to be indebted vnto God and that he onely should be iustified ¶ After what sorte is it that God shall be iustified in vs according to S. Paule To wit when all of vs condemne our selues and haue not the boldnesse to striue against God but doe willingly confesse that all of vs are indaungered vnto him if we be once come to that point then is God iustified y● is to say his righteousnes is commended by vs with such praise as he deserueth But contrariwise if men exalt themselues and acknowledge not that they be indaungered vnto God so as may condemne them nor confesse the bonde of debt which they haue forfeited vnto him although they protest that they minde to iustifie him that is to say to confesse that he is righteous yet neuerthelesse they condemne him Cal. vpon Iob. fol. 562. ¶ Looke in Workes in Faith that iustifieth How wisedome is iustified ¶ Looke Wisedome Obiection Men will waxe remisse in doing good workes if Faith alone iustifie Aunswere In Iustification a pardon is graunted for sinnes past and not of sinnes to come And if any man liue wickedly after Iustification without doubt he dispiseth the grace of iustification For who doth digge about the roote of a trée to the ende it shuld onely be a trée and not rather that it should be a good trée and bring foorth fruite Origen A liuely comparison for Iustification The iustifieng Faith is as it were a flame of fire which cannot but cast foorth brightnes And lyke as y● flame burneth the wood without the helpe of the light and yet the flame cannot be without the light so is it assuredly true that Faith alone consumeth and burneth away sinne without the helpe of workes and yet that the same Faith cannot be without good workes Wherefore lyke as we sée a flame of fire that giueth no lyght we know by by that it is but vaine and painted even so when we see not some light of good workes in a man it is a token that hée hath not the true inspired Faith which God giueth to his elect and chosen to iustifie and glorifie them withall And hold it for a certeintie that S. Iames meant so when he said Shewe me thy faith by thy workes and I will shew thée my faith by my workes Bar. Traheron IVSTINVS How he suffered martirdome for the defence of Christes Religion THis man in learning and Philosophie was excellent and a great defender of Christian Religion He exhibited vnto the Emperour and to the Senate a Booke or Apologie in defence of the Christians and afterward himselfe also died a Martir He suffered martirdome in the yeare of our Lord. 154. vnde● Antonius Pius as the Chronicles doe witnesse Abb. Vesperg and Eusebius in his Chronicle in the 13. yeare of the Emperour Antonius In the bo of Mar. fo 58. What moued him to imbrace the faith of Christ. This Iustinus Martir when he was an Heathen Philosopher as he confesseth of himselfe was moued to imbrace the Faith and Religion of Christ in beholding the constant patience of the Martirs which suffered for Christ in his time Keye What a Keye is after the minde of S. Austen SAint Austen saith that must be called a Keye whereby the hardnesse of our hearts are opened vnto faith● and whereby the secretnes of minds are made manifest A keye is it saith he the which doth both open the conscience to y● knowledge of sinne also including grace vnto the whole sonnes of euerlasting mystery This is the definition of this keye we speake off after S. Austen D. Barnes fo 258. ¶ The Law in hir right vnderstanding is the keye or at the lest way the first and principall keye to open the ●ore of the Scripture Tindale fo 184. ¶ What keye had the Doctors of the lawe sauing the exposition of the lawe Tert. cont Marcion lib. 4. The Captaines of the Church haue the keyes of knowledge to open the Scriptures vnto the people to them committed Therefore Commaundement is giuen that the Minister shuld open and the scholer should enter Hier. in Esa. li. 6. ca. 24. ¶ The keye is the knowledge of the scriptures whereby is opened the gate of turth Chrisostome in Math. homil 44. How the word of God is the right keye The word of God is the very keye in that is all the might and power to looke our sinnes and a man is but a minister and a seruaunt vnto this word This may be proued by our Master Christs words where he saith Goe your wayes into all the world and preach the Gospell vnto all creatures and hée that doeth beleeue and is baptised shall be saued but hée that doeth not beléeue shall be damned Heere maye you plainely sée that the Apostles be but ministers and seruaunts and haue no power but all onely ministration c. D. Barnes fol. 259. How the keyes were giuen vnto the Church Christ say they appointed Peter Prince of the whole Church when he promised that he would giue him the keyes But that which he then promised to one in another place he gaue it also to all the rest and deliuered it as it were into their hands If the same power were graunted to all which was promised to one wherein shall he be aboue his fellowes Héerein say they he excelleth because he receiued it both in common What if I aunswere with Cipriane and Augustine that Christ did it not for this purpose to preferre one man before other but so to sett● out the vnitie of the Church for thus saith Cipriane that God in the person of one gaue the keyes to all to signifie the vnitie of all and that the rest were the same thing that Peter was endued with like partaking both of honour and power but the beginning is taken at vnitie that the Church of Christ maye bée shewed to be one Augustine saith If there were not in Peter a mysterie of the Church the Lord would not say vnto him I will giue thée the keyes for if this wer said to Peter the Church hath them not but if the Church hath them then Peter when he receiued them betokened the whole Church And in another place when they were all asked onely Peter aunswered Thou art Christ and it is said to him I will giue thée the keyes as though he alone had receiued the power of binding and loosing whereas he being one said the one for all and he receiued the other withall as hearing the person of vnitie Therefore one for all because there is vnitie in all Cal. 4. book chap. 6. sect 4. How the Dunce men interpreteth the keyes Dunce and all his
to forgiue him all such and secret hid sinnes wherein hée had offended the most pure and perfect lawe of God but also he desireth him vtterly to pourge him of all his secret and subtill sinnes saieng Ab occultis meis munda me vnto this place of the Prophet séemeth the saieng of Saint Paule to agree very well when he saith Nihil mihi conscius sum sed non in hoc iustificatus sum Mine owne conscience accuseth me of no fault and yet I am not because of that iustified before God for we sinne vpon a good intent and so by ignoraunce commit great offence against God In all such cases a man offendeth not his owne conscience and yet he offendeth God Ric. Turnar OFFERINGS What Offerings did signifie vnto the people THe Offerings were signes and did certefie a man that God was at one with him and was his friend and loued him For the fat of the beast was offered and wine thereto as though God had sate and eate and dronke with them and the rest they and their housholds did eate before God as though they had eaten and dronken with God and were commaunded to bée merry to make good chéere full certified that God was at one with them and had forgotten all olde offences and now loued them that he woulde fulfill all his promises of mercie with them Tindale OYLE What Oyle doth signifie in this place following ANd make of them holy annoynting Oyle ¶ This holy annoynting Oyle doth figure the vertue of the Holy ghost declared or shewed by the word of God and descending downe first on the head of Aaron which is Christ and consequently vpon the Apostles and all the faithfull As Psalme 133. 2. T. M With my holy Oyle haue I annoynted him ¶ By the holy Oyle is vnderstood the holy Ghost the grace the mercie and word of God by the which the soule is refreshed and deliuered from paine to spirituall ioye Geneua Is lyke the Oyle that runneth vpon the head c. ¶ The oyntment was a figure of the graces which came from Christ the head vnto the Church Geneua What the Oyle of gladnesse is The Oyle of gladnesse is the gifte of the spirite of God gladnesse to our selues because it filleth vs with ioye in the Lord and gladnesse to other because it powreth grace into our lippes to comforte the weake hearted and to make vs a swéete sauour of lyfe vnto lyfe to all that hearken vnto vs. Deering Thy God hath annoynted thée with the Oyle of gladnesse ¶ Hath established thy kingdome as the figure of Christ which is the peace and ioye of the Church Of the Oyle that Saint Iames speaketh off Annoynt him with Oyle in the name of the Lord. ¶ Among those Nations vnto which S. Iames wrote this Epistle it was the manner to annoynt their bodye with Oyle which thing Christ commaundeth his Apostle to doe And Oyle is to manye diseases as a wholesome medicine We where such annoynting is not vsed maye vnder the name of Oyle vnderstande the Office and duetie of Charitie in ministring vnto the sicke such things as he néedeth Tindale ¶ Oyle was much vsed in Palestina and was counted medicinable Mark 6. 13. Luke 10. 34. Therefore where the Apostles doth commaund that Elders should annoynt with Oyle the bodies of the sicke his meaning is that they shall in no wise despise those meanes that God hath appointed naturally to be vsed for the healing of the sicke Sir I. Cheeke ¶ The Oyle that S. Iames speaketh of was not a necessary Sacrament of the Church to continue for euer but it was a miraculous gifte of healing lasting for the time lyke as other miracles did Iewel And they annointed many with Oyle that were sicke and healed them ¶ This oyle was a signe of this miraculous working and not a medicine to heale diseases so that the gifte of miracles ceasing the ceremonie is to no vse How the Oyle that the Papists doe vse came not from the Apostles The Apostles in olde time gaue the Holy ghost by laieng on of hands but now a daies because Bishops he not so holy order hath bene taken that they should giue this Sacrament with Chrisme Iewel ¶ Extreme vnction as they tearme it was that Ceremonie which the Apostles vsed oftentimes when they healed the sick annoynting thē with Oyle For as they laied their hands vpon those whom they baptised giuing to them the Holy ghost visibly so lykewise when they healed any sicke man they did eftsoones annoint him with Oyle to signifie vnto him from whence the gift of health did come that is from the Holy ghost F. N. B. the Italian How the Oyle is compared to the bread in the Sacrament Cyrillus writing of the Oile saith thus Beware thou think not this to be Oyle onely For as the bread of the Sacrament after the inuocation of the Holy ghost is no longer common bread but the body of Christ so this holy Oyle is no longer bare or common Oyle but it is the grace of Christ. ¶ By these words there appeareth lyke chaunge in the Oyle and bread For as the Oyle is the grace of God so is the bread the bodye of Christ and as the nature and substaunce of the Oyle remaineth still although it be not bare or common oyle so the nature and substaunce of bread remaineth still although it be not common or bare bread OLDE MAN What is vnderstood by our olde man KNowing this that our olde man is crucified with him ¶ By the olde man he vnderstandeth our naturall disposition that we haue of our first parents which is slow to vertue but most prone and ready to sinne It is also called the body of sinne Sir I. Cheeke Olde wine ¶ Looke Wine ONELT FAITH How onely faith iustifieth proued by the Doctors SAint Ambrose saith They are iustified freely because working nothing requiting nothing they are iustified by onely saith through the gift of God Againe he saith in the same place This was Gods determination that the lawe surcea●● the grace of God should require onely faith vnto saluation Againe he saith Rom. cap. 9. Onely faith is laied or appointed for saluation He knoweth himselfe to be voide of true righteousnes and to be iustified by onely faith in Christ. Theodorus saith Not by any workes of ours but by onely ●aith he haue got the mysticall good things Origen saith Wher is now thy boasting of thy good works it is shut out Paule saith that the iustification of only faith iustifieth so that all men onely beléeuing maye be iustified although he haue done no good workes at all Chrisostome saith they sayd Who so stayeth himselfe by onely faith is accursed Contrariwise Saint Paule saith that whosoeuer stayeth himselfe by onely faith he is blessed They be manifestly blessed whose wickednesse be forgiuen without any labour or worke and their sinnes hidden without any workes of
reproued of all men then fornication it selfe False Prophets false Apostles and false Priests sprang vp which vnder a counterfait religion deceiued the people the most part of them vnder the honest name of chastitie commit whooredome adultery incest commonly and without punishment The Bishops Priests of this time how do they endeuour to kéepe either in heart or in hody the holynesse of chastitie without which no man shall sée God They are giuen ouer into a reprobate minde and doe those things that are not conuenient for it were shame to vtter what these Bishops do in secret Againe he saith absteining from the remedy of marriage afterward they flow ouer into all kinde of wickednesse Againe such notorious filthynesse of lecherie there is in manye partes of the world not onely in the inferiour Clarkes but also in Priests yea in the greatest Prelates which thing is horrible to be heard Bar. de conuers ad cleri chap. 19. in ope triperti li. 3. cha 7. Huldericus the Bishop of Augusta in Germany wrote sharply against Pope Nicholas in this wise I haue founde thy decrées touching the single lyfe of Priests to be voyde of discreation thou séest that many followers of thy counsell willing vnder a feined colour of continēt life rather to please man then God commit hainous actes in the end he concludeth thus by such discipline of discretion as you know best roote this Pharesaicall doctrine out of Gods folde I beléeue it were a good lawe and for the wealth and safety of soules that such as cannot liue chast may contract matrimonie For we learne by experience that of the law of continence or single lyfe the contrarie effect hath followed for as much as now a daies they liue not spiritually nor be cleane chast but with their great sinnes are defiled with vnlawfull copulation whereas with their owne wiues they should liue chastly Therefore the Church ought to doe as the skilfull Phisition vseth to doe who if he sée by experience that his medicine hurteth rather then doth good taketh it cleane away And would to God the same waye were taken with all positiue constitutions SINNE The definition of sinne SAint Augustine in his 2. booke De consensu Euangelistarum saith Sinne is the transgression of the law Ad simpliciatum li. 1. Sin is an inordinatenesse or peruersenesse of man that is a turning from the more excellent creator a turning to the inferiour creatures De fide contra Manichaeus cap. 8. he saith What is it else to sinne but to erre in the precepts of truth or in the truth it selfe Again Contra Faustū Manicheū li. 22. ca. 27. Sin is a déed a word or a wish against the law of God The same Augustine De duobus animabus contra Manichaeus ca. 11 saith Sin is a will to reteine or obteine the which iustice forbiddeth is not frée to absteine And in Retract li. 1. cap. 5. he saith That will is a motion of the minde with copulation either not to loose or else to obteine some one thing or other All which definitions as I do not vtterly reiect saith Bullinger so do I wish this to be considered thought of with the rest Sin is the naturall corruption of mankind the action which ariseth of it contrary to the law of God whose wrath that is both death sundry punishments it bringeth vpon vs. Bullinger fo 478. What sinne is Sin in the scripture is not called the outward work only committed by the body but all the whole busines whatsoeuer acompanieth moueth or stirreth vnto the outward déede and that whence the works spring as vnbeleefe pronenesse readinesse vnto the déede in the ground of the heart with all his powers affections and appetites wherwith we can but sin So that we say the a man thē sinneth when he is carried away headlong into sinne altogether as much as he is of that poison inclination corrupt nature wherein he was conceiued and borne for there is none outward sinne committed except a man be carried away altogether with life soule heart body lust minde therevnto The Scripture looketh singularly vnto the hart vnto the race originall fountaine of all sin which is vnbeléefe in the bottome of the heart for as faith onely iustifieth and bringeth the spirit and lust vnto outward good works euen so vnbeleefe onely damneth kéepeth out the spirit prouoketh the flesh stirreth vp lust vnto euil outward works as it fortuned to Adam Eue in Paradise Ge. 3. For this cause Christ calleth sin vnbeléefe and that notably in the. 16. of Iohn The spirit saith hée shall rebuke the world of sinne because they beléeue not in me Wherefore then before all good workes there must néeds hée fayth in the heart whence they spring And before all bad déeds and bad fruits there must néedes be vnbeléefe in y● heart as in the roote fountaine pith and strength of all sinne which vnbeléefe is called the head of the Serpent and of the olde dragon which the womans seede Christ must tread vnder foote as it was promised to Adam Tindale in his Pro. to the Rom. How euery sinne is mortall That euery sinne is mortall in that it is sinne is euident by the words of God himselfe who can best iudge in this matter In the. 18. of Ezechiel verse 4. saieng thus The soule that sinneth shall dye héere is no exception or difference made of sinne but any sinne in that it is sinne is deadly as Saint Paule sayth Rom 6. 23. For the reward of sinne is death Héere also you see that Saint Paule maketh no difference of sinne but that Mors death is the reward of sinne generally without exception And Saint Iohn sayth Euerie one that committeth sinne the same also committeth iniquitie and sinne is iniquitie Heere also you see that Saint Iohn sayth making no difference of sinne that sinne in that it is sinne it is iniquitie without exception Christ sayth that out of the heart procéedeth euill thoughts murthers adulteryes c. And againe hée sayth That whosoeuer beholdeth an other mans wife to lust after her hath already committed adulterye with her in his heart And Saint Iohn following his maister lyke a good scholler saith thus Omnis qui odit c. Whosoeuer hateth his brother is a murtherer So it is euident by the sacred Scriptures that all sinnes without exception are mortall and deadly I. Gough The Doctours saieng in this matter There were also before Christ worthy men both Prophets and Priests but yet conceiued and borne in sin Neither were they frée from originall and actuall sinne And there was found in them all either ignoraunce or insufficiencie in which they going astray haue sinned and haue néeded the mercye of God By the which béeing taught and instructed haue giuen thanks to God haue cōfessed themselues to haue lacked much of the full measure of
Superstition of Angells eod Sunne The meaning of the place eod What it is to regarde the rising of the Sunne eod Supper of the Lord. Wherfore it was ordeined 1062. Why it was called a sacrifice eod The Doctors mindes vpon the supper of the Lord. 1063. How the Lords death is shewed therein 1064. The meaning of the place of Iohn eod Supremacie Proues against it eod Sure How we are sure of our saluation 1065. Surples From whence the wearing thereof came eod Suspention What suspention is eod Swearing Why the Iewes were suffered to sweare 1066. Who sweareth aright eod What swearing is lawfull eod To sweare by the Lord and to the Lord. are two eod All priuate swearing is forbidden 1067 How customable swering is dangero eod The Doctous against swearing eod Lawes made against swearing 1069. How the Pharesies corrupted swering eod Of the concealing of swearing eod Sweating The cause of sweating 1070. Sweete What is ment by sweet odours eo Swine What manner of people is ment by swine eod Swoord To whom it belongeth to punish 1071. What is meant by the two swoords eod T. Table what is ment by the table 1072. The meaning of the place 1073. Tabernacle Wherefore it was ordeined and c. eod Why it was called the Tabernacle of the congregation eod How the Tabernacle was diuided eod Why it was called the tabernacle of witnesse 1074. Of the Tabernacle of Dauid eo Of the feast of Tabernacles eo Tabithae What the word doth meane and signifie eod Tacianus Of his hereticall opinions eod Talent What a Talent is eod Of the talent left to the seruants 1075. Tapers Against the vse of them eo Taught of God How it is vnderstood eo Tell no man How the places bee vnderstood 1076. Temperaunce What it is eod Temples wherefore they are ordeined eod How God dwelleth not in temples made with hands 1077. How long the Temple was a building and c 1078. The meaning of the place eo Of them that trusted in the outward seruice of the temple eod How they are not to be builded to Sa. eo How the Pope doth sit in the temple of God 1079. Temptation What temptation is eo How generally it is not euill 1080. The Israelits rebuked for tēpting the L. eo How God tempteth no man to euill eod Of the Pharesies tēpting of Christ. 1081. How Christ to tempted of the diuel eod God suffereth none to be tempted aboue his strength 1082. Ten. what the number of ten signifieth eo How the ten commaundements are diuided eod What the ten hornes do signifie eod Of the ten virgins 1083 Tents How tents were first inuented eo Of three manner of tents eod Teares whereof teares commeth eod The meaning of these places 1084. Terebint what manner of tree it is eod Tertulianistae What heretiks they wer eo Testament what a testament is eod Tetrarchae What Tetrarchae were 1085 Teudas Of his rebellion eod Thamar Why she is reckoned in the Genealogie eod How she is thought to be Dauids naturall daughter eod Thammuz What this Thāmuz was 1086 Thankeoffering what thanke offering is eo Tharsis What Tharsis is thought to be eo Thebulis What his heresie was 1087. Theft What theft is eod Thema What Thema was eod Theodotus what his heresie was eod Theraphim What this Theraphim was eod Theudas Of his rebellion 1088 Thiatria what Thiatria was eod Thinke How of our selues we cannot thinke well eod How our sinnes shall not be thought vppon 1089. This is my body The interpretation hereof 1090. Thomas How Thomas Didimus is one name 1091. How he was reproued for his vnbeliefe eod Of his death and martirdome eo Thoughts How euery thought is not sinne eod The meaning of the place 1092 Threshing Of two manner of threshings eod What is ment by threshing of the mountaines 1093 Whereto the threshing of Gilead is compared eod Thunder What the cause is that maketh thunder eod Time The meaning of the place 1095. What is meant by time times and halfe a time 1096 Tithes what is vnderstood by tithes eod Of the tithes laide vp for the poore eod To day what the saieng meaneth eod Tongue To speak with tongues what it meaneth eo How the Apostles spake with straunge tongues eod What it is to smite with the tongue 1097 What the tongue of God is eod How the tongue is compard vnto a l● eo What is meant by the third tongue eod Topas The description of the stone eod Topheth What it is and how it was defiled 1098. How it is taken for hell eod Touch not That is spoken against traditions eod Why Mary was forbiddē to touch Ch. eo Traditions Of the traditions of men 1099. A reason that ouerthroweth them all 1100. Transmutation When it was first inuented 1101. Transubstantiation what it signifieth eod When it was first inuented 1102. Reasons against transubstantiations eo How it hath made the Turks power to increase eod The cause wherfore it is holden defended 1103 Tree The tree falling compared to death eod What the tree of lyfe meaneth 1104 VVinter The meaning of the place eod VVisedome how it signifieth Christ. eod How wisedome is iustified of hir children 1167. VVise men what these wise men are 1168 VVith the holy The meaning of the Prophet heere eo VVitnes how y● places are to be vnder eo VVoe What woe is 1169 What is ment by the three woes eo VVood. what it is to build on wood 1170 VVolfe how a wolfe is sometimes takē in a good sense eod The meaning of the places eod VVoman of y● woman araied in purple eo Of womans apparell 1171 How they may not weare mans appa eo Of the woman taken in adulterie 1172. Of a woman taken in warre eod How women are called ministers eo How women ought not to baptise eod What the woman clothed in the Sunne signifieth 1173 Why women are commaunded to keepe silence in the Church eo What is ment by the foolish woman 1174 What is ment by the straunge woman eod The meaning of the place eod VVord of God What the word of God is 1175. How the word was made flesh eo What is ment by the word in this pl. 1176. How the word of God is called the light 1177. How it indureth for euer eod Of the nature and strength thereof eod How it hath sundry names 1178 How the word of God is the key eod How the word of God is plaine eod The more it is troden downe the more it groweth eod How the word and flesh bee not both of one nature 1179. How it ought not onely to be rend but expounded to the people 1180 Workes how workes of the lawe iustifie not eod Of workes done before faith 1182 That worketh not how it is vnderst eo How works are not the cause of felici eo Of workes● loue and faith 1183. How our good workes are the workes of God eod How we deserue nothing by our good workes eod Of
himselfe and in his owne minde being made priuie to euerie thing that he either hath committed or not committed doe either condemne or acquite himself And this reason procéedeth frō God who is both prompt writeth his iudgements in the hearts and mindes of men Bullinger What Saint Paules meaning is by this Hauing the conscience seared with an hot yron ¶ Their dull consciences first waxed hard then after canker and corruption bred therein Last of all it was burnt with an hotte yron so that he meaneth such as haue no conscience Geneua ¶ Whose conscience waxed so hard that there grew an hard fleshlinesse ouer it and so became to haue a Canker in it and now at length required of verie necessitie to be burned with an hot yron ¶ Tindale applieth this place to false Teachers whose consciences being seared be witnesses vnto themselues that for their bellie sake and desire of filthie lucre they hide the truth and stablish lies Tindale CONSECRATION What Consecration is GIuing of thanks vnto God for y● death of his onlie begotten Son Iesus Christ is the true Consecration Sir I. Cheeke Consecration signifieth the whole action of the Supper and not the turning of the Elements Booke of Mar. fol. 1538. Doctor Redman being sicke at Westminster was among other things asked this question by one Master Wilkes what Consecratio was it is quoth Doctor Redman tota actio in ministring the Sacrament as Christ did institute it All the whole thing done in the mysterie as Christ ordeined it that is Consecatio Thus farre D. Redman CONTEMPT How Contempt is defined COntempt consisteth chiefelie in thrée things for either wée contemne onelie in minde when we despise anie man and their goods or when we doe them anie discommoditie not thereby to séeke our owne gaine but onlie to reioice at their discommoditie or lastlie when we adde words or déedes which haue ignominie or contumelie ioined with them Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 166. CONTENTION Of the Contention betweene Paule and Barnabas ¶ Looke Paule CONTINENCIE What Continencie is COntinencie is a vertue or power of the mind receiued from the spirit of God which suppresseth affections and doth not in anie wise permit vnlawfull pleasures This is conuersant and doth shew it selfe in the common and vsuall talke of men in pleasures that are allowed in apparell in buildings and dwelling houses in meate and drinke and in other things also c. Bullinger fol. 237. CORNELIVS How Cornelius was iustified by faith and not by workes COrnelius thy praiers and thine almes are come vp into remembraunce before God c. ¶ The praiers and almes of Cornelius pleased God before he was baptised but without faith God cannot be pleased Cornelius therefore as Bede trulie noteth had faith whereby his praiers and almes pleased God for saith he he came not to faith through workes but to workes through faith The Bible note ¶ Inasmuch as by workes no man can be saued as the psalmist openlie affirmeth In thy sight none that liueth can be iustified And againe If thou looke on our iniquities Lord who shall be able to beare them No christen conscience dare be so hardie as to attribute saluation of this man Cornelius to his praier and fasting for first ye see he was a Gentile vncircumcised not kéeping the lawe nor once thinking thereon and therefore must be iustified by faith that came by hearing the glad tidings preached in Christ and therefore must we looke to the words of Luke in the beginning of this Chapter where he saith that he feared God which thing he could not haue done neither yet haue praied nor giuen almes except he had beléeued For how should he haue called on him on whom he beléeued not Thus are we compelled to ascribe his calling vnto faith out of which these fruites of praier and fasting procéeded speciallie séeing that Saint Paule affirmeth that whatsoeuer is not done of faith the same is sinne The christen then and such as will the Scriptures to be true in all places to expound one texte that another maie agrée with it do right well know that his calling our saluation is fréelie giuen of God for his son Christs sake and not for the deseruing of our workes And because faith can receiue this great and free benefite of God and beléeue it to be true and workes neither can beléeue it neither discerne it therfore it is ascribed vnto faith and not to workes If praier or fasting or the holiest worke vnder heauen could saue Christ had neuer néeded to haue suffered such gréeuous paines but vtterly died in vaine Neither should God fréelie chuse vs but our workes should chuse him Understande therefore that by his workes was he not called but by Faith out of which his workes sprong which faith God freelie gaue him as he calleth and saueth vs all Good workes must we do as this man did and that with all loue and earnestnesse and thereto are we bound and without them can it not be knowen whether we be verie christen or no no more then we can knowe a good Trée to be good and neuer felte his fruite But we maie in no condition ascribe iustification or saluation to them for as saith Christ When ye haue done all ye can doe 〈…〉 ye are vnprofitable seruaunts but to faith which onelie can receiue the benefites of Christ and beléeue that he alone hath deserued forgiuenesse for the sinnes of all the world The Apostles were héere first taught and certified by the holie Ghost of the conuersion of the Gentiles Tindale CORNER STONE ¶ Looke Stone CORRVPTION From whence our corruption commeth ADam was not created in the corruption which is spoken off héere but he purchased it of himselfe For God found all the things to be good which he had made Man therefore who is the excellentest of all creatures was not marred after that fashion till he had withdrawen himselfe from God But when he had once seperated himselfe from the Fountaine of righteousnesse what coulde remaine vnto him but naughtinesse and corruption Thus wée sée from whence all our naughtinesse procéedeth that we ought not to blame God for the vices wherevnto we be subiect and vnder which we be helde prisoners according to the Scripture which saith that wee bée solde vnder simie and become the bonde slaues of Satan Wée must not blame God for this but we must learne to knowe that it is the heritage which we haue from our father Adam and therefore we must take the whole blame to our selues before God c. Cal. vpon Iob. fol. 274. COVETOVSNES What Couetousnesse maketh men to doe COuetousnesse is the roote of all euill 1. Tim. 6. 10. Couetousnesse is Image seruice Col. 3. 5. It maketh men to erre from the faith 1. Tim. 6. 10. It hath no part of the kingdome of Christ and God Ephe. 5. 5. It hardened the heart of Pharao that the faith of the miracles of God could not
iudge the world thether shall all gather together vnto him Tindale ¶ That is according to S. Paules interpretation when Christ commeth to Iudgement we shall betaken vp to méete him in the aire and so we shall be with him for euer ¶ That is the faithfull that beléeue the Gospell will repaire vnto him as rauenous birdes to the carion The Bible note And how I caried you vpon Eagles wings ¶ For the Eagles by flieng high is out of daunger And in carieng hir Birdes rather on her wings then in hir talents declareth hir loue Geneua ¶ The Eagle carieth hir young ones vpon hir wings fearing onelie mans violence which rather then they should take harme she would receiue the harme in hir owne bodie In stéed thereof serued the cloud that kept of the Aegyptians force The Bible note ELAM What is signified by Elam I Will breake the bowe of Elam 〈…〉 ¶ By Elam is signified Persia so called of Elam the sonne of Sem. And because the Persians were good Archers he sheweth that the thing wherein they put their trust should not profit them Geneua ¶ The Elamites were good bowe men in battaile and therefore is their bowe prophecied to be broken c. By which is meant that they should be ouercome in battaile of their Enimies and scattered abroad vnto the foure coastes of the earth T. M. ELDAD AND MEDAD ¶ Looke Moses ELDERS Why he nameth them Elders and not Priests IN the olde Testament the temporal heads rulers of the Iewes which had the gouernaunce ouer the laie or common people are called Elders as ye maie see in the foure Euangelists Out of which custome Paule in his Epistle and also Peter call the Prelates and spirituall Gouernours which are Bishops and Priests Elders Now whether ye call them Elders or Priests it is all one to me so that ye vnderstande they be officers and Seruaunts of the word of God vnto the which all men both high and lowe that will not rebel against Christ must obaie as long as they preach and rule trulie and no farther Tindale fol. 38. ELEAZER The meaning of this place that followeth THe childe of the stewardshippe of my house is this Eleazer of Damasco ¶ Eleazer was then Steward of Abrahams house which Eleazer had a sonne called Damascus which child because Sara was barren Abraham had thought to haue adopted for his sonne Of this Damascus tooke the Citie of Damasco his name Lyra. ELECTION What the cause of our Election is and how it is defined ELection is the frée mercie and grace of God in his owne will through faith in Christ his sonne chusing and preferring to life such as pleaseth him Bradford in the booke of Mar. The onelie good pleasure of the will and franke mercie of God by Iesus Christ without respect of anie works either present or for to come is the cause of the diuine Election F. N. B. the Italian The cause of our election is onelie the will of God And to proue this Saint Paule saith which sawe as farre in mens deseruings as we can doe bringeth in an euident example of Iacob and Esau how Iacob was elected and Esau reproued before they were borne or had done either good or bad To the which some will saie that God sawe afore that Iacob should bée good and therefore chose him and that Esau should doe no good and therefore repelled him But to those that will iudge of that that God sawe it maie be demaunded how they knowe that GOD sawe that and if he sawe it yet how knowe they that that was the cause of Iacobs election Saint Paule knoweth none other cause but the will of God whatsoeuer other discusse And if they should saie the cause whie God sawe before that Iacob shoulde doe good was because that God would giue him his grace therfore God sawe that he should doe good and so shoulde also the other haue done if God would haue giuen him that same grace Saint Paule concluding with these Scriptures saith I will shewe mercie to whome I shew mercie and will haue compassion on whome I haue compassion So lyeth it not in mans will and running but in the mercie of God He saith not I will haue mercie on him that I sée shall do good but I will shew mercie to whom I will He sayth not I will haue compassion on him that shall deserue it De congrua but of him of whom I will haue compassion This doth Austen wel proue in these wordes The disputation of them is vaine the which do defend the prescience of God against the grace of God and therfore saie that we were chosen before the making of the world because that God knew afore that we shuld bée good because he shoulde make vs good But he that saith you haue not chosen me saith not so for if he did therefore choose vs because that before he knew that we should be good then must hée also haue knowne before that we should first haue chosen him Héere it is plaine that the election of God is not because he saw afore that we should doe well But onelie the cause of the election is his mercie and the cause of our dooing well is his election And therefore Saint Paule saith not of workes but of calling I. Veron So then election is not of the willer but of God that taketh mercie ¶ It is euident by this Text that our works or merites doe not iustifie vs but that our saluation doth wholie depend vpon the frée election of GOD which béeing righteousnesse it selfe doth choose whome it pleaseth him vnto lyfe euerlasting Sir I. Cheeke Blessed are the people whome the Lorde hath chosen to bée his inheritaunce c. ¶ Of the Lordes frée election and choosing of his Citizens whome he hath predestinate and appointed to be saued the Scripture both in the olde and newe Testament speaketh much In the 20. of Saint Mathew verse 16. our sauiour saith Multi vocati pauci vero electi● Manie bée called but fewe bée chosen All they bée called which haue had the word of GOD preached vnto them And they onelie are elect which finallie and eternallie shall be saued and inherit the euerlasting kingdome with Iesus Christ the first begotten and the onelie purchaser of lyfe eternall The elect haue these properties and blessings of GOD following them Though they doe fall and sinne of tentimes yea and peraduenture verie gréeuouslie as Dauid did or committing as Saint Peter did with his denieng and forswearing of CHRIST As Marie Magdalene and the woman of Samarie did with their fraile and foolish yéelding vnto the pleasure of the flesh yet they neuer fall from GOD but their grose and naturall falles doe cast them into such a shame of themselues and abhorring of sinnes that by their falling they rise vp the more stronger So that the elect cannot finallie bée seduced nor carried awaie from GOD. For whome Christ loueth In finem diligit hée
the soule we saie therfore that to be in the flesh according to the Apostles meaning signifieth nothing els then in all our actions to be ruled and gouerned by the sense and effect of Nature not yet regenerate in Christ. Pet. Mar. vpon the Rom. fol. 198. Againe this place Ye are not in the Flesh cannot but be figuratiuelie interpreted for if we should vnderstand simply that we are not in the Flesh the truth would shew the contrarie Wherefore Chrisostome vpon this place saith that it is a thing verie daungerous alwaies to vnderstande the Scriptures according to the proper signification of the words I meruaile therfore what our aduersaries meane so much to iangle and make such 〈…〉 that when we saie that these wordes of the Lorde This is my bodie are spoken figuratiuelie and that we vnderstand meane by this place the filthie lusts and incontinencie of the flesh But by the vnquietnesse of the flesh and messenger of Satan he vnderstandeth the persecutions and troubles which by the meanes and stirring of Satan he was 〈…〉 to suffer continuallie for the Gospells sake not onelie of the open 〈…〉 but also of the false Bretheren And for 〈…〉 his 〈…〉 persecutions and troubles that happened vnto 〈…〉 praie vnto the Lord that he would deliuer 〈…〉 these afflictions and troubles which his flesh did 〈…〉 Thus both Theodoretus Ambrose and also Erasmus 〈…〉 place ¶ Looke Messenger of 〈…〉 ¶ Looke Pricke of the flesh To take no thought for the flesh how it is expounded Take no thought for the flesh to fill the lusts of it ¶ By the flesh he hèere vnderstandeth not naturall health for that is not to bée neglected that wee maie bee able the more constantlie to serue GOD. Paule writeth to Timothie Use a little Wine because of the stomacke and often 〈…〉 Heere hee prohibiteth onelie the pleasures and delights of the flesh For when wée lette loose the bridle to them the flesh is made vnrulie Wherefore seeing that we ought continuallie to wrastle against the prone affects thereof lette vs take héede that with ouer much delicatenesse we nourish them not Pet. Mar. fol. 434. The meaning of this place following My flesh is verelie meate and my bloud verelie drinke ¶ When Christ spake th●se words he spake nothing of the Sacrament for it was not instituted vntill his last Supper Upon this S. Austen saith Why preparest thou either tooth or bellie beléeue and then thou hast eaten him And when Christ sawe them offended hée said vnto them Doth this offende you What will ye saie then when ye shall see the Sonne of man ascending thether whence he was before Then addeth Saint Austen You shall know that he meant not to giue his flesh to eate with your téeth for he shall ascende whole And Christ addeth it is the spirite that quickeneth the Flesh profiteth nothing the wordes that I speake are spirite and life that is to saie saith S. Austen are spirituallie to be vnderstood And when Christ saith his flesh profiteth nothing meaning of his owne flesh as Austen saith he meaneth that it profiteth not as they vnderstood him that is to saie it profiteth not if it were eaten but it doth much profite to be slaine that through it and the shedding of his bloud the wrath of God our father is pacified our sinnes forgiuen His Disciples which followed him wer astonied and abhorred his words and vnderstoode them not Againe in another place he saith when Christ said Except a man eate my flesh and drinke my bloud he shall haue no life in him they because they vnderstood him not said to each other This is an hard saieng who can heare him August in sermo ad infan What flesh shall inherit the kingdome of Heauen Flesh and bloud cannot inherite the kingdome of Heauen ¶ Our beliefe is that there shall be a generall Resurrection of the flesh according to the Scripture Esaie 26. 19. Rom. 12. 2. Iob. 19. 26. Iohn 5. 29. Neuerthelesse it shall be purged from all corruption and be chaunged to immortall life for it must be an vncorrupt flesh that shall inherit the kingdome of God Of the battaile betweene the flesh and the spirite Betwéene the flesh and the spirite is a continuall strife if the spirit ouercome in temptation then is the stronger and the flesh weaker but if the flesh get a custome then is the spirite none other oppressed then as though she had a mountaine vpon hir backe and as we sometime in our dreame thinke that we beare heauier then a milstone vpon our breastes or when wée dreame now and then that we would runne awaie for feare our legges seeme heauier then lead● euen so is the spirit oppressed and ouerladen of the flesh and striueth to gette vppe and breake loose in vaine till God of his mercie which heareth his grone through Iesus Christ come and loose him with his power and put his crosse of tribulation on the back of the flesh to kéepe it downe to minish hir strength and to mortifie her Tindale fol. 186. What flesh and spirite signifieth Flesh and spirite maist thou not héere vnderstande as flesh were onelie that which perteineth vnto vnchastitie and the spirit that which inwardlie pertaineth vnto the heart ●ut Paule calleth flesh heere as Christ doth Iohn 3. All that is borne of the Flesh that is to wit the whole man with life soule bodie wit will reason and whatsoeuer he is or doth within or without because that those all and all that is in man studie after the world and the Flesh. Call Flesh therefore whatsoeuer as long as we are without the spirit of God we thinke or speake of God of faith of good workes and of spirituall matters Call Flesh also all workes which are done without grace and without the working of the spirit of God howsoeuer good holie and spirituall they seeme to be as thou maist proue by the 5. to the Galathians ver 19. 20. where Paule numbreth worshipping of Idolls witchcraft ●nuie and hate among the deedes of the Flesh. And by the eight to the Romanes ver 3. where he saith that the Lawe by the reason of the Flesh is weake which is not vnderstood of vnchastitie onelie but of all sinnes and most speciallie of vnbeliefe which is a vice most wicked and ground of all sinnes and as thou callest him which is not renued with the spirit and borne againe of Christ Flesh and all his deedes euen the verie motions of his heart and minde his learning doctrine and contemplation of high things his preaching teaching and studie in the Scripture building of Churches founding of Abbaies giuing of Almes Masse Mattin● and whatsoeuer he doth though it seeme spirituall and after the Lawes of God So contrariwise call him spirituall● which is renued in Christ and all his deedes which springeth of faith seeme they neuer so grose as the washing of the Disciples feete done by Christ and Peters fishing after
Writers sp●cifieth the Turkes of them to haue taken their first originall Now marke this wonderfull mysterie and consider therein both the time and storie so shall ye wel perceiue the Holie ghost to meane none other héere by this Gog Magog but the Romish Pope Mahomet with their blasphemous and wicked generations Search the Chromcles and ye shall finde that their beginning were base estate simple before the thousand yeares were fulfilled But after that they grew vp so high by their fained simplicitie and simulate holinesse that they became the two chiefe Monarchs of the earth and so in processe ruled the vniuersall world c. Bale Set thy face against Gog and against the land of Magog ¶ Which was a people that came of Magog the sonne of Iaphet Gen. 10. 2. Magog also heere signifieth a certaine Countrie for that by these two enimies which had the gouernment of Greece and Italy he meaneth the principall enimies of the Church Geneua How Gog and Magog shall be destroied These same things be spoken of Gog and Magog in Ezechiel 38 and. 39. and in Apoc. 20. For Ezechiel saith that Gog and Magog after they haue done their mischiefe in destroieng and slaieng they shall themselues at last be destroied in the mountaines of Israel which albeit it maie be vnderstood of the last iudgement yet I thinke it to signifie the Battailes which the godlie haue and shall haue in this last olde age with the Popish Emperours Kings Turkes which all shall be ouercome in the Hills of Israel that is in the places wher y● Church of Christ dwelleth in which the Gospell is preached and receiued and the people trulie in the faith of the Sonne of God one onelie Mediatour call vpon their heauenlie Father For the Pope Turke shall not be ouercome but by the Sonne of God fighting for his Church as ye shall sée it cléerelie in Daniel 12. chap● saieng Michael which is Christ the great Captaine shal stand forth for the defence of the peoples children But both in Daniel in Ezechiel they be prophecied manie great destructions which with all our hearts we beséech God to mitigate them Melancthon vpon Daniel GOLDE What is ment by golde siluer and precious stones IF anie man build vpon this foundation golde siluer or precious stones c. ¶ That is if any man prech purely the word of God which is likened to golde siluer precious stones because y● as these are not consumed with material fire but rather made more pure euen to y● pure word of God suffreth neither hurt nor damage in spirituall fire that is Temptation and persecution Tindale fol. 43. What Gold Frankencense and Mirrhe doe signifie Presented vnto him gifts Golde Frankencense and Mirrh ¶ The Persians manner was not to salute Kings without a present and therefore they brought of that which was most precious in their Countrie whereof euerie one of them offered Geneua ¶ The three wise men that came out of the East anone after Christs natiuitie brought with them these 3. presents Aurum Thus Mirrha Gold to declare that he was a mightie King Frankencense to declare that he was a Priest and should offer vnto the Father vpon the Altar of the Crosse the sacrifice of propitiation for the sinnes of the world And Mirrhe to burie h●● withall For Mirrhe is not onelie a sweete odori●erous thing but also of that nature that it preserueth dead bodies from putrifaction Ric. Turnar GOLGATHA What this word Golgatha signifieth THis word Golgatha is a Chalde word signifieng a head for which the Hebrues saie Gulgoleth of the verbe Galal which signifieth ●o folde or wrap in of the which commeth Galgal a spheare a circle a bowle Gulgoleth is a name fo● y● head because of the roundnesse thereof But this place was without the gate on the North side of mount Sion in the which malefactors were put to death for the which cause the place was counted more reprochfull There would they haue Christ to be crucified that thereby his death might be more odious Marlorate fol. 715. GOOD What Good or Goodnesse is GOodnesse is that as Philosophers saie which all things desire And more larglie or plainlie to declare the nature therof Good things are all such which in respect of vs are either profitable commodious or pleasaunt to our vses All things saith Paule are yours whether it be life or death or Paule or Cephas and we are Christs and Christ is Gods Againe To them that loue God all things worke to good How there is none good but God There is no man good but one which is God ¶ If there be anie goodnesse in vs that haue we of God but God onelie is good of himselfe Sir I. Cheeke ¶ Why callest thou me good c. ¶ Because commonlie they abused this word Iesus sheweth him that he could not confesse him to be good except also he acknowledged that he was God Geneua Of good and euill doings And they that haue done good vnto resurrection of life and they that haue done euill vnto the resurrection of damnation ¶ As if he should saie that they that through faith haue done good workes or by their good workes haue declared their faith shall rise againe vnto life euerlasting But they that haue brought forth the fruits of infidelitie or haue not declared the faith which they fained themselues to haue by good works shal rise againe vnto damnation The good workes then doe not saue nor iustifie but are signes and tokens that a man is iustified Sir I. Cheeke What a good age is There is often mention made in the holie Scripture of a good age And in the 15. chapter of Gen. it is promised vnto Abraham as a certaine excellent good thing And it séemeth to shew two things First a iust place of life so that death should not come vntimelie and strike as it were in tender age Father 〈…〉 end Wherfore it is requ●●ed therevnto that the 〈…〉 be sound the bodie not broken with diseases no want of riches the familie countrie and dignitie abiding firme This is iudged a good age P●t Mar. vpon Iudi● fol. 55. How the good life of christia● man smelleth in Gods nose The good life of a christian man is 〈…〉 to Gods mouth and spice to Gods nose The odor of a swéete fiel● which is commended in Gen. 27. 27. The odor of incense in Numery 28. The odor of fragrant waters in Iob. The odor of that Oile which ranne downe Aarons beard of that Oile that Mary shed vpon Christs head The odor of spices and Uine flowers commended in the Canticles the swéete Balme of Ecclesiasticus and the smell of Libanus that Ose speaketh of the smell of Noahs sacrifice the smell of best burnt sacrifice is not the like smell to Gods nose as the smell of a good life rising from a good beliefe for that is Hostia Deo in odorem
GOD And wée béeing regenerate it bringeth vs forth to battaile and vnto good workes Héerevnto Chrisostome addeth the lawe reproueth but loseth not from sinne Grace loseth from sinne and reproueth not The lawe reproueth sinne and increaseth it Grace forgiuing it suffereth vs not to be vnder sinne c. Pet. Mar. vpon the Rom. fol. 134. How this following is vnderstoode And of his fulnesse haue all wée receiued euen Grace for Grace ¶ This sentence is sundrie wise expounded I will first shew you Saint Austens minde These be his words vpon this place That brethren all we haue receiued out of his fulnesse out of the fulnesse of his mercie haue we receiued what Remission of sinnes that we might be iustified by fayth And what moreouer Grace for Grace that is to witte For this Grace whereby we liue of Fayth we shall receiue an other Grace namelie Euerlasting lyfe But what else is it saue Grace For if I shall saie this is due to me I assigne somewhat to my selfe as to whome it is due But GOD crowneth the giftes of his mercie in vs. Thus yée sée Saint Austens meaning to witte that all good giftes and in the ende euerlasting lyfe is not a recompence of our merites but commeth of the frée liberalitie of God because it pleaseth him so to reward his former graces and to crowne his owne gyftes in vs. And so hée calleth faith whereby wée are iustified one Grace and euerla●ing lyfe an other grace verye truelie and godlye to the confusion of the common Idolles Souldiers Other expounding Grace for Grace Grace vppon Grace teach that out of this fulnesse of his sonne GOD gaue to our Fathers vnder the olde Testament the spirite of feare whereby as children vnd●r a Schoolemaster they were kept in and restrained that they shoulde not stray abroad after fleshlie lusts but be ledde foorth and framed to some goodnesse And in the new Testament hée giueth the spirit of fréedome whereby with more franke and free hearts with more ioifull courage by the motion of the spirit we doe the thing that pleaseth God not that our Fathers were altogether voide of this frée spirit but because of their childlie age they were kept more vnder by feare the spirite was not so richlie larglie giuen to them as to vs I meane vniuersallie touching gods ordinarie disposition For to some speciall person the spirit was larglie giuen and more larglie then it is nowe The exposition of other is that God loueth and fauoureth vs because of the loue and fauour that he beareth to his sonne as Saint Paule writeth That he hath made vs acceptable in the beloued For by nature we are the children of wrath the loue and fauour that we finde in Gods sight is for that of his own goodnesse he hath made vs the members of his most dearelye beloued sonne and so loueth vs as a parte of his sonnes bodie Other thinke that the meaning of these words is that GOD powreth all his graces into the Lorde Iesus and by him conueieth the same vnto vs as by a Conduct pipe● I leaue to your choise which of these expositions ye will take B. Traheron By grace vnderstand fauour The meaning is for the fauour that God the Father hath to his sonne Christ hath he receiued vs into fauour So as Christ is beloued of his Father euen so are we beloued for his sake Rom. 5. 15. T. M. ¶ All grace and all that is pleasant in the sight of God is giuen vs for Christs sake onelie euen out of the fulnesse and abundance of the fauour that he receiueth with the father Tindale ¶ Grace for grace That is God doth fauour vs and giue grace to so manie as beléeue in Christ are become his members The Bible note What is vnderstood by grace and peace Grace to you and peace from God By grace héere is vnderstood the fauour of GOD wherewith he fréelie forgiueth sinnes● By peace the tranquilitie of conscience pr●céeding therof Tindale How these words Grace and Truth are expounded But grace and truth came by Iesus Christ. ¶ By grace some vnderstand that that maketh vs amiable and acceptable and getteth vs fauour before God and man By truth they vnderstand true sincere perfect sound and sure righteousnesse Other by grace in this place vnderstand forgiuenesse of sinnes by truth the fulfilling of all the figures and shadowes in Moses lawe in which signification you shall take the words the s●nce shall be good and godlie B. Traheron The grace saith Saint Austen which is giuen of the largnesse of God priuilie into mans heart cannot be despised of no manner of hard heart for therfore it is giuen that the hardnesse of the heart shal be taken awaie Wherefore when the father is herde within and doth learne that he must come vnto his sonne then taketh he awaie our stonie heart and giueth vs a fleshlie heart by this meanes he maketh vs his children of promise and the vessels of mercie which he hath prepared to glorie But wherefore doth he not learne all men to come to Christ because that those y● he learneth he learneth of mercie and those that he learneth not of his iudgement doth he not learne them These places following are alleadged of D. Barnes against Free will Saint Austen saith that there is no hardnesse of heart that can resist grace Dunce saith that there maie bée an obstacie in mans heart S. Austen saith that grace findeth the heart in hardnesse and obstinacie But Dunce saith that there is a mollifieng that precedeth grace which is called attrition Saint Austen saith when the Father learneth vs within then taketh he awaie our stonie hearts But Dunce saith that we can doe it by the common naturall influence that is wée can dispose our selues of congruence Saint Austen saith how all men be not taught to come to Christ but onelie they that be taught of mercie be taught and if it be of mercie then it is not of congruence by attrition The meaning of these places following For by grace are ye saued through faith ¶ So then grace that is to saie the gift of God and Faith doe stande one with an other to which two these be contrarie to be saued by our selues or by our workes Therefore what meane they which would ioine together things of so contrarie nature Beza And grace for grace ¶ This place is diuerslie expounded Some vnderstand the first grace to be that by y● which through faith we receiue remission of our sinnes the other grace to bée lyfe euerlasting the which kinde of Grace is giuen to the faithfull according to the saieng of the Apostle but the grace of God is eternall life Rom. 6. 23. But other some will haue the first to bée that which in the olde Testament was giuen to the Iewes The other to be more copious and large and giuen to all men But the simple sence
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 illustr● 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 euerlasti●g life vnlesse he were euerie daie purified and baptised Epiphan per●a lib. 1. de heres HENOCH What his taking vp into heauen signifieth THis is not Henoch the first sonne of Ca● 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 y● 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
for of iust is deriued Iustice. And to say briefely to be iust is to be cleare sound and vpright according to the degrée condition office person which euery man beareth and to aunswere the same in all pointes without blame Each degrée condition estate and person hath his order and Iustite c. Musc. in his Com. pla fo 421. IVSTIFICATION What is vnderstood by Iustification BY iustifieng vnderstande none other thing then to be reconciled to God and to be restored into his fauour and to haue thy sinnes forgiuen thee As when I say God iustifieth vs vnderstand thereby that God for Christs sake merites and deseruings onely receiueth vs vnto his mercie fauour and grace and forgiuenesse of our sinnes And when I say Christ iustifieth vs vnderstand thereby that Christ onely hath redéemed vs bought vs deliuered vs out of the wrath of God and damnation and hath with his works onely purchased vs the mercie fauour and grace of God and the forgiuenesse of our sinnes And when I say Faith onely iustifieth vnderstand thereby that Faith and trust in the trueth of God and in the mercie promised vs for Christs sake and for his deseruings workes onely doth quiet the conscience and certefie hir that our sinnes be forgiuen and we in the fauour of God Tindale in his Prologue to the Romanes To iustifie is nothing els then to acquite him that was accused from all filthinesse as allowing his innocencie sith therefore God iustifieth vs by the intercession of Christ he doeth acquite vs not by allowaunce of our innocencie but by imputation of righteousnesse that we maye be counted for righteous in Christ which are not righteous in our selues Cal. 3. bo chap. 11. sect 3. This word iustifie in the Latine mens eares is as much to say as to make iust lyke as magnifie to make great and sanctifie to make holy And this sence of this word the Diuine schoolemen like well which they that doe followe them doe yet earnestly stand vnto Augustine also doth in diuers places still expound this word of iustifieng in this sence when he saith Beléeuing in him which iustifieth the wicked that is to say of the wicked doth make godly The Apostle Paule out of whose writings this entraunce of Iustification is principally taken vsed the word of iustifieng not in the sence that the Latine eares doe like but in that sence which the holy Scripture vseth it according to the custome of the holy language in which he was born brought vp and instructed in from his childhood In that language to iustifie is as as much to say as to quite a man of his offence and to pronounce him iust The contrary of it is to condemne a man of naughtinesse and wickednesse c. This word iustifie is not to make one iust which is vniust and wicked but is vsed in euery place for to quite a man of his fault and to pronounce and declare him iust Musc. fol. 222. How we are iustified freely and by Faith onely It is also the cause why Faith is plainly called by S. Paule the Faith of the chosen and for the which Iustification is attributed vnto it that honour is giuen vnto it forsomuch as many doth acknowledge himselfe by the same such as he is of his owne nature to wit a poore and miserable sinner the childe of wrath subiect to death and eternall damnation therefore spoyling himselfe of his owne Iustice and of all trust in his owne workes and merites he doth imbrace Iesus Christ to be cladde with his Iustice to the ende that by it his sinnes may be couered in such sort that they come not to count at the iudgement of God and so that the poore sinner by reputed iust as though he had neuer offended and that because the Iustice of Christ is allowed vnto him Faith as though the same were proper to the man to whom it is allowed Pet. Viret All men are sinners and want the glory of God but they are iustified fréely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ. ¶ Héere Paule saith We are iustified fréely If there bée any deseruing lesse or more then it is not freely He saith also Of grace if it be any part of workes then it is not of grace for as S. Paule saith Then grace were no grace S. Ambrose saith vpon this place of S. Paule All men are sinners c. They are iustified fréely saith S. Ambrose for they doing nothing nor nothing deseruing alonely by Faith are iustified by the gifte of God Héere Saint Ambrose saith Men working nothing nor nothing deseruing are iustified by Faith onely D. Barnes ¶ Origen vpon the same t●xt saith That the Iustification of Faith is alonely sufficient so that a man do beleeue onely he is iustified though there be no wo●●●es ●oke of him at al. By Faith was the théefe iustified without y● workes of y● 〈…〉 for y● Lord did not aske him what he had done nor looke for any works of him but did accept him onely for confessing of Christ. Wherefore saith Origen a man is iustified by Faith vnto whome as concerning Iustification the works of the law help nothing ¶ Héere it is plaine by Origen that workes doe helpe nothing to Iustification but Faith onely D. Barnes What thing doth purchase Iustification The same thing that purchaseth remission of our sinnes doth also purchase Iustification For Iustification is nothing els but remission of sinnes Now Faith purchaseth vs remission of sinnes Ergo by Faith we are iustified Now that Faith purchaseth remission of sinnes is well proued by the Article of our Faith Credo remissionem peccatorum I beléeue remission of sinnes Now if I haue not this remission for Faith then Faith deceiueth me For I doe beleeue onely because I would haue remission of sinnes What néede we to beléeue remission of sinnes if I may deserue it by workes D. Barnes What the true way of Iustification is The very true way of Iustification is this First commeth God for the loue of Christ Iesus alonely of his méere mercie and giueth vs fréely the gifte of Faith whereby we doe beléeue God and his holy word sticke fast vnto the promises of God and beléeue that though heauen and earth and all that is in them should perish and come to naught yet God shall be founde true in his promise For this faith sake be we the children of God This is not such a Faith as men dreame when they beléeue that there is one God and beléeue that he is eternall beléeue also that he made the world of naught yea and beléeue that the Gospell is true and all things that God speaketh must be true and fulfilled with other such things This is not the Faith that we be iustified by for Diuells and Infidells haue this faith and also we may atteine to these things by the strength of reason● But the Faith● that shall iustifie vs must be of another manner
of strength for it must come from heauen and not from the strength of reason It must also make me beléeue that God the ma●er of heauen and earth is not onely a Father but also my Father yea and that through the fauour that Christ hath purchased me from the which fauour neither heauen nor earth tribulation nor persecution death nor hell can deuide me But to this sticke I fast that he is not alonely my father but also a merciful father yea and that vnto me mercifull so mercifull that he will not impute my sins vnto me though they be neuer so many nor so great so long as I hang on the blessed bloud of Christ Iesus and sinne not of malice but of frailtie and of no pleasures D. Barnes How Cornel●us was iustified Cornelius a Gentile did great almes and praied vnto God alwaies vnto whome the Angell spake on this maner Thy praier and thine almes are come vp into remembraunce in the presence of God Of this text some doe gather that his good workes did helpe to Iustification The solution The Holy ghost hath openly declared himselfe there for he saith that this Cornelius was a deuout man and one that feared God How could this be without that God had taught him inwardly by Faith Yea how could he know God and that deuoutly but by faith Ergo he was iustified before God by his Faith but the world knew not his Iustification And therefore the Holy ghost doth declare his inward Iustification when hée saith that he was deuout and feared God And also doth showe openly the fruits of his Iustification when he saith that he did Almes Moreouer you haue there that the Holy ghost fell on them afore they were baptised in water the which declareth openly that they were iustified before God This well declareth in your owne lawe whose words be these Cornelius Centurion being yet an Heathen man was made cleane by the gifte of the Holy ghost afore all good workes for he was an heathen man D. Barnes ¶ Looke more in Cornelius Iustified by grace what it meaneth Are iustified fréely by his grace ¶ This saieng doth S. Ambrose expound on this wise They working nothing nor acquiting him any whit are iustified by Faith alone by the gift of God This word Fréely although many be therewith offended is also euidently expressed by Paule himselfe in these words Fréely without the lawe without workes it is a gifte and such lyke which thou maist marke for they are all one with this foresaid exposition of S. Ambrose By Faith alone we are iustified which saieng signifieth thus much onely by the beliefe wherewith we beléeue that the mercie of God graunted in Christs bloud doth saue vs are we pro●ounced righteous The word alone exclude the workes not that thou shouldest not doe them for vnto all good workes commaunded in the Scripture art thou bound and called to walke in them and must earnestly studie and indeuour thy selfe to leaue none of them vndone but that thou shouldest in no● condition thinke that thou art thereby iustified or made righteous before God Tindale How this place following is vnderstood The doers of the lawe shall be iustified ¶ So must it bée vnderstood saith S. Austen that we may knowe that they can no otherwise be the doers of the lawe except they be first iustified not that Iustification belongeth vnto doers but that Iustification doth procede all manner of doing ¶ Thus by the minde of S. Augustin we see that Iustification is first giuen that men might be able to doe the workes of the lawe This is also the exposition of the common glose D. Barnes Against those men which doe say they iustifie others Bretheren saith S. Austen we haue Iesus Christ our Aduocate with our Father he is the forgiuenesse of our sinnes he that helde this was in no heresie he that helde this was in no schisme For whereof came the schismes Truly when men do say we be iust when men do say we do sanctifie them that be vncleane we do iustifie the wicked we do pray and we doe obtaine But what saith Iohn If a man doe sinne we haue an Aduocate with the Father Iesus Christ c. ¶ Thus saith he by which words he did no more touch the Donatists then hée should now a dayes if he were a lyue gall them which doe so much chalenge to themselues all the authoritie in the Church to sanctifie and to iustifie men and doe for filthie gaine set the same also ouer vnto others Mus. in his Com. pla fo 224. How God doth iustifie vs. We said in the first Article of the word of iustifieng that to be iustified is as much to say in this matter according to y● meaning of the Scripture as to be acquited by grace from sinne to be taken for iust Therefore God doth so iustifie vs that hee forgiueth our sinnes he hideth them doth not charge vs with them any more but doth rather impute Iustice vnto vs not ours which is none but the Iustice of his Sonne our Lord Iesus Christ. And by this imputation of Iustice he maketh vs saued and blessed So the Apostle doth foure times set forth this Iustification to the Romanes least we should séeme to bring any thing with vs of our owne Lyke as Dauid saith he doeth expresse the blessednesse of y● man to whom God imputeth righteousnesse without workes saieng Blessed be they whose wickedness be forgiuen and whose sinnes be hidden Blessed is the man to whom God doth not impute sinne It appeareth verye well that the Iustification which is imputed by grace without works is the forgiuenesse of sinne the help vnto saluation For where as he might haue said Blessed hée they whome God doth iustifie without workes he saith Blessed ●e thou whose sinnes be forgiuen and whose sins be hidden Blessed is the man to whom God doth not impute sinne Muscul. fo 225. Iustifieng of the vngodly But beléeueth on him that iustifieth the vngodly ¶ God is said to iustifie the vngodly because he pardoneth his sinnes and of a wicked man maketh him good The Bible note ¶ Which maketh him that is wicked in himselfe iust in Christ. Geneua Of two manner of Iustifications There is two manner of Iustifications vnderstood in holye Scripture the one before God the other before man Of Iustification before God it is truly said of S. Paule Rom. 4. 3. Credidit autem Abraham c. Abraham beléeued God and it was imputed vnto him for righteousnesse And of Iustification before men S. Iames speaketh in the 2. chapter of his Epistle verse 21. Abraham pater noster c. Was not our father Abraham iustified through workes when he had offered his sonne vp vpon the Altar c. And y● he so ment appeareth by his very words which followeth within few lines after thus Credidit autem Abraham c. Abraham beleeued God it was reputed vnto him for righteousnesse he was
another place The Sonne of man is come to saue that which was lost And in Saint Lukes Gospell concerning the conuersion of Zacheus The Sonne of man is come to séeke and to saue that which was lost Therefore it ought to be no discomfort vnto vs to confesse that wée are vtterlye lost séeing thereby that we are assured that wée appertaine vnto Christ who came of purpose to séeke and to saue that which was lost O the wonderfull wisedome power and mercie of GOD shewed vs in CHRIST that euen then when we feele our selues lost we are founde when we sée our selues destroied we are saued when we heare our selues condemned we are iustified onely in beléeuing these words The sonne of man is come to saue that which was lost Let vs therefore with inuincible courage of faith take holde of these generall promises of God and apply them vnto our selues as the poore woman of Canany did and we shall finde it to be true which our Sauiour Christ saith vnto vs There is nothing impossible to him that beléeueth Doct. Fulke LOTTES How they may be vsed lawfully TO speake of lottes how farre foorth they are lawfull is a light question First to vse them for the breaking of s●ri●e as when partners their goods as equally deuided as they can take euery man his part by lotte to auoid all suspition of deceiptfulnesse And as the Apostles in the first of the Actes when they sought another to succéede Iudas the Traitour and two persons were presented then to breake strife and to satisfie all parties did cast lottes whether should be admitted desiring God to temper them and to take whom he knewe most meete séeing they wist not whether to preferre or happely could not all agrée either is lawfull and in all like cases But to abuse them vnto the tempting of God to compell him therewith to vtter things whereof we stand in doubt when we haue no commaundement of him so to doe as these Heathen héere did though God tourned it to his glorye cannot bée but euill Tindale fol. 27. ¶ Which declareth that the matter was in great extremitie and doubt which thing was Gods motion in them for the tryall of the cause and this maye not be done but in matters of great importaunce Geneua LOVE Of the order of Loue. SOme in seeking for an order in loue doe determine by the authoritie of S. Austine that first we must loue God secondly our selues thirdly our neighbours and bretheren and fourthly our owne body and our neighbours But there is nothing in Scripture touching any such order Indéed Christ doth saye that the first Commaundement doth stand in the loue of God but he doth not giue the seconde place to the loue of our selues but vnto the loue of our neighbour where as he saith in Mathew the second is like the first So that there is a double error committed héere by them which doe vncircumspectly and vnad●isedly follow Augustine One in that they do recken the loue of our selues amongst the kindes of loue commaunded vs whereas there is no Commaundement touching the same for it is naturally giuen to vs all to loue our selues and that there is no néede to giue any commaundement concerning this manner of loue And whereas the same is corrupted by the sin that dwelleth within vs in our flesh that corruption is not reformed by commaunding vs to loue our selues but by the loue of God of our neighbour and bretheren which is prescribed vnto vs by expresse precepts to reforme the naturall affections of loue in vs and to direct them after a good order wherefore it is not to be feared that he which doth loue God his neighbour and bretheren aright can neglect and cast away himselfe albeit that he doe wholly denie and refuse himselfe and be addicted full and whole to the glorie of God and the saluation of his neighbours The other errour standeth in that they place the loue of our selues next vnto the loue of God whereas Christ doth assigne the second place expressely to the loue of our neighbour Musculus fol. 471. How Loue is the fulfilling of the lawe Paule Rom. 13. affirmeth that loue is the fulfilling of the law and that he which loueth doth of his owne accord all that the law requireth And first Tim. 1. 5. he saith that the loue of a pure heart and good conscience and faith vnfained is the ende fulfilling of the lawe For faith vnfained in Christs bloud causeth thée to loue for Christs sake which loue is the pure loue onely and the onely cause of a good conscience for then is the conscience pure when the eyes looketh to Christ in all hir deedes to doe them for his sake not for hir owne singular aduauntage or any other wicked purpose And Iohn both in his Gospell and also Epistles spoaketh neuer of any other law then to loue one another purely Affirming that we haue God himselfe dwelling in vs and all that God desireth if we loue one another Tindale fol. 36. Againe Loue of hir owne nature bestoweth all that she hath and euen hir owne selfe of that which is loued Thou néedest not to bidde a kinde mother to be louing to hir onely sonne Much lesse spirituall Loue which hath eyes giuen hir of God néedeth mans lawe to teach hir to doe hir dutie And as in the beginning he did put foorth Christ as the cause and Authour of our righteousnesse euen so héere setteth he him foorth as an example to counterfaite that as he hath done to vs euen so should we doe one to another Tindale fol. 49. How we ought to loue God This doe and thou shalt liue ¶ That is to say Loue thy Lord God with all thy soule with all thy strength with all thy minde thy neighbour as thy selfe as who should say if thou doe this or though canst not doe it yet if thou féelest lust therevnto and thy spirit stirreth and mourneth longeth after strength to doe it take a signe euident token thereby that the spirit of life is in thee that thou art elect to life euerlasting by Christs bloud whose gift and purchase is thy faith and that spirit that worketh the will of God in thée whose gifte also are thy déedes or rather the déedes of the spirit of Christ and not thine and whose gifte is the reward of eternall life which followeth good workes Tindale fol. 78. ¶ Ye haue not the loue of God in you ¶ The loue of God is héere taken for the whole féeling of godlinesse For no man can loue God but he must also honour him and must submitte himselfe wholly vnto him euen as where is no loue of God there is no obedience in consideration Moses maketh this the summe of the lawe that we loue God with our whole heart c. Marl. vpon Iohn fol. 181. Why Loue hath the chiefe place aboue Faith and Hope Now abideth Faith Hope Loue but
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
him from Least hée bée compelled to pay his debt with double disprofite one that his milstone is idle in the meane time another that he is constrained to come further in debt otherwise to sell his necessarye goods without which he cannot liue to make payment T. M. ¶ By the neather or vpper milstone is vnderstoode anye thing whereby a man getteth his liuing Geneua MINISTER What the Minister is by the word of God THE true Minister is the eye of the bodye The workman in the haruest Math. 9. 38. The messenger that calleth to the marriage Math. 22. 3. The Prophet that telleth the will of the Lorde Math. 23. 34. The Scribes that doth expound the lawe The seruaunt that occupieth his Maisters talent vnto gaine Math. 25. 16. The witnesse that beareth testimonie of Christ to all people Luke 24. 48. The dispensers of the mysteries of God 1. Cor. 4. 1. The Stewardes that giueth meate in due season vnto the residue of the householde Math. 24. 45. The Sacrificer of the Gospell of GOD to make the oblation of his flocke acceptable Rom. 15. 16. The Minister by whome the people doe beléeue The labourers of God to till the husbandry The Shepheard to féede the Church of God which he hath purchased with his bloud What men ought to be Ministers in the Church of God As in the olde lawe it was forbidden that anye man shoulde prease to come to the altar and to offer the bread of God which had anye manner blemish or deformitie in the bodye So ought no man nowe to take vppon him the preaching of Gods holye worde and ministration of the holye Sacramentes that is deformed with vice but innocent pure faultlesse and vncorrupt both in lyfe and doctrine Theo. Basil. The qualitie of Gods Minister They must be blamelesse watchfull sober modest herberous wise gentle apt to teach able to conuince the aduersarie such as gouerne wel their whole families no drunkards no quarellers no contentious men these be y● qualities that God requireth How ministers ought to be Preachers He is a dead Priest saith Gregorie and therfore no Priest no more then a dead man is a man which doth not preach for he kindleth the wrath of God the great iudge against him if he walke without the sword of preaching Againe he saith you Priests encrease your owne sinnes with the death of others and you kill and murther so manye as you sée daily without all care holding your peace go to their death How Ministers ought first to be doers and then teachers But whosoeuer doeth and teach the same c. This that is spoken héere perteineth to the ministers of the word He teacheth them therefore what perfection is required of them namely that they expresse declare those thinges in their life which by their doctrine they declare teach Saint Paule did chastise his bodie and brought it into subiection least when he preached to others he himself shuld be a castaway And writing to Timothy Be saith he vnto them the beléeue an example in word in conuersation in loue in spirit in faith in purenesse And to Titus he saith in all things shew thy selfe an example of good works in the doctrine with honestie with grauitie with the wholesome worde which cannot be rebuked that he which withstandeth may be ashamed hauing no euill to say on you The lyke wordes hath Saint Peter in effect Marl. fol. 92. ¶ Whosoeuer doth c. Christ maketh mention first of the worke and then of the doctrine for if the workes goe before though the doctrine doe not followe yet shall the verye worke more suffice to teach them that looke vpon vs then any words shall doe First of all teach with works and then with wordes least the saieng of Saint Paule be obiected Thou that teachest another teachest not thy selfe The saieng of Cato The things which in other thou art wont to blame Be well ware that thou offend not in the same For it is very shame when a man will preach If that his deeds against his words doe teach The saieng of Menander The manners of the speaker are they that perswade not that which is spoken How the Ministers of the Church are called Starres The seauen Stars are the Angels of the seauen Churches ¶ The ouerséers of Churches are in Scriptures called Stars and Angels Starres in respect of the brightnesse both of their heauenly doctrine and of their heauenly conuersation Angels because they report vnto vs the will of God the Father According also as in the same respect Christ is called the Angell of the Testament Mal. 3. 1. And Iohn Baptist is called an Angell Mal. 3. 1. Math. 11. 10. So also in this place the rulers of the Churches are called Angells which thing appeareth chieflye héerby that héereafter in y● second chapter the first verse they be willed to repent which thing coulde in no wise agrée with the heauenly spirits Therfore like as the Starres shine in the Skie so must the ministers of Gods word shine in y● Church goe before other in purenesse of doctrine and christen conuersation But a great part of them alas for sorrowe walke as enimies of Christs crosse whose end is damnation whose God is their belly and their glorie is shame which séeke after earthly things when as notwithstanding their conuersation ought to be heauenly Phil. 3. 18. Marl. fol. 28. How ministers were chosen in the olde time Ministers in the olde time were elect and chosen by the whole consent of the people as Cypriane reporteth The common people themselues haue before all other power either to choose worthy Priests or to refuse the vnworthy This order tooke his beginning of Gods authoritie for God sayd to Moses Take thy brother Aaron and Ehazarus his sonne and set them on the mount before all the co●gregation and put off Aarons apparell and put it vpon Eleazarus his son which declareth that ministers ought not to be admitted vnto the ministrie but with the consent and knowledge of the people Theo. Basil. In olde time none was receiued into the companie of clarkes without the consent of all the people insomuch that Cipriane laboured earnestly to excuse y● he appointed one Aurelius to be a reader without asking aduise of y● church because y● was done beside the custome though not without reason For this he saith before In ordering of clarks déere brethren we are wont to aske your aduise and by common counsell to weigh y● manners deseruings of euery one But because in these lesser exercises there was not much perill because they were chosen to a long proofe and not to a great office therfore y● consent of the people ceased to be asked Afterward in the other degrées also except the Bishoprick the people commonly left y● iudgement and choise of them to the Bishop the Priests that they should examine who were méet and
diuell and therefore yéelded all those parts vnto all beastly life Some called those men Venustianos August PATHMOS What Pathmos is WAs in the I le of Pathmos ¶ Pathmos is one of the Iles of Sporas whether Iohn was banished as some write PATRICIANI What manner of heretikes these were PAtriciani said that mans flesh was not made of God but of the diuell so that some dispatched themselues to cast off the flesh August PAVLE How Paules afflictions is prophesied of Agabus SO shall the Iewes at Hierusalem binde the man that oweth this girdle ¶ God for the most part is wont to warne his elect before what afflictions and troubles shall happen vnto thē for his sake not to fray them therby but rather to prepare and arme their mindes against the boisterous tempests of persecution Therefore doth he now send Agabus vnto Paule to prophesie vnto him of his imprisonment and bonds that he should suffer at Hierusalem where we haue also a good example of constancie stedfastnesse in Paule which regarding nothing the teares of his familiar friends nor yet perill of his owne lyfe did through fire and water goe on still to set forth the glorie of God Sir I. Cheeke ¶ God would ●haue his seruaunts bands knowne to the intent that no man should thinke that he cast himself into wilful daunger This was not to make Paule afraid but to encourage him against the brunt Geneua How Paule persecuted Christ in his members I am Iesus whom thou persecutest ¶ Iesus was now in heauen and could not be persecuted of Paule But the persecution which Paule exercised against the faithfull being his members Christ counted it as done vnto himselfe The Bible note Of the comfort that God gaue to paule in his iourney to Rome And he entered into a ship to Adr●mitium ¶ The lyfe of man is a perpetuall warfare vpon the earth Paule being deliuered out of the hands of the vngodly and that so many times is now faine to commit himselfe to the rough waters of the sea where he was a long season in great perill and ieopardy of his owne life God being alwayes to the great comfort of all them that heard of it most ready to helpe succour him First he did send him a most friendly company I meane Aristarcus and Lucas so ruling the heart also of the vndercaptaine that he was beneficiall vnto him alwayes In lyke manner God did in the olde time appoint men for Ioseph and the Prophet Ieremy when they were in their most troubles Of Paules purifieng We haue foure men which haue a vowe on them them take and purifie thy selfe with them ¶ Paule yéelding to this ceremonie offended as sore as Peter did when he was reproued of Paule for absteining from meate s in presence of the Gentiles notwithstanding through feruencie of his zeale he did ieopard much to winne thousandes of the Iewes for the saluation of whom he wished himselfe to be seperated from Christ. The Bible note ¶ The end of this ceremonie was thanks-giuing was instituted by God and partly of ignoraunce and infirmitie receiued Therefore S. Paule supported therein the weaknesse of others and made himselfe all to all men not bindring his conscience Geneua Of Paules appealing I appeale to Caesar. ¶ The iniquitie of the Iudge who contrarie to equitie willing to pleasure the Iewes deuised how to betray Paule draue Paule to appeale which is the vttermost remedie for such as by wrong iudgement are oppressed And this appellation by Gods prouidence was a meane that Paule shoulde testifie of Christ at Rome also The Bible note How Paule had his authoritie from God and not from Peter Paule an Apostle not of men neither by man but by Iesus Christ and by God the Father c. ¶ Paule though he came long after the Apostles yet had he not his authoritie of Peter or of any that went before him Neither brought he with him letters of recommendation or Bulls of confirmation but the confirmation of his Apostleship was the word of God conscience of men and the power of the spirit that testified with him by miracles and manifolde gifts of grace Tindale How Paule and Iames are made to agree The saiengs of the two Apostles Paule and Iames are not contrary wheras Paule saith a man is iustified without works and Iames sayth faith without workes is in vaine For Paule speaketh of the works that goe before faith Iames speaketh of the works that follow after August lt 8. quae qua 76. Iames. 5. The ordinarie glose out of Saint Austen sayth that Paule and Iames doe agrée in this sort That whereas Abraham was iustified by fayth without good workes it is vnderstoode of the workes that went before for he was not made iust for the workes he did but for faith onely And héere it is meant of the works which doe follow fayth by which he was iustified the more wheras he was iust before by faith Wherfore Paul sayth Abraham offered vp Isaac when he was proued This oblation was the worke and testimonie of his faith and iustice This hée writeth vpon the Epistle of Saint Iames. So that if the offering of Isaac was the testimonie of the faith and iustice of Abraham than he was not iustified by it but declared thereby to be iust Musculus fol. 230. ¶ Ioyne the liuely faith of S. Paule with the good works of S. Iames and bring both these into one lyfe And then hast thou reconciled them both so shalt thou be sure to be iustified both afore God by Paules faith and before man by S. Iames works M. Foxe How Paule denieth to be crucified for vs. Was Paule crucified for you ¶ It is euident by Saint Paules saieng that Christ only who was crucified for vs ought to be our Lord that in matters of religion we ought only to haue our name of him and not to be called after this Doctor or that Doctors name for that is to deny Christ and so to bring againe the hypocriticall sectes of Friers and Monkes Sir I. Cheeke Of Paules beating and mortifieng his body I beate my body saith S. Paule and bring it into subiection least by any meanes after that I haue preached to other I my selfe should be reproued ¶ Whereas some doe gather of this place that Paule did mortifie in himself the fire of inconstancy by long fasting and by beating and scourging of his body it is nothing so For what néede had hée to ●ame his body with fasting when he was shut vp in prison and had nothing to eate either yet to beat and scourge his body when he suffred stripes inough of his enimies S. Paule had the gift of continencie as it appeareth 1. Cor. 7. I would sayth he that all men were as I my selfe am but euery man hath his proper gift of God c. Then by these words Saint Paule doth meane that he did subdue and
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 Gala●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 be●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 y● 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 graūt yet no man shal be able to deny but y● God foreknew what end man shuld haue ere hee ●reated him therfore foreknew it because he had so
to make thee an Infidell and not to beléeue in Christ. Yea he séeketh as much as lyeth him to make God a lyar in whom not in thée is the certeintie of thy faith grounded F. N. B. the Italian How our saluation is neerer now then when we beleeued For now is our saluation néerer then when we beléeued ¶ The farther we go the néerer are we to the end now therefore our perfect and full saluation is néerer vnto vs then when we began first to beléeue The Bible note ¶ Before we beléeued it had ben in vaine to tell vs these things But now seeing our saluation is néere let vs take héede that we neglect not this occasion Geneua To worke out our saluation what it meaneth Worke out your owne saluation ¶ Our health hangeth not of our works yet are they said to worke out their health who doe runne in the race of iustice for although we be saued fréely in Christ by faith yet must we walk by the way of iustice vnto our health The Bible note ¶ Runne forward in that race of righteousnesse wherin God hath fréely placed you through Iesus Christ conducteth you his children by his spirit to walke in good workes so make your vocation sure Geneua SALVTE The meaning of these places following SAlute no man by the way ¶ This is spoken after the manner of a figure which men vse when they put downe more in words then is meant vsually among the Hebrues when they cōmaund a thing to be done spéedely without delay As Reg. 4. 29. For otherwise curteous and gentle salutations are pointes of christen duetie as for this calling it was but for a season Beza He willeth that they should dispatch this iourney with diligence not occupieng themselues about other dueties Math. 10. 12. Mar. 6. 10. Geneua When Heliah sent Gehazi his seruaunt to the Sunamite he charged him saieng If thou meete any salute him not and if any salute thée answere him not as though he shuld say Make spéed as nothing may let thée by the way Geneua SAMARITANES Of their opinions THE Samaritanes as Iosephus Antiq. li. 11. cap. vlt. denye the Iewes in aduersitie in prosperitie they call them cosins deriuing their pedigrées from Ioseph Ephraim Manasses c. They onely receiue the fiue bookes of Moses denieng all the prophesies after him They reteine all the Iewish ceremonies except the abhorring of the Gentiles They denie moreouer the resurrection of the dead Epiphan Praefae li. 1. de heraes SAMVEL How these words of Samuel in this place are to be vnderstood HOw can this be true that Samuel sayd to Saule I will not returne with thée and yet he went with him It is to bée vnderstood that Samuel spake it for the time present and not for the time following As our Sauiour Christ in the 7. of Iohn sayth I will not goe vp to the feast yet afterward he went priuely So Samuel intending not at that time to returne with Saul●● but after his minde being chaunged for certeine causes went with Saule Ly●a Of the raising vp of Samuel And Saule perceiued that it was Samuel ¶ To his imagination albeit it was Satan indéed who to blinde his eies toke vpon him the forme of Samuel as he can doe an Angell of light Geneua SANCTA SANCTORVM What the meaning of these words are THis bread and this cup are the holy things of the holy You sée that he saith not onely they are holy things but he addeth beside of the holy As if he would say This bread is not common to all men nor euery vnworthie but it is the bread of the holy How much more may we saye the same of Gods worde This worde is not of men or of euery body but of the holy There S. Chrisostome saith that the Priest was wont to shew forth the bread in the time of the holy mysteries and say Sancta sanctis holy things for the holy And this is the meaning of Sancta sanctorum SANCTIFIE What it is to Sanctifie SAnctifie to cleanse and purifie to appoint a thing to holy vses and to separate from vncleane and vngodly vses Tindale And for their sakes sanctifie I my selfe ¶ To sanctifie is to separate to diuine vses I sanctifie my selfe that is I dye for them that they by my death may bée filled with the spirit of sanctification and may bee made the holye vessels of God by the reuealed spirit of the Gospell Marl. vpon Iohn fol. 568. Sanctifie them with thy truth ¶ To sanctifie is to select and choose out a thing from a prophane vse to the true worshipping of God the faithfull then are by the truth of Gods worde sanctified that is to saye selected and chosen out from the stocke of Adam béeing cleansed by the bloud of Iesus Christ from the filthinesse of this world Christ doth sanctifie himselfe when he offereth himselfe vpon the crosse for vs. Heere we must note that Christ doth in this place pray as a very natural man and not as God Blessed the seauenth day and sanctified it ¶ Sanctifie in this place is as much to say as to dedicate and ordeine a thing to his owne vse As Exo. 13. 2. Tindale The meaning of this place following For both he that sanctifieth and they which are sanctified are all one ¶ That is to saie as well Christ that doth sanctifie as we that are sanctified be all of one Father which is Abraham whose seede Christ tooke vpon him and not Angels that so by offering of his body and shedding of his bloud he might sanctifie vs for euer Sir I. Cheeke ¶ The head and the members are of one nature So Christ which sanctifieth vs and wee that are sanctified are all one by the vnion of our flesh Geneua How our meates are sanctified For it is sanctified by the word of God and praier ¶ We confesse and acknowledge that God is the maker and giuer of these creatures which we vse Secondly that we are of y● number of those who through Christs benefits haue receiued that right ouer all creatures that Adam lost by his fall Thirdly by our praier we craue of the Lord that we may vse those meats with a good conscience which we receiue at his hands Fourthly we make an ende of our eating and drinking with thankes giuing and praier so are our meates sanctified vnto vs. Beza SANCTVARIE Of the praiers made in the Sanctuary MIttat tibi auxilium de sancto de Syon tueatur te The Lord send thée helpe from the Sanctuary and strengthen thée out of Syon ¶ This is a praier for the King and the second verse of the. 20 Psalme And albeit the power of God is as ready and as able to helpe vs calling vnto him in the broade fields or in the wilde woods with seruent faith as if wee make our prayers in the Sanctuary that is the holy place
all congregations of waters the Sea generallye but also because it was of olde time a constant opinion after the storyes that it hath his originall beginning from the Occean Sea Ye may also vnderstand by the drinesse of Nilus that it ouerflowed not the lande contrary to the olde accustomed manner thereof Some had leauer haue this to be figuratiuely applyed As there be certeine waters of the Gospell which the holy Ghost giueth so are there also the troubel●us waters of Aegypt that is of worldly doctrine Therefore when the word of God is ouerheard those waters drye vs. For the holy Ghost reprehendeth the world of sinne and openeth and declareth the works of darknesse In these waters doe Réede and Rush grow that is vaine trifling works such as are the works of hipocrits which after the outward shew and appearance séeme fresh but are within vaine and naught worth ¶ Hee sheweth that the Sea and Nilus their greate riuer whereby they thought themselues most sure shoulde not bée able to defend them from his anger but that he woulde ●●nd the Assirians among them that they should kéepe them vnder as slaues Geneua The meaning of this place following Iesus Christ that came by water and bloud ¶ The water and bloud that came out of his side declare that we hau● our sinnes washed by him he hath made full satisfaction for the same Geneua How water in the Sacrament signifieth the people The people is anexed in the Sacrament through the mixture of water therefore I meru 〈…〉 le much that they are so contentions and will not see that as the water is the people so the wine is Christs body that is to say in a mystery because it representeth Christs bloud as the water doth the people Cipriane ad 〈…〉 Whiles in the Sacrament water is anne●ed with the wine the faythfull people is incorporate ioyned with Christ and is made one with him with a certeine knot of per●●ct charitie ¶ Now whereas he sayth that we are ioyned and incorporate with Christ what fondnesse were it to contend sith we are there onely in a mysterie and not naturallye I. Frith VVAVE OFFERING What it signified ANd waue them for a waue offering ¶ This sort of offering● after the Priest had lif 〈…〉 d vp was moued into euery side of all coasts to signifie that God was Lord of all the earth T●e Bible note This sacrifice the Priest did moue toward the East West North and South Geneua ¶ Waue offering because it was wauen in the Priestes hands to diuerse quarters Tindale VVEDDING GARMENT What the wedding garment is and who be clothed therewith WHich had not on a wedding garment ¶ Many doe in vaine héere contend about the wedding garment whether it be fay ● or an holy and godly lyfe Séeing that fayth can neither be separated from good workes● neither canne good works procéede but from fayth But the onely meaning of our Sauiour Christ was this that we are called of the Lords vpon this condition that we should by the spirit be made lyke vnto him And therefore that wee might continuallye abide in his house wée must put off the olde man with all his pollutions and defiling spottes of sinne and must frame and giue our selues to a newe lyfe that our apparell maye aunswere so honourable a calling They therefore are clothed with this wedding garment which haue put on the Lord Iesus Christ and the new man which after God is shaped in righteousnesse and holynesse and as the wedding garment doth declare the minde to bee ioyfull affected towarde the wedding dinner and to reuerence the same euen so also by this wedding garment there is required that the guest● be such which with ioy with reuerence of the diuine maiestie and with giuing of thankes should obteine and enioy the heauenly benefits Marl. fol 499. ¶ The wedding garment is Christ himselfe whom in Baptime we put on through ●aith where from procéedeth loue and charitie which is the common badge of all true faithfull christians Sir I. Cheeke ¶ They that with their mouthes doe professe the Gospell and the true christian religion and so doe associate and a fellowship them●elues with the church and congregation and bee not inwardly sanctified with the spirit of God be without the bridegromes liu●rie ¶ Faith in Christs bloud maketh the marriage betwéene our soules and Christ and is properly called the marriage garment or the signe Tindale VVEDLOCKE ¶ Looke Marriage VVEAKE AND SICKE The meaning of Saint Paule in this place FOr this cause many are weake and sicke among you ¶ For this cause that is ●or lacke of good examining of our selues many are weake sicke in the faith many asleepe haue lost their faith in Christs bloud for lacke of remembrance of his body breaking bloudshedding not y● only but many are weak and sick euen striken with bodily diseases for abusing the Sacramēt of his body eating the bread with their téeth not his body with their heart minde peraduenture some slaine for it by the stroke of God which if they had truely iudged and examined themselues for what intent they came thether why it was instituted should not haue ben so iudged chastened of the Lord. For the Lord doth chasten to bring vs to repentance and to mortifie our rebellious members that we may remēber him Héere ye may shortly perceiue the minde of Paule Tindale fol. 164. ¶ Looke Examine VVEEKES How the weekes in Daniels prophesie be taken A Wéeke in Daniels prophesie is not taken for a wéeke of dayes but for a wéeke of years so that euery wéeke is counted for seuen yeares And the halfe yeare that he speaketh of is taken for the thrée years an halfe wherin Christ héere in earth stablished his Testament A wéeke is taken for seauen yeares As in Leuit. 25. 8. where the 70. wéekes that Daniel speaketh of are 190 yeares T. M. Then number 7. weeks of yeares ¶ A wéeke is sometimes taken for the number of 7. daies as before 23. 15. sometime for y● number of 7. yeares as heere and in Dan. 9. ver 24. 25. 26. T. M. VVELLES What the welles of the Sauiour are WIth ioy shall ye drawe water out of the welles of the Sauiour ¶ The wells of the Sauiour are the word of God the doctrine of the Gospell and promises of Christ wherewith trembling soules and afflicted consciences are refreshed Out of these saith he that they shal drawe water not out of mens traditions which are but puddles T. M. ¶ The graces of God shall be so abundant that ye may receiue them in as great plentie as waters out of a fountain● that is full Geneua VVENT OVT FROM VS What is meant by this place of Iohn Looke Vs. VVEEPE Causes why we should weepe AVgustine in his 4. Sermon of the first Sundaye in Lent writeth that there bée two
for all that we can doe is gone after him Tertulian sayth The greatest crueltie that ye can deuise is an entisement to our sect how many of vs so eu●r ye murther when ye come to the view ye finde vs moe and moe The séeds of this increase is christian bloud For what man saith he beholding the paineful torments and the perfect patience of them will not search and inquire what is the cause And when hée hath found it out who will not agrée vnto it who will not desire to suffer for it Thus saith he this sect will neuer dye which the more it is cut downe the more it groweth For euery man séeing and wondering at the sufferance of the Saint is moued the more thereby to search the cause in scarching he findeth it and in finding he followeth it S. Austen saith they were scattered they were imprisoned they were beaten they wer ract they wer burnt yet they multiplied Aug. de ciuit li. 12. cap. 6. Nazianzen sayth By death it liueth by wounds it springeth by diminishing it increaseth Nazian in● reditum suum ex agro How the word and flesh be not both of one nature If the word and flesh were both of one nature séeing that the word is euery where why is not the flesh then euery where for when it was in earth then verily it was not in heauen now when it is in heauen it is not surely in earth And it is so sure that it is not in earth that as concerning it we looke for him to come from heauen When as concerning his eternall word we beleeue to be with vs in earth Therefore by your doctrine saith Vigelius vnto Eutiches who defended that the diuinitie and humanitie in Christ was but one nature either the word is conteined in a place with his flesh or else the flesh is euery where with his word For one nature cannot receiue in it selfe two natures and contrary things But these two things be diuerse and farre vnlike that is to say to be conteined in a place and to be euery where Therfore insomuch as the word is euery where and the flesh is not euery wher it appeareth plainely that one Christ himselfe hath in him two natures and that by his diuine nature he is euery where and by his humanitie he is conteined in a place that he is created hath no beginning that he is subiect to death and cannot dye Whereof one he hath by the nature of his word whereby hee is God and the other he hath by the nature of his flesh wherby the same God is made man also Therefore one sonne of God the selfe same was made the sonne of man and hée hath a beginning by the nature of his flesh and no beginning by the nature of his Godhead He is comprehended in a place by the nature of his flesh and not comprehended by the nature of his Godhead He is inferiour to Angells in the nature of his flesh and is equall to his Father in the nature of his Godhead He died by the nature of his flesh died not by the nature of his Godhead This is the faith and catholike confession which the Apostles taught the martirs did co●oborate and faithfull people kéepe vnto this day Cranmer fol. 113. How the word of God ought not onely to be read to the people but also to be expounded vnto them Esdras the Priest brought the lawe the booke of Moses and stóod vpon a Turret of wood that is in the holy Pulpet And Esdras opened ye. booke before the congregation of men womē and whosoeuer else had any vnderstanding And the Leuites stood with him so that he read out of the booke and the Leuites instructed the people in the lawe and the people stood in their place and they read in the booke of the lawe distinctly expounding the sense causing them to vnderstand the reading Héere it appeareth that the lawfull and holy ministers of the church of God did not onely read the word of God but also expound it And this our Sauiour Christ practised himselfe when he entered into the Sinagogue at Nazareth expounded a certeine place out of the. 61. Chapter of Esay And also after his rising from death he appeared to the two Disciples which went to Emaus expounding to them whatsoeuer was written of him in the Scriptures which example in expounding the word of God all the Apostles followed c. Bullinger fo 24. VVORKES How the deeds and works of the lawe iustifie not BY the déeds of the law shall no flesh be iustified ¶ God in his lawe doth not onely require of vs outward righteousnesse but also an inward perfection that is to say we are not onely bound to fulfil the works of the law outwardly in our liuings but also inwardly in our hearts to be most sincere to loue entirely aboue all things and our neighbour as our selfe But our nature is so corrupted that no man liuing is able to do the same wherefore no man can be iustified by the works of the lawe Sir I. Cheeke ¶ He meaneth the lawe either written or vnwritten which commandeth or forbiddeth any thing whose works cannot iustifie because we cannot performe them Geneua ¶ He includeth heere the whole law both the ceremonial mor●all whose works cānot iustify because they be imperfect in all men The Bible note No man is iustified by the déeds of the lawe but by y● faith of Iesus Christ. ¶ This S. Paule proueth by the words of the Prophet Abacucke 2. 4. A righteous man liueth by faith If he liue by any part of workes then liueth he not by fayth but partly by works and then were Saint Paules probation vnperfect which cannot be With this agréeth Athanasius prouing that fayth alonely hath the vertue in him to iustifie before God Before man peraduenture they may saith he be reckoned righteous that sticke to the lawe but not before God D. Barnes Good workes make not men righteous but followeth him that beléeueth and is already become righteous in Christ. Like as good fruite maketh not a trée to be good but a trée is knowne to be good by the good fruite of it Beza Ye see then how that of déeds a man is iustified and not of faith onely ¶ When we reade in S. Paule that we are iustified through fayth without the workes of the lawe it is to bée vnderstood that through faith whereby we take holde of the mercy of God so plentifully declared vnto vs in our Sauiour Iesus Christ we are without any demerites or deseruings of ours counted iust and righteous before God so that our sinnes shall be no more imputed vnto vs. Héere in Saint Iames to be iustified is to be declared righteous before men and that by good workes which are infallible witnesses of the true iustifieng fayth and therefore he sayth Shew me thy fayth by thy déedes Againe he bringeth the example
of Abraham of whom it is written 30. yeares before he offered his sonne Isaac Abraham beléeued it was reckoned vnto him for righteousnesse Gen. 15. 6. wherby we doe euidently sée that Saint Iames meaning is that Abrahams fayth was no idle fayth but such faith as made him obedient to God which thing he did well declare when he did so willingly offer his sonne at Gods commaundement All that S. Iames goeth about then is to proue that faith cannot be without good works And as by fayth onely we are iustified before God so by good workes procéeding from a liuely fayth wée are iustified before men Heere wée learne also that where no good workes be there is no true iustifieng fayth but a lyght vnprofitable beléeue such as is in diuels and yet we must beware that we ascribe no parte of our iustification before God vnto our good works Sir I. Cheeke Ther can be no good work reckoned to be in any man but in him alone whose sinnes God hath forgiuen Forasmuch as our best déeds are lame and corrupt Therefore they are héere called the doers of good works whom Paule calleth zelous and louers of good works But this estimation and iudgement dependeth vpon the fatherly clemency and acceptation of our God who alloweth that freely for good which deserueth to be reiected as euill and vnperfect c. Marl. fol. 170. Indéede works doe iustifie taking iustifie to be to declare iust Euen as white haires do make a man olde because they be a signe of age But works doe this before men not before God Nor they cannot take hold of forgiuenesse of sins deliuerance from their deserued condemnation For then it should be false that the Apostle saith we be iustified fréely by his grace for to him that worketh the reward is imputed vnto him for a duety and not vpon grace and fauour Wherfore the errours of those men is too grose to deceiue any of them which hath looked ouer the holy Scriptures neuer so slightly Nor it doth not agrée with the sense neither when they will haue iustifie to be as much as to make iust For works doe not go before him that is to bée iustified ●but doe followe him which is alreadye iustified witnesse Augustine and workes doe come of grace and not grace of workes witnesse the same Augustine de fide opere cap. 14. Musculus fol. 227. Of workes done before faith Saint Austen condemneth all our good workes before faith as vaine and nothing worth Read him In probo Psal. 31. That worketh not how it is vnderstood To him that worketh not but beleeueth ¶ That dependeth not on his workes neither thinketh to merit by them Gene. That is which meaneth not to obteine saluation through the worthinesse of his works The Bible note How workes are not the causes of felicitie Works indeed are to be had but not as causes wherfore Christ admonished vs saieng When ye haue done al these things say we are vnprofitable seruants we haue done but the thing which we ought to doe Neither passe we any thing vpon their caueling which say y● therfore we are vnprofitable seruāts because our good works being no cōmodity vnto God forasmuch as God néedeth none of our good works but say they it cānot be denied but y● we are by good works profitable vnto our selues Wée graunt indéed that it is profitable vnto vs to liue well But that vtilitie is not to be attributed vnto our workes that they should be the causes of our blessednesse to come Wee haue nothing in vs whereby we can make God obstruct or bound vnto vs. For whatsoeuer we doe the same doe we wholy owe vnto God and a great deale more then we are able to performe Wherfore as Christ admonisheth The Lord giueth not thanks vnto his seruant when he hath done his duetie And if the seruant by wel doing cannot binde his Lord to giue him thanks how shal he binde him to render vnto him great rewards Pet. Mar. vpon the Rom. fol. 29. Of workes loue and faith Works are the outward righteousnesse before the world may be called the righteousnesse of the members and spring of inward loue Loue is the righteousnesse of the hart springeth of faith Faith is the trust in Christs bloud and is the gift of God Ephe. 2. 8. Tindale How our good workes are the workes of God Although it be written that God will render to euery man according to his works yet is y● so to be vnderstood y● if they be good works they are for none other cause caled any mās works but for that they are wrought in him namely by the power of the spirit of God whereby they are in very déede the workes of God S. Austen most truely saith that God crowneth in vs his owne gifts for as touching vs we deserue nothing but death Pet. Mar. vpon the Rom. fol. 367. How we deserue nothing by our good workes Wo be to all our iustice saith S. Austen if it be iudged setting mercy a part Therefore this is a christen sentence worthy to be beaten in al mens heads Let not thy left hand know what the right hand doth Let our right hand worke those things which be good and pleasant vnto God And in the meane season let our heartes depend vpon the grace of Gods goodnesse onely not thy left hand write into thy kalender those things which be somewhat well done by the right hand Let the note of our owne good works be in Gods hand not in our owne Whatsoeuer he doth reward vs either in this life either in the life to come let vs thanke his grace for it and not our deserts Musculus fol. 234. Of the vnablenesse of our workes If the séeking of righteousnesse and forgiuenesse of sinnes by the kéeping of the law which God gaue vpon mount Sinai with so great glory and maiestie by the denyeng of Christ of his grace what shall we say to those y● will néeds iustifie themselues afore God by their owne laws and obseruances I wold wish that such folks should a little compare the one with the other and afterward giue iudgement themselues God minded not to do that honour nor to giue that glorye vnto his owne law yet they wil haue him to giue it to mens laws ordināces But that honour is giuen onely to his onely begotten son who alone by the sacrifice of his death passion hath made ful amends for all our sinnes past present and to come as saith S. Paule Heb. 7. 25. The meaning of this place following Work out your own saluatiō with fere trembling ¶ S. Paul saith we must work out our saluation with feare trembling But this feare riseth in consideration of our weaknesse and vnworthinesse not of any distrust or doubt in Gods mercy but rather the lesse cause we haue to trust in our selues the mor● cause we haue to trust in God Iewel fol. 76.
that Paule was the seruant of Iesus Christ onelie and so not the seruant of God the Father nor of the Holie Ghost Or these wordes that Paule spake vnto the Kéeper Beléeue in the Lord Iesu doe discharge him from beleeuing in the other two persons of the holie Trinitie Of the Baptime of Infants Note héere that the Fathers made a league with God not onelie for themselues but also for their posteritie as God againe for his part promised them that he would be the God not onelie of them but also of their séede and post eritie wherefore it was lawfull for them to circumcise their children béeing yet Infants And in like manner it is lawfull for vs to baptise our little ones being yet Infants forasmuch also as they are comprehended in the league For they which haue now the thing it selfe there is nothing that can let but that they maie receiue the signe It is manifestlie written in the. 29. Chapter of Deu. That the league was made not onelie with them which was present but also with them which was absent and not yet borne Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 75. Concerning young children because their faith is vnknowen to vs it is requisite that they be partakers of y● fruites of the sacraments and it is not verie likelie that they haue faith because they haue not the vse of vnderstanding except God doe worke in them extraordinarilie the which appeareth not to vs● neuerthelesse we cease not to communicate to them Baptime First forasmuch as there is now the same cause in Baptime which was sometime in Circumcision which is called by Saint Paule the seale of righteousnesse which is by faith and also by expresse commaundement of God the male children were marked the eight daie Secondlie there is a speciall regard to be had to the Infants of the faithfull For although they haue not faith in effect such as those haue that be of age yet so it is that they haue the séede and the spring in vertue of the promise which was receiued and apprehended by the Elders For God promiseth not vs onelie to be our God if we beleeue in him but also that he will be the God of our ofspring and séed yea vnto a thousand degrees that is to the last end Therfore said Saint Paule that the children of the faithful be sanctified from their mothers wombe By what right or title then doe they refuse to giue them the marke ratification of that thing which they haue possesse alreadie And if they alleadge yet further that although they come of faithful Elders or parents it followeth not y● they be of the number of the elect by consequent they be sanctified For God hath not chosen all the children of Abraham and Isaac The aunswere is easie to be made that it is true all those be not of the kingdome of God which be borne of faithfull parents but of good right we leaue this secret to GOD for to iudge which onelie knoweth it yet notwithstanding wée presume ●●stlie to be the children of God all those which be issued descended from faithfull parents according to the promise Forasmuch as it appeareth not to vs the contrarie According to the same we baptise the young children of the faithful as they haue vsed and done from the Apostles time in the Church of God we doubt not but God by this marke ioined with the praiers of the church which is their assistaunt doth seale the adoption election in those which he hath predestmate eternallie whether they die before they come to age of discretion or whether they liue to bring foorth the fruites of their faith in due time and according to the meanes which God hath ordeined Beza The place alleadged of the An●baptists is in the Actes where the Eunuche was not permitted to be baptised before confession made of his faith ¶ The aunswere is made thus that that was done to the Eunuche must not be drawen to the Infants of Christians rashlie to kéepe them from Baptime which onelie is to be obserued in stra●ngers to religion those that are of full age For we affirme that such as are strangers from the Church of Christ as sometimes were the Iewes and Gentiles and as are at this daie the Iewes and Turkes and other such like ought not to be baptised vntill they haue made profession of their faith But the reason of Infants borne of Christians is of a farre other sort and case for they are accounted among the children and household of the Church by reason of the lawe of Couenaunt They be holie and Christ commaundeth them to be brought vnto him It is manifest they please God because their Angels alwaies sée the face of the father And although our capacitie cannot conceiue their state and condition yet Christ testifieth they haue faith and that they haue the Holie Ghost the examples of Iohn Baptist and others teach vs. Gualter fol. 385. How baptime is no baptime but to the childe Christ bidde the Church to baptise in the name of the Father the Sonne and the holie Ghost If a Priest saie these words ouer the water and there be no child to be baptised these words onelie pronounced doe not make Baptime And againe Baptime is onelie Baptime to such as be baptised and not to anie other standing by As Baptime is no Baptime but to the childe that is baptised and not to the standers by so the Sacrament of the bodie is no Sacrament but to them that worthelie receiue Whereas Saint Austen saith that Infants are baptised In Fide Susceptorum in the faith of their Godfathers yet in so saieng hée meaneth of the faith of Christ which the Godfathers doe or ought to beléeue and none otherwise Iohn Philpot in the booke of Martirs Significations of baptime As the people of God in the time of Iosua were conueied through the water of Iordane into the Land of promise following the Arke of God which the Priest bare before them euen so are all we that beléeue in Christ conueied out of the Kingdome of Satan into the Kingdome of God by Baptime following our Arke Christ which is gone before vs. The passing of Helias through the water of Iordane and so lifte vp into Heauen doth signifie in a shadow to vs that our passage into Heauen should be made by Baptime The cleansing of Naaman the Sirian in the Water of Iordane from the filthie Leprosie at the commaundement of Helias doth prefigure vnto vs the spirituall cleansing from sinnes to be made by Baptime through the inwarde working of the holie Spirit That Baptime should be a figure of Christs death buriall and resurrection is proued by that he termed his passion by the name of Baptime when he aunswered the children of Zebedy on this wise Can ye be baptised with the Baptime that I am baptised withall Hemmyng Considerations of baptime We must be fullie resolued that
5. 1. Marl. vpon the Apocalips fol 53. ¶ My minde is to yoke you with no other lawe nor to burden you with anie other traditions then I haue alredie giuen you neither with ceremonies rites nor auncient customes in the obseruation of daies moneths times nor yeares in holie daies fastings vigils nor Sabotes for they were but shadowes of things to come Bale vpon the Apoc. fol. 40. The meaning of this place following What is the burden of the Lord. The Prophets called their threatnings Gods burden which the sinners were not able to susteine Therefore the wicked in deriding the word would aske of the Prophets what was the burden as though they would saye you séeke nothing els but to lay burdens vpon our shoulders And thus they reiected the word of God as a burden But bicause this word was brought to contempt and derision he will saith the Prophet teach them another manner of speach and will cause this word burden to cease and teach them to aske with reuerence what saith the Lord. For the thing that they mocke and contemne shall come vpon them Geneua ¶ The wicked mens hearts were so hardened against 〈…〉 truth that they vsed scornefullie to scosfe at Gods threatening prophestes in mocking calling them Gods fardle or burden The Bible note Of the burden of Babel The burden of Babel which Esaie the sonne of Amos did sée ¶ That is the great calamitie which was prophesied to come on Babel as a most gréeuous burden which they were not able to beare In these twelue Chapters following he speaketh of the plague wherwith God would smite those straunge nations whom they knew to declare that God chastened the Israelites as his children and these other as his enimies And also that if God spared not these that are ignoraunt that they must not think straunge if he punish them which haue knowledge of his lawe and kéepe it not Geneua BVRIAL How Buriall is a looking glasse of resurrection BUriall was brought in by God It is no inuention of man without good ground but it is Gods ordinaunce to the end it should be a witnesse to vs of the resurrection and euerlasting life When men be buried they are laid vp in the earth as in a store house vntill they be raised vp againe at the last daie and so our buriall is vnto vs a loking glasse of the resurrection Caluine vpon Iob. fol. 472. The Pompe of buriall forbidden But when thou doest heare saith Chrisostome that our Lord did rise againe naked cease I praie thée from the madde expence of the burieng what meaneth this superfluous and vnprofitable expence which vnto them that make it bringeth hurt and no profite to the dead but rather harme What the Greekes and Hebures doe call their buring places The Gréekes doe call their burieng places Cam●tereum that is to saie a Dorter or sléeping place signifieng thereby that we ought to be as sure or rather more sure that they that be buried shall be raised againe at the last daie of the generall resurrection then we are sure to rise againe when we lay our selues downe to sléepe and that therefore we ought no more to 〈…〉 be w●ese 〈…〉 out friends when wée sée anie of them to be laide into the ground then wée ought to be sori● when we sée them goe to ●edde and laie themselues downe to take their rest béeing most assured by the vndouted infallible word of God that we shall receiue them againe immortall and most gloriou●● The Hebrues doe call their burieng placed o● the 〈…〉 〈…〉 the liuing because that they that be buried 〈…〉 God and shall be receiued againe by his 〈…〉 I. Veron What 〈…〉 is to be buried with Christ. 〈…〉 buried with Christ 〈…〉 Bap●●●e in to his death that like as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorie of the Father so wée also should walke in newnesse of life ¶ This partaking of death and life with Christ is nothing els but the mortifieng of our owne flesh the quickening of the spirit in that the olde man is crucified and we may walke in newnesse of life Cal●ehill Of the Burial of Iohn Baptist. ¶ Looke Iohn Baptist. BVRNE What it is to Burne IT is is better to marrie then to burne ¶ To burne after Saint Ambrose is when the will consenteth to the lust of the flesh Tindale ¶ Then to burne with the fire of concupisence that is when mans will so giueth place to the lust that tempteth that he cannot call vpon God with a quiet conscience Geneua What these burning lights doe signifie And your lights burning ¶ These burning lightes that Christ willeth us to haue in our handes are a liuelie faith working through charitie The works of the Christians ought to be liuelie feruent and burning Sir I. Cheeke Of burnt offerings and peace offerings They offered burnt offerings and peace offerings ¶ Burnt offerings were they which were all burnt but of peace offerings a certeine part was offered an other part was giuen vnto the Priest an other part returned vnto him which offered it to eate it with his friends in the sight of the Lord. Pet Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 271. Whie it was called a whole burnt offering And offered a whole burnt offering● ¶ It is called a whole burnt offering because the whole sacrifice was consumed with fire by the which is signified that the person which did offer the same should haue his heart and minde wholie vppon God as it is written Loue thy God with all thy heart with all thy soule c. The Bible note How the Christians doe offer burnt 〈…〉 Although that the burnt offering of 〈…〉 〈…〉 Sheepe of Calues and Birdes offered in the olde lawe be abolished by the glorie of Christ whose death and passion they did ad●●brate a● S. Paule witnesseth Heb. 10. Shall we thinke there● fore that we now which be Christians haue not burnt 〈…〉 fice to offer vnto God yes m● then they had For so often as we doe preach or the king or anie other godlie man doth cause or helpe Christs Gospell to be purelie and sincerelie preached to the people so oft doe we offer a burnt sacrifice of swéete sauour vnto God a sacrifice that pleaseth God farre aboue the offering of a young fat calfe that hath hornes and houes● This is that swéete sacrifice whereof Malachie the Prophet doth speake in the first Chapter saieng From the rising of the Sunne to the going downe of the same great is my name among the Gentiles and in euerie place shall sacrifice be made and offering set vp to my name This sacrifice and burnt offering is not the sacrifice of the wicked Masse but it is the sacrifice of the preaching of Christes death and the meritas of hi●●sion● We doe also offer burnt sacrifices vnto the Lord when we doe offer our selues our hearts our mindes and all 〈…〉 dilie members to the true seruing of God in
were as white as Snowe and with him was seene Moses and Helias talking with him Et ecce nubes lucida obumbrauit ●os And behold a cléere Cloud did shadow them and close them in and out of the Cloud was heard a voice saieng Hic est filius meus dilectus in quo mihi bene complacui ipsum audite This is my beloued Sonne for whose sake I am pleased and pacified toward all them that beléeue in him and will hearken vnto his doctrine ipsum audite heare him Furthermore in the first chapter of the Actes of the Apostles we read that a Cloud compassed and closed in the bodie of our Sauiour Iesus ascending vp into heauen and so tooke him out of the sight of the Apostles Thus by these manifest places of Scriptures conferred together ye see euidentlie the wordes of the Prophet put in practise when he saith The Lorde hath made the darkenesse his secret closet and the Cloudes of the aire his Tabernacle to compasse him round about Ric. Turnar How the Cloudes are called Gods pauilions and Chariots The Cloudes and all the cope of heauen are tearmed Gods Pauilions or Tents And diuers times it is said that y● Clouds are his Chariots namelie because he guideth them and maketh them to goe forward or els doth as it were walke vpon them to make his triumphs Thus you sée how God is presented vnto vs as a Prince in that he vseth the Heauens as his Palaice and his maiestie sheweth it selfe there Againe the Clouds are as ye would saie the pillers of his pauilion to the end we shuld be the more moued to consider the royall workmanship Then séeing it is so let vs learne to yéeld God that which is his owne and let not his glorie be lefaced through our vnthankfulnesse Cal. vpon Iob. 672. COCKATRICE EGGES The meaning of the place following THey breede Cockatrice Egges and weaue the Spiders web ¶ To bréede Cockatrice Egges is to go about that which is mischieuous and wicked to weaue the spiders web is to go about vaine and trifling things which are of no value although they séeme neuer so excellent vnto the doers T. M. ¶ Whatsoeuer commeth from them is poyson and bringeth death Geneua COLDE What it is to be colde I Would thou wert either hotte or colde ¶ In some mens opinion to be colde is as much as to be vtterlie void of faith and to be hot is to persist stedfastlie and stoutlie in faith that is workfull by loue and to be luke warme is nothing els but to be a counterfetter and dissembler that is to saie to be hot and faithfull to outward appearaunce inwardly to be void of faith Marl. vpon the Apoc. fol. 67. I know by thy works that thou art neither hot nor cold c. ¶ Thy works are euidentlie open before me saith the Lord I knowe them in their kinde I sée thou art neither cold nor hot thou art neither a full Infidel nor a full beléeuer neither a perfect Pagan nor a perfect Christian thou art neither constant in thy faith nor yet all without faith Outwardlie thou art hot but within thou art cold as y●e Inwardlie thou abhorrest the word of God yet dost thou not outwardlie condemne it I wold thou wert either cold or hot either a Christian or none at all either a perfect louer of the veritie or els a ful hater of it not a dissembling Hypocrite as thou art iudging euill good and good euill calling darknesse light light darknesse making sower swéete and swéete sower allowing fables and lies and contemning the wisedome of God None is so farre from the kingdome of heauen as is a false Christian. Much sooner is he conuerted to the truth that is all colde or all without faith then he that vnder the colour and pretence of Gods lawes maintaineth errors and lies Forsomuch therefore as I finde thee betwéene both neither of both halfe colde halfe hot and neither fullie cold nor hot neither faithfullie giuen to Gods word nor all whole with out it but a false and glosing hyporrite I will begin to vomit thée as a morsell out of season spew thée out of my mouth as a thing out of kinde Thou shalt not be digested Neither shall my word allow thee nor my promise admit thée to rest with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the kingdome of heauen But thou shalt be throwen forth into exterior darknes wheras shal be wéeping gnas●●ng of téeth I will cast thee out detest thee abhorre thee For much worse are they that abuse or despise y● gift of God then they which neuer receiued it c. Bale vpon the Apoc. COALES OF FIRE What the meaning of S. Paule is in this place FOr in so doing thou shalt heape hot coales of fire vppon his head ¶ This place maie be vnderstood two manner of waies either that our gentle kindnesse towards our enimie shal be vnto him a cause of great damnation and so by the coales we shall vnderstand the vengeaunce of God or that our enimie being ouercome by our gentlenesse and as a man might saie being kindeled with loue might repent and become our friend Sir I. Cheeke ¶ Either thou shalt wound him with thy benefit or els his conscience shall beare him witnesse that Gods burning wrath hangeth ouer him Geneua ¶ Thou shalt as it were by force ouercome him insomuch that his owne conscience shall moue him to acknowledge thy benefites and his heart shall be inflamed Geneua ¶ After this sort doth Salomon point out the wrath of God that hangeth ouer a man Beza COMFORTLES The meaning of this place of Iohn I Will not leaue you comfortlesse ¶ Some vnderstande this of the returne of Christ vnto his Disciples after his Resurrection But other some a great deale better referre the same vnto the comming of the holie Ghast As if Christ should haue said ye shall thinke when I am gone from you in my bodelie presence that you are Orphants without a Father but if you consider the matter well I will neuer leaue you For I will come vnto you with the spirit of consolation which shall helpe you with fatherlie affection in all aduersities So beneficiall shall my departure be vnto you so great profite shall my death bring vnto you Marl. COMMAVNDEMENTS OF GOD. How they be impossible for man to fulfill IF thou wilt enter into life keepe the Commaundements ¶ Remember that when God commaundeth vs to do anie thing he doth it not therefore because that we of our selues can doe that he commaundeth but that by the Lawe we might sée and know our horrible damnacion and captiuitie vnder sinne and therefore should repent and come to Christ receiue mercie and the spirit of God to loose vs strength vs and to make vs able to doe Gods will which is the Lawe Now when he saith if thou wilt enter into life kéepe the Commaundements is as much to
healing that a man maie be saued by another mans faith for this man was healed by the faith of the men and not by his owne because he could not heare for faith commeth by hearing To this it maie be said there is a difference betwéene corporall benefites and euerlasting saluation But no mans faith can stand in steed for another touching saluation Now Christ loosed the tongue of the deafe and then being called vpon of him hée gaue him faith and so the dumbe man was healed by his owne faith DENIENG OF GOD. How and when men doe denie God ANd denie God which is the onelie Lord c. ¶ Men truly denie God when they ascribe their iustification or forgiuenesse of sinnes to anie creature or to anie worke by the might and power of the worke to anie Indulgence or Pardon to Masses to holie Bread to kissing of Images and such like and not to Christ Iesus and to his bloud shed for vs to obtaine vs remission of sinnes by whose bloud onelie we were washed from ●ur sinnes as S. Iohn saith Apoc. 1. 5. He hath washed vs in his owne bloud from our sinnes They denie the Lord which ascribe remission of sinnes to anie other thing then vnto Christ and his bloud which thing false Prophettes doth denieng their Master Bibliander DEEPE What the Deepe signifieth OUt of the Déepe call I vnto thée O Lord c. ¶ By the Déepe is vnderstood the aduersitie wherein the people of Israel was when they were scattered among the Chaldes Unto vs christen it signifieth the aduersitie trouble miserie which hapneth to vs for our offences and sinnes T. M. DESPERATION What an offence Desperation is SAint Hierom affirmeth the offence of Iudas to be greater in dispairing of the mercie of God then in betraieng Christ. And that Cain stirred God more to anger through desperation of pardon then by the slaughter of his brothers bloud Manie which haue persecuted Christ being conuerted beléeuing in him haue obtained pardon and are made examples to man that he ought not to distrust the remission of his wickednes seing the death of our sauiour is forgiuen to the penitent Let no man dispaire of Gods mercie and goodnesse Let him that is weake and cannot do that he would faine doe not dispaire but turne to him that is strong and hath promised to giue strength to all that aske of him in Christs name and complaine to God and desire him to fulfill his promise to God cominit himselfe And he shall of his mercie and truth strengthen him and make him féele with what loue he is beloued for Christs sake though he be neuer so weake Tindale The meanes to keepe vs from Despaire in time of afflictions To knowe Gods righteousnesse and to be fullie perswaded of it is a meane to bring vs to patience Howbeit that wée must match another Article with it that is to wit wée must alwaies thinke that GOD in afflicting vs doth not cease to loue vs yea that he will procure our saluation what rigour soeuer he vse towards vs so as all our afflictions shall bee asswaged through his grace and he will giue them a gladsome ende Caluine vpon Iob. fol. 139. DESTINIE SAint Augustine in Opusculo 82. questionum quest 45. Confuting soundlie the destinies of Planets among other his reasons saith The conceiuing of Twinnes in the mothers wombe because it is made in one and the same act as the Phisitians testifie whose discipline is farre more certaine and manifest then that of the Astrologers doth happen in so small a moment of time that ther is not so much time as two minutes of a minute betwixt the conceiuing of the one and the other How therefore commeth it that in Twinnes of one burden there is so great a diuersitie of déedes wills and chaunces considering that they of necessitie must needes haue one the same Planet in their conception and that the Mathematicalls doe giue the constellation of them both as it it were but of one man To these wordes of Saint Augustine saith Bullinger great light maie be aded if you annexe to them and examine narrowlie the example of Esau and Iacobs birth and sundrie dispositions The same Augustine writing to Boniface against two Epistles of the Pel●gians li. 2. cap. 6. saith They which affirme that Destinie doth rule will haue not onelie our déedes and euents but also our verie wills to depend vpon the placing of the starres as the time wherein euerie man is either conceiued or borne which placing they are wont to call Constellations but the grace of God doth not onelie goe aboue all starres and heauens but also aboue the verie Angells themselues Bullinger fol. 480. ¶ Looke Astrologie Fortune Chaunce DESTROIE NOT. The meaning of this place DEstroie not ¶ Or thou shalt not destroie or make awaie as some will By this he signifieth after the mind of Kimhi that he twice withstood and stilled his Souldiers which moued him to destroie and kill Saule Ezra thinketh it to be a certaine tune and manner of singing T. M. DEATH What Death is by the minde of Secundus the Philosopher WHen Adrian the Emperour had heard Secundus the Philosopher in the seuerall Oration he made of a noble Romane Matron a kinswoman of the Emperours he asked of him what death was to whom the philosopher answered thus Death is an eternall sléepe a dissolution of the bodie a terror of the rich a desire of y● poore a thing inheritable a pilgrimage vncertaine a théefe of man a kinde of sléeping a seperation of the liuing a companie of the dead a resolution of all a rest of trauailes an end of all idle desires Finallie death is y● scourge of all euill and the chiefe reward of the good ¶ We call death the loosing asunder and departing of two things the soule from the bodie y● which departing no man can escape but necessarilie die all we must that be borne in this world When the bodie by anie violence looseth his senses is spoiled from the quicke vse of his principall parts the●● departeth the soule from him in manner the bodie leaueth y● soule before the soule leaueth the bodie For it is not y● soule by himselfe y● goeth from the bodie but it is the bodie by himselfe sorsaking life that causeth the soule to depart c. Lupset How the Diuell hath power of Death The Diuell hath y● power of death that is ●he is the authour of it by his malitious nature he brought it into the worlde for God made it not nor hath anie delight in it neither is it good in his eies nor was neuer mentioned among y● works of his hands but from the Diuell and of the Diuell and in the Diuell it began and is and videth And therfore in the Apocalips his name is giuen him Abaddon that is the destroier and as death is of him so for this cause also he is said to haue the power of it
husband or wife doe violate the promise of the bed the chast wife maie forsake her husband if he bee a fornicatour as wel as the husband maie put awaie his wife if shée haue plaied the whoore Marl. fol. 420. It is said whosoeuer putteth awaie his wife lette him giue her a letter of diuorcement ¶ These words doe perteine to the lawe of eschewing adulterie and doe teach that truelie and vndefiledly we ought to keepe the faith of wedlocke For euen as the Iewes thought that they behaued themselues falsely and amisse before God if they kéepe not the lawe after a politike order Euen so againe whatsoeuer the politike or morall lawe did not prohibite they fondlie imagined that it was at their plesure Moses in respect of the externall order did not forbidde the diuorsements with their wiues which wer wōt to be obserued but onelie to take awaie the occasion of lust for it was a certeine testimonie of man●mission of frée libertie that euer after the woman might be frée from the bondage and power of the man and also the man by the same did acknowledge and confesse that he did not put awaie his wife for anie crime or fault but because the did not please him Marl. fol. 101. How the Bill of diuorcement was made Some write that the Bill of Diuorcement mencioned in the fift of Mathewe was made after this forme following as should appeare by a copie taken out of the lawe of the Hebrues This Bill made the 29. daie of Iune in the yeare of the creation of the world 5030. witnesseth that I H. K. the sonne of W. K. dwelling in the citie of London haue well aduised my self no man constraining me and haue dimist and set at libertie and left thée A. K. to thy self which hast bene héeretofore my wife and nowe hauing dimist thée and set thée frée I giue the leaue to do what thou wilt to go and giue thy selfe to wife to whom so euer it shal please thée In witnes wherof I giue vnto thée this Bill of diuorcement dimissorie Epistle beeing an instrument of libertie according to y● law of Moses Marl. fol. 102. Whie the Iewes were suffered to be diuorced The Iewes were suffered by the lawe for their weaknesse sake to be diuorced from their wiues giuing them a Testimoniall in their hands to auoide a further inconuenience y● was least when they were moued or angrie with them they would either haue poisoned or killed them The meaning of these places following Whosoeuer marrieth her that is put awaie from her husband committeth adulterie ¶ They that gather by this place that a man cannot be married againe after he hath putte awaie his wife for adulterie while she liueth reson fondlie For Christ speaketh of these diuorses which the Iewes vsed of which sort we cannot take the diuorcement for adulterie for adulterers were put to death by the lawe Let not man therefore put a sunder that which God hath coupled together ¶ He that putteth awaie his wife for adulterie or fornication doth not put asunder that which God hath coupled for it is GOD himselfe which commaundeth such to be stoned to death that doth separate them Where is the Bill of your mothers diuorcement c. God was not the cause whie the congregation of the Iewes which is vnderstood by mother was once his spouse was diuorsed forsaken but their owne offence diuorsed them was the cause whie they were sold to the vsurer c giuen ouer into the hands of the Gentiles or heathen and sparkled among the Medians Persians Babilonians Grecians and Romane●s T. M. DOO Whatsoeuer God willeth to doe is well done THou shalt not doe that which is good in thine owne eies but doe that onelie which I commaund thee ¶ Upon this place Saint Iohn Chrisostome in his Oration against the Iewes saith thus Of a truth that which is done according to the will of God although it seeme to be wicked yet it is altogether pleasant and acceptable before God Contrariwise whatsoeuer is done beside the word of GOD and otherwise then he wil haue it done though it be as a thing acceptable to God yet it is of all other the worst and most wicked D. Wilson in his booke against vsurie fol. 182. How the doers of the lawe are iustified For before God they are not righteous which heare the lawe but the doers of the lawe shall be iustified ¶ That is shall be pronounced iust and righteous This sentence is onely spoken to the rebuke of the Iewes setting no small store by themselues in that behalfe of the lawe which yet they kept not This thing laieth Paule to their charge on this wise It is not inough for thée O thou Iewe to heare the law onelie to be a professour therof and a leaner vnto it but if thou wilt needs be iustified and made righteous in the sight of God by the law as thou so greatlie crakest then must thou kéepe the lawe not onelie heare it now that doest thou not out art guiltie of the breaking of it and therefore must thou haue an other waie to become righteous in the sight of God then by the keeping of the lawe which is as this whole Epistle doth after and before plainlie proue faith that fastlie beleeueth sinnes to be forgiuen fréelie by Christ not for our workes or deseruinges no not whē we haue done the best y● we can And to this purpose doth Saint Ambrose writing on this selfe text expound Paule saieng Not they are righteous which heare the lawe but which beléeue in Christ whome the lawe promised affirming plainlie that to beléeue in him is to doe the lawe Tindale The Apostle in this place goeth about to rifell the foolishnesse of the Iewes which supposed that the hearing and vnderstanding of the lawe was sufficient to the accomplishing of the same although they in no part fulfilled it which Saint Paule héere confuteth as though he would saie vnto them You bragge that you are iustified by the lawe where in no part ye doe fulfill the lawe but bragging of a little superficiall vnderstanding of the lawe perswade your selues straight that you doe fulfill the lawe as though the accomplishing of the lawe consisted in knowledge and vnder standing and not in fulfilling but heerein you are deceiued for not the heares but the dooers of the law are instified And because none fullie accomplisheth the law so absolutelie as Gods iustice requireth therefore our iustification commeth not by the lawe where of the Iewes brag●●d Rom. 10. and therefore in the same Chapter the Apostle concludeth thus Nam perfecto c. for Christ is the fulfilling of the law to iustifie all that beleeue ● Gough So that ye bee dooers of the worde and not hearers onelye deceiuing your selues For if 〈…〉 h●are the worde and declareth not the same by his workes he is like vnto a man● beholding his bodilie face in a glasse and so
holy Ghost y● saluation is laid vp in store for vs because God forgiueth sins he himselfe giueth merits and he himselfe giueth rewards that we may not ●aie still in this beginning Cal. in his Insti 3. b. chap. 2. Sect. 4. From faith to faith what it is For by it the righteousnesse of God is knowne from faith to faith ¶ From faith to faith y● is from an vnperfect faith to a perfect faith from a weake faith to a strong faith or from one battel of faith to an other For as we haue escaped one ieoperdie through faith an other inuadeth vs through which we must wade by the helpe of faith also Tindale How the faith that saued the olde fathers shall saue vs. Looke Abraham How Faith is a worke Faith is a worke therefore will some saie we be iustified by works but y● answere of the which so say auaileth not because loue also other vertues be the works of God yet are we not iustified by them The maior is not so to be vnderstood we be not iustified by faith because it is a worke or qualitie in vs but because it leaneth vpon mercie receiueth mercie And this saieng we be iustified with faith must be vnderstoode by the waie of a comparison that is to saye by mercie we bée pronounced iust but it must bée receiued with faith Although then faith be a worke or new qualitie in vs yet we bée not iustified by the worthinesse thereof for this faith is as yet vnperfect like as other vertues be but we be iustified by that thing wherevpon faith leaneth and the which faith receiueth that is to saye for Christs sake Out of a booke called the Summe of Diuinitie Of Faith before workes ¶ Looke Cornelius How Faith is perfect Faith is perfect when it receiueth and taketh holde of Christ perfect And yet it hath néede of increasement to the intent it maie become full in all his partes The man that saide Lorde I beléeue had perfect faith and yet was it great●●e increased afterward Likewise Peter had a perfect faith when he saide Lorde whether shall I goe c. Which faith of Peter was much more increased after he had receiued the holie Ghost at Whitsontide c. How Faith ouercommeth the world Faith is not an idle assent or thought but it is a stoute Gyaunt which as Saint Iohn saith ouercommeth the world but how Euen through the conquerour Christ which it possesseth How Faith and inuocation are inseparable No man commeth to Christ as to a Sauiour nor calleth vppon him but hée that beléeueth vppon him for like as no man beléeueth but he that heareth so no man calleth vppon him but hée that beléeueth Rom. 10. 17. Faith and inuocation are so knitte together that ye maie sooner separate the heate from the fire then plucke them asunder one from an other Hemmyng How Faith is called the marriage Garment Faith in Christes bloud maketh the marriage betweene our soules and Christ and is properlie called the marriage garment or the signe Thau Tindale Of Faith Loue and Hope Obiection If Faith Loue and Hope be thrée vertues inseparable then faith onelie iustifieth not Aunswere Though Faith Hope and Loue be thrée vertues inseparable in this lyfe yet haue they separable and sundrie offices in effectes As heate and drieth bée inseparable in the fire haue yet their separable operations for the drieth onelye expelleth the moistnesse of all that is consumed in the fire and heat onelye destroieth all coldenesse for drieth and colde maie stande together and so maie heate and moistnesse It is not all one to say the drieth onelie and the drieth that is alone Nor all one to saie Faith onelie and Faith that is alone The office of Faith Faith onelie which is a sure and vndoubted trust in Christ and in the father through him certifieth the conscience that the sinne is forgiuen and the dampnation and imposibilitie of the lawe taken awaye c. And with such perswasions mollifieth the heart and maketh her loue GOD againe and his lawe And as oft as we sinne Faith onelie keepeth vs that we forsake not our profession and that loue vtterlie quench not and hope faile and onelie maketh the peace againe For a true beleeuer trusteth in Christ onelie not in his own merits or works or ought els for the remission of sins Tindale What one mans faith doth profit in other Obiection When as Christ by the faith of the hearers healed the man sicke of the palsie it is demaunded of some in this place of Mathew what one man● faith doth profit an other Aunswere First of all we know for certeine that the faith of Abraham did profit his posteritie whē as he embraced y● couenant promise made to him and his séede The like we ought to iudge in all the faithfull because by their faith they spread out the grace of God to their children posteritie and that before they bée borne And also the same taketh place in children young infants who for want of age are not apt to haue faith But they which are ripe of yeares whose faith is insufficient whether they be straungers or of y● same line or kinred an other mans faith in respect of the eternall saluation of the soule doth nothing profit them but onelie mediate Marl. fol. 173. And when Iesus sawe the faith of them ¶ And also his faith the had the palsie for except we haue faith our sinnes cannot be forgiuen Geneua ¶ That the faithfull maie praie for me offer me vnto God with their faithfull praiers yet vnles I haue faith my selfe I cannot be saued for the righteous liueth with his owne faith Abac. 2. 4. Rom. 1. 17. Sir I. Cheeke The Centurion beléeued his seruant was healed ¶ Of this we may learne y● the godly by their faith maie obteine corporal benfits for other but to be saued with eternall saluation by an other mans faith it cānot be for no man can be saued without his owne faith Hemmyng ¶ Againe As one man by his wisdome may make an other man proue wise so he y● beléeueth may by his faith obtein faith for other men But as no man is wise by another mans wisdome but by his owne so is no man saued by an other mans faith but by his owne Hemmyng How faith is taken in these places following If I had all faith so that c. ¶ Héere faith is taken for the power to do myracles For when faith is taken for that assured trust in God through the bloud of Iesus Christ it can in no wise be without charitie and loue Sir I. Cheeke Faith is héere takē for y● vse of doing miracles which the wicked may haue as Mat. 7. 22. also for y● faith called historical which beléeueth y● mighty power of Christ but cānot apprehend gods mercy wtout him And this diuels haue Iames. 2. 19. therefore is separate from charitie but
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 ●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. vpō the Rom. fo● 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 ●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 y● 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 y● ther is one God being omnipotent the creatour of all things this faith is called an historicall faith The second is y● which we beléeue the promises of God apprehend y● 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 firmeli● 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 y● it per●e●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 per●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 bod● are saued Of this ●aith Christ speaketh not heere neither doe al they the haue the same w●●● miracles straight way The third kind of ●aith perleineth so certein christians that not at all times but it hath a certeine consideratiō 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 frōme 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 ●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 w●●h him neuer so little although he 〈…〉 not yet able to beléeue in heart to righteousnesse and to confesse in mouth vnto saluat●● Thus ●●saith he Epi. 2● ad ques Bonifac●● Wha● the faith of hypocrits is The faith of hipocrits is y● 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 faiths● There be two manner of faiths an historicall faith a feeling ●aith The historicall faith hangeth of the truth and honestie of the tel●er or of the common fame and consent of manie As if one had tolde me the Turke had wonne a cidie I beléeued ●o moued with the honestie of thelm●n Now if ●here come another y● 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 y● he had were taken prisoner there also● that man should so beléeue that all the world could not turne him from his faith Tindale fol. ●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 thē 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 mā a mēber of Christ Incrudelitie maketh him a mēber of y● diuel Faith maketh a man y● inheritour of heauen Incrudelitie maketh him y● inheritour of hel faith maketh a man y● servant of God Incrudelitie maketh him y● seruant of y● diuell Faith sheweth 〈…〉 God to be a sweet father Incrudelitie sheweth him to be a terrible Iudge Faith holdeth 〈…〉 by y● word of God Incrudelitie wauereth here there faith counteth boldeth God to be true Incrudelitie holdeth him false
vnto the Temple at the tune appointed and there to make their humble praiers vnto God for peace a●n his fauour as the manner of Gods people was in all their distresses to fast and praie in faithfull repentaunce Iere. 36. 6. The Bible note Against supersticious Fasting Behold when ye fast your lusts remaineth still ¶ This fast remaineth yet among the christen for true chastening of the bodie abstaining from vice will we yet neither vnderstand nor heare of but still think with the Iewes that we do God a great pleasure when we fast and also that we then fast● when we abstaine from one thing fill our bellies with another And verelie in this thing doth our superstition excéede the superstition of the Iewes for we neuer read that they euer tooke it for a fast to abstaine from flesh and eate either fish or white meate as they ca●● it T. M. Quid prodest oleo c. What auaileth it to eat no oile with pain much ado curiously to séek for Nelits figs pepper nuts dates fine white bread honnie Pistacia Besides this I heare saie ther be some which contrarie to the common order nature of men wil neither drink water nor eate bread but séek for delicate suppings hearbs shred togethers the iuice of Béetes receiue y● same not out of a cup but out of a shell fie for shame do we not blu●h at such foolishnesse Are we not wearie of such superstition And yet beside all this liuing in such curious delicacie we looke to be praised for our fasting How hypocrites will haue their fasting accepted Wherefore haue we fasted and thou séest it not ¶ He setteth foorth the malice and disdaine of the hppocrites which grudge against God if their workes be not accepted Geneua How Fasting driueth out Diuells Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by praier and fasting ¶ The best remedie to strengthen the weake faith is praier which hath fasting added vnto it as an help to the same Gen. ¶ For the casting foorth of diuells by fasting praier marke what Christ aunswereth he saith that the Apostles could not because of their incredulitie and weaknesse of faith and afterward he addeth these two fasting praier as wepons works of faith which cannot be seperated frō faith neither can be found in the olde bottells of the hypocrits This praier when it striueth against the diuell it surmounteth all worldlie things or plesures and the same is also the onelie true fast to neglect for the time all worldlie things to neglect meat drink whatsoeuer bodelie pleasure or desire maie be imagined y● in praier thy minde maie be lifted vp aboue the heauens vnto the throne of God A. G. The vnderstanding of these two places following When ye fast be not sad as the hypocrites are c ¶ By this it appeareth that the true fast is to put awaie all wanton desires and lusts c. And to rule the bodie by conuenient chastitie and mortifieng as it is said in the Psa. 35. 13. I afflicted my soule with fasting Esa. 58. 4. Behold whē ye fast your lusts remain stil. Tin Then shall they fast in those daies ¶ Then shall they fast that is so long as I am with them they shall not féele the trouble and great persecution of the world but when I am taken from them then shall they fast that is then shall they mourne for then their persecution and trouble shall begin Tindale Of miraculous Fast. Ther is a fast which is aboue mans strength is sometime giuen of God meruailously vnto some of his saints to commend their doctrine Moses in the mountain fasted 40. daies For God wold by a notable example shew the the law which he set foorth came from himselfe was not inuented of men Neither went Moses therefore vnto the mountaine to fast but to receiue the law of God to talke with him Elias also receiuing bread water of the Angell in the strength of the meate walked 40. daies euen vnto the mount of God Horeb the he by this miracle shuld be declared to be the true reuenger of the law By this kinde of fasting our sauior cōmended the preching of the Gospel y● it shuld not séeme to be a thing vulgar but shuld be proued a thing begun by god But these were miracles neither pertain they anie thing vnto vs but only y● we shuld haue thē in admiratiō by such exāples be stirred vp with reuerēce to receue the word of god P. M. vp I. 274 And whē he had fasted 40. daies ¶ The fasting of Christ ought to be vnto vs an example of sober liuing not for 40. daies as some do imagin of their own brains but as lōg as we are heere in this wildernes● S. I. Che. Of the fast compelled Ther is a fast which lieth not in our power as when we béeing destitute of meate haue not whereof to ●ate Héere is need of patience we must praie vnto God y● he would strengthen encourage vs. So the Saints when they wandred about preached the Gospell were compelled sointinies to hunger And the disciples when they followed y● Lord● wer driue● by hunger to plucke the eares of corne to rub out the corne Elias also desired meate of the widdow and waited at the Brooke for such meat● as the Rauens should bring him This kinde of fasting men do not take vpon them of their owne frée will but it is laide vpon them by God Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 274. FATHER How these places following be expounded NO man commeth to me except my Father drawe him ¶ Manie men vnderstand these words in a wrong sence as though God required in a reasonable man no more then in a dead post and marketh not the words that follow Omnis qui audit c. that is euerie man that heareth and learneth of my father commeth to me God draweth with his word the Holie ghost but mans dutie is to heare and learne that is to saie receiue the grace offered consent vnto the promises not repugne the God that calleth God doth promise the Holie ghost to them that aske it and not to them that contemne him c. ¶ Looke Drawing My Father worketh hetherto and I worke My Father worketh that is my Father kéepeth not the Sabboth daie no more doe I. My Father vseth no common Merchandise on the Sabboth daie and no more doe I. Tindale Walke not in the steps of your Fathers Whereby the holie ghost confuteth them that saie they will follow the religion and example of their Fathers and not measure their dooings by Gods word whether they be approoueable thereby or no. Geneua When your Fathers tempted me c. ¶ Sée I praie you how perillous it is to followe the example of our fore-fathers vnlesse it be most certaine that they haue walked in the waies
of the truth and haue bene obedient vnto the word If the Religion of our fore-fathers hath bene false or contrarie to the Scriptures wée ought in no wi●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 s●nne and equall to God And sith the Euangelist hath this word Equall plainlie and expre●lie they shew themselues mad y● 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 Pharis●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 square● as they haue led a stubborne froward life God forsaketh their ofspring insomuch y● 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 y● 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 nature● but also for that he giueth Satan full power ouer them and letteth him haue the bridle to ●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 wit● 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 y● 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 y● time for they wer iustified by no works but only by faith in Christ. Furthermore what
267. What the feare of God is Wheras we speak of the feare of God we haue to vnderstand y● it is not a ●●auish feare as men term it but it is so termed in respect of the honour which we owe for that he is our Father Master● Doe we feare God Then it is certaine nothing but to honour him to be whollie his Doe we know him That must be in such wise as he hath vttered himself that is to wit that he is our maker our maintaines ●●e that shewed such fatherly goodnes towards vs that we of dutie ought to be as children toward him if we wil not be vtterlie vnthankful Also it behoueth vs to acknowledge his dominiō● superioritie ouer vs to the end y● euerie of vs yeld●ng him his due honor may ●ern to plese him in al respects thus you see y● vnder this ●ere of god héere is cōprehended all religion y● is to wit all y● seruice honor which the creatures owe vnto their God 〈…〉 4. They nei●her f●ared the Lord c. ¶ Not to feare the Lord is to liue carelesse and to serue their lusts and appetites and not to sette by God and his Lawe as is said Ps●l 55 19. T. M. ¶ He meaneth this by the Israelites to whome God hat giuen his commaundements Geneua They feared the Lord but serued their Gods ¶ That is they had a certaine knowledge of God and feared him because of the punishment but they continued still Idolaters as do y● Papists which worship both God I●ols but this is not to feare God as appeareth ver 34. Geneua How this place following is expounded Perfect loue casteth out feare ●I know there are some which interpret those words in this sense that they which loue God trulie are not afraid for pietie sake to put themselues in al manner of daungers neith●r doe they shame persecution but valiantlie stand fast in all manner of dangers which selfe thing Paule in the letter to Timothie writ in other words 〈…〉 We haue not receiued the spirit of fearefulnesse but of might of loue Wherefore he exhorteth Timothie not to be ashamed of the testimonie of the Lord nor of him being in ●andes for the Lords sake but couragiouslie to indure labours for the Gospels sake Although those things are true yet this is not it which this place of Iohn teacheth For it there maketh mention of the iudgment of the Lord of which he willeth the godly which loue God not to be afeard and he rendreth a reason for y● feare hath vexation ioined with it Wherefore I gladlie assent vnto Augustine which saith that Iohn speaketh of perfect Charitie which forasmuch as it cannot be had in this life we maie not looke to haue it without feare Further we mought in this place vnderstand that feare which is se●oined from confidence therfore driued men to desperation For they which beleeue loue God trulie vphold their feare with a liuely faith Pet. Mar. vpon the Rom. fol. 208. Of feare that commeth of faith and of feare without faith He that fearth God trulie will eschew all things wherewith he knoweth he shall offend God and doe whatsoeuer hée perceiueth to be acceptable vnto him this feare hath his beginning of faith There is a feare of God in the vng●lie but it is without faith For they alwaies dread Gods iudgement against them and would rather there were no God then to bée punished for their wickednesse How we cannot vtterly shake off all feare so long as we liue heere Be not high minded but feare ¶ No man of the number of the faithfull ought to be in doubt of his saluation For the nature of faith is to make men assured of the promise of God Howbeit this is to be known y● it is not possible that so long as we liue héere we should not vtterlie shake off all feare for we are continuallie tossed betwéene two cogitations the one of the goodnes faith constancie of god The other of our corruption infirmitie pronesse to euill For when we consider how weak we are prone to euil cōsider also the filthines imperfection of our workes though they be neuer so good therwithal the seueritie of the law in requiring euen to the vttermost the things which it commaundeth This consideration I saie if it be vehement cannot but excéedinglie make afeard the mind and deiect it But on the other side when we consider the clemencie goodnesse mercie of God his constancie in his promises therewithall remember that all the merits of Christ are communicated to vs we are refreshed and recreated and the feare is either lenified or els sometime vtterlie laide awaie And these effects where they are perfect vehement doe succéed the one the other for they cannot be both at one time or if they be both at one time then are either of them remisse not vehement But in what matter they giue place the one to the other we may by daily experience vnderstand For if a man be set vpon the top of an high tower if being ther his mind run vpon n●thing els but vpon the height of the tower what a déepe way he shuld fall so y● he cannot fall without danger of death it i● possible but y● his minde being still vpon this he should be altogether smitten with an errour but if he turne his eie aside to the barre or battlements which staie him vp that he cannot fall then will he plucke vp his spirits againe and put away al feare neither ought it to seeme vnto anie man straunge y● wée saie that faith expelleth that feare which is ioined with doubting of saluation when as in Iohn it is said That charitie driueth feare out a doores For it is most certeine that y● which the Scripture attributeth to charitie may be attributed to faith for charitie springeth of faith Pet. Mar. vpon the Rom. fol. 355. FERVENT Of two sorts of feruentnesse THey haue a feruēt mind to God but not according to knowledge ¶ There be two manner of feruentnesse of minde two maner of good intents The one is grounded vpon a vaine or fleshlie opinion and not vpon Gods word this good intent is damnable before God The other procéedeth of faith and suffereth it selfe to be ruled by the wisdome and iudgement of the spirit of God Such feruentnesse was in Moses in Phin●hes and in Helias with other innumerable Sir I. Cheeke ¶ Looke Zeale FEASTES Feast of dedication wherefore it was ordeined THE feast of dedication ¶ That is to saie the feast of inuocation or renueng because the temple which was polluted by y● cōmandemēt authority of Iudas Machabeus was cōsecrated a fresh And then it was appointed y● euerie yeare ther should be a feast daie of new dedication to put the people in minde of the grace and fauour of God who had taken from them
the Prophet vpbraid them with in the person of God saieng Thou gauest me not the younge brests c. As who should saie saie not that thou hast giuen me manie sacrifices both because thou gauest them not to me onelie but vnto my Ca●ues and Baals and other I●o●ls And also because I neuer set greatly by them nor greatly required them They greeued mee alwayes when the faith and deuotion of the giuers was awaye The Shéepe of thy burnt offeringes broughtest thou not vnto mée neither diddest thou glorifie mée with thy sacrifices but diddest onelie satisfie thine owne superstitions I compelled thée not to worshippe mee with thine offeringes but because thou so readie offeredst such things vnto Idols after the manner of the heathen I commaunded that they should not be offered vnto other Gods but vnto me Of whose gift thou receiuedst them c. None of all these profited not me in as much as thou leftest off the things which I chieflie required righteousnesse faith and iudgement Math. 23. ●3 T. M. How the Gentiles found that they sought not for What shall we saie then that the Gentiles which followed not righteousnesse haue atteined vnto righteousnesse ¶ So then the Gentiles had no works to prepare and pr●eure Gods mercie before hand and as for that that the Gentiles attained to that which they sought not for the mercie of GOD is to be thanked for it And in that the Iewes atteined not to that they sought after they can thanke none for it but themselues because they sought it not aright Beza GENTLENESSE What a vertue Gentlenesse is GEntlenesse is when a man is gentle and tractable in his conuersation and in his whole lyfe For such as will bée true followers of the Gospell must not be sharpe bitter but gentle milde curteous and faire spoken which shoulde encourage other to delite in their companie which can winke at other mens faultes or at least expounde them to the best Which will bée well content to yéelde and giue place to other contented to beare with those which are frowarde and intractable as the verie Heathen saide Thou maist know the manners of thy friend but thou must not hate them Such a one was our sauiour Christ as euerie wher is to be séene in the Gospell It is written of Peter that he wept so often as he remembred the swéet mildnesse of Christ which he vsed in his dailie conuersation It is an excellent vertue and most necessarie in euerie kinde of lyfe Luther vpon the Gal. fol. 262. GIVEN To whom it is giuen to know the mysteries of God TO you it is giuen to know the mysteries of the kingdome of God ¶ To you that is to you that are without deceite and are not curious nor trust in anie thinge that perteineth to man it is giuen of my Father of his mercifull goodnesse to know the mysterie that is the secret of the kingdome of God that is of the Gospell in which is taught the kingdome of God which is our righteousnesse peace and ioye in the holie ghost Rom. 10. which is the kingdome of all mercie and the kingdome of forgiuenesse of sins for Christs sake But vnto them that are without that is vnto such as are curious and trust more in their owne works then in the righteousnesse of Christ are all things spoken in parables that is all that they heare is euen as obscure and dark vnto them as though they wer indéed parables which 〈…〉 God therefore suffereth to be done that when they sée they should sée and not discerne and so forth 〈…〉 it followeth in the text Tindale GVIDE Who is the guide of a womans youth WHich forsaketh the guide of her youth and forgetteth the 〈…〉 of her God ¶ Guide of 〈…〉 that is her 〈…〉 which is her head and gu●● to 〈…〉 her from whom she ought not to depa●t but remaine in his sublertion and not forget the couenant of her God which is the promise made in marriage Geneua GIFT What the gift of God is THat thou stirre vp the gift of God that is in thée● ¶ The gift of God is a certeine liuelie flame kindled in our hearts which Satan and the flesh labour to quench and therefore must nourish it and stirre it vp The Bible note The difference betweene gift and grace Looke Grace GITHITH What it signifieth TO the chaunter vpon Githith c. ¶ Githith after some signifieth as much as for the wine presse after some concerning the Gethites after other some it is an instrument of musicke T. M. ¶ Whether Githith signifie an instrument of musicke or a kinde of tune or the beginning of some notable and well knowne Ballad I leaue it vncerteine For as for those that thinke the Psaline was called so because it was made in the citie of Gith then fetch their fained exposition too farre off Of the thrée former opinions it maketh no greate matter which a man take Caluine GLORIE What Glorious GLorie is nothing else but a praise most abund●lie published 〈…〉 63. How glorie doth follow true 〈…〉 Glorie is not to be sought for of men but glorie of her owne accord customablie doth follow true vertue How the glorie of the Lord is taken in this place following And in the morning ye shall sée the glorie of the Lord. ¶ The glorie of the Lord is 〈…〉 〈…〉 for the bright 〈…〉 ●ight that was séene in the Cloude of which glorie the 〈…〉 maketh mention 〈…〉 What is signified by the glorie of God in these places following Because the glorie of the Lord had fulfilled the house of the Lord. ¶ The glorie of the Lord fulfilling the house was a visible Cloude pre 〈…〉 y● God ought to be preached praised and magnified throughout the whole worlde in the congr●gation of the faithfull As he saith Nu. 14. 22. T. M. For the glorie of the Lord shall appeare ¶ The Prophet calleth the glorie of the Lorde the righteousnesse that shoulde be shewed by the Gospell whereby we shoulde become righteous in the sight of God the father for his sonne Christs merites This glorie shall all flesh sée that is all men as well the Iews as the Gentiles that beléeue A like saieng haue we after in the 60. 1. The glorie of the Lorde shall rise vpon th●e T. M. What is vnderstood by glorie in this place following And we saw the glorie of it c. ¶ Iohn saith not we saw his essence but we saw his glorie No man séeth nor hath séene the verie essence of the word But the beleening Apostles saw his glorie The which as it was 〈…〉 séene of three of the Disciples in the mount 〈…〉 Euen so by his glorious resurrection and asce●tion it did might 〈…〉 thine and was openlie exhibited to be séene of all the Disciples Therefore by this worde Glorie he vnderstandeth those thinges which set foorth the glorie of the word that is to saie which are certeine sure tokens of
How the lawe is called a yoake Why tempt ye God to put on the disciples necks that yoake which neither our fathers nor we were able to beare ¶ He meaneth the holy lawe and not the ceremonies onely and calleth it a yoake not able to be borne because no man not the most holiest and perfectest that euer was Christ onely excepted was able to perfourme the same in all pointes both outwardly according the Letter and inwardly according to the Spirit The Bible note The difference betweene Gods law and mans Mans lawe onely requireth externall and ciuill obedience Gods lawe both externall and internall Who hath fulfilled the lawe Christ is the ende of the lawe for righteousnesse to all that beléeue ¶ That is Christ hath fulfilled the whole lawe therfore whosoeuer beléeueth in him is counted iust before God as well as he had fulfilled the whole Lawe himselfe The Bible note ¶ The ende of the lawe is to iustifie them which obserue it therefore Christ hauing fulfilled it for vs is made our Iustice sanctification c. Geneua How the Gentiles were not without a lawe Whosoeuer hath sinned without lawe c. ¶ It is not to be thought that the Gentiles were altogether without a lawe for they had the lawe of nature but not the lawe written which we call the Ten commaundements therefore they cannot excuse themselues from sinne Sir I. Cheeke How the lawe maketh all men sinners Whatsoeuer the lawe saith it saith it to them which are vnder the lawe c. ¶ In this place the lawe is taken for all the holy scripture as it appeareth by these places testimonies that be alledged héere before wherby it is made euident plain that all men without exception are sinners Sir I. Cheeke ¶ The lawe doth not make vs guiltie but doth declare that we are guiltie before God and deserue condemnation Geneua How the lawe maketh vs to hate God In the faith which we haue in Christ finde we mercie life fauour and peace in the lawe we finde death damnation and wrath moreouer the cursse and vengeance of God vpon vs. And it that is to say the lawe is called of Paule the ministration of death and damnation In the lawe we are proued to be the enimies of God and that we hate him For how can we be at peace with God and loue him seeing we are conceiued and born vnder the power of the diuell and are his possession and kingdome his captiues bondmen led at his will and he holdeth our harts so that it is impossible for a man to fulfill the lawe of his owne strength and power séeing that we are by birth and nature the heires of eternall damnation c. Tind in his booke named the wicked Mammon fol. 6. How the lawe is spirituall The lawe is spirituall ¶ The lawe is called spirituall because that it requireth the spirit that is to say the righteousnes and holinesse of the heart and not the outward workes onely How we dye to the lawe For I through the lawe am dead to the law ¶ The law that terrifieth the conscience bringeth vs to Christ and he onely causeth vs to dye to the law indéed because y● by making vs righteous he taketh away from vs the terrour of conscience and by sanctifieng vs causeth the mortifieng of lusts in vs that it cannot take such occasion to sinne by the restrint which the lawe maketh as it did before Rom. 7. 10. 11. ¶ For I through the lawe am dead to the lawe that is by the lawe of libertie and grace graunted in Christ I am deliuered from the lawe of bondage ministred by Moses and from the burthen and cursse thereof Tindale To dye in the defence of the lawe If we do praise saith S. Austen the Machabees that with great admiration because they did stoutly stand vnto death for the laws of their country how much more ought we to suffer al things for our baptime for y● sacraments of the body bloud of Christ. The meaning of these places following Cursed is euery one that continueth not in all things which are written in the booke of the lawe to do them ¶ All the which meaning the things contained in the lawe since no man doth fulfill them it is manifest that no man can be iustified by the words of the lawe No man is iustified before God because saith S. Hierome no man kéepeth the lawe therefore it is said that the beléeuers must be saued by faith onely Moreouer he will shewe that no man canne be iustified by the workes of Moses lawe vnlesse he haue faith which giueth pardon to him that beléeueth in God neither yet he that beléeueth in Christ liueth without a lawe D. Heynes And I say the heire as long as he is a childe c. ¶ While we were yet younglings we had néede of the law as our tutours not that it should alwaies rule vs but so long till we come to mans state and haue the knowledge of Christ which knowledge when we haue we be deliuered from the seruitude of the law for Christs sake not for feare of punishment abstaining from euill but led by the spirit of God we are prepared made fit to fulfill all good works which the lawe commandeth D. Heynes ¶ The Church of Israel was vnder the lawe as the Pupill subiect to his Tutor euen vnto the time of Christ when she waxed strong and then hir pupilship ended Geneua ¶ Looke before where the Lawe is our schoolemaister An Argument of the Lawe If I cannot haue my sinnes forgiuen me except I kéepe and fulfill the lawe then the kéeping of the lawe iustifieth me Aunswere I cannot haue forgiuenesse of my sinnes except I haue sinned Ergo to haue sinned is the forgiuenesse of sinnes Tindale A disputation betweene the Law and the Gospell The Law saith pay thy debt the Gospell saith Christ hath payed it The Lawe saith thou art a sinner dispaire and thou shalt be damned the Gospell saith thy sinnes are forgiuen thée be of good comfort thou shalt be saued The Lawe saith made amends for thy sinnes the Gospell saith Christ hath made it for thée The Law saith the father of heauen is angry with thée the Gospell saith Christ hath pacified him with his bloud The law saith wher is thy righteousnes thy goodnes satisfaction the Gospell saith Christ is thy righteousnesse thy goodnesse and satisfaction The Lawe sayth thou art bound and obliged to me to the diuell and to hell the Gospell saith Christ hath deliuered me from them all Booke of Mar. fol. 1110. The nature and office of the Lawe and Gospell The Lawe sheweth vs our sinnes Ro. 3. 20. The Gospell sheweth vs remedie for Iohn 1. The Lawe sheweth vs our condemnation Ro. 7. The Gospell sheweth vs our redemption Coll. 1. The Lawe is the word of ire Rom. 4.
a liuely faith working through charitie The workes of the Christians ought to be liuely seruent and burning Sir I. Cheeke LONG LIFE How a good man may desire long life THat it is no euill thing for a good man to aske of God long life may be gathered by the words of the Prophet where he saith Vitam petijt a te He hath asked life of thee And what meruaile is it if the iust man that is but a member of Christ doe aske long life in some cases and at some times séeing that the naturall sonne of God did in the fraile nature of his manhood desire of his father that the Cup of his bitter passion might passe away from him and what was that els but to desire to liue still or at the least not to dye then neuerthelesse he teacheth all men how they shall pray in such a case he vsed a kind of speach called Correctio a calling backe of words againe saieng Veruntamen Pater non sicut ego volo sed sicut tu vis neuerthelesse father let it not be as I in the nature of my manhood desire it but let it be done as thy diuine pleasure is Thus to aske long life hauing no euill purpose or euill intent as the rich glutton had which when he had inlarged his barns belked out these glorious words Anima habes bona reposita Soule thou hast much goods layd vp in store for many yeares be merry make good chéere This foolish glutton did liue to eat not eate to liue And all they y● desire to liue for any such sensuall purpose their praier is not lawfull nor good nay it is not worthy to be called a praier but a carnall wish so to desire to liue is to desire to be seperated from God and to goe to the déepe dungeon of hell But to desire to lead a long life to the end that he may the more set foorth the glorie of God and to doe good to the world not to be an vnprofitable burthen vnto the world as they be which do nothing héere but marre malte wast wheate Nati consumere fruges apt borne to spend and to spoile But to liue and labour to doe good as much as in them lieth to all men and hurt to no man their desire to liue long is not to be doubted to bée a thing lawfull forasmuch as long life is a blessing of God And if long life be one of the blessing of GOD that he giueth to his chosen and elect seruaunts who can say that to aske long life of God is a carnall propertie And to proue that long life is the blessing of God Read Exo. 20. 12. Deut. 5. 16. Ric. Turn If the good desire to liue it is for the great desire they haue to doe good but if the wicked or euill desire to liue it is for that they would abuse the world longer In the Diall of Princes LORD How the Lord is our shepheard and feedeth vs. DOminus regit me c. ¶ Ye shall vnderstand that S. Hierome following the texte of the Hebru● veritie doth read in the stéede of Dominus regit me Dominus pascit me Which may be Englished well The Lord féedeth me or The Lord is my shepheard The Gréeke word Paiuosinou signifieth Pascere regere both to rule and to gouerne and also to féede as the shepheard feedeth his shéepe and by a Metaphore it is translated and applyed very properly sometime to God himselfe and sometime to such men which héere in the earth are called by Office to be the spirituall Pastours and Fathers of the Christian flock Arnobius in his briefe Commentaries doth properly write vpon these words Dominus regit me nihil mihi deerit after this manner Dicant qui volunt reget me ager meus c. Let them say that lyst my house and my land shall finde me let other say my shéepe and my fat Oxen are store inough for mée and another make his boast of his Maister another of his Merchaundise and he of his handie craft and this man of his pen and that man of his profound learning but I am at a point saith the Prophet and in this opinion will I dwel all the daies of my lyfe Dominus regit me nihil mihi deerit The Lord is my shepheard and therefore I am sure neuer to lacke Nihil mihi deerit I shall lacke nothing that shall be necessary and good both for the body or for the soule c. Ric. Turn Of the Lords helpe in trouble The Lord is thy kéeper he is the shadow or protection at thy right hand ¶ He is called the shadow at thy right hand to teach thée that he is at hand and standeth by thy side readie to defende thée Or els The Lord is thy shaddowe at thy right hande that is he prospereth all thy affaires he giueth successe to all thou takest in hande If thou be a Preacher and a teacher in the Church of God if thou trauaile in thy vocation vprightly and with a good conscience to prouide for thy selfe and thy family thou shalt not lacke thy Crosse but be of good comfort for the Lord hath promised to be on thy right hande he will aids thée and succour thée in all things that thou shalt either doe or suffer Luther vpon the Psal. fol. 41. How the Lord suffereth long Long suffering and of great goodnesse ¶ The Lord is long suffering which is more then patient for he not only suffereth but also deferreth vengeaunce desiring the amendement of the sinner louing better to pardon and forgiue then to punish Rom. 2. 4. either dispisest thou the riches of his goodnes and patience and long sufferaunce c. T. M. LOST SHEEPE The meaning of this place following I Am not sent but vnto the lost shéepe of the house of Israel ¶ Christ calleth them the lost shéepe vnto whom he is sent In which saieng we haue two things to bée obserued First that wée must acknowledge that we are all lost or els Christ hath nothing to doe with vs. We must euery one confesse with the Psalmist that I haue wandred lyke a lost shéepe O séeke then thy seruaunt They therefore that are proude of opinion of their owne good workes and thinke to be saued by their desertes are not for Christ to meddle withall for hée is sent but vnto the lost shéepe of the house of Israel or as he said to the Pharesies The whole haue no néed of the Phisition but the sicke First therefore we must acknowledge that we are altogether cast away and that we haue no more wit nor power to retourne or to saue our selues then hath a shéepe that is wandring in the Wildernesse among Wol●es Beares and Lyons Secondly if we confesse and finde our selues to bee such then are we héere comforted that is properly sent and appointed of GOD to saue the lost shéepe of the house of Israel lyke as he saith in
is defined CIcero doth define mercie to be the sorrowe of the minde and griefe conceiued vpon the misery of some other redy to aids the same Seneca in his booke De clementia saith that mercie is the griefe of minde had vpon the séeming of the miseries of others or els the sorrow conceiued for other mens euills which it is thought that they deserue not Augustine saith what is mercie but a certaine compassion in our heart of some others misery wherby we be compelled to help them if we can For who knoweth not that mercie is named of that that it maketh a mans heart miserable pitifull sorrowing for another mans euill So they doe define mercie commonly to be touched stroken within in the heart with the misery of others The Hebrues do cal mercy by this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which word doth properly signifie the belly they do apply it vnto the signification of mercy because y● the inward parts of them which be touched with y● sight of other mens miseries are wont to be moued with some affection of compassion pitie Mus. fo 978. What it is to haue mercie or be mercifull To haue mercie or be mercifull is to haue compassion and to féele another mans disease and to mourne with them that mourne and suffer with them that suffer and to helpe and succour them that are in tribulation and aduersitie and to comfort them with good counsell and wholesome instruction and louing wordes And to bée mercifull is louingly to forgiue them that offende thee as soone as they knowledge their misdoing and aske thée mercie To be mercifull is patiently long to abide the conuersion of sinners with a lustie courage and hope that God will at the last conuert them and in the meane time to pray instantly for them And to be mercifull is to interpret all things to the best and to looke through the fingers at many things and not to make a grieuous sinne of euery small trifle And to suffer forbeare in his owne cause the malice of them that will not repent nor be a knowen of their wickednesse as long as hée canne suffer it and as long as it ought to be suffered and when he can no longer then to complaine to them that haue authoritie to forbid wrong and to punish euill doers Tindale Blessed are the mercifull for they shall obtaine mercie ¶ Héere God hath made a couenaunt with vs to be mercifull vnto vs if we will be mercifull one to another So that the man which sheweth mercie vnto his neighbour maye bée bolde to trust in GOD for mercie at all needes And contrariwise iudgement without mercie shall be to him that sheweth not mercie So now if he that sheweth no mercie trust in God for mercie his faith is carnall and worldly and but vaine presumption For God hath promised mercie onely to the mercifull and therefore the mercilesse haue not Gods word that they shall haue mercie but contrariwise that they shall haue iudgement without mercie Tindale What is meant by mercie and truth Let not mercie and truth forsake thée binde them vpon thy necke and write them vpon the table of thine heart ¶ By mercie and truth he meaneth the commaundements of the first and second table or els the mercie and faithfulnesse that we ought to vse toward our neighbours Kéepe them saith he as a most precious Iewell and haue them euer in remembraunce Gen. What the mercie seate was And he made a mercie seate ¶ Mercie seate was the place where God spake vnto the Children of Israel which was vpon the Arke of witnesse figuring Christ as it is said He. 9. 8. T. M. Of the mercifulnesse of Zabulon ¶ Looke Zabulon MERRY How the children of God may and ought to be merry TRue it is that the children of God may will be merry when they haue prosperitie lyke as when God sendeth vs wherewith to be fed and maintained when he dealeth so with vs as we want nothing when he giueth vs health quyetnesse and all other like things we may well be merrie yea and we ought so to be according as it is said in the law Thou shalt eate and drinke before thy God and be merry But yet must not the faithfull settle their ioye vppon the present benefits nor hold themselues onely tyed vnto them yea rather if they want meate and drinke or be troubled with sicknesse they must not therefore cease to trust in God but must learne Saint Paules lesson which is to haue skill both to be poore and rich to endure hunger and scarcitie and also to haue abundaunce Thus ye see that the mirth of Gods Children differeth greatly from the mirth of the vnbeléeuers and worldlyngs c. Caluine vpon Iob. MERIT What Merit is MErit is sometime taken for the worke it selfe which is taken to be meritorious In which sence Augustine in a place saith that merit must goe before the reward Sometime it is taken for the reward which is worthely giuen to him that worketh The first sence is concerning him that worketh the la● concerneth him that giueth the reward to the other c. Musculus fol. 234. What merit of congruence is Some will haue the merit of congruence to be when although that he to whom the thing is giuen bee vnworthye to haue it giuen him and that his dooing is not such that it deserueth it yet that it becommeth him to whome it is done to giue him As although the sinner deserue no fauour yet it is conuenient for God of his goodnesse to forgiue the repentaunt and to giue him his grace But some saye that the merit of congruence is when a man of his owne good motion comming by nature doth deserue the first grace which they call the preuenting grace What merit of worthinesse is They call the merit of worthinesse when the iust person doth intreate for the sinner For they saye it is worthye that the iust be heard So when grace is giuen to the sinner at the prayer of the iust they doe attribute this to the merit of worthinesse that is to say of the iust which doth make meanes for him What merit of condigne is They will haue the merit of condigne to be when a man holpen by the first grace doth make himselfe by the first grace worthy of euerlasting life for he by that meanes doing well is worthy they say to haue reward for his labour This pestilent plague of the Pelagians is to bée withstoode with all our might and we must firmely hold that we cannot deserue neither grace nor saluation by any strength or works of our owne for any merit either of congruence worthinesse or condigne but that all is simply and méerly to be referred to the grace of God in Christ. You be saued through grace by faith saith the Apostle and that not of your selues it is the gifte of God not by workes least any man might
worthy sauing peraduenture when new Phriests were appointed for the Parishes for then it behoued that the multitude of the place namely should consent Whether it is any meruaile y● the people in his behalfe was little carefull in kéeping their owne right for no mā was made a subdecon that had not shewed a long proofe of himselfe in his being a clarke vnder y● seueritie of discipline which then was vsed After y● he had ben tried in y● degrée he was made a Deacon From thence he came to y● honour of Priesthood if hée had behaued himselfe faithfully So no man was promoted of whome there had not ben in déed a trial had many years before y● eies of the people And there were many Canons to punish their faults So y● the Church could not be troubled with euill Priests or deacons vnlesse it neglected y● remedies howbeit in y● Priests also ther was required y● consent of them of the same citie which the very first canō testifieth in his 67. distinctiō which is fathered vpō Anacletus Finally al y● admissiōs into y● orders were therfore done at certein appointed times of y● yeare y● no man should priuely créepe in without the consent of the faithfull or should with too much easinesse be promoted without witnesses Cal. in his Insti 4. b. chap. 4. Sect. 11. Wherfore brethren looke ye out among you seauen men of honest report c. ¶ If the Church had kept still this order in choosing of Ministers it had bene better with the christen common wealth and religion Lampridius a notable histori●graph in the life of Al●xander Seuerus doth write y● this was vsed customably among the christians when they should choose or make any Minster they did first publish his name abrode And if any man could alleadge any notable crime against him he was expelled and put backe from his office Sir I. Cheeke Why the Ministers are not now chosen as they were in the primitiue Church The alteration of gouernement and orders of the Church of Christ is well set out by Ambrose in the. 4. to the Eph. vpon these words Et ipse dedit c. Wher he saith on this sort That the number of the Christians might increase and be multiplied in the beginning it was permitted to euery one to preach the Gospell to baptise to expound the Scriptures but when the Church was enlarged there were certeine preachers appointed gouernours other officers ordeined in the church c. Therfore the writings of the Apostles doe not in all things agrée with the orders that are now in the church D. Whitegift Musculus also in his common places answering to this question why that Ministers of the word are not chosen now by the Ministers and the people as they were in the Primitiue Church but appointed by the Magistrate saith thus Such was the state of the Churches that they could choose their Ministers none otherwise because they had no christen magistrate If thou wouldest haue the manners and customes of these times then must thou call backe their condition and state How Ministers ought not to forsake their vocation Ministers must abide in their vocation so long as y● strength of the bodie will suffer them and that they be not thrust out by force For y● men people cōmitted to their charge ought neuer to be forsaken so long as they can abide to heare the word of God And if they be altogethers contēners of y● word of y● Lord wil not suffer it to be preached then as Christ cōmaunded his Apostles let them shake of the dust of their feete against them depart But so long as there are anie among them which will suffer the pastor to preach to intreat of the word of God he ought not to giue ouer his ministratiō Wherfore I know not whether Melitius did wel or no or whom Theodoretus maketh mentiō in his 2. booke 31. chap. y● he forsooke the Bishoprick of a certein church in Armenia being offēded with the ouer great disobediēce of his flock But the same man afterward being chosē Bishop of Antioch was for the defēding y● catholike faith against the Arriās thrust into exile In which fact God peraduenture declared that he was not wel pleased that he had departed from his first vocation Pet. Mar. vpon the Rom. fo 334. How a Scisme ought not to be made for the euill life of the Minister The Scribes Pharesies sit in Moses c. All therfore whatsoeuer they bid you obserue that obserue and do but after their works do not for they say do not c. ¶ Behold y● Lord sayth they say and doe not therefore the teachers liues were not agreeable to their doctrine yet for that they stood in Moses seate that is to say because they taught the word of God lawfullye and sincerely he biddeth to receiue their sincere doctrine but their life not being agréeable to their doctrine that he biddeth to refuse And therfore to make a scisme for the Preachers euil liues sake the Lord doth forbid Bullinger fo 846. MIRACLES A definition of true Miracles A Miracle is a worke hard and vncustomed by the power of God which passeth all facultie of nature created to this ende wrought to cause the beholders to wonder and to confirme faith towards the worde of God Wherefore the matter of miracles are workes and the forme is that they be harde and vnaccustomed The efficient cause is the power of God which ouercommeth nature created the end of them is both admiration and also confirmation of faith Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 126. To what vse Miracles doe serue Miracles serue for thrée vses First that he which is healed thereby shoulde sinne no more● Secondlye that the beholders shuld put their trust in the healer Thirdly that we which read of the miracles of the Lord should be confirmed in the glorye and doctrine of Christ and therewithall conceiue faith in him Hemmy●g Brethren be not in loue with signes which may be had common with the reprobate but loue ye rather miracles of charitie and true godlynesse which the more secret the more secure and for the which the lesse estimation that there is with men the greater is the reward with God In the beginning gathering of y● Church many things were necessary which now is néedlesse Miracles were vsed then which outwardly be diuided now When we go about to plāt a tree so long we water it vntill we sée it haue takē root But whē it is once substantially grounded braunches spread abroad we take no more paine to water it on like sort as long as y● people were altogether faithlesse this meane of miracles was of indulgence graunted them But when spirituall instruction had taken better place the corporall signes surceased straight Wherefore the Apostle sayth Lingua in signum sunt non fidelibus sed infidelibus Straunge tongues are for a signe not to them that
repentaunce sought of them but onely that they must beléeue Arbitramur hominem iustificari absque operibus legis We béeing taught of Christ thinke saith Thomas according to the truth of the Apostle that euery man whether he be Ie● or Gentile is iustified by faith Act. 15. 19. By faith purifieng theyr hearts and that without the workes of the lawe And that not onely without the Ceremoniall workes which did not giue grace but also without the workes of the Morall commandements according to that saieng of Titus 3. ver 5. Not of the workes of the righteousnesse that we haue wrought The reason is presumed that we are saued for our merites the which he excludeth when he saith Not of the workes of the righteousnesse which we haue done but the true reason is the onely mercie of God There is not therefore in them the hope of iustifitation Sed in sola fide but in faith onely Workes are not the cause that any body is iust before God but they are rather the executions and the ministring of righteousnesse In this point though he swarue from the truth in many other points he speaketh right I. Bridges fol. 143. Our Aduersaries when they doe teach that the iustifieng of vs doth not consist in faith onely but in workes also what doe they els but obscure the glory of Gods grace and extoll the merite of our workes They doe not waye that it is necessarye that our iustifieng doe consist in faith onely for as much as it is bestowed freely If they cannot abide the word onely or alone let him leaue it and vse this word fréely For in case we be iustified fréely by faith as the Apostle doeth testifie it must néedes followe that we be not iustified by faith works but by faith onely If it be not by faith onely but by workes withall then is it not freely but of duetie If it be of dutie and not fréely then there is no glory of Gods grace at all Musculus fol. 229. ONE Of one Mediatour ¶ Looke Mediatour What the Prophet Ose doth meane by one head THen shall the Children of Iuda and the Children of Israel be gathered together and appoint themselues one head ¶ To wit after the captiuitie of Babilon when the Iewes wer restored but chiefe this is referred to the time of Christ who should be the head both of the Iewes and Gentiles Geneua ¶ The number of the Children of Israel shall be as the sande of the Sea shore that cannot be numbred And it shall come to passe in the place where it was sayde vnto them Ye are no people of mine there shall it be sayd vnto them ye are the children of the lyuing God And the Children of Iuda the Children of Israel shall assemble together and shall appoint to themselues one head Upon which words S. Hierom writeth thus All these things shall come to passe because it is the great daye of the séed of God which séede is expounded not the Pope but Christ. There shall assemble together the Children of Iuda that is to say the Apostles the Children of Israel that is to say the Heathen conuerted together that is to say in one Church and shall appoynt vnto themselues one head that is to say not one Pope but one Christ. Iewel fol. 101. ¶ Let vs remember saith Augustine the corner stone that is Christ and not the Pope and the two walls the one of the Iewes and the other of the Heathen Iewel fol. 101. Of one Sheepefold And there shall be one Shéepefold ¶ When the Gentiles haue receiued the Euangelicall faith they shal be associate and ioyned to the faithfull people of the Iewes and so of them both there shall be one folde that is of the Iewes Gentiles there shall be one Church One God saith Paule one Faith and one Baptime Therefore we must be one euen as wée are called into one hope c. They which gather vpon this place that there shall be a mutual consent and agréement among men in the whole world insomuch as none shall remaine as In●●dell or vngodly doe erre and know not the Scriptures neither doe consider what is the state and drift of this place Againe ther are some which gather of this place that after the last day of Iudgment all both good and bad shall be gathered into one place of eternall life But the opinion of those men is most foolish For then shall the Shéepe be seperated from the Goates the iudgement of the Shéepe shal be one the iudgement of the Goates another as the Scripture plainly testifieth Mar● vpon Iohn fol. 374. Of one Spirit He that cleaneth vnto God is one spirite with him ¶ Nico. Lyra vpon this place saith V●us non secundum rem c. One spirit with God not one in déede but one in loue or according to affection So that we are vnited vnto God by faith and loue and none otherwise ORACLE What an Oracle is AN Oracle is properly the minde and aunswere of God by some diuine Interpreter declared as by some Prophet Priest or otherwise by man ORIGENIANI Of whom these Heretikes bare their name ORigeniani were Heretikes called after a●e Origen not he that was the great Cleark of Alexandria they condemned marriage yet liued they beastly their manner was to haue among them religious women like Nunnes whom they de●●led yet vsed meanes to kéepe them from swelling Epiph. haer 63. Of the Heretikes that sprang of the learned Origen Origeniani againe were Heretikes which so called themselues of Origen Adamantius the great Clearke of Alexandria they taught as Epiphan saith haeres 64. that there was no resurrection that Christ was a creature the Holy ghost a like that the soules were first in heauen came downe into the bodies as it wer into prison that in the end the diuels should be saued Epiphanius as I read in Socrates Eccl. hist. li. 6. ca. 11. was become the enimy of Origen through the spite malice of Theophilus Bishop of Alexandria The diuell bare Origen a displesure he procured heretikes to father vpon him lewd opinions He complaineth himselfe in a certaine Epistle how that Heretikes corrupted his works Pamphilus Martir the great friend and familiar of Eusebius wrote an Apologie in his behalfe Eusebius li. 6. ca. 3. 18. 20. 26. reporteth of the famous men that fauored Origen Socrates Eccle. histor lib. 6. cap. 12. writeth in his commendation Athanasius gaue of him a notable testimonie Chrisostome would in no wise bée brought to condemne either Origen or his works Socrates li. 6. cap. 11. 12. 13. ORIGINALL SINNE That no man is without originall sinne THe death of our Lord Iesus Christ the sonne of God is a mightie remedie against the wound of originall sin wherewith the nature of all men is in Adam corrupt and slaine and from whence the infection of all concupiscence hath sprong Augustine in the Articles falsely
mortifie his body for to liue according to the doctrine y● he himselfe did teach least be should be reproued of men when they should sée him doe contrary or contemne y● thing which he taught other to doe Ric. Turnar Of Paules vnquietnesse of the flesh ¶ Looke Flesh. How Paule wrought with his hands He abode with them wrought Their craft was to make tents ¶ How doe they followe Paules example which neither giue themselues to the studie of holy Scriptures to feede the flocke of Christ nor yet will labour with their hands but liue idly with the sweate of other mens browes there was a lawe among the Massilians that if any man did go about to liue idly vnder the pretence of some kind of religion he shuld in no wise be receiued into their citie Sir I. Cheeke ¶ Thus he vsed where euer he came but principally at Corinthus because of the false Apostles which preached without wages to winne the peoples fauour His craft was to make tents or pauilions which were made of skinnes Geneua Wherefore Paule wished himselfe to be seperate from Christ. For I haue wished my selfe to be seperated from Christ for my bretheren c. ¶ The Apostle loued his bretheren so entirely that if it had bene possible he would haue bene ready to haue redeemed the casting away of the Israelites with the losse of his owne soule for euer For this word seperate betokeneth as much in this place Beza ¶ He sawe the losse and destruction of his whole nation falling so farre from Gods true religion he considered how far God should be dishonoured when his wonderfull benefits and blessings bestowed vpon his people should take none effect but vtterly be defaced which so mightely moued him the he wished rather to be cut off from Christ then those things should come to passe The Bible note ¶ He would redéeme the reiection of the Iewes with his owne dampnation which declareth his zeale towardes Gods glorie Read Exo. 32. 32. Geneua How Paule had a wife Paule wished that all men were as he was That is hée wished that all the Corinthians which aduaunced themselues of virginitie widowhood could liue chast without a woman as he did which left his wife in an other place then where hée preached that all men were without care as he was which thing commonly followeth marriage ¶ Looke Apostles had wiues what Erasmus saith thereof ¶ Ignatius and also Clemens Alexandrinus which were verie nigh the Apostles time doth plainely affirme that S. Paule had a wife Ecclesiast histo li. 3. cap. 30. What Paule calleth the infirmitie of the flesh Paule calleth the infirmity of the flesh no disease of y● body or temptation of the flesh but his suffering and affliction which he suffered in his bodie So that he setteth the same against the vertue and power of the spirit But least we should séeme to wrast and peruert Paules words let vs heare himselfe speaking in the. 2. Cor. 12. 10. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities in reproches in necessities in persecutions and anguish for Christs sake for when I am weake then am I stronge And in the. 11. chapt 13. In labours more abundant in stripes aboue measure in prisons more plenteous in death oft of the Iewes fiue times receiued I fortie stripes saue one I was thrise beaten with roddes I was once stoned I suffered thrise shipwracke c. These afflictions which hée suffred in his body he calleth infirmities of the flesh and not corporall diseases Of Paules voice Looke Voice PAVLVS SAMOSATENVS Of the heresie that this man taught THis man was Bishop of Antioch He denied the trinitie He taught that Christ tooke his beginning of our lady And was a man onely of our common nature which heres●e was condemned by a generall Councell Paulus excommunicated He was about the yeare of our Lord. 267. PEACE How Christ came not to send peace on earth but debate SUppose ye that I am come to send peace on earth I tell you nay but rather debate ¶ So the peace as this world loueth which is then at peace when mens appetites and desires are satisfied and when the euill agrée with the euill came I not to send on earth but therfore came I with y● words of very peace to destroy the peace of this world For sith the doctrine of the Gospell which teacheth all peace shal be enuied of many it cannot be but debate must arise euen amongest greatest friends while they that loue this world will sooner exercise cruelty towards them y● they loue best then leaue y● vices which they haue bene accustomed vnto And againe those whome the fire of the charitie belonging to the Gospell hath touched will by no meanes suffer themselues to be deuided from that which they haue begun to cleaue to Betwixt these two am I not come to set peace but debate Tindale What it is to be at peace with God Because therefore that we are iustified by faith we are at peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ. ¶ To be at peace with God is none other thing then to haue tranquility rest in our hearts to Godward knowing assuredly the we be accepted of him do please him which thing we finde by fayth onely in that it receiueth forgiuenesse of sinnes newnesse of life euerlasting by mercy obteined at Christs hands Our own workes can bring no such tranquilitie because they be vnsure and engender doubt of which followeth desperation and of it dampnation we are not ashamed of our hope for we are sure by the death of Christ that God loueth vs and will bring our hope to passe ¶ By peace héere is meant that incredible and most constant ioye of minde when we are deliuered from all terrour of conscience and fully perswaded of the fauour of God this peace is the fruit of faith Geneua ¶ By peace which is the fruite of faith is ment the incredible and most constant ioy of minde our conscience being quiet and established in Gods grace The Bible note How peace makers be blessed Blessed be the peace makers c. ¶ To inherit this blessing it is not onely required that thou haue peace in thy selfe and that thou take all to the best and be not offended lightly and for euery small trifle alway ready to forgiue nor sowe ●o discord nor auenge thine owne wrong But also that thou be feruent and diligent to make peace go betwéene person persō that thou leaue nothing vnsought to set thē at one Tin ¶ Cursed be the peace breakers pikequarrellers whispers backebiters sowers of discord dispraisers of them that be good stirrers vp of Princes to battell bée-liers of the true preachers of Gods word c. Tindale What peace offering is To offer peace offering of Oxen vnto the Lorde ¶ Peace offering is to reconcile God towards men to be at peace with them to forgiue
as the Romaine Emperours were called Caesars or Augusti But wherehence that word was deriued at the beginning this we may by coniecture gather This Hebrew word Pharao amongest other thinges signifieth to auenge and especiall in the coniugation Hiphil Wherefore I thinke that the wise men of the Aegyptians in those auncient times meant by that surname to signifie what manner a thing the function power of a king is namely that that the Prince is the minister of God who as Paule sayth to the Romanes Beareth the swoorde and is auenger agaynst those that doe euill Wherefore the king of Aegypt so often as hée heard that his might cal to memorie that the auenging of sins and wicked factes perteined vnto his office And the subiects being terrified by that name might be kept in true obedience if yet it may be admitted out of the Hebrew tongue to deriue the Etimologie of an Aegyptian worde c. Pet. Mart. vpon the Rom. fol. 264. How Pharaos heart was hardened both by God and himselfe Suppose that there were a Carter hauing many horses which is continually whipped forwarde neither suffereth hée them to stand still They being driuen forwarde must néedes moue and as many as are whole and sound of legges goe vprightly but if there be any amongst them that haue lame or diseased féete or legges they also goe when they are whipped forward but yet slowly and euill fauouredly for they halt but that halting should not be vnlesse they were driuen forward For when the horses stand still the halting is not perceiued but the beginning of halting that is the disease of lamenesse of the legges the horses haue in themselues and receiue it not at the Carters hand So God forsomuch as he by his mightie working perpetually moueth and stirreth vs vp maketh vs to light vppon diuerse occasions which we for that we are euill cannot vse well But in this similitude this difference ought to be noted that it lieth in the hand of God by his liberal grace and spirit to deliuer vs from sinne graffed in vs by nature when it lyeth not in the power of the Carter to heale the diseased féete of the horses c. Pet. Mar. vpon the Rom. fo 265. Why Pharao was called Leuiathan Thou brakest the head of Leuiathan ¶ I am of opinion saith Caluine that Pharao his army are betokned by way of a Metaphore because such manner of speach is verie rife among the Prophets specially when they intreate of the Aegyptians whose land was susteined with fish of the Sea and the riuer Nilus running through it Not without cause therefore is Pharao termed Leuiathan by reason of the commoditie of the Sea because he reigned there as a Whale in the water Caluine PHARISES What the Pharesies were THe Pharises were among the Iewes certeine men which professed a forme of liuing more straight and deuout then other of that people and were therefore called by that name for Phares in the Hebrew tongue signifieth deuided They professed continence virginitie fast and abstinence from meat twise in the sabboth daies They slept onely vpon boords some vpon stones or else on thornes to kéepe them from stirring of fleshly appetite They ware in their foreheads scrowles of parchment wherein were written the tenne commaundements giuē by God to Moses which they called Philaterias They had in great reuerence their elders insomuch that they would not with a word displease thē Notwithstanding they beleeued that all things happened by constellation and yet tooke they not away frée will from man They affirmed that soules are immortall and that God shall come to iudgement Héereby they came into wonderfull credence with people wherby they drew to them great multitudes and of them were diuerse good men among whom was Saint Paule Nichodemus and other which afterward were Christs Disciples although the multitude taking the profession for vaine glorie peruerted that honest forme of liuing into hypocrisie deceiuing the people whome Christ sharpely rebuked and declared their folly And yet with some of them which by likelihood wer good men he dined otherwise vsed them familiarly Eliote As concerning the Pharises Saduces and Esses read Iosephus in his second booke De bello Iudaico These were speciall sectes among the people The Pharises professed the more surer knowledge of right and customes of the lawe they were had in great vneration and reuerence of the people and they gate vnto themselues the greatest part of dominion and rule Neither did they onely oppresse the people with the burden of the prescript lawe but also with their owne traditions in the which thing the Saduces were greatlye against them as we read in Iosephus But they are deceiued which thinke them to be so named of the diuision as though they being seperated frō the order of the common sort of people might take a degree proper vnto themselues They were called also Pheruss●● that is to saie Interpreters because not being content with the simple letter they profesied that they had the way to vnderstande secret mysteries Whereof the●e arose a wonderfull mixture confusion of errours when as they taking to themselues the dignitie of maistershippe did with their wicked lust and sense and also with wonderfull pride thrust in stéede of the truth their owne inuentions c. Read Act. 23. 6. Marl. vpon Math. fo 45. When the sect of the Pharises began About the yeare before Christ. 150. through the warres and descention of the Iewes there arose among them sundry sectes and opinions in their religions of which ther were thrée sorts The first were called Pharesei that is segregate or chosen They vsed certeine constitutions of men beside the lawe of Moses by which they were segregate from the residue of the people They reputed themselues better then all other They obserued fained fastes praied commonly in the stréetes that they might be séene and called maisters Their learning was somewhat better then the others for they taught the immortalitie after this life that God wold punish sin They beléeued also Messias to come to saue such as beléeued to iudge such as sinned Lanquet Tindale supposeth the Pharesies were righteous men which had professed not as nowe one Dominicke the other Fraunces and an other Barnardyns rules but euen to holde the very lawe of God with praier fasting and almes déede and were the floure of perfection of all the lawe As Saint Paule reioyseth of himselfe Phil. 3. 5. saieng I am an Hebrewe and as concerning the lawe a Pharesie and concerning the righteousnesse of the lawe was faultlesse Tindale fo 201. What the wickednesse of the pharesies was The wickednesse of the Pharesies was the leauen of their Gloses to the morall lawes by which they corrupted the commaundements of God and maketh them no more Gods and their false fayth in the ceremonies that the bare worke was a sacrifice and a seruice to God the significations lost and opinion of false righteousnesse in their
praiers fastings and almes déedes that such works do iustifie men before God and not that God forgiueth sinne of his méere mercie if a man beléeue repent and promise to doe his vttermost to sinne no more Tindale fo 202. After what manner Paule commendeth the sect of the pharesies After the most straightest sect of our religion I liued a Pharesie ¶ He taketh the sect of the Pharesies to be perfect because their doctrine was better then the other sectes The Saduces denied the resurrection of the dead The Esses glorifieng in straightnesse of lyfe little regarded true doctrine The Bible note Paule speaketh of this sect according to the peoples estimation who preferred it as most holy aboue all other for their doctrine was least corrupt Geneua How the pharesies added to the Scripture And hate your enimies ¶ This had the Scribes and Pharesies added to themselues because of that which is written Exo. 34. 11. Deut. 7. 1. Iosu. 23. 7. 12. of hauing familiaritie with those nations What pharisaicall righteousnesse is Pharisaicall righteousnesse consisteth in outward workes voide of the feare of God and of faith in God which as it looketh for heauen at Gods hand as a reward for his works so it hunteth for praise at mens hands for the visour of counterfait● holinesse Hemmyng PHASHVR Of the crueltie of this Priest to Ieremy the Prophet THis Phashur was the high Bishop of the Temple the ringleader of false Prophets and the chief heretiktaker that is ouerthrower of true godlynesse The dignitie of Priesthoode giuen vnto him he abused For hée taught not and reproued by the worde but feared the godlye with crueltie hée is not the greater man that striketh but hée is the stronger that is striken He not onelye stroke but also prisoned him that withstoode him not but patientlye looked for the helpe of GOD. It is no newe thing yée maye sée for Bishoppes doe persecute the Prophettes of the LORDE for the preaching of the truth and constancie T. M. ¶ Thus we sée that the thing which neither the king nor the Princes nor the people durst enterprise against the Prophet of God this Priest a chiefe instrument of Satan first attempted Read Chapter 18. 18. Geneua PHEBE What ministration this godly woman vsed in the Church of Cenchrea I Commend vnto you Phebe our sister ¶ Men thinke that this holy womā carried this Epistle of Paul to Rome She had ben a minister in the Church of Cenchrea not indéed in teching publikely but in looking to the poore which were susteined at the charges of the Church And what manner of widowes either as touching age or as touching manners were required to that charge it is at large set foorth in the Epistle to Timothy By what manner of meanes she was an helpe vnto Paule we know not but it is inough for vs our of this testimonie of Paule to vnderstand that she had oftentimes bene beneficiall both to many others as also to Paule himselfe She is héere thrée waies commended for that she was a sister for that she was a minister for that she had giuen hospitalitie to many others and to Paule also wherevnto also may be added that she was holye for Paule● straight way addeth as it becommeth Saints Héereby it is manifest the Christians that are straungers ought not onely therefore to be receiued for that they are bretheren but also for that they perteine to God as Saints wholy dedicated vnto him Cenchrea is a towne nigh vnto Corinth and a port or hauen longing to that towne Pet. Mar. vpon the Rom. fo 453. PHIGELLVS Of hi● heresie PHigellus and Hermogenes forsooke Paule and made shipwracke of their faith 2. Tim. 1. 15. Abdias Babilonius sayth that Philetus and Hermogenes sayde that Iesus was not the sonne of God PHILACTERIES What a Philacterie is THey make broade their Philacteries c. ¶ They weare scrowles of parchment wherin the commandements were written And to this day the Iewes vse the same and close them in a péece of Leather and so binde them to their browes and left arme to the intent they might haue continuall remembraunce of the lawe Geneua ¶ A Philacterie was a certeine paper or parchment where the ten commaundements were written And this daye the Pharesies and Scribes put rounde about their heads lyke a crowne thereby to perswade the simple and ignoraunt people that they were holy● and that they did diligently kéepe the law Sir I. Cheeke ¶ It was a thrid or ribband of blew silke in the fringe of a corner the beholding whereof made them to remember the lawes and ordinaunces of God And therefore was it called a Philacterie as you would saye a kéeper Nu. 15. 38. Deut. 6. 8. which order the Iewes afterward abused as they doe nowe adaies which hang S. Iohns Gospell about their neckes a thing condempned many yeares ago in the Councell of A●tioch Theo. Beza PHILIP Of the Martirdome of Philip the Apostle PHilip the holy Apostle after he had much laboured among the barbarous nations in preaching the word of saluation to them At length he suffered as the other Apostles did in Hierapolis a citie of Phrigia being there crucified and stoned to death where also he was buried and his daughters also with him Isido PHILOSOPHIE What Philosophy is IT is nothing else but the obseruing and eschewing of such things as reason iudgeth to be good or bad in the mutuall conuersation of lyfe W. Baldwyn Saint Austen sayth If they which becalled Philosophers specially of Plato his sect haue spoken ought that is true and appertinent to our fayth we ought not only not to feare it but also to chalenge it as our owne from them which are no right owners of it For like as the Aegyptians had not onely Idols and greate burdens which the Israelites did hate and flye but also vesselles ornamentes and goodly iewels of golde and siluer which the Israelites departing from Aegypt vnder the coulour of borrowing stole priuely from them not of theyr owne minde but by the commaundement of God to tourne that to a better vse which the Aegyptians abused So in the doctrine of the Gentiles are not onely conteined superstitious and feigned rites with greate burdens of vaine labour all which wée Christians following Christ out from among the vnbeléeuing Gentiles shoulde detest and auoide but also much good learning méete to serue the truth howe to worshippe the eternall and onely God W. Baldwyn Beware least anye man come and spoile you through Philosophie and vaine deceites ¶ Paule héere biddeth the Collo●sians take héede of such men that with their Philosophye went about to hinder the Gospell to stoppe the prosperous successe of Gods wrode abusing Gods giftes rebuking the euill conditions of men and not dispraisi●g the arte for hée himselfe was a great Philosopher Nowe if Philosohye did set foorth a false and vntrue matter that it confounded the fayth of many how much more is it able to set
seauenth daye hée rested and so shalt thou Saint Paule sayth he that laboureth not let him not eate And againe if any prouide not for his owne and specially for them of his householde the same hath denied the faith and is worse then an Infidell And so he commaundeth seruants to bée seruable vnto their maisters and to doe their worke truely behinde their backes as well as before their faces Now to declare y● true meaning of such scriptures as séemed to make for the Massalians S. Austen saith on this wise All such places of the Scriptures as seeme to commend continuall praieng are to be vnderstood of the learnedst the feruent perpetuall desire that we ought to haue to praye wherof we haue an example in that holy widowe named Anne the daughter of Phanuel Quae non discedebat de Templo ieiunijs ac deprecationibus ●eruiens nocte ac die In which wordes we must graunt the tropicall speach called Hiperbole For it cannot bée auoided but that this holy woman did eate drink and was sometime occupied about her necessarie businesse at home But because she was most commonly in the temple praieng therefore the Euangelist saith that shée was there night and daye So that the Saints do fulfill this Scripture praieng continually when they pray often and feruently to God And if anye man now should aske this question forasmuch as Christ hath forbidden much babling in the time of praieng whether do they ●in or no which do pray long To this is answered thus In a case they sinne and in a case they sinne not but doe verye well and godly In case they put their trust in their long praieng thinking that therefore they shall be heard as the Gentiles doe then they sinne as they doe and are condempned by the sentence of Christ in the Gospell But if they praye long with feruent faith and true deuotion then they sinne not no though they pray with often repeating of one praier but they folow the example of Christ which in mount Oliuete did oftentimes repeate one praier which in effect was none other but this Pater si possibile est transeat a me calex iste Wherefore Saint Austen most holyly and truely maketh a distinction betwixt Multum loqui multum precari Much babling and long praieng To pray long with godly and deuout exercising of the heart it is a good thing but to aske a good thing with superfluous an vnprofitable heape of wordes the minde not occupied it is naught And againe saith S. Austen How can any man condemne long praier séeing that of Christ it is written Quod pernoctauit in orando that he was occupied all night in praier But this doe I counsell saith Saint Austen Ad probam Si quis nausiam If any man supposeth lothsomenesse to arise of long praieng let him well consider although it be not long yet often it is lawfull to pray And whatsoeuer he be that so shall pray often he shall neuerthelesse fulfill the example of the Prophet Dauid which saith to the prouoking and teaching of all other men to praye often Benedicam Dominum in omni tempore semper laus ●ius in ore meo I will alwaies praise the Lord and euermore shall his praise be in my month Ric. Turnar ¶ Like as he that is in prison desireth euer to be deliuered whether he be eating drinking or sléeping as he that is sick destreth alwayes to bée whole euen so doth euery christen man pray continually yea euen when he séemeth not to pray For praier consisteth not in much babling Mat. 6. 7. but in spirite and veritie Iohn 4. 24. and in vehement desire of the heart towards God Tindale What the praiers of Saints in the Apocalips meaneth And when he had taken the booke the foure beastes and the. 24. elders fell downe before the lambe hauing euerie one harpes and golden Uialls full of odours which are the praiers of the Saints And in an other place of the same booke he saith And an other Angell came and stoode before the altar hauing a golden censour and much of odours were giuen vnto him that he shuld offer the praiers of the Saints vpon the gloden altar which is before the throne These places the Papists do alledge for the inuocation of Saints Aunswere Ye must vnderstand that there be two kinde of praiers the one is inuocation or petition the other is giuing of thankes laude and praise The petition if néede were might be proued by the fourth Chapter of the Epistle to the Philippians Wée call that inuocation when we desire some good thing to bée giuen vnto vs or some euill to be taken away from vs. Giuing of thanks doth conteine the praising and lauding or magnifieng of the name of God for his excéeding great benefits which we receiue daily and hourely at his hands It is manifest by y● which followeth that the Apostle doth speake of the last and not of the first These be the words and they song a new song saieng Thou art worthy to take the booke and to open the seales thereof because thou wast killed and hast redéemed vs to God by thy bloud out of euerie kinred and tongue and people and nation and hast made vs vnto our God kings and Priests we shall reigne on the earth Now what doth this make for the intercession of the blessed spirits or soules that the Saints doe sing praises vnto God in heauen In the other place is meant none other but that the Angell did ioyne his laude and praise which hée gaue vnto God with the Hymnes and songs of the elect Saint Austen expounding this place writeth thus Alius Angelus ipse est Iesus Christus c. The other Angell sayth he is Iesus Christ hauing a golden censour which is an holy body for the Lord himselfe was made a censour out of the which God receiued a swéete odour and was made mercifull vnto the worlde for hée offered himselfe a sacrifice of swéete smell and the Angell did take the censour and did fill it with the fire of the altar Iesus tooke a body that is to say the Church and did fill it with the fire of the holye Ghost The meaning of this place following Withdrawe not your selues one from an other ¶ S. Paule speaketh not this of that kinde of prayer that is commonly and dayly vsed of all faithfull as well married as vnmarried but onely of the generall and solemne prayer of the whole congregation which then as in time of persecution and feare of enimies was kept onely in the night And all the whole multitude of the faythfull was charged to be present at the same At which time it was necessarie that both the man and the woman should leaue the others companie and resort to prayer To this reade Ioel. 2. at the place Blow vp the trumpet in Syon Iewel fol. 172. A praier for the King and chiefe
gouernour Exaudiatte Dominus in die tribulatione protiget te nomen Dei Iacob The Lord heare thée in the day of trouble the name of the God of Iacob defend thée These words be words of praier and to be offered vnto God for the preseruation of the king Therefore when ye do pray and say The Lord heare thée vnderstand for example by this word Thée our king or chiefe gouernour and then the praier is plaine And héere by the way note that the Prophet sayth not as the olde superstition was wont our blessed Lady and all the whole companie of heuen heare thée for thē he had taught vs to cal vpon creatures which can neither heare vs nor helpe vs but the Prophet as he doth alwaies so he doth héere teach vs to crie vnto God himselfe in the day of trouble And in that he saith the name of the God of Iacob defend thée it is nothing els to say but the power the might of the most high omnipotent God of Iacob defend thée Ric. Turnar What priuate praier is Priuate praier is made vnto God by euery faithfull man in what place so euer either in the house or without doores in the closet of his hart temple of his own body For S. Peter went vp into the vppermost part of the house praier Act. 10. 9. S. Paule 1. Tim. 2. sayth I will therefore that the men pray euery where lifting vp pure hands And Christ our Lord himself very often departed euen out of the temple into the mount to pray And in the Gospell Mat. 6. he saith When thou praiest enter into thy chamber and when thou hast shut the doore pray to thy father which is in secret c. Bullinger Of publike praier Publike praier is that which is vsed vnto God in the holy assemblie according to the accustomed order of euery Church Bullinger fol. 914. PREACHERS What doctrine preachers ought to teach TEaching them to obserue all things whatsoeuer I commaund you ¶ Héere doe all Preachers learne what they should teach nothing els but Gods word nothing else but that the Lord hath commaunded them Not their owne dreames and inuentions Sir I. Cheeke ¶ Men may not teach their owne doctrine but whatsoeuer● Christ hath taught for he reserueth this authoritie to himselfe to be the onely teacher and author of the doctrine Geneua That we must not presume of inspiration without preaching Saule was sent by the vision to Damascus to Ananias to be instructed and yet we maye not despise the meanest minister that teacheth vs for Ananias and Philip were meane and obscure and vnknowne men this is not notable yet Paule who was notable and instructed at the fée●e of Gama●●el was sent vnto them by the vision Cornelius was sent to Peter The Eunuch vnderstood not till Phlip came vnto him Dauid could not vnderstand the ridle of Nathan vntil it was by Nathan himselfe expounded How Preachers ought not to yeeld to the wicked Moses sayd to Pharao there shall not one hoofe therof be left for thereof we must serue the Lord our God What weapons the preachers must vse They must fight with the word not with the swoord their weapons are praiers and teares What Preachers may flye when and in what place But if it be in such a case that the minister alone is sought after by the enimie or be forsaken of them which were his congregation or if no ruine or detriment ensue vnto the congregation by his departing then is there no cause why he may not reserue himselfe for a more commodious season But they that forsake the publike cause of the congregation goe from them that holde fast the profession of fayth these indéede be Apostatus and hirelings who Christ saith vse to flye when the woolfe comes Iohn 10. 5. We ought to followe Saint Ambrose who denied to deliuer his Churches to the Arrians although y● Emperour commaunded Gualter Suelacts fol. 358. This saieng when they persecute you in one citie flye to an other c. was spoken vnto the Apostles because the building of the Church depended vpon their preaching who were also but fewe in number It was méete therefore that they should be preserued vntill the worke were ended But once hauing perswaded their congregatio●s to the faith and hauing ended their worke it was méet that they should refuse to flye seal● their doctrine with their ●loud as they did indéede because then the ●earcitie of Preachers being holpen it was méete that the members of new conuerts should be confirmed c. Of generall preaching By the vse of generall preaching neither had Dauid bene touched by Nathan to repentance nor Herode bene touched by Iohn Baptist to griefe For he that speaketh generally speaketh to no man PREDESTINATION What Predestination is PRedestination is Gods euerlasting and vnchaungeable ordinaunce going in order before all the causes of saluation and dampnation whereby God hath determined to bée glorified by some by sauing them of his owne méere grace in Christ and in other some by dampning them through his rightfull iudgement in Adam and in themselues And after the custome of the Scripture we call the sormer sorte the vessells of glorye and the elect or chosen that is to saye folkes appointed to saluation before the world through mercye And the other sort we call reprobates or castawayes and vessells of wrath that is to saye appointed likewise to rightfull dampnation from euerlasting either of both which GOD hath knowne seuerally from time without beginning Theo. Beza By the eternall Predestination of GOD is vnderstoode his eternall ordinaunce whereby hée hath ordeined before the creation of the worlde that which hée hath determined to doe with all men to be glorified in them as well in his mercy as in his iust iudgement In his mercy he is glorified in shewing the riches of his glorie in his vessells of mercye which are his chosen y● which he hath prepared to glory in the iust iudgement he is glorified in shewing his wrath and giuing to vnderstanding his power after that he hath endured in greate patience the vessells of wrath prepared to perdition P. Viret I thinke it best with this definition to begin with that that the Logitians call Quid nominis what the worde signifieth The Grecians call Predestination Oûproris non of this Uerbe Cûporitas which signifieth to determine and appoint before For Oros is Terminus that is a bande or limit Wherefore the elect are seperated a sunder from them that are not elect the Latine men call it Praedestinatio For Destinare is nothing else but firmely to determine and constantly to appoint anye thing in the minde or by some firme decrée of the minde to direct anye thing to some one end But Predestination which wée speake of maye bée taken two manner of wayes either as touching the bringing of it to the effect as that Paule going to Damascus was conuerted to Christ and by that
teach thée wit learne thée to tame thy body subdue it cast a low foundation that in time thou maist the better resist the assaults of the Diuell the world and the flesh This doth Frith teach of Repentance let the world take it as they will but Christs Shéepe doe heare his voice I. Frith fol. 74. REPROBATION A definition of this word Reprobation REprobation is the most wise purpose of God whereby hée hath before all eternitie constantly decréed without any iniustice not to haue mercie of those whom he hath not loued but hath ouerhipped that by their iust condemnation he might declare his wrath towards sinners and also his glory Pet. Mar. vpon the Rom. fol. 293. How the iust cause of reprobation is hid vnto vs. We say not that Gods ordinaunce is the cause of reprobation but we affirme that the iust causes of reprobation are hid in the eternall counsell of God known to his godly wisdome alone but the causes of sin of death damnation are euident manifestly declared to vs in the scriptures to wit mans fr●e-wil consenting to the deceiueable perswasion of the diuell wilful ●inne and voluntary rebellion by which entred death into this world the contempt of graces and Gods mercies offered with the heaping vp of sinne vpon sinne till damnation iustly came The causes I say of sinne death and damnation are plainly noted vnto vs in Gods holy Scriptures But why it pleased God to shewe mercie to some and denie the same to others because the iudgments of God are a deuouring depth we enter not in reasoning with him but with all humilitie render thanks to his Maiestie for the grace and mercie which we doubt not but of his frée grace we haue receiued in Christ Iesu our onely head Knox. RESERVING OF BREAD ¶ Looke Bread REST. How rest is heere vnderstood IF they shall enter into my rest ¶ God by his rest after the creation of his workes signified the spirituall rest of the faithfull yet he sware to giue rest in Canaan which was but a figure of the heauenlye rest and dured but for a time Geneua How rest is taken heere for the lande of Canaan They shall not enter into my rest ¶ That is into the lande of Canaan where he promised them rest Geneua How rest is sometime taken for doctrine This is the rest giue rest to him that is weary ¶ This is the doctrine wherevpon ye ought to staye and rest Shewe to them that are wearie and haue neede of rest what is the true rest Geneua RESVRRECTION How that we all doe rise by Christ. I Am the resurrection and the life ¶ That is I am the Author of resurrection and life For those that beleeue in me will I raise vp at the last day vnto life euerlasting those that are dead shall lyue by me because they beléeued in me Tindale ¶ Christ restoreth vs from death to giue vs euerlasting life Geneua The meaning of this place following Since they are the children of the resurrection ¶ That is men pertakers of the resurrection For as we say truly y● they shall lyue indéede which shall enioye euerlasting blisse so doe they rise indéede that rise to lyfe though this word resur●●ction be taken generally it betokeneth also to the wicked which shal rise to condemnation which is not properly life but death Beza ¶ For although the wicked rise againe yet that life is but death and an eternall destruction Geneua Infallible tokens of Christs resurrection By many infallible tokens c. He calleth these infallible tokens which were otherwise termed necessary now in that Christ spake and walked and eate and was felte of manye these are sure signes and tokens that he truely rose againe Beza What the first resurrection is This is the first Resurrection ¶ Which is to receiue Iesus Christ in true faith and to rise from sinne in newnesse of lyfe Geneua Of two resurrections Ther be two sorts of resurrections expressed in Gods word of which it is written Likewise as Christ was raised vp from death by the glory of the father euen so we also should walke in a new life This new life is the resurrection from sin Christs raising is the other resurrection that is of the bodye which began in Christ the first fruits of the dead for Paule saith He that raised vp Christ from death shall quicken our mortall bodyes and in another place It shall rise a spirituall bodye Roger Hutchynson REVVARD How reward is deserued HE shall not loose his reward ¶ That is whatsoeuer thou workest at the commaundement of God thou shalt haue the same rewarde therefore that appertaineth to a faithfull worker which is life euerlasting not that it is due to thy work but to thy faith out of the which thy worke proceedeth for wée receiue that promise by faith and not by workes Tindale Shall reward thée openly ¶ We ought not to thinke because that Christ maketh héere mention of a reward that we do merit or deserue any thing but rather we ought to acknowledge that God of his méere mercie rewardeth in vs his owne giftes for what hath he that giueth almes that he hath not receiued He then that giueth any manner thing to a poore man giueth not of his owne but of those goods that he hath receiued of God Sir I. Cheek Or els ye shall haue no reward of your father which is in Heauen ¶ This word Reward is alwaies taken in the Scriptures for a frée recompence and therefore the schoolemen doe fondly set it to be aunswerable to a deseruing which they call merite Concerning this word Merces Reward there hath bene much strife The occasion of the Contention hath bene this Forasmuch as that thing which euery man shal receiue of God according to the measure of his good workes and godlinesse of this lyfe Christ doth call it Merces multa copiosa Therefore some haue gone about to proue that we by our good works otherwise called merites doe deserue Heauen and then if that be true as Saint Paule saith Christ died but in vaine For and if the benefite of iustification come by workes then no gramercie for the grace of God for the merites of Christ. To solute therefore this cauillation learned men doe gr●unt that the quyethesse of conscience good name and good fame in this lyfe and lyfe euerlasting after this lyfe is called Merces not for because that our merites or good déeds in this life be able to deserue the ioyes of heauen For as Paule saith Non sunt condigne passionis c. Nor againe it is not called Merces because that the merits and good workes that we doe are but Gods giftes Qui operatur in nobis velle perficere but our receipt is called Merces reward albeit most meruailously surmoūteth all our deseruings be they neuer so great To this ende and purpose to prouoke vs
froward man saith S. Austen so long as hee hath all things after his owne will pleasure so long he ●audeth and praiseth God But if he be a little pinched with pouertie aduersitie then he raileth curseth then he banneth and blasphemeth God his most righteous works but the righteous vpright men they euermore laud praise God as wel in aduersitie as in prosperitie euen as Iob did therefore saith th● Prophet to you that be righteous that is men truly penitent sorie for your offences trusting through Gods mercie all your sins to be couered not imputed nor neuer to be layd to your charge to you I say Exultate iusti in Domino O ye righteous reioyce ye in the Lord. The prooues Christ allowed the praise and confession of Peter when hée sayd Tu es Christus filius Dei viui Thou art Christ the sonne of the liuing God And dispraised the man possessed with the Legion of Diuells who confessed as much as Peter did when he ran to Iesus and fell downe vpon his knées and worshipped saieng Quid mihi tibi Iesu filij Dei altissimi O Iesu the sonne of God the most highest what haue I to doe with thée When Symon Magus had fained him to beleeue in Christ wold haue bought the gift of the holy ghost for mony Peter said vnto him thy mony perish w e thee because thou wéenest the the gift of God may be obtained with money Thou hast neither parte nor fellowship in his businesse for thy heart is not right in the sight of God c. The wicked may with their mouth crye Domine Domine but note what I set by their praise saith Christ I shall saye vnto them Ego non noui vos I know you not I allow you not nor it was no pleasure to me to heare you praye or preach It was but blasphemy Non erat collaudatio it was no true praise it was but such as Symon Magus did giue vnto God or such as Bariesu would fayne haue giuen vnto God whom Saint Paule rebuked saieng O thou full of guile and of deceipt the sonne of the Diuell the enimie vnto all goodnesse thou ceasest not to subuerte the right wayes of the Lord. Richard Turnar RIGHTEOVSNESSE What righteousnesse is RIghteousnesse is the méere gifte of God without the workes of the lawe and is not paid as a due debt but bestowed on the beleeuers as a grace Beza The name of righteousnesse is not restrained to anye one man but betokeneth all the worshipers of God without exception Howbeit the Scripture calleth those men righteous not which are accounted such for desert of their workes but such as doe long after righteousnesse because that after the Lord hath imbraced them with his fauour in not ●aieng their sinnes to their charge he accepteth their rightfull indeuour for ful perfection of righteousnesse Cal. vpon the. 5. Psa. ve 13. The Christian righteousnesse Although saith the Christian I am a sinner by the lawe vnder the condition of the law yet I dispaire not yet I dye not because Christ lyueth which is both my righteousnesse and euerlasting lyfe in that righteousnesse and lyfe I haue no sinne no feare no stinge of conscience no care of death I am in déede a sinner as touching this present lyfe and the righteousnesse thereof and the childe of Adam where the lawe accuseth me death raigneth ouer me and at length will deuoure me But I haue another righteousnesse of lyfe aboue this lyfe which is Christ the sonne of GOD who knoweth no Sinne nor Death but is righteous and lyfe eternall by whom this body being dead brought into dust shall be raised again deliuered from the bondage of the law and sinne and shall be sanctified together with the spirit Luther vpon the G●l ●ol 6. Of the righteousnesse which commeth by faith But the righteousnesse which is of faith speaketh on this wise Say not in thy heart c. ¶ That is to say he that is iustified through fayth is not curious he doubteth of nothing that perteineth to his saluation but● is perswaded that in Christ he hath the full redemption He asketh not for signes from heauen where he knoweth his Sauiour and mediatour is he goeth not about to learne the truth by the dead for he beleeueth that Christ being risen from death did teach all truth Read the 13. chapter of Deut. Sir I. Cheeke Say not c. ¶ Because we cannot performe the lawe it maketh vs to doubt who shall goe to heauen and to saye who shall goe downe to the déepe to deliuer vs thence But faith teacheth vs that Christ is ascended vp to take vs vp with him and had descended into the deapth of death to destroy death deliuer vs. Geneua And he receiued the signe of circumcision as a seale of the righteousnesse ¶ This is the righteousnesse of fayth whereof mention is made heere and in many other places if through faith we doe take hold vpon the mercie of God declared vnto vs in our Sauiour Iesus Christ. We are through the same faith counted as righteous before God as if we had fulfilled the law to the vttermost Sir I. Cheeke Saint Austen saith thus in one place The righteousnesse of the Saints in this world standeth rather in the forgiuenesse of sinnes then in perfection of vertues wherewith agrée the notable sentences of Barnard Not to sinne is the righteousnesse of God but the righteousnesse of man is the mercifull kindnesse of God he had before affirmed that Christ is to vs righteousnes in absolution and therefore that they only are righteous that haue obteined pardon and mercye Cal. in his Inst. 3. b. chap. 11. Sect. 12. How by the righteousnesse of Christ we obteine to be iustified By the onely meane of Christs righteousnesse we obteine to be iustified before c. Saint Ambrose hath excellently well shewed how there is an example of this righteousnesse in the blessing of Iacob For as Iacob hauing not deserued the preheminence of the first begotten sonne hidde himselfe in the apparell of his brother beeing clothed with his brothers coate that fauoured of a swéete smell hée crept into the fauour of his father and receiued the blessing to his own commoditie vnder the person of an other So we doe lye hidden vnder the precious purenesse of Christ our elder brother that we may gette a testimonie of righteousnesse in the sight of God The words of Ambrose be these Whereas Isaac smelt the sauour of the garmentes peraduenture this is meant thereby that we are not iustified by works but by faith because fleshly weaknesse hindereth workes but the brightnesse of faith which meriteth forgiuenesse of sinnes ouershaddoweth the errour of déedes And truely so it is that we maye appeare before the faith of God vnto saluation it is necessary for vs to smel swéetly with his odour and to haue our faultes couered and buryed with his
the sorrowful affliction of his poore flocke being so long vnder persecution the space of 300. yeares and so to asswage their griefes and torments which is meant by binding vp of Satan worker of all these mischiefes Understanding thereby that for so much as the Diuell Prince of this worlde hadde now by the death of Christ the sonne of God lost all his power and interest against the soule of man shuld turne his furious rage and mallice which he had to Christ against the people of Christ. Which is ment by the héele of the seede Gen. 3. 15. in tormenting their outward bodies Which yet should not be for euer but for a determinate time when as it should please the Lord to bridle the malice and snaffle the power of the olde Serpent and giue rest vnto his Church for the terme of a thousand yeares Which time béeing expired the said Serpent should be suffered loose againe for a certaine or a small time In the bo of Mart. fol. 493. SATISFACTION What is vnderstood by this word satisfaction AS pertaining to satisfaction this wise vnderstande that he that loueth God hath a commaundement as S. Iohn saith in the. 4. chapter of his first Epistle ver 21. to loue his neighbour also Whom if thou haue offended thou must make him amends or satisfaction or at the least way if thou be not able aske him forgiuenesse and if he will haue mercie of God he is bounde to forgiue thée If he will not yet God forgiueth thée if thou thus submit thy selfe But to God ward Christ is a perpetuall an ●uerlasting satisfaction for euermore As oft as thou fallest through frailtie repent and come againe and thou art safe and welcome as thou maist sée by the similitude of the riotous son Lu. 15. If thou be lepen out of sanctuary come in again If thou be fallen from the way of truth come thereto againe and thou art safe If thou be gone astray come into field againe the shepheard Christ shall saue thée yea and the Angells of heauen shall rei●yce at thy comming so farre it is that any man shall beate thée or chide thée If any Pharesie enuie thée grudge at thee or rayle vpon thée thy father shall make answere for thee as thou séest in the fore-rehearsed likenesse or Parable Whosoeuer therefore is gone out of the way by whatsoeuer chaunce it be let him come to his Baptime againe and vnto the profession thereof and he shall be safe For though that the washing of Baptime be past yet the power thereof that is to say the word of God which Baptime preacheth lasteth for euer and saueth 〈…〉 As Paule is past and gone ●enerthelesse the Lord the Paul preached lasteth euer and saueth euer as many as come theretoo with a repenting heart and stedfast faith Héereby seest thou that when they make penaunce of repentaunce and call it a Sacrament and deuide it into contrition confession and satisfaction they speake of their owne heads and lye falsely Tindale fol. 149. How hurtfull the doctrine of satisfaction is The Schoolemen doe call satisfaction the worke of pe●ance enioined by the Priest after the Auricular confession And héere they make much adoe that the satisfaction be neither lesse nor lighter then counteruaileth the waight of the sinne This doctrine of satisfaction doth excéedingly darken the clearenesse of the grace of Christ it doth make mens consciences either falsely assured when they suppose that they haue satisfied either it doth piteously torment them when they cannot tell by what time they haue satisfied in the sight of God for one sinne much lesse for all their sinnes Beside that it hath not opened one gap but all dores windowes and arches c. to the Popes mark●t to gape vpon pardons and for the traffike of Priests Masses to deliuer soules out of Purgatorie wherefore all godly doe worthely abhorre it The doctrine of the Gospell doth denounce vnto vs pardon of our sinnes by the bloud of Christ by the shedding whereof there is satisfaction made not onely for ours but for the sinnes of all the world And wheresoeuer this grace doth take place that satisfaction hath nothing to doe we could beare with them if they said that like as the faith in Christ is reputed for righteousnesse to the beléeuers according to the example of Abraham so repentaunce is of mercie and frankly imputed for satisfaction As we maye perceiue it was in the prod●gall sonne whose returne and repentaunce his father of his right fatherly clemencie did accept for a most sufficient satisfaction and sought nothing further of him This meaning of satisfaction doth derogate nothing from the grace of God but doth excéedingly aduaunce it It maketh nothing for the gaine and iuglings of the Popes markets but it maketh much to the quieting of our consciences Wherefore we will sticke vnto it and we wil leane the trumpery wares of counterfaite satisfactions to the Pope and his Priests and Friers Musculus fol. 219. Of two manner of satisfactions There are two manner of satisfactions the one is to God the other to my neighbour To God cannot all the world make satisfaction for one sinne insomuch as if euery grasse of the ground were a man as holy as euer was Paule or Peter and shuld pray vnto God all their life long for one crime yet could they not make satisfaction for it but it is onely the bloude of Christ that hath made full satisfaction vnto God for all such crimes Heb. 7. or els were there none other remedie but wee should all perish There is another satisfaction which is to my neighbour whom I haue offended whom I am bound to pacifie as we can agrée and as the Lawe of the Realme determineth betweene vs as if I had defamed him then am I bounde to pacifie him and to restore him to his good name againe If I haue murthered any man then by the lawes of the Realme I must dye for it to pacifie my neighbour and the Common-wealth but yet I am sure that Rastal is not so childish as to thinke that this eiuill satisfaction is the very satisfaction which pacifieth Gods wrath for breaking his lawe for if thou murther a man and should dye an hundred times for it yet except thou haue satisfaction in Christs bloud and so I speake that no temporall paine was instituted of God for the intent that wée should satisfie Gods wrath thereby c. Frith fol. 74. SATVRNINVS Of his opinions THis man was of Antioch he taught in all points as Menander did before him He affirmed that Christ had no true body but a phantasticall body and that there was no resurrection Adding moreouer that marriage and procreation was of the Diuell Ireneus lib. 1. cap. 22. Eus. li. 4. cap. 6. SAVIOVRS How that there is no moe Sauiours then one AN aunswere to those that asketh whether Paule goe about to make manie Sauiours doe this and then thou shalt saue thy selfe and other ¶
owe thée euill will ¶ Scornful or mocking persons after Dauid Kimhi are those which be subtill and craftie to hurt other and which are ready to defame other and to open and tell secrets and so to breake concord vnitie those also which make a mocke at the word of God and despise it for foolishnesse as in the 14. 6. and. 19. 25. and. 22. 10. ¶ Rebuke not a scorner c. Meaning them that are incorrigible which Christ calleth dogs swine or he speaketh this in comparison not that the wicked should not be rebuked but hée sheweth their mallice and the small hope of profit Geneua SCORPION The Papists compared to Scorpions IN three resp●cts are Heretikes and specially the Disciples of Antichrist Hipocrites compared to Scorpions First because that lyke as a Scorpion whereas he is milde to looke vnto doth at length strike priuely with venomous sting for these men pretend simplicitie before the world and yet worke mischiefe by defaming men behinde their backes Secondly because that the Scorpions ●ting s 〈…〉 ngeth with his taile so these men preferre temporail gaine before spirituall graces wound mens consciences deadly when they promise most to help thē And thirdly because that when a Scorpion stingeth with his taile he is not felt at the first but yet sheweth in his poyson by little and little afterward So they that be beguiled with those Heretikes féele not the wound at the first but when the poyson hath rankeled through all the inward parts then they feele thēselues stong in the end Of these men the Apostle writeth thus They that be of that sect serue not the Lord Iesus but their bellies and deceiue the hearts of the simple through faire speach flatterie Marl. vpon the Apoc. fol. 129. ¶ They stung their consciences with terrible dreames and visions and with fearfull re●elations of Purgatorie of Hell to builde them vp faire houses and to lyue in wealth and pleasure Finally they venomed their faith with their poysoned councells and promises so tooke they from them y● true hope in Christ making merchandise of them through couetousnes faire words Thus cloystering together lyke Locusts they haue left nothing gréene but they haue withered and destroyed No workes might then be vsed of Gods prescription but such as were fantasied by them for aduauntage as Masses founding Chauntries building Priests singing Images gylting kissing of reliques praieng to dead men and such lyke And when they were once franke and full they stoode vp togethers proudly against the Lord and his word Bale ¶ As the Scorpions of the earth haue power That is secretly to persecute and to sting with their taile as Scorpions do such is the fashion of the Hypocrites Geneua As the paine that commeth of a Scorpion when hée hath stong a man ¶ For at the beginning the sting of the conscience séemeth as nothing but except they soone seeke remedye they perish Esay 2. 19. Ose. 10. 8. Luke 23. 30. Geneua SCRIBE What a Scribe is A Scribe was he that had the office of interpreting aunswering vnto the sentences of the Prophets as it appeareth of Herod as king the Scribes in the third chapter afore In an other place he supposeth that they wer officers as our Bishops Chauncelers Commissioners Archdeacons Officials Tind Euery Scribe which is taught c. ¶ The office of Scribes was to interpret and to expound the Law and the Prophets He is then a Scribe taught to the Kingdome of God that hath the spirit that is to say the true meaning of the Law and of the Prophets and not onely out of the dead letter but out of the treasure of his heart and with a feruent spirite of GOD bringeth ●oorth Christ out of the Lawe and Prophets Sir I. Cheeke ¶ Because the Scribes office was to expound the scriptures he meaneth him that doth interpret them aright and according to the spirit Geneua ¶ Euery Scribe bringeth forth of his treasure things both new and olde new things that is the swéete tidings of y● Gospell to vnbinde vs and olde things that is the olde Testament and Moses lawe to binde vs. The Scribes were the Doctors of the Lawe foolish and superstitious Glosers maintainers of blinde customes contrarye to the truth Epiph. de haeres SCRIPTVRE How the Scriptures are easie to be vnderstood IT may be said the Scriptures are hard yet that notwithstanding if thou read them they shall doe thee good for the Lord Iesus Christ if he finde vs occupied in the scriptures and exercised in the studie thereof not only vouchsafeth himselfe to be refreshed and fed in vs but also séeing such a banket prepared bringeth with him his father vnto vs. Origen in his 20. hom vpon Iosua Northbrooke At the comming of Messias the people shall be lifted vp and shall prophecie that before lay asléepe vnder their masters And they shall goe vnto the mountaines of the Scriptures there shall they finde Mountaines Moses and Iosua the sonne of Nun the Mountaines of the Prophets the Mountaines of the new Testament the Apostles and Euangelists and when they shall flye to such Mountaines and shall be occupied in the reading therof if they finde not one to teach them yet shal their indeuour or good minde be allowed for that they haue fledde to the Mountaines Hierom vpon the. 3. Chap. of Nahum I. Northbrooke It cannot be possible that he that with earnest studie and feruent desire readeth the Scriptures should euermore be forsaken for although he want the instruction of man yet God him selfe from aboue entring into our hearts lighteneth the minde powreth his beames into our wits openeth things that wer hidden becommeth vnto vs a schoolemaster of that we know not Namely if we will doe so much as lyeth in vs. Chrisost. in his 36. hom vpon Genesis I. Northbrooke We by our selues without a master shal be able to vnderstand the things which are there intreated off So that we occupie our selues in these Epistles day and night for we doe not by the sharpnesse of wit and vnderstanding pearse vnto all those things which we vnderstand For euen they which are of more dull wits doe by continuall studie atteine to hard things Euen as the cogitations and senses of man are most hard to bée knowne yet notwithstanding our friends whom we feruently loue and with whom we are continually conuersant do oftentimes euen by a becke open vnto vs the cogitations and senses of their mindes without any token of words speach by them spoken So shall it come to passe in these Epistles of holy scriptures so that a man loue them and be continually conuersant in them He which asketh receiueth and he which séeketh findeth vnto him that knocketh it shall be opened Chris. in his Pref. to the Rom. I. N. The Scripture of God is lyke vnto a Pothecaries shoppe full of medicines of sundrie sortes that euery
man may there choose a conuenient remedie for his disease Basil vpon the first Psal. I. Northbrooke In the word of God is plentie for the strong man to eate there is inough for the childe to sucke There is also milke to drinke wherwith the tender infants of the faithfull be nourished and strong meats wherwith the lustie youth of them that is perfect may receiue the spirituall increasement of holy vertue Fulgentius in his Sermon of the confessours I. Northb. Nothing can deceiue them that search the holy Scriptures for that is the candle whereby the theefe is spied Theophilactus of Lazarus I. N. The Scripture is a flud wherin the little lambe may wade and the great Olyphant may swimme Gregorie in his Epistle to Leonard I. N. The Scriptures are easie to the slaue to the husbandman to the childe and to him that may séeme to be verye simple of vnderstanding Chrisost. in his first Homil. vpon Mat. How Christ and the Church are learned in the Scriptures In the Scriptures we haue learned Christ In the Scriptures we haue learned the Church These Scriptures wée haue commonlye and why doe wee not commonlye retaine both Christ and the Church in them August Epist. 166. Against them that finde fault that the Scriptures be darke The holy spirit hath so nobly and wholesomely tempered the holy Scriptures that he might with the easie places of it serue the greedy hunger of men and with the dark places to take away the loathsomenesse For there is no point almost found in the darknesse of it which is not plainely spoken in some other place Whereby saith Musculus it is manifest inough that if any thing be spoken darkly in some place of the Scriptures the light of it must be sought ought of those places where the matter is more plainly expressed c. Mus. fol. 151. Where things are more plainely vttered in the Scriptures there must we learne how they are to be vnderstood in darke places August li. 83. quest Let vs come saith Chrisostome to the leuell and marke of the holy Scripture which doth expound it selfe And by and by after The sacred Scripture expoundeth himselfe and suffereth not the hearer for to erre Chrisostom in his 2. chap. Gen. Homil. 13. In the Scriptures are all things needfull for our saluation The holy Scriptures béeing inspired from God are sufficient to all instructions of truth Athanasius against the Gentiles Not all things the the Lord Iesus did are written as the Euangelist witnesseth For the Lord both did sayd many things that are not written but these were chosen out to be written which séemed sufficient for the saluation of the vnbeleeuers Augustin to the Bre. in the wildernesse in his 49. treatise vppon Iohn Whatsoeuer is required for our saluation is already conteined in the holy Scriptures He that is ignoraunt shall finde there what he may learne He that is stubburne and a sinner may finde there scourges of the iudgement to come the which he may feare He that is troubled may finde ioyes and promises of euer●asting lyfe through the beholding of which he may be stirred to good works Chrisost. in his 19. Homil. vpon Math. Reade the Scriptures wherein ye shall finde fully what is to be followed and what is to be auoided not all thinges that our Lorde Iesus did are written c. As before is sayd Augustine to the brethren in c. For as much as Christ himselfe hath not reuealed these things which of vs will saye they bée these or these For who is there either so vaine or so rash who notwithstanding hée speaketh the truth to whome he lysteth and what he ly●teth will affirme without anye testimonie of the Scriptures that these be the things that the Lord would not then open Augustine in the. 96. treatise vpon Iohn If there be anie thing néedfull to be knowne or not to b●e knowne we shall learne it by the holy Scriptures if we shall néed to report a falsehood we shal fetch it out from thence if to be corrected to be chastened to be exhorted or comforted to be short if ought lacke that ought to be taught or learned we shall also learne it out of the same Scriptures Chrisost. vpon the. 2. of Tim. the 3. chap. Lyke as in a Merchaunts ship are carried diuerse things necessarie for mans lyfe So in the Scriptures are conteined all things néedfull to saluation Lyra vpon the last chap. of the Prouerbs How holy Scripture is to be read Now to the intent that the reading of holy Scripture may be to our profite we must applye our selues to it not onelye thankfully and reuerently but also with great sobernesse and pure affection ioyning prayer therevnto also For God reuealeth his mysteries out of heauen Dan. 2. 18. He giueth vnderstanding to the lyttle ones Psal. 119. 130. according also as Christ teacheth Mat. 12. 25. Notwithstanding for as much as it is not giuen to all men to read holy writ ther is expresse mention made of hearing which ingendereth faith by the effectuall working of y● holy Ghost in mens harts for fayth commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God Rom. 10. 27. Marl. vpon the Apoc. fol. 6. ¶ Looke Search Of the ignoraunce and knowledge of Scriptures Ignoraunce of the Scriptures sayth Saint Hierome is the mother and cause of errours And in an other place he saith the knowledge of the Scriptures is the food of euerlasting life Hierom. in the. 23. of Math. How by the Scriptures all doubts are tried Consider in what daunger they be that haue no care to read the holy Scriptures for by the same Scriptures only the iudgement of this triall must be allowed Origen in his ●0 boo 16. chap. to the Rom. Neuer moue question héereof but onely learne of the holy Scriptures For the onely proues that ye shall there finde are sufficient to proue the Godhead of the holy God We must needes call to witnesse the holy Scriptures for our iudgements and expositions without these witnesses they carrie no credit Origen in his first Homely vpon Ieremy We must read the Scriptures with all dilligence and bée occupied in the lawe of the Lord both day night y● we may become perfect exchangers be able rightly to discerne what money is lawfull and what is counterfait Hierom. in his 3. b. and. 5. chap. to the Ephe. I require the voice of the shepheard read me this matter out of the Prophets read me out of the Psalmes read it out of the lawe read it out of the Gospels read it out of the Apostles August in his booke of Pastors the. 14. chap. Neither will I alleadge the Councell of Nice against you nor shall you alleadge the Councell of Arminium against mée By the authoritie of Scriptures let vs weigh matter with matter cause with cause
fol. 102. 103. Who brought singing first into the West Church Saint Austen in his booke of Confessions testifieth that singing in the west Church happened in the time of Ambrose For when that holy man together with the people watched euen in the Church least he should haue béene betraied vnto the A●ans he brought in singing to auoide tediousnesse and to driue away the time The iudgement of diuerse learned men concerning singing Franciscus Petrarcha in his booke De remedijs vtriusque fortunae declareth that S. Athanasius did vtterly forbid singing to be vsed in the Church at seruice time because saith hee he would put away all lightnesse and vanitie which by the reason of singing doth oftentimes arise in the mindes both of the singers and of the hearers We ought saith S. Hierome to sing to make melodye and to praise the Lord rather in minde then in voice And this it is that is sayd Singing and making melodie to the Lord in your hearts Let young men sayth he heare these things yea let thē heare whose office it is to sing in the Church that they must sing to God not in the voice but in the hart neither must their throate be annointed after the manner of game plaiers with swéete ointments that in the church singing more sit for game-players should be heard but in feare in worke in knowledge of the Scriptures ought they to sing in the Lord. Let the voice of the singer so sing that not the voice of him y● singeth but the wordes that are read may delight It is without doubt sayth Saint Ambrose a great incrudelitie and vnfaithfulnesse to thinke thus of the power of God that thou canst not be heard except thou criest out Let thy worke cry let thy faith cry let thy minde cry let thy passions sufferings cry let thy bloud as the bloud of holy Abel cry wherof God said to Cain the voice of thy brothers bloud crieth vnto me For he heareth in secret which maketh cleane in secret We cannot heare man except he speaketh vnto vs but vnto God not words but thoughts doe speake Guilhelmus Durandus saith that the vse of singing was ordeined for carnall and fleshly men and not for spirituall godly minded men Rat. Di. Off. Saint Gregory did greatly disalow certeine deacons of Rome in his time which when they ought by their office to haue giuē their mindes to the preaching of the Gospell and the prouision for the poore set all their pleasure on pleasaunt singing not caring how they liued afore God so that with their voices they might please the world He was therefore compelled to make a decrée that all such as be in the holy ministrie should from thence forth vnder the paine of excommunication giue their mindes no more to singing but applye themselues to the studies of the holy Scriptures and the reading of the Gospell S. Iohn Chrisostome saith on this manner It is the dutie of a deuout minde to pray to God not with the voice or with the sound of the voice but with the deuotion of the minde and with the faith of the heart Againe he sayth the crieng of the voice is not the worke in praier vnto God whome we knowe that he beholdeth the secrets of the heart but the crieng of faith the deuotion of a godly pure minde Therfore the best way to pray is to pray with hart minde spirit soule inward mā Erasmus Roterodamus expresseth his minde concerning the curious manner of singing vsed in Churches on this wise and ●aith Why doth the Church doubt to follow so worthy an authour Paule Yea how dare it be bolde to descent from him What other thing is heard in Monestaries in Colledges in Temples almost generally then a confused noise of voices but in the time of Paule there was no singing but saieng onely Singing was with great difficultie receiued of them of the latter time and yet such singing as was none other thing then a distinct and plaine pronunciation euen such as wée haue yet among vs when we sound the Lords praier in the holy Canon And the tongue wherin these things were sung the common people did then vnderstand and aunswered Amen Now what other thing doth the common people heare then voyces signifieng nothing And such for the most parte is the pronunciation that not so much as the wordes or voices are heard onely the sound beateth the eares When plaine song prick-song and descant were brought into the Church Pope Gelasius Pope Gregory the first S. Ambrose with other brought in first of all the plaine song into the Churches Antonius Guil. Durand Pope Vitalian being a lustie singer and a fresh couragious Musition himselfe brought into the Church pricke song Descant and all kinde of swéete and pleasaunt melodie and because nothing should want to delight the vaine foolish and idle eares of fond and fantasticall men he ioyned the Organs to the curious musikell Thus was Paules preaching and Peters praieng turned into vaine singing and childish plaieng vnto the great losse of time and to the vtter vndoing of christen mens soules which liue not by singing and piping but by euery word that commeth out of the mouth of God In the yeare c. 653. Theo. Basil in his b. of Reliques ¶ Looke Musicke SINGLE LIFE What the fruites of single lyfe among the Priests are NOt onely they doe not that they teach but also cruelly without mercy they lay their iniūctions vpon others not cōsidering each mans abilitie Such be they that forbidde men to marry And from that thing that is lawfully to be done driue force men to an vnreasonable purity They binde lay on heauie burdens and cause men to fall vnder them And often time we sée them that teach such things to doe contrary to their owne saiengs They teach chastitie and yet kéepe no chastitie They doe all things for the commendation of men and vaineglory that they may be séene and noted of the people And commonly they be such as loue the highest places at feasts and bankets and to be saluted and honoured in the market places of the people to be called Rabby that will be called Bishops Priests and Deacons Origen in Mat. tract 24. They refuse marriage but not lust or pleasure For they estéeme not chastitie but hypocrisie and yet the same hypocrisie they will haue called chastitie Epiphan contra Origen heraef 42. Chrisostome writeth of the vowed and chast women in his time saieng we may say saith he that marriage is a great deale better then such virginitie héereafter it were better ther were no virgins at all The name of virginitie continueth still but virginitie it selfe in their bodies is quite gone They liue more in pleasure then harlots in the stewes Ther is often and dayly running for midwiues to virgins houses This manner of virginitie of women amongest men is more
kicke against the manifest and knowen truth and so to dye without repentaunce with a dispaire of the mercie of God in Iesus Christ is to sinne against the Holy ghost Sir I. Cheeke But whosoeuer c. ¶ That is he that striueth against the truth which he knoweth and against his owne conscience cannot retourne to repentaunce for he sinneth against the Holye ghost Geneua He resisteth the Holy ghost which openly repugneth against the veritie of God and by despite enforceth himselfe as much as he can to ouerthrow it Now a man may sinne willyngly yet be not in wil to warre against God or to blaspheme his holy word Caluine It is named the sinne of the Holy ghost not against the godhead of the Holy ghost for the same God is also father sonne nor against the person of the Holy ghost for it is no greater then the person of the Father and of the Sonne but it is to sinne against the graces of the spirite within vs and so to sinne against them that we contemne and despise them treade them vnder féete accompt them prophane● and maliciously cary them away to all wantonnesse This then is sinne against the Holy ghost In a continuall Apostacie and general falling from God to sinne against thine owne conscience so that thou despise the graces of God which he had giuen thée to the setting foorth of his praise and turne them to the contempt of his maiestie and glorie By the example of Satan and the Angels that fell from heauen by Ca● that flew his brother by the Scribes Pharesies against Christ and Iulianus the Emperour and that is written before it appeareth that the sinne of the Holy ghost is a generall Apostacie from God with wilfull malitious vnrepentaunt heart to persecute the truth vnto the ende As manie as doe feare at the remembrance of this sinne they are as farre from it as the East is from the West for this sinne is a mocking and scoffing of the Sonne of God it is not a wéeping and mourning Deering When couetousnesse findeth aduauntage in seruing falshood it riseth vp in an obstinate mallice against the truth and séeke●h all meanes to resist it this is sinne against the Holy ghost As by example Balaam the false prophet though he wi 〈…〉 that God loued Israel and had blessed them promised them great things and that he would fulfill his promise yet for couetousnesse and desire of honour fell into such mallice against the truth of God that he sought how to resist and to cursse the people Christ saith It shall neuer be forgiuen héere nor in y● world to come that is that as the sinne shall be punished with euerlasting damnation in the life to come euen so shal it not escape vengeaunce heere as thou séest in Iudas Pharao and in Balaam and in all other Tyrants which against their consciences resisted the open truth of God The cause why it shall not be forgiuen is for that the offender cannot repent but is vtterly shut out from repentaunce hath his heart hardened for if he were able to repent he shuld be pardoned because that by repentaunce and faith all things are washed away Wherefore the Holy ghost will rebuke the world of sinne Of sinne because they beléeue not in me ¶ Unbeléefe is that sinne that condemneth the world by the world vnderstand the wicked reproued and vnfaithfull and not all the creatures that be in the world and faith is the righteousnes of beléeuers This thing because the world and naturall reson will not know but will be iustified saued by their owne works is euen it wherof the Holy ghost shall rebuke the world and shew that it shall be iustly condemned Tindale Of sinne c. His enimies which contemned him and put him to death shall be conuict by their owne conscience for that they did not beleeue in him Act. 2. 27. And shall knowe that without Iesus Christ there is nothing but sinne Geneua How sinne is taken in this place following And by sinne condemned sinne in the flesh ¶ Sinne is héere taken for a sinne offering after the vse of the Hebrue tongue Tindale God through the sacrifice of sin which Christ his onely sonne offered vpon the Crosse in his flesh and abolished sinne which raigned in our mortal bodies The Bible note Of sinne vnto death how it is declared There is a sinne vnto death and for it I say not that thou shouldest pray ¶ Whatsoeuer sinne we sée in the world let vs pray and not dispaire for God is the God of mercie But for the sinne to death which is resisting grace fighting against mercie open blaspheming of the Holy ghost affirming y● Christs miracle● are done in Belzabub and his doctrine to be of the diuell I thinke no Christen man if he perceiue it can otherwise pray then as Paule prayed for Alexander the Coppersmith the 2. to Timothy the last that God would rewarde him according to his workes They that goe backe againe after they knowe the truth and giue themselues willingly to sinne for to follow it and persecute the doctrine of truth by profession to maintain falshood for their glory and vauntage are remediles as ye may sée Heb. 6. and 10. Balaam so sinned the false Prophets in the olde Testament so sinned the Pharesies so sinned Alexander so sinned and now many so sinne following their pride couetousnesse Tindale ¶ What this sinne vnto death is our Sauiour Christ doeth sufficiently declare saieng If ye will not beléeue ye shall dye in your owne sinnes So that this sinne vnto death is nothing els but a wilfull obstinate infidelitie this sinne no man that is borne of God doth commit though of frailenesse we be subiect to sinne as long as we liue Sir I. Cheeke If we sinne willingly after we haue receiued y● knowledge of the truth ¶ This is the sinne whereof is spoken Mat. 12. 31. that is the sinne of blasphemie against the Holy ghost which sinne Iohn calleth the sinne vnto death 1. Iohn 5. 16. ¶ They sinne willingly which of set purpose and mallice doth withhold the truth in vnrighteousnesse and lying which know that in all the world ther is no other Sacrifice for sinne but that onely Omnisufficient sacrifice of Christs death and yet they will not commit themselues vnto it but rather despise it and abide still obstinately in their wickednesse and sinnes vnto such remaineth a most horrible and dreadfull iudgement Sir I. Cheeke For it is not possible that they which were once lightened haue tasted ¶ This text denieth not impossibilitie of mercie in God but the impossibilitie of repentaunce in such men as mal●tiously forsake the truth blaspheme Christ take part against the Holy ghost For the truth is that with the Lord ther is mercie plenteous redemption Psa. 130. 7. So that whosoeuer calleth vpon his name shal be saued Ioel.
¶ This word spirit is to be taken heere as it is set against that commaundement which is called carnall Heb. 7. 16. as the commaundement is considered in it selfe And so he speaketh of truth not as we set it against a lye but as we take it in respect of the outward ceremonies of the lawe which did onely shadow that which Christ performed in déede Beza ¶ God being of a spirituall nature requireth a spirituall seruice and agreeable to the nature Geneua How the spirit of God maketh intercession for vs. But the spirit maketh great intercession for vs c. ¶ The right forme affection of praier commeth by the holy Ghost who maketh intercession for vs not that he prayeth mourneth but that he so stirreth our heartes that we lift them vp to heauen earnestly and seruently which is the true praier The Bible note Who is of else spirit of truth and who is not Euen the spirit of truth c. ¶ The spirit which Christ did promise shal teach onely these things which Christ had taught before whosoeuer therfore doth teach any other doctrine besides Christs doctrine he is not of the spirit of truth but of the spirit of leasing Sir I. Cheeke Of the spirit that Christ promised to send The spirit saith h● which I will 〈…〉 from my father shall lead you into all truth but how● Because saith he he shal put you in minde of all those things that I haue told you Ther he giueth warning that there is nothing more to be looked for of his spirit but that he should enlighten our minds to perceiue the truth of his doctrine Therfore Chrisostome Sermo de sanc adon spi. Iohn 12. 〈…〉 10. saith excellently wel Many saith he do boast of the holy spirit but they which speak their owne do falsely pretend that they haue him As Christ testified that he spake not of himselfe because he spake out of the lawe the Prophets So if any thing beside the Gospell be thrust in vnder the title of the spirit let vs not beléeue it because as Christ is the fulfilling of the l●we and Prophets so is y● spirit of the Gospell C●● in his Inst. 4. b. cap. 8. Sect. 13. Why the holy Ghost is called the spirit of truth Who is the spirit of truth He is called the spirit of truth not onely because he is true but because he maketh the men in to whom he entereth true whereas all that they doe without the spirit is none other thing but lyes Tindale So called because he worketh in vs the truth Geneua Of the spirit of southsaieng A certeine damosell possessed with the spirit of southsaieng met vs. Which could tell things past gesse at things to come which knowledge in many things God permitteth to the diuell to this end as Austen writeth that he might th● more mightely deceiue those that woulde beleeue him The Bible note Of the spirit of the Prophets For the spirits of the Prophets are in the power of y● Prophets Héere he speaketh not of the holy Ghost in whose power all men ought to be but of the seuerall gifts of the spirit which are now in the power of them that haue them that they may alwaies without contention vse them to y● odifieng of the Church of Christ. Sir I. Cheke Spirits of the Prophets y● is the doctrine that they doe bring as being put in minde by the spirit of God The Bible note Or learning which Gods spirit moueth them to vtter Ge. Of the spirits in prison And preached vnto the spirits in prison ¶ It is vnknowne to vs where this prison was for the holy Scripture speaketh nothing of it In the Gospell it is called the bosome of Abraham It is sufficient for vs to know and beléeue that all the soules of the Saintes or faythfull which dyed since the beginning of the world are saued by the bloud of Christ howbeit the Gospell was sundrie wayes preached vnto the dead For vnto the holy Patriarkes deliueraunce and saluation vnto the vnfaythfull deserued dampnation was preached Sir I. Cheeke ¶ Christ being from the beginning head and gouernour of his Church came in the dayes of Noe not in the bodye which he then had not but in the spirit and preached by the mouth of Noe for the space of an hundred and twentie yeares to the disobedient which would not repent and therfore are now in prison reserued to the last iudgement Geneua How to serue God in the spirit To serue God in the spirit is to honour God with a true ●ffection procéeding from a pure and cleane heart and not by Images or other visible and corruptible things or else by shewes and outward ceremonies Pet. Viret SPIRITVALL Who they be that be spirituall ALL be spirituall men which are lead by Gods spirit hée who hath more abundaunce of Gods spirit is more spirituall Of a lyke manner S. Paule speaking to the married sorte in Rome as wel as to the rest said Vos non estis in carne sed in spiritu You be not in the flesh but in the spirit And Saint Iohn in his first Chapter nameth all to be spirituall that beléeue in Christ for flesh and bloud is not able to bring foorth such a child And if the outward admission were able to make a man spirituall then should Iudas and such lyke who had the outward election yet inwardly folowed the spirit of the flesh of the Diuell be worthely called spirituall But our Sauiour Christ reasoning with Nichodemus maketh a plaine proofe by euident demonstration that onely such as be endued with Gods spirit be worthy of the name spirituall and that such as bée not borne of Gods spirit bée not spirituall but carnall And in the same place the Lord hath giuen a generall resolution that no man can enter into the kingdome of heauen vnles he become a spirituall man and be borne a newe not onely of water but also of the holy Ghost Ponet fol. 34. For the spirituall iudgeth all things ¶ Who is that spirituall Not such as we now call men of holy Church but all that haue the true interpretation of the law in their hearts The right faith of Christ the true intēt of works which God biddeth vs to worke He is spirituall and iudgeth all things is iudged of no man Tindale The naturall man perceiueth not the things of the spirit of God c. but he that is spirituall discusseth all things ¶ Paule doth call him spirituall which is renued by the spirit of God and béeing gouerned by the same spirit doth examine and trye all things with the true touchstone of Gods word which is set forth vnto vs by the inspiration of the same spirit that hée is inclined withall but he himself that is to say the spirit is iudged of no man Héere also the naturall man is taken for him which being without
Looke Saluation Of the workes of darknesse and of the spirit For ye were sometimes darknesse ¶ They are called darknesse that walke yet in the night of incredulitie misbeléefe doing the works of darknesse which are whooredome adultery wantonnesse c. but they are contrariwise called the children of light that bring forth the fruits of the spirit Gal. 5. 21. How they know not God that denieth him in deedes They confesse they know God but with works they deny him ¶ As infidelitie is the headspring of all wickednesse and vice so on the contrarie side faith is the original well fountaine of all vertue and godlynesse Which faith is declared not onely by works but by such déeds works as God hath commaunded vs in his holy and sacred Scriptures And where no such works be speake they neuer so godly ther is no true liuely faith Sir I. Cheeke VVORLD What the world signifieth in this place ANd the world knew him not● The world in this place signifieth all men for it cannot be taken in a straighter sense In the sentence going before the world was made by him In other places of Scripture the world signifieth y● reprobate onely Héere the world is condemned of vnthankfulnesse vnkindnesse that it hath not embraced but shamefully refused reiected his maker It is vnnaturall it is horrible abhominable that men should not acknowledge him by whom they haue euen this that they be men Trah Why Paule doth call this world present and euill To deliuer vs from this present and euill world ¶ Hée calleth this whole world which hath bene is and shall be the present world to put a difference betwixt this and that euerlasting world which is to come Moreouer he calleth it an euill world because that whatsoeuer is in this worlde is subiect to the mallice of the Diuell reigning ouer the whole world● For this cause the world is sayd to be the kingdome of the Diuell for ther is nothing else in this world but ignorance contempt blasphemy and hatred of God Also disobedience against all the words and works of God In and vnder the kingdome of this world are we c. Luther vpon the Gal. fol. 20. Of the disputers of this world Where is the disputer of this world ¶ He that is so subtile in discussing of questions and héerein Paule reprocheth euen the best lerned as though not one of them could perceiue by his owne wisdome this mysterie of Christ reuealed in the Gospell Geneua The meaning of this place following We haue receiued not the spirit of the world Wée are not moued with that spirit which techeth things wherwith the world is delighted which men vnderstand by nature● Ge. VVORME How Christ compareth himselfe to a worme EGo sum vermis non homo I am a worme and no man The scorne of men the outcast of the people ¶ How truly and how iustly Christ might say I am a worme no man euery man knoweth that hath read either the. 26. of Mathew or the. 14. of S. Marke how the Iewes did spit in his face did buffet him with fists so vilely intreated him as no man could be worse and therefore it is very properly said of the Prophet● I am a worme and no man A worme is a vile thing in daunger of treading on and killing with euery mans foot No man regardeth it no man loueth it nor pittieth it though he be a right good man To expresse therefore liuely and properly the vile reputation of Christ at the time of his passion it is verye aptly sayde Ego sum vermis non homo c. Beside this Saint Austen supposeth him to bée called Vermis for an higher consideration Why is Christ called Vermis saith he Because he aunswereth he was mortall he was borne of the flesh and begotten without the companieng together of man and woman in the act of generation And therefore he sayth thus Sicut vermis calefaciente sole de puro limo formatur sic spiritu sancto c. As the worme is ingendered of the pure and onely slime or mudde being made hotte with the warme Sunne Euen so the holy Ghost illustrating and halowing the heart of the virgin She was conceiued with childe without any humane act of ingendering wrought therein In consideration whereof Christ comparing himselfe to a worme sayth by Dauid I am a worme and no man that is I am not conceiued after the manner fashion of man Thus farre Saint Austen Ric. Turnar VVORMEVVOOD How false teachers heretiks be compared to wormewood THe name of the starre was called wormewood Wormewood is an hearbe faire inough vnto the eye● but very bitter to the tast Euen so be heretiks and as many as fauour Antichrist the more they seeme to excell in holines the more do they annoy Marl. ¶ The nature of wormwood is to withdraw all sweetnesse These meaning pernitious heretikes with their bitter heresies and their noysome doctrine destroyed y● pits of Abraham they troubled the text they mixed the truth with falshoode they poysoned the waters they tooke away the louesomnes of them they left them vnpure and vnperfect not that they can be so of themselues but of their false working they made them vnpleasaunt vnprofitable yea and most perillous vnto many c. Bale ¶ The third plague came vpon the starres of heuen that is vpon the most holiest people which were taken for the spirituall state order as Monkes Friers Priests which through their hipocrisie haue heaped vnto themselues money goods and treasures and haue gotten lands and dominions for the which great diuision was among them And whereas the world shuld haue learned of them faith loue and knowledge it was nothing but slaundered offended deceiued seduced and sore hindered by them both in faith and in godly liuing behauiour both which were vtterly decayed in these persons to the great vndoing and destruction both of body and soule And thus the swéete honnye of Christian loue and concord among these Orders is turned into bitter wormwood by the which many soules are destroyed Erasmus in his Paraphrase VVORSHIP What is meant by worshipping BY worshipping whether it was in the olde Testament or new vnderstand the bowing of a mans selfe vpon y● ground as we oftentimes as we knéele in our praiers boow our selues and lye on our armes and hands with our faces to the ground Tindale fol. 11. ¶ Whereas the Latin word of worshipping is of that nature that it signifieth both to serue and obserue and honour it is aptly referred to God so that all that seruice obseruation reuerence and deuotion whereby we doe worship God as wel inwardly in our hearts as outwardly in deede is called the worship of God Muscul. fol. 351. ¶ To worship God is the first precept euen to beléeue him to be our God and to haue no strange Gods in his sight that
of the letters but the Gospell is in the marking of the sentence of Scriptures This sentence approueth Saint Paule saieng thus The kingdome of God is not in worde but in vertue and Dauid saith The voice of the Lorde that is his worde is in vertue And after Dauid saith Through the worde of God the heauens were made And in the spirit of his mouth is all the vertue of them In the booke of Mar. fol. 644. An exposition of this place following For I am not ashamed of the Gospell ¶ The Gospell is that heauenly message which declareth vnto vs y● Iesus Christ is the power of God in whom and by whom God doth set foorth vnto the world all his heauenlie treasures that whosoeuer doth beléeue in him whether he be a Romaine or a Iew Gréeke or other he should not perish but haue lyfe euerlasting Sir I. Cheeke Saint Bede affirmeth that in his time and almost a thousand yeares after Christ héere in Britaine Easter was kept after the manner of the East church in the full moone what daie in the wéeke so euer it fell on and not on the Sundaie as wée doe now whereby it is to be collected that the first preachers in this land haue come out frō the East part of y● world where it was so vsed rather then from Rome Petrus Cluniacensis writing to Barnard affirmeth that the Scottes in his time did celebrate their Easter not after the Romaine manner but after the Gréeks And as the sayd Britaines were not vnder the Romaines in the time of this Abbot of Cluniake So neither were they nor would bee vnder the Romaine Legate in the time of Gregorie nor woulde admit anie primacie of the Bishop of Rome to be aboue them Ghildas saith that Ioseph of Aramathia that tooke downe Christ from the crosse béeing sent hether by Philip the Apostle out of Fraunce he beganne to preach the Gospell first in this Realme in the time of Tiberius the Emperour Nicephorus saith that Symon Zelottes about the same time came into this land and did the like Theodoretus sayth that Saint Paule immediatly after his first deliuerie in Rome vnder the Emperour Nero preched the Gospell in this Ilande and in other Countries of the West Tertulian saith of his time that the countries of Britai●e which the Romaines could neuer attaine vnto are now subi●ct to Christ. Origen saith the same GOATE How this Goate doth figure Christ. PUtting them vpon the head of the Goat ¶ Héere this Goat is a true signe of Iesus Christ who beareth the sinnes of the people Esay 53. 5. Geneua Why it is called the scape Goate And the other for a scape Goate ¶ In the Hebrew it is called Azazel which some saie is a mountaine néere Sinai whether this Goate was sent but rather is called scape Goate because it was not offered but sent into the desart as verse 21. Geneua GRACE What Grace is BY grace vnderstand the fauour of God and also the gifte of working of the spirit in vs as loue kindnesse patience obedience mercifulnesse despising of worldlie thinges peace concord and such like Tindale The true definition of grace The true definition of Grace and agréeing to the holy scriptures is the free beneuolence of God whereby he counteth vs déere in Christ Iesus and forgiueth vs our sinnes giueth the holie Ghost an vpright life and eternall felicitie by this definition is séene not onlie what we call grace but also by whom we haue it and with all the principall effects thereof Pet. Mar. vpon the Rom. fol. 140. Receiued grace of all Apostleship ¶ Grace is throughout all the Epistles of Paule taken for the fauour and frée mercie of God whereby he saueth vs fréelie without anie desertes or workes of the lawe In like maner peace is taken for the tranquilitie of the conscience being fullie perswaded that through the merites of Christs death and bloud-shedding there is an attonement and peace made betwéene God and vs so that God will no more impute our sinnes vnto vs nor yet condemne vs. Sir I. Cheeke What it is to reiect grace To reiect and refuse the grace of God is to séeke righteousnesse by the law or to deserue grace by our owne righteousnes What difference is betweene grace and gift Grace properlie is Gods fauour beneuolence or kind mind which of his owne selfe without deseruing of vs he beareth vnto vs wherby he was moued inclined to giue Christ vnto vs with all his other gifts of grace Gift is the holie Ghost his working whom he powreth into the hearts of thē on whom he hath mercie whom he fauoureth Though the gifts of y● spirit increase in vs dailie haue not yet the full perfection yea though there remaine in vs yet euill lusts sinne which fight against the spirit as he saith héere in the seauenth Chapter and in the fift to the Galathians and as it was spoken before in the third Chapter of Genesis of the debate betwéene the womans seede and the séede of the Serpent yet neuerthelesse GODS fauour is so greate and so strong ouer vs for Christs sake that wee are counted for full whole and perfect before God For Gods fauour towardes vs diuideth not her selfe increasing a lyttle and little as doe the giftes but receyueth vs whole and altogether in full loue for Christes sake our intercessour and Mediatour And because the giftes of the spirite and the battell betwéene the spirite and euill lustes are begunne in vs alreadie Of this nowe vnderstande thou the. 7. Chapter where Paule accuseth himselfe as a sinner and yet in the 8. Chapter sayth There is no dampnation to them that are in Christ and that because of the spirite and because the gifts of the spirite are begunne Sinners wée are because the flesh is not full killed and mortified Neuerthelesse in as much as we beléeue in Christ and haue the earnest and beginning of the spirite and woulde faine bée perfect GOD is so louing and fauourable vnto vs that he will not looke on such sin neither will count it as sinne but will deale with vs according to our beliefe in Christ and according to his promises which hée hath sworne to vs vntill the sinne bée full slaine in vs and mortified by death Tindale in his Prol. to the Rom. The difference betweene grace and the Lawe Chrisostome noteth certeine diefferences betwéene the Lawe and Grace The Lawe sayth hée setteth ●oorth a Crowne but first requireth workes and battailes Grace first crowneth and afterwarde bringeth vnto the battayle By this hée teacheth that the righteousnesse which is set forth the Lawe is obteined by workes for wée cannot bée iustified by the lawe vnlesse wée haue accomplished all the thinges which are commaunded in the lawe But that other righteousnesse which wée haue by grace through fayth doth first crowne vs with a newe generation and adoption to be the children of
more illuminated of God On the contrarie part they that doe not couet after righteousnesse and truth are more hardened and blinded though they séeme vnto themselues to be most wise Sir I. Cheeke HAZ●●● How he came to his kingdome HE tooke a rough cloth and dipt it in the wa●er and ●pred it on his face ¶ Hazael brought this wet cloth to Benhadad as though he would therewith haue 〈…〉 him and eased him of his 〈…〉 ●ut did in déede st●●gle him after Iosephus He had heard of the Prophet that Benhadad should 〈…〉 haue be 〈…〉 long or he had raigned therefore did he rid 〈…〉 to the 〈…〉 that he might 〈…〉 ●ome by the kingdome T. M. HEBRON What Hebron was HEbron is a proper 〈…〉 of a 〈…〉 which 〈…〉 called the Citie of Arbe which Arbe after the Hebrue was a Giant both strong and mightie and of a famous name T. M. HEAD What is meant by the head of God WHen we read that God hath a head we must vnderstand his diuine nature which was before all things and to it all things be obedient Augustine What the head of the Serpent signifieth Shall tread thée on the head ¶ The head of the Serpent signifieth the power and tyrannie of the Deuill which Christ the seede of the Woman ouercame The héele is Christs manhoode which was tempted with our sinnes T. M. HAIRES OF GOD. What the haires of God signifie HIs haires signifie his Angells and the whole multitude of his chosen Dan. 7. 9. His cloathing was as white as snow the haires of his head like pure wooll Where the head of God is his Deitie and Godhead his cloathes and his haires be his Angells and Elect which be like white snow and pure wooll Augustine HELCHESAITES What their opinions were and who consuted them HElchesaites called of Epiphanius Sampsai the first Author of them was Elxais a false Prophet They reiected parte of the olde Testament They denied the Apostle They counted it a thing indifferent in case of necessitie to denie with y● mouth so that thou beléeue with heart Origen confuted them Euse. li. 6. cap. 37. HELIAS Of the straunge vision seene at the birth of this Prophet HElias the Prophet of Thesbes of the Countrie of Arabia a Leuite of the Tribe of Aaron He dwelt in Gilead for Thesbes was an habitation dedicated vnto Priests In the time of his birth his father Sobas did sée a vision that men apparailed in white did call the childe threwe him to the fire and gaue to him a flame of fire to eate The Father rising vp went to Hierusalem and shewed his Uision to the Priests And he that gaue aunswere said vnto him beware thou disclose it not The habitation of this child shall be light and his word a demonstration and shall iudge Israel in the sword and fire This is that Helias that brought fire thrice from Heauen and bare raine in his tongue and was taken vp into Heauen in a fire storme That which is written more of him in the Bible maie be there read Eliote● HELISE●S Of a straunge thing that befell at his birth HEliseus the Prophet of Abelmath of the Lande of Rubim when he was borne at Galgalis the Cow of golde in Selom so lowed that she was heard at Hierusalem And the Priestes said that it signified that a Prophet was borne that day which should dissolue and breake in peeces Images carued and cast in mettall Manie meruailes almightie God shewed by him which maie be read in the Bible Eliote HELL How Hell is taken in the scripture OUt of the bellie of Hell I cried ¶ The Scripture speaketh of Hell commonlie as of a place common for all them that goe downe into the earth as into a graue or to the deepe of the Sea c. As ye haue in Gen. and in the Psalmes T. M. ¶ For he was in the Fishes bellie as in a graue or place of darknesse Geneua I thought I shoulde haue gone to the gates of Hell in my best age ¶ That is I thought I should haue gone downe to my graue and haue died in my best age The Hebrue word signifieth both Hell and a graue pit or ditch That ye may perceiue in Gen. 42. 38. where Iacob saith that if any misfortune should happen to Beniamin in his iournie into Aegypt with his other bretheren his graie head should be brought with sorrowe vnto his Graue where the common Translation readeth Hell for graue As for Hezekia he neither feared Hell nor Purgatorie as ye maie well sée by that he a little before saith Remember O Lord that I haue walked before thée in truth and a stedfast hart and haue done that thing that is pleasant to thée which thing who so doth néedeth not to feare any of those two places Beside that the Dunce-men and Sophisters themselues which were as most learned men thinke the inuenters and finders yea and the verie makers of Purgatorie saie that before the time of Christ there was no sure place So that Hezekia is by their sentence skilled quite from that place And of Hell doth the sentence of the word of God quite him which saith There is no damnation to them that are in Christ Iesu. Rom. 8. 1. T. M. The meaning of this place following For Hell praiseth thée not c. ¶ The meaning is if I now die I cannot praise thée in thy Temple For the dead and buried cannot loue and praise with their materiall tongues or hearts neither can anie death nor anie burieng be at this season for the setting out of thy glorie For all the godlie will be feared with this thy Iudgement And the wicked will impute my death to the ouerthrowing of Idolatrie and to the putting downe of the brasen Serpent ¶ Looke Hezekia The meaning of this place of Mathew Shall be worthy to be punished with Hell c. ¶ Whereas we read heere Hell it is in the text it selfe Gehenna which is an Hebrue word made of two and is as much to saie as the Uallie of Hynnon which otherwise the Hebrewes called Topheth It was a place where the Israelites were wont most cruellie to sacrifice their Children to false Gods wherevppon it was taken for a place to torment the Reprobates As Ieremy 7. 31 Beza HELPERS OF FAITH How men be helpers of faith MEn be helpers of faith when they suffer not the faith receiued to be weake féeble or inconstant to be oppressed with desires or affections of the flesh or of the world by the craft or subtiltie of false prophets to be brought awaie from it led into a false beliefe by false doctrine whom the diuell doth vs as his ministers to deceiue the simple people vnlearned Also scripture vseth to call men helpers of the faith when men doe diligentlie watch that they be not deceiued by y● diuell nor by anie of his Ministers when they doe labour with all force to make their faith sure