then by and by in a maner with the same breath you ouerthrow it again finding in our selues dispositions and preparations thereunto which if it be true then how is it fréelie and méerlie by his grace when that grace is by our selues preuented But this faith and works preparatorie procéed out of grace also I maruell what grace you meane is it not the same that Pelagius deceiued the Bishops withall in his subscription If it be not that I know not what to make of it For to shunne pelagianisme and yet to maintaine your heresie of merits you make your doctrine an hoch poch and a mingle mangle and by no means will yéeld your selues in such order guiltie before God as that he may haue the whole glorie of your instification Rom. 4. 5. The text But to him that worketh not yet beleeueth in him that iustifieth the impious his faith is ⸫ reputed to iustice according to the purpose of the grace of God The note The word reputed doeth not diminish the truth of the iustice as though it were reputed for iustice being not iustice indeed but signifieth that as it was in it selfe so God esteemed and reputed it as the same Greeke word must needs be taken verse 4. next going before and 1. Corinth 4. 1. and els where The answer If the faith of Abraham were iustice in déede and in it selfe and could abide the rigour of Gods examination then this imputation or reputation were to it as to a due dette How then holdeth the Apostles opposition of faith to works of dette to grace Or how commeth it imputed or reputed of grace It is no fauour to repute that to man which is trulie and reallie in him It is one thing simplie to repute it is another thing of fauour to repute so that your labour about the signification of the word is but méere wrangling and cauilling Besides if Abraham had iustice reallie and trulie in him selfe whether it were by faith or works how can he be excluded from glorieng when he may chalenge of God his iustification as his due dette Lastlie this iustice of Abraham being the same that Dauid describeth in an happie blessed or iustified man how is it inherent in the man when it consisteth in pardon remission and couering of sinne But you doo nothing els but whet your wits to obscure and darken the glorie of the grace of God Rom. ◠〈◊〉 The text And he receiued the ⸫ signe of circumcision a seale of the iustice of faith that is in prepuce that he might be the father of all that beleeue by the prepuce that vnto them also it may be reputed to iustice The note Our Sacraments of the new law giue ex opere operato that grace and iustice of faith which here is commended whereas circumcision was but a signe and marke of the same The answer Liars are not to be beléeued though they sweare much lesse you when you bring but your bare word for other proofe héere is none Circumcision is a seale of the iustice of faith Ergo our Sacraments of the new law giue grace ex opere operato or els circumcision was but a signe or marke of grace These are strange maners of concluding and farre fetched Rom. 5. â— The text By whom also we haue accesse through faith in this grace wherein we stand and glorie ⸫ in the hope of the glorie of the sonnes of God The note Christian men do not vaunt them selues of the certaintie of their saluation but glorie in the hope thereof onlie which hope is here insinuated to be giuen in our iustification and is afterward to be confirmed by probation in tribulation The answer It is wonderfull that you are not ashamed to cut off all assured comforts from christian men It were a vaine glorious vaunting in déede if this certaintie staied vpon anie matter in vs but when it resteth vpon the goodnesse of God and his gracious promises it were a péece of infidelitie not to glorie and reioice in it We will consider therefore the effects and fruits of faith in beléeuers as the Apostle setteth them downe in this place First iustification then the sweete and inward féeling of our reconciliation and attonement with God which he calleth peace toward God Thirdlie our constant standing and perseuering in this grace and fauour into the which we are receiued Fourthlie the ioy and reioicing that this bréedeth through the assured hope and expectation that we shalbe partakers of the glorie of the children of God which ioy through hope assured is so great in them that haue a continuall eie to the glory set before them that no trouble nor tribulation can abridge or breake it off but that our hope and expectation is still more and more confirmed and assured But you to ouerthrow all this make hope a doubtfull and vncertaine expectation of the things which God hath promised and so call the truth of God into doubt Rom. 5. 6. The text For whie did Christ when we as yet were ⸫ weake according to the time die for the impious The note The heretikes falselie translate of no strength to take away all free will No. Testam 1580. The answer Rather then you will loose fréewill you will contend for sinners wicked men and enemies of God and in them there must be a greater force of frée will then in Paul for Paul was not able of himselfe to thinke a good thought yet these are not so weake but that there is some strength and abilitie left in them For the Gréeke word here signifieth weaknesse and doeth it not so in the 1. Corinths 15. verse 43. It is sowen in weakenesse being spoken of the dead bodie of a man And I pray you tell me did anie strength remaine in dead carcasses and is not the case alike with the wicked and vngodlie are not they dead in sinne or by sinne Rom. 5. 19. The text For as by the disobedience of one man manie were made sinners so also by the obedience of one manie ⸫ shall be made iust The note Here we maie see against the heretikes that they which be borne of Christ and iustified by him be made and constâ—â—â—ted iust indeed and not by imputation onlie as all that be horne of Adam be vniust and sinners in truth and not by imputation The answer By the obedience of one manie shall be made iust Is this obedience in vs or imputed vnto vs If it be in vs then it is the obedience of many but the text is manifest that this obedience resteth in the person of one that is of Christ and by grace it is imputed vnto vs and made ours You do but beguile the simple and such as are not able to espie your fraud with the contrarie part of the Antithesis For Adams onlie transgression was sufficient to make al his posteritie sinners subiect to the iust sentence of condemnation And therefore death the reward of sinne did not only rage
but now it hath vtterly none Penitents in the primitiue church did but giue testimonie vnto the church of their heartie and vnfained repentance and not as you would haue men imagine satisfie for their sinnes and deserue at Gods hand remission and pardon therof Augustine neuer dreamed of any such matter but he wrote against the Nouatians who denied repentance to them that sinned after they were baptized against whom he prooueth by the example of Peter which had denied Christ by the authoritie of this present text that men after baptisme were not to be excluded from repentance and so maintaineth the custome of the church in admitting penitents which had béene afore for their faults excommunicated what is this to that you alledge him for against our translation 2. Cor. 13. 10. The text Therefore these things I write absent that being present I may not deale hardly according to the power which our Lord hath giuen me vnto edification and not vnto destruction The note Ecclesiastical ⸫ power to punish offenders by the censures of the church The answer Which power we reuerence and kéepe offenders in awe withall though we contemne and despise the vsurped power of the Romish church and care not for her thunderbolts GALATHIANS Galat. 1. 6. The text I maruell that you are so soone transferred from him that called into the grace of Christ vnto another Gospel which is not another vnlesse there be some that trouble you and will ⸫ inuert the Gospel of Christ. The note New Gospellers that peruert corrupt or alter the one onlie true and first deliuered Gospell are to be auoided See Saint Augustine contra Faust. libro 32. cap. 27. The answer The Gospel of God is the power of God to saluation to euery beléeuer whosoeuer therefore doeth preach any power of pope of man of fréewill or of anie other creature or thing whatsoeuer to saluation preacheth a newe Gospell and not the Gospell of God and therefore are to be auoided The whole doctrine therefore of the Popes church is to be auoided for it is nothing els but a new coined Gospell Your note booke still deceiueth you there are not so many chapters in that booke Galat. 1. 19. The text But other of the Apostles sawe I none sauing Iames ⸫ the brother of our Lord. The note Saint Iames was called our Lords brother after the Hebrew phrase of the Iewes by which neere kinsemen are called brethren for they were not brethren in deede but rather sisters children The answer If vpon this you should méete with men as froward as your selues are in expounding this is my bodie they might make you worke by not admitting any interpretation and therefore you might sée how fond a thing it is so to sticke to the letter that you will not admit the mind of the speaker Galat. 2. 11. The text And when Cephas was come to Antioch I resisted him ⸫ in face bicause he was reprehensible The note That is in presence before them all as Beza him selfe expoundeth it yet the English Bezites to the more disgracing of saint Peter translate to his face No. Testamen anno 1580. The answer It is somwhat that once in your liues you are content to acknowledge that you haue learned somwhat of master Beza but I thinke he should not haue béene spoken of héere but to take occasion by him to vtter your choller and to ease your stomacke a little vpon those whom you call English Bezites whose intent as you surmise was in their translation to disgrace S. Peter As if it had béene greater disgrace to saint Peter to be told of his fault to his face than to be told of it reprooued for it in the presence of the multitude But howsoeuer it was we sée plainly S. Peter went awry and brought others into the like danger And further we sée that his authoritie was not so great but he might be reprooued Yet though the pope go headlong to hell and lead thousands of souls with him thither no man may say Why dost thou this Gal. 2. 16. The text But knowing that a man is not iustified by the ⸫ works of the law but by the faith of Iesus Christ we also beleeue in Iesus Christ that we may be iustified by the faith of Christ and not by the works of the law for the which cause by the works of the law no flesh shall be iustified The note By this and by the discourse of the whole epistle you may perceiue that when iustification is attributed to faith the works of charitie are not excluded but the works of Moises law that is the ceremonies sacrifices and sacraments thereof principally and consequently all works done meerly by nature and free will without the faith grace spirit and aide of Christ. The answer Helpe helpe Paul hath set the popes kitchin on fire Our Rhemists bring water but it runneth out by the way For both by this and the whole course of this epistle we sée that this new Gospell into the which the Galathians were translated was a péece of poperie Namely that they ioined in the cause of iustification saluation their works with Christ the law with the gospel But our Rhemists tel vs first that not the works of charity but the works of the law are excluded by S. Paul As who should say that there were any works of loue that are not commanded in the law And therefore if the works of the law be excluded the works of loue and charitie must be excluded also But to helpe this they adde that ceremonies sacrifices and sacraments are meant principally But against that Paul maketh him accursed that abideth not in all that is written in the law to do it If blessednes and iustification be our deliuerie from that curse who séeeth not that the whole law and euery part of it and euery worke of it must be excluded But further they adde that al works done méerely by nature and frée will are excluded wherein the word méerely is to be noted bicause it expresseth that their meaning is if there be a little helpe of faith or grace that then works be not excluded To the which I say this was the case of the Galathians and the very matter against the which the Apostle bendeth his whole force for that they being Christians and so beléeuers did not exclude their works and méerely ascribe their iustification to the grace of Christ for that they parted the matter as the papists do betwixt Christ and their works the whole maner of the Apostles reasoning in the next chapter doth plainely shew And therefore I will conclude with the Apostle By grace we are saued through faith and that not of our selues for it is the gift of God not of works that no man glorie Galat. 3. ◠The text O senselesse Galathians who hath ⸫ bewitched you not to obey the truth before whose eies Iesus Christ was proscribed being crucified among you The note For any people or
but penance also to the people The answer And we preach repentance and faith therefore our doctrine is apostolike But it is a woonder to sée how you dally with faith onely to make the preaching of iustification by faith to be odious amongst the ignorant And nothing more plainly bewraieth that you impugne the truth against your own consciences and knowledge than your foule dealing in this point For you know that we preach somwhat besides faith Acts. 20. 28. The text Take heed to your selues and to the whole slocke wherein the ⸫ holie Ghost hath placed you bishops to rule the church of God which he hath purchased with his owne blood The note Bishops or priests for then these names were somtime vsed indifferently gouernors of the church of God and placed in that high roome and function by the holie Ghost The answer Then those names were alwaies vsed indifferently for the distinction grew after when one was set aboue the rest for auoiding of scismes as saint Ierom telleth but I pray you tell me what priuilege Peter had more than Paul or Rome more than Ephesus that rauening woolues might not rise amongst them that succéeded Peter at Rome as well as amongst those that succéeded Paul at Ephesus Acts. 21. 9. The text And entring into the house of Phillip the Euangelist which was one of the seuen we taried with him And he had ⸫ fower daughters virgins that did prophesie The note As saint Peter had a wife but vsed hir not after his calling as it is noted else where out of S. Ierom Luke 4. 38. so it may be said of Saint Phillip being deacon The answer It is easie to make a great shew of fathers when one for one and the same thing is alledged so often and to no purpose The Apostles left all therefore they left also their wiues saith Saint Ierom. And we say they left their houses also or else they did not leaue all And if they might so leaue their houses that it was notwithstanding lawfull for them both to retaine the possession of them and also to haue the vse of them for themselues and their friends as this place doth plainly declare then much rather might they both kéepe and vse their wiues As therefore afore you dreamed of Peter so héere you dreame of Phillip that being married meâ— they liued not vnder the rules and lawes that the holie Ghost hath giuen to married men which is as great an iniurie as you can do them Acts. 22. 17. The text And now what tariest thou Rise vp and be baptized and ⸫ wash away thy sinnes inuocating his name The note The sacrament of baptisme doth it selfe wash away sinnes as heere is plaine therefore doth not onely signifie as the heretikes affirme that our sins be forgiuen before or by faith only remitted Wherby the churches doctrine is prooued to be fully agreeable to the scriptures that the sacraments giue grace ex opere operato that is by the force and vertue of the worke and worde done and said in the sacrament The answer That we affirme that sacraments onely signifie is a slander deuised by your selues as is also the odious name terme of heretikes which you giue vs. We know that our God kéepeth iust promise and therefore doth giue the things which he promiseth to woorthie méet receiuers of his sacraments Your plaine proofe of your churches doctrine that the sacraments giue grace ex opere operato prooueth no such thing to them which vnderstand the vsuall forme and maner of sacramentall spéeches most commonly vsed in the scriptures And therefore it can deceiue but onely those who haue made ignorance the mother of their deuotion 〈…〉 The text And when the blood of Steeuen thy witnes was shed ⸫ I stood by and consented and kept the garments of them that killed him The note Not onely principals but all that consent to the death or vexation of Christian men for the catholike faith do highly offend which the Apostle confesseth here that Gods mercy may be more notoriously glorified in him hereby The answer Though it hath pleased God to abridge your power here in England that your crueltie could not so shew it selfe as other times it hath done yet no doubt your good will and consent hath béene in those most horrible murders of Gods witnesses in those countries where you haue soiourned Therefore I would that all you counterfet catholikes would earnestly marke this and while time serueth earnestly repent with Paule that the greatnes of Gods mercy in your and by your conuersions might be glorified This is all the hurt I wish you Acts. 23. 3. The text Then Paule said to him ⸫ God shall strike thee thou whited wall The note He said not this through perturbation of minde or of a passion but way of prophesie that this figuratiue high priesthood then â—rimmed like a whited wall was to be destroied whereas now the true priesthood of Christ was come Beda in hunc locum The answer Although there be both learned and godly of an other minde yet for my part I like Bedaes exposition hereof Acts. 23. 16. The text And Paule knowing that the one part was of Sadduces and the other of pharisies ⸫ he cried out in the councell men and brethren I am a pharisee the sonne of a pharisee of the hope of the resurrection of the dead I am iudged The note Such prudent euasions from danger are lawfull which Saint Chrysostome calleth specially in this apostle the wisedome of the serpent as otherwise in his teaching preaching and patience he vsed the simplicitie of a doue The answer Wise and prudent escaping of danger is verie lawfull and for that purpose the wisedome of serpents is verie necessary for the church of God especially against the extréeme crueltie of papists Acts. 23. 1â— The text And the night following our Lord standing by him said be constant for as thou hast testified of me in Hierusalem so ⸫ must thou testifie at Rome also The note Though God who could not lie had promised that he should go to Rome yet the apostle omitteth not humane meanes to defend himselfe from his enimies and otherwise Neither said he as the heretikes called predestinates Let them do what they wil they can not hurt me for I am predestinate to go to Rome See his doings and saiengs to saue himselfe in the chapter following The answer You are good fellowes you can make your selfe sport in confuting your shadowes He that were not acquainted with your cogging and lieng would thinke by this spéech of yours that som newe heretikes neuer afore heard of were lately risen that held this that you confute But I praie you where doth these predestinates dwell What bookes haue they written By what euidence may it appéere that you truely charge them For till you shew vs some that vnder pretence of predestination do refuse the ordinarie meanes which God hath appointed for their safegard we can not
bicause you reason from Peter and also bicause you grant that any particular bishop may erre Now if your consequence be true then tel me how Christ vphold your pope Iohn against the councel of Constance who deposed him And if he were not afore that Councell the chéefe gouernor of your Church tell me who was And if Christ did not vphold him and by him your church tell me when you gat againe restitution of your supposed priuilege once broken This example therefore serueth more aptly to encourage men to follow Christ to do whatsoeuer he commandeth with whatsoeuer dangers it be accompanied bicause Christ will not â—aile them that walke in holy obedience to his will how weake fraile and full of infirmities soeuer they be but as at the pinch he aided Peter so will he them Matth. 14. 36. The text And they besought him that they might touch but the ⸫ hemme of his garment whosoeuer did touch it were made whole The note See before cap. 9. v. 20. The answer You trouble vs with your references your note hath béene already considered of and receiued answer in his due place Matth. 15. 28 The text Then Iesus answering said to hir o woman ⸫ great is thy faith be it done to thee as thou wilt and hir daughter was made whole from that hower The note It were a strange case that Christ should commend in this woman a sole faith without good works that is to say a dead faith such as could not worke by loue and which Saint Iames doubted not to call the faith not of Christians but of diuels August de fide operibus cap. 16. The answer It were a very strange case if papists should leaue lying fraud and deceit For who séeth not that the end and purpose of your note is to make men thinke that your aduersaries attribute much to a dead faith that cannot worke by loue And if there be any that doth so name him And if in truth you cannot name any then what are ye Bicause we say that faith onely iustifieth must it néedes therefore be a dead faith Bicause the eie onelie séeth must it néedes be pulled out of the head and be without all other organs and instruments of the bodie Who séeth not the folly of this We with Augustine affirme that Christ sawe in this woman whose faith he praised a woonderfull worke of loue Matth. 15. 36. The text And taking the seauen loaues and the fishes and giuing thanks he brake and gaue to his disciples and the ⸫ disciples gaue to the people The note Heere we see againe that the people must not be their owne caruers nor receiue the sacraments or other spirituall sustenance immediately of Christ or at their owne hands but of their spirituall gouernors The answer This collection is very loosely gathered The disciples gaue bread and fish to the peole ergo it is not lawfull for the people to receiue any spirituall sustenance immediately from Christ but onely from them that are their gouernors vnder Christ. I thinke if we make a consequence from bodily sustenance to the sustenance of our soules that then it followeth better thus That as this people when they were at home prouided themselues for their bodily sustenance and héere being abrode they receiue it prouided for them at the hands of the Apostles so also it is lawfull for men at home to receiue spirituall sustenance by their diligent reading and abroad to receiue it at the hands of their ordinarie pastors and teachers in their open méetings by hearing the word preached and taught Matth. 16. 18. The text And I say vnto thee that thou art ⸫ Peter c. The note That is a rocke The answer Your reasons drawen from this place to stablish the tyrannie of Antichrist haue often béene answered And bicause héere no reason is framed we say with the holy Apostle Paul that we know none other rocke or foundation to build Christs Church vpon but Christ himselfe Matth. 16. 23. The text Who turning said to Peter goe after me ⸫ Satan thou art a scandall vnto me The note This word in Hebrew signifieth an aduersary as 3. Regum 5. v. 4. and so it is taken heere The answer We will not impugne your qualification of the word and lessen Saint Peters rebuke as much as you can yet this we may sée euidently that men are but vnstaied and vnstable rockes to build the Church vpon and except the Pope be better priuiledged than Peter was sometime he may be an aduersarie and a 〈◊〉 I will not â—ay a deuill Matth. 17. 24. The text And when they were come to Capernaum there came they that receiued the Didrachmes vnto Peter and said vnto him your master doth he not pay the ⸫ Didrachmes The note These didrachmes were peeces of mony which they paied for tribute Matth. 1â— 27. The text And that fish which shall first come vp take and when thou hast opened his mouth thou shalt find a ⸫ stater take that and giue it for me and thee The note This stater was a double didrachme and therefore was paied for two The answer To these two notes I giue but one answer for they reserued these strange words in the text bicause English eares are not acquainted with them and other matter there is not in these notes worth the obseruing Matth. 18. 4. The text Whosoeuer therfore shal humble him selfe as this litle ⸫ child he is the greater in the kingdome of heauen The note Humilitie innocencie simplicitie commended to vs in the state and person of a child The answer But none of them embraced by you as appeareth Your Pope can abide no péere he must be aboue all you puffe vp your selues with the proud pharisie in confidence of mens merits what innocents you are a number of you executed for confessed treason doo declare simplicitie cannot stand with the continual practise of your Church which of long time hath loued nothing lesse then plaine dealing as both our eies haue séene and all stories doo testifie Matth. 18. 17. The text And if he will not heare them ⸫ tell the Church The note That is as Saint Chrysostome heere expoundeth it tell the prelats and chiefe pastors of the Church for they haue iurisdiction to bind and loose such offenders by the words folowing vers 18. The answer We agrée with Chrysostome bicause the circumstances of the place and matter doo require it so to be expounded that héere by the Church the gouernors thereof are meant and that they haue power to bind and loose and therefore is a good warrant for our Church discipline against Papists and all other scornefull contemners and despisers of the same Matth. 18. 19 The text Againe I say to you that if two of you ⸫ consent vpon earth concerning euery thing whatsoeuer they shall aske it shalbe done to them of my father which is in heauen The note All ioyning togither in the vnitie of Christs Church in Councels
his disciples did plucke the eares and did eat rubbing them with their hands The note Saint Hierom Epist. 2. ad Nepotianum writeth of himselfe that being at Constantinople he asked his master Gregorie the Nazianzene the famous Doctor then bishop there what sabaoth this was Who by his answer declared that it was very hard to tell Neither is it yet knowen to the best learned Yet the Protestants are woont to say All is very easie The answer If Papists made any conscience of lieng and standering a great many of our controuersies would quickly be at an end Who euer said or wrote that all is easie But we do not vnder pretence of hardnes and difficulty fray poore men from searching after and séeking Christ in the Scriptures as you do but exhort men so vse more care and diligence to studie them with humilitie and to vse all helps which God hath lent them And that this was Saint Ieroms mind may appéere that in his Epistles he vouchsafeth the answering and opening of many a question and that to women whom he doth not dissuade or discourage from reading Luke 6. â—0 The text And ⸫ to euery one that asketh thee giue The note That is to euery one iustly asking For that which is vniustly asked may iustly be denied Augustine libro 1. cap. 40. de sermone Dom. in monte The answer He iustly asketh whom néede driueth to aske And we cannot iustly denie if God haue so blessed vs that we may spare that which is asked But the contributions of papists to maintaine traitors abroad are neither iustly required nor iustly giuen Luke 6. 48. The text Euery one that commeth to me and heareth my words and doth them I will shew you to whom he is like He is like a man ⸫ building an house that digged deepe and laid the foundation vpon a rocke The note He buildeth rightly and surely that hath both faith and good works he buildeth on sand that trusteth to his faith or reading or knowledge of the scriptures and doth not worke or liue accordingly The answer Against vaine boasters and flatterers of themselues no doubt Christ speaketh and not against true beléeuers For true faith worketh by loue and therefore endeuor of obedience is his inseparable companion Luke 7. 6. The text Lord trouble not thy selfe For ⸫ I am not woorthie that thou shouldst enter vnder my roofe The note See the annotations vpon S. Matthew cap. 8. 8. The answer Yée do but cumber vs with these references which when we sée them are to small purpose and shall be answered with your other annotations Luke 7. â—3 The text The ⸫ poore are euangelized The note Pauperes euangelizantur that is to the poore the Gospell is preached and they receiue it The answer It had béene no more shame for you to haue learned of vs to translate plainly then for to learne of vs to note aptly and truly according to the sense and meaning of the words For it is true that the poore receiue the glad tâ—â—ings of the Gospell But the proud pope his rich cardinals his fat greasie shauelings wallowing in the wealth of this world and puffed vp in a proud conceit of themselues as they are not poore so are they not apt to receiue the Gospell Luke 7. 25. The text But what went ye forth to see a man clothed ⸫ in soft garments Behold they that are in costly apparell and delicacies are in the house of kings The note Marke this well concerning Iohns apparell and diet See the annotations vpon Saint Matthew cap. 3. 4. The answer Concerning Iohns apparell we sée nothing héere but that it was not courtly Concerning his diet héere is nothing at all We haue looked for the annotations to which you refer vs and haue lost our labour for we can find none vpon that verse Luke 7. 30. The text But the pharisies and the lawyers ⸫ despised the counsell of God against themselues being not baptized of him The note As they that contemned Iohns baptisme despised Gods counsell and wisedome so much more they which make no account of the sacraments of the church despise Gods counsell and ordinance touching their saluation to their owne damnation The answer Your note is true But you vnder the color and name of sacraments do obtrude to the people that whereof God was neuer author but which resteth and is founded vpon your owne counsell and wisedome which we despise bicause we know it to be enimitie against God Luke 7. 37. The text And behold a woman that was in the citie a sinner as she knew that he was set downe in the pharisies house she brought an alabaster boxe of ointment and standing behind besides his feete she began to ⸫ water his feete with teares and wiped them with the haires of hir head and kissed his feete and annointed them with the ointment The note A perfect paterne of true penance in this woman who sought of Christ with open teares and other strange works of satisfaction and deuotion remission of hir sinnes The answer This sheweth your want of due and sound proofe for mens satisfieng for their sinnes when you scrape héere for satisfaction I pray you which call you a satisfactorie worke hir teares hir wiping his féet with hir haire or hir cost in annointing of Christ. As repentance is fained wherof no fruits can appéere so it is a grosse forgerie to imagine the outward testimonies of true repentance to be so many satisfactions for sinnes Draffe is good ynough for swine and any thing you offer is truth amongst your followers Luke 7. 47. The text For the which I say to thee Many sinnes are forgiuen hir bicause she hath loued much But to whom lesse is forgiuen he loueth lesse The note Not onely faith as you may perceiue but loue or charitie obtaineth remission of sinnes The answer And how may we perceiue it Forsooth loue is the cause that she hath many sinnes forgiuen hir This collection is but grating vpon a word contrarie to the plaine sense of the place For if they loue more that haue more forgiuen and they lesse to whom lesse is forgiuen then it is manifest that loue is a consequent of forgiuenes and not a cause And therefore you do but abuse men with the Coniunction causall which is héere as diuers times elsewhere a note of consequence as it is plaine by the words immediately following But to whom lesse is forgiuen he loueth lesse So according to the proportion of forgiuenes the proportion of loue followeth Luke 7. 49. The text And they ⸫ that sate together at the table began to say within them selues ⸫ who is this that also forgiueth sinnes The note As the Pharisies did alwaies caâ—pe Christ for remission of sinnes vpon earth so the heretikes reprehend his church that remitteth sinnes by his authoritie The answer It appeareth by the Pharisies busâ—e carping that it was a receiued truth that onlie God could pardon offences committed against God And they
pardons and such like popish pelfrie might haue done he should be sure of it bicause he left ynough to pay well for it Luke 12. 22. The text And he said to his disciples therefore I say to you ⸫ Be not carefull for your life what you shall eate nor for your bodie what you shall do on The note He forbiddeth not competent prouidence but too much carefulnes See annot vpon S. Matthew c. 6. v. 25. The answer It is very true that men not marking the prouidence of God but hanging altogither vpon their owne prouision do thinke themselues neuer to haue cared sufficiently til they haue scraped togither prouision for a long time aforehand Against which Christ doth arme his with the due consideration of Gods prouidence Touching your annotation you are disposed to send vs to séeke that which is not to be found Luke 12. 32. The text Feare not ⸫ little flocke for it hath pleased your father to giue you a kingdome The note It was little at the beginning and is still in comparison of all the reprobate but in it selfe very great as in the parable of the great tree that grew of the little mustard seed Matth. 13. The answer Your note in words is true though in your meaning not true For we doubt not but that you meane that this greatnes is alwaies visible to the world which we denie and you are not able to prooue Luke 12. 35. The text Let your ⸫ loines be girded and candels burning in your hands The note To girde our loynes is to keepe chastitie and continencie Greg. ho. 10. The answer Your exposition though it be Gregories it is far fetched and the farther from truth bicause you imagine no chastitie but in single life By which collection it should follow that no maried men should be aptly prepared or furnished to wait for the comming of Christ. And so consequently one of the sacraments of your church excludeth men from waiting for the glorious comming of our Lord and Sauiour Surely maried men are much beholding to you Luke 12. 51. The text Thinke you that I came to giue ⸫ peace on the earth no I tell you but separation The note He meaneth the naughtie peace that is betweene worldlings and sinners the agreement that is in infidelitie in heresie or in any other wickednes He came to breake this peace See annotations Mat. 10. 34. The answer It is sure that the knowledge and imbracing of Christ doth disturbe the former agréement we had in darknes ignorance and therfore no maruel though in this light of the Gospel which God hath raised there be many dissentions Your note like the rest shall be censured with his fellowes Luke 13. 3. The text No I saie to you but vnlesse you ⸫ haue penance you shall likewise perish The note Or as it is vttered in other places do penance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the which in the new Testament signifieth perfect repentance See annotations Mat. 3 3. 11. 21. The answer We do not doubt but that the Euangelist vsing that worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ment true and perfect repentance But this is that we denie and you should prepare your selues to prooue that men can not be truely or perfectly repentant except either they haue some penance inioined them or else assume to themselues some penance whereby they may satisfie to God for their sinnes in the whole or in part Which except you do prooue your labor about the signification of the word is but méere wrangling Your annotations shall receiue answer by themselues Luke 13. 6. The text And he said this similitude A certaine man had ⸫ a fig tree planted in his vineyard and he came seeking for fruite on it and found none The note The fig tree with onely leaues and no fruite is the Iewes Synagogue and euerie other people or person which hath faith and faire words and no good works The answer By your continuall separation of faith from works your meaning is to make your followers beléeue that we teach that men may be iustified by an idle and fruitlesse faith Wherin your owne conscience doth witnes to you that you do vs great iniury The Iewes Synagogue had a shew of works but no true faith and therefore that as you confesse being signified by the fig trée your hypocriticall confidence in works whereby you and they sought to establish your owne righteousnes is flatly by this parable condemned Luke 13. 19. The text It is like to a mustard seede which a man tooke and cast into his garden and it grew and became a great tree and the foules of the aire rested in the boughes therof The note See annotations Matth. 13. 31. The answer Your references are neither rightly quoted for vpon the 31. verse there is nothing noted and vpon the next verse there is nothing said which might not haue béen set downe of any scholler neuer so meane For what Christian that hath made any progresse at all in Christs schoole can be ignorant of the beginning and encrease of the church of Christ Luke 13. 24. The text But he said to them ⸫ Striue to enter by the narrow gate bicause many I say to you shall seeke to enter and shall not be able The note Christians must in their liues seeke the strait way but in religion the ancient common way The answer If by ancient and common you meane that religion which Adam receiued of God and by him was deliuered to all mankind and which Christ deliuered to his whole church then we accorde with you that it is that which we are to folow and to striue for But if you meane that which for some ages hath béene common and therfore beareth some shewe of antiquitie then we dissent from you Bicause whiles you séeke to establish your popery you are not ashamed to make Christ to exhort men either to supersticious Iudaisme or to idolatrous Gentilisme For at that time there were none other religions commonly receiued and embraced but these and neither of them both but did beare a greater shew of antiquitie then in truth euer did poperie Luke 13. 30. The text And behold they are ⸫ last that shal be first and they be first that shall be last The note The Gentils comming into Gods fauor later are preferred before the Iewes which were first The answer This note must haue a fauorable exposition And we take it that the preferment you meane is our graffing into the true oliue whence they were cut out And then we reason thus If the Church of the Iewes once florishing might afterward decay and that people falling away giue roome and place to such nations as God made himselfe knowen vnto in Christ long after them then why may not the Romans though their faith was once commended praise woorthie be in like case shaken of also Luke 13. 34. The text Hierusalem Hierusalem which killest the prophets and stonest them that are sent to thee how often
and graces offered And further wée learne that as the authoritie and credit of this woman by whom the Samaritans were first conuerted was not greater therefore then the credit and authoritie of our Sauiour Christ by whome the Samaritans were now confirmed so the authoritie of the church first drawing men to beleeue is not greater then the authoritie of the scriptures by which men be after confirmed in the truth of their beléefe As for your addition of other instructions if you meane thereby your vnwritten verities or some such like stuffe you might haue kept it for your owne stoore Iohn 5. 6. The text And there is at Hierusalem vpon ⸫ probatica a pond which in Hebrew is surnamed Bethsaida hauing fiue porches The note By our Latine text and the Greeke this miraculous pond was in or vpon probatica that is a place where sheepe to be sacrificed were kept but by other Latin copies Saint Hierome and some Greeke fathers probatica is the very pond it selfe so called bicause the sheepe of sacrifice were there washed The answer Whether the pond were probatica or in or vpon probatica whether shéepe were sold there washed there or kept there it is not materiall nor woorth the contending for Iohn 5. 29. The text Maruaile not at this bicause the houre commeth wherein all that are in the graues shall heare his voice and they that haue ⸫ done good things shal come forth into the resurrection of life The note Not faith onlie but good and ill deeds shalbe counted and accordinglie rewarded at the day of iudgement The answer And who denieth this and yet then the onlie instrument of vniting vs to Christ our righteousnesse shalbe faith onlie alone Iohn 5. 39. The text Search the ⸫ scriptures for you thinke in them to haue life euerlasting and the same are they that giue testimonie of me The note Catholikes search the scriptures and finde there Peters and his successors primacie the reall presence the priests power to forgiue sinnes iustification by faith and good workes virginitie preferred before matrimonie breach of the vow of continencie damnable voluntarie pouertie penance almes and good deeds meritorious diuers rewards in heauen according to diuerse merits and such like The answer Whom haue we héere Thraso or Gnato For this can not procéed but either from a vainglorious vaunter or from a filthie flatterer You catholikes may as eâ—silie wring water out of a flint as find in the scriptures that which is not in them as in the particulars which you haue reckoned in their particular places are or shalbe shewed And to the end your credulous followers may be the lesse able to espie your fraud herein you haue hitherto kept them safe from searching the scriptures and now when by Gods good benefit you can no longer kéep them from the scriptures you haue sent them the scriptures in their mother tongue not to the end they should search but corrupted and of purpose obscured and darkened to the end to terrifie and feare men from searching for if with humilitie and hartie desire of truth they would diligently search the scriptures the testimonies of them would driue them to leaue you and to flie to Christ for life Iohn 5. 43. The text I am come in the name of my father and you receiue me not if ⸫ another shall come in his owne name him will you receiue The note He meaneth specially Antichrist then how can the pope be he seeing the Iewes receiue him not The answer He meaneth anie false and forged Christ and not Antichrist of which sort it is well knowen there were diuers both before and after Christ whom the Iewes were very readie to embrace And it is manifest that they were not onlie readie to receiue such impostors seducers as vaunted them selues to be Christ but also by a solemne embassage the prouoked and procured as much as in them lay Iohn Baptist to haue and take that honor vpon him Further you forget that which some of you haue much contended for namely the force of the Gréeke article by addition whereof in other places you will inforce Antichrist to be meant of some particular man but héere that must be meant of Antichrist which neither hath article added nor yet can possibly with anie probabilitie bée restrained to any one particular person Thus may your holie father be Antichrist still for any let that is in this place Ioh. 6. 23. The text But other boates came in from Tyberias beside the place where they had eaten the bread our Lord ⸫ giuing thanks The note These words do plainly import that the giuing thanks was an effectuall blessing of the bread and working the multiplication thereof The answer These words do plainly import that the blessing which the other Euangelists speake of was nothing else but praier and thankesgiuing by the which the creatures of God are sanctified to the vse and behoofe of men Ioh. 6. 32. The text ⸫ Amen Amen I say to you Moyses gaue you not the bread from heauen but my father giueth you the true bread from heauen The note Why we keepe the Hebrewâ—word Amen and translate it not See the annot cap. 8. vers 34. The answer This is a cloake for the raine if you had only abstained from translating such words as vse hath vpon occasion made common to other toongs we would not greatly blame you but your hunting and séeking vnder that and the like pretences to leaue things as darke as you can is that which men do iustlie condemne in you Ioh. 7. â— The text And the festiual day of the Iewes ⸫ Scenopegia was at hand The note Scenopegia Leuit. 23. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the feast of Tabernacles which the Iewes kept from the seauenth of October for eight daies togither by Gods commandement for a memorie that their fathers dwelt by Gods protection fortie yeeres in tabernacles or tents and not in houses comming out of Egypt See Leuit. 23. 34. The answer You might haue kept your margent vnblotted if it had stoode with your pleasure to haue translated Scenopegia The place in Leuiticus would sufficiently haue shewed the cause of the institution Ioh. 7. 17 The text If any man ⸫ will do the will of him he shall vnderstand of the doctrine whether it be of God or I speake of my selfe The note The way to come to know the truth is to liue well The answer The way to come to know and vnderstand the truth is wholie to renounce resigne our owne will and to giue our selues ouer wholie to the obedience of God For the Lord himselfe wil teach the humble and méeke euen them that feare him Ioh. 7. 18. The text ⸫ He that speaketh of himselfe seeketh his owne glorie The note It is spoken of Antichrist specially and it is true in all heretikes Augustin tract 29. in Euangelium Io. The answer If euer it was verified of any it is most true of the bishop of
Rome The séeking of his glorie is the cause of all the mischiefes wrought by wars in the world at this present If we will not therefore be snarled in the snares of Antichrist we must séeke his onely glory that created vs as in the same treatise Augustine doth aduise vs. Ioh. 7. 20. The text The multitude answered and said ⸫ thou hast a diuell who seeketh to kill thee The note No maruell when these speake thus to Christ himselfe if â—eretikes call his vicar Antichrist The answer No maruell though sincere Christians be estéemed regarded and spoken of by papists and atheistes as Christ him selfe was by the Iewes As for any vicar of Christ we know none but euerie prince and magistrate within his owne dominion and euery pastor in his owne flocke Ioh. 7. 39. The text And this he said of the spirit that they should receiue which beleeued in him ⸫ for as yet the spirit was not giuen bicause Iesus was not glorified The note This was fulfilled on Whit sunday Acts 2. and afterward alwaies by imposition of hands in the Sacrament of Confirmation visibly in the primitiue church and inuisibly to the end of the world The answer Your sacrament of confirmation who instituted it What promise was giuen to it What signes were appointed What signification had they Who were authorised to minister it Whether the bishop alone Or euerie priest Iohn 7. 50. The text Nicodemus said to them ⸫ he that came to him by night who was one of them doth our law iudge a man vnlesse it first heare him and know what he doth The note Christ hath alwaies some good euen amongst the wicked which secretly serue him and by wise delaies auert the execution of vniust lawes against him and his people as Nicodemas and Gamaliel The answer Christ hath his amongst euery sort of men and often worketh great benefit to his church by the weakest of those that beare good will to his truth Iohn 8. 7. The text ⸫ He that is without sinne of you let him first throwe the stone at hir The note We cannot conueniently reprehend or condemne other mens faults if our selues be giltie of the same or other greater Cyrill in Io. See annot Matt. 7. 1. The answer You are great clarks that are so liberall of your fathers in matters néedlesse And yet neither Christ nor Cirill meant that none should reprehend others but such as are faultlesse themselues But onely they meant to discouer the hypocrisie of men which neuer looking vpon them selues how great soeuer their faults be yet are seuere censurers of others Iohn 8. 1â— The text And Iesus said ⸫ Neither wil I condemne thee Go and now sinne no more The note Saint Augustine by this example of our master prooueth that clergiemen specially should be giuen much to mercie and that they ought often as the cause and time require to get pardon of the secular magistrates for offenders that be penitent Epist. 54. The answer How wel you follow this which you alledge out of Augustine it is manifest in that the secular magistrates are stirred vp by you to extreme cruelties and most horrible bloodsheds and murders as all the world can witnes If euer mercie were exiled from men sure it is banished from amongst papists Which néedeth no proofe for in all places where the heresie of poperie is fauored and vpheld with the sword of authoritie experience teacheth it Your horrible tragedies my hart panteth to thinke vpon and my pen trembleth to record There are in all countries so many witnesses of your horrible cruelties that it is néedlesse to set downe any examples Iohn 8. 26. The text Iesus said to them ⸫ The beginning who also speake to you The note So read S. Cirill S. Ambrose and S. Augustine expounding it of Christs person that he is the beginning or cause of all creatures The answer If you would haue had your reading maruelled at you should héere haue brought vs some other fathers For for these we thinke you are beholding to Erasmus and Bezaes annotations whence you borrowed them But that you professe of purpose to follow the old Latin translation and therfore could not translate otherwise it had béene no hard matter to haue shewed that you willingly erre with them whom you follow Iohn 8. 31. The text Iesus therefore said to them that beleeued him the Iewes If you ⸫ abide in my word you shall be my disciples in deede The note Onely faith is not sufficient without perseuerance or abiding in the keeping of his commandements The answer Onely fire is not sufficient to warme a man standing by it without heate and in the like order you do but abuse men in diuorcing things inseparable Iohn 8. 36. The text If therefore the sonne make you free you shall be free in deede The note Man was neuer without free will but hauing the grace of Christ his will is truly made free as saint Augustine saith from seruitude of sinne also tractatu 41. in Euang. Io. The answer If you meane such fréedome of will as is in thraldom and seruitude of sinne to serue sinne willingly we will easily grant that man was neuer without it If you meane otherwise you abuse saint Augustine for that he meant not Yea when we are fréed by Christ he speaketh thus in the same treatise Partly libertie partly seruitude libertie is not yet whole pure and full bicause full eternitie is not yet It is strange that you are not ashamed to abuse men thus with the fathers Iohn 8. 39. The text If you be the children of Abraham ⸫ do the works of Abraham The note Not onely faith but good works also make men the children of Abraham according as saint Iames also speaketh of Abrahams works cap. 2. The answer If you gather no better consequences at Rhemes none of mine shall learne Logike there Howe holdeth this Do the works of Abraham if yée be the sonnes of Abraham ergo to do the works of Abraham make men the sonnes of Abraham It is a shame for children to glorie in the goodnes and vertue of their parents and not a whit to resemble them therein This is it that Christ reprooueth the Iewes for As for Iames speaketh of iustifieng by works but of being made the children of Abraham by works I finde there iust and iumpe nothing Iohn 8. 44. The text You are of your father the diuell and the desires of your father you will do He was a ⸫ man killer from the beginning he stood not in the veritie bicause veritie is not in him The note Augustine compareth heretikes in their spirituall murther by driuing Christian men out of the church to the diuell that droue our parents out of paradise Cont. Lit. Petili lib. 2. cap. 13. The answer The diuell did bereaue our first parents of their happy estate by making them beléeue they should be more happie and blessed euen so you with the swéete name of the church do allure draw and entise
garments which Dorcas made them The note The praiers of our almes folke and beades men may do vs great good euen after our departure For if they procured hir temporall life how much more may they helpe vs to Gods mercie and to release of punishment in purgatorie The answer You delight your selues with fond and foolish kinds of reasoning I pray you shew me some rule for the consequence of your reason Praiers of the liuing haue somtimes obtained restitution to life of some newly dead ergo they may procure release of punishment after death Your antecedent is confirmed by manifest examples the consequent is grounded and resteth onely vpon your méer imagination and hath not so much as a color of truth Acts. 10. 15. The text And a ⸫ voice came to him againe the second time That which God hath purified do not thou call common The note Heere God first vttered to Peter that the time was come to preach also to the Gentils and to conuerse with them for their saluation no lesse than with the Iewes with full freedome to eate all meats without respect of the prohibition of certaine made in the old law The answer Héere we sée that we know but in part and that euerie man hath but his measure in gifts therefore it is but a vaine brag of papists that all knowledge resteth in the popes brest except they can prooue the pope now to haue more knowledge than Peter then had Acts. 10. 30. The text And Cornelius said Foure daies since vntill this houre I was ⸫ praying the ninth houre in my house The note At the time of praier speciallie God sendeth comfortable visitations The answer So that God be praied to and not others so mens petitions be grounded vpon Gods promises and so made in faith so mens mindes in praier be not wandering and caried away with by-thoughtes and so they be earnest and importunate and giue not ouer foorthwith God doeth not onlie graunt them the comforts they pray for but also often pitieth their ignorance in asking and graunteth that which they could not aske as héere to Cornelius the knowledge or our Saâ—iour by the ministerie of Peter Acts 10. 31. The text And behold a ⸫ man stood before me in white apparel and said Cornelius thy praier is heard and thy almes deeds are in memorie in the sight of God The note Note these apparitions and visions to Saint Peter Cornelius and others in the Scriptures verie often against the incredulitie of our heretiks that will beleeue neither vision nor miracle not expressed in scripture these being beleeued of Christian men euen before they were written The answer Miracles crediblie reported at anie time so they tend to the glorie of God and confirmation of his truth deliuered to vs in his word we easilie admit But others that bring with them no profit or vphold and giue credit to falsehood and vntruth of which sort all or in a maner all the miracles of the popish church are we holde either for lies deuised by your selues or for illusions of Sathan Acts. 10. 35. The text But in euerie nation he that feareth him and ⸫ worketh iustice is acceptable to him The note Not such as beleeue onlie but such as feare God and worke iustice are acceptable to him The answer Bée there I pray you anie infidels that worke righteousnes if there be then what is become of that without faith it is impossible to please God If none can haue good works that hath not faith than whie also on the contrarie part doo ye not graunt that none can haue a true and a liuelie faith but as time and occasion serueth he must shew it foorth by the fruits and effects thereof Your reason from doing to being alone followeth not except you will say that the tongue speaketh not alone because it is not alone in the head but I am wearie with oft answering this fond cauill Acts. 11. 18. The text Hauing heard these things they ⸫ held their peace and glorified God saying God then to the Gentiles also hath giuen repentance vnto life The note Good Christians heare and obey gladlie such truthes as be opened vnto them from God by their chiefe pastors by vision reuelation or otherwise The answer Héere are verie manie things to be noted which you are very loath to sée bicause they shake diuerse and principall pillars of your religion First the church might and did call Peter to an accompt of his doings and doctrine How then hath the Pope that prerogatiue that he may not be called in question for any thing Secondly the multitude of the visible church do notwithstanding the promise of the holie Ghost erre in a matter of so great importance as concerneth the saluation of the Gentiles what prerogatiue hath the church gotten since that the multitude thereof may not somtime in some matters erre Thirdly the whole church espieth their fault and yéeldeth to the truth at the teaching and instruction of one But with you consent of multitude must preuaile howsoeuer truth stand Acts. 12. 4. The text Whom when he had apprehended he cast into prison deliuering him ⸫ to fower quaternions of soldiers to be kept The note As Peters person was more notorious than others and therfore better garded than other for feare he should escape so Gods prouidence in preseruing and deliuering him for the longer gouernment of his church is very maruellous The answer We will not reason the matter how notorious the person of Peter was It is manifest that as yet he had not béene at Rome neither was possessed of a triple crowne But this comfort we reape out of this place that bicause the arme of God is not shortened nor his power lessened he watcheth ouer his still he sléepeth not by day nor slumbereth by night therefore he will deliuer his as maruellously still from the crueltie of the pope and his adherents Acts. 12. 12. The text And considering he came to the ⸫ house of Marie the mother of Iohn who was surnamed Marke where many were gathered and praieng The note It is much for the praise of these good Christians that the assemblie to Gods seruice and praier was kept in their houses in the time of persecution and that the Apostle came thither straight out of prison as his first refuge As now Christian people do much to their commendation in places where heresie doth raigne The answer God increase the number of such Christians and grant them comfort and defence against all crueltie and rage of vnmercifull papists Acts. 12. 17. The text And going foorth he went ⸫ into another place The note Though God had so miraculously deliuered him yet he would not tempt God by tarieng among his persecutors but according to Christs commandement fled for a time The answer Why do you not tell vs whether he fled If he went to Rome and became bishop there then belike he was bishop there afore he was bishop of Antioch which
and raigne ouer actuall transgressors but also ouer infants and babes skant borne Rom. 6. 〈◊〉 The text For ⸫ we are buried together with him by baptisme into death that as Christ is risen from the dead by the glorie of the father so we also may walke in newnesse of life The note Remission of sinne new life sanctification and iustification are giuen by baptisme bicause it resembleth in vs and applieth to vs Christs death and resurrection and ingraffeth vs into him The answer And whie doo you not say that these are giuen vs by baptisme ex opere operato for that I know is your meaning And otherwise we do know that God doeth trulie exhibite his promised graces to beléeuing receiuers Rom. 6. 17. The text But thankes be to God that you were the seruants of sinne but ⸫ haue obeied from the hart vnto that forme of doctrine into the which you haue bene deliuered The note Heere againe is signified that our discharge from the bondage of sinne is by the Christian faith and by obedience to the whole doctrine of Christes religion in that the Apostle attributeth this their deliuerance from sinne to their humble receiuing of the Catholike faith The answer Here is signified that sanctification and hartie obedience to the catholike doctrine 〈◊〉 consequents of iustification by faith and so of our fréedome from sinne But that their humble receiuing and obeieng that doctrine is the cause of their deliuerance from sin is your dreame and neither the apostles spéech nor meaning Rom. 6. 19. The text For as you haue exhibited your members to serue vncleannes and iniquitie vnto iniquitie so now exhibite your members to serue ⸫ iustice vnto sanctification The note He signifieth that as when they were subiect to sinne by continual and often working wickednes they encreased in iniquitie that so also nowe being iustified they may and should by externall works of iustice encrease their iustice and sanctification The answer Under the ambiguous name of iustice you séeke to confounde iustification and sanctification to the end you may giue the better colour to your inherent righteousnes Therefore to auoide your fraude I distinctly answere that as iniquitie is increased by continuance in euill works so sanctitie begun in the children of God is augmented and encreased by all maner of holie exercises Rom. ◠2. The text For the woman that is vnder a husband ⸫ her husband liuing is bounde to the law but if her husband be dead she is loosed from the law of hir husband The note Nothing but death dissolueth the band betwixt man and wife though for fornication one may depart from an others companie Therefore to marrie againe is adulterie during the life of the partie separated The answer That death dissolueth the bande of matrimonie is in this place manifest but that nothing but death dissolueth it that is your addition and hath no iust or good ground If you woulde vouchsafe to giue vs a definition of the band of matrimonie the matter would quickly be made manifest and plaine In the meane space your conclusion which is that it is adultery to marrie againe during the life of the parfie separated followeth after your woonted maner that is like a stragler Rom. 7. 4. The text Therefore my brethren ⸫ you also are made dead to the law by the bodie of Christ that you may be an other mans who is risen again from the dead that we may fructify to god The note Being now baptized and dead to sinne and engraffed in Christs mystical body you are discharged of the law of Moyses are free in Christ. The answer If you vnderstand this our death to the law and so consequentlie our discharge from it not absolutely but as it is the strength of sinne then I allow and like of your note Rom. 7. 6. The text But now we are loosed from the law of death wherein we were deteined in so much we serue in ⸫ newnes of spirit and not in oldnes of the letter The note By baptisme we haue not Christs iustice imputed to vs but an inward newnes of spirit giuen vs and resident in vs. The answer How prooue you your negatiue Why haue we not both Do not they which are baptized put on Christ If they put on Christ are they not adorned and beautified with his righteousnes imputed to them Or doth God giue Christ to them and not the benefits of Christ togither with him Nay this newnes of spirit giuen vs and resident in vs is a necessarie consequent of the former imputed to vs by faith But you would faine exclude the former to leaue place alone for your inherent iustice Rom. 7. 8. The text But ⸫ occasion being taken sinne by the commandement wrought in me all concupiscence For without the law sinne was dead The note Sinne or concupiscence which was a sleepe before was wakened by prohibition the law not being the cause thereof nor giuing occasion therunto but occasion being taken by our corrupt nature to resist that which was commanded The answer The corrupt nature of man is prone to doo that which is forbidden no maruel then though occasion of sinning be taken from whence it is not giuen But your blindnes is maruellous that you can not sée this corruption of nature to be aswell sin as the cause of sinne in all men Rom. 8. 4. The text For that which was impossible to the law in that it was weakened by the flesh God sending his sonne in the similitude of the flesh of sinne euen of sin condemned sinne in the flesh that the ⸫ iustification of the law might be fulfilled in vs who walke not according to the flesh but according to the spirit The note This conuinceth against the churches aduersaries that the law that is Gods commandements may be kept and that the keeping thereof is iustice and that in Christian men that is fulfilled by Christs grace which by the force of the law could neuer be fulfilled The answer Who are so blinde as they which will not sée The text and circumstances thereof are plaine that whereas it is impossible for any to be iustified by obseruing or kéeping the law for that it was of no strength or as you translate it to weake for that by reason of the flesh God hath prouided a remedie for that in his Christ who being sent in our nature hath fulfilled the law for vs which benefite of his is made ours by grace of imputation and so the iustification of the law fulfilled in vs. This conuinceth that the law may be kept not by others but by Christ and that the kéeping thereof is iustice and our iustice but inherent in Christ and ours by imputation and grace and therefore is not saide to be fulfilled of vs but in vs. Rom. 8. 14. The text For whosoeuer ⸫ are by the spirit of God they are the sons of God The note He meaneth not that the children of God be violently compelled against their
wils but that they be sweetely drawen mooued and induced to do good August Euchiridion cap. 64. de verb. domini ser. 43. ca. 7. de verb. Apost ser. 13. cap. 11. 12. The answer Here you bring authorities thicke where néede none Who euer expounded this leading of the spirit of forcible constreining men against their wils Bicause your fréewill is denied you would haue your followers to beléeue that we make men blocks and stocks As for you you are so far from being led by the spirit that you haue no sence nor féeling of it and therfore dare not say that you haue the spirit of God And good reason why you should not bicause the holy Ghost hath not wrought in you any change or alteration from your superstitions follies Rom. 9. 11. The text For when they were not yet borne nor had done any good or euill that the purpose of God according to election might stande not of works but of the caller it was said to her That the elder shall serue the yoonger The note S. Hierom q. 10. ad Hedibiam All the Epistle surely to the Romaines needeth interpretation and is enwrapped with so great obscurities to vnderstand it we neede the helpe of the holie Ghost who by the Apostle did dictate these same things but especially this place Howbeit nothing pleaseth vs but that which is Ecclesiasticall that is the sense of the Church The answer Saint Hierome did not vse this spéech to fraie any from reading anie part of the scriptures and inquiring the sense of them For he himselfe séeketh to satisfie the questions propounded and that to a woman whom he scarcely knew That this epistle néedeth interpretation and especially the illumination of that spirit which caused it to be written it hath common with the rest of the Scriptures For the naturall man vnderstandeth not the things of the spirit of God which are spiritually discerned We would be loath to please our selues with any priuate interpretation not receiued nor allowed of the true church of God But you would gladly haue this whole Epistle out of the way and especially this chapter bicause it setteth out plainely Gods frée election and choise without respect or regard had to works either aforegoing or following Which sense though contrarie to the sense of your church Saint Hierome holdeth as the sense of the church then And therefore he concludeth that question that Hedibia should for euer hold her peace from inquiring anie causes of Gods will why he is mercifull to one seuere to another Rom. 9. 22. The text And if God willing to shew wrath and to make his might knowne ⸫ susteined in much patience the vessels wrath apt to destruction c. The note That God is not the cause of any mans reprobation or damnation otherwise then for punishment of his sins he sheweth by that he expecteth all mens amendment with great patience and consequently that they haue also freewill The answer The cause and matter of mans damnation is in himselfe And yet God did prepare the wicked or damned to be vessels of ignominie or dishonor It is wel that you rake so diligently amongst the vngodly and reprobate for your fréewill For they sin frankly and fréely And if you finde it not amongst the slaues of sinne you shall finde it no where But I haue told you and do tell you againe that this fréedome to do euill is the seruitude of sinne and that therefore this fréewill cannot do any thing but sinne Rom. 10. 4. The text For the end of the law is Christ vnto ⸫ iustice to euery one that beleeueth The note The law was not giuen to make a man iust or perfect by it selfe but to bring vs to Christ to be iustified by him The answer If the law were not giuen to make a man iust then how can a man be iustified by his owne works and obedience Againe how then do you holde it possible to be fulfilled by men for no doubt it maketh iust the fulfillers thereof Though you bring all your suttle shifts and euasions togither yet if you holde fast this note your inherent iustice to make a man iust withall shall be iust woorth two strawes Rom. 10. 5. The text For Moyses wrote ⸫ that the iustice which is of the law the man that hath done it shall liue in it The note The iustice of the law of Moyses went no further of it selfe but to saue a man from temporall death and punishment prescribed to the transgressors of the same The answer Were not the ten commandements part of the law of Moses And doth not Christ answer the yoong man that would know by what doing he should haue life euerlasting Kéepe the commandements Did the curse of the law from which Christ deliuered vs extend no further than to temporall punishment Perfect righteousnes bringeth perfect life The law is a perfect rule of righteousnes therefore if it could be fulfilled of vs it should bring vs to perfect eternall life What meaneth Paul by his opposition of those two sentences The iust shall liue by faith And he that doth these things shall liue in them if one and the same life eternall be not promised in both in the one to beléeuers in the other to doers Againe if this your note were true the law of it selfe and in it selfe had béene too weake to iustifie or sanctifie but saint Paul saith not it was too weake in it selfe but it was weakened by the flesh and therefore could not iustifie But as all poperie is patched togither of old and new heresies so this patch was borrowed of the Manicheans Rom. 10. 13. The text For euerie one ⸫ whosoeuer shall inuocate the name of our Lord shall be saued The note To beleeue in him and to inuocate him is to serue him with all loue and sincere affection All that so do shall doubtlesse be saued and shall neuer be confounded The answer If to inuocate him be to serue him then why teach you men to inuocate others and so consequently to serue others which are but men And thus whilest you are loth to attribute saluation to faith alone but would make it common to works also you cut your owne throtes and shew your selues to all the world to be manifest impostors and deceiuers Rom. 10. 16. The text But all ⸫ do not obey the Gospell The note We see then that it is in a mans freewill to beleeue or not to beleeue to obey or disobey the Gospell or truth preached The answer Your sight is sharpe you can sée far into a mill stone no reasonable man can sée how your consequence followeth All do not obey ergo they haue frée will to obey or not to obey It is like this All papists go not whither they list ergo no papists are in prison or restrained of libertie Rom. 11. 4. The text I haue left me seuen thousand men that haue not bowed their knees to ⸫ Baal The note The heretikes adde
spirit c. The note All these gifts be those which the learned call gratias gratis daâ—as which be bestowed often vpon euill liuers which haue not the other graces of God whereby their persons should be gratefull iust and holie in his sight The answer That these graces which are here recited are fréely giuen many times to the wicked is manifest and confessed of all But that which you would secretly insinuate that the other graces wherby men are made gratefull iust and holie in Gods sight are not fréely giuen but to those that procure them by works preparatorie or to them that deserue them by inherent iustice is manifestlie and directly opposite to the Scriptures Romaines 3. 24. Ephes. 2. 8. 1. Cor. 12. 1â— The text For as the bodie is one and hath manie members and all the members of the bodie wheras they be manie yet are ⸫ one bodie so also Christ. The note A maruellous vnion betwixt Christ and his church and a great comfort to all catholikes being members thereof that the church and he the head and the bodie make and be called one Christ. Aug. de vnita Eccl. The answer A maruellous good note wherin onely this héed is to be taken that men be not deceiued by ioining themselues to those that are catholikes in name and not in déede Which it is impossible otherwise to auoide then by holding fast the societie of them that imbrace and keepe that forme of doctrine which was deliuered to the church by the apostles whom all parts confesse to be true catholikes 1. Cor. 12. 28. The text Are all apostles are all prophets are all doctors ⸫ are all myracles haue all the grace of doing cures c. The note Saint Augustine ep 137. giueth the same reason why myracles and cures be done at the memories or bodies of some saints more then at others and by the same saints in one place of their memories rather then at other places The answer Augustine was a man sometimes as well as others deceiued by illusions For why should not the same saints memories bée honored with myracles in Affrica as well as in Italie For it was not to places but to persons that the gift of doing myracles was granted How much trulier wrote Augustine that myracles were not suffered to endure to his time least men should alwaies séeke visible confirmations and least men should waxe cold by the commonnes of those things by the strangenes wherof they were first enflamed 1. Cor. 13. 2. The text And if I should haue prophecie and knew all mysteries and all knowledge and if I should ⸫ haue all faith so that I could remooue mountaines and haue not charitie I am nothing The note This prooueth that faith is nothing woorth to saluation without works and that there may be true faith without charitie The answer It is strange that when in the former chapter you haue set faith among the gifts that are giuen often vnto the wicked now the same faith being spoken of you would haue it to be taken for the faith we speake of in the cause of iustification and so consequently that it might be without charitie Whereas there is as much difference betwéene that faith and this as is betwixt the beléefe of the omnipotent power of God and affiance in his goodnes But admit that that were granted you which you so much desire that a true faith were here ment how followeth your reason Is euerie supposition a proofe Saint Paule saith if an angell from heauen teach an other gospell c. doth it follow that an angell from heauen may teach an other Gospell do you not sée the vanitie of your proofe 1. Cor. 13. 10. The text But ⸫ when that shall come that is perfect that shal be made voide that is in part The note By this text Saint Augustine lib. 22. Ciu. cap. 29. prooueth that the saints in heauen haue more perfect knowledge of our affaires here then they had whiles they liued here The answer Saint Augustine there entreateth of the knowledge and sight of God which the godly shall haue after the resurrection of their bodies And he speaketh in that place no word of the knowledge that dead men haue touching the affaires of men liuing here whiles this world endureth But touching that matter his mind is as he expresseth it else where that the saints in heauen know no more what we do here then we know what they do there But you care not how you lie so you may turne men from God to put confidence in creatures 1. Cor. 13. 13. The text And now there remaine faith hope and charitie these three But the ⸫ greater of these is charitie The note Charitie is of all three the greatest How then doth onely faith being inferior to it saue and iustifie and not charitie The answer I will not at all touch that charitie is not simply the greatest but in some certaine respects But I will come to your reason If faith iustified by the vertue and merite of it self then your reason were somewhat for then charitie being the greater vertue should rather iustifie But now when it is but an instrument to lay hold vpon Christ our righteousnes your reason holdeth not Our hands are inferior to some other parts of man yet our hands are the onely instruments whereby we lay holde on and vse such weapons as serue for our defence And therefore men are called men of their hands 1. Cor. 4. 14. The text But if thou blesse in the spirit he that supplieth the place of the ⸫ vulgar how shall he say Amen vpon thy blessing bicause he knoweth not what thou saiest The note By this word are ment all rude vnlearned men but specially the simple which were yet vnchristened as the Catechumens which came into those spirituall exercises as also infidels did at their pleasures The answer By this word are ment all priuate men for it is euident that except they vnderstoode the publike praier and thankesgiuing they could not shew foorth their assent by saieng Amen 1. Cor. 15. 3. The text For ⸫ I deliuered vnto you first of all which I also receiued That Christ died for our sinnes according to the Scriptures The note This deliuerie in the Latine and Greeke importeth tradition and so by tradition did the Apostles plant the church in all truth before they wrote any thing The answer The controuersie is not whether tradition or writing was first but whether the apostles did not write as much as is necessarie for vs to know and kéepe and whether traditions which vnder their name you obtrude be to be iudged by their writings or not As for that tradition he speaketh of here he specifieth most plainly in writing and therefore this can not make for your vnwritten verities to the which you would faine impropriate the name of traditions 1. Cor. 15. 10. The text But by the grace of God I am that which I am and his grace in
person to forsake the faith of their first Apostles and conuersion at the voice of a few nouellaries seemeth to wise men a very bewitching and senselesse brutishnes Such is the case of our poore countrie Germanie and others The answer That Rome hath forsaken the faith and doctrine taught by their first Apostles Paul and Peter as this Epistle doth most euidently testifie at the voice of their most proud prelats and that other countries haue from thence tasted of the same cup séemeth not to wise worldlings but to the spirit of God and to those that are thereby led and guided a very bewitching and yet withall the iust iudgement of God vpon those that had not or haue not any loue to the truth Thus haue you most manifestly your note returned vpon your selues For Paule and Peter were out of all doubt the Apostles of God and the doctrine deliuered by them voide of all filth and corruptions Galat. 3. 7. The text Know yee therefore that they that are of ⸫ faith the same are the children of Abraham The text This faith wherby Abraham was iustified and his children the Gentiles beleeuing in Christ implieth all Christian vertues of the which the first is faith the ground and foundation of all the rest and therfore here and else where often named of the Apostle The answer Sée your foule shifts when we say faith iustifieth then you vrge against vs a dead faith voide of all Christian vertues yea you go farther for you affirme that all faith and so consequently a true liuely faith may be without charitie Againe on the contrarie side when the force and plainnes of the text driueth you to confesse iustification by faith then faith implieth all Christian vertues So when it may serue your turne things inseparable as true faith hope and charitie must be separated and againe for the like aduantage things distinct must be confounded and one must imply and comprehende an other But for answer we confesse that faith is accompanied with all Christian vertues but neither they nor faith do iustifie by their owne vertue or merit as qualities inherent or resiant in vs. But faith is said to iustifie bicause by it we apprehend and lay hold vpon Christ and his righteousnes which is thereby made ours by Gods imputation And this office is proper to faith and not to any other vertue Galat. 4. 3. The text So we also when we were litle ones were seruing vnder the elements of the world The note That is the rudiments of religion wherein the carnall Iewes were trained vp or the corporall creatures wherin their manifold sacrifices sacraments and rites did consist The answer If the corporall creatures vsed in the multitude of their sacrifices sacraments and rites were an argument of their seruile estate vnder the law then consider the great heape of rites and ceremonies in your church and sée whether they doo not serue to bring Christians into seruitude and bondage againe by making them to serue vnder the elements of the world againe Naie the state of the Iewes was lesse seruile and more tolerable both in respect of number and multitude of ceremonies and in respect of the commander For the greater the dignitie of the commander is the more tolerable and better is the condition and state of the seruant Galat. 4. 14. The text And your tentation in my flesh you despised not neither reiected but as an ⸫ Angell of God you receiued me as Christ Iesus The note So ought all catholike people receiue their teachers in religion with all dutie loue and reuerence The answer The name of catholike being to true catholikes applied wée imbrace your note Galat. 4. 29. The text But ⸫ as then he that was borne according to the flesh persecuted him that was after the spirit so now also The note This mutuall persecution is a figure also of the church iustly persecuting heretikes and contrariwise of the heretikes which be the children of the bond woman vniustly persecuting the catholike church Augustine epist. 48. The answer The text is plaine that he that is after the flesh persecuted him which is after the spirit a plaine figure of your persecuting church The casting out of the bondwoman and her sonne done by Abraham may be drawne by Augustin or some other father to that purpose that you alledge it Galat. 5. 17. The text For the flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh for these are aduersaries one to another ⸫ that not whatsoeuer things you will these you do The note Heere men thinke saith Saint Augustine the apostle denieth that we haue free libertie of will not vnderstanding that it is said to them if they will not hold fast the grace of faith conceiued by which onely they can walke in the spirit and not accomplish the concupiscences of the flesh in cap. 5. Gal. The answer The text is plaine against both libertie and abilitie of will And Saint Augustine as you know confesseth that when he wrote this he did not vnderstand that the words were verified of them which were vnder grace and not vnder the law Bicause that though such do not consent to the concupiscence of the flesh against the which in spirit they long yet they would not haue any of those corruptions of the flesh if they might and they do not whatsoeuer they would bicause they would want them and can not But then they shall not haue them when they haue not corruptible flesh Do yée not sée what a patron you haue of S. Augustine and are you not ashamed to alledge that as his which you know he himselfe hath reuoked Galat. 5. 21. The text Which I foretel you as I haue foretold you that they which ⸫ do such things shall not obtaine the kingdome of heauen The note Saint Augustine sheweth hereby that not onely infidelitie is a damnable sinne The answer Wherein we not onely agrée with Saint Augustine but also say farther that willing ignorance the mother of popish deuotion in the which you were woont to nussell your followers is a great and damnable sinne Galat. 6. 9. The text And doing good let vs not faile For in due time we shall ⸫ reape not failing The note The works of mercy be the seede of life euerlasting and the proper cause thereof and not faith onely The answer This is plaine blasphemie to place the proper cause of eternal life and saluation not in Christ but in our selues and in our owne works of mercie which you here most plainely do Your reason is taken out of the metaphor of séede and sowing The vanitie of it is in this that you racke the metaphor beyond the scope and meaning of the apostle For the apostle exhorteth them to liberalitie especially towards their teachers and instructers in the faith To incourage men therunto he telleth them that they shall be as sure or more sure of the rewardes promised of God then the sower shall be to reape that which
he soweth and to that end applieth the borrowed spéech of sowing and reaping To racke those spéeches beyond this his meaning is most plainely to abuse him and bewraieth the wickednes of your doctrine which cannot carrie any probable shew without racking and wresting the scriptures Galat. 6. 14. The text But ⸫ God forbid that I should glorie sauing in the crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ by whom the world is crucified to me and I vnto the world The note Christ saith Saint Augustine chose a kind of death to hang on the crosse and to fixe or fasten the same crosse in the foreheads of the faithfull that the Christian may say God forbid that I should glorie sauing in the crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ Expos. in Euang. Io. tract 43. The answer Bicause your superstitious abusing the signe of the crosse can not be warranted by Paule therefore Augustine must helpe wil he nill he But he meaneth none other thing then the coÌ„mon vse of the first christians who to shew how litle they were ashamed of Christ crucified did vse to crosse themselues on the forehead This will prooue but a poore proofe of your manifolde abuses of the crosse EPHESIANS Ephes. 1. 4. The text As he chose vs in him before the constitution of the world that we should be holie immaculate ⸫ in his sight in charity The note We learne here that by Gods grace men be holie and immaculate not onely in the sight of men nor by imputation but truely and before God contrarie to the doctrine of the Caluinists The answer What father hath affirmed this before you This is not onely contrarie to Caluins doctrine but also to the doctrine of our Lorde Iesus Christ and his Euangelist Saint Iohn For our Lord and Sauiour Christ teacheth the children of God to praie alwaies for forgiuenes of their trespasses And saint Iohn saith if we say we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues and there is no truth in vs. Then I pray you tel vs if trespasses sins be spots how are we truely and in Gods sight immaculate otherwise then by the not imputing of our sinnes vnto vs and the imputing vnto vs of Christs righteousnes But herein you deceiue your selues and others that you estéeme not this imputed righteousnes for true righteousnes when and whereas it is the onely righteousnes in confidence wherof we may boldly appéere without spot in the presence of our God Ephes. 1. 13. The text In whom also when you had heard the word of truth the Gospell of your saluation in which also beleeuing you were ⸫ signed with the holie spirit of promise c. The note Some referre this to the grace of baptisme but to manie learned it seemeth that the Apostle alludeth to the giuing of the holie Ghost in the sacrament of confirmation by signing the baptized with the signe of the crosse and holie chrisme For that was the vse in the apostles time as else where we haue prooued annot Acts. 8. The answer The many learned that you speake of are but such as haue sold themselues and bent al their wits to defend the fornications of the whoore of Babylon And so you endeuor your selues do your best to prooue that which you speake of But lies and vntruths are not so easie to be prooued as you imagine but onlie to such as do beléeue euerie word you speake to be an oracle Your chrisme and your sacrament of confirmation were vnknown to to the apostles and not vsed by them to any such ende or purpose as you haue vsurped them vnto Ephes. 1. 23. The text And he hath subdued all things vnder his feete and hath made him head ouer all the church which is his bodie the ⸫ fulnes of him which is filled all in all The note Christ is not full whole and perfect without the church no more then the head without the bodie The answer This note is good true and comfortable if it be vnderstoode of his perfection in his mysticall bodie and not otherwise Ephes. 2. 8. The text For by grace you are saued through faith and that not of your selues for it is the gift of God ⸫ not of works that no man glorie The note It is said not of works as thine of thy selfe being vnto thee but as those in which God hath made formed and created thee August de gratia lib. arbit cap. 8. seq The answer Bicause your owne credit will not stretch to qualifie the plain spéeches of the Apostle you craue aide at Augustines hand But he is your sworne enimie and therefore meaneth to giue you verie slender helpe For in the same place he telleth vs that our good life is the grace of God fréely giuen vs that life eternal is also the grace of God fréely giuen to vs. And that God in Paule and others his déere children and saints crowned his own gifts and not their merits be you not then ashamed to enforce his spéeches against his minde â—phes 3. â—7 The text Christ ⸫ to dwell by faith in your harts The note Christ dwelleth in vs by his gifts and we be iust by those his gifts remaining and resident in vs and not by Christs proper iustice onlie as heretikes affirme The answer You wrangle for inherent iustice without all reason Christ you saie dwelleth in vs by his gifts and we are iust by those his gifts The gift that Christ dwelleth in vs by is faith as S. Paul here telleth and you assume that thereby we are iust therfore we conclude that we are iust by faith Therefore you must either confesse your manifold wrangling heretofore in reiecting iustification by faith alone bicause it is against your imagined inherent iustice or else you must confesse that you do but cauill héere when you go about to prooue inherent iustice bicause Christ dwelleth in vs by faith Ephes. 3. 17. The text Rooted and founded in ⸫ charitie The note Not faith onely must be in vs but charitie which accomplisheth all vertues The answer Who euer taught that no more vertues must be in Christians then faith onely you can not shew one And yet you are not ashamed to make your ignorant followers beléeue that wée spoile Christians of all other vertues Ephes. 4. 10. The text And that he ascended what is it but bicaâ—se he descended first into the ⸫ inferior parts of the earth The note He meaneth specially of his descending to hell The answer He meaneth by his descending into the inferiâ—â— parts of the earth his incarnation or abasing of himselfe to take vpon him our nature in the wombe of the virgin which by an Hebraisme is called the lower parts of the earth And Dauid so termeth his mothers wombe in the 139. Psalm vers 15. Ephes. 4. 2â— The text And be ⸫ renued in the spirit of your minde and put on the new man which according to God is created in iustice and holines of the truth The note The Apostle teacheth
for persecution or for businesse séeing that both the actes of the Apostles the Epistle to the Romains euery epistle that Paul wrote from Rome minister good reasons against Peters being there so that if he were bishop so long as your stories testifie of him he was a notable non Resident but I had rather imagine that he came thither but a litle afore his death Philip. 3. â— The text See the dogges see the euill workers see the ⸫ concision for we are the circumcision which in spirit serue God c. The note By allusion of words he calleth the carnall Christian Iewes that yet boasted in the circumcision of the flesh concision and himselfe and the rest that circumcised their hart and senses spirituallie the true circumcision Saint Chrisostome Theoph. The answer Either you should set downe nothing without authorities alledged or els if you would spare your paines in anie place you should do it in those whereof the sense is not in controuersie but confessed on both parts Philip. 3. 1â—â— The text And may be found in him not hauing my iustice which is of the Lawe but that which is of the faith of Christ which is of God iustice in faith to know him and the vertue of his resurrection the societie of his passions configured to his death ⸫ if by anie meanes I may come to the resurrection which is from the dead The note If Saint Paul ceased not to labour still as though he were not sure to come to the marke without continuall indeuour what securitie may we poore sinners haue of heretikes perswasions and promises of securitie and saluation by onlie faith The answer We are verie sure that they which after they are called to knowledge do not continuallie indeuour to walke in those good workes which God hath prepared for men to walke in shall not come to the marke of life euerlasting which is set before all chrians And we know none but papists that teach such securitie to make men trust to that faith which is idle and doeth not worke by loue a diligent indeuour of obedience to Gods holy lawes And yet this continuance of our indeuour is no argument of doubtfulnesse of our saluation neither yet of trust in our deserts but that Christ liueth in vs and by his spirit leadeth and guideth vs effectuallie And it is not to be passed ouer though you be not disposed to sée it that the Apostle for all his indeuour yet flieth from his owne righteousnesse to the righteousnesse of Christ which God hath made his by faith so that it is euident that the Apostles confidence rested vpon the righteousnesse of Christ imputed to him Philip. 3. 17. The text Be followers ⸫ of me brethren and obserue them that walke so as you haue our forme The note It is a goodlie thing when a pastor may say so to his flocke Neither is it anie derogation to Christ that the people should imitate their Apostles life and doctrine and other holie men Saint Augustine Saint Benedict Saint Dominicke Saint Frauncis The answer It is a verie good thing when the Pastors are examples to their flocke in life and doctrine but yet the best men are to be followed with exception namelie no further then they follow Christ. As for your frierlie fathers whom you recken and whom you follow in wilworship are vnméete to be matched with Paul and others partners of Christian obedience to them among whom they liued Philip. 4. 3. The text Yea and I beseech thee my sincere companion helpe those women that haue laboured with me in the Gospel with ⸫ Clement the rest my coadiutors whose names are in the booke of life The note This Clement was afterward fourth Pope of Rome from Saint Peter as Saint Hierome writeth according to the common supputation The answer This is to be marked that the reckoning and supputation of Popes succéeding one another is a matter not agréed on though it be the maine foundation and principall pillar whereupon the Romish church will séeme to staie her selfe For as it is a matter verie vncertaine whether Peter was euer Bishop of Rome so is it also vncertaine who was first second third or fourth If we may beléeue the constitutions ascribed to the Apostles the testimonie whereof you can not refuse citing the authoritie of them in other matters verie often then Peter was neuer Bishop there but Linus was the first ordeined by Paul and not by Peter Clemens the second Eusebius reckoneth Clemens third and Euaristus fourth after both Peter and Paul For I do not perceiue that he reckoned one of them more for bishop there then the other Nicephorus maketh Peter the first Linus the second and Anacletus third and Clemens fourth Hierome reckoned in the same order sauing that he addeth that manie of the Latines did count Clemens next after Peter Sabellicus writeth that Peter Linus Cletus and Clemens were all Bishops of Rome at once and striketh quite out Anacletus out of the number Ireneus reckoneth next after Linus Anacletus And Optatus Mileuitanus setteth him that is Anacletus next after Clemens And thus your famous succession whereof you so greatly glorie resteth vpon a rotten vncertaine foundation the progresse thereof if it were examined is more diuerse and vncertaine and that manie waies and therefore no maruell though so vncertaine a succession must serue to vphold so vile a congregation as the church of Rome is at this day which bicause you know you referre the matter to the common supputation which must be that which you commonlie at this day follow Philip. 4. 10. The text And I also reioiced in our Lord exceedingly that once at the length you haue ⸫ reflorished to care for me as you did also care but you were occupied The note This reflorishing is the reuiuing of their old liberalitie which for a time had beene slacke and dead S. Chrysostom The answer This was Paules thankfulnes as well for the care they presently had of him as for their liberalitie afore time bestowed on him Philip. 4. 1â— The text And you know also O Philippians that in the beginning of the Gospell when I departed from Macedonia no church coÌ„municated vnto me in the account of gift and ⸫ receipt but you onely for vnto Thessalonica also once and twise you sent to my vse The note He counteth it not meere almes or a free gift that people bestoweth on their pastors or preachers but a certaine mutuall traffike as it were and interchange the one giuing spirituall the other rendering temporall things for the same The answer Your note is true though the pastors of your church giue stones for bread for fish scorpions and in stead of milke strong and ranke poison COLOSSIANS Colos. 1. 6. The text That is come vnto you as also ⸫ in the whole world it is and fructifieth and groweth euen as in you since that day that you heard and knew the grace of
to you for your selues haue learned of God to loue one another The note All catholike christians make one fraternitie The answer Howsoeuer they differ in time or place whether they be dead or aliue and wheresoeuer they be scattered vpon the face of the earth 1. Thes. 4. 11 The text But we desire you brethren that you ⸫ abound more c. The note Christian men ought to proceed and profite continually in good works and iustification The answer If you had said sanctitie or sanctification your note had béene right but you are so gréedie and egerly bent vpon your inherent iustice that you care not what you confound for in the text there is no word of iustification 1. Thes. 4. 15. The text For this we saie to you in the word of our Lord that ⸫ we which liue which are remaining in the aduent of our Lord shal not preuent them that haue slept The note He speaketh in the person those which shal be aliue when our Sauiour returneth to iudgement The answer It is verie true and the cause why he so speaketh is to teach all men so to liue as if they were continually in present expectation of the comming of our Lord Sauior Christ to iudgement 1. Thes. 5. 8. The text But we that are of the day are sober hauing on the breast-plate of faith and ⸫ charitie an helmet the hop of saluation The note A Christian mans whole armour is not faith onely but all the three vertues heere named The answer And who but papists teach otherwise As for crosse and holiwater and such like there is no mention of them and yet these be the chéefe armour and weapons which our papists teach 1. Thes. 5. 17. The text ◠Praie without intermission The note To desire eternall life of him that onlie can giue it is to praie without intermission but bicause that desire is often by worldly cares cooled certaine houres and times of vocall praier were appointed See S. August e p. 121. ad Probam The answer You are not long in one minde One time to praie continually is to praie certaine times euerie daie an other time to pray continually is to aske life euerlasting at his hand that can onlie giue it And so it is what please you to make of it but this later enterpretation as I thinke dropped out of your pen ere you were aware For if God onlie can giue eternall life why do you request it of others As for appointed times to praie being a good meanes to stir vp our coldnes and negligence therein we both vse and like of 2. Thessalonians 2. Thes. 1. 5. The text So that we our selues also glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations which you sustaine for an example of the iust iudgement of God that ⸫ you may be counted worthy of the kingdome of God for the which also you suffer The note Note that by constant and patient suffering of afflictions for Christ men are worthy so the Greeke signifieth as the aduersaries them selues translate verse 11. of the croune of the kingdome of heauen and so doe merite and deserue the same See annot Luke 20. 35. And the Apostle heeresaieth that it is Gods iustice no lesse to repaie glory to the afflicted then to render punishment to them that afflict bicause of their contrarie desertes or merits The answer If you did not racke making worthie in English beyond the meaning of the spirit of God then to be made worthie of God to be counted worthie were all one for they whom God accounteth worthie are worthie indéed But yet it followeth not that they which are made worthie do deserue or merit the kingdome of God and the crowne of glorie by their inherent righteousnes which is the thing which both you would should prooue Your reason from the iustice of God followeth not Gods iustice indéede requireth that glorie be giuen or as you say repaied to the afflicted for his sake aswell as punishment to their afflicters not for the cause which you assigne but chieflie for his word and promise sake hauing promised that they which suffer with Christ shall also reigne with him and then also bicause it is iust that he put a difference betwéene the estates of those whome hée hath made so farre to differ your annotation or rather marginal note is answered before 2. Thess. 1. 10. The text When he shall come to be ⸫ glorified in his saints and to be made maruellous in all them that haue beleeued bicause our testimonie concerning you was credited in that day The note Christ shall be glorified in his Saints that is by the great and vnspeakeable honour and exaltation of them he shalbe honoured as now he is the honour which the Church doeth to them not diminishing Christs glorie as the aduersaries foolishlie pretend but exceedinglie augmenting the same The answer Bicause it is a glorie to Christ to aduance and exalt his saints in glorie doeth it follow therefore that it is lawfull for your church to giue to saints that which Christ giueth them not or that it is not sacriledge to rob Christ of al things due to him and to giue them to men be they neuer so holie We are not against anie lawfull aduancement of saints but against such as neither they can haue nor yet can stand with the glorie of our Christ. 2. Thess. 2. 3. The text Let no man seduce you by anie meanes for vnlesse there come a reuolt first and the man of sinne be reueiled the sonne of perdition which is an aduersarie and is ⸫ extolled aboue all that is called God or that is worshipped so that he sitteth in the temple of God shewing him selfe as though he were God The note How then can the Pope by Antichrist as the heretikes fondlie blaspheme who is farre from being exalted aboue God that he praieth most humblie not onelie to Christ but also to his blessed mother and all his saints The answer The proud presumptuous prerogatiues giuen to the Pope and accepted of him doeth verie well declare this exalting of him selfe which particularlie héere to recite were too long Other men as the most Reuerend father in God Master Iuel Bishop of Salisburie and master Fore in our mother tongue for the benefit of the poore people of England haue in this matter taken great paines to whom also I referre my reader But if there were no more but that which you note as an argument proofe of his humilitie it is sufficient and inough to conuince him of Antichristian pride he that taketh vpon him to be wiser then God exalteth him selfe aboue God he that will make his praiers to anie other then God taketh vpon him to be wiser then God Ergo he that maketh his praiers to anie other but God exalteth him selfe aboue God The maior as I take it is cleare and manifest and néede no proofe The minor is
in this matter to part stakes with him by chalēging if not one half yet a verie great part by your works satisfactorie meritorious Hebr. 10. 6. The text Holocausts and for ⸫ sinne did not please thee The note For sinne is the proper name of a certaine sacrifice called in Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as holocaust is another kinde See the annotations 2. Corinths 5. verse 21. The answer To trouble peoples heads with the diuersitie of the sacrifices of the Iewes and their diuers appellations I iudge it not necessarie and therefore I leaue your note as I finde it Hebr. 10. 16. The text And this is the testament which I will make to them after those daies saith our Lord giuing my lawes ⸫ in their hartes and in their mindes will I superscribe them and their sinnes and iniquities I will remember no more The note This is partlie fulfilled by the grace of the new Testament but it shal be perfectlie accomplished in heauen The answer This note I will not impugne but it commeth as a rose among nettles which a man can hardlie cul out without stinging of his handes Hebr. 10. 20. The text Hauing therefore brethren confidence in the entring of the holies in the blood of Christ which ⸫ he hath dedicated to vs a new and liuing way by the vaile that is his flesh c. The note To dedicate is to be the author and beginner of a thing The protestants translate he hath prepared for their heresie that Christ was not the first man that entered into heauen The answer Wée shunne not the word dedicate which you your selues haue borrowed of a protestant for it is as good and fit as the other And you charge vs wrongfullie with that which we holde not for we all affirme that Christ was the first man that euer caried the whole humane nature substance of man consisting of an humane bodie and of a reasonable soule into heauen Hebr. 10. 29. The text A man making the Lawe of Moises frustrate without anie mercie dieth vnder two or three witnesses ⸫ how much more thinke doth he deserue worse punishment which hath troden the sonne of God vnder foote and esteemed the blood of the Testament polluted wherein he is sanctified and done contumelie to the spirit of grace The note Heresie and Apostasie from the Catholike faith punishable by death The answer This doth plainly and manifestly reprooue the ouermuch clemencie vsed in this Realme and Church of England towarde froward and obstinate papists who by your owne conclusion are by Gods lawes punishable by death Hebr. 10. 35. The text Do not therfore loose your ⸫ confidence which hath a great remuneration The note Good works make great confidence of saluation and haue great rewarde The answer Good works being testimonies of our election fruits of our faith witnesses that we be led and guided by the spirit of God do nourish and increase our confidence in God whom we knowe to haue adopted vs in Christ for his children It is true also that God doth most liberally reward all good things which he worketh in his children Hebr. 11. 1. The text And faith is ⸫ the substance of things to be hoped for the argument of things not appearing The note By this word substance is ment that faith is the ground of our hope The answer Or rather that faith is the very substance and being of things which yet appéere not nor are not séene and therefore are hoped for Hebr. 11. 5. The text By faith ⸫ Henoch was translated that he should not see death and he was not found bicause God translated him The note Heere it appeereth that Henoch yet liueth and is not dead against the Caluinists See the Annot. chap. 11. Apoc. The answer Why do you not couple Saint Paule with the Caluinists doth not he saie that death reigned ouer all from Adam to Moyses Was not Henoch one of these all or did he not liue within the time there limited yet it is true that Enoch and Elias did not die after the common and ordinarie maner of other men but were translated and haue in extraordinarie maner and sort deposed the corruptible flesh that with Christ they may enioy blessed rest and quietnes Hebr. 11. ◠The text But without faith it is impossible to please God for he that commeth to God must beleeue that he is and is a ⸫ rewarder to them that seeke him The note We must beleeue that God will reward all our good works for he is a rewarder of true iustice not an accepter or imputer of that that is not The answer It is true that God of his goodnes and bountie will rewarde euery good worke and it is true that God rewardeth true iustice that is the good that they do that in sinceritie and truth séeke him though it deserue none But that which you adde sheweth that you care not how directly you oppose your selues to the truth of Gods word so that you may bleare the eies of the simple with somewhat Is not the iustice of Christ our iustice is it in vs reallie or by imputation Héeretofore you haue séemed to haue bent your force to prooue some iustice besides imputatiue iustice and now you would haue imputatiue iustice quite strooken out of the booke least God should be an imputer of that which is not Our sinnes were not in Christ and yet they were imputed to Christ and Christ was punished for them why shall it not then stand as well with Gods iustice that though Christs iustice be not actually and really in vs yet it be both imputed to vs and we crowned and rewarded for it Hebr. 11. 19. The text Wherevpon he receiued him also ⸫ for a parable The note That is in figure and mysterie of Christ dead and aliue againe The answer The truth of this note we acknowledge Hebr. 11. 22. The text By faith Ioseph dieng made mention of the going foorth of the children of Israell and gaue commandement ⸫ concerning his bones The note The translation of relikes or saints bodies and the due regard and honor we ought to haue to the same are prooued hereby The answer Ioseph in this commandement touching his bones shewed his assured faith and constant beléefe that God in his good time would kéepe and performe his promise touching the inheritance of the land of Canaan The children of Israell in translating his bones shewed their care of truth in kéeping the promise which they made vnto him The honor yea all the honor they did to him or his bones when they came into the lande of promise and were possessed of it was to sée him or them honestly laide in the graue What maketh all this for your superstitions The saints of God neither gaue you nor your fathers charge to translate their bones The cause of your translating them was not any due regard to them but profit to your selues by making marchandise of their carkasses and by abusing
most shamefully the simplicitie of the ignorant to offer largely to you vnder colour of honoring them And therefore if you should not maintaine this note that butter would not cleaue to your bread Hebr. 11. 26. The text Esteeming the reproch of Christ greater riches then the treasure of the Egyptians For ⸫ he looked vnto the remuneration The note The protestants that denie we may or ought to do good in respect or for reward in heauen are hereby confuted The answer You haue confuted your own shadow and not the protestants for it is your slander and not our assertion that is hereby confuted For we confesse that in well doing men may respect and haue an eie to such rewardes as God hath promised But this we say withall that it is not the reward onlie or chiefelie that the saints of God haue respect or regard to for that were either hipocriticall or seruile but the reuerence that sonnes owe vnto their father who the more assured they are of his fatherlie fauor the gladder they are to please him and the loather to displease Hebr. 12. 15. The text Looking diligentlie least anie man ⸫ be wanting to the grace of God lest anie roore of bitternesse springing vp do hinder and by it manie be polluted The note That we be not good there is no lacke on Gods part who offereth his grace to vs but the defect is in our selues that are not answerable to Gods calling of vs and grace towards vs. The answer This note is verie true and therefore we ought carefullie to call vpon God to reforme vs and to renue vs that we be not also amongst them that stubburnly refuse the grace of God calling them Hebr. 12. 16. The text Least there be anie fornicator or prophane person as ⸫ Esau who for one dish of meat sold his first birth rightes The note Such as forsake their saluation and religion to saue their lands and goods are like Esau. The answer This note must haue a fauorable interpretation and some cautions exceptions except you will leaue no place of repentance to them that haue once preferred goods afore religion but either hipocriticall or too late as Esaus was Hebr. 12. 22. The text But ⸫ you are come to mount Sion and the citie of the liuing God heauenlie Ierusalem and the assemblies of manie thousands of Angels and the Church of the first borne which are written in the heauens and the iudge of all God and the spirits of the iust made perfect and the mediatour of the newe Testament c. The note The faithfull are made fellowes of Angels and of all the perfect soules departed since the beginning of the world and of Christ him selfe The answer Bicause the church is the fellowship of all the saints which haue béene are or shall be whereof Christ and not the pope is head and chiefe and which with Christ make one bodie Hebr. 13. 9. The text With ⸫ various and strange doctrines be not led away The note New diuers changeable and strange doctrines to be auoided for such be hereticall against which the best remedie or preseruatiue is alwaies to looke backe to our first Apostles and the holie fathers doctrine The answer I would to God you would once kéepe promise to looke backe in truth to our first Apostles doctrine so should our controuersies be soone at an end but you commonlie by your first apostle meane your corrupt monke Augustine And if by him you would examine your doctrine you must cast away a number of your chiefe corruptions which he neuer knew of Hebr. 13. 21. The text And the God of peace which brought out from the dead the great pastor of the sheepe in the blood of the eternall testament our Lord Iesus Christ ⸫ fit you in all goodnesse that you may doe his will c. The note 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is make you perfect and absolute in all goodnesse The answer This you learned either of master Beza or of Erasmus or of both giue them thankes for it IAMES Iam. 1. 14. The text For ⸫ euerie one is tempted of his owne concupiscence abstracted and allured The note The ground of temptation to sinne is our concupiscence not God The answer Tentations are either outward or inward Tentations outward are afflictions wherebie God is woont to trie and prooue men as gold and siluer is tried in the fire Tentations inward whereof Iames speaketh in this place are inordinate desires prouoking soliciting vs to sinne but bicause men who receiue corruption from Adam are prone and readie to do as Adam did that is to lay their faults frō them selues to God therfore Iames earnestlie admonisheth them to looke into them selues and there to espie and sée the roote and matter of all corruption Iam. 1. 25. The text But he that hath looked into the law of perfect libertie and hath remained in it not made a forgetfull hearer but a doer of the worke this man shalbe ⸫ blessed in his deede The note Beatitude or saluation consisteth in well working The answer Weldoers or workers are blessed and saued and yet notwithstanding beatitude saluation doth not consist in our weldoing but in the mercie goodnes of God bestowed vpon vs in Christ. Therefore it is to be obserued that in this place Iames maketh a comparison betwéene hearers of the word whereof one sort are negligent forgetfull therefore neuer the better for the things they heare The other sort are diligent and commit to memorie and put in practise in life the thing they learned by hearing these latter so doing and not the former shew them selues to be blessed and saued For Christ preached is their saluation their workes do testifie their faith whereby they haue laied hold on Christ their righteousnes as fruits do witnes the goodnes of a trée Iames. ◠20. The text But wilt thou know ⸫ ô vaine man that faith without works is idle The note Ile speaketh to all heretikes that say Faith onely without works doth iustifie calling them vaine men The answer You shew your delight you séeke to deceiue your selues and others by equiuocations For you know well ynough that faith is not taken héere for a true and a liuely faith which worketh by loue as Paul and we take it when we speake of iustifieng by faith Secondly you know also that we make no account of anie such faith as is idle or separated from loue Thirdly you know that saint Iames taketh not héere iustifieng for being made iust but for being declared and shewed to be iust as appéereth by the example of Abraham which he bringeth For God first made him iust and afterward he was declared and shewed so to be by that most excellent example of obedience in offering his sonne Isaac There is therfore no contrarietie betwixt vs and Iames though you go about to prooue that by sound of words which by sound or iust meaning you cannot effect and bring to passe 〈◊〉 3.
15. The text But if you haue bitter zeale and there be contentions in your harts glorie not and be not liers against the truth for this is not ⸫ wisdome descending from aboue but earthly sensuall diuelish The note The difference betwixt the humane wisedome specially of heretikes and the wisedome of the catholike church and hir children The answer If a man compare the fruits of heauenly wisedome with the fruits of the wisedome of your church he shall find them as contrarie as white is to blacke All stories testifie that your church hath béene the author of most of the wars and contentions in Christendome these thrée hundred yéeres and vpwards Your bookes in praise of Sodomitriâ— your curtesans maintained in the eies and bosome of your most holy father and the beastly life of your priests testifie the chastitie of your church The mercie of your church the massacres of France and the Marian storme in England not yet forgotten do sufficiently shew I might go thorough the rest but peace chastitie and mercie wanting amongst you doth sufficiently shew your wisedome to be earthly sensuall and diuelish Iames. 4. 6. The text And ⸫ giueth greater grace for the which cause it saith God resisteth the proud and giueth grace to the humble The note The boldnes of heretikes adding heere the word scripture to the text thus And the scripture giueth greater grace The answer The blindnes of you papists which thinke it a boldnes to set the nominatiue case before the verbe I pray you tell vs what it is that as saint Iames héere saith giueth greater grace if it be not the scripture But the place is plain the words afore and the words following do inforce that the word scripture must be supplied but there is none other cause of your wrangling in this but that you would haue euery thing left as obscure and darke as might be possible to fray poore men from studieng that which they cannot vnderstand Iames. 4. 8. The text ⸫ Approch to God and he will approch to you The note Free will and mans owne endeuor necessarie in comming to God The answer Why do you not plainly say that we must preuent and go before the grace of God by our will and our endeuor bicause Iames setteth our approching first That we know to be your meaning for that your sophisters commonly contend for But to answer you shortly we are commonly and vsually by the spirit of God exhorted to that which God must worke in vs therefore frée will is not prooued by those exhortations Iames. 4. 11. The text ⸫ Detract not one from another my brethren The note He forbiddeth detraction euill speaking and slandering The answer Uices wherein you set a great péece of your delight as in your annotations most manifestly doth appéere Iames. 4. 15. The text For that you should say ⸫ If our Lord will and if we shal liue we will do this or that The note All promises and purposes of our worldly affaires are to be made vnder condition of Gods good liking and pleasure and it becommeth a Christian man to haue vsually this forme of speech in that case If God will If God otherwise dispose not The answer If this note had come from Rome as it doth from Rhemes from Italie as it doth from France we should haue woondered how they teach others that which they haue not learned themselues It may be you know the common Italian prouerbe In despite of God And this I know that neither this good counsell of Iames was vsed in time of poperie and when in the time of the Gospell men began to leaue former corruptions and reformed their spéeches according to this rule the papists scorned at it and derided it as too much holines Iames. 5. 1. The text Go to now ye rich men weepe ⸫ howling in your miseries which shall come to you The note A fearfull description of the miseries that shall befall in the next life to the vnmercifull couetous men The answer But your religion giueth them hart of grace to contemne all threats for your father the pope will sell them heauen for mony â—ames 5. 7. The text Behold the husbandman expecteth the pretious fruit of the earth patiently bearing till he receiue ⸫ the timely and the lateward The note He meaneth either fruit or raine The answer It is an Hebraisme and therefore better expounded of raine than of fruit bicause the phrase is vsuall in the Hebrew and so vsually signifieth Iames. 5. 10. The text ⸫ Confesse therefore your sinnes one to another and pray one for another that you may be saued The note The heretikes translate Acknowledge your sinne c. So little they can abide the very word of confession The answer Héere is a knot sought in a rush To acknowledge and to confesse in English eares is all one That we cannot abide the word of confession is one of your impudent and shamelesse slanders from the which the vsuall and common vsing of it in our translations do sufficiently cléere vs. Iames. â— 20. The text My brethren if any of you shall erre from the truth and a man conuert him he must know that he that maketh a sinner to be conuerted from the error of his way shall saue his soule from death and ⸫ couereth a multitude of sinnes The note He that hath the zeale of conuerting sinners procureth heerby mercie and remission to himselfe which is a singular grace The answer You dreame still of mans procuring mercie and remission to himselfe by his owne works but S. Iames hath no such thing but onely this that the soule of the conuerted man is saued and his sinnes couered that is to say abolished 1. PETER 1. Peter 1. 13. The text For the which cause hauing the loines of your mind girded sober trust perfectly in that grace which is offered you in the reuelation of Iesus Christ. The note Chastitie not onely of bodie but also of mind is required S. Beda vpon this place The answer Then all chastitie doth not consist in single life for in mind none haue béene more impure than your single men 1. Pet. 1. 17. The text And if you inuocate the father him which without acceptition of persons iudgeth according to euerie ones worke in feare conuerseye the time of your peregrination The note God will iudge men according to euery ones works and not by faith onely The answer Who euer denied that in the iudgement of God that it may appéere as it is indéed iust the godly and vngodly shall be discerned a sunder by their works and yet you neuer the nigher to your merits 1. Pet. 1. 18. The text Knowing this that not with corruptible things gold and siluer you are redeemed from your vaine conuersation of your fathers ⸫ tradition but with the pretious blood as it were of an immaculate and vnspotted lambe Christ. The note He meaneth the erros of gentilitie or if he wrote to the Iewes dispersed he meaneth the
The singular reward of martyrdome The answer But that rewarde of martyrdome magnifieth mightilie the marueilous munificence of our good and gratious God and not the merit of the martyr Apoc. 2. 11. The text He that shall ouercome shall not be hurt of the ⸫ seconde death The note The death of the body is the first death the death of the soule the second Which martyrs are surest to escape of all men The answer That true martyrs are sure to escape the second death is granted but not surer then other that be the sonnes of the same God who are assured of his fatherly fauor both by his promise and by the testimonie and witnes of the spirit of adoption Apoc. 2. 13. The text And in those daies Antipas my faithfull witnes who was slaine amongst you ⸫ where sathan dwelleth The note The speciall residence of sathan is where the faithfull are persecuted for Christs truth where not to denie the catholike faith for feare is much here commended The answer The speciall residence therefore of sathan is wheresoeuer the bishop of Rome beareth swaie for in all those places the blood of infinite martyrs haue béene shed to the great praise and commendation of those that haue constantly suffered for the testimonie of Gods truth Apoc. 2. 19. The text I know thy ⸫ works thy faith and thy charitie and ministerie and thy patience and thy last works mo then the former The note None of these are any thing woorth without the other The answer These things do so mutually follow one an other that though they may be distinguished yet separated they cannot be Your spéech therefore is like this the sunne is naught woorth without light The fire is naught woorth without heate For loue doth necessarily follow faith and after faith and loue our ministerie and diligent seruice to God in the vocation wherin it hath pleased him to plant vs with patience and all plentie of good works do necessarily follow so that one of these cannot be alone as you imagine Apoc. 2. 23. The text And all the churches shall know that I am he that searcheth the reines and harts and I will giue to euery one of you ⸫ according to his works The note Who seeth not heere that good works deserue saluation as ill works deserue damnation and that it is not faith alone which God rewardeth but that faith which worketh by charitie The answer He had néede of a woonderfull sharpe sight that should sée here that which is not here You know well enough for it hath béene often told you that it followeth not that works deserue bicause God rewardeth But still bicause you are not able to make better proofe you make your selues sport with this Likewise you haue béene often told that we set lesse store by that faith which is alone then you do For if it be without charity it is improperly called faith being common both to wicked men and diuels Apoc. 2. 28. The text And he that shall ouercome and keepe my works vnto the end I will giue him power ouer the nations and he shall rule them with a rod of iron and as a vessel of a potter shall they be broken ⸫ as I also haue receiued of my father and I will giue him the morning star The note This great priuilege of saints riseth of the power and preheminence of Christ which his father gaue him according to his humanitie and therefore to denie it to saints is to denie it to Christ himselfe The answer You should haue told vs what this priuilege is and to whom it is giuen dead or liuing saints so should you not colorably haue nuzeled your blind and ignorant followers in the superstitions that they haue learned of you Therefore that which you subtilly haue omitted we will performe to the end your craft may be of all men espied The rod of iron or scepter of Christs kingdome is his word whereby he ruleth and gouerneth al that are his This word he hath committed into the hands of his ministers to rule and gouerne his church thereby also to destroy breake downe and ouerthrow euery high thing that exalteth it selfe against it to withstand it which shall be by it broken and shiuered to péeces as a potters vessell is broken with a rod of iron This is the power that is giuen to them ouer nations How then can you fetch out of this that which you couet that is defence for your robbing of God and his Christ of his honor and giuing it to dead saints Apoc. 3. 4. The text But thou hast a few names in Sardis ⸫ which haue not defiled their garments The note Such as haue not committed deadly sinne after baptisme The answer All sinne of it selfe and according to the nature thereof whether it be originall or actuall whether it séeme small or great is deadly for the reward and wages of it is death And therefore your distinction of deadly and veniall sinnes in that sense that you set it downe is false friuolous and foolish Apoc. 3. 4. The text And they shall walke with me in whites bicause they ⸫ are woorthie The note Note that there is in man a woorthines of the ioies of heauen by holy life and this is a common speech in holy scripture that man is woorthie of God of heauen of saluation The answer Note that no where in scripture our meriting or deseruing the ioies of heauen is found and note also that woorthines by our good and holie life is a popish tradition and one of their vnwritten verities for it is Christ in whom we are made woorthie And thirdly note that therefore héere as commonly else where our Rhemists play but the boyish sophisters to abuse the poore ignorant vnlearned people which depend vpon them with ambiguitie of words Apoc. 3. 20. The text Behold I stand at the doore and ⸫ knocke if any man shall heare my voice and open the gate I will enter in to him and will sup with him and he with me The note God first calleth vpon man and knocketh at the doore of his hart that is to say offereth his grace And it lieth in man to giue consent by free will holpen also by his grace The answer That God offereth his grace we consent but that the reformation of mans will is by you parted betwixt God and man that we cannot like of by any meanes For that you cannot gather neither of this place or of any other For where by nature our will is altogither corrupt God yea euen God alone must haue the whole glorie of the reformation thereof And therefore Dauid calleth that reformation by the name of creation as if it were by God to be brought foorth againe anew of nothing Apoc. 4. 1. The text After these things I looked and behold a doore open in heauen and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet speaking saieng Come vp hither and I will shew thee
the protestants that they did trulie merite the same in this life The answer Whatsoeuer it pleaseth you to conceiue in your imagination that is by and by sufficientlie prooued The signification of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath beene often examined and yet it could neuer be shewed that it alwaies signifieth hire or wages due and that for worke for that must be prooued afore merit can follow For that which is not otherwise due but by promise may prooue the liberalitie of the giuer but not the merit of the receiuer And thus your proofes prooue nothing but that brag is a good dog and doth diligently serue your turne Apoc. 12. ◠The text And a great signe appeered in heauen The note The dragons incredulous persecuting multitude and Antichrist the chiefe head thereof The answer You haue deliuered a briefe summe of this chapter in my iudgement both bréefly and truly Apoc. 12. 1. The text ⸫ A woman clothed with the sunne and the moone vnder hir feet and on hir head a crowne of twelue stars The note This is properly and principally spoken of the church and by allusion of our blessed Ladie also The answer There be some of your side which least they should be driuen to admit Ecclesiam latentem an hidden church wrangle hard for the contrarie and so your doctors are not agréed on the case Apoc. 12. 3. The text And there was seene another signe in heauen and behold ⸫ a great red dragon hauing seuen heads and ten horns on his head seuen diademes The note The great diuell Lucifer The answer Bicause my purpose is but to answer you where cause is and not to write commentaries therefore I will not meddle with that which might be noted vpon the description of the diuell vnder the forme of a dragon Apoc. 12. 4. The text And his taile drew the third part of the stars of heauen and cast them to the earth The note The spirits that fall from their first state into apostasie with him and by his meanes The answer The taile of the dragon be hypocriticall false prophets As dragons and serpents carie their venim that they sting and poison withall in their tailes so the diuell seduceth and beguileth by his false lieng prophets The stars of heauen cast downe to the earth are the most noble and notable men that séeme far to excell all others brought to be altogither earthly minded and to refuse celestiall things Apoc. 12. 4. The text And the dragon stood before the woman which was readie to be deliuered that when she should be deliuered he might ⸫ deuour hir sonne The note The diuels endeuor against the churches children and specially our blessed Ladies onely sonne the head of the rest The answer It is true that the diuell that is so great an enimie to the children of the church beareth also a speciall malice to Christ the head of the church and would haue deuoured him but could not And bicause he knoweth that he cannot otherwise hurt nor harm Christ therefore he séeketh to swallow and deuour vs Christs brethren by the séed of the word and mightie working of Gods spirit begotten and borne of the church to God Apoc. 12. 1◠The text And ⸫ they ouercame him by the blood of the lambe and by the word of their testimonie and they loued not their liues euen vnto death The note When the Angels or we haue the victorie we must know that it is by the blood of Christ and so all is referred alwaies to him The answer You should haue said if you would haue spoken truly and so as much as please vs is referred to him For for to haue all referred to him is al that we contend and striue for Faith in his blood is the victorie whereby we ouercome the world and all our enimies The strength of nature the abilitie of frée will merits of our works crossing holie water indulgences pardons masses and whatsoeuer trumperie you striue for beside do nothing auaile to this Apoc. 12◠14. The text And there were giuen to the woman two wings of a great eagle that she might flie into the desert vnto hir place where she is nourished ⸫ for a time and times and halfe a time from the face of the serpent The note This often insinuation that Antichrists reigne shall be but three yeeres and an halfe Dan. 7. 25. Apocalipse 11. 2. 3. and in this chapter v. 6. c. 13. 5. prooueth that the heretikes be exceedingly blinded with malice that hold the pope to be Antichrist who hath ruled so many ages The answer Master Saunders in his demonstrations hath as doughtily done for you as so darke proofes out of such doubtful places could suffer and hath already receiued answer sufficient at the hands of that learned and reuerend man Master Whitakers You know how doubtfully all expositors expound these descriptions of the time and must we néedes credit you that it must be taken according to our vsuall supputation As for the ages which you suppose your pope hath ruled you may cut off the one halfe of them which I am sure you imagine Apoc. 13. 3. The text And all the earth was ⸫ in admiration after the beast The note They that now follow the simplest and grossest heretikes that euer were without seeing miracles would then much more follow this great seducer working miracles The answer They which learne of them that preach the word truly and sincerely cannot be seduced by miracles Bicause they know and haue learned that whatsoeuer miracles serue not to the confirmation of that doctrine which is taught vs in the word they are but illusions of the diuell and lieng signes of Antichrist which God doth send permit and suffer to shew who they be which constantly cleaue to him and his truth But on the contrarie part it is no maruell though your followers be easily seduced and beguiled First bicause they be ignorant and know nothing secondly bicause they depend vpon men who as they say cannot erre and not vpon the word of truth and therefore beléeue many things wherof they haue no ground but either lies or illusions Apoc. 13. ◠The text And he opened his mouth vnto blasphemies toward God ⸫ to blaspheme his name and his tabernacle and those that dwell in heauen The note No heretikes euer liker Antichrist than these in our daies specially in blasphemies against Gods church sacraments saints ministers and all sacred things The answer Lay away lieng and speake the woorst you can truly of those whom you call the heretikes of these daies and I am sure you cannot prooue your slanderous spéeches by them But in truth none be so like Antichrist as the pope and you his friends Wherin we will report nothing maliciously by any of contrary religion vnto you deuised but truly testified reported and witnessed by friends and fautors of the Romish power in their stories and writings One poisoned his God another cast his God into the fire
sée that he that maketh a lie can not enter considering it appéereth in all your workes and especiallie in these notes that you thinke it not dishonestie or shame commonlie to lie And another thing I would haue you to consider of why this celestiall citie is called rather by the name of Ierusalem then of Rome séeing that if your doctrine be true Rome hath greater priuiledges vpon earth then euer had Hierusalem and therefore were méeter to shadow that celestiall citie Apoc. 22. â— The text In the middest of the streete thereof and on both sides of the riuer ⸫ the tree of life yeelding twelue fruits rendring his fruit euerie moneth and the leaues of the tree for the curing of the Gentiles The note Christ is our tree of life in the Church by the blessed Sacrament and in heauen by his visible presence and influence of life euerlasting both to our bodies and soules of whom Salomon saith The tree of life to all that apprehend him Prouerb 3. The answer It is true that Christ is this trée of life and that he worketh life and health by the ministerie of his worde and sacraments to beléeuers And that the knowledge of the benefits which we haue by Christ is the leaues wherebie the Gentiles receiue health and are cured and that Christes bodilie presence not in the Sacrament but in heauen preserueth eternallie the bodies soules of them that shalbe saued Apoc. 22. 8. The text And I Iohn which haue heard and seene these things and after I had heard and seene I fell downe ⸫ to adore before the feete of the angell which shewed me these things and he said to me Stand vp for I am thy fellow seruant The note You see it is all one to adore before the feete of the Angell and to adore the Angell though to adore him be not expressed as in the 19. chapter See the annotation there verse 10. The answer If your note be true then how can you adore before images and not adore images For if to adore before an Angel to adore an angell be all one then how is it not also al one to adore before an image and to adore an image Your annotation shall receiue answer amongst the rest Apoc. 22. 11. The text And he that is iust ⸫ let him be iustified yet and let the holie be sanctified yet The note Man by Gods grace and doing goodworkes doth increase his iustice The answer This is according to your accustomed maner dallieng and deluding with words ambiguous It is manifest that the Apostle reiterating one and the same thing in diuerse wordes doeth by the latter expresse the meaning of the former Our iustice therefore but not our iustification before God may be increased by the meanes you speake of for it is properlie Gods iustice and not ours whereby we are iustified before him Gods iustice I call the obedience of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ which God imputeth to those whose sinnes he pardoneth and which can onlie abide the rigour of Gods examination according to his perfect rule of iustice that is the lawe Mans iustice I call the fruits and effects of the spirit of regeneration which do more and more dailie abound and increase in the godlie as knowledge and faith doeth more and more encrease The text Behold I come quickelie and my reward is with me to render to euerie man ⸫ according to his workes Apoc. 22. 12. The note Heauen is the reward hire and repaiment for goodworkes in all the Scriptures and yet the aduersaries will not see it The answer That our good workes deserue or merite heauen is the thing which we can not sée nor you shew through all the Scriptures And yet you cease not to make lame and halting arguments that followe not for if alwaies vpon reward deseruing necessarilie followeth then it must follow that your fellowes which haue bene rewarded with the gallowes haue also deserued the gallowes which if you graunt then you ouerthrowe the concertation of your Catholike church the chéefe purpose whereof was to iustifie traitors FINIS Deut. 6. vers 7. 8 9. Psal. 1. vers â— Psal. 78. v. â—â— Psal. 19. veâ— 7. Iohn 5. v 39. Rom. v. 1â— v. â— Clemeâ— l. b. 1. cap. â— Epistla ad Marcellam In the homilie quoted in their epistle In the fift part of his answere to the apologie Chap. 16. 〈◊〉 Iib. 14. cap. 8. Lib. 15. cap. 13. Iohn 2. v. 4. Iohn 21. vers 22. Rom. 5. vers 18. Vers. 23. Vers. 16. Vers. 8. Vers. 2. Vers. 21. Vers. 13. Vers. 〈◊〉 Vers. 〈◊〉 Actes 2. vers â—7 1. Peter 3. ver 19. Mat. 2. ver 16. Mat. 3. ver 10. Mat. 3. vers 8. Mat. 5. ver 10. Mat. 18. vers 17. Mat. 18. vers 18. August epist. 19. Hos. de side symbolo ca. 19. Retract lib. 1. cap. 23. Hieronimuâ— Euagrâ—o Nicenum concilium canone 6. August nus ad Epistola Parmemam libro prâ—mo cap 5. contra literas Petiliam lib. 3. cap. 25. In quest ex nouo veteri testamento cap. 70. De salutaribus documentis cap. 64. Eusebius de preparatione Euangelica lib. 11. cap. 20. â—am 5. 15 16. Rom. 1. 1â— As Thursdayes August epist. â—6 Huldericus Augusta episcopus in epist. ad papam Nicholaum Nicholaus Clemangis Concilium Constantiense sessione 19. Iohn 10. 29. Iohn 15. 16. Retract primo cap. 23. De natura gratia cap. 67. Retract lib. 1. cap. 9. Session 12. 1. Cor â— 11. Hebr. 11 9. Matth. 9. 10. Iohn 11. 1. Matth. 27. 57. Matth. 8. 14. Canon 6. Urbanus sextus drowned fiue Cardinals Sergius tertius digged pope Formosus out of his graue Mille miracula beatae Mariae Ephes. 14. â— Luk. 23. 43. Ezec. 18. 22. Prouerb 10. 7 Psalm 112. 7. Matth. 21. 25. Luke 7. 30. Iohn 1. 33. Iohn 1. 26. Matth. 3. 11. August de vnico baptismo cap. 7. August Retraâ—â—ationum 1. cap. 13. Act. 3. 12. 16 Mark 5. 30. Iohn 13. slâ—ine being taken in adulterie 1. Cor. 6. 16. Psal. 19. 7. 2. Cor. 8. 12. 2. Cor. 9. 7. Rom. 8. 38. â—pistol 57. Ad ThrasimunduÌ„ regem lib. 2. cap. 5. Libro 1. cap. 3. â—ib 4. cap. 4. Tract in 8. 〈◊〉 Io. 50. â—udg 6. 31. Iohn 1. 29. Ecclesiastica historia lib. 5. cap. 18. Epistola 86. Ecclesiastica historia lib. 5. cap. 24. Epiphanius in compend fideâ— Lib. 9. cap. 38. Rom. 8. 7. Hieronima Eâ—agrio Rom. 11. 32. Ad Paulam super obitu Blâ—sillâ—e Epistola 57. Epistola 99. Hipognosticon 〈◊〉 5. Hebr. 12. 6. 1. Cor. 12. 14. Ephes. 4. 14. Galaâ— 3. 1â— 1. Cor. 3. 11. 1. Peter 2. 3. Iohn 1. 37. Iohn 1. 19. Psal. 25. 9. 12. Mille miracula beatae Mariae Deut. 12. 5. Ierem. 7. 4. Harding against the Apologie 6. part c. 5. diuision 1. Rom. 8. â—6 Augustine â—pist 5â— For the pope can dispence against the new and the old Testament Rom. 12. 1. Heb. 10. 10. Iohn 20. 31. Matth. 10. 6. Actes 1. 15. Actes 2. 24. Iohn 20. 19. Acts. 1. 15. Stapleton de â—â—tente Ecclesia capâ—te 2. Acts. 14. 9. Rom. 8. 28. Deut. 16. 16. Platina in viâ—ta Pauli secundi Hebr. 11. 6. As appeereth in the report of the death of doctor Parrie Rom. 1. 20. Ieronimus Eâ—uagrio Platinâ—sâ—â—â— that Liberâ—â— was an Arrian Sessione 34. August de peccato originali cap. 1. 〈…〉 Rom. 5. 1â— 1. Ioh. 4. 18. Pope Paul the second esteemed all that were learned for heretiks dâ—dwish the Romanes to set their children no longer to schoole but till they could write reade Platina â—â—emeus Eusebius lib. 4. cap. 6. Ecclesiasticae historiae Ecclesiastica historia lib. 20. cap. 1. De simplicitate praelatorum sermone 66. Antoninus de Dominico Augustin de â—â—mtate Ecclesie capite 4. 1. Cor. 3. 5. 1. Cor. 3. 7 Esai 44. 18 19. Smith de votis caeâ—batu Galat. 2 9. 2. Cor. 11. 5. August 1. râ—tract cap. 13. Despiritu â—â—â—ma cap. 29. Luk. 18. 14. Rom. 4. 5. Psal. 33. 1. Ephes 2. 8. 2. Cor. 5. 2. 〈…〉 6. 〈…〉 Clemens lib. 7. cap. 16. Ecclesiast hâ—st lib. 3. cap. 34. Tomo 3. cap. â— In catalogâ— scriptorum Libro 3. contra haereses cap. 3. Lib. 2. aduersus Donatistas 〈…〉 Ecclesiast hist. l. b. 7. cap. 14. Psal. 113. 3. Esaic 42. 8. Lib. de â—id c. 13 Hosias saith that we haue no other shield but the signe of the crosse De gratia libero arbitrio cap. 21. Libr. 2. cap. 2. Libr. 1. cap. 6. Libr. 3. cap. 9. Lib. 7. cap. 24. Libr. 8. cap. 2. As the charter house moonks 1. King 12. 31. 1. Tim. 4. 16. 2. Tim. 3. 14. 15. Rom. 8. 7. verse 15. Deut. 4. 2. Deut. 28. 14. 1. Iohn 5. 16. Matth. 12. 32. Exod. 14. 8. Leuit. 14. 4. Rom. 5. 1â— Iosua 24. â—â— Galat. 2. In the beginning of this chapter Pope Alexander Mille 〈◊〉 la beatâ— Mars Abbas vrspergensis Platâ—na Pope Hildebrand called Gregorie the 9. Pope Victor the third was poisoned in the chalice The Emperor Henrie of Lucemburgh was poâ—soned in the consecrate bread Leo the tenth Master Camâ—pion in the 3. dais conference in the Tower Innocentius de maioritate obedientia cap. Solita 2. Cor. 10. veâ— 4. 5. 6. Rom. 5. 23. Psal. 51. 10. Iohn 17. 5. 2. Tim 2. 19. 〈…〉 lib. 3. cap. 27. Idem lib. 5. cap. 18. Sabâ—licâ—â— 2. Thes. 2. 9. Ierem. 5. ◠〈◊〉 de 〈◊〉 ecclesia cap. 2. The consessor to Henrie the sixt Emperor Hildebrand Leo the tenth â— Cor. 11. 2. De ciuitate dei lib. 15. ca. 5 Iudges 4. the whole chap. and 5. ver 19. Mat. 7. 22. 23. Rom. 6. 23. 1. Cor. 6. 19. 1. Cor. 13. 9.