Now after their Baptisme, what must be their meat: 4. and being come to Christ, how happie they
be aboue their incredulous Brethren, according to the scriptures also. 11. Whereupon he
beseecheth them to shine in good life among the Heathen, so to procure their conuersion: 13. to
be obedient subiects to higher Powers (howsoeuer some misconster Christian libertie) 14. and
seruants to obey their Maisters. 19. And so, doing wel, though they suffer for it, it is very
meritorious, 21. Whereas Christ also not only gaue them example, 24. but also by his death hath made
them able to liue iustly.
1.
⋮
The Epistle vpon Saturday in Easter weeke.
LAYING away therfore al malice, and al guile, and simulations, and enuies, and al
detractions,
2. as infants euen now borne, reasonable, milke without guile desire ye, that in it
you may grow vnto saluation.
3. If yet you haue tasted that our Lord is sweet.
4. Vnto whom approching, a liuing stone, of men indeed reprobated, but of God elect
and made honorable:
5. be ye also your selues superedified as it were liuing stones,
✟
' a spiritual house,
spiritual houses a
holy priesthood to offer spiritual hosts, acceptable to God by Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ Christ.
6. For the which cause the Scripture conteineth,
*
Esa. 28,16.
Behold I put in Sion a principal
corner-stone elect, pretious. And he that shal beleeue in him, shal not be confounded.
7. To you therfore that beleeue, honour: but to them that beleeue not,
*
Ps. 117.
Mat. 21,
the stone
which the builders reiected, the same is made into the head of the corner:
8. and
*
Act 4,
Es. 8.
Ro. 9,33.
a stone of offense, & a rocke of scandal, to them that stumble at the word,
neither doe beleeue
✟
whereto also they are ordained.
wherin also they are put.
9. But you are an
*
Exo. 19.
Apoc. 1.
elect Generation, a
✟
The Protestants can no more gather of this, that al Christians be Priests, then that al
be Kings as is most plaine Apoc. 1,6 & 5,10. Thou hast made vs a Kingdom (or Kings) &
Priests.
kingly Priesthood, a holy Nation, a people
of purchase: that you may declare his vertues, which from darkenesse hath called you into his
maruelous light.
10.
*
Ose. 2.
Ro. 9.
Which sometime not a people: but now the people of God. Which not hauing
obtained mercie: but now hauing obtained mercie.
11.
⋮
The Epistle vpon the 3, Sunday after Easter.
My Dearest I beseech you as strangers & pilgrimes,
*
Gal. 5,16.
to refraine your selues from
carnal desires which warre against the soule,
12. hauing your conuersation good among the Gentils: that in that wherein they
misreport of you as of malefactours, by the good workes considering you,
*
Mt. 5,16.
they may glorifie God
in the day of visitation.
13.
*
Ro. 13,1.
Be subiect therfore to euery
✟
So is tho Greek, but the Protest. in fauour of temporal lawes made against the Cat.
religion, translate it very falsely thus, to al manner ordinance of man themselues
boldly reiecting Ecclesiastical decrees as mens ordinances.
humane
✟
κτίσει.
creature for God: whether it be to King, as
excelling:
14. or to Rulers as sent by him to the reuenge of malefactours, but to the praise of
the good:
15. for so is the wil of God, that doing wel you may make the ignorance of vnwise men
to be dumme:
16. as free, and not as hauing the freedom for a cloke of malice, but as the seruants
of God.
17. Honour al men.
✟
In this speach is often commended the vnitie of al Christians among themselues.
Loue the fraternitie. Feare God. Honour the King.
18. Seruants be subiect in al feare to your Maisters, not only to the good & modest,
but also to the waiward.
19. For this is thankes, if for conscience of God a man sustaine sorrowes, suffering
vniustly.
20. For what glorie is it, if sinning, and buffeted you suffer? But if doing wel you
sustaine patiently, this is thanke before God.
⋮
The Epistle vpon the 2. Sunday after Easter.
21. For vnto this are you called: because Christ also suffered for
✟
' you
vs leauing
✟
' vs
you an
example that you may follow his steps.
22.
*
Es. 53,9.
Who did no sinne, neither was guile found in his mouth.
23. Who when he was reuiled,
✟
οὐκ ἀιτελοιδόϱει.
did not reuile: when he suffred he threatned not: but
deliuered himself to him that iudged him vniustly.
24. Who himself
*
Es. 51,4.
Mt. 8,17
bare our sinnes in his body vpon the tree: that dead to sinnes, we
may liue to iustice. By whose stripes you are healed.
25. For you were as sheep straying: but you be conuerted now to the Pastour & Bishop
of your soules.
ANNOTATIONS.
CHAP. II.
5 Spiritual hosts. ) Spiritual hosts and Priests.
Here we see, that as he speaketh of spiritual hosts, which euery Christian man offereth, so he
speaketh not properly of priesthood, when be maketh al Priests, but of a spiritual priesthood.
Which spiritual priesthood was also in al the Iewes: but the priesthood (properly so called) was
only in the sonncs of Aaron, and they offered the Sacrifices (properly so called) which none
besides might offer.
13. Be subiect. ) Odedience to temporal Princes.
Not only our Maister Christ, but the Apostles and al Christians were
euer charged by such as thought to bring them in hatred with Princes, with disobedience
to Kings and temporal Magistrates. Therfore both * S. Paul and this Apostle doe specially
warne the faithful, that they giue no occasion by their il demeanure to secular Princes,
that the Heathen should count them disobedient or seditious workers against the States of the
world.
Ro. 15.
13. To euery humane creature. ) God instituted the Spiritual gouernement in more
excellent manner then the temporal.
So he calleth the temporal Magistrate elected by the people, or holding their Soueraignty by birth
& carnal propagation, ordained for the worldly wealth, peace, and prosperitie of the subiects: to
put a differcnce betwixt that humane Superiority, and the spiritual Rulers and regiment, guiding &
gouerning the people to an higher end, and instituted by God himself immediately. For Christ did
expresly constitute the forme of regiment vsed euer since in the Church. He made one the
cheefe, placing Peter in the Supremacie: he called the Apostles and Disciples, giuing
them their seueral authorities. Afterward * God guided the lot for choice of S. Matthias
in Iudas place: and the Holy Ghost expresly and namely seuered & chose Paul and Barnabas vnto their
Apostolical function: and generally the Apostle saith of al spiritual Rulers, The holy Ghost hath
placed you to rule the church of God.
And although al power be of God, and Kings rule by him, yet that is no otherwise, but
by his ordinarie concurrence, and prouidence, whereby he procureth the earthly
commodity or wealth of men, by maintaining of due superiority and subiection one
towards another, and by giuing power to the people and Common-wealth to choose to
themselues some kind or forme of Regiment, vnder which they be content to liue for
their preseruation in peace and tranquillity. But spiritual superiority is farre
more excellent, as in more excellent sort depending, not of man's ordinance, election, or (as this
Apostle speaketh) creation, but of the Holy Ghost, who is alwaies resident in the Church (which
is Christ's body mystical, and therfore another manner of Common-wealth then the earthly) concurring
in singular sort to the creation of al necessarie Oifficers in the said Church, euen to the worlds
end, as S. Paul writeth to the Ephesians.
Lest therfore the people, being then in so precise sort alwaies
warned of the excellencie of their Spiritual Gouernours * and of their obedience toward them, might
neglect their dueties to Temporal Magistrates, specially being infidels, and many times tyrants
and persecutours of the faith, as Nero and other were then: therfore S. Peter here warneth them to be
subiect, for their bodies and goods and other temporal things, euen to the worldly Princes both
infidels and Christians, whom he calleth humane creatures.
Act. 1.
Act. 20.
Eph. 4.
Hebr. 13.
13. To the King as excelling. ) Heret. translation.
Some simple heretikes, & others also not vnlearned, at the beginning for lacke of better places,
would haue proued by this, that the King was Head of the Church, and aboue al Spiritual Rulers:
and to make it sound better that way, they falsely translated it, To the King as to the
cheefe head. In the Bible of the yeare 1562.
The Kings excellencie of power is in respect of the nobilitie and lay Magistrates vnder him.
But it is euident that he calleth the King, the precellent or more excellent, in respect of his
Vicegerents which he calleth Dukes or Gouernours that be at his appointment; and not in respect of
Popes, Bishops, or Priests, as they haue the rule of mens soules: who could not in that charge be
vnder such Kings or Emperours as the Apostle speaketh of; no more then the Kings or Emperous then,
could be Heads of the Church, being Heathen men and no members thereof, much lesse the cheefe
members. See a notable place in S. Ignatius ep. and Smyrnenses, where he exhorteth them first to honour
God, next the Bishop, & then the King.
Christian Princes haue no more right to be supreme Heads in spiritual causes then the Heathen.
This is an inuincible demonstration, that this text maketh not for any spiritual claime
of earthly Kings, because it giueth no more to any Prince then may and ought to be done
& granted to a Heathen Magistrate. Neither is there any thing in al the new Testament
that proueth the Prince to be Head or cheefe Gouernour of the Church in spiritual or
Ecclesiastical causes, more then it proueth any heathen Emperour of Rome to haue been.
For they were bound in temporal things to obey the Heathen being lawful Kings, to be
subiect to them, euen for conscience, to keep their temporal lawes, to pay them tribute,
to pray for them, and to doe al other natural duties: and more no Scriptures bind vs to
doe to Christian Kings.
16. Not as hauing. ) Libertines.
There were some Libertines in those daies, as there be now, that vnder pretence of libertie of
the Ghospel, sought to be free from subiection and lawes of men, as now vnder the like wicked
pretence, Heretikes refuse to obey their spiritual Rulers and to obserue their lawes.
18. But also the wayward. ) Deadly sinnes of Princes or Superiours exempt not the subiects
from obedience, as Wicleffe held.
The Wiclefistes and their followers in these daies, sometimes to moue the people vnto sedition,
hold and teach that Maisters, and Migistrates lose their authoritie ouer their seruants and
subiects, if they be once in deadly sinne, & that the people in that case need not in conscience
obey them. Which is a pernicious and false doctrine, as is plaine by this place, where we be
expresly commanded to obey euen the il conditioned. Which must be alwaies vnderstood, if they
command nothing against God. For then this rule is euer to be followed: We must obey God rather
then men. Act. 5,19.