The 5 part.
The taking of the Ghospel away from the obstinate Iewes, and giuing
of it to the Gentils by the ministerie of Paul and Barnabas.
The Preachers of the Church of Antioche preparing themselues, the Holy Ghost out of them al,
chooseth Saul and Barnabas. 3. They being first consecrated Bishops, 4. goe their appointed
circuit ouer al the land of Cypres; the Proconsul whereof is also conuerted, seing the
miraculous excecation of a Iew by Paul. 13. Thence, into Pamphilia: 14. and Pisidia, where in Antioche
Paul preached to the Iewes, shewing that Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ is Christ, 38. and that in him is saluation, and
not in their Law of Moyses: 40. warning them to beware of the reprobation foretold by the Prophets. 44.
But the next Sabboth, they blaspheming, he in plaine termes forsaketh them, and turneth to the Gentils.
Whereat the Gentils be as glad on the contrarie side. 50. Finally the Iewes raising persecution, they
forsake them, pronouncing them to be obstinate contemners.
1. AND there were in the Church which was at Antioche, Prophets and Doctours, among
whom was Barnabas, and Simon that was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, and Manahen who was the
foster-brother of Herod the Tetrach, and Saul.
2. And
✟
λειτουργουντων αυτῶν
as they were ministring to our Lord, & fasting, the Holy Ghost said:
Separate me Saul and Barnabas vnto the worke, whereto I haue taken them.
3. Then they fasting and praying, and imposing hands vpon them, dimissed them.
4. And they being sent of the Holy Ghost, went to Seleucia, and thence sailed to
Cypres.
5. And when they were come to Salamina, they preached the word of God in the
Synagogues of the Iewes. And they had Iohn also in their ministerie.
6. And when they had walked throughout the whole iland as farre as Paphos, they
found a certaine man that was a magician, a false-Prophet, a Iew, who name was
✟
'Barieu'
Bar-iesu,
7. who was with the Proconsul Sergius Paulus a wise man. He sending for Barnabas &
Saul, desired to heare the word of God.
8. But Elymas the magician (for so is his name interpreted) resisted them, seeking
to auert the Proconsul from the faith.
9. But Saul, otherwise Paul, replenished with the Holy Ghost, looking vpon him,
10. said: O ful al fuile, and al deceit, sonne of the Deuil, enemie of al iustice,
thou ceasest not to subuert the right waies of our Lord.
11. And now behold the hand of our Lord vpon thee, & thou shalt be blind, not seing
the sunne vntil a time. And forthwith there fel dimnesse and darkenesse vpon him, and going
about he sought some body that would giue him his hand.
12. Then the Proconsul, when he had seen that which was done, beleeued marueling at
the doctrine of our Lord.
13. And when Paul and they that were with him had sailed from Paphos, they came to
Perge in Pamphylia. And Iohn departing from them, returned to Hierusalem.
14. But they passing through Perge, came to Antioche in Pisidia: and entring into
the Synagogue on the day of the Sabboth, they sate downe.
15. And after the lesson of the Law and the Prophets, the Princes of the Synagogue
sent to them, saying: Men Brethren, if there be among you any sermon of exhortation to the
people, speake.
16. And Paul rising vp, and with his hand beckning for silence, said: Ye men of Israel,
and you that feare God, harken.
17.
⋮
Exod.
The God of the people of Israel chose our Fathers, and exalted the people when
they were seiourners in the land of Ægypt, and in a mightie arme brought them out thereof,
18. and for the space of fourtie yeares tolerated their manners in the desert.
19.
⋮
Iosue.
And destroying seuen Nations in the land of Chanaan, by lot he deuided their
their land among them,
20.
⋮
Iud.
as it were after foure hundred and fiftie yeares, and after these things he gaue
Iudges, vntil Samuel the Prophet.
21. And thenceforth they desired a King: & he gaue them
*
1. King. 8.
Saul the sonne of Cis, a man
of the Tribe of Beniamin, fourtie yeares.
22. And remouing him he raised them vp
*
1. King. 16.
Dauid to be King: to whom giuing testimonie,
he said:
*
Psa. 88,21.
I haue found Dauid the sonne of Iesse, a man according to my hart, who shal doe al
my willes.
23. Of his seed God according to his
*
Psa. 131,11.
promise hath brought forth is Israel a Sauiour
Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ,
24. Iohn
*
Luke 3,3.
preaching before the face of his comming, Baptisme of penance to al the
people of Israel.
25. And when Iohn fulfilled his course, he said: Whom doe
*
Luke 3,15.
you thinke me to be? I am
not he: but behold there commeth after me, whose shoes of his feet I am not worthie to loose.
26.
⋮
The Epistle vpon Tuesday in Easter weeke.
Men Brethren, children of the stocke of Abraham, & they among you that feare
God; to you the word of this saluation was sent.
27. For they that inhabited Hierusalem, and the Princes thereof, not knowing him,
nor the voices of the Prophets that are read euery Sabboth, iudging haue fulfilled them,
28. and finding no cause of death in him,
*
Luke 23,1.
desired of Pilate, that they might kil him.
29. Amd when they had consummated al things that were written of him, taking him
downe from the tree, they put him in a monument.
30. But God raised him vp from the dead the third day:
31. who was
*
Act. 1,3.
seen for meny daies of them that came vp together with him from Galilee
into Hierusalem, who vntil this present are his witnesses to the people.
32. And we preach vnto you that promise which was made to our Fathers:
33. that God hath fulfilled this same
✟
'to us their children'
to our children, raising vp Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ, as in
the second Psalme also it is written:
*
Psa. 2,7.
My Sonne art thou, this day haue I begotten thee.
34. And that he raised him vp from the dead, not to returne now any more into
corruption, this he said:
*
Isai. 55,3.
That I wil giue you the holy things of Dauid faithful.
35. And therfore in another place also he saith:
*
Psa. 15,10.
Thou shalt not giue thy holy one
to see corruption.
36. For Dauid in his generation when he had serued, according to the wil of God slept:
and he was laid to his Fathers & saw corruption.
37. But he whom God hath raised vp, saw no corruption.
38. Be it knowen therfore to you, men Brethren, that through him, forgiuenesse of sinnes
is preached to you, from al things from the which you could not be iustified by the law of Moyses.
39. In him euery one that beleeueth, is iustified.
40. Take heed therfore lest that come vpon you which is spoken in the prophets,
41.
*
Habac. 1,5.
See ye contemners, and wonder, and perish: because I worke a worke in your daies,
a worke which you wil not beleeue, if any man shal tel it you.
42. And they going forth,
✟
the Gentiles desired
they desired them that the Sabboth following they would speake
vnto them these wordes.
43. And when the Synagogue was dimissed, many of the Iewes, and of the
✟
deuout proselytes,
strangers
seruing God, followed Paul & Barnabas: who speaking exhorted them to continue in the grace of God.
44. But the next Sabboth the whole citie almost assembled to heare the word of God.
45. And the Iewes seing the multitudes, were replenished with enuy, & contradicted those
things which were said of Paul, blaspheming.
46. Then Paul and Barnabas constantly said: To you it behoued vs first to speake the
word of God: but because
✟
The Iewes of their owne free wil repelling the truth, are vnworthy of
Christ & worthily forsaken: & the Gentils though they beleeued
specially by Gods grace & preordination, yet they beleeue also by their
owne free wil, which standeth wel with Gods prouidence.
you repel it, and iudge your selues vnworthie of eternal life; behold
we turne to the Gentils.
47. For so our Lord commanded vs:
*
Isai. 46.
I haue put thee to be the light of the Gentils;
that thou maiest be saluation vnto the vtmost of the earth.
48. And the Gentils hearing it, were glad, and glorified the word of our Lord: and
there beleeued as many as were preordinate to life euerlasting.
49. And the word of our Lord was spred throughout the whole countrie.
50. But the Iewes stirred vp religious and honest women, and the cheefe of the citie,
and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas: and they did cast them forth out of their
coasts.
51. But they
*
Luke 9,5.
shaking off the dust of their feet against them, came to Iconium.
52. The Disciples also were replenished with ioy and with the holy Ghost.
ANNOTATIONS.
Cʜᴀᴘ. XIII.
2. As they were ministring.)
The Apostles liturgie or Masse.
If we should, as our Aduersaries doe, boldly turne what text we
list, & fly from one language to another for the aduantage of our cause,
we might haue translated for ministring, sacrificing. For so *the Greeke
doth signifie, and so Erasmus translated. Yea we might haue translated,
Saying Masse, for so they did: and the Greeke Fathers hereof had their
name, Liturgie, which Erasmus translateth Masse, saying, Missa
Chrysostomi. But we keepe our text, as the translatours of the
Scriptures should doe most religiously.
*λειτουργουντων αυτῶν
2. Separate me.)
Paul & Barnabas are consecrated by men.
*Though Paul were taught by God himself and specially designed by Christ
to be an Apostle, and here chosen by the Holy Ghost together with Barnabas, yet they were to be
ordered, consecrated, and admitted by men. Which wholy condemneth al these new rebellious
disordered spirits, that chalenge and vsurpe the office of preaching and other sacred actions from
heauen, without the Churches admission.
*Galatians. 1.
3. Fasting.)
Imber daies.
Hereof the Church of God vseth and prescribeth publike fastes at the foure solemne
times of giuing holy Orders (which are our Imber daies) as a necessarie preparatiue to so great a worke
as S. *Leo declareth by this place, naming it also an Apostolical tradition. See S. Leo Ser. 9. de ieiunio
7. mensis, & Calixtus ep. 1. to. 1. Conc. conc. Magunt. c. 34. 35. to. 3.
Præscript times of fasts.
And this fasting was not fasting
from sinne, nor moral or Christian temperance, as the Protestants ridiculously affirme, for such fasting they
were bound euer to keepe: but it was abstinence for a time from al meates or from some certaine kindes of
meates, which was ioyned with praier and sacrifice, and done specially at such seasons as the Church
prescribed, of al together (as in Lent, the Imber daies, Friday, Saturday) and not when euery man list,
as Aërius and such Heretikes did hold. S. August. hær. 53.
*Leo ep. 81 c. 1 Epiph. in compend. Leo ser. 3. & 4. de ieiu. 7. mensis.
3. Imposing hands.)
Imposition of handes.
Holy orders.
Because al blessings & consecrations were done in the Apostles time by
the external ceremonie of imposition of hands, diuers Sacraments were named of the same, specially
Confirmation, as is noted before, and holy Ordering or consecrating Bishops, Priests, and Deacons, and
Subdeacons, as we see here and elswhere. In which though there were many holy wordes and
ceremonies and a very solemne action: yet whatsoeuer was done in those Sacraments, is altogether called
*Imposition of hands: as whatsoeuer was done in the whole diuine mysterie of the B. **Sacrament, is
named fraction of bread. For the Apostles (as S. Denys Eccl. hier. c. 1. in fine writeth) purposely kept
close in their open speaches and writings which might come to the hands or eares of Infidels, the sacred
wordes & actions of the Sacraments. And S. Ambrose saith, in 1. Tim. c. 4. The imposition of the hands
is mystical wordes, wherewith the elected is conformed and made apt to his function, receiuing authoritie
(his conscience bearing witnes) that he may be bold in our Lordes steed to offer Sacrifice to God.
And ***S. Hierom: The imposition of hands is the Ordering of Clerkes, which is done by praier of the voice, &
imposition of the hand. And this is in some inferiour orders also: but Paul and Barnabas were ordered to
a higher function than inferiour Priests, euen to be Bishops throughout al Nations.
*Act. 6,6.
**Act. 2,42.
***Hiero. in c. 58. Esa.
4. Sent of the Holy Ghost.)
Spiritual officers of our soules.
Whosoeuer be sent by the Church, are sent of the Holy Ghost,
though in such an extraordinarie sort it be not done. Whereby we see how farre the Officers of our soules in
the Church doe passe the temporal Magistrates, who though they be of Gods ordinance, yet not of the
Holy Ghosts special calling.