That the Law was fit for the time of nonnage: but being now come to ful age, to desire
such seruitude is absurd, specially for Gentils. 12 And that he writeth this not of any
displeasure, but to tel them the truth, remembring how passingly they honoured him when he was
present, and exhorting them therofre not to harken to the false Apostles in his absence. 21. By the
allegorie also of Abraham's two sonnes, shewing, that the children of the Iewes Synagogue shal not
inherit, but we who are the children of the free-woman; that is of the Cath. Church of Christ.
1.
⋮
The Epistle vpon Twelfth eue.
AND I say, as long as the heire is a litle one, he differeth nothing from a seruant, although
he be Lord of al,
2. But is vnder tutours and gouernours vntil the time limited of the Father:
3. so we also, when we were litle ones, were seruing vnder the
✟
That is, the rudiments of religion, wherin the carnal Iewes were trained vp: or the
corporal creatures, wherin their manifold Sacrifices, Sacraments, & rites did consist.
elements of the world.
4. But when the fulnes of time came, God sent his Sonne made of a woman, made vnder the
Law:
5. that he might redeem them that were vnder the Law; that we might receiue the adoption of
sonnes.
6. And because you are sonnes,
*
Ro. 8,15.
God hath sent the Spirit of his sonne into your harts crying:
Abba, Father.
7. Therfore now he is not a seruant, but a sonne. And if a sonne, an heire also by God.
8. But then indeed not knowing God, you serued them that by nature are not Gods.
9. But now when you haue knowen God, or rather are knowen of God, how turne you againe to
the weake & poore elements, which you wil serue againe?
10. You obserue daies, and months, and times, and yeares.
11. I feare you, lest perhaps I haue laboured in vaine among you.
12. Be ye as I, because I also am as you: Brethren, I beseech you, you haue hurt me nothing.
13. And you know that by infirmitie of the flesh I euangelized to you heretofore:
14. and your tentation in my flesh you despised not, neither reiected, but
✟
So ought al Catholike people receiue their Teachers in religion, with al duetie,
loue, and reuerence.
as
an Angel of God you receiued me, as Christ Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ.
15. Where is then your blessednes? for I giue you testimonie that if it could be done, you
would haue plucked out your eyes and haue giuen them to me.
16. Am I then become your enemie, telling you the truth?
17. They emulate you not wel: but they would exclude you, that you might emulate them.
18. But doe you emulate the good in good alwaies: and not only when I am present with you.
19. My litle children, whom I trauail withal againe, vntil Christ be formed in you.
20. And I would be with you now and change my voice: because I am confounded in you.
21. Tel me, you that wil be vnder the law, haue you not read the Law?
22. For it is written that
*
Gen. 16,15. 21,2.
Abraham had two sonnes: one of the bond-woman, and one of the
free-woman.
23. But he that of the bond-woman, was borne according to the flesh: and he that of the
free-woman, by the promise.
24. Which things are said by an allegorie. For these are the two Testaments. The one from
mount Sina, gendring vnto bondage; which is Agar,
25. (for Sina is a mountaine in Arabia,
✟
συστοιχεῖ.
which hath affinite to that which now is Hierusalem)
and serueth with her children.
26. But that Hierusalem which is aboue, is free; which is our mother.
27. For it is written:
*
Es. 54,1.
Reioyce thou barren, that bearest not: breake forth and crie,
that trauailest not: because many are the children of the desolate, more then of her that hath a
husband.
28. But
*
Ro. 9,8.
we Brethren, according to Isaac, are the children of promise.
29. But
✟
This mutual persecution is a figure also of the Church iustly persecuting Heretikes,
and contrariwise of Heretikes (which be the children of the bond woman) vniustly
persecuting the Catholike Church. Aug. ep. 48.
as then he that was borne according to the flesh, persecuted him that was after the
spirit; so now also.
30. But what saith the Scripture?
*
Gen. 21,20.
Cast out the bond-woman and her sonne. For the sonne
of the bond-woman shal not be heire with the sonne of the free-woman.
31. Therfore, Brethren, we are not the children of the bond-woman, but of the free: by the
freedom wherewith Christ hath made vs free.
ANNOTATIONS.
Cʜᴀᴘ. IIII.
3. Seruing.)
External worship of God by vse of creatures, necessarie: & how the Heathen, Iewes &
Christians differ in the same.
There can be no external worship of God nor association of men in religion, either true or
false, without the vse of corporal things or elements. The Heathen so vsed the creatures of
elements that they serued them as their Gods. The Iewes, of whom the Apostle here speaketh,
serued not the creatures themselues which they occupied in their ceremonies, but they serued
the only true God vnder the elements: that is to say, being seruilely clogged, yoked, kept
occupied & in awe, with innumerable fleshly, grosse, & combersom offices about creatures.
The Christians neither serue elements, as the one, nor be kept in seruile thraldom thereby as
the other; but occupie only a few exceeding easie, sweet, seemely, and significant, for an
agreable exercise both of body and mind.
The vse of external elements in the Sacraments.
Wherof S. Augustin saith thus, li. 3. c. 9. de
doct. Christ. Some few for many, most easie to be done, most honourable for signification, and
most cleane & pure for to be obserued and kept, hath our Lord himself and the Apostolical
discipline deliuered. And li. de ver. relig. c. 17. Of the Wisedom of God it-self man's
nature being taken, whereby we were called into libertie, a few Sacraments most holsom were
appointed and instituted, which might conteine the societie of Christian people, that is, of
the free multitude vnder one God. And againe, cont. Faust. li. 19. c. 13. The Sacraments are
changed: they are made easier, fewer, holsommer, happier. The same he hath in the *118. epistle
c. 1. and many other places besides. By which you may see, it is not al one to vse elements,
visible Sacraments or ceremonies, and to serue them as the Pagans doe, or to serue vnder them as
the Iewes did; wherewith the Heretikes calumniously charge the Christians.
*ep. 118. c. 1. & in Ps. 103. conc. 1.
Our Sacraments few & easie, in respect of the Iewes.
And as touching the smal number, facilitie, efficacie, and signification, wherin the said
holy Father putteth the special difference; who seeth not that for so many busie Sacrifices,
we haue but one: for Sacraments wel-neer infinit, but seuen: al so easie, so ful of grace,
so significant, as can be possible, as of euery one in their seueral places is proued?
S. Augustin falsely alleaged of the Heretikes for two Sacraments only.
Here, let the good Readers take heed of a double deceit vsed by the Aduersaries about S.
Augustines places alleaged. First, in that they say he made but two Sacraments, which is
vntrue. For, although treating of the difference between the Iewish Sacraments and ours, he
namely giueth example in Baptisme and the Eucharist (as sometimes also for example he nameth
but one) yet he hath no word nor signe at al that there should be no moe. But contrariewise
in the foresaid epistle 118. he insinuateth, that besides those two, there be other of the same
sort in the Scriptures. Yea, with water and bread, which be the elements of the two foresaid
Sacraments, he expresly nameth oile also (li. 2. cont. lit. Petil. c. 104) the element or
matter of the Sacrament of Confirmation: which in the same place he maketh to be a Sacrament as
Baptisme is. So doth he affirme of the Sacrament of Orders li. 1 de bapt. c 1. and also of
Matrimonie li. de bono coniug. c. 24. of Penance likewise, he speaketh as of Baptisme, which he
calleth Reconciliation, li. 1. de adult. coniug. c. 28. Lastly, by the booke de visitatione
infirmorum in S. Augustin li. 2. c. 4. by Prosper de prædictionibus p. 2. c. 29. S.
Innocentius ad
Eugubinum to. 1. Conc. ep. ad Eugub c. 8. S. Cyril, li. 2. in Leuiticum, and S.
Chrysostom li. 3.
de Sacerdotio, *Extreme vnction is proued to be a Sacrament. It is false then that the
Heretikes
affirme of S. Augustin, by whose doctrine it is plaine that though the elements or Sacraments
of the new law be but few and very few in comparison of those in the old law, yet there be no
fewer then seuen specified by him. Which number of seuen the holy Councels of Florence and
Trent doe expresly define to haue been instituted by Christ, against these late Heretikes. See
more of these Sacraments in their places, Act 8. 1. Tim. 4. Io. 20. Ia. 5. Eph. 5.
*Aug. ser. 215. de temp. & de rectit. cath. conuers.
S. Augustin falsely alleaged against the ceremonies of the Church.
The other forgerie of the Aduersaries concerning the elements or ceremonies, is, that S.
Augustin (ep. 119. c. 19.) should affirme, that the Church and Christian people in his daies
(whervpon they inferre that it is so much more now) were so loaden with obseruation of
vnprofitable ceremonies, that they were in as great seruilitie and subiection to such things
as the Iewes. He saith so indeed of some particular presumptions, inuentions, and vsages of
certaine persons; as that some made it a heinous matter to touch the ground with their bare
feet within their owne octaues, & such like vanities. Wherby some simple folkes might be
infected, which this holy Doctour specially misliked, & wisheth such things (as they may,
without scandal) to be taken away. But that he wrote or meant so of any ceremonie that the
Church vseth, either appointed by Scripture, or Councel, or custom of the Catholike Church,
himself denieth it in expresse termes in the same place, and in sundrie other: where he
alloweth al the holy ceremonies done in the ministration of the Sacraments and els-where.
Whereby it is cleare, that the Churches most comely orders and significant rites pertaine not
to the yoke of the old law, much lesse to the superstition of Gentilitie, as Heretikes affirme;
but to the sweet yoke of Christ and light burden of his law, to order, & decencie, and
instruction of the faithful, in al libertie, loue, faith, grace, and Spirit.
9. Weake & poore.)
Whether he meane of the creatures which the Gentils serued, (as it may seeme by the words before
of seruing strange Gods) so the elements were most base and beggerly; or of the Iudaical
ceremonies and sacraments (as most expound it) euen so their elements were weake and poore in
themselues, not giuing life, saluation, and remission of sinnes, nor being instruments or
vessels of grace, as the 7. Sacraments of the new law be.
10. You obserue daies.)
The Heathenish and Iudaical obseruation of daies Heretically compared with the Christian
obseruation of festiuities and holy-daies, &c.
That which S. Paul speaketh against the Idololatrical obseruation of daies, months, and times,
dedicated by the Heathen to their false Gods, and to wicked men or spirits, as to Iupiter, Mercurie,
Ianus, Iuno, Diana, and such like, or against the superstitious differences of daies, fatal, fortunate,
or dismol, and other obseruations of times for good luck or il luck in man's actions, gathered either
by particular fansie, or popular obseruation, or curious & vnlawful arts, or (lastly) of the Iudaical
festiuities that were then ended & abrogated, vnto which notwithstanding certain Christian Iewes
would haue reduced the Galatians against the Apostles doctrine: al that (I say) doe the Heretikes of our
time falsely and deceitfully interpret against the Christian holydaies, & the sanctification &
necessarie keeping of the same. Which is not only contrarie to the Fathers exposition, but against the
very Scriptures, and the practise of the Apostles and the whole Church. Aug. cont. Adimant. c. 16.
Ep. 118. c. 7. Hiero. in hunc locum.
Sunday, Easter, whitsontide.
In the Apocalypse c. 1. there is plaine mention of the Sunday, that is, our Lordes day (Dominicus
dies) into which the Iewes Sabboth was altered, their Pasch into our Easter, their Pentecost
into our Whitsontide: which were ordained & obserued of the Apostles themselues.
The festiuities of Christ.
*And the antiquitie of the feasts of Christes Natiuitie, Epiphanie, & Ascension is such, that they can
be referred to no other origine but the Apostles institution: who (as S. Clement testifieth li. 8.
const. Apost. c. 39.) gaue order for celebrating their fellow Apostles, S. Steuens & other
Martyrs daies after their death: and much more no doubt did they giue order for Christes festiuities.
* Orig. ho. 3 in diu.
Aug. ep. 28. & Ser. de Sanctis. Fulgent. Leo.
Other holy-dayes of Saints.
According to which, the Church hath kept not only his, but S. Steuens, & the B. Innocents, euen on
the same daies they be now solemnely kept, & his B. Mothers, & other Saints, (as the Aduersaries
themselues confesse) aboue 1300. yeares, as appeareth in the Barbarous combates betweene Westphalus
the Lutheran, & Caluin, & by the writings betwixt the Puritans & Protestants.
Festiuities of our B. Ladie.
For which purpose, see also how old the holy-day of S. Polycarpe is in Euseb li 4. c. 14. of
the *Assumption of our Ladie or her dormition in S. Athanasius, S. Augustin, S. Hierom. S. Damasc.
and both of that feast and of her Natiuitie in S. Bernard, who professeth he receiued them of the
Church, & that they ought to be most solemnely kept. ep. 174. Wherin we can not but wonder at
the new Church of England, that (though against the pure Caluinistes wil and doctrine) keep other
Saints and Apostles daies of their death, and yet haue abolished this special feast of our Ladies
departure, which they might keep, though they beleeued not her Assumption in body (wherof yet S.
Denys giueth so great testimonie) being assured she is departed at the least: except they either hate
her, or thinke her worthy of lesse remembrance then any other Saint, **herself prophecying the
contrarie of al Catholike Generations, that they should blesse her. And indeed the Assumption is her
proper day, as also the feast of her Natiuitie: the other of the Purification and the Annunciation,
which they keep in England, being not so peculiar to her, but belonging rather to Christes
Presentation in the Temple, and his Conception.
* See the Annot. Act. 1. v. 14.
** ep. ad Timoth. Luc. 1. v. 48.
See S. Grego. li. 7. ep. 29. of Martyrs feasts al the yeare, & Masses in the same.
To conclude, we may see in S. Cyprian. ep. 34. Origen ho. 3. in diuers. Tertullian
de cor. mil. S. Gregorie Nazianzen de amore pauperum, the *Councel of Gangres, yea and
in the Councel of Nice it-self giuing order for Easter and the certaine celebrating therof, that
Christian Festiuities be holy, ancient, & to be obserued on prescript daies and times, and that this
is not Iudaical obseruation of daies as Aërius taught, for which he was condemned of Heresie, as **S.
Epiphanius witnesseth.
* Conc. Gang. c. 20.
** Epiph. Hær. 75.
S. Augustines words of Festiuities and holy-daies.
But of holy-daies *S. Augustin sheweth both the reason and his liking, in these memorable words. First
for the feasts belonging to our Lord, thus: We dedicate and consecrate the memorie of God's
benefits with solemnities, feasts, and certaine appointed daies, lest by tract of times there might
creep in ingrateful and vnkind obliuion. Of the festiuities of Martyrs thus: Christian
people celebrate the memories of Martyrs with religious solemnitie, both to moue themselues to
imitation of them, and that they may be partakers of their merits, and be holpen with their praiers.
Cont. Faust. li. 20. c. 21. And of al Saints daies, thus: Keep ye and celebrate with sobrietie
the Natiuities of Saints, that we may imitate them which haue gone before Vs, and they may reioyce
of vs which pray for vs. In Ps. 88. Conc. 2. in fine.
* Aug de Ciuit. Dei l. 10. c. 16.
Prescript fasting-daies.
And as is said of prescript daies of feasts, so the like is to be said *of fasts, which elswhere
we haue shewed to be of the Apostles ordinance.
* Hilar. proleg. in Psal. explan.
Epiph. hær. 75. & in fine. li. 3. cont. her.
Canonical houres.
And so also of the Ecclesiastical diuision of the yeare into Aduent, Septuagesme, &c. the week into so
many Feries, the day into Houres of prayers, as the Prime, Third, the Sixth, the None, &c. Wherof
see *S. Cyprian, who deriueth these things by the Scriptures from the Apostles also; and counteth these
things which the wicked Heretikes reproue, to be ful of mysterie.
* Cypri. de Orat. Do. nu. 15.
Reading of the Scriptures according to the time of the yeare.
Like vnto this also is it, that the holy Scriptures were so disposed of, and deuided, that certaine
peeces (as is alwaies obserued and practised vntil this day) should be read at one time, & others
at other times and seasons, throughout the yeare, according to the diuersitie of our Lordes actions
and benefits, or the Saints stories then recorded. Which the Puritane Caluinists also condemne of
Superstition, desiring to bring in hellish horrour and al disorder. See Conc. Carthag. 3. c. 47. and
pag. 259. of this booke.
24. By an allegorie.)
The Scriptures haue an allegorical sense beside the literal.
Here we learne that the holy Scriptures haue beside the litteral sense a deeper spiritual and
more principal meaning: which is not only to be taken of the holy words, but of the very facts
and Persons reported: both the speaches and the actions being significatiue ouer and aboue the
letter. Which pregnancie of manifold senses if S. Paul had not signified himself in certaine places,
the Heretikes had bene lesse wicked and presumptuous in condemning the holy Fathers allegorical
expositions almost wholy: who now shew themselues to be mere brutish and carnal men, hauing no
sense nor feeling of the profunditie of the Scriptures which our holy Fathers the Doctours of God's
Church saw.
31. Freedom.)
True Christian libertie.
He meaneth the meaneth the libertie and discharge from the old ceremonies, Sacraments, and the whole
bondage of the Law, and from the seruitude of sinne, and the Diuel, to such as obey him: but not
libertie to doe what euery man list, or to be vnder no obedience of spiritual or temporal lawes and
Gouerners: not a licence neuer to pray, fast, keep holy-day, or work-day, but when and how it
seemeth best to euery man's phantasie. Such a dissolute licentious state is farre from the true libertie
which Christ purchased for vs.