The Marginal Notes of the Popish Testament Translated Into English, Book 14
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 hauehave 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 giuegive 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 giuegive them to men, be they neuer so holie? We are not against anie lawfull aduancement of saints, but against such as neither they can hauehave, 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, hauehave 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 vponupon him to be wiser then God, exalteth him selfe aboue God: he that will make his praiers to anie other then God taketh vponupon 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 prooued thus, the wisedome of God hath taught vsus to praie to our father in heauen, and not to anie other, what is it then to teach men to praie to others, but to controll that wisedome of God, that it hath not taught the wisest way to pray, and thus in that wherein you thought to shew his humilitie, you set foorth his intollerable pride.
…. Thess. 2. 11.
The text.
Therefore ⸫ God will send them the operation of error, to beleeue lieng, &c.
The note.
Deus mittet, saith Saint Augustine libro 20. de Ciu. cap. 19. quia Deus diabolum facere ista permittet. God will send bicause God will permit the diuell to do these things, whereby we may take a general rule, that Gods action or working in such things is his permission. See annot. Rom. 1. 24.
The answer.
Now Augustine must helpe you with a generall rule, & that expresselie both against the whole course of scripture, and also against his owne minde, if you meane by permission onlie permission, for he saith, who doeth not tremble at these horrible iudgements of God, by which he doth in the hearts of the wicked what he will, rendring to euerie man according to his merits. And againe he saith, it is out of doubt that God doeth worke in the mindes of men to encline their willes, either to good according to his merciemercy,De gratia & libero arbitrio cap. 21. or els to euill according to their deserts by his iudgement, sometimes open and sometimes secret, but alwaies iust. This I trowe is somewhat more then only permission, therefore you must racke some other for that generall rule, for Augustine will not yéeld it you: and it groweth out of a foolish nicenes, for men to be afraid to speake as the holie Ghost hath spoken afore them.
2. Thess. 2. 17.
The text.
And our Lord Iesus Christ him selfe, and God our Father which hath loued vsus, and hath giuen eternall consolation, and good hope in grace, ⸫ exhort your hearts, and confirme you in euerie good worke and word.
The note.
This word of exhorting implieth in it comfort and consolation, 2. Corinthes, 1. verse 4. and 6.
The answer.
Trueth doeth well, but neuer when it is intermedled with vntruthes. If this note were not defiled with the former, & these that follow, but had passed alone, then we would hauehave ioined with you.
2. Thess. 3. 6.
The text.
And we denounce vntounto you brethren, in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ, that you withdraw your selues from eueryevery brother walking inordinately, and not according to the ⸫ tradition which they hauehave receiued of vsus.
The note.
Here also (as is noted before 1. Thessalonians 2. 15.) the aduersaries in their translations auoid the word tradition being plaine in the Greeke, least them selues might seeme to be noted as men walking inordinatelie, and not according to Apostolicall tradition, as all Schismatikes, heretikes, and rebels to Gods church do.
The answer.
If corrupt vse had not in your times made tradition to bée commonlie taken of the people for a doctrine deliuered by word of mouth onlie, and neuer published in the holie Scriptures by writing contrarie to the sense and meaning of the Apostle, then had there not béene anie iust cause of auoiding the word. But you can not iustlie blame vsus, though we flie a word corrupted by you, and therefore dangerous to deceiue withall, and set downe for it some other worde, no lesse aptlie agréeing to the signification of the Gréeke word, and better with more plainnesse expressing vntounto the vnlearned the minde and meaning of the Apostle in that place. But bicause you charge other men with inordinate walking, contrarie to the traditions Apostolicall, answer for your selues,Libr. 2. cap. 2. and yeeld vsus reason if you can, whie you breake those which you call the Apostles constitutions?Libr. 1. cap. 6. why do you not commonlie and ordinarilie choose married men to be Bishops? why hauehave you kept the common people from reading the scriptures?Libr. 3. cap. 9. why suffer you women to baptize?Lib. 7. cap. 24. why fast you not continuallie on Wednesdaies?Libr. 8. cap. 2. whie doo ye exclude the people both from election and approbation of Bishops and priests? If these bée not the ordinances of the Apostles, why do ye abuse the world with alledging the authoritie of that booke for you? if they bée, with what face can you obiect to others, wherein you are most manifestlie faultie your selues?