Daily Sermons Upon Jonah, Dedication 2
❧To the right worſhipfull and godlie Lady, the Lady Vrſula Walſingham, Wyfe to the ryght honorable Syr Fraunces Walſingham Knight, chiefe Secretarie to the Queenes excellent Maieſtie, and of her Graces moſt honorable priuie Counſayle, N. B. Miniſter of Chriſtes Goſpell in the Towne of Ridborne, wyſheth bleſſed lyfe, with increaſe of true Godlineſſe in Chriſt Ieſu.
HAuing finiſhed theſe collections of Augustin Marlorat, that reuerend Diuine vponupon the two laſt Epiſtles of S. Iohn, I hauehave attempted right Venerable Ladie, (according to my purpoſe, when I firſt tooke them in hande, though not greatlie knowne vntounto you) to publish them in your name: being perſwaded that they wyll ſo much the ſooner of the godlie be read and wel liked, as they shalbe accepted of you, whoſe vertuous life deſerueth no leſſe commendations in this your countrey, then did that Ladies life to whome the Apoſtle directed theſe Epiſtles. The volume I confeſſe is not great, but the matter therein contained is delectable,Eraſ. lib. 4 Aroth. Aelian lib var. Hiſt. and not diſagreeable to your Ladishippes ſtate and profeſsion. Liſander king of Sparta tooke in good part the ſelie wrytings of the poore Poet Antilochus, hauing no better preſent to geue: Auguſtus Caeſar gratfullie receyued the Greeke verſes which a poore ſcholler of Greece gaue him. Artaxerxes thankfullie, and with great curteſie tooke a handful of water which a poore ſubiect of his, Sinaetes by name, gaue vntounto him hauing none abilitie to geue any greater gifte. Alfonſus king of Arragon, louinglie embraced as a great iuell, a ſmall booke of the Decades of Liuie, geuē to him by Coſmus the Phiſition. Ludouicus the Emperour ioyfully imbraced the bookes of Dioniſius the Areopagit, which he wrote de Hierarchia: May it pleaſe you therfore right vertuous Ladie to accept alſo, theſe two Epiſtles of S. Iohn, being expoū ded by Caluin and others, and brought into one booke by Marlorat: Sigeber.and geuen vntounto you by me, not being ſuch a gift as I would, but as preſētly I could preſent vntounto your Ladiship: & to defend the ſame frō the venemous darts of ſclāderous tōgues which are more readie to carpe then to correct, more prone to find fault with other mens works, then either to amend them, or to publish any thing of theirs. VVherein (Madam) you shall immitate the beſt ſort of men in humanitie, and nothing degenerate from Gentilitie. And as it ſeeketh to be shrowded vnderunder your name, ſo vouchſafe to harbor, and shielde it. Conſider that, a ſimple Sparowe ſometime, to auoyde the griping talents of a tirannous Sparhauke, purſuing her, fledde for ſuccour vntounto the boſome of Artaxerxes king of Perſea, being in campe, where she laye panting for feare of death, and wearineſſe of flight, vntounto whome the King ſayde: As I wyl defende thee, thou lyttle ſparrowe from death, becauſe thou flyeſt to me for ſuccor, ſo wyll I do to thoſe that repoſe them ſelues vppon me. The lyke fauor, good Ladie, if this my booke maie finde at your handes, I hauehave the thing in this caſe that I deſire: And I aſſure your Ladishippe that, Cum meliores nanciſcantur Aues: VVhen more precious byrds be hatched, as ſayd Zenod: I wyll not (God wylling) forgette that you diſdayned not to grace ſo ſmall a Pamphlet as this. God the fountaine of all goodneſſe, graunt vntounto your Ladishippe continuall louelove to the Goſpell, with perfect faith in Chriſt Ieſu. From Ridborne this .26. of March. 1578.
¶Your Ladyſhips in the Lorde Chriſt. Nath. Baxterus.
¶A Catholike and Eccleſiaſticall expoſition vponupon the two laſt Epiſtles of Iohn. Collected out of the workes of the beſt Writers by Auguſtin Marlorat, that excellent Diuine.
The Argument.
ALthough this ſecond Epiſtle be called the Epiſtle of Iohn, Marlorat,although of the Author thereof,Imlerus there were no doubt (for that it doth immediatlie folow that Epistle which no mā doubteth to be the Epistle of Iohn the Euangelist.) Many of the Interpreters notwithſtanding make a doubt therof, ſome alſo flatlie denie that they came both from one, & the ſelfe ſame author: but ſaie that this Epiſtle is a ſacred monument of ſome one godlie man, a faithful diſpenſor of the word, which would not that the Talet cōmitted vntounto him frō Chriſt that chiefe King, being wrapped in a cloute, shoulde be committed to the earth or hidden in the grounde, but rather tranſferred to the monie chaungers: which opinion trulie ſeemeth probable inough.Marlorat.
Others woulde hauehave one Iohn a certaine Elder to be the author of this Epistle, becauſe in the title or inſcription of the Epistle, he calleth him ſelfe not an Apostle, but a ſenior or elder. Otherſome againe hauehave affirmed not this alone, but alſo that folowing, which is entituled the thirde Epistle of Iohn, to be written by Iohn the Euangeliſt, that beloued diſciple of Chriſt and Apoſtle, and not without probable coniecture. For they ſeeme like to the first,Pelicanus which is the Epistle of Iohn the Euangelist, both in words, and aſſertion of faith and charitie againſt the heretikes,Marlorat. Imlerus. although we dare not auouch any certaintie of this matter. Trulie the wordes of the Epistle plentifullie declare, that to this man, who ſo he was, not one talent, but rather tenne talentes by God almightie were committed. For after ſuch a ſort ſetteth he forth faith vntounto vsus, and commendeth charitie, as with greater ſtudie and profite he coulde not hauehave done.
He wrote vntounto a certaine Ladie, who by her proper name, as many thinke,Oecumenius. was called Electa. Oecu. For when he ſawe her ſonnes rightly walke in the fayth, and alſo many deceyuers to wander about, and denye Chriſt to be come in the fleshe, he woulde write this Epiſtle: wherein firſt he commendeth her ſonnes, becauſe they walke in the trueth of the Goſpel:Pelicanus Oecumi. Secondlie (teaching that the miſterie which wee hauehave, is not newe) he exhorteth vntounto louelove, Pel. affirming perfect fayth not to be without Charitie. Oecu. And that they may continue in the doctrine deliuered vntounto them, he conſequentlie affirmeth, him to be Antichriſte which denyeth Chriſt to become in the fleshe,Vitus Theod. V. and with a verie notable ſentence alſo, he admonisheth them that ſinne is to be flied, leaſt a man be depriued of the offered rewarde. Laſtly he exhorteth them to beware of the falſe Prophets, Oe. and commaundeth that no man take ſuche to houſe,Bullingerus. Vitus Th. Marlorat. Oecum. neither bid them, God ſpeede, but rather shun them as the moſt pernicious enemyes of Chriſt. In the ende he rendereth a reaſon, why in this Epiſtle he ſtudied to be briefe, euen becauſe he hopeth shortlie to ſpeake the rest, face to face, Oe. and ſo with a Christian ſalutation enterlaced, he concludeth or finisheth his Epistle.