Marginalia1555. Nouember.for other matters that I haue here nowe to saye, but I shall note vnto you such thinges as I may, and fyrst of the diuersity of opinions concerning CHRIST, which were among the people variable: but among his, that is the disciples of Christes schole, there was no varietye, they agreed altogether in one truth, and among them was no variety. For whē Peter had for all the rest, and in the name of al the rest made his aunswer that CHRIST was the sonne of God, they all with one consent confessed that he had spoken the truth.MarginaliaDiuers iudgemēts of Christ. Yet these opinions of CHRIST that the people had of him, though they were sundry, yet were they honorable & not sclaūderous: for to say that CHRIST was Elie and Iohn the Baptist, was honorable. For some thought him so to be because hee dyd frankly, sharply, and openly rebuke vice. They that called him Ieremy, had also an honorable opinon of him, and thought him so to be because of his great learnyng which they perceiued in him, and marueiled where hee had it. And they that sayd he was some of the Prophets, had an honorable opinion of him, and fauoured him and thought well of him.

[Back to Top]

But there was an other sort of people, that spake euill of hym, and sclaundered him, and rayled on hym, saying that he was a glotton, and a drinker of wyne, that hee had a deuill in him, that he was a deceauer of the people, that he was a Carpenters sonne, as though he were the worse for his fathers craft. But of these he asked no questiō: for among these none agreed with þ^e other. Wherin ye shall note that man of his owne power and strength can nothing doe, nor nothing that good is he can do of his own inuention or deuise, but erreth and faileth whē he is left to hys own inuention, he erreth in his imagination. MarginaliaMan can do nothinge of himselfe.So proud is man, and so stout of his owne courage, that he deuiseth nothing wel when soeuer he is left to him selfe, without God, and then neuer doe any such agree in any truth, but wander and erre in all that they do. MarginaliaDisagreement amongst men of law.As men of law, if they be asked their opinion in any poynt touching the law, ye shall not haue two of them agree in opinion in any point touching the law, ye shall not haue two of them agree in opinion one wyth the other. If there be two of three of them asked their opiniō in any matter, if they should aunswer all one thyng, they feare lest they should bee supposed and thought to haue no learning. Therefore be they neuer so many of them, they wyll not agree in their aunsweres, but deuise ech man a sundry aunswer in any thing that they are asked.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaDisagreemēt among Philosophers.The Philosophers that were not of CHRISTES schole, erred euery one in theyr vayne opinions, and no one of them agreeth with the other.

MarginaliaDisagreemēt among simple people.Yea, men of simplicitie, though they meane well, yet beyng out of CHRISTES schole, they agree not, but vary in their opinions: As these simple people here spoken of, because they were not perfect disciples of CHRISTES schole, they varied & agreed not in their opinion of CHRIST, though they thought well of him. Some sayd he was Iohn, some Elie, some Ieremie, but none made the right aunswere. He that aūswered here, was Symon the sonne of Ionas, and he sayd: Thou art CHRIST the sonne of the lyuing God.

[Back to Top]

Where ye shall note the properties that were in Peter. He was called Symon, which is obedience,MarginaliaSimon signifieth obedience. and Ionas is a doue,MarginaliaIonas signifieth a doue. so that in him that is of CHRISTES schole, must be these two properties, MarginaliaObediēce.obedience and MarginaliaSimplicitie.simplicitie. He must be humble and innocēt as a doue that will be of CHRISTES schole. Pryde is a let of CHRISTES schole, for as þ^e wise mā sayth: God resisteth the proud, & giueth grace vnto the humble and meeke. And accordyng to the same, doth CHRIST in the Gospell say: O father, I confesse vnto thee, that is: I laude and magnifie thee, for that thou hast hidden these thynges from the wise, and hast opened them vnto the litle ones. Wherupon sayth S. Augustine, that the giftes of learnyng and knowledge of sciences, are no let to CHRISTES schole, but a furtherance therunto if they be well applied and vsed as they ought to be: MarginaliaLearning without humilitie neuer findeth Christes schole.but he that is proude, and fedeth him selfe with his owne conceate and opinion of him selfe and abuseth the giftes of God, applying hys learning and knowledge to the satisfying and folowyng of his owne fantasie, is no right Disciple of CHRIST, but falleth into errour. Dicentes se sapientes esse, stulti facti sunt:  

Whē they sayd and affirmed them selues to be wise, they were made fooles.

[Back to Top]

The Philosophers had euery one a sect of his owne, and had many gay sentences for the commendation of their opinions, and euery man thought his owne opinion to be best: but because they applied all to their owne pride & glory, and not to the honour of God, nor hum-

bed thē selues as they ought to haue done, but folowed their owne fansie, they erred and fell out of the way, and were not of CHRISTES schole: and all that haue gone out of CHRISTES schole, pride hath brought them out of it, and such as haue not entred, haue kept themselues out of it with pride likewise: MarginaliaHumilitie the Porter of Christes schole.therfore all such as wilbe scholers of CHRITSTES schole and discipline, must be humble and meeke: otherwise, Dicentes se sapientes esse, stulti facti sunt.

[Back to Top]

Hee that can not learne this lesson of Peter, and hūbly cōfesse with Peter that CHRIST is the sonne of the liuyng God, is no scholer of CHRISTES schole, be he otherwise neuer so well learned, neuer so well sene in other sciences. But now cōcernyng the aunswere of Peter, Mathew here in this place sayth: he aūswered: Tu es Christus filius Dei viui.  

S. Luke sayth, he aunswered: Tu es Christus Dei.  

Latin/Greek Translations     Close

St. Matthew, 16. & other Gospels

Foxe text Latin

Tu es Christo filius Dei viui [Matthew] ... Tu es Christus Dei [Luke] ... Tu est Christus [Mark]

Foxe text translation

Not translated.

Translation (Wade 2003)

You are the Christ the son of the living God ... You are the Christ of God ... You are the Christ

[The Matthew citation is repeated on page 1954, column 1, line 80]

Actual text of St. Matthew, 16. 16. (Vulgate)

tu es Christus Filius Dei vivi.

And S. Marke sayth, he aūswered: Tu es Christus.  

Latin/Greek Translations     Close

St. Matthew, 16. & other Gospels

Foxe text Latin

Tu es Christo filius Dei viui [Matthew] ... Tu es Christus Dei [Luke] ... Tu est Christus [Mark]

Foxe text translation

Not translated.

Translation (Wade 2003)

You are the Christ the son of the living God ... You are the Christ of God ... You are the Christ

[The Matthew citation is repeated on page 1954, column 1, line 80]

Actual text of St. Matthew, 16. 16. (Vulgate)

tu es Christus Filius Dei vivi.

But in all that is no varietie: for to say Christus filius Dei viui, and to say Christus Dei, and to say Christus, is in effect all one, and no diuersitie in it, for Christus alone is the whole, and he that confesseth throughly CHRIST, is throughly a Christen man, and doth therein confesse him to be the Lord and Sauiour of the world. But now we must consider what CHRIST is. CHRIST was sent to be our Messias, our Sauiour: he was sent to be our Byshop and also our sacrifice: he was sent from the Trinitie to be our mediatour betwen God and vs, and to reconcile vs to the fauour of God the Father: he was the Byshop that offred for our sinnes, and the sacrifice that was offred, MarginaliaThe office of Christ declared.and as he is our Byshop, so is he our meane to pacifie God for vs, for that was the office of a Bishop to sacrifice for the sinnes of the people, and to make intercession for the people, and as he was our sacrifice, so was he our reconciliation to God agayne.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaTo beleue Christ thorowly.But we must confesse and beleue him throughly I say, for as he was our Byshop then, so is it he that still keepeth vs in fauour with God, and like as his sacrifice thē made was sufficient for vs to deliuer vs from our sinnes and to bryng vs in fauour with God, so to continue vs in the same fauour of God,MarginaliaNote here Winchester: The Sacrament was ordeined to kepe vs in þ^e perpetuall fauour of God. he ordeined a perpetuall remembraunce of him selfe, he ordeined him selfe for a memory of him selfe at his last Supper when he instituted the Sacrament of the altar, not for an other redemption, as though the world neded a new redēption from sinne, but that we might throughly remember hys most holy passion he instituted this Sacrament by his most holy word, saying: This is my body, which worde, is sufficient to proue the Sacrament, and maketh sufficiētly for the substaunce therof. And this dayly sacrificeMarginaliaWinchesters dayly sacrifice. he instituted to be continued amongest Christen men, not for nede of an other redēption or satisfaction for the sinnes of the world, for that was sufficiētly perfourmed by his sacrifice of his body and bloud done vpon the Crosse: neither that he is now our Byshop for neede of any farther sacrifice to bee made for sinne, but to *Marginalia* Note here Winchester contrary to him self: for before he sayd the Sacrament was ordeined to kepe vs in the fauour of God, & now he sayth it is to kepe vs in remembrance of his passion. continue vs in the remembraūce of his passion suffred for vs, to make vs strong in beleuyng the fruite of his passion, to make vs diligent in thankesgeuyng for the benefite of his passion, to establish our faith and to make it strong in acknowledgyng the efficacie of his death and passion suffred for vs. And this is the true vnderstandyng of the Masse, not for an other redemption, but that we may be strong in beleuyng the benefite of CHRISTES death and bloud shedyng for vs vpon the Crosse. And this it is that we must beleue of CHRIST, and beleue it throughly, and therfore by your pacience, as Peter made his confession, so wil I make cōfession, wherin by your Maiesties leaue and sufferaunce. I will playnly declare MarginaliaWhat Winchester thinketh of the church of England.what I thinke of the state of the Church of England at this day, how I like it, and what I thinke of it.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaWhat Winchester thinketh of the Masse.Where I sayd of the Masse, that it was a sacrifice ordeined to make vs the more strong in the fayth and remēbraunce of CHRISTES passion, & for cōmendyng vnto God þ^e soules of such as be dead in CHRIST (for these two thinges are the speciall causes why þ^e Masse was instituted) the Parlamēt very wel ordeined Masse to be kept, and because we should be the more strōg in the faith and deuocion towardes God, it was well done of the Parlament, for mouyng the people more and more with deuotion, to ordeine that this Sacrament should be receyued in both kyndes. MarginaliaWinchester alloweth the Sacrament in both kindes.Therfore I say that the Act of Parliament for receauyng of the Sacrament of the altar in both kyndes, was well made.

[Back to Top]

I say also that the proclamation which was made that no man should vnreuerently speake of the Sacra-