An exposition of the festiuall epistles and gospels vsed in our English liturgie together with a reason why the church did chuse the same / by Iohn Boys ... ; the first part from the feast of S. Andreuu the Apostle, to the purification of Blessed Mary the Virgin.

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Title
An exposition of the festiuall epistles and gospels vsed in our English liturgie together with a reason why the church did chuse the same / by Iohn Boys ... ; the first part from the feast of S. Andreuu the Apostle, to the purification of Blessed Mary the Virgin.
Author
Boys, John, 1571-1625.
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London :: Printed by Eduuard Griffin for William Aspley,
1615.
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Subject terms
Church of England -- Liturgy.
Bible -- Liturgical use.
Bible. -- N.T. -- Epistles -- Commentaries.
Bible. -- N.T. -- Gospels -- Commentaries.
Link to this Item
http://name.umdl.umich.edu/A16556.0001.001
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"An exposition of the festiuall epistles and gospels vsed in our English liturgie together with a reason why the church did chuse the same / by Iohn Boys ... ; the first part from the feast of S. Andreuu the Apostle, to the purification of Blessed Mary the Virgin." In the digital collection Early English Books Online. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A16556.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 6, 2024.

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The Epistle

ESAY 7.10

God spake once againe to Ahaz, saying, require a token of the Lord thy God, &c.

IN this Scripture two things are more chieflie con∣siderable; namely, the

  • goodnesse of God
    • particularly toward Ahaz King of Iuda, God spake againe to Ahaz, saying, aske a signe, &c.
    • generally toward all the house of Dauid, euen the whole Church, a Virgin shall conceine, &c.
  • wickednesse of Ahaz
    • Open g 1.1 vnthankfulnesse and h 1.2 in∣solent i 1.3 impiety, then said A∣haz, * 1.4 will aske none.
    • Secret k 1.5 hypocrisie, couering his contempt and Atheisme with a cloake of deuotion and duty, neither will I tempt the Lord.

God spake againe to Ahaz] In the daies of Ahaz the sonne of Iotham, the sonne of Vzziah King of Iudah (as wee read in the beginning of this present chapter) Rezm the King of Aram, and Peath the sonne of Re∣maliah King of Israel came vp and fought against Hie∣rusalem. Now God (as being a l 1.6 present helpe in troube) sent his Prophet Esay to comfort King Ahaz in this ex∣tremitie, saying vers. 4. Feare not, neither be faint hear∣ed for the two tailes of those smoing firebrands, for the furious wrath of Rezin, and of Remaliahs sonne. For al∣beit they determine to depose thee, and to dispose of thy Kingdome, purposing to set vp in thy throne the sonne of abeal. vers 6: Yet thus saith the Lord God, their counsell shall not stand, neither shall it bee: for the head of Aramis Damascus: and the head of Damascus

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is Rezin, and within threescore and fiue yeeres Ephraim shall be broken from being a people. m 1.7 As if he should say, these two kingdomes shall haue their limits, and their two Kings must be content with their owne greatnesse, they both aspire to the Crown, but I haue set them their bounds which they shall not passe. Beleeue my words and it shall goe well with you, but if ye will not beleeue, surely ye shall not bee established, vers. 9. And therefore that Ahaz and his people might giue credit to this pro∣mise, the Lord (saith our text) spake once more to A∣haz.

* 1.8 Where note Gods long suffering and patience to∣ward an Idolatious and a wicked King, o 1.9 who did not vp∣rightly in the sight of the Lord his God 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Dauid his fa∣ther but made his sonne goe thorow the fire after the a∣bominations of the Heathen, whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel, and offered, and burnt in∣cense in the high places, and on the hilles, and vnder euery greene tree. The Lord p 1.10 desired not the death of a sin∣ner but that he may turne from his euill waies and liue, speaking to him as heere to Ahaz, againe and againe; turne you, turne you, for why will ye die O yee house of Is∣rael? He doth inuite to mercie, not onely such as are godly men, according to the prayer of q 1.11 Dauid, Do well O Lord vnto those that be good and true of heart. But he maketh his Sunne to rise on the euill, and sendeth his raine on the iust and on the vniust, Matth. 5.45. Hee is not slacke faith r 1.12 Peter in comming to iudgement (as some men count s••••icknesse) but is patient toward vs, and would haue no man to perish, but would all men to come to repentance. Wherefore thou, whosoeuer thou bee which art in the s 1.13 gall of bitternesse, t 1.14 selling thy selfe to worke wickednesse, nay u 1.15 giuing thy selfe to wantonnesse to commit all vncleanenesse, euen with greedinesse. x 1.16 How dost thou thine thou shalt escape the iudgement of God? or despisest thou the riches of his boun∣tifulnesse, and patience, and long sufferance, not knowing

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that the goodnesse of God leadeth thee to repentance? The Lord spake to Ahaz againe, yet not onely for his sake, nor for the wicked alone: y 1.17 but rather to prouide for the weake which had some seeds of Godlinesse. For al∣beit they did offend the Lord very much in their di∣strust and Idolatrie: yet God as being the father of z 1.18 mercies, in wrath remembers mercy. Habac. 3.2. Com∣passion and forgiuenesse is in the Lord our God, albeit wee haue rebelled against him. Dan. 9.9.

Require a token of the Lord thy God] a 1.19 As if Esay should haue said. I perceiue you giue credit to my re∣port, entertaining my speech as the words of a meere man, and not as the word of God. Wherfore to demon∣strate that I come not in mine owne name, but from the Lord of Hosts, Aske a signe, b 1.20 not of Idols, or of strange gods vnable to helpe thee: but of thy God Aske a signe not of me, but of the Lord c 1.21 which onely doth won∣drous things. Aske of him, Ahaz, and thou shalt vn∣derstand that it is the Lord who speakes vnto thee. God for the confirmation of our faith d 1.22 addeth vnto his pro∣mises as proppes of our infirmitie, signes and tokens, which * 1.23 Augustine calles aptly visible words. And these signes are of two sorts, extraordinarie, whereof the Prophet in our present text, and that which was giuen to Hezekiah in the 38. chapter of this prophesie, vers. 7. Ordinarie, in daily vse, as Baptisme and the Lords Sup∣per, the which are signes and seales of Gods holy co∣uenant with vs. And wee must so ioyne faith vnto the word, that wee despise not the Sacraments which Al∣mighty God offereth as helps for the strengthening of of our faith. e 1.24 It is a true saying that Iesus Christ came into the world to saue sinners. And this saying ought by all meanes to bee receiued and one chiefe meane is the ministration of the Sacraments: and therefore the fran∣tick spirits in our time who make no reckoning of Bap∣tisme, nor of the blessed Eucharist, but esteeme them abces onely for little children, are worthily censured by

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reuerend f 1.25 Caluin to separate those things which God hath ioyned together.

Whether it be toward the depth beneath, or toward the height aboue] The Prophet prescribes not what token Ahaz should aske, g 1.26 lest happily the truth of the mira∣cle might be suspected: but hee leaueth it to the Kings owne free choice, whether hee will haue it toward the depth or height, h 1.27 that is in earth or heauen. Or it may be the word depth is of some deeper signification; i 1.28 as if Esay should say, God will openly shew thee that his do∣minion is farre aboue all the world; yea that it reacheth euen from the heauen of heauens, to the very depth of depthes, insomuch as hee can at his good pleasure fetch Angels out of heauen, and also rae the very dead out of their graues, k 1.29 Here then obserue Gods omnipo∣tencie, who can doe whatsoeuer hee will in heauen and in earth, and in the sea, and in all deepe places, Psal. 135.6. l 1.30 O God the great and mighty, great in Counsell, and mighty in wore. Behold thou hast made the heauen, and the earth, by thy great power and stretched out arme, and there is nothing hard vnto thee. This doctrine is comfortable to the godly, who m 1.31 dwell vnder the de∣fence of the most high, and abide vnder the shadow of his wings, hauing his spirit for their guide, and his An∣gels for their guard. But it is very terrible to the wic∣ked, in that all the creatures in heauen, in earth, and vn∣der earth attend the Lord of Hosts, euenmore readie to fight against such as fight against him.

I will require none This argueth his n 1.32 pride, rather then humblenesse. Or as o 1.33 other, his trust in the strength of the King of p 1.34 Ashor, rather then his affiance in the King of Kings. And yet hee colours his foule contempt q 1.35 hypocritically with a faire pretence, saying▪ I will not tempt the Lord, alluding doubtlesse to the text, Deut. 6.16. ye shall not tempt the Lord your God. He forgate the words in the some chapter a little before, yee shall not walke after other gods, &c. and only wrested that clause

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which he thought would fit his turne, wrest I say, for to require a signe when God inuiteth and inioyneth vs, is not to tempt the Lord; but to trust and obey, which is r 1.36 better then sacrifice. Gedeon is commended for asking signes of the Lord, Iudges 6. the Pharities on the con∣trary condemned euen by s 1.37 Christ himselfe, the wicked generation and adulterous seeketh a signe: now the rea∣son hereof is exceeding plaine, their actions differed in their t 1.38 endes: for whereas Gedeon asketh a signe to bee confirmed in Gods promise; the Pharisies required mi∣racles of Christ out of curiositie to betray, rather then to be taught of him: in this acceptable time of grace we need not aske for new miracles, it is sufficient to beleeue those which are recorded in holy Bible. The blessed Sacraments are Gods ordinary signes appointed in his word for the strengthening of our faith▪ hee that refuseth them as a superfluous helpe commits the sinne of Ahaz, he that vseth them according to Christs ordi∣nance, spiritually receiues Christ himselfe, as u 1.39 Duran∣dss pithily, verbum andimus, motum sentimus, modum nescimus, praesentiam credimus.

Heare ye now O house of Dauid] For as much as it was an intollerable wickednes to shut the gates against the might and mercies of God vnder colour of honesty and modesty; the Prophet is iustly displeased, and sharpely rebukes these painted x 1.40 sepulchres▪ and saith, heare ye now O house of Dauid, &c. for albeit it was an honour for them to be held the race of Dauid (if they had wal∣ked in the steps of Dauid) y 1.41 yet notwithstanding he now cals them house of Dauid rather by way of reproach then otherwise. And in very deed the contempt and vn∣thankfulnes in refusing a signe was so much the more hainous, because this fauour was reiected by that house, out of which the saluation of the whole world should come. Note then here the Prophets order and exquisite method in teaching: first he begins with doctrine, take heed, be still, and feare not, &c. then he proceeds to the

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confirmation of his doctrine, 〈…〉〈…〉 a token of the Lord thy God, &c. 〈…〉〈…〉 when he saw 〈◊〉〈◊〉 both his offered sayings and signes vnto King Ahaz were fruitlesse, hee comes to reproofe, grievously ••••ding this obstinate man; and o him lone, but also all the royall house defiled with this impietie: we must in our ministry take the lke course: first beginning with doctrine, then pro∣ceeding to confirmation, and when these two faile, we must (as our Prophet speakes * 1.42 elsewhere) lift our voice like a trumpet, sewing Gods people their transgressions, and to the house of Iacob their sinnes, after proofe wee must (as Esay here) come to reproofe 〈◊〉〈◊〉 lachri∣mae laudes tuae sint, as * 1.43 Hierome doth aduise Nepotian, for saith he, melius est ex duobus imperfectis rusticitatem sanitam habere, quàm eloquentiam peccatricem, and b 1.44 Martin Luther that sonne of thunder was wont to say, cortes meus esse potest durior, sed nucleus mollis & dulcis est.

Is it not enough for you that ye be grieuous vnto men, but ye must grieue my God also?] c 1.45 He doth vse compari∣sons between God and men, not as if the Prophets could in deed be separated from God, for they be nothing else but his instruments, hauing one common cause with him as long as they discharge their duties, accor∣ding to that of Christ, Luke 10.16. He that heareth you, heareth me: and he that despiseth you despiseth me: the Prophet then shapes his speech according to the wic∣ked opinion of Ahaz. and his followers, imagining that they had to doe with men only, as if hee should say, though I am a mortall man as you conceiue, yet in re∣iecting the signe which is offered vnto you, yee greiue God himselfe, for asmuch as the Lord speakes in mee: 〈…〉〈…〉 * 1.46 Luther is our comfort and credite, that in de∣〈◊〉〈◊〉 Gods errand, our tongue is Gods tongue, and our 〈…〉〈…〉 Gods voice, e 1.47 hee therefore that despiseth our preaching, despiseth not men▪ but God; as the Lord said to * 1.48 〈◊〉〈◊〉, they haue not reiected thee, but they haue

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reiected mee, that I should not raigne ouer them: and this ought to moue the Prophets and preachers of the word, g 1.49 that a wrong done to them in executing their holy sunction is an iniury done to God himselfe, and they must grieue not so much in respect of their owne isho∣nour, as for that God is grieued, according to that of h 1.50 Dauid, mine eyes gush ou with water, because men keepe not thy law: it is well obserued, that whereas Esay said before whilest Ahaz rebellion and ingratitude was hidden, aske a signe of the Lord thy God: he now takes this honour to himselfe, saying my God, not thy God, in∣sinuating that God is on his side, and not with these wicked hypocrites; and so testifies with what a confi∣dence and conscience hee promised deliuerance to the King, as if he should haue said, I came not of my selfe but I was sent of the Lord, and haue told thee nothing but out of the mouth of my God, all preachers of the word should haue the same boldnes, not in appearance only: but effectually rooted in their hearts: as i 1.51 Luther excellently, Summa summarum haec est inestimabilis glo∣ria conscientiae nostrae contra omnem contemptum in mun∣do, quod Christus nos praedicatores plane deos creat, dicen∣do qui vos recipit, me patrem{que} meum recipit.

Therefore the Lord shall giue you a signe, behold a vir∣gine All orthodoxal interpretours aswel ancient as mo∣derne construe this of Christs admirable natiuity, here∣in being taught by the spirit of truth, in the 1. Chapter of Saint Matthews Gospell at the 22. verse, all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the Prophet, saying, behold a virgine shall con∣ceiue, &c. I know the Iewes haue many cauils against this exposition he that desires to know them, as also the Christians answere to them: at his opportune leisure may read the Commentaries of Hierom and Caluin vp∣on this text, of Aretius, Marlorat, Mldonat, in Mat. 1.22. Pet. Galatinus de arcanis cat. verit lib. 3. cap. 18. & lib. 7 cap. 15. Suarez in 3. Thomae disput. 5. sect. 2.

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That which here troubleth interpretours most, is how this token is a confirmation of Gods promise to King Ahaz: examine the circumstances of the place say the Iewes, Hierusalem is besieged, and the Prophet is to giue them a signe of their deliuerance; to what end then is the Messias of the world promised now, who should be borne fiue hundred yeares after? answere is is made by k 1.52 some that the coherence may be thus, O A∣haz, thou art exceedingly deceiued in thinking that God is not able to deliuer thee from the furious wrath of Rezin, and of Remaliahs sonne; for hee will in time to come shew greater arguments of his power vnto thy succeeding posterity, for behold a virgine shall con∣ceiue and beare a sonne, who shall deliuer his people from more dangerous enemies then the two tailes of these smoaking firebrands; he will in the fulnes of time send a Sauiour to deliuer vs l 1.53 from all that hate vs, euen our spirituall enemies, as sinne, death and the deuill: he shall be called Emmanuel, m 1.54 which is by interpretation God with vs, not God against vs, but with vs and for vs, as Musculus vpon the words of Saint Matthew, non siue nobis, non contra nos, sed nobiscum & pro nobis.

n 1.55 Other obserue that it is the custome of the Prophets in confirming the particular promises of God, euermor to lay this foundation that he will send his sonne the re∣deemer. By this generall prop the Lord euery where ra∣tifies that which he specially promiseth vnto his chil∣dren, according to that of o 1.56 Paul, an Christ all the promi∣ses of God are yea and amen: that is, p 1.57 categoricall and true, q 1.58 complete and implete, and assuredly whosoeuer expects help and succour from God, must also be per∣swaded of his fatherly loue: but how should hee be fa∣uourable without Christ, in r 1.59 whom he hath adopted vs his sonnes, and s 1.60 heires before the foundation of the world? so louing vs that hee hath giuen his only begot∣ten sonne to t 1.61 dewell among vs, and to be God with vs, and when his houre was come to u 1.62 dye for our sinnes,

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and to rise againe for our iustification: so that vpon these premises we need not at any time doubt of Gods holy promises, but infalliblely conclude with the blessed A∣postle Rom. 8.32. If God spared not his owne sonne, but gaue him for vs all to death, how shall he not with him giue vs all things also?

x 1.63 Other hold this signe most agreeable to the present occasion of Iudahs promised deliuerance, because the Patriarke y 1.64 Iacob had prophesied, that the scepter should not depart from Iuda, nor a law giuer from betweene his feet vntill Shilo come: as if Esay should thus argue with Ahaz, the Messias of the world is to bee borne of the tribe of Iudah, and of the linage of Dauid, it is impossi∣ble therefore that either Rezin or Pekah, or any other prince whatsoeuer should rent thy Kingdome from the successours of Dauid, vntill a virgine conceiue and beare a sonne, who shall bee called Emmanuel. It is reported Mat. 2. that the wise men enquired after the birth of Christ, in the dayes of Herod the King, wherein they shewed themselues to bee wisemen in deed, obseruing their right z 1.65 quando, because now the scepter had depar∣ted from Iudah, and was in the hands of Herod an alien and a tyrant crept in by the Romane Emperour: this then is a fit and a full signe to confirme Gods promise touching Iudahs deliuerance from the furious wrath of Rezin and of Remaliahs sonne. For there be two kindes of signes, vnum prognosticum, alterum remoratiuum, as a 1.66 Petrus Galatinus in his examination of this text aptly distinguisheth: one which is a prognostication of an euent to come, so b 1.67 Gedeons fleece was a signe to him of a future victory, another which is a memoriall of a thing past, so the Lord said vnto Moses Exod. 3.12. This shall be a token vnto thee, that I haue sent thee, after thou hast brought the people out of Egypt, yee shall serue God vpon this mountaine: now the signe mentioned here was a rememoratiue, not a prognosticke. Ahaz saw not this token, but his posterity might say with c 1.68 Dauid, as wee

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haue heard, so haue wee seene in the city of the Lord of Hosts, in the city of our God: God vpholdeth it for euer. And heere the fathers d 1.69 obserue that Christs admirable natiuity was a signe both in the depth beneath, and in the height aboue. For in being a man, eating butter and honis, nourished after the same manner that other chil∣dren are, he was a signe on earth: and in being Emma∣nuel, conceiued of a Virgin without the seed of man, hee was a signe from heauen. Thus as you see this token is accommodum, aptly fitted to the present occasion of the Prophet, I proceed now to shew that it is also commo∣dum, as profitable for vs as it is pertinent for Hierusa∣lem.

A Virgin shall conceiue] That is, e 1.70 the Virgin, or that Virgin, for the Hebrew particle added in the text ori∣ginall, and the Greeke article - prefixed by the Septua∣gint interpretors are both emphaticall, and import so much as this excellent Virgine. So the fathers vseth to speake, f 1.71 Quis vnquam, aut quo seculo ausus est proferre nomen S. Maria, & interrogatus non siatim intulit vir∣ginis vocem? In what age did any man name the blessed Mary without adding her surname Virgin. Nay the blessed Apostles in their Creed haue taught vs so to be∣leeue, borne of the Virgine Marie. For she was a g 1.72 per∣petuall Virgine: h 1.73 ante partum in part. post partum. All which is concluded, at the least included in our present text. A Virgin before she conceiued, and when she con∣ceiued her sonne our Sauiour, as we defend against vn∣beleeuing Iewes and Gentiles; and against misbeleeuing hererickes also; namely, the Cerinthians, Ebionites, Car∣pocratians, holding that Christ was the naturall sonne of Ioseph, & verus & mer us home, contrary to the words of our Prophet here, behold a Virgin shall conceiue. i 1.74 The Lord hath made a faithful oath vnto David, and he shal not shrinke from it, Of the fruit of thy belly shall I set vp∣on thy seat. Where the k 1.75 Doctors note, that he saith ac∣cording to the Hebrew, de fruitu ventris, and not de

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fructu femoris, aut renum, because the promised seed is the seed of the woman, Gen. 3.15. made of a woman, Gal. 4.4. hauing the materials of his body from Mary, but his formale principium, of the holy Ghost agent in his admirable conception, as it is in the Gospell allotted for this day, the holy Ghost shall come vpon thee, and the power of the most high shall ouershadow thee. See Gospell on the Sunday after Christmas.

2. We say that Mary was a Virgin in her childbirth, against Iouinian, and Durandus, according to the tenor of our text, A Virgin shall conceiue and beare a sonne. The which is not to be construed, in l 1.76 sensu diuiso, sed in sensu composito: to wit, a Virgin shall conceiue, and continuing a Virgin shall bring forth her child, m 1.77 gra∣nida sed non granata. So runnes our Creed, borne of the Virgin. For otherwise what wonder had it beene that one who sometime was a Virgin, should afterward knowing a man, haue a sonne. Consule S. Irenae. lib. 3. cap. 18.21.24. Epiphan. haeres. 30. Circa sinem. n 1.78 Grego. Nyssen. orat. de sanct. Christi natiuitat. Basil. & Hie∣rom. in loc.

Partus & integritas discordes tempore longo. virginis in gremio foedera pacis habent.

3. Mary was a Virgin after the birth of Christ, as the Church hath euer taught against o 1.79 Heluidians, and p 1.80 An∣tidicomarianites. And some probable reason hereof also may be gathered out of this Scripture, thou shall call his name, &c. that is (as our Communion booke) thou his q 1.81 mother. Or as our new translation hath it, A Virgin shall conceiue and beare a son, and shall call his name, &c. For (as r 1.82 Caluin notes) the verbe is of the feminine gen∣der among the Hebrewes, which occasioned happily the translators of Geneua to reade, she shall call his name. Now the naming of children is an office properly be∣longing to fathers, and not to mothers. In that there∣fore this charge was wholly referred and transferred to Mary: wee may note that Christ was so conceiued of

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his mother, as that hee had no father on earth; as also that Ioseph affianced to Mary, was rather an helpe then an absolute head, a wedded, but not a bedded husband. I say not a bedded husband after the birth of Christ, as Hierome notablie proues in a tract of this argument, against Heluidius. And for the strengthening of this reuerent opinion, I finde a tradition entertained by the most ancient Doctors, s 1.83 Origine, t 1.84 Basile, u 1.85 Theophy∣last, and x 1.86 other, that whereas the married women had one seuerall in the Temple for their deuotions, and the Virgins another: Mary not onely before, but after the birth of her sonne also did vsually troupe with the mai∣dens, and not with the married, y 1.87 liuing and dying a Vir∣gin. This Epistle then is all one with the Gospell, Esay and Gabriel are messengers of the same errand; for that which Esay speakes of Mary, Gabriel speakes vnto Ma∣ry; Thou shalt conceiue in thy wombe, and beare a sonne, and shall call his name Iesus. And they both are so fit for the present feast, that he who runs and reades, may see the reason why the Church allotted them for this day.

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