Ptōchomuseion [sic]. = The poore mans librarie Rapsodiæ G.A. Bishop of Exceter vpon the first epistle of saint Peter, red publiquely in the cathedrall church of saint Paule, within the citye of London. 1560. Here are adioyned at the end of euery special treatie, certaine fruitful annotacions which may properly be called miscellanea, bicause they do entreate of diuerse and sundry matters, marked with the nombre and figures of Augrime. 2.

Responsio.

The scripture being misunderstanded of the kingdome of Christ de∣ceiued y^e Iewes. Also certaine new spirites ar deceiued, which at thys day dream of a certain security & corporall raigne of Christ, wher ther shall be continual peace, pleasure of y^e flesh & worldly tranquillity, in y^e which kingdome one nation shal not lift vp their sword against another nation, and swords shal be turned into coulters, and ther shall be one Shepheard and one fold, & ther shall raign a temporal peace. For this also the Iewes looke euen at this present time, that is, to haue the restitution of their kingdome, but in vaine, not vnderstanding that which Christ said in ex∣presse words before Pilate. Regnum meum non est de hoc mundo, My kingdome is not of this world. And being ignoraunt,* 1.1 how that the king∣dome

of Christ is a spirituall kingdome, and not a corporall or earthlye kingdōe.* 1.2 For God is a spirite, therfore his kingdome is spiritual. And like¦wise all things in this kingdome are spirituall. And therefore thys peace must be a spiritual peace,* 1.3 that is, the peace of the minde and conscience, and no external pleasure, but rather affliction. Ther shall be no feare of death, sinne, Sathan, or hel, but good wil, geuing of thankes, althoughe the elect be afflicted of the world, yet they shall haue a confidence in God, they shal not be disquieted, but rather shall bee glad, bicause they haue a crowne and a great reward layd vp in store for them in heauen. For Christ doth confirme them in these his wordes: In mundo afflictio∣nem habetis,* 1.4 in me pacem, confidite, ego vici mundum. In the world ye haue affliction, but in me peace, be of good comfort, for I haue ouercome the world. This is the peace and comfort of the godly, bicause they haue a louing father in heauen. The peace of the world is the securitye of the flesh, the concord of the wicked, and of the enemies of the truth, tempo∣ral ioyes, the fruite of the pleasures and delites of the world, such a peace he had which sayd:* 1.5 Anima, habes multa bona reposita in annos multos, requiesce, comede, bibe, gaude. O my soule, thou hast much goods laid vp in store for many yeres,* 1.6 take thy rest, eate, drinke, and reioyce. Suche a peace also had that rich gluttō in Luke, which was finely appareled, fed and fared alwayes delicately. This peace haue the children of this world, which in deede is no peace, hauing so much bitternes & cares mixt with it, it hath more gall then hony, being most ful of miseries, with the which this world aboundeth This peace Christ geueth not, but the worlde ta∣king it away againe when it listeth. This peace is very short and momen∣tainy, and scarce endureth any time. But the peace of Christ is perpetu∣al, it ceaseth not, it is neuer broken. Of this peace there shall be no ende. VVherfore Christ sayth in Iohn: Pacem meam do vobis, pacem meam relinquo vobis,* 1.7 non comodo mundus dat, ego do vobis. &c. I geue my peace vnto you, I leaue my peace with you, not as the world geueth, geue I it you.* 1.8 They that are endewed with my peace, haue strife w^t the world: for the flesh alwaies striueth against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh. Ismael doth alwaies persecute Isaac, and Esau, Iacob, and Cain, A∣bel.* 1.9 Ther is no fellowship of iustice with iniustice, ther is no communica¦ting of light with darkenes. Ther is no agrement betwixt Christ & Be∣lial Vvherfore Christ saith: I came not to send peace, but the sword, that is diuision.* 1.10 For I cam to deuide the father against the sonne, & the sonne aginst the father, and the daughter against the mother, and the mother against the daughter, the mother in law against her daughter in law, & ther shall be enmity betwixt them that be of one house. He that shall loue father or mother more then me, he is not woorthye of me. &c. The

same thing Simeō prophecied before, saying: Ecce hic positus est in rui∣nam et in resurrectionem multorum in Israel. Behold,* 1.11 he is set for a fal and a resurrection to many in Israel. Christ bringeth peace vnto the god¦ly, but vnto the wicked, trouble, for the wicked cannot abide the truth, they cannot suffer the iudgement of the spirite to condemne their iudge¦ments. Vvherfore being blinded, they sturre seditions to oppresse Christ. They prouoke others against the truth, least that the truth hauing the vpper hand they might be confoūded, but they nothing preuaile.* 1.12 Omnia quae loquit{ur}, popul{us} iste coniuratio est. Al y^t this people speaketh, is a cō∣spiracy. Fremunt & conueniunt aduersus Christum domini.* 1.13 They rage and come together against Christ, or the anoynted of the Lord. Non est prudentia & consilium aduersus dominum.* 1.14 There is no wysedome nor counsell can preuaile against the Lord. The Lorde disperseth a sonder their cogitacions and thoughtes, bicause they are vayne.* 1.15

Here we heare, that the sword is taken in hande of the peruers and froward dispisers of the truth: for the godly, louing peace, suffer iniury, they do not rayle, they sturre not seditions, they exhort vnto pacience. Contrarywise, the wicked freate and fume, they intende mischiefe and slaughter, they rayse tumultes, and persecute the godly, as I said before. Ismael doth persecute Isaac, and he which is borne after the flesh, doth persecute him y^t was borne after the spirit.* 1.16 Vvherupon the prophet saith Impii quasi mareferuens quod quiescere non potest, et redundant fluctus eius in conculcationem et lutum, non est pax impiis dicit dominus. The wicked are as a raging sea, which cannot be styll, whose waters cast vp mire and dirt. Ther is no peace (saith the Lord) to the wicked.* 1.17 Like¦wise Hierome saith: Non est pax vniuersae carni Ther is no peace to all flesh. To be short. Ther is no peace without Christ, but onely a shadowe (& as you would saye) a smoke of peace, which vanisheth away before a man can take any sure hold of it. And it may be wel called a peace, nomi∣ne, et non re, in name onely, and not in dede. The Christians onelye haue the true peace, yea in the very middle of tumults, of battle and afflicti∣on, they haue a quiet conscience, and are armed with the word of God a∣gainst sinne, death, Sathan, hel, and the world.* 1.18 They know that althings worke together vnto them for the best, they know, that to the cleane all thinges are cleane, that al thinges are subiect vnto them, that ther is no condemnation vnto thē which are in Christ Iesus They know, that they haue a father in heauen, louing and mercyful, who hath care ouer them, and nourisheth them, out of whose hands they cānot be taken away.* 1.19 And what nedeth many words? the faithfull onely acknowledge and glorifye God. This is the true peace, which the world cannot geue, nor take awai, onely God geueth this peace, which is apprehended and retained onely

by faith.* 1.20 Iustificati fide pacem habemus erga deum per dominum nostrū Iesum Christum. Being iustified by faith, we haue peace towarde God, through our Lord Iesus Christ. This peace the Christians do gladly com∣municate with others, they preach Christ, in whose bloud they promis re¦mission of sinnes, they embrace charity, they do not striue, they are not en¦uious, they worke deceit against no man. They lay aside all iniuries and wronges, they offend no man, they spoil no man, but rather they helpe al men, geuing of their own.

And this is to turne the swoord into coulters, to laye aside pride, en∣uye, and the malice of the minde, to helpe and succour the necessities of our brethren, to hurt no man, to hate strife, and to desire peace. If the Iewes had vnderstanden this peace, they woulde not haue dreamed of the carnall kingdome of Christe. VVherefore there is none other kingedome of Christe to be looked for vpon the earthe, for it is alrea∣dy begonne amonges vs by the preaching of the Gospel, bicause all nati∣ons are called vnto this kingdome, and we which haue receiued the first fruites of the spirite, are abiding in this kingdome through faith, hope, and charitye. In the ende of the world it shall be finished and declared, what we haue hoped for,* 1.21 and what we haue beleued. Then we shall be like vnto Christ, and we shall see him, as he is. Nunc videmus perspecu∣lum in aenigmate, tunc autem facie ad faciem. Now we see throughe a glasse darkely, but then shall we see face to face, that is, we shal haue the truth, not a shadow, we shal rayne truly and be glorified.

Therfore suche thinges as are spoken of the Prophetes concerninge the peace in the kingdome of Christ, are to be vnderstanded spirituallye. That peace is in the spirite and the mindes of the godly, and not a licen∣tious, fleshly and worldly tranquillity, as certain false Prophets dreame, who thincke that then ther shall be one pastour, and one fold according vnto their fond fantasie, faith engendereth that spirituall peace through the Gospell of Christ.

They that heare the Gospel and beleue, they haue that peace, of the which all the prophets so manifestly and often haue prophecied. That is called the peace of God,* 1.22 bicause god only geueth it, and christ came to ex∣hibite it vnto the world. But as for the other peace which is of the flesh, he came not to bring, but rather to dissolue, that we should be at discord and perpetual hatred with the world, that is, that we should not put any affiaunce in thinges transitory, but that we should haue peace and con∣cord with God onely through our Lord Iesus Christ. Vve shall be ryche inough in all goodnes, if we posses God, which is the authour and geuer of all goodnes.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Ioan. 28.
• * 1.2

  Iohn 4.
• * 1.3

  2. Cor. 3
• * 1.4

  Ioan. 16.
• * 1.5

  Luk. 12
• * 1.6

  Luk. 16.
• * 1.7

  Ioan. 14.
• * 1.8

  Gal 5.
• * 1.9

  2. Cor. 6
• * 1.10

  Luk. 12.
• * 1.11

  Luk. 2.
• * 1.12

  Esay. 8
• * 1.13

  psal. 2
• * 1.14

  Prouerb. 21
• * 1.15

  Luk. 1.
• * 1.16

  Gal. 4. Esay. 57.
• * 1.17

  Hierem. 12.
• * 1.18

  Rom. 8.
• * 1.19

  Iohn. 10.
• * 1.20

  Rom. 5.
• * 1.21

  1. Ioan. 3. 1. Cor. 13.
• * 1.22

  Philip 4 Coloss 3.