Saintes companye how profitable it is 879 Saintes how much wee must attribute to them 161 Saintes are tryed with feare 684 Sapphira maketh an impotent and bolde lye 229 Sapphira ignoraunt of hir husbands death for a season and why 232 Sapphiras wickednesse reproued by Peter ibidem Sapphira punished as was hir husbande 237 Satan put men out of the waye of saluation 576 577 Satan can doe nothing against man but by gods permission 410 Satan hath his instrumentes euerye where 576 Satan throwne out by the name of Christ. 629 Satan what traines he vseth to establishe his kingdome among men Pag. 627 Satan howe hee is sayde to fill the heartes of the vngodlye 230 Satan beareth witnesse to the truth Pag. 628.629 Satans â—lightes must be taken heede of 577 Satans effectes in Hypocrites and in the wicked 230 Satans propertie 357 Satans pollicie 576 Saule receyueth a two folde answere of the Lorde 395 Saule persecuting the faythfull persecuteth Christ. 790 Saule an example of a cruel tyraunt Pag. 390.359 Saule truely called a rauening wolfe Pag. 357 Saule set forth for a peculiar example of Gods goodnesse and grace Pag. 394.395 Saule authorised by the Priestes to playe the Tyraunt 390 Saule when he was conuerted 392 Saule how he was conuerted ibideÌ„ Saule a president of tyranny 390 Saules conuerting to Christ historised 392 Saules ende and purpose 391 Saule the persecutor described 390 Saule the persecutors punishment Pag. 394 Saules saluation must be attributed to the grace of God onely 395 S ante C Schisme beginners are the byshops of Rome 194 Schooles foundations 49.84 Schooles needefull 509 Sclaunders wherewith Ministers are charged 467 Sclaunders must Christians put away and defende their good name Pag. 91 Sclaunders maye lawfullye be aunswered to ibidem Sclaunder or offence ibidem Scripture is of it selfe of credyte and auctoritie sufficyent 867 Scripture is enspired of God. 54 Scripture conteyneth al thing needefull for vs to beleue and obserue 7 Scripture of the olde and newe Testamentes pertayneth to all them that loue God. ibdem. Scripture must be expounded 647 Scriptures authoritie and certaynetye 897 Scripture must bee interpreted by conference of places 127 Scripture with what minde men must reade it 62 Scripture must be elucidated wyth interpretations 398 Scripture containeth the knowledge of the true God. 571 S ante E Sectes cause of discention among the Iewes 803 Securitie or carelesnesse must bee auoyded 269 Sedition described 722 Sedition happily ended 653 Sedition ended with ioye 653 Sedicion soone appeased 728 Sedition beginners who 770 In sedicion what christians must do Pag. 725 Seditious persons but fewe in number maye be authors of manifolde euilles 724 Sermons ought to beginne and ende with prayers 754 Seruers of tyrauntes turnes what they may looke for 504 S ante H Shipwrake described and the number of them that were in the shippe Pag. 885 A true sheapeheardes example 764 Shooes putting of what it meaneth Pag. 328 S ante L Sleepinesse or drowsinesse of churchmen 733 Slouthfulnesse of men in our dayes Pag. 272 Slouthfull men reprehended 890 Sluggishnesse and ydlenesse 653 S ante I Signes externe seale the interne and spirituall gyftes of God. 304.305 Signes visible of the presence of the holy ghost 82 Signes that God sheweth must bee dilygently considered 158 Signes externe are not sufficient to saluation 305 Signes called after the names of the things that they signifie 80.290 Signes haue muche lykenesse wyth the thinges that they signifie 80 Signes are diuerse 159 Signes to what vse they serue 359 Signes must not haue to much attributed to them 305 Sticking to signes is the beginning of ydolatrie 158 Simon how he tooke Peters expostulation 374 Simon Magus beleeueth and is baptised 367 Simon Magus an example of an hipocrite and a deceyuour 268 Simon Magus his sinne 370 Simons of our dayes 371 Simplicitie of the fayth 672 S ante O Solomon for his wiues sake that were aliauntes buylded Temples Pag. 340 Solomons wish 20 Sole or single lyfe maintayners 46 Soules of men vnder the protection of God. 119 S ante P Spirites appearing what wee ought to iudge of it 762 Spirite of Christ author of concorde and holynesse 78 Spirite of Christe his efficacy how great it is in men 155 Spirite of Christ in whome it raigneth 90 Spirites of the disseassed walke not Pag. 500 Spirite signified by the blowing of the winde and for what cause 79 Spirite of Christ so delyuereth vs from fearâ— that wee dare boldelye confesse Christ. 86 Spirite of God is from euerlasting Pag. 74 Spirite why it was promised to the Apostles 19 Spirite teacheth vs to reason of Gods doings and to call vpon him for helpe 84 Spirite of God wrought in the Apostles 74 Spirite of God spake by the Apostles 8 Spirite of Christ maketh men bolde in the confession of Christ. 85 Spirite of God altereth and enformeth tongues and for what causes Pag. 84 Spirite is the promise of the father Pag. 18 Spirite when he was sent 75 Spirite what daye he was sent to the Apostles ibi Spirite how he must be receyued 77 Spirite how he is giuen to whom Pag. 94 Spirite how he is sent 78 Spirite in what scence it is sayde to be sent to the Fathers 18.19 Spirite often promised and wherefore 74 Spirite where it was giuen ibidem Spirite sent visibly for what cause Pag. 78 Spirites effect in the Apostles and their hearers 82 Spirites effectes common to all beleeuers 96 Spirite how necessarie and to what vse in men 78 Spirites inuincible power 558 Spirites sending and Christes ascention ioyned togyther 124 Spirites sending called by the name of baptisme 21 Spirite promised Christ confirmeth by an argument taken from baptisme and the argument explicated ib. Spirites operation and giftes 77 Spirites effectuous operation 124 Spirites effectes in these dayes why they be so rare 258 Spirite promysed serueth for our comfort and instruction 19 Spirites power can not be comprehended nor hindred by any man. 80 Spirite howe the Apostles are sayde to haue receyued 74 Spirite must bee receyued of men with great preparation 77 Spirite of Satan what it doth in vncleane persons 85 Spirite of the olde and newe testament is but one 76 S ante T Steuen accused of impietie and stubbornenesse and vpon what occasion 288 Steuen accused of blasphemye against God and his lawe 292 Steuen by slaunders and false witnesse brought in hatred with all the people 287 Steuen instructed by the holy Ghost sheweth himselfe a fine disputer and abolde ibid. Steuen readye to yelde vp his lyfe is comforted by a vision and what that vision teacheth vs. 334 Steuen is without feare though in daunger of death 290 Steuen went not about to abrogate the lawe 351 Steuen prooueth that the cerimoniall lawe is abrogated ibid. Steuen deserued the crowne of martirdome 357 Steuen what he did at his death 355 Steuen no dispiser of Moses 321 Steuen blasphemed not the Temple and holy place nor the outwarde seruise 345
that notable marke of the beast which no man can receyue or keepe wythout denying of christ Wherfore it becommeth Christian men rather to impugne these thinges than neuer so little to violate the profession of Christes name Before we passe from this place we haue to consider the mariage of Timothies parents forasmuch as Luke maketh expresse mention thereof He sayth that Eunica his mother was a Iewe and his father a Greeke or a Gentyle Yet we reade that Iewes were forbiden to marrye with the Gentyles Yet such was the state of the people of the Iewes in those daies that being oppressed vnder the tiranny of the Romanes and dispersed here and there they were driuen to suffer many things agaynst their wyll In the meane season the godly woman Eunica by reason of this mariage was in such daunger as God foreshewed in his lawe For she was not able by Circumcision to take hir sonne Timothie into the societie of Gods people who no doubt was borne before Christ suffered and the lawe was abrogated by reason hir husbande withstoode hir who as it is like was deuoyde of true religion bicause Paule commendeth him in no place and yet setteth forth in writing the worthy fayth of Eunica and Lois These thinges ought to feare the professors of Christian fayth from drawing the yoke with Infydels as elsewhere the Apostle sayth Also the example of Eunica is very notable which procured hir sonne to be trayned vp in the scriptures from his childehoode agaynst hir husbandes will least he shoulde be corrupted with the superstition and ydolatrie of the Gentyles Lette Matrones matched in such vnlyke mariages well obserue this thing Let them remember that their children be holy by reason of the promise of the couenaunt as Paule plainly teacheth Let them therefore bring them vp in the doctrine of true godlynesse and trayne them vnto God whose honor if they seeke with all their heart they shall fynde him true of his promises where he sayeth he will be their protector and defender But let vs come to the treatie of this present place where after the vocation of Timothie is declared what they which were with Paule taught in the Churches As they went sayth he through the Cities they deliuered them such things to obserue and keepe as were decreed by the Apostles and Elders at Ierusalem Which wordes the Papistes wrest I wote not to what maner of traditions which they imagine the Apostles and their successors deliuered from hande to hande vnto the Church but were neuer written This Sanctuarye being by them once founded whatsoeuer they cannot prooue by authorite of Scripture they saye by and by it is the tradition of the Apostles But Luke sayth no such thyng but speaketh of those decrees whereof mention was made in the chapter before going They were these that man was iustifyed and saued by the onely grace of God through faith in Iesus Christ and not by the works of the lâ—we that we should abstaine from those things which pollute the profession of our fayth and our holynesse as is Idolatrie and fornication that we must labour for loue and in outwarde things yeelde somewhat vnto the weake or else vnto such as are not yet come vnto the fayth if there be any hope of winning them In the meane season that we beware mennes consciences be not snarled or charged with any burthen intollerable These things Luke sayth that Paule and those with him did euerywhere inculcate both to represse the Iewes which to importunately vrged the Gentyles to the obseruing of the lawe and to brydle the licentiousnesse of the Gentyles which abused the Christian libertie with great offence For he chiefly desired that peace might flouryshe in the Church whereby he knewe the same shoulde chiefly increase Agayne where there was no daunger of offence he constantlye defended the libertie of Christ bicause he woulde not preiudice the same which thing the Apostles wynked at for the weakes sake The fyrst Epistle to the Corinthians teacheth the same where he maketh the eating of thynges offered to Idolles free as touching conscience if there be none present that is offended therewith In the meane season Paules example teacheth vs that it is not sufficient to haue good lawes made vnlesse they which haue the charge thereof see them put in execution For dayly experience teacheth vs that execution is the lyfe and sinewes of the lawe Take that awaye and the lawe shall lye as deade and as Anacharsis sayde shall become lyke vnto Spyders webbes which euerye bolde and presumptuous bodye will not sticke to breake Therefore let both Ministers of the Church and gouernors of the common weale imitate Paule if they meane to doe their duetie and not rather with vayne counterfeyting mocke both God and man. Last of all Luke addeth a notable successe of their most godly endeuour and labour where he sayth the Churches were confyrmed in the fayth and grewe and increased euery day more and more in number And bicause he maketh mention of fayth it is euident that Paule chieflye beate that into their heades and not vayne and colde Ceremonies and traditions These are the continuall effectes of the worde of God that lyke vnto a showre it neuer returneth wythout fruite vnto him that sent it These also are the weapons wherby the kingdome of Christ in this world is most prosperously enlarged to saye diligent preaching of the worde and feruent desire to conserue and keepe the same Whensoeuer these cease by and by fayth falleth and all loue of true religion dyeth We haue examples hereof euerywhere whereby they are conuinced which thinke it sufficient if they be not constrayned through tyrannie to be partakers of wicked sacrifyces and yet in the meane season they liue in such places where the worde of God is banished and no duties of Christian religion exercised Let vs all therefore studye to set forth the worde of God that both our selues maye be confyrmed in the fayth and the Church daylye increase in number of beleeuers wherein Iesus Christ onely reygneth the sauiour of mankynde and onely Brydegroome of the Church to whome be prayse honor power and glory for euer Amen The Cvij Homelie WHEN they had gone throughout Phrygia and the Region of Galatia and were forbidden of the holy ghost to preache the worde in Asia they came to Mysia and sought to go into Bithynia but the spirite suffered them not But when they had gone thorowe Mysia they came downe to Troada And a vision appeared to Paule in the night There stoode a man of Macedonia and prayed him saying Come into Macedonia and helpe vs After he had seene the vision immediately we prepared to go into Macedonia being certified that the Lorde had called vs for to preache the Gospell vnto them When we losed forth then from Troada we came with a strayte course to Samothracia and the next daye to Neapolis and from thence to Philippos which is the chiefe
that they were taken for men out of their wiâ—tes Yea Christe himselfe was mocked of Pilate what time he confessed he came into the world to preache the truthe For Pilate thought him to be of the number of those men which had labored long in vaine to finde out the truthe bicause all things among men are doubtfull and vncertaine why therefore are we offended bicause the gospell preuaileth so little in these dayes seeing there is suche a multitude of men euery where which blinded with the reason of the fleshe and distract in their mindes receiue the word of God into the way which the infernall Iayes that is to say the affections suggestioÌ„s of sathan by and by peck vp But what doth Paul Is he so feared with Festus importunate interruption that he holdes his peace and so throughe his silence confirmeth the sinister suspition that they had of his being out of his wit No. Yea rather he boldly defendeth the aucthoritie both of his ministery and of the gospell I am not mad saith he moste deare Festus but I speake the wordes of truthe and sobrietie Therfore he boldly putteth such slaunder away yet modestly with such reuerence as is due vnto Magistrates least through impatiencie and ire and rendering of railing againe he should haue declared he had bene out of his wit in deede Therefore after a wise sort he vtterly denieth he was mad and those wordes which seemed vnto Festus to be of a madde man he declared to be most true and vttered by him after no curious sort but with as muche sobrietie as could be and this he proueth by most credible witnesses among whome firste hee produceth the King who could be ignorante of none of those things which hitherto had beene said concerning Christ bicause they were not done in a corner or in secrete but in the most famous Citie of all nations and at the greatest principallest feast of all other Againe he calleth all the Prophets also to witnesse who foreshewed that these things should so come to passe as he declared a little before more at large And bicause his saying should haue the more waighte and aucthoritie he boldly and freely defendeth the aucthoritie of the Prophets For he turneth him vnto the king and saith Beleeuest thou O king Agrippa the Prophetes And not waiting till he had an answere he preuenteth it adding moreouer I knowe that thou beleeuest For he knew well that the maiestie and truthe of the scripture Propheticall was yet such euen among the most corrupt nation of the Iewes that if any maÌ„ called it in dout all men would take him to be an vngodly person And it is to be thought that Paul handled this mater the more at large bicause Agrippa confessed by and by that he was greatly moued with his words Now be it here we haue certain things to be diligently considered bicause they make not a little for the coÌ„mon instruction of all men First this place teacheth vs that the best way of teaching is that that Paul confesseth he had hitherto obserued where he saith he spake the words of truth sobrietie For aboue al things ministers must haue a regarde of the truth least they sel leasing wherof Christ saith the deuill is the father vnder the pretence of Goddes worde And in treating of the mysteries of truth let them vse a godly and holy sobrietie giuing heede only to suche things as may edifie men vnto godlinesse Least while they folowe the curiositie of the fleshe they bothe entangle themselues in vnprofitable and hurtfull questions and also offende the weake and ruder sorte Let them therefore remember that we knowe but in parte onely and our Prophesying is vnperfite but that heereafter there shall come a day when withoute all impediment we shall beholde all the mysteries of the kingdome of heauen openly in the face of God. Furthermore Paules woordes teache vs that the affaires of our saluation and Christian religion are certaine and that nothing of them is difficult or to be suspected For as none of the things which happened vnto Christ was done in corners so those things which concerned Christ and the way of saluation in him were done in times past publikely and openly among the Fathers For the Patriarkes to whome the promisses were made at the beginning were no rascalles or diffamed Also the deliuery of the people of Israell out of Egipte was a thing well knowen vnto the Gentiles The publishing of the lawe with so many myracles was a famous and a renoumed matter all which things were figures of the mysteries of christ As touching the Prophets no good man did euer suspect any falshoode in them Furthermore all the Monarchies bothe of the Assirians Persians Grecians and Romanes had to doe with the nation of the Iewes among whome the affaires of saluation were taughte The voices of the Apostles did freely sound abrode in all the world in so muche that all men knewe bothe what they did and preached This is a great dignitie of our faith which is to be found in none other religion This reproueth the impudencie of those men which nowe a dayes call our beleefe in doubte and question Furthermore this place teacheth vs that the aucthoritie and credite of the holy scripture is moste certaine and that wee must suffer no man to call it in controuersie For seing it is inspired of God it is vnlawfull to doubt of it For this cause Paule putteth it ouâ— of controuersie that Agrippa beleeued the Prophetes And Christ hauing to doe with the Scribes of the Iewes attributeth this vnto them that they firmely beleeue that life euerlasting is contained in the scripture â–ª Iohn 5. Howe muche more execrable is the impudeneie of our dayes where some men wickedly cauill and scoffe at the scriptures and other some wonderfully deminishe the aucthoritie of them while they contende they ought to be alowed and confirmed by the iudgement of men Furthermore lette vs see the seconde kinde of hearers of the woorde of whome wee haue a patterne sette foorthe in Agrippa the King and these are suche as being giuen vnto the worlde lette the seede of the worde be ouergrowen with the cares and desires of the same For hee dare not denie the Scriptures the aucthoritie whereof hee knewe was of God and infallible He seeth also that those things which Paule saythe are agreeable wyth the Scripture Hee feeleth also certaine euidente motions of the mynde whereby hee was allured to take parte wyth Christe and hee dissembleth not the same bicause hee openly confesseth that hee was somewhat persuaded What letteth hym therefore that hee goeth not forewarde and publikely professeth Christe Uerely the vnhappy liking that he had of the worlde the â—rendshippe and glory wherof seemed to him more excellent than that he would forsake it and goe vnto them whome many men hated and enuied and other some thought to be out of their wittes But would God we had no
daily 583. Aduersaries to Gods doctrine who were in tymes passed 4. Whereof wee shoulde take comfort in aduersitie 807 How we should vse the promises of God in aduersitie 809. Wee must confirme our fayth in aduersitie ibidem A ante E. The deliuery out of Egypt was a figure of oure saluation in Christ. Pag. 298.314 Aeneas sicke of the palsey is healed Pag. 418. Acquitie in an Heathen Captayne Psal. 797. The Aethiopian is conuerted 376. The Aethiopian is described 377. The Aethiopian teacheth vs that saluation and all thing thervnto belonging commeth of the meere grace of God. 389. The Aethiopians are vnder the kingdome of God according to the Oracles of the Prophetes 376. A ante F. Afflictions remayne for them that ioyne them to the church 325. Afflictions what good they doe vnto the godly 101. Afflictions ought to be an argument of ioy and comfort 271. Afflictions are ouercome wyth constaunt fayth 328 Affliction and aduersitie are not alwayes tokens that God is angrie ibidem Afflictions of the godly and wicked are not all of one sort 102. Which waye afflictions maye bee auoyded ibidem God seeth the afflictions of hys people 328. What the ende of Gods afflictions is 151. The causes of afflictions 269. The godlye haue warning of their afflictions 744. The afflictions of the godlye must offend no man as straunge 263. The afflicted God assisteth 308. Wee must doe good to the afflicted Pag. 809. A ante G. Agabus telleth Paule he shoulde bee put in bandes 766. Agrippa and Bernice 840. Agrippa is skilfull in the Iewes affayres 847. Agrippa is a figure of such as in this worlde choake the seede of Gods worde with cares 867. A ante L. Alexandria Schoole 697. Almesse is a woorke of mercy 427. What this worde almesse conteyneth in it 419. A ante M. Ambition is a pernitious thinge Pag. 24. Ambition in the Church is moste pesâ—ilent 370. and. 371. Ambrose his constancie 358. A ante N. Anabaptistes 463. Anabaptistes confuted which thinke it vnlawfull to come in our Churches or companie 241. Anabaptists are lyke to the Essenes Pag. 803. Anabaptists keepe a perillous coyle whyle they racke things belonging to straungers and those of full age vnto christians children keeping them from baptisme 385. Anabaptistes are barbarous people despysing the knowledge of tongues in a Mynister of the Church 83. The Anabaptists confuse and seditious comminitiâ— of goodes is improued and confuted 147. Anabaptistes dote in going about to condemne the baptisme of infants Pag. 367. The Anabaptistes errour which say it is not meete that a Christian should possesse anye thing of hys owne 143. The Anabaptists errour in the disordred coÌ„munity of their goods 225. The Anabaptistes disorder saying it is vnmeete for a christian to were a weapon 432. Anabaptistes are reprooued of obstinacie for that they wil yeelde no account of their fayth before the magistrates 829. The Anabaptistes temeritie forsaking such Churches as seeme to haue any imperfection in them 275 The Anabaptistes madnesse will not suffer the chyldren of the christians to bee receyued into the Church Pag. 185. and 135. Ananias and Sapphira tempted the spirite of the Lorde 236. Ananias and Sapphiras consent in sinne deserued to be punished 237. Ananias is a figure of such as robbe God of his honor 230. Ananias is a figure of false Christians 229. Ananias lyed vnto the holye ghost Pag. 221. Ananias is kylled by the worde of of Gods iudgement pronounced Pag. 233. Howe great the sinne of Ananias was 229. What the holye ghost iudgeth of Ananias sinne 230. Ananias punishment 232. Ananias is called to ordeyne Paule an Apostle 399. Ananias fearefully findeth delayes agaynst the expresse commaundement of God. 401. Ananias is encouraged of God. ibideÌ„ Ananias calleth Paule brother 405 Ananias layeth hys handes vppon Saule ibidem Ananias commended of Paule for hys godlynesse 399. Ananias obedience 404. Ananias boldenesse 405. Ananias discription 788. Ananias oration vnto Paule 789. Ananias called paynted walle of Paule 800. An Aungell of GOD is sent vnto Paule 878. Aungell of God calleth Moses 325. Aungels Ministery 494. and 495 Angels are seruauntes and keepers of the elect 246. Aungels appearings 38. Aungels haue holpen men in visible wise 36. Aungels Ministery is an argument of Gods goodnesse 428. Aungels ministerie howâ— excellent it is 376. Antichrist sitteth in the Church of God. 282. Antichristes spirite is in them that preache not Christ. 403. Antioche Church referre their controuersie to the Apostles 588. Antioch Church commended 508. Antichristian Prelates pride 256. A ante P. Apparitions of spirits or soules 541. Apostleship whence it hath authoritie 71. The Apostles doctrine must bee referred to the holy ghost 20. The Apostles storie must be ioyned with the Gospell and for what cause 9. Apostles are ordeyned of God. 58. The Apostles doctrine must bee beleeued bycause it is inspired of God. 9. The dignitie and authoritie of the Apostles doctrine 8. The summe of the Apostles doctrine 407. Who must be appoynted to the office of an Apostle 63. The profite that commeth of the ordinaunce and calling of the Apostles 58. The profite of studying the Apostles 711. The Apostles receyue commaundementes of Christ. 9. The Apostles after they had receyued the holye ghost spake wyth straunge and diuers languages 82 The Apostles are accused of sedition and seducing of the people 633. The Apostles after their afflictions returne with more boldnesse to do their office 579. The Apostles had their authoritie of hym that sent them 71 Apostles whypped and cast in pryson 634. The Apostles after their whypping prayse God and praye vnto hym Pag. 636. How the Apostles were chosen 66 The Apostles are Christes witnesses and what the duetie of an Apostle is 30. The Apostles preach to the people of Cyprus 200. The Apostles refuse to obeye the counselles decree and for what cause 209. and 210. The Apostles dyd all thing by the guyding and authoritie of the spyrite 620. The Apostles are sette at libertie for feare of the people 212. The Apostles are the Preachers of Gods truth 78. The Apostles teache in the Sinagoge at Iconium 560. The Apostles commende the Churches vnto the Lorde 585. The Apostles preach the gospel constantly 251. The Apostles beyng delyuered out of prison are commaunded to execute their office 246. The Apostles exhort vs to perseueraunce 581. The Apostles boldely wythstande the Iewes attempts 550. The Apostles flye from Iconium and preach in an other place 563. The Apostles reioyce in slaunders and reproches and why 270. The Apostles by their gestures repell godly worship 570. The Apostles retourne to Ierusalem 42. The Apostles what they doe beyng gathered togyther at Ierusalem Pag. 47. The Apostles excommunicate incurable persons 551. The Apostles preache in the houses of the faythfull 272. The Apostles are called afore the Counsell 197. The Apostles purge them selfe of disobedience new doctrine and sedition 258. The Apostles go into Pisidia 519. The Apostles continue in prayers at Ierusalem and in vnanimitie
through the power of the holy ghost the affections be bridled that would carye them awry Or what safetye can there be of publike weales which are not led with the spirite of God but with fleshly wisedome Whereas it is manifest that all good successe and felicitie dependeth of God Salomon the wysest of all men well marked this thing who hauing choyse giuen him of God to aske those thinges that are in greatest price amongest men despising all other craued of God the spirite of wisedome and of that true wisedome which he describeth in his booke of Prouerbes whose beginning and roote is the feare of the Lorde And woulde to God they woulde often remember this that are Rulers in the Church and in the common weale For the same woulde both kindle in them an ardent desire to prayer and godlynesse and woulde make them more listen to the worde of God wherevpon coulde not but ensue a true and perfite safetie of the people committed to their charge But before we depart from this place two things remayne to be discussed which may profitably be gathered of the promise of the holye ghost made to the Apostles For first it hereby appereth that the holy ghost was the auctor of the Apostles doctrine and therefore the same ought to be esteemed as proceeding from God and not from man For where they tooke vppon them to preach after they had receyued the holye ghost which according to Christes promise taught them all truth surely all their teaching must be referred to the same spirite So wee must holde the dignitie and authortie thereof as great as Christ maketh it which sending forth his Disciples to preach sayth He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me With the which argument Paule seemeth to be encouraged to say If an Angell from heauen teache you anye other Gospell beside that which wee haue preached let him be accursed For how great soeuer the maiestie and the glory of Angels is yet if the same be compared with the holy ghost by whom they were created it is of no value We haue therfore in this place what to aunswere to them which hearing vs reiect and condemne the traditions of men crye out that the Apostles were men likewise and thinke hereby to prooue that eyther the Apostles doctrine must likewyse be reiected or else some place is left in the church for mans traditions And in deede we are not ignorant that the Apostles were men But bicause they spake not as men nor in their teaching declared not the cogitations of men but according as the holy ghost inspired their harts shewed the mysteries of saluation and of the kingdome of heauen therfore their opinions by no meanes must be reckoned amongst the traditions of men Secondly this place teacheth vs that nothing ought to be taught and preached in the Church but that that is deliuered by the holy ghost For the Church is the house of God in which the onely voyce of the goodman of the house is to be hearde and according to his prescript all things ought to be ordered And as the Bryde obeyeth the onely voyce of the Brydegrome and is not iudged chaste if she giue eare to the entysements or promises of shamelesse suters so where the sonne of God hath espoused to himselfe the congregation of the faithfull washed with his owne bloud and hath made vs partakers of all his goodes whch is the proper ende of mariage we may not follow any other voyce than that whereby Christ the Bridegrome calleth vs vnto him Further for that Christ hath made vs the sheepe of his pasture and hath redeemed vs with the losse of his owne bloude it behooueth vs to follow his voyce and not to harken to the voyce of any straunger or hyreling Neyther is their opinion to be receiued which thinke it an errour worthye of pardon to chaunge and alter somewhat in the doctrine of faith and saluation so that in all things God onely might be worshipped For to graunt that such haue a zeale of God yet bicause they want the knowledge of the truth they can no more please God than did the Iewes in time past which being inflamed with the zeale of God went about to establishe their owne righteousnesse and reiected that righteousnesse which God offreth vs in his sonne to be imbraced by faith And surely if our zeale had bene sufficient in so weighty a matter it had bene but vaine for the Apostles to haue looked for the sending of the holye ghost why did they not therfore steppe forth to preache and according to the godlye intent of their minde teach the people what they thought belonged to the honor of God and glory of Christ But Christes commaundement stopped them who as he elsewhere appointed them to preach the things he taught them so without the conduct of the holye ghost he will they shall not take vppon them to preach least that being beguiled with the counsell of mans wisedome or seduced by corrupt affections of the flesh they should swarue from the right way And we reade that the olde Prophets were bounde by the same commaundement also in whome the Apostle plainely testifieth that the spirite of Christ did speake It is sayde to Hieremie Behold I haue put my words in thy mouth And God sayth to Ezechiel Thou shalt heare woordes from my mouth and shalt warne them from me Therefore it is a wicked and monstrous temeritie of some men which thinke they haue authoritie to coyne newe articles of the faith and to thrust into the Church traditions inuented by mans brayne And who I praye you woulde thinke him a faithfull friende of the Bridegroomes which woulde not feare to intice and inuegle the Bryde to his lure and purpose Let them therefore which teach in the Church receyue all their doctrine at the mouth of god He speaketh vnto vs in the Scriptures by his holye spirite Let them therefore reade them and they shall not erre But let vs returne to Christes wordes from whence we digressed For he going about to render a cause of his commaundement sayth Of whom you haue hearde of mee For Iohn truely baptised with water but you shall be baptised with the holy ghost after not many dayes These words haue a confirmation of promise and consolation very necessary For as there were diuers other things which might make the Apostles carefull in the consideration of their office so there was no little cause to feare them least some incommoditie might arise of the stay and tariaunce of the holy ghost Therefore to take awaye all feare hee repeateth his promises not in the same words that are in the Euangelists but with such as might bring to their remembrance Iohn the Baptistes saying touching this matter which was verye needefull to be done by reason of the great authoritie that Iohn had amongst all men Neyther ought it to seeme an absurde thing
A Prophet shall the Lord your God rayse vp vnto you euen of your brethren like vnto me him shall you heare in all things whatsoeuer he shall saye vnto you For the time will come that euerye soule which will not heare that same Prophete shall bee destroyed from among the people All the Prophets also from Samuell and thenceforth as many as haue spoken haue in likewise tolde of these dayes AFter that the Apostle Peter had grieuouslye accused the heynous wickednesse of the Iewes which they committed against the sonne of God in the thirde part of his sermon he gaue them counsell howe to obteyne saluation as we declared in our last Sermon He bade them repent and conuert vnto God which we partly doe by repentance and partly by faith in Iesus Christ through whose merite we be reconciled vnto god But it was no small blocke that kept the Iewes from embracing of christ For where they were not yet come to the knowledge of him a great many feared that if they shoulde receyue him they shoulde offende against Moyses and the lawe giuen them from god And it seemed a weightie matter to them to forsake the religion which God had giuen vnto them and which they had helde so many yeares after that order and according as they receyued it of their forefathers Therefore the Apostle in the fourth part of his oration correcteth this errour teaching them that both Moyses and the Prophetes direct the true worshippers of God vnto Christ and that therefore they so little offended against the lawe by beleeuing in Christ that rather they disobey Moyses and beleeue not the Prophetes truly except they receyue Christ of whome they beare witnesse Againe least they shoulde distrust the goodnesse of Christ whome they nowe so oftentimes hearde they had offended by their great crueltie he declareth that he that was promised to the fathers belongeth to them also and is their sauiour as well as the fathers so that they woulde embrace him with true fayth But at this present we will speake but of those thinges onely which Peter alledgeth concerning the mysterie of Christ grounded vppon the bookes of the olde Testament He beginneth with Moyses bicause he was of greatest authoritie among the Iewes Out of whome where he might haue brought diuers testimonies he taketh one among a manye whereby he teacheth vs that Christ was long agone appointed to be the teacher and schoolemaister of Gods people Which thing serued much to this present purpose bicause as I saide euen nowe many thought it a grieuous matter to forsake Moyses who they knewe was appointed of God to be their lawmaker and maister He sheweth therefore that it was not Moyses minde that they should alwaye hang vppon him but that he pointed them to another Prophete which shoulde more perfitely teache them all things The place is in Deuteronomie .xviij. Chapter In that place are prohibited all superstitious and soothsaying Artes of the heathen whereby they go about to search out the knowledge of thinges to come and the secretes of God by diuination by the wicked Mathematicalles by the noise of birdes flying by Necromancie and such like kinde of diuinations And Moyses doth aduertise them that they shoulde forsake these things and turne to the only worde of God and wholy depend vpon the same And bicause they should not thinke it an harde matter to finde out the meaning of Gods word he sayth they should neuer want Prophetes whome God would rayse vp from among themselues by whose ministerie they shoulde learne what the will of God was in all things they shoulde take in hande And they are not deceyued which thinke that an vniuersall promise is conteyned in this place whereby the gift of prophecie is established and confirmed in the people and Church of god But Peter wittily applieth this generall promise vnto Christ who it is euident is the chiefe of the Prophetes and by whose spirite as he sayth in another place all the Prophetes were ledde and inspired And that the things here spoken by Moyses belong vnto Christ is more euident than needeth anye long demonstration For he was both borne of the Iewes and was sent of God as appeareth by his doctrine and myracles whiche we see in all pointes conformable to the doctrine of the Apostles Therefore Peters argument seemeth most strong whereby he laboureth to perswade them to beleeue in Christ according to Moyses saying euen as if he shoulde say Moyses so little challengeth to him selfe alone all authoritie of teaching that he commaundeth vs to giue eare and credite to euerye Prophete teaching the worde of God and hath appointed all those that despise the Prophetes sayings to be punished with death Therfore how much more ought you to beleeue Christ who hath taught vs the will of God the father more plainly and perfitely than anye man and in whome most truly are verified whatsoeuer Moyses sayth of that Prophete And so Peter trimlye toucheth the ende and scope of his purpose that is to take out of their mindes that preposterous religion which let and hindred them with the ouermuch reuerence of Moyses and the law and their pieuish opinion and woulde not let them to embrace Iesus Christ. Yet bicause both Peter and Steuen as appeareth hereafter expounde this place of Moyses as ment of Christ we also will here search out such thinges as maye enstruct vs in the knowledge of christ And first of all Moyses doth elegantlye describe vnto vs Christ our sauiour Next he teacheth vs what dutie we owe vnto him and pronounceth sentence of death agaynst them that doe contemne him First in the description of Christ he sheweth of whome he shall spring or be borne The Lorde your God shall rayse him vp of your brethren He must then be borne of the Iewes which is an infallible argument of hys incarnation and of his true manhoode whereby they are conuinced which saye Christ brought his flesh from heauen and tooke it not of the substance of the virgin but came through the virgin into the worlde as water runneth through a conduite Verily Paule testifieth that he tooke not on him the aungels nature or any heauenly creatures but the seede of Abraham And speaking of the prerogatiues of the Iewes wherewith God aboue other nations did vouchsafe to endue them among other things he maketh mention howe Christ touching the fleshe shoulde be borne of them which is God in all things to be praysed for euer Wherevnto the promises of the olde Testament are to be referred where often times he is called one whyle the seede of the woman another whyle the seede of Abraham and of Dauid We must here obserue the singular goodnesse of God who hauing appointed his sonne to be our sauiour and teacher woulde haue the same incarnated and made man least eyther we might be afrayde of his maiestie or thinke he disdained our infirmitie which Paule also considered Heb. 2. 4. Secondlye he
those thinges which by Moyses were prefigurated But it sufficeth to giue occasion to them that list more deepely and exactly to search them Now vnto this description of Christ he ioyneth what the dutie is that we owe him for Moyses saith him shal you heare in al things whatsoeuer he saith to you The same God the father commaunded vpon the hill of Thabor as we declared a little before saying Heare him Yet let no man thinke he hath fulfilled the cōmaundement of God if he receiue the word of God but into his eares as Iudas and the Phariseyes Pylate and many others did But first an earnest desire of the Gospell is required bicause among manye thinges whereabout men be most vainly occupied one thing is necessary as Christ teacheth vs From the studie of the worde the beliefe which we haue in it cannot be secluded For howe can we labour to get that thing the credit and truth whereof we suspect Obedience followeth beliefe whereby we acknowledge Christ to be the teacher of fayth religion and director of our whole life and to our power obey him These markes of the children of God did he teach vs where he sayth He that is of God heareth the wordes of God. Agayne My sheepe heare my voyce and follow me Whervpon we gather for a suretie that they be not the children of God nor the sheepe of Christ which refuse to heare Christes voyce speaking in the Gospell Aboue all things we must note that whatsoeuer Christ speaketh we are commaunded to heare it For there be which heare Christ in deede but they heare him but in those things only which like their fleshlye appetyte against the which if anye thing be spoken they thinke that apperteyneth not vnto them Of this number be they which gladly heare and marueylously embrace the promises of the Gospell where the grace of God is preached and free forgiuenesse of sinnes but the same will not admit the doctrine of repentaunce which rebuketh and accuseth sinne They be like vnto those which after a sort can suffer the doctrine of truth to be preached but cannot abyde if a man reprooue the deceyuers and Antichristes And we see many so affected that they will greatly extoll and commende whatsoeuer is spoken of the kingdome of Christ of his victorie of the glorye of the elect which they shall possesse in heauen but yet they so abhorre the crosse persecutions that they can suffer no mentions to be made thereof But these men are farre deceyued For Christ is not deuided neyther can the parts of Christ his doctrine be separated For he that commaunded forgiuenesse of sinnes to be preached in his name the same requireth all men likewise to repent And he that sayde to the woman that was a sinner and bewayled hir sinnes Thy sinnes be forgiuen thee The same sayd vnto him that was sicke of the Palsey being nowe healed Beholde thou art made whole sinne not againe heereafter least a worse thing happen vnto thee And afterwarde he sayde by Paule that whooremongers and adulterers without repentance shoulde not enter into the kingdome of god Likewise he that confesseth himselfe to be the light and the truth and biddeth vs to walke in him the same reprooueth false Christes and Antichristes and biddeth vs beware of them Againe he that promiseth the treasures of heauen to those that be his the same affirmeth constantly that in the world they shall suffer tribulation And he that gloriously rose from the dead and with great triumph was taken vppe into heauen a little before that was despitefully hanged betweene two theeues Therfore as we must embrace whole Christ so is it necessary that we giue eare to his whole doctrine vnlesse we will wholy be depriued of him A figure hereof went before in the Paschall lambe which the Iewes were commaunded to eate whole and the bones and other things which coulde not be eaten were commaunded to be burned So must whole Christ be receyued and if anye thing seeme in him vntollerable that same must be consumed and ouerpassed with the fire of fayth and loue of God. Furthermore bicause our fleshe herein maketh much resistance which very vnwillinglye commeth to this yoake Moyses vrgeth vs with grieuous menace and threatening It will come to passe sayeth he that euerye soule that will not heare that Prophet shall be destroyed from among that people This punishment comprehendeth the whole destruction of man both body and soule For what hope of saluation can remayne for him which is secluded and cut of from the Church people of God which only is receyued into the fellowship and communion of all Gods goodnesse But why shoulde he not be reiected from the fellowshippe of him which refuseth to heare him whome God hath appoynted to be his maister and the teacher of his whole Church How much more grieuous punishment doth he deserue which dare treade the sonne of God vnder his feete Hereof are taken those heauye threates in the Gospell which seeme to manye too vehement and more cruell than reason woulde such as is that saying of the Baptist He that beleeueth not the sonne shall not see lyfe and the wrath of God abideth vpon him And Christ when he had promysed eternall life to the beleeuers addeth He that will not beleeue shall be condemned But Peter thought to admonishe the Iewes hereof bicause they should not thinke the contempt of Christ and his Gospell to be a game and pastime but shoulde knowe that the daunger of their soule laye thereon And let vs thinke the same is sayde vnto vs For such is the authoritie of Iesus Christ with his father that no man can be accepted and welcome to him except he be graffed in Christ. But the bare and emptye profession of a Christian name graffeth vs not in him but a liuely faith which maketh vs to obey his doctrine and firmely to beleeue in him See what is said of the true and counterfeite hearers of Christ Math. 7. and Luc. 6. Chapters Although the authoritie of Moyses was great with the Iewes yet bicause Peter will omit nothing he ioyneth hereto testimonies of the Prophetes diuers of the which it is like he rehearsed But here he taketh all saying All the Prophetes from Samuell and thencefoorth as manye as haue spoken haue tolde of these dayes He beginneth the number of the Prophetes with Samuel bicause before him was no Prophete after Moyses whose writings are extant Yea before he prophecied the worde of the Lorde was a rare and precious thing as we reade 1. Samuel 3. Which afterwarde by many Prophetes began most clearely both to be preached and writen euery where And as many as were from that time haue prophecied of Iesus Christ as may plainely appeare to all them which haue reade their sermons or bookes with diligence It is a plaine and manifest oracle of God that Nathan telleth to Dauid of Christ
manifestly set forth Gods helpe and the myraculous deliuerie of the Apostles For they say they finde the prison close shutte and the keepers diligently watching and yet no man in the prison What other could be hereof gathered but that this was the worke of God For who was able so to haue beguyled the keepers and brought out the Apostles without their knowledge They are therefore not without a cause wonderfully vexed in their minde and wote not what to doe For they feele the prickes of conscience which vse to take holde euen on the wickedst But there commeth an other message that more mooueth and grieueth them For there commeth one that telleth them how the Apostles are openly and boldly teaching in the Church which could not but be occasion of great griefe to such ambitious men perceauing that their authoritie was neyther regarded nor their power feared This example teacheth vs howe easie a thing it is for God to frustrate the wicked attemptes of his enimies For who would haue thought the Apostles could haue bene brought out of the prison without the knowledge of the keepers But that which seemeth impossible to man is as easie to God as the dust to be scattered with the winde For he is able to beguile them whom it seemeth no man can beguile eyther by sleepe eyther by benumming of senses eyther by giddinesse of head or many other wayes Furthermore they haue them to witnesse and declare the myracle whose helpe they thought to vse in oppressing the truth Therefore the same thing happeneth here vnto them that did at the first when they sent their seruauntes to take Christ and they returned agayne not onely without him but also gaue a notable testimonie of hys doctrine Whervnto that testimonie was not vnlyke that the souldiours gaue of Christes resurrection whome they therefore hyred to watch his graue bicause he should not rise agayne Lyke examples we reade euerywhere in the scripture Pharao went about to oppresse and destroye the children of Israell And yet he brought hym vp in his owne house and set him on his lap whome God had appointed to be the delyuerer and reuenger of his people Afterwarde when he set the Magitians agaynst Moses he hearde them openly testifie that the finger of God wrought by Moses And this is also like where Balaam hyred by the king of Moabytes to cursse the people of Israell was enforced whether he would or no to blesse them What shall we speake of Achab who most cruelly persecuting the Prophetes of God cherished and reuerenced the most faythfull Patrone of the Prophetes and the verye onely Mecaenas of those dayes amongs the Lordes of his Court I omyt infinite examples of lyke sort which might be brought both out of later and auncient hystories besides those whereof we haue daylie experience I thought good to admonishe the faythfull seruaunts of Christ by these onely that they might diligently marke and obserue the lyke For great and verie profitable is the vse of these examples For first they comfort vs in aduersitie in that we see mannes power farre inferriour to Gods and that mannes enterprises can not hynder the purpose of god Next they profite vs to frame our lyfe after that we rashely withstande not Gods prouydence and ordynaunces For what is impossible to God which in times past so merueylousâ—y did frustrate and disappoint the attempts of the men in the beginning with the wonderfull diuision of tongues and not so fewe tymes as once by the ministerie of one Angell only made kinges and princes to be laughed at of all men Wherfore to humble our selues vnder his mightie hand is both safest and profitablest for our helth and saluation Further let vs consider the priestes and other that satte in thys counsell which yet haue not learned to gyue place vnto God and not content that their folly is nowe opened to all men shewe yet an incurable impietie of minde For the Captaine of the Temple being sent by them bringeth the Apostles without anye resistaunce before the counsell absteyning in deede from vyolence not that the consideration of Gods woorke and myracle made them euer the meeker but bicause they feared least the people would stone them Here we haue to consider not onely the priests and their complyces but also God and the Apostles In the Priestes and Captayne of the Temple may be perceaued the incurable malice and peruerse blindenesse of minde in the wicked For it was sayde before howe they were in doubt and perplexitie what to doe Whervpon maye easily be gathered that they were striken with some perseueraunce of the thing that was done But yet they go not on therein so farre to acknowledge the myracle with their hart and to yeelde vnto god Nay they returne to their purpose and as the things folowing declare go about to kyll them whome they sawe God a little before had so marueylously saued Many examples prooue that thys is the disposition of all wicked Pharao many times ouercome with the maiestie of Gods myracles and griefe of plagues confesseth the God of Israell desyreth Moses to make intercession for him and promiseth he wyll accomplish the commaundement of god By and by he falleth to hys olde vsage being ready to resist God agayne a freshe And euen as these men doe here so did they before in the resurrection of christ For when they knewe it by relation of the souldiours they would neyther beleeue the truth nor feare the inuincible power of Christ but brybed the souldiours with money and spredde false rumours amongst the people of him as though Christes glorie could haue beene defaced by lying whome the authoritie of the Emperours maiestie in whose name the graue stone was sealed could not keepe within the graue And would to God we had onely but olde examples of thys obstinacie and founde not euery where nowe a dayes such as neyther by the iudgements of God nor testimonie of their owne conscience are content to yeelde to Christ and his truth This is an infallible argument of reprobation and a worthy punishment of the contempt of Gods word which once by his Prophete and afterwarde by Christ he threatned to his enymies where he sayth yee shall heare in deede but ye shall not vnderstand ye shall plainely see and not perceaue Harden the hart of this people stop their eares and shut their eyes that they see not with their eyes heare not with their eares and vnderstande not with their hartes and conuert and be healed These things ought to feare vs that we contynue not in hatred of the truth the ende whereof hath so euill successe We are further taught that the wicked can not alwaye doe that they would but that they many times are brydeled by the secret power of god For hereof commeth it to passe that the Captaine and his souldiours holde their handes fearing least the people woulde stone them So he that thinketh he maye contemne
passe after God had giuen them his lawe he sayth they were iustlye forsaken of God and giuen vp into a reprobate minde and vtterly blinded And that this was the iust iudgement of God may easily be gathered of the things before going For their vngodlynesse and vnthankfulnesse deserued the same whom neyther the worde of God nor infinite other thinges whereby it pleased God to reueale himselfe vnto them coulde keepe in doing their dutie They were worthy therefore that euen seeing they shoulde be blinde hearing they should be deafe and should be hardened in their harts as God threatneth by his Prophete Yet may we see in other Nations lyke examples of Gods iudgementes Paule affirmeth the same of the Gentyles superstition And would to God we sawe not the lyke euen among them that glorye in the name of Christians For after they had banished the authoritie of Gods worde from them and that it lyked them to learne rather of dumbe ymages than of the liuely worde of god then ranne they on so farre in superstition that the very Iewes and Turkes laughed at them And here commeth to my remembrance that notable saying of a Turkishe Ambassador who being in the Court of a great Christian Prince and being asked why the Turkes so abhorred the Christian religion and coulde not be induced to beleeue in it aunswered that no man being in his right witte coulde alowe or lyke that religion which worshipped those for Goddes that were inferior and of lesse power than they that worshipped them And what he ment therby he after declared by our breaden god and by the Idols which were worshipped in Churches which being made by those that worshipped them did prooue sufficiently sayde he that the religion was preposterous and contrary to common sense and reason These thinges Christian Princes knowe the Bishops and people in generall yet no man is grieued at the great iniurie thereby done vnto Christ so that wise men are not without a cause afrayde that many euen in our dayes also are giuen vppe into reprobate mindes This place teacheth vs also that no man can holde the right waye in religion except he be first guyded by the hande and spirite of god For the naturall man perceyueth not the thinges belonging to the spirite of God. Nor no man commeth to Christ except the father drawe him And for bicause he draweth by his worde we must studie the same For whosoeuer make light thereof and cast it fro them make themselues vnworthye of the grace of god Wherefore God turneth his backe vpon them and wrappeth them in darkenesse deuoyde of all light and truth Therefore it behooueth vs to haue a diligent care of the worde and so to depende vppon the same that being entred into the ryght waye we swarue neyther to the right hande nor to the left And least any man should be so impudent as to denye that the fathers thus did Steuen alleageth a testimonie of the Prophete Amos written in the .v. chap. There the Lord accuseth the people of Israell as well for many other vices as for this that they abode not syncerely in his worde And that the heynousnesse of their sinne might the more appeare and that all men might see howe God doth not expostulate with them without a cause he sheweth that this is an olde impietie begun somtime in the wildernesse and afterwarde so increasing that it is become incurable and can not be taken awaye but with the destruction of the whole Nation It shall make much for our instruction if we diligently consider euerye thing that is here sayde First he speaketh of the disobedience and wickednesse of the fathers in the wildernesse in these wordes Gaue yee to me sacrifices and meate offerings by the space of fourtie yeares in the wildernesse ô ye of the house of Israel By asking the question he fortifieth his saying and denyeth that the fathers gaue any sacrifices to him for fourtie yeres long And yet it appeareth they built a Tabernacle according as God had appointed and Alters vpon the which they offred all kinds of sacrifices vnto God which brought them out of the lande of Egypt But God denyeth that thing to be done in the honour of him that is done for any other ende than he appointeth For God appoynted that the ende of all their outwarde ceremonies shoulde be resemblances of the Sauiour that was promysed and that they shoulde admonish them of their dutie as well in fayth and religion as in the whole conuersation of their lyfe But they forgetting this were occupied in the bare ceremonies and thought that by them they satisfied God and purged their sinnes Whereby it came to passe that they abused all their Leuiticals for a cloke and colour of licentiousnesse and wickednesse Therefore God worthily refuseth all this worshipping and sayeth it belonged not to him And there be also other places of Scripture wherein he constantlye affirmeth the same and sheweth that the obseruation of those things which he so diligently prescribeth in the lawe is not profitable Looke Psalm 50. Esay 1. and .43 Mich. 6. Hoseas 6. Yea when he sawe that they gloryed in their circumcision hauing no respect to the spirituall circumcision he cryeth out that their circumcision is not auayleable We are taught therefore by this place that all that worshipping is in vayne which is not done to that ende that God hath appoynted it For it can not be that without the obedience of fayth any kinde of worship can please God. But where the worde of God is neglected there remayneth no place for faith or obedience therfore they are but as vncleane and prophane things whatsoeuer they doe although outwardly they appeare agreeable with the worde of god What shall we then say of those ceremonies which stande onely vpon mannes authoritie and tradition the Lord long ago with one word hath vtterly ouerthrowne them saying they worship me in vaine teaching doctrines of men Euery plant which my heauenly father hath not planted shall be pulled vppe by the rootes ▪ The Lorde holding on in repeating the sinnes of the Israelites rehearseth what their posteritie did after they were in possession of the lande of Chanaan you tooke vnto you the Tabernacle of Moloch and the Starre of your God Rempham figures which you made to worshippe them He comprehendeth all sortes of Idolatrie vnder three kindes The first was the worshipping of Moloch which as it appeareth by the actes of Salomon who first builded a Temple to him was the God of the Ammonites And it seemeth he was the God called on at mennes natiuities or byrthes in the honour of whome infantes were sacrificed in fire as Manasse did which sacrificed his sonne in fire God had appoynted death for the punishment of this wickednesse as is declared Leuiticus 20. in these wordes Whosoeuer hee be of the children of Israel or of the straungers that dwell in Israel that giueth of his seede vnto Moloch
nothing contrary to the same though it seeme neuer so worthy of authoritie And hereof the Lord himselfe giueth vs warning where he forbiddeth vs in the law to beleeue false Prophets although they confirmed their doctrine with myracles For the Lorde your God sayeth Moses tempteth you to see whether you loue the Lorde your God with all your heart c. Therefore they obiect myracles to vs in vaine which go about to perswade vs in things varying from Gods worde See 2. Thess. 2. Math. 24. Besides in Simon is set forth a manifest marke whereby a deceyuer may be knowne For he challengeth to himselfe godly honor which Satan chiefly desireth to th ende to spoyle God of his honor wherein he farre differeth from the good Aungels which refuse godly honor being offered them and put it ouer vnto god See Apocal. 19. and .22 And the faythfull seruaunts of God being well remembred of their naturall corruption be most free from this sacrilegall desire of godly honor and giue all the prayse to God for whatsoeuer they doe well and laudably Example hereof we haue seene before in Iohn and Peter and shall hereafter see the lyke in Paule Therfore let them be driuen from vs and clapped out of our company which dare to take vpon them any be it neuer so little a peece of diuine honor For he can be no faythfull seruant that will take vnto him his maisters glory Last of all we haue in the Samaritanes an example of the inconstancy and lightnesse of the Commons in that they yeelde to this crafty deceyuour and suffer themselues to be beguiled This is the propertie of the world to delite in deceyuers and to reioyce in deuisers of straunge subtelties But if there be any hope of neuer so little gayne yee shall see them who oughte to depend onely vpon the word of God by and by striken in a great rage They that in these dayes seeke after Soothsayers to heare tell of thinges lost or who hath taken them away giue vs examples of this madnesse And there be woorse than these which thinke diseases may be put awaye by incantations and certaine conceiued formes of wordes and with costly superstition hyre such as professe such kynd of witchcraft But the obedience of the Samaritanes being better instructed deserueth prayse This it becommeth vs to imitate and not to giue our studye to curious sciences which are long since plainely condemned by Gods sentence See Exod. 22. Leuit. 20. Deut. 18. Mich. 5. God the father hath appointed Iesus Christ to be our teacher and Sauiour Him it behooueth vs to heare and to doe his commaundement to whome be prayse honor power and glory for euer Amen The .lviij. Homelie BVT assoone as they gaue credence to Philips preaching of the kingdome of GOD and of the name of Iesu Christ they were baptized both men and women Then Simon himselfe beleeued also And when he was baptized he continued with Phillip and woondered beholdyng the my racles and signes which were shewed When the Apostles which were at Ierusalem heard say that Samaria had receyued the worde of God they sent vnto them Peter and Iohn which when they were come downe prayed for them that they might receyue the holy Ghost For as yet he was come on none of them But they were baptized only in the name of Christ iesu Then layde they their handes on them and they receyued the holy ghost BIcause the kingdome of our Sauiour Iesus Christ was to be extended ouer all the world it was therfore necessary that the gospell by the teaching wherofmen are brought vnto Christ should be preached vnto all Nations whereof we haue seene how the Apostles receyued a commaundement of the Lorde himself being ready to ascende vp into heauen The great persecution which Luke sayth beganne at Ierusalem gaue an occasion of the putting this matter in execution For where before the tyme of this persecution the sermons of the Apostles sounded but in Ierusalem onely the other faithful ministers of Christ beyng thence dispersed beganne to preach in other places and had such good successe that within short space Phillip being come to Samaria wanne vnto Christ by his continuall preachyng the Gospell the people of the Citie which Simon long tyme had bewitched with his Magicall sciences For they contempning his Magicall conueyaunces began to giue eare vnto Christ to heare him only And how prosperously they tooke this thing in hand this present place declareth which setteth out vnto vs a more full constitution and ordering of that churche and most diligently sheweth the great going forwarde of those men in fayth and other gifts of the spirite First it is declared how they grew into one body of a congregation where he sayth Assone as they gaue credence to Philips preaching of the kingdome of God and of the name of Iesu Christ they were baptized both men and women Therefore this place is attributed chiefly to the beliefe which they gaue vnto Philips preaching in such sort that they thought his doctrine was confirmed with authority inough by the myracles which he wrought We learne therfore that through fayth congregations do duely grow in one are most stronglye knit with an inwarde bande For this Fayth only grafteth vs in Christ Iesu and maketh vs members of one body in him as Paule in many places testifieth Whervpon we euidently gather agayne that where men want faith there can be no church of Christ for such must needes be led with most variable and contrary senses and meanings We are taught by the example of the Samaritanes that the worde of God where men teache must be beleeued and that it must not be comptrolled by mans reason so that it shall nede euery day new authority For as Paule testifieth that the scriptures are inspired of GOD so the ministerye of the worde instituted of Christ in his church expressely teacheth the same Therfore whosoeuer beleeueth the ministers of Christ bringing Christes voyce and his worde we may saye hee beleeueth Christ and not men For vnto all suche belongeth this saying of Christ He that heareth you heareth me And whosoeuer receyueth hym that I sende receyueth me Wherefore Paule iudgeth the Thessalonians for this cause woorthy to be praysed for that they receyued his doctrine not as the worde of a man but as of an Aungell And the same prayse the Samaritanes deserue and as many as haue beleeued the Gospell according to their ensample Furthermore to this inwarde communion consisting of Fayth is ioyned also an outwarde bande of communion or societie For it is sayd that all as well men as women were baptized in the name of Iesus christ For as Christ chose his elect out of the world so will he haue them separated from the world and consecrated to himselfe onely To the which ende he requireth of them a playne confession of their fayth and furnisheth them wyth sacraments whereby they be
Lord both of lyfe and death And the elect acknowledged the same which streight waye when they had seene the myracle beleeued in the Lorde Unto this narration Luke addeth a few other thinges which serue for a preparation to that that foloweth For he sayth that Peter remained at Ioppe certaine dayes in the house of one Simon a Tanner in whose house he was admonished by a vision from heauen to call the Gentiles into the Communion of the church and was sent for by Cornelius the Centurion as shall be shewed in the Chapter folowing Here let vs obserue of what maner of people the Primitiue Church was collected seeing Peter had none other hoste but such an one as got his liuing by an handycraft and that not one of the fynest Hereof Paule teacheth vs that we shoulde reioyce in the Lord alone Furthermore the modestie of Peter is declared who disdayned not such an harbour where as nowe adayes kinges palaces are scarce able to receyue his counterfeyt successor Let vs follow the modestie of the Apostle and therin beleeue and serue Iesus Christ to whome be prayse honor power and glory for euer Amen The tenth chapiter vpon the Actes of the Apostles The .lxx. Homelie THERE was a certaine man in Caesarea called Cornelius a Captaine of the souldiers of Italy a deuout man and one that feared God wyth all his houshold which gaue much almes to the people and was alwayes in prayers vnto god The same sawe by a vision euidently about the .ix. houre of the day an Angell of God comming in to him and saying to him Cornelius When he looked on him hee was afrayde and sayde what is it Lorde He sayde vnto him Thy prayers and thy almesses are come vp into remembrance before god And nowe sende men to Ioppa and call for one Simon whose surname is Peter Hee lodgeth with one Simon a Tanner whose house is by the sea side He shall tell thee what thou oughtest to doe HItherto the first part of this storie hath bene declared wherein hath bene shewed howe the Apostles according to the commaundement of Christ preached the wholesome worde of the Gospell euerywhere to the Iewes And a great many beleeued and Luke declareth a marueylous increase of Christian faith in the Church Yet the greater part and specially those that were of most authoritie withstoode the truth For both they layde handes on the Apostles and stoned Steuen and made hauocke of the whole Church at Ierusalem by horrible persecution and sent Saule with publike commaundements as farre as Damascus to oppresse the growth of Christes Church being euen in the blade as we commonly vse to saye And it is not vnlyke but manye others did as it is here written Saule did Therefore the vncurable and stubborne contempt of so wholesome a doctrine deserued that at length the kingdome of God shoulde be taken from the Iewes and brought to the Gentiles as Christ prophecied should come to passe How this thing beganne to be put in effect Luke rehearseth in this Chapter and declareth the storie of Cornelius which we maye aptly name the first fruites of the Gentiles that were called seeing he was chosen of God to be the beginning of so weightie a matter Aboue all thinges the principall vse of this hystorie must be obserued which consisteth herein howe God vseth to cast of the vnthankfull and wicked enimies of the Gospell by his iust iudgement and is not so bounde to any Nation that he is compelled to beare with it if it be vnwoorthy Herevnto is to be added an other thing that is to saye howe the saluation contayned in Christ belongeth not to the Iewes onely but also to the Gentyles Which as it is no small comfort to vs which come of the Gentyles so it behooueth that wee stande alwaye in feare bicause the Iewes were cast of and forsaken least we by like vnthankfulnesse and disobedience deserue also to be refused For Paules saying shall alwayes stande in his full strength and force If God spared not the naturall braunches take heede least it come to passe that he spare not thee also And this is the sentence of Christ long agone pronounced that euery braunch that bringeth not forth fruit shall be hewen downe and cast into the fire But bicause the vocation adoption of the vncircumcised Gentiles seemed to the Iewes a foolysh and an absurde thing for that they onely so many yeares togither were thought worthye of that name and tytle and therefore abhorred all other Nations as we doe the Turkes and them at this day First God would haue the vocation of the Gentyles to be preached by the Prophetes whereof we may see singuler testimonies in them Psal. 2. and .27 Esay 2. and .19 Agayne 42. and .49 Zach. 9. c. Then declareth he a notable beginning hereof in Cornelius whome he so called that any man might see therein the counsell and deuyse of Gods prouidence For he doth vouchsafe to sende his Aungell from heauen to Cornelius and instructeth Peter by an heauenly vision whereby he declareth that he will haue the Gentyles called into his Church as we shall see when we come to the place At this tyme we haue to consider what God did vouchsafe to doe by Cornelius For Luke beginneth with the description of Cornelius which he knitteth vp in marueylous breuitie and playnenesse First declaring his state and kynde of lyfe hee sayth he was a Captayne of the Italian Souldiers For the Romaynes vsed to entertayne diuers bandes of men of diuers Natiâ—ons according to the which they gaue them their names And bicause among all nations they esteemed none more than the Italians the Italian garrisons were preferred aboue others And there is no doubt but that Cornelius was an Italian forasmuch as he was one of the chiefe of that bande But bicause he dwelt at Caâ—sarea which the auncient wryters call Turris Stratonis the tower or castell of Straton the maner or state of the souldiers in those dayes must be considered that we maye the easilyer vnderstande the state of Cornelius Thus wryte the Romaine Hystoriographers After the victories that Pompey called the great had gotten who was the first that subdued Syria and Iurie vnto the Romaine Empire the people of Rome had no more grieuous enimies than the Parthians who were greatly encouraged with the death of Crassus with the ouerthrowe of the Romayne Legions and number of ensignes and standerdes which they had taken wherein were the pictures of splayed Eagles paynted Wyth whose incursions and roades bicause they were continually molested they thought good to place in the Cities bordering vpon them certayne garrisons of souldiers which within a short warning being mustred myght make a complete armie if neede so required whereby to repulse and beate backe the enimie And those souldiers also were a defence and safegarde for the Cities of Iurie to tame and keepe vnder the courage of the Iewes which were very prone
no aunswere to or at least he might snappishly haue put them back and rebuked them But he knewe that the same lawe aswell belonged to himselfe as to other where he commaunded all Christian men to be ready to giue a reason or aunswere of their doing to euery man. And as in this place he paciently suffereth the vniust censure and checke of men in a iust quarrell so when he was accused of Paule before all men for his dissimulation and inconstancie we reade he aunswered nothing disdainefully And this we reade was alwaye the custome in the primitiue Church that Bishoppes coulde suffer and beare to bee iudged and corrected by other Byshoppes Thus it appeareth Victor the Bishop of Rome was reprehended and admonished of his dutie by Iraeneus and certaine other Bishops of lesse famous Churches for his ouer hastie sentence of excommunication giuen against the Bishoppes of Asia These things reprooue the pride of the bishops of Rome that folowed who are not only not ashamed to make themselues Iudges ouer all the world but also refuse the iudgement of all men My hart quaketh as often as I remember that blasphemous Canone which will not haue the Pope condemned no not though he forget his owne and other mennes saluation and leade with him headlong into hell whole heapes of mennes soules Howbeit he coulde no maner of way more euidently haue prooued himselfe to be Antichrist than in that he refuseth the iudgement of the Church and Bishops challenging to themselues the supremacie ouer them all But to let this passe let vs hearken to Peter intreating his cause and matter Peter in his Apologie vseth a diligent narration or discourse as euen nowe we declared the which he so ordereth that he reporteth not onelye what was done but sheweth also that it was well done and lawfully And this narration consisteth of fiue partes or members of all which we will speake as much as appertaineth to this present matter letting passe that that hath bene sayde in the Chapter before going In the first part is contayned the vision of a great vessell or sheete let downe to him from heauen by which God taught him that no man from thenceforth should be iudged vnworthy of the Gospell and fellowship of the people of God for neglecting the ceremonies of the lawe forasmuch as the stoppe of the lawe was broken downe by Iesus Christ who had made one people of both Peter thought it good to beginne his narration with this that it might appeare to all men that he did nothing of his owne head but according as God appointed In the second part he alleageth the sure commaundement of God â–ª least he might be thought to haue bene beguyled by some dreame or ydle phantasie For euen at the same time he sayeth by the prouidence of God they stoode at his Hostesse doore that were sent from Cornelius and he addeth The spirite sayde that I shoulde go with them nothing doubting And this is the strength of his whole defence which he setteth against his aduersaries accusation For they sayde Thou wentest in to menne that are vncircumised and hast eaten with them Therefore Peter aunswereth them The spirite of the Lord bade me so to do And being with this simplicitie of words content he letteth passe all Rhetoricall colors wherwith he might haue confirmed garnished this argument Which example teacheth vs that they are not to be accused or if they be accused they may easily be defended before Christian men which cast of the traditions and customes of men at Gods appoyâ—tment For the authority of this saying of the Apostles shall remaine in force for euer we must obey God more than men Let vs also in these dayes with this argument defende our selues against the Papistes which with lyke frowardnesse accuse vs for hauing broken the traditions of men and take occasion of offence on euery side without any giuen on our behalf It offendeth them that we deny Christ is offred in the sacrament of the aultar for the sinnes of the quicke and the deade But we laye against them the word of Christ who yeelding vp his life vpon the crosse declared that all maner of expiation for sinne and our redemption was nowe accomplished Furthermore we heare Paule say that Christ being once offered can be offred no more They are offended bicause they see we haue put the ymage of Christ and the Saintes out of our Churches But we laye for our selues agaynst them the authoritie of God forbidding ymages to be made and commaunding those that are made to be made out of the way and destroyed They are offended bicause we haue taken awaye the differences of meates But the Apostle defendeth vs which sayth it is a doctrine of the Deuill to bring it vp The lyke reason there is of all other thinges in controuersie betweene vs These we haue alleaged onelye for example sake And if our aduersaries will not yeelde vnto the word of God but will holde on and set the customes and traditions of men against the authoritie of the same then shall it easily appeare that they are not the seruauntes of God but of men The thirde part of the narration contayneth the vision of the Aungell which we heard was sent from God vnto Cornelius Hereof Peter thought to make mention to declare that Cornelius did nothing vnaduisedly but was mooued by God to sende for him to teach him Here is diligently to be obserued howe the Aungell speaketh of the ministerie or preaching of the Gospell Peter sayth he shall speake wordes whereby thou and all thy house shall be saued Then he testifyeth that saluation commeth by preaching of the Gospell This the holye Psalmist sawe when he sayde God sent hys worde and they were healed And Paule sayth that the Gospell is the power of God vnto saluation to all beleeuers It is not thus sayd bicause the sounde of wordes bringeth saluation as the supersticious thinke of their exorcismes but bicause through the preaching of the Gospell Christ is offered to vs and they that preach the Gospell be messengers in the roume of Christ that by their ministerie men might be reconcyled to God the father through christ Therefore no common weales nor familyes can haue any sounde health or saluation without they receiue the gospell of Iesus Christ. Therfore their ingratitude that saye the worde of saluation is the cause of all euils as well priuate as publike is most execrable as we read was somtime obiected to Ieremie These men are ledde with the spirite of Caiphas who also sayde that Christ woulde be the author and cause of their destruction vnlesse he were made awaye by the wicked conspiracie of the priests Fourthly he declareth the marueylous sending of the holy ghost The expositor whereof he alleageth Iesus Christ to be I remember sayeth he the worde of the Lorde howe he sayde Iohn baptized with water but you shall be baptized with the holy
is before God acceptable Fifthly thou ceasest not sayth he to peruert the straight wayes of the Lorde In the which wordes he comprehendeth two most heinous offences incurable maliciousnesse and earnest desire to peruert the worde of the Lorde For his worde is simple and pure and sheweth vnto vs a most playne waye of saluation But through the naughtinesse of manne it seemeth vncertaine and full of perplexitie Last of all he thundreth against him the heauy sentence of punishment And nowe beholde the hande of the Lorde is vppon thee and thou shalt be blinde and not see for a season Where yet among the terrible thunder crackes of Gods threates we see there is hope of saluation left if he will repent and turne vnto the lord For God so vseth to reueale his wrath by his worde that yet he will not haue them swallowed vppe of despaire whome he will haue saued The chiefe vse of this place is that we learne what the faythfull Ministers of Christes Church haue to doe in these dayes where many Elymae are buzeing in the eares of Kings and Princes to bring them from the fayth that they may at their pleasure oppresse the ruder sort and the Comminaltie For we can iudge the Monkes and Priests none other which deceytfully sell their trifles vnder color of Gods holy name and like the presumpteous Gyauntes arrogate to themselues power vpon heauen who of set purpose striue against the righteousnesse of Christ and the faith that maketh righteous who impudently set light the authoritie of Gods word and corrupt the same with the traditions of men who make the most plaine way of saluation most intricate and vnfyndable with their infynite mazes of Monkish vowes of orders of rules of merites of bulles of pardons and of cases reserued who fynally not herewith content procure Princes to committe slaughter and murther and to shedde innocent bloude These must be accused with like boldenesse and libertie that men maye learne to beware of them which hitherto haue beguiled them with their stagelike maiestie Neyther lette vs giue eare vnto them which in this case prescribe vs rules of modestie and charitie forasmuch as it is euident that many of them be incurable and are bent onely to defende their vsurped tyrannie be it right or be it wrong Nowe remayneth the ende and successe of this contention heauy for Elymas the deceyuer but most ioyfull for Sergius the Proconsull For on Elymas falleth by and by the punishment pronounced by Paule and being striken blinde he gropeth for one to leade him by the hande The like we saw fall out before to Ananias and Sapphira whereby it behoueth vs to learne the power of Gods word The chiefe thing to be marked in this place is what remayneth for false teachers and deceyuers which dare to withstande the worde of God eyther for vauntage or honour They are made blinde for the most part if not in body yet it minde and the Lorde of his iust iudgement hath giuen them vp into a reprobate sense so that they are neyther able to embrace the truth nor yet to forsake and auoide manifest and knowne errours Furthermore being in Gods iudgement defamed they lose the strength and ayde of fleshe wherein they so much trusted So is fulfylled that that is written in Zachary 11. chap. ô Idols shepehearde that leaueth the flocke The sworde shall come vpon his arme and vpon his right eie His arme shall be cleane dryed vp and his right eye shall be sore blinded And there want not examples of this iudgement in our dayes but we want eyes to behold them And these our Elymae are so much the more miserable that being blinde yet they thinke still they see and seeke for none to leade them but contemptuously disdaine those which God offereth them Furthermore as this contention came to passe vnprosperouslye for Elymas so great profyte came thereby vnto the Proconsull whome the Lorde by this meanes deliuered out of darkenesse For he seeing the iudgement of God beleeued and beganne to make much of Christes doctrine This is the peculiar propertie of Gods children that they acknowledge the iudgementes of God are amended by others example where the euill and deceyuers waxe worse and worse But in all this storie this thing is most comfortable that we see the truth can be vanquished neyther with open force of Tyrants nor subtile conueyance of the Deuill For being pressed and borne downe it riseth againe and by striuing gathereth the more strength Therefore let vs embrace the truth and constantly stande by the author and defender thereof Iesus Christ our Lorde to whome be praise honor power and glory for euer Amen The .lxxxviij. Homelie WHEN Paule departed from Paphos they that were with him came to Perga in Pamphilia and Iohn departed from them and returned to Ierusalem But they wandred through the countries and came from Perga to Antioch in Pisidia and went into the Sinagoge on the Sabboth daye and sate downe And after the lecture of the lawe and the Prophetes the Rulers of the Sinagoge sent vnto them saying ye men and brethren if you haue any sermon to exhort the people say on THere appeare many and notable tokens of diuine power and maiestie in the workes of Iesus Christ but among them al this is the most notable and euident that by the ministerie of the Apostles within few yeres he subdued all the world For where it is manifest that they were furnished with no fleshlye succors but were the least esteemed of all men and yet brought to passe things of such importance we must needes acknowledge that Gods power wrought by them whereby it came to passe that the worlde was brought to a newe countenance and the Gentyles deliuered from the errors of their olde superstition and receyued the true religion This is the chiefe thing that we haue to consider in this present voyage of Paule and Barnabas For these two being sent forth by the appoyntment of God to preach the Gospell indifferently to all Nations they prosperously passe through all impedimentes standing in their waye And fyrst cōming to Cyprus they subdue vnto the kingdome of Christ the inhabiters of a most rich Islande giuen to all riotousnesse and worshipping of Venus and they doe not onely winne vnto them the common people but Sergius also the Romaine Proconsull whose authoritie onely had bene ynough to haue resisted them if it had bene mans affayres only they had gone about and they leade about Elymas the sorcerer a chosen instrument of the Deuill and striken with horrible blindenesse in triumph so that in one conflict it appeareth mannes force and the Deuils sleightes were ouercommen both togither Nowe let vs see howe such a prosperous beginning gaue a good occasion to the Apostles farther to spreade the kingdome of Christ. Hauing gone through Cyprus they passe from Paphus into Pamphilia and came vnto Perga a Citie of that Region making a great voyage both by sea
Apostle nowe maketh mention of them after he had begunne to speake of the resurrection But here are certaine thinges diligently to be obserued before we go from this place First we preach sayth he the promise made vnto the fathers Ergo the Apostles are Authors of no newe and straunge doctrine but teache that waye of saluation which was once promysed by God vnto the fathers For this cause Christ alleageth the testimonies of Moses and of the Prophets And Peter heretofore sayde that all the Prophets bare wytnesse of christ By these is prooued the worthinesse of our fayth the certaintie of our saluation gotten by Christ. Moreouer here appeareth the difference betweene vs and the fathers of the olde Testament That saluation was promised vnto them which is perfourmed to vs in christ They also looked for the fulfylling of that which we beleeue is fulfylled Furthermore they had certaine figures and tokens of their redemption to come whereby to exercise and feede their faith But God hath prepared for vs sacramentes and seales of our redemption and saluation which are accomplished and finished To conclude our eyes see and our eares heare that which the holye fathers in times past greatly desyred to see and heare As these things confirme our fayth so they ought to stirre vp our mindes to be thankfull that we seeme not ingratefull to despise the saluation giuen vs the hope and expectation whereof kept the fathers in times passed in all kinde of dutifulnesse in the middle of all their aduersities Furthermore the truth and infallible trust of Gods promises may herein be seene For he so perfourmeth the promises made to the fathers vnto their children that he rather would haue his sonne lyue poorely and not regarded in this world and at length to suffer shameful death than to breake his promise Where also other circumstaunces are to be considered of vs all which it appeareth to agree with the promises of God the Oracles of the Prophets For at the tyme promysed the sonne of God came to take fleshe vpon him when nowe the fourth Monarchie flourished and when the Scepter was taken from Iuda He was also borne of a woman hys mother yet remayning a Uirgin The place where he was borne was Bethleem foreshewed by the oracle of the Prophet The myracles wrought by him were such as Esay sayde should be done in his kingdome cap. 53. As touching his death and passion resurrection ascention what needeth to speake seeing that in them is fulfilled according to the letter all the things which are red Psal. 22.41.68 Is. 53.63 Of the effect of these thinges which God sometime promised by his Prophetes we spake before It is truely therefore sayde of Paule that God hath perfourmed whatsoeuer thinges were in times past promised to the fathers Here ought we to fet argumentes of consolation in our temptations that we doubt not of Gods promise in perfourming of his helpe and fauour who we heare hath so faythfully perfourmed those things which coulde not be perfourmed but by hys sonne sent into the worlde and into the darkenesse of death But let vs returne vnto Paule which confirmeth by the Oracles of the Prophets that which he spake of Christ with so great authoritie Amongst which the chiefe place is attributed to Dauid who in the fyrst Psalme which nowe a dayes is counted the seconde he sayth prophecied of christ And he bringeth one verse of the Psalme onely yet so as he calleth to their remembrance the whole Psalme which though some go about to expounde of Dauid yet in deede it contayneth a manifest prophecie of the kingdome of Christ forasmuch as diuers things therein can by no meanes be applied vnto Dauid For the Prophete by suggestion of the spirite sheweth that Christ shall haue many and cruel enimies desirous to ouerthrow his kingdome and to pull downe all his authoritie but their enterprises shall be in vaine bicause Christ shall ouercome them all The cause of all which he alleageth to be Gods decree saying Thou art my sonne this day haue I begotten thee Aske of me and I will giue thee the Gentyles for thine enheritance Paule expoundeth this place of Christes resurrection bicause that hereby God openly declared him to be his sonne euen when his wicked enimies chiefly conspired against him For not long before he hearde those blasphemous wordes If thou be the sonne of God come downe from the crosse If he be the king of Israel let him now come downe from the Crosse and we will beleeue him c. Yea being compassed about with the cruell terrors of death he cryed out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me And shortly after he was so closed in his graue that Pylate the Romane President in the Emperours name and authoritie sealed the graue stone with his ring set souldiours to watch it that he shoulde not ryse agayne who would then haue thought he had bene the sonne of God vpon whome the wicked had such authority But euen the same daye God begate him that is to say declared him to be his sonne whome yet otherwise he begate from euerlasting and yet nowe seemeth he to forsake him cast him of For when his wicked enimies sayd If thou be the sonne of God come downe from the crosse he would not haue him come downe but did that that was more in raysing him vppe againe from death so that by their owne wordes he condemned them for wicked and shewed in deede that Iesus Christ is his sonne We haue furthermore to consider that the holy ghost prooueth the kingdome of Christ and his diuine maiestie chiefly by his resurrection For Paule in another place speaking of Christ sayth who was declared to be the sonne of God with power according to the spirit that sanctifieth in that that he rose againe from death For when death was ouercome it appeared vnto all men that the Deuill also which was the Lorde of death was ouercome which victorie was not a worke of mannes power but of Gods maiestie This thing must also be extended vnto Christes members For where both he that sanctifyeth and he that is sanctifyed are all one our glory also which is due to the children of God shall appeare at length in our resurrection We crie now also Abba father and carye the pledge of saluation in our heartes which is the holye ghost and be euen now the children of God but yet it appeareth not what we shall be But we knowe that when Christ appeareth at the later daye wee shall be like vnto him This is the cause that Christ calleth that day the regeneration Math. 19. not bicause we are then fyrst made the children of God but for that they that seeme in this worlde to be forsaken of God enuyed shall at that day be declared to be the children of God See Wisedome 5 Let vs herewith comfort our selfe in aduersitie against the vniust iudgement that
the saying of Dauid Many are the tribulations of the iust and that Christ foretolde shoulde come vnto vs And in all these things we must remember that so it must be not onely for that God maye be founde true of hys worde but bicause it is expedient thus to tame and brydle our fleshe and to mooue vs to lothe this lyfe and to desire the life to come For we feele in our selues what a loue of this worlde is in our fleshe and with howe much adoe we are brought to the desire of heauenly things And what thinke you woulde come of vs if we should taste of no aduersitie in this world but haue all things come to passe according to our desire lyking Surely the flesh would neuer be brought to renounce this worlde which notwithstanding all these vexations is woonderfully in loue with the worlde The second reason is that they declare how there is a ioyfull ende of tribulations for that by tribulations there is an entrance for vs into the kingdome of god Which wordes are not so to be vnderstanded as though by suffring afflictions we deserue the kingdome of God which is purchased for vs by the bloude of our Sauiour Christ only But they teach vs that Christ by his example hath trode out this way vnto vs that as he by the crosse entred into the glory of his father so the ende of all afflictions is set forth vnto vs to be the inheritaunce of eternall life according to the promise of Christ I will that where I am there my Minister shall also be Who therfore will henceforth abhorre the crosse who will be offended at afflictions seeing he heareth they come also vnto the wicked but by Christes meane worke to the saluation of the godly Let vs remember these things at this day O brethren Let vs consider that it is Gods appoyntment that we should be thus invred with diuers troubles and that it can not be otherwise bicause the naughtynesse of our flesh so requireth Let vs haue an eye to the example of Christ who bicause he woulde be our Captaine suffered fyrst all these things Furthermore let vs fasten the eyes of our minde vppon the glory of the heauenly life and forgette these frayle and temporall things behinde vs Lette vs ioyne herevnto feruent prayer that he maye vouchsafe to accomplish and performe the good worke which is begonne in vs And so shall it come to passe that being inspyred with his spirite and grace and hauing prosperously ended this race of our life and attayned to the rewarde of the heauenly we shall liue and reigne with our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christ to whome be prayse honor power and glory for euer Amen The C. Homelie AND when they had ordeyned them Elders by election in euery congregation and had prayed and fasted they commended them to the Lorde on whome they beleeued And when they had gone thorowout Pisidia they came to Pamphilia and when they had preached the woorde in Perga they descended into the Citie Attalia and thence departed by shippe to Antioch from whence they were committed vnto the grace of God to the woorke which they fulfilled When they were come and had gathered togither the congregation they rehearsed all that God had done by them and howe hee had opened the doore of fayth vnto the Gentyles And there they abode long time with the Disciples AS it was the dutie of the Apostles to bring our Sauiour Iesus Christ Disciples and to gather him a Church out of all Nations by preaching of the Gospell so was it their parts and dutie carefullye and diligently to see vnto the same Churches And this doe Paule and Barnabas most faythfullye For after they had with perill of their lyues planted Congregations at Antioche Iconium and Lystra they laboured with all industrie possible to maintaine and defende the same against the assaults and craftes of Satan And bicause they knewe the Iewes did marueylously vexe them they returned againe to the Churches there notwithstanding they were opprobriously driuen forth of them Neither doe they returne without profyte but confyrme and strengthen the mindes of the Disciples with admonitions and comfortes exhorting them to continue and abide in the doctrine and putting away the slaunder and offence of the Crosse of all which hath bene spoken in the sermon before going Herevnto is to be adioyned that that is sayde in the beginning of this place touching Elders ordeyned by the sayde Apostles When we haue hereof intreated as much as God shall giue vs grace then will we speake of their returne vnto the Church at Antioch agayne to whome they recounted all that they had done abrode When they had sayth Luke ordeyned them Elders by election in euery congregation and had prayed and fasted they commended them to the Lorde on whome they beleeued They are called Seniors or Elders which partlye are Ministers and teachers of his word and partly such as are ayding and assisting the Pastours in the administration of the Church and which by reason of their authoritie see that Discipline be obserued in the Church And where Luke sayth they ordeyned such in euery Church it easily appeareth that it is very necessarye for the conseruation of the Church to haue such as by whose ministery the doctrine of the worde may be had in continuall vse This is requisite both for the infyrmitie of the flesh and also bicause of the corruption of mannes nature which must needes be oftentimes warned to doe his dutie least he be brought to destruction by the craftes and subtiltie of the Deuill For the which cause Christ did not onely sende forth the Apostles to preach the Gospell among all Nations of the worlde but also gaue vnto his Church Pastours and teachers by whose diligence the fayth and knowledge of God which the Apostles taught might be confyrmed and preserued in mens mindes And Paule writeth that he left Titus for this cause in Creta that he should ordeyne Elders in euery Citie of that Islande And herevnto it is manifest the godlyest Kings and Princes that were hertofore had a respect by whose liberalitie Churches were endowed and enriched least for want of prouision the ministery of the word shoulde haue fayled Therefore their error is very pieuishe and absurde which reiect the doctryne of the worde as vnprofytable and superfluous For if these men did well knowe themselues they would perceyue that thys is the readyest waye whereby to attayne vnto saluation as Christ sometime tolde Martha being very much busied and occupyed in other matters Therefore as many as will haue the Church to be maintayned let them diligentlye prouide that the Church want not fytte and worthy Ministers The Euangelyst also declareth the ceremony or maner of choosing Elders wherein prayer and fasting were fyrst placed whereof mention was made as we haue hearde before in the lyke case Act. 1. and .13 When the Scripture vseth to ioyne both these togither it signifyeth that
be vnderstanded as concerning the hystory of Cornelius the Centurion which Peter alleageth to verie good purpose bicause the same before had bene called in question and argued on among the faythfull as we sawe in the eleuenth Chapter The summe of his argument is this God when he called and adopted Cornelius and his family from gentilitie vnto Christ and into the societie of his Churche did by that example set forth vnto vs a true and perfyte meane and way of attayning vnto saluation But he requyred nothing else of them but to heare the gospell of me and to beleeue it Ergo these two thinges are sufficient for man to be iustifyed by and to attaine vnto saluation that is to say to heare the gospell and by true fayth to imbrace Christ preached in the same And Peter gathereth most strongly of perticulers an vniuersall doctrine bicause God vseth one certaine and inuiolable rule in sauing of all men And it is not lyke that God would neglect that rule in sauing a prophane souldyour that was confyrmed in the bloude of his sonne But that his argument might beare the more weight he calleth them for wytnesses of the same thing you know sayth he how that a good whyle ago that is in the beginning of the Church God dyd choose or appoint amongst vs that the Gentyles by my mouth should heare the worde of the gospell and beleeue Upon the which wordes he might haue inferred why then doe you requyre circumcision and fulfylling of the law ouer and beside those things that seeme to God sufficient Or whence haue you authoritie to alter the order appoynted of God and to be so bolde as to adde or take anye thing from the same But he leaueth all this to them to gather Yet he ioyneth two things more hereto whereby he openeth this example Fyrst God sayth he which knoweth the hartes and is not deceyued with any outwarde appearaunce hath aboundantly prooued this waye that I haue nowe tolde you to be sufficient euen by his owne testimonie For assoone as men beleeued the gospell that was preached he sent vnto them the holy ghost as well as vnto vs Which spirite since this world and prophane men euen by Christs owne testimonie can not receyue it appeareth most euidently that God acknowledged these men for the members of his Church and for coinheritours with Christ although they were neyther circumcised nor had receyued any other ceremonie of the lawe Then pointing as it were with hys fynger to the maner of iustifycation and God sayth he put no difference betweene them and vs seing that with fayth he purifyed their hartes Before this in deede the Iewes were deuided from the Gentiles by the lawe but Christ hath broken downe the particion of the lawe and of two people hath made one Church and hath purifyed the Gentiles as well as the Iewes by fayth Hereto appertayneth that place of Paule And the wordes which he wryteth to the Romanes cap. 3. We holde therefore that a man is iustified by fayth without the workes of the lawe Is he the God of the Iewes onely ▪ Is he not also the God of the Gentiles yes euen of the Gentiles also for it is God onely that iustifyeth the circumcision that is of fayth and vncircumcision thorow fayth Furthermore Peter in one briefe sentence comprehendeth whatsoeuer may be sayde of our iustifycation Fyrst he confesseth that our hartes haue neede to be purifyed Man therefore must needes be a thing altogither polluted bicause the hart is the Fountaine out of which spring all our doings God himselfe beareth wytnesse hereof where he sayth the inuentions and deuises of man are naught euen from his childhood And this one thing is aboundantly sufficient to ouerthrowe all the righteousnesse of our workes as oftentimes we haue declared Then teacheth he howe purifycation is wrought by fayth bicause it taketh holde of Christ whome God hath ordeyned to be our iustifyer He cleanseth vs from our sinnes through the merite of his bloude He communicateth vnto vs his righteousnesse so that by reason of fayth whereby we be grafte in him we are taken for righteous in the sight of god Wherefore Paule declareth that he is made our righteousnesse of God Againe besides this he onely mortifyeth the reliques and dregges of our fleshe whiles he chaungeth and regenerateth vs by his worde and spirite gyuing vs power to bring forth fruites aunswerable to our profession Whervnto these words of his are to be referred Now are you cleane thorow the words which I haue spoken to you He that abydeth in me I in him bringeth forth much fruit But bicause we can haue no felowship with Christ but through fayth the scripture truly affirmeth that we be purifyed iustifyed by fayth which phrase of speech must not so be taken as though faith were a vertue through the merite wherof men were clensed frō their sinnes but bicause we therby take hold of Christ in whō all our righteousnesse consisteth Thirdly he maketh God the author of this purification Therfore he is the only author of our faith which Paule also testifyeth to be the gift of god And Christ sayth none commeth vnto him but whom the father draweth For where the naturall man perceyueth not the mysteries of the spirite we of our selues are not able once to thinke well we must needes be illuminated and drawne of God that fayth may take place in vs So all the glory of our iustification must returne vnto God and nothing must be lefte to mans power or merite This sawe Dauid long ago when he called vpon God to be forgiuen of his sinnes saying Washe me throughly from my wickednesse and clense me from my sinne Purge me with Isope and I shall be cleane washe me and I shall be whyter than snowe Delyuer me from bloud-guyltinesse ô God thou that art the God of my saluation And hereby maye we receyue great comfort to strengthen our faith in temptations For where our iustifycation and saluation dependeth vpon God it must needes be certaine and infallible Hereof proceede those sayings of Paule who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods chosen It is God that iustifyeth who is it that can condemne Such was the certainetie of this doctrine among the people of God in all ages that the Phariseys also could plainely confesse that God onely had power to forgiue sinnes Therefore we doe not without cause nowe a dayes bewayle the folly and pryde of those men which attribute this glorie eyther to their owne workes or else to most arrogant and impudent hypocrites Howe grieuously these men offende Peter sheweth in the second part of his oration which now we shal consider Nowe therefore sayth he why tempt you God to put vppon the Disciples neckes that yoke which neyther our fathers nor we were able to beare He teacheth by these weightye wordes that all our saluation is ouerthrowne and that such
euerywhere extant in hystories and Poetes wrytings the examples of fylthie lust the Poets seeking great commendation of wytte by descrybing such venerious actes and persons Therefore it was needefull to admonishe the Gentyles diligently of both these things Hereof ought to be gathered a generall and perpetuall precept howe it is the duetie of christian people to keepe themselues in all things cleane and vnspotted vnto god Neyther must they be partakers of straunge sacrifyces for as much as God requyreth the whole heart and minde of man. And that saying of Paule is well knowne you can not be partakers of the Lordes tables and of the table of deuilles Agayne as touching our conuersation of lyfe it behooueth vs also to consecrate the same vnto god For it is euident that our bodyes through the bloude of Christ are dedicated to be temples of the holye ghost Therefore God must be glorifyed in our bodyes Wherefore fylthie and abhominable is the error of them which say whoredome is lawfull and free for christian men whereas Paule would not once haue it named among christians and threateneth the horrible vengeaunce of God not onely vnto adulterers but also vnto whoremongers In the second sort are numbred strangled meates and bloude from which he would haue the Gentyles also absteyne For although thys precept be numbred among the ceremonies which are plainely abolished in Christ yet bicause there was an olde lawe concerning the same appointed by God vnto all the worlde after the floude and thys was a thing daylie vsed among men they of the weaker sorte among the Iewes coulde not but be greatly offended seing the Gentiles eate of all those things without any difference Therefore Iames thinketh it meete that the Gentyles in this behalfe should refraine their lybertie and for charities sake absteyne from those things which of themselues were lawfull and graunted by God yet by vsing them inconsiderately and vnwarily might be offence vnto others And that this was the Apostles meaning appeareth by the wordes of Paule I know and am fully certified by the Lorde Iesus that there is nothing common of it selfe but vnto him that iudgeth it to be common to him it is common But if thy brother be grieued with thy meate now walkest thou not charitably destroy not him with thy meate for whome Christ dyed Cause not your treasure or commoditie to be euill spoken of for the kingdome of God is not meate and drinke but righteousnesse and peace and ioye in the holye ghost c. He sayth also that he would neuer eate fleshe rather than offende any man. Therefore this place maketh not for them which thinke they may lawfully prescribe fasting dayes and such lyke by the authoritie of the Apostles commaunding to absteyne from strangled and bloude For theyr reason is not all one bicause they vrge mans traditions onely which are of no authoritie in religion and laye snares for mennes consciences which the Apostles thought by all meanes to be auoyded But hereto also appertayneth the reason that Iames bringeth Moses sayth he hath of olde time in euery Citie those that preach him in the Synagoges where hee is read euery Sabboth daye By the which wordes he meaneth nothing else but that as yet Moses was of such authoritie among the Iewes that it was impossible sodainely to pull them from his ordinances Therefore for the times sake and for charitie this was to be graunted them vntill mens consciences in the meane season being at libertie the olde ceremonies might honorably be layde aside and buried In the meane whyle we haue to consider that this was an auncient vsage in all ages among the people of God that the lawe and sacred scriptures were vsed to be reade on the holy dayes It becommeth vs therefore to keepe the same vse and diligently to defende our libertie and hauing a consideration of charitie and puritie of life beware of gyuing of offences So shall it come to passe that both we our selues shall be saued and shall also bring others vnto Iesus Christ to whome be praise honor power and glory for euer Amen The Ciiij Homelie THEN pleased it the Apostles and Elders with the whole congregations to sende chosen men of their owne companye to Antioche with Paule and Barnabas They sent Iudas whose surname was Barsabas and Sylas which were chiefe men among the brethren and gaue them letters in their handes after this maner The Apostles and Elders and brethren sende greeting vnto the brethren which are of the Gentyles at Antioche Syria and Cilicia for as much as we haue hearde that certaine which departed from vs haue troubled you with wordes and cumbred your mindes saying you must be circumcised and keepe the lawe to whome we gaue no such commaundement It seemed therefore vnto vs good when we were come togither with one accorde to sende chosen men vnto you with our beloued Barnabas and Paule men that haue ieoparded their liues for the name of our Lorde Iesus Christ we haue sent therefore Iudas and Silas which shall also tell you the same things by mouth for it seemed good to the holye ghost and to vs to charge you with no more than these necessarie thinges that is to saye that yee abstayne from thinges oâ—fered to ymages and from bloud and from strangled and from fornication from which if you keepe your selues you shall doe well So fare you well BIcause all power is gyuen vnto Iesus Christ from God his father he can therefore not onely defende and preserue his kingdome but also so moderate and gouerne all thinges that whatsoeuer Satan worketh against the same kingdome he maketh it serue for the setting forth of the same For after Satan could not by persecutions and open violence stop the course of the gospell he set vpon the Church by sowing dissention among them and raysed a grieuous contention about iustifycation which is the chiefe and principall article of christian religion to this ende and purpose that all the doctrine of the gospell might be enuyed and suspected But he preuayled so little that by this occasion the truth was the more knowne and the righteousnesse of fayth the more valiauntly defended agaynst the Phariseys as we haue hytherto seene in the sayings of Peter Paule and Barnabas and last of all by Iames saying Wherevnto chiefely belongeth that ioyfull and victorious ende of all the contention which Luke nowe describeth Fyrst rehearsing the consent and agreement of the whole Church and next a Copie of the Epistle sent from the Synode of all which we shall speake in order First he expresseth the vniforme consent of them all where he sayeth the Apostles and Elders and the whole Congregation decreed that Messengers should be sent with letters to Antioch where this great fyre was fyrst kindled in all their names This was very prudently decreed of them for that the present contention might hereby not onely be alayed but all occasion of strife in time to
the fiftenth of the Acts touching these poyntes Heere throughout all this doing appeareth the obstinacie of the Iewes and howe small prerogatiue the dignitie of this world hath in matters of religion seeing no where was founde greater infirmitie and weakenesse of Faithe in the Apostles time than in the Churche at Ierusalem which might iustly glory both in notablenesse of Citie and in Chrystes sermons and in the first fruites and springth of the Gospell We are also taught howe greatly those supersticious teachers of Ceremonies hinder the Gospell which nourishe the weake in fayth with the long retayning of them and with their bearing pull backe the more feruenter sorte of Ministers Let vs therfore cast away suche weake shores and proppes of this doubtfull wauering flesh and holde faste the verity of fayth and beeing mindefull of Christian libertie let vs constanâ—ly magnifie the Author thereof which is the onely begotten sonne of God Iesus Chryste our Lorde and Sauiour to whome be prayse honour power and glory for euer Amen The Cxl. Homelie THEN the nexte day Paule tooke the men and purified him selfe with them and entred into the Temple declaring that he obserued the dayes of the purification vntyll that an offering shoulde be offered for euery one of them And when the seauen dayes were nowe almost ended the Iewes which were of Asia when they sawe him in the Temple moued all the people and layde handes on him crying Men of Israell helpe This is the man that teacheth all men euery where agaynst the people and the Lawe and thys place He hath also brought Greekes into the Temple and hath polluted this holy place For they had seene with him one in the Citie Prophimus an Ephesian whom they supposed that Paule had brought into the Temple And all the Citie was moued and the people swarmed togither And they tooke Paule and drue him out of the Temple and foorthwith the doores were shutte As they were about to kyl him tydings came vnto the high Captayne of the Souldiours that al Hierusalem was moued Which immediately toke Souldiours and vndercaptaynes and ran downe vnto them When they sawe the vndercaptayne and the Souldiours they left smyting of Paule BIcause Paule the Apostle was euill spoken of among those of Ierusalem for his doctrine about the Law as though he had simply and absolutely condemned it with the preceptes and Ceremonies thereof as a thing of it selfe euill and noughte the Elders of the Congregation councelled him howe he should cleare him selfe of all suche suspition And verily it is a thing worthy of prayse in them that they are so carefull for such a mans good name but yet to be disliked that they giue such councell as repugneth with the plaine profession of faith and christian libertie For this teacheth vs that the Ceremonies of the law and Leuitical worshipping are by Chryst abrogated and that therefore hencefoorth there is no more vse of them in religion For why should they be accounted after Christes coÌ„ming among those things that apertaine to the honor of God seing that God in time past would not be worshipped by theÌ„ but ordeined theÌ„ for figures of things to come of the redeÌ„ption which he had promised The holy Ghost setteth out this example neither for vs to folow neither to diminishe the aucthoritie either of Paule or the Elders and cheefely of Iames but for that we should learne to suspect the wisedome of the fleshe in matters of saluation and religion not to swarue one nailes bredthe from the word of god This shall the whole successe of the matter more fully declare which now forthwith we shall cheefely consider Paule obeyeth the counsell of the Elders hauing no small occasion to haue expostulated with them that they had so long borne with manifest erroures and superstition Yet he modestly and frendly yeldeth vnto them as well for that he would not seeme waiwarde and obstinate as also for that he thought heereby to haue occasion with more fredome to teach the Iewes Wherefore he goeth into the Temple with those foure men that had the vow on them declareth openly the time when they would be purified and procureth to haue a sacrifice offred for euery one of them Now who seeth not heere a manyfest errour why doth he not as he had before time doone when he would beare neuer so little the dissimulation of Peter Why had he no consideration of the Gentiles which might be maruellously offended at this his dooing Thinketh he there were no false brethren at Ierusalem which woulde priuily espie out the libertie of the Christians Therefore this example teacheth vs howe greatly men erre in Religion when they take the wisedome of the fleshe ouer hastily to councell For Paule beeing deceyued heereby recedeth from his former simplicitie and layeth a stumbling blocke in the way of those Gentiles which beleeued and yet preuayleth neuer the more amongest the Iewes For they who are not moued with the authoritie of Gods worde a man shall in vayne go about to moue them with lenitie and councell of the flesh Therfore it is the safest way for vs to acknowledge that all matters in Religion appertayne vnto god alone and that we haue no authoritie ouer them Thus shall it come to passe that we shall take nothing vppon vs therein but shall follow the worde of God onely which he hath appoynted to be both a rule vnto vs of fayth and religion and also of our whole life Looke Numer 15. Deut. 4. and 12. Chapters But let vs at length see what was the ende of this facte and councell It seemeth at the beginning that this businesse would well succeede bycause for seauen dayes togither there appeared no daunger But lo when Paule thought the ende was at hande and him selfe in safetie troubles rise on euery side so as he is in suche perill of his lyfe as he was neuer before in the like For through the importunacie and naughtinesse of a fewe of persons the whole Citie was in an vprore and Paule beeing apprehended by certayne sedicious persons had vndoubtedly perished if the Captayne had not bene moued by the singular councell of God to come and rescue him out of the hands of suche a raging sorte But let vs peruse euery thing in order that we may receiue the more instruction thereby First it is declared that the Iewes which came out of Asia were the authors of all this tragedie These are the same which we see many tymes before burned in hatred agaynst Paule following and pursuing him into euery Citie For he neuer suffered any persecution but it was raysed by these men In these persons may be seene the incurable blindnesse of that Nation which Paule himselfe bewayleth in the first Epistle to the Thessalonians the seconde Chapiter which at length was greeuously punished by the iuste iudgement of god In the meane season marke howe paynefull and bolde hatred of the truthe maketh men to bee For these
an angel hath appeaâ—ed to him let vs not stryue agaynst god And when there arose great deâ—bate the Captaine fearyng lest Paule should haue bene plucked asunder of them commaunded the souldiers to go downe and to take him from among them and to bring him into the Castle GOd vseth to exercise his chosen with diuers and greeuous tribulations but agayne he deliuereth them diuers and many times by meanes vnlooked for of both which we haue examples in euerye place But among them all this is very notable which the holy ghost setteth forth by Luke in Paule the chosen vessell of christ For we haue hearde howe he was many wayes layde wayte for by the Iewes and was many times in daunger of his life But God oftentimes raised vp new helpes which for the moste part were suche as Paule once thought not of muche lesse coulde haue wished for or requyred For fyrste he was deliuered out of the furiouse Iewes handes by the Captayne and his Souldiers Shortlye after where he woulde haue pleated his cause he was defended from scourging by priuiledge of the freedome of Rome at length when the Captaine had committed both his matter and life vnto most wicked Iudges God sendeth such a diuision among his enemies that they which not long before wished his death pronounced him innocent These things ought to comfort vs that we through cowardly feare giue not ouer in time of temptation For they confirme the promisses of God wherby he euery where promiseth to be the reuenger of his people But where in this presente place there are many other things also very worthy to be considered it shall bee profitable to examine all the circumstances of the matter which is here rehearsed Fyrst and formost it behoueth throughly to consyder the cause of the dissention which Luke saith was the diuersitie of sectes among the Iewes for some of his aduersaries were Phariseis and some Saduceis And as touching the sectes of the Iewes there are many thinges written in Iosephus which referreth their beginning vnto the time of the Machabees And in deede the approuedst authors testifie that they began vnder Iohannes Hircanus the first for when the Priestes applied them selues more to beare rule than to care for religion diuers opinions began to spring about religion by reason the doctrine of Gods worde ceased which God had appoynted to be still among his people Therfore three sectes sprong vp which deuided the vnitie of the Church and people of god The fyrst was that of the Phariseis who not contented with the lawe folowed traditions and beleued that righteousnes and saluation might be atteyned by workes besides being giuen to the study of Astrologie they taught fatall destenie not much differing in this point from the Stoikes And these men being cloked with the outwarde couering of workes were taken for the most holy of all other The second was the Saduceis who denying that men were subiect vnto destenie attributed freewill vnto them and although they seemed earnestly to commende the studie of vertue yet opened they the windowe vnto Epicure and vnto all kynde of licentious liuing For they denied the Angels and immortalitie of the soule and the resurrection of the body This sect of all other was in most aucthoritie bicause it gaue more libertie than the sharpe traditions of the Phariseis and therfore was very acceptable vnto many Of the thirde sect were the Esseni who perceyuing that the Phariseis and Saduceis measured or weighed vertue but by wordes only and would not them selues expresse the same in their deedes liued a single life would haue no seruantes had their goods common gat their liuing with the labour of their hands and would not come at publique seruice for feare of polluting them selues with other mens companie And bicause these men were fewe in number and sought not to be in office and aucthoritie they got them to dwell in pleasaunt places set with Balsamum where they planted gardens and studied Phisicke wherby bicause they dyd men good they gat great commendation of vertue among all men These mens vsages the Anabaptistes in our dayes doe greatlye resemble sauyng that they more disturbe common weales and fulfill their profession lesse sincerelye bicause they runne headlong into all kynde of beastlinesse and are miserablye vexed and tossed with the perturbations of enuie and hatred Yet bicause thys rule of the Essenes was somewhat austere and vnpleasant it had therefore as we saide the fewer that followed it This is the cause that the wryters of the Gospell make mention onely but of the two first sectes Wee haue to obserue what euill the couetousnesse of Bishoppes and idlenesse that springeth thereof vseth to breede seeing these euilles so defourmed the primitiue Churche For the orders of Monkes in Papistrie bredde of the like beginning abundantly teache vs that this is alwayes the effecte of those vices For the which cause we haue the more neede to take heede in these dayes that the like or worsse happen not againe Also the goodnesse of God is to bee magnified which in so foule a scatterment of his flocke hathe yet reserued some remnauntes in his Churche whereby the same at lengthe might be renewed againe as we see came to passe in the Papacie where the Monkes in euery place ruled the roste For at all times and in all places there haue bene found which durst openly inuey against their hipocrisie and dissimulation to say nothing of those which haue lien lurking in their houses haue thought it great wickednesse to be pertakers of their superstitiousnesse Heere in this place hast thou what to answer the aduersaries which aske if there were no Churche before Luther and Zwinglius dayes Yes wee knowe there was a Churche but the same almoste ouerwhelmed and buryed suche an one as we read was before Christes time among the Iewes and suche an one as was in the dayes of Helias when God saide there were seuen thousand left which had neuer bowed the knee vnto Baal although Helias knewe not one of them Furthermore as concerning this present Historie wee are taught that although the wicked bee diuersly deuided bothe in manners and religion yet they will easily agree togither againste Christe and the truthe For where they all fighte vnder one Prince which is the Deuill they cannot chuse but all take him for their ennimie which specially assaulteth his kingdome Woulde God that they woulde diligently consider these things which seeke their cheefe praise and glory by dissentions and debates which they practise against the Ministers of Christ taking theyr naughtie affections vnto Counsell For heereby they encourage the wicked ennimies of Christe which thinke it an easie matter to vanquishe them whome they see contend so bitterly among themselues But hereof we shall haue more commoditie to speake else where Nowe lette vs see Paule who perceiuing his bande of aduersaries to consist of so diuers sectes deuiseth a way by and by howe to set them
but shadows of Chryst and of the things that belonged vnto hym I omitte the testimonies of the Prophetes for breuitie sake Let this suffise for them al where Christ teacheth vs that the mysteries both of his death and resurrection were long before prophesied by Moses the Prophets and wryters of the Psalmes Therefore Paule very well professeth that he teacheth none other fayth or hope of saluation than that which the fathers had which beleeued the promises that God had made Let vs also obserue howe he complayneth that he is accused for thys selfe fayth and that of the Iewes which did moste glory in the fathers and in the promises This thing teacheth vs what state the truth is in in this world verily euen suche that not only the open enimies take against hir but also those that will seeme to be the most earnest followers of hir This we read came to passe in the time of the Prophets long agone And as Chryst teacheth vs they made muche of the Prophetes tombes and graues which yet hated their doctrine worse than a tode So wheÌ„ Christ came vnto them which euery day looked for him according to the Oracles of the Prophets yet they neither knew him nor receiued him The same we see falleth out also euen in our dayes For they that bragge of the name of Chryst and supersticiously worship the mother of Chryst the Uirgin and the Sainctes with their reliques for Chrystes sake the same persecute the true fayth of Chryst and the doctrine of the Apostles for no cause so muche as for that it chalengeth to Chryste onely all the glory of our redemption and saluation And now a dayes euery where among the Christians suche men are accused of vngodlynesse and heresie as do teach that men ought to trust in Chryst onely and to seeke all their saluation in him alone Therefore we haue as great occasion in these dayes to complayne as Paule had who thought it vnmeete to be accused of the Iewes for the promise sake made sometime vnto the fathers But this is the vntowardnesse of this worlde wherat we must not be offended seeing it is both an olde practise and examples of al ages teach vs that the true worshippers of God haue alwayes wrastled and striuen agaynst the same Let vs obserue moreouer in what order and after what sorte Paule defendeth bothe his fayth and doctrine First he alleageth the promise or word of God and therevnto he ioyneth the consent of the whole Church For he nameth the twelue tribes togither therby playnly declaring that he hath no regarde what a certayne few of the Priestes thinke but what the whole company of the faythfull haue beleeued in all ages according to the word of god This is the best way of mayntayning and defending the fayth For where mannes traditions are of no authoritie with God the worde of God muste principally be brought foorth and by it a reason must be rendered of all opinions This foundation beeing layde then must we also haue an eye vnto the Churche not to the company of a certayne fewe which chalenge to them selues alone the name thereof but vnto that vniuersall assemblie and congregation which wee knowe hath bene from tyme to tyme continually since the beginning of the worlde although sometymes it hath bene somewhat selde and obscure somewhile somewhat more in number and more euident euen as it seemed good vnto him which chose vs in his sonne before the foundations of the worlde were layde Therefore the errour of our age is enormious and playne absâ—rde where many by and by at the firste choppe wyll alleage the consente of the Churche constituting the same vppon a certayne sorte of conspired counterfaytes that is to say smered and shauen creatures of Antichryst to whome they make the worde of God and the interpretation thereof to bee in subiection and gyue them power to decree and appoynte what they wyll concerning the fayth Whome if a man would examine according to the markes of the Primatiue Churche they shall so little be accounted worthy to be heades of the Church that they ought scarse to be taken for any members thereof Laste of all we see that the Article of resurrection ought to be taken for certayne and assured seeing that Paule alleageth the same with a certayne kind of indignation agaynst those that douted therof saying Why seemeth it vnto you an incredible thing that God should raise vp thâ— deade agayne As if he should say Is it not a maruayle that men should doubt of that which is euery where proued by so many argumentes â— For to let passe the Scriptures the reason of Gods iustice requireth that the dead should ryse agayne and receiue a recompence for the things which they heere haue done considering we see the wicked lyue mosâ—e commonly welthyly in this worlde and the godly in miseâ—ie Wee haue more ouer examples appearing euery yere in plants trees and in euery lyuing creature Do we not reade also that the first man was made of the earth â–ª and howe many were raysed agayne to life miraculously firste by the Prophets and then at length by Chryst him selfe But letting passe these arguments Paule sendeth his hearers to the consideration of Gods power onely verily to preuent this mischiefe that measureth the mysteries of fayth according to the capacitie and reache of mans reason It is also a ridiculous errour to thinke that impossible to God whereof we can not perceyue a reason by and by And this is to be obserued not onely in the Article of resurrection but also in all others to the ende wee shoulde subdue our reason to the obedience of fayth Yet must we not bring in as some men vse new and absurde opinions vnder the pretence of Gods omnipotencie For where we are certayne of the will of God according to his worde there it shal be lawfull for vs to reason of his omnipotencie which thing thou shalt in vayne doo if thou doo not first proue that God is willing to do that which thou meanest Furthermore let vs holde faste the chiefe poynt of this place that we trusting in the hope of the ancient promises worship God day and night which hath opened to vs life and eternall saluation in the promised seede Iesus Christ our sauiour to whom be praise honour power and glory for euer Amen The Clxij Homelie I Also verily thoughte in my selfe that I ought to doo many contrary things cleane agaynst the name of Iesus of Nazareth which thing I also dyd in Ierusalem and many of the Sainctes dyd I shutte vp in prison and had receiued authoritie of the highe Priestes And when they were put to death I gaue the sentence and I punished them oft in euery Sinagoge and compelled them to blaspheme and was yet more madde vpon them and persecuted them euen into straunge Cities About which things as I went to Damascus with authoritie and licence of the high Priestes euen at Mid-day
hir go and draue with the weather But we were caryed into an Isle which is named Clauda and had muche worke to come by a bote which they tooke vp and vsed helpe and made fast the shippe fearing least they should fall into the Syrtes and so they let downe a vessell and were caryed The next day when we were tossed with an exceeding Tempest they lightned the ship and the thirde day we cast out with our owne hande the takeling of the Shippe When at the laste neither the sunne nor starres appeared no small tempest lay vpon vs All hope that we should escape was then taken away THat that came to passe vnto the sonne of God our sauiour Iesus Chryst while he liued on the earth to be enured and exercised with diuerse and dayly afflictions the same Paule both by his example in this place and by expresse wordes in other places teacheth vs to remayne for all them which shall followe his steppes For he that had nowe two whole yeres suffered to lye in bonds and to feele the greefes of imprisonment and had tryed day from day the fresh awayts and trecheries of enimies is nowe committed to a most fierce element to try the daungerous tempestes of the sea and at length to proue the misfortunes of vnhappie shipwracke For it was declared in the Homelie afore going howe he came out of Syria vnto the Isle of Candy by contrary windes and very daungerous sayling But yet followeth a description of a farre greater daunger which at length we shall heare ended with shipwracke the order and going forwarde whereof Luke hath reported very truely and diligently bycause in this narration which at the firste sighte seemeth bare and barren there fall out diuerse things which serue both for our learning and comforte Amongest the which this is worthy first to be noted that God admonisheth bothe the souldiours and Mariners in tyme of the eminent daunger For where they had layne at anker a long whyle in the fayre Hauen neare vnto Lasâ—a and winter nowe drewe on The Iewes faste beeing nowe ouerpaste which was vsed to bee kepte in the seuenth moneth which with vs falleth out betweene September and October Paule diligently exhorteth them to putte off their vowe tyll an other tyme Whiche thing it is euident that hee dyd not without the Reuelation of the holy Ghoste bycause he playnely foresheweth the daungers that afterwarde followed And heere wee haue chiefly to consider howe God neuer forâ—aketh those that are his For where he woulde haue all men to be saued he warneth them of dangers in time that they may take heede to themselues and deuise some meanes howe to escape and he attempereth his warnings in diuerse sortes For sometimes he warneth vs by his Prophetes and preachers of his worde which is his most common way vsage and one of the chiefest tokens of his good will towards vs touching the which thing see Amos the Prophet in his third chapter Sometimes he reuealeth vnto vs priuately by our friends and acquayntaunce in what daunger we be He hath also his tokens of diuerse sortes which declare his wrath towards sinners Furthermore he nippeth vs somtime by the eare with the secret inspiration of his spirite and with our owne conscience And we reade that some haue ben admonished by the ministerie of Angels all which things are so common vsuall that we nede not declare them by any examples Let vs learne at the least wise to acknowledge the goodnesse of god and not to contemne faithful wholsome admonitions least we be the authors of our owne destruction For this is the ende of the froward and disobedient as the examples of these men also shal afterward declare But before we entreat therof we haue somthings to say of Paule For we heard before howe he was tolde by the heauenly Oracle that he should go vnto Rome which thing it is playne he firmely beleeued Yet he abused not the Oracle to put him selfe in daunger without cause and so to tempte god But rather beeing admonished of the daunger by a newe reuelation he beleeueth it and lykewise admonisheth other to haue a regarde vnto them selues Whereby it appeareth that the doctrine of fayth and prouidence of God maketh not men to bee rashe and tempters of god For euen as Chryst requireth wisedome in those that be his so when soeuer God offereth vs any lawfull and due meanes of escape it is certayne he would not haue vs to put our selues in daunger Therefore it becommeth vs to vse these meanes of auoydaunce with feare and godlynesse Furthermore Paules wholsome counsayle is not accepted but to the greate hynderaunce and losse of them all is contemned Where it behoueth vs to consider the proceeding of all the matter that wee may learne thereby howe it commeth to passe that a greate many despyse wholsome counsayle and procure their owne losse and sometymes destruction The firste cause alleaged in this place is for that the Centurion thought good to beleeue the gouernour and maister of the shippe rather than Paule And in so doing if a man woulde consider the reason of the fleshe he seemeth it dyd very wisely yet he erreth and that fowely bycause he esteemeth and regardeth the counsayle not according to the cause but after the authoritie of men otherwyse he woulde easily haue perceyued that it was not without a cause that Paule sayde it was ieopardous sayling considering the wynter drewe on And this is a very common errour specially if God giue counsayle by the Ministers of hys worde For to giue eare vnto them it seemeth to many men not onely a greeuous but also a very haynous offence And there are nowe a dayes euery where Achabes and Sedechiases whiche disdayne to heare the Micheases and Ieremyes and thinke they them selues can giue beste counsayle or else take vnto them other counsellers whiche they thynke are more agreable wyth their humours and conditions Heereby moste tymes it commeth to passe that in daungers of warre wee flee vnto barbarous Nations and blouddy Souldioures to leagues of Princes and to Fortresses and Holdes in sycknesses to Phisitions onely in neede and pouertie vnto vnlawefull artes and wee geue eare vnto them which wee suppose haue had good successe heeretofore in lyke enterprises After thys sorte menne are wrapped in many euilles and incumberaunces whiche they myghte easily eschue if they woulde admitte the worde of GOD onely and the aduises and counsayles taken out thereof The other cause why they despised Paules counsayle was for that the Rode or Hauen seemed not to them commodious inoughe to Wynter in For thys cause they drewe vppe their Ankers meaning to seeke some more commodious harbour The same thing sloppeth vppe the way vnto many wholesome counsayles bycause wee bee not contente wyth presente commodities but seeke others in our iudgemente better For thus it commeth to passe that whyle wee followe the insaciable and blinde affections of the fleshe wee entangle our selues