merits while he crowneth he crowneth his owne giftes In all this therefore the Ecclesiasticall Apostolique doctrine remayneth still immutable and vnreproueable That we are iustified and saued by the grace of God through faith and not throughe our owne good woorkes or merits Wee doe nowe againe returne to good workes and are come to expound the description or definition of good woorks which we did set downe in the beginning of this treatise Now therfore vnlesse oure workes doe spring in vs from God throughe faith they cannot haue the name of Good Workes But contrarilie if they doe procéede from God through faith then are they also framed according to the rule of the word of god And for that cause did I in the definition of good workes significantly saye That they are done of them which are regenerate by the good spirite of God through faith according to the word of god For God is not pleased with the workes which we of our selues doe of our owne braines authoritie without warrantize of his word imagine deuise For the thing that he doeth most of all like and looke for in vs is faith and obedience which is most euident to be séene in the verie example of our graundfather Adam and coÌ„trarilie he doth mislike and vtterly reiecte the woorkes of our owne choice our good intents which spring in and rise vpon our owne minds and iudgementes as I will by these testimonies of scripture declare vnto you In the 12. of Deuteronomie we read Euerie man shall not doe that which is righteous in his owne eyes Whatsoeuer I commaund you that shall ye obserue to doe it neither shalt thou ad any thing to it nor take any thing from it Moreouer in the historie of Samuel there is a notable example of this matter to be séene For Saule the king of Israel receiued a commaundement to kill all the Amalechites with all their beasts and cattell but he contrarie to the precept throughe a good intent as he thought of his owne and for a religious zeales sake of his owne chosing reserued the fattest Oxen for to be sacrificed for that cause the Prophete came and said vnto him Is a sacrifice so pleasant acceptable to the Lord as obedieÌ„ce is Behold to obey is better then sacrifice and to hearken is better than the fatt of ramms For rebellion is as the sinne of witchcraft and stubbornnesse is as the vanitie of Idolatrie Lo here in these few words thou hast the goodly praise and commendation of the religion of our owne inuenting and of our owne good workes which doe arise of oure owne good intents and purposes They whiche doe neglecte the preceptes of the Lord to follow their owne good intents and forecastings are flatly called witches Apostataes wicked idolaters They seeme in their owne eyes verilie to be â—ellie fellowes and true worshippers of God and zealous followers of the traditions of the holy fathers bishops kinges and princes but God whiche cannot lye doeth flatly pronounce that their woorkes doe differ nothing from witchcraft Apostacie blasphemous idolatrie than which there can bée nothing more heynous by any meanes deuised Therefore the Lord in the Gospell citing that place out of Esaies Prophecie doth plainly condemne reiecte and treade vnder foote all those workes which we choose to our selues hauing their beginning of oure owne good inteates and purposes where hee sayeth In vaine doe they worshippe mee teaching doctrines the precepts of men Euerie planting which my father hath not planted shal be plucked vp by the rootes Let them alone they be blinde leaders of the blinde And therevppon it is that S. Paule did so boldly affirme that the precepts of men are contrarie to the truth and are meere lyes The same Paule in one place sayeth Whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne And in another place Faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Wherevppon we may gather that the woorkes whiche are not framed by the expresse word of God or by a sure consequence deriued from it are so farre from béeing good workes that they are plainly called sinnes Inforce thou I pray thée neuer so great a good turne vpon a man against his will sée what fauour thou shalt winne at his hand and howe thou shalt please him with that inforced benefite Therefore good woorkes do first of all require the precise expresse obseruing of Gods wil to which alone they ought to tend In his Epistle to the Colossians the same Apostle doeth openly condemne the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the voluntarie religion which they of their owne choyce and minde brought in to bee obserued And what néede haue wée I pray you to inuent to our selues other newe kindes of good woorkes considering that we haue not yet done those woorkes whiche God himselfe prescribeth and doth in expresse words require at our handes By this now oure aduersaries maye perceiue that wée doe not altogether simplie condemne good woorkes but those alone whiche wée by reiecting the woord of GOD doe first set abroache by oure owne imaginations and phantasticall inuentions of which sort are many vpstart woorkes of our holy Monkes and sacrificing shauelinges But to conclude the workes that are repugnaunt to the word of God are by no meanes worthie of any place or honour And that wée maye more rightly perceiue the sense or meaning of good woorkes wée must in mine opinion diligently obserue these wordes of the Apostle We are created in Christ Iesus vnto good woorkes which God hath before ordeined that we should walke in them Hee maketh here two notes concerning those that are good woorkes in deede The first is Wee are sayeth hée created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes It doth therefore necessarilie followe that good workes are wrought of him whiche is by true faith graffed in Christ Iesu For vnlesse the braunche abide in the vine it cannot bring forth fruite All the workes therefore of the faithfull howsoeuer they shine with the title of righteousnesse are notwithstaÌ„ding not good woorkes in verie déede The latter is Whiche God hath before ordeyned that wee should walke in them We must not therfore make accompt that all the workes which men maye doe are to be counted good woorkes in déed but those onely which God hath ordeyned of old that wée should walke in them Now what workes those be the Lord in his lawe whiche is the eternall will of God hath verie plainely expressed And therevppon it is that the Lord in the Gospel being demanded questions concerning eternal life and the very true vertues sendeth the demaunder vnto the lawe and sayth What is written in the lawe And againe If thou wilt enter into life kepe the commaundements Therefore the tenne commaundementes are a most sure and absolute platforme of good woorkes Which that ye may the better vnderstand I will briefly recapitulate and as it were in a picture laye it before your eyes To
and exhortations If so be that euerie church had such a pastour which wold not easily forsake the flocke howe great fruite I pray you shoulde we hope for Wherefore not without cause are we commanded incessantly and earnestly to praye vnto God that he woulde giue faythfull wise godly and diligent Pastours vnto his Churche Thus haue I hitherto spoken of the doctrine of byshops in the church of god And vnlesse a byshop teach after this manner and do those thinges which are ioyned to teaching he is vnworthy eyther of the name of a Byshop Pastour or Doctour howe so euer he pretend an Apostolique title For certeine thinges are ioyned to the doctrine of the Churche which also are required of a preacher of the Gospell and belong to his office as are these to gather together an holie assembly wherein he may preache conceiue prayer and minister the sacraments But of these things shall be spoken in their place Nowe there resteth to be considered howe byshops may gouerne the Churche of Christe with holy example of their life The Lorde in the Gospell sayth to his Apostles Ye are the light of the world A citie that is set on an highe hill can not be hid neither doe men light a candle and put it vnder a bushell but on a candlesticke and it giueth light vnto all that are in the house Let your light so shine before men that they maye â—ee your good woorkes and glorifie your father whiche is in heauen Wherefore Pastours not onely in doctrine but in holie life do giue light vnto the Churche whiche beholding their life agréeable to their doctrine is her selfe also moued to practise innocencie of life For the exaÌ„ple of a good man much preuaileth to the furthering of the loue of vertues And coÌ„trariwise the Scripture witnesseth that the corrupt example of the sonnes of Helie the chiefe rulers in religion was verie analyeable to corrupt the people For the Scripture sayth And the sinne of the children of Helie was to abhominable before the face of the Lorde so that the people beganne to abhorre the sacrifices of the Lorde For men séeing the corrupt life of the ministers of the church begin somwhat to dout of the whole doctrine crying If the pastor thought those things true whiche he teacheth vnto vs he him selfe would not liue so dissolutely Therefore such teachers are sayde to ouerthrowe that with their naughtie life whiche they haue builded with wholesome doctrine Wherefore Paul requireth a byshop or pastor of the people which shuld be blamelesse that is to say whiche can not rightly and worthily be reprehended of the â—aythfull For otherwise by howe muche euerie Bishop shall be more sincere and vpright by so much more shall he be subiect to slaunders and reproches of the wicked the Lord him selfe foretelling the same in the Gospell If they haue called saythe he the Lorde of the house Beelzebub how much more shall they call them of his housholde And If they haue persecuted me they will also persecute you And againe Blessed are ye when men shall reuile you and persecute you and lying shall say all manner of euill saying againste you for my sake Reioyce and be glad for great is your rewarde in heauen Therfore a pastor ought verie carefully and as muche as in him is to take héede that both at home and abroad he liue a life worthy of him selfe and his calling Let him liue chastely as well being single as married Let temperaunce sobernesse thriftinesse or good husbandry hospitalitie and other vertues which I haue before rehersed out of the Apostle flourish in a bishop Let him gouerne his owne houshold wisely and godlily instruct theÌ„ and so bridle them that he giue not occasion of offence to the Church through riotousnesse or other misdéedes For so also the Apostle Paule hath commaunded who frameing againe the exercises of a byshop sayeth Till I come giue attendaunce to reading to exhortation and doctrine He requireth of Timothie a diligent reading that is to say a continuall studie whereby he may more perfectly exhort and teach But Paule requireth of him that hath bene brought vp in the knowledge of the Scriptures from a childe as elswhere he writeth a continuall studie of the Scriptures Howe great diligence then doth the Apostle require of them who as they haue not obtained so plentifull gifts of the spirit as Timothie had so they are not exercised in the Scriptures from their infancie Let a sorte of them therefore be ashamed of their vnskilfulnesse let them be ashamed of leasure not bestowed in studie and of their trauelsome idlenesse For as manye reade not any thing at all but continually liue idlely and as it were rot away in idlenesse so a number of innumerable others are busied in those thinges which nothing become Byshoppes Therefore the Apostle saythe No man which goeth a warrefare intangleth him selfe with the affaires of this life that hee may please him which hath chosen him to be a souldier Here were a fitte place to speake of stipendes due vnto Pastours but we will deferre it to an other place But if Byshoppes come abroade among the people at any time for businesse sake and be present in assemblies of honest men with no lesse care ought they to indeuoure leaste eyther by déede or worde or by apparell or companie kéeping or finally in the whole course of their life they giue any iust occasion of offence to the Churche Let there appeare in Pastoures in all places and at all times holy vprightnesse méete ripenesse of iudgement honest behauiour wisedome modestie humanitie humilitie and authoritie worthy of Gods ministers But let the contrarie vices and wicked misdéedes be farre from them In these fewe wordes I thinke are conteyned those thinges whiche other haue handled at large intreating of the discipline and behauiour of the Clergie For all ages vnderstoode that a dissolute and loose life was euill in all degrées and kyndes of men but in the ministers of the Churche worsse and moste intollerable For what can a minister of the Churche doe in the Churche whose authoritie is altogether lost Authoritie therfore is requisite in Pastors Of the want hereof manye doe complayne and séeing it vnder foote goe about to reare it vppe agayne with I can not tell what kynde of proppes of titles and ceremonies But authoritie is not gotten with suche light and vayne thinges It is rather obteyned by the Grace of God through the loue of trueth and vprightnesse of life if happily God touche mens heartes so as they vnderstande that GOD worketh his worke in the Churche by his ministers as by his instruments if they perceiue that ministers do the worke of the Lorde with feruentnesse of spirite and not coldly not fearing any thing in a good cause no not the wicked and mightie men of this world but doe resist them and yet that they doe nothing of hatred or malice but doe all
nations together but some into Asia some into Scythia other dispersed into other natiōs according to the dispensation of the holye Ghost whiche they had with them euen as they also heard the Lord saying I am with you alwayes euen vnto the ende of the world Herevnto doeth that also agrée Ye shal be wittnesses vnto mee euen vnto the vttermost partes of the world If therefore they being sent into the furthest parts of the earth to beare wittnesse of the Lord were seuered one from another with a very great distaunce of place and yet had present with them the holy Ghost dwelling within them whose substance is not limitable it is manifest that the power of Angels doeth farre differ from this power of the spirite For to vse an example the angel whiche was present with the Apostle when he prayed in Asia could not together at the selfe same time bee present with other whiche were abiding in other partes of the world But the holy Ghost is not onely present with men being seuered one from another but is also a continuall dweller in euerie Angel principalitie throne and dominion c. Now who cannot hereby gather that the holy Ghoste is true and very God The selfe same authour hath gathered very many argumentes of the true godhead of the holy ghost and next him the holy father Cyrill and holy Athanasius hath absolutely discoursed vpon that matter Lib. de Trinitate 11. to Theophilus These fewe testimonies thus farre rehearsed wée thinke shal suffice those that obey and loue the trueth They that stedfastly beléeue these things are not moued with any straung opinions and questions curiouslye yea wickedly brought in about this matter by ill occupied persons For some are reported to haue denied the holy Ghost to be lord For they haue taught that he is a minister and as it were a certeine instrument of the father and the sonne But Christ oure Lord ioyned the holy ghost to himselfe and to the father when hee deliuered the fourme of baptisme For he sayth Baptising them in the name of the father and of the sonne of the holy Ghost And yet it is manifest that a creature is not ioyned to the creatour in baptisme neither that there is any seruile condition in the Godhead Therefore the counsell of Constantinople in their créede giue to the holy Ghost certaine termes whereby they might destroye certaine errours calling him lord giuer of life for when he calleth him Lord he maketh him equall to the sonne and excludeth the condition of a seruaunt or minister beside that he denieth that he is their instrument For there is one Lord there are not many Lords And the sonne is not Lord of the holy Ghoste but the Lordshipp is common to the thrée personnes whiche are onely one lord And séeing the holy Ghost is the Lord surely he is not appointed to a seruile ministerie but indued with Lordly authoritie nether is he an vnderseruaunt to doe the worke but is a ioynt worker with the father and the sonne yea and he himselfe doth worke as Lord. Againe certaine other are reported to haue taught that the holy ghost is not a substance or a person but as it were an accident that is to saye a stirring vp a prouocation or a motion of a Godly and renued minde And in very déed our minde being illuminated with the holy Ghoste is oftentimes called spirite but we must wisely distinguishe the creature from the creator and the accident from the substance The blessed Apostle distinguished our spirite from the holy spirite of God when he said As many as are ledd by the spirit of God they are the sonnes of god The spirite it selfe beareth wittnesse to our spirite that wee are the sonnes of God. And the same Apostle saith The flesh lusteth cōtrary to the spirite the spirite cōtrarie to the flesh And who vnderstandeth not that the mind of man instructed of the holy Ghost is héere called the spirite not the third person himselfe in the reuerend Trinitie And that minde as touching illumination is not of it selfe but procéedeth from the holy Ghoste illuminating it neither commeth it from any other thā from him which is the third person in Trinitie but that minde is not the very person of the holy Ghoste as imagination procéedeth from the soule and yet it is not the soule it selfe That stirring of the spirite in vs is an accident but GOD is not an accident neither is mingled with the accident We must therefore confesse according to the Scriptures that the holy Ghost is a person subsisting coequall in nature or essence with the father and the sonne and therfore to be worshipped and glorified of vs as very God and creatour againe that a godly and holy motion stirred vpp in the mindes of holy men by the spirite is the effecte and woorking of this holy spirite and is called a holy spirite but after a certeine manner proper to it Otherwise we denie not that the holy Ghoste him selfe beeing promised is communicated vnto vs but after our capacitie and as he will. For what is hée amongest men that is able to comprehende the fullnesse of the eeuerlastinge and incomprehensible GOD Furthermore touching the procéeding of the holy Ghost from the father and the sonne the Diuines haue curiously subtily and busily disputed For the question is asked whether he procéed from the father alone or from the sonne also In which question the Latinistes séeme to disagrée verye much from the Grecians The question is also asked what maner of procéeding this is Wée omitting many curious questions wil briefly declare those thinges vnto you whiche are wholsome and agréeable with the holy Scriptures For who shal be able to canuasse out al the questions of curious men and all the bould and vncleane thoughtes of idle heads without offence to good men and especially of the simple hearers That the holy Ghost procéedeth from the father and the sonne the scripture manifestly teacheth which most plainly sheweth that hee is the spirite of either or both of them For hée it is of whome the Apostle sayeth Beecause ye are sonnes God hath sent the spirite of his sonne into your heartes And the sonne speaking of the same spirit sayeth For it is not you that speake but the spirite of your father hee it is which speaketh in you Againe the same sonne sayeth of the holy Ghost Whome I will sende vnto you from the father And againe he sayeth else where Whome the father will sende in my name Therefore hée procéedeth from both as well from the father as from the sonne For although this bee read else-where to bee spoken of the holy Ghoste Whiche proceeded from the father yet it is not denyed that he procéedeth from the substance of the sonne also But that more is Cyrill a Gréeke writer expounding the Gospell of S. Iohn and interpreting this selfe same place Lib. 10.
that séede and branch of life should come Moreouer the holy fathers taught that God by a certaine league hath ioyned him selfe to mankind and that he hath most streightly bounde him selfe to the faythful and the faythfull likewise to him selfe againe Wherevpon they did teache to be faythfull to God ward to honour God to hate false Gods to call vpon the onely God and to worship him deuoutly Furthermore they taught that the worship of God did consist in things spirituall as fayth hope charitie obedience vpright dealing holinesse innocencie patience trueth iudgement and godlinesse And therfore did they reprehend naughtinesse and sinne falshoode lacke of beliefe desperation disobedience vnpatientnesse lying hypocrisie hatred dispitefull tauntes violence wrong vnrightuous dealing vncleannesse riottousnesse surfetting whoredome vnrighteousnesse and vngodlynesse They taught that God was a rewarder of good but a punisher and reuenger of euill They taught that the soules of men were immortall and that the bodyes shoulde rise againe in the daye of iudgement therefore they exhorted vs all so to liue in this temporall life that we doe not lese the life eternall This is the sum of the worde of God reuealed to the fathers and by them deliuered to their posteritie This is the traditiō of the holy fathers which cōprehendeth al religion Finally this is the true auncient vndoubted authenticall catholike faith of the fathers Besides this the holy fathers taught their children childers children the accompt of the yeares from the beginning of the world also the true historicall course as well profitable as necessarie of things from the creation of the worlde euen vnto their owne times leaste peraduenture their children shoulde be ignoraunt of the beginning and succession of worldlye things and also of the iudgementes of God and examples of them whiche liued as well godly as vngodly I coulde declare vnto you all this euidently and in verye good order out of the first booke of Moses called Genesis if it were not that thereby the sermen shoulde be drawne out somewhat longer then the vse is But I suppose that there are few or rather none at al here present whiche doe not perceiue that I haue rehearsed this that I haue said touching the tradition of the auncient fathers as it were worde for worde out of the booke of Genesis so that nowe I maye very well go forwarde in the narration which I haue begonne So then what so euer hitherto was of the fathers deliuered to the world by worde of mouth as it were from hand to hande that was first of all put into writing by the holy man Moses together with those thinges whiche were done in al the time of Moses life by the space of 120. yeares And that his estimation might be the greater throughout all the worlde among all men and in all ages and that none shoulde but knowe that the writings of Moses were the very worde of God it selfe Moses was furnished and as it were consecrated by God with signes and wonders to be meruelled at in déede whiche the almightie by the hande that is by the ministerie of Moses did bring to passe and verily he wrought them not in any corner of the worlde or place vnknowne but in Egypt the moste flourishing and renoumed kingdome of that age Those miracles were greater and farre more by many then that they can be here rehearsed in fewe wordes neyther is it néedful to repeate them bicause you dearely beloued are not vnskilfull or ignorant of them at al. After that also God by other meanes procured authoritie to Moses For many and often times God had communication with Moses and amongst the rest of his talke sayde he Beholde I will come to thee in a thicke cloude that the people may heare me talking with thee may beleue thee for euermore Neyther was the Lord therewith content but commaunded Meles to call together all the people sixe hundreth thousand men I say with their wiues and children They are called out to the mount Sina where God appeareth in a wonderfull and terrible fashion and he him selfe preaching to the congregation doth rehearse vnto them the ten Commaundements But the people being terrified with the maiestie of God doth pray and beséech that God him self would no more afterward preach to the congregatiō with his owne mouth saying that it were inoughe if he would vse Moses as an interpreter to them and by him speake to the Church The most high God did like the offer and after that he spake to the people by Moses what soeuer he would haue done And for bycause that the people was a stifnecked people by keping company with Idolaters in Egypt was not a little corrupted Moses nowe began to set downe in writing those things whiche the holy fathers by tradition had taught the things also which the Lorde had reuealed vnto him The cause why he wrote them was least peraduenture by obliuion continuance of time and obstinancie of a people so slowe to beleeue they might either perish or else be corrupted The Lord also set Moses an example to folow For what so euer God had spoken to the Church in Mount Sina that same did he streight way after write with his owne finger in two tables of stone as he had with his finger frō the beginning of the world writtē the same in the harts of the fathers Afterward also in plain words he commaunded Moses to write what soeuer the Lord had reueled Moses obeyed the Lordes commaundement and writ them The holy Gheste whiche was wholye in the mynde of Moses directed his hand as he writ There was no abilitie wanting in Moses that was necessarie for a most absolute writer He was aboundantly instructed by his auncestours For he was borne of the holiest progenie of those fathers whome God had appointed to be witnesses of his will commaundements and iudgements suppose Amram Kahad Iacob Sem Methusalem and Adam He was able therefore to write a true and certain Hystorie from the beginning of the worlde euen vntill his owne time Wherevnto he added those thinges which were done among the people of God in his owne life time whereof he was a very true witnesse as one that sawe and heard them Yea and that more is whatsoeuer he did set forth in his bookes that did he read to his people and amongst so many thousandes was there not one found which gainsayed that whiche he rehearsed so that the whole consent and witnesse-bearing of the great congregation did bring no small authoritie to the writings of Moses Moses therefore contained in the fiue bookes called the fiue books of Moses an hystorie from the beginning of the world euē vnto his own death by the space of 2488. yeres In which he declared most largely the Reuelation of the worde of God made vnto men whatsoeuer the word of God dothe containe and teach In which as we haue the manyfolde Oracles of God him self
which he doeth beléeue is so sette downe and declared in the worde of God as he doeth beléeue Furthermore where the Lorde in the Gospell sayeth All thinges are possible to him that beleeueth we must not take that sayinge to be absolutely spoken but to be ioyned to the worde will and glorie of God and the safetie of our Soules For all thinges whych God in his worde hath promised all thinges which God will haue and lastely all thinges whiche make to the glorie of God and sauegarde of our Soules are possible to him that beléeueth And for that cause the Apostle both openly and plainly sayd Whatsoeuer God hath promised that same he is able also to perfourme For whatsoeuer he hath not promised and whatsoeuer pleaseth not his diuine maiestie or is contrary to the will and expresse worde of God that cannot God doe not bycause he can not but bycause he will not God could make breade of stones but we must not therefore beléeue that stones are breade neyther are they breade therefore bicause God can doe all things This ye shall vnderstande better and more fully where as a litle hereafter I shall shew vnto you that true fayth strayeth not nor wauereth wandringly to and fro but cleaueth close and sticketh fast to God and his worde In the meane season bicause we haue shewed out of Paules wordes by the example of Abraham that faith is a substance and vndoubted persuasion in the harte And bicause many doe stiffely stande in it that man is not surely certaine of his saluation I will adde a fewe examples out of the gospel wherby they may plainly perceiue that faith is a most sure groūd setled opinion touching God and our saluation And firste verily the Centurion of whom mention is made in the gospell had conceiued a stedfaste hope that his seruaunt should be healed of the Lorde For he vnderstoode howe great and mightie thinges he promised to them that beléeue He gathered also by the workes of Christ that it was an easy matter for him to restore his seruaunt to health againe Therefore he commeth to the Lorde and amonge other talke sayth It is no reason that thou shouldest come vnder my roofe yea doe but say the worde and my seruaunt shal be made whole These wordes doe testifie that in the hart and minde of the Centurion there was a sure persuasion of most assured health which by a certaine comparison he doth make manifest and more fully expresse For I my selfe am a man vnder the authoritie of an other and vnder me I haue souldiours and I say to one goe and he goeth and to an other come and he commeth and to my seruaunt doe this and he doeth it When the lord perceiued this certificatiō of his mind by his wordes most sull of fayth he crieth out that in al Israel he hath not found so great faith The same again in the gospell speaketh notably of the womans fayth which was sorely plagued with the bloudy fluxe And that that faith was an vndoubted persuasion in her harte once illuminated we may thereby vnderstande because she beinge first in déede stirred vp by the workes wordes of the Lord thought thus within herselfe if I do but touch his garment I shall be whole And therfore preassing through the thickest of the throng commeth to the lord But why heape I together manye examples doth not the onely faith of the Chananitish or Syrophenissian woman declare more plainely then that it can be denied how that faith is a most assured persuasion of thinges beléeued For being ouerpassed and as it were contemned of the Lorde she wauereth not in faith but following him and hearing also that the lord was sent to the lost shéep of the house of Israell she goeth on to worship him Moreouer being put back as it wer touched with the foule reproch of dog she goeth forwarde yet humbly to cast her selfe prostrate before the Lorde requesting to obtaine the thinge that she desired She would not haue perseuered so stiffely if fayth had not ben a certification in her beléeuing minde and harte Wherefore the Lorde moued with that fayth of hirs cryed Woman great is thy fayth be it done to thee euen as thou wilte It is manifest therefore by all these testimonies of the holy Scripture that Faith is a stedfast and vndoubted persuasion in the minde and hart of the beléeuer This being now brought to an end let vs see what it is wherevpon mans fayth doth leane and also how we may clearely perceiue that fayth is not a vayne and vnstable opinion as a little before we were about to saye of any thinge whatsoeuer conceiued in the minde of man but that it is tyed vp and contayned within boundes and as it were certayne conditions In the definition therefore of fayth we sayd that fayth bendeth to Godwarde and leaneth on his worde God therfore and the worde of God is the obiect or foundation of true fayth The thing wheron a man may leane safely surely and without all manner doubting must néedes be stedfast and altogether vnmoueable which doth giue health which doeth preserue and which doeth fill vp or minister all fulnesse vnto vs For this doth fayth séeke and request But this is not else where thē in god On God alone therefore doeth true fayth bende and leane God is euerlasting chiefely good wise iuste mightie and true of worde And that doeth he testifie by his workes and worde Wherefore in the Prophets he is called a strong and vnmoueable Rocke a castle a wall a tower an inuincible fortresse a tresure a wel that neuer wil be drawne drie This euerlasting God can doe all thinges knoweth all things is present in all places loueth mankinde excéedingly doeth prouide for all men and also gouerneth or disposeth all thinges Fayth therfore whiche is a confidence of Gods good will and of his ayde in all necessities and of the true saluation of mankinde bendeth on God alone cannot leane to any other creature in whome the thinges are not that fayth requireth And euen as God is true of word and can not lye so is his word true and deceiueth no man In the worde of God is expressed the will and mynde of God To the worde of God therfore hath faith an eye and layeth hir groūd vppon Gods worde touching which worde the Lorde in the Gospell sayd Heauen and earth shall passe but my worde shall not passe The worde of God here is compared with the moste excellent elements Ayre and Water are féeble and vnstable Elements but Heauen although it turne and moue doth kéepe yet a wonderful and moste stedfast course in mouing and stedfast are all thinges therein The Earth is moste stable and vnmoueable Therefore if it be easier for these thinges to be loased which can not be vndone then for the worde of God to passe it followeth that Gods worde in all pointes is moste stable vnmoueable and not possible to be
tranquilitie doe preserue fellowly societie among men doe defend the good bring inordinate persons into better order and lastly doe not make a little onely to the setting for warde of religion but doe also abrogate euill customes and vtterly bannish vnlawfull mischiefes Hereof we haue examples in the déedes of Nabuchodonosor Cyrus Darius Artaxerxes and other Princes more But touching the Magistrates power his lawes and office I will speake of them in an other place Ecclesiasticall lawes are those which being taken out of the worde of God and applyed to the state of men times and places are receiued haue authoritie in the church among the people of god I call these ecclesiasticall lawes and not traditions of men bycause being takeÌ„ out of the holy scriptures and not inuented or brought to light by the wit of man they are vsed of that Churche which heareth the voyce of the shéepehearde alone and knoweth not a straungers tong The congregation commeth together to heare the word of God and vnto common prayers at Morning at Euening and at such appointed houres as are moste conuenient for euery place and euerie people and that the church holdeth as a lawe The Church hath solemne prayer times holy dayes and fasting dayes which it doth kéepe by certaine lawes The Church at certaine times in a certaine place and appointed order dothe celebrate the Sacraments according to the lawes and receiued custome of the Church The Churche baptiseth infantes it forbiddeth not women to come to the Lordes Supper and that it holdeth as a lawe The Churche by Iudges conueniently appointed doth iudge in causes of matrimonie and hath certaine lawes to direct them in such cases But it deriueth these and al other like to these out of the Scriptures and doth for edification apply them to the estate of men times and places so that in diuers Churches ye may sée some diuersitie in déede but no discord or repugnancie at all Furthermore Ecclesiasticall lawes haue their measure certain marks beyond which they may not passe to wit that nothing be done or receiued contrarie or differing in any iote from the worde of God sounding againste charitie and comelinesse either in little or muche that lastly this rule of the Apostle may be effectually obserued Let all thinges be done decently according vnto order and to the edification of the Church If therefore any man shall goe about vnder a coloured pretence of ecclesiastical lawes tobring in and pop into the mouthes of the godly any superstitious busie and vnseemely traditions of men whiche withal do differ from the Scriptures their part shall be first to trie that deceipt of theirs by the rule of Gods worde and then to reiect it There remaine nowe the traditions of men whiche haue their beginning are made and inuented of men at their owne choyce of some foolishe intent or some fonde affection of mankinde contrarie or without the holy Scriptures of which sorte you shall finde an infinite number of examples I meane the sectes the dominion and single life of spirituall men the rites and sundry fashioned customes vsed in their Church Touching all which the Lorde in the Gospell citing the Prophet Esaie sayth Why transgresse ye the Lords commaundement for your own traditioÌ„ ye hypocrites rightly did Esaias prophesie of you where he saith This people commeth nigh vnto me with their mouth and with their lippes they honour me but their heart is farre from me but they worship me in vaine teaching doctrines the precepts of men The blessed Martyr Cyprian alluding to these wordes of Christ Epistolarum lib. 1. epi. 8. saith It is corrupt wicked and robberie to the glory of God what soeuer is ordeyned by the giddie madnesse of mens heads to the violating of Gods disposition Depart as farre as may be from the infectiue contagiousnes of such fellowes and seeke by flight to shunne their talke as warely as an eating cancker or infecting pestilence for the Lorde forewarneth and telleth you that they are blinde leaders of the blinde Paule also in his Epistle to Titus sayth Rebuke them sharply that they may be sound in the fayth not taking heede to Iewishe fables and commaundements of men turning from the trueth I doe of purpose here let passe the words of Paul in his second chapter to the Colossians bycause the place is knowne of all men I will not trouble you dearely beued with too large and busie an exposition hereof For I suppose that this little that I haue sayde touching the lawes of nature and of men I meane lawes politique Ecclesiasticall and méere traditions of men are sufficient to the attentiue and faythful hearers who at their comming home do more diligently thinke of euery point by theÌ„ selues and also reade the places of Scripture often cited by me and deuoutly expounded The Lord for his mercy graunt that we doe neuer despise the admonitions of natures lawe graffed in our heartes nor yet be intangled in mens traditions but that we in walking lawfully in vpright politique lawes and holy Ecclesiasticall ordinaunces maye serue the Lord To whom be all glory honour and dominion for euer and euer Amen Of Gods lawe and of the two first commaundements of the first Table ¶ The second Sermon THE lawe of God openly published proclaimed by the Lord our God him self setteth downe ordinarie rules for vs to knowe what we haue to doe and what to leaue vndone requiring obedience and threatning vtter destruction to disobedient rebels This lawe is diuided into the Morall Ceremoniall and Iudiciall lawes All whiche partes and euery point whereof Moses hath very exquisitely written and diligently expounded The Morall lawe is that which teacheth men manners and layeth downe before vs the shape of vertue declaring therewithall howe great righteousnesse godlinesse obedience and perfectnesse God looketh for at the handes of vs mortall men The Ceremoniall lawes are they whiche are giuen concerning the order of holy and Ecclesiasticall rites and ceremonies and also touching the ministers and things assigned to the ministerie and other holy vses Last of all the Iudiciall lawes giue rules concerning matters to be iudged of betwéen man and man for the preseruation of publique peace equitie and ciuil honestie Touching the two latter of these I will speake of them in place conuenient At this time I meane to discourse vpon the Morall lawe First of all therefore let no man thinke that before Moses time there was no lawe and that the lawe was by Moses firste of all published For the selfe same especiall pointes of the Morall lawe whiche Moses setteth down in the ten Commaundements were very well knowne to the Patriarches euen from the beginning of the world For they worshipped the one â—rue God alone for their God whome they reuerenced and called vpon him Iacob tooke away with him the Syrian Idolles of Laban out of his house and hid them in Bethel vnder an oke or Terebinth trée which was nigh to
god Because man is created to the similitude and likenesse of god If a man should of purpose deface the image of the King or Prince set vp at their commaundement hée should be accused of treason committed in how great daunger is he then that doth destroy a man which is the reasonable liuely and very picture of God himselfe Wée read that Theodosius the Emperour did determine to destroy a great number of the Citizens of Antioch for none other cause but for ouerthrowing that Image that was set vp for the honour of Placilla Augusta But thereunto is added that one Macedonius an Heremite came to the Emperours messingers said O my friends goe say to the Emperour Thou art not an Emperour only but also a man Do not thou cruellie destroy the image of god Thou angrest thy maker when thou killest his image Consider with thee selfe that thou art soaâ—ie for an image of brasse Now it is euideÌ„t to al meÌ„ what difference there is betwixt a thing that is dead and that which hath life and a reasonable soule Moreouer it is an easie matter in steede of one brasen image to set vp more but it is vnpossible to restore one haire to them that once are slaine Finally murder is clean contrary to the nature of man For man chéerisheth himselfe and flesh destroyeth not it selfe but preserueth and nourisheth it selfe so much as it may But al wée men as many as liue are of one lumpe and of the same substantiall flesh to kill a man therefore is against mans nature Furthermore al men are the children of one father of one stocke of the same progenie murder therefore is directly against ciuil humanitie and is a plague that reigns amoÌ„g men And doth not the Lord our redéemer also require charitie of all men which must so abound that wée may not sticke to die for our neighbour To kill our neighbour therefore is flatly repugnaunt to Christian religion And take this by the way too that the bloud of man shedde by murder crieth out of the earth to heauen for reuengment For to Cain when he had slaine his brother it was said The voyce of thy brothers bloud crieth out of the earth and is come vp to mee For bloudshedde verilie polluteth and maketh the ground accursed whereon it is shedde and is not cleansed againe nor easilie appeased vntill it doe also 〈◊〉 the giltie bloud of them which spilte before the giltlesse bloud of innocentes Lastly murders procure marke y conutters thereof with endlesse spots of reprochfull infamie and that which is worst of all it bringeth vnto them euerlasting damnation Wherefore Salomon in his Prouerbes sayth My sonne if sinners entice thee consent not vnto them If they say Com with vs we will lay waite for bloud wil lurk priuily for the innocent without a cause Wee will swallow them vp like the graue quicke and whole as those that goe downe into the pitte Wee shall find all maner of costly riches and fil our houses with the pray Cast in thy lot among vs wee wil all haue one purse My sonne walke not thou with them but rather pull back thy foot from their wayes For their feete runne to euill and are hastie to shead bloud Now Dauid sayth that The bloudthirstie man and the hypocrite are abhominable to the Lord. From this law is exempted the Magistrate ordeyned by God whom God commaundeth to vse authoritie and to kill threatening to punish him most sharpely if hée neglect to kill the men whom God commaundeth to be killed This sixt commaundement of the Law therefore doth flatly forbid vppon priuate authoritie to kill any man But the magistrate killeth at Gods commaundement when hée putteth to death those which are by law condemned for their offences or when in defence of his people he doth iustly and necessarilie arme himself to the battell And yet the magistrates may offend in these two pointes two sundry wayes For either they do by law that is vnder the coloured pretence of law sâ—ay y giltlesse to satisfie their own lust hatred or couetousnes As wée read that Iesabell slew y iuste man Naboth with the Lords Prophets Or else by peeuish pitie and foolish clemencie do let them escape skotte frée whom the Lord commaunded them to kill as Saul Achab are reported to haue sinned in letting go the blouddie kings whom God commaunded to be slaine And Salomon in the 17. of his Prouerbes doth testifie that the Lord doth as greatly hate the magistrate that acquiteth a wicked person as him that condemneth an innocent man The magistrates also in making or else repelling warre do offend two wayes in this sort For either they doe vniustly themselues make warre vppon other men and intangle their people therein Or else they suffer forreigne enimies to rob and spoile the people committed to their charge do not with such force as they may kéepe off and defend that open wrong and manifest iniurie Both these offences are of sundrie sorts and therewithall so great that they can hardly be purged Thou readest therefore that the holie kings of Israell did neuer make warre vppon any body vnlesse the Lord commaunded them And they againe fought for their people suffered them not to be led away captiue as miserable bondslaues For so did the blessed Patriarch Abraham follow vpon pursue those foure kinges nay rather cutthroate robbers of the East and recouered by force of armes Lot Lots substaunce and the people of Sodom that were carried away And such warres as these are taken in hand either for the recouerie or else for the confirmation of peace so that the magistrates that make warre in such a cause are rightly and in déede the children of God because they are peacemakers For all peace makers are the children of God. And now this place and argument doe require that I speake somewhat touching the office or authoritie of the magistrate which by Gods helpe I will assay to doe not that I meane or can alledge all that may be sayd therof but that which shal séeme most properly to declare the meaning of it and is most necessarie for this presente treatise Magistratus which woord we vse for the roome wherein the magistrate is doth take the name A magistris populi designandis of assigning the masters guiders and captaines of the people That roome place is called by the name of power or authoritie by reason of the power that is giuen to it of god It is called by the name of Domination for the dominion that the Lord doth graunt it vpon that earth They are called Princes that haue that Dominion for they haue a preeminence aboue the people They are called Consules of Counseling And kinges of Commaunding ruling and gouerning the people So then the Magistracie that I may henceforward vse this word for the magistrates power and place is an office and an action in the executing of the same Aristotle defineth the
pageants I do not alledge all this as Canonical Scriptures but as proofes to declare that Princes in the primatiue church had power officiall authoritie and a vsuall custome graunted by God as Esai did prophecie and deriued from the examples of auncient kinges to commaund bishops and to determine of Religion in the Church of Christ As for them which obiect the churches priuilege let them knowe that it is not permitted to any prince nor any mortal man to graunt priuileges contrarie to the expresse cōmaundemēts and verie truth of gods word S. Paul affirmed that he had power giuen him to edifie but not to destroy I am the briefer because I wil not stād to proue that they are vnworthie of indifferent priuileges which are not such as priestes and Christ his ministers should be but are souldiers rather and wicked knaues full of all kind of mischiefe Amonge other thinges in the Canon Lawe Distinct 40 wée finde this written See to your selues bretherne how ye sitte vppon the seate for the seat maketh not the priest but the priest the seate the place sanctifieth not the man but the man the place Euerie priest is not a holie man but euery holie man is a priest Hée that sitteth wel vpon the seate receiueth the honour of the seate but he that sitteth ill vppon the seate doth iniurie vnto the seate Therfore an euil priest getteth blame by his priest hoode and not any dignitie And thus much thus farre touching this matter Since now that I haue declared vnto you déerely beloued that the care of religion doth belong to the magistrate too and not to the bishopps alone that the magistrate may make lawes also in cases of religion it is requisite that I inquire what kinde of lawes those are that the magistrates may make in matters of religion There is no cause whie the king or magistrate should suppose that power is giuen to him to make newe lawes touching God the worship of God or his holie mysteries or to appoint a new kind of true iustice and goodnesse For as euery magistrate is ordeyned of God and is Gods minister so must hée be ruled by God and be obedient to Gods holie word and commaundement hauing euermore an eye vnto that and depending stil vppon that alone The scripture which is y word of God doth abundauntly enough set downe al that which is proper to true religion yea the Lord doth flatly forbidde to adde too or take any thing from his holy word The magistrate therefore maketh no newe lawes touching God and the honour to be giuen to God but doth religiously receiue and kéepe doth put in vre and publish those auncient lawes in that kingdome which God hath allotted him vnto For hereunto apperteineth the giuing of the booke of Gods law vnto the kinges of Israell that they might learn therby the way to do the things which they of duetie ought to sée done To Iosue the Lord doth say See that thou doest obserue doe according to all the law that Moses my seruaunt commaunded thee Thou shalt not tourne from it either to the righte hand or to the left Neither shall the booke of this lawe depart out of thy mouth but occupie thy minde therein day and night that thou maist obserue and doe according to all that is written therein For then thou shalt make thy way prosperous and then thou shalt do wiselie Deuout and holie Princes therefore did doe their faithfull diligent indeuour to cause the word of God to be preached to the people to reteine and preserue among the people the lawes ceremonies and statutes of god yea they did their best to spread it to al men as farre as they could and as place and time required to applie it holilie to the states persons on the other side they were not slack to banish driue away false doctrine prophane worshipings of God blasphemies of his name but settled themselues vtterlie to ouerthrow and roote it out for euer In this sort I say godly magistrates did make and ordeine deuoute lawes for the maintenaunce of religion In this sort they bore a godlie and deuout care for matters of religion The cities which the Leuites had to possesse were of old their scholes of Israel Now Iosue did appoint those cities for studies sake and the cause of godlines King Ezechias was no lesse carefull for the sure paiment and reuenue of the ministers stipēds than hee was for the restoring and renuing of euerie office For honour and aduauncemēt maketh learning to flourish when néede and necessitie is driuen to séeke out sondrie shiftes beggarie setteth religion to sale much more the inuented lyes of mens owne mouthes Iosaphat sendeth Senatours and other officers with the priestes and teachers through al his kingdome For his desire was by all meanes possible to haue Gods word preached with authoritie and a certaine maiestie and being preached to haue it defended and put in vre to the bringing forth of good workes King Iosias doth together with idolatrie and prophane worshippinges of God destroy the false priestes that were to be found setting vppe in their stéeds the true teachers of Gods word and restoring againe sincere religion euen as also king Ioas hauing rebuked the Leuites did repaire the decayed buildings of the holie temple I am not able to runne through all the Scriptures and rehearce al the examples in them expressed let the Godly Prince or magistrate learne by these fewe what and how hée ought to determine touching lawes for religion On the other side Ahia the Silonite saith to Ieroboam Thus saith the Lord Thou shalt reigne according to all that thy soule desireth and shalt be king ouer Israel And if thou hearken vnto all that I commaunde thee and wilt walke in my wayes and doe that is right in my sight that thou keepe my statutes and my commaundements as Dauid my seruaunt did then will I be with thee build thee a sure house But the wretch despised those large promises and reiecting Gods word his temple at Ierusalem and his lawfull worship refusing also the Leuites hée made him priestes of the dregges and rascall sort of people hée built himself new temples which hée decked nay rather disgraced with images and idolls ordeyning and offering sacrifices not taught in Gods woord by that meanes inuenting a certain new kind of worshipping god and a new maner of religion And although his desire was to séeme to be willing to worshippe God yet is he by God condemned for a wicked man Hearken I pray the sentence of the Lord which hee denounceth against him Thou hast done euil saith Ahia as the Lord had taught him aboue all that were before thee For thou hast gone and made the other Gods and moultē images to prouoke mee and hast cast mee behinde thy backe Therefore I will bring euill vppon the house of Ieroboam and wil roote out from Ieroboam euen him that pisseth against the wall
that they at their pleasure may cōmaund what they liste and that all men by and by must take it for lawe But that kind of ruling without al doubt is extreme tyrannie The saying of the Poet is verie well knowen which representeth the verie words of a tyraunt I say it and it shal be so my lust shal be the lawe The Prince in déede is y liuing lawe if his mind obey the written lawes and square not from the lawe of nature Power and authoritie therefore is subiecte vnto lawes For vnlesse the Prince in his heart agree with the law in his brest doe write the law and in his woords and déedes expresse the law he is not worthie to be called a good mā much lesse a Prince Againe a good Prince and magistrate hath power ouer the Lawe is maister of the lawes not that they may tourne put out vndoe make and vnmake them as they liste at their pleasure but because hée may put them in practise among the people applie them to the necessitie of the state and attemper their interpretation to the meaning of the maker They therefore are deceyued as farre as heauen is wide which thinck for a few priuileges of Emperours kinges graunted to the magistrate to adde diminish or chaunge some point of the lawe that therefore they may vtterly abolish good lawes and liue against all lawe and séemelinesse For as no Emperours or kinges are permitted to graunt any priuileges contrarie to iustice goodnesse and honestie so if they do graunt any such privilege it ought not to be receiued or taken of good subiects for a good tourn or benefite but to be counted rather as it is in déede their vtter destruction and cleane ouerthrowe Among all men at all times and of all ages the meaning substaunce of the lawes touching honestie iustice publique peace is kept vnuiolable if chaūge be made it is in circumstances and the law is interpreted as the case requireth according to iustice and a good end The law sayth Let no man kill an other let him that killeth an other be killed himself That law remayneth for euer vnchaungeable neither is it lawfull for any man at any time to put it out or wipe it away And yet the rigour of the law may be diminished and the law it selfe fauourablie interpreted as for example If a man kill one whom hee loueth entirely well and kill him by chaunce not of set purpose or pretended malice so that when hee hath done hee is soarie for it at the verie hart would if it were possible buye his life again with what soeuer hée hath to giue for it in such a case the killer ought not to be killed and therin the magistrate may dispence with the rigour of the lawe An other beareth a deadly and continuall grudge to one whom hee killeth and goeth about to colour the matter vnder the pretence of happe misfortune For hée sought occasion that hée might for himself haue a shew of chauncemedley In such a case as this the magistrate cannot chaung any iote of the law but must néedes kil him whom the meaning of the law commaundeth to kill I could alledge more examples like vnto these but my care is of purpose somuch as I may not to bee too tedious vnto you with too a long a discourse By this that I haue spoken it is apparauntly euident that lawes are good and not to be broken how farre forth they doe admit the Princes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the Princes moderation interpretation limitation or dispensation least peraduēture that old and accustomed Prouerbe bée rightly applied vnto them Lawe with extremitie is extreme iniurie Hetherto I haue declared that lawes are good profitable necessarie and not to bee broken it remaineth now to tell what and what kind of lawes the magistrate ought most chieflie to vse for the ordering and mainteyning of honestie iustice publique peace according to his office Some there are whose opinion is that the magistrate ought not to vse any written lawes but that hée should rather giue sentence as hée thought best according to naturall equitie as the circumstances of place time persons and cases doe séeme to require Other some there are that do their indeuour to thrust into all kingdomes and common weales the Iudiciall lawes of Moses And some there are which hauing once reiected the lawe of Moses wil haue no iudgement giuen in law but what is deriued out of the lawes of heathen Princes But since they that haue the preeminence and magistrates autoritie are men either good or bad and since that euen in the best men courtousnes anger hatred fauour griefe feare and other affectiōs are rife to be found to whom I pray you haue they committed the common weale which reiecting all written statuts and certein lawes would haue euerie man that is a magistrate to giue iudgment as hée himself thinketh best Haue they not committed their common weale to the rule of a beast But what shal I say then of euill men that are in authoritie since in the best men thnges are so amisse As good were a kingdome subiecte to the furies of hel as bound to the iudgments of naughtie men But wée will say they haue them giue iudgement according to the equitie of natures lawe and not after the luste of their corrupt affection Mine aunswere is to that that they will giue iudgement as affection leadeth them without controllment and say that they iudged by naturall equitie They cannot they wil say iudge otherwise nor otherwise vnderstand the pith of the matter They thincke that beste which they haue determined and nothing is done contrarie to conscience and thou for thy labour shalt be called Coram nobis for daring find fault with their sentence in iudgment And so shal the iust man perish barbarous affections shall haue the vpper hand and naughtie men rule all the roste Yea and admitte wée graunt all men are good that are called to be magistrates yet diuersitie of opinions that will rise in giuing of iudgement will stirre vp among them endlesse braules and continuall troubles If all thinges therefore be well considered the best way by a great deale is to put written lawes in vre Let vs learne this by the example of our eternall wise excellent and mightie God who gaue to the Iewes his peculiar people such lawes as at his cōmaundement were set downe in writing The magistrate hath otherwise busines enough to iudge that is to applie and conferre the causes with the lawes to sée how farre and wherein they agrée or disagrée and to iudge who hath offended against the law and who haue not transgressed the lawe Now it is to be marked that in Moses Iudiciall lawe there are many things proper and peculiar to the Iewish Nation and so ordeyned according to the state of the place time and persons that if wée should goe about to thrust on and applie them
to take hede of a fault For earnest admonitions are earnestlie commended to men in authoritie to vse to their subiects when they begin to worke any broile Moreouer godly and wise magistrates haue many times pardoned vnwitting offenders whom they saw readie to repent vppon geuing of warning The Lord in the Gospel biddeth vs admonish a sinner then if hée repent to pardon his fault but if hée reiect a faire warning once giuen him then to punish him so much the sharper And Iosue before he made open warre to be proclaymed vppon the children of Ruben did first by embassage commaunde them to digge downe the altar which they seemed to haue made coÌ„trarie to the law of the lord The Emperour Iustinian also grauÌ„ted pardon to them which repented and turned to a sounder opinion Constitut 109. Moreouer Iosias did not vtterly kill al them that were wrapped in errour and idolatrie but those especiallie that were incurable and would not recante the magistrate therfore must wiselie moderate the matter and be verie circumspecte in punishinge offenders I cannot héere wincke at and sâ—ylie passe ouer the obiections that some men make against that which hetherto I haue said touching punishment to witte That the Apostle Paule hath not commaunded to kill or punishe an heretique after the first and second admonition but to auoyd him Againe That faith is the gift of God which cannot be giuen or ingraffed in any man by rigour of the sword Also That no man is to be compelled Hée that constreineth may make an hypocrite but a deuoute and ealous man hée cannot make And lastly That the Apostles required no ayd of kings either to mainteine or set out the religion of Christe or else to punishe blasphemous railers and enimies of Gods word To all this I aunswere thus Paule when hée writte his Epistle to Titus did write to an Apostle in that Epistle therefore hée instructeth an Apostle how to behaue himselfe according to his duetie towarde an heretique paste all recouerie If he had written to Sergius Paulus or any liefetenaunt hée would vndoubtedly haue taught him his office For the same Paule standing before Sergius Paulus then Prince of Cyprus did by his déeds declare vnto him the duetie of a magistrate For first hée did not onely most sharpelie rebuke the false Prophet Elymas then forsake his companie eschue shunne him as the Apostle Iohn did Cerinthus but strake him also with bodilie blindnes I graunt and confesse that faith is Gods gifte in the hearte of manne which GOD alone doth search and knowe but men are iudged by their woordes and déedes Admitte therefore that the erronious opinion of the minde may not bée punished yet notwithstanding wicked and infectiue profession and doctrine must in no wise bée suffered Verilie no man doth in this world punishe prophane and wicked thoughtes of the minde but if those thoughtes breake foorth into blasphemous woords then are those blaspheming tongues to bée punished of good Princes and yet by this I saye not that godlynesse lyeth in the magistrate to giue and bestow Iustice is the verie gifte of GOD which none but God doth giue to men But whoe is so foolish as to gather thereuppon that vniuste men robbers murderers and witches are not to bée punished because the magistrate by punishment cannot bestowe righteousnesse vppon vnrighteous people Wée must therefore make a difference betwixte faith as it is the gifte of God in the heart of man and as it is the outwarde profession vttered and declared before the face of men For while false faith doth lurke and lye hidde within the heart and infecteth none but the vnbeléeuer so longe the vnbeléeuing infidel cannot bée punished but if this false and forged faith that so laye hidde doe once breake foorth to blasphemie to the open tearing of God and the infecting of his neighbours then must that blasphemer and seducer bée by and by pluckt vnder and kept from créeping to further annoyaunce Not to suppresse such a fellowe as this is to put a sword in a madde mans hand to kill vnwise and weakelie men Faith is the gift of God but where he bestoweth faith hée vseth meanes to giue it by those meanes hée wil not haue vs to neglecte An householder knoweth that faith is the gift of God and yet notwithstanding hée instructeth his children in the word of truth hée chargeth them to goe to Church to pray for faith and to learne it at the preachers mouth A good father would thinke much yea he would not thinke well of it if his sonne should say Father I pray you teach mée not sende mée not so much to Church and beate mée not if I be not there For faith is the gift of God which whipping cannot bring mée too Then what man can quietlie abide to heare that faith is the gift of God and that therefore no man ought for faith that is for the corruption of faith and open blasphemie to suffer any punishment And yet Petilian in the 83. chapiter of S. Augustines 2. booke Contra Petiliani literas crieth out saith God forbid and farre bee it from our conscience to compel any man to our religion Shall wée therefore goe on to speake the woords of heretiques or to say that the Lord God in the Scriptures hath planted hypocrisie where with threates punishment hée hath driuen men to goodnesse Dauid saith It is good for me Lord that thou hast chastised mee And Ieremie saith Thou hast chastised mee O Lord and I am chastised like an vntamed heffar But if no man ought to bee compelled to goodnesse to what intent doth Salomon the wisest of al men so many times commaunde to chastise children Hee that spareth the rodde hateth the child Saith hée Thou in deede doest strike him but with the rodde thou deliuerest his soule from death Dailie experience and the disposition of men doe plainly teach that in men there are most vehement affections which vnlesse they bée remedied and brideled betimes do both destroy them in whom they bée and other men too who at that first might easilie with light punishment haue béene preserued Men in their madnesse despise compulsion and chastising punishment but when they come to themselues againe and sée from how great euills they are deliuered by those that coÌ„pelled them then they reioyce that to their health they were chastised praise the compulsion which before they despised Let vs heare what Augustine doth thinke and teach hereof whose experience in this matter was verie much In his 48. epist. ad Vincentium contra Donatistas de vi coercendis haereticis hée writeth thus My opinion sometime was that no man ought by force to be compelled to the vnitie of Christ that we ought to deale by words fight in disputations and ouercome with reason least peraduenture wee should haue those to counterfaite themselues to bee catholiques whom wee knew to bee open heretiques But this opinion of mine was not confuted with the
sinne whiche is in my members And at the last he concludeth and saith So then with the minde I me selfe serue the lawe of God but with the flesh the law of sin Nowe some there are which thincke y Paule spake these wordes not of himselfe but of the person of others which were carnal men and not as yet regenerate But the very words of the Apostle doe enforce the reader whether he wil or no to confesse that the words recited may be applied eueÌ„ to the man that is most spiritual Augustine 1. lib. Retractat cap. 23. saith that he himselfe was sometime of opinion that those woords of the Apostle ought to be expounded of the man which was vnder the lawe and not vnder grace but hée confesseth that he was compelled by the authoritie of others writings treatises to thincke that the Apostle spake them of such men as were most spirituall of his owne person as he doth at large declare in his books against the Pelagians Euen S. Hierome also who is said to haue thundered out a most horrible curse against them that taught that the law did commaund things vnpossible doth expressly write to Rusticus that Paul in this place speaketh of his owne person But if the flesh and the corrupte disposition thereof remaine wherby it doth vncessaÌ„tly striue with the spirite then verily that heauenly perfectnâ—s is neuer perfecte in vs so longe as we liue so consequently so longe as we liue none of vs fulfilleth the law Here also is to be inserted that disputation of Paul where he proueth that no mortall maÌ„ is iustified by the workes of the lawe his meaning is not that no man is iustified by the very works of the law but that no man is iustified by the workes of our corrupt nature which doth not performe that whiche the lawe of God requireth For as the same Apostle saith it is not able to performe it And very well truly saith he We knowe that a man is not iustified by the deedes of the lawe but by the faith of Iesus Christ and we haue beleued in Iesus Christ that we might be iustified by the faith of Christ and not by the deeds of the lawe because by the deeds of the law no flesh shal be iustified Neither must we by the déedes of the lawe vnderstand the Ceremonies onely For euen as the Ceremonies do not so likewise do not the morals iustifie vs men The Apostle speaketh of the morals when he speaketh of the déeds of the law For in the 3. Chap. to the Romans the same Apostle saith By the deedes of the lawe there shall no flesh be iustified in his sight And immediately after he addeth the reason why saying For by the lawe coÌ„meth the knowledge of sinne But in the 7. cap. he sheweth by what lawe to wit the morall lawe For the moral law saith Thou shalt not lust But the Apostle saith I knew not sinne but by the law For I had not known coÌ„cupiscence if the lawe had not said thou shalt not lust In his Epistle to the Ephesians he speaketh to the Gentiles and saith simplie that workes do not iustifie But speaking to the Gentiles he could not meane it of the ceremoniall lawes but of the very morall vertues that is all kinds of workes y séemed to be good To the Galathians he saith As many as are of the deedes of the law are vnder the curse And to proue that he addeth For it is writteÌ„ Cursed is euery one that continueth not in all things which are written in the booke of the lawe to do theÌ„ Now vnlesse we do by the déeds of the lawe vnderstand the morals as wel as the ceremonials I doe not sée howe his proofe can hange to that which went before For he saith expressely In all things which are writteÌ„ in the booke of the lawe to do them Nowe who knoweth not that the ceremonials were not written alone but that the morals were written also And S. Augustine in his booke De spiritu litera Cap. 8. doth by many argumentes proue that Paule by the déeds of the lawe did vnderstand the morals also Nowe that wée may conclude this place I will héere recite the words of the Apostle in the 8. to the Romanes saying What the lawe could not doe in as much as it was weake thorough the flesh that God performed by sending his owne sonne in the similitude of sinnefull flesh and by sinne condemned sinne in the flesh that the righteousnesse of the lawe might bee fulfilled in vs which walke not after the flesh but after the spirite The Apostle in these words teacheth vs two things First that the law neither can now nor neuer could iustifie vs men The fault of this weakenesse or lacke of abilitie he casteth not vpon the law which is of it selfe good and effectual is the doctrine of most absolute righteousnesse but he layeth the fault therof vpon our corrupt flesh Our flesh neither could nor can performe that whiche is required of vs by the law of god Whereupon S. Peter in the counsell held at HierusaleÌ„ is read to haue said Now therfore why tempt ye God to put on the disciples neckes the yoke which neither our fathers nor wee were able to beare The latter is inferred vpon the first to wit when the lawe could not giue vs life nor wée were able to do y which the law required at our hands theÌ„ God who is rich in mercie and goodnesse sent his sonne into the world that he being incarnate should die for vs and so take away the sinne of our imperfection bestow on vs his perfectnesse in faith being himselfe the perfectnes and fulnesse of the law By this therfore it is manifest y Christ hath fulfilled the lawe that he is the perfectnes of al the faithful in the world But here this place requireth a more ful exposition how Christ hath fulfilled the law how he is made our perfectnesse First of all whatsoeuer things are promised and prefigured in the lawe the Prophets all those hath Christ our lord fulfilled For those promises The seede of the woman shall crush the Serpents head In thee shall all the kindreds of the earth bee blessed other more innumerable like to these did our Lord fulfil wheÌ„ he being borne into this world made an attonement for vs brought backe life to vs againe In like maner he fulfilled all the ceremonials while he himselfe being both priest and sacrifice did offer vpp himselfe is now euer an effectuall and euerlasting sacrifice an eternall highe priest making intercession alwayes at the right hand of the father for all faithful beléeuers He also doth spiritually circuÌ„cise the faithful and hath giuen them in stéed of circumcision the sacrameÌ„t of baptisme He is our Passouer who in stéed of the Paschal lamb hath ordeined the Eucharist or supper of the lord Finally hee is the fulfilling and perfectnes of
were then forgiuen them that the people of God was set at libertie from al the burthen and yoke of the lawe Verilie when the wicked stiffenecked and disloyall people of the Iewes did after the death of Christ goe on to exercise prorogue and to obtrude to all men the Ceremonies which were finished and abrogated at the comming of Messiah then Christ sitting at the right hand of the father did by the meanes of the Romane Princes vtterly deface their citie and ouerthrow the temple wherin they boasted Which thing the prophet Daniel and Balaam many hundred yeares before Daniels time foretold and said should come to passe Neither hetherto yet by the space of 1500. yeares and more haue they had any place to restore and set vpp againe their citie and temple In Theodoretus and Ruffinus we read that in the reigne of Iuhan the Emperour the Iewes with very great hope and presumption wente about to build a newe temple and that they sought the foundation therof in the place where that temple stoode which was burnt by Titus sonne and generall to the Emperour Vespasian but Christ our Lord who in the Gospell foretold out of Daniels prophecie the desolation thereof and did amonge other speaches say And Hierusalē shal be troden vnder foote of the Gentiles till the time of the Gentiles be fulfilled did mightily represse their wicked endeuours hinder their labour for going forwarde For whē they had gathered brought together many thousand bushells of lyme and chaulk then soudeinly came a whirlewind w a wonderfull storme and blustring which scattered abrode and carried away the store of stuffe by them prouided There happened also a terrible earthquake by which all the buildinges almost of the whole place were swepte away made euen with the ground Finally when a great cōpanie which were busie in the worke did the same nighte remaine or take their rest in a certeine porch or galerie néere to the new begonne citie temple the whole building and roofe therof falling downe on a soudeine slue al the number that were within y reach thereof In the morning they whiche remained aliue ran together to séeke euery man for his frend among them that were slaine by the ruinous building and when those terrours could do no good nor turne them from their purpose then soudenly out of the trenches foundations and stoarchouses hard by where their tooles and other necessaries lay there sprange foorth a fearefull fire which burnt many that vrged the worke and compelled the rest to take their héeles For in that one day it brake forth sundry times and so at last repressed the stubborne rashenesse of that stiffnecked people And for because these thinges should not be thought to haue happened casually or at aduentures the night before and y night following there appeared in the skie a bright or glistering signe of the Crosse the garments of the Iewes were filled ouer w crosses not bright but blacke which could not be ridd away or wiped out by any paines taking or maner of meanes They therfore in spite of their téeth and full sore against their wills being compelled with those horrible terrours fearefull iudgementes and bitter plagues of Christ our Lord forsoke the place and fledd euery man to his house leauing the worke vndone and openly confessing that Iesus Christ whō their forefathers had crucified is a most mightie God howsoeuer Iulian with Pharao and the chiefe of the Iewes did perseauer still in their disloyaltie and despiteful blasphemie against him and his holy Church But howsoeuer the Iewes do euen at this day abide in their wilfull stubbornnesse the Lord did from heauen declare openly enough that hee is no longer delighted with the Ceremonial rites because he destroyed all the instruments belonging to that auncient kinde of worship and made the very shopp of that old religion I meane the temple and citie of Hierusalem leuel with the ground Touching the temple the Lord in the Gospel spake to his disciples when they with wondering did behold it and said Do ye not see al these thinges verilie I say vnto you there shal not be leaft here one stone standing vpon an other And againe weeping ouer the vnthanckful citie he said They shall not leaue in thee one stone standing vppon an other beecause thou knewest not the time of thy visitation And nowe that all this was word for word accomplished and fullie finished Iosephus an eye witnesse of the same doeth largely testifie in the 18. Chap. of his 7. booke De Bello Iudaico Euen very now I told you that from one thousand and fiue hundreth yeares agoe vnto this present time the Iewes neuer had anye place giuen them to build their temple vpp in againe whereby if they were not beside themselues they might easilye gather that the Messiah is alreadie come into the world and that hée hath abrogated all the Ceremoniall rites It is a very slender or rather no defence at all for the Iewes to alledge the woords in the lawe which are many times rehearsed where the Ceremonies are described Ye shall keepe it for an euerlasting ordinaunce For in this sense Euerlasting is taken for Longlasting and Vnchaungeable so farre foorth as it hath respecte vnto the will or authoritie of mankinde For the Lord did with threatening of gréeuous punishments forbidd that mankinds vnaduisednesse should chaunge or abrogate the holy Ceremonies And yet since hée did ordeine those Ceremonies vntil the time of amendment hée doeth neither sinne nor yet incurre the crime of vnconstancie when hée doeth chaunge or take away the Ceremonies according to the determinate purpose whiche hée intended from the beginning Moreouer so long as the thing signified doeth not decaye and that the shadowe onely or momentanie figure doeth vanish away it is assuredly certaine that the Ceremonie doth yet remaine in full effecte and substaunce The whole man doeth liue for euer and yet the thinges that are temporall or corruptible in him doe perishe in death and are abolished in his clarification But that all these thinges may appeare as cleare as the day light I will particularly runne through and touch the more notable sort of Ceremonies That the priesthood of Aaron is vtterly abrogated it is euident by the wordes whiche the Apostle citeth out of Dauid saying The Lord hath sworn and will not repent thou art a priest for euer after the order of Melchisedech Christ therefore is the one and onely high priest and that too an euerlasting priest hauing an immutable priesthood which cannot by succession passe from him to any other man or Angel. For hee now standing at the right hand of the father in heauen the very true temple which was prefigured by the Tabernacle and temple at Hierusalem doeth make intercession for vs doth all the offices of an high priest Of whom the Apostle of Christ S. Paule doeth speake very largely in his Epistle vnto the Hebrues This Christ Iesus our highe
the first precept thou shalt referre the feare the faith loue of God with assured hope perseuearing patience constancie inuincible in trouble and afflictions To the second belongeth the true and sincere worship wherwith God is pleased with the vtter refusall of all superstition and peruerse religion Vppon the third doeth depende the reuerence of Gods Maiestie the frée confession of his might the holie inuocation of his name and the sanctification of the same In the fourth is comprehended the moderate conseruation of the Ecclesiasticall Ceremonies y preaching of Gods word publique prayers whatsoeuer else doeth belonge to the outward seruice or externall worship due to god To the fifte thou mayest annexe the naturall loue of children toward their parents of men toward their countrie kinese-folkes the due obedience that we owe to the magistrates and all in authoritie and lastly the offices of ciuil humanitie To the sixte thou shalt ioyne iustice and iudgement the protection of widowes orphanes the deliuering of the oppressed and afflicted weldoing to all men and doing hurt to no man To the seuenth thou shalt add the faith of wedded couples the offices of marriage the honest and Godly bringing vp of childrē with the studie of chastitie temperance and sobrietie To the eighth is to bee reckoned vpright dealing in cōtracts liberalitie bountifulnesse and hospitalitie Vnder y ninthe is couched the studie of trueth through al our life time faith in words déeds with decēt honest profitable speach In the tenth and last thou mayest remember good affections holie wishes with all holy and honest thoughts And so this is the compendious platforme of good workes Nowe if thou desire to haue it more briefly expressed than this that thou séest then turne thee selfe hearken to the wordes of Christ our Lord who gathereth these 10. into two principall points saith Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thy heart with al thy soul with al thy mind thy neighbour as thy selfe Whatsoeuer therefore yee would that men shuld do to you euen so do ye to thē Vppon these precepts of the Lord let all the faithful which desire to doe good works most surely fixe their eyes and minds that too so much the more diligently and constantly as they doe more surely and euidently perceiue see that God in the lawe the prophets doeth require nothing else nor any other works at the hands of his electe chosen seruants Go to now therefore let vs heare out of the holy Prophets some such euidēt testimonies touching good woorks as do consent wholie agree with the lawe of the lord Moses in Deut. crieth And now Israel what doeth the Lord thy God require of thee but to feare the Lord thy God to walk in al his wayes to loue him to serue the Lord thy God with all thy hart and with all thy soule That thou keepe the cōmandements of the Lord and his ordinances which I cōmaund thee this day And the kinglye Prophete Dauid in the 15. Psalme asketh this questiō Lord who shal dwel in thy tabernacle And presently answereth it himselfe saying Euen hee that walketh vprightly doeth the thing that is iust right And so forth as is conteined in the 10. cōmaundemēts Esaie also in his 33. cap. moueth the same question and answereth it euen so as Dauid had done before him Ieremie in the 21. chap. doth vrge and reiterate these woords to the Iewes Thus the Lord cōmaundeth Keepe equitie and righteousnes deliuer the oppressed from the power of the violent do not greeue nor oppresse the strāger the fatherles nor the widow and shedd no innocent bloud in this place And Ezechiel in his 18. cap. knitteth vp a beadrowe of good workes in no point vnlike to these sauing only y it is somewhat more largly amplified In Osée the Lord saith I desire mercie more than sacrifice the knowledge of God more than whole burnt offerings Micheas doth diligently inquire what the worshipper of God should do to please him with all what workes he should doe to delight the Lord and immediatly by the inspiration of the holy Ghoste he maketh aunswere saying I will shewe thee O man what is good and what the Lord requireth of thee namely to doe iustly to loue mercie and with reuerence to walke before thy God. In like maner the Prophete Zacharie to them that demaunded of him certaine questions touching vertues such good woorkes as please the Lord gaue this answere saying Thus sayeth the Lord of hostes Execute true iudgement shewe mercie and louing kindenesse euerie man to his brother doe the widowe the fatherlesse the straunger and the poore no wronge Let no man imagine euill in his heart against his brother neither bee ye louers of false othes for these are the thinges which I do hate sayeth the Lord. With this doctrine of the Prophets doth the preaching of the Euangelists and Apostles fullie agrée teaching in euerie place that charitie righteousnesse and innocencie are the scoape summe of all good woorkes The Apostle Iames sayeth Pure religion and vndefiled before God and the father is this To visite the father lesse and widowes in their aduersitie to kepe himself vnspotted of the world It remayneth now for me to drawe to an end and in the rest that is yet be hind to be spoken touching the descriptiō of good works to confer places of the Scripture for the confirmation plaine exposition of the same Now therfore we said y good works in déed are wrought by them that are regenerate to the glorie of God the ornamēt of our life and the profite of our neighbour For the Lord in the Gospell prescribeth this end to good works where he saith Let your lighte so shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorifie your father whiche is in heauen The Apostle Paul also oftener than once exhorting vs to good woorks doth as a most effectuall cause to sett them forward add That by those workes of ours we may adorne the doctrine of oure Lord and Sauiour Christ Iesus And euen as a comelie and cleanely garment adorneth a man so doe good workes in déede set foorth the life of Christian people For herevppon it riseth that the Apostles of Christe did so often persuade vs to put off the old man and put on the newe which is created to the similitude and likenesse of god For thereby wee obteine both honour and glorie We both are and are called the seruaunts yea and the sonnes of oure Lord and God whose propertie and vertue shineth in vs to the glorie and praise of his holy name And as hée doth require good works at our hands so if we do them we on the one side do please and delight him and hee on the other doeth honour vs againe as may bee proued by many testimonies of the holy Scripture But the thing it selfe is so plaine
of his owne soule I will not be hired with giftes to loose my soule for the gaine of monie therevpon hee which before enticed thee doeth now turne himselfe to terrifie thee for because his gifts did faile to hire thee he beginneth to threaten vnto thee damage banishment woundes and death In suche a case now if greedinesse could not yet feare perhappes mighte cause thee to sinne The same Augustine againe in his booke De Sermone Domini in moÌ„te sayeth Three thinges there bee by which sinne is accomplished suggestion delectation and consent Suggestion whether it bee wrought by the memorie or senses of the bodie as when we see heare smel tast or touch any thing Nowe if we be delighted to haue it that vnlawful delight must be restrained As for example when wee faste if at the sight of meate our appetite do arise it is not done without delectation but wee must not giue our consent to that delectation but suppresse it with the power of reason For if the consent bee giuen then is the sinne accomplished These three things are correspondent to the circumstances of the historie that is written in Genesis so that of the serpent was made that suggestioÌ„ in the carnall appetite as in Eua was the delectation and in reason as in Adam did the full consent appeare whiche being finished man is expelled as it were out of Paradise that is out of the blessed light of righteousnes into death and damnation Thus much sayeth Augustine touching the cause of sinne But héere we must especiallie note in the definition of actual sinne the verie propertie or difference whereby this action is discerned from all other actions and whereby the most proper note of sinne is made manifest This action therefore euen as all sinns else doe doth directly tende against Gods lawe But what the lawe of God is I haue in my former sermons at large declared Verilie it is none other but the verie wil of god Now the will of God is that man should be like vnto his image that is that hee should bée holie innocent and so consequently saued This will of his did God expresse first by the lawe of nature then by the lawe which hée writt in two tables of stone lastly by the preaching of the holie Gospell Nowe those thrée tend all to one end to witt that man should be holie innocent and so consequently saued And whatsoeuer things are done of men either in thought word or déed against that holy lawe of God they both are and are called actuall sinnes Therefore in the iudging or estéeming of mens sinnes the lawe of God must be onely looked vnto For the thinges that are not contrarie to Gods lawe are not sinnes Neither hath any man authoritie to make new lawes for the traÌ„sgressing wherof men should bee counted sinners That glorie belongeth to God alone to whome Dauid crieth To thee alone haue I sinned and against thee haue I wrought wickednesse Neither is it any part of our office to take vppon vs by oure owne iudgementes to determine whiche be the smallest and which the greatest sinnes For which of vs would thinke that it were sinne to say to his brother Thou foole And yet the Lord in the Gospell pronounceth it to be a sinne who in the same Gospell also affirmeth that wée shal giue accompt for euery idle word at the latter day of Iudgement Verie rightly therfore sayeth Sainct Augustine in his second booke De Bapt. Contra Donatistas Capit. 6. In esteming of sinnes let vs not bring in deceiptfull balances wherein to weighe both what wee liste and as wee liste â–ª after our owne minde and phantasie â–ª saying This is heauie and that is light but let vs bring in the weights of Gods holie Scriptures as out of the secrete treasuries of the Lord and thereby let vs weighe what is heauie and what is light naye rather let not vs weigh them but acknowledge so accepte them as they are weighed by the Lord. And although this might séeme to be sufficient as that whiche hath sufficiently declared the nature of actuall sinne yet will wée more at large consider the sundrie sortes or kindes and differences of sinnes The Stoikes were of opinion that all sinnes were equall whome perhappes Iouinian followinge as the Patriarchs of heresies are by Tertullian said to bée Philosophers is written to haue affirmed the verie same with them as is extant in S. Augustines Catalogue of heretiques The holie Scripture teacheth vs that God is iust wherevppon we doe conclude that all sinnes therefore are not equall For wée sée that God as hée is a iust Iudge doeth punish some sinnes more sharpely than otherseme For in the Gospell the Lord sayeth Wo to you Scribes and Pharisers hypocrits which deuour widowes houses vnder the pretence of longe prayer therefore shal ye receiue the greater damnation And againe It shal be easier sayeth the Lord for the land of Sodom in the day of Iudgement than for the citie that reiecteth the preaching of the Gospell Likewise in the eleuenth of Matthewe hee sayeth It shal be easier for Tyre and Sidon in the day of Iudgement than for you To Pilate also hee said The man that deliuered mee to thee hath the more sinne Againe The seruaunt that knewe his maisters will and prepared not himselfe neither did according to his will shal be beaten with many stripes But hee that knewe not and did commit thinges worthie of stripes shal be beaten with fewe stripes To procéede nowe sinnes doe arise by steppes and increase by circumstances For first there is a hidden sinne conteined in the very affection or desire of man But I haue alreadie told you that affections and desires are of two sortes to witt naturall affections whiche are not repugnaunt to the lawe of God of whiche sort are the loue of children parentes and wife and the desire of meate drincke and sléepe although I know and doe not denie but that sometimes those affections are defiled with the originall spott Againe there are carnall desires or affections in men directly contrarie to the will of god Those affections are nourished and do increase by vaine thoughtes and carnall delightes increasing in thy bosome and at last they breake out into the sinne of the month yea and after that to the déede dooing or actuall sinne it selfe As for example Thou â—ustest after an other mans wife and â—ettlest the luste in the bottome of thy â—eart still delighting thée selfe with vaine cogitations while thou callest to minde her passing beautie and lineaments of bodie and doest by thy often and vehement imagination both delight and set thée selfe on sire And not being content herewithall alone thou ceassest not to lie at her whome thou louest with words and writings to spott her chastitie and if occasion serue thée thou doest by the déed doing defile her and also doest reiterate the sinne which thou hast once coÌ„mitted and lastly laying aside the feare
stoppes this is one of the greatest that no small number eueÌ„ of the wisest sort do say that there ought no such hast to be made vpon priuate authoritie but that the determination of the general couÌ„sell in controuersies of religion must needs be stayed for altogether looked after without the iudgement whereof say they it is not lawful for a kingdome much lesse for any other common weale to aâ—ter any one point in religion once receiued and hetherto vsed But the Prophets and Apostles do not send vs to the counsels of priestes or elders but to the word of God yea in Ieremie we read How say ye we are wise we haue the law of the Lord among vs Truly the lying pen of the Scribes haue wrought a lye The wise haue beene ashamed they were afraide were taken For loe they haue cast out the word of the lord What wisedome then can there bee amonge them Againe in the Gospell we read No man that layeth his hand to the plough and looketh backe is fitt for the kingdome of God. Therefore the authoritie of the Prophets and Euangelists giueth counsell fully to absolue and perfectly to end the reformation of religion once begon with the feare of God out of or by the word of God and not to looke for or stay vppon counsels which are directed not by the word of God but by the affections and motions of men For the late examples of some ages within the space of these 400. last yeres or there about do sufficiently teach vs what we may looke for by the determinations of generall counsels The causes of counsels of old were the corruption either of doctrine or else of the teachers or else the ruine of Ecclesiasticall discipline And good and zealous men haue strongly cryed nowe by the space of 500. yeares and more that there are crept into the Church superstitions errours abuses that the salt of the earth is vnsauorie that is that the ministers of the Churches are by slouth ignorance and wickednesse become vnseasonable and that all discipline in the Church is fallen to ruine Bernard Clareuallensis being one among many is a notable witnesse of the thing coÌ„dition And for that cause there haue beene many counsels of priests celebrated at the calling together of the bishop of Rome together with the mutuall ayde of many kinges and Princes But what became of them what was done in them and what small amendment or correction of doctrine teachers and discipline there was by them obteyned the thinge it selfe the more it is to be lamented doth plainely declare For the more that counsels were assembled the more did superstition errour preuaile in doctrine abuse in ceremoniall rites pride riot couetousnesse and all kinde of corruption in the teachers or priestes a foule blurring out of all honest discipline For such men were made presidents of the counsels as had neede first of all themselues either to be brought into a better order or else to be vtterly excommunicate out of the congregation of the Saincts they being presidents did in the counsels handle causes neither lawfull nor lawfully For the word of God had amonge them neither due authoritie nor dignitie neither did they admitt to the examination and discussing of causes those men whom it was decent to haue chiefly admitted but them whom they themselues did thincke good to like off in them they sought not the glorie of God and the safegard of the Church but sought themselues that is the glory and pleasures of this transitorie world Therfore in the holding of so many generall counsels we see no amendement or reformation in the Church obteined but rather errours abuses and the kingdome and tyrannie of the priestes confirmed augmented And euen at this day although we would wincke not see it yet we cannot choose but euen with our hands feele what we may looke and hope for in a generall counsell There shall at this day no counsell haue any authoritie vnlesse it be lawefully as they expound lawfully called together None seemeth to be lawfully called together but that which the bishop of Rome doth call together that which is holden according to the auncient custome and lawes receiued namely that wherin they alone do sit haue as they call it deciding voyces to whom power is permitted to determine giue sentence in the counsel and to them who shall thinke it an heynous crime and directly contrary to the oth that is giuen them to do once so much as thinke much more to speake any thing against the bishop sea of Rome against the decrees of the fathers constitutions of the counsels What therefore may you looke for in such a counsell That forsooth which I tolde you that nowe by the space of 400. yeares and more the afflicted Church of God to the detriment of Godlinesse hath seene and felt namely that the sincere doctrine of Christ being trode vnder foote and holy discipline vtterly oppressed wee see that euery day more and more with the great and intollerable tyrannie of the Sea and Church of Rome there do increase and are confirmed vnsound and faultie doctrine most filthie abuses and too too great licentiousnesse and wicked liuing of the priestes They forsooth doe crie that it is an heresie to accuse the Pope of errour in the chest of whose breast all heauenly doctrine is layed vp and conteined They crie that all the decrees of the Apostolicall sea must be receiued euen so as if they were confirmed by the very voice of Peter himselfe They crie that it is a wicked thing to moue any controuersie or to call into doubt the doctrine and Cermonies receiued vsed in the Church of Rome especially touching their Sacraments whereof they to their aduauntage doe make silthie merchaundize They crie that the Church of Rome hath power to iudge all men but that no man hath any authoritie to iudge of her iudgement There are in the decretals most euident canons that do set out and vrge these thinges as I haue told them Now what maner reformation shall we thincke that they are likely to admitte which stand so stiffely to the defence of these thinges Truly they would rather that Christ with his Gospell and the true Church his spouse should wholie perish thaÌ„ they would depart one ynch from their decrees rites authorities dignities wealth and pleasures They verily come into the counsell not to bee iudged of others that they may amend those things which euen their owne consciences and all the world doe say would be amended but they come to iudge and yoke all other men to keepe still their power and authoritie and to ouerthrowe and take away whatsoeuer withstandeth their lust and tyrannie For afore there were sent out horrible thunders against the accusers or aduersaries of the Sea Apostolique that is of the Papisticall corruption after followed the hoat boltes of that thunder euen sentences definitiue of
the man of God may be perfecte instructed vnto all good workes What now I pray you is omitted in these woords that may seeme to apperteine to a most absolute reformation What I beseech you haue those impudent fellowes to say against this Proceed therefore proceed most holy king to imatate the most godly princes and the infallible rule of the holy Scripture proceed I say without staying for mans authoritie by the most true and absolute instrument of trueth the booke of Gods most holy word to reforme the Church of Christ in thy most happie England The Lord Iesus the head and mightie Prince of his Church presirue and lead thee his most faithfull worshipper in the way of his trueth vntill the end to the glorie of his name the good estate and welfare of the whole Christian Church At Tigure in the moneth of August the yeare of our Lord 1550. Your Royall Maiesties most duetifully bounden Henrie Bullinger minister of the Church at Tigure in Swicerland The other eight Sermons of the fourth Decade written by Henrie Bullinger ¶ Of God of the true knowledge of God and of the diuerse wayes howe to knowe him That God is one in substaunce and three in persons ¶ The thirde Sermon I Haue hetherto in 32. sermōs discoursed vpon the word of God and the lawful exposition of the same vppon Christian faith the loue of God and our neighbour I haue also spoken of the law of Nature of mans lawe Gods lawe and of the parts of Gods lawe namely y Morall the Ceremoniall the Iudiciall lawes Of the vse of the lawe of the fulfilling abrogatiō of the same of the likenes difference betwirt the two testamēts and people the old and the newe Of Christian libertie of offences of the effecte merites of Good woorkes Of sinne and the sundrie sorts thereof also of the Grace of God or the Gospel of Iesu Christe in whome oure heauenly father hath giuen vs all thinges belonging to life and eternal saluation finally I haue treated of Repentaunce and of the thinges that doe especially seeme to belonge therevnto And forbecause oure purpose is to dispute discretly vpon the principal points of Christian religion that in the premisses wee haue heard often mention made of God of the knowledge worship of God of Iesus Christ of the holy Chost of good euil spirits of the church of Prayer of the Sacraments such like holy thinges since wee are now come to an end of those former points necessitie it selfe doeth here require that we should speake somewhat now of al euery one of these latter principles according to the holy Scripture so farre forth as the Lord shall giue me grace and abilitie to do the same Concerning God there were of old many erronious opinions not among the ruder sort of people only but euen in the whole packe of Philosophers conuenticles of false Christians As touching the Philosophers that auncient learned writer Tertullian was wont to say that Philosophers are the patriarchs of heretiques and touching false Christians the Apostle Iohn said They wente out from vs but they were not of vs for if they had beene of vs they would haue remained with vs. Neither doe I sée what gaine you should gett by it if I should procéede to reckon vp vnto you all their opinions It is good perhaps to know wherin they erred least we also do strike vpon the same rock that they did Therfore if any y haue a desire vnto it doe wish to sée the opinions of the heathen sort and of heretiques cōcerning God let them search Plutarch in his Placitis Philoso lib. ◠Cap. 7. Or in other heathen writers Or in Cyrils first booke Contra Iulianum and in the 4. Chapter Dogmatum vel de finitionum Ecclesiast I will at this time trouble the attentiue eares and minds of the godly hearers with that burthen That diuersitie of opinions is deriued from none other founteine than from the boldnesse vnskilfulnesse of men which are not ashamed of their owne deuice and braine to add and applie to God the thinges from which he is most farre frée And now that héere I may not sticke long in declareing the narrowe streightnesse and mistie darcknesse of mans wit who I pray you is able with his vnderstāding to conceiue the Béeing of God when as in déede no man did euer fully vnderstand of what fashion the soule of man is of what sort many other thinges are y be in mans body and of what maner substaunce the Sunne Moone are made There are giuen many reasons of naturall Philosophie but the woorke of God doeth still abide more great and wonderfull than that the witt or speach of man is able to comprehend or expresse it Let no man therefore that goeth about to knowe any certeintie of God descend into himself to search him out with thoughts of his owne neither let him ground his opinion vppon mens determinations and weake definitions For otherwise hee shall alwayes worshipp the inuention of his owne heart méere follie trifles and foolishe fantasies But on the other side againe the man cānot choose but thinke rightly iudge truely and speake well of God that attributeth nothing to himselfe deuiseth nothing of his owne braine nor followeth y toyes of other mens inuenting but in all thinges giueth eare to the word of God and followeth alwayes his holy reuelation Therfore let this stand as it were for a continuall rule that God cannot bée rightly knowen but by his word and that God is to be receiued beléeued to be such an one as he reuealeth himselfe vnto vs in his holy word For no creature verily can better tell what and what kinde of one God is than God him selfe Nowe since this God doeth in his word by the woorkemanshipp of the world by the holy Scriptures and by his oracles vttered by the mouth of the Patriarchs Prophetes and Apostles yea in the very minds and consciences of men testifie That He Is therefore did the kingly Prophete Dauid say The foole hath said in his heart there is no God. For he must néeds be an asse or a foole whiche denieth the thing that is euident to all men in the world which are not beside their wits namely That there is a God considering that euen Cicero an heathen authoure in his booke De natura Deorum doth say It is bred borne together with men and graffed in their hearts to thincke That there is a God. Truly they that denie God doe denie him whome neuerthelesse they feare and therefore by that feare they confesse y he Is by that meanes conuinceing them selues of lying and falsehoode Againe this is to bée noted that in demaunding who and what God is although that question is made doth arise euen by the beating out and discussing of the Scriptures yet a measure is to be kept and in any case
are all the windes all the starrs and all the fierie aerie waterie impressions In the hoste of God are all euill spirites all men Kinges and Princes all the warlike furniture of euery nation finally all creatures both visible and inuisible and al these hee vseth according to his owne pleasure yea according to his owne good iust will when how much and howe long hee listeth to finishe and bring to passe his owne will and iudgements In punishing the first worlde at the deluge he vsed water In destroying of Sodoma and the Cities there about he vsed fire and in rooting out the Chanaanites and Iewes he vsed the meanes of mortall menne or souldiers Somtimes ther is ascribed to the Lord the word Aeleon the Lord is called Aeleon that is to say high For in the 113 Psalme we read The Lord is higher than all nations and his glory is aboue the heauens Who is like the Lorde our God whiche setteth him selfe so high in his habitation And in the 97. Psalme he saith Thou Lord art higher than all that are in the earth thou art exalted farre aboue all Gods. Againe God is called El because of his strength For what he wil that can he doe and therefore is he called a strong God or a Giant For Ieremie saith The Lord is with me as a strong Giant Esay saith The Lord shall come forth like a Giant he shal take stomache vnto him like a man of warre he shall rore and ouercome his enimies And like to this is the word Eloah whose plurall number is Elohim That name betokeneth the presence of God whiche neuer fayleth his woorkmaÌ„ship worshippers Ieremie bringeth in God speaking and saith Am I God that seeth but the thing that is nigh at hand onely and not the thing that is far off May any man hide himselfe so that I shall not see him saith the Lord Doe not I fill Heauen and earth For before him also Dauid said Whether shall I goe from the breath of thy mouth And whether shall I flee from thy countenaunce If I ascend into heauen thou art there and if I descend into hell thou art there also If I take the winges of the morning and dwell in the vtmoste parts of the sea euen there thy hand shall rule me and thy right hande shall holde me fast Therfore the Apostle Paule saith God is not far from euery one of â—s For by him we liue we moue and haue our beeing And for that cause peradueÌ„ture God was of the Gréeks called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to wit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because of his redinesse and present succour because he neuer faileth mortall men but alwayes and in all places doeth aide and reléeue them Likewise Plato in Cratylo and his interpreter Proclus doe think that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God is deriued 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is of running but that course or running is not referred to the presence or help of God but to an other thing For when men saw the Sunne the Moone the starres and heauen it selfe by running still to be turned aboute they thought that they were Gods. Some there are that will deriue it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say of feare or dread For feare or Religion beléeueth and persuadeth men that there is a God. The Latines peraduenture framed their Deus God of the Gréekes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But some doo think rather that Deus is deriued A dando of giuing because he giueth all things vnto all men For so among the Hebrues he is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as I will anon declare or Schadday because he is sufficient to him selfe he lacketh nothing but giueth to all men all good thinges and necessary Some other wil haue God in Latine to be called Deus quód ipsi nihil deest that is because there is nothing wanting in him But now the Scripture doeth attribute the plurall number Elohim not to God alone but also to Angels to iudges and to men in authoritie because God is alwaies present with them while they laboure in that office whiche he hath appointed them vnto and doeth by the ministerie of them worke the things whiche hee him selfe will which are expedient for the welfare of mortall men And although the worde Elohim be of the plurall number yet is it set before Verbes in the singular number as in the first of Genesis we find In the beginning Bara Elohim Creauit Dii God created for Bara created is the singular number Heauen and Earth In that phrase of spéech is shewed vnto vs the mysterie of the reuerend Trinitie For Moses séemeth to haue said in effecte In the beginning that GOD in Trinitie created Heauen and Earth In the 7. chapter of the second booke of Samuel Elohim in the plurall number is ioygned with Verbes of the plurall number to declare that there is a difference of persons in the blessed Trinitie Moreouer in the league whiche God maketh with our father Abraham God giueth him selfe an other name For he saith I God am Schaddai that is sufficient or sufficiencie Therefore God is called Schaddai Some in their translations turne it Vastator a destroyer as if GOD shuld name him selfe a iust reuenger But Moses Aegyptius saith The Nowne Schaddai is compounded of the Verbe Daâ—i which signifieth he sufficeth and the letter * Schin which hath the same meaning that Ascher hath and signifieth He that So that Schaddai is as muche to say as He that sufficeth to him selfe and is the sufficiencie or fulnesse of all things Peraduenture the Heathen haue vppon this occasion deriued their Saturnus whiche name they gaue to them whome they did wickedly take to bee Gods. For as Diurnus commeth of Dies a daye so is Saturnus deriued a Saturando of satisfying or filling Therefore GOD is that He to whome nothing is lacking which in all things and vnto althings is sufficient to him selfe who néedeth no mans ayde yea who alone hath all things which do apperteine to the perfect felicitie bothe of this life and of the world to come and whiche onely and alone can fil and suffice all his people and other creatures For this cause the Germanes call him Gott as who should saye Guot good or best Because as he is full of all goodnesse so he doeth moste liberally bestowe vppon men all maner of good things The Germane word is not muche vnlike to the auncient name wherby the Aegyptians called god For they called God Theuth or Thoth Now if we for Th put G then is it Goth and we saye Gott The Lord him selfe in the sixt chapter of Exodus putteth these two names together Schaddai and Iehouah as two of the moste excellent names that he hath and saith I am Iehouah And I appeared to Abraham Isaac and Iacob as God Schaddai but in my name Iehouah I was not knowen vnto them
of his father begotten before all worlds and man of the substance of his mother borne in the world perfect God perfect man of a reasonable soule and humane flesh subsisting Thus farre in these wordes haue we shewed that Iesus Christe our Lord is very God and verie man consubstantiall or of the same substance with the father according to his Godhead and consubstantial or of the same substance with vs according to his manhood For hée hath a reasonable soule and humane flesh in very déed We wil speake furthermore of the coniunction or vniting of these natures into one person in whiche matter histories declare that certaine auncient writers in old time fowlie erred For Eutiches admitted one nature only in Christ and the same made that is medled or confounded together of a diuine and humane nature from whome the Monothelites were not farre beyond acknowledging only one will in Christ Nestorius willing to auoyd a colâ—pitt fell into a lime kill For he confessing two natures séemeth to affirme that there are so many persons teaching that the woord is not vnited to the flesh into the selfe same person but that it onely dwelleth therein wherevppon also he forbad the holy virgin to be called Gods mother Against whome the common assertion of the whole church holding opinion according to the scripture hath taught that two natures in Christ and the properties of those natures are to be confessed which are so coupled together into one vndiuided person that neither the diuine nature is chaunged into the humane nor the humane into the diuine but either of them reteine or kéepe their owne nature and both of them subsist in the vnitie of person For Christ according to the disposition of his diuine nature is one and the selfe same immortall according to the disposition of his humane nature mortall and the selfe same immortall GOD and mortall man is the only sauiour of the world Of which thing we will speake anon by Gods grace somewhat more largly and plainly Touching the very coÌ„iunction or vniting of the true Godhead and manhoode in Christ the prophets and Apostles haue not crabbedlie nor craftilie disputed For they speaking simplie said God was made man. Or God tooke on him man For Iohn the Apostle and Euangelist sayeth The woord was made flesh that is God was made man or the word of God became flesh S. Paule sayeth God was made manifest in the flesh And againe The sonne of God in no sort toke the Angels but he tooke the seede of Abraham Therefore wée according to the doctrine of the Apostles expounding the mysterie of the coniunction of the diuine and humane nature in Christ say God was incarnate or made man God toke on him man God appeared or was made manifest in humane flesh He that will sift out déeper matters than these it is to cast himselfe into great daungers Some there are who in expounding these pointes more fully vse the woordes of societie or fellowshipp participation and communion or part-taking and that not without authoritie of the scriptures Paule saying Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and bloud hee also himselfe like wise toke part with them Neuerthelesse wée must héere first of all take héede that we do not mâ—dle or confound the two natures ioyned together in one person nor that wée robb them of their properties For GOD of his owne nature is euerlasting and vnchaungeable God therefore remayning alwayes one and the selfe same is not chaunged into an humane or into any other nature but ioyneth coupleth taketh yea and vniteth vnto himselfe the humane nature Againe vnlesse in his humane nature he remaine a creature and be the selfesame which he is said to be it is not an humane nature this therefore remaining in it owne substance is taken to the diuine nature Therefore two natures remaine in the one person of Christ the diuine and the humane either of them doeth reteine their owne disposition and their owne propertie Which we will now declare by some places of scripture Isaie in his seuenth chap. sayeth A virgine shall conceiue bring forth a sonne his name shal be called Immanuel Hée acknowledgeth both natures in Christ for according to his diuine nature hee is called Immanuel that is to saye God with vs according to his humane nature hee is conceiued and borne The same prophete sayeth A child is borne vnto vs and a sonne is giuen vnto vs c. For hee is giuen who is from euerlasting and hee is borne whose beginning and béeing is in the world Wherefore one and the selfe same reteineth both the diuine and the humane nature For Micheas also sayeth And thou Bethlehem Ephrata art little in deede among the thousands of Iuda Out of the shall he come forth vnto me which shal be the gouernor in Israel whose out-goings haue beene from the beginning and from euerlasting Loe what could be spoken more plaine One and the selfe same hath two ofspringes for insomuch as he is God his generation is from euerlasting and as he is man he is borne in Bethlehem Wherefore one and the selfe same Christ is very God and very man Againe in the Gospel according to S. Matth. the Lord asketh the Phariseis saying What thincke you of Christ whose sonne is he They said vnto him the sonne of Dauid He saith vnto them how then doth Dauid in spirite call him Lord saying The Lord said vnto my Lord sitt thou on my righte hand vntill I make thine enimies thy footestoole If Dauid call him Lord how is he theÌ„ his sonne As if he said Since Christ without doubt is the sonne of Dauid and hee calleth him Lord not by humane affection but by the holy ghost that is to say verie god of the selfe same power with the father the sequele is the Christ is verie man verie god The angel Gabriel noting no lesse plainlie both these natures saith to the virgin Marie That holy thing which shal be borne shal be called the sonne of god For of the virgin he is borne very man of very man and this is the sonne of god For Elizabeth also calleth the virgin the mother of the Lord to wit of god Moreouer in the Gospel of Iohn thou maist read verie many sayinges of this sort which point out as it were with the finger both natures in the selfe same Christ Ye beleeue sayeth the Lord in God beleeue also in mee And againe The father is greater than I. Also I went out from the father came into the world Againe I leaue the world go to the father And againe in another place The poore shall ye haue alwayes with you but mee alwayes ye shall not haue And againe Behold I am alwayes with you euen vnto the end of the world Wâ—ich sentences truly as it were coÌ„traâ—â—â—â—annot be all true at once vnlesse 〈◊〉 â—nowledge that Christ
his confession and the keyes of giuing of sentence iudgement or of opening shutting vpp of heauen of forgiuing or reteyning of sinnes They say that this power was promised to Peter in Matthew the Lord saying Vnto thee wil I giue the keyes of the kingdome of heauen but that it was giuen to all the disciples in Iohn Christe saying Whose sinnes soeuer ye forgiue they are forgiueÌ„ to theÌ„ And in these dayes is giuen to the priests by the bishop in their consecration laying their hands on the priests at the giuing of them their orders sayinge Receiue ye the holy Ghost whose sinns soeuer ye forgiue they are forgiuen them They call the power of placing ministers of the Church Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction to consist in a certeine prelacie and the fulnesse of it to rest onely in the Pope hauing respecte to the whole vniuersall Church For it belongeth onelie to the Pope to appoint rulers and prelats in the Ecclesiastical Hierarchie because it was said to him Feede my sheepe Moreouer they say that all iurisdiction ecclesiasticall doth come from the Pope to inferiour rulers either mediatlie or immediatlie in which thinges authoritie is limitted at his pleasure that hath the fulnesse of power For a bishop hath authoritie onelie in his diâ—cese and a curate in his parish c. Power of Apostleship or preaching the word of God they call the authoritie of preaching which the Lord had giuen to his disciples saying Go ye into all the world preaching the gospel to all creatures But doctours in these dayes affirme y none ought to be sent out to preach but onely by Peter that is his successour mediatly or immediatly c. They say that the power of iudiciall correction was giuen to Peter by God to whome he said If thy brother shall offend or trespasse against thee c. For the words of the Lord are knowen wel enough in S. Matth. cap. 18. They say therfore that God gaue authoritie vnto priestes not onely of excoÌ„municating but also of determining iudging and establishing commandements lawes and canons because in that place it is said Whatsoeuer ye bind vppon earth it shal be bound in heauen To conclude they saye that the power and authoritie to receiue thinges necessarie for this life in reward of their spirituall labours was giuen by these woordes of the Lord Eatinge and drincking suche as they haue These thinges do these men teach concerning Ecclesiasticall power not onelie foolishlie but also falslie Of the power of consecration sacrificing howe vaine and foolish it is wee haue oftentimes said in other places and perhaps will say more if God grauÌ„t life in conuenient place and time Of the power of the keyes we wil dispute God willing about the end of the next sermon And something we brought when we disputed of penance auricular confession But they are foolish shameles trifles which they babble of ecclesiasticall iurisdiction of the fulnesse of the high power that is to saye of the bishop of Rome whiche I doubt not are knowen well enough to the whole world longe agoe and of that matter there shall follow hereafter some arguments for the confutation therof in these our sermoÌ„s Wheras they vsurpe vnto themselues the office of teaching and crie out that no man can lawfullie preach but such as are ordeined by them they thereby séeke the ouerthrowe of Gods word the defence assertion of their owne errors whiche shall also be intreated of in his due place The power of excommunicating they haue so filthilie shamefullie abused that the Church through their negligence and wicked presuÌ„ption hath not only lost true discipline but also excommunication it selfe hath béene a great many yeares nought else with the bishops of Rome but fire sword wherewith they first raged against the true professours of Gods word and persecuted the innocent worshippers of Christ Moreouer that there is no power giuen of God to the ministers of the Church to make new lawes we wil shew in place coÌ„uenient The authoritie and power to receiue wherewith to liue haue they put in execution to the vttermost but in recompence of their temporall haruest they haue not soawen spirituall thinges but rather being a sléepe they haue suffered him that is oure enimie to soaw cockle in the lords field and that not by any other but by their owne meanes For haue not they not being contented with thinges necessarie for this life vnder that colour subtilely inuaded kingdomes and most shamefully cruelly possessed them Wherfore he that seeth not that ecclesiastical authoritie as it is by these men affirmed and also by them put in practise is but a méere tyrannie ouer simple soules it is plaine hee séeth nothing at all Wée wil nowe herevnto ioyne a true simple plaine manifest doctrine concerning ecclesiasticall iurisdiction Power is defined to be a right which men haue to doe some thing by It is called in Gréeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wherof the first word signifieth right and power the second abilitie to execute power or authoritie For oftentimes it commeth to passe that a man shall haue authoritie to doe a thinge but is destitute of abilitie to performe it But God can do both and hath giuen them both vnto the Apostles against those the were possessed with diuels as Luke witnesseth saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hee gaue them power and authoritie ouer all diuels c. And there is also one sort of power whiche is free and absolute an other sort of power whiche is limitted whiche is also called ministeriall Absolute power is that which is altogether frée and is neither gouerned or restreyned by the lawe or will of any other Of which sort is the power of Christ which he speaketh of in the Gospell saying All power is giuen vnto me in heauen in earth goe therefore and teache all nations baptising them c. Hee speaking againe of this power in the Reuelation shewed vnto S. Iohn the Apostle sayeth Feare not I am the first the last and I am aliue but was dead and behold I am aliue for euermore And I haue the keyes of hell and of death And againe These thinges sayeth he that is holie and true which hath the keye of Dauid whiche openeth and no man shutteth and shutteth no man openeth The power whiche is limitted is not frée but subiecte to an absolute or greater power of another whiche cannot of it selfe doe euerye thinge but that onelye that the absolute absolute power or greater authoritie doth suffer to be done and suffereth it vnder certeine conditions Of whiche sort surely is the Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction and which may rightly be called the ministeriall power For the Church of God vseth her authoritie committed vnto her for this purpose by her ministers S. Augustine acknowledging this distinction speaking of Baptisme in his fifte treatise vppon Iohn sayeth
are neither euill men nor hypocrites but the verie worste and the most cruell enimies of Christ his trueth openlye blaspheming the Gospel and persecuting those that beléeue in Christ And therefore they neither haue the outward nor yet the inward markes of the Church The Spirite of the Lord resteth vppon those that tremble at the woord of God these men fret and fume if any man vnfeignedly reuerence the woord of God. True faith attributeth onelye vnto Christe all the meanes whereby it commeth vnto euerlasting life these men doe persecute the faithfull beecause they attribute vnto Christe Iesus alone all the meanes whereby they atteine vnto euerlastinge life and will not parte stakes in the meanes of saluation with Popish fancies In steede of charitie they exercise crueltie against their brethren and against their neighbours What shall a man saye of them who abuse the publique goodes of the Churche and spende them according to their owne priuate lustes For that whiche of old time the faithfull haue of charitie giuen to the vse of the church and for the sustentation of the poore that doe these men waste liuing most lecherouflie and filthilie Whiche thing the electe Apostles of the Lord Peter and Thaddeus did fore-tell the Church of GOD of concerning them And as touchinge the outwarde markes of the Churche what shall I saye These men saye that the Canonicall Scripture hath her authoritie in the Churche of Rome and that the same woorde is reade bothe in their Churches and in their Scholes and that the Sacramentes haue their force and are effectuall amoungest them But I can shewe the contrarie First of all they will make subiecte the interpretation of the holy and sacred scriptures vnto their Sea and the righte of iudgement in all cases they giue vnto their idol the Pope of Rome For that canon euery man knoweth Whatsoeuer hee decreeth what soeuer hee establisheth is of all men to bee obserued for euer inuiolably And againe The whole Churche thoroughout the vniuersall worlde knoweth that the holye Churche of Rome hath authoritie to giue iudgement of all thinges neither is it lawefull for anye to giue iudgement of her iudgements Therfore shee also iudgeth the Scriptures and expoundeth them and turneth and windeth them whiche waye shee listeth I will not nowe remember howe by manifest woordes the Standard-bearers of that Sen doe write that the canonicall Scripture taketh her authoritie of the Churche abusinge this sentence of the auncient father Sainct Augustine I would not haue beleeued the Gospell if the authoritie of the holy Churche had not moued mee c. This will I affirme whiche cannot but bee manifest vnto all men that the Romishe Church or the rulers of the same Churche doe take awaye the naturall sense and true meaning of the holy Scriptures and haue sett downe a straunge sense in stéede of it whiche sense to the ende it maye the better bee liked of men they call the sense of the holye mother the Churche whiche sense also they vrge with so great wickednesse as if you oppose against if the natiue sense you shall receiue for your labour the reprochefull name of an heretique In fewe wordes except you bring out the whole Scripture wrested after their minde and gaine that is to saye tempered with their diuellishe decrées as with poyson it will bee saide that you haue not broughte out the holye Scriptures but that that you haue taught heresie By examples the matter wil be made the plainer The Scripture teacheth that Iesus Christe is the onely head of the Church but vnlesse you also ioyne the Pope to be the head of the Church militant in earth you wil be called an heretique The Scripture teacheth that Iesus Christe is the onely intercessour or mediatour Priest and onely sacrifice propitiatorie of the faithfull but vnlesse you ioyne herevnto that Christ is in déed the mediatour of Redemption but that the sainctes together with Christe are the mediatours of intercession and that the priests do daily offer an vnbloudie sacrifice so as the Sainctes maye bee acknowledged to be intercessours together with Christ in heauen and that the priestes in earth do daily offer in their masse a sacrifice for the quicke and for the dead you will else be called an heretique The Scripture teacheth that Iesus Christe is the righteousnesse of the faithfull which righteousnesse we receiue by faith but vnlesse you will part stakes betwéene this righteousnesse of Christ and woorkes or mens merits you wil be called an heretique The Scripture teacheth that Christe ascended into heauen and hath established a Vicegerent power to witt the holy Ghost and that also he wil not come againe into the world bodily but onely at the daye of Iudgement but vnlesse you do acknowledge the same Christ to be also corporally present in the bread of the Sacrament and doest also worship him there thou wilt else be called an heretique Christe our Lord said at his last supper reaching the cup to his disciples Drincke you all of this but and if thou wilt contend that both the kindes of the sacrament ought to be giuen to al the faithfull thou wilt be called an heretique God said in his lawe Thou shalt not make an Image thou shalt not worship it thou shalt not serue it But vnlesse thou vnderstaÌ„d by an Image the Idols of the Gentiles as of Saturne or Mercurie but not of the true God or any sainct thou wilt be called an heretique Many mâ—â—e thinges of this sort I could bring forth if I spake to them that were ignorant What authoritie therfore or what place shall we say the word of God had in that sea Who séeth not that these filthie beastes doe tread vnderfoote as a captiue the most holy word of God that they establishe and reestablishe lawes of God according to their owne giantlike bouldnesse It is therefore as cleare as any thing may be cleare that the Romish Church is destitute of the holy word of god I haue shewed plainely in the first Sermon of this Decade that it is not enough to boast out the woords of the holy Scripture vnlesse therewithall the naturall sense be reteined vncorrupted The Church of Rome hath corrupted the sense and meaning of that holy Scriptures and thrust vppon the simple people opinions contrarie to that scriptures and therfore the Church of Rome is not that true Church of Christ The sacrameÌ„t of baptisme ministred by Popish priestes albeit we doe not reiterate for that they baptised in the name of the father and of the sonne and of the holy Ghoste as in the first Sermon of this Decade I haue shewed yet the breaking of bread or distribution of the Lords supper they so defiled and also corrupted the same with doctrines contrarie to the sound faith and turned the same into such a filthy merchaundize as no man that is of a sound iudgement can with a safe conscience and without corruption of his religion communicate with them Of the
sauiour tooke vppon him the ministerie and was made the Apostle and minister of the churche of the Iewes What and if those first ministers were such as no age in any doctrine of religion in holinesse and excellencie had their fellowes muche lesse their betters At this day in so muche as they are the last times wherein scoffers and Epicures haue their full range the ministerie of Gods word is of no value But if you runne ouer and weigh all the ages euen vnto the beginning of the world you shall finde that the wisest iustest and best men in the whole world had nothing in more reuerence than the word of God the prophets and the holy apostles of God. But before we procéede any further in other thinges belonging to this matter we wil make answere to some which euē vnder the pretence of the holy scriptures endeuour to peruert the ministerie of the word For they alledge this text of Ieremie No man shall teach his neighbour for al shall know me As we denie not that Ieremie hath so written so we say by that kinde of speache and figuratiue saying that he ment nothing else thā that the knowledge of God and heauenly things should be very common in the whole world Which Ioel also foretolde woulde come to passe and which Peter alledgeth in the Actes 2. chapter In the meane while those two Prophets as also all other verie often doe make mention of the teachers of the Churche whome the Lorde shoulde sende vnto his people which they woulde not haue done if they had vnderstoode that all preachers shoulde be cleane taken away Whereas other obiect that al haue the office of teaching committed alike vnto them to wit parents to teach their children and euery one to admonish his neighbour therefore that there is no neede of the ministerie of the worde of God in the church it is sophisticall For all of vs can and ought priuately to teache and admonishe our children and our neighbours but therfore the publique ministerie of the word of God is not superfluous For the same God whiche commaunded parents and vs all that they shoulde instruct their children in godlinesse and that euery one of vs also shoulde teache and admonish our neighbours hath giuen publique ministers vnto the Churche It is their office to teache openly or publiquely in the Churche neyther is this permitted to whome so euer will but onely to them that be lawfully ordeyned least happily if other teache they should not goe forward in the righte pathe For then it were lawefull for euery one being inspired with the spirit of God at what time and place so euer both soberly to gainesay and to affirme the trueth Therefore the publique ministerie of the worde remaineth neuerthelesse and that perpetually in the Church Thus much haue we spoken in generall of the ministerie and the ministers of the worde of god Nowe that which remaineth of this matter we will discusse by their kyndes and partes and first we will shewe what orders or what offices the Lord hath instituted from the beginning or whō he hath put in authoritie in the holie ministerie of the churche then what manner men and after what sorte it is méete for vs to ordeine ministers Last of all what maner of office it is that they haue that are ordeined in the church And that we be not troublesome vnto you beginning a long discourse from the Patriarches we will beginne at our Lord Christ him selfe of whom Paul the Apostle speaking Hee that descended sayth he is euen the same whiche ascended vp farre aboue all heauens to fulfill all things And he gaue some Apostls and some Prophets and some Euangelists and some Pastours and Doctours to the gathering together of the Saintes into the work of ministration into the edifying of the body of Christ And so foorth as is read in the 4. chapter to the Ephesians Therfore our Lord ordeined Apostles Prophetes Euangelistes Pastours and Doctours by whose labour he ment to builde preserue and gouerne the Church Let vs nowe sée what the scripture teacheth vs of them Apostle is a newe name giuen of the Lorde him selfe to those twelue whiche he chose peculiarly and ordeined teachers and maisters to all nations For thus we reade in the 6. of Luke The Lord called his disciples and of them he chose twelue whome also hee called Apostles For Apostle signifieth one that is sent a messinger embassadour or oratour For in the Gospell after Sainte Iohn we read The Apostle or messinger is not greater than he that sent him And truely there is verie often mention made of sending in the Prophets in the olde Testament from whence it séemeth the Lord borrowed that name We reade of no certeine boundes appoynted to the Apostles For the Lorde saith in the Gospell Goe ye into the whole worlde and preache the Gospell to all creatures These are the maister builders of the firste Churche of God from whome among auncient writers they tooke the name of Apostolique Churches those I meane which the Apostles first founded as was the Church at Antioch Ephesus Corinthe and many other mentioned in the Acts of the apostles The name of a Minister and Prophete is excéeding large Whereof is spoken in an other place Prophetes in this place are they which excell in singular reuelation and by whome the Lorde foretelleth thinges that shall come to the Churche suche a one as we reade Agabus was which both foretold to S. Paule the famine whiche was to come and his bonds Wise and godly men indued with a singular gifte of interpreting the scripture in times past were called Prophetes as it maye appeare by the wordes of the Apostle 1. Cor. 14. chapter An Euangelist is a preacher of the Gospell of Iesus Christe sente with Apostolique authoritie Such we reade were Philip and Timothie c. Pastours watche ouer the Lordes flocke hauing care of the Lordes people féeding the Churche with the worde of trueth and kéeping the woolues from the shéepefouldes The chiefe of these is that good shepehearde Christe which sayth vnto Peter Feede my sheepe Whereby he also ioyneth him selfe to shepeheards Doctours or Teachers haue their names of teaching Neyther do I sée what they differ from shepheards but that they did onely teache and in the meane while were not burthened with the care that belongeth to the Pastour of whiche sort in a manner are the interpreters of scriptures and gouernours of Christian schooles There are also found other names of the ouerséers of the Churche in the scriptures The Apostle Paule saith vnto the shepeheards gathered together in the counsel at Miletum Take heede therefore vnto your selues and to all the flocke ouer the whiche the holy ghost hath made you ouerseers to feede the Church of God. But byshops are called Superintendents séers kéepers watchmē rulers The people of Athens called them whome they sēt to
Lord fled into the wildernes wheÌ„ the people thoght to make him a king He knewe the HelisÄ™us by most wholesome counsel refused the reward of NaamaÌ„ the prince And the Giesi his seruant to his euerlasting reproche and ouerthrowe of his owne health required it afterward at his haÌ„d S. Peter would not take vppon him the charge of the poore least he should thereby with lesse diligence attende vppon prayer and preaching of the word of God whiche thing the Actes of the Apostles do witnesse who therefore thincketh it likelye that hee casting aside the office of Apostleship would haue receiued the Empire euen of the whole world Hée denieth that one man can both happily execute the charge of the ministerie of the word and also minister vnto the necessitie of the poore But what Pope wil they giue vnto vs that hath the spirite more fully than Peter had Which can performe that which Peter could not Whiche cannot onely now both serue at tables but also can gouerne the whole world Therefore they are trifles which they rehearse to vs touching the donation of ConstaÌ„tine Constantine was more sounde than that he would frame such a donation which he knew was repugnant to the doctrine of Christ Syluester was more vppright than to receiue that which he knewe could not be receiued without the vtter ouerthrowe of the ministerie of the word But if Constantine gaue that altogether which he is said to haue giuen that Syluester did not refuse his donation both of them offended Because both delt against the word of God. I sawe what of late yeares Augustine Steuchus a man otherwise well learned of much reading hath written touching Constantines donation against Laurentius Valla but he bringeth no sound arguments though hee wonderfully rage and put all the force of his eloquence in vre and finally doe buisily heape together from all places whatsoeuer by anye manner meanes maye seeme to further this cause And truely that booke séemeth better worthie to be troden vnder foot than to bee occupied in good menns hands For that I make no wordes that he calleth that ecclesiastical kingdome of Rome oftentimes eternall whereas the kingdome of Christ and the sainctes is onely eternall doeth hée not most manifestly place the Pope in the seate of Christe our Lord For after he had recited the testimonie of one Pope Nicholas hee forthwith addeth Thou hearest that the highe bishop of Constantine is called God couÌ„ted for god This verilie was done when hee adorned him with that famous edicte hee worshipped him as God as the successour of Christe and Peter As much as he could hee gaue diuine honours vnto him hee worshipped him as the liuelie Image of Christ Thus farre he in the 67. section of his booke Neither hath he written that whiche is vnlike vnto this 28. section For hee remembring certeine imaginations of his owne conceiued of the Pope he feigneth I cannot tell what fruite would come thereof if it were made knowne among the furthest Indians that all the kingdomes of the world are gouerned by the Popes becke that kings worship him as being a thinge very well knowen to them that he is the successour of Christe and therefore that they receiue him not so muche a mortall man as God himselfe in him who hath substituted him in his roome in earth and therefore wee oughte to absteine from reprochfull words if he sinne in any thinge as a man because in him they worshipp the Sonne of God. These wicked reioycinges these flattering or rather sacrilegious voyces would Peter haue suffered think you who lifted vpp Cornelius when hee fell downe before him and would haue worshipped him and said Arise I my selfe also am a man. We read also that the Angel himselfe said vnto Iohn whiche fell downe and would haue worshipped at the Angels féete See thou doe it not for I am thy fellow seruaunt and of thy brethren the Prophets It is also written of Herodes Agrippa because he repressed not the flattering voyces of the people whiche cryed when he had ended his oration It is the voice of a God not of a man that therefore hee was stricken of the Angel of God and hee rotted away being eaten of wormes Therefore we since wee knowe that Christ himselfe the sonne of God doth reigne as yet in the churche as to whome onely all glorie and power is giuen and hath not substituted any man on the earth in whom he wilbée worshipped and serued wee worship and serue Christe Iesus the sonne of God oâ—ely and vtterly abhore the Pope as antichriste and a dounghill God or if you wil a God of the iakeshouse together with his sacrilegious clawbackes and blasphemous flatterers The Lord in verie déed said to S. Peter Thou art Peter and vppon this rocke I will build my Church I wil giue thee the keyes of the kingdome of heauen c. But what make these sayinges to establish the monarchie prerogatiue and dignitie of the Pope Peter is commended of the Lord for the constancie of his faith wher vpon also he receiued his name béeing called Peter A petra that is of the rocke wherein hee settled himselfe by a true faith Christ is that rock wherevnto Peter stayed He heareth that this shal be the perpetuall foundation of the churche that all shal be receiued into the fellowshippe of the church who with a true faith confesse with Peter that Iesus Christ is the verie sonne of God and rest vppon him as the onely rocke and saluation Moreouer the keyes of the kingdome of God are promised vnto Peter but when they are deliuered they are not giueÌ„ to Peter alone but to all the Apostles For The keyes are not as these men imagine a certein dominioÌ„ iurisdiction but the ministerie of opening and shutting the kingdome of heauen to lett into the church and to shutt out whiche is wrought by the preaching of the Gospell as it shall anon be said more aboundantly After the same manner when Christ said to Peter Feed my sheep he did not giue vnto Peter the monarchie of the whole world and dominion ouer all creatures but committed vnto him a pastorall cure Of whiche thing I haue spoken in my last sermon as also else where both often and largely against the supremacie of the bishop of Rome Vnto the auncient writers of the church which they obiecte vnto vs testifying I knowe not what of the supremacie of Peter we wil aunswere in one word that we care not so much what the old writers thought herein as what Christe the sonne of God instituted and what the Apostles whose authoritie doth farre excell the iudgement of the old writers practised and what they haue left both in their writing examples for vs to iudge and sollowe Whereof I haue also spoken in the 2. Sermon of this Decade Wée haue almost gone further than wee determined therefore that we may draw to an end we haue spoken of
of the church of Christe as the Popish pastors do falsely boast to ordeine new lawes and to broach new opinions For the doctrine whiche was deliuered to the apostls of Christ is simply to be receiued of the church and simply and purely to be deliuered of the pastours to the church whiche is the congregation of such as beléeue the word of Christe And who knoweth not that it is sayde by the Prophete All men are lyars God only is true And the church is the piller and ground of truth bycause as it stayeth vpon the truth of the Scriptures euen so it publisheth none other doctrine than is deliuered in the scriptures neither receiueth it being published And who is he that will challenge to him selfe the glorie due vnto God onely God is the onely lawegiuer to all mankinde especially in those thinges which perteine to religion and a blessed life For Esaie sayth The Lorde is our iudge the Lord is our lawegiuer the Lorde is our king and he him selfe shal be our Sauiour And S. Iames also saythe There is one lawgiuer which is able to saue and to destroy God challengeth this thing as proper to him selfe to rule those that are his with the lawes of his word ouer whome he only hath authoritie of life and death Moreouer those lawes can not be godly whiche presume to prescribe and teache fayth and the seruice of God after their owne fancie The doctrine concerning fayth and the worship of God vnlesse it be heauenly is nothing lesse than that which it is sayd to be God only teacheth vs what is true fayth and what worship he delighteth in And therefore in Matthewe the sonne of God pronounceth out of Esaie In vayne doe they worship me teaching for doctrines the commaundementes of men Ioyne herevnto also that from the newe constitutions of men there springeth alwayes vp a wonderfull neglecting yea and contempt of the word of God and of heauenly lawes For through our owne traditions as the Lorde also sayth in the Gospell we goe astraye and despise the commaundements of God. Nowe since it is manifest from whence the Pastour or doctour must fetche his doctrine to wit from no other place than out of the Scripture of the old and new Testament which is the infallible and vndoubted word of God and that therefore this doctrine is certeine and immutable There remaineth nowe also something to be spoken of the manner of teaching which the teacher or pastor of the Churche ought to followe And here I will onely briefly touche the shorte summe or effect of matters Afore all other thinges therefore it is required of Pastours that continually they account that to be spoken vnto them whiche the Apostle commanded to be often tolde to Archippus Take heede to the ministerie that thou haste receiued in the Lord that thou fulfill it And moreouer 〈◊〉 they neuer turne away their eies from that liuely picture of a good and euill shepehearde whiche Ezechiel that famous Prophete setteth out after this manner Thus sayth the Lorde God woe be vnto the shepeheardes of Israel that feede them selues shoulde not the shepeheards feede the flocks ye eate the fat ye cloath you with the wooll ye kill them that are fed but ye feed not the shepe the weak haue ye not strengthened the sicke haue ye not healed neither haue ye bound vp the broken nor brought againe that whiche was driuen away neyther haue ye sought that whiche was lost but with crueltie and with rigour haue ye ruled them And againe I will feede my sheepe sayth the Lord God I will seeke that whiche was lost and bring againe that whiche was driuen away and will binde vp that which was broken and will strengthen the weake but I will destroy the fat and the strong and I will feede them with iudgement Hereby we gather that it is the duetie of a good Pastour or shepeheard to féde and not to deuour the flocke to minister not to exercise dominion to séeke the safetie of his shéepe not his priuate gaine and also to séeke out againe the lost shéepe that is to say to bring again such as can not abide the truth and wander in the darkenesse of errous home to the church and vnto the light of the trueth and to restore and bring back againe the shéep that is driuen or chased away to wit such as are separated from the felowship of the Saintes or godly for some priuate affections sake to heale or binde vp such as are broken For he meaneth the wounds of sinnes whiche Ieremie also commaundeth to heale and to be short to strengthen the weake and féeble shéep and not altogether to treade them vnder foote and to bridle such shéepe as be strong that is to say men flourishing in vertues least they be proude and puffed vp with the giftes of God and so fall away But let him thinke that these thinges can not be perfourmed but through sounde and continuall teaching deriued oute of GOD his worde The manner of teaching extendeth it selfe to publique and priuate doctrines By publique doctrine the Pastour eyther catechiseth that is to say instructeth them that be younglings in religion or other whiche are grounded therein To the younglings or ignoraunt sorte he openeth the principles of true religion For Catechesis or the fourme of Catechising comprehendeth the groundes or principles of fayth and Christian doctrine to wit the chiefe pointes of the couenaunt the tenne commaundements the Articles of fayth or Apostles Créede the Lordes prayer and a briefe exposition of the Sacramentes The auncient churches had Catechisers appoynted properly to this charge And the Lorde commendeth vnto vs bothe in the olde Testament and in the newe with great earnestnesse the charge of the youth commaunding vs to instruct them both betimes and also diligently in true religion Moreouer he setteth out great rewardes and grieuous punishments in that behalfe Assuredly no profite or fruite is to bee looked for in the Churche of those hearers that are not perfectly instructed in the principles of religion by Catechising for they knowe not of what thing the Pastor in the Churche speaketh when they heare the couenaunt the commaundement the lawe grace fayth prayer and the sacraments to be named Therefore if in any thing then in this ought greatest diligence to be vsed The doctrine whiche apperteyneth to the perfecter sorte is specially occupyed in the exposition of holy Scripture It may appeare out of the writings of the old bishops that it was the custome in that happie and most holie primitiue churche to expounde vnto the Churches not certeine parcels of the Canonicall bookes neyther some chosen places out of them but the whole bookes as well of the newe Testament as the olde And in so doing there came no small fruite vnto the Churches As at this day also we sée by experience that Churches can not be better instructed nor more vehemently stirred vppe
mighty workes of god are of such sort that any maÌ„ may vnderstande and manifestly see that they are such as they are saide to be The Lorde saide Let there be light and there was light Suche a kinde of light I meane whiche was both called light and according to the nature of light gaue light it was not called or made light whiche was light in déede and yet gaue not lighte as the Breade is called the bodie of Christe whiâ—he yet hathe not so muche as one iotte of the bodie of Christe Furthermore this word blessing in no place in the scriptures is so vsed as they woldmake vs beleue To blesse in the Scriptures is to thank to praise to salute to bid farewel to speake wel of any to wish wel to reioyce highly to extoll to giue thanks for a good turne to increase to enriche to multiplie or to make frutefull I could if néede were bring examples to proue eche of them But a man shall no where reade that to blesse is as much as to turne the natures of things by the words of God or otherwise by good wordes and prayers after a set manner pronouÌ„ced We read say they in the gospell that the Lord tooke bread and blessed Yea and Paule also calleth the Bread and cupp by that name to wit The bread and Cupp of blessing the bread and cup vndoutedly of consecration by whiche consecration the substance of the signes is miraculously chaunged I aunswere That the words bothe of the Gospel and of the Apostle are wrongfully wrested to that sense which neuer came into the mind of the Lord or his apostles For to declare the meaning of that place in the Gospel To blesse is not with the gesture of the hande to make the signe of the crosse or to lay ones mouth vnto the bread and cup and in a lowe voice to whisper out the set syllables of the words of consecration but to singe praises to God or to giue him thankes for his benefites bestowed on vs. That whiche I haue saide I will confirme by the authoritie of the Euangelistes and Apostles For the Apostles and Euangelistes vse the worde of blessing or thankesgiuing indifferently For where Marke hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say Blessing Mathew Luke and Paule haue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say Giuing thankes which worde Marke also vsing a little after writeth And when he had tooke the cup 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is When he had giuen thankes he gaue to them To blesse therefore is as the Apostles them selues doe interprete it to giue thankes since that they put the one for the other The diligent Reader may see the same also in that place of Paule which is 1. Cor. 10 chap. which place we will fullie and wholie entreate of in that whiche followeth Our aduersaries therefore haue not as yet proued out of the Scriptures that to blesse is as muche as to chaunge the things or that by words pronuÌ„tiation or reciting of words the thinges them selues signified are brought to or made present The aunciente writers truely made mention of a mysticall blessing but in a farr other sense than these consecrators Of true consecration wee will speake anon and will confute also in another place whatsoeuer thinges they haue brought concerning blessing or consecrating of Baptisme now wee will make an end of that whiche we began Words of theÌ„ selues were instituted of god to this end to signifie and by signifying to beare witnesse and to admonishe neither haue they beside any hiden force to chaunge the natures of things or to cause the thinges them selues to be corporally present neither doe we reade that holie men euer vsed them after this manner therefore they sinne and deceiue men which otherwise vse them than they were instituted Aurel. August acknowledged the very same thinge who in his Encheiridion ad Laurent Capit. 22. saith And verily words to this purpose are instituted not that men should deceiue one another by them but by the whiche one might make another to know his meaning therefore to vse wordes vnto deceipt and not to that end wherunto they were ordeyned is sinne The same Aurelius Augustinus gathering a summe of his whole booke intituled De Magistro asketh this question But nowe I woulde haue thée tel me what thy opinion is of al this that I haue spokeÌ„ vnto thée whiche by and by he answereth I haue learned beeing admonished by thy wordes that a man is taught no other thing by words than to learn and that it is a verie small matter that by speeche or talke we knowe partly what he thinketh that speaketh but whether the wordes whiche he spake were true that teacheth he only who admonished that hée dwelt in the harte when the other spake with the toung Thus much he in the last Chapter of his booke De Magistro To this purpose perteine the words of Solomon the wise in the Booke of the Preacher saying The wordes of the wise are like prickes and nayles that go through of the authors of gatheringes whiche are giuen of one sheepherd Where we willingly acknowledge that there is great force in eloquence and prayers of the iust as the Graecians signified by that Hercules of Gallia also Cicero verie plentifully hathe declared the same Lib. 1. De Oratore But that whiche they doe forge and imagine of Pitho or Suada or Suadela the Ladie and mistresse of eloquence that verily do we attribute to the holy ghost which doth bothe giue grace to the speaker and prepareth and styrreth vppe the mindes of the hearers By these thinges it is manifest vnto all men I thinke that it is a newe forgerie of man and not a doctrine of Oracle to say that in the celebration of the sacraments there is such force graffed in the wordes recited that they turne and chaunge the thinges or make the thinges signified to bée present and either put on or ioyne them with the signes But wee will shewe hereafter that the signes are not chaunged or mingled with the thinges signified but that bothe of them do remaine still in their own nature and propertie It shal be sufficient if wee attribute that to the wordes whiche the scripture doth attribute to wit the office of signifying admonishing of mouing and styrring vp whiche they haue from god For they do defile and blemishe the wordes of God whiche decke them with straunge and falsified titles We acknowledge in déed that all the power of almightie God is attributed to the word of God but who séeth not that that is spoken ment of the euer lasting sonne of God wherin that scripture is called the word of God Who is such a dorhead that cannot rightly distinguish betwéene the euerlasting word of God which is y sonn of God the second person in the reuerend Trinitie the word rehearsed spoken or pronounced by man The euerlasting word of god remaineth in his
2. chap. But now we returne to oure purpose That we may yet at lengthe make an ende of this place they are sacramentall and figuratiue speaches when we reade and heare that the breade is the body of Christe and the wine the bloud of Christ and that they do eate and drinke the body and bloude of Christe which eate and drinke the Sacramente of the body and bloude of the Lord also that they are purged from their sinnes and regenerated into a newe life which are baptised in the name of Christe and that baptisme is the washing awaye of all our sinnes And after this manner speaketh the scripture and this fourme of speache kept the olde doctours of the Churche whome for so doing none that is wise dothe dispraise neyther can one discommend any man whiche speaketh after this manner so that he also abide in the same sinceritie wherein it is manifest that those holy men of god did walke For as they did willingly and simply vse those speaches so did they not roughly rigorously strayne the letter and speaches they did interprete them in suche sorte that none was so vnskilfull but that he might vnderstand that the signs were not that thing it selfe whiche they signified but that the signes doe take the names of the things therfore they vsed words significatiuely sacramentally mystically and figuratiuely Nowe whereas some will not haue the Sacramentall speaches to be expounded as though being not expoūded they were of more authoritie maiestie and worthines this draweth after it a soare daunger and giueth a most gréeuous offence and is repugnant to the rule of the Apostles to sounde reason and to the custome of them of old For when these kinde of spéeches are set forth and vttered to the simple sort béeing not expounded to witt The bread is the bodie of Christe When thou drinckest the wine of the Lord thou drinckest the verie bloud of the lord Baptisme saueth vs c. what other thing I pray you is set forth than a snare of carnall bondage and a most daungerous offēce of idolatrie Many words néede not in this matter since experience doeth aboundantly enoughe sett forthe in this place what hath béene done and what at this day is done The rule of the Apostles commandeth the diuine oracles to be expounded in the Church and to lay forth all the mysteries of the scripture that they may be soundly vnderstanded as wée may sée 1. Corinth 14. And reason it selfe teacheth vs that the mind of mā is litle or nothing moued if the things themselues be not vnderstoode What fruite therefore shall the simple sorte receiue by the Sacraments vnto whom the meaning of the sacramentes hath not béene opened Better therefore did the auncient fathers not onely in expounding all the mysteries of the kingdome of God and especially the sacraments but in teaching also that they ought to be expounded Whiche although it be made plaine inough by those thinges whiche goe before yet will I add two examples out of S. Augustine touching this matter Hee cap. 6. de chatechisandis rudibus sayeth Let the newe Christian man bée taught concerning the sacraments that they bée visible signes of heauenlye thinges and that inuisible things are to be honoured in them neither that the signe after it is blessed and sanctified is so to bee taken as it is daily vsed It must also be tould him what that spéech signifies which he heareth and what thing is giuen in the signe whereof it is a representation Moreouer vppon this occasion hée must bée taught that if he heare any thing euen in the Scriptures that soundeth carnally although he vnderstand it not yet to beléeue that some spirituall thing is signified thereby whiche belongeth to holy manners and to the life to come And as followeth The same Augustine Lib. 4. de doctr Chr. cap. 8. doth vtterly forbid the doctours teachers of the church not to thinke that they ought therefore to speake obscurely of the mysteries of the scripture because they sée that these things are deliuered somewhat intricately and darckely in the scripture but he rather requireth light plainnesse in them If any man desire to heare his wordes they are these If we fetche examples of the manner of speaking out of the writinges of our canonicall authours and doctours which are easily vnderstoode yet wée ought not to thincke that wee should followe them also in those spéeches wherein they haue vsed a profitable and wholesome obscuritie to exercise and as it were to quicken the readers mindes and to take awaye lothsomnes and to stirre vp the studies of the willing learners and also to make the minds of the wicked zealous that they may either bée turned to godlines or else excluded from the mysteries For so they spake that those which came after them and could vnderstand and rightly expound them might reueale a second grace vnlike to the former but yet ensuing in the church of god Therefore they which expounde them ought not so to speake as if they by the like authoritie would offer themselues to bee expounded but in all their kinde of spéeches first let them labour chiefly and first of all to be vnderstanded with as plaine kinde of speaking as they can that he be very dull and slow-witted which doeth not vnderstand or at the least let not the fault of the hardnesse and subtiltie of the thinges which we goe about to open and declare be in our owne spéech whereby that which we speake should be somewhat longer in vnderstanding Thus farre Augustine And let this that I haue hitherto said of sacramentall spéeches be sufficient The Lord be praised Amen ¶ That wee must reason reuerently of Sacraments that they doe not giue grace neither haue grace included in them Againe what the vertue and lawefull ende and vse of Sacramentes is That they profite not without faith that they are not superfluous to the faithful that they do not depend vppon the worthines or vnworthines of the minister ¶ The seuenth Sermon YEsterday déerely beloued I tould you what a sacrament was whoe was the authour of them and for what causes sacramentes were instituted of what thinges they consiste that is to say of the signe and the thinge signified I tould you also what a signe is what the thinge signified and by what names they are termed howe they are consecrated that the signe is not mingled with the thing signified but that both of them remaine in their owne nature and propertie of nature that the signe is not taken away or myraculously turned neither that the thing signified is so ioyned with the signe that whosoeuer is partaker of the one is partaker also of the other To be short I declared howe and after what manner the signe and the thing signified are coupled together to make a full perfect and lawfull sacrament where also I intreated of sacramentall spéeches Now therfore it remaineth that I also cōsequently speake of
it is not lawfull to conuerte his holie mysteries to any other purpose than hee hath appointed Neither haue wee any examples to proue the any holie men did euer vse the Lords supper to any such end as these men doe The children of Israel receiued the feaste of the Paschal lamb in remembraunce of their deliuerance out of Egypt and that they should continue thankfull vnto so beneficiall a Lorde how greate an offence had they cōmitted if they had so often-times eaten their banquet as béeing oppressed with calamities they desired to be deliuered desired it by dooing that déed They receiued the Arke of the couenaunte from the Lord in token of his diuine presence and assured help but when contrary to the end wherevnto it was appointed they bare it into the campe to the intent they might obteine the victory thereby they them selues were putt to flight and slaine and the Ark caryed away by the Philistines into captiuitie Againe if the Lords supper bee a publique holie feaste of the whole Church gathered together in one in the whiche there ought to be breaking distributing eating and drinking and thereby the communion of the bodie and bloud of Christe bee declared and sealed it followethe that the Lords supper ought not to be ordeyned neither for any in health or sicknesse neither for any lying sicke in his bed or at the point of death be it either priuatly at home or openly at Church neither can the godly require the Lordes supper vnto any such priuate vses For the institution of Christe our Lord muste not be altered by any humane authoritie or custome Verilie S. Paule requireth a publique assembly of the church and a generall méeting for the due celebrating of the supper When you meete together therfore in one place this is not to take the supper of the Lord that is to say Ye doe not eate the Lordes supper The reason is For euery one when they shoulde eate taketh his owne supper c. Wherefore hee will not that any thing bee done therein priuatly Likewise in the same place hee sayeth that they méete together and eate the Lordes supper to their owne damnation which make haste to the Supper not tarrying for the congregation vntil they doe all méet they eate and drinke together For he sayeth Wherefore my brethren when you meete to eate and drinke tarry one for an other if any man be hungry let him eate at home to wit that he be not constrained to eate before the residue that ye mete not together to your condemnation Wherfore the Lords supper is not a priuate but a publique supper to bee giuen to no man priuatly And forasmuch as that assembly is not publique or generall when foure or fiue doe communicate with the sick their saying is nothing which say that the supper may be ordeined for the sick if so be that others doe sup with them Moreouer who wil denie that the example of Christe and the Apostles is perpetually to be followed But it is euident enough that Christe celebrated his supper in a common dyning place haueing gathered the Churche vnto him as well as it might at that time be gathered Sainct Paule sayeth that in that pointe hée followed the example of the Lorde and that he hath deliuered no other thing to the church than that which he receiued of the Lorde Neither reade we in any place of the Scriptures that the other Apostles of Christe carryed the Sacramente to the sicke and that they ordeyned the holie Supper priuately for euery one to appease his tentation But all the apostles commaund vs in euery place to confirme and strengthen the sicke and afflicted conscience with the Lordes worde they teache vs also to succour the distressed with diligent prayer S Iames hath diligently sett downe in writing how the faithfull shall behaue them selues towardes the sick and them that are departing out of this worlde but as touching the celebrating or carrying the Sacrament vnto them hée speaketh not one worde Neither is it likely that the Apostles the moste faithfull doctours of the Churche would dissemble the matter if so be they had thoughte that it had apperteined chiefly to our saluation They haue warned vs often of thinges of farre lesse importaunce And certeine it is that they haue taught the Churche all thinges that béelong to true godlinesse and saluation but as for this matter they haue not mentioned one worde of it They obiecte out of the Actes of the apostls this authoritie And breaking bread from house to house they eate meate together with gladnesse and singelnes of hart praysing God. But that place is to be vnderstood of the bodily nourishing meat not of the mysticall foode For it followeth They receiued meate or sustenaunce together And therefore as it is read in the 58. Chapter of Esay to breake breade is as much to say as to féede and so it signifieth héere also For the richer sorte gaue foode to the poorer which they did with a chéerfull not with a sorrowfull hearte and they that receiued the benefite praysed god But if any man doe stubbernly contend that the Apostles did sup in priuate houses We answere that it maketh nothinge to the present matter of the sick and of priuate communion For as I haue saide before at that time they vsed priuate houses in stéede of Churches And therefore they supped in priuate houses not to féede the sick with the bread of the sacrament but because the vniuersall church of that place was gathered together in them as it appeareth in the 20. Chapter of the Actes as the maner is in persecutions They obiect moreouer that the auncient fathers sent the sacrament vnto them that were bounde in prison and to them that were departing to féede on vpon the way But I haue declared in place else-where wherefore the ancient fathers did so Héerevnto also we add that mans custome cannot preiudice the word of God. The blessed martyr Irenaeus writeth that the byshops of Rome were wont to send the Sacrament to other byshops whiche come to Rome from other places in token of concorde and agreement But that custome was not vsed by all byshopps neither is it vsed in the Churche at this present Héereof it followeth that many thinges were vsed by the auncient fathers as that whereof wee spake before whiche was in giuing the Sacramentes to infants which notwithstanding are no lawe vnto vs Good men also at this day may suffer a priuate supper for a time for them that do not yet vnderstand the full vse of the supper But who will gather héereof that euery man ought of dutie to doe that which is permitted vnto some vpon sufferaunce But if we continue contentiously to affirme it to be a reliefe for vs in our trauaile it will growe to this whiche wee haue séene receiued already certeine hundred yéeres ago that there shall be hope and confidence putt in the receiuing of the sacramēt as though