at the least in trauell bring forth at length Forsooth Horatius mountaines in Italie were great with childe and after their harde trauell brought forth a Mouse What one error or abuse in their Church of so many as all the worlde nowe séeth and they although they be impudent ynough cannot denie haue they refourmed Surely neuer might that worthy Bishoppe of Nazianzum his saying be more truly spoken than of these Councels If I must needes write the truth sayth he I neuer sawe any good ende or conclusion of these Bishops Councels in his Epistle to Procopius the .xlij. Epist. And yet they shame not still to say the holye ghost is President of their Councels and that he is shut in the closet of the Popes breast But I trowe it is not that holy ghost that Christ sayth breatheth where it will for that it woulde not be so partially tyed to the Popes bosome or that appeared vpon Christ in likenesse of a Doue It is I beléeue that ghastly ghost the Owle that sate so long in the Consistorie on a time ouer the Popes heade a méete holy ghost I assure you for such a consistorie and closet Lette vs therefore leaue them and this president of their Councels and marke what séemeth good to Gods holy spirite and to the Euangelistes and Apostles and fâ—llowe the same considering as S. Augustine sayth in his seconde Epistle to S. Ierome that no Scriptures are to be allowed but the vndoubted Canonicall And in his first booke and seconde chapter against the Epistle of Parmenian he iudgeth it a rashe and presumptuous part to beleeue anye that prooueth not that hee sayth by scriptures And in his thirde booke and .vj. chapter against the letters of Petilian he holdâ—th any thing accursed that is beside the lawe and the Gospell In his first booke of christian doctrine xxxvij chap. he sayth Our faith staggereth if it be not vpholden by scriptures In his .166 Epistle he sayth both Christ and his Church is knowne by the scriptures In his seconde booke of Christian doctrine and .vj. chap. he sayth the holy ghost hath caused the darker thinges in the scriptures to be opened by playner And Chrysostome in his seconde exposition vppon Mathewe the .xxiiij. and .xxix. Homelies sayth The true Church can no waye else bee knowne but onely by the Scriptures bicause whatsoeuer things else in the Church Heretikes haue aswell as Catholikes But now to that they saye diuersitie of translations in Scripture bréedeth error although the same be sufficiently ynough confuted before by the example of the seauentie Translators or Interpreters by those fiue or sixe more that after Christes time corrected them by Origen by Hierome by the Euangelistes and Apostles writing in the Gréeke tongue yet we will alleage one or two places out of olde Doctors for confirmation of the same For touching all obiections that the aduersaries can make they are so fully aunswered by the olde Doctors as partly you maye haue perceyued that it were but vaine further to trauell therein S. Augustine which is one of the fower Cardinall and principall Doctors that our aduersaries allowe who impugne this opinion sayth thus against them They that haue translated the Scriptures sayth he out of the Hebrewe tongue into the Greeke maye be numbred but the Latine interpreters by no meanes For in the beginning of the fayth assoone as one had gotten a Greeke booke into his handes and seemed to haue some knowledge in both the tongues he tooke vppon him to interprete the same Which thing did more further than hinder vnderstanding so that the readers be not negligent For the pervsing of diuers bookes hath often times opened the darker sentences The place is in his seconde booke of Christian doctrine and .xij. chapter And Nicholaus de Lyra one of our aduersaries owne Doctors sayth in his Preface vpon the Genesis that Diuersitie of expositors stirreth vp attention But to bring more testimonies in a matter so cléere as daye is but impertinent séeing that both Gods lawe and mans alloweth the truth though testified but with two or thrée witnesses Thus hast thou gentle Reader my promise made in the beginning confirmed by authoritie of Scriptures euident reasons and testimonies of auncient Doctors though not in such abundant wise as might be yet in as large a sort as the lawe and rule of a Preface will permit Let vs therefore addresse and prepare our selues diligently not onely to reade the Scriptures but also to vnderstande them and not to vnderstande them onely and there to stay as I am afrayde too manye in these dayes make that their onely ende of reading but also to frame our selues to expresse our vnderstanding in our liues and conuersation least hauing the Gospell still in our mouthes and shewing nothing thereof in our maners and yet protesting a more sounde and exact knowledge than others we encrease at length but our owne punishment and damnation knowing that euery one that sayth Lorde Lorde shall not enter into the kingdome of heauen but he that doth the will of the father which is in heauen And howe the seruant that knoweth his maisters will and doth it not shall be beaten with many stripes Let vs remember that the temple of Salomon and the writings of the lawes and Prophetes among the Iewes little profited them bicause they abused them and woulde not leade a life aunswereable to such blessings of god God spared not that stocke of the Iewes of so many hundreth yeares groweth verily no more will he vs that are but Impes graft and set in the same stocke if we doe not better than we doe and they did But againe if we liue a repentant life as we ought to doe and a thankfull vnto God for his innumerable benefites and specially for the light of his worde nowe shining in our Church of Englande so ordering our works that they may shine before men and glorifie our father which is in heauen then rage the worlde neuer so much by Gods permission against his little flocke for their proofe and triall yet shall it neuer be able to take one of them out of his hand but that he will ayde and assist vs with the presence of his spirite and rule as Dauid sayth in the middle among his enimies and bruse them with his yron rod and breake all them in peeces like a potters vessell that any maner of way without repentance molest and afflict his dearely beloued spouse and Church Let vs not therefore feare any threates or enterprises of this worlde knowing that we shall ouercome in him that hath alreadye ouercome the Deuill and the worlde Greater sayth S. Iohn is the spirite that is in you than hee that is in the world For there was neuer yet tyrant that rose against Gods Church but some shamefull horrible ende folowed him most coÌ„monly in this world The ecclesiasticall story is full of examples of late God hath shewed some notable in this
may first sée what the opinion of the Latine Church was in this poynt by one of the most approouedst Doctors in the same Church S. Hierome vpon these wordes of Paule to the Colossians Let the worde of Christ dwell plentifullye among you sayth thus By this place it is declared that euen the laye people ought to haue the woorde of Christ among them not onely sufficiently but also abundantly and to teach and admonishe one another Here besides that S. Hierome permitteth the lay people to haue the Scriptures and that plenteously he also suffereth them to teach and instruct one another saying moreouer that it is their dutie so to doe Chrysostome vpon the same place and wordes sayeth euen the same thing though in more large and ample maner Harken sayth he all yee secular people that haue charge of wife and children howe the Apostle commaundeth you chiefly to reade the scriptures and that not lightly and slenderly but with great diligence And a litle after that again Lysten sayth he I pray you all you laye people Buye you the Bible which is the medicine of the soule Or if you will haue nothing else get you the newe Testament the Gospels and Actes of the Apostles for your continuall and diligent teachers And by and by after he addeth This sayth he is the cause of all euill that the scriptures are not vnderstanded Note well I pray you howe Chrysostome holdeth this as an vndoubted and infallible truth that ignoraunce in the Scriptures is the cause of all euill Our Countrie man Beda called worshipfull as I suppose bicause of his great learning and reuerende life and demeanor is of the very same iudgement as appeareth by that he hath written vpon the first Epistle of S. Peter the seconde Chapter I might also here shewe howe the sayde Beda for more than nyne hundreth yeares past translated the Gospell of Saint Iohn into the Englishe tongue and howe Constantine so greatly commended for his godlynesse caused infinite copies of the Byble to be written and sent abrode into all the partes of his Empyre long before that But returne we to Chrysostome who many times chideth as it were with his hearers for that they giue no better héede to his sermons sometimes againe he prayeth and desireth them that they woulde come oftner to them and reade and pervse the scriptures at home at their houses more diligently than they had vsed Otherwhiles he aunswereth the obiections they vsed to make for their excuse But let vs heare his owne words Tell me saith he I pray you you that stand here present which of you can say one Psalme without the booke if it were required of you or any other peece of the scripture And he by by maketh their obiection answere But sayth he this is your defence for all such faultes I am say you no Monke I haue wife and children and charge of housholde verily this is it wherewith as it were with the plague you â—arre and corrupt all thinges bicause you thinke the reading of scriptures belongeth to Monkes onely where in deede it is much more necessary for you than for them for they that go abrode in the world and daily receyue wounde vpon wound haue more neede of Gods medicine than other men Wherefore it is a more grieuous and heynous fault to thinke the lawe of God to be superfluous than to be ignorant in it for these be wordes proceeding of a diuelishe cogitation Hearest thou not Paule say the scriptures are written for our correction Thus much hath Chrisostome in his second Homelie vpon S. Mathew these words also to the like effect in the same place folowing This sect sayth he is the working of the deuils inspiration that will not suffer vs to loke vpon the treasure least we should attaine to the riches therof Therfore he perswadeth men that there is no profit ryseth by reading the holy Scriptures bicause he woulde see no practise followe of the hearing Againe in his .xvij. Homelie vpon the Epistle to the Hebrues he bringeth other like obiections whervnto he also answereth Thou wilt saye sayth he I haue not reade it this is no excuse but a fault And in his .xxviii. Homely vpon the Genesis he earnestly erhorteth and counsayleth all men to the hearing reading of the scriptures These be his words I pray you sayth he come hither oftener and harken more diligently to the reading of the holy Scripture and not onely when you come hither but at home also take the holy Bible in your handes and receyue with great studie the commoditie therein conteyned And a little after that againe I pray you therfore sayth he let vs not lose so great a commoditie through our negligence but let vs apply the reading of the holy scripture euen at home also Nowe if these newe Diuines which haue gone so long disguised vnder the visar of antiquitie will yet farther replye and saye that the Scriptures are to difficult for all men to vnderstand and that they are not sufficient to discusse all controuersies that may arise in the church but that we must wayte for the Oire and determiner of counselles or that diuersitie of translations bréede obscuritie and errours among the people we will hereto also make them an aunswere and that out of the doctors that it may herein also appeare that they doe but pretende doctors seing they will not yéelde to the doctors when they heare them speake and make so expressely against them First touching hardnesse and difficultie wherewith they charge the scripture Saint Augustine in his second booke of christian doctrine and sixe chapter sayth thus The holye ghost hath so honorably and wholesomely tempered and qualified the holye Scriptures that it hath put hunger awaye by playner places and lothsomnesse by darker And againe in his thirde Epistle to Volusianus he sayth The maner of speech wherof the holy scripture consisteth all men may easely come vnto although verie fewe can pearce through it vttering the playner things therein conteyned like a familiar friend without all coulour to the heart aswell of the vnlearned as learned And those things which it hydeth in mysteries it doth not set out with haultie elocution fraying the slowe and vnlearned minde to come neere it lyke as the poore man commeth vnto the riche but allureth all men with lowlinesse of speeche feeding them not onely with manifest truth but exercising them with secret hauing the verie same things in playner places that it hath in harder Cyrill in his seauenth booke against Iulian sayth to the intent that the scriptures might be knowne to all men both small and great they are so commodiously set foorth in familiar speache that they passe nones capacitie Saint Hierome vpon the .xix. chapter of Esay sayth It is the maner of the scriptures after harder things to set playner Saint Austen in his .83 booke and .69 question affirmeth that circumstaunce of the Scriptures openeth the sence and meaning
and troubles of all Christendome doth not only liue in peace hir selfe but also is a most safe sanctuarie for forreyners and straungers resorting to hir from all places Therefore great and weightie causes as me thinketh haue mooued me most honourable and my especiall good Lordes to dedicate this my labour and traueyle vnto you wherein according to the grace of God bestowed vppon mee I haue gone about to open and make plaine that booke which describeth the fiâ—st countenaunce and looke of that Church that is called the primitiue Church wyth the proceedings encrease and whole estate of the same a president wherof I see you haue followed with no lesse industrie and diligence than good and happie successe Which president if they shall follow which shall suceede you in gouernement of the common weale they shall both see howe you haue done nothing rashly and on a head and shall also perceyue themselues woonderfully pricked forwarde to obserue and keepe with all their power that fourme and order of a refourmed Church and Religion that they shall receyue of you And surely it shall be verie profitable to meditate oftentymes by what meanes and beginnings our auncestours deuised such an order and fourme both of Church and common weale For in so doing they shall neyther regarde slaunderers which maliciously depraue thinges done well and godlily neyther shall they be turned from the truth for anye stormes of persecution or threates of the worlde that may aryse It is also profitable manye tymes to talke of these thinges before the people which as they are ledde most commonly with things present so doe they easily forget thinges passed and gone and verie seldome thinke of things to come Therefore they allow not the deuises of the Magistrates but when they see them ioyned eyther with present profite or cleere of perilles and daunger For as soone as daunger once appeareth they finde fault and lacke of wisedome and equitie in those whose councels they ought faythfullye to set forward and obey But if they did vnderstande that their rulers had God for the authour and guyder of their drifts and deuises and that they did whatsoeuer they did according to their duetie then surelye they woulde learne more religiously to iudge of their rulers and more easilye to obey them and woulde not so sodenly bee mooued and turned at euerye rumour of daunger arysing Surely this was the thing that I chiefly ment and intended when I began openly to reade this booke to the flocke of Christ among you and to publishe and set abroade that which I had openly spoken and declared For I sawe that the state of this age waxing euery day woorse and woorse was such that it was most nedefull continually to pervse the bookes of holy scripture and to sette before the people the examples of the primitiue Church conteyned in the same that they shoulde not be deceyued with the gloses of such as vnder a false colour and pretence of antiquitie burthen vs with newe errours and accuse those thinges of noueltie which graue and godly menne haue restored vnto vs out of the worde of god Accept therefore these my labours mine honourable and good Lordes with such fauour as you haue manye yeares borne vnto the truth and vnto mee and manye other my fellowes and coparteners euen from our childehoode Continue your good will vnto the students of diuinitie holde on your accustomed humanitie and gentlenesse toward the pilgrimes and banished for Christes sake abide in the mainteyning of your lawes and correcting of the peoples maners in enhaunceing vertuous exercises and in bridling wickednesse with iustice In many places the horrible contempt of God reigneth Diuers doe wickedly reiect the wholesome benefite of Gods worde and the knowledge of christ Charitie in most men waxeth chill and fayth fayleth euerie day by little and little Iniquitie aboundeth and newe croppes of naughtinesse dayly encrease God therefore being angrie â–ª threatneth vs with punishment and feareth the world with woonders monsters and horrible vprores of kingdomes And yet will he neuer fayle them which abyde and continue in promoting his glorie defende the Church of his Christe and according to the measure of their vocation perseuere in doing their duetie He shall blesse your labours and gouerne your councels by his spirite he shall blesse all your people so that they shall of their owne accorde obey your wholesome lawes and moste happilye enioye the gladsome benefite of euangelicall peace He shall blesse your whole Church so that it shall go forwarde euerie day more and more in the doctrine of godlinesse To him who is the onely Lorde of Lordes the immortall and euerlasting God be blessing honour power and glorie for euer Amen Giuen at Zurich in your famous and chiefe Citie of Heluetia the first daye of August in the yeare of oure Lorde 1557. ⧠Ioannes Parkhurstus Anglus Episcopus Nordouicensis Multa relucenti debent haec tempora Lucae Et debet Lucas multa Rodolphe tibi Lux Lucae luxit totum diffusa per orbem Lux Lucae lucet nunc magè luce tua Ergo tibi Lucae tantum qui luminis adfers Christus cum Luca lucida regna dabit Eiusdem aliud ad Lectorem Quae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fuerint Apostolorum Qui ritus veteres apudque Patres Et quot discere Lector est ne cordi Huc adsis auido legantur ore Haec quae scripta vides pererudita Sacris eruta scripta quaeque libris Aut è Patribus eruta Orthodoxis Quae multo peperit tibi labore Gualtherus pietate clarus atque Doctrina patriae decus suaeque Praefulgens celebres habendus inter Scriptores potes id negare Liuor Laudes quid memorare pergo plures Vino vendibili haud opus virente Est suspensa hedera Liber loquatur ¶ A Table of the chiefe wordes and things expounded in these Homelies and Annotations A A ante A. AAron and hys chyldren chosen to be ministers Pag. 67. A ante B. Abelles fayth what it was Pag. 853. Abnegation or denying of our selfe is the beginning of Christianitie Pag. 367. Abraham is an example of the obedience of fayth 295. Abraham pleased God wythout the ceremonialles 293. Abraham is in manye daungers after he came into the lande of promyse 297. Abrahams faythe is stedfast althoughe hee bee tryed dyuers wayes ibidem Abrahams singuler faythe is sette forth ibidem Abraham what GOD dyd with him after hee came into the lande of promise ibidem Abrahams faythe in all aduersities is vpholden by Gods promyse onely ibidem A ante C. Actes of the Apostles instructe all states and degrees of men wyth examples Pag. 4. Actes of the Apostles commende the truth and Maiestie of the propheticall Oracles of vtility necessitie dignitie and Maiestie 2 Actes wherewith it begynneth the hystorie 1. A ante D. Adam was a christian 852. Adams sinne depryued vs of lyfe Pag. 119. Admiration of Gods workes is necessary 157 Admonitions out of Gods words are needefull
and his horrible ende as though these things happened by hazarde or that the sonne of God betrapped by a wicked man had not bene able to haue escaped his crafts and deceytes I would not also that any should so take these matters as though the falshoode of so wicked a man should derogate any thing from our order and holy function which we are in by Christes appoyntment For it seemed good vnto God that these things should so come to passe whose counsayle and purpose it was that his belooued sonne shoulde be betrayed by one of his entire Disciples And he woulde not haue vs ignorant hereof For it is knowne what is read in the Psalme 41. which Christ himselfe repeated in his last supper saying He that eate breade with me hath layde great wayte for mee Nowe I tell you before it come to passe that when it is done you may beleue that I am he Wherfore cast your eyes vpon Gods prouidence reuerence his goodnesse and truth and let not the thinges offende you that are done by his determination and iust permission Yet let no man so vnderstande these things as though Peter went about to excuse Iudas heynous offence and to laye all the faulte thereof in god For that is not the meaning of the diuine prouidence which gouerneth all thing that we shoulde make God the Autor of our sinne bicause whatsoeuer men doe that is naught they doe it not to fulfill Gods purpose but to satisfie the cogitations and desires of their owne wicked will. It is playne in deede that it was Gods determination that his sonne Iesus Christ shoulde be betrayed through the craft of his Disciple and should come into the hands of his enimies and being condemned to death should be nayled to the crosse where he shoulde purge the sinne of the worlde by the Sacrifice of hys bodye But if a man consider Iudas the worker of this treason he in so mischieuous a deede had nothing lesse before his eyes than Gods purpose and the redemption of mankinde but being blinded and wounded with couetousnesse first polluteth himselfe with theft as Iohn sayth afterward with treason The same reason is to be made of Annas Cayphas Pylate all those other whom the Gospell testifieth to haue bene seekers executioners of Christs death The bookes of the holy Scripture are full of examples of the lyke kynde whereby we are aduertised howe grieuously men sinne in committing those things which God in deede will haue done but yet they doe them being mooued thereto through the blinde and inordinate affections of corrupt nature I praye you who is so dull headed to thinke that Ioseph came into Egipt without the speciall counsell of Gods prouidence whereas we reade that God aduertised Abraham himselfe long before of the going downe of his posteritie into Egypt who lykewise acknowledgeth not the marueylous wisedome of God in all this businesse which gouerneth al things most prudently and profitably Shall we therfore excuse Iosephs brethren which being mooued with enuye solde awaye their brother that deserued better of them yea we will expounde all thys businesse by Iosephes owne wordes yee thought euill agaynst me but God turned it to good to bring to passe as it is this daye and to saue much people alyue Yea we haue dayly experience of lyke occurrences and examples For who will saye the theefe killeth the wayfaring man without the prouidence of God considering we knowe that the dayes of our life and the heares of our heade are numbred before God But bicause the murtherer committeth such an heynous offence being mooued with wicked affection therfore is he in all the fault and shal iustly be punished for the same Let no man therfore seeke excuse for his wickednesse in Gods prouidence nor make God the Autor of his sinne but by the consideration hereof let vs seeke comfort whereby to arme and strengthen our selues against the horrible chaunces of this life And that Peter had a respect hereto it is euident by hys words wherein followe other things to be considered And first we are taught by a notable example of what efficacye and strength godlye prayers be For Luke shewed vs aboue that the Apostles continued with one consent in prayers wherby what was brought to passe is now perceyued For Peter which a little before was ignorant of the right maner of Christes kingdome and among the reast had put forth a foolishe question touching the very time of restoring the same by and by beginneth to preach of the Scriptures which he alledgeth most aptly and expoundeth most syncerely So true it is that the Apostle sayth If any of you lacke wisedome let him aske of him that giueth that is of God and it shall be giuen him Further we are taught by the example of Peter that nothing ought to be appointed in the Church without the authoritie of the Scripture For as in well ordred common weales there are certaine lawes yea rather an authentike Code of lawes from the which no man of his owne heade hath authoritie to take anything or to put to any thing or else to appoynt anye thing in the common weale beside the prescript thereof euen so Christ hath deliuered to his Church the bookes of the olde and new Testament wherein are contayned the mysteries of the kingdome of heauen and the lawes of eternall lyfe Therefore out of them must be taken all counsell and the Argumentes of all the sermons that are to be made in the congregation Neyther is there any man of such roume and ordering that must thinke he hath power to ordayne or appoynt any thing contrarye to the same This booke in the beginning was deliuered to the Kings not to th end they should thinke they had iurisdiction ouer the same but for that they should drawe forth of the same good lawes whereby to rule the people well And the Prophets were bounde by this commaundement to take their sermons from Gods mouth Which thing we can interprete to be none other but the Scriptures bicause by these as by a certaine mouth God reuealeth vnto vs the mysteries of his will. And Christ himselfe oftentimes preacheth forth of the scriptures and disdayneth not to turne the holye bookes and to expounde certaine places of them vnto the people An example wherof he shewed in the schoole at Nazareth Therfore Peter following the example of his mayster taketh the beginning of his sermon out of the Scriptures whome woulde God they woulde imitate which highly glorying in the succession of Peter dare yet thrust into the Church diuers thinges repugnaunt to the Scriptures onely vpon mans authoritie Furthermore Peter adourneth the scriptures with an excellent prayse where he sayth the holy ghost is Autor of them which woulde vtter these thinges by the mouth of Dauid The same he confesseth in another place where he sayth that the Prophetes were inspired with the spirite of Christ and
much laboure and industrie is required euen from our childhood to learne diuers tongues We see that men growen in yeres are scarse able to learne any one tongue and the perfect vse thereof But the Apostles men of ripe yeres and well striken in age beyng idiotes and vnlearned which had spent their childhood and youth not in the studie of learning but in handy occupasions euen in a moment became notable and excellent in the knowledge and vse not of one tongue or two but of all tongues at once Who here acknowledgeth not the euident worke of God Who reuerenceth not the operation of the holy ghost For what coulde the industrie or dexteritie of mans wyt haue done in so short a tyme Neither was this myracle superfluous as seruing only for bare and vayne ostentation as the thinges done by Iuglers are but very profitable and necessarie for the Apostles in discharging of their dutie and office For where Iesus Christe had appoynted them to be teachers of all the worlde that through their ministerie the doctrine of the Gospell might be published among all nations it was necessarie they shoulde be vnderstanded of all nations But howe coulde all men vnderstande them if they coulde haue vsed but their owne tongue onely in euery place Yea I thinke they founde no greater lacke hitherto in their office than that they perceyued themselues destitute of so necessarie a knowledge of tongues And so great was the incommoditie of the diuersitie of tongues which the bolde enterprise of mans pryde as Moses sheweth brought in that by meanes hereof it seemed the most wholsome doctrine of the Gospell was hyndred and the passage thereof into diuers nations stopped But God in one sounde taketh away all this impediment and stoppell and the Apostles euen in the first comming of the spirite feele them selues eased of that difficultie which was thought woulde much haue hurt them Hereof may be learned a common and generall comfort that none walking in the vocation of God dispayre of his helpe fauour God vseth to cast many thinges in the wayes of such which seeme to be impedimentes wherby they can not go through with their charge and calling But God meaneth not so much to hinder them as to trye their faith and patience Therefore it behooueth vs with constant faith and good courage to set on the thinges that passe mans strength and we shall finde God true and faithfull in the things that seeme impossible to vs to be brought to passe So neither banishment nor stuttyng tongue coulde let Moyses from bringyng Israell out of Egypt Yea when the red sea was in their way and stopped their passage whyle they followed Gods callyng it was taken out of their way and dryed vp I passe ouer infinite examples of lyke sort which are to be seene euery where aswell in holy as prophane hystories Whosoeuer therfore are appoynted teachers or magistrates to gouerne the people let them remember these thinges take vnto them good courage of minde Let priuate men also be mindefull of them and go forwarde with like constancie in their vocation For God wyll finishe the worke he hath begunne in vs so that we repent vs not of the labour that must be taken for his sake Let vs also marke in this place howe Christ Iesus which chose ydiotes and vnlearned men to be Apostles woulde not giue them license to preach abrode in the worlde tyll he had made them perfect and learned in all thinges parteyning to the office of preachyng For they which a litle before vnderstoode none but the Syrian tongue and not that neither so perfectly but by the pronuntiation as appeared in Peter they were taken for Galileans they nowe come foorth furnished with the knowledge of all tongues Besides thexact vnderstanding of the olde Testament which the same spirite taught them as appeareth by their sermons This condemneth the insolent barbarousnesse of the Anabaptistes that step from the Plough and Cart vnprepared into the Pulpet and then thinke themselues very Apostolike felowes when beyng destitute of all good learnyng and manners they can contemne all kinde of knowledge and peruerte the whole order of the Church But so farre are they from beyng defended by the Apostles example that rather the aucthoritie thereof sendeth them to learne the things that are needefull for a minister of the worde Paule certes would haue the Rectour of the Churche to be instructed with habilitie and sufficiencie to teache and requireth in him not the bare knowledge of the Articles of faith and saluation only but such a knowledge as wherby he may be able to confute the aduersarie Therefore he commaundeth Timothie whom he witnesseth was brought vp of a childe in the studie of the scripture to be diligent in readyng We confesse in deede there is no neede of all those tongues now which the Apostles by myracle vnderstoode nor it becommeth vs not to require the same of God who if he had neede of newe Apostles coulde both easily finde them and also furnishe them with meete giftes But we require chiefly the knowledge of those tongues without the which the bookes of holy scripture can not commodiously and sufficiently be declared I meane the Hebrue and the Greke tongues the one hauyng the olde Testament written in it and the other the newe Testament published by the Apostles And Paule in a certayne place saith that the chiefe vse of tongues is in the interpretation of the holy scripture Which thinges whosoeuer lacketh he shall neuer attayne to the certayne knowledge of holy scripture For whyle they depende vpon other mens interpretations they become lyke vnto those that see with other mens eyes heare with other mens eares and go with other mens feete There is needefull to the vnderstanding of these tongues the knowledge of hystories and specially the science of vtteraunce which whosoeuer lacketh certes I will say he shall doe very little good in the ministerie of the Church But bicause all these thinges are not bestowed vpon men myraculously and that that we reade chaunced here to the Apostles happeneth to fewe others therfore our industrie our labor and continuance in studie is requisite where we may both perceyue howe necessarie Schooles and Uniuersities are and also howe needefull it is to haue teachers to trayne vp youth for the ministerie of the worde And I thinke there is none ignoraunt what a speciall care was had alwaye of schooles amongst the people of god For herevnto is to be referred all the things written of the children of the Prophetes and of the Colledges wherof the holy Prophets Samuel and Elizeus had the rule and gouernaunce with great care and diligence And in the Prophete we reade howe they are greeuously reprehended which went about with dissolute manners and conuersation to corrupt the younge men appoynted for the ministerie of the Church Truely the godly Princes in tymes passed perceyued of what profite it was for the settyng foorth and
such mischiefe become a praye for sedicious and wicked persons For who seeth not here that saying of Christ fulfilled I came in my fathers name and ye receyue me not If another come in his owne name him you will receyue Which thing we see coÌ„meth to passe also in these dayes For the nature of the worlde is incurable delighting and reioycing in seducers and deceyuers and hating the Ministers of the truth continually Therefore it commeth to passe by the iust iudgement of God that they taste of effectuall elusion and wittingly and willingly runne into destruction But let vs returne to Gamaliel to see how he vseth these examples For of these he gathereth the foundation of his sentence whose proposition or coÌ„clusion is abstayne from these men and let them alone Which to perswade them he bringeth his argument in fourme of a Dilemma in this wise This businesse wherof the Apostles whome you iudge worthy to die are ministers and stewards is eyther of God or of man But whether soeuer it be I think it good you absteyne from shedding their bloud For if it be of man and is gouerned none other waies than by mans counsayle it wil fall of it selfe as the examples of Theudas and Iudas within these few yeres passed abundantly declare Therfore what madnesse were it to incense and stirre vp the â—urie of the Commons to take that out of the waye which within a shorte space though no man set hande to it will fall to the grounde alone But if it be of God and be gouerned and ordered by him it cannot quayle by anye force or counsayle of man For what is man being but dust and ashes able to preuayle agaynst God Now the ende of this counsell must be diligently obserued the which whyle manye neglect they take occasion hereby of a most pernicious opinion whereby say they no attemptes be they neuer so wicked no errors be they neuer so blasphemous are by force to be kept vnder Whereof can followe none other thing but the ouerthrowe of all discipline aswell ciuill as Ecclesiasticall For the Magistrate shall carie his sworde in vayne And in vayne doth Paule appoynt such Ministers in the Church as shall not onely teache the truth but also be able to confute and conuince the gaynesayers Who will thinke that this so wyse a man ment to loose all the sinewes of Ciuill and Ecclesiasticall gouernement at once It appeareth rather he had this meaning to saue the Apostles from the furie of the Iudges and from present death which he sawe he shoulde most commodiously doe if he shewed them that they could not without manifest daunger conclude any extremitie agaynst them For eyther they must fall in daunger to Godwarde if the Apostles doctrine were true and they the ministers of God or else of the commons whose rage they were better to auoyde than to prouoke speciallye in such a matter as coulde not long stande if it were but mennes working Furthermore whether he vnderstoode the truth or not he yet seemeth ambiguous and doubtfull in his talke Therefore their case is of a farre other sort which being illuminated with the true knowledge of the truth ought by office to defende it and to roote out errors and wickednesse In the meane season this ought to be to vs as an Oracle that we learne Gods counsels can be hindered by no force of men but that mans counsell falleth of it selfe For God is eternall and immutable so is his worde eternall and can by no meanes be infringed And Dauid testifyeth that God scattereth the counselles of the Nations but establisheth his owne counsayle for euer We haue examples euerie where to prooue the same Saul long stryued against the counsell of God who had fully decreeed to make Dauid king of Israel But the more he stryued the lesse he perceyued he preuayled and founde an euill ende of his contending with god But chiefely this thing is to be applyed to matters of fayth and religion It is Gods counsell and decree that his sonne whome he begat from euerlasting should beare rule ouer his holy hill that is to say the church To him it was saide Sit thou on my right hand vntill I make thy foes thy footestoole Satan from the beginning of the world hath withstanded this deuise and counsell And in Abel whome for this cause we may call the first Martyr of Christ beganne this persecution which continued all the yeares following and yet to thys houre endureth But the kingdome of Christ and the Church endureth also bicause it is buylt vpon that rocke agaynst the which the gates of hell are not able to preuaile And if on the contrary side a man consider the vsage of the Gentiles and that monstrous Chaos of ydolatrie which most mightie Monarchies followed confirmed by space of manye yeares allowed by the consent almost of all people and nations assaulted at no tyme by force of any man he shall see it is fallen downe of it selfe and scattered abroade by the spirite and worde of christ The lyke reason is of the holy scripture which the Apostle calleth inspired of God. For if a man consider the prophane wryters their Bookes surely were in great estimation and had no enimies to make them away yet the most part of them are perished and scarce are the names of those bookes extant which in tymes past most riche kings sought with great diligence and bought full dearely as is reported of Ptolomeus Philadelphus and such other lyke But the holy bookes of Scripture so many tymes burned banished and hated of most mightie princes are yet forth comming and being almost translated into al tongues be in stead of maysters and teachers ouer all the worlde Let these thinges therefore serue for our instruction and comfort that we rashely doe nothing against God nor feare not the threatning decrees and ordynaunces of the world and of tyrannes against the kingdome of Christ. But let vs so acknowledge God for our reuenger and defender that we may faythfully serue him in buylding vp of his church according to our vocation as Coadiutours of Iesus Christ to whome be prayse honor glory and power for euer Amen The .xxxix. Homelie AND to him agreed the other And when they had called the Apostles they bette them and commaunded that they should not speake in the name of Iesu and let them go And they departed from the counsell reioycing that they were counted worthy to suffer rebuke for his name And daylie in the Temple and in euerye house they ceased not to teache and preache Iesus Christ. BIcause it is so ordeyned that all men of a certaine naturall instinct are desyrous of helth welth it can not be chosen but they must be much offended at aduersitie tribulation especially such as accustometh to ryse bycause of religion For it commeth to passe most times that men iudge of religion according to the effect and successe therof and
farre his desertes shall passe all praise that I am able to giue him and considering that the reuerende Father in God the Bishop of Norwich nowe liuing hath made certaine learned Verses in Latine which are printed in the forefront of his booke in commendation of the same Why your Lordship should accept it bicause it is by me translated there is no cause For I am inutilis seruus and haue done but my duetie if happily I haue done so much in respect eyther of the seruice I owe vnto our Englishe Church in generall or to your Honor in perticular And therfore being so many wayes bounde vnto your Honor as I am I finde no remedie but to desire I may yet further be bounde vnto the same And this is as Tullie interpreteth the matter I will speake it in his woordes animi ingenui cui multum debeas eidem velle plurimum debere Hereby therefore shall your honor binde mee the more vnto you if you accept and thinke well not of the worke for my sake but contrary wise of me for the workes sake and for my poore good willes sake which finde my selfe so estreighted with the consideration of your merites towardes mee and with the slender amends that I am able to make againe for the same that I am driuen to Aeschines shift sometyme Scholler vnto Socrates He being of himselfe but a pore yong man not able worthily to recompence Socrates for the learning that he had gotten by him and perceyuing diuers other of Socrates Schollers did gratifie him wyth sundrie riche and sumptuous presentes Sir sayth he I haue no meete or worthie thing to present your worship with and hereby most of all perceiue I how poore I am therfore I giue vnto you that onely thing that I haue which is my selfe This I beseech you sayth he take in good part Nowe surelye quoth he what else can this be but a verie great present and gift vnlesse perhaps thou make little or no account of thy selfe Thus trusting my poore present shall be none otherwise receyued at your honors hande than was Aeschines at Socrates I most humbly commende mee vnto the same beseeching almightie God for Christ his sake to giue you a lyfe wherein you maye long defende and maintaine his honour and glory At Herne the xxj of Aprill 1572. Your Honors most bounden Iohn Bridges Vicare of Herne ¶ The Translatour to the Christian Reader AMonge the manyfolde and subtile policies that the newe broched Diuines I meane such as haue crept out of the schoole of Thomas Aquinas Iohn Duns Occham Dorbell and such other Doctors haue deuised for the maintenance and vpholding of their kingdome there was neuer any one of more efficacie and force for that purpose than to haue the people kept from reading the holye Scriptures of God in their owne proper tongue and language And yet bicause they shoulde haue other matter ynough to occupye their heades and eyes vppon they inuented a booke called the golden Legende the authour whereof vndoubtedly had both a leaden mouth and an yron face as Lodouicus Viues a learned Spaniarde did very well perceyue and testifie To this they ioyned their Festiuall and such like bookes or to vse their owne terme more truely than they doe bible babble stuffed with most monstrous and impudent forgeries some of them so dishonest that it woulde and did abhorre manye christians eares to heare them And to this ende also they sette vp in euerye Church and Chappell such blockishe and stony schoolemaisters as coulde and did teach nothing else but lightnesse and vanitie lyes and errours And to be briefe whatsoeuer mannes ydle braine coulde deuise whatsoeuer anye Monke or Friers grosse Minerua could forge or inuent though it were no better than Amadis de Gaule the foure sonnes of Amon the tales of Robin Hoode and such other like fables yet were they thought very trimme and gaye geare to occupie the peoples eares withall Yea had they bene more fabulous than these if more might haue bene they shoulde haue bene borne and suffred rather than the holy Scriptures in such a tongue as the people might haue vnderstoode For this cause whosoeuer in consideration that the people were thus led about in the blinde mases of mannes inuentions woulde haue translated any péece of Scripture or other fruitefull treatise into the Englishe tongue for their vtilitie and edification he and all his wrytings were iudged to be burned as Hereticall For say they the laye people had bookes good ynough for them set open in euerye Church meaning their carued and painted Puppetrie and woulde suffer them to reade vppon none other Then also were hatched and maintained such straunge paradoxes and opinions as these Ignorance is the mother of deuotion The Scriptures make heretikes The Church cannot erre The laye folke must not medle with Scriptures We will beleue as our forefathers haue done meaning those that liued not past thrée or fower ages before and such as had bene fedde with like acornes and swill as they had bene vsed to and had neuer tasted one morsell of the swéete breade of Gods eternall and liuely worde And although these things be well ynough knowne vnto the learned so that they néede no such slender remembrances as these of mine are yet for the vnlearneds sake for whose cause I chiefely tooke paines to put this booke in Englishe I will shewe by Gods helpe both by Scriptures apparaunt reasons and auncient Doctors that these newe Doctors in this doing wrought altogither agaynst Gods forbode And yet woulde I haue no man to looke that I shoulde fully shewe and declare all the testimonies that might be brought for proofe of any part of my triple diuision For so might I write not an aduertisement for the vnskilfull but a worke and treatise which in quantitie might match or excéede the translation it selfe As touching Scriptures the newe Doctors and we also agrée herein that whatsoeuer is in eyther of the Testaments the olde or the new concerning good maners and holy conuersation it all serueth indifferentlye for all times and ages Therfore of consequence it must also serue for vs But in the olde Testament the fathers taught their children and families the lawes and rules of both the Tables that is to say their duties aswell vnto God as vnto man Ergo we also must doe the like Moses receyued the commaundementes to teache them to the people which he faithfullye and trulye did appoynting them to trayne and bring vp their youth and posteritie in the same not onely making them to learne them by rote like Dawes Pyes and Popingayes but opening and declaring vnto them the sense and meaning aswell of their Feastes and holye dayes which God did institute as of their sacramentes of Circumcision and Passeouer These be his wordes Harken ô Israel the Lorde our God is Lorde onely Thou shalt loue the Lorde thy God with all thine hart and with all thy soule and with all thy might And these wordes
which they haue matched in authoritie with the Scriptures and haue commaunded men payne of death to receyue and beléeue them before the Scriptures He sayth iâ— conâ—erteth or turneth the soule that is to say it maketh him that readeth them a newe man a repentant person a faythfull beléeuer and a godly liuer So farre it is from peruerting or corrupting any godly student thereof He calleth it a sure and faithfull testimonie of the Lorde whereas mannes policies councels and deuises are alwayes vncertaine chaungeable and vnsure It giueth wisedome vnto the simple Why then shoulde they be kept from it Uerily this hath bene Gods practise in all ages as appeareth by all hystories that he hath reuealed his worde and will to no kinde of people sooner than vnto those that are simple as may be séene by those thankes that our Sauiour Christ gaue to God his father in the behalfe of his Disciples being but simple Clarkes saying I thanke thee O God fathâ—r of heauen and earth for that thou hast hidden these things verilye the vnderstanding of his kingdome from the wise that is to saye the great Doctors in their owne conceyte and in the worldes iudgement and hast reuealed them vnto the simple that is to the vnlearned and despysed wightes of this worlde For so doth Chrysostome expounde the wordes Rusticall people and Ideotes sayth he â–ª were illuminated persons of small account in the worlde or in the knowledge of God but not of obstinacie but ignoraunce If our new Diuines would admit these sayings of Christ and Chrysostome they shoulde soone perceyue how vnchristianly they speake and also howe vnlyke the olde Doctors whyle they raue and fare so fowle wyth poore Artificers and Craftesmen whome it hath pleased God in these dayes so to enriche with his spirite that when they haue bene called before these our newe Rabbines they haue shewed more true Diuinitie than all the whole Sinagoge of them were able I report me to Eusebius Ecclesiasticall hystory and to our owne entituled the Actes and Monumentes of the Church But Dauid goeth on saying The statutes of the Lorde are right and reioyce the heart the commaundement of the Lorde is pure and giueth light to the eyes The feare of the Lorde is cleane and endureth for euer the iudgementes of the Lorde are true and righteous altogither More to be desired are they than golde yea than much fine golde sweeter also than hony and the bony combe Moreouer by them is thy seruant taught What I warraunt you this olde Diuine Dauid neuer ment that they taught eyther heresie or error In diuers other places of his Psalter maye be séene the earnest exhortations that he maketh to all the people to heare the worde of God as in the .xlix. Psalme O heare ye this all ye people ponder it with your eares all ye that dwell in the worlde High and lowe rich and poore one with another What shoulde they heare euen that that immediately followeth howe his mouth shall speake of wisedome and his heart muse of vnderstanding Here are none excluded from hearing what Dauid shall say but such as dwell in Vtopia The Diuines therefore that will barre any dwellers in this worlde from hearing or reading of Dauid must there go preache this doctrine Agayne Wherewithall shall a yong man clense his waye euen by ruling himselfe after thy worde Againe Thy worde is a lanterne to my feete and a light vnto my pathes Againe When thy worde goeth forth it giueth light and vnderstanding euen vnto the simple Againe Kings of the earth and all people Princes and all Iudges of the worlde yong men and maydens olde men and children prayse the name of the Lord. Here by an enumeration of al states and degrées sexes and ages may we sée that none are secluded from praysing the Lorde which then is done moste acceptablye when we sing prayse vnto him as the same Dauid sayth with vnderstanding which vnderstanding we can not haue without his worde Infynite more places there be in the Psalter to this effect as the diligent Reader thereof shall finde whereof this is one verye notable and therefore not to be omitted Out of the mouthes of very babes sucklings hast thou ordeyned strength that thou mightest still the enimy and the auenger It is the more notable for that Christ alleageth it in the .xxj. of Mathewe agaynst the Scribes and Phariseyes in defence of the people which so thankefully welcommed and receyued him into Ierusalem in the same sense that it is here brought for But let vs nowe come to the testimonies of the newe Testament Our Sauiour Christ hauing to doe with those Iewes which of all other in the worlde at that time most gloried in the knowledge of God and his religion bicause they had Bishoppes whose succession they coulde shewe by order euen from Aaron and therefore had antiquitie ynough hauing Scribes Phariseyes Sadduceyes Essenes Nobles Communes and all the worlde on their side yet did he plainly tell them that they erred and were deceyued for that they vnderstoode not the Scriptures For to the Sadduceyes which allowed no part of the olde Testament but the bookes of Moses denying the resurrection for that they imagined if there were any men shoulde knowe their wiues as they had before done in the worlde as appeareth by their captious and foolishe demaunde Christ aunswered yee erre not vnderstanding the Scriptures and power of God. Where we maye plainely learne that ignoraunce in the Scripture is the cause of error contrary to these newe Diuines assertion that saye Ignorance is the mother of deuotion Whereas true deuotion cannot be without the true vnderstanding of Gods will and his will by no meanes ordinary can be vnderstanded but by his worde Therefore to auoyde errour it is moste méete that people haue the Scriptures to search and vnderstande the will of God by Another time hauing to doe with the Phariseyes also as these two sectes of men were the greatest assaylantes that Christ euer had whereby we learne it is no newe practise that they most persecute Christes Church that challenge most authoritie and learning in the same he bade them for that they séemed to haue such exact knowledge in the worde of God and yet knew not that he was that Messias and Sauiour that God had promised them to search better in the Scriptures and they shoulde finde that the Scriptures in all places did testifye and beare witnesse that he was the same Whereby Christ plainly giueth vs to vnderstande that without the Scriptures we cannot truly knowe him These two places declare sufficiently howe necessarye the Scriptures are for all that will knowe Christ. We will adde two other testimonies to shewe howe profitable they are S. Paule in his Epistle to the Romaines sayth Whatsoeuer thinges haue bene written afore time they haue bene written for our learning that through pacience and comfort of the Scriptures we might haue hope They are
not written for Monkes and Friers onely to pore vpon but for our learning that is for as many as professe Christ which thing being spoken by Paule of the olde Testament for as yet the newe was not written howe much more learning may we nowe receyue hauing the writings of the Euangelistes and Apostles ioyned all togither Likewise in his seconde Epistle to Timothie the thirde Chapter he sayth All Scripture inspired of God is profitable to teach to reprooue to correct and amende in righteousnesse that the man of God may be perfite instructed vnto all good workes This epitheton or adiectiue inspired of God quite wypeth awaye all vnwritten verities all mannes gloses and traditions all fayned visions and myracles such as are to be founde in Gregorie the Popes dialogues and throughout the workes of our newe Diuines Since therefore the Scripture teacheth reprooueth correcteth and amendeth maketh men perfite and furnished with all good workes what thing then can there be deuised in all the worlde of more profite and vtilitie Had I not bounde my selfe by a particion to prooue by apparant reason also the truth of this assertion I shoulde néede no further to trouble eyther my selfe with more writing or you with more reading But such promises as these we are bounde to performe First therefore this is one reason verye euident playne that séeing our Sauiour Christ as Paule sayth woulde haue all men to be saued and to come to the knowledge of the truth and for that ende did and suffered whatsoeuer he did and suffred while he liued here on earth the meane whereby men shoulde attaine vnto that truth and saluation which are Gods holy Scriptures ought by no meanes to be kept from them The practise of our Sauiour admitting all men to his sermons and familiar communication Publicanes souldiors artificers Phariseys harlots strayed shéepe vnrighteous persons yea kéeping company most with such abundantly prooue the same And bicause the scriptures as teaching the way to come vnto god best of all other things are méetest for such straglers all men by testimonie of the same scripture of their owne nature disposition are such straglers therfore ought all straglers that is to say all men to haue the law the scriptures wherby they may both sée howe they haue strayed out of the way and how to returne into the same againe The Maior is prooued by Christ Math. 22. Iohn 5. by the olde Doctors as we shall sée when we come to the last part of our particion The Minor God himselfe maketh Genes 8. where he sayth The imagination of mans heart is euill euen from his youth The writings of the Prophetes and Apostles doe inculcate and repeate nothing more The places are infinite therefore I quote them not The commaundement of Christ a little before his ascention bidding his Apostles to go into all the world and teach the gospell to all Nations doth further prooue it as their practise also declared teaching the same somewhile to Tentmakers somewhile to Tanners somewhile to women that were Dyers otherwhiles to Souldiers yea at all times to all states and degrées of persons And whereas Christ was borne dyed and was buryed rose againe and ascended into heauen for all men and shall come agayne to receyue all states and degrées of men for with God there is no respect of persons but in euery Nation he that feareth him and woorketh righteousnesse is accepted of him What are we that we shoulde withstande god and kéepe this knowledge from any kinde of menne What meaneth it moreouer that Christ will haue his light to shine throughout his house that he will haue his worde preached on the house toppes that the light of his gospell must not be put vnder a bushell why doth he many times conclude his sermons thus generally He that hath eares to heare let him beare Why doth god cry vnto the Prophets bidding them to speake out and exalt their voyces like to a Trumpet and to tell his people their wickednesse Christ suffred all men Tinkers Taylers Carpenters Coblers Masons and Bricklayers to heare his voyce and will these Comptrollers barre them from reading his bookes But I wote what a newe deuine will saye In the primitiue Church when the scriptures were extant for all men to reade what a swarme of heretikes bredde they which disturbed the whole church What heresie hath there bene at any time so absurde but it hath had hir colour of maintenance out of the Scripture Sir by the way I will take it for graunted that you say the Scriptures were extaunt in the primitiue Church for all men to reade as in déede they were And so was it gods will they shoulde be and for that cause did the holy ghost mooue the Euangelistes and the Apostles to wryte the gospels and the Epistles in the Gréeke tongue which then was vniuersallye vnderstoode of most Nations yet notwithstanding these heresies bredde as you say the primitiue church neuer called the scriptures in ne yet forbade any kinde of people the reading of them You haue done both without all example of the primitiue church whereby may and doe appeare your newe proceedings But nowe to aunswere question with question what heresie I praye you euer was there but the same hath bene confuted by the scriptures Bicause some men haue misvsed the scriptures shall all menne be depriued of them shall the Bées be kept frō gathering hony of the swéete flowers bicause spiders make poyson of them shall all they that can vse wine and breade to chéere and strengthen mans heart giuing god thanks for them taste or assay none of them bicause a great many abuse them to surfetting drunkennesse Lay the fault where it is in the men not in the things that they misvse What fault is in the money that lyeth and rusteth in the cofer of the couetous what in the knife or sworde that killeth a bodye Ptholomeus Philadelphus thought himselfe very well occupied as in déede he was when he caused the bookes of Moses and the prophets to be translated into the Gréeke tongue by thréescore and tenne learned men called the seauentie Translators or Interpreters two hundreth thréescore and seauentene yeares before Christ was borne An hundreth and fower and twenty yeares after Christes ascention Aquila a Iewe in the dayes of Adrian the Emperor translated them againe After him Theodotion in Commodus dayes Then Symachus vnder Seuerus Then was there an other translation founde at Hierusalem without anye name called the common translation After this againe Origene tooke great paynes to correct the seauentie Translators adding of his owne where he thought they were not full and taking from them where he sawe redundance and superfluitie All these no doubt labouring to elucidate and make playner as much as in them lay the former translations Yea S. Hierome after all this was not afrayde to translate the whole Bible againe into the Latine tongue which is perished He
translated diuers other treatises also out of Gréeke into Latine as Didimus worke touching the deitie of the holy ghost Epiphanius bishop of Cyprus Epistle to Iohn the Patriarch of Ierusalem and diuers other such And bicause none shall saye what maketh this for the translating of the Bible into other more vulgar tongues as into the Englishe c. For they can well admit the Hebrewe Gréeke and Latine tongues and any other that the people vnderstande not therefore S. Hierome translated the Bible into the Sclauonian tongue that is to say into his owne natiue countrie tongue We haue therefore antiquitie ynough on our side for proofe of our diuers translations Neyther did he euer feare or make account of such inconueniences as these new Diuines pretende spring of such translations or any thing regarded the sharpe censure and checks of diuers Comptrollers that founde fault with his doings but helde on and continued to the ende translating wryting and endyting sending his bookes onewhile to virgins one other whyle to married women sometime to widowes but euer to one kinde of person or other being still exercised and occupied in such doinges And I marueyle why these men should be so offended that euery Nation shoulde haue the scriptures in their owne tongue séeing in some places of their writings they make the holy ghost the author of this opinion and iudgement Doth not Aeneas Syluius which was afterwarde Pope and called Pius secundus tell vs that when about the yeare of our Lord .900 there fell a great contention at Rome whether the Hungarians shoulde haue their seruice in their owne tongue yea or no that there was a voyce hearde from heauen saying Let euery thing that hath breath prayse the Lord and euery tongue giue thankes vnto his holy name Whervpon sayth this Aeneas the Councell brake vp and the contention surceased So that by this storye whosoeuer denyeth Gods people Gods seruice in their owne proper tongue resist Gods ordinance and commaundement These men count it a great absurditie that a woman a childe or an artificer shoulde talke of the Gospell or of the Scripture And yet many times we may heare women children and artificers vnderstande more of Gods holy mysteries than a number of some ruddy Rabbines that notwithstanding looke very high and lofty Moses was not of this minde and opinion For when Iehosuah his seruant would haue had him to forbid Heldad and Medad from prophecying he aunswered woulde God that all the Lordes people coulde prophecie and that he woulde giue his spirite vnto them all Christ commaundeth little children to be suffred to come vnto him and not to be forbidden But who maye not more iustly thinke it a greater absurditie to heare women children and artificers patter their Pater noster in a tongue that they so little vnderstande that Cardinall Ascanius Parot at Rome was as wise as they Yea the Crowe that saluted Augustus coulde saye his Aue Caesar better than they coulde their Aue Maria. And surely if the newe Diuines godly intention may not in this case helpe at a pinch they may also saye and say truly as an other Crowe did at another time we haue lost all our labour So little doth God allowe such godly intention For he biddeth we shoulde not be like Horse and Mule in whome there is none vnderstanding Then séeing we haue the Scriptures aswell of the olde Testament as the newe so full and whole on our side séeing Christ commaundeth vs to search the Scriptures séeing S. Paule sayth they are written for our learning and instruction séeing we haue thexample of the Primitiue Church permitting all men to haue and reade the Scriptures in all tongues séeing we haue so many translations of the Scriptures I meane of olde tyme I speake not of those in the Englishe tongue in Ethelstanes dayes and in the Saxons tongue ne yet of that gift of tongues giuen to the Apostles to the intent that all Nations might heare the great workes of God in their owne language séeing there is nothing in the Scriptures eyther threatened or promised but it appertayneth to all men in all ages nothing done by Christ of olde but the same in one respect or other is dailye done For Christ is newly borne among vs euen at this day There are Herodes that goe about to murther him in his Cradle euen at this day He notwithstanding groweth in fauour with God and men euen at this day He healeth all maner of maladies Leprouse Demoniacks Dumbe Blinde Deafe Dropsies Palsies bloudy Fluxes at this day so that we say sonne of Dauid haue mercy vpon vs and Lord if thou wilt thou canst make vs whole Yea he rayseth men from death to life againe by the power of his worde euen at this daye He teacheth threatneth promiseth comforteth euen at this day There are Iewes which will not suffer their vayled Moses to yéelde to his brightnesse in these dayes He hath Scribes Phariseys and Sadduceyes that lye in wayte to catch and entangle him in his talke euen nowe a dayes also He hath more than one Annas and Caiphas to buye and more than one Iscarioth to sell him at this daye Herode Pylate and their Crewes want not to mocke whip and crucifie him yea to kéepe him downe also in his graue that he rise not againe euen at this day And yet all this notwithstanding he hath still also at this day his little flocke that doth and will depende vpon him saying Lorde to whome shall we go Thou hast the wordes of eternall life Therefore whatsoeuer the newe Diuines say to the contrary let vs still reade the Scriptures and sticke to that olde Diuinitie But bicause many men are ledde not so much eyther with reason or testimonies of Scriptures as with authoritie of Doctors to fulfill my promise and somedeale to satisfye if happily it may be their preposterous zeale and peruerse iudgement I will shewe also that the best and soundest of the olde Doctors haue alwayes bene of this opinion that all people at all times ought to haue the scriptures in their owne tongue And if any man as delighting in a worke of supererrogation that is to say for a man to doe more than he hath bounde himselfe to or néedeth shall require so much I will also by the olde Doctors aunswere the obiections of such as thinke the scriptures ought not to bee read of all men bicause of the difficultie of them and that varietie of translations cause and bréede errors And first we will begin with the Doctors of the Latine Church not for worthynesse eyther of life or learning that hath bene at anye time in them more than in the Gréekes For verily the Gréekes are able to shew as many worthy writers of their Church as the Latines can by any meanes if I say not more but bicause perhaps some Romanist or Latine man may hit vpon this writing which if he be partially affected toward the Latine Doctors
Tertullian in his booke against Praxeas prooueth that the rather and selder places must be expounded by the mo and oâ—tener And Chrysostome among many places hath one verie notable in his first Homely vpon Mathew where he sayth The Scriptures are easie to be vnder standed of the bondman of the Ploughman of the wydowe of the childe and of him that seemeth to be verie slender witted Howbeit though they will after a sort let passe other scriptures as vncomptrolled yet Paules wrytings and Epistles of all other séeme very harde vnto them and that they woulde séeme to prooue by Peters wordes in the thirde Chapter of his seconde Epistle whereas God knoweth all other scriptures euen the easiest are alike harde to such as Peter speaketh of For they be vnlearned and vnconstant and fickle persons which peruert and turne them to their owne destruction But will you heare what Chrysostome aunswereth to this obiection speaking of Paules Epistle to the Romaines in his Preface vpon the same that you maye sée there is none so pieuishe an obiection of these newe Diuines but the same is aunswered by some olde Doctor or other if they be well searched Ignorance sayth Chrysostome is not the cause hereof he meaneth that they vnderstoode not the Epistle to the Romaines but that they will not continually haue in their handes the writings of this holy man For that which we our selues knowe if peraduenture we know ought at all we know it not by the pregnancie and goodnesse of our owne wit but for that we be so entirely affectioned to that man that we neuer cease reading of him For they that loue men knowe more of their doings than other men as being more carefull for their louâ—rs than other are And therevpon concluding he sayth Wherfore if you also can finde in your harts earnestly and diligentlye to bestowe your labour in reading him there shall bee nothing else required of you For Christes saying is true Seeke and you shall finde knocke and it shall be opened vnto you And surely Chrysostome spake not this to Priestes and religious men onely but to all his Church of Constantinople and vniuersally to as many as shoulde reade his workes And he sayeth further in his .vij. homely to the Hebrewes in reproofe of those that vsed not to looke vpon the scriptures No man will take heede sayth he vnto the Scriptures For if we woulde marke them we shoulde not only keepe our selues from errour but deliuer other also that are deceyued out of the same and pull them out of daunger Moreouer vpon the seconde of Genesis the .xiij. Chapter he sayth Let vs come to the scope and marke of the holy Scripture which expoundeth it selfe And againe The holy Scripture expoundeth it selfe and suffereth not the hearer to erre Tertullian also one of the first wryters next the Apostles in his Apologie for the Christians sayth He that will harken to the Scriptures shall finde God and he that will studie to vnderstand them shall be enforced to beleue them These places of Doctors as well of the Latine Church as of the Gréeke are sufficient ynough to teach and perswade any reasonable bodye the iudgement that the whole Church vniuersall had both as touching the Scriptures to be had and read of all men and also to prooue the facilitie and easinesse of them to be vnderstanded and so consequently mine assertion and howe Catholikely our Church doth and like vnto the Primitiue Church in permitting all persons indifferently to haue the Scriptures to looke and reade in to their instruction and vnderstanding And if any of these newe Diuines will not herewith be satisfyed but will yet vrge custome authoritie of Predecessors and such lyke weake instances for their new Mumpsimus rather than they will yéelde to this olde Sumpsimus then let vs aunswere them roundly thus with the words of S. Hierome vpon the .ix. chap. of Ieremie saying Neyther must the error of our parents nor forefathers be followed but the authoritie of the scriptures and the commaundement of God teaching vs. And though they crie out neuer so much they haue the Scriptures whereby to prooue their opinions which God wote many a time they apply to their purpose as handsomely as the deuill did when he reasoned with Christ in the wildernesse and as the olde and new Heretikes did and doe which as they say so we likewise affirme doe accloy the Church in déede very much then let vs aunswere them with Tertullian saying thus in his booke of the fleshe or true manhoode that Christ tooke Let all Heretikes sayth he vse his scriptures whose worlde they also vse This shall serue for a testimonye of their condemnation that they decke and furnishe their blasphemies with his examples And if they will haue Councels to decyde and controll all controuersies whereof consist they I pray you not of men What are menne such creatures as cannot erre Then shoulde they be no men The best Doctors in the Church haue erred in some part or other of their writings or at least haue thought they might erre I report me else to their owne sayinges in their bookes to be founde in euery place where they neuer arrogate to themselues anye such prowde priuiledge and immunitie from erring as the late loftie Prelates of Rome hath done but with all lowlynesse submit their writinges to the Scriptures and to those that shall see or perceyue more in them than they haue done yea requiring men fréely to finde fault and correct where they haue not attayned to the truth This woulde they neuer haue done if they had knowne or thought they coulde not haue erred And what one of the Popes can we name in the Church for this sixe hundred yere or more comparable eyther in life or learning with any one of these olde Doctors which thus modestlye haue written of themselues And shall we thinke better men than these Doctors haue met in the Councels since their dayes I say no more but I woulde there had mette so good They will yet saye Heresies haue bene alwayes confuted in Councelles and I saye Heresies haue bene alwayes confirmed in Councels Did not the Councell at Ariminum in Italie holde and conclude with the Arrianes Did not the seconde Councell at Ephesus holde with Entiches Did not the Councell at Chalcedon so fowly erre that they woulde haue giuen to Leo then Bishop of Rome the title of supremacie and vniuersall Bishop which he refused wherein surely he erred not But what they since haue done that by slaughter and murther and other such vniust meanes haue vsurped it both heauen and earth knoweth The Councell also gathered by Cyprian at Carthage did grieuouslye erre enacting that they that were baptised by Heretikes shoulde be baptised againe before they woulde receiue them into their Church And the Councell at Constance did moste abhominably consent in error to robbe Gods people of the one halfe of Christes sacrament What did the late Councell at Trent being fouretéene yeares
God in what place so euer they be sayd So God heard Ionas praying in the belly of the Whale â–ª and Daniels fellowes crying out of the fornace found how God was able to deliuer them And the roaring of the Lyons could not let but that Daniels prayers ascended vp before the Lorde Unto these is added an other argument taken of the place whereby he prooueth the worshipping of God not to be tyed to the Tabernacle For he sayth it had no abyding place but was caried vp and downe for fower hundred yeares vntill the time of Dauid who was the first that through the singuler goodnesse of god had by the Aungell a place shewed vnto him where the Temple shoulde be builded which thing we reade he obtayned by most hartie and feruent prayers where he sayth I will not come within the Tabernacle of my house nor climbe vp into my bedde I will not suffer myne eyes to sleepe nor myne eye liddes to slumber neyther the Temples of my head to take any rest vntil I finde out a place for the Temple of the Lord an habitation for the mightie God of Iacob See the hystorie in the second booke of Samuel 24. chap. Item in the first of the Chronicles .xxj. chap. Before this time the Scripture playnely teacheth that the Tabernacle had no resting place For first it was placed in Silo where it seemeth it rested vnto the time of Heli. Whyle Saule was king it was first in Gilgal then in Nobe one of the Cities of the Priestes Under Dauid it was placed in Gabaon At length all the things belonging to it were by Salomon layde vp in the Temple as it had bene some singuler treasure Who nowe that is in his witte will say that the worshipping of god and meane of saluation was tyed vnto the Tabernacle where it had neuer no sure abyding place It is worthy to be diligently considered where he sayth it was through the singuler grace of God that Dauid knewe a certayne place wherein God would be worshipped vntill the time of correction This made for the confirmation and stabilitie of his kingdome which thing Ieroboam euidentlye obserued who perceyued that his kingdome could not be firme stable without some certayne place house for religion In the meane season we learne that this is a singuler gift of god vpon earth if externe religion be firmly established and that men may safely follow it This is a most strong bande to conserue Ecclesiasticall vnitie and an vnspeakeable argument of Gods goodnesse and fauour They that lyue vnder the tyrannous persecutors of the church acknowledge this thing and earnestly desire the same Let vs likewise acknowledge it which liue in rest peace least we prouoke the wrath of God by our notorious vnkindenesse and being in aduersitie let vs vnderstande howe great a commoditie that is which nowe a dayes so many men make so little account of Nowe hauing discoursed the thinges belonging to the Tabernacle he entreth to reason of the Temple also which succeeded in the Tabernacles place and which had the very same vse the Tabernacle had And this the scripture declareth was builded by Salomon whereas before tyll religion had a place appoynted there was none But bicause Dauid through diuine reuelation knew this place the Iewes seemed not all in vayne to thinke that the true worshipping of God was in that place onelye where Steuen sharpely rebuketh their blockheadnesse For although he graunt them that the Temple was builded by Gods appoyntment yet he by and by agayne sayth But hee that is the highest dwelleth not in Temples made with handes And bicause he would not be reprooued of rashnesse he bringeth the words of God speaking on this wise in Esay 66. cap. Heauen is my seate the earth is my footestoole what maner of house will you builde vnto me sayth the Lord or which is the place of my rest Hath not my hande made all these things By arguments taken of his owne nature he prooueth that he is included in no certain place nor hath no neede of these things which are done by men For he that is of all power and might and whom the heauen of heauens is not able to receyue as Salomon himselfe confesseth 1. Reg. 8. it is impossible that he can be conteyned within any house Agayne he that is the Creator and maker of all things hath no neede of our benefites as is declared at large Psal. 50. These things serue both for our consolation and instruction For whereas God is euerywhere he may therefore euerywhere be worshipped so that we neede to be neyther troubled with ouermuch costes ne yet with any great labour about the same And for bicause he hath no neede of our goodes the true trade of worshipping him and his fauour can not consist in such things Therfore it is a fowle and filthie error of these hypocrytes which when they had done these things thought they had fully discharged their duties vnto god Wherefore it behooueth vs rather to consider what the true vse and meaning of these outwarde things is They consist of time place ceremonies Tyme and place is conuenient for order sake For as it behooueth vs to appoynt certayne dayes for religion to be obserued on so the same cannot be done but in some place also But as saluation is not tyed to obseruation of dayes no more is it to this or that place Yet these things haue their vse in religion For they serue for the vse of the holy congregations whome it behooueth oftentimes to meete togither by reason of the preaching of the worde publike prayers and administring of the sacramentes And bycause Temples be appoynted to these exercises therefore they shoulde be exempt from all prophane and secular vsances Which was the cause that Aggeus the Prophet so much called on the building vp of the Temple But let vs not supersticiously be tyed in opinion to the ouermuch reuerencing of the place Nowe the vse of the Ceremonies appointed by God for of mans constitutions here is no one worde such as common custome calleth Sacraments is to seale or confirme vnto vs the benefites of God and therefore they lift vp our mindes by contemplation of fayth into heauen and admonishe vs of our duties both to God and to man These things it be commeth vs well to obserue and to be contented with them least being occupied in outwarde things we be wrapped in the olde errour of the Iewes and so lose the heauenly goodes Let vs therefore worship God the father in spirite and in truth who hath fully giuen vs in his sonne our onely Priest and Sauiour Iesus Christ all those things which he sometimes figured to the fathers in signes of ceremonies and the Temple to him be prayse honor power and glory for euer Amen The .liiij. Homelie YE stiffe necked and of vncircumcised harts and eares you haue alwayes resisted the holy ghost As your fathers did so doe you
them which so boldly durst alter the state of their coÌ„mon weale but when he was gone gaue them a very good king the father of the Messias promised yea vouchsafed to turne their follye and rashnesse otherwyse than they deserued to their commoditie And that Gods benefyte might the more appeare he reciteth a praise of Dauid pronounced by God himselfe Howbeit we haue somewhat to saye both of Saules putting from the kingdome and of Dauids placing in his roume which things it is like Paule discoursed more at large bicause they serue greatly for our information And fyrst for that no man shall thinke that God delighteth in transferring of kingdomes from one to another like a tyrant the holy scripture must be pervsed which very diligently reherseth the causes why Saule was reiected The chiefe of them was the prowde contempt of Gods word which made him more desirous of his owne glorie than of Gods. Hereof we haue examples in the fyrst of Samuel cap. 13. and .15 Upon this followed monstrous and horrible deedes For he did not onely attempt to persecute Dauid whom he sawe God allowed and liked but also went about to put Ionathas hys owne sonne to death and murthered the Priests of God most cruelly Furthermore he seeketh counsayle of a witch and shewed the token of a reprobate minde euen in the ende of his lyfe by killing himselfe This example is very notable which all men but chieflye such as beare rule and office ought often to consider that they maye vnderstande howe both their owne wealth and the wealth of their common weales depende vpon God onely and therefore let them giue eare vnto the worde of God let them set forth his glory and serue him as Dauid sayth in feare and reuereâ—â—â—y and humbly kysse the sonne of God Iesus Christ whome he hath appointed king of kings But bicause Kings and Princes count it but a sport nowâ— a dayes in contempt of gods word to turne all vpsetdown at their pleasure no man must marueyle that they their kingdomes so miserably perish For of Christ it was prophecied the nation and kingdome that will not serue thee shall perish But let vs see Dauid whome God adourneth with a notable commendation which Paule gathereth partly of the .lxxxix. Psalme and partly of the .xiij. Chapter of the fyrst booke of Samuel and he addeth nothing vnto the word of God but that he calleth him the sonne of Iesse who was a Bethlehemyte and a man of a base and poore estate and which got his liuing by cattell and grasing as the Scripture declareth This maketh for the setting forth of Gods goodnesse who woulde promote a man of base degree and the yongest of all his brethren to so high a dignitie and also warneth them not to glory ouermuch in Dauid seeing he was so exalted through the meere grace of god And surely if we will credit Dauid himselfe he is content to confesse the same For when he heard the promises of God touching the Messias that shoulde be borne of his stocke we reade that he cryed what am I ô Lorde or what is my house that thou shouldest so greatly aduaunce me c. Moreouer as we sayd Saule was put out of the kingdome bicause of his great pride contempt disobedience towarde God so Dauid is commended chiefly for that he fulfylled all the will of the Lorde Whereof may be gathered a generall doctrine that they are chiefly allowed of God which frame themselues to doe his will. For God is not delighted in sacrifyces so much as in obedience Howbeit some woulde aske in this place howe Dauid did all the will of the Lord considering he defyled himselfe with adultery and manslaughter and being ouercome with pride tooke a generall muster of his people contrary to the will of god But hereto it maye easily be aunswered First when Dauid heard he shoulde be the father of the sauiour promised he tooke holde thereof by constant fayth and therefore he coulde not displease God hauing him in whome God was pleased Then out of this fayth sprang all those vertues wherein it is plaine God is delighted For this faith made him humble greatly to esteeme the benefytes of God as euen now was sayde This fayth when at any time he fell through infyrmitie rayred him vp againe and prouoked him to repentance This fayth made him to loue and desire the worde of God so that he preferred it before the honye and the hony combe It was also a worke of faith that he pacientlye coulde abide when he was rebuked by the worde yea he declared himselfe to be obedient to suffer whatsoeuer was enioyned him bicause of his sinnes For when he hearde that Nathan the Prophete threatened him with the sworde and with ciuill warres he did not lightly shake him of nor accuse him of sedition but was contented thus onely to aunswere I haue sinned agaynst the Lorde And it was not the saying of a sluggish or lumpish minde but of one hartily sorowfull and desiring to haue his offences forgiuen as we maye see in the .lj. Psalme which he made euen at that very time And the thing it selfe declareth he nothing dissembled For when by his sonne he was driuen out of the Citie and kingdome he sayde vnto Zadocke the Priest which brought him the arke Carye the Arke of God againe into the Citie If I shall fynde fauour in the eyes of the Lorde he will bring me againe and shewe mee both it and the Tabernacle thereof But and if the Lorde thus say I haue no lust vnto thee beholde here I am let him doe with mee what seemeth good in his eyes An argument of lyke minde it was that he did not onely pacientlye suffer Semey rayling against him but by his authoritie defended him that he had no hurt Where God also gaue him liberty of three plagues to choose whether he woulde he aunswered I am exceedinglye troubled let vs fall I pray you into the hande of the Lord. c. Furthermore as the Aungell strake the people with grieuous pestilence he sayde It is I that haue sinned and I that haue done wickedly But these sheepe what haue they done Lette thine hande I pray thee be against me and my fathers house What can be more modest than this minde what more godly more tractable and meeke To say nothing in the meane while of those duties and loues which he shewed towarde Saule so many wayes iniurying him With these thinges if a man compare the minde of Saule boyling in ambition pride enuie hatred wrath contempt of God and outragious stubbornnesse he shall easilye perceyue what difference was betweene them These things serue for the instruction of all men For they teach vs what maner of men they ought to be who desire to please god For if they embrace Iesus Christ with true fayth and desire to fulfyll his commaundements it shall come to passe that the offences they haue made
so often defended and delyuered and hauing this let vs manfully defend our vocation that hauing with stedfast course gotten the Gole we may obteyne the rewarde of eternall life in our sauiour Iesus Christ to whome be praise honor power and glorie for euer Amen The Cxv. Homelie THESE were the noblest of birth among them of Thessalonica which receyued the worde with all diligence of minde and searched the scriptures daylie whether those things were euen so And many of them beleeued also of worshipfull women which were Greekes and of men not a fewe When the Iewes of Thessalonica had knowledge that the worde of God was preached of Paule at Berrhoea they came and mooued the people there And then ymmediatly the brethren sent away Paule to go as it were to the Sea but Silas and Timotheus abode there still And they that guyded Paule brought him vnto Athens and receyued a commaundement vnto Silas and Timotheus for to come to him with speede and went their way ALthough the kyngdome of our Sauiour Iesus Christ is daylie and continually assaulted by this world and the Prince thereof yet can it be so little ouerthrowne that in the myddle of persecutions it most prosperously commeth forwarde The contynuall hystorie of this booke declareth the same but chiefely the discourse of the things done by Paule For as he laboured more than all the Apostles else so he suffered more grieuous persecutions than they and found euerywhere enimies of the fayth by whose craft he was still chased and dryuen away But as often as the rage of his enimies compelled him to auoyde any place so often he left the seede of Gods worde in the mindes of the hearers and caryed the Gospell to an other place and so still wanne more vnto Christ the lord Luke wryteth that this was done at Macedonia For we hearde howe he was vniustly and vnworthyly intreated at Philippi yet the Epistle which he wrote vnto the Philippians declareth that he had not laboured there in vaine His persecution was cause that he went vnto the Thessalonians amongs whome he taught three Sabboth dayes At length he was driuen from thence also by his olde enimies the Iewes But the faith of Christ could not be driuen out which now had taken roote in many mens hartes But hee being come vnto Berrhoea preacheth the Gospell with great auayle These things serue to comfort vs against the attempts of the world and the Deuill For as Salomon sayth There is no counsel against the Lord. But it is his counsell or deuise that Christ should haue all power in heauen and in earth and that the borders and boundes of his kingdomes shoulde be stretched ouer all the worlde Wherefore it must needes come to passe for as much as heauen and earth shall sooner fayle then the decrees and ordynances of god But let vs see this present place which declareth what things Paule dyd at Berrhoea He beginneth with the commendation of the Iewes at Berrhoea declaring howe prosperously and in what order the gospell proceeded among them He commendeth them by comparing them with the Thessalonians For these men contumeliously reiected the worde of god But those of Berrhoea being of a more towardnesse and better zeale receyued the same with all readynesse of minde and searching the scriptures by themselues at home they examined tried the things that Paule taught as with a Touchstone Hereof it came to passe that a great multitude of them beleeued and by their example manye of the Greekes and Gentyles as well men as women were brought vnto the fayth of christ This example teacheth vs what maner of men they ought to be that will profytably heare the Gospell Aboue all thinges it is necessarie to haue a certayne readynesse of minde to receyue the same For vnlesse the worde maye haue place gyuen it in the mindes of men it can bring forth no fruite Wherefore they stumble at the verie thresholde and euen in the beginning that disdaine to heare the worde which is the peculiar marke of the children of the Deuill as Christ teacheth This example is to be well obserued of them which are prowde of their nobilitie and byrth and vaunt themselues therof in vaine cognizaunces and badges Howbeit touching the generation of the fleshe it is in all men alyke corrupt and such as maketh vs the children of sinne The seede of regeneration is the worde of God which being quickened in our minde by the spirite we that before were the seruauntes of sinne are borne to be the children of god Therfore they are neyther noble nor gentle which giue not place herevnto and be not borne againe of the same and so be made the children of god Wherefore Luke truely calleth these people of Berrhoea noble for their studie and desyre that they had vnto the worde In the meane season yet we must take heede of to much facilitie least to hastily receyuing whatsoeuer is taught vnder pretence of Gods worde we learne false opinions and be caryed about with vncertayne doctrine as with a blast of winde Therefore we must weygh and expende and examine whatsoeuer is sayde by the Canon of holye scripture according to that saying of Paule Trye or prooue all thinges keepe that which is good And S. Iohn the Apostle sayth Beloued beleeue not euery spirite but try the spirites whether they be of God or no. Two notable errours are confuted in this place which haue grieuously troubled the Church a great number of yeares One of them is the forbidding of the laytie and commons to reade the holy scripture Yet God would haue them alwaye common to all sortes of men For he made a lawe to that ende before all the multitude of Israel called vnto the same And the holye Ghost ordeyned that the bookes of Scripture shoulde be written in none other but the vulgare tongue And sure it were an absurde matter to exclude anye man from the doctrine of eternall lyfe seeing God would haue the same and the knowledge thereof to come vnto all men The other errour they holde which will haue their doctrine iudged of no man but lyke arrogant and Cyclopicall Gyauntes chalenge to themselues authoritie to teache what they will in the Church yea they say it is intollorable and hereticall that any man should demaund of them any reason or accoūt of that they say Are they then better then Paule was which suffred his sermons to be examined according to the rule of scripture Or else shall he be an heretike that now a dayes doth that for the which these people of Berrhoea were counted noble and true chyldren of God Yea howe say you if Paule submit himselfe vnto the censure of the godly His wordes be these If eyther I Paule or an Aungell from heauen preach an other Gospell than hath bene preached he ought to be accursed And Christ sayth this is the propertie of his sheepe to know his voyce from the voyce of a
we learne that there must be a certayne place for doctrine to be taught in and howe the same must not wythout some great cause be forsaken For this is a thing verye profytable for the maintenance of true doctrine and keeping vnder of false teachers which priuilye vse to creepe in and to beguyle the vnwarye For the which cause Christ himselfe vsed moste times to teache in the Temple and in the open Synagoges bicause he woulde not by his example defend them which without a cause refuse to come vnto the Church or else sowe false doctrine in corners both which the Anabaptistes in our dayes ouerboldly vse to doe Secondly is declared the trade that Paule vsed in teaching He spake freely and boldly dissembling nothing And fyrst he disputed confuting the errors of the Iewes wherewith they confounded and obscured the way of saluation being of it selfe playne and simple Next he exhorted and counselled them to yeelde vnto a truth This is the best order of teaching wherin these two thinges are necessary to be obserued fyrst that the aduersaries arguments be confuted and that by effectuall reasons they be vrged to take holde of the truth and earnestlye to followe it For as truth can haue no place as long as lyes and errors beare rule so fruitelesse and vayne shall the knowledge of truth be vnlesse men earnestly embrace hir and labour as it were to be transformed into hir Therefore Paule commaundeth the Minister of the worde not onely to teach but also to exhort rebuke and to be instant in season and out of season And Christ woulde haue those that were bidden to the wedding of the heauenly kingdome to be compelled to come in Therefore fylthye is the error of them which saye a bare and literall treatie of the Scripture is sufficient in the Church and will not suffer those things to be openly discussed in them that serue for the instruction of all parties as though our saluation stoode onely in a naked and empty contemplation of things Thirdlye Luke sheweth the matter and argument of Paules doctrine where he sayth he spake of the kingdome of God. For so are the affayres of our redemption and saluation called the administrator and executor wherof the Prophetes long since declared that the Messias shoulde be But of this Messias the Iewes had conceyued not onely false but also very carnall and grosse opinions by reason they misvnderstoode the Oracles of the Prophetes For they dreamed the kingdome of the Messias shoulde be here vppon earth and hoped to enioy a golden worlde vnder him such as had bene sometime vnder Salomon With the which error the Apostles also being beguyled promised themselues notable dignities and promotions as maye easily be gathered by their contentions And they among the Iewes also whose mindes were more of their saluation than of this earthly kingdome did rather thinke it consisted in wearishe ceremonies than in the merite of christ Therefore Paule diligently declared the veritie of the kingdome of God shewing that it was spirituall not earthly and that it consisted not in the vaine obseruation of Ceremonies but in the merite of Christ and in fayth whereby we be graffed into him This doctrine of Paule is to be had both in his Sermons which Luke hath described in this booke also in his Epistles so that there needeth no long rehearsall therof Let vs marke how the Scriptures call our redemption and saluation the kingdome of god For hereby the ende thereof is declared which is that Satan being vanquished and the worlde ouercome God might beare rule ouer vs as our king as we desire in our prayer saying Let thy kingdome come Wherefore they are false Christians that glorye in the name of Christ and yet let the Deuill rule in them who can haue no communion or fellowshippe with Iesus Christ. Neyther can they be Christians which are out of the kingdome of God bicause Christ came into the worlde for no cause but to restore his kingdome But howe can they be in the kingdome of God which suffer themselfe to be ruled by the Deuilles spirite and obey him in all thinges But bicause Christ can neuer be preached anye where so luckilye but manye reprobates shall ryse agaynst his doctrine hee declareth howe Paule dealt with them but yet so as he fyrst sheweth what they did They hardened their heartes agaynst Paules doctrine This is the propertie of the wicked the more they are vrged with the worde of God the more they harden their heartes not that Gods worde is in the fault but their owne selues For where they haue not in them the seede of the children of God they cannot knowe his voyce and worde and therefore the more mightily the holy ghost worketh to bring them to order the more fyercelye vse they to resist him Examples we haue euerywhere in Caine Pharao Saule Iudas and diuers other wherevnto woulde God we had not euerye day freshe examples ioyned After induration it followeth that they wyll neyther beleeue nor obey Therefore they cast away the worde of God as vayne and nothing pertayning vnto them Besides a woorse property than all this namely rayling and slaundering whereby they go about to bring Christes doctrine and religion in suspicion and enuy amongest the people For they follow the Deuils propertie desiring to haue many partners and fellowes of his perdition And by these steps doth impietie climbe vp vntill she be so high that she falleth into destruction What doth Paule with these persons First he departeth frō them least he should either more inflame them or giue occasion of vnprofytable contention and thys doth he according to Christs commaundement which bade vs we should not cast pearles before Dogges and Hogges and commaunded vs to shake the dust of our feete from vs against open obstinates Then next he seperated those disciples from them which had receyued the sounde doctrine doing the duetie of a faithfull shephearde whose chiefe care is that the sounde sheepe be not infected with the contagiousnesse of the diseased And yet Paule is not to be called a Schismatike for his so dooing although they bare the name of the church and people of God from whom Paule seuered his disciples Yea it is necessarie that the good should auoyde the familiaritie and companye of the vngodly bicause both they bycome heard hearted by the meanes and many times also partakers of the vngodlyes punishment See Apoc. 18. Thirdely Paule teacheth daylie in the schoole of one Tyrannus with what maner of thing it was and howe it came to be so called maketh no great matter but it is lyke it was a publike place and commodious to preache in Let vs rather consider Paules diligence which could by no vntowardnesse of the wicked be pulled from his duetie but the more he seeth them rage the more busily he holdeth on in teaching Let all that are in office eyther of the common weale or of the ministerie
that border vpon him The condicions of Tyrants The successe of the wicked is a preamble of ruine Ierem. 12. Prou 16. Psal. 37. Herode desâ—reth to be honoured as a God. The destruction of Herode Eusebius in the .2 booke of the Ecclesiasticall storie .x. chap. A disease which maye well be called the lowsie euill by reason of lyce which encrease so mightily that they deuour and eate vp the body 1. Pet. 5. The enlargement of Christes kingdome 1. Pet. 1. 1 The commendation of the Churche at Antioch Prophets Pastours Roma .. 10. 1. Cor. 4. Ephes. 4. Amos. 2. Manaen a noble man and a Courtyer Phil. 2. Heb. 11. 2 Paule and Barnabas are sent to the Gentyles Rom. 13. Heb. 1. The order of Ecclesiastical ministery Rom. 10. Heb. 5. 3 How Paule and Barnabas beginne to preach amoÌ„g the Gentyles Exod. 3.4 Math. 8. The Apostles preache vnto the Cypriotes Rom. 5. Math. 9.18 Luke 9. The Apostles preach the worde of God. They preach in the Synagoge of the Iewes Rom. 11. See Theodorete touching the prouidence of God in his x. Sermon Psal. 110. 1 The occasion of the coÌ„tention betweene Paule and Elymas the sorcerer Luke 15. Iohn 10. 2 The meeting togither of Paule and Elymas the sorcerer The condicions of false Prophetes Math. 24. Paule confuteth Elymas 1. Iohn 4. 3 The ende and successe of the contencion 2. Tim. 3. 1 Pamphilia is lightened with the gospell Rom. 15. 2 Iohn Mark fayleth in the ministerye of the Gospell 3 The Apostles go into Pisidia Iohn 16. Iohn 14. Math. 28. Psal. 27. Esay 40. 4 What the Apostles did in Antioch of Pisidia The truth must be preached openly Iohn 18. The Sabboth dayes must be kept holy Num. 15. The order of holy metings or assemblies Luke 4. Math. 15. Esay 29. 2. Tim. 3. The argument parâ—s of Paules sermon 1 The beginning of Paules sermon Rom. 12. Suetonius Tranquillus in the lyfe of Augustus chap. 53. 1. Iohn 5. 2 The narration 1 Free election or choyse Psa. 76.147 Iosua 24. Ephe. 1. Psal. 65. ij. The deliuery out of Egypt iij. The sufferance of God towarde sinners Psal. 103. iiij. The possession of the lande of promise Deut. 6. v. The ordinance of common weale and kingdom 1. Reg. 6. Genes 49. Hose 13. The translation of the kingdome of Iurie vnto Dauid Psal. 2. Esay 60. The prayse of Dauid 2. Sam. 7. 1. Sam. 15. Howe Dauid is sayde to haue fulfilled all the will of God. Psal. 19. 2. Sam. 15. 2. Sam. 16. 2. Sam. 24. The second part of the Sermon teaching howe Iesus is Christ. i. Iesus is borne of the seede of Dauid according to the promise Genes 3. 1. Iohn 4. ij. Iesus had a forerunner as was foreshewed iij. The testimony of Iohn Baptist coÌ„cerning Christ. Iosephus in his .xviij. booke of antiquities cap. and Eusebius Caesariens reporteth the same out of him in the first booke of his ecclesiasticall hystorie and xiij chap. The Gospell ought fyrst to be preached to the Iewes Math. 10. He aunswereth the slauÌ„der taken by the crosse Esay 2. i The priests were ignoraÌ„t of Christ and the scriptures Mala. 2. Iohn 5. 2. Cor. 3. ij. The Priestes fulfilled the scriptureâ— â–ª iij. Christ was put to the death of the crosse innocently 2. Cor. 5. Rom. 8. 2. Tim. 2. iiij. The Priestes enterprises coulde not hurt Christ. Iohn 10. The resurrection of Christ is prooued Luc. 10. 1. Cor. 15. 1 The testimonie of the Apostles coÌ„cerning christ and his resurrection 1. Cor. 1. Iohn 1. Iohn 14.8 Rom. 8. Luke 22. Iohn 17. 1. Cor. 15. The doctrine of the Apostles is not newe Iohn 5. Luc. 24. Math. 13. The truth of Gods promises Dani 2. Gene 49. Gene. 3. Esa. 7. Mich. 5. 2 The testimonies of the Prophets of Christ and his resurrection Psal. 2. The resurrection declareth the glory of the sonnes of God. Rom. 1. 1. Iohn 3. The place of Esay 55. Christ is but once onely offered The place of the .xvi. psal The state of the deade Esay 63. The consideratioÌ„ of death Math. 10. Apoc. 14. Luc. 16. Ezech. 32. Esay 14. 1. Cor. 15. The knowledge of christ is necessarye to the attainment of saluation Iohn 17. Luke 17. Iohn 8. Iacob 1. Remission of sinnes is giuen vs in Christ. i. All men are sinners Gene. 8. Psal. 51. Esay 64. ij. Sinns are forgiuen of grace fauor iij. Grace is giuen vs in Christ. 1. Cor. 1. 2. Cor. 5. Iohn 1. iiij. Christ is taken hold of by fayth Rom. 3. The law can not iustifye Esay 1. Psal. 50. Psal. 51. Hebr. 10. The vse of the lawe Galat. 3. Righteousnes of works is ouerthrowne Math. 15. Luke 17. 1. Cor. 2. Galat. 6. The conclusion of Paules sermon Vnto the Gospell must bee ioyned threates and declaration of punishments Math. 11. Luke 19. Mat. 23.24 Ezech. 3.33 Contempt of Gods worde worde is a most grieuous sinne Rom. 11. Reprobates cannot abide to heare the word of god Iohn 8.10 Psal. 58. The elect acknowledge the worde of God and receyue it A Proselyte was anye straunger or forreuer born that did conuert or turne vnto the Iewes religion Esay 1.10 Rom. 10. In religion perseuerance or holding on is needefull The Gospell is called the grace of God. Math. 10. Luke 10. The coÌ„tention of the Apostles with the Iewes Iohn 15. i. The occasion of the contention Phil. 1.2 Tim. 4. Iohn 4. ij. The cause of the contention Rom. 10. Num. 15. iij. The sleightes and weapons of the Iewes iiij. The Apostles stoutly and boldlye resist Titus 1. v. The Apostles excommunicate the incurable Math. 21. Math. 10. The place of Esay 4 9. touching the vocation of the Gentyles Iohn 1. Iohn 17. 1 The doctrine of the Gospell is set forth in the midst of troubles They that are ordeyned vnto life eternall beleeue 1. Cor. 2. Phil. 2. Iohn 3 6. Math. 16. Ephes. 1. 1. Pet. 1. Rom. 8. Iohn 10. Rom. 11. The effect of Gods worde in the elect and their duties Math. 5. Ephe. 4. 2. Pet. 1. The word of God is set forth through the enterprises of the aduersaries Luke 18. 2 PersecutioÌ„ raysed by the Iewes Women raysed against the Apostles 2. Tim. 3. Magistrates offended with the Apostles Math. 11. Banishment the effect of persecution 2. Tim. 2. Marc. 10. Luke 22. Iohn 12.14 and .17 Math. 25. 3 The end of the persecution The shaking off of oust Luke 9. The ende of persecution is ioyfull vnto the faythfull Iohn 16. Iconium 1 The Apostles teach in the sinagoge The constancie and fayth of the Apostles Ezech. 3. The loue of the Apostles toward their enimies Rom. 10.9 Luke 19. 1. Tim. 2. 2 The effect of the Apostles doctrine 3 The persecutioÌ„ against the Apostles i. The Iewes are authors of the persecution ij. The Apostles do boldlye resist the seditious Marc. 8. Iohn 5.10 Marc. 16. Math. 24. 2. Thes. 2. iij. All the citie is at diuision Math. 10.
called backe to Byzantium he was faine to leaue the Citie to Totylas to be taken and sacked againe Infinite examples of this sort myght be shewed which testifie that most certaine destruction hangeth ouer the heades of the enimies of Christ and his Church The other kinde of punishment is And his Byshoprick let another take By the which wordes he declareth that such kinde of men by no maner dignities or other excellent priuiledges that they enioy can escape the imminent iudgement of god For whatsoeuer excellent and singular gifts they haue obtayned through the goodnesse of God bee taken from them and gyuen vnto other as Iudas hereof is a most manifest example He was called to be an Apostle and therewithall was as it had bene the stewarde of christ Therefore great was his dignitie and such as passed the dignity both of king Emperour Herevnto is to be added his continuall conuersation with Christ and that he sawe and hearde many things with the other Apostles which many Prophets and righteous men although they greatly desired the same coulde neyther see nor heare But all these coulde not helpe this vnhappy body which deserued through his falshoode to be bereeued of them all For he departeth this world with an horrible ende and the dignitie of his Apostleship is cast vpon Matthie The like iudgement of God is seene in Saule who was so bolde as to persecute Dauid bearing a figure of christ For as soone as he had once purposed that thing in his minde the good spirite of God was taken from hym the euill spirite of Sathan entred in his place wherewith he was continually haunted vntill that both he killed himselfe left the kingdome to Dauid to possesse Hereto is the sentence of Christ to be applyed To euery one that hath shall be giuen and from him that hath not shall be taken euen that he hath For they by Christs iudgement are sayde to haue which being indued with the giftes of God acknowledge them in themselues and vse them with all their power to the glorie of God and the saluation of many And God of his liberalitie and bountie increaseth his gifts euery daye in them and maketh them more and more to appeare But they which neglect them as though they had receyued none at Gods hande and applying their owne businesse haue no regarde to that that appertayneth to the glorye of God they are at length so punished for their negligence and contempt that they are depriued of all their graces they become infortunate despised and vtterlie shamed For that sentence shall remayne for euer neither shall it be broken with any force of the worlde which God speaketh among other things to Hely the Priest in his wrath shewing him how he shoulde be punished I will honour those that honour mee and they that despyse mee shall come to shame And in another place he threateneth extreme ignominie and shame to the wicked which regarde not the glory of God I will sayth hee sende a curse vpon you and will curse your blessinges yea curse them will I if you doe not take heede Beholde I shall corrupt your seede and cast dunge in your faces euen the dunge of your solemne feastes I would we did often consider these things in these dayes and then would we not marueyle how all they haue lost their authoritie and estimation in the Church common weale which ought to be reuerenced The Bishops complayne of this misfortune can not tell where the authoritie of the Church is become But they should cease to complayne and marueyle if they would remember the counterfeyting of true doctrine their buying and selling of holye thinges the corruption of maners the couetousnesse and pryde many such other lyke brought into the Church by their meanes whereby they haue abundantly declared themselues to bee rather the successors of Iudas than of Peter The teachers of the Gospell also complayne of the contempt of their office and ministery saying that the authoritie of ecclesiasticall disciplyne is vtterly extinguished And it is no marueyle considering that in their number also a man maye see verye manye of small habilitie to set forth Gods glorye and other some vnder the fayre colour of Euangelike doctrine giuen to couetousnesse fraunching and feeding to pamper their bodies and to satisfie their lust Therefore the dignitie and authoritie due to the Ministery is of right taken from them Whosoeuer therefore will keepe and maintaine the degree and authoritie wherin God hath set him let him principally haue a care to set forth the glorye of God let him vrge that and in despyte of the world study with all his power to aduaunce the same and not swarue one nayles bredth from his vocation and dutie Nowe let vs come to the other part of Peters Oration wherein he exhorteth the congregation to choose another in the roume of Iudas Where he deduceth his arguments aptly out of the Oracles of the Scripture aforesayd For he seemeth thus to say bicause the holy ghost long time since prophecied that Iudas should betraye Christ and after his horrible ende of life shoulde leaue his Bishopricke and Apostleshippe to another we must seeke one to succeede him out of the number of them which haue continued with vs and haue seene all the thinges that Christ did whyle he was here on earth And Peters argument is very worthy to be considered which being made in fewe wordes is this in effect Another must haue Iudas Byshopricke according to the Oracle of the holy ghost Ergo it is our partes to prouyde a worthye and meete successor in his place And at the first sight this seemeth to be an absurde consequence For be it that another must haue Iudas Bisshopricke shall it therefore follow that the Apostles and they that were gathered with them must choose him that shoulde haue his Bishopricke But all this countenance of absurditie quickly vanisheth away if we consider the office that the Apostles sustayne by reason of Christes office For Christ being readye to leaue the worlde commended the cure of his Churche to them and they were of the number of them which should giue meate to the Lordes family as we reade Math. 24. Therefore where it is chiefly requisite for conseruation of the Church that there be worthy and fit Ministers appoynted Peter not without a cause gathereth that it appertayned to them to ordayne a newe Apostle bicause there was a manifest Oracle of the holy ghost apparaunt touching the placing of another in Iudas roume We are taught by Peters example howe we shoulde be occupied in reading of holy Scripture For here must we alwayes haue our vocation before our eyes that whatsoeuer belongeth thereto we should thinke spoken to vs. For the Scriptures are giuen of God for our learning as Paule witnesseth Therefore great is their error which reade the holy bookes with no more heede than if they were prophane wryters hauing
their mindes as they read occupied with other cogitations as though the reading of scripture were appoynted but for delyte or to passe the time away Let vs therfore well marke what commaundementes and examples belong to our vocation that we maye continue in the same and declare our industrye towarde god For in thus doing a minister of the worde shall thinke whatsoeuer things are spoken by the Prophetes or Apostles touching the administration of the same worde to be sayde vnto him And they that be Magistrates let them thinke whatsoeuer is sayde in the Scriptures touching the dutie of Officers with examples of auncient Magistrates whether they be good or badde to be spoken vnto them The same shall priuate men also doe of what state or condicion so euer they be So shall it come to passe that with a certayne godly delight and pleasure of minde they shall receyue incredible profite by reading of the Scriptures Let vs examine the wordes of Peter wherein two things most appertayning to this present purpose are handled First he teacheth what maner of person should be chosen to the roume of an Apostle Then he defineth the office or dutie of an Apostle And of these two he so disputeth that they may serue to the institution of all Ministers of the word of the congregation To the first part appertayneth this saying Wherefore of these men which haue companied with vs all the time that the Lorde IESVS had all his conuersation among vs beginning at the baptisme of Iohn vntill that same day that he was taken vp from vs must one be ordayned c. Peter requireth here two things of great weyght The first is a sure and sounde knowledge of Iesus Christ and of all the things he did whyle he was amongst his Disciples For vsing an Hebrewe phrase by two contraries that is to saye of going in and comming out he includeth all things that euer Christ did Yet least any man should take occasion hereof ouer curiouslye to inquire after euery thing he compasseth this knowledge within certaine boundes that is to saye the baptisme of Iohn and the glorious ascention of Christ into heauen For before Christ was baptised of Iohn he led a priuate life in Nazareth of Galiley behauing himselfe obediently to his Parents and exercising the Carpenters craft as maye be gathered But the thinges that concerned our redemption and belonged to the office of the Messias he then went aboute when hee had bene baptised of Iohn and was authorized by the visible annoynting of the holy Ghost and by the testimonye of the father which was hearde from heauen For which cause the Euangelists contented with the describing of his incarnation touching his nonage and childehoode haue written very little For the holy ghost ment hereby to bridle the foolish curiositie of mans wit which not many yeares ago vttred and set forth it selfe by no simple writers I warrant you who haue compyled vs the lyfe and whole chyldehoode of Christ to the great mockery open scorne of the Christian profession Howbeit Peter thinketh the knowledge of these things sufficient and inough which Christ did after he was so solemnlye admitted and put in office And this knowledge was necessary bicause Christ ordayned his Apostles to be faithfull witnesses of his doings Secondly he requireth a certaine and euident signe of perseuerance and continuance For he woulde haue none chosen out of that number which were yet but nouices and newly entred into Christes religion but such as began to follow Christ from the beginning of his conuersation amongst men and so continued with him being neyther feared with daunger of persecution nor offended with the crosse and his â—launderous death And these thinges should now a dayes be obserued in choosing ordering of Ministers if they had any care of the Church which chalenge greatest authoritie ouer the same For it is playne that the chiefe dutie of the Minister standeth in teaching as God sayth by the Prophete In the Priestes lippes should be the sure knowledge that men may seeke the lawe at his mouth For hee is the messenger of the Lorde of hostes But how shall he teach who is vnlearned and rude him selfe Surely Paule in a Bishop requireth this thing chieflye that he be able to teach and that not only the playne doctrine of truth to the more tractable sort of men but also that he be able to refell and conuince such as shall gainesay and contrary the same whereof there is alwayes a great multitude Therefore in a Minister of the worde the knowledge of Christ and his misteries is necessary with al the things that concerne the articles of the Christian fayth and the dutie of the faythfull There is required of him diligent reading of the Scripture wherein hee ought to be well exercised He hath neede of the knowledge of the tongues that in reading the Scriptures he depende not vpon the sense of others and be constrayned to looke with other mens eyes and to go with other mens feete Furthermore it is meete he be furnished with the Artes of speaking that hee maye perceyue what to propounde in what place and after what sort and order All which are of such weyght that Paule not without a cause exhorted Timothy to continue on still in reading who yet he confesseth of a childe had learned the Scriptures Moreouer whereas infinite daungers hange ouer the function of Ministers boldenesse of minde is requisite least being ouercome with feare of perill hee drawe backe or sticke in the middest of his course But this shall chiefly be perceyued by perseuerance or continuance whereof no doubt he had giuen manifest tokens The same hath Paule obserued likewyse where he sheweth vs that a Byshop shoulde not be a yong scholer or Nouice least being puffed vp with sodaine dignitie he commit some thing dishonest or vncomely and giue occasion to the aduersary to reprooue him Yea and Christ himselfe at his last supper commendeth his Apostles whom it is plaine were subiect to many faultes and infirmities chiefely for this cause that they abode with him in all his temptations But let vs see Peters last wordes where he defineth the office or dutie of an Apostle Let one be appoynted sayth he which may be a witnesse of his resurrection First he will haue a partner or fellow ioyned with the eleuen not a seruant whome the reast at their pleasure might commaunde For he knewe that equalitie was needefull to be amongst Christes Ministers Then he calleth him a witnesse which name Christ called them by a little before he went from hence And the often repeticion and diligent consideration of this name is not a little profitable For hereby the worthynesse of the Christian fayth and certaintye of the doctrine euangelicall may be perceyued bicause Christ had not onely preachers of the things he did â—ut also sworne witnesses which wrate and deliuered to vs the fayth in him Last of