thinke because God by sending his sonne into the world did fulfill his promise made to his seruants in times past by the effect it selfe Like as in the second Psalme Though the Greeke bookes agree in the number yet we must not passe ouer that which Erasmus saith that many of the old writers read the first Psalme And it may be that Luke wrot so For that which at this day is counted the second Psalme might haue bin called the first not without reason seing that it is likely that the first Psalme was added in steed of a Proeme by the Scribes and Priestes by whose industrie the Psalmes were gathered into one bodie For the name of the authour is not set to it and it doeth onely exhort to meditate vpon the Law of God But there is no great weight in that matter For this is the chiefest thing that we know how properly and how well Paul applieth the testimonie taken out of the Psalme vnto the matter which he hath in hand We do not denie that Dauid when he saw that he was on euery side assailed by his enimies and that they were of greater power might than that he was able to resist them doth set against them Gods aide who he knew was the authour of his kingdome and Reigne But forasmuch as he was a figure of the true Messias we know that those things were shadowed in his person which doe appertaine wholy and perfectly to the Messias alone And the text it self doth proue sufficiently that there is not onely a simple and bare thankesgiuing contained there agreeable to Dauids kingdome but it is a higher prophecie For it is wel knowne that Dauid did in his life scarce tast of the hundreth part of the glory which is spokē of in this place concerning which we haue spoken more at large Chapter 4. Now let vs looke nigher into the words kings are in deed called sonnes of God Psal 82.6 But seing that God doth intend to prefer Dauid before all other kings and to exempt him out of the number of them this title of honor is giuen to him principallie aboue all other not because so great honour resteth in his person because by this meanes he should passe the Angels as it is in the Epist to the Heb. 1. cha Therfore he is thus gorgeously set out in respect of Christ whose image he was that God doth not take him for one of the common sort or for some one of a great multitude but he doth as it were acknowledge him to his onely begotten sonne The proofe followeth Because God did beget him when he established the kingdome in his hand For that was not done by mans industrie but God shewed from heauen the inuincible power of his hand whereby it might plainly appeare that he reigned according to Gods counsel Therefore this Begetting by him mentioned must be referred vnto the vnderstanding or knowledge of men to wit because it was then openlie known that he was begotten of God when as he was set vpon the throne of the kingdome wonderfully contrarie to the hope of all men and did by the heauenly power of the Spirit breake infinit conspiracies because hee could not reigne vntill he had brought all nations round about him in subiection as if a certaine world were subdued Now let vs come vnto Christ He came not into the world without testimony whereby he did proue that he was the son of God For his glory did appeare as became the only begotten son of god as it is written Iohn 1.14 and he saith euerywhere that he hath God for the witnesse and maintainer of this honor Therefore God begat Christ when he gaue him certaine markes whereby he might be knowne to be his true liuely image son And yet this doth not let but that Christ is the wisedome begotten of the eternall father before time but that is the secreat generation now Dauid declareth that it was reuealed to men so that the relation is as we haue said vnto men and not vnto God because that which was hidden in the heart of God was made known to mē And it is a verye fine figure because Christ his diuinitie was no lesse declared and established then if he had bin begotten of God before the eyes of men I know that Augustine his deepe sight doth please some that by to day is meant perpetuitie But when as the spirit of God himself is his owne interpreter whereas he doth expound that by the mouth of Paul which he had said by Dauid we must not inuent any other sense And forasmuch as the same Paul doth witnes that Christ was declared to be the son of god in power when he rose from the dead we gather that this was the principal token of celestiall excellency that the father did then bring him truly to light that the world might know that he was begotten of him Therefore though God began to raise Christ when he came into the world yet his raising was then as it were perfect full because whereas he was humbled before hauing taken as it were the forme of a seruant he did then appeare to be the conqueror of death the Lord of life so that he wanted nothing of that maiesty which was meet for the son of god that for the onely begotten sonne 34 That he should not returne He addeth now the other member that Christ was once raised from death that he may liue for euer as Paul teacheth Rom. 6.10 Rom. 6.10 He dieth no more neither shall death haue dominion ouer him any more because he liueth to God For the hope conceiued of Christ his resurrection should be slender and cold if he were yet subiect to destruction or to any change Therefore he is said to be entred into the kingdome of God that he may also giue to his eternal felicity liuing for euer For because Christ rose rather for our sake then for himselfe the perpetuitie of life which the father hath giuen him reacheth vnto vs all and is ours Notwithstanding the place of Isay which is here cited seemeth to make but a litle for proofe of Christ his immortalitie I will giue you the holy things of Dauid But it is not so For seing Isaias speaketh of the redemption promised to Dauid Isai 55.3 and affirmeth that the same shal be firme and stable we doe well gather by this the immortall kingdome of Christ wherein the eternitie of saluation is grounded And Paul followed the Greek interpreters when he put Holy things for mercies Chessed which signifieth meeke merciful and gentle is wont by the Grecians to be translated Holy Therefore they translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Dauid the holy thinges of Dauid whereas the Prophet meaneth rather the grace promised to Dauid But Paul granted this to the ignorant and weake who were better acquainted with the Greeke reading especially for as much as the force of the testimonie consisteth in another point For
worthy to haue bin condemned if he had gon about any such thing but for asmuch as it is most certain that they did trecherously wickedly slander the holy maÌ„ they indeuoured to couer an euill cause with an honest excuse We know how straitly the Lord commandeth in the law how he wil haue his seruants to worship him Therefore to depart from that rule is sacrilege But forasmuch as Paul neuer meant to adde too or take away any thing from the law he is vniustly accused of this fault Whence we gather that thogh the faith ful behaue themselues neuer so vprightly blamelesly yet can they not escape false slanderous reports vntil they be admitted to purge them selues But Paul was not only vnworthily and falsly slandered by the aduersaries but when he would haue refuted their impudencie false reportes his mouth was stopt by the deputie Therfore he was inforced to depart froÌ„ the iudgement seat without defending himselfe And Gallio refuseth to heare the cause not for any euill will hee bare to Paul but because it was not agreeable to the office of the deputie to giue iudgement concerning the religion of euery prouince For though the RomaÌ„s could not enforce the nations which were subiect to theÌ„ to obserue their rites yet least they should seem to allow that which they did tollerate they forbade their magistrates to meddle with this part of iurisdiction Here we see what the ignoraÌ„ce of true godlines doth in setting in order the state of euery common-wealth and dominion All men confesse that this is the principall thing that true religion bee in force and florishe Now when the true God is knowen and the certain sure rule of worshipping him is vnderstood there is nothing more equall then that which God coÌ„mandeth in his law to wit that those who beare rule with power hauing abolished coÌ„trary superstitions defend â—he pure worship of the true God But seing that the Romanes did obserue their rites only through pride stubbornnes seeing they had no certainety where there was no trueth they thought that this was the best way they could take if they shuld graunt libertie to those who dwelt in the prouinces to liue as theÌ„ lusted But nothing is more absurd then to leaue the worship of God to meÌ„s choice Wherfore it was not without cause that God coÌ„manded by Moses that the king shuld cause a book of the law to be written out for himselfe to wit that being well instructed Deut. 17.18 certaine of his faith he might with more courage take in hand to maintein that which he knew certainely was right 15 Of words and names These words are not wel packed together Yet Gallio speaketh thus of the law of God by way of coÌ„tempt as if the Iewish religion did consist onely in words superfluous questions And surely as the nation was much giueÌ„ to conteÌ„tion it is not to be doubted but that many did troble theÌ„selues others with superfluous trifles Yea we heare with what Paul hitteth theÌ„ in the teeth in many places Cap. 1.14 and 3.9 especially in the Epistle to Titus Yet Galio is not worthy to be excused who doth mock the holy law of god togither with their curiosity For as it behoued him to cut off all occasion of vaine contentions in words so we must on the other side know that when the worship of God is in hand the strife is not about words but a matter of all other most serious is handled 17 All the Grecians hauing taken Sosthenes This is that Sosthenes whom Paul doth honourablie couple with himselfe as his companion in the beginning of the former Epistle to the Corinthians And though there be no mention made of him before among the faithfull yet it is to bee thought that he was then one of Paul his companions aduocates And what fury did inforce the Grecians to run headlong vpon him saue only because it is alotted to all the children of God to haue the world set against them and offended with them their cause though vnknowne wherefore there is no cause why such vniust dealing should trouble vs at this day when wee see the miserable church oppugned on euerie side Moreouer the frowardnes of mans naure is depainted out vnto vs as in a table admit we grauÌ„t that the Iewes wer hated euery where for good causes yet why are the GreciaÌ„s rather displeased with Sosthenes a modest maÌ„ then with the autors of the tumult who troubled Paul without any cause namely this is the reasoÌ„ bicause when men are not gouerned with the spirit of god they are caried headlong vnto euil as it wer by the secret inspiratioÌ„ of nature notwithstaÌ„ding it may be that they bare Sosthenes such hatred thinking he had lodged wicked meÌ„ to raise sedition Neither did Gallio care for any of these things This loosenesse must bee imputed not so much to the sluggishnes of the deputie as to the hatred of the Iewish religion The Romans could haue wished that the remembrance of the true God had bin buried And therfore when as it was lawfull for them to vowe their vowes and to pay them to all the Idols of Asia and Grecia it was a deadly fact to do sacrifice to the god of Israel Finally in the common liberty of al manner superstition only true religion was accepted This is the cause that Gallio winketh at the iniurie done to Sosthenes He professed of late that he would punish iniuries if anye were done now he suffereth a guiltlesse man to be beaten before the iudgement seate Whence commeth this sufferance saue onely because he did in heart desire that the Iewes might one slea another that their religion might be put out with them But for as much as by the mouth of Luke the spirite condemneth Gallio his carelesnes because he did not aide a man which was vniustly punished let our magistrates know that they be farre more inexcusable if they winke at iniuries wicked factes if they bridle not the wantonnes of the wicked if they reach not forth their hand to the oppressed But if the sluggish are to looke for iust damnation what terrible iudgement hangeth ouer the heades of those who are vnfaithful wicked who by fauouring euil causes bearing with wicked facts set vp as it were a banner of want of punishment and are fannes to kindle boldnes to do hurt 18 And when Paul had tarried there many dayes hauing taken his leaue of the brethren he sailed into Syria Priscilla and Aquila accompanying him when he had shauen his head at Cenchrea for he had a vow 19 And he came to Ephesus where he left them And when he had entred into the Synagogue he disputed with the Iewes 20 And when they desired him that he would stay longer time with them he did not consent 21 But tooke his leaue saying I must needs keepe the feast which is at hand in Ierusalem but I will
the cause why he doeth not let them go free was partly rage mixed with tyrannous crueltie and partly shamefastnesse Though some expound it otherwise that he commanded that they should be punished forthwith And whether being angrie he deliuered them to the hangman or he was content to punish them with perpetuall imprisonment it is assuredly an excellent example of blindnes that whereas he ought to perceiue the power of God yea though his eyes were shut yet doth he not bend neither doth he waxe more meeke but proceedeth to resist God of obstinate malice thus doth Satan depriue the wicked of vnderstanding that in seing they see not and the Lord by smiting them with this horrible amasednesse doeth iustly reuenge himselfe and his Church And descending from Iudea to Caesarea he staied there 20 And Herod was offended with those of Tyre and Sidon But they came vnto him with one consent and perswading Blastus the chamberlaine to the King they required peace because their countrie was nourished by the Kings countrie 21 And vpon a day appointed Herod arayed himselfe in royall apparel and sitting vpon his throne he made an oration vnto them 22 And the people cried it is the voice of God and not of man 23 And streightway the Angel of the Lord smote him because he gaue not the glorie to God and being eaten of wormes he died 24 Furthermore the word of God did encrease and multiply 25 And Barnabas and Paul returned from Ierusalem to Antioch hauing finished their office taking Iohn with them which was called Marke 20 A worthy historie which doth not onely shew as it were in a glasse what end is prepared for the enimies of the Church but also how greatly God hateth pride The scripture saieth that God resisteth the proud God himselfe did shew a liuely image thereof in the person of Herod 1. Pet. 5.5 And assuredly men cannot extoll themselues higher than becommeth them but they shall make warre with God who to the end he may surpasse all commaundeth all flesh to keepe silence And if God did so sharply punish pride in a king whom prosperitie did puffe vp what shal become of those of the commō sort who are ridiculously puffed vp without cause Furthermore we must note the course of the historie that all things go wel with Herod after that he had miserably vexed the church he enforced the nations round about him being tamed with hunger to come to craue pardon vppon their knees as if God had rewarded him well for his wicked furie This was no smal trial for the godly who might haue thought thus with themselues that God cared not for them and they were afraid least with Herods power his tyranny crueltie should encrease But the Lord had another purpose for he set the oppressor of his Church on high that he might haue the greater fall Therefore that shadowish felicitie wherein he delighted too much was vnto him a certaine fatting against the day of slaughter In like sort when at this day we see the bloody enimies of the Church carried vp vpon the wings of fortune into heauen Pro. 16.18 12. there is no cause why we should be discoraged but let vs rather cal to minde that saying of Salomon Pride goeth before calamitie and the heart is lifted vp before a fall Herod was displeased Luke vseth the compound participle Thumomachon which signifieth priuie grudging or hatred Therefore Herod did not make open war against those cities but such was his displeasure that he assaied to subdue them by pollicie as it were by vnderminding them by litle and litle It is a rare matter saith Demosthenes for free cities to agree with Monarches Moreouer Herod was naturally cruel bold of vnsatiable couetousnesse and it is not to be doubted but that Tyrus and Sidon were as it were certaine barres or railes to stay his furie as they were welthy cities vnaccustomed to beare the yoke Also the remembrance of their old glory might haue incouraged them forasmuch as pride commeth commonly of wealth it is no maruell if these two cities were proud Isai 23.8 Iob. 12. the one whereof Isaias calleth Queene of the seas whose marchants he said were kings and her chapmen Dukes Also he saieth elsewhere that Sidon was become proud by reason of her wealth And although they had sundrie times bin brought almost to vtter ruine yet the commodiousnes of their situation did shortly restore them to their wonted state Hereby it came to passe that they could more hardly digest Agrippa of late a base fellow a man of no estimation one who had bin let out of prison especially seing that he behaued himselfe so cruelly toward his own subiects was troblesome and iniurious to his neighbors Forasmuch as their countrie was nourished It had not bin good for him to haue assailed the men of Tyre and Sidon with open warre therefore he giueth commandement that there should no corne nor victuall be caried out of his realme By this meanes did he without any army besiege them by little and little For the borders of both cities were strait and their ground barren whereas there was a great people to be fed Therefore after that they were tamed with hunger they humblie craue peace and that not free for assuredly they had some lawes giuen them and it is to be thought that this Blastus mentioned by Luke was not with bare words perswaded but with rewards woone to intreat the peace I know not why Erasmus did thinke it good to translate this place otherwise than the words import 21 Vpon an appointed day Luke saith that the men of Tyrus and Sidon had peace granted them because this was the occasion of the kings oration without doubt that he might make them his vnderlings hereafter The same history is extant in Iosephus in his nineteenth booke of Antiquities saue only that he calleth him euery where Agrippa whom Luke calleth Herod It is to be thought that Agrippa was his proper name that he was called by none other name so long as he was a priuate man but after that he was aduanced to be a king he tooke to himself princely dignitie according to the name of his grandfather Iosephus Luke agree togither wonderfully in the thing it self and in all circumstances First they agree concerning the place Iosephus saith that his garment was imbroidered with gold on which when the sunne beames light it did glister again that this was the cause which moued the courteours to call him a God that he was sodainly wounded also that there was seene an Owle sitting vppon a cord ouer his head which cord did prognosticate his ruine And he is so far from doubting that his sacrilegious pride was punished with this kind of punishment that he saith that he confessed the same openly amidst his cruel torments Behold me whom you call a God I am enforced to finish my life most miserablie There is no mention made there of
that they professed openly and freely that which they knewe concerning Christe Whereuppon it followeth that the matter was made knowen openly at Ierusalem And the proofe was not so light because in the fearefull power of the enemies who were readie and bent to resist and did omit nothing there were notwithstanding such as did openly affirme that Christ rose again and were also such as saw that thing with their eies for if there had bin any refutation in readinesse the Scribes woulde not haue neglected it 32 And wee preache to you glad tidinges that the promise made to the fathers 33 Hath God fulfilled to their children hauing raised vp Iesus as it is written in the second Psalme Thou art my sonne this day haue I begotten thee 34 And in that he hath raised him vp from the dead not to return hereafter to corruption hee hath saide thus I will giue you the holy thynges of Dauid 35 Therefore he saith also in another place Thou shalt not suffer thine holy one to see corruption 36 Dauid in deede when he had serued his time by the counsell of God hee fel on sleepe and was laid vnto his fathers and saw corruption 37 But he whom God raised saw no corruption 32 We preach to you glad tidings Hee doth nowe challenge to himselfe the office and honour of an Apostle that he may be heard as a lawful minister of God And he saith the summe of the Ambassage inioyned him is that that is reuealed giuen in their time which was promised in times past And in fewe wordes doeth he comprehend many great matters First hee giueth them to vnderstande that hee bringeth in nothing which is new or contrary to the law and prophets but that he did reueale the fulfilling of that doctrine which they thēselues did confesse and were perswaded to haue been deliuered by God Whereupon it followeth that they cannot refuse that which hee offereth them but they shall breake the couenant made with the fathers by God so much as in them shall lie secondly hee commendeth the faithfulnesse of God because it doth now in very deed appeare that there was nothing promised in times past vnaduisedly or in vaine but he doth chiefly extoll the greatnesse of the grace giuen at length in Christe For we must note the comparison betweene them and the fathers when hee saieth that they had gottē that which was promised to the fathers For the more liberallie the grace of God is powred out vppon them the more filthie shall their vnthankfulnesse bee if they shall despice or loath that vnestimable good thing For what els were this but to cast downe at their feete a treasure euen reached out to them that they might take holde thereof and so consequently laid in their lap the hope whereof was reuerentlie embraced by the father when it was shewed them a farre off and which they did foster during their whole life But some man may ask this question concerning those who liued vnder the law whether euen they wer not made partakers of the promises I answere that there is such a societie of the same grace amōg vs which doth not hinder the lōg distāce But this was Paul his meaning that their faith stood as it were in doubt vntill Christ appeared in whome all the promises of God are Yea and Amen 2. Cor. 1.19.20 as he teacheth 2. Cor. 1. Therefore we be the heires of the same kingdome of heauen and partakers of the same spirituall good thinges which God bestoweth vpon his children also God gaue to them some tast of his loue in this life as we tast him now But Christ who is the substance of all good things and of eternall life was only promised to them but he is giuen to vs and they desired him as being far off we inioy him being present 33 To their children namely to vs. It is certaine that Paule speaketh of naturall children who had their beginning of the holy fathers which wee must therefore note because certaine brainsicke men drawing all thinges vnto allegories dreame that there is no respect to be had in this place of kinred but only of faith And with such an inuentiō they make the holie couenaunt of God of none effect where it is said I will be thy God and the God of thy seed It is faith say they alone which maketh vs the children of Abraham Gen. 17.7 But I say on the other side that euen those who are borne the children of Abraham according to the flesh are also counted the spirituall children of God vnlesse they growe out of kinde through vnbeleefe For the boughs bee naturally holy because they spring from an holy roote Rom. 11.16 vntill they become profane through their owne fault And assuredly it is Paule his drifte to allure the Iewes vnto Christe and that he may doe this they must bee distinguished from the common sort by some priuiledge and yet it followeth not thereuppon which these knaues doe odiously obiect that the gtace of God is tyed to the carnall seed Because though the promise of life came by inheritance to the posteritie of Abrahā yet many were depriued by their vnbeliefe Therfore faith is the cause that of a great multitude only a few are counted children And that is the double electiō whereof I spake before The one common to all the whole nation alike because the first adoptiō of God containeth the whole familie of Abraham The other which is restrained vnto the secret counsel of god and is at length established by faith that it may be confirmed to men Therefore Paul doth well trulie affirme that that was perfourmed to the Iewes which god had promised to the fathers For it was promised to them also as Zacharias saith in his song The oth which he sware to our father Abrahā that he would giue himselfe for vs c. And yet the worthinesse of that nation doth not hinder but that the grace of Christ may also spread it selfe throughout the whole world bicause the first begottē hath the first degree of honor so that he doth notwithstanding leaue the second place to his brethren For in that after the old people wer cast off the possession of the church was left emptie for strangers it began to be a new occasion of gathering the church of the Gentiles but if that people had stood in the faieth the Gentiles had been ioyned into the common societie of honor After that he had raised Christ. The word raised in my iudgement reacheth farther thē it doth where it is shortly after repeated For he doth not onely say that Christ rose from the dead but that he was appointed of god and as it were brought to light by the hand of god that he might fulfill the office of the Messias as the scripture teacheth euery where that kings and Prophets are raised vp For the word anastesai is sometimes taken in this sense And this reason moueth me thus to