occasion the order of Deacons was appoynted and then sheweth after what order and maner those first Deacons were elected and ordeyned by the Apostles And in this narration are many thinges whereof in these dayes the Church hath great neede Wherefore we shall speake of ech thing diligently The multitude of the beleeuers was the occasion and cause of this newe deuised order in the Church by reason of a quarrell and grutch growne among them For at this time the Church of Christ grewe and was marueylously encreased and the enterprises of the wicked Bishops which laboured to oppresse the Church were vtterly vaine Howbeit bicause this Church was gathered togither of diuers kindes of people it could not long agree For there arose a quarrell or grutch among the Greekes against the Hebrewes He calleth them Greekes or Proselites eyther bicause they returned from their Gentilitie to Iudaisme eyther for that they were borne of parents that were Iewes and scattered among diuers nations For it is euident that at this time the Gentiles were not as yet receyued into the fellowship of the Church forasmuch as long after this Peter was rebuked for hauing preached the gospell to Cornelius and his familie men that were not circumcised as appeareth hereafter in the .xj. Chapter The cause of this grutch was for that the Greekes widowes were neglected in the dayly administration that is to saye in the distribution of the liuing delt euery day among the beleeuing For it hath bene heretofore declared howe many layde their moneyes togither to be at the disposing of the Apostles to giue thereof to euerye manne as he shoulde haue neede In this case it chaunced that the Apostles eyther being ouercharged with multitude of businesse ouerhipped some fewe amongest them or else that they deemed they were despised which things these straungers a suspicious kinde of people aboue all other bitterlye complayned of And this thing was the cause why the accustomed order and maner of administration of this money hitherto seemed nowe somewhat to be altered But before we speake hereof we haue here certaine other things to obserue And first is to be considered howe euen the primitiue Church was not voyde of hir defectes and faultes which hitherto yet seemed prosperous and perfite in all poyntes And they are no light faultes which are here recited but horrible For they obserue differences of Nations where in Christ there is none at all For in him is neyther Iewe nor Gentyle Scithian or Barbarous and being factiouslye deuyded they nowe beare not malice and grutch secretly in their hart but vtter the bitternesse of their mindes with vniust complayning We see therefore the primitiue Church infected with that fault for the which we reade manye thousandes vnder Moyses were somtimes ouerthrown in the wildernesse by Gods horrible iudgement To this may be added a detestable ingratitude towards the Apostles who they knewe were occupied in many other affayres yea who were once or twise before cast in prison and who alone they sawe bare all the brunt and daunger almost of the whole Church And where it is a great offence to haue a wrong opinion of those that deserue well of vs and benefite vs these by their murmuring call the Apostles credit into doubt and giue occasion of sedition And this they doe in a time of persecution when it behooued them all to haue bene most carefull of mutual loue and vnity By which example we are taught that there can neuer be appointed so perfite a president of a church but that alway some thing may happen worthy to be amended not that there is eyther such obscuritie in the worde of God or such incertaintie that nothing can be perfitely ordered therby but bicause such is the corruption of our witte that it alwaye seeketh occasion to infringe and breake the moste holy ordinaunces of god Therfore foolish and moste arrogant is the boldnesse of those men which thinke they haue attayned to the highest perfection and will abyde no kinde of admonishment Furthermore the rashnesse of them is here reprooued which forsake those congregations in whom they find or perceiue any blemishes or imperfections are the authors and causes of schisme wherin the Anabaptists commonly are guiltie But if these mennes reason shoulde take place then shall not the primitiue Church be iudged free nor thought worthy to whome a man may ioyne himselfe Also where Christ hath chiefely commended to vs the keeping of vnitie it easily appeareth with what spirite they are sedde which thinke it but a trifle to breake the vnitie of the Church Further it is to be obserued that thys grutch arose when the number of christians increased when they ought most to haue acknowledged Gods grace and to haue imbraced vnitie But this is all way seene where a multitude is there is also murmuring and confusion bicause it is impossible in such diuersitie and desyres of mindes to satisfie all mennes wyshes And nature hath so ordeyned that they which are not pleased and content seeke alwayes some occasion of puling complaint That faythfull seruaunt of God Moses whome the Israelites many tymes went about to stone when they remembred theyr fleshe pottes in Egypt founde thys to be true The like now feele the Apostles who notwithstanding in their administration of these things vsed vndoubtedly all kinde of truth and diligencie Let no man therefore thinke it straunge or wonderfull nowe a dayes though in that multitude of poore and needie which we euerywhere see murmurings and complaynings be heard which as it is in al places vsed so chiefely is it to be seene in Hospitals and in such places where the poore are found and mainteyned For though there be no cause else yet pouertie of it selfe is alwaye whyning and complayning which faulte for this cause chiefely deserueth pardon bicause there chaunceth daylie dyuers occasions which are able to mooue mindes be they neuer so constant Let them rather that haue the charge and ouersight of the poore beware that they giue no iust occasion of murmure and complaint whyles eyther they vnwyllingly distribute suche thinges as they haue neede of or else wickedly conuey away that which is giuen for the finding of the poore For it is no small or tryfling fault that they commit herein For they contamynat themselues with great sacriledge and lye vnto the holy ghost and also be occasions to the poore of no small offence in that they giue them causes to be angrie and mooued which otherwise had neede to be comforted Let it waigh with them howe the primitiue Church was troubled with none other encumbraunces than such as sprang eyther of vniust or negligent administration of ecclesiastical goods For the scripture teacheth that Iudas stumbled at this block We see also how Ananias and Sapphira made wracke of their saluation on this rock And in thys place the Grecians take no other occasion of their seditious murmuring than for that they thought their Wydowes
an angel hath appeaâ—ed to him let vs not stryue agaynst god And when there arose great deâ—bate the Captaine fearyng lest Paule should haue bene plucked asunder of them commaunded the souldiers to go downe and to take him from among them and to bring him into the Castle GOd vseth to exercise his chosen with diuers and greeuous tribulations but agayne he deliuereth them diuers and many times by meanes vnlooked for of both which we haue examples in euerye place But among them all this is very notable which the holy ghost setteth forth by Luke in Paule the chosen vessell of christ For we haue hearde howe he was many wayes layde wayte for by the Iewes and was many times in daunger of his life But God oftentimes raised vp new helpes which for the moste part were suche as Paule once thought not of muche lesse coulde haue wished for or requyred For fyrste he was deliuered out of the furiouse Iewes handes by the Captayne and his Souldiers Shortlye after where he woulde haue pleated his cause he was defended from scourging by priuiledge of the freedome of Rome at length when the Captaine had committed both his matter and life vnto most wicked Iudges God sendeth such a diuision among his enemies that they which not long before wished his death pronounced him innocent These things ought to comfort vs that we through cowardly feare giue not ouer in time of temptation For they confirme the promisses of God wherby he euery where promiseth to be the reuenger of his people But where in this presente place there are many other things also very worthy to be considered it shall bee profitable to examine all the circumstances of the matter which is here rehearsed Fyrst and formost it behoueth throughly to consyder the cause of the dissention which Luke saith was the diuersitie of sectes among the Iewes for some of his aduersaries were Phariseis and some Saduceis And as touching the sectes of the Iewes there are many thinges written in Iosephus which referreth their beginning vnto the time of the Machabees And in deede the approuedst authors testifie that they began vnder Iohannes Hircanus the first for when the Priestes applied them selues more to beare rule than to care for religion diuers opinions began to spring about religion by reason the doctrine of Gods worde ceased which God had appoynted to be still among his people Therfore three sectes sprong vp which deuided the vnitie of the Church and people of god The fyrst was that of the Phariseis who not contented with the lawe folowed traditions and beleued that righteousnes and saluation might be atteyned by workes besides being giuen to the study of Astrologie they taught fatall destenie not much differing in this point from the Stoikes And these men being cloked with the outwarde couering of workes were taken for the most holy of all other The second was the Saduceis who denying that men were subiect vnto destenie attributed freewill vnto them and although they seemed earnestly to commende the studie of vertue yet opened they the windowe vnto Epicure and vnto all kynde of licentious liuing For they denied the Angels and immortalitie of the soule and the resurrection of the body This sect of all other was in most aucthoritie bicause it gaue more libertie than the sharpe traditions of the Phariseis and therfore was very acceptable vnto many Of the thirde sect were the Esseni who perceyuing that the Phariseis and Saduceis measured or weighed vertue but by wordes only and would not them selues expresse the same in their deedes liued a single life would haue no seruantes had their goods common gat their liuing with the labour of their hands and would not come at publique seruice for feare of polluting them selues with other mens companie And bicause these men were fewe in number and sought not to be in office and aucthoritie they got them to dwell in pleasaunt places set with Balsamum where they planted gardens and studied Phisicke wherby bicause they dyd men good they gat great commendation of vertue among all men These mens vsages the Anabaptistes in our dayes doe greatlye resemble sauyng that they more disturbe common weales and fulfill their profession lesse sincerelye bicause they runne headlong into all kynde of beastlinesse and are miserablye vexed and tossed with the perturbations of enuie and hatred Yet bicause thys rule of the Essenes was somewhat austere and vnpleasant it had therefore as we saide the fewer that followed it This is the cause that the wryters of the Gospell make mention onely but of the two first sectes Wee haue to obserue what euill the couetousnesse of Bishoppes and idlenesse that springeth thereof vseth to breede seeing these euilles so defourmed the primitiue Churche For the orders of Monkes in Papistrie bredde of the like beginning abundantly teache vs that this is alwayes the effecte of those vices For the which cause we haue the more neede to take heede in these dayes that the like or worsse happen not againe Also the goodnesse of God is to bee magnified which in so foule a scatterment of his flocke hathe yet reserued some remnauntes in his Churche whereby the same at lengthe might be renewed againe as we see came to passe in the Papacie where the Monkes in euery place ruled the roste For at all times and in all places there haue bene found which durst openly inuey against their hipocrisie and dissimulation to say nothing of those which haue lien lurking in their houses haue thought it great wickednesse to be pertakers of their superstitiousnesse Heere in this place hast thou what to answer the aduersaries which aske if there were no Churche before Luther and Zwinglius dayes Yes wee knowe there was a Churche but the same almoste ouerwhelmed and buryed suche an one as we read was before Christes time among the Iewes and suche an one as was in the dayes of Helias when God saide there were seuen thousand left which had neuer bowed the knee vnto Baal although Helias knewe not one of them Furthermore as concerning this present Historie wee are taught that although the wicked bee diuersly deuided bothe in manners and religion yet they will easily agree togither againste Christe and the truthe For where they all fighte vnder one Prince which is the Deuill they cannot chuse but all take him for their ennimie which specially assaulteth his kingdome Woulde God that they woulde diligently consider these things which seeke their cheefe praise and glory by dissentions and debates which they practise against the Ministers of Christ taking theyr naughtie affections vnto Counsell For heereby they encourage the wicked ennimies of Christe which thinke it an easie matter to vanquishe them whome they see contend so bitterly among themselues But hereof we shall haue more commoditie to speake else where Nowe lette vs see Paule who perceiuing his bande of aduersaries to consist of so diuers sectes deuiseth a way by and by howe to set them
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
accuse that religion of falsehood whose professours they see exercised with persecutions and aduersities Wherefore it is not so profitable as necessary that we be well instructed agaynst all occasions of offences Which thing is the cause that the holye ghost would haue Luke so diligently wryte the afflictions of the primitiue Church Wherein chiefely is to be obserued what hath alwayes beene the state of Christes Church in this worlde and howe through the present and faythfull ayde of the Lorde it hath in times past beene preserued in greatest tribulations that we neyther be offended at the calamities of our daies as vnwonted nor dispayre of Gods helpe and preseruation of hys Church Thys present hystory sheweth vs examples of both these things the conclusion whereof the Euangelist nowe discribeth and first he telleth what the coniured enimies of Christ did and afterwarde what the Apostles dyd Concerning Christes enimies gathered togyther in the counsell Luke wryteth thus They agreed vnto Gamaliel and when they had called the Apostles they bet them and commaunded them they should not speake in the name of Iesu and let them go He sayth they obeyed Gamaliel his saying when yet they did two things which he counselled them not to doe For they bette the Apostles with roddes and renewed their first decree whereby they go about to prohibite the preaching of the Gospell Yet they herein obey Gamaliel that they put not the seruauntes of Christ to death as they had minded to doe yet could they not refrayne but beat innocent men with whippes and roddes Therefore it must needes be that they were in a verie great rage which when matters seemed done and past was not yet quenched But this is the verie propertie of the persecutours of Christ that when they seeme pleased and appeased yet secretly foster hatred and furie in their mindes and seldome will let any of Christs ministers passe without some marke of ignominie or open punishment least they might seeme vniustly to haue risen against them and for that they would put those that followe them in feare So Pylate although he iudged Christ to be innocent yet would he not let him go before he had scourged him It is yet verie comfortable that the Lorde so brydeled their rage by the onely perswasion of Gamaliel that they durst not put the guyltlesse to death whereof we gather that the wicked can not alwayes doe what they liste but are ruled euen against their willes with the raynes of Gods prouidence There are in this example diuers other thinges the obseruation whereof is also verie profitable for vs in these dayes And first we are taught that it is no straunge and vnwoonted thing though the godly and holy worshippers of Christ in these dayes be subiect to the will and pleasure of the vngodly and suffer afflictions For Christ hymselfe gaue vs warning hereof long agoe tolde vs that a time would come that whosoeuer kylled anye of his people should thinke he dyd God seruice He calleth those that be his to the crosse and by his owne example teacheth vs that we should not hoâ—e for any better state or condition than he suffered The Apostles nowe feele the same and are not offended thereat but rather oftentimes admonishe vs that we be not offended as at any straunge thing if at any tyme we be tryed by fyre See the first of Peter the fourth Chapter It shall be profitable for vs diligently to consyder and thinke vpon the same For in so doing it shall come to passe that we shall neyther vse our selues insolently in prosperity nor yet be discouraged in aduersitie bicause we haue foreseene them both Secondly it is worthy of consideration that the Apostles the elect instruments of Christ in a verie good and holy quarrell which to defend they take vpon them according to Christs commaundement are ignominiouslye beaten Whereof we plainly gather how foule and shamefull an error they are in which iudge afflictions to be a token and argument of a naughtye and vnrighteous cause of whose number are they which now a dayes charge vs as causers of all kinde of miseries and calamities whereby it appeareth say they how we erre in our beliefe and religion But herby it appeareth howe destitute they be of wytte and reason for that they perceaue not those thinges wherein the verie Ethnike Poets gaue a better iudgement For it is well knowne what Naso sayth I wyshe he may misse of successe That of the effect the deede doth gesse For if these mens iudgements preuayle we shall finde fewe or none of the true worshippers of God but they deserue likewise to be condemned bicause a blinde man may see many of them not onely molested with many persecutions but also slayne by the handes of most cruell enimies And that we should hope for no better Christes worde where he aduertiseth vs of the state of the latter dayes aboundantly teacheth vs Wherfore whosoeuer iudgeth of religion according to the falling out and successe of thys worlde may be iudged lyke to the Iewes Souldiours which gaue Christ hanging on the crosse Uineger to drinke and sayd If he be the king of Israel let him nowe come downe from the crosse and we will beleeue him Hee trusted in God let him delyuer him if he will haue him for he sayde he was the sonne of God. And surely what more tarte and eger Uineger can there be than such vpbraydings whereby both the glory of God and the certaintie and truth of his worde is called in question And yet we may not thinke that God hath no care nor prouidence of the worlde when we see the true and holy seruaunts of God afflicted For to say nothing of his secrete iudgementes there are infinite other causes wherefore God suffreth these things so to come to passe For thys wayes God sometime pulleth downe the secret corruption and haultinesse of our flesh which vnlesse it were tamed would burst forth to the great inconuenience and dammage of his people And we may not reply and say that God many times vseth to humble bring downe those that otherwyse are lowly ynough and neuer shewed any great signe of fiercenesse or pride For God knoweth the naughtinesse of mans inclination and wherof we haue neede better and surelier than we can perceaue Therfore he chastiseth vs in time and some whyle preuenteth our naughtinesse before it waxe strong and make vs incurable and to be condemned with the worlde Furthermore he tryeth our fayth by this meanes not that he is ignoraunt of any thing but that both we may be an example to others and also prooue what infirmitie as yet remayneth in vs and howe much we haue neede of the helpe and grace of god Beside this he wyll hereby shewe vnto the worlde howe sinne displeaseth him seeing he so seuerely correcteth the small faultes of his electes yea their secret and hidden naughtinesse And herevnto had Peter a respect where he sayth
by the counterfayte Bishops For by this meanes they chalenge to themselues all power to iudge of religion whose ambition and couetousnesse woulde fall to the grounde if the doctrine of truth were not extinguished But God which will not let this trayne and craft go vnreuenged shall full sore punish them and the Byshops of the Iewes togither And this pretence shall not excuse Princes forasmuch as the charge of the Church and hearing of matters in religion pertayneth vnto them For to this ende and purpose was the booke of the lawe deliuered to the king And the Prophete teacheth vs that Kinges ought to be Nurses of the Church And wee want not most notable examples of Kinges which bicause of their setting forth of the truth and maintayning of the Church haue purchased to themselues singuler commendation But let vs also consider what Saules ende and purpose was It was this that whosoeuer he shoulde finde men or women 〈◊〉 Christes profession he should bring them bounde to Ierusalem â–ª There was therefore no difference of sexe with him And surely he that was becomme so cruell spared no age neyther For he was nowe purposed to make all the Christians awaye and so vtterly to extinguishe the name of christ The cause of this cruell attempt he declareth otherwheres to be the zeale of his olde religion which he thought by all meanes was to be retayned and defended For it is manifest he was a Pharisey and himselfe confesseth many times that he persecuted the name of Christ and his Church euen for the looue that he bare to the lawe Let vs here first obserue howe much God suffreth the wicked to doe For Luke sheweth that these thinges were attempted agaynst the Disciples and Christian women But so the Lorde had foreshewed that it shoulde be iudged a Gods seruice to kill any that beleeued in him And the Apostles waâ—ne vs 〈◊〉 many times to thintent that we be not offended at the stormes of persecution and at the Crosse. For why shoulde we in these dayes wishe ourselues a better state or condicion than was in the time of Christ hys Apostles and the primitiue Church Moreouer Saules example teacheth vs howe littâ—e a preposterous zeale in religion which men sometymes conceyue of humaine traditions wythout the prescript of Gods worde auayleth to attaynement of saluation For the more feruent Saule is herein the farther he recedeth from Christ which is the only way of saluation The more he striueth for the righteousnesse of the law the farther he is from the righteousnesse of Christ which alone defendeth vs from the iudgement of god And that that commeth to passe in Saule the same he testifieth came to passe in the Iewes For he sayth they burne in zeale towards God but not according to knowledge Where they fell into this inconuenience that whyle they woulde establishe their owne righteousnesse they lost the righteousnesse that is in god The same maye be affirmed of the Monkes but that the most part of them are more giuen to their belly and to ydlenesse than to religion Yet maye this most truly be sayde of Tyrants that the more constantly they labour to keepe the religion of their forefathers the more feruently they persecute the Gospell Here is that hurtfull error of theirs confuted which thinke those thinges that are done agaynst God and his true religion may be excused by zeale of godlynesse As though God had giuen vs the rules of his worde in vayne and that they ought not chiefly to be obserued as we haue elsewhere declared Furthermore here is to be considered both the goodnesse and power of god who coulde not only make so cruell a Woolfe sodeinly tame but also a most faythfull Shepehearde of his flocke Let no man therefore rashly dispayre of any mannes saluation or of the Church seeing God can both sodaynly chaunge the myndes of men and make them defenders of his Church who euen nowe it seemed woulde haue destroyed the same Let vs come to the hystorie of Saules conuersion which Luke setteth forth in liuely colors And beginning with the time and place And when he iourneyed sayth he it came to passe as hee was nygh to Damascus Therefore when Saule was in most hope of good successe and bringing his matters to passe then â—oth Christ withstande his attemptes Nowe he beholdeth Damascus before his face perhaps as a woolfe hauing espied his pray casteth in his mynde terrible cogitations howe he myght soonest rauishe Christes sheepe Marke hâ—â—e the counsayle and vsage of God which manye times suffreth his enimies to raunge so farre that they seeme scarce a naile bredth from the marke of their purpose Which thing is the cause that the Christians whose destruction the tyrants conspyre sometime conceyue great and horrible terrors of mynde And such terrours it is lyke they of Damascus were in when they heard that Saule came and was almost in their necks But thus vseth God to doe both for that he will the more gloriously shewe his power agaynst the wicked and teach the godly not to bee afrayde nor feare when they see themselues beset rounde about with their enimies So he suffered Pharao to go so farre that the Israelites beganne to deuyse not howe to escape but howe to be buried But when with open mouth like a Woolfe he would haue swallowed vp Israel God sodeinly destroyed him Many thinges of lyke sort myght be rehearsed if time woulde serue But thys ought to be the vse of them all that we prescribe God no time who wil let no oportunitie by any meanes escape whereby to bring his doinges to effect But let vs obserue that saying of the Prophete Tarie thou the Lords leysure be strong and he shall comfort thiâ—e heart Furthermore the euangelist declareth the maner of his conuersion saying Sodenly there shone a light rounde about him from heauen and he fell to the ground and heard a voyce saying vnto him Saule Saule why persecutest thou me This is a terrible sight to mannes senses yet such as sufficiently teacheth vs that these thinges were easily done of the Lorde For he sendeth a light from heauen as it had beene a lightning which was as easie a thing for him to doe as to sende out and call backe the sonne againe Hee woulde haue this light sodainly to appeare to the ende the cruell Woolfe might be the more feared which in his greedie famine had after a sort alreadie deuoured the church of christ Unto these flashings of light was added a voyce in steede of a thunder and sodeinly smiteth him to the grounde when he least feared any such thing These thinges teach vs how easie a matter it is for God to beate downe the enterpryses of his enimyes For where he is the Lorde of hostes he can arme all things agaynst them and there is none so dispysed a creature but is able to punishe those whom God will haue punished So he once sent water
written If therefore any thing be brought forth contrarye to their doctrine let vs knowe that it commeth from man whose tradicions long since are beaten downe by the sentence of God. We haue therefore a notable and wholesome sermon of Peters whereby the first of the Gentyles are conuerted vnto Christ. This sermon if it be well expended conteyneth in it all the articles of our fayth concerning God the father Iesus Christ his sonne and the holy ghost The same comprehendeth in it a perfite order of the saluation of man which as it is sette forth to vs in Christ so is it to be taken holde of by fayth only in him Which bicause it is the gift of God it becommeth vs by continuall prayer to aske it of him that being truly graffed into Iesus Christ iustified by his merit we may be saued To him be all praise honor power glory for euer AmeÌ„ The .lxxvij. Homelie Whyle Peter yet spake these wordes the holy ghost fell on all them which hearde the preaching And they of the Circumcision which beleeued were astonied as many as came with Peter bicause that on the Gentyles also was shedde out the gift of the holye ghost For they hearde them speake wyth tongues and magnifie god Then aunswered Peter can any man forbydde water that these shoulde not be baptised which haue receyued the holy ghost as well as we And he commaunded them to be baptised in the name of the Lorde Then prayed they him to tarie a fewe dayes AS God the father hath included all the meane of our saluation in Iesus Christ his sonne so he woulde that he shoulde be the sauiour and Redemer of all Nations and not of one people onely Whereof may be gathered euident arguments both of the first promises and oracles of the Prophetes and also of the last commaundement of Christ when he sent forth his Apostles into all the worlde to preach the Gospell But whereas the Iewes being puft vp with the prerogatiue of the lawe and ceremonies thereof vsed to despyse other Nations and woulde not vouchsafe to admit them into their congregation it was neede there shoulde be some peculiar demonstration to declare that the stoppe of the lawe was broken downe by Christ and that the grace of God was offred vnto the Gentyles also without the righteousnesse of the lawe This doth the holy ghost most liuely set forth in this hystorie For as God did vouchsafe to sende his Aungell to Cornelius a Gentyle and one vncircumcised and to awake Peter by an heauenlye vision to instruct him so Peter the Apostle preacheth vnto the same Cornelius by instinct of the holy spirite the whole order of saluation wyth marueylous breuitie and playnenesse and without any mention making of the ceremonies of the law teacheth vs that Iesus Christ is appoynted vs of God in whom to haue the forgiuenesse of our sinnes But least any man might thinke that Peter had ouer rashly and without aduyse blabbed out these sayinges the effect of the matter prooueth the same which Luke for this cause the more diligently describeth bicause he woulde stirre vs vppe to the more diligent consideration of the matter First whyle Peter as yet was speaking it is sayde the holy ghost fell on all them which hearde the preaching And not long after it is sayde likewyse that they spake with diuers tongues and declared the great grace of god The same therefore commeth here to passe that fell out in the daye of Pentecost and God thought good to confirme Peters doctrine which Cornelius and his kinne had receyued by the visible sending of his holy spirite and to declare in deede that the grace of saluation was alyke belonging to all beleeuers whether they were Iewes or Gentiles and that from henceforth the ceremonies of the lawe were no more to be obserued This is euident that in the Apostles times it was a common thing to haue the visible sending of the holy ghost to be ioyned with the preaching of the Gospell which God did vouchsafe to giue vnto them that beleeued in him By the which argument Paule prooueth the iustifycation of fayth agaynst them which affirme that men are iustified by the workes of the law For he saith This onelye woulde I learne of you whether you receyued the spirite by the deedes of the lawe or by the preaching of the fayth Are you such fooles that after you haue begonne in the spirite you nowe ende in the flesh He that ministreth to you the spirit and worketh myracles among you â–ª doth he it through the deedes of the lawe or by the preaching of the fayth We haue in this place to consider the dignitie and efficacie of the working of the Gospell For wee see this is the instrument whereby God vseth to giue his spirite and to worke effectuously in the minde of man so that it is not without a cause that Paule sayth the Gospell is the power of God vnto saluation to all that beleeue it And for the same cause he calleth the Preachers of the Gospell the ministers of the spirite For although all they that heare the Gospell in these dayes haue not the gyft of tongues giuen vnto them and such other gyftes as is euident remayned in the Church vntill the time of Iraeneus and after be for the moste part ceased yet it is manifest that all they are endued with the spirite of adoption and regeneration which duly heare the Gospell and embrace it by fayth whereby they crie Abba father and which Paule calleth the earnest or pledge of our saluation 2. Cor. 1. and .5 And the effectes of this spirite are manifest whyle it mortifyeth the fleshe wyth the earthly members thereof in the beleeuers regenerateth men illuminateth the mynde and causeth that they which by nature are apt and meete to no goodnesse are able to doe all thinges in christ Wherevpon we gather agayne that they are not to be taken for the members of Christ iâ— whome there appeare no effectes of the holy spirite For that spirite is not ydle and â—luggysh And Paule sayth that they which are destitute of the spirite of Christ are not his Agayne this place teacheth vs what the exercises of them that beleeue are after they haue receyued the holye ghost They speake with straunge new tongues which although it come not to passe to euery man as we sayd euen nowe yet the holy ghost ordreth the tongues of all them that beleeue to speake those thinges which serue to the glory of God and the edifying of other whereof hath bene sufficiently sayde in the second Chapter Then it is sayde that they greatly praysed god So doe they that truly acknowledge the grace of God which he offreth vs in Christ whereas contrarywyse whosoeuer beleeue to be iustifyed by their workes praise themselues And this giuing of thankes is a sacrifyce most acceptable vnto God which he both often requireth and the godly euerywhere vowe
no aunswere to or at least he might snappishly haue put them back and rebuked them But he knewe that the same lawe aswell belonged to himselfe as to other where he commaunded all Christian men to be ready to giue a reason or aunswere of their doing to euery man. And as in this place he paciently suffereth the vniust censure and checke of men in a iust quarrell so when he was accused of Paule before all men for his dissimulation and inconstancie we reade he aunswered nothing disdainefully And this we reade was alwaye the custome in the primitiue Church that Bishoppes coulde suffer and beare to bee iudged and corrected by other Byshoppes Thus it appeareth Victor the Bishop of Rome was reprehended and admonished of his dutie by Iraeneus and certaine other Bishops of lesse famous Churches for his ouer hastie sentence of excommunication giuen against the Bishoppes of Asia These things reprooue the pride of the bishops of Rome that folowed who are not only not ashamed to make themselues Iudges ouer all the world but also refuse the iudgement of all men My hart quaketh as often as I remember that blasphemous Canone which will not haue the Pope condemned no not though he forget his owne and other mennes saluation and leade with him headlong into hell whole heapes of mennes soules Howbeit he coulde no maner of way more euidently haue prooued himselfe to be Antichrist than in that he refuseth the iudgement of the Church and Bishops challenging to themselues the supremacie ouer them all But to let this passe let vs hearken to Peter intreating his cause and matter Peter in his Apologie vseth a diligent narration or discourse as euen nowe we declared the which he so ordereth that he reporteth not onelye what was done but sheweth also that it was well done and lawfully And this narration consisteth of fiue partes or members of all which we will speake as much as appertaineth to this present matter letting passe that that hath bene sayde in the Chapter before going In the first part is contayned the vision of a great vessell or sheete let downe to him from heauen by which God taught him that no man from thenceforth should be iudged vnworthy of the Gospell and fellowship of the people of God for neglecting the ceremonies of the lawe forasmuch as the stoppe of the lawe was broken downe by Iesus Christ who had made one people of both Peter thought it good to beginne his narration with this that it might appeare to all men that he did nothing of his owne head but according as God appointed In the second part he alleageth the sure commaundement of God â–ª least he might be thought to haue bene beguyled by some dreame or ydle phantasie For euen at the same time he sayeth by the prouidence of God they stoode at his Hostesse doore that were sent from Cornelius and he addeth The spirite sayde that I shoulde go with them nothing doubting And this is the strength of his whole defence which he setteth against his aduersaries accusation For they sayde Thou wentest in to menne that are vncircumised and hast eaten with them Therefore Peter aunswereth them The spirite of the Lord bade me so to do And being with this simplicitie of words content he letteth passe all Rhetoricall colors wherwith he might haue confirmed garnished this argument Which example teacheth vs that they are not to be accused or if they be accused they may easily be defended before Christian men which cast of the traditions and customes of men at Gods appoyâ—tment For the authority of this saying of the Apostles shall remaine in force for euer we must obey God more than men Let vs also in these dayes with this argument defende our selues against the Papistes which with lyke frowardnesse accuse vs for hauing broken the traditions of men and take occasion of offence on euery side without any giuen on our behalf It offendeth them that we deny Christ is offred in the sacrament of the aultar for the sinnes of the quicke and the deade But we laye against them the word of Christ who yeelding vp his life vpon the crosse declared that all maner of expiation for sinne and our redemption was nowe accomplished Furthermore we heare Paule say that Christ being once offered can be offred no more They are offended bicause they see we haue put the ymage of Christ and the Saintes out of our Churches But we laye for our selues agaynst them the authoritie of God forbidding ymages to be made and commaunding those that are made to be made out of the way and destroyed They are offended bicause we haue taken awaye the differences of meates But the Apostle defendeth vs which sayth it is a doctrine of the Deuill to bring it vp The lyke reason there is of all other thinges in controuersie betweene vs These we haue alleaged onelye for example sake And if our aduersaries will not yeelde vnto the word of God but will holde on and set the customes and traditions of men against the authoritie of the same then shall it easily appeare that they are not the seruauntes of God but of men The thirde part of the narration contayneth the vision of the Aungell which we heard was sent from God vnto Cornelius Hereof Peter thought to make mention to declare that Cornelius did nothing vnaduisedly but was mooued by God to sende for him to teach him Here is diligently to be obserued howe the Aungell speaketh of the ministerie or preaching of the Gospell Peter sayth he shall speake wordes whereby thou and all thy house shall be saued Then he testifyeth that saluation commeth by preaching of the Gospell This the holye Psalmist sawe when he sayde God sent hys worde and they were healed And Paule sayth that the Gospell is the power of God vnto saluation to all beleeuers It is not thus sayd bicause the sounde of wordes bringeth saluation as the supersticious thinke of their exorcismes but bicause through the preaching of the Gospell Christ is offered to vs and they that preach the Gospell be messengers in the roume of Christ that by their ministerie men might be reconcyled to God the father through christ Therefore no common weales nor familyes can haue any sounde health or saluation without they receiue the gospell of Iesus Christ. Therfore their ingratitude that saye the worde of saluation is the cause of all euils as well priuate as publike is most execrable as we read was somtime obiected to Ieremie These men are ledde with the spirite of Caiphas who also sayde that Christ woulde be the author and cause of their destruction vnlesse he were made awaye by the wicked conspiracie of the priests Fourthly he declareth the marueylous sending of the holy ghost The expositor whereof he alleageth Iesus Christ to be I remember sayeth he the worde of the Lorde howe he sayde Iohn baptized with water but you shall be baptized with the holy
God giueth repentaunce after two sortes eyther when he graunteth time and place to repent or else when he mollifyeth and conuerteth mens mindes by his spirite and worde by repentance to frame themselues to a better trade of lyfe In this place it appeareth that God did both although the later sense be more agreeing to this present argument It is most worthy to be obserued where they say repentaunce vnto lyfe is giuen vnto the Gentiles by preaching of the Gospell For in so saying they testifie that they speake of that repentaunce which through fayth in Christ bringeth saluation and which we may call the scope and marke of all the Gospell which is that we being reconcyled vnto God through Christ shoulde turne vnto him with all our hartes and liue in him For so Paule writeth God hath reconcyled vs vnto himselfe by Iesus Christ and hath giuen to vs the office to preache the attonement Nowe then are we messengers in the rowme of Christ euen as though God did beseech you through vs So pray we you in Christes steede to be reconcyled vnto God. They name repentaunce expreslye hauing respect vnto that saying of Christ which commaundeth both repentaunce and forgiuenesse of sinnes to be preached in his name Neyther must these two be at any time seperated least men take occasion vnder pretence of the Gospell to liue carnally Againe this hath in it a singuler comfort that he sayeth repentaunce is giuen vnto lyfe Therefore repentaunce in the faythfull is neuer in vayne or vnfruitefull but maketh them partakers of saluation through christ There are apparaunt promises of God wherein he euerywhere promiseth lyfe vnto them which turne vnto him with all their hart Where he sayth I will not the death of a sinner but rather that he conuert and liue And we must not thinke that God flattereth or deludeth any man with vaine promises Hereto belongeth the whole booke almost of the Iudges which prooueth by many examples that the Israelites neuer returned to God by true repentaunce in vayne And it is manifest that the Niniuites through faythfull repentaunce caused God to reuoke his sentence passed against them What shall I speake of these seing we reade that the repentaunce that Achab had but for a season and little time was by the mouth of God commended These things ought to encourage them which stande vpon the pytbrinke of desperation thinking that God is so offended with them for their former wickednesse that their repentaunce is not acceptable vnto him Which men woulde be comforted with these sayings of the Prophet If your sinnes were as red as Scarlet they shall be as whyte as snowe And though they were like purple they shall be as whyte as woolle Againe The Lorde is full of compassion and mercye long suffring and of great goodnesse He will not alwaye be chyding c. Nowe after Luke hath made an ende of the storye of Cornelius which contayneth the beginning and first fruites as it were of the vocation of the Gentiles he returneth to the discourse of the things belonging to the whole Church which he had intermytted and declareth howe the kingdome of Christ began to be stretched enlarged vnto the Gentyles And first he telleth how Antioch was conuerted vnto Christ and how men were there first called Christians And principally he noteth the occasion therof saying it was bicause of the persecution that was raysed agaynst Steuen And it is very worthye to be considered where he sayth the beginning of such a benefite sproong of so dolefull a cause For howe pitifull a case the Church stoode in in the time of that persecution we hearde in the .viij. Chapter when the rage of persecutours went so farre that it was not safe for a man in secrete â—o be a christian when both men and women were haled out of their dores as to a slaughterhouse which thing was the cause that the Church being scattered hither and thither seemed like a scratched and torne body that had beâ—ne incurable But by the grace and goodnesse of God it commeth to passe that of euery member of this scattered Church springeth a newe body For they whome this cruell tempest had thus scattered remembring their office and dutie beganne to preach euerywhere the name of Christ and many of them going as farre as Phenicia and Cyprus did illustrate those countries with the light of the Gospell By which example the primitiue Church and fayth full of all ages might be confirmed not to be offended with the cruell attempts of enimies forasmuch as it appeareth by these men that the kingdome of Christ can not be ouerthrowne nor driuen into straightes but is rather thereby builded vp enlarged For that that Luke reporteth here to haue come to passe the same the writers of the Ecclesiasticall hystorie report to haue come to passe in all persecutions And as after horrible tempests cleere weather commonly followeth so it appeareth that after persecutions the Church alway looked more bright cheerefull For God scattereth the deuises of Nations but his purpose standeth fast for euer whereby he hath made his sonne king and Ruler of all the worlde See the Psalmes 33.2 110 But Luke diligently intreateth of those by whose ministery God brought to passe a matter of such weight and importance All which were dispersed bicause of the faith and doctrine of Christ yet they agreed not in all points touching the order ministerie of the gospell For some of them preached to the Iewes only who it is lyke were ignorant of the things done betweene Peter Cornelius Other some which he writeth were of Cyprus Cyrene came to Antioch and preached to the Greekes that is to the Gentyles So it oftentimes commeth to passe that in some things they which are counted the most faithfull seruants of Iesus Christ doe disagree God so disposing his giftes that his woorde may be of the more authoritie and that the successe thereof shoulde not seeme to depende of a certayne conspiracie and consent of men among themselues Wherevnto also is to be referred that that is hereafter reported of the contention that fell betweene Paule and Barnabas which wexed so hote that those singuler and chosen instrumentes of Christ departed one from another Therefore let it offende no man if nowe a dayes he see any like matter to fall out in the Church For Paule writeth that there must be sectes that the elect may be tryed Howbeit in all this adooe the feruent desire of spreading abrode the kingdome of Chryst is greatly to be praised wherewith they all being enflamed haue vtterlye forgotten the daungers that they were in a little before and euerywhere publishe the worde of god Such constancie ought all faithfull Ministers of Christ to haue to th ende they must not thinke they haue done all their dutie when they haue bene once in daunger for the name of christ And they must not thinke they are for
than wyth the bloude of Christ and they which were iustifyed by the fayth in Christ and enfrauncised with the libertie of the children of God were not subiect to the commaundement and intollerable yoke of the lawe as Peter hereafter will declare Besyde this the true vse of the lawe was peruerted which was to bring men as a tutor and gouernour vnto christ And these fellowes sent those that were graffed in Christ vnto the principles and beginnings of the lawe Moreouer it coulde not be chosen but the light of the Gospell shoulde haue bene obscured and darkened with the shadowes of the lawe Therefore Paule might not in any case haue borne with these deceyuers vnlesse he woulde haue bene counted an vntrustye Minister of christ By the which example we are taught that we must for concorde and vnities sake admit nothing that may any waye obscure the glory of Christ and simple confession of the fayth For that is a verye hurtfull concorde that is redeemed with the prophanation of the name of Christ and denying of the fayth For this saying of Christ standeth fyrme and strong he that loueth father and mother more than me is not worthy of me Againe whosoeuer shall bee ashamed of mee before this adulterous and naughty worlde him will I be ashamed of when I come in the glorye of my father Furthermore let vs hereof be perswaded that Christian menne can haue no peace without christ For if they will be true Christians in the world they shall haue afflictions and in Christ onely peace Howbeit they of Antioch that beleeued when they perceyued this contention euery day more and more to kindle they decree at length with one consent that Paule and Barnabas with certaine other Disciples shoulde go to Ierusalem to propounde this question vnto the Apostles and Elders there to be discussed And Paule easily yeeldeth vnto this decree not meaning to put the cause of truth to the iudgement of manne but for that he well knewe these deceyuers abused the name of the Apostles Therefore for the more commoditie of the vnlearned and simple people whose eyes they had dazeled with the brightnesse of Apostolike authoritie he easily admitted this counsaile as the most commodious and readyest waye that coulde be deuised And this hath bene the chiefe cause of all the Sinodes and Counsayles that heretofore haue bene gathered by godlye Kinges and Bishops For it was neuer the minde of those holy men that the cause of fayth and saluation shoulde be in subiection to mannes iudgement But where Heretikes vsed impudently to vaunt them of the consent of Apostolike doctrine and vniuersall Church vnto the vnlearned people the Catholikes thought good most commodiously to bridle them by Synodes and the publike testimonie of the Church to th ende that they shoulde not afterwarde be beleeued We haue diligently to consider the modestie that Paule here vseth For it is manifest he was endâ—ed with such constancie that he woulde not haue yeelded vnto the Apostles if they woulde haue pronounced any thing against the truth For he durst boldly reprehende Peter at Antioch and he teacheth vs that we ought not to beleeue an Aungell if he woulde preach any other Gospell Yet he despiseth not a meane and deuise of peace vttred by the godly brethren whereas he sawe the glorye of God coulde thereby no way be obscured and that the quiete of the weaker sorte might thereby be procured This modestie must be ioyned with constancie least whyle we will seeme constant we be founde obstinate and wayward For the spirit of Christ is tractable and maketh men which vse him as their counsayler desirous of his glory In the meane season their leuitie is not to be allowed which while they will seeme tractable and easie to be intreated be obedient to such counsayles they see doe quite deface and ouerthrow the veritie of faith and glorye of christ Furthermore this place teacheth vs which is the best waye to calme controuersies and contentions that rise about fayth and religion Some there be that thinke these matters might be taken vp and ended by mannes wisedome and pollicie if eche part woulde somewhat yeelde one to another as though men might daily in religion and Gods causes as in other worldly affaires Why rather doe we not resort vnto the Apostles to heare what they haue taught and appoynted whose doctrine is manifestly confyrmed with the testimonie of Christ himselfe For vnto them it is sayd He that heareth you heareth me c. And we know that Christ prayed for them which should beleeue in him according to their preaching Moreouer they were openly endued with the holy spirit which shewed manifest arguments of his presence and operation in them Wherefore we must earnestlye take heede that we swarue not one nayles breadth from their doctrine The Apostle Iohn teacheth vs the same where in his fyrst Epistle and seconde Chapter he sayeth Lette that remayne in you which you hearde from the beginning If that which you hearde from the beginning shall remaine in you you also shall continue in the father and in the sonne Paule also where he aduertiseth vs of such as presume to peruert the truth sayth But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned which also were committed vnto thee knowing of whome thou hast learned them and forasmuch as thou hast of a child knowne the holy scriptures which are able to make thee learned vnto saluation through the fayth which is in Christ Iesu. Therefore they are fowlye deceyued which by this example will obtrude vnto vs Counsayles as though religion ought by them to be ruled where it is euident these many yeres they haue bene such as haue had no signe or token of any Apostolike spirite in them And if they woulde heare the Prophetes and Apostles we would according to the example of Paule and Barnabas willingly go vp with them vnto the Apostles to heare what the spirite of God speaketh in them But if they will harken vnto men farewell they seeing we haue none other maister to harken vnto but Iesus Christ. But Luke also descrybeth Paules going to Ierusalem bicause there be diuers things therein worthy to be considered Amongst which the fyrst is howe Paule and Barnabas are brought on their waye by the congregation which appointed them worthy and faythfull companions to iourney wyth them Whereby it appeareth the congregation tooke their part and had no suspition in their doctrine and beliefe Let all congregations follow thys ensample that they leaue not the faythfull ministers of Christ destitute of helpe For what else doe they but susteyne open warre in the Churches quarrell and behoofe And surely their ingratitude is execrable which prouyde to stande out of Gunneshot when troubles arise about religion and will stande ydely gasing on as though the matter pertayned nothing vnto them but onely vnto the Ministers Then also to the ende their iourney should not be
Christian fayth were contended vpon with such great offence Againe another cause of griefe there was that they sawe the Apostles Paule and Barnabas vnworthilye defamed and their Churches after a sort priuilye accused Therefore they cannot choose but greatlye reioyce when they heare that peace is restored their teachers quitte of slaunder and their Churches confyrmed with the testimonie of the Apostles Of this disposition ought all faythfull Christians to be vnto whome they are farre vnlike that are delighted with contentions with the ignominie and contempt of Ministers and with the disturbance of congregations Secondly Luke describeth the trusty care and industrie of all these persons in the setting forth and mainteyning of Christes kingdome which maye be perceyued by many and euident argumentes And as concerning Silas it is sayde that when he had licence to returne home againe yet he chose rather to remaine at Antioch doubtlesse for that he perceyued his traueyle whereof he sawe good successe followed was yet needefull for that Church Therefore Silas had more regarde of the Church of Christ than of his owne matters considering he preferreth Antioche before the Citie of Ierusalem and his owne proper habitation Which example it becommeth all the Ministers of Christ to imitate that they maye forsake themselues and all earthly things to th ende to traueyle the more easily in the ministerie of Christ and his Church Therefore the couetousnesse of them is execrable who being appoynted to the ministerie of the Church preferre their priuate doings before the saluation of men and for lucre sake leaue the congregation among whome they might with great vtilitie doe good seruice But of Paule and Barnabas is somewhat also sayde namely howe after they had abidden a certaine season at Antioch they preached the Gospel with many other their fellow Ministers Therefore they gaue not themselues vnto lurdenly ydlenesse although they might seeme after so manye daungers and traueyles to haue had iust occasion to haue sought their rest and quiet And in that it is sayde many in the Church at Antioch preached the Gospell it may easily be gathered what myldenesse of mindes was among them and how voyde they were of enuie seeking nothing more than the glory of Christ and the saluation of many And the exercise of the Apostles is most worthy to be considered who as we see chiefely intended the preaching of the Gospell For they knewe that was the message of saluation They knewe that with these weapons Nations were subdued vnto Christ and the worlde brought vnto the obedience of fayth They knew fynally that our Sauiour Christ was chiefely busied about this one thing and did nothing so oftentimes as that And they were not ignorant of the olde fygure where God commaunded that the Priestes vesture shoulde be hoong with belles thereby teaching that the sounde of his voyce that is the doctrine of the gospell was chiefly to be required of the ministers But now adayes it is come to this passe that Bishops abhorre from nothing so much as from the ministerye of the worde thinking it to be more commendable for them to feede Houndes and great Horses and a sluggishe and seruile sort of Courtlings of the reuenues of the Church than to feede Christes sheepe with the foode of heauenly doctrine And so by their example they bring the worde of God in contempt with all states of menne which is the chiefe cause of the calamities of these dayes There is also added an other argument of Paules doctrine namely howe he was carefull also for other Churches consulting with Barnabas touching the visitation of them For he well vnderstoode that it was not sufficient once to plant Churches but also howe it was very necessary to visite and looke vnto them bicause beside the naturall leuitie of mankinde diuers other thinges also fell out which might plucke vs from the fayth and disturbe and ouerturne the best ordred Churches that are Wherefore like a stowte souldiour he keepeth his watch and standing and spareth no labour so the Church may enioye that peace for the which they were once ordeyned which example if a man woulde compare with those which are wholye giuen to disturbe and ouerthrowe the Churches stablished by the fayth and diligence of others it shoulde easily appeare with what spirite they are ledde and what Princes Ministers they are Thirdly is declared a greieuous and infortunate discorde betweene Paule and Barnabas which for many causes is notable We hearde before in the thirtenth Chapter howe these two were made fellowes and Coparteners by the holy ghost They suffred many perils togither both by lande and by sea which is the greatest bande to binde amitie and friendship togither that can be Beside they prooued that God did marueylouslye blesse their labours with good successe But nowe by reason of a grieuous discention fallen among them they depart one from another and we reade not that they afterwarde ioyntly laboured togither any more The cause of this contention was one Iohn Marke of whose defection and falling awaye hath bene spoken in the .xiij. Chapter Barnabas thought good to haue him taken in agayne into the grace and fellowship of the Ministerie and no doubt but he alleaged weyghty reasons for his deuyse For with God there is pardon if men acknowledge and confesse their faulte And it is euident that Peter after he had denyed Christ was restored to his former rowme and dignity agayne And the godlinesse of Marie his mother seemed not a little to relieue his cause who when persecution raged most lette hir house be a certayne hauen and sanctuarye as it were for the godlye But for all these reasons Paule coulde neuer be perswaded to consent to haue such an one to his fellowe whome he remembred had so fowly slidde backe in the middle of his course and perhaps not without the grieuous offence of many For he remembred Christes saying No man that layeth his hande to the plough and looketh backe is meete for the kingdome of God. And if we consider the circumstances it shall seeme that Paule was holpen with the consent and approbation of the Church For he choosing vnto him Silas is commended of the brethren vnto the grace of God that is with solemne prayer is let goe vnto his work or businesse Of Barnabas Luke reporteth but this one thing that he tooke vnto him Marke and sayled into Cyprus which was his countrie as was sayde before in the fourth Chapter being mooued and taking the matter in yll part And although Paules seueritie in euerye poynt seeme not to be excused yet woulde the holy ghost haue this example to remayne as a President against all runnagates and forsakers of their profession whereby we might learne that sinners haue an accesse vnto the grace of God but yet that they must not be to soone admitted into the ministerye of the Church which haue bene authors of any grieuous offence and whose credite by reason of their offences before committed
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
to go on in the religion receyued of your forefathers Since all these be things cleare and out of question it becommeth you to be quiet and to doe nothing vppon a heade and without aduise But the Towneclarke coulde not be ignoraunt that Paule by his doctrine impugned the worship of Diana But of a politike wit he dissembleth all these things thinking this sufficient to appease them to let them vnderstande howe they were vrged or compelled by no publike authoritie to forsake their olde religion And as we sayde erewhyle thys politike man seeketh onely how to bring downe this sedition at ones which he sawe beganne to growe so hote which thing he supposed to bringe to passe more commodiously by craftie dissembling of the matter than by open disputation which the seditious woulde haue little regarded Here we may not omit that he sayth the Image came downe from heauen For hereby it appeareth it was a cōmon opinion among the Ephesians that they thought Dianas Image was sent downe from heauen For after Satan had bewitched men with his iuglings so that they presumed to chaunge the glorye of the immortall God into the forme of Creatures then deceyued he them euerye day with newe fetches and deuises for the surer establishing of his kingdome Hereby he perswaded them that the Image of Pallas came downe from heauen that through hir protection they gate the victories which they had So was it thought that the shielde which the Romaynes vsed as the armes and scutchion of the Empyre in the reigne of Numa their king came downe from heauen Unto the which this that the Towne clarke sayth of the Image of Diana at Ephesus may worthily be ioyned But it had bene tollerable if the Deuill in times past with such sleyghts had deluded but the heathen onely so that we had not seene the like among Christians also For who knoweth not the fable of the Chappell at Lauretum myraculously conueyed ouer the sea Who is ignorant of the Chappelles that God himselfe and his Aungels haue dedicated There are to be seene diuers Images of the virgin mother which the Monkes most impudently affirme Luke painted where as the hystories declare he was a Phisition and no Painter Wherevnto are to be referred whatsoeuer myracles are tolde of Images in Monkes bookes whereof they say some remooued out of their place some coulde not be remooued some wepte some prophecied and other some had some notable properties or other By the which maye plainely be gathered what a ranke crop of errors vseth to spring of Images where they are once receyued and worshipped so that it was not without a cause that Lactantius sayde there could be no religion wheresoeuer any Image was Which also is the chiefe cause that all the Scripture is so diligent and earnest in oppugning them so that it is woonderfull how it commeth to passe that so many are founde to defende them seeing there are so many vnhappye Presidentes of superstition euerywhere in euery mannes eyes This being premised whereby he thought their moodie mindes were somewhat asswaged he plainly rebuketh them and accuseth them of great rashenesse in that he apprehended and layde handes on Caius and Aristarchus being straungers and knowing no cause why saying ye haue brought these men hyther which are neyther robbers of Churches nor yet despysers of your Goddesse So perhaps he might truly saye of them bicause they tooke not vpon them to teach But of Paule he shoulde not haue sayde true who earnestly inueyed against the worship and ydolatrie done to Diana as may easily be gathered by that he did at Athens And it is credible he would not haue suffred this defence of the Towneclarke if he had bene present For he being enflamed with the zeale of God thought any thing intollerable that made against the glory and honor of god In the meane whyle the Towne clarkes wordes declare what faultes for the most part are laide to the Ministers charge namely Sacriledge and blasphemie against God and the Saintes These things we heare commonly in our dayes neyther are we decked with any other names or tytles at their handes that are the professed enimies of the Gospell But if a man woulde throughly weygh the matter they are both false For they be Church robbers which eyther by stelth conuey away the goodes dedicated to God and to his Church or else violently inuade them and conuert them to prophane vses But who doth this more impudently than Popes Bishoppes Monkes Priestes and the other of this marke For to say nothing howe they prouide for their kinsfolke commonly of the Church goodes let vs consider their families and it shall appeare that the greatest part of the Church goodes is spent vpon Harlottes Dyce Horses Houndes and a lubberlyke sort of seruantes yea they disdaine vs for no cause so much as for that we labor by preaching of the gospell to restore the goodes to Christ and his Church againe For we defend not them which vnder a colour of the Gospell prouide and satisfye their auarice of the Church goodes Againe they are blasphemous against God and the Saintes which abuse the name of God and robbe the Saintes of their due honor It is as manifest as can be that they doe both these rather than we For they abuse the worde of God and the name of Christ to establishe their ydolatrie and tyrannie They giue vnto Creatures the honour due vnto god They accuse the faith and doctrine of the Saintes of heresie and vse both fyre and sworde against their bookes and them that follow them And in the meane season go about to defame vs of sacriledge and of blasphemie But oh the iniquitie of our times Among the Ephesians was founde an Heathen to defende the innocent And nowe adayes amongst the professors of Christ are scarce anye that will testifye the innocencie of Christes Ministers Let vs marke also howe the Towneclarke sayeth these men are no Church robbers nor blasphemers for surelye he woulde haue iudged them worthy of punishment if they had bene such For although the Gentyles sometime greatlye erred in the faith and in religion yet the lawe of nature was of great force amongst them which declared that robbers of Churches and blasphemers ought to be punished But nowe a dayes all things are so farre out of frame that the faythfull defenders of the Gospell are in more daunger than those which pollute the Church with manifest sacriledge and blasphemie But let vs consider the later part of this Oration where he prescrybeth a maner and fourme to be followed as well in priuate matters as publike saying But if Demetrius and the Craftes men with him haue anye matter agaynst any man the lawe is open and there are Rulers let them accuse one another Thus he accuseth them all of iniustice in that they make a publike case of a priuate and belonging vnto a fewe persons and endaunger themselues for another mannes cause Then adding
Trogyllion The day following we came to Miletum For Paule had determined to saile ouer by Ephesus bicause he would not spend the time in Asia for he hasted if it were possible to keepe at Ierusalem the feaste of Pentecoste AFter that the Apostle Paule had accomplished at Ephesus all things that appertained to the establishment of the same Church theâ— went hee on with the voyage that hee had before purposed to make in the which hee visited the Churches of Macedonia and Greece and confirmed them in the true faithe Wee haue seene there notable argumentes of the Apostles faythe and diligence when as Paule lette for no laboure or daunger eyther to gette Churches or to preserue those that were gotten At length hee came to Troas where fell oute certaine peculiare things in the describing whereof Luke is very diligent And first hee setteth out an ensample of Ecclesiasticall assemblie and next a myracle that God would haue wrought in that place bothe for the commendation and setting forthe of Paules Ministerie and for diuers causes else Hee describeth this Churche assemblie with all the circumstaunces thereof very diligently And beginning with the time he saythe they came togither on a Sabboth day which day as yet was muche celebrated bicause of the auncient custome Afterward when the Church began more and more to increase the next day following the Sabothe was appoynted for Goddes seruice and in remembraunce of Christes resurrection it was called the Lordes day By this place we learne that suche dayes as God hathe appoynted for seruice or religion ought not to bee neglected of Christian menne For they are not onely needefull bicause of outwarde woorshippe but also inwarde which cheefely consisteth in the studie of Goddes woorde and in the diligent meditation of his benefites the bodie and minde for the time beeing cleane separated from all prophane matters whiche thyng was the cause that GOD commaunded the breakers of the Sabothe to bee punished with deathe And the breaking of the Saboth is accoâ—â—ted of the Prophetes amongest the moste haynous sinnes and causes of the Captiuitie of Babylon so that it was not without a cause that Nehemias thought it is duetie to see that day kept so holy when the people retourned from their captiuitie Whereunto appertaineth also the example of Christ who as he oftentimes vppon the saboth day went into the Sinagoges so he diuers times disputed diligently of the right vsing of that day to deliuer it both from superstition â–ª and also from contempte Then he sheweth also the place where this companie or assemblie mette This was a loft or chambre in the priuate house of some one of the faithfull who appointed it for the Churche or Congregation bicause the Christians for good cause abhorred the Temples of the Idolaters and they had no publike place permitted them by reason the Romane Presidentes bare rule in euery place which either were no fauourers of Christian religion or else were open enimies thereof He sayth there were diuers candles lighted in the chamber to putte away the darkenesse of the nighte and for auoyding the suspition of dishonestie Therefore it is a peeuishe erroure of them which of a foolishe imitation make that a seruice of God which in times past serued for necessitie and thinke that God which is the light euerlasting is woorshipped with candles of tallowe or waxe and for the defense of their inuention vse both this place and the example of Moses lawe For heere is plainely expressed the night time when it is needefull for candles to bee lighted And for the same cause afterwarde the Christians vsed candles in their assemblies bicause they coulde not meete togyther but in the morning before day by reason of the lying awayte of their ennimies as appeareth by the Epistles of Plinius Secundus and may be gathered oute of the Churche wryters The which cause being taken awaye it is but foolishnesse to helpe the day lighte with artificiall lightes It is euident there was a farre other meaning of the Candlesticke in Leuiticus For as all the ceremonies of that Priesthoode were figures of things that Christ shoulde perfourme and were ordained only till the time of correction so the candlesticke also was a figure of Christ which is the true and eternall lighte of the worlde and which by the ministerie of the Gospell lighteneth his Churche for the which cause the Apostles and they which are theyr true and lawful successoures are called the light of the world In the meane season wee learne that it is necessary to haue certaine places for the outwarde woorshipping and for the Congregation to meete in suche as in the olde Testament the Temple and Sinagoges were and suche as after the Apostles times when the Churche began somewhat to be at rest the Oratories that were builded were In these places all things must serue for honestie and for religion and nothing must be suffered that declareth any superstition too much riotous cost or prophane contempt Thirdly he sheweth the cause of this meeting which was as he writeth to breake bread He meaneth the holy supper of the Lorde which in times past they called breaking of bread bicause the bread was broken therein according to Christes institution bothe for that wee shoulde confesse oure selfe sinners and guiltie of the death of Christ and also for that we should vnderstand that the merite of Christ was dealt among vs and pertained indifferently vnto all beleeuers It is very worthy to be obserued howe our forefathers in the time of the Apostles vsed to order and celebrate this Supper Firste of all Paule maketh a sermon as the things following declare bicause the supper was ended after Eutychus was raised Therfore when the sermon was ended they went to the supper and that in the open sight of the assemblie in a place and time appoynted for Gods seruice and after none other fashion than was appointed by christ For that they obserued the same manner and rites in all pointes both the woorde breaking of breade and the example of Paule declareth which reuoked the Corinthians so carefully to that forme of supper that Christ ordained Thus is it euident that Christ also vsed to teach before the supper and did ordaine nothing tending more to superstition than religion Therefore let the Papistes regarde with what argumentes or examples they defend their Masse wherin there is no word of God taught al things are don in a straÌ„ge tong the people haue nothing to muse or think on but wearish and peeuish gestures and stage playes to say nothing in the meane while of the impairing of Chrystes sacrifice of the derogation of his merit and how the faith religion of Christ is ouerthrowne euen vnto the foundations But so ought they to be seduced which had leauer folow the imagination of their own braine than the institution of Christ. Moreouer the manner that Paule vsed in his preaching pertaineth to the description of the assembly of
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
them whose labour and loyaltie afterwards shined very bright in the setting forth of the kingdome of saluation and to whome they owe immortall thankes whosoeuer through their doctrine haue attayned to knowe Christ. But our meaning is that men should learne to knowe the inclination of our corrupt nature and flesh which is the first steppe vp to holesome and true wisedome And to that ende the Scripture vseth oftentimes to remember the horrible falles of most holy men that in them might appeare howe easie it is for vs to fall into sinne and damnation vnlesse we were holden vp by the faythfull and continuall care and leading of Gods holy spirite For what shall he hope more of himselfe which beholdeth the adultery and cruell murther of Dauid a man after Gods owne minde the multitude of Wiues that Salomon the wisest of all kings had being to much wedded to his Wiues the foule fall of Peter and here the great error of all the Apostles gathered togither we must needes confesse that we are not able of our selues so much as to thinke one good thought much lesse to doe well but that all our sufficiency to doe well commeth of God who worketh in vs both the will and the deede according to his good will. Furthermore it appeareth by this example of the Apostles with what minde they imbrace Christ and his doctrine which are not led by his holye spirite For as these men little minding Christes heauenly kingdome looke after an earthly kingdome and in the same conceyue great hope of riches power glorye and pleasures so you shall see diuers likewyse affected in these dayes when the merite of Christ and the libertie gotten vs by him is preached which looking onely vppon the goodes of the worlde seeke vnder the pretext of Christ honors riches outward peace and such like in the meane whyle little regarding the heauenly and euerlasting goodes which Christ hath purchased vs through the merite of his bloudshedding To say nothing in the meane season of those filthy hogges of Epicures herde who professing a Christian faith doe yet nothing else but followe licentious sinfulnesse casting aside all discipline and care ofholy lyfe Surely euen they which in these dayes goe for the best men vnder the faire pretence of peace and concorde swarue many times from the simplicitie of faith and both say and doe many things for fauour and pleasure of men which are most contrary to Christs commaundements As though the friendship of this world might stande with the true worship of Christ and were not rather as Iames sayth enmitie before god This is the strong poyson of fayth and religion whiche though it lye hidde manye times vnder a fayre shewe and colour yet at the length it bursteth forth with the horrible losse of saluation and offence of a great many for of this roote spring these tymetakers which are to soone ripe whome the Lorde in Mathew likeneth to the stony grounde For as this grounde receyueth in deede the seede and causeth it soone to spring but cannot bring it to rypenesse for lacke of moysture to defende it against the parching heate of the sunne so these men when they perceiue any hope of priuate commoditie by the Gospell they will seeme marueylous fauourers of the same they will haue Christ still in their mouth and will crake that they are ready to fight with any man in the defence of Christes glorye But if that hope deceyue them and otherwise than they hoped the crosse come and banishment pouertie and daunger on euery side appeare then as though they had espide a Snake they leape backe and laying away all their faith and counterfeiting of faith they spare not to say they were wickedly deceyued and so degenerate into open enimies of the truth being a little before stoute defenders of the same Least therfore the lyke might happen in vs it behooueth vs to haue a right opinion of Christ and his doctrine Let vs seeke in him heauenly goodes which serue to eternall saluation As long as we lyue here let vs looke for the crosse and all kinde of afflictions So shall it come to passe that neyther we shall be deceyued of our hope in heauen neyther be offended with the crosse and tribulations which wee so long before prepared our selues paciently to suffer Yet is there one other vtilitie of the Apostles errour Their example teacheth vs how difficult and laborious a thing it is to pull out of mens mindes olde growne errours wherein their selues haue lyued and bene confirmed by open example of others For as was declared a little before this errour of the Iewes touching the earthly kingdome of their Messias was an olde and common errour in taking awaye of the which Iesus Christ traueyled more than almost in any one thing else For as often as the Apostles deceyued by this errour stroue for the supremacie so often Christ admonisheth them of humilitie and sheweth them that his kingdome is of a farre other fashion See the .xviij. .xx. of Mathew and Luke the .xxij. Neither fell it out to reason of this matter so few times as one after his resurrection For where this erronious opinion gaue occasion of offence to the twoo Disciples going to Emaus and they lamented that he was crucified and deade whome they hoped shoulde haue bene the Redeemer of Israel Christ aunswered O ye fooles and slowe of heart to beleeue all the thinges that are written in the Prophets Was it not needefull that Christ should suffer all these things and so enter into his glorie Furthermore Luke sayde before that Christ was conuersant fourtye dayes with his Disciples and reasoned with them concerning the kingdome of God and all the mysteries of his kingdome Whence commeth it therfore that an opinion so often and so strongly confuted shoulde againe be reuiued Surely of none other cause than of the disposition of our corrupt nature which as it easily drinketh in error so it always holdeth fast the same And as the Ethnicke Poet sayth Driue Nature forth with a forke yet will shee returne againe So the Israelites in times paste vsed to the Idolatrie of the Egyptians fell to the worshipping of a calfe notwithstanding they had heard the terrible maiestie of God renounceing and forbidding all vse of Images not manye dayes before Hereof came that long retayned superstition of hill aultars in the bookes of Kings which the most godly kinges could not wholy abolish And woulde God there were not examples in these dayes that plainly prooue that we say to be true This consideration therefore serueth partly for vs to learne how needefull it is in all reformations cleane to roote and rippe vp all things whatsoeuer haue neuer so small occasion of error and partly to cause vs to be the lesse oâ—fended with them which continually fight against olde superstitions knowing by the example of all ages that there can in this matter be no diligence to much nor no endeuour
Passeouer Luke in the seconde Chapter following sayth the holy ghost was sent In the meane season they abode with one consent in prayers and supplication And although the argument or matter of the prayers which they made be not expressed yet of the circumstances it may easily be gathered what they prayed For what else should they praye for which knewe their owne weakenesse and sawe such a burthen layde on their shoulders then that God woulde hasten the sending of his holy spirite and vouchsafe to defende them from falling For they had learned by their first sliding back how vaine and of no value mans strength is in Gods affayres except we be vpholden by the present ayde of his diuine grace Let vs here obserue how Luke sayth they were continually occupied in prayer and supplication which otherwyse were furnished with most large promises and were endued with great fayth For if we reade in Iohn what Christ did with his Disciples a little before his death we shall see the holye ghost so often promised that it was almost tedious And being risen from death againe he put them diuers times in remembrance of the same And that they beleeued the promises of Christ it appeareth plainely by their returne into the Citie For vnlesse they had beleeued that Christ would be as good as his promise they would neuer haue gone backe againe into so bloudy a Citie and where such daunger was Therefore faith is no let why we should not perseuer and abyde continually in prayers and good workes I know there are diuers that cauill about the thinges spoken of fayth which only iustifieth and saueth as though it made prayer vnprofitable and extinguished or at least much hindered good workes But these men so farre swarue from the truth that there is no more effectuous prouocation to good workes than that that springeth in our mindes of fayth Naye if we be not furnished with fayth wee can neyther praye profitablye nor be feruent in good workes For howe shall they call vpon him in whom they beleeue not sayth Paule And how shall God accept our prayers except we conceyue sure confidence of his good will towardes vs Last of all where as we naturally abhorre from good workes it cannot be that we shoulde gyue our selues wholy therevnto vnlesse we be sure that they please God the father for Iesus Christes sake To saye nothing howe it is impossible to please God without fayth and howe whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne The Apostles and they that be with them ioyne two thinges to their prayers without the which our prayer is of no force or auayle before God that is to saye vnanimitie and perseuerance Unanimitie or agreement is needefull bicause wee be the children of one father as we professe in the Lordes prayer saying Our father which art in heauen c. But what father is so retchlesse and carelesse to suffer his children to be at discorde among themselues And the law of nature teacheth vs that they that be one mans children and of one inheritance should looue and agree togither But as many as by faith are grafted in Christ are borne of the same seede to saye the incorruptible and immortall seede of Gods worde to be the children of God and heyres of his kingdome in heauen yea to saye more they are made members of one body and acknowledge one heade and are quickened with one and the same spirite Is it possible therefore that such can be voyde of loue â–ª concorde among themselues Doe they not through hatred and enmitie seperate themselues from the body of Christ and commit horrible hypocrisie while they dare lyke true children of GOD at common prayer appeare in the sight of GOD Therefore in our prayers ought that thing chieflye to haue place that Christ requyreth of them which come to doe sacrifice saying If thou offer thy gyft at the aultare and there remember that thy brother hath ought agaynst thee leaue there thy gyft before the aultare and go and bee reconcyled vnto thy brother and then come and offer thy gift For if we must take heede that our brother haue no cause of hatred against vs how much more must we beware that we swell not in hatred agaynst our brother We must haue no lesse consideration of perseuering or continuance in prayer forasmuch as God manye times deferreth long the helpe he promiseth vs and almost seemeth to haue no care at all of vs which thing caused the holyest men to burst forth into these sayings How long wilt thou forget me O Lorde for euer Howe long wilt thou hyde thy face from me how long shall I crye and thou wilt not heare But in such cogitations we must remember that God cannot forget vs nor cease to care for such as he hath vouchsafed to redeeme with the bloud of his sonne For he sayth in the Prophete Can the mother forget hir yong Infant so that she will not haue pittie vpon the babe of hir owne body but admit they be forgetfull yet will not I forget thee Behold I haue grauen thee in both my hands And Dauid sayth Thou tellest my flittings and puttest my teares in thy bottâ—ll Are not these things noted in thy booke Therefore when God deferreth the help we looke for he doth it for this only cause to try our faith pacience and yet as I sayd before hee suffreth vs not to be tempted aboue our strength Wherefore euen then must we chiefly bende all the force of our faith call for his helpe praying continually And of what force this perseuerance or importunitie is before God Iesus Christ hath taught vs in very fitte parables therfore let vs diligently doe that the Apostles did whyle they wayted for the holy ghost For we also haue neede of the holy ghost to bridle the desires of the fleshe and to strengthen vs in hope and faith Let vs make our selues ready to receyue him with obedience vnanimitie and perseuerance in prayer that being quickened and illuminate with him in this present worlde we may leade a lyfe acceptable to his diuine Maiestie and at length lyue in heauen with Iesus Christ our Sauiour to whom be blessing honour glory and power for euer Amen The seuenth Homelie IN those dayes Peter stoode vp in the middes of the Disciples and sayde the number of names that were togither were about an hundred and twentie ye men and brethren this Scripture must needes haue bene fulfilled which the holy ghost through the mouth of Dauid spake before of Iudas which was guyde to them that tooke Iesus For he was numbred with vs and had obtayned fellowship in this ministration And the same hath nowe possessed a plot of grounde with the rewarde of iniquitie and when he was hanged hee burst a sunder in the middest and all his bowels gushed out And it is knowne to all the inhabiters of Hierusalem insomuch that the same fielde is called
prophecied by the instinct of the same spirite And Paule meaneth the same where he sayth the Scripture is inspired of God. The vses of these places be that we acknowledging the dignitie and authoritie of the Scriptures might take whatsoeuer is sayde in the same to be the worde of God and that we should not thinke it lawfull for vs by any meanes to gainesay his commaundementes The Apostle goeth forth with the first part of his Oration and declareth diligently the dignitie of Iudas which he had aswell as the other Apostles before he fell For he sayth which was numbred with vs and had obtayned fellowship in this ministration For some man might thinke Iudas was in deede accounted amongst the Apostles but for none other cause but to make vp the number being otherwise a vayne man of no estimation But Peter aunswereth this obiection saying he was not onely of the number of the Apostles but had obtayned fellowship in the administration The Euangelists beare witnesse of the same accounting him with them which Christe sent forth to preache whyle he was here on earth and which had power giuen them to worke myracles which returned to Christ and told him the good successe they had in the time of their Ambassage And so little is Iudas seperated from the number of them in any place that euen then the Euangelists saye he was of their number when they tell of that heynous deede which he committed in betraying of Christ. And what shall we saye is the cause that so often mention is made of this matter both before and is nowe agayne by Peter repeated Would the holy ghost eyther flatter wicked Iudas or stayne the order of the Apostles with this blot No. Yea he teacheth vs another thing both most worthy and necessary to be marked that is that wee should take no offence at the faults of excellent men and that bicause of their falles we should not rashly condemne all other of their vocation which manye vse foolishlye to doe in the faultes of those of the ministerie For when they see some great fall in such as before they woondred at by reason of their syncere doctryne ioyned with wisedome and constancie not contented to be offended at their vyces only they open their mouth against the whole order of the ministerye crying out that they are all dissemblers and knaues and goyng yet farther feare not to call their doctrine in question and doubt Therefore Iesus Christ foreseeing that the ministers of his worde were men and myght sometymes greuously fall by reason of humane fragilitie least any man being offended at their vyces shoulde vtterlye condemne the doctrine of the Gospel he would forwarne them by certaine faults of the Apostles chiefly by the horrible fall of Iudas For if the Apostles had bene cleere of al faults we shoulde not without a cause in these dayes doubt of their doctrine whom we see oftentimes greeuously to fal But forasmuch as neyther the crime of ambicion which Christ many times reprehended in them nor the fowle fall of Peter denying his mayster nor the heynous offence of Iudas betraying him derogateth any whit from the doctrine of the Gospell hee is surely verye foolishe which is so offended at the vices of the ministers that for the vices sake he will accuse the doctrine of truth of falshoode Yea there is no vocation of men but hath both good and badde in it And if nothing were wanting in the order of the Apostles by Iudas fall for it is supplyed by Matthias succeeding how much lesse by his fall shall any thing be derogated from the Apostles doctrine Neyther saye I this for that I woulde open any gappe to Ministers to lyue euer the more lycentiously For wee knowe that the greater their offence is the more grieuous shall their punishment be But we giue counsell to the weake that they throwe not awaye the wholesome doctrine of the truth to their great daunger with the naughty life of the Ministers wherof Christ gaue vs a warning speaking of the Iewish Scribes in this wise The Scribes and Phariseys sit in the chayre of Moses All thinges therfore that they commaunde you to obserue that obserue and doe but doe not ye after their workes for they say and doe not Moreouer the consideration of these things put away an other stumbling blocke For this is the common case of the faithfull of Christ and of all the Church to be most in daunger of their owne acquaintance Godlye Abell was slaine by his owne brother of father and mother Ioseph was sold by his owne brethren And Moses findeth his brethren the Israelites for whose sake he forsooke the riches pleasures of Egypt more vnkind almost than the Egyptians Dauid also complayneth most of their lying in waite which sometymes were of his most familiarest friendes And wee daylye finde that saying of Christ true A mans enimies be they of his owne house And these thinges offende many a man being grieued that their owne friendes mindes be estraunged from them and then begin they wrongfully to deny many things of the doctrine by them preached supposing it to be the chiefe cause of such discention and diuision To speake nothing in the meane season of them which thinke the condicions of the godlye to be so harde and sharpe that a man cannot long continue friendship with them And this one example aunswereth all these men where wee are taught howe the sonne of God the singular patterne of all myldenesse and humilitie was betrayed of his owne familiar and domesticall Disciple Why therefore shall wee promyse our selues anye thing of mans propertie and condicion Or shall we thinke it vnmeete to be in the same state that the sonne of God was in for our sake But let vs returne to Peter who as he hath set forth the former dignity that Iudas had and his heynous offence so he liuely paynteth out his horrible ende and as it were setteth it before our eyes to looke vpon and beholde not thereby to satisfie his minde as one burning in hatred with the remembraunce of so wretched a man but for that he woulde kindle in all mens mindes a certaine feare of God and a desire of true godlynesse by making mention of so horrible an example And it was to a good purpose to make mention hereof seeing they consulted about choosing a newe Apostle to th ende they shoulde be brought to a diligent consideration of their office and to a feruent desire of accomplishing the same Therfore he sayth And he truly possessed a plot of grounde with the rewarde of iniquitie and when he was hanged burst a sunder in the middest and all his bowels gushed out And it is knowne vnto all the inhabiters of Hierusalem in so much that the same fielde is called in their mother tongue Acheldama that is to saye the bloudy fielde It behooueth to consider all these things in such order as
to haue erred When they were named they were bidden stande forth that all men might looke vpon them and know them And this example of the Primitiue Church is very notable wherby wee are taught that the election of Ministers of the worde and of the Churche shoulde not be done in corners secretly and within the house by a fewe persons but shoulde be done openly in the sight of the congregation and before all the people For if a Bishop must haue the testimony of them that be without as Paule sayth how much more ought he to be well knowne to them ouer whom he is put in charge Which thing if it be not obserued or be neglected eyther obscure or vnknowne persons eyther else wicked and infect with corrupt maners shall be appointed ouer the Church And they shall be ouerseers of the Church which deserue not the lowest roume in the Church This we are taught by the rytes of the olde Testament where by Gods commaundement Aaron and his children were openly chosen into the holye ministery all the people looking on Neyther let it trouble vs that Paule seemeth to giue authoritie to Titus and Timothie to choose Bishoppes For he woulde not haue them of their priuate authoritie to doe any thing but according to the dutie of Superintendentes to take heede that such as were worthy and meete might be chosen for Ministers And it is not likely that they had more graunted to them than the Apostles had which without the Churches counsayle woulde neuer doe any thing in this matter For not long after they chose Deacons openlye before the congregation and Paule and Barnabas by election ordayned Elders in euery congregation Hereby is reprooued that most corrupt and pernicious vsage of choosing of ministers which many yeares hath borne all the rule in this matter Where manye times some one person in many Churches vseth to choose and order Ministers of his owne authoritie Wherein chiefly Abbots Bishops and Prouostes be to blame And many of them also that glory in the name of the Gospell will be taken for reformers of the Church handle not the matter much better For whyle they put Monkes and Bishops out of their vsurped possession as right is yet they restore not to the Church the libertie which by tyranny they tooke from it but at their owne pleasures administrate the things vsed before time vsurped by the same Bishops and Monkes And hereof in many places sprang that preposterous order for such to choose and order Ministers of the Church as neyther well knowe the Ministers nor yet the Churches ouer which they are set And bicause manye naughty affections are ioyned with ignorance they are manye times therewithall so ledde out of the waye that without all regarde of religion in so weyghtye a matter they seeme to minde none other thing but to shewe the power they haue ouer Churches with as great pride as the Bishops and Monkes did before them Which euill and inconuenience vnlesse it be shortly repressed it will bring vs forth both Simonie the deadly confusion of all ecclesiasticall discipline And all this we are bound to the Bishops of Rome for which haue extorted from the Emperors by bloudy warres that they alone might haue authority to giue Bishopricks and al other whatsoeuer ecclesiasticall Benefices There be yet in Germany not a fewe places which can remember these battayles the Christian bloudshed about the â—ame Certes it is manifest that Henrie the fourth being Emperour both for this diuers other causes ioyned battayle and fought with the Popes in open fielde threescore and two times And at length through the craft and counsayles of the Bishops had his owne sonne as an enimie sent by them against him into the field who at length perceyuing their subtiltie and sleyghtes beganne to withstand them but being ouercome with their importunitie and boldnesse graunted to Calixtus the second all his authority since which time the liberty of the Church pining away as of a deadly disease is at length vtterly lost which libertie whosoeuer will haue restored againe be they Ministers or Magistrates they must knowe that they ought all to labour to haue the auncient vsage of choosing Ministers to be restored againe Nowe to come to the exposition of this present hystory when they had set two before the congregation Ioseph and Matthy men furnished and endued with all kinde of vertues yet none of the Apostles woulde take so much vpon him as to pronounce whether of them should be Apostle naye they thought it not safe to commit so weighty a matter to the number of voices but turning to deuout prayers referre all the successe of the matter to the infallible iudgement of god For they saye Thou Lorde that knowest the hartes of all men shewe whether of these two thou hast chosen c. This is a singular document of godly mindes and of such as will not ouer boldly chalenge to themselues any thing in Gods causes Which example if they would with lyke religion imitate which nowe a dayes haue the handling of Church matters and affayres many things vndoubtedly would succeede more happily than they doe Hereof we gather that the election of Ministers dependeth of God alone and must be referred to him We thinke it the dutie of the Church in this case being lawfully assembled to laye aside all priuate affections to search out such as to whom the function of the Church may safely and conueniently be committed And here we principally require a feruent desire of religion wherevnto fasting was woont to be ioyned that their prayers might be the more ardent and earnest And when there are any found that are thought worthy of so great a charge yet must we not then attribute to much to the iudgement of men But the most commodious and safest way is to referre all the successe of our counsayles to the iudgement of god Although I am not ignoraunt that we finde certaine places of Scripture wherby Ministers myght seeme to be chosen by the iudgement of men and the matter appeareth not to haue bene determined by lottes as here it was wherevnto these sayinges seeme chieflye to be referred which are written 1. Timoth. 3. 5. Titus 1. But I suppose mention is there made only of such things as are requisite in this case for men to doe as ministers and guides the order and president of the Primitiue Church standing still in force the which for diuers and weightie causes is necessary to be obserued still in the Church For first it is euident that the Church is the housholde and family of God as was aforesayde wherein the Ministers be as it were Bayliffes and Stewardes Howbeit none that is wise taketh so much vppon him in another mans house as to prescribe at his pleasure eyther the most vnderlyng seruant or else the Stewarde of the same What absurditie therfore shall it be for any man
foorth Gods quarrell and cause with great boldenesse Therefore by their example we may see howe effectuall the operation of the holy ghost is For they which not long before vsed handy craftes and occupations being rude and vnlearned men are nowe able to abyde the sight of such a multitude and the diuers clamours of so vnruly a sort with constant courage And those whom before euery lyght occasion made so afrayde that they durst not professe the name of Christ before a fewe of rascall segons do nowe defend his quarrell most stoutly before a great assembly gathered togither of euery nation and degree neither lacke they for the handes of tormentours to make them confesse the truth but offer themselues freely to defende the same Learne hereof howe we must trye and prooue whether the spirite of Christ raigne in vs yea or no. For vnlesse this zeale and stoute courage to defende Christ and his truth be seene in vs We shall in vayne boast of his spirite And yet nowe a dayes amongst those that most bragge of his spirite it is thought a commendable thyng for a man to stop his eares at the horrible blasphemies of wicked men vttered agaynst Christ and the truth of his Gospell as if they were but Sirenes songes The Apostles shewe themselues in this place to be farre other maner of men amongst whome Peter mooued but with a very lyght taunt or quip as it myght seeme begynneth with bolde speache to defende Christes cause and the Gospels Further it is not lyghtly to be passed ouer howe Peter is saide to stande with the eleuen This is an euident argument of equalitie which the Apostles diligently conserued among themselues For where Christ put them all but in one office which they now hauyng receyued the holy ghost better vnderstoode then before all that most vayne contention about superioritie wherewith before they were enflamed is vtterly quenched Therfore Peter sytteth in no throne alone by hym selfe the other standyng about him as his seruauntes and garde He is not separated from the other but ioyned togither with them and sheweth euidently that he is but one of their number And although he alone make the oration yet he defendeth not his owne cause but the common case of them all so that herein Peter myght seeme rather the minister of the residue than the prince and chiefe of them Away therfore with them that by Peters example challenge a supremacie to themselues in the Churche and are puffed vp with pride of the Persians Christ gaue his Apostles example of humilitie which to followe it becommeth all Christian men much more them whome he hath appoynted to be Sheepeheardes of his Churche Hereunto is to be referred that place of Paule which vsing great obtestations vrgeth this one thyng that they that will be accompted the ministers of Christ must seeke after vnanimitie and for humilitie which is the mother thereof Let nothyng be done saith he through contention or vayne glorie but in meekenesse of mynde â—et euery man esteeme another better than himselfe Looke not euery man on his owne things but euery man on the thinges that are other mens Let the same mynde be in you that was also in Christ Iesu. See the place to the Philippians the seconde Chapter But let vs consyder Peters sermon in which the effect and power of the holy ghost shall more clearely appeare The begynnyng hereof is neither affectate nor ambicious For the doctrine of the truth is simple and hath no neede to be commended with vaynnesse of wordes forasmuch as it commendeth it selfe sufficiently in that it teacheth vs most playnely the way of saluation Wherefore Peter only callyng vpon the men whome he purposeth to speake vnto saith Yee men of Iurie and all yee that dwell at Hierusalem be this knowne vnto you and with your eares heare my wordes He vseth the name of Iewes to admonishe them both of their auncient glorie and of their duetie For God in tymes passed had chosen them and made them Iehudim that is Confessours by whom he woulde be celebrated and worshipped Wherevpon in some place it is sayde God is knowne in Iurie For the same cause he maketh mention of Hierusalem which is often times called the holy citie to shewe them that they ought to be mooued euen with the holynesse of the place to listen diligently to the thinges which appertayne to the glorie of God and to their owne saluation For he is not content to be hearde onely by the way as of men that are otherwyse occupied but diligently and wyll haue it layde vp in their myndes His oration consisteth of two partes The first aunswereth the slaunder of the wicked scoffers which accuse them of drunkennesse a thyng which first of all behooued to be put away bicause their sayings should haue bene of no aucthoritie or credite yf they had bene taken for drunkardes and blowboldes The other part preacheth Iesus Christe and comprehendeth all the order of mans saluation We are taught by example of the first that it is lawfull to make aunswere vnto slaunders and to defende the honestie of our name and fame agaynst slaunderers and detractours For as Salomon saith A good name and honest report is to be preferred before much riches It behooueth them specially which are in the ministerie to haue a regard thereof bicause the slaunders whereby their name and estimation is impayred doeth not so much touch their owne persons as God himselfe to whose contempt they specially tend which was the cause that the Apostle would haue a Bishop to haue the commendation of those that be abrode also How much more ought he to take heede that he be not contemned of those he hath the charge of But bicause the naughtinesse of many goeth so farre that they are not ashamed to charge the holy Ministers of God with false crymes for that they may the more easily make the doctrine of truth to be hated and suspected therefore excusations and purgations of themselues be both necessarie and lawfull For we reade that Christ manye tymes vsed them thereby to bring his doctrine out of contempt And Paule not so fewe tymes as one plentifully and copiously disputeth against his aduersaries touching his Apostleshippe his calling and truth which he vsed in the same bicause he sawe he coulde not be contemned but his preaching of the Gospell also must grow out of regarde in the mindes of very many Therefore Peter beginneth his oraâ—â—on very well with purging of the crime thereby to bring the Apostles out of all suspicion Neyther are they to be regarded which in such case require sufferance For Christian pacience letteth not but that we may defende Christ and his truth to the vttermost And they that be of this opinion to thinke all the slaunders that are ioyned with contempt of the Gospell ought to be passed ouer as though we heare them not deserue neyther the name of pacient nor modest men but are to
of that time drew neare when Christ appearing in the glorye of the father and pronouncing a finall sentence vpon all flesh shoulde appoint a full and absolute blisse to his faythfull deuoyde of all sorrowes daungers and griefes which they shoulde enioy both in body and soule It behooued therefore that this troublesome state of the worlde which shoulde alwayes remaine after the birth of Christe and after he had fulfilled the worke of our redemption should be thus diligently described least any man after this great promise of the holye ghost and fauour of God shoulde promise himselfe to haue all thinges in this worlde in peace and safetie with which error we reade the Chiliastes in times past were bewitched And there want not in these dayes which hope for an vniuersall and stable peace and tranquillitie ofall things vnder Christ which bicause they see not as yet come to passe they beginne to suspect all that is written of our faith and religion They draw the cause of their errour out of the Prophetes descriptions of the kingdome of Christe such as both otherwheres and also in Esay xj and lxv Chapters are extant But there are other places of Scripture which ought to haue bene ioyned with them where wee are ab undantlye taught that we ought to looke for no such thing in this worlde For Dauid sayeth Christ shall reigne in the middest of his enimies And Christe denyeth that his kingdome is of this worlde Hee euerye where admonisheth his children of the crosse and bitter afflictions which he would haue them prepared for In the worlde sayth he you shall haue tribulation They are therfore ridiculous in very deede which contrarye to Christes saying promise as well others as themselues ease peace and tranquillitie in this world And yet we denie not the things that are read in the Prophetes touching a peaceable state of Christes kingdome But we vnderstande them partlye of the tranquillitie of the minde and of the spirituall ioye of the faithfull and partly of the faithfull onely and of the conuersation and fellowship which they onely haue one with another For so they be truely at rest and certaine of their saluation and dwell safely among them who where before they might haue seemed Woolues and Lions being conuerted to Christ are become most meke sheepe and lambes And yet manye stryfes and afflictions they shall abide which as Christe plainly admonisheth vs shall be so much the more grieuous howe much nearer the vniuersall redemption of the godly approcheth which when he commeth shall be cleane dispatched But to come at length to the woordes of the Prophete two things in them seeme chiefly to be considered wherof one is the troublesome and vnhappie state of the worlde which he sayth should be after Christ his comming in the fleshe the other concerneth the causes of the euils and calamities which serue not a little aswell to comfort vs as to instruct vs. He describeth the state of the later dayes in these wordes I will shewe woonders in the heauens aboue and tokens in the earth beneath bloud and fire and the vapour of smoke The sunne shall be turned into darckenesse and the moone into bloude He maketh mention of straunge woonders which bicause they be tokens of things to come in considering of them we must also comprehende in our minde the calamities and miseries which they portende For it is not Gods propertie or custome to delude the mindes of men with vaine and ydle sights And Iesus Christ in the gospel repeating the same things maketh mention of afflictions also wherof these be signes and prognostications Ye shall saith he heare of warres and tidings of warres For nation shall rise against nation and Realme against Realme and there shall be pestilence and hunger and earthquakes in all places The Prophet proponeth diuers kinds of woonders to make vs the more attent He saith there shall be woonders in heauen in the number whereof blasing starres firebrands flashings of light flying Dragons long starres like swordes and dartes and what so euer such like maye be accounted which although the Astrologers number amongst the things proceeding of natural causes yet this place sufficiently teacheth vs that they be signes and tokens of calamities to followe Furthermore he sayeth there shall be also signes vpon the earth amongst the which earthquakes ought to haue the first place whereby it is manifest great alterations of things haue many times bene portended Herevnto appertaine the straunge inundations and ouerflowings of waters monstrous births of children the vncouth voice of beasts springs of waters running with bloude the straunge fruites of trees and plantes with infinite others lyke examples whereof we haue both in hystories and daily experience But the Prophete returning agayne to heauen maketh peculiar mention of the sunne and moone whose brightnesse he sayth shall be obscured with horrible darknesse and the terrible sight of bloude The meaning of all which is that in the later daye such shall bee the countenaunce of the worlde that whither soeuer wee turne our eyes there shall appeare the horrible signes of Gods wrath and his iudgements euen in those creatures the vse whereof hath bene chiefly to sette forth the goodnesse of God and to comfort man amongest which we take the sunne and moone to be the chiefe Moreouer if we compare the things here spoken with hystories we shall see that all these things in sundry ages haue many wayes bene fulfilled But what neede we runne to hystories where in our owne dayes we haue seene many examples hereof and may euery day still see newe What age euer was there since the beginning of the worlde wherein so many blasing starres haue bene seene as hath appeared within these .xxxiij. yeres I speake not of speares swoords darts horses sights of men yea armed hostes Lyons and many other which hauing bene seene in the Clowdes haue feared the mindes of the lookers on Who knoweth not of the â—arthquakes and horrible inundations of waters The monstrous birth both of men and beastes brought forth within the space of this .xxx. yeares no man can easilye number Bloude hath sproong out of the earth and runne not in so fewe places as one We haue seene in the eares of corne marueylous and straunge sights The bearded grapes and clusters hauing tuftes of heare growing out of them haue vpbraided the Germaines with their drunkennesse as it were men strong to drinke wine as the Prophet sayth Here we must learne the continuall vsage of God which neuer punisheth man before he giue warning thereof by woonders and that their seeing of these woonders should not be in vaine he ioyneth most times his worde to the same For where he woulde haue men to be saued he doth nothing as the Prophete sayth except hee reueale his secretes before vnto his seruauntes the prophetes This may be prooued by the examples of all ages from the first beginning of the worlde
Noah the preacher of righteousnesse went before the floud by whose preaching the worlde might haue bene brought to repentance Loth was sent by God vnto the Sodomites by whose words and examples they might haue bene admonished The Egyptians beside Moyses and Aaron sawe such horrible and monstrous tokens that if there had bene any sense or vnderstanding in them it might haue mollified their harts Rachab the harlot testifieth that the Chanaanites had warning afore of the destruction to come No man but meanly traueyled in the wrytings of the Prophetes is ignoraunt howe many and faythfull aduertisements went before the captiuitie of Babilon Concerning the signes and woonders that went before the last destruction of Hierusalem and people of Iurie Iosephus and Egesippus haue written most straunge and monstrous things I let passe the things conteined in other histories the truth wherof was always tryed by the effect falling out By these let vs learne to know the goodnesse of God and to iudge of the woonders and straunge signes of our days least if we like blind and deafe folke neglecting them be found despisers of God and suffer grieuous punishment for our contempt But some man may maruell what shoulde be the cause of so vnfortunate and troublous a state seeing the sonne of God appeared in the fleshe to make a loue daye betweene God and vs at whose birth the Aungelles were hearde to sing Glory be to God on high peace vpon earth and vnto men a good will. Where nowe God may seeme more angry and more offended with the earth than before his sonnes incarnation Surely hereof in tymes past the enimies of Christian profession tooke occasion to inueigh against Christes religion as after whose birth a whole sea of mishaps burst into the earth and ouerflowed all mankinde whose slaunders Tertullian Cyprian Augustine Arnobius and diuers of the auncient wryters haue grauely and learnedly aunswered and confuted Yea we shall finde some among the professours of Christianitie whome the consideration of these euils doth not a little dismay Therfore to marke and search out the cause of these euils is neyther vnprofitable nor superfluous but two wayes to be obserued For it is to be searched as well in the godly as the vngodly and so it shall easily appeere that the cause of these calamities is in vs and that the Christian faith and Christ himselfe is in no fault In the vngodly needeth no great inquisition to finde the cause whereas they dayly commit many thinges which deserue the wrath and punishment of god For eyther there reigneth in them the lyfe of Epicure and a carelesse contempt of God and all holynesse or else superstition and idolatrie Both these engender an hatred to the truth and stirre vp persecutions agaynst the ministers of Christ which by the light of the truth reprooue licentious liuing and accuse superstition These things reigne in our dayes yea they swarme in euery place that there is no man so blind but may see them nor none so impudent that can deny thē We may heare euerywhere mockers which as Peter warned vs with prety taunts can deride the day of iudgement and call the resurrection of the deade into question yea flatly deny it And they that can brydle their tongues yet with licentiousnesse of life testifie that they are stained with the same impiety Against these the professors of religion set themselues but being superstitious and giuen to grosse ydolatrie they fight for their colde ceremonies for mans traditions for the painted righteousnesse of their owne workes with no lesse vngodlynesse and waywardnesse than the Iewes in times passed stroue for the righteousnesse of the lawe Both these kindes of men consent in oppugning the truth as once we reade the Phariseys dalied with the Herodians against christ And the matter is not concluded in wordes and argumentes but with chaines imprisonments haulter fire and sworde And vngodlynesse in many places is gone so farre that there is counted no more heynous offence than purely to confesse Christ and boldlye to defende the veritie of the Gospell and the synceritie of Christian faith These thinges bicause they are daily committed it needeth not further to search the cause of the calamities that are daily seene considering how the same wickednesses caused Israel in times past to be led captiue to Babilon and afterwarde vtterly to be rooted vp Reade the second booke of Chronicles .xxxvj. Math. 23. Luc. 19. Chap. But I knowe thou wilt say the wicked are auctors of euill and that their doinges deserue more grieuous punishmentes than they yet feele But what maketh this to the godlye and syncere worshippers of Christ who are wrapped in the same calamities whome we see are the first that feele the smart of them Ought the impietie and frowardnesse of the vngodly to preiudice them Howbeit we must in the godly not only consider the truth of their doctrine sinceritie of fayth and integritie of religion but also the imperfection and vices which cleaue vnto them by reason of the flesh and then it shall appeare that they are not faultlesse and suffer not for others faultes For in them many times the desires of this world shew themselues and not seldome times vnder the cloke of Christ they seeke with the sonnes of Zebedaeus their priuate honours dignities and riches Therfore it is necessarie that they also doe drinke of the cup of Christ and being exercised with afflictions learne that the kingdome of Christ is not of this worlde Furthermore oftentimes the godly are to bolde and confident through securitie whereof they slippe into many enormities which thing as is manifest happened to Dauid and manye others Therefore it behooued that that carelesnesse and securitie should be shaken of with affliction and with the Crosse least they also shoulde grieuously offende or that when they had offended they might learne to saye with Dauid It is good for mee that I haue bene in trouble that I maye learne thy statutes My soule melteth away for very heauinesse comfort thou mee according to thy worde And bicause God considereth the contrite in heart and Christ calleth them that traueyle and are heauie laden vnto him it is necessary we be brought downe by afflictions that when we feele our selues burthened and heauy loden we maye go the gladlyer vnto Christe Besides this The seruaunt that knoweth his maisters will and doth it not shall be the sorer beaten And if we woulde iudge or accuse our selues we shoulde not be iudged or condemned of the Lord. But bicause moste times we flatter our selues and winke at other mens faultes Gods iudgements are necessary to shewe that he is no fauourer or allower of sinne Last of all the glorie of God requireth that where he punisheth the wickednesse of the worlde iudgement shoulde beginne at his house as the Apostle sayth least he might seeme to beare and allowe in his owne folke that he seuerely punisheth in other If we consider well these things we
the eyes of seruauntes looke vnto the handes of their Maisters and as the eyes of a mayden vnto the hande of hir Mystresse euen so our eyes wayte vpon the Lorde our God vntill he haue mercy vpon vs. Both these properties maye easily be seene in Iesus Christ. For so reuerentlye did he behaue him selfe towardes his father that as Paule sayth he was obedient to the death yea euen the death of the Crosse. And such a diligent care and regarde had he of those persons that his father gaue him charge with that going to his death he coulde yeelde an accompt of them saying Those that thou gauest me haue I kept and none of them is perished but that lost chylde Agayne I haue glorified thee vpon earth I haue finished the woorke which thou gauest me to doe Furthermore as a very man with firme and constant fayth he set his eyes vpon God only whom he only called vpon in all aduersitie and thanked him onely for the benefites he receyued as the hystorye of the Gospell teacheth He might therefore by Dauid truely saye I haue set the Lorde alwayes before me By this example must all they which will be accounted the true worshippers and children of God frame all their lyfe and dooings And this was the only cause of all the vertues which we reade flourished sometime in the Saints Seneca gaue counsell in times past that for the better auoyding of faults which vse to be done in secret when we be by our selues we shoulde suppose some seuere person such as was Scipio Laelius or Cato were present as a beholder and witnesse of our doings But howe much more profitable woulde it be to thinke howe God alwayes beholdeth and seeth what we saye and doe Bicause Ioseph did set God alwayes before his eyes neither coulde he be brought by his Mistresse entycements from the tracke of right and honestie neyther was he dismayed when he was in prison and aduersitie The lyke reason may we make of all other thinges And here may we espie the great difference that is betweene the godlye and vngodlye For the vngodly when the worlde goeth well with them set not God before their eyes but as Dauid testifieth blinded with wicked folly deny that there is any God. Whereby it commeth to passe that lyke wilde horses breaking their barres and reynes they burst into all kind of mischief For as it is sayde in another place they are perswaded that God hath neyther eyes nor eares wherewith to see and heare their mischieuousnesse But when God whome they will not set before their eyes sheweth himselfe to them to be angrye and as it is sayde reprooueth them to their faces and punisheth their wickednesse they runne to him agayne but yet aske no helpe and succour as the children of God vse of him that correcteth them but for a season stryue agaynst his iustice with their owne strength whereby when they see they profite nothing they turne and call vpon creatures or else being vtterly at their wittes ende rushe headlong into the pitte of desperation There are infinite examples of such men of which this ought with vs to be the vse to learne to set God before our eies to whome we ought to approoue our selfe and our lyfe and in whome wee ought to haue all our trust and affiance But Christ sheweth the cause of his so godly and holy an industrie adding bicause he is on my right hande that I shoulde not be mooued Therefore sayth he set I God before mine eyes bicause he is present with me what soeuer I doe If I please him he is at hande to ayde me that I be mooued with no feare or terrour If I neglect him he is at hande to beholde all my dooings and in time to come will be a most seuere iudge against me For this cause the worshippers of Christ are mooued to haue Christ before their eyes as they many times professe themselues Herevnto belongeth that that we read Dauid such as he was sayd The Lord is my light and my saluation whome then shall I feare The Lorde is the strength of my lyfe of whome then shall I be afrayde God is our hope and strength a very present helper in trouble Therefore will not we feare though the earth be mooued and though the hilles bee caried into the middest of the sea Againe God is my strength and my saluation he is my defence so that I shall not greatly fall Let no man thinke this a vayne tossing or repeticion of woordes For this confidence of the Saintes stayeth vpon the promises of God and vpon experience and dailye examples For it is the worde of God Call vpon me in the time of thy trouble I will deliuer thee Againe Bicause he hath set his loue vpon mee therefore shall I deliuer him I shall set him vp bicause he hath knowne my name He shall call vpon mee and I will heare him yea I am with him in trouble I will deliuer him and bring him to honour These promises are confirmed by many examples such as in the holy Scriptures we reade of Ioseph Dauid Daniel and his fellowes Susanne Ezechias and many other But we haue no neede of olde examples since we euery day haue experience of the truth of Gods promyses For although there be many tribulations in this life yet God deliuereth his children from them all and his right hande as it were stayeth vs as we slippe and he suffreth vs not to bee tempted aboue our strength And as Dauid confesseth In the multitude of our sorrowes his comfortes refresh our soule And this is that safetie of the godlye a farre other thing than that which maketh the wicked to looke aloft while by reason of their riches and worldly glory they thinke themselues out of daunger and gunshot who must needes be deceyued bicause all fleshe is grasse and the glorye thereof as the flower of the fielde But Christ proceedeth on speaking in his spirite by Dauid and rehearseth the singular fruites of this studie and endeuour For this cause sayth he did my heart reioyce and my tongue was glad moreouer also my fleshe shall rest in hope Here are three thinges sayde euery which of them farre passeth all the riches of the worlde which as I sayde must be considered both in Christ and his members First he speaketh of ioye and of the ioye of the heart to teache vs that that is a true sounde and stable ioye He meaneth the same ioye which he afterwarde promiseth to his Disciples where he sayth Nowe ye haue sorrowe but I will see you againe and your heart shall reioyce and your ioye shall no man take from you Paule speaketh of the same bidding the Christians alwaye reioyce Principally it is meete we consider the cause of ioye For this cause sayth he my heart reioyced bicause the Lorde is on my right hande Then the
giuen vnto them so godly humilitie whether it be of men or of holy Aungels hath refused these thinges being offred them and sheweth to whome it is due Of these may be taken a sure rule wherby to iudge as well of all apparitions as doctrines For whosoeuer teacheth vs to trust in God and to serue him and to worship one God in Iesus Christ whether they be Aungels or men they ought to be taken for the holy ministers of God and we may safely beleeue them But whosoeuer teacheth vs to take the glorye of saluation from Christ and to conuey it to himselfe or to other creatures and seeketh health in mennes owne workes accursed be he yea if he were an aungell from heauen All apparitions of spirites counterfeyting the soules of men departed this life and teaching that they must be redeemed with sacrifices of Masse and such like workes are put to flight by this dart Likewise all false teachers which so abuse the simplicitie of men that they chalenge to themselfe the glory of redeeming and forgiuing of sinnes And Peter by his example condemneth the Romishe Antichristes which glory in the seate and succession of Peter of which number it is reported one sayd that there was nothing more profitable and plenteous than Christian religion For by it it came to passe that he and his like were Lordes of the world So the saying of one of them rashly vttered bewrayde the minde and opinion of them all We are also admonished by Peters wordes whome we should take for the author of all myracles Wherein men for the most part respect two things the power and holynesse of them by whose ministerie they are wrought But Peter teacheth vs that neyther of these is the cause efficient of these myracles in that he reprehendeth the Iewes bicause they thought so great a thing was wrought by the power and godlinesse of the Apostles And there want not reasons whereby to prooue Peters saying For they are called myracles that are wrought eyther against the course of nature or beside it But God only is the Lord of nature which hath giuen all power to Christ in heauen and in earth Wherfore it behooueth vs also to acknowledge him the author of all myracles For what can men doe against the order of nature which can doe nothing in the thinges wrought after the course of nature It is a naturall thing that by age mannes stature should encrease vntill he come to a iust measure and proportion and that when age commeth he shoulde waxe gray heared Now what man is there that by his carefulnesse and industry can adde one cubite to his stature or make one heare of his heade white or blacke No there is nothing here to be attributed to the holinesse of the person as though that were the chiefe cause of the myracle whereas we knowe there haue bene many holy men which coulde worke no myracles For myracles are woont to be wrought not for their sakes which doe them but most commonly for the saluation of other For the which cause God would many times vse the meane of wicked persons that nothing shoulde be attributed to the merites of men So we see Iudas numbred amongst them to whome Christ committed the preaching of the Gospell and gaue power to worke myracles And Christ sayth in an other place that many in the later day shall glory in their myracles whom he sayth he will not cast of for that they boast of a thing that is vntrue but bicause they be workers of wickednesse Therefore as myracles be not alwayes sure testimonies of the holynesse of men so neyther must they be ascribed to the holynesse of them that doe them For what can man doe contrary to nature which by reason of inwarde corruption is vnworthye of the naturall and daily benefites of God Therefore God onely is to be taken for the author of myracles of these I meane that serue for confirmation of our faith and saluation And he worketh these myracles not bicause we deserue them but for that he is carefull for our saluation For they are testimonies of the truth of his doctrine stirre vp mens mindes to the consideration of him That was also the meaning of them which were woont to be done about Saints tombes For the Lord by them ment to confirme their doctrine and to testifie their immortalitie and blisse which were cruelly tormented by the wicked persecutors of the faith that they which other wise shoulde be offended at their death might be comforted Let vs therefore hedge in and compasse all myracles with these limites that all the glory of them maye be ascribed to God alone Whosoeuer shall passe these boundes they shall eyther deceyue others being not aware with their myracles or else by others be deceyued themselues Let no man yet so take our saying as though we enuied the holye Saintes of God their honor and glory For we ascribe vnto them whatsoeuer the holy ghost in the Scriptures attributeth to them We acknowledge them while they were on the earth to haue bene singuler vesselles and instrumentes of Gods glorye and grace whose doctrine whosoeuer will be saued ought to holde with firme faith and to imitate the example of their life For we knowe that Christ hath sayde Hee that heareth you heareth me c. And we embrace this saying of Paule Be ye followers of me as I am of Christ. And nowe we beleeue they are in heauen taken from all the cares labours and griefes of this worlde as the holy men testifye of Abraham and the other Patriarches in the Prophete In the meane season whatsoeuer belongeth to the gouernaunce of this worlde and to the businesse of our redemption we teache it ought to be attributed to God through Iesus christ For as in the creation of this worlde he vsed the helpe and counsell of none other so will he that none other shall be partaker with him of the glory of our redemption Wherefore let vs thinke it vnlawfull to take any thing from him or to chalenge to our selfe or any other any maner of prayse therefore But let vs constantlye trust in him and cleaue onely to him by his beloued sonne Iesus Christ to whome be prayse honor glory and power for euer Amen The .xxij. Homelie THE God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Iacob the God of our fathers hath glorified his sonne Iesus whome yee deliuered and denied in the presence of Pylate when he had iudged him to be loosed But you denyed the holy and iust and desired a murtherer to be giuen you and killed the Lorde of lyfe whome God hath raysed from death of the which we are witnesses And his name through the fayth of his name hath made this man sounde And the fayth which is by him hath giuen to him this health in the presence of you all WE haue declared the first part of Peters sermon wherein he confuteth the ignorance
of the people and sheweth that the myracle done on the lame man was to be attributed neither to the power nor holynesse of men Nowe let vs see the seconde part wherein he maketh God the author of the myracle and teacheth them to haue a respecte vnto Christ Iesus in whose name it was done And bicause this is the chiefe poynt of all the sermon he handleth the same verye industriously and in apt order First he propoundeth the summe of the whole matter in fewe wordes Next he telleth them of their cruell wickednesse committed against the sonne of god Then at last returning to the purpose he declareth plainely all the whole meaning of the myracle The summe of all the matter is The God of Abraham Isaac and Iacob the God of our fathers hath glorified his sonne Iesus He comprehendeth in these wordes both how God is the author of the myracle and also howe the finall cause of the same was the glorifying of Iesus Christ the sonne of god And as at the first he shewed nothing was to be attributed to the power or holynesse of man so nowe he teacheth that all is to be referred to God the only author and to the glory or setting forth of his sonne Where we haue two things to obserue First howe in speaking of God he calleth him the God of Abraham Isaac and Iacob and to be short the God of the fathers which title or style God himselfe vseth often in the olde Testament And this is a great token of Gods loue whereby he declareth to vs his goodnesse The Princes of this worlde take to them names of the people and Nations that they haue vanquished and ouerrunne and thinke it a great glorye to be called Parthians Gothickes Almanickes Africanes and Numidians But what other thing doe men learne by these styles but that they haue destroyed this people and spoiled their countries with fire and sworde God dealeth farre otherwise which will be named after those men whome of fauour deseruing no such thing he hath bounde vnto him by an euerlasting couenant and of whome he looketh neyther for great spoyle nor any profyte but such as himselfe bringeth forth in them Yet Peter herein had respect to an higher matter and giueth those tytles to God which he thought were chiefely agreeing with the present matter in hande For first where he nameth the fathers he admonisheth them of the promises which God in times past made to the fathers concerning christ For to Abraham it was sayde I will be thy God and the God of thy seede after thee In thy seede shall all the Nations of the earth be blessed Which promise we reade was repeated afterwarde in Isaac and Iacob To speake nothing of Dauid and the Prophetes which are busilye occupied in setting forth the same promises It was profitable yea necessary that those promises shoulde be repeated bicause the Iewes a little before had denyed them all in the presence of Pylate saying they had nor looke for none other king but Caesar as hereafter we shall heare Therefore bicause they shoulde not thinke themselues vtterly fallen from the couenant and promises and premised to be past all hope of saluation Peter sheweth them that the same God liued and reigned yet still which in time past made the couenaunt with the fathers and had not forsaken Abraham Isaac and Iacob but euen as in the beginning so nowe also he woulde be called their God so that they woulde turne vnto him Furthermore to auoide the suspicion wherwith the Apostles were charged this title and style of God serued very much For many suspected that they preached a newe God a newe faith a new religion hitherto vnknowne to the fathers for the which cause many would not heare them many thought them worthy death according to the law of Moyses But Peter vsing this title of God so openly protesteth as it were that he acknowledgeth none other God than he which shewed himselfe in times past to the fathers nor preacheth none other faith or religion than that whereby the father 's pleased God and were saued To conclude he teacheth them what fathers the Iewes ought to marke and followe in faith and religion They gloried in certaine fathers of a later time such as after Moyses and the Prophetes came in and were the authors of manifolde superstition Whose traditions they obserued so straightly that they had rather breake the lawes of God than chaunge or leaue vndone any iote or poynt of them which thing Christ many times layde to their charge Neyther did any thing more set them against Christ and his Apostles than for that they did by their doctrine impugne the ordinances of the elders Therefore Peter maketh mention of Abraham Isaac and Iacob to declare that all fathers are not to be followed in religion For as God alone is the father of all men and Iesus Christ alone the maister of all men whom the father hath appointed to be the teacher of all the worlde so must we onely follow their steppes whose fayth and religion we knowe pleased God and of whose faith and integritie God doth vouchsafe to beare witnesse In the number of whome Abraham is the chiefe whome the Scripture therefore calleth a father of the beleeuing and of many Nations bicause as manye as embrace the faith of Iesus Christ which was imputed to him for righteousnesse appertaine vnto him Unto the same Abraham Christ beareth witnesse where he sayth he reioyced to see his daye and sayth as many as shall come from the East and West into the Church of God shall sit downe with him in the kingdome of heauen Hereof let the men of our age learne what vanitie it is to bragge of those younger sort of fathers which haue deuised or followed a newe trade of saluation besides christ Except we become the children of Abraham by faith in Christ we can be defended by no helpe or authoritie of others no though they were kings and Emperors Secondly let vs marke howe he sayth The God of our fathers glorified his sonne Iesus Yet he speaketh of the myracle done vpon the lame man the ende whereof he vttereth in these wordes we are here taught that the glorifying of Iesus Christ the sonne of God is the marke and ende of all the myracles of the new Testament wherevnto al they also which glorie in their myracles ought to haue respect The Euangelist by expresse wordes vttreth this ende saying Manye other signes did Iesus which are not written in this booke These are written that ye might beleue that Iesus is that Christ the sonne of God. And Christ himselfe speaking of the power of working myracles and of the iudgement giuen to him of his father teacheth this to be the ende therof that all men might honour the sonne as they honour the father And reasoning with his Disciples of Lazarus sickenesse he sayeth This infirmitie is not to death but for the
glorye of God that the sonne of God may be glorified by it Hereby it appeareth howe we shoulde iudge of those myracles and signes wherewith some men labour to seeke their priuate glorye and to bring men vnder them as schollers and seruantes whome Christ hath redeemed and sanctifyed with the pryce of hys bloude But bicause Peter had occasion to make mention of Christ he admonisheth his hearers very aptly and commodiously of the heynous trespasse which they committed against him And this doth he not lightly as one that doth but touch and go but layeth all the heynousnesse thereof open before their eyes For his Oration ascendeth as it were by certaine steppes the ende whereof is that they shoulde be striken with the consideration of so grieuous an offence and be enflamed with repentance and desire of saluation in christ First he sayth they deliuered the sonne of God to the Gentiles to be mocked and crucifyed But it is an horrible offence to deliuer an innocent to death and there are terrible iudgements of God against them that pollute themselues with bloude Looke Numer 35. But here is a greater and a more horrible thing For where God had chosen and consecrated to himselfe the Iewes out of all Nations none of them ought to haue bene deliuered to the prophane Gentyles to be mocked and put to death without a prophane contempt and treading vnder foote of God and his glorye Which seemeth to me was the cause that Christ speaking of his death maketh mention so many times how they should deliuer him to the Gentyles And that they thus did not by chaunce and at all aduentures but by the common counsell and consent of the Elders and with the lyking and allowance of the people which followed them vnto Pylates house as the Euangelistes testifie Besides this in the seconde place he sayth And yee denied him before Pylate And he speaketh not of a certaine light and tryfling deniall of him but of such an one as whereby they renounced all the promises of God touching their Messias and king that shoulde redeeme them and denied the hope of the fathers wherewith so many yeares they wayted for the comming of their Sauiour as we reade they did Iohn 19. For where Pylate still repeated to them the name of their king respecting no doubt the Messias promised which they all hytherto looked for they with great impietie crie out we haue no king but Caesar. Was then the promise made vnto Dauid to be vnderstanded of Caesar that of his sâ—ocke one shoulde be borne that should be a king for euer And is it to be vnderstanded of Tiberius that naughtie and wicked person where it is sayd Behold thy king commeth vnto thee euen the righteous and sauiour lowlye and so forth Therefore Peter chargeth them with such an impietie as whereby they spoyled themselues of saluation and all the promises of health and hope of saluation And least they shoulde lay the fault on Pylate as though they did it for feare of him he sayeth they themselues did it where Pylate iudged him to be loosed and gaue openly a testimonie of his righteousnesse and innocencie Therefore he affirmeth the Iewes were in fault who to fulfill all wickednesse and mischiefe made both themselues and their children guiltie of his bloude by publike and solemne protestation These thinges be horrible and yet the Iewes wickednesse did not herein staye or ende For Peter addeth you haue denyed that holy and righteous and desired a murtherer to be giuen you and haue kylled the author and Lorde of life He chargeth them with so bitter hatred against Christ and with such blindnesse that they were not ashamed to preferre a bloudye murtherer before christ And to make their wickednesse seeme the more heynous he vseth a comparison You denyed Iesus which was an holy person and a iust and in whome neyther the Bishops although they did what they coulde nor Pylate nor Herode coulde finde any faulte Furthermore you stewe him which was the author of lyfe yea the Lorde of lyfe and death whome you ought to haue knowne by reason of his myracles the late raising againe of Lazarus In the meane season you required a theefe a murtherer and a rebell to be deliuered you and set at libertie And where it was in your choyse and election whether you woulde haue forgetting all the benefites of Christ you were not ashamed to preferre a wicked theefe before him What coulde be sayde more cruell grieuous and horrible Yet Peter speaketh these things in that Citie yea in that Temple where they bare all the swinge that were the chiefe authors of this wyckednesse and who he knewe as yet breathed hatred against christ Therefore we are here againe taught with what libertie open wickednesse should be reprooued by them whome the Lorde hath appointed to be watchmen in his Church to shewe the daunger and sworde hanging ouer vs least men shoulde perishe through their owne slothe and negligence And there is no cause why we shoulde harcken to them which saye there is no neede of such vehemencie in these dayes forasmuch as there is none to whome such crueltie can be obiected Nay the Iewes onely haue not thus sinned but there be euen in these dayes that sinne as grieuously as euer they did A number deliuer Christ vnto death in that they euery where kill and burne the faithfull seruantes of christ Many denye him for feare more for fauour following the pleasure of men And they sinne not of simplicitie and ignorance as Peter herafter excuseth the Iewes For we haue seene many which quite against their conscience haue denyed christ My heart trembleth as oft as I remember that heynous offence that was committed by them who not onely denied the truth themselues but compelled those that belonged to them to denie the same and embraced a forme of religion which the very author and inuentor thereof allowed not The like impietie to that that was then committed hath not bene hearde of And God graunt they may all repent of their wickednesse that were faultie therein In the meane season we see howe these bloudye Barabasses euerye where reigne flourishe and are had in great price which for money are hyred and vsed to shed bloude and prouoke the wrath of God and horrible destruction against their countrie through their vngodlynesse Therfore such must be accused and where these things be openly committed and accounted no more for wicked there ought no modestie at all to be vsed But oh impietie and vngraciousnesse For nowe a dayes amongst the professours of Christianitie it is not lawfull to saye that that was lawfull for Peter to saye in the bloudie Citie of Ierusalem Wee be therefore in this respect woorse than Iewes that where we committe the same offences that they committed we cannot with like pacience abide to heare the worde of correction as they hearde it Peter returneth to his purpose to describe more plainly how God
out of Paule we declared Christ blesseth vs as he is a priest For it was the Priestes office to blesse the people as Moyses teacheth Numer 6. Although there is great difference betweene them Christ for they were ministers only of the figure and shadowe Christ doth not only wishe vs good but also giueth it and in him God blesseth vs with all spirituall blessing as Paule teacheth Ephe. 1. But Peter addeth the maner also of this blessing saying whyle he turneth euery man from his wickednesse For where of sinnnes the curse springeth there can be no place for blessing afore sinne be taken awaye Nowe Christ taketh them awaye yea he hath long sithence clensed them by the merite of his death for which cause the Baptist calleth him the lambe of God that taketh awaye the sinnes of the worlde He taketh not sinne away fo◠one time only but conuerteth all them frō their sinnes that beleeue in him For where he giueth them his spirite they be regenerated and renewed by him so that they which before were giuen to the bondage of sinne doe cast of the yoake of sinne and liue vnto God and beginne to serue him in studie of innocencie and charitie Whereby we gather that they are greatly deceyued which imagine Christ to be a patrone of carnall libertie and saye that by preaching of him we plant carelesse lyfe in the mindes of men Certainlye Christ came into the worlde to destroye the workes of the deuill But among these workes sinne hath the chiefe place as there is none that can denie Nay rather if we will confesse the truth there can be in vs no true turning from sinne but such as Christ is author of through his spirite according to that saying of Ieremie Conuert thou me and I shall be conuerted Agayne Turne thou vs vnto thee O Lord and so shall we be turned Furthermore before we make an ende we haue to be obserued that the Iewes abounding in so many prerogatiues dignities as both here and else where are declared in the .ix. to the Romaines receiued no cōmodity by any of them all but were forsaken of God for that through stubborne incredulitie they contemned Christ and despised the preaching of the gospell whereof Paule intreateth at large Rom. 11. Therfore all externe things are but vaine except we embrace Christ with true fayth who onely conuerteth vs from sinnes purgeth our sinnes reconcileth vs to God and maketh vs inheritors of the kingdome of heauen This Christ hath Peter in his sermon taught them and sheweth them that in him the treasure of saluation is opened vnto them notwithstanding it might seeme they were fallen from saluation and the grace of god Let vs therfore thinke these things spoken also vnto vs and labour to become the true members of Christ and to be quickened with his spirite that hereafter we may raigne with him in heauen to whome be prayse honour glory and power for euer Amen The fourth chapiter vpon the Actes of the Apostles The .xxvj. Homelie AS they spake vnto the people the Priestes and the Rulers of the Temple and the Saduceys came vpon them taking it grieuously that they taught the people and preached in Iesus the resurrection from death And they laide handes vpon them and put them in holde vntill the next day for it was now euentyde Howbeit many of them which hearde the wordes beleeued and the number of the men was about fiue thousande HItherto Luke hath described the beginning and successe of the primitiue church There haue we seene what the doctrine of the Apostles was which they deliuered vnto the Church also what the studies and exercises of the primitiue Church were Nowe herevnto is most commodiously adioyned how the worlde receyued this doctrine where we shall see howe the very same thing fell out that Christ before that shewed his Apostles of For in Iohn he sayth The seruant is not greater than his Maister If they haue persecuted me they will persecute you also If they haue kept my saying they will keepe yours Againe They shall deliuer you vp to the Councels and shall scourge you in their sinagoges And these things they whom God had hitherto kept safe from the furie of their enimies vntill the beginning of his Church myght be stablished and settled a little surer beginne nowe to finde true But nowe most fierce enimies sodenlye rushe in vppon them they take and cast them into prison they bring them to examination before the Counsayle and at length being vexed with long disceptation and reasoning they dismisse them with grieuous threates We must in all this narration marke this one thing chiefely aboue all other which shall serue much for our consolation and instruction that is not to be offended at the attempts of the wicked wherewith in these dayes they oppugne the doctrine of Christ and his Church For this worlde whose propertie it is to hate and persecute the light of the truth bicause it bewrayeth their naughtie doings vseth of olde thus for to doe Here it behooueth vs to be armed with the constancie of the primitiue Church that we leaue not our place when we are assaulted but that we wayte for an happie ende and successe of such temptation with a stronge and inuincible fayth which God graunteth vnto them whome he seeth tried and made the better vnder the crosse But bicause we shall haue occasion oftentimes to speake of these things let it suffice vs to haue touched this little hereof least we lose the marke whereto all these things must be directed Nowe we shall discusse euery part and circumstance of the things that Luke hath sayde He describeth who were the Apostles enimies and authors of their persecution what craftes and deceite they vsed what cloke they had for their wicked and vniust enterprise howe violently they layde handes on the Apostles and howe vaine their attempt was bicause through their furie the number of the faythfull were rather increased than diminished Among the enimies of the Apostles there are three kindes of men rehearced The first are Priestes whome by the circumstaunces we may easilye gather were the ringleaders and beginners of all this businesse Howbeit it had bene their partes rather to haue taken vppon them the defence of the truth and to haue preached Christ vnto the people of whome Moyses and the Prophetes bare witnesse After these followeth the Ruler of the Temple who by all likelyhoode was some Capitaine of the Romaine souldiors For where the Temple stoode in the most impregnable place of the Citie and was well fenced with munition I suppose the Romaynes gaue the Presidentes of Iurie a speciall charge thereof least the Iewes vnder colour of religion and holy assemblies shoulde mooue any insurrection or sedition And vndoubtedly the Capitaine of the Temple brought with him his garde or souldiors which alwayes attended on his seruice were at his commaundement There was a thirde kinde of men
for their faithfull endeuour and godlynesse and not to be offended if the like also fall out vpon vs. But least we shoulde haue any iust occasion to be offended the Euangelist teacheth vs how little the wicked with all their tyrannie preuayled against Christ and his Church Many sayth he of them that heard the words beleeued and the number of the men was about fiue thousande What shoulde we here first saye or marueyle at O brethren The vnspeakable power of God or the woonderfull constancie and boldenesse of the faythfull of that time Here appeareth the inuincible power of Christ which doth not only scatter the counsell of his enimies but also turneth it vpside downe which Dauid once prophecied he should doe They go about to stoppe the course of the Gospell and by feare to pull men from the Church of Christ. But they are so deceyued that rather maye be perceyued a marueylous fruite of the Gospell and newe scholers are added vnto the Church of Christ. This is the perpetuall condicion of the Church that by persecutions it encreaseth The same came to passe longe agone in Babylon what time the kinges of Assiria and Persia did set forth God and his religion Under the Romaine Emperours the whoter the persecution was the more there were that thought it a goodlye matter to confesse Christ with their bloude This is it that Dauid sayth Christ shall reigne or beare rule in the middle of his enimies Let vs followe the boldenesse of the primitiue Church and not be feared with the crosse or rage of persecutors They shewe crueltie but vppon our bodies and that no further than God permitteth but vppon our soule they haue no power at all They binde the Preachers of the worde and the faithfull hearers but the worde of God cannot be bounde For the spirite of the Lorde bloweth not where the worlde will but where it selfe will. Further he is greater that worketh in vs than he that so rageth in the worlde Christ worketh in vs through whose comfort we are able to doe all things He is a strong and faithfull shepeherde which will not suffer his sheepe to be taken from him He hath prepared for vs a place in heauen to the which it becommeth vs by the crosse and all maner of tribulations to come that we may liue with him and reigne in the house of his father To whome be prayse honour power and glory for euer Amen The .xxvij. Homelie AND it came to passe on the morowe that their Rulers and Elders and Scribes and Annas the chiefe priest and Caiphas and Iohn and Alexander and as many as were of the kinred of the high priestes gathered togither at Ierusalem And when they had set them before them they asked By what power or in what name haue you done this Then Peter full of the holye ghost sayde vnto them you Rulers of the people and Elders of Israel if we this daye be examined of the good deede that we haue done to the sicke man by what meanes he is made whole Be it knowen vnto you all and to all the people of Israell that by the name of Iesus Christ of Nazareth whome you crucified whome God raysed vp againe from death euen by him doth this man stande here present before you whole This is the stone which was cast awaye of you builders which is become the chiefe of the corner Neyther is there saluation in any other For amonge men vnder heauen there is giuen none other name wherein we must be saued ALthough our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christ according to his promises neuer fayleth those which embrace him with true fayth yet hee chiefly succoureth them when they are persecuted of their enimies and finde no helpe in man wherevnto to leane And then he comforteth them not onely with his spirite but also sheweth them what to doe and to saye This present hystorie giueth vs an example hereof whyle the wyse men and of greatest power in the world after the worlds iudgement be ouercome and shamefully confounded by Christes Apostles being but vnlearned men and of no estimation We haue seene howe the Apostles were had to prison bicause they tooke vpon them the office of preaching and taught howe Christ was risen from death being not licensed thereto of the Bishops But now Luke declareth how they handled Christes cause before the counsell at Ierusalem which place as well for many other skilles as for this chiefely is notable bicause it containeth the craftynesse of the enimies of truth and an example of a counsell of Bishops assembled against the truth He beginneth with the benche of the Iudges which he painteth out with a diligent rehearsall of all them that were gathered togither not only bicause we should vnderstande who and what maner of men were assembled but also that we might perceyue howe the enimies of truth trust more in the authoritie and power of men than in any thing else It came to passe sayde he that their Rulers and Elders and Scribes of Hierusalem c. Whatsoeuer was of any excellencie or authoritie among the Iewes he comprehendeth in three degrees They are Rulers to whome the Romaines had committed the gouernaunce of such thinges as chiefely concerned the constitutions and rules of Iurie wherein they differed from others The Elders were the state of the Senators as appeareth by other places of the Scripture The Scribes are they which attributed to themselues the knowledge of the lawe and the Scriptures and who had the keeping of the publike writings and recordes And not contented to haue rehearsed these degrees he reciteth also the names of certaine other of most authoritie amongest them that is to saye Annas who seemeth here to be the high Priest not bicause he was then Bishop for the hystories report that Caiphas was this yeare Bishop but bicause he had bene Bishop before then Caiphas Iohn and Alexander wherevnto afterwarde he ioyneth all those that were of the high Priests kinred Now if you consider well this bench you shall perceiue there was nothing at that present of greater honour For they whose power was of most authoritie with the Romaine Presidentes were all assembled togither They also were there to whome the publike administration of the Church was committed And they whose name and fame for learning and doctrine was greatest among the people were there But herein stoode the chiefe poynt of all others that these degrees of men were instituted of God and commended for the succession of about a thousande and fiue hundred yeares if we count from the departure of the children of Israel out of Egypt or from the time that Aaron was Byshop vntill the dayes of Christ and his Apostles And in deede they might call themselues the successors of Aaron Eleazar Abiathar Iehosuah and others to whome there is no small prayse attributed in the Scriptures With these men are the Apostles coped yea they are brought before them
shoute required to haue Christ most shamefully crucifyed There are infinite lyke examples which teach vs that Tirauntes cannot allwaye doe what they list These serue to encourage vs that we be not afrayde at the vaine threates of the worlde but to follow our vocacion boldely and not to doubt of Gods defence and ayde who hauing nombred the heares of our heade will suffer nothing to happen vnto vs without his good prouidence and pleasure He defendeth those that be his in the middle of Babylon and Egipt as long as he seeth they serue to set fourth his glorie and to bring other into the way of saluation And when they haue finished their course he calleth them vnto him And although it may then seeme the wicked haue some power vpon them yet is it none other but that they ryd the godly out of this myserable dungeon of the flesh whereas they themselues in the meane season fill vp the measure of their iniquitie and be receiued into Hell among them which brought feare into the lande of the lyuing Furthermore we may behold the state and condicion that tyrants are in when they seeme to be of most power and authority that is to say how while they go about to put many in feare they stande in feare of many The same cōmeth to passe in them that we see fal out among cruell beasts such as are Beares Lions Panthers other like These beasts are fierce against all they meete with are feared of all men Yet men make taltrops digge pits for them and make engines to kill them wherby it commeth to passe many times that that beast which not long before made an whole country afraid is killed by the hande of some one man the most cowarde and fearefullest of al other men Tyrants many times find it so commeth to passe by them and therefore they are still vexed wyth the preposterous feare and dread of the people and going about to make all men afrayde liue in feare of them that are nearest about them as Luke in this place saith these men did Hence proceede those exquisite gardes that Tyrauntes haue about them for preseruation of their bodies and lyfe For this cause most times they wage souldiours and armed men out of straunge Countries and promyse them selues more safety in the defence of straungers than in their owne countrymen bicause among straungers they thinke there be none that hope for any gaine by their death For this cause Masinissa King of Numidia being both in amitie and league with the people of Rome and hauing foure and fiftie children garded his bodie with mastiues and bande dogs reposing in them a more sure succour and defence than in men whome he knewe hee had many times offended What shall we say of Dionysius which caused his daughters to learne the Barbers craft bycause he woulde not commit his throte to the handes of men And after his daughters were mariageable woulde trust them no longer nor neuer woulde company wyth any of his wyues before they were dilygently searched and ransaked But Histories be ful of these examples which may both comfort vs against tyrantes and teach all men that be in authoritie to doe iustlye and truely and not to thinke their lyfe safe through vnbrydeled authoritie For the more they make afrayde the more they prouoke to lye in wayte for their goodes and lyues And whosoeuer be ledde wyth the feare of God and thinke to follow his commaundements and moderate their authoritie and power after the same although sometimes the wicked craftily laye wayte for them yet shall they perceyue that God defendeth them who can easily scatter the deuyses of all that are seditious as we are taught by the examples of Dauid and Ezechias Last of all Luke telleth what the Apostles did after they were let gone saying They came vnto their fellowes and shewed them all that the highe Priestes and Elders had sayde So they declare all the matter to the congregation both for that they woulde mooue them to prayer as the things following declare and also that perceyuing the threates and attemptes of their enimies they might all arme themselues with a christian valiantnesse and pacience and as farre as they might without preiudice of religion take heede of their ginnes and snares By which example we are taught that it is lawfull for Ministers of the Church to declare openly to the congregation whatsoeuer the professed enimies of the truth take in hande agaynst Christ and his flocke Which thing manye nowe a dayes thinke not onely superfluous but also to haue in it some likelyhoode of sedition when eyther the Popes Bulles or the decrees of Synodes and Counsayles and horrible threates of Antychrist are recited before the Congregation But by these mennes iudgement both Christ and his Apostles shall be accused of sedition who it is euident many times thus did Let vs rather remember that the Ministers of the Churche are appointed to be shepeheardes and watchmen It is therefore their dutie to rebuke Woolues and to warne the sheepe of daungers at hande The ende of all these things is that the faithfull shoulde turne vnto God by prayers and amendement of lyfe and be armed with Christian fortitude and constancie of fayth that when we haue ouercome all the attemptes of our enimies we may be taken at length into the blessed kingdome of Iesus Christ to whome be praise honor power and glory for euer Amen The .xxx. Homelie AND when they hearde that they lift vp their voyces to God with one accorde and sayde Lorde thou art God which hast made heauen and earth the sea and all that in them is which by the mouth of thy seruaunt Dauid hast sayde why did the heathen rage and the people imagine vaine things The kinges of the earth stoode vp and the Rulers came togither against the Lorde and against his annoynted for of a truth against thy holy childe Iesus whom thou hast annoynted both Herode and also Pontius Pylate with the Gentyles the people of Israel gathered themselues togither to do whatsoeuer thy hande and thy counsell determined before to be done And nowe Lorde beholde their threatenings and graunt vnto thy seruantes that with all confidence they may speake thy worde So that thou stretch foorth thine hande that healing and signes and woonders bee done by the name of thy holy chylde Iesus And as soone as they had prayed the place moued where they were assembled togither and they were all filled with the holy ghost AS our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ doth oftentimes make mention of the persecutions of the godly so the holy ghost woulde haue Luke diligently to set forth the persecutions of the primitiue Church not only for to maintaine the truth of Christes sayinges but partly for that we shoulde not be offended at the aduersitie and tribulation wherwith the church is now a dayes troubled as at a straunge and vnwoonted thing and partly for that we
morning the Bishops come togither and call an assembly or counsell consulting which waye they maye quench the fire of the Gospell But the Lorde from aboue laughing at them and meaning to make all the worlde laugh at them by the helpe of one Aungell deliuereth the Apostles out of prison and marueylously eludeth the counsell of their enimies who thought themselues craftie and wyly ynough But bicause it seemed good to the holy ghost to describe all the partes of this hystorie we also must thinke no studie or diligence to much to search them out bicause we maye receyue much profite by our traueyle therein First therefore let vs consider the Counsell to the which we sayd they busily addressed and hyed themselues the circumstaunces whereof beyng considered we shall perceyue all things declaring a shew and countenance of a lawfull Counsayle The chiefe in the Counsayle is the high Priest who in these cases was appoynted of God to haue the highest authoritie and who by Goddes apoyntment was most to be obeyed For sentence of death was long ago giuen against them which durst obstinately despise the Priestes saying To him be adioyned the other Priestes least anye man might thinke the Bishop did any thing of his priuate affection And least any man also might suspect the whole order of Priests the Elders were also called the institution of which order was long before appoynted of God and represented the forme of the whole Church Furthermore they take vnto them the Capitaine of the Temple with the other publike Officers that bicause they woulde seeme to doe nothing against the common weale These things being thus ordeyned what letteth nowe that this should not be a Counsell lawfully gathered togither Surely touching outwarde appearance you can easily require none other thing But if a man regarde the ende of all this doing it shall appeare they were not gathered togither by the holy ghost but by the instigation of Satan and that therefore no good or godly person ought to obey or submit himselfe to them For they assembled togither to oppresse the truth and they go about to ouerthrowe the kingdome of Christ by conspiracie Thys place teacheth vs to iudge of counsayles which are now a daies in euery mans mouth bicause manye suppose controuersies of religion can not be decyded wythout a generall counsayle Touching whose opinion as I will not nowe dispute so it seemeth to me it would be very profitable if such a free and generall counsell might be obteyned wherein all controuersies might be concluded by the onely worde of God such as was the Synode of the Apostles whereof shall be spoken in the .xv. chapter and such as we knowe those olde counsayles were of Nicaea Constantinople Ephesus and Chalcedon and such other as the godly Emperours by their authoritie gouerned and ruled least the ambition of Byshops might kindle more cōtention But whether we may hope for any such like in these dayes I can not easily tell bicause I see none of the contrary parte contented to forsake their possession of the Church wrongfully vsurped nor wylling to submyt themselues to the iudgement of others Agayne if we consider what counsels haue beene these many yeres since the Bishops of Rome gate the supremacie ouer the Church no man that is in hys right wits can looke for any goodnesse to come of them bicause they obserue not so much as any outwarde shewe of a lawfull counsayle For to beginne with the chiefe poynt Their counsayles vse to be summoned and called by the Byshops of Rome whose supremacie is not ordeyned of God and is most contrarie to the glorie of christ They also will be the chiefe rulers Presidents and Iudges of the counsell which ought rather to pleate their cause and to gyue an account of their stewardship which many yeres now hath bene requyred of them They haue Bishops sytting which them not such as Paule requyreth but such as the God on earth vseth to create from whome if a man take their pieuishe and stage play apparell and vayne names and tytles they shall haue nothing left that representeth any show of Byshoply duetie or dignitie And they onely haue authoritie to gyue sentence which are not worthy the lowest rowme in the Church but are by Gods sentence long since excommunicated For the Prophet affirmeth that the Chanaanites that is to say sellers of holye thinges shall haue no place in the Lordes house And such as they did Christ long since dryue out of the Iewish temple And Christ sayth in his reuelation that Infidels Murtherers Whoremongers Wytches Idolaters and all lyers haue their place prepared in the lake burning with fyre and Brymstone And who I pray you is so impudent that will denie but a many of them are polluted with these vyces which yet haue onely the power and authoritie to iudge matters of religion And although they vse to call Emperours kings and princes to their counsayle it skilleth not bicause it is euident they haue all sworne obedience to the Pope and are not accounted for Catholikes onlesse they giue vp themselues wholy to the Sea of Rome Wherfore thys outward shewe representeth no lawfull counsayle but with a vayne visure beguyleth the simple and vnwarie And if a man marke the ende wherevnto they referre all thing it shall appeare more plainely that they seeke onely the oppressing of the truth and the ghospell than needeth with many words to be declared For this doth the bloud of the Martyrs of Christ testifie which they haue shed and most greedily thirst after The warres whereof they haue bene the first authors agaynst the mainteyners of the true fayth doe prooue the same They confesse the same in their Bulles wherby they summon and call counsellers For they so burne in hatred of the truth that where they are wholy couered with hypocrisie and furnished at all points to cloke and dyssemble all things yet can they herein little or nothing dissemble their great hatred but openly professe that which they long ago haue conceyued against the Ghospell Therefore let them that desyre the ouerthrowe of Christes church and kingdome and will wittingly perishe submit matters of fayth and religion to their iudgement But whosoeuer hath a care of his owne saluation of the glorie of Christ and safetie of the Church let him vnderstande that this saying of Dauid chiefly belongeth to this place Blessed is that man that hath not walked in the counsell of the vngodly nor stande in the way of sinners and hath not sitte in the seate of the scornefull But let vs let passe these matters and come to the priestes and Elders who hauing consulted about the Apostles sende their seruaunts to the prison to bring them before the counsell And here the Lorde agaynst whom they stroue doth marueylously mocke and deryde them For the seruaunts finde the Apostles deliuered out of prison They returne to their maysters and so declare the matter that they
heare the Apostles aunswere very Apostolike and venerable by reason of the grauitie thereof which may be deuided into three partes First they put awaye the crime of disobedience Secondly they aunswere the other two obiections briefely And last of all they declare the whole matter of Christs kingdome if happily they might winne any of them vnto the same The fault of disobedience they excuse briefely not denying they were forbidden to preache but replying that they ought to obey God more than men Which sentence they before also so propounded that they made the Priestes themselues Iudges thereof bicause all men endued with common reason and vnderstanding might easilye perceyue the authoritie and truth thereof But forasmuch as they perceyue the Priestes growne to such impudencie that they sticke not to preferre their owne authoritie before Gods they boldlye and plainely repeate the same agayne In these wordes we may learne the true trade of obedience For they deny not that men must be obeyed to whome God hath giuen rule ouer vs such as be our parentes teachers Officers maisters and Lords but that we must obey God more than them They therefore appoynt certaine boundes and limittes of obedience within the compasse whereof they must walke which shall prescribe others what to doe For parentes haue left them their authoritie ouer their children Magistrates haue their power reserued by doctrine of the Gospell ouer their subiectes And that authoritie which God hath giuen to the Ministers of his worde must not be broken or violated And Peter in another place commaundeth seruants to obey their maisters though they be vnreasonable and waywarde The lyke reason is also of persons maried and of all others whome God hath made superiours ouer other But if they beginne to abuse their power and dignitie and will take vpon them to commaunde things contrary to the lawes of God and to the dutie that we owe him we must then run vnto the rule of Peter not suffer the authoritie of man and counterfayte shewe of Gods institution to preiudice or derogate any thing from Gods commaundement For assoone as they beginne to passe their boundes and to resist God they are but meere men and not to be accounted as the ministers of god But bicause we haue spoken hereof before let these fewe wordes suffice for this time Secondly they aunswere the other two crimes in one saying The God of our fathers hath raysed vp agayne Iesus whome yee slewe and hanged on tree In fewe wordes they dispatch two things The first is the God of our fathers hath raysed vp Iesus that is to saye we preache that Iesus and sauiour which we haue not imagined of our owne heade but which the God of our fathers once promised yea whome he from euerlasting ordeyned to be the sauiour of the world Therfore no man ought to accuse our doctrine eyther as new or false And I see none other cause why they make mention of the fathers but for that they woulde put them in minde of the promises reuealed to the fathers concerning christ Where by the waye may be perceyued the antiquitie and infallible certaintie of the Christian fayth and religion And we maye vse the same argument in these dayes against them which accuse our doctrine of newnesse and falshoode For why is it called new which preacheth Christ that was promised from the beginning of the world Why is it called false which sheweth vs saluation in him that is the way the light and the truth The seconde is where he speaketh of Iesus saying whom ye slewe and hanged on tree As though he should say we go not about to bring vpon you the blode of Christ nor to charge you with his death For you your selues were the authors principalles of that heynous deede you condemned him by your consents delyuered him to Pylate you required him to be put to death when Pylate iudged him to be let loose It was you that sayd His bloud be vpon vs vpon our children These things al men know bicause they were openly done And though we would holde our peace yet the thing it selfe cryeth out and will not be kept hid c. We learne by the Apostles example with what constancie and libertie we must cope with the professed enimies of the truth It behooueth vs boldly to defend the quarrel of the truth We must also freely reprooue their wickednes that they thinke not men be afraid of them For such is the nature of wicked Bishops that the more they be feared the more fierce they waxe bicause they think their craft is not yet espied But if a man withstand them to their face then their combe is cut Hence springeth that constancie of the prophets wherby they withstoode most mightie princes For this cause Christ which was the myldest of all other men seemeth to thunder when he hath to doe with the Scribes Phariseis whom he knew to be altogither incurable Therfore their modestie is preposterous that now a dayes flatter Popes Bisshops who in deede are greater enimies of the truth worse than the Iewishe Priests Howbeit least they might seeme to neglect them which perhaps might be woonne they briefly set forth the whole hystory of Christ and of our saluation and confirme the same with most sure testimonies which is the thirde part of this Apologie or defence For they say Him hath God lift vp with his right hand to be a ruler and a Sauiour for to giue repentance vnto Israel and forgiuenesse of sinnes And we be witnesses or recordes hereof c. In these wordes both Christ himselfe and the maner and meane whereby he giueth vs saluation is described And they saye Christ is not onely a sauiour but the Prince of saluation exalted by the right hande and power of god In the Scriptures mention is oftentimes made howe Christ is a King and Prince chiefely in the Psalmes and sermons of the Prophetes For herevnto belong the things reade in the Psalmes ij xlv.lxxxix.cx c. Mich. 5. And the Aungell Gabriel seemeth to haue alluded herevnto where he sayth he shall sit in the chaire of Dauid his father and of his kingdome shall be none end Thus the holy ghost teacheth vs that Christ is not only the minister of our saluation but is the author which by his owne power hath deliuered vs from the tyrannie of the deuill also that he is so mightie a sauiour that no man is able to resist him Neither did he by force take vnto him that honor but when he had most lowly humbled himselfe that name was giuen vnto him that is aboue all names in the which euery knee shoulde bowe c. This serueth for our comfort in temptations For where Christ is a mightie king whome the right hande of God hath exalted and to whome all power is giuen in heauen and in earth it shall be an easie matter for him to defende vs neyther
The time is come that iudgement must begin at the house of god If it first beginne at vs what shall be the ende of them which beleeue not the gospell of God And if the righteous scarcely be saued where shall the vngodlye and the sinner appeare Woulde God these people woulde marke well these things which of our afflictions in these dayes the consideration whereof ought to serue for amendment of their life take occasion of great impietie and blasphemie Thirdly it is not to be neglected howe Christ delyuereth his Apostles from perill of death but yet suffereth them to be beaten with roddes By which example he teacheth vs to shake of carelesnesse from our mindes least hauing escaped some one daunger we suppose all things after to be safe and in quyet but we must rather thinke there remayneth for vs other conflicts wherevnto we must prepare and make readie our selfe For the which cause God euerie where exhorteth vs to watch and to pray And we want not examples that teach vs how vnhappie an ende commeth of carnall securitie and slouthfulnesse But let vs also see the other thing which they did otherwise than Gamaliel counsailed them These wicked Bishops the other sitting with them renewed the decree whereof mention was made in the chapter before going and commaunded the Apostles that from thenceforth they shoulde teache no more in the name of Iesus that is that they should not preache the Gospell This is a great argument of stubbornesse which is peculyar to the wicked For where in all other things they are tossed to and fro with diuers affections and are light and inconstant yet they remaine most firmly in the hatred of the truth and most earnestly vrge whatsoeuer thinges they thinke make for the ouerthrowe thereof But let vs diligently marke the tenour and fourme of their decree whereby they forbid them to speake in the name of Iesus Thus the name of Iesus Christ is hated of the wicked The worlde can after a sort abide the doctrine of penaunce and forgiuenesse of sinnes For both in tymes passed the wise men of the Gentiles wrate many thinges touching repentaunce and pourging of sinnes and in these dayes the Papistes much intreate of both these poyntes and Articles And where as the thinges they say come out of the closet of humane reason they easily admyt and allowe them bicause they are wonte to be ledde with the reason of the fleshe But assoone as repentaunce and remission of sinnes is preached in the name of Christ according as he hath commaunded this doctrine the worlde cannot away with all bicause it is contrarie to the things which mans wisedome hath inuented in matters of religion and saluation wherein men commonly vse greatly to glorie For if Christ giue vs true repentaunce as Peter before hath taught vs and we be not authors thereof our selfe then the libertie of our will is fallen mans power is dashed and we haue no cause to glorie any more in our merites Yea that is founde true that Christ sayth without me you can doe nothing Likewise is that saying of Paule true It is God that worketh in vs both the will and the deede Againe what hast thou that thou hast not receyued And if thou hast receyued it why reioycest thou as though thou hadst not receyued it Againe if we haue remission of sinnes in the name of Christ then is the glorie of our satisfactions quayled and the trust in our owne workes is found vaine ridiculous yea an impious and blasphemous Fayre or market of holy things the which couetous men that thinke gayne good religion haue brought in Further where the heynousnesse of sinne is such that it could no way be taken awaye but by Christes bloude onelye it easily appeareth howe earnestly and feruently we ought to labour that we fall not agayne from that holynesse and libertie into the which we be brought by the benefite of christ And here are opened the springs of christian discipline without the which the profession of a christian name serueth more to damnation than to saluation Yet men of their corrupt nature and disposition abhorre from all these things Whereby it commeth to passe that they can not paciently brooke and heare the doctrine of Iesus Christ. It is profitable to consider these things least the ignorant suspect the doctrine of the Gospell which we see the worlde so enuyeth and hateth Let vs passe from the wicked enimies of Christ to his elect vessels the Apostles and let vs see howe they here behaued themselues Of whome Luke telleth specially two things First that they went from the Counsell reioycing that they were counted worthy to suffer rebuke for Christs name sake The other is that they ceased not daily both in the temple and in euery house to teach and preach Iesus christ Of both which we haue the more diligently to intreate bicause they serue much to our comfort and instruction The Apostles reioyce that they are in reproch beaten with rods Let no man imagine the Stoikes indolency or want of affections in them or that they were so farre out of their wittes that they coulde not iudge betweene honor and shame For it is both euident they were men and also subiect to the affections that are in men and such as had diuers times defended their good name agaynst the sclaunders of the wicked They reioyce that for Christes name sake they were able to suffer shame Where we see two weightie causes of ioye concurring togither For first it is euident all men are sinners and that euen in the godlye remayne smatches of sinne whereby they manye times grieuously offende so that they deserue to be punished of god But such is the goodnesse and clemency of God that he sendeth such punishmentes vnder the name of Christ and for the truth which ought to be punishmentes for sinne Which is as if a Prince should deliuer a thiefe which had deserued hanging from shamefull death and woulde sette him in the fore fronte among the chiefe of his Court to fight for the libertie and safetie of his kingdome And it is verye lyke the Apostles had this consideration who could not as yet forget what they had commmitted partly by their fowle flying awaye and partly by their fowle deniall when Christ was taken And where their mindes hitherto might be in doubt nowe haue they an infallible argument of Christes reconciliation perceyuing that they are made partakers of his crosse and affliction Herevnto is to be ioyned another cause proceeding of Christes promises whereby he promiseth the ioyes of the kingdome of heauen to them which suffer persecution for righteousnesse his names sake For he sayth Blessed are they which suffer persecution for righteousnesse sake for theirs is the kingdome of heauen Blessed are you when men reuyle and persecute you and shall falsly say all maner of euill sayings against you for my sake Reioyce and be glad for great is your rewarde in
all maner wisedome of the Aegyptians and was mightie in deedes and in wordes ALthough God taught our first fathers the fayth and waye of saluation which is founded on the merite of Iesus Christ onely and therefore his doctrine onely is most auncient and most true yet euery where it is accused of noueltie and falshoode The cause is that men more regarde such outwarde signes and shewes as spring of their owne deuyse and brayne than the worde of god Therefore it commeth to passe that whyle they looke onely to these externall things they take them for authors of newe opinions and enimies of Gods religion which teache the contrarie and labour to bring agayne the way of saluâ—tion and true religion that God hath ordeyned and instituted This thing came to passe in Steuen who teaching the gospell of Iesus Christ at Ierusalem and sending the people from the ceremonies of the lawe vnto Christ was by and by accused as one that deadly hated the temple and true worshipping of god He excuseth himselfe not in wordes onely but also in deede For gathering togither an hystorie of the fathers he declareth that they followed none other waye of fayth and saluation than that which is in Christ. He bringeth his historie from the verie origine and beginning of the nation vntill the comming of Israell into Egypt and the death of the Patriarches Nowe he beginneth to declare the increasing and deliuerie of the people wherin he vseth great diligence bicause the deliuerie out of Egypt was a figure of the redemption made by Christ whereby we are also taught what state the Churche hath bene in in all ages of the worlde and shall be still Now the verie same scope and ende aswell of this part as of the things aboue rehearsed is to shewe that the Iewes were delyuered through no merite of their workes or obseruaunce of the lawe but through the singuler benefite of Gods fauour and grace according to his former promises Whervpon he gathereth that the meane of true religion and saluation consisteth not in outwarde ceremonies but rather in fayth which taketh holde of the grace and promises of god But bicause we shall intreate of all these things in theyr place at thys present we will speake of the increasing of the people and of Moses their delyuerer both which things Steuen toucheth in the wordes alreadie read The multiplication of the people in Egypt he prooueth by two arguments ought not to be ascribed to anye counsell or industrie of man but vnto the goodnesse and fauour of god The first argument he taketh of the cause efficient the seconde of the state and condition of the time Assoone sayth he as the tyme of promise drewe nighe which God had sworne vnto Abraham the people grewe and multiplyed in Aegypt But that this promise was of fauour none will denie for as much as it was made vnto the Iewes being not yet borne and is manifest that Abraham was chosen of meere fauour and called out of Chaldea Whereby is gathered that this people was preserued by the grace of God and grewe to such a multitude as other wheres Moses reporteth It is verie worthy the consideration that the godly Martyr appointeth a certayne time to Gods promise whereof he knewe mention was made in the worde of god Where in the fourth generation Abrahams posteritie is promised to be delyuered from the yoke of seruitude The hystorie agreeth verie fitly with the promise where it teacheth that Moses the Captaine of the people was the fourth from Iacob For Iacob begat Leui Leui begat Cahad and of Cahad was borne Amram who as it is written was Moses and Aarons father We are taught by thys place that not only the effects of things comming to passe among men but also the causes and the circumstances are comprised within the prouidence of god For what can that euerlasting minde neglect which both numbreth the heares of our heade and hath also most exact knowledge of the flowers of the fielde and byrdes of the ayre That he compriseth also all tymes and seasons Christ himselfe testifyeth where he reprehendeth hys Disciples bicause they were inquisitiue of thinges such as his father had reserued in hys owne power onely The consideration of these things must serue for our consolation when we be in great distresse or trouble and see God so deferre his helpe that it might seeme he had both forgotten vs and his promises Then let vs remember that God hath appoynted a certayne time when to perfourme his promises which God will neuer let so to ouerpasse but he will helpe them that trust in hym It is our dutyes in the meane whyle to wayte and abyde for the helpe of God and to appoint him no time or order when or howe to doe hys pleasure Tarie thou the Lordes leysure sayth Dauid put thy trust in him and he shall comfort thine heart Yea it is sayde in other places they haue tempted the Lorde that haue prescribed him anye time to shewe his power or will in suche as were those in the desert that durst aske fleshe and the Nobles of Bethulia which sayde they woulde wayte but fiue dayes for the helpe of god Let vs vse this Tryacle and Conserue against the impaciencie and waywardenesse of our fleshe and thinke that God bringeth his affayres about in their certayne times and places and yet in the meane whyle forsaketh not such as put their hope in hym The other argument is taken of the state of the tymes wherein the people was increased For it would haue seemed no great marueyle if the people had multiplied among them which remembring Ioseph and hys benefites would haue cherished them and done for them as it appeereth the former kings of Egypt did But the people of the Iewes grewe and multiplied euen agaynst the willes of the chiefe rulers and they stryuing all they coulde agaynst it For there arose a newe king which knewe not Ioseph and had no regarde of the benefites before done vnto them Thys king not onely neglected the people of Israell but let all others misvse them and craftily set vpon them and made all Egypt to hate them and suspect them and vsed such crueltie and tyrannie against them that not contented to bereaue them of libertie alone and to oppresse them with bondage he caused their children at their birthe time eyther to be kylled or else after they were borne to be throwne awaye or else to be sought for by the ministers of hys crueltie and other wayes to be made out of the way See Exodus the first chapter Yet this notwithstanding the people grewe and increased exceedingly lyke a palme tree rose vp despite of the tyranny that oppressed it and kept it downe Who therfore doth not acknowledge this to be a certayne singuler worke of Gods goodnesse and that it ought not to be ascribed to anye ceremonies seing there are none at thys tyme as yet appointed
natiuitie For when the Iewes had lost their libertie and were compelled to pay taxe and tribute to a straunge Prince and an Ethnike and euery man was ceassed by Cyrenius then was that promised and so long looked for Sauiour of the world borne Yea he was borne of the stocke of Dauid where as it had lost all dignitie and seemed as Esaye once sayde a rotten and vnprofitable stocke Therfore let no man despayre in imminent afflictions The seconde argument whereby he prooueth Moses to bee saued by the mercy of God he taketh of his Parents who brought him vppe three moneths at home at their house contrary to the kings commaundement For this was as Paule testifyeth and interpreteth it Hebr. 11. a worke of fayth whereby they respecting Gods mercie and his promises were so comforted that they durst breake the kings commaundement But that fayth and boldenesse of minde are the gyftes of God is more euident than needeth long proofe So therefore must the fayth of Moyses parents be considered that we encouraged by their example must learne to contemne those wicked commaundementes oftyrauntes which no man can obey with godlynesse For in such thinges must Peters rule be followed which plainely sayth we must rather obey God than men Thirdly he rehearseth the order and maner howe Moyses was saued that the grace and power of God may the more appeere For Pharaos daughter tooke him being cast out into the riuer Nylus and brought him vp as if it had bene hir owne sonne Furthermore being trayned vppe in the Court in all maner of wisedome of the Egyptians he became expert in all qualities belonging to a ruler and gouernour Who will in these thinges attribute anye thing to mannes desertes or merites who will not acknowledge Gods singuler grace and fauour Here is the power of God marueylous woonderfull who disappoynteth and laugheth at tyrants enterprises Pharao bringeth vp in his owne Court and as it were in hys owne bosome the Captaine and deliuerer of that people which he sought most to oppresse So whyle Achab persecuteth the Prophetes and the Church Abdias a most faythfull defender of the Prophetes and true doctrine is in greatest honor and authoritie in the court So vnder the Romaine Emperours sometime the mainteyners of the true fayth had greatest charge in the fielde although the Emperours would haue had the faith destroyed And many other examples there are which declare howe the greatest enimies of Christ haue furthered and set forwarde the Church Who therfore will be afrayde of their attempts which are ruled by the bridle of Gods power and prouidence Let vs also consider howe he sayeth Moyses was brought vp in all maner wisedome of the Egyptians Christians therefore maye reade the workes of Gentyles and Philosophers as it appeareth Paule did by his writings and sermons wherein he feately placeth the sentences of the Ethnickes Yet a meane must be obserued least the mysteries of the worde of God beginne to be contemned of those that delyght in Gentyle philosophie and that we make not to much of those things in their writings which openly impugne the prophecies of heauenlye wisdome This thing commeth to passe in Astrologers and in the ouer curious searchers of naturall causes which yet are not ashamed to defend their vngodlynesse by Moyses example But they ought rather to followe his modestie who in the description of the frame and workmanship of this worlde hauing great occasion to haue shewed and set out his Egypticall wisedome comprehendeth all those things in marueylous playnenesse and breuitie that the curious wittes of Mathematicalles and Philosophers haue wearied their braynes vnprofitably about nowe these manye hundred yeares For where he referreth the causes of things to God alone as the Scripture euerywhere doth he easily saw that it was a wicked ostentation of the wit to spoyle God of any part of his glorye and to bring the gouernaunce of the world in subiection and bondage to the course of Creatures Therefore their foolishnesse and madnesse is detestable which make Abraham and Moyses the authors of iudiciall astrologie Let vs rather depende vppon Gods appoyntment and prouidence onely who of his goodnesse chose both Abraham and Moyses and hath by them promised vs hys sonne to be our Sauiour and King To whome be all prayse honor power and glory Amen The .xlviij. Homelie AND when he was full fourtie yeares olde it came into his heart to visite his brethren the children of Israel And when hee sawe one of them suffer wrong he defended him and aduenged his quarrell that had the harme done to him and smote the Aegyptian For he supposed his brethren would haue vnderstande how that God by his hande shoulde deliuer them but they vnderstoode not And the next daye he shewed himselfe to them as they stroue and would haue set them at one agayne saying Sirs yee are brethren why hurt yee one another but he that did his neyghbour wrong thrust him awaye saying who made thee a Ruler and a Iudge ouer vs wilt thou kill mee as thou diddest the Aegyptian yesterdaye Then fledde Moyses at that saying and was a straunger in the lande of Madian where hee begate twoo sonnes WHereas the blessed Martyr Steuen following the order and tracke of the storie of the fathers is commen to Moyses in whom the Iewes so greatly glorie as in their deliuerer and lawe giuer he diligentlye handleth his hystorie partly bicause Moyses touching their deliuerie out of Egypt was a figure of Christ and bare witnesse of Christ and partly bicause he would not seeme to be a contemner of Moyses as they accused him in that he preached agaynst the Temple and Ceremonies of the lawe And bicause he woulde quyte take from them the vayne affiaunce they had in outwarde ceremonies he sheweth that the fathers so little trusted in mannes righteousnesse that Moyses himselfe had nothing whereof to reioyce before God bycause through no helpe of man but by the onely grace of God he was saued and called to such honour as he had Wherevpon it followeth that whatsoeuer afterwarde he did worthy of any singuler prayse and commendation it was to be attributed vnto Gods goodnesse and grace The same is more plainely set forth in this present place where he declareth how Moyses beganne to vse his office wherevnto God had appoynted him and howe the fathers vnworthily despised the benifyte of deliuery giuen them and very vncourteously reiected Moyses their reuenger and defender He beginneth with Moyses age and with the cause that mooued him to take vppon him the charge of the people being so grieuously afflicted he sayth he was fourtie yeares olde before he gaue anye token of the peoples deliuerie In the meane time liuing in the Court among the Nobles of the Realme he seemed to haue little regarde of the people which thing Steuen manifestly teacheth where he sayth when he was full fourtie yeares of age it came into his heart to visite his brethren Who
discouraged to flie any more neyther could he haue auoyded the name of a deceyuer if nowe he woulde rather haue prouyded for his owne safegard than obeyed god So read we that Christ fledde when he knewe his howre was not yet come But when it was come he went to his death pacientlye and without feare Therefore whosoeuer is in any publike office or charge let them set this rule before them and let them not thinke they may leaue them whose mindes they see bent to persist in Gods vocation But if the malice of the people be such that they first forsake their dutie and dishonestly reiect their magistrates be they secular or preachers of the worde faythfully doing their dutie there is no cause but that they maye as Christ hath commaunded seeke their owne suretie by flying and spare themselues for better times and oportunitie Here the obedience of fayth tempered with the loue of God and our neyghbour shall be much profitable For this shall cause that we be not blinded and deceyued with priuate affections God graunt that we all being mindfull of his grace and good will maye diligently defende our vocation that being with right course come to the marke of blisse we maye liue in heauen with Iesus Christ our Lorde to whome be prayse honour power and glory for euer Amen The .xlix. Homelie AND when fourtie yeres were expyred there appeared to him in the wildernesse of Mount Sina an Aungell of the Lorde in a flame of fire in a bushe When Moyses sawe it he woondred at the sight And as he drewe neare to beholde the voyce of the Lorde came to him I am the God of thy fathers the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Iacob Moyses trembled and durst not beholde Then sayde the Lord to him Put of thy shooes from thy feete for the place where thou standest is holye grounde I haue perfitely seene the affliction of my people which is in Aegypt and I haue hearde their groning and am come downe to deliuer them And now come and I will sende thee into Aegypt BIcause Steuen was accused by his aduersaries that he had spoken wicked and blasphemous wordes agaynst Moyses and all the ceremonies of God giuen by Moyses therefore he comprehendeth in fewe wordes yet with sufficient exposition all the hystorie of Moyses partly to shewe that he thought reuerently of him and partlye to prooue that the saluation of manne ought to be attributed to no ceremonies bicause whatsoeuer good or excellent thing was in Moyses he had it through no desert of his but by the meere grace and fauour of god The principall scope and ende of all these thinges is to call the Iewes from the vayne affiaunce that they had in the Ceremonialles of the lawe and to trust in the onely grace of God through christ And to this ende he declared Moyses maner of birth his bringing vp and first conuersation among the Israelites shewing further howe vnworthie their fathers declared them selfe to be of such a deliuerer seeing they reiected him with the greatest ingratitude that could be in so much that he was fayne to liue like a banished man among the Madianites Nowe foloweth the solemne calling of Moyses wherby he was restored to his office agayne in the which that we may the more easily perceyue the tokens of Gods fauour we will consider euery poynt thereof in order First the time is noted when Moyses was called It was the fourtyeth yeare of his banishment in Madian which came to passe in the fowrescore yeare of his age Then he ioyneth the place where he was and his kinde of lyfe For he sayth he was in the wildernesse where he kept the sheepe of Iethro his father in lawe as may be seene Exod. 3. Nowe if we consider all the time of these fourtie yeares it shall appeare Moyses serued God without anye Temple or ceremonies of the lawe Bicause it is playne these things were instituted afterwarde And where he was in the meane while excluded from the company and common weale of the Iewes it remayneth that it must be the onely and meere grace of God that he was thus called In the meane season we haue diligently to consider howe that as soone as he would haue ioyned himselfe to the church of God he felt the griefe of long banishment and of a noble man came to be a keeper of sheepe For hereof may be gathered a generall rule teaching vs what we all may trust to when we forsake the worlde to be ioyned vnto the Church of god We fall into diuers afflictions bicause this worlde can neyther suffer that falling from it nor cannot abyde the light of the truth And as Moyses found Iethro to be his hoste and father in lawe but yet is made no more account of than to keepe sheepe so the godly with them that giue them houseroume and seeme greatlye to fauour their part liue yet but miserablye and as it were in contempt This is the greatest temptation of all other and which sometime more woundeth the heart than that that open enimies cruellye commit agaynst vs Therefore Christ warneth vs that we rashly take not vpon vs the profession of his name but that we first trie our selues whether we be able if neede so requyre to suffer banishment pouertie infamie persecution or such other lyke for his names sake And when these thinges come to passe let vs followe Moyses modestie and constaunt fayth which no doubt was sundry wayes tempted Yet he ouercommeth through that fayth which before caused him to preferre the rebuke of Christ before the riches of Egypt Let vs also by the same ouercome the assaultes of temptation and not be ashamed of the crosse of Christ which he for our sake hath first vouchedsafe to beare For so it shall come to passe that he will not be ashamed of vs when he shall come in the glory of the father to iudge the quicke and the deade Secondarily Steuen sheweth who called Moyses verily an Aungell of the Lorde which he sayth appeared to him in the desert Yet the same Aungell within a whyle after sayth I am the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Iacob And againe afterwarde he sayth it wash e through whose working and power Moyses wrought signes and woonders in Egypt and which was guyde vnto the people by the way of the desert whom Paule the Apostle testifieth to haue bene Iesus Christ that promised sauior of the world Steuen therfore calleth this Iesus the Angell of the Lord not for that he acknowledged in him no greater thing or of no more excellencie than in an Aungell but as seeming to imitate Esay who on a time called him the Aungell or messenger of the great Counsell not in that he tooke on him a nature Angelicall which thing Paule to the Hebrewes 2. cap. expressely denieth but in that he was sent of God the father into the world and accomplished that
great and eternall deuyse and counsell of God concerning the redemption of mankind For Paule teacheth that we were chosen in him before the foundations of the worlde were layde And Peter sayth he was predestinate or foreordeyned from euerlasting that we shoulde be redeemed through his merit We must thinke it is not without a cause that he is sayd to haue appeared to Moyses For hereby it is euident that Christ tooke not his beginning when he was borne of the virgin Marie but that he was froÌ„ euerlasting yea and talked with the fathers in tymes past of such thinges as belonged to their saluation For although he yet was not incarnate and made man yet in his diuine power and goodnesse he coulde not choose but helpe and deliuer them of whom in the time appointed he ment to take his manhoode Therefore he sayth he was before Abraham and that Abraham sawe him And Daniel sawe in the Clowdes of heauen a Iudge lyke vnto the sonne of a man which came vnto the olde aged Furthermore Peter plainly confesseth that the Prophetes in tymes past were inspired with the spirite of Christ and so prophecied of things to come Therefore great is the temeritie of those which vtterly refuse all the olde Prophetes and say their bookes belong not at all vnto vs whereas both they were illuminated with Christes spirite and diuers and sundrye wayes bare witnesse of him See Iohn 5. Luc. 24. Lette vs rather acknowledge the goodnesse of God which in times past did vouchsafe to declare himself to the old fathers and by this meane woulde set forth vnto vs how to knowe the antiquitie and certaintie of our beliefe Furthermore Steuen diligently teacheth vs in what fourme and fashion Christ appeared vnto Moyses For he sayth the Aungell of the Lorde which was Christ appeared to Moyses in a flame of fire in a bushe This is the auncient guise vsage of God to talke with men in times past in some visible liknesse which men were not able to abide his godly nature and maiestie We haue examples euerywhere in the hystories of the Patriarches and Prophetes This causeth men to be attent and heedefull and to be in admiration of God which otherwise woulde carelesly contemne all godlynesse yet God for the most part tooke on him such formes and shapes as were most agreeable with the present affayres times and persons Which thing we also see done in this place For he woulde by a fiery bushe set before Moyses eyes the condicion and state of his people which were afflicted in Egypt They burned being incensed with the cruell tyrannie of Pharao but they were not consumed bicause the sonne of God was in the middle of them which at the time appoynted shoulde take his manhoode of the posteritie of them And this is the state of the Church in all ages in the consideration wherof it shal be profitable for vs often to be occupied It is like a bramble bushe a weake feeble flock but such as cannot easily be scattred abrode bicause thorowe faith it is most straightly knit and ioyned in Christ the heade thereof Therefore as husbandmen put fire vnto brambles and thornes cleauing one to another to burne them altogither so this worlde putteth the fire of persecution to the Church and with one fire goeth about to destroye it all at once And Christ suffereth this fire to be kindled bicause it is needefull this way to haue the fayth of his people to be tryed and the fleshe to be kept vnder and bridled yet he suffreth not his Church vtterly to be consumed but is himselfe in the middle thereof For he sayeth I will not leaue you comfortlesse I am with you vnto the ende of the worlde Hitherto belong whatsoeuer things God hath done for the defence of his Church since the beginning of the world Caine first set fire to it who though he killed his brother Abel yet he could not destroy his fayth and much lesse hinder God from raysing vp a freshe spring of his Church in Seth. Neyther after that could the mightie men which went before the floud any thing let but when they perished as they deserued God could marueylously preserue certaine remnaunts of his Church through the benefite of the Arke This bushe burned often also in the time of the Iudges but it was alwaye preserued by Gods aide and assistance It burned in Babylon from whence yet the Lorde brought it agayne and deliuered it It burned more than once after their returne from Babylon and at length when Antiochus reygned it seemed almost past recouerie when God raysed vp the Machabees who restored Gods religion and brought the people to their libertie agayne It burned after Christ was borne whole three hundred yeares almost vntill the time of Constantine the great Yet God neuer fayled it who is able to defende his people in the middle of the fire as he sometime did Daniels felowes It burneth euen at this day and there be euerywhere such as put firebrandes vnder it and inflame the mightyest Monarches of the worlde with hatred agaynst hir Yet shall they neuer preuayle so much as they woulde but shall feele the wrath of Gods vengeaunce in whose sight the death of those that be his is precious and will not suffer the bloude of hys belooued to be vnreuenged Yea whyle the persecuting tyraunts put fire vnder the Church they lyke drie woode are consumed with the fire of Gods iudgement the Church in the meane whyle abyding in the middle of the fire of persecution lyke a Leade or Cauldron where mettall tryers melt and get out golde and siluer See what is sayde of these similitudes Zacharie 12. and .13 But let vs come to his calling whereby he is restored to the office which he beganne to execute fortie yeares before This calling hath in it certaine pointes the consideration wherof is verie profitable First God declareth who hee is least Moses might doubt any thing of the certainetie of his vocation For he sayth to him as he was amazed with the sight of the bushe burning I am the God of thy fathers the God of Abraham the God of Isaac the God of Iacob It pleased God among many of his styles to vse this tytle chiefely to call to Moses remembraunce the couenaunt made with Abraham and the promises made long before vnto the fathers declaring thereby that he was not forgetfull of his couenaunt and promyses although he hytherto suffered the people to be afflicted By which example we are taught that in aduersitie we should chiefely haue respect to Gods promises which God can neyther forget nor fayle to perfouâ—me Yea we see the truth of Gods promises so infallible that God forsaketh not the deade whome he hath once taken to his tuition For hee is the Lorde both of lyfe and death Wherefore neyther lyfe nor death can seperate vs from the loue of god For whether we liue or die we be
the Lords And to this ende it is that he sayth he is the God of Abraham Isaac Iacob which yet were deade long before he thus spake And Christ by the same reason calleth Lazarus his friend being both dead and buryed Whervnto chiefely it appertayneth that Christ out of this place tooke a generall doctrine to confirme the resurrection of the deade and certaintie of eternall lyfe against the Sadduceyes cauillations Let vs therefore be occupyed in the meditation of this tytle as oft as feare of death ariseth in vs and we shall perceyue by and by that we shall be delyuered from all care and pensiuenesse But whereas Moses feared aswell with the sight of the burning bushe as with the voyce of God durst not come neere by and by he is tolde what he must doe For God sayth moreouer Put of thy shooes from thy feete for the place whereon thou standest is holy grounde So he sayth bicause of hys owne being there and for that he had appointed that place to set forth hys lawe in It is not without a cause that Steuen maketh mention of this precept for hereby he meaneth to admonishe the Iewes what God in tyme past requyred of Moses and what he also requyreth of vs nowe a dayes that is to saye neyther temple neyther leuiticall worshipping no colde ceremonies whether it be the bloud of Oxen or Goates but that we should purge our minds from beastly affections which are signifyed by the shooes and should be wholy ioyned to him by sinceritie of fayth and puritie of mindes For this is that true worshipping of God which Christ otherwheres sayth consisteth in spirite and in truth And herevnto belongeth his precept of washing the feete whereof we ought to haue greater respect than of any outwarde things We must also marke euery where howe all the scriptures testifie vnto vs that God is present in euery place and how daylie examples aboundantly prooue the same Last of all God openeth his intent and pleasure vnto Moses I haue sayth he perfitely seene the affliction of my people in Aegypt and haue heard their groning and am come downe to delyuer them Which words serue most aptly to Ste ens purpose For they declare that there was no desert in the Israelites for the which they ought to be delyuered and that God regarded nothing in them but their afflictions wherewith they were miserably troubled wherevpon it followeth that all the benefite of their deliuerie appertayneth to the meere grace of god Wee are also taught that God doth not neglect his people although he sometime seemeth so to doe He seeth their teares which Dauid sayth are put in a Bottle in his sight He heareth not onely their crie but also their groning bicause he searcheth the heart and the reynes And they that reade hystories finde examples euerywhere whereby it may easily be prooued Let this serue therefore to comfort vs when we are forsaken of false and vnkinde persons Let it also serue to instruct vs that we vnaduisedly afflict not those whome God hath so speciall a care of Hereto appertayneth that that is written concerning Wydowes fatherlesse and straungers crying vnto him And that that is written in Zacharie the second chap. He that toucheth you toucheth the apple of mine eye And chiefely let vs haue regarde that we giue our seâ—â—es wholy to that God which considering the miserie of all mankinde hath giuen vs his sonne Iesus Christ â–ª to be our deliuerer and reuenger to whome â—e prayse honor glorye and power for euer Amen The L. Homelie THIS Moses whome they forsooke saying who made thee a Ruler and a Iudge the same did God sende to bee a Ruler and a delyuerer by the handes of the Aungell which appeared to him in the bushe And the same brought them out shewing woonders and signes in Aegypt and in the redde Sea and in the wildernesse fortie yeares This is that Moses which sayde vnto the children of Israel A Prophet shall the Lorde your God rayse vp vnto you of your brethren like vnto mee him shall you heare ALthoughe Steuen taught none other waye of fayth and saluation than that that is founded vpon the merite of Iesus Christ the promised Sauiour to whome Moses and the Prophets beare witnesse yet he is accused that he teacheth a newe fayth and an erronious yea that he is a blasphemer of Moses and the fathers and goeth about to abolishe the fayth which they obserued and deliuered vs The same state was the worlde in then that in these daies it is where they that follow the fayth deliuered by the Apostles and sealed with the bloud of the Martyrs are accused as subuerters of auncient religion and condemners of the olde fathers But what we haue to doe in thys case Steuens example teacheth vs He reasoneth diligently and at large touching the beliefe of the fathers chiefely he cyteth the hystorie of Moses that by rehearsall therof he might shew partly how reuerently he iudged of Moses and partly prooue that he was no enimie to the auncient religion of the fathers although he taught them that those ceremonies were nowe to be put awaye without the which they well ynough serued God yea without the which Moses also pleased God and was aduaunced to so high dignitie and honor So the vnlearneder sort nowe a dayes must be taught what the beliefe and doctrine of the Martyrs was in time past and howe they were saued without those things whereabout now a daies is such bytter contention But after Steuen had brought his oration to the solempne vocation of Moses then prosecuteth he the same at length and entreth into the prayses of Moses and first testifyeth that he acknowledgeth all things in Moses that God bestowed vpon hym Then prooueth he hys doctrine of Iesus Christ by the testimonie of Moses whose meaning he sayth was not that the Israelites should stick in the lawe and ceremonies gyuen by him but that they should haue an eye to that especiall Prophet which God afterwarde should sende of whome he was but a signe and figure onely This is a notable place whereby we are taught that we must thinke and speake so reuerently of the ministerie vertues of the Saints that yet we leaue Iesus Christes honor whole to hymselfe who onely hath the preheminence in all those thinges that concerne the true worshypping of God and meane of our saluation First he begynneth with the office of Moses which was the most excellent thing that he could deuise For he sayth that God sent him to be a ruler and delyuerer of the people of Israell Thys thing he so proponeth that he hytteth them agayne in the teeth with the ingratitude of their fathers which vnworthily refused Moses laying to their charge how they contemned him in whome they so greatly bragged For he sayth Thys Moses whome they denyed saying who made thee a Ruler and a Iudge the same did God sende to be a
passe after God had giuen them his lawe he sayth they were iustlye forsaken of God and giuen vp into a reprobate minde and vtterly blinded And that this was the iust iudgement of God may easily be gathered of the things before going For their vngodlynesse and vnthankfulnesse deserued the same whom neyther the worde of God nor infinite other thinges whereby it pleased God to reueale himselfe vnto them coulde keepe in doing their dutie They were worthy therefore that euen seeing they shoulde be blinde hearing they should be deafe and should be hardened in their harts as God threatneth by his Prophete Yet may we see in other Nations lyke examples of Gods iudgementes Paule affirmeth the same of the Gentyles superstition And would to God we sawe not the lyke euen among them that glorye in the name of Christians For after they had banished the authoritie of Gods worde from them and that it lyked them to learne rather of dumbe ymages than of the liuely worde of god then ranne they on so farre in superstition that the very Iewes and Turkes laughed at them And here commeth to my remembrance that notable saying of a Turkishe Ambassador who being in the Court of a great Christian Prince and being asked why the Turkes so abhorred the Christian religion and coulde not be induced to beleeue in it aunswered that no man being in his right witte coulde alowe or lyke that religion which worshipped those for Goddes that were inferior and of lesse power than they that worshipped them And what he ment therby he after declared by our breaden god and by the Idols which were worshipped in Churches which being made by those that worshipped them did prooue sufficiently sayde he that the religion was preposterous and contrary to common sense and reason These thinges Christian Princes knowe the Bishops and people in generall yet no man is grieued at the great iniurie thereby done vnto Christ so that wise men are not without a cause afrayde that many euen in our dayes also are giuen vppe into reprobate mindes This place teacheth vs also that no man can holde the right waye in religion except he be first guyded by the hande and spirite of god For the naturall man perceyueth not the thinges belonging to the spirite of God. Nor no man commeth to Christ except the father drawe him And for bicause he draweth by his worde we must studie the same For whosoeuer make light thereof and cast it fro them make themselues vnworthye of the grace of god Wherefore God turneth his backe vpon them and wrappeth them in darkenesse deuoyde of all light and truth Therefore it behooueth vs to haue a diligent care of the worde and so to depende vppon the same that being entred into the ryght waye we swarue neyther to the right hande nor to the left And least any man should be so impudent as to denye that the fathers thus did Steuen alleageth a testimonie of the Prophete Amos written in the .v. chap. There the Lord accuseth the people of Israell as well for many other vices as for this that they abode not syncerely in his worde And that the heynousnesse of their sinne might the more appeare and that all men might see howe God doth not expostulate with them without a cause he sheweth that this is an olde impietie begun somtime in the wildernesse and afterwarde so increasing that it is become incurable and can not be taken awaye but with the destruction of the whole Nation It shall make much for our instruction if we diligently consider euerye thing that is here sayde First he speaketh of the disobedience and wickednesse of the fathers in the wildernesse in these wordes Gaue yee to me sacrifices and meate offerings by the space of fourtie yeares in the wildernesse ô ye of the house of Israel By asking the question he fortifieth his saying and denyeth that the fathers gaue any sacrifices to him for fourtie yeres long And yet it appeareth they built a Tabernacle according as God had appointed and Alters vpon the which they offred all kinds of sacrifices vnto God which brought them out of the lande of Egypt But God denyeth that thing to be done in the honour of him that is done for any other ende than he appointeth For God appoynted that the ende of all their outwarde ceremonies shoulde be resemblances of the Sauiour that was promysed and that they shoulde admonish them of their dutie as well in fayth and religion as in the whole conuersation of their lyfe But they forgetting this were occupied in the bare ceremonies and thought that by them they satisfied God and purged their sinnes Whereby it came to passe that they abused all their Leuiticals for a cloke and colour of licentiousnesse and wickednesse Therefore God worthily refuseth all this worshipping and sayeth it belonged not to him And there be also other places of Scripture wherein he constantlye affirmeth the same and sheweth that the obseruation of those things which he so diligently prescribeth in the lawe is not profitable Looke Psalm 50. Esay 1. and .43 Mich. 6. Hoseas 6. Yea when he sawe that they gloryed in their circumcision hauing no respect to the spirituall circumcision he cryeth out that their circumcision is not auayleable We are taught therefore by this place that all that worshipping is in vayne which is not done to that ende that God hath appoynted it For it can not be that without the obedience of fayth any kinde of worship can please God. But where the worde of God is neglected there remayneth no place for faith or obedience therfore they are but as vncleane and prophane things whatsoeuer they doe although outwardly they appeare agreeable with the worde of god What shall we then say of those ceremonies which stande onely vpon mannes authoritie and tradition the Lord long ago with one word hath vtterly ouerthrowne them saying they worship me in vaine teaching doctrines of men Euery plant which my heauenly father hath not planted shall be pulled vppe by the rootes ▪ The Lorde holding on in repeating the sinnes of the Israelites rehearseth what their posteritie did after they were in possession of the lande of Chanaan you tooke vnto you the Tabernacle of Moloch and the Starre of your God Rempham figures which you made to worshippe them He comprehendeth all sortes of Idolatrie vnder three kindes The first was the worshipping of Moloch which as it appeareth by the actes of Salomon who first builded a Temple to him was the God of the Ammonites And it seemeth he was the God called on at mennes natiuities or byrthes in the honour of whome infantes were sacrificed in fire as Manasse did which sacrificed his sonne in fire God had appoynted death for the punishment of this wickednesse as is declared Leuiticus 20. in these wordes Whosoeuer hee be of the children of Israel or of the straungers that dwell in Israel that giueth of his seede vnto Moloch
neglect the same if we will be saued But bicause hearing alone is not ynough for wicked men and spirites doe many times heare it behooueth that our mindes also be mooued and stirred This thing is brought to passe partly by outwarde thinges as we see here by signes and partly by the inwarde working of the holy spirite which working if we feele not it shall nothing profite vs to heare the outward preaching or reading of the worde as Paule diligently and plainely teacheth Howbeit when God reuealeth his worde to vs and pricketh our mindes by the inwarde suggestion of his holy spirite he requireth earnest attention and taking heede least we let the infernall birdes eate vp the seedes out of our minde or suffer the same to be choked with thornes or to be troden vnder of naughtie affections which thing Christ hath faithfully warned vs of Whosoeuer therefore after this sort proceede in the businesse of saluation as we reade the Samaritanes here did they shall quickely receyue great profite thereby And if we compare these things with our doings we shall perceyue what answere to make them who marueyle how it commeth to passe that so few profit by the preaching of the word For who is it almost that stumbleth not as they say at the thressholde or in the beginning We see fewe hearers of the worde at the Church and they thinke they haue sufficiently done their dutie if they heare the Sermon vppon Sundaye onely And fewe there are that heare the same attentiuely and with desire to learne But fewest of all muse or meditate diligently of that they haue hearde In the meane season the naughtie affections of the fleshe beare rule euery where carying vs headlong vnto the blinde desires of the worlde Therefore how can it herein otherwyse come to passe than as in a fielde ouergrowne with thornes and full of stones except it be diligently â—ylled Let vs cast of this noysome sloth of mynde and followe the Samaritanes and then shall that fruite shortly ensue that Luke sayth they receyued For he sayeth There was great ioye in that Citie This is the fruite of fayth that vseth to spring of the feeling we haue of Gods reconcilement with vs For as the countenaunce of God being angry with vs doth vexe and trouble our mindes being feared with the conscience of our sinfulnesse so the doctrine of the Gospell which teacheth that God is reconcyled to vs in Iesus Christ his sonne doth marueylously cheere and recreate our spirites Therefore the Aungels when they tolde the shepeheardes how Christ was borne sayde that they brought them great ioye And that olde father Simeon filled with the feeling of this ioye desired to haue leaue to depart and to be deliuered from the prison of his body Paule also byddeth the Christians alwayes to reioyce bicause this ioye cannot be taken away by any aduersitie forasmuch as the godly vse to reioyce in afflictions as we sawe before in the Apostles which reioyced in that they were thought worthy for Christes sake to be scourged Therefore they are wicked and most vnkynde men that saye the Gospell is the cause of aduersitie and publike calamitie Wheras it is euident God sendeth such things bicause of mennes sinnes and disobedience But they are lyke vnto those which obiected the same vnto Ieremie saying that from the time he beganne to preache they felt all kyndes of distresse and miserie Furthermore to returne vnto Luke there fell out a great hindraunce vnto Christes kingdome thus luckily succeeding among the Samaritanes For Simon the sorcerer which long time had borne a swinge in that city had bewitched the miserable people with his magicall Artes. God would haue Philip his Apostles coped with this Merchant to thintent partly that we might knowe how there will be alway hypocrites in the Church at whose leuitie and falshoode no man shoulde be offended and partly that all men might knowe by an euident and infallible argument that the Apostles wrought their myracles by no magicall sleyghtes but by the power of God seeing that so famous a Magitian ouercome of them acknowledged in them a greater power than his was which power he thought he might with money haue purchased In lyke sort woulde God haue the Magitians of Egypt ioyne agaynst Moses Here it shall be profitable for vs diligently to consider euery person And first Philip sheweth vs a singuler example of valiaunt fayth For this Simon was no small hinderance vnto syncere doctrine bicause the errour of the Samaritanes was confirmed both with antiquitie and superstition For they did not onely thinke that Simon was indued with heauenly power but also they beleeued he was the very selfe power of god But Philip is feared neither with the iuglings of his Magicall enchauntments nor with the rooted error of the foolishe people but rather hath a respect to Christes comaundement who bade the Gospell shoulde also be preached in Samaria Let them followe such a minde as this whosoeuer haue any office committed vnto them whether they be publike or priuate persons For they must not be afrayde of Bugbeares which professe Christ whose power by so many arguments is prooued to be so great Let vs consider that he is stronger and greater that is in vs than he which rageth in the world This Simon is a notable ensample of a deceyuer whome a man might fitly compare with Baalam the false Prophet It is sayde that of long time he had bewitched the people of Samaria For being skilfull in Magicall sciences he shewed straunge woonders and chalenged to himselfe go dly honor calling himselfe not onely the great power of God but also God the father and the sonne and Helena his harlot the holy ghost as Epiphanius a most diligent searcher out of olde heresies hath written By this example we are taught that the Deuill is able to doe much by his Ministers not of his owne free power but by the permission of god For through Gods sufferaunce the Magitians of Egypt did handsomely imitate certayne of Moses myracles And the Witch at Saules request seemed to haue raysed vp Samuelles corpes out of the graue Wherewith may worthily be num bred the Oracles vttered long agone at Delphi or Pytheum although for the most part they were doubtfull in their signification Of lyke kynde are those things which we reade of Images whereof some haue spoken some haue gone out of their places and infinit others haue bene notable by reason of many myracles to say nothing of those which were manifest in the kingdome of Antichrist as Christ and his Apostles foretolde God permitteth these thinges by his iust iudgement partlye bicause of the wicked which deserue to be deceyued whereas they will not imbrace the truth as the examples of Pharao and Saule euidently prooue partlye for the elects sake whose faith must this waye be tryed that they maye learne to cleaue to the simple word of God and admit
encouraged to go about it where he promiseth most prosperous successe to those that walke in hys commaundements An example of this diligence is to be seene in Abraham who being commaunded to go out of his countrie thought good to obey the calling of the Lorde though he were altogither ignoraunt what should folowe thereof Which thing as it most prosperouslye succeeded with him so we reade that Saule was tangled in horrible calamities who had rather folowe the deuises of his owne reason than the commaundementes of god See Samuel 1.13 and 15. Chapter But let vs consider the Aethiopian who is so diligently described First he declareth his state and condicion in that he sayth he was an Eunuch by which name it appeareth the Courtyers of the Kinges and Queenes of the East were called and specially those that were of their Chamber although they were not all gelded Wherefore it maketh for the exposition of thys name that he calleth him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say a prince and one that had the charge of all the Queenes treasure whome we may call the Cofferer or Lorde Treasurer Whereby it plainely appeareth that he was none of the inferiour Courtyers but one of the chiefe of the court This place teacheth vs that Magistrates and officers ought not for their office sake which they susteyne to bee excluded from the Kingdome of Christ as the seditious Anabaptistes crie For Paule plainely testifyeth that such are the Ministers of god And there are examples of manye which whyle they were in office were illuminated with the knowledge of Christ and for all that were not commaunded to giue vp their office Of this number was Ioseph a Senator of Ierusalem whome the Euaungelistes write was a Disciple of Christ and of godly affection buried Christ. So Peter bade not Cornelius to giue vp his Captaineship And it was lawfull for Sergius Paulus after he was conuerted vnto Christ to continue in the Proconsulshippe of Cyprus Therefore most vayne are the clamours of the Anabaptistes where they stiffely denie that Christian men ought to beare any office Then he declareth the maners and studie of the Aethiopian by two arguments For he sayth he went vp to Ierusalem for to worship and as he iourneyed was giuen to reading of the Scripture Therfore although he were an aliant and straunger yet he had some vnderstanding of that true God which before time woulde chiefely be knowne in Iurie as the Prophete witnesseth Neyther must we say that he was deceyued through foolishe superstition and so included and tyed religion to certaine places For where he was studious of the Scriptures he reuoked externe worshipping to the rule of Gods worde which is the onely waye of true religion and vndoubtedly he respected the promise of God who long before had promised in that Church to heare the prayers aswell of Straungers as of Iewes The reason of which promise was founded on Iesus Christ a figure of whom aswell the Temple was as the sacrifices made in the same The example of this Eunuch teacheth vs what the studies of Princes and great men ought to bee Let them remember that they shoulde principally and aboue all things haue a care of religion Now let them not appoynt the same after their owne brayne as we reade sometyme Ieroboam did for the establishment of his tyrannie but according to Gods worde which it behooueth them both to heare and reade moste diligently For it was before declared that they be the Ministers of god He hath appoynted them to be the Nourices of his Church as the prophet sayth Esa. 49. He himselfe is in the middle of their Sessions and iudgementes And to him shall they hereafter giue an account of their administration which they neuer can wel doe vnlesse they being enflamed with the desire and loue of religion think that they ought aboue all thinges to followe the worde of god For thys cause the king in tymes past was commaunded to haue an abridgement of the lawe and to be continually exercised in reading of the same And surely it appeareth that all those Princes which haue deserued any prayse before God were most studious of these things such as were Dauid Salomon Asa Ezechias Iosias and after the Apostles time Constantinus Theodosius Carolus and diuers others of whose godlynesse the foundations of Churches and Colledges now a dayes euerywhere beare witnesse If the princes in these daies were occupied in the same studies and as many as beare rule and authoritie Christian affayres shoulde better prosper and goe forwarde But bicause blinde concupiscence the madde desire of dycing sumptuous banquetting immoderate hunting and hauking contempt of Gods worde and his sacraments and insatiable desire of warring and fighting are comen in their place nothing can be hoped for at these Princes that may serue eyther for the publike weale or reformation of the Church and glory of God. Unto these thinges Luke ioyneth what Philip and the Aethiopian dyd For Philip is commaunded to ioyne himselfe neare vnto the Chariot and nowe the holy spirite offreth an occasion of well doing although Philip till this time sawe none For as he drewe neare he heard the Eunuch reading alowde a notable place of Esaye the Prophete concerning Christ and streyght waye being mooued by the spirite he demaundeth whether he vnderstande the place Here some men might thinke Philip of small ciuilitie which being not called woulde approche so neere to a man of authorities Chariot and would aske such a question of one whom he knew not as manifestly vpbrayded him with ignorance But whereas he had betaken him selfe wholy vnto God he diligently fulfilleth all that God commaunded not regarding the doltish reasons of the flesh And that which he doth after the commaundement of god prosperously succeedeth For he findeth notable tokens of great modestie and humanitie in the noble man though he were a straunger who hauing iust occasion disdainefully to haue reiected Philip as is the guyse of great and rich men yet he modestly confesseth his ignoraunce and bicause he was moued by the secrete instinct of the spirite to thinke well of Philip biddeth him to come vp vnto him and taketh him as an expositor of the Scripture which he read Uerily this noble man deserueth singuler prayse whyle he is neyther puffed vp with the affiance of his owne witte neyther refuseth a straunge interpreter neyther disdayneth the Scriptures the most part whereof he perceyued to be more difficult than he coulde easily vnderstande But God alloweth such hearers of hys worde as being endued with humble myndes doe reuerently tremble at his worde In the meane season we are taugâ—â— that the Scriptures ought to be opened by Expositions and interpretatioâ— â–ª And God vttreth those interpretations by men which being illuminaâ—◠〈◊〉 his spirit by comparing of Scriptures togither and obseruing the prâ—pertie and proportion of fayth picke out the true meaning and sense of
the 〈◊〉 Which gift Paule numbreth amongst the chiefe Therefore they are 〈◊〉 pieuish which looke for reuelations from heauen and lyke Doltes wickedly despyse the ministerie of the Church Let vs followe the godlynesse of this Eunuch his modestie humilitie and feruent desire of saluation For so it shall come to passe that we also shall attayne to true saluation in Iesus Christ to whom be prayse honor power and glory for euer Amen The .lxj. Homelie THE tenour of the Scripture which he read was this Hee was ledde as a sheepe to be slayne and lyke a Lambe dumbe before his shearer so opened he not his mouth Bicause of his humblenesse he was not esteemed But who shall declare his generation for his lyfe is taken from the earth The Chamberlane aunswered Philip and sayde I praye thee of whome speaketh the Prophete this of himselfe or of some other man Philip opened his mouth and beganne at the same scripture and preached vnto him Iesus THe Euangelist Luke diligently descrybeth the hystorie of the Aethiopian conuerted vnto Christ aswell for many other causes as for that it conteyneth an ensample of true conuersion whereby we are taught howe God dealeth with vs when he mindeth to receyue vs into the societie of saluation First Luke sheweth how God is the cause efficient of this conuersion who of his meere fauour sent Philip throughe whose ministerie the Eunuch of Aethiopia shoulde be conuerted The same God as he chose vs all before the foundations of the worlde were layde wythout any respecte had to our good workes so by his grace he ministreth vnto vs and giueth vs when we thinke nothing thereof all thinges belonging to our saluation Next Philip is an instrument of this conuersion whose helpe God here vseth according to his custome For where our infirmitie is not able to abyde the maiestie of God he ordeyneth that we shall be taught and ledde by the ministerie of men which is a speciall argument of Gods goodnesse towarde vs and therefore is euerywhere first accounted among the benefites of god The instrument that Philip vseth is the worde of God not such an ineffable and ymaginary worde as certayne Seraphicall and fanaticall smatterers in Diuinitie suppose but the verye same worde that is conteyned in the Scriptures For out of these must all sermons and the whole doctrine of saluation be taken neyther must wee looke for any newe kynde of doctrine vnhearde of vntill this day Amongst all these thinges the mynde of the Eunuch so well disposed to receyue the truth and doctrine of saluation is notable That he was studious of religion the long iourney that he tooke both full of traueyle and daunger doth abundantly declare His desire to learne his diligent reading of the Scripture and that he woulde â—ake vnto him a man vnknowne of whome hee hoped for a more full 〈…〉 prooueth All which things it is manifest he had through the 〈◊〉 of God bicause these thinges vse to appeere in no man vnlesse he 〈◊〉 with some singuler illumination of the spirite But let vs see what 〈◊〉 they doe whyle they are togither which Luke in this place describeth repeating worde by worde the place of Esaye which gaue occasion to Philip to reason with the Aethiop touching Christ and hys saluation This place is in the .liij. Chapter neyther is there any other place that more euidently comprehendeth the misteries of Iesus Christ so that Ierome not without a cause iudgeth the Prophete Esay worthie to be numbred rather among the Euangelistes than the Prophets In the meane while Gods prouidence is to bee considered which gouerneth mennes affayres and suffereth nothing by hazarde to come to passe whereof wee haue an euident argument bicause euen at the very same tyme that Philip beginneth to talke with the Aethiope Luke sayth he was reading of that verie place An Ethnick or Infidell would impute this thing vnto fortune or chaunce But we acknowledge the prouidence of God which doth not onely giue all things their successe but also ruleth all other thinges appertayning to the same For how should he neglect mens matters be they neuer so small which numbreth the heares of our heades feedeth the byrdes of the ayre and singulerly decketh the flowers of the fielde Furthermore touching the place of Esaye it comprehendeth in it the whole summe of our redemption For it declareth the mysterie of Christes death and the victorie whereby he is entered inâ—o the glorie of his father and hath gotten an immortall and euerlasting kingdome It shall be good to consider euery thing in the order as it is declared First he setteth forth the death of Christ in these wordes He was ledde as a sheepe to be slaine and like a lambe dumbe before his shearer so he opened not his mouth By these wordes he doth not onely set forth the pacience of Christ which as at many other tymes so in his passion and death appeared most perfite but also he teacheth that he tooke his death of his owne accord and willingly so that the counsaile or force of his enimies wrought not the same In deede the Scribes and Phariseys tooke counsaile agaynst him Iudas sought all meanes busily to betraye him The high Priestes in theyr counsaile pronounced him guiltie of death Pilate caused him after he was whipped to be nayled on the Crosse. But what could all these haue done if he would haue vttered or shewed the strength of his diuine power and maiestie Yea who pulled him downe from his fathers bosome to the earth By whose counsayle tooke he fleshe and manhoode in the Uirgines wombe Who gaue them strength to rise againe which were sent out agaynst him and fell to the grounde at one worde spoken of hym These thinges therefore teache vs that he dyed bicause it was his pleasure to die forasmuch as he came into the worlde for none other cause but for that he would giue his life for the life of the worlde Therefore where he was able most valiantly to haue resisted the enterprises of his enimies he would yet be led to his death like a sheepe and a lambe so that he would not seeme no not in worde to vtter any token of an vnpacient minde and vnwilling to die Herevnto appertayneth that that is sayde in the Gospell Therefore doth my father loue me bicause I put my life from me that I might take it againe No man taketh it fro me but I put it away of my selfe I haue power to put it from me and I haue power to take it againe And Paule expounding these sayings sayth He became obedient to his father euen to the death of the Crosse and tooke vpon him the shape of a man being in the shape of God. Now these thinges serue partly for our redemption and saluation and partlye for our instruction For thus it behooued that our sinne of disobedience should be done away which made vs subiect to eternall damnation Moreouer Christ taught vs
Tharsus for behold he prayeth and hath seene in a vision a man named Ananias comming vnto him and putting his handes on him that he might receyue his sight Then Ananias aunswered Lorde I haue hearde by many of this man howe much euill he hath done to thy Saints at Ierusalem and here he hath authoritie of the high Priestes to bynde all that call on thy name The Lorde sayde vnto him Go thy way for he is a chosen vessell vnto me to carie my name before the Gentyles and Kinges and the children of Israel For I will shewe him howe great things he must suffer for my names sake ALthough we ought diligently to consider the conuersions and callinges of all the Apostles yet Paules conuersion of all others deserueth singulerly to be marked partly bicause it contayneth in it a rare example of Gods mercye towarde sinners and partly for that Paule laboured more than alâ— the Apostles neyther is there anye other whose writings are more often alledged eyther of the olde writers or newe in matters of fayth and religion It is therfore necessary that we knowe who he was howe God called him and conuerted him that we may haue his doctrine in the more authoritie which thing is the cause that Luke writeth his hystorie so diligently And hitherto he hath declared howe the Lorde interrupted his fiercenesse and horrible attempts in the middle of hys race and businesse and that so forceably that he was fayne to offer himselfe to the Lord to be obedient and to be taught being a whyle before his grieuous enimie Herevnto he conueniently addeth howe he is appoynted to the office of an Apostle which contayneth a notable discourse betweene the Lorde Iesus Christ and Ananias by whose ministerie Paule was to be ordered Euery part whereof we will declare as farre forth as God shall permit First the Lorde calleth Ananias that Paule may take orders by his ministerie And of Ananias Luke speaketh but little in this place but Paule at large where he commendeth him of his godlinesse and sayth he deserued among the Iewes the testimonie of a good and an innocent man Him the Lorde certifyeth of his will by a vision and likewise prepareth Paule being in his prayers by an other vision worthily to receyue Ananias Here our Sauiour Christ is well to be marked which instructeth them both by euident visions For hereby is perceyued the ardent desire that Christ hath to the saluation of mankinde shewed and declared ingenerall towardes all men and especially in seeking the lost sheepe as himselfe elsewhere testifyeth Which thing as it is for our comfort so it also serueth for our instruction that we should traueyle rather to saue sinners than to destroy them and not follow those which glorying in their feruent zeale of Gods glorie rashly reiect and condemne all those whome they see once to haue swarued from the way of truth Moreouer we are taught how expedient it is that all things be done rightly duely in the outwarde ministerie of the worde For except the ministers be duely called and well assured of their calling and the hearers well prepared to receyue their sayings there can followe no worthie fruite and auayle of their doing For howe shall they preach except they be sent Or with what argumentes shall they bee emboldened agaynst the threates and enterprises of the wicked which craftily haue vsurped and intruded vpon the office of teaching Againe if the hearers come not well minded and prepared to heare the worde of the Lorde then shall they receyue that wholesome seede eyther into the way eyther into stonie places or among thornes and there shall be many impediments that shall cause that they shall bring forth no worthie fruites Wherfore Christ requireth honest mindes which will holde fast the seede they haue once receyued and being armed agaynst all suggestions of Satan the worlde and the flesh bring forth worthie fruits with pacience And that we haue neede of diligent preparation hereto euery man may easily vnderstande that well considereth the corrupt nature of man These things if we will well weigh and expend it shall easily appeare why there is so much preaching in these dayes with so little profite For most part of the Ministers without wayting for the lawfull calling of the Lorde get into the ministerie by vnlawfull meanes for the belly sake and they that will not seeme the vngodlyest of the hearers of the worde come vnto it more for custome sake than of any earnest desire of amendment beeing altogither like vnto those which in the Prophete sayde Come I praye you let vs heare what woorde is gonefoorth from the Lorde Furthermore we haue also to consider Paule whom the Lord speaking to Ananias witnesseth to be in his prayer This is to be vnderstanded of the continuall prayers he made all the three dayes long as easily appeareth by the circumstaunces bicause there were many thinges which might mooue Paule vnto prayer For he felt the horrible hande of God which threw him downe He hearde howe he was accused from heauen to be the professed enimie of the sonne of god Then came to his minde the wicked enterprises crueltie that he had vsed against the name of Christ and his Church also the banishments chaynes imprisonment and torments with the lamentation and crying of women and children whereofhe had beene the authour Yea his guiltie conscience as yet troubled him Then againe the wayting for the promise of reuelation and instruction was able to styrre him vp to earnest prayer and yet in this earnestnesse and diligence of praying God disappoynteth him as I might say whole three dayes togither These things commend vnto vs an incessant earnestnesse of prayer bicause there are as many and as vrgent causes to styrre vs vp also theretoo For if we discende into our selues wee shall finde they are no tryfling sinnes whereby we haue deserued Gods wrath We many tymes feele the hande of Gods anger The conscience of our wickednesse oftentymes molesteth vs We are still in daunger of all kindes of aduersitie And if the thinking hereof be not able to kindle in vs heartie and ardent prayer then shall wee worthily be called colder than yron or yce Paule for these causes commaundeth vs continually to pray And let vs so remember to continue in prayer that we be not ouercome with distrust or impaciencie and rashely prescribe God any tyme to heare or helpe vs in For he sometime deferreth the helpe he promiseth vs not bicause he meaneth to disappoynt them that trust in him but bicause he will exercise and trie our fayth Examples wherof we haue both in Paule in Abraham in the woman of Chanaan and in many others Here therefore let vs bende the force of our fayth and follow the example of that Widdow by whose importunatenesse Christ sayth the wicked Iudge was ouercome But O miserable and vnhappie wretches that we be which as we scarce take vs vnto prayer
Magistrates which haue denyed their fayth vnto god This Constantius father to Constantine the great well perceyued in tyme past which thought good to thrust them out of his Court which had at his bidding burnt sacrifice to the Goddes thinking that they would doe him little true seruice which would be vnthankfull to God and betray his true religion Furthermore it is not to be omitted how agayne he attributeth a praise of godlynesse to the souldier which vsed to wayte vpon Cornelius For besides that it appeareth hereby howe much the conuersion of the godlye maketh to the attayning to godlynesse and saluation We are also taught that there is no state or kinde of lyfe vtterly voyde of religion since that it hath place among souldiers in warfare which in manye mennes opinion doth then best brooke hir name when she hath cast from hir all religion Howbeit the scripture teacheth vs that God is the most prosperous Captaine of warres By his conduct and leading Ioab encountring wyth a great bande of Assirians had a notable victorie Dauid being ready to darren battell with Goliah calleth vpon God for helpe Dauid attributeth vnto God all the victories and prayse that euer he gate by warre where he sayth that God teacheth his handes to fight Yea Constantinus being admonished by an Oracle caused the signe of the holy crosse to be borne before his armies as finding better successe vnder it than vnder the ensignes of the Romaines Eagles And when Theodosius in the daungerous warre agaynst Eugenius and Arbogastus had spent an whole nyght in prayers and was encouraged to the fyght by a sight of Aungels cheering and exhorting him therevnto we read howe the next day he had the victorie with the ayde and helpe as it were of the windes that blewe that daye Therefore their sayinges are most to be discommended who as the Romaine Orator sayth there is no rowme or place for law or ryght whiles warres are in hande so they thinke warres may be made and followed without any religion But take awaye religion and they shall nothing differ from the rage of sauage beasts nor cannot be defended with any honest colour yea they shall most cruelly rage beyonde all right and reason These things teach vs that the furiousnesse of the Anabaptistes is not to be suffred which holde opinion that it is not lawfull for a Christian man to weare a weapon considering that these Captaynes and diuers other souldiers in the Scripture are commended for their faith and religion And surely their opinion is so absurde that rather they ought to saye that no manne can worthily weare his weapon but he that is a Christian. Nowe let vs come to Peter the Apostle whome God instructeth by a peculiar vision that being deceyued with the common error of the Iewes he should not reiect the message of Cornelius And that that is here done is not much vnlike to that we hearde before came to passe betweene Ananias and Saule For euen as there so here also is Cornelius first admonished to sende for Peter After this Peter is certifyed of hys vocation not to denye his dutie of loue eyther to Christ or to Cornelius This is a peculiar and singuler argument of Gods goodnesse which is desirous that men shoulde be saued and come vnto the knowledge of the truth It is good to examine all the circumstances of this vision that the knowledge of the thinges belonging to our saluation may appeare the playner First Peter is to be considered who as it is sayde was gone vppe fastinge into the vpper storie of the house about the sixt houre of the daye while in the meane whyle his dinner was a preparing For we haue declared before in the third Chapter how in times passed certaine houres were appoynted for prayers For although the effect of prayers be bounde neyther to time nor place yet must we obserue a certayne opportunitie in them certayne times must needes be prescribed for prayer least being occupied in other businesses we neglect a thing most necessary of all other Peters example also teacheth vs that prayers requyre as well a secret going apart and aside as also a certaine sobrietie in body and minde that the deuotion of them be not extinguished by surfet and pampering of the bodye For the which cause the Scriptures both of the olde and newe Testament manye times ioyne praying and fasting togither This thing reprooueth the foolishnesse of the hypocrites who as they order their praying for ostentation sake so they ascribe the prayse of merite absolutely vnto their fasting wheras the vse thereof serueth for none other cause but to tame and keepe vnder the fleshe that it waxe not to prowde and malapert and so disturbe and ouerturne aswell prayer as all other exercises of true godlynesse See Mathew 9. Esay 58. chap. Moreouer it is written that he fell into a traunce to th ende we should vnderstand that in this matter nothing is to be attributed to naturall sight nor that Peter was deceyued through defect or want of hys naturall senses For being rapt taken as it were out of himselfe he perceyued these things with the eyes of his mindâ— For where the naturall man as Paule sayth perceyueth not the things that appertayne vnto God it followeth that his minde must be rapt by the spirite of God out of the worlde to perceyue the mysteries of the kingdome of heauen This thing Paule teacheth vs by his owne example whereas writing how he was rapt into the thirde heauen he plainly confesseth that he was ignorant whether this came to passe vnto him in the body or out of the body And this thing is the more certayne to be beleeued bicause he sawe not these things with his corporall senses which vse for the most part to be deceyued After these thinges followeth a diligent description of the vision He seeth the heauens opened he seeth a great vessell let downe lyke vnto a sheete bound at the foure corners There seemed to be in the same all kinde of beastes as well fourefooted as creeping and flying fowles but specially such as in the lawe are called vncleane concerning which we may reade Leuit. 11. Deut. 14. Herevnto is added a voyce bidding Peter aryse kill and eate Aboue all things it behoueth vs to marke the ende and scope of the vision which by the things that followe appeareth to haue bene none other but that God would thereby teach vs that all the difference which hitherto had bene betweene the Iewes and Gentyles by reason of the ceremonies of the lawe was nowe taken away and that there was no impediment or let but that the Gentyles also might be admitted into the fellowship of the Gospell and saluation gotten by Christ. It shall appeare that this vision maketh marueylously for this present businesse if all the mysteries in the same be throughly considered For it confirmeth Peters wauering minde and notably
gathered a generall rule whereby we are taught that we must simply obey God and not take our reason to counsell when we haue hearde the expresse commaundement of god For as God hath this authoritie ouer vs to commaunde vs what it pleaseth him so is it the propertie of fayth as it were to captiuate all reasons vnderstanding and to subdue it vnto the word of God not to suffer it to reason against the manifest commaundementes of god For that is an ouer wicked audacitie to go about to make the authoritie of Gods preceptes to gyue place to our reasons Therfore that that the olde Testament sheweth that Abraham sometime did who neyther doubted of Gods promise although he sawe it to be agaynst the course of nature nor disobedientlye gaynesayde his commaundements though absurde and vnreasonable to see to the same doth the holye ghost in this place require of Peter We are admonished also that it ought to suffise vs when we vnderstande that God hath appoynted or spoken any thing forasmuch as it is euident he ordreth all things both wisely and for our saluation And this is that wrastling of fayth wherein all such ought to be exercised as will be taken for the true and faithfull worshippers of god In the which if nowe a dayes we were more obediently and diligently occupied we should be much lesse troubled than we be and finde better successe in our doings But let vs see the obedience of Peter which he declared when he had hearde the commaundement of the holy ghost First without all delaye he went downe to them and did nothing mutter as the wayward doe vse eyther that he was interrupted of his prayers or let from his dinner Then when he sawe the messengers whome by their apparell he might easilye iudge were Gentyles and souldiers he friendly telleth them that it is he they seeke for and asketh them what the cause of their comming is And streightway the messengers courteously aunswere him and faithfullye declare vnto him all that their maister had commaunded them For both they singulerly commende their maister and diligently report the Oracle vttered by the Aungell to the intent they might the easilier obteyne the purpose for the which they came And by the waye maye be seene with what diligence and trust Christian seruauntes ought to go about their maisters businesse that they onely serue them not in their sight as Paule sayth but as much as in them is labor when they are absent to set forth their honestie to worke for their commoditie Ephe. 6. By and by as Peter had heard their message he vnderstoode the mysterie and secret of the vision and perceyued that the Gentyles were signified by the vncleane beastes whome God woulde nowe haue brought by preaching of the Gospell into the fellowship of Christ and to saluation Wherefore he bringeth them into the house and the next day goeth with them being accompanied by certayne brethren of Ioppa who both woulde this waye declare their good affection vnto Peter also were chosen of God to be witnesses of so weighty a matter Moreouer as in all these things there appeareth a faithfull obedience such as erewhyle we hearde the spirite of God commaunded vnto Peter so Peter is a notable example of hospitalitie which as it is in all men a thing most commendable so it most becommeth Bishops and Ministers of the worde that whyle herein they giue others good ensample they cause their doctrine to be the better spoken of which is the cause that among the properties of a Bishop Paule thinketh this also worthy to be rehearsed Therfore by Peters example the waywardnesse of them is reproued who for that they will be taken to be of authoritie beare themselfe verye straunge and will shewe no maner of friendly familiaritie eyther to straungers or those of their owne house Whome if the example of Peter cannot yet the authoritie of Christ ought to mooue who euen then as Marke writeth did friendlye receyue all men when by reason of the peoples importunitie preasing vpon him he had scarce leysure to eate his meate After these things Luke declareth the meeting of Cornelius and Peter And of Cornelius he telleth two things First that he called togither hys kinsfolke and alliance and all other which he was acquaynted with who all wayted for Peters comming These thinges expresse the propertie of a true fayth For where fayth stayeth onely vpon the worde of God she seeketh and wayteth carefully for the same Agayne where it burneth in desire of Gods glory and loue of hir neighbour she is desirous to communicate saluation also vnto many others Both these properties doth Cornelius performe and that not without his great perill For we haue alreadye oftentimes declared that it was a daungerous matter among the Romaynes to alter or chaunge religion Therefore it coulde not be but daungerous to haue so many witnesses therof But that fayth standeth in no feare of daunger as well the Scriptures as many other examples euerywhere declare Let vs followe this endeuour and desire least whyle we make prouision for our selues we betraye the glory of God and neglect the saluation of them which ought to be most deare vnto vs according to the law of nature But Cornelius doth yet another thing For assoone as he seeth Peter the Apostle by and by he runneth to meete him falleth downe at hys feete and worshippeth him These are tokens of a deuout minde and that hath a very good opinion of the worde of God and his minister Yet Cornelius exceedeth herein and offendeth in ouermuch veneration whyles as may be gathered of Peters words he attributeth more vnto him than belongeth to a man This many times cometh to passe when we vse the vnaduised zeale of our reason in reuerencing Gods Ministers And of none other beginning sprong that superstitious worshipping of Saintes pilgrimages for deuotion sake kissing of reliques and infinite other such lyke things then bicause men being beguyled with an inconsiderate zeale of religion thought there was some sparke of godheade in them whome God had vsed sometime to the enlargement of his glorye and the saluation of others It behooueth vs therefore to lift vp our eyes to God himselfe least whyle we will seeme to be to religious we defraude God of his due honor To this purpose belongeth the answere of Peter who doth not dissemble Cornelius error but friendly reprehendeth him saying Arise for I also am a man as though he shoulde saye I perceyue you haue an opinion of me farre aboue that I am And bicause you thinke there is in me some godheade therefore you doe vouchsafe to giue me this honor but you are farre deceyued For although the grace of God hath made me an Apostle yet as touching my essence and nature I am nothing but a man that is to saye mortall frayle and sinfull which had neede my selfe also of Gods grace and Christes merite Therefore giue me no diuine
plainely testified that our saluation is conteyned in Iesus Christ alone he nowe beginneth by narration of the historie more at large to explicate and dilate the same and that in such sort that it maye easilye appeare howe all the thinges that belong to the redeeming of mankynde are performed by Christ. He beginneth his narration with the time and place shewing where and when Christ began to be knowne Also he citeth them for witnesses of the things which fame long before had bruted so farre abrode least any man might iudge the hystorie to be vncertaine or doubtfull you sayth he know that word which was published ouer all Iurie and beganne in Galiley after the baptisme which Iohn preached It is not without a cause that he maketh mention of the place forasmuch as Esay sometime prophecied that Christ shoulde beginne to preach in Galiley as Mathew also hath noted in his .iiij. Chapter and Esay 9. And it seemeth he alleageth the time for none other cause saying this preaching beganne after the baptisme of Iohn bicause the Prophetes foreshewed that he shoulde be the first Minister of the new Testament and the forerunner of the promised Sauiour For that those things belong vnto him which are reade in Esay 40. of a voyce crying in the wildernesse and in Malachie of Elias appeareth by the writinges of the Euangelistes and by the testimonie of Christ himselfe in Mathewe the .xj. Chapter more manifest than needeth long demonstration They are therfore by this place confuted which denye that Iohn ought to be accounted among the Ministers of the Gospell Whereas it is playne that he bare witnesse of Christ and sent his Disciples of fayth and good zeale vnto Christ. And prepared all the people aswell by his doctrine as by baptisme to embrace and receyue Christ which office of his his father Zacharie by inspiration of the holy spirit acknowledged in him assoone as he was borne We haue here rather to marke diligentlye that the businesse of Christ Iesus and his Gospell beganne by Iohn whose dutie it was to prepare their mindes that shoulde be the Disciples of Christ by the doctrine of repentance and baptisme For this waye Christ thought good to declare that hee woulde haue no man to seeke howe to lyue licentiouslye and fleshly vnder the pretence of him which thing it is euident both many did in tymes past and many doe the same in these dayes also and euen those which glorye in the name of the Gospell For the which cause Christ himselfe thought good to beginne his teaching with repentance and bade the Apostles afterward to beginne with the same Math. 4. and .10 Luc. 24. And they are not to be hearde which seperate the doctrine of repentance from the Gospell wheras without repentaunce we cannot be partakers of the saluation which is in christ And yet for all this we attribute not saluation to mannes merite or righteousnesse bicause we are commaunded to preach repentance in the name of christ And Peter before Act. 5. hath taught vs that God the father hath appoynted Christ to be the author and giuer thereof vnto vs In the meane season they are reprooued also which slaunderously say that we open gappes to the fleshe whereby to sinne by preaching of the Gospell whereas these men for none other cause more hate and persecute the Gospell than for that it grieuously accuseth and inueyeth agaynst their open wickednesse and the cloked hypocrisie of a great many Furthermore it behooueth vs to marke how the Apostle speaketh of the ministery of Iohn For he sayeth he preached Baptisme He ioyneth preaching with Baptisme to declare he was a minister both of doctrine and the sacrament For as by Baptisme he admonished men that they were purged made cleane so expounding the misteries therof by words he taught vs that purification is to be had in Christ only that worthy fruits of repentance are required of them that are purified Wherby it appeareth it is necessary that teaching be ioined with the sacraments forasmuch as without it the mysteries of the sacraments cannot be vnderstanded So God in the beginning commaunded that the meanyng of the feast of Passeouer should be declared vnto the children And we see that the sermons of the prophets are chiefly busied in declaring the misteries of the sacrifices and ceremonies of the lawe while they most grieuously reprehende them which carefully obserued the sacrifices neglecting in the meane season the duties of life by them signified And Christ a little before he departed from his Disciples cōmaunded them not only to baptize but chiefly commended vnto them the preachyng of the Gospell Which thing Paule so diligently obserued that he confesseth how he preached euerywhere but baptized verye fewe These thinges serue to confute them which tying grace to the outwarde signes thinke the vse of them alone sufficient vnto saluation and vse no doctrine wherby to declare the vse of them yea they vse a straunge tounge in the administration of them But how absurde a thing this ought to be iudged Paule sheweth at large in the first to the Corinthians and .xiiij. chapter Hauing nowe declared the beginning of the Gospell he sheweth that Iesus Christ is the author thereof to the ende he woulde notifie vnto vs what and what maner of one we ought to beleeue he is He expressely calleth him Iesus of Nazareth for that we should acknowledge it is he whom by reason of the basenesse of his countrie and bicause of his poore and lowly conuersation outwardly all men contemned Him he testifyeth that God annoynted teaching by these wordes that he is the Sauiour of mankinde which God had long before ordeyned For he maketh mention of annoynting bicause of the olde figure For of olde time the Priests and Kinges of Israel vsed to be annoynted who it is manifest were figures of the Sauiour promised And it was a receyued opinion that the promised Sauiour was called by the name of the Messias or Christ that is to saye annoynted bicause this denomination did declare his Priesthoode and kingdome and all the whole order of our redemption wherevpon the Disciples being asked in the gospell whome they sayde Iesus was they confessed he was Christ that annoynted of god Moreouer least some man might think him to be of no more excellency than other Priests and Kings who by reason of their outward annointing were called by the same name Peter teacheth that he was annoynted wyth the holy ghost and with power alluding no doubt to that verse of Dauid who prophecying of the kingdome of that promysed Sauiour sayth God hath annoynted thee with the oyle of gladnesse aboue thy fellowes Thus he calleth the holy ghost by whose guyding the sonne of God became man and so administred his kingdome and Priesthoode that there is perceyued no griefe or sorowe therein but all kinde of pleasauntnesse and delyght For so he interpreteth the same in the Prophet saying The spirite
which being giuen to curious artes contrary to the prescript word of God dare prophecie of warres to come of plentie of sickenesses and such lyke things Whose boldenesse and impietie I haue before declared to be forbidden by the lawes of god See the fourth Homelie and also our Commentaries vpon Micheas homil 20. It remayneth that we declare what the Christians at Antioch did after the Prophete had thus admonished them Where chiefly appeareth their fayth which was the grounde of all their well doing For by their doings it may easily be gathered that they beleeued Agabus prophecie For they coulde not suspect him whome they sawe threatned but such things as the publike corruption of all states and degrees deserued This is the beginning of saluation when men can fynde in their heartes to beleeue the word of god This thing in time past put away the destruction which god threatned vnto the Niniuites Contrarywise it appeareth that diuers men haue bene the occasion of their owne vtter vndooing bicause they rather woulde with their hinderaunce and losse prooue the veritie of Gods worde than beleeue it And our Sauiour Christ teacheth this to be the onely cause of the destruction of Ierusalem that they knewe not the daye of their visitation So likewise he calleth that the time of grace when the father of heauen did vouchsafe to admonishe the Iewes of the wrath to come first by Iohn the Baptist then by his sonne and the Apostles and did exhort them to amendment of lyfe and a newe conuersation And if we list to apply these things to our dayes we shall be constrayned to confesse that this is the chiefe cause of our miseries in that there be so fewe which vse to beleeue the worde of God and to feare the predictions or warnings of punishment to come Moreouer after the people of Antiochia had beleeued Agabus thus prophecying they called to minde the state of their needye brethren and weighing with themselues diligently what a dearth was lyke to be at that time they prepared themselues to the deedes of Christian charity deuotion a thing not vsed of the children of this world For when they perceyue a dearth like to folow they apply themselfe to their gainful deuises they heap vp corne and hoorde in their Garners to make of a publike calamitie their priuate lucre and aduantage yea by these fellowes subtelties it commeth to passe that they which are in neede are the more distressed with penurie the dearth holdes the longer bicause they still greedily gape after more aduauntage But the Christians at Antioche did farre otherwise whome Christ did vouchsafe first to haue called after his own name For their chief care was howe to succour their poore and needye brethren And in this case they thinke their brethren the Iewes to haue most neede partly for that they knew their goodes were taken from them as Paule testifyeth Heb. 10. and partly for that they knewe they were bounde to them in that they had receyued from them the wholesome doctrine of the Gospell and knowledge of Christ their sauiour For being godly and wyse people they did easilye perceyue that it was not without the prouidence of God that they whose goodes as yet were not consumed shoulde for this ende be admonished of the dearth to ensue For after this sort they thought that god in this publike scarcitie did in their brethrens behalfe require this deede of charity of them This is a verye notable example of Christian gratitude whereby we are taught what dutie learners owe to their teachers seeing the Antiochians acknowledge themselues to be debters to all the Iewes bicause they had learned the truth of some of the Iewes For by common reason they vnderstande that saying of Paule to be most iust that it is but a small matter if they reape their temporall goodes which haue sowed them spirituall goodes But nowe a dayes we be moste vnkinde for hauing receyued great profite by the doctrine of the Gospell men enuye the teachers themselues a necessary liuing much more their other neighbours and countrie men Thus they declare they make no great account of the Gospell when they make so much a doe to paye the Ministers of the Gospell but their bare stipende and pension Howbeit Luke diligently declareth the order that the Antiochians tooke about this matter First euery man of the Disciples purposed to sende succour vnto the brethren which dwelt at Iurie And where hee declareth that thys was the purpose of euery one he sheweth it was a voluntary benefyte and not enforced Such ought they to be which will haue their charitie accepted of god For as Paule teacheth the Lorde looueth a cheerefull giuer It shall much make for the stirring vp of liberalitie in vs if we consider that the richer sort owe this seruice and dutie to the poore Which thing is the cause that Paule reasoning of this matter vseth so often this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifyeth the dutie of ministery and dispensation Whervnto is to be referred that saying of Christ admonishing vs to make vs friendes of the vniust Mammon which when we depart hence maye receyue vs into euerlasting Tabernacles These done he sayth they purposed to sende euery one according to his a bilitie For God did so moderate our Christian liberalitie that hee woulde no man shoulde be charged aboue his possibilitie For it is well knowne what Paule sayth if there be first a willing minde it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that hee hath not Not that other be set at libertie and you brought into combraunce but that there be egalnesse nowe at this time and that your abundance may succour their lacke And wee reade that the widdowe that cast but two Mytes into the Corban was praysed of Christ bicause she was able to giue no more And here is the niggishnesse of them greatlye reprooued which neglect the workes of liberalitie vnder pretence that they thinke it vniust to bestowe the goodes that they haue gotten with their labour and traueyle vpon other whereas God requireth nothing of them more than that they be able to spare Last of all they are very circumspect that their so godly and necessarye a deuise be not by craft and subtiltie hindred or disappoynted For when they had gathered this mony they committed it not at all aduentures to euery one to be caried but to Paule and Barnabas whose credit they had tryed diuers wayes And surely to let all this geare passe it appeareth in Paules writings what great truth he vsed in this behalfe and howe carefully hee procured the reliefe of his needye brethren in Iurie See .1 Corint 16. 2. Cor. 8. and .9 and Rom. 15. Moreouer they sende it to the Elders that it might duely be distributed according to their discretion We haue therfore in this place to learne what Christians haue to doe in times of publyke distresse
Christ that is to saye of the Church Therefore absurde and pernicious is the errour of them which when persecution ariseth forsake the congregation or else if they once haue bene in daunger thinke they haue done ynough for their part and will be ioyned to them no longer for feare of newe daungers And thus they alienate themselues from Christ for whose name sake they abode the first bruntes and whyle they will keepe their bodies out of daunger destroye their soules Let vs also see what maner of Christians Peter founde in the house of Mary Luke comprehendeth a great matter in fewe words and sayth there were many there gathered togither and praying And yet it is not to bee thought that all the faythfull of the whole Citie were gathered into one house but it is likely that there were other assembles also in other places and that in the night season bicause they might not meete togither in the day time And hereof it seemeth that those meetinges of Christians in the night and earely in the morning tooke their beginnings Wherof the prophane writers make mention not that they thought anye more religion or effect of prayers in one time than another but for that in the time of persecutions lying in wayte of their enimies they coulde not otherwise scarse come togither Nowe a dayes such kinde of meetinges are of many vtterly condemned thinking that all men ought to abstaine from them least the godly might giue some suspition of sedicion or of some other more dishonest misdemeanour But why doe not these notable comptrollers consider the example of the Primitiue Church and suffer the brethren that be vnder the crosse to doe as they did in times passed seeing both their cases be a like In the meane whyle we denie not but that there ought to be had herein great diligence and circumspection For as it was in tymes passed a great occasion to the enimies of Christ to rayle and depraue the Christian religion euen so in the ages following it was cause of superstition whyle certaine foolishe men thought they might here vppon grounde their Mattens and singing before daye This place in the meane whyle yet teacheth vs what maner of exercises the Christians shoulde haue at all times but specially when persecutions are stirring or any other kinde of publike calamitie And here ought to be diligent heede had of these holy meetings For as Christ desireth to haue his to be one so it becommeth them to testifye publikely the desire of their vnitie and fellowship Which thing was cause that in the olde Testament Moses gaue such diligent aduertisement concerning their festiuall dayes in all which the chiefe matter was the holy conuocation or assembly And Ioël the Prophet admonishing the people of their dutie in the time of the Assyrian warres commaundeth them oftentimes to proclayme an holy assembly And it is not without a cause that Paule wryting to the Corinthians reasoneth in diuers Chapters of the good order to be had and vsed when the congregation meete togither For he knewe that Christ had adourned such as were gathered togither in his name with a peculiar promise testifying that he is in the middle of them And yet shall not those assemblies be allowed be they neuer so great except those things be done in them which God commaundeth He will haue his worde openlye taught Therefore we must come togither to heare it He will haue vs to praye vnto him Therefore when we meete we must ioyne togither in prayer that we maye euen in a troupe togither I will vse Tertullians wordes compasse and beset God about with prayers For this kinde of violence is acceptable vnto him as Christ hath taught vs by the example of the wydowe It is euident that these men obserued both these things For although Luke make mention in this place but of prayers onely yet forasmuch as they be ordred according to Gods worde and take their force of the promises of God it is not lyke they were slacke herein Of such assemblies as these the most auncient writers make plentifull mention And if we woulde compare these things with the vsage of our dayes it should easily appeare howe farre we haue swarued from the integritie of the Primitiue Church For it pleased God that these companies shoulde come togither in the night time bicause of perilles on euery side at hande but wee will not come togither in the day time when we maye so doe without anye daunger And they that come to the Church doe as they did whose vanitie and wickednesse Ezechiel accuseth cap. 33. And againe they that meete in the night time eyther they striue who shall quaffe best or they playe at the defamed dyce or else runne vp and downe the streetes with their noyses in too dissolute a wise To speake nothing in the meane whyle of those that if any persecution aryse turne to cursing and rayling vsing all vnseemelye speach against the harmelesse Ministers as though the matter touched not the whole congregation but them alone And hereof commeth it that wee perceiue such continuall calamities in our days For why should God spare to strike them which whilste they are layde on will not acknowledge his hande nor turne vnto him correcting them like a father Luke now proceedeth in his Oration begunne and declareth how the faythfull were affected at this sodeine and vnlooked for comming of Peter And first it appeareth they were somewhat troubled at the knocking at the doore bicause Rhoda the mayde runneth not forthwith to open the doore but standeth harkening who it shoulde be that was at the doore For whereas they were not ignorant howe greatly Herode burned in hatred against the church there was nothing so sure but they had some suspicion and feare in it But Rhoda knowing it was Peter by his voyce surprised with exceeding ioy and desirous to be the messenger of such gladsome tydings before shee would open the dore goeth and telleth it within They which scarce thought of any such thing much lesse hoped therefore fyrst sayde she was madde and afterwarde hearing that she constantly affirmed it to be true supposed yet that it was not Peter but his Aungell that was at the doore and did counterfeyte his voyce So a man may see the notable seruants of Christ bewtifyed with all kinde of vertues tossed with diuers affections and betweene hope feare and ioye standing in a doubt Hence therefore with the madnesse of the Stoykes who whyle they teache that a good and perfite man must be voyde of all affections of the mynde go about to make of men blockes and mushroomes And yet Paule witnesseth that Iesus Christ was subiect to such infirmities and was many wayes tempted like a very true man so that he coulde haue compassion on vs Yet here are two things to be diligently considered before we go any further The first is for our consolation where we are
taught that the prayers of the godly are so accepted with God that many times his goodnesse farre exceedeth them by graunting more than they dare presume to aske For although these people made continuall intercession to him for Peter yet it appeareth by this place that they had no hope in his deliuery They knewe well ynough that nothing was impossible vnto god But they perceyued not why God woulde saue Peter seeing he suffred Iames to die so vnwoorthy a death Therfore I suppose they desired God in their prayers that Peter by his grace might be strengthned in the confession of the truth and that for Christes sake he might stoutely ouercome the terrors of death And beyonde all hope they see Peter by the helpe of God restored to them againe which was an infallible argument of Gods goodnesse whereby they were taught that God woulde not suffer his Church to be torne in sunder of Tyrantes seeing he so faythfully defended the Ministers thereof There are infynite examples of like kynde which euery one may euerywhere see that readeth eyther the Scriptures or other writers And if we woulde but a little diligentlyer marke the iudgements of God we should see the like fall out in our owne affayres Let vs learne therefore constantly to hope in the Lorde and to commit our matters and our selues vnto his care and prouidence The other thing to be here obserued is that they suppose it was Peters Aungell that appeared For the godly people acknowledged what is sayde in the Scriptures touching the defence and ayde of the Aungels For no man ought to thinke that they ymagined any superstition deuoyde of syncere religion For there are Oracles of Scripture whereby we are taught that God hath appoynted the Aungels to be the Tutors and Ministers of man as may be seene Psal. 54. and 91. And we haue examples whereby it is manifest they haue appeared in visible fourme Therefore they neyther in foolish sort nor wicked vttered these words at Peters sodeyne comming Yet are we not ignorant that hereof sprang the common error that the superstitious had of the two Aungels appointed to euery man which error wee reiect for good considerations bicause the Scripture defyneth not for certaine any thing touching the number of Aungels whether it is one two or three or whole armies of Aungels that defende one man as wee reade of Iacob and Helisaeus Much lesse thinke wee them to bee hearde which saye that the soules of those that bee deade walke vp and downe and appeare For that opinion repugneth against the doctrine of Christ and the veritie of our fayth whereby we are taught that the soules of the godlye passe from death vnto life and that the soules of the wicked are caryed into hell and can not returne from thence agayne See Christ reasoning of these poynts in Iohn 5. and Luc. 16. Let it be sufficient for vs that the Aungels are the Ministers of God which vseth them at his pleasure for the safegarde of his elect and let vs acknowledge the worthynesse and dignitie of man which ought to be no small prouocation for vs vnto godlynesse Nowe is it time to turne agayne vnto Peter He beckoneth with his hande vnto the brethren being partly surprised with ioye and partly wyth amazednesse to keepe silence and rehearseth all thing in order as it was done declaring that God was the onely worker of this benefite And further he warneth them to signify these things to the residue of the brethren but chiefly vnto Iames the sonne of Alphaeus which the olde writers affirme was Bishop of Ierusalem Of which commaundement it seemeth there was two causes For he woulde haue the glory of God hereby the more thankefully spredde abrode and his brethren whome he knew were sadde for his sake to be quitte of their cares Therefore Peter by his example teacheth vs that we must not hide the benefytes of God in vnthankfull and vnkinde harts For then Gods benefytes are best declared when others prouoked by our meanes learne to hope in God and to call vpon him in their distresse as their defender and reuenger Dauid being deliuered out of the handes of the Philistynes makethmention hereof in the beginning of the Psalme xxxiiij Further it is declared that Peter went to another place For he easilye perceyued that he should doe no good to remaine in Herodes kingdome And the present benefyte of his deliuery did sufficiently declare that God would not haue him dye vnder the hande of Herode but to execute his Apostleship otherwheres Therefore he vseth the counsell of Christ saying If they persecure you in one citie flye vnto another Here hast thou therfore what aunswere to make vnto those which woulde haue the Ministers of the worde put into the Woolues handes and say that they truly followe the Apostles when without hope of doing any good they suffer the wicked not onely to condemne their doctrine and the truth of Christ but also themselues But it easily appeareth what causeth these men thus to say They woulde haue all the Ministers of the Gospell gone at once that Antichristes superstition might be brought in agayne Wherefore wee must vse the wisedome of serpents against these men according as Christ hath commaunded vs that through our temerity rashnesse we do not indammage Christs quarrell Nowe remayneth the last part of this place whereby wee are taught how Herode was affected in minde at this worke and myracle of god And first after it was knowne that Peter had escaped his bandes and imprisonment there arose a great feare trouble among the souldiours For where they were well acquainted with the fierce nature of Herode they looked for no goodnesse at his hande And they were not beguiled For where Herode had appoynted to put Peter to death and vnderstoode afterwarde that he was escaped like one beside himselfe he commaundeth the keepers to bee racked insomuch that although he heard they were in no fault yet he commaūdeth them to be had to prison or else which is the liker to their deaths This is a very notable example whereby we are taught that the wicked waxe the woorse and not better by the iudgements of god For where they are so bolde to striue agaynst God through his iust iudgement they are so blinded and hardened that in the open light they are not able to see nor to submit themselfe vnder the mightie hande of god And there is no cause why we should hope for any better of the tyrants of these dayes which haue begun to make warre agaynst God maintaine the same with such deadly hatred Here appeareth also an example of Gods prouidence whereby Herodes craft is deluded while he heareth the worke of God sette forth by them whose helpe he accustomed to vse against god And that example is not vnlike herevnto where the souldiours appointed by the Priests to watch the sepulchre of Christ were the fyrst that published his
congregation thereof Afterwarde seperate mee sayeth he Paule and Barnabas Then they were in the ministerye or seruice of God when they preached vnto the Gentyles Besides he sayeth for the worke wherevnto I haue called them These thinges make for the assuring of our saluation against the insolent bragging of the Iewes which saye they are onely the people of God and hereout may be taken arguments whereby Christ may be prooued to appertaine vnto vs also if any mennes consciences incline vnto desperation Here ought we to consider the order of ministery whereof this place teacheth vs to iudge The author hereof is the holy ghost as hereafter also shall appeare in the .xx. Chapter For as by the spirite the dignitie of Ministers appeareth so it is plainely manifest that they are not to be taken for lawfull Ministers vnlesse they be called by the spirite For howe shall they preach except they be sent Which is the cause that aswell the Prophets as the Apostles so often and so constantly inculcate and defende their vocation Yet let no man alwayes looke for a voyce to come from heauen to call men vnto the Ministerie For we must iudge them called of God that are furnished with necessary giftes of the holy ghost and chosen by the lawfull voyce of the congregation For that the Church hath herein hir voyce and election appeareth plainly by this place For although the holy ghost doth expressely confesse that he called these two and Paule testifyeth that he was appointed from his mothers wombe for the ministery yet the holy ghost requireth the allowance of the Church And I thinke that it is requisite chiefly for this cause that hereby the Ministery might haue the more credit and authoritie bicause the holy ghost knewe it to be a thing subiect to the reproch of a great many In the meane season we are taught that order is necessarie in the Church as well in all other things as chiefly in the choosing of Ministers least any man as the Apostle sayeth shoulde take vnto himselfe honour For howe much such things displease God we learne by the example of Corah and by the hystories of manye ages whereby it may be prooued that there hath risen in the church scarce of any thing greater troubles than of the disordinate and vnlawfull choosing of Ministers Furthermore as the electing of Ministers in some part belongeth vnto the Church so it behooueth the Church to vse all holynesse in a matter of so great weight and importance Wherevppon they are sayde here agayne to haue fasted and prayed Howbeit they coulde not erre in the persons forasmuch as the holy ghost had named them that were appointed for this present businesse yet they pray that they may be increased with the holye spirite forasmuch as they hearde they were called to an office of such labour and perill Woulde God those men woulde weigh these things that vse to choose Ministers among their cuppes and in a matter of most weyght vse their affections which are the woorst Counsaylers that can be whose wickednesse we may thanke for the most part of the euils that are seene at these dayes in the Church Also these Antiochians adde vnto their prayers the solemne ceremonie of laying on of handes which we declared heretofore was an outwarde signe of consecration where we spake of the institution of Deacons Nowe remayneth the last part of this diuision that is howe Paule and Barnabas began to discharge the office committed to them by God and the congregation This part Luke so ioyneth vnto the premisses that it appeareth they forthwith tooke their iourney from thence This is a notable example of godly industrie and zeale For what excuses they might haue layde for themselues all men may easily vnderstande that haue but lightly run ouer the stories of that time The Romaines at that time were Lords almost of the whole worlde who they knewe would not admit the abrogation of their olde ceremonies and superstition They knewe also that they shoulde haue to doe with the Gentyle Philosophers men very subtile and greatly exercised in extemporall and ready vtterance of speach Moreouer they knewe the condicion of the Comons howe they vse so stowtelye to maintaine their olde Mumpsimus in so much that they will rather lose their lyfe than it Howbeit all these things cannot stoppe them from preparing themselfe herevnto being ready to take in good worth whatsoeuer trauels and daungers shoulde ensue These mens diligence ought all such to imitate as are appoynted of God to any publike office forthwith to obey the calling of God constantly to go on in the same For the Lorde cannot away with lingerers and triflers as who of most right challengeth all thinges to himselfe For this cause it is sayde he was angry with Moses in time past bicause he refused the office he called him vnto And Christ sayth to the Disciple that woulde fyrst go and burie his father followe mee and let the deade burie their deade Howbeit Luke maketh mention here of three thinges of eche whereof somewhat is to be sayde First he sheweth whither they went To Seleucia which was not farre distaunt from Antiochia and from thence to Salamine a Citie of Cyprus The olde Cosmographers for the most part attribute vnto Cyprus among all the Islandes of the Mediterranean sea the chiefe prayse for fertilitie and riches For this cause all the Cypriotes were so giuen to ryote and lecherie as ere while we declared that the whole Islande was dedicated to Venus who as it is reported was borne there Now this one thing declareth what great corruption of lyfe and maners reygned in that Nation which had dedicate it selfe and the whole lande vnto Venus Wherefore we must thinke it was not without a great cause that they first went thither being sent by the holy ghost to preach the Gospell vnto the Gentyles For this is a singuler example of Gods fauour which vseth not to forsake sinners but to seeke their saluation that as Paule sayth where sinne abounded â–ª there might grace also abounde Whervnto chiefly belongeth that saying of Christ where he testifyeth that he came into the worlde to saue sinners And there be notable examples of sinners whome Christ very bountifully and graciously embraced amongst which this present example is neyther least nor last These things as they serue for our consolation so they teach vs that we may not rashly cast of sinners but rather comfort and traine them if by any meanes they may be amended and saued Furthermore here is noted the argument of their doctrine and preaching where it is sayde they preached the word of god And it is certaine that in the worde of God all saluation is contained Wherefore it was not needefull to rehearse all the articles of their doctrine which may easilye be gathered of other as well Sermons as Epistles of the Apostles Let vs rather obserue this that no mannes authoritie ought
and by lande And there is no doubt but that they caused the doctrine of the Gospell to shine also ouer Pamphilia seeing for that ende they tooke in hande this voyage And this is a rare example of Apostolike zeale and industrie that although they had brought a most famous Island to the knowledge of Christ yet they thinke not nowe to leaue of as though they had fully accomplished their dutie but hold on still and thinke they are the more bounde vnto Christ the more fauourably they see he furthereth their beginnings So Paule in another place hauing fylled all places from Arabia vnto Illyricum with the Gospell of Iesus Christ stayeth not so but purposeth in his minde to go through Italie and Spaine also By which examples their slothfulnesse is reproued which hauing yet scarce begonne and giuen the onset make holyday leaue of thinking they haue done very much already and supposing it neyther meete nor right that men should looke for any more at their handes But it behoueth vs to continue vnto the ende that we be neuer wearie of doing Christ seruice as long as we hope we may set forth Gods glorie and bring any to the knowledge of saluation But being occupied in this most holy businesse and trauayle befalleth an heauy case For while they are busied in training others vnto Christ they lose their companion and fellow minister whome they had chosen out of a great number This was Iohn surnamed Marke sonne to that Mary â–ª to whose house Peter came when he was escaped out of prison as hath bene declared before This Iohn as hereafter shall appeare in the .xv. Chapter being wearied with continuall trauayles and daungers left them and returned to Ierusalem whereby he not onely disapointed them of his helpe to whome he ought fast to haue cleaued in that most godly businesse but also was the occasion of a bitter contention that arose afterward betwene Paule and Barnabas But bicause it is sayde he returned to Ierusalem where his mother was it is like he pretended for his sloth the loue he ought to his mother being a widowe so that he maye be iudged to be of the number of them wherof in the Gospell he is an example which being called of Christ sayde he woulde fyrst go and burie his father The holy ghost setteth out such examples to vs not to be followed but that we might vnderstande there will be alwayes slidebackes and heauy calamities that shall hinder the course of the Gospell For Satan who desired to syft euen the very Apostles is not ydle For although he could not pull them cleane from Christ yet he brought to passe that they were so feared with his apprehension and bandes that they all fled from him So we reade in the .vj. of Iohn that diuers thousandes fell from him at once And Paule which now seeth Marke thus slippe away complaineth afterwarde howe Demades embraced thys present worlde and when he shoulde be brought before Caesar howe all his friendes forsooke him Let no man therefore be offended at the leuitie and inconstantnesse of some people now a dayes who hauing profited very well in Christes religion by and by giue ouer For both Christ and his Apostles prophecied such should come In the meane while let these men remember that they grieuoussy sinne For they forsake Christ his cause which is a kinde of denying him Beside they offende the weaker sort and giue occasion to them that thinke not well of the Gospell and of the Christian faith to sclaunder it so that by their meane the name of Christ is yll spoken of Furthermore they make all them that are vnknowne and forreners to suspect them whome otherwise they woulde succour and relieue Finallye they are authours of diuision while they cause other to take part with them who ought to ioyne both hearts and handes togither to set forth the kingdome of christ And they offende the more grieuously the more they be of authoritie But to returne to the Apostles let vs learne by their examples what we haue to do if the like things come to passe For do they when they vnderstand of Markes sodeine departure leaue the office they are put in charge with No. But they go through Pamphilia passing ouer the mount Taurus come into Pisidia and to Antioch which somtime was also called Caesarea as Plinie testifyeth where they preach the Gospell more earnestly than euer they did before as the things following shall abundantly declare We are by this example admonished that we must not eyther for falshoode or sloth of other suffer our selues to be plucked from doing our dutie For other mennes faults cannot excuse vs whose falles we must rather eschew than imitate And bicause it is the Lordes cause that we stande in it shall be easie for him to defende it though but by a fewe and those of no authoritie in the worldes sight Yea he many times suffreth those to fall away of whom we hoped for most helpe that thereby he might declare howe we should reioyce but in God alone Besides this though we be forsaken of the worlde yet be we not alone For that that Christ pronounced of himselfe must be applied vnto all his members The time commeth sayth he that you shall be scattered euery one into his owne and shall leaue me alone and yet am I not alone for the father is with me Yea he sayth moreouer I will not leaue you succourlesse Beholde I am with you vnto the ende of the worlde Hereto belongeth that saying of Dauid when my father and mother forsooke mee the Lorde tooke me and receyued me And these thinges must not Ministers of the worde onely remember but also Princes and Magistrates For these also haue God for the author of their vocation who testifyeth that he is in the middest of them Wherefore if they be constant in setting forth his glorye there is no cause they shoulde be mooued with the terrors of the worlde forasmuch as they shall haue God for their protector and reuenger Lette priuate persons thinke so likewise that they be not dismayde at the countenance and looke of the worlde For the worlde shall perish but the worde of the Lord wherevpon both our saluation and vocation is founded endureth for euer Further let vs see what the Apostles did at Antioch Vpon a Sabboth daye they go into the Sinagoge and sit downe This Luke writeth to shewe vnto vs that they sought occasion to teache or preach the Gospell For on the Sabboth dayes the Iewes vsed publikely to assemble to be instructed in the lawe and to make their prayers vnto god Which thing was the cause that not long after the Apostles went into the Iewes Sinagoge at Salamine also And there is no doubt â–ª but they did the like also otherwheres forasmuch as there was no hope for them in any other place more commodiously to teach And they were not deceyued For when the solemne
and accustomed lecture of the lawe and Prophetes was ended the Rulers of the Sinagoge supposing them to be no common persons gaue them leaue to speake vnto the people For they send a message to them saying ye men and brethren if you haue any Sermon to exhort the people saye on And so Paule begonne a singular sermon of Iesus Christ and the whole mysterie of our saluation the beginning whereof God willing we shall heare to morowe At this time we haue certaine other thinges to consider of which we will speake in order First and foremost the Apostles spredde not the doctrine of saluation abrode in Tauernes among drunken blowbolles nor yet in corners and woodes among the rude and ignorant people but they come into a publike place and openly teach the Gospell This it appeareth they did after the example of Christ who vsed himselfe to go into the Sinagoges and to teach openly And when he was examined by Caiphas of his doctrine and Disciples as though he had bene an heretike he defendeth himselfe by this argument only that he taught openly in the Sinagoge and in the Church and was not afrayde to abide the iudgement of the whole people touching his doctrine Which examples serue to repoorue them which sowe newe opinions secretly among the people and flie and abhorre nothing so much as the light and iudgement of the congregation This one thing abundantlye prooueth that they are deceyuers seeing that truth desireth nothing so much as the light Where yet we do not condemne them which being compassed about with persecutions exercise the duties of godly religion in secret which thing we reade was done at Ierusalem by the faythfull in the house of Mary and otherwheres so that they be ready to giue an account of their fayth to as many as require the same and not like the Anabaptistes by stubborne silence and craftie dissimulation delude them that go about to trie their fayth and doctrine Then againe it is no superfluous notation of time where it is sayde they went into the sinagoge on the Sabboth dayes For hereby he teacheth vs that they diligently kept the religion of the Sabboth which day it is euident was dedicated vnto God at the beginning of the world was diligently commended by Moses vnto the Israelites For where we be busied with diuers occupations it was necessary that there should be one time appointed free from all cares and businesse wherein we shoulde giue our selues wholy both in body and soule to the honouring of god Therefore God appointed the seauenth daye to this exercise which he for this cause called his daye that when that daye commeth we should abstaine from all other businesses and exercises And he ordeyned it to be kept so holilye that he appointed death for the breakers thereof And in the Prophets this is reckoned for one of the most grieuous offences and causes of the captiuitie of Babilon that they did vnhallowe the Sabbothes of the Lorde For the which cause the sonne of God although he many times reprehended the superstitious keeping of them yet he diligently obserued those thinges wherein the worship of God consisted For on those days he entred into the Sinagoges and was present at their publike assemblies and prayers Moreouer hee taught and hearde others teach and also vsed diligently the deedes of liberalitie Which thing the Apostles remembring they thought good also to followe the example of their maister But now a dayes the matter is come to that passe that among Christians they may go for the best menne that breake the Sabbothes but with handy works toward the getting of their liuing whereas a great many prophane them with heynous wickednesse nor at any time doe men more sinne in pryde and arrogancie in drunkennesse concupiscence and ryot than on that day which ought to be bestowed wholy in the study of godly workes and eternall rest and quiet And notwithstanding these thinges are openly committed yet wee still seeke what should bee the causes of the miseries and wretchednesse of our dayes Howbeit where the religion of the Sabboth as touching the outward obseruation consisteth chiefly in the holy assemblyes which Moses calleth holye conuocations Luke declareth diligently what was done in this assembly First the Apostles sate downe no doubt among the residue that were there gathered togither This is the dutie of modestie and honestie wherof regard must alwaies be had euerywhere but chiefly in the Church that nothing be done out of order and dishonestly Then he maketh mention howe the lawe and the Prophetes were reade which was obserued among the Iewes of a common custome as we shall vnderstand a little after by Paules sermon and by the wordes of Iames in the .xv. Chapter For so Moses ordeyned by the commaundement of God which custome after their returne from Babylon Esdras restored againe as appeareth in Nehemias cap. 8. And Christ vsed none other custome when out of the place of Esay he taught the mysteries of our saluation in the Sinagoge at Nazareth These thinges teach vs that in the congregation the worde of God comprehended in the Scriptures ought to be intreated For this cause Paule commendeth vnto the Ministers of Churches the studie of holy scripture bicause none other voyce than such as speaketh in the scripture must be hearde in Gods house Therfore their errour is enormious and absurde in that Church which declare vnto the simple people most foolish trifles out of the Legendes of Saints or else vrge and exact mans traditions wherwith Christ himselfe out of the Prophete teacheth that all Gods religion is corrupted Which thing as it is in these dayes to much frequented â—o if at any time any place be left for the word of God it is vsed to be sayde or song commonlye in a straunge tongue so that no profyte can come to the people thereby But touching this matter see Paules iudgement 1. Cor. 14. Thirdlye this also is to be commended that none of them taketh vppon him to speake before he be lawfully requested For although of auncient custome the interpreters and Prophetes sate next to the Teachers yet none impudently intruded himselfe so that vndesired or without necessitie he woulde speake vnto the people Wherefore Paule and Barnabas also although they were sent by the holy ghost yet they thinke it not good to breake so profytable and auncient a custome of the Church Therefore the Anabaptistes disorder is not to be suffered which abuse the place of Paule 1. Cor. 14 â–ª saying that all men ought to haue leaue to speake in the Church For Paule in that place speaketh of those that had the gift of interpretation and prophecie and sate with the teachers as was euen nowe sayde But such as were no interpreters he commaundeth to keepe silence And he commaundeth all things to be done decently and in order Neyther lette any man obiect here vnto me what I thinke the Apostles woulde haue done if no
Then Iupiters priest which dwelt before their Citie brought Oxen and garlandes vnto the porch and woulde haue done sacrifice with the people WHen our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christ fyrst sent forth his Apostles to preache the Gospell he warned them of nothing so diligently as of persecutions that shoulde come vnto them in going about that businesse Of these he foretolde they shoulde suffer both many and grieuous not hereby meaning through feare to dismay them but to arme them with fayth against troubles foreseene that thereby they might learne to ouercome them Paule and Barnabas the chosen vessels of Christ well vnderstoode this thing who at the speciall commaundement of the holye ghost were sent forth as we hearde before to preach among the Gentyles For they vse such fayth and constancie in their office and charge that after persecution as men increased with more force and strength they returne with more alacritie to their office againe For being driuen out of Antioch they fyll Iconium with the doctrine of christ Agayne beinst expulsed Iconium by reason of a sedition there raysed they come to Lystra and Derba and there they beginne to teach And it is sayde they preached the Gospell least any man might thinke they had chaunged their doctrine for their enimies pleasure Their constancie is set forth to be imitated of all men to th ende that they which will seeme the true worshippers of Christ shoulde giue no place to the wicked enimies of the worde For he is vnworthy of Christ that more setteth by the friendship of this vntowarde and adulterous worlde than by the glory of christ Howbeit bicause mention was made of myracles whereby God gaue testimonie to the Apostles doctrine nowe Luke rehearseth one myracle among a great many which by reason of the effect falling out thereof seemed verye worthy to be declared For the more profyte that may come vnto vs by the consideration thereof fyrst we will discusse the myracle with the circumstances and then declare the effect thereof Luke beginneth with the description of him on whome the myracle was wrought He was a townesman of Lystra many wayes very miserable For he was lame of his feete and that from his mothers wombe so that thereby it appeareth his disease was incurable such as they be for the most part that cleaue to vs from our natiuitie and birth It is also added that he neuer went on his feete or walked So diligent a description of this Creple maketh for the certaintie of the myracle that the power of Christ might appeare the more euident in whose name not long after he was healed Here is to be obserued how Christ commonly setteth forth the glorye of his name by them which eyther are sicke of incurable diseases from their natiuitie or else are otherwise in great calamitie Such an one we reade the blinde man was whom Christ restored to his sight Such another was he that had the Palsie who at length after he had bene .xxxviij. yeares diseased was restored againe to his health Such an one was the woman which had eyghtene yeares gone stowping and bowed as it were togither Such were the Demoniakes that so raged and were by his benefyte deliuered These thinges serue fyrst for our consolation that we shoulde not take the aduersities that God sendeth impaciently considering that hereby Christ knoweth howe to fetch matter to glorifye his name by For God so little hateth vs therefore that rather by bearing them pacientlye he maketh vs the instruments of his glory Furthermore they make for our instruction that we rashly ryde not on them whome God hath punished with anye deformities or blemishes of nature For according to the saying of Salomon he that derideth the poore contemneth god his maker so is he very wicked which by tauntes and scornes nicketh them whom God hath chastened or afflicted with his hande Which thing is the cause that the lawe pronounceth them accursed that layeth a stumbling blocke in the blindes waye or curseth the deafe Let vs see what this Creple did before he was made whole He heard Paule preach and beleeued he should be made whole Whereby it appeareth that Paule preached of the saluation of christ Which when the creple heard to be confyrmed with many myracles he conceyued also good hope of his restitution who by like had also some secret suggestion of the holy spirite forasmuch as there is no promises vniuersall that promiseth health of bodye to all that beleeue in the name of christ Luke ment to shewe the cause of his saluation where he sayth hee beleeued For all the Scripture teacheth vs that by faith we are made partakers both of Christ and of all his benefytes and Christ many times teacheth vs the same saying when he healed any Be it done vnto thee according to thy fayth or thy fayth hath saued thee or made thee whole It is very worthy to be considered how fyrst it is sayde he hearde and afterwarde mention is made of his beliefe which he gatte by hearing the worde This teacheth vs after what sort and meanes fayth commeth vnto vs It is manifest that faith is the gift of God and that it consisteth not in the will eloquence or wisedome of manne For no man knoweth the father but the sonne and hee to whome the sonne will open him And God vseth men for Ministers and instrumentes of his worde when he meaneth to teach men his word according to that saying of Paule We be the Ministers of Cod by whome you haue beleeued euen as the Lorde gaue euery man grace Therfore whosoeuer will attaine vnto fayth must diligently harken to the worde of god For how shall they beleeue except they haue hearde howe shall they heare without a Preacher for faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the worde of God. Wherefore Christ ioyning both these togither sayth He that heareth my word and beleeueth in him that sent me hath life euerlasting These things serue for commendation of the outward word that we contemne it not nor imagine another word of God nor search for such wayes of fayth as the Saintes neuer knewe of Which who so doe they lye open commonly to the assaults of the Deuill and are troubled with marueylous illusions and fare like men which hearing howe God giueth the encrease of corne leaue of tillage a thing that God hath ordeyned for the maintenance of man. After this Luke sheweth the myracle For Paule well beholding this Creple perceyued certaine tokens of fayth in him which coulde not be without some secret working of the holy spirite For who is able by a mans countenance which is the most variable and deceyueable thing that is to iudge surely of any mannes faith it must needes therefore be the suggestion of the spirite that certifyed Paule of this lame mannes fayth Then turning about vnto him he giueth him perfyte helth of his body And as it is written in
greater number haue bene deceyued with false opinions of God haue not truely serued hym Only Noe with his familie which were but eyght persons followed an opinion of God religion contrary to al the world hath God to confyrme warrant of the same And the Patriarches a very fewe in number as bright starres shining in the dark fyrmament were scattred abroade among the vnbeleeuing Gentyles what shal we say of the people of Israel the peculyars of the Lord Read we not that they and their Byshops most fowly and wickedly erred when contrarie to the commaundement of God they enterprised to cast a Calfe as the Prophet saith turned the maiesty of their God into the similitude of an Oxe that eateth hay And to speake of Gods newe people doth not Christ call it a small flock and sayth he not they are fewe which go in at the narrowe gate vnto saluation yea Paule sayth that grieuous Wolues shall rise vp euen of those of the congregation which shall not spare the flock and he sayth also that Antichrist shall sit aloft in the temple of god Let them cease therefore to obiect vnto vs the consent of multitude and authoritie of the Church which resist the open veritie We require the worde of God and voyce of Christ which ought to be the onely touch and rule to iudge all controuersies in doctrine Furthermore least anye man should put God in faulte of the Gentyles ydolatrie and superstition the Apostles vse a preoccupation or preuention in the which they cleere God of all maner of fault For hee saye they hath alwayes borne wytnesse of himselfe his nature and pleasure and hath shewed his inuisible nature and essence vnto the worlde by hys visible workes And omytting those great and woonderfull works of God which passe mans capacitie and reache he rehearseth his daylie workes whereby he doth good vnto men that euen for this cause they were able to drawe any man to the diligent consideration of so soueraigne a god For who is so blynde or dull that he perceyueth not the seasonable tymes and the increase of victuals springing thereof who will say these things come to passe by chaunce that are knyt togyther so fast by order of nature that if any thing commeth beside the woonted course of nature it is thought a woonder And I pray you what an vnthankfulnesse is it not to acknowledge that God which alone prouydeth vs not of necessaries onely but also giueth vs aboundance of those things that are delectable and pleasaunt Or what excuse of ignoraunce can they alleage for themselues which as often as they take their meate are admonished of Gods liberallitie towards vs In this place there is a profytable doctrine and for the beating downe of the superstitious curiositie of some persons verie necessarie that is to say who is the author of the influences of heauen and the increase and yeelde of the earth The Apostles say of God the Creator that he gyueth vs rayne from heauen and fruitefull seasons replenishing vs with foode and gladnesse Herevnto agreeth the scripture in euery place Dauyd diligently accounteth the same among the other workes of God saying He couereth the heauen with clowdes and prepareth rayne for the earth and maketh the grasse to growe vpon the mountaynes He giueth fodder vnto the cattell and feedeth the yong Rauens that call vpon him He gyueth snowe lyke wooll and scattereth the hoare frost lyke ashes he casteth forth his yse like morsels He sendeth out hys word melteth them he bloweth with his winde and the waters flowe Againe He watreth the hylles from aboue the earth is filled with the fruit of his workes He bringeth forth grasse for the cattle and herbe for the vse of men that he may bring foode out of the earth c. I omyt infynite other testimonies which might be brought But God moderateth all these thinges according to hys iust will and pleasure whyle he sendeth plenteous encrease to them that walke in hys lawe and scarcitie and barrennesse to the disobedyent whereof we haue euydent examples Here the Astrologers are confuted who attrybuting these thinges to the position and placeing of the Planets reuoke and bring in agayne the prophane names of Gods and almost all kinde of gentilitie The superstitious are here also reprooued which make the saints authors hereof which aske rayne seasonable weather of them hauing Masses and seruice appoynted for that ende and purpose Let both these sortes see what God sayth in Hoseas chap. 2. And let vs followe the Apostles doctrine â–ª and acknowledge one onely God to be the author and gouernour of all these things which is â—eyther bound to the course of Planets nor is not subiect to nature but according to hys good pleasure and iust iudgement moderateth and ordereth all things Nowe Luke declareth the effect of the Apostles sermon and sayth that they of Lystra coulde scarce be restrayned with all this weyght of wordes and sentences but that they woulde doe sacrifyce vnto them So frowarde and obstinate man is in retayning of superstition yet is the obstinacie of our time greater These men coulde with one Sermon be prohibited where nowe adayes there are numbers which with many yeares traueyle and daylie sermons can not be brought into the right way Let vs therfore pray vnto God the father that he will illuminate both them and vs with his holye spirite and bring vs to the true and wholesome knowledge of him and his sonne Iesus Christ to whome be prayse honor power and glory for euer Amen The lxxxxix Homelie THYTHER came certaine Iewes from Antioch and Iconium which when they had obtayned the peoples consent and had stoned Paule drewe him out of the Citie supposing he had bene deade Howbeit as the Disciples stoode rounde about him he arose vp and came into the Citie And the next daye he departed with Barnabas to Derba And when they had preached to that Citie and had taught many they returned againe to Lystra and to Iconium and Antioch and strengthned the Disciples soules againe and exhorted them to continue in the fayth affirming that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdome of God. AS our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ laboureth incessantly to maintaine and defende the saluation of mankinde so Satan is altogither occupyed in ouerthrowing the kingdome of God and in pulling men from the waye of saluation Hereof in this hystorie haue we a most euident example For as the Apostles were preaching at Lystra fyrst Satan moued certaine superstitious persons to giue diuine honour vnto them and no doubt but this was the drift of that malicious enimie of mannes saluation to haue tripped the Apostles by tempting them with ambition wheras he had attempted Christ before with the same But his enterprise commeth not to passe For Paule and Barnabas perceyuing this craft of the Deuill and being enflamed with more zeale than before defended most
at Corinth the which Paule complaineth to haue bene deuided into many and diuers factions through the subtiltie offalse teachers Both these thinges they founde true which were ledde about with the doctrine of the Monkes before the light of the Gospell appeared But the Apostles adde a notable sentence vnto the description of these deceyuers whereby they manifestly declare that they gaue the false Apostles no such thing in commaundement Therefore they accuse them of lying and therby likewise declare that there shall be lyers in all ages that shall preache the iustifycation of workes vnder the pretence and name of the Apostles Lette them therefore crye till they be horce againe that they are Legates sent from the Popes side let them pretende Fathers and Counsayles let them wrest scriptures let them glorie in the authoritie of Kings and Princes and we shall sette against all these the Counsayle and authoritie of the Apostles which openly testifyeth that the Apostles make nothing for them which dare ouerthrowe the righteousnesse of faith and attribute the glory of our saluation any way vnto workes Naye we will referre that saying of Paule vnto this place who doubted not to strike with Cursse an Aungell presuming to preach any other Gospell than this In the thirde member of their deuision they greatly commende Paule and Barnabas bicause they knewe that these deceyuers did greatly impugne their authoritie which also was the cause that Paule diuers times defended his Apostleship not without some suspect of ambition as his Epistles to the Galathians and Corinthians declare Therfore they call them their beloued by which name they accuse all those of lying which affirmed that Paule discented from the other Apostles They ioyne herevnto a praise which is the greatest that can be deuised where they say they ieoperded their liues for the name of Iesus Christ. The example of the Primitiue Church teacheth that their name and fame which deserue well in setting forth the saluation of men ought to be maintained defended And this is not to be iudged as any flatterie when it is done modestly and to that ende to keepe their authoritie vnblemished Thus it pleased Christ to adourne the sonnes of Zebede with worshipfull tytles as long as their vertuous doings so deserued And Paule sometime digresseth and taketh occasion to commende Titus Luke Timothie Epaphroditus and such like both to spurre them forward and also that their ministery might the more profytably proceede and go forwarde And this is to be obserued not onely in the Church but also in the common weale bicause liuely and couragious spirites are no waye more effectually cheared to take in hande vertuous and worthy exploytes than by prayse and honor And there are euerywhere examples that teach vs that no common weales haue long flourished where there haue not bene appoynted worthy rewardes of commendation and honor for well deseruers Furthermore in this place is expressed what the true prayse of a Minister is verily when necessitie so requireth to laye downe his life for the testimonie and name of Iesus christ For as he deserueth not to be called a good souldiour who is not redy to hazard his life if the coÌ„maundement of his Captaine publike weale so require so can he be no faythfull minister of Christ which is not ready to forsake all he hath yea his life to for the glory of Christ thus doth Christ euen of very equity and right require of vs seeing he fyrst did vouchsafe to laye downe his life for the saluation of all mankinde And yet these thinges are not so to be vnderstanded as though none shoulde be taken for a faythfull Minister of Christ but he that hath hazarded his lyfe For Christ woulde not haue vs rashe and to prodigall of our liues but rather he commaundeth vs to vse the prudence of serpents shunning and taking heede of daungers And many times there appeareth no daunger why we should feare our life yet in the meane time it is required that we should be prompt and ready in minde that we steppe not backe when with perill of our life we shoulde defende the glorye of christ This promptnesse of minde doth Paule shewe when being admonished howe he shoulde be layde in bondes he confessed that he was ready not onely to suffer bondes or imprisonment but also death for the name of christ See the Actes .xx. and .xxj. And that that is sayde of the Ministers of the worde is vnderstanded also of all that be Christians For it is an vniuersall rule which commaundeth vs to confesse Christ before the world and teacheth that he is not fytte for the kingdome of God which looketh backe agayne after he hath once sette his hande vnto the plough The fourth part expoundeth the decree of the Synode in the which Peter and Iames sayings are repeated and reconcyled in the which place we haue orderly to consider three things First they alleage the author of the decree namely the holy ghost It hath seemed good saye they vnto the holy ghost and to vs. They ioyne themselues with the holye ghost not meaning to match their authoritie with his or that they woulde be beleeued alone without the consent of the spirite but bicause Christ made them Ministers of his spirite by whom he thought good to vtter his Oracles In the which meaning also it is sayde He that heareth you heareth me and he that despyseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth mee despiseth him that sent mee Therefore bicause the Apostles pronounced nothing but that the holy ghost bade them they ioyne themselues after none insolent sort but after a modest and conuenient grauitie vnto the holye ghost â–ª least they might seeme to dissent from him And that the thing they write is the oracle of the holye ghost it appeareth by this that they decree nothing repugnant vnto the holy Scriptures And if the President of y Popishe Counsayles may say the same of their decrees we will confesse that they also are gathered togither in the holy ghost and that the thinges they enact are the decrees and Statutes of the spirite But as oft as they shall put forth opinions varying froÌ„ the Scriptures and repugnant vnto them so oft will we denie that they are ledde with the holy ghost bicause he cannot disagree with himselfe forasmuch as he is the spirite of truth Secondly they declare what it is that seemeth good vnto the holy ghost namely that we shoulde charge you with no more yoke and burthen Therefore whatsoeuer is beside the fayth in Iesus Christ is a yoke and a burthen For mennes consciences are burthened with the vnprofytable obseruation of traditioâ—s which can not further our saluation They repeate also what Iames had prescribed touching the eating of things offered to Idols touching whoredome strangled and bloude and they saye these are necessary to be obserued Here is to be noted what we sayd in the last Homelie touching the differences of these
Citie in the partes of Macedonia and a free Citie THE spirite of our Lorde Iesus Christe woulde that the iourneyes and voyages of the Apostles and specially those of Paule shoulde be diligently described bicause the same make not a little for our instruction For by them appeareth a great goodnesse of God which within so short a space of tyme did vouchsafe to lighten all the worlde with the doctrine of the gospell and saluation and to bring the prophane Gentyles when they were most corrupt to the knowledge fellowship of him It appeareth also by this hystorie by what meanes and weapons the kingdome of God vseth here on earth both to be enlarged and conserued Uerily by the preaching of the Gospell whereby in despyte of the worlde the spirite of God bloweth where it will as Christ otherwheres sayeth And where God doth vouchsafe to vse the ministerie of men herein he required of them earnest diligence and vigilant zeale Wherein we haue to imitate Paule of all others touching whose feruent zeale Luke reporteth manye things Whereof this is no simple argument and proofe that not contented to haue gayned many Congregations vnto Christ he goeth agayne to visite them and confyrmeth them by faithfull admonitions teaching vs that we must be carefull in the matter of our saluation bicause all men knowe the sleyghtes of Satan which laboureth to turne vs or euer we be ware out of the way of saluation Yet Paule so visiteth the congregations that he endeuoreth to gather and gayne newe companies vnto Christ of the which thing in this place Luke chiefely intreateth First it is sayde he went through Phrigia and Galacia And that there were newe congregations there erected the Epistle of Paule to the Galathians abundantly declareth conteyning in a compendious and perfyte abridgement all the whole summe of Euangelike doctrine In that iourney came to passe this one thing most marueylous of all other that they were forbidden by the holy ghost to preach the Gospell in Asia Under the name of Asia is comprehended that part which bordering on the sea westwarde conteyneth in the continent Acolia and Lydia aboue Ephesus and Smyrna and Ionia it selfe Which countries as they are most fruitfull and rich of all others so for this cause they were very vnhappye in that Christ would not at this time they should heare the doctrine of saluation Such was the case of Bythinia also into the which the same spirite of Christ woulde not suffer Paule to go neyther By which argument it easily appeareth that the Apostles wandered not about the worlde at their owne pleasure but did all things by the guiding and ordering of the spirite of GOD for we knowe that this holye spirite was promised and giuen vnto them by christ Beside that they had singuler reuelations when neede was whereof we had example before in Peter and Philip where the Ethiopian Eunuch and Cornelius the Centurion by their ministery should be conuerted This maketh for the commendation of the Apostles doctrine that we despyse it not as an humane thyng and to be little esteemed seeing it is manifest it was published among men by the euident working of the holy ghost But some men vse in this place to mooue a graue question why Paule was suffred in one place to teach and forbidden in another This question some men thinke is very commodiously soluted if all such doings be referred vnto Gods prescience or foreknowledge For they saye he foreseeth who be worthy to haue his word and to be saued and who be not But these kind of menne whyle they are carefull to defende the iustice of God for feare of making him the author of any sinne they make little of his grace measuring saluation by the worthynesse of menne which is impossible for them to doe vnlesse they will also stablishe the merite of man and the prowde affiaunce in mannes righteousnesse But howe friuolous and vayne a glose this is appeareth by this in that all men of themselues are vnworthye of saluation For as Paule testifyeth All haue sinned and are destitute of the glory of God and there is not a iust man no not one And there is none worthy to receyue the worde of saluation but such as God pleaseth to make worthy and meete For of our selues we are not once able to thinke good but all our worthynesse and abilitie to perceyue that that is good commeth of God. This saying of Christ is notable and well knowne to all menne No manne commeth to me but he whome the father draweth An example whereof we had in the .xiiij. Chapter where it is sayde they beleeued that were ordeyned vnto life euerlasting And in the next Sermon we shall haue the example of Lydia which therefore beleeued Paule bicause the Lord had opened hir hart It remayneth therefore that there can be none other cause alleaged of this doing but the franke and free election of God which embraceth by his mercye whome he pleaseth and whome againe he lyâ—â—eth their harts he hardeneth And yet no man must accuse God eyther of vnrighteousnesse or crueltie forasmuch as he is bound to man and so ordreth his iudgements that great learning commeth thereby vnto vs For in the elect he sheweth an example of his meere goodnesse and in the reprobate the seueritie of his iustice that we may learne to feare the one and to embrace and kisse the other Moreouer the vse of this doctrine serueth and is necessarye for many purposes For it marueylously comforteth vs in temptations bicause we knowe our saluation is not founded in our power or in the merite of our righteousnesse but in the grace of God and merite of christ For who can ouerthrow this righteousnesse or grace who shall seperate those from the loue of God whom he hath once embraced Or who shall be able to take one sheepe out of Christes hande seeing all power is giuen to him in heauen and in earth Whosoeuer teach that saluation dependeth vpon our worthinesse doe vtterlye infringe the force and strength of this consolation Besides this doctrine teacheth vs our dutie and to acknowledge the great goodnesse of God when we perceyue our selues more sought after and visited by the worde of God than others For as God attributeth not this vnto our merites but of his meere grace goeth about to saue vs so if any disdaine to acknowledge his goodnesse and shewe themselues vnkinde towardes him he sheweth the horrible seueritie of his iustice agaynst them We haue for example Corozaim Bethsaida Capernäum and the whole Nation of the Iewes which we reade God cast of for none other cause but for that they woulde not acknowledge the day of their visitation Examples of like seuertitie are those Cities which God did vouchsafe to illuminate by the ministerie of Paule more than other For we sâ—e they are at this day tyrannously oppressed by the Turkes bicause they shewed not themselues so thankfull vnto God as they ought
creepe into them and to draw them which began to beleeue in Christ by little and little from him Besides this he thought to tickle the Apostles mindes with ambition and desire of vayne glory to th ende that being herewith entysed they might neglect the glory of god You see therfore what poyson lyeth hid vnder the bayte of this honorable and holye acclamation With this intent we reade he flattered Christ also and bare recorde of him Let vs here marke the sleyght of Satan which can marueylouslye dissemble his hatred of the truth and transforme himselfe into an Aungell of light Therefore lette vs suspect whatsoeuer commeth from him Neyther let vs beleeue his instrumentes although they speake neuer so grauely and honorably in the commendation of Gods seruauntes and haue the holy scriptures neuer so ryfe in their mouth This place serueth to refute them which say we are vniustly offended with the Papacie bicause therein the name of Christ is preached the commendation of Saints are celebrated the lessons of holye scripture are daily vsed and nothing is done without the inuocation of Gods holy name But these men are ignoraunt how Antichristes sea or chayre must stande in the Church and marke not this saying of Christ Not euery one that sayth vnto me Lorde Lorde c. And if we woulde looke nearer on the matter it shall appeare that they seeke nothing vnder the pretence of religion and Christ his Church and his reuerende name but to establishe their tyrannie and to bring mennes traditions in credite Also by this place are they confuted that holde with Coniurers enchaunters or soothsayers bicause they heare them mutter out the reuerent names of God and weighty sentences of scripture But what marueyle is this since the Deuill durst alleage scriptures against our Maister Christ yea they sinne the more grieuously bicause they colour their impietie with the name of God the abuse and prophanation whereof he will not leaue vnpunished Nowe what Paules opinion was touching all these pointes this present example declareth He for a time beareth with this Maiden testifying this truth of them wayting for some suggestion of the holy spirite bicause he woulde not offende through blinde and ouerhastie affection at length inflamed with an holye zeale and indignation he rebuketh the Mayde thus crying and in the name of Christ expelleth the spirite Which example although it serue for the instruction of all men yet chiefely it teacheth the Ministers of the worde their dutie who must haue so great a care of the truth that they shoulde suffer nothing which by any meanes maye derogate any thing from the same although it made greatly for their prayse and glorye For as we declared before Satan vseth by flatterie to set on such as he knoweth are other wayes inuincible For the which cause Christ forbade the euill spirites to speake and woulde receyue no commendation at their mouthes Wherefore they are greatly deceyued that vse to dally with those whome they knowe are altogither straungers from the truth They hide many times their poison but the more they flatter the sorer they hurt It is the part of a christian man to take none for his friende whom he knoweth to be Christes enimie and cannot abyde the doctrine of christ But this is very worthye to be considered that Paule setteth Iesus Christ agaynst the Deuill and that he is constrayned to depart assoone as he heareth the name of Christ pronounced This is an vnspeakable argument of the power of christ For none can enter the house of a mightie man and ryfle him of his goodes except he fyrst binde him But Iesus Christ cōming into the world hath so vanquished the Deuill the Prince thereof that if he heare but the name of Christ onely he is constrayned to leaue his possession in men and to giue place vnto christ Therfore we must needes confesse that the power of Christ is much greater than the power of the deuill And of this we must fet comfort in our temptations that we feare not him who hath no power or force agaynst Christ in whom we are graffed through fayth Agayne we are by this place taught that Christ hath nothing to doe with the deuill seeing he doth not vouchsafe to receyue of him any testimonie be it neuer so honorable For what societie or communion can be betweene them seeing according to the fyrst promyse Christ came into the world to breake or crush the Deuils head and to destroy his works This also admonisheth Christians of their dutie that they should haue nothing to doe with the deuill For it is not meete for them that haue professed Christ to dallye with the Deuill in any poynt Let them therefore flye these soothsaying Artes which the craft of the Deuill and curiositie of man hath inuented Let them flye the inglings of enchauntmentes whereby he promyseth men helpe in their diseases or in their other distresses Let them flye false and prophane worshippings Idolatrye superstition and whatsoeuer else plucketh vs from god Let them hate the tyrannie of sinne whereby the libertie that Christ hath purchased vs is lost Let them watch constantly in the fayth and resist the Deuill and he shall depart from them whereby it shall come to passe that we hauing shaken of his yoke shall here leade a life acceptable vnto God and shall hereafter liue and reygne in heauen with our Lorde and sauiour Iesus Christ to whom be prayse honor power and glory for euer Amen The Cx. Homelie AND when hir Mayster and Mystresse sawe that the hope of their gaine was gone they caught Paule and Sylas and drewe them into the market place vnto the Rulers and brought them to the Officers saying These men trouble our Citie seeing they are Iewes and preache ordinaunces which are not lawfull for vs to receyue neyther to obserue seeing wee are Romaines And the people ranne against them and the officers rent their clothes and commaunded them to be beaten with rods And when they had beaten them sore they cast them into prison commaunding the Iayler of the prison to kepe them diligently Which when he had receyued such commaundement thrust them into the inner prison and made their feete fast in the stockes AS the Deuill partly with flatterie and deceyte and partlye by open force withstoode Iesus Christ while he liued here on earth and preached the Gospell euen so he vseth the same weapons against the Apostles of Christ at this daye that in tymes past he vsed This maye we see in this present hystorie For agaynst Paule preaching amonge the Philippians he setteth a Damsell possessed with the spirite of the Deuill by whome he giueth a notable testimonie of the truth vnto Paule meaning this way to bring the doctrine of the Gospell in suspition with wise men and to get himselfe some rowme among the professors of christian faith But the Apostle Paule quickly smelleth his subtiltie and compelleth the spirite being adiured by the name of
Christ destroyed yet by the secret working of God they are compelled to let them go free So the Egyptians although they truely chaunged not their mindes were constreyned to let the people of Israell goe laden with Golde and siluer Herevnto is to be referred how Saul with his owne mouth pronounced Dauid to be iust and whome he had long sought to slay him being founde he dismyssed with the publike testimonie of an innocent So we reade the Apostles also were set at libertie in the Counsell at Ierusalem when yet none of the Senators had forsaken his former impietie Let this comfort vs against the incurable malyce of this worlde Let the wicked runne on as long as they will yet are they Gods instrumentes to vse at his pleasure and by them many times euen against their willes he vseth to set forth his glorye The keeper of the Prison telleth Paule what the counsell had degreeed being glad bicause he perceyued no craft in the matter For commonly such is the simplicitie of the children of light that they cannot alway see the meaning of the wicked And at this day many like vnto this keeper thinke all is well if they whose liues were in daunger beset at libertie and perceyue not in the meane season howe they go about to preiudice the Gospell wyth vnrighteous iudgements and to stop and hinder the course thereof Therfore Paule did much better thus stowtely to refuse the fauour offered by this wicked magistrate saying they haue beaten vs openly vncondemned for all that we are Romaynes and haue cast vs in Prison and now woulde they send vs away priuily Nay verily but let them come themselues and fet vs out In the which wordes he complayneth him of iniurie done to him and hys fellow Silas and to aggrauate the accusation the more he alleageth the Romane lawes wherein it was enacted that no man should vse any vyolence vppon the bodye of a Citizen of Rome before his cause were heard Further he woulde not priuilie be put out of the Citie but honorably Let no man for all this accuse Paule eyther of pride or impatiencie considering he hath verie good cause thus to doe For fyrst he hath a care that the doctrine of the Gospell be not charged with any wrong suspition which eyther might offende those that as yet were weake in the fayth or else giue occasion to open enemies to reproche the same For who would not haue thought that the Apostles had suspected their owne cause if it had beene bruted abrode that they had bene secretly fled Moreouer Paule thought he would put these fierce fellowes in a feare make them by this meanes to vse hereafter more aduisednesse and lesse crueltie towarde the members of Christ. Whereby we gather that christian paciencie is not to suffer the wicked to doe what they liste without comptrolement But rather their wickednesse must be reprooued and brydelled if by any meanes it maye commodiously be done Also the glorie of God and our innocencie must be defended bicause many times herewithall the saluation of many is imperilled Thus Christ calleth them that came out to take him with swordes and staues the ministers and fulfyllers of the power of darckenesse And he openly reprehended the Priestes seruaunt that smote him without a cause So therefore must we paciently suffer whatsoeuer aduersitie commeth vnto vs that yet we must not betray the cause of Christ and his truth nor otherwise dishonestly forsake the same Againe we are taught that the godly may vse the priuilege of positiue lawes for their defence as farre forth as they repugne not agaynst truth and religion For Paule who was most ready to suffer any thing for Christes sake would not haue alleaged the lawes of Rome if they had bene wicked So after this we shall heare howe he appealed vnto Caesar and vsed the lawfull defence of armour against that wicked conspiracie that intended to kyll him Therfore great is their iniustice which saye all vse of lawe is forbidden Christian men and all kinde of defending themselues by lawe and will haue them rashely to rushe into all kinde of daungers But what did the Magistrates of Philippi when they had heard Paule speake They were afrayde not for that they had done them wrong but bicause they vnderstoode they were Romaines whome they had so serued For they well knew what the seueritie of the Romaines was in defending their lawes and priuiledges in so much that as Cicero testifyeth agaynst Verres this saying I am a free man or Citizen of Rome helped and saued many in the farthest partes of the worlde euen among the barbarous people And surely next vnto religion there is no stronger hold and bande of common weales than fyrme and constant keeping of equitie and lawes Therefore their feare was not without a cause for it was the occasion that they forthwith came vnto them to excuse themselues of that they had done and courteously to bring them out of prison desiring them for the auoyding of further trouble they would vouchsafe to depart out of their citie Where likewise may appeare the condicions of the wicked which being touched with no feare of God feare onely men of more authoritie then themselues and seueritie of lawes And if they may freely without checke offende before men then dare they doe any thing Wherof there is none other cause then that they thinke there is no God that careth for mens doings But the godly are farre otherwise minded whose care being set on God they so detest the horror of sinne that if at any time they offende of infyrmitie they are feared more with the consideration of the offence commytted then of the punishment due for it In the meane season we learne by this example to what ende and passe the rashe iudgementes of wicked Magistrates come Surely to bring the authors thereof into perill and shame Hence came it that these Magistrates striken in feare bring them forth honoraably whome the day before they had ignomiously put to shame and thus accuse they their owne temerite and vnrighteousnesse There are many examples of lyke kinde the vse whereof is to teach Magistrates and whosoeuer beare authority to learne to brydle their affections and according to the prophane wryters saying to take good deliberation afore they go about that thing which they once intend to doe Moreouer this example teacheth vs that the force of innocencie is so great that it egregiously confoundeth hir fiercest enimies Therefore let vs labour for innocencie and let vs not doubt but we also by hir meanes shall tryumph ouer our enimies howe fyerce so euer nowe they shewe themselues to be Nowe remayneth the last part of thys hystorie touching the Apostles going away which they must needes doe considering there was henceforth no place for them in that citie Yet they so depart not as vtterly neglecting the congregation but fyrst they go to see the brethren gathered togither
among the Thessalonians they exaggerate the matter and say that the Apostles did all things against the lawes and decrees of Caesar and so accuse them of treason saying they appointed an other to be king of the worlde affirming in a maner the same that they of Ierusalem before obiected against Christ before Pylate If you let these men go you are not Caesars friende The chiefe vse of these thinges is to learne vs with what instrumentes and weapons the wicked most assault the truth and hir Ministers First they vse open force For where Satan is a murtherer they thinke they haue a great defence therein for themselfe So Pylate sent forth his crewe with swordes and clubbes to take Christ which plainely sayde he did exercise the power of darkenesse Thus Cain violently kylled Abel And Pharao openly afflicted the Israelites Yea if a man would consyder the hystories of all ages he shoulde see the chiefe argumentes of the enimies of the truth founded vpon seculer power And commonly in these dayes they vse to dispute against the godly with imprisonment chaynes Gunnes Speares fyre and sworde Howbeit bicause the wiser sort abhorre from manifest violence and tyranny Satan knoweth craftily howe to mittigate the heynousnesse of this matter with lying going about by false accusations and slaunders to bring the seruauntes of Christ and faythfull Ministers of the truth in ignominie and suspicion Examples hereof we haue else where alleaged in Achab the king and in the Iewes accusing Christ before Pylate so that we neede tarie no longer in this matter Let vs learne at the least not rashely to beleeue them that grieuously accuse the godly as though they were blasphemers of God iniurious to the saintes and disturbers of the common weale Let vs rather search out the verie truth of the matter and commonly it shall appeare they are most innocent which before seemed worthy of all kinde of punishment This place teacheth vs furthermore what great destruction commeth vnto common weales by ydle and gracelesse persons For when they haue spent and consumed their owne goodes they gape after other mens and will be hyred for a little to commit a great mischiefe whereby it commeth to passe that they which will not by iustice of discipline punishe them are at length much cumbred and endammaged by them and perceyue their common weales by them to be much hyndered So these men being long suffered at Thessalonica wax at length so bolde and desperate that being entised and hyred by the Iewes they beginne a publike sedition and their boldenesse putteth all men in feare which thing seemeth to me to haue bene the cause that Paule afterward wryting to the Thessalonians warneth them so dyligently to see to the ordering of them that liued ydly of other mens labours For to let passe this present example there are euerywhere manye examples of other nations which teache vs that there are no kynde of men more pernitious vnto common weales But in steede of a great many that one may serue that is written in the storie of the Romaines of the coniuration of Catiline and his Complices Most prudently therefore did the Athenians sometyme inact that sluggishe and ydle persons shoulde be brought out into the market place and openlye shamed as men getting their lyuing by no honest arte or trade With the same Athenians the officers called Areopagitae when they suspected anye of inordinate lyfe called them before them and demaunded of them howe they liued and mainteyned themselues Which seueritie and industrie if it were vsed in our dayes woulde make our common weales and Churches more quiet than they be But it is a foule thing for christian men in this poynt to be ouercome of Gentiles whome reason and experience of the fleshe onely taught to be more wise than we Nowe let vs see the ende of this Tragedie whose beginning was such that no man would haue thought it coulde haue bene ended without shedding of bloud First the Iudges and people are both mooued as commonly it vseth to be in sedition so that at the fyrst brunt wisemen and modest also are almost amazed and wote not what to doe But as God with a little blast of winde can chase away the threatning and clowdie countenance of heauen so in this place with small adoe he maketh them quiet calme that erewhile seemed to be starke mad For by the secret working of hys spirite he mittigateth the mindes of the Iudges to heare Iason speake and at length being satisfyed to dismysse hym and the other brethren In the meane while the brethren in the night season sende away Paule and Silas to Berrhoea where they againe go into the Synagoge and preache with great fruit and vtilitie But as in this councell of Thessalonica is set forth a president of ciuile iustice and equitie for all men to follow which are in office and authoritie so in the other persons haue we some thinges also to be obserued And fyrst this thing is verie comfortable that is tolde of Iason He for his kindenesse shewed vnto the Apostles is in great daunger But the Lorde so deliuereth him that he obteyneth an euerlasting praise in the congregation of the saintes And thus is the promise of Christ fulfylled which promised a sure rewarde vnto him that giueth but a Cup of cold water vnto any one of his disciples Let this kindle in vs also a desyre vnto godlynesse that it seeme not to vs intollerable to suffer traueyles and perilles for Christes faythfulles sake Further the brethren of Thessalonica shewe themselues thankefull vnto Paule and Silas in that they accompany them and bringing them on their waye in the night season putting themselues a freshe in daunger so that it is not without a cause that Paule commendeth their fayth in the Epistle he wryteth vnto them The Galathians also are commended of him for the same cause who sayth he were ready to haue giuen him their eyes if he had needed them But nowe a dayes Ministers haue small thanks for they are the fyrst in daunger and sometime deliuered into the handes of their cruell enimies by them which will be taken for most christian people and Gospellers Finally we haue to consyder Paule which embraseth the counsell of the brethren wylling him to flye vnderstanding that it was a thing permytted by Christ when neyther the glorie of God nor the weale of the brethren and congregation was in daunger For God will not haue vs perishe without great cause and for no profyte In the meane season in the flying they are not forgetfull of their duetie but assoone as they come to Berrhoea they teach agayne By which example we are admonished that we must so see to our owne safety that we forsake not our standing and tackle But if we be endued with the zeale of God the cause it selfe time and place shall easily giue vs counsell what to doe Let the power and goodnesse of God also comfort vs wherby we see Paule
straunger and to follow his voyce onely Howbeit the short role or recount of beleeuers that Luke rehearseth must be also consydered which we see was gathered togither of al kinde of men Fyrst many Iewes beleeue althoughe the forsaking of that Nation was euen at hande Yet God vtterly forgetteth not his couenaunt but according to his promise preserueth certaine remnaunts Unto these are adioyned certaine noble and chiefe women of the Gentyles and at length are dyuers men besides numbred Whereby it appeareth that the grace of God which is giuen vs in Christ appertayneth to all sortes of men and that none is to be excluded from it eyther for cause of countrie nation sexe or whatsoeuer condition For in Christ Iesu there is neyther Iewe nor Gentyle bondman nor free man nor woman c. Which thing as it serueth to comfort vs so it teacheth euerie man to be mindefull of christian societie and to contempne no man ouer insolently in comparison of himselfe But let vs see what Satan attempted at Berrhoea against the kingdome of Christ verily euen the same that he dyd otherwheres For he can not suffer that to go forwarde that he knoweth hyndereth and ouerthroweth his kingdome And bicause he could fynde none in that Citie meete to serue his turne he calleth out the Iewes from Thessalonica who hearing and disdayning that the fayth of Christ went forwarde at Berrhoea come flying in post haste and cause a great sturre and tumulte there also Satan therfore vseth the lyke pollicie here that we sawe he vsed before at Lystra which is his propertie also at these dayes if he perceyue there want disturbers of Christes kingdome in one place to bring and fetch them from an other And it is a marueyle to see howe nymble the Monkes be in accomplishing this matter whome the Deuill can craftily sende abroade not onely into Cities but also into kings Courtes and priuie counsels to cause Princes being bewitched with their suggestions to shut their eares against the doctrine of truth In the meane season marke here the incurable malice of the Iewes wherewith they are so netled that they themselues doe not onely refuse the fayth of Christ but also can not suffer other to be illuminated with the same so that it is not without a cause that Paule so earnestly reprehendeth them in the fyrst Epistle to the Thessalonians the seconde Chapter Lyke vnto these men are all those in these dayes that giue themselues to the deuill to be instrumentes to impugne the fayth of Christ and thereby seeke great commendation Yet let them remember that they shal haue the same iudgement whereof was shewed an example vppon the Iewes to the woonder of the whole worlde For the holy ghost long agone prophecyed that all they shoulde be brused with the yron rodde of Christ which would not be corrected and amended by his worde And there want not examples of most mightie kings which haue founde this reuengefull sentence of Christ true to their great losse and hynderaunce whereof bicause we haue alreadie at large intreated otherwheres we will for thys time be contented to haue spoken these fewe wordes But what doe the brethren in the middest of this hurlye burlye Leaue they Paule in the bryars and daunger or refuse they to giue him counsell and to helpe him No. But rather leauing Silas and Timotheus which were not in such daunger to remaine at Berrhoea they conuey Paule away vsing therein great and singuler diligence For they take their iourney towarde the sea and by and by turne their course and come to Athens from whence Paule afterwarde wrote his fyrst Epistle to the Thessalonians It seemeth they helde not on their waye directly bicause they woulde auoyde the wayte of the Iewes who they sawe raged in such hatred against Paule Furthermore here is to be obserued the loue and kindnesse that they of Berrhoea shewe vnto their teacher For who doubteth but this attempt of theirs was a matter not onely of much expence and labour but also of great daunger But nothing could let them to go on in their godly duetie bicause they had a right iudgement of the benefyte of the gospell which they had receyued and they thinke it but a small matter to shewe an outwarde duetie and reuerence for the gift of eternall saluation Nowe a dayes bicause fewe men iudge rightly of Gods grace offered in the gospell they wil susteyne no labour and perill about the same But most times it commeth to passe that they which will suffer no daunger for Christes cause an other tyme are molested with greater cares for causes lesse godly This place furthermore teacheth vs that wisedome with fayth maye well stande togyther For Christ commaundeth vs to beware of the wylinesse of men and to vse the wisedome of Serpents against it We haue neede therof bicause of the children of this worlde whom Christ himselfe witnesseth to be wiser in their generation than the children of light Yet let vs remember that we must appoynt certaine boundes vnto the wisedome of the fleshe that we doe nothing through the counsell and perswasion thereof against our duetie wherein there is no better or more safe remedy then if we submyt all our vnderstanding vnto the obedience of fayth as Paule otherwheres teacheth vs So shall it come to passe that we shall neyther tempt God by putting our selues rashely in daunger nor dishonestly forsake the truth but holde the myddle way in dooing our duetie and hereafter raigne with Iesus Christ whome we serue in heauen to whome be praise honor power and glory for euer Amen The Cxvj. Homelie WHILE Paule wayted for them at Athens his spirite was mooued in hym when he sawe the Citie giuen to worshipping of Images Then disputed he in the Synagoge wyth the Iewes and with the deuout persons and in the market daylie with them that came vnto him by chaunce Certaine Philosophers of the Epicures and of the Stoikes disputed with him And some there were which sayde what will this babler say Other sayde he seemeth to be a tydings bringer of new Deuils bicause he preacheth vnto them Iesus and the resurrection And they tooke him and brought him into Mars hys seate saying maye wee not knowe what thys newe doctrine whereof thou speakest is for thou bringest straunge tydings to our eares we would know therfore what these things meane For all the Athenians and straungers that were there gaue themselues to nothing else but either to tell or to heare some newe thing THe Euangelist Luke hytherto hath described the dyuers iourneys and wandrings of Paule the Apostle by reason whereof he lyghtened so manye nations and Cities with the preaching of the gospell that he sayde otherwheres not without a cause that he had laboured more than all the Apostles Further least any man might thinke he had drawne ignoraunt and vnlearned men onely with an artifyciall and elaborate kinde of eloquence he came at length to Athens not
common weales These and infynite such like thyngs it is to be thought recourced to Paules minde bycause he was a man which by long experience had learned what was meete in euery thing to be done But leauing all these reasons he setteth boldlye on the matter teaching them that are occupyed in Gods vocation by his example to admit no reasons of the flesh that might procure them from doyng their dutie For if the Prophetes and Apostles had bene ruled by such reasons neuer shoulde anye of them haue done his dutie but rather lyke Ionas they shoulde haue prouided for themselues to haue escaped by the sea For we see Moses straue agaynst Gods commaundement and refused the charge as long as he followed his owne reason and compared his impediment of speach and lacke of skill with Gods commaundements Let vs consider therefore that all thinges depende vppon Gods will and pleasure and not ours who can easily make the way plaine for them that walke in his calling For he is a sharpe double edged sworde piercing euen into the marrowe he is a deuouring fyre and deuiding the very stones Being therefore encouraged herewith let vs boldly enterprise whatsoeuer god commaundeth vs leauing to him the successe of the matter which cannot be other than ioyful vnto such as folow his conduct leading Furthermore Luke declareth the order that Paule followed in setting forth the kingdome of Christ among the Athenians First he reasoned with the Iewes touching that matter bicause he knewe they woulde the more easily giue eare vnto him if he brought Moses and the Prophetes This done he taketh those to instruct which had tasted of syncere fayth and religion by keeping company with the Iewes but yet were not fully enformed And hauing nowe layde this foundation he talketh with euery one he met withall in the market and went so farre that the Philosophers wherof the Citie had abundance beganne to dispute agaynst him And among diuers sectes of them the Epicures and Stoikes chieflye encountred with him who being of contrary opinions one to another coulde yet agree togither to set vpon the Minister of truth For the Epicures being the enimies of all wisedome and good learning did set perfyte felicitie in pleasure yet honest pleasure as they sayde as which conteyned in it quietnesse of mynde and health of body but climbing no higher than this they were authors of most absurde opinions which sprang hereof For where the feare of God and consideration of the lyfe to come stryketh mennes consciences in dread and maketh all worldly things vnpleasant they denyed the prouidence of God and also the life to come For they fabled that God walked vppe and downe from one side of heauen to another and had no regarde of mortall mennes affayres and that the soules died aswell as the bodies Insomuch that they vsed this Sardanapalus like saying Eate drinke make mery without any measure for after death there is no pleasure The Stoikes vtterly differing from them taught all felicitie and blysse to stande in vertue whych opinion though it seeme plausible and godly yet it pulled men from God as much as the Epicures did bicause it taught men to seeke felicitie in the merites of their owne workes Agayne bicause they perceyued the studye of vertue was disturbed and troubled by affections they woulde haue the followers of felicitie to be voyde thereof so that neyther they shoulde reioyce in prosperitie nor shewe any signifycation of sadnesse in aduersitie making of men stones and stockes deuoyde of those naturall motions and affections whereby parents and children are ledde one to loue another Furthermore by a certayne concatenation and connexion of causes they imagined a fatall necessity or destiny whervnto they made god also subiect These things teach vs with whom Paule had to doe and also admonish vs who are at this day euer haue bene the enimies of the gospell and of true doctrine For although in times passed the names of Epicures and Stoikes were in vse among the gentiles only yet were there among the people of God that were of their opinion be also in these daies Surely Nabal somtime among the Iewes sayd There is no God and Dauid testifyeth there were innumerable other of the same opinion Psal. 14. 53. Such were they also that sayd The Lord shall not see neyther shall the God of Iacob regard it Touching the later times in the which we are there are prophecies extant both of Christ the Apostles which euidently teach vs that Epicures trade and sect shal reigne among vs For Christ saith As it came to passe in the dayes of Noah so shall it be in the daies of the sonne of man they did eate and drink they maried and were maryed euen vnto that same day that Noah went into the Arke c. And Peter prophecieth that there shall come mockers in the later days which shall walk after their owne concupiscence saye where is the promise of his comming for since the fathers died all things continue in the same estate c. And such we see euerywhere now a dayes which although they directly professe not Epicures opinion yet liue they so that euery man may easily perceiue they beleeue there is neyther God nor life to come And they cannot abide the light of the Gospell bicause by it as Christ sayth their euill workes are reprooued In like wise may the Stoikes opinion be founde in all ages For this opinion helde the Phariseyes sometime among the Iewes who as they trusted in the ryghteousnesse of their owne works so were they the greatest enimies of christ This sect as we sawe in the .xv. Chapter bredde great disquietters in the Primitiue Church mingling the lawe and the Gospell togither and the merites of works with fayth In the dayes of the fathers and Doctors sprang the Pelagians the maynteyners of the same doctrine And if a man woulde search for the lyke in our age he should fynde the Monkes whome we may truly call the sworne Disciples of Zeno. For beside that they ascrybe felicitie vnto their owne vertues they teach also and earnestly exact such indolencie and want of griefe as the Stoikes did and go about to pull vppe by the rootes those affections which Nature hath sowen in the minde of man For what else doe they whyle they commaunde parentes to cast of their owne children and to penne them vp in monasteries while they also teach the children to put away all the loue and care of their parentes and to addict themselues wholye to Moonkishe rules It is knowen both to Barbers and bleare eyed as they say what hard and vnworthy things eyther to be spoken or beleeued they beate into tender mindes Such as these are must needes be enimies of the Gospell which accuseth and condemneth these madde and furious errors But we must not therefore gyue place vnto them but rather according to Paules ensample stryue earnestly agaynst them And what
vnto him that it appeareth he scarce preuayled any where lesse than there For some of them rayled at his doctryne and clapped their handes at it other of curiositie frame and apply it to their affections In the meane season in so great a corruption of menne appeareth the woonderfull wysedome of God which coulde so well vse the naughty affection of most curious men For by this occasion it cōmeth to passe that Paule being brought out into Mars hys streete as into a publyke stage of the whole worlde preached the Gospell of Iesus Christ. The argument of hys Sermon was to bring the Athenians from superstition and Idolatry to the honor of the onely true God through Iesus christ First therefore he friendly reprooueth them and accuseth them of their ouermuch superstition After that he reasoneth of God and of the true religion nycking their foolishnesse which thought God coulde be worshipped in Images or in any other inuentions of man At length he commeth nearer vnto Christes cause Yet at this time we will intreate but of the fyrst part with some other poyntes annexed to the same His beginning is very briefe wherin he artifycially insinuateth hymselfe and comprehendeth both the proposition and summe of his sermon He calleth them men of Athens bicause they esteemed it to be a very honorable name as the Orations of Demosthenes and diuers others declare In the olde tyme they were ignorant of those ambitious tytles wherewith nowe a dayes prowde and vayne men reioyce to be made madde and drunken which thynke all glory standes in the beautie of such names Furthermore he insinuateth hymselfe very friendlye into their mindes least they myght be offended wyth the beginning of his talke and so refuse to heare him For he sayth I perceyue you are ouermuch giuen to superstition Your wisedome and policie is euerywhere commended but in religion you seeme not onely ouercurious but also vncertayne of all thing so that therein you seeme to haue least knowledge wherein you shoulde haue most And bicause no man should reprooue hym of lying he prooueth his saying by the publike superstition of a certayne aultar in that Citie What the sayde superstition was diuers haue gone about curiouslye to search The Greeke Scholes make mention of one Philippides whose hystory they shewe and say the inscription was thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is to say To the Gods of Asia and Europa and Aphrica to the vnknowne and straunge god Howbeit I suppose it was onely but such as is of Paule reported For he might haue bene suspected for a forger and false reporter if he had recyted the superscription wherein they reposed so great holynesse otherwyse than it was written But it behooueth vs chiefely to consider Paules intent and purpose whych was to prooue that the Athenians had no certayne religion wherevnto to stande but wandred vppe and downe in a maze of opinions and superstitions being not contented wyth the Gods of the Gentyles and of their owne country but also worshipping an vnknowne god And vndoubtedly the wyser sort were not a little mooued and touched with hys sayings And therefore wythout holding them longer in doubt he promyseth to teach them the knowledge of that true God whome as yet they knewe not It is very worthy to be considered howe the Athenians erred in religion aboue all other Nations being yet the wysest and best learned of all others For their Citie flowed in the most subtile professors of Philosophy whom as we erewhile sayd students from all partes almost of the worlde came to heare This example teacheth vs howe fowly they are deceyued which will not suffer youth to studie diuinitie before they are euen drunken in the Gentyles Philosophie and made vtterly vnapt to the obedience of the Gospell where notwithstanding no kinde of persons more profyte therein than those which abandon the pregnancie of their owne witte and submitte all their vnderstanding to the obedience of fayth Moreouer let vs marke in this place howe the Athenians are here chiefly accused of false religion bicause they worshippe an vnknowne god For hereby Paule prooueth that they haue nothing certaine in their religion Herby it appeareth that religion cannot stande without the true knowledge of god For not onely Paule but Christ also vseth the same argument agaynst the Samaritanes where as it were with one blowe he stryketh downe all their religions saying you worship you knowe not what For the whole Scripture teacheth vs that religion consisteth chiefely in true fayth and inuocation of god For without faith it is impossible for any body to please God or to come vnto him And God requyreth this worship chiefly of vs that in our troubles we shoulde aske helpe and deliuery of hym But vnlesse we be inspired with the knowledge of Christ we can neyther beleeue in God nor call vpon him which thing Paule teacheth by an elegant and feate gradation He that calleth vpon the name of the Lorde sayth he shall be safe But how shall they call vpon him in whome they beleeue not How shall they beleeue vnlesse they haue hearde c. Beside this they that knowe not God truly turne to the imaginations of their owne reason wherein it appeareth euidently there is no certaintie by this one argument that eyther they themselues dayly haue newe deuises or else embrace the deuises of other men according to that saying of Christ Whosoeuer drinketh of this water materiall and drawen by his owne strength shall thirst againe c. Examples to prooue the same are euerywhere extant For the same that we heare the Athenians did foolishly worshipping such a God as by their publike inscription they confessed they knewe not the same we reade hath come to passe vnto all men For thinke we the Gentyles woulde haue chaunged the glorye of the immortall God into the ymage of a mortall man or else into a brute beast if they had knowne him truly Woulde they euery daye haue receyued newe maners of honouring him borrowed of forren Nations Woulde they haue thought by acte of Parliament to haue confyrmed or disanulled their Gods and their religion as Tertullian in his Apology testifyeth the Romaynes did What a foolish saying of the shipmayster was that which bade Ionas call vpon his God if happily he would heare them seeing they had called on their other Gods hytherto altogither in vaine But that that was thought a foolishnesse in the Gentyles the same Elias vpbraydeth the Israelites with calling vpon Baal And God many times complayneth howe the people multiplied and encreased their Gods. And we can confesse that all these people offended in times passed And yet fewe acknowledge with their hart that the same hath many yeares bene done and is yet done in the Popes kingdome For what certaintie is in that religion where the Pope euery day maketh newe gods and Goddesses Where euery daye newe kindes of rytes and ceremonies are deuised Where the deade
so oftentimes founde God his ayder and helper is afrayde to go meete his brother Esau. Moses fearing the tyranny of Pharao flieth into Madian and scarce woulde returne againe into Egypt at Gods calling Iosue a valiant warrier discomfyted with one ouerthrowe of his people declareth the feare he had conceyued in his minde by vnmanly weeping and mourning We reade howe Dauid which being but a stripling ouercame Goliath after he was a man growen and had gotten many victories feared oftentimes the threates and attemptes of Saule Helias whome neyther the sight and tyrannie of Achab nor furie of the people coulde withholde from killing the Priestes of Baal being afrayde at the threates of one syllye woman which was Iesabel tooke him to hys heeles and desired god he might die What shall I speake of Peter who being not afrayde of a company of harnessed men was quite dismayde at the worde of one symple wench and denyed Christ Manye like examples might be rehearsed which we repeate not to the ende to detect the infyrmities and falles of holy men but bicause the consyderation of them serueth not a little for our instruction For both we knowe our owne infyrmitie thereby the knowledge wherof maketh vs not to trust to much in our selfe and we are admonished of charitie that we rashly condemne not men which otherwise haue deserued well if they seeme to doe otherwise than becommeth them For God will haue the tokens of common imperfection appeare euen in them also that we be not to much addicted vnto them and so forgette the grace of God which by them had wrought singular workes In the meane season we must helpe them with our prayers that eyther they may beware they fall not or else that they may by Gods grace speedily rise agayne For this deutie did Christ vse towardes his Disciples as the Gospell declareth Luc. 22. Iohn 17. But let vs consider Gods person which by and by comforteth him being in this feare although there is no mention made that he did call vppon God therefore For God doth not onely heare them which open their desire of minde by crying but he seeth the secret sobbes and gronings of the heart and helpeth comforteth them And so is it very needefull he should bicause oft times it commeth to passe that we are so compassed on euery side with aduersitie that we are not able in words to declare the desire of our hearts Then is fulfylled that that God promiseth by his Prophete Esay cap 65. It shall come to passe that or euer they call I shall aunswere them while they are yet but thinking howe to speake I shall heare them So the Lorde speaketh to Moses standing by the redde sea why cryest thou Yet we reade of no worde he spake This is a great argument of the goodnesse of god For as God knoweth whereof we haue neede so he vseth to helpe vs in season and time and although he sendeth vs temptations to teache vs our infyrmitie and to enflame vs the more vnto godlynesse yet he tempereth the same with comfort that we be not vtterly swallowed vp of sorowe Let no man therefore despayre to soone seeing God hath infynite meanes whereby to comfort and helpe vs And here in this place he thought good to vse both vision and Oracle both which were very needefull bicause Paule had no man to comfort him and sawe many causes which might make him thinke that so corrupt a Citie had no regarde of god The words that God here spake conteyne in them three poyntes of euerye whereof we will intreate orderlye First he taketh away the cause of all this euill where he biddeth him not to feare This kind of precept is often times mentioned in the scripture For so sayth god vnto Moses being dismayed at the meeting of the king of Basan To Iosue also being redy to ioyne battayle with the fyue kings it was sayd Be not afrayd of them And the Lord sayth vnto Ieremie when he called him to the office of a Preacher Be not afrayde of their faces c. Christ also biddeth the Apostles that they shoulde not feare those which killed the bodye but coulde not hurt the soule I omitte diuers places of this sort The cause why God so oftentimes forbiddeth his seruauntes to feare is for that there is nothing of more efficacie to pull menne from doing their dutie than feare For assoone as feare is once conceyued in the heart the light of reason is so blemished that it cannot see what is needefull to be done and no deuises or counsels are more vncertaine than such as persons in feare and perplexitie take in hande And if they stande throughly in feare then maketh it men shamelesse also so that for feare of losse of lyfe or goodes they committe moste mischieuous actes and many times they incurre a greater daunger for the auoyding of a perill present Bicause this thing falleth vppon priuate men howe much more necessary is it that men in publike office shoulde be bolde and voyde of feare For if these men offende it is not against them selfe onely but against other also whome God hath committed vnto their charge Which was the cause that the wise man Iethro required boldenesse of minde in Iudges Therefore God did verye aptly make his beginning of comfort in this place In the second part he commaundeth him what to doe Speake sayth he and holde not thy peace Here no manne must thinke that God vsed any superfluitie of wordes He ioyneth these two togither bicause many times diuers speake and yet holde their peace whiles they speake such thinges as they thinke no man will be offended with and in the meane while keepe silence of such things which they ought by Gods commaundement to speake The meaning therefore of the commaundement is that he shoulde preach the gospell plainly and dissemble or keepe close none of the thinges conteyned in the same although he wist many woulde be displeased therwith By this let all Ministers learne that they haue not done their dutie if they preach the worde of God except they preach it all and that plainely and so applye it vnto euery man that he maye thinke it spoken vnto him For as he is an vntrusty ambassadour which speaketh nothing but that he is commaunded and yet vttereth not euery thing but for fauour of some persons omitteth many things so can he not be iudged to be a faythfull Minister of Christ that leaueth out neuer so small a portion of the Gospell to please men with See what is sayde hereof Iere. 1. Ezech. 3. and .33 Math. 28. In the thirde part he sheweth very graue and effectuall reasons wherof this is the fyrst for I am with thee This one reason ought to be sufficient against all daungers For whereas God is almightie they can want nothing with whome he is present For what are Creatures able to doe against God without whose power they cannot stande
blessing honor power and glorye for euer Amen The Cxxiij Homelie PAVLE after this taried there yet a good whyle then tooke his leaue of the brethren and sayled thence into Syria Priscilla and Aquila accompanying him And he shore his heade in Cenchreae for he had a vowe And hee came to Ephesus and left them there but he himselfe entred into the Synagoge and reasoned with the Iewes When they desired him to tary a longer time with them he consented not but bade them farewell saying I must needes at this feast that commeth bee in Ierusalem but I will returne againe vnto you if God will. And he departed from Ephesus and when he was come vnto Caesarea and ascended vp and saluted the congregation he departed vnto Antioch and when he had taried there a while he departed and went ouer all the countrie of Gallacia and Phrygia by order strengthning all the disciples AS Paule liued no where in greater teare and trembling than at Corinth so founde he God no where more readye to ayde and assist him than there For fyrst he promised him his helpe and fauor by a vision Next being apprehended by the Iewes and brought before the Lieuetenant he deliuered him in woonderfull wise although the matter came to strokes and Sosthenes was very euill intreated The vse of all these things as we erewhile sayde serueth for the comfort of the godly For God is able to deliuer them also in like sort and we ought not to doubt of his good will forasmuch as it is euident he is true of his worde therfore he cannot breake nor fayle of his promise But bicause we haue hereof sayd ynough in the last sermon following the order of the storye let vs sée what was done after the styrres raysed against Paule at Corinth The fyrst thing here in this place declared is howe Paule taryed at Corinth many dayes after these feares of perill and daunger The next when he had taken his leaue of the late erected Church how he tooke his iourney with Aquilas and Priscilla into Syria and vnto Ierusalem yet hauing fyrst shauen his heade at Cenchreae by reason of a vowe he had made Here Paules constancie and manlynesse is singulerly to be commended which boldly ouercommeth all dreade and feare and remayneth at Corinth among his cruell enimies hauing no hope eyther in Magistrate or other kynde of men verilye for the rude and weake Disciples sake which he sawe had neede of comforting least their beliefe being as yet but tender and greene shoulde dye as they say in the blade and fyrst sprooting Yea he doth the part of a good shepehearde which Christ sayeth flieth not when he seeth the Woolfe comming but ventureth his life for the safegarde of his sheepe There maye also a generall doctrine be taken hereof howe they that haue once assayde the ayde and helpe of God ought to holde on in their vocation the more boldly and constantly not as some preposterous wisemen vse thinke they are therefore set at libertie bicause they should thenceforth take no more paines and traueyle as though they had discharged all their dutie Also Aquila and Priscilla those godly cowple are as much to be marked and considered who hauing bene once or twise banished before doe yet once againe chaunge their dwelling and accompanye Paule both by sea and by land And how ieoperdous a thing this was to say nothing of their expences and traueyle may be gathered by this one thing for that the whole nation of the Iewes seemed to haue conspyred moste obstinately togither to destroye Paule Uerily Paule for this their companye and for other causes prayseth them as those that had hazarded their liues for hys sake In which doing as they at that time deserued great thankes of all congregations so they gate themselues an immortall glory of name which remayneth vnto this day and shall for euer See Rom. 16. By their examples we ought also to be prouoked to be bolde in Christes glorye for the Gospell and the Ministers thereof bicause there are extaunt generall promises which promise them a sure rewarde which giue but a cup of colde water to any one for Christes sake The same reason ought to cause vs to consider all other needye brethren also whome the Lorde hath so commended vnto vs that he will at the daye of iudgement take it as done to himselfe that hath bene bestowed on them And the opinion of those menne that thinke common weales are ouercharged with the multitude of banished persons is most detestable and vngodly whereas such commonlye procure the blessing of God vnto those places that they be in Lot onely restored the Sodomites being taken and ouercomme to their libertie agayne And if that Citie had had but tenne inhabitants like vnto Lot they had also bene deliuered out of that horrible destruction of fyre from heauen for their sakes I might rehearse diuers other like examples but that the time and Text requyreth vs to speake of other things This is a straunge thing and not hearde of in the bookes of the newe Testament that Paule for a vowes sake that he had made shaueth hys heade This place can be vnderstanded none otherwise than of the vowe of the Nazaraeans vnlesse we will say Paule was giuen to mannes traditions who in other places affirmeth and standeth in it that the faythfull ought not be burthened with the ceremonies of Gods lawe As touching the Nazarites Moses writeth at large in the booke of Numbers cap. 6. By the which place it easily appeareth that euery man was at libertie to vse what trade of lyfe he would after the time or date of his vowe was expyred and runne out For where we read that Samson and Samuel which from their mothers wombe were put apart for great and weighty affayres obserued the lawes of the Nazarites all their life long we must make no general rule or lawe thereof They as hauing inspiration and feeling of great religion in their mindes bound themselues of their owne accorde to the obseruation of this vowe to the intent that they woulde the more feruently apply Gods calling and seruice Wherefore they altogither abstained from wine bicause drunkennesse and religion can by no meanes stande togither And with wine they auoided also other pleasures which otherwise were lawfull Furthermore they came at no burials no not of their parentes and kinsefolke bicause no affection ought to pull away men truly addicted vnto God from him for Christ also sayth that the care of the dead pertayneth rather to them who had rather to dye in the worlde than with him to aspire to the societie of heauenly life Moreouer the Nazareans all the time of their vowe lette their heare growe thereby testifying that they were not at their owne appoyntment but bounde by a peculiar vow For Paule himselfe teacheth vs that the couering of the heade was a token of subiection where he commaundeth men to pray bareheaded but
women with their heades couered bicause the man is free but the woman vnder the mans power whome she ought to take for hir heade For the which cause when the time of the vowe was out the Nazareans were shauen in solemne wise to th end they might know they were restored to their former libertie againe It may seeme that Paule tooke this vowe vpon him bicause of the Iewes which thought him to be a prophane and wicked contemner of the lawe and therefore thought by this meane the sooner to winne them to hearken to the Gospell For he seemeth to confesse a like thing where he writeth he became a Iewe vnto the Iewes and to those that were vnder the lawe as one himselfe vnder the lawe Otherwise he was not ignorant of Christian libertie which he euerywhere writeth ought not to be broken for anye ceremonies sake See Colos. 2. Galat. 4. Therfore they doe most foolishly which abuse the example of Paule to the maintenance of Monkishe vowes For this vowe was instituted in the lawe of God which although in the death of Christ it is abolished with the ceremonies thereof yet for the auncient dignitie thereof and for the weakes sake it was not sodeinely to be made awaye and buried but by little and little But it is euident that Monkes vowes are founded vppon the traditions of men which ought to be of no authoritie in religion Againe the Nazareans vowed vnto God where the moste part of Monkishe vowes are made vnto Creatures Agayne the vowes of the Nazareans altered not the trade of lyfe neyther was the vnitie of the Church therby deuided But Monkish vowes as they take away all former trades of life so they bring into the Church many diuers sectes The Nazareans vowed such things as man was able to performe Monkes vowe chastity which the whole Scripture sayth is not giuen to euery man The Nazareans were grieuous or chargeable to none by reason of their vowe But Monkes whyle they vowe wilfull pouertie will be fedde like ydle paunchbellies of other mennes labors The Nazareans vowe forbade them not obedience to Magistrates Parentes and all other estates to whome we be bounde by nature Monkes vowes breake all obedience and bind them onely to their Abbots who owe obedience both to Parentes and Rulers Furthermore the Nazareans had no affiance in their owne merites For they both confessed themselues to be sinners when their vowe was ended and that God was the author of all goodnesse But Monkishe vowes moste of all other maintayne an affiance in mans righteousnesse and deseruings Wherfore if there were no other cause this one were sufficient to condemne them and put them away But to let passe this pumpe and sinke of superstition returne we vnto Paule which traueyling out of Achaia into Asia the lesser came to Ephesus where we haue to consider foure thinges in order First he goeth into the Synagoge and disputeth with the Iewes Agayne here appeareth the loue he bare to his countriemen whome for manye causes as we haue otherwheres declared he coulde not hate although he had once or twyse before shaken the dust of agaynst them This example of Paule teacheth vs that the wrath and iudgement of God shoulde so be set out vnto the wicked that if they conuert they may yet knowe there is hope left that God will be fauourable vnto them and pardon them For it is God that sayth I will not the death of a sinner but rather that he conuert and lyue Wherefore we must vse all the diligence that we can to bring and winne people vnto the lord Secondlye the example of the Ephesians teacheth vs that the labor of the Saintes is not in vayne For where they are desirous to haue Paule remayne longer among them it appeareth euidently they had much profyted by him For it cannot be that they can delyght in the Ministers companye that haue not as yet tasted the fruite of the doctrine of the gospell Neyther can they be iudged for louers of the Gospell that vse to hate the Ministers thereof and little to regarde their labors and disdainefully to auoyde their companies Let vs agayne consider howe Paule refuseth to accomplishe a godly request For he sayth I must needs at this feast that commeth be at Ierusalem I pray you what neede vrged Paule so to be Shall we say it was for deuotion sake of the feast No. For he knewe well that holye dayes were abrogated among other ceremonies and there was no cause vrged him for the weake brethrens sake to go vp to Ierusalem bicause there were many Iewes in euery Citie drowned in Iewishe superstitions which notwithstanding went not thither Wherefore as in other places we haue reade howe Paule was guided by the holy ghost in all his doinges so it is lyke he was secretly mooued by the same spirite to take this voyage nowe in hande although the cause be not expressed nor yet declared what he did there more than saluted the congregation and brethren Surely Paules traueyle coulde not be in vayne in such a Citie wherevnto agaynst the feast repayred such a great multitude both of Iewes and Gentyles from among all nations For so euen at one time togither might the doctrine of the Gospell be scattred among many Nations It is to be marueyled why Paule is pulled so soone from them which seemed to be so ready to receyue profyte by the gospell and it may seeme an vncourteous and an vnloouing part to leaue them if we should herin leane vnto reason But Gods doings are to him knowne and certaine And the chiefe vse of such examples is for vs to learne to submit our willes and desires seeme they neuer so holy and good vnto the pleasure of god Fourthly let vs see howe Paule departed from Ephesus He biddeth them farewell which is a token of thankefulnesse and friendly good will. For their discourtesie is very vnhonest that depart from their hoste where they haue receyued benefytes without taking of leaue Moreouer he leaueth Aquilas with them that they should not seeme altogither destitute Furthermore he promiseth to returne to them againe by the leaue of god Whereby it manifestly appeareth that he bare them no euill will but was compelled and strayned for weighty considerations to leaue them Here we haue to imitate Paules religiousnesse which in a most godly cause presumeth nothing of his owne heade but vnderstanding that all endeuors and deuises depend vpon Gods prouidence referreth all things vnto his pleasure This sentence of Salomon is common manne purposeth but God disposeth What rashnesse then is this of men to attribute so much to themselues in prophane matters so to appoynt their doinges as though they woulde prescribe lawes vnto god See Iacob 4. Luc. 12. Paule being nowe departed from Ephesus commeth to Caesarea in Iury and from thence to Ierusalem when he had there greeted the congregation and dispatched the matters about the which he went he came to
of the things done by Paule at Ephesus beginneth to tell fyrst howe he brought certaine persons to frame that vaunted themselues of the gospell but were not throughly instructed therein and howe he adourned that church with the giftes of the holye ghost Which hystorie as it serueth much to our instruction so is it for this cause dyligently to be considered bycause dyuers men in times past haue contended by authoritie of this place to baptise those againe which before had bene baptised by Heretiques At this day also the Anabaptistes abuse the same a verie frowarde and phrentike kinde of persons keeping infantes from their baptisme and affirming that none ought to be baptised but such as are of yeares of discretion and well infourmed in the principles and knowledge of Christ. But that both these and the olde wryters were deceyued it shall easily appeare by the text it selfe whereby it shall be prooued that Paule ment nothing lesse in this dooing than that which they go about to gather thereof For fyrst it is sayd Paule went about to examine certaine disciples which he met withal after he came again to Ephesus But it is not lykely that these and no more had professed Christ bicause we may gather a greater vtilitie of the gospell among the Ephesians by that we heard in the ende of the .xviij. chapiter Nowe that Paule taketh these to examine rather then any other this seemeth to be the cause for that they liued not agreeably to the profession of christian men For it is like it hapned at Ephesus as it doth commonly in euery place when the truth is fyrst preached but the discipline of the church not fully established For then we shall see many which will professe to be gospellers more for hatred of the olde state then for loue of the truth bicause they would vnder a cloke of the gospell liue the more licentiously Bycause Paule perceyued that these were such a kinde of people to the intent they might be brought to better conformitie and passe and not perishe like those that receyued the seede of the gospell into a stonie grounde Paule beginneth to examine them of their beliefe and so to laye before their eyes howe farre they were as yet from the marke of perfection He demaundeth therefore if they had receyued the holy ghost This question must be vnderstanded of the giftes of the holye ghost which God at that time vsed to giue to the faithfull that is to say the knowledge of tongues and exposition of the scripture whereof we haue already manye times intreated This place teacheth vs howe to know true christians from false and counterfeyte For although those speciall giftes of the holye ghost which were sometime miraculously giuen be at this day ceassed yet the promise of Iesus Christ remayneth fyrme which promised his spirite to those that were his And as Paule elsewhere sayth they that haue not the spirite of Christ can not be his members And the other effectes of Gods holye spirite are as necessary at this daye as the vnderstanding of tongues and interpretation of scripture was in time passed namely the mortifycation of the olde man the regeneration and innouation of our minde purifycation sanctifycation and such other like As many therefore as lacke all these things it is certaine they boast in vaine of the faith name of Christ except we shall say that the spirite of Christ is an ydle and sluggishe spirite But let vs heare the aunswere of them whome Paule examineth in which they vtter a very grosse and barbarous ignoraunce saying No we haue not heard whether there be any holy ghost or no. But howe were they ignoraunt of the holy ghost which had heard so often mention of him in the lawe and in the Prophets For it is out of doubt they were Iewes bicause they were baptized with the baptisme of Iohn Were they ignoraunt then of that saying of Moses which in the beginning of his hystorie wryteth that the spirite of God mooued vpon the waters Or else had they neuer heard that saying of Dauid by the worde of the Lorde were the heauens made and all the hostes of them by the breath of his mouth Againe take not thy holye spirite from me Besides they might haue knowne the voyce of the Messias speaking by the Prophet the spirite of the Lorde God is vpon me c. How is it therefore that they say they haue not heard whether there be any holy ghost or no The aunswere is easie For as Paule demaunded of the effectes of the holy ghost so they make aunswere concerning the same as if they should say we being content with those things which we haue heretofore learned seeke no farther neyther care we whether there be any holye ghost or no which worketh such peculiar giftes in mens mindes bicause we thinke the knowledge hereof to high for vs and not to appertaine to vs So these men be an example of carnall people which professe the truth with their mouth but haue denyed the power thereof as Paule sayth and in deede refuse that which with mouth they confesse 2 Timoth. 3. Tit. 1. A great number of these are euery where to be founde who being perswaded that the bare name of Christ is sufficient vnto blisse doe little regarde the giftes of the holy ghost namely the mortifycation of the fleshe the renewing of the minde regeneration sanctification and such lyke And through these mens faulte it commeth to passe for the most part that the doctrine of the gospell is so yll spoken of in the worlde Therefore such must not be suffered but be reprooued and their dissimulation must be disclosed that both they may vnderstande their errour and other be the lesse offended So doth Paule in this place For he gathereth nerer vpon them vrgeth them to confesse that they were not come to the christian perfection For he sayth In whose name then were you baptized That is to say what professed you when you fyrst receyued the Gospell and ioyned your selues to the Church of Christ They aunswere they were baptised with the baptisme of Iohn and so they testifye that they professed that doctrine religion wherof Iohn was a Minister and teacher and therby they plainly shewe they care little for any other than that Nowe Paule here catcheth them and holdeth them fast and inferreth Iohn sayth he baptised with the baptisme of repentance saying to the people that they shoulde beleeue on him that was to come after him that is in Iesus Christ hereby teaching that Iohn requyred a farre other thing of his Disciples than a bare profession of his name and of the Gospell For fyrst he appoynted repentaunce wherevnto with great earnestnesse he exhorted all degrees of persons as appeaâ—eth Luc. 3. Neyther requyreth he onely repentaunce but sheweth also remission of sinnes preaching Iesus Christ whose forerunner he was appoynted of God to be He taught men to embrace him by true fayth to
their beliefe Yet bicause he woulde seeme to doe nothing rashly he sent Timotheus and Erastus which were of his familiers before meaning himselfe to followe not long after if that vprore begoonne at Ephesus had not stayed him a good many of dayes Againe by this example it appeareth howe needefull it is for the conseruation of the Church to be very carefull seeing the moste paynefull Apostle which had as yet so much to doe was faine so often to go visite and confyrme the Churches before ordeined Therefore they bewray their fylthy sluggishenesse wicked arrogancy that thinke the zeale which the Ministers now a daies vse in this behalfe is vnprofytable or superfluous Also in Paule appeareth the property of true faith bicause she is not ydle and slothfull but maketh men diligent in their vocation For where she burneth in the zeale of the glory of God and loue of hir neighbour it cannot be that she will stande still ydle no she will be ouercome with no traueyle or daunger Which is more euident by this onely example of Paule than needeth long profe Let euery man apply this to himselfe and by following it declare his faith by his works Moreouer it appeareth that fayth is circumspect also bicause Paule whome the holye ghost guided in all his doings sendeth such men before him as he knewe were trustye For as true beleeuers when they haue the expresse commaundement of God followe it without any staggering although the fleshe suggest diuers things to the contrarye so in other thinges whereof they haue no certaine commaundement of God they doe all thinges prudently and circumspectly for feare they might obscure the glory of God and giue the weake an occasion of stumbling And this is the safest way we can vse in taking of things in hande c. Howbeit although Paule was scarce anye where receyued with more good will than among the Ephesians and had taught there two yeares togither with great vtilitie and successe so that not onely many of the people beleeued but also he had gotten many of the chiefe of Asia to be his friends as hereafter shall appeare yet at length he fyndeth no better curtesie than that we haue hearde he founde so often in other places namely troubles and publike sedition wherewith he was so tossed and turmoyled that he reckeneth the daunger he was in at Ephesus among the greatest troubles that euer he was in For he writeth that he there fought with beastes and was in despayre of his life 1. Cor. 15. 2. Cor. 1. c. Luke describeth all this hystorie marueylous diligently bicause in it as in a glasse the propertie and condicions of the enimies of truth their craftes and weapons are set forth to be beholden and also it appeareth howe God vseth moste faythfully to defende both his seruants and the truth In this place fyrst he proponeth the summe of the matter and then next he sheweth the beginners of the sedition with the oration of Demetrius who was the cause and stirrer of all this tragedie incensing the mindes of his adherentes against Paule At that time sayth he there arose much adoe about that way He calleth the Christian sect or religion a way which the aduersaries woulde haue oppressed The time is diligently to be obserued which sheweth vs howe thys stirre was made when Paule had set al things in an order at Ephesus was minded to go to the Macedonians and Corinthians and had sent two of his companions before to prepare all things necessary By which example we are admonished that we must alwaye be watchfull but chiefely when matters seeme in safetie and out of all daunger For Satan neuer resteth but being driuen out of his holde seeketh meanes to returne againe as Christ teacheth And there want not examples of such as being grieuously offended with sodayne crosses and troubles haue fallen from the fayth Let it yet comfort vs that how much so euer our enimie rage and raue yet hath he no power vppon Christ ne yet vppon those which by fayth are graffed in Christ yea being long agone vanquished he doth but lighten as out of a Basen and shewe counterfeyte scarmuches of fyght whereby to fraye vntryed and vnskylfull myndes But let vs see the author and instruments of this vprore Demetrius the Siluersmith was the Capitaine of them a welthy man and one that made Syluer shrynes and such other gay geere in the honor of Diana and therby was an occasion that the men of his occupation gate much money Diana was worshipped as we shewed aboue among the Ephesians vnder the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Multimannuia whome they being seduced by gentile superstition beleeued to be a Goddesse that nourished and fedde all lyuing creatures The Temple of this Goddesse was the famousest and most sumptuous in all the worlde vnto the which there were Pilgrimages instituted from all places of Asia both farre and neere which was the cause that they that made implementes of superstition gat very much daylie by straungers that came thether Therefore they could not abyde the doctrine of Paule which at once ouerthrew both their superstition and all their hope of gayne These men therefore being called togyther by Demetrius go about to oppresse Paule by sedition knowing that by no force of reason they were able to conuince hym Here therefore it appeareth as euidently as may be that the occasions of sedition ought not to be ascribed to the gospell or ministers thereof For as the fayth that they preache vniteth vs to God so it chiefely commendeth vnto vs charitiye and concorde And here Demetrius is expressely named for the begynner of this sedition and not Paule who for two yeres before had so taught that he had shewed no token at all of a seditious person And of this kinde there are many examples both in this booke and also in other hystories Whereby we learne that they ought not ouer soone to be credited which accuse the gospell and preachers thereof of sedition but let vs searche for the truth farther and it shall appeare that they commonly are the fyrst begynners of sedition which would lay the fault thereof vpon other And such for the most parte are they which lyke Demetrius and his Complyces eyther lyue of craftes and trades forbidden by God or else hunte after game and pleasure The standard bearer among these men is the Byshop of Rome and his creatures the Cardinals Byshops Monkes and priestes For the greatest share of lucre and aduauntage by superstition commeth to hym He causeth his creatures also to get much money while being marked with his badge he gyueth them power to buye and sell that is to make marchaundize of of Gods worde and to chop and chaunge the same But all these can not abyde the truth of the gospell which lyke a sharpe whyppe shaken with the hande and spirite of Christ dryueth all marchaunting out of the Temple and ouerturneth the tables of
necessary that they haue a good regard not onely to their owne persons but also to their whole familie For how shall he be able to rule the Churche of God which is not able to rule hys owne house 1. Timoth. 3. Titus 1. Then secondly he commendeth to them the charge of the whole flocke wherein he is somewhat long as wee shall heare Under this worde flocke he comprehendeth the Church therin folowing both the Prophets and Chryst which many times vsed the like Allegorie or translation And the vse of this word is very commodious bicause it containeth in it very expressely all states and degrees of men as doe these woordes house and familie whereby otherwhiles the Church vseth to be termed For these woordes admonishe both the Ministers and the people of their duetie The Ministers learne that the care of al men appertaineth vnto them and that it is not lawfull for them to neglecte any man be hee learned or vnlearned noble or base rich or poore maister or seruaunt but must rather thinke that in a great house are many and diuers instruments which the good man of the house will haue all the seruauntes to haue a diligent and conuenient care off Againe the hearers learne that all men vniuersally of what estate or degree so euer they bee ought to bee subiect to the Ministerie and Discipline of the woorde and that no man is free therefrom which will bee accoumpted one of Goddes flocke or familie For that that God saide vnto Hieremie is well knowne to euery bodie Beholde this day doe I make thee a strong fensed Towne an yron â–ª Piller and a Brasen wall againste the whole lande againste the Kings and mightie men of Iuda against the Preestes and people of the lande Therefore it was not without a cause that the Prophetes in times past tooke vppon them to reprehende and admonishe all states of men as their Sermones testifie whome Iohn the Baptist did immitate and reprehended not only the common people but also the Publicanes Souldioures Scribes and Priestes moste earnestly yea hee was so bolde to tell Herode the King that it was not lawful for him to kepe his brothers wife The like did Christe beeing otherwise the miledest man that euer was which would not deuide the inheritaunce betweene the brethren bicause hee would doe nothing not belonging to his office The same did the Apostles and their successoures whose laboures and trauailes the church dothe reuerence yet to this day Therefore their blockishnesse is very grosse and their rebellion very obstinate which challenge to them selfe a certaine immunitie and freedome saying the Ministers haue nothing to doe with their matters But bicause it is needefull with reasons to vrge and sette forward our dull fleshe in difficulte and daungerous functions Paule therefore vseth reasons and in the beginning hee comprehendeth diuers in very fewe woordes For he saythe Looke vnto the flocke among whome the holy Ghoste hathe made you ouerseers to feede the congregation of GOD which he hath purchased with his bloude First hee alleageth God to be the aucthor of his Ministerie to declare that they are not free and at their owne libertie but ought to be occupied in the vocation of God vnto whome they shall once giue an accompte as Christe teacheth in the Parables of the Talentes and Stewarde Hee maketh mention of the holy Ghoste by name bicause Christe by him doth cheefely rule and gouerne his Churche as in the first and seconde Chapiters of this Booke we might perceiue And this is a waightie reason if we consider howe we shall giue an accoumpt vnto him from whome nothing is hidden and which beholdeth with what minde and beleefe wee doe all things and which is not onely a iudge but also a swifte witnesse against all those which cast from them the feare of him and neglect their duetie as he threatneth them in the Prophet And this reason ought to awake and stirre vp not onely the Ministers of the woorde but also all other personnes which take God for the aucthoure of their vocation and estate Let Magistrates remember that they are aduaunced to honoure and dignitie by God and that he sitteth in the middle of them and that they shall not escape if they neglect their Office. Let Lordes and Maisters remember that they also haue a Maister in Heauen vnto whome they shall geue an accoumpte Let married folke remember that God is the aucthor of their estate who as he hathe appoynted the marriage Chamber to bee honourable so will hee greeuously punishe Adoulterers and Whoremongers Hebrues 13. Also let Parentes consider that God hathe giuen them a charge ouer their Children and therefore that they canne not neglecte their Children wythoute the manifest faulte of vntrustinesse Likewyse lette Seruauntes and Subiectes learne to obey their Maisters and Princes not onely for feare of punishment but also for conscience sake bicause GOD hath made them subiecte vnto them whose sight they shall neuer beguile â–ª though they can beguile men Thys doone hee setteth before them the ende of theyr duetie saying they are made ouerseers by the holy Ghoste to feede the Church of god Hee alludeth vnto Ezechiel in the thirde and thirtie three Chapters where the Prophetes are called ouerseers or watchmen And to the ende they shoulde not thinke that their duetie consisted in a bare and vaine speculation hee vseth this woorde to feede to the intente they shoulde remember they were feeders and therefore oughte to fulfill the duetie of feeders These poynts are partly expressed by Christ in the 10. of Iohn partly by Ezechiel in the foure and thirtie Chapiter For a good Shepeheard bringeth his flocke into well grown pastures he goth before them like a Faithfull guide hee seeketh for them that are strayed and lost hee bringeth them home againe he bindeth vp his woundes that is contrite in heart and conscience he strengtheneth the weake he keepeth them vnder that growe to fatte hee stoutely resisteth the Wolues and all these things he doth circumspectly and with iudgement Paule admonisheth the Ephesians and Ministers of Asia of all these things where he saythe they are appoynted to feede Woulde God the Bishoppes of our dayes would remember these things who where they doe none of these things but all things quite contrary yet after an impudent sorte they challenge to them selues not onely the titles of Bishops but also exercise a manifest tyrannie ouer the Churche and like Princes of this world obtaine a kingdome vpon earth contrary to the commaundement of Christe But what they shall haue for their laboure see Ezechiel 34. and Zacharie the .11 Chapiters The third reason is deduced of the dignitie of the Churche which appeareth in this for that God purchased it with hys bloude Hee attributeth bloud vnto God by a figure called communione or propretie of tongues bicause Iesus Christ which is God from euerlasting at a time long beefore appointed became
which example wee are taught that Gods will and calling muste be preferred before all affections For it is impossible for vs to be wholly voyde of these affections as long as we liue in the fleshe and it is euident that they beare a stroke euen in the godly But a moderation muste be vsed to bring them vnder the obedience of fayth And this must be obserued in all cases but specially when by death our friendes be pulleâ— eyâ—her from vs or we from them whose good counsell and help we found to be very profitable for vs Lette vs then remember we are vrged with Gods calling whome to gaynesay or striue againste as it is a verie rashe enterprise so is it both foolish and daungerous Secondly Luke describeth Paules long and tedious voyage which al men must confesse to haue bene both painefull and perillous Wee will not tarie long in the description of the places for that is to be sought for in the Geographers And bicause there are so many places recited which Paule sayled by without making any abode in them it is a token that hee made very great haste to be at Ierusalem by the feast of Pentecost Here is to be considered Paules feruente industrie and diligence in the office committed to his charge and his constant fayth Hee might haue liued in the worlde as he testifieth of himself writing to the Philippians quietly and in honor And his first state of life abundantly declareth that he was of no smal authoritie among the Iewes He saw moreouer that in folowing of Christ there was continuall paines and trauell and euerye day freshe daungers springing Yet he embraced this kinde of life according to Gods will and calling and with a constant course ouercame them all and whatsoeuer things in this worlde were either of gayne or glory vnto him those he counted as damageable set light of them only for that he would winne Christ. Wherin it appeareth he was not a litle encouraged with the hope of that heauenly crowne which he knew was laid vp for him and al that were godly Let vs folowe the Example of so notable an Apostle least we be either ouercome with trauails and dangers or else being enticed with the allurement of the world leaue of the course of our vocation prescribed by christ For what is there in this world stable or permanent What thing is able to satisfie the desire of the minde and of the flesh Only God is omnisufficient and perfect good who hath opened to vs in Christ his sonne the treasures of all goodnesse in whome onely mennes mindes are quieted and at rest He that drinketh of this fountaine shall not thirst for euer Happy therfore and blessed are they that can exchaunge the counterfayte felicitie of this worlde for the fountayne of this eternall blisse Thirdly he telleth howe they came at lengthe vnto Tyrus where wee haue diuerse things in order to bee considered Among which this is one of the chiefe that he sayth they founde Disciples at Tyrus that is is to say certaine christian brethren and such as might seeme to haue passed all those of whom any mention hath bene made hitherto in dueties of fayth and charitie Which may seeme a maruellous thing if a man consider the auncient state of the Citie of Tyrus and the horrible Oracles of the prophets agaynst the same reporting hir to be both riotous proud couetous and lecherous Yea Chryst our Lord detesting the vnthankfulnesse of the Cities of Galilee compareth them with Tyre and Sidon vpon the which God in times past had shewed seuere examples of his iustice Yet euen in this same Citie shone the light of the Gospell and heere would Chryste haue a Churche planted and endued with notable gyftes Herein appeareth the truth of God and his goodnesse towardes sinners which turne vnto him For so he long agone prophesied by Esay it should come to passe After the ende of seauenty yeres shall the Lorde visite Tyre and she shall conuert vnto hir reward and she shal traffique with all the kingdomes of the earth And hir traffique and wares shall be holy vnto the Lord. And in the .45 Psalme And the daughter of Tyre shal be there with a gyft like as the riche also among the people shall make their supplications beâ—fore thee These things I say this present place declareth to haue ben fulfilled when Paule found christians there so feruent in fayth and loue And this is a notable example of Gods goodnesse wherby we are taught how we should not ouer hastely dispaire either of our selues or of other men seeing God would build him a Church in such a Citie as vpon which he had in times before shewed so heauy an example of his iustice by reason of the sinnes and offences of the same Againe Luke writeth how the brethren of Tyrus admonished Paule by the spirite that he shoulde not goe vp to Ierusalem This seemeth to repugne agaynst that whych Paule spake in the congregation at Malta saying he was bounde by the spirite to go thither But these places are easily reconciled if a man consider the figure called Synecdoche which is very common in the holy scripture where the whole coÌ„munication of these disciples is atributed to the holy ghost he being in dede the author but of one part onely For they by inspiration of the spirite admonished Paule of the imprisonment afflictions which Paule was like to fynd at Ierusalem But the Counsell they gaue him that he shoulde not go vp thyther was of their owne deuise bycause of a louing affection they wished well vnto him but were ignoraunt of Gods determination For many times it commeth to passe that the Prophetes through the reuelation of God vnderstande what is to come and yet are vtterly ignoraunt of Gods meaning and the ende of his dooing which is the cause that many tymes they erre in their dooings whyles they are not contented with the reuelation of God but take the wisedome of the fleshe vnto Councell whereof we haue examples in Ionas diuers others In the mean season marke howe many wayes God woulde haue Paule to bee tempted He draweth him to Ierusalem beeing bounde by his spirite In euery Citie and congregation he telleth him howe he shall be layde by the heeles and imprisoned And nowe come others endued with the spirite of prophesie and warne hym that he goe not thyther Whereto serue all these things Uerily God mente heereby to prepare his Apostle to the crosse by continuall premeditation least he shoulde fall from him thorough the manyfolde clamour of the furious people and entrappings of his enimies Also he learneth vs heereby an example of christian constancie and obedience whiche wee muste so earnestly laboure to haue that wee muste not obey men though wee see rare examples of Gods holy spirite in them if they councell vs any thing contrary to the will and commaundement of god Adde therevnto the vnhappie ende of
deede but not according to knowledge suche as Christ sharpely reprehended in Peter when he also dissuaded him from bearing the Crosse yet their affection is to be praised in that they are carefull for Paules safetie being farre vnlike to menne in these dayes which bring Ministers in daunger wythout a cause and thinke that they haue well discharged their dueties if they can for a time redeme a worldly peace with the liues and bloud of the Ministers But Paule moste earnestly withstandeth them and complayneth of them saying they greeue him more with their weping than with the remembraunce of the daunger Therfore Paule was not stony hearted such an one as the Stoikes faine their good and blissefull man to be but he coÌ„fesseth plainely that Goddes calling is more deare vnto him than his life and body The holy Ghost setteth his Example before all Ministers yea before all Christians to bee followed For vnlesse wee bee of the same mynde wee shall little or nothyng profytte in the waye of Christe bicause daungers are at hande on euery syde to them that seeke to serue Chryst. And this is no grieuous thing to the true godly if they wel wey the matter for what more profitable losse can we haue of this transitorie life and body which shall in few moneths mouldre into dust than to giue it for Chrystes sake whome we know died and rose againe for this ende that whether we liue or die we haue him to our Lord and Protectoure Which is the cause that Christ biddeth vs we should not feare theÌ„ which are able to kill the body but yet haue no power vpon the soule which is the better part of man And vnto these reasons do Paules companions also giue place For seeing him so constantly to persist in his purpose they say The will of God be fulfilled So now they perceiue at length that he is instigated heereunto by the calling of god Therfore least they might seeme to striue against God they commit them selues and the whole businesse vnto him folowing bothe the example and commaundement of christ And surely there is no more safe hauen for the godly to get them selues into amidde the raging and horrible tempests of these dayes than the will of god Which bicause it is holy and wholesome is able most effectually to recreate and cheare the mindes that are tossed with troubles and cares with the consideration therof Let vs therfore after the example of these men haue a regarde onely vnto the same and couragiously suffer what so euer God layeth vpon vs who for that he is faithfull wil not suffer vs to be tempted aboue our strength but euen in the middle of temptation wil make a way that we shall be able to beare it Nowe followeth Paules arriuall at Ierusalem where we haue three things to be considered First his frendes accompanie him which hitherto had bene his companions and vnto these are added newe frendes gotten at Caesaria In which place the truth of God appeareth which vseth to ioyne freendes and companions to them that suffer daunger for his names sake as otherwheres we haue declared Furthermore in them appeareth a notable example of faithe and constancie For they were not ignorant what was like to happen vnto Saule And there was greate cause for their owne parte also to be afraide Yet they forsake him not whome they knewe maintained Christes quarrell nor would not be driuen from him by any waues and â—ourges of aduersitie Let suche marke this Example as are pot freendes and as long as fortune laugheth will be companions with men but if shee begin once to lowre they forget all frendship and benefites and turne their backes The second is how the faithfull there prouide Paule of a commodious lodging For althoughe daungers were toward him yet prudencie must be ioyned with religion as Christ teacheth who in daungers wil haue vs to be wise as serpents His hoste was one Mnason a Cypriote borne and an olde disciple or protestant whereby is noted the perseueraunce and continuaunce he was of in the faith And charitie accompanieth faithe whereof this was a notable argument that he would lodge Paule and his companions knowing what daunger they were like to be in This is the propertie of true faith that the nigher daunger approcheth and the more vehemently it vrgeth the brighter it shineth Therefore our coldnesse is very worthy to be blamed which in daungers dissemble our faith and plainely neglect the duetie of charitie Last of all the brethren at Ierusalem do gladly receiue Paule yet heereafter we shall heare what euill rumors they spread of him But thy brethren would not condempne him without hearing of his cause They are most worthy to be folowed and teach vs by their example that we rashly beleue not such as ill report the brethren For such as these for the most parte are the chosen instrumentes of the Deuill which knoweth that the Church can no way be more greuously disturbed than by the deuision of the brethren Let vs therfore be mindfull of charitie which of all things abhorreth suspitiousnesse and let vs wholely apply our selues to keepe the vnitie of the Church vnblemished in Iesus Christ our sauiour to whome be praise honor power and glory for euer Amen The Cxxxix Homelie ANd on the morrow Paule went in with vs vnto Iames. And all the Elders came togither And when he had saluted them he told by order all things that God had wrought among the Gentiles by his Ministration And when they heard it they glorified the Lord and said vnto him thou seest brother how many thousand Iewes there are which beleue and they are all earnest followers ouer the law And they are enfourmed of thee that thou teachest all the Iewes which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses and sayest that they ought not to circumcise their children neyther to liue after the customes What is it therfore The multitude must needes come togither for they shall hear that thou art come Do therfore this that we say to thee We haue four men which haue a vow on them TheÌ„ take purifie thy selfe with them and do cost on them that they may shaue their heads and all shall knowe that those things which they haue heard concerning thee are nothing but that thou thy selfe also walkest and keepest the law But as touching the Gentiles which beleue we haue written and concluded that they obserue no such thing saue only that they keepe them selues from things offred to Idolles and from bloud and from strangled and from fornication ALthough many false rumors were spred of Paule the Apostle that chosen vessell of Iesus Christ whereby bothe his good name and doctrine was greeuously stained and impeached by his aduersaries yet Luke wryteth that the brethren at Ierusalem did frendly and courteously receyue him thereby teaching vs that they had a more regarde of charitie than of a fewe of persones boyling in hatred
wold haue that he prophecied proued set forth by the exaÌ„ples of his apostles that we shold be the lesse offended if at any time the like hapned to vs also For as the Apostles suffred al kindes of persecution aduersities so they teach by their example what it becoÌ„meth vs to doo when we be tried by persecutions teÌ„ptations And this is the cheef vse end of al this present matter of the whole history folowing But in this place there is no more rehearsed but the first act against Paul all the circuÌ„stances wherof we shal now examine He beginneth with the discription of the persons that appeared before Felix the Lieutenaunt And of one side stoode Ananias the high Priest the Elders and Tertullus a famous Orator greatly exercised in pleading by reason of his long practise And on the other syde Paule alone and in bondes and for many causes before suspected In this place appeareth againe as we haue often times already declared who are commonly the cheefe enimies of the truthe and of the ministers thereof and with what weapons they fight verily euen they which will seeme to be the greatest mainteyners both of religion and the common weale and amongst them such as make marchaundize of religion For the historie of the Gospel teacheth vs euerye where that Paules aduersaries in this place were euen such And these kind of men for the most part vse to excell in experience in wisedome in vtteraunce and in power aucthoritie for the which cause they haue many that fauour them folowe them Contrariwise the ministers of truth as they be fewe in number so commonly they are of small fame and estimation contempned and despised of all men as who seeme of bitternesse of minde or of ignorance rather than of godlines and loue of mens saluation to withstande the worlde But that it hath alway bene the godlies happe in this world being but few despised persons to cope with numbers in power and aucthoritie is to be seene by the examples of all ages Thus Moses and Aaron were matched with the Magitians of Egipt who were fauoured and defended with the kings aucthoritie and had all the Nobilitie of Egipt on their side So Elias alone encountreth with foure hundreth and fiftie Priestes of Baal and with almost as many Chaplins of the woodes and groues before Achab a most wicked Iudge And we read that Micheas not long after that was faine to set himselfe against foure hundreth false Prophetes Here might also be alleaged the histories of other Prophetes and Apostles of Christ himselfe whiche for breuities sake we omit bicause they that reade the scriptures hitte on them euery where We haue rather to consider the ende of these thinges wherof we shall receyue great profit vtilitie For first they serue for the instruction of euery maÌ„ that we should not iudge of faith or religioÌ„ according to the multitude or aucthoritie of theÌ„ that folow it as we see now adaies men coÌ„monly do But if we graunt theÌ„ this then shal not only Paule take the foile who being but one was accused by the priests Elders but also al the prophets with Christ his Apostles shal be in dauÌ„ger Yea we shal prefer the Turks before the ChristiaÌ„s which far passe vs both in territories dominions in multitude of natioÌ„s in victories other prosperities successe Wherfore we must rather herkeÌ„ vnto Christ which calleth his faithful a litle flock saith the few enter into the narow gate but heapes rashe into destruction through the broader waye Againe the coâ—syderation of these thinges doth not litle comfort vs that we be not afrayde although wee alone be sometime constrayned to stande agaynste manye both of great power glorye and aucthoritie For he that in thys place strengthened Paule will stande by vs also being in lyke daunger For we haue large promyses wherein he promyseth vs the prompting of hys spirite a mouth and wisedome against whiche no aduersaries shall be able to resist See Luke 21. Mat. 10. Mark. 13. But let vs heare Tertullus the Oratour whose Oration consisteth cheefl ye of three pointes The first is the beginning wherein he doth not as arteficiously as craftilye and impudently purchase him selfe beneuolence and good will partlye flattering Felix to his face and partelye the Iewes For they saye they may thanke him for the peace and quietnesse which they liued in and for that through his care and prouidence so many miseries were euery day redressed Againe they confesse they acknowledge this his goodnesse and benefites with thankes giuyng Yet do they lye egregiously in both For we haue hearde before how Felix gouerned the Cuntrey as naughtely as could be how he did infinite things cruelly and vniustlie and in all places where he came committed Whoredome and Murther and prophane wryters abundantly declare the same Againe it is euident to all men that haue but meane knowledge in histories that the Iewes also about these tymes made often and many rebellions agaynst the Romanes And yet the most vaine man is not ashamed to lye and by praising the tyranne dishonestly betraye his whole Nation whose commendation he should most earnestlie haue regarded But therefore do they falsely commende their quiet estate of gouernement to bring Paule the more in hatred with Felix as though hee were a disturber of publique peace and tranquillitie And in them it easelie appeareth what the bitternesse of hatred is once conceyued against the truthe For where the worlde hateth nothing so muche as the truethe bycause the light thereof reproueth theyr euill woorkes therefore it can suffer and beare most cruell enimies rather than the truth they thinke tyrannes tollerable ynough so they will put to their helpe in oppressing the truth So they preferred Tiberius Caesar a cruell and voluptuous tyraunt before Christe our Sauiour when they sayde they had none other king but Caesar. Yea they were not ashamed to preferre Barrabas a Murtherer and Captaine of a secte of Rebels before christ And this vntowarde and peruerse inudgement is no newe thing in the worlde For we reade that the Israelites in the wildernesse in time past offended and withstode Moses likewise maruellousâ—ie commending the seruitude of Egipt by reason of the Melons Amonds garelike fleshe such like things that land did abound in and disdained that state of life in the which euery houre God declared new tokens of his beneuolence good will like most miserable vnhappy men And would God we had not the like examples in our daies where meÌ„ woÌ„derfully extol the great peace we liued in in yÌ„e time of popery say yÌ„t the preching of the gospel hath marred altogither but in the mean seson they can craftily disseÌ„ble the bloudy wars that the Popes haue ben cheefe procurers of this many hundred yeares and will make no mention of suche greeuaunces as haue miserablye weakened both the goodes and consciences of
men Yea some menne haue so farre exceeded in madnesse that they haue thoughte it better to dallie with their aunciente enimies than to abyde the lyght of the Gospell But these men shall once fynde the same true that the vnhappie nation of the Iewes felte by the Romanes not many yeares after they had driuen away the Apostles Nowe let vs returne to Tertullus whiche in the seconde parte of his Oration frameth a greeuous accusation agaynst Paule consisting of three pointes Fyrste he sayth he is a seditious person yea and woorsse than the plague it selfe bycause he troubled and disturbed the Iewes euerye where in the worlde And so they put Paule in faulte of that thing wherof their selues were the cheefe doers For the whole discourse of thys booke teacheth that the Iewes were the cheefe mouers of sedition hitherto both agaynste Paule and his companions For hereunto maye be referred the sturres and tumultes whiche wee haue hearde were made at Corinth Thessalonica Ephesus Antioch Iconium Lystra and diuers other Cities Next they cal him a maintener of the sect of the Nazarits Therfore accusing him of schisme and heresie a faulte in all ages compted the greatest in the Churche Tertullus seemeth in contempt to call the Christians Nazarites as who had but an obscure beginning and of small regarde or estimation For it appeareth by the first Chapiter of Iohns Gospell that the village of Nazareth was of small or no accompt forasmuch as Nathanael sayde to Philip telling him of Iesus of Nazareth Can there any good thyng come out of Nazareth And this is an olde pollicie of the Diuell to cause true religion to be suspected as a vile thing and of no reputation By reason whereof Iuliane the Apostata also sometyme called Christ and the Christians Galileyans Thereby they accuse him of polluting the Church and vnder the name of the Churche they comprehende all outwarde kinde of religion These thinges we at this daye ought the more diligentlye to obserue that we myght vnderstande what crimes are commonly layde against the truthe and not be offended if at any time we be called seditious scismatikes heretikes prophaners of Temple and Images Church robbers and subuerters of auncient religion For as all these thinges ought not to offende vs so neither muste we by and by beleeue them which impudently burthen innocent and godlie men with these crimes But bycause they woulde not seeme to charge Paule with false matter and accusation they produce witnesses Firste the Captaine hym selfe whom yet they accuse by the way as seeming to importunate to set a person at libertie lyke shortly to be punished according to the lawe Then againe they all affirme Tertullus saying to be true Where we haue to behold an example both of great audacitie and impudencie For they dare to accuse the Captaine and complaine that they are restrained from shedding of bloud by him who deserued great praise therefore So little the wicked repente them of their mischeeuous deedes that they continually hate them which hinder or let their wicked enterprises Moreouer where first they were accusers and next Iudges of the matter now they are also witnesses and will be beleued in euery thing and feare not the iudgement of God which hateth and abhorreth all false witnesses and commandeth them to be punished by the lawe of Talio or suffring of lyke These things serue for our great vtilitie For bothe we may learne to suspecte suche as nowe a dayes are lyke vnto these men and shall the lesse be offended if the lyke happen vnto vs For Iesus Chryst which was oppressed with lyke preiudices liueth and reigneth and hath ouercome all the power of hell and beeing ascended into heauen derideth the deuices of his enimies and moste faythfully maintayneth the quarell of his chosen seruaunts To him be prayse honour power and glory for euer Amen The Cliij Homelie THen Paule after that the Deputie him selfe had beckened to him that he should speake aunswered with a more quiet minde do I aunswere for my selfe forasmuche as I vnderstande that thou haste beene of many yeres a iudge vnto this people bycause that thou mayest knowe that there are yet but twelue dayes since I went vp to Hierusalem for to worship and they neither founde me in the temple disputing with any man neither raysing vp the people neither in the Sinagoges nor in the Citie Neither can they proue the things wherof they accuse me But this I confesse vnto thee that after the way which they call Heresie so worship I the God of my fathers beleeuing all things which are written in the Law and the Prophets and haue hope towards God that the same resurrection of the dead which they them selues looke for also shall be bothe of iuste and vniuste And therefore studie I to haue alway a cleare conscience towarde God and towarde men WE heard yesterday the poyntes of a most haynous accusation made agaynst Paule which the holy Ghoste woulde haue diligently written as it was spoken by Tertullus partly for that the truth of the Apostolike storie should not be suspected seeing the wordes of the enimies also are reported so truely and partely bycause we should not be offended when we heare the lyke obiected agaynst vs or others which followe the true fayth Nowe therefore let vs heare Paul the Apostle which after Felix had made a signe vnto him to speake putteth away all these obiections both boldly and truely But before we come to the wordes of the Apostle we haue two things to consider The one is the example of Felix which teacheth vs that in iudgements both partes must be hearde The other is in Paule who beeing moste greeuously slaundered yet rusheth not foorth impudently to aunswere for him selfe nor is not led with suche rage to slaunder agayne but abyding till he had leaue giuen him of the President to speake pleateth his cause soberly and wisely Let all the godly do likewise least they cause the truth wherof they stand in defence to be suspected by reason of hastinesse and rayling which many times suche do as will rather satisfie the passions of their minde than follow the rule of reason These things beeing premised let vs proceede vnto Paules aunswere which consisteth in confuting of the obiections made agaynst him In his beginning he getteth him the beneuolence or good will of Felix yet in such sorte that he priuily quippeth his aduersaries without all foolishe kinde of lying and flattery For he saith he is the willinger to declare hys matter before Felix for that he had many yeres bene a gouernour of thys natiō for that cause was wel acquaynted with their natures cōditiōs For this thing alway the defendant most desireth to haue a Iudge of skill vnderstāding bycause many times it commeth to passe that they which otherwise are great fauourers of iustice offend of ignorance which daunger Paul confesseth he is not in ne feareth that Felix can be deceiued by
of iustice be punished for euer Fourthly through the conducte and guyding of this fayth he sayth he laboureth to keepe a good conscience both towarde God and man which thing is the right fruite of fayth For fayth iustifieth men but they that are righteous and iust worke righteousnesse 1. Iohn 3. And it can not bee that they will pollute their conscience with filthinesse of sinne which beleeue stedfastly there shall bee a resurrection of the dead Hereby it appeareth what Paules fayth was And hereby he proueth that he ought to be taken for no heretike As many therefore as by true fayth worship the God of their fathers according to the Scriptures and holde fast the hope of resurrection and labour to keepe a cleane conscience both toward God and man these be true followers of Paule and the Apostles yea true and right Christians howsoeuer the vnhappie world rage and storme agaynst them Let vs therefore sticke to this fayth O brethren and through the stedfaste hope of resurrection to come stoutly passe through all tribulations beeing sure we shall one day haue an eternall rewarde with Iesus Chryst our Sauiour to whome be prayse honour power and glory for euer Amen The Cliiij Homelie BVt after many yeres I came and brought almes to my people and offerings in the which they found me purified in the Temple neither with multitude nor yet with vnquietnesse Howbeit there were certayne Iewes out of Asia which ought to be here present before thee and accuse me if they had ought agaynst me or else let the same here say if they haue found any euil doing in me while I stand here in the Counsel except it be for this one voyce that I cried standing among them of the resurrection of the dead am I iudged of you this day When Felix heard these things he deferred them for he knew very well of that way and sayde when Lysias the Captayne is come downe I will know the vttermost of your matter And he commaunded an vnder Captayne to keepe Paule and to let him haue rest and that he should forbid none of his acquayntaunce to minister vnto him or to come vnto him AS the holy Ghoste woulde haue the accusation which the Iewes made against Paul diligently written that we might learne thereby whereof this worlde doth alwayes accuse the faythfull Ministers of Chryst so as diligently dothe Luke reporte the apologie or oration that Paule made in his owne defence Wherby we are taught how we should behaue our selues in the like case First and formoste he answereth very diligently boldly vnto the crime of sedition teaching vs by his example how the ministers of Christ aboue al things must be free and cleare from such attempts As touching his faith about the which they accused him of heresie and schisme he plainly confesseth the same and rendreth a reason or account therof in fewe words but yet very perspicuous and playne Whereby we gather that confession of fayth doth most become the ministers of Chryst which must so be declared that the reason therof may appeare vnto all men which are led with any feare or feeling of God. Now followeth the crime of polluting the Temple in putting away wherof Paule is very diligent albeit he was not ignorant that the vse and maiestie of the Temple was for the most part abolished by the comming and death of christ And we must not thinke that Paule did beare with the Iewes herein which as yet reuerenced their Temple too supersticiously but hath a respect vnto the right vse of temples which christian men by nâ— meanes can want For although the maiestie of God can not be included or kept within Churches neither can the worship of God be tied vnto them yet outwarde religion requireth a certayne place where the people may assemble togither to heare the worde preached and the Sacramentes administred And common reason telleth vs â–ª that places dedicated to these and suche excellent vses oughte to bee kepte from all kinde of pollution forasmuche as we read that Christ once commaunded that no man should carry any vessel or prophane thing through the temple And it is very like that he hath little deuotion or religion which wickedly contemneth or misvseth the places consecrated to religion Which thing seemeth to bee the chiefe cause wherfore Paule vsed suche diligence in puâ—ting away this obiection By this example we also are taught that the Temples or Oratories of Christians ought stoutly to be kept from all contempt and prophanation Which thing Hystoriographers report that Constantine the great and other Princes in times paste like vnto him dyd to their great prayse and renowne But let vs see Paules apologie which first excuseth him selfe by an argument taken of the tyme For he sayth he had bene many yeres from Ierusalem Wherby it playnly appeareth that he could attempt nothing agaynst the Temple Againe he declareth that the cause of his coÌ„mnig was not for the temples sake but to bring vnto the nedy brethren of Iewry the almes that was gathered among the Gentiles See what is written of this almes in the Epistles to the Corinthians especially in the 8. and 9. Chapters of the .2 Epistle In the meane season he accuseth theÌ„ of discurtesie vnthaÌ„kfulnesse which so vnworthely intreat one that had deserued so wel of the whole nation which brought vnto them a fresh benefit and pleasure We haue here to consider beside the exaÌ„ple of christian liberalitie wherof we spake about the end of the .11 Chapter the vnkindnesse of the world towards Christes ministers which is so great that it wisheth the destruction of those that day night labour for the saluatioÌ„ of al meÌ„ Thus we read the Sodomites enuied Lot for whose sake Abraham deliuered theÌ„ out of the captiuitie of their enimies And Moses receiued nothing of the Israelites but raylings threats who forsoke the delightes of courâ—ly life and the treasures of Aegypt for their sake What chaunced vnto the Prophets and after them vnto Christ our Lord is more apparant than nedeth any long rehersall But that that hapneth here vnto Paul is very notable which after his many yeres trauels his so many wakefull nightes and almes gathered in euery place to releeue the neede of the poore hath none other reward of them whose saluation he earnestly desired and for whose sake he wyshed to be accursed but strypes imprisonment and all kinde of contumelious handling Why therfore are we offended at the ingratitude of the world which being altogither set on mischiefe knoweth not otherwise how to recoÌ„pense the authors of their saluation But let vs returne vnto Paules arguments which in the third place sayth he was purified in the teÌ„ple without any multitude of men raysed or vnquietnesse Wherby agayne it appeareth that he had not polluted the Churche But if Paules argument be true as no Christian man will deny it is also true that the Temples are not polluted by them
be preached by Paul vnto two persons borne of wicked stocke polluted with incest For their great grandfather was Herodes the great which laide wayte for Christ being new borne caused the babes of Bethlehem most cruelly to be murthered Herodes Antipas brother to their graundfather Aristobulus or as some thinke Alexander being him selfe also defamed of incest cōmaunded Iohn the Baptist to be beheaded scoffed at Christ being sent bound vnto him Of their father Agrippa we spake of late who killed Iames cast Peter the Apostle in prison ▪ meaning to haue put him to death also but that he was deliuered by the helpe of an Aungel Agrippa Bernice borne I say of such progenitours as these heare Paule preach the Gospel of saluation Wherby it easily appereth that God is not so wayward nor desirous of reuēge to punish the children for the wickednesse of their fathers but that his grace is stretched out to al men that wil truely repent and turne vnto him See what he sayth hereof himselfe in the eyghtenth Chapter of Ezechiel Wherevnto also is to be referred howe Chryst was peculiarly sent vnto those men whose predecessors beeing many waies vnkind towards God slew the prophets that were sent vnto thē And we see in these dayes that the grace of God and the merite of Chryste is moste curteously offered to meany which haue horribly sinned Therefore they which Sathan hath taught to doubt of Gods fauour and mercy as though our sinnes were greater thā it let them lerne comfort hereby Also let these things serue to instruct vs that we condemne no man rashly bycause of his auncestrie seeing that in the generation of Chryste are numbred diuerse diffamed persons so that no man neede to doubt but Chryste chiefly belongeth vnto sinners But to returne to our purpose let vs see for what occasion Agrippa was so desirous to see and heare Paule This was as it is sayde certayne dayes after his comming which by all likelyhoode were spent in pastime and banquetting For Princes and noble men haue little care of Captiues and prisoners It is to be thought that Festus had cōmuned with Agrippa about Paule supposing to be holpen by his counsell in such a difficulte intricate matter Therefore he beginneth in this wise to declare the whole matter but subtilly and craftely slyly dissēbleth how he would haue gratified the Iewes as we shall see when wee come to the place For his declaration consisteth of three parts wherof we will orderly intreate In the first part he declareth what Paule is what the Iewes requested and what answere he made them He sayth Paule was a captiue lefte in prison by Felix Which thing he allegeth for this cause that Agrippa should not thinke he had caused him to be layde in holde The Iewes sayth he made request vnto me by their Elders Priestes that I should giue sentence of death agaynst him Which thing I would not graunt them For I alleaged vnto thē the maner of the Romanes which was to giue sentēce of death agaynst no man for any mens pleasure but first to vse all kinde of search lawful enquirie so that the accusers shal make informaiton openly and the accused shal haue time place to make his purgation defence Uerily the custome that Festus allegeth is very notable wherby al magistrates are taught that they must do nothing for any mans sake contrary to law and iustice For although humanitie gentlenesse is a thing much commendable yet it becommeth Iudges alwayes to haue a speciall consideration of iustice Which thing both the lawes of God and al nations expressely commaunde Surely Salomon sayth that God hateth him as much that spareth a wicked person as he that slayeth an innocent Pro. 17. But the vntowardnesse of our daies is muche to be bewayled where that that Festus sayth was in vse with the Romanes hath scarse any place among Christians For we see it oftentimes come to passe that the faithful people of Christe for the Popes pleasure are cruelly made out of the way without any hearing of their cause As many magistrates therfore as wil truly discharge their office must see that iudgement procede lawfully and as it ought Aboue al things it is requisite in iudgement that the accusers be present that there be no place for slaunders backbiting which many times bring innocents in much daunger That done let the defendantes also haue place to make their lawful purgation let Iudges thinke that they haue two eares giuen them the one to heare the plaintife the other the defendant But specially let this rule haue place that right and lawe be not transgressed for any mans pleasure For where Iudges be no priuate persons they must know they are bound indifferently to al men alike Furthermore as the equitie of the Romane lawes deserueth to be praised so the impudencie of the Iewish Priestes is vtterly to be detested which durste requeste that thing which an heathen man vnderstoode was neither right nor lawfull But where they which would seeme to be most holy and the very pillers of Gods Churche thus dyd mighte not the Gentiles iustely suspecte their religion But woulde to God wee sawe not the lyke impudencie in the Monkes and Byshoppes at this day which vse to make moste wicked decrees in Princes courtes and abuse the clemencie of kings to establish their tyrannie agaynst the seruaunts of Chryst. In the seconde parte is declared howe Festus handeled thys matter As soone sayth he as they came hyther I gaue them audience strayghte way And by and by I perceyued hee was innocente For they layde none of those things to hys charge that I looked for but brought forth certayne questions belonging to their owne superstition and handled a certayne cause of one Iesus who Paule sayde was risen agayne from death After this sorte speaketh the prophane man moste contemptuously of sincere religion which Paule yet handled bothe diligently and at large as may be gathered by Festus owne saying In him haue we an example of all those which contemne and deride the mysteries of the word of God and specially the resurrection In instructing of whome although we little preuayle no man muste be offended considering that Festus had so little regarde of those things which Paule moste grauely declared Yet Iudges haue an other thing to obserue in this heathen person namely to heare causes without delay considering that by vniust dilatories from day to day many men are circumuented which bicause they are not able to be at such charges are vnable to prosecute follow their right Principally let vs obserue how Paules innocencie is confirmed by many testimonies For first we had Lysias the capten a witnesse therof After that Felix Now Festus And within a litle while after we shal haue Agrippa to make one with them And although the wicked priests go on in their accusatiō yet they confirme Paules innocencie the more for that they are
able to proue none of those things they lay to his charge The lyke case were the other Apostles in as we haue oftentimes seene So the Euangelistes declare that Pylate and Herode beare witnesse of Christes innocencie Thys maketh for the commendation dignitie of the christian faith doctrine Which who so now a dayes slaundreth openly bewray them selues to be worse than the Gentiles It appereth also by this place what a miserable state the Iewes were in at this time seeing a despiser of all religion had the greatest authoritie among them and they constrayned to pleade their matters of religion before him And this they may thanke the wicked priests their own wicked ingratitude of which denied Christ to be their king and sauiour before Pylate The like state are a great many in nowe a days vnder the tyrannie of the Turkes by whose exaÌ„ple except we repent in time it is to be feared that all they that now a dayes disdayne to heare the worde of God and refuse the iudgement of the holy ghost touching fayth and religion wâ—ll one day suffer the like Finally he declareth why he kept him beeing innocent in prison Namely bicause he had appealed vnto Caesar. But here he craftily dissembleth his own wickednesse which yet he can not otherwise do but by bewraying himself while he confesseth playnly that he draue the innocent to such an exigent that he must needes appeale vnto Caesar. For he had not purposed to gratifie the Iewes to Paules hinderaunce and preiudice â–ª he would neuer haue appealed vnto Caesar. But this is a common trick among great men magistrates craftily to cloke their own faults then to make men beleeue they greatly fauour iustice when they most transgresse the bounds limits of the same Furthermore by this occasion it came to passe that Agrippa was desirous to heare to see Paule which thing was the occasion of a notable sermon which Luke setteth forth in the chapter folowing Thus we may see that through the prouidence of God those things aduaunce his kingdome which we least thought of Why therfore do we trouble vexe our selues about our owne deuises Why do we not rather euery one cast all our care vpon God do our duety For so should it come to passe that we should euery where haue occasion to serue God and in al our dangers and distresses should haue Iesus Christ to be our protectour and defender to whom be prayse honour power and glorie for euer Amen The Clix Homelie ANd on the morrow when Agrippa was come and Bernice with great pompe and were entered into the Councell house with the Captaynes and chiefe men of the Citie at Festus commaundement was Paule brought foorth And Festus sayde king Agrippa and all yee men which are here present with vs ye see this man about whom all the multitude of the Iewes haue intreated me both at Hierusalem and also heere crying that he ought not to lyue any longer Yet founde I nothing worthy of death that he had committed Neuerthelesse seeing that he hath appealed to Caesar I haue determined to sende him Of whome I haue no certayne thing to write vnto my Lorde Wherfore I haue brought him vnto you and specially vnto thee O king Agrippa that after examination hadde I might haue somewhat to wryte For mee thinketh it vnreasonable for to sende a prysoner and not to shewe the causes which are layd agaynst him ALthough God haue giuen vnto man nothing more excellente and commodious than the worde of the Gospell wherein he offereth vs the incomparable treasures of hys grace and the right way vnto saluation yet such is the vntowardnesse of this miserable worlde that it hateth enuieth nothing so muche as the same word Which thing is the cause that the ministers therof are many times so greeuously molested and afflicted and become as it were certayne gasing stockes vnto all the world But bicause we vpon whoÌ„ the endes of the world are come should not be offended at these things forasmuch as it is euident that the world should exercise great crueltie vnder Antichrist their captayne God therfore would haue vs instructed partly by prophesies and partly by examples wherby we might learne that no new or strange thing hapneth vnto vs but that the Ministers of his word haue in al ages bene so vsed in this world And yet that his worde could neuer be extinguished through any attempts of his enimies for it endureth for euer and at al times bringeth foorth condigne fruites as the Scriptures euery where declare Many examples we haue hereof and among them this one is notable that Luke setteth foorth in Paule the Apostle For although he liued in bondes and was constrayned to appeale vnto Caesar both by reason of the iniquitie of his enimies and the vnrighteousnesse of the President yet before king Agrippa before the Captaynes before the chiefe men of Caesarea and the whole nobilitie of that couÌ„trey he so handleth Christes cause that he both proueth his innocencie in the hearing of them al and leaueth in their minds certaine euident pricks stings of the worde of god But it shall be good to consider euery thing in order as it is declared The Euangelist beginneth his narration with Paules hearers among whom are first numbred Agrippa Bernice his sister who sayth he came into the auditorie with all kinde of princely pompe and ostentation After them come the captaines of the souldiours other loâ—ds of the court and as many as were of authoritie in the citie whoÌ„ Festus thoght good to haue there present to this ende that howsoeuer the matter fel out he might the easilier auoyde the enuy of the Iewes Aboue al things we haue to consider Agrippa who as we sayd before was desirous to heare Paul. For this desire proceeded more of a certayne vayne curiositie of minde than of any loue vnto the truthe or saluation In so muche that he resembleth Herodes Antipas brother to his graundfather which also was desirous to see Chryst but for none other cause saue for that he heard his miracles praysed of so many a profe wherof he giueth vs in that he coÌ„meth to Paules sermoÌ„ not like a disciple or lerner nor laieth aside none of his princely pompe but bringeth all his courtlinesse with him for a shew into y preching place By this exaÌ„ple we learne what affection this world beareth to the word of god Surely either it hateth it or at least contemneth it euen of nature as which would not haue his workes reproued by the light therof and vseth to preferre earthly things before heauenly Yet in the meane season it coÌ„meth to passe many times that some come to heare it thoughe not led with the desire of saluation yet with the affections of the fleshe that is to say with curiositie or with hope of some gaine or of hatred to Popishe doctrine or bicause they would not be thought to be vngodly or
maister Let vs rather reioyce to suffer all kinde of afflictions for the truth sake for this is the high way vnto heauen where the inheritance of eternall life remaines for vs with our head Iesus Christ to whom be blessing honor power glory for euer Amen The .xxvj. Chapiter vpon the Actes of the Apostles The Clx. Homelie AGrippa said vnto Paule thou art permitted to speake for thy selfe Then Paule stretched forth the hand and answered for him selfe I thinke my selfe happy king Agrippa bicause I shall answere this day before thee of all the things whereof I am accused of the Iewes namely bicause thou art expert in all customes and questions which are among the Iewes Wherefore I beseeche thee to heare me paciently My liuing that I liued of a childe which was at the first among mine owne nation at Ierusalem knowe all the Iewes which knew me from the beginning if they would testifie for after the most straightest secte of our religion I liued a Pharisey OUr Lord and Sauioure Iesus Christe talking wyth Ananias touchyng Paule and his ministerie saithe among other things This is a chosen vessell vnto me to carrie my name before nations and kings and the children of Israell Which words as they greatly commend the ministerie of Paule so oughte they to stirre vs vppe diligently to consider all those things that he either did or suffered in his ministerie bicause it is euident that nothing therein chaunced vnto him without the singular prouidence of god This is cheefely to be considered in this present action where before king Agrippa the Nobles of the Courte and cheefe rulers of the Countrey he defendeth his faithe and doctrine with such dexteritie and constancie that he moued his auditors greatly and by his example taught vs of what force and efficacie both the worde of God and faith is Which thing shall the more euidently appeare if we consider eche thing in order First Agrippa is sette forth which speaketh vnto Paule and giueth him leaue to answere for him selfe This was without doubt done throughe the aduise of God which by this meane would haue the gospell preached vnto those men For where as Paule saith otherwheres God will haue all men to be saued he will also haue the worde of saluation to be reuealed and preached vnto all men And this his ordinaunce is so firme and stable that it can neuer be stopped with any enterprise of the tyrās of this world Whereof wee haue bothe testimonies and Examples euery where in the scriptures by the which we may confirm our wauering faith in al aduersities But bicause we haue spoken heereof oftentimes let vs now obserue the example of equitie and iustice that the holy Ghost setteth forthe in Agrippa though otherwise an arrogante and naughtie man For he heard how all the Iewes required to haue Paule put to death and he saw nothing in him wherby to get any commoditie or honoure yet is he nothing moued with the iudgement of the whole nation nor thinketh it not meete to haue more consideration of himselfe than of publike iustice but appoynteth to heare Paule himselfe and first offereth him occasion and leaue to speake Let all men that beare office folowe this example and the more they see to conspire against any man the more diligently let them weighe and examine the matter least by their bearing and slouthfulnesse they set forward other mennes maliciousnesse This is a thing nowe a dayes too common the more is the pitie that Kings and Princes eares are not open to the faithfull of Christ bicause they thinke it meeter to hearken vnto Bishops and to their adherentes and so being corrupt with preiudice they thinke they can not be altogither faultlesse whome the spiritualtie so zelously and earnestly withstande But returne we vnto Paule who althoughe hee be compelled vppon the sodaine to pleate his cause in bandes before so honorable an audience yet he putteth out his hand for silence and so beginneth his sermon which as it containeth in it all things belonging to the mater so it sheweth no maner token of any dismaide or troubled minde Where we may see bothe the truthe and also the effect of Christes promisses For Paule had bothe the promisses general and also a peculiar wherof we made mētion in the beginning namely that he should preache the name of Christ before Kings and Princes Wherfore hauing an eie therunto he setteth all dangers at naught bicause he knewe that Christes power was greater than that it could be ouercome or hindred by any attemptes of the world How be it it behoueth vs also to take comfort of this example bicause Christ hath promised his spirite vnto all the godly to gouerne their hearts and mouthes when they shall be compelled to giue an accompt of their faith Furthermore touching Paules oration it consisteth wholely of a narration full of arguments trimly framed for defence of himselfe for he declareth what trade of life he led of a child and how he neuer gaue any suspition of lightnesse or impietie Againe howe after he was called to the faith of Christ and to be an Apostle he neither taughte nor did any thing contrary to the scriptures Wherby he proueth that the Iewes hated him so deadly without his desert Before his narration hee vseth a shorte and pretie kinde of beginning wherby he goeth about to get the kings fauor and good will saying he is happie in that he must plea◠his cause before him who was not ignorant in the Ceremonies and Questions of the Iewes For Paule knewe that it was in vaine to dispute of graue and waightie matters before them that were altogither ignorant and vnskilfull Wherfore as it is mete to haue iudges ledde with desire of iustice so wisedome ioyned with vnderstanding is moste necessary for them And it is meete that they shoulde not only be skilful in politike matters but also learned in matters pertaining to faith and religion the care and study wherof the scripture euery wher commendeth vnto magistrates For where they be ordained of God who hath giuen them such power and aucthoritie they are taught by the very law of nature to be carefull againe for the maintenance of Gods honoure and glory Wherfore God appointed the booke of his law for kings cōtinually to read in and the same booke stirreth vp all Magistrates therevnto with the Examples of moste godly Kings whome Agrippa heere wisely folowed and vnderstode religion throughly But now a dayes we are growne to suche doltishnesse that kings thinke they are most worthy to be praised for their religion when they vnderstand least thereof and say it belongeth nothing vnto them This we may thanke the tiranny of the Bishops of which perceyued that their greatest power consisted in the ignorance of Princes Moreouer he beginneth his narration whose argument we haue nowe declared of his childehoode or life before ledde calling the Iewes to witnesse howe godlily and holily he had
spent the same For where in other places he wryteth that a Bishoppe should bee commended euen of very straungers also he therfore goeth about to proue his innocencie by the testimonie of his ennimies And bicause it should not be thought he had led his life in any corner he saithe he was broughte vp at Ierusalem where the seate of Religion was and the moste famous vniuersitie in all Iewrie There he saide from his beginning he had led a life moste commendable euen after the secte of the Phariseys For this secte was worthy to be preferred before all other bicause the Phariseis had the scriptures in most reuerence and excelled the other sectes in honestie of life The greatest erroure they had was that they maintained the righteousnesse and merite of their owne woorkes Howbeit Paules scope and ende is to persuade Agrippa that he had done nothing rashly of any wicked lighte or wauering minde seeing he had vsed from his childehoode the moste straightest kinde of religion It is not without a cause that he declareth he led his childhode so godlily For thereby he teacheth howe muche it auaileth to haue publike persons well brought vp in their childehoode For althoughe they ought not to be reiected which conuert in their olde age yet are they muche more to be preferred whose life afore time hathe not beene spotted or stained For suche will goe more boldly on in their wonted vertues and are more able by their aucthoritie to withstande the enterprises of the wicked whereas the other sorte returne againe to their frequented vices and being in danger of the vpbraidings and reproches of the wicked by little and little lose all their aucthoritie Beside that their counsell although it be honest and godly yet commonly with the good it is suspected who feare that they are led either with lightnesse of minde or else with some other leâ—de affection Therefore they that minde to place their children eyther in office of the Churche or of the common weale must haue a diligent regarde of their education and bringing vp And heere are two poyntes very necessary that Paule telleth of him selfe The one is that youthe muste bee brought vp in suche places where religion cheefely flourisheth that with learning and experience they may ioyne also the taste and fauoure of religion The other is that euen by and by at the beginning they must chuse suche a kinde of life as hathe least occasion of vices in it For where youthe euen of nature is prone vnto sinne occasions of euill muste be shunned and auoided rather than sought for Woulde to God the men in oure dayes which cause their children many times to be broughte vp among suche as they knowe are farthest from the true knowledge of Christ wold obserue these things who are led with no care of religion but of gaine altogither Therefore oute of suche schooles commeth that kinde of men which measureth religion according to frendship and commoditie and who bursting ouer the barres of all godlinesse fall headlong into all kinde of mischeefe and are not onely the destruction of themselues but also of the Churche and common weale This thing Examples both olde and new do teach vs whereby we ought to be prouoked so to cause our children which wee meane to set to Goddes seruice to be instructed and brought vp from their youth that they may be profitable bothe to them selfe to the Church and to the common weale and at lengthe receiue the inheritaunce of the kingdome of heauen with Iesus Christ our Lord to whome be praise honor power and glory for euer Amen The Clxj. Homelie ANd nowe I stande and am iudged for the hope of the promisse made of God vnto our fathers vnto which promisse our twelue Tribes instantly seruing God day and night hope to come For which hopes sake King Agrippa I am accused of the Iewes Why shuld it be thought a thing incredible vnto you that God should raise againe the dead PAVLE the Apostle in giuing an accoumpt of his faith and doctrine laboureth cheefely to proue that he did nothing of rashe minde or of vngodly intent and purpose To the which ende also he made mention of his childehoode prouing that he was so brought vp and had so ordered his life that he ought not iustly to be suspected either of any temeritie or vngodlinesse aboute religion By which Example wee are taughte among other things that wee must so trade and traine vp oure selues in Religion that we may be able to render a reason to euery man after what sorte wee haue liued therein euen from oure childehoode For as God is the tutoure and defendoure of all age so it behoueth that all manner of age should be consecrated vnto him And we reade that he requireth oftentimes to haue children brought vp from their infancie in his lawe and seruice Which place reproueth the shamefull error of them which say that religion is a more waightie intricate mater than for lay men to meddle with wheras notwithstanding God willeth that euen tender age should exercise it selfe therin wheras nothing pertaineth so indifferently to all men as religion for the which the scripture teacheth that meÌ„ were created euen from the beginning But bicause we haue entreated hereof in other places lette vs nowe goe on in Paules oration He somewhat breaking of his narration begun a little before declareth the state of the whole controuersie betweene him and his aduersaries the Iewes For he saith he is accused for the hope of the promisse which God sometimes made vnto the fathers and vnto the which the twelue tribes that is to say the whole nation of the Iewes hope by their continuall seruing of God at lengthe to come And being not content once thus to haue said he repeteth the same he said again saying for this hope sake O king Agrippa am I accused which words seme to haue in them some shewe of indignation wherby he would expresse the indignitie and heynousnesse of the matter As if he should say who perceiueth not what great vnrighteousnesse is in mine aduersaries seeing they charge me of death accuse me of schisme wheras my doctrine and faith dependeth vpon that ancient promisse of God wherein all the fathers in times past put their trust and wherof as many of the Israelites as worship the true God desire to be partakers hauing none other end of all their holinesse and religion Howbeit that hope of promisse whereof he speaketh is Iesus Christe the sonne of God in whome only God hath promised life and saluation from the very beginning of the world vnto the fathers falne into destruction through the sinne of Adam as shortly after shall be declared more at large He plainely nicketh bothe their ignorance in religion and also the preposterous affiaÌ„ce which they had glorying in the couenant and promisses of God and wold be taken all togither for his people and yet did cast aside Christ throughe whose merite and
may hynder our saluation bycause wee knowe that if that bee once loste it can neuer bee recouered agayne Finally for a great many dayes neither the Sunne nor the Sâ—arres shyned and so at lengthe they were oute of all hope of 〈◊〉 And thys is lykewyse a common thyng that they whiche reâ—â—â—e to walke in the lyghte of Gods worde are wrapped in daungerous and deadely darkenesse For wee haue none other Lode starre giâ—en vs by whose leading wee are able to holde our course and tyghte waye in the tempestuous Seas of this worlde Heere is to bee obserued how God suffereth Paule also to bee in daunger and to bee moste greeuously tempted among these malefactoures insomuche that hee to â—â—neth hym vnto prayer and hath neede to bee comforted at Godâ— haâ—â—â— as the thynges followyng wyll declare Thys is the staâ—â— of the godly in this worlde which offendeth many menne byâ—â—â—se 〈…〉 in suche lyke perill and hazarde as the notorious â—â—cked vs◠〈◊〉 And yet is their state of a farre other sorte For all thinges worke vnto them for their profite and commoditie and beeing of a good conscience in the myddest of their daungers they knowe that Goddes eares are open vnto their prayers and staying them selues vppon hys promyses they wayte also for strength of hym to beare out the burthen and looke for their deliuerie in due tyme and season Where in the meane season the wycked are troubled wyth gâ—â—ltie conâ—â—ienâ—â— and for the moste parte their daungers are ended wyâ—â— their destruâ—â—ion Lette vs therefore folowe the example of Paule and wel marke the loade-starre of Gods word that if happely we chaunce to come in danger in this vnhappy world we may yet haue our hope of saluation firmely fixed and set in God who will not suffer his people to be teÌ„pted aboue their streÌ„gth and will giue vs happy successe and deliuer vs out of all daungers and at length wil take vs into the kingdome of his sonne Iesus Christ to whom be praise honor power and glory for euer Amen The Clxviij Homelie BVt after long abstinence Paule stode forthe in the middest of them and saide Sirs you should haue hearkened to me and not haue loosed from Candie neither to haue brought vnto vs this harme and losse And nowe I exhort you to be of good cheare For there shall be no losse of any mannes life among you sauing of the shippe only For there stode by me this night the Angel of god Whos 's I am and whom I serue saying feare not Paule thou muste bee broughte before Caesar and loe God hathe giuen thee all them that saile with thee Wherefore Sirs be of good cheare for I beleeue God that it shall be euen as it was tolde me Howebeit we must be cast into a certaine Ilande WE declared of late the horrible tempest that Paul and his companie were tossed in which Luke saithe did blowe so boysteously that they had no more hope of any escape or succor But some man might heere maruell howe Paule in the meane season behaued himselfe either towardes God whose promisses seemed here to quaile or towards his companions which through their rashnesse and disobedience had procured themselues this euill chaunce How be it his talke which the Euangelist reporteth in this place dothe euidently declare all this matter which for many causes is worthy to be singularly coÌ„sidered First the time is noted and what case they stoode in when Paule made his oration verely euen when they were greatly a hungred in the midst of the perils that hitherto haue beene described And it was not without a cause that hee spake not to them before this time for while they were troubled about their businesse he shuld haue had no commoditie therfore But nowe being wearied bothe in body and minde and being sette downe without all hope of any succoure he sheweth them both counsel and comfort in very good time Whereby we gather that he despaired not nor was not ouercome with feare in the middle of daungers but by Prayers fled vnto God which so comforted him that he was able to comforte and strengthen others By this example we are taught that we muste not by and by despaire in time of daunger but put our whole hope and truste in God which neuer forsaketh those that are his as both his promisses and also the examples of a great many of men do aboundantly declare Therfore this is a shamefull erroure of those men which assoone as they see no more hope in man either vtterly despaire or else turne them vnto saincts and other vnlawfull meanes and seeke counsel and helpe at their hands But let vs see Paules oration being very shorte according as the time serued but yet such as containeth in it many things moste worthy to be considered First he vpbraideth them with their disobedience whereby they procured themselues so great a daunger And he beginneth therewith partly to make them knowe that their sinne was the cause of this euill and partly to teach them by this present mischance to heare him the more willingly This dothe he yet moste modestly so that he seemeth rather to admonish them of their duetie than to cast them in the teethe with their misery We are taught by this place to reproue in deede the rashnesse and disobedience of those which procure their owne mischefe but yet we must not ouer bitterly vpbraide those that are already afflicted and miserable enough least we heape sorow vpon sorow on those that mourne And verily they are much to blame who being not able while things goe well to do any good by their owne counsell will in aduersitie bitterly taunte and deride other mennes deuises who as they are vniust iudges of other men so they adde calamitie to calamitie a thing most disagreeing from christian charitie Also Paule by his example reproueth those men whose deuise at the first being refused will neuer afterwarde giue any counsell againe nor haue to doe with those who before would not harken to their counsell This done Paule with great boldnesse of minde comforteth them I exhorte you saithe he to be of good cheare for there shall bee no losse of any mannes life among you saue of the ship only Where wee haue cheefely to consider the dignitie of Paule who though he were in bandes yet farre excelled all the residue For he seeming of all other the moste miserable was able alone in greatest ieoperdie and danger both to comforte and counsell them And this is the very peculiare work of Christ that in his ministers when they seeme the moste despised persons of all other he doth most gloriously triumphe The examples of Martires teach vs this thing which being in the middle of fire and horrible torments bothe by their voice and example partly feared the beholders and partly moued them to like constancie of faith Wherevnto this also is to be referred that nowe a dayes also we see those that are giuen
faythfull reioyce in the Lorde The wicked also be glad and reioyce and for ioye manye times become madde But this they doe eyther bicause they haue riches and honors and the fruition of the naughtie lustes of the fleshe or else by reason of their wickednesse as Salomon sayth of some But their ioyes are neyther sounde nor sure but are ended in most grieuous sorrow For Christes sentence in the Gospell was long ago pronounced against them woe be to you that nowe laugh for you shall mourne and weepe But the mirth or ioye of the godlye bicause it stayeth vpon the Lorde cannot quayle or be ouerturned For they glorye and reioyce in afflictions bicause that in all thinges they knowe they shall ouercome by him which loued them in Iesus Christ. The seconde fruite of godlynesse is the gladsomnesse of the tongue By this is expressed the greatnesse of the ioye which can not be kept within the minde but breaketh forth by the tongue For this tongue of the godly reioyceth not in light affections and ribauldrie or in wanton talke such as we maye see in the vngodly but in godly giuing of thankes and in setting foorth the name of God and his benefites And surely this is a great glory of the godly that they perceyue themselues euery day bounde vnto God by new and fresh benefites for the which cause they prayse his holy name Many reioyce in the fauour of Princes and thinke it a worthye matter when they haue any iust occasion offred them to prayse and commende the Princes liberality But the glory of a christian man is farre greater which euery day findeth most weightie causes fresh occasions to commend and set forth the goodnesse of god And herein consisteth not the least part of our dutie For God will be magnified and extolled of vs and requyreth none other thing of vs for his beneficence bicause he hath no neede of any thing that is ours Call sayth he vpon me in the time of trouble so will I heare thee and thou shalt glorifie me Hereof proceede those vowes of the Saints which promise songs and hymnes vnto the lord Christ in one place in the person of Dauid promiseth this thing to his father saying I will declare thy name vnto my brethren in the middest of the congregation will I prayse thee My prayse is of thee in the great congregation my vowes will I perfourme in the sight of them that feare him And Dauid where he asketh helpe of God speaketh after like maner I will prayse the name of God with a song and magnifie it with thankesgiuing This also shall please the Lord better than a bullocke that hath hornes and hoofes Hereto maye be applied the voyce of the godly spoken of by the Prophete O forgiue vs all our sinnes receyue vs graciously and then will we offer the bullockes of our lippes vnto thee Here by the way may the infelicitie of our dayes be perceyued For where there be very fewe whose tongues reioyce in giuing God thankes and in praysing his holy name therefore is that true ioye also verye rare that is conceyued by faith and holy exercise of obedience By the which argument we maye strongly conclude that the exer I se of fayth and godlynesse is also very rare The thirde fruite of godlynesse is My fleshe shall rest in hope He speaketh of death whiche he promiseth him shall be ioyfull and without all griefe Here in the meanewhile is shadowed out a moste absolute felicitie and blisse which by death as the Poete sayth death is the last ende of all thinges can not be let or hindred By death which for the most part commeth sodainly all things whereby this vnhappye worlde measureth felicitie vse to be disturbed At the mentioning of death rich men are amazed ambicious men quake voluptuous men tremble and the most valiaunt men vse to be afraide But Christ reioyceth herein as in a rest full of great hope So doe all the members of Christe to whome aboue all other men it is giuen to contemne death yea to reioyce in death whose propertie the Prophet in this place most liuely expresseth First he maketh mention only of the fleshe or body shewing that death hath no power vpon the soule which is the chiefe part of man For the soule departing out of the bodye goeth to euerlasting life as otherwheres we haue shewed which was the cause that Paule desired to be loosed and to be with Christ. Then speaking of the flesh or of the body he threatneth it not with destruction but sayth My fleshe shall rest in hope Therfore he promiseth a rest to the flesh which the godlye in death finde to be most sure All the whole race of our lyfe swarmeth with heapes of calamities and daungers Trauell and paines are still at hande Sorrowes and cares spring euery day still a fresh And to be briefe this short life is tossed with the continuall stormes and tempestes of combrances and traueyles so that the Prophete truly sayde The dayes of our age are threescore yeares and tenne and though men be so strong that they come to foure score yeares yet is their strength then but labour and sorowe And in other places the Scripture sayth that man is borne to labour as the birde to flying But in death is rest and he that is deade hath escaped all the toyle of labours and care sickenesse and all other accidents of aduersities And least any man shoulde thinke we had none other rest in death than such as beastes and other liuing creatures haue which haue no life after this he sheweth that our fleshe resteth in hope He meaneth the hope of resurrection which is both certaine and also the only cause of true comfort For God putteth vs in this hope in calling himselfe the God of them which are departed this life as Christ teacheth of Abraham Isaac and Iacob And in the Prophets he constantly promiseth there shal be a resurrection See Ezechiel 37. Dan. 12. Isa. 26. 66. Christ reasoneth oftentimes in the Gospell of the same The tyme shall come sayeth he when all they that bee in their graues shall heare my voyce and shall come foorth c. Looke more touching this matter in Math. 25. Iohn 11. Iob speaking of this hope sayth I knowe that my redeemer liueth and that I shall rise out of the earth in the last day and shall be couered againe with my skinne and shall see God in my flesh yea and I my selfe shall behold him not with other but with the same eyes And doubtlesse the holye Martyrs being emboldened with this hope ouercame all the sorrowes which they susteined with great constancie of minde Therefore it is not without cause that Paule biddeth vs out of these and such like places to take argumentes of comfort in the departure and burials of our friendes Furthermore bicause the Prophet tooke occasion to make mention
ghost It seemeth that Peter reasoneth on this wise Christ our Lorde promised to his elect his spirite which the worlde coulde not receyue and he sayd that he alone was the giuer therof Therfore whereas he hath sent the same spirit vnto the Gentiles hath vouchsafed to baptise them with his holy ghost I could not choose but followe the example of such a guyde nor iudge them vnworthy the baptisme of water whom God had iudged worthye of his spirite And Peter maketh a trimme difference betweene Christ the Minister bicause he woulde not haue that wrongfully attributed to the externe ministerie that belongeth onely vnto christ But bicause we haue otherwheres entreated hereof it shall suffise for this time to haue noted thus much by the waye The fifth part conteyneth a very graue conclusion as well in wordes as arguments For he sayth If God therefore gaue vnto them lyke giftes as he gaue vnto vs which beleeued in the Lord Iesus Christ what was I that I should withstande God It shoulde haue bene a wicked part to haue sayde they had bene vnlike whome God had vouchsafed to make like But how much more greater impietie had it bene to haue shut out from the communion of the Church those whome God by so euident an argument had declared to haue pertayned to his Church Yea whome he had openly chosen and adopted Therefore Peter confesseth that he shoulde haue bene an aduersary of God if he had gone about any such thing And if they be the aduersaries of God which keepe those men from the fellowship that is in him whom he doth vouchsafe to make members of his Church bicause they thinke them vnworthy of so great fauor and grace what shall we saye of them which by false doctrine deceyue Christes sheepe or else rage against them with plaine force and tyrannie bicause of their confession of Christ They shall one daye feele his mightie and heauie hande whose enimies they chose rather to be than his friendes followers It is our part so to acknowledge and embrace the grace of God as also to bring and trayne all other to the fellowship of saluation the which God the father hath set out to his elect in his beloued sonne Iesus Christ to whome be prayse honor power and glory for euer Amen The .lxxix. Homelie WHEN they heard this they helde their peace and glorified God saying Then hath God also to the Gentyles graunted repentaunce vnto lyfe They also which were scattered abroade through the affliction that rose about Steuen walked throughout vnto Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioche preaching the worde to no man but vnto the Iewes onely Some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene which when they were come to Antioche spake vnto the Greekes and preached the Lorde Iesus And the hande of the Lorde was with them and a great number beleeued and tourned vnto the Lorde AS the Apostle Peter in conuerting of Cornelius dyd the duetie of a godly and faythfull Apostle whyle he thought it good to obey the expresse commaundement of God wythout any lyngering so when his dooing was of some persons vniustly reprooued he shewed an excellent example of a christian and Apostolyke modestie For he declared the reason of his doing most friendly and diligently vnto them of whome he might most iustly haue requyred what authoritie they had so to doe But leauing all other arguments apart he vrgeth this one thing that he did nothing of hys owne deuyse but according to Gods appointment and commaundement By which example we haue learned with what argumentes we shoulde arme our selues against those which nowe a dayes accuse vs with lyke frowardnesse for breaking the traditions and customes of men Let the authority of Gods worde suffise vs which whosoeuer despyseth he is vnworthye of whome the Church of Christ should make any accompt It remayneth in thys hystorie to intreate howe those men which erewhile were such knapped Comptrollers accepted Peters Apologie or defence He sayth they helde their peace and gloryfied God saying Then hath God also to the Gentiles graunted repentance vnto lyfe Moreouer they were whysted and dyd not with mans reason argue or replye agaynst the commaundement and wyll of god By which argument is aboundantly declared that they stroue not against it of malice or enuie but rather of an inconsiderate and blinde zeale of godlynesse which Paule also otherwheres layeth to their charge And bicause Peter easily espyed the same affection in them for thys cause he thought to deale with them herein the more gently For they which are ledde with a zeale of the glory of God and vse to credyt and yeelde vnto reasons shewed them must not be cast of as incurable or be ouer bytterlye delt withall And 〈◊〉 is the propertie of those that be truely faythfull that they will willingâ—â— yeelde vnto arguments brought out of the worde of God although they â—â—lly perceyue not the reason of the things that are sayde For this is the true and right exercise of fayth when we submit our reason vnto the commaundementes and worde of God which thing Paule euerywhere teacheth vnder the obedience of fayth which he sheweth to be the ende and scope of preaching the gospel wherby it easily appeareth that they are not to be taken for faythfull which are not ashamed stiffely to contende against the manifest Oracles of Gods worde Furthermore it is sayde they glorifyed God which is a meere euident signe that they receiued Peters excuse and admitted it with good wyll For there be some that being subdued by force of reason holde their peace bycause they haue not what to answere yet as the Poet sayth they hyde their griefe in the bottome of their hart But he that glorifyeth God testifieth by an infallible argument that he is fully satisfyed We are taught that we must reioyce and be gladde at those whome God doth illuminate with the lyght of his truth This we ought to doe both by reason of the desyre that euery christian man is bounde to haue of the glorie of God and also bicause of the loue which we ought to beare to the furtheraunce and profite of our neighbour And surely there is nothing that so reioyceth a faythfull soule as to see the light of truth to spreade it selfe abroade to the increase of Gods glory and the saluation of many Againe we ought to mourne from the hart when we see any neglect or fall from the waye of saluation So we read that Samuel contynually mourned bicause of Saules most wretched fall And Paule contynueth in prayers for the Iewes and desyreth to be accursed from Christ for them that they might be saued But nowe a daies we be a colde in both these pointes which thing is the chiefe cause that the Gospell proceedeth no better But let vs see the wordes wherewith they declare the affection of their minde Then hath God also graunted to the Gentyles say they repentaunce vnto lyfe
things are obteyned which farre exceede the strength of man and where nature is constreyned to giue place So we reade that by prayer Moses deuided the waues of the redde sea By prayer he gaue the Amalekytes a great ouerthrowe Iames the Apostle testifieth that Elias through prayer locked the heauens that they gaue no raine and by the same opened them agayne Here in this place at the prayers of Paule and Silas the foundations of the prison are shaken gyues and manacles vnloosed and all the doores of the prison opened Wherevnto that which we hearde before of Peter which was deliuered out of prison at the prayers of the congregation is also like Let vs herewith comfort our selues in aduersitie that we be not ouercome of the threates of the worlde forasmuch as no man is able to take praying from vs which is of more force and efficacie as it well appeareth than any other thing And of the more force it is alwaye the more grieuously we are oppressed Likewyse let all men abstayne from oppressing of Innocents whose prayers and gronings we see are of such effect with God. Furthermore let vs see the principall effect of this myracle that is to saye the conuersion of the Iayler of the prison wherein the holye ghost thought good to set forth a generall example for all menne to imitate This conuersion hath in it certayne steppes and degrees which it shall be good for vs in order to consider Fyrst being waked with the earthquake he seeth all the doores opened and where he thought all the prisoners were fledde he drewe his sworde and was about to haue killed himselfe fearing the seueritie of the lawes which made it death for the Iaylers of prisons if any prisoners escaped through their negligence An example of which seueritie Herode before shewed vpon them which he set to watch Peter Thys keeper therefore mynding to escape open shame and being deceyued wyth the common errour of the Gentyles thought it woulde sounde to his great praise of manlynesse in auoyding infamy and shame to kill himselfe Thus had Satan bewytched mens mindes that they sought saluation in destruction and prayse in ignominie and shame Howbeit in deede there is nothing more pernitious and dishonest than to go about by violent death to throwe downe the burthen of the crosse that God layeth vpon vs and this kynde of feare doth vtterly declare cowardlye hearts and such as growe out of kinde which neyther can nor will suffer any thing Agayne thys is an euident argument of a desperate mynde forasmuch as no man will bereue himselfe of lyfe which of all other is the pleasauntest thing that man can wyshe or desire but he that before hande despayreth of the helpe and grace of God and as the example of Iudas the Traytor and such lyke abundantly declare Therefore Paule doth well to call vpon this keeper that he doe himselfe no harme And Christian menne must take heede that they harken not to the suggestions of Satan perswading them to kyll themselues For whatsoeuer colour or pretence he set vppon them yet in deede they are deuilyshe and daungerous bicause it is euident God wyll not the death of a sinner but rather that he shoulde conuert and lyue We are therfore taught by this example what kynde of lyfe they commonly lead which eyther serue the wicked or consent vnto them as it is euident this Iayler did of whome we intreate For beyng to obsequious and double diligent to execute the wicked commaundement giuen him of wicked Magistrates he putteth the Apostles in the stocks in the inner prison But being fast a sleepe as though all thing had bene safe such a chaunce falleth as putteth him in hazard both of body and soule Yea he had euen nowe vtterly perished had not the Lord of hys singular fauour reuoked him from destruction by Paule the preacher of saluation Let vs thynke that to be a notable very golden sentence whych is in the fyrst Psalme Blessed is that man that hath not walked in the counsell of the vngodly nor stande in the waye of sinners and hath not sitten in the seate of the scornefull c. Furthermore we haue in Paule an example of Christian charitie whych is so carefull for his saluation who not long before had so vncourteously and vniustly handled him Let vs imitate this doyng and loue those which hate vs and seeke their saluation that wishe our destruction So shall we be taken to be the true children of God the father which suffreth his sunne to aryse both vpon the good and the bad But let vs returne to the Iayler of the prison which Luke writeth was sodenly chaunged yea become altogither another man For after he heard the prisoners were not fledde but stayed by the hande of God comparing the boldenesse and playnnesse of the Apostles wherof the like hytherto had bene seene in no men with the present myracle being stryken wyth the inwarde inspiration of God he is altogither a whaped in hys minde For he beginneth to feele in himselfe howe grieuously he had sinned by his vngentle vsage of those whome he sawe God so greatly regarded Wherfore calling forthwith for lyght he goeth in vnto them falleth downe at their feete and at length bringing them forth which was contrary to the Magistrates commaundement sayth Syrs what must I doe to be saued Who will not here acknowledge the mightie hande of God which wrought all this matter Surely it must be ascrybed vnto God that he reuerenceth these men being scourged and put to open shame that he breaketh the wicked and vniust commaundement of the Magistrate and that he demaundeth the right way how to be saued Yea he teacheth by his example that those thinges must not lightly or negligently be passed ouer that God worketh myraculously in his seruaunts For there is nothing almost more pernicious than that amazednesse which maketh vs blynde in the manifest workes of god It is euident that this thing in time past brought Pharao to his destruction and at this day this hurteth many men that they iudge all thinges come to passe by fortune and chaunce and search not out the iudgements of God in the things which they see fall out beyonde the course of nature Let vs therfore alway diligently marke and search out the right way of saluation touching which we see this keeper nowe so profytably made inquirie For streyght wayes the Apostles aunswere him friendly and declare vnto him in fewe wordes the right and absolute way of mannes saluation saying Beleeue on the Lorde Iesus and thou shalt be saued and thy houshold They preach fayth onely and that fayth that stayeth vpon none other but Iesus Christ the onely author of saluation For in him is conteyned all satisfaction righteousnesse redemption and sanctifycation all which we obtayne none otherwayes than by fayth whych is the cause that the scripture teacheth we are iustifyed and saued by fayth wherof seeing we haue
diuers tymes intreated these fewe wordes for this time may suffyse Let vs note well thys one thing that there is none other thing in scripture for fayth to take holde on but christ For hereof it is gathered that all they that seeke saluation out of Christ lacke fayth and are miserably molested with vncertayne opinions Yet bicause this doctryne was more briefe than a barbarous man and a Gentyle coulde at the fyrst vnderstande therefore the Apostles afterwarde open the same more at large For they preach the word of the Lorde that is the Gospell aswell to hym as to all his housholde the summe whereof is that we are iustifyed and saued by fayth through the merite of christ In the meane season we are taught that fayth is no rashlye conceyued or imaginatyue opinion but a full and perfyte knowledge of Iesus Christ which dependeth vpon the eternall worde of god Therefore fayth must be learned in his worde and nothing admitted that is not plainly expressed in the Gospell And whatsoeuer is contained therein that let vs embrace with stedfast fayth that we also by that meane maye be saued through our Lorde Iesus Christ to whome be prayse honor power and glory for euer Amen The Cxij Homelie AND he tooke them the same houre of the nyght and washed their woundes and was baptised and all they of his housholde straight way And when he had brought them into his house he set meate before them and ioyed that he with all his housholde beleeued on god And when it was day the officers sent the Ministers saying Let those men go The keeper of the Prison tolde this saying to Paule The officers haue sent worde to lose you Now therefore get you hence and go in peace Then sayd Paule vnto them they haue beaten vs openly vncondemned for all that we are Romaynes and haue cast vs in Prison and nowe would they sende vs away priuily Nay verily but let them come themselues and fet vs out when the Ministers tolde these wordes vnto the officers they feared when they heard that they were Romanes they came and besought them and brought them out and desired them to depart out of the Citie And they went out of the Prison and entred into the house of Lydia and when they had seene the brethren they comforted them and departed AS the Euangelist Luke hath diligently descrybed the tyranny and vnrighteousnesse of the magistrate of Philippi vsed against the faythfull seruantes of Christ Paule and Silas so he reporteth as dyligently howe the keeper of the Prison a great dooer in the sayde wicked enterprise was conuerted vnto the faith of Iesus Christ. The ende of all which hystorie is partly to learne vs the true way howe to turne vnto God then what afterwardes we must do when we are turned vnto god And the fyrst point of this present place pertayneth vnto the later member wherein is declared what this keeper dyd after he had embrased christ This part therefore we wyll fyrst declare meaning afterwarde to speake of the Apostles delyuerie as much as God shall put in our mindes As touching the keeper of the Prison nowe conuerted vnto Christ foure things chiefely are affyrmed Fyrst in the same night he bringeth the Apostles out of Prison washeth their sores This he doth contrarie to the commaundement of the magistrate which badde they shoulde diligently and straightly be kept Yea euen he that knew the seueritie of the Iudges to be such that he would euen now haue kylled hymselfe when he thought the prisoners were fledde bringeth them out of his owne accorde putting himselfe in manifest daunger of his lyfe This place teacheth vs that the chiefe and principall effect of fayth is to make men obedyent vnto God and bolde to put those thinges in execution that they know God alloweth and commaundeth although the worlde thinke neuer so much the contrarie For this is the saying and minde of all the faythfull as well as of Peter that we must obey God more than man. Therefore they are confuted by this example which nowe a dayes alleage the authoritie of Princes publyke lawes the friendship of the worlde and infynite such lyke agaynst the preceptes of God and being frozen with cowardely feare dare neuer attempt any thing in Christes quarrell and glorye Let vs rather followe this keeper of the Prison whome neyther authoritie of magistrate publike lawe breaking of Prison nor present daunger coulde so feare but that he durst bring them out of prison whome he knewe were vniustlye committed thyther and to vnworthily entreated After this he is by and by baptized and causeth all his housholde lykewise to be baptized For he had learned by the Gospell which the Apostles preached vnto him that it was an ordynance of Christ that all they which woulde beleeue in him shoulde be ioyned togither into one bodye of the Church by baptisme Wherefore he thinketh the sacrament instituted of Christ ought not to be neglected nor did not sophistically reason of the doctrine of fayth going before on this wise If faith onely in our sauiour Iesus Christ be sufficient vnto saluation as you erewhyle dyd teache whye require you nowe baptisme which must needes be superfluous and vnprofytable For they that truely beleeue in Christ will neuer despise the ordynaunces of Christ bicause they know that the sacramentes are not repugnaunt vnto faith but are rather certaine labelles and outwarde seales of Gods promises whereof we take holde by fayth In the meane season we haue to consyder the zealous fayth of this keeper wherewith he was so enflamed that he would haue his housholde also dedicated vnto God by baptisme An example wherof we had before also in Lyddia Which thing as it serueth to confute the Annabaptistes which of their owne head keepe the children of the faythfull from baptisme so it reprooueth the sloth and intollerable sluggishnesse of them which haue so little care for their familie that they regarde not to haue them consecrated vnto Christ and to hys Church by outwarde sacramentes thereby abundantlye declaring that they are not greatly carefull for the glory of God. Thirdly he prepareth meate for them at his house for that he knew they had in the Prison a verie slender supper or none at all This is a worke of christian liberalitie and loue which they that beleeue in Christ are neuer wythout For it is impossible to seperate fayth from the loue of god And he that truely loueth God can not neglect his neighbour whom he knoweth is made after the similitude of God and so esteemed of hym that he would haue him redeemed with the bloude of his sonne which was the cause that Paule sayth fayth worketh through loue Galat. 5. For althoughe there be many workes of fayth yet may they all for the most part be referred vnto charitie bicause through it the whole lawe is fulfylled And the Apostle Iohn teacheth vs that he that neglecteth his neighbour neyther looueth God