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
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
the lyfe he that beleeueth in mee though he were dead yet shall hee lyue and euery one that lyueth and beleeueth in mee shall not dye for euer What needeth many woordes There is none other cause of our beliefe in Christ but for that God promiseth vs euery where in him the life both of body and soule But who would beleeue to finde life in him which was not able to restore him selfe to lyfe againe Therefore least wee beyng offended at Christes death should doubte in his promises he was reuiued againe the thyrde day after his death and being raysed againe in his true body declared that he had power and authoritie to rayse againe our bodies likewise For he that beyng truely dead and buried touchyng his manhoode coulde rayse himself againe shall he not now much more being aliue and in his kingdome be able to restore our bodies from death to lyfe againe Hereunto belonge other promises of Christ prouyng his resurrection For he sayth Where I am there shall my mynister be And in an other place I will come againe and take you to my selfe that where I am there may you be also Againe Father those that thou hast gyuen to mee I will that where I am they shall be with mee that they may see my glory And what else could these fayre promises declare vnto vs but death vnlesse Christ being risen againe from death liued nowe in Heauen For thus we must of necessitie conclude where Christ is there must also his ministers be which beleeue in him but Christ being dead and buried remayned in death Ergo his ministers also remayne in death Now Christes resurrection doth moste stronglye confute this so desperate an argument and teacheth vs to reason agaynst the threates of death and terrour of Hell on this sorte Where Christ is there must also his mynisters be But Christ is risen from death ascended into Heauen and sitteth on the right hande of God the father Ergo The mynisters of Christ shall ryse from death and shall with Christ theyr king raigne in Heauen for euer Which thinges if the faithfull deepely consider in theyr mindes they shall straight way being boldened with this confidence be able to triumph ouer death and all theyr enimies and say with Paule the Apostle Death where is thy stinge Hell where is thy victory If God be with vs who can be agaynst vs For they are fully perswaded that neyther death nor lyfe can seperate them from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lorde Besides this death which is the reward and punishment of sinne could by no other meanes be conquered but by his resurrection For as longe as death helde them that were departed thys life hir power strength could neuer seeme subdued And it behooued that death should be subdued to set mankinde at libertie and to deliuer him from sinne For who could be certayne of remission of his sinnes and reconciliation with God the father as long as death raigned which God in his wrath appointed for the punishment of sinne It was therefore necessary that Iesus Christ should take away the yoke of sinne and rise againe from death that it might appeare howe death was subdued that sinne the sting of death was taken away and saluation restored to mankinde againe Therefore it was not without a cause that Christ thought it good to haue the truth of his Resurrection with so euident argumentes to be confirmed This is the chiefe cause that the auncient Prophetes mooued with the spirite of Christ prophecied the same aswell otherwheres as in the Psalme xvj and in Esay liij is to be seene Surely wee learne that this was the chiefe hope and greatest article of confession and beliefe wherby the true Catholikes woorshippers of God were alwaies knowne tried as may appeare by thexample of Iob. For when he was accused by his importunate friendes of breach of faith and religion he prooued him selfe this way onely to be faultlesse for that he firmely beleeued the roote and foundation of religion I know saith he that my redeemer lyueth and that I shall ryse out of the earth in the last day and shall be couered agayne with my skinne and shall see God in my fleshe and I my selfe shall beholde him not with other but with the same eyes This hope is layde vp for me in my bosome â–ª This place teacheth vs what wee should iudge of those mockers which Hystories mention to haue bene in all Ages and the Apostles foreshewed should raigne in the later age And now a dayes we may euery where here the prophane and wicked voices of such as thinke themselues iolly companions and pleasantly conceyted when they can with scurrilitie scoffe and deride that which we holde and beleeue of the last commyng of Christ and of the resurrection of the bodye But they can by no argument more euidently prooue themselues voyde of all religion than by this For in this Article all the pointes of our beliefe and religion so agree that who so denieth this taketh away at once all the beliefe and mysteries of mans saluation Wee gather this sense out of Paules woordes which writyng against such among the Corinthians as denied the resurrection amongst other thinges saith If Christ be preached how that he rose from the dead how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead If there be no rysing againe of the dead then is Christ not rysen againe If Christ be not rysen againe then our preachyng is in vayne and your fayth is also in vaine and you remayne in your sinnes Therfore they that are fallen a sleepe in Christ are perished If in this lyfe onely wee beleeue on Christ then are wee of all men most miserable c. Therefore such wicked scoffers must be put away from vs and haue no place permitted to them in well ordered common weales For what will they leaue vnassayde which will go about so boldely to ouerthrowe the foundation of our health and as it were with one blowe cut of the heade of all faith and religion as much as in them lieth Let vs learne to haue a right thought and cogitation of the resurrection that the same may serue both to gouerne our life and to comfort vs For this is a most effectuall preseruatiue against the intisements of flesh the world oftentimes to call to remembrance set before our eyes the shew and counterfaite of the last iudgement set out to vs in the scripture Againe there can happen no greater comfort to man than while he is in this body to thinke of the ioyes of heauen which he shall enioy in the resurrection of the dead Notwithstanding he is now depressed with infinite greefes cares and sorrowes Uerily Paule exhorteth the Christians one to comforte an other with such things as are written in Scripture touching this article It remaineth that we speake of that other thing
the supper whyle they denie that his body can be contayned in any place Let vs therfore see what is properly to be vnderstanded by his ascention next who ascended then after what maner and into what place he ascended And vnto these afterwarde we will adioyne the cause why he ascended and what commoditie and profite commeth to vs by his ascention They properly are sayde to ascende which go from a lower place vnto an higher Wherfore ascention is a moouing or carying the Greekes call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from one place to another and that from a place beneath vnto a place vpwarde And that euen here there is such a motion or moouing none but he that is most contentious can denie For this is it that Luke meaneth in the beginning of this booke where he speaketh of Christes ascention saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is he went vp or ascended and in this place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is he was taken vp Both which wordes signifie a taking or carying away from a lower place vnto an higher Neyther admit we their cauillation where they expounde these wordes the clowde that conueyed him out of their sight thereby feyning their disparition or vanishing out of sight For euen there it is sayde of the clowde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is it caried him or tooke vp on high that in the meane season I saye nothing how Christ must needes be in a place while he was in the clowde vsing it as an instrument whereby to ascende Beside that the Apostles behelde him with their eyes as hee went and sought him not looking this waye and that as one conueying himselfe inuisibly away For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is as he went marke the locution whereby is euidently declared a moouing from a place to a place the Apostles behelde him looking vp into heauen But what needed they to lift vp their eyes to heauen if the Lorde were not caried into heauen Why did they not rather looke hither and thither for him into the ayre as after one that sodeinly vanished away And the Aungels afterwarde reprehend not the Apostles for that they vainelye supposed he was gone vp into the element but they rather confesse it to be true and plainely entreate of his comming backe againe Ascention therefore is a moouing from a lower place to an higher whereby Christ was caried vppe into heauen For vnlesse we confesse this the holy ghost must be accused who without cause in rehearsall of a plaine hystorie which all men ought to knowe woulde of purpose beguile vs with needelesse wordes It followeth next to see who is ascended But the storie is of Christ Iesu which being raysed from the deade prooued the veritie of his bodye fourty dayes togither by many argumentes But when the Scriptures speake of Christ the distinction of natures whereof he consisteth as the Scripture teach vs must be verye well obserued For he which from euerlasting is very God of the same maiestie and glory with the father yea of one substance with him he in the time appoynted as Paule sayth was made man of a woman that is tooke vpon him manhoode or the nature of man Wherefore in one and the selfe person of Christ are ioyned two natures to saye the diuine and the humane And yet by reason of the vnitie of person the natures be neyther confounded nor chaunged but the propertie of eche nature remayneth whole and distinct And by vnitie of person it commeth to passe that that which is proper to one nature onely is attributed to whole Christ and Christ is sayde to haue done or suffred that which is peculiar to one nature onely which thing the fathers vsed to call the communion or comixtion or likenesse of properties of speache It appertayneth to the diuine nature that Christ is sayde to be from euerlasting and before Abraham was borne who notwithstanding after his humane nature was borne afterwardes in a time appointed And the sonne of God is sayde to haue suffred and dyed where his diuinitie can neyther suffer nor die And yet it is trulye sayde For he that was truely the sonne of God wherein he was able to die dyed According to the same reason the sonne of man was sayde to be in heauen when he was vppon the earth bicause the same touching his godheade pierced the heauens also although according to his body hee was in the earth and there commoned with Nicodemus Which things if we obserue in this place it shall appeare that Iesus Christe tooke his humane nature which he receyued of the virgins bodye into heauen For it can not be vnderstanded of his diuine nature whereof it is saide I fill heauen and earth Againe Heauen is my throne and the earth is my footestoole And whereas the Godhead is not mooued from place to place but is infinite immeasurable ascention by no meanes agreeth therewith And yet we truely saye that God ascended bicause Christ who is very God ascended in his manhoode And yet we deuide not Christ into partes or denye the vnitie of person as did one Nestorius but we make a difference betweene the natures of Christ and their properties as hee deuideth not man that maketh a distinction betweene the actions of the soule and of the bodye which are knowne to be much different And here that saying of Austen is to be well marked where hee forbiddeth vs to take euerye thing in God to be euery where as God. And Christ ment not to prooue the presence of his Godheade by the extending of his body into all places but by the operation of his holy spirite But the Scriptures shewe also the place into which he ascended And Luke sayeth that he was taken vp on high And the Angels afterwarde call it heauen that it might appeare vnto vs to what place he went And Marke more expressely signifying the place in heauen writeth that he is set downe on the right hande of the Father Wee knowe what a great manye holde and affirme of the heauens which by them vnderstande the kingdome and presence of god We knowe also that the right hande of God maye be taken for the felowship of the diuine maiestie and kingdome into the which we confesse that Christ is truly taken according as he sayth All power is giuen to me in heauen and in earth But we saye there is here a certaine place assigned into the which we one daye shall be receiued to reigne with Christ for euer And this sense we draw out of Christes owne words speaking of his departure In my fathers house bee many mansions or dwellings which if it were otherwise I woulde haue tolde you I go to prepare you a place And if I go to prepare you a place I will come againe and take you vnto my selfe that where I am there may you be also Coulde he more plainly and expressely declare a certaine place Paule in the heauenly place and
a foolish and more than childish consequence herein Christ hath caried his body aboue the heauens and all the partes of the worlde visible Ergo the bodye of Christ filleth all the worlde corporally and substantially And this is their maner of reasoning But Paule in this place speaketh of the Prophecies of the olde lawe or as some other saye of the power and maiestie of christ Other expounde it of the spirituall grace and giftes which Christ after he had receyued all power shed vpon men as Ioel before prophecied But whether of these it is here is appointed no corporall presence of Christ vpon earth Christ had fulfilled all the things prophecied before of his incarnation passion death and resurrection Nowe remayned his ascention whereof there were prophecies and where through the businesse of our saluation as we afore declared shoulde be perfited and ended He therefore ascended that herein nothing shoulde be left vnfulfilled And if anye man will haue it vnderstanded rather of the maiestie and power of Christ which he declareth by the bestowing of his heauenly gifts I will not contende with him For thereto the sentence commeth bicause Christ hauing consummate and finished our saluation in his manhoode sayth hee hath receyued all power in heauen and in earth And then he sayde hee woulde send his holy spirite when he went from this worlde vnto his father Yea he sayde It is expedient for you that I go for if I go not that comforter will not come vnto you It is no lesse pieuishe where they reason from Christes diuinitie to his humanitie We confesse surely that these two natures are ioyned togyther in Christ and that Christs person by reason of them ought not to be deuided we say not that they be disioyned or seuered by reason of his death But that which no godly man will denie was done in hys death that here also is to be obserued In his death the distinction of the natures and properties remayned whole and safe For his humane nature suffred death which the diuine coulde not His humane nature suffred the crosse and diuers dolours which cannot happen to the diuine nature And he which as he was very man dyed vpon the crosse and being deade was buried the same as verye God shooke the earth tooke the light from the sunne and wrought effectually in the mindes of men and shewed most euident tokens of his godheade If the same be here considered this matter shall be easily perceyued For Christ touching his diuine nature is euery where and hath his operation euery where The same concerning his humane nature is contained in a certaine place of heauen which is the eternall dwelling of all those that be blessed And for all this we separate not the diuinitie from the humanitie when we say it filleth all places and is euerye where present But we follow the rule of Augustine who sayth We must beware that we doe not so defende or affirme the diuinitie of his manhoode that wee take awaye the veritie of his bodye c. By these also we are taught in what sense Christes promises are to be taken where he sayth he will be present with vs vnto the ende of the worlde For wee expounde them of the presence and power of his Godheade For Christ is present with those that be his by his diuine power and by operation of his holy spirite whereby he ruleth guideth keepeth safe and defendeth them He is with them by his grace and merite that they fall not into the snares of Synne and Satan but stande fast in the fauour and friendship of God the father As touching his bodily presence by other his words where he doth inculcate diuers times that he must go out of the worlde and that he can tary no longer in the worlde we learne that in these wordes he speaketh nothing concerning the same And if it lyke them to expounde these former promises of the presence of his body then where he sayth in another place he shall no longer tary in the world that must needes be vnderstanded of his godly presence For without we reconcyle these places so diuers in themselues by making a difference of his natures enterchaunge of properties of speach we shall be in much perplexitie and vncertaine What shall these men therefore get but while they contende about his bodilye presence bereue themselues of his spirite and diuine protection and as Terence the Poet sayth with reason become madde Neyther admit wee here their colde and shamelesse refuge whereby they would creepe away vnder the inuisible conuersation of Christes body here on earth For Christ speaketh not of the maner and qualitie of the thing but of the thing it selfe and denyeth that he tarieth any longer in the worlde But with what reason should he so say if he taried in the world inuisibly And in the .xxiiij. of Mathew he biddeth vs not to beleeue them which shoulde saye towarde the ende of the worlde he is here or there in the Closet Spence or Buttry Of these things nowe may be easily gathered how the wordes of the supper are to be vnderstanded We knowe that Christ reached breade to his Disciples and sayde This is my body But we say it is a sacramentall kind of speach whereby as is commonly seene the name of the thing signified is attributed to the signe After which sort Circumcision was called the couenant and the Easter feast the Passeouer Neyther obserue we this in this matter without cause for so the verity of Christs body enforceth vs wherof we haue already spoken And Christ himselfe in the Gospell of S. Iohn willing to take the grosse opinion of his flesh from his Disciples sendeth them to his ascention that there they might learne how his body coulde not substantially really be eaten but that they must vnderstand a spiritual eating which was by faith Looke the .vj. of Iohn I passe ouer many other things that might be sayde bicause I would not be to long in wordes It is our part to holde fast the plaine hystory of the ascention and with our harts lifted vp by faith to seeke Christ in heauen that wee may be fed euerlastingly with the vertue and merite of his flesh and bloude But let vs returne to the Aungels whose wordes haue in them a marueylous comfort For as they blame the grosse opinion of the Disciples desiring the bodily presence of Christ so they comfort them with the promise of his last comming This same Iesus say they which is taken vp from you shall so come as you haue seene him go hence The Aungels promyse a visible comming of christ And any comming inuisible beside that which is by his holy spirite the Scripture knoweth not That is a visible comming which we professe in the articles of our faith in which he shall come to iudge the quick and the dead Many things are saide in the scripture touching this comming
the people all the world besides being fallen to superstition and Idolatrie But neyther the paucitie of his houshold was able to bereaue him of saluation nor the multitude of his aduersaries to condemne him yea where al the world beside perished he was saued and hath God both to allowe and defend his faith The same we may say of Loth liuing among the Sodomites Besides this Elias onely setteth himselfe aswell against al the Priests of Baal as against king Achab al his Courtyers in the quarell of faith and religion And Micheas alone encountreth with three hundred false Prophetes whome the king fauoured and maintayned Therfore it is meete that we regarde rather the very doctrine of truth which comming from the mouth of God is contayned in the holye Scripture than the authoritie of men Forasmuch as all men are lyars and God alone true in his saying It is profitable also to consider what Peter doth who rising vp amongst the Disciples proposeth this thing to bee entreated of openlye amongst them all Herehence the Bishops of Rome seeke the defence of their supremacie or rather tyranny as also of other places that seeme to attribute any prerogatiue of superioritie to Peter They seeme to mee to doe as men which are in daunger in deepe gulfes and ryuers For as they vse to catch holde of euery thing that commeth next to their hande so these men snatch at euery thing whereby to defende the dignitie of their supremacie so battred nowe and shaken that it threatneth the catholyke and vniuersall ruine therof By this meanes they challenge to Peter the keyes of the kingdome of heauen which yet were giuen to all the Apostles at once as is euident to be seene in Iohn the .xx. Chapter So they contend that the charge of Christs flocke is committed to Peter onely as to the chiefe consider not what iniury they doe to the residue of the Apostles as though Christ had made them feeders of swyne and Asses and not of his sheepe After lyke maner where they nowe heare howe Peter speaketh first in the congregation by and by they make him Christs Uicar the head of the Churche and the chiefe of the Apostles And going farther they take all this honor to themselues as to the lawfull and ordinary successors of Peter But howe vayne and friuolous these things are the matter it selfe declareth For Peter prescribeth nothing of his owne heade as any ruler of the Church or Lorde ouer the other Apostles but being in the middest of the Disciples as his equals and fellowes proposeth a matter of great weyght to be intreated of indifferently amongst them all In the which treatie hee leaueth to euery man free libertie according as God should put in their harts by his spirite to saye or to doe And that he speaketh first was done by the speciall instinct of the holy ghost which by this meanes would make the example of grace that Christ shewed in Peter being receyued againe into fauour after his foule fall more euident and manifest Furthermore in that the other paciently heare him speake it is a token of vnanimitie which Luke before attributed to them and is not done so much for superiorities sake as for order without which nothing in the Church or common weale can continue in safety Wherfore Paule commaundeth all things in the Church to be done comely and in order As touching the state of the Apostles he maketh them all fellowes and equals and where in one place he calleth himselfe the least of the Apostles hauing respect to the vnworthynesse of his former lyfe the same speaking of the ministery feareth not to match himselfe with Peter saying He that was mighty in Peter in the Apostleship ouer the Circumcision the same was also mighty in me among the Gentyles And meaning to roote out from amonge the Corinthians the sectes of them that helde of Paule Peter and Apollo he sayth What is Paule what is Apollo but ministers by whom you haue beleeued euen as the Lorde gaue euerye man grace Peter himselfe acknowledgeth the same who within a little after speaking of Iudas witnesseth that he had receyued a part in the ecclesiasticall ministery And if Iudas had a part therein what ignorance shall it be to ascribe and pull the whole vnto Peter Unlesse perhaps wee will saye that Peter for fauour flattered the wicked traytour and woulde transferre to the childe of perdicion that which belonged onely vnto hymselfe But whereto vse wee so manye wordes seeing it is plaine that Iesus Christ diuers times rebuked with great seueritie the ambicious desire of supremacie that was among his Apostles It is knowne what is written of this matter And Peter earnestly admonisheth the pastors of the Church to beware that they take vpon them no Lordship ouer the Church which is called Christes patrimonye and the lot of his enheritance For whome shall we thinke to be of such great authoritie to be worthy to haue rule and dominion ouer that precious flock that is redeemed with the bloud of Christ And if no man must beare rule ouer the Lordes flocke lyke as Princes of this world vse to doe how much more absurde shall it be for them which haue but one maner of charge in feeding the flocke to arrogate any Lordshippe or rule vnto themselues Therfore what else doe the Bishops of Rome by their so greedye desire of supremacie but forget the preceptes of Christ and bewraye themselues to be nothing lesse than Peters lawfull and true successors But let them passe and come we to Peters Oration And that consisteth of two parts First he pulleth that stumbling blocke out of the waye which myght trouble the mindes of the more simple and vnlearned sort For when they sawe that Iesus Christ was betrayed by Iudas and afterwarde perished himselfe most miserablye both body and soule it was an easie matter for them eyther to doubt whether Christ knewe all thinges or else to suspect all the sort of the Apostles togither with their doctrine Therfore Peter doth not without a cause aunswere this great inconuenience in the beginning of his Oration On the other side he exhorteth the Disciples that they will appoint some other in Iudas roume least his falling from the fayth myght any thing preiudice Christes institution The first part he beginneth with the testimony of holy scripture wherin he plainly vttereth the euerlasting purpose of Gods prouidence which is a most strong reason to put awaye offences that is to beleeue that nothing commeth to passe by chaunce but by the decree and will of god Wherfore he sayth ye men and brethren it behooued thys Scripture shoulde be fulfilled which the holy ghost spake before by the mouth of Dauid touching Iudas which was guide to them that tooke Iesus The sense of which words seemeth me to be this I would not O brethren haue any of you to be offended at the cruell deede of Iudas
is in Christ alone whome whosoeuer despiseth he cannot attayne vnto life as Christ sayth No man commeth vnto the father but by me Last of al he addeth Thou shalt make me full of ioy with thy countenance By these wordes is expressed the condicion of an heauenlye and eternall life which is of a farre other sort than the life we haue here on earth For this life as was aforesayde is full of traueyle sorrowe care and trouble The eternall life is full of mirth and ioye For there God will wipe all teares from the eyes of hys faithfull And there shall bee no more death neyther sorow neyther crying neyther shall there be any more paine And these being taken awaye there can remaine nothing but ioye Therefore Christ sayth he will say to the faithfull seruant enter into the ioy of thy Lord. This ioye in an other place Christ calleth the glorye which he testifieth he had with his father before the worlde was made Christes humanitie was taken vp to be partaker of that ioye and mirth in that kingdome which in his godhead he possessed from euerlasting For so we read it was promised long agone God saying sit thou on my right hande vntill I make thine enimies thy footestoole In these wordes are conteined an article of our faith where we confesse Christ is ascended into heauen sitteth vpon the right hande of his father omnipotent In the meane while we that by faith are graffed in Christ and made his members must beleeue that these things appertaine to vs likewise For it can not be that the members can be pulled from their head And Christ promiseth Where I am there shall my minister be also And declaring this promise otherwheres in moe wordes he sayth In my fathers house are manye dwellinges If it were not so I woulde haue tolde you I go to prepare a place for you and if I go to prepare a place for you I will come againe and receyue you euen vnto my selfe that where I am there may yee be also Yea being ready to go to his death when he had made and disposed of his will as by waye of a testament he sayth Father I will that they which thou hast giuen me be with me where I am that they may see my glory which thou hast giuen mee Which thinges for that they shoulde not be vnderstanded only of the Apostles he plainly testifieth that he prayeth not for them alone but also for all those which shoulde beleeue in him through their teaching Therefore it is no doubt but we also shall be filled with ioye in that eternall and heauenly life which shall follow the resurrection of our bodies Here must we not omit to marke how he sayth and sheweth the cause efficient of this ioy is the face of god Which we must vnderstande to be the fauourable and mercifull countenance of God wherewith he looketh chearefully vpon vs for Christes sake so that there appeareth no token of the olde anger which we deserued by sinne For as the cherefull countenance of a king is life as Salomon sayth and by hys looking well about him all euill is driuen away So in the looke of God all fulnesse of ioye is to be had for them that beleeue wherevnto me seemeth Christ had a respect saying Blessed be the cleane in heart for they shall see God. And therefore the godly pray Shew vs the light of thy countenaunce and wee shall be safe Hereof maye we gather howe great miserie they shall be in which being secluded from the face of God shall be throwen into vtter darkenesse And thus hitherto hath the Prophete in fewe wordes described all true godlynesse and true felicitie Let vs learne to set God before our eyes to reuerence him obediently and to trust in him onelye Of this endeuour shall spring true ioye and we shall haue euery daye newe occasions to set forth Gods goodnesse and when we depart this life we shall rest in glad hope And after that shall followe a blessed resurrection wherein the soules shall be restored to the body and being taken into that true life we shall be filled with all ioye before the face of God with Iesus Christ our brother and co-heyre to whome be blessing honour power and glory for euer Amen The .xvj. Homelie YE men and brethren let me freely speake vnto you of the Patriarch Dauid for hee is both deade and buried and his sepulchre remayneth with vs vnto this daye Therefore seeing he was a Prophet and knew that God had sworne with an othe to him that Christ as concerning the fleshe shoulde come of the fruite of his loynes and sit vpon his seate he knowing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ that his soule sâ—oulde not bee left in hell neyther his fleshe shoulde see corruption This Iesus hath God raysed vp whereof we all are witnesses Sythence nowe that he by the right hande of God is exalted he hath receyued of the father the promise of the holye ghost he hath shed foorth this gift which you now see and heare For Dauid is not ascended into heauen but hee sayth The Lorde sayde vnto my Lorde sit thou on my right hande vntill I make thy foes thy footestoole So therefore let all the house of Israell knowe for a suretie that God hath made that same Iesus whome ye haue crucified Lorde and Christ. BIcause the whole order of our saluation is accomplished as it were in the resurrection of our bodies therefore the scripture is greatlye occupied in proouing the same which was the cause that Peter argued so diligently of Christes resurrection wherevpon it is manifest that our resurrection dependeth For he is not contented simply and plainely to preache the same but describeth all the order and maner thereof out of the â–ª xvj Psalme the authoritie whereof he vseth to prooue the same resurrection to the intreaty whereof this present place also serueth For first preuenting the obiection of his aduersaries by a preoccupation he prooueth that this Psalme ought to be expounded of christ Then commeth he backe againe to Christ and teacheth vs that whatsoeuer was prophecied by Dauid is fulfilled in him And at length he concludeth his sermon with a graue obtestation and beseeching of them About the testimonie of the Psalme Peter doth two things First he teacheth them that it cannot be expounded of Dauid by any meanes Then he prooueth that Dauid prophecieth of christ And bicause the authoritie of Dauid was verye great with the Iewes he mollifieth the mindes of his hearers with a proper preface leaâ—t they might thinke he spake any thing contemptuouslye of Dauid yea he citeth themselues as witnesses of the things that he meaneth to saye Let me sayth he speake of the Patriarch Dauid to you who I knowe are not ignorant in Dauids matters and are earnest studentes of his prophecies And bicause many would thinke that he spake these
was the author of this myracle and to shew all the vse therof Yet first he preacheth the resurrection of Christ both for that the reason of our saluation purchased by Christ consisteth in it and also for that it commodiously doth away the offence or slaunder of the crosse You sayth he killed the authour of lyfe but God hath raysed him from death whereof wee are witnesses It was needefull that these things shoulde be ioyned to the premisses least anye man might thinke the wicked had ouer much power permitted them For these things teach that their crueltie and iniquitie coulde derogate nothing from Christ as who being raysed from death doth nowe liue and raigne in heauen Herof we may take a generall comfort For as the crueltie and tirannie of the Iewes could nothing hinder or let Christ so whosoeuer doth imitate the Iewes impietie and tirannie cannot hurt the members of christ In deede the Princes of the worlde ioyne togither and desire to ouerthrowe the kingdome of christ But the Lord from high laugheth at their deuises whose counsayle shall stande for euer Looke the Psalmes .ij. and .xxxiij. Let no man therefore be afrayde of men who though they rage neuer so much haue no power but on our goods and body which otherwise is mortall and shall perishe Yea neyther haue they power theron farther than God permitteth who hath all the heares of our heade numbred But the soule being out of all daunger and hazarde trusteth in Christ hir redeemer and shall neuer be deceyued of hir hope But let vs see how Peter setteth forth the order of the myracle His name through the faith of his name hath made this man whole whome you see and knowe It seemeth a darke kinde of speache except a man marke the order of the wordes And it deceyueth manye bicause they thinke nomen this worde name is put in the accusatiue case whereas all the order of construction plainly prooueth it to be the nominatiue Thus must it be set in order and construed The name of Iesus Christ hath strengthned and made whole this man whome ye see present and that through the beliefe which hee hath in the name of Christ. And for the more playne vnderstanding he addeth by waye of exposition The faith which is by him hath giuen to him this health in the presence of you all The sense of all togither is that Iesus Christ through his name that is by his vertue power and merite hath giuen helth and safetie to this lame man bicause he hath beleeued in him He repeateth the name of Christ and faith of Christ the oftner to the intent the glory of Christ might seeme the greater in setting forth whereof the Apostles thought they had neuer done ynough as appeareth euerye where in their writings and sermons These wordes surely are not lightlye to be passed ouer For where we sayde that in this lame man was set forth to vs a figure of all mankinde in the healing of him we may beholde all the order of our saluation Here therefore is declared who is the true author of our saluation then the meane whereby we receyue saluation and the ende wherevnto all these things serue and tende As concerning the author of saluation Peter alleageth the name of Iesus Christ whome a little before he called the author and Lorde of life That this worde name is taken for power rule or merite it is more euident than needeth with many wordes to be declared And where at first he excluded all power and holynesse of men from this businesse and nowe maketh mention of Christ onely by whose meane and power all this matter is brought to passe it easily appeareth that the origen and beginning of our saluation is to be referred to Christ only For by his merite we are deliuered from sinne and redeemed from death and the tirannie of the deuill And himselfe in the Prophete testifyeth there is none other redeemer but he only But we shall haue occasion to speake more hereof in the fourth Chapter where Peter testifieth there is none other name vnder heauen giuen vnto man by the which he may be saued c. Howbeit it is not ynoughe to knowe that all saluation is contayned in Christ vnlesse we vnderstande howe to attaine and take holde of the saluation in him But Peter sheweth that also where he sayeth this man was made sounde and whole by faith that is bicause of his fayth in the name of Iesus Christ. Againe The faith which is by him hath giuen to him this health Therefore we take holde of saluation by faith and beside fayth there is nothing in vs whereby to take holde of it bicause wee bee graffed in Christe none other waye than by fayth Hee that eateth my fleshe and drinketh my bloude dwelleth in mee and I in him For where he is departed from vs in bodye and dwelleth in vs by his Spirite and liueth and reygneth in vs by his Spirite it is onelye a worke of fayth whereby we apprehende him and the saluation in him For the which cause oftentimes fayth is sayd to saue and to iustifie So Christ sayth to the woman which was sicke of the bloudy fluxe Thy fayth hath made thee whole And he promiseth saluation to Marie Magdalen by the same wordes Christ onely in deede saueth and iustifyeth For in him is life and he is made vnto vs of God the father wisedome righteousnesse satisfaction sanctification and redemption But bicause faith grafteth vs in Christ and maketh vs partakers of the goodnesse that is in him therfore saluation and iustification is not without a cause attributed thereto Marke now the definition of faith which Peter compriseth in these wordes where he sayth The fayth of hys name and the fayth that is by him For by these wordes he declareth that he speaketh of such a faith as stayeth vpon Christ and which acknowledgeth and beleeueth Christ to be such an one as he is described in name to be The name of the sonne of God incarnate is Iesus Christ. He receyued the name of IESVS of the Aungell before he was borne but in his Circumcision he tooke it againe after the solemne vsage of the people of Iewes which signifyeth a sauiour or Redeemer as sayeth the Aungell Thou shalt call his name IESVS for he shall saue his people from their sinnes This worde Christ with the Latines is asmuch to saye as annoynted and signifyeth the maner of our saluation and redemption For Kings and Priests in the old time were annointed and for that cause were called Meschijm and Christi that is to saye annointed So it behooued the Sauiour that was promised shoulde be called bicause he is that true King whome God hath set ouer his holy hill of Sion and whose kingdome is stretched ouer all the world See the Psalmes ij lxxij Zach. 9. For he like a faithfull king hath deliuered his people from the tyrannye of the deuill he ruleth
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
of Iesus Christ his sonne who in times past hauing suffered all kinde of iniuries at our handes and yet dayly suffreth cannot yet forget his loue and liberalitie but acknowledgeth vs for hys brethren and doth good euen to them that haue deserued a thousand deaths and crosses Let vs imitate this condicion of God the father if we will be called and taken for his children Yet is there no cause why their sinnes shoulde not be reprooued and accused who we see haue done and doe many things out of square Nor we may not so pardon them who haue iniuried vs that through our to much bearing they become the worse but we must thinke this the chiefe poynt of charitie if we can by anye meane call them from sinne and destruction which as yet be voyde of godlynesse But let vs consider the seconde part of this place where Iacob and all his familie and kindred commeth downe into Egypt Here it appeereth none remayned in the countrie of Chanaan that were of the number of Goddes people but they were all outlawes and preserued there without any ceremonies or rytes of the law by the meere grace of god And it is not wythout a cause that Steuen so diligently reckoneth the number of soules For the consideration hereof setteth before our eyes the ineffable and inuincible power of God which was able within two hundred and tenne yeares to make so small a company so innumerable For as Moyses testifieth when they went out of Egypt there were mounstred .vj. hundred thousand three fiue hundred and fiftie fighting men of the Israelites With the which thing if we compare the tragicall attempts of Pharao which euery way went about to destroy and roote out this people it shall easily appeare that the promise of God made sometime to Abraham Genes 15. 17. coulde no wayes be hindered by any power or deuyse of man This ought to be obserued for the instruction and comfort of vs all that we feare not the threates and enterprises of the worlde seeing it appeareth the force thereof agaynst God is altogither vayne Let vs compare this to Christ and his Church God promised him a kingdome which he possesseth and shall for euer possesse despyte of his enimies He promised also that his Church shoulde be enlarged which thing we see is fulfilled although one Pharao alone hath not sought the ouerthrowe thereof Let euery body marke this in their temptations that they suffer not their fayth to be ouerthrowne seeing as Paule sayeth there is nothing that can seperate vs from the loue of God. In the later part of this diuision Steuen sheweth how the father 's died in Egypt and were afterwarde caryed to Sichem And Moyses wryteth plainely of Iacob that his corps was caryed into Chanaan And the Scripture lykewise sheweth that the Israelites brought Iosephes bones out of Egypt as he gaue commaundement Concerning the other Patriarches although Moyses write nothing yet it is credible that their bones were also brought by their posteritie bicause Steuen affirmeth it so boldly before them who he knewe were diligent markers of his wordes Furthermore that the writers haue erred in the name of Abraham it is more plaine than needeth long declaration See at the least what is written touching this field which Iacob bought of the sonnes of Hemor Genes 33. and Iosua 24. He sayth the Patriarches dyed in Egypt for that it may appeere they dyed in that religion which consisted in no ceremonies but in the onely fayth which embraced the promyses of god Wherof may be gathered that they were iustifyed and saued by fayth through the meere grace of God and not by the lawe ceremoniall In the meane season we are taught that the faithfull dye godlily in what place so euer it be and that they are not to be thought miserable which dye in exyle out of their countrie For where this life wheresoeuer it is ledde is but a Pilgrimage and our countrie or Citie is permanent and abyding in heauen he cannot dye in banishment which hauing ended the race of his pilgrimage is taken into the hauen of the heauenly countrie For the Aungell calleth them blessed which die in the Lorde And Christ testifieth that they which beleeue in him passe from death vnto lyfe Furthermore God is present euerywhere with his that are ready to die And in the later daye the earth the sea and all the parts of the world shall render agayne all those that euer they made awaye and consumed Therefore pieuishe and foolishe is the superstition of those which measure beatitude or blisse by holynesse of places and thinke it a great matter in what place a bodye is buried whereas it is playne that all the earth is the Lordes whose power and grace can be included and bounde to no place And let not these men obiect to mee the Patriarches which wylled their bones to be caried out of Egypt into the lande of Chanaan For they did not that to th ende to shewe they had any hope of saluation in the place of buriall but this was a worke of fayth which no feare of death coulde driue from them And for that they woulde testifie to all menne that they firmelye beleeued the promises of God which he had made vnto them touching their posteritie to be possessors and inhabiters of the land and would allure their ofspring to loue the same therfore they would there be buried so that euen at the poynt of death it may be sayde they had an hope and beliefe in the same And that good cause thus to doe appeereth by the condicions and behauiour of their posteritie who being deliuered out of Egypt by the singular myracles and woonders of God had yet an eye still vnto the same and despised the Countrie where their fathers were buried What woulde they therefore haue done if their fathers had appoynted their Sepulture in Egypt Therefore the example of these Patriarches nothing helpe their superstition which thinke so great an hope of mannes saluation and glory in the buriall place Let vs rather marke the poynt of thys diuision of Steuens whole oration and leauing the obseruation of ceremonies let vs keepe fast our hope and fayth that we may fitte with the holye Patriarches in the kingdome of heauen as Iesus Christ hath promised vs to whome be prayse honor power and glory for euer Amen The .xlvij. Homelie BVT when the tyme of the promise drewe nigh which God had sworne to Abraham the people grewe and multiplied in Aegypt till an other king arose which knewe not of Ioseph The same delt subtilly with our kynred and euyll intreated our fathers and made them cast out their yong chyldren that they should not remayne alyue The same tyme was Moyses borne and was acceptable vnto God and nourished vp in his fathers house three Moneths When he was cast out Pharaos daughter tooke him vp and brought him vp for hir owne sonne And Moses was learned in
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
hereof it hath come to passe that they which haue had any thing to doe with great Princes haue bene compelled to become suiters to most wicked menne For vnlesse they had made them their friendes they should neuer haue bene able to come to the speach of the Prince And forbicause they gaped after money wherby to maintaine their coueted dignitie it came to passe that in kinges Courtes all things went for money and according to the Poetes saying there was most right where most money was stirring These things are sayde to th ende that Princes may vnderstande what vices they had neede to beware of and that all men may acknowledge the goodnesse of God which so diligentlye disswaded his people from a King as we reade in the first booke of Samuel cap. 8. And those to whome God hath giuen to liue in libertie maye learne to make much of such a benefyte worthily to vse it least loosing it and coÌ„ming to be subiect to the pleasure of vnruly men they then desire in vaine with carefull sighes and grones their libertie once lost Further more here is to be obserued what good successe Herode hath after his persecuting of the Church and embruing himselfe with the bloude of the guiltlesse saints And yet was he worthy eyther to haue bene destroyed with a thunderbolt from heauen or else to haue lost his kingdome and wander vp and downe like a begger And beholde moste riche Cities of their owne accorde fall downe at his feete and are glad to receyue such condicions of peace as hee prescribeth This is that thing that offendeth those that are weake in faith bicause they see the wicked so prosper and feele none of the plagues or punishments that other men doe as the Prophete sayth Psal. 73. And therefore Ieremie crieth out Howe commeth it that the waye of the vngodlye is so prosperous and that it goeth so well with them which without any shame offende and liue in wickednesse Furthermore the wicked take occasion hereof to gather that all studye and endeuour of true religion is superfluous vnprofytable as we maye see in Malachie 2. and .3 Chapter But we must here remember that the wicked are euen then ruled with the becke of Gods prouidence when things seeme moste to succeede with them against the Oracles of god For it commeth to passe by the iust iudgement of God that being drunken with this good successe they are lifted the higher to the intent they may fall the lower Wherevnto Salomon had a respect when he sayde Presumptuousnesse goeth before destruction and after a prowde stomacke there followeth a fall And Dauid teaching vs howe the glorye and felicitie of the wicked is but transitorie sayth I my selfe haue seene the vngodlye in great power and flourishing like a greene Baye tree And I went by and loe hee was gone I sought him but his place coulde no where be founde Therefore it is a folly to be offended at the prosperitie of the wicked considering it is the chiefe cause of their destruction bicause they vse it insolently against God as may be gathered of the successe of this present businesse that Luke nowe rehearseth For Herode seeing all thinges succeede after his desire being drunken with the fauour of fortune began to aspire to diuine honor also as it shall more euidently appeaâ—e if you will conferre the things that Iosephus writeth in the .xix. booke of his antiquities and seauenth Chapter with Luke For he writeth that he had appoynted games or playes in the honor of Caesar and that vpon a daye assigned for that purpose he sate in his throne hauing on a Princely roâ—e wouen throughout with strokes of siluer meaning openly to make an Oration vnto the people And where the garment by reason of the Sunne beames rysing vppon it glittered and shined in his face the flattering Courtyers tooke occasion thereof to magnifye him as God and all the people followed their example First therefore they begin to crye the voyce of a God and not of a man. And forthwith turning them to prayers and supplications they saye Be mercifull vnto vs For although we haue hitherto feared thee but as a man yet now we see thou art of an higher nature c. It seemeth that these things are for this cause chiefely intermedled with this hystorie that we maye beholde the vanitie of all the people wherewith they were so infected that they deserued so to be oppressed and pinched vnder so vile a tyraunt For why shoulde God giue them a better Prince which were not ashamed so to extoll a fylthie and wicked man with godly honor But the like vanitie reigneth euerywhere in these dayes considering we see most cruell tyrants giuen wholy to beastly pleasures being almost loden with like ambicious and godly styles and tytles Nor it is not now sufficient to call them benefyciall or conquerors but they must be called most victorious and haue these diuine names of Grace and Maiestie which by Scripture are due vnto God onely so often repeated till a man woulde lothe it And bicause the Courtyers fyrst beginne and the rascall people not onely followe them but also imitate the seruile and slauishe condicioâ—s of their teachers we are worthy that by open tyrannie of Princes and their manifest wickednesse we shoulde to our great losse and dammage be reprooued as lyers Lette those moste ambitious men well remember this geare which abuse the foolishnesse of such seruile people to the ende to bee taken for ioly fellowes by such counterfeyte and vaine titles For by this meane they declare themselues to be the companions both of Herode and Caligula and Domitian and other such like and therefore with them God shall punishe them as Herode here prooued For streightway the Aungell of the Lorde smote him which Eusebius out of Iosephus writeth appeared to him in visible wise Of the which stroke he by and by beganne to be tormented with pangues grypes of the belly which extorted some confession of truth out of his heart though otherwise so ambitious For he turned him to them that wayted on him and sayde Beholde I your God must nowe exchaunge lyfe for death And I whome you called immortall am nowe ledde away vnto death But Luke declaring the kinde of his death sayth he being eaten and gnawen with wormes gaue vp his ghost It seemeth therefore he dyed of the disease called Phthiriasis hauing wormes or lyce breeding in his fleshe which fedde vpon him whyle he liued with great griefe and fylthinesse and at length were the cause of hisdeath Moreouer Luke assigneth this to be the onely cause hereof for that he gaue not God the glory For first he thought the honour of the kingdome came not of God but of Caesar whome for that cause he worshipped with ordeyning shewes and games in the honor of him After that he went about cruelly to persecute the true religion of god Last of all he
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
compendious and short summe let him heare this saying of Paule All haue sinned and are destitute of the glory of God but are iustifyed freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Iesu through faith by the meanes of his bloude c. And forbicause Paule knewe that the Iewes with whome he had to doe did ascribe iustifycation to the lawe and to the workes thereof and that this was the chiefe stumbling blocke of their fayth and saluation therfore he preuenteth their obiection saying By him all that beleeue are iustified from all things from which you coulde not be iustified by the lawe of Moses In which wordes comparing the lawe with Christ he so challengeth the prayse and glory of our iustifycation to him that therewithall he testifyeth the same can by no meanes be attributed to the law For the law sayth he coulde not iustifye vs from all to saye sinnes from which yet all they are deliuered which take holde of Christ by true fayth And yet Paule is not to be accused of rashnesse as though he went about ouer impudently to infringe the authoritie of the lawe For it shall appeare that he truly so sayde if we diligently consider the lawe The lawe may be comprehended in two parts whereof the one consisteth in vertues or good workes the other in ceremonies In the fyrst we include morall and politicall precepts a short abridgement whereof we haue in the Decaloge or tables of the commaundements And if we looke in the same it shall appeare what God requireth of vs what we owe vnto him what to our neighbour and fynally what to our selues And our infyrmitie and corruption shall also appeare through the deprauation whereof we doe not onely disobey the lawe of God but also are vnable to obey the same For what man is there in all the worlde that is able to bring his minde and all the affections of his fleshe to the obedience of fayth as God requireth For what else is the lawe but a glasse wherein is bewrayed the corruption of our nature and our sinnes aswell secret as open brought vnto lyght And if we come vnto Ceremonies by the which the Iewes in time past measured their righteousnesse it shall appeare that they also are vayne and that we be rather accused thereby than iustifyed or relieued For what other thing doth the Circumcision made in our priuie member teach vs but that the beginning of our generation is corrupt and that we haue neede of regeneration What doe the dayly and yerely sacrifyces the sprinklings of bloude the often washings the rytes of expiation purifying what other thing did they teach vs but that we haue neede of purifycation clensing But did true purifycation consist in them No truly For the Lorde by his Prophet cryeth out that their hands which were most occupied in the exercise thereof were all to embrued with bloud And in another place Thinkest thou that I will eate Bulles fleshe or drinke the bloude of Gotes And Dauid troubled in conscience for his most heynous deede sayth Thou desirest no sacrifyce else woulde I giue it thee but thou delightest not in burnt offerings c. Naye hauing a respect to the bloude and merite of the Messias that was promised hee prayeth saying washe mee throughly from my wickednesse and clense mee from my sinnes Thou shalt purge me with I sope and I shall be cleane washe thou me and I shall be whiter than snowe Deliuer mee from bloudguiltynesse ô God thou that art the God of my health c. Hereof it seemeth Paule tooke that saying of his The bloude of Bullokes and Goates cannot take away sinne So that Paule in this place sayth most truly that the lawe cannot iustifye vs And yet for all this he contemneth not the lawe or maketh God the author of a thing superfluous and vnprofytable For his honor remayneth safe vnto him while herein consisted onely certayne godly exercises of fayth and whyle the law was as Paule otherwhere sayth a tutor and bringer of them which diligently marked the ende thereof vnto Christ. It is very worthy to be diligently obserued that Paule sayth we be iustifyed from all our sinnes through fayth in Iesus Christ which was impossible by the lawe to be perfourmed For thus saying he doth not onelye ouerthrowe the affiance which the Iewes had in the workes and ceremonies of the lawe but also all maner of Popery and the whole Popedome which is the greatest enimie that can be founde against the righteousnesse of God and the saluation which is offered vs in christ They marueylously glory in Christ their sauiour but they egregiously euacuate his deserts whyle they teache that through his merite originall sinne onely and the sinnes coÌ„mitted before baptisme are purged but all other sinnes through our owne satisfactions And these satisfactions for the most part consist in the inuentions of mens traditions as in obseruing of appoynted fastes in holy dayes in lyings on the grounde in cowles in pilgrimages in purchasing of pardons and such lyke tryâ—â—es Thus they reprooue Paule of lying which sayth we be deliuered from all our sinnes through the fayth we haue in christ They reprooue Christ of lying which out of the Prophete teacheth that God the father is in vaine worshipped with the traditions of men and calâ—eth vs vnprofytable seruantes although we coulde doe all that is commaunded vs in the lawe Let vs therfore fyrmely holde fast this sentence of Paule which as it attributeth to Christ alone all the whole meane of our saluation so is it sufficient to confute all kinde of sects and heresies And he is no true Christian that followeth not the same and stedfastly cleaueth not vnto Christ onely acknowledging him for his sauiour and redeemer putting his trust in him and worshipping him in spirite and in truth For it is impossible that they can please God which dare despise the sonne of God and preferre their workes before his merite Uerily Paule as he preacheth Christ alone in this place so in other places he confesseth he knoweth nothing but him onely and thinketh it to be a moste heynous offence if any body woulde trust or glory in any other thing Furthermore to make an ende of preaching with the Apostle it remaineth for vs to consider his conclusion which conteineth in it a grieuous and very horrible commination the cause whereof was as may seeme for that he perceyued in the hearers euident tokens of obstinacie and vnbeliefe For it is not credible that such a spirite as the Apostle had coulde without a cause so be moued For he sayth Beware that that fall not on you which is spoken of in the Prophetes c. Therfore he so threatneth them with punishment that yet he leaueth a place for hope of pardon whyle he warneth them to beware least c. He bringeth the Oracle of the Prophete out of Abacuc the fyrst Chapter which by comparison or
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
Lette vs I beseech you thinke hereof whome it hath pleased God these many yeares to let enioy the preaching of the Gospell and to let vs abounde in the quiet and peace thereof where a number beside feele great want therof and being famined would be glad of one little morsell of Euangelike consolation But let vs returne to Paule and his companions who though they be forbidden in one place to preach yet cease not from doing their duetie but passing through Misia come at length to Aeolis and to a Citie in the same Countrie called Troas earnestly seeking euerywhere occasion to preach And there Paule being admonished by oracle vnderstandeth he must go into Macedonia For there appeareth vnto him a Macedonian which vndoubtedly was nothing but an Aungell and desireth to haue his countrye holpen And here came diuers thinges very profytable for vs to consider First is the example of Paule whereby we are taught that we must not be slacke in doing our office and dutie although our enterprise succeede not at the fyrst or seconde attempt as we desire For we reade the like came to passe many times both to the Prophetes and the Apostles which followed their calling the more earnestlye the more impedimentes they perceyued were layde in their waye Let all men go forwarde after these mennes examples and God will assist their endeuours who vseth when he seeth time and place to giue occasion of onset and also prosperous successe Furthermore this place sheweth vs a singuler example of Gods goodnesse whereby it commeth to passe that God worketh our saluation when we least knowe or thinke of it For who among the Macedonians woulde you thinke thought eyther of Paule or of the waye of saluation who when he came had none but a fewe of women to followe him and heare him So by this meane is the saying of the Prophete fulfylled I am founde of them that sought me not and haue appeared to them that asked not after mee And that that Luke sayth came to passe here among them of Macedonia the same may be seene in all other that eyther haue attained or at this day do attayne vnto saluation For before this worlde was made Paule sayth we were elected in Christ. And our fyrst parent Adam when he was fallen in sinne and did not onely not seeke God but fled from him yet was he both sought of God and called and receyued the free promise of saluation Hereto appertayneth it that men in the Scriptures are compared vnto sâ—eepe which hauing once strayed from the flocke neuer returne vnlesse the shepeheard by his diligence fette them agayne But Christ is our shepehearde which vseth to seeke his sheepe in valleyes and mountaynes and when he hath founde him layeth him on his shoulder and bringeth him home And this care of God may not onely be perceyued in those thinges that concerne the saluation of our soules but also sheweth it selfe in the things seruing to the vse and maintenance of our bodies For as God feedeth our bodye bountifully in giuing vs a liuing out of the earth so hath he appoynted the Aungels to be our tutors and keepers which â—arie rounde about them that feare him and deliuer them But bicause we haue hereof intreated heretofore let this nowe suffyse Yet let vs marke the vse of his doctrine which consisteth chiefely in this poynt that we shoulde be thankefull vnto God and stryue in all kinde of aduersities to defende our calling by the inuincible hope and affiaunce of Gods ayde and succor Furthermore this example commendeth vnto vs the dignitie of the Gospell and the ministery thereof For fyrst this is a notable thing that Paule is called by an Aungell and by the Oracle of God to preache So Peter was admonished by a vision from heauen to preach vnto Cornelius and to the Gentyles and the spirite led Philip to teach the Aethiopian his saluation Therefore some menne doe very vainely to contemne the ministerie of man as a thing of small or none account and requyre to haue Aungels to teach them seeing Aungels sende vs vnto men to be taught Yea Paule will not haue vs to beleeue an Aungell if he teach anye thing disagreeing from the doctryne of the Apostles Also the wordes of the Aungell commende the dignitie of the Ministerie For he sayth Come into Macedonia and helpe vs. Yet is it in Gods power onely to helpe vs both in body and soule But bicause the worde of the Gospell is the power of saluation to all that beleeue it the Ministers thereof are therefore not without a cause sayd to helpe men and to saue them And for this cause Abdias prophecying of the kingdome of Christ calleth the Apostles Sauiours Therefore the temeritie and impietie of those which saye that the Gospell causeth troubles and disquietnesse is reprooued seeing it is euident that men cannot choose but perishe except they be called by the preaching of Christ into the way of saluation according to the saying of the Prophete The Nation and kingdome that serueth not thee shall perishe But what doth Paule when he heareth he is called of God into Macedonia to men vnknowne and into Europe another part of the worlde Doth he tryfle and make delayes bicause he was before once or twyse forbidden No yea he prepareth him to the voyage and frameth him altogither vnto Gods calling and at length with a strayght course commeth to Philippie a very notable Citie and state By which example we are taught that nothing is rashly to be taken in hand without Gods calling but when we are certaine thereof then wyth speede to doe that the Lorde commaundeth For he so little regardeth prolongers and delayers that he cannot abyde pretence of godlynesse if vnder colour therof we neglect our vocation as we are taught by the example of him which was not suffered to go burie his father after Christ had called him to the ministerye of the worde But this is the most commodious way to doe well if we haue a diligent regarde to the calling of God and followe the same faythfully and earnestly For they that trust their owne deuises and seeke after vanitie as Dauid sayth cannot choose but grieuouslye offende God graunt that we be all mindefull hereof and followe our vocation that after we haue on earth fulfylled our duetie we maye at length lyue in heauen with Iesus Christ our Sauiour to whome be prayse honour power and glorye for euer Amen The Cviij Homelie WE were in that Citie abiding certaine dayes and on the Sabboth dayes we went out of the Citie besides a riuer where men were wont to pray And we sate downe and spake vnto the women which resorted thither And a certaine woman named Lydia a seller of purple of the Citie of Thyaâ—ira which worshipped God gaue vs audience whose heart the Lorde opened that shee attended vnto the things that Paule spake When she was baptized and hir housholde she besought vs
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
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
and soules of the deceassed wherin one of the least defences of Antichristes tirannie hath not consisted to saye nothing howe through their wicked exorcismes they haue polluted baptisme and Gods whole religion Yea by this meane it came to passe that no kinde of men had more students of Necromantie and Magike then the Monkes and Priestes and euen the highest priestes were not behinde in these wicked sciences For the hystories of Syluester the seconde Gregorie the seuenth Alexander the sixte and many other are well knowne to euery man Also we are taught what to iudge of such â–ª as attribute godly power to holy names and sentences taken out of scriptures as though by these eyther euill spirites coulde be driuen awaye or diseases and maladyes ridde from men and beastes bodyes or that they which study south-saying an arte inuented by mans curiositie could tell vs what is to come or what shall happen hereafter This is a Iudaicall or rather an heathen or a Gentile superstition and not without a cause condemned by the lawes of god For fyrst vnto a vaine sounde of wordes vnto dombe fygures and ceremonies full of horror is attributed a power of helpe which is no light offence against the fyrst precept of the tables For there we are commaunded to acknowledge God onely for our helper to put our trust in hym onely and to aske all our ayde and succour of him Next men are sent from the inuocation of God vnto wicked sciences as though thereby God might be inforced to helpe vs against his will. Moreouer the kingdome of the deuill is no waye more fortifyed then this who dyligently seeketh to make men looke for helpe and counsell in other thinges then in God bicause that is the most commodious way for him whereby to deceyue and beguile men Therefore we reade that these sciences in olde time were not without a cause abolished both by the lawes of GOD and Emperours And there remaine in the Popes law Canons gathered out of most auncient counsels and fathers which admonishe vs to keepe such as were giuen to these artes from the communion of the faythfull And here we must not giue eare to their obiections which frame arguments of the successe and holynesse of the words thereby to defende their impious superstition For they say a many are healed by these meanes and that things otherwise impossible are hereby euery day brought to passe Againe they say there is no offence in them bicause they consist for the more parte vpon the holy names of God or else vpon certaine notable sentences of holy scripture The aunswere is easie to both these obiections We knowe that Satan is able to shewe woonders but not without the sufferance of god It is well knowne what he wrought in tymes past by the Magitians in Egypt and howe he burned Iobes cattle and seruauntes by fyre from aboue Yea Augustine testifyeth that he is able to doe straunge matters bicause he can transfourme himselfe into an Aungell of light But doth it therefore become christian men to beleeue his suggestions or to vse his helpe why doe we not rather regarde the counsell of God which suffereth Satan thus to doe bicause he meaneth eyther to trye the fayth of his people or else to send effectuall illusions to those that haue deserued destruction Let vs therfore stande fast in the fayth least we swarue therefro and be left wholy to Sathans scorning and delusion Againe touching the holynesse of the wordes we dispute not but we say the more holy they are the more detestable it is to abuse them For this is not the vse eyther of the names of God or of his wordes to serue for magicall mutterings and with a vaine sounde to dryue away eyther spirites or diseases but to declare and set out vnto vs the propertie of God and his wyll And if holynesse of wordes can excuse Magicians and enchaunters then shall they also be excused that commonly abuse the other holye and wholsome creatures of god But howe vaine these mens excuse is that forme or maner of exorcisme which these exorcistes vsed aboundantly declareth For what is there in them to be reprehended They vse this worde adiuring according to the example of most godlye men Next they adiure by the name of Iesus and least they might seeme to meane some counterfeyte Iesus they plainely expresse him whome Paule preacheth Notwithstanding they are accused of impietie bicause they vsed the holye wordes naughtily and without fayth for their lucre sake and aduauntage Therefore away with them that will seeke such slender pretences for their Iewishe and heathen superstitions and let vs not beleeue them which dare abuse the names of God and his Christ. But let vs consider the successe of this enterprise which was very agreeable to their presumptuousnesse For the euil spirit answereth these exorcistes and sayth Iesus I know and Paule I know but who are you And streightway he setteth the man whome he possessed vpon them maketh hym to season on them so strongly preuayling against them al that he wel bette them and set them packing out of the house naked By the which argument it is most euidently perceyued that there is no power in holye wordes of themselues whereby to driue awaye deuils or any other euils but that all such effectes depende vpon Gods prouidence which sometime worketh myracles also euen by Infydels when he seeth their helpe serue for the setting forth of his kingdome and glory This example teacheth what all they maye looke for which abuse the name of Christ or his lawes for their priuate lucre and aduauntage This is a common thing in these dayes For what else doth the Pope seeing vnder the cloake of Christes name he chalengeth to him the supremacie in the Church What else doe Masse Priestes when peruerting the maner and order of the supper they imagine Christ is at their becke and chaunge the wordes of the supper into a coniuration through the power whereof they transubstanciate as they say the breade and wine into the body and bloude of Christ What shall I speake of the keyes vnder the pretence whereof they haue burst into mennes consciences ordeyned satisfactions and expiations of sinnes little or nothing differing from those which we reade the heathen sometimes vsed I lette passe infynite other things which though God punishe not by and by as we see he did the children of Sceua yet the iudgement of the Lorde as Peter sayeth sleepeth not by the which long sithence their punishments are appointed We are moreouer taught by this place howe great the power of our Sauiour Iesus Christ is seeing he can vse the Deuill be he neuer so lothe to the setting forth of his kingdome For who wyll thinke that he woulde willinglye beare witnesse to Iesus Christ and Paule his seruaunt and hurt his owne bondmen and instruments He is yet compelled to doe both bicause it seemeth so good vnto the Lorde at whose sight
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
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