meane time I say not but that it is good and also necessarie to binde and restraine the Pastoures and Curates to a certaine order and forme wrytten for to supplie the ignoraunce and simplenesse of some of them and for to shew the better conformitie and concorde with all Churches Thirdly for to bridle and ouerthrowe all vaine curiositie and newe inuentions of such as desireth nothing but to runne riotte the sayd Cathechisme as I haue before rehearsed shal serue and be a good bridell for suche folkes And also in suche sorte and order are the ministring of the holy Sacramentes to be giuen and in like manner the publike Prayers And in the meane season your grace muste take héede to auoide suche pollicies as may destroy the strength and vertue that oughte to be in the preaching of the Gospell and that you employ your laboure and diligence as muche as yée can possible that there be liuely and good Trumpettes whose sounde may enter into the déepenesse of their hartes For there is danger and great doutfulnesse that yée shall not sée great profit of such reformation howe great holy so euer it be vnlesse euen at once with it the power and vertue of good preaching be displayed and set foorthe togither It is not without cause which is saide that Iesus Christ shal strike the earth by the scepter of his mouthe and shall destroy the euill by the spirite of his lips It is Gods disposed good way wherby he will ouerthrowe vs in destroying all that which is againste him And for that cause the gospell is also called the power the raigne or kingdome of god And notwithstāding that the ordinances and statues of Princes be good helpes to aduance and maintaine the state of christianitie yet will God haue his soueraigne vertue declared in the spirituall swoorde of his woorde which is set foorthe by his appoynted pastoures And to the ende I will not long trouble your Lordship I wil come to the second point that I haue purposed to shewe vnto you Which is to abolishe and take cleane away the abuses and corruptions that Sathan héeretofore hath mingled with the ordinance of god We know that vnder the Pope there is a bastarde christianitie that God shall disalowe at the laste day for as muche as at this day he hath condemned it by his woorde If we desire to flée backe and retire from the worlde and from suche approued perdition there is nothing better than to folowe the example of S. Paule the which willing to correcte the euill that the Corrinthians had ioyned to the supper of the Lord said vnto them I haue receiued of the Lorde that which I haue giuen vnto you Of that we must al gather one generall instruction that is to returne to the righte and naturall commaundement of God if we will haue a good and an approued reformation of him For as many minglings as men hathe aduaunced of their owne wicked inuentions so many infections be there throughe the which we are turned from the holy vsage of that which God hathe giuen vnto vs for our sauing health Therfore to fall to cropping or cutting off but only half the branches of such rotten abuses it cannot bring again the good things into their perfect pure estate bicause that we shall then haue amongst vs a christianitie continually mixed and counterfayte I say thys bicause that some vnder the colour of moderation be of opinion to suffer many abuses in the Churche without taking them cleane away and they thinke that it is inough to haue taken oute the roote onely of the principall abuses But to the contrarie wée sée howe muche the lothesome séedes of Hypocrisie and lyes are fertile and that one grayne thereof is sufficient to fill and annoy all the worlde within thrée dayes as men bée aptely enclined and giuen thereunto Our Lorde God who is all goodnesse and truthe and vnto whom wée ought onely enclyne giueth vs other instruction For when Dauid speaketh of Idolles he saythe that their names shall not passe by hys mouthe to the entente to declare vnto vs in what detestation and contempte wée oughte alwayes to haue them And if in suche wyckednesse wée oughte to consider well howe greately wée haue offended GOD in the tyme of our ignoraunce howe muche rather oughte wée nowe to remember the eschewing of Sathans inuentions that hathe and dothe yet styll prouoke vs to committe suche euilles as are allurementes whiche serueth not but onely to seduce the poore simple soules On the other side wée sée that although men bée sufficiently warned of their faultes and erroures and bée aduertised of them as muche as is possible yet neuerthelesse they bée so hardened that no man can attayne to their good and perfect ende Then if there shall bée lefte vnto them some Reliques or fonde fantasies to remayne it shall bée a nourishemente in déede of muche more contempte and greater obstinacie and a couerture to darken and hyde all doctrine that may bée proponed vnto them I confesse that as it is conuenient to obserue some moderation and that too greate extremitie is not good nor profitable so likewise it is not vnséemely to vse the Ceremonies according to the time and grosnesse of the people but it may not be that any thing which is of Sathan and of Antechryst should once passe vnder any such colour For that cause the holy Scripture commendeth those good kinges which did destroy the Idolatries neuerthelesse in not plucking away altogither gaue yet vnto them a marke for that they had not destroyed the Chappels and places of vayne and foolish deuotion Wherefore my Lorde séeing that God hathe hitherto preserued you raysed you vp to honoure and hathe broughte you now so farre forwardes in his workes I pray you goe on and continue your dooing without any exception to the ende he may approue you his diligente ouerséer and setter foorth of his temple in suche wise that the time of the king your Nephew may be compared vnto the time of Iosias and that you shall put all things in such good estate as there shall remaine nothing to him but to maintaine the good established order which God shall haue prepared vnto him by your gracious meane I will alleage vnto you an example of suche dregges that may peraduenture reste to be a little leauen which in the ende will make the paaste sowre They vse in your Countrey of Englande some kinde of prayer for the dead when the Communion is receiued I know well that it is not to aduouch the Purgatorie of the Pope I know also that it may be alleaged by auncient custome to doo some remembraunce for the dead to the ende to ioyne togither all the members of the body But there is an apparentorie argumente to the contrarie that the Supper of Iesus Chryst is so holy a thing that it ought not to be defiled by no inuention of
and mightie Prince Edvvarde Duke of Somerset for the seeking and quiet establishing of peace and rightuousnesse in the Churche of Englande immediatly vpon the commotions sodainly raised vp in the VVest partes as also in Suffolke and Nâ—â—â—olke in the yeare of our Lord Christe 1549. 86 ¶ A Paraphrase vpon the Epistle of the holy Apostle S. Paule to the Romanes The first Chapter I Paul whom men heretofore haue called Saule that is to say one which is now become of a busie and troublesome felow or of a very tyrant and persecuter a well stayed peaceable and quiet man and was bound many yeres agone vnder the law of Moyses strayghtly to serue and obey him but now at this tyme â—n made frée from him set at libertie and prefâ—rred to the highe fréedome seruice and dignitie of the great God our Lorde Iesus Chryst yet notwithstanding I am not thereby falne into the corrupte state of Apostacie or a cleane forsaker of Moyses institutions but am called to be Chrystes true messanger and therefore now more highly aduaunced than when I was one of the stoute and mightie dâ—â—â—â—ders of the Pharisies secte against Moyses For the cause thereof was that béeing then not truely godly nor ledde by the spirite of truthe and although learned yet not rightly learned but a wanderer in darkenesse and error I missed very farre from the veritie and from the true vnderstanding of the holy law of god But now I may rightly be called a true Pharisie that is one which by grace am chosen separated and put aparte by the Lorde Iesus Chryst him selfe who hath endued me with the spirite of truth to preach and teache the Gospell of his eternall father which is not any new Gospell of lately inuented but the same that was promised long before by the holy Prophets vppon the sonne of man which at hys tyme appoynted was borne of the stocke of Dauid as touching the fleshe and was also declared of the holy Ghoste to bée the eternall Sonne of the euerlasting God as moste truely appeareth bycause after hys bodily death and buriall in the Sepulchre he triumphantly rose agayne euen with the same very flesh In which mightie and notable mysterie he dyd not only teache vs the resurrection also to come of our fleshe but also him selfe to be the beginner and onely author of the same By whom I am appoynted to the function and high office of an Apostle that like as the Gospell of God hath ben promulgate and taught among the nation of the Iewes so it might also by me be declared vnto the Gentiles Not to any suche intente that they should be burdened with the mightinesse and charges of the law but rather that they shoulde submitte them selues to the onely true fayth in Iesus Chryste and to be brought herevnto not by the vayne gloses of Philosophers of the which sort all you be that are Gentiles but by receiuing the name of Chryst in holy baptisme and so made the children of God by adoption to refrayne your selues from al vayne and fantasticall persuasions paynted and damnable opinions as be now and long hath ben amongst you inasmuche as the adoption it selfe is through grace in Chryst Iesus generally offered to all men Therfore I say to al you that be at Rome the faythfull louers of God and forsakers of your olde iniquities I wish the grace mercy and peace of God not such peace verily as the world giueth but the very true perfect and new peace which onely procéedeth from the father almightie God of heauen And first of all things I thanke the same father of heauen for you that it hath pleased him by his sonne Iesus Chryst to giue this inestimable benefite vnto you Which although you haue ben heretofore al infidels miscreants and idolaters deserued by Gods iustice to be eternally damned yet now he wil that your fayth and profession shuld in such sort be changed made 〈…〉 strong in him that it may most happily redounde to your â—â—â—noume and speciall commendation throughout all the whole world The which thing considering my deare tender loue towards you can not be but most ioyfull and comfortable to me for God the father is my recorde whom I now serue not in vayne and dead Ceremonies but in the powre of his spirite preaching the glad tidings of his deare sonne that always from time to time I haue you in my thought remembraunce praying continually to God that if it be possible I might once come vnto you and sée you at Rome for I thinke very long there to sée you and to be made ioyfull of your godly companies Not séeking therby mine owne profite or singuler aduauntage but most hartily desirous to bestow vpon you some healthsome frute of my Apostleship and to exhibite vnto you not the grosse seruice or dead Ceremonies of Moses but the very delectable yea most swete and spiritual good taste of the sauiour Iesus Christ and to speake vnto you after mine affection familiaritie togither to the ende that one of vs may comfort another in the onely true fayth which wée now haue in our Lord Iesus and to the confirmation establishing one another in the same heauenly gifte All whiche though they be not yet hitherto done as moste rightly behoueth surely for my parte I am in no faulte thereof for I haue most earnestly wished to haue ben among you but alas I haue had many impediments and lets to the contrary And for this cause specially I haue desired to sée you that it might bée my lotte and good happe aswell to profite you and to doo you good as I haue doone vnto other Nations For as God him selfe is an vniuersall God and Lorde of mercy to all men euen so by his mercy is the Gospell vniuersall and in time to be vttered to all nations Wherefore in déede I confesse it my duetie not onely to declare the holy Gospell to the Iew but also to the Gentile not onely to the wise and learned but also to the most barbarous rude vnlearned yea to euery man whatsoeuer he be without exception onlesse he most wickedly and with fixed will withstande and resist the same For which consideration in the zeale of my Lorde Chryst to do you good mine hart melteth within me vntil I preache the Gospell also vnto you that be at Rome And you shall vnderstande that as I feare not at all the state of your great mighty famouse and pompouse Empire so am I not ashamed of the humble and base state or appearaunce of Chrysts kingdome nor of the preaching of his holy Gospell in the simplicitie and plainenesse therof which although it bée to the vnfaythfull but a scoffe a mocke or scorne yet is the same to all the faythfull the moste high mightie and puissaunt vertue of GOD through which onely they bée brought to the hauen of felicitie and to eternall saluation The
fulfilling of this their euerlasting glory and ioy in his appoynted time Wherfore considering the matter goeth on this wise with vs what neede haue we then to disquiet our selues about the troubles miseries that dayly happeneth vnto Either why should we not take them with all pacience séeing that suche is the grace and fauour of God that he most mercifully mindeth our speedy deliueraunce from thence Surely God hath in so many things declared already his moste high loue and goodnesse towards vs that we may be well assured he wil stil stand vnto vs and be on our side a most stable piller agaynst al the assaults of our deadly aduersarie Which always béeing most true what cause haue we to care or what can his malice preuayle agaynst vs seeing the moste mightie God hym selfe taketh our parte Either why should we doubt at all of the fauour of God to be with vs which dyd not spare his onely deare sonne and his most high treasure of heauen but did as it were put him forwards to death for vs that were most wretched sinners agaynst him and altogither in his fathers indignation He did embase his owne and onely sonne and made him vile to the ende that thereby he would extoll and aduaunce vs he made him a sacrifice to deliuer vs from our offences he deliuered him to his death that by the meanes of it wee might haue life Wherfore séeing he thus gaue his own deare sonne for vs in whom dwelleth the fulnesse of al things shall it not then folowe that he will also helpe vs with all things as he doth his sonne In as muche as he hath made vs felow heires with him of the kingdome of his heauenly ioy what will God sticke to giue vnto vs what soeuer it bée whiche hath already fréely giuen that thing for vs which is much more preciouse than all the creatures in heauen and in earth And all we may be well assured that God will not chaunge his minde with vs but in the constancie of his mercy will at all times be our buckler our shielde and mightie defence agaynst the outrage and force of all our aduersaries What is he therefore that will or once dare take vppon him to bring any accusation or lay any condemnation agaynst the electe of God whom he hath now by hys moste high wisedome chosen and taken for his owne deare sonnes Thinke you that God will heare the aduersarie of our soule agaynst those whom his onely sonne hath so preciously redeemed and for his sake hath so frely pardoned and forgiuen their offences against him God that is the iudge of all creatures hath deliuered vs from the gyltinesse of our former life now accounteth vs righteous in his sight Therfore who dare be so bolde to condemne those that he pronounceth righteous But yet hereof we muste in any wise carefully take héede that we fal not againe into the lothsomnesse of our old sinnes wickednesse Christ him self hath euer had such an hart burning loue towards vs that for our redemption sake to saue vs frō damnation he willingly suffred gushing out of his side the flowing streames of his bloud which also after his death rose agayne only to foresée all things necessarie both for the reioycing of his louing brethren as also in al things to comfort strengthen them The same christ now being made our only aduocate iudge is ascended into the heuēs there sitteth with maiestie on the right hand of his heauenly father in al things equal with him and there daily with the open apparance of his bloudy wounds pledeth our cause with him craueth the continuāce of his gret mercy towards vs in this life to haue for vs after this life in ful reward of his most precious purchase euen euerlasting ioy felicitie For which consideration sith the father of heauen hath thus pronounced vs for the deathes sake of his dere sonne guiltlesse blessed and iust which procéedeth of the only tendernesse of his vnspeakeable loue what man is he thē that from henceforth wil feare the deuil dread tirants or any one that is his minister or else any slaunderer priuie conspirator curssed speaker or wicked cōdemner of him Therfore for as much as we be al so many wayes bound vnto God and his deare sonne Christe what thing is that what thing is it that is once able to withdraw vs from the loue of them both or else shall not suffer vs to loue them againe for their moste wonderfull great mercies towards vs Shal the tempestuous stormes and troubles of men withdrawe vs from them Shall the slipperie chaunges and chaunces of this wretched world plucke vs backe Shall anguishes shall persecutions shall hunger shall nakednesse shall perill either shall the sword All which the holy Prophet Dauid hathe prophecied to chance vnto the elect of God which speaketh in the spirit of God on this manner we are for thy sake O Lord daily deliuered vnto death and are estéemed as shéepe appointed to the slaughter These same things although they séeme to be importable greeuous to the weak flesh yet they are not able to pluck vs from the loue of God his dear sonne Christ Wel may they diuersly sundry wayes happen vnto vs but surely they cannot ouercome vs yea the more that they fortune vnto vs so muche the more doe they confirme the loue of vs towardes Christe and his loue also towards vs in as much as we alwayes depart from the same afflictions as liuely victorers and ouercommers of them Not throughe oure owne powers but through the protection and defence of him vnto whō we owe all things that we haue Neither will God that loueth vs so hartily suffer vs to be ouerthrowne neither can we hauing in remembrance his wōderful goodnesse towards vs cease to loue him againe for any kinde of miserie that cā happen in this wretched life vnto our earthie fraile bodies How he it al those things of the which I did euen now speake are but light and of small effecte to plucke our harts from the loue of God but I am wel assured that bisides al those neither death neither life neither the Angels of heauen neither might nor power neither things present though they bring al kindes of miserie with them neither things to come whether they shall bring good or bad vnto vs neither highe nor low neither visible nor inuisible neither any other creature shall at any time once be able to seperate vs from the loue of God which he hath shewed vnto all vs in giuing his only deare sonne our Lord Iesus Christ to be our redemption and to pay our ransome to his and our father for al such offences as we moste horribly committed dayly against him The ninth Chapter Paule complaineth vpon the hard hart of the Ievves that vvould not receiue Christ and hovve the heathen are chosen in their steade
religion yea verily yea verily it séemeth vnto me more agréeable vnto reason that of such godly parents shuld spring forth godly childreÌ„ bicause they naturally rather sauor of their beginnings than of reason to the contrary For if the leauen it selfe be holy and swéete it is necessary that al the whole dough besides be holy swéete which is seasoned with the same leauen Again if the roote of the trée be holy it muste néedes folowe that the braunches which come of the same trée be holy also The Iewes for their beginning and first stocke had the Patriarke Abraham whose faithe God did wonderfully allow and approue And what shuld then let but that his posteritie should also represent the faithe of theyr beginner Which if they do not they cease to be his nephewes euen as the braunch ceaseth to be nourished with the iuice of the trée being once broken off and cast aside Furthermore mark wel and consider if it be no maruell to sée that the braunches be broken off from their owne trée in which they had their naturall roote and beginning much lesse maruell shall it then be to sée the braunches broken and againe reiected that were grafted in a straunge stocke For which cause if we sée the Iewes cut off from the roote of their true and naturall Oliue as the natural braÌ„ches of the same for their vnbeléeâ—es sake so that now the roote doth nothing at all profit them It shal be then expedient for all you Gentiles which are but braÌ„ches of the wilde Oliue no naturall braunches of one natural roote and stocke but translated from an vnfrutefull stocke and emplanted into a stocke of muche frute and goodnesse to take diligent héede that you be not proude nor glory in your selues for your good luckie and happy chaunce and so despise the pore Iewes that were cut of from their natural stocke to the ende that you should be grafted in their places And if in consideration héereof it should fortune any of you to be proud and arrogant or that if you waxe insolent hautie and swel in your lustie courage then I woulde you shoulde take this lesson with you which is to haue effectually in your remembrance that you beare not the roote of the tree wherinto you are now emplanted but the roote beareth you Do not in this sort proudly boast among your selues railing vpon the Iewes say They are cut off from their stocke which were naturall braunches therof and are now whorled away from it that all we should be grafted into the same stocke and nourished euen with the same iuice and louely moisture For I say vnto you they wer not of purpose cutte off for your sakes notwithstanding it so pleased God that you shuld be plaÌ„ted in their places to drink to sucke vp and to féede frankely vppon the sweete licor of the same stocke And you do also say truely that they are cutte off which were the true and naturall branches but you must also further debate with your selues wherefore or for what cause they were so cutte off Verily euen for their vnbeleefes sake and so muste you truely be persuaded And for the same only cause doe they nowe lie and are scattered abrode as deade braunches from their roote and be héere and there spurned at without pitie and regarde And you for your faithes sake are planted into their naturall places and doe fructifie with grace in their stocke and roote I gladly wold that none of you shuld reioyce in the misfortunes of an other man but I rather wish with all mine hart that the mischaunces or euil haps of an other man may teach you true obedience softenesse and sobernesse and to learne by their knowne infelicities what alwayes you should dread and feare if you also commit suche like iniquitie For in as muche as all you doe well perceiue that God spared not his owne naturall braunches and that it doth nothing at all profite them to haue sprung of so good and faithfull stockes after they had once forsaken him then muche more you ought with all diligence beware and take héede to your selues that you also doe not offende God with your stubbornesse pride or vnkindenesse which are none of his naturall braunches least he also spare not you but cast you of in like manner as he did those gracelesse and vnhappie Iewes Therefore by their fall learne I say what you shoulde alwayes shunne and auoide For your felicitie and happie chaunce doth not giue occasion vnto you of pride and to be vainly glorious but it rather admonisheth you and putteth you in remembraunce of the great goodnesse and mercies of God towards you All you héereby haue good cause to take comfort vnto your selues that you be the electe children of God and to yéelde therefore vnto him condigne and most hartie thankes and not to mocke or raile vpon them which are now out of his grace and fauoure They were al woorthely cut of and cast from their stocke vpon iust and good occasion and you are emplanted thereinto without one iote of your deseruings Bothe which things I exhorte you to consider among your selues that is bothe the goodnesse of God towardes you and his seueritie and sharpenesse towardes the Iewes Of the which the first may teache you all to be louing and kinde to him againe and the seconde may instructe you to forsake all hautinesse pride and stubbornesse The sharpenesse of God is shewed agaynste the Iewes which sunke so deepe in their darkenesse and erroure that they made a mocke of our sauioure Christ who was promised vnto them so many hundreth yeares before And as for the goodnesse of God you your selues haue had thereof moste ioyfull and large experience In as muche as you are nowe called into the worthy felowship of so great and high felicity and that freely without your deseruings which were once of your selues a kinde of men bothe vtterly vngodly of no estimation with God and fell before him to the state of damnation Once in your liues you haue the sinnes of your former life pardoned and fréely forgiuen you of God And once also in your liues you are numbred amongst the children of God through his only fauoure and wonderfull loue towards you Howe be it you are in suche sorte numbred among his children that it commeth to you only of fauoure without desert neither stande you in your estate so sure but that throughe offence ye may fall from the same againe God will iustly take that from the gratelesse and vnkinde man which before he hath fréely giuen vnto him onlesse he will confesse and thankfully acknowledge the same or otherwise not vsing the goodnesse of God as he ought to doe your vnkindenesse shall destroy and bring that to naught in you which God of his owne goodnesse hath fréely giuen vnto you Your pride shal banishe that quite from you which your obedience hath broughte vnto you For which cause onlesse ye shall earnestly
amongest you that be Gentiles and in thys maner of exercise to offer a pure sacrifice vnto him of my faythfull and diligente labours And I thinke verily that this kinde of sacrifice shall be moste acceptable to him if I shall offer all you as a sacrifice worthy of him not suche as are pourged and clensed by carnall Ceremonies but by the spirite of God which is the onely author of perfecte sanctimonie and the furtherer of holy Religion The which thing inasmuche as I see it already come to passe in you I may of good righte bée gladde yet not in boasting my selfe therefore among men but to reioyce onely in God for the good and prosperous successe which I haue of my preaching and not imputing the same vnto mine owne industrie trauell but vnto the only goodnesse of Chryst Iesus whose only matter I now treate vpon and through whose strength and consolation I do with diligence execute my holy office And herein I dare not rehearse at all the actes of any other man least peraduenture I should séeme therin to apply to my selfe the cōmendation of their déedes I will therfore only rehearse those things that Chryst wrought by me in mine owne mynistery to the ende that the Gentiles which heretofore were miserably giuen to the most grosse sinne of idolatrie superstition may now obey to the time in truth and apply them selues to the holy gospell of Chryst whervnto they are well moued partly by my doctrine déedes of charitie and partly also through the might and power of God wrought by me in signes and wonders to confirme amongest them the fayth of my doctrine I say yet agayne that the same are not wrought through mine owne vertue and power but through the onely might and power of the holy Ghoste of whom I am through grace but onely and organe an instrumente and poore Minister And I in that I doo glory in the luckie procéeding of my preaching I doo if to declare therein the glory of my Lorde Chryst and not to set foorth myne owne glory And euen so verily I glorying in my preaching doo attribute the onely prayse and commendation thereof vnto almightie god Neither will I in this behalfe become inferiour to any other for I haue not preached the Gospell of Chryst as the common sorte vse to doo that is euer in one place but vntill this present houre I haue preached in those Regions moste specially where the name of Chryst was not before spoken of yea and for the furthering of Gods onely glory and prayse I haue desired helpe at hys holy hande that the foundation of the Christian Religion mighte be caste into a greater compasse and that the limites of his moste worthy renoume might more amply be spredde and stretched foorthe abroade vppon the whole earth For which cause as I thoughte it not beste to buylde vppon the foundation of the other Apostles bicause euen as it is a more difficill and harde thing first to appoynte and limitte the beginning of Religion than well to repayre and kéepe the same in safetie which is already begonne euen so I thought it muche better to make for the progression of the Gospell to preache the name of Chryst in suche places onely as none of the Apostles yet came vnto namely forasmuche as I perceiued the same thing to haue bene prophecied long before by the moste holy Prophet Esaias which saith They that of him had nothing declared vnto them they shal yet see and they that hard not yet of him shall also vnderstand And this same ardente desire within me to set foorth the christian fayth religion was the only cause that hath hitherto withholdē me from you though no man could more hartily haue wished to be with you than I my selfe haue done Therfore séeing I haue now in such sort ranged ouer all the whole countreis of Achaia Macedonia that I sée therein no place lefte which is destitute of the knowledge of Chryst or in which I haue not alredy laide the fundation of the christian faith and religion and forasmuche also as I haue wyshed most gladly many yeres since for a cōueniēt time to sée you I trust now shortely to haue occasion happily giuen vnto me to satisfie in this poynt my glad desire towards you Wherfore when I shall passe on my iourney towards the countrey of Spayne I will take you in my way and so remayne with you vntill suche time as I shall somewhat haue satisfied my minde amongest you in vsing moste ioyfully your christian and godly company Which thing I trust shal shortly come to passe if it be the good will of Chryst and that from thence I shall most gladly desire you to accompany me on my way and to guide me into Spayne But at this present I doo you to wit I am taking my iourney towards the Citie Ierusalem there to distribute vnto the necessitie of the christian Iewes disciples of Chryst the bountifull liberalitie of the Macedonians and Achaians which they haue committed vnto my charge to bée doone For to that ende and purpose it hathe so pleased their godly mindes to make a collection of money throughoute the whole Countreys declaring thereby the fruites of their change and perfection to the reioycing of the poore christian brethren at Ierusalem which although they haue not among them selues the vse of worldly sustentation or wante things sufficiente to relieue their poore and néedie bodies yet touching their riches and reliefe which they haue in Chryst through their perfection in Religion that is otherwise wonderfull large and inestimable In consideration whereof and bicause they firste receiued from them and by their testimonies their entraunce and beginning into chrystian Religion they thought them selues of duetie greatly bounde vnto them and to bestow fréely and without inforcement vpon them that which I doo most worthily allow which is their very bountifull and christian beneuolence Therefore considering I say that they which be now at Ierusalem did firste worke the meanes that the doctrine of Christ descended vnto the Gentiles It is now reason also that the Gentiles in like maner doo minister vnto them agayne some of their temporall and worldly goodes that they may yet at the least with that which is but earthly recompence that thing which is most preciouse and heauenly fréely and without all charge communicated vnto them the effecte and full summe of their whole health and saluation Wherfore as soone as I according to good order and duetie shall haue discharged mine handes of this their sayde christian beneuolence which without commoditie to my selfe I fréely receiued and will as fréely deliuer it them I will take my iourney into Spayne And although I hasten forwardes my selfe as muche as I possibly may vntill I bée in Spayne to preache therein the Gospell of Chryst yet for all that it repenteth mée not in this maner for a whyle to be stayed from thence And when soeuer
time the signe of this couenaunt that the Lorde would be their God and they should be his people We wil nowe passe ouer from the couenant or testament of Abraham to Christes couenant or Testament The couenant that was made with Abraham is so strong and not to be abrogated that on lesse a maÌ„ kéepe it perpetually he shall not be a Christian or faithfull man For except the Lord be thy God and thou the seruaunts of him only for thou shalt woorship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serue there is no cause why thou shuldest boast thy selfe to be a christian man But he whom thou so worshippest and seruest is so thy God that is to say thy highest good that he giueth himself fréely to thée that he casteth away himself vnto deathe for thée that he might reconcile thée to him selfe He which hath performed it promised this grace long since wheÌ„ our father transgressed his lawe and after that he euer renued that promisse to the fathers There was none other cause why he promised it but bicause that blessednesse coulde not happen vnto vs although we endeuored and labored for it til we swet againe till the fall of oure first father were forgiuen and satisfied But when Christe being now offered for vs had pacified the diuine iustice in suche sorte that by him only a man might goe vnto god Nowe hath God made a newe couenaunt with mankinde Not so newe a couenant as though he had hardly or skarcely found this remedie at the laste but bicause that whereas he had long a goe prepared it he gaue it when the time was come This new couenant then or testament is the fré◠and vndeserued forgiuenesse of sinnes which God hath liberally giuen by his son They therfore the trust to God by Chryst doo bring their children to that trust and fayth for wée muste adde that withall as Abraham and his posteritie in old time was circumcised so are they circumcised but with the circumcision of Chryst which is baptisme Baptisme therefore tendeth euen to the same effect that Circumcision dyd in the olde tyme for it is the signe of the couenaunt that God hath made with vs by his sonne Baptisme then is the chéefe and principall signe of the new Testament or couenaunt Further how that Couenaunt is made perfect the celebration of the Lordes Supper bringeth vs in remembraunce thereof Not surely that the Supper is the Couenaunt but bicause the Couenaunt is brought to memorie in it and that thanks be giuen to the Lorde for so liberall a benefite What is then the new Couenaunt Frée remission of sinnes by the sonne of god Thereof it commeth that forasmuche as this frée remission of sinnes is obtayned by the death and shedding foorth of the bloud of Chryst the same death and bloud may peraduenture be called the Couenaunt Although if a man speake truely and properly Chryst is not the new Testament but the mediator of the newe Testamente As Paule speaketh for the very couenaunt is the remission of sinnes Notwithstanding wée will not these things to be spoken so farre foorth as though wée thought it a faulte if the death of Chryst or his bloud should be called the Couenaunt but for the intente louingly to stirre vp these rashe felowes that loue to striue with wordes to the cleare vnderstanding of these things Now let vs goe further Chryst would that the memorie of his benefite which he perfourmed with so bitter death should euer â—ée in full strength among vs Wherevppon he not without cause instituted the frequentation also of the remission of sinnes none otherwise then he did once institute the celebritie of the deliueraunce out of the Egyptiacall bondage Now séeing that the bloud of the Couenaunte may be called the Couenaunt and that we in this celebritie or assembly doo giue thanks for the bloud that is shed by the which the Couenaunt is finished vp and made perfect thereof it also commeth that we call it the bloud of Chryst By the which wée onely make commemoration that the bloud was and is shed for vs And then euen as wée haue called the bloud the Couenaunt so wée name the signe or token also of the bloud shed the Couenaunt Say all this to be but an olde wiues tale except the words of the Apostle proue it That the remission of sinnes is the very couenaunt Paule teacheth That this testament couenaunt or bargayne is obtayned by the bloud and death of Chryst Peter giueth warning And Paule to the Collos 1. Furthermore none of the Apostles calleth the death or bloud the couenant but the bloud of the couenaunt Notwithstanding wée leaue it to a mans libertie for instructions sake that they may be called the couenaunt Reherse the Apostles words and marke them wel If then the bloud it selfe which was shed is not called the couenaunt but the bloud of the couenaunt as by which the couenaunt of frée remission is obteined and confirmed how much more is this Cuppe of the bloud not the couenaunt but a signe and token of the bloud of the couenaunt The signe therfore hath receiued the name of the thing signified as it is aboue euidently shewed The Sacrament therfore of the couenaunt and testament if a man take Sacramente for the principall and externe signe of the couenaunt or promise is baptisme But of the passion of Chryst by which this couenaunt or testament is perfourmed this assembly is the signe in the which the bread and wine are deuided in commemoration of Chrystes death with thankes giuing of the faythfull béeing all of one accorde Héere we ought not to be so impotent to braule so stiffely about the name whylest one will haue this assembly of thankes giuing to be a Sacrament and another denieth it For when we vnderstande the thing it selfe clerely why striue we yet about what name we shall call it FINIS Of Vanitie by Martinus Cellarius Ecclesi 1. Vanitie of Vanities sayd the Preacher Vanitie of vanities and all things are vanitie IT IS A GENERAL proposition which coÌ„teineth the one parte of the state of this sermon namely that al things vnder the sunne are vayne But euen now a questioÌ„ is here offred at the entring of this matter of vanitie what thinges they be which here of Salomon are numbred amoÌ„g vaine thinges whether onely man with his cares and worldly desires or else whether he putteth other things also vnder vanitie as are the elements and things growen concrete of them The definition of this word vaine shal solue easily the question if a man shew what the scripture properly meneth by this word Habel that is vaine superfluous foolish Those men which hold only man to be here counted vaine with his counsels life they may allege two reasons for them selues One is considering that man as the head giueth the cause of vanitie to the rest of al things as shal hereafter more plainly appers The other reason