that not only men of our owne Countrie but also those of one house should be at deuision and hate one an other Let it suffise Ministers that they giue no cause of tumult to the seditious but if being ledde with naughtie affections they take occasion let them commyt the successe vnto God and in the meane season apply their vocation bycause as Ambrose sayth It lyeth in vs not to prouoke the people but to appease them being vp it is in the hande of God onely Moreouer the discription of these tumultes make for the instruction of all men in generall For they teach vs that we should not rashely impute the causes of vprore to the gospell and to the Ministers thereof as men vse commonly to doe but that euery man shoulde consyder the case throughly and then they shall be founde the begynners of tumultes which will not be ruled by the gospell And such an one we haue heard Demetrius was whome all they directly follow which in these dayes vse to disturbe and hynder the gospell But bicause we haue lately spoken aboundantly hereof nowe let vs consyder the sedicion and how Paule vsed himselfe in the same Luke descrybeth it verye dyligently rehearsing euerye circumstaunce thereof And fyrst begynning with the cause he sayth they were all fylled with wrath which as it is an euill Counseller in taking anye thing in hande so as Iames sayth it worketh nothing that is right or good The cause of their wrath was the daunger and losse of their gayne and auailes which as Demetrius a whyle ago sayde was neere at hande and perhaps euery one of them perticularly beganne in some part to feele the same For the worlde can abyde nothing lesse than to haue their aduauntage turned awaye or dyminished And at this daye there is none other cause of the disturbaunces vsed agaynst the gospell The Popes and Bishops are angry bicause they see their dignitie decayeth The Monkes and Priestes are offended by reason their Kitchyns waxe colde through the losse of their market of holynesse The Princes and Nobilitie are grieued for that their children are put by the possession of ecclesiasticall goodes who alwayes tyll nowe lyued lyke Lordes of the same The poorer sort of the commons which were wonte to flatter the Priestes and the Nobilitie for lyuing frette and fume Fooles Iesters Bawdes Cookes Harlottes gelded men buggered boyes and all lyke dregges of most fylthye wretches whome these I warrant you holye fathers hytherto prouyded of lyuings stampe and stare at thys geere And all these in their heate and rage runne to counselles to consult howe they maye breake in sunder the bandes of Christ as is descrybed in the seconde Psalme what good therefore shall we hope for of all these counselles where wrath is the President a blynde and frowarde Counseller Thys done they turne to playne exclamations and crye Great is Diana of the Ephesians By the which saying they testifye that they wyll defende the worship of Diana euen with their bloude They craftily make religion a cloke for their belly and lucre And the men of these dayes treade euen in their steppes which wyth as little sobrietie haue the Saintes and the blessed Uirgin in theyr mouthes agaynst vs whose honour they promise they will defende Although our men in deede be more impudent For it is not without a cause that the Ephesians so exclaymed bycause Paule openly spake against the worshyp of Diana and was a professed enimie thereof Which of vs denyeth the saintes who speaketh against the right worship of Marie who derogateth any thing from hir dignitie and honor We confesse she is mother to the sonne of God we confesse she is a Uirgin vndefyled and vnspotted We confesse the Saintes were the chosen instrumentes of God and that nowe they lyue in heauen in blisse But inuocation and godlye honour we saye is due to God alone What iniurie is this if we teach the same that they sometime taught in defence whereof they thought good to laye downe their lyues It is therefore a manifest slaunder that they saye we be enymies to the saintes Thirdly the whole Citie was in an vprore Hereof Demetrius onely was the author By which example we are taught what mischiefe sodainely maye arise of a fewe seditious persons For as a little sparkle may set fyre on an whole house the flames whereof beyng caried with the wynde catche the whole streete vppon a sodaine so sedition rysing of a fewe beginners and contempned at the fyrst euen by the onely fame thereof spreadeth it selfe abroade and compasseth about whole common weales not without the present daunger of all mennes goodes The holye Scripture sheweth vs examples in Core Absolon Saeba and dyuers others The lyke are also to be seene in the stories of the Gentyles amongst which that enterprise of Catiline is very notable which brought the Romanes common weale in great hazard by his seditious attempts euen then when it most flourished Let Magistrates hereby learne to stoppe those betymes as are lykely wyll one daye be sedicious suche as commonly ryotous persons are and as manye as loue religion for lukers sake Who if they be not kept vnder by seueritie of lawes will at length poure out their pestilent poyson to the calamitie of the publyke weale Fourthly they rushe into the common hall by vyolence and pluck awaye Caius and Aristarchus Paules companions Therefore they worke wyth force and vse all kynde of crueltie agaynst Innocentes For although the tempest of sedition manye tymes vse to catche good men which are enforced agaynst their wyll to take some part yet for the most part the greater number are euill whereby it commeth to passe that seditions are most hurtfull to good men and guiltlesse Therefore they are verye fooles that hope for anye goodnesse of sedition which they must wyth all dyligence go about to resist that desyre the prosperitie or safetie of their common weales But what doth Paule in the whottest of this sedition he woulde haue stept forth and gone in amonge them to haue asswaged these raging rebelles least his companyons shoulde haue beene hurt which were haled awaye as we hearde euen nowe But hys Disciples woulde not suffer hym chiefely those great men of Asia that were his friendes who well knewe the propertie of the people And in this place a man may beholde a whole heape of notable vertues in Paule at once For it is a singuler ensample of fayth and sincere friendship in him that woulde not leaue hys companyons in daunger and perill And if Paule made so great an accounte of two of his friendes that he woulde ieoparde his lyfe for their sakes what a care thinke we had he of whole congregations which he knewe were redeemed with the bloude of Christ Furthermore there appeareth a marueylous constancie and fortitude in him which woulde aduenture hymselfe amongst the furious commons For what other was thys then to commit himselfe to the rage of the sea or
Steuen falleth on sleepe 355 Steuen set on by disputations 287 Steuen oppressed and taken by sedition ibid. Steeuen dyeth full of the holy ghost Pag. 334 Steuens enimies and their enterprises against him 286 Steuens description 285 SteueÌ„s enimies rage incurable 354 Steuens example in redinesse to dye must be followed 355 Steuens enimies how they tooke his oration 351 Steuens oration and answere made in the councell of the Priests with the argument narration and partes thereof 292 Steuen being stoned how the faythfull vsed him 358 Steuen being readye to dye comforted of God and how and in what maner 352 Stipendes of the Ministers 676 Stipend must not be withholdeÌ„ from the Ministers 756 Stipende why Paule exacted not Pag. 756 Strangled and bloud 603 Stubbornenesse a thing peculiar to the wicked 268 Studious we must be of charity 618 Studie to please the people cause of persecution 489 Studies and desires of the enimies of truth 656 Study we must to please God. 580 Starre worship a thing common to the Gentiles 368 Starres superstitiouslye obserued Pag. 342 S ante V Supper of the Lorde howe it must be admynystred 735 Supper of the Lorde called breaking of breade 140 Supper of the Lorde a signe and token of Christes death 23 Supper of the Lorde with the rightes and cerimonies must not be altered 140 Supper of the Lorde taught vs by the Apostles in what order and forme to be vsed 3 Supremacie chalengers in the church confuted 5â— Superscription of a letter sent from the Synode  S ante W Swerde to keepe vnder the wicked commended 233 Swerde must be drawne in defence of relygion ibid. S ante Y Synagoge fyt place for the Apostles to beginne to preach in 512 Synâ—cdoche a figure very much vsed in the scriptures 761 Synode or conuocation at Miletum Pag. 738 Synodes and conuocations howe commodious they are ibid. Synne of those that forsake true religion how grieuous it is 516 Synners must be remitted vnto god Pag. 373 Synners not punished but first they are warned 642 Synners God disdaineth not 510 Synners must be wonne rather than destroyed 399 Synners which way God vseth to conuert them 787 Synne of ignoraunce howe it maye be excused 170 Synne agaynst the holy Ghost ibid. Synnes of men must not be rashlye iudged of 171 Synnes be they neuer so manye can not exceede Christes merite 130 Synnes cause of all euill 104 Synnes in preaching must be reproued 127 Synnes are remitted of fauour Pag. 543 Synnes although they bee heynous ought not to make vs dispayre Pag. 130 Sinne how heinous it is declared by the worde of God. 790 Synne needefull to bee rebuked in the Church 108.109 Synnes forgyuen in the name of Christ. 458 Synnes committed by thought and cogitation 373 T ante A TAbernacle was a figure of heauenly thynges 345 Tabernacle caried into the land of the gentiles 346 Tabernacle of witnesse what it was Pag. ibid. Tabernacles vse among the Iewes Pag. ibid. Tabernacle had no resting place a long while ibid. Tabernacle had not the honor of god tyed vnto it 347 T ante E Teachers office in the Churche requireth a deliget tryall 14 Teaching in the Church how it must be ordered 741 To teache which is the best waye Pag. 700 Temperaunce is a fruit of faith 829 Temperaunce what effectes â—he hath Pag. 148 Temple or church of God who build it 201 Temple hath not worship tyed vnto it 345 Temples must not bee prophaned or defiled 825 Temples by whome they are defiled and abused ibid. Templary religion is a vaine thyng Pag. 666 Temple or church commers in pompeous and prowde aray what may be thought of them 844 Tertulous oracion 819 Testament of God contayneth oure saluation 186 Testament of circumcision gyuen to Abraham what it is and how to be vnderstanded 303 Testamente the olde and the new are the law of of godly lyfe 54 Testament olde and newe how they consent 95 Testimonie of Dauid touching the resurrection of Christ. 113 Testimonie of the xvj Psalme prooued 121 Testimonies of the kyngdome of Christ. 33 T ante H Thabita raysed againe by Peter 419 Theophilus who is â— Theudas what he was 265 Threates of the worlde must not feare Christians 213 T ante I Timothey circumcised 616 Timothey borne of a Iewe and a Gentile 617 Titles and styles abused 664 Titles wherefore they ought to serue 5â—3 T ante O Tongue of the faythfull of all nations is but one 84 Tongue keeping a necessary thing Pag. 85 Tongues sitting vpon the Apostles heades were tokens of the holye Ghost 80 Tongues wherefore they serue 82 Songue or speech of Canaan 85 Tormentes must not be vsed of magistrates without a good and iust cause 815 T ante R Traditions of manne must not bee thrust into the Church 20 Traditions the Apostles thrust none into the Church 580 Traiane persecuting the Churche felt the wrath of God. 300 Tribulations of our owne brethren must be thought to be our owne 491 Tribulations ende is most ioyfull Pag. 587 Tribune delyuereth Paule againe out of the Iewes handes 463 Tribune kept from his purpose by feare of lawe 797 Tribunes readynes to succour Paul. Pag. 812 Troublers of the Church 589 Truth fought against by open force Pag. 166 Truth of god infallible 538 Truth of gods promises ibid. Truth of gods promises inuincible Pag. 886 Truth must be preached openly 520 Truth with what colours it is assaulted 193 Truth with what crimes it is charged 633 Truth is not defended with railing Pag. 823 Truth of what effecte 846 Truth Euangelicall what enemies it hath 191 Truth and gospel defendours compted seditiouse of the wicked 192. and 193 Truthes enemies must not be trusted Pag. 834 Truth in what case in this worlde Pag. 853 Truth haters are paineful and hardy therin 766 Truth hatred how much it is able to doe 809 Truth hatred whereto it bringeth men at the length 550 Truth hatred howe farre it proceedeth 810 Truth haters who are most 208 T ante V Turkes doe not honour God. 823 Turkish Ambassadors saying against the ydolatrye of christendome 340 T ante Y Tyranny of clargie ouer the Church Pag. 797 Tyrauntes can not doe alway what they list 213 Tyrauntes haue miserably perished Pag. 506 Tyrauntes sleyghtes set out in Pharao 317 Tyrants properties set out in Saule Pag. 390 Tyran defenders are flatterers 801 Tyrauntes state and condicion 213 Tyre dwellers bring Paule on hys waye 762 Tyre dwellers praye openlye 763 Tyrus visited by Paule 761 V ante A VAlerius Aurilianus moouing persecution against the church being first feared with a thunder bolte falling at his feete and yet not repenting was not long after kylled of hys owne men lying in waite for hym 301 W ante A WAntonnesse in children must be rebuked 766 Waye to attayne to saluacion Pag. 393 Way of Christ. 694 Waye of lyfe made playne in Christ. Pag. 119 Wayes of men are blinde in matters of relygyon 575 Warfayring for money how it
in their mother tongue Acheldama that is to say the bloudy fielde SAint LVKE hitherto hath declared what the Apostles did in their owne priuate case after Christ departed from the earth attributing to them true obedience vnitie of mindes and continuance in prayer And these verily are wholesome exercises wherewith we must prepare our selues duely to receyue the holye ghost who entreth not into a frowarde soule and whome the worlde cannot receyue but contemneth and derideth such cogitations and studies Nowe in this place he beginneth to declare what the Apostles first did how they settled themselues to the publike ministery of the Church which was committed vnto them And this was the substitution of Matthye in the place of Iudas the traytour and reprobate For where Christ would haue the Apostles to be twelue in number whom hee ordayned to be Iudges of the twelue Trybes of Israel it was requisite the same number should be fulfilled least the falshoode of Iudas should any way hinder the ordinaunce of Christ. In the meane season the example of the Apostles admonisheth vs that the chiefe care of the Church ought to be in prouiding to haue fitte meete ministers For how shal they beleeue in him sayth Paule of whom they haue not hearde howe shall they heare without a Preacher howe shall they preach except they be sent And the same Apostle in another place sayth that himselfe Apollo and Cephas were the ministers of God by whome the Corinthians beleeued For although it belonge onely to God to giue fayth and hee worketh the same in the mindes of men by the vertue of his holy spirite for which cause the worshippers of Christ are called by the Prophet the taught of God yet for our sakes he witteth safe to vse the outwarde ministerie of the worde the vse and dignitie whereof must be defended and retayned in the Church Which thing is the cause why the Prophetes account fitte teachers among the chiefe benefites of God and Christ teacheth his Apostles to praye vnto God to sende worthy and faithfull workmen into his vineyarde And Paule in another place sheweth the maiesty and great care of Christ for his Church by this one argument chiefly that he sendeth from high giftes of his holy spirite and giueth some Apostles some Prophetes some Euaungelists some Pastors and teachers to the increase of the Saintes in the woorke of administration and to the building vp of his bodye They ought well to remember this that take vppon them in these dayes authoritie ouer the Church of Christ whether they be Bishops or secular Magistrates that they fayle not in this most necessary poynt to see to the Church but that they order euery thing in such sort that they maye leaue to their posteritie presidents of sounde and true doctrine Whervnto chiefly belongeth the appointing of schooles and bringing vp of youth which the Prophetes in the olde Testament had a great care of and after that the Christian Emperours likewyse Which things whosoeuer eyther through negligence or wasting of the Church goodes consume they ought to be taken for the greatest enimies of the Church and shall one daye buy such their heynous offences full deere at Christes hande But to addresse vs to the declaration of this present place Luke with great diligence rehearseth this hystorie declaring how the chiefe vse thereof is for vs to learne by example of the Apostles what to obserue and followe in choosing and appoynting ministers of the Church He beginneth with the description of the Church that was at that time In those dayes sayth he when they being gathered togither with one accorde looked for the comming of the holy ghost Peter stoode vp in the midst of the Disciples and proposed a matter which indifferently appertained to them all The number of them that beleeued when they were rehearsed by name was about an hundred and twentie Here both the small number of beleeuers in the Primitiue Church and Peter the Apostle are diligently to be considered For touching the number of them that professed Christ I thinke there is no man but marueyleth that there was no more founde in so famous and populous a Citie that professed and followed christ For what had Christ left vnassayde in that Citie For to omit the teaching aduertisements exhortation of the Prophets if a man consider but the things done in that Citie from the time that Christ came among them he shall perceyue an incredible hardnesse of heart and frowardnesse in that nation Iohn the Baptist went before Christ by reason of the plainnesse of his doctrine and straightnesse of his lyfe had bene able to haue mooued anye kinde of men But howe smally he profited the proofe very well declared Then by and by vpon followed Christ who to his doctrine which he framed and prepaced all maner of wayes to winne them with added myracles of such force and efficacie that they were able to make the verye enimies to confesse the truth Uerily Nicodemus confessed that no man but he that was sent of God coulde doe such things as they sawe him doe euery daye And manye openlye sayde Shall Christ when hee commeth worke more myracles than this man hath done I let passe the signes and woonders which partlye went before Christes death and partly followed which were able to mollifie the harts of the most cruell souldiers And yet after all these thinges there are no more but sixe score persons reckened among all that beleeued by Lukes testimonie who was a most faithfull and true witnesse In this appeareth the great power of Iesus Christ which of this smal remnant as the Prophets afore times tolde was able to multiplie and encrease his Church that in fewe yeares it was spred ouer all the worlde Wee maye learne also the vntowardnesse of mans nature and acknowledge almost an incurable naughtinesse in him and not to be offended though we see but fewe in these dayes that beleeue the doctrine of the Gospell For this did Esaias long ago foresee therfore minding to preach of the redemption that should be made by Christ crieth out who hath beleeued our preaching to whom is the arme of the Lorde declared And Christ speaking to his flocke sayth feare not little flocke for it hath pleased my father to giue you a kingdome And himselfe speaking of the last times declareth that such shall be the fashion and condicion of the worlde when he commeth that he shall finde no faith or truth vpon the earth Therfore great is the errour of those which iudge of faith and doctrine according to the multitude or fewnesse of them that followe it which is a common thing nowe a dayes For such was the state of the Church euen in the verye beginning that the smallest number embraced the doctrine of truth Noah only with his familie in that auncient worlde followed a diuers faith and religion from the residue of
To the which thing Dauid had a respect where he said Whither shall I go from thy spirite or whether shall I go from thy presence If I climbe vp into heauen thou art there if I go downe into hell thou art there also c. Therefore it is manifest that all this Hystorie ought to be expounded of the operation and giftes of the holy ghost And the Apostles are sayde to receyue the holy ghost bicause the same which otherwise is incomprehensible wrought effectually in them and endued and furnished them with all maner of gyftes as was meete to the execution of so weightie an office After which sense euery where in the Scripture they are sayde to haue God and the spirit of God present in them in whom he woorketh and who suffer themselues to be guided and directed by him and they lacke God and his spirite which withstand his woorking and rather giue themselues to the vnruly desires of the fleshe and the worlde than vnto the gouerning of the holy ghost Yet these thinges shall appeare more plaine by the context of the Hystorie wherein first we will note the tyme then the Apostles persons and last of all the maner of this sending all in order Luke beginneth with the discription of the tyme not so much for Hystoricall order sake and to purchase and get credite to the thing that was done as to aduertise vs of verye great mysteryes whereof the diuine prouidence had chiefly a consideration It was the day of Pentecost which otherwheres the scripture calleth the feast of weekes or of newe corne bicause on that day the Shewbread of newe corne was offered It tooke the name of Pentecost amongst the Greekes of the number bicause it was celebrated the fifteth day after Passeouer or Easter He that will see the Ceremonies obserued on that day may looke them in Leuit. 23. and Deut. 16. The chiefe thing here to be considered was the remembraunce of the lawe which the Scripture sayth was giuen that day and vttered by the mouth of Gods Maiestie It shall appeare that this day was appoynted by God for this businesse not without a cause if we consider the number of people which vsed to be present at this feast and well marke Christ to be the truest and best expositor of the olde lawe For it is euery where seene that God vseth to notifie and publishe to all men the things that concerne our saluation For he would haue as Paule sayth all men to be saued and to come vnto the knowledge of truth It was therfore most commodious that the preaching of the Gospell should begin vpon one of the greatest holy dayes and amongst the greatest number of people that both the more people might be instructed and also that the miracle of the holy ghost which should shortly be published to diuers nations might after a sort prepare for the Apostles the way of preaching And the Lorde obserueth in the Apostles that thing which we reade him selfe obserued while he was on the earth For as he chose publike places alwayes to preach in so was he woont on the holy dayes to go to Hierusalem that aswell his doctrine as miracles might be knowne to the more people Yea he would be crucifyed at the feast of Passeouer that the knowledge of his death being so profitable might the sooner and the wyder be published abroade It shall be profitable for vs diligently to marke the tokens of Gods goodnesse which teach vs that the redemption made by Christ Iesus is offered of God to all men and appertayneth to all men neyther can we haue any surer consolation any where in our temptations Uerily Sathan will not lightly denie that Iesus Christ is a Sauiour and a Redeemer But he vseth this pollicie in assaulting our fayth that the redemption which is by Christ appertayneth not vnto vs and teacheth vs to measure the merites of Christ and the limits thereof according to our worthinesse or vnworthinesse And it cannot bee chosen but here our fayth must quayle forasmuch as there is no man but findeth himselfe most vnworthie of saluation when he throughly hath considered his owne nature But the consideration of those thinges which teach Christ to be the vniuersall Sauiour of all them that beléeue in him and a most bountifull Author of health that is glad to benefite most men doth most strongly prop and beare vp our fayth thus faltring But the other cause is more diligently to be searched where we sayde that the spirite of Christ was giuen in Pentecost bycause of the lawe once published on that day It is manifest that all the things which happened to the Iewes were shadowes and figures of things to come to the accomplishment and performance whereof Iesus Christ from euerlasting was ordayned and appointed Therfore Augustines obseruation seemeth to me neyther superfluous nor curious who in the consideration of this present Hystorie compareth it with the figure of the olde Testament touching the setting foorth of the law where there is a great likenesse of all circumstances and a iust proportion or measure of mysteries on both sides to be obserued which we haue thought good to expounde by Austens wordes A sheepe is slaine sayth he the Passeouer is holden and within fiftie dayes after the lawe written with the finger of God is giuen to make vs feare Christ is slaine who like a sheepe was led to be offered as Esay witnesseth The true Passeouer is celebrated and within fiftie dayes after the holye ghost which is the finger of God is giuen to make vs to loue c. Yea Paule the Apostle diligentlye compareth the preaching of the Gospell which began at Pentecost with the publishing of the law and by that comparison prooueth the authoritie of the Gospell And the Scripture sheweth that Christ is the ende of the law whereof he professeth himselfe to be a true interpreter Therefore there could be no fitter tyme chosen to sende the holy ghost in than the fifteth day after Easter which by reason of the law then published was very notable For hereby we are taught that there is but one spirit of the olde and new Testament and not two diuers as the Manychies in tyme past dreamed For Christ would not take vpon him to haue interpreted the lawe if it had beene published with any other spirite than the spirite of God neyther would haue commended and celebrated the memoriall thereof with so wholesome a myracle Further we are taught that the true sence of the lawe can be gathered of none other than of the spirite of christ For where Christ onely hath satisfyed the lawe to whome the lawe led vs as a guide and Schoolemayster they shall in vaine traueyle about the vnderstanding thereof which are destitute of the spirit of Christ and faith in Christ which he worketh in vs Which thing is the cause that Paule sayth the Iewes haue yet the vayle before their eyes by reason whereof
Noah the preacher of righteousnesse went before the floud by whose preaching the worlde might haue bene brought to repentance Loth was sent by God vnto the Sodomites by whose words and examples they might haue bene admonished The Egyptians beside Moyses and Aaron sawe such horrible and monstrous tokens that if there had bene any sense or vnderstanding in them it might haue mollified their harts Rachab the harlot testifieth that the Chanaanites had warning afore of the destruction to come No man but meanly traueyled in the wrytings of the Prophetes is ignoraunt howe many and faythfull aduertisements went before the captiuitie of Babilon Concerning the signes and woonders that went before the last destruction of Hierusalem and people of Iurie Iosephus and Egesippus haue written most straunge and monstrous things I let passe the things conteined in other histories the truth wherof was always tryed by the effect falling out By these let vs learne to know the goodnesse of God and to iudge of the woonders and straunge signes of our days least if we like blind and deafe folke neglecting them be found despisers of God and suffer grieuous punishment for our contempt But some man may maruell what shoulde be the cause of so vnfortunate and troublous a state seeing the sonne of God appeared in the fleshe to make a loue daye betweene God and vs at whose birth the Aungelles were hearde to sing Glory be to God on high peace vpon earth and vnto men a good will. Where nowe God may seeme more angry and more offended with the earth than before his sonnes incarnation Surely hereof in tymes past the enimies of Christian profession tooke occasion to inueigh against Christes religion as after whose birth a whole sea of mishaps burst into the earth and ouerflowed all mankinde whose slaunders Tertullian Cyprian Augustine Arnobius and diuers of the auncient wryters haue grauely and learnedly aunswered and confuted Yea we shall finde some among the professours of Christianitie whome the consideration of these euils doth not a little dismay Therfore to marke and search out the cause of these euils is neyther vnprofitable nor superfluous but two wayes to be obserued For it is to be searched as well in the godly as the vngodly and so it shall easily appeere that the cause of these calamities is in vs and that the Christian faith and Christ himselfe is in no fault In the vngodly needeth no great inquisition to finde the cause whereas they dayly commit many thinges which deserue the wrath and punishment of god For eyther there reigneth in them the lyfe of Epicure and a carelesse contempt of God and all holynesse or else superstition and idolatrie Both these engender an hatred to the truth and stirre vp persecutions agaynst the ministers of Christ which by the light of the truth reprooue licentious liuing and accuse superstition These things reigne in our dayes yea they swarme in euery place that there is no man so blind but may see them nor none so impudent that can deny thē We may heare euerywhere mockers which as Peter warned vs with prety taunts can deride the day of iudgement and call the resurrection of the deade into question yea flatly deny it And they that can brydle their tongues yet with licentiousnesse of life testifie that they are stained with the same impiety Against these the professors of religion set themselues but being superstitious and giuen to grosse ydolatrie they fight for their colde ceremonies for mans traditions for the painted righteousnesse of their owne workes with no lesse vngodlynesse and waywardnesse than the Iewes in times passed stroue for the righteousnesse of the lawe Both these kindes of men consent in oppugning the truth as once we reade the Phariseys dalied with the Herodians against christ And the matter is not concluded in wordes and argumentes but with chaines imprisonments haulter fire and sworde And vngodlynesse in many places is gone so farre that there is counted no more heynous offence than purely to confesse Christ and boldlye to defende the veritie of the Gospell and the synceritie of Christian faith These thinges bicause they are daily committed it needeth not further to search the cause of the calamities that are daily seene considering how the same wickednesses caused Israel in times past to be led captiue to Babilon and afterwarde vtterly to be rooted vp Reade the second booke of Chronicles .xxxvj. Math. 23. Luc. 19. Chap. But I knowe thou wilt say the wicked are auctors of euill and that their doinges deserue more grieuous punishmentes than they yet feele But what maketh this to the godlye and syncere worshippers of Christ who are wrapped in the same calamities whome we see are the first that feele the smart of them Ought the impietie and frowardnesse of the vngodly to preiudice them Howbeit we must in the godly not only consider the truth of their doctrine sinceritie of fayth and integritie of religion but also the imperfection and vices which cleaue vnto them by reason of the flesh and then it shall appeare that they are not faultlesse and suffer not for others faultes For in them many times the desires of this world shew themselues and not seldome times vnder the cloke of Christ they seeke with the sonnes of Zebedaeus their priuate honours dignities and riches Therfore it is necessarie that they also doe drinke of the cup of Christ and being exercised with afflictions learne that the kingdome of Christ is not of this worlde Furthermore oftentimes the godly are to bolde and confident through securitie whereof they slippe into many enormities which thing as is manifest happened to Dauid and manye others Therefore it behooued that that carelesnesse and securitie should be shaken of with affliction and with the Crosse least they also shoulde grieuously offende or that when they had offended they might learne to saye with Dauid It is good for mee that I haue bene in trouble that I maye learne thy statutes My soule melteth away for very heauinesse comfort thou mee according to thy worde And bicause God considereth the contrite in heart and Christ calleth them that traueyle and are heauie laden vnto him it is necessary we be brought downe by afflictions that when we feele our selues burthened and heauy loden we maye go the gladlyer vnto Christe Besides this The seruaunt that knoweth his maisters will and doth it not shall be the sorer beaten And if we woulde iudge or accuse our selues we shoulde not be iudged or condemned of the Lord. But bicause moste times we flatter our selues and winke at other mens faultes Gods iudgements are necessary to shewe that he is no fauourer or allower of sinne Last of all the glorie of God requireth that where he punisheth the wickednesse of the worlde iudgement shoulde beginne at his house as the Apostle sayth least he might seeme to beare and allowe in his owne folke that he seuerely punisheth in other If we consider well these things we
them in question he aunswereth them by another testimony saying For Dauid is not ascended into heauen but he sayth The Lorde sayde vnto my Lorde sit thou on my right hande vntill I make thy foes thy footestoole This argument consisteth of two pointes First Dauid ascended not into heauen Ergo these thinges ought not to be vnderstanded of Dauid He denieth that Dauid is ascended into heauen not bicause he thinketh him to be reckoned in the number of the damned but speaketh of his bodye which as was beforesayd was consumed into dust and earth Touching the soule this saying of Christ standeth in force He that beleeueth in mee hath lyfe euerlasting and shall not come into iudgement but is passed from death vnto life The other argument standeth vppon the testimonye of Dauid who sheweth that these things ought not to be vnderstanded of himselfe but of Christ which shoulde be borne of his stocke For in the Psalme Cx. he sayeth The Lorde sayde to my Lorde c. which place is so cleere and so vndenyable that Christ thought good to vse it against the Scribes In the meane season we are taught by Peters example that the Scriptures ought to be expounded by conference of other places least standing rashly vpon some one place we gainesay many other which thing is the cause of many errors in the Church It is to be marked how vnto Christes ascention into heauen he ioyneth the sending of the holy ghost This doth he very prudently and in order For hereby he teacheth vs that though Iesus Christ haue taken his body out of this worlde yet ought he not to be contemned For he hath not for all that cast of the care of the Church but by his spirite is present with the same by the which spirit he woorketh more effectually in the mindes of those that be his than before he did when he was conuersaunt with vs in body wherefore he sayth vnto the Disciples that it is expedient for vs that he leaue the worlde and go vnto the father For so place shoulde be giuen to the holy ghost which we coulde not haue so long as we did sticke to his bodily presence And surely after that Christ had giuen his bodye vpon the aultare of the Crosse for the life of the worlde and had by the raysing vp thereof againe ouercome death there was no more for his body here to doe vpon earth It remayned therefore that by his glorious ascention he should open the gates of heauen which our sinne had shut against vs and should become a pledge for vs in heauen whereby we might be assured of the inheritance possession of heauen Therfore Christ caried his body into heauen and set it on the right hand of his father hath sent vnto vs being here on the earth to vse Tertullians terme his holy ghost to be his vicare or substitute By the operatioÌ„ of him he regenerateth vs through the immortall seede of the word of God to be the sonnes of god By him he teacheth vs and comforteth vs The same is the earnest or gage of our saluation Through the encouragement we crie Abba father By him it commeth to passe that Christ dwelleth in vs and we in him All which things sithens Christ worketh in vs most effectuallye by his spirite there is no cause we shoulde complaine of the absence of his body which is resident in heauen for our healthes sake And they that require the presence of his bodye and desire to haue it shewed on earth seeme to me little mindefull of the admonitions which are read in the .xxiiij. of Mathew Also Peter describeth the kingdome of Christ with the wordes of Dauid which it behooueth vs oftentimes diligentlye to consider The first point herein is how he sayth Christ is exalted by the right hande of God and ascended into heauen Therfore his kingdome is heauenly not of this worlde as himselfe confessed before Pylate In deede all power is giuen vnto him in heauen and in earth but not to rule after the maner of Princes in this worlde in whose reignes must needes fall out vncertaine and vnstable entercourse of matters bicause they labour to obtayne kingdomes by the vncertaine and vaine power of the flesh We are also taught that we must not seeke for worldly goodes in the kingdome of Christ suche as are riches honors pleasures friendship of the worlde and others of like sort They are eternall and celestiall goodes which God the father hath giuen vs in christ Therefore we ought altogither to be busied in studying for them Then he teacheth vs that Christ sitteth at the right hande of God by the which phrase of speach both a certaine place is appointed of beatitude and blisse and also an equall power of kingdome or empire with God the father For the father loueth the sonne and hath giuen all thinges into his handes He also commaundeth all men to honour the sonne euen as they honour the father Wherevnto also this worde sitting belongeth whereby is expressed the maiestie of Christ in his reigne and the sure and vnmooueable power of his kingdome Last of all he sayth that all his enimies shall be subdued and become his footestoole Christ is therfore a victorious king and an inuincible vanquisher of his enimies Satan is the capitaine and standerdbearer of them all who was threatened with death long sithens by the first promyse of saluation that was made in Christ when God sayd The seede of the woman shall treade downe the serpentes heade And Christ teacheth vs that he is alreadye iudged and cast out In like maner it is as playne that sinne is ouercome For God sayth Paule sent his sonne and hath condemned sinne by sinne that is to say by the sacrifice of his sonne offred vpon the aultar of the crosse for sinne he hath put awaye the guilt or trespasse of sinne and hath taken awaye the power and force thereof that it shall hereafter not hurt vs But sinne being put away it is euident that death also must be vanquished which fought against vs by none other weapon than the sting of sinne Therefore all the power of hell is truelye subdued by Christ. He also ouercommeth the world and tyraunts with all the â—able of the reprobate For we reade that it hath bene long since decreed by the father that they that will not be gouerned by the wholesome worde of his sonne shall be brused and broken to poulder with his rod of yron Neither want there examples of dayes longe passed and nowe present which teache vs what notable victories and triumphes Christ atchieueth of the enimies of his Church Let vs learne therfore to acknowledge this king and not to feare this worlde which when it rageth most is nearest to destruction and is able to doe nothing against them whome Christ taketh charge of against whome the gates of hell are not able to preuayle
giuen vnto them so godly humilitie whether it be of men or of holy Aungels hath refused these thinges being offred them and sheweth to whome it is due Of these may be taken a sure rule wherby to iudge as well of all apparitions as doctrines For whosoeuer teacheth vs to trust in God and to serue him and to worship one God in Iesus Christ whether they be Aungels or men they ought to be taken for the holy ministers of God and we may safely beleeue them But whosoeuer teacheth vs to take the glorye of saluation from Christ and to conuey it to himselfe or to other creatures and seeketh health in mennes owne workes accursed be he yea if he were an aungell from heauen All apparitions of spirites counterfeyting the soules of men departed this life and teaching that they must be redeemed with sacrifices of Masse and such like workes are put to flight by this dart Likewise all false teachers which so abuse the simplicitie of men that they chalenge to themselfe the glory of redeeming and forgiuing of sinnes And Peter by his example condemneth the Romishe Antichristes which glory in the seate and succession of Peter of which number it is reported one sayd that there was nothing more profitable and plenteous than Christian religion For by it it came to passe that he and his like were Lordes of the world So the saying of one of them rashly vttered bewrayde the minde and opinion of them all We are also admonished by Peters wordes whome we should take for the author of all myracles Wherein men for the most part respect two things the power and holynesse of them by whose ministerie they are wrought But Peter teacheth vs that neyther of these is the cause efficient of these myracles in that he reprehendeth the Iewes bicause they thought so great a thing was wrought by the power and godlinesse of the Apostles And there want not reasons whereby to prooue Peters saying For they are called myracles that are wrought eyther against the course of nature or beside it But God only is the Lord of nature which hath giuen all power to Christ in heauen and in earth Wherfore it behooueth vs also to acknowledge him the author of all myracles For what can men doe against the order of nature which can doe nothing in the thinges wrought after the course of nature It is a naturall thing that by age mannes stature should encrease vntill he come to a iust measure and proportion and that when age commeth he shoulde waxe gray heared Now what man is there that by his carefulnesse and industry can adde one cubite to his stature or make one heare of his heade white or blacke No there is nothing here to be attributed to the holinesse of the person as though that were the chiefe cause of the myracle whereas we knowe there haue bene many holy men which coulde worke no myracles For myracles are woont to be wrought not for their sakes which doe them but most commonly for the saluation of other For the which cause God would many times vse the meane of wicked persons that nothing shoulde be attributed to the merites of men So we see Iudas numbred amongst them to whome Christ committed the preaching of the Gospell and gaue power to worke myracles And Christ sayth in an other place that many in the later day shall glory in their myracles whom he sayth he will not cast of for that they boast of a thing that is vntrue but bicause they be workers of wickednesse Therefore as myracles be not alwayes sure testimonies of the holynesse of men so neyther must they be ascribed to the holynesse of them that doe them For what can man doe contrary to nature which by reason of inwarde corruption is vnworthye of the naturall and daily benefites of God Therefore God onely is to be taken for the author of myracles of these I meane that serue for confirmation of our faith and saluation And he worketh these myracles not bicause we deserue them but for that he is carefull for our saluation For they are testimonies of the truth of his doctrine stirre vp mens mindes to the consideration of him That was also the meaning of them which were woont to be done about Saints tombes For the Lord by them ment to confirme their doctrine and to testifie their immortalitie and blisse which were cruelly tormented by the wicked persecutors of the faith that they which other wise shoulde be offended at their death might be comforted Let vs therefore hedge in and compasse all myracles with these limites that all the glory of them maye be ascribed to God alone Whosoeuer shall passe these boundes they shall eyther deceyue others being not aware with their myracles or else by others be deceyued themselues Let no man yet so take our saying as though we enuied the holye Saintes of God their honor and glory For we ascribe vnto them whatsoeuer the holy ghost in the Scriptures attributeth to them We acknowledge them while they were on the earth to haue bene singuler vesselles and instrumentes of Gods glorye and grace whose doctrine whosoeuer will be saued ought to holde with firme faith and to imitate the example of their life For we knowe that Christ hath sayde Hee that heareth you heareth me c. And we embrace this saying of Paule Be ye followers of me as I am of Christ. And nowe we beleeue they are in heauen taken from all the cares labours and griefes of this worlde as the holy men testifye of Abraham and the other Patriarches in the Prophete In the meane season whatsoeuer belongeth to the gouernaunce of this worlde and to the businesse of our redemption we teache it ought to be attributed to God through Iesus christ For as in the creation of this worlde he vsed the helpe and counsell of none other so will he that none other shall be partaker with him of the glory of our redemption Wherefore let vs thinke it vnlawfull to take any thing from him or to chalenge to our selfe or any other any maner of prayse therefore But let vs constantlye trust in him and cleaue onely to him by his beloued sonne Iesus Christ to whome be prayse honor glory and power for euer Amen The .xxij. Homelie THE God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Iacob the God of our fathers hath glorified his sonne Iesus whome yee deliuered and denied in the presence of Pylate when he had iudged him to be loosed But you denyed the holy and iust and desired a murtherer to be giuen you and killed the Lorde of lyfe whome God hath raysed from death of the which we are witnesses And his name through the fayth of his name hath made this man sounde And the fayth which is by him hath giuen to him this health in the presence of you all WE haue declared the first part of Peters sermon wherein he confuteth the ignorance
hath the authoritie of the sworde committed him of God And me thinketh there needeth no long disputation agaynst them which in matters of religion will haue the authoritie of the sworde altogyther to cease For though we graunt them that no man ought violently to be compelled to the fayth for that it is the gift of God yet is it the Magistrates duetie by the sworde to keepe vnder both blasphemers deceyuers and false teachers least for lacke of punishment they doe and speake agaynsâ— the glorie of God and publike tranquilitie See the â—aw Leuit. 24. Deut. 13. Neyther seemeth Peter in thys present place nor Paule afterwarde to haue sought any other thing than the defence of religion In primis let vs beare in minde the chiefe poynt of this hystorie and being frayde with the horrible example of Ananias let vs flye dissimulation let vs worship God in spirite and truth and cleaue to Iesus Christ with mindes burning in godly fayth to whome be prayse honour power and glory for euer Amen The .xxxiij. Homelie AND it came to passe that as it were about the space of three houres after his wyfe came in ignorant of that which was done And Peter sayd vnto hir Tell me Solde ye not the lande for so much And shee sayde yea for so much Then Peter saide vnto hir Why haue yee agreed togither to tempt the spirite of the Lorde Beholde the feete of them which haue buryed thy husbande are at the dore and shall carie thee out Then fell she downe streyte waye at his feete and yeelded vp the ghost And the yong men came in and founde hir deade and caryed hir out and buryed hir by hir husbande BYcause our Sauiour Iesus Christ was not ignoraunt that there would be alwayes false brethren and hypocrites in the Church which would be authors of great offences he would therefore in the beginning and springth of the Church haue some terrible example shewed agaynst them whereby we myght learne what such as they be shoulde looke for and trust to We haue seene the first part hereof in Ananias in whom the conditions of hypocrytes are trimly expressed These men are destitute of true fayth which thing is the fountaine beginning of all euill For hereof it commeth to passe that they wickedly mocke and despise as well God as his Church Herevnto maye we adde incurable obstinacie the accomplishment of all vice wherby it commeth to passe that a man may easilier conuert open synners than such as haue once purposed in theyr minde to deceyue the congregation by hypocrisie and dissimulation These things shall appeare the more plainely if we consyder the other part of thys storie which contayneth as dolorous and lamentable an ende of Sapphira which within three houres after not knowing of hir husbandes death came in vnto Peter and the faythfull which were with him as Luke reporteth For commonly it so commeth to passe that we knowe those things last which it behooued vs first to knowe bicause menne vse rather in our absence to disclose our faultes than to reprooue vs to our face Then also the affection of loue so worketh in the godly that they vnwyllingly bring tydings of anye thing which may giue occasion of griefe to their neighbours Which seemeth me to be the cause that Sapphira as yet knewe not of the death of hir husband But to the ende we may receyue the more vtilitie by consideration of thys hystorie first of all we will speake of the question wherewith Peter beginneth with hir and then of the ouer bolde confidence of Sapphira and last of all of the punishment wherewith God was reuenged on hir Peters demaunde was neyther light nor superfluous For thereby Sapphiras impietie did appeare the playner which otherwise might eyther haue seemed ignoraunt of hir husbandes craft or else to haue bene induced by hys authoritie so to haue dissembled Therefore Peter requireth of hir a reason of this their doing saying Tell me solde you the lande for so much Furthermore where the successe of the matter declareth that Peter did nothing of priuate affection but by the instinct of the holy ghost it behooueth vs here to marke the order that God vseth in punishing the wicked The incurable naughtinesse of Sapphira could not be hidden from him neyther coulde any man haue letted him to haue punished the same by and by But he woulde haue a time of repentaunce graunted hir and hir minde to be tryed and stirred vp by a straunge demaunde least he might seeme ouer hastie to anye man by his seueritie Such examples of Gods long sufferaunce are euerywhere extant For he is well ware of vsing any crueltie against the guiltie as Tyrannes doe but will haue them vnderstande by what offences they haue prouoked his wrath and punishment agaynst themselues Thus we read he did with our first parents and he gaue them that liued in the beginning of the worlde an hundred and twentie yeares space wherein to repent them and did also vouchsafe to sende them Noah the preacher of righteousnesse Likewise he would not destroy the Chanaanites and Amorrhites vntill he saw they filled the measure of iniquitie and were become alltogither incurable But what neede examples seeing we haue plentie both in the holy prophane hystories to let passe those things whereof wee see experience daylie both in others and in our selues Let vs rather apply these matters to our instruction and first of all let vs not abuse the long suffering of god For he prouoketh vs to repentaunce Let vs not therefore like reprobates procure vnto vs the wrath of God by contynuing in synne without repentaunce and waxe euery day woorse and woorse For God is slacke in punishing but this slacknesse as the heathen haue vsed to saye he recompenceth with weight and heauinesse of punishment Also let vs followe the goodnesse of God and not be to hastie in our iudgement although it appeare some haue deserued punishment For where God euery where desyreth the saluation rather than destruction of men what boldnesse is it I pray you to sâ—ryue to ouercome Gods iustice by our rigour and seueritie which thing they haue chiefely to consider which haue receiued power and authoritie from God to punishe other least through their seueritie and hastinesse of iudgement they bring the bodyes and soules of them in ieopardie whose saluation they shoulde principallye seeke But let vs harcken to Sapphira who boldly lyeth without all shame and feare of god And she doth not simply affirme the thing but vsing a signe of contestation confirmeth as it were by an oâ—h that which she knew to be false For where euery man had libertie to giue what seemed him good it was lyke hytherto that no man was required to giue account before the congregation what he receyued and layde forth Therefore Sapphira should haue thought that it was not without some mysterie that such a question was now mooued especially knowing in hir selfe that
Tharsus for behold he prayeth and hath seene in a vision a man named Ananias comming vnto him and putting his handes on him that he might receyue his sight Then Ananias aunswered Lorde I haue hearde by many of this man howe much euill he hath done to thy Saints at Ierusalem and here he hath authoritie of the high Priestes to bynde all that call on thy name The Lorde sayde vnto him Go thy way for he is a chosen vessell vnto me to carie my name before the Gentyles and Kinges and the children of Israel For I will shewe him howe great things he must suffer for my names sake ALthough we ought diligently to consider the conuersions and callinges of all the Apostles yet Paules conuersion of all others deserueth singulerly to be marked partly bicause it contayneth in it a rare example of Gods mercye towarde sinners and partly for that Paule laboured more than alâ— the Apostles neyther is there anye other whose writings are more often alledged eyther of the olde writers or newe in matters of fayth and religion It is therfore necessary that we knowe who he was howe God called him and conuerted him that we may haue his doctrine in the more authoritie which thing is the cause that Luke writeth his hystorie so diligently And hitherto he hath declared howe the Lorde interrupted his fiercenesse and horrible attempts in the middle of hys race and businesse and that so forceably that he was fayne to offer himselfe to the Lord to be obedient and to be taught being a whyle before his grieuous enimie Herevnto he conueniently addeth howe he is appoynted to the office of an Apostle which contayneth a notable discourse betweene the Lorde Iesus Christ and Ananias by whose ministerie Paule was to be ordered Euery part whereof we will declare as farre forth as God shall permit First the Lorde calleth Ananias that Paule may take orders by his ministerie And of Ananias Luke speaketh but little in this place but Paule at large where he commendeth him of his godlinesse and sayth he deserued among the Iewes the testimonie of a good and an innocent man Him the Lorde certifyeth of his will by a vision and likewise prepareth Paule being in his prayers by an other vision worthily to receyue Ananias Here our Sauiour Christ is well to be marked which instructeth them both by euident visions For hereby is perceyued the ardent desire that Christ hath to the saluation of mankinde shewed and declared ingenerall towardes all men and especially in seeking the lost sheepe as himselfe elsewhere testifyeth Which thing as it is for our comfort so it also serueth for our instruction that we should traueyle rather to saue sinners than to destroy them and not follow those which glorying in their feruent zeale of Gods glorie rashly reiect and condemne all those whome they see once to haue swarued from the way of truth Moreouer we are taught how expedient it is that all things be done rightly duely in the outwarde ministerie of the worde For except the ministers be duely called and well assured of their calling and the hearers well prepared to receyue their sayings there can followe no worthie fruite and auayle of their doing For howe shall they preach except they be sent Or with what argumentes shall they bee emboldened agaynst the threates and enterprises of the wicked which craftily haue vsurped and intruded vpon the office of teaching Againe if the hearers come not well minded and prepared to heare the worde of the Lorde then shall they receyue that wholesome seede eyther into the way eyther into stonie places or among thornes and there shall be many impediments that shall cause that they shall bring forth no worthie fruites Wherfore Christ requireth honest mindes which will holde fast the seede they haue once receyued and being armed agaynst all suggestions of Satan the worlde and the flesh bring forth worthie fruits with pacience And that we haue neede of diligent preparation hereto euery man may easily vnderstande that well considereth the corrupt nature of man These things if we will well weigh and expend it shall easily appeare why there is so much preaching in these dayes with so little profite For most part of the Ministers without wayting for the lawfull calling of the Lorde get into the ministerie by vnlawfull meanes for the belly sake and they that will not seeme the vngodlyest of the hearers of the worde come vnto it more for custome sake than of any earnest desire of amendment beeing altogither like vnto those which in the Prophete sayde Come I praye you let vs heare what woorde is gonefoorth from the Lorde Furthermore we haue also to consider Paule whom the Lord speaking to Ananias witnesseth to be in his prayer This is to be vnderstanded of the continuall prayers he made all the three dayes long as easily appeareth by the circumstaunces bicause there were many thinges which might mooue Paule vnto prayer For he felt the horrible hande of God which threw him downe He hearde howe he was accused from heauen to be the professed enimie of the sonne of god Then came to his minde the wicked enterprises crueltie that he had vsed against the name of Christ and his Church also the banishments chaynes imprisonment and torments with the lamentation and crying of women and children whereofhe had beene the authour Yea his guiltie conscience as yet troubled him Then againe the wayting for the promise of reuelation and instruction was able to styrre him vp to earnest prayer and yet in this earnestnesse and diligence of praying God disappoynteth him as I might say whole three dayes togither These things commend vnto vs an incessant earnestnesse of prayer bicause there are as many and as vrgent causes to styrre vs vp also theretoo For if we discende into our selues wee shall finde they are no tryfling sinnes whereby we haue deserued Gods wrath We many tymes feele the hande of Gods anger The conscience of our wickednesse oftentymes molesteth vs We are still in daunger of all kindes of aduersitie And if the thinking hereof be not able to kindle in vs heartie and ardent prayer then shall wee worthily be called colder than yron or yce Paule for these causes commaundeth vs continually to pray And let vs so remember to continue in prayer that we be not ouercome with distrust or impaciencie and rashely prescribe God any tyme to heare or helpe vs in For he sometime deferreth the helpe he promiseth vs not bicause he meaneth to disappoynt them that trust in him but bicause he will exercise and trie our fayth Examples wherof we haue both in Paule in Abraham in the woman of Chanaan and in many others Here therefore let vs bende the force of our fayth and follow the example of that Widdow by whose importunatenesse Christ sayth the wicked Iudge was ouercome But O miserable and vnhappie wretches that we be which as we scarce take vs vnto prayer
written If therefore any thing be brought forth contrarye to their doctrine let vs knowe that it commeth from man whose tradicions long since are beaten downe by the sentence of God. We haue therefore a notable and wholesome sermon of Peters whereby the first of the Gentyles are conuerted vnto Christ. This sermon if it be well expended conteyneth in it all the articles of our fayth concerning God the father Iesus Christ his sonne and the holy ghost The same comprehendeth in it a perfite order of the saluation of man which as it is sette forth to vs in Christ so is it to be taken holde of by fayth only in him Which bicause it is the gift of God it becommeth vs by continuall prayer to aske it of him that being truly graffed into Iesus Christ iustified by his merit we may be saued To him be all praise honor power glory for euer AmeÌ„ The .lxxvij. Homelie Whyle Peter yet spake these wordes the holy ghost fell on all them which hearde the preaching And they of the Circumcision which beleeued were astonied as many as came with Peter bicause that on the Gentyles also was shedde out the gift of the holye ghost For they hearde them speake wyth tongues and magnifie god Then aunswered Peter can any man forbydde water that these shoulde not be baptised which haue receyued the holy ghost as well as we And he commaunded them to be baptised in the name of the Lorde Then prayed they him to tarie a fewe dayes AS God the father hath included all the meane of our saluation in Iesus Christ his sonne so he woulde that he shoulde be the sauiour and Redemer of all Nations and not of one people onely Whereof may be gathered euident arguments both of the first promises and oracles of the Prophetes and also of the last commaundement of Christ when he sent forth his Apostles into all the worlde to preach the Gospell But whereas the Iewes being puft vp with the prerogatiue of the lawe and ceremonies thereof vsed to despyse other Nations and woulde not vouchsafe to admit them into their congregation it was neede there shoulde be some peculiar demonstration to declare that the stoppe of the lawe was broken downe by Christ and that the grace of God was offred vnto the Gentyles also without the righteousnesse of the lawe This doth the holy ghost most liuely set forth in this hystorie For as God did vouchsafe to sende his Aungell to Cornelius a Gentyle and one vncircumcised and to awake Peter by an heauenlye vision to instruct him so Peter the Apostle preacheth vnto the same Cornelius by instinct of the holy spirite the whole order of saluation wyth marueylous breuitie and playnenesse and without any mention making of the ceremonies of the law teacheth vs that Iesus Christ is appoynted vs of God in whom to haue the forgiuenesse of our sinnes But least any man might thinke that Peter had ouer rashly and without aduyse blabbed out these sayinges the effect of the matter prooueth the same which Luke for this cause the more diligently describeth bicause he woulde stirre vs vppe to the more diligent consideration of the matter First whyle Peter as yet was speaking it is sayde the holy ghost fell on all them which hearde the preaching And not long after it is sayde likewyse that they spake with diuers tongues and declared the great grace of god The same therefore commeth here to passe that fell out in the daye of Pentecost and God thought good to confirme Peters doctrine which Cornelius and his kinne had receyued by the visible sending of his holy spirite and to declare in deede that the grace of saluation was alyke belonging to all beleeuers whether they were Iewes or Gentiles and that from henceforth the ceremonies of the lawe were no more to be obserued This is euident that in the Apostles times it was a common thing to haue the visible sending of the holy ghost to be ioyned with the preaching of the Gospell which God did vouchsafe to giue vnto them that beleeued in him By the which argument Paule prooueth the iustifycation of fayth agaynst them which affirme that men are iustified by the workes of the law For he saith This onelye woulde I learne of you whether you receyued the spirite by the deedes of the lawe or by the preaching of the fayth Are you such fooles that after you haue begonne in the spirite you nowe ende in the flesh He that ministreth to you the spirit and worketh myracles among you â–ª doth he it through the deedes of the lawe or by the preaching of the fayth We haue in this place to consider the dignitie and efficacie of the working of the Gospell For wee see this is the instrument whereby God vseth to giue his spirite and to worke effectuously in the minde of man so that it is not without a cause that Paule sayth the Gospell is the power of God vnto saluation to all that beleeue it And for the same cause he calleth the Preachers of the Gospell the ministers of the spirite For although all they that heare the Gospell in these dayes haue not the gyft of tongues giuen vnto them and such other gyftes as is euident remayned in the Church vntill the time of Iraeneus and after be for the moste part ceased yet it is manifest that all they are endued with the spirite of adoption and regeneration which duly heare the Gospell and embrace it by fayth whereby they crie Abba father and which Paule calleth the earnest or pledge of our saluation 2. Cor. 1. and .5 And the effectes of this spirite are manifest whyle it mortifyeth the fleshe wyth the earthly members thereof in the beleeuers regenerateth men illuminateth the mynde and causeth that they which by nature are apt and meete to no goodnesse are able to doe all thinges in christ Wherevpon we gather agayne that they are not to be taken for the members of Christ iâ— whome there appeare no effectes of the holy spirite For that spirite is not ydle and â—luggysh And Paule sayth that they which are destitute of the spirite of Christ are not his Agayne this place teacheth vs what the exercises of them that beleeue are after they haue receyued the holye ghost They speake with straunge new tongues which although it come not to passe to euery man as we sayd euen nowe yet the holy ghost ordreth the tongues of all them that beleeue to speake those thinges which serue to the glory of God and the edifying of other whereof hath bene sufficiently sayde in the second Chapter Then it is sayde that they greatly praysed god So doe they that truly acknowledge the grace of God which he offreth vs in Christ whereas contrarywyse whosoeuer beleeue to be iustifyed by their workes praise themselues And this giuing of thankes is a sacrifyce most acceptable vnto God which he both often requireth and the godly euerywhere vowe
which being giuen to curious artes contrary to the prescript word of God dare prophecie of warres to come of plentie of sickenesses and such lyke things Whose boldenesse and impietie I haue before declared to be forbidden by the lawes of god See the fourth Homelie and also our Commentaries vpon Micheas homil 20. It remayneth that we declare what the Christians at Antioch did after the Prophete had thus admonished them Where chiefly appeareth their fayth which was the grounde of all their well doing For by their doings it may easily be gathered that they beleeued Agabus prophecie For they coulde not suspect him whome they sawe threatned but such things as the publike corruption of all states and degrees deserued This is the beginning of saluation when men can fynde in their heartes to beleeue the word of god This thing in time past put away the destruction which god threatned vnto the Niniuites Contrarywise it appeareth that diuers men haue bene the occasion of their owne vtter vndooing bicause they rather woulde with their hinderaunce and losse prooue the veritie of Gods worde than beleeue it And our Sauiour Christ teacheth this to be the onely cause of the destruction of Ierusalem that they knewe not the daye of their visitation So likewise he calleth that the time of grace when the father of heauen did vouchsafe to admonishe the Iewes of the wrath to come first by Iohn the Baptist then by his sonne and the Apostles and did exhort them to amendment of lyfe and a newe conuersation And if we list to apply these things to our dayes we shall be constrayned to confesse that this is the chiefe cause of our miseries in that there be so fewe which vse to beleeue the worde of God and to feare the predictions or warnings of punishment to come Moreouer after the people of Antiochia had beleeued Agabus thus prophecying they called to minde the state of their needye brethren and weighing with themselues diligently what a dearth was lyke to be at that time they prepared themselues to the deedes of Christian charity deuotion a thing not vsed of the children of this world For when they perceyue a dearth like to folow they apply themselfe to their gainful deuises they heap vp corne and hoorde in their Garners to make of a publike calamitie their priuate lucre and aduantage yea by these fellowes subtelties it commeth to passe that they which are in neede are the more distressed with penurie the dearth holdes the longer bicause they still greedily gape after more aduauntage But the Christians at Antioche did farre otherwise whome Christ did vouchsafe first to haue called after his own name For their chief care was howe to succour their poore and needye brethren And in this case they thinke their brethren the Iewes to haue most neede partly for that they knew their goodes were taken from them as Paule testifyeth Heb. 10. and partly for that they knewe they were bounde to them in that they had receyued from them the wholesome doctrine of the Gospell and knowledge of Christ their sauiour For being godly and wyse people they did easilye perceyue that it was not without the prouidence of God that they whose goodes as yet were not consumed shoulde for this ende be admonished of the dearth to ensue For after this sort they thought that god in this publike scarcitie did in their brethrens behalfe require this deede of charity of them This is a verye notable example of Christian gratitude whereby we are taught what dutie learners owe to their teachers seeing the Antiochians acknowledge themselues to be debters to all the Iewes bicause they had learned the truth of some of the Iewes For by common reason they vnderstande that saying of Paule to be most iust that it is but a small matter if they reape their temporall goodes which haue sowed them spirituall goodes But nowe a dayes we be moste vnkinde for hauing receyued great profite by the doctrine of the Gospell men enuye the teachers themselues a necessary liuing much more their other neighbours and countrie men Thus they declare they make no great account of the Gospell when they make so much a doe to paye the Ministers of the Gospell but their bare stipende and pension Howbeit Luke diligently declareth the order that the Antiochians tooke about this matter First euery man of the Disciples purposed to sende succour vnto the brethren which dwelt at Iurie And where hee declareth that thys was the purpose of euery one he sheweth it was a voluntary benefyte and not enforced Such ought they to be which will haue their charitie accepted of god For as Paule teacheth the Lorde looueth a cheerefull giuer It shall much make for the stirring vp of liberalitie in vs if we consider that the richer sort owe this seruice and dutie to the poore Which thing is the cause that Paule reasoning of this matter vseth so often this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifyeth the dutie of ministery and dispensation Whervnto is to be referred that saying of Christ admonishing vs to make vs friendes of the vniust Mammon which when we depart hence maye receyue vs into euerlasting Tabernacles These done he sayth they purposed to sende euery one according to his a bilitie For God did so moderate our Christian liberalitie that hee woulde no man shoulde be charged aboue his possibilitie For it is well knowne what Paule sayth if there be first a willing minde it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that hee hath not Not that other be set at libertie and you brought into combraunce but that there be egalnesse nowe at this time and that your abundance may succour their lacke And wee reade that the widdowe that cast but two Mytes into the Corban was praysed of Christ bicause she was able to giue no more And here is the niggishnesse of them greatlye reprooued which neglect the workes of liberalitie vnder pretence that they thinke it vniust to bestowe the goodes that they haue gotten with their labour and traueyle vpon other whereas God requireth nothing of them more than that they be able to spare Last of all they are very circumspect that their so godly and necessarye a deuise be not by craft and subtiltie hindred or disappoynted For when they had gathered this mony they committed it not at all aduentures to euery one to be caried but to Paule and Barnabas whose credit they had tryed diuers wayes And surely to let all this geare passe it appeareth in Paules writings what great truth he vsed in this behalfe and howe carefully hee procured the reliefe of his needye brethren in Iurie See .1 Corint 16. 2. Cor. 8. and .9 and Rom. 15. Moreouer they sende it to the Elders that it might duely be distributed according to their discretion We haue therfore in this place to learne what Christians haue to doe in times of publyke distresse
onely bicause he woulde not destroy the whole Nation according to their desertes In the meane while he grieuously punished them that were incurable and woulde not repent For none of them entred into the lande of promise but were ouerthrowne in the wildernesse with many plagues in somuch that God neyther spared Aaron nor Moses bicause they also had bene occasions of offence vnto the people Fourthly he rehearseth the inheritance of the lande of promise which God gaue by lot to the people of the Iewes hauing fyrst destroyed seauen mightie Nations This is at large set forth in the booke of Iosue And Moses diligently setteth forth that benefyte of God where he sayeth when the Lorde thy God hath brought thee into the lande which he sware vnto thy fathers Abraham Isaac and Iacob and giueth thee great and goodlye Cities which thou buildedst not houses full of all maner of goods which thou fylledst not and welles digged which thou diggedst not vineyardes and Olyue trees which thou plantedst not c. Which wordes as they marueylously amplify the liberalitie of God so they might cause God to be thought vnrighteous and cruell vnlesse the causes be well considered for the which these Nations were cast out Moses reciteth them in other places where he forbiddeth wandring and promiscuous lustes incest ydolatrie sorcerie and enchauntmentes and such other curious artes and addeth Thou shalt not doe after the maner of this Nation which I cast out before thee for all these things haue they done wherfore I haue abhorred them c. See Leuit. 20 and .18 Deut. 18 Therefore for these offences these Nations were destroyed wherewithall when the Israelites also were defyled we reade that God cast them of also so that no man â—an in this case accuse God eyther of vnrighteousnesse or of ouermuch seueritie Fifthly he setteth forth the benefyte of a common weale gouerned by good lawes For God did not onely giue vnto them the lande but also Iudges to gouerne and defend them against the tyrannie of their enimies And here is to be marked a manifest errour which through the negligence of Stationers and Printers hath depraued the numbers For it is written that after Moses and the distribution of the lande the Iudges ruled foure hundred and fyfty yeares whereas by infallible computation can be gathered but three hundred yeares onely which Paule was not ignorant of For it is euident that from the people of Israels going out of Egypt vntill the building of Salomons Temple which beganne in the fourth yeare of his reigne were but fower hundreth and fower score yeares From these take the fortie yeares that Moses ledde the people in the wildernesse and the fortie yeares of Samuel and Saule and as many of Dauid with the fower yeares of Salomons reigne and then shall remayne three hundred and sixe and fyftie yeares in the which the Iudges gouerned the common weale of Israel In these are declared two argumentes of Gods goodnesse For in all that time of the Iudges they deserued not so fewe times as once to be destroyed and yet were still saued Moreouer when they desired a King despising that forme of common weale which was the best of all other giuen them of God God did not set ouer them any forreine tyrant but gaue them Saule to be their king one of their owne brethren and one of the least regarded Trybes least the power of the newe king shoulde be to great and intollerable at the beginning Yea the Lorde tooke in good part and did well interpretate their inconsiderate rashnesse For so he brought the kingdome to Iuda out ofwhose Princely stocke Iacob prophecied that the Messias shoulde come But of this shall be intreated hereafter At this present let vs consider that the institution of a common weale is to be numbred among the speciall benefytes of god For where men naturally shunne to be corrected and yet without discipline it is impossible to leade a quiet and safe life it is a worke of Gods power and goodnesse to haue common weales and Magistrates ordeyned which thing it behooueth them to consider which through Gods gift enioy peace and good lawes least while they shew themselues vnkinde towardes God they cause God to giue them Kings in his wrath as the Prophete testifyeth he did to the Iewes But chiefly let Christians acknowledge their felicitie for whome God hath prepared the fruition of the heauenly kingdome in Iesus Christ the most victorious and immortall king to whome bee praise honour power and glory for euer Amen The lxxxx Homelie AND when hee was put downe he set vp Dauid to bee their King of whom he reported saying I haue found Dauid the son of Iesse a man after mine owne heart which shall fulfyll all my will. Of this mannes seede hath God according as he had promised brought foorth to Israel a sauiour one Iesus when Iohn had first preached before his comming the baptisme of repentaunce to Israel And when Iohn had fulfilled his course he sayde whom ye thinke I am the same I am not But beholde there commeth one after me whose â—â—ooes of his feete I am not worthy to vnlose THe Apostle Paule in this Sermon of his laboureth altogither to bring the Iewes from their vaine and superstitious trust in the lawe to the wholesome fayth of Iesus Christ. But where they so gloried in certaine prerogatiues wherewith God had adourned their Nation that they thought they had neede of none other Sauiour in the fyrst part of his sermon he beateth downe this affiance and teacheth that the fathers had not of their owne merite but of Gods meere fauour whatsoeuer goodnesse was in them and that for the Messias sake which was to be borne of their stocke And hereof he leaueth to euerye wise man to consider that this Messias ought to be taken holde of and kept by constant fayth vnlesse they will altogither fall from the grace of God and their former dignitie Furthermore he endeth this fyrst part of his Sermon with a diligent rehearsall of the olde benefytes of God in euery of the which appeareth the goodnesse and bountie of Gods grace which as it chose the fathers at the beginning so he saued them beyonde all their desertes where he might haue oftentimes cast them of and destroyed them And he bringeth the hystorie vnto the time of Saule whoÌ„ for this cause he chiefly maketh mention of that he may the easilier come vnto Dauid whome the Scriptures call the father of the Messias that was promised And in this place he declareth how the kingdome was translated vnto Dauid then by that occasion he taketh in hand the other part of his sermon wherein he prooueth that Christ is the Messias whose office and whole worke of our redemption he setteth out more at large The translation of the kingdome maketh much for Paules purpose For therein appeared a singuler token of Gods goodnesse in that he set not a tyrant ouer
such as the wyse men in tymes past had learned euen by natures lore and that they were very grosse and barbarous that had suffred such naturall notices and knowledges to be extinguished in them At length concluding the place he thus inferreth forasmuch then as we are the generation of God wee must not thinke that the Godheade is lyke vnto golde siluer or stone grauen by arte or industrye of man. He calleth vs the generation of God chiefely bicause of the ymage after which we be made For as yet there was no place to speake of the adoption of the elect before them which yet vnderstoode not the principles of the knowledge of god The meaning therefore is this Where God woulde haue hys ymage to shyne in man the Lorde and gouernor of all creatures it were to grosse an error to forge a dumbe ymage of hym out of any deade thing For we cannot counterfeyte man as he is the Image of God bicause his ymage is in the soule whose forme and nature by mannes arte can not be expressed nor shadowed Howe much lesse then can manne expresse God in anye Image â–ª He nameth fyrst precious matter golde and siluer shewing that this is not able to represent the ymage of god For howe much soeuer it is esteemed among menne yet are they frayle thinges and corruptible but God is incorruptible and euerlasting Furthermore he speaketh not of the formes and fashions which man at his pleasure giueth vnto God but of the arte and industry of man as if he shoulde say Although the singularest artifycers and maysters woulde lay all their heades togither yet are they not able to conceyue in their mindes much lesse to expresse in any matter or Image the true Image of god Hereof we gather that the Images which are made of God are very lies bicause they are not able to performe that they promise But I pray you what greater iniurie can be done vnto God than to make him which is eternall truth like vnto a lye What is this else but to make of God the Deuill whome Christ calleth the father of lyes No honest man woulde be contented to be represented and made lyke vnto a murtherer or Ruffyan an honest Matrone would much mislyke to be pictured in the attyre of an harlot Shall we then be so bolde to aduenture to represent God by lyes It is not without a cause that Lactantius that eloquent writer vttered this sentence saying there was no religion where any Images were Woulde God they woulde well consider thys geare that nowe a dayes holde with Images who in my iudgement are not the least cause that God sendeth in the Turkes to reforme the worlde seeing that Princes cannot abyde to haue Christendome purged of superstition and ydolatry by the doctrine of the Gospell It is our partes to remember our beginning and dignitie to worship one God in Iesus Christ our Redeemer to whome be all power honor and glory nowe and euer Amen The Cxix Homelie AND the time of this ignoraunce God regarded not but nowe byddeth all men euerywhere repent bicause he hath appoynted a day in the which he will iudge the world with righteousnesse by that man whoÌ„ he hath appointed and hath offred fayth to all men after that he had raised him from death When they hearde of the resurrection from death some mocked and other sayde we will heare thee agayne of this matter So Paule departed from among them Howbeit certaine men claue vnto him and beleeued among whome was Dionisius a senatour and a woman named Damiris and other with them WE haue hearde the fyrst part of Paules sermon wherein he hath most diligently confuted the errors of the Gentyles teaching that God is neyther included within Temples nor worshipped with sacrifyces wyth great and feruent zeale inueyed he agaynst the feygned Gods and Images of the heathen plainly admonishing them that they transgressed the order of nature that worshipped them and that they were vnmyndefull both of the ende and dignitie that they were made for Nowe let vs lysten to the later part of his sermon wherein he exhorteth them to repentance in Christ namely that they shoulde conuert and turne from their impietie and false worship of goddes vnto the true god In which place bicause of the Epicures which laughed at all kinde of religion he most earnestly vrged the mention of the last iudgement We will declare eche thing in that order that Paule vttereth it First he aunswereth a question vsed to be mooued in all ages and is at these dayes euerywhere obiected when the truth is preached that is to saye why God hath suffered the worlde so manye yeares to be seduced And whether it be likely nowe at the length that the truth is disclosed to a fewe persons of no name and estimation But Paule aunswereth these demaundes briefely howe that God hath hitherto winked at the tymes of ignorance not bicause he delyteth in ignorance but bicause so it seemed good vnto him which appoynteth all thinges according to his iust iudgement and that the worlde coulde not choose but erre as long as God hid the light of his truth bicause men of themselues haue no feeling or vnderstanding of god And where he sayth that the truth hydden from the worlde before tymes is nowe reuealed he declareth that henceforth ignorance shall not be excused It is very worthy to be noted howe Paule alleaging Gods doing simply and barely mooueth no disputation at all concerning the causes why God suffered the worlde so long to erre We must also followe this tracke of modestie that we wade not to deepe in searching out the â—auâ—es of Gods iudgements or that we charge not him with the cause of our vngodlynesse For it is euident that he can do no man wrong bicause we all long sithence had deserued eternall damnation and be borne the children of wrath It is also euident that he gouerneth all thinges by iust iudgement And Paule in another place speaking of the reuelation of the Gospell sayth it is a mystery hidden from the beginning of the worlde Christ teacheth the same saying that the mysteries of the kingdome of heauen are not reuealed to euery one It is therefore a folly and to malapert and wicked an offence to call gods dooings to the controlment of mannes reason seeing he requireth of vs obedience of fayth and seeing nothing so well becommeth the children of God as to frame themselues vnto his will which appeareth in his worde and workes Furthermore Paule in this place expresseth the ende of the preaching of the gospell forasmuch as he sayth it is declared to euery man for that they shoulde repent Therfore it is not ynough to haue heard or learned the gospell but it behooueth vs to repent vs of our errors other vices The order and course of the whole story of the gospell teacheth vs the same Iohn the Baptist beginneth with the doctrine of repentaunce Then after him
all men The which argument he vseth also Rom. 1. Under this also he comprehendeth all the whole businesse of our redemption For if he rose agayne surely he dyed and dyed as is sayde elsewhere for our sinnes but was raysed agayne for our iustification But bicause we haue oftentimes discoursed of these poyntes and haue occasion euerywhere to intreate more of the same these fewe shall suffyse for this present Now remayneth the effect of this doctrine which was diuers and variable according to the diuersitie of the hearers For some at the fyrst mention of the resurrection did mocke and scoffe at it namely they of Epicures sect wherof there are great numbers in these dayes Other somewhat better than these desired to heare him dispute againe touching this point therby declaring they had somewhat tasted of the truth There are againe other some whose hearts God had illuminated by his spirite to beleeue openly to ioyne themselues vnto Paule So euerywhere is fulfylled the saying of Paule that the Gospell is to some the sauour of death vnto death and to other some the sauour of lyfe vnto lyfe Among those that beleeued is Dyonisius accounted a man of great dignitie as who was one of the number of the Iudges called Areopagitae Also Damaris a woman by all likelyhoode of great dignitie and estimation bicause mention is made of hir by name Wherefore the gospell is neuer preached without some fruite or profyte and although but a fewe beleeue at the fyrst yet great and famous congregations growe of small beginninges as hystories declare came to passe at Athens It is our duties not to be offended at the paucitie or small number of beleeuers but to embrace with thankefull mindes the gospell of saluation that it may bring forth in vs worthy fruites and that we maye attayne vnto saluation through the promises thereof by Iesus Christ our Lorde to whome bee prayse honour power and glorye for euer Amen The .xviij. chapiter vpon the Actes of the Apostles The Cxx. Homelie AFTER this Paule departed from Athens and came to Corinthus and founde a certaine Iewe named Aquilas borne in Pontus lately come from Italy with his wyfe Priscilla bicause that the Emperour Claudius had commaunded all Iewes to depart from Rome and hee drewe vnto them bycause he was of the same craft he abode with them and wrought Their craft was to make tentes And he preached in the Synagoge euery Sabboth daye and exhorted the Iewes and the Gentyles When Sylas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia Paule was constrayned by the spirite to testifie to the Iewes that Iesus was very Christ. THe Euangelist Luke in the chapiter that went before shewed vs howe Athens was conuerted a very notable citie both by reason of the schoole of wisedome therein and also bicause of the manifolde fame of their religion Then next vnto this he handsomely ioyneth the hystorie of the conuersion of Corinth vnto Christ a most rich a most corrupt City in which hystory the power of the spirit of Christ and the efficacie of the gospell so brightly and woonderfullye shyned that Paule called the Church of Corinth the seale of his Apostleship For as Corinth aswell by reason of hiâ— situation betweene two seas was very rich and famous as also for merchandyzes and traffike there vsed so the baytes entycementes and number of merchauntes resorting thither from all partes and coastes infected the same wyth moste corrupt maners insomuch that the ryotousnesse thereof was nowe noted in publyke Prouerbes For when men woulde speake of persons giuen to great ryote and sensualitie they woulde saye they played the Corinthians And this was a common saying in all peoples mouthes Euery man maye not come vnto Corinth Among other vices there whoredome chiefely reigned wherevnto they were so giuen that in Venus Temple they had about a thousande Damosels and Nunnes for that purpose and afterward euen among them that had professed Christ there was one which vnlawfully kept company with his stepmother vntill by Paules censure and appoyntment he was excommunicated Into this Citie commeth Paule when he went from Athens and that not without the ordinance of God as the ende and successe declared For the Lorde which did vouchsafe to saue his elect out of the pumpe of sinnefulnesse by the preaching of the gospell had there a great many of people Moreouer this Citie giueth vs an ensample both of the goodnesse of God towarde sinners and also of the vertue or power of the Gospell For if a man woulde compare the abiect and base estate of Paule being but a straunger and vnknowne with the indurate custome of sinne with the glorious shewe of ryches with the abundaunce of delyghtes with the entycements of pleasures on euerye side and with the pompe and pryde of Merchauntes his attempt shall then seeme altogither ridiculous which woulde go about to reforme both their lyfe and religion at once But the thing that seemed ridiculous in the iudgement of the fleshe wanted not a most prosperous successe giuen by the Lorde For wythin an yeare and a halfe by the preaching of the Gospell the spirite of Christ therwith working Paule set a newe face vppon this Citie and vniuersallye reformed it a thing which no lawmaker of howe great authoritie so euer he had bene coulde haue bene able to haue perswaded them so that it is not without a cause that Paule reioyseth so much for the conuerting of this Citie considering he no where founde a more effectuall working of the Gospell than there Which also seemeth to mee to be the cause that Luke is so diligent in describing this hystorie insomuch that he prosecuteth at large the least circumstances thereof Which thing in other places eyther he vtterly letteth passe or else onely toucheth them lightly as it were by the waye This thing ought to stirre vppe also our diligent attention to consider the same First and foremost he maketh mention of the place where Paule hosted in the fynding out whereof I suppose Paule vsed some great circumspection bicause Christ gaue the Apostles a peculiar commaundement touching the prouiding them of commodious and fytte hostes Paule therefore founde an host called Aquilas which was a Iewe borne in Pontus who not long before by reason of Claudius the Emperors proclamation with his wyfe Priscilla was fayne to depart from Rome to come vnto Corinth For at that time the state of the Iewes was verye miserable bicause the vengeance of God followed them being embrued with the bloude of the sonne of god in al places It came to passe further also that they which denied Christ to be their sauiour were fayne euery day to seeke them newe sauiours and to make newe stirres and vprores so that all menne worthily hated them Aquilas therefore being violently caryed with the common calamitie of the whole Nation is also banished yet not without the prouidence of GOD which prepared Paule a lodging with him among the
women with their heades couered bicause the man is free but the woman vnder the mans power whome she ought to take for hir heade For the which cause when the time of the vowe was out the Nazareans were shauen in solemne wise to th end they might know they were restored to their former libertie againe It may seeme that Paule tooke this vowe vpon him bicause of the Iewes which thought him to be a prophane and wicked contemner of the lawe and therefore thought by this meane the sooner to winne them to hearken to the Gospell For he seemeth to confesse a like thing where he writeth he became a Iewe vnto the Iewes and to those that were vnder the lawe as one himselfe vnder the lawe Otherwise he was not ignorant of Christian libertie which he euerywhere writeth ought not to be broken for anye ceremonies sake See Colos. 2. Galat. 4. Therfore they doe most foolishly which abuse the example of Paule to the maintenance of Monkishe vowes For this vowe was instituted in the lawe of God which although in the death of Christ it is abolished with the ceremonies thereof yet for the auncient dignitie thereof and for the weakes sake it was not sodeinely to be made awaye and buried but by little and little But it is euident that Monkes vowes are founded vppon the traditions of men which ought to be of no authoritie in religion Againe the Nazareans vowed vnto God where the moste part of Monkishe vowes are made vnto Creatures Agayne the vowes of the Nazareans altered not the trade of lyfe neyther was the vnitie of the Church therby deuided But Monkish vowes as they take away all former trades of life so they bring into the Church many diuers sectes The Nazareans vowed such things as man was able to performe Monkes vowe chastity which the whole Scripture sayth is not giuen to euery man The Nazareans were grieuous or chargeable to none by reason of their vowe But Monkes whyle they vowe wilfull pouertie will be fedde like ydle paunchbellies of other mennes labors The Nazareans vowe forbade them not obedience to Magistrates Parentes and all other estates to whome we be bounde by nature Monkes vowes breake all obedience and bind them onely to their Abbots who owe obedience both to Parentes and Rulers Furthermore the Nazareans had no affiance in their owne merites For they both confessed themselues to be sinners when their vowe was ended and that God was the author of all goodnesse But Monkishe vowes moste of all other maintayne an affiance in mans righteousnesse and deseruings Wherfore if there were no other cause this one were sufficient to condemne them and put them away But to let passe this pumpe and sinke of superstition returne we vnto Paule which traueyling out of Achaia into Asia the lesser came to Ephesus where we haue to consider foure thinges in order First he goeth into the Synagoge and disputeth with the Iewes Agayne here appeareth the loue he bare to his countriemen whome for manye causes as we haue otherwheres declared he coulde not hate although he had once or twyse before shaken the dust of agaynst them This example of Paule teacheth vs that the wrath and iudgement of God shoulde so be set out vnto the wicked that if they conuert they may yet knowe there is hope left that God will be fauourable vnto them and pardon them For it is God that sayth I will not the death of a sinner but rather that he conuert and lyue Wherefore we must vse all the diligence that we can to bring and winne people vnto the lord Secondlye the example of the Ephesians teacheth vs that the labor of the Saintes is not in vayne For where they are desirous to haue Paule remayne longer among them it appeareth euidently they had much profyted by him For it cannot be that they can delyght in the Ministers companye that haue not as yet tasted the fruite of the doctrine of the gospell Neyther can they be iudged for louers of the Gospell that vse to hate the Ministers thereof and little to regarde their labors and disdainefully to auoyde their companies Let vs agayne consider howe Paule refuseth to accomplishe a godly request For he sayth I must needs at this feast that commeth be at Ierusalem I pray you what neede vrged Paule so to be Shall we say it was for deuotion sake of the feast No. For he knewe well that holye dayes were abrogated among other ceremonies and there was no cause vrged him for the weake brethrens sake to go vp to Ierusalem bicause there were many Iewes in euery Citie drowned in Iewishe superstitions which notwithstanding went not thither Wherefore as in other places we haue reade howe Paule was guided by the holy ghost in all his doinges so it is lyke he was secretly mooued by the same spirite to take this voyage nowe in hande although the cause be not expressed nor yet declared what he did there more than saluted the congregation and brethren Surely Paules traueyle coulde not be in vayne in such a Citie wherevnto agaynst the feast repayred such a great multitude both of Iewes and Gentyles from among all nations For so euen at one time togither might the doctrine of the Gospell be scattred among many Nations It is to be marueyled why Paule is pulled so soone from them which seemed to be so ready to receyue profyte by the gospell and it may seeme an vncourteous and an vnloouing part to leaue them if we should herin leane vnto reason But Gods doings are to him knowne and certaine And the chiefe vse of such examples is for vs to learne to submit our willes and desires seeme they neuer so holy and good vnto the pleasure of god Fourthly let vs see howe Paule departed from Ephesus He biddeth them farewell which is a token of thankefulnesse and friendly good will. For their discourtesie is very vnhonest that depart from their hoste where they haue receyued benefytes without taking of leaue Moreouer he leaueth Aquilas with them that they should not seeme altogither destitute Furthermore he promiseth to returne to them againe by the leaue of god Whereby it manifestly appeareth that he bare them no euill will but was compelled and strayned for weighty considerations to leaue them Here we haue to imitate Paules religiousnesse which in a most godly cause presumeth nothing of his owne heade but vnderstanding that all endeuors and deuises depend vpon Gods prouidence referreth all things vnto his pleasure This sentence of Salomon is common manne purposeth but God disposeth What rashnesse then is this of men to attribute so much to themselues in prophane matters so to appoynt their doinges as though they woulde prescribe lawes vnto god See Iacob 4. Luc. 12. Paule being nowe departed from Ephesus commeth to Caesarea in Iury and from thence to Ierusalem when he had there greeted the congregation and dispatched the matters about the which he went he came to
here is declared a newe enterprise of the Iewes attempted to oppresse Paule by For when Festus was gon to Ierusalem to take an othe of allegeance of the Citizens and inhabitants there by and by the Priests and men of aucthoritie came vnto him and accuse Paule whome Felix had left in prison desiring the newe President of his fauoure that he mighte be brought to Ierusalem to be iudged and that they might procede against him according to the law of their Countrey But in the meane season they were purposed priuily to waite him by the way and to kill him In this place may be sene how vnquiet in minde the wicked are after they be once inâ—lamed with hatred of the truthe For where alwayes their naughtie workes are disclosed by the light thereof it can not be that they can easily lay away the hatred once conceiued But rather they boile and frothe in their mindes like the raging sea busily watching euery small occasion wherby to extinguish the light of that truth which they so hate And coÌ„monly the force of this hatred is suche that without any regarde many times to their priuate auailes they only seke and desire how to make the ministers of the truth out of the way whose doctrin they perceiue so vexeth and fretteth them Both these things may be seene in this present example For we haue heard howe Paule was in prison whole two yeares Howbeit neither the continuance of time neither the miserable state of captiuitie could assuage their mindes for they could bear with any thing better than with the doctrine of the truth Wherfore they narowly watch euery little occasion spare neither for pains nor cost to bring their desire at length to passe First therfore they begin to make their requests and petition vnto the newe President against Paule which they oughte to haue made rather in the behalfe of their common weale and to haue besought him of his frendship towards all meÌ„ in general But they thought by this meane to preiudice Paule that the President might conceiue he was some publike enimie of his whole nation and couÌ„try considering they labored so earnestly to haue him punished And we must not think that hatred of the truthe had so great force in these men onely For it is the common guise of all that are vngodly that if they might haue their wish neuer so much yet nothing is more deare vnto them than to haue the liues of them who they know wil withstaÌ„d their impietie and naughtinesse Heereunto belongeth that that the Euangelists wryte of Herodias which when she heard how Herode had offered hir daughter the one halfe of his kingdom yet she required but only the heade of Iohn to be giuen hir bicause as long as he liued and preached she thought hir raigne shuld not only be vnpleasant but all hir life also Many things of like sort might be reported and examples euen of our dayes but bicause they are euery where to be sene therfore we think good to passe theÌ„ ouer Let vs rather marke the vse of these things which is that we trust not ouer sone those which haue once conspired against the truthe For although they can sometimes trimly dissemble and colour their hatred against the truth yet the poison therof lieth hiddeÌ„ depe in their brests assone as occasion serueth wil burst forth with might and main And in these persons hath that saying of the Prophet chefely place pronouncing that the hart of man is froward vnsearchable Again here appeareth what the weapons of the vngodly are First they counterfet a countenaÌ„ce of law and equity in that they require to haue him brought to Ierusalem to be iudged which might seeme an honest and iust request both bicause all the businesse began there first and also for that it seemed not reason that they which were so many in number and aucthoritie shuld be at so great charges and take such pain to iourney so farre for one mannes sake But in the meane season vnder this faire face of equitie they cloke an horrible and bloudy meaning as was euen nowe declared Lette vs learne by this place to iudge of those men which now adayes doe the like wherof a man may euery where finde more than are profitable in a Christian common weale Uerily Christe saith that these men fight with the power of darkenesse and therefore are the ministers of the Deuil which was a lier and murtherer from the beginning And Paule prophecied that Antichrist should raigne cheefely through lying and open force Therfore as many as resist the truth and the ministers therof with violent and trecherous sleights it is euident that they fight for the deuil vnder the standerd of Antichrist with whom except they repent in time they shal hereafter receiue the pay and wages of eternall damnation Moreouer let vs see how God disapointed the bloudy deuises of his ennemies For it was his woorking that Festus consented not to the desire petition of the Iewes whose request yet as shal appeare hereafter he made no small account of And surely there were great causes that might haue moued him to yeld vnto the Iewes For he might both iustly haue suspected Paule whome Felix going out of his office had left in prison and it seemed that the request which the cheefe of the Iewes made was not to be reiected and againe he might appeare but slenderly witted if in the beginning of his gouernement he would procure him the hatred of a whole nation for one mannes sake and he a prisonner and of no reputation But through the secrete inspiration God it commeth to passe that Festus had more regarde of iustice and of the Romaine lawes than of the Iewes nation Wherefore he thinketh good to keepe Paule at Caesarea still yet permitting the Iewes according to order of lawe to proceede against him It pleased God to teache all them that be in office or aucthoritie by the example of this Gentile what they haue to doe in like case verily to commit nothing either for fauoure of men or respect of priuate commoditie but to folowe equitie and lawe which if it be not kept it is impossible that common weales can continue in safetie Therefore lette Christian Kings and Princes be ashamed both of their lightnesse and vnrighteousnesse which now a dayes commonly condemne the maintainers of Euangelical truth and faith without hearing for the Popes and Bishops pleasure yea bicause they would seeme very religious they giue them all power against the faithful of Christ so coÌ„mitting the sheepe vnto the Wolues They shal one day feele to their great smart what they doe when bothe the bloudie Popes shall be punished and Christ our iudge shall require at the handes of the Kings his people committed vnto their charge But heere haue we cheefely to consider God the aucthoure of all these things whose woorking wee euen nowe saide all this was For where hee had said Paule should beare
spent the same For where in other places he wryteth that a Bishoppe should bee commended euen of very straungers also he therfore goeth about to proue his innocencie by the testimonie of his ennimies And bicause it should not be thought he had led his life in any corner he saithe he was broughte vp at Ierusalem where the seate of Religion was and the moste famous vniuersitie in all Iewrie There he saide from his beginning he had led a life moste commendable euen after the secte of the Phariseys For this secte was worthy to be preferred before all other bicause the Phariseis had the scriptures in most reuerence and excelled the other sectes in honestie of life The greatest erroure they had was that they maintained the righteousnesse and merite of their owne woorkes Howbeit Paules scope and ende is to persuade Agrippa that he had done nothing rashly of any wicked lighte or wauering minde seeing he had vsed from his childehoode the moste straightest kinde of religion It is not without a cause that he declareth he led his childhode so godlily For thereby he teacheth howe muche it auaileth to haue publike persons well brought vp in their childehoode For althoughe they ought not to be reiected which conuert in their olde age yet are they muche more to be preferred whose life afore time hathe not beene spotted or stained For suche will goe more boldly on in their wonted vertues and are more able by their aucthoritie to withstande the enterprises of the wicked whereas the other sorte returne againe to their frequented vices and being in danger of the vpbraidings and reproches of the wicked by little and little lose all their aucthoritie Beside that their counsell although it be honest and godly yet commonly with the good it is suspected who feare that they are led either with lightnesse of minde or else with some other leâ—de affection Therefore they that minde to place their children eyther in office of the Churche or of the common weale must haue a diligent regarde of their education and bringing vp And heere are two poyntes very necessary that Paule telleth of him selfe The one is that youthe muste bee brought vp in suche places where religion cheefely flourisheth that with learning and experience they may ioyne also the taste and fauoure of religion The other is that euen by and by at the beginning they must chuse suche a kinde of life as hathe least occasion of vices in it For where youthe euen of nature is prone vnto sinne occasions of euill muste be shunned and auoided rather than sought for Woulde to God the men in oure dayes which cause their children many times to be broughte vp among suche as they knowe are farthest from the true knowledge of Christ wold obserue these things who are led with no care of religion but of gaine altogither Therefore oute of suche schooles commeth that kinde of men which measureth religion according to frendship and commoditie and who bursting ouer the barres of all godlinesse fall headlong into all kinde of mischeefe and are not onely the destruction of themselues but also of the Churche and common weale This thing Examples both olde and new do teach vs whereby we ought to be prouoked so to cause our children which wee meane to set to Goddes seruice to be instructed and brought vp from their youth that they may be profitable bothe to them selfe to the Church and to the common weale and at lengthe receiue the inheritaunce of the kingdome of heauen with Iesus Christ our Lord to whome be praise honor power and glory for euer Amen The Clxj. Homelie ANd nowe I stande and am iudged for the hope of the promisse made of God vnto our fathers vnto which promisse our twelue Tribes instantly seruing God day and night hope to come For which hopes sake King Agrippa I am accused of the Iewes Why shuld it be thought a thing incredible vnto you that God should raise againe the dead PAVLE the Apostle in giuing an accoumpt of his faith and doctrine laboureth cheefely to proue that he did nothing of rashe minde or of vngodly intent and purpose To the which ende also he made mention of his childehoode prouing that he was so brought vp and had so ordered his life that he ought not iustly to be suspected either of any temeritie or vngodlinesse aboute religion By which Example wee are taughte among other things that wee must so trade and traine vp oure selues in Religion that we may be able to render a reason to euery man after what sorte wee haue liued therein euen from oure childehoode For as God is the tutoure and defendoure of all age so it behoueth that all manner of age should be consecrated vnto him And we reade that he requireth oftentimes to haue children brought vp from their infancie in his lawe and seruice Which place reproueth the shamefull error of them which say that religion is a more waightie intricate mater than for lay men to meddle with wheras notwithstanding God willeth that euen tender age should exercise it selfe therin wheras nothing pertaineth so indifferently to all men as religion for the which the scripture teacheth that meÌ„ were created euen from the beginning But bicause we haue entreated hereof in other places lette vs nowe goe on in Paules oration He somewhat breaking of his narration begun a little before declareth the state of the whole controuersie betweene him and his aduersaries the Iewes For he saith he is accused for the hope of the promisse which God sometimes made vnto the fathers and vnto the which the twelue tribes that is to say the whole nation of the Iewes hope by their continuall seruing of God at lengthe to come And being not content once thus to haue said he repeteth the same he said again saying for this hope sake O king Agrippa am I accused which words seme to haue in them some shewe of indignation wherby he would expresse the indignitie and heynousnesse of the matter As if he should say who perceiueth not what great vnrighteousnesse is in mine aduersaries seeing they charge me of death accuse me of schisme wheras my doctrine and faith dependeth vpon that ancient promisse of God wherein all the fathers in times past put their trust and wherof as many of the Israelites as worship the true God desire to be partakers hauing none other end of all their holinesse and religion Howbeit that hope of promisse whereof he speaketh is Iesus Christe the sonne of God in whome only God hath promised life and saluation from the very beginning of the world vnto the fathers falne into destruction through the sinne of Adam as shortly after shall be declared more at large He plainely nicketh bothe their ignorance in religion and also the preposterous affiaÌ„ce which they had glorying in the couenant and promisses of God and wold be taken all togither for his people and yet did cast aside Christ throughe whose merite and