the vse or effect of the lawe of God and of the fulfilling abrogating of the same Of the likenesse and difference of bothe the Testamentes and people the old and the new 400 9 Of Christian libertie and of offences Of good workes and the reward thereof 440 10 Of sinne and of the kyndes thereof to wit of originall and actuall sinne and of sinne against the Holie Ghoste And lastly of the most sure and iust punishment of sinnes 477 The summe or contentes of the tenne Sermons of the fourth Decade 1 Of the Gospell of the grace of GOD who hath giuen his Sonne vnto the world and in him all thinges necessarie to saluation that wee beleeuing in him might obteine eternall life 525 2 Of repentaunce and the causes thereof of confession and remission of sinnes of satisfaction and indulgences of the olde and newe man of the power or strength of mē the other things perteyning to repentāce 561 3 Of God of the true knowledge of God and of the diuers ways how to know him That God is one in substance three in persons 604 4 That God is the creatour of all things and gouerneth all thinges by his prouidence where mention is also made of the good wil of God to vsward and of Predestination 635 5 Of adoreing or worshipping Of inuocating or calling vpon And of seruing the onely liuing true and euerlasting god Also of true and false religion 648 6 That the sonne of God is vnspeakably begotten of the father that he is consubstantiall with the father and therefore true god That the selfe same sonne is true man consubstantiall with vs and therefore true God and man abiding in two vnconfounded natures and in one vndiuided person 677 7 Of Christ King Priest of his onely euerlasting kingdome and priesthoode and of the name of a Christian 698 8 Of the holie Ghoste the thirde person in Trinitie to be worshipped and of his diuine power 714 9 Of good and euil spirites that is of the holie Angels of God and of diuels or euill spirites of their operations 731 10 Of the reasonable soule of man and of his most certeine saluation after the death of his body 759 The third last Tome and first the summe or cōtents of the ten Sermons of the fift and last Decade 1 Of the holy Catholique Churche what it is how far it extendeth by what marks it is knowne from whence it springeth howe it is mainteyned and preserued whether it may erre Also of the power studies of the Church 812 2 That there is one Catholique Church that without the Churche there is no light or saluation Against Schismatiques Wherefore we depart from the vp-start Churche of Rome That the Church of God is the house vineyard and kingdome of God and the body sheepefolde and spouse of Christe a mother and a virgine 841 3 Of the ministerie and ministers of Gods worde wherefore and for what ende they are instituted of god That the orders giuen by Christe vnto the Churche in times past were equall Whence and howe the prerogatiue of ministers sprang and of the supremacie of the byshop of Rome 870 4 Of calling vnto the ministerie of the word of god What manner of men and after what fashion ministers of the worde must be ordeined in the church Of the keyes of the Churche What the office of them is that be ordeyned Of the manner of teaching the Churche and of the holie life of the Pastours 891 5 Of the fourme and maner how to pray to God that is Of the calling on the name of the Lorde where also the Lordes prayer is expounded and also singing thankesgiuing and the force of prayer is intreated 914 6 Of signes the manner of signes of Sacramentall signes what a sacrament is of whome for what causes and how many Sacraments were instituted of Christ for the christian church Of what thinges they doe consist howe they are consecrated how the sign and the thing signified in the Sacramentes are eyther ioyned together or distinguished and of the kinde of speaches vsed in the Sacramentes 955 7 That we must reason reuerently of Sacramentes that they doe not giue grace neyther haue grace included in them Again what the vertue and lawful end and vse of Sacraments is That they profite not without fayth that they are not superfluous to the faythfull and that they do not depend vpō the worthinesse or vnworthinesse of the minister 995 8 Of holie Baptisme what it is by whome when it was instituted and that there is but one baptisme of water Of the baptisme of fire Of the rite or ceremonie of baptisme howe of whome and to whome it muste be ministred Of Baptisme by Midwiues and of infants dying without baptisme Of the baptisme of infantes againste Anabaptisine or Rebaptising and of the power or efficacie of baptisme 1032 9 Of the Lords holie Supper what it is by whom when and for whome it was instituted after what sort when and howe oft it is to be celebrated of the ends thereof Of the true meaning of the wordes of the supper This is my body O◠the presence of Christ in the supper Of the true eating of Christes body Of the worthy vnworthy eaters thereof how◠euerie mā ought to prepare him self vnto the lords supper 1063 10 Of certeine institutions of the church of god Of scholes Of Ecclesiasticall goods of the vse abuse of the same O◠Churches holie instrument◠of Christians Of the admonition and correction of the ministers of the Church and of the whole Churche Of matrimonie Of widowes Of virgines Of Monkes What the church of Christe determineth concerning the sicke and of funeralls and burials 1112 The second table conteyning such places and testimonies of Scripture both of the old Testament and the Newe as are vsed of the Authour euery where throughout this his whole worke The first number is referred to the Chapter the second to the Page ¶ Out of Genesis 1IN the beginning God created heauen earth c. Pag. 632. 1 Let there be light and there was light c. 977 1 Let vs make man in our Image after our owne likenes c. 490. 633 2 Of the institution of mariage It is not good for man to bee alone c. 222. 2 Thou shalt not eate of the fruite of the trée of knowledge c. 483. 484. 488 3 Ye shall not die the death for God doth know that the same day that ye eate thereof your eyes shal be opened c. 751 3 The Serpent was subtiler than all the beastes of the field c. 749 3 The woman whom thou gauest to be with mée gaue mée of the trée c. 479 3 For dust thou art and into dust thalt thou be turned againe c. 764 3 The séed of the womā shall crush the serpents head c. 687 4 The voice of thy brothers bloud cryeth out of the earth c.
all his faithfull which shoulde abide with them for euer sayeth In that day ye shall knowe that I am in my father and you in me and I in you to witt by the holie Ghoste Iohn the Apostle expounding it and saying By this we knowe that he dwelleth in vs by the spirite that he gaue vnto vs. And againe By this we knowe that wee dwell in him and he in vs because he hath giuen of his spirite vnto vs. S. Paule the vessell of election differeth not from Saincte Iohn writing and saying to the Romanes If any man hath not the spirite of Christe the same is none of his And whosoeuer are led by the spirit of God they are the children of God. Now as touching true faith which tyeth vs vnto the Lord S. Paule saith I liue now yet not I but Christe liueth in me But the life whiche I now liue in the flesh I liue yet thorough the faith of the sonne of God who loued me and gaue vp him selfe for me And againe he saith Christe dwelleth in our hartes thorough faith With which sayings Sainct Iohn the Apostle agréeing againe saith Whosoeuer confesseth that Iesus Christe is the sonne of God God dwelleth in him and hee in God. For the Lord him selfe before that said in the Gospell He that eateth my fleshe and drincketh my bloud dwelleth in mee and I in him And he eateth Christes flesh and drinketh Christes bloud that beléeueth Therefore Christe our Lorde is ioyned vnto vs in spirite and wée are tyed to him in minde and faithe as the body vnto the head they therefore that lack this knotte and bonde that is that haue not the spirite of Christe nor true faith in Christe are not the true and liuely members of Christe the Lord him selfe in the gospell witnessing and saying If a man abide not in me he is cast foorth as a branch and withereth and men gather them and cast them into the fier and they burne Which words of our sauiour the Apostle imitating as we said euen now said He that hath not the spirite of Christ is none of his But they that are not destitute of the spirite of Christe are inflamed with the loue of god Neither do we separate loue from faith the same S. Iohn so teaching vs saying God is loue and he that dwelleth in loue dwelleth in God and GOD in him For the Lord saith in the gospell If a man loue me he will kepe my word and my father will loue him and we wil come vnto him wil dwel with him But although properly faith ioine vs to our head Christ yet the same also doth knit vs to all Christes members vpon earth For whereas there is but one faith of them al and therefore the same spirit there can not but be the same mouth the same minde the same sentence amongest them all although faith be not nowe taken only for a confidence in the mercy of God through Iesus Christe but also for an outwarde confession of fayth For we all confessing one faith and one and the selfe same head with one spirite and mouth we also together professe that we all are members of one and the selfe same body Neither is there any thing else in the worlde that more vnappeaseably disseuereth the mindes of men than the diuersitie of faith or religion and therfore there is nothing that maye more nearely ioyne vs together than vnitie of faith We come nowe to speake of loue whiche I sayde ioyneth together the members of the ecclesiasticall body mutually amongst them selues The Lord saith in the gospel A new commandement giue I vnto you that ye loue one an other as I haue loued you that ye also loue one an other By this shall all men knowe that ye are my disciples if ye haue loue one to an other It is therfore out of doubt that the onely marke of the church next after faith is loue a bond most firmely knitting together all the members This groweth from the communion of Christ and vnitie of the spirit For insomuch as Christ the king the head and highe Byshop of the catholique churche enduing vs all with one and the same spirite hath made vs all his members the sonns of God brethren and fellow heires whom vndoubtedly he loueth tenderly euery faithfull man can not choose but with feruent loue embrace the members and fellowe heires of their king their head and their high Byshop For Iohn the Apostle saith Euerie one that loueth him that begatte doth loue him also that is borne of him If any man say I loue God and hateth his brother he is a lyar For howe can he that loueth not his brother whome he hath seene loue God whome he hath not seene Paule to the end that he might moste properly expresse before oure eyes and as it were set to viewe and beholde this vnitie and agréement of the members vseth a parable taken from the members of a mans body and saith For as we haue many mēbers in one body and all members haue not one office so we being many are one body in Christ and euery one one an others members The same in the twelfth chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians more largely and plainely expounding ioyning together of the heade and the members and that chiefly by the sayd parable of the members of a mans body and publishing it very eloquently witnesseth that betwéene the highest members of the churche and the lowest members of the same there is a very greate and apt consent and moreouer a diligent care and a helpe both continuall and most faythfull Of all whiche it appeareth that the markes of the true liuely church of Christ are the cōmunion of the spirit of Christ sincere fayth christian charitie without the which thinges no man is partaker of this spirituall body By these thinges also it shall be easie to iudge whether thou art in the fellowship of the churche or thou art not Moreouer we gather out of those things which we haue hitherto disputed touching the markes of Christes churche from whence is her original also how the church is planted spred abroade preserued Her originall is heauenly for S. Paule speaking of the churche saith Ierusalem which is aboue is free which is the mother of vs all Therefore he calleth the church heauenly not that it dwelleth altogether in heauē but that she being here on earth hath a heauenly beginning For the children of God are not borne of flesh bloud but from heauen by the renuing of the holy spirit who through the preaching of Gods word planteth faith in our hearts by which faith we are made the true members of Christ his church For Peter saith Ye are borne a newe not of mortal seed but of immortall by the worde of God whiche liueth and lasteth for euer And Paul saith I begat you in Christ
short which waye you must incline And then hee scattereth certeine groundes of argumentes which they afterward discussing might by their diligence polishe and make perfecte They sayeth he that are partakers of the supper of the Lord in which the bread of the Lord is broken and the cup of the Lord is dronken are of the same communion fellowship or body with the lord For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whiche word Paul vseth héere and which interpreters haue translated Communion or partaking though fellowship is better than partaking as in the Dutch translation Gmeind is better than Gmeind chaffe is not taken actiuely as I may so say for the distributing giuing or reaching out Christes bodie by the minister but passiuely for the fellowship and societie for the bodie I say of the Churche as when the churche is called a communion that is an assemblie a gathering together and societie of saincts or godly Christians Furthermore the Churche is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or a communion of the bodie and bloud of Christe beecause it is redéemed by the bodie and bloud of Christ being partaker of Christ liueth by him For he liueth in the godly Christians communicating vnto them all his good gifts of life And that the partakers of the supper of that Lord are the bodie or communion of Christ he declareth by a reason which followeth saying Because we that are many are one bread and one bodie Wherevnto by by hee addeth another more euident reason for interpretations sake saying For we are all partakers of one bread In that we are partakers of one bread sayth he we doe openly testifie that we are partakers of the same bodie with Christe and all his Sainctes In which wordes hée hath a notable respecte to the Analogie For as by vniting together of many graines as Cyprian saith is made one breade or one loafe as of many clusters of grapes one wine is pressed out so out of many members groweth vpp and is made the bodie of the Church which is the bodie of Christ Nowe in the woordes of Paule these thinges offer themselues vnto vs to be marked First for that nowe hée calleth that a multitude or manye by a woorde expressing his minde better whiche before he named a communion A communion therfore is nothing else but a multitude or congregation For he said The bread is the partaking of the bodie of Christe but now he saith We being many are one bread one body We being many sayeth he that is all wée which are a multitude and a congregation or Churche redéemed by the bodie of Christ which was giuen and by his bloud whiche was shedd for vs Afterwards hée saith We being many are one bodie hee doeth not say are made one bodie For wee are not first graffed into the bodie of Christe as wée haue often repeated alreadie by partaking of the sacramentes but wée whiche were before ingraffed by grace inuisiblye are nowe also visibly consecrated Againe by the like reason of Sacraments or by an example of the scripture taken from the Sacramentes of the people of the old Testament hee sheweth that the partakers of the sacramentes are one bodie both with him to whome they offer and with them with whome they offer or with whome they eate of thinges offered to idols Behold saith hee the Israelites whiche offer sacrifices after the flesh Are not they that eate the sacrifices 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say communicants fellowes or partakers of the thinges of the temple or of the altar For vnder the word of the things of the temple or of the altar 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is his word he comprehendeth whatsoeuer doth belong to the worshipp and religion of the God of the Iewes so that the sense or meaning may be this Are not all they one bodie one communion one people both with the God of Israel and with his people which eate of the sacrifices offered to the God of Israel by the Israelitish people As if hee had said There is none that is ignoraunt of it or that can denie it since it is confessed and manifest amonge all men By these thinges hée leaueth to the Corinthians of their owne accord thus much to be gathered Therefore they that are partakers of the sacramentes of the Gentiles are one bodie and one fellowship with the Gods of the Gentiles and the Gentiles which do sacrifice Nowe by the figure Occupatio which is when in aunswearing we preuent an obiectiō that may bee made hée placeth these woordes betwéene What saye I then That the idol is any thinge Or that that whiche is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing Wherevnto by and by he addeth But this I saye that the thinges whiche the Gentiles offer in sacrifice they offer to diuels and not to God. Herevpon he might lawfully haue inferred Therefore if you continue to bée partakers of thinges offered to idols ye shall verilie be one bodie and one fellowshippe both with the diuell him selfe and all his members But béecause this might haue béene taken of many to haue béene bitterly spoken hée addeth another sayinge some-what more milde and gentle and sayeth And I would not that yee should bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is communicants or partakers haue fellowship with diuels After which woords by comparing the contrarie partes hée bringeth in the summe of the whole matter to whiche he directed all his reasons and sayeth Yee cannot drincke the cupp of the Lord and the cupp of diuels ye cannot bee partakers of the Lords table and of the table of diuels And so forth The Sacramentes therefore doe separate vs from all other worshippinges and religions and doe binde and consecrate yea and also as it were make vs of the same body with one true GOD and sincere Christian Religion béecause wée béeing partakers of them doe openly professe that wée be the members of Iesus Christe whiche no man that is well in his wittes will take and make them the members of fornication and of idols That which Zuinglius that learned man hath In expositione fidei Christianę ad regem Christianum is not impertinent to this purpose Sacramentes sayeth hée are in steede of an oathe For Sacramentum with the Latines is vsed also for an oathe For they that vse one and the selfe-same Sacramentes are one peculiar nation an holy sworne cōgregation they are knitt together into one body and into one people whome whoso betrayeth shall perishe Therefore the people of Christe since by eating his bodye sacramentally they are knit into one bodie Now he that is faithlesse and yet dare be so bould as to make himselfe one of this societie or fellowship betrayeth the body of Christe as well in the head as in the members c. Thus farre he By this it is easie to vnderstand that sacramentes put vs in minde of oure duetie especially if wée marke in the writings of the Apostle how considering the maner of sacraments
members of Christes bodie of whom he is also a member and be readie to spend his life for them according to the example of Christe and whether he haue remitted or pardoned all anger and enimitie and whether he be desirous to call to minde Christes passion the whole mysterie of our redemption to giue thanks to God for our redeÌ„ption for all other gyftes of God already receiued to be receiued This is the right examining which agréeth with the receiuing of the mystical supper and when we haue done so we may in humblenes and feare of the Lord with gladnesse approche to the supper of our Lord Christ But here the faithful do tremble who are as it were priuie to their owne imperfection infirmitie For they do not finde these thinges to be so perfect in their mindes as otherwise they knâ—w a iust perfection requireth Satan commeth and he casteth in many and great stayes to the intent he may drawe vs backe from the celebration of the supper Therefore we say if any man suppose that none is to be admitted to the supper but he that is purged from al sinne infirmitie surely he shall driue away exclude al men howe many soeuer liue in this world nay he shal altogether depriue theÌ„ of the lords supper as not to be any loÌ„ger for sinful men but for Angels We must remeÌ„ber that this examinatioÌ„ resteth within his own bounds that God here also as euerie where else doth vse this clemencie and mercie towards vs He knoweth our weakenesse corruption with vs can beare our infirmities The Israelits vnder king Ezechias being not fully cleansed tooke part of the paschal lamb But the king prayed and said The Lorde who is good wil haue mercie vppon all men that with al their hart seeke after the God of their fathers will not impute it vnto them that they are not sanctified And herevnto is added in the holy history in 2. Chron â–ª 30. chap And the Lord heard Ezechias and he was pleased with the people The worthinesse which is inquired for by exacte examination is no absolute perfection but a wil and mind instructed by God which humblie acknowledgeth it owne vnworthinesse and therfore humblie prayeth for increase of faith charitie all perfection in Christ only At that first supper the Apostles were Christes guests among these was Iudas but because hee lacked faith and was a traitour yea a murtherer he was made guiltie of the bodie and bloud of the lord The other apostles were also sinners theÌ„selues but not wicked thei beleued in christ thei loued Christ one of theÌ„ loued aother like brethreÌ„ therfore they did not eate of the Lords supper vnworthily as Iudas did Although in the meane time at the same table they shewed tokens of great imperfectioÌ„ For Peter not without great contempt reproch of his brethren preferreth himselfe before them all Moreouer they contend among themselues for honour which of them should seme to be greater than another I will not nowe recite that streightway after they arose from the table they shamefully forsoke their maister and ranne away many wayes behaud them selues vnworthili but al these things were easily washed away for the faith had taken very déepe roote within them Neither will I here sticke to recite worde for worde the comfort of M. Iohn Caluine a godly and learned man who with great commendation teacheth in the church at this day my fellow minister most welbeloued déere brother whiche he hathe sette down for the afflicted in this case Let vs call to remembrance saith he that this holy banquet is a medicine for the sick a coÌ„fort for the sinfull a largesse to the pore which to the whole righteous and rich if there could any such be found would bring small vantage For seing that in this banquet Christ is giuen vnto vs to be eaten we vnderstand that without him we faynt faile and are forsaken Moreouer seeing he is giuen to vs to be our life we vnderstande that without him wee are but dead Wherfore this is the greatest only worthines which we can giue vnto God if we lay before him our own vilenes vnworthines that through his mercy he may make vs worthie of himselfe if we despaire in our selues that we may be coÌ„forted in him if we humble our selues that we may be lift vp by him if we accuse ourselues that we may be iustified by him Moreouer if we attein vnto that vnitie whiche he coÌ„mendeth vnto vs in the supper and like as he maketh vs all to dwel in him so that we may with likewise that ther were one soul one hart one tongue in vs all If we wel wey meditate these things theÌ„ shal these thoughts neuer trouble vs we that ar naked and destitute of all goodnes we that are stayned with spots of sinn we that are halfe deade how shoulde wee worthily eate the Lords bodie Let vs rather think that we being poore doe come to a plentifull giuer we that are sicke come to a Physician we that are sinful come to a sauiour that the worthines which is coÌ„manded by God coÌ„sisteth in faith chiefly which reposeth al in God nothing in our selues secondly in charitie suche charitie as it is sufficient if we offer it vnto God vnperfect that he may increse it to the better seing we cannot performe it absolute as it ought to be Thus farr he This muche haue I saide hetherto of the most holie supper of our lord Iesus Christe the moste excellent wholesome sacrament of Christians for which euen from the very beginning while the Apostles were yet liuing sathan the most deadly enimie to our saluation lying in wayte hath gone about to ouerthrow by many corruptions defilings from whiche being nowe for a time faithfully cleansed yet doth he not so leaue it but intermingles throwes an heap of coÌ„tentions into it being made vnto y churche y token of a couenant neuer to be broken Wherevpon the thing itself our saluation requireth that we bée circumspect giue no place to the temptour but agreing altogether in christ and being ioyned into one body by faithful celebrating of the supper we may loue one another and giue euerlasting thankes to our redéemer and Lorde Christe to whome be praise glory nowe for euer Amen Amen ¶ Of certeine institutions of the Church of god Of Scholes Of Ecclesiastical goodes and the vse and abuse of the same Of Churches and holie instrumentes of Christians Of the admonitioÌ„ correctioÌ„ of the ministers of the church and of the whole Church Of matrimonie Of widowes Of virgines Of monkes What the Church of Christ determineth concerning the sicke and of funeralls and buryall ¶ The tenth Sermon THERE remaine certeine thinges but a fewe truly whiche are to be expounded vnto you déerely beleued the whiche partly apperteine to the institution
c. 949 1 Let euery man be swift to heare slowe to speake c. 238 1 Pure religion and vndefiled before God the father c. 475. 668. 2 Abraham was not iustified by faith onely c. 465 2 Séest thou how faith was made perfect by workes c. 461 2 Let him aske in faith nothing wauering c. 922 2 Abraham and we are iustified by workes c. 28 2 If a brother or sister be naked destitute of daily foode c. 97 3 Touching the properties of the tongue c. 238 3 For the tongue is a little meÌ„ber and boasteth great things c. 319 4 Ye aske and receiue not because ye aske amisse c. 918 4 There is one law giuer which is able to saue and to destroy c. 905 5 Behold the hyre of labourers whiche haue reaped downe your fields c. 272 5 How the faithful should behaue themselues towards c. 1080 5 Confesse your sinnes one to another and pray one for another that ye may be healed c. 574. 580 5 Ye haue liued in pleasure vppon earth and beene wanton c. 299. 300. 509. 5 If any be sicke amonge you let him send for the elders c. 1139 ¶ Out of the first Epistle of S. Peter 1 YE are redéemed not with gold and siluer c. 60. 770 1 We are borne a newe not of corruptible seed c 21 827 1 The prophets did search at what moment or minute of time the spirite c. 363 1 Hope perfectly in the grace which is brought vnto you c. 305 2 Feare God honour the king 151. 2 Christ his owne selfe bare oure sinnes in his body vpon the c. 568 2 Ye are a chosen generation a royall priesthood c. 1106 2 ChristiaÌ„s are called priests 879 2 As frée and not as hauing the libertie for a cloake of maliciousnesse c. 448 2 The foundation of the church is Châ—isâ— c. 861 2 Submit your selues to all manner ordinance of man c. 107 3 The eyes of the Lord are vppon the iust c. 521 3 Touching the manner and ordering of womens apparel c. 239 3 That the Lord went in the spirit and preached vnto the spirits c. 66 3 Baptisme saueth vs not the putting away of the filth of the flesh c. 983. 989 4 Dearely beloued thincke it not straunge that ye are tryed with fire c. 294 4 Sée that none of you be punished as a murtherer c 296 4 As euery man hath receiued the gift euen so minister y same c. 905 4 The Gospâ—ll was preached also to the dead c. 765 4 Charitie couereth the multitude of sinnes c 584 4 The time is that iudgment must begin at the house of God c. 298 5 Be sober and watch for your aduersarie the diuel c. 749. 751 5 The elders that are among you I beséech c. 867 ¶ Out of the second Epistle of S. Peter 1 THe prophecie came not in old time by the will c. 10. 26. 717. 1 No prophecie in the scripture is of any priuate interpretation 907 2 God spared not the angels whiche sinned c. 745 2 The Lord knoweth how to deliuer his from temptation c. 174 2 There were false Prophetes among the people euen as c. 587 2 These are wells without water c. 449 3 In the Epistles of Paule many things are hard to be vnderstood c. 23. 24 ¶ Out of the Epistle of S. Iude. THe Angels which kept not their first estate c. 745 Iude saith that the Angel fought with Sathan the diuel c. 747 ¶ Out of the fâ—â—st Epistle of S. Iohn 1 That which we haue séene and heard we declare vnto you 81 1 The bloud of Iesus Christ clenseth vs from euery sinne c. 82. 552 2 If we say we haue no sinne wée deceiue c. 401. 496. 917 2 They went out from vs but they were none of vs c. 604. 819. 820. 2 Annoynting annoynted c. 180 2 And the annoynting whiche ye haue receiued of him c. 707. 726 2 By this we know that he dwelleth in vs by the spirit that he gaue c. 825 2 My babes these thinges write I vnto you c. 664 2 If any man loue the world the loue of the father is not in him c. 482. 483 2 Who is a lyar but hee that denieth that Iesus is Christ c. 629 3 Now are we the sonnes of god and yet it doth not appeare c. 727 3 We knowe that when he appeareth we shal be like vnto him 608 3 If we receiue y witnesse of men c. 550 3 Who so hath this worlds good séeth his brother haue c. 289. 1124 3 He that committeth sinne is of the diuel c. 485 3 My babes let vs not loue in word nor in tongue but in déede 96. 4 Beléeue not euery spirite but try the spirites c. 715. 839 4 Whosoeuer coÌ„fesseth that Iesus is the sonne of God c. 463. 825 4 Euery one that loueth him that begat c. 55. 826 4 By this we know his loue because he gaue his life c. 150. 825 4 Euery spirite that confesseth that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God c. 688 4 Little children ye are of God and haue ouercome in you c. 727 4 God is loue he that dwelleth in loue dwelleth in God c. 825 5 If any man sée his brother sinne a sinne which is vnto death c. 519 5 He that beléeueth not God maketh him a lyar c. 48 5 For all that is borne of God ouercommeth the world c. 54. 709 5 This is the loue of God that we kéepe his commaundements 409 5 And this is the confidence that we haue in him that if we aske c. 54 ¶ Out of the Apocalypse of S. Iohn 1 FEare not I am the first and the last c. 836 1 I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end c. 608 1 Iesus Christ prince of the kings of the earth loued vs c. 708 1 Iohn was banished into the Isle of 〈◊〉 c. 873 2 Remember from whence thou art fallen c. 593 2 To him that ouercometh I will giue to eate c. 863 3 These things saith he that is holy and true c. 836 4 And I saw another angel flying through the middst of heauen c. 653 6 Howe long 〈◊〉 thou Lord which art holy true c. 757. 766 7 After this I â—awe and behold a great companie c. 813 14 And I heard a voyce from heauen saying vnto me Write Blessed are the dead c. 780 17 Great Babylon the mother of whoredomes c. 869 18 Go out of her my people c 859 19 And I fell downe before the féeâ—e of the angel to worship him c 653 21 The fearefull and vnbeléeuing
God is reuealed in what manner it is to be hearde and what the force thereof is or the effect Our God is the God of all men and nations who according to the saying of the Apostle woulde haue all men to be saued and to come to the knowledge of the trueth and therfore hath he for the benefite life and saluation of all men reuealed his worde that so in déede there might be a rule and certaine waye to leade men by the pathe of iustice into life euerlasting God verily in the olde time did shewe him selfe to the Israelites his holy and peculiar people more familiarly then to other nations as the Prophete sayth To Iacob hath he declared his statutes and his iudgementes to Israel he hath not dealt so with any nation neyther hath he shewed them his iudgementes and yet he hath not altogether bene carelesse of the Gentiles For as to the Niniuites he sent Ionas so Esaias Ieremias Daniell and the other Prophetes bestowed muche labour in teaching and admonishing the Gentiles And those moste auncient Fathers Noe Abraham and the rest did not onely instruct the Iewish people which descended of them but taught their other sonnes also the iudgementes of god Our Lorde Iesus Christe verily laying open the whole world before his disciples sayd Teach all nations Preache the Gospell to all creatures And when as Sainte Peter did not yet fully vnderstande that the Gentiles also did appertaine to the fellowship of the Churche of Christe and that to the Gentiles also did belong the preaching of the glad tydings of saluation purchased by Christe for the faythfull the Lord doth instruct him by a heauenly vision by speaking to him out of heauen and by the message which came from Cornelius as you knowe dearely beloued by the hystorie of the Actes of the Apostles Let vs therfore thinke my brethren that the worde of God and the holy Scriptures are reuealed to all men to all ages kindes degrées and states throughout the worlde For the Apostle Paule also confirming the same sayth Whatsoeuer things are written are written for our learning that through patience and comfort of the Scriptures we may haue hope Let none of vs therefore hereafter say what néede I to care what is written to the Iewes in the olde Testament or what the apostles haue written to the Romanes to the Corinthians and to other nations I am a Christian The Prophets to the men of their time and the Apostles to those that liued in the same age with them did both preach and write For if we thinke vprightly of the matter we shall sée that the Scriptures of the olde and newe Testamentes ought therefore to be receiued of vs euen bicause we are Christians For Christ our Sauiour and maister did referre vs to the written bookes of Moses and the Prophets Saint Paule the very elect instrument of Christ doth apply to vs the Sacramentes and examples of the olde Fathers that is to say Circumcision in baptisme Coloss 2. and the Paschall lambe in the Supper or Sacrament 1. Cor. 5. In the tenth Chapter of the same Epistle he applyeth sundry examples of the Fathers to vs And in the fourth to the Romans where he reasoneth of fayth whiche iustifieth without the helpe of works and the lawe he bringeth in the example of Abraham And therewithall addeth Neuerthelesse it is not written for Abraham alone that fayth was reckoned vnto him for righteousnesse but also for vs to whome it shal be reckoned if we beleeue c. By that meanes say some we shal againe be wrapped in the lawe we shall be inforced to be circumcised to sacrifice fleshe and bloud of beastes to admit againe the priesthood of Aaron together with the temple and the other ceremonies There shall againe be allowed the byll of diuorcement or putting away of a mans wife together with sufferaunce to marrie many wiues To these I aunswere that in the olde Testament we muste consider that some thinges there are whiche are for euer to be obserued and some thinges whiche are ceremoniall and suffered onely till time of amendement That time of amendment is the time of Christe who fulfilled the lawe and tooke awaye the curse of the lawe The same Christe chaunged Circumcision into Baptisme He with his owne only sacrifice made an end of all sacrifices so that nowe in steade of all sacrifices there is lefte to vs that onely sacrifice of Christe wherein also we learne to offer our own very bodies and prayers together with good déedes as spirituall sacrifices vnto god Christ changed the Priesthood of Aaron for his owne and the Priesthoode of al Christians The Temple of God are we in whom god by his spirit doth dwell All ceremonies did Christ make voide who also in the nineteene of Mathewe did abrogate the bill of diuorcement together with the marriage of many wiues But althoughe these Ceremonies and some externall actions were abrogated and cleane taken away by Christ that we should not be bound vnto them yet notwithstanding the Scripture whiche was published touching them was not taken awaye or else made voide by Christ For there must for euer be in the Churche of Christ a certaine testimoniall wherby we may learne what manner of worshippings and figures of Christ they of the olde time had Those worshippiÌ„gs figures of Christ must we at this day interprete to the Churche spiritually and out of them we muste no lesse then out of the writinges of the newe Testament preach Christ forgiuenes of sinnes and repentance So then to all Christians are the writinges of the olde Testament giuen by God in like manner as the Apostles writ to all Churches those thinges which bore the name or title of some particular Congregations And to this end is the woord of God reuealed to men that it may teache them what and what maÌ„ner one God is towardes men that he would haue them to be saued aâ—d that by faithe in Christ what Christ is and by what meanes saluation commeth what becommeth the true worshipers of God what they ought to flie and what to ensue Neither is it sufficient to know the wil of God vnlesse we do the same and be saued And for that cause sayde Moses Heare Israell the statutes and iudgements whiche I teache you that ye may doe them and liue And the Lorde in the Gospell confirming the same cryeth Blessed are they whiche heare the worde of God and keepe it And here is to be praysed the excéeding great goodnesse of God whiche would haue nothing hid froÌ„ vs whiche maketh any whit to liue rightly well and holily The wise and learned of this world doe for the most part beare enuy or grudge that other shoulde attaine vnto the true wisedome But our Lorde doth gently and of his own accorde offer to vs the whole knowledge of heauenly things and is desirous that we goe forward therein yea and that more is he doth further our
saith Ill woordes corrupt good maners Moreouer a mans minde is bewrayed by his talke for of the hartes aboundance the mouth doth speake If therefore in any thing than in tongue especially it behoueth Christians to be sober and continent The Lord I confesse hath graunted man the vse of certeine pleasures For he may lawfully without offence to God cloath his body with garmēts 〈◊〉 thereby to kéepe his limmes from cold God hath and doth allowe the embracings of man and wyfe in holy wedlocke He graunteth choice of a dwelling place cōueniently situated against the vntemperatenesse of the ayre and biddeth vs not to wander like beastes and cattell throughe fields and desolate woods He hath for our necessitie and pleasaunte féeding allowed vs the vse of meate drinke He graunteth vs quietnesse ease and sléepe which doth wonderfully refresh the strength that is decayde and tyred with paines Therefore so often as a godly man doth enioy them doth vse them and is delighted with the honest pleasure of them let him giue thanks to God and vse them moderately in the feare of the lord For in so doing hée sinneth not against the Lord but by the abuse of those thinges by vnthanckfulnes for them and by immoderate vsing of them hée doth offende his God and maker For what is allowed or permitted to married folkes I haue already declared in this very sermon so that I néede not here againe to repeate it vn to you Solomon saith Be glad with the wife of thy youth let her be as the beloued Hinde and pleasaunt Roe let her loue alwayes refresh thee and bee thou still delighted therein c. In the meane time let euery one refrain from all abuse and intemperancie and if necessitie at any time require it let man and wife lye a sonder as Paule doth counsell them or else let them giue eare to the Prophete Ioel who saith Proclaime an holy fast gather the people together let the bride grome come forth of his chamber the bride out of her cloaset Our garmentes must bée cleanly and honest according to oure countrie facion to couer and become vs vnlesse our countrie facion be too farre out of order there must bée in them no hypocriticall sluttishnes beeyonde sea gawdes newfangled toyes nor vnséemely sightes The chiefe Apostles of Christe Peter and Paul were not ashamed in theyr Epistles to write somewhat largely touching the manner and ordering of womens apparel because that kinde of people doe most of all bende to that foolishe brauerie Let euerie faithful body thinke what is séemely for them to weare not so much by their degrée in dignitie or condition of riches as by their religion Excesse in euery thing is discommended in Christians And to what end doe wée iagge and gashe the garmentes that are sowed together to couer oure bodies but that thereby wee may as it were by a most fonde and ridiculous anatomie open and laye foorth to the eyes of all menne what kinde of people wée are in oure inward hearts iagged God wotte and ragged vaine lighte and nothing sounde And a linnen or wollen garmente doth as well couer and become the bodye as damasks and veluetts the coste whereof doeth ouerlade thy purse with expenses to buye them and misshape thée like an ill fauoured picture when thou wearest them vppon thée In buildinges God forbiddeth not cleanlynesse and necessary coste but sumptuous expense and gorgeous excesse For these ouer braue buildings are seeldome times finished withoute extorting wronge and ouer great iniurie done to the poore Ieremie bringeth in the Lord speaking against the king of Iuda and saying Woe to him that buildeth his house with vnrighteousnesse and his parloure with the goods that are wrongfully gotten which neuer recompenseth his neigh bours laboure nor payeth him his hyre Who saith to himselfe I will builde mee a wyde house and gorgeous parloures who causeth windowes to be hewen therein and the seelinges and ioystes maketh hee of Cedar and painteth them with Sinoper Thinckest thou to reigne nowe that thou haste incloased thee selfe with Cedar Did not thy father eate and drincke and prosper well as longe as hee executed iustice and equitie Let none of vs therefore build sumptuous houses by robbinge the poore of their hyre for their labour Let euery one dwell in a house agréeable to his profession degrée and condition S. Hierome condemneth sumptuous coste euen in Churches and Temples Neither do I sée what gorgeous buildinges bringe to a manne but mischiefe and miserie Lord how vnwillingly doe wée die departe from goodly dwelings whereby we double the feare of death and terrour of sicknesse The Patriarches verily did dwell in tentes whereby they witnessed that they were pilgrimes and sought another countrie the heauenly Hierusalem Continencie in meate and drincke is not the loathinge of wyne and victualls but the moderate vsinge of them to supplie oure necessitie and not to cloye vs with gluttonie God in the Scripture doeth condemne gluttonie surfettinges riottous afterbanquettes and dronkennesse which hée forbiddeth moste of all For of dronkennesse doe springe endelesse miseries and innumerable mischiefes gréeuous diseases pouertie and pinchinge beggarie Solomon saith Who hath woe who hath sorrowe who hath strife Who hath brawling who hath woundes withoute a cause who hath redde eyes euen they that follow the wyne and seeke excesse thereof Looke not thou vppon the wyne how redde it is and what a colour it giueth in the glasse It goeth downe sweetely but at the last it byteth like a serpent and poysoneth like an adder I will not rehearse all which I could alledge oute of heathen writers against surfetting and dronkennesse Solomon alone in that one sentence conteyneth a great deale of matter Moreouer hée that heareth not Christ whom is it likely that hee wil giue eare vnto in all the world Now Christ in the Gospel by the parable of the riche glutton doth meruaylous euidently set forth the wofull end of insatiable paunches In the same Gospell also hée taketh occasion to touch the surfettings and dronkennesse of our age I meane the age which is immediately before the Iudgment day where hée saith As it happened in the dayes of Noe and Lot they did eate and drincke euen vntill the day that Noe entred into the arck and that Lot departed from amonge the Sodomits and then incontinently the deluge came and fire brimstome powred downe from heauen and destroyed them al. Againe he addeth Take heede to your selues least at any time your hearts be ouercome with surfetting and dronkennesse cares of this life and so that day come vpon you at vnawares For as a snare shall it come vpon all them that dwel vppon the face of the whoale earth Watch ye therefore at all times praying that ye may escape al these things and stand before the sonne of man. And I would to God that al men would not write this golden heauenly and diuine admonition of our
shall deale with his neighbour deceiptfully And Paule to the Ephesians saith Laying lyes aside speake ye euery man the trueth to his brother for wee are members one of another Let him which stole steale no more but rather labour with his handes in woorking the thing that is good that he may giue to him that hath neede This may wée extende almoste to all the offices and dueties of men For who soeuer denyeth the debte and duetie whiche of right he oweth the same doth sinne against this commaundement as for example if the housholder denye the duetie that he oweth to his familie againe if the familie consume the housholders substaunce and doe deceiue the good man whose care is bent to mainteine his charge and are sett to vndoe him by prodigall spending his money and goods which they filche from him priuilie Againe if the Lorde or maister although this poynte may well bée referred to the title of dammage that is done by withholding be too rough to his hyndes or husbandmen or if the ploughfolks do idely wast their maisters substaunce or slackly looke to their tillage and businesse or spende in ryott his wealth and richesse So then the seruaunt offendeth agaynst this commaundement if he doeth not séeke all the meanes that he may to haue a diligent care for his maysters affaires and faithfully augment his wealth and possessions And in like manner do mayde-seruauntes in the dueties whyche they owe offende against their mystresses And therefore Paule hauing an eye to this precept giueth Titus in charge and saith Exhorte seruauntes to be obedient vnto their owne maisters and to please them in all thinges not aunswering againe nor pickers but shewing all good faithfulnesse that they may adourne the doctrine of God our Sauiour in all thinges And like vnto this is that which the same Apostle repeateth in the sixth Chapter to the Ephesians the 3. to the Colossians and the 1. to Timothie the sixth Chapter for in this commaundement his doctrine of the dueties of maisters and seruauntes hath a fitt place so farre as concerneth the housholders riches and what soeuer else is like vnto this To this precept also robberie and deceipt do fully belong both whiche extende farre and conteine manye kindes Fraude is infinite for the iniquitie of men is bottomlesse theire craftes are diuerse and of so manye sortes that no one man can number them all And robbery is not alwaies armed with force and weapons but is sometimes furnished with sleights and coloured wordes neither do robbers lurke and lay waite in wooddes and wide open fieldes alone but are conuersant also in the thickest throngs of euery good citie Thou takest away thy neighbours goods vnder the false title and pretence of lawe Thou robbest him I saye while by thy suite thy gifts or other fetches thou dost extort from the Iudges corrupted sentence to maintaine thy wrongfull claime Some there are whiche vnder the title of a deede of gift stick not to wrest whole heritages from legitimate heires These and other shiftes or coosenings like vnto these are conteined partely vnder robbery partely vnder deceipt but altogether and flatly vnder plaine théeuerie Although at dice players do giue their mutuall consent to fall to gaming yet for because eche ones desire is gréedily set to gett the others money and that they make blinde Fortune I meane the dice or cardes to be the diuider of their goodes betwirt them Therefore are the dice and cardes worthily condemned of al good diuines And Iustinian the Emperour as it is extant Cod. lib. 3. tit vltimo hauing a regarde to his subiectes commoditie decreede that it should be lawfull for no man eyther in publique or priuate houses to play at dice. For although dice playe hath bene vsed of great antiquitie yet hath it ended and burst out into teares For many hauing lost all the substance that they haue do at the laste in playe breake forth to the cursinge and blaspheming of god Otherwise there is none so ignorant but knoweth well enough that such exercises of the witt or bodie as are frée from the poysoned desire of filthie gayne whereon neither the hurte of our neyghbour nor our selfe doth depend are lawful enough to be vsed of Christians Vsurie is when thou grauntest to another man the vse of thy goodes as of lande houses money or anye thing else whereof thou receiuest some yerely commoditie For thou hast a manour a farme landes medowes pastures vineyardes houses and monye which thou dost let out to hire vnto another man vpon a certeine couenant of gaine to returne to thee for the vse thereof This bargaine this couenant is not of it selfe vnlawfull nor yet condemned in the holy Scriptures And the verie name of vsurie is not vnhonest of it self the abuse thereof hath made it vnhonest so that not without a cause it is at this day detested of all men For vsurie is in the Scripture condemned so farre as it is ioyned with iniquitie and the destruction of our brother or neighbour For who will forbid to let out the vse of our landes houses or monye to hire that thereby we may receiue some iust and lawfull commoditie For buying setting to hyre and such like contracts are lawfully allowed vs And as the parte of him that giueth is to do good so is it the duetie of him that taketh not to vse a good turne without all maner of recompence to the hurte and hinderance of him that giueth it in bestowing of méere benefites there is another consideration wherof we read in the 6. of Luke If ye lende to them of whome ye hope to receiue againe c. And the Lawyers do discusse this matter thus that it is no vsurie when the debtour giueth a pension and some yerely fée in recompence of the money which he hath borowed sauing the principall summe which he hath borowed whole by a couenant that was made before of selling it backe againe because the thing doth cease to be lent which is so graunted to another mans vse that vnlesse the debitour will the creditour cannot claime the thing so long as the debitour payeth the pension for the assured payment whereof he hath put him selfe in bonds For such a crediting is a flatt contract of buying They saye therefore that vsurie is committed in lending alone which ought to be without hire and not in other contractes or bargaines Let them therefore which deale in these kinde of trades haue this alwayes before their eyes as a rule to be ledd by Whatsoeuer thou wouldest haue done to thy selfe that do thou to an other and whatsoeuer thou wouldst not haue done to thy selfe that do not thou to another And let them thinke of those wordes of the Apostle Let no man beguyle his brother in bargaining I knowe verie wel that touching money they are wont to alledge that it endureth not as landes and vineyards but is consumed and made lesse with vse and tossing from man to
grace that is which haue power to giue grace For they say that they are as instruments pipes certeine conduits of Christes passion by whiche the grace of Christe is conueyed and powred into vs but that the signes of the old testament giuen to the fathers were signes onely and not causes of grace also whiche haue force to signifie but not to giue grace They séeme truelye to haue suckte that errour out of Sainct Augustines words wrongfully vnderstoode for he writeth vppon the 73. Psalme thus The sacraments of the new lawe are more wholesome happie than they of the old lawe because they promise these giue But S. Augustinement to say no other thing than that whiche in another place he speaketh after this manner The sacrament of the old lawe did foreshew that Christ should come but ours doe shewe that hee is come For also against Faustus Lib. 19. cap. 14. he calleth the Sacraments of the old lawe Promises of things to bee perfourmed but our sacramentes tokens of thinges that are alreadie perfourmed Wherfore vpon the 73. Psalme he sayeth The sacramentes of the old lawe are giuen to signifie the verie thing but ours do witnesse that it is giuen and signifie that it is present I confesse that he saith more than once that our sacramentes are more comfortable and effectuall but hee said that by no other reason than for that the Messias being alreadie reuealed and giuen vnto vs in the new testament our sacramentes are more perfecte more lightsome and more beautifull for Christ hath brought all signes to an end wherfore ours haue a more full signification and after a sort are the more liuelie But if Augustine had béene altogether of that opinion which these men do fauour and followe would not godlines it selfe persuade vs to forsake the authoritie of men and cleane to the word of trueth Let vs sée therefore what may bée gathered out of the word of trueth that is out of the canonical scriptures touching the likenes and difference of the sacraments of the old and new testament This we hould for a certeintie out of the scriptures that there is but one euerlasting and vnchaungeable God and Lord of either Churche that there is but one faith in him thorough Christe of either Churche that there is but one waye layd downe in either Church to atteine to the promises of saluation to be short that there is but one Churche of the onely liuing God gathered together out of either people both of the Iewes Gentiles I thincke there needeth no large confirmation of these thinges out of the scripture béecause in the 8. Decade and third Sermon I haue handled them at the full Now that I haue fortified and cōfirmed these thinges before by the writinges of the Apostles thus I conclude not of mine owne braine but by the authoritie of God They which alwayes haue one euerlasting and vnchaungeable God one waye of saluation set forth for all in Christ from the beginning one faith one church one baptisme the same spirituall meate and drincke they cannot choose but haue the selfe same sacraments as touching their substance But the Iewes and Christians haue one God one faith one way of saluation which is by Christe to be short one church therefore haue they also the selfe same sacraments sauing that ours are giuen vnder other signes and for that throughe the reuelation ot the Sunne of righteousnes I meane Christ are made more lightsome and manifest I saye further that the scripture witnesseth that the sacraments of the old testament and ours are of the same force in so muche that Paule calleth them circumcised which are baptised and them baptised which are circumcised And he also teacheth That oure fathers did eate that spirituall meate which wee eate dranke of that spirituall drincke that is the rocke But anon he addeth And that rocke was Christ The words of the Apostle are well knowen and are read in the 1. Cor. 10. The same Apostle in the se-second chapiter to the Coloss saith In Christ ye are complete or made perfecte in whome also ye are circumcised with circumcision made without hands by putting off the bodie of the flesh subiecte to sinne by the circumcision of Christe buried with him in baptisme c. What I praye you can bée spoken more plainely Circumcision made without handes is the circumcision of Christians which is baptisme But in the former place of Paul to the Corinthians we must mark as elsewhere I put you in minde that to be baptised into Moses is not the same that it is to be baptised into Christe For to be baptised into Moses is all one as if he had said to be baptised by Moses or thoroughe the ministerie of Moses For it is manifest that Moses broughte the people to GOD whiche were onely committed to his charge In many places in Aurel. August ye shall read the like howsoeuer oure aduersaries doe father vppon Augustine this difference betwene the sacraments of the old lawe and ours of their owne bringing in For he Lib. 2. cont literas Petil. cap. 27. sayeth The sacraments of the Iewes were in out ward tokens diuers from ours but in the thinges signified they were equall and all one Also Tract in Ioan. 26. vpon this place He is the bread which came downe frō heauē he saith Manna did fignifie this bread the altar of God signified this bread Those were sacramēts In signes they are diuers but in the thinge signified equall The like woordes thou mayest read Lib. 19. contra Faustum Manichęum cap. 13. 16. 17. And againe Tract in Ioan 45. Before the comming of oure Lord Iesus Christ whē he came basely in the fleshe there were iust and righteous men who did so beléeue in him then that was to come as we doe beléeue in him nowe that is come The times were chaunged but so was not faith And so forth And anon In diuers signes is all one faith so in diuers signes as in diuers words because woords chaunge their soundes by times and truely words are nothing bu◠signes For in that they signifie they are wordes take a waye the signification from the word and it is a vaine noyse Therefore all woordes are significations Did not these that ministred those signes in the old lawe beléeue those thinges which we no we beléeue were prophecied before hand by them No doubt they did beléeue them but they beléeued they should come and wee that they are come Also vppon the 77. Psalme The same meate and drincke sayeth hee had they in their Sacraments which wée haue in oures but in signification the same not in likenesse For the selfe same Christ was figured to them in the rocke but manifested to vs in the flesh But with them all God was not well pleased All verilie did eate one spirituall meate and dranke one spirituall drinke that is which signified some spirituall thing but in all of them God had no delight And
owne of his méere grace and frée promise without their confession So that of the contrary part we doe thus reason They that beléeue are to be baptised whiche the verie aduersaries also do confesse Infantes doe beléeue For God reckoneth them in the number of the faithfull whiche I haue afore manifestly proued Therefore infantes are to be baptised They obiect that infants vnderstande not the mysterie of baptisme and therefore that it is not onely repugnant to religion but to common sense and reason to baptise infants For to baptise an infant is to baptise a logge since neither of theÌ„ hath the vse of reason but these filthy knaues let their tongs run at randon against the verie maiestie of god God commaunded to circumcise the infants and circumcisioÌ„ conteineth high mysteries whiche infants vnderstand not But hath God ordeined any thing against reason coÌ„monsense Go ye falseknaues go with your blasphemies to the place which you deserue It is a most filthy déede yea and more than barbarouâ— in that ye compare infants to logges For what great store God setteth by infants we taught you alredy before out of the Gospell But men which nowe beginne to haue the vse of sound reason are diligently and earnestly to be taught and admonished to remember they are baptised and to indeuour by calling on the name of the Lord in all points to be answerable in life and conuersation to their promise and profession For so Abraham instructed his sonne Isaach and all the holy fathers their children But letting passe these brainsicke frantique and foule-mouthed raylers who as we haue heard neuer want wordes to wrangle though we haue hadde neuer so muche neuer so often and neuer so earnest conference with them Let vs procéede to declare in a sewe but yet manifest arguments that infants are to be baptised and that the Apostles of Christe our Lord haue baptised infants The Lorde commaunded to baptise all nations and therefore infantes For they are comprehended vnder the worde of All nations Againe whom so euer God reckoneth among the faythfull are faythfull For Peter in a vision heareth That whiche God hath cleansed call not thou common or vncleane God reckoneth infantes among the faythfull therefore they are faythfull except we hadde rather resist God and séem to be stronger than he And now we count it oute of all controuersie that the Apostles of Christe baptised them whome Christ commaunded to baptise but he commaunded to baptise the faythfull therefore the Apostles baptised infants The Gospell is greater than baptisme for Paule sayth The Lorde sent me to preache the Gospell and not to baptise not that he did absolutely denie that he was not sent to baptise but bycause he preferred doctrine For the Lord commended them both to his Apostles Furthermore in the Gospell children are receyued of God and not refused who then vnlesse he be willingly obstinate can debarre them from the lesse In â—acramentes the thing signified and the signe are considered The thing signified is the excellenter from the infants are not debarred Who then will denie them the signe Truly the holy sacraments of God are more estéemed by the worde than the signe By the woorde we gather that women are not excluded from the Supper of the Lorde Although therfore we reade not that they were in the first institution and set at the first table of the Lorde neyther that there is any expresse law which commaundeth vs to admitte them to the Supper yet neuerthelesse withoute feare or doubt by a perfect argument we admit them S. Peter could not deny them the baptisme of water to whome he sawe the holie Ghost to be giuen whiche is an assured tokeÌ„ of Gods people for he saith in the Acts of the Apostles Can anye man forbid water that these should not bee baptised which haue receiued the holie Ghoste as well as wee Wherefore the holie Apostle Peter denyed not baptisme to infants For he knewe assuredly euen by the doctrine of his Lord and maister that I may speake nothing now of the euerlasting couenaunt of God that the kingdome of heauen is of infants No man is receiued into the kingdome of heauen vnlesse he be the friende of god And these are not destitute of the spirite of god For hee which hath not the spirit of Christe the same is none of his children are Gods therefore they haue the spirite of god Therefore if they haue receyued the holy Ghost as well as we if they be accounted among the people of God as well as we that be growne in age who I praye you can forbid these to be baptised with water in the name of the Lord At the first the Apostls murmured being theÌ„ not sufficiently instructed against them that brought infantes vnto the Lorde But the Lord rebuked them and said Suffer little children to come vnto me Why then do not the rebellious Anabaptistes obey the commaundement of the Lord For what other thing doe they at this day whiche bring children vnto baptisme than that whiche they in times past did which brought infants vnto the Lord And the Lord receyued them layde his handes on them and blessed them and to be shorte by wordes and gestures he notably signified that children are the people of God and most acceptable to god But why then by the same meanes say they did not he baptise them Bycause it is written that Iesus him self did not baptise but his disciples Nowe since of the thing it selfe it is so playnely determined why as yet doe we contend about the signe Hitherto good men are satisfied but contentious persons go on to busie them selues with questions Beside this circumcision among the olde people of God was giuen to infants therefore baptisme ought to be giuen to infants among the newe people For baptisme succéeded in the place of circumcision For S. Paule sayth By Christ ye are circumcised with circumcision made withoute hands by putting off the body of the fleshe subiect to sinne by the circumcision of Christ buryed with him in baptisme Loe Paule calleth baptisme the circumcision of Christians made without hands not that water is not ministred by hands but in that no men hencefoorthe is circumcised with handes the mysterie of circumcision remayning neuerthelesse in the faythful Neither shalt thou reade any of the old interpreters of the church which haue not confessed the baptisme came in stead of circumcision Yea the likenesse and similitude of both of them do shewe a manifest succession To that whiche I haue sayde I ioyne this The seruauntes of God haue alwayes bene carefull to gyue the signes to them for whome they were ordained For that I may passe ouer al other did not Iosua diligently prouide that the people shoulde be circumcised afore they entered into the lande of promise And since the Apostles the preachers to the whole worlde haue bene the faythfull seruaunts of Iesus Christe who hereafter may doubt that they
the in respect therof wee were acceptable vnto God and when wée departe out of this life wée should flye straight wayes vpp into Heauen but without receiuing the Sacramente bée throwen directly downe to hell There muste also néedes arise sundrye other errours Neither is there any necessitie to constraine vs to minister the sacrament to the sick For as prisoners are absent from receiuing the Lords supper without danger of saluation so likewise are the sick those that are ready to dye For béeing neuertheles by perfect faith gathered to the body of Christe although they be absent in body yet being in minde present with the congregatiō they are also made partakers of all spirituall good things And it is sufficient for thē that as lōg as they haue bene in helth they haue bene alwayes presēt at the holy mysteries The feast of Passeouer was not celebrated euery where but at Hierusalem onely in one place But howe many were there thincke wée the by reason of their bodily health impaired with sicknes for old-age could not trauell to Hierusalem from so large and wide a kingdome And although no man brought them home a péece of the Paschal lambe in their pockets notwithstanding they did cōmunicate with the whole church of Israel And who doubteth but that by the comming of Christ the condition of the Christians is made better Our Lord Christ did not institute his mysticall supper for the dead but for the liuing onely wherefore it is not to be celebrated for the dead and to bee applied to their redēption They that die without faith immediatly fall vnder the iudgment of damnation But they that are dead in Christ are alreadie ioyned vnto the companie of the elders and stand before the Lambe singing Halleluiah for euermore For I haue declared in my sermon of the Soule that the saluation of the faithful soules which are departed by corporal death is most vndoubted And where some obiect that the auncient sathers haue made mētion of offering for the dead we suppose that it apperteineth not vnto vs We beléeue the Canonicall scriptures without contradiction we beléeue not the fathers further than they can proue their owne sayings by the Canonicall scriptures Neither would they haue thē-selues otherwise beléeued And therfore if the fathers thincke that the supper is a sacrifice that it is to be offred to procure rest to the souls departed we do not receiue that opinion as not agréeing with the Canonicall scriptures whiche teache that the Lord instituted not his supper for that purpose and therefore by such abuse of the supper God is rather displeased than pleased yea that there is no work of man be it neuer so good much lesse if it be against Gods word that can sanctifie since that prerogatiue belongeth onely to the merite of the sonne of God and moreouer that the souls departed are not in any such state in the other world that they can or ought to be holpen by any woorkes in this world But if the auncient fathers by oblation or offering doe vnderstand the sacrifice of praise or thanckesgiuing we will not striue against them but that there may be made oblations for the dead that is to say that thanks be giuen to God his goodnes praised who hath called out of this miserable world such as were indued with true faith and hath ioyned them vnto the companies of angels and all the blessed sainctes in the euerlasting kingdome of all ioye and felicitie But surely there is no truth nor godlines that willeth vs to celebrate the supper for the dead And we make a distinction in sacrifice or oblatiō For there is a sacrifice of expiation and there is a sacrifice of confession or praise The sacrifice of expiation is offered to cleanse or purge sinns and also for satisfaction for sinnes This cānot be accomplished without death and bloud as S. Paule the Apostle sheweth plainely in the 9. Cap. to the Hebrues The sacrifice of Christ was such a one the figures of whiche were all the sacrifices of all the holy fathers of the old testament who beeing both priest and sacrifice offered vp himself once to God the father while he suffered vpon the crosse and shedding his most innocent bloud there gaue vpp the Ghost The supper at this day is no such sacrifice but a commemoration of the death or of the sacrifice once offered vpon the crosse For nether ought or can Christe bee sacrificed againe who being once offered is sufficient to cleanse all the sinnes of all ages Why then should hee be sacrificed againe Neither can the sonne of God be sacrificed by any man since that for the same cause he offered vp himselfe once to God as being a priest for euer after the order of Melchisedech Therefore the minister of the Churche doeth not in the Churche sacrifice the body and bloud of Christe in the supper for the liuing but together with the whole Church doeth celebrate the remembraunce of the sacrifice which was once offered vpon the Crosse Of which as I haue said elsewhere the supper may also be called a sacrifice because it is a sacrament or signe of the sacrifice whiche was once offered by Christe as Augustine also hath lefte written The sacrifice of cōfession is of praise thankesgiuing which wée offer to God for the redemption and benefits of god fréely bestowed vpon his Church And since we offer the same alwayes vnto GOD in prayer but chiefly when wée are ioyned in the sacramēt of the Eucharist or celebrating the supper therefore the auncient fathers called it a sacrifice because in the same we giue thanckes vnto God for oure deliuerance from death and for the inheritaunce of euerlasting life which is giuen vnto vs And that this sacrifice is generally offered by the vniuersall Churche in celebrating the supper not by the minister of the church alone for those the liue in the Church we tould you before Now forasmuch as wee haue hetherto discussed certaine circūstances or questions whiche are wont to be moued about the Lords supper so farr forth as the necessitie of the matter séemed to require as muche as our smal abilitie was able to performe it remayneth that we descend further to declare for what cause the Lords supper was by the Lord instituted which place truely is not rashly reckoned among the chiefest For we made mention of the same immediatly vpon the beginning of this sermon For the lord by setting bread wine before vs in the holy banquet would haue his promise and communion testified vnto vs and his gifts represented vnto vs made manifest to our senses would also gather vs visibly into one bodie and reteine the memorie of his death in the hearts of the faithfull and finally put vs in minde of our duetie chiefly of praise thankesgiuing All these thinges haue we seuerally expounded hauing discoursed vpon them at large in the generall cōsideration
he might leaue off from béeing a clerke for that no man could well be bothe a monke and a clerke since the one is an impediment to the other Then liued they not of the common reuenues of the Church but of the trauel of their owne hands as the lay people do S. Hierome disputing of the originall of monkes in the life of Paulus hath thus written Among many it hath oftentimes been called into question who first beganne chiefly to dwell in the wildernes of the monkes Some fetching the matter somewhat farre off beginne to reckon from Helias the holy prophet and S. Iohn of whome Helias seemeth to vs to haue beene more than a monke and that S. Iohn began to prophecie before he was borne But others in which opinion the moste part of all people doe commonly agree affirme that saint Anthonie was the firste beginner of that order which in part is true For he was not onely the first but also the motioner of all others therevnto Amathas Macarius saint Anthonies scholars whereof the first buried his maisters bodie do nowe affirme that one Paulus Thebius was the first beginner of that way whiche thing we also confirme not only in name but also in opinion And anon hee addeth that Paulus forsaking the citie being thereto inforced for feare of torments vnder the persecuters Cecius and Valerianus departed into the wildernesse where he found a â—aue and lay hid therein vntil hee was founde out by S. Anthonie The Emperours Decius Valerianus gouerned the Empyre about the yeare of our Lord 260. but it is saide that S. Anthonie dyed when he was an hundred fiue yeres olde in the yeare of our Lord 360. S. Augustine in the 80. epistle to Hesychius who reporteth of his own time howe that he liued in the yeare of our Lorde foure hundreth and twentie but Eutropius and Beda reporte howe that he died in the yeare of our Lord foure hundreth and thirtie in the thirtie and one chapter of the maners of the catholique church reciting the manners and institutions of the monkes in his time reporteth suche thinges as are verie farre from the orders institutions of our Monkes now a dayes In the time of Iustinian the Emperour who made certeine lawes of Monkes and Monasteries there liued one Benet whom many of the Monkes nowe a dayes do call father whose life I will recite vnto you out of Trittenheymius who died aboue fiftie yeares since to the intent you may vnderstande what power and dignitie they obteyned in processe of time who at the beginning were contemned of none authoritie Benet Abbat of Cassina sayeth he first founder beginner and gouernour of the monkes in the West wroate in eloquent style and with graue iudgement the rule for monkes in one booke whiche beginneth Giue care O my sonneto my precepts c. and it conteineth thrée score and thirtéene Chapters He died in the yeare of our Lord 542. But Marianus Scotus supposeth that hée died in the yeare of our Lord 601. in the last yeare of the Emperour Maurice He writeth also of twentie orders of Monkes that were vnder Benets rule Of S. Benets order there haue béene eighttéene Popes in the Sea of Rome Cardinals aboue two huÌ„dred Archebishops in diuerse Churches to the number of one thousand sixe hundred Bishops almost foure thousand Famous Abbats who excelled in life doctrine and writings fiftéene thousand seuen hundred Of suche as are Canonized fiftéene thousand sixe hundred And that I may not recite many other orders of monkes it is knowne that the mendicant Monkes and Friers beeing the faithful diligent valiaunt Romane champions of the Pope and the spirituall Monarchie were confirmed by Honorius about the yeare of our Lorde one thousand two hundred twentie and two Hereby I would declare nothing else but onely that all men shoulde vnderstande that Monkerie was deuised by mannes inuention not deliuered vnto the Churche of Christe by the Apostles and that at the firste it sémed to be tollerable but afterward became altogether intollerable Howe profitable it is to the common wealth experience it selfe teacheth And who so euer knoweth not that it is quite repugnant to true religion knoweth nothing They feigne that it is meritorius before God and the state of perfection But who séeth not how repugnant it is to Christes merite and to the sincere doctrine of the Gospell What godlinesse or necessitie is it that moueth vs after that we haue wholy betaken our selues to one God in baptisme to betake our selues also and to make our vowes to Sainctes and to binde our selues by religioÌ„ of an othe to the obseruing of their rules True religion forbiddeth vs to vowe our selues to Saintes or by any meanes to depende in way of religion vppon them True religion forbiddeth vs to choose vs any other Fathers or Maisters True religion forbiddeth vs to deuise new maÌ„ners of worshippings or new religions or to receiue them that are deuised by others The example of Ieroboam and his fellows maketh vs affeard True religion forbiddèth vs to sweare by the names of other GODS Religion referreth vs to one GOD by faith and obedience Superstition breaketh this bande and admitteth creatures S. Paul to the Corinthians saith Euerie one of you sayeth I am Paules I am Apollos I am Cephaes and I am Christes Is Christ diuided was Paule crucified for you Or were you baptised in the name of Paule Beholde Christ is our redéemer and our maister The faith of Christe hath made vs one bodie By baptisme we are baptised into one body that we might be called Christians not Petrines or Paulines S. Paule would not suffer that Christians shoulde take their name of the Apostles how much lesse would he abide that at this day some shoulde bee called Benedictines some Franciscanes some Dominicanes We are the Lordes inheritance and possession it is not lawfull for vs to binde our selues to the seruice of men But who so binde themselues they teare in sunder the vnitie of Christes body they prophane the crosse and baptisme of Christ The Apostle sayeth playnly Is Christe diuided was Paule crucified for you or wer you baptised in the name of Paul And therefore although they be commonly called Spirituall persons yet are they nothing lesse than spirituall For the Apostle sayth When one of you sayeth I am Paules and I Apolloes are ye not carnall To what end is it after the receiuing of the gospel of Christe Iesus and the doctrine of the Apostles whiche conteyne and deliuer vnto vs all godlinesse to inuent newe rules For truely when they had once founde out certeine peculiar lawes and meanes of liuing they separated themselues from the common sorte of Christians in all outward maner of liuing in their behauiour and in all their apparell to the intent that by that meanes they might make euident to all men that they woulde liue a-part as it were from that common laye and imperfect Church to liue more holily perfectly and