onely to him Therfore it frameth it selfe to his lore and desireth nothing so much as to be seene of all men whereas it knoweth it hath to reioyce in none but Christ alone These thinges reprooue the sluggysh mindes of the men of our dayes which are ashamed of Christ and saye that fayth maye be dissembled if there be lyke to ensue any daunger by the confession thereof Howbeit there were manye thinges which myght haue feared the Aethiop from being baptized for as much as he knewe that both Queene Candace and all the people of hir Countrie were farre from the knowledge of Christ which thing threatened him manifest perill both of his estate and goodes But his mynde incensed with the liuely fayth of Christ ouercommeth and bursteth through all impediments in whose hart vndoubtedly was written by the suggestion of the holy ghost that saying of Christ whosoeuer shall be ashamed of me and of my wordes in this aduouterous sinfull generation of him also shall the sonne of man be ashamed when he shall come in the glory of his father with the holy Aungels Moreouer this also is one other propertie of fayth that although the Eunuch thinketh he hath obteyned in Christ all the treasures of Gods grace and the infallibe certaintie of saluation yet for all that he iudgeth not the vse of baptisme to be vnprofitable or superfluous For fayth knoweth that Christ hath ordeyned nothing vnprofitably or in vayne bycause it knoweth that he is the eternall wisedome of God the father in whome are hidden all the treasures of knowledge It knoweth also that the corruption of our fleshe hath neede of many thinges and that it scarsely can be compelled with many prouocations to take the way of saluation Wherby it appeareth that they are voyde aswell of the knowledge of Christ as of themselfe that vse to despyse and reiect the sacramentes For although by fayth in Christ we attayne to whatsoeuer thinges are necessary to our saluation yet bicause of the inclination of our flesh it is profitable that Gods benefites shoulde be confirmed with outwarde seales and that by them we shoulde be admonished of our dutie whereof oftentymes we are forgetfull But Luke bringeth forth the other person of this act that is to say Philip which by and by obeyed not the Eunuch least he shoulde seeme to haue yeelded vnto him bicause of his dignitie or humanitie but he requireth of him first the confession of a true fayth saying If thou beleeuest with all thine heart thou mayest He hath therefore a respect to hys fayth and will haue it voyde of all guyle and dissimulation By which example we are taught that the sacraments ought not to be prophaned that is to saye to be giuen to the faythlesse For where they be the badges and cognizaunces of the Church of Christ it becommeth not them to weare them that are straungers fro the church bicause such for the more part are dogges and hogges before whome Christ forbiddeth vs to whoorle pearles And if we consider the commaundement of Christ it shall appeare that the Apostles first ought to teach and then they that beleeued their doctrine shoulde be baptised For he sayth Teach ye all Nations baptising them in the name of the father and of the sonne and of the holy ghost c. Yet let no man thinke we support or maintayne the madnesse of the Anabaptistes For they erre and keepe a pernitious coyle whyle they drawe that to the infants of Christians and rashly keepe them from baptisme which is onely to be obserued in straungers from religion and those that are of a full age For we affirme that such as â—e straungers from the church of christ as were sometime the Iewes and Gentyles and as are at this daye the Iewes and Turkes and other such lyke ought not to be baptised vnlesse we wyll to grossely pollute baptisme vntill they haue made profession of their fayth But the reason of infantes borne of Christians is of a farre other sort and case For these are accounted among the children or houshold of the church by reason of the lawe of couenant They be holy and Christ commaundeth them to be brought vnto him It is also manifest that they please God bicause their Aungels alwaies see the face of the father And although our capacitie cannot conceyue their state and condicion yet Christ testifyeth they haue fayth And that they haue the holy ghost both the examples of Iohn the Baptist and others do teach vs Wherfore to denye baptisme vnto them is no small impietie and a point of boldenesse more than monstrous Howbeit bicause we haue intreated hereof in other places let thys little suffice for this present Further let vs see the confession that the Eunuch made which in marueylous breuitie comprehendeth thinges of most importaunce I beleeue sayth he that Iesus Christ is the sonne of God. This confession is much like to that that Peter made in the name of all the Apostles He attributeth vnto Christ whatsoeuer is spoken of him in holy scripture Yea if the matter be narrowly marked it comprehendeth all the articles of our fayth or Creede Apostolicall For he acknowledgeth him to be God no doubt that God which the Scriptures say was Creator of heauen and earth He confesseth no such God as the Iewes and Turkes doe but such an one as hath a sonne borne of himselfe coeternall and consubstantiall with him He beleeueth that this sonne was incarnated as may be gathered of the thinges which he red in Esay Further he beleeueth that the sonne of God is Christ that is to say annoynted wherein he vnderstandeth his kingdome and Priesthoode Unto the Priesthood belongeth all the passion of Christ where he offered the sacrifice of his bodie and bloud for the sinnes of the whole worlde In the name of Kingdome is conteyned his glorious resurrection whereby he ouercame death also his ascention whereby as by a most gorgeous tryumph he entered into heauen and is sitting on the right hand of the father which declareth him to be a most mightie king to whome all power is giuen in heauen and in earth and which shall come againe to giue iudgement and sentence vpon all fleshe But he that confesseth Christ to be a King must needes also confesse that he hath a Church wherein he reigneth and gouerneth This Church is the Communion or felowship of all Saintes to whome Christ hath committed his inestimable treasures to say â–ª the forgiuenesse of sinnes the resurrection of the fleshe and felowship of eternall lyfe These mysteries I say this short confession of the Eunuch comprehendeth Whereby we are taught what an one we also should acknowledge and confesse Christ to be It is well to be considered howe confession of mouth is ioyned with fayth of minde For we haue before this declared â–ª howe these two must of necessitie be coupled togither and Paule expressely teacheth the same where he sayth This is
vnprofytable and all the time of their voyage lost they preach euerywhere the conuersion of the Gentyles And this was the chiefe cause of the contention bicause many tooke it in euill parte that the vncircumcised Gentyles were receyued into the felowship of Christ and his Church But the godly men vnderstoode that the workes of God which serued to the setting forth of Christes glorye must not be dissembled bicause some men had a wrong iudgement of them Nay we must rather wrastle against the waywardnesse of the worlde least thereby Gods glorie might be impayred For that that Christ sometime sayde vnto the priestes being offended with the childrens showting If these holde their peace the stones shall crye the same let vs thinke spoken euen to vs For although we prouyding for our slouthfulnesse dare doe nothing for the glorie of God yet will God easily fynde faythfull defenders of the same and we shall be made the vessels of wrath ignominie which would not be the instruments of grace and glorie Thirdly the brethren reioyce in the conuersion of the Gentiles and neyther enuie them the fellowship of saluation neyther Paule nor Barnabas the singuler commendation of such a Ministerie This is the propertie of the godly that they reioyce at the setting forth of Christes glorie and the saluation of others Fourthly when they were come to Ierusalem they were receyued by the Apostles and the whole congregation as singuler instrumentes of christ For it becommeth vs to reuerence the giftes of God in them whose ministery God vseth both to our profyte and his praise They agayne declare what God had done by them bicause the same made much for their purpose the aduersaries going about through their peeuishe opinion to ouerthrowe the vocation of the Gentyles God graunt that in these dayes also contentions being calmed and layde downe we maye all giue â—are to the Apostles doctrine and that all heartes through the vnitie of fayth and bonde of true loue may strongly be knyt togyther in Iesus Christ our onely sauiour to whome be all prayse honor power and glory for euer Amen The Cij Homelie THEN rose vp certayne of the sect of the Phariseys which did beleeue saying that it was needefull to circumcise them and to commaunde them to keepe the lawe of Moses And the Apostles and Elders came togyther to reason of this matter And when there was much disputing Peter rose vp and sayde vnto them yee men and brethren you knowe howe that a good whyle ago God did choose amonge vs that the Gentyles by my mouth should heare the worde of the gospell and beleeue And Cod which knoweth the hartes bare them witnesse and gaue vnto them the holy ghost euen as he did vnto vs and put no difference betweene vs and them seeing that with fayth he purified their hartes Nowe therefore why tempt you God to put on the disciples neckes that yoke which neyther our fathers nor wee were able to beare But we beleeue that through the grare of the Lorde Iesus Christ we shall be saued as they doe Then all the multitude was appeased and gaue audience to Barnabas and Paule who told what signes and wonders God had shewed among the Gentyles by them AFter the doctrine of the Gospell was spreade by the ministerie of Paule Barnabas among the gentiles and that they were taken into the communion of Christ and his Church a grieuous contention fell out among those of the fayth bicause dyuers saide the Gentiles ought to be circumcised and to be inforced to obserue the lawe of Moses which thing others agayne dyd constauntly denie Luke by the instinct of the holy ghost descrybeth this controuersie verie dyligently bicause it serueth much for the instruction of all men For it teacheth vs we must not take it for anye insolent or straunge thing though nowe a dayes also some controuersies rise among the professours of one fayth and doctrine for as much as God suffereth not such controuersies to come to passe without some vtilitie and auayle to all men Agayne he sheweth vs what we haue to doe in such a case For we must according to the ensample of Paule and Barnabas stowtely defende the truth against all men and not harken to the iudgements of any men but aske counsell of the Apostles of Iesus Christ whome he hath appoynted for to be the teachers of his worde But Luke holding on in the hystorie begonne sayth that a greater contention fell out hereabout after that the matter was proposed vnto the Apostles and Elders at Ierusalem The Authors hereof were those of the Phariseys that beleeued in Christ yet retayning this smatche of olde leauen that they strengthly vrged the fulfylling of the righteousnesse of the lawe For it appeareth by the storie of the gospell that the Phariseys set all iustification in the outwarde exercise of the workes of the lawe Wherfore it could not be chosen but that they should be the more obstinate in keeping the same Whereof we haue example in the Monkes at this day whome it is an harde matter to drawe from their olde secte but some tokens thereof will still remayne It is worthy diligently to be obserued how the chiefe article of christian religion was canuassed through this contention in the hearing of the godlye before the Apostles so that whether parte helde the truest opinion coulde at the fyrst not be perceyued Hereby we are taught that we must not marueyle although the excellentest heades and wyttes in the worlde be sometime deceyued or else stiffely stande in defence of receyued errours For by this meane God sheweth vs howe to marke the corruption of our nature that we being humbled by the consideration therof should not stande to much in our owne conceyte Howbeit Peter vntill this tyme helde his peace in all this contention to the ende he woulde not seeme arrogant in prescribing of others and bicause it was expedient that euery man should saye his minde But when he perceyued that the contenders minds waxed hotter and hotter he standeth vp both modestly and grauely by his authoritie to moderate the matter and plainely defendeth the opion of Paule and Barnabas who taught that the meane of mans saluation consisted in the onely faith of Iesus Christ and that the obseruation of the ceremonials needed not yea that no praise and glory of iustification was to be ascribed vnto the lawe All his saying dependeth vpon two poyntes whereof the one sheweth that God appointeth none other waye of saluation to be obserued than that which is prescribed in the gospell namely the fayth in Iesus Christ. The other declareth how it is a verie heynous matter for anye man to affirme that the fulfylling of the lawe is necessarie to saluation But of eche of them we shall by order intreate The fyrst poynt is taken out of the example of God which iustifyed the fyrst fruites of the beleeuing Gentiles none otherwise than by fayth in Iesus Christ. This place must
committed to Peter as others then none of them obtayned the whole whereby he might be called the heade or Lorde of others Neyther coulde Peters authoritie in preaching the Gospell be greater than eyther Iohns or Matthias bicause they all receyued but one and the same commaundement of the Lorde Iesus as is playne Againe they ioyne the names of Ministerie and Apostleship togither both to withstand ambition and to fortifie the worthynesse of the office For where it is a Ministerie that is here entreated of it is foolishnesse and great absurditie vnder colour thereof to seeke reuerence of the people or to exercyse tyrannicall Lordship ouer them But rather it behooueth vs to obserue the rule of Christ Whosoeuer will be great among you let him be your minister and who so will be chiefe among you let him be your seruant And for this cause Paule shoulde be preferred before many of the Apostles bicause he laboured more than all the other in the Church of christ There is a preposterous order in the Church in these dayes where they are counted the first and chiefe that labor least in the ministery of the Church that liue most pompeously of all others vpon the Churches goods and which heape vp treasures to them and their posteritie of the same Agayne least the name of Ministerie might seeme to signify any vile or base condicion that the contemners of the Gospell should take no occasion of vngodlynesse thereby nor the Ministers themselues esteeme euer the worse of their office they make mention also of an Apostleship By the which worde we are taught that they are the Ministers of Christ his Church which are occupied in that ministery For an Apostle signifieth as much as a Legate or one that is sent But he is no Legate that runneth of his owne heade and handleth his owne matters but he that is sent from a more excellent and superiour and is appointed for the intreatie and discussion of publike affayres In so much that Legates are not esteemed with wise men so much for their owne persons sake as they be for his worthynesse from whome they are sent And the Apostles were sent from Iesus Christ as we hearde before who would haue them to be witnesses ouer all the worlde of the redemption and saluation of mankinde which he had purchased by the merite of his incarnation and death Such therefore ought they to be esteemed and not to be contemned bicause of their outwarde port which is vyle and abiect in the sight of the worlde For it is Christes saying If any man receyue whomsoeuer I sende hee receyueth mee And whosoeuer receyueth me receyueth him that sent me And Paule to the same purpose sayth We be messengers in the roume of Christ euen as though God did beseech you thorowe vs. Therefore euen as in the Apostleship the ministery must be considered least the Ministers puft vp with ambicion aspyre to Lordship and bearing of rule so in the ministerie let both the Ministers and hearers remember the Apostleshippe least eyther the hearers contemne the Ministers or the Ministers thinking to slenderly of the ministery forget their dutie and dignitie Now let vs come to the last part of this place wherein is declared how they sought the will and pleasure of God by casting of lottes They gaue out their lottes sayth he and the lot fell on Matthias and he was counted with the eleuen Apostles Here we first haue to speake of lottes For there are places of Scripture not a fewe wherein soothsaying Artes and curiositie of mans wit in searching for secretes and things to come are earnestly condemned See Leuiticus the .ix. and Deuter. viij Chapter And the Prophete Esaye in the .viij. Chapter calleth all men to the law and testimonie as for all other meanes of seeking Gods counsayle he forbiddeth with great authority And Micheas in the fifth Chapter excludeth out of the kingdome of Christ all soothsayers and such lyke rabble of men But we must marke how there is two kindes of lotteries or casting of lottes the one lawfull the other vnlawfull That is vnlawfull when they go about after the curiositie of mans brayne by sciences condemned of God to search out secrets and what is to come the knowledge whereof belongeth not vnto vs This the Astrologers vse which wryte Prognostications of the course and successe of yeres to come according to the Clowdes the Planets and influences of heauen Which kinde of men reigneth nowe a dayes amongest Christian men not without the great shame of christian religion To these may we ioyne those that when they haue the houre of ones Natiuitie looke vppon the Ascendent and according to the position and figure of heauen pronounce of the course of his whole life of the nature condicions and disposition and come to such impietie that they put man the excellentest creature of God yea and Lorde of all the things that God hath created vnder the rule and gouernance of the Planets and starres To these appertaine they which are giuen to the studie of Geomantie and thinke they are able to foretell the successe and effects of all thinges And as manye as by any Art forbidden by God search after secret matters and things to come For where these men of a curious audacitie go about to pierce into Gods secrets their boldnesse must plainly be iudged to be wicked The lawfull kinde of lottery or drawing of lottes is when the successe of a thing lawfull yea necessary and belonging to vs is committed by lottes to the iudgement of god And this is vsed commonly for the more authoritie of thinges in hande and for the auoyding of contentions which men ledde with hatred or priuate lucre vse for to seeke And this kinde of drawing lottes Salomon sheweth vs where he sayth The lot pacifieth variance and parteth the mighty a sunder The vsage of this kind of lottery is very auncient and the very Ethnicks thought it not irreligious or vnlawfull Homere writeth that the Greekes in times past vsed it when they chose any out of the number of the valiaunt Captaynes to fight with Hector demaunding the combate The Romanes vsed the same when they sent forth their Magistrates to beare rule abroad in the Prouinces bicause they shoulde not seeme to take authoritie or beare office without the Gods appoyntment The Israelites also were commaunded to deuyde or distribute the lande of Chanaan by lottes And the vse of lottes in the deuiding of inheritance hath bene vsed amongst vs may be retayned without hurt of Christian religion so it be not corrupted with anye other kinde of superstition Therefore the Apostles in this doing take no vngodlye thing in hande but are onely carefull to vnderstande Gods will and to that ende make their harty and faythfull prayer before And it is plaine by Salomon that men in these dayes also should not offende if they would vse lottes with the lyke godlynesse
faythfull reioyce in the Lorde The wicked also be glad and reioyce and for ioye manye times become madde But this they doe eyther bicause they haue riches and honors and the fruition of the naughtie lustes of the fleshe or else by reason of their wickednesse as Salomon sayth of some But their ioyes are neyther sounde nor sure but are ended in most grieuous sorrow For Christes sentence in the Gospell was long ago pronounced against them woe be to you that nowe laugh for you shall mourne and weepe But the mirth or ioye of the godlye bicause it stayeth vpon the Lorde cannot quayle or be ouerturned For they glorye and reioyce in afflictions bicause that in all thinges they knowe they shall ouercome by him which loued them in Iesus Christ. The seconde fruite of godlynesse is the gladsomnesse of the tongue By this is expressed the greatnesse of the ioye which can not be kept within the minde but breaketh forth by the tongue For this tongue of the godly reioyceth not in light affections and ribauldrie or in wanton talke such as we maye see in the vngodly but in godly giuing of thankes and in setting foorth the name of God and his benefites And surely this is a great glory of the godly that they perceyue themselues euery day bounde vnto God by new and fresh benefites for the which cause they prayse his holy name Many reioyce in the fauour of Princes and thinke it a worthye matter when they haue any iust occasion offred them to prayse and commende the Princes liberality But the glory of a christian man is farre greater which euery day findeth most weightie causes fresh occasions to commend and set forth the goodnesse of god And herein consisteth not the least part of our dutie For God will be magnified and extolled of vs and requyreth none other thing of vs for his beneficence bicause he hath no neede of any thing that is ours Call sayth he vpon me in the time of trouble so will I heare thee and thou shalt glorifie me Hereof proceede those vowes of the Saints which promise songs and hymnes vnto the lord Christ in one place in the person of Dauid promiseth this thing to his father saying I will declare thy name vnto my brethren in the middest of the congregation will I prayse thee My prayse is of thee in the great congregation my vowes will I perfourme in the sight of them that feare him And Dauid where he asketh helpe of God speaketh after like maner I will prayse the name of God with a song and magnifie it with thankesgiuing This also shall please the Lord better than a bullocke that hath hornes and hoofes Hereto maye be applied the voyce of the godly spoken of by the Prophete O forgiue vs all our sinnes receyue vs graciously and then will we offer the bullockes of our lippes vnto thee Here by the way may the infelicitie of our dayes be perceyued For where there be very fewe whose tongues reioyce in giuing God thankes and in praysing his holy name therefore is that true ioye also verye rare that is conceyued by faith and holy exercise of obedience By the which argument we maye strongly conclude that the exer I se of fayth and godlynesse is also very rare The thirde fruite of godlynesse is My fleshe shall rest in hope He speaketh of death whiche he promiseth him shall be ioyfull and without all griefe Here in the meanewhile is shadowed out a moste absolute felicitie and blisse which by death as the Poete sayth death is the last ende of all thinges can not be let or hindred By death which for the most part commeth sodainly all things whereby this vnhappye worlde measureth felicitie vse to be disturbed At the mentioning of death rich men are amazed ambicious men quake voluptuous men tremble and the most valiaunt men vse to be afraide But Christ reioyceth herein as in a rest full of great hope So doe all the members of Christe to whome aboue all other men it is giuen to contemne death yea to reioyce in death whose propertie the Prophet in this place most liuely expresseth First he maketh mention only of the fleshe or body shewing that death hath no power vpon the soule which is the chiefe part of man For the soule departing out of the bodye goeth to euerlasting life as otherwheres we haue shewed which was the cause that Paule desired to be loosed and to be with Christ. Then speaking of the flesh or of the body he threatneth it not with destruction but sayth My fleshe shall rest in hope Therfore he promiseth a rest to the flesh which the godlye in death finde to be most sure All the whole race of our lyfe swarmeth with heapes of calamities and daungers Trauell and paines are still at hande Sorrowes and cares spring euery day still a fresh And to be briefe this short life is tossed with the continuall stormes and tempestes of combrances and traueyles so that the Prophete truly sayde The dayes of our age are threescore yeares and tenne and though men be so strong that they come to foure score yeares yet is their strength then but labour and sorowe And in other places the Scripture sayth that man is borne to labour as the birde to flying But in death is rest and he that is deade hath escaped all the toyle of labours and care sickenesse and all other accidents of aduersities And least any man shoulde thinke we had none other rest in death than such as beastes and other liuing creatures haue which haue no life after this he sheweth that our fleshe resteth in hope He meaneth the hope of resurrection which is both certaine and also the only cause of true comfort For God putteth vs in this hope in calling himselfe the God of them which are departed this life as Christ teacheth of Abraham Isaac and Iacob And in the Prophets he constantly promiseth there shal be a resurrection See Ezechiel 37. Dan. 12. Isa. 26. 66. Christ reasoneth oftentimes in the Gospell of the same The tyme shall come sayeth he when all they that bee in their graues shall heare my voyce and shall come foorth c. Looke more touching this matter in Math. 25. Iohn 11. Iob speaking of this hope sayth I knowe that my redeemer liueth and that I shall rise out of the earth in the last day and shall be couered againe with my skinne and shall see God in my flesh yea and I my selfe shall behold him not with other but with the same eyes And doubtlesse the holye Martyrs being emboldened with this hope ouercame all the sorrowes which they susteined with great constancie of minde Therefore it is not without cause that Paule biddeth vs out of these and such like places to take argumentes of comfort in the departure and burials of our friendes Furthermore bicause the Prophet tooke occasion to make mention
contemneth the authoritie of Christ by whose institution the same was commended Last of all he speaketh of prayers which we suppose ought to be vnderstanded of publike prayers For Luke meaneth not to tell what euery man did priuately at home in his owne house but what the publike exercises of the Churche were He did not thinke it good to forget publyke prayers which Christ commended vnto vs by a notable promise where he sayth If two of you agree in earth vpon any maner of thing whatsoeuer they desire they shall haue it of my father which is in heauen And wee reade in Ioël the Prophete that publike prayers are greatly commended in times of affliction For where God reioyceth in the vnanimitie of the godly and faithfull he cannot choose but graunt the prayers of a great many which with one hart and mouth as it were burst in vpon him And if we diligently consider the manifolde hazardes on euery side of vs it shall appeere they are not without a cause commended vnto vs Wherefore their blindenesse and slouthfulnesse is greatly to be bewayled which both priuately in their owne house call very seldome vpon God and openly despise and neglect the publike prayers of the Church yea rascallye deride the holye assemblies which the Church hath ordeyned for preaching of the worde and for publike prayers Here therefore we haue the exercises of the primitiue Church which no man I thinke will denie to be both Apostolike and Christian. That Church continued in the Apostolike doctrine by meane whereof it was gathered togither and by baptisme It did exercise mutuall and publike beneuolence and liberalitie towardes all Nations It obserued the order of the mysticall supper as Christ did institute it It continued stedfastlye and dailye in praying Whosoeuer endeuour in these dayes thus to doe ought to be taken for the members of the Church and for Christians although they be hated and despised of all the worlde beside And whosoeuer we see estraunged deuided from these wayes it is impossible they should eyther be Christians or Apostolike The worshippers of the sea of Rome glory now a dayes in the title of the Church condemne vs of heresie bicause we are departed from them But they must first prooue that the name of the Church ought to be with them If they deserue the title of the Church why neglect they the Apostles doctrine why doe they persecute it with fire and sworde why lode they them with newe traditions whom Christ hath made free from the yoake of the lawe by the price of his owne bloude why doe they riotously spende the goodes of the Church giuen by the liberalitie of Princes and priuate men to relieue the poore with and for the most part bestowe them on ruffyans iesters and buggered boyes why prophane they the supper of the Lorde and turne it into a sacrifice for the quicke and the deade why haue they in steede of publike prayers brought in a roaring and yelling of an outlandishe tongue These things might be dilated at large so that all men might see they are most vnworthy the name of the Church But it sufficeth to diligent hearers of the worde to giue but an occasion to consider further hereof In the meane season let none amongst vs that glory in the name of the Gospell thinke all is well at home seeing that in vs also remaine many things to be amended The doctrine of the Apostles soundeth in our Churches but how little a great many set by it the thing it selfe declareth The studie of charitie and distribution is waxed colde The vse of the supper with some is farre degenerated from the primitiue simplicitie with other some it is made little account of What negligence reigneth in publike prayers maye be iudged by the Church assemblies to the which verye fewe vse to come and they seldome times Wherefore we also must frame our selues better to the primitiue order if we also will not in vaine bragge of the Church But some maye marueyle by what succour or defence the primitiue Church coulde liue in safetie among suche professed enimies in so bloud-thirstie a Citie This Luke declareth saying feare came vpon euery soule and manye woonders and signes were shewed by the Apostles The myndes therefore of the wicked were bridled with a certaine secret feare They saw the marueylous boldenesse of the Apostles and their bolde libertie of speach They sawe them who not long before were enimies of Christ sodenly chaunged They saw signes and wonders wrought by the Apostles They marueyle therefore and are amazed Adde herevnto the spirite of Christ which as he worketh in the elect a childely feare hope fayth and obedience so he horribly troubleth and feareth the wicked with the conscience of their sinne They feare therefore to beginne any thing against the greene springth of christ So God can defende his sheepe in the middest of the woolues For we depend not vpon the will or power of our enimies but vpon the counsell of Gods prouidence With this we reade the Patriarches sometime were defended among the bloudy Nation of the Chanaanites the Lorde thundering in their mindes Touch not mine annoynted c. With the same succour and defence is the Church garded also in these dayes wherewith Christ hath promised alwaies to be present These things ought to stirre vs vp and to embolden vs We haue professed in our baptisme to serue Christ. Let vs giue our selues to such things as become Christians and let vs not feare the enterprises of the worlde For fayth which is our victorie ouercommeth the worlde With this let vs embrace Christ truely who being our Capitaine and Protector we shall be able to ouercome To him be blessing honour power and glory for euer Amen The .xix. Homelie AND all that beleued kept themselues togither and had all things common and solde their possessions and goodes and parted them to all men as euery man had neede And they continued dailye with one accorde in the Temple and brake breade from house to house and did eate their meate togither with gladnesse and singlenesse of heart praysing God and had fauour with all the people And the Lorde added to the congregation dailye such as shoulde be saued AS God woulde haue all the meane of our saluation comprehended in his onlye sonne Iesus Christ so is it manifest that the same appertayneth onelye to them which be members of hys Church For the Church is commonlye called his bodye bicause it is by fayth vnited and knit to one heade which is Christ which poureth into all hys members the spirite of health and life And as it cannot be that a member deuided from the bodye can feele any part of liuely spirite that commeth from the heade so is it impossible that they can be quickened with the spirite of Christ which are deuided from the Church which is his body And bicause all sectes that euer were or yet be chalenge to them
sheweth not only what grieued them but also what things they layde to the Apostles charge Uerily two thinges First it seemeth to them a thing intollerable that Peter and Iohn being rude and vnlearned men which all their time before this had gotten their liuing by fishing and had taken none orders shoulde teache the people â–ª This seemed a thing tending to schisme and to bring the people from the vnitie of the Churche For the matter was come to that passe among the Iewes that all administration of the Church was in the Priestes handes which woulde admitte none to teache in the Church but those that were sworne to them which thing we see the Bishops of Rome haue done these many yeares in whose Church as Christ hath prophecied in his reuelation no man may buye or sell except he haue the marke of the beast Yet we woulde not haue our meaning so taken as though all men in the Church should be permitted to preach without exception For we know what the Apostles haue taught touching the ordering of Ministers But we condemne the tyrannie of them which challenge to themselfe onely all power whereas they chiefely are authors of all the mischief in the Church and deserue not to haue the lowest rouine and place in the Church Secondly they thinke this worthy of punishment that they preach Iesus to be risen from the deade The Saduceyes wholy condemned the doctrine of resurrection But another thing grieued some of them more For euerye man might gather of this rising againe that Christ was the sonne of God and the author of life and vniustly condemned of the Priestes and of Pylate as Peter openly sayd in his sermon But this was not only an intollerable slaunder but also a sedicious matter to charge the Apostles that they went about to rayse the people against the bloudy and vniust Iudges The Apostles therefore are charged with two most heynous crimes to say with schisme in the Church and sedition in the common weale both which not without a cause seeme to all good men both hatefull and detestable But if we weygh and consider the intent of the Priestes and their condicions we shall easily perceyue this was but a vaine pretence For if they cannot abide schisme in the Church why regarded they the Saduceyes so much who it is euident were not ashamed to denie the chiefe article of fayth and saluation that is to say the resurrection of the body Why suffer they the Essenes and Phariseys men plainly of diuers sectes and opinions If they abhorre the crime of sedition so much why were they the authors that the people asked Barrabas a seditious felow and murtherer to be giuen them and required that Christ might be crucified Therefore they are not so much mooued with daunger of schisme and sedition as ledde with hatred of the truth and it grieueth them that their naughtinesse and wickednesse is disclosed through the light thereof In the meane season we maye see with what pretence the wicked â—tryue and contende against the truth For it is euident in all ages that the defenders of the truth were taken for schismatikes and sedicious persons Elias is charged that he troubleth all Israel Amos the Prophete is accused to Hieroboam of sedition Christ also before Pylate is called a deceyuer of the people and charged to affectate or aspire vnto the kingdome against Caesar The same crimes also in times passed were layde to the Christians charges in the times of the Emperours as appeareth by Tertullian Cypryan Arnobius Lactantius and others writings wherein they make answere to the reproches and slaunders of the Gentyles And in these dayes also the Gospell is for this cause chiefely spoken against bicause it rippeth Christes coate without the seame that is to say the Church deuideth mens mindes and kindleth warres But the aunswere to these things is easie and it is well knowne that it is a farre other thing that wringeth and disquieteth these men For if they will not haue the Church deuided why I beseech you doe they so highly commend the rules and orders of Monkes whereby they which only ought to professe the name of Christ are deuided into most sundrye rytes and factious names why hearcken they not to Paule which most grieuously condemneth such thinges If they abhorre diuision so greatly how commeth it to passe that the Bishops of Rome are the authors of all the warres that haue bene these many yeares We may thanke them for the horrible schisme and neuer ynough bewayled of all Christendome whereby the East Church was rent and deuided from the West and at length subdued to the tyrannie of the wicked Turkes who can iustly be named the author and beginner of the holye warre whereby all Christendome most vnhappily was set by the eares and riuers of mans bloud were shedde but the sea of Rome I appeale vnto hystories which shall beare witnesse that I speake the truth and leane not to priuate affection See we not at this daye the Popes Legates in Princes Tentes and in the Campe among souldiers See we not howe they encrease through the discorde of Princes and establishe tyrannie in the Church And where the lyght of the Gospell reprooueth these things by and by they accuse vs of schisme and sedition Wherfore O Christian Princes acknowledge once their craft and hauing so often bene warned be wyse and vse not crueltie against your brethren and Christes members for their sakes who it is manifest are the greatest plagues of all other vnto publike peace and tranquillitie But some men maye marueyle why the Apostles aunswered not the crimes layde to their charge But Luke teacheth plainelye what the let therof was For by and by they layde handes on them and had them to prison and that they did with the more haste bicause they shoulde haue no leysure to make their purgation before the people This is the propertie of the enimies of truth with open force to proceede against the professors thereof hauing alwayes an eye vnto this that the faithfull shall haue no place or leysure to excuse themselues For they knowe the force of veritie is such that the light thereof will easily disclose all their attemptes and they wote well howe they are in most safetie when the people are in most ignorance Therefore as they vse to spreade false accusations amonge the people of such as are godly so they labour all they can that no man shoulde vnderstande their innocencie Therefore where they should by reasons and scriptures go to worke they vse plaine force halters prisons sworde fire and such other like This is more euident than needeth any long proofe Yet let them remember as Christ testifyeth that this is the power of darkenesse and that with the Prince of darkenesse they shall one daye be punished for their tyrannie and vngodlynesse We learne by the example of the Apostles who they be that are vnworthily recompenced of this vnkinde worlde
whome they thought good to haue the distribution thereof vntill Deacons were ordeyned by publike consent of the congregation to take that office vpon them Neyther did the Apostles so publishe the money brought vnto them that euery man might take therof what he lysted but distribution was made to euery man according as he had neede Therefore there was here no disordinate communion of goodes no confusion of things no vyolent vsurping of other mens goodes such as the phrenetyke and seditious ymagine And if we consider all the circumstaunces well it shall easily appeare that this contribution was ordeined to the ende that the Church might haue some publike treasure to help to serue the poore that they neede not be compelled through pouertie to shrinke from the fayth of Christ and the bodye of the congregation And they had no part of these goodes who eyther had goodes of their owne or were able by any honest labour to get their lyuing Here haue we to consider how Ecclesiasticall goodes should be vsed The beginning of them was such as is here declared For as in the primitiue Church those that were of the rycher sort of their godly liberalitie gaue their goodes to the Church so came it to passe in the dayes afterwarde that as the number of christians increased Kings and Princes and others who had great wealth following the example of these men inriched Churches and Colleges with yearely reuenues and tythes as manye olde foundations testifye Wylling that these goodes should be so vsed that by them true doctryne might be conserued and the poore maintayned who they knewe were chiefely commended of Christ to his Church Which vse were meete in these dayes also eyther to be obserued in Churches or beyng decayed to be restored if we wyll haue a forme and presydent of the primitiue Church remayning But we may easilyer with sighing seeke thys vse than call it agayne For vngodlynesse is come to such boldenesse that a many are not afrayde to chalenge to themselues those things which in tymes past our auncestours of their liberalitie gaue to the whole congregation And here in thys poynt we haue seene all the reformations almost of the Churches in our dayes stoppe as though it had bene sufficient to haue taken from Monkes and Fryers the administration of Church goodes and not rather to haue restored them agayne to the auncient and right vse wherefore they were first ordeyned and serued Yea it were better to leaue them still to those filthie hypocrytes than to stumble at the same stone with them And if we ought according to the example of the primitiue Church to bestow our owne goods vpon the congregation if neede so requyre then must they grieuously sinne which gyuing nothing of their owne openly bereaue men of that which other haue gyuen them Hereof we see it commeth to passe that both the poore are neglected and Ministers the more rare and selde and all religion decayeth But let vs see the singuler fruite of this christian distribution whiche Luke intermedleth with this discription that we maye hereby perceyue what we haue in these dayes to trust to which so easily neglect the exercise thereof The Euangelist sheweth a double commoditie ensuyng hereof First it came to passe that none among them lacked Wherefore they fulfilled the lawe that commaundeth there shoulde bee no begger in Israell This seemeth nowe a dayes an impossible thing to many while they consider the multitude of the poore But they are confuted by the example of the primatiue church For by what reason can it seeme impossible to them that liue in rest and peace seeing the godlye brought it to passe in the midst of their enimies in a bloudthirstie Citie Were they able with theyr owne goodes to finde all their poore and shall we furnished with the helpe of rich donations and great treasures wherewith the Churches in tymes passed haue beene indowed thinke it impossible for vs to doe Let a meane be obserued that euery one may haue according to his neede and we shall perceyue we shall be holpen with the blessing of the Lord and liberalitie of the godly in such wyse that we shall find no such lacke herafter That which we requyre is both difficult and impossible bicause the thing is handled preposterously and out of order For they haue least which haue most neede and on them is most bestowed whose partes it had bene to giue their owne goodes to the Church And if we would consider what daunger trouble and discommoditie both publikely and priuately vseth to ensue of the multitude of beggers and poore we should see that the commoditie of this christian contribution which the primitiue church receyued was of inestimable value But one other commoditie springeth of this that great grace was with them that is they were in fauor and accepted with all the people and with those also that as yet were not illuminated with the knowledge of christ For such is the force of liberalitie that it draweth very enimyes to woonder at it and loue it And bicause the Lorde taketh it as bestowed on him that is giuen to the poore in his name he vseth to recompence them with this rewarde that they shall be in fauour and authoritie with many men If we would consider this one thing wâ— should not marueyle why they be hated and enuyed which professe the Gospell For besides that the worlde hateth the light of the truth and God will haue vs exercised and invred with the naughtinesse thereof our stonie heartes which neglect the christian pouertie deserueth the same to say nothing in the meane while of our naughtinesse whereby we hale to vs the goodes of the Church vnder colour of refourming the Gospell A number of poore in the meane while criyng out to whose finding and reliefe the same should haue gone Let vs compare the vsage of the primitiue Church with those thinges that we doe and then if we be not ashamed of our selues we shall worthily be called men not onely without blushing but also of more impudencie than harlots Howbeit he addeth to thys treatise a singuler example of beneuolence and christian collation that one Ioses a Leuyte of Cyprus shewed who solde hys lande and layde the price thereof downe at the Apostles feete that is to be bestowed as they thought good It maye seeme that thys example is therefore first declared before the example of Ananias and Sapphira to the intent their naughtynesse mought be the more perceyued who coulde not be mooued with so notable a Presydent The holy Ghost also teacheth vs howe they ought to be commended which shewe any notable token of vertue that the prouocation of their prayse might stirre vppe the mindes of other of more towardnesse to followe them Twee thinges are tolde of Ioses which make hym the more to be commended For where he was a Leuyte he was conuerted to the fayth of Christ to whome the priestes were moste enimyes
she was guiltie But where without all care and boldly she dareth to lye she prooueth by a strong argument that she is altogither incurable â–ª For what goodnesse may a man there hope for where shame is banished wherewith honest natures as it were with a bridle are kept in doing their dutie In the meane season Sapphira expresseth a confident audacitie which is the peculiar propertie of hypocrites For whome feare they that haue minded to beguyle God and are not afrayde of his sight â–ª Wherefore the Scripture by many examples prooueth that that there is nothing more bolde and confident than hypocrisie And where open sinners for the most part fall downe at the first worde that God speaketh and are afrayde to come in his sight Hypocrites dare euen then vaunte of their integritie perfection when they feele their consciences wounded layd open before the iudgement of god Caine sheweth vs an example of this thing who being asked for Abel his brother durst malapertly answere God say who hath made me my brothers keeper And in the Prophete the Hypocrytes expostulate with God as being to wayward where they saye wherefore fast we and â—hou seest vs not wee put our liues to straightnesse and thou regardest vs not Againe It is but lost labour to serue God what profite haue we for keeping his commaundementes and for walking humbly before the Lorde of hostes What shall we saye of Iudas the Traytour who when he knewe Christ was not ignoraunt of his wickednesse and perceiued he was grieuously rebuked and reprehended yet with the other Apostles he dare to aske Christ whether he suspect him of so great an offence And Sapphiras confidence is as great considering there were so many examples that declared the Apostles were inspired with the holy ghost It is very profitable to marke well these thinges that through their boldenesse and temeritie hypocrites beguile vs not or by their wicked sayings put vs of But let vs returne vnto Peter who by inspiration of the holy spirite vnderstandeth this fraude and guyle and suffreth himselfe not to be mooued with this womanish and hypocriticall boldenesse but pronounceth the sentence of God which the same spirite put in his minde agaynst hir which consisteth of two partes The first accuseth and reprooueth hir sinne For God punisheth no person but first conuict of his sinne that he may vnderstande wherefore he is punished Howe commeth it to passe that you haue agreed togither to tempt the spirite of the Lorde He amplifyeth the boldenesse and heynousnesse of the fact by admiration and interrogation and he sayth they haue conspired togither to tempt the spirite of the Lorde But if a man woulde haue asked Ananias or Sapphira of this their doing I beleeue they woulde haue earnestly denyed they had had any such meaning But it maketh no matter what iudgement we haue of our sinnes for they are examined after the rule of Gods lawe And bicause these two maried folke went about to beguyle the congregation in whome the spirite of God is resident and reigneth it cannot be denied but through wicked temeritie they tempted the spirite of god Therefore by their hypocriticall wilynesse they sinned against the lawe which forbiddeth to tempt god And they are lymed with the same fault which go about in these dayes to beguyle the Church of Christ with counterfayting of fayth and holynesse who also shall well find that God will not let them go vnpunished for their tempting of him And least Sapphira might be excused by the authoritie and commaundement of hir husbande Peter first accuseth the consent that was betweene them and by that argument taketh from hir all excuse Where we learne that no man must consent to euill men if he will escape the iudgement of God no not to those which haue authoritie ouer vs giuen them of god For the man had power giuen him ouer his wife when it was sayde to Eue Thy lust shall pertayâ—e to thy husbande and hee shall haue the rule ouer thee And the Apostles commaunde wiues to be obedient vnto their husbandes But Sapphira is blamed for this onely that she consented to hir husbande who craftily withhelde a part of the money which he woulde seeme to haue giuen to the church Therfore the sinne that is committed against the lawes of God can be excused by no authoritie or commaundement of man bicause we must obeye God rather than man as Peter before had sayde and shall be repeated agayne in this Chapter Nowe if it be not lawfull to consent to their sinâ—es which haue power ouer vs by the ordinaunce of God what sâ—all become of those which allowe and defende not onely with consent of minde but by vnlawfull company and publike prayse the wickednesse of them whose companie they maye altogither forbeare yea which by the lawes of God they ought to forbeare To say nothing of them which are companions with them in their traueyle and daungers and helpe them forwarde in their mischieuousnesse The other part of Gods sentence pronounced by Peter conteyneth the punishment which Sapphira had with hir husbande Beholde sayeth he the feete of them which buried thy husbande bee ready at the doore to carye thee out And by and by she fell downe deade at Peters feete and was caried forth and buried by hir husbande This is the tenour of Gods iustice that they which commit like fault are punished with like punishment as he testifieth in the Prophete saying Should I not punishe these things and should I not be auenged of all such people as these be Hereof ought a generall rule to be taken which must extende to all sinnes and wickednesse For he that in times past reuenged most seuerely the oppression of the poore vniust violence tyrannie vsurie slaughter adulterie whoredome and such like he will punishe the same in vs at this day except we repent as be commeth Christians Yet the chiefe ende and meaning of this place is that we should learne what remayneth for them which vnder the pretence of Christ seeke their owne lucre and dare deceyue the Church It seemeth sometimes that the worlde laugheth vpon them but their felicitie is not stable and they long enioye not their goodes wrongfully gotten For the gladnesse of the vngodly is quickly ended and the ioy of hypocrites continueth but the twinkling of an eye We haue also an example hereof in Iudas the Traytor who when he thought he had best prouided for his owne behoofe and seemed to haue bene in high fauour with the Bishops feeleth in himselfe such seueritie of Gods iustice that it driueth him to the halter so that he coulde long enioye neyther his lyfe nor his money which was dearer to him than his lyfe And God graunt that a number in these dayes taste not of the lyke punishment which vnder colour of the Gospell haue sought nothing else but the spoyle and possession of the Church goods We haue
seene these men turned out againe by Monkes and Bishops and that they haue founde no helpe or succour in those goodes which they had layde vp for that vse to defende the Church by force agaynst the open enimies of religion And better successe let them not looke for which commit lyke offence For if Ananias and Sapphira deserued sodeyne death who as Luke writeth tooke nothing from the Church but deceytfully put aside and withhelde part of their owne goods what deathes and mischiefes doe not they deserue â–ª which dare ryfle Churches by open force and publike authoritie Let vs in these things acknowledge the power of Iesus Christ who as he alwayes doth vouchsafe to be mercifull to his Church so will he not suffer hir to be beguiled but will worthily punish both hir professed enimies and persecutors and also all hypocrites and deceyuers that the synceritie of true religion may be preserued to him be prayse honor power glorye for euer Amen The .xxxiiij. Homelie AND great feare came on all the congregation and as many as hearde it By the handes of the Apostles were many signes and wonders shewed among the people And they were all togither with one accorde in Salomons porch Anâ— of other durst no man ioyne himselfe to them Neuerthelesse the people magnified them The number of them that beleeued in the Lord both of men and women grewe more and more in so much that they brought the sicke into the streetes and layde them on the beddes and couches â—hat at the least waye the shadowe of Peter when he came by might shadowe some of them There came also a multitude out of the Cities rounde about vnto Ierusalem bringing sicke folkes and them which were vexed with vncleane spirites And they were healed euery one WEe haue hearde the horrible example of Goddes iudgement whereby Ananias and his wife Sapphira were punished with sodeyne death both for that they falsly counterfeyted a fayth in Christ and al so went about to beguyle the Churche in the goodes that were giuen for the reliefe of the poore This example teacheth vs how great the seueritie of God is in punishing of hypocrytes who as he cannot be deceyued so can he not but be grieuouslye offended with them that go about to beguyle him We haue seene also what a feruent desire was in the primitiue Church to conserue and mainteyne discipline least eyther dissemblers or open malefactors shoulde creepe in and cause the fayth of Christ eyther to be defamed or suspected And to thintent all posteritie myght be enflamed to followe the same this present place followeth which rehearseth manye and singuler fruites of this example whereto are adioyned the traueyles and exercises of the primitiue Church to thintent we maye learne by them what we haue in these dayes to doe if we desire to haue the kingdome of God enlarged or Christ to be fauourable vnto vs. First Luke sayeth And great feare came on all the congregation and on as manye as hearde these thinges Then the Christians feared as well as straungers to whome the report of this thing came And this was no vnprofitable feare for by it the godlye were the more aware and traueyled the more earnestly in Gods affayres â–ª and the enimies durst doe the lesse against the Church which they sawe had the spirite of God so manifestlye with them This is the chiefe fruite of ecclesiasticall discipline that it keepeth the godly in doing their dutie and feareth the vngodly Now a dayes bicause all men may doe what they will the Churches being disordered by licentiousnesse of lyfe become a praye to the enimies Here must we also learne the vse of Gods iudgementes which consisteth in this that by them we learne Gods iustice and being afrayde amende our liues by the godly consideration thereof God taught vs this vse â–ª when he shewed Abraham the horrible destruction of Sodome saying I knowe that he will commaund his housholde and his children after him that they keepe the way of the Lord and doe after right and conscience And for this cause woulde â—e that the presidentes of his iudgementes shoulde be recorded in writing and be reade in the Church both priuately and apertly as Asaph testifieth where he thus writeth He made a couenant with Iacob and gaue Israel a law which he commaunded our forefathers to teache their children That their posteritie might knowe it and the children which were yet vnborne To the intent that when they grew vp they might shew their children the same That they might put their trust in God and not to forget the woorkes of God but to keepe his commaundementes And not to be as their forefathers c. Therefore this vse of Gods iudgement whereby Ananias and Sapphiras dissimulation is punished must also be now a dayes retained that we may conceyue a true feare of God and take heede of hypocrisie and worship God in spirite and truth as Christ hath commaunded vs yea let all men be excited with this example and applye vnto themselues whatsoeuer any where in hystories is written of this kinde that by other mennes examples they maye learne what they haue to doe if they meane to auoyde the wrath of God. Secondlye it is sayde of the Apostles that by their ministerie many signes and woonders were shewed among the people Wherby it appeareth the prayers of the faythfull were hearde also in this behalfe which besought God that the Apostles might be endued with myracles through the authoritie whereof they might be holpen in setting forth the kingdome of christ And they worke not only common myracles but their power is extended so farre that the diseased layde in the streete desire but the shadowe of Peter paâ—sing by and thinke that it will helpe them Nowe beginneth that saying of Christ to be fulfilled He that beleeueth in mee the woorkes that I doe he shall doe the same and greater than these shall he doe This is the second fruit of ecclesiasticall discipline that God heareth the prayers of the Church and encreaseth the gifts of his spirite where contrarily he abhorreth their prayers which stop their eares at his lawe This appeareth by histories which euidently declare that the rarer giftes of the holy ghost and working of myracles began then to cease when discipline beganne to waxe dissolute and corruption of maners encreased Yet let no man thinke that superstition is here defended by that is written of Peters shadowe no more than by that we shall afterwarde heare of Paules handkerchefe â–ª Some vse thus to reason of this place If Peters shadow helped many how much more shall his rayment and bones And herof springeth all that confused Chaos of superstition which we see is in pilgrimages about Saints reliques wherof the most part be counterfeyted But we say that these myracles were not wrought to testifie eyther of Peter or Paules power but to confirme the preaching of the Gospell whereof they were ministers Therefore they
their moodes who iudged the Apostles to be put to death But before wee declare Gamaliel his wordes we haue to consider howe easie a thing it is for God to deliuer his people from daunger seeing he can raise vp for them defenders euen from among their enimies by the counsell and authoritie of one man can confounde the enterprises attempts of a great many For as euen now was sayd no kinde of men were more bent against Christ and his doctrine than the Phariseyes who had a good whyle before this pronounced sentence of excōmunication against all those that professed christ And yet of this Colledge also was Nicodemus who before this defended Christes quarell Now commeth Gamaliel out of the same Colledge whose meanes it pleaseth the Lorde to vse for the deliuerie of the Apostles And this one man without any armour or weapon only by prudent counsayle dasheth all the deuise of the whole counsayle There are other examples of lyke sort which teach vs to take a generall doctrine consolation hereof Herevnto apertayneth it that Ruben only who also hated Ioseph in his hart yet afterwarde saued him from present death To this maye we adde also howe the Philistines deliuered Dauid being inclosed on euerye side wyth Saules souldiors What shall we speake of Moyses the Capitaine of the people of Israel whome the daughter of cruell Pharao saued from drowning in the riuer Nilus But it woulde be very long if we shoulde tarie in all the examples which might be brought It behooueth vs rather to obserue the vse of them which is that we be not feared with the attempts of men which the Lord can forthwith bring to naught to whose seruice we all are bound Which one thing if men as well in generall as particulerly woulde thin ke on they woulde by no meanes suffer themselues to be pulled from fulfilling their vocation Let vs marke Gamaliel his counsayle full of wisedome in deede yet such as wherein a man may perceyue diuers things wanting which declare hee was not yet fully instructed in the truth Yet it pleased the Lorde to vse his helpe and it is to be thought that he afterward grewe to more godlynesse His saying consisteth in three poyntes First he vseth a pretie preface wherby he apeaseth the furious and exhorteth them to do nothing rashly or vnaduisedly Take heede to your selues sayth he concerning these men what you intende to doe As though he shoulde saye I heare that you determine they shall suffer death But I feare your deuyse is to headie and therefore to daungerous I woulde therefore haue some diligent and sober deliberation taken that in our wrath we commit not that which afterwarde wee may repent This is a most profitable and in all ages necessary admonition that in our anger we doe or appoynt nothing For the auncient wryters sayde anger was an euill counsayler as the which is a very phrenesie for the whyle And what goodnesse or equitie maye a man hope for of a madde man wherefore Iames most truly sayth The wrath of man worketh not the righteousnesse of God. And would God the authoritie of this sentence were as much in these dayes as we reade it was among the Ethnickes It is sayde of Augustus that he thought the companye of Athenodorus the Philosopher very necessary for him bicause vpon his departure from him he admonished him that he shoulde decree or appoynt nothing to be done in his anger before he had first recyted the Alphabet or names of the .xxiiij. letters For the wyseman vnderstoode that wrath by leysure woulde coole and abate And as notable is it that another of the Philosophers said to his seruant that had offended him Thou shouldest be beaten if I were not angry But now a dayes among Christians many thinke that men in their anger may doe what they list and they go about vnder the cloke of anger to excuse most heynous offences And in deede if God had made vs Beares or Lyons their excuse might take some place But forasmuch as we be men who ought to be ruled with the bridle of reason and word of God we shall be inexcusable as many as let our selues be caried and ruled with the lust of our affections But chiefely men of authoritie and Iudges must be myndefull hereof least they being caried awaye with wrath swarue from equitie and righteousnesse Gamaliel his saying also is worthye to be diligently considered Take heede to your selues c. Why the Apostles case was in question and their lyfe in daunger But the wise man and diligent obseruer of Gods law perceiued that Iudges commonly were more in daunger through giuing false iudgement than they that were accused For what thing can chaunce vnto them more acceptable than death that chaunge this mortall lyfe for an immortall But these Iudges prouoke the wrath of God against them which sitteth in the middest of them as is written Psal. 82. and will not suffer their boldnesse to go vnreuenged which vnder the pretence of godly iudgement exercise vnrighteousnesse Therfore whosoeuer beare office let them thinke this sayd vnto them and take heede to themselues that being blinded with affections they stray not from the tracke of righteousnesse In the seconde part of his Oration he intermedleth examples out of the which a little after he draweth the arguments of his sentence He first alledgeth examples very prudently and so telleth them that at the first it appeareth not what he will conclude thereof least eyther they shoulde not harken to his saying or without expending of it reiect it Out of a great many he chooseth two specially which as they were to all men knowne so were they able most to mooue their minds the one was of Theudas the other of Iudas of Galiley Iosephus also maketh mētion of them but touching the order of the storie he much dissenteth from Luke bicause he writeth Iudas was many yeares before Theudas whome yet Gamaliel openly testifieth to haue risen long before him But the authoritie of an holy writer must be of more credite with vs than Iosephus who it is euident was deceiued in many other things also whose writings might easily be corrupted and peruerted In the histories there is no difficultie and Gamaliel his purpose is to teach none other thing thereby but that none hitherto went vnpunished that tooke vpon them the name and office of the Messias but that they with all their sect perished which vnder this pretence went about to seeke their owne profite and aduauncement whereof afterwarde he gathereth that the lyke woulde come to passe by the sect of the Christians if Christ had bene a fraudulent and deceytfull worker and that therefore they ought to abyde the iudgement of god c. We haue to obserue in the rehearsal of these examples what shal become of them which wil not embrace Iesus Christ the true Messias For such men commonly as are authors and beginners of
haue diminished but vtterly to be extinguished was meruaylously increased and that in Ierusalem where the power and authoritie of the enimies was greatest Furthermore not onely the commons and those of the lay fee but nowe also the priestes beginne to submit themselues to the obedience of fayth and to professe Christ. These thinges haue in them marueylous consolation if they be diligently considered For they teach vs by what armor and weapons Christes church is most profitablie enlarged and conserued Uerily not with the counsailes of fleshly wisedome or mens deuises but with puritie of doctrine and holye discipline whereof this ought to be the ende that all outwarde things may aunswere to the doctrine of Christ and that such errours as happen may diligently be corrected And the ende and marke of all togither must be the glorie of God and the saluation of many When these things be diligently obserued the wiser sort which before were feared with noueltie beginne to giue eare to the doctrine and credite it And no doubt but there would be in these daies better successe in church affayres if we in this behalfe were not vtterly deafe For as though the bare profession of a christian name were sufficient to saluation we stay ydlely in the same and are mooued neyther with publike corruption of maners and manifest errours nor with the iust complaints of the godly earnestly to amende the things that ought to be amended Therfore through our negligence and securitie it commeth to passe that the gospell in these daies goeth no better forward Againe we are taught by an euydent example howe vaine and forcelesse the enterprises of the wicked are against the kingdome of christ For the more they rage the more it spreadeth and nowe the christian fayth findeth place among the priestes which fayth before was thought vnmeete to be suffered in the common people The like thing happened while Christ was yet vpon the earth when Nicodemus and Ioseph of Arimathaea beleeued in him whome all the residue of that order wyshed out of his life Yea whyle Nero by cruell proclamations thundred against the Church yet were there founde in his owne Court which professed Christ as Paule to the Philippians wytnesseth This is also a singuler token of the goodnesse and mercy of God that he doth vouchsafe to illuminate with the knowledge of hys truth a many of that number that had shed Christes bloud and were taken to be the chiefe procurers of his death Who shall henceforth dispayre in his sinnes when we see these men haue founde forgiuenesse Let vs rather hearken to Christ which doth of his owne accorde offer to synners remission and peace and did vouchsafe to pray for them that crucified him And yet this example serueth not onely for our consolation but also for our instruction that we also with like facilitie and readinesse must pardon them that doe vs iniurye For so it shall come to passe that we hauing the true spirite of the children of God giuen vnto vs and being deliuered from all the debt of our trespasses shall come to the inheritaunce of the heauenly kingdome with Iesu Christ the onely begotten sonne of God to whome be blessing honor power and glory for euer Amen The .xlij. Homelie AND Steuen full of fayth and power did great wonders and myracles among the people Then there arose certaine of the Synagoges which is called the Synagoge of the Libertines and Cyrenites and of Alexandria and of Cilicia and of Asia disputing with Steuen And they coulde not resist the wisedome and the spirite which spake Then sent they in men which saide we haue heard hym speake blasphemous wordes against Moses and against god And they mooued the people and the elders and the Scribes and came vpon him and caught him and brought him to the counsell brought forth false wytnesse which sayde Thys man ceaseth not to speake blasphemous wordes against this holy place and the lawe for we heard him say This Iesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place and shall chaunge the ordinaunces which Moses gaue vs And all that sate in the counsell looked stedfastly vppon hym and sawe his face as it had beene the face of an Aungell FOr as much as our Sauiour Iesus Christ is entred into the kingdome and glory of God his father by the bitter death of the crosse the same lotte must all they abyde that desyre to lyue godly and to be partakers with him of the heauenly kingdome And forbicause we are offended with nothing more than the crosse God would haue vs instructed and confirmed not onely with precepts but also with the example of the primitiue church that we should not be offended with persecution and aduersitie as at any straunge and vnwonted thing for as much as we see in times passed prosperous successes amōg horrible persecutions mixed the church for al that stil increasing An example wherof the story that we presently haue in hand shall shewe vs if it be compared with the things that went next before For Luke hath declared vnto vs the most prosperous proceedings of the gospell and how not only the common people but also many of the priestes beganne to beleeue it So that the church affayres seemed nowe to haue bene in quyet and safetie seing it was defended by so many and such singuler Patrones But beholde a newe conflict beginneth more horrible and perillous than any yet before was in the which Steuen by whose side the whole church of Christ was foyned at was constrayned to defende Christes quarrell not onely by wordes but also by stowte protestation of his fayth and by his bloude The vse of the hystorie is chiefely in thys poynt that we must not be offended though grieuous tumults sodainely arise when all things seeme hushte and when they whome we hoped to haue our faythfullest defendours eyther are not able or wylling to helpe vs For God suffereth it so to come to passe to take from vs the trust in carnall helpes and for that we shoulde learne in deede that Christes kingdome is not enlarged neyther by hoste of men nor by force but by the spirite of the Lorde But bicause diuers other things are here concurrent which make both for our instruction and consolation the whole hystorie with all the circumstaunces is diligently described of Luke First beginning with the discription of the person he sheweth who Steuen was and of what calling Then he descrybeth his enimies and their attempts agaynst him Thirdely he declareth howe Steuen behaued himselfe in this concertation and his glorious martyrdome Nowe will we speake of the thinges that belong to the treatise of this present place Luke in the beginning shewed how Steuen was the first in the number of the Deacons Nowe he addeth the things making for this present historie And first he sayth he was full of fayth doing vs to vnderstande that he was syncere and no bragger or counterfaiter of the fayth but endued with true fayth and feruent
passe after God had giuen them his lawe he sayth they were iustlye forsaken of God and giuen vp into a reprobate minde and vtterly blinded And that this was the iust iudgement of God may easily be gathered of the things before going For their vngodlynesse and vnthankfulnesse deserued the same whom neyther the worde of God nor infinite other thinges whereby it pleased God to reueale himselfe vnto them coulde keepe in doing their dutie They were worthy therefore that euen seeing they shoulde be blinde hearing they should be deafe and should be hardened in their harts as God threatneth by his Prophete Yet may we see in other Nations lyke examples of Gods iudgementes Paule affirmeth the same of the Gentyles superstition And would to God we sawe not the lyke euen among them that glorye in the name of Christians For after they had banished the authoritie of Gods worde from them and that it lyked them to learne rather of dumbe ymages than of the liuely worde of god then ranne they on so farre in superstition that the very Iewes and Turkes laughed at them And here commeth to my remembrance that notable saying of a Turkishe Ambassador who being in the Court of a great Christian Prince and being asked why the Turkes so abhorred the Christian religion and coulde not be induced to beleeue in it aunswered that no man being in his right witte coulde alowe or lyke that religion which worshipped those for Goddes that were inferior and of lesse power than they that worshipped them And what he ment therby he after declared by our breaden god and by the Idols which were worshipped in Churches which being made by those that worshipped them did prooue sufficiently sayde he that the religion was preposterous and contrary to common sense and reason These thinges Christian Princes knowe the Bishops and people in generall yet no man is grieued at the great iniurie thereby done vnto Christ so that wise men are not without a cause afrayde that many euen in our dayes also are giuen vppe into reprobate mindes This place teacheth vs also that no man can holde the right waye in religion except he be first guyded by the hande and spirite of god For the naturall man perceyueth not the thinges belonging to the spirite of God. Nor no man commeth to Christ except the father drawe him And for bicause he draweth by his worde we must studie the same For whosoeuer make light thereof and cast it fro them make themselues vnworthye of the grace of god Wherefore God turneth his backe vpon them and wrappeth them in darkenesse deuoyde of all light and truth Therefore it behooueth vs to haue a diligent care of the worde and so to depende vppon the same that being entred into the ryght waye we swarue neyther to the right hande nor to the left And least any man should be so impudent as to denye that the fathers thus did Steuen alleageth a testimonie of the Prophete Amos written in the .v. chap. There the Lord accuseth the people of Israell as well for many other vices as for this that they abode not syncerely in his worde And that the heynousnesse of their sinne might the more appeare and that all men might see howe God doth not expostulate with them without a cause he sheweth that this is an olde impietie begun somtime in the wildernesse and afterwarde so increasing that it is become incurable and can not be taken awaye but with the destruction of the whole Nation It shall make much for our instruction if we diligently consider euerye thing that is here sayde First he speaketh of the disobedience and wickednesse of the fathers in the wildernesse in these wordes Gaue yee to me sacrifices and meate offerings by the space of fourtie yeares in the wildernesse ô ye of the house of Israel By asking the question he fortifieth his saying and denyeth that the fathers gaue any sacrifices to him for fourtie yeres long And yet it appeareth they built a Tabernacle according as God had appointed and Alters vpon the which they offred all kinds of sacrifices vnto God which brought them out of the lande of Egypt But God denyeth that thing to be done in the honour of him that is done for any other ende than he appointeth For God appoynted that the ende of all their outwarde ceremonies shoulde be resemblances of the Sauiour that was promysed and that they shoulde admonish them of their dutie as well in fayth and religion as in the whole conuersation of their lyfe But they forgetting this were occupied in the bare ceremonies and thought that by them they satisfied God and purged their sinnes Whereby it came to passe that they abused all their Leuiticals for a cloke and colour of licentiousnesse and wickednesse Therefore God worthily refuseth all this worshipping and sayeth it belonged not to him And there be also other places of Scripture wherein he constantlye affirmeth the same and sheweth that the obseruation of those things which he so diligently prescribeth in the lawe is not profitable Looke Psalm 50. Esay 1. and .43 Mich. 6. Hoseas 6. Yea when he sawe that they gloryed in their circumcision hauing no respect to the spirituall circumcision he cryeth out that their circumcision is not auayleable We are taught therefore by this place that all that worshipping is in vayne which is not done to that ende that God hath appoynted it For it can not be that without the obedience of fayth any kinde of worship can please God. But where the worde of God is neglected there remayneth no place for faith or obedience therfore they are but as vncleane and prophane things whatsoeuer they doe although outwardly they appeare agreeable with the worde of god What shall we then say of those ceremonies which stande onely vpon mannes authoritie and tradition the Lord long ago with one word hath vtterly ouerthrowne them saying they worship me in vaine teaching doctrines of men Euery plant which my heauenly father hath not planted shall be pulled vppe by the rootes ▪ The Lorde holding on in repeating the sinnes of the Israelites rehearseth what their posteritie did after they were in possession of the lande of Chanaan you tooke vnto you the Tabernacle of Moloch and the Starre of your God Rempham figures which you made to worshippe them He comprehendeth all sortes of Idolatrie vnder three kindes The first was the worshipping of Moloch which as it appeareth by the actes of Salomon who first builded a Temple to him was the God of the Ammonites And it seemeth he was the God called on at mennes natiuities or byrthes in the honour of whome infantes were sacrificed in fire as Manasse did which sacrificed his sonne in fire God had appoynted death for the punishment of this wickednesse as is declared Leuiticus 20. in these wordes Whosoeuer hee be of the children of Israel or of the straungers that dwell in Israel that giueth of his seede vnto Moloch
let him be slayne the people of the lande shall stone him And I will set my face agaynst that manne and will destroye him from among his people bicause hee hath giuen of his seede vnto Moloch for to defyle my sanctuarie and to pollute my holye name And though that the people of the land hyde their eyes from the man that giueth of his seede vnto Moloch and kill him not I will put my face agaynst that man and agaynst his kindred and will destroye him and all that go a whoring after him to commit whoredome with Moloch from among their people And yet coulde not the authoritie of this seuere inhibition be of such weyght but that this wicked kinde of sacrificing was common as easily maye appeare by the prophecie of Ieremie in the .xxxij. Chap. The seconde kynde of Idolatrie was the worshipping of a Starre that was consecrated to a God called Rempham of whom we read nothing of certainty Some thinke it to be the Planet of Saturne some of Venus some of Mars In deede the worshipping of starres was vsed amongst all Nations bicause the marueylous course of them the brightnesse and fourme of them easily perswaded the simpler sort of men that there was some godheade in them And hereto are to be referred those places of Scripture where it is sayde the Iewes worshipped the hoste of heauen We haue here to consider that the worshipping of Starres coÌ„sisteth not only in adoration and sacrifices which were sometime vsed among the Gentyles but also that they worship them which thinke the successe of warres peace famine plentie sickenesse tempestes and such lyke thinges depende of them For it is manifest that all these things be gouerned by the rules of gods prouidence whose iudgements are not tied vnto the Starres but are ordred by the rule of his worde and his immutable will. Therefore whosoeuer attribute these things vnto the Starres denye God his honour and make man which is the excellentest creature of god subiect to the course of the Planets and Starres For the which cause the blindenesse of our dayes is much to be bewayled which is gone so farre that it consulteth with the Starres for the enterprising of their greatest affaires and hang in hope of them eyther of good successe or stande in feare of badde Why doe we not rather lysten 〈◊〉 the Prophete sayth â–ª you shall not learâ—e the wayes of the heaâ—â—en and you shaâ—â—â—ot be aâ—â—ayde fo◠〈◊〉 tokens of heatâ—â—â— â–ª For the heathen 〈…〉 In the third sorâ—â— it comprâ—hendeth figures or similitudes which 〈◊〉 made to 〈…〉 to y ende he would 〈◊〉 vs y he 〈…〉 deuised for worshipping of 〈…〉 men â—ill seeme to honour him Such as where they 〈…〉 him and his workes in Images and where they 〈…〉 for the instruction of the ignoraunt and â—â—learned These men 〈…〉 in that they of theyr owne head and deuice inâ—â—â—tute such thâ—nges in religion as God no where hathe commaunded God hath commended vnto vs the reine 〈…〉 of his benefites in a fewe of sacramentes yea and thâ—se most easy to be obserued For our instruction he hath appointed his worde and when himselfe preached he would haue his voyce onely hearde but no similitude or Image to be sene Therefore let vs be contented with these thinges and brydle the wisedome of our vnruly fleshe least while we will be wyser than is meete we become fooles as Paule sayth of the gentile philosophers Last of all he threateneth their incurable impietie euery day waxyng worse and worse with punishment â–ª saying I will translate or cary you beyonde Babylon Amos sayth Damascus bicause he would put out of the tenâ—e tribes myndes the vayne affiaunce which they had in their league with the Assirians But Steuen hauing more respect to the sense sayth they shoulde be caried beyonde Babylon For so it came to passe in deede For Salmanazar kyng of the Assirians after he had taken Samaria ouerthrewe the kingdome of the tenne Tribes and caried them captiue into Syria And not long after Senacherib miserably afflicted the kingdome of Iury. But whereas by Ezechias counsell they turned vnto the Lord and threw down their Idolles againe they were deliuered out of the hande of the Tyrant by the helpe of an Aungell But when vnder Manasse they turned to their vomite agayne and set vp all their abhominable superstition and Idolatry againe and woulde not admit the reformation that Iosias begun but would commit Idolatry secretly in their houses as appeareth by the sermons of Sophony then God sent Nabuchodonozer to destroy their Citie to set fire on the temple and to cary the remnaunt of the people beyonde Babylon ouer all his kyngdome Thus did God reueÌ„ge this incurable Idolatry prophane coÌ„tempt of his holy name And we reade that the like came to passe after that agayne For when they were returned home from Babylon had made their Temple and religion a market of lucre and gayne and a denne of theeues would not admit Christ to reforme it nor heare his Apostles God brought Vespasian and Titus to reforme them who set fire on their Citie and Churche and scattered the Iewes that were liuing ouer all partes of the world We ought in these dayes diligently to consider these things The horrible mischiefe of Idolatry is greatly increased among Christians And we lack not Moloch that lyeth lurking amongest the Monkes chalenging and burning those which by baptisme are grafted into Christ. Many are beguiled with the superstitious obseruasion of starres Images made for vs to worship and to learne of stande euery where to be solde And God hath these many yeares by the preaching of his worde required a reformation but all in vayne Wherefore 〈◊〉 is to be feared leaâ—t they 〈◊〉 will nâ—t bâ— reformed bicause they will not seeme to haue erred shall â—t length be destroyed And surely their feare is not in vayne which suspect the Turkes shall make all 〈◊〉 away For it is â—uident that the â—mpire of thâ— East was deâ—ided from the Wesâ— for Images sakes and thâ—â— by this 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 of the Sarazens and Turkes is gâ—eatly increaâ—ed â—o thaâ— Goâ— may sâ—â—me to shewe vs plainâ—ly who and what maner abolishers of Idolatry he hath long since appointed And experienâ—e teacheth vs what horrible examples God sheweth vpon obstinate Image worshippers euery day by the Turks And surely we may thinke that it was not without the prouidence of God that Soliman Emperor of the Turkes not many yeares ago when he hâ—d wonne Buda the chiefe Citie of Hungary would haue S. Maries Church the chiefe church in the citie cleane ridde of the Altares and all the Images in the Church before he would yeelde thankes to God almighty for the victory giuen vnto hym For hereby God woulde plainely testifye that the Idolatrie which is exercised vnder the pretence of Christ hys Saintes is the chiefest cauâ—e of these our Turkishe ouerthrowes and calamities Wherefore the
detest the vnworthy vnprosperous state of the people of Rome For he declared his corrupt nature many wayes First he wan the good will of the souldiers with mony wherby he came to be Emperour during which time he so vsed himselfe that he had much more care of his belly and that vnder his belly than he had of the Empyre as who would neuer rise from banquetting as long as his paunche woulde holde and till he had well whittled himselfe alwayes burning in insatiable desire and lust after women And it is not lyke that such a Prince coulde delight in other Nobles and Counsaylers than such as were like to himselfe what publike corruption of maners was in all degrees at that time maye easilye be coniectured by the writers of those dayes and by the continuall sermons of Iohn of Christ and his Apostles concerning repentaunce whereof there had bene no such neede if all had not bene naught And for an accomplishment of all vice there was the contempt and hatred of God and his worde For where God had sent his sonne into the worlde and by him had appoynted to reconcyle mankind againe vnto himselfe and had euerywhere published the healthfull worde of grace a great many were bolde not onely to contemne and hate it but also moste cruellye to persecute it insomuch that euen among the Iewes which gloryed in the name of God aboue all other Nations the worde of God coulde not be brooked Is it then any marueyle if God denyed the fruits of the earth to this drunken and corrupt world despising the wholesome foode of the heauenly worde and woulde tame and bring vnder with famine those that woulde so rage agaynst his Christ verily the Hystoriographers testifye that by reason of continuall drowthes and scarcitie of victuals reygning aswell euerywhere as at Rome Claudius Caesar was once in daunger of his lyfe hardly escaping but that the people being wearye of that dearth had lyke to haue stoned him Such examples as these teach vs what the cause of publike calamities is verily publike vyces and contempt of Gods worde And this cause God alleageth both in the lawe and in the Prophetes And they are here confuted which say these things growe of the doctrine of the Gospell For although the godly also feele and taste of these afflictions yet are they in farre other case than the vntowarde worlde is For they acknowledge the chastysement and discipline of God the father they ouercome aduersitie by fayth and pacience and bicause they can rightly vse aduersitie to the amendement of their lyfe it commeth to passe for the more part that they are most prosperously deliuered frō all aduersity by the mercifull hande of god For God is faythfull and will not suffer his people to be tempted aboue their strength And the thinges following will teach vs howe faithfullye the Lorde prouided for his Church in those dayes And that that we reade came to passe in the yeares after following is not much vnlyke herevnto For Eusebius writeth that in the reygne of Maximinus who did cruellye persecute the Christians God sent forth such dearth of victuals that the rich men welthy died openly in the streetes and that they which not long before had caused the Christians to be deuoured of wylde beastes to satiate their cruell eyes with their miserable death were openly eaten vp and deuoured of Dogges And while they miserably perished the Christians had not onely sufficient to liue by but also charitably relieued a great many readye to sterue for hunger These thinges woulde be considered of vs nowe a dayes where one Claudius alone reigneth not but drunkennesse beareth swinge in euery place and so little preuayleth godly admonition that men rather ioyne vnto their dissolutenesse of lyfe most wicked contempt and deadly hatred of Gods worde And surely there want not also in these dayes examples of Gods iudgements but we want both eyes and eares to perceyue that which might serue to our saluation See Esay ▪ 5. Eccles. 10. Amos. 6. Math. 24. But let vs see howe God prouided for his Church in this daungerous time of calamitie He raysed vp Prophetes and some of them he sent from Ierusalem to Antioche to lighten the late sproong Church of the Gentyles with the gift of prophecie Among these one Agabus stirred vp by the instinct of the holy ghost gaue the Christians warning of this famine to ensue and was the cause that they made prouision aswell for themselues as other Here we haue to consider the fatherly goodnesse of God who being prouoked through our sinnes to sende punishment yet vseth first to admonishe vs of the same both for that all men might see that nothing commeth to passe in this lyfe by chaunce and that also when wee are admonished we might conuert and be saued The which thing he hath so constantly obserued euer since the beginning of the worlde that the Prophete Amos durst saye the Lorde God doth no maner of thing but he telleth his secretes before vnto his seruants the Prophetes This appeareth in the men of the first age to whom God sent Noah the preacher of righteousnesse and graunted them an hundred yeares space to repent in before he woulde sende the floude to destroy them He sent Lot also to the Sodomytes by whose doctrine and example of lyfe they might be prouoked to amendement By Ioseph he warned the Egyptians of the dearth to come whereby he succoured the lyfe of a great manye He afterwarde prouoked them by Moyses not onely by wordes but also by horrible woonders to doe their dutie What needeth it to speake of the captiuitie of Babilon which it is manifest was foreshewed by the Prophetes many yeares or euer it came And Christ did not only foretell the last destruction of the Iewes but also Iosephus declareth that they were warned therof by many woonders And though God should neuer call sinners backe by any aduertisements yet are there generall warnings confirmed with innumerable examples of Gods iudgements which are sufficient to teach vs what all they maye trust too that rashlye transgresse the lawes of God and dare without repentance liue dissolutely See Leuit. 26. Deut. 28. Ierem. 5. Let vs I beseech you acknowledge this goodnesse of the Lorde in these dayes least whyle we despyse his faythfull admonitions he punishe vs the more grieuously But before wee passe from this place this also is to bee considered that Agabus is sayde by the spirite to signifye this dearth to come For here is declared the maner and order howe the Prophetes in those dayes vsed to prophecie least any might thinke they coniectured by the Planets or else were giuen to the study of other vnlawfull sciences For the holy ghost was the author of their prophecying as the Lorde before had promised by Ioel. And Paule reckoneth prophecying among the gifts of the holy ghost Therfore the example of Agabus nothing defendeth the deceyuers of our dayes
And if we compare the proceedings of these dayes herewith wee shall fynde but a fewe tokens of the primitiue Church For a great number conueye awaye the goodes of the Church and dishonestly make hauock of them and there are very fewe or none which of their owne goodes will exercise christian contribution But there is a great number of them which will abuse publike calamitie to their priuate commoditie And they that bee the best men will not releeue the neede of the poore before he see him brought to extreeme beggery be compelled to go from doore to doore God graunt that we maye be enflamed with true fayth and charitie that we may by our works be knowne for Christians at that day when Christ our Lorde and Sauiour shall come to iudgement in the glory of his father to whome be prayse honour power and glory for euer Amen The .xij. chapiter vpon the Actes of the Apostles The .lxxxij. Homelie AT the same time Herode the King stretched forâ—h his handes to vexe certaine of the Congregation And hee killed Iames the brother of Iohn with the sword And bicause he sawe that it pleased the Iewes he proceeded farther and tooke Peter also Then were the daies of sweete bread And when hee had caught him hee put him in prison also and deliuered him to fower quaternions of souldiers to be kept entending after Easter to bring him forth to the people And Peter was kept in pryson But prayer was made without ceasing of the congregation vnto God for him BEfore this the Euangelist Luke described to vs the persecutions raysed by the Priests agaynst the congregation which though they might seeme grieuous and horrible yet the persecution here reported was much grieuouser For a king of great power and one which had the ruling of all the Iewishe Nation was the beginner and procurer thereof And whereas tyll this time the Apostles abode safe and vntouched nowe hath this wicked Tyrant such power that by cruell death he maketh awaye one of the chiefe among them The ende of all this hystorye is that hereby we should learne the state of the Church and being myndefull of Christes admonitions prepare our selues to the like Howbeit where in these thinges there appeareth alwayes a great dulnesse of our nature all the circumstaunces of this place must be the more diligently considered And first Luke coupleth this present hystorie with the ende of the Chapiter before going and beginneth his narration or discourse of the tyme For where he had entreated of the dearth foreshewed by Agabus he writeth that the same time Herode begunne to persecute the Church And if you conferre this place with the ende of the Chapter it shall appeare this was done in the last yeare of Herode a little before he ended his lyfe at Caesarea by the horrible iudgement of god And if we cast the time according to hystories we shall fynde that this last yeare of Herode fell in the fourth yere of Claudius the Emperor what time the Hystoriens say that this dearth reygned There came two most grieuous calamities dearth and persecution togither eche of which seemed intollerable to the congregation Thys state of the Church is to be diligently considered of vs bicause God suffreth his Church with so many afflictions to be tryed and exercised For God which a little before had stirred vp the mindes of those at Antiochia and others to releeue the necessitie of the Iewes with their liberalitie suffreth now the furious blasts of this wicked king to rise against them But it is no straunge thing that here commeth to passe For there are infynit examples of this sort We reade of Abraham howe when at Gods calling he had forsooke his natiue Countrie and was come into the lande of Chanaan hee was driuen from thence by famine and inforced to flye into Egypt Isaac his sonne fynding the like trouble sustained great want of victuals among the enuious Nation of the Chanaanites So we reade that Ioseph hauing lost his libertie was put in prison and like also to lose his lyfe What shall I speake of Iacob his father which was still invred with troubles and vexation insomuch that euen in his extreeme age he confessed before Pharao that he had led the more part of the dayes of his lyfe in trouble and cares And if a man would consider and weigh the people of Israels estate as well in Egypt as in the wildernesse he shall see continuall traueyles and as it were freshe floudes of afflictions flowing by course And that which the Primitiue Churche nowe prooueth came to passe also in the yeares following Neyther is there any cause why we shoulde looke for any better in these dayes than the Oracles of Christ declare shall be about the last days where we are taught that the Church shall be exercised with famine plague wars persecutions in all parts Wherfore it behooueth vs to prepare our selues vnto pacience that wheÌ„ these things come to passe we may consider howe iudgement must beginne at the house of God and that wee bee iudged of God to the ende we should not be condemned with the irrepentaunt worlde Here also is the error of them confuted which iudge of religion and faith according to the things that fall out in this worlde as though the Citie of the godly were on earth whereas the Scripture euerywhere sheweth howe it is prepared for vs in heauen Secondlye Luke nameth the author of this persecution and wryteth that it was Herode By this place it appeareth that the Kinges of Galiley and Iurie were commonly called Herodes verily of that famous and great Herode which being an aliaunt first obteyned to be king of Iurie For it is plaine that this of whome Luke speaketh in this place was Agrippa Nephewe to this great Herode by Aristobulus his sonne whose death Iosephus in all poyntes agreeing with Luke describeth in the .xxix. booke of his antiquities and .vij. Chapter This Herode was both a moste mightye Prince and a craftie For after he was let out of prison by Caius Caesar where Tiberius had put him bicause of his ouermuch familiaritie with Caius and was declared king of the Tetrarchies of Philip and Lysanias a little after he tooke from Herodes Antipas his vncle by the fathers side and sisters husbande the kingdome of Galiley procuring him to be banished by Caius to whome by his letters he had accused him And after the decease of Caius Caesar Claudius being Emperor he gaue him the Prouinces both of Iurie and Samarie And thus Agrippa obtayned almoste the whole kingdome of Herode the great his grandfather It shall behooue vs diligently to consider the power of this king that the power of Christ may appeare the greater which so easily subdued so mighty an enimie For God would set Christ and his Church togither with such an one as this to shew a singuler example and to declare that all the
Christ that is to saye of the Church Therefore absurde and pernicious is the errour of them which when persecution ariseth forsake the congregation or else if they once haue bene in daunger thinke they haue done ynough for their part and will be ioyned to them no longer for feare of newe daungers And thus they alienate themselues from Christ for whose name sake they abode the first bruntes and whyle they will keepe their bodies out of daunger destroye their soules Let vs also see what maner of Christians Peter founde in the house of Mary Luke comprehendeth a great matter in fewe words and sayth there were many there gathered togither and praying And yet it is not to bee thought that all the faythfull of the whole Citie were gathered into one house but it is likely that there were other assembles also in other places and that in the night season bicause they might not meete togither in the day time And hereof it seemeth that those meetinges of Christians in the night and earely in the morning tooke their beginnings Wherof the prophane writers make mention not that they thought anye more religion or effect of prayers in one time than another but for that in the time of persecutions lying in wayte of their enimies they coulde not otherwise scarse come togither Nowe a dayes such kinde of meetinges are of many vtterly condemned thinking that all men ought to abstaine from them least the godly might giue some suspition of sedicion or of some other more dishonest misdemeanour But why doe not these notable comptrollers consider the example of the Primitiue Church and suffer the brethren that be vnder the crosse to doe as they did in times passed seeing both their cases be a like In the meane whyle we denie not but that there ought to be had herein great diligence and circumspection For as it was in tymes passed a great occasion to the enimies of Christ to rayle and depraue the Christian religion euen so in the ages following it was cause of superstition whyle certaine foolishe men thought they might here vppon grounde their Mattens and singing before daye This place in the meane whyle yet teacheth vs what maner of exercises the Christians shoulde haue at all times but specially when persecutions are stirring or any other kinde of publike calamitie And here ought to be diligent heede had of these holy meetings For as Christ desireth to haue his to be one so it becommeth them to testifye publikely the desire of their vnitie and fellowship Which thing was cause that in the olde Testament Moses gaue such diligent aduertisement concerning their festiuall dayes in all which the chiefe matter was the holy conuocation or assembly And Ioël the Prophet admonishing the people of their dutie in the time of the Assyrian warres commaundeth them oftentimes to proclayme an holy assembly And it is not without a cause that Paule wryting to the Corinthians reasoneth in diuers Chapters of the good order to be had and vsed when the congregation meete togither For he knewe that Christ had adourned such as were gathered togither in his name with a peculiar promise testifying that he is in the middle of them And yet shall not those assemblies be allowed be they neuer so great except those things be done in them which God commaundeth He will haue his worde openlye taught Therefore we must come togither to heare it He will haue vs to praye vnto him Therefore when we meete we must ioyne togither in prayer that we maye euen in a troupe togither I will vse Tertullians wordes compasse and beset God about with prayers For this kinde of violence is acceptable vnto him as Christ hath taught vs by the example of the wydowe It is euident that these men obserued both these things For although Luke make mention in this place but of prayers onely yet forasmuch as they be ordred according to Gods worde and take their force of the promises of God it is not lyke they were slacke herein Of such assemblies as these the most auncient writers make plentifull mention And if we woulde compare these things with the vsage of our dayes it should easily appeare howe farre we haue swarued from the integritie of the Primitiue Church For it pleased God that these companies shoulde come togither in the night time bicause of perilles on euery side at hande but wee will not come togither in the day time when we maye so doe without anye daunger And they that come to the Church doe as they did whose vanitie and wickednesse Ezechiel accuseth cap. 33. And againe they that meete in the night time eyther they striue who shall quaffe best or they playe at the defamed dyce or else runne vp and downe the streetes with their noyses in too dissolute a wise To speake nothing in the meane whyle of those that if any persecution aryse turne to cursing and rayling vsing all vnseemelye speach against the harmelesse Ministers as though the matter touched not the whole congregation but them alone And hereof commeth it that wee perceiue such continuall calamities in our days For why should God spare to strike them which whilste they are layde on will not acknowledge his hande nor turne vnto him correcting them like a father Luke now proceedeth in his Oration begunne and declareth how the faythfull were affected at this sodeine and vnlooked for comming of Peter And first it appeareth they were somewhat troubled at the knocking at the doore bicause Rhoda the mayde runneth not forthwith to open the doore but standeth harkening who it shoulde be that was at the doore For whereas they were not ignorant howe greatly Herode burned in hatred against the church there was nothing so sure but they had some suspicion and feare in it But Rhoda knowing it was Peter by his voyce surprised with exceeding ioy and desirous to be the messenger of such gladsome tydings before shee would open the dore goeth and telleth it within They which scarce thought of any such thing much lesse hoped therefore fyrst sayde she was madde and afterwarde hearing that she constantly affirmed it to be true supposed yet that it was not Peter but his Aungell that was at the doore and did counterfeyte his voyce So a man may see the notable seruants of Christ bewtifyed with all kinde of vertues tossed with diuers affections and betweene hope feare and ioye standing in a doubt Hence therefore with the madnesse of the Stoykes who whyle they teache that a good and perfite man must be voyde of all affections of the mynde go about to make of men blockes and mushroomes And yet Paule witnesseth that Iesus Christ was subiect to such infirmities and was many wayes tempted like a very true man so that he coulde haue compassion on vs Yet here are two things to be diligently considered before we go any further The first is for our consolation where we are
and accustomed lecture of the lawe and Prophetes was ended the Rulers of the Sinagoge supposing them to be no common persons gaue them leaue to speake vnto the people For they send a message to them saying ye men and brethren if you haue any Sermon to exhort the people saye on And so Paule begonne a singular sermon of Iesus Christ and the whole mysterie of our saluation the beginning whereof God willing we shall heare to morowe At this time we haue certaine other thinges to consider of which we will speake in order First and foremost the Apostles spredde not the doctrine of saluation abrode in Tauernes among drunken blowbolles nor yet in corners and woodes among the rude and ignorant people but they come into a publike place and openly teach the Gospell This it appeareth they did after the example of Christ who vsed himselfe to go into the Sinagoges and to teach openly And when he was examined by Caiphas of his doctrine and Disciples as though he had bene an heretike he defendeth himselfe by this argument only that he taught openly in the Sinagoge and in the Church and was not afrayde to abide the iudgement of the whole people touching his doctrine Which examples serue to repoorue them which sowe newe opinions secretly among the people and flie and abhorre nothing so much as the light and iudgement of the congregation This one thing abundantlye prooueth that they are deceyuers seeing that truth desireth nothing so much as the light Where yet we do not condemne them which being compassed about with persecutions exercise the duties of godly religion in secret which thing we reade was done at Ierusalem by the faythfull in the house of Mary and otherwheres so that they be ready to giue an account of their fayth to as many as require the same and not like the Anabaptistes by stubborne silence and craftie dissimulation delude them that go about to trie their fayth and doctrine Then againe it is no superfluous notation of time where it is sayde they went into the sinagoge on the Sabboth dayes For hereby he teacheth vs that they diligently kept the religion of the Sabboth which day it is euident was dedicated vnto God at the beginning of the world was diligently commended by Moses vnto the Israelites For where we be busied with diuers occupations it was necessary that there should be one time appointed free from all cares and businesse wherein we shoulde giue our selues wholy both in body and soule to the honouring of god Therefore God appointed the seauenth daye to this exercise which he for this cause called his daye that when that daye commeth we should abstaine from all other businesses and exercises And he ordeyned it to be kept so holilye that he appointed death for the breakers thereof And in the Prophets this is reckoned for one of the most grieuous offences and causes of the captiuitie of Babilon that they did vnhallowe the Sabbothes of the Lorde For the which cause the sonne of God although he many times reprehended the superstitious keeping of them yet he diligently obserued those thinges wherein the worship of God consisted For on those days he entred into the Sinagoges and was present at their publike assemblies and prayers Moreouer hee taught and hearde others teach and also vsed diligently the deedes of liberalitie Which thing the Apostles remembring they thought good also to followe the example of their maister But now a dayes the matter is come to that passe that among Christians they may go for the best menne that breake the Sabbothes but with handy works toward the getting of their liuing whereas a great many prophane them with heynous wickednesse nor at any time doe men more sinne in pryde and arrogancie in drunkennesse concupiscence and ryot than on that day which ought to be bestowed wholy in the study of godly workes and eternall rest and quiet And notwithstanding these thinges are openly committed yet wee still seeke what should bee the causes of the miseries and wretchednesse of our dayes Howbeit where the religion of the Sabboth as touching the outward obseruation consisteth chiefly in the holy assemblyes which Moses calleth holye conuocations Luke declareth diligently what was done in this assembly First the Apostles sate downe no doubt among the residue that were there gathered togither This is the dutie of modestie and honestie wherof regard must alwaies be had euerywhere but chiefly in the Church that nothing be done out of order and dishonestly Then he maketh mention howe the lawe and the Prophetes were reade which was obserued among the Iewes of a common custome as we shall vnderstand a little after by Paules sermon and by the wordes of Iames in the .xv. Chapter For so Moses ordeyned by the commaundement of God which custome after their returne from Babylon Esdras restored againe as appeareth in Nehemias cap. 8. And Christ vsed none other custome when out of the place of Esay he taught the mysteries of our saluation in the Sinagoge at Nazareth These thinges teach vs that in the congregation the worde of God comprehended in the Scriptures ought to be intreated For this cause Paule commendeth vnto the Ministers of Churches the studie of holy scripture bicause none other voyce than such as speaketh in the scripture must be hearde in Gods house Therfore their errour is enormious and absurde in that Church which declare vnto the simple people most foolish trifles out of the Legendes of Saints or else vrge and exact mans traditions wherwith Christ himselfe out of the Prophete teacheth that all Gods religion is corrupted Which thing as it is in these dayes to much frequented â—o if at any time any place be left for the word of God it is vsed to be sayde or song commonlye in a straunge tongue so that no profyte can come to the people thereby But touching this matter see Paules iudgement 1. Cor. 14. Thirdlye this also is to be commended that none of them taketh vppon him to speake before he be lawfully requested For although of auncient custome the interpreters and Prophetes sate next to the Teachers yet none impudently intruded himselfe so that vndesired or without necessitie he woulde speake vnto the people Wherefore Paule and Barnabas also although they were sent by the holy ghost yet they thinke it not good to breake so profytable and auncient a custome of the Church Therefore the Anabaptistes disorder is not to be suffered which abuse the place of Paule 1. Cor. 14 â–ª saying that all men ought to haue leaue to speake in the Church For Paule in that place speaketh of those that had the gift of interpretation and prophecie and sate with the teachers as was euen nowe sayde But such as were no interpreters he commaundeth to keepe silence And he commaundeth all things to be done decently and in order Neyther lette any man obiect here vnto me what I thinke the Apostles woulde haue done if no
this example in the later Epistle to Timothy cap. 3. by these wordes Thou hast seene the experience of my doctrine fashion of liuing purpose fayth long suffring loue pacience persecutions and afflictions which came on mee at Antioch at Iconium and Lystra which persecutions I suffred paciently and from them all the Lorde deliuered me yea and all they that will liue godly in Christ Iesu shall suffer persecution Wherefore fyrst let vs laye this foundation in our minde that nothing can come vnto vs without the ordinance and pleasure of God who hath numbred euen the heares of our head Next let vs thinke he ordreth all things after his righteous and holy iudgement Thirdly let vs be fully perswaded that he will neuer cease to take care for vs but beareth a fatherly minde and affection to vs and that euen then he moste careth for vs when we seeme most in daunger of our enimies Therefore he will deliuer vs out of all daunger if he thinke it so meetest for our behoofe And if it seeme not so good vnto him which farre better knoweth our case and what is meete for vs than we our selues what be we I pray you to replye against him But hereof we shall haue occasion to say more about the ende of the sermon Nowe what did the Disciples whose minds were lightened with sounder knowledge of Christ in all thys businesse Did they denie their fayth and take part with the Gentyles or were they ashamed of Paule so being stoned and in shamefull wise haled through the Citie No truely But they gathered about him by likelyhoode of good will. For where they were not able to defende him against the open violence of the furious people they doe yet as much as in them lyeth And whome they thought to be deade him they stande about bewayling him and desirous to accomplishe the last dutie of buriall vnto the most valyaunt minister of Christ as we heard the faithfull at Ierusalem did before when Steuen was martyred And yet was this a daungerous enterprise if a man well consider the Iewes cankred hatred towardes Christ and the rage of the people not yet calmed by reason of the late disdayne conceyued But our Sauiour Christ fayleth not to further such godlye duetie For whome they lamented as deade hym dyd God in such woonderfull wise restore agayne that he by and by rose vp and went into the Citie We are taught by this example what duetie we owe vnto the faythfull ministers of Christ being in daunger for doing of their duetie First they that are able must faythfully helpe them being in distresse wherein many dueties are to be considered and fall out amongst which there is none so small that hath not his rewarde before God considering that he shall not lose his recompence that gyueth but a Cup of colde water vnto a Disciple of Christ. And if any denie them the succour they are able to giue them let them thinke that sayde vnto them that Mardocheus sometyme sayde vnto Queene Hester If thou holde thy peace at thys time then shall the Iewes haue helpe and delyueraunce some ootherwayes and thou and thy fathers house shall perishe Cap. 4. The seconde degree of duetie is that they that are not able to helpe them consent not vnto the counsell of the wicked enimies of Christ and by al meanes possible declare that they neuer consented vnto them The storie of the Gospell sheweth vs as example hereof in Ioseph of Arimathaea The thirde and last is that we comfort those whome other tyrannouslye afflict by all the meanes we are able and if we lacke abilitie yet to testifye by our teares howe we lament their state And let vs not be ashamed of them in whom we knowe Christ lyeth bounde is banished afflicted and put to sorrowe This did Iosephus most faythfully perfourme whyle he caused Christ to be honorably buried whome his aduersaries shamefully hong on crosse If we would nowe a dayes thus dutyfully vse our selues towardes the members of Christ we should see God would helpe and ayde vs beyonde our expectation For God will not suffer the indeauours of his beloued to be lost nor the kingdome of Christ his sonne to be shrowne downe by the enterprises of the wicked But let vs returne to the Apostles and see what they did after they had escaped these broyles of whom thus much is reported as followeth The next daye following Paule accompanyed with Barnabas went from Lystra and came vnto Derba where he preacheth the Gospell of Ieâ—us Christ bringeth many disciples vnto Christ. This is a notable and rare example of christian constancie and faythfull endeuour that by daunger being made the more bolde and feruent they returne againe vnto their office and duetie Hereby is reprooued the sluggishnesse of those slydebackes which after they haue bene once in daunger as though they had then done all their duetie can neuer be brought againe to suffer anye more for Christes sake Howbeit in deede they should rather haue considered that by reason God of late had so deliuered and helped them they should haue bene the more incouraged and bolde For hath God therefore set vs at libertie to the intent we should afterwarde stande ydle and looke on whyle others are in perill Nay but for this cause rather he maketh good his promise to the ende we should stande the more boldely in the defence of his name Paule remembring thys coulde not fynde in his heart to rest scarce one day togither and yet it might seeme he had deserued to haue his Quietus est This also is to be obserued that wheresoeuer Luke reasoneth of the Apostles doctrine he maketh mention of nothing but the gospell the Ministerie and preaching whereof Christ had committed vnto them This is a great argument of the fayth and credite which they vsed in the office commytted to their charge and also teacheth vs what ought to be preached in the Church For if the Apostles durst not take so much vpon them as to giue back starte from the commaundement of Christ and to infeoffe the Church with newe traditions Doubtlesse their boldnesse can not be excused which now a dayes impudently presume so to do vnder the name and pretence of the Apostles Moreouer the Apostles returne to the three Cities from whence they were expulsed that is to Antioche Iconium and Lystra to confirme and establishe those that they had woonne vnto Christ in the fayth For as in ordering of an house it is as much prayse to saue that is gotten as to get more vnto the same so in the Church of God we must haue a care not onely to gette more vnto it but also to take heede that none fall from their duetie and fayth through our negligence And as seede must not onely be throwne into the grounde but also be tended and cherished that thornes and bryers ouergrowe it not so that it perishe so the seede of Gods worde being once
doctrine Furthermore the state of the controuersie that these deceyuers helde is expressed For they called backe the Gentyles vnto Circumcision and Ceremonies of the lawe saying Except you be circumcised you cannot bee saued Which saying it is very like they confyrmed with many articles For they had the lawe of God who ordeyned Circumcision for a perpetuall signe of his couenant amongst the Israelites They had also the example of the Church at Ierusalem where the Apostles yeelded so farre to the weakenesse of the Iewes that they circumcised their infantes Moreouer where through Circumcision they were bounde to obserue the lawe according to that saying of Paule I testifye to euery man that is circumcised that hee is bounde to keepe the whole lawe This being taken awaye they cryed and sayde that the whole lawe was abrogated and a gate opened vnto all wickednesse Yet they confessed Christ notwithstanding and woulde seeme to be followers of the Gospell like goodlye blenders and compounders which thought the lawe might be mingled with the Gospell and the righteousnesse of workes with fayth This therefore was the whole state of the controuersie whether men were iustified through the grace of God by fayth onely in Christ or whether the righteousnesse of the lawe was necessarye vnto saluation And if a man will weygh and expende this matter well it shall appeare that this was the verye same controuersie which is betweene vs and the Papistes nowe in these dayes who professe Christ also but yet affirme that men are iustifyed and saued by their merites and good deedes sauing that in this poynt the Papists case is the weaker and worse for that they grounde not vppon the lawe of Moses once giuen by God but vppon mannes traditions which long sithence haue bene condemned by the sentence of god They worship me in vaine teaching the doctrines of men Therfore it is very necessary for vs to vnderstand this controuersie For if there be no place due vnto the workes of Gods lawe for vs to glory we be iustifyed by then doubtlesse be they very miserable and blinde which dare chalenge this praise vnto the colde obseruances of mannes traditions In the meane season mannes peruersenesse bewrayeth itselfe in this place which where God offreth saluation vnto vs freely contemneth the same and seeketh rather a sumptuous and laborious way of attayning therevnto Examples of this peruersitie appeare in all ages and the Lorde complayneth hereof in Esay 55. saying Wherefore laye you out your money vppon the thing that feedeth not and spende your labour about the thing that satisfieth you not Againe My people hath committed two euils they haue forsaken me the well of the water of life and digged them pits yea vile and broken pits that can holde no water And would God that he had not more occasion to make the like complaint euerywhere at this day Thirdly followeth the effect of false doctrine that these Iewish Christians brought in That was sedition and open schisme through the which Luke sayth the Church at Antioch which hitherto had bene moste quiet and as a common sanctuarie to all the godly was disturbed Therefore they that fall from the simple doctrine of the truth and bring new and false opinions into the Church these are disturbers of the Church By this name doth Paule here sette out these fellowes saying I marueyle that you are so soone turned from Christ that called you by grace vnto another Gospell which yet is none other but that there be some which trouble you And in other places he calleth them Dogges euill workers concision and the verye enimies of the crosse of Christ. I know we are charged by the Papists in these dayes to haue disturbed to disturbe the Church But if the truth of the Apostles doctrine be well marked it shal appeere we are most cleere from this crime the puritie of which doctrine bicause we endeuour to restore maketh vs in deede to disturbe the ydlenesse of them who vnder a false pretence of Christ his Church had a delight to disporte themselues both with the felles and fleshe of the miserable sheepe Furthermore the chiefe vse of this place is that we be not so offended with the discentions rising in our dayes by reason of religion that we therefore thinke all doctrine of fayth and religion to be doubtfull and vncertayne For it is euident that the doctrine of truth hath in all ages bene diuersly assaulted and that therefore diuers discentioâ—s haue risen by meanes thereof This God suffereth to come to passe by his iust iudgement and for the weale of our saluation For fyrst according to the saying of Paule there must needes bee sectes that they which are perfite may be knowne Agayne by this occasion it commeth to passe that the chiefe articles of our fayth and saluation are the more diligently and earnestly examined which vnlesse they were thus called in question woulde for the most part lye vnconsidered and buryed For God can so moderate mischiefes that they serue vnto the saluation of those that be his and to those that loue God all thing worketh to the best And this may we see in thys present controuersie as cleere as daye For hereby came it to passe that the meane of our iustifycation was intreated and discussed the more diligently by the Apostles and that the ceremonies of the lawe were the lesse regarded among the Iewes wherein yet a great many put much trust Euen so in our age the sacrifyce of the Masse was no way more ouerthrowne than by the controuersie which fell out about the supper of the Lorde Therfore their clamour is pieuishe and absurde which complaine and saye that by reason of such discentions religion is doubtfull and vncertaine For vnder this colour they go about to hyde and cloake their prophane and hollowe heartes Furthermore let vs consider what Paule and Barnabas and the faithfull of Antioch did in this disceptation As for Paule and Barnabas it is sayd that they had much contention and daylie disputation with these disturbers Therefore they were no dumbe Dogges which woulde suffer all kindes of doctrine to creepe into the Church but rather they earnestly withstoode these deceyuers so that the true faith was not ouerturned with their gloses Yet otherwheres Paule becommeth all things to all men and earnestly commaundeth those that be strong in faith pacientlye to beare with the weaker Why therefore sheweth he himselfe in this place to be so difficult and vntreatable Bicause it was a matter of more importance than coulde be dissembled For by this opinion the righteousnesse of fayth which we haue in Christ alone is ouerturned For they which by Circumcision make them selfe bonde vnto the law to them is Christ become vnprofitable and they which will be iustified by the lawe are fallen from grace Moreouer by thys meanes the Christian libertie was in hazarde which coulde be purchased with none other pryce
that in Claudius dayes they were all driuen out of Rome and Italie And surelye it might seeme a grieuous attempt for Iewes defamed persons almost with all men to prescribe lawes vnto the Romanes the Lords seigniors of the whole world And this accusation was of such force and effect that all the people ranne vpon the Apostles as it had bene to the quenching of some great fyre begun Thou shalt in this place consider what the crafts of the enimies of the truth are We heard how they were incensed led with the desire of priuate lucre aduantage But bicause it was an vnhonest poynt to disturbe the whole citie for a fewes sake they make of a priuate case a publike with marueylous arte and craft so proceeding as though they tooke the publike weales cause in hande Thus we heare Caiaphas played the Rhetorician when he sayde vnto the Scribes consulting agaynst Christ It is expedient for vs that one man dye for the people and not all the Nation perishe And now a dayes nothing is so common a thing as to set a pretence of common weale vpon priuate affections when men desire the doctrine of truth to be banished This craft they haue learned of their Captaine the Deuill who we reade vsed the same trickes euen from the beginning For did he not this wayes entyce our fyrst parents to breake Gods commaundement so propose his matter as though he had sought no whitte for his owne auayle but was onely carefull for theirs When he begoonne also to dispute with Christ he seemed to go about to cause Christ to declare his Godheade vnto the worlde by some woonderfull and myraculous wise and not to holde the worlde anye longer in suspence and doubt what he was For to this ende were his sayings touching turning of stones into breade and casting himselfe downe from the pinnacle of the Temple We haue euerywhere examples of such sleyghtes the chiefe ende whereof is to warne vs that we suffer not our selues to be circumuented and beguiled eyther with the craftes of the deuill himselfe or of his members This place also teacheth vs with what crimes commonly the truth is charged in this worlde Namely that she troubleth and disquieteth common weales and beguyleth the simple Commons with new and false religion Hereof commeth it to passe that the Ministers and teachers of the truth are counted for seditious fellowes seducers and beguilers The faythfull seruauntes of God Moses and Aaron are so called of Pharao the tyrant For thus he aunswereth them desiring him that the people myght be set at libertie You Moses and Aaron why pluck you the people away from their labour But the wicked Achab more bitterly vpbraydeth the Prophete Elias with the same saying Art not thou he that troublest Israel Yet is that more grieuous that Amasias the Priest layeth to Amos the Prophetes charge before king Ieroboam in these wordes Amos hath made a conspiracie against thee in the middest of the house of Israel and the lande cannot away with his sermons Yea the wicked Courtyers of Sedechias the king accuse Ieremie of treason and of flying to his enimies the Assirians saying he is the onely authour of all their miseries and destruction But this is no marueyle considering these were the poynts of accusation that were layde vnto Christes charge For the Priestes sayde vnto Pylate wee founde this man peruerting the whole Nation and forbidding to paye tribute vnto Caesar saying he was Christ a king Agayne If thou let him loose thou art not Caesars friend Whosoeuer maketh himselfe a king speaketh against Caesar. These are grieuous matters and argue the great impudencie of the worlde And yet they may seeme tollerable being compared with the things done in our dayes These thinges in times past did they saye which were the professed enimies of the Prophetes and Apostles and which knewe not that Christ was their sauiour But nowe adayes they that will be taken and counted for Christians which challenge vnto them the chiefe gouernaunce of the Church which professe themselues to be the nurses shepeheardes and defenders of the Church vse to persecute the ministers of Christ and his Gospell and call that a newe doctrine a seditious and a deceytfull which according to the scriptures of the olde and newe Testament sheweth that all our saluation is onely in Christ Iesus which teacheth vs the right vse of the sacraments innocencie and puritie of life the duties of charitie commaundeth vs to loue our enimies leaueth lawes and priuiledges free vnto Magistrates biddeth vs giue vnto Caesar that is Caesars and vnto God that belongeth vnto him which commendeth vnto vs principally the desire of peace and commaundeth vs asmuch as lyeth in vs to haue peace with all men Who may not therefore crie out ô maners ô tymes Let vs therfore acknowledge the blindenesse of this world and not esteeme their slaunders one myte whereby they go about to defame and bring in suspition the wholesome doctrine of the Gospell It remayneth for vs to consider what the iudgement of the Gouernour of Philippi was concerning this present cause But what saye I the iudgement whereas without all iudgement they raged like madde men against the Apostles Sreyghtways they tare and rent their garments as though there wanted Ministers of such mischiefe Then they commaunde them without hearing their aunswere and being guiltlesse to be beaten with roddes And when they had bene well scourged at length they cast them in prison commaunding that they shoulde be well watched as though they were worthye of more punishment than other malefactors Which thing was the cause that they were put in an inner prison and their feete thrust into the stockes But what more iniustice coulde Magistrates and men in office shewe He offendeth that doth but denie him leaue that is accused to excuse himselfe But these men besides beate straungers with roddes and when they haue beaten them thrust them in prison meaning afterwarde at leysure to heare their aunswere The cause of this rage was for that they suffered other that slaundered them to much to kindle their choler Therfore let them that sitte in iudgement flie this pestilent plague and remember that they haue two eares giuen them for this cause that one maye be kept open for the Plaintife and that other for the defendant Let them also remember that God is the President of iudgements to whome they also shall one day giue an account of their iudgements In the meane season we are admonished what the state of the godly is in this worlde Notorious malefactors maye liue in safetye but the godlye are hated and persecuted of all men and where they hurt none but doe good vnto all men they haue least thanke of all men in the worlde It was a singular benefite to deliuer the Damsell out of the thraldome of Satan But for their good turne they are punished with strypes and imprisonment as publike enimies of the Citie Hereof we haue euery
nor hath any faith Therefore this Iayler doth well to declare his faith by workes of charitie which it becommeth vs also busily to apply if we will not be taken and called vaine professours of the faith Fourthly he reioyceth with all his housholde bicause he beleeued in God and knewe he nowe belonged vnto the Church of Christ in whome onely the treasures of saluation are layde vp And yet as we erewhyle declared he was in great daunger thereby For if the Iudges mindes had notbene sodainely altered which alteration he yet wist not of he had dyed for it insomuch as he had let those loose whome the Iudge had commaunded to be laide in yrons But as faith maketh all men obedient vnto God so it ouercommeth all labours and daungers and suffereth not the feeling of heauenly ioye which the spirite of Christ inspyreth to be ouercome with any temptations Therefore Paule wryting to these faythfull of the Phylippians byddeth them alwaies to reioyce and be glad Moreouer if a man would lay togither all things saide hitherto of this Iayler it shall appeare that fayth is not ydle nor can not be seperated from good workes For what good workes are here lacking He recompenseth the iniuries made before vnto the Apostles He obeyeth God duely with present daunger of his lyfe declaring hereby howe readie he ment afterwarde to be in all other thinges Hee receyued the sacramentes duelie as he ought to doe For where he receyued baptisme streight way it is not like he absteyned from the Lordes supper seing he was conuersaunt with the faithfull Furthermore he was carefull for the saluation of his familie and caused them also to be brought vnto Christ and vnto the congregation also he exerciseth charitie and benefycence liberally and euen in the middle of daungers ioyeth altogither in spirituall gladnesse And yet the Apostles being asked the true waye of saluation appointed him but faith onely in Iesus Christ. And this faith brought forth streight way such excellent fruites as we haue heard Wherevnto yet we must not attribute the glorie of saluation bicause he coulde haue done none of them vnlesse by faith he had beene graffed in Christ and quickned with his spirite Here fyrst are they confuted that saye the doctrine of faith is an enimie vnto good workes seing such increase of good workes springeth of none other thing so much as of faith And next they also which vnder a false pretence of the Gospell seeke the vnbrydelled licentiousnesse of the fleshe and to sinne without check Howbeit after the hystory of the keeper of the Prison ended Luke commeth vnto the officers of Philippi and declareth howe the Apostles were delyuered by their commaundement and authoritie For Gods workes are perfyte and beguyle not mens mindes with vaine hope and expectation of his helpe and succour In the meane season yet God marueylously tosseth the Apostles that one maye see he vseth the wicked to fulfyll his pleasure euen against their wyll But let vs discusse all things in order that we may receyue the more comfort and instruction thereby By the breake of daye came Sergeaunts from the Magistrates commaunding the Apostles to be let loose and it shall appeare afterward by Paules words that this was a secret dimission they went about meaning also to sende them out of the Citie But howsoeuer they were dimissed it is plaine that these Iudges did acknowledge both the innocencie of the Apostles and also their owne vnrighteousnesse which they vsed against them But whether it was the meane whyle of the night that caused them to consider so much or the earthquake that strake them in such feare that they durst not holde on in their tyrannie it is vncertaine But assuredly such sodaine chaunge of minde did aboundantly declare both their rashnesse and vnrighteousnesse Yet go they about marueylous craftily to hyde the heynousnesse they had commytted and whereof they were ashamed For therefore woulde they haue the Apostles priuily to be set at libertie to lay all the fault in them as though they mistrusting their cause had broke open the dores and fledde out of Prison Thus the wicked vse with craftes and colours to seeke to seeme righteous being ashamed of their naughtinesse but meaning no earnest repentaunce which causeth them to their further shame to heape freshe offences and sinnes vpon the olde Therefore this place teacheth vs fyrst what the repentaunce of the wicked is for the most part Doubtlesse a counterfeyte repentaunce and such as reuerence and feare of men onely wringeth out of them not repenting in the meane season from the heart nor nothing mindefull of amendement Thus we reade Saule repented when he earnestly required Samuel not to depart from him least his authoritie and estimation should vtterly haue quayled before the Elders and the people That this is a vaine and vnprofytable repentaunce appeareth euen by this for that in the meane season they hate the worde of God woorse than a Tode bicause the light thereof discloseth their wickednesse Let euery man therefore so learne to acknowledge his offences that he may also be sorrowfull for the same and not seeke to hyde them wyth the shaming of other but rather let them publishe them to the amendment of other and to the setting forth of Gods glorie whereof the scripture giueth vs examples in Dauid and Paule Also this place teacheth vs how easilye wicked officers can quit themselues of great heynous offences For what could this men haue done more wickedly and vnworthy their calling than to beate innocent persons without hearing their cause at the â—ry and clamour of the commons and being all gore bloude and their sores not washed to cast them into a darke dungeon And nowe they thinke it is ynnough if they put them not to death with more shame but conuey them priuily out of the Citie And here is no worde of amends making This is a common thing in these dayes especially in their causes whome the world hateth bicause of their sinceritie in truth and religion yea they thinke they deserue great commendation of modestie and equitie if they doe but depriue such Christians of honours and goodes and banishe them their countrie But let officers consider that they are placed of God in such degree of power and honour Let them also remember that iudgement belongeth vnto god Furthermore let them often remember that they shall one day also come before Christ to be iudged where they shall giue an accompt of all their iudgementes And therefore according to the admonition of the Prophete let them holde the bloud of their subiectes deare in their sight Furthermore here appeareth the inuincible power of God whereby he is able to take and deliuer his beloued out of the handes of the wicked although they persist in their wickeddesse For they repent not of their naughtinesse and thinke of no amendment as we sayde euen nowe yea they vndoubtedly wished the Apostles of
among the Thessalonians they exaggerate the matter and say that the Apostles did all things against the lawes and decrees of Caesar and so accuse them of treason saying they appointed an other to be king of the worlde affirming in a maner the same that they of Ierusalem before obiected against Christ before Pylate If you let these men go you are not Caesars friende The chiefe vse of these thinges is to learne vs with what instrumentes and weapons the wicked most assault the truth and hir Ministers First they vse open force For where Satan is a murtherer they thinke they haue a great defence therein for themselfe So Pylate sent forth his crewe with swordes and clubbes to take Christ which plainely sayde he did exercise the power of darkenesse Thus Cain violently kylled Abel And Pharao openly afflicted the Israelites Yea if a man would consyder the hystories of all ages he shoulde see the chiefe argumentes of the enimies of the truth founded vpon seculer power And commonly in these dayes they vse to dispute against the godly with imprisonment chaynes Gunnes Speares fyre and sworde Howbeit bicause the wiser sort abhorre from manifest violence and tyranny Satan knoweth craftily howe to mittigate the heynousnesse of this matter with lying going about by false accusations and slaunders to bring the seruauntes of Christ and faythfull Ministers of the truth in ignominie and suspicion Examples hereof we haue else where alleaged in Achab the king and in the Iewes accusing Christ before Pylate so that we neede tarie no longer in this matter Let vs learne at the least not rashely to beleeue them that grieuously accuse the godly as though they were blasphemers of God iniurious to the saintes and disturbers of the common weale Let vs rather search out the verie truth of the matter and commonly it shall appeare they are most innocent which before seemed worthy of all kinde of punishment This place teacheth vs furthermore what great destruction commeth vnto common weales by ydle and gracelesse persons For when they haue spent and consumed their owne goodes they gape after other mens and will be hyred for a little to commit a great mischiefe whereby it commeth to passe that they which will not by iustice of discipline punishe them are at length much cumbred and endammaged by them and perceyue their common weales by them to be much hyndered So these men being long suffered at Thessalonica wax at length so bolde and desperate that being entised and hyred by the Iewes they beginne a publike sedition and their boldenesse putteth all men in feare which thing seemeth to me to haue bene the cause that Paule afterward wryting to the Thessalonians warneth them so dyligently to see to the ordering of them that liued ydly of other mens labours For to let passe this present example there are euerywhere manye examples of other nations which teache vs that there are no kynde of men more pernitious vnto common weales But in steede of a great many that one may serue that is written in the storie of the Romaines of the coniuration of Catiline and his Complices Most prudently therefore did the Athenians sometyme inact that sluggishe and ydle persons shoulde be brought out into the market place and openlye shamed as men getting their lyuing by no honest arte or trade With the same Athenians the officers called Areopagitae when they suspected anye of inordinate lyfe called them before them and demaunded of them howe they liued and mainteyned themselues Which seueritie and industrie if it were vsed in our dayes woulde make our common weales and Churches more quiet than they be But it is a foule thing for christian men in this poynt to be ouercome of Gentiles whome reason and experience of the fleshe onely taught to be more wise than we Nowe let vs see the ende of this Tragedie whose beginning was such that no man would haue thought it coulde haue bene ended without shedding of bloud First the Iudges and people are both mooued as commonly it vseth to be in sedition so that at the fyrst brunt wisemen and modest also are almost amazed and wote not what to doe But as God with a little blast of winde can chase away the threatning and clowdie countenance of heauen so in this place with small adoe he maketh them quiet calme that erewhile seemed to be starke mad For by the secret working of hys spirite he mittigateth the mindes of the Iudges to heare Iason speake and at length being satisfyed to dismysse hym and the other brethren In the meane while the brethren in the night season sende away Paule and Silas to Berrhoea where they againe go into the Synagoge and preache with great fruit and vtilitie But as in this councell of Thessalonica is set forth a president of ciuile iustice and equitie for all men to follow which are in office and authoritie so in the other persons haue we some thinges also to be obserued And fyrst this thing is verie comfortable that is tolde of Iason He for his kindenesse shewed vnto the Apostles is in great daunger But the Lorde so deliuereth him that he obteyneth an euerlasting praise in the congregation of the saintes And thus is the promise of Christ fulfylled which promised a sure rewarde vnto him that giueth but a Cup of cold water vnto any one of his disciples Let this kindle in vs also a desyre vnto godlynesse that it seeme not to vs intollerable to suffer traueyles and perilles for Christes faythfulles sake Further the brethren of Thessalonica shewe themselues thankefull vnto Paule and Silas in that they accompany them and bringing them on their waye in the night season putting themselues a freshe in daunger so that it is not without a cause that Paule commendeth their fayth in the Epistle he wryteth vnto them The Galathians also are commended of him for the same cause who sayth he were ready to haue giuen him their eyes if he had needed them But nowe a dayes Ministers haue small thanks for they are the fyrst in daunger and sometime deliuered into the handes of their cruell enimies by them which will be taken for most christian people and Gospellers Finally we haue to consyder Paule which embraseth the counsell of the brethren wylling him to flye vnderstanding that it was a thing permytted by Christ when neyther the glorie of God nor the weale of the brethren and congregation was in daunger For God will not haue vs perishe without great cause and for no profyte In the meane season in the flying they are not forgetfull of their duetie but assoone as they come to Berrhoea they teach agayne By which example we are admonished that we must so see to our owne safety that we forsake not our standing and tackle But if we be endued with the zeale of God the cause it selfe time and place shall easily giue vs counsell what to doe Let the power and goodnesse of God also comfort vs wherby we see Paule
without the certaine aduise of Gods prouydence which I thinke was the most famous Citie that euer was For in antiquitie it passed many as which had to hyr king Cecrops about the time of Moses Afterwarde being renowmed by reason of the victories that she had achieued against the Persians shee did purchase vnto hir selfe immortall commendation for delyuering of Greece out of the handes of a barbarous people In happy pregnancie and sharpnesse of wytte she passed all other For hyr we haue to thanke for Socrates Plato Zenophon Crates and infinite others very famous by reason of their wisedome Which was the cause that in hir was founded a certaine vniuersitie and schoole as it were of the whole world wherevnto most noble men resorted from all partes of the worlde as vnto an onely sea and Castell of all wisedome And such was the fame of hir wisedome that the Romaines when they had ouercome all Asia thought their children could no where in the worlde be better infourmed in preceptes of wisedome and maners of lyuing then at Athens as the preface of Cicero to his sonne vppon the bookes of Offices and duties testifyeth And euen as in many other things so also in religion and honouring of the Gods she seemed to excell all others bicause in hir was to be seene the ymage of Minerua which was thought to haue comme downe from heauen and manye persons were at Athens whome they gloryed in and accounted as Goddes Into thys Citie did the Lorde sende Paule the Apostle to bring it by his ministerie vnto the obedience of fayth And that this was not attempted without good successe and profyte the ende well prooued This is a notable example both of the goodnesse of God and of the power of the gospell For who would not acknowledge the vnspeakeable grace of God when he heareth a Citie vtterly drowned in the darknesse of ydolatrie and humaine wisedome to be so fauourably regarded of god Againe who will not marueyle at the inuincible power of the gospell when he seeth the wisest men in the world confounded by the same and that by the ministerie of Paule which brought nothing with him but the pryntes of roddes and whippes and being driuen out of so many Cities was of no estimation in the worlde Therfore the hystorie of the conuersion of Athens is most worthy to be consydered the fyrst part whereof Luke rehearseth in this place declaring fyrst what Paule did there next howe his doctrine was receyued fyrst preached of most men in the Citie when he fyrst preached we will speake of eche of these things in order Paule abyding at Athens for the comming of Silas and Timotheus walked in the meane season rounde about the Citie consydering their maners and vsages in so much that he pretermytteth not the temples but goeth into them and veweth them as by his oracion hereafter shall appeare And perceyuing the greatest Citie that he had as yet seene so gyuen to Idolatrie and drowned therein waxeth feruent in the spirite mislyking that Gods religion was in such wise prophaned For God is offended with no sinne more then with ydolatrie And the mindes of the godly are most prouoked when they see the same bicause they holde nothing more deere â–ª then the glorie of the soueraigne god Hereof came it to passe that when Moses sawe the golden Calfe almost forgetting hymselfe he brake the Tables of the lawe and beateth the Calfe vnto powder and throweth it into the water to the intent the ydolaters might drinke and let downe their Calfe into their belly Elias incensed with lyke zeale kylled the priestes of Baal with his owne hande whome Iehu directly followed and is in holy scrypture commended therefore The scripture teacheth vs that Iosias with like zeale burned the bones of the ydolaters vpon their owne aultars that all men might perfytely see the indignitie of such wickednesse what shall we saye of the Prophetes which scarce vsed more force of wyt and eloquence in any thing then in speaking agaynst ydolatrie and ymages For then spared they neyther earnest nor game to blase and deface a thing most hatefull vnto god Their contumacie and stubbornesse therefore at thys daye is much to be marueyled and woondered at that will be taken for christians and gospellers and yet holde with ymages and fyght for them against the brethren that professe the fayth of Christ and by odious names call them whose zeale is commended by so many testimonies of scripture and examples of holy men fyghters against Images and Image breakers In the meane season Paules example teacheth vs that all they which will fruitefully and with commendation traueyle in Christes quarrell and in the kingdome of God haue neede to be indewed with zeale For where impietie is a verie obstinate and tough euill it can neuer be pulled vp without verie feruent zeale Let the example of Christ stirre vp in vs this zeale who seing his fathers house turned into a market place or fayre as one that had forgotten his accustomed myldenesse made a whyp of such cordes as were next his hande and draue these wicked marchauntes out of the Temple calling to the disciples mindes that saying of Dauid the zeale of thine house hath euen eaten me vp Here the consideration of the Lords prayer putteth vs in minde of our duetie the chiefe peticions wherof are that the name of God should be sanctifyed and that his kingdome should come But howe shall they with vnfayned mindes praye for these things whome no vnhallowing the name of God and ouerthrowing of his kingdome toucheth or mooueth Therefore these hollow hearted people which in handling of religion are neyther hote nor colde and contrarie to the saying of Elias halt on both sides gaping to get great praise while they be addict to no side but are a lyke friendly to all partes are not to be heard or regarded Such sometime were the people of Laodicia whom Christ threatneth he will spewe out of his mouth But to returne vnto Paule doth he fret disdaine within himselfe bicause of the ydolatry that he seeth Nay he mindeth how to reforme this great Citie being both a straunger of no name amongst them Forthwith therfore he reasoneth of true religion and beginneth to preach Iesus Christ. But I pray you how many things were there to haue kept him from this doing if he would haue yeelded to the reasons of the flesh For he mought this haue thought wilt thou be so bolde in so notable a citie to improoue that religion which is of so many yeres antiquity established with such prosperous successe glorious victories heretofore wilt thou haue to doe with men of such fyne wits and so in â—red with disputations hauing scarcely learned the principles of their Philosophie Knowest thou not howe odious and daungerous all alterations are but chiefly those wherof straungers forreyners are the authors whom common reason and sence forbiddeth to be curious in other mens
vnder and repressed by the power of God whyle Gallio a newe President of Achaia lyeth at Corinthe with one consent set vpon Paule take him bring him into the market before the iudgement seate of the Liefetenaunt By which example we are taught that the promises of God are not so to be vnderstanded as though God had ordeyned vs to be out of all maner daunger and hazarde But rather he will haue vs to be invred with troubles bicause it is so requisite for our fleshe and for the order of our saluation which is the cause that as Dauid sayth Many are the tribulations of the iust but the Lorde delyuereth them from them all Herevnto are the examples of all those to be referred which after most large and ample promyses of God haue bene tempted wyth most grieuous daungers God sayth vnto Abraham I will blesse thee and magnifie thy name I will blesse them that blesse thee and cursse them that cursse thee Yet after this by reason of hys wyfe Sara he was in daunger he was troubled with warres and suffered the great distresse of banishment And yet for all this God is no lyer but hys troth is so much the more manifest bicause he delyuereth him out of so manye and such perilles The same we might affirme of Moses Dauid Ieremie and all the Apostles but that we studie to be briefe Therfore they are greatly deceyued which so expounde the promises of the gospell that they by and by reprooue the Ministers of lying so soone as anye crosse or trouble aryseth Let vs remember that Christ promiseth vs a retribution of those things which we lose in persecution for his names sake and that all they which will follow him must beare the crosse after his example Furthermore let vs in this place obserue the maners and conueyances of the enimies of the truth that we maye the easilyer beware of them Fyrst we see the Iewes seeke occasion craftily to doe harme where vntyll this time they might seeme hushte and quyet For in a whole yeare and a halfe almost they sturred not agaynst Paule But assoone as they had a new Lieftenaunt then they beginne eyther for that they hoped that he was a man voyde of religion and iustice and therefore the fytter for their turne or else for that they thought they might safely make a sturre vnder a newe officer who was not as yet acquainted with the state affayres of Corinth Therfore that wisedome appeareth in them wherin Christ sayth they passe the children of light This teacheth vs that we must not snorte in securitie when the enimies of the truth and those that sometime were our enymies for the truth sake seeme to lye still But rather we must vse the wytte of Serpents against their craftes and enterprises which assoone as oportunitie serueth them will burst forth Wherfore that saying of Ecclesiasticus serueth well to this purpose Beleeue not thine enimie c. Next this the Iewes with one accorde make an insurrection agaynst Paule which is one other propertie of the wicked For where through diuersitie of affections they are alwayes at iarre and hurre yet to set on Christ and his worde they cleaue togyther lyke burres bicause they all hate the same alyke Thus the Phariseyes could agree togither well ynough with the Sadduceyes and Herodians when they went about to apprehende christ And we knowe howe Pylate was reconcyled vnto Herode after he had sent Christ vnto him to be mocked Let no man therefore trust the discordes of the wicked but let him put all his trust in Christ the author of true vnitie and consent But let vs consider the chiefe poynt of the accusation that the Iewes layde vnto Paules charge This fellow say they counselleth men to worship God contrary to the lawe Their meaning is that he bringeth in newe maner of worshippings contrarye to the lawes of god Nowe all alteration of religion was an hatefull thing vnto the Romaines And wythout doubt they amplifyed that fault marueylously and brought forth the Romane lawes as we heard before was done at Philippi Thessalonica But that this was a false accusation maye be gathered by this one argument for that Paule preached Christ which was the ende of the law and in whom were fulfylled whatsoeuer things were conteyned in the bookes of Moses and the Prophetes Yet we see alwayes the true worshippers of God are accused for prophaners of religion and yet are there none more earnest defenders and reuengers of the same then they And here they that are farthest of from all religion bragge most howe they are the maynteyners of religion as the Iewes pretende the keeping of the lawe where they had long agone ouerthrowne the same with mannes traditions So the prophane enimyes of the truth nowe a dayes haue the saintes and ymages of saints in their mouthes agaynst vs where as notwithstanding it is euident they little set by eyther saintes or their ymages For if they will defend the honor of the saintes why doe they not imitate their fayth Why persecute they their doctrine and wrytings with fyre and sworde Why call they them heretikes that desyre to follow their steps If they count ymages so godly a thing why neglect they the liuely ymages of God why robbe they the poore to clothe stockes and stones why burne they christian men to whom Christ hath restored the ymage of God by the price of hys bloude What else therefore doe these men but as the Iewes dyd which vnder a faire pretence of religion wyshed all religion and truth extinguished But what doth Gallio in this vprore Commaundeth he Paule to pleade his cause or giueth he him the hearing No. But being about to speake he interrupteth him which yet might seeme tollerable bicause he pronounced no sentence against him the matter being vndeclared But he cleerely putteth of the matter from his hearing saying it appertayneth not to his determination speaking most contemptuously of the Iewes religion as though it had bene a thing consisting onely in bare and vncertaine wordes or names The cause of his thus speaking he seemed to take of the Iewes owne wordes which by their foolishe genealogies and brawles about wordes caused the gentiles to laugh and scorne at all their religion The like thing we see nowe a dayes in papistrie whose iuglings and friuolous opinions causeth the Iewes and Turkes to laugh at our christian religion And woulde God there were not among the professours of the gospell which by their straunge and queynt questions caused not the vngodlye to scorne the christian fayth But as touching Gallio he commaundeth the busie Iewes to leaue of and putteth them from the barre Wherein some thinges are to be allowed and other some to be reprooued It is to be commended that he rashely condemneth not that religion that he knew not For in so doing he is of more equitie and modestie then many magistrates in our dayes who being ignoraunt in
behooueth that Ministers shoulde be bolde to speake that they dissemble not eyther for fauor or feare But herof we haue spoken before where Paule was cōmaunded to speake and not to hold his peace And the things enioyned the Ministers of the word it is necessary al men that beare office should likewise performe as the scriptures euerywhere declare Yea let all men priuately apply these things to themselfe if they meane to be allowed of God in their vocation For where God requyreth vs to serue him with all our harts we that haue giuen our selues wholye vnto him must not choose but paynefully plainely and feruently occupie our selues in these affayres as meete is Now Luke describeth howe Apollos profyted in the knowledge of Christ and saluation while he goeth about to set forth his glory and to further the saluation of others For he sayth when Aquila and Priscilla had hearde him they tooke him vnto them and expounded the waye of God vnto him more perfitely And here aboue all thinges appeareth the truth of that promise of Christ To euery one that hath sayth he shall be giuen and he shall abounde They are sayde to haue which acknowledge the giftes giuen vnto them and which vse them diligently to the glory of God that when the Lorde requyreth an account of them he may receyue it with vsaunce and encrease This bicause Apollos did performe with all diligence and industrie as we sayde erewhyle therefore God fayleth not of his promise but streightway stirreth vp faythfull Ministers which enforme him more fully and perfytely in his will. This ought to serue for the instruction of all men that they may vnderstande howe all the graces of God are no waye more happily increased than by faithfull studie Thus they that vse their wisedome to the setting forth of Gods glory doe feele euery day how God encreaseth the same The like reason is to be made of learning honours riches and of all other things whereof we lacke not examples to prooue the same Agayne there is no greater cause why the giftes of God are quenched in vs than when we giue our selues rather to sloth and ydlenesse than to the setting forth of Gods glory Here for manye considerations both Aquila and Priscilla and Apollos are to be marked For vnder those fewe wordes the Euaungelist comprehendeth great godlynesse and vertues It is a great argument of godlinesse that they giue eare to Apollos while he teacheth wheras yet they had so great intelligence in the mysteries of Christ that they were able to teach both him and others This is the true marke of the children of God whose propertie Christ sayth is to heare his worde both willingly and often They are reprooued by this example which thinke they haue profyted so much in the knowledge of saluation that they haue neede of no farther instruction and therefore will neyther reade the Scriptures at home nor come at the Church to heare Sermons Thus whyle they thinke they haue profyted to much they openly declare they are yet ignorant what the chiefe cognizance of the children of God is For they bicause they knowe the kingdome of God consisteth not in bare knowledge but rather that God requyreth we shoulde order our life according to the rule of his worde they cannot be satisfyed with hearing bicause they feele that they want much euen in the chiefest poynt Moreouer this holy couple of maried folke declare a feruent desire to the glory of God in taking such an one to instruct as they sawe was able greatly to profyte the Church of christ Agayne it is an argument of true loue and cleare of all enuye that they priuately instruct him and enuie him not that glory that he had hytherto gotten by his faithfull traueyle but rather helpe him that both he may be the more perfytely instructed and the more people woonne by his meane If a manne woulde compare this with the doings in our dayes good Lorde howe few or rather no tokens of so Christian a minde shall we fynde in them which will seeme godlye and restorers of the light of the Gospell For assoone as they perceyue the authoritie of any man to increase by and by the gyddinesse of ambition maketh them to enuie him and they seeke all meanes possible if any occasion serue to bring him in enuye and contempt as though they coulde not prouide for their owne honour but with the infamye of others But howe shall they be beleeued that are so desirous of the honor of the worlde Surely this is the spirite of Cain who we reade rose against hys brother for no other cause but for that he perceyued his brother was better than he and more in fauor with God than he Nowe as in religion and in the ministery of the Church it behooueth to auoyde this mischiefe so in priuate doings it becommeth diligently to auoyde all occasions of enuye and hatred if we will be called the true children of god But as in Aquila and Priscilla these vertues appeare so in Apollo maye be perceyued a rare and singuler modestie and tractabilitie For he that excelled in eloquence and in all kinde of learning is contented to be taught of a man of handycraft and of a woman vnknowne to him before this time and straungers For true is that saying of Paule that the spirites of the Prophetes are subdued vnto the Prophetes Nowe compare with this Apollo the arrogaunce of them which cannot abyde to be admonished or rebuked of their Coministers whereof there is to great a number in these dayes But as in times past the insolencie of such did much hurt vnto the Church so this is the chiefe cause in these dayes that there is such contention euerywhere bicause there are in all places which take vpon them such rule in the Church that they esteeme their brethren and Coministers but as dogges or hogs Besides these is there yet an other argument whereby Appollos declareth his feruent desyre to set forth the kingdome of God. For after he perceyued he was sufficiently instructed in the knowledge of Christ he appointed to go into Achaia to Corinth bicause he perceyued that Church had much neede of his helpe For as valyant souldyours of their owne accord choose them such places as where they see is most labour and daunger so they which will traueyle in the warfare of the Church with their commendation and the profyte of the same Church must dyligently obserue where their help is most requisite and thyther haste themselues dyligently that by their negligence the kingdome of God suffer no detriment Here also is the fayth and dyligence of the brethren of Ephesus to be obserued which would not let the faythfull Minister of Christ and one that had deserued so well of their congregation to depart without a publike testimonie of his vertuous behauiour yea they so commend him vnto the Corinthians that they also desyre them to giue him the rowme
followe this example And these were the exercises of the primitiue Churche which we reade was busily occupyed in the worde of God which thing nowe a dayes is lesse regarded of none than of those that will be called and accounted for the successors of the Apostles Furthermore let vs consider the profyte of the Apostles endeauor and traueyle which was manifolde First the worde of God is spredde ouer all Asia both among the Iewes and the Greekes For so it often commeth to passe that the fame of the gospell pierceth the mindes of those who haue not yet heard the Minister speake And the example of great and notable Cities maketh not a little for this purpose which the inhabitaunts neere about are easily allured to follow Next God himselfe worketh with Paule and by notable miracles beareth wytnesse to his doctrine For Handkerchers and Partelets brought to those that had not seene the Apostle draue away sicknesses and spirites Let no man yet ascribe diuine or godly power to the Handkerchefes or Partelets as they vse which haue thrust into the Church the superstitious worshipping of reliques For it is expressely declared in this place that God was the worker of the miracles and to Paule is nothing attributed more then the Ministerie And surely it were very ridiculous to attribute more vnto Paules Handkerchefes than to Christes cote at the touching whereof the woman diseased of the bloudy fluxe was healed not by the operation of the cote but by the vertue and power of Christ which he sayde went out from him See Marke 5. We must rather regarde the ende of those miracles which serued to set forth Paules doctrine as we haue elsewhere declared Here lyeth hid also a thirde vtilitie namely how the sicke are healed and the Demoniacks delyuered For by the gospell health of soule is taught and the Deuils kingdome destroyed bicause Iesus Christ is that blessed seede of the woman that was ordeyned to treade downe the Serpents head Let vs therefore imbrace him wyth true fayth and wholy be knyt to him that being delyuered from the tyrannye of the Deuill through his merite we may atteyne vnto true saluation and raigne with him hereafter in heauen to whom be praise honor power and glory for euer Amen The Cxxvij Homely THEN certaine of the Vagabunde Iewes exorcistes tooke vpon them to call ouer them which had euill spirites the name of the Lorde Iesus saying we adiure you by Iesu whome Paule preacheth And there were seauen sonnes of one Sceua a Iewe and chiefe of the priestes which did so And the euill spirite aunswered and sayde Iesus I know and Paule I knowe but who are yee And the man in whome theeuill spirite was ranne on them and ouercame them and preuayled against them so that they fledde out of that house naked and wounded And this was knowne to all the Iewes and Greekes also which dwelt at Ephesus and feare came on them all and the name of the Lorde Iesus was magnifyed And many that beleeued came and confessed and shewed their workes Many of them which vsed curious crafts brought their bookes and burned them before all men and they counted the price of them and founde it fiftie thousande siluerings So mightily grewe the worde of God and preuayled WE heard yesterday howe God confyrmed Paules Apostleship and the authoritie of the doctrine of the gospell among the Ephesians by many and straunge miracles It followeth nowe howe he defended the same by an example of rare seueritie against them which went about by instigation of Satan to abuse the name of Christ which Paule preached to get gaine thereby and so to bring the authority of the gospell into suspition The chiefe vse of which hystorie is to make vs vnderstande that God hath a regarde of his seruaunts and that as many as go about to deface their authoritie or are so bolde to abuse the name of Christ at their lust and pleasure shall not go vnpunished But that we may receyue the more profyte hereby let vs consider all the partes of the hystorie in that order that Luke rehearseth them The fyrst conteyneth the description of the persons and declareth what they did They were of the Iewes and none of the basest sort but the sonnes of Sceua the chiefe priest Next they are called Exorcistes whereby it appeareth their profession was to get money by exorcismes and coniuring of spirites for the which cause they vsed to go from place to place These therefore seing the Apostle in the name of Christ so mightily to controll spirites and to worke such myracles as the lyke before had not bene seene inticed wyth a hope of greater profyte and auayle take vpon them a newe forme of coniuration and vse to intermeddle the name of Christ therein It shall be good to consider dyligently whereof these kinde of people fyrst sprang among the Iewes For although Moses appointed many and dyuers offices among the Leuites yet we see he maketh no mention any where of Exorcistes It was therefore the inuention of man therfore a deceyueable thing and contrary to the lawes of god It seemeth to haue taken begynning of an olde fable wherin it is reported that Salomon had inuented by inspiration of God the science of coniuring and exorcismes against spirites and all kinde of diseases So Satan woulde haue defaced the credite of the Prophetes myracles as though they also had bene wrought rather by magicall enchauntment then by peculiar operation of Gods power to confyrme their doctrine And at length hauing thus incensed them with a foolishe and an vngodlye emulation he beganne to tell them wonders of the vnspeakeable power of the name of God and taught them to make exorcismes whereby foolishe men set vp his kingdome and pulled away the mindes of a great many from the worshipping and calling vpon god There remayne to this day certaine tokens of this olde impietie in the fables of the Iewes which they haue deuised of their Schem Hamphoras and in phisick they vse many exorcismes which is euydent by little and little crept in among the christians also not without the great hinderaunce of true godlynesse Of this profession therefore were these seauen sonnes of Sceua the chiefe priest And this is no small argument of great corruption that the Byshops children gaue their studie to wicked and deuillishe deceytes and sought to enrich themselues by an arte which was plainely forbidden by the worde of god Further this example teacheth vs howe farre errour runneth assoone as men beginne to swarue from the worde of god For as it hapned among the Iewes so we see it hath also come to passe in Poperie For where they would not seeme to want any of the orders that were in the primitiue church they haue also ordeyned Exorcistes who though for the most part they bragged of a bare name only yet so farre hath the presumption of some of them gone that they haue taken vpon them to coniure the spirites
the exchaungers of money Next vnto these are Kinges Princes and all the great trayne of noble menne in this worlde For superstition is gainefull vnto them also bicause vnder the pretence hereof they prouide for numbers of their children and the defence of their dignitie whyle by their authoritie they thrust them into Bishopprickes Abbacies and Cardynalshippes which perhaps otherwyse should be set to Marchaunts trade or to get their lyuing with their hands which seemeth to them the heynousest matter in the worlde Nowe both these sortes togyther helpe the inferior sort of the commons which lyue eyther by Monkes and priestes or by these nobles For these commons being of a seruile nature and disposition and fearing to dye for famishment are soone perswaded to anye thing by these Demetrij Adde vnto all these such as eyther desire and seeke to lyue lycentiously or else such as follow their pleasures and gaines by mischieuous meanes as are vsurers whoremongers drunkardes hyred Souldyours and all such other lyke For these people bicause their workes be naught would not be reprooued and therefore they wishe the lyght of the gospell which bewrayeth their dooings at once extinguished These I say are the begynners of sedition against the gospell as no man can denye which will dyligently viewe the vsage of our dayes But chiefely Demetrius oration is to be considered the proposition and state whereof is that Paule ought not to be suffered which by his doctrine draweth men from the olde religion He confyrmeth his proposition wyth three reasons or arguments which vse to be of great force in the kinde deliberatiue The fyrst is taken of commoditie or profyte wherevnto the hungryer and poorer sorte haue alwayes a specyall regarde you knowe sayth he that by this craft we haue aduauntage What remayneth then but that you must perishe for hunger if you suffer your occupation to be ouerthrowne by Paules doctrine The second reason he borroweth of necessitie you see and heare that not onely at Ephesus but almost throughout all Asia thys Paule hath perswaded c. Therfore this matter can be driuen of or borne with no longer but it is needefull with speede to prouyde a remedie The thirde argument he fetcheth of honestie saying Not onely this our craft commeth into perill to be set at naught but also the Temple of the great Goddesse Diana should be despised and hir magnificence destroyed whome all Asia and the worlde worshyppeth As though he should say O companions what infamie shall we purchase vnto our selues if we suffer that religion to decay amongst vs which hath bene so many ages of so great authoritie in all the worlde Also in this oration appeare the craftes and vsages of the wicked who incensed and led with the desyre of priuate lucre onely wyll yet be counted for the defenders of religion Such an one doth the holye-ghost describe Caiaphas to be Iohn 11. Such are the talkes of the Monkes in these dayes and of all those which vpholde and maintaine Poperie amongst whome a man shall scarce fynde one so plaine as this Demetrius which doth not dissemble but that his chiefest respect was for hys priuate gaine and aduauntage Let vs learne to suspect these clamoures and to marke better wherevnto they tende It appeareth also in this place with what arguments most times the wicked vse to defende their superstition Uerily with the consent of the vnlearned multitude with the authoritie of kings and princes with the pompe and shewe of outwarde holynesse with contynuaunce of tyme but chiefely with the pretence of priuate gaine and aduauntage These things are common nowe a dayes if a man would marke the talke of our aduersaries But it is a foule fault for christians to vse the argumentes of the heathen in matters of religion which ought to be iudged and determyned by scripture onely Fynally by Demetrius owne saying may be gathered what force and power the gospell is of For he confesseth that by Paules teaching in two yeares space that famous temple was brought in daunger which all Asia was in buylding about the space of two hundred and twentie yeares as we declared erewhyle and which the barbarous people spared in the Persian warres where they set fyre on all other churches He complayneth also that all mennes mindes for the most part were turned from worshipping of Diana But it is euident this coulde be done by no mannes power or authoritie We are also taught that men haue then profyted well in the Gospell when their mindes are wholy turned from superstition and Idolatrie For as long as they hang in suspence hereof it is certaine their mindes are not lightened with the truth Let vs therefore examine our selues after this rule and casting awaye all superstition turne with feruent fayth to Iesus Christ our Lorde to whom be prayse honor power and glorye for euer Amen The Cxxix Homelie WHEN they hearde these sayinges they were full of wrath and cryed out saying Great is Diana of the Ephesians And all the Citie was on a rore and they rushed into the common hall with one assent and caught Gaius and Aristarchus men of Macedonia Paules companions When Paule woulde haue entred in vnto the people the Disciples suffred him not But certayne of the chiefe of Asia which were his friendes sent vnto him desiring him that he woulde not preace into the common hall Some therefore cryed one thing and some another and the congregation was all out of quiet the more part knewe not wherefore they were come togither Some of the company drewe forth Alexander the Iewes thrusting hym forwardes But Alexander beckened with the hande and would haue gyuen the people an aunswere When they knewe that he was a Iewe there arose a showte almost for the space of two houres of all men crying great is Diana of the Ephesians THe Euaungelist Luke by the instinct of the holye Ghost setteth out in thys booke not onely the persecutions layde vppon the Apostles by Magistrates and order of lawe but also the raging seditions of the furious commons amongst which this deserueth to be counted the chiefe which was begonne by Demetrius agaynst Paule at Ephesus The vse of this and all other lyke serueth for two causes speciallye First they serue for the instruction of the Ministers that they be not offended with the tumultes of the seditious commons as at anye straunge and rare thing nor leaue not their duetie vndone for feare of them But rather they must consider that the Church in thys worlde is as it were a Barke or vessell tossed to and fro with wynde and tyde whose Pylate Christ seemeth sometime to be on sleepe as the storie of the gospell declareth Math. 4. Let them also remember that it can not scarcely be chosen but seditions must be bycause there are euerye where so many which can not brooke the doctrine of the gospell for that it maketh eyther agaynst their gaine dignitie or licentious lyuing And our sauyour Christ prophecied
Trogyllion The day following we came to Miletum For Paule had determined to saile ouer by Ephesus bicause he would not spend the time in Asia for he hasted if it were possible to keepe at Ierusalem the feaste of Pentecoste AFter that the Apostle Paule had accomplished at Ephesus all things that appertained to the establishment of the same Church theâ— went hee on with the voyage that hee had before purposed to make in the which hee visited the Churches of Macedonia and Greece and confirmed them in the true faithe Wee haue seene there notable argumentes of the Apostles faythe and diligence when as Paule lette for no laboure or daunger eyther to gette Churches or to preserue those that were gotten At length hee came to Troas where fell oute certaine peculiare things in the describing whereof Luke is very diligent And first hee setteth out an ensample of Ecclesiasticall assemblie and next a myracle that God would haue wrought in that place bothe for the commendation and setting forthe of Paules Ministerie and for diuers causes else Hee describeth this Churche assemblie with all the circumstaunces thereof very diligently And beginning with the time he saythe they came togither on a Sabboth day which day as yet was muche celebrated bicause of the auncient custome Afterward when the Church began more and more to increase the next day following the Sabothe was appoynted for Goddes seruice and in remembraunce of Christes resurrection it was called the Lordes day By this place we learne that suche dayes as God hathe appoynted for seruice or religion ought not to bee neglected of Christian menne For they are not onely needefull bicause of outwarde woorshippe but also inwarde which cheefely consisteth in the studie of Goddes woorde and in the diligent meditation of his benefites the bodie and minde for the time beeing cleane separated from all prophane matters whiche thyng was the cause that GOD commaunded the breakers of the Sabothe to bee punished with deathe And the breaking of the Saboth is accoâ—â—ted of the Prophetes amongest the moste haynous sinnes and causes of the Captiuitie of Babylon so that it was not without a cause that Nehemias thought it is duetie to see that day kept so holy when the people retourned from their captiuitie Whereunto appertaineth also the example of Christ who as he oftentimes vppon the saboth day went into the Sinagoges so he diuers times disputed diligently of the right vsing of that day to deliuer it both from superstition â–ª and also from contempte Then he sheweth also the place where this companie or assemblie mette This was a loft or chambre in the priuate house of some one of the faithfull who appointed it for the Churche or Congregation bicause the Christians for good cause abhorred the Temples of the Idolaters and they had no publike place permitted them by reason the Romane Presidentes bare rule in euery place which either were no fauourers of Christian religion or else were open enimies thereof He sayth there were diuers candles lighted in the chamber to putte away the darkenesse of the nighte and for auoyding the suspition of dishonestie Therefore it is a peeuishe erroure of them which of a foolishe imitation make that a seruice of God which in times past serued for necessitie and thinke that God which is the light euerlasting is woorshipped with candles of tallowe or waxe and for the defense of their inuention vse both this place and the example of Moses lawe For heere is plainely expressed the night time when it is needefull for candles to bee lighted And for the same cause afterwarde the Christians vsed candles in their assemblies bicause they coulde not meete togyther but in the morning before day by reason of the lying awayte of their ennimies as appeareth by the Epistles of Plinius Secundus and may be gathered oute of the Churche wryters The which cause being taken awaye it is but foolishnesse to helpe the day lighte with artificiall lightes It is euident there was a farre other meaning of the Candlesticke in Leuiticus For as all the ceremonies of that Priesthoode were figures of things that Christ shoulde perfourme and were ordained only till the time of correction so the candlesticke also was a figure of Christ which is the true and eternall lighte of the worlde and which by the ministerie of the Gospell lighteneth his Churche for the which cause the Apostles and they which are theyr true and lawful successoures are called the light of the world In the meane season wee learne that it is necessary to haue certaine places for the outwarde woorshipping and for the Congregation to meete in suche as in the olde Testament the Temple and Sinagoges were and suche as after the Apostles times when the Churche began somewhat to be at rest the Oratories that were builded were In these places all things must serue for honestie and for religion and nothing must be suffered that declareth any superstition too much riotous cost or prophane contempt Thirdly he sheweth the cause of this meeting which was as he writeth to breake bread He meaneth the holy supper of the Lorde which in times past they called breaking of bread bicause the bread was broken therein according to Christes institution bothe for that wee shoulde confesse oure selfe sinners and guiltie of the death of Christ and also for that we should vnderstand that the merite of Christ was dealt among vs and pertained indifferently vnto all beleeuers It is very worthy to be obserued howe our forefathers in the time of the Apostles vsed to order and celebrate this Supper Firste of all Paule maketh a sermon as the things following declare bicause the supper was ended after Eutychus was raised Therfore when the sermon was ended they went to the supper and that in the open sight of the assemblie in a place and time appoynted for Gods seruice and after none other fashion than was appointed by christ For that they obserued the same manner and rites in all pointes both the woorde breaking of breade and the example of Paule declareth which reuoked the Corinthians so carefully to that forme of supper that Christ ordained Thus is it euident that Christ also vsed to teach before the supper and did ordaine nothing tending more to superstition than religion Therefore let the Papistes regarde with what argumentes or examples they defend their Masse wherin there is no word of God taught al things are don in a straÌ„ge tong the people haue nothing to muse or think on but wearish and peeuish gestures and stage playes to say nothing in the meane while of the impairing of Chrystes sacrifice of the derogation of his merit and how the faith religion of Christ is ouerthrowne euen vnto the foundations But so ought they to be seduced which had leauer folow the imagination of their own braine than the institution of Christ. Moreouer the manner that Paule vsed in his preaching pertaineth to the description of the assembly of
offred very holyly although he nothing doubted of the truthe of God which promised him the kingdome Likewise did Ezechias yea Chryst him selfe sticked not to flye while he knew his houre was not yet nigh neither would he cast him selfe downe from the pynacle of the Temple at Sathans bidding although he alleaged the promise of God which was of most authoritie with Chryst. Yea he furnisheth hys disciples with most large promises yet he warneth the same diligently to beware of men Therefore the errour of suche as abuse the prouidence of God to maintayne their temeritie and licentious boldnesse and vnder pretence hereof wickedly contemne not only al forecast wisedome but suche meanes beside as God hath ordeined is both shamefull and wicked Wee must rather auoide the inconuenience of distrust least we be ouercome therof and turne vnto vnlawfull meanes but in the meane while vsing the lawful meanes prouided of God let vs coÌ„mit al the successe vnto the good and holy will of god For so shall we walke safelyest in the middle of the way auoyding aswell too much confidence as diffidence as Paule doth in this place both wisely and godly and therfore is allowed of god This example teacheth vs moreouer that it is lawfull for godly and christian people to demaunde ayde of the Magistrates and to besech them of armed defence if neede shall so require Neither are suche men to be harkened to that say Chrystes kingdome must not be set foorth by warre seing we are commaunded not to resiste euill For we do not aske lawfull defence of the magistrate bicause our meaning is by fight to enlarge Christes kingdome but require his office duty which if he be a good magistrate he ought not to deny vs which the godly people may vse without the breach of faith religion For it is euident that magistrates are appointed of god that for good purpose â—hat the sworde is not in vayne committed to them of god Reade Rom. 13. And God promysed by Esay that kinges should be Nourices of hys Churche As touching Chrystes precepte forbidding vs to resiste euill he mente not thereby to take from the Magistrate his lawfull function but forbiddeth priuate men greedy desire of reuengement which vseth to violate and breake publike lawes and disturbeth all kind of amitie peace friendship Therfore Paule doth wel in seeking the Captaynes ayde and he refuseth not the armour of the souldiours wherby he sawe the craftie awaytes of the Iewes mighte be preuented and repressed And he had bene in no faulte if the Souldiours and Conspirators had met and committed slaughter on both sydes but rather all the faulte shoulde haue light vpon those wicked persons which were the beginners of so wicked an enterprise But if it were lawful for Paul to vse the defence safegard of the Romane garrison then doubtlesse are they very seuere controllers of the faith which blame Ministers in these dayes that seeke the ayde and succour of christian Magistrates and require of them that duetie that an Heathen Captayne thought was not meete to deny to the Apostle of Chryst. But let vs let Paule passe and come to the Centurion whose intercession he vsed He calleth hym vnto hym and desireth him to bring the yong strippling vnto the vpper Captayne which he accomplisheth very gently and readily For God vseth to get his people fauour in the sight of straungers and by his secret working procureth them the good will of men So Ioseph in time pasâ—e was in great fauour with Potiphare And wee reade that the Israelites easily obtayned of the Egyptians the costlyest things they had bicause God had gotten his people fauour in their sights These things ought to make vs desirous of godlinesse bicause we see that the more duetifull we shewe our selues to bee vnto God the more gentle and fauourable we fynde men vnto vs For God can easily at his pleasure get vs the good wil of men Also we must imitate this Centurion after his example willingly to helpe those that be in affliction or calamitie Reade Math. 25. But O the detestable wickednesse of our dayes where men are growen into suche vngodlynesse that a man shall scarcely obteyne of Christians that that Paule so easily obteyned of an Heathen souldiour For many nowe a dayes are ashamed of the Captiued for Chrystes sake and for this cause onely regarde them not least by dooing any thyng in their cause they should runne in suspition themselues But let vs see what the Captayne dyd in Paules cause where in an heathen man appeare tokens of singular vertues God doubtlesse working in his minde which ment to deliuer his Apostle out of the hands and awaytes of these conspiratours First he vseth a singular curtesie not repelling the strippling that came vnto him nor frowning when he herd the name of the Captiue but taketh him by the hande and leadeth him aside and asketh him friendly wherefore he was come Which example all men in office and authoritie ought to vse seeing this is not one of the least commendations in them to let all men haue an easie accesse vnto them and to heare their Subiectes causes gently and paciently For in so dooing they resemble the propertie of God who of his own voluntary and accorde calleth vs and hath his eares open alwayes to the prayers of the afflicted And doubtlesse where a number for feare or shame can not declare their mindes before men in aucthoritie it behoueth to encourage them with signification of humanitie and good will that their preposterous shame or feare hinder them not Agayne the Captayne ioyneth wisedome with curtesie which may hereby be perceyued that he easily beleeueth the young man although there were many things which might haue caused him to suspect the message But where he had many times before perceyued the maliciousnesse of the Iewes and by their first proceedings easily vnderstoode what hatefull myndes they bare vnto Paule he easily suspected there might be suche among them as the yong man described Yea suche was his humanitie that he disdained not to be counseled by the yong man warning him that he shoulde not bring Paule out vnto them Here haue Princes and Rulers also what to imitate For as ouermuch credit which hath in it a kinde of lightnes is to be auoyded so must they not be to hard of credit specially if they heare probable reasons alleaged But rather let them wisely and with present mynde be ready at all assayes lest as it oftentimes happeneth with their hardnesse of beleefe they bring either theyr common weales or els good men in hazarde and daunger Finally we may see great industrie and diligence in this Captaine seeing he omitteth nothing making for this present busines For he wysely requyreth the yong felowe to saye nothing of the matter least the bewraying thereof might giue the Conspiratours an occasion to take a new way and deuise Next he sendeth for two Centurions and
be preached by Paul vnto two persons borne of wicked stocke polluted with incest For their great grandfather was Herodes the great which laide wayte for Christ being new borne caused the babes of Bethlehem most cruelly to be murthered Herodes Antipas brother to their graundfather Aristobulus or as some thinke Alexander being him selfe also defamed of incest cōmaunded Iohn the Baptist to be beheaded scoffed at Christ being sent bound vnto him Of their father Agrippa we spake of late who killed Iames cast Peter the Apostle in prison ▪ meaning to haue put him to death also but that he was deliuered by the helpe of an Aungel Agrippa Bernice borne I say of such progenitours as these heare Paule preach the Gospel of saluation Wherby it easily appereth that God is not so wayward nor desirous of reuēge to punish the children for the wickednesse of their fathers but that his grace is stretched out to al men that wil truely repent and turne vnto him See what he sayth hereof himselfe in the eyghtenth Chapter of Ezechiel Wherevnto also is to be referred howe Chryst was peculiarly sent vnto those men whose predecessors beeing many waies vnkind towards God slew the prophets that were sent vnto thē And we see in these dayes that the grace of God and the merite of Chryste is moste curteously offered to meany which haue horribly sinned Therefore they which Sathan hath taught to doubt of Gods fauour and mercy as though our sinnes were greater thā it let them lerne comfort hereby Also let these things serue to instruct vs that we condemne no man rashly bycause of his auncestrie seeing that in the generation of Chryste are numbred diuerse diffamed persons so that no man neede to doubt but Chryste chiefly belongeth vnto sinners But to returne to our purpose let vs see for what occasion Agrippa was so desirous to see and heare Paule This was as it is sayde certayne dayes after his comming which by all likelyhoode were spent in pastime and banquetting For Princes and noble men haue little care of Captiues and prisoners It is to be thought that Festus had cōmuned with Agrippa about Paule supposing to be holpen by his counsell in such a difficulte intricate matter Therefore he beginneth in this wise to declare the whole matter but subtilly and craftely slyly dissēbleth how he would haue gratified the Iewes as we shall see when wee come to the place For his declaration consisteth of three parts wherof we will orderly intreate In the first part he declareth what Paule is what the Iewes requested and what answere he made them He sayth Paule was a captiue lefte in prison by Felix Which thing he allegeth for this cause that Agrippa should not thinke he had caused him to be layde in holde The Iewes sayth he made request vnto me by their Elders Priestes that I should giue sentence of death agaynst him Which thing I would not graunt them For I alleaged vnto thē the maner of the Romanes which was to giue sentēce of death agaynst no man for any mens pleasure but first to vse all kinde of search lawful enquirie so that the accusers shal make informaiton openly and the accused shal haue time place to make his purgation defence Uerily the custome that Festus allegeth is very notable wherby al magistrates are taught that they must do nothing for any mans sake contrary to law and iustice For although humanitie gentlenesse is a thing much commendable yet it becommeth Iudges alwayes to haue a speciall consideration of iustice Which thing both the lawes of God and al nations expressely commaunde Surely Salomon sayth that God hateth him as much that spareth a wicked person as he that slayeth an innocent Pro. 17. But the vntowardnesse of our daies is muche to be bewayled where that that Festus sayth was in vse with the Romanes hath scarse any place among Christians For we see it oftentimes come to passe that the faithful people of Christe for the Popes pleasure are cruelly made out of the way without any hearing of their cause As many magistrates therfore as wil truly discharge their office must see that iudgement procede lawfully and as it ought Aboue al things it is requisite in iudgement that the accusers be present that there be no place for slaunders backbiting which many times bring innocents in much daunger That done let the defendantes also haue place to make their lawful purgation let Iudges thinke that they haue two eares giuen them the one to heare the plaintife the other the defendant But specially let this rule haue place that right and lawe be not transgressed for any mans pleasure For where Iudges be no priuate persons they must know they are bound indifferently to al men alike Furthermore as the equitie of the Romane lawes deserueth to be praised so the impudencie of the Iewish Priestes is vtterly to be detested which durste requeste that thing which an heathen man vnderstoode was neither right nor lawfull But where they which would seeme to be most holy and the very pillers of Gods Churche thus dyd mighte not the Gentiles iustely suspecte their religion But woulde to God wee sawe not the lyke impudencie in the Monkes and Byshoppes at this day which vse to make moste wicked decrees in Princes courtes and abuse the clemencie of kings to establish their tyrannie agaynst the seruaunts of Chryst. In the seconde parte is declared howe Festus handeled thys matter As soone sayth he as they came hyther I gaue them audience strayghte way And by and by I perceyued hee was innocente For they layde none of those things to hys charge that I looked for but brought forth certayne questions belonging to their owne superstition and handled a certayne cause of one Iesus who Paule sayde was risen agayne from death After this sorte speaketh the prophane man moste contemptuously of sincere religion which Paule yet handled bothe diligently and at large as may be gathered by Festus owne saying In him haue we an example of all those which contemne and deride the mysteries of the word of God and specially the resurrection In instructing of whome although we little preuayle no man muste be offended considering that Festus had so little regarde of those things which Paule moste grauely declared Yet Iudges haue an other thing to obserue in this heathen person namely to heare causes without delay considering that by vniust dilatories from day to day many men are circumuented which bicause they are not able to be at such charges are vnable to prosecute follow their right Principally let vs obserue how Paules innocencie is confirmed by many testimonies For first we had Lysias the capten a witnesse therof After that Felix Now Festus And within a litle while after we shal haue Agrippa to make one with them And although the wicked priests go on in their accusatiō yet they confirme Paules innocencie the more for that they are
but shadows of Chryst and of the things that belonged vnto hym I omitte the testimonies of the Prophetes for breuitie sake Let this suffise for them al where Christ teacheth vs that the mysteries both of his death and resurrection were long before prophesied by Moses the Prophets and wryters of the Psalmes Therefore Paule very well professeth that he teacheth none other fayth or hope of saluation than that which the fathers had which beleeued the promises that God had made Let vs also obserue howe he complayneth that he is accused for thys selfe fayth and that of the Iewes which did moste glory in the fathers and in the promises This thing teacheth vs what state the truth is in in this world verily euen suche that not only the open enimies take against hir but also those that will seeme to be the most earnest followers of hir This we read came to passe in the time of the Prophets long agone And as Chryst teacheth vs they made muche of the Prophetes tombes and graues which yet hated their doctrine worse than a tode So wheÌ„ Christ came vnto them which euery day looked for him according to the Oracles of the Prophets yet they neither knew him nor receiued him The same we see falleth out also euen in our dayes For they that bragge of the name of Chryst and supersticiously worship the mother of Chryst the Uirgin and the Sainctes with their reliques for Chrystes sake the same persecute the true fayth of Chryst and the doctrine of the Apostles for no cause so muche as for that it chalengeth to Chryste onely all the glory of our redemption and saluation And now a dayes euery where among the Christians suche men are accused of vngodlynesse and heresie as do teach that men ought to trust in Chryst onely and to seeke all their saluation in him alone Therefore we haue as great occasion in these dayes to complayne as Paule had who thought it vnmeete to be accused of the Iewes for the promise sake made sometime vnto the fathers But this is the vntowardnesse of this worlde wherat we must not be offended seeing it is both an olde practise and examples of al ages teach vs that the true worshippers of God haue alwayes wrastled and striuen agaynst the same Let vs obserue moreouer in what order and after what sorte Paule defendeth bothe his fayth and doctrine First he alleageth the promise or word of God and therevnto he ioyneth the consent of the whole Church For he nameth the twelue tribes togither therby playnly declaring that he hath no regarde what a certayne few of the Priestes thinke but what the whole company of the faythfull haue beleeued in all ages according to the word of god This is the best way of mayntayning and defending the fayth For where mannes traditions are of no authoritie with God the worde of God muste principally be brought foorth and by it a reason must be rendered of all opinions This foundation beeing layde then must we also haue an eye vnto the Churche not to the company of a certayne fewe which chalenge to them selues alone the name thereof but vnto that vniuersall assemblie and congregation which wee knowe hath bene from tyme to tyme continually since the beginning of the worlde although sometymes it hath bene somewhat selde and obscure somewhile somewhat more in number and more euident euen as it seemed good vnto him which chose vs in his sonne before the foundations of the worlde were layde Therefore the errour of our age is enormious and playne absâ—rde where many by and by at the firste choppe wyll alleage the consente of the Churche constituting the same vppon a certayne sorte of conspired counterfaytes that is to say smered and shauen creatures of Antichryst to whome they make the worde of God and the interpretation thereof to bee in subiection and gyue them power to decree and appoynte what they wyll concerning the fayth Whome if a man would examine according to the markes of the Primatiue Churche they shall so little be accounted worthy to be heades of the Church that they ought scarse to be taken for any members thereof Laste of all we see that the Article of resurrection ought to be taken for certayne and assured seeing that Paule alleageth the same with a certayne kind of indignation agaynst those that douted therof saying Why seemeth it vnto you an incredible thing that God should raise vp thâ— deade agayne As if he should say Is it not a maruayle that men should doubt of that which is euery where proued by so many argumentes â— For to let passe the Scriptures the reason of Gods iustice requireth that the dead should ryse agayne and receiue a recompence for the things which they heere haue done considering we see the wicked lyue mosâ—e commonly welthyly in this worlde and the godly in miseâ—ie Wee haue more ouer examples appearing euery yere in plants trees and in euery lyuing creature Do we not reade also that the first man was made of the earth â–ª and howe many were raysed agayne to life miraculously firste by the Prophets and then at length by Chryst him selfe But letting passe these arguments Paule sendeth his hearers to the consideration of Gods power onely verily to preuent this mischiefe that measureth the mysteries of fayth according to the capacitie and reache of mans reason It is also a ridiculous errour to thinke that impossible to God whereof we can not perceyue a reason by and by And this is to be obserued not onely in the Article of resurrection but also in all others to the ende wee shoulde subdue our reason to the obedience of fayth Yet must we not bring in as some men vse new and absurde opinions vnder the pretence of Gods omnipotencie For where we are certayne of the will of God according to his worde there it shal be lawfull for vs to reason of his omnipotencie which thing thou shalt in vayne doo if thou doo not first proue that God is willing to do that which thou meanest Furthermore let vs holde faste the chiefe poynt of this place that we trusting in the hope of the ancient promises worship God day and night which hath opened to vs life and eternall saluation in the promised seede Iesus Christ our sauiour to whom be praise honour power and glory for euer Amen The Clxij Homelie I Also verily thoughte in my selfe that I ought to doo many contrary things cleane agaynst the name of Iesus of Nazareth which thing I also dyd in Ierusalem and many of the Sainctes dyd I shutte vp in prison and had receiued authoritie of the highe Priestes And when they were put to death I gaue the sentence and I punished them oft in euery Sinagoge and compelled them to blaspheme and was yet more madde vpon them and persecuted them euen into straunge Cities About which things as I went to Damascus with authoritie and licence of the high Priestes euen at Mid-day
the Prophetes sent vs vnto him And the Apostles knewe none other Sauioure in whome if wee also putte oure truste we shall not be deceyued Nowe followeth the Answere of the Iewes which standeth in two poyntes For firste they giue a notable testimonie of Paules innocencie whereas they say they neither receiued letters from any man nor hearde by reporte any thing of him For what shoulde the Priestes wryte any thing of Paule whose innocencie they knewe all men perceyued In the meane season heere appeareth the state of the godly which thoughe they bee neuer so innocent yet easily finde ennimies by whose procurement they are either cast in prison or else banished their country And whether of these two come to passe the ennimies being afterwarde carelesse passe not neyther is there any man which thinketh the care of suche persones belongeth any thing vnto him And at lengthe they conceiue farther hatred againste them and goe about to put the innocentes vnto deathe also In the second part the Iewes shew themselues desirous to heare Paules iudgement concerning the faithe and religion of Christe althoughe they knewe that all men euery where spake against it And surely it is worthy of great commeÌ„dation that they are not so blinded with the former iudgementes of other men to reiecte all declaration and recoumpte of faithe as nowe a dayes many vse to doe who like Serpentes stoppe theyr eares and so shutte the dore of the kingdom of heauen vpon themselues whome if none other reason be able to moue let them at least be ashamed in that we see the Iewes more indifferent and vpright iudges in suche matters But heere we haue specially to consider the state of the Gospell â–ª which in all ages euery where hath bene spoken against For the Deuil the Prince of this worlde cannot suffer the doctrine of Christe bicause Christe moste mightily subdueth his kingdom Likewise naughtie and wicked persons abhorre the light thereof bicause they knowe it reproueth theyr wicked workes And the iustiâ—iaries and hipocrites flee from the same as a thing that detecteth our naturall corruption and ouerturneth the confidence of all mannes rightuousnesse Wherfore it cannot be chosen but it shall haue ennimies on euery side But this serueth bothe for our learning and comforte For it stirreth vs vp to prepare our selues to the conflicte And that we promisse not our selues sluggishe idlenesse Againe it teacheth vs that the power of the Gospel is of God inuincible which hathe beene able so many yeares to withstand the attempts of the world the Prince therof For if a man woulde consider all other religions that euer were in the world he shal perceiue that they haue falne of their owne accord and haue come vnto nothing althoughe no man euer assaulted them with force of armes But the Christian religion which is drawne out of the gospel hauing had in all ages most fierse ennimies which hathe persecuted it with fire and sword indureth yet vnto this day and shall indure vntill the later day when Christ shal come vnto iudgement to recompence the afflictions of his people with eternall ioy and to reward his enimies with condigne paines for their wickednesse Let no man therefore be offended with the stubbernesse of them that speake againste it or with the fury of them that persecute it For Iesus Christ the Bridegrome of the Churche liueth and raigneth who can most easily deliuer hiâ— out of the hands of hir ennimies To him he praise honor glory and power for euer Amen The Clxxiiij Homelie ANd when they had appointed him a day there came many to him into his lodging to whome hee expounded and testified the kingdome of God and preached vnto them of Iesus both out of the lawe of Moses and out of the Prophets euen from morning till night And some beleeued the things which were spoken and some beleeued not But when they agreed not among themselues they departed after that Paule had spoken one woorde well spake the holy Ghoste by Esay the Prophete vnto oure Fathers saying Go vnto this people and say with your eares shal you hear and not vnderstande and with your eyes shall you see and noâ— perceyue â–ª for the heart of this people is waxed grosse and with their eares haue they had no lust to heare and their eyes haue they closed least they shoulde see with their eyes and heare with their eares and vnderstand with their harts and should be conuerted and I should heale them Be it knowne therefore vnto you that this saluation of God is sent vnto the Gentiles and they shal heare it And when he had said these words the Iewes departed from him and had great dispicions among themselues ALthoughe the Ministers of Iesus Christ and Preachers of the Gospell are exercised with diuers tribulations and are many times imprisoned and layde in bandes yet the worde of God can not be bound or shutte in prisone bicause the spirite of Christe breatheth where it pleaseth him and is not subiecte to the will or pleasure of man Yea as the doctrine of Christe throughe his deathe was the further enlarged as hee promised it should come to passe so also it encreaseth throughe the afflictions and punishmentes of the Ministers An euident example heereof is sette foorthe in the Historie of Paule For although he had heretofore preached the Gospell abrode in many places of the worlde yet was there a greate dore opened vnto him being a prisonner and in chaines in that hee was permitted freely to preache vnto all men in the Citie of Rome as it were in the sight and vpon the stage of all the world and that with suche successe that his doctrine pierced into the Emperors court also as may be gathered by the salutations or greetings sent to the Philippians Phil. 4. Surely it was a straunge and very wonderfull thing wherin men might consider the prouidence and power of Christe but that they will be blinde in the cleare light Furthermore Luke declareth howe this thing came to passe and out of many Sermons he choseth one whereby we may iudge of all the other But we shall speake of all the circumstances in order First the Euangelist noteth the time and place saying they resorted to Paules lodging vpon a day appointed For at those dayes it was not permitted christians to haue any churches neither though they had had churches had it bene lawfull for Paule to haue taught in them being a prisonner and in bondes Therefore as in other places the Apostles preached in priuate houses so heere also Paule assembleth them in the house which he had hired wherby we gather that the worship and doctrine of god ought not so to be tyed to any place as thoughe it helped or auailed any thing to saluation For it is euident that the woorde of God hathe aucthoritie of it self Also God heareth praiers in euery place so that we pray in faith and lifte vp cleane handes vnto him Wherefore if