ioye and alwayes bringeth gladnesse with it The tydings are that there is borne the Sauiour of the worlde euen the Lorde Iesus Christ he is borne and that too vnto and for vs that is to the health and saluation of vs mortall men Sainct Paule saith That the Gospel was promised afore of GOD by the prophets in the holie Scripture of his sonne which was made of the seede of Dauid after the fleshe who hath been declared to be the sonne of god with power after the spirite that sanctifieth by his resurrection from the dead And againe The Gospell is the preaching of Iesus Christe according to the reuelatioÌ„ which hath beene kept cloase from before beginninges but is nowe made manifeste and by the writinges of the prophâ—ts opened to all nations vnto the obedience of faith according to the apointment of the eternall God. And yet againe more briefely he saith The gospell is the power of God vnto saluation to all that do beleeue that is to saye the Gospell is the preaching of Gods power by whiche all they are saued that do beléeue But Christe is the power of god For he is saide to be the arme the glorie the vertue brightnesse of the father Now Christ bringeth saluation to euery one that doth beléeue For hee is the Sauiour of all Of all this wee doe nowe gather this definition of the holie Gospell the Gospell is the heauenly preaching of Gods grace to vs warde wherein it is declared to all the worlde being set in the wrath and indignation of God that God the father of heauen is pleased in his onely begotten sonne oure Lord Christ Iesus whome as he promised of olde to the holy fathers hee hath nowe in these latter times exhibited to vs and in him hath giuen vs all things belonging to a blessed life and eternal saluation as hee that for vs men was incarnate dead raysed from the dead againe was taken vp into heauen and is made our onely Lorde and Sauiour vppon condition y we acknowledging our sinnes do soundly and surely beléeue in him This definition I confesse is somewhat with the longest but yet withall I woulde haue you thinke that the matter which is in this definition described is it selfe verie large and ample which I haue therefore in this long definition or description with as greate light as I coulde endeuoured my selfe to make manifest to all men Wherefore I neither could nor shoulde haue expressed it more briefely This definition consisteth of iust partes which being once seuerally expounded and throughly opened euery man I hope shal euidently perceiue the nature causes effects and whatsoeuer else is good to bee knowen concerning the Gospell First of all that the Gospell is tydinges come from heauen and not begonne on earth that doeth moste of all argue because God our heauenly father did him selfe firste preach that tydings to our miserable parentes after their fall in Paradise promising his sonne who being incarnate should crushe the Serpents head Then againe the Apostle Paule doth in expresse wordes saye God in time past at sundrie times and in diuerse manners spake vnto the fathers by the Prophets and hath in these laste dayes spoken to vs by his sonne And Iohn before him is read to haue testified saying No man hath seene God at any time the onely begotten sonne which is in the bosome of the father he hath declared him And againe He that commeth from an high is aboue all he that is of the earth is earthly and speaketh of the earth he that commeth from heauen is aboue all and what he hath seene and heard that he testifieth To this belongeth that the Prophets were beléeued to haue prophecied by the inspiration of the holie spirite Nowe they did in the holie Scriptures foreshewe the Gospell the especiall or chiefe poyntes whereof were by Angels descending from heauen declared vnto men For the incarnation of the sonne of God is by the Archangel Gabriel tolde first to the holie virgine and after that againe to Ioseph the supposed father of Christ and tutour of the vnspotted virgin The same Angel did preache to the shéepeheardes the birth of the sonne of god Moreouer to the women that came to the graue mynding after their countrie manner to annoynct the bodie of the Lord the Angels declared that hee was risen from the dead againe The same Angels at the Lordes ascension did testifie to the Apostles whose eyes were turned and surely fixed into the clouds that he was taken vpp into heauen that from thence hee shoulde come againe to iudge the quick and the dead And to all these testimonies may bee added the voice of the eternall father him selfe vttered from heauen vppon our Lorde and Sauiour saying This is my beloued sonne in whome I am pleased heare him Which testimonie of the father the blessed Apostle Peter doth in the zeale of the Spirite repeate in the firste Chapter of his seconde Epistle Therefore the preaching of the Gospell is a diuine spéech vnreproueable and brought downe from heauen which whosoeuer beleeue they do beléeue the worde of the eternall God and they that beléeue it not do despise and reiecte the woorde of god For it ceasseth not to bee the worde of God because it is preached by the ministerie of men For of the Apostles we do read that the Lord did saye It is not ye that speake but the spirite of my father which is within you And therefore we read that they departed not from Hierusalem vntill they were first instructed from aboue and had receiued the holie Ghost Neither is there any cause why the worde of God should be tyed to the Apostles onely as though after the Apostles no man did preache the word of god For our Lorde in Saincte Iohns Gospell doth plainly saye Verily I saye vnto you hee that receiueth whome soeuer I sende receiueth mee and he that receiueth mee receiueth him that sent mee Nowe our Lorde the highe priest and chiefe byshop of his catholique church doeth sende not Apostles only but al them also that are lawfully called and doe bring the worde of Christ Therefore we vnderstand it to be spoken concerning all the lawfull ministers of the churche where the Lorde doeth saye Whose sinnes soeuer ye forgiue they are forgiuen them and whose sinnes soeuer ye reteine they are reteined And againe whatsoeuer thou loosest on earth shal be loosed in heauen whatsoeuer thou byndest on earth shal be bound in heauen For in an other place the Lorde saith Verily I saye vnto you it shall bee easier for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of iudgement than for that citie that receiueth you not heareth not your sayings Nowe who knoweth not with howe filthie horrible sinne the men of Sodome did defile them selues and that the Lorde rayned fire brimstone and pitche froÌ„ heauen wherewith he burnt vp both the citie and her inhabitants Who therefore cannot gather therevppon that rebels
our Lord declared and expounded by the same Apostle Paule Nowe Abraham and Dauid were alwayes men of chiefe accompt in the Church of god With whiche twaine the whole companye of the Prophets doe wholie agree For the Apostle Peter saith All the Prophets bare wittnesse to Christe that by his name euery one whiche doeth beleeue in him shoulde receiue remission of his sinnes And euen nowe by the mouth of Paule wee hearde saye that by the testimonies of the lawe and the Prophetes it is proued That the righteousenesse of God is freely bestowed by faith with out the Lawe We haue also the verie sonne of God Iesus Christe our Lorde whose authoritie excelling farre all y worldes beside may confirme vs well enough in this péece of doctrine For he as it were in certeine assembled counsels did determine and decree that which we in this place do counsell al men to reteine For hauing gathered togeather his disciples at Caesarea Philippi he demaunded of them what men did thinke of him Nowe when they answered diuersly according to the diuersitie of opinions that the common people had of him hee inquired of theÌ„ what they them selues thought of him Then Peter in the name of all the rest saide Thou art that Christe the sonne of the liuing God. To whome the Lorde replyed Happie art thou Simon Bar Iona for flesh and bloud hath not reuealed this to thee but my father which is in heauen In these woordes hee concludeth two seuerall thinges First that true faith doeth make vs happie Neither is it to be doubted but that to make happie is vsed here in that signification which ye hearde out of Paule euen nowe that Dauid vsed it in Lastly that that sanctifying faith is not the woorke of oure owne nature but the heauenly gifte of god And then also he taketh occasion vppon that notable confession of true faith to giue a newe name to Simon Peter for the eternall memorie of the thinge and for the imprintinge of the signification of that mysterie in all mennes mindes Peter confessed that Christ was a stone or rocke Therefore Christe syrnameth Peter a Petra that is a stone as if one shoulde call him a liuinge stone layde vppon a liuing stone or of Christe a Christian Yea and leaste peraduenture any man shoulde tye the thinge vniuersally beelonginge to the whole churche vnto Peter alone the Lorde him selfe doth apply it vnto all the Churche and saith And vpon this stone will I buylde my churche and the gates of hell shal not preuaile against it As if he should haue sayd that which nowe is done in thee Peter shall hereafter bee done in all the faithfull Thou by faith art layde vpon me which am the stone and arte made a member of the Church I therefore do ordeine that whosoeuer confesseth mee to be the stone shal be a member of the Churche sanctified iustified and deliuered from the diuell and the power of death Thy confession that is I Christe the sonne of God whome thou confessest shal be the foundation of the Churche vppon whiche foundation whosoeuer are layde they shal be iustified and fréely saued For Paule also saide An other foundation cannot be layd than that that is alreadie layde which is Christ Iesus And the Apostle Iohn saith This is the victorie that hath ouercome the worlde euen your faith Nowe least Peter and his other fellowe disciples shoulde not knowe the waye howe other men shoulde be admitted into the fellowship of the Churche and receiued into the communion of Christe he addeth immediately And I will giue thee the keyes of the kingdome of heauen and whatsoeuer thou loosest in earth shal bee loosed in heauen c. He gaue the keyes when hee sent the Apostles to preache the Gospell Therefore by the preaching of the Gospell which is the keye of the kingdome of heauen is heauen opened and the waye poynted out howe we being graffed in Christe the church may bee made the heires of eternall life to wite through faith in Christe which wee are taught by the Gospell of Christe Thus much touching the counsell wherof Christ himself was PresideÌ„t helde at Caesarea Philippi There is extant in Iohn an other counsell held at Capernaum both famous and ful of people For in a greate multitude of his Disciples and other men hee doeth determine that eternall life is gotten by faith in Christe and that there is none other waye for vs to come to life than this To eate his fleshe and to drinke his bloud that is to beléeue in him And when amongâ— the audience there was a Schisme by reason that many reuolted from Christe hee demaunded of them that were his neerest disciples whether they also woulde forsake him then Pâ—ter in the name of all the rest did aunswere since in thee O Christe there is life and saluation if wee departe from thee wee cannot bee partakers of lifâ— and therefore by faith wee will â—â—rmely sticke and cleaue close to thee for euer Moreouer here are to be reckoned two counsels also that were helde by the Apostles The one of whiche no man can denye to bee verie generall or vniuersall For in it there were dâ—uout men of euery nation vnder heauen In that counsell did Peter the Apostle in expresse wordes teache that Christe is the Sauiour of the worlde whome whosoeuer beléeueth hee shall haue life euerlasting The place is knowen in the Actes of the Apostles the second Chapter Before the chiefe of the Iewes the same Apostle declareth that there is saluation in none other than in Christ alone The place is extante in the Actes of the Apostles the thirde Chapter The like hee doeth to the firste fruites of the Gentiles Cornelius and his housholde in the tenth Chapter The seconde counsell which was famous also and passingly adorned with all good giftes is described in the fiftéenth Chapter of the Actes in whichâ— Counsell this proposition was allowed That faith without woorkes doth iustifie freely Touching which matter I haue spoken at large in an other place Nowe by all this I woulde haue it proued that the doctrine of Faith that iustifieth without woorkes ought to bée reteined vnmingled and vncorrupte in the Churche because as I maye so saye it is moste Catholique and altogether vnreproueable to the breache whereof this cuâ—sse or Anathematisme of the Apostle is added sayinge If wee or an Angel from Heauen shall preache to you anye other Gospell than that whiche we haue preached let him bee accursed The seconde cause why it is expedient that this doctrine bee kepte sincere in the Churche is because if it bee once put out of ioynte the glorie of Christe shall bee in daunger of wracke and in ieopardie For the glorie of Christe is darkened and corrupted in the myndes of men althoughe of it selfe it remaineth alwayes sounde and cleare if wee beginne to diuide the righteousenesse whereby wee stande and appeare before GOD attributing it to oure owne merites and good woorkes of
God is reuealed in what manner it is to be hearde and what the force thereof is or the effect Our God is the God of all men and nations who according to the saying of the Apostle woulde haue all men to be saued and to come to the knowledge of the trueth and therfore hath he for the benefite life and saluation of all men reuealed his worde that so in déede there might be a rule and certaine waye to leade men by the pathe of iustice into life euerlasting God verily in the olde time did shewe him selfe to the Israelites his holy and peculiar people more familiarly then to other nations as the Prophete sayth To Iacob hath he declared his statutes and his iudgementes to Israel he hath not dealt so with any nation neyther hath he shewed them his iudgementes and yet he hath not altogether bene carelesse of the Gentiles For as to the Niniuites he sent Ionas so Esaias Ieremias Daniell and the other Prophetes bestowed muche labour in teaching and admonishing the Gentiles And those moste auncient Fathers Noe Abraham and the rest did not onely instruct the Iewish people which descended of them but taught their other sonnes also the iudgementes of god Our Lorde Iesus Christe verily laying open the whole world before his disciples sayd Teach all nations Preache the Gospell to all creatures And when as Sainte Peter did not yet fully vnderstande that the Gentiles also did appertaine to the fellowship of the Churche of Christe and that to the Gentiles also did belong the preaching of the glad tydings of saluation purchased by Christe for the faythfull the Lord doth instruct him by a heauenly vision by speaking to him out of heauen and by the message which came from Cornelius as you knowe dearely beloued by the hystorie of the Actes of the Apostles Let vs therfore thinke my brethren that the worde of God and the holy Scriptures are reuealed to all men to all ages kindes degrées and states throughout the worlde For the Apostle Paule also confirming the same sayth Whatsoeuer things are written are written for our learning that through patience and comfort of the Scriptures we may haue hope Let none of vs therefore hereafter say what néede I to care what is written to the Iewes in the olde Testament or what the apostles haue written to the Romanes to the Corinthians and to other nations I am a Christian The Prophets to the men of their time and the Apostles to those that liued in the same age with them did both preach and write For if we thinke vprightly of the matter we shall sée that the Scriptures of the olde and newe Testamentes ought therefore to be receiued of vs euen bicause we are Christians For Christ our Sauiour and maister did referre vs to the written bookes of Moses and the Prophets Saint Paule the very elect instrument of Christ doth apply to vs the Sacramentes and examples of the olde Fathers that is to say Circumcision in baptisme Coloss 2. and the Paschall lambe in the Supper or Sacrament 1. Cor. 5. In the tenth Chapter of the same Epistle he applyeth sundry examples of the Fathers to vs And in the fourth to the Romans where he reasoneth of fayth whiche iustifieth without the helpe of works and the lawe he bringeth in the example of Abraham And therewithall addeth Neuerthelesse it is not written for Abraham alone that fayth was reckoned vnto him for righteousnesse but also for vs to whome it shal be reckoned if we beleeue c. By that meanes say some we shal againe be wrapped in the lawe we shall be inforced to be circumcised to sacrifice fleshe and bloud of beastes to admit againe the priesthood of Aaron together with the temple and the other ceremonies There shall againe be allowed the byll of diuorcement or putting away of a mans wife together with sufferaunce to marrie many wiues To these I aunswere that in the olde Testament we muste consider that some thinges there are whiche are for euer to be obserued and some thinges whiche are ceremoniall and suffered onely till time of amendement That time of amendment is the time of Christe who fulfilled the lawe and tooke awaye the curse of the lawe The same Christe chaunged Circumcision into Baptisme He with his owne only sacrifice made an end of all sacrifices so that nowe in steade of all sacrifices there is lefte to vs that onely sacrifice of Christe wherein also we learne to offer our own very bodies and prayers together with good déedes as spirituall sacrifices vnto god Christ changed the Priesthood of Aaron for his owne and the Priesthoode of al Christians The Temple of God are we in whom god by his spirit doth dwell All ceremonies did Christ make voide who also in the nineteene of Mathewe did abrogate the bill of diuorcement together with the marriage of many wiues But althoughe these Ceremonies and some externall actions were abrogated and cleane taken away by Christ that we should not be bound vnto them yet notwithstanding the Scripture whiche was published touching them was not taken awaye or else made voide by Christ For there must for euer be in the Churche of Christ a certaine testimoniall wherby we may learne what manner of worshippings and figures of Christ they of the olde time had Those worshippiÌ„gs figures of Christ must we at this day interprete to the Churche spiritually and out of them we muste no lesse then out of the writinges of the newe Testament preach Christ forgiuenes of sinnes and repentance So then to all Christians are the writinges of the olde Testament giuen by God in like manner as the Apostles writ to all Churches those thinges which bore the name or title of some particular Congregations And to this end is the woord of God reuealed to men that it may teache them what and what maÌ„ner one God is towardes men that he would haue them to be saued aâ—d that by faithe in Christ what Christ is and by what meanes saluation commeth what becommeth the true worshipers of God what they ought to flie and what to ensue Neither is it sufficient to know the wil of God vnlesse we do the same and be saued And for that cause sayde Moses Heare Israell the statutes and iudgements whiche I teache you that ye may doe them and liue And the Lorde in the Gospell confirming the same cryeth Blessed are they whiche heare the worde of God and keepe it And here is to be praysed the excéeding great goodnesse of God whiche would haue nothing hid froÌ„ vs whiche maketh any whit to liue rightly well and holily The wise and learned of this world doe for the most part beare enuy or grudge that other shoulde attaine vnto the true wisedome But our Lorde doth gently and of his own accorde offer to vs the whole knowledge of heauenly things and is desirous that we goe forward therein yea and that more is he doth further our
lawe sinne grace the Gospell and repentaunce Neither doe I as I thinke handle them irreligiously For I vse to conferre one Scripture with an other than which there is no way better and safer to follow in the handling of matters touching our religion And forbecause you are the true defender of the Christian fayth it cannot bee but well vndoubtedly to haue Christian Sermons come abroad vnder the defence of your Maiesties name My minde was according to mine abilitie and the measure of fayth which is in mee to further the cause of true religion which now beginneth to budd in England to the great reioysing of all good people I haue therefore written these Sermons at large and handled the matter so that of one many more may bee gotten Wherein the Pastors discretion shall easily discerne what is most auayleable and profitable for euery seuerall Church And the Pastors duetie verily is rightly to moawe the word of truth and aptly to giue the fodder of life vnto the Lords flocke They will not thinke much I hope because in these Sermons I doe vse the same matter the same arguments and the very same words that other before mee both auncient and late writers whom I haue iudged to followe the Scriptures haue vsed yer nowe or which I my selfe haue else wher alledged in other bookes of mine heretofore published For as this doctrine at all times in all pointes agreeable to it selfe is safest to be followed so hath it alwayes beene worthily praised of all good and godly people If the Lord graunt me life leysure strength I will shortly add the other eight Sermons of the fourth Decade which as yet are behinde And all that I say heere I speake it still without all preiudice to the iudgement of the right and true Church Our Lord Iesus the king of kinges and Lord of Lords lead you with his spirite and defend you to the glorie of his name and safetie of all your Realme At Tigure in the moneth of March the yeare of our Lord. 1550. Your Maiesties duetifullie bounden and daily Oratour Henrie Bullinger minister of the Church at Tigure in Swicerland THE THIRD DECADE of Sermons written by Henrie Bullinger Of the fourth precept of the second Table which is in order the 8. of the 10. Commaundementes Thou shalt not steale Of the owning and possessing of proper goods and of the right and lawfull getting of the same against sundrie kinds of theft ¶ The first Sermon FOR the susteyning and nourishing of oure liues families wee men haue néede of earthly riches Nexte therefore after the comaundements touching the preseruation of mans life and the holy kéeping of wedlocks knot in this fourth commaundement a lawe is giuen for the true getting possessing vsing and bestowing of wealth and worldly substance to the ende that wée should not get them by theft or euill meanes that we should not possesse them vniustly nor vse or spend them vnlawfully Iustice requireth to vse riches wel and to giue to euery man that which is his now since the lawes of God bee the lawes of Iustice they do verie necessarilie by way of comaundement say Thou shalt not steale These words againe in number are fewe but in sense of ample signification For in this precept theft it self is vtterly forbidden all shifting subtilties are flatly prohibited deceipt and guile is banished al cousening fetches are cleane cutt off couetousnes idlenes prodigalitie or lauishe spending and all vniuste dealing is herein debarred Moreouer charge is here giuen for mainteining of iustice and that especially in contractes and bargaynes Wonderfull turmoyles verily are raysed vpp and begonne amonge men of this world about the getting possessing and spēding of temporall riches it was expedient therefore that God in his lawe which he ordeyneth for the health cōmeditie and peace of vs men should appoint a state and prescribe an order for earthly goods as in this lawe hee hath most excellently done And that yee maye the better vnderstand it I wil at this present by the help of Gods holy spirite discourse vppon the proper owning and vpright gettinge of worldly riches in which treatise the whoale consideration of theft in all his kinds shal be plainly declared For the proper owning and possessing of goods is not by this precept prohibited but wée are forbidden to gett them vniustly to possesse them vnlawfully and to spend them wickedly yea by this commaundement the proper owning of peculiar substance is lawfully ordeined firmely established The Lord forbiddeth theft therefore hee ordeineth confirmeth the proper owning of worldly riches For what canst thou steale if all things be common to all men For thou hast stollen thine owne and not another mans if thou takest from an other that which hée hath But God forbiddeth thefte and therefore by the making of this lawe hée confirmeth the proper possession of peculiar goods But because there is no small number of that furious secte of Anabaptistes which denie this proprietie of seuerall possessions I will by some euident testimonies of Scripture declare that it is both allowed and ratified of old Of Abraham who in the Scripture is called the father of faith Eliezer his seruaunt saith God hath blessed my maister merueylously that hee is become great hath giuen him sheepe and Oxen siluer and gold men seruaunts and mayde seruaunts camels and asses and to his sonne hath he giuen all that he hath Loe then Abraham was wealthie did possesse by the right of proprietie al those things which God had giuen him and he left them all by the title of inheritaunce as peculiar and proper goods vnto his sonne Isaac Isaac therefore and Iacob possessed their owne and proper goods Moreouer God by the hand of Moses brought the Israelites his people into the land of promise the groūds whereof he did by lot diuide vnto the tribes of Iosue his seruaunt appointing to euery one a particular portion to possesse and did by lawes prouide that those inheritaunces should not be mingled and confounded together In Solomon and the Prophets there are very many preceptes and sentences tending to this purpose But I knowe verie well that these troublesome wranglers do make this obiection and say That Christian men are not bound to these proofes that are fetched out of the old Testament And although I could confute that obiection and proue that those places of the old Testament doe in this case binde vs to marke and followe them yet wil I rather for shortnesse sake alledge some proofes out of the Scriptures of the newe testamēt to stop their mouthes withall Our Lord Iesus Christ doth greatly commend in his disciples the woorkes of mercie which doe consiste in feedinge the hungrie in giuing drincke to the thirstie in cloathing the naked in visiting prisoners and those that be sick and in harbouring strangers and banished men Hée therefore graunteth to his disciples a proprietie and possession of peculiar goodes wherewith they may frankly
bewraye thee and vpbrayd thee for them For thou needest not to confesse them to thy companion that he should bring them abrode but to the Lord whiche hath the care of thee who also is a gentle Physician to him therefore thou shalt shewe thy woundes Moreouer he bringeth in the Lord speaking and saying I compell thee not to come into an open theatre and to make many priuie to thy sinnes tell thy sinne priuately to mee alone that I may heale thy sore Thus much out of Chrysostome Now all this doeth manifestly argue that that Ceremoniall penaunce as it was once vsed in the Church not instituted by God was without any iniurie taken out of the Church not restored againe by the bishoppes that succéeded They doe not altogether in vaine tell vs that some reliques of that rituall repentaunce abided still in the Romane Church But what haue wee to doe what euerye Church hath taken to it selfe either to kéepe or else to lay away Wee rather oughte to inquire what Christe hath deliuered vnto vs and what his Apostles haue taught vs of whose doctrine I haue I thinke spoken enough alreadie The priuate or secrete confession of sinnes was wont to be made when none were bye but the priestes alone For one goeth secretely and whispereth his sinnes into the eare of the prieste that was appointed to heare those secrete confessions and being by him absolued doeth thinke that by the recitall of a fewe ordinarie woordes hee is purged from all his sinnes And therefore I call it Auricular confession This was vnknowen in the Apostles times and although it be now a good sort of yeares agoâ— since it first toke roote yet notwithstanding it was frée from the beginning At last wee reade that it was commaunded and roughly extorted by the Bishoppe of Rome when the state of the Churche was most corrupted about the yeare of Grace 1215. And yet it was about 80. yeares or more in controuersie before it was by decrée layed vppon all menns neckes Whether it were enough for a man to confesse himselfe to God alone or else to a priest also for the purging of his sinnes Hugo in his booke of the Churches power to binde and loose doth say I dare boldly say if before the priestes absolution any man do come to the Communion of the body and bloud of the Lord that hee doeth assuredly eate and drincke his owne damnation although he repent him neuer so much and doth neuer so greatly lament his offences This did Hugo say boldly without his warrant vnlesse the word of God doth instructe vs falsly He liued about the yeare of our Lord 1130. Within a little while after him vppstarted Peter Lombard commonlye called the Maister of Sentences beecause he gathered together the sentences of the fathers and layed forth their doctrine as it were in a Summarie of whose woorke I meane not heere to tell my iudgement what I thincke It is thought that hee flourished about the yeare of Christ 1150. Hée Sententiarum lib. 4. Dict. 17. 18. doeth by the authoritie of the fathers shew first that it sufficeth to make the confession of sinnes to God alone Then hée annexeth other sentences which teach the contrarie And lastly concludeth of himselfe and sayeth By these it is vndoubtedly proued that wee must offer our confession first to GOD then to the priest and that otherwise wee cannot enter into Paradise if we may haue a priest Againe It is certified that it is not sufficient to confesse to GOD without a priest neither is hee truely humble and penitent that doeth not desire the iudgment of a priest Gratian that gathered the Decretalls together was somewhat honester than Peter Lombard who liued and flourished at the same time with Lombard Hée determineth nothing definitiuely but shewinge sentences for either side both that wée must confesse our sinnes to the priest and not coÌ„fesse them doth leaue it indifferently vnto the readers iudgement For thus he concludeth Vpon what authorities and reasons both the opinions of confession and satisfaction are grounded we haue briefely here declared But to which of these wee ought rather to sticke that is reserued for the reader to choose For both partes haue wise and religious men to their fautours defenders Thus saith Gratian about the ende of the first distinction of penaunce About fiftie yeares after followed Lotharius Leuita a doctor of Paris the Scholer and earnest follower of Peter Lombard He being once made Bishop of Rome and named Innocent the thirde called together at Rome a generall counsell called Lateranense in which he made a lawe which Gregorie the ninthe reâ—iteth in his Decretall of Penaunce and Remission Lib. 5. chap. 12. almost in these verie wordes Let euery person of eyther sexe after they are come to the yeres of discretion faithfully coÌ„fesse alone at least * once in a yeare their sinnes vnto their owne proper priest and doe their indeuour with their owne strength to doe the penaunce that is inioyned them receiuing reuerently at Easter at the least the Sacrament of the Euchariste vnlesse peraduenture by the counsel of their own priest for some reasonable cause they thinke it good for a time to absteine from receiuing it Otherwise in this life let them be prohibited to enter into the churche and when they are dead to bee buried in Christian buriall This is that newe lawe which conteineth many absurd and wicked blasphemies And to let passe verie many of their absurdities I wil recite vnto you not past one or twaine of the foulest of them Is it not a wicked thinge to sende a sinner to I wot not what kinde of priest of his owne when Christe hath giuen but ministers and preachers to his Church only being still him selfe the vniuersall prieste and proper prieste to euery one in the churche euen vntil the ende of the worlde to whome alone all the faithfull ministers doe sende sinners from them selues for to confesse their sinnes to him For Iohn saide I am not Christ but am sent before him to beare recorde of him What may bee saide to this moreouer that it is a detestable blasphemie to attribute the remission of sinnes to our owne confession and the priestes absolution as to the workes of mortall men And who I pray you is able to reckon vp all his sinnes vnto the prieste doth not Ieremie crie The heart of man is euill vnserchable Doth not Dauid saye Who knoweth his sinnes Cleanse mee from my hidden faultes It is vnpossible for a man to confesse all his sinnes While therefore a man compelled by the lawe doeth consider these reasons and ponder them in him self he cannot choose but must néedes bée drowned in the bottomlesse depth of desperation so greate a burthen is layde vppon the frée neckes of Christ his faithfull people as a thing so necessarie that without it they cannot obteine eternall saluation directly contrary to the Apostles decrée that is to be séene in
the man of God may be perfecte instructed vnto all good workes What now I pray you is omitted in these woords that may seeme to apperteine to a most absolute reformation What I beseech you haue those impudent fellowes to say against this Proceed therefore proceed most holy king to imatate the most godly princes and the infallible rule of the holy Scripture proceed I say without staying for mans authoritie by the most true and absolute instrument of trueth the booke of Gods most holy word to reforme the Church of Christ in thy most happie England The Lord Iesus the head and mightie Prince of his Church presirue and lead thee his most faithfull worshipper in the way of his trueth vntill the end to the glorie of his name the good estate and welfare of the whole Christian Church At Tigure in the moneth of August the yeare of our Lord 1550. Your Royall Maiesties most duetifully bounden Henrie Bullinger minister of the Church at Tigure in Swicerland The other eight Sermons of the fourth Decade written by Henrie Bullinger ¶ Of God of the true knowledge of God and of the diuerse wayes howe to knowe him That God is one in substaunce and three in persons ¶ The thirde Sermon I Haue hetherto in 32. sermōs discoursed vpon the word of God and the lawful exposition of the same vppon Christian faith the loue of God and our neighbour I haue also spoken of the law of Nature of mans lawe Gods lawe and of the parts of Gods lawe namely y Morall the Ceremoniall the Iudiciall lawes Of the vse of the lawe of the fulfilling abrogatiō of the same of the likenes difference betwirt the two testamēts and people the old and the newe Of Christian libertie of offences of the effecte merites of Good woorkes Of sinne and the sundrie sorts thereof also of the Grace of God or the Gospel of Iesu Christe in whome oure heauenly father hath giuen vs all thinges belonging to life and eternal saluation finally I haue treated of Repentaunce and of the thinges that doe especially seeme to belonge therevnto And forbecause oure purpose is to dispute discretly vpon the principal points of Christian religion that in the premisses wee haue heard often mention made of God of the knowledge worship of God of Iesus Christ of the holy Chost of good euil spirits of the church of Prayer of the Sacraments such like holy thinges since wee are now come to an end of those former points necessitie it selfe doeth here require that we should speake somewhat now of al euery one of these latter principles according to the holy Scripture so farre forth as the Lord shall giue me grace and abilitie to do the same Concerning God there were of old many erronious opinions not among the ruder sort of people only but euen in the whole packe of Philosophers conuenticles of false Christians As touching the Philosophers that auncient learned writer Tertullian was wont to say that Philosophers are the patriarchs of heretiques and touching false Christians the Apostle Iohn said They wente out from vs but they were not of vs for if they had beene of vs they would haue remained with vs. Neither doe I sée what gaine you should gett by it if I should procéede to reckon vp vnto you all their opinions It is good perhaps to know wherin they erred least we also do strike vpon the same rock that they did Therfore if any y haue a desire vnto it doe wish to sée the opinions of the heathen sort and of heretiques cōcerning God let them search Plutarch in his Placitis Philoso lib. ◠Cap. 7. Or in other heathen writers Or in Cyrils first booke Contra Iulianum and in the 4. Chapter Dogmatum vel de finitionum Ecclesiast I will at this time trouble the attentiue eares and minds of the godly hearers with that burthen That diuersitie of opinions is deriued from none other founteine than from the boldnesse vnskilfulnesse of men which are not ashamed of their owne deuice and braine to add and applie to God the thinges from which he is most farre frée And now that héere I may not sticke long in declareing the narrowe streightnesse and mistie darcknesse of mans wit who I pray you is able with his vnderstāding to conceiue the Béeing of God when as in déede no man did euer fully vnderstand of what fashion the soule of man is of what sort many other thinges are y be in mans body and of what maner substaunce the Sunne Moone are made There are giuen many reasons of naturall Philosophie but the woorke of God doeth still abide more great and wonderfull than that the witt or speach of man is able to comprehend or expresse it Let no man therefore that goeth about to knowe any certeintie of God descend into himself to search him out with thoughts of his owne neither let him ground his opinion vppon mens determinations and weake definitions For otherwise hee shall alwayes worshipp the inuention of his owne heart méere follie trifles and foolishe fantasies But on the other side againe the man cānot choose but thinke rightly iudge truely and speake well of God that attributeth nothing to himselfe deuiseth nothing of his owne braine nor followeth y toyes of other mens inuenting but in all thinges giueth eare to the word of God and followeth alwayes his holy reuelation Therfore let this stand as it were for a continuall rule that God cannot bée rightly knowen but by his word and that God is to be receiued beléeued to be such an one as he reuealeth himselfe vnto vs in his holy word For no creature verily can better tell what and what kinde of one God is than God him selfe Nowe since this God doeth in his word by the woorkemanshipp of the world by the holy Scriptures and by his oracles vttered by the mouth of the Patriarchs Prophetes and Apostles yea in the very minds and consciences of men testifie That He Is therefore did the kingly Prophete Dauid say The foole hath said in his heart there is no God. For he must néeds be an asse or a foole whiche denieth the thing that is euident to all men in the world which are not beside their wits namely That there is a God considering that euen Cicero an heathen authoure in his booke De natura Deorum doth say It is bred borne together with men and graffed in their hearts to thincke That there is a God. Truly they that denie God doe denie him whome neuerthelesse they feare and therefore by that feare they confesse y he Is by that meanes conuinceing them selues of lying and falsehoode Againe this is to bée noted that in demaunding who and what God is although that question is made doth arise euen by the beating out and discussing of the Scriptures yet a measure is to be kept and in any case
that are called Gods whether in heauen or in earth as there be Gods manie and Lords manie yet vnto vs there is but one God euen the father of whome are all things and we in him and one Lord Iesus Christ by whome are all things and we by him Nowe I suppose these diuine testimonies are euident enough and do sufficiently proue that GOD in substance is one of Essence incomprehensible eternall and spirituall But vnder the one essence of the Godhed the holie scripture doth shew vs a distinction of the Father of the sonne and of the holie Ghoste Now noate héere that I call it a â—istinction not a diuision or a separation For we adore and worshipp no more Gods but one so yet that we doe neither confound nor yet denye or take away the thrée Subsistences or persons of the diuine essence nor the properties of the same Noetus Anoetus in very déed and Sabellius the Libyan a godlesse bolde and verie rude Asse of whome sprang vpp the grosse heresie of the Patrispassians taught that the father the sonne and the holie Ghoste did importe no distinction in GOD but that they were diuerse attributes of god For they said that GOD is none other wise called the father the sonne and the holie Ghoste than when he is named good iuste gentle omnipotent wise c. They saide the Father created the worlde the same in the name of the Sonne tooke fleshe and suffered and againe in chaunginge his name he was the holie Ghoste that came vppon the Disciples But the true Propheticall and Apostolicall faithe dooth expressely teach that the names of the Father the Sonne and the holie Ghoste doe shewe to vs what God is in his owne proper nature For naturally and eternally God is the the Father because he did from before beginnings vnspeakeablye begett the Sonne The same GOD is naturally the Sonne because he was from before beginnings begotten of the Father The same GOD is naturally the holie Ghoste because he is the eternall spirit of them bothe procéeding from them bothe béeing one the same God bothe with them and when in the Scriptures he is called a gentle good wise mercifull and iuste God it is not thereby so muche expressed what he is in him selfe as what a one hee doeth exhibite him selfe to vs. The same Scripture doeth openly say that the Father created all thinges by the Sonne and that the Father descended not into the earth nor toke our flesh vpon him nor suffered for vs For the Sonne saith I went out from the Father and came into the worlde Againe I leaue the worlde and goe vnto the Father The same Sonne fallinge prostrate in the mount of Oliues prayeth saying Father if it be possible let this cup passe from me Againe in the Gospel he saith I will pray to the Father and he shall giue you an other comforter Loe here he saith the father shall giue you an other comforter And yet againe least by reason of those persons and properties of those persons we should separate or diuide the diuine nature the Sonne in the gospel saith I and the father are one For when he saith One he ouerthroweth them that separate or rent the diuine substance or nature and when he saith We are and not I am therein he refuteth them that doe confounde the subsistences or persones in the Trinitie Therefore the Apostolique and Catholique doctrine teacheth and doeth confesse that they are thrée distinguished in properties that of those thrée there is but one and the same nature or essence the same omnipotenciâ— maiestie goodnesse and wisedome For although there be an order in the Trinitie yet can there be no inequalitie in it at all None of them is in time before other or in dignity worthier than other but of the thrée there is one godhead and they thrée are one and eternall God. And the primitiue Church verily vnder the Apostles the times that came next after them did beléeue so simply despising reiecting curious questions and néedlesse disputations And euen then too did arise pestilent men in the Church of God speaking peruerse things whoÌ„e the Apostle doeth vppon good cause call greeuous woolues not spareing the flock They first brought in very straunge daungerous questions sharpened their blasphemous tongues against Heauen it selfe For they stoode in it that thrée persons could not be one nature or essence and therefore that by naming the Trinitie the christiaÌ„s worshippe many Gods euen as the Heathen doe And againe since there can be but one GOD they inferre consequently that the same God is father sonne and holie ghoste vnto him selfe For so it was agreeable that they should doate in follie whome the word of God did not leade but the grosse imagination of mortall flesh And God did by these meanes punish the GiaÌ„tlike boldenesse of those meÌ„ whose minds being without all reuerence and feare of God did wickedly striue to fasten the sight of the eyes of the flesh vppon the verie face of god But the faithfull and vigilant ouerséers and pastors of the Churches were coÌ„pelled to driue such woolues from the foldes of Christe his shéepe and valiauntly to fight for the sincere catholique trueth that is for the Vnitie Trinitie for the monarchie and mysterie of the dispensation That strife bred foorth diuerse words with which it was necessarie to holde and binde those slipperie merchants Therefore immediately after the beginning there sprang vp the termes of Vnitie Trinitie Essence Substance and Person The Gréekes for the moste parte vsed Ousia Hypostasis and Prosopon whiche wee call Essence Subsistence and Personne Of these againe there did in the Churches spring vppe newe and freshe contentions They disputed sharply of the Essence and Subsistence whether they are the same or sundrie thinges For Ruffinus Aquileiensis in the 29. Chapter and first booke of his Ecclesiastical historie sayeth There was moued a controuersie about the difference of substaunces subsistences whiche the Greekes call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For some said that substaunce subsistence seeme to be all one and because wee say not that there are three substaunces in God therefore that wee ought not to saye that there are three subsistences in him But on the other side againe they that tooke substaunce for one thing subsistence for an other did say that substaunce noteth the nature of a thing and the reason wherevpon it standeth but that the subsistence of euerie person doth shewe that very thing which doth subsist Basilius Magnus wrote a learned Epistle to his brother Gregorie about the difference of Essence and subsistence And Hermius Sozomenus in the 12. Cap. of his fift booke of histories sayth The bishops of many cities meeting together at Alexandria do together with Athanasius and Eusebius Vercellensis confirme the decrees of Nice and coÌ„fesse that the holy Ghost is coesseÌ„tiall with the
ouerthrowe the trueth they are neuer able For the soules of the faithfull euen out of the verie mouth as is commonly said Von mund vss zu himmel faren vppon a sodeine enter into their blessed seats and by faith enioy euerlasting felicitie Againe we read in the Reuelation of our Lord Iesus Christe made to Iohn the Apostle that it was said And I heard a voice from heauē saying vnto mee write Blessed are the dead which hereafter die in the Lord euen so saith the spirit that they may rest from their labours their workes followe them In these words an heauenly and vndoubted oracle touching the blessednes of all such as die in faith is knitt vpp and S. Iohn is commanded to write the oracle from heauen that it may remaine to all times and be read of all people The summe of the oracle is this Blessed are the dead whiche heerafter die in the Lord. But they die in the Lord whosoeuer depart out of this life in the faith of Iesus Christ For so the Apostle vseth this kind of speach in the 1. Cor. 15. and 1. thess. 4. Furthermore they whiche depart out of this life in the faith of Iesus Christe are simplie and truly pronounced blessed to witt happie and free from all miserie Yea a note of the time when they shal obteine this blessednes is added namely Hereafter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say presently at an instāt by and by out of hand to witt as the Lord saith in the Gospel forthwith after the death of the bodie There is added also another testimonie whereby againe the certainetie of felicitie is expressed and perfection too not delayed till the morrow Euen so saith the spirit that they may rest from their labours The spirite I meane of trueth whiche cannot lie sayth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say Amen so it is truely the faithfull are blessed in déed and euen at an instāt they are blessed and so blessed that They rest from their labours The labours of the faith full are miseries calamities afflictions sorrowe feare or dread and other euils of this sort wherewith in this world they are vexed yea rather exercised in faith From these thinges the soules of the faithfull departing from their bodies are deliuered therefore they are not purged by torments and vexations they are not scortched in that middest of their iourney but beeing happie and blessed are forthwith deliuered from all anguish and trouble And if so bee that they suffered any thinge whiles they were yet liuing in the bodie if they did any good workes in faith they do follow them Let no man thincke that those woorkes beecause they nowe ceasse were and are vaine For they receiue their reward in that blessed life For that it is that Their works do folow them And let vs marke that he sayth not The workes of other followe them to deliuer them forsooth out of purgatorie but Their owne works follow them For in the Gospell also the wise virgins which had oyle readie in their lamps went in with the bridegrome to the mariage the folish virgins which had prepared themselues no oyle but did hope to haue from elsewhere to serue their turne are excluded and shut out from ioy To the omnipotent God therefore our most mercifull father and continuall-running founteine of all good Graces and whiche is neuer drawne drie who fashioned our bodie in our mothers wombe and breathed or powred into it a reasonable soule whiche might whiles it is ioyned to the bodie quicken and direct vs and when it is separated from the bodie might forthwith after the death of the bodie be translated into heauen there to liue in ioy and happines vntill it returne againe vnto the bodie beeing raised from the dead in the last iudgement with the which it maye reioyce and be glad for euer and without end to that God I saye thoroughe Iesus Christ for whose sake we are made partakers of so great a benefite be glorie praise and thankes giuing for euermore Amen ¶ The ende of the second Tome THE FIFT AND LAST DECADE OF Sermons WRITTEN BY HENrie Bullinger The thirde Tome IESVS This is my beloued Sonne in whome I am well pleased Heare him Matth. 17. THE FIFTE DECADE OF Sermons written by Henrie Bullinger ¶ Of the holie catholique Church what it is how farre it extendeth by what markes it is knowen from whence it springeth how it is mainteyned and preserued whether it may erre Also of the power and studies of the Church ¶ The first Sermon THE order course of things so leading vs next after God the workeman and authour of all thinges wee come to speake of his most excellent worke to witt the Church For so great is the goodnesse of our good God and most louing father that not he himself is desirous to liue happily blessedly alone but moreouer to bestowe and powre vppon vs men his beloued creatures all kinde of blessednes and that wée should enioye his goods by all meanes possible And for that intent he choseth men to him self who liue in this world that he may once translate vnto him selfe in whome also euen while they liue héere hee maye dwell whome he may enriche with all his goods in whom he may reigne and that they should be called by his name to wit a people a house a kingdome an inheritaunce a flocke a congregation or Church of the liuing god Of which Church I will speake being ayded with your prayers such things as the Lord of the Church shall graunt vnto mée to vtter This word Ecclesia which signifieth a Church or Congregation is a Gréeke word vsed receiued amonge the Latines signifying as I said a congregation communion or assemblie in the Dutche tongue Ein Gemeind or a people called together to heare of matters of the cōmon wealth For so it is founde that S. Luke vsed this word in the 19. Chap. of the Actes of the Apostles But it was translated to an holy vse and began to bée called a congregation assemblie or companie of the faithful calling vppon the name of the lord S. Paul saith that he persecuted the cōgregation or Church of God who in another place sayeth I receiued authoritie from the highe priestes to binde all those that call vpon the name of christ For now doth hee terme them such as call vppon the name of Christ or Christians whome before he named the Church Or else this word Ecclesia the church or congregation is so called of caling forth together for in the Gréeke tongue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth to call forth For God calleth forth from al parts of the wide world and from the whole congregation of men all beléeuers together with their séede that they may bee his peculiar people he againe may be their God that is to say that they may be the Church of the liuing god In times paste the congregation or assemblye of the Iewishe
Paule baptised as a minister not as one that had power of himselfe but the Lord baptised as he that had power of himselfe Behold if it had pleased him he could haue giueÌ„ this power to his seruants but he would not For if hee should haue giuen this power vnto his seruaunts that it should also haue beene theirs which was the lords then there should haue beene as many sundrie baptismes as seruaunts c. In the Church Christ reserueth that absolute power to himselfe For he continueth the head king bishop of the Church for euer neither is that head whiche giueth life separated from his body at any time But that limitted power he hath giuen vnto the Church Whiche thing it ought to acknowledge to wit an Ecclesiastical iurisdiction hemmed in with certeine lawes whiche procéedeth from God and for that cause it is effectuall and therefore in all thinges ought to haue chiefe regard vnto God and that Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction is for that purpose giuen vnto the church that it might be put in practise for the profite of the Church For S. Paule sayth The Lord hath giuen vs power to the intent we should edifie not for the destruction of the Church And therefore that power whiche tendeth to the hinderance and destruction of the Church is a diuelish tyrannie and not an ecclesiasticall power procéeding from god And it behoueth vs diligently to marke and reteine this ende of Ecclesiasticall power But the limitted power of the church consisteth verie néere in these points to witt in ordeyning of the ministers of the Church in doctrine and in the discerning betwéene doctrines and finally in the ordering of Ecclesiasticall matters Of euery one of which pointes in their order we will speake a litle declaring what manner of authoritie the Church hath and howe farre it is limitted in euery part thereof The Lord himselfe appointed the chiefe doctours of the Church whiche were the Apostles that all men might vnderstand that the Ecclesiastical ministerie is the diuine institution of God himselfe and not a tradition deuised by men And therfore after that the Lord was ascended into heauen S. Peter calling the Church together speaketh out of the scriptures of placing an other Apostle in the stéed of the traytour Iudas by that very facte shewing that power was giuen vnto the Church by God to electe ministers or teachers The same Church also not longe after by the persuasion of Peter and the Apostles so persuading vndoubtedly by the inspiration of the holy Ghost choose seuen deacons The Church of Antioche being manifestly instructed by the holy Ghoste doeth ordeine and sende Paule and Barnabas althoughe they were longe before that time assigned to the ministerie It is read also in the Actes of the Apostles that the churches by the commaundement of the Apostles did ordeine doctours for the holy ministerie as often as néede required And yet notwithstanding they did not ordeine euery one without choice but such onely as were fitt for that office that is to say such as afterward by expresse lawes they themselues did describe to witt If any man were faultles the husband of one wife watchfull sober c. The rule set downe by the Apostle is sufficiently knowen as appeareth in the 1. to Tim. 3. Cap. But as touching the ordeyning of ministers God willing wee will speake in the third sermon of this Decade But if the Church haue receiued power to appoint fitt ministers for the Church I thincke no man will denie that the Church hath authoritie to depose the vnworthie wicked deceiuers and also to correct and amende those thinges whiche being lacking may séeme necessarie for this order And forasmuch as ministers are chosen chiefly to teach it must follow that the Church hath power to teach to exhort to comfort and such like by her lawfull ministers and yet no power to teach euery thing but that onely which she receiued being deliuered vnto her from the Lord by the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles Teach them sayeth the Lord that whiche I commaunded you Go ye and preach the Gospell to all creatures And S. Paul sayth I am put a part to preach the Gospell of God which he promised before by his Prophets in the holy Scriptures But this ministerie office of preaching is nothing else but the power of the keyes whiche the Church hath receiued The office I saye of binding and loosing of opening shutting heauen In another place also the apostles receiued power from the Lord ouer all ouer all I say not absolutely but ouer all diuels and not ouer all Angels and men and yet that authoritie and power they receiued ouer diuels they receiued it not absolutely for it is added vnto it that they should expell and cast them out And therefore they could not deale with diúels after their owne fancie but that onely so farre forth as he would haue them to dâ—e who hath absolute power ouer all diuels and that they might cast diuels out of men but not to sende them into men thoughe they would haue desired it neuer so much And so also as touching diseases they could not doe what they would else would not S. Paule haue left Trophimos sicke at Miletum who might so greatly haue béene profitable vnto him in the holy ministerie The two disciples if they had béen able to haue done what they would would haue commanded fire from heauen to haue fallen downe vppon Samaria and so would haue taken vengeaunce of the vncourteous and barbarous people of Samaria for that they denied to harbour the Lord Christ In like manner those same Apostles receiued keyes that is to saye power to binde and to lose to open and shutt heauen to forgiue and to reteine sinnes but perfectly limitted For they could not lose y which was bound in hell neither bind them that were liuing in heauen For he said not What soeuer ye binde in heauen but whatsoeuer ye binde vppon earth Neither said he Whatsoeuer ye lose in hell but what soeuer ye lose vppon earth Againe they were not able eyther to binde or lose whom they would not so much as vpon earth For they were not able to lose that is to say to pronounce a maÌ„ frée from sinne that was without faith Againe they could not binde that is say pronounce condemned him that was lightened with faith was truely penitent And surely such as teach other doctrine than this touching the power of the keyes deceiue the whole world of whiche wee will more largly intreat in place conuenient Likewise the Church hath receiued power from Christ to administer the sacraments by ministers but not according to her owne will and pleasure but according to Gods will and the forme and manner sett downe by the Lord himselfe The Church cannot institute sacraments neither yet alter the ends vse of the sacraments Finallie that the Church hath
power to giue iudgement of doctrines euen by this one sentence of the Apostle Paule appeareth Let the Prophets sayth he speake two or three at once and let the other iudge And in an other place he saith Proue all thinges and kepe that which is good And S. Iohn said Dearelie beloued beleeue not euerie spirite but trie the spirits whether they are of God. But of this kinde of power to iudge there is also a certeine order For the Church doth not iudge at her owne pleasure but after the sentence of the holy Ghost and according to the order and rule of the holy scriptures And heere also order moderation and charitie is obserued Therefore if at any time the church of god according to the authority which she hath receiued froÌ„ the Lord do call a couÌ„sel together for some weightie matter as we read that the Apostles of the lord did in the Actes of the Apostles it leaneth not here to her owne fleshly iudgment but giueth ouer her selfe to bee guided by the spirite and examineth all her doinges by the rule of the word of God and of the two-fould charitie Wherefore the Church maketh no new lawes as the church of Hierusalem or rather the Apostolique church sayeth that it séemeth good both to the holy Ghost and to the Church that no other burthen should be layd vppon the faithful Christians but onely a few and those verie necessarie thinges and neither beside nor contrarie to the holy scriptures Now Ecclesiastical matters are of diuers sortes the good ordering and well disposing whereof for the coÌ„moditie of men is in the power of the Church of whiche sorte those thinges are which concerne outward worship in place in time as is prophecying or interpretation of tongues and scholes Also the Church hath to iudge in causes of matrimonie and chiefly it hath correction of manners admonitions punishmentes and also excommunicating or cutting off from the bodie of the Church For the Apostle also sayeth that this power is giuen him and yet to the intent hee should therewith edifie not destroy For all these thinges whiche we haue remembred such like are limitted with the rule of the word and of loue also with holy examples and reasons deduced out of the holy scriptures Of all which wee will perchaunâ—e more largelye speake in their place Thus much haue I hetherto said concerning Ecclesiastical power the contrarie whereof I haue declared with how open a mouth our aduersaries do publish but yet they handle these matters so grossely that it may appeare euen vnto children what they séeke or what they would defende to witt not the Ecclesiasticall power but their owne couetousnesse luste and tyrannie The Canonicall trueth teacheth vs that Christ himselfe doeth hold and exercise absolute or full power in the Church and that he hath giuen the ministeriall power to the Church who executeth it for the most part by ministers and religiously executeth it according to the rule of Gods word These thinges beeing in this sorte considered it shall not bee greatly laboursome to knowe the studies of the holy Church of god For it executeth as I said euen nowe that power whiche it hath receiued of GOD most carefully and faithfullye to the ende that it maye serue God that it may be holy and that it may please him And that I may reckon vp some of her studies specially first of all it worshippeth calleth vppon loueth and serueth one God in Trinitie and taketh nothing in hand not hauing first consulted with the word of this true god For she ordereth all her doings according to the rule of Gods word she iudgeth by the woord of God and by the same she frameth all her buildinges being built mainteyneth them being fallen downe she repaireth or restoreth them againe The assemblies and congregations of Saincts vppon earth she feruently furthereth and loueth In these things it harkeneth diligently to the preaching of the word of God she is partaker of the sacrameÌ„ts deâ—outly and with great ioy and desire of heauenly thinges It prayeth to God by the intercession of our only mediatour Christ with a strong faith ferueÌ„tly continually and most attentiuely It praiseth the maiâ—stie of God for euer and with great ioy giueth thanks for all his heauenly benefits It highly estéemeth all and euery the institutions of Christ neither doth it neglect any of them But chieflie it acknowledgeth that it receiueth all things belonging ether to life saluation righteousnes or felicitie of the onely sonne of God our Lord Iesus Christ as he who onely chose her and then by his spirite and bloud sanctifyed her and made her a Church that is a chosen people whose onely king redéemer high priest and defender he is without whom there is no saluation Therefore in God alone by our Lord Iesus Christ she only resteth him shee onely desireth and loueth and for his sake she reioyceth to loose all things that apperteine to this world yea and to spend her bloud and her life And therefore it cleaueth vnto Christe by faith inseparablie neither doeth it hate any thing more bitterly than falling awaye from Christ and desperation For without Christ there séemeth nothing in all this whole life to be pleasant With Sathan as with a deadly enimie she hath vnappeaseable enimitie Against heresies and errours it striueth both constantly and wisely The simplicitie of the Christian faith the sinceritie of the doctrine of the Apostles it most diligently kéepeth She kéepeth her selfe as much as lieth in her vnspotted of the world and of the flesh from all carnall and spiritual infection And therfore she fléeth from and by all meanes detesteth all vnlawefull congregations and prophane religions with all wicked men and willingly and openly confesseth Christe both by woord and déede euen with the damage of her life It is exercised with afflictions but yet neuer ouercome It keepeth vnitie and concord carefully All and euerye the members of her body shee most tenderly loueth It doeth good vnto all men as much as power and abilitie will suffer It hurteth no man It forgiueth willingly It beareth with the weake brotherlye till they bee brought foorth forward to perfection Shee is not puffed vpp with pride but thoroughe humilitie is kept in obedience in modestie and in all the dueties of godlinesse But who I praye you is able to recite all and euery one of the studies of the church in a very large discourse much lesse in this short recitall And who would not desire to be a member of so diuine and heauenly a congregation I would by and by ioyne herevnto that which remayneth touching the vnitie of the catholique Church of the diuision thereof and of other thinges belonging to the consideration hereof but that I doe perceiue you beeing alreadie wearie of hearing do earnestly loke for an end of this sermon Therefore we will put off the residue till to morrowe And now lifting
lord the Pope I will persecute and to my abilitie fight against Since these men are sworne thus after this manner who I praye you that is a faithfull louer of Iesus Christ of his churche of true faith yea and adde therevnto of the common wealth can abide to be ordeined by such There is no talke in their othe of the gospel neither of our Lord Iesu Christe him selfe There is no mention of the holy scriptures but of the rules and ordinaunces of the fathers there is most diligent mētion Peter is named but not that Apostle of Christe saying Siluer and golde haue I none but an other I knowe not who hauing kingly dignitie In déede the Apostolique churche is named but by and by by interpretation they adde what manner of churche they would haue vnderstood and call it the Papaltie This Papaltie not the churche of God I say the Papaltie and the honours priuileges and rightes of the Popedome against all men beholde they promise they will defend this against al men For they acknowledge the Pope to be their Lord against whom they wil haue nothing to be imagined yea if they may knowe that other do deuise any thing against the pope and popedome they promise discouerie thereof and faithfull helpe But I thinke not that any man can binde him selfe more streightly to one Neyther is it vnknowne that those whome they call Heretiques are not enimies to the Christian faith nor teachers of opinions contrarie to the Scriptures but rebelles to the Pope they are I say they who as they neglect the decrées and lawes of the Pope and preache the Scriptures onely so they giue all the glorie vnto Christe as to the onely heade and high priest of the Church and therefore they teach that the Pope is neither the heade neyther the highe priest of the Churche But who louing true godlinesse can bind him selfe with such an oth Who will renounce and forsake the friendship of Christe and humble him selfe to become the bondslaue and footestoole of the Pope of Rome To be short who will desire to be ordeyned a minister of Christ and of his church at the handes of those that haue done after this manner Here may be added that in the consistorie of Rome all thinges as touching holie orders are most corrupt in so much as scarse any small tokens of Christes institution do appeare I will not rehearse at this present that there are many newe constitutions of men ioyned vnto them that in a manner there remaineth no voyce of the Churche in the ordination of pastours that there is no choice made of such as the churche deputeth there aboutes For the right of presentation collation and confirmation being dispersed among many with some is become euen an heritage so as both dawes and halfe fooles may be made ministers or byshoppes and neyther can I let this thing passe that with them is lost that true examination and sharpe pastorall discipline In déede there remayneth examination but altogether childish in the which lightly they that are ordeined are asked that whiche scholers in common scholes are wont to be demaunded whether one can reade well construe well sing and be cunning in their numbers They can not denie this thing neyther also this that Priestes are ordeined more to reade to sing and saye masse than to gouerne the Churche with the worde of god Whereby the more regarde is had of the voice that it be apt for singing than of skilfulnes or experience in the holie scriptures But they thinke the matter is cunningly handled if some skilfull lawyer be preferred to the office of a Pastour For it séemeth for the most parte to be more profitable to pleade cunningly in the courte for the increase maintenaunce of riches than to preach well in the Churche for the winning of soules What do not we sée men sent from the lawe and out of the courtes of Kings and Princes to possesse Churches fitter for any thing else than to gouerne the Churches of GOD for ecclesiastical offices are begunne to be counted as Princes Donatiues wherevpon they are also called Benefices The Byshops of Rome them selues haue bestowed Priesthoodes vpon their cookes rauenous souldiers barbars and muletors and this was farre more honestly than when they bestowed them vppon bawdes A greate many of Priestes thrust them selues into the holy ministerie by violence and symonie which office neuerthelesse he neyther coulde nor would execute well And they that are receiued by an honester title are receiued through commendation and fauour Herein auayleth much either affinitie or kinred and consanguinitie In all these there is a greater regard had of the bellie than of the ministerie they prouide better for those whiche are accounted Priestes and are no Priestes than for the Churche of God and saluation of soules But by this meanes all things go to wracke in the Churche and the flocke of God is oppressed with the weight and ruine of the shepeheards Herevnto perteyneth the pluralitie as they call it of benefices Some one either souldier or curtisan oftentimes rakes to him selfe the Pope offering it to him halfe a dozen benefices or moe of whiche benefices they take no further care but to receiue the gaine For he neuer teacheth nay he is verie sildome at his flocke vnlesse it be when he sheareth them In the meane time the Lordes flocke is neglected and perisheth For the vicars which are set ouer the flocke by them for the most part are vnlearned and hirelings He that is content with least wages is placed ouer the flocke what manner of one so euer he be And he séemes to haue learning enough if he can read sing say masse heare confessions annoynt and reade the Gospell out of the booke vpon the Sunday That whiche remayneth moreouer to be done séemeth to them to be small matters I am ashamed and sorie to rehearse what a censure for reformation of manners remayneth in the Church The thing it selfe cryeth and experiēce witnesseth that vnworthy persons are not shut out from this holy ministerie For without difference al are admitted and as yet whoremongers drunkards dice-players and men defiled yea ouerwhelmed with diuers haynous crimes are suffered in the ministerie But least they should séeme to do nothing herein the bishop asketh at giuing of orders Who are worthy of honour and his Chauncellour or the Archdeacon foorthwith answereth the bishoppe who before that time neuer sawe or heard what manner of men they are of whome he beareth witnesse They are worthy Moreouer they vse so many and such kyndes of ceremonies in their consecration that he that is studious of the truth of the Gospell can not receiue them with a safe conscience These causes and other not vnlike make vs that we can somuch lesse abide to be ordeined of the ordinaries or bishops of the Romish church The last point remaineth whiche I purposed to declare in the beginning of this treatise what is the office
are gathered and knitt together into the vnitie of the bodie of Christe are separated from all other religions fellowships assemblies more too we are bound by them as by an othe to the true worship of one God and vnto one sincere religion to the which wée openly professe that we agrée and giue our consent with all them that are partakers of the sacraments Where this chiefly is to be marked that the gathering or knitting together into the vnitie of the body of Christe hath a double respecte for either wée are ioyned with Christe that hée is in vs and wée liue in him or else wée are coupled with all the members of Christe to witt with Christes faithfull seruauntes I meane with the Catholique Church it selfe Furthermore we are knit together with Christ in spirite and faith But we are ioyned to the Church or to the members of Christ by the vnitie of faith and of the spirite and by the bonde of charitie All which verily are the inward giftes of the spirite whiche fréely are bestowed on vs by the Lord onely not by any creatures not by any elementes Sacraments therefore do visiblie graffe vs into the fellowship of Christ his saincts who were inuisibly graffed by his grace before we were partakers of the Sacramentes but by receyuing of the sacramentes we doe nowe open and make manifest of whose body wée would bée and are members the Lord with his signes or markes by his minister also visiblie marking vs for his owne household and for his owne people Whiche thing by the Scriptures wée will more fully open and make manifest They who in time past by the force of the couenaunt by the grace mercie and promise of God were the people of God were by Circūcision visibly gathered together into one Churche knit together into one bodie For the Apostle S. Paule sayeth vnto the Ephesians Wherefore remember that ye beeing in time passed Gentiles in the fleshe called vncircumcisiō of them which are called circumcision in the fleshe made with handes that at that time I say ye were without Christe and were aliantes from the cōmon wealth of Israel and straungers from the couenaunt of promise c. Whereby it is also easilye vnderstood how the Iewes by circumcision were distinguished from other religions and fellowships and that circumcision in another place for this cause is put for them that are circumcised and why the name of vncircumcised was reprochfull For those that were vncircumcised were counted for vngodly and vncleane persons that had no fellowshippe nor parte or inheritaunce with God and his Sainctes Of baptisme whiche was ordeined in the stéede of circumcision some thing is spoken in my former Sermons And also the apostle setteth it out most plainely As the bodie sayeth hée is one and hath many members and all the members of the bodie whiche is one thoughe they bee many yet are but one bodie euen so is Christ For by one spirite are wee all baptised into one bodie whether wee be Iewes or Gentiles whether wee be bond or free and haue been all made to drinke into one spirite Wee are therefore knitt together by the Sacramente of baptisme into the vnitie of the bodie of Christe so that to haue broken this bond and to yeld our selues into another fellowshipp of religion and brotherhoode may worthilie be called sacrilege and treason Herevnto the Apostle séemed to haue respect when he asked the Corinthians Are ye not baptised into the name of Christe declaring thereby that they whiche are baptised into the name of Christ haue openly sworne and bound their faith before the church of Christe so that nowe they neither can nor ought to reioyce in any other name than in the name of Christ into whose household they are receiued by baptisme So I say wée are separated by baptisme from all other religions and are onelye consecrated to Christian religion Hée hath the like place in all pointes touching the supper of the Lord 1. Corinth cap. 10. For when the Apostle would declare to the Corinthians that it is a thinge farre from all godlines vnséemely yea and sacrilegious that Christians should eate in the idols temples thinges offered to idols and be partakers of the Gentiles sacrifices reasoning from the manner and nature of the Sacrament of the Lords supper he sayeth Flie from idolatrie I speake as vnto them that haue vnderstanding iudge ye what I saye The cupp of blessing whiche wee blesse is it not the communion of the bloud of Christ The bread whiche we breake is it not the communion of the bodie of Christe For wee that are many are one bread and one bodie because we all are partakers of one bread Behold Israel whiche is after the flesh are not they whiche eate of the sacrifices partakers of the altar What say I then that the idol is any thinge or that that whiche is sacrificed vnto idols is any thing Nay but rather this I say that those thinges whiche the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to diuels not to god And I would not that yee should haue fellowship with the diuels Ye cannot drincke the cupp of the Lord and the cupp of the diuels Ye cannot bee partakers of the Lords table and of the table of diuels c. For all this is Paules saying whiche since it serueth notably to oure purpose and is verie plaine I will but briefly runne ouer it First he layeth downe the state and scope of the matter whervnto he immediatly directeth his whole discourse Flie saith he idolatrie And he meaneth by the word Idolatrie whatsoeuer perteyneth to idolatrie especially the eating of meate offered to idols But if you know not what Idolothytū is which word he there vseth vnderstand that it is a Gréeke word whiche Paule vseth in this case and it signifieth a thinge sacrificed to an idol or a thing publiquely in sacrifice consecrated to an idol And it was the manner of the Corinthians to sacrifice at the altars of their Gods in idol-houses that is to say in their idol temples and to call Christians vnto those their sacrifices and they when they came sate and eate of that whiche was offered vnto idols eating without difference with the idolaters thincking they might haue done that without any fault at all béecause by the bright shining of the Gospel it appeared that neither the idol neither that God whome the idol represented and therefore also the thinges themselues that were offered to idols were nothing else but vaine names and thinges of no price or estimation But Paul disputing against these from the 8. Cap. vnto the 11. teacheth that it is farre wide from Christianitie to be partakers of the Gentiles sacrifices and saith I wil speake vnto you as vnto them that haue discretiō that after I haue shadowed out vnto you which way to walke you by the sharpenes of your witt maye vnderstand what is true what is false and to be
not onely the sacramentes of the bodie and bloude of Christ We answere that Paule saieth thus in plaine wordes Who soeuer eateth of this bread and drinketh of the Lords cup. c. Marke this he sayeth Who so eateth this bread drinketh of this cup vnworthily hee saith not Who so eateth the flesh and drinketh the bloud vnworthily For they whiche eate the Lorde are not without faith and Christe dwelleth in them and they in him If thou yet meruaile how the vnbeléeuers can bée guiltie of the Lordes body and bloud being eaten but sacramentally learne this out of other places of the Scripture The Lord saith in Iohn Verilie verilie I say vnto you he that receiueth whomsoeuer I shall send receiueth me and whoso receiueth me receiueth him that sent mee Wherfore whose receiueth not an apostle trespasseth not against y Apostle but against God himself although in y mene while he hath not séene god nor will not séeme to haue repelled him Wee read how y the iudge will say to them that are on his left hand Departe from me you wicked into euerlasting fire For I was hungrie and you gaue me no meat I was thirsty you gaue me no drink c. But harkeÌ„ now how the reprobate wil make exceptions againste thus sentence of the Iudge Lord when did we se thee hungrie or thirstie and ministred not vnto thee TheÌ„ heare again what the iudge wil answere Verily I say vnto you in that yee did it not vnto one of the least of these ye did it not to mee wherfore like as he that sinneth against a minister or a begger sinneth agaiÌ„st Christ himselfe although in y meane while he hath not hurt Christes person in any point so is he also giltie of the body bloud of Christ whosoeuer receiueth the sacrament of the body bloud of Christ vnworthily although in the meane seasoÌ„ he haue not receiued the very body bloud of the lord Paul saith in another place that reuolters do crucifie againe vnto them selues the sonne of god He also denieth in an other place by all manner of meanes that it is possible for Christe to be crucified or to dye any more Therefore Christ cannot be crucified againe by the Apostataes or reuolters how beit their shamefull falling away from him is so estéemed of as if they had crucified the Sonne of God. Although therefore the wicked doe not eate the Lordes verie bodie nor drinke his bloude neuerthelesse they are guiltie of betraying the Lords body and bloud as farre as in them lyeth If a rebell treade vnder his foote y seale or letters of the Prince or Magistrate although hee touche not the Magistrate him selfe nor treade him vnder his foote yet is hee sayde to haue troaden the magistrate vnder his foote and is accused not for hurting the seale or defiling the letters but hee is charged of treason and accused for treading the Prince vnder his féete What meruaile then if we heare it said that they which do eate the Lords bread vnworthily are guiltie of the body and bloud of Christ For the bread and the mysticall cup are a sacrament and seale of it Hetherto haue we disputed of the eating of the bodie of Christe and of drinking of his bloud haÌ„dling euery one point therof with asmuch breuitie as we could Now we go to knit vp the other endes of the Lords supper béeing placed in the description of the supper We said that the supper was instituted by the Lord that it might represent visibly the gifts of God vnto the Church and lay them foorth before the eyes of all men But we haue learned by the whole discourse of this matter that Christ him selfe is a most full rich treasure of all the giftes of God as namely froÌ„ whom béeing deliuered for vs vnto death we haue all things belonging to life remission of sinnes life euerlasting Since these things be inuisible gotten by faith they be also visibly that is to say by sacraments represented almost vnto all the senses to the sight to hearing to tasting and to féeling to the intent that man béeing wholy therwith moued bothe in body and soule may celebrate this moste comfortable mysterie with greate reioycing in heart Héere vnto now apperteyneth that analogie whereof I haue spoken before in the 7. Sermon of this Decade whereby I would haue these things to be better learned Furthermore we haue said that the supper was instituted of the lord that he might visibly gather together into one body all his members which were in a maÌ„ner dispersed throughout all parts of the world Whervppon we haue said that the holie men some where else did call the supper a league or confederacie We are knitt inuistbly with Christe and all his members by vnitie of faith and participation of one spirit but in the supper we are ioyned together euen by a visible coÌ„iunctioÌ„ For now not by words but by déedes also but by mysterie but by sacrament we are very néerly knit and ioyned together opening and declaring to all men by celebrating the supper that we are also of the number of them that beléeue that they are redéemed by Christ and that they are Christes members and people But we binde our selues together vnto Christe and the Church bothe that we will kéepe the sincere faith and promising that wee will vse good déedes and charitie towards all men Looke for more touching this matter in the seuenth Sermon of this Decade Héerevppon truely did S. Paule proue that it is not lawfull for them whiche receiue together at the Lords table to eate of meate offered to Idols and to take parte of prophane sacrifices Which thing if at this day many would rightely weigh and consider they would not séeme to be séene so busie in straunge and for reigne sacrifices We said also that the Lord instituted the Supper that thereby hee might kéepe his death in memorie so that it should neuer be blotted out with obliuion For Christes death is the summarie of all gods benefits He wold haue vs therfore to kéep in memorie the benefite of his inâ—arnatioÌ„ passion redemption and of his loue And although the remembrance of a thinge that is past bee celebrated to wit of his death yet the same belongeth greatly vnto vs quickneth vs. Neither most we thinke that this is the lest end For there is none so diligently expressed as this is For the Lorde repeateth this saying Doe this in the remembraunce of me But the holy rite or holy actioÌ„ béeing ioyned with the word or with the preaching of Christes death the redemption of mankind how mauelously doth it renue from time to time that benefit and suffereth it not to be forgotten Last of al we said that the supper was ordeined of the lord that therby we might be admonished of our duety praise thanksgiuing It is our dutie to be sincere in the faith of Christ to imbrace all our brethren