twoo Disciples goyng to Emaus and after a longe communication beyng set at the table declareth and openeth himself to them And after diuers like appearings at length he shewed him selfe to more then fiue hundred brethren at once as Paule witnesseth But bicause the eies are many times beguiled the deuils legierdemaines are too well knowne wherby he many times with false apparitions deceiueth the vnwary the Lord therefore suffered himself not onely to be seene but also to be felt and handled For fearyng least they might be deceyued with some ghost or illusion of Sathan Beholde saith he my handes and my feete how it is I my selfe Handle mee and see for a Ghost or spyrite hath not flesh and bones as you see mee haue Therefore Christ rysing from death againe tooke not onely a semblaunte and shewe of his former bodye but the verye same substaunce members fleshe and bloude And for a more certaine proofe thereof not onely suffered him selfe to be handled but for auoyding of all scruple and doubte called for meate and did eate in the sighte of his Disciples Not to the ende wee shoulde thinke that bodies glorified had neede to be refreshed with meate and drinke after the resurrection for where they are quite free from all corruption they haue no neede at all of generation but for that he would declare to all men that he still did retaine all the partes of a naturall and perfect body For the glorifying or clarifying of the body taketh away neither the substaunce nor partes of the body but it taketh away the corruption and affections rising in the body by reason of sinne and according to the saying of Paule that that was corruptible and mortall it maketh to rise againe incorruptible immortall glorious and a celestiall body The circumstance of time maketh also for the proofe of Christes Resurrection For he did not these thinges for one or two dayes amongst his Disciples but he was conuersaunt with them still fourty dayes togither and euery day shewed such proofes of his Resurrection These things were the more largely and diligently to be entreated of beloued in Christ bicause there haue bene in all Ages which haue gone about either to call Christs resurrection into doubt or else somewayes to blemyshe and extinguishe the truth of his body raysed againe Neither want wee in these dayes which affirme that Christes body by reason of the glorifiyng thereof is so altered and chaunged that it now can not be conteyned in any one place but is present in euery place And other grounde of theyr opinion haue they none but bicause they would maintaine Christes bodily presence in the Supper Neither perceyue they through theyr contention that while they defende his bodily presence they denie the veritie of his body and so by themselues ouerthrow that which they fight for as for life death For if Christ be corporally present in the Supper either his body must be conteyned in a place or else it is there none otherwise but as it is in euery place And how can it be that that which is conteyned in one certayne place can be at once in many places togither Therfore Augustine vnderstoode these things much better who perceiued well that space of place could so little be seperated from bodies that if we tooke space away then were they no more to be called bodies Take away saith hee space or limitation of place from bodyes and the bodyes shall be no where and forasmuch as they shall be no where there shall be nothing Take away from bodies qualities and properties of bodies and there shall be no where for them to be in and therfore of necessity they can haue no beyng at all The same Augustine aunswereth them marueylous well that in this case flie to Christs godhead and omnipotencie where he saith Wee must beware that wee so defende not the godhead of the man that wee take awaye the truth of his body But of these thinges wee shall speake more otherwheres Now let vs come to declare what causes mooued Christ so many wayes to prooue the resurrection of this body The first me thinketh was the Maiestie and certaintye of the kingdome of Christ which was necessary by his resurrection to be prooued For where it was manifest that Iesus Christ was dead and buryed which the Iewes also confesse vnlesse it should appeare as manifest that he was for a truth risen againe from death all the testimonies of his kingdom should haue bene taken as friuolous and vaine For who would beleue that he was appointed to be king ouer Mount Sion that is to say ouer the Church of God whom he was sure to haue bene dead and wist not whether he were risen againe from death yea or no who would beleeue that he sitteth at the right hand of the father and vseth his enimies as his footestoole whom he knew not whether he were aliue or no Except therfore the resurrection of Iesus Christ were most certaine to vs we could neither acknowledge him for our King nor yet looke for any ayde or helpe in his kingdome And it is no doubt but the Apostles ouercame all the threates of the worlde through this affiaunce and fulfilled theyr course and mynistery with such constancie for that they acknowledged him to be the conquerer of death and were fully certified that he which made them mynisters of his Gospell raigned in Heauen The second cause of so diligent a proofe I thinke was the doctrine and office of the Apostles the certayntie whereof was needefull to be strongly defended against the iudgement of the world Now what more effectuous and stronge proofe hereof could be founde than the glorious and euident resurrection of Christ whome they preached who was well knowne to all men whereas if they had preached some obscure vnknowne person to men they might worthily haue bene suspected But nowe who can doubt of theyr doctrine which preach and teach him who by his mighty resurrection hath vanquished the power of death hauing conquered all his aduersaries hath obtayned an euerlasting kingdome in Heauen This thing considered shal easily perswade vs to beleeue that Iesus Christ spake by his spirite in the Apostles to imbrace with all our hartes the thinges that they haue taught vs. Thirdly it behooued Christes resurrection to be well testified bicause in it consisteth all the strength and force of our redemption and saluatioin For wee reade that he promiseth vs in his Gospell oftentimes resurrectâ—on and life euerlasting He that heareth my woorde and beleeueth in him that sent mee hath life euerlasting and shall not come into iudgement but hath passed from death vnto lyfe This is the will of him that sent mee that euery one which seeth the Sonne and beleeueth in him hath lyfe euerlastyng and I shall rayse him vp agayne in the last day And in an other place he saith I am the resurrection and
taught that the prayers of the godly are so accepted with God that many times his goodnesse farre exceedeth them by graunting more than they dare presume to aske For although these people made continuall intercession to him for Peter yet it appeareth by this place that they had no hope in his deliuery They knewe well ynough that nothing was impossible vnto god But they perceyued not why God woulde saue Peter seeing he suffred Iames to die so vnwoorthy a death Therfore I suppose they desired God in their prayers that Peter by his grace might be strengthned in the confession of the truth and that for Christes sake he might stoutely ouercome the terrors of death And beyonde all hope they see Peter by the helpe of God restored to them againe which was an infallible argument of Gods goodnesse whereby they were taught that God woulde not suffer his Church to be torne in sunder of Tyrantes seeing he so faythfully defended the Ministers thereof There are infynite examples of like kynde which euery one may euerywhere see that readeth eyther the Scriptures or other writers And if we woulde but a little diligentlyer marke the iudgements of God we should see the like fall out in our owne affayres Let vs learne therefore constantly to hope in the Lorde and to commit our matters and our selues vnto his care and prouidence The other thing to be here obserued is that they suppose it was Peters Aungell that appeared For the godly people acknowledged what is sayde in the Scriptures touching the defence and ayde of the Aungels For no man ought to thinke that they ymagined any superstition deuoyde of syncere religion For there are Oracles of Scripture whereby we are taught that God hath appoynted the Aungels to be the Tutors and Ministers of man as may be seene Psal. 54. and 91. And we haue examples whereby it is manifest they haue appeared in visible fourme Therefore they neyther in foolish sort nor wicked vttered these words at Peters sodeyne comming Yet are we not ignorant that hereof sprang the common error that the superstitious had of the two Aungels appointed to euery man which error wee reiect for good considerations bicause the Scripture defyneth not for certaine any thing touching the number of Aungels whether it is one two or three or whole armies of Aungels that defende one man as wee reade of Iacob and Helisaeus Much lesse thinke wee them to bee hearde which saye that the soules of those that bee deade walke vp and downe and appeare For that opinion repugneth against the doctrine of Christ and the veritie of our fayth whereby we are taught that the soules of the godlye passe from death vnto life and that the soules of the wicked are caryed into hell and can not returne from thence agayne See Christ reasoning of these poynts in Iohn 5. and Luc. 16. Let it be sufficient for vs that the Aungels are the Ministers of God which vseth them at his pleasure for the safegarde of his elect and let vs acknowledge the worthynesse and dignitie of man which ought to be no small prouocation for vs vnto godlynesse Nowe is it time to turne agayne vnto Peter He beckoneth with his hande vnto the brethren being partly surprised with ioye and partly wyth amazednesse to keepe silence and rehearseth all thing in order as it was done declaring that God was the onely worker of this benefite And further he warneth them to signify these things to the residue of the brethren but chiefly vnto Iames the sonne of Alphaeus which the olde writers affirme was Bishop of Ierusalem Of which commaundement it seemeth there was two causes For he woulde haue the glory of God hereby the more thankefully spredde abrode and his brethren whome he knew were sadde for his sake to be quitte of their cares Therefore Peter by his example teacheth vs that we must not hide the benefytes of God in vnthankfull and vnkinde harts For then Gods benefytes are best declared when others prouoked by our meanes learne to hope in God and to call vpon him in their distresse as their defender and reuenger Dauid being deliuered out of the handes of the Philistynes makethmention hereof in the beginning of the Psalme xxxiiij Further it is declared that Peter went to another place For he easilye perceyued that he should doe no good to remaine in Herodes kingdome And the present benefyte of his deliuery did sufficiently declare that God would not haue him dye vnder the hande of Herode but to execute his Apostleship otherwheres Therefore he vseth the counsell of Christ saying If they persecure you in one citie flye vnto another Here hast thou therfore what aunswere to make vnto those which woulde haue the Ministers of the worde put into the Woolues handes and say that they truly followe the Apostles when without hope of doing any good they suffer the wicked not onely to condemne their doctrine and the truth of Christ but also themselues But it easily appeareth what causeth these men thus to say They woulde haue all the Ministers of the Gospell gone at once that Antichristes superstition might be brought in agayne Wherefore wee must vse the wisedome of serpents against these men according as Christ hath commaunded vs that through our temerity rashnesse we do not indammage Christs quarrell Nowe remayneth the last part of this place whereby wee are taught how Herode was affected in minde at this worke and myracle of god And first after it was knowne that Peter had escaped his bandes and imprisonment there arose a great feare trouble among the souldiours For where they were well acquainted with the fierce nature of Herode they looked for no goodnesse at his hande And they were not beguiled For where Herode had appoynted to put Peter to death and vnderstoode afterwarde that he was escaped like one beside himselfe he commaundeth the keepers to bee racked insomuch that although he heard they were in no fault yet he commaūdeth them to be had to prison or else which is the liker to their deaths This is a very notable example whereby we are taught that the wicked waxe the woorse and not better by the iudgements of god For where they are so bolde to striue agaynst God through his iust iudgement they are so blinded and hardened that in the open light they are not able to see nor to submit themselfe vnder the mightie hande of god And there is no cause why we should hope for any better of the tyrants of these dayes which haue begun to make warre agaynst God maintaine the same with such deadly hatred Here appeareth also an example of Gods prouidence whereby Herodes craft is deluded while he heareth the worke of God sette forth by them whose helpe he accustomed to vse against god And that example is not vnlike herevnto where the souldiours appointed by the Priests to watch the sepulchre of Christ were the fyrst that published his
such as the wyse men in tymes past had learned euen by natures lore and that they were very grosse and barbarous that had suffred such naturall notices and knowledges to be extinguished in them At length concluding the place he thus inferreth forasmuch then as we are the generation of God wee must not thinke that the Godheade is lyke vnto golde siluer or stone grauen by arte or industrye of man. He calleth vs the generation of God chiefely bicause of the ymage after which we be made For as yet there was no place to speake of the adoption of the elect before them which yet vnderstoode not the principles of the knowledge of god The meaning therefore is this Where God woulde haue hys ymage to shyne in man the Lorde and gouernor of all creatures it were to grosse an error to forge a dumbe ymage of hym out of any deade thing For we cannot counterfeyte man as he is the Image of God bicause his ymage is in the soule whose forme and nature by mannes arte can not be expressed nor shadowed Howe much lesse then can manne expresse God in anye Image â–ª He nameth fyrst precious matter golde and siluer shewing that this is not able to represent the ymage of god For howe much soeuer it is esteemed among menne yet are they frayle thinges and corruptible but God is incorruptible and euerlasting Furthermore he speaketh not of the formes and fashions which man at his pleasure giueth vnto God but of the arte and industry of man as if he shoulde say Although the singularest artifycers and maysters woulde lay all their heades togither yet are they not able to conceyue in their mindes much lesse to expresse in any matter or Image the true Image of god Hereof we gather that the Images which are made of God are very lies bicause they are not able to performe that they promise But I pray you what greater iniurie can be done vnto God than to make him which is eternall truth like vnto a lye What is this else but to make of God the Deuill whome Christ calleth the father of lyes No honest man woulde be contented to be represented and made lyke vnto a murtherer or Ruffyan an honest Matrone would much mislyke to be pictured in the attyre of an harlot Shall we then be so bolde to aduenture to represent God by lyes It is not without a cause that Lactantius that eloquent writer vttered this sentence saying there was no religion where any Images were Woulde God they woulde well consider thys geare that nowe a dayes holde with Images who in my iudgement are not the least cause that God sendeth in the Turkes to reforme the worlde seeing that Princes cannot abyde to haue Christendome purged of superstition and ydolatry by the doctrine of the Gospell It is our partes to remember our beginning and dignitie to worship one God in Iesus Christ our Redeemer to whome be all power honor and glory nowe and euer Amen The Cxix Homelie AND the time of this ignoraunce God regarded not but nowe byddeth all men euerywhere repent bicause he hath appoynted a day in the which he will iudge the world with righteousnesse by that man whoÌ„ he hath appointed and hath offred fayth to all men after that he had raised him from death When they hearde of the resurrection from death some mocked and other sayde we will heare thee agayne of this matter So Paule departed from among them Howbeit certaine men claue vnto him and beleeued among whome was Dionisius a senatour and a woman named Damiris and other with them WE haue hearde the fyrst part of Paules sermon wherein he hath most diligently confuted the errors of the Gentyles teaching that God is neyther included within Temples nor worshipped with sacrifyces wyth great and feruent zeale inueyed he agaynst the feygned Gods and Images of the heathen plainly admonishing them that they transgressed the order of nature that worshipped them and that they were vnmyndefull both of the ende and dignitie that they were made for Nowe let vs lysten to the later part of his sermon wherein he exhorteth them to repentance in Christ namely that they shoulde conuert and turne from their impietie and false worship of goddes vnto the true god In which place bicause of the Epicures which laughed at all kinde of religion he most earnestly vrged the mention of the last iudgement We will declare eche thing in that order that Paule vttereth it First he aunswereth a question vsed to be mooued in all ages and is at these dayes euerywhere obiected when the truth is preached that is to saye why God hath suffered the worlde so manye yeares to be seduced And whether it be likely nowe at the length that the truth is disclosed to a fewe persons of no name and estimation But Paule aunswereth these demaundes briefely howe that God hath hitherto winked at the tymes of ignorance not bicause he delyteth in ignorance but bicause so it seemed good vnto him which appoynteth all thinges according to his iust iudgement and that the worlde coulde not choose but erre as long as God hid the light of his truth bicause men of themselues haue no feeling or vnderstanding of god And where he sayth that the truth hydden from the worlde before tymes is nowe reuealed he declareth that henceforth ignorance shall not be excused It is very worthy to be noted howe Paule alleaging Gods doing simply and barely mooueth no disputation at all concerning the causes why God suffered the worlde so long to erre We must also followe this tracke of modestie that we wade not to deepe in searching out the â—auâ—es of Gods iudgements or that we charge not him with the cause of our vngodlynesse For it is euident that he can do no man wrong bicause we all long sithence had deserued eternall damnation and be borne the children of wrath It is also euident that he gouerneth all thinges by iust iudgement And Paule in another place speaking of the reuelation of the Gospell sayth it is a mystery hidden from the beginning of the worlde Christ teacheth the same saying that the mysteries of the kingdome of heauen are not reuealed to euery one It is therefore a folly and to malapert and wicked an offence to call gods dooings to the controlment of mannes reason seeing he requireth of vs obedience of fayth and seeing nothing so well becommeth the children of God as to frame themselues vnto his will which appeareth in his worde and workes Furthermore Paule in this place expresseth the ende of the preaching of the gospell forasmuch as he sayth it is declared to euery man for that they shoulde repent Therfore it is not ynough to haue heard or learned the gospell but it behooueth vs to repent vs of our errors other vices The order and course of the whole story of the gospell teacheth vs the same Iohn the Baptist beginneth with the doctrine of repentaunce Then after him
and wyckedlye abused their gifte of libertie they are nowe depriued thereof and constrayned to suffer suche presidentes as had neyther commendation of Nobilitie nor fame of vertue but were defamed and euill reported by reason of filthye luste and beastlye crueltie And where yet they woulde not amende for all these plagues at length they were vtterlye forsaken and shut out of the kingdome of god These thynges suche menne oughte diligentlye to consyder as nowe a dayes also abuse the prerogatiue of libertie and make of it an vnbrydeled licenciousnesse bothe of saying and doyng But returne we to Lysias the Captaynes letter whiche after he had superscribed it begynneth the narration with Paules greate commendation For he declareth that he was apprehended for no demerite or faulte that hee hadde done through the vnreasonablenesse and iniustice of the Iewes Next he sayth he is a Citizen or freeman of Rome At length hee testifieth he is an Innocent where he sayth he had done nothing worthy of death or imprisonment and that the Iewes had made this sturre and adoo agaynst him for no cause but for their lawe and religion sake This is a singuler commendation but we muste remember that these are the wordes of a Souldier and that he speaketh after the maner of the Romanes For where they desyred the vtter abolishment of the Iewes religion they cared not whether the presidents defended the same or not Therfore we see euery where that they litle regarded controuersies in religion But God commaundeth a farre other thyng whiche appointeth Magistrates to haue a speciall care of religion for it is not meete that they whom God of his goodnesse hath placed in such degree of dignitie should suffer the honour of God to be eyther neglected or defaced Yet the craft of the children of this worlde appeareth in the Captayne which so trimly dissembleth his errour committed in bynding and whipping a Citizen of Rome wryting now nothing but that that made for the getting of him praise and fauour Here is cheefly to be marked what a care God hath of his true seruauntes consydering he defendeth their innocencie by testimonie of their enimies Example hereof we nowe see euery day wheras they highly extoll and praise the Prophetes and Apostles which persecute their faith and doctrine with deadly hatred Why therfore feare we the slaunders of enimies or infamie of the worlde Nowe remaineth the latter part of the Epistle which consisteth of a certayne preoccupation or aunswere to an obiection that myght be made For lest Felix myght be offended for that an innocent person was not rather set at libertie than sent to hym with suche coste and charges He sheweth also the cause hereof he saith he did thus bycause of the waites that the Iewes laide for him which Paule shoulde neuer haue escaped if he had ben set at libertie Therfore it behoued in this wyse sayth he to prouide for the safetie of an innocent to see publique peace obserued Where againe the example of this Captayne putteth Magistrates in remembraunce of their duetie namely to take heede that no man suffer violence or iniurie because it is euident they are cheefly ordeyned to the ende that good men should not be oppressed through the insolencie and pleasure of other that are wicked Reade Psalm 72. Rom. 13. It foloweth what successe this matter had verilye a moste happye as God ordered it For the Souldiers faithfully fulfill the charge committed vnto them and bring Paule safely vnto Felix the President and he as though he had chaunged his nature becommeth curteous and easy to be spoken to and asketh him what cuntrey man he is Which when he knew he deferreth the hearing of his matter vntil the comming of his accusers For the lawe of nature teacheth vs that both partes ought to be hearde before sentence be giuen Let vs remember that all these thinges so happened according to Gods prouidence For it was his working that the Souldiers without grutching serued Paules turne that they were ready to defende him with perill of their lyfe that Felix accepteth him more curteously and frendly than his custome was and causeth hym to be kept in Herodes Iudgement Hall being an honest kynde of pryson The vse of these thinges is to teache vs that we must not passe much vpon the enterprises of men but studie onelye to please God which can mollifie barbarous mens heartes tame sauage and wylde maners and turne our enimies heartes to loue vs Let these thinges embolden vs with inuincible constancie of fayth to ouercome the tyrannie of the worlde and so to lyue hereafter eternally in heauen with Iesus Christ our Sauiour to whom be prayse honour power and glorye for euer Amen The .xxiiij. Chapiter vpon the Actes of the Apostles The Clij Homelie AFter fiue dayes Ananias the Highe priest descended with the Elders and with a certaine Oratour named Tertullus which enfourmed the Deputie against Paule And when Paule was called foorth Tertullus began to accuse him saying Seeing that wee liue in greate quietnesse by the meanes of thee and that many good things are done vntoo this Nation through thy prouidence that allowe we euer and in all places most noble Felix with all thankes Notwithstanding that I be not tedious vnto thee I pray thee that thou wouldest heare vs of thy curtesie a fewe wordes For we haue found this man a pestilent fellowe and a moouer of debate vnto all the Iewes in the worlde and a maintainer of the secte of the Nazarites which hath also enforced to pollute the Temple whome wee tooke and would haue iudged according to our lawe but the highe Captaine Lysias came vpon vs and with great violence tooke him away out of our handes commaunding his accusers to come vnto thee of whom thou mayest if thou wilte enquire knowe the certaintie of all these thinges whereof we accuse him The Iewes likewise affirmed saying that these thynges were euen so THe Euangelist Luke declareth in this Chapiter how Paule was handled before Felix the Presidente beinge sente to hym from the Captayne that was appoynted for the safegarde of Ierusalem as we haue heard before In the whiche Narration firste it is declared howe the hyghe Priest and Elders layde matter of death vnto Paules charge And albeit that Paule so declared and opened his cause that the Lord Presidente coulde fynde no matter of death agaynst hym yet he keepeth him in pryson two whole yeares together and bicause he woulde shewe the Iewes a pleasure leaueth him bounde in pryson still till Pontius Festus succeeded him in the office These thynges are declared to this ende that we may learne thereby what state the godly are lyke to be in alwayes in this worlde and howe the worlde continually hateth them forasmuch as we see the Iewes spare for no laboure or costes to bryng Paule beyng a most faithful preacher of gods word to his cōfusion But as Christ prophecied these things shold happē to his disciples euē so he
the lyfe he that beleeueth in mee though he were dead yet shall hee lyue and euery one that lyueth and beleeueth in mee shall not dye for euer What needeth many woordes There is none other cause of our beliefe in Christ but for that God promiseth vs euery where in him the life both of body and soule But who would beleeue to finde life in him which was not able to restore him selfe to lyfe againe Therefore least wee beyng offended at Christes death should doubte in his promises he was reuiued againe the thyrde day after his death and being raysed againe in his true body declared that he had power and authoritie to rayse againe our bodies likewise For he that beyng truely dead and buried touchyng his manhoode coulde rayse himself againe shall he not now much more being aliue and in his kingdome be able to restore our bodies from death to lyfe againe Hereunto belonge other promises of Christ prouyng his resurrection For he sayth Where I am there shall my mynister be And in an other place I will come againe and take you to my selfe that where I am there may you be also Againe Father those that thou hast gyuen to mee I will that where I am they shall be with mee that they may see my glory And what else could these fayre promises declare vnto vs but death vnlesse Christ being risen againe from death liued nowe in Heauen For thus we must of necessitie conclude where Christ is there must also his ministers be which beleeue in him but Christ being dead and buried remayned in death Ergo his ministers also remayne in death Now Christes resurrection doth moste stronglye confute this so desperate an argument and teacheth vs to reason agaynst the threates of death and terrour of Hell on this sorte Where Christ is there must also his mynisters be But Christ is risen from death ascended into Heauen and sitteth on the right hande of God the father Ergo The mynisters of Christ shall ryse from death and shall with Christ theyr king raigne in Heauen for euer Which thinges if the faithfull deepely consider in theyr mindes they shall straight way being boldened with this confidence be able to triumph ouer death and all theyr enimies and say with Paule the Apostle Death where is thy stinge Hell where is thy victory If God be with vs who can be agaynst vs For they are fully perswaded that neyther death nor lyfe can seperate them from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lorde Besides this death which is the reward and punishment of sinne could by no other meanes be conquered but by his resurrection For as longe as death helde them that were departed thys life hir power strength could neuer seeme subdued And it behooued that death should be subdued to set mankinde at libertie and to deliuer him from sinne For who could be certayne of remission of his sinnes and reconciliation with God the father as long as death raigned which God in his wrath appointed for the punishment of sinne It was therefore necessary that Iesus Christ should take away the yoke of sinne and rise againe from death that it might appeare howe death was subdued that sinne the sting of death was taken away and saluation restored to mankinde againe Therefore it was not without a cause that Christ thought it good to haue the truth of his Resurrection with so euident argumentes to be confirmed This is the chiefe cause that the auncient Prophetes mooued with the spirite of Christ prophecied the same aswell otherwheres as in the Psalme xvj and in Esay liij is to be seene Surely wee learne that this was the chiefe hope and greatest article of confession and beliefe wherby the true Catholikes woorshippers of God were alwaies knowne tried as may appeare by thexample of Iob. For when he was accused by his importunate friendes of breach of faith and religion he prooued him selfe this way onely to be faultlesse for that he firmely beleeued the roote and foundation of religion I know saith he that my redeemer lyueth and that I shall ryse out of the earth in the last day and shall be couered agayne with my skinne and shall see God in my fleshe and I my selfe shall beholde him not with other but with the same eyes This hope is layde vp for me in my bosome â–ª This place teacheth vs what wee should iudge of those mockers which Hystories mention to haue bene in all Ages and the Apostles foreshewed should raigne in the later age And now a dayes we may euery where here the prophane and wicked voices of such as thinke themselues iolly companions and pleasantly conceyted when they can with scurrilitie scoffe and deride that which we holde and beleeue of the last commyng of Christ and of the resurrection of the bodye But they can by no argument more euidently prooue themselues voyde of all religion than by this For in this Article all the pointes of our beliefe and religion so agree that who so denieth this taketh away at once all the beliefe and mysteries of mans saluation Wee gather this sense out of Paules woordes which writyng against such among the Corinthians as denied the resurrection amongst other thinges saith If Christ be preached how that he rose from the dead how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead If there be no rysing againe of the dead then is Christ not rysen againe If Christ be not rysen againe then our preachyng is in vayne and your fayth is also in vaine and you remayne in your sinnes Therfore they that are fallen a sleepe in Christ are perished If in this lyfe onely wee beleeue on Christ then are wee of all men most miserable c. Therefore such wicked scoffers must be put away from vs and haue no place permitted to them in well ordered common weales For what will they leaue vnassayde which will go about so boldely to ouerthrowe the foundation of our health and as it were with one blowe cut of the heade of all faith and religion as much as in them lieth Let vs learne to haue a right thought and cogitation of the resurrection that the same may serue both to gouerne our life and to comfort vs For this is a most effectuall preseruatiue against the intisements of flesh the world oftentimes to call to remembrance set before our eyes the shew and counterfaite of the last iudgement set out to vs in the scripture Againe there can happen no greater comfort to man than while he is in this body to thinke of the ioyes of heauen which he shall enioy in the resurrection of the dead Notwithstanding he is now depressed with infinite greefes cares and sorrowes Uerily Paule exhorteth the Christians one to comforte an other with such things as are written in Scripture touching this article It remaineth that we speake of that other thing
a foolish and more than childish consequence herein Christ hath caried his body aboue the heauens and all the partes of the worlde visible Ergo the bodye of Christ filleth all the worlde corporally and substantially And this is their maner of reasoning But Paule in this place speaketh of the Prophecies of the olde lawe or as some other saye of the power and maiestie of christ Other expounde it of the spirituall grace and giftes which Christ after he had receyued all power shed vpon men as Ioel before prophecied But whether of these it is here is appointed no corporall presence of Christ vpon earth Christ had fulfilled all the things prophecied before of his incarnation passion death and resurrection Nowe remayned his ascention whereof there were prophecies and where through the businesse of our saluation as we afore declared shoulde be perfited and ended He therefore ascended that herein nothing shoulde be left vnfulfilled And if anye man will haue it vnderstanded rather of the maiestie and power of Christ which he declareth by the bestowing of his heauenly gifts I will not contende with him For thereto the sentence commeth bicause Christ hauing consummate and finished our saluation in his manhoode sayth hee hath receyued all power in heauen and in earth And then he sayde hee woulde send his holy spirite when he went from this worlde vnto his father Yea he sayde It is expedient for you that I go for if I go not that comforter will not come vnto you It is no lesse pieuishe where they reason from Christes diuinitie to his humanitie We confesse surely that these two natures are ioyned togyther in Christ and that Christs person by reason of them ought not to be deuided we say not that they be disioyned or seuered by reason of his death But that which no godly man will denie was done in hys death that here also is to be obserued In his death the distinction of the natures and properties remayned whole and safe For his humane nature suffred death which the diuine coulde not His humane nature suffred the crosse and diuers dolours which cannot happen to the diuine nature And he which as he was very man dyed vpon the crosse and being deade was buried the same as verye God shooke the earth tooke the light from the sunne and wrought effectually in the mindes of men and shewed most euident tokens of his godheade If the same be here considered this matter shall be easily perceyued For Christ touching his diuine nature is euery where and hath his operation euery where The same concerning his humane nature is contained in a certaine place of heauen which is the eternall dwelling of all those that be blessed And for all this we separate not the diuinitie from the humanitie when we say it filleth all places and is euerye where present But we follow the rule of Augustine who sayth We must beware that we doe not so defende or affirme the diuinitie of his manhoode that wee take awaye the veritie of his bodye c. By these also we are taught in what sense Christes promises are to be taken where he sayth he will be present with vs vnto the ende of the worlde For wee expounde them of the presence and power of his Godheade For Christ is present with those that be his by his diuine power and by operation of his holy spirite whereby he ruleth guideth keepeth safe and defendeth them He is with them by his grace and merite that they fall not into the snares of Synne and Satan but stande fast in the fauour and friendship of God the father As touching his bodily presence by other his words where he doth inculcate diuers times that he must go out of the worlde and that he can tary no longer in the worlde we learne that in these wordes he speaketh nothing concerning the same And if it lyke them to expounde these former promises of the presence of his body then where he sayth in another place he shall no longer tary in the world that must needes be vnderstanded of his godly presence For without we reconcyle these places so diuers in themselues by making a difference of his natures enterchaunge of properties of speach we shall be in much perplexitie and vncertaine What shall these men therefore get but while they contende about his bodilye presence bereue themselues of his spirite and diuine protection and as Terence the Poet sayth with reason become madde Neyther admit wee here their colde and shamelesse refuge whereby they would creepe away vnder the inuisible conuersation of Christes body here on earth For Christ speaketh not of the maner and qualitie of the thing but of the thing it selfe and denyeth that he tarieth any longer in the worlde But with what reason should he so say if he taried in the world inuisibly And in the .xxiiij. of Mathew he biddeth vs not to beleeue them which shoulde saye towarde the ende of the worlde he is here or there in the Closet Spence or Buttry Of these things nowe may be easily gathered how the wordes of the supper are to be vnderstanded We knowe that Christ reached breade to his Disciples and sayde This is my body But we say it is a sacramentall kind of speach whereby as is commonly seene the name of the thing signified is attributed to the signe After which sort Circumcision was called the couenant and the Easter feast the Passeouer Neyther obserue we this in this matter without cause for so the verity of Christs body enforceth vs wherof we haue already spoken And Christ himselfe in the Gospell of S. Iohn willing to take the grosse opinion of his flesh from his Disciples sendeth them to his ascention that there they might learne how his body coulde not substantially really be eaten but that they must vnderstand a spiritual eating which was by faith Looke the .vj. of Iohn I passe ouer many other things that might be sayde bicause I would not be to long in wordes It is our part to holde fast the plaine hystory of the ascention and with our harts lifted vp by faith to seeke Christ in heauen that wee may be fed euerlastingly with the vertue and merite of his flesh and bloude But let vs returne to the Aungels whose wordes haue in them a marueylous comfort For as they blame the grosse opinion of the Disciples desiring the bodily presence of Christ so they comfort them with the promise of his last comming This same Iesus say they which is taken vp from you shall so come as you haue seene him go hence The Aungels promyse a visible comming of christ And any comming inuisible beside that which is by his holy spirite the Scripture knoweth not That is a visible comming which we professe in the articles of our faith in which he shall come to iudge the quick and the dead Many things are saide in the scripture touching this comming
shoulde be exercised and tryed But bicause God is faythfull hee suffreth them not to bee tempted aboue their strength but in their temptation maketh a waye that they may beare it There are infinite examples hereof beside this â–ª that wee haue in hande Abraham is called out of his natiue countrie and is commaunded to go into a straunge countrie which he knoweth not inhabited with wicked dwellers But bicause he obeyeth Gods calling all thinge succeedeth luckily and he is increased and instored there not only with riches but also hath the friendship of the mightiest in the countrye His posteritie dwell there also and bicause they walke in Gods vocation they liue in safetie amongst them whom the destruction of the Citie of Sichem myght seeme with iust desire of reuenge to arme against them But God is their faythfull protector which caused this saying to sound in the mindes and eares of the Chananites Touch not mine annointed and doe my Prophetes no harme Let all men of what state or degree soeuer they be applye the consideration of these things vnto themselues and let them remember that there is a most large blessing and an infallible promise of Gods helpe ioyned to the commaundementes of God which vndoubtedlye they shall enioy that will endeuour to obey them See touching this blessing Deuter. 28. and Leuit. 26. But chiefly we must take heede that we admit not the counsell of mans witte in the things which we see expressely by Gods worde bidden or forbidden For this is a most present plague which casteâ—h aside all endeuour of obedience and maketh all our lyfe to be hatefull before god For there is no commaundement of God so holy so easie so healthfull wherein our fleshe will not finde some difficultie and daunger yea and some colour of vnrighteousnesse and iniquitie Obedience of fayth is required which as Paule sayth doth captiuate all mans vnderstanding beateth downe all the counsell of mans reason and bringeth whole man to the obedience of God and his worde Hereunto is to be referred that that God prescribeth in the law by these wordes Thou shalt not seeke after thine owne heart or thine owne eyes after the which you vse to go a whooâ—ing but you shall remember rather and doe all my commaundements be holy vnto your God. And againe Ye shall adde nothing to my worde which I haue coÌ„maunded you nor take nothing therefrom And if anye man require examples of them which haue euill thriued by breaking of Gods commaundement he shall finde both otherwheres and in the hystory of Saule diuers See. 1. Samuel 13. 15. But let vs haste to the reast In the seconde place Luke rehearseth the names of the Apostles and that not without a great purpose For besides that they whom Iesus Christ appoynteth to be the teachers of all the worlde ought well to be knowne least naughtye deceyuers might chalenge to them the office and authoritie of the same it was necessary that we might knowe surely howe they after their foule forsaking of Christ were restored againe to their former place and dignitie For all men knowe how shamefully they yeelded when Christ was taken by the souldiers and by the high Priestes seruaunts For then they all fled and left him And Peter which presumed so much of his owne strength committed the grieuouser offence bicause hee three times denyed him Therfore men might doubt not without some cause whether the Lord had taken such as they were into his fauour againe and whether such cowardly slydebacks might be beleeued Therfore to put all doubt out of our mindes and that we shoulde not thinke their foule fall at the first shoulde preiudice the truth of their doctrine the holye ghost woulde haue them againe by name to be rehearsed Iudas onely excepted that were appointed before Christes death to preache the Gospell vnto all the worlde And if you conferre the nameroll of this place with the things written Math. 10. Marc. 3. and Luke 6. you shall finde no maner of difference or disagreeing Nowe this is a singular example of the goodnesse of God which not only would forgiue so dishonest a forsaking of him but also woulde restore such as they to their former office and dignitie Here truly as Paule sayth Grace abounded where trespasse abounded For Peter which had three times denyed Christ heareth Christ three times againe say vnto him feede my shepe Hereof let them take comfort whose consciences are grieued with sinne that they dispaire not eyther bicause of the heynousnesse or multitude of their sinnes Turne vnto mee sayth the Lord and I will turne vnto you As sure as I liue I will not the death of a sinner but rather that he returne and liue This also is worthy the considering that in this nameroll the names of none but suche as were the most vylest and contemned persons in the iudgement of the worlde are rehearsed For first he reckeneth Peter Iames Iohn and Andrewe who before that time we reade were rascall fishers Here is also numbred Mathew the Publicane a defamed person by reason of his former trade of liuing As touching the nobilitie riches or honours of the other there is nothing any where mentioned But the sonne of God which hath power ouer the mindes of men might haue brought to his obedience the sonnes of the Princes and high Priestes to haue spred abroade the Gospell by the ministery of those who were of authoritie and power in the worlde but it pleased him to choose base and despised persons both for that we should knowe that God despiseth none in the worlde bee he neuer so vile and contemned and also for that wee shoulde learne to iudge of matters of faith and religion not according to mans authoritie but after the knowledge of the truth and worde of god For a most grieuous and perillous errour are they in which when they should pronounce of matters of the faith turne their eyes to the authoritie of men as though faith and religion depended of the iudgement of men and not rather of the onely word of god Tertullian a most auncient writer derideth the Romanes bicause they consecrated or allowed their Gods after the appoyntment of the Senators and woulde admit none for Gods but such as lyked the Senate And so doe they in these dayes which pronounce of faith and doctrine according to the renoume and authoritie of men which kinde of people are daylye euerywhere seene And for this cause our faith and religion is chieflye condemned of our aduersaries bicause it hath fewe Emperors and Kings fewe Popes Cardinals and Bishops that followe it But howe fowlye these men are deceyued the example of the Iewes declareth whome we reade to haue stumbled at the same stone For when they perceyued the doctrine of Christ somewhat lyked their ministers by and by they beginne to oppresse them with the authoritie of men saying Are yee also deceyued doe any
all he sheweth whereof hee shoulde beare witnesse namely of his resurrection Which is not so to be vnderstanded as though the Apostles should preach of nothing else but Christs resurrection but he thought hereby to expresse the chiefe article wherin al the other be contayned yea which plainely teacheth whereto all the other are to be referred For verilye the preaching of his death is of necessitie included and ioyned to the resurrection For how shall he teach that Christ is risen from death which first teacheth not that he died But if any man will teach that Christ dyed he must first speake of that nature of Christ in the which he was able to dye He must teache therefore that the sonne of God which is of one euerlastingnesse substance with the father at the tyme appoynted tooke mans nature in the virgins wombe in the which after many and diuers troubles of this life at length he suffred bitter death vpon the aultar of the Crosse. Therefore he that will be a Preacher and witnesse of the resurrection of Iesus Christ must omitte none of the things that went before the same But there is another cause also why Peter would make mention of the resurrection For this is the ende accomplishment of our redemption as Paule sheweth at large in the first Epistle to the Corinthians the .xv. Chapter For sinne is the sting power of death whervnto all men were subiect But that death is ouercome and vanquished the resurrection of Christ doth manifestly declare Wherefore sinne also by meanes whereof death had power ouer vs by the meryte of the same Christ must needes be taken awaye And if the guylt of sinne be taken awaye death spoyled and vnarmed then who seeth not how the Serpents heade is all to crushed and the tyranny of the Deuill vtterly subdued In deede he rageth yet and maketh an horrible adooe but Christian mindes are not afraide of his terrors For how shoulde he be able to hurt vs who hauing the dartes of sinne and death taken from him is all naked and of no force But this Christ hath taken away whyle he purged the sinnes of the worlde vppon the aultare of the Crosse and by his glorious resurrection hath killed the force of death Therefore syth Peter will haue him which must be taken into the number of the Apostles to be a witnesse of Christes resurrection he appoynteth him the same office that the residue had to whome it was sayde Go yee into all the worlde and preache the kingdome of God vnto all creatures Whosoeuer beleeueth and is baptized shall bee saued In the meane season they that in these dayes will be called and taken for successors of the Apostles are admonished of their dutie For although no man can require of them to be such witnesses as sawe Christes resurrection yet their office is truly and boldly to beare witnesse of Christ and of all those things that he aswell did as suffred for vs that all men may vnderstande howe the redemption and saluation of mankinde is contayned in Christ onely For whosoeuer will be taken for Apostolykes being puft vp onely with the bare name thereof and neyther can nor will preache they are not the right successors of the Apostles but foolishe Pastors such as are described in Zachary the .xj. Chapter And on them that sentence of Paule may truly be spoken Woe vnto mee if I preach not It is our partes to acknowledge the goodnesse of God which woulde haue his sonne to dye for our sinnes and to ryse agayne for our iustification and hath also gyuen vs most faythfull witnesses of Christes most profitable resurrection Let vs therefore beleeue their testimonye that being borne agayne of the seede of the immortall worde wee maye be made the heyres of God and coheyres with Iesus Christ to whome be blessing honour glorye and power for euer Amen The ninth Homelie THEN they appoynted two Ioseph which is called Barsabas whose surname was Iustus and Matthias And when they prayed they sayde Thou Lorde which knowest the hearts of all men shewe whether of these two thou hast chosen that he may take the roume of this ministration and Apostleship from which Iudas by transgression fell that he might go to his owne place And they gaue forth their lottes and the lotte fell on Matthias and hee was counted with the eleuen Apostles AS the Church hath great neede of Ministers of the Worde by whose meane it may be instructed and confirmed in the knowledge of God and mysteries of the true fayth so it behooueth that the same be duely truely chosen and ordayned that all men may perceyue they be chosen and appoynted of god Which thing was the cause that in the election of a newe Apostle to be put in the roume of Iudas the primitiue Church proceeded with so great circumspection deliberation And the holy ghost would haue all this hystory diligently described for that a sure rule and president might be left to them that came after whereby to order the election of their Ministers The first thing herein to be obserued is that S. Peter referreth all the matter to the congregation to be discussed by their whole consent and counsell We are taught hereby that nothing ought to be appointed or decreed in the Church by any one mans priuate authoritie For where the Church is as Paule sayth Gods building and Gods husbandry yea the housholde and familye of God. No man must take vpon him so much authoritie as to thinke he hath power giuen him to prescrybe any thing of his owne heade And although the rashnesse of some go so farre yet he shall little profite amongst the true sheepe of Christ which vse to harken and follow the voyce of Christ onely But let vs returne to the narration of the hystory begoon by Luke who hauing recited Peters oration now rehearseth the election of the new Apostle which we must diligently expende in euerye poynt First he sheweth that two be openly named and set in the sight of the whole congregation Then with godly and deuout prayer they commit the election it selfe vnto God whose will and pleasure they seeke to enquire by religious lottes Then they appoynted twoo sayth he Ioseph which was called Barsabas whose surname was Iustus and Matthias Although the order howe this was done is not expressed yet it is likely it was done by common consent of all the congregation For where Peter referred the matter to the whole Church he coulde not pretermit the iudgement of the Church It seemeth therefore euerye mans sentence was asked and that they named all those to the Church whom they thought meetest for the office of an Apostle And here the Church at length agreed that eyther Ioseph or Matthy should be chosen to that roume as men who excelled the others in all kinde of vertues And both of them vndoubtedlye was such that whether had had the place the lot coulde not seeme
also is a remedy agaynst the slaunder of the crosse but rather it is to be referred to the order of our redemption and saluation which he purposeth to intreate of But bicause he speaketh of the resurrection in the processe following we will now be the shorter Among other things it is chiefely to be considered that hauing described the person of Christ omitting many other things he maketh mention onely of his death and resurrection The cause was for that in these twoo the whole summe of our saluation is conteyned For by his death he pourged the trespasse of our sinne which otherwyse coulde not haue bene pourged By his resurrection he ouercame death which was the punishment of sinne and subdued the forte thereof according to the saying of the Prophete alleaged by Paule Death is swallowed vp in victorie Death where is thy sting Hell where is thy victory The same thing Peter seemeth to meane in this place where he sayth that the sorowes of death were loosed by Christes resurrection bicause it was impossible that he shoulde be holden of it Neyther of the dolors of the body which followe death can it be expounded syth yet we feele them to be most bytter But the powers of death are loosed and the terrors taken away wherewith in times past it tormented mens mindes For it vsed sinne as a sting the punishment wherof God appoynted this death and therfore it must needes be terrible seeing it was the punishment of sinne And albeit Christ hath taken sinne away yet death remayneth whereby we passe out of thys life and worlde but by the merite of Christ it is made the doore of lyfe and therefore it can no more feare them that beleeue as Christ sayth He that heareth my worde and beleeueth on him that sent mee hath euerlasting lyfe and shall not come into damnation but is scaped from death vnto lyfe Therfore sayth the Apostle in another place that Christ through death subdued him that had Lordship ouer death Which coulde not haue bene sayde vnlesse he had risen againe after death Therefore these twoo must alwayes be ioyned togither which thing Paule doth diligentlye obserue where he sayth Christ was deliuered for our sinnes and raysed agayne for our iustification Agayne This is the worde of faith which we preach If thou knowledge with thy mouth that Iesus is the Lorde and beleeue in thy heart that God raised him vp from death thou shalt be safe Where he maketh mention onely of the resurrection but he therein includeth death also bicause a resurrection without death can not be imagined Let vs therefore learne to know Iesus Christ who being verye God from euerlasting became man for our sake cleansed our sinnes by his death ouercame the sorrowes and strength of death by his glorious resurrection and being ascended into heauen maketh intercession for vs To him be blessing honor power and glory for euer Amen The .xv. Homelie FOR Dauid sayth of him afore hande I sawe God alwayes before mee for he is on my right hande that I shoulde not be mooued Therfore did my heart reioyce and my tongue was glad Moreouer also my flesh shall rest in hope bicause thou wilt not leaue my soule in hell neyther wilt thou suffer thine holy one to see corruption Thou hast shewed mee the wayes of lyfe thou shalt make me full of ioy with thy countenance THe Apostle Peter in our yesterdayes Sermon declared the chiefe articles of our Christian faith shewing vs how Iesus Christe was very God and man how he suffred death for vs and rose againe from the deade The ende and vse of all whiche is to teache vs to acknowledge him to be the redeemer of mankinde that was promised Howbeit the article of resurrection for many causes might seeme very incredible among the Iewes For besides that it seemeth doubtfull to mans reason there was no small number of Saduceys which flatly denied it And the souldiours being bribed of the Priestes with money had bruted a false rumour how the disciples of Christ had stolne his bodye out of the graue Yea and Christ himselfe after his resurrection did not shewe himselfe to all the people as before he vsed but was conuersant onely with his disciples Therefore it was necessarye that this article shoulde be both more plainly declared and with more sounde arguments confirmed especially for that the Apostles fayth was had in suspition of all men Wherfore Peter flyeth to the authoritie of Dauid the most notable king and Prophete among the Iewes by the testimony of whom taken out of the .xvj. psalme he prooueth that the resurrection of Christ ought to seeme neyther straunge nor incredible forasmuch as the same came to passe according to the counsell and ordinance of God and was also long before prophecied by the Oracles of the Prhphets And bicause Peter afterward confirmeth the authoritie of this testimony and sheweth that it appertayneth only vnto Christ it should be superfluous nowe to tarie long in proofe of the same For the authority of so great an Apostle ought to suffice vs which the Iewes their selues to whome these things were spoken were not able to refell Let vs rather marke that Dauid so speaketh this in the person of Christ that he himselfe also taketh comfort thereof which comfort belongeth also to all them that woorship Christ bicause the things spoken of the heade must after a sorte belong also vnto the members We must therfore diligentlye consider this place which most absolutely comprehendeth in it all the reason of true religion with the most wholesome fruites of so holy a studie amongst which the resurrection of the bodies is mentioned which the holy Prophet declareth diligently and at large He expresseth in one verse the whole summe of all godlynesse and holy life where he sayth Afore hande I sawe God alwayes before mee For he is on my right hande that I should not be mooued Here are two things sayd First he telleth what he doth then wherefore he so doth Touching the first he sayth Aforehande I sawe God alwayes before me Or as it is in the Hebrue I set God in my sight or before mine eyes Therfore Christ followed this rule of lyfe to set the Lorde alwayes before his eyes and to thinke he liued alwayes in his sight This to doe as it ought to be twoo things are most worthy to be obserued The one is the study endeuour of obedience For we vse to saye they set God before their eyes which haue regarde to his preceptes and being stirred vp with an holye feare of God study to please him from whom they know nothing is hid Concerning this study of obedience God himselfe speaketh where he commaundeth Abraham to walke before him or in his sight The other is fayth whereby in aduersitie we looke onely to God and seeke for helpe succour and deliuery from him onely Hereof Dauid in an other place speaketh saying Beholde euen as
A Prophet shall the Lord your God rayse vp vnto you euen of your brethren like vnto me him shall you heare in all things whatsoeuer he shall saye vnto you For the time will come that euerye soule which will not heare that same Prophete shall bee destroyed from among the people All the Prophets also from Samuell and thenceforth as many as haue spoken haue in likewise tolde of these dayes AFter that the Apostle Peter had grieuouslye accused the heynous wickednesse of the Iewes which they committed against the sonne of God in the thirde part of his sermon he gaue them counsell howe to obteyne saluation as we declared in our last Sermon He bade them repent and conuert vnto God which we partly doe by repentance and partly by faith in Iesus Christ through whose merite we be reconciled vnto god But it was no small blocke that kept the Iewes from embracing of christ For where they were not yet come to the knowledge of him a great many feared that if they shoulde receyue him they shoulde offende against Moyses and the lawe giuen them from god And it seemed a weightie matter to them to forsake the religion which God had giuen vnto them and which they had helde so many yeares after that order and according as they receyued it of their forefathers Therefore the Apostle in the fourth part of his oration correcteth this errour teaching them that both Moyses and the Prophetes direct the true worshippers of God vnto Christ and that therefore they so little offended against the lawe by beleeuing in Christ that rather they disobey Moyses and beleeue not the Prophetes truly except they receyue Christ of whome they beare witnesse Againe least they shoulde distrust the goodnesse of Christ whome they nowe so oftentimes hearde they had offended by their great crueltie he declareth that he that was promised to the fathers belongeth to them also and is their sauiour as well as the fathers so that they woulde embrace him with true fayth But at this present we will speake but of those thinges onely which Peter alledgeth concerning the mysterie of Christ grounded vppon the bookes of the olde Testament He beginneth with Moyses bicause he was of greatest authoritie among the Iewes Out of whome where he might haue brought diuers testimonies he taketh one among a manye whereby he teacheth vs that Christ was long agone appointed to be the teacher and schoolemaister of Gods people Which thing serued much to this present purpose bicause as I saide euen nowe many thought it a grieuous matter to forsake Moyses who they knewe was appointed of God to be their lawmaker and maister He sheweth therefore that it was not Moyses minde that they should alwaye hang vppon him but that he pointed them to another Prophete which shoulde more perfitely teache them all things The place is in Deuteronomie .xviij. Chapter In that place are prohibited all superstitious and soothsaying Artes of the heathen whereby they go about to search out the knowledge of thinges to come and the secretes of God by diuination by the wicked Mathematicalles by the noise of birdes flying by Necromancie and such like kinde of diuinations And Moyses doth aduertise them that they shoulde forsake these things and turne to the only worde of God and wholy depend vpon the same And bicause they should not thinke it an harde matter to finde out the meaning of Gods word he sayth they should neuer want Prophetes whome God would rayse vp from among themselues by whose ministerie they shoulde learne what the will of God was in all things they shoulde take in hande And they are not deceyued which thinke that an vniuersall promise is conteyned in this place whereby the gift of prophecie is established and confirmed in the people and Church of god But Peter wittily applieth this generall promise vnto Christ who it is euident is the chiefe of the Prophetes and by whose spirite as he sayth in another place all the Prophetes were ledde and inspired And that the things here spoken by Moyses belong vnto Christ is more euident than needeth anye long demonstration For he was both borne of the Iewes and was sent of God as appeareth by his doctrine and myracles whiche we see in all pointes conformable to the doctrine of the Apostles Therefore Peters argument seemeth most strong whereby he laboureth to perswade them to beleeue in Christ according to Moyses saying euen as if he shoulde say Moyses so little challengeth to him selfe alone all authoritie of teaching that he commaundeth vs to giue eare and credite to euerye Prophete teaching the worde of God and hath appointed all those that despise the Prophetes sayings to be punished with death Therfore how much more ought you to beleeue Christ who hath taught vs the will of God the father more plainly and perfitely than anye man and in whome most truly are verified whatsoeuer Moyses sayth of that Prophete And so Peter trimlye toucheth the ende and scope of his purpose that is to take out of their mindes that preposterous religion which let and hindred them with the ouermuch reuerence of Moyses and the law and their pieuish opinion and woulde not let them to embrace Iesus Christ. Yet bicause both Peter and Steuen as appeareth hereafter expounde this place of Moyses as ment of Christ we also will here search out such thinges as maye enstruct vs in the knowledge of christ And first of all Moyses doth elegantlye describe vnto vs Christ our sauiour Next he teacheth vs what dutie we owe vnto him and pronounceth sentence of death agaynst them that doe contemne him First in the description of Christ he sheweth of whome he shall spring or be borne The Lorde your God shall rayse him vp of your brethren He must then be borne of the Iewes which is an infallible argument of hys incarnation and of his true manhoode whereby they are conuinced which saye Christ brought his flesh from heauen and tooke it not of the substance of the virgin but came through the virgin into the worlde as water runneth through a conduite Verily Paule testifieth that he tooke not on him the aungels nature or any heauenly creatures but the seede of Abraham And speaking of the prerogatiues of the Iewes wherewith God aboue other nations did vouchsafe to endue them among other things he maketh mention howe Christ touching the fleshe shoulde be borne of them which is God in all things to be praysed for euer Wherevnto the promises of the olde Testament are to be referred where often times he is called one whyle the seede of the woman another whyle the seede of Abraham and of Dauid We must here obserue the singular goodnesse of God who hauing appointed his sonne to be our sauiour and teacher woulde haue the same incarnated and made man least eyther we might be afrayde of his maiestie or thinke he disdained our infirmitie which Paule also considered Heb. 2. 4. Secondlye he
which should be borne of his stocke There are manye other more euident than this vttered by Dauid such as appeare Psalm 2.22.89.119 c. Of Esaye what neede we to speake which hath written so playne an hystorie of all the thinges which Christ shoulde doe that as S. Ierome sayth he deserueth in many places to be taken for an Euangelist rather than a Prophete The lyke is to be affirmed of all the other Prophetes whose sayings if we should rehearce worde by worde we might sooner finde howe to beginne than to make an ende Let it suffyce to tell you that there is no so small a thing in Christ but the same may be proued by the oracles of the olde Testament wherevpon we also gather that the bookes of the olde Testament ought not to be condemned as certaine phanaticall persons affirme which crye they belong onelye to the Iewes They sinne agaynst the industrie and goodnesse of God which thought good all maner of wayes to confirme our saluation Therefore let vs marke here both the certaintie of the doctrine of the Gospell and Christian faith and also the antiquitie therof for if we ioyne vnto the testimonies of Moyses and the Prophetes the figures of the lawe and the auncient promises made long before to the Patriarches a man shall easily perceyue that there was neuer anye kinde of doctrine or religion confirmed and set forth with so many testimonies The first standeth vpon the promise which was made in Paradise to our first parents concerning the seede of the woman which shoulde treade downe the serpents heade Therefore great is the folly or rashnesse of them to speake no worse which eyther openly dare gainesay the doctrine of the Gospell or else seeke other counselles by authoritie whereof to determine and rule our fayth and religion For what doe these men else but reprooue God which spake by Moyses and the Prophetes of lying or at leastwise call his truth in doubt Besides they foolishly require the authoritie of men whereas we ought not to beleeue an Angell teaching the contrary Therfore letting them go let vs embrace Christ whome one vniforme consent of Scripture setteth out to vs in whome only all righteousnesse sanctification truth and saluation is conteyned To him be prayse honour glory and power for euer Amen The .xxv. Homelie Ye are the children of the prophetes and of the couenant which God made vnto our fathers saying to Abraham Euen in thy seede shall all the kinreds of the earth bee blessed First when God had raysed vp his sonne Iesus vnto you he sent him to blesse you that euery one of you shoulde turne from his wickednesse THe Apostle Peter so sheweth the Iewes the way and meane vnto saluation that therewith also he remooueth all impedimentes which myght lette them from taking that waye where we had two things chiefely to consider The first was the preposterous obseruance of Moyses and their auncestries religion For they feared if they embraced Christ they shoulde offende agaynst the lawe and religion which God gaue vnto their forefathers He teacheth them therefore that therein is no daunger bicause both Moyses and the Prophetes directed and sent men vnto christ But that they rather offended against Moyses which disdayned to receiue Christ whereas Moyses long before appointed that such as they were shoulde be punished by death There was yet one other stoppe which was the conscience of that sinne which they had committed agaynst christ For where they had wickedly denied him as Peter before tolde them they sawe it was meete and conuenient that Christ also should denye and forsake them and not regarde or accept their repentaunce And they coulde not be ignorant howe God by his Prophete reiecteth the prayers of such as woulde holde vp handes vnto him embrued with bloude Wherefore Peter in this place remedyeth this inconuenience and prooueth by strong argumentes that Iesus Christ appertayneth to them also and will not put them backe if they will turne vnto him with all their hearts which is the principall state and subiect of this place wherwith also he concludeth his sermon with very good successe Before we enter into Peters wordes we haue an example in him to marke which teacheth vs the right trade howe to preach the Gospell That consisteth herein to make all men vnderstand how the promises of the gospell appertaine vnto them For vnlesse they be hereof assured they neither can make great account of them ne yet surely trust vnto them Which thing is the cause that Paule is so diligent in proouing the vocation of the Gentyles For in vaine shoulde the Gospell haue bene preached to them except they had knowne that the saluation purchased by Christ had aswell belonged to them as to the Iewes For this cause all the promises of the Gospell are vniuersall and may be applied to all men which with true fayth will embrace them Come vnto me sayth Christ all ye that labour and are heauie laden c. So God loued the worlde that he gaue his onely begotten sonne for vs to th ende that all that beleeue in him shoulde not perishe but haue lyfe euerlasting And in another place he sayth that he prayeth for all them that shoulde beleeue in him through the preaching of the Apostles Wherevnto also is to be referred that that Iohn sayth that is howe all they which are sinners haue Christ for their aduocate bicause hee hath giuen himselfe an attonement for the sinnes of all the worlde And Paule oftentimes in the businesse of saluation excludeth all respect of persons and testifieth that all they that beleue in Christ haue saluation giuen them of God in him See Rom. 10. Galat. 3. Colos. 3. Ministers must so minde and remember these things that they must debarre no man from the vniuersall promises of God but must so deuide and order the word of the Gospell that no man may doubt of the certaintie of his saluation but maye vnderstande that the merite of Christ belongeth to them all indifferently Now after these premisses let vs come to Peters saying which with three arguments most strongly confirmeth the Iewes fayth First he admonisheth them of their auncient dignitie and of their elders saying you be the children of the Prophetes that is to say you come of that people or nation of whome the Prophetes came Or rather you be the children of the Patriarches who it is euident were most notable Prophetes as by whome the promises of saluation were declared first vnto mankind For the which cause the holy ghost long agone called them Prophetes Hereof Peter gathereth that without doubt the promises long before reuealed by the Prophetes appertaine to the nation of the Iewes if so be they will receyue them and imitate the fayth of their progenitors For Peter in this place doth attribute nothing here to carnall generation which is of no effect in those that degenerate and waxe wicked as those graue expostulations of
Iohn the Baptist and Christ doe plainely declare where they seuerely and earnestly rebuke the Iewes glorying in the bare title of Abraham But Peter by this argument confirmeth those that might dispaire to the entent they might vnderstande their traueyle should not be in vaine if they woulde follow their fathers the Prophetes and embrace Christ the Sauiour whome they foretolde was to come Marke how Peter going about to perswade the Iewes to hope for saluation first maketh mention of the Prophetes He knewe therefore that this was the chiefe argument of Gods fauour toward vs to giue vs expositors of his will bicause that except we perfitely knew it we could not attaine vnto saluation Therfore among the benefites of the olde testament which God in time passed bestowed on his people this is chiefely to be remembred that he furnished them with Prophetes by whome they might be taught the will of god See Mich. 6. Amos. 2. Psal. 107. 2. Paral. 36. Yea Christ himselfe by this argument prooueth that he tooke the Apostles for his friendes bicause he hid none of those thinges from them which were shewed to him of his father Whereof we gather howe great the ingratitude and wickednesse of them is which dare contemne the worde of God and hisse at the Prophets by whose ministerie the same is preached They shall one daye feele the sentence of Christ when he most seuerely reuenge the contempt of his seruants as he threateneth Math. 10. Secondly he calleth to their remembrance the vocation of the Iewes and promise of God alleaging the couenaunt or testament of God made in the time past with Abraham You sayeth he are the children of the couenant which God made with your fathers saying to Abraham Euen in thy seede shall all the kinreds of the earth be blessed He seemeth by an Hebrewe phrase to call them the children of the Testament to whom the Testament belonged and which were Heires written in the Testament of god For so we reade they are called the children of wrath or death whome God in his wrath appointeth to death Peter seemeth to make two argumentes The first is of a thinge before denounced or shewed saying God in the Testament which he made with your fathers hath written you for heyres also Ergo the saluation contayned in the Testament of God belongeth as well to you as to the fathers The Antecedent needed no great proofe with those who knewe the promise of God well ynough I will be thy God and the God of thy seede after thee Then alleaging the summe and effect of the Testament he prooueth by an argument a comparatis that is of things compared or layde togither that they cannot be excluded from the promises For thus God testified to their father Abraham that in his seede all the Nations of the earth shoulde be blessed And if the Testament of God extended to forreine Nations who I pray you will denye that it appertayneth to them that be borne of the stocke of Abraham Yet let vs alwaye remember that Peter speaketh these things condicionally and that saluation is promised to them which by the faith that was in Abraham take holde of Christ least we attribute vnto carnall generation that which dependeth vpon the meere grace of God and his free election as Paule at large prooueth to the Romaines the .ix. Chapter By this place may the madnesse of the Anabaptistes be confuted which will not admit the children borne of the faythfull into the societie and fellowship of Christes Church yet none of vs denie but that saluation standeth in Goddes election and not in carnall generation In the meane whyle where as God in his Testament hath longe since included the children of the faythfull it may seeme great rashnesse to denye them the communion of the Testament and Churche of god Shall we thinke the condicions of the newe Testament more hard and grieuous for our children than the olde were whan by Circumcision the eyght day they were taken into the fellowship of the people of God Or shall the authoritie of Christ be of no force with vs which attributeth fayth to little children and affirmeth that the kingdome of heauen pertaineth to them Or what shall we saye to Paule which speaking of vnlike mariages feareth not to call those children holy which haue but one parent onely be it father or mother that is a Christian Let vs therefore auoyde the headye audacitie of our iudgement and constantly keepe the articles of Gods couenant where it is manifest that saluation is promised euen to very children It is diligently to be considered that God woulde haue our redemption and saluation comprised in a couenant or Testament Which thing as it begon in Abraham so was it afterwarde many times renewed with Abrahams posteritie ofspring Hereto appertayne the things spoken by Dauid Psal. 89. and. 132. and also the things we read in Ieremy 31. touching the new Testament of god And God did not onely make a Testament but confirmed the same with an othe For he sware vnto Abraham and that by himselfe bicause he coulde sweare by no greater These thinges serue to proue the certaintie of our saluation For if no man reiect or breake a mans testament after it is engrossed lawfully prooued then none hath so much authoritie as to infringe or violate the Testament of god For Paule saith the gifts of God are without repentance and his calling cannot be broken God affirmeth the same Ieremie the .33 saying If the couenant which I haue made with daye and night may be broken that there shoulde not be daye and night in due season then maye my couenaunt also be broken which I made with Dauid my seruant c. And in another place he sayeth that the naturall affections of the parents towarde their children be not so sure and vehement as the care he hath to keepe the truth of his Testament and the certaintie of our saluation It shall be profitable to marke diligentlye the summe of Gods Testament which is alleaged by Peter out of the .xxij. chap. of Genesis In thy seede sayth God vnto Abraham shall all the kinredes of the earth bee blessed In which wordes God comprehendeth three thinges First he sheweth what profite commeth to vs by his Testament Secondly he declareth the mediator by whome we shall receyue it Thirdly he teacheth to whome the inheritance of this Testament is to be extended First God promiseth a blessing which is set agaynst the curse as appeareth in Deut. 27. and .28 This blessing comprehendeth in it the whole and entire safetie of man and specially the fauour of God which enricheth vs with all kinde of goodes For it cannot be that he can want either in bodie or soule that hath God fauourable and mercifull to him And it behooued this thing should expressely be promised vs bicause by nature as many as are of the stocke
morning the Bishops come togither and call an assembly or counsell consulting which waye they maye quench the fire of the Gospell But the Lorde from aboue laughing at them and meaning to make all the worlde laugh at them by the helpe of one Aungell deliuereth the Apostles out of prison and marueylously eludeth the counsell of their enimies who thought themselues craftie and wyly ynough But bicause it seemed good to the holy ghost to describe all the partes of this hystorie we also must thinke no studie or diligence to much to search them out bicause we maye receyue much profite by our traueyle therein First therefore let vs consider the Counsell to the which we sayd they busily addressed and hyed themselues the circumstaunces whereof beyng considered we shall perceyue all things declaring a shew and countenance of a lawfull Counsayle The chiefe in the Counsayle is the high Priest who in these cases was appoynted of God to haue the highest authoritie and who by Goddes apoyntment was most to be obeyed For sentence of death was long ago giuen against them which durst obstinately despise the Priestes saying To him be adioyned the other Priestes least anye man might thinke the Bishop did any thing of his priuate affection And least any man also might suspect the whole order of Priests the Elders were also called the institution of which order was long before appoynted of God and represented the forme of the whole Church Furthermore they take vnto them the Capitaine of the Temple with the other publike Officers that bicause they woulde seeme to doe nothing against the common weale These things being thus ordeyned what letteth nowe that this should not be a Counsell lawfully gathered togither Surely touching outwarde appearance you can easily require none other thing But if a man regarde the ende of all this doing it shall appeare they were not gathered togither by the holy ghost but by the instigation of Satan and that therefore no good or godly person ought to obey or submit himselfe to them For they assembled togither to oppresse the truth and they go about to ouerthrowe the kingdome of Christ by conspiracie Thys place teacheth vs to iudge of counsayles which are now a daies in euery mans mouth bicause manye suppose controuersies of religion can not be decyded wythout a generall counsayle Touching whose opinion as I will not nowe dispute so it seemeth to me it would be very profitable if such a free and generall counsell might be obteyned wherein all controuersies might be concluded by the onely worde of God such as was the Synode of the Apostles whereof shall be spoken in the .xv. chapter and such as we knowe those olde counsayles were of Nicaea Constantinople Ephesus and Chalcedon and such other as the godly Emperours by their authoritie gouerned and ruled least the ambition of Byshops might kindle more cōtention But whether we may hope for any such like in these dayes I can not easily tell bicause I see none of the contrary parte contented to forsake their possession of the Church wrongfully vsurped nor wylling to submyt themselues to the iudgement of others Agayne if we consider what counsels haue beene these many yeres since the Bishops of Rome gate the supremacie ouer the Church no man that is in hys right wits can looke for any goodnesse to come of them bicause they obserue not so much as any outwarde shewe of a lawfull counsayle For to beginne with the chiefe poynt Their counsayles vse to be summoned and called by the Byshops of Rome whose supremacie is not ordeyned of God and is most contrarie to the glorie of christ They also will be the chiefe rulers Presidents and Iudges of the counsell which ought rather to pleate their cause and to gyue an account of their stewardship which many yeres now hath bene requyred of them They haue Bishops sytting which them not such as Paule requyreth but such as the God on earth vseth to create from whome if a man take their pieuishe and stage play apparell and vayne names and tytles they shall haue nothing left that representeth any show of Byshoply duetie or dignitie And they onely haue authoritie to gyue sentence which are not worthy the lowest rowme in the Church but are by Gods sentence long since excommunicated For the Prophet affirmeth that the Chanaanites that is to say sellers of holye thinges shall haue no place in the Lordes house And such as they did Christ long since dryue out of the Iewish temple And Christ sayth in his reuelation that Infidels Murtherers Whoremongers Wytches Idolaters and all lyers haue their place prepared in the lake burning with fyre and Brymstone And who I pray you is so impudent that will denie but a many of them are polluted with these vyces which yet haue onely the power and authoritie to iudge matters of religion And although they vse to call Emperours kings and princes to their counsayle it skilleth not bicause it is euident they haue all sworne obedience to the Pope and are not accounted for Catholikes onlesse they giue vp themselues wholy to the Sea of Rome Wherfore thys outward shewe representeth no lawfull counsayle but with a vayne visure beguyleth the simple and vnwarie And if a man marke the ende wherevnto they referre all thing it shall appeare more plainely that they seeke onely the oppressing of the truth and the ghospell than needeth with many words to be declared For this doth the bloud of the Martyrs of Christ testifie which they haue shed and most greedily thirst after The warres whereof they haue bene the first authors agaynst the mainteyners of the true fayth doe prooue the same They confesse the same in their Bulles wherby they summon and call counsellers For they so burne in hatred of the truth that where they are wholy couered with hypocrisie and furnished at all points to cloke and dyssemble all things yet can they herein little or nothing dissemble their great hatred but openly professe that which they long ago haue conceyued against the Ghospell Therefore let them that desyre the ouerthrowe of Christes church and kingdome and will wittingly perishe submit matters of fayth and religion to their iudgement But whosoeuer hath a care of his owne saluation of the glorie of Christ and safetie of the Church let him vnderstande that this saying of Dauid chiefly belongeth to this place Blessed is that man that hath not walked in the counsell of the vngodly nor stande in the way of sinners and hath not sitte in the seate of the scornefull But let vs let passe these matters and come to the priestes and Elders who hauing consulted about the Apostles sende their seruaunts to the prison to bring them before the counsell And here the Lorde agaynst whom they stroue doth marueylously mocke and deryde them For the seruaunts finde the Apostles deliuered out of prison They returne to their maysters and so declare the matter that they
Euangelist Luke yesterdaye declared vnto vs what crymes the highe Priest obiected to the Apostles and howe the Apostles aunswered them Which hystory serueth chiefly to this purpose that we myght vnderstande with what crymes the wycked are wonte to defame the truth and the Ministers thereof and also what constancie and boldenesse it behooueth vs to vse in the defence of the same Where the first and chiefe care must be for the dutie that we owe vnto God that for any mans fauour or pleasure we offende not against the same Then we must take heede that through our fearefulnesse our enimies waxe not the more insolent as it appeareth their propertie is Furthermore we must constantly holde fast and keepe the confession of Christ that we be not ashamed of him before men who was not ashamed to become man and suffer death for our sake Nowe it foloweth what effect this aunswere or Apologie had with the wicked enimies of Christ which is a verie notable place bicause it reprooueth both the incurable obstinacie of the wicked and also teacheth vs howe easilie God beateth downe theyr bloudy enterprises First speaking of those which had conceaued an implacable hatred against the truth he sayth when they heard that they claue a sunder and were as men ready to burst for anger For it spited the prowde and ambitious men to see their authoritie so little regarded and it seemed a thing to them intollerable to here the truth of Christ so boldly and stoutely defended Therfore in the verie presence of the Apostles they consult howe to put them to death And it is verie lyke they rather vsed furious exclamations than any graue deliberation This example teacheth vs that the wicked and reprobate which are hardned in the hatred of Christ can no maner of waye be mytygated and mollified For such can not receiue the holy ghost who onelye hath power to alter and chaunge the hartes as we sayde in the last sermon For although the outwarde worde of God pierce their mindes and touch their consciences yet it hardeneth them and maketh them the more fierce And as great heate in the vpper region of the ayre dissolueth not a colder matter drawne vp thyther but maketh it congeale into yse Euen so the mindes of the wicked the more they are vrged with the worde of God the more fierce they wax and hard hearted Or else as the heate of the sunne melteth the wax but hardneth myre and claye so the worde of God wherewith the mindes of the vngodly are wonte to be taught and enfourmed maketh the vngodly more stubborne and frowarde Not that the fault is in the worde of God but bicause the corruption of nature in the wicked is such that it letteth stoppeth the true effect of the word Examples here of we haue in Caine and Pharao in Saul and Achab in Iudas the traitor and infinite others wherevnto these men may also be adioyned as the matter well declareth Here let vs learne what to iudge of the men in our dayes which manifestly vtter their â—ankred hatred against the worde where we are further taught what an heynous offence it is to persecute the truth especially if it proceede not of ignoraunce and of a foolishe zeale towarde God but of the instigation of most corrupt affections This thing deserueth that we are made vnfitte for the medicine of Gods worde which onely is able to restore vs to health and lyfe Furthermore thys example teacheth vs what the wicked enimies of the truth meaning and purpose is in their counsels surely none other but that the ministers of truth maye be made out of the waye who alone they suppose hinder their desyres wyshes For this they all peculiarly thinke that there is nothing more against them than the worde of God which reprooueth their wickednesse whereby it commeth to passe that they are not ashamed to shewe all their power against a fewe of simple men and to striue with all their might and mayne against them whome valiaunt men and of haultie courage would scarce vouchsafe to take any labour or paine about But these men be of an other opinion for they haue perswaded themselues that then they are safe when they be no more troubled with the painefull sermons of Gods worde So Achab thought Elias onely was his enimie and the disturber of the people of Israell and promised himselfe certaine victorie against the Assyrians till he tooke Micheas to counsell who as he was perswaded delighted in nothing but in telling of vnlucky tydings Euen so these men beleeued they should then be free from the gylte of Christes bloude and in safegarde and sure if the Apostles might be dispatched out of the waye that they could ring no more in their eares And euen nowe a dayes if a man happen to demaunde of some men what it is that most grieueth them they onely complayne of the Ministers of Gods worde And hereof commeth it to passe that this worlde so rageth against the preachers of the truth that it beleeueth they onely are the disturbers of all publike peace and tranquilitie which thing since it hath in all ages beene done let vs not marueyle at the vsage of our dayes nor be offended at the attempts of the wicked of whome Christ hath so often gyuen vs warning Let vs rather arme our selues with the spirite of constancie fortitude and pacience let vs also walke warely and circumspectly in the vocation wherevnto the Lorde hath appointed vs as Christ long agoe hath taught vs. But some man may marueyle by whose helpe and intercession the Apostles were deliuered out of the handes of their most cruell enimies and from the perill of present death Luke sheweth there stoode vp a patrone and defender of them one of their owne bench and number that is to saye Gamaliel whose profession he diligently describeth For he sayeth he was a Pharisey which sect as it ascribed to it selfe a countenance of outwarde iustice so was it most aduersary to the Christian faith and doctrine Further he was a doctor of the lawe wherevnto it appeareth he gaue more studye than the residue of his profession his studie wanted not a profitable successe Beside this he was of great authoritie which made all the people to loue him and reuerence him And that was a thing in this matter verye commodious and auaileable For where the residue of them feared the people his authoritie they coulde not reiect vpon whome they knewe all the Commons depended He therefore being mooued with the importunate deuises of his fellowe Phariseyes and meaning to withstande their furiousnesse commaundeth the Apostles for a little whyle to stande aside that he myght the more freely intreate of this cause declaring by this his doing howe much more prudent and wyse he was than the residue which in the presence of the Apostles so bewrayed the impotencie and rage of their mindes Then by and by declareth he his iudgement whereby he mittigateth
heauen Againe you are they which haue abidden with me in my temptations and I appoynte vnto you a kingdome as my father hath appoynted to me that you maye eate and drinke at my table in my kingdome c. Which promises bicause they sawe fulfilled and confirmed in Christ which through the crosse triumphed ouer all the power of hell and by death entred into the kingdome of heauen they could not but greatly reioyce when they perceyued that by these beginnings they hasted to the inheritaunce of the heauenly kingdome And as these thinges were an occasion to the Apostles to reioyce so ought they to cause vs in afflictions to reioyce and be glad For this is the propertie of all Christians as Paule sayth to reioyce and be merie in afflictions And surely there are notable causes which in these dayes ought to stirre vs to the consideration of these thinges forasmuch as we see these many yeares the enimies of Christ swarming in Germanye who for this cause most cruelly persecute vs for that we haue chosen rather to obey Christ than Antichrist At whose victories and successe many are so offended that they suspect as it were the doctrine of truth and we haue seene many more is the pitie as touching the fayth to haue made shipwracke But if we would call to remembrance our sinnes and woulde diligently consider the ingratitude whereby Germanie these many yeares hath partly neglected the vnspeakable benefite of Gods worde and Christian libertie and partly betrayed it and with vnbridled licentiousnesse of lyfe polluted the same we shoulde see the wonderfull goodnesse of God towardes vs who woulde haue vs in ieoperdie for the truth of his worde and become witnesses of his sonne and yet had deserued destruction through our sinnes and wickednesse And that it might appeare we stoode in daunger and suffered not for our owne wickednesse but only for religion and the truthes sake he sent in among vs such enimies whose liuing and maners abundantly declare that they were not so much prouoked with our sinnes agaynst vs as with our onely confession of the truth Therefore what more euident argument of Gods goodnesse and grace coulde be shewed vnto vs than that he hath giuen vs strength not onely to beleeue in Christ but also to suffer for his names sake For hereof we may conclude with Paule If we die with Christ we shall liue with him· If we suffer with him we shall also reigne with him Bicause manye see not this glory of the crosse eyther they filthily fall away from the profession of the fayth or else with vngodly reproches vpbrayde vs with our fayth and sclaunderously defame vs which mourne vnder the crosse of christ As many truly as consider these thinges as they ought cannot choose but glory and reioyce in Christ when they see his markes appeare in their bodies Therefore greatly is their folly to be bewayled who are offended at the afflictions and crosse of Christ whereas they might rather gather argumentes of comfort and ioye of the same Finally Luke sayeth of the Apostles that without any regarde had to this wicked decree they ceased not to teache and preach in the name of Iesus christ And this they did openly in the Temple as long as they coulde be suffred But when the tyrannie of their enimies had driuen them out of the Temple then beganne they to preache in the houses of the faythfull For Gods truth is not bounde to any certaine place but may be taught euery where so that a regarde be had of order and comlynesse as Paule teacheth Thus they perfourme in very deede that which they protested in the Counsell that is howe God was more to be obeyed than men and by their example confute them which now a dayes affirme that in matters of faith and religion we must simply obey the magistrates As though God had made himselfe and his religion subiect to mannes pleasure and appoyntment But bicause we haue already intreated hereof once or twyse there needeth no more to be sayde at this time In the meane whyle◠the◠constancie of the Apostles is woonderfull which being scourged and beaten doe boldly go on in the office that God appointed The slothfulnesse of men in our dayes is by this example confuted who hauing suffred somewhat for the truthes sake alreadye thinke they haue nowe done all their dutie and will henceforth suffer neyther paines nor daunger any more In deede their doings might after a sort be borne with if it were in our owne libertie to appoynt the boundes of our labour But bicause we be seruants it becommeth vs to wayte vpon the Lordes will and to abide his leysure with silence And Christ sayth they be not meete for his kingdome which loke backewarde but such as continue vnto the ende See Luke the .ix. Mathew the .xxiiij. Beside it is the commaundement of God that we being deliuered out of daungers and distresse through his benefite shoulde glorifie him Which thing they cannot doe that leaue and forsake their standing and being ouercome with feare of perilles procure their ease and quietnesse Wherfore let euery man in his calling followe the constancie of the Apostles but chiefely such as the Lorde hath committed the dispensation and ordering of his Church and worde to and let them not distrust his ayde who they see so long agone had such a care of his flocke Whosoeuer can giue a iust account of their ministerye vnto him shall be partakers of his kingdome To him be blessing honor glory and power for euer Amen The sixt chapiter vpon the Actes of the Apostles The .xl. Homelie IN those dayes when the number of the Disciples beganne to increase there arose a grutch among the Greekes against the Iewes bicause their widowes were despised in the dayly administration Then the twelue called the multitude of the Disciples togither and sayde It is not meete that we should leaue the worde of God and serue Tables Wherefore brethren looke you out among you seauen men of honest report and full of the holy ghost and wisedome to whome we may commit this businesse But we will giue our selues continually to prayer and to the ministration of the worde THe Euangelist Luke thus farre hath set forth the beginning proceeding increase and order of the primitiue Church In the which we haue seene all things very wisely ordered according to the worde of God and amongst the horrible persecutions and cruell attemptes of the enimies with moste prosperous successe administred Howbeit bicause the things there intreated be somewhat generall nowe at length the godly writer descendeth to matters more speciall declaring howe certaine peculiar persons employed their great traueyle to promote and aduaunce Christes kingdome Among whome bicause Steuen which was one of the Deacons of whom no mention hath bene heretofore made is the first he beginneth most commodiously his hystorie with the institution of the Deacons and in this present place teacheth vppon what
senses into heauen that we maye enioye Christ sitting on the right hande of the father aboue Nowe if the ceremonies instituted of God can neyther iustifie nor saue vs yea to vse them it is hurtfull if they be done without fayth how much more detestable is the errour of them which will attribute to mans constitutions and to the wearishe and colde ceremonies that the bolde curiositie of brayne hath deuised the glorye of iustification and saluation For as the Lorde once vniuersally condemned all the traditions of men so it is as cleere as the Sunne that these ceremonies can not be ministred with faith bicause fayth can rest vpon none other foundation than the worde of God as Paule teacheth Therefore this onely Canone ouerthroweth all Poperie which with all the rytes and ceremonies therof is so mainteyned with the foolishe decrees of superstitious men that it needeth no further demonstration Steuen prosecuteth his narration begonne and beateth downe the vaine affyaunce in the fathers in whome they marueylously gloryed as we tofore haue declared And to prooue that the fathers were iustifyed neyther by circumcision nor euer a whyt the better therfore nor yet merited saluation by anye workes but were saued through the meere and vnspeakeable goodnesse and fauour of God he rehearseth the straunge vnnatural deede that they did against Ioseph their brother which he toucheth in fewe words but such that it may easily appeare how heynous a deede it was For thus he sayth The Patriarches hauing indignation solde Ioseph into Aegypt The storie is in Moses Gene. 37. chap. First he sheweth the spring of this fact to be enuie wherein they boyled against their innocent brother for none other cause but for that they vnderstoode God had appointed for him great honors and dignities They were in the lyke fault that Caine once was in For he slewe his brother Abel blynded with the affection of enuie and hatred For although the Patriarches shed not his bloude yet were they guilty of murther both bycause of their pretenced malice of mynde the fulfilling wherof God stopped by meanes of Ruben and also for that they solde their brother to alyauntes which was a thing that God afterwarde appoynted to be punished with death Adde vnto this a number of other things concurring in the doing of this deede and it shall appeare that by this one fact they had deserued to be cast of for euer and therefore that it was not to be ascribed to their righteousnesse but to Gods goodnesse that he did vouchsafe to make the nation that came of them his owne people and inheritaunce For they vpon a bolde and rashe impietie and vngodlynesse tooke vpon them to contende wyth God whose deuise by thys meane they thought to stop and hinder They were also vnkinde towardes their father who they knewe well had a great delight in Ioseph and whose olde age they should rather haue comforted than haue made sadde Of theyr vngodlynesse towarde their brother what needeth it to speake whom as much as in them laye they went about not onely to kyll in bodye but also in soule whyles they sell him to Ismaelites into Egypt miserably to serue among such as they knewe had no knowledge of God nor his wyll What punishmentes therefore what Helles were sufficient to reuenge suche a deede if God would haue shewed his rigour rather than his goodnesse and mercie This place also serueth for our information teacheth vs that it is a vaine thing to vaunt or glory in the vertue of our auncestors Not that we deny it is a singuler gift of God if any man happen to haue famous and excellent progenitors but we say we haue them not to thend to brag of them in Gods sight For though our forefathers were neuer so good yet had they that goodnesse of the fauour of God and to vs commeth no profite by their vertue vnlesse we endeuor to follow it which thing is at large set forth in Ezechiel the .xviij. Chapter And it is manifest that God neuer sharplier threatned the Iewes than when they begonne to bragge of Abrahams vertue For then Iohn calleth them Adders broode and Christ the children of the Deuill And that that Steuen noted in the Iewes the same is most euident to be seene in all Nations as well particulerly as generally For although there be some of their forefathers which by reason of their vertues and good deedes deserued some prayse amongst men yet there want not diuers others whose vngraciousnesse deserued not onely the destruction of the whole Nation but also eternall damnation and forsaking of the whole posteritie vnlesse God of his peculiar and fauourable sparing woulde haue them saued Let vs all therefore humble our selues in the sight of God and let him that reioyceth reioyce in the Lorde who is mercifull louing pacient and of great goodnesse who dealeth not with vs after our sinnes nor rewardeth vs according to our wickednesse See the Psalme 103. And bicause Steuen is entred into the historie of Ioseph whose chastitie wisedome righteousnesse and godlynesse myght seeme to deserue to bring him to promotion and dignitie and that for his sake all the Nation of the Iewes was honoured and benefited he aunswereth this error also and sheweth that euen Ioseph also receyued whatsoeuer he had of Gods fauour and not of his owne desert and merite God sayth he was with him and deliuered him out of all his troubles Where Ioseph therefore suffred aduersitie paciently that he was not ouercome with the whorish entisements of his dishonest mistresse that he kept his fayth and trust to his maister vnblemished that he despayred not in the miserie of prison and captiuitie all this was the benefite of God which woulde not leaue him destitute of his grace By his grace it came also to passe that he being instructed with the spirite of prophecie coulde giue the king wholesome counsell and get hys fauour Wherfore it is to be attributed neyther to Iosephes witte neyther to Pharaos clemencie but to Gods goodnesse that Ioseph came to be gouernor of all Egypt Adde herevnto howe God woulde haue all these things come to passe in a prophane Countrie when the people of God had yet no temple builded nor ceremonies of the lawe as yet appoynted Wherevpon agayne we gather that the ceremonies which long after ensued were not deliuered to iustifie by but to shadowe to vs the true meane of iustification and saluation which was giuen by promise in the beginning of the worlde and was to be fulfilled by Christe in the time thereto appoynted What meane we therefore to contende for those thinges without the which it is playne the fathers pleased God and were saued There remayne in the example of Ioseph certaine other pointes that serue for the information and teaching of euery man whereof wee haue yet farther to speake The first is that he sayth God was with Ioseph Then neyther the falshoode of his
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
at large by narration Wherfore in all these things we will briefely touch those things only which serue for this present place First he plainely teacheth what this Christ is where he calleth hi m Lorde of all things This is an euident testimonie of his diuinitie For it is manifest that the rule of all things pertayneth vnto God alone bicause he alone is the creator of all things And it is playne that all thinges were made by that eternall worde and that all power is giuen him of the father He must needes therefore be true god And lette no man here obiect vnto vs this worde of giuing as though he were therfore the lesse bicause he receyueth of another For this is to be referred to the nature of manne which he tooke vpon him to the which in a certayne time appoynted God the father gaue that which Christ according to his Godheade had from euerlasting For thus he speaketh himselfe a little before he went to hys death Now glorifie me ô father with thine owne selfe with the glory which I had with thee ere the worlde was The Arrians are hereby confuted and the Seruetanes which nowe a dayes follow their steppes and the dignitie of Christian fayth is defended against the Iewes and Turkes which saye we glory and trust in one that is no more but a man. Then Peter toucheth by the waye the meane of our saluation where he sayth that that eternall worde of God Iesus Christ was sent from God the father For in this worde sent he comprehendeth all the mysterie of his incarnation euen as Paule also where he sayth when the fulnesse of tyme came God sent his sonne made of a woman c. In his incarnation are comprised whatsoeuer things Christ did or suffred in the flesh for our saluation sake of the which things we shall hereafter intreate Furthermore he sayth he was sent to the children of Israel not that he belonged to them alone but for that he tooke fleshe and was borne of them and shoulde first shewe himselfe to them vntill through their vnbeliefe he should be caryed vnto the gentiles Thou shalt obserue in these things that al these affaires of Christ which are preached in the gospell are not of man but of Gods ordering and appoyntment For this worde was sent from god And it is euident that this is the eternall decree of God that Iesus Christ should be the King and Priest of his people Psal. 2.110 Wherevpon we gather that men striue in vaine by their owne power against his Gospell which thing before this we hearde that Gamaliel sawe and is abundantly declared by the examples of all ages Last of all he commeth to the ende and marke of all this matter which is that peace shoulde be preached by Christ Iesus So Esaias cap. 52. speaking of the Preachers of the Gospell sayth O how bewtifull are the feete of the Ambassadour that bringeth the message from the mountayne and proclaymeth peace c. Peter maketh mention of preaching not for that Christ is the Minister therof only but bicause that peace wherof he is the author is offred to vs by preaching of the Gospell receiued by hearts of fayth He specially speaketh of that peace which is betweene god and vs by the meane of Iesus christ For before times by reason of our sinnes we were seperated from god reputed as his enimies And Paule writeth that the wrath of God was declared from heauen agaynst all vngodlynesse and vnrighteousnesse of men Therefore there was neede of a peacemaker and reconcyler which the scriptures declare God the father hath giuen vs euen Iesus christ For he hath taken vpon him our sinnes which were cause of the seperation betweene God and vs he hath purged them by the merite of his death and satisfied the rigour of Gods iustice And he being made ours by fayth doth clothe vs with his righteousnesse and doth defende and shielde vs that wee be able to abyde the iudgement seate of God who otherwyse had deserued by reason of our sinnes to be damned for euer Thus it commeth to passe that according to Paules doctrine we being iustified by fayth are at peace with God through Iesus Christ our Lorde Thys the father himselfe confesseth when from heauen he sounded that ioyfull and comfortable voyce This is my beloued sonne in whome I am well pleased And this is that peace which passeth all vnderstanding and which can by no maner of afflictions be disturbed bicause it maketh them seeme light and easie to them which vnderstande that God is become mercifull to them in Christ and that they are made the children of god This peace also breedeth ciuill brotherly concorde amongst men bicause that by meane of Christ all that respect of persons among the faythfull wherby mutuall concorde among men is chiefly broken is taken away And bicause it kindleth mens mindes wyth the fire of charitie it so graffeth in them the desire of peace that they hate no things more deadly than such as they knowe hinder it Great therefore and very execrable is the ingratitude and iniquitie of those men which exclame and crye out saying the preaching of the gospell is the disturbaunce of publyke peace and policie For thus they make Iesus Christ the Prince of true and euerlasting peace the author of those offences which they may thanke the wicked worlde of who therefore maketh tumultes and businesses agaynst Christ and his worde bicause they can not suffer the light thereof whereby their naughtie workes are reprooued Let vs acknowledge the goodnesse of God which doth vouchsafe to offer the doctrine of saluation vnto all men and let vs with true fayth embrace Iesus Christ the onely author of saluation and peace to whome be prayse honour power and glorye for euer Amen The .lxxv. Homelie YOV I saye knowe that woorde which was published throughout all Iurie and beganne in Galiley after the baptisme which Iohn preached howe GOD annoynted Iesus of Nazareth with the holy ghost and with power Which Iesus went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the deuill For God was with him ALthough Peter made this Sermon at Caesarea in the house of Cornelius the Captayne yet the same apperteyneth to all men and is meete at this daye to be most diligently considered of vs For beside that manye thinges are gone before which teach vs that the spirit of God was the author hereof in this part Peter fully includeth the whole order of our iustification and saluation And hereof he admonished his hearers in the proposition as erewhile we sawe whereas he promised them to speake of the eternall worde of God which is Iesus Christ who being Lorde of all things and therefore very God did yet vouchsafe to come into the worlde to reconcyle mankinde vnto God the father and to be the author and preacher of that moste wholesome peace Now bicause by these wordes he
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
followed We are here taught that we must not alwayes cleaue to the iudgements and examples of notable men but rather trie and examine all things after the rule of the Scripture afore we imitate them For if they were so fowly deceyued which had the greatest dignitie among the people of God by his appointment what shall we hope of others They are also confuted which when we bring forth the worde of God bring vs the examples of Princes and great estates For the question is not what men doe but what is done according or contrarye to the worde of god Moreouer we are taught that the reading of the Scripture neuer so much preuayleth not if we well vnderstande not the meaning of the Scripture Moses the Prophets were read of ordinary among the Iewes in all their sinagoges But whereas they were deceyued in the affiance of their owne righteousnesse they knew not the ende of the lawe which was Iesus Christ and being ignorant thereof they fulfylled the Scriptures presumptuously putting him to death whom Moses the Prophets did prophecie should be their sauiour We see the same hath come to passe these many yeres in the papacie or Popedome The vnlearned Monkes and Priests reade and sing the holy scriptures Yet Christ whome the scriptures teach is despised of a great many and Antichrist is worshipped and glorifyed whome the scriptures with one consent warne vs to beware of And other cause of so fylthy an error is there none than for that men being puffed vp with a Iewishe affiance of their owne works are not able to see the righteousnesse of Christ while they go about to set vp their owne righteousnesse See Rom. 10. Secondly he alleageth the authoritie of Gods prouidence declaring that for this cause no manne ought to be offended at the death of Christ bicause he suffred nothing but that the Prophetes to whome the holye ghost long before reuealed the counsayles and ordinaunce of God prophecied he shoulde suffer Wherefore the Priestes when they vnderstoode not the scripture yet they fulfylled them in that they presumed to condemne and put Christ to death And it is no doubt but Paule in this place brought forth the oracles of the Scripture which are extant euerywhere touching Christes passion In that he sayth the Prophecies were fulfylled by the wicked enimies of Christ we learne that the very wicked also are the instruments of God by whome oftentimes he vseth to bring his ordinances and deuises to passe And yet they are not therfore to be excused bicause they doe that that God will haue to bâ— done For where they like Bedlems rage in impietie against God and go about to hinder and not to set forwarde his ordinances they are in the fault and God is to be praysed and glorifyed which can moderate and order their audacitie and boldenesse so well Also his inuincible power and infallible veritie appeareth in these examples For if hys deuises take effect through the meane of his very enimies also then must they needes stande fast for euer Therefore they whose infyrmitie is feared with the cruell deuises of the Princes of this worlde let them seeke comfort hereat But whereas it might notwithstanding be obiected that it was scarce credible that God would appoynt him to be our Sauiour who was made away by so slaunderous a death and such as was cursed euen by the lawe therefore in the thirde part he prooueth he was innocent and guiltlesse and sheweth that his kinde of death must not be so much considred as his cause when they founde by him sayth he no cause of death yet desired they Pylate to kill him These things might haue bene declared more at large as it is like Paule did bicause he spake vnto them which suspected all Christes doing Let it suffyse vs to holde fast the scope and ende of Paule that is howe no man ought to be offended at Christes death which he suffered being an innocent forasmuch as many times the holyest men of all vse to be put to death both vnworthily and vniustly Also the true vse of Christes innocencie must be well weyghed which consisteth in the purgation or clensing of our sinnes For if Christ had not bene free and cleere of all sinnes he coulde neuer haue bene able to haue satisfyed for our sinnes For howe can he make others cleane that is himselfe vncleane Or how shoulde one being indebted himselfe paye other mennes debtes Therefore it behooued Christ shoulde be innocent that we might knowe howe he who had deserued no death for his part suffred death for vs Esay maketh mention herof where he expoundeth the mysterie of our redemption cap. 53. And hereto belongeth that saying of Paule God made him to be sinne for vs which knewe no sinne that we by his meanes shoulde be the righteousnesse which before God is allowed And this is the chiefe cause why the Euangelistes be so earnest in setting forth the innocencie of christ Then if none ought to bee offended with Christes death bicause he suffred innocently by the same reason the vnworthy and vniust slaughters of the Saintes ought to offende no body whereby they are made partakers of Christes crosse to th ende to be glorifyed with him Fourthly least anye man shoulde thinke that Christ was ouercome by the force or power of his enimies and therefore shoulde deny that he were a sauiour or reuenger he teacheth that he receyued no losse or harme by the wicked enterprises of the Priestes They perfourmed all the thinges which were prophecyed of him while they killed him on the Crosse and pierced his side with a speare and at length tooke him down from the crosse and layd him in a sepulchre But for all this he was of neuer the lesse power or glory For God as he foreshewed raysed him vppe from death so that now he liueth for euer in a glorifyed body where they enuyed him this miserable and corruptible life But let it here offende no man that Christes buriall is permitted to his wicked enimies the honor whereof the Euangelistes ascribe to his faythfull disciples Ioseph and Nichodemus For Paule here speaketh howe they were not contented with his ordinary buriall but caused the grauestone to be sealed with Pylates signet and gotte souldiours to watch him and forceably to keepe him downe in his graue thinking that they of their owne power had killed him vpon the crosse and were ignorant that he layde downe his lyfe of his owne voluntary This diligent description of his buriall maketh for the more certaintie and truth of his resurrection For thus it appeareth there coulde be no frawde or deceyt in the matter and that it was a false rumour that the Priestes caused to be raysed by the souldiours being well bribed with money that his Disciples came and stole away his body In the meane season we may take a generall comfort hereof that the enimies of Christ fyght against him in vaine The same
certaine auncient copyes of great credite he sayth I saye vnto thee in the name of Iesus Christ stande vpright vpon thy feete For it is not credible that those fyrst wordes wherein the name of Christ is alleaged were of Paule omitted as it is read in the common copyes and translation bicause this was the onely ende and marke both of the Apostles doctrine and myracles to bring men to beleeue that Christ was their sauiour And this worke on both sides proceeding of faith wanted not a prosperous successe For he by and by which hitherto had alwayes bene lame start vp and walked Thus God by this myracle gaue testimonie to the Apostles doctrine as yesterday was declared And bicause the myracles of Christ and the Apostles commonly set forth vnto vs the maner of our saluation and redemption therfore we will in this lame man briefly touch the same This lame man or Creple is a paterne or example of the state and condicion of vs all yea of all mankinde For as this man is lame and that from his mothers wombe euen so all we be weake and lame vnto all things belonging to our saluation And this infyrmitie cleaueth to vs euen from our mothers wombe as who be conceyued and borne in sinne And if we consider our life passed we shall see that we neuer walked to say in the waies of God which ledd vs to the inheritance of eternall life For we haue all strayed out of the waye like sheepe euery one of vs hath followed his owne wayes And God himselfe testifyeth that the imaginations of men are euill euen from their childehoode Therefore looke in what case this lame man was as touching his body the same case be we all in as concerning our soule and looke howe farre the soule passeth the bodye and in so much more miserable a case it shall appeare we be Therefore there is no health in our selues but we must needes looke it without our selues euen there where this lame man founde it He heard the Gospell of Iesus Christ and by his power he beleeued he shoulde be made whole and by faith obtayned his desire We must go the selfesame way to be saued Lette vs heare the Gospell and beleeue in Iesus Christ which is preached in the same Gospell and streightwaye we shall be saued He it is that deliuereth all them from their sinnes that beleeue in him bicause he is made sinne for vs that we through him might be made that righteousnesse that is acceptable before God. It is he that regenerateth vs and who by the immortall eternall seede of heauenly generation healeth the sores and maladies of our corrupt nature It is he that instructeth vs with fresh force so that we that were not able of our selues to thinke one good thought are able by him to doe all things and as long as we abide in him we bring forth much fruite And bicause he only is able to worke these things he only is to be taken for our sauiour and we being in misery and like to perishe must out of hande seeke for him to be our Phisition and none other Also we are taught by example of this lame man what the dutie of them is whome Christ hath thus healed and deliuered He at Paules calling start vp by and by and walked So when Christ calleth vs let vs forthwith rise vp out of the myre wherin we haue to long sticked casting away the works of our corrupt blind flesh let vs walk in the ways of the lord These things might be more copiously dilated with many examples amplified but it may suffise by these few words to giue occasion to think further herof to those which are feruent in the studie of godlines Nowe come we to the seconde part of this place where the effect of the myracle is described which fell out farre otherwise than Paule purposed For as by his doctrine so by the myracle he ment to trayne his hearers vnto christ But they take occasion thereby to start from christ For being deceyued with the olde fables of Poetes they suppose the Apostles are Goddes which tooke vppon them the fourme or similitude of men and so came downe into the earth And perhaps they called to minde the comming downe of Iupiter and Mercurie to Lycaon their progenitor For these two cried they were come downe from heauen and most foolishly applied their names vnto the Apostles For they say Barnabas is Iupiter either bicause he was the auncienter man or else bicause of his graue countenance and they thinke Paule is Mercury the gods interpreter messenger bicause he spake vnto the people And iumpe at that time cōmeth Iupiters Priest which more pricketh these mad men forward For bringing Oxen garlands with him he maketh preparation for a sacrifyce according to the maner of the Gentyles This is a most notable example teaching vs howe easily mans nature swarueth from true godlynesse vnto superstition and ydolatrie and howe harde a thing it is to put errors away which haue bredde in vs from our tender yeares Not long before these people of Lycaonia gaue eare to Paule preaching of Christ. They sawe a myracle also wrought in the name of christ Yet the olde perswasion of the Goddes comming downe vnto the earth remayneth still in their mindes and they take occasion of foule error of that whereof they shoulde haue catched holde of godlynesse Howbeit we all confesse that they were both foolishly and wickedly deceyued But howe more foolishe than these are the Papistes which yet vse to bragge of the name of christ They confesse the Apostles are but men and the seruants of Christ whose ministerye it pleased him to vse in setting forth hys kingdome And yet they make Gods of them and attribute vnto them those things which belong to God onely and ought to be ascribed to no creature without the prophane contempt of the true liuing god For they teach vs that they are to be inuocated in daungers and prescribe vnto them their diuers properties prerogatiues as foolish as euer the heathen did in their Gods appoynting one a Patrone for prisoners another for those in daunger of shipwracke another for traueylers by the way other for those in perill of fyre And bicause they cannot tell when they haue played the fooles ynough where they confesse that these Saints haue suffred death for Christes sake yet they ascribe vnto them a great part of the glory of Christ feygning that they are intercessors and aduocates vnto God for them and making their vowes and prayers vnto them Let vs be ashamed therefore to take such paynes in confuting the follye of the Gentyles seeing there is much more folly to be founde among the professors of Christes religion Furthermore the holy ghost setteth out vnto vs in this example the beginning and proceeding of Idolatrie The beginning of all error hath bene the ignorance of the true God