may also be applied to his members They haue many and cruell enimies Yet howsoeuer they rage they haue no power vppon the bodies no not so much as vpon the heare of the faithfull vnlesse God permit it Yea although they haue power to take awaye our liues yet haue they no power to take away the glorious resurrection of our bodies nor the fruition of heauenly lyfe which Christ hath prepared for those that be his Let vs therefore in times of persecution comfort our selues oftentimes with these meditations Moreouer where Paule is come to the resurrection of Iesus Christ he maketh a diligent assertion and proofe of the same bycause thereby the deuine Maiestie of Christ is most euidently of all others declared and in the same as sayth the same Apostle 1. Cor. 15. consisteth the chiefe hope of our redemption and saluation And for bicause he knewe many denied the same therefore he alleageth dyuers wytnesses thereof Hee was seene sayth he many dayes of them which came with him from Galyley to Ierusalem who are his witnesses vnto the people He speaketh of those which the Euaungelistes say accompanyed Christ in his last iourney of whome it appeareth there was no small number bicause Christ appointed seuentie of them to prepare the waye for him by preaching What if we thinke that they were of those fiue hundred vnto whome Paule sayth Christ appeared after his resurrection Uerily whosoeuer they were their fayth is worthy to be praysed in that they were bolde to beare Christ wytnesse agaynst so many of his enimies And he produceth these men before the Apostles not that their dignitie so deserued but bicause their credite was lesse suspected with the Infidelles and for that they shoulde not thinke but Christ had more wytnesses of his resurrection than the Apostles Then straight way he alleageth the testimonie of the Apostles with great grauitie whervnto he also ioyneth the Oracles of the Prophets wherof shall be spoken in the Sermon following In the meane whyle it becommeth vs to acknowledge the goodnesse and truth of God which would haue the thinges wherein our saluation chiefely consisteth so certaine and vndoubted Let vs therefore imbrace our sauiour with constant fayth who rose agayne from death conquered the tyrannie of death hath restored vs to the libertie of the sonnes of God which is the onely begotten sonne of God Iesus Christ the true and euerlyuing God to whome be prayse honor power and glory for euer Amen The lxxxxij Homelie AND we declare vnto you how that the promise which was made vnto the fathers God hath fulfilled vnto their children euen vnto vs in that he raysed vp Iesus againe euen as it is written in the first Psalme Thou art my sonne this daye haue I begotten thee As concerning that he raysed hym vp from death nowe no more to returne to corruption he sayde on this wyse The holy promyses made to Dauid will I giue faythfully to you Wherfore he sayth also in an other place Thou shalt not suffer thyne holy one to see corruption for Dauid after he had in his tyme fulfilled the wyll of God fell on sleepe and was layde vnto his fathers and sawe corruption But he whom God raysed againe sawe no corruption PAule in the second part of his Sermon which he made in the Synagoge at Antioche teacheth that Iesus whome the Apostles preached was the true sonne of god and that sauiour of mankinde that was promysed for whose sake God so benifyted the fathers Bicause of the Iewes he handleth this matter verie grauelye and prooueth with firme and strong argumentes that which he goeth about to teach For he declareth both the stock of Iesus Christ and the maner of his co mming is agreeable with the Oracles of the olde Prophetes Then he alleageth the testimony of Iohn who was of such authoritie with the Iewes that it was not lawfull to speake against him But where he knew the crosse of Christ was their greatest stumbling stocke he sheweth that the Prophetes foretolde therof and that it was no derogation to Christ bicause he rose againe from death despight of his enimies Moreouer when he commeth to speake of the resurrection he defendeth the same most diligentlye and at large both bicause the same is a most euident argument of Iesus Christs true diuinitie and also bicause the chiefe hope of our resurrection dependeth thereon And first bicause it should not seeme that none knew and testifyed hereof but the Apostles he produceth Galyleyans for wytnesses who also sawe Christ after he was risen agayne from death And nowe he ioyneth to their testimonie the Oracles of the Prophetes and Apostles He alleageth the testimonie of the Apostles speaking as in the name of all the Apostles We preach vnto you sayth he the promise made vnto the fathers hoâ— God hath perfourmed the same vnto their children that is to say to vs in that he raysed vp Iesus againe c. And no man must take such a graue saying of the Apostle as insolent and arrogant both bicause Paule vseth it and Christ ordeyned the Apostles to be his wytnesses and also for that he and Barnabas tooke this present ambassage in hande by the speciall commaundement of the holy ghost as was declared in the beginning of the chapter Therefore he setteth forth the commaundements of the Apostleship committed vnto him plainely and with worthie grauitie whereof this is the summe howe God gaue vnto their posteritie all that before times he promised vnto the fathers After which sense and meaning in the seconde Epistle to the Corinthians the first chapter he sayth for all the promises of God by Iesus Christ are yea and are in him Amen that is to say are by him fulfilled So that it appeareth they are greatly deceyued which glorie in the promises and grace of God and yet reiect Christ in whom onely they are ratifyed vnto vs For whatsoeuer things appertaine to the saluation of mankinde they are giuen vnto vs in him For in him is that righteousnesse which defendeth vs before the iudgement seate of god He is made vnto vs of God wisedome satisfaction redemption and sanctification In him is lyfe He is the way the truth and the light In him is giuen vs the spirite of adoption by whome we cry Abba father By him we are made heyres and partakers of the kingdome of heauen as he sayth himselfe I appoint vnto you a kingdome as my father hath appointed vnto me c. Againe Father I will that they which thou hast giuen mee be with me where I am And although these things for the most part were accomplished vppon the aultar of the crosse euen when Christ being ready to yeelde vp the ghost sayde it is finished yet in his resurrection chiefely appeareth the effect of them For thereby he testifyeth that the sting of death is made blunt and broken and that therefore death is spoyled and disarmed as Paule teacheth at large Therefore the
Apostle nowe maketh mention of them after he had begunne to speake of the resurrection But here are certaine thinges diligently to be obserued before we go from this place First we preach sayth he the promise made vnto the fathers Ergo the Apostles are Authors of no newe and straunge doctrine but teache that waye of saluation which was once promysed by God vnto the fathers For this cause Christ alleageth the testimonies of Moses and of the Prophets And Peter heretofore sayde that all the Prophets bare wytnesse of christ By these is prooued the worthinesse of our fayth the certaintie of our saluation gotten by Christ. Moreouer here appeareth the difference betweene vs and the fathers of the olde Testament That saluation was promised vnto them which is perfourmed to vs in christ They also looked for the fulfylling of that which we beleeue is fulfylled Furthermore they had certaine figures and tokens of their redemption to come whereby to exercise and feede their faith But God hath prepared for vs sacramentes and seales of our redemption and saluation which are accomplished and finished To conclude our eyes see and our eares heare that which the holye fathers in times past greatly desyred to see and heare As these things confirme our fayth so they ought to stirre vp our mindes to be thankfull that we seeme not ingratefull to despise the saluation giuen vs the hope and expectation whereof kept the fathers in times passed in all kinde of dutifulnesse in the middle of all their aduersities Furthermore the truth and infallible trust of Gods promises may herein be seene For he so perfourmeth the promises made to the fathers vnto their children that he rather would haue his sonne lyue poorely and not regarded in this world and at length to suffer shameful death than to breake his promise Where also other circumstaunces are to be considered of vs all which it appeareth to agree with the promises of God the Oracles of the Prophets For at the tyme promysed the sonne of God came to take fleshe vpon him when nowe the fourth Monarchie flourished and when the Scepter was taken from Iuda He was also borne of a woman hys mother yet remayning a Uirgin The place where he was borne was Bethleem foreshewed by the oracle of the Prophet The myracles wrought by him were such as Esay sayde should be done in his kingdome cap. 53. As touching his death and passion resurrection ascention what needeth to speake seeing that in them is fulfilled according to the letter all the things which are red Psal. 22.41.68 Is. 53.63 Of the effect of these thinges which God sometime promised by his Prophetes we spake before It is truely therefore sayde of Paule that God hath perfourmed whatsoeuer thinges were in times past promised to the fathers Here ought we to fet argumentes of consolation in our temptations that we doubt not of Gods promise in perfourming of his helpe and fauour who we heare hath so faythfully perfourmed those things which coulde not be perfourmed but by hys sonne sent into the worlde and into the darkenesse of death But let vs returne vnto Paule which confirmeth by the Oracles of the Prophets that which he spake of Christ with so great authoritie Amongst which the chiefe place is attributed to Dauid who in the fyrst Psalme which nowe a dayes is counted the seconde he sayth prophecied of christ And he bringeth one verse of the Psalme onely yet so as he calleth to their remembrance the whole Psalme which though some go about to expounde of Dauid yet in deede it contayneth a manifest prophecie of the kingdome of Christ forasmuch as diuers things therein can by no meanes be applied vnto Dauid For the Prophete by suggestion of the spirite sheweth that Christ shall haue many and cruel enimies desirous to ouerthrow his kingdome and to pull downe all his authoritie but their enterprises shall be in vaine bicause Christ shall ouercome them all The cause of all which he alleageth to be Gods decree saying Thou art my sonne this day haue I begotten thee Aske of me and I will giue thee the Gentyles for thine enheritance Paule expoundeth this place of Christes resurrection bicause that hereby God openly declared him to be his sonne euen when his wicked enimies chiefly conspired against him For not long before he hearde those blasphemous wordes If thou be the sonne of God come downe from the crosse If he be the king of Israel let him now come downe from the Crosse and we will beleeue him c. Yea being compassed about with the cruell terrors of death he cryed out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me And shortly after he was so closed in his graue that Pylate the Romane President in the Emperours name and authoritie sealed the graue stone with his ring set souldiours to watch it that he shoulde not ryse agayne who would then haue thought he had bene the sonne of God vpon whome the wicked had such authority But euen the same daye God begate him that is to say declared him to be his sonne whome yet otherwise he begate from euerlasting and yet nowe seemeth he to forsake him cast him of For when his wicked enimies sayd If thou be the sonne of God come downe from the crosse he would not haue him come downe but did that that was more in raysing him vppe againe from death so that by their owne wordes he condemned them for wicked and shewed in deede that Iesus Christ is his sonne We haue furthermore to consider that the holy ghost prooueth the kingdome of Christ and his diuine maiestie chiefly by his resurrection For Paule in another place speaking of Christ sayth who was declared to be the sonne of God with power according to the spirit that sanctifieth in that that he rose againe from death For when death was ouercome it appeared vnto all men that the Deuill also which was the Lorde of death was ouercome which victorie was not a worke of mannes power but of Gods maiestie This thing must also be extended vnto Christes members For where both he that sanctifyeth and he that is sanctifyed are all one our glory also which is due to the children of God shall appeare at length in our resurrection We crie now also Abba father and carye the pledge of saluation in our heartes which is the holye ghost and be euen now the children of God but yet it appeareth not what we shall be But we knowe that when Christ appeareth at the later daye wee shall be like vnto him This is the cause that Christ calleth that day the regeneration Math. 19. not bicause we are then fyrst made the children of God but for that they that seeme in this worlde to be forsaken of God enuyed shall at that day be declared to be the children of God See Wisedome 5 Let vs herewith comfort our selfe in aduersitie against the vniust iudgement that
shall be rewarded 300 W ante E. Weakenesse of man acknowledgeth not goddes workes  Wrake must not be yelded to in outwarde thinges  Weakenesse of manne hath neede of Gods tuition  W ante H Whoredome  W ante I Wickednesse hath hir degrees 682 Wicked meete in hell 541 Wicked in subiection to Gods commaundement 834 Wycked stryue in vayne agaynst Christ. 536 Wycked keepe a countenaunce of equitye 351 Wicked though they bee of sundrye opinions among themselues yet they are soone agreede against Christe and the truth 805 Wicked then rage most when theyr ende draweth neerest 315 Wicked laye all disturbaunces and troubles to the godlyes charge Pag. 562 Wickeds enterprises against Christ his kingdome are vaine 285.390 and .812 Wickeds mindes vnquiet 834 Wickeds craftes what they are 809 Wickeds familiaritie must be shunned 441 Wyckeds enterprises turned vpon the aucthors heades by God. 398 Wickeds estate 493 Wickeds agreement lasteth not long Pag. 805 Wickeds propertie 115.253.354 Wicked in the Church must bee confuted 703 Wickeds feare is preposterous 644 Wickeds wordes and sayings 253 Wickeds societye daungerous and hurtfull 311 Wickeds good successe in a preamble of destruction 504 Wickeds companions shall be punished with the wicked 397 Wicked amende not by Gods iudgements 499 Wicked are suffred of God till the pit be dygged vp for them 785 Wicked what power GOD gyueth them ouer his elect 837 Wickeds number is the greater 579 Witnesse how much it comprehendeth in it 693 Witnesse what his dutie is 30.31 Wisdome of christians must be bounded 28 Wisdomes first degree is to acknowledge the corruption of nature and how all ablenesse to doe well commeth of God. 27 W ante O Worlde cannot abyde Christ and his Gospell 208 Worlde rageth against christ in vaine Pag. 126 Worlde how it receyueth the doctrine of the Apostles 190 Worldes ingratitue towards the ministers 825 Worldes troublesome estate forshewed by the Prophets 98 Worldes force a vaine thing agaynst God. 311 Worlde what affection it beareth to Gods worde 842 Workes and doctrine must ioyne and go togyther 9 Woorkes that be good 415 Workes haue none of the faythfull enimies to them 420 Workes of Christ commended 106 Workes of Christ considered what they teache vs. ibid. Workes of Christ to what ende they serue ibid. Workes of God are needefull to bee considered of 〈◊〉 157 Workes of Gods maiestie euidentlye seene in Christ. 86 Workes righteousnesse ouerthrowne Pag. 545 Worde of God is the father enlarged by the assaultes of the enimies 555 Worde of God must bee so preached that the hearers may perceyue it belongeth to them 533 Worde of God preuayleth not wyth men led onelye with humaine reason 547 Worde of God must be preached not mans deuise 899 Worde of God can not be bound 903 Worde of God wherby it is hyndred Pag. 138 Worde of God how it must be harde Pag. 44.6 Worde of God must bee preached in the Church onely 512 Worde of God neuer preached without fruite 561 Worde of God contemned is an heynous sinne 547 Worde of Gods efficatie 233 Worde of God preached is not vaine Pag. 138 Worthynesse of Gods worde 266 Worde of GOD must bee beleeued though preached but by a man. 368 Wordes of the supper vttered by a sacramentall speache 40 Worshippers of Christ being persecuted â—hrist is persecuted 397 Worshippers of Christ are taught of God. 50 Worshippers such as God riquireth Pag. 916 Worship of one God. 667 Worshippers of God truly how much hee regardeth 818 Worshipping of Creatures ouerthrowne 572 Worship is in vaine if it bee not done as God appoynteth 342 Worshippings papisticall are preposterous 339.340 Worshipping of planetes and starres Pag. 34â— Worshipping of â—oloch ibid. Worshipping of ymages 343 W ante R Wrath is the worst councellour that is 264 W ante Y Wyll of God conteyned and learned in Christ onely 790.791 Wyshe of Paule 868 Z ante E ZEale preposterous in religion auayleth little vnto saluation as maye be seene in the example of Paule 400 Zeale feruent is needefull in them that should set forth Christes kingdome 549 Zeale of Godlynesse may not excuse thinges done against godlynesse and true religion 391 Zeale is necessarie in the godly 659 FINIS ⧠A TABLE OF THE PLACES OF SVCH Scriptures as are expounded in these Homelies and Annotations GEn. 3. I will put enmitie betweene thee and the woman Pag. 650 3. Thy desyre shall be to thy husband and hee shall haue the rule of thee 236 4. Cain slewe Abell his Brother Pag. 306 4. Who made mee my brothers keeper 235 12. Get thee out of thy Nation and from thy Fathers house 294 15. Thy seede shall bee a straunger Pag. 299 17. Euery man childe among you shal be circumcised 303 22. By my self haue I sworne 123 22. In thy seede shal all the Nations of the earth bee blessed 163 and. 185 26. I will perfourme the oth which I sware to Abraham thy father pag. 123 37. The Patriarches solde Ioseph their Brother 306 45. God sent mee before you to prepare c. 310 46. Iacob goeth downe into Egypt with all his familie ibid. 50. Iacob is buried in Canaan 312 EXodi 1. Pharao commaundeth the men children to bee caste away 315 2. Moses was borne when tyranny raged most 316 2. Who made thee a Ruler ouer vs pag. 322 3 I am the God of thy Father the God of Abraham 327 3 And fortye yeares after the Aungell of the Lorde appeareth too Moses in the desert of Sina in a bushe of fyre 326 19. Yee shal be vnto mee a kingdome of priestes and an holy people 95 22. Yee shall trouble no wydowe nor fatherles childe 329 32. Make vs Goddes to goe before vs. 335 LEuitici 20. Whosoeuer hee bee of the children of Israell or of the straungers that gyueth of his children vnto Moloch 342 35. The murtherer shall bee put to death 350 NUmerorum 1. Howe greatly the people of Israel was increased 596 6. The Nazarites 694 12. If there bee a Prophete of the Lordes among you I will bee knowne of him in a vision 333 DEuterono 7. The grauen Images of their Goddes shalte thou burne with fyre and couet not the golde and siluer that is on them 602 15. There shall be no begger among you 145.225 18. The Lord thy God wil stirre vp vnto thee a Prophet among you euen of thy Brethren lyke vnto mee vnto him shall yee harken pag. 177. c. 32. Uengeance is myne and I will rewarde 304 28. Thou shalt buylde an house and an other shall dwell therein 58 IOsue 10. Be not afrayd of them pag. 681 1. SAmuell 2. Them that woorship mee I will woorship pag. 242.148 15. Hath the Lorde as great pleasure in burnt sacrifices and offringes as when the voyce of the Lorde is obeyed 529 SAmuel 7. When thy dayes be fulfilled thou shalt slepe with thy Fathers and I will set vp thy seâ—de after thee 122 7. Who am I O Lorde God and what is my
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
them powers or vertues least he might seeme to haue any affinitie with Iuglers For the things which the Euangelistes write of him he did verilye and in deede and of his owne power as Luke plainely testifieth where he sayeth vertue or power went from him whereby the sicke were healed And himselfe sayth in another place power or vertue went from him when he healed the woman that was sicke of the bloudy fluxe Then he calleth Christes workes woonders bicause they exceeded the common course of nature and drewe the mindes of the beholders into an admiration and amazednesse But bicause the things whose causes we know not are oftentimes taken for woonders when in deede they portende nothing at length he calleth the thinges that Christ did signes For the workes of Christ had a certaine ende which was to beare witnesse of his Godheade and of his office For by them he was knowne to be both the sonne of God and also he that was promised to be the redeemer of the worlde For the which cause he sent the disciples of Iohn to the consideration of his works And oftentimes he inculcateth his workes to the Iewes and vpbraydeth them so that the fault of their incredulitie is the greater The works sayth he that the father hath giuen me to finishe the same workes that I doe beare witnesse of me that the father hath sent me Againe If I doe not the workes of my father beleue me not But if I doe and ye beleeue not mee beleeue the workes that ye may knowe and beleeue that the father is in me and I in him And againe If I had not done among them the woorkes which none other man did they should haue had no sinne Therfore Peter doth very wel to call the workes of Christ signes He sayth these signes were done amongest them and he calleth none other to witnesse the same but themselues to whome he preached which did see them And so he quippeth their greate waywardnesse and ingratitude which coulde not be mollified and ouercome with so many and so great benefites of Christ being so marueylous and woonderfull He also goeth about by the consideration hereof to bring them to the knowledge of Christes diuinitie wherof not long after he discourseth more largely For although he here say that God did these things by Christ yet it derogateth nothing from the power and diuinitie of Christ whereas he confesseth these workes are giuen him of the father and that the father and he be all one In these things we are taught the true knowledge of Iesus Christe He is very God and man in one vnseparable person Uerye God from euerlasting begotten of the father Man made of a woman when in the tyme appoynted he came into the worlde to be the redeemer of mankinde And we must well marke the difference of the natures to saye the diuine and humaine which neyther deuyde the vnitie of person nor by reason of the vnitie are confounded among themselues For the properties of bothe the natures remayne inuiolable whole and sounde according as the Euangelists teach vs in euery place For euen Christ himselfe which touching his diuinitie is all one with the father speaking of his manhoode confesseth his father to be greater than he And Christ in his humanitie or manhoode dyeth who in his diuinitie or godheade is subiect neyther to death ne yet to any other corruption Such an one doth the holy scripture teach vs euery where that Christe is For whome the Prophetes call the ofspring and sonne of Dauid the same they vse also to call the father of eternitie our Lorde and our god And whome they prophecie shoulde be borne in Bethlehem his progresse and outgoing they confesse to haue beene from the beginning and from euerlasting Yea the Lorde himselfe speaking of Christ sayth Aryse O thou sworde vpon my shepehearde and vppon the man which is my fellow or as some interprete it my coequall In the which words the two natures of Christ are more cleerely to be seene than the day For God calleth him Virum that is a very man and also testifieth that he is his coequall Manye other testimonies might be brought to this purpose if neede so were which they that reade the scriptures maye euerye where see On these things rest the first articles of our fayth and beliefe in christ For we protest that we beleeue in the onely begotten sonne of God our Lorde Iesus Christ which was conceyued by the holy ghost borne of the virgin Marie and so foorth To the declaration whereof all those things serue that are written in the Euangelistes concerning the mysterye of his incarnation See Luke 1. 2. Iohn 1. Math. 1. It shall be profitable for vs to holde fast the knowledge of both natures in Christ bicause that vppon these dependeth the office of Christ and the certaintie of our saluation For where it is manifest that he is both God and man we certainly beleeue that he is a mediatour betweene God and man bicause such ought to be the condition of a sequester or mediatour that he may be accepted of both the parties at variance But the infirmity of man was not able to abyde the rigour and maiestie of Gods iustice no more than the iustice of God alloweth mans righteousnesse which is nothing Therefore Iesus Christ was founde out who being the sonne of God of the same eternitie and substance with God was made man and ioyned both the natures so togither in one person that by his meane we haue a peace renued with God and a free entrance prepared to the throne of grace His merite the father can not deny bicause he is both his beloued sonne and also free himselfe from all sinne and wickednesse To him also maye we safelye trust considering he hath experience of our infirmities and knoweth howe to haue compassion on vs Wherevnto Paule had a respect saying We haue not an high Priest which cannot haue compassion on our infirmities but was in all poyntes tempted lyke as we are but yet without sinne Agayne Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of fleshe and bloude he himselfe also lykewise tooke part with them that through death he myght vanquishe him that had Lordship ouer death that is to say the deuill and that he myght deliuer them which through feare of death were all theyr lyfe time subdued vnto bondage For he in no place taketh on him the Angels but the seede of Abraham taketh he on him Wherefore in all things it became him to be made lyke vnto his brethren that he might be mercifull and a faithfull high Priest in things concerning God for to purge the peoples sinnes For in that it came to passe that he himselfe was tempted he is able to succour thē also that are tempted The consideration of these things might teach men how they dote which leaue this only mediatour Iesus Christ and turne
things which we haue cited of himselfe the matter must be the better marked and then shall it appeare that they are most manifestly deceyued in their opinion For Dauid speaketh of one whose soule shoulde not abide with the soules of the deceassed and which in his bodye shoulde suffer no corrâ—ption But it is euident that Dauid is deade and his tombe at this day is to be seene amongst you wherin his body after the maner of all fleshe as he sayeth of himselfe is consumed into dust Therefore the wordes of the Psalme cannot be vnderstanded of him Howbeit though this be a firme and sure argument yet was it not sufficient vnlesse also he coulde prooue it ought to be vnderstanded of christ Wherefore he addeth Therefore seeyng Dauid was a Prophete and knewe that God had sworne with an othe to him that Christ as touching the fleshe should spring of the fruite of his loynes and sit vppon his seate he knowing this before c. By the which wordes he teacheth vs that no man ought to marueyle that Dauid prophecied these things of Christ which was promised to be the sauiour of the worlde He vseth two kindes of argument The first is taken of Dauids person and of his office For all men knowe that Dauid was a Prophete But this was the office of all Prophetes by the spirite of Christ to searche out his mysteries chiefely his death and resurrection as Peter in other places diligently teacheth And if a man searche the bookes of the Prophetes he shall there finde manifest and plaine prophecies of Christ and of his kingdome which thing Christ himselfe acknowledged saying after his resurrection It behooued that all the things shoulde be fulfilled which was written in the lawe of Moses and in the Prophets concerning me Therefore what marueyle is it that Dauid being a Prophete prophecied of Christ The other argument is touching the promises of god God had promised by an othe vnto Dauid that out of his loynes shoulde spring he that was promised to be the sauiour of the worlde which shoulde establishe the throne of his kingdome and possesse it for euer Therefore Dauid ought and might easily expounde the mysteries of that saâ—iour â—o promised And the things here rehearsed ought manifestlye to be vnderstanded of him bicause they can not be meant of Dauid nor of anye other The promises made long ago vnto Dauid appertaine to the explication of this place Amongst which the chiefe is that that Nathan the Prophete by the spirite of God declared in these wordes when Dauid consulted touching the building of the Temple When thy dayes bee fulfilled thou shalt sleepe with thy fathers and I will set vp thy seede after thee which shall proceede out of thy body and will stablish his kingdome Hee shall builde an house for my name and I will stablish the seate of his kingdome for euer c. Which place as may easily be perceyued can not be vnderstanded of Salomon bicause he was borne and set in his kingdome Dauid being yet alyue neyther was the seate of his kingdome continuall But this promise is fulfilled in Iesus Christ which many yeares after tooke fleshe of the stocke of Dauid and appointed the house of God that is to say the congregation of all Nations and peoples whose kingdome as the Aungell testifieth shall haue none ende Besides this promise to put all things out of doubt he added an othe whereof Peter in this place maketh mention and which is expressed in the scriptures For herevnto appertaineth that which we reade Psal. 89. I haue sworne once by my holy nesse that I will not fayle Dauid His seede shal endure for euer and his seate is lyke as the sunne before me He shall stand fast as the moone and as the faithfull witnesse in heauen c. And againe The Lorde hath made a faithfull othe vnto Dauid and he shall not shrinke from it Of the fruite of thy body shall I set vpon thy seate And meete and conuenient it is that we should adde herevnto that which is read of the Priesthoode of Christ confirmed with the othe of god For Dauid prophecying hereof sayth The Lorde hath sworne and will not repent him Thou art a Priest for euer after the order of Melchisedech Where therefore Dauid was instructed with such and so manye promises of God it is easie to perceyue that this ought to be vnderstanded of the true Messias which is the verye sonne of Dauid bicause they are more excellent and high mysteries than can fall out eyther vppon Dauid or any of his children But before we leaue this place two things are to be noted First we are taught that the auncient fathers were not altogither ignorant of Christes mysteries and specially those which concerne his death and resurrection In deede we must confesse that a more full knowledge hereof was reserued vnto the time appointed But to denye Antiquitie the whole knowledge of Christ were to rashe a part bicause we knowe Christ testifieth of Abraham that he reioyced to see his daye that he sawe it and was gladde And as we sayde erewhyle he sayth Moyses and the Prophetes prophecied of his mysteries This might be prooued by authoritie of elder promises and the bookes of the Prophetes abundantlye if neede so were But let it suffice vs to learne this namely that the bookes of the olde Testament appertaine to vs also which thing manye nowe a dayes ouer boldly vse to denie For it is euident that in them the knowledge of Christ is conteyned Therefore we must confesse that they appertaine to vs also vnlesse we will reiect the knowledge of Christ as nothing belonging vnto vs How much better doth Paule who sayth Whatsoeuer things are written before time are written for our learning that through pacience and comfort of the Scriptures we might haue hope Adde herevnto that which he sayth in the seconde Epistle to Timothie Cap. 3. The next thing worthy to be obserued in this place is howe God doth vouchsafe with an othe to confirme and establishe our redemption and saluation which only is included in Christ our lord Howbeit the credite and authoritie of Gods worde alone farre passeth any othe that can be made Howbeit that high God stoupeth downe to our capacitie bicause he would haue vs nothing doubt of our saluation And he bounde not himselfe on this wise to Dauid only but also to Abraham as Paule sayth For to him it is sayde I haue sworne by my selfe sayth the Lorde bicause thou hast done this thing and hast not spared thine onely sonne c. Afterwarde this othe was repeated againe where the Lorde sayd to Isaac I will perfourme the othe which I sware vnto Abraham thy father c. And herevnto appertaine those earnest and solemne contestations of God the father wherewith he beareth witnesse from heauen that Iesus Christ is his beloued sonne for whose sake he is reconciled vnto
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
and promise For herevnto appertayneth it where they promise him the bullocks of their lips Dauid speaking hereof sayth what rewarde shall I giue vnto the Lorde for all the benefites that he hath done vnto me I will receyue the cup of saluation and call vpon the name of the Lorde· I will paye my vowes nowe in the presence of all his people And he testifyeth that this shall please the Lorde better than a bullocke that hath hornes and hoofes These thinges teach vs what to thinke of the vnkinde and wicked raylers agaynst Gods worde who haue a pleasure with bitternesse of tongue to caâ—pe at it and saye it is the cause of all calamitie where it were their dutie to acknowledge and celebrate the grace of God for it Furthermore let vs see howe the beholders were affected with this myracle Amongst whome some were Iewes which accompanied Peter from Ioppeâ— Luke sayth that they were amazed seeing the gift of the holye ghost was poured vpon the Gentyles also For although they were not ignorant what came to passe vnto Peter yet the common error of the Iewes still bewitched them who thought all Nations vnholy and straungers from God but such as were circumcised and had receyued the other ceremonies of the Iewes lawe It is very notable that they which are of the faythfull are so deceyued For hereby it appeareth that euen to the godlye sometime the spottes of error cleaue and therefore all things that they doe must not be drawen to imitation Which thing it appeareth Paule obserued who biddeth the Corinthians to followe him as farre forth as they see him to follow Christ. For there is nothing so appropriate vnto man as to erre and be deceyued Nor nothing so difficult and laborious as to plucke vp olde rooted errors out of mennes mindes example whereof we haue seene in the Apostles still stumbling at the expectation and looking for of a carnall and earthly kingdome Therefore they are greatly deceyued which iudge continuall teaching and admonition to be superfluous and vnprofitable seeing that blindnesse and frowardnesse of mannes witte is such that he taketh occasion of stumbling at euery thing and hardlye can be brought into the waye againe Wherefore Paule was of a farre better iudgement when he commaunded Timothie to preach in season and out of season But to returne to the exposition of the hystory Peter hath a much better iudgement who of the premisses gathereth the ende of the myracle For where by an heauenly vision he was commaunded to go to Cornelius and to preach the Gospell vnto him and seeth nowe the gifte of the holy spirite giuen to them that heare and beleeue it he easilye acknowledgeth that the grace of the Gospell belongeth to the Gentyles also and that the vncircumcised also so that they beleeue in Christ ought to be receyued into the fellowship of the Church forasmuch as God doth vouchsafe to giue them his holy spirite For drawing an argument from the thing vnto the signe thereof he sayeth Can anye man forbidde water that these shoulde not be baptized which haue receyued the holye ghost as well as we Which is as much as if he shoulde saye As many as are the members of Christ must be receyued by baptisme into the fellowship of Christes Church But no man can doubt but these men are the members of Christ seeing they haue receyued the spirite of Christ as well as we Ergo it is reason they shoulde be baptized And forthwith he commaundeth them to be baptised in the name of the Lorde that is to saye to be consecrated to Christ the Lorde and numbred with his Church For Peters commaundement must not so much be vnderstanded of the fourme of baptisme as of the ende and vse thereof Of these things it is easie to gather all the meaning of baptisme Peter surely acknowledgeth baptisme to be the first sacrament of Gods people and Church whereby outwardly the benefites of regeneration and adoption and whatsoeuer else is giuen vs in Christ are sealed vnto vs and thereby as many as are partakers of them are admonished of their dutie Wherevpon we gather that as many as it appeareth are of the people of God haue neede thereof By these things are many errors confuted that we see haue crept in these many yeares about baptisme yet reigne euerywhere And first this place confuteth the vnholy deprauers of the Sacraments which thinke they are superfluous for them that beleeue and are regenerate by fayth Which kinde of men while they greatly extoll fayth and the grace of God doe wickedly contemne the wisedome of God and his ordinaunces Howbeit Peter sawe that Cornelius and his familie truly beleeued and that they were indued with the holy ghost and adopted into the number of the children of God and yet for all that he commaundeth them to be baptized bicause he would not seeme to contemne Christes commaundement For why shoulde he contemne the sacramentes of Christ which knewe that God in the olde Testament had made it death for them that contemned his sacraments Agayne this place confuteth the boldenesse of the Anabaptistes which vse to keepe the children of the Christians from their baptisme But Peter prooueth that they are to be baptized for none other cause but for that he sawe they were endued with the spirite of Christ and therefore were members of his Church Why then shoulde not infants be baptized by as good right who we knowe are borne members of the Church and who Christ testifyeth appertayne to the kingdome of God Moreouer the example of this place maketh agaynst the error of the Papistes which vse to tye the grace of God vnto Sacramentes and vse to bring it and put it in their sacraments by exorcismes and coniuring wheras it is euident that they are but the cognizances tokens of the grace that is giuen vs in christ And if thou well examine this place it shall appeare the same came to passe vnto Cornelius that somtime was to be seene in Abraham so that thou mayst see the sacraments of both the Testaments had all but one reason For Paule witnesseth that Abraham was iustifyed by fayth that he afterwarde receyued Circumcision which was a seale of the righteousnesse of fayth So we heare that Cornelius beleeued and was endued with the spirite of God which was an infallible argument of his regeneration and iustification and nowe at length commeth baptisme where by all these benefytes of God are sealed and confirmed Therefore it is euident that the grace of God is not tyed vnto baptisme neyther that it is by baptisme poured into vs as by a Pype or Conduite forasmuch as if we receyue the Sacramentes without fayth they be vtterlye superâ—luous yea wee knowe they indammage the contemners of them as maye be seene in the examples of Iudas the Traytour and Simon the Sorcerer Before we leaue this place it is good to
of God it teacheth vs that we be reconciled to God the father through his sonne Iesus Chryste Hereby it appeareth what great vngodlynesse theirs is which wickedly disdaine and contemne the Gospell They be like vnto sedicious people which thinke it not inough to moue and stirre sedition agaynst the Magistrates but wil also scornfully deride the grace which is offred them of the Magistrates and fowly intreate the messangers sent vnto them with the same For it is euident that all we are gyltie of sedition against God haue deserued destruction But God pardoneth al our oâ—fences for the merite of his sonne and declareth that grace and fauor to vs by his Gospell Whiche whosoeuer refuse verily they declare themselues to be vtterly inexcusable and vnworthy of pardon hereafter Again speaking of the ministery he vseth this word testifying wherby we haue oftentimes declared is vnderstanded a playn free earnest kinde of preaching For the Gospell is not a bare and simple narration of a thing done but a testimonie of Iesus Chryst. And Chryste him selfe calleth his Apostles witnesses They earnestly therefore preached Chryst yea they testified not onely in words and deedes but also by their lyfe and bloud that Chryst was the sauiour of the worlde for the which cause they are commonly called Martyrs That we say the Apostles did the same muste all christians do likewise For Christ wil haue vs to confesse him before this worlde and acknowledgeth none for his seruants which are ashamed of him his gospell before this adulterous naughty generation But concerâ—ing Paule bicause he would haue his exhortation to haue the more authoritie with theÌ„ he repeateth in a short recapitulation to what ende he spake those things which he had heretofore said he maketh meÌ„tion again of his departure not that only but also he plainly testifieth that they shall see him no more hereafter saying And now behold I am sure that hencefoorth al you through whoÌ„ I haue gone preaching the kingdom of God shal see my face no more Here he doth as pareÌ„ts vse to do being redy to depart this life which in their admonitioÌ„s ofteÌ„times vse the like therby meaning to leaue the sharper stings in the harts of their childreÌ„ Paules intent purpose is worthy of al praise diligeÌ„t obseruation whose maruelous bold constaÌ„ce appereth in these few words For althogh he knoweth that this is the last meting he shold haue with theÌ„ therfore loketh for nothing but death yet he doth not with womanly weping bewaile his departure nor vttreth any tokeÌ„ of sadnes or priuat sorow but is only carefull for the welth of their churches only desireth theÌ„ to be careful for the same Which example teacheth vs what minds we should haue in the consideration of death or else when death approcheth is at hand We must in such case beware of this womaÌ„nish pulinesse wherwith many so bewaile their state condition as though God had apointed theÌ„ only to dye are with such sorow care pulled froÌ„ their kinsfolke friends as though there remained none in the world through whose care prouideÌ„ce they might liue in safetie wheÌ„ they were gone Howbeit they ought rather to remeÌ„ber that this is the way of al flesh as Iosua Dauid testifie What iniurie then receyue we if we do but as al others do As touching our freÌ„ds wiues children neither do we lose them by death but either we send theÌ„ afore beeing our selues shortly after redy to folow or els we go before theÌ„ to that place whither they must folow where Christ hath prepared vs a countrey where the faithful of al natioÌ„s shal sit with Abraham Isaac Iacob And the tutor patrone of those we leaue behind vs is God whoÌ„ the scriptures call the defender of the straÌ„gers and widows the father of the fatherlesse Therfore they must be coÌ„mitted to his charge we must takewith stedfast faith that way which leadeth to heueÌ„ through the merite of Chryst. Last of all Paule vseth a most weighty protestatioÌ„ wherin he layeth the fault of their perdition on their owne heads if they neglect the Churches committed to their charge and suffer them to stray from the fayth I take you sayth he to recorde this day that I am pure from the bloud of all men The reason is for that I haue spared no labour but haue shewed you al the councell of God. Undoutedly he had a respect vnto the words of God red in Eze. 3. .33 Where the bloud of those that perish is imputed to the minister if he do not expresly giue them warning but him self is free froÌ„ al fault if he do his duetie faithfully And bycause Paule so did as one not culpable in his owne conscience thus he speaketh Also he seemeth to follow the example of singular men such as Moses Iosua were who we read vsed not much vnlike protestations a little before their death Paules example teacheth vs that they are excused before God which do their dutie although they little or nothing preuayle among the people committed to their charge For they are gyltie of destruction that continue in incurablenesse And this doctrine is not to be applied onely to the Ministers but also vnto all degrees of men And that it ought to haue place in the Magistrates the example of Iosias declareth whome the holy Ghoste maruellously commendeth although he had many in his kingdome yea in his Courte that were not very sounde and many playne incurable and wicked as the Sermons of Sophonias the Prophete testifie The lyke reason is to be made of Parents For oftentimes it commeth to passe that godly fathers haue children that go out of kinde and yet the childrens wickednesse is not preiudiciall to the fathers if they fayle not of their duetie in seeing to their children Wee haue ensamples in the sonnes of Iacob the Patriarche of Dauid and of diuers like But if Magistrates and parents forget their duetie and with ouermuche tendernesse or euill example infect those that are committed to their charge then the seueritie of Gods iudgement will fall vpon them as we see in the Scripture by the example of Heli. Heere haste thou what to aunswere to suche that thinke it good to cease where no hope of profyte is This is nowe obiected both agaynst Magistrates and Ministers and with this argument the sluggish vse to flatter themselues But do thou thinke that thy soule is also in danger which thou canst deliuer none other wayes than by faythful diligence and if thou deliuer hir then thinke not that thou haste laboured in vayne It appereth also by this place what a miserable condition they are in who where their predecessors haue wel discharged their duetie before they eyther like sluggardes giue ouer or else with their naughtinesse corrupte that that other before them haue well ordered For they are altogither gyltie
knees and prayed with them all For where he knew that God only gaue all increase as otherwheres he teacheth therefore he was not vnmindfull of prayer specially in a matter of such importaunce whervpon depended the saluation of al men And hereof sprang that auncient and notable vsage of the Church wherin sermons vsed to be begon and ended with prayers which prayers who so neglect abundantly declare that they resorte vnto sermons more of curiositie than either for desire of Gods glory or their owne saluation of which sort they are which are described in Ezechiel the xxxiij Chapter And as this example commendeth prayers and specially publike prayers which it behoueth vs to make with feruent affection of minde so it teacheth vs to obserue also a godly modestie of behauiour in the same wherby we testifie the meaning of our minde Among these gestures this is the moste auncient where the godly men vse to pray on their knees or else lying with their bodies prostrate on the ground therby setting themselues in order of humblenesse They vse also commonly to lift vp their hands vnto heauen both to declare the ardent desire of their minde and also to testifie their fayth wherby they firmly beleue that they shall receiue that they desire Yet muste we take heede that we cloke not a naughtie minde with a vayne kinde of gesture or that we lifte not vp handes embrued with bloud Touching bothe which vices reade Esai 1. and .29 Chapiters After all these things Luke addeth Paules departure out of Asia in the which two things fall out chiefly to be marked First he sayth they fell on weeping of all hands and euen they whom Paule had somdeale more openly quipped But they regarded not so muche their priuate reprehension as the publike commoditie of the whole Churche They are therfore sory that the Church should be depriued of suche an Instrument and they declare their sorrow by weeping embracing and kissing This is a very delectable example of mutuall charitie wherein the Ministers and Congregations shoulde stryue eche to ouercome others Paule loued them wonderfully as his whole trade of life declared Therefore they agayne loued him and reuerenced him as their Apostle and Father Where this mutuall affection reigneth all things prosper well But they whych hate their Ministers are for the moste parte moste vnhappy as may euidently bee seene in the Israelites which hated Moyses and Aaron Also by this place the indolencie of the Stoikes is condemned They thinke it vnlawfull for any man to shew any token of any affection As though affections were euill of themselfe and not set in vs by nature and that when any excesse is committed it were not through our default God requireth of vs a moderation of the minde but will not haue men to become stockes or stones Last of al they bring Paule to the shippe which is a dutie of reuerence and for the most parte proceedeth of loue Here we learne that they are worthy of honor which labour diligently in setting foorth the glory of God or otherwise wel accomplish their duetie Agayne we are taught that God neuer letteth them go without glory that are such For his promise is I will honour those that honoâ—r mâ— â–ª Leâ— ministers of the Church Magistrates also remember these things thaâ— they may learne by like industrie to preserue and maintaine their autority And let vs one with another lay to our helpes to the maintenaunce of the Church so shall we hereafter be partakers of the heauenly honour wyth Chryst our Lord and Sauiour to whome be prayse honour power and glorie for euer Amen The .xxj. Chapiter vpon the Actes of the Apostles The Cxxxviij Homelie ANd when it chaunced that we had launched foorth and were deparâ—ed from them we came with a straight course vnto Choon and the dayâ— following vnto the Rhodes and from thence vnto Patara And when wâ— had gotten a Ship that would sayle vnto Phenices we went abooâ—d on it and set foorth But when Cyprus began to appeare vnto vs we lefte it on the lefte hande and sayled vnto Syria and came vntoo Tyre for there the Ship vnladed the burthen And when we had found brethren we tarried there seuen dayes And they tolde Paule through the spirit that he should not goe vp to Hierusalem And when the dayes were ended we departed and went our way and they all broughte vs on our waye with wiues and children till we were come out of the Citie And we kneeled downe on the shoare and prayed And when we had taken our leaue one of another we toke Ship and they retourned home againe When we had ful ended the course from Tyre we went downe to Ptolemais and saluted the brethren and abode with them one day THe holy Ghost rehearseth very diligently the paynefull and dangerous voyages of the Apostles that by them we might learne the exceeding goodnes of God towarde vs who woulde haue his elect instrumentes and most faithful Ministers for oure saluation sake â–ª inured with such trauels and dangers for that wee shoulde the more feruentelye embrace the doctrine of the Gospell which it behooued to haue sette foorth wyth so greate paynes And to this ende must the hystorie of this Chapiter be referred wherin we are taught how Paule passing many seas through many hazardes came into Syria and from thence to Ierusalem where beeing courteously receiued of the godly but betrayed by the sedicious and apprehended he was committed to the power of the Deputie or lieuetenaunt of the Romanes al which things we shal consider in their time place This place specially hath many things which make muche for the explication of that we sayd euen now Wherefore the Contents muste be the more diligently discussed whiche at the first sight seeme but barren First it is declared how Paul vnwillingly departed froÌ„ Athens with his company We launched foorth sayth he and were plucked from them On this sort it is said Christ was pulled from his Disciples at mount Oliuet Luc. 22. By which worde is declared a great griefe of minde risen about his departure And verily the causes of this griefe were neither fewe nor yet tryfling For Paules three yeres conuersation amongst them had engendred a mutuall loue betweene them And diuers arguments of this loue were apparaunt all which these freshe teares and common griefe taken on all partes called agayne to remembraunce Moreouer Paule knew that he should come no more amongest them which loued him so intierly that he had lefte them in daunger of Wolues whom he had trayned and brought to with great paynes and trauell All these things had bene able to moue euen an heart of yron Thus wee see Parentes mourne when their children by death are pulled from them which by reason of their minoritie are not yet able to helpe them selues Yet Paule ouercommeth all griefe of minde bicause he would obey the calling of God which drue him to Ierusalem By