Helpe They crie out as if they were in extreame danger and they call vpon all men to helpe them as if all religion were in hazard Whereby we see with what furious hatred they were inflamed against Paul onely because in shewing that the full and perfite truth is found in Christ he taught that the figures of the Law had an end Now whereas they conceiue a false opinion hauing seene Trophymus they do more bewray by this headlong lightnes how venemous they be They accuse Paul of sacrilege Why because he brought into the Temple a man which was vncircumcised But they laid a most cruell crime to the charge of an innocent through a false opinion Thus the boldnesse of those men vseth commonly to bee preposterous who are carried away with an opinion conceiued before But let vs learne by such examples to beware of the distemperature of affections and not to let light preiudices haue the raine least we runne headlong vpon the innocent being carried with blind force 30 And the Citie was moued Wee see in this place the vanitie of the common people which count Paul a condemned man before euer they heare him Whereas the citie is moued about godlines it is no maruell but this is a point of peruerse zeale and mad rashnes in that they set themselues against Paule before they knowe his matter For in this corruption of nature frowardnes is ioined with foolishnes so that those will readily of their owne accord make haste to maintaine an euil cause who can hardly be moued with many exhortations to do well This is a hard case that the whole world should be armed against vs at a sodaine through the perswasion of a fewe but seeing it pleaseth the Lorde it should bee so let euery one of vs prepare himselfe by this and such like examples to suffer all manner assaults and to beare and abide albrunts 31 And as they sought to kill him it was told the captaine of the band that all Ierusalem was on an vprore 32 Who tooke with him streightway soldiars and vnder captaines and ranne downe vnto them But they when they saw the chiefe captaine and the soldiars left smiting of Paul 33 Then the chiefe captaine drew neere and tooke him and commanded him to be bounde with two chaines and hee asked what he was and what hee had done 34 And some cried one thing and some another among the people And when he could not know the truth by reason of the tumult he commanded him to be carried into the campe 35 And when he came to the staires it happened that he was carried of the soldiars because of the violence of the multitude 36 For the multitude of people followed crying Away with him 37 And when Paul began to be carried into the campe he saith to the captaine May I speake to thee who said canst thou speake Greeke 38 Art not thou that Egyptian which before these dayes madest an vprore and leddest into the wildernes fower thousand men which were murderers 39 And Paul saide I verely am a man which am a Iewe borne in Tharsus a citizen of no vile Citie of Cilicia But I beseech thee suffer me to speake to the people 40 And when he had giuen him leaue Paul standing vpon the staires beckoned with the hand vnto the people and when there was made great silence he spake in the Hebrew tongue saying 31 As they sought to kill him Assuredly the force of satan appeareth therein in that he driueth the people headlong into such rage that whē they haue shut the doares of the Temple being not content with meane punishment they conspire to put Paul to death Wee must thus thinke with our selues that Sathan doth pricke forward the enimies of godlinesse least their rage how cruell and troublesome so euer it be trouble vs. On the otherside appeareth the wonderfull goodnes of God when as he raiseth vp the chiefe captaine at a sodaine that hee may deliuer Paul from death He himselfe thought vpon no such thing but he came to appease the tumult which was raised among the people but the Lord sheweth a more euident token of his prouidence because Paul his life was deliuered from such present danger without mans counsell Thus doth he suffer the faithful not only to labor but to be almost oppressed that hee may deliuer them from death more wonderfully Luke calleth him the chiefe captaine of the band improperly seing euery chiefe captain was set ouer a thousand which doth also appeare by the text where he saith that the chiefe captaine tooke with him vndercaptaines 32 And when they saw the chiefe captaine Those whose furie neither the maiestie of God ne yet the reuerence of the temple could once stay begin to relent when they see a prophane man Wherby it appeareth that theye were set on fire rather with barbarous crueltie than zeale Nowe whereas the chiefe captaine bindeth Paul with chaines hee declareth thereby sufficiently that he came not to ease him The vnbeleeuers wold attribute this to fortune but the Spirit hath depainted out vnto vs the prouidence of God as in a table reigning amidst the confused vprores of men And though this be very hard that this holy minister of God is so shamefully handled yet the equitie of the chiefe captaine is to be commended if hee bee compared with the Iewes Hee bindeth him with chaines as if he were some euill doer or some wicked person yet doth he vouchsafe to heare him when he is bounde whom they did beat vnmercifully neither doeth hee determin to handle him hardly before he knew his cause Yea this was the best way to mitigate their cruelty because they thought that Paul should be punished immediatly 34 Some cried one thing and some another The madnesse of the raging people doth bewray it selfe on euery side They make horrible outcries whereof one is contrary to another Neuerthelesse they desire with one consent to haue him put to death who was conuict of no offence In the meane season we need not doubt but that they were blinded with a color of holy zeale but the truth of the cause wel known maketh mē truly zealous as it maketh them true martyrs of God but rage bewraieth diuellish madnes Whereas mention is made in this place of the campe or fortresse we must know that the soldiars which were placed to gard the City had a place which was trenched fortified on euerie side which they might defend as if it were a castle from which they might beat backe all assaultes if any sedition were raised For it had not been good for them to haue been dispearsed here and there in diuers Innes seeing the people were treacherous and the Citie troublesome And wee gather by this that the place was high because Luke saith that when they came to the steps Paul was carried of the soldiers And whether the soldiers did lift vp Paul on high that they might bring him safe to the station or campe
remeÌ„brance of things to come Wherfore the oracle was not superfluous Those former things whereby he was taught that God cared for him ought to haue sufficed to nourish his hope and to haue kept hym from fainting but because in great dangers Satan doth oftentimes procure new feares that he may thereby if he cannot altogether ouerwhelme Gods promises in the hearts of the godly at least darken the same with cloudes it is needfull that the remembrance of them bee renued that faith beeing holpen with new proppes and stayes may stand more stedfastly But the summe is that Paul may behaue him selfe boldly because hee must bee Christe his witnesse at Rome also But this seemeth to bee but a colde and vaine consolation as if he shoulde say Feare not because thou must abide a sorer brunt for it had beene better accordyng to the fleshe once to die and with speede to ende his dayes then to pine awaye in bandes and long time to lie in prison The Lord doth not promise to deliuer him no he saith not so muche as that he shall haue a ioyfull end only he saith that those troubles and afflictions wherewith hee was too sore oppressed alreadie shall continue long But by this we gather better of what great importance this confidence is that the Lord hath respect vnto vs in our miseries though hee stretch not foorth his hand by and by to helpe vs. Therefore let vs learn euen in most extreeme afflictions to stay our selues vppon the woord of God alone and let vs neuer faint so long as hee quickneth vs with the testimonie of his fatherly loue And because Oracles are not nowe sent from heauen neither doeth the Lorde himselfe appeare by visions wee must meditate vpon his innumerable promises whereby he doth testifie that he will be nigh vnto vs continually If it be expedient that an angel come downe vnto vs the Lord will not denie euen this kinde of confirmation Neuerthelesse we must giue this honour to the word that being content with it alone wee wait patiently for that helpe which it promiseth vs. Moreouer it did profite some nothing to heare Angeles which were sent downe from heauen but the Lord doth not in vaine seale vp in the hearts of the faithfull by his Spirite those promises which are made by him And as he doth not in vaine beate them in and often repeat them so let our faith exercise it selfe diligentlye in the continuall remembrance of them For if it were necessarie that Pauls faith should bee oftentimes set and shoared vp with a new help there is none of vs which needeth not many moe helps Also our minds must be armed with patience that they may passe through the long and troublesome circuits of troubles and afflictions 12 And when it was day By this circumstaunce Luke sheweth howe necessary it was for Paul to gather new and fresh strength of faith that he might nor quake in most great and sodaine danger For being told of this so desperate madnesse of his enemies he could not otherwise think but that he should loose his life This vow whereof Luke speaketh was a kinde of curse The cause of the vow was that it might not be lawful for them to change their purpose nor to cal back that which they had promised There is alwaies in deed in an oath a secret curse if any man deceiue or forsweare but sometimes to the end men may the more bind themselues they vse certaine formes of cursing and they make themselues subiect to cruell torments to the ende they may be thee more afraid This historie doeth teache that zeale is so blooddy in hypocrites that they weigh not what is lawfull for them but they runne carelesly whither soeuer their lust doth carry them Admit we graunt that Paul was a wicked man and worthie to die yet who had giuen priuate men leaue to put him to death Now if any man had asked why they did so hate Paul they would quickly haue answered because he was a reuolt schismatike but it was but a foolish opinion and an opinion conceiued of an vncâ—rtaine report concerning this matter which had rashly possessed their minds The same blindnesse and blockishnes doth at this day prick forward the Papists so that they thinke nothing vnlawfull for them in destroying vs. Hypocrisie doth so blinde their eies that as men freed from the lawes of God and men they are carried by their zeale sometimes vnto trecherie sometimes vnto guile sometime vnto intollerable crueltie finally to attempt whatsoeuer they will Moreouer we see in this historie how great the rashnesse of the wicked is They bind themselues with a curse that they will eat no meat till they haue slaine Paul as if his life were in their hands Therefore these brainsick men take to them selues that which the Lord doth so often in Scripture say is his to wit Deut. 32.39 to haue the life and death of those men whom hee hath created in his hande Moreouer there bee not onely two or three who are partners in this madnesse but more then fortie Whence wee doe also gather how willing and bent men are to doe mischief seeing they runne together thus on heapes Furthermore seeing Satan doeth driue them headlong into their own destruction how shamefull is then our sluggishnesse when as wee scarce moue one finger in maintaining the glory of God Wee must vse moderation that wee attempt nothing without the commaundement of God but when God calleth vs expresly our loitring is without excuse 14 They came to the chiefe priestes Seeing that the priests agree to such a wicked and vngodly conspiracie by this they proue that there was in them neither any feare of God neither yet any humanitie They doe not only allowe that which is brought before them concerning the murthering of the man by laying awaite but also they are readie to be partners in the murder that they may deliuer him into the handes of the murtherers whom they woulde haue made away some way they passe not howe For what other thing was it to take a man out of the handes of the iudge and to slea him then like murtherers to rage euen in the very place of iudgement The priests surely would neuer haue alowed suche a wicked purpose if there had been in them any droppe of godly and right affectioÌ„ or of humane feeling Moreouer they did what they could to bring destruction vpon all the people and themselues also But the Lord did by this means disclose their wicked impietie which lay hid vnder a colour of honour 16 Paul his sisters sonne Wee see in this place how the Lord doth crosse the purposes of the vngodlye Hee permitteth them to attempt many thinges and he suffereth their wicked indeuours but at length hee sheweth euen in the twinckling of an eye that hee doth from heauen deride whatsoeuer men go about vpon earth There is no wisdome sayeth Salomon there is no counsell against the Lorde
the cause why God doth shewe an example of such sharpe punishment in Ananias Nowe let vs note euerie point by it selfe He laide it at the feete of the Apostles Loe what ambition doth Ananias is ashamed not to be accounted one of the best therefore although hee be greedie of monie yet to the ende he may purchase a name amongst men hee depriueth himselfe of some part of his riches In the meane while hee doeth not consider that hee lyeth and disceiueth in the sight of God and that God will punish this lye So it is that he honoreth the Apostles feete more than Gods eyes Wherefore wee must take good heede that when wee doe well wee doe not seeke to bee praised of the by standers and it is not without cause that Christ saieth that it is profitable for vs when wee giue our almes to haue the left hande ignorant of that which the right hand doth 3 And Peter saide Howe did Peter knowe Ananias his fraude and purloigning vndoubtedly by the reuelation of the Spirite Therefore Luke signifieth vnto vs that the Apostles did after a sort represent gods person and supplie his roome If the Spirite of God by the mouth of a mortall man do so sore vrge an hypocrite being otherwise painted with the beautifull colour of vertues how shall the reprobate abide the voice of god himself with the sound of the trūpet when they shal appear before his iudgement seat Furthermore Peter pointeth out the cruelnes and horriblenes of the offence by his question when he saith that Satan had filled the hart of Ananias For there is no man whose hart is not pricked with the prickes of Satan and all men are also many wayes tempted yea these temptations pearce into their minds but where Satan possesseth the hart he reigneth in the whole man hauing as it were expelled God This is a signe of a reprobate to be so addicted and giuen ouer to Satan that the Spirit of God hath no place That which followeth afterward concerning lying may haue a double sense either that he did falsely beare a shew of the Spirit or that he lyed against the Spirit And in deede it is word for word Mentiri Spiritum but forasmuch as the Greeke word Pseudesthai is ioyned with a double accusatiue case that doth better agree with the text I am rather of this minde that Ananias is reprehended because he did lie falsely to the holy Ghost Which he confirmeth shortly after when he vpbraideth this vnto him that he hath lyed vnto God and not vnto men Wherefore we must take great heed that hypocrisie reigne not in vs which hath this wickednes proper to it to goe about to disceiue God and as it were cornicum oculos configere to goe about to make blinde those which are most wise which cannot be without a disloyall and vnseemely mocke Wherfore it is not without cause that Peter saieth that where this commeth to passe the heart is possessed of Satan For who durst vnles he were void of reason so blaspheme God Therfore Peter asketh him as of some wōder because such blindnesse is horrible 4 Did it not remaining This amplifieth the offence because he sinned being enforced by no necessitie For seeing it is no iust or lawful excuse to haue been prouoked by some other meanes how much worse is it to run headlong vnto wickednesse willingly and as it were of set purpose to pull downe Gods vengeance We gather out of this that no man was enforced to sell his goods or landes For Peter saieth that Ananias had free libertie to keep both his land and his money because in the second member the field which was sold is takē for the price it self Therfore he should neuertheles haue been counted faithfull though he had kept that which was his owne Whereby it appeareth that they are mē destitute of their right wits who say that it is not lawful for the faithfull to haue any thing of their owne Thou hast not lied to men but to God Although the wordes be diuersly construed yet doe I not doubt but that this confirmeth the former sentence For hypocrites do so inwrappe themselues in so many shifts that they thinke they haue nothing to doe with God And Peter speaketh thus expresly because Ananias had deceiued the church Mat. 18.20 But he ought to haue considered that Where two or three bee gathered together in the name of Christ he is present there as the chief gouernour yea hee ought to haue behaued himselfe no other wise in that assemblie than if he should haue seene God with his eyes For seeing that God wil reigne in the Church if we giue him any reuerence wee must reuerence that rule and gouernement religiously which hee exerciseth by his woorde The Apostles were in deed men but not priuate men 1. Cor. 3.16 17. 6.19 because God had put them in his steede Furthermore we must note that he saith that he lieth to God who doeth lie to the holy Ghost For the diuinitie of the holy ghost is manifestly proued by this forme of speech In like sort Paul saith Yee are the Temples of God because his Spirite dwelleth in you 1. Cor. the third Chapt. 2. Cor. 2.16 5 When Ananias heard these thinges The death of Ananias doeth in deede declare and proue the force of the word which Paul doth highly extoll to wit that it is the sauour of death vnto death to those which perish 2. Cor. 2. He speaketh in deede of the spirituall death of the soule but there was a visible signe in the bodie of Ananias of that punishment which cannot bee seene with the eies of men Hee was not slaine with sword by force nor hand but was striken deade with the onely hearing of the voice When we heare this let the threatnings of the Gospel terrifie vs and humble vs in time least we also feele the like effect For that which is spoken of Christ Esaie 11.4 He shall slea the wicked with the breath of his mouth doth not only appertaine to the heade of the wicked but also to euery member For those which refuse the saluation offered in his word it must needs be deadly to them which was naturally wholsome But and if any man doe thinke it an absurd thing that the Apostle did punish Ananias bodily First I answere that this was an extraordinarie thing secondly that this was one of the gifts of the Spirit as it appeareth by the 12. 1. Cor. 12.10 Chapter of the first to the Corinthians After which sort we shall afterward see Elimas the sorcerer striken with blindnesse by Paul Therefore Peter did nothing which was impertinent to his function Actes 13.8 when hee did in time shoote that dart which the holy Ghost had giuen him And whereas some thinke that this was too cruell a punishment this commeth to passe because weighing Ananias his sinne in their owne and not in Gods ballance they count that but
discouered And this is a general way to establish doctine when men teach nothing but that which is commaunded them by God For what man dare make Moses inferiour to him who as the Spirit affirmeth ought onely to be beleeued for this cause because he faithfully vnfolded and deliuered the doctrine which he had receiued of God But some man may ask this question why he calleth the lawe a liuing speech For this title seemeth to disagree much with the words of Paul 1. Cori. 3.7 where hee saith that the lawe is the ministerie of death and that it worketh death and that it is the strength of sinne If you take liuely speech for that which is effectuall and cannot be made frustrate by the contempt of men there shal be no contrarietie but I interpret it as spoken actiuely for that which maketh to liue For seing that the Law is the perfite rule of godly and holy life and it sheweth the righteousnesse of God it is counted for good causes the doctrine of life and saluation And to this purpose serueth that solemne protestation of Moses when he calleth heauen and earth to witnesse that hee hath set before them the way of death and life In which sense the Lord himself complaineth Ezechiel 20 that his good Law is broken his good commandements wherof he had said He which shal do these things shall liue in them Therefore the Law hath life in it selfe Yet if any man had leiffer take liuing for that which is full of efficacie and strength I will not greatly stande in contention And whereas it is called the ministerie of death that is accidentall to it because of the corrupt nature of man For it doth not ingender sin but it findeth it in vs. It offereth life but wee which are altogither corrupt can haue nothing but death by it Therefore it is deadly in respect of men alone Though Stephen had respect vnto a farther thing in this place for he doeth not onely speake of the bare commaundementes but comprehendeth all Moses his doctrine wherein the free promises are included and so consequently Christ himselfe who is the onely life and health of men We must remember with what men Stephen had to doe They were such as were preposterously zelous of the law who stayed onely in the dead and deadly letter of the Lawe and in the meane season they raged against Stephen because he sought Christ in the Law who is in deede the soule thereof Therefore by touching thâ—â—eruerse ignorance glancingly he giueth them to vnderstande that there is some greater and some more excellent thing hidden in the Lawe than they haue hitherto knowne For as they were carnall content with an outward shew they sought no spiritual thing in it yea they would not so much as suffer the same to be shewed them That he might giue them to vs. This serueth to refute the false accusation wherewith he was falsely burthened For seeing he submitteth his necke to the yoke of the Lawe and professeth that hee is one of Moses his scholers hee is farre from discrediting him amongst others Yea rather hee turneth backe the fault which was laide to his charge vppon those which were the authours of the slaunder That was as it were a common reproch for all the people because the fathers woulde not obey the Lawe And therewithall hee telleth them that Moses was appointed to be a Prophet not onely for his time but that his authoritie might be in force with the posteritie euen when he was deade For it is not meete that the doctrine of God shoulde bee extinguished togither with the ministers or that it should bee taken away For what is more vnlikely than that that should dye whereby wee haue immortalitie So must wee thinke at this day as the Prophetes and Apostle spake vnto the men of their time right so did they write vnto vs and that the force of their doctrine is continuall because it hath rather God to bee the authour thereof than men In the meane season he teacheth that if any reiect the word appointed for them they reiect the counsell of God 39 They refused and were turned away Hee saith that the fathers reiected Moses and hee sheweth the cause also because they gaue themselues rather vnto the superstitions of Aegypt which was horrible and more than blind furie to desire the customes and ordinances of Aegypt where they had suffered such grieuous thinges of late Hee saieth that they were turned away into Aegypt in their heartes not that they desired to returne thither bodily but because they returned in mind vnto those corruptions which they ought not so much as to haue remembred without great detestation and hatred It is true in deede that the Iewes did once speake of returning but Stephen toucheth not that historie now Furthermore he doth rather expresse their stubbernesse when he saieth that they were turned away For after that they had taken the right way hauing God for their guid and gouernour they start aside sodainly as if a stubberne vnbroken horse not obeying his rider shoulde frowardly run backward 40 Make vs. Though the Iewes bee turned backe diuerse wayes yet Stephen maketh choise of one notable example aboue all the rest of their filthy and detestable trecherie to wit when they made themselues a Calfe that they might worship it in steede of God For there can no more filthy thing be inuented than this their vnthankfulnes They confesse that they were deliuered out of Aegypt neither do they denie that this was done by the grace of God and the ministery of Moses yet notwithstanding they reiect the author of so great goodnesse togither with the minister And vnder what colour They pretend that they cannot tell what is become of Moses But they know full well that he is in the mount They saw him with their eies when he went vp thither vntil such time as the Lorde tooke him vnto himselfe by compassing him about with a cloude Againe they know that Moses is absent for their healths sake who had promised that he would returne and bring vnto them the Lawe which God shoulde giue He badde them onely be quiet a while They raise madde vprores sodainely within a small time and without any cause yet to the ende they may couer their madnesse with the colour of some reason they will haue Gods present with them as if God had shewed vnto them no token of his presence hitherto but his glory did appeare daily in the cloud and piller of fire Therefore we see what haste they make to commit idolatrie through wicked contempt of god that I may in the meane season omitte to declare howe filthie and wicked their vnthankfulnes was in that they had so soone forgotten those myracles which they ought to haue remembred euen vntill the ende of the worlde Therefore by this one backsliding it appeareth sufficientlie what a stubberne and rebellious people they were Moreouer it was more expedient for
the Apostles did consider what particular thing their calling hadde to wit that they should keepe their standing seeing the wolues did inuade the sheepefolde The rigour of Tertullian and such like was too great who did deny indifferently that it is lawful to flie for fear of persecution August saith better who giueth leaue to flie in such sort that the churches beeing destitute of theyr Pastours bee not betrayed into the hands of the enemies This is surely the best moderation which beareth neither too muche with the flesh neither driueth those headlong to death who may lawefully saue their liues Let him that is disposed reade the 180. Ep. to Honoratus That I may returne to the Apostles if they had been scattered here and there with feare of persecution euen at the beginning all men might haue rightly called them hirelings How hurtfull and filthie had the forsaking of the place bin at the present time how greatly wold it haue discouraged the mindes of all men What great hurt should they haue done with their example among the posteritie It shall sometimes so fall out in deede that the pastour may also flie that is if they inuade him alone if the laying waste of the church be not feared if hee bee absent But and if both his flocke and hee haue to encounter with the aduersarie hee is a treacherous forsaker of his office if hee stande not stoutlye to it euen vntill the end Priuate persons haue greater libertie 2 They dressed Steeuen Luke sheweth that euen in the heat of persecution the godly were not so discouraged but beeing alwayes zealous they did those dueties which did belong to godlinesse Buriall seemeth to be a matter of small importance rather than they will foreslowe the same they bring themselues in no small hassarde of life And as the circumstance of time doth declare that they contemned death valiantly so againe wee gather thereby that they were carefull to doe this thing not without great and vrgent cause For this serued greatly to exercise their faith that the bodie of the holy martyr shoulde not bee left to the wilde beastes in whom Christe had triumphed nobly according to the glory of his Gospel Neither could they liue to Christ vnlesse they were readie to be gathered vnto Steeuen into the societie of death Therfore the care they had to burie the martyr was vnto them a meditation vnto inuincible constancie of professing the faith Therfore they sought not in a superfluous matter with an vnaduised zeale to prouoke their aduersaries Although that generall reason which ought alwayes and euerie where to be of force amongst the godly was vndoutedly of great weight with them For the rite of burying doth appertaine vnto the hope of the resurrection as it was ordeined by God since the beginning of the world to this end Wherefore this was alwayes counted cruell Barbarisme to suffer bodies to lie vnburied willingly Profane men did not know why they shuld count the right of buriall so holy but wee are not ignorant of the ende therof to wit that those which remaine aliue may know that the bodies are committed to the earth as to a prison vntil they be raised vp thence Whereby it appeareth that this duty is profitable rather for those which are aliue than for those which are deade Although it is also a point of our humanitie to giue due honour to those bodies to which wee knowe blessed immortalitie to be promised They made great lamentation Luke doth also commend their profession of godlinesse and faith in their lamentation For a dolefull and vnprosperous ende causeth men for the most part to forsake those causes wherein they were delighted before But on the other side these men declare by their mourning that they are no what terrified with the death of Stephen from standing stoutly in the approbation of their cause considering therewithal what great losse Gods church suffered by the death of one man And we must reiect that foolish Philosophie which willeth mē to be altogither blockish that they may be wise It must needs be that the Stoicks were void of cōmon sense who would haue a man to be with out all affection Certaine mad fellowes would gladly bring in the same dotings into the Church at this day and yet notwithstanding although they require an heart of yron of other men there is nothing softer or more effeminate than they They cannot abide that other men should shedde one teare if any thing fall out otherwise than they woulde wish they make no end of mourning God doth thus punish their arrogancy iestingly that I may so terme it seing that he setteth them to be laught at euen by boyes But let vs know that those affections which God hath giuen to mans nature are of themselues no more corrupt than the authour himselfe but that they are first to bee esteemed according to the cause secondly if they keepe a meane and moderation Surely that man which denieth that wee ought to reioice ouer the giftes of God is more like a blocke than a man therefore wee may no lesse lawfully sorrowe when they be taken away And least I passe the compasse of this present place Paule doeth not altogither forbidde men mourning when any of their friends is taken away by death but he would haue a difference betweene them and the vnbeleeuers because hope ought to bee to them a comfort and a remedie against vnpatience For the beginning of death causeth vs to sorrow for good causes but because we knowe that we haue life restored to vs in Christ we haue that which is sufficient to appease our sorrowe In like sort when wee are sorie that the Church is depriued of rare and excellent men there is good cause of sorrow onely we must seek such comfort as may correct excesse 3 But Saul Wee must note two thinges in this place howe greate the cruelty of the aduersaries was and howe wonderfull the goodnesse of God was who vouchsafed to make Paul a Pastour of so cruel a wolfe For that desire to lay wast the Church wherewith he was incensed did seeme to cut away all hope Therefore his conuersion was so much the more excellent afterward And it is not to bee doubted but that this punishment was laid vpon him by God after that he had conspired to put Stephen to death togither with the other wicked men that he shoulde be the ringleader of crueltie For God doeth oftentimes punish sinnes more sharply in the Elect than in the reprobate 4 And they were scattered abroad Luke declareth in this place also that it came to passe by the wonderful prouidence of God that the scattering abroad of the faithfull should bring many vnto the vnitie of faith thus doth the Lord vse to bring light out of darknes life out of death For the voice of the Gospel which was heard heretofore in one place onely doth now sound euerywhere in the meane season we are taught by this example that we must
it is to be thought that they laide wait for Paul priuily that done when they could do no good this way it is likely that they came to the gouernor of the citie and that then the gates were watched that they might by one meanes or other catch him For Paul saith that Aretas the kings gouernour commaundeth that which Luke attributeth in this place to the Iewes 25 The disciples hauing taken him by night There is a question moued here whether it were lawfull for the disciples to saue Paul thus or no and also whether it were lawful for Paul to escape danger by this means or no For the Lawes say that the walles of cities are holy and that the gates are holy Therefore hee ought rather to haue suffered death than to haue suffered a publike order to bee broken for his sake I answere that wee must consider why it is decreed by the Lawes that the walles shoulde not be violated to wit that the cities may not be laide open to murthers and robberies and that the citizens may be free from treason that reason ceaseth when the question is concerning the deliuerie of an innocent man Therefore it was no lesse lawfull for the faithfull to let downe Paul in a basket than it shal be lawfull for any priuate person to leape ouer a wall that he may auoide the sodaine inuasion of the enimie Cicero doeth handle this later member and he setteth downe very well that although the Law forbid a straunger to come neere the wall yet doth not he offende who shal go vp vpon the wall to saue the Citie because the lawes must alwayes bee inclined to equitie Therefore Paul is not to be blamed because he escaped by stealth seing he might do that without raising any tumult amongst the people Neuerthelesse we see how the Lord vseth to humble those that be his seeing that Paule is enforced to steale his life from the watchmen of the Citie if he will saue himselfe 2 Cor. 11.32 Therefore he reckoneth this example amongst his infirmities He was acquainted betime with the crosse with this first exercise 26 And when Saul was at Ierusalem hee assaied to ioyne himselfe to the Disciples and they were all afraid of him not beleeuing that he was a disciple 27 But when Barnabas had taken him he brought him to the Apostles and he tolde them how that he had seene the Lord in the waye and that he had spoken to him and howe hee had behaued himselfe boldlie at Damascus in the name of Iesus 28 And he was conuersant with them at Ierusalem And when he was imboldened in the name of the Lord Iesus 29 Hee spake and disputed with the Grecians And they went about to kill him 30 Which when the brethren knew they brought him to Cesarea and sent him to Tharsus 31 Then the Churches throughout al Iudea and Galilee Samaria had peace and they were edified and walked in the feare of the Lorde and were filled with the consolation of the holy Spirit 26 When Saul was These were yet hard entrances for Paul who was as yet but a fresh water soldier in that when hee had hardly escaped the hands of the enimies the disciples would not receiue him For he might haue seemed to haue beene so tost too and fro as it were in mockage that he could haue no resting place all his owne nation was set against him for Christes cause the Christians refuse him might hee not haue beene quite discouraged and out of hope as one expelled out of mens companie First what remaineth but that he fall away from the Church seing he is not receiued But when he remembreth the life which hee had led aforetime hee maruelleth not that they are afraid of him Therefore he doth patiently suffer the brethren to refuse his company seeing they had iust cause of feare This was true conuersion that whereas he raged horribly before he doth now valiantly suffer the stormes of persecutions in the meane season whē as he cannot be admitted into the companie of the godly he waiteth with a quiet mind vntill God reconcile them vnto him We must diligentlie note what he desireth to wit that he may be numbred amongst the disciples of Christ this can he not obtaine here is no ambition but he was to be instructed by this meanes to make more account euen of the lowest place amongst the disciples of Christ than of all masterships in corrupt and reuolted Synagogues And from this submission was he exalted vnto the highest degree of honour that he might be the principal doctour of the church euen vnto the end of the world But no man is fit to be a teacher in the Church saue onely he who willingly submitteth himselfe that hee may be a fellow disciple with other men 27 When Barnabas had taken him Whereas the disciples fled so fast from Paul that was peraduenture a point of too great fearefulnes and yet he speaketh of none of the common sort but of the Apostles themselues But he doth either extenuate or lighten their fault because they suspected him for iust causes whom they had founde and tryed to bee such a deadly enimie and it was to be feared least they should rashly indanger themselues if they should haue shewed themselues to bee so easie to intreat Therefore I thinke that they are not to be blamed for that feare which they conceiued for iust cause or that they deserue to be euen accused for the same For if they had beene called to giue an account of their faith they would haue prouoked not Paul onely but also all the furies of hell without feare Whence we gather that euery feare is not to be condemned but such as causeth vs to turne aside from our duty The narration which Luke addeth may be referred as wel vnto the person of Barnabas as of Paul yet I thinke rather that Paule declareth to the Apostles what had befallen him and yet the speech may bee well applyed to Barnabas especially when as mention is made of Paul his boldnes 28 Luke saieth afterward that Paul went in and out with the disciples which speech signifieth amongst the Hebrewes familiaritie as the inhabitants of Citties are said to go in and out at the gates of the cittie Therefore after that Paul was commended by the testimonie of Barnabas he began to be counted one of the flock that he might be throughly knowne to the church Luke saith againe that he delt boldly in the name of the Lord by which words he commendeth his stoutnes and courage in professing the Gospel For hee durst neuer haue whispered amidst so manie lets vnlesse he had beene endowed with rare constancie Neuerthelesse all men are taught what they ought to doe to wit euery man according to the measure of his faith For though all bee not Pauls yet the faith of Christ ought to engender in our minds so great boldnesse that we be not altogither dumbe when we haue neede to speake I
that they were depriued of a sound minde and the light of the Spirit who were not afraide to fight against God to their owne destruction Again he hitteth them in the teeth with ignorance of the scripture And least any shoulde obiect that he speaketh of some dark and vnknowne matter he addeth also that he doth speak of no other prophesies then of those which are read euery Sabboth day as if he should say that the oracles of scripture are most plain known to the most ignorant yet they knew thē not Thus doth Paul teach how monstrous their vnbeleefe was that he may make the hearers loath it And by this example are wee taught that although the Lorde appeare to vs by the scripture yet all men haue not eyes After that also the blockishnesse of the nation waxed more grosse as Paul saieth elswhere that there is a veile put before their face that they cannot see Moses when hee is present In the meane season wee must note that we are recalled to the scripture least the authoritie of great men deceiue vs neither is there any cause why any man inuēting to himselfe a preiudice according to the wicked meaning of other men should thinke that he is acquitted For Paul exhorteth the men of Antioth to iudge out of the scripture against the visured gouernours of the church For for this cause is it giuen that it may be read and reading is not appointed in vaine by the Lord but that al godly men may thereby profit and iudge what is right This they fulfilled Act. 3.23 Act. 4.28 So that we see that not only creatures void of vnderstanding but euen the very Diuell and also the wicked are subiect to the power of God that hee may execute by them that which with himself he hath decreed The same had we in the thirde fourth chapters that when the enemies of Christ did most of all rage to destroy him yet coulde they not obtaine their purpose but rather they brought that to passe with their owne hands which God had in his counsel determined which thing maketh not a litle for cōmendation of Gods truth because he is not only of sufficient power to perfourme those things which hee hath promised but also those who goe about to bring his counsels to nought doe their indeuour to establish them though it be against their will For how should not the truth of God stand which the chiefest enemies are enforced to fulfill Yet wisdome is necessarie here least we ioin God and Satan together For the Iewes are not therefore excusable because they fulfilled the scriptures because we must consider their wicked will and not the euent which they did not looke for yea which ought to be counted a myracle If we looke into their worke by it selfe it is quite contrarie to God But as god doth in the Sun and other planets by wonderfull cunning temper contrary motions such as striue among them selues so he directeth the peruers indeuours of the wicked by his secret power vnto another end then they thought vppon and did desire least they should do any thing but that which he would They in deed as touching themselues do contrary to his will but it falleth out according to the will of God after an incomprehensible maner Forasmuch as this course is contrary to nature no maruell if the wisdome of the flesh see it not Therfore it must be discerned with the eie of faith or rather it must be reuerenced those dogs who barke against it must be despised with their wantonnesse 28 When as they found no cause of death It was very appertinent to the matter that they should know that Christ was put to death giltlesse For we could not haue bin iustified by his death if he had suffered death for his owne euill deedes Therefore it was requisite that he shoulde bee giltlesse that his death might be a satisfaction for the sins of the worlde And vndoubtedly I thinke that Paul did plainly declare that Pilat condemned Christ not according to the office of a iudge but that he consented that he should be put to death after that he was ouercome with the vngodly requests of the people and also that the Iewes were driuen by lust and not enforced by reason to desire Christes death For it stood him vpon to terrifie the hearers that they might not couple themselues to so wicked a fact But Luke doth nowe in few wordes set downe after his common custom those thinges which Paule did then more at large declare 29 When they had fulfilled all things To wit which it pleased God should be done by them For they did so handle Christe that there was nothing of the prophesies of the scripture left vnfulfilled By this means is the stumbling block which the vnderstanding of the flesh conceiueth by reason of the ignominie of the crosse taken away that the son of god was not laid opē to the furious furie of the wicked but he obeyed his fathers decree Mat. 27.57 Furthermore it doth also in scripture appear what cōditiō was appointed for him in times past Whereas he saith that Christ was buried by the same which had slaine him it seemeth contrary to the historie of the Gospel but it may be that Luke did take the word buried indefinitely And if it please you to referre it vnto the same it shall be Synecdoche For he was buried with Pilat his leaue and at the appointment and pleasure of the priestes there were watchmen set to watch the graue Therefore though Ioseph and Nicodemus did burie Christ that is ascribed vnproperly and yet not absurdly to the Iewes because it is not Paules drift in this place to commend the good deede but to proue Christ his resurrection because God tooke him out of the graue whom his enemies had shut vp there Therefore hee giueth vs to vnderstande that the bodie of Christe was not taken thence priuilie or by stealth but that it was laide in a place both famous and knowen to the aduersaries and so consequently that euen they were set to watch it yet for all this it was not found Whence wee may gather the certaintie of the resurrection 30 God hath raised him vp The death of Christ was the saluation of the godly yet ioyned with the resurrection therfore doth Paul stand longer vpon this second point For hee shoulde neuer haue perswaded his hearers that they were to seeke saluation in Christes death vnlesse the power of Almightie GOD had appeared in raysing Christe from death 31 After that he hath said that Christ came out of the graue which was beset with the hired ministers of the aduersaries hee addeth nowe that hee appeared to many of the disciples which bare faithful witnesse to the people And he calleth them witnesses either in respect of their office Acts. 1.8 because they were chosen for this purpose as we haue alredy said in the first chapter or els declaring simplie
thinke because God by sending his sonne into the world did fulfill his promise made to his seruants in times past by the effect it selfe Like as in the second Psalme Though the Greeke bookes agree in the number yet we must not passe ouer that which Erasmus saith that many of the old writers read the first Psalme And it may be that Luke wrot so For that which at this day is counted the second Psalme might haue bin called the first not without reason seing that it is likely that the first Psalme was added in steed of a Proeme by the Scribes and Priestes by whose industrie the Psalmes were gathered into one bodie For the name of the authour is not set to it and it doeth onely exhort to meditate vpon the Law of God But there is no great weight in that matter For this is the chiefest thing that we know how properly and how well Paul applieth the testimonie taken out of the Psalme vnto the matter which he hath in hand We do not denie that Dauid when he saw that he was on euery side assailed by his enimies and that they were of greater power might than that he was able to resist them doth set against them Gods aide who he knew was the authour of his kingdome and Reigne But forasmuch as he was a figure of the true Messias we know that those things were shadowed in his person which doe appertaine wholy and perfectly to the Messias alone And the text it self doth proue sufficiently that there is not onely a simple and bare thankesgiuing contained there agreeable to Dauids kingdome but it is a higher prophecie For it is wel knowne that Dauid did in his life scarce tast of the hundreth part of the glory which is spokē of in this place concerning which we haue spoken more at large Chapter 4. Now let vs looke nigher into the words kings are in deed called sonnes of God Psal 82.6 But seing that God doth intend to prefer Dauid before all other kings and to exempt him out of the number of them this title of honor is giuen to him principallie aboue all other not because so great honour resteth in his person because by this meanes he should passe the Angels as it is in the Epist to the Heb. 1. cha Therfore he is thus gorgeously set out in respect of Christ whose image he was that God doth not take him for one of the common sort or for some one of a great multitude but he doth as it were acknowledge him to his onely begotten sonne The proofe followeth Because God did beget him when he established the kingdome in his hand For that was not done by mans industrie but God shewed from heauen the inuincible power of his hand whereby it might plainly appeare that he reigned according to Gods counsel Therefore this Begetting by him mentioned must be referred vnto the vnderstanding or knowledge of men to wit because it was then openlie known that he was begotten of God when as he was set vpon the throne of the kingdome wonderfully contrarie to the hope of all men and did by the heauenly power of the Spirit breake infinit conspiracies because hee could not reigne vntill he had brought all nations round about him in subiection as if a certaine world were subdued Now let vs come vnto Christ He came not into the world without testimony whereby he did proue that he was the son of God For his glory did appeare as became the only begotten son of god as it is written Iohn 1.14 and he saith euerywhere that he hath God for the witnesse and maintainer of this honor Therefore God begat Christ when he gaue him certaine markes whereby he might be knowne to be his true liuely image son And yet this doth not let but that Christ is the wisedome begotten of the eternall father before time but that is the secreat generation now Dauid declareth that it was reuealed to men so that the relation is as we haue said vnto men and not vnto God because that which was hidden in the heart of God was made known to mē And it is a verye fine figure because Christ his diuinitie was no lesse declared and established then if he had bin begotten of God before the eyes of men I know that Augustine his deepe sight doth please some that by to day is meant perpetuitie But when as the spirit of God himself is his owne interpreter whereas he doth expound that by the mouth of Paul which he had said by Dauid we must not inuent any other sense And forasmuch as the same Paul doth witnes that Christ was declared to be the son of god in power when he rose from the dead we gather that this was the principal token of celestiall excellency that the father did then bring him truly to light that the world might know that he was begotten of him Therefore though God began to raise Christ when he came into the world yet his raising was then as it were perfect full because whereas he was humbled before hauing taken as it were the forme of a seruant he did then appeare to be the conqueror of death the Lord of life so that he wanted nothing of that maiesty which was meet for the son of god that for the onely begotten sonne 34 That he should not returne He addeth now the other member that Christ was once raised from death that he may liue for euer as Paul teacheth Rom. 6.10 Rom. 6.10 He dieth no more neither shall death haue dominion ouer him any more because he liueth to God For the hope conceiued of Christ his resurrection should be slender and cold if he were yet subiect to destruction or to any change Therefore he is said to be entred into the kingdome of God that he may also giue to his eternal felicity liuing for euer For because Christ rose rather for our sake then for himselfe the perpetuitie of life which the father hath giuen him reacheth vnto vs all and is ours Notwithstanding the place of Isay which is here cited seemeth to make but a litle for proofe of Christ his immortalitie I will giue you the holy things of Dauid But it is not so For seing Isaias speaketh of the redemption promised to Dauid Isai 55.3 and affirmeth that the same shal be firme and stable we doe well gather by this the immortall kingdome of Christ wherein the eternitie of saluation is grounded And Paul followed the Greek interpreters when he put Holy things for mercies Chessed which signifieth meeke merciful and gentle is wont by the Grecians to be translated Holy Therefore they translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Dauid the holy thinges of Dauid whereas the Prophet meaneth rather the grace promised to Dauid But Paul granted this to the ignorant and weake who were better acquainted with the Greeke reading especially for as much as the force of the testimonie consisteth in another point For
this is Paul his meaning in summe If the grace bee eternall which God saieth hee will giue in his sonne the life of his sonne must be eternall and not subiect to corruption For wee must hold this rule that all the promises of God are in Christ yea and Amen 2. Cor. 1.20 and that therefore they can not be of any force vnlesse he do quicken them 35 Thou shalt not suffer thy holy one This place was likewise cited by Peter in the first sermon set downe by Luke in the second Chapt. where I expounded the same therefore let the readers repaire thither Acts. 2.27 Onely I will touch this briefly that Dauid putteth two Hebrew words for the graue as he vseth repetitions commonly the former whereof is deriued of desiring or lusting because the graue deuoureth all things as an vnsatiable gulfe the other of corruption according to this etymologie Dauids meaning is faithfully expressed in Greeke For the qualitie of the graue is noted when as it receiueth the corpes and doeth as it were swallow it vp that it may rot there and may at length perish when it is consumed Paul affirmeth that that belongeth to Christ alone that hee was free and saued from corruption For though his bodie was laide in graue corruption had notwithstanding no title to it seing that it laide there whole as in a bedde vntill the day of the resurrection 37 When Dauid had serued his time Least any man should thinke that that place entreateth of Dauid Paul sheweth briefely that this agreeth not to Dauid in all points whose corps was rotten in the graue Therefore it remaineth that because this was a priuiledge belonging to Christ alone that Dauid Prophecied of him in Spirite Neuertheles we must note the proportion betweene the members and the head for as the truth of this prophecie was found whole and perfect in Christ alone as in the head so it taketh place in all the members according to the measure and order of euerie man And for as much as Christ rose to this ende that hee may fashion and make our base bodie like to his glorious bodie vpon this condition do the godly go downe into the pit Phil. 3.21 that rottennes may not consume their bodies Therefore according to the hope of the resurrection to come Dauid saith by good right that he shall not see corruption for that ought not altogither to be counted corruption for which there is a better restoring prepared for the bodies of the faithfull corrupt to this end that they may put on blessed incorruption in their time Yet this is no let but that the estate of the head and members may be farre vnlike and that wee may follow the sonne of God a farre off and lasily Now we see that both things are true and fitlie said that Dauid and the rest of the faithfull in as much as they shall be like to their head shall not see corruption and yet the sonne of God alone shall be free from corruption wholly We must note the phrase when he saieth that Dauid serued his age or the men of his time The olde interpreter distinguisheth it otherwise and certein Greek copies agree therto to wit that Dauid serued the wil of God in his time Which reading though it be to be allowed yet it dooth not cause me to mislike the other For it is neither superfluous nor colde that he slept by the wil of God or the counsel of God because the meaning thereof is that God in the death of Dauid did not forget that prophecie as if he should saie that the bodie of Dauid laid in the graue not without the counsel or purpose of God vntil it should rise againe that the effect of the prophecie might be extended vnto Christ If no man mislike that which I saie we are taught heerby to what end men liue in the world to wit that one man maie help another For euerie man doth not liue neither is born for himselfe but mankinde is knit togither with an holie knot Therfore vnlesse we be disposed to ouerthrow the lawes of nature let vs remember that we must not liue for our selues but for our neighbours But heer maie a question be asked whether we ought not also to care for our posteritie I answer that the ministerie of the godlie is also profitable for the posteritie as we see that Dauid being dead doth profit vs more at this daie then a great part of those which liue with vs but Paul meaneth simplie that the faithful during their whole life employ themselues and their offices to help their neighbours and that death is vnto thē as a goale because they haue made an end then when the Lord calleth them out of the world The sum is that we must haue respect first to our time that we maie serue our brethren with whom and among whom we lead our life and secondlie we must do our indeuour that the fruit of our ministerie maie redound vnto our posteritie Seing that God prescribeth his seruants this law their rashnes cannot be excused who faigne that the dead praie for vs and that they doo no lesse serue the Church then whiles they liued By the counsel of God he fel on sleep Paul might haue said simplie that Dauid died he addeth by the counsel of God that we maie know that that was not fulfilled in the person of the Prophet which is read in the psalme Notwithstanding we are taught that the bond of life and death is in like sort appointed for vs by God as it is Psa 90.3 Thou sendest out men and makest them to passe ouer again thou saist Come again ye children of men Yea Plato setteth down this verie eloquentlie that it is meet that men passe out of the world not without the leaue and pleasure of God by whose hand they are placed there as a stāding for a time And for this cause whē he speaketh of Dauids death he maketh mention of the counsel of God that we maie know that corruptiō did not happen to him by chance as if God had forgotten his promise but that it came to passe by Gods prouidēce that the faithful might know that the prophecie was to be referred vnto another To sleep and to be laid vnto the Fathers are formes of speeches so wel knowen and so common that they need no exposition 38 Therefore be it knowen vnto you that through him remission of sins is promised to you 39 And from all thinges from which yee could not be iustified in the Lawe of Moses 40 Whosoeuer beleeueth in this man is iustified 41 Therefore take heed least that befall you which is said in the Prophets 42 Behold yee despicers and wonder and vanish away because I do a worke in your dayes a worke which yee shall not beleeue if a man tell it you 38 Therefore be it knowne vnto you After that he hath declared the meane whereby saluation is purchased through Christ he doth
now intreat of his office and power And this is the principall point to know what good things we haue by the comming of Christ and what we are to hope for at his hands And although Luke setteth downe in a worde that Paul preached of the benefits of Christ yet there is no cause why any man should doubt but that so great matters were handled weightily and onely according as their dignitie did require By this word Be it knowne vnto you Paul meaneth that nothing should hinder them from knowing such an excellent plain matter saue only sloth that therefore it was an absurd thing that those benifits of God should be hidden from the faithfull which were offered by Christ For he was sent with the shrill preaching of the Gospel which our faith ought to heare that it may enter into the sure possession of his good things For we must know what he is that we may inioy him truely Forgiuenes of sinnes is set first whereby God doth reconcile vs vnto himself That which God will haue preached to all his people doeth he shewe to be necessarie for all men For Paul speaketh not to one or two but to all the Iewes which were at Antioch Therefore we must first marke that we be all enimies to God through sinnes 2. Chapt. Collos Whereupon it followeth that we are all excluded from the kingdome of God and are giuen ouer to eternall death vntill God receiue vs to fauour by the free forgiuenesse of sinnes We must also note this that God doth pardon to vs our sinnes and that he is reconciled through the Mediator because like as without him there is no satisfaction so neither is there any pardon or forgiuenesse of guiltines These be principles of our faith which are not learned in the schooles of the Philosophers That all mankinde is condemned and drowned in sinne that there is in vs no righteousnes which is able to reconcile vs to God that the onely hope of saluation resteth in his mercie whiles that he doth freely forgiue vs and that those remaine vnder the gilt which flie not vnto Christ and seeke not forgiuenesse in his death And from all things He doth secreatly preuent that which might seem contrary to the former doctrine For looke how many ceremonies of the Law there were so many exercises were there to obtaine remission of sinnes Therefore the Iewes might readily obiect if he alone doe reconcile God to vs our sinnes being done away to what end serue so many washings and sacrifices which we haue hitherto vsed according to the prescript of the Law Therefore least the Ceremonies of the Law hinder the Iewes Paul teacheth that Christ doth that which they were not able to do Not that Paul spake so briefly and compendiously for he did not hope that the Iewes would at the first come vnto Christ casting from them sodainly the affiance which they had in the righteousnesse of the Law but it was sufficient for Luke briefly to collect the sum of those things which he then taught in iust and due order His meaning is that the Mediator tooke away that let from the Iewes wherein they did sticke The ceremoniall Law ought in deede to haue bin a schoolemaster to leade them by the hand vnto Christ all rites commanded by God were helps to help and further their faith but as men vse preposterously to corrupt the holy ordinances of God they stopt the way before themselues by their ceremonies they shut the gate of faith that they could not come to Christ They thought they had righteousnes in sacrifices that by washings was gotten true cleannes that god was pleased with them so soone as they had ended their external pompe in sum forsaking the bodie they laid hold vpon vain shadowes God did in deed appoint no vnprofitable or vaine thing in the Law Wherefore ceremonies were sure and vndoubted testimonies of remission of sins For God did not lye in these words Let the sinner doe sacrifice and his iniquitie shal be purged But as Christ was the end of the Law and the heauenly patterne of the tabernacle so the force and effect of all Ceremonies did depend vpon him Whereby it is proued that they were vaine shadowes when he was set aside Now we see Pauls drift and purpose to wit that he meant to draw away the Iewes from the false and peruerse confidence which they reposed in the Law least being puffed vp they should thinke that they had no need of Christs helpe Heb. 8.5 or least they should seeke onely externall felicitie in him Be iustified in the Law This place doth plainly shew what the word Iustifie doth import in all other places where it is vsed to wit to be deliuered acquitted There was mention made of remission of sins Paul affirmeth that there is no other way whereby we can obtain the same but the grace of Christ Least any man should obiect that there be remedies to be found in the law he answereth that ther was in thē no force Therfore the sense is plain That they cannot be iustified from sin in the law bicause the rites of the law were neither iust nor lawful prices to remoue giltines they were nothing worth of thēselues to deserue righteousnes neither were they sufficient recompences to appease God Certainely it cannot be denied but wickedly that that iustification annexed to remission of sins is as it were the meanes way to obtaine the same For what else doth Paul go about but to cōfirm that saying that our sins are forgiuē vs through the benefit of Christ by answering contrary obiections And he proueth it because neither satisfactions neither al the rites of the law can iustifie vs frō sin Therfore he is iustified by Christ who is freely losed from the gilt iudgment of eternal death to which he was subiect This is the righteousnes of faith whiles that God counteth vs iust by not imputing our sins This only proprietie of the word is sufficient to refute the cauils of the Papists who hold that we are not iustified by pardon or by free accepting but by habit and infused righteousnes Therfore let vs not suffer them to rent in peeces vnworthely wickedly this text of Paule when he saith that we are iustified from all things that we may be assured of remission of sins And now we must know that the law of Moses is set against Christ as the principal meane to obtaine righteousnes if there had bin any besids Christ Paul disputeth in deed of ceremonies but we must note that there was nothing omitted in thē which might serue to purge sins to appease god Yet there was not one of al the ceremonies of the law which did not make man gilty as a new handwriting as Paul teacheth Col. 2. What then Assuredly God meant to testifie that men are iustified by the death of his son alone Col. 2.14 because he made him sin for vs who did no sin that we
setteth downe the degree of honor and excellencie wherunto God had exalted them afterward followeth the vpbraiding because they do willingly cast from them so great grace whereupon he cōcludeth that it is now time that the gospel be translated vnto the gentiles In that he saith that it was meete that it should first be preached to them it doth properly appertaine vnto the time of Christ his kingdome For vnder the Law before Christ was giuen the Iewes were not only the first but alone Exo. 19.5.6 Therefore was it that Moses called them a priestly kingdome and the peculiar people of God But the adoption of God rested then with them alone vpon this condition the Gentiles being omitted that they should be preferred as yet before the gentiles by the comming of Christ For though Christ reconciled the world to his father yet they were former in order who were already neere vnto god of his family Therefore that was the most lawful order Actes 1.8 Rom. 1.16 that the Apostles should gather the Church first of the Iewes afterward of the Gentiles as we saw in the first Chapter and in other places so that the fellowship of the Gentiles did not take from the Iewes the right of the first begotten but that they were alwayes the chiefe in the Church of God In this respect Paul saieth that the righteousnesse of God is made manifest in the Gospel first to the Iewes than to the Grecians Such greatnes of grace which God vouchsafed to bestow vppon them doth exaggerate and encrease the greatnes of their sin whiles that they reiect that which is so mercifully offered vnto thē Therfore he addeth that they giue iudgement of themselues that they are vnworthy of eternal life For seing that the reiecting of the gospel is the denial of the righteousnes of God we need no other iudge to condemne the vnbeleeuers And after that ye reiect Paul seemeth to reason vnfitly For first it was not of necessitie that the Iewes should be excluded that the Gentiles might be admitted vnto the hope of saluation secondly this was more conuenient that after the Iewes had imbraced the gospel they shoulde grant the second place to the Gentiles And Paul speaketh in like sort as if they could not grow togither into one body and as if the Gospel could not come vnto the Gentiles vnlesse it were reiected of the Iewes And nowe was he not ordained to be the Apostle of the Gentiles before he found such stubbernes in the Iews I answere that there is great force in the word we are turned For his meaning is that he is now turned away frō the Iewes that he may addict giue ouer himself wholy to the Gentiles If they had remained in their degree such turning had not followed but he should haue drawn the gentiles also with a cōtinual course after that the Iewes were receiued into the bosom he should haue embraced thē both togither Now forasmuch as the Iews turn their backs withdraw thēselues frō his ministery he cannot look vpon thē the gentiles both at once Therefore taking his leaue of them he is enforced to translate his care vnto the Gentiles Therefore vnlesse the Iewes had estranged themselues from the Church the calling of the gentiles should haue bin such as is by the Prophets described In that day shall seuen strangers take hold of the cloake of a man that is a Iew shal say we wil walk with you because God is with you But now the gentiles are called after a new accidental maner because when the Iewes were reiected they entred into the emptie possession They ought to haue bin gathered vnto the Iewes but after that they fel away were driuen out they came in their place So that their death was the life of the gētiles the natural branches being cut off the wild Oliues were ingraffed into the holy root vntil god do at length restore them also vnto life being ingraffed into their former roote that the Israel of God being gathered togither from all quarters may be saued 47 As he hath commanded The place is taken out of Isaias where notwithstāding god doth rather speak vnto his son then vnto the Apostles But we must note that many thinges which the scripture attributeth to Christ do appertain vnto his ministers I say many things not al things For there be certaine titles proper to the person of Christ wherewith to adorn the ministers were wicked sacrilege Christ is called our righteousnes because he was the only purging sacrifice hath reconciled the father to vs by his death did rise again afterward that hauing ouercom death he might purchase for vs eternal life Therefore the whole substance of our saluation is in Christs person but inasmuch as hee worketh by his ministers by resigning to them his office he doth also impart with them his titles Of this sort is the preaching of the Gospel He alone was appointed by the father to be our teacher but he hath put in his place Pastours and Doctors who speake as it were out of his mouth So that the authoritie remaineth wholly to him and he is neuerthelesse heard in his ministers Therfore Paul doth fitly applie vnto himselfe the testimonie of Isaias where he intreateth of the preaching of the Gospel I haue made thee a light It should seeme that he speaketh in that place of such a calling of the Gentiles as doth not carry with it the casting off of the old people For God doeth rather associate strangers vnto the Iewes who were before of the houshold It is but a smal matter saith he that thou be my minister in teaching Israel because I haue made thee a light to the Gentiles God doth seeme to begin his Church among the children of Abraham and that done to reach out his hand to the Gentiles that they may both make one Church by one consent of faith But Paul doeth in such sort cite the prophecie as if it could not be fulfilled vnles the Iewes had bin cast off For he signifieth that the light of Christ was lighted to the gentiles after that they were cast into the darknes of death I answere that this cannot be necessarily proued out of the text that Paul doth affirme that the Gentiles could not haue bin illuminate before the light of the Iewes had bin put out For this may be the sense Forasmuch as you haue depriued your selues of eternall life there is no cause why ye should thinke that the grace of God is prophaned if leauing you we take care charge of the Gentiles For the Messias is not giuen to you alone but he is appointed to be the sauiour of al the whole world as it is written I haue made thee c. Although if you weigh the place of the Prophet more throughly you shal find the casting off of the old people included therein For God pronounceth that he wil be glorious and renowmed in the ministery
break out into the flame of contention because satan seeketh nothing else by the fans of dissention but to kindle so many fires But againe seeing we see the primitiue Church on an vprore and the best seruantes of Christ exercised with sedition if the same thing befall vs nowe let vs not feare as in some newe and vnwonted matter but crauing at the Lords handes such an end as he now made let vs passe through tumults with the same tenour of faith Vnlesse yee be Circumcised Luke setteth downe briefly in these words the state of the question to wit that these seducers went about to bind mens consciences with necessitie of keeping the Law Circumcision is in deed mentioned alone in this place but it appeareth by the text that they moued the question about the keeping of the whole lawe And because Circumcision was as it were a solemne entrance and admission into other rites of the lawe therefore by Synecdoche the whole lawe is comprehended vnder one part These enimies of Paul did not denie that Christ was the Messias but though they gaue him their names they retained therewithall the old ceremonies of the Lawe The Error might haue seemed tollerable at the first glimse Why doeth not Paule then dissemble at least for some short time least hee shake the Church with conflict For the disputation was concerning externall matters concerning which Paule himselfe forbiddeth elsewhere to stande and striue too much But there were three weightie causes which enforced him to gainestande For if the keeping of the lawe bee necessarie mans saluation is tyed to workes which must be grounded in the grace of Christ alone that the faith may bee setled and quiet Therefore when Paule sawe the worshippe of the lawe set against the free righteousnes of faith it was vnlawful for him to hold his peace vnlesse he would betraie Christ For seeing the aduersaries did denie that any should be saued saue he which did obserue the Law of Moses by this meanes they did translate vnto workes the glorie of saluation which they tooke from Christ hauing shaken assurance they did vex miserable soules with vnquietnesse againe it was no small thing neither of any smal importance to spoile rob faithful soules of the liberty gotten by Christs blood Though the inward libertie of the Spirit were cōmō to the fathers as wel as to vs yet we know what Paul saith that they were shut vp vnder the childish ward custodie of the Law so that they did not much differ from seruants Gal. 4.13 but we are loose frō the schoolemastership of the law after that Christ was reuealed we haue more liberty the time of our nonage being as it were ended The third vice of this doctrine was because it darkned the light of the Church or at least did put in as it were certaine clouds that Christ the sonne of righteousnes might not giue perfect light In summe Christianitie should shortly haue come to nothing if Paul should haue yeelded to such beginnings Therfore he entreth the cumbate not for the external vncircumcision of the flesh but for the free saluation of men Secondly that he may acquit and set free godly consciences from the cursse of the Lawe and the gilt of eternall death Last of all that after all hinderances are driuen away the brightnes of the grace of Christ may shine as in a pleasant and cleare heauen Moreouer these knaues did great iniurie to the Law when they did wickedly corrupt the right vse thereof This was the naturall and right office of the Law to lead men by the hand like a scholemaster vnto Christ therefore it could not be worse corrupt then when vnder colour of it the power and grace of Christ were diminished After this sort must we looke into the fountaines of all questions least by our silence we betray the truth of God so often as we see satan by his subtiltie aime right at it neither let our mindes be changed and wax faint through any perils or reproches and slanders because we must constantly defend pure religion though heauen and earth must goe togither 2. Tim. 2.24 The seruaunts of Christ must be no fighters therefore if there bee any contention risen they must rather studie to appease and pacifie the same by their moderation than by and by to blow to the assault Secondly they must take good heed of superfluous and vaine conflicts neither shall they handle controuersies of any smal weight but when they see Satan wax so proud that religion cannot any longer continue safe and sound vnlesse he bee preuented they must needs take a good hart to them and rise to resist neither let them feare to enter euen most hatefull cumbates The name of peace is in deed plausible and sweete but cursed is that peace which is purchased with so great losse that we suffer the doctrine of Christ to perish by which alone wee growe togither into godly and holy vnitie The Papists cause vs at this day to be sore hated as if we had beene the causers of deadly tumults wherewith the world is shaken but wee can well defend our selues because the blasphemies which we indeuoured to reproue were more cruell than that it was lawfull for vs to holde our peace Therefore we are not to be blamed because we haue taken vpon vs to enter cumbates in defence of that cause for which we were to fight euen with the verie Angels Let them crie till their throates bee sore Paul his example is sufficient for vs that we must not bee either cold or slacke in defending the doctrine of godlines when the ministers of satan seeke to ouerthrow it with might and maine For their brainsick distemperature ought not to passe the constancie of the seruāts of god When Paul did zealously set himself against the false Apostles sedition began at length by reason of the conflict and yet the Spirit of God doth not therefore reproue him but doth rather with due praises commend that fortitude which he had giuen that holy man They determined c. The Spirit of God put them in minde of this remedie to appease the tumult which might otherwise haue gone farther with doing much hurt Whereby we be also taught that we must alwaies seeke such meanes as be fit for ending discorde because God doeth so highly commende peace let the faithfull shewe that they doe what they can to nourish the peace of the Church The trueth must alwayes be first in order with them in defense whereof they must be afraid of no tumults Yet they must so temper their heat that they refuse no meanes of godly agreement yea let them of their owne accord inuent what wayes so euer they can and let them be wittie in seeking thē out Therfore we must obserue this meane least being carried away through immoderate vehemencie of zeale we be carried beyond the iust boundes For we must bee couragious in defense of true doctrine not stubberne nor rash
longer in Asia because he would draw him into Macedonia And Luke expresseth the maner of the drawing that a man of Macedonia appeared to him by night Where we must note that the Lord did not alwayes obserue the same manner of reuelation because diuerse kinds are more conuenient for confirmation And it is not said that this vision was offered in a dreame but onely in the night season For there be certaine night visions which men see when they be awake Helpe vs. This speech setteth forth the ministerie committed to Paul For seing that the Gospel is the power of God to saluation those which are the ministers of God are said to helpe those who perish that hauing deliuered them from death they may bring them vnto the inheritance of eternall life Rom. 1.16 And this ought to be no small incouragement for godly teachers to stirre vp the heat of their studie and desire when they heare that they call backe miserable soules from destruction and that they helpe those who shoulde otherwise perish that they may bee saued Againe all people vnto whom the Gospel is brought are taught reuerently to embrace the ministers thereof as deliuerers vnlesse they will maliciously reiect the grace of God and yet this commendation and title is not so translated vnto men that God is robbed euen of the least parte of his praise because though hee by his ministers giue saluation yet is he the onely author thereof as if he reached out his hands to helpe 10 Being fullie perswaded Hence we gather that it was no bare vision but that it was also confirmed by the testimony of the Spirit For Satan doeth oftentimes abuse ghosts and visures to deceiue with all that hee may mocke and cosin the vnbeleeuers Whereby it commeth to passe that the bare vision leaueth mans minde in doubt but such as are diuine in deede those doeth the Spirit seale by a certaine marke that those may not doubt nor wauer whom the Lord will haue certainly addicted to himselfe A wicked Spirit appeared to Brutus inuiting him to enter that vnhappie cumbate and battle which he had at Philippi euen in the verie same place whereunto Paul was afterward called But as the cause was farre vnlike so the Lorde dealt farre otherwise with his seruant so that he put him out of doubt and left him not astonied with feare Nowe in Paul and his companions the desire to obey insued immediatly vpon the certaintie for so soone as they vnderstand that the Lord called them they addresse themselues to their iorney The termination of the participle which is here vsed is actiue and though it haue diuerse significations I do not doubt but that Luke his meaning is that Paul and the rest after that they had conferred this vision with the former Oracles were fully perswaded that the Lord had called them into Macedonia 11 Therefore when we had loosed from Troas we came with a streight course into Samothracia and the day following to Neapolis 12 And from thence to Philippi which is the chiefe Citie of the parties of Macedonia beeing a free Citie And wee stayed in the same Citie certaine dayes 13 And on the day of the Sabaoths wee went out of the Citie besides a ryuer where was wont to be prayer and sitting we spake to the woman which came togither 14 And a certaine woman named Lydia a seller of purples of the Citie of the Thyatirians which worshipped God heard whose heart the Lord opened that she might take heed to those things which were spoken of Paul 15 And when shee was baptized and her house shee besought vs saying If yee iudge me faithfull to the Lorde enter into my house and tarry And she inforced vs. 11 This hystorie doeth as it were in a glasse shewe howe sharply the Lord did exercise the faith pacience of his by bringing them in great straites which they could not haue ouercome vnlesse they had ben indued with singular constancie For the entrance of Paul into Macedonia is reported to be such as that it might haue caused him to giue but small credence to the vision These holy men leauing the worke which they had in hand did crosse the seas with great hast as if the whole nation of the Macedonians would haue come to meete them with earnest desire to be holpen Now the successe is so farre from being answerable to their hope that their mouthes are almost quite stopped When they enter the chiefe Citie they finde none there with whom they may take any pains therfore they are enforced to go into the field that they may speak in an obscure corner and wildernes Yea euen there they cannot haue one man which will harken to their doctrine they can onely haue one woman to be a disciple of Christ and that one which was an aliant Who would not haue saide that this iorney was taken in hand foolishly which fel out so vnhappily But the Lorde doeth thus bring to passe his works vnder a base weak kind that his power may shine more clearly at length and it was most meet that the beginnings of the kingdome of Christ should be so ordered that they might tast of the humilitie of the crosse But we must mark the constancy of Paul his companions who being not dismaid with such vnprosperous beginnings trie whither any occasion will offer it selfe contrary to their expectation And assuredly the seruants of Christ must wrastle with all lets neither must they be discouraged but go forward to morrow if this day there appeare no â—â—uite of their labour for there is no cause why they should desire to be more happie than Paul When Luke saith that they abode in that Citie some had rather haue it that they conferred or disputed but the other translation is more plaine the text perswadeth vs to make choise thereof because Luke wil shortly after declare that Lydia was the first fruites of that Church and we may easily gesse that the Apostles went out of the Citie because there was no gate opened to them in it 13 In the day of the Sabaoths No doubt the Iewes sought some place which was solitarie and by the way when they were disposed to pray because their religion was then euery where most odious And God by their example meant to teach vs what great account we ought to make of the profession of faith that wee doe not forsake it either for feare of enuie or of daunger They had in deede in many places Synagogues but it was not lawfull for them to assemble themselues publikely at Philippi which was a free Citie of Rome Therefore they withdraw themselues into a secreat corner that they may pray to god where they could not be espied and yet there were those who did grudge euen at this so that they might think that it might both cause trouble and danger but they prefer the worship of God before their own quietnes commoditie Furthermore we may gather by this
omitting the disputations which some men moue concerning his foresight I take this for a plaine lease that he doth prophesie and foretell things to come and whicâ—â—re hidden onely through Gods sufferance But God seemeth by this â—eanes to lay open men who are retchles or carelesse to his subtiltie so that they cannot beware For seeing that prophesies breath out diuine power mens minds must needs be touched with reuerence so often as they come abroad vnlesse they contemne God I answere that Satan hath neuer so much libertie graunted him of god saue only that the vnthankful world may he punished which is so desirous of a lie that it had rather be deceiued then obey the truth For that is a generall euill Rom. 1.21 whereof Paul complaineth in the first chapter to the Romanes That men doe not glorifie God being knowen naturally by the creation of the world that they suppresse his truth vniustly It is a iust rewarde for so great vnthankfulnesse that Satan hath the bridle giuen him that through diuers iuglings hee may worke the ruine of those who turne away maliciously from the light of God Therefore so often as you read the diuinations of Satan think vpon the iust iudgement of God Nowe if God so sharply punish the contempt of his light in the profane gentiles who haue no other teachers but the heauen earth how much more sharp punishment do those deserue who wittingly willingly choke the pure doctrine of saluation reuealed to them in the law and the gospel No maruell therfore if SataÌ„ haue long bewitched the world so freely with his subtiltie sithence that the truth of the Gospell hath been wickedly contemned which was made most manifest But it is obiected again that no man is free from danger when false diuinations flie to and fro so fast For euen as well the good as the euill seeme to bee subiect to the cosonage of Satan when the truth is darkened and ouercast The answere is readie though Satan set snares for all men in generall yet are the godly deliuered by the grace of God least they be caught together with the wicked Ther is also a more manifest distinctioÌ„ set down in the scripture because the Lorde doth by this meanes trie the faith godlines of his and doth make blinde the reprobate that they may perish as they be worthie 2. Thes 2.11 12. Therefore Paul saieth plainely that Satan hath not leaue graunted him to lead any into error saue those who wil not obey God and imbrace the truth Whereby is also reproued their wicked vngodlinesse who vnder this colour excuse the profane contempt of all doctrine whither shall we turne our selues say they seeing that Satan is so expert to deceiue Therefore it is better for vs to liue without any religion at all then throuâ—â— the desire of religion to run headlong into destruction Neither do tâ—ey obiect and pretend this feare for their excuse in earnest but seing they desire nothing more then to wander carelesly like beastes without any feare of god they can be content with any excuse so they be not tyed to any religion I confesse indeed that Satan doth no lesse craftily then wickedly abuse the sacred name of God and that that prouerb is too true which papistrie hath brought foorth that In the name of the Lord beginneth all euill but seeing that the Lorde doth pronounce that he wil be the teacher of the humble and hath promised that he wil be nigh to thâ—â— which are right in hearte seeing that Paul teacheth that the worde â—â— God is the sword of the Spirite seeing that he doth testifie that those who are welgrounded in the faith of the gospel are not in danger to be seduced by men seeing that Peter calleth the scripture a light shining in a darke place seeing that courteous exhortatioÌ„ or inuiting of Christ can neuer deceiue vs Seek ye shall find knock and it shall be opened to you let Satan do what he can and let the false prophetes seeke to darken the truth so much as they are able wee need not be afraide least the spirit of wisdome and discretion forsake vs who ruleth Satan at his pleasure and maketh vs triumph ouer him by the faith of his word 18. Paul tooke it greeuously It may be that at the first Paul neglected and did not greatly regard the crying of the maide because hee hoped that there woulde bee no account made thereof and had rather that it shuld vanish away of it self But the continuall repetition doth at length make him wearie because if he had any longer dissembled Satan would haue waxt more more insolent through his silence and patience Secondly he ought not to haue broken out into this prohibition rashly vntill he knew for a certaintie that hee was furnished with the power of God For Paul his commandement had bin foolish vain without the commaundement of God And this must bee noted least any man condemn Paul of too great hastines bicause he incouÌ„tred so valiantly with the vncleane spirite For hee did not coÌ„ceiue any griefe or indignation saue only because he saw that the subtiltie of Satan woulde increase vnlesse he did betimes preueÌ„t it neither did he attempt any thing without the motion of the spirit neither did he enter the conflict vntill hee was armed with power from heauen Notwithstanding he seemeth to be coÌ„trary to himselfe seeing that he saith elswhere that he reioyceth vppon what occasion soeuer he see the gospel preached euen by wicked men and such as did studie of set purpose to bring him in contempt Phil. 1.18 I answere that he had another more apter reason for himself in this place because all men would haue thought that the Spirit of the maide had plaid with Paul so that by that meanes the doctrine of the gospel should not only haue come in suspition but should also haue come into great contempt To this end was it that Christe also did commaund the diuel to holde his peace Mark 1.25 Luke 4.35 whereas notwithstanding he suffered his name to be extolled by vnmeet and vnworthie men I commaund thee We must note the forme of speech For as the myracle was about to haue a double vse namely that the power of Christ might be knowen secondly that he might declare that he had no felowship with Satans iuglings so Paul in giuing the authoritie and power to Christe alone doeth declare that he is only a minister that done hee doth openly set Christ against the diuell to the end that by the conflict all men may see that they be deadly enemies For it was profitable that many should be awaked who had bin giuen to such grosse seducing that being well purged they might come to the true faith 19 But when her masters The same diuell who of late did flatter Paul by the mouth of the maid doth now driue her masters into furie that they may put him to death so that
faith with preaching doctrine after that he hath brieflie spokeÌ„ of faith hee doth by way of expositioÌ„ shew the true and lawful way of beleuing Therfore in steed of that inueÌ„tion of intangled faith wherof the papists bable let vs holde faith infolded in the word of God that it may vnfold to vs the power of Christ 33 He was baptised and all his houshold Luke doth again coÌ„mend the godly zeale of the keeper that he did consecrate all his whole house to the Lord wherein doth also appeare the grace of God in that he brought al his whole family vnto a godly coÌ„sent And we must also note the notable exchange he was of late about to murther himself because hee thought that Paul the rest were escaped but now laying aside al feare he bringeth them home So that we see how faith doth animate and incourage those to behaue themselues stoutly who before had no hart And surelie when we droupe through feare doubtfulnes there is no better matter of boldnes then to be able to cast al our cares into Gods bosome that no daÌ„ger may terrify vs froÌ„ doing our dutie whiles that we looke for an end at Gods hand such as he shal see to be most profitable 34 He reioyced that he beleeued The external profession of faith was before commended in the Iayler now the inward fruit therof is described When he did lodge the Apostles was not afraide of punishment but did courteously interteine them in his own house otherwise then hee was inioyned by the magistrate he did testifie that his faith was not idle And that ioy wherof Luke speaketh in this place is a singuler good thing which euery man hath from his faith There is no greater tormeÌ„t then an euil conscience for the vnbeleeuers though they seeke by all meanes to bring themselues into a certain amasednes yet because they haue no peace with God they must needs quake and tremble But admit they perceiue not their present torments yea they rage and playe the mad men through mad and vnbrideled licentiousnes yet are they neuer quiet neither do they inioy quiet ioy Therefore sincere and quiet stable ioy proceedeth from faith alone when we perceiue that God is merciful to vs. In this respect Zacharias saith Reioyce and be gladde O daughter Sion behold thy king commeth Yea this effect is euery where in the scripture attributed to faith that it maketh the soules ioiful Therfore let vs know that faith is not a vaine or dead imagination but a liuely sealing of the grace of God which bringeth perfect ioy by reason of the certainty of saluation whereof it is meet that the wicked be voyde who doe both flie from the God of peace disturbe al righteousnes 35 And when it was day the magistrates sent the apparitors saying Let these men goe 36 And the keeper of the prison tolde these woordes to Paule The magistrates haue sent to loose you Now therefore going out depart in peace 37 And Paul said to them After that they haue beaten vs openly before our cause was knowen seeing that we be Romaines they haue cast vs into prison now they cast vs out priuily No surely but let them come themselues fetch vs out 38 And the apparitours told these wordes to the magistrates who feared after that they heard that they were Romanes 39 And they came and besought them and when they had brought them out they requested them that they would depart out of the citie 40 And comming out of the prison they entred in vnto Lydia when they had seen the brethren they comforted them and departed 35 When it was day The question is how it came to passe that the Iudges did so sodainly change their purpose The day before they had commaunded that Paul Silas should be bound with fetters as if they meant to punishe them cruelly now they let them goe free At least if they had heard them it might haue bin that the knowledge of the cause had brought them to be more gentle and better minded But it appeareth that forasmuch as the matter stood as yet stil in one state they wer brought vnto repentance of their owne accorde I answere that there is no other thing here set downe but that which falleth out most commoÌ„ly when sedition is once raised For not onely the mindes of the common people begin to rage but also the tempest carrieth away the gouernours also no doubt peruersly for we know that of Virgill And as amidst a mightie route when discord oft is bred And baser froward minded men with furious rage are led Foorthwith flies fire and stones are floung madnes doth tooles supplie Then if on the sodain they doe any one espie Whom loue to common wealth and iust desarts haue reuerent made They hush and eeke attentiue stand to heare what will be said He gouerns both their will and rage With wordes their wrath he doth aswage Therefore there can be nothing more vnseemely than that in a whot tumult the iudges should be set on fire with the people but it falleth out so for the most part Therfore wheÌ„ those officers saw the people vp they thought ther was cause enough why they should beat the apostles with rods But now they are caused with shame and infamie to suffer punishement for their lightnes Peraduenture also when they enquire of the beginning of the tumult they find those who had deceiued the people in the fault therefore when they had found out that Paul and Silas were innocent they let them goe though too late By which example those which beare rule are taught to beware of too much hast Againe we see howe carelesly Magistrates fâ—â—tter themselues in their owne offences which they know full well they haue committed especially when they haue to doe with vnknowen and base persons When these men graunt free libertie to Paul and Silas to depart they are not ignorant that they had before done them iniurie yet they thinke it will be sufficient if they do not continue to do them iniurie still and to bee more cruel vpon theÌ„ The apparitors are called Rabdouchoi of the staues which they did bear wheras the ensignes of the Seargeants were hatchets bound about with rods After that they haue beaten vs openly Their defence consisteth vpon two points that they raged against and cruelly intreated the body of a man that was a Roman secondly that they did that contrary to the order of law We shall see afterward that Paul was a citizen of Rome But it was straitly prouided by Portius lawe by the lawes of Sempronius and also by many moe that no man should haue power of life or death ouer any citizen of Rome but the people Notwithstanding it may seeme to bee a strange thing that Paul did not maintain his right before he was beaten with rods for the iudges might honestly excuse themselues by his silence but it is to be thought that he was
certaintie be gathered out of the scriptures and therefore they hold that we must stand to the decrees of men For I demaund of them whether Paul did obserue a right order in disputing or no at least let them blush for shame that the worde of the Lord was more reuerenced in an vnbeleeuing nation then it is at this day among them The Iewes admit Paul suffer him when he disputeth out of the scriptures the Pope and all his count it a meere mocke when the scripture is cited as if God did speak doubtfully there and did with vaine boughts mocke men Hereunto is added that bicause there is at this day much more light in the scripture and the trueth of God shineth there more cleerely then in the law and prophets For in the Gospel Christ who is the sonne of righteousnes doeth shed out his beam with perfect brightnes vpon vs for which cause the blasphemy of the papists is the more intollerable whiles that they wil make the word of God as yet vncertain But let vs know as faith can bee grounded no where els then in the word of the Lord so we must only stand to the testimonie thereof in al controuersies 3 Opening In this place he describeth the sum or subiect of the disputation and he putteth down two members concerning Christ that He must haue died and risen againe that the son of Mary which was crucified is Christ When the question is concerning Christ there come 3. things in question Whether he be who he is what he is If Paul had had to deale with the gentiles he must haue fet his beginning farther because they had heard nothing concerning Christ nether do profane meÌ„ conceiue that they need a mediator But this point was out of doubt among the Iewes to whom the mediator was promised wherefore Paul omitteth that as superfluous which was receiued by common consent of al men But because there was nothing more harde then to bring the Iewes to confesse that Iesus who was crucified was the redeemer therefore Paul beginneth with this that it was meet that Christ should die that he may remoue the stumbling blocke of the crosse and yet we must not thinke that he recited the 〈◊〉 history but he taketh an vndoubted principle that the causes were shewed why Christe must haue suffered rise againe to wit because he preached of the ruine of mankind of sin of the punishment thereof of the iudgement of God and of the eternal curse wherein we be al inwrapped For euen the scripture calleth vs hither when it foretelleth the death of Christ As Isaias saith not simply that Christ should die Isa 53.6 Ib. 5. but plainly expressing because we haue al erred euery one hath gone his owne way he assigneth the cause of his death that God hath laid vpon him al our iniquities that the chastisement of our peace is vppon him that by his stripes we may bee healed that by making satisfaction for vs hee hath purchased righteousnes for vs. So doth Daniel Dan. 9.24 shew the force and fruit of his death in his 9. chapter when he saith that sinne must be sealed vp that eternall righteousnesse may succeed And surely there is no more apt or effectuall way to proue the office of Christ then when men being humbled with the feeling of their miseries see that there is no hope left vnlesse they be reconciled by the sacrifice of Christ TheÌ„ laying away their pride they humbly imbrace his crosse wherof they were before both weary ashamed Therfore we must come vnto the same fountaines at this day from which Paul fetteth the proofe of the death and resurrectioÌ„ of Christ And that definition brought great light to the second chapter It had not beene so easie a matter for Paul to prooue and certainely to gather that the sonne of Mary is Christ vnlesse the Iewes had been taught before what manner redeemer they were to hope for And when that doth once appeare it doth only remain that those things be applied to Christ which the scripture doth attribute to the mediator But this is the summe of our faith that we know that the sonne of Marie is that Christ mediator which God promised from the beginning that done that we knowe vnderstand why he died and rose againe that we do not feigne to our selues any earthly king but that we seeke in him righteousnes and all parts of our saluatioÌ„ Both which things Paul is said to haue proued out of the scriptures we must know that the Iewes were not so blockish nor so impudent as they be at this day Paul might haue drawen arguments from the sacrifices from all the worship of the law whereat the Iewes narre at this day like dogs It is wel knowne howe vnseemelily they rent and corrupt other places of Scripture At that daye they had some curtefie in them also they did somwhat reuerence the scripture so that they were not altogether such as would not be taught at this daye the veyle is laid ouer their hearts so that they can see no more in the cleere light then moales 4 Certaine of them beleeued We see here the fruite of Paul his disputation He prooued flatly that Iesus was Christ 2. Cor. 3.15 who by his death did appease the fathers wrath for vs and whose resurrection is the life of the worlde Yet onely certaine of the Iewes beleeue the rest are blind at noone day and with deafe eares refuse the certaine and playne trueth This is also woorth the noting that whereas onely a fewe Iewes beleeued a great multitude of the Gretians who were farre farther of came vnto the faith To what end can you say they weer noussed vp in the doctrine of the law from their childhood saue onely that they might bee more estranged from God Therefore the Lord doth now begin to shew some tokens of that blindnes in them which the prophetes doe oftentimes denounce vnto theâ—â— Notwithstanding he declareth by this that his couenaunt was not in vaine because he did at least gather some of that people vnto himselfe that the sparkles of the election may shyne in the remnaunt which was saued freely Luke doth moreouer teache that they did not beleeue the sayinges of Paul onely so farre foorth that they subscribed vnto them with a cold consent but that they did testifie their earnest of affection because they had ioyned themselues to Paul and Silas as companions prouoked against themselues the hatred of their nation by the free profession of the Gospel For what meaneth this adioyning saue only because they professed that they allowed that doctrine which he deliuered and that they tooke his part For ther is nothing more contrarie to faith then if when we knowe the truth of God we stand notwithstanding in doubt and are loth to ioyn our selues to any side If any man had rather expound it that they did ioyne them selues to Paul and Silas because
other fortitude but a certain rash and immoderate fiercenesse Therefore there was in Paul wonderful force of the Spirit who standing amidst such beastes which sought to pull him too and fro stoode firme in the sound synceritie of the Gospel and did valiantly withstand and endure as well the dogged malapertnes of the former sect as the pride and craftie cauillings of the other And hereby we see more plainly what small agreement there is betweene the heauenly wisedome and the wisedome of the flesh For though the whole multitude were offended with the gospel yet the Philosophers were captaines and standerd-bearers in assaulting the same For that did principally appeare in them which Paul himselfe speaketh of the wisedome of the flesh that 1. Cor. 1.11 It is an enimy to the crosse of Christ so that no man can be fit to learn the principles of the Gospel vnlesse he first abandon the same Other some said Luke setteth before vs two sorts of men which both were farre from godlinesse and yet the one sort is worse than the other Those who are desirous to heare that againe which they call newe first they are mooued not with any right desire to learne but with vaine curiositie Secondly they thinke vnhonourablie of the worde of God in that they count it prophane noualtie Yet because they giue eare and that being in doubt vntill they may know farther of the matter they are not quite past hope But the rest who proudly refuse that which is offered yea condemne it reprochfully do shut the gate of saluation against themselues For this railing did proceede from monstrous pride what meaneth this Babler Because they neither vouchsafe to heare Paule also reprochfully refuse him as if he were some common iester Moreouer they do not loath his doctrine through rash zeale but do openlie tread vnder foot that which is brought vnto them concerning religion though as yet they know it not because these are ashamed to learn any thing of a base and obscure fellowe who had hitherto professed themselues to be teachers of all the whole world A declarer of new diuels They doe not take diuels in euill part as the Scripture vseth to do but for the lesser gods or angels who they thought were in the midst betweene the highest God and men whereof Plato maketh mention oftentimes As touching the summe of the matter we must note that those things which Paul spake concerning Christ and the resurrection seemed to them to be new diuels Whence we gather that our faith is principally distinguished and discerned from the superstitions of the Gentiles by these marks because it setteth forth Christ to be the sole mediatour because it teacheth vs to seeke for saluation only at his hands because it commādeth vs to seeke remission of our sins in his death wherby we may bee reconciled to God because it teacheth that men are renewed fashioned againe by his spirit who were before prophane slaues to sin that they may begin to liue righteously holilie Again because frō such beginnings as do plainly declare that the kingdome of God is spiritual it lifteth vp our minds at length vnto the hope of the resurrection to come For as concerning other things though the Philosophers do not reason purely yet they say somwhat Yea they speak much concerning eternal life the immortality of the soul but as touching faith which sheweth free reconciliation in Christ regeneration whereby the Spirit of God doth restore in vs the image of God concerning calling vpon God and the last resurrection not a word 19 They brought him to Mars street Though this were a place appointed for iudgement yet Luke doth not meane that Paul was brought before the seat of the iudges that he might plead his cause before the iudges of Mars street But that hee was brought thither where was most commonly a great assēblie of people that the serious disputation might be had before a great and famous audience And admit we graunt that he was brought before the iudgement seat yet the end doeth declare that he was not presented to the iudges but that hee had free libertie to speake as before an audience And that which followeth shortly after touching the nature and conditions of the men of Athens doth sufficiently declare that their curiositie was the cause that Paul had such audience giuē him that he had such a famous place granted him to preach Christ in that so many came togither For in any other place it had bin a crime worthy of death to speake in the market or in any other publike place hauing gathered a companie of people togither but there because those who did carrie about trifles had libertie granted thē to prate by reason of the immoderate desire they had to heare newes Paul was permitted to intreat of the misteries of faith being requested Gaue themselues to nothing else The two vices which Luke reciteth do almost alwaies go togither For it falleth out seldome that those who are desirous of noualties are not also bablers For that saying of Horace is most true Flie a demander of questions for the same is also a blab And surely wee see that curious men are like rent Barrels Furthermore both vices came of idlenes not only because the Philosophers spent whol dayes in disputing but because the common sort was too much set vpon noualty neither was there any crafts man so base there which would not thrust in himself to set in order the state of Grecia And surely that which Luk saith here is witnessed by al writers both Greeke Latin that there was nothing more light couetous or froward than that people Wherefore there could neuer be any certaine gouernment set downe in that Citie which was notwithstanding the mystres of sciences Therfore in principal power they had notwithstanding no long liberty neither did they euer cease off from attempting things making many hurliburlies vntil they brought themselues al Grecia to vtter ruine For whē their state was decaied yet did not they forsake their boldnes Therefore Cicero doth laugh at their folly because they did no lesse fiersely set forth their decrees then than whē they were lords ouer Grecia Now though there were smal hope to do any good among curious mē yet Paul did not neglect the opportunity if peraduenture he might gain some of a great cōpanie to Christ Neither was this any small praise for the Gospel in the most noble place of the Citie and as it were in a common Theatre to refute and openly to reproue all forged and false worshippings which had reigned there euen vntill this day 22 And standing in the midst of Mars street he saith Men of Athens I see you in all things as it were more superstitious 23 For passing by beholding your maner of worshippings I found also an altar wherein was written To the vnknowen God Therefore whom you worshippe ignorantly him doe I preach vnto you 24 God who
proude to demaunde a reason of God of his workes Furthermore this admonition is no lesse profitable for vs than for the men of that time The enimies of the Gospel when it beginneth to spring againe count it a great absurditie that God did suffer men to go astray so long vnder the apostacie of the Pope as if though there appeare no reason it were not as lawfull for him nowe to winke at mens ignorance as in times past And we must principally note to what end he saieth this to wit that the ignorance of former time may not hinder vs from obeying God without delay when he speaketh Most men thinke that they haue a faire colour for their errour so they haue their fathers to keepe them companie or so they get some patronage or defense by long custom yea they would willingly creepe out heere that they may not obey the word of God But Paul saieth that we must not set an excuse from our fathers ignorance when god speaketh vnto vs because though they be not giltlesse before God yet our sluggishnes is more intollerable if we be blind at noone day and lie as deafe or as if we were a sleepe when the trumpet of the Gospel doth sound Now he willeth all men In these wordes Paul teacheth that wee must giue eare to God so soone as he speaketh as it is written To day if yee will heare his voice harden not your hearts For the stubbernes of those men is without excuse who forslow this opportunitie when God doeth gently call them vnto him Also we gather out of this place to what end the Gospel is preached Psal 95.7.8 Heb. 3.7.8 to wit that God may gather vs to himself from the former errours of our life Therefore so oft as the voice of the gospel doeth sounde in our eares let vs know that God doeth exhort vs vnto repentance We must also note that he attributeth to God the person of the speaker though he do it by man For otherwise the Gospel hath not so full authoritie as the heauenly truth deserueth saue onely when our faith doth looke vnto him who is the gouernor of the propheticall function and doth depend vpon his mouth 31 Because he hath appointed a day Hee maketh mention of the last iudgement that he may awake them out of their dreame For we knowe how hard a matter it is for men to denie themselues Therefore they must be violently enforced vnto repentance which cannot be done better then when they be cited to appeare before gods iudgement seat and that feareful iudgement is set before them which they may neither despice nor escape Therefore let vs remember that the doctrine of repentance doth than take place when mē who would naturally desire to flatter themselues are awaked with feare of Gods iudgement that none are fit teachers of the gospell but those who are the criers or apparitors of the highest iudge who bring those who are to come before the iudge to plead their cause denoūce the iudgmēt hanging ouer their heads euen as if it were in their owne hand Neither is this added in vaine in righteousnes or righteouslie For though all men in the word confesse that God is a iust iudge yet we see howe they for the most part pamper and flatter themselues for they will not suffer God to demaund an account farther than their knowledge and vnderstanding doth reach Therefore Paul his meaning is that men do profit themselues nothing by vain flatterie because they shal not preiudice gods iustice by this meanes which sheweth that all that is an abhomination before God which seemeth goodly in the sight of men because hee will not followe the decrees of men but that forme which himselfe hath appointed By the man whō he hath appointed It is not to be doubted but that Paule spake more largely concerning Christe that the Athenienses mighte knowe that he is the sonne of God by whom saluation was brought to the worlde and who had all power giuen him in heauen and earth Otherwise this speeche which we reade here shoulde haue had but small force to perswade But Luke thought it sufficient to gather the summe of the Sermon briefly Yet is it to bee thought that Paule spake firste concerning the grace of Christ and that he did first preach him to be the Redeemer of men before he made him a iudge But because Christ is oftentimes contemned when he offereth himselfe to be a Redeemer Paul denounceth that he will once sharpely punishe such wicked contempt because the whole world must be iudged by him The woorde orizein may be referred as well vnto the secrete counsel of God as vnto externall manifestation Yet because the former exposition is more common I doe willingly imbrace the same to wit that God by his eternall decree hath ordained his sonne to bee the iudge of the worlde that to the ende the reprobate who refuse to be ruled by Christ may learne that they striue but in vaine against the decree of GOD which cannot be broken But because nothing seemeth more strange to men then that God shal iudge in the person of man Paul addeth afterward that this dignity of Christ which were harde to bee beleeued was approued by his resurrection The will of God alone ought to be so reuerenced among vs that euery man for himselfe subscribe to his decrees without delay because the cloke and colour of ignoraunce vseth oftentimes to bee obiected therefore Paule saieth plainely that Christ was by his resurrection openly shewed to be the iudge of the worlde and that that was reuealed to the eyes of men which GOD had before determined with himselfe concerning him For that poynt of doctrine which Luke toucheth brieflie in fewe woordes was handeled by Paul at large Hee saide not onely in a woorde that Christ rose from death but hee did also intreate of the power of his resurrection as was meete For to what ende did Christe rise but that he might bee the first fruites of those which rise againe And to what ende shall wee rise againe 1. Cor. 15.23 but either to life or death Wherevppon it followeth that Christe by his resurrection is declared and prooued to bee the Iudge of the worlde 32 Some mocked By this we see how great the carelesnesse of men is whom neither the tribunall seate of God Cha. 26.23 nor the maiesty of the highest iudge doth make afraid We haue said that this is a most sharp prick wherewith mens mindes are pricked forward to feare GOD when his iudgement is set before their eies but there is such vnspeakeable hardnes in the contemners that they are not afraid to count that a fable or lie which is spoken cōcerning the giuing of an account of our life once Notwithstanding there is no cause why the ministers of the Gospell shoulde omit the preaching of the iudgement which is inioyned them Though the wicked doe laugh and mocke yet this doctrine which
Dauid If I shall walke in the midst of the shadow of death I shall feare none ill because thou art with me Psal 27.3 Again If tentes be pitched about me c. The question is whether he did not perceiue that God was present with him elsewhere as he had had experience of his helpe in diuerse places For the promise is generall Mat. 28.20 I am with you vntil the ende of the world Neither is it lawfull for vs to mistrust so often as we obey his calling but that he wil be present with vs. But it is an vsuall thing with the Lorde to apply that vnto certaine kinds when the matter so requireth which he hath promised to do in al affaires we know that when we come to the push then are we most desirous of helpe Moreouer these two members are ioyned together I am with thee no man shal hurt thee For it falleth out sometimes that God doth helpe vs and yet doth he to looke too suffer vs to be oppressed as he forsook not Paull euen in the midst of death here he promiseth the peculiar defence of his hand whereby he shall be preserued from the violence of his enemies But the question is whether Paul needed any such confirmation who ought to haue been willing to enter all maner dangers For what if he had been to suffer death should he therefore haue fainted through feare I answere that if at any time God pronounce that his seruaunts shall be safe for a time that doth no whit hinder but that they may prepare themselues to suffer death valiantly but as wee distinguish between profitable and necessarie so wee must note that there be some promises â—â—ch if the faithfull want they must needs faint and sink downe and that other some are added when it is expedient so to be which though they be taken away because the grace of God doth neuerthelesse remaine firme and sure the faith of the godly doth not faile After this sort Paul is commanded not to fear because his enemies shall not touch him and if so be he should haue bin oppressed eueÌ„ then with their violence yet wold he not haue bin afraid but god would haue his boldnesse and courage to encrease euen by this because he should be without danger If at any time the Lord bear with vs so farre foorth we are not to despice such a comfort of our infirmitie in the meane season let this be sufficient for vs to tread vnder foote all corrupt feare of the flesh that so long as we fight vnder his banner wee cannot be forsaken of him And when it is said No man shall gainstande thee to doe thee hurt the Lorde doth not meane that he shall bee free from violence and tumult whom the Iewes did afterwarde deadlilie inuade but his meaning is that their attempts shall bee frustrate because the Lord had determined to deliuer him out of their handes Therefore we must fight stoutly that we may win the field Because I haue much people The second reason why he shuld take a good heart is because the Lord wil raise vp a great and populous church ther though it be to be douted whether this meÌ„ber depend vpon that which goeth next before for the text will run fitly thus because the Lord determined by the haÌ„d of Paul to gather together a great church he wold not suffer the enemies to interrupt the course of his labors as if he shuld haue said I will helpe thee that thou mayst not faile my people whose minister I haue appointed thee to bee I doe willingly embrace this exposition that diuers reasons are not inferred which are to be read apart but that they be so distinguished that they agree together Furthermore the Lord calleth those his people who though they might then for good causes be counted strangers yet because they were written in the book of life and were foorthwith to be admitted into his familie they haue this title giuen them not vnproperly For we know that many sheep waÌ„der without the flock for a time as the sheep haue many wolues among them Therefore whom the Lord determined shortly after to gather to himself those doth he take for his people in respect of their future faith But let vs remember that those are ingraffed into the body of Christe who appertaine vnto the same by the eternall adoption of God Iohn 17.6 as it is written Thine they were and thou gauest them mee 11 He continued there a yeere We do not read that Paul staied so long any where els saue there and yet it appeareth by his two Epistles that he was not only like to suffer much troubles but that he had suffered manie vniust and vnmeet things by reason of the pride and vnthankfulnes of the people so that we see that there was no part of warfare wherein the Lord did not wonderfully exercise him Also we gather what a hard laborous matter the edifiyng of the church is seeing that the most excellent workmaster spent so much time about the laying of the foundation of one church only Neither doth he boast that he had finished the work but that the Lord had put other in his place that they might build vpoÌ„ his foundation as he saith afterward that he had planted 1. Cor. 3.6 and that Apollo had watered 12 Now when Gallio was deputie of Achaia the Iewes rose with one accorde against Paul and brought him before the iudgement seat 13 Saying this man perswadeth men to worship god contrary to the law 14 And when Paul was about to open his mouth Gallio saide vnto them If it were any iniurie or wicked fact O Iewes I would according to reason maintaine you 15 But if it be a question of words names your law looke ye to it your selues for I will be no iudge in these matters 16 And he draue them from the iudgement seat 17 And when all the Greekes had caught Sosthenes the ruler of the Synagogue they smote him before the iudgemeÌ„t seat neither did Gallio care for any of these things 12 When Gallio Either the change of the deputie did incourage the Iewes to wax more proud and insolent as froward men vse to abuse new things that they may procure some tumult or els hoping that the iudge would fauour them they brake the peace and silence at a sodain which had continued one whole yeere And the summe of the accusation is that Paul went about to bring in a false kind of worship contrary to the law Now the question is whether they spake of the lawe of Moses or of the rites vsed in the empire of Rome Because this latter thing seemeth to me to be cold I do rather receiue that that they burdened Paul with this crime that he brake altered the worship prescribed in the law of God that to the end they might hit him in the teeth with noueltie or innouation And surely Paul had bin
confession of a sure faith as are they in their filthie errour For wee see what the Spirit of God prescribeth vnto vs by the mouth of Dauid Psal 106.10 I beleeued and therefore will I speake 35 And when the towne clarke had pacified the multitude he saide Yee men of Ephesus what man is he that knoweth not that the Citie of the Ephesians is a worshipper of the great goddesse Diana and of the image that came down from Iupiter 36 And seing these things are out of question you must bee quiet and doe nothing rashly 37 For yee haue brought men which are neither Churchrobbers nor yet blasphemers of your goddesse 38 But and if Demetrius and the craftsmen that are with him haue a matter against any man there be open assemblies and there be deputies let them accuse one another 39 But and if there be any other matter in question it shal be decided in a lawfull assemblie 40 For it is to bee doubted least wee be accused of this dayes sedition seeing there is no cause whereby we may giue a reason of this concourse And when he had thus spoken he let the assembly depart 35 Luke sheweth in this place that the tumult was so appeaâ—ed that yet notwithstanding superstition preuailed with the madde people and the truth of God was not heard For the town clarke as politike meÌ„ vse to do counteth it sufficient for him if he can by any meanes appease the outragious multitude Neuerthelesse the cause it selfe is oppressed He saw vndoubtedly Demetrius his malice and howe hee had troubled the citie abusing the pretence of religion for his owne priuate gain but he toucheth not that wound which he knew to be vnknowen to the vnskilful Neuerthelesse to the end he may stay the vproare contention he extolleth the feigned power of Diana maintaineth her superstitious worship If Paul had been in the common place at that time hee would rather haue suffered death an hundreth times then haue suffered himselfe to be deliuered from daunger paying so deare for it For thogh the towne clarke had not been by him commaunded to speake thus yet it should haue been treacherous dissimulation in a publike witnesse and preacher of heauenly doctrine The Scribe affirmeth that the Image which the Ephesians did worship came downe from heauen and that Paul and his companions spake no blasphemie against their goddesse Could he haue holden his peace but he must needs by his silence haue alowed his false excuse And this had been to shake hands with idolatry Therefore it was not without cause that Luke said before that Paul was kept backe by the brethren and not suffered to enter into the common place 37 Men which are neither church robbers Hee doeth both truly and well denie that they be churchrobbers but he doth shortly after falslie define the kinde of churchrobberie to speake blasphemously against Diana For seeing that all superstition is profane and polluted it followeth that those be sacrilegious persons who translate the honour which is due to God alone vnto Idols But the wisedome of the towne clarke and that carnall is heere commended and not his godlinesse For hee had respect vnto this alone to extinguish the heat of the vprore therfore doth he at length conclude if Demetrius haue any priuate matter there be iudgement seates and Magistrates And that publike affayres must be handeled in a lawfull and not in a disordered assemblie in an assembly gathered by the commaundement of the magistrates and not in a concourse which is without consideration runne together through the motion of one man and to satisfie his appetite He calleth them deputies in the plurall number not that Asia had more then one but because Legates did sometimes keep courtes in the place of the deputies Also he appeaseth them by putting them in feare because the deputie had occasion offered to punish and fine the citie sore CHAP. XX. 1 AND after the tumult was ceased when Paul had called vnto him the disciples and had imbraced them he tooke his iourney that hee might goe into Macedonia 2 And when he had walked through those partes and had with much speech exhorted them he came into Grecia 3 And when he had spent three monethes there when the Iewes laid in wait for him as he was about to loose into Syria he purposed to returne through Macedonia 4 And there accompanied him vnto Asia Sopater of Berrhea and of the Thessalonians Aristarchus and Secundus and Caius of Derbie and Timotheus and of Asia Tichichus and Trophimus 5 When these were gone before they stayed for vs at Troas 6 And we sailed away after the day of sweet bread from Philippi and came to them to Troas within fiue dayes where we staied seuen daies 1 Luke declareth in this chapter how Paul loosing from Asia did againe crosse the Seas to goe to Ierusalem And though whatsoeuer is written in this narration bee worthie of most diligent meditation and marking yet doth it need no long exposition It appeareth that the church was preserued in saftie by the wonderfull power of God amidst those troublesome tumults The church of Ephesus was as yet slender weake the faithfull hauing had experience of a sodaine motion once might for iust causes feare least like stormes should euer now and then arise We need not doubt that Paul did with much ado depart from theÌ„ yet because greater necessitie doth draw him vnto another place hee is enforced to leaue his sonnes who were lately begotten and had as yet scarce escaped shipwracke in the midst of the raging Sea As for them though they be very loth to forgo Paul yet least they do iniurie to other churches they do not keepe him back nor stay him So that wee see that they were not wedded to themselues but that they were carefull for the kingdome of Christ that they might prouide as well for their brethren as for themselues We must diligently note these examples that one of vs may studie to help another in this miserable dispearsing but if it so fall out at any time that we be bereft of profitable helps let vs not dout nor wauer knowing that God doth hold the helme of our ship And we must also note this that Paul doth not depart vntill he haue saluted the Brethren but doth rather strengthen them at his departure As Luke sayeth straightway of the Macedonians that Paul exhorted them with many wordes that is not ouerfieldes as if it were sufficient to put them onely in minde of their dutie but as he commaundeth els where that others shoulde doe hee vrged importunately and beate in throughly things which were needfull to bee knowen that they might neuer bee forgotten 2. Tim. 4.2 3 Because the Iewes laid wait for him The Lord did exercise his seruant so diuersly and continually that hee set before vs in him an example of most excelleÌ„t constancy It is not sufficieÌ„t for him to be wearied with the labour and trouble
him a prophet as of late he called the four daughters of Philip he signifieth that it was not a common but a peculiar gift Now we must see to what ende the persecutiō which was at hand was now again shewed by Agabus As concerning Paul he was sufficiently told alreadie Therefore I doe not doubt but that this confirmation was added for other mens sake bicause the Lord meant euery where to make knowen the bonds of his seruant partly that they might know that he entred the combat willingly partly that they might perceiue that he was appointed of god to be a chāpion to fight for the gospell It was surely a profitable example of inuincible constancie seeing that he offered himself willingly and wittingly to the violence of the aduersaries and no lesse profitable is it for vs at this day that his apostleship should be confirmed with this voluntarie no lesse constant giuing ouer of his life The man who oweth this girdle It was an vsuall thing among the prophets to represen◠those thinges which they spake by signes Ies 20.2 neither did they confirme their prophesies by vsing signes through their owne motion but at the commandement of the spirit Ier. 27.2 32.7 Ez. 12.5 as when Isaias is commaunded to goe barefoot Ieremie to put a yoke vpon his necke to sel the possession and to buy it Ezechiel to digge through the wall of his house priuily and in the same night to carry foorth burthens These and such like might seeme to the common sort to be toies but the same spirite who did apply signes to his woordes did inwardly touch the hearts of the godly as if they had bin brought to the very thing it selfe So this spectacle mentioned by Luke did no lesse mooue Paul his companions then if they had seene him bound in deed The false prophets did afterward assay to delude the simple by this pollicie as Satan is in a manner Gods ape and his ministers do enuie the seruauntes of God Zedechias made himselfe hornes wherewith he promised Syria should be pushed Ananias by breaking Ieremies yoke put the people in a vaine hope of deliueraunce GOD hath suffered the reprobate to bee deluded with such delusions that he might punish their vnbeleefe But forasmuch as there was in them no force of the Spirite their vanitie did no whit hurt the faithfull This is also worthie to be noted that Agabus doth not set before their eies a dumb spectacle but he coupleth therewith the worde whereby he may shew to the faithfull the vse and end of the ceremonie 12 Both we Bicause they had not al one reuelatiō it is no maruel if their iudgements were diuers For seeing these holy men knew that ther consisted much in the life or death of one man they would not haue him to come in danger rashly And their desire is worthie praise in that they desired to prouide for the common safetie of the church by keeping back Paul But on the otherside Paul his constancie deserueth so much the more praise when as he continueth so stedfast in the calling of god For he was not ignorant what great trouble he shuld suffer by reason of his bands But because he knoweth the will of God which was his only rule in taking counsell he maketh no account of all other thinges that hee may follow it And assuredly we must bee so subiect to the will and pleasure of God that no profit no kind of reason may remoue vs from obeying him When Paul doth reprehend the brethren because they afflict his hart with weeping he doth sufficiently declare that he was not hardened but that hee was brought vnto some feeling and suffering together with them Therefore the teares of the godly did wounde his heart but that softnesse did not turne him out of the way but that hee proceeded to follow God with a streight course Therfore we must vse such curtesie toward our brethren that the beck or will of God haue alwayes the vpper hand Now Paul doth againe declare by his answere that the seruants of Christe cannot be prepared to doe their dutie vnlesse they despice death and that none can euer bee well incouraged to liue to the Lord but those who will willingly lay downe their liues for the testimonie of the truth 14 We ceased saying If they had thought that he runne rashly vnto death they would not haue ceased so Therfore they yeeld least they resist the holy Spirit whereby they vnderstand that Paul is gouerned for that which they had hearde before by the mouth of Paul that hee was drawen as it were by the bands of the Spirit was quite out of their heads by reason of the sorow which they had cōceiued but whē they be taught againe that it was the will of God that it should be so they thinke it vnlawfull for them to resist any longer and with this bridle must al our affections be kept in that nothing bee so bitter or dolefull or harde which the wyll of God may not mittigate and mollifie For so often as anye thing which is harde or sharpe doeth fall out we giue God small honor vnlesse this cogitation preuaile with vs that we must obey him 15 And after these daies hauing taken vp our burthens we went vp to Ierusalem 16 And there came togeather with vs certaine of the Disciples from Cesarea bringing with them one Mnason of Cyprus an old disciple with whom we should lodge 17 And when wee were come vnto Ierusalem the brethren receiued vs gladlie 18 And on the morrowe Paul went in with vs vnto Iames and all the Elders were present 19 Whom after we had saluted he told by order all things which God had done among the Gentiles by his ministerie 20 But when they had heard they glorified the Lord and said to him Thou seest brother how many thousand Iewes there be which beleeue and they all are earnest followers of the law 21 And it hath beene tolde them concerning thee that thou teachest all the Iewes which are amonge the Gentiles to forsake Moses saying that they muste not circumcise their children nor liue accordinge to the customes 22 What is it then The multitude must needes come together for they shall heare that thou art come 23 Therefore do this which we say to thee we haue foure men which haue a vow vpon them 24 Them take and purifie thy selfe with them and doe cost on them that they may shaue their heads and that all men may knowe that those thinges which they haue heard concerning thee are nothing but that thou thy self also walkest an keepest the law 25 And as concerning those which among the Gentiles haue beleeued we haue written decreeing that they obserue no such thing but that they keepe themselues from things offered to Idols and from blood and from that which is strangled and from fornication 15 When we had taken vp our burdens Paul his companions declare that when they went about to
touching the Iewes The question is whether it were lawfull for Paul to obiect these reasons to Christ for it is as much as if he did auouch that that is probable which Christ saide coulde not be I answere that God giueth his saintes leaue familiarly to vtter their affections before him especially when they seeke no other thing but the confirmation of their faith If any man stand in his own conceit or stubbernely refuse that which God commaundeth his arrogancie shall be worthily condemned but God vouchsafeth his faithfull seruants of a singular priuilege that they may modestly obiect those things which may call them backe from the desire to obey to the end that being free from lets they may wholly addict themselues to serue God as Paul after that he was taught that it pleased the Lord that it should be so he doth not gainesay nor contend any longer but being content with that one exception and making an end there he maketh himselfe ready to take his iorney which he seemed to be loth to take In the meane season whereas the Iewes are not touched with so many myracles their stubbernes and pride which can not be tamed is discouered Which vpbraiding did vndoubtedly cause them to rage 22 Away with such a fellowe Luke sheweth heere howe outragiouslie Paul his sermon was interrupted For they doe not onely opppresse him with their crying but they desire to haue him put to death where it doeth also plainelie appeare howe frensie pride is The Iewes conceiued so great good liking of themselues that they did not onely despice all the whole worlde in comparison of themselues but they stoode also more stoutly in defense of their owne dignitye then of the Lawe it selfe as if al religion did consist in this that Abraham his stocke might excell all other mortall men So now they rage against and raile vpon Paul because hee saide that hee was sent to bee the Apostle of the Gentiles as if God were bounde by his owne liberalitie to suffer the contempt of his power in the wicked and vnthankfull on whom he bestowed excellent graces aboue all other And it is no maruell if there were suche fiercenesse and fury at that day among the Iewes seeing that being by all meanes wasted and accustomed to suffer extreme reproches at this daye they cease not notwithstanding to swell with seruile pride Rom. 11.5 But these be fruites of reprobation vntil God gather together the remnant according to Paul his prophecie 23 And as they cried and cast off their garmentes and threwe dust into the ayre 24 The chiefe captaine commanded him to be led into the campe and hee commanded that he should bee scourged and examined that hee might knowe for what cause they cried so on him 25 And when they had bounde him with thonges Paul said to the Centurion that stoode by Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Romaine and vncondemned 26 When the Centurion heard that he went to the chiefe captaine and told him saying what wilt thou doe For this man is a Romaine 27 And when the chiefe captaine came he said to him Tell mee art thou a Romaine And he said yea 28 And the chief captaine answered with a great summe I purchased this freedome And Paul said I was so borne 29 Then those who were about to examine him departed from him immediatly And the chiefe captaine also was afraid after that he knew that he was a Romaine and that he had bound him 30 And on the next day when hee woulde know the trueth he loosed him from his bonds commanded the high priests al the Counsaile to come together and he brought Paul and set him before them 24 The chiefe captaine It was well and wisely done of the chiefe captayne thus to withdraw Paul from the sight of the people forasmuch as his presence did moue and more prouoke them who were alreadye too muche mooued For by this meanes he prouideth for the life of the holie man and partly appeaseth the madnesse of the people But when he commaundeth him to be scourged to whose charge hee hearde no certayne crime laide hee seemeth to deale vniustly and yet this iniurie was not without colour because it was likely that it was not without cause that all the people had conspired to putte one manne to death Therefore a vehement presumption was the cause of so straite examination But we must note that this is a common custome among politike menne that they bee iust iudges so farre as is expedient for them but if they be called away by profite then they go out of the way Neuerthelesse it is sufficient for them to colour this their wickednesse with the title of wisdome because they hold that generall principle that the world cannot be gouerned without some shewe or colour of iustice But in all actions that subtiltie whereof I spake doth preuaile that they consider rather what is profitable then what is equall and right 25 Is it lawfull He alleageth first the priuiledge of the citie then he defendeth himselfe by common lawe And though there were more weight in the second point to wit that it is not lawfull to scourge a man before his cause is heard yet should he haue preuailed nothing vnlesse the centurion had been more moued with the honour of the Romaine Empire for nothing was then more hainous thē to doe any thing which was contrarye to the libertie of the people of Rome Valerius his law the law of Porcius and of Sempronius such like did forbid that no man should doe any violence to the body of the citie of Rome without the commaundement of the people The priuiledge was so sure and holy that they thought it to be not only a deadly offence but also such an offence as could not be purged that a citizen of Rome should bee beaten Therfore Paul escaped rather by the priuiledge then by cōmon equitie yet did he not dout in a good cause to beare of the iniurie which was prepared for him with this buckler of the citie But wee must know that he did so alleage the right priuiledge of the citie that the chief captain was brought to beleeue him because his words should not haue been credited vnlesse he had vsed some proof Moreouer it was no hard matter for a man who was well knowen to bring foorth witnesses Wee alleaged a cause in the sixteenth chapter Cha. 16.37 why he suffered himself to be scourged at Philippos which he now preuenteth by his owne declaration to wit because hee shoulde not haue been heard in a tumult raised among the common people But because he hath nowe to deale with the souldiers of Rome who did behaue themselues more moderately and grauely he vseth the opportunitie 26 This man is a Romane Some man may maruel that he was so credulous who was appointed to be chiefe in examining Paul that he doth affirme the thing as if hee knew it to be
so For if hee ought to beleeue Paul his wordes euery malefactour might by this shift haue escaped punishment But this was their manner of dealing hee which did say that he was a citizen of Rome vnlesse hee could bryng in some which knewe hym or proue it lawefullie hee was punished For it was death for any man to pretend the freedome of the citie falsly Wherefore the Centurion referreth the matter vnto the chiefe captaine as doubting thereof and he as wee haue said doth streightway examine the matter more throughly And though Luke doeth not expresse by what testimonies Paul did proue himselfe to bee a citizen of Rome yet vndoubtedly the chiefe captaine knewe the truth of the matter before he loosed him 28 With a great summe The chiefe captaine obiecteth this to refute him as if he shoulde say that the freedome of the citie is not so common and easily to be obtayned How can it be that thou beeing some base fellowe of the countrie of the Cilicians shouldest obtayne this honour for which I paid sweetly Whereas Paul maketh answeare that he was free borne who neuer saw the citie yea whose father it may be was neuer there there is no cause why this should trouble any man For those who are skilfull in the Romaine historie knowe that certayne were made free of the citie who dwelt in the prouinces if hauing deserued well of the common wealth or in warre or in other waighty affaires they did desire and craue this rewarde of the deputies so that it is no absurdity to say that he was borne a Citizen of Rome who discending by his ancetors of some prouince farre distant from Rome did neuer set foote in Italy Notwithstanding the question is howe this can hang together that the chiefe captaine was afraide because hee had bounde a Citizen of Rome and yet he did not loose him from his bondes vntill the morrowe It may be that he deferred it till the next daye least he shoulde shew some token of feare Notwithstanding I thinke that the chiefe captaine was afraide because Paul was bounde at his commaundement that he might be scourged because this was to do iniurie to the bodie of a Citizen of Rome and to breake the common liberty and that it was lawfull to put a Romane in prison CHAP. XXIII 1 ANd Paul beheld the Councel stedfastly and said Men brethren I haue serued God vntil this day in all good conscience 2 And the high Priest Ananias commanded those that stoode by him to smite him on the face 3 Then Paul saide to him God will smite thee thou painted wall And thou sittest iudging according to Lawe and transgressing the Lawe Commaundest thou me to be smitten 4 And those which stood by said Railest thou on Gods high priest 5 And Paul saide I wist not brethren that he was the high priest for it is written Thou shalt not speake euill of the ruler of thy people 1 Looking earnestly Paul beginneth with the testimonie of a good cōscience that al the whole multitude may vnderstand that he is vniustly charged with such an hainous offence as if he had gone about to ouerthrow the woorshippe of God It may be indeed that a man may offend of ignorance who will not otherwise be a contemner either of God or of religion but Paul meant at the first only with this excuse to mollifie their netled mindes that he might the better be heard For it had byn in vaine for him to haue defended himselfe so long as that opinion did sticke in the mindes of the priests that he was a wicked reuolt Therefore before he enter the cause hee excuseth him selfe of that cryme not onely that he may purchase fauour by that desire which he had to liue godlily but also that he may preuent false accusations or at least that he may refute vniust preiudices which might haue made against him wherewith he saw the whole multitude infected and corrupted We know not what he meant to say besides Notwithstanding this preface teacheth that no man can rightly handle the doctrine of godlines vnlesse the feare of God reigne and beare the chief sway in him And now though hee giue not the priestes so honorable a title heere as hee did a little before when he stood vppon the steppes of the fortresse yet he calleth them brethren giuing them that honour not because they deserue it but that hee may testifie that hee is not the cause of the breache of friendship 2 And the chiefe priest Luke his narration seemeth not to agree with the vsuall history For Iosephus writeth thus concerning the high priests of that time that Quadratus deputie of Syria deposing Cumanus from the gouernment of Iudea commanded him to answere for himselfe before Caesar and sent Ananias the highest priest bound with him into whose place who was chosen he maketh no mentiō sauing that it is likely that Ionathas had the honour giuen him who as he reporteth was afterward slaine by the subtlety and trechery of Felix Deputie of Iudea wh succeeded Cumanus For when he had oftentimes told Felix part of his minde and he coulde not away with the constancie of the man he made a compact with one Doras that hee shoulde priuily conuey in murtherers to slea him Then as the same Iosephus doth witnesse King Agrippa made Ismael the sonne of Phebeus priest But when he was sent by the people to Rome about a certaine suite and was kepte there by Popea wife to Nero Agrippa putteth in his place one Iosephus whose name was Chabus the sonne of Simon But immediatly being also weary of him he appointeth Ananus the sonne of Ananus to be high priest Futhermore he saith that this last thing happened at suche time as after the death of Festus Albinus did succeede him And I see not why some call this Ananus Ananias That hath indeed some colour in that he is called a pharisie also in that it is said that he was bold and stout who wythout any lawfull authoritie caused Iames the Lords brother to be stoned But if we giue credaunce to Iosephus he coulde not bee that Ananias of whome mention is made in this place by Luke who was then made priest when manye yeeres were past and gone after that Felix departed out of the prouince I haue another coniecture in my head For there flourished during all that time one Ananias an high prieste who excepting the title of honour was almost chiefe in the order And because Iosephus leaueth some voyde time betweene Ananias and Ismael it may be that this manne had the roome of the highest priest in the meane time But though this were not so it appeareth out of Iosephus that Ananias who died when the Citie was besieged was in the reigne of Claudius Caesar and Nero equall in dignity with the chiefe priestes which were then Yea his authoritie is so highly extolled as if he had had the chiefe gouernement howsoeuer other men did beare the insignes
iudgement of God by the present estate of men whether it be good or bad hee must needes fall away from faith at length vnto Epicurish contempt of God Now this is beastly blockishnesse to rest in an vncertain transitorie life and not to be wise aboue the earth For which cause we must flee frō that error as from a detestable monster For though godlines haue the promises of the earthly life also yet because we be most miserable if our hope stay still in this worlde the children of God must begin with this that they may lift vp their eyes toward heauen and think continually vpon the glory of the last resurrection Neither angell nor spirite This place is expounded two manner of wayes Many referre it vnto the holy Ghost which seemeth to bee vnlikely For howsoeuer the Saduces be to be holden excused in other errours yet because the scripture doeth so often repeate the name of the Spirite I will scarce beleeue that they denyed that which the Pharises beleeued onely lightly and obscurely For euen these men had no distinct faith concerning the holy Spirite that they did acknowledge the proper person of the Spirit in the substance of God Some wil haue Angel and Spirite to signifie one thing as if one thing were spoken twise But to what ende was it to repeate a thing which was plaine enough I warraunt you that member which followeth did deceiue them where Luke seemeth to make no distinction But we shewed the reason before because seeing the soules of men and Angels are of one and the same nature and substance they be both placed in one order Therefore I do not doubt but that this is Luke his true meaning that the Saduces did denie Angels and also all maner of Spirites Nowe for as much as Paul crieth that hee is a Pharisee in this point of doctrine hee doeth flatly condemne all brainsicke fellowes who at this day are in the same error For there be certaine profane vnlearned men who dreame that Angelles and Diuels are nothing els but good and euil inspirations and least they want som colour they say that all that came from the Heathen which the scripture hath concerning good and euill angels whereas that opinion which was common in the world had his beginning from the heauenly doctrine But the Heathen did with their lyes pollute that doctrine which they had from the fathers As touching mens soules because euen at this day certain miscreants doe feigne that the soules do vanish away in death vntill the day of the resurrection their madnesse is likewise refuted by the testimony of Luke 9 There was a great crie That sedition whereof Luke spake a little before is more plainly expressed in this place to wit that they were not only of diuers opinions but did striue clamorously with outcries Wherfore stasis doth signifie somewhat more then dissention Furthermore this place doth teach what mischief disagreementes bring with them For because they take their beginning for the moste part of ambition men proceed thence vnto contention and straightway stubbornnesse breaketh out When they be come thither because there is no place left either for iudgement or moderation they can no longer iudge of the cause Those who did detest Paul begin at a sodaine to defend him It was well done if they had done it with iudgement But because they inueigh against the Sadduces they are so inflamed with hatred against them that they be blind in Paul his matter For which cause we must beware of heat of contention which disturbeth all things If the spirit This ought vndoubtedly to be expounded of the holie Ghost And nothing could be spoken either more godlily or modestly For so soone as it is apparant that any doctrine is reuealed from heauen those doe wickedly resist God who doe not receiue the same But how is it that the Scribes do so sodainly count Paul a prophete of God whom they were once readie to haue murthered whom they had condemned with their preiudice vntill the contention arose Furthermore as they did cut their owne throtes with these words as with a swoord so God would haue them to be to vs teachers to instruct vs that we despice not the oracles which come from heauen Notwithstanding wee see againe that those stande in doubt who take not good heede and are not carefull to marke the woord of God and that they wauer so often as anie thing is brought to light because they be vnworthie to vnderstande the certaine truth Wherefore if wee bee desirous to haue our studies gouerned by the spirite of discretion let vs applie our selues to learne 10 And when there arose a sore dissention among them the chiefe captaine feared least Paul should haue bin pulled in peeces by them and he commanded the souldiars to goe downe and to take him from them and to bring him into the campe 11 And the night following the Lord stood by him and said Be of good courage Paul for as thou hast borne witnesse of me at Ierusalem so thou must bear witnesse of mee at Rome also 12 And when it was day certaine of the Iewes gathered themselues together bound themselues with a curse saying that they would neither eat nor drink vntill they had killed Paul 13 And they were more then fortie men whiche had made this conspiracie 14 And they came to the chiefe Priestes and Elders and saide we haue bound our selues with a curse that wee will taste nothing vntyll wee haue killed Paul 15 Nowe therefore signifie yee to the chiefe captaine and councell that he bring him foorth to you to morrow as if yee would know somewhat more certainely of him And we before he come neere are readie to kil him 16 But when Paul his sisters sonne heard of the laying in wait he came and entred into the campe and told Paul 10 Wee see againe what a cruell mischiefe contention is which so soone as it doeth once waxe whot hath suche violent motions that euen most wise men are not well in their wittes Therefore so soone as anie beginning shall shew it selfe let vs studie to preuent it in time least the remedie be too late in brideling it when it is in the middle because no fire is so swift as it As for the chiefe captaine as hee was appointed to bee the minister of Gods prouidence to saue Paules life so hee deliuereth him now the second time by his souldiars from death For thogh the chief captaine defend him so diligently for no other purpose saue only that he may preuent vprores and murder yet the Lorde who from heauen prouided and appointed helpe for his seruaunt doeth direct his blind hands thither 11 And the night following Luke declareth that Paul was strengthened with an oracle that he might stand couragiously against terrible assaultes when things were so far out of order Surely it could not be but that he was sore afraid and that hee was sore troubled with the
Whereto that of Isaias doth aunsweare Take counsel togeather Pro. 21.30 Esa 8.10 and it shall come to nought speak the worde and it shall not stande This is set before our eyes to be considered in this present historie as in a glasse The matter was almost dispatched that Paul shoulde come out on the morrowe to be slaine as a vowed sacrifice But the Lord doth shewe that his life is most safely kept so that whatsoeuer men goe about all is in vaine As for vs let vs not feare but that his prouidence whereof he shewed some token then reacheth euen vnto the defending of vs because this promise continueth sure Luk. 21.18 There shall not an hayre fall from your heads c. Moreouer it is woorth the noting that hee woorketh sometimes by meanes vnlooked for to saue those that be his that hee may the better exercise our faith who would haue thought that a boy woulde haue disclosed their laying await which those who were partners in the conspiracie thought was knowen to none but to themselues Therefore let vs learn to leane vnto and stay our selues vpon the Lord though we see no ordinary way to saue our selues who shal find a way euen through places where nothing can passe 17 And when Paul had called vnto him one of the Centurions he saieth Bring this young man vnto the chiefe captaine for he hath a certaine thing to shewe him 18 And he tooke him and led him vnto the chiefe captaine and said Paul the prisoner called me vnto him and desired me to bring this young man vnto thee who hath somewhat to say to thee 19 And the chief captaine tooke him by the hand and went aside with him and asked him what is it that thou hast to say to me 20 And he said the Iewes haue cōspired together to desire thee that thou bring foorth Paul into the councell to morrow as if they would know somewhat more certainly of him 21 But doe not thou obey them for more then forty of them lay in wait for him who haue bound themselues with a curse that they will neither eate nor drink vntill they haue slaine him And now they be readie waiting that thou shouldst promise 22 Therfore the chief captain let the young man goe and commaunded him tell no man that thou hast told me these things 23 And when he had called vnto him two vnder captaines he said make readie two hundred souldiars that they may goe to Cesarea and horse men seuentie and two hundreth “ Or Iauelings with dartes at the thirde houre of the night 24 And make readie beasts that they may set Paul thereon and bring him safe to Foelix the gouernour 17 Calling vnto him Paul was not so desirous of life but he would haue made hast to die if the Lord had thought it good so to bee but because he knoweth that he serueth Christ vppon that condition that he may no lesse liue then die to him he doth not neglect to auoid the danger which was reuealed to him And though he be fully persuaded that God is the keeper of his life yet hee doeth not wait vntill God put foorth his hand out of heauen to worke a myracle but doth rather vse the remedy which is offered him nothing douting but that it is appointed by God Thus must all the ministers of Christ deale that being furnished with inuincible constancie so farre as their calling requireth they feare not danger and yet that they cast not away themselues through rashnesse Let them call vpon the name of the Lorde cheerefully euen amidst the pikes and yet let them not contemne those helpes which are offered Otherwise they shall be iniurious to God in that they are not only not moued with his promises but also despice the means which he hath appointed for their deliuerance 19 Taking him by the hand In that the chiefe captaine did shewe himself so courteous to the young man in that he lead him by the hand into a secret place in that he vouchsafed to heare him so gently all this must be attributed to the grace of God who promised to giue his people fauour in the sight of the Egyptians who vseth to mollifie harde hearts to tame fierce spirites and to fashion those vnto al humanitie whom he hath determined to vse as meanes to helpe those that be his A man trained vp in the warres might no lesse haue giuen this young man the repulse whom he knew not then haue despiced Paul his sute Therefore the Lord who hath in his hand the hearts of men did frame the profane man to giue eare vnto him Also it was well that he knewe before how furiously they raged against Paul that hee might the more willingly succour a miserable and forsaken man Those who are in authoritie are taught by this example what a great vertue curtesie is If it had bin an hard matter to come to him he might through ignorance haue deliuered Paul to the Iewes to bee put to death So often times Magistrates doe fall into many and great offences through their owne pride because they will not admit those who woulde giue them good counsell Calling vnto him And here we see the prouidence of God yet more manifestly For though this bee the drift of the chiefe captaine to preuent a publike vprore whereof he should haue giuen an account before the Gouernour yet hee executeth the counsell of God in deliuering Paul For he was to gather souldiars together also the citie must needs be stripped of the garrison and the voyage required some cost Therefore we must so consider the wisedome of the chiefe captaine that our faith lift vp her eyes into heauen and vnderstand that God doth guide the heart of a profane man by a secret instinct and that hee is at length a guide to Paul and the souldiars that hee may come safe to Cesarea The third houre of the night was the end of the first watch Therefore it is all one as if the chiefe captaine did commaunde that the souldiars be in readinesse at the second watch Exod. 3.21 Luke calleth those who carried dartes Lancearios who being more lightly weaponed were placed in the winges when as the souldiars which pertained vnto the legions were more fit for set warre 25 And he wrote a letter after this sort 26 Claudius Lysias to the most mightie Ruler Foelix sendeth greeting 27 This man beeing taken of the Iewes and almost killed of them did I rescue comming vppon them with souldiars after that I knewe that hee was a Romane 28 And beeing desirous to knowe the cause for which they did accuse him I brought him into their councell 29 Whom I perceiued they accused of questions of their lawe hauing in him no crime worthie of death or of bonds 30 And when I was certified of the laying await of the Iewes I sent him streight way vnto thee and gaue commandement to his accusers that they shoulde tell those things before
was destitute of mans helpe Therefore it was a signe of an euill conscience in that seing they were men of great experience exercised in publike affaires and skilfull in matters pertaining to courts they hyre a Rhetorician Eloquence is I confesse the gift of God but in this matter they went about nothing else but to deceiue the iudge therewith And Luke declareth this therefore that wee may know that the Iewes did omit nothing whereby they might oppresse Paule and that they might not onely prooue him giltie but so dash him out of countenance that he might not be able to defend himselfe and so let vs consider that it came to passe by the wonderfull prouidence of God that Paul did so stoutly endure such sore assaultes Wherefore if it so fall out at any time that a godly man being alone be beset with a great number of enimies let him call to minde this historie and let him bee of good courage Psal 27.3 As Dauid doeth likewise exhort vs by his owne example If tentes were pitched about mee I will not feare because thou art with me 2 Seeing wee liue in great peace Tertullus vseth a preface nothing appertinent to the matter because hee commendeth Felix his wisedome and vertues that hee may purchase fauour Therefore it is a filthie and flattering Exordium not that I am of their minde who reprehende Tertullus for speaking the iudge faire and for seeking to winne his fauour For it is not alwayes disagreeing with the right and lawfull forme of pleading to commende the iudge and there may reasons be brought on both sides as they say touching this matter But I mislike nothing but this which is altogither corrupt For the Rhetorician doth insinuate himselfe vnder false praises that hee may darken the matter which is called in question For to what ende doeth he speake of peace and a wel ordered state saue onely that Felix may think that the safetie of Iudea consisteth in condemning Paul and that he may examine the matter no further Moreouer it appeareth by Iosephus how couetously cruelly and voluptuously Felix behaued himselfe in that prouince The vnworthy and tragicall murthering of the highest Priest Ionathas because he set himselfe against his dissolute tyranny was alreadie past and finally almost at the very same time Claudius Caesar was enforced with the complaints of the whole nation to put Festus in his place and to call him to answere for himselfe Therefore we see how shamefullie this oratour did lie And seeing all Pauls aduersaries sing the same song we see that they bee blinded with hatred and malice and that they trecherously betray the state of their countrie neither doe they passe what befall them so Paule may die the death Where Erasmus translateth it Many thinges are well done the olde interpreter seemeth to come nearer vnto Paule his meaning who saieth that catorthomata are wrought which signifieth as much as reformations or dressings Therefore Tertullus commendeth the industrie of Felix because he had cleansed Iudea from many corruptions and he restored many things which would otherwise haue decayed To wit to the ende he may the more greedily seeke to purchase the fauour of the nation which he knew was otherwise offended with him by the death of one man 5 For wee founde this man Tertullus dooth aime at a double marke The first is this that Paul may be deliuered to the Iewes because they be very skilfull in matters which concerne the worship of God and the Lawe of Moses But and if hee denie this hee layeth to his charge a crime worthie of death because hee procured contention among the people They knewe that the Romanes did hate nothing more therefore they vrge that the sorest against Paule This doeth Tertullus amplifie when hee saieth that Paul had moued the Iewes throughout the whole worlde But I wonder why hee addeth that he is the authour or chiefe of the sect of the Nazarites which we know was rather a praise than a dispraise among the Iewes I thinke that they meane not those who according to the olde and lawfull custome of the Lawe did consecrate themselues to God but those troublesome murtherers who did also vaunt and boast that they were zealous men Some thinke that Nazarites are heere put for Christians which may verie well bee But if wee like the former exposition better hee doeth craftilie laye to Paule his charge that hee was one of that secte which the Romaines did hate For where as these zealous men woulde aboue all other haue beene counted for notable obseruers of the Lawe they aduanced a colour of zeale as a banner to stir vp the minds of the common people Neuerthelesse these good men who are so zealous ouer their libertie doe not spare the chiefest maintainers thereof so they may cause Paul to be hated by meanes of them They would haue commended the Nazarites as couragious defenders of the Lawe if it had not bin in this matter but now as if they did infect the whole world they seeke to bring vpon Paul great reproch by saying that he is one of them Moreouer they slaunder Paul impudently for no man did thinke that he was guiltie of that crime Therefore they lay to his charge no lesse wickedly than maliciously a crime which they take vp at their foote and inuent without all colour But such is the carelesse security of hypocrits that they thinke they may do whatsoeuer they will so they colour their doings with zeale 6 Who went about to pollute the Temple It was a light and almost a friuolous accusation to lay this to his charge before the Romane Gouernour who could haue wished that the Temple had bin turned topsituruie But because nothing was more fit for procuring vprores than the polluting of the Temple he doth craftily accuse Paul thereof as if hee should say that it was no thankes to him that Ierusalem was not on an vprore and that hee carried such a firebrande as might haue procured sore hurt if hee had not beene preuented Also he includeth that other thing that because Paul had offended in matters of religion it did belong properly to the Iewes to giue iudgement in that matter And here hee complaineth also of the chiefe captaine Lysias because hee robbed them of their right Therefore his drift is to obtaine at the hands of the Ruler that he wil restore to them that which Lysias had taken from thē This is also not voide of subtiltie in that Tertullus doeth discredite the chiefe captaine because hee dealt more courteously toward Paul than the Priests would he should and glauncingly hee bringeth him in suspition because hee dare not openly accuse him But the question is whether they could hope that the Gouernour would graunt them so much seing the Romane magistrates alone were to sit vppon life and death I answere that hee maketh in this place some semblance of equitie as if they were purposed to handle him more gentlie than hee deserued For though
word Way is no where taken for the doctrine of the Lawe without some addition But I doe not interpret it of the Law but of those sectes whereof no strangers were ignorant No man did doubt but that the Pharisies did hold the immortalitie of the soule Therefore seing it was a thing so common no maruel if Felix doe acquit Paul Furthermore it were hard to take Way for the knowledge of the fact And I see not howe this can hange togither that the Gouernour doth confesse that Lysias was more expert in the Law than he But his innocencie is made more famous euident by this because a profane man did streightway giue such a preiudice thereof that hee did suffer him to be visited and holpen by his friends being as it were exempted from the order of prisoners Also we gather by this that Paul his companions and the residue of the Church had not forsaken him For to what end had it bin to grant libertie to his friends and acquaintance to haue accesse vnto him vnlesse they had bin present had shewed themselues to be carefull for him and had bin desirous to do their dutie Therefore let vs learne by this example that so long as we may and are able we must not defraud the martyrs of Christ of any manner of comfort whiles they labour for the Gospel 25 Felix with his wife Drusilla We said somewhat alreadie concerning the couetousnesse and corruptions of Felix Nowe as touching his wife Drusilla the readers must vnderstand that she was daughter to Agrippa the elder of whose filthie death Luke spake before Chapt. 12. Chap. 12.23 Shee was betrothed to Epiphanis the sonne of Antiochus But for as much as the yonge man woulde not take on him the rites which the Iewes did vse which he promised to doe her brother Agrippa the younger of whom mention shall bee made in the next Chapter after the death of his father gaue her to wife to Azizus king of the Emesenes from whose company she was enticed by the flattery of Felix For Felix being taken with her singular bewtie did perswade one Simon a Iewe-borne in Cyprus to perswade and allure her to make a newe match Therefore it came to passe that this voluptuous woman hauing broken promise with her former husbande did marrie with an vncircumcised man contrarie to the Law But though she had polluted her selfe with prophane wedlock yet we may easily coniect by this place that shee had not quite abandoned that feeling of religion which she had of a childe For Felix would neither haue desired to heare Paul neither woulde he haue vouchsafed to speake to him vnlesse it had beene for his wiues sake Luke doth not expresse thus much but in that he nameth Drusilla we may well gather that Paul was called for her sake that he might dispute of the gospel Though such reuolts be rather tickled with curiosity than moued with a sincere desire to learne He heard him touching the faith This confession of Paul doth witnesse that hee did not spare to speake of Christ before because he was afraid or because hee would escape the trouble of the crosse but because it was not yet time to speake Seeing hee was cited vnto the iudgement seate to aunswere for himselfe it stoode him vppon to aunswere concerning the crimes which were obiected to him that hee might afterward frankly and freely professe the faith of Christ Therefore when he nowe seeth the gate set open and opportunitie offered for speaking he is not affraide to offende the Gouernour neither is hee terrified with daunger that hee doeth craftilie make as if hee were not a Christian Therefore wee see that hee was as well furnished with inuincible constancie as with wisedome and iudgement neither did hee euer of set purpose suppresse the light of the Gospell but did onely make choice of the time Nowe the wonderfull counsell of God is woorth the noting in this place who will haue the Gospell offered sometimes to the reprobate not that they may profite thereby but rather that they may bee made inexcusable It had bin better for Felix and Drusilla neuer to haue heard any thing concerning Christ because they did not escape without punishment for refusing the grace of saluation which was offered to them or for neglecting the same with loathsomnesse Furthermore wee must note this that certaine by reason of that seede of godlinesse which is in them ingendred do desire to heare the Gospel preached which so sone as they haue heard they doe by and by either loath or else they cannot suffer it Neuerthelesse the preaching of the Gospel what successe so euer it haue is a good and sweete sauour to God whether it quicken or kill men 2. Cor. 2.15 26 And as he disputed Felix hoped that he should take some delight in Pauls sermon as men who are desirous of new things doe willinglie feede their eares with subtile disputations also hee meant to satisfie his wiues desire without his owne trouble now he is enforced to feele that force of the worde of God whereof he neuer thought which driueth away all his delightes Paule out of bondes disputeth of the iudgement of God hee which had power to put him to death or to saue his life is afraid and quaiketh as if he stoode before his owne iudge neither doth he finde any other comfort but to send him away out of his sight Let vs first learne by this what great force of the Spirite of God there was both in the heart and also in the tongue of Paul because he seeth that hee must speake in the name of Christ hee doeth not behaue himselfe like an vnderling but hee declareth the ambassage which was inioyned him with a grace as from on high and hauing forgotten that he was in bondes hee denounceth the heauenly iudgement in the person of Christ And nowe seing Felix his heart is so pricked with the voyce of a prisoner the maiestie of the Spirit doeth shew it selfe in that also which Christ extolleth when the Spirite shall come he shall iudge the worlde c. and that force of prophecying 1. Cor. 14.24 which the same Paule setteth forth elsewhere Also that is fulfilled which he saith in another place that The worde of God was not bounde with him which hee did not onely stoutly maintaine and affirme to bee true but which did effectually pearce into the heartes of men and that of such as were proude of their greatnesse as if it did lighten from heauen Againe wee must note that although the reprobate bee striken with the iudgement of God yet are they not renewed vnto repentance by that terrour alone Felix is touched in deed when he heareth that God shall be the iudge of the world yet hee flieth therewithall from his iudgement seat whereof he is afraide so that this is feigned sorrow which doeth not worke saluation Therefore repentance requireth such feare as may both engender a voluntarie hatred of sinne and
may also present a man before God that he may willingly suffer himselfe to bee iudged by his worde And this is a token of true profiting when the sinner seeketh for medicine there from whence hee receiued his wounde Furthermore this place doth teach that men are then examined tried to the quick when their vices wherewith they are infected are brought to light and their consciences are called backe vnto the iudgement to come For when Paule disputeth of righteousnesse and temperance hee did rubbe Felix sore vppon the gall forasmuch as he was both a man giuen to filthie pleasure and also to dissolute riot and giuen ouer vnto iniquitie 27 Hoping that money Though Felix had throughly tried Pauls integritie so that hee was ashamed to take money of the Iewes for condemning him yet forasmuch as hee was a couetous man and a man giuen to corruptions he would not acquite him for nothing for this cause he doeth often call Paule that hee may with faire words put him in some hope of deliuerance For iudges which gape after money doe insinuate themselues thus when as they will make way for corruptions Whence we gather that it was but a vaine and transitorie feare wherewith Felix was taken when hee heard Paul dispute seing hope of gaine doeth compell him to call for him whom he was enforced with feare to send away Howe did Felix hope for some rewarde at the handes of a poore man and one that was destitute for that goulfe would not haue beene content with a small pray I doe not doubt but that as those who haue the Lawe and right to sell are wittie and can perceiue things when hee saw the Iewes did make such earnest suite to haue Paul put to death he smelled somwhat a farre off touching him to wit that hee was none of the common sort but such a man as was in great fauour with manie Wherefore he did not doubt but that many of his friends would willingly bestow cost to redeeme him 28 And when two yeares were expired Seeing Paul knew that the Iudge who did gape for gaine would be fauourable to him so sone as he should offer him money seing he had sufficient time to gather the same it is likely that hee did not onely beare with the Brethren but also detest such briberie wherewith the holinesse of ciuill order is shamefully polluted Nowe whereas gouernours vse to let lose such prisoners as they know are not guiltie when they goe from the prouince Felix tooke the contrarie way to winne fauour The Iewes had often complained of his filthie gaine of his extortion cruelty and vnrulie gouernement Claudius Cesar being wearied with so many complaints did call him out of Iudea To the end the Iewes may not spite him so sore he leaueth Paul bounde So that hee maketh the guiltlesse seruaunt of God as it were an offering for his euill deedes that hee may therewithall appease the Priests CHAP. XXV 1 THen when Festus was come into the prouince after three dayes he went vp to Ierusalem from the Citie of Cesarea 2 And the high Prists and the chiefe Iewes enformed him of Paul besought him 3 Desiring fauour against him that he would sende for him to Ierusalem laying await to kill him by the way 4 But Festus answered that Paul should be kept at Cesarea that he himself would goe thither shortly 5 Therefore let them saith he which are able among you go downe with me and if there be any fault in this man let them accuse him 6 And after that he had staid more than tenne dayes among them he went down to Cesarea and on the morrow he sate downe in the iudgement seat and commanded Paul to be brought 7 Who being come those Iewes which came from Ierusalem stoode about him laying many and great crimes to Paule his charge which they coulde not proue 8 For as much as hee answered that hee had neither offended any thing against the Law of the Iewes neither against the Temple neither against Cesar 1 Then when Festus The seconde action is described in this place wherein Paul hath as hard a cumbate and is in no lesse daunger then in the first Seing he was left in bondes Festus might suspect that the cause was doubtfull and so gather an vniust preiudice But there was another thing which was cause of greater daunger Wee know that newe rulers because they will winne the fauour of those who are in the prouinces vse to grant them many thinges at their first comming so that it was to be thought that the death of Paul should be to Festus a fine meanes to winne fauour withall Therefore the faith of the holy man is assailed afresh with a newe triall as if the promise had beene vaine whereto hee had hitherto trusted but the grace of god doth so much the more plainly shewe it selfe in deliuering him because contrarie to all hope hee is deliuered out of the iawes of death The Iewes preuent the gouernour with their false accusations yet they doe not as yet seeke to haue him punished but they doe onely desire that hee may not bee brought into any forraine court to plead his cause They desire that ambitiously as a great benefite which was to looke to equal How is it then that they do not obtaine saue onely because God doth holde the minde of Festus so that he doth stoutly deny that which he was afterward readie to graunt And as the Lord did then holde his mind bound with the secreat bridle of his prouidence so when hee graunted him freedome of will he bounde his handes that hee could not execute that which hee would Let this confidence support vs in daungers and let it also stirre vs vp to call vppon God and let this make our mindes quiet and calme in that the Lord in stretching forth his hand and breaking such a strong conspiracie did shew an eternal example of his power in defending his 5 Those therefore It is in the Greek worde forwarde Those who are mightie or able yet he meaneth those who can conueniently Also wee may easily coniect that they did obiect the trouble and charges and besought the Gouernour that he would not make weary with a superfluous iourney so many of their chiefe men and also certaine which were verie aged bâ—t would rather which hee might easily doe commaund Paul to be brought by a fewe keepers Therefore least they complaine that he is burdenous vnto them hee vnloadeth them of this necessitie and giueth them leaue to choose out from among themselues such as they will In the meane season he doth sufficiently declare that he doth not beleeue their false reports and he professeth that he will bee an vpright iudge and will do nothing but according to the truth of the matter The next sentence also is diuersly read among the Grecians For some bookes haue the same which is in the olde interpreter But eight or tenne dayes If this reading like vs the
sense shal be that The gouernour came shortly after to Cesarea least the Iewes shoulde be importunate vppon him vnder colour of his long tariance The other reading which is more vsuall among the Grecians shall haue another meaning Though he stayed long inough at Ierusalem to heare the matter yet did hee not harken to their requestes who woulde haue Paule brought thither whence we may gather a probable coniecture that hee alreadie knew of their laying await 7 Manie and greeuous crimes So long as Paule liued vnder the Lawe his integritie was well knowne and famous Againe when hee was conuerted to Christ he was a singular patterne of innocencie Yet wee see howe he is subiect to many slanders cruel false accusations And this is almost alwaies the estate of the seruants of Christ wherfore they must be the more couragious to passe valiantly through euill report and good report neither let them thinke it strange to bee euill reported of where they haue done good In the meane season they must do their indeuour that they may not onely haue a cleare conscience before God but that they may be verie well able to defende themselues before men when they haue time and place For Paul doth not faile in his cause but couragiously setteth the defense of his innocencie against their false crimes Furthermore let vs note that the wicked can neuer bee bridled but they will speake euill of good men and will impudently slaunder them for they resemble the nature of Satan by whose spirite they are led Therefore where as wee be commanded to stoppe the mouth of the wicked it must not be so taken as if hee shall be free from all backbiting whosoeuer shall behaue himselfe vprightly but that our life may aunswere for vs and may wipe away al blots of false infamie So we see the aduersaries of Paul though they had a fauourable iudge yet their slaunders were all in vaine seing he did defende and auouch his innocencie by his deedes And yet it is likely that they wanted not false witnesses neither were they slacke in suborning them but because the Lorde giueth his seruauntes inuincible strength so that the brightnesse of honestie doeth driue away their vaine clouds they are ashamed and at length they depart from the iudgement seat with this infamie that they were false accusars But the defense of Paul doeth shewe what things the Iewes laide principally to his charge The first crime was vngodlinesse against God that he ouerthrew the Lawe and polluted the Temple the other rebellion against Cesar and the Romane Empyre because hee raised tumultes euerie-where Hee was holpen by the singular grace of God to aunswere and refute both who maketh the innocencie of his as bright as the morning 9 And Festus being willing to doe the Iewes a pleasure aunswered Paule and saide wilt thou goe vp to Ierusalem and there bee iudged of these things before me 10 But Paule saide I stande before Caesars iudgement seate where I must bee iudged To the Iewes haue I done no wronge as thou thy selfe knowest full well 11 And if I do iniurie or haue committed any thing worthie of death I refuse not to die but if there be nothing of these thinges whereof they accuse mee no man can deliuer me to them I appeale to Caesar 12 Then spake Festus with the Councell and saide Hast thou appealed to Caesar To Caesar shalt thou goe 9 And Festus Whether Festus knew somwhat of their laying awaite which we may well coniect or whether hee were altogither ignorant thereof he dealeth vniustly with Paul and we see how soone those are drawne vnto all corruption which are not guided by the spirite of God For Festus doeth not openly contemne or hate Paul but ambition and peraduenture also desire of gain got the vpper hand so that for pleasing the other part he doth vniustly bring him in danger of death also it is likely that he was enticed with the smel of som reward to harkē so courteously to the priestes Notwithstanding I maruell that he giueth Paul leaue to choose and doth not rather according to this authoritie commaund them to carry him whether he would or no. Surely wee gather that he was kept backe with feare least he should infringe the priuilege of the citie of Rome which was a very odious crime Notwithstanding he studieth craftilie to persuade Paul not to refuse to be iudged at Ierusalem For he was not ignorant of that which indeed came to passe that a citizen of Rome might lawfully appeale so that he could then goe no farther Neuerthelesse it was no thanke to him that hee was not deliuered into the hands of murtherers 10 I stand at Caesars iudgement seat Because Paul seeth that hee is betraied into the handes of the Iewes through the ambition of the gouernour he obiecteth the priuiledge of the citie of Rome Hee had submitted himselfe modestly if he had cmomaunded him to do that which was iust and equall Nowe because the gouernour doeth not his duetie willingly necessitie compelleth the holy man to defend himself by law and by this meanes the Lorde deliuereth him nowe againe euen when he was almost giuen ouer into the hands of the enemies And wheras he desireth to haue his matter handled before Caesars iudgement seat he doth not therefore make the doctrine of the Gospell subiect to the iudgement of a profane and wicked man but beeing readie to giue an account of his faith euery where he appealeth from that court where he could no longer hope for equitie Furthermore though the Citizens of Rome did retaine their priuiledge yet the order was then altered because the Cesars had taken into their owne handes the iudging of the people as if they would bee good maintainers and patrons of common libertie To the Iewes haue I done Because those whose consciences do accuse them and which mistrust their matter flie vnto certaine odde excuses and exceptions Paul turneth away from himself this opinion And surelie the ministers of Christ ought to haue no lesse care to make their innocencie knowen then to saue their life If Paul had flatly denied to answere for himselfe the enemies would haue triumphed and the doubtfulnesse of an euill conscience should haue been obiected to him to the reproch of the Gospell But now when he citeth the gouernour himselfe to be a witnesse of his integritie and doth refuse no punishment if hee shall be found gyltie he cutteth of all occasion of slaunderous reportes Therefore he sheweth that he doth not seek to saue himselfe by turning his back but flieth vnto the fortresse of a iust defence that he may ther saue himselfe from iniurie seeing his aduersaries haue hitherto handeled him vniustly and now refusing to deale with him any longer by law they goe about to haue him murthered Neither doth Paul go behinde the Presidents back to tell him that he doth vniustly in that he doth so dally with his accusers and therewithal he doth as it were
man being a Romane cared not for Moses lawe therefore hee speaketh so disdainfully when he saith that they did striue about their superstition Though this word deisidaimonia bee taken of the Grecians as well in good as euill part to wit because the choice of worshippings of false gods were common in al places Notwithstanding his meaning is that he careth not what maner religion the Iewes haue And no maruell if a man which was an Ethnick and had not learned that the rule of godlinesse must bee fet from the mouth of God know not how to distinguishe between the pure worship of God and superstitions Wherefore we must hold fast that marke whereby wee may discerne the one from the other that there is no godlines but that which is grouÌ„ded in the knowledge of faith least we grabble in darknesse Moreouer the Romans were so drunkeÌ„ with prosperous successe that they thoght that they were more acceptable to God then any other as at this day the Turks by reason of their manifolde victories deride the doctrine of Christ This was a lamentable case that a man being an vnbeleeuer and idolater sitteth as iudge amidst the Iewes to giue iudgement of the sacred oracles of God according to his ignorance but all the fault was in Paul his aduersaries who did not care for the maiestie of God so they might satisfie and obey their owne madnesse Nothwithstanding there rested nothing for Paul to doe but to cleare himselfe of those crimes which were laide against him So at this day though inwarde brawles which are among Christans doe defame the name of Christe and his Gospell among the Turkes and Iewes yet the defender of holy doctrine are vnworthily blamed which are enforced to enter the combate Of one Iesus It is not to bee doubted but that Paul intreated both grauely and with such vehemencie as became him of the resurrection of Christe But Festus by reason of his pride thought it no meet matter for him to occupie his head about Hee doth not in deed openly deride Paul but he sheweth plainly how negligently he hard him when he disputed of Christ Wherby we see how little preaching auaileth yea that it auaileth nothing at all vnlesse the Spirit of God doe inwardly touch the harts of meÌ„ For the wicked do lightly passe ouer whatsoeuer is spoken as if a man should tell them a tale of Robin Hood Wherfore there is no cause why the carelesnesse of many shoulde trouble vs at this day seeing Paul preuailed nothing with Festus But this place doth witnesse that many speeches did passe in the handeling of the matter whereof Luke maketh no mention For he had spoken nothing as yet of Christe and yet this latter narration doth shewe that Paul intreated seriouslye before the Iewes of his death and resurrection Which coulde not bee but hee must needes intreate of the principall pointes of the Gospel Therefore I gesse that Paul did so handle the matter that when he had refuted the false accusations of the Iewes wherewith they went about to burden him before the gouernour hauing gotten a fit occasion hee began afterward to speake freely of Christ 22 And Agrippa said vnto Festus I would also my self hear the man To morow saith he thou shalt heare him 23 And on the morrow when Agrippa was come and Bernice with great pompe and was entred into the common hall with the chiefe captaines and the principall men of the citie at Festus commaundement Paul was brought 24 And Festus saith king Agrippa and all men which are present with vs yee see this man about whome all the multitude of the Iewes hath called vppon mee both at Ierusalem and heere crying that hee ought not to liue any longer 25 Yet haue I found that he hath committed nothing worthie of death And because hee hath appealed vnto Augustus I haue determined to sende him 26 Of whom I haue no certaine thing to write vnto my Lord. Wherefore I haue brought him foorth vnto you and chiefly vnto thee O king Agrippa that after examination had I may haue somewhat to write 27 For it seemeth to me an vnmeet thing to send a prisoner and not to shew the crimes whereof he is accused 22 I would also By this we may gather that Agrippa did so desire to hear Paul that he was ashamed to make his desire knowen least Festus should thinke that he came for some other end then to salute him And it may be that not only curiositie did moue him to be desirous to heare Paul but because he did hope to profite by hearing him Notwithstanding we may easily gather by this how cold his desire was because hee suffered many dayes to passe before he sheweth any signe of his desire because he was more in loue with earthly commodities which he counted better Neither durst he make any wordes neither did he passe for vttering any speech vntill such time as Festus did of his owne accorde will him so to doe So that the holy minister of Christ is brought foorth as on a stage that a profane man may cheare vppe his guest saue onely that Festus wil be holpen with the aduise of Agrippa and his company that he may let Caesar vnderstand how diligent hee is But the matter was turned to another end by the secrete prouidence of God neither neâ—d we doubt but that such report went abroad as made much for the confirmation of the godly and it may be also that some of the hearers were touched and did conceiue seed of faith which did afterward bring foorth frute in due time But admit none of them did embrace Christe sincerely from his heart this was no small profit that the vnskilfulâ— were appeased after that the malice of the enemies was discouered that they might not be enflamed with such hatred against the gospel impietie was made ashamed and the faithfull did gather newe strength so that they were confirmed more and more in the gospel 23 And on the morrow Agrippa and his sister do not come like humble disciples of Christ but they bring with them such pompe and gorgeousnesse as may stop their eares and blind their eyes and it is to bee thought that like hautinesse of minde was ioyned with that gorgeous great pompe No maruell therefore if they were not brought to obey Christ Notwithstanding it seemeth that Luke maketh mention of the pompe that we might know that in a great assembly and before choise witnesses whose authority was great Paul had leaue graunted not onelie to plead his matter as a partie defendant but also to preach the gospel For he commeth foorth as in the person of a teacher that he may set foorth the name of Christ So that the trueth of God brake out of his bands which was foorthwith spread abroad euery where with a free course yea it came euen vnto vs. By this word phantasia Luke vnderstaÌ„deth that which wee call commonly preparation or pompe But there must other furniture bee
it a litle The old interpreter dealeth more plainely in a little Because translating it word for word he left it to the readers to iudge at their pleasure And surely it may fitly be referred vnto the time as if Agrippa had said Thou wilt make me a Christian streight way or in one moment If any man obiect that Paules answere doth not agree thereto we may quickly answere For seeing the speech was doubtfull Paul doth fitly apply that vnto the thing which was spoken of the time Therefore seing Agrippa did meane that he was almost made a Christian in a small time Paul addeth that he doth desire that as wel he as his companions might rise from small beginnings and profite more and more and yet I doe not mislike that that en oligo doth signifie as much as almost This answere doeth testifie with what zeale to spread abroad the glory of Christ this holy mans breast was enflamed when as hee doeth patiently suffer those bounds wherewith the Gouernour had bound him and doth desire that hee might escape the deadly snares of Satan to haue both him also his partners to be partakers with him of the same grace being in the meane season content with his troublesome and reprochfull condition We must note that he doth not wish it simplie but from God as it is he which draweth vs vnto his son because vnlesse he teach vs inwardly by his Spirit the outward doctrine shall alwayes wax cold Gal. 6.17 Except these bonds It is certaine that Paul his bonds were not so hard no yet did they cause him such sorrowe wherein hee did oftentimes reioyce which he doth mention for honours sake as being the badge of his ambassage but hee hath respect to those to whom hee wisheth faith without trouble or crosse For those who did not as yet beleue in Christ were farre from that affection to be readie to striue for the Gospel And surely it behooueth all the godly to haue this gentlenesse and meekenesse that they patiently beare their owne crosse and that they wish well to others and studie so much as in them lieth to ease them of all trouble and that they doe in no case enuie their quietnesse and myrth This courtesie is farre contrarie to the bitternesse of those who take comfort in wishing that other men were in their miserie 31 They spake togither In that Paul is acquitted by the iudgement of them all it turned to the great renowne of the Gospel And when Festus agreeth to the rest he condemneth himselfe seing he had brought Paul into such straites through his vniust dealing by bringing him in daunger of his life vnder colour of chaunging the place And though it seemeth that the appeale did hinder the holy man yet because this was the onely way to escape death he is content and doth not seeke to get out of that snare not onely because the matter was not euen nowe safe and sound Sup. 23.11 but because hee was admonished in the vision that hee was also called by God to Rome CHAP. XXVII 1 ANd after that it was decreed that we should saile into Italie they deliuered both Paul and also certaine other prisoners to a Centurion named Iulius of the bande of Augustus 2 And we entred into a ship of Adramythium purposing to saile by the coastes of Asia and we launched forth hauing Aristarchus of Macedonia a Thessalonian with vs. 3 And the next day we arriued at Sidon Iulius did courteously intreat Paul and suffered him to go to his friends that they might refresh him 4 And when we were gon thence we sailed hard by Cyprus because the windes were contrarie 5 And when we had sailed on the sea which is ouer against Cilicia and Pamphilia we came to Myra a Citie of Lycia 6 And when the Centurion had found there a ship of Alexandria sailing into Italie he put vs in it 7 And when we had sailed slowly manie dayes and were scarce come ouer against Cnidus because the wind did let vs we sailed hard by Creta beside Salmone 8 And with much adoe we sailed beyond it and came to a certaine place which is called the faire Hauens neere vnto which was the Citie of Lasea 1 Luke setteth downe Pauls voyage by sea most of all to this ende that wee may knowe that hee was brought to Rome wonderfully by the hand of God and that the glory of God did manie waies appeâ—re excellent in his doings and sayings euen in the very iourney which did more establish his Apostleship He is deliuered to be carried with other prisoners but the Lorde doth afterward put great difference betweene him and the euill doers who were in bonds as well as he Yea moreouer we shall see how the captaine doth lose him and let him be at libertie when the rest lie bound I know not what bande that was which Luke calleth the band of Augustus vnlesse peraduenture it be that which was commonly called the Pretors bande before the monarchie of the Cesars And Luke setteth downe in plaine words that they were put in a ship of Adramittium because they shoulde saile by the coast of Asia For Adramittium is a Cittie of Eolia I cannot tell out of what hauen they launched because they could not saile with a straight course to Sidon vnlesse the Mappes doe greatly deceiue mee Wee may well gesse that they were brought thither either because they coulde finde a shippe no where else or else because they were to take the other prisoners of whom mention is made out of that region And there continued with vs. Luke seemeth so to commende one mans constancie that he nippeth the rest For there were moe which did accompanie him to Ierusalem whereof we see two onely which remained with him But because it may be that the rest were letted with some iust causes or that Paule refused to haue them to minister vnto him I will say nothing either way Neither is it an vnmeete thing to say that Luke had some especiall reason for which he doth commend this man aboue the rest albeit he was but one of many Surely it is likely that hee was a rich man seing he was able to beare the charges whereat he was by the space of three yeares hauing left his house Sup. 17 1â— Sup. 20.4 For wee heard before that many of the chiefe families in Thessalonica did receiue Christ Luke saith for honours sake that Aristarchus and Secundus came with Paule into Asia Therefore let it suffice vs to hold that which is certaine and good to be knowne that there is set before vs an example of holy patience because Aristarchus is not wearied with any trouble but doth willingly take part with Paul in his trouble and after that he had beene in prison with him two yeares hee doth now crosse the seas that hee may likewise minister to him at Rome not without the reprochings of many besides the losse of his goods at home
them euen as an Angel of God hee had giuen them wholsome counsell hee had refreshed them in the same day when they were past hope and nowe they sticke not to seeke to destroy him by whom they were so often and so many wayes deliuered Wherefore if it so fall out that we bee ill rewarded for our good deeds there is no cause why the vnthankfulnesse of men shoulde trouble vs which is a disease too common But they are not onely vnthankfull to Paule who was the minister of their life but also their filthie misbeliefe and forgetfulnesse of the goodnesse of God doth bewray it selfe They had of late receiued that oracle that their soules were giuen to Paul and now seeing they will be saued after he is dead what other thing goe they about but to resist God that they may saue themselues from death contrarie to his will Therefore they haue nowe forgotten that grace whereof they tasted against their will in extreme dispaire neither doth it tast any longer after that they see the hauen nigh at hand But it behooueth vs to consider the wonderfull counsell of God as well in sauing Paul as in fulfilling his promise when as he bringeth those men to land who did what they could to make his promise of none effect Thus doth his goodnesse oftentimes striue with the wickednesse of men Yet hee doeth so pittie the wicked that deferring their punishment vntill so fit opportunitie he doth not quite discharge them yea the longer he tarrieth the more grieuously he punisheth so by that meanes he maketh amends for his long tarrying CHAP. XXVIII 1 AND when they were escaped they knewe that the I le was called Melite 2 And the Barbarians shewed vs no little kindnesse for they kindled a fire and receiued vs all because of the present showre and because of the cold 3 And when Paul had gathered a bundle of stickes and had laide them on the fire a vyper came out of the heat and lept on his hand 4 Nowe when the Barbarians saw the beast hang vpon his hande they saide among themselues This man surely is a murtherer whom though he hath escaped the sea vengeance doth not suffer to liue 5 But he shooke off the vyper into the fire and suffered no harme 6 But they thought that it would come to passe that he would swell and fal down dead sodainly And as they waited long and saw no harme come to him chaunging their mind they said he was a God 1 That dolefull spectacle is described in the beginning of the Chapter when so many men being wet and also all berayed with the some filth of the sea and stiffe with colde did with much adoe crawle to the shore for that was all one as if they had beene cast vp by the sea to die some other death After that Luke declareth that they were courteously intertained of the Barbarians that they kindled a fire that they might drie their cloathes and refresh their ioynts which were stiffe with colde and at length that they were saued from the showre Therefore in that Paul commendeth these dueties he sheweth his thankfulnesse and so great liberalitie toward strangers is for good causes aduaunced whereof there be rare examples in the world And though common nature doth wring out of the barbarous Gentiles some affection of mercy in so great necessitie yet vndoubtedly it was God which caused the mē of Melita to handle these men so courteously that his promise might be sure and certaine which might seeme vnperfect if the shipwracke had caused the losse of any mans life A Viper comming out of the heat The very euent did proue that Paule was a true and vndoubted prophet of God Nowe that God may make him famous as well by land as by sea hee sealeth the former myracles with a newe myracle and so hee ratifieth his Apostleshippe among the men of Melita And though there were not many which did profite thereby yet the maiestie of the Gospell did shine euen among the vnbeleeuers also this did greatly confirme the Oracles to the mariners which they had not sufficiently reuerenced Neither did the viper come out of the stickes by chance but the Lorde did direct her by his secreat counsell to bite Paul because he saw it would turne to the glorie of his Gospel 4 So soone as the Barbarians saw This iudgement was common in all ages that Those who were grieuously punished had grieuously offended Neither was this perswasion conceiued of nothing but it came rather from a true feeling of godlinesse For God to the ende hee might make the world without excuse would haue this deepely rooted in the minds of all men that calamitie and aduersitie and chiefely notable destruction were testimonies and signes of his wrath and iust vengeance against sinnes Therefore so often as wee call to minde any notable calamitie wee doe also remember that God is soare offended seeing hee punisheth so sharpely Neither did vngodlinesse euer get the vpper hande so farre but that all men did still retaine this principle that God to the end hee may showe himselfe to be the iudge of the worlde doeth notably punish the wicked But heere crept in an errour almost alwaies because they condemned all those of wickednesse whom they saw roughly handeled Though God doeth alwayes punishe mens sinnes with aduersitie yet doth he not punish euery man according to his desertes in this life and sometimes the punishmentes of the godlie are not so much punishments as tryals of their faith and exercises of godlinesse Therfore those men are deceiued who make this a generall rule to iudge euery man according to his prosperitie or aduersitie This was the state of the controuersie between Iob and his friends Iab 4.7 they did affirme that that man was a reprobate and hated of God whome God did punish and he did alleage on the other side that the godly are sometimes humbled with the crosse Wherefore least we be deceiued in this point we must beware of two things The former is that wee giue not rash blind iudgement of things vnknown according to the euenr alone for because God doth punish the good aswell as the bad yea it falleth out oftētimes that he spareth the reprobate doth sharplie punish those who are his if we wil iudge aright we must begin at another thing then at punishmēts to wit that we enquire after the life deeds if any adulterer if any blasphemous person if any periured man or murtherer if any filthie person if any cosiner if any blooddie beast be punished God doth point out his iudgement as it were with his finger If we see no wickednes nothing is better then to suspend our iudgement cōcerning punishment The other caution is that we wait for the end For so soone as God beginneth to strike we doe not by and by see his drifte and purpose but the vnlike end doth at length declare that those differ farre before God who seeme in
wer growen out of kinde religion was depraued and corrupted among them with many errours yet the very name of the lawe and the worship of the temple were greatly reuerenced Furthermore Paul denieth not but that he did freely omit those ceremonies whereto the Iewes were superstitiously tied yet he cleereth himselfe of the crime of reuolting whereof he might be suspected Therefore vnderstande those ordinances of the fathers whereby the children of Abraham and the disciples of Moses ought according to their faith to haue beene distinguished from the rest of the Gentiles And surely in that he did cleeue so holily to Christe who is the soule and perfection of the lawe hee is so farre from impairing the ordinances of the fathers that none did better obserue the same 19 I was enforced to appeale This appeale was full of hatred and enuie for this cause because the authoritie and libertie of the Iewish nation did seeme to be sore opprest who coulde haue been content to haue liued with their owne lawes Secondly because his defence was ioyned with infamie losse of all the people Therfore he answereth this obiectioÌ„ also because he was enforced with the stubbornnes of his enemies to flie to this fortresse For he is excused by necessitie because hee had no other way to escape death And after that hee had excused that which was done alreadie he promiseth that he wil so handle his matter hereafter that he will not labour against the Iewes 20 For the hope of Israel Wee must vnderstande much more vnder these wordes then Luke expresseth as we gather out of the answer where the Iewes speak of the sect to wit repeating his speeche which Luke omitteth Therfore Paul entreated of Christ that it migh plainlie appeare that neither the lawe nor the temple did profite the Iewes anye thing without him because the couenaunt of adoption is grounded in him and the promise of saluation is in him confirmed Neither did they doubt but that the restoring of the kingdome did depend vpon the comming of the Messias and euen at that time their miserie and decay did increase the hope and desire of him Wherefore Paul saieth for good causes that he is bounde for the hope of Israel Whereby we be also taught that no man doth hope aright but hee which looketh vnto Christ and his spirituall kingdome for when he placeth the hope of the godly in Christ he excludeth all other hopes 21 But they said vnto him wee neither receiued letters from Iudea touching thee neither did any of the brethren come and shewe vs or speake any euill of thee 22 But we will heare of thee what thou thinkest for as concerning that sect we know that it is spoken against euery where 23 And when they had appointed him a day many came to him to his lodging to whom he expounded and testified the kingdome of God and persuaded them of Iesus out of the lawe of Moses and out of the prophetes from morning till night 24 And certaine beleeued those things which were spoken but certaine beleeued not 21 Neither by letters The Priestes and Scribes did not hold their peace because they were become more gentle towarde Paule or to the end they might spare him that proceeded rather of coÌ„tempt or els of despaire because they neither knew how to oppresse him when he was so farre from them and his carrying into Italie was to them in steede of a graue For they did lord it no lesse carelesly then proudly so that no body did trouble them at home Furthermore though the Iewes come not altogether rightly prepared to heare yet they shewe some desire to learne when as they doe not refuse to heare the defence of his doctrin which is spoken against euery where For many doe stop the way before themselues with this preiudice because they cannot abide to hear that which is refused by common iudgement but subscribe to the opinion of other men to the condemning of doctrine which they know not Neuerthelesse this is not without fault as I said that they obect gain-saying to cause hatred or to procure euill suspition as if it had not beene said before by Isaias that god should be a stone of offence to al the people It is vncertaine whether vpon the day appointed Paule disputed all the day or they reasoned one with another saue only because we may gesse by the circumstance of time that Paul did not continue speaking still For he could scarse haue framed a speech which could haue continued from morning to night Wherefore I doe not doubt but that after the Apostle had briefly expounded the summe of the gospel he graunted libertie to the hearers to propound questions did make answere to the questions which wer obiected to him But we must note the state of the disputatioÌ„ which Luke saith is double For Paul taught first after what sort the kingdome of God was amoÌ„gst them and principally what manner chiefe felicitie and glory that was which was promised to theÌ„ which the prophets doe so highly extoll For seeing that many of them did dreame of a fraile estate of the kingdome of God in the world did place the same falsly in idlenesse pleasure and in plentie of present good things it was necessary that it should be rightly defined that they might know that the kingdome of God is spirituall whose beginning is newnesse of life and the end thereof blessed immortalitie and the heauenly glory Secondy Paule exhorted them to receiue Christe the authour of the promised felicitie And againe this second point had two members for it could not be handled profitably and soundly vnlesse he did expound the office of the promised redeemer secondly vnlesse he did shewe that he is alreadie giuen and that the sonne of Mary is he in whom the Father 's hoped It was in deed a common maxime among the Iewes that the Messias should come and restore all things into perfect order But Paul laboured another point which was not so well knowen that the Messias was promised who should with the sacrifice of his death make satisfaction for the sinnes of the world who should reconcile GOD to men who should purchase eternal righteousnes who should fashion meÌ„ after the image of God being regenerate with his spirit who should finally make his faithful seruants heires with him of eternally life And that all those thinges were fulfilled in the person of Iesus Christe crucified He could not entreat of those things but he must needes call backe the Iewes from their grosse and earthly inuentions into heauen and also take away the stumbling blocke of the crosse seeing he taught that there was no other way or meanes whereby we are reconciled with God And let vs note that as Luke doth testifie Paul tooke all that which he spake of Christe out of the law and prophets For true religion differeth from all feigned religâ—ons because the worde of God alone is the rule thereof Also the church of
yeeres of age 1. 1. 2. 1. How daungerous the deniall of Christ is 3. 17. and 5. 40. and 26. 10. Christ his comming is comfortable to the godly but fearefull to the wicked 14. 23. The afflictions of the church are common to Christ 9. 5. Christs assention is one of the principall poyntes of the christian fayth 1. 9. Howe great the authority of Christ is 3. 23. Christes body is not infinite 1. 11. How Christs body is in heauen 1. 11. and 7. 56. All the sayinges of Christ are not sette downe in writing 20. 35. How great the dignity of Christ is 10. 38. and 17. 31. Howe necessarye the knowledge of christ his doctrine is 1. 1. The summe of christ his doctrine 1. 3. Christs glorie is wonderful 8. 33. What great account we ought to make of the glory of christ 11. 25. and 26. 10. Christ his grace reacheth vnto all degrees 17. 11 Christ his grace must not bee separated from his presence 26. 19 How we must handle the contemners of the grace of christ 13. 40. How gently christ dealeth with those that be his 10. 41. Christ his innocency 13. 28. How great the maiesty of christ is 2. 34. and 9. 3. and 13. 25. To what ende christ his miracles did tend 10. 38. Christ his death was slanderous 5. 30. Christ his death was foretold 8. 32. Christs death is liuely 8. 32. Christ his death was voluntarie 8. 37. To beare the name of christ 9. 15 Christ his office 1. 1. 5. and 2. 33. and 3. 25. and 10. 43. and 13. 38. and 17 3. and 26. 22. Christ his kingdom was in times past shadowed by figures 21. 7. Christ his kingdom is eternal 2. 35. 8. 33. and 13. 34. Christ his kingdom is spiritual 17. 7 Christ his kingdome is neuer quiet in the world 4. 25. The nature of christ his kingdom 1. 6. The ornaments of christ his kingdom 21. 9. The perfection of christ his kingdom is deferred til the last day 3. 21. Christ his resurrection is true 13. 30. 33. Christ his resurrection is a principall point of the gospel 1. 21. Christ his resurrection is as it were the accomplishing of the gospel 4. 33. The knowledge of christ his resurrection is very necessary 1. 3. The vse of christs resurrection 13. 34. The voluntary sacrifice of Christ 8. 32 Christs triumph in death 8. 33. Christ his victory gotten of his aduersaries 8. 33. Christes life lasteth euer Ibid. The force of the voyce of Christ 9. 40. The difference betweene Christ his Apostles 3. 13. The comparing of Christe and Iohn baptist together 1. 5. The difference betweene Christ the pastors or ministers of the word 1. 5. and 7. 36. and 11. 16. All things are subiect to Christ 7. 59. and 9. 5. Christianitie cannot be without doctrine 9. 36. The true rule of christianity 1. 1. The summe of christianity 1. 3. and 2. 38. and 8. 32. Christians were somtimes called disciples 9. 36. 14. 23. 18. 22. 21 4. Who be true christiās 14. 23. 15. 22. How farre forth Christians ought to flee persecution 11. 20. Chrysostomes place 8. 33. 36. 18. 3 Ciceroes place 9. 25. and 17. 21. In what sence Circumcision is called the eternal couenant 15. 9. There hath alwaies been a Church in the world 23. 6. How hurtfull domesticall aduersaries are 15. 1. 20 30. How the restoring of the Churche ought to be accomplished 1. 17. The maiesty of the Church 5. 15. The warfare of the Church is not yet come 3. 21. Foure markes of the Church 1. 42. The peace of the Church is of no long continuance 12. 1. The perpetuity of the church is auouched in the person of Christ 8. 33. The persecutors of the Church shal be sore punished 1. 20. 9. 5. Why the Church did erre so long 14. 16. The Churche may erre in the election of Min. 6. 5. The Church hath alwayes something which may be reformed 6. 1. The Church is assaulted on euery side for diuers causes 12. 3. How hard and laborious the edifying of the Church is 18. 11. The condition of the Church is stable in the manifestation of Christ 2. 17. The state of the Church 7. 30. Looke the state of the faithful The true and right ordering of the Church 15. 16. The perpetuall gouernement of the church belongeth to Christ 10. 42. The church is the body of Christ 1. 18. The Churche is the house of God 9. 31. The Churche is compared to a buylding 4. 11. The Church is the temple of God 9. 31. The domestical Church 10. 2. The church gathered of the Iewes and Gentiles 15. 16. The church was for the most part gathered of the cōmon sort of mē 9. 43 How precious the Church is to God 20. 28. The church ought not to bee wythout discipline 3. 1. The church cannot be without an ordinary ministery 14. 23. How the church increased 1. 15. 2. 41. 4. 32. 5. 14. and 6. 1. 7. and 9 32. and 11. 19. and 13. 49. and 16. 5. 16. and 17. 12. and 19. 1. 20. The state of the Churche among the Iewes in the time of the Apostles 2. 7. The horrible dissipation of the church of Ierusalem in the time of Paul 23. 2. Principal Churches serue not a litle to keep other churches in order 15. 36 How farre we must imitate the example of Churches 15. 1. How profitable and necessary the vnity of Churches is 8. 14. Circumcision was to the Iewes a tokē and pledge of free adoption 7. 8. Whence some gather that the Iewes ought at this day to obserue circumcision with the appurtenances therof 15. 21. and 16. 3. Cōmon for that which is profane 10. 14 The cōplaint of Gregory Nazianzene of the successe of councels 15. 2. Brotherly concord is commended 1. 14 and 4. 32. Auricular confession of the papistes 19. 19. The conscience hath two parts 24. 16. Security of Conscience is very necessary 10. 20. An euill conscience driueth men vnto madnesse 7. 26. Examples of an euill conscience 5. 2. and 6. 12. Consent of the wicked in oppressing the gospel of Christ 23. 6. The Consolation of the faithfull 3. 20. and 4. 18. and 5. 17. 41. 7. 55. 59. and 8. 2. 9. 5. 37. and 12. 3. 23 and 14. 21. and 22. 7. Conspiracie to put Paul to death 23. 12. Contention is to be auoyded 23. 9. 10 Corinthus a sumptuous and populous citie 18. 1. How long Paul preached the gospel at Corinthus 18 11. Cornelius the Centurion 10. 1. 2. Cornelius was brought vnto the faith of Christ after an heauenly maner 10. 3. Cornelius was one of the faithfull before Peter was sent vnto him 10. 4. Wherin Cornelius offended in giuing honor to Peter 10. 25. Cornelius his willing obedience 10. 7. Couetousnes is condemned 5. 1. 10 2. and 19. 24. and 20. 33. How great the authority of Councels is 15. 2. 28. The decree
of the Counsel of Laodicia touching the Election of Pastours 14. 23. A liuely patterne of a lawful Councel 15. 12. How vnhappily doubtful Counsels fal out 5. 4. What a vertue Curtesie is 23. 19. Too much credulity is to be fled 21. 17. Peter healeth the Creeple 3. 7. Crispus the ruler of the Synagogue was conuerted to the faith 18. 7. Curiosity ingrafted in men 1. 7. Curiosity springeth from idlenes and distrust 1. 8. Curiosity of the Apostles 1. 7. Curiosity ought to be auoided 1 7. 20. 10. 41. 17. 21. 30. and 19. 19. D How the Daies were diuided by the men of old into certain houres 2. 14. 3. 1. and 10. 3. and 12. 14. The great Day of the Lord comprehēdeth the whole kingdom of Christ 2. 18. To whom the Day of the Lord is ioyful and to be wished for 3. 20. Dauid a figure of Christ 1. 18 and 4. 11. 25. 13. 22. 33. The temporall and fraile kingdome of Dauid 2. 35. Why the Day of iudgement is called the time of refreshing 3. 20. The Day of the Saboattis for the Sabaoth 19. 12. The Deaconshippe subiect to sinister murmurings 6. 3. To what ende the Deacons were ordayned 6. 1. 3. How Deacons ought to be chosē 6. 3. Deacons are subiect to the Elders 11. 30. What manner Deacons were in Popery 6. 2. Feare of Death falleth euen vpon the Saints 9. 13. How farre foorth we must bewaile the Dead 8. 2. Why they did in times past washe the bodies of the Dead 9. 37. Decrees of the Apostles 16. 4. Demas a trecherous reuolt 8. 13. Demetrius the Authour of sedition against Paul 19. 23. Demosthenes his place 12. 20. Deniall of Christ howe daungerous 36. 10. Deniall of our selues is commanded 7. 3. and 14. 16. and 20. 28. Deniall of our selues followeth true faith 8. 18. Whence the deniall of the prouidence and of the free election of God doeth come 20. 26. The deuotion or vowe of those who had conspired to kill Paul 23. 12. Dexterity is the gift of God 7. 10. The inuention of the image of Diana 10. 35. Dionysius Areopagita 17. 34. The disciples for the faithful 6. 2. The office of the disciples 21. 3. Discipline is necessary in the churche 3. 1. Discord must be fled 15. 2. How hurtfull inwarde dscord is to the church 15. 1. Discord betweene Paul and Barnabas 15. 37. Discorde ariseth for the most parte of ambition 23. 9. The true way of disputation 17. 2. Howe the Diuell is the father of lyes 16. 16. The diuels are enforced to yeeld to the maiesty of the gospel 8. 7. The popish diuinity is an horrible Labyrinth 16. 31. The popysh dyuines were ouerthrowen with the onely voyce of the Martyrs 6. 9. Doctrine is as it were the soule of the church 2. 42. Doctrine without zeale is vnprofitable 18. 25. How the Iewes did handle doctrine in Paules time 13. 15. The doctryne of the Gospel is no new doctryne 3. 21. The authority immortality of foūd doctrine 7. 38. The sum of the doctrine of the apostles 8. 25. The sorowes of death 2. 24. Donatists were heretikes 10. 15. Dorcas which was also called Tabita 9. 36. The difference betweene Dreames visions 18. 9. What a filthy vice Drūkennes is 2. 14 Drusilla the wyfe of Felix and daughter of Agrippa the elder 24. 25. The men of the East are enclyned to lust 15. 19. E Ecclesiasticall assemblyes are profitable 3. 1. and 5. 12. VVhat a hard matter the Edyfiyng of the church is 18. 11. VVherein the edifying of the churche consisteth 20. 21. We must study to edifie 10. 24. 11. 24. 25. and 13. 15. and 15. 28. 16. 5. 20. 20 The Egyptians woorshipped an Oxe 7. 41. VVhat Elders there were in the Apostles tyme. 11. 30. and 20. 16. A vessel of Election put for an excellent minister 9. 15. Election is the cause of al good things 13. 17. Election goeth before faith 13. 48. There was a double Election of the children of Abraham 13. 33. Whence the denyall of free Election commeth 20. 26. The Elect alone do truely beleeue 13. 48. 16. 14. and 28. 25. 26. The difference between the Elect and the reprobate the faithfull and the vnfaithful the godly and the vngodly 3. 20. and 5. 11. and 9. 5. 6. 29. 12. 13. and 14. 22. and 17. 32. and 16. 16. 30. 33. Eloquence is the gyft of God 24. 1. VVee must not despise all Eloquence 18. 24. How farre Eloquence doth profite the Gospel Ibid. The Encratite heretikes 10. 15. Eneas his faith 9. 34. Ennius his place 9. 37. Enuy is condemned 11. 23. 24. The bookes which were openly burnt at Ephesus 19. 19. Epicures make semblaunce of faith 8. 15. Epicures dotings 17. 18. The difference betweene the Epicures and Sadduces 23. 8. The Errour of those which hold that the baptisme of Iohn and the baptisme of Christ were diuers 1. 5. The errour of the Iewes touching the kingdom of the Messias 1. 8. Stubbornnesse accompanieth Errour 11. 2. Errours once conceyued are not easily plucked out of mens mynds 10. 45. The old Errors are retayned in Popery the names alone being changed 28. 11. The sect of the Essenes 26. 4. The Euangelistes were in the middest between the Apostles and Doctors 21. 8. Ennica the mother of Timothie 16. 3. How the Eunuches faith was perfect 8. 37. The notable modesty of the Eunuches 8. 31. Eusebius his place 12. 17. and 15. 13. Eutiches an heretike 30. 28. Eutichus was raised from death when Paul praied 20. 10. An Example of dying godlily and holily in the death of Stephen 7. 59. Exhortations are very necessary 11. 23. 14. 20. and 19. 8. The popish Exorcists 19. 13. F True Faith 10. 43. and 11. 21. 16. 31. 33. Faith put for the woorde of God and the profession of Christianity 6. 7. Faith is the gift of God 15. 9. 16. 14. Faith commeth by hearing 8. 6. and 10. 5. and 14. 9. 17. Faith is the soule of the Church 23. 6. Faith is the sole foundation of godlynesse 24. 14. 25. 19. True faith doth wholly addict vs to God 10. 33. Faith is grounded in the woorde of God 13. 9. Faith alone doth iustifie 13. 39. Faith leaneth to the resurrection of Christ 1. 3. Faith dependeth vpon the election of God 13. 48. How faith doth purifie the heart 15. 9. Faith must not bee separate from the knowledge of Christ 10. 4. The Faith of the men of Antioche 11. 17. The intangled Faith of the Papistes 16. 31. The certainty of Faith 1. 4. The confirmation of faith is necessary 8. 25. and 17. 11. The externall confession of Faith is necessary 8. 36. The fruite of faith 8. 39. The foundation of the true Faith 24. 14. The encrease of Faith 8. 37. and 10. 48. The righteousnes of Faith 13. 38 The nature of Faith 27. 25. The obedience of Faith 10. 20. The office of Faith 15. 9.
and 14. 11. and 5. 1. 37. 16. 10. 16. and 19. 16. and 21. 17. and 23. 6. 27. 23. Satans wickednes 17. 13. Satans iuglings differ from the myracles of God ◠2◠Howe greate the power of Satan is in pricking forward the aduersaries of the worde 8. 1. 6. 11. and 7. 54. and 8. 11. and 9. 23. and 12. 19. 13. 45. and 16. 22. and 17. 7. 13. and 18. 9. and 19. 16. 23. 29. and 21. 31. and 23. 2. 12. and 25. 5. Satan is slaine with the sworde of the word 9. 22. Satan cannot do hurt when he wil. 4. 4 Satan is subiect to Gods prouidence 13. 27. How vaine Popish Satisfactions be 10. 43. Saul looke Paul Ibid. Howe greate authority the Scripture hath 1. 16. and 24. 14. How profitable the reading of the scripture is 8. 28. 34. and 13. 27. and 17. 11. The diuision of the Scripture 24. 14. The commodity of the Scripture is manifolde 22. and 14. 20. and 17. 2. 18. 28. and 20. 20. and 27. 23. There was not alwaies an order kept in the Scriptures 7. 2. The scripture speaketh of God after the maner of men 10. 10. 4. The Scripture vseth to speake of the Sacramēts two maner of waies 11. 16 How the Scripture ought to be read 8. 28. Thre sects among the Iewes principally 23. 6. The beginning of Sects in popery came from the profaning of the worde of God 23. 6. Sedition ought to be fled 5. 21. We must beware of Seducers 15. 24. It is mans duty to Seeke God 17. 27. A man cannot long make Semblaunce of vertue 20. 19. Sergius his wisedome 13. 6. Seruetus his error touching the Godhead of Christ 20. 28. Seruetus his error about the estate of the fathers of the old testament 15. 11. Seuerity must be auoyded in externall rites 8. 38. What the shaking off of the dust from the feet doth signifie 13. 51 Signes must not bee separate from the word of God 7. 8. External Signes in prayer 20. 36. The profit efficacie of signes or miracles 8. 17. Silas and Iudas were the Ambassadors of the Apostles vnto the Gentiles 15. 22. Simō the Tanner was Peters host 9. 43. Whether Simon Magus did truely repent after that hee was chidden of Peter 8. 24. Simon was a sacrilegious person 8. 21. Simon Magus his ambition 8. 18 The faith of Simon Magus 8. 13. The hypocrisie of Simon Magus 8. 18. What the Papists cal Simonie 8. 21. The impietie of Simon Magus 8. 20. Simplicitie of heart what 2. 46. How we must awake Sinners 3. 20. 17. 31. Sinne cannot be the worke of God 2. 23. Voluntary sin doth not alwayes bring dispayre 3. 17. The confession of sinne is necessary 19. 19. Remission of sinnes is a part of the gospel 5. 31. Remission of Sinnes must alwaies bee preached 23. 8. Remission of sinnes is grounded in Christ 2. 38. and 10. 43. There is no forgiuenes of sinnes without the Church 2. 47. Remission of sinnes followeth repentance 3. 19. What this doeth signifie to sitte at the right hand of God 2. 34. How great mens slacknes is 10. 17. We must shake off slothe 1. 14. and 2. 18. 3. 20. and 8. 26. 36. and 9. 15. 31. and 10. 2. 7. 17. and 12. 5. 13. 38. and 14. 22. and 16. 5. and 17. 11. 16. 30. 31. 20. 28. 29. 36. 27. 30. We must vse sobriety 10. 30. Sobriety of mynde is commended 1. 7. 17. 30. Solitarines is a greate helpe to prayer 10. 10. Souldiers may also serue God 10. 7. Solomons porch 3. 11. Sosthenes Paul his companion 18. 17. Soule taken for the life 2. 27. Soule for the will 4. 32. Soule of man is an essential spirite 7. 59. Soules liue after death 7. 32. 50 60. 23. 8. The soules of the faithfull when they depart the body are foorthwith receiued of Christ 7. 59. Speech for thing 10. 36. The spirit put for the gifts of the spirit 5. 32. 6. 5. 8. 16. 19. 2. The spirit is the guide and gouernor of the faithful 20. 22. The spirit of discretion is necessary for the godly 17. 11. The spirite of wisedome and strength is necessary for the godly 4. 8. The erring spirit of brainsick men 10. 44. The giftes of the spirit are giuen euen to those which are vnwoorthy 8. 21. The grace of the spirite is not tyed to the signes 10. 47 There can no more excellent thing bee giuen to men then the grace of the spirit 2. 17. Who those be which resist the spirit 7. 51. The gifts of the spirite are giuen euen to those who are vnworthy 8. 21. The vse of the gifts of God commeth of God himselfe 10. 4. Stephen was accused of blasphemy against God and Moses 6. 14. How Stephen was ful of the spirite faith 6. 5. 8. Stephen was stoned to death violently and tumultuously 7. 58. Stephen his courage 6. 15. and 7. 56. Stephens loue 7. 59. 60. The wōderful cōstancy of Stephē 7. 60. Stephen his faith 7. 59. Stephen his modesty 7. 2. The dotings of the Stoikes 17. 18. Stubbornes is a cōpanion of error 11. 2 Suetonius his place 11. 28. Howe the Sun was turned into darknes 2. 18. Superstitiō is cōtrary to her self 17. 24 Superstition is bloudy 9. 29. Superstition is alwaies blynde 17. 22. Whence Superstition came 39. 7. 3. 4. 14. 11. and 28. 6. Superstitious men are very liberal 14. 13. How farre we must obey our Superiors 4. 19. 5. 29. Whence the Synagogue of the Libertines had his name 6. 9. The Synagogue of the Ephesians doth intertaine Paul curteously 19. 9. Synagogues in diuers places of Ierusalem 24. 12. Why holy Synodes were gathered together from the beginning 15. 2. The forme and order of gathering a Synode 15. 6. T The Tabernacle of Dauid restored by Christ 1. 6. and 15. VVhy Tabitha was raysed from the dead 9. 39. The cōmendation of Tabitha 9. 36. Tatianes heretikes 10. 15. The true way of Teaching 2. 38. and 3. 29. 10. 43. 20. 26. and 26. 22. 25. Aptnesse to bee taught is the gifte of God 9. 5. and 10. 10. 16. ◠14. Aptnesse to be Taught is very necessary 2. 37. 8. 6. 31 17. 17. VVhat manne◠Teachers the Papistes haue 20. 20. A great Tēpest arose as Paul did saile 27. 18. The captaine of the Temple 5. 21 VVho it was that was captaine of the Temple 4. 1. 5. 34. Terron sent of God 4. 5. 5. 24. Tertullians opinion touching flying in persecution 8. 1◠Tertullus a lying Rhetorician 24. 2. The difference betweene the new and olde Testament 2. 17. and 28. 23. VVhere the citie Thiatira was situate 16. 14. Theudas 5. 36. Why Paul did circumcise Timotheus 16. 3. Why Titus was not circumcised 16. 3 What great account we must make of the Trueth 15. 37. The firmenesse and certainety of the Trueth 13. 27. What
owne destruction he doth also affirme that they shall be punished And in saying that he is cleane he testifieth that he hath done his dutie it is wel knowen what the Lorde giueth all his ministers in charge in Ezechiel If thou shew not vnto the wicked that hee may conuert Eze. 3.18 I will require his blood at thy hand Therefore Paul because hee did what hee coulde to bring the Iewes to repentance doth acquit himself of all giltines And by these wordes teachers are warned that vnlesse they will bee giltie of blood before the Lorde they must doe what in thē lyeth to bring those which goe astray into the way and that they suffer nothing to perish through ignorance I will go vnto the Gentiles Though the Iewes had shewed themselues to be most readie to be taught yet ought Paul to haue emploied himself to teach the Gentiles whose apostle and minister he was made but here he expresseth the passage whereby he withdrew himselfe from the stubborne Iewes for all For he obserued this course in teaching that beginning with the Iewes he might couple the Gentiles with them in the societie of faith and so might make of both togeather one bodie of the church When ther remained no hope to do any good amōg the Iewes then the Gentiles only remained Therefore the sense is this that they must be depriued of their own inheritance that it may bee giuen to the Gentiles and so be wounded partly that being strikē with feare yea being cast down they might come to soundnes of minde partly that the emulation or striuing of the Gentiles might prick them forward vnto repentance But because they were vncurable reproche and shame serued for this purpose only to bring them into despaire 7 Departing thence Paul did not change his lodging whiche hee had with Priscilla and Aquila because hee was wearie of theyr companie but that he might more familiarly insinuate himselfe and come in fauour with the gentiles For I suspect that this Iustus of whom Luke maketh mention was rather a gentile then a Iew. Neither doth the nighnes of the Sinagogue any whit hinder for the Iewes were scattered abroade so that they had no certaine place of the Citie to dwell in Yea it seemeth that Paule did make choyse of the house which did ioyne to the Synagogue that hee might the more nettle the Iewes The title and commendation ascribed to lustus confirmeth this opinion for it is said that he was a worshipper of God For thogh the Iewes had not sincere religion yet because they did al professe the worship of God it might haue seemed that godlines took place cōmonly in all the whole nation But because it was a rare matter among the gentiles to worship God if any drewe neere vnto true godlines he hath this singuler testimonie giuen him which is set against idolatrie Also I thinke that the Corinthians of whō Luke speaketh shortly after were gentiles Neuertheles least we should thinke that Paule his labour was altogether fruitlesse which he bestowed among the Iewes Luke reckoneth vp two of them which beleeued Crispus and Sosthenes Of whom Paul himselfe speaketh in the first Chapt. of the first Epist to the Corinths 1. Cor. 1.14 For in his salutation he maketh Sosthenes his fellow in office after that he saieth that he baptized Crispus I take it that he is called the Ruler of the Synagogue not as if he alone did beare rule and had the gouernment because Sosthenes hath the same title giuen him shortly after but because he was one of the chiefe men 9 And the Lord said Though the fruite of Pauls doctrine in that he gained some daily to Christ might haue incouraged him to go forward yet is the heauenly Oracle added for his farther confirmation Whence we gather that there were great cumbates set before him and that hee was sore tossed diuers ways For the Lord did neuer without cause powre out his oracles neither was it an ordinary thing with Paule to haue visions but the Lorde vsed this kinde of remedy when necessitie did so require and the thing it selfe doth shewe that there laide vppon the holy man a great weight of businesse vnder which he might not onely sweat but almost faint vnlesse he had been set on foot again refreshed with some new help And it is not without cause that hee saieth that his comming was base contemptible that he was conuersaunt there in fear trembling For mine owne part I think thus 1. Cor. 2.3 Numb 12.6 that the wonderfull power of the Spirit wherewith Paul was indued before was holpen with the oracle Furthermore for as much as the Scripture distinguisheth visions from dreames as it appeareth by the twelft chapter of the book of Numbers Luke meaneth by this worde vision that when Paul was in a traunce he saw a certaine shape or forme whereby hee knewe that God was present with him Assuredly it is not to be doubted but that God appeared by some signe Feare not This exhortation sheweth that Paule had cause of feare ministred vnto him for it had been a superfluous thing to correct feare or to will him not to feare w … all was well quiet and especially in a man so willing and readie Furthermore when the Lord to the end he may haue his seruaunt to doe his duetie faithfullie and stoutlie beginneth with restraining feare by this we gather that nothing is more contrarie to the pure and free preaching of the gospel then the straites of a faint heart And surely experience doth shew that none are faithfull couragious ministers of the word whom this fault doth hinder and that those onelie are rightly prepared and addressed to teach to whom it is graunted with boldnes and courage of heart to ouercome all manner danger In which respect hee writeth to Timothie that the spirite of feare is not giuen to the preachers of the Gospel but of power and loue and sobrietie Therfore we must note the connection of wordes Feare not but speak which is all one 2. Tim. 1.7 as if he should haue said Let not feare let thee to speake And because feare doth not onely make vs altogether without tongue but doth so binde vs that we cannot purely and freely speake that which is needful Christ touched both briefly Speake saith he and hold not thy peace that is speake not with halfe thy mouth as it is in the common prouerbe But in these words there is prescribed to the ministers of the worde of God a common rule that they expound and lay open plainely and without color or dissimulation whatsoeuer the Lord wil haue made knowne to his Church yea let them keepe backe nothing which may make for the edifying or increase of Gods Church 10 Because I am This is the former reason why Paul hauing subdued feare must manfully and stoutly do his duetie because he hath God on his side Psal 23.4 Whereto answereth the reioycing of