are knowen vnto all men for me to make further mention of them they are not necessarie Verse 3. Because the vngodlye man boasteth in the desires of his soule And the couetous man blessing him selfe blasphemeth the Lord. HEre the holy Ghost beginnes a large description of Antichrist whose markes and tokens are all euidently seene in the Popes Iurisdiction and sway The first marke is Impietie by which name are comprysed worshipping of Idolles and heresies Manyfeste erroures are there in the Popes doctrine quite contrary to the foundation of Gods woâ—de as els where ofte I declare There are also in this Iurisdiction most grieuous superstitions worshipping of Saintes prayer vnto the dead and a manifolde prophanation of the Supper of the Lord. These apparant furyes doth the Bishoppe of Rome confirme as cruell as euer Nero was againste honest and godly persons The second marke is Couetousnes which as the roote of all mischiefe raging in the worlde spreadeth vnreuenged in the dominion of Antichrist For the Bishoppes of Rome fight not for maintenance of Religion but for mens wealth or riches That is with vnsatiable co â—eteousnes hunt after dignitie wealth and pleasures and support false opinions because they are the strengthes and maintenance of wealth The thirde proper marke of Antichrist is Blasphemie For as his minde is polluted with idolatrie so is his tongue defyled with blasphemie Of this Marke Daniel in his 11. Chap. saith He shall extoll himselfe aboue all Gods and he shall speake marueylous thinges againste the God of Gods For no man is ignoraunte with how great impudencie the Pope placeth himselfe aboue all authoritie of Canonicall Scriptures of the Churche of God of Sinodes and finally of all iudgements whereas in déede God alone is I let passe here these other blasphemies which my tongue both shunneth and shiuereth with horror to name Verse 4. The vngodlie in respecte of the pride of his wrath careth not There is no God thinketh he alwayes in his heart THe fourth marke of Antichriste is his detestable Pride which is accompanyed with vnbrideled Wrath. Christ in humilitie and meekenes surmounteth all Angels and men as it is sayde Mat. 11. Learne ye of me because I am meeke and humble of heart But the aduersary of Christ farre passeth all deuils in pride and greedye desire of reuenge That this Affirmation by proofe is most true the Histories of Emperours doe witnesse Of whom some euen for trifling matters were excommunicate others troden vnder foote and others most vnworthely handled by the Bishops of Rome The fifte Marke which declareth Antichrist is Epicuriall Contempt of God For it is manifest true that the Court of Rome is nothing els but a Schoole of Epicurisme wherein al honest opinions touching God his prouidence the iudgement of God following after this Verse 9 He lieth lurking in secrete places like a Lion in his denne That he may catch the poore whiles he snare him in his grinne Verse 10. And hee humbleth himselfe and crowcheth downe craftelie that in his strength hee may caste downe the poore THe nienth and last Marke of Antichrist is his Nerolike crueltie For as the Deuill the Father of Antichrist is both a Lyer and a Murtherer So the son followeth the Fathers example who syth he is the enemie of the true doctrine is bent to al occasions of hurting them which teach a right And where he can ouercome with manyfest vyolence he slayeth many but where hee cannot vse his violence he doth most subtilely lay snares for the godly and prouoketh Princes to hatred Now let a man consider what a monster Antichrist is puffed vp with these vices mischiefes viz. By reason of his vngodlynesse Coueteousnesse Blasphemy Pride Desire of Reuenge Restles busines Prophane security Sophistrie and crueltie Verse 11. For hee hath saide in his hearte God hath forgotten all Hee hides his Face and will not see for euer ALl beastly crueltie of Antichrist ryseth of a Giant-like and Cyclopical barbarousnes which staÌ„deth in no feare of the heauenly God but consecrateth his sacrifice vnto the greatest Belly God For wherein this perswasion resteth that God is nothing that there is no prouidence that all Religions are forged and friuolous In these appeareth a deuillish confusion of all wickednesse and mischiefes O god vouchsafe to â—uerte this plague farre from vs. Verse 12. Arise O Lorde God and let thy hand be exalted Doe not thou forget the poore THe seconde pare of this Psalme is a Prayer wherein the Church craueth of God that shee may be delyuered from the tirannie of Antichrist For neyther is there any more grieuous Monster nor any plague more cruell neyther furie which more prouoketh Gods wrath in the flooddes of hell then the Popes tirannie full of snares guyle vyolence and Epicuriall securitie And because euerie our prayer receyued from the holy Ghost hath effecte of promise and of prophesie let vs confer the euente with the foretokening thereof For in this last age of the world D. Luther being by God inspyred reuealsd Antichrist and refourmed the doctrine and called back the Church in his time vnto the fountaines of veritie He shewed the difference betweene the Lawe and the Gospell He made manifest the righteousnes of faith Toke away errors touching the doctrine of repentance Distinguyshed the true worshipping of God from the hipocrisie of mans traditions and shewed the vse of the Sacramentes which are by God instituted Touching which matter well considering it becommeth all the godly throughout the world to ioyn together their prayers and sighes and to craue with feruent heartes that GOD woulde vouchsafe to confirme this that hee hath wrought in vs for his holy temple sake Verse 13. Wherefore shall the vngodlie blaspheme God For hee hath saide in his hearte Tush thou wilt take none account THe reason of his prayer is taken from the cause final As if he thus sayde Defende and delyuer thy church and represse the furies of the enemies of the gospell that their blasphemies may be refuted and that all men may know there is a God in deede vpon whome the Church of Christ cryeth and calleth It lyketh me in this place to repeate a shorte fourme of Prayer which D. Luther prescrybed in his booke of the Turkish warre Looke vpon vs O God our Father and geue vs remedie For the Deuill the Bishoppe of Rome and the Turke are more thine aduersaries then oures when they scourge vs they also scourge thée For the doctrine which we preache is thine and not oures But Sathan cannot abide this and will be worshipped in thy place and thrustinge thy worde out of place he practyseth vyolently to thrust vpon vs false doctrine and lyes Awake therefore Oh my God and thy holye name which they pollute and defile thou thy selfe reuenge and suffer not this imurie to be wrought any longer by theÌ„ which punish not our offences and sinnes But endeuoure to extinguish thy worde in vs and so farre bende their force that thou
remain any State of Churches and Schooles which is by Gods benefite now stablished wherein the light of the Gospell is restored But such a State shall remayne yet yea though the worlde and the deuill withstande the same as Christ himself saith in another place The gates of Hell shall not preuaile against the Churche Mat. 16. And because many are the impediments therof the Psalme in this Consolation plamly sheweth who he is that shall helpe this Church It affirmeth that God will be present when we pray and that hee will heare vs gouerne helpe defende and delyuer vs. Therfore let vs not be discouraged that wee at any time forsake our profession no although many there bee which are against vs and many impedimentes chaunce vnto vs. Verse 5. The Lorde alloweth well the iust mannes doinges But the vngodlie man and his speedie violence doth his soule abhorre HE amplifyeth the Consolation with an Antithesis or contrarietie of the true Church and the rest of the skimme of Mankinde God sayth he by manifest testimonies sheweth that hee fauoureth the true Church because hee calleth her and geueth his worde vnto her This notable testimonie of the loue of God towardes his Church doth the 147. Psalme foreshewe in this maner Verse 19. Which gaue his worde vnto Iacob and his righteousnes and iudgementes vnto Israel Verse 20. He hath not dealt so with euerie Nation nor hath not made knowen his statutes vnto them For as the Princes beneuolence towardes a base and meane person shyneth not nor is more apparante in any thinge then in familiar communication together So the loue of God towardes vs may chiefly by this testunonie bee esteemed whereas he comming from his secrete throne speaketh familiarlie vnto his Church and geueth her his assured and expresse worde But the other multitude of Mankinde which heareth not this worde but defendeth vngodlye opinions and vngodlye worshippinges with too too open crueltie doth God most bitterly hate and most specially abhorre as aboue in the fifte Psalme he sayth Verse 5. Thou art not a God that deliteth in wickednes For as Lucilius sayth if I so may vse his wordes A vertue tis to geue honor that to hee is due As enemie eke the enemies and euil men to puisue Againe defender for to be Of good men and manners godlie Verse 6. It shall raine snares Fire and Brimstone vpon the vngodlie And whirlewindes shall be the portion of their cuppe THe sentence of this most sorrowfull Commination is not obscure if we consider the examples In the Historie of the burning of Sodome it is expresly sayde The Lord raineth Fire and Brimstone from the Lord. Here is mention made both of the eternall Father and of his Sonne So as all the Posteritie might consider so great a matter to be done by the singular determination of God and not by any casualtie and that we should know al men and all Nations in the world are warned by this example Without al doubt great is the wrath when the selfe Sonne of God is the Minister or Officer to execute this horrible punishmente So in the 16 of Numeri it is sayde of the punishinge of those seditions persons There went a Fire from the Lord it slew two hundreth and fiftie persons But why doe I collecte Examples of presente punishmentes in this worlde when as in the 20. Chapter of the Reuelation of Sainte Iohn it is most euidentlie sayde concerning the euerduringe punishentes for that same Antichrist and the Turkes ordeyned And a Fire came downe from God out of the Heauens and destroyed them and the Deuil which seduced them was cast into the lake of Fire and Brimstone where the Beast and the false Prophet are tormented day and night worlde without ende Verse 7. Because the Lorde is iust and hath loued Righteousnesse The countenances of them hane seene his equitie THis last little Verse D. Luther expoundeth thus They are not broaken or squashed with persecution but persiste constantly looking for the promises of Righteousnesse Therefore doe they finde by experience that God loueth righteousnes The xij Psalme Miserere mei Domine c. THE ARGVMENT ALthough this pitifull moane is touching the small number of the godlie ones applyed vnto the state of all ages Yet doeth it chieflie pertaine vnto the last olde age of the world wherein Antichrist bearing sway greater is the confusion of opinions of worshippinges and of mens liues or conuersations For touching this doting olde age of the worlde Christ saith Luke 18. Thinke ye when the Sonne of man commeth that he shall finde faith vpon Earth And in the 24. of Mathew Because iniquitie then aboundinge Charitie of manie shall waxe colde For faith towardes God being extinguished and loue also towardes our neighboure what godlinesse can there be what holines or what equitie But because it is needful that in mankinde there be alwaies a Church remayning God affirmeth that hee as yet doth raigne and that he will be aduenged vpon the tyrannie of Antichrist in the behalfe of his chosen ones by stirring vp godlie Teachers which shal both reprehende Idolà trie publish true doctrine and consolation vnto the Church When as therefore great were the darcke clowdes in the Churche not manie yeares since and that the lighte of the Gospell lay oppressed with the Sophisticall laberinthes of Sentenciaries with the superstitioÌ„ of Chanons and Monkes and sundrie worshippinges of Idoles Luther being by God inspired and illuminate reformed the state of doctrine and called agaiâ—â— the church vnto her fountain shewed the differeÌ„ce of the Law of the Gospel made knowen Iustification of Faith toke away erroures in Doctrine of Repentance distinguished true worshippings of God from hipocrisie of mennes traditions and shewed the vse of both Sacramentes which God hath instituted For this so greate a benefite let vs geue thankes vnto God the Eternall Father of our Lorde Iesus Christ and with feruent hearts let vs craue of him that he woulde confirme that which he hath begun in vs. Psal 68. ver 29. Verse 1. HElpe me O Lorde because the holie man pearisheth because the Faithfull are minished from amonge the Sonnes of men THe first Verse descrybeth an vnspeakable moane or Lamentation of the Church oppressed with Tyrannicall Rule of Antichrist For as Moises when he was brought back into the Straites of the hilles and of the redde Sea cryeth not but groaneth and with his heauy moane filleth the eares of God So the remnante of the godlye ones in the laste olde age of the worlde toyne together theyr prayers and groaninges for delyuerance from the kingdome of Antichrist and for wholesome reformation of Doctrine and worshippinges of God Thou feest say they Oh God what and how great a confusion there is of their wicked opinions and Idolatryes Restore thou therefore the true kinde of Doctrine and true worshipping of God This most feruent Prayer of the Church was not made in vaine but obtayned of God the Reformation of the same doctrine
gates of hell grudge and repugne against it Also let vs perswade ourselues that this most sweete sermon pertaineth vnto vs and let vs include our selues into this saying Let vs know that wee also are florishing and fruitfull palmes if wee be faithfull hearers and keepers of the doctrine of the gospell In the ende he compareth the true Church with the multitude of the enemies of the gospel and of hipocrites by a contrarietie opposite and vnto this vngodlie multitude at continuall enmitie with the true church doeth hee denounce in felicitie of their counsels and euentes and an vniuersall ouerthrowe and destruction For the true Church standeth vnmoueable as the verie Rockes in the sea Vt pelagirupes magno veniente fragore Quae sese multis circumlatrantibus vndis Mole tenet scopâ—li nequicquam spumeae circum Saxafremunt laterique illisa refunditur alga As Rock or huge sea banke which sousing tide With roaring waues rush on doth firme abide Nor rock nor foming stones do fret or fume But flag or reede itost toth'shore consume Contrariwise the vngodlie enemies of the church are like vnto grasse on the house sides which before it be plucked vp withereth away as it is saide 129. Psalme And in 58. psalme the vaine enterprises of the vngodly are described in fiue similitudes 1. They shall passe away swiftlie as the water 2. They shall shoote their shaftes and not hurt 3. They shall waxe drie as snailes in the shelles 4. They shall die as the vntimelie borne fruite 5. They shall be taken away as young thornes before they be growen Or as the texte saith Before that your thornes become sharpe pricking That is ere tender thornes become greate and sharpe But the whole meaning of this Psalme is paraphrasticallie expounded excellently set forth in the 119. Psalme Therfore let the godly confer this brief example with that more ample explication there set forth that they may see what difference there is betweene a little running riuer and a mayne flood That is betweene Dialectica which is to bee thought as a briefe and stricte eloquence and that same right eloquence which they take to be Dialectica dilatata or inlarged maner of disputing Verse 1. Blessed is the man which hath not walked in the counsell of the vngodlie nor stoode in the way of sinners nor sit in the seate of scorners Verse 2 But whose delite is in the law of the Lorde and in his law will exercise himselfe day and night IT is an vsuall thing in definitions which are more ample and elegant not onelye to contein the affirmatiue sentence declaring what the thing is but also the negatiue remouing from the subiecte thinges opposite and contrarie So in this place this psalme describeth negatiuelie and affirmatiuelie the true members of the Church that the speeche might be more full and large They saith he are Citizens of the true Church and the dwelling places and temples of God whiche fall not into the furies of Epicures or into other fanaticall errours neither establishe Idolatrie nor further the crueltie of the enemies of the Gospell but with all their heart abhorring the societie or companie of the contemners and enemies of the doctrine deliuered from God doe heare the pure worde of the gospell and embrace the same with faith and good conscience and the same doe professe and aduaunce Then are not the Saduces Pharises Bishops of Rome and their champyons members of the church of God yea though they beare a Title and sway in the world which doe defende prophane and idolatrous furies such as are prayer vnto the dead a manifolde prophanation of the Supper of the Lord in their masses and the Percian pompe wherein the bread is carryed about against vsuall maner and is worshipped contrarie vnto the vse of the Sacrament The law of single life which is the originall of greatest mischiefes and which S. Paul calleth plainly The Doctrine of deuils Perpetuall doubting of remission of sinnes Wicked foule errours of contrition confession and satisfaction Pardons for money The fable of purgatorie The snares of mans traditions Finallie the cruell salaughter of honest persons whom they kill and slay onely for that they disalowe these foule and manifest errours and doe prosesse the trueth These being cleane contrarie vnto the eternall and vnmoueable rules of Gods worde Thou shalt haue none other Gods but me Also Eschew Idolatrie Againe If any man teach any other doctrine let him be holden accursed It is plaine that the defenders of those are not the members of the Church of our Lorde Jesus Christ but the instrumentes of the diuell and vesselles of wrath as Paule calleth them But because in other wrytinges the whole place touching the church is plentifully expounded I will now be content to admonishe That the beginning of this Psalme is to be adioyned vnto the other descriptions which are euery where recyted in the scripture Verse 3. And hee shall be like the tree planted by the Riuer side which shall bring foorth her fruite in due season and his leafe shall not wither away but all thinges that hee shall doe shall haue prosperous successe HItherto hath he deliuered doctrine touching the greatest matter of all namely which what maner a one and where the true Church of God is Now doth he effectually comfort vs agaynst all temptations and tryals which all the godly ones do suffer We sée the barbarous crueltie of the Turkes dayly further to spread We see hurly burlyes to arise betwixt Christian Princes amongst them selues hurtfull vnto the Church The matter itselfe doth declare that the maynteiners of Popish Idolatrie do burne with most bitter hatred agaynst the godly because they forbid the Gospell to be published and cruelly kill and slaye many honest persons What other thing in these shewes may mans reason conceiue but that shortly both the true doctrine it selfe and the studies of the same should vtterly perishe But agaynst this humane reasoning let vs oppose the moste sweete consolation which affirmeth That there shall shall alwayes some true Church remayne yea though the Diuell labour to extinguish the same And that the Sonne of God shal raigne for euer and that the labours of suche as teache and learne shall not be in vayne As elsewhere S. Paule maynely crieth out Your labour shal not be frustrate in the Lorde Which things sith they so be let euery man diligently trauell in his vocation neither let him cast it of for any terrours hatred imuries nor dangers But let him with fayth looke for helpe of God and hope for prosperous euentes according to the most sweete promise in this place deliuered He shall be like a tree planted by the riuer side which shall bring foorth her fruite in due season For where as the circumstances in this verse declare that Dauid alludeth vnto the nature of a Palme tree to the which in the 92. Psalme the Church is compared The iust shall florishe as the Palme tree vers
for our defence for the glory of Gods sake especially But why addeth he Not in deâ—eiptfull lippes because he would discerne hipocrisie from true prayer which is made in spirite and trueth I doe not trifle it saith he with delusions of wordes I doe not with cunninge sieightes and merye toyes cast a mase before thine eyes of that which is impossible to be done But thy selfe being witnes which seest the secretes of mans hart I truely and without dissimulation pray thee that the puritie of doctrine may be preserued and that opinions and worshippinges delyuered without the worde of God may be vtterly taken away Verse 2. Let my iudgement come before thy face let thine eyes beholde the thing that is right THe Church is in this world as a widowe and as an Orphane and hath no Judge but onely God Neyther the controuersies touching religioÌ„ are not by mans authoritie ended or taken vp because the vngodly aduersaries wil not seem to be conuinced by the testimonyes of Gods word Needefull it is then that the conflictes of the Church should be adiudged and decyded by God to the vtter extinction of blasphemies The greater part of the princes and people of the Iewes would neuer allowe of the Apostles doctrine and therefore God refuted or vanquished them by destroying their common wealth And with this execution as I may so say of his iudgement made he an ende of that discention But in the meane season the Apostles were slaine by the Princes of the Iewes So let vs waite for the iudgement of God and in the meane time let vs know that we shall endure the enemies crueltie Verse 3. Thou hast prooued my heart and visited me in the night season Thou hast tried me with fire and hast founde none euill in me I haue determined that my mouth shall not offende HEe amplifieth the litle clause of the first Verse not from deceiptfull lippes Thou seest altogether hast approoued the same that my heart agreeth with thy word For as the heart is enflamed with light loue of God so the tongue manifesteth the deuine motions of y e heart False therefore is the rebuke of my aduersaries which crie out that I not for the glorie of God and soules helth but for a certaine curiositie or some lewd desire or blind wilfull frowardnes doe retaine and propagate a kind of doctrine manifested from God yet the thing it selfe purgeth me For I coulde haue liued in worldly vanitie with promotion if I had beene free from this cause but now for that with great labour and great danger of life I professe the true doctrine and preferre the same before life it appeareth sufficientlye that I seeke no riches or worldly dignitie So are both these matters perceiued in Paules miseries that namely he bare about with him the Gospell for profitte and pleasure sake because he for the doctrine which he taught susteyned greate miseries when he otherwise amongst his contry men in greate reputation might peaceably haue liued Moreouer that Dauid in trueth and earnestly beleueth this doctrine is true he confirmeth it by that because he had rather suffer death then to cast away his profession of the Gospell Verse 4 From the workes of men in the worde of thy lippes haue I marked the wayes of the murderer THis litle verse sheweth clearly for what purpose this Psalme was made For it discribeth the conflictes of the church with heretikes fanaticall teachers which are in very deede théeues and mnrderers like as Christ in the 10. of S. Iohns Gospel saith All they which came before mee are theeues and murderers That is all those which came without my Gospell spred abroade false doctrines and established diuers maners of worshipping idols These workes of men haue I marked and eschewed saith he not with mans wisdome but with the wisdome of God which in his worde is delyuered Let vs therefore loue and reuerence the exercises of his heauenly doctrine that we may rightly acknowledge and call vpon God and be able to eschewe the confusion of fonde opinions and traditions of men For they which refuse and despise these exercises are like reedes tossed hether and thether with euery winde of doctrine as in the 4. of S. Paule Ephes is written Verse 5 Direct thou my goings in thy pathes that my foote steppes faile me not SVffer vs not to be drawne away by the deuill vnto impietie and other mischiefes defend vs against the deceiptes of the deuill gouerne vs with thy light and with thy couÌ„cels suffer vs not to perish deceyued by our owne erroures or moued by the imbecillity of the fleshe Great was the wisdome and vertue in Aharon chiefe prieste ouer the people of God and yet we see this man was moued by the deuill to make and sette vp a golden calfe to be worshipped Seing therefore great is the infirmitie of all men vouchsafe thou O eternall God Father of our Lord Jesus Christ to gouerne vs and shewe vs thy wholesome councels in priuate and publique affaires and with thy holy spirit confirme our hartes that they may obey thy will that we be not instrumentes of wrath but instrumentes of mercy and profitable members of thy church Verse 6 I haue cryed vnto thee because thou wilt heare me incline thine eare vnto me and heare my wordes HE repeateth the prayer to shewe that he did not coldly but with an ingent motion of minde craue of God the preseruation of sincere doctrine and subuertion of idolatrie Neither in deede any thing doubtinge of being heard prayeth he but without all distrust beleneth his praiers are receyued and heard So Paule 1. Tim. 2. biddes vs to pray without wrath and without doubting Let vs therefore withstand all doubtfulnes and vanquishe the same by faith that we may come vnto Godand call vpon him For this speciall worship of God horribly hindered when and so oft as our mindes are tossed and shaken with waues of doubtfulnes as experience teacheth whereby it is euident why it is needfull that the decrée made in the councell of Trent should be refuted which confirmeth erroure touching doubtfulnes in praying Verse 7 Deale wonderfully in thy mercies which preseruest those trusting in thee from them that resist thy right hande AL the godly ones haue néede of spirituall wisdome interpreting the promisses of God God perfurmeth his promises but other wise then mans reasonne thinketh Moyses did not thinke that he should wander fourtie yeares in the wildernes howe many in meane time despaired and cursed Moyses as a deceyuer of the people yea as a seditious and tyrannicall person And yet God at the length performed that which Moyses promised them and had begon by his decrée So was the preseruation of the church promised vnto the Apostels they and theire auditories were put to the sworde and yet in meane time the Church was furdered and more more florished These matters are to be learned of vs that we may prefer the worde of God before