and voyde of excuse before God forasmuch as they which before had the charge of them are cleare from the bloud of them This ought to be obserued in the Churches of this age reformed by the word of god The reformatioÌ„ hereof was both laborious very dangerous What excuse then shall the light backsliders haue seeing that the very dust of the Ministers shall suffise to conuince theÌ„ as we haue otherwheres declared The like is nedeful to be obserued in the coÌ„mon weale In Heluetia we enioy a libertie redemed with the bloud of our Auncestrie Good lawes are made out of the doctrine of the Gospell a discipline of maners instituted with much labour paynes Then wo vnto vs wretches worthy of all punishmeÌ„t if either through cowardly fear or light demeanor or wickednesse we suffer these things to be takeÌ„ froÌ„ vs in which our publike weale coÌ„sisteth So the faythful industrie care of the parents maketh the children inexcusable if they bee not aunswerable vnto the same Finally it is all mens duetie well to remember this least whyle they flatter them selues they put the faulte in another whereof they are guyltie It is further worthy to bee obserued that Paule hath shewed them all the councell of God namely touching our redemption and saluation Wee knowe otherwyse that there are many thinges in the prouidence of God which it is not lawefull for vs to searche out neither can they be declared by tong suche as Paule testifieth he heard in the thirde heauen But he omitted none of the things whiche concerne our saluation bycause he hath declared the causes and reason thereof and also moste truely reported the dueties of them which are saued Whervpon agayne wee gather that the Apostles doctrine conteyned in the Scriptures is perfect and absolute in all poyntes Therfore the vanitie of them is very rashe which thruste the traditions of men into the Church whereof the greatest part playnly repugne agaynst the doctrine of the Apostles which teache vs that Chryste alone is our Sauiour For it can not be that the things so playnely repugnaunt amongest them selues can haue one selfe spirite of God to bee the author of them Laste of all thou shalte note that thoughe Paule shewed all the counsell of God vnto the Ephesians yet afterwarde he wrote an Epistle to them wherein he expounded the same vnto them agayne By this example wee are taughte what a care and consideration Ministers of the Churche muste haue of all mens saluation and howe lyttle Apostolyke they are which so easily neglecte the Churches In the meane season let vs learne to embrace with true fayth and obedience the councell of God reuealed to vs by the Apostles in Iesus Chryste that wee followyng the same may attayne vnto true saluation throughe Iesus Chryste our onely Lorde and Sauiour to whome be prayse honour power and glory for euer Amen The Cxxxv. Homelie TAke hede therfore vnto yourselues and to all the flocke among whom the holy ghost hath made you ouerseers to rule the congregation of God which he hath purchased with his bloud For I am sure of this that after my departure shall greeuous wolues enter in among you not sparing the flocke Moreouer of your owne selues shal men arise speaking peruerse things to draw Disciples after them Therfore awake and remember that by the space of three yeres I ceased not to warne euery one of you night and day with teares And now brethren I coÌ„mend you to God and to the worde of his grace which is able to builde further and to giue you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified SEing nothing is more deare and precious to God than the church which he hath purchased with the bloud of Christ it becommeth all men that will be compted for Gods seruauntes and frendes to studie for the preseâ—uation therof but cheefely this care belongeth to the Ministers of the woorde bicause God hath made them peculiar ouerseers of his Churche and will heereafter require an accompt of their stewardship For the which cause Paule the Apostle being ready to forsake Asia called to the Ministers of the Church and in open assembly before them discoursed diligently of al things which appertained to the administration of the charge committed vnto them And first he setteth before them his owne example and speaketh of his going away from them with a moste graue protestation that they might know how al the charge of the church hereafter lay on them only and therfore that they ought the more earnestly and zelously to laboure therein Moreouer after these premisses he commeth nearer admonishing them more plainely of their duetie alleaging moste pithie reasons the rather to prouoke them First propounding the summe of the matter in fewe wordes he saythe Take hede vnto your selues and to all the flocke By this worde attending or taking hede he commeÌ„deth to them an earnest studie that they should not think they had then done their duetie when they had but superficially seene vnto it but that they should know there was great neede of care and circumspection And he propoundeth two things wherein they had neede to be circumspect First he saith Take hede to your selues This he commaundeth them bicause they should not think their selues excepted or excused but that their health and wel doing was in hazard as well as other mennes And as it is scarce credible that they shall haue any earnest care of others saluation which neglect their owne so they which beeing set in high degree ought to view the life manners and conuersation of others can not be out of daunger For either they shal swarue at one side and runne into ruine being puffed vp with vaine glory or else they shal be drawne from doing their duetie by being offended with mennes vniuste iudgements of them Therfore it is not without a cause that he admonisheth them to take heede of them selues And heere it behoueth pastoures to haue a special care of two things The one is doctrine wherein they can not erre without manifest detriment That their doctrine therefore may be true let it be taken from the mouthe of God which speaketh vnto vs in the scriptures and distributing the same in prudeÌ„t maner let them vse it duely in time and place that al things may serue to edification Bicause this is a matter of no small importance the continuall studie and reading of holy scripture is needeful as the same Paule teacheth vs in an other place The other is conuersation of life which in Ministers behooueth to be well ordered and blamelesse least they destroy with their euill example that they builde vp by their doctrine and that by their meanes bothe doctrine and religion growe not in contempt as we read it came to passe sometimes vnder the children of Hely and the wicked Priests that returned from Babylon 1. Sam. 2. Malach. 1. and .2 And for the auoyding of these and such like things it is
at the least in trauell bring forth at length Forsooth Horatius mountaines in Italie were great with childe and after their harde trauell brought forth a Mouse What one error or abuse in their Church of so many as all the worlde nowe séeth and they although they be impudent ynough cannot denie haue they refourmed Surely neuer might that worthy Bishoppe of Nazianzum his saying be more truly spoken than of these Councels If I must needes write the truth sayth he I neuer sawe any good ende or conclusion of these Bishops Councels in his Epistle to Procopius the .xlij. Epist. And yet they shame not still to say the holye ghost is President of their Councels and that he is shut in the closet of the Popes breast But I trowe it is not that holy ghost that Christ sayth breatheth where it will for that it woulde not be so partially tyed to the Popes bosome or that appeared vpon Christ in likenesse of a Doue It is I beléeue that ghastly ghost the Owle that sate so long in the Consistorie on a time ouer the Popes heade a méete holy ghost I assure you for such a consistorie and closet Lette vs therefore leaue them and this president of their Councels and marke what séemeth good to Gods holy spirite and to the Euangelistes and Apostles and fâ—llowe the same considering as S. Augustine sayth in his seconde Epistle to S. Ierome that no Scriptures are to be allowed but the vndoubted Canonicall And in his first booke and seconde chapter against the Epistle of Parmenian he iudgeth it a rashe and presumptuous part to beleeue anye that prooueth not that hee sayth by scriptures And in his thirde booke and .vj. chapter against the letters of Petilian he holdâ—th any thing accursed that is beside the lawe and the Gospell In his first booke of christian doctrine xxxvij chap. he sayth Our faith staggereth if it be not vpholden by scriptures In his .166 Epistle he sayth both Christ and his Church is knowne by the scriptures In his seconde booke of Christian doctrine and .vj. chap. he sayth the holy ghost hath caused the darker thinges in the scriptures to be opened by playner And Chrysostome in his seconde exposition vppon Mathewe the .xxiiij. and .xxix. Homelies sayth The true Church can no waye else bee knowne but onely by the Scriptures bicause whatsoeuer things else in the Church Heretikes haue aswell as Catholikes But now to that they saye diuersitie of translations in Scripture bréedeth error although the same be sufficiently ynough confuted before by the example of the seauentie Translators or Interpreters by those fiue or sixe more that after Christes time corrected them by Origen by Hierome by the Euangelistes and Apostles writing in the Gréeke tongue yet we will alleage one or two places out of olde Doctors for confirmation of the same For touching all obiections that the aduersaries can make they are so fully aunswered by the olde Doctors as partly you maye haue perceyued that it were but vaine further to trauell therein S. Augustine which is one of the fower Cardinall and principall Doctors that our aduersaries allowe who impugne this opinion sayth thus against them They that haue translated the Scriptures sayth he out of the Hebrewe tongue into the Greeke maye be numbred but the Latine interpreters by no meanes For in the beginning of the fayth assoone as one had gotten a Greeke booke into his handes and seemed to haue some knowledge in both the tongues he tooke vppon him to interprete the same Which thing did more further than hinder vnderstanding so that the readers be not negligent For the pervsing of diuers bookes hath often times opened the darker sentences The place is in his seconde booke of Christian doctrine and .xij. chapter And Nicholaus de Lyra one of our aduersaries owne Doctors sayth in his Preface vpon the Genesis that Diuersitie of expositors stirreth vp attention But to bring more testimonies in a matter so cléere as daye is but impertinent séeing that both Gods lawe and mans alloweth the truth though testified but with two or thrée witnesses Thus hast thou gentle Reader my promise made in the beginning confirmed by authoritie of Scriptures euident reasons and testimonies of auncient Doctors though not in such abundant wise as might be yet in as large a sort as the lawe and rule of a Preface will permit Let vs therefore addresse and prepare our selues diligently not onely to reade the Scriptures but also to vnderstande them and not to vnderstande them onely and there to stay as I am afrayde too manye in these dayes make that their onely ende of reading but also to frame our selues to expresse our vnderstanding in our liues and conuersation least hauing the Gospell still in our mouthes and shewing nothing thereof in our maners and yet protesting a more sounde and exact knowledge than others we encrease at length but our owne punishment and damnation knowing that euery one that sayth Lorde Lorde shall not enter into the kingdome of heauen but he that doth the will of the father which is in heauen And howe the seruant that knoweth his maisters will and doth it not shall be beaten with many stripes Let vs remember that the temple of Salomon and the writings of the lawes and Prophetes among the Iewes little profited them bicause they abused them and woulde not leade a life aunswereable to such blessings of god God spared not that stocke of the Iewes of so many hundreth yeares groweth verily no more will he vs that are but Impes graft and set in the same stocke if we doe not better than we doe and they did But againe if we liue a repentant life as we ought to doe and a thankfull vnto God for his innumerable benefites and specially for the light of his worde nowe shining in our Church of Englande so ordering our works that they may shine before men and glorifie our father which is in heauen then rage the worlde neuer so much by Gods permission against his little flocke for their proofe and triall yet shall it neuer be able to take one of them out of his hand but that he will ayde and assist vs with the presence of his spirite and rule as Dauid sayth in the middle among his enimies and bruse them with his yron rod and breake all them in peeces like a potters vessell that any maner of way without repentance molest and afflict his dearely beloued spouse and Church Let vs not therefore feare any threates or enterprises of this worlde knowing that we shall ouercome in him that hath alreadye ouercome the Deuill and the worlde Greater sayth S. Iohn is the spirite that is in you than hee that is in the world For there was neuer yet tyrant that rose against Gods Church but some shamefull horrible ende folowed him most coÌ„monly in this world The ecclesiasticall story is full of examples of late God hath shewed some notable in this
of the Princes beleeue in him or of the Phariseyes But this people that know not the lawe are accursed Let vs therefore consider the counsell of God which as Paule sayth vseth to choose the foolish contemned and vile things and of no reputation in the worlde to confounde all wisedome power and authoritie of the worlde And thus doth he not without cause For hereby it appeareth that we ought to glory or reioyce in nothing but in God alone Let others obiect vnto vs Emperours Kings Bishops Cardinals Councels and Uniuersities Doctors in Scarlot and our Maisters illuminate and whatsoeuer else in the worlde is glorious by pretence of wisedome and holynesse and on the other side let them scorne and mocke the miserable and despised state of them in this worlde which haue professed the Gospell and we will aunswere with Iesus Christ our sauiour and doctor Wee thanke thee O father Lorde of heauen and earth bicause thou hast hidden these things from the wise and prudent and reuealed them to the little ones euen so father was it thy good will and pleasure But Luke writeth that there were women also in the company of the Apostles which some thinke were they only that came with Christ when he came last out of Galiley to Hierusalem But as I will not denie but some of that number might abide with the Apostles so I thinke this place may be very well vnderstanded of the Apostles Wyues For the Gospell plainely expresseth that Peter had a wyfe And if we affirme the same of Mathewe we doe it not in vaine seeing it plainly appeareth he both had a dwelling of his owne and also kept a familie and housholde And Paule manifestlye testifyeth that the Apostles led about their Wiues when they preached the Gospell Although I am not ignorant how the maintayners of vnchaste singlenesse expounde that place of certaine faithfull women that followed the Apostles But the pieuish men perceyue not what iniurie they doe vnto the Apostles whyle they thus saye For what excuse is left for the Apostles if they leaue their owne Wyues and carie about other mens God defende therefore that we shoulde thinke such absurditie pieuishnesse and dishonestie in the most holy Legates and Ambassadors of Iesus Christ. I surelye beleeue that the Apostles Wiues came from Galiley with their husbande 's the Apostles for whom it was not lawfull to depart from the Citie vntill this present daye For where they were ordayned to take part with the Apostles of all their traueyles and daungers it was requisite that they shoulde be prepared and strengthned with some speciall gift of the holy ghost They that contend and affirme that single lyfe is of necessitie to be enioined vnto persons ecclesiasticall are more foolish than whom we neede much to confute in so great light of the Gospell considering as it is playne vnto all men that wedlocke is honorable in all persons and the bed vndefiled Amongest these women also was the holy Uirgin the mother of Iesus Christ and certaine brethren of Christes whom according to the custome of the Hebrew tongue wee vnderstande to haue bene his kinsmen Christ a little before his death had committed the tuition of hir to Iohn the belooued Disciple which tooke the charge of hir vpon him most faithfully kept hir And here is the last place that the Scriptures make any more mention of hir Nicephorus writeth that she dyed in the daies of Claudius the Emperour when she had liued fiftie and nyne yeares Eusebius in his Chronicles sayth she was assumpted or taken vp into heauen but he confesseth this to be an vncertaine doctrine or tradition bicause he addeth as some write it was reuealed vnto them In the dayes afterwarde sprang vp certaine Monkes who were not ashamed to fayne a whole storie of hir Assumption whereof the olde writers knew nothing as appeareth by Epiphanius writing against the heretikes called Antidicomarianitae If some seeme to haue erred let them seeke the steppes of the Scripture and they shall finde neyther the death of Mary neyther whether she died or died not neyther whether she were buried or not buried And a little way after I saye not that she remained still on lyue neyther affirme I that she dyed For the Scripture passeth the mynde of man and leaueth the matter in suspence bycause of that precious and most excellent vessell least any man might suspect any carnall things of hir To the which I adde that it seemeth incredible the holy ghost would haue so marueylous an Assumption concealed if there had bene any seeing he caused the translation of Enoch and Ely so diligently to be written The things that after Christs ascention happened to hir he would should vtterly be forgotten least they might giue any occasion of superstition which he knewe would growe about the worshipping of hir And surely it is marueyle the holy ghost would haue the things that concerned his mother to be kept in silence and the doings and doctrine of the Apostles to be written with such diligence But we are hereby admonished that we should not be so occupied about the supersticious worshipping of them that had bene men as about the doctrine of the Apostles In the meane season it shall profite vs to marke howe Christ Iesus appoynted to his beloued mother and deere kinsfolke so weake a succour and safegarde For if we consider the Apostles after the iudgement of the worlde they had no power no riches no authoritie no armour whereby to defende that most holy vessell of the grace and glory of God against the assaultes of the world Why therefore doth he not rather commende hir to the trust of some mightie Prince whose mynde and will he myght easily encline to take the charge of hir But he that hath mens harts in his rule needeth no fleshlye succors for the defence of his beloued Therfore the charge that Iohn had of hir was sufficient for the blessed Uirgin Let vs also learne to put all our trust not in mans helpe but in the protection of the most highest neyther let vs be discouraged if being forsaken of great personages wee haue none to fauour vs but only such as are strengthlesse and whose selues haue neede of Patrones and defenders and are subiect to all mens iniuries For it behooueth vs to saye with Dauid The Lorde is my light and my saluation whom then shall I feare The Lorde is the strength of my lyfe of whome then shall I be afrayde The Lorde is on my side I will not feare what man doth vnto mee Last of all the Euangelist declareth what the Apostles did whyle the sending of the holye ghost was deferred For if we number the dayes we shall finde it tenne dayes after Christes ascention before the holye ghost was giuen For Christ was fourtie dayes still conuersant with his Disciples and prooued the veritie of his resurrection by manye argumentes And the fiftye daye after the feast of
vse whereof is to learne vs to knowe the order of the Apostolike Church and wherein the same is in these dayes decayed to restore and reforme it thereafter againe They continued sayth he in the Apostles doctri ne and fellowship and in breaking of breade and in prayers He rehearseth foure things of euery which we haue something to say In the first place the Apostles doctrine what that was it shall otherwheres appeare It was Christes commaundement that they should teache all Nations those things that they had before learned of him He commaunded them to preach repentance and forgiuenesse of sinnes in his name In the which articles it is plaine the knowledge of the whole law and of Gods will and all the maner of our saluation is contayned A taste of this doctrine we sawe in Peters sermon gone before And their writings abundantly declare that they obserued this forme of doctrine in all places Therefore the faithfull of the primitiue Church abode in that order and trade of doctrine which we see at this daye comprehended in the bookes of the Apostles and in these is no mention made of any mans traditions and inuentions Luke placeth doctrine first bicause by teaching the Church is gathered togither and by the same as Paule declareth commeth fayth and all the beleeuing are borne againe of the immortall and eternal word touching which point see Rom. 10. 1. Pet. 1 c. Here we learne that the chiefe care in the Church ought to be for doctrine For where through it as was sayde euen nowe we be gathered into the vnitie of fayth it cannot be chosen but they must fowly and miserably be scattered that admit diuers and vncertaine doctrines Those be diuers and vncertaine which de pend and consist of the will of man Wherefore it behooueth vs to holde and retaine the Apostolike doctrine which they learned at Christes mouth and which they being illuminated with the holye ghost taught to all Nations vppon the earth This doctrine is both certaine plaine perâ—iâ—e and autentike so that it needeth neyther mannes inuention nor authoritie eyther to commende or confirme it Iohn speaking of this doctrine sayth Let that which you hearde from the beginning remayne in you And Paule will not haue himselfe beleeued no nor an aungell comming from heauen if hee dare to preach anye other Gospell or waye of saluation than the Apostles haue taught This reprooueth the vnconstant wethercockes of these dayes who haue a delight to dally with doctrine and religion and dare euery daye alter and chaunge it at their pleasure and for priuate lueres sake as wee reade Ieroboam vsed to doe As though the vse of religion and doctrine were to none other ende but to keepe men in awe as it were with vayne buggebeggers Here are they also reprooued which like children suffer themselues to be ledde with euery blast of doctrine contrary to the precept of Paule For the chiefe marke of those that be faithfull and true Christians is a faithfull and constaunt keeping of the Apostles doctrine Whosoeuer rashly forsaketh this doctrine he must needes confesse that he knoweth not at all what the Church of Christ is Secondly he sayeth that they continued in communicating he vnderstandeth the beneficence and liberalitie they vsed towarde the poore according to that saying of the Apostle To doe good and to distribute forget not He ioyneth this next vnto doctrine bicause that by it as was euen nowe sayde we are vnited vnto Christ our heade as members of one bodye Therefore they that be in this wise vnited togither must count eche others aduersitie and prosperitie as their owne wherevnto it seemeth Christ had a respect where he shewed that loue was the cognisaunce and badge of his Disciples And this is a singuler and worthy prayse of beneficence to haue the next place vnto doctrine among the exercises of the Church Whereby we may easily perceiue what to thinke of them who are touched with no pitie of their needy brethren but snorting in wealth themselues care not though all other want so they may enioye the riches and delights of this world But bicause we meane hereof to speake more hereafter let this little for this time suffice Thirdly he reciteth breaking of breade by the which he vnderstandeth the mysticall supper of our Lorde and sauiour Iesus Christ. He vseth this name for that in the supper the breade is publikely and solemnely broken partly to set forth the memorie of the Lordes death and partly to put vs in minde that we were the causers of the death of Iesus Christ seeing it was necessary he shoulde suffer and die for our sinnes He maketh mention onely of the supper not for that he barreth baptisme out of the Church but bicause he had spoken thereof before where he sayde they were baptised And he speaketh of those which were alredy receiued into the Church not of their children and those that shoulde afterwarde professe Christ wherof we gather that baptisme ought not to be yterated bicause it is sufficient to be once receyued into the Church of Christ. Another reason why he spake of the supper was bicause Christ ordeyned it to be a solemne memoriall and remembrance of his death which for this cause ought to bee the oftner celebrated Marke here in the meane while the simplicitie of the primitiue Church which being contented with the rites and sacraments deliuered by the Lord neither durst deuise any new ne yet set forth the olde with any newe ceremonies for feare of prescribing christ And although Luke expresse not the rytes and order of the mysticall supper as they vsed it yet there is no doubt but they had a respect to Christes institution bicause Paule afterwarde confesseth that he deliuered vnto the faithfull that order which he receyued of the Lorde and reuoketh them which had swarued from the same to the obseruation and keeping thereof These things ought they to haue marked which glorying in the name of the Gospell are so bolde as to chaunge and alter the maner of the Lords supper ordeyned by Christ himselfe For to saye nothing of the lightes the riot in vestiments the pieuishe gesturing and infinite such like which they perhaps of a good zeale thought to commende the authoritie of the supper the more with this me thinketh can not be pardoned that they haue taken from the supper the breaking of bread whyles they make the peeces of the misticall bread rounde before they come to the supper and put them whole into the mouthes of the receyuers If they take away this breaking what will they leaue vs wherby to remember the death of Christ or to admonish vs of our sinnes and of repentance considering the breaking of breade was of such authoritie in the primitiue Church that vnder that name they comprehended the whole supper of the Lorde Therefore we must holde fast the auncient simplicitie which if any man dislyke certes he to boldly
Apostles doctrine For fyrst they shewe whence Paule fet his doctrine verily out of the wrytings of Moses and the Prophets which otherwheres he sayth were inspyred of God and in the which Christ witnesseth that the mysteries of eternall lyfe are conteyned Therefore out of the same also in these dayes must the doctrine taught in the congregation be taken Neyther must their impudencie be borne with which will not haue the controuersies of our dayes deuided by the Scriptures but alleage vnto vs the traditions and Canons as they call them of the Apostles and the fathers and the counsels as though they had left vs thinges of more imperfection and certaintie than the Apostles Further we are taught howe Paule handled the scriptures He opened them that is to saye by dyligent interpretation he picked out the true sense and meaning of them applyed the things therin conteyned to his present purpose Which he coulde no wayes more commodiouslye doe then by conference of places By this example of Paule is theyr errour confuted which saye it is sufficient to haue the scripture read ouer in the Church and wyll not suffer the same by exposition to be opened Therefore in these mennes iudgement Paule offended verie much yea Christ himselfe who as we may reade vsed the same order of teaching in the schoole at Nazareth But whosoeuer followeth the example of Christ can not offend And Paule doth much better which requireth such a teacher of the Church as can distribute and deale as it were the worde of truth iustly and duely and can apply it to the instruction and comfort of euery body Thirdely is declared the argument of Paules doctrine which conteyneth in it chiefely two poyntes setting them as it should seeme agaynst so many errours of the Iewes For fyrst they were offended at the crosse of Christ bicause they vnderstoode the oracles of the Prophetes according to the letter and ymagined that the kingdome of Christ should be temporall and looked for a Messias wythout a crosse Which errour may now a dayes also be perceyued in them which would haue the Gospell preached without the crosse and where they desyre to be saued by Christ will not suffer and be afflicted with him The other errour of the Iewes was that they denyed Iesus the sonne of Mary to be their Messias or Christ. Paule laboureth to put both these errours away going about to prooue by testimony of scriptures that God had from before the begynning of the world ordeyned this way for man to be saued by that is to say by the incarnation death and resurrection of his sonne Againe applying those things vnto Iesus the sonne of Marie which the Prophets in tymes past spake before of the Messias he euidently declareth that he ought to be acknowledged for the Messias and that none other ought to be looked for Nowe as Paule declared these things at large by testimonies of scriptures gathered out of all places so might they be by vs in ample wise prosecuted But bycause it appeareth easily by the sermons both of Paule and the other Apostles going before what places they for the most part vsed and they that vse to reade the scriptures fynde euerywhere such things as conteyne in them the knowledge of Christ we wyll of purpose be the shorter In the meane while we haue here two things to obserue Fyrst what ought to be preached in the Church Uerily euen Iesus Christ only whome Paule otherwheres confesseth onely that he knoweth and none other For where he alone is sufficient for vs in all things bicause he is giuen to vs of the father to be our Brydegrome Shephearde King and Priest head righteousnesse wisedome satisfaction sanctifycation and redemption he himselfe would haue men brought vnto him it is vnmeete to teach any thing not agreeable with him The seconde thinge is howe Christ should be preached To be euen such an one as the Scriptures declare him to be who dying for vs on the Aultar of the crosse purged our sinnes and by his glorious resurrection ouercame death who reigneth not in this worlde lyke vnto the kings here on earth but being taken vp into heauen comforteth vs by his spirite and through our afflictions and infyrmitie of the flesh triumpheth ouer all our aduersaries They that haue conceyued in their mindes Christ to be such an one can be offended at no worldly attempts but being voyde of care and merie laugh at all that the worlde goeth about against the Church Learne therefore hereby to iudge of the doctrine of these dayes and harken not vnto them which in the businesse of our saluation teach any more then Christ seing that Paule knewe him onely notwithstanding he was rapt vp into the thirde heauen Moreouer the successe declareth that Paules preaching was not in vaine For certaine of the Iewes beleeued yet but a fewe bicause nowe beganne the blindnesse of that nation Yet God keepeth and fulfylleth hys truth while he saueth certaine remnauntes out of the innumerable multitude And that they were vnfayned beleeuers appeareth by this that they openly ioyne themselues vnto Paule and Silas both for learning sake and also to protest openly their beliefe Yet a greater company of the Greekes beleeued whome he calleth religious bicause before this they had tasted a little of true religion which it is lyke they learned by being conuersaunt with the Iewes For although the incredulitie of that nation was past hope yet God would vse them being dispersed abroade in the worlde to bring the Gentyles from ydolatry vnto the worshipping of the true God and euerywhere to sowe certaine principles and grounds of pure religion touching the honouring and inuocating of one god With this company of the faithfull are numbred certaine noble and chiefe women that a manne maye see howe God hath a regarde of his elect in all states and degrees of persons This place teacheth vs that the Gospell is neuer preached in vaine as hath bene already oftentymes declared Here are also touched the dueties of them that truely beleeue ardent desyre of true doctrine and religion thankefulnesse towarde the teachers of saluation and playne and open profession of the true fayth For God will haue none of them to worship him that can dissemble and play on both handes God graunt that we also being illuminated with the light of true fayth may declare our fayth both in worde and deede and by the same maye come vnto the inheritaunce of the kingdome of heauen with the onely begotten sonne of God Iesus Christ to whome be prayse honour power and glorye for euer Amen The Cxiiij Homelie BVT the Iewes which beleeued not had indignation and tooke vnto them euill men which were vagabondes and gathered a company and set all the Citie on an roare and made assault vpon the house of Iason and sought to bring them out to the people And when they founde them not they drewe Iason and certayne brethren vnto the heades of
the Churche which we may coniecture by the time For first it is sayde that he prolonged his sermon vntill midnight then when supper was done howe he discoursed till breake of the day of things appertaining to religion Therefore his teaching was not for a fashion sake and as though he cared not whether he did it or not but with great zeale and diligence For where he had a righte iudgement of his ministerie and knewe he was sent of God to be an Embassador for Christ as he testifieth in this later Epistle to the Corinthians the fifthe Chapter he therefore was very feruent in zeale bicause he would not be coumpted an vntrustie Ambassadoure vnto god Also it is euident that the hearers had as good a iudgement of Paules ministerie as of his doctrine bicause they did vouchsafe to beare him so paciently all the night long By this example is the slouth of our age reproued and the great contempt of Goddes woorde For in the Ministers appeare not those tokens of the Apostolike zeale bicause many of them are occupied more in vaine studies than in the meditation of Gods woorde and thinke they haue well discharged their duetie if they make one or two cold collatiōs in a weke Again the people that can not stand long to heare thinke euery minute of an houre that they spend in hearing of Goddes woorde an whole day whereas in trifeling studies yea in filthie and dishonest they thinke no time no cost no laboure too muche Hereof it commeth to passe that the authoritie of the Ministerie is despised and the word of God kept from a great many See what God sayth of both these euils in Malach. 2. cap. and Amos. 7. Now followeth the myracle by the which God thought good both to approue the ministerie of Paule and also to stirre men vp to the diligente consydering of Paules doctrine In the fyrst part whereof Eutychus is to be consydered vpon whome the myracle was shewed As Paule was preaching he sat in a window either bicause the number of hearers were so many that there was no seate for him elswhere or else bicause he wold haue so shaken of slepe which he perceiued came creping on him Howbeit at length being ouercome of sleepe he fel downe and died of the fall But if this thing came vnto him whose sleepinesse might many wayes be excused what thinke we may come to passe and fall on those which heare the worde of God in contemptuous wise and while they seeme to sit to heare either of purpose settle them selues to slepe or else being ouercome with surfe◠and quaffing are enforced to sleepe As these men are negligent of their saluation so they much regard not the maiesty of god Wherfore it can not be but the preaching of the gospel must tend to their destruction which otherwise is the administratrix of saluation vnto the diligent hearers and them that beleeue it Also we are taughte by this place that God permitteth vs sometimes to be tempted with doleful and heauie troubles For what thing I pray you could make Paules doctrine to be suspected seeing his industrie was disturbed with so dolorous a trouble Yea what enuie should the Apostle haue had who should haue bene iudged the cause by reason of his long sermon But the Lord faileth not those that are his but by a notable myracle sheweth by and by that the gospell bringeth saluation so that whatsoeuer seemeth to make most against it serueth to the confirmation therof Let vs learne therefore to iudge rightly of all aduersities that falleth oute God sendeth them to feare vs and to haue occasion to exercise his power Let vs therfore paciently suffer al things and not doubt of the knowne truth For so it shal come to passe that the ende of those things shall be ioyfull whose beginning seemed to vs to be altogither vnprosperous and dolefull as shall be most euidently declared in the second parte of this miracle to omit other examples which might be brought After this Luke describeth the myraculous raising vp of Eutychus againe wherein all thing that Paule did must be considered in order First assone as he knewe of the matter he gate him downe to helpe him and alleageth for his excuse neither the dishnoouring of the Sabothe nor of the supper He is not therfore superstitious but remembring the doctrine of Christe vnderstandeth that the Sabothe was ordained for man and that all externe ceremonies must giue place vnto charitie Therfore they are foolishe superstitious yea wicked which in like necessitie saye it is vnlawfull to breake the traditions of men as they which are so bounde vnto Monkishe rules that they may not helpe their kinsfolke being in daunger or distresse and thinke no cause sufficient to interrupt the sacrifice of the Masse Then falling vpon the yong man he embraceth him not bicause he thought he could bring him to life againe by the touching of his body but for that he knew this must be done by the power of Christ whose ambassadour he was Wherfore this gesture of Paule conteineth the mysterie of our saluation For by the proud fal of Adam sinne death by meane thereof fell on vs all But in Christ life and saluation is offred vs partakers wherof shall all such bee which being drawne by the doctrine of the Apostles as it were by the armes doe come into the fellowship of Christ through fayth Furthermore he friendly comforteth them that are in feare saying Make nothing adoe or be you not troubled For he was not without cause afraide as we saide before least the weake in faith would hereby much haue swarued Wherefore he by and by addeth His life is yet in him By the which wordes he denieth not the myracle but pronounceth modestly of him selfe bicause he would not seeme to attribute any thing to him selfe and for that he would giue occasion to no man to thinke of him aboue that becommed them Then returning forthwith into the chambre againe he maketh an ende of the distributing the Supper and beginneth a newe sermon which he continueth vntill morning and then by sunne vp taketh his iourney Herein is Paules wonderfull diligence to be commended which hauing wrought such a myracle goeth yet on in his vocation and thinketh he hath not yet fulfilled all his duetie as some sluggardes vse but yet great vaunters of their owne labors and trauailes let vs imitate Paules industrie and thinke that we owe God the more seruice the greater tokens we perceiue in oure selues of his power and grace Luke ioyneth vnto this myracle a notable frute of this endeuor and studie For they brought the yong man aliue For the woorkes of God are perfecte and the Apostles beguiled no man with myracles of legierdemaine as Iuglers vse to do Then the beleeuers were not a little comforted not only bicause the yong man was restored to life againe but for that they sawe set before their eyes such an euident testimonie of Gods
you also most honourable Lordes haue followed For where GOD did vouchsafe about .xxxix. yeares past to illuminate our Countrey Heluetia with the light of his word and to call it from the darknesse of superstition into the brightnesse of his Gospell you thinking there was no longer lingring to be made began aduisedly and seriously to consider howe Christes kingdome might be restored in your common weale Therefore you thought it good out of hande to mooue the Bishoppes and specially him of Constantia to whose charge your whole Countrey belonged to laye to their handes with you in abolishing of abuses and superstition and to take order for the reforming of the Church with your aydes and assistaunce But whyle they forgetting their vocation and dutyes made delayes you thought it shoulde be much to your shame and reproche to see their negligence anye longer hinder the publike saluation and glorie of God and therefore for that you woulde not want of your duties you were the Capitaynes and beginners of so godly an enterprice your selues following the examples of Ezechias Iosias Constantine and diuers others which we reade in tymes passed did the like with great commendation when the ministers and Bishops of the Church were founde slacke in their office For appoynting a publike and generall assemblie of all the Ministers both in your Citie and whole territorie you willed them to deliberate and conferre among themselues out of the word of God touching the chiefe pointes and articles of fayth and religion And there were that earnestlye withstoode this your deuise saying the determination of this matter belonged not to the iudgement of one common weale or Prince but to the authoritie of an vniuersall and generall councell Howbeit their authoritie was of no such force with you that it coulde make you looke behinde you after you had once set your hande vnto the plough And therefore your godly begunne enterprise did prosperouslye proceede For in that disputation the truth had the victorie and that in such sorte that the greatest part of them that came to assault the same yeelded therevnto of their owne accorde and thought their greatest prayse and glorie to consist herein that God had giuen them grace to bee so happely ouercome and to follow Christes Chariot in triumph From that daye forwarde you neuer ceased to deuise and doe all such thinges as you perceyued did appertaine to the glorie of Christes kingdome For you purged and rydde your Churches of the drosse and filthinesse of Images and Aultares and cleered Christes doctrine from the pernitious inuentions of mans traditions enacting by publike authoritie that none shoulde eyther reduce and bring againe the superstitions abolished or else teach the flocke of Christ any thing disagreeable to the doctrine of the Gospell The vse and administration of the Sacraments you caused to be brought to the fourme and order first instituted you caused prayers aswell publike as priuate to be duely ordered and whatsoeuer other duetyes of true fayth you caused to be exercysed according to the prescription of Apostolyke doctrine yea you caused your publike lawes and discipline of maners to be refourmed after the rule of the gospell And bicause no man should think you did these thinges eyther for desire of priuate lucre or for that you delited in nouelties you had a speciall regard that others might haue the whole fruite and auayle of the reformation and your selues all the payne and labour in reforming For you did not lyke sweepestakes rape and reue the Church goodes into your handes nor put any man eyther of nobilitie or of the Church from theyr right For those which were deceyued and caryed with the common sway of ignoraunce you laboured to winne by friendly and brotherly instruction and did not vncurteously cast them of Wherby it came to passe that they which were best witted amonge them did afterwarde great good seruice to Christ and to his Church and other whome eyther age or dulnesse of wit hindered you suffered paciently to enioy their goodes and reuenues bicause they shoulde haue no occasion eyther to make complaint or tumult And whatsoeuer of those goodes fell to your administration was appoynted partlye for the building and mainteyning of schooles and partly for the sustentation and relieuing of the poore For you vsed in liberall wyse to mainteyne not onely the professors of sciences and tongues but also certaine studentes of the same to the number of fourescore with continuall stipende and exhibition insomuch that the most part of them which at this day preach Christ in your Citie and Countrey which haue in them about an hundred and fortie parishes are bounde and beholden to your liberalitie for the rowme and place that they now are in And such was your dexteritie in handling all these matters wisedome in taking counsell about them and modestie in executing them that the thing which seemed impossible to be done was easily brought to passe insomuch that within short space of time in a free nation without any feare of publike tumult or sedition with great approbation of the people all these things that we haue spoken of were both taken in hand and brought to an ende For although they which thought Poperie was gainefull and therfore coulde not well brooke the ouerthrowe thereof attempted oftentimes many things yet through the singuler benefite of God their enterpryses were alwayes in vaine and the tempestes by them raysed were chased away by the wholesome breath of our heauenly father Where according to the precept of Christ both the simplicitie of Doues and wisedome of Serpentes appeared in your deuyses For as often as your aduersaryes went about eyther by flatterie and fayre promises or by fearefull menaces to withdrawe you from your purpose or at least woulde haue perswaded you to haue left all controuersie in religion to the iudgement of the Bishops and Clergie you still aunswered them both wisely and plainly after this sort that you coulde not nor woulde not denie or reiect such thinges as you had learned out of Gods worde were true and that you were readie to render a reason of your beliefe to any man that shoulde demaunde it of you yea that you woulde willingly yeelde to any man that coulde conuince you of error â–ª by the holy Scripture and coulde teach you a better waye of saluation than you helde Diuers your aunsweres of lyke kinde and tenour there are wherewith you stopped the mouthes of a great many and wherein still maye be read that saying of the Apostles Whether it be right before â—od to hearken vnto you rather than God iudge you For we cannot choose but speake those things which we haue both seene and heard Againe We ought rather to obey God than men Therefore the heauenly grace of the eternall God fauoured and prospered so godly enterprises whereby it came to passe that your common weale hath most happily escaped all kinde of tribulations and at this day in the middle of the horrible and daungerous styrres
none at all or at leastwise might seeme obscure and vncertaine Beside this there is one other thing very profitable and necessary to be knowne that is to say what maner of countinaunce the Primatiue Church had which was founded by the Apostles according to the which the Church in all ages ought to be refourmed when any errors or abuses shall happen Touching which thing as all men dispute therof in these daies so shall a man finde very fewe which wil take the straight way opened by the Apostles to amende the same Wherby it commeth to passe that we put newe errors in the place of olde driue away olde superstitions with new as pieuish noysome as the olde Whereas if we would obserue the thinges written by Luke wee should haue a certaine an infallible rule aswell of doctrine as ceremonies which the Apostles left vnto the church They taught one Iesus Christ to be the onely Auctor of our saluation and that men which by nature are sinners and in daunger of damnation are by no other meanes iustified saued than by faith in Iesus Christ. Yea this booke aboundeth with most notable examples wherewith the principall and chiefe article of our christian fayth as I sayd eare whyle is warranted and confirmed against all the cauillations of Sophisters and Phariseis For what other did euer the Apostles require of the vncleane Gentiles and straungers from the common weale of the people of God but to leaue their olde superstition and to beleeue in Christ Did they not preache saluation and forgiuenesse of sinnes to them turning from their open ydolatrie Did they not most stoutely stande against those blinde Bayardes which would burthen the Gentiles with the woorks of the lawe as though Christ had not beene of power to saue but those which prepared themselues to him by the deedes of the Lawe Wherfore if the faith in Iesus Christ was once sufficient for the Gentiles and they not to be charged with the workes and ceremonies of the lawe published by God I pray you what shall let why the same faith and beliefe shal not suffise vs in these daies Or shall we say that the traditions of men are more profitable and necessary to the attaynement of Iustification and saluation than they which God once ordayned to remayne till the time of correction As touching ceremonies outwarde rytes the Apostles thought it vnlawfull to charge the Churches with any thing vpon their priuate authoritie Baptisme the order wherof they receyued of Christ the Lorde they haue most sincerely deliuered The vse and maner of the Lordes Supper as Christ did institute it they thought good to retayne In other matters of the Church this was their chiefe care to haue a Discipline wherewith Christ woulde the naughtye disposed to be kept vnder and that the poore shoulde be honestly prouided for whose case and condicion the Lorde did vouchsafe so earnestlye to commende vnto vs The thinges which besides these now a dayes vnder the name of the Apostles and Canons of the Apostles are obtruded wee can not acknowledge for Apostolyke neyther can any good man blame vs therefore forasmuch as Luke maketh no mention of them whose diligence and labour the holy Ghost thought good to vse in writing the Sermons and Actes of the Apostles Surely I will neuer thinke the holye Ghost eyther so vnwyse as to take a negligent wryter of so high matters or else so forgetfull as to let passe any of those things the knowledge and obseruation whereof was so necessarie in hys Church I would speake of euery thing more at large but that they recourse in the treatise of the Hystorie where they will be more commodiously handled Let it suffise for this time to haue shewed the great vtilitie of this booke in that it ministreth to vs a true and an infallible rule of reforming the Church which except they obserue which will be called and counted reformers they may well reioyce in their reformations in the iudgement of the fleshe but they shall neuer giue vs Churches that any man but meanely trayned in the holy Scriptures shall acknowledge in all pointes for sincere and true Apostolike Churches Howbeit this booke sheweth vs not only a forme paterne of the Church of Christ but also it plainely teacheth vs what the state and condicion of the Church is here in earth which to know is both profitable and necessarie aswell for doctrine and information as also for the comfort that thereby commeth vnto vs For we shal see the Apostles in euery part of the world finde it true that Christ foreshewed touching their Crosse and afflictions For God would not so worke by them as that the things both supersticiously and wickedly maintayned in the worlde till that daye shoulde yeelde of their owne accorde to their preaching but he would invre them with labours and contentions And in euery place there were founde that woulde withstande theyr doctrine and those not of the rascall and common sorte but they which for their learning and godlynesse the worlde woondered at such as were the Scribes and Priestes amongst the Iewes and the Philosophers of the Gentyles Neyther was the matter decyded wyth wordes For so great was the authoritie of the enimies of the truth that the Magistrates tooke their partes so that they were fayne to pleade their cause before them and to contrarie their commaundements with hazarde of their lyfe Thus being banished their natiue Countrie they felt the smart of exyle they were in perill by sea and lande they laye bounde in Prisons euerye man hated them and rayled vpon them and finallye they ended their charge of preaching the Gospell with their death and bloudsheading These thinges if wee consider wee shall perceyue what we haue to hope for nowe a dayes neyther shall wee be offended eyther wyth the authoritie or power of men striuing against the Gospell wyth such rage and furie as they did And on the other side the loyaltie and truth of Christ shall marueylously comforte vs whom the Apostles founde so true in his promyses For he promised the ayde of his holy Spirite present counsell in aduersitie and his safegard and defence against all men All which he so perfourmed that they hauing the vpper hande despite of the world and Prince therof obtained their purpose and were able with good successe to perfourme their vocation Let no man therefore feare the threates of tyraunts in these daies let no man be afrayde of Sathans enterpryses let no man be abasshed at the stormes tempestes of this worlde For Christ liueth still and the truth of his promyses is infallible which as they once were made to his Apostles euen so they are continued to all men which beleeue in Christ according to their doctrine And surely if there were no other vtilitie of this booke but this one there is no man but seeth how necessary the knowledge therof is in these dayes where wee see euery where such
teacheth vs in euery place that hee is gyuen to vs a King and a Priest but chieflye Dauid So as he was King he gaue vs Lawes of lyfe euerlasting and made his expedition as it were into this worlde to fight against Sathan the common enimie of mankinde ouercame him and set vs at libertie which were tyed fast in the chaines of our sinne Furthermore of his liberalitie more than royall he abundantly enriched all that beleeue in him with the treasures of the kingdome of Heauen Moreouer by his Priesthood he taught vs he prayed for vs and for al them which hanged him on the Crosse and he offred his body bloud which he tooke of vs to be a sufficient sacrifice and acceptable to God for our sinnes Hereunto serued the myracles by the which he thought to bring men to the obedience of faith and to teache the simple thereby how to know him The other place he assigneth for Doctrine wherin the reason of all the things done by Christ is declared In the meane season we must not thinke Luke in vaine to haue ioyned Workes and Doctrine togyther comprehending in these twoo woordes all that concerneth christ For he teacheth that in the consideration of Christ these twoo must needes be ioyned togither For except wee consider hys doctrine with hys woorkes they shall no more auayle vs to the knowledge of saluation than the thinges done by any other liuyng a thousand fiue hundred yeares past and more But if we consider his doctrine we shall vnderstand that all these thinges were wrought for our sakes that saluation might happen to vs through the benefite of Christ our Redeemer Also the consideration of hys woorkes shall bring credite and authoritie to his doctrine forasmuch as they beare most manifest witnesse of hys diuine power and Godhead as Christ him selfe teacheth saying the woorkes which the Father hath giuen mee to finishe the same woorkes that I doe beare witnesse of mee that the Father hath sent mee And againe If I doe not the woorkes of my Father beleeue me not but if I doe them and if you beleeue not mee beleeue the woorkes that yee may know and beleeue that the Father is in mee and I in him With these woordes are the counterfait Christians of this worlde impeached who beleeue all the workes of Christ and furnished with an Hystoricall faith vse to praise all the things that euer he did or suffered but when it commeth to the poynt to beleeue in one Christ and the saluation obtayned by his onely merite then as though they had forgotten theyr former fayth they turne an other way and seeke infinite meanes besides Christ to attayne to saluation by These men doe as they which being allured with the testimonye of common reporte of friendship or familiarity greatly extoll the Science of Phisicke but when they fall sicke refuse to vse the same thereby plainely declaring that they distrust both the Arte and knowledge of Phisicke Euen so that which these men confesse of Christ with theyr mouth they denie in deede The cause of this hurtfull wauering is none other but this for that they consider Christes bare woorkes whereby they are mooued somewhat to marueyle at them but that marueyle endureth not forasmuch as it wanteth the proppe of doctrine and is ignorant of the ende of them Whereas if they would heare Christes teaching they should perceyue that these myracles were wrought and described to the intent that in him onely wee should repose all hope of our saluation For this is his saying I am the waye the light and the truth No man commeth to the Father but through mee Whosoeuer drinketh of this elementall water drawne by his owne strength shall thirst againe But whosoeuer shall drinke of the water that I shall giue him shall neuer be more a thirst Come vnto mee all yee that labour and are laden and I shall refreshe you Furthermore it is to be considered that Luke maketh Christes ascention the very ende and bounde of the story of the Gospell For he saith that he hath spoken in the first Booke of all the things that Christ both did and sayde vntill the same daye that he was taken vp into Heauen after he had giuen commaundements to his Apostles whom he had chosen Hereby we gather that Christ by his glorious ascention into Heauen hath perfourmed all the poyntes of our redemption and saluation For wee haue shewed before that in the Gospell is perfectly contayned the thinges which concerne our saluation Bicause therefore the Ascention of Christ is placed last it is certaine that it was the last ende of all the thinges necessarye to our saluation This if wee holde it shall appeare as cleare as may be that wee henceforth neede no more bodily presence of Christ in the earth For what should he doe in earth which longe since hath faithfully and fully perfourmed the things he had here to doe Wee haue neede of the Spirite the Grace the Meryte the Doctrine the Counsell and protection of Christ which he neuer withholdeth from his and after this sorte as he promised He is with them vntill the ende of the worlde He him selfe also forbiddeth vs to beleeue them which shall say hee is any where corporallye present But bicause wee haue a more commodious place to speake of these thinges a little after where the Hystorie of the Ascention is handled let these fewe woordes suffice for this present This is now to be obserued that Christ would not leaue the earth before he had giuen commaundementes to his Apostles For I vnderstande not this place of that one commaundement where he badde they should not departe from Hierusalem till they had receiued the promised holy Ghost but Luke seemeth to speake vniuersally of all the thinges which Christ meant to admonish his Apostles of and chiefly those which concerned the office of their Apostleship of the which a little after followeth more to be saide This is very comfortable that Christ although absent in his body ceaseth not yet to care and prouide for his Church For here he fulfilleth the dutie of a good and faithfull Householder which goyng into the countrie committeth the charge of his familie to his trusty friendes and in the meane season telleth eche of his housholde what they shall doe while he is absent Euen so Christ ascending into Heauen commended the care of his Church to his Apostles whom he testifieth in the Gospell to take as his friendes He instructeth them with commaundements least they through rashnesse or vnfaithfulnesse should offende The Parables in the .xxiiij. and .xxv. of Mathew make for the exposition of this place Let no man therefore thinke that he is in such daunger of Tyraunts and deceyuers that he is left destitute of the ayde of Christ and so lieth open to theyr pleasure crueltie For he that hath redeemed his sheepe with the pryce of his owne bloud and gaue such charge of them
twoo Disciples goyng to Emaus and after a longe communication beyng set at the table declareth and openeth himself to them And after diuers like appearings at length he shewed him selfe to more then fiue hundred brethren at once as Paule witnesseth But bicause the eies are many times beguiled the deuils legierdemaines are too well knowne wherby he many times with false apparitions deceiueth the vnwary the Lord therefore suffered himself not onely to be seene but also to be felt and handled For fearyng least they might be deceyued with some ghost or illusion of Sathan Beholde saith he my handes and my feete how it is I my selfe Handle mee and see for a Ghost or spyrite hath not flesh and bones as you see mee haue Therefore Christ rysing from death againe tooke not onely a semblaunte and shewe of his former bodye but the verye same substaunce members fleshe and bloude And for a more certaine proofe thereof not onely suffered him selfe to be handled but for auoyding of all scruple and doubte called for meate and did eate in the sighte of his Disciples Not to the ende wee shoulde thinke that bodies glorified had neede to be refreshed with meate and drinke after the resurrection for where they are quite free from all corruption they haue no neede at all of generation but for that he would declare to all men that he still did retaine all the partes of a naturall and perfect body For the glorifying or clarifying of the body taketh away neither the substaunce nor partes of the body but it taketh away the corruption and affections rising in the body by reason of sinne and according to the saying of Paule that that was corruptible and mortall it maketh to rise againe incorruptible immortall glorious and a celestiall body The circumstance of time maketh also for the proofe of Christes Resurrection For he did not these thinges for one or two dayes amongst his Disciples but he was conuersaunt with them still fourty dayes togither and euery day shewed such proofes of his Resurrection These things were the more largely and diligently to be entreated of beloued in Christ bicause there haue bene in all Ages which haue gone about either to call Christs resurrection into doubt or else somewayes to blemyshe and extinguishe the truth of his body raysed againe Neither want wee in these dayes which affirme that Christes body by reason of the glorifiyng thereof is so altered and chaunged that it now can not be conteyned in any one place but is present in euery place And other grounde of theyr opinion haue they none but bicause they would maintaine Christes bodily presence in the Supper Neither perceyue they through theyr contention that while they defende his bodily presence they denie the veritie of his body and so by themselues ouerthrow that which they fight for as for life death For if Christ be corporally present in the Supper either his body must be conteyned in a place or else it is there none otherwise but as it is in euery place And how can it be that that which is conteyned in one certayne place can be at once in many places togither Therfore Augustine vnderstoode these things much better who perceiued well that space of place could so little be seperated from bodies that if we tooke space away then were they no more to be called bodies Take away saith hee space or limitation of place from bodyes and the bodyes shall be no where and forasmuch as they shall be no where there shall be nothing Take away from bodies qualities and properties of bodies and there shall be no where for them to be in and therfore of necessity they can haue no beyng at all The same Augustine aunswereth them marueylous well that in this case flie to Christs godhead and omnipotencie where he saith Wee must beware that wee so defende not the godhead of the man that wee take awaye the truth of his body But of these thinges wee shall speake more otherwheres Now let vs come to declare what causes mooued Christ so many wayes to prooue the resurrection of this body The first me thinketh was the Maiestie and certaintye of the kingdome of Christ which was necessary by his resurrection to be prooued For where it was manifest that Iesus Christ was dead and buryed which the Iewes also confesse vnlesse it should appeare as manifest that he was for a truth risen againe from death all the testimonies of his kingdom should haue bene taken as friuolous and vaine For who would beleue that he was appointed to be king ouer Mount Sion that is to say ouer the Church of God whom he was sure to haue bene dead and wist not whether he were risen againe from death yea or no who would beleeue that he sitteth at the right hand of the father and vseth his enimies as his footestoole whom he knew not whether he were aliue or no Except therfore the resurrection of Iesus Christ were most certaine to vs we could neither acknowledge him for our King nor yet looke for any ayde or helpe in his kingdome And it is no doubt but the Apostles ouercame all the threates of the worlde through this affiaunce and fulfilled theyr course and mynistery with such constancie for that they acknowledged him to be the conquerer of death and were fully certified that he which made them mynisters of his Gospell raigned in Heauen The second cause of so diligent a proofe I thinke was the doctrine and office of the Apostles the certayntie whereof was needefull to be strongly defended against the iudgement of the world Now what more effectuous and stronge proofe hereof could be founde than the glorious and euident resurrection of Christ whome they preached who was well knowne to all men whereas if they had preached some obscure vnknowne person to men they might worthily haue bene suspected But nowe who can doubt of theyr doctrine which preach and teach him who by his mighty resurrection hath vanquished the power of death hauing conquered all his aduersaries hath obtayned an euerlasting kingdome in Heauen This thing considered shal easily perswade vs to beleeue that Iesus Christ spake by his spirite in the Apostles to imbrace with all our hartes the thinges that they haue taught vs. Thirdly it behooued Christes resurrection to be well testified bicause in it consisteth all the strength and force of our redemption and saluatioin For wee reade that he promiseth vs in his Gospell oftentimes resurrectâ—on and life euerlasting He that heareth my woorde and beleeueth in him that sent mee hath life euerlasting and shall not come into iudgement but hath passed from death vnto lyfe This is the will of him that sent mee that euery one which seeth the Sonne and beleeueth in him hath lyfe euerlastyng and I shall rayse him vp agayne in the last day And in an other place he saith I am the resurrection and
through the power of the holy ghost the affections be bridled that would carye them awry Or what safetye can there be of publike weales which are not led with the spirite of God but with fleshly wisedome Whereas it is manifest that all good successe and felicitie dependeth of God Salomon the wysest of all men well marked this thing who hauing choyse giuen him of God to aske those thinges that are in greatest price amongest men despising all other craued of God the spirite of wisedome and of that true wisedome which he describeth in his booke of Prouerbes whose beginning and roote is the feare of the Lorde And woulde to God they woulde often remember this that are Rulers in the Church and in the common weale For the same woulde both kindle in them an ardent desire to prayer and godlynesse and woulde make them more listen to the worde of God wherevpon coulde not but ensue a true and perfite safetie of the people committed to their charge But before we depart from this place two things remayne to be discussed which may profitably be gathered of the promise of the holye ghost made to the Apostles For first it hereby appereth that the holy ghost was the auctor of the Apostles doctrine and therefore the same ought to be esteemed as proceeding from God and not from man For where they tooke vppon them to preach after they had receyued the holye ghost which according to Christes promise taught them all truth surely all their teaching must be referred to the same spirite So wee must holde the dignitie and authortie thereof as great as Christ maketh it which sending forth his Disciples to preach sayth He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me With the which argument Paule seemeth to be encouraged to say If an Angell from heauen teache you anye other Gospell beside that which wee haue preached let him be accursed For how great soeuer the maiestie and the glory of Angels is yet if the same be compared with the holy ghost by whom they were created it is of no value We haue therfore in this place what to aunswere to them which hearing vs reiect and condemne the traditions of men crye out that the Apostles were men likewise and thinke hereby to prooue that eyther the Apostles doctrine must likewyse be reiected or else some place is left in the church for mans traditions And in deede we are not ignorant that the Apostles were men But bicause they spake not as men nor in their teaching declared not the cogitations of men but according as the holy ghost inspired their harts shewed the mysteries of saluation and of the kingdome of heauen therfore their opinions by no meanes must be reckoned amongst the traditions of men Secondly this place teacheth vs that nothing ought to be taught and preached in the Church but that that is deliuered by the holy ghost For the Church is the house of God in which the onely voyce of the goodman of the house is to be hearde and according to his prescript all things ought to be ordered And as the Bryde obeyeth the onely voyce of the Brydegrome and is not iudged chaste if she giue eare to the entysements or promises of shamelesse suters so where the sonne of God hath espoused to himselfe the congregation of the faithfull washed with his owne bloud and hath made vs partakers of all his goodes whch is the proper ende of mariage we may not follow any other voyce than that whereby Christ the Bridegrome calleth vs vnto him Further for that Christ hath made vs the sheepe of his pasture and hath redeemed vs with the losse of his owne bloude it behooueth vs to follow his voyce and not to harken to the voyce of any straunger or hyreling Neyther is their opinion to be receiued which thinke it an errour worthye of pardon to chaunge and alter somewhat in the doctrine of faith and saluation so that in all things God onely might be worshipped For to graunt that such haue a zeale of God yet bicause they want the knowledge of the truth they can no more please God than did the Iewes in time past which being inflamed with the zeale of God went about to establishe their owne righteousnesse and reiected that righteousnesse which God offreth vs in his sonne to be imbraced by faith And surely if our zeale had bene sufficient in so weighty a matter it had bene but vaine for the Apostles to haue looked for the sending of the holye ghost why did they not therfore steppe forth to preache and according to the godlye intent of their minde teach the people what they thought belonged to the honor of God and glory of Christ But Christes commaundement stopped them who as he elsewhere appointed them to preach the things he taught them so without the conduct of the holye ghost he will they shall not take vppon them to preach least that being beguiled with the counsell of mans wisedome or seduced by corrupt affections of the flesh they should swarue from the right way And we reade that the olde Prophets were bounde by the same commaundement also in whome the Apostle plainely testifieth that the spirite of Christ did speake It is sayde to Hieremie Behold I haue put my words in thy mouth And God sayth to Ezechiel Thou shalt heare woordes from my mouth and shalt warne them from me Therefore it is a wicked and monstrous temeritie of some men which thinke they haue authoritie to coyne newe articles of the faith and to thrust into the Church traditions inuented by mans brayne And who I praye you woulde thinke him a faithfull friende of the Bridegroomes which woulde not feare to intice and inuegle the Bryde to his lure and purpose Let them therefore which teach in the Church receyue all their doctrine at the mouth of god He speaketh vnto vs in the Scriptures by his holye spirite Let them therefore reade them and they shall not erre But let vs returne to Christes wordes from whence we digressed For he going about to render a cause of his commaundement sayth Of whom you haue hearde of mee For Iohn truely baptised with water but you shall be baptised with the holy ghost after not many dayes These words haue a confirmation of promise and consolation very necessary For as there were diuers other things which might make the Apostles carefull in the consideration of their office so there was no little cause to feare them least some incommoditie might arise of the stay and tariaunce of the holy ghost Therefore to take awaye all feare hee repeateth his promises not in the same words that are in the Euangelists but with such as might bring to their remembrance Iohn the Baptistes saying touching this matter which was verye needefull to be done by reason of the great authoritie that Iohn had amongst all men Neyther ought it to seeme an absurde thing
the people all the world besides being fallen to superstition and Idolatrie But neyther the paucitie of his houshold was able to bereaue him of saluation nor the multitude of his aduersaries to condemne him yea where al the world beside perished he was saued and hath God both to allowe and defend his faith The same we may say of Loth liuing among the Sodomites Besides this Elias onely setteth himselfe aswell against al the Priests of Baal as against king Achab al his Courtyers in the quarell of faith and religion And Micheas alone encountreth with three hundred false Prophetes whome the king fauoured and maintayned Therfore it is meete that we regarde rather the very doctrine of truth which comming from the mouth of God is contayned in the holye Scripture than the authoritie of men Forasmuch as all men are lyars and God alone true in his saying It is profitable also to consider what Peter doth who rising vp amongst the Disciples proposeth this thing to bee entreated of openlye amongst them all Herehence the Bishops of Rome seeke the defence of their supremacie or rather tyranny as also of other places that seeme to attribute any prerogatiue of superioritie to Peter They seeme to mee to doe as men which are in daunger in deepe gulfes and ryuers For as they vse to catch holde of euery thing that commeth next to their hande so these men snatch at euery thing whereby to defende the dignitie of their supremacie so battred nowe and shaken that it threatneth the catholyke and vniuersall ruine therof By this meanes they challenge to Peter the keyes of the kingdome of heauen which yet were giuen to all the Apostles at once as is euident to be seene in Iohn the .xx. Chapter So they contend that the charge of Christs flocke is committed to Peter onely as to the chiefe consider not what iniury they doe to the residue of the Apostles as though Christ had made them feeders of swyne and Asses and not of his sheepe After lyke maner where they nowe heare howe Peter speaketh first in the congregation by and by they make him Christs Uicar the head of the Churche and the chiefe of the Apostles And going farther they take all this honor to themselues as to the lawfull and ordinary successors of Peter But howe vayne and friuolous these things are the matter it selfe declareth For Peter prescribeth nothing of his owne heade as any ruler of the Church or Lorde ouer the other Apostles but being in the middest of the Disciples as his equals and fellowes proposeth a matter of great weyght to be intreated of indifferently amongst them all In the which treatie hee leaueth to euery man free libertie according as God should put in their harts by his spirite to saye or to doe And that he speaketh first was done by the speciall instinct of the holy ghost which by this meanes would make the example of grace that Christ shewed in Peter being receyued againe into fauour after his foule fall more euident and manifest Furthermore in that the other paciently heare him speake it is a token of vnanimitie which Luke before attributed to them and is not done so much for superiorities sake as for order without which nothing in the Church or common weale can continue in safety Wherfore Paule commaundeth all things in the Church to be done comely and in order As touching the state of the Apostles he maketh them all fellowes and equals and where in one place he calleth himselfe the least of the Apostles hauing respect to the vnworthynesse of his former lyfe the same speaking of the ministery feareth not to match himselfe with Peter saying He that was mighty in Peter in the Apostleship ouer the Circumcision the same was also mighty in me among the Gentyles And meaning to roote out from amonge the Corinthians the sectes of them that helde of Paule Peter and Apollo he sayth What is Paule what is Apollo but ministers by whom you haue beleeued euen as the Lorde gaue euerye man grace Peter himselfe acknowledgeth the same who within a little after speaking of Iudas witnesseth that he had receyued a part in the ecclesiasticall ministery And if Iudas had a part therein what ignorance shall it be to ascribe and pull the whole vnto Peter Unlesse perhaps wee will saye that Peter for fauour flattered the wicked traytour and woulde transferre to the childe of perdicion that which belonged onely vnto hymselfe But whereto vse wee so manye wordes seeing it is plaine that Iesus Christ diuers times rebuked with great seueritie the ambicious desire of supremacie that was among his Apostles It is knowne what is written of this matter And Peter earnestly admonisheth the pastors of the Church to beware that they take vpon them no Lordship ouer the Church which is called Christes patrimonye and the lot of his enheritance For whome shall we thinke to be of such great authoritie to be worthy to haue rule and dominion ouer that precious flock that is redeemed with the bloud of Christ And if no man must beare rule ouer the Lordes flocke lyke as Princes of this world vse to doe how much more absurde shall it be for them which haue but one maner of charge in feeding the flocke to arrogate any Lordshippe or rule vnto themselues Therfore what else doe the Bishops of Rome by their so greedye desire of supremacie but forget the preceptes of Christ and bewraye themselues to be nothing lesse than Peters lawfull and true successors But let them passe and come we to Peters Oration And that consisteth of two parts First he pulleth that stumbling blocke out of the waye which myght trouble the mindes of the more simple and vnlearned sort For when they sawe that Iesus Christ was betrayed by Iudas and afterwarde perished himselfe most miserablye both body and soule it was an easie matter for them eyther to doubt whether Christ knewe all thinges or else to suspect all the sort of the Apostles togither with their doctrine Therfore Peter doth not without a cause aunswere this great inconuenience in the beginning of his Oration On the other side he exhorteth the Disciples that they will appoint some other in Iudas roume least his falling from the fayth myght any thing preiudice Christes institution The first part he beginneth with the testimony of holy scripture wherin he plainly vttereth the euerlasting purpose of Gods prouidence which is a most strong reason to put awaye offences that is to beleeue that nothing commeth to passe by chaunce but by the decree and will of god Wherfore he sayth ye men and brethren it behooued thys Scripture shoulde be fulfilled which the holy ghost spake before by the mouth of Dauid touching Iudas which was guide to them that tooke Iesus The sense of which words seemeth me to be this I would not O brethren haue any of you to be offended at the cruell deede of Iudas
prophecied by the instinct of the same spirite And Paule meaneth the same where he sayth the Scripture is inspired of God. The vses of these places be that we acknowledging the dignitie and authoritie of the Scriptures might take whatsoeuer is sayde in the same to be the worde of God and that we should not thinke it lawfull for vs by any meanes to gainesay his commaundementes The Apostle goeth forth with the first part of his Oration and declareth diligently the dignitie of Iudas which he had aswell as the other Apostles before he fell For he sayth which was numbred with vs and had obtayned fellowship in this ministration For some man might thinke Iudas was in deede accounted amongst the Apostles but for none other cause but to make vp the number being otherwise a vayne man of no estimation But Peter aunswereth this obiection saying he was not onely of the number of the Apostles but had obtayned fellowship in the administration The Euangelists beare witnesse of the same accounting him with them which Christe sent forth to preache whyle he was here on earth and which had power giuen them to worke myracles which returned to Christ and told him the good successe they had in the time of their Ambassage And so little is Iudas seperated from the number of them in any place that euen then the Euangelists saye he was of their number when they tell of that heynous deede which he committed in betraying of Christ. And what shall we saye is the cause that so often mention is made of this matter both before and is nowe agayne by Peter repeated Would the holy ghost eyther flatter wicked Iudas or stayne the order of the Apostles with this blot No. Yea he teacheth vs another thing both most worthy and necessary to be marked that is that wee should take no offence at the faults of excellent men and that bicause of their falles we should not rashly condemne all other of their vocation which manye vse foolishlye to doe in the faultes of those of the ministerie For when they see some great fall in such as before they woondred at by reason of their syncere doctryne ioyned with wisedome and constancie not contented to be offended at their vyces only they open their mouth against the whole order of the ministerye crying out that they are all dissemblers and knaues and goyng yet farther feare not to call their doctrine in question and doubt Therefore Iesus Christ foreseeing that the ministers of his worde were men and myght sometymes greuously fall by reason of humane fragilitie least any man being offended at their vyces shoulde vtterlye condemne the doctrine of the Gospel he would forwarne them by certaine faults of the Apostles chiefly by the horrible fall of Iudas For if the Apostles had bene cleere of al faults we shoulde not without a cause in these dayes doubt of their doctrine whom we see oftentimes greeuously to fal But forasmuch as neyther the crime of ambicion which Christ many times reprehended in them nor the fowle fall of Peter denying his mayster nor the heynous offence of Iudas betraying him derogateth any whit from the doctrine of the Gospell hee is surely verye foolishe which is so offended at the vices of the ministers that for the vices sake he will accuse the doctrine of truth of falshoode Yea there is no vocation of men but hath both good and badde in it And if nothing were wanting in the order of the Apostles by Iudas fall for it is supplyed by Matthias succeeding how much lesse by his fall shall any thing be derogated from the Apostles doctrine Neyther saye I this for that I woulde open any gappe to Ministers to lyue euer the more lycentiously For wee knowe that the greater their offence is the more grieuous shall their punishment be But we giue counsell to the weake that they throwe not awaye the wholesome doctrine of the truth to their great daunger with the naughty life of the Ministers wherof Christ gaue vs a warning speaking of the Iewish Scribes in this wise The Scribes and Phariseys sit in the chayre of Moses All thinges therfore that they commaunde you to obserue that obserue and doe but doe not ye after their workes for they say and doe not Moreouer the consideration of these things put away an other stumbling blocke For this is the common case of the faithfull of Christ and of all the Church to be most in daunger of their owne acquaintance Godlye Abell was slaine by his owne brother of father and mother Ioseph was sold by his owne brethren And Moses findeth his brethren the Israelites for whose sake he forsooke the riches pleasures of Egypt more vnkind almost than the Egyptians Dauid also complayneth most of their lying in waite which sometymes were of his most familiarest friendes And wee daylye finde that saying of Christ true A mans enimies be they of his owne house And these thinges offende many a man being grieued that their owne friendes mindes be estraunged from them and then begin they wrongfully to deny many things of the doctrine by them preached supposing it to be the chiefe cause of such discention and diuision To speake nothing in the meane season of them which thinke the condicions of the godlye to be so harde and sharpe that a man cannot long continue friendship with them And this one example aunswereth all these men where wee are taught howe the sonne of God the singular patterne of all myldenesse and humilitie was betrayed of his owne familiar and domesticall Disciple Why therefore shall wee promyse our selues anye thing of mans propertie and condicion Or shall we thinke it vnmeete to be in the same state that the sonne of God was in for our sake But let vs returne to Peter who as he hath set forth the former dignity that Iudas had and his heynous offence so he liuely paynteth out his horrible ende and as it were setteth it before our eyes to looke vpon and beholde not thereby to satisfie his minde as one burning in hatred with the remembraunce of so wretched a man but for that he woulde kindle in all mens mindes a certaine feare of God and a desire of true godlynesse by making mention of so horrible an example And it was to a good purpose to make mention hereof seeing they consulted about choosing a newe Apostle to th ende they shoulde be brought to a diligent consideration of their office and to a feruent desire of accomplishing the same Therfore he sayth And he truly possessed a plot of grounde with the rewarde of iniquitie and when he was hanged burst a sunder in the middest and all his bowels gushed out And it is knowne vnto all the inhabiters of Hierusalem in so much that the same fielde is called in their mother tongue Acheldama that is to saye the bloudy fielde It behooueth to consider all these things in such order as
denie it For whosoeuer hath any taste of the doctrine of the gospell shall confesse that the preaching therof beateth downe the same Neyther doth the spirite of Christ by outwarde worde onely oppugne the same but it also consecrateth the minds vnto God that they which a little while ago were the bondslaues of sinne are now become the Temples of the liuing god In the meane season we denie not but there are many which abuse the colour of the gospell to sow dissention and to plant libertie But ought the gospell to be charged therewith I pray you what wise man condemneth the Magistrate bicause diuers vnder the colour thereof haue become Tyrauntes and oppressors of the libertie of their Countrie Why doe we not rather marke the vse of the Magistrate which is appointed for that ende that the lust of priuate persons should be restrayned and violence and tyrannie be brideled Euen so let vs confesse that the right vse of the Gospell and effect of the holye ghost is onely to set vp true concorde and holly honestie of life Nay if we shall confesse the truth there is none other concorde acceptable before God than that which is amonge the faythfull in Iesus Christ which are borne againe of the worde and spirite of god Neyther can there be any other true holinesse and innocencie than that whereof Christes spirite is the Author For that holinesse which men counterfaite without his spirite is hippocriticall and is not able to abide the iudgement of God as straunge from the righteousnesse of Christ which vseth to supplie all the defectes and wantes of the faythfull Now to these aforesayde poyntes Luke ioyneth the maner of his sending which was visible both bicause the Apostles might conceyue through presence of the spirite the greater confidence and boldnesse to go about their office and also for our cause that it might appeare how Iesus Christ neuer forsaketh his Church but defendeth it by his inuisible grace which he declared by the sending of his holy spirit For hereto serueth that notable promise I will not leaue you comfortlesse And againe Beholde I am with you vntill the ende of the worlde But touching the maner howe this thing was here done three things remaine to be discussed First there was sodainly a noyse from heauen And it is not without a mysterie that these things come to passe sodainly or vnlooked for For this is alwayes Gods vsage that he then most truely performeth his promises when we least looke for them yea when there is no more helpe remayning in man So he performeth his promise in deliuering his people out of the bondage of Egypt foure hundred yeares after the Israelites were bereft of all libertie and were constrayned to beholde most horrible examples of Tyrannie in their newe borne babes and haue nothing safely to trust vnto So in this place he sendeth the holy ghost now sodainely when they least thought of it whose comming he had deferred now a .xj. daies long We are taught by these examples paciently to wayte for the promises of god For where God is truth it selfe he cannot deceiue And forasmuch as he is our Lord we his seruaunts it becommeth vs to attende his leysure and not to prescribe him any time Tarie thou the Lordes leysure sayth Dauid be stronge and he shall comfort thine heart and put thou thy trust in the Lorde And the Prophete sayth If he tarie yet wayte thou for him For in verie deede he will come and not be slacke And such a noyse and sounde came from heauen bicause wee might knowe that the holye Apostles endued with an heauenly and diuine spirite were become preachers of an heauenly and diuine doctrine and not mans the aucthoritie and credite whereof might be called in doubt This serueth to confute the foolishnesse of such as with the ritche glutton require teachers to come from an other worlde from heauen or from hell And whatsouer thinges are sayde of mans saluation and dutie they reiect with this scoffe saying there was yet neuer none that came eyther from heauen or hell to tell vs what is there to do So they disclose how theyr wicked mindes are voyde of all religion For onlesse these wicked men had vtterly put away all shamefastnesse they would know that the sonne of God came downe from heauen into fleshe and rose againe from death and most faythfully declared vnto vs the mysteries of the kingdome of heauen They would know that the holy ghost came downe from heauen and spake these things by the Apostles which they haue taught vs touching the meane of our saluation and what our dutie is But he that would require any newe kinde of learning yea though an Aungell brought it from heauen he ought not to be beleeued but accursed Secondly a certaine blast or violent winde russhing in filled all the house where the Apostles dwelt And that the spirite is signifyed by blast or winde it is no doubt bicause the very name of spirite is a borrowed speache and the diuine power is so called for that it pierceth and by his power conserueth all things And the Hebrues vse this worde Ruach which is as well vsed for the winde as for the spirite Christ woulde in this place therefore vse the token of winde to set before our eyes as it were the strength and efficacie of the holy spirite which is incomprehensible to mans capacitie and can be attayned to by no power of man It is better to here himselfe interpretate the same thing For reasoning with Nicodemus of the operation of his spirite by the which they that beleeue are borne againe he sayth The winde bloweth where it will and thou hearest the noyse thereof but knowest not whence it commeth nor whither it goeth For as the wit of man coulde not hitherto shewe vs for a certayntie the causes and begynnynges of the wynde although they haue long and much searched for the same so the operation of the holy spirite farre passeth the capacitie of man although we effectuallye feele the same in our hartes And euen as the blowyng of windes can not be let by any deuice or force of men so the spirite of Christ which worketh by the gospell feareth not the strength of men nor is not hindred therby to shew his power where and when he wyll Yea foolishe and ridiculous is the endeuour of them whosoeuer wyll striue with God to bryng the spirite and worde of God to their bent wyl holde them within boundes of them appoynted Examples hereof we haue euery where but the Apostles examples of right ought to haue the first place They were commaunded of the Lorde that they should fyll all the world with their preachyng This seemed a thing impossible to be done by simple vnlearned men despised persons Yea as many as were counted eyther of power or wisdome in the worlde withstoode them Yet the spirite of Christe by the ministerie of the
contemneth the authoritie of Christ by whose institution the same was commended Last of all he speaketh of prayers which we suppose ought to be vnderstanded of publike prayers For Luke meaneth not to tell what euery man did priuately at home in his owne house but what the publike exercises of the Churche were He did not thinke it good to forget publyke prayers which Christ commended vnto vs by a notable promise where he sayth If two of you agree in earth vpon any maner of thing whatsoeuer they desire they shall haue it of my father which is in heauen And wee reade in Ioël the Prophete that publike prayers are greatly commended in times of affliction For where God reioyceth in the vnanimitie of the godly and faithfull he cannot choose but graunt the prayers of a great many which with one hart and mouth as it were burst in vpon him And if we diligently consider the manifolde hazardes on euery side of vs it shall appeere they are not without a cause commended vnto vs Wherefore their blindenesse and slouthfulnesse is greatly to be bewayled which both priuately in their owne house call very seldome vpon God and openly despise and neglect the publike prayers of the Church yea rascallye deride the holye assemblies which the Church hath ordeyned for preaching of the worde and for publike prayers Here therefore we haue the exercises of the primitiue Church which no man I thinke will denie to be both Apostolike and Christian. That Church continued in the Apostolike doctrine by meane whereof it was gathered togither and by baptisme It did exercise mutuall and publike beneuolence and liberalitie towardes all Nations It obserued the order of the mysticall supper as Christ did institute it It continued stedfastlye and dailye in praying Whosoeuer endeuour in these dayes thus to doe ought to be taken for the members of the Church and for Christians although they be hated and despised of all the worlde beside And whosoeuer we see estraunged deuided from these wayes it is impossible they should eyther be Christians or Apostolike The worshippers of the sea of Rome glory now a dayes in the title of the Church condemne vs of heresie bicause we are departed from them But they must first prooue that the name of the Church ought to be with them If they deserue the title of the Church why neglect they the Apostles doctrine why doe they persecute it with fire and sworde why lode they them with newe traditions whom Christ hath made free from the yoake of the lawe by the price of his owne bloude why doe they riotously spende the goodes of the Church giuen by the liberalitie of Princes and priuate men to relieue the poore with and for the most part bestowe them on ruffyans iesters and buggered boyes why prophane they the supper of the Lorde and turne it into a sacrifice for the quicke and the deade why haue they in steede of publike prayers brought in a roaring and yelling of an outlandishe tongue These things might be dilated at large so that all men might see they are most vnworthy the name of the Church But it sufficeth to diligent hearers of the worde to giue but an occasion to consider further hereof In the meane season let none amongst vs that glory in the name of the Gospell thinke all is well at home seeing that in vs also remaine many things to be amended The doctrine of the Apostles soundeth in our Churches but how little a great many set by it the thing it selfe declareth The studie of charitie and distribution is waxed colde The vse of the supper with some is farre degenerated from the primitiue simplicitie with other some it is made little account of What negligence reigneth in publike prayers maye be iudged by the Church assemblies to the which verye fewe vse to come and they seldome times Wherefore we also must frame our selues better to the primitiue order if we also will not in vaine bragge of the Church But some maye marueyle by what succour or defence the primitiue Church coulde liue in safetie among suche professed enimies in so bloud-thirstie a Citie This Luke declareth saying feare came vpon euery soule and manye woonders and signes were shewed by the Apostles The myndes therefore of the wicked were bridled with a certaine secret feare They saw the marueylous boldenesse of the Apostles and their bolde libertie of speach They sawe them who not long before were enimies of Christ sodenly chaunged They saw signes and wonders wrought by the Apostles They marueyle therefore and are amazed Adde herevnto the spirite of Christ which as he worketh in the elect a childely feare hope fayth and obedience so he horribly troubleth and feareth the wicked with the conscience of their sinne They feare therefore to beginne any thing against the greene springth of christ So God can defende his sheepe in the middest of the woolues For we depend not vpon the will or power of our enimies but vpon the counsell of Gods prouidence With this we reade the Patriarches sometime were defended among the bloudy Nation of the Chanaanites the Lorde thundering in their mindes Touch not mine annoynted c. With the same succour and defence is the Church garded also in these dayes wherewith Christ hath promised alwaies to be present These things ought to stirre vs vp and to embolden vs We haue professed in our baptisme to serue Christ. Let vs giue our selues to such things as become Christians and let vs not feare the enterprises of the worlde For fayth which is our victorie ouercommeth the worlde With this let vs embrace Christ truely who being our Capitaine and Protector we shall be able to ouercome To him be blessing honour power and glory for euer Amen The .xix. Homelie AND all that beleued kept themselues togither and had all things common and solde their possessions and goodes and parted them to all men as euery man had neede And they continued dailye with one accorde in the Temple and brake breade from house to house and did eate their meate togither with gladnesse and singlenesse of heart praysing God and had fauour with all the people And the Lorde added to the congregation dailye such as shoulde be saued AS God woulde haue all the meane of our saluation comprehended in his onlye sonne Iesus Christ so is it manifest that the same appertayneth onelye to them which be members of hys Church For the Church is commonlye called his bodye bicause it is by fayth vnited and knit to one heade which is Christ which poureth into all hys members the spirite of health and life And as it cannot be that a member deuided from the bodye can feele any part of liuely spirite that commeth from the heade so is it impossible that they can be quickened with the spirite of Christ which are deuided from the Church which is his body And bicause all sectes that euer were or yet be chalenge to them
cannot shut vp the bowels of pitie Ouer and besides this the first beleeuers were to be envred by this voluntarye contribution to take the more paciently the losse of their goodes which shortly after should ensue when persecution arose seeing they had learned before to bestow them on others and were contented themselues to liue with a little Therefore this place ministreth no example of confusion whereby these phrenetike disturbers of common weales may be mainteyned but only a certayne liberalitie towardes the poore is in this place commended which God would haue alwayes to flourish in his Church We know what God sayth Deuter. 15. Let there be no begger at all amongst you Yet God was not ignorant there woulde be alwayes that shoulde be pinched with penurie But that the same shoulde runne vagarant about as publike spectacles of pouertie and beggerie is most contrary to the nature of charitie whervnto all Gods people are bounde And there are diuers other lawes of God extant whereby an order is declared howe the poore may be commodiouslye prouided for that they neede not go begging from doore to doore Hereof it commeth to passe that the Prophetes in euery place commend the poore vnto vs And Christ doth vouchsafe so to commende the care and helpe that ought to be taken for them that he testifyeth he will in the later daye reward them that haue done good to the poore for his sake euen as though they had done it to himselfe which order and institution was of such force and authoritie with the Apostles that they were not ashamed to make prouision for the poore Yea when Paule and Barnabas had declared the trade of their ministerie to Iohn Peter and Iames they thought good to admonish them of this one thing that they shoulde not neglect the poore whome they knewe Christ had so diligently commended vnto them Besides that Paule exhorteth the Corinthians that they shoulde not onely see for the prouision of their owne poore but also where they were very rich they shoulde helpe the needye brethren at Ierusalem which were verye poore And surely it is euident that our predecessors had a great care herof if we consider the donations and foundations both of Princes and priuate men which with greater liberalitie had giuen their goodes to the Church to the ende that both puritie of doctrine myght be preserued and the poore and needy relieued and helped But in these dayes religion is growne into such contempt that they are very fewe and scant which will giue ought of their owne but euery where there are ynough which wil rape and reue and prodigally waste that which others haue giuen They shall one daye prooue that Christ is a reuenger which will not contemne the crye of his poore and will most seuerely reuenge the spoyle and waste of his Church And it is to be feared least they shall leaue them to the wicked enimies of the Churche and fayth to be rifled bicause they disdaine to bestowe them on their euen Christians the brethren of Christ. But let vs returne to Luke which describeth the publyke and holy assembly of the Church where he sayth they continued euery day in the temple with one accorde Then they came oftentimes togither in the temple not for that they would be at the Iewes sacrifices which they knew were abolished through the bloude of Christ but bicause of the concourse of the people that they might teach and winne the more vnto christ By this example we are taught to seeke occasion on euery side to set forth the kingdome of Christ and for this cause the people ought oftentimes to meete togither that there may be the greater number to heare the worde of god For where the faithfull are gouerned by the light of the truth they cannot be ashamed thereof and seeke not darckenesse and corners as they doe whose workes be euill Uerily we reade that Christ taught alwayes openly and thereby excused himselfe both when he was taken and afterwarde also before Caïphas And Paule the Apostle in his first Epistle to the Corinthians the .xj. and .xiiij. Chap. diligently describeth the publike assemblies and holy meetinges which he woulde neuer haue done if he had not vnderstoode they had bene of much force to the setting forth of Gods true religion Two thinges are ascribed to the primitiue Church continuance togither and vnanimitie of mindes which are needefull at all times but specially in assemblies and Churche meetinges For where God as it hath otherwheare bene sayde hath commended them by a singuler promise such an earnest studie and perseuerance in keeping the same is meete for Christians Againe where these assemblies are made both for doctrine sake for publike prayers and vse of the sacramentes vnanimitie for this purpose is chiefly requisite With this it becommeth Ministers of the word to be ioyned togither least they be authors of partaking and sectes suche as we knowe were once in the Church of Corinth but let them with one accord vrge set forth the doctrine of truth labor to bring Disciples vnto Christ as he commaunded in the .xxviij. chap. of Mathew That vnanimitie in praiers is of great weight before god appeereth hereby bicause mutuall loue is euery where commaunded and Christ earnestly desireth of his father that all the beleeuing may be one as he and his father are one The same reason may be made also of the sacramentes For where they seale vnto vs the benefites of Christ and are tokens and pledges of the fellowship and vnitie which we haue in Christ by the vsing wherof we are taken into one body with Christ it cannot be that they can vse them duly which are at enmitie amongest themselues These things ought well to haue bene considered in these dayes where there is great faulte committed on all sides For they that glorye in the doctrine of the Gospell and haue enioyed the same a long whyle waxe slacke for the most part and are quite voyde of perseuerance as though they had attayned already to perfection and had now no more to doe They are deuided into diuers and sundry sectes and one of them excōmunicateth another So that it must needes come to passe that Paule sayth If you byte and deuoure one another take heede least you be likewise consumed one of another And it is no marueyle that the Gospell doth no better succeede and go forwarde considering those men are neither feruent in perseuerance nor ioyned togither in vnanimitie in whome the same of all other is chiefely required Let who so will reade Eusebius preface vpon the eyght booke of the Ecclesiasticall hystorie and he shall finde a most liuely description of these times and what we may looke for Unto these Luke ioyneth the trade of lyfe that these first Christians liued in priuately among themselues And they brake breade sayth he from house to house and did eate their meate togither with singlenesse
beside these called Saduceyes who plainely scoffed at all religion For they denyed the resurrection of the bodye and whatsoeuer else is written of the mysteries of eternall life as may be seene Math. 22. and Actes 23. And it can not be that any syncere religion coulde be in them which durst denye these things without the which religion coulde not stande And if we expende the matter well it shall appeare that the same men came against the Apostles which were sent out to take Christ at mount Oliuete as Luke in his Gospell sheweth Let vs here marke who are alwayes like to be the greatest enimies of the Church and doctrine of Christ and authors of persecution Uerily the Priestes that is to say those which take vpon them the gouernance of doctrine and of the whole Church For as soone as they being ouercome with ambition and couetousnesse beginne to seeke priuate honour and chaunge religion into lucre which the storie of the Gospell abundantly declareth those Iewish doctors did Math. 7.23 Iohn 5. c. it can not be chosen but they will be the first to withstand the truth bicause they are the first that are reproued through the light of the truth Hereof we see it commeth to passe in all ages that these kinde of men haue procured most trouble agaynst the doctrine of truth The times that the Prophets liued in declare this to be true against whome the Bishops and Priestes made most a do The same Iohn the Baptist prooued true whose doctrine and Baptisme the Leuites sent from Ierusalem beganne first to reprehend And Christ had no sorer enimies than the Priestes through whose deuises he was taken condemned and nayled to the crosse The Apostles nowe finde the same to be their grieuousest enimies And those whom Pylate and the Romaine garrison hytherto suffred to preache Christ are disturbed by them whose fauour and defence they ought to haue had in setting forth the kingdome of christ Let vs remember this geare and not be troubled though we perceyue those against vs in these dayes which hitherto haue chalenged to themselues in the Church the name of learning and holynesse I meane the Popes with all the rable of Bishops and Monkes For where it is euident they are all ledde with couetousnesse and ambition and haue long since obscured the doctrine of truth with mannes traditions and haue made lucre of religion it cannot be but they must hate the light of the truth and wish the extinguishment thereof But let vs consider the craft which they vse in setting vppon the Apostles First they enter not into the Church alone and so laye hande vpon the Apostles For so all men woulde haue perceyued howe they had beene led with the desire of their priuate honor and lucre And it was a daungerous matter for them to prouoke the furie and rage of the people against them Wherefore they ioyne vnto them the ruler of the Temple who was authorised by publike order to see there shoulde be no businesse made in the Church and so they woulde seeme to haue a regard of publike tranquillitie where in deede they did it for none other purpose but to vse the ayde of the officer for the defence of their tyrannie Then ioyne they also vnto them the Saduceyes men voyde of all religion bicause they thought such meetest for their purpose For such men as these thinke it a poynt eyther of a foolishe or a seditious minde contrary to custome to alter any thing in religion Last of all they rushe in vpon them as they be in their sermon and that sodenly bicause they would feare the people withall Wherevpon we may thinke they had consulted hereof before and that they did nothing at aladuenture or without deliberation The like craft haue all they vsed against the truth which nowe these many yeares haue conspired against the same For Daniel attributeth to Antichrist the eyes of a man that is to say witte and wylinesse to foresee things And Christ sayth the children of this worlde are wyser in their kinde than the children of lyght And surelye if we well consider the hystories of the Bishops of Rome we shall see they haue vsed the lyke wylinesse these many yeares and that they haue then chiefely set forwarde their owne matters when they haue seemed to do nothing lesse and being bolstred vp by the secular powers haue clymed vp to such rule and tyrannie as nowe they exercise So Boniface the thirde made Phocas embrued with the heynous murther of Maurice his maister the Emperour to thintent that he againe might make him the supreme head of the Church So by the strength of the Lumbardes they draue the Emperors of Greece out of Italie and when the Lumbardes seemed to them more intollerable than the Greekes they vsed the Frenchmens ayde to subdue the Lumbardes Neyther made they Charles Emperor of the west Church where the Romaines had bene without an Emperour more than three hundred yeares for any other cause but to haue a Captaine or ruler of the Church whose ayde and helpe they might vse to defende their vsurped power ouer the Church and to brydle such as woulde speake against it They most plainely bewrayed their meaning when they conueyed the Empire to the Germaines and caused the Emperours to sweare homage and obedience to them and reserued the authoritie of confirming and crowning the Emperour to themselues least any other than such as woulde doe after their pleasure should ascende to such dignitie They shall confesse that I say the truth whosoeuer will reade the fourme of oth wherwith the Emperours are bounde and which they haue put among the Canons of their lawe and also the Canon of Boniface the eyght concerning maioritie and obedience For he speaking of two swordes that is of the ecclesiasticall and secular power doth expressely chalenge them both vnto the Bishops of Rome in these words Both are in the power of the Church namely the spirituall swoorde and the materiall But the one to bee exercised of the Church the other for the Church The one by the hande of the Priest the other by the hande of Princes and souldiours but at the becke and sufferaunce of the priest c. Let vs therefore acknowledge the truth of the olde President when we see Bishops fight against the truth with force of kinges Let vs marke the subtiltie of this beast which compasseth hir matters by strength of others Let vs consider hir continuall traueyâ—e in oppressing the truth and not iudge of them according to our leysinesse They wake when we soundly snort Let vs therfore awake likewise and according to Christes admonition beware of men Howbeit it might seeme a straunge and tyrannicall deede violently to carie men awaye without order of lawe Therefore Luke sheweth what their pretence was They tooke it grieuously sayth he that they taught the people and preached in Iesus the resurrection from the deade In these words he
and accused being at that time taken for the most abiect and despised men of all others hauing neyther nobilitie of birth renoume of succession neyther any other worldly dignitie or honor to commende them of and at whome many men were offended bicause of that slaunderous punishment of the crosse which Christ their maister and teacher suffered Yet the ende of this Tragedie sheweth howe they had the ouerhande of all these persons And let no man thinke it straunge to see such a sort and such maner of men come togither against the Preachers of the truth bicause the Euangelistes manye times shewe vs the reason thereof For where they were ledde with the desire of ambition and priuate lucre and had corrupted the doctrine of truth with the traditions of men and had turned godlynesse into lucre and gaine they were not able to abide the light of the truth the hatred whereof had armed them before against Christ and euen now pricketh them forward to ioyne agaynst the Apostles speedilye to make awaye with them like men that would vtterly quench some great fire begūne in a Citie The consideration hereof in the meane while serueth for our instruction For first we learne that no man ought to be offended at the power and authoritie of Christes enimies so that he eyther dishonestly be afrayde of them or else through any preposterous reuerence submit himselfe and Gods religion to their iudgement For as God can easilye defende those that be his against all the power of the worlde so is there no dignitie of man able to preiudice or countermaunde his worde The Byshops of Rome in these dayes challenge such an authoritie vnto them and imperiouslye inough require men to obey the decrees of their Counsels Their chiefe argumentes are that they sit in Peters chaire that they succeede in the roume of the Apostles that their power is confirmed by the authoritie of Kinges Princes And to graunt them these thinges which yet they falsely chalenge to themselues all these things we maye see here in the Iewes as erewhile we declared Yet for all that the Apostles doe not yeelde to them bicause they had long before swarued and gone out of kinde in that they had both corrupted the true doctrine made outwarde religion their priuate lucre and had openly persecuted Goddes veritie and truth Therefore where our case in these dayes is like why may not we doe as the Apostles did Neyther are they to be regarded which promise themselues I wote not what great commoditie of these mennes counsayles An euill tree cannot bring foorth good fruite And what goodnesse can they establishe which persecute the worde of God and studie both daye and night to establishe their tyrannie And who in their iudgementes haue longe agone condemned vs and haue none whome they stande in awe of They woulde haue the truth oppressed the light whereof they cannot abide Therefore whosoeuer woulde haue the truth betrayed let him commit the iudgement of doctrine and religion to these men But great is the blindenesse of our dayes whereby it commeth to passe that a great many both wittingly and willingly submit not onely religion but also all their goodes and the libertie of their Countrie to the insatiable lust of a sort of ambicious Prelates But it shall be good for vs to consider the question which the Iewishe Priestes vse against the Apostles being brought before them The same is comprehended in fewe wordes for that they woulde seeme to speake with authoritie and to fraye them with a vaine shewe of dignitie For they say By what power or in what name haue you done this These wordes seeme to haue some shewe of godly zeale For they will seeme by vertue of their office to demaund this thing as to whom it belonged to see that the people shoulde not be seduced eyther with false doctrine or false myracles Nowbeit in deede they demaunde it to trie if they coulde take any holde of their wordes whereby to accuse them which craft they many times also practised agaynst christ For what neede had they to demaund that thing againe wherof the Apostles before in the temple had rendred so euident a reason or had they forgotten that Iesus Christ through his owne power wrought myracles and the Apostles long before that in his name Therfore their desire was not to learne the truth but subtillye by craft to circumuent the vnwarie They are like the demaundes of them which now a dayes aske our men where they learned their newe doctrine by what authoritie they sowe new opinions and reforme their Churches Nowbeit we haue long sithence rendred a reason hereof whereof they are not ignorant Therefore it is a farre other thing than the desire of truth that these men be ledde with nay their whole drift and fetch is to catch some occasion or holde of some worde which might vnawares escape vs to accuse vs of Therefore we ought to suspect all such Counsels and deuises and as Christ taught vs to vse the wisedome of the serpent in auoyding them And we must not be afrayde of their craft seeing Christ hath promised vs his spirite wherewith Peter being prompted aunswered with great boldenesse of minde Peters aunswere consisteth of two partes whereof the one answereth the Iudges question and the other preacheth christ The first part he handleth with marueylous prudencie For before he sheweth that Christ is the author of the myracle he grauely reprehendeth their vnrighteousnesse and preposterous iudgement Yet not defrauding them of the honour due vnto magistrates by Gods commaundement least he might seeme to speake of corrupt affection or of ticklenesse of tongue Thus he sayth Ye rulers of the people and Elders of Israell if we this daye be examined of the good deede that wee haue done to the sicke man by what meanes hee is made whole bee it knowne vnto you all c. He seemeth thus to saye we marueyled trulye wherefore we were yesterdaye caried to the prison and what fault we had made that you so earnestly searched for For where it is the Magistrates dutie to enquire after malefactors and euill doers and we by our selues knewe none euill that we had committed we coulde not choose but marueyle much at your doing But as farre as we nowe can perceyue we are called before you for a benefite and good deede that we haue bestowed vpon a poore and pitifull man This seemeth me to be the sense of Peters woordes And in these thinges we haue painted out a plaine portraiture of the enimies of the truth by whose iudgement they only are in fault that only seeke to serue christ For howe many thinke we were then in Hierusalem which by craft lying slaundering vsurie extortion open force and manslaughter had hurt and hindered a many of men how many which through false doctrine superstition blasphemie and infinite other wickednesses had prouoked the wrath of God yet none of them were called Coram Neither could these notable
rage like the sea being troubled and tossed with the waues and sourges of affections We haue examples hereof euerywhere and in these dayes we see very many For who is ignoraunt howe the light of the Gospell is pierced so farre in our dayes that the very Popes haue many times confessed grieuous abuses in their Church They knowe also that not only the learned but also artificers mariners Carters ploughmen children and women can reason and iudge of religion They see euerywhere how they be reprooued in Sermons by the ministers of the worde howe the common people mocke them howe in publike songes they are nicked and accused and most liuelye set forth and portraytured in all kinde of pictures and payntinges And yet they still chalenge all kinde of iudgement in the Church Still they say they cānot erre forgetting vndoubtedly how they haue oftentimes confessed diuers abuses to be crept into the Church Yet they dare commaunde the Ministers to silence being not ignorant that though they holde their peace the stones will preach as these many yeares they haue prooued and tryed by their Pasquill Yet they still thinke the crakes of their Bulles and their vaine and counterfayte lightnings are of sufficient power to oppresse the truth of Christ now reigning O blinde and foolish people which see not so great light O wicked and deuilishe men which in the sight of all the worlde are not afrayde to striue against God But they shall one day feele howe vnhappy an ende they shall haue who being like vnto Saule will not haue Dauid to reigne ouer them and like vnto the Bishops of the Iewes go about to put Iesus Christ the sonne of Dauid out of his kingdome Furthermore we learne by the example of these men howe daungerous a thing it is to committe the rule and authoritie of the Church to men voyde of religion and the feare of god There can be no wisedome in them bicause the beginning of wisedome as Salomon witnesseth is the feare of the Lorde Therefore they runne beyonde the compasse of all reason into all kinde of licentious affections and then thinke they haue well discharged their office if they can notifye to all men that they are not vnder the checke eyther of Gods lawe or mannes It would therefore be chiefely regarded in all elections aswell of ciuill as ecclesiasticall gouernors that they shoulde haue a speciall care what religion they are of as Iethro counsayled Moyses whose aduise God well liked and approoued And let them which are put in office thinke that they haue not power giuen them to doe what they list but that their authoritie is restrained within the boundes of Gods lawe and religion and that they shall one daye giue an account vnto God who in the Scripture is sette forth for a paterne and president of all true iudgement If Magistrates consider not these things then is their power but in the hande as it were of a madde man and they shall be the destruction as well of their common weale as of themselues where they ought to be the fathers and preseruers of their countrie See the Psalme 94. c. Finally here may we behold as in a glasse the disposition and propertie of the worlde Here are three sorts of men all burning in hatred against the truth and desirous to haue Christes name extinguished The first sort be they which chalenge to themselues the glorye of mans redemption and saluation such as it appeareth the Priestes of the Iewes once were when they had turned the Temple and worship of God into a most filthy Fayer and market place as Christ vpbrayded them more than once Their successors in these dayes be those which say the keyes of the kingdome of heauen belong only vnto them and call sinners to kisse their feete selling to them remission and forgiuenesse of their sinnes saying it is in their power eyther to canonize men for Saints in heauen or else to throw them downe headlong into hell Who while they go about to establishe their owne glorie can by no meanes abide the name of Christ which ouerturneth all their gaine and glory The seconde sort is very like vnto these They will not affirme they can saue others but they thinke they are able to saue themselues and as Paule sayth going about with the Iewes to establishe their owne righteousnesse will not be vnder the righteousnesse of God which he giueth vs in his sonne These men stande to their fastinges holydayes almesses Rosaries lyings on the grounde ▪ Mattens Monkes and Friers Cowles hereclothes shauings pylgrimages and an infinite number of such like wherin they both waste and weare their bodies and spende much money These also are the enimies of christ For they see that if we admit Christ all their righteousnesse falleth to the grounde and that they are to be laughed at which wearie and toyle themselfe with such traueyle and are at so great cost and charge in vaine The thirde sort are openlye wicked and hogges of Epicures hearde which onely professe a name of religion bicause they would not be taken for prophane and godlesse people These men cannot abide the worde of God bicause it reprooueth their sinne and wickednesse as Christ sometime sayde For they perceyue that they must eyther chaunge their maners or else go for naughtie packes amongst all that are godly Yet can all the sort of them craftily dissemble their corrupt nature and will not seeme to wreake their owne quarrell they defame the doctrine of Christ of vprore and sedition saying it is cause of all trouble miserie and calamitie It is well knowne howe Achab sayd that Elias disturbed the whole Realme of Israell It is well knowne howe Amasias the Priest of Bethel said that Amos the Prophete conspired against the king and that the countrie coulde not abide his sermons Wherevnto also may be referred what the Iewes in Egipt charged Ieremy with to his face as we reade in the .xliiij. Chapter of his booke And it shall appeare hereafter that this people had none other pretence in the .v. Chapter Nay woulde God they were content to doe but as the world in time past did and woulde not shewe a worse nature in these dayes It is good for vs to know these things that it seeme no straunge matter vnto vs when we heare how Christes wholesome doctrine is forbidden Let vs follow the constancie of the Apostles whereof shall be spoken in the next Sermon that when we haue ouercome the menaces and attemptes of the worlde we may attaine to true saluation in Iesus Christ to whome be blessing honour power and glory for euer Amen The .xxix. Homelie BVT Peter and Iohn answered and sayde vnto them whether it be right in the sight of God to harken vnto you more than to God iudge you For we cannot but speake that which we haue seene and hearde So threatened they them and let them go and founde nothing howe
ryse agayne layde handes on him and bounde him And their offence is not much lesse who when they haue once or twyse bene in daunger for the name of Christ as though nowe they had done all their dutie shunne all daungers that after may ensue and auoyde all trouble that maye betyde vs for Christes sake And yet there be that offende more grieuously than these who to keepe themselues out of daunger feare not to denye the truth But we shoulde after Paules example finish our race and course For it is not in our power to appoynt our selues an ende of our labours and traueyle but we must abide the pleasure of the Lorde who although he deferre his helpe for a season yet will he not fayle them that firmely and constantly trust in him And he is not meete for the kingdome of Christ which hauing once set his hande to the plough looketh backe agayne but he shall be safe that continueth to the ende It is chiefely to be noted how the Aungell calleth the Gospell of Iesus Christ the worde of life It is adourned with diuers other names in the Scripture For it is called the worde of grace bicause it declareth the grace of God giuen vs in christ Paule calleth it the word of reconciliation bicause of Christ who hath reconcyled God the father vnto vs He also testifieth that it is the power of god vnto saluation In another place it is called the worde of truth and saluation But this is the excellentest name where it is called the worde of lyfe which is the proper and peculiar name belonging to it For both that immortall worde liueth and raygneth for euer and giueth life to al men which vouchsafe to embrace it with true faith For it preacheth to vs Iesus Christ which only hath the words of eternall lyfe It sheweth vs and giueth vs in him all thinges necessarye for our lyfe In him we haue forgiuenesse of our sinnes satisfaction righteousnesse sanctification pryce of our redemption and whatsoeuer other lyke And this worde doth not onely regenerate vs into the sonnes of God by fayth in him but also giueth vs being nowe regenerated the spirite of adoption by whome we crye Abba father which is the infallible pledge of our saluation And for this cause the doctrine of the Gospell excelleth all the wisedome of the world bicause it is the guide of eternall lyfe where the professours of other sciences cannot safely promise vs the safety of this present life Therfore it is truly compared to a most precious pearle and to an incomparable treasure for whose cause all men that desire true saluation ought willingly to lose and bestowe all their goodes Agayne bicause for Christes sake who is lyfe and saluation the Gospell is adourned with so singuler a title all those doctrines ought to be reputed for deadly and pestiferous that obscure the merite of Christ and pull mennes mindes from the fayth in him Which doctrines whosoeuer professe they are theeues and murtherers both for that they robbe Christ of his glorye and also for that in steede of the worde of lyfe they giue vnto the simple followers thereof the deadly poyson of mannes traditions But let vs returne to the Apostles who as Luke writeth obeyed the Aungelles commaundement and by and by in the morning went into the Church and preached there Yet many things might haue perswaded them the contrary both bicause of the late daunger they had bene in and the tried power of their aduersaries which they knewe woulde no waye sooner be prouoked than with their preaching of the Gospell Furthermore by this fact of theirs they myght seeme to bring all the congregation besides in daunger in kindling their enimies rage with fresh matter But so little are they hereby let from their purpose that without further deliberation taking they obeye the commaundement of god Their obedience is sette forth for an example to vs For it is a generall rule of God that we doe not that which seemeth good in our owne sight but that we fulfill his commaundement And there is no greater nor more hurtfull plague than to take our fleshe to counsell where God hath expressed his will by playne commaundement which thing the example both of Saule and others abundantly declare And Paule many times witnesseth that the obedience of fayth is the marke and ende of preaching the gospel Therfore whosoeuer cast this obedience away and harken to the counsailes of the flesh surely they glorie but in vaine in the Gospell and fayth of Christ. Wherefore let vs applye the example of the Apostles to our selues and let vs diligently execute that thing that God hath commaunded vs not regarding the tyrannie of the world and then Iesus Christ shall not fayle of his helpe and succour in our godly enterprises to whom be praise honor glory and power for euer Amen The .xxxvj. Homelie But the chiefe Priest came and they that were with him and called a Counsell togyther and all the Elders of the children of Israel and sent men to the prison to set them When the Ministers came and founde them not in the prison they returned and tolde saying The prison truly founde we shut with al diligence and the kepers standing without before the dores But when we had opened we found no man within When the chiefe Priest and the ruler of the Temple and the high Priestes hearde these things they doubted of them wherevnto this woulde growe Then came one and shewed them Beholde the men that you put in prison stande in the Temple and teache the people Then went the Ruler of the Temple with Ministers and brought them without violence for they feared the people least they shoulde haue bene stoned WHen that King and holy Prophete Dauid purposed to describe the kingdome of our Redeemer and Sauiour Iesus Christ taking his beginning of the furious attemptes of wicked enimies against the same he sayth why doe the heathen so furiously rage togither and why doe the people ymagine a vayne thing The Kings of the earth stande vp and the Rulers take Counsell togither agaynst the Lorde and agaynst his annoynted Let vs breake their bandes a sunder and cast awaye their cordes from vs He that dwelleth in heauen shall laugh them to scorne The Lorde shall haue them in derision Then shall hee speake vnto them in his wrath and vexe them in his sore displeasure Whereby we are taught that the attemptes of Christes enimies are not only vayne but also ridiculous and to no men more daungerous than to the authors and beginners thereof Many ensamples of such attempts might we bring forth amongest which this is one of the chiefe that our holye wryter Luke now proponeth For the Apostles were apprehended at the counsell and instigation of the Bishoppes and were put in the common prison not onely vnder locke and keye but also are safely kept with watch and warde The next daye after in the
Tharsus for behold he prayeth and hath seene in a vision a man named Ananias comming vnto him and putting his handes on him that he might receyue his sight Then Ananias aunswered Lorde I haue hearde by many of this man howe much euill he hath done to thy Saints at Ierusalem and here he hath authoritie of the high Priestes to bynde all that call on thy name The Lorde sayde vnto him Go thy way for he is a chosen vessell vnto me to carie my name before the Gentyles and Kinges and the children of Israel For I will shewe him howe great things he must suffer for my names sake ALthough we ought diligently to consider the conuersions and callinges of all the Apostles yet Paules conuersion of all others deserueth singulerly to be marked partly bicause it contayneth in it a rare example of Gods mercye towarde sinners and partly for that Paule laboured more than alâ— the Apostles neyther is there anye other whose writings are more often alledged eyther of the olde writers or newe in matters of fayth and religion It is therfore necessary that we knowe who he was howe God called him and conuerted him that we may haue his doctrine in the more authoritie which thing is the cause that Luke writeth his hystorie so diligently And hitherto he hath declared howe the Lorde interrupted his fiercenesse and horrible attempts in the middle of hys race and businesse and that so forceably that he was fayne to offer himselfe to the Lord to be obedient and to be taught being a whyle before his grieuous enimie Herevnto he conueniently addeth howe he is appoynted to the office of an Apostle which contayneth a notable discourse betweene the Lorde Iesus Christ and Ananias by whose ministerie Paule was to be ordered Euery part whereof we will declare as farre forth as God shall permit First the Lorde calleth Ananias that Paule may take orders by his ministerie And of Ananias Luke speaketh but little in this place but Paule at large where he commendeth him of his godlinesse and sayth he deserued among the Iewes the testimonie of a good and an innocent man Him the Lorde certifyeth of his will by a vision and likewise prepareth Paule being in his prayers by an other vision worthily to receyue Ananias Here our Sauiour Christ is well to be marked which instructeth them both by euident visions For hereby is perceyued the ardent desire that Christ hath to the saluation of mankinde shewed and declared ingenerall towardes all men and especially in seeking the lost sheepe as himselfe elsewhere testifyeth Which thing as it is for our comfort so it also serueth for our instruction that we should traueyle rather to saue sinners than to destroy them and not follow those which glorying in their feruent zeale of Gods glorie rashly reiect and condemne all those whome they see once to haue swarued from the way of truth Moreouer we are taught how expedient it is that all things be done rightly duely in the outwarde ministerie of the worde For except the ministers be duely called and well assured of their calling and the hearers well prepared to receyue their sayings there can followe no worthie fruite and auayle of their doing For howe shall they preach except they be sent Or with what argumentes shall they bee emboldened agaynst the threates and enterprises of the wicked which craftily haue vsurped and intruded vpon the office of teaching Againe if the hearers come not well minded and prepared to heare the worde of the Lorde then shall they receyue that wholesome seede eyther into the way eyther into stonie places or among thornes and there shall be many impediments that shall cause that they shall bring forth no worthie fruites Wherfore Christ requireth honest mindes which will holde fast the seede they haue once receyued and being armed agaynst all suggestions of Satan the worlde and the flesh bring forth worthie fruits with pacience And that we haue neede of diligent preparation hereto euery man may easily vnderstande that well considereth the corrupt nature of man These things if we will well weigh and expend it shall easily appeare why there is so much preaching in these dayes with so little profite For most part of the Ministers without wayting for the lawfull calling of the Lorde get into the ministerie by vnlawfull meanes for the belly sake and they that will not seeme the vngodlyest of the hearers of the worde come vnto it more for custome sake than of any earnest desire of amendment beeing altogither like vnto those which in the Prophete sayde Come I praye you let vs heare what woorde is gonefoorth from the Lorde Furthermore we haue also to consider Paule whom the Lord speaking to Ananias witnesseth to be in his prayer This is to be vnderstanded of the continuall prayers he made all the three dayes long as easily appeareth by the circumstaunces bicause there were many thinges which might mooue Paule vnto prayer For he felt the horrible hande of God which threw him downe He hearde howe he was accused from heauen to be the professed enimie of the sonne of god Then came to his minde the wicked enterprises crueltie that he had vsed against the name of Christ and his Church also the banishments chaynes imprisonment and torments with the lamentation and crying of women and children whereofhe had beene the authour Yea his guiltie conscience as yet troubled him Then againe the wayting for the promise of reuelation and instruction was able to styrre him vp to earnest prayer and yet in this earnestnesse and diligence of praying God disappoynteth him as I might say whole three dayes togither These things commend vnto vs an incessant earnestnesse of prayer bicause there are as many and as vrgent causes to styrre vs vp also theretoo For if we discende into our selues wee shall finde they are no tryfling sinnes whereby we haue deserued Gods wrath We many tymes feele the hande of Gods anger The conscience of our wickednesse oftentymes molesteth vs We are still in daunger of all kindes of aduersitie And if the thinking hereof be not able to kindle in vs heartie and ardent prayer then shall wee worthily be called colder than yron or yce Paule for these causes commaundeth vs continually to pray And let vs so remember to continue in prayer that we be not ouercome with distrust or impaciencie and rashely prescribe God any tyme to heare or helpe vs in For he sometime deferreth the helpe he promiseth vs not bicause he meaneth to disappoynt them that trust in him but bicause he will exercise and trie our fayth Examples wherof we haue both in Paule in Abraham in the woman of Chanaan and in many others Here therefore let vs bende the force of our fayth and follow the example of that Widdow by whose importunatenesse Christ sayth the wicked Iudge was ouercome But O miserable and vnhappie wretches that we be which as we scarce take vs vnto prayer
in extreeme necessitie so we by and by faint and giue ouer if God doe not graunt our peticions at the first being verie little mindefull of our state who being seruauntes ought paciently to abyde our Lordes leysure and not imperiously to appoynt him But let vs consider Ananias which being ouercome with feare of daunger putteth of the expresse and euident commaundement of the Lorde For he sayth Lorde I haue hearde of this man by many howe great euill he hath done to thy saintes at Hierusalem and here hee hath power from the highe priestes to binde all that call vpon thy name He alleageth the testimonie of others least he might seeme to feare in vaine But it is a ridiculous matter to stande more vpon the testimonie of man than vpon the worde of god It is also ridiculous to rehearse Saules doings of others mouthes before the Lorde as though he had hitherto beene ignoraunt of them But herevnto feare a naughtie and foolish Counsaylor vseth to bring vs if we once take him to consult with in discussing of Gods commaundements Yet it appeareth by this example that it taketh hold many times euen of holy men and faythfull worshippers of God. With this feare we reade Abraham was so ouercome that he denyed Sara to be his wife Moses striken with lyke feare can scarcely be induced to take vpon him the conduct and leading of the people of Israel Elias the Prophete tasted of this feare when after the slaughter of Baals Priestes he wiâ—t not whither to flie for feare of Iesabell the Queenes manaces and threats Ionas also deceyued through feare promised himself more safetie among the flouds of the sea and barbarous shipmen than in the ayde and vocation of the lord Here might also be brought forth the examples of others both Prophetes and Apostles But this is mans infirmitie for the which no man is rashely to be condemned bicause we see many tokens hereof appeared in Christ also when the howre of his death drewe nigh We must take heede that we be not so ouercome herewith that we leaue the charge inioyned vs of the lord But rather hauing a respect to the prouidence of God committe our selues wholy to the will of God as Christ teacheth his Apostles Wherevnto also are to be referred the general promises of Gods helpe which promise them that walke in his vocation sure and certaine ayde and succour And herewith I beleeue Ananias also was confirmed who although at the first seemed somewhat timerous yet he yeeldeth to God being instant vpon him and the seconde tyme of commaunding he faythfully obeyeth him It is a singuler consolation wherewith the Lorde comforteth Ananias wauering and fearefull minde Go sayth he for he is a chosen vessell vnto mee to beare my name before the Gentiles and kinges and children of Israell For I will shewe him howe great thinges he must suffer for my names sake It seemeth there are two reasons alleaged wherefore Ananias ought not to feare and both of them are taken of Paules person First he sayth he is not a Tyranne and persecutor as he was heretofore but of the number of the elect hereafter should be a most valiant and faithfull defender of Christes name Then that there is so little feare to be had of any persecution to be made by Paul that rather he had to suffer many things for the name of Christ. These wordes contayne a singuler and worthie prayse of Paule which we ought diligently to consider both for that the excellencie of Gods goodnesse may the better be knowne and also that we may vnderstande howe great authoritie Paules doctrine is of First he is called after an Hebrue phrase the vessell of election that is to say a chosen picked or culled instrument For the Hebrues by this name vessell vnderstande all kinde of instruments vtensiles or implements And they vse the Genitiue case of the Substantiue for the Adiectiue Men are called the vesselles or instrumentes of God bicause God executeth hys iudgementes by them So Paule otherwheres calleth the elect the vessels of glorie and mercie and againe the reprobates the vessels of wrath And Senacherib by the same reason is called the rodde of Gods furie Christ calleth Paule a chosen vessell bicause he executed many thinges by him yea most wholesome workes in setting forth the Gospell and the fayth In the meane season this word vessell or instrument teacheth vs to remember our state and condition that if we haue any thing in vs that is excellent wee should not thinke it to be ours but learne to giue all the prayse and glorie vnto God who hath vouchsafed to vse their helpe The reprobates and such as want the knowledge of God vnderstande not this therefore they attribute to their owne power and witte whatsoeuer is of any excellencie in them But howe much such doing displeaseth the Lorde Senacherib the Assirian and Nabuchodonosor the Babilonian aboundauntly testifie Paule much better weighed these thinges which plainely confesseth that he is by the grace of God whatsoeuer he is The same teacheth all Ministers that they must arrogate nothing to themselues or to others but that they remember all effect and successe of Ministerie commeth of the Lorde which giueth the increase The consideration hereof serueth very much to make men humble in heart and minde For it maketh them to take heede that they exceede not in pride or securitie and so become the vessels and instruments of wrath Secondlye Christ declareth the ende and vse of this instrument and sheweth that Paule is appoynted to beare his name that is to aduaunce and extoll his name before the Gentyles and Kings and people of Israel He vnderstandeth the preaching of the Gospell whereby Christes name vseth to be extolled and celebrated when repentaunce and remission of sinnes is preached in him Here all Ministers are admonyshed of their duetie To them it belongeth to beare the name of Christ that is to preache him to be a Sauiour King and Priest and to declare that all thinges that appertayne to our saluation are in him So Paule sayth he knoweth nothing but Iesus Christ and him crucified The same sayth he reioyceth onely in the crosse of christ The same name did Peter cary where he sayde there was none other name vnder heauen giuen vnto manne in which he coulde be saued Wherby we gather that they be not the ministers of Christ but ledde with the spirite of Antichrist that declare any other name wherein repentance and forgiuenesse of sinnes is preached See concerning these men 1. Iohn 4. Let Ministers remember also that they must not cary this name into corners but before Nations Kings and Iewes For although we be not all Apostles yet it appertayneth to all Ministers not to be ashamed of Christ but to speake of the testimonies of the Lorde as Dauid sayth before Kings and Princes being readye to giue an account of our fayth
bicause he had hearde what testimonie Christ gaue of Paule he disdayneth not to call him brother Therefore in Ministers a strong and bolde courage of minde must be ioyned with a gentle and milde facility of speach least either they suffer themselues to be beaten from the confession of Christ and hys due obedience or else through their hawtie port and ouermuch seueritie driue them awaye whome they ought to embrace as brethren and by all meanes to winne vnto Christ. Unto these premisses Luke ioyneth a marueylous successe For hee wryteth that there fell from the eyes of Paule a thing as it had bene scales and that then by by he had his sight againe He maketh mention of scales to th ende we myght vnderstande that his eyes were not lightly blasted as vseth to be in lightning but that he was striken into a great and marueylous blindenesse And it is not without a great marueyle that wythin so fewe dayes scales coulde gather on his eyes so to take his sight from him And it is no lesse marueylous to see that he is so soone agayne restored to the sight which he had lost In the meane season it appeareth that Christ would after a sort admonishe Paule of the state he lyued in being in his Iudaisme or Phariseyisme For when he was Gamaliel his scholer he profited so incredibly amonge his fellowes that he seemed to be wyser and to see more than all they But that wisedome which so highly pleased him was meere blyndenesse For the vayle was yet drawne before his eyes whereby the Iewes were hindered that they coulde not see Moses face bicause they wanted the knowledge of Christ in whome God the father hath giuen vs that heauenly light which is able to put awaye all darkenesse of ignorance and carnall zeale Bicause this lyght began to shyne on Paule scales fell from his eyes and he seeth that hitherto he had bene fowly and miserably beguyled with the blinde zeale of ignorance Therefore whosoeuer will continue in fayth and saluation without falling let him followe that lyght which is Christ and walke in him See Iohn 1.8 and .12 Chapters But what doth Paule after he had receyued hys sight He aryseth is baptised eateth and is made whole First he sayth he was baptised bicause he was hereof admonished by Ananias as himselfe witnesseth in the .xxij. of the Actes Howbeit some will saye baptisme was superfluous in him who Christ knewe was a câ—osen vessell â–ª who had felt the marueylous power of Christ who was nowe endued wyth the holy ghost and whose eyes aswell of the mynde as of the body the Lorde had lyghtened But the Saintes iudge nothing superfluous and vnprofitable which they know is ordeyned of god And bicause they reade that the obseruing of the thinges that were ordeyned in the olde Testament till the tyme of correction was commaunded with such seueritie that it was death to transgresse them they woulde neuer take vpon them to neglect any of the thinges which Christ deliuered to be obserued till the ende of the worlde Therefore the impudencie and rashnesse of those which now a dayes contemne the vse of baptisme and the Lordes supper is execrable and herein they declare what perfection of fayth they are of in that they dare wickedlye despyse the ordinaunces of the Lorde Moreouer Paule taketh meate and refresheth and cheereth his decayed strength of body The Saintes therefore vse the things which serue for preseruation of their health and which God hath giuen vs for that vse such as are meate and drinke clothing and all kyndes of such lyke So Paule admonisheth Timothy to vse Wine nowe and then bicause of the cruditie and rawnesse of his stomack By these examples is the pieuish superstition of them confuted whych bicause they abstayne from things necessarye attribute to themselues the tytle of singuler holynesse For although we condemne not fasting whereby the pryde of our wanton fleshe is subdued and tamed the rather to obey Christ so we allowe not those which set merite in that that by Gods worde is no where commaunded For to such men agreeth that saying of the Lorde when ye eate and drinke doe yee not eate and drinke for your owne selues By the which reason may be sayde to these also when ye fast ye fast for your selues Yea Paule teacheth vs to beware of those which bidde vs after a superstitious sort to abstaine from certayne things and sayth they bring the doctrine of Deuils which commaunde vs to abstayne from meates created of God for mans vse But let vs go on in the treatise of this present place and consider the first thing that Paule doth in the ministery of the Gospell of whome two things are reported First it is sayde he was conuersant with the Disciples that is to saye the Christians that were at Damascus Then he ioyned not himselfe to the Iewes or Gentyles which were the publike enimies of Christ but vnto the faythfull and such as professed the name of christ We are hereby taught that they that will be taken for Christians ought to vse the company of the godly and to abstaine from them whome they knowe to be the professed enimies of christ For although the godly are permitted to keepe company with infidels as farre forth as necessitie requyreth yet the faythfull finde that the company they keepe with them without necessitie for worldly friendshippe and pleasures sake is to their hurt and hinderance We reade that Iesus Christ was diuers times at the Phariseyes tables and at publyke feastes But it is euident it was not for the satisfying of his owne pleasure but to winne them to saluation For he neuer was so forgetfull of his dutie to wynke at their errours but he woulde powder their table talke with wholesome precepts and the mysteries of the kingdome of god And if any seeke the companye of the vngodly for thys ende we allowe their purpose and endeuour But they that winke at the blasphemies of the wicked their abhominable ydolatrie their foolish superstition most corrupt maners and filthy desires of a dastardly and sluggish minde to seeme trimme companions and enioy their friendship and fauor we alleage to them that saying of Dauid which accounteth them among the citizens of heauen that dâ—spyse the wicked and make much of them that feare the Lorde The same sayth all his delyght is in the Saintes that are in the earth For why shoulde we see Christes souldiour in Antichristes tentes sitting ydle why should he suffer their doings and sayings which he knoweth to deface the honor and glory of Christ Secondly he speaketh of Paules doctrine which worthily is placed first in this dooing he sayth he preached openly in the Synagoges And what did this newe Apostle preache Uerily Iesus to be the sonne of God and christ These things he taught not after a slender and colde sort but so confirmed them with Scriptures and arguments that he
Prophete to winke when they may plainly see It is our duties to acknowledge Iesus whome Paule preached to be the sonne of God and Christ and to trust in hym and serue him that we may hereafter lyue in heauen with him to whom be all prayse honour power and glory for euer Amen The .lxvij. Homelie AND after a good whyle the Iewes tooke counsayle togyther to kill him but Saule knewe of their laying awayte And they watched the gates daye and night to kill him Then the Disciples tooke him by night and lette him downe in a basket ouer the wall And when Saule was come to Ierusalem he assayed to ioyne himselfe to the Disciples but they were all afrayde of him and beleeued not that he was a Disciple But Barnabas tooke him and brought him to the Apostles and declared to them how he had seene the Lorde in the waye and that he had spoken to him and howe hee had done boldly at Damasco in the name of iesu And hee had his conuersation wyth them at Ierusalem speaking boldly in the name of the Lorde iesu And hee spake and disputed agaynst the Greekes but they went about to sâ—ea him which when the brethren knewe they brought him to Caesarea and sent him forth to Tharsus AS Luke hath bene very diligent in describing Paules conuersion so hath hee as you haue hearde declared his doctrine wyth no lesse diligence The summe whereof was that Iesus which was borne of Marie â–ª the Uirgin was also the Sonne of God and Christ that is to saye our King and our Priest and that Redeemer that once was promised vnto mankinde Thys agreeth with the confession of the Apostles which we reade Peter made in the name of them all and comprehendeth also in it the whole order of our saluation as was sayd in the last sermon Wherefore as Paule otherwheres teacheth it becoÌ„meth vs to vse such constancie in retayning and keeping thys doctrine that we be not drawne from it by the authoritie of any man no not of an Aungell And bicause Chryst sayde Paule should be a chosen vessell the Euangelyst in thys place rehearseth a briefe declaration of the things done about the beginnning of his Apostleshippe to declare thereby what faith and industrie he vsed in aunswering to so great a commendation of christ Thys narration is the diligentlyer to be considered bicause it plainly teacheth howe variable and grieuous the misfortunes of the faythfull ministers of Christ be in thys lyfe and howe faythfully he aydeth them being in daunger for the glorye of hys name according to hys promyse And Luke beginneth hys discourse wyth the thinges that came to passe vnto Paule at Damascus But before we report his words the course of the hystorie must be set in order whych it appeareth Luke obserued not verye greatly as who was not purposed particulerly to rehearse all the thinges that were done but onely to declare such thynges as myght suffyse for the instruction of the Church And he plainly declareth that he hath wittinglye and willingly pretermitted many thinges forasmuch as he confesseth that the things which he here rehearseth came to passe many dayes after Paules conuersion Wherfore we must perclose make vp the order of the history out of the things which Paule himselfe rehearseth of his owne doings Writing vnto the Galathians first he sayth he went from Damascus into Arabia before he came to Ierusalem As he returned out of Arabia where it is credible he preached Christs gospell to Damascus he then fell into this daunger which he here speaketh of The authors whereof as it is here sayde the Iewes were But in hys later Epistle to the Corinthians the .xij. Chap. he sayth this ambushe to take him was layde by king Aretas his Lieuetenant Wherby we gather that the Iewes suborned him thus to doe whervnto for thys cause they might the more easily perswade him for that Paule had aduentured to preach the Gospell in Arabia which was vnder the king Aretas hys obeysance Therefore Luke hath omitted Paules voyage into Arabia which of force must be ended before he was in this hazarde forasmuch as shortly after his escape it is sayde he came to Ierusalem Furthermore touching the present hystorie the chiefe point thereof is to note what men may looke for of the worlde as soone as they ioyne themselfe vnto christ For where Christ consecrateth to hymselfe onelye those whome he chooseth out of the worlde the worlde afterwarde cannot abyde them as he teacheth And there are euerywhere so manye examples to prooue this true that it is marueile to see how so many at this day are offended with those aduersities which the Scripture giueth vs warning of so often and wherewith all the faythfull of Christ haue bene so invred from the first beginning of the world In the meane season let vs obserue that Luke sayth these things came to passe a good while after or after a certaine daies Therfore Paule had a time giuen him to preach in and in the meane whyle God stayed the rage of hys enimies which vndoubtedly woulde haue stopped him at the beginning but that they were kepte backe with the brydle that he layde on them Whereby we learne that the wicked cannot alwaye doe what they lyst nor that they seemed chiefely most able to doe For the like reason may be made of them as is of their heade For as Satan is vnder the power of Gods prouidence and can doe nothing agaynst man but by Gods sufferance so the Lord brydleth tyrants manger all their might and will they nill they and that many tymes in such vnknowne wyse that they themselues marueyle how their deuises come no better to passe which they see no manne is able to withstande but yet see not God which vseth to bring them to naught Therfore let vs alway set Gods prouidence before our eyes as often as we heare the enterprises of the enimies of the word and let vs remember that the heares of our heade be numbred in his sight But what dyd the faythfull at Damascus whyle the wicked enimies lay wayte for Paule Doe they forsake hym or leaue him suâ—courlesse Or vse they that saying of the Lorde resist not agaynst euill Or be they so carelesse that they looke for helpe from the Lorde doing nor daring to doe nothing themselues for Paule in the meane season Here is no such thing sayde of them Naye they aduenture to deliuer Paule with the daunger of their owne liues yea transgressing the common lawe which commaundeth the walles to be inuiolable For it appeareth that our auncestors counted the walles and gates of Cities amongst things that were holy and consecrated their walles vnto the Gods verily for that they knewe as the Lawyer sayth that mans affaires coulde by mans industrie be sufficiently gouerned and ordered of any one in so great falshood of men the citizens somewhiles being so negligent the borderers about them being so malicious
written If therefore any thing be brought forth contrarye to their doctrine let vs knowe that it commeth from man whose tradicions long since are beaten downe by the sentence of God. We haue therefore a notable and wholesome sermon of Peters whereby the first of the Gentyles are conuerted vnto Christ. This sermon if it be well expended conteyneth in it all the articles of our fayth concerning God the father Iesus Christ his sonne and the holy ghost The same comprehendeth in it a perfite order of the saluation of man which as it is sette forth to vs in Christ so is it to be taken holde of by fayth only in him Which bicause it is the gift of God it becommeth vs by continuall prayer to aske it of him that being truly graffed into Iesus Christ iustified by his merit we may be saued To him be all praise honor power glory for euer AmeÌ„ The .lxxvij. Homelie Whyle Peter yet spake these wordes the holy ghost fell on all them which hearde the preaching And they of the Circumcision which beleeued were astonied as many as came with Peter bicause that on the Gentyles also was shedde out the gift of the holye ghost For they hearde them speake wyth tongues and magnifie god Then aunswered Peter can any man forbydde water that these shoulde not be baptised which haue receyued the holy ghost as well as we And he commaunded them to be baptised in the name of the Lorde Then prayed they him to tarie a fewe dayes AS God the father hath included all the meane of our saluation in Iesus Christ his sonne so he woulde that he shoulde be the sauiour and Redemer of all Nations and not of one people onely Whereof may be gathered euident arguments both of the first promises and oracles of the Prophetes and also of the last commaundement of Christ when he sent forth his Apostles into all the worlde to preach the Gospell But whereas the Iewes being puft vp with the prerogatiue of the lawe and ceremonies thereof vsed to despyse other Nations and woulde not vouchsafe to admit them into their congregation it was neede there shoulde be some peculiar demonstration to declare that the stoppe of the lawe was broken downe by Christ and that the grace of God was offred vnto the Gentyles also without the righteousnesse of the lawe This doth the holy ghost most liuely set forth in this hystorie For as God did vouchsafe to sende his Aungell to Cornelius a Gentyle and one vncircumcised and to awake Peter by an heauenlye vision to instruct him so Peter the Apostle preacheth vnto the same Cornelius by instinct of the holy spirite the whole order of saluation wyth marueylous breuitie and playnenesse and without any mention making of the ceremonies of the law teacheth vs that Iesus Christ is appoynted vs of God in whom to haue the forgiuenesse of our sinnes But least any man might thinke that Peter had ouer rashly and without aduyse blabbed out these sayinges the effect of the matter prooueth the same which Luke for this cause the more diligently describeth bicause he woulde stirre vs vppe to the more diligent consideration of the matter First whyle Peter as yet was speaking it is sayde the holy ghost fell on all them which hearde the preaching And not long after it is sayde likewyse that they spake with diuers tongues and declared the great grace of god The same therefore commeth here to passe that fell out in the daye of Pentecost and God thought good to confirme Peters doctrine which Cornelius and his kinne had receyued by the visible sending of his holy spirite and to declare in deede that the grace of saluation was alyke belonging to all beleeuers whether they were Iewes or Gentiles and that from henceforth the ceremonies of the lawe were no more to be obserued This is euident that in the Apostles times it was a common thing to haue the visible sending of the holy ghost to be ioyned with the preaching of the Gospell which God did vouchsafe to giue vnto them that beleeued in him By the which argument Paule prooueth the iustifycation of fayth agaynst them which affirme that men are iustified by the workes of the law For he saith This onelye woulde I learne of you whether you receyued the spirite by the deedes of the lawe or by the preaching of the fayth Are you such fooles that after you haue begonne in the spirite you nowe ende in the flesh He that ministreth to you the spirit and worketh myracles among you â–ª doth he it through the deedes of the lawe or by the preaching of the fayth We haue in this place to consider the dignitie and efficacie of the working of the Gospell For wee see this is the instrument whereby God vseth to giue his spirite and to worke effectuously in the minde of man so that it is not without a cause that Paule sayth the Gospell is the power of God vnto saluation to all that beleeue it And for the same cause he calleth the Preachers of the Gospell the ministers of the spirite For although all they that heare the Gospell in these dayes haue not the gyft of tongues giuen vnto them and such other gyftes as is euident remayned in the Church vntill the time of Iraeneus and after be for the moste part ceased yet it is manifest that all they are endued with the spirite of adoption and regeneration which duly heare the Gospell and embrace it by fayth whereby they crie Abba father and which Paule calleth the earnest or pledge of our saluation 2. Cor. 1. and .5 And the effectes of this spirite are manifest whyle it mortifyeth the fleshe wyth the earthly members thereof in the beleeuers regenerateth men illuminateth the mynde and causeth that they which by nature are apt and meete to no goodnesse are able to doe all thinges in christ Wherevpon we gather agayne that they are not to be taken for the members of Christ iâ— whome there appeare no effectes of the holy spirite For that spirite is not ydle and â—luggysh And Paule sayth that they which are destitute of the spirite of Christ are not his Agayne this place teacheth vs what the exercises of them that beleeue are after they haue receyued the holye ghost They speake with straunge new tongues which although it come not to passe to euery man as we sayd euen nowe yet the holy ghost ordreth the tongues of all them that beleeue to speake those thinges which serue to the glory of God and the edifying of other whereof hath bene sufficiently sayde in the second Chapter Then it is sayde that they greatly praysed god So doe they that truly acknowledge the grace of God which he offreth vs in Christ whereas contrarywyse whosoeuer beleeue to be iustifyed by their workes praise themselues And this giuing of thankes is a sacrifyce most acceptable vnto God which he both often requireth and the godly euerywhere vowe
no aunswere to or at least he might snappishly haue put them back and rebuked them But he knewe that the same lawe aswell belonged to himselfe as to other where he commaunded all Christian men to be ready to giue a reason or aunswere of their doing to euery man. And as in this place he paciently suffereth the vniust censure and checke of men in a iust quarrell so when he was accused of Paule before all men for his dissimulation and inconstancie we reade he aunswered nothing disdainefully And this we reade was alwaye the custome in the primitiue Church that Bishoppes coulde suffer and beare to bee iudged and corrected by other Byshoppes Thus it appeareth Victor the Bishop of Rome was reprehended and admonished of his dutie by Iraeneus and certaine other Bishops of lesse famous Churches for his ouer hastie sentence of excommunication giuen against the Bishoppes of Asia These things reprooue the pride of the bishops of Rome that folowed who are not only not ashamed to make themselues Iudges ouer all the world but also refuse the iudgement of all men My hart quaketh as often as I remember that blasphemous Canone which will not haue the Pope condemned no not though he forget his owne and other mennes saluation and leade with him headlong into hell whole heapes of mennes soules Howbeit he coulde no maner of way more euidently haue prooued himselfe to be Antichrist than in that he refuseth the iudgement of the Church and Bishops challenging to themselues the supremacie ouer them all But to let this passe let vs hearken to Peter intreating his cause and matter Peter in his Apologie vseth a diligent narration or discourse as euen nowe we declared the which he so ordereth that he reporteth not onelye what was done but sheweth also that it was well done and lawfully And this narration consisteth of fiue partes or members of all which we will speake as much as appertaineth to this present matter letting passe that that hath bene sayde in the Chapter before going In the first part is contayned the vision of a great vessell or sheete let downe to him from heauen by which God taught him that no man from thenceforth should be iudged vnworthy of the Gospell and fellowship of the people of God for neglecting the ceremonies of the lawe forasmuch as the stoppe of the lawe was broken downe by Iesus Christ who had made one people of both Peter thought it good to beginne his narration with this that it might appeare to all men that he did nothing of his owne head but according as God appointed In the second part he alleageth the sure commaundement of God â–ª least he might be thought to haue bene beguyled by some dreame or ydle phantasie For euen at the same time he sayeth by the prouidence of God they stoode at his Hostesse doore that were sent from Cornelius and he addeth The spirite sayde that I shoulde go with them nothing doubting And this is the strength of his whole defence which he setteth against his aduersaries accusation For they sayde Thou wentest in to menne that are vncircumised and hast eaten with them Therefore Peter aunswereth them The spirite of the Lord bade me so to do And being with this simplicitie of words content he letteth passe all Rhetoricall colors wherwith he might haue confirmed garnished this argument Which example teacheth vs that they are not to be accused or if they be accused they may easily be defended before Christian men which cast of the traditions and customes of men at Gods appoyâ—tment For the authority of this saying of the Apostles shall remaine in force for euer we must obey God more than men Let vs also in these dayes with this argument defende our selues against the Papistes which with lyke frowardnesse accuse vs for hauing broken the traditions of men and take occasion of offence on euery side without any giuen on our behalf It offendeth them that we deny Christ is offred in the sacrament of the aultar for the sinnes of the quicke and the deade But we laye against them the word of Christ who yeelding vp his life vpon the crosse declared that all maner of expiation for sinne and our redemption was nowe accomplished Furthermore we heare Paule say that Christ being once offered can be offred no more They are offended bicause they see we haue put the ymage of Christ and the Saintes out of our Churches But we laye for our selues agaynst them the authoritie of God forbidding ymages to be made and commaunding those that are made to be made out of the way and destroyed They are offended bicause we haue taken awaye the differences of meates But the Apostle defendeth vs which sayth it is a doctrine of the Deuill to bring it vp The lyke reason there is of all other thinges in controuersie betweene vs These we haue alleaged onelye for example sake And if our aduersaries will not yeelde vnto the word of God but will holde on and set the customes and traditions of men against the authoritie of the same then shall it easily appeare that they are not the seruauntes of God but of men The thirde part of the narration contayneth the vision of the Aungell which we heard was sent from God vnto Cornelius Hereof Peter thought to make mention to declare that Cornelius did nothing vnaduisedly but was mooued by God to sende for him to teach him Here is diligently to be obserued howe the Aungell speaketh of the ministerie or preaching of the Gospell Peter sayth he shall speake wordes whereby thou and all thy house shall be saued Then he testifyeth that saluation commeth by preaching of the Gospell This the holye Psalmist sawe when he sayde God sent hys worde and they were healed And Paule sayth that the Gospell is the power of God vnto saluation to all beleeuers It is not thus sayd bicause the sounde of wordes bringeth saluation as the supersticious thinke of their exorcismes but bicause through the preaching of the Gospell Christ is offered to vs and they that preach the Gospell be messengers in the roume of Christ that by their ministerie men might be reconcyled to God the father through christ Therefore no common weales nor familyes can haue any sounde health or saluation without they receiue the gospell of Iesus Christ. Therfore their ingratitude that saye the worde of saluation is the cause of all euils as well priuate as publike is most execrable as we read was somtime obiected to Ieremie These men are ledde with the spirite of Caiphas who also sayde that Christ woulde be the author and cause of their destruction vnlesse he were made awaye by the wicked conspiracie of the priests Fourthly he declareth the marueylous sending of the holy ghost The expositor whereof he alleageth Iesus Christ to be I remember sayeth he the worde of the Lorde howe he sayde Iohn baptized with water but you shall be baptized with the holy
none other cause graunted to flie but for that they shoulde after such daunger escaped turne vnto doing their dutie againe and to bestowe all their life after in setting forth the glory of Christ. Howbeit Luke maketh a diligent mention also of the places where these men preached And first he nameth Phaenicia which is neare vnto Iurie famous by reason of the Cities and people therin and is accounted notable euen among the prophane writers After that he nameth Cyprus an Islande of great fame in the Poets writings which they say by reason aswell of the pleasantnesse of the soyle as of the dissolute maners of the inhabitants is consecrated vnto Venus And here appeareth partlye the great goodnesse of God which woulde vouchsafe to endue such people with the knowledge of his sonne and partly the woonderfull and inuincible power of the Gospell through the preaching whereof the boundes of Christes kingdome were in short time so enlarged that from the mayne land it passed ouer sea and beganne to come into the Islandes as was long before foretolde of the Prophetes See Psalme 72. Esay 60.66 c. He chiefely maketh mention of Antioch which was the moste famous Citie of all the Cities of Syria For as it was notable by reason of Seleucus the builder thereof and of great renowme bicause of their woonderfull glorie and ryches so as we shall herafter heare the first Church among the Gentyles was there assembled and flourished in such number that they which before were called onely but Disciples of Christ beganne nowe to be called by a more worthy name Christians This Citie hath had Bishops notable both in life and learning It hath also so abounded in Martyrs that scarce any other can be compared therewith It is therefore woonderfull and much to be obserued that God woulde haue so great a Citie conuerted by the ministerie of those men whose names be not extant For this onely is written of them that they were of Ciprus Cyrene Howbeit it might haue pleased God aswell to haue vsed the helpe of notable Apostles But by the vyle and contemned thinges of this worlde after his maner he woulde bring to passe a thing of most importance that we might knowe howe we ought to reioyce and glory in him and not in man. Now let vs see what they preached that layd the foundations of the Church at Antioch They preached sayth Luke the Lord Iesus He was then the argument theme of their doctrine whome Paule also saith he only acknowledgeth He maketh mention onely of Iesus Christ bicause in him is contayned whatsoeuer things make for our saluation For he is giuen vnto vs of God to be the authour of repentance and remission of sinnes to all mankind as hath bene declared in the fyft Chapter For as in him onely remission of sinnes is to be founde so that repentance that is made without fayth in Christ cannot please god We haue here therfore what to answere them which reprehende vs and scorne vs bicause in our Sermons we inculcate and often repeate Christ only Thus we doe following the example of the Apostles and we can not doe otherwyse forasmuch as we can fynde no saluation without Christ. Last of all Luke declareth a notable successe of the Gospell saying And a great number beleeued and turned vnto the Lorde He first declareth the cause efficient least any man might ascribe it vnto the ministerie of men For he sayth the hande of the Lorde was with them Whereby we gather that all successe of fayth and saluation dependeth vppon God and that nothing is to be attributed to man more than the outwarde ministerie This thing Paule declareth at large in his first Epistle to the Corinthians the thirde Chap. And it is good oftentimes to haue the same in remembrance both bicause Ministers shoulde not waxe to prowde and also for that they whome God hath illuminated with true faith might learne to be thankfull vnto him Also the Euangelist expresseth the proper ende of Christian faith which is that they which through ignorance or superstition or sinne haue turned from God might conuert and turne againe vnto him Therefore fayth is not occupied in vayne speculation but is a liuely knowledge of Iesus Christ which draweth whole man vnto the obedience of god And they are not to be taken for Christians which being drowned in superstition and sinne will not conuert vnto the Lorde Let vs therefore set before vs this marke that we turning by true faith vnto God may attayne to saluation in Iesus Christ our onely Sauiour to whome be prayse honor power and glory for euer Amen The .lxxx. Homelie Tydings of these things came vnto the eares of the congregation which was in Ierusalem And they sent forth Barnabas that he should go vnto Antioch which when he came and had seene the grace of God was glad and exhorted them all that with purpose of heart they would continually cleaue vnto the Lorde For he was a good man and full of the holye ghost and of fayth and much people was added vnto the Lorde Then departed Barnabas vnto Tharsus for to seeke Saule And when hee had founde him hee brought him vnto Antioch And it came to passe that a whole yere they had their conuersation with the cōgregation and taught much people insomuch that the Disciples of Antioche were the first that were called Christians BYcause God had appointed Iesus Christ his sonne to be the Sauiour of all the worlde therefore it was requisite that all nations should be brought vnto him by preaching of the Gospell as it appeareth by the Oracles of the Prophetes and by the commaundement of Christ where he bade the Apostles to go into all the world and to bring him Disciples out of all Nations And howe this thing beganne to come to passe Luke declareth in this chapter For although it be described before in the storie of Cornelius conuersion to the fayth of Christ yet bicause it might seeme he was called vpon some speciall fauor or priuiledge the conuersion of the notable citie of Antioch is ioyned therevnto in the which a Church of the Gentyles for many causes notable is gathered togither The beginners whereof were certayne men that came from Cyprus and Cyrene as was yesterday declared of small or no name yet whose names vndoubtedly are written before God in the booke of life These men comming into the Citie preached Iesus Christ onely vnto the Gentyles teaching them that he was sent from God the father to giue repentance and forgiuenesse of sinnes to them that beleeue in him And their godly enterprise wanted not a most prosperous successe For Gods power working most effectually by their ministery an innumerable sort of menne learned the fayth and turned vnto the Lorde Now vnto these premisses Luke ioyneth certaine things touching the confirming of the Church at Antioch And first he declareth the kindenesse of those of Ierusalem towardes this newe Church of Christ which
which being giuen to curious artes contrary to the prescript word of God dare prophecie of warres to come of plentie of sickenesses and such lyke things Whose boldenesse and impietie I haue before declared to be forbidden by the lawes of god See the fourth Homelie and also our Commentaries vpon Micheas homil 20. It remayneth that we declare what the Christians at Antioch did after the Prophete had thus admonished them Where chiefly appeareth their fayth which was the grounde of all their well doing For by their doings it may easily be gathered that they beleeued Agabus prophecie For they coulde not suspect him whome they sawe threatned but such things as the publike corruption of all states and degrees deserued This is the beginning of saluation when men can fynde in their heartes to beleeue the word of god This thing in time past put away the destruction which god threatned vnto the Niniuites Contrarywise it appeareth that diuers men haue bene the occasion of their owne vtter vndooing bicause they rather woulde with their hinderaunce and losse prooue the veritie of Gods worde than beleeue it And our Sauiour Christ teacheth this to be the onely cause of the destruction of Ierusalem that they knewe not the daye of their visitation So likewise he calleth that the time of grace when the father of heauen did vouchsafe to admonishe the Iewes of the wrath to come first by Iohn the Baptist then by his sonne and the Apostles and did exhort them to amendment of lyfe and a newe conuersation And if we list to apply these things to our dayes we shall be constrayned to confesse that this is the chiefe cause of our miseries in that there be so fewe which vse to beleeue the worde of God and to feare the predictions or warnings of punishment to come Moreouer after the people of Antiochia had beleeued Agabus thus prophecying they called to minde the state of their needye brethren and weighing with themselues diligently what a dearth was lyke to be at that time they prepared themselues to the deedes of Christian charity deuotion a thing not vsed of the children of this world For when they perceyue a dearth like to folow they apply themselfe to their gainful deuises they heap vp corne and hoorde in their Garners to make of a publike calamitie their priuate lucre and aduantage yea by these fellowes subtelties it commeth to passe that they which are in neede are the more distressed with penurie the dearth holdes the longer bicause they still greedily gape after more aduauntage But the Christians at Antioche did farre otherwise whome Christ did vouchsafe first to haue called after his own name For their chief care was howe to succour their poore and needye brethren And in this case they thinke their brethren the Iewes to haue most neede partly for that they knew their goodes were taken from them as Paule testifyeth Heb. 10. and partly for that they knewe they were bounde to them in that they had receyued from them the wholesome doctrine of the Gospell and knowledge of Christ their sauiour For being godly and wyse people they did easilye perceyue that it was not without the prouidence of God that they whose goodes as yet were not consumed shoulde for this ende be admonished of the dearth to ensue For after this sort they thought that god in this publike scarcitie did in their brethrens behalfe require this deede of charity of them This is a verye notable example of Christian gratitude whereby we are taught what dutie learners owe to their teachers seeing the Antiochians acknowledge themselues to be debters to all the Iewes bicause they had learned the truth of some of the Iewes For by common reason they vnderstande that saying of Paule to be most iust that it is but a small matter if they reape their temporall goodes which haue sowed them spirituall goodes But nowe a dayes we be moste vnkinde for hauing receyued great profite by the doctrine of the Gospell men enuye the teachers themselues a necessary liuing much more their other neighbours and countrie men Thus they declare they make no great account of the Gospell when they make so much a doe to paye the Ministers of the Gospell but their bare stipende and pension Howbeit Luke diligently declareth the order that the Antiochians tooke about this matter First euery man of the Disciples purposed to sende succour vnto the brethren which dwelt at Iurie And where hee declareth that thys was the purpose of euery one he sheweth it was a voluntary benefyte and not enforced Such ought they to be which will haue their charitie accepted of god For as Paule teacheth the Lorde looueth a cheerefull giuer It shall much make for the stirring vp of liberalitie in vs if we consider that the richer sort owe this seruice and dutie to the poore Which thing is the cause that Paule reasoning of this matter vseth so often this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifyeth the dutie of ministery and dispensation Whervnto is to be referred that saying of Christ admonishing vs to make vs friendes of the vniust Mammon which when we depart hence maye receyue vs into euerlasting Tabernacles These done he sayth they purposed to sende euery one according to his a bilitie For God did so moderate our Christian liberalitie that hee woulde no man shoulde be charged aboue his possibilitie For it is well knowne what Paule sayth if there be first a willing minde it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that hee hath not Not that other be set at libertie and you brought into combraunce but that there be egalnesse nowe at this time and that your abundance may succour their lacke And wee reade that the widdowe that cast but two Mytes into the Corban was praysed of Christ bicause she was able to giue no more And here is the niggishnesse of them greatlye reprooued which neglect the workes of liberalitie vnder pretence that they thinke it vniust to bestowe the goodes that they haue gotten with their labour and traueyle vpon other whereas God requireth nothing of them more than that they be able to spare Last of all they are very circumspect that their so godly and necessarye a deuise be not by craft and subtiltie hindred or disappoynted For when they had gathered this mony they committed it not at all aduentures to euery one to be caried but to Paule and Barnabas whose credit they had tryed diuers wayes And surely to let all this geare passe it appeareth in Paules writings what great truth he vsed in this behalfe and howe carefully hee procured the reliefe of his needye brethren in Iurie See .1 Corint 16. 2. Cor. 8. and .9 and Rom. 15. Moreouer they sende it to the Elders that it might duely be distributed according to their discretion We haue therfore in this place to learne what Christians haue to doe in times of publyke distresse
and false Prophet Who can saye that God had any care of this man whome he suffreth to be seduced with so many and diuers errours But that faythfull shepehearde Christ seeketh his lost sheepe in the mountaynes and valleyes yea and in the sea also and will not suffer them to be taken out of his hande This place therefore teacheth vs that we must not despaire to hastilye of any man except he manifestly proue himselfe to be of the number of the reprobate Moreouer Luke declareth in this Sergius the example of a good and a godly magistrate For both he is very desirous to learne the truth and also he ouerhastilye condemneth not the Ministers of a doctrine not heard before but calling them before him giueth them libertie freely to declare their doctrine The Princes of our dayes shoulde doe well to imitate this man whereof manye of them condemne the doctrine of truth before they knowe it and vse cruelly to punishe them whose fayth and religion they are vtterly ignoraunt of But let them remember they shall not be excused through ignorance considering it is their parts to do nothing of ignorance but diligently to search out and examine all causes These things being thus premised let vs nowe marke howe the contention beginneth where it plainly appeareth that the Apostles were the beginners hereof For where Sergius the Proconsull had sent for them to learne of them the worde of God it is like that they made no tariance but with all speede hasted to set forth the kingdome of god And here streyghtway commeth forth this Magitian and withstandeth them as they preach the worde For he quickly sawe that there was like to be no longer abiding for him with the Proconsull if he were once lightned with the knowledge of truth And although Luke declareth not after what sort he resisted the Apostles yet bicause he was a false Prophete and sorcerer it maye be easily gathered that he left no wayes vnassayde which might seeme to oppresse the truth And this Contender is diligentlye to be considered that by him we may learne to knowe all false Prophetes And fyrst marke his prowde name whereby he challengeth to himselfe a certaine Godheade For being called after his right name Elymas he woulde in the Syrian tongue be called Bariesu that is to saye the sonne of the Sauiour whereby we coniecture that he presumed to promise saluation to them that woulde follow his teaching He is therefore of the number of those that Christ prophecied shoulde come and challenge to them the maiestie of his name But it is the propertie of false Prophetes that if themselues vsurpe not the name of God yet they will haue their doctrine called after his name that vnder this pretence they might the easlyer beguile the simple Thus Zedechias speaking before Achab of the victorie that he shoulde get against the Syrians vseth that common beginning of the Prophetes Thus sayth the Lorde The same may we see in diuers others Yea there was yet neuer false Prophete but he went about to get him authoritie by colour of Gods name Moreouer this he doth according to the vsage of all false Prophetes he getteth him the friendship and familiaritie of the Proconsull and cleaueth fast vnto him as a most neare companion For deceyuers vse to get them the friendship of great estates both for that when they haue gotte them on their sides other by their example are the easlyer allured and also to purchase themselfe safetie by their authoritie For where they knowe they are destitute of the ayde of truth they must needes seeke for the arme and power of man whereby to defende themselfe So Baalam in time past notwithstanding he was admonished to the contrary by Oracle went about to get the friendship of Balac king of the Moaâ—ites And it is manifest that the Romaine Antichristes haue clymed to such power as they haue being ayded with the amitie and armor of Princes yea the deceyuers and hooded Iuglers are so neare and at hande about Princes that they can scarce let a fart but they must know it And this is the cause that such teachers frame their doctrine according to the delicate eares of their hearers least they shoulde offende them vpon whome they wholy depende This was Elymas onely scope and ende to turne the Proconsull from the fayth that he shoulde not beleeue that that Paule sayde And as all the Ministers of true doctrine consent herein to winne menne vnto God by fayth in Christ so all deceyuers agree herein to ouerthrowe the faith in Christ which being ouerthrowne the kingdome of God can take no place among menne For Satan knoweth that his force is most weakened by true fayth wherof there are examples euerywhere in the Euangelistes But let vs see howe Paule confuted this wicked enchaunter First Luke sayth he was full of the holy ghost wherby he meaneth that he was moued by the spirite somewhat aboue his ordinarie wont which thing he therfore declareth aforehande that we might thinke he did nothing of fleshly affection when we shall heare his heauy and intollerable weyght of wordes In the meane season we are admonished to fyght against the enimies of truth not with the blinde affection of fleshe but by the conduct and counsayle of the holy ghost whome vndoubtedly they shall fynde to bee their enimye be they neuer so well garded with worldly power Then he goeth on in his businesse fyxing his eies fast vpon Elymas which is an argument of a well meaning and vnfearefull minde And verily it becommeth vs boldly and constantly to resist Antichristians that they maye thinke men feare them not For why shoulde we feare them seeing he is greater that is on our side Why also shoulde they be the more encouraged through our cowardlynesse who already are turmoyled with the terrours of their naughtie conscience Thirdly he painteth him out egregiously in his colours and ioyneth a speciall weight and poyse vnto euery worde First ô full of all deceytfulnesse sayth he He accuseth him therefore of subtiltie and craft as one that sought praise and authoritie by sorcery and enchauntment Secondly he vpbraydeth him with naughtynesse of minde being readye to commit whatsoeuer wickednesse it were For what is more naughtye and wicked than vnder colour of Gods holy name to beguile men which is the chiefe commendation of false Prophetes and sorcerers For by this meanes they sette God at sixe and seauen as they saye who threatneth that he will not let the prophanation of his name go vnreuenged Thirdly he calleth him the chylde of the deuill to declare his impudencie who presumed to call himselfe the sonne of the Sauiour For that he was a childe of the Deuils both his insolent pride of minde and earnest studie of naughtinesse did abundantly declare Fourthly he calleth him the enimy of all righteousnesse and that well worthy forasmuch as he was Christes aduersarie without whome can be founde no righteousnesse that
with such detestation bicause he seeth he should incurre both treason and fornication if he shoulde committe the like thing Woulde God they did well obserue these things which in these dayes think it most godlynesse and religion to sende the simple and vnlearned Comminaltie vnto Creatures or else teache them to seeke saluation in the merites of men Moreouer it is worthy to be considered how the Apostles call this worship which they of Lystra would haue done vnto them vanitie For hereby we gather that all such religion is vaine of no force as is deuised of mans imagination without the worde of God specially if it tende not to the worship of God onely but vnto creatures to whome God will not impart his glory Herevnto agree the things which Christ alleageth out of the prophet They worship me in vain teaching the doctrines of men Let the Papists here make answere whose religion as it chiefly consisteth in honouring of creatures so it standeth vpon none other foundation than mens traditions Furthermore the Apostles in these wordes comprehende the duetie of those that are mynisters of the worde whyle they affirme that their preaching is to the ende that men should turne from the vayne worshypping of creatures vnto the onely lyuing god Therefore the faythfull ministers of Christ must ioyne these two thinges togyther that is they must both ouerthrowe false religion and plant the true Wherevnto is to be referred that saying of the Prophet Beholde thys day haue I appoynted thee to roote vp and destroy and to buylde vp and plant For as in husbandry and tyllage all the labor taken in plowing and watering is in vayne except the things that hinder the cornes growth be rooted vp and good seede sowne so in the husbanding and dressing of the mynde they haue most vnfruitefully laboured which haue not paynefully and carefully ioyned both these togither Therfore the men of our dayes commit double offence For there are some men that so abhorre Antichrist and his wicked religion that being occupied onely in ouerthrowing the same they haue no remembraunce to restore agayne true and syncere religion Agayne there are other some which wyll haue men taught the true religion by preaching the word but will not haue abuses and superstition touched bicause they would not haue the displeasure of the world And these latter sort hope that superstition will fall of it owne accorde when men are come to the knowledge of the true God and they perceyue not that there is no place for the knowledge of God in mens mindes tyll these superstitions be remooued Therefore who so meaneth profitably and with commendation to traueyle in matters of religion must ioyne both these as is sayde togither Thirdly the Apostles teach vs to know what maner of God he is euen the maker of heauen and earth the Sea and all that in them is Such a God the scripture declareth euery where he is and such an one we openly professe hym to be in the articles of our fayth according to the tradition of the Apostles But they which confesse him to be the Creatour must also needes confesse that he is a gouernour For it is not meete that we shoulde ymagine God to be such a worke mayster as hath no regarde or care of his worke And Dauid confesseth in deede that he dwelleth on high but yet that he beholdeth whatsoeuer is done in heauen and in earth For by his prouidence it commeth to passe that the poore of lowe degree are aduaunced to princely dignitie that kingdomes are conueyed and transferred from one to an other that women that are barren are made fruitfull that the earth bringeth forth all maner of fruites that the seas ebbe and flowe that all the worlde is tossed and turned with such interchaungeable course and varietie of seasons And to conclude there is nothing so excluded from Gods prouidence but that it numbreth euen the dyuers wayes of byrdes flying the flowers of the fyelde and heares of our head By these things is their doting confuted which say that this worlde is eternall which is the fyrst step vp to impietie For hereof it will follow that all thinges come to passe by chaunce and that eyther there is no God at all or else that he walketh vp and downe ydely in heauen and hath no regarde what is done on earth Dauid most diligently discribed this secte of men which thus ymagine and fayne in his Psalm 14. and .53 But at this day this secte so raigneth that a man shall see fewe which are in deede perswaded that God is the creator and gouernour of all things But the ende of these men Peter trimlye setteth forth in his last Epistle and thirde Chapiter But let vs returne to the Apostles who in the thirde part of their oration confute the obiections that might be made against them such as was prescription of tyme and vniforme consent almost of all the world Which arguments at this day are woont to be alleaged against the truth For it seemeth an vnmeete and an absurde thing that so many should haue erred so many yeres togither that the truth should now at the length be knowne but to a small number of men and those of small name and fame But the Apostles aunswere these things in fewe wordes God say they in times past suffred all nations to walke in their owne wayes In these wordes lye two arguments The one that the Gentyles walked not in the preceptes of God but in their owne wayes and inuentions therefore we maye not take them for an example therein to followe The other is that this thing fell out through the permission and sufferaunce of God not that he was pleased with their superstition but that the presumption of such curyous men so deserued who as Paule in an other place sayth woulde seeke further in the mysteries of God then mans reason coulde attaine to and were not content with the ordinarie meanes whereby God had appoynted to be knowne This place teacheth vs that the wayes of man in hys saluation are blinde and deceyueable bicause the naturall man as was said in the begynning of thys sermon perceyueth not the thinges that belong vnto God. Except therfore mans wisedome submit it selfe vnto the word of God it cannot attayne to the true knowledge of saluation yea the higher it shall mount in perswasion of hir owne habilitie the deeper she shal fall into the gulfe of errors Therefore it is a great blindnesse of theirs that thinke matters of religion and controuersies rysing about the same can by mans reason and deuise be calmed and appeased These men doe â–ª as if one should appoynt those for Iudges of causes that can neyther see nor heare we are further admonished by this place that al they are miserably beguyled which alleage the multitude in matters of religion affirme that the Church cannot erre For it is euydent in all ages that the
the saying of Dauid Many are the tribulations of the iust and that Christ foretolde shoulde come vnto vs And in all these things we must remember that so it must be not onely for that God maye be founde true of hys worde but bicause it is expedient thus to tame and brydle our fleshe and to mooue vs to lothe this lyfe and to desire the life to come For we feele in our selues what a loue of this worlde is in our fleshe and with howe much adoe we are brought to the desire of heauenly things And what thinke you woulde come of vs if we should taste of no aduersitie in this world but haue all things come to passe according to our desire lyking Surely the flesh would neuer be brought to renounce this worlde which notwithstanding all these vexations is woonderfully in loue with the worlde The second reason is that they declare how there is a ioyfull ende of tribulations for that by tribulations there is an entrance for vs into the kingdome of god Which wordes are not so to be vnderstanded as though by suffring afflictions we deserue the kingdome of God which is purchased for vs by the bloude of our Sauiour Christ only But they teach vs that Christ by his example hath trode out this way vnto vs that as he by the crosse entred into the glory of his father so the ende of all afflictions is set forth vnto vs to be the inheritaunce of eternall life according to the promise of Christ I will that where I am there my Minister shall also be Who therfore will henceforth abhorre the crosse who will be offended at afflictions seeing he heareth they come also vnto the wicked but by Christes meane worke to the saluation of the godly Let vs remember these things at this day O brethren Let vs consider that it is Gods appoyntment that we should be thus invred with diuers troubles and that it can not be otherwise bicause the naughtynesse of our flesh so requireth Let vs haue an eye to the example of Christ who bicause he woulde be our Captaine suffered fyrst all these things Furthermore let vs fasten the eyes of our minde vppon the glory of the heauenly life and forgette these frayle and temporall things behinde vs Lette vs ioyne herevnto feruent prayer that he maye vouchsafe to accomplish and performe the good worke which is begonne in vs And so shall it come to passe that being inspyred with his spirite and grace and hauing prosperously ended this race of our life and attayned to the rewarde of the heauenly we shall liue and reigne with our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christ to whome be prayse honor power and glory for euer Amen The C. Homelie AND when they had ordeyned them Elders by election in euery congregation and had prayed and fasted they commended them to the Lorde on whome they beleeued And when they had gone thorowout Pisidia they came to Pamphilia and when they had preached the woorde in Perga they descended into the Citie Attalia and thence departed by shippe to Antioch from whence they were committed vnto the grace of God to the woorke which they fulfilled When they were come and had gathered togither the congregation they rehearsed all that God had done by them and howe hee had opened the doore of fayth vnto the Gentyles And there they abode long time with the Disciples AS it was the dutie of the Apostles to bring our Sauiour Iesus Christ Disciples and to gather him a Church out of all Nations by preaching of the Gospell so was it their parts and dutie carefullye and diligently to see vnto the same Churches And this doe Paule and Barnabas most faythfullye For after they had with perill of their lyues planted Congregations at Antioche Iconium and Lystra they laboured with all industrie possible to maintaine and defende the same against the assaults and craftes of Satan And bicause they knewe the Iewes did marueylously vexe them they returned againe to the Churches there notwithstanding they were opprobriously driuen forth of them Neither doe they returne without profyte but confyrme and strengthen the mindes of the Disciples with admonitions and comfortes exhorting them to continue and abide in the doctrine and putting away the slaunder and offence of the Crosse of all which hath bene spoken in the sermon before going Herevnto is to be adioyned that that is sayde in the beginning of this place touching Elders ordeyned by the sayde Apostles When we haue hereof intreated as much as God shall giue vs grace then will we speake of their returne vnto the Church at Antioch agayne to whome they recounted all that they had done abrode When they had sayth Luke ordeyned them Elders by election in euery congregation and had prayed and fasted they commended them to the Lorde on whome they beleeued They are called Seniors or Elders which partlye are Ministers and teachers of his word and partly such as are ayding and assisting the Pastours in the administration of the Church and which by reason of their authoritie see that Discipline be obserued in the Church And where Luke sayth they ordeyned such in euery Church it easily appeareth that it is very necessarye for the conseruation of the Church to haue such as by whose ministery the doctrine of the worde may be had in continuall vse This is requisite both for the infyrmitie of the flesh and also bicause of the corruption of mannes nature which must needes be oftentimes warned to doe his dutie least he be brought to destruction by the craftes and subtiltie of the Deuill For the which cause Christ did not onely sende forth the Apostles to preach the Gospell among all Nations of the worlde but also gaue vnto his Church Pastours and teachers by whose diligence the fayth and knowledge of God which the Apostles taught might be confyrmed and preserued in mens mindes And Paule writeth that he left Titus for this cause in Creta that he should ordeyne Elders in euery Citie of that Islande And herevnto it is manifest the godlyest Kings and Princes that were hertofore had a respect by whose liberalitie Churches were endowed and enriched least for want of prouision the ministery of the word shoulde haue fayled Therefore their error is very pieuishe and absurde which reiect the doctryne of the worde as vnprofytable and superfluous For if these men did well knowe themselues they would perceyue that thys is the readyest waye whereby to attayne vnto saluation as Christ sometime tolde Martha being very much busied and occupyed in other matters Therefore as many as will haue the Church to be maintayned let them diligentlye prouide that the Church want not fytte and worthy Ministers The Euangelyst also declareth the ceremony or maner of choosing Elders wherein prayer and fasting were fyrst placed whereof mention was made as we haue hearde before in the lyke case Act. 1. and .13 When the Scripture vseth to ioyne both these togither it signifyeth that
doctrine Furthermore the state of the controuersie that these deceyuers helde is expressed For they called backe the Gentyles vnto Circumcision and Ceremonies of the lawe saying Except you be circumcised you cannot bee saued Which saying it is very like they confyrmed with many articles For they had the lawe of God who ordeyned Circumcision for a perpetuall signe of his couenant amongst the Israelites They had also the example of the Church at Ierusalem where the Apostles yeelded so farre to the weakenesse of the Iewes that they circumcised their infantes Moreouer where through Circumcision they were bounde to obserue the lawe according to that saying of Paule I testifye to euery man that is circumcised that hee is bounde to keepe the whole lawe This being taken awaye they cryed and sayde that the whole lawe was abrogated and a gate opened vnto all wickednesse Yet they confessed Christ notwithstanding and woulde seeme to be followers of the Gospell like goodlye blenders and compounders which thought the lawe might be mingled with the Gospell and the righteousnesse of workes with fayth This therefore was the whole state of the controuersie whether men were iustified through the grace of God by fayth onely in Christ or whether the righteousnesse of the lawe was necessarye vnto saluation And if a man will weygh and expende this matter well it shall appeare that this was the verye same controuersie which is betweene vs and the Papistes nowe in these dayes who professe Christ also but yet affirme that men are iustifyed and saued by their merites and good deedes sauing that in this poynt the Papists case is the weaker and worse for that they grounde not vppon the lawe of Moses once giuen by God but vppon mannes traditions which long sithence haue bene condemned by the sentence of god They worship me in vaine teaching the doctrines of men Therfore it is very necessary for vs to vnderstand this controuersie For if there be no place due vnto the workes of Gods lawe for vs to glory we be iustifyed by then doubtlesse be they very miserable and blinde which dare chalenge this praise vnto the colde obseruances of mannes traditions In the meane season mannes peruersenesse bewrayeth itselfe in this place which where God offreth saluation vnto vs freely contemneth the same and seeketh rather a sumptuous and laborious way of attayning therevnto Examples of this peruersitie appeare in all ages and the Lorde complayneth hereof in Esay 55. saying Wherefore laye you out your money vppon the thing that feedeth not and spende your labour about the thing that satisfieth you not Againe My people hath committed two euils they haue forsaken me the well of the water of life and digged them pits yea vile and broken pits that can holde no water And would God that he had not more occasion to make the like complaint euerywhere at this day Thirdly followeth the effect of false doctrine that these Iewish Christians brought in That was sedition and open schisme through the which Luke sayth the Church at Antioch which hitherto had bene moste quiet and as a common sanctuarie to all the godly was disturbed Therefore they that fall from the simple doctrine of the truth and bring new and false opinions into the Church these are disturbers of the Church By this name doth Paule here sette out these fellowes saying I marueyle that you are so soone turned from Christ that called you by grace vnto another Gospell which yet is none other but that there be some which trouble you And in other places he calleth them Dogges euill workers concision and the verye enimies of the crosse of Christ. I know we are charged by the Papists in these dayes to haue disturbed to disturbe the Church But if the truth of the Apostles doctrine be well marked it shal appeere we are most cleere from this crime the puritie of which doctrine bicause we endeuour to restore maketh vs in deede to disturbe the ydlenesse of them who vnder a false pretence of Christ his Church had a delight to disporte themselues both with the felles and fleshe of the miserable sheepe Furthermore the chiefe vse of this place is that we be not so offended with the discentions rising in our dayes by reason of religion that we therefore thinke all doctrine of fayth and religion to be doubtfull and vncertayne For it is euident that the doctrine of truth hath in all ages bene diuersly assaulted and that therefore diuers discentioâ—s haue risen by meanes thereof This God suffereth to come to passe by his iust iudgement and for the weale of our saluation For fyrst according to the saying of Paule there must needes bee sectes that they which are perfite may be knowne Agayne by this occasion it commeth to passe that the chiefe articles of our fayth and saluation are the more diligently and earnestly examined which vnlesse they were thus called in question woulde for the most part lye vnconsidered and buryed For God can so moderate mischiefes that they serue vnto the saluation of those that be his and to those that loue God all thing worketh to the best And this may we see in thys present controuersie as cleere as daye For hereby came it to passe that the meane of our iustifycation was intreated and discussed the more diligently by the Apostles and that the ceremonies of the lawe were the lesse regarded among the Iewes wherein yet a great many put much trust Euen so in our age the sacrifyce of the Masse was no way more ouerthrowne than by the controuersie which fell out about the supper of the Lorde Therfore their clamour is pieuishe and absurde which complaine and saye that by reason of such discentions religion is doubtfull and vncertaine For vnder this colour they go about to hyde and cloake their prophane and hollowe heartes Furthermore let vs consider what Paule and Barnabas and the faithfull of Antioch did in this disceptation As for Paule and Barnabas it is sayd that they had much contention and daylie disputation with these disturbers Therefore they were no dumbe Dogges which woulde suffer all kindes of doctrine to creepe into the Church but rather they earnestly withstoode these deceyuers so that the true faith was not ouerturned with their gloses Yet otherwheres Paule becommeth all things to all men and earnestly commaundeth those that be strong in faith pacientlye to beare with the weaker Why therefore sheweth he himselfe in this place to be so difficult and vntreatable Bicause it was a matter of more importance than coulde be dissembled For by this opinion the righteousnesse of fayth which we haue in Christ alone is ouerturned For they which by Circumcision make them selfe bonde vnto the law to them is Christ become vnprofitable and they which will be iustified by the lawe are fallen from grace Moreouer by thys meanes the Christian libertie was in hazarde which coulde be purchased with none other pryce
than wyth the bloude of Christ and they which were iustifyed by the fayth in Christ and enfrauncised with the libertie of the children of God were not subiect to the commaundement and intollerable yoke of the lawe as Peter hereafter will declare Besyde this the true vse of the lawe was peruerted which was to bring men as a tutor and gouernour vnto christ And these fellowes sent those that were graffed in Christ vnto the principles and beginnings of the lawe Moreouer it coulde not be chosen but the light of the Gospell shoulde haue bene obscured and darkened with the shadowes of the lawe Therefore Paule might not in any case haue borne with these deceyuers vnlesse he woulde haue bene counted an vntrustye Minister of christ By the which example we are taught that we must for concorde and vnities sake admit nothing that may any waye obscure the glory of Christ and simple confession of the fayth For that is a verye hurtfull concorde that is redeemed with the prophanation of the name of Christ and denying of the fayth For this saying of Christ standeth fyrme and strong he that loueth father and mother more than me is not worthy of me Againe whosoeuer shall bee ashamed of mee before this adulterous and naughty worlde him will I be ashamed of when I come in the glorye of my father Furthermore let vs hereof be perswaded that Christian menne can haue no peace without christ For if they will be true Christians in the world they shall haue afflictions and in Christ onely peace Howbeit they of Antioch that beleeued when they perceyued this contention euery day more and more to kindle they decree at length with one consent that Paule and Barnabas with certaine other Disciples shoulde go to Ierusalem to propounde this question vnto the Apostles and Elders there to be discussed And Paule easily yeeldeth vnto this decree not meaning to put the cause of truth to the iudgement of manne but for that he well knewe these deceyuers abused the name of the Apostles Therefore for the more commoditie of the vnlearned and simple people whose eyes they had dazeled with the brightnesse of Apostolike authoritie he easily admitted this counsaile as the most commodious and readyest waye that coulde be deuised And this hath bene the chiefe cause of all the Sinodes and Counsayles that heretofore haue bene gathered by godlye Kinges and Bishops For it was neuer the minde of those holy men that the cause of fayth and saluation shoulde be in subiection to mannes iudgement But where Heretikes vsed impudently to vaunt them of the consent of Apostolike doctrine and vniuersall Church vnto the vnlearned people the Catholikes thought good most commodiously to bridle them by Synodes and the publike testimonie of the Church to th ende that they shoulde not afterwarde be beleeued We haue diligently to consider the modestie that Paule here vseth For it is manifest he was endâ—ed with such constancie that he woulde not haue yeelded vnto the Apostles if they woulde haue pronounced any thing against the truth For he durst boldly reprehende Peter at Antioch and he teacheth vs that we ought not to beleeue an Aungell if he woulde preach any other Gospell Yet he despiseth not a meane and deuise of peace vttred by the godly brethren whereas he sawe the glorye of God coulde thereby no way be obscured and that the quiete of the weaker sorte might thereby be procured This modestie must be ioyned with constancie least whyle we will seeme constant we be founde obstinate and wayward For the spirit of Christ is tractable and maketh men which vse him as their counsayler desirous of his glory In the meane season their leuitie is not to be allowed which while they will seeme tractable and easie to be intreated be obedient to such counsayles they see doe quite deface and ouerthrow the veritie of faith and glorye of christ Furthermore this place teacheth vs which is the best waye to calme controuersies and contentions that rise about fayth and religion Some there be that thinke these matters might be taken vp and ended by mannes wisedome and pollicie if eche part woulde somewhat yeelde one to another as though men might daily in religion and Gods causes as in other worldly affaires Why rather doe we not resort vnto the Apostles to heare what they haue taught and appoynted whose doctrine is manifestly confyrmed with the testimonie of Christ himselfe For vnto them it is sayd He that heareth you heareth me c. And we know that Christ prayed for them which should beleeue in him according to their preaching Moreouer they were openly endued with the holy spirit which shewed manifest arguments of his presence and operation in them Wherefore we must earnestlye take heede that we swarue not one nayles breadth from their doctrine The Apostle Iohn teacheth vs the same where in his fyrst Epistle and seconde Chapter he sayeth Lette that remayne in you which you hearde from the beginning If that which you hearde from the beginning shall remaine in you you also shall continue in the father and in the sonne Paule also where he aduertiseth vs of such as presume to peruert the truth sayth But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned which also were committed vnto thee knowing of whome thou hast learned them and forasmuch as thou hast of a child knowne the holy scriptures which are able to make thee learned vnto saluation through the fayth which is in Christ Iesu. Therefore they are fowlye deceyued which by this example will obtrude vnto vs Counsayles as though religion ought by them to be ruled where it is euident these many yeres they haue bene such as haue had no signe or token of any Apostolike spirite in them And if they woulde heare the Prophetes and Apostles we would according to the example of Paule and Barnabas willingly go vp with them vnto the Apostles to heare what the spirite of God speaketh in them But if they will harken vnto men farewell they seeing we haue none other maister to harken vnto but Iesus Christ. But Luke also descrybeth Paules going to Ierusalem bicause there be diuers things therein worthy to be considered Amongst which the fyrst is howe Paule and Barnabas are brought on their waye by the congregation which appointed them worthy and faythfull companions to iourney wyth them Whereby it appeareth the congregation tooke their part and had no suspition in their doctrine and beliefe Let all congregations follow thys ensample that they leaue not the faythfull ministers of Christ destitute of helpe For what else doe they but susteyne open warre in the Churches quarrell and behoofe And surely their ingratitude is execrable which prouyde to stande out of Gunneshot when troubles arise about religion and will stande ydely gasing on as though the matter pertayned nothing vnto them but onely vnto the Ministers Then also to the ende their iourney should not be
prophecyed destruction vnto the Iewes which they had deserued bicause of their vnruly and licentious lyuing But bicause by destruction of the Iewes the promises of the eternall kingdome of the Messias might seeme to quayle and fall God comforteth them agayne promysing that he will restore the tabernacle or kingdome of Dauid agayne I will returne sayth he and will buylde againe the Tabernacle of Dauid that is fallen downe and that which is fallen in decay of it will I set vp againe And it is not without a cause that he maketh mention of the Tabernacle For so he comprehendeth the outwarde worship which must be abrogated and abolished in the kingdome of the Messias And therfore it seemeth that Iames maketh his argument that the Gentyles should not be striuen withall about ceremonies and obseruation of the lawe for as much as it was long time before prophecied that all Moses discipline shoulde cease in the time of the Messias Also here is declared what maner of people should be in the church vnder christ And among these the fyrst place is gyuen to the remnaunt of the Iewes euen vnto those which were saued by the peculiar goodnesse of God from the vniuersall destruction of all the nations according to that saying of Esay the tenth Chapiter Though the people of Israell be as the sande of the sea yet shall the remnaunt of them be saued But vnto these shall come all other nations which shall be called after the name of God and shall seeke the Lorde with the Iewes In these words lye two arguments First it is sayde that in the kingdome of Messias the Iewes and Gentiles shall be â–ª one as worthy as an other And next they shall haue both one office and duetie This shall be their dignitie or worthynesse that the name of God shall be inuocated ouer them all that is as much to say they shall both be called after the name of God and the people of god For this is a phrase of speeche much vsed with the Hebrues which is to be founde in Gene. 48. and Esay 4. The duetie of both this people shall be to seeke the Lorde Which thing is not done with outwarde ceremonies and obseruances of the lawe but by true fayth Of these wordes of the Prophete Iames most stronglye concludeth that it is a folly and vnmeete for the ceremonies of the lawes sake to berealie the Gentyles of that glorie which God long sithence vouchsafed to giue them Moreouer as it is a singuler comfort that through the falshood and destruction of man Gods promises can nothing be stopped or hindered for what though some of them beleeued not Shall their vnbeliefe make the promise of God of no effect Nay let God be true and euery man a lyer so whosoeuer will be taken for the people of God are in this place admonished of their duetie That is to seeke the Lorde who being a spirite infynite and pearâ—ing through all thing and gouerning all thing is not tyed to anye certaine place but maye be sought and founde by fayth onely which taketh holde of him Whyle he manifesteth himselfe vnto vs by his worde And least it might seeme an absurde and straunge thing to any man that the Gentyles should thus sodainely be matched with the Iewes Amoz maketh God the Author hereof and Iames expounding the same sayth Knowne vnto God are all hys workes from the beginning As though he should say There is no cause why eyther we should marueyle at these things or accuse God of vnrighteousnesse For although these seeme vnto vs to be absurde thinges yet God knoweth certainely the reason of all his doings Neyther let vs thinke that God can be deceyued bicause long ago before this worlde was created he disposed and ordered all things well by his eternall counsell Hereof may be gathered a generall doctrine that we must not call the eternall purpose of our saluation to mans account but reuerently kisse and order the righteousnesse wisedome and goodnesse of God. See Paule touching thys poynt Rom. 9. and .11 Chapters In the seconde part of his oration Iames vttereth a counsell both profytable and necessarie He sawe great enmitie betweene the Iewes and the Gentyles whereof at length was lyke to growe a pernitious daungerous schisme in the Church Wherfore necessitie required that deliberation should be taken with speede for the procuring and mainteyning of concorde and sheweth what is best to be done The summe of all his aduise is that the libertie of the Christians must be kept safe and inuiolable and that it must be so tempered that it breake not out into lycentiousnesse and giue occasion of offence Unto the fyrst poynt belongeth this saying of his wherefore my sentence is that wee trouble not them which from the Gentiles are turned vnto God. The meaning is that the yoke of the lawe must not be layde vppon them nor their consciences charged with the obseruing therof as a thing necessarie vnto iustifycation for them which had forsaken the superstitiousnesse of gentilitie and professed christ And that the Gentiles should not thinke the law so abrogated as though men were at libertie to doe what they list he thinketh good to admonishe them touching certaine pointes wherein the Gentiles offended both against christian puritie and holynesse and also against brotherly loue Foure things he forbiddeth whereof two are of themselues vnlawfull and other two are meane and indifferent things Of the fyrst sort are filthynesse of Images and fornication And hereof were the Gentyles to be admonished bicause they fowly offended in them both For there were of them who after they had professed Christ yet went into the ydols temples and being inuited and bidden of their friends were present at the Gentiles sacrifices eate of such things as were offred vnto the ydols and to be briefe were partakers at these sacrifyces as easily appeareth by the fyrst Epistle of Paule to the Corinthians And they thought they offended not in thus doing bicause they knewe the ydole was nothing and were well instructed concerning the fayth But Iames in one worde preuenteth and aunswereth their reasons while he aduiseth them to abstayne from filthynesse of Images For hereby he teacheth vs that ydolatrie is vnlawfull and abhominable of it selfe so that no man can be partaker thereof without manifest pollution and vncleanesse This saying it seemeth he tooke out of the lawe where God sayeth by Moses The grauen ymages of their Gods shalt thou burne with fyre and couer not the Golde and Syluer that is on them nor take it vnto thee least thou be snared therein For it is an abhomination before the Lorde thy God. Bring not therefore abhomination into thine house least thou be a damned thing as it is but vtterly defie it and abhorre it for it is a damned thing As touching fornication what licentiousnesse the Gentiles therein vsed without all check or punishment is more knowne than deserueth to be declared There are
creepe into them and to draw them which began to beleeue in Christ by little and little from him Besides this he thought to tickle the Apostles mindes with ambition and desire of vayne glory to th ende that being herewith entysed they might neglect the glory of god You see therfore what poyson lyeth hid vnder the bayte of this honorable and holye acclamation With this intent we reade he flattered Christ also and bare recorde of him Let vs here marke the sleyght of Satan which can marueylouslye dissemble his hatred of the truth and transforme himselfe into an Aungell of light Therefore lette vs suspect whatsoeuer commeth from him Neyther let vs beleeue his instrumentes although they speake neuer so grauely and honorably in the commendation of Gods seruauntes and haue the holy scriptures neuer so ryfe in their mouth This place serueth to refute them which say we are vniustly offended with the Papacie bicause therein the name of Christ is preached the commendation of Saints are celebrated the lessons of holye scripture are daily vsed and nothing is done without the inuocation of Gods holy name But these men are ignoraunt how Antichristes sea or chayre must stande in the Church and marke not this saying of Christ Not euery one that sayth vnto me Lorde Lorde c. And if we woulde looke nearer on the matter it shall appeare that they seeke nothing vnder the pretence of religion and Christ his Church and his reuerende name but to establishe their tyrannie and to bring mennes traditions in credite Also by this place are they confuted that holde with Coniurers enchaunters or soothsayers bicause they heare them mutter out the reuerent names of God and weighty sentences of scripture But what marueyle is this since the Deuill durst alleage scriptures against our Maister Christ yea they sinne the more grieuously bicause they colour their impietie with the name of God the abuse and prophanation whereof he will not leaue vnpunished Nowe what Paules opinion was touching all these pointes this present example declareth He for a time beareth with this Maiden testifying this truth of them wayting for some suggestion of the holy spirite bicause he woulde not offende through blinde and ouerhastie affection at length inflamed with an holye zeale and indignation he rebuketh the Mayde thus crying and in the name of Christ expelleth the spirite Which example although it serue for the instruction of all men yet chiefely it teacheth the Ministers of the worde their dutie who must haue so great a care of the truth that they shoulde suffer nothing which by any meanes maye derogate any thing from the same although it made greatly for their prayse and glorye For as we declared before Satan vseth by flatterie to set on such as he knoweth are other wayes inuincible For the which cause Christ forbade the euill spirites to speake and woulde receyue no commendation at their mouthes Wherefore they are greatly deceyued that vse to dally with those whome they knowe are altogither straungers from the truth They hide many times their poison but the more they flatter the sorer they hurt It is the part of a christian man to take none for his friende whom he knoweth to be Christes enimie and cannot abyde the doctrine of christ But this is very worthye to be considered that Paule setteth Iesus Christ agaynst the Deuill and that he is constrayned to depart assoone as he heareth the name of Christ pronounced This is an vnspeakable argument of the power of christ For none can enter the house of a mightie man and ryfle him of his goodes except he fyrst binde him But Iesus Christ cōming into the world hath so vanquished the Deuill the Prince thereof that if he heare but the name of Christ onely he is constrayned to leaue his possession in men and to giue place vnto christ Therfore we must needes confesse that the power of Christ is much greater than the power of the deuill And of this we must fet comfort in our temptations that we feare not him who hath no power or force agaynst Christ in whom we are graffed through fayth Agayne we are by this place taught that Christ hath nothing to doe with the deuill seeing he doth not vouchsafe to receyue of him any testimonie be it neuer so honorable For what societie or communion can be betweene them seeing according to the fyrst promyse Christ came into the world to breake or crush the Deuils head and to destroy his works This also admonisheth Christians of their dutie that they should haue nothing to doe with the deuill For it is not meete for them that haue professed Christ to dallye with the Deuill in any poynt Let them therefore flye these soothsaying Artes which the craft of the Deuill and curiositie of man hath inuented Let them flye the inglings of enchauntmentes whereby he promyseth men helpe in their diseases or in their other distresses Let them flye false and prophane worshippings Idolatrye superstition and whatsoeuer else plucketh vs from god Let them hate the tyrannie of sinne whereby the libertie that Christ hath purchased vs is lost Let them watch constantly in the fayth and resist the Deuill and he shall depart from them whereby it shall come to passe that we hauing shaken of his yoke shall here leade a life acceptable vnto God and shall hereafter liue and reygne in heauen with our Lorde and sauiour Iesus Christ to whom be prayse honor power and glory for euer Amen The Cx. Homelie AND when hir Mayster and Mystresse sawe that the hope of their gaine was gone they caught Paule and Sylas and drewe them into the market place vnto the Rulers and brought them to the Officers saying These men trouble our Citie seeing they are Iewes and preache ordinaunces which are not lawfull for vs to receyue neyther to obserue seeing wee are Romaines And the people ranne against them and the officers rent their clothes and commaunded them to be beaten with rods And when they had beaten them sore they cast them into prison commaunding the Iayler of the prison to kepe them diligently Which when he had receyued such commaundement thrust them into the inner prison and made their feete fast in the stockes AS the Deuill partly with flatterie and deceyte and partlye by open force withstoode Iesus Christ while he liued here on earth and preached the Gospell euen so he vseth the same weapons against the Apostles of Christ at this daye that in tymes past he vsed This maye we see in this present hystorie For agaynst Paule preaching amonge the Philippians he setteth a Damsell possessed with the spirite of the Deuill by whome he giueth a notable testimonie of the truth vnto Paule meaning this way to bring the doctrine of the Gospell in suspition with wise men and to get himselfe some rowme among the professors of christian faith But the Apostle Paule quickly smelleth his subtiltie and compelleth the spirite being adiured by the name of
straunger and to follow his voyce onely Howbeit the short role or recount of beleeuers that Luke rehearseth must be also consydered which we see was gathered togither of al kinde of men Fyrst many Iewes beleeue althoughe the forsaking of that Nation was euen at hande Yet God vtterly forgetteth not his couenaunt but according to his promise preserueth certaine remnaunts Unto these are adioyned certaine noble and chiefe women of the Gentyles and at length are dyuers men besides numbred Whereby it appeareth that the grace of God which is giuen vs in Christ appertayneth to all sortes of men and that none is to be excluded from it eyther for cause of countrie nation sexe or whatsoeuer condition For in Christ Iesu there is neyther Iewe nor Gentyle bondman nor free man nor woman c. Which thing as it serueth to comfort vs so it teacheth euerie man to be mindefull of christian societie and to contempne no man ouer insolently in comparison of himselfe But let vs see what Satan attempted at Berrhoea against the kingdome of Christ verily euen the same that he dyd otherwheres For he can not suffer that to go forwarde that he knoweth hyndereth and ouerthroweth his kingdome And bicause he could fynde none in that Citie meete to serue his turne he calleth out the Iewes from Thessalonica who hearing and disdayning that the fayth of Christ went forwarde at Berrhoea come flying in post haste and cause a great sturre and tumulte there also Satan therfore vseth the lyke pollicie here that we sawe he vsed before at Lystra which is his propertie also at these dayes if he perceyue there want disturbers of Christes kingdome in one place to bring and fetch them from an other And it is a marueyle to see howe nymble the Monkes be in accomplishing this matter whome the Deuill can craftily sende abroade not onely into Cities but also into kings Courtes and priuie counsels to cause Princes being bewitched with their suggestions to shut their eares against the doctrine of truth In the meane season marke here the incurable malice of the Iewes wherewith they are so netled that they themselues doe not onely refuse the fayth of Christ but also can not suffer other to be illuminated with the same so that it is not without a cause that Paule so earnestly reprehendeth them in the fyrst Epistle to the Thessalonians the seconde Chapter Lyke vnto these men are all those in these dayes that giue themselues to the deuill to be instrumentes to impugne the fayth of Christ and thereby seeke great commendation Yet let them remember that they shal haue the same iudgement whereof was shewed an example vppon the Iewes to the woonder of the whole worlde For the holy ghost long agone prophecyed that all they shoulde be brused with the yron rodde of Christ which would not be corrected and amended by his worde And there want not examples of most mightie kings which haue founde this reuengefull sentence of Christ true to their great losse and hynderaunce whereof bicause we haue alreadie at large intreated otherwheres we will for thys time be contented to haue spoken these fewe wordes But what doe the brethren in the middest of this hurlye burlye Leaue they Paule in the bryars and daunger or refuse they to giue him counsell and to helpe him No. But rather leauing Silas and Timotheus which were not in such daunger to remaine at Berrhoea they conuey Paule away vsing therein great and singuler diligence For they take their iourney towarde the sea and by and by turne their course and come to Athens from whence Paule afterwarde wrote his fyrst Epistle to the Thessalonians It seemeth they helde not on their waye directly bicause they woulde auoyde the wayte of the Iewes who they sawe raged in such hatred against Paule Furthermore here is to be obserued the loue and kindnesse that they of Berrhoea shewe vnto their teacher For who doubteth but this attempt of theirs was a matter not onely of much expence and labour but also of great daunger But nothing could let them to go on in their godly duetie bicause they had a right iudgement of the benefyte of the gospell which they had receyued and they thinke it but a small matter to shewe an outwarde duetie and reuerence for the gift of eternall saluation Nowe a dayes bicause fewe men iudge rightly of Gods grace offered in the gospell they wil susteyne no labour and perill about the same But most times it commeth to passe that they which will suffer no daunger for Christes cause an other tyme are molested with greater cares for causes lesse godly This place furthermore teacheth vs that wisedome with fayth maye well stande togyther For Christ commaundeth vs to beware of the wylinesse of men and to vse the wisedome of Serpents against it We haue neede therof bicause of the children of this worlde whom Christ himselfe witnesseth to be wiser in their generation than the children of light Yet let vs remember that we must appoynt certaine boundes vnto the wisedome of the fleshe that we doe nothing through the counsell and perswasion thereof against our duetie wherein there is no better or more safe remedy then if we submyt all our vnderstanding vnto the obedience of fayth as Paule otherwheres teacheth vs So shall it come to passe that we shall neyther tempt God by putting our selues rashely in daunger nor dishonestly forsake the truth but holde the myddle way in dooing our duetie and hereafter raigne with Iesus Christ whome we serue in heauen to whome be praise honor power and glory for euer Amen The Cxvj. Homelie WHILE Paule wayted for them at Athens his spirite was mooued in hym when he sawe the Citie giuen to worshipping of Images Then disputed he in the Synagoge wyth the Iewes and with the deuout persons and in the market daylie with them that came vnto him by chaunce Certaine Philosophers of the Epicures and of the Stoikes disputed with him And some there were which sayde what will this babler say Other sayde he seemeth to be a tydings bringer of new Deuils bicause he preacheth vnto them Iesus and the resurrection And they tooke him and brought him into Mars hys seate saying maye wee not knowe what thys newe doctrine whereof thou speakest is for thou bringest straunge tydings to our eares we would know therfore what these things meane For all the Athenians and straungers that were there gaue themselues to nothing else but either to tell or to heare some newe thing THe Euangelist Luke hytherto hath described the dyuers iourneys and wandrings of Paule the Apostle by reason whereof he lyghtened so manye nations and Cities with the preaching of the gospell that he sayde otherwheres not without a cause that he had laboured more than all the Apostles Further least any man might thinke he had drawne ignoraunt and vnlearned men onely with an artifyciall and elaborate kinde of eloquence he came at length to Athens not
of those things which we hearde before in the vj. xvj and .xvij. Chapters By example of these things we learne that we must resist things at the beginning least being led at the fyrst with naughtye desires we feare not to speake agaynst the worde of God and so at length through contention fall to blaspheme it And so little by little entangle our selues in that horrible sinne agaynst the holye ghost and at the last driuen and caryed with gyantlyke audacitie fyght agaynst God the ende whereof shall be none other but the miserable and euerlasting destruction of the soule We haue euerywhere examples hereof But what doth Paule nowe Goeth he from Corinth bicause of these obstinate Iewes so that the wickednesse of a fewe persons is the hinderance of all No. But rather bidding these frowarde and wicked persons adewe he turneth him to the Gentyles And least he might seeme to doe anye thing of heate or passion of mynde he diligently obserueth the trade prescribed of Christ. First he shaketh his garments as we declared he did at Antioch in the .xiij. Chap. where may be seene what is to be learned what this ceremonie or doing meaneth Next he threateneth them with punishment declaring that they perished through their owne default saying your bloude be vpon your owne heade from hence I will goe blamelesse vnto the Gentyles He alludeth vnto the wordes of God written in Ezechiel cap. 3. and .33 after this sort Thou sonne of man I haue made thee a watchman ouer the house of Israel that whereas thou hearest any thing out of my mouth thou may est warne them on my behalfe If I say vnto the wicked thou wicked thou shalt surely dye and thou giuest him not warning that he maye beware of his vngodly way then shall the wicked dye in his owne sinne but his bloude will I require of thy hande Neuerthelesse if thou warne the wicked of his waye to turne from it whereas hee yet will not bee turned from it then shall he dye bicause of his sinne but thou hast deliuered thy soule Unto these wordes I say Paule alluded saying I haue done my duetie and sette before you Iesus Christ the onely authour of saluation but bicause you reiect him you are culpable of your owne perdition and I being in no fault thereof will gette me to the Gentyles Thus he threateneth them the same that Christ doth where he sayth vnto the Scribes The kingdome of God shall bee taken from you and giuen to a Nation that shall bring forth the fruites thereof And this that is sayde vnto the Iewes let all contemners of the Gospell thinke sayd vnto them For where through the Gospell God offereth vs a remedye against destruction they must needes perishe through the iust iudgement of God which wickedly despyse the same In the meane season Paules doing teacheth vs that Ministers of the worde are then blamelesse when they haue faithfully fulfylled their dutie towarde sinners by teaching rebuking and exhorting them But if they be dumbe dogges such as Esay describeth cap. 56. then shall the bloud of those that perishe be requyred of them that is to say God shall make them guiltie of all that bloud that is shedde through their negligence But the Scripture euerywhere setteth out the horrible guiltynesse of bloude See Genes 9. Numer 35. Psal. 51. c. We see therefore it is not without a cause that the Prophets and Apostles vse such vehemencie of zeale in their teaching Paule hauing a regarde herevnto sayde Woe vnto me if I preach not And Amos sayth in the thirde Chapter When a Lyon roareth who will not be afrayde Seeing then that the Lorde God himselfe speaketh who will not prophecie Finally Paule goeth into one Iustus house not for that he hated Aquilas but for the more credit of his protestation For it seemeth that this Iustus was a Gentyle except we shall thinke Paule was fantasticall which woulde forsake a beleeuing Iewes house to go into an other Iewes house Yea his wordes signify asmuch from henceforth I will go vnto the Gentyles Yet there appeareth in Paule a feruent good will towarde his owne Nation For although he chose him a Gentyle to be his hoste yet his desire is to dwell nigh vnto the Synagoge bicause he would want no occasion to winne the Iewes Let all Ministers followe this example For where they are called Pastors and fathers it becommeth them to beare such affection towarde those that perishe as shepeheardes doe towarde their straye sheepe and as fathers doe towarde their vntoward children Such affection declareth Christ when he wept looking on Ierusalem and bewayled the destruction that shoulde come vppon hir by the iust iudgement of God. But Paules industrie and trauayle was not in vayne For of the Iewes Crispus the President of the Synagoge was wonne to the beliefe in Christ whome Paule writeth that he baptized in the fyrst Epistle to the Corinthians the fyrst Chapter Also many of the Corinthians beleeued who not long before seemed to be drowned in sinne and perdition And it maye be thought by their baptisme that they did not feigne a fayth but that they openly and plainly protested the same Therefore they want not the blessing of God that labour faithfullye in their vocation neyther can the vnbeliefe and frowardnesse of others frustrate the promise of God as Paule in other places teacheth Rom. 2. As many as fynde they haue grieuous and incurable enimyes may here fetch comfort Moreouer a notable place followeth which teacheth vs that Paule in this businesse was comforted by God where fyrst Paules person is to be considered then God who strengthened him with consolation It appeareth by this consolation that God gaue Paule that as a man he was afrayde And he sawe euery daye before his face many thinges to cause him to feare For he well knewe the incurable rage of the Iewes agaynst Christes doctrine The remembraunce of the daungers he had bene in by their meanes was fresh in his memory And such corruption of the citie as was daily noted in common Prouerbes gaue him small hope of doing anye good there Besides the craftes of false brethren and teachers of whome he oftentimes complayneth in his Epistles Yea he plainly confesseth that he was at Corinth in much feare and trembling And as farre as we can gather by the worde of God Paule was minded to leaue the Citie seeing he had so little hope to doe any good there We learne by this example that euen the seruants of God also are subiect vnto affections and that otherwhiles they are so afrayde that they forgette their dutie For this that Paule suffred at Corinth diuers other founde true to their greater ruine Abraham the father of the beleeuing after he had forsaken his natiue Countrie and shewed a notable proofe of his fayth being ouercome with feare stayned his good name with a fowle lye and brought his wife into great perill and daunger Iacob hauing
Antioche the publike sanctuary as we sayde before of all godly persons From thence he passed through the Galathians and Phrygians confyrming the brethren euerywhere in the fayth for that he was not ignorant of the craftes and enterprises of Satan which lyeth still in wayte for the godly Luke in fewe wordes comprehendeth the great paynes care and marueylous dyligence that Paule vsed in the gouerning of Christ his Church But if a man would compare the Byshops of our dayes with him which bragge of Paule and Peters name good Lorde howe little shall a man fynde in them expressing but one sparkle of Paules breast In the meane season let vs acknowledge the truth of God which prouideth for his Church such faythfull and chosen instruments and let vs beseech him to sende out faithfull labourers into hys haruest which may enlarge the boundes of his Church that our Lorde and sauiour Iesus Christ may haue a kingdome in all nations to whome be prayse honor power and glory for euer Amen The Cxxiiij Homelie AND a certaine Iewe named Apollos borne at Alexandria came to Ephesus an eloquent man and myghtie in the scriptures The same was enfourmed in the way of the Lorde and spake feruently in the spirite taught dyligently the things of the Lorde and knewe but the baptisme of Iohn onlye And the same beganne to speake boldely in the Synagoge whome when Priscilla and Aquila had hearde they tooke him vnto them and expounded vnto hym the way of God more perfitely And when he was disposed to go into Achaia the brethren wrote exhorting the Disciples to receyue him Which when he was come helped them much which had beleeued thorowe grace for he ouercame the Iewes myghtilye and that openly shewing by the Scriptures that Iesus was Christ. VNto the discourse of the thinges done by the Apostle Paule at Corinth and Ephesus Luke annexeth in order the hystorie of Apollos the Iewe borne at Alexandria For fyrst it maketh for the more perfyte declaration of the thinges done among the Corinthians bicause Apollos not long after this went to Corinth and watered the Church there that Paule had prosperouslye planted and lyke a dyligent husbandman brought it to more rypenesse of fruite as the Apostle confesseth in the fyrst to the Corinthians the thirde Chapter Here appeareth likewise the great goodnesse of God in prouyding for his Church For we heard in the Sermon going before howe Paule by secrete instinct of the holye ghost was taken from the Ephesians which being inflamed with the loue of the gospell desyred longer to haue kept him with them Therefore least any man might thinke that God neglected those that were so desyrous of saluation so myght take occasion to thinke yll of God he substituteth Apollos in his place to supply Paules absence by his diligence and endeuour For God neglecteth none that are desyrous of the truth who calleth all men vnto him euery where and allureth them with spreade open armes Therfore this hystorie maketh not a little for the comfort of the Church conteyning also an example of a faythfull and an absolute minister with many other things belonging to our instruction wherefore it shall be profytable to examine all the partes thereof Luke begynneth very commodiously with the description of the person saying fyrst he was a Iewe where partly is declared the great mercie of God which out of a most enuious nation falling and running headlong into destruction chooseth out euery day newe and freshe worshippers of hys sonne and Ministers and partly the Iewes malice is prooued incurable which could be ouercome neyther with the great dyligence of the Apostles nor yet with daylie domesticall examples Next he declareth how he was borne at Alexandria where hystories saye and thys present place prooueth was a most famous Church and schoole erected euen in the time of the Apostles For from thence commeth thys Apollos furnished with so many dyuers giftes whose labour and traueyle afterwarde appeared so great in the buylding vp of the congregation Luke in verye fewe wordes attributeth to him singuler qualities saying he is eloquent that is to saye had a gift aptly and in due maner to speake or reason of any matter also power or might in the scriptures that is a conuenable dexteritie in handling or intreating of them as one that had not learned them onely for ostentation sake Moreouer he declareth he was brought vp in the way of the Lorde thereby attributing vnto him the knowledge of Christ yet declaring he wanted some poyntes thereof where he sayth he knewe but the baptisme of Iohn onely So calleth he the principles of christian religion comprehending vnder this worde baptisme all the doctrine of Iohn and al that businesse whereof he was Minister In the which sence Christ also demaunded the Scribes of Iohns baptisme Math. 21. Yet this place must not so be vnderstanded as though Iohn had had no knowledge of Christ or had taught his Disciples any doctrine contrarie to christ For Iohns doctrine and Christes was all one For as Christ commaundeth the Apostles to preach repentaunce and forgiuenesse of sinnes in his name so reade we that Iohn mooued his hearers vnto repentaunce and shewed them that the grace of God and saluation was to be had in Christ onely For the summe of his doctrine was Repent you for the kingdome of God is at hande Beholde the Lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the worlde The father loueth the sonne and hath giuen all things into his hande that all that beleeue in the sonne may haue lyfe euerlasting See Luke 3. Iohn 1. and thirde chapiters And bicause Iohn was in the myddle betwixt the Prophets and Christ and was therefore but the forerunner of the sauyour that was promised who should prepare and make ready the people to receyue Christ it suffised him to declare but a short and briefe summe of our saluation and knowledge of Christ that all men might vnderstande howe forgiuenesse of sinnes and life euerlasting was to be had but in him alone In the meane season it is manifest that he no where taught the secret misteries of Christes death resurrection and ascension or the whole order of our redemption in expresse wordes For the perfyte vnderstanding hereof was reserued for an other tyme yea we reade that the very Apostles were not so skilfull in these thinges although that Christ had oftentimes reasoned hereof vntill after his ascension they were illuminated by the holy ghost that was sent them as Christ had promised them Therefore although Apollos was brought vp in the waye of the Lorde and knewe that Christ was the sauiour of the worlde yet was he ignoraunt in manye thinges which concerned the maner of our redemption whereof he was more at large to be enfourmed as shall followe a little hereafter In the meane tyme we haue two thyngs to consider in the description of this person First is the order and lincking togyther of gyftes wherewith
the exchaungers of money Next vnto these are Kinges Princes and all the great trayne of noble menne in this worlde For superstition is gainefull vnto them also bicause vnder the pretence hereof they prouide for numbers of their children and the defence of their dignitie whyle by their authoritie they thrust them into Bishopprickes Abbacies and Cardynalshippes which perhaps otherwyse should be set to Marchaunts trade or to get their lyuing with their hands which seemeth to them the heynousest matter in the worlde Nowe both these sortes togyther helpe the inferior sort of the commons which lyue eyther by Monkes and priestes or by these nobles For these commons being of a seruile nature and disposition and fearing to dye for famishment are soone perswaded to anye thing by these Demetrij Adde vnto all these such as eyther desire and seeke to lyue lycentiously or else such as follow their pleasures and gaines by mischieuous meanes as are vsurers whoremongers drunkardes hyred Souldyours and all such other lyke For these people bicause their workes be naught would not be reprooued and therefore they wishe the lyght of the gospell which bewrayeth their dooings at once extinguished These I say are the begynners of sedition against the gospell as no man can denye which will dyligently viewe the vsage of our dayes But chiefely Demetrius oration is to be considered the proposition and state whereof is that Paule ought not to be suffered which by his doctrine draweth men from the olde religion He confyrmeth his proposition wyth three reasons or arguments which vse to be of great force in the kinde deliberatiue The fyrst is taken of commoditie or profyte wherevnto the hungryer and poorer sorte haue alwayes a specyall regarde you knowe sayth he that by this craft we haue aduauntage What remayneth then but that you must perishe for hunger if you suffer your occupation to be ouerthrowne by Paules doctrine The second reason he borroweth of necessitie you see and heare that not onely at Ephesus but almost throughout all Asia thys Paule hath perswaded c. Therfore this matter can be driuen of or borne with no longer but it is needefull with speede to prouyde a remedie The thirde argument he fetcheth of honestie saying Not onely this our craft commeth into perill to be set at naught but also the Temple of the great Goddesse Diana should be despised and hir magnificence destroyed whome all Asia and the worlde worshyppeth As though he should say O companions what infamie shall we purchase vnto our selues if we suffer that religion to decay amongst vs which hath bene so many ages of so great authoritie in all the worlde Also in this oration appeare the craftes and vsages of the wicked who incensed and led with the desyre of priuate lucre onely wyll yet be counted for the defenders of religion Such an one doth the holye-ghost describe Caiaphas to be Iohn 11. Such are the talkes of the Monkes in these dayes and of all those which vpholde and maintaine Poperie amongst whome a man shall scarce fynde one so plaine as this Demetrius which doth not dissemble but that his chiefest respect was for hys priuate gaine and aduauntage Let vs learne to suspect these clamoures and to marke better wherevnto they tende It appeareth also in this place with what arguments most times the wicked vse to defende their superstition Uerily with the consent of the vnlearned multitude with the authoritie of kings and princes with the pompe and shewe of outwarde holynesse with contynuaunce of tyme but chiefely with the pretence of priuate gaine and aduauntage These things are common nowe a dayes if a man would marke the talke of our aduersaries But it is a foule fault for christians to vse the argumentes of the heathen in matters of religion which ought to be iudged and determyned by scripture onely Fynally by Demetrius owne saying may be gathered what force and power the gospell is of For he confesseth that by Paules teaching in two yeares space that famous temple was brought in daunger which all Asia was in buylding about the space of two hundred and twentie yeares as we declared erewhyle and which the barbarous people spared in the Persian warres where they set fyre on all other churches He complayneth also that all mennes mindes for the most part were turned from worshipping of Diana But it is euident this coulde be done by no mannes power or authoritie We are also taught that men haue then profyted well in the Gospell when their mindes are wholy turned from superstition and Idolatrie For as long as they hang in suspence hereof it is certaine their mindes are not lightened with the truth Let vs therefore examine our selues after this rule and casting awaye all superstition turne with feruent fayth to Iesus Christ our Lorde to whom be prayse honor power and glorye for euer Amen The Cxxix Homelie WHEN they hearde these sayinges they were full of wrath and cryed out saying Great is Diana of the Ephesians And all the Citie was on a rore and they rushed into the common hall with one assent and caught Gaius and Aristarchus men of Macedonia Paules companions When Paule woulde haue entred in vnto the people the Disciples suffred him not But certayne of the chiefe of Asia which were his friendes sent vnto him desiring him that he woulde not preace into the common hall Some therefore cryed one thing and some another and the congregation was all out of quiet the more part knewe not wherefore they were come togither Some of the company drewe forth Alexander the Iewes thrusting hym forwardes But Alexander beckened with the hande and would haue gyuen the people an aunswere When they knewe that he was a Iewe there arose a showte almost for the space of two houres of all men crying great is Diana of the Ephesians THe Euaungelist Luke by the instinct of the holye Ghost setteth out in thys booke not onely the persecutions layde vppon the Apostles by Magistrates and order of lawe but also the raging seditions of the furious commons amongst which this deserueth to be counted the chiefe which was begonne by Demetrius agaynst Paule at Ephesus The vse of this and all other lyke serueth for two causes speciallye First they serue for the instruction of the Ministers that they be not offended with the tumultes of the seditious commons as at anye straunge and rare thing nor leaue not their duetie vndone for feare of them But rather they must consider that the Church in thys worlde is as it were a Barke or vessell tossed to and fro with wynde and tyde whose Pylate Christ seemeth sometime to be on sleepe as the storie of the gospell declareth Math. 4. Let them also remember that it can not scarcely be chosen but seditions must be bycause there are euerye where so many which can not brooke the doctrine of the gospell for that it maketh eyther agaynst their gaine dignitie or licentious lyuing And our sauyour Christ prophecied
should see him no more they would followe his example and diligently kepe the doctrine he had taught them that they would carefully watche for the sauegarde of the Churche and stoutly resist those heretickes whereof a numbre very noysome and hurtfull would follow He exhorteth them the rather by his example and vrgeth them the more earnestly bicause that as he was in his owne conscience not culpable so he communed with them to whome his credite and diligence was well knowne And in the beginning he comprehendeth brefely bothe the example of his owne life and the summe of his doctrine Concerning his liuing he sayth thus Yee knowe from the first day I came into Asia after what manner I haue beene with you at all seasons seruing the Lorde with all humblenesse of minde and with many teares and temptations which happened to mee by the laying await of the Iewes As he calleth them to witnesses so he alleageth all the time of his conuersation among them least any mighte thinke hee had counterfaited godlinesse for a small seasone as a great many vse to doe who when they haue craftily crope and gotte within men through their pretence of vertuousnesse at lengthe moste shamefully bewray their cloked naughtinesse For the wicked can not long counterfet godlinesse But bicause Paule had wholely addicted himselfe vnto Christ and to his religion therefore he alwayes obserued one tenor of conuersation and one like studie and trauaile in the Ministerie Of this studie and trauaile is it to be vnderstanded where it is sayde he serued the Lorde wherein he maketh mention of three things specially humblenesse of minde teares which the earnest desyre of all mennes saluation caused him to shed and greeuous temptations which yet could neuer plucke him from doing his office and duetie By these lette the Ministers of Churches learne what manner of men they ought to be in the Ministerie of the Churche And firste lette them laboure for Humilitie that they ascribe not to them selues impudently any Diuinitie or Godheade which is the propertie of Antichriste or contempne any persone in comparison of themselues and so arrogantly seeke rule and Lordshippe ouer their fellowe Ministers which thing Peter warneth them of in his first Epistle and fifthe Chapter For it becommeth them that will bee Christes Ministers to followe Christes ensample who as hee derogateth nothing from the glory of his Father so hee neuer disdained any persone in so muche that hee liued very familiarely with Publicanes and sinners and did witsafe to washe hys Disciples feete so leauing it to them as an Example of Humilitie teaching them that they shoulde refuse no kinde of duetifulnesse one towardes an other Unto Humilitie must bee ioyned a desire to profite all menne whiche Ministers muste seeke with all diligence yea euen with teares For hereof we haue an ensample in Christe who as Mathewe wryteth in the ninthe Chapter was moued euen from the bottome of the heart when he sawe the Iewes go astray like sheepe lacking a Shephearde And in an other place we read he wepte when hee behelde Ierusalem that vnkinde and bloudy Citie knowing that for their greeuous wickednesse and irrepentant mindes they should shortly come to destruction The like affection of Charitie we see in Moses who chose rather to bee wyped oute of the Booke of life than to see the destruction of his Countrymen Samuel the Prophete had the like in him also who hearing that God hadde forsaken Saule tooke suche a care of heart therefore that he ceased not mourning till God reprehended him for it 1. Sam. 15. and â–ª 16. And that Paule proudely bragged not of this affection bothe his faithfull and continuall diligence to sette foorthe the publike saluation proueth and also this that for the Iewes sake which were hys mortall ennemyes hee wished to be accursed And surely as many as well vnderstande the reason of their Ministerie cannot wante thys affection for where they heare that menne are borne againe by their Ministerie they take them for theyr Children whome they bryng vnto GOD and they vse to embrace them with a Fatherly affection which if any man wante doubtlesse hee aboundantly declareth that hee vnderstandeth not the dignitie of hys Ministerie But there muste bee also ioyned heereunto a thirde thing that they fall not in the time of temptation or being ouercomen with feare forsake not their Churches when persecution ariseth For Christ saithe that this is the propretie of hirelings Yea lette them thincke that their Faithe and constancie is then cheefely required when they see bothe them selues and their sheepe most of all tempted And if a manne woulde compare those that nowe a dayes will bee called Successoures of the Apostles wyth this Example of Paule it shall easely appeare howe little or nothyng of Paules heart and minde is in them bicause in pride they exceede all barbarous Princes they fill the world full of warres they haue no pitie of the sheepe that goe astray but are only careful how to prouide for them and theirs with the common losse and detriment of other men But lette vs retourne vnto Paule who rendering an accompte of hys Doctrine setteth out a perfecte patterne of the same not onely to the Ephesians and those of Asia but to all Ministers for all tymes and all places And fyrste he sayth he didde all things among them of good purpose and intente I kepte backe nothyng that was profitable vnto you but shewed you it c. The sense is that hee kepte from them nothyng that was necessarie for them to knowe The same is required of all Ministers to teache the doctrine of saluation perfectly and to keepe backe nothyng for the worldes pleasure Yea the more the worlde rageth the more muste the trumpe of the worde sounde that they suffer not the truthe to bee oppressed and ouercome with the fury of the worlde Heere is reproued the errour of them whych thinke it good to yeelde somewhat to the enimyes of truthe that they bee not the more incensed by playnenesse of teaching as thoughe they became not the fiercer throughe the slothe of Ministers whyle they thynke men feare them and the Ministers distruste their grounde and quarell It is heere chiefly to bee noted that the Apostles teache all thinges fully and perfectly that concerne the saluation of man so that there needeth no additions or patches to supply or make vp their doctrine For it is euident that Chryst concealeth nothing from them prouing by this argument that he tooke them for his friendes bycause he reuealed all thinges vnto them that he receyued of his father He promised them his spirite to prompt them and put them in remembraunce of all things which we haue seene before they receyued Therefore the doctrine of the Apostles is full and perfecte whereby they taughte Iesus Chryste onely vnto the Churche as their Epistles and Sermons aboundantly declare Therefore they do great iniurie
skins but rather publikely professe their thirst of Christian bloude with skarlet coloure and their tyrannie with clinking of armoure and garrisons of men By meane of these the doctrine of truthe lyeth wrapped and entangled in infinite erroures and laberinthes and as it were euen buried And the same parties haue rent the Church which ought most to maintaine vnitie hauâ—â—ent the Church into sixe hundred sectes euery one of them professing a propre and sundry faithe and religion in name habite ceremonies and vsages Lette vs awake O brethren and goe against these Wolues and take heede that we be not found to be hirelings rather than true shepherdes But let vs heare Paule which repeating his example which is the .v. argument exhorteth them most earnestly saying Wherefore awake and remember that by the space of three yeeres I ceased not to warne euery one of you night and day with teares He maketh mention of these three yeres bicause they should thinke no labor or trauaile too much For it should be a shame not to take labor and paines seeing suche an Apostle of Christ refused it not And they be in no small fault which by their negligence let the Churches gathered together by the trauailes and deathes of the Apostles run at hauocke Furthermore as it becommeth the Ministers to follow the example of the Apostles so must all Christians followe their steppes for as much as they were the followers of Christ as Paule himselfe declareth where he sayth be yee folowâ—rs of me as I am the folower of Christ â–ª And this is the true worshipping of the Sainctes not that that standeth in adoration and inuocation of them which al the scripture saith is due to God onely Sixthly he reasoneth of the easinesse and vtilitie of their doing herein to aunswere them which were feared with the difficultie and daunger that was on euery side And for a more vehemencie of speeche he vseth a forme of imprecation saying and nowe brethren I commende you vnto God and to the worde of his grace which is able to build c. As who should say I knowe it is a difficult matter that I require and passing all mans power Howe be it it must not be brought to passe by mans force This is Gods husbandry this is Gods worke He laid the foundation he therefore is able to finishe the building and it is no difficult thing for him to vse your helpe to bring his matter to passe By his assistance therfore you shall easily ouercome all things Hee shall guide you with his spirit and the worde of grace which though it seeme but a slender thing yet it pearseth and cutteth sharper than any two edged swoorde The same God hathe prepared worthy rewardes already for suche trauailes and paines euen the inheritaunce of his kingdome where you shall shine among them that are sanctified like as the starres in the firmament These things must be layde vp in the bottome of our hartes O brethren For as they comfort vs in maruellous wise so they teache vs what the weapons and strength of the Ministers of the woorde are The weapons of our fight be spirituall sayth Paule These be the spirit of God the worde and God him selfe Who shall they then feare Or who shall bee able to withstande them Lette vs fight with these weapons rather than with the frendships of this world as with the confederacie and wisedome of the fleshe which haue very little or no vse at all in setting vp the kingdome of God. Wee learne moreouer that the inheritaunce of the kyngdome of Heauen pertaineth onely to them that are sanctified The sanctified are suche whose heartes faithe hathe purified and whome Christ hathe consecrated to GOD the Father throughe the price of hys Bloude The same beeing quickened with the spirit of God doe their dueties earnestly and striue earnestly to enter into that inheritance through all kinde of daungers the hope whereof they knowe will neuer deceiue them bicause it dependeth vppon the sonne of God our sauioure Iesus Christe to whom all praise honoure power and glory are due for euer Amen The Cxxxvj. Homelie I Haue desired no mannes siluer golde or vesture yea yee your selues knowe that these handes haue ministred vnto my necessities and to them that were with me I haue shewed you all things howe that so labouring yee ought to receiue the weake and to remember the woordes of the Lorde Iesu howe that he saide it is more blessed to giue than to receiue And when he had thus spoken he kneeled downe and prayed with them all And they all wept sore and fell on Paules necke and kissed him sorowing moste of all for the woordes which hee spake that they should see his face no more And they conueyed hym vnto the shippe BIcause the Apostle Paule in that notable assemblie of the Ministers of Asia where he reasoned of the administration and gouernaunce of the Church foretolde of greeuous Wolues that should rise vp euen out of their own selues which throughe peruerse Doctrine should miserably disturbe the flocke of Christ in the later part of his oration he declareth bothe wisely and in time and place what they should cheefely beware of if they would auoide the name of suche Wolues He admonisheth them onely to take heede of couetousnesse bicause it is the roote of all â—uill and bringeth all things out of frame if it once take possession in the mindes of the Cleargie For when they once make lucre of religion it causeth all godlinesse to be set to sale which also is a cause that they defile the doctrine of the woorde with the traditions of men that they hunt after the fauor and frendship of the world that they winke at open malefactoures and set open the doores to all manner of disorder The priestes of the Iewes may be an example vnto vs in whom Christ chefely reprehendeth this as the welspring of all corruption Therefore Paule dothe not without a cause other wheres warne Bishoppes that they be not giuen to filthie lucre and heere in this place he diligently reasoneth of this euill And bicause his admonition should bee the more of waighte he prouoketh them by hys owne Example declaring howe he vsed himselfe whyle hee was in Asia and alleageth waightie reasons and causes of his so doing I haue desired no mannes siluer gold or vesture saith he By the which woordes he declareth that he labored not to enriche him selfe by them forasmuch as he desired not of them the things necessary to his liuing muche lesse receiued or tooke them Hereby he teacheth that the Ministers of Churches must be free from the desire of heaping vp goods bicause they that goe about to enrich them selues shall neuer escape the snares of the Deuill and temptations But least any man might Obiecte againe and say whereof then O Paule liuedst thou He addeth by and by after yee knowe that these handes ministred to my necessities and to those that
a traunce for the more credite authoritie of the oracle And he diligently reporteth his talke wyth Chryst both whose persons muste be considered First Chryste appeareth vnto him and byddeth him with speede to get him out of Ierusalem adding this reason of his commaundement bycause they will not receyue the testimonie that thou bearest of me But if a man would consider these things with the vocation of Paule ▪ it shall appeare that thys was no smal temptation trial of him For he had heard that he was a chosen vessel of Christ should be his witnesse vnto al men And it is no doubt but he conceiued a special hope of the conuersion of his owne nation whō he so gretly loued and made of And now he heareth that al his hope was in vayne But thus God tryeth the fayth of his chosen when successe faileth not out alwayes according to their godly wishes and endeuours So Moses when he beganne to deliuer and defend his countreymen found how they vnkindely reiected him So Helias after he had ouercome and killed the Priests of Baal and thought all thing was hushe and quiet was feared a fresh with the new manaces and cruel attempts of Iezabell Let vs being taught by these and suche like examples not giue ouer but keepe our standing stoutly and at length we shall not want occasion wherby to do profitable seruice vnto god But let vs heare Paule which seemeth by his disputation with God to drawe his head as it were out of the coller For calling to remembraunce his former state and condition he thinketh it can not be by reason of his sodaine chaunge that they could be moued to beleue the Gospell This is cōmonly sene in the scripture that the holy men sometime seeme to contende with God not of any froward and obstinate mind but for that they feele the faith confirmed by discussing and examining the diuerse reasons of things For the which cause God gently permitteth thē so to do who if he should deale with vs rigorously would not once voutsafe to speake vnto vs Here is the superstition of suche ouerthrowne as thinke we haue neede of Sainctes to be our intercessours bycause it is not lawfull for vs beeing sinners to come in Gods sight as they say And yet he heareth not onely the prayers of those that be hys seruauntes but also the reasons and argumentes that they make euen contrary to his commaundements Yet wee muste beware that we abuse not Gods gentlenesse in contending and so proceede vnto murmuring and stubborne disobedience but rather let vs wholly submit our selues vnto God to whom it is mete that al our reasons do yeld and giue place For he will not at any time change his minde sentence as it were at our appoyntment bycause his coūsel endureth for euer This Paule proueth here in this place For the Lorde vrgeth his commaundement and expressely sendeth him vnto the Gentiles not promising him any successe of the Gospell among them bycause he will haue vs simply to obey him Furthermore as Paule would haue gone forwarde and haue declared a reason of his doctrine the Iewes with furious clamours cry out vpon hym yea required to haue him put to death For as soone as they herd the Gentils were mentioned they could kepe pacience nor modesty no longer The cause of this their importunitie vnreasonablenesse was the proud conceipt opinion they had of thēselues For where they claymed to them only the name of gods people leaned vpō the merit of their leuitical law they thought it an hainous offence for any mā to match the gentils which were vncircumcised not vnder the discipline of the law with them in the state of saluation So arrogant proud a thing is hypocrisie dissimulation Thus we know the Pharisies sometime were offended with Christ for that he preached saluation vnto publicans So now adays the doctrine of the gospell semeth a thing intollerable to the monks their adherents bicause it sheweth saluatiō in christ vnto sinners techeth that they are iustified by faith only For hereby they see their inuentions wherin they put al their trust throwen down But let vs cōfesse the goodnesse of god not be greeued to haue sinners conuerted vnto the faith to be partakers of saluation with vs seing that Iesus Christ the only begotten sonne of God and our sauiour did vouchsafe to be hanged among theeues and there purged the sinnes of the whole worlde to whome be prayse honour glory and power for euer Amen The Cxlvj. Homelie ANd as they cryed and caste off their clothes and threw duste into the ayre the Captayne commaunded him to be brought into the Castle and bad that he should be scourged and to be examined that he myghte know wherfore they cryed so on him And when they bounde him wyth thongs Paule sayde vnto the Centurion that stoode by him Is it lawefull for you to scourge a man that is a Romane and vncondemned When the Centurion heard that he went and tolde the vpper Captaine saying what intendest thou to doo for this man is a Citizen of Rome Then the vpper Captayne came and sayd to him Tell mee art thou a Romane He sayde yea And the Captayne aunswered with a great summe obteyned I thys freedome And Paule sayde I was free borne Then strayght way departed from him they which should haue examined him And the high Captaine also was afrayde after he knew that he was a Romane and bycause he had bounde him On the morrowe bycause he woulde haue knowne the certentie wherefore he was accused of the Iewes he loosed him from hys bondes and commaunded the highe priestes and all the Councell to come togyther and brought Paule foorth and set him before them ALthough Paule the Apostle hath so aunswered the poyntes of his aduersaries accusation that it mighte satisfie all the godly well inough as alleaging the commaundement of God for all hys dooings yet were the Iewes so little satisfied therewith that they would voutchsafe to heare him no longer The chiefe cause of this their indignation was for that he sayde God had sent him vnto the Gentiles For thereby they construed that God had reiected them as vnworthy of saluation and thought the Gentiles were preferred before them which semed to them a haynous matter bycause the people of the Iewes were counted alwayes to be Gods owne children and the Gentiles were counted for vncleane persons and straungers from the kingdome of god For this is the propertie of all Hypocrites that they can not abide to haue sinners to be coparteners with them in the societie of saluation as yesterday wee heard Howebeit Luke going forwarde in the Hystorie begunne declareth furthermore what was done where wee haue to consider euery person Firste wee haue to speake of the Iewes which wyth vnseemely clamour require to haue Paule put to death before he had ended his Oration Which is so muche the more haynous a
an angel hath appeaâ—ed to him let vs not stryue agaynst god And when there arose great deâ—bate the Captaine fearyng lest Paule should haue bene plucked asunder of them commaunded the souldiers to go downe and to take him from among them and to bring him into the Castle GOd vseth to exercise his chosen with diuers and greeuous tribulations but agayne he deliuereth them diuers and many times by meanes vnlooked for of both which we haue examples in euerye place But among them all this is very notable which the holy ghost setteth forth by Luke in Paule the chosen vessell of christ For we haue hearde howe he was many wayes layde wayte for by the Iewes and was many times in daunger of his life But God oftentimes raised vp new helpes which for the moste part were suche as Paule once thought not of muche lesse coulde haue wished for or requyred For fyrste he was deliuered out of the furiouse Iewes handes by the Captayne and his Souldiers Shortlye after where he woulde haue pleated his cause he was defended from scourging by priuiledge of the freedome of Rome at length when the Captaine had committed both his matter and life vnto most wicked Iudges God sendeth such a diuision among his enemies that they which not long before wished his death pronounced him innocent These things ought to comfort vs that we through cowardly feare giue not ouer in time of temptation For they confirme the promisses of God wherby he euery where promiseth to be the reuenger of his people But where in this presente place there are many other things also very worthy to be considered it shall bee profitable to examine all the circumstances of the matter which is here rehearsed Fyrst and formost it behoueth throughly to consyder the cause of the dissention which Luke saith was the diuersitie of sectes among the Iewes for some of his aduersaries were Phariseis and some Saduceis And as touching the sectes of the Iewes there are many thinges written in Iosephus which referreth their beginning vnto the time of the Machabees And in deede the approuedst authors testifie that they began vnder Iohannes Hircanus the first for when the Priestes applied them selues more to beare rule than to care for religion diuers opinions began to spring about religion by reason the doctrine of Gods worde ceased which God had appoynted to be still among his people Therfore three sectes sprong vp which deuided the vnitie of the Church and people of god The fyrst was that of the Phariseis who not contented with the lawe folowed traditions and beleued that righteousnes and saluation might be atteyned by workes besides being giuen to the study of Astrologie they taught fatall destenie not much differing in this point from the Stoikes And these men being cloked with the outwarde couering of workes were taken for the most holy of all other The second was the Saduceis who denying that men were subiect vnto destenie attributed freewill vnto them and although they seemed earnestly to commende the studie of vertue yet opened they the windowe vnto Epicure and vnto all kynde of licentious liuing For they denied the Angels and immortalitie of the soule and the resurrection of the body This sect of all other was in most aucthoritie bicause it gaue more libertie than the sharpe traditions of the Phariseis and therfore was very acceptable vnto many Of the thirde sect were the Esseni who perceyuing that the Phariseis and Saduceis measured or weighed vertue but by wordes only and would not them selues expresse the same in their deedes liued a single life would haue no seruantes had their goods common gat their liuing with the labour of their hands and would not come at publique seruice for feare of polluting them selues with other mens companie And bicause these men were fewe in number and sought not to be in office and aucthoritie they got them to dwell in pleasaunt places set with Balsamum where they planted gardens and studied Phisicke wherby bicause they dyd men good they gat great commendation of vertue among all men These mens vsages the Anabaptistes in our dayes doe greatlye resemble sauyng that they more disturbe common weales and fulfill their profession lesse sincerelye bicause they runne headlong into all kynde of beastlinesse and are miserablye vexed and tossed with the perturbations of enuie and hatred Yet bicause thys rule of the Essenes was somewhat austere and vnpleasant it had therefore as we saide the fewer that followed it This is the cause that the wryters of the Gospell make mention onely but of the two first sectes Wee haue to obserue what euill the couetousnesse of Bishoppes and idlenesse that springeth thereof vseth to breede seeing these euilles so defourmed the primitiue Churche For the orders of Monkes in Papistrie bredde of the like beginning abundantly teache vs that this is alwayes the effecte of those vices For the which cause we haue the more neede to take heede in these dayes that the like or worsse happen not againe Also the goodnesse of God is to bee magnified which in so foule a scatterment of his flocke hathe yet reserued some remnauntes in his Churche whereby the same at lengthe might be renewed againe as we see came to passe in the Papacie where the Monkes in euery place ruled the roste For at all times and in all places there haue bene found which durst openly inuey against their hipocrisie and dissimulation to say nothing of those which haue lien lurking in their houses haue thought it great wickednesse to be pertakers of their superstitiousnesse Heere in this place hast thou what to answer the aduersaries which aske if there were no Churche before Luther and Zwinglius dayes Yes wee knowe there was a Churche but the same almoste ouerwhelmed and buryed suche an one as we read was before Christes time among the Iewes and suche an one as was in the dayes of Helias when God saide there were seuen thousand left which had neuer bowed the knee vnto Baal although Helias knewe not one of them Furthermore as concerning this present Historie wee are taught that although the wicked bee diuersly deuided bothe in manners and religion yet they will easily agree togither againste Christe and the truthe For where they all fighte vnder one Prince which is the Deuill they cannot chuse but all take him for their ennimie which specially assaulteth his kingdome Woulde God that they woulde diligently consider these things which seeke their cheefe praise and glory by dissentions and debates which they practise against the Ministers of Christ taking theyr naughtie affections vnto Counsell For heereby they encourage the wicked ennimies of Christe which thinke it an easie matter to vanquishe them whome they see contend so bitterly among themselues But hereof we shall haue more commoditie to speake else where Nowe lette vs see Paule who perceiuing his bande of aduersaries to consist of so diuers sectes deuiseth a way by and by howe to set them
the Iewes whose impudencie sedicious minds he wel knew by many yeres experience Here of learne we a generall doctrine that Magistrates must be diligent in vnderstanding of matters bicause they can not be excused by ignoraunce if it be either grosse or wilfull ignoraunce For why should he who is Gods Uicar Deputie and hath his iudgements committed vnto him be ignorant in any thing Therfore let them remember it is Gods iudgement and marke wel the properties conditions and doings of their people and diligently examine the circumstances of al causes For so it shal come to passe that either they shal not offende through ignorance or else if perhaps they coÌ„mit any errour by being deceiued by others not of slothfulnesse their errour may be excused But would to God they would often thinke of these things which bragging of their glorious titles authoritie giue them selues wholly to filthy idlenes banketting dauncing hunting so that they know better the caues lodging of wild beasts and all instruments of filthy desire than the maners properties and coÌ„ditions of their subiects Furthermore this ought we to obserue before we leaue off this place how God would suffer Felix â–ª a most filthy tyraunt â–ª to bâ—are rule so many yeres ouer his people For this might seme to some men a strange matter But the incurable ingratitude of that people did well deserue the same For where God had set ouer them singular Captayns shepherds they so disdayned them that they would not once voutsafe to heare Christ the eternall sonne of god Therfore they nowe suffer that which God oftentimes had threatned them that he woulde take from them his helpe and giue them suche rulers as should more care for their owne luste and for couetousnesse than for the common weale of the people These things may teache vs what al they haue to looke for which despise either the gift of libertie or godly Magistrates or faythfull Ministers of the worde vnthankfully and wickedly after the maner of the Iewes But let vs proceede on in Paules aunswere and see howe he putteth away the crymes layde vnto his charge Amongst these the firste is that they sayde he was an author of Sedition wherevnto they also ioyne the polluting of the Temple for that they made moste adoo aboute thys matter In refuting of these thinges he is very diligent For first gathering an argument of the tyme he proueth it to be impossible that he shoulde rayse any sedition bycause it was not paste twelue dayes agoe that hee came to Ierusalem From which tyme take the dayes that he lay in pryson and there shall bee but one or two remayning But who coulde bee able within two or three dayes after hys commyng to make an vniuersall sedition in so populous a Citie Agayne I came not sayth he to make any tumult or businesse but to worship and as it shall hereafter follow to succour and releeue the faythful with the almes which was gathered among the Gentiles Therfore it is false that they say touching the polluting of the Temple For I neyther taughte in the Temple nor in the Synagoges nor called any assembly of people togyther Finally they shall neuer be able to proue the thinges they haue layde to my charge Which saying he vttereth with great grauitie for so he accuseth them not onely of lying but also of false witnesse bearing And it is not disagreeing vnto Christian pacience to put away accusations made agaynst vs though it bee with the ignominie of our aduersaries when wee see the truthe more in daunger than our owne estimation But it is much for our learning that Paule so diligently purgeth him of the crime of sedition For heereby Ministers learne that they muste diligently beware that they disquiet no common weales by mouing any sedition bycause there is nothing more daungerous than the same and God is delighted with vnitie and concorde cheefly aboue all things But if the wicked without any faulte of the godly rayse sedition for preaching of the worde or else it rise of vnknowen causes and authors then that saying of Ambrose muste haue place How it is in our power not to rayse vp or moue the people but in Gods power to mitigate and appease them beeing raysed After thys Paule commeth to the obiection of Heresie I confesse sayth he that I worshippe God after that maner and way that they call Heresie But that I should therefore be an Heretyke or a Schismatyke I vtterly deny For I worship the God of my fathers and I beleeue the Scriptures c. Here are diuerse things for vs to obserue First he plainly confesseth the faith wherof he was accused that before an heathen Iudge Therfore it is not meete to separate confession from fayth nor it is not inough for thee to beleeue in thyne heart that is to conceyue in thy minde a certayne opinion but thou must confesse thy fayth in Chryste before men also For Chryste can not away with such worshippers as are ashamed of him as hath many times ben declared Then he comprehendeth his fayth in foure articles in which all other articles are conteyned Fyrst he saith he worshippeth the God of his fathers meaning him which dealt with the fathers and whome they worshipped This is a speciall article of the fayth that wee should be contented with one God and make vnto vs no newe or straunge Gods. He is the true God who in old time traueled with the fathers and promised his sonne in him gaue saluation vnto men Wherby it appereth that neither the Turkes nor Iewes now a dayes are the true worshippers of God bicause they imagine that God is their God without his sonne Secondly he declareth the fourme maner of his worshipping where he saith he beleueth al the things that are written in the Law the Prophets And Christ is the ende of all their writings of whome it is manyfeste that Moyses and the Prophetes bare witnesse Therefore Paule woorshipped God throughe fayth in Chryste where all the Articles of oure faythe concernyng Chryste are comprehended And there is none other kinde of seruice or worship acceptable vnto God forasmuche as God is made at one with vs by him onely And whosoeuer honoreth not the sonne honoreth not the father Also Paules example teacheth vs that God must bee worshipped according to the Scriptures and not after the inuentions and traditions of man bicause we are euery where taught that thereby he is worshipped in vayne See Esai 29. Matth. 15. Thirdly he confesseth the resurrection of the deade which he therefore expresseth by name bycause heerein consisteth all the meane of our saluation as he hath taught in the fiftenth Chapter of his firste to the Corinthians He acknowledgeth a generall resurrection not like a number of madbraynes which draw resurrection to the godly onely For as the godly must receiue a rewarde of their godlynesse in the laste day so must the wicked
comparing of them togither it might appeare he became a Christian man not of any lightnesse or inconstancie of mind but euen beeing compelled through the power of god And herevnto chiefly is to be referred the diligent declaration of all the circumstances For he alleageth both the place and the tyme and Chrystes talke and his companions for witnesses bycause no man shoulde thinke that he had bene beguyled with any vayne apparition or distraction of minde But bycause we haue spoken otherwheres of conuerting vnto God and of the duetie of those that conuerte it shall not now neede to repeate the â—ame againe Let vs nowe marke the ende of all these things which was none other but the defending of his vocation Yet is it not in vayne that he so diligently reporteth the wordes of Chryste sharpely reprehending his temeritie For heereby he teacheth the hearers that if they withstande the doctrine of the Gospell they shal not haue to do with any mortal man but with the sonne of God which will punishe their bolde enterprise to their great losse and hinderaunce These thinges ought to serue for our comforte that we abiding constantly in the true fayth may cleaâ—e faste vnto God alone among all the broyles and enterprises of this worlde who hath promised to all those that worship him the inheritaunce of the kingdome of heauen in his sonne Iesus Chryst to whom be prayse honour power and glory for euer Amen The Clxiij Homelie BVt ryse and stande vp on thy feete For I haue appeared vnto thee for this purpose to make thee a minister and a witnesse both of those things which thou haste seene and of those thinges in the which I will appeare vnto thee deliuering thee from the people and from the Gentiles vnto whom I now sende thee to open their eyes that they may be turned from darknesse to light and from the power of Sathan vnto God that they may receiue forgiuenesse of sinnes and inheritance among them which are sanctified by fayth that is towarde me BIcause Paule knew that the Iewes accused him principally of two poyntes namely for that he had forsaken the Iewes religion and turned to the fayth in Chryst and for that he had matched the Gentils with the Iewes by preching the Gospel among them therfore he diligently declareth the story of his conuersion bicause that alone was sufficieÌ„t to put away bothe the crimes Unto the first belong those things which haue hitherto ben said wherin he declareth that he chaÌ„ged not his religion vpon any light fantasie but whyle he was an enimie vnto Christ was compelled to yelde vnto Gods calling The seconde he will confute in this place where he rendreth a reason of his whole ministerie euen in the very wordes of Chryst which ministerie he sheweth was committed vnto him vpon this condition that he should preach the Gospell not only to the Iewes but also to the Gentiles But bycause these things belong aswell to our instruction as to the defence of Paule who may learne hereby both the reason of the ministerie ecclesiastical and also the whole meane of our saluation Therefore euery thing is to be considered in order The firste thing wee haue to note is howe Chryst commaunded Paule nowe friendly to arise and to stande vp on hys feete whome erewhyle he had horribly throwen downe as his enimie and persecutour But this thing happened not as wee haue other where 's heard before his heart was pulled downe and that he humbly enquired what the will of Chryst was and acknowledged him to be his Lorde Which thing yet he woulde neuer haue done but that he felt in his minde an effectuous working of the spirite of Chryst. This truelâ— is a notable example of Gods goodnesse which euen then euidently declareth it selfe when he seemeth to be angry For he will not alwayes be chiding with vs but forasmuche as he desireth to haue men saued he obserueth this scope and ende in his iudgements that he will haue men rather instructed to saluation than destroyed Neither will he draw foorth his whippes and scourges vntill he see he can not preuayle by his wordes Neither yet doth he beate vs for any other ende than to haue vs conuerte vnto him and to truste to be saued wherof we haue both testimonies and examples euery where in the scriptures wherewith we may confirme our wauering fayth in all troubles and aduersities But although it seeme a great thing for Chryste to giue his cruell enimie leaue to aryse yet is this greater and euen to be wondered at that he appoynteth him to the office of an Apostle which is the moste honorable and commendable function in the worlde Yea he sayth that he appeared to him to this ende to make him a minister and witnesse of all the thinges which he had bothe seene before and shoulde see heereafter Heere in two wordes he comprehendeth the whole office or duetie of Byshoppes of the Churche Firste he saythe that Paule shoulde bee a Minister not a Lorde and king So are the Apostles euery where called and suche as muste serue the whole Churche publikely in setting before them the foode of the soule and in taking care for the affayres of mannes saluation Reade Matthew the .20 and .24 Luke the .12 Herevnto it seemeth Paule had a respecte when he confessed he was a detter vnto all men to the Iewes and Gentiles to the learned and vnlearned Heereby is excluded the great desire of bearing rule agaynst the which Chryste oftentimes in the hearing of the Apostles entreated at large being not ignoraunt that many afterwardes would come which vnder the pretence of this ministerie would looke to reigne like tirauntes ouer the Church This done he sayth he should be a witnesse by the which name we reade the Apostles were called also in the first chapter Thus it liked him more playnly to set out the trade of the ministerie declaring also what things he should beare witnesse of verily euen of those which he had seene and which afterwarde he woulde reueale vnto him For Paule had seene and not seene onely but had also proued by experience that Christ liued and reigned and was an earnest defendour of his people Wherby it was easie for him to gather that he was the redeemer of mankinde and not onely a meere man but also suche a God as he knewe the Apostles preached that he was These therefore were the thinges that he should beare witnesse of By this place it appeareth as wee haue else where admonished For howe certayne and infallible a thing the doctrine of the Apostles ought to be taken seeing they which published the same were no runners about with pedlary wares but the very sworne witnesses of Iesus Chryst hauing their vocation confirmed with infinite miracles Therfore let al ministers remember they are witnesses and therfore must not preach new opinions at their owne pleasure but such things as they finde for certaintie in the holy
other ways than by shedding the bloud of murtherers agayne are accursed Deut. 27. Num. 35. In the meane season let vs marke in this place the wonderfull prouidence of God in gouerning the affayres of this world which vseth to set foorth both his own glory and the glory of his people by those things chiefly which seeme moste to let and hinder them For Paule had ministred vnto him an occasion of preaching by that that seemed most to be to his reproch and slaunder Thus it behoued that Moses should first be throwen away and banished out of the court or euer he were appoynted to be the reuenger of the people Wherof we haue many other lyke examples the vse of which serueth partly bicause we should rashly condemne none by reason of the afflictions they suffer and partly bicause we should not to soone be offended with the aduersities that happen vnto vs seeing all things worke vnto the best for them that loue god And those things that follow teach vs that it so happened vnto Paule for he beeing nothing afrayde with this soden chaunce shaketh off the Uiper into the fire and felt no harme therof yea by this means he findeth Christes promise true which saith that those which would beleue should driue away serpents and should drinke potions that had poyson in them yet not be hurt Mat. 16. Hereof also may be gathered a generall doctrine that the old serpent hath no power agaynst them that beleue in christ For although he inuade both our hands feete and blow the venome of sinne into our deuices works yet he can not bite vs to death bicause we be healed with the stripes of Chryst who through the merite of his death maiestie of his resurrection hath troden downe crushed his head to peces But let vs returne to the people of Malta who seing Paule cōtrary to their opinion nothing hurt knowing that the biting of a viper was most present poysoning by and by altered their minde and iudged him to be some one of the number of the gods doubtlesse being deceiued with the error of the Gentiles which vsed to take the authors of strange benefites workers of vnwonted effects myracles for gods Thus Satan helde them occupied in the consideration of secūdary causes lest if they had climbed higher they might haue come to the knowledge of the true god And so with one pollicy he thought both to get into the minds of the people of Malta and to make Paule to be honored as a god meaning to hinder the fayth of Christ wherby he knew his kingdome was chiefly assaulted For Satan wil suffer euery mortal man to be honored worshipped as a god rather than the true god vnto whom only such honor is due The cause is that while men are occupied in honoring of others they runne into manyfest daunger of their saluation But they that worship god only casting away the yoke of the diuel they finde true saluation Let no man therfore maruell that the worshipping of Saincts which we know were sometime the chosen vessels of God is mayntayned in the Popes kingdome with false signes and diuelish disceytes For it greeueth not Satan that they are worshipped inuocated so long as he seeth their doctrine not regarded which maketh men to worship God only and the inheritors of life And surely Satan his craft subtiltie is very great who although he were cōstrained in Paules dayes to giue place yet afterwarde he planted euery where among those of Malta a supersticious opinion touching Paule by those who bosting in Paules name and stocke vse to worke many wonders aswell in killing as keeping vp of serpents But their vngodlynesse is hereby easily confuted in that they are so greatly delighted with serpents which it is euident was the first instrument wherwith the diuell beguiled man Let vs marke in this place the inconstancie of the people a lyke example wherof but in an other order we saw before in those of Lystra For they toke him for a malefactor wold haue stoned him whom at the first they sayd was a god But these men accoūt and take him for one of the gods whom a little before they sayd was a murtherer We haue many like thinges dayly falling out which teach vs that the nature of the people is always diuers and changeable Fooles they are therefore and miserable people which thinke there is any trust to be giuen vnto them and put not their hope in God onely which hath giuen vs his sonne Iesus Chryste to be an earnest reuenger of all euill done vnto vs to whom be prayse honour power and glory for euer Amen The Clxxij Homelie IN the same quarters were lands of the chiefe man of the I le whose name was Publius which receiued vs and lodged vs three dayes courteously And it fortuned that the father of Publius lay sicke of a feuer and of a bloudy fluxe to whom Paule entred in and prayed and layde his hands on him and healed him So whē this was done other also which had diseases in the I le came and were healed which also did vs great honour And when we departed they laded vs with such things as were necessarie After three monethes we departed in a ship of Alexandria which had wintred in the I le whose badge was Castor and Pollux And when we came to Syracuse wee taried there three dayes and from thence we fet a compasse and came to Rhegium And after one day the Southwinde blew and we came the next day to Puteoli where we founde brethren and were desired to tary with them seuen dayes and so came we to Rome NOtable and full of comfort verily is that sentence of Iesus Chryst which sayth There is none that forsaketh house or brethren or sisters or parents or wife or children or lands for my sake and the Gospels but shall receiue an hundred folde now in this lyfe with persecutions and in the world to come life euerlasting And hereof Luke setteth vs out an euident example in this historie For Paule who for Christs sake and the gospels had forsaken al things which are counted excellent and profitable in this world and now from shipwrack was escaped into the Isle of Malta found by by innumerable brethren sisters parents and most faithfull friends with whom he had both house and lands and all kinde of goodes in common Yea he that by reason of his bandes semed most miserable of al men in that shipwrack was of such estimation with the people of Malta that for his sake they pleasured both the mariners the souldiers the prisoners all the residue of Paules company And this shal appeare more playnly by those things that follow For there is set foorth in Publius which was the chiefe man or gouernour of the Ilande a singular example of hospitalitie For he at his farmes which were there neere adioyning curteously entertayned them for three days
necessitie vrge vs we nede be carefull neither for time nor place Howbeit when we enioy peace and haue Christian magistrates then we must haue a regard vnto order which requireth bothe time and place Therefore the examples of the primitiue Churche doe nothing defende the furious clamoures of the Anabaptistes bicause necessitie in times passed compelled them in their assemblies to doe diuers things contrary to our vsage Secondly heere is declared the argumente of Paules sermon with the order of teaching that he vsed For he expounded the kingdome of God testifying and preaching vnto them Iesus Christe But by the kingdome of God we haue oftentimes said the Gospell is vnderstanded And hereof Paule coulde not very well intreate but he muste also confute the erroure of the Iewes which of the Prophesies wrongfully vnderstoode dreamed that the kingdome of their Messias should be worldly Wherfore they were to be taught that that kingdom was spiritual the beginning wherof in this world is the whole regeneration of man the newnesse of life the marke end therof eternal felicitie which is prepared for vs in heauen And bicause the Iewes knewe not the aucthor of this kingdome he did teache them that Iesus Christe was hee vnto whome according to the office of an Apostle he beareth witnesse plainely and also exhorted all men to receiue him Let vs heere obserue how the doctrine of the gospell is called the kingdome of God verely of the ende and effecte thereof For it offreth vnto vs bothe the kingdome of God and true felicitie and bringeth vs vnder the rule and gouernaunce of God while it subdueth all our reason and vnderstanding vnder the obedience of faithe Heere as many as glory in the name of the Gospell are warned of their duetie Let them remember that the kingdome of God is preached therein and therefore lette them haue a care that God may raigne in them that the kingdome of the Deuill may bee abolished which we knowe Christe came in the fleshe to destroy Againe the Ministers are admonished of the true trade and way of Preaching the Gospell vnto the which these three things are necessary First they muste declare and open the mysteries of this kingdome that the simpler sorte bee not seduced by false imaginations Then they muste beare witnesse of Iesus Christe that all men may vnderstand howe hee is the aucthoure of this kingdome and of true felicitie Finally they muste instantly exhorte and persuade men that they despise not the saluation offered in Christe Thirdly is declared the fountaine whence this doctrine springeth For Paule reasoneth of Christe oute of the lawe of Moses and the Prophetes prouing that in him were performed whatsoeuer things they foreshewed of the promised sauioure of mankinde Thus he folowed the example of Christ himselfe which vsed many times to bring testimonies out of them This place teacheth vs that no inuentions of man but the worde of God comprehended in the scriptures must be preached in the church For wher the church is the housholde of God it is not meete that any other woorde should be heard therein but the good mannes of the house Which is the cause that all the Prophets and the Apostles are bounde vnto this commaundement as wee haue elsewhere declared Therefore they are not a little to be blamed who either teache other Doctrine themselues or else heare and followe other seeing this is the true marke of the Churche to heare the voice of hir husbande onely See Psal. 45. Iohn 10. Moreouer let vs marke the consent bothe of the Olde and Newe testament least wee say as some brainsicke persons doe that the same belongeth nothing vnto vs and yet they bothe teache one selfe same Christe and one selfe same way of saluation and wee knowe nothing was fulfilled in the newe Testament but the same was promised in the olde Whereby it also appeareth that the faithe of Christe is of moste antiquitie and is the onely way and meane whereby all the electe from the beginning of the worlde haue beene saued But bicause wee haue oftentimes otherwheres intreated heereof it may suffise for this time to haue breefely poynted to these things as it were with the finger Fourthly Luke declareth howe long Paule preached Euen from the mornyng vntill the euening Whereuppon wee maye gather that they also disputed and that Paule aunsweared theyr argumentes For it is not lyke that they which were as yet vtterlye ignorant of Chryst woulde haue hearde Paule wyth suche pacyence but that they woulde sometime haue interrupted him in his saying In the meane season heere is expressed an ardent desire bothe in Paule and in the hearers whereof we had a like example before in the twentith chapter This reproueth the slothfulnesse of our dayes wherwith both diuerse Ministers of the word and hearers also are sicke and accrased who thinke all labour and time to muche that is spent at the sermons But one day shall come that hunger of the worde wherof we reade in the Prophet c. Fifthly the effect of so earnest and diligent a sermon is described For some beleeue and some beleeue not Yea a great disputation or contention riseth amongst them Here we see what case the gospel is in in this world For where Chryst is set vp as a marke or signe to be spoken agaynst it can not be that all men can receiue the Gospell with vniforme consent Let no man therefore be offended with the paucitie or fewnesse of beleeuers nor with the ranke croppe of controuersies in these dayes seeing we heare that in tymes passed when the sonne of God him selfe and the Apostles preached there were fewe that beleeued Let this also serue to comforte ministers when they see they haue little or nothing profited by their preaching For then let them call to their minds that saying of Chryste If they haue kept my worde they will keepe yours also But Paule seuerely rebuketh their stubbornesse and threatneth them with the horrible iudgement of God. For Chryste by his owne example teacheth vs to deale so with those whom the milde and holeseme preaching of the Gospell can not moue who many times rang in the eares of the Scribes and Phariseis greeuous manaces and that horrible wo. So Paule likewise bicause he would not seeme to yeelde in any thing to the affection of the fleshe alleageth a Propheticall oracle out of the vj. of Esai declaring that it was no rare or newe matter that they so stoutly resisted the Gospell For their fathers in times paste had done the lyke and God had fortolde that in the latter days when the kingdome of Chryst should be reuealed men should do the lyke also Thus he confirmeth those that were weake in the fayth whom the multitude and authoritie of the gainsayers might haue hindred and offended And herewith also he feareth other in that he sayth God had long agone ordeyned a punishement for them This place of Esai is very
and order of Peters sermon The doctrine of saluation belongeth to the Gentyles also Ephes. 2. The holye men are ignoraunt of some things God regardeth no mans person Deut. 1. Exod. 23. Psal. 82. The studies and exercises of them that please God. Iohn 14. The proposition Christ is god Iohn 1.3 and .5 Iohn 17. Christ incarnate Galat. 4. Christ is the authour of peace betwene God and man. Rom. 1. Rom. 5. Math. 3.17 Iohn 3. When and where Christ began to bee knowne Iohn 1.3 The Gospell beganne to be preached by Iohn Doctrine must be ioyned vnto the sacraments 1. Cor. 1. Iesus is annoynted of God. 1. Sam. 2. Daniel 9. Psal. 94. Math. 16. Luke 9. Psal. 44. Esay 61. Iohn 1.3 See Eusebius in his Ecclesiasticall hystorye lib. 1. cap. 1. Apoc. 1. Math. 28. Psal. 110 Ephes. 1. Ephe. 4. Heb. 9.10 Heb. 2.4 Esay 42. How Christ accomplyshed the office of a King priest Christ goeth about doing good Marc. 1. Luke 4. Math. 11. Esay 55. Christ healeth those that are oppressed of the Deuill 1. Iohn 3. Luke 11. See Eusebius in the lyfe of Constantine lib. 2. See also a lyke aunswere of the Deuill in the coniurers coÌ„spiring against Athanasius in Ruffinus .x. booke of the Eccles. history 33. ca The Apostles are witnesses of Christ. 1 The maner howe mankinde was redeemed i. Our sinnes are purged by the sacrifyce of Christ Iohn 6. Heb. 9.10 ij. Death is ouercome by the resurrectioÌ„ of Christ. 1. Cor. 15. Luke 24 Iohn 21. iii. Christ iudgeth both the quicke and the dead Iohn 5. 2. Cor. 5. 1. Cor. 15. 1. Thes. 4. Luke 21. Phil. 3. 1. Thes. 4. 2 How we be made partakers of christ and of saluation Remission of sinnes is in the name of Christ. Rom. 3. 2. Cor. 5. Iohn 14. Remission of sinnes is taken holde of by fayth Marc. 16. Math. 15. Math. 9. The Prophetes teach the iustification of fayth Gene. 15. Gene. 22. Iohn 8. Rom. 4. Esay 53. Ierem. 23. Math. 15. 1 Peters doctrine is confirmed by the sending of the holy ghost Gala. 3. The dignitie and efficacie of the gospel Rom. 1. 2. Cor. 3. Eusebius in the hystorie Ecclesiastical v. booke and vij chap. Looke â—raeneus his owne words in his second booke agaynst heresâ—es cap. 57. Rom. 8. The exercyses of the faythfull Hos. 14. Psa. 116. Psa. 69. 2 How the beholders were affected with the myracle of sending the holy ghost Euen in the faythfull sometime are errors to be founde 1. Cor. 11. Actes 1. 2. Tim. 4. Peter vnderstandeth the ende of the myracle The reason of baptisme Contemners of sacrameÌ„ts Anabaptists Marc. 10. Papistes Rom. 4. The order of saluation Ephes. 1. 3 Cornelius is an example of a kinde and thankful hearer Iohn 8. 1 Howe the Church iudgeth of Peters deede What it is to receyue the word of God. 1. Thes. 2. 1. Thes. 1. 1. Iohn 2. Peter is repreheâ—ded for his well doing No man can please all parties 1. Cor. 23. Prouer. 10. 1. Pet. 4. The apology or defence of Peter 1. Pet. 3. Galat. 1. Eusebius in the storye of the Church v. booke chap. 24.25 26. Distinct. 40. Cap. If the Pope c. i. The visâ—on of the sheete Ephes. 2. ij. The commaundement of God. iij. The appearing of the Aungell Psal. 107. 2. Cor. 5. Ierem. 44. iiij. The sending of the holy ghost How the brethren did accâ—pt Peters Apologie The godly yeelde vnto reason 2. Cor. 10. Rom. 1.16 We must reioyce in the saluation of other Rom. 9.10 How God giueth repentance 2. Cor. 5. Ezech. 18. 1. Reg. 21. Esay 1. Psal. 103. The spreading of Christes kingdom vnto the GeÌ„tyles The occasion of the spreading of the Church arose by reason of the persecution The Ministers be they neuer so godly doe sometime disagree 1. Cor. 11. Phaenicia Cyprus Antioch are illuminated with the Gospell 1. Cor. 1. Iesus Christ is the theme and argumeÌ„t of the Apostles doctrine The successe of the gospel 1 The good will of the Church at Ierusalem towarde the Church at Antioch 2 Of Barnabas Barnabas is a good man. Prou. 26. Barnabas reioyceth at other mennes profite Barnabas exhorteth to perseuerance Luke 9. 2. Tim. 4. Barnabas bringeth Paule to Antioch Iohn 5. Math. 9. 3 The successe of godly studye and zeale Manye are brought vnto the Lorde Luc. 8. Esay 55. Math. 16. Math. 23. Math. 28. The Disciples are callâ—d Christiâ—ns Esay 62. Apoc. 1. The vse of this name Christian. See Eusebius ecclesiasticall hystory first booke and first chap. 1 The dearth in the dayes of Claudius Amos. 3. Math. 6.10 1. Cor. 10. In the .ix. booke of the Ecclesiastical history viij ch 2 God prouideth for his Church by Prophetes Amos. 3. In his .vij. booke and .xij chap. of the warres of the Iewes The holye ghost is author of prophecie 3 What the Antiochians did before the dearth came Luc. 19. The Antiochianes prepare themselues to prouide for the poore 1. Cor. 9. The maneâ— of contributing to the poore 2. Cor. 9. Luc. 16. 2. Cor. 8. Marc. 12. 1 Persecution râ—geth in time of derth Gene. 12. Gene. 26. Gene. 37.39 Gene. 47. Math. 24. Luke 21. 1. Pet. 4. 1. Cor. 11. 2 Herodes Agrippa is author of thys persecuâ—ion A Tetrarchy is one part of a kingdome or prouince deuided in fower parts Psal. 2. c. 3 The causes of thys persecution i. Schisme 1. Reg. 13. 1. Mach. 1. ij. Desire to please the people Psal. 72. 4 What Herode did in persecuting the Church i. Iames is killed with the sworde Marc. 3. Math. 5. Rom. 5. Rom. 8. 2. Tim. 2. ij. Peter is apprehâ—nded Luc. 22. 5 What the congregation did during the persecution â—eb 13. Roma 12. 1. Cor. 12. 1 The time when Peter was deliuered Esay 37. Marc. 4. 2 How Peter was affected in his minde being in prison Psalm 2. Phil. 4. Iohn 14. 3 The maner of his deliuery i. The ministerye of an Aungell 1. Cor. 11. ij. A lyght shyneth Iohn 8.12 iij. The Angell awaketh him Iohn 11. iiij. The impediments of deliuery are castly taken awaye Daniel 6. 1. Cor. 18. 4 what Peter doth after he is deliuered Luke 9. Psal. 50. Psal. 107. 2. Tim. 4. Psal. 34. Math. 10. 1 Peter desireth to be ioâ—ned 〈…〉 gaâ—e 2 The exercises of the Primitiue Church Plinie the yonger in his Epistle to Tâ—â—iane the Emperour See what the 〈◊〉 repoâ—â—â—â— of these assembles in Tertullians Apology cap. Leuit. 23. Math. 18. Tertullian in his Apology cap. 39. Luke 18. See Tertullian in his Apology ca. â—9 Esay 9. Amos. 4. 3 Howe the faythful weâ—e affected at Peters coÌ„ming Heb. 2. The prayers of the godlye are not in vaine The apparitions of aungels Gen. 28.32 2. Reg. 6. Peter will haue Gods benefite to be declared Peter prouydeth for himselfe by flying Math. 10. 4 Howe Herode tooke the myracle of God. Math. 28. Psalm 7. Psal. 105. Zach. 2. Herode is offended with those
followe him to giue themselues wholy to him bicause in him onely those things were to be founde which are fygured by outwarde baptisme For who is able to performe them without the operation of the holy spirite Therefore the glorye you haue in Iohn your teacher is of so little sufficiencie that his doctrine and baptisme wherewith you were baptized compelleth you to go further so to cleaue vnto Christ that being graffed in him through a liuely fayth and quickened with his spirite you may declare by the very effectes of the holy ghost that you are true Christians And that this is the verye playne and vnracked meaning of Paules wordes the whole order of the hystorye prooueth Wherefore foolish is the error of them which by this place go about to prooue that Iohn his baptisme and Christes was not all one but diuers For that is a thing so farre from Paules meaning that it rather prooueth howe men are sent by the baptisme of water that Iohn ministred vnto Christ in whome onely those thinges are to be taken holde of the tokens whereof we receyue in baptisme Also here is a generall rule confyrmed how it is not to be borne with that they that will be taken for true worshippers of God shoulde stay or rest vpon the authoritie of man but that they ought to be vrged to giue themselues wholy vnto Christ to liue in him by the quickening of his spirite least while they professe him with their mouth they declare by their deedes howe they be farthest of from him Furthermore Luke ioyneth herevnto a moste prosperous ende of this hystorie For these persons being conuict in their consciences through the secrete working of the holye ghost yeelded vnto Paules reasons and were baptized in the name of the Lorde Iesus These wordes must not be expounded of the baptisme of water as though they receiued that againe For so it shoulde followe that Iohns baptisme had not bene lawfull nor sufficient to consecrate men vnto god But that this is an absurde thing to be sayde both the example of Christ teacheth vs which did vouchsafe to be baptised of Iohn and so to become a copartener with vs and also this thing prooueth the same for that we no where read how they were rebaptised whom Iohn had baptised before wherefore this place must be vnderstanded of the baptisme of fyre the Minister or author whereof Iohn before had sayde that Christ shoulde be For the holye ghost was giuen in the likenesse of fyre whereof we spake in the seconde Chapter of this booke And it is manifest that this worde baptising is often vsed for the giuing of the holy ghost and his giftes For so Iohn vseth it speaking of Christ he shall baptise you with the holy ghost and with fire Christ being ready to ascende vp into heauen vseth it in the same sense saying you shall bee baptised with the holye ghost within these fewe dayes Which phrase of speach Peter vttered in the same sense before the congregation intreating of Cornelius conuersion So in this place Luke teacheth vs howe this worde baptising ought to be taken whyle by waye of exposition he addeth And when Paule had layde his handes on them the holye ghost came on them and they spake with tongues and did prophecie Therefore by laying on of handes they were consecrated or appoynted onely vnto Christ and after that followed the holye ghost accoâ—ding as we hearde came to passe at Samaria also Wherevppon it appeareth that the olde writers abused this place whyle by authoritie hereof they contended that those ought to be newe baptised which had bene baptised by heretykes before Herein they were deceyued that they thought Iohn and Christes baptisme of water was diuers And the ignorance of the Anabaptistes is as great that apply vnto the baptisme of water that which ought to be vnderstanded of the baptisme of fyre that is to saye of the receyuing and gyft of the holy ghost But we haue principally to consider the ende and vse of the myracle that is how God ment to confyrme and adorne the authoritie of his Gospell hereby among the Gentyles as we haue already oftentimes declared Let vs therefore beleeue the Gospell whose credite and truth is prooued by so many and notable signes and woonders Let vs in lyfe aunswere to the profession of our fayth that we being quickened with the spirite of Christ maye liue in him to whome be prayse honour power and glory for euer Amen The Cxxvj. Homelie AND he went into the Synagoge and behaued himselfe boldlye for the space of three monethes disputing and giuing them exhortations of the kingdome of god When diuers waxed harde hearted and beleeued not but spake euill of the way and that before the multitude he departed from them and seperated the disciples And he disputed daily in the schoole of one called Tyranus â–ª And this continued by the space of twoo yeares so that all they which dwelt in Asia hearde the worde of the Lorde Iesu both Iewes and Greekes And God wrought speciall myracles by the handes of Paule so that from his body were brought vnto the sicke Napkins and Partelettes and the diseases departed from them and the euill spirites went out of them AFter the Euangelist Luke hath declared how Paule had fullye enstructed those twelue menne at Ephesus which liued not aunswereable to their profession he sheweth afterwarde how by the ministery of the same Paule the kingdome of God was spredde farre and neare both among the Ephesians and ouer all the Countrie bordering vpon Asia And this present place comprehendeth the summe of this hystorie in the consideration whereof we must be the more diligent bicause there are diuers thinges in euery part thereof which serue for the common instruction of vs all After this he sheweth what was done with the reprobate and vnbeleeuing Thirdly he describeth the singuler profyte and commoditie of the Apostles labour and traueyle First the Euangelist comprehendeth the whole summe of Paules doctrine in fewe wordes where he sayeth that he entred into the Synagoge and there disputed three monthes togther boldly and exhorted men to receyue the kingdome of god Therefore as otherwheres so here also he preacheth fyrst to the Iewes Hereby appeareth partly the great mercy of God towarde so rebellious and frowarde a people and partly a moste feruent and syncere affection of charitie in Paule which by so manye and grieuous iniuries coulde not be quenched But bicause we haue hereof intreated diuers times already let vs omit this poynt and see what trade of teaching Paule vsed among the Ephesians wherevnto there appertayne three things whereof Luke discourseth Fyrst he nameth the place and sayth he taught in the open Synagoge That therefore that Paule diligently obserued in other places he thought good to vse also at Ephesus namely to teach in one certayne and publike place although he knewe well the Iewes vsages which in that place bare all the rule Whereby
we learne that there must be a certayne place for doctrine to be taught in and howe the same must not wythout some great cause be forsaken For this is a thing verye profytable for the maintenance of true doctrine and keeping vnder of false teachers which priuilye vse to creepe in and to beguyle the vnwarye For the which cause Christ himselfe vsed moste times to teache in the Temple and in the open Synagoges bicause he woulde not by his example defend them which without a cause refuse to come vnto the Church or else sowe false doctrine in corners both which the Anabaptistes in our dayes ouerboldly vse to doe Secondly is declared the trade that Paule vsed in teaching He spake freely and boldly dissembling nothing And fyrst he disputed confuting the errors of the Iewes wherewith they confounded and obscured the way of saluation being of it selfe playne and simple Next he exhorted and counselled them to yeelde vnto a truth This is the best order of teaching wherin these two thinges are necessary to be obserued fyrst that the aduersaries arguments be confuted and that by effectuall reasons they be vrged to take holde of the truth and earnestlye to followe it For as truth can haue no place as long as lyes and errors beare rule so fruitelesse and vayne shall the knowledge of truth be vnlesse men earnestly embrace hir and labour as it were to be transformed into hir Therefore Paule commaundeth the Minister of the worde not onely to teach but also to exhort rebuke and to be instant in season and out of season And Christ woulde haue those that were bidden to the wedding of the heauenly kingdome to be compelled to come in Therefore fylthye is the error of them which saye a bare and literall treatie of the Scripture is sufficient in the Church and will not suffer those things to be openly discussed in them that serue for the instruction of all parties as though our saluation stoode onely in a naked and empty contemplation of things Thirdlye Luke sheweth the matter and argument of Paules doctrine where he sayth he spake of the kingdome of God. For so are the affayres of our redemption and saluation called the administrator and executor wherof the Prophetes long since declared that the Messias shoulde be But of this Messias the Iewes had conceyued not onely false but also very carnall and grosse opinions by reason they misvnderstoode the Oracles of the Prophetes For they dreamed the kingdome of the Messias shoulde be here vppon earth and hoped to enioy a golden worlde vnder him such as had bene sometime vnder Salomon With the which error the Apostles also being beguyled promised themselues notable dignities and promotions as maye easily be gathered by their contentions And they among the Iewes also whose mindes were more of their saluation than of this earthly kingdome did rather thinke it consisted in wearishe ceremonies than in the merite of christ Therefore Paule diligently declared the veritie of the kingdome of God shewing that it was spirituall not earthly and that it consisted not in the vaine obseruation of Ceremonies but in the merite of Christ and in fayth whereby we be graffed into him This doctrine of Paule is to be had both in his Sermons which Luke hath described in this booke also in his Epistles so that there needeth no long rehearsall therof Let vs marke how the Scriptures call our redemption and saluation the kingdome of god For hereby the ende thereof is declared which is that Satan being vanquished and the worlde ouercome God might beare rule ouer vs as our king as we desire in our prayer saying Let thy kingdome come Wherefore they are false Christians that glorye in the name of Christ and yet let the Deuill rule in them who can haue no communion or fellowshippe with Iesus Christ. Neyther can they be Christians which are out of the kingdome of God bicause Christ came into the worlde for no cause but to restore his kingdome But howe can they be in the kingdome of God which suffer themselfe to be ruled by the Deuilles spirite and obey him in all thinges But bicause Christ can neuer be preached anye where so luckilye but manye reprobates shall ryse agaynst his doctrine hee declareth howe Paule dealt with them but yet so as he fyrst sheweth what they did They hardened their heartes agaynst Paules doctrine This is the propertie of the wicked the more they are vrged with the worde of God the more they harden their heartes not that Gods worde is in the fault but their owne selues For where they haue not in them the seede of the children of God they cannot knowe his voyce and worde and therefore the more mightily the holy ghost worketh to bring them to order the more fyercelye vse they to resist him Examples we haue euerywhere in Caine Pharao Saule Iudas and diuers other wherevnto woulde God we had not euerye day freshe examples ioyned After induration it followeth that they wyll neyther beleeue nor obey Therefore they cast away the worde of God as vayne and nothing pertayning vnto them Besides a woorse property than all this namely rayling and slaundering whereby they go about to bring Christes doctrine and religion in suspicion and enuy amongest the people For they follow the Deuils propertie desiring to haue many partners and fellowes of his perdition And by these steps doth impietie climbe vp vntill she be so high that she falleth into destruction What doth Paule with these persons First he departeth frō them least he should either more inflame them or giue occasion of vnprofytable contention and thys doth he according to Christs commaundement which bade vs we should not cast pearles before Dogges and Hogges and commaunded vs to shake the dust of our feete from vs against open obstinates Then next he seperated those disciples from them which had receyued the sounde doctrine doing the duetie of a faithfull shephearde whose chiefe care is that the sounde sheepe be not infected with the contagiousnesse of the diseased And yet Paule is not to be called a Schismatike for his so dooing although they bare the name of the church and people of God from whom Paule seuered his disciples Yea it is necessarie that the good should auoyde the familiaritie and companye of the vngodly bicause both they bycome heard hearted by the meanes and many times also partakers of the vngodlyes punishment See Apoc. 18. Thirdely Paule teacheth daylie in the schoole of one Tyrannus with what maner of thing it was and howe it came to be so called maketh no great matter but it is lyke it was a publike place and commodious to preache in Let vs rather consider Paules diligence which could by no vntowardnesse of the wicked be pulled from his duetie but the more he seeth them rage the more busily he holdeth on in teaching Let all that are in office eyther of the common weale or of the ministerie