c. 6â—â— 2 Let euery one that calleth vpâ—â— the name of the Lord depart froâ— iniquiâ—ie c. 6â—â— 2 No man whiche goeth a 〈◊〉 fare intangleth himseâ—fe with 〈◊〉 affaires c. 9â—â— 2 Studie to shewe thée selfe approued vnto God A worke-man not to be ashamed c. 908 2 Remember that Iesus Christ of the séede of Dauid was raised c. 294 2 It is a faithful saying For if we be dead with him we shal also liue c. 469 3 All Scripture giuen by inspiration of God is profitable to teache c. 17. 542 4 Paul could not deale against diseases as hee would example of Trophimo whome hee left sicke at Miletum c. 838 4 Bée thou vnto them that beléeue an ensample in word in conuersatioÌ„ c. 901 4 The time shall come that they shall not abide to heare sound doctrine c 324 4 I charge thée therefore before GOD and before the Lord Iesus Christ c. 908 4 Till I come giue attendaunce to reading to exhortation and doctrine c. 911 4 I haue fought a good fight I haue fulfilled my course I haue kept the faith c. 468 ¶ Out of the Epistle of S. Paule to Titus 1 REbuke them sharpely that they may be sound in the faith c. 109. 1 For this cause I left thée in Creta that thou shouldest ordeine c. 894. 895 1 Who can denie that to the cleane all thinges are cleane c. 226 1 That the mouthes of vaine â—alkers stirrers of minds must be c. 908 1 In words they confesse that they knowe God but in their déeds they denie him c. 570 2 Exhort seruants to be obedient vnto their owne maisters and to please c. 273 2 Speake to the elder women that they may teach honest thinges c. 225 2 The grace of God that bringeth saluation hath appeared c 61. 546 3 God according to his mercie hath saued vs by the founteine of regeneration c. 629. 973. 1064 3 Warne them to be subiect to rule and power and to obey magistrates c. 170 3 Touching an heretique obiectons made out of S. Paule c. 203 5. Bring diligeÌ„tly Zenas the lawyer and Apollo vpon their way that they may want nothing c. 1115 ¶ Out of the Epistle of S. Paule to the Hebrues 1 GOD in times past at sundrie times and in diuers maners spake vnto c. 527 1 Are they not all ministring spirits c. 714. 732 1 God by his sonn hath made the worlds and doth rule and vpphold them with the word of his power c. 638 2 For as much then as the children are partakers of flesh and bloud he also himselfe likewise toke part with them c. 448. 691 2 Thou madest him litle inferiour to the angels c. 696 2 It became him in all thinges to be made like vnto his brethren c. 61. 687 2 He doeth no where take on him the Angels but the séed of Abraham c. 63. 687. 691 3 Exhort yee one another daily while it is called to day least any of you be hardened c. 710 4 To vs was the Gospel preached as wel as vnto them but the word c. 983. 1026 5 No man taketh the honour to himselfe but hee that is called of God as was Aaron c. 704. 893 5 In the dayes of his flesh when he did offer vp prayers supplications with strong crying and teares c. 707 6 It cannot bee that they whiche were once illuminated if they fall away c. 27. 518 6 Men verily sweare by the greater and an oath for coÌ„firmation c. 132 7 Christ euer liueth to make intercession for vs c. 662 7 And amonge them many were made priestes because they were not suffered to endure by reason of death c. 707 7 Christ for that he endureth for euer hath an euerlasting priesthoode c. 663 7 Our high priest had no néede as those high priestes had first to c. 373 7 The forerunner is for vs entred into heauen after the order of Melchisedech made a priest for euer c. 704 8 Because I will be mercifull to their vnrighteousnesses and I will no more c. 438 8 Christ were no priest if he were on earth c. 706 9 Christ entred not into the Tabernacle made with hands but into the very c. 373. 708 9 If the ashes of a younge cow sprinkled doeth sanctifie them c. 377. 9 Christ appeared once before the end of the world to put away sinne by offering vp himselfe c. 1094 10 Euery priest appeareth daily ministring and oftentimes offereth one maner of offering c. 708 10 Christ being one onely sacrifice offered vp for sinn â—â—tteth for euer at the right hand of GOD c. 569. 1069 10 Ye haue néede of patience that after ye haue done the will of God c. 469 10 If we sinne willingly after we haue receiued the knowledge of the trueth c. 518 10 Cast not away your confidence which hath great recompence of reward c. 304 11 Whosoeuer will come to God must beléeue c. 1099 11 And all these holy fathers hauing through hope obteined good report c. 433 11 They wandered about in shéepe skinnes and goate skinnes being c. 312 11 Faith is the substance of things hoped for the euidence of thinges c. 30 11 These through faith did subdue kingdomes wrought righteousnes c. 150 12 Ye are come into the citie of the liuing God the heauenly Hierusalem and to an innumerable companie of Angels c. 737 12 God speaketh to you as to his sonnes My sonne despise not thou the chastening of c. 307 12 The fathers of your flesh did for a fewe dayes chasten you after their owne c. 310 12 Ye came not vnto Mount Sina to a fire to a whirlewinde astormie c. 814 13 To doe good and to distribute forgett not for with such sacrifice God is pleased c. 1125 13 By Christ we offer the sacrifice of praise alwayes vnto God that is the fruite of lippes whiche confesse his name c. 659. 710. 952 13 Hée suffered without the gate and offered himselfe a liuely and most holy sacrifice c. 706 13 Be mindefull of them that are in bonds as bound with them c. 97 13 Wedlock is honourable among all and the bedd vndefiled c. 223. 226. 1132 13 Obey them that haue the rule ouer you and giue place vnto them c. 154 13 The bodies of those beastes whose bloud is brought into the holy place c. 374 ¶ Out of the Epistle of S. Iames. 1 If any of you lacke wisedome let him aske of God c. 16. 304 1 Euery good guieing euery perfect gift c. 918 1 Let no maÌ„ say when he is tempted he is rempted of God c. 485 1 For when he is cried he shall receiue the crowne of life
feastes and holy dayes which we kéepe holy to Christe our Lord in memorie of his Natiuitie or Incarnation of his Circumcision of his Passion of the Resurrection and Ascension of Iesus Christe our Lorde into heauen and of his sending of the holy Ghost vpon his Disciples For Christian libertie is not a licentious power and dissoluing of godly Ecclesiasticall ordinances which aduaunce and set forward the glory of God and loue of our neighbor But for bicause the Lorde will haue holy dayes to be solemnized and kept to him self alone I do not therefore like of the festiuall dayes that are helde in honour of any creatures This glory and worship is due to God alone Paul sayth I wold not that any man should iudge you in part of an holie day or of the Sabbothes which are a shadow of things to come And againe Ye obserue dayes and monethes and yeares and times I feare least I haue laboured in you in vaine And therefore we at this day that are in the Churche of Christe haue nothing to doe with the Iewish obseruation we haue onely to wish indeuour to haue the Christian obseruation and exercise of Christian religion to be fréely kept obserued And yet as the hallowing of the Iewish sabboth so also the sanctifying or exercise of our Sunday must be spent occupyed about foure things which ought to be founde in the holy congregation of Christians if their Sunday be truely sanctified and kept holy as it should be Firste let all the godly Saintes assemble them selues together in the congregation Let there in that congregation so assembled be preached the worde of God let the Gospell there be read that the hearers maye learne thereby what they haue to thinke of God what the dutie and office is of them that worship God and how they ought to sanctifie the name of the lord Then let there in that congregation be made prayers and supplications for all the necessities of all people Let the Lord be praised for his goodnesse and thanked for his vnestimable benefits whiche he dayly bestoweth Then if time occasion and custome of the Church do so require let the sacramentes of the Church be religiously ministred For nothing is more required in this fourth commaundement than that we should holily obserue and deuoutly exercise the Sacramentes and holy lawfull profitable and necessarie rites and ceremonies of the Church Last of all let entyre humanitie and liberalitie haue a place in the Saints assembly let all learne to giue almes priuately and relieue the poore dayly and to do it frankly and openly so often as opporunitie of time and causes of néede shall so require And these are the dueties wherein the Lordes sabboth is kept holy euen in the churche of Christians and so much the rather if to these be added an earnest good wil to do no euil al the day long This discipline now must be brought in and established by euery householder in all our seuerall houses with as great diligence as it was with the Iewes Touching which thing I haue nothing to say here since I haue before so plainely handled this point as that ye perceiue that it agréeth euen to the Churche of vs that are Christians This one thing I adde more that it is the dutie of a Christian magistrate or at leastwise of a good housholder to compell to amendment the brekers and contemners of Gods sabboth and worship The péeres of Israell and all the people of God did stone to death as the Lord commaunded them the man that disobediently did gather stickes on the sabboth day Why then should it not be lawful for a Christian Magistrate to punishe by bodily imprisonment by losse of goods or by death the despisers of religion of the true and lawfull worship done to God and of the sabboth day verily though the foolishe and vndiscrete Magistrate in this corrupted age doe slackly looke to his office and duetie yet notwithstanding let euery householder do his indeuour to kéepe his seuerall familie from that vngodly naughtinesse let him punish them of his housholde by suche meanes as he lawfully may For if any one householder dwell among Idolaters which neyther haue nor yet desire to haue or frequente the Christian or lawful congregations theÌ„ may he in his own seuerall house gather a peculiar assemblie to prayse the Lorde as it is manifest that Lot did among the Sodomites Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the land of Chanaâ—n and in Egipt But it is a haynous sinne and a detestable schisme if the congregation be assembled either in cities or villages for thée then to séeke out bywayes to hide thy self not to come there but to contemn the church of God and asseÌ„blie of saints as the Anabaptistes haue takeÌ„ a vse to do Here therfore I haue to reckon vp the abuses of the sabboth day or that sinnes coÌ„mitted against this commaundement They transgresse this coÌ„maundement that cease not from euil works but abuse the sabboths rest to the prouoking of fleshly pleasures For they kéep the sabboth to God but work to the deuil in dicing in drinking in dauncing féeding their humors with the vanities of this world wherby we are not only drawn from the coÌ„panie of the holy congregation but do also defile our bodyes which we ought rather to sanctifie and kéepe holy They sinne against this precept which eyther exercise any handie occupation on the sabboth day or else lye wrapt in bed and fast a sléepe till the day be almost speÌ„t not once thinking to make one of Gods congregation They offend in this precept that awe their seruants to worke and by appointing them to other businesse do drawe them from the worship of God preferring other stinking thinges before the honour due to god And they aboue all other offende herein which do not only not kéepe holy the sabboth day them selues but doe also with their vngodly scoffes and euil examples cause other to despise and set light by religion when they do disdaine and mocke at the holy rites ceremonies at the ministerie ministers sacred Churches and godly exercises And herein too do both the goodmen and goodwiues offend if they be slacke in their owne houses to call vpon and to sée their families kéepe holy the sabboth day Who so euer do contemne the holynesse of the sabboth day they giue a flat and euident testimonie of their vngodlinesse and light regarde of Gods mightie power Furthermore the kéeping or despising of the sabboth doth always carry with it either ample rewards or terrible threates For the proofe whereof I will recite vnto you dearely beloued the wordes of Ieremie in his 17. cha Thus hath the Lord saide vnto me sayth he Goe and stand vnder the gate of the sonnes of the people through which the kings of Iuda goe in and out and vnder all the gates of Ierusalem and say vnto them Take heede for your liues that ye
not what sort of Gods to mans skill and succour to things forbidden to Idols and coniurers which we fall a doing then especially when being wrapped in miserie and calamities eyther for our sinnes or else bycause God will trie vs we doe presently beginne to murntur againste God and to accuse his iudgementes hardly absteining from open blasphemie in grudging to beare the things that for our desertes we do worthily suffer Here vnto belongeth the abuse of beastly knaues whiche doe not sticke to vse the holy name of God in obteining their filthy lustes whiche they call loue and also the naughtinesse of them that therby seeke to finde and recouer the thinges that are lost or else are stolne from them We doe vnhallowe the name of the Lord our God when we giue not to him all honour and glory We shall peraduenture do some good déede there is perhaps in vs somthing worthy to be praysed if we therfore shall challenge the praise thereof to our selues or at the leaste shall pare out a péece of that glory for our owne share and giue the rest to God not referring it al and whole to God the authour of all then doe we therein defile the name of God which ought alone to be praysed for euer and euer Furthermore if we denie the Lorde or blushe at and be ashamed of his holy Gospell bycause of this wicked world and the naughtie men therein if also we doe spot our selues with a filthy and vncleane life which is to the slander of Gods name and the offence of our neighbour then doe we take the Lordes name in vaine yea we abuse it to his dishonour and reproche We do abuse the name of the Lorde if we take a solemne othe in a trifle or matter of no effect or if we do not kéepe performe the othe that we haue sworne In our dayly talke very often and almoste about godlesse matters we minde are wont to call and take to witnesse the dreadfull name of God hauing learned it of an yll continuaunce and custome or else being stirred vp by some euill motion of oure naughtie mynd we haue an innumerable sort of déep and terrible othes as wounds bloud crosse and Passion of the Lorde heauen earth Sacramentes euery Saint in heauen and all the deuilles of hell Beside all this we abuse the name of God also sundry and dyuers wayes in telling of lyes The preacher or teacher of the Churche lyeth whē he cryeth Thus sayth the Lord whereas the Lorde in déede sayth nothing so He maketh the name of God a cloake and a colour to hide his deceit and doth beguile poore simple soules The Magistrate cryeth out All power is of God and so vnder the pretence of Gods name doth his subiects iniurie in playing the tyraunt and not the Magistrate The common people deceiue one another vnder the name of the Lorde in contractes and bargayning And the sturdie roge vnworthy of almes will not sticke to stande and make Gods name an idle occupation for to get a pennie But who can reckon vp all the thinges wherein Gods name is fouly abused we must all therfore haue an eye that we defile not the name of God but rather blesse it and holily worship it For it followeth in the wordes of the Lorde what punishment abideth for them that so disgrace his name Bycause sayth he the Lorde will not let him goe vnpunished that taketh his name in vaine And although this commination of the Lord is very horrible in déede and of it selfe effectuall inough to make the godly sort afrayde to pollute the name of God yet neuerthelesse I will adde one example or twaine of them whome the Lorde hath punished for defiling his name Dauid cryeth out and sayth The vnrighteous shall not stand in thy sight O Lord thou hatest them that worke iniquitie thou shalt destroy all them that speake lies But how much more likely is it that the Lord will destroy all them that speake blasphemie and abuse his holy name Saule verily bycause he called not vpon the Lorde in his extreme necessitie but asked counsell of the Pythonisse was compelled to kill him selfe with his owne hande after he had séene his people downe right slaine by the Phylistines his enimies and his sonnes lye deade in the middes of the people Ananias lyeth to the holy Ghoste and defileth the name of the Lorde and falling downe soudainly dead to the ground downe he goeth with shame inoughe to the deuill of hell Sanherib blasphemeth the name of the eternal God before the walles of Ierusalem but anon after he is for his labour bereaft of his puissant armie and in his owne Gods temple is shot through by his owne sonnes Iehoiachim and Zedechias both Kings of Iuda and blasphemers of Gods name are taken captiues slayne by Nabuchodonosor King of Babylon Achab Iesebel and the Priestes of Baal are vtterly wypte out by king Iehu bycause they vnder the colour of god and godlinesse blasphemed the name of God and persecuted the true religion In the. 24. of Leuiticus he that blasphemed the name of god was ouerwhelmed with stones to death And therefore the Emperour Iustiman In Nouellis cōstitu 77. writing to the citizens of Constantinople sayth Moreouer bycause besides vnspeakable lustes some men lash out cursings and othes of God thereby prouoking him to anger we therfore exhort thē to abstaine from cursings and othes by his haire and head and such other wordes like vnto these For if reproches done vnto men are not left vnreuenged muche more is he worthy to be punished that stirreth God to anger with his villanie And for such offences as these doe so many dearthes erthquakes plagues come vnto mē We therefore admonish them to abstaine from those crimes for who soeuer after this admonition of oures shal be found faultie therin they shal first shewe thē selues vnworthy to be beloued of men after that to suffer such punishment as the lawe shall appoint For we haue giuē in charge to the right honourable the Lieftenant of our royall citie to apprehend the guiltie and to punish them extremely leaste peraduenture at length for such sinners contempt and such haynous offences not only this citie but also the whole common weale be iustly destroyed by Gods iust vengeance Thus much writeth he Now by this we may gather that not the least part of our calamities at these dayes doe happen vnto vs bycause of our detestable cursings and horrible blasphemies which verie fewe magistrates or none almost at al do go about to redresse or punishe as they should doe The name of the liuing God is blasphemed with passing déepe and horrible othes of all sorts of all kindes and all ages so that I thinke verily that from the beginning of the world ther neuer was suche a blasphemous people as are in this cursed age of oures And therefore are we vexed with vnspeakable and endlesse calamities For God is true can
God and the hallowing of his holy name but yet it bendeth somewhat to the outward honour although neuerthelesse it frameth to the inward religion For the Sabboth doth belong both to the inward and outward seruice of god Let vs sée therefore what we haue to thinke that the Sabboth is how farre foorth the vse therof extendeth and after what sort we haue to worship our God in obseruing the sabboth Sabboth doth signifie rest and ceassing from seruile worke And this here I thinke worthy to be noted that the Lord saith not simply Sanctifie the Sabboth but Remember that thou kéepe holy the Sabboth daye meaning thereby that the Sabboth was of olde ordeined and giuen first of all to the auncient fathers and thē againe renued by the Lorde and beaten into the memorie of the people of Israell But the summe of the whole Commaundement is Kéepe holy the Sabboth day This summe dothe the Lorde by and by more largely amplifie by reckoning vp the the very dayes and particular rehearsing of the whole houshold to whome the kéeping of the Sabboth is giuen in charge The Sabboth it selfe hath sundry significations For first of all the scripture maketh mention of a certaine spirituall and continuall Sabboth In this Sabboth we rest from seruile worke in absteining from sinne and doing our best not to haue our owne will found in our selues or to worke our owne workes but in ceassing frō these to suffer God to work in vs and wholy to submit our bodyes to the gouernment of his good spirit After this Sabboth foloweth that eternall Sabboth and euerlasting rest of which Esaie in his 58. and. 66. Chapters speaketh very much and Paul also in the fourth to the Hebrues But God is truely worshipped when we ceassing from euill and obeying Gods holy spirit do exercise our selues in the studie of good works At this time I haue no leasure neyther do I thinke that it is greatly profitable for me to reason as largely or as exquisitely as I coulde of the allegoricall Sabboth or spirituall rest Let vs rather my brethren in these our mortall bodies do our indeuour with an vnwearied good wil of holinesse to sanctifie the Sabboth that pleaseth the Lord so well Secondarily the Sabboth is the outwarde institution of our religion For it pleased the Lorde in this commandement to teache vs an outward religion and kinde of worship wherein he would haue vs all to be exercised Nowe for bycause the worshipping of God cā not be without a time Therefore hath the Lord appointed a certaine time wherein we shoulde absteine from outwarde or bodilye works but so yet that we should haue leasure to attēd vpō our spiritual businesse For for that cause is the outward rest commaunded that the spirituall worke should not be hindered by the bodily businesse Moreouer that spirituall labour among our fathers was chiefly spent about foure things to wit about publique reading and expounding of the scriptures and so consequently about the hearing of the same about publique prayers and common petitions about sacrifices or the administration of the sacraments and lastly about the gathering of euery mans beneuolence In these consisted the outward religion of the Sabboth For the people kept holie day and met together in holy assemblies where the Prophetes read to thē the word of the Lord expounding it and instructing the hearers in the true religion Then did the faythfull iointly make their common prayers and supplications for all things necessarie for their behoofe They praysed the name of the Lord and gaue him thankes for all his good benefites bestowed vpon them Furthermore they did offer sacrifices as the Lorde commaunded them celebrating the mysteries and sacraments of Christe their redéemer and keping their faith exercised and in vre they were ioyned in one with these sacraments and also warned of their duetie which is to offer them selues a liuely sacrifice to the Lord their god Lastly they did in the congregation liberally bestow the giftes of their good will to the vse of the Church They gathered euerie mans beneuolence therewith to supply the Churches necessitie to mainteine the ministers and to relieue the poore and néedie These were the holy workes of God which while they hauing their hartes instructed in fayth and loue did fulfill they did therein rightly sanctifie the Sabboth and the name of the Lord that is they did on the sabboth those kinde works which do both sanctifie the name of God become his worshippers and also are the workes in déede that are holy and pleasing in the sight of god If any man require a substanciall and euident example of the Sabboth or holy daye thus holily celebrated he shall finde it in the eight Chapter of the booke of Nehemias For there the Priestes do reade and expounde the worde of God they praise the name of the lord they pray with the people they offer sacrifice they shew their liberalitie and doe in all points behaue them selues holily and deuoutly as they should Now least any peraduenture might make this obiection and say Ease brée deth vice Or else I must labour with my handes to get my liuing least I dy with hunger and my familie perishe he aunswereth The Lorde alloweth thée time sufficient for thy labour for thée to worke in to get a liuing for thy selfe and thy houshold For sixe dayes thou maist worke but the seuenth day doth the Lord chalenge and require to be cōsecrated to him and his holy rest Euery wéeke hath seuen dayes But of those seuen the Lord requireth but one for him self Who then can rightly complain I beséech you or say that he hath iniurie done vnto him More time is allowed to work in thē to kéep holy the Sabboth And he that requireth to haue this sabboth kept is God the maker the father Lord of al mākind Furthermore the Lord doth precisely cōmand and giue a charge to plant and bring in this holy rest this discipline and outward worship into the whole familie of euery seuerall house Whereby we gather what the dutie of a good housholder is to wit to haue a care to sée all his familie kéepe holy the sabboth day that is to doe on the sabboth day those good workes which I haue before rehearsed And for bycause the Lord doth know that mans naturall disposition is where it hath the maistrie there for the most parte to rule and reigne ouer haufily and too too Prince like therfore least peraduenture the fathers or maisters shuld deale too hardly or rigorously with their housholds or hinder them in obseruing of the sabboth he doth in expresse words exquisite steps of enumeration commaund them to allowe their familie and euery one in their familie a resting time to accomplish his holy seruice He doth not exempt or except so much as the straunger He will not suffer nor allow among them the exāple of such dulheads as say Let faith and religion be free to all
women And for that cause are lawes and very sharpe punishments ordeyned and appointed for such lasciuious knaues Rapes and such villanies committed perforce the lawes do punish with losse of life but to him that doth defloure a maide not violently that Lord doth say Marrie endowe her Other lawes appoint other penalties Touchinge which more is spoken in the ciuil lawe Moreouer Incest is especially prohibited They call incest an vnlawful medling of a man with a woman against the honour of bloud and affinitie For Cestus signifieth the marriage girdle which the bride did weare to shewe that the marriage was iuste and lawful Wée Germanes call this sinne by the name of Blout schand wherby wee signifie the sinne committed in corrupting or defiling our own bloud or kinred In Leuiticus after the degrées of bloud in which wée are forbidden to marrie the Lord doth presently adde In all these be not ye defiled For in all these thinges are the nations defiled which I caste out before you And hereby the land is defiled and I haue visited the iniquitie thereof vppon it and the land hath spewed out the inhabitaunts thereof Yee shall therefore keepe my statutes and mine ordinaunces and shall not doe any of all these abhominations For whosoeuer shall doe so hee shall be cutte off from amonge his people And in the 20 chapiter of Leuiticus hée hath appointed death to be the punishment of incest which is not changed by the ciuil lawes or Imperiall constitutions The abhominable sinne of Sodomie and medling with beastes also is plainly forbidden Against which wée haue most euident and expresse lawes set downe in the 18. and 20. chapter of Leuiticus Wée haue also a verie senere but yet a most iust punishmente layde by God himselfe vppon the pates of the detestable Sodomites For with fire and stincking brimstone sent downe froÌ„ heauen hée consumed those filthie men to duste and ashes which ashes hée washed away with the waues of the dead sea because hée would not haue so much as the verie cynders to remaine of so wicked men Moreouer their whole cities and fruitefull fields were burnte with fire For it was not requisite that any one iote of the substaunce of those most wicked men should remaine vndestroyed The place where those cities were sometime situated is at this daye ouerflowen with water and called the dead sea Whereby we do consequeÌ„tly gather that the most iust God wil not spare the Gentiles entangled in the verie same sinne althoughe for a time hée wincke at and dissemble it Fire shall destroy both them theirs and they themselues shall for euer burne in hell where nothing shal remaine of them but a reprochfull memorie For in the Reuelation of oure Lord Iesus Christ to his Apostle Iohn we read And fire came downe from God out of Heauen and deuoured them and the diuell which deceiued them was caste into a lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false Prophete shal be tormented day and night for euer more Apoc. 20. Furthermore all thinges else are for hidden that doe incite or allure vs to vnlawfull lustes which baites are the ouer nice pranckinge and decking the body euill and wanton companie gluttonie surfetting dronkennesse For Ezechiel amonge the rest of his Prophecies saith This was the iniquitie of Sodom pride glutonie aboundaunce of all thinges and idlenesse Men are prouoaked to luste eyther by hearing or reading of dishonest ditties and bawdie ballads or by looking on and beholding wanton dauÌ„ces vnséemely sightes ribauld talke and filthie examples They therefore are by this lawe reproued which wincke at or chearish which are the bawdes or bringers together of adulterous persons Vnto the wicked the Lord in the Psalmes doth say Whie doest thou take my couenaunt in thy mouth whereas thou hatest to be refourmed and doest cast my words behind thee when thou sawest a theefe thou consentedst vnto him and hast bin partaker with the adulterers c. The iust Lord therefore doeth punish all these offences in wicked men euery one according to the greatnesse of the sinne For some sinnes are farre more heynous than other some are Hee is an adulterer that in his minde doeth lust after an other mans wife but hée sinneth more gréeuously if hée indeuoure to finishe in déede his wicked thought hée offendeth yet more déepelie if hée do the déede and sinneth most of all if after once hée fall vnto it againe Likewise the adulterer sinneth so doth the bawde and he also that vpholdeth his adulterie The whooremonger sinneth déepely but hée that defileth himselfe with incest sinneth more gréeuously and hée most heynously of al that in medling with beastes committeth filthie Sodomie So then in this 7. precept charge is giuen for the maintenaunce of shamefastnesse modestie sobriâ—tie temperancie chastitie publique honestie and true holinesse of soule and bodie The next is for mée to say somewhat now touching continencie By abstinence we refraine from other mens goods and take froÌ„ no man the thing that is his Some there are that will haue temperancie to extend farther than continencie for they wil make the one to be but a part of the other I in this treatise doe simplie make contiuencie the contrary to intemperancie or incontinencie For continencie is a vertue or power of the minde receiued from the spirit of God which suppresseth affections and doth not in any wise permit vnlawful pleasures This is conuersant doth shew it selfe in the common and vsual talke of men in pleasures that are allowed in apparell in buildings and dweling houses in meate and drinke and in other things also I at this present wil onely examine those points of of continencie which are already rehearsed First of all it is required of vs to kéepe in oure tongue and not to let it loose at randon to the blaspheming of Gods glory or hurt of our neighbour Let the talke of a Christian man bee honeste profitable and seasoned with salte let it be vnacquainted with scoffinge lightnesse lyinge ribauldrie and filthinesse S. Iames in the third Chapiter of his Epistle hath spoken sufficiently of the tongues properties In his first Chapiter also hee sayth Let euery manne bee swifte to heare sloaw to speake and sloaw to anger And Paule saith Let no filthie communication proceede oute of your mouth but that which is good to edifie withall as oft as neede is that it may minister grace vnto the hearers and greeue not the holie spirite of God by whom yee are sealed vnto the daye of Redemption And againe Let not fornication or any vncleannesse or couetousnesse bee once named amonge you as it becommeth Sainctes Neither filthines nor foolishe talkinge nether iesting which are not seemelie but rather giuinge of thanckes Let no man deceiue you with vaine words For for such thinges commeth the wrath of God vppon the children of disobedience For in another place he citeth this sentence oute of Meâ—ander and
of Christ Iesu haue nothing to doe with the decrées of mans inuentions and that they are not bound to obserue mens traditions because they are dead to traditions with Christ that is to say they are by Christ Iesu redéemed and set frée from traditions whiche traditions did in Christe his deathe finishe and come to an ende while hee did make vs his owne and sett vs at libertie Then also hée doth by imitation counterfaite the woordes of them whiche make those decrées saye Oh touch not Taste not Handle not These thrée preceptes stretch very farre and comprehende manye petit decrées All which hee doeth unmediately confute with these probable argumentes First because they appoinct the worshippe of GOD to be in thinges that perish in the vse thereof But the kingdome of God is neither meate nor drincke but doth consiste in spirituall thinges And that whiche entereth in by the mouth doeth not defile the man Secondarilie béecause they are not made of God the authour of all goodnesse but haue their beginning of mans inuentions But in vaine doe they worshippe mée sayeth the Lord in the Gospell teaching doctrines the preceptes of men Neither doeth the holy Apostle saincte Paul wincke at and slylie passe ouer because hée will not aunsweare to the thinges whiche doe most commende these traditions First of all they are commended for the shewe and appearaunce of wisedome that is in them For they séeme to haue béene not without great wisedome ordeined of wise menne in that they doe so fittlie serue to euerye person time and place The earnest defenders of mens traditions crie out and saye Oure auncestours weee no fooles their lawes are full of wisedome But Ieremie cryeth out on the other side saying They haue reiected the woord of GOD therefore what wisedome can bee in them An other cause why traditions are commended is the Gréekes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say a chosen kinde of worshippe which wée of our owne braynes haue chosen and taken to oure selues to serue and do God worship with all For men do gladly and willingly receiue the traditions of men because they are agréeable to their inclination Yea Christ in the holie Gospell sayth If ye had beene of the world the world would haue loued her owne Nowe for because I haue chosen you out of the worlde the world doth hate you And againe hée saith That whiche men set great store by is abhominable vnto God. Moreouer mens traditions are commended for humilitie which is vnderstoode in two manners or respectes For first that is said to be humilitie if any man doe readily obey and easilie yéeld to that which is vrged obtruded and thrust vpon him by men of countenaunce and authoritie Secondarilie the lawes of men do séeme to exercise humblenesse and kéepe men in humilitie But such obedience and humilitie may rather bée called sacrilege because it is not ruled and directed by the woord of God as the thinge whereby alone it should be tempered and squared but doth transferre and conueighe ouer the honour of GOD from God to men Last of all mens traditions are commended for the neglectinge of the fleshe For Oh that discipline and chasticemente of the fleashe séemeth to them a goodlye thinge by whiche the wantonnesse of the flesh is somewhat brideled and tamed Finallie the Apostle addeth Not in any honour to the satistyinge of the fleshe that is to say Whiche thinges although they haue a shewe of religion and holinesse haue notwithstanding in verie déede no honour at all considering that those externall things are ordeined of GOD for the ease and reléefe of menns necessities Yea Paul doth flatly finde fault with those decrées because they giue the bodie no honour for the satisfying of the same that is according to the measure of the bodies necessitie For a moderate care and looking to the bodie is not only permitted but also commanded least wée perhapps by too muche lacke and neerenesse do marre the bodie and make it vnapt to doe good woorkes Neither is the care of the flesh in any place forbidden vnlesse it tend to lustes and sensualitie Wherfore the Apostle saith Cherish not the flesh vnto concupiscence Therefore God hath graunted to man for his necessitie the vse of meate drincke sléepe cloathing reste alloweable pleasures and other thinges necessarie In the fourth Chapiter to the Galathians Saincte Paule saith When the fullnesse of the time was come God sent his sonne borne of a womā and made vnder the lawe to redeeme them that were vnder the lawe that wee mighte receiue by adoption the right or inheritaunce of children Nowe because ye are sonnes GOD hath sent the spirite of his sonne into your heartes crying Abba Father Wherfore thou art no more a seruant but a sonne If thou be a sonne thou art also an heire of God thoroughe Christ And immediatly after againe Stand faste in the libertie wherewith Christe hath deliuered vs and bee not againe wrapped in the yoke of bondage In the second to the Hebrues hée saith Christe was made partaker of fleshe and bloud with vs to the ende that throughe death he might expell him that had Lordship ouer death that is the diuell and that hee might deliuer them which through feare of death were all their life time in daunger of bondage Thus I hope these testimonies of Scripture suffice for our purpose These thinges being wel weighed and throughly considered will plainely teache what kinde of libertie they haue whiche are made frée by Christ and what their propertie and inclination is to witt most religious and altogether giuen to holy thinges that is to say in all points addicted to the spirite without whiche there is no libertie and by which al the sonnes of God are alwayes gouerned The Lords frée men doe most diligently beware that they doe vnaduisedly offend no man by their libertie nor vainely abuse their purchased fréedome For they haue continuallie before their minds and eyes the weightie sayings of the holie Apostles of their Lord Christe Iesu Sainct Peter in the second Chapter of his first Epistle saith As free and not as hauing the libertie for a cloake of maliciousnesse but euen as the seruauntes of God. And Paule hath Brethren ye haue beene called vnto libertie onely let not libertie be an occasion to the flesh but by loue serue one an other For I when I am free haue made mee selfe seruaunte to all that I maye winne the more They therefore do specially abuse Christiā libertie who seeking after carnall things vnder the colour and pretence of the spirite and of libertie doe make their bragges that they by the preachinge of the Gospell are set free from all bodily debtes dueties and therefore they do denye to their maisters creditours magistrates and princes the dutie that they owe them by that meanes reuolting and rebelling againste them These fellowes are seditious stirrers and not the reuerencers of the Euangelical doctrin Paule crieth Giue to
obserued For to go about ouer curiously to inquire after search out and séeke the very eternall Being of God is both perillous and also flatly forbidden SolomoÌ„ crieth As it is not good to eate much honie so he that is an ouercurious searcher out of Gods Maiestie shal be confounded of his glorie Before that singular and notable communication where-in oure God in the mounte Sinai talked with the whole people of Israel it is sayd to Moses Set boundes vnto the people round about the mountaine and say vnto them Take heede to your selues that ye goe not vpp into the mount or touch the border of it Whosoeuer toucheth the mount let him die the death c. Loe heere it was present death to passe the limites or boundes prescribed Therefore our studies are and ought to be definite not infinite Truly we read in many places of the holye Scriptures that the most entire and excellent friendes of God stood amazed trembling so often as God in any outward shewe did of his owne accord offer himselfe vnto their eyes I neede not to busie mée selfe too much in reckoning vpp examples Ye know howe Abraham behaued himselfe in the talke which hée had with God Gen. 18. Ye knowe what the parents of Gedeon said in the booke of the Iudges And what Helias spake 3. Reg. 19. Peter after that hee by the miraculous taking of the great draught of fishes did vnderstand that Christe was more than a man cryed out saying Goe out from me O Lord for I am a sinnfull man Therefore the Saincts if in any other matters beloÌ„ging to God than in this especially are humble modest and religious vnderstanding that his eternall and incomprehensible power and vnspeakable maiestie are altogether vncircumscriptible caÌ„not be comprehended in any name whatsoeuer Very eloquently truely and godly doeth Tertullian in his booke De Trinitate say The proper name of God cannot be vttered because it caÌ„not be conceiued For that is called by a name that is conceiued by the condition of it owne nature for a name is the significant notifying of that thing which may be coÌ„ceiued by the name But wheÌ„ the thing which is handled is of such sort that it cannot be rightly conceiued by our very senses and vnderstanding howe shall it bee rightly named by an apt terme and fit nomination which while it is beyond vnderstanding must néeds also be aboue the significancie of the terme whereby it is named so that when God vppon certeine causes or occasions doeth annexe or declare to vs his name in woords wee may thincke and knowe that the very propertie of the name is not expressed so much in wordes as a certaine significancie is set downe to which while men in prayers do runn they may séeme to be able by it to call vppon and obteine the mercie of god And againe hee sayeth Concerning God and those things that are of him and in him neither is y minde of man able to conceiue what they bee howe great they be and of what fashion they be Neither doth the eloquence of mans mouth vtter in speach woords in any point aunswerable vnto his maiestie For to the thincking vppon and vttering out his maiestie all eloquence is mute and dumbe and the whole minde is too too little For it is greater than the minde neither can it bée conceiued howe great it is because if it can be conceiued than must it néedes be lesse than mans minde wherein it may be comprehended It is also greater than all speach and cannot be spoken Because if it may be spoken then is it lesser than mans speach by which if it be spoken it may be compassed and made to bee vnderstanded But whatsoeuer may bee thoughte of him shall still be lesse than he whatsoeuer in speach is shewed of him being compared with him shall be much lesse than he For in silence to our selues we may partly perceiue him but as he is in woordes to expresse him it is altogether impossible For if you call him Light then doe you rather name a creature of his than him but him you expresse not Or if you call him Vertue then do you rather name his power than him but him you declare not Or if you call him Maiestie then doe you rather name his honour than him but him you describe not And why should I in ruÌ„ning through euery sâ—uerall title prolong the time I will at once declare it all Say all of him whatsoeuer thou canst and yet thou shalt stil rather name some thing of his than him himselfe For what canst thou fittlye speake or thincke of him that is greater than al thy words and senses Vnlesse it bee that after one maner and that too as we can as oure capacitie will serue and as oure vnderstanding will let vs we shall in minde conceiue what God is if wee shall thinke that he is that which cannot bâ—e vnderstoode nor can possiblie come into oure thought what kinde of thinge and how great it is For as at the seeing of the brightnes of the Sunne the sight of our eyes doeth so dazell and waxe dimme that oure sighte cannot beeholde the very circle of the same by reason that it is ouercome of the brightnesse of the beames that are obiecte against it euen so fareth it with the sight of our minde in all oure thoughtes of God and by howe much more shee settleth herselfe to consider of GOD by so much more is she blinded in the light of her cogitation For to repeate the same thinge againe what canst thou fittly thincke of him that is aboue all loftinesse higher than all height déeper than al depth lighter than al light clearer than all clearenesse brighter than all brightnesse stronger than all strength more vertuous than all vertue fayrer than all fairenesse truer than all truth greater than all greatnesse mightier than all mighte richer than all richesse wiser than all wisedome more liberall than all liberalitie better than all goodnesse iuster than all iustice and gentler than all gentlenesse For all kindes of vertues must néedes be lesse than hée that is the father and God of all vertues so that God maye truely bee said to be such a certeine Being as to which nothing may bee compared For hee is aboue all that may bée spoken Hetherto haue I cited the woordes of Tertullian Althoughe nowe these thinges are so and that no tongue either of Angels or of meÌ„ can fully expresse what who and of what manner God is séeing that his Maiestie is incomprehensible and vnspeakeable yet the scripture which is the word of GOD attempering it selfe to our imbecillitie doeth minister vnto vs some meanes formes and phrases of speach by them to bring vs to some such knowledge of God as maye at least wise suffice vs while wee liue in this world so yet notwithstanding that still we should thincke that the thinge that is incomprehensible cannot bee defined but that by those
God in whome God might dwel and reigne and that he should therefore acknowledge God reuerence adore call vppon and worship and also be ioyned vnto God and liue with him eternally And first of all I will speake of adoreing God nexte of calling vppon God lastly of seruing god Wherevpon we shall perceiue without any trouble at all whiche is the true religion or which is the false The places truly propounded are verie plentiful but in fewe wordes I will comprehend what the scripture doth teach vs concerning them howbeit not euerie one particularly but the chiefest and so muche as séemeth sufficient for our saluation and sound knowledge To adore or worship in the holie scriptures doeth signifie for honours sake to vncouer the heade to bend the body to incline or bowe the knée or with the whole body to lye prostrate vpon the grounde to fall flat on the face at ones féete after the fashion of suppliants or petitioners in token of humilitie submission and obedience and it is referred chiefly to the gesture or habite of the body The Hebricians vse one only word Schahah whiche all interpreters haue expounded by this word Adorare to adore bende bowe and lye along with the face downward The Grecians haue expounded it by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is I bowe the knées I vncouer or make bare the head I humbly beséech or adore And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 adoration is so called either of kissing or of mouing the hat For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth I kisse And that a kisse was sometimes a signe of worshipping reuerencing or adoreing it is to be gathered out of the 31. of Iob. What and is it not a fashion verie much vsed euen at this day for honour and reuerence sake to kisse the hand Againe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth a hat a bonâ—et or a cap so that to adore is to make bare and vncouer the heade for reuerence sake The Latinistes also peraduenture had an eye to the habite of the bodie For Orare to pray signifieth both as well to craue as to speake a thing He therefore doth adore that casting his countenaunce vpon a man doeth craue somthing suppliantly Likely it is that the Germanes also had a respect herevnto For they turne Adorare to adore by this word Anbatten Whiche might moreouer haue ben turned Zu fussen fallen In the ninth of Matthewe thou doest reade Beholde a certeine ruler came to Iesus and worshipped or adored him But Marke writing the same historie And beholde saith he there came one of the Princes of the Synagogue whose name was Iairus and when he sawe him he fel downe at his feete and besought him instantly or muche thus expounding to vs what to adore is to wit to fall downe at ones féete and to submit and beséeche like a suppliant For so we reade in the olde testament of Iacob Israel our father And he going before them bowed him selfe to the ground seuen times vntill his brother Esau approched and drewe neare Of Dauid and Abigael thus we reade in Samuel When Abigael sawe Dauid she hasted and lighted off her Asse and fel before Dauid on her face and worshipped gâ—ound she â—ell 〈◊〉 his â—â—ete saying Let that iniquitie bee counted mine my Lord c. Likewise of Nathan the Prophete it is 〈◊〉 thus written And wheÌ„ he was 〈◊〉 in â—o the king he worshipped or made obeysaunce vppon his face on the ground For GOD communicating this honour doeth allowe the same vnto men either for their old age their authoritie or worthinesse sake For man is the liuely image of God. And it pleaseth God himselfe to call men that excell other in authoritie Gods. Wherevppon the Apostles of Christe Peter and Paule instructing the people of God taught them Hee verily Feare God honour the king and This the magistrate is Gods minister Giue therfore to all men honour to whom honour belongeth feare to whome feare is due In the lawe the Lord sayeth In presence of a hoare head rise vp And Honour thy parents In consideration of this commaundement of God y godly do reuerence the aged their parentes and magistrats and please God also with faithful obedience But to adore worship or honour images what representation or likenesse soeuer they beare the Lord doeth no where like or allowe For hee sayeth in the Lawe Thou shalt not bow downe nor worshippe them And by his Prophete Isaie None sayeth he considereth with him selfe of this matter and sayeth One peece of the woode I haue burnte in the fire I haue baked bread with the coales thereof I haue roasted fleshe therewithall and eaten it should I now of the residue make an abhominable idole and fall downe and worship a rotten peece of wood In the same Prophete thou readest with muche indignation pronounced Their land is fâ—l of vaine Gods or idols before the woorkes of their hands haue they bowed themselues and adored it yea euen before the thing that their owne fingers haue made There kneeleth the man there falleth the man downe before them therfore forgiue them not Therefore that auncient writer Lactantius inspired with a propheticall spirite disputing against the Gentiles hath thus lefte it written The images themselues whiche are worshipped are representations or counterfects of dead men And it is a peruerse and an absurde thinge that the image of a man should bee worshipped of the image of GOD to witt man For he worshippeth the thing that is worser and weaker Besides that the very images ofsainctes whiche most vaine men doe serue are voyde of all sense and féeling béecause they are earth And where is hee that vnderstandeth not that it is a wicked and sinnefull acte for an vprighte and streight creature to be bowed downe and to adore and worship earth whiche to that end is vnder our féete that it should be troden vppon and not adored of vs who therefore are made to goe vppright and looke vppward that wee should not lye groueling downeward that wée should not cast this heauenly countenaunce to the earth but thither looke and directe our eyes whither the coÌ„dition of their nature hath guided them Whosoeuer therfore endeuoureth to mainteine the mysterie of mans creation and to hold the reason of his nature let him raise vp himselfe from the ground and with a raised minde bende his eyes vnto heauen Let him not séeke a God vnder his féete nor digge from vnder his footesteps that which hee may adore or worship Beecause whatsoeuer lyeth vnder or is subiect to man the same must néedes be inferiour vnto man But let him séeke aloft let him séeke in the highest place because nothing can be greater than man but that which is aboue man But God is greater than man hee is therefore aboue not beneathe neither is he rather to be sought in the lowest but in the highest region or roome Wherefore there is no doubt but
Heauen Daniel also in his Prophecie describeth the rysing and fallinge of all kingdomes of Antichrist also but attributeth no end to the kingdome of the Saincts or holie people but witnesseth that it shall be euerlasting The same doeth the Prophet Zacharie also in his 12. chapter For the Sainctes reigne on the Earthe by Christe and béeing translated from the Earth into Heauen they shall reigne together with theire kinge Christe for euer And the Scripture is woont oftentimes to speake of one of these kingdomes onely Of bothe these kingdomes wee vnderstande many places of Scripture first of all that which is spoken by our sautour WheÌ„ ye pray say O our father which art in heauen hallowed be thy name thy kingdome come For we pray y he would reign in vs while we liue on earth that we also may reigne ouer the world and the Prince of the worlde and that we be not ruled by Sathan neither that sinne reigne in vs but rather that we here béeing gouerned by him self may in time to come reigne with Christ in Heauen Contrariwise what manner of kingdome the kingdome of the world is it appeareth by considering the head or the king and prince therof which is the diuel the Authour of sinne of vncleannesse and of death He reigneth in the worlde the Prince doubtlesse of the kingdome of darcknesse Not that God and his Christe is not king of all things but because vnfaithful apostataes thrugh their owne proper malice reuolting from God to the diuell doe appoint him for their prince to whome euen of their owne accorde they submitt and yéelde them selues to be gouerned liueing in all vngodlynesse wickednesse and vncleannesse framing them selues like to their head the diuell with whome they shall be punished euerlastingly in the worlde to come as in this worlde they haue suffered them selues to be gouerned of him doeing his will. This prince of this worlde else where also called The GOD of this worlde hath Christe the true Kinge and Monarche of the worlde ouercome and hath destroyed his kingdome not that hee should not be as long as this worlde indureth but that he should not hurt the elect Sathan doeth liue and shall liue for euer how be it in miserie which life in very â—eâ—e is death but he hath no power against them y be redéemed by Christ the prince He hath and shal haue a kingdome euen vnto th' end of the world but in the children of vnbelief this kingdoÌ„e also in this world is in decaying as it were momeÌ„tany for a short time For the world passeth away all worldly things perish but all the elect of God are very strauÌ„gers froÌ„ this kingdoÌ„e yea they are as it were sworn enimies of this kingdome Neither can the prince of darcknes by his power pul away the partakers of the kingdome of Christ into his kingdome of iniquitie Truly he goeth about this diligently and with diuerse tentations vexeth the elect but those ouercoÌ„e through him which in time past vanquished the false King prince of théeues and taught vs that despising this filthy prince the world and the lustes of the world giuing our mindes to innocencie we shuld yéeld our selues to the good spirit to be gouerned These things haue I thus far declared as briefly as I culd touching the king Christ his onely and euerlasting kingdome And now Christ our Lord is a Prieste yea that chiefest only and euerlasting priest whom the high priestes of the olde people did prefigure shadowe out For Dauid in his song altogether diuine saith The Lord sware will not repent him thou art a Priest for euer after the order of Melchizedek Which words the blessed Apostle alledging and expounding in his Epistle to the Hebrues hath left these words written The forerunner saith he is for vs entred into heauen after the order of Melchizedek made a Prieste foreuer For this Melchizedek Kinge of SaleÌ„ priest of the most high god who met Abraham coÌ„ming froÌ„ the slaughter or kings blessed him to whome also Abraham gaue the tenthes of all things who first indeed is caled by interpretation the king of righteousnes theÌ„ also king of Salem whiche is king of peace of an vnknowen father of an vnknowen mother of vnknoweÌ„ kin neither hauing beginning of dayes nor end of life but likened to the soÌ„ne of God remaineth a prieste for euer Surely our Lord Iesus Christ is both a righteous and peaceable king and the righteousnesse and peace of the faithfull and he is that euerlasting Prieste who according to his humanitie is beléeued to be borne of the virgin without séede of man therefore of an vnknowen father and according to his diuinitie begotten of the father therefore of an vnknowen mother and vnspeakably begotten from euerlasting and therefore of vnknowen kin hauing neither beginning nor end of life For albeit according to his humanity he was dead and buried yet according to his diuinitie he remaineth God immortall euerlasting The selfe same which is a king is also acknowledged a priest not according to the order of AaroÌ„ but according to the order of Melchizedek For as the scripture remeÌ„breth this one a priest so one Christ remaineth priest for euer hauing an euerlasting priesthood But high priestes in time past were caled annointed they did not thrust theÌ„ selues into such an office by force or deceipt Wherevpon the Apostle said No man taketh the honor to him self but he that is called of god as was Aaron so also Christ took not glorie to himself to be made high Priest but is made coÌ„firmed of him who said vnto him thou art my sonne this day haue I begotten thee As he saith also in another place Thou art a priest foreuer after the order of Melchizedech But thou doest no where read that that our Priest was annointed with visible oile for hée was annointed with inuisible oile namely with the fulnesse of the holie Ghost as the prophet witnesseth Thy god hath annointed thee with the oile of gladnes aboue thy fellowes And againe The spirite of the Lord vppon me for the Lord hath annointed me sent me to preach good tidings vnto the poore Furthermore wheÌ„ we read that the office of Priests in times past was to serue in the tabernacle to teach the people to make intercession betwene God men to pray for the people and to blesse them to sacrifice also and to coÌ„secrate or sanctifie that now it is manifest that Iesus Christ is the lawful priest it is certeine y he is tied to the self same offices but indede to so much more excelleÌ„t thaÌ„ these by how much he hath obteined a more excellent priesthood Those priestes after the order of Aaron serued in the corruptible figuratiue tabernacle but our Lord béeing takeÌ„ vp into the true tabernacle heauen it selfe ministreth to all the saincts of god For
therefore vnto men to declare the will and commaundementes of god So the Angel Gabriel came first to Zacharie the father of Iohn Baptiste afterward he came to the blessed virgin to shewe vnto her the incarnation of the sonne of god Innumerable examples of this kinde are euery where found in the holie scriptures They watch for our safetie beeing carefull for vs yet without molestation whereof I tould you before They aduertise the faithfull in time conuenient foreshewing dangers to come and they also do comfort the afflicted For the wisemen being warned by the Angel that they should not returne vnto Hierusalem to Herode auoyde great perill Ioseph also béeing commaunded by the Angel slieth into Aegypt deliuering the Christe or annointed of the Lord out of the bloudie handes of Herode Christe also at the mount of Oliuet beeing in a bloudie sweate is comforted by the angel And Hagar the handmaide of Sara béeing in extreme daunger is recreated by the consolation of an angel As also the Apostle S. Paule béeing very néere shippwracke heareth this voice of the Angel of the Lord Feare not Paule thou must be brought before CÄ™sar and loe God hath giuen thee all them that saile with thee Againe angels are sent for reuengement of mischiefous persons to take punishment I meane of those that be wicked and impenitent For the firâ—â— borne of the Aâ—gyptians 〈…〉 of the Angel. In the Acts of the Apostles the Angel of the Lord siniteth Herode Agrippa It is said that in the camp of the Aâ—â—yrians many were sinitten slaine of one Angel And Dauid sawe an Angel with a sword drawen houering betwéen heauen and earth afflicting the people with a most gréeuous plague So we beléeue that the holy Angels shall come with the sonne of man vnto iudgment as Paule witnesseth and sayth Our Lord Iesus Christe shal be reuealed from heauen with the Angels of his power in flaming fire rendering vengeance vnto them that know not God and that obey not the Gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ For in the Reuelation of Iesus Christe also the Angels powre out vialls full of the wrath of God vppon the heads of false Christians Moreouer they take vppon them the charge and defence of vs God so commaunding they are oure kéepers readie at hand watching ouer vs that no aduersitie happen vnto vs and doe guide our ways For hetherto belong the testimonies of the Psalmes and very many examples of the scripture Dauid sayth This poore or afflicted man cryed and the Lord heard him and saued him out of all his troubles The Angel of the Lord pitcheth his tents rounde about them that feare him deliuereth them And in another Psalme hee sayeth There shall no euill come vnto thee neither shall any plague come neere thy tabernacle or dwelling For he shal giue his Angels charge ouer thee to kepe thee in all thy wayes They shal beare thee in their hands that thou hurt not thy foote against a stone Thou shalt goe or walke vppon the Lion and Addâ—r or aspe the young non and the dragon shalâ— thou 〈◊〉 vnder thy â—eete And the Lord in the Gospell plainely sayeth that little children haue angels without doubt to be their kéepers Iacob â—he 〈◊〉 greatly fearing his brother Esau â–ª 〈◊〉 Angels comming to meete him vnderstandeth that Angels were giuen vnto him as guides and kéepers of him in his way against the â—â—ercenesse of his brothe In the affaires of Heliseus wee read that the king of Syria beséeged the citie Dothan with a great hoast wherein HelisÄ™us at that time ledd his life whom he had purposed to take when the seruaunt of Helisaeus perceiued that and was troubled in minde and lamented his maisters case Helisaeus said Feare not for they that bee with vs are moe than they that be with them the Prophete also prayed and said Lord I beseech thee open his eyes that he may see the lord opened the eyes of the seruaunt and he looked and behold the mounteine was ful of horses and fierie chariots that is to say he was armed and defended with the guard of an hoast of Angels Abraham also sayth to his seruant The Lord God of heauen which said vnto mee Vnto thy seede will I giue this land he shall send his Angel before thee namely to directe thy way to defend thée and bring to passe that thou mayest obteine thy desire For the Lord himselfe said to Moses in Exodus Behold I will send my Angel before thee to keepe thee in the waye to lead thee to the place that I haue prepared In the Actes of the Apostles thou doest often read that Angels serued the Apostles furthered their purpose and defended them against their aduersaries In Daniel Angâ—ls are brought in for princes and presidents or gouernours of kingdomâ— as Michael with Gabriel princes of thâ— Israelitishe kingdomâ—â— and 〈◊〉 other of the Persian 〈…〉 of y Grâ—cian kingdâ—â—â— and eache of them debate the mattâ—r touching his owne kingdome and fight for the same Not that there is any variaunce or disagréement in heauâ—n where doubtlesse there is plentifull peace euerlasting concorde and quietnesse neither that there are conflictes or battells fought betwéene the Angels as betwéene those Gods whom the Poet Homere describeth but by a parable and allusion heauen is compared to the Court of some puissaunt and renowmed prince where Embassadours of sundrie countries debate their diuerse causes which is done in consideration of our weake witt and slender capacitie For thus we ought to coÌ„ceiue in our minde that God who is the only Lord of all kingdomes heareth all mens suites and taketh in hand all mens matters and that Angels at the word and wil of God minister and doe seruice vnto God when it pleaseth him to vse their ministerie and seruice For so Nabuchodonosor also sawe in a vision a watchman coÌ„ming downe from heauen and foretelling the destinie of the trée that was to be hewen downe Neuerthelesse we must héere take héede least contrarie to the nature of true religion wee attribute too much to Angels that we worship them not that we cal not vppon them nor serue them In déed when men he are that Angels are giuen vnto them of God for ministers and that God by them doeth good vnto vs by and by they thincke that some honour is to bee ascriâ—â—ed 〈◊〉 giuen vnto them But â—â—ncere religion doth teach vs to acknowlâ—dâ—â— â–ª GOD the authour of all 〈◊〉 thingâ—â— â–ª that the Angels are â—he minister◠〈◊〉 God and as it were instruments by whome he worketh as wée sée the sonne the mone the starres the Patriarches the Prophets and the Apostles to be and to haue béene But who beeing well in his witts hath worshipped called vppon or serued the Sunne or the starrs though they bée creatures very excellent and beneficial vnto men And what partaker I pray
you of true faith beléefe hath worshipped called vppon or serued the Patriarches the Prophets and y Apostles thoughe they were indued with most precious gifts wonderful in working of myracles Wee doe all worship call vpon serue God wée confesse y God worketh by his saints who together with the holy angels of God require nothing lesse than to bee worshipped called vppon and serued of vs For truly said Lactantius lib. Institut 2. cap. 18. Angels since they be immortall neither suffer nor yet are vnlling to be called Gods whose onely office it is alone to attend vpon God with their seruice to bee at his becke and to do nothing at all but at his comaundement For wee say that God so gouerneth the world as a king ruleth his kingdome whose officers no man wil say are fellows with him in ruling his kingdome albeit affairs be dispatched by their ministerie and seruice And therefore we read that s Augustine also said WheÌ„ the Angels of God heare hee himselfe heareth in them as in his true temple not made with hands Verily if wée looke more narrowlie into and weighe the holy scripture we shall finde not in one or two places that the name of God and Angels 〈…〉 For angels ar◠〈…〉 â—nd instrumentall as they 〈◊〉 theme but God is the 〈…〉 principall cause For in the Acts of thâ— Apostles wée read thâ—◠〈…〉 And when fourtie yeaâ—â—s wâ—r◠〈◊〉 there appeared into him in the wildernesse of mount Sinâ— an Angel. And by and by hee addeth â–ª And the voice of the Lord came vnto 〈◊〉 saying I am the God of thy fathâ—◠〈◊〉 He calleth the selfe same Lord whom a little before hée had called an angel to wit because he beléeued that an angel both saith and doeth all thinges at Gods commaundement that the word and the worke is proper to God the angels are as instruments Likewise in the booke of Iudges cap. 6. he 〈◊〉 called Lord which euen now was called an angel Hagar the handmaid of Sara receiued a great benefite in the desert by the angel of the Lord yet shée accompteth not the same receiued of the angel but of the lord She giueth not thankes to the angel neither doth she consecrate the memorie thereof to the angel much lesse doth she worship and call vpon the angel nay rather she referreth her speach also vnto god For so the holie scripture witnesseth â–ª And she called the name of the lord which spake vnto her Thou god lookest on mee c. The childreÌ„ of Israel before whome the angel of the Lord went in the wildernes neuer offered sacrifice to their guid or captaine neuer worshipped or serued him Euen so the seruaunt of Abraham being committed to the angel doth not make supplication vnto him desiring him well to prosper his purpose but hée prayeth vnto God requireth of him to shewe and giue triall of his mercie toward his maister Abraham In Daniel the 〈…〉 God â—nâ—ly For they 〈◊〉 Blessessâ—â— thou O Lord god of 〈◊〉 fathers â—ight worthie to be 〈◊〉 and honoured in that 〈…〉 So in like manner 〈◊〉 in expresse words â—â—nfeâ—â—â—th that 〈◊〉 god whose hée is and whome hée worshippeth â–ª though in the meanâ— while he had made mention also of an angel For so heâ— saith in the Acts There stoode by me thir night the angel of God whose I am and whome I serue that is to say god For in another place Iohn being willing to worshipp at the angels féete the angel crieth See thou doe it not for I am thy follow seruaunt and of thy brethren the Prophets and of them which keepe the woords of this booke These plaine and manifest testimonies of holie scripture euidentlie 〈◊〉 vs that although God vse the ministerie of angels toward vs yet y they are to be acknowledged and confessed of vs to be ministers of God fellow seruaunts and therfore not to be worshipped nor called vppon but that God onely must be worshipped callâ—d vppon and serued From this holy doctrine of scripture certeine ministers and ecclestastical writers of the auncient Church haue nothing swarued For Lactantius in that booke whiche we cited a little before sayeth Angels wil haue no honour giuen vnto them whose honour is in god But they which reuolted and fell from the ministerie of God because they are enimies of the trueth offenders they goe about to chalenge to themselues the 〈…〉 I goe vnto 〈…〉 what prayer 〈…〉 deuouring to 〈◊〉 vnto thée â—â—d being not able of themselues haue assayed as I heare these wayes haue fallen into â— desire and 〈◊〉 aftâ—r curious visions 〈…〉 to be deceiued These thinges are extant Lib. 11. Confess cap. 42. 〈◊〉 which he sheweth at large that Iesus Christ is the onely 〈…〉 â—â—â—tercessour for all the faithfull â–ª The same Augustine in his 〈…〉 De Ciuitate Dei cap. 16. 〈…〉 words that the good angelâ— of God require sacrifices not for themselues but for god In his last chapter of his booke De ver a Religione hee sayeth Let vs beléeue that the best angel 〈◊〉 that God be serued with the 〈◊〉 and most excellent ministerie that toâ—â—ther with them we shuld 〈…〉 God in the 〈…〉 of whom they are blessed For we are not blessed by séeing the angels but by séeing the trueth whereby wée also loue the very angels and 〈◊〉 together with them Wherâ—fore we honor them for louâ— not of 〈◊〉 Neither doe we build temples vnto them For they are vnwilling in such sorte to be honoured of vs Béecause they know that we our selues if wee hée good are the temples of the most high god It is wel written therfore y an angel forâ—ad a man to worship him but willed him to worship onâ— only God vnder whome he also was a fellow seruant with him The same August therfore in his catalogue of heretiques 〈…〉 of Christ his church 〈…〉 of the author if any require 〈◊〉 thâ—se â–ª If we should make a temple 〈…〉 of wood stone to the holâ—â— angâ—â— that is most excellent shuld 〈…〉 â—ee cursed of the â—rueth of Christ and of the church of God because we do that seruice to a creature 〈◊〉 only is due to one god If therforâ— by building a â—â—ple to any kinde 〈…〉 we should â—ob God of his 〈…〉 not hee the true God 〈…〉 we build not a temple but 〈…〉 his temple â–ª Thâ—◠〈…〉 These 〈◊〉 haue I hether to 〈…〉 of thâ— holie oâ— good 〈…〉 〈…〉 of wicked angels 〈…〉 that is to say 〈…〉 diuels Hereof I wil 〈…〉 plainly speake that which the holy scriptures minister vnto meâ— That there are diuels y Saduceâ—s in times pâ—st â—eâ—ied and at this day also 〈…〉 religious nay rather Epicures denie the same Who vnlesse they â—â—pent shal one day féele to their excéeding great paine and smart both that there are diuels that they are tormenters and executioners of all wicked men and Epicures For the
or apostolique men to reigne like vnto the Princes of this world Hée instituted ministers of the church who should serue the Churche She sitteth at the table the ministers sett that food before her which they receiue of the Lord and rightly diuide the woord of the lord Did not Christe him selfe refuse a Crowne vppon earth and did not hee that is Lord of all minister doth not he him selfe disallowe that any minister shoulde séeke any prerogatiue no not in respect of eldership He that is greatest among you saith he let him be as the yonger He therefore commaundeth an equalitie amongst them all And therefore S. Ierome iudgeth rightly saying that by the custome of man and not by the authoritie of God som one of the elders shuld be placed ouer the rest and called a Byshop wheras of olde time an elder or minister and a Byshop were of equall honour power and dignitie And it is to be obserued that S. Ierome speaketh not of the Romish Monarchie but of euerie bishop placed in euerie citie aboue the rest of the ministers Whiche thing I bring not out to that end we shoulde stay vppon the authoritie of man but to that ende I might shewe that euen by the witnesse of man it may be proued that that maioritie as they call it hath not the original from the Sonne of GOD and from Gods worde but out of mans braine and that therefore both Christe remaineth the onely head of his Churche and the bishop of Rome is nothing lesse than the head of the Church militant And ther withall we cleaue most stedfastly to the sacred and holie Gospell and to the vndoubted doctrine of the Apostles which doctrine taketh away all pride of Supremacie and commendeth vnto vs a faithfull ministerie and the equall authoritie and humblenesse of the ministers The Apostle againe witnessing and saying Let a man so thinke of vs as of the ministers of Christe and disposers of the secretes of God. Herevnto belongeth almoste the whole tenth chapter of Iohn wherein the Lorde named him selfe the true and also the onely shephearde of the vniuersall Church The only shepefolde of this shephearde is the catholique Churche gathered together by the word out of the Iewes and Gentiles And shéepe of this folde are all the faithfull people in the world hearing and giuing them selues ouer wholy to be gouerned by this chiefe shepheard Christe who albeit he also communicate this name of Pastour or shephearde vnto the ministers appointed to the ministerie of the churche yet notwitstanding he reteyneth vnto him selfe the charge of the chiefe shephearde and also the chiefe power and dignitie Men that are Pastours of churches are all ministers and are all equall Christe our Lord is the vniuersall pastour and chiefe and Lord of Pastours The more worthy diligence and trust is in the Pastors the more worthy it maketh them Therefore when the Lorde saide vnto Peter Feede my sheepe he committed not vnto Peter any Empire eyther ouer the world or ouer the church but a ministerie to the behalfe of his redéemed Teach saith he and gouerne with my word my sheepe my sheepe I say whome I haue redeemed with my bloude For Paule saith Take heede vnto your selues and to the whole flocke whereof the holy ghost hath made you ouerseers to feed the church of God which hee hath purchased with his owne bloud The bishop of Rome therefore is deceiued who by the Lordes words spoken vnto Peter thinketh that full power is giuen vnto him ouer all in the church Let the Apostle Peter him selfe be heard talking with his fellow â—lders and as it were opening those wordes of the Lorde spoken vnto him The elders that are among you sayth he I beseeche which am also an elder and a witnesse of the sufferings of Christ and also a partaker of the glorie that shall be reuealed Feede the flocke of God which dependeth vpon you caring for it not by constraint but willingly not for filthy lucre but of a ready mynde Not as though ye were Lordes ouer Gods heritage but that ye may be ensamples to the flocke Peter speaketh not of any Empire and Lordship yea by expresse words he forbiddes Lordly dignitie For euen as he is appointed of the Lorde a minister and an elder not a Prince and a Pope so also he appointed no Princes in the Churche but ministers and Elders who with the word of Christe should féede Christes flock that willingly and lawfully al wicked deuises at once set apart Hereto belongeth the whole 34. chapter of Ezechiel whiche a little before we alledged But had not the heart béene hardened and the eyes blinded of the byshop of Rome and his they shoulde long agoe haue séene that they coulde in no parte nor by no meanes haue béene numbered amongest the shepeheardes of the Churche and disciples of Peter They woulde at least haue marked that sentence of their owne Gregorie whiche sentence he reciteth vnto Maurice the Emperour almost in these words I affirme boldly that who so euer hee bee that calleth him selfe the vniuersall Prieste is a forerunner of Antichriste And anon after But for as muche as the trueth it selfe sayes Euerie one that exalteth him selfe shall bee brought lowe thereby I knowe that euerie puffing vppe is so muche the sooner broken how muche the greater it is swollen These are his sayings Last of all the estate of Christ and the Churche is shadowed out by the similitude of marriage betwéene the husbande and the wife For Christ is called the husbande of the Church and the Churche is called the spouse of Christe Sainte Iohn sayth to his disciples Ye your selues are my witnesses that I sayde I am not the Christ but that I am sent before him Hee that hath the bride is the bridegrome but the friende of the bridegrome which standeth and heareth him reioyceth greatly bycause of the bridegromes voyce This my ioye therefore is fulfilled Hee must increase but I must decrease And in the Prophetes this Allegorie is very common In a certeine place is feigned a damsell despised and polluted to lye in her filthinesse and a certeine noble man commeth by who plucking her out of the myre and making her cleane from her filthinesse and also sumptuously apparelling her chose her vnto his wife And albeit this Allegorie declareth that heauenly benefite whiche GOD shewed vnto his people being in bondage in Egypt by the wonderfull deliuerance and adopting them into his peculiar people who notwithstanding séeth not that all mankynde from his first originall is defiled with sinne and wickednesse and sticketh fast in the myre of hell who knoweth not that the sonne of GOD came downe from heauen and washed all mankynde in his bloude and hauing purged her hath ioyned to him selfe a glorious Churche hauing neyther spot nor wrinckle nor any suche thing Surely by marriage is made a mutuall participation in common betweene those that are contracted of all
Lord fled into the wildernes wheÌ„ the people thoght to make him a king He knewe the HelisÄ™us by most wholesome counsel refused the reward of NaamaÌ„ the prince And the Giesi his seruant to his euerlasting reproche and ouerthrowe of his owne health required it afterward at his haÌ„d S. Peter would not take vppon him the charge of the poore least he should thereby with lesse diligence attende vppon prayer and preaching of the word of God whiche thing the Actes of the Apostles do witnesse who therefore thincketh it likelye that hee casting aside the office of Apostleship would haue receiued the Empire euen of the whole world Hée denieth that one man can both happily execute the charge of the ministerie of the word and also minister vnto the necessitie of the poore But what Pope wil they giue vnto vs that hath the spirite more fully than Peter had Which can performe that which Peter could not Whiche cannot onely now both serue at tables but also can gouerne the whole world Therefore they are trifles which they rehearse to vs touching the donation of ConstaÌ„tine Constantine was more sounde than that he would frame such a donation which he knew was repugnant to the doctrine of Christ Syluester was more vppright than to receiue that which he knewe could not be receiued without the vtter ouerthrowe of the ministerie of the word But if Constantine gaue that altogether which he is said to haue giuen that Syluester did not refuse his donation both of them offended Because both delt against the word of God. I sawe what of late yeares Augustine Steuchus a man otherwise well learned of much reading hath written touching Constantines donation against Laurentius Valla but he bringeth no sound arguments though hee wonderfully rage and put all the force of his eloquence in vre and finally doe buisily heape together from all places whatsoeuer by anye manner meanes maye seeme to further this cause And truely that booke séemeth better worthie to be troden vnder foot than to bee occupied in good menns hands For that I make no wordes that he calleth that ecclesiastical kingdome of Rome oftentimes eternall whereas the kingdome of Christ and the sainctes is onely eternall doeth hée not most manifestly place the Pope in the seate of Christe our Lord For after he had recited the testimonie of one Pope Nicholas hee forthwith addeth Thou hearest that the highe bishop of Constantine is called God couÌ„ted for god This verilie was done when hee adorned him with that famous edicte hee worshipped him as God as the successour of Christe and Peter As much as he could hee gaue diuine honours vnto him hee worshipped him as the liuelie Image of Christ Thus farre he in the 67. section of his booke Neither hath he written that whiche is vnlike vnto this 28. section For hee remembring certeine imaginations of his owne conceiued of the Pope he feigneth I cannot tell what fruite would come thereof if it were made knowne among the furthest Indians that all the kingdomes of the world are gouerned by the Popes becke that kings worship him as being a thinge very well knowen to them that he is the successour of Christe and therefore that they receiue him not so muche a mortall man as God himselfe in him who hath substituted him in his roome in earth and therefore wee oughte to absteine from reprochfull words if he sinne in any thinge as a man because in him they worshipp the Sonne of God. These wicked reioycinges these flattering or rather sacrilegious voyces would Peter haue suffered think you who lifted vpp Cornelius when hee fell downe before him and would haue worshipped him and said Arise I my selfe also am a man. We read also that the Angel himselfe said vnto Iohn whiche fell downe and would haue worshipped at the Angels féete See thou doe it not for I am thy fellow seruaunt and of thy brethren the Prophets It is also written of Herodes Agrippa because he repressed not the flattering voyces of the people whiche cryed when he had ended his oration It is the voice of a God not of a man that therefore hee was stricken of the Angel of God and hee rotted away being eaten of wormes Therefore we since wee knowe that Christ himselfe the sonne of God doth reigne as yet in the churche as to whome onely all glorie and power is giuen and hath not substituted any man on the earth in whom he wilbée worshipped and serued wee worship and serue Christe Iesus the sonne of God oâ—ely and vtterly abhore the Pope as antichriste and a dounghill God or if you wil a God of the iakeshouse together with his sacrilegious clawbackes and blasphemous flatterers The Lord in verie déed said to S. Peter Thou art Peter and vppon this rocke I will build my Church I wil giue thee the keyes of the kingdome of heauen c. But what make these sayinges to establish the monarchie prerogatiue and dignitie of the Pope Peter is commended of the Lord for the constancie of his faith wher vpon also he receiued his name béeing called Peter A petra that is of the rocke wherein hee settled himselfe by a true faith Christ is that rock wherevnto Peter stayed He heareth that this shal be the perpetuall foundation of the churche that all shal be receiued into the fellowshippe of the church who with a true faith confesse with Peter that Iesus Christ is the verie sonne of God and rest vppon him as the onely rocke and saluation Moreouer the keyes of the kingdome of God are promised vnto Peter but when they are deliuered they are not giueÌ„ to Peter alone but to all the Apostles For The keyes are not as these men imagine a certein dominioÌ„ iurisdiction but the ministerie of opening and shutting the kingdome of heauen to lett into the church and to shutt out whiche is wrought by the preaching of the Gospell as it shall anon be said more aboundantly After the same manner when Christ said to Peter Feed my sheep he did not giue vnto Peter the monarchie of the whole world and dominion ouer all creatures but committed vnto him a pastorall cure Of whiche thing I haue spoken in my last sermon as also else where both often and largely against the supremacie of the bishop of Rome Vnto the auncient writers of the church which they obiecte vnto vs testifying I knowe not what of the supremacie of Peter we wil aunswere in one word that we care not so much what the old writers thought herein as what Christe the sonne of God instituted and what the Apostles whose authoritie doth farre excell the iudgement of the old writers practised and what they haue left both in their writing examples for vs to iudge and sollowe Whereof I haue also spoken in the 2. Sermon of this Decade Wée haue almost gone further than wee determined therefore that we may draw to an end we haue spoken of
Antonianus calleth such scismatiques who vsurpe vnto them the office of a bishop no man giuing it them And this kinde of calling is vnproperlie called a calling Wherefore it is euident that in the churche there must néedes bee a calling and that publique and lawfull aswell for many other causes as especially for these that the ordinaunce of God bée not neglected and that the discipline of the church be reteyned and that all men in the churche maye knowe who are preferred to the ecclesiasticall ministerie Albeit therefore Paule the Apostle and doctour of the Gentiles in the beginning were not sent of mē neither by men but of God onely yet the same Paule at the commaundement of the holy Ghoste is separated by the church of Antioch together with Barnabas to the ministerie of the Gentiles After the same manner many other were sent or called of god whom neuerthelesse it behoued to be ordeyned also by men For Paul in another place sayeth And no man taketh this honour vnto himselfe but hee that is called of God as was Aaron And againe How shal they heare without a preacher And how shall they preache except they be sent c. As cōcerning that second kinde of calling whiche is common and at this day receiued in the church and yet appointed by the Lord there are thrée thinges to be considered First who they be that cal that is who haue right and authoritie to call or to ordeine ministers Secondly who or what maner of men are to be ordeined Lastlie after what manner they that be called are to bee ordeyned And first of all that the Lord hath giuen to his church power and authoritie to elect and ordeine fit ministers wee haue declared before in the secōd sermon of this Decade by the example of the auncient churches in the world Hierusalem and Antioch of whiche two the church of Hierusalem did not only ordeine 7. deacons but also Matthias the Apostle the church of Antioche separated into the ministerie the famous Apostles of Christ Paule and Barnabas Whervnto apperteineth that the churches of the Gentiles béeing instructed of Paule Barnabas ordeined them elders or gouernours of their churches by election had by voyces The chiefest in this election were the pastours thēselues For Peter gouerning the action Matthias was created Apostle by the Church This forme or order the auncient churche diligently obserued many yeres For Cyprian epist. lib. 1. epist. 4. The common people sayeth he hath especially power either to choose worthie priestes or to refuse them that be vnworthie Which thing also we see to descend from the authoritie of God that the priest bee chosen in the presence of the common people before all mens eyes and bee allowed worthie and meete by publique iudgement and wittnesse As in Num. the Lord commaunded Moses and said Take Aaron thy brother and Eleazar his sonne and bring them vp into the mount before all the congregation God commaundeth the priest to bee ordeined before the whole congregation That is hee teacheth sheweth that the ordeinīg of priests ought not to bee done without the knowledge of the people being present that in their presence either the vices of the euill might bee discouered or the deserts of the good commended and that that is a iust and lawefull ordeyning whiche shal be examined by the election and iudgement of all Thus farre hée This custome and māner indured to the time of S. Augustine For it is to be séen in his 110. epist. which witnesseth that the people giuing a shoute Augustine ordeyned Eradius for his successour In these latter times because the people made often tumults in the elections of pastours the ordination was committed to chosen men of the pastours magistrats and people These thrée kinds of men propounded or named notable mē out of whom he whiche was thought the best was chosen There is somewhat of this In Iustiniani Imperat. Nouel Constitut 123. They which thinke that all power of ordeyning ministers is in the bishops diocesans or archbishops hands doe vse these places of the scripture For this cause I left thee in Creta sayeth Paul to Titus that thou shuldest ordeine elders in euery citie And againe Lay hands soudeinly on no man. But we saye that the Apostles did not exercise tyrannie in the churches and that they themselues alone did not execute all things about election or ordination other men in the church being excluded For the Apostles of Christ ordeined bishops or elders in the churche but not without communicating their counsel with the churches yea and not without hauing the consent and approbation of the people Which may appeare by the election or ordination of Matthias whiche wee haue nowe once or twice recited Truely the Lord in the Law said to Moses Thou shalt appoint thee Iudges But in another place he saith Thou shalt seeke out among all the people whom thou mayest make rulers And againe Moses vnto the same people Bring you men of wisedome vnderstanding I will make thē rulers ouer you c. Therefore as Moses doth nothing of his own will in the election of the magistrate though it were said to him Thou shalt appoint thee Iudges but doth althinges communicating his counsel with the people So vndoubtedly Titus though it were said vnto him Ordeine elders in euerie citie yet he vnderstood that hereby nothing was permitted to him which he might do priuately as he thought good not hauing the aduise and consent of the churches Wherefore they sinne not at all that shaking off the yoke tyrānie of the bishops of Rome for good and reasonable causes doe recouer that auncient right graunted by Christ to the churches Neither makes it any great matter whether discrete men chosen of the church or the whole church it selfe do ordeine fit ministers that either by voices either by lotts or after some certeine necessarie and holy māner For in these things godly men will not moue contention so that all things be done holily and in order But I wil not here rip vp the craftes deceipts practises and greuous warrs taken in hand for this right of ordeining with sheading of much bloud spoylings lamētable burnings of countries The histories of the Acts of Hērie the 4. and 5. and also of the affaires of the Frederiches doe most euidently witnes how impudētly abhominably the Popes of Rome with their sworne friendes the bishops haue behaued themselues Peraduenture I shall haue occasion to speake of this matter elsewhere more at large Now we will declare what maner of mē it behoueth to ordeine ministers truely not whose luste but the most choicest men of sound religion furnished with all kinde of sciences exercised in the scriptures cunning in the mysterie of faith and religion strong and constant earnest painefull diligent faithfull watchfull modest of a holy and approued conuersation least thorough their corruption of life
lord the Pope I will persecute and to my abilitie fight against Since these men are sworne thus after this manner who I praye you that is a faithfull louer of Iesus Christ of his churche of true faith yea and adde therevnto of the common wealth can abide to be ordeined by such There is no talke in their othe of the gospel neither of our Lord Iesu Christe him selfe There is no mention of the holy scriptures but of the rules and ordinaunces of the fathers there is most diligent mētion Peter is named but not that Apostle of Christe saying Siluer and golde haue I none but an other I knowe not who hauing kingly dignitie In déede the Apostolique churche is named but by and by by interpretation they adde what manner of churche they would haue vnderstood and call it the Papaltie This Papaltie not the churche of God I say the Papaltie and the honours priuileges and rightes of the Popedome against all men beholde they promise they will defend this against al men For they acknowledge the Pope to be their Lord against whom they wil haue nothing to be imagined yea if they may knowe that other do deuise any thing against the pope and popedome they promise discouerie thereof and faithfull helpe But I thinke not that any man can binde him selfe more streightly to one Neyther is it vnknowne that those whome they call Heretiques are not enimies to the Christian faith nor teachers of opinions contrarie to the Scriptures but rebelles to the Pope they are I say they who as they neglect the decrées and lawes of the Pope and preache the Scriptures onely so they giue all the glorie vnto Christe as to the onely heade and high priest of the Church and therefore they teach that the Pope is neither the heade neyther the highe priest of the Churche But who louing true godlinesse can bind him selfe with such an oth Who will renounce and forsake the friendship of Christe and humble him selfe to become the bondslaue and footestoole of the Pope of Rome To be short who will desire to be ordeyned a minister of Christ and of his church at the handes of those that haue done after this manner Here may be added that in the consistorie of Rome all thinges as touching holie orders are most corrupt in so much as scarse any small tokens of Christes institution do appeare I will not rehearse at this present that there are many newe constitutions of men ioyned vnto them that in a manner there remaineth no voyce of the Churche in the ordination of pastours that there is no choice made of such as the churche deputeth there aboutes For the right of presentation collation and confirmation being dispersed among many with some is become euen an heritage so as both dawes and halfe fooles may be made ministers or byshoppes and neyther can I let this thing passe that with them is lost that true examination and sharpe pastorall discipline In déede there remayneth examination but altogether childish in the which lightly they that are ordeined are asked that whiche scholers in common scholes are wont to be demaunded whether one can reade well construe well sing and be cunning in their numbers They can not denie this thing neyther also this that Priestes are ordeined more to reade to sing and saye masse than to gouerne the Churche with the worde of god Whereby the more regarde is had of the voice that it be apt for singing than of skilfulnes or experience in the holie scriptures But they thinke the matter is cunningly handled if some skilfull lawyer be preferred to the office of a Pastour For it séemeth for the most parte to be more profitable to pleade cunningly in the courte for the increase maintenaunce of riches than to preach well in the Churche for the winning of soules What do not we sée men sent from the lawe and out of the courtes of Kings and Princes to possesse Churches fitter for any thing else than to gouerne the Churches of GOD for ecclesiastical offices are begunne to be counted as Princes Donatiues wherevpon they are also called Benefices The Byshops of Rome them selues haue bestowed Priesthoodes vpon their cookes rauenous souldiers barbars and muletors and this was farre more honestly than when they bestowed them vppon bawdes A greate many of Priestes thrust them selues into the holy ministerie by violence and symonie which office neuerthelesse he neyther coulde nor would execute well And they that are receiued by an honester title are receiued through commendation and fauour Herein auayleth much either affinitie or kinred and consanguinitie In all these there is a greater regard had of the bellie than of the ministerie they prouide better for those whiche are accounted Priestes and are no Priestes than for the Churche of God and saluation of soules But by this meanes all things go to wracke in the Churche and the flocke of God is oppressed with the weight and ruine of the shepeheards Herevnto perteyneth the pluralitie as they call it of benefices Some one either souldier or curtisan oftentimes rakes to him selfe the Pope offering it to him halfe a dozen benefices or moe of whiche benefices they take no further care but to receiue the gaine For he neuer teacheth nay he is verie sildome at his flocke vnlesse it be when he sheareth them In the meane time the Lordes flocke is neglected and perisheth For the vicars which are set ouer the flocke by them for the most part are vnlearned and hirelings He that is content with least wages is placed ouer the flocke what manner of one so euer he be And he séemes to haue learning enough if he can read sing say masse heare confessions annoynt and reade the Gospell out of the booke vpon the Sunday That whiche remayneth moreouer to be done séemeth to them to be small matters I am ashamed and sorie to rehearse what a censure for reformation of manners remayneth in the Church The thing it selfe cryeth and experiēce witnesseth that vnworthy persons are not shut out from this holy ministerie For without difference al are admitted and as yet whoremongers drunkards dice-players and men defiled yea ouerwhelmed with diuers haynous crimes are suffered in the ministerie But least they should séeme to do nothing herein the bishop asketh at giuing of orders Who are worthy of honour and his Chauncellour or the Archdeacon foorthwith answereth the bishoppe who before that time neuer sawe or heard what manner of men they are of whome he beareth witnesse They are worthy Moreouer they vse so many and such kyndes of ceremonies in their consecration that he that is studious of the truth of the Gospell can not receiue them with a safe conscience These causes and other not vnlike make vs that we can somuch lesse abide to be ordeined of the ordinaries or bishops of the Romish church The last point remaineth whiche I purposed to declare in the beginning of this treatise what is the office
bee able to doe all Therefore to his goodwill to vs ward which in these woords Our father wée haue expressed wee do now ioyne knowledge of all thinges and power to do althings adding Which art in heauen By these wordes the faith of them that pray is stirred vpp and confirmed Nowe there doe followe in order sixe petitions The first is Hallowed be thy name Wée haue called God our father and our selues his sonnes But it is the part of sonnes to honour or glorifie their father and therefore immediatly vppon the beginning we desire that the name of the Lord God and our father might be sanctified or hallowed That truely is holy and vndefiled alwayes in it selfe neither is it made any whitt the better or the worse by vs Wherevppon we pray that that which is and remaineth holy in it selfe should be acknowledged of vs to bee such and alwayes sanctified of vs. A name is the definition of any thing whatsoeuer and names are inuented to make a difference of one thinge from another whereby they mighte bée knowen amonge themselues But GOD is infinite and vnmeasurable moreouer hee is one therefore hée hath not a name whereby to bee defined hee néedeth not a name whereby to be discerned from other Gods. Therefore those names that are attributed vnto him in the Scriptures are attributed for our infirmitie to the end that by some reason and comparison wee mighte vnderstand somethinges that are spoken of him that is vnmeasurable and infinite Therefore the name of GOD in verye deede is GOD him selfe with all his Maiestie and glorie To Sanctifie or Hallowe otherwhiles signifieth to separate thinges from a prophane vnto an holy vse In this place it signifieth to magnifie to praise and to glorifie Wée desire therefore that GOD himselfe who of his owne nature is a good holie and for euer blessed gentle bountifull and a mercifull father might as hée is in himselfe bee acknowledged and magnified of all vs that all nations leauing their errour and heresies mighte consecrate them selues in trueth to this one onely father and God that all thinges which defile the name of the Lord of whiche sort are wicked deceiptes or practises vngodlinesse Epicurisme an vncleane life and especially corrupte and antichristian doctrine may bee taken awaye that béeing inlightened wee mighte sanctifie or hallowe the name of the Lord. Wherefore in this petition we desire the holy ghost the verie onely authour it selfe of all true sanctification Wée pray for true faith in GOD by Christ thoroughout the whole world Wée pray for holy thoughtes and a pure life wherewith wée might glorifie the name of the Lord whiche is done while euerie one doeth his owne duetie while Sathan the authour of al vncleannesse is cast out while corrupt doctrine is taken awaye and deceipt ceasseth while the filthinesse of the world is banished This petition the most excellent king and Prophete Dauid setteth forth in these wordes GOD be mercifull vnto vs blesse vs shewe vs the light of his countenaunce and bee mercifull vnto vs that thy way may be knowen vppon earth thy sauing health amonge all nations Let the people praise thee O God yea let all the people praise thee And as followeth in the thréescore and seuenth Psal. To this belongeth the whole prayer of oure Sauiour described by S. Iohn in the 17. Chapiter of his Gospel The second petition is Thy kingdome come For the name of God and our father cannot bee sanctified or hallowed vnlesse hee reigne in vs There is one kingdome of GOD another of the diuel Furthermore one kingdome of God is said to bee of glorie and another rightly of grace The kingdome of glorie is not of this world but of another world The kingdome of Grace is the kingdome of Christe in this world wherein Christ reigneth by the holy spirite in his faithfull ones whiche of their owne accord submit themselues vnto him to bee gouerned saying and doeing those thinges which beautifie and beséeme christians The diuell also reigneth in the children of vnbeléefe which yeeld themselues vnto him to be gouerned according to his vngodlinesse and wickednesse doeinge those thinges which are not onely delightfull to the flesh but whiche turne to the reproch of Gods maiestie whom after this life by the iust iudgement of God the diuel the king of the vngodly catcheth vnto hell into the kingdome of death and iudgement there continually to burne Moreouer the earthly kingdome which princes of this world gouerne is called either the kingdome of God or the kingdome of the diuell euen as it shall fashion frame it selfe to one of the twaine All these things wée do knit vpp in fewe words because wée haue more plentifully entreated of them in another place Wherefore we pray in this second petition that Christe might reigne and liue in vs and wée in him that the kingdome of Christ might be spread abroad and inlarged and preuaile thoroughe the whole world that Doctours or teachers and ecclesiasticall magistrates finally that princes also yea and scholes too and whosoeuer may further the kingdome of Christe béeing annoynted and watered with his graces may flourish ouercome and triumphe furthermore we pray that the kingdome of the diuel and antichriste maye bée broken and vanquished least it hurte and annoye the Sainctes that with with the kingdome of the diuell all vngodlinesse may be dasht and troden vnder foote to be short that all the weapons and armour of Antichristianisme may be broken into shiuers and come to naught Lastly we pray in this second petition that after we haue sayled out of the tempestuous gulfe of this worlde we might be receiued and gathered vnto Christ and all the Saintes into the euerlasting kingdome of glory For as we desire the kingdome of God to come vnto vs and God to reigne in vs so we praye to come or to be receiued into his kingdome and to liue for euer with him most holily The thirde petition is Thy will be done as wel in earth as it is in heauen God reigneth not in vs vnlesse we be obedient vnto him therefore after his kingdome we desire the grace of perfect obedience For we desire not that God do what he will. For continually Gods will is done albeit we neuer pray for it and though we wrestle and striue against it with all our might For the Prophet sayth Our God is in heauen he hath done whatsoeuer pleased him in heauen and in earth We aske therefore that what he will the same he maye make vs both to will and to do For his wil is alwayes good but our wil through the corruption of sinne is euill Therefore we pray him to be present with vs with his grace that our will may be regenerated and framed to the good wil of God that of it own accorde it yealde it selfe to the holie Ghoste to be framed that his grace will that which he inspireth that he finish in vs that which
the first to the Corinthians the sixtéenth Chapiter in the second to the Corinthians the eight and ninthe Chapiters And to the Galathians While wee haue time sayth he let vs do good towardes all men especially towardes the household of faith In the first epistle to Timothie hee warneth that there be consideration had who should be holpen and who not be holpen In the same epistle he giueth charge to Timothie and to all the bishopps howe to deale with the richer sort in the Church saying CoÌ„maund them that are riche in this world that they be not high minded neither put their trust in vncerteine riches but in the liuing GOD who giueth vs all things abundantly to enioy that they may do good that they may bee riche in good workes that they may be readie to giue bestowe willingly laying vp vnto themselues a good foundation against the time to come that they maye take hold of life euerlasting Also vnto the Hebrues To doe good and to distribute forget not for with such sacrifice God is pleased Wherfore riches were gathered eueÌ„ in the time of the Apostles to succour the necessitie of the poore withall Deacons were appointed by the church as prouiders and stewards amonge whom those first Deacons were most famous of whome the Actes of the Apostles make mention and also the noble martyre of Christ Laurence And the writinges of the auncient fathers doe testifie that with those ecclesiasticall goodes prisoners were redéemed out of captiuitie poore maydeÌ„s of lawfull yeares married finally hospitals almeries spittels harbours hostles and nourceries were builded namely to interteine poore trauellers for the maintenaunce of the poore that were borne in that countrie for the reliefe of the sick and diseased for the necessitie of old men and for the honest bringing vp of pupils orphans Concerning these matters there are yet extant certaine imperiall lawes Wherefore in refourming of Churches very diligent héed must be taken that there be no offence committed in this behalfe thoroughe ouersight or of purpose that the poore be not defrauded and that in taking away one abuse we bring not in many If there be plentie of goodes let them be kept if there be none let them be gathered of the rich Then let the state of the poore be searched and what euery maÌ„ néedeth most or howe prouision maye best be made for euery one Whiche being knowen let that which is méete and necessarie for euerie one be done spéedily gently and diligently If then any of the coÌ„mon goods remaine let them be kept against such calamities as may ensue Let nothing be coÌ„sumed vnprofitably or vngodlily Againe let not the treasure of the poore vnhappily be deteined from them by fraude and to the increasing of their pouertie For there maye be like offence committed on both sides For on eche side the poore are defrauded of their goods Touching liberalitie wée haue entreated in another place in these our Decades and of prouiding for the poore in other of our woorkes And Lewis Vines hath written very well of relieuing the poore The fourth last part o◠〈…〉 of the Church 〈…〉 holy buildinges as Churches scholes and houses â—â—longing to Churches and scholes 〈◊〉 which because of the companies gathered together in them are also called congregations are the houses of the Lord oure god Not that God whome the wide compasse of the heauens cannot comprehend doeth dwell in such manner of houses but béecause the congregation and people of GOD méete together in those houses to worshipp and performe due honour vnto God to heare the word of God to receiue the Lords sacramentes and to praye for the assistance presence of god Churches therefore are very necessarie for the Church and people of god Touching holy assemblies I haue said somwhat in the disputation of prayer And althoughe that at the commaundement of God Moses builded a moueable Church and afterward the most wise king Solomon founded a standing Churche not without great cost notwithstanding wee must not thincke therfore that God liketh of such great charges after that hée had sent Christ and fulfilled the figures For as before the lawe was made it is not to bee found that the Patriarches did euer build any Ministers or great churches euen so after the disanulling of the law in the Church of Christe a meane and sparing clenlinesse pleaseth God best For God misliketh that foolish madd kinde of buildinges not much vnlike to that vnwise building of Babylon enterprising to sett vp the topp of the tower aboue the cloudes For God liketh not the riotousnes of Churches who without all riot doeth gather his Church together from out all the parts of the 〈◊〉 whiche Churche also be hâ—th taught both sparingnes and thâ— contempt of all riot A church is large and bigge enough if it be sufficient to receiue al that belong vnto it For the place is prouided for men and not for god But aboue all thinges let that place be cleane and holy A Churche is hallowed or consecrated not as some doe superstiously thincke with the rehearsing of certeine woordes or making signes and Characters or with oyle or purging fire but with the will of GOD and his commaundement bidding vs to assemble and come together promising his presence amongst vs and also it is hallowed by the holy vse of it For in the temple y holy Church of God is gathered together the true and most blessed word of God is also declared in the temple the holy sacraments of God are receiued in the temple and also in the temple prayers are powred forth to God whiche are most acceptable vnto him Verily the place of it selfe is nothing holy but because these holy thinges are done in that place in respecte that they are done there the place it selfe is called holy Therefore not without great cause ought all prophanation filthines be farre from the holy temple of the lord The Senatours court or seate of iudgement is accounted so holy a thing that whosoeuer either in woord or déede vsed himselfe vnreuerently towardes it should be accused of treason And yet in this Courte the Senatours only are gathered and assembled together to heare the matters of suiters in thinges transitorie that shall passe away and perish By howe much the more then ought reuerence to bee giuen vnto temples into the which the children of God do come to worshipp him to heare the true word of God and to receiue his holy sacraments And therefore as we hate and abandon all superstition in temples so wee loue not the prophanation of them yea rather I say wée cannot abide it Neither haue we leysure at this time about the consideration of temples to rehearse and searche out open and plaine superstitions Of whiche matter wee haue spoken in an other place I finde it a matter of controuersie amonge the fathers of old time to what part of the world wee ought to
from the truth the narrowe breadth of one small haire The aunswere therefore is this if any man shall sweare against the faith and charitie so that the kéeping of his othe maye tâ—â—d to the worse then it is better for him to chaunge his othe then to fulfill it Whervpon Saint Ambrose saith It is somtime coÌ„trarie to a mans duetie to performe the othe that he hath promised as Herod did Isidore also saith In euill promises breake thine othe in a naughtie vow change thy purpose The thing thou haste vnaduisedly vowed do not performe The promise is wicked that is finished with mischiefe And againe That othe muste not be kept whereby any euill is vnwarely promised As if for example one shoulde giue his fayth to an adultresse to abide in naughtinesse with her for euer vndoubtedly it is more tolerable not to keepe promise then to remaine in whordome stil Beda moreouer saith If it shal happen that we at vnawares shal with an othe promise any thing and that the keping of that othe shall be the cause of further euill then let vs thinke it best vpon better aduice to chaunge our othe without hurt to our conscience and that it is better vpon such a necessitie for vs to be forsworne then for auoyding of periurie to fall into another sinne tenne times worse then that Dauid sware by God that he woulde kyll the foolishe fellowe Naball but at the firste intercession that his wyfe Abigail wiser then him selfe did make hee ceassed to threaten him hee sheathed his sworde agayne and did not finde him selfe any whit grieued for breaking his hastie othe Augustine also sayeth Whereas Dauid did not by sheading of bloude perfourme his promise bound with an othe therein his godlynesse was the greater Dauid sware rashly but vpon better and godly aduice he performed not the thing he had sworne By this and the like it is declared that many othes are not to be obserued Now he that sweareth so doth sinne but in chaunging his othe hee doth verie well Hee that chaungeth not suche an othe committh a double sinne firste for swearing as he ought not and then for doing that he shuld not Thus much hitherto haue I rehearsed of other mens wordes which al men verily acknowledge to be true and so in déede Nowe by this ye doe easily vnderstande dearely beloued what ye haue to thinke of those monasticall vowes and Priestes othes whiche promise chastitie no farther ywis by their leaue than mans fraile weaknesse will suffer them For it is better sayth the Apostle to marrie theÌ„ to burne And more commendable is it not to perfourme those foolishe hurtfull and vnpure promises that driue them perforce to filthy vncleannesse then vnder the colour of kéeping an othe truely to lye and to liue vnchastly God wot Fiftly and lastly I haue briefly to put you in mynde that ye indeuour your selues by al the meanes ye may deuoutly to keep that which ye swere and therewithall in fewe wordes to let you vnderstande what rewarde is prepared for them that do religiously and holily kéepe and obserue the holy othe once solemnely taken If we loue God if we desire to sanctifie his name if we take the true God for the very true God and for our God if we will haue him to be gentle and mercyfull to vs warde and to be our present deliuerer and ayder at all assayes then will we haue a most diligent care to sweare with feare deuoutly and holily to kéepe and perfourme the othe that wée deuoutly make But vnlesse we do this then terrible threatenings and sharpe reuengement of Gods iust iudgement are thundred from heauen against vs transgressours The very heathens shall rise vp and condemne vs in the day of iudgement For the Saguntines the Numantines and they of Petilia chose rather to die with fire and famine then to breake or violate their promise once bound with an oth Moreouer the lawes of all wise and ciuil Princes and people do adiudge periured persons to dye the death Howe great offences howe great corruptions howe great and many mischiefes I praye you doe rise through periuries They intangle trouble disgrace marre and ouerthrowe the estates both ciuil and Ecclesiasticall Who so euer therefore doth loue the common weale and safegarde of his countrie who so euer dothe loue the Church and good estate thereof he wil aboue all things haue an especiall regard to kéepe religiously the promise of his othe Nowe to those that holily do kéepe their othes the Lord doth promise a large reward For Ieremie saieth And the nations shall blesse theÌ„selues in him in him shall they glory As if he should say If the people of Iuda shall sweare holily and kéepe their othes then will the Lorde poure out vpon them so great felicitie and abouÌ„dant plentie of al good things that when as hereafter one shal blesse or wishe well to another he shall say The Lorde shewe thée his blessing as of olde he did to the Iewes And who socuer shall prayse another he shall say That he is like to the Israelites It is therefore assuredly certayne that they shall be inriched with all good thinges and worthy of all manner prayse who so euer shall inuiâ—lably kéepe their othes and promyses Let vs indeuour oure selues my brâ—thâ—â—n thren I beseeche you to sanctifie the Lords name and to adde to this third commandemeÌ„t your earnest and continuall prayers saying as our Lorde Iesus hath taught vs O heauenly father hallowed be thy name or let thy name be holily worshipped To him be glory for euer and euer Amen Of the fourth precept of the first table that is of the order and keeping of the Sabboth day ¶ The fourth Sermon THE fourth Commaundement of the first table is worde for word as followeth Remember that thou kepe holy the Sabboth day Sixe dayes thou shalt labour and do al thy workes but on the seuenth day is the Sabboth of the Lorde thy God in which thou shalt not do any manner of work neither thou nor thy sonne nor thy daughter nor thy man seruant nor thy maide seruant nor thy cattell nor thy straunger whiche is within thy gates Bycause in sixe dayes the Lorde made heauen and earth the sea and all that is therin and rested the seuenth day Therefore the Lorde blessed the Sabboth daye and hallowed it The order which the Lorde vseth in giuing these commaundements is naturall and very excellent In the first precept the Lorde did teache vs faith and loue to God ward In the second he remoued from vs Idoles and all forreine kinde of worship In the third he beganne to instruct vs in the true and lawfull worship of GOD which worship standeth in the sanctifying of his holy name for vs to call thereon and holily and fréely to praise it and to thinke and speake of it as religiously as he shall giue vs grace The fourth Commaundement teacheth vs also the worship due to