onely bicause he woulde not destroy the whole Nation according to their desertes In the meane while he grieuously punished them that were incurable and woulde not repent For none of them entred into the lande of promise but were ouerthrowne in the wildernesse with many plagues in somuch that God neyther spared Aaron nor Moses bicause they also had bene occasions of offence vnto the people Fourthly he rehearseth the inheritance of the lande of promise which God gaue by lot to the people of the Iewes hauing fyrst destroyed seauen mightie Nations This is at large set forth in the booke of Iosue And Moses diligently setteth forth that benefyte of God where he sayeth when the Lorde thy God hath brought thee into the lande which he sware vnto thy fathers Abraham Isaac and Iacob and giueth thee great and goodlye Cities which thou buildedst not houses full of all maner of goods which thou fylledst not and welles digged which thou diggedst not vineyardes and Olyue trees which thou plantedst not c. Which wordes as they marueylously amplify the liberalitie of God so they might cause God to be thought vnrighteous and cruell vnlesse the causes be well considered for the which these Nations were cast out Moses reciteth them in other places where he forbiddeth wandring and promiscuous lustes incest ydolatrie sorcerie and enchauntmentes and such other curious artes and addeth Thou shalt not doe after the maner of this Nation which I cast out before thee for all these things haue they done wherfore I haue abhorred them c. See Leuit. 20 and .18 Deut. 18 Therefore for these offences these Nations were destroyed wherewithall when the Israelites also were defyled we reade that God cast them of also so that no man â—an in this case accuse God eyther of vnrighteousnesse or of ouermuch seueritie Fifthly he setteth forth the benefyte of a common weale gouerned by good lawes For God did not onely giue vnto them the lande but also Iudges to gouerne and defend them against the tyrannie of their enimies And here is to be marked a manifest errour which through the negligence of Stationers and Printers hath depraued the numbers For it is written that after Moses and the distribution of the lande the Iudges ruled foure hundred and fyfty yeares whereas by infallible computation can be gathered but three hundred yeares onely which Paule was not ignorant of For it is euident that from the people of Israels going out of Egypt vntill the building of Salomons Temple which beganne in the fourth yeare of his reigne were but fower hundreth and fower score yeares From these take the fortie yeares that Moses ledde the people in the wildernesse and the fortie yeares of Samuel and Saule and as many of Dauid with the fower yeares of Salomons reigne and then shall remayne three hundred and sixe and fyftie yeares in the which the Iudges gouerned the common weale of Israel In these are declared two argumentes of Gods goodnesse For in all that time of the Iudges they deserued not so fewe times as once to be destroyed and yet were still saued Moreouer when they desired a King despising that forme of common weale which was the best of all other giuen them of God God did not set ouer them any forreine tyrant but gaue them Saule to be their king one of their owne brethren and one of the least regarded Trybes least the power of the newe king shoulde be to great and intollerable at the beginning Yea the Lorde tooke in good part and did well interpretate their inconsiderate rashnesse For so he brought the kingdome to Iuda out ofwhose Princely stocke Iacob prophecied that the Messias shoulde come But of this shall be intreated hereafter At this present let vs consider that the institution of a common weale is to be numbred among the speciall benefytes of god For where men naturally shunne to be corrected and yet without discipline it is impossible to leade a quiet and safe life it is a worke of Gods power and goodnesse to haue common weales and Magistrates ordeyned which thing it behooueth them to consider which through Gods gift enioy peace and good lawes least while they shew themselues vnkinde towardes God they cause God to giue them Kings in his wrath as the Prophete testifyeth he did to the Iewes But chiefly let Christians acknowledge their felicitie for whome God hath prepared the fruition of the heauenly kingdome in Iesus Christ the most victorious and immortall king to whome bee praise honour power and glory for euer Amen The lxxxx Homelie AND when hee was put downe he set vp Dauid to bee their King of whom he reported saying I haue found Dauid the son of Iesse a man after mine owne heart which shall fulfyll all my will. Of this mannes seede hath God according as he had promised brought foorth to Israel a sauiour one Iesus when Iohn had first preached before his comming the baptisme of repentaunce to Israel And when Iohn had fulfilled his course he sayde whom ye thinke I am the same I am not But beholde there commeth one after me whose â—â—ooes of his feete I am not worthy to vnlose THe Apostle Paule in this Sermon of his laboureth altogither to bring the Iewes from their vaine and superstitious trust in the lawe to the wholesome fayth of Iesus Christ. But where they so gloried in certaine prerogatiues wherewith God had adourned their Nation that they thought they had neede of none other Sauiour in the fyrst part of his sermon he beateth downe this affiance and teacheth that the fathers had not of their owne merite but of Gods meere fauour whatsoeuer goodnesse was in them and that for the Messias sake which was to be borne of their stocke And hereof he leaueth to euerye wise man to consider that this Messias ought to be taken holde of and kept by constant fayth vnlesse they will altogither fall from the grace of God and their former dignitie Furthermore he endeth this fyrst part of his Sermon with a diligent rehearsall of the olde benefytes of God in euery of the which appeareth the goodnesse and bountie of Gods grace which as it chose the fathers at the beginning so he saued them beyonde all their desertes where he might haue oftentimes cast them of and destroyed them And he bringeth the hystorie vnto the time of Saule whoÌ„ for this cause he chiefly maketh mention of that he may the easilier come vnto Dauid whome the Scriptures call the father of the Messias that was promised And in this place he declareth how the kingdome was translated vnto Dauid then by that occasion he taketh in hand the other part of his sermon wherein he prooueth that Christ is the Messias whose office and whole worke of our redemption he setteth out more at large The translation of the kingdome maketh much for Paules purpose For therein appeared a singuler token of Gods goodnesse in that he set not a tyrant ouer
worlde betydeth vs for Christes sake And he doth not onely the part of a comforter but is also a most faythfull counsaylour For he telleth vs what to doe and when we be in perplexitie and doubt he lighteth vs the torch of truth by whose conducting we escape the daungers of fayth and ofsaluation Beside all this he is the earnest and sure pledge of our redemption and saluation For as Iesus Christ taking vp into heauen the fleshe that he tooke of vs would haue it there to be a gage of our saluation so he putteth his spirite in our heartes in steede of a pledge to imprint the confidence of saluation in vs and to arme vs strongly agaynst temptations Wherefore he is called of Paule the spirite of adoption because that being regenerated by him we are assured by his testimonie that we be the sonnes and heyres of god Therefore it is not without a cause that the Prophete taketh the gift of this holy spirite amongst all other most to be commended We are also here taught what we ought chiefly to doe in the kingdome of christ In which place we may see the diuers and noysome errours of men which while they followe carnall things onely and vnder the coulour of Christ gape after worldly goodes vse many tymes to denie Christ in their life whome they professe with their mouth And to these shall be ioyned those to whome hereafter it shall be sayde Not euerie one that sayth vnto me Lorde Lorde shall enter into the kingdome of heauen but he that doth the will of my father which is in heauen Christes kingdome is a spirituall kingdome and not of this world Therefore let vs desire the giftes of the spirite wherewith if we be furnished the other things that we haue neede of shall come of their owne accord Moreouer it is conuenient we see the maner of this promise and to whome it apperteyneth He declareth the maner in this one word of pouring out whereby he promiseth a large and plentifull grace of the spirite As touching the persons to whome he will giue it he treateth more at large saying I will poure out of my spirite vpon all fleshe Therefore this is an vniuersall promise But he addeth for expositions sake sonnes and daughters yong men and olde to teach vs that there is no difference in the kingdome of Christ eyther of age or sexe For in Christ as Paule sayth there is neyther Iewe nor Gentyle neyther bonde nor free neyther man nor woman In the meane season least any might thinke that the holy spirite was giuen to good and bad alyke God restrayneth his promise to his seruauntes and handmaydens to the ende we should vnderstande that it ought vniuersally to be expounded of them For where he is the spirite of adoption he can be receyued of none but of them whō God doth vouchsafe to acknowledge for his sonnes But they be sonnes of God which acknowledge him to be their father and call vpon him which serue him which worship him which please him and honour him And although they cannot performe the things that belong to the sonnes of God before they be regenerated by this spirite through the free benefit of God and therforethey be oftentimes vnknowne to vs before we see the effects of the holy ghost in them yet it is euident that none be partakers of this spirite but such as the Lorde taketh for his And he knoweth who be his and so knoweth them that no man can take them out of his hande And here by the waye commeth the difference of the olde and newe Testament to be considered For although one and the same Christ one and the same fayth and way of saluation one and the same spirite is set forth in both of them yet there may be perceyued no little difference wherein easily appeareth howe much greater our dignitie and felicitie is than theirs of the olde Testament This appeareth first in the number of the faythfull and next in the maner of teaching For in the olde Testament it is plaine there were but a small number of worshippers and the knowledge of saluation seemed to be compassed within the boundes of the people of Iurie For the wordes of God be well knowne which he sayth to the Israelites Ye shall be mine owne aboue all Nations For all the earth is mine Ye shall bee vnto me a kingdome of priestes and an holy people Againe You only haue I accepted of all the Nations on the earth For which cause sake me thinketh that is also spoken in the Psalmes In Iewrie is God knowne his name is great in Israell At Salem is his Tabernacle and his dwelling in Syon Hee sheweth his worde vnto Iacob his statutes and ordinaunces vnto Israell Hee hath not dealt so with any Nation neyther haue the heathen knowledge of his lawes But in the newe Testament the spirite of the Lorde is poured vppon all fleshe and the way of saluation is stretched to the farthest endes of the earth There it is sayde that they shall come from the East and from the West that shall sitte in the kingdome of God with Abraham Isaac and Iacob There the Apostles receyue a commaundement to preache the Gospell to all Nations There Peter learneth vs howe there is no respect of persons wyth God but in all Nations they that feare him and worke righteousnesse are accepted of him And here is fulfilled that which was spoken before by the Prophete That the barren and desolate should haue more children than shee that was maryed ▪ Againe though there be singuler examples of the faythfull of the olde Testament the like whereof you shall hardly finde in these dayes yet is it plaine that the way and meane of our saluation is now much more manifestly taught than it was woont to be in the olde Testament Before the lawe was published there were in deede large and liberall promises but obscure ynough if we waye them that liued in those dayes which sawe them not as then fulfilled In the lawe our saluation was shadowed with signes and figures but such as whereof many tooke occasion to establishe the righteousnesse of workes Then followed the Prophetes and they declare the mysteryes of Christ somewhere darckely and somewhere more plainely and openly And the thinges which seeme to vs most euident in their writinges seemed without doubt to them in those dayes obscure and darke ynough But in the new Testament the vayle of darcknesse is rent and that light brought in which being come giueth light to all men in the worlde In the Gospell the things are plainely taught which before tyme were hidden and secrete And there fishers and Publicanes see and heare those things which many Prophetes and iust men desired in tymes past to heare and see As touching this plentifull and bounteous gift of the holye ghost and true light thereof Ioel also prophecieth The ende and vse of
discouraged to flie any more neyther could he haue auoyded the name of a deceyuer if nowe he woulde rather haue prouyded for his owne safegard than obeyed god So read we that Christ fledde when he knewe his howre was not yet come But when it was come he went to his death pacientlye and without feare Therefore whosoeuer is in any publike office or charge let them set this rule before them and let them not thinke they may leaue them whose mindes they see bent to persist in Gods vocation But if the malice of the people be such that they first forsake their dutie and dishonestly reiect their magistrates be they secular or preachers of the worde faythfully doing their dutie there is no cause but that they maye as Christ hath commaunded seeke their owne suretie by flying and spare themselues for better times and oportunitie Here the obedience of fayth tempered with the loue of God and our neyghbour shall be much profitable For this shall cause that we be not blinded and deceyued with priuate affections God graunt that we all being mindfull of his grace and good will maye diligently defende our vocation that being with right course come to the marke of blisse we maye liue in heauen with Iesus Christ our Lorde to whome be prayse honour power and glory for euer Amen The .xlix. Homelie AND when fourtie yeres were expyred there appeared to him in the wildernesse of Mount Sina an Aungell of the Lorde in a flame of fire in a bushe When Moyses sawe it he woondred at the sight And as he drewe neare to beholde the voyce of the Lorde came to him I am the God of thy fathers the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Iacob Moyses trembled and durst not beholde Then sayde the Lord to him Put of thy shooes from thy feete for the place where thou standest is holye grounde I haue perfitely seene the affliction of my people which is in Aegypt and I haue hearde their groning and am come downe to deliuer them And now come and I will sende thee into Aegypt BIcause Steuen was accused by his aduersaries that he had spoken wicked and blasphemous wordes agaynst Moyses and all the ceremonies of God giuen by Moyses therefore he comprehendeth in fewe wordes yet with sufficient exposition all the hystorie of Moyses partly to shewe that he thought reuerently of him and partlye to prooue that the saluation of manne ought to be attributed to no ceremonies bicause whatsoeuer good or excellent thing was in Moyses he had it through no desert of his but by the meere grace and fauour of god The principall scope and ende of all these thinges is to call the Iewes from the vayne affiaunce that they had in the Ceremonialles of the lawe and to trust in the onely grace of God through christ And to this ende he declared Moyses maner of birth his bringing vp and first conuersation among the Israelites shewing further howe vnworthie their fathers declared them selfe to be of such a deliuerer seeing they reiected him with the greatest ingratitude that could be in so much that he was fayne to liue like a banished man among the Madianites Nowe foloweth the solemne calling of Moyses wherby he was restored to his office agayne in the which that we may the more easily perceyue the tokens of Gods fauour we will consider euery poynt thereof in order First the time is noted when Moyses was called It was the fourtyeth yeare of his banishment in Madian which came to passe in the fowrescore yeare of his age Then he ioyneth the place where he was and his kinde of lyfe For he sayth he was in the wildernesse where he kept the sheepe of Iethro his father in lawe as may be seene Exod. 3. Nowe if we consider all the time of these fourtie yeares it shall appeare Moyses serued God without anye Temple or ceremonies of the lawe Bicause it is playne these things were instituted afterwarde And where he was in the meane while excluded from the company and common weale of the Iewes it remayneth that it must be the onely and meere grace of God that he was thus called In the meane season we haue diligently to consider howe that as soone as he would haue ioyned himselfe to the church of God he felt the griefe of long banishment and of a noble man came to be a keeper of sheepe For hereof may be gathered a generall rule teaching vs what we all may trust to when we forsake the worlde to be ioyned vnto the Church of god We fall into diuers afflictions bicause this worlde can neyther suffer that falling from it nor cannot abyde the light of the truth And as Moyses found Iethro to be his hoste and father in lawe but yet is made no more account of than to keepe sheepe so the godly with them that giue them houseroume and seeme greatlye to fauour their part liue yet but miserablye and as it were in contempt This is the greatest temptation of all other and which sometime more woundeth the heart than that that open enimies cruellye commit agaynst vs Therefore Christ warneth vs that we rashly take not vpon vs the profession of his name but that we first trie our selues whether we be able if neede so requyre to suffer banishment pouertie infamie persecution or such other lyke for his names sake And when these thinges come to passe let vs followe Moyses modestie and constaunt fayth which no doubt was sundry wayes tempted Yet he ouercommeth through that fayth which before caused him to preferre the rebuke of Christ before the riches of Egypt Let vs also by the same ouercome the assaultes of temptation and not be ashamed of the crosse of Christ which he for our sake hath first vouchedsafe to beare For so it shall come to passe that he will not be ashamed of vs when he shall come in the glory of the father to iudge the quicke and the deade Secondarily Steuen sheweth who called Moyses verily an Aungell of the Lorde which he sayth appeared to him in the desert Yet the same Aungell within a whyle after sayth I am the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Iacob And againe afterwarde he sayth it wash e through whose working and power Moyses wrought signes and woonders in Egypt and which was guyde vnto the people by the way of the desert whom Paule the Apostle testifieth to haue bene Iesus Christ that promised sauior of the world Steuen therfore calleth this Iesus the Angell of the Lord not for that he acknowledged in him no greater thing or of no more excellencie than in an Aungell but as seeming to imitate Esay who on a time called him the Aungell or messenger of the great Counsell not in that he tooke on him a nature Angelicall which thing Paule to the Hebrewes 2. cap. expressely denieth but in that he was sent of God the father into the world and accomplished that
the Lords And to this ende it is that he sayth he is the God of Abraham Isaac Iacob which yet were deade long before he thus spake And Christ by the same reason calleth Lazarus his friend being both dead and buryed Whervnto chiefely it appertayneth that Christ out of this place tooke a generall doctrine to confirme the resurrection of the deade and certaintie of eternall lyfe against the Sadduceyes cauillations Let vs therefore be occupyed in the meditation of this tytle as oft as feare of death ariseth in vs and we shall perceyue by and by that we shall be delyuered from all care and pensiuenesse But whereas Moses feared aswell with the sight of the burning bushe as with the voyce of God durst not come neere by and by he is tolde what he must doe For God sayth moreouer Put of thy shooes from thy feete for the place whereon thou standest is holy grounde So he sayth bicause of hys owne being there and for that he had appointed that place to set forth hys lawe in It is not without a cause that Steuen maketh mention of this precept for hereby he meaneth to admonishe the Iewes what God in tyme past requyred of Moses and what he also requyreth of vs nowe a dayes that is to saye neyther temple neyther leuiticall worshipping no colde ceremonies whether it be the bloud of Oxen or Goates but that we should purge our minds from beastly affections which are signifyed by the shooes and should be wholy ioyned to him by sinceritie of fayth and puritie of mindes For this is that true worshipping of God which Christ otherwheres sayth consisteth in spirite and in truth And herevnto belongeth his precept of washing the feete whereof we ought to haue greater respect than of any outwarde things We must also marke euery where howe all the scriptures testifie vnto vs that God is present in euery place and how daylie examples aboundantly prooue the same Last of all God openeth his intent and pleasure vnto Moses I haue sayth he perfitely seene the affliction of my people in Aegypt and haue heard their groning and am come downe to delyuer them Which words serue most aptly to Ste ens purpose For they declare that there was no desert in the Israelites for the which they ought to be delyuered and that God regarded nothing in them but their afflictions wherewith they were miserably troubled wherevpon it followeth that all the benefite of their deliuerie appertayneth to the meere grace of god Wee are also taught that God doth not neglect his people although he sometime seemeth so to doe He seeth their teares which Dauid sayth are put in a Bottle in his sight He heareth not onely their crie but also their groning bicause he searcheth the heart and the reynes And they that reade hystories finde examples euerywhere whereby it may easily be prooued Let this serue therefore to comfort vs when we are forsaken of false and vnkinde persons Let it also serue to instruct vs that we vnaduisedly afflict not those whome God hath so speciall a care of Hereto appertayneth that that is written concerning Wydowes fatherlesse and straungers crying vnto him And that that is written in Zacharie the second chap. He that toucheth you toucheth the apple of mine eye And chiefely let vs haue regarde that we giue our seâ—â—es wholy to that God which considering the miserie of all mankinde hath giuen vs his sonne Iesus Christ â–ª to be our deliuerer and reuenger to whome â—e prayse honor glorye and power for euer Amen The L. Homelie THIS Moses whome they forsooke saying who made thee a Ruler and a Iudge the same did God sende to bee a Ruler and a delyuerer by the handes of the Aungell which appeared to him in the bushe And the same brought them out shewing woonders and signes in Aegypt and in the redde Sea and in the wildernesse fortie yeares This is that Moses which sayde vnto the children of Israel A Prophet shall the Lorde your God rayse vp vnto you of your brethren like vnto mee him shall you heare ALthoughe Steuen taught none other waye of fayth and saluation than that that is founded vpon the merite of Iesus Christ the promised Sauiour to whome Moses and the Prophets beare witnesse yet he is accused that he teacheth a newe fayth and an erronious yea that he is a blasphemer of Moses and the fathers and goeth about to abolishe the fayth which they obserued and deliuered vs The same state was the worlde in then that in these daies it is where they that follow the fayth deliuered by the Apostles and sealed with the bloud of the Martyrs are accused as subuerters of auncient religion and condemners of the olde fathers But what we haue to doe in thys case Steuens example teacheth vs He reasoneth diligently and at large touching the beliefe of the fathers chiefely he cyteth the hystorie of Moses that by rehearsall therof he might shew partly how reuerently he iudged of Moses and partly prooue that he was no enimie to the auncient religion of the fathers although he taught them that those ceremonies were nowe to be put awaye without the which they well ynough serued God yea without the which Moses also pleased God and was aduaunced to so high dignitie and honor So the vnlearneder sort nowe a dayes must be taught what the beliefe and doctrine of the Martyrs was in time past and howe they were saued without those things whereabout now a daies is such bytter contention But after Steuen had brought his oration to the solempne vocation of Moses then prosecuteth he the same at length and entreth into the prayses of Moses and first testifyeth that he acknowledgeth all things in Moses that God bestowed vpon hym Then prooueth he hys doctrine of Iesus Christ by the testimonie of Moses whose meaning he sayth was not that the Israelites should stick in the lawe and ceremonies gyuen by him but that they should haue an eye to that especiall Prophet which God afterwarde should sende of whome he was but a signe and figure onely This is a notable place whereby we are taught that we must thinke and speake so reuerently of the ministerie vertues of the Saints that yet we leaue Iesus Christes honor whole to hymselfe who onely hath the preheminence in all those thinges that concerne the true worshypping of God and meane of our saluation First he begynneth with the office of Moses which was the most excellent thing that he could deuise For he sayth that God sent him to be a ruler and delyuerer of the people of Israell Thys thing he so proponeth that he hytteth them agayne in the teeth with the ingratitude of their fathers which vnworthily refused Moses laying to their charge how they contemned him in whome they so greatly bragged For he sayth Thys Moses whome they denyed saying who made thee a Ruler and a Iudge the same did God sende to be a
which I commaunde thee this daye shall be in thine heart And thou shalt shewe them vnto thy children and shalt talke of them when thou art at home in thyne house and as thou walkest by the way and when thou lyest downe and when thou risest vp and thou shalt binde them for a signe vpon thine hande and they shall be as frontlets betweene thine eyes and thou shalt wryte them vpon thy postes and vpon thy gates And in the same chapter it foloweth further And when thy sonne asketh thee in time to come saying what meaneth these testimonies ordinaunces and lawes which the Lorde God hath commaunded you Then shalt thou saye vnto thy sonne wee were Pharaos bondmen in Egipt and the Lorde brought vs out of Egypt with a mightye hande And the Lorde shewed signes and woonders great and euill vpon Egipt vpon Pharao and vpon all his housholde before our eyes And brought vs out from thence to bring vs in and to giue vs the lande which hee sware vnto our fathers c. The holy prophet Dauid also speaking of the same commaundement of God declared by the mouth of Moses sayth Heare my lawe ô my people enclyne your eares vnto the wordes of my mouth I will open my mouth in a Parable I will declare hard sentences of olde Which we haue hearde and knowne and such as our fathers haue tolde vs That wee shoulde not hide them from the children of the generations to come but to shewe the honour of the Lorde his mightie and wonderfull workes that he hath done He made a couenaunt with Iacob and gaue Israel a lawe which he commaunded our forefathers to teach their children that their posteritie might knowe it and the children that were yet vnborne To the intent that when they came vp they might shewe their children the same Here mayst thou sée O good Reader that the true Christians and faythfull among the Israelytes as they were commaunded euen so they taught and instructed their families and children in the wayes and works of the lord So that of them it coulde not be verified as yet that they had shut vp the kingdome of heauen from menne neyther â—ntring in themselues neyther suffring other that woulde neyther thâ—t they were blinde leaders oâ— the blinde For those broodes of Phariseyes Saduceyes and Essenes were not hatched till many hundred yeares after which when Christ came had turned godlynesse into gaine and religion into rechelesnesse as the like swarmes of religious commonly called but in déede most superstitious did amongst vs and yet doe where they are still suffered And bicause they feare that the Lord in his zeale wil whip such wicked merchants as they are out of his Church in all places as it appeareth very well he doth dailye his name be glorifyed therefore this maketh them to storme fret and fume and to take counsayle against the Lorde and against his annointed This maketh them stirre coales and to play Rex this causeth them to imprison to hang to drawe to drowne to burne to cut mens tongues out to gagge them that they shall not speake to banishe and proscribe séeing they can no longer prescribe but verily all in vaine for as much as there is no wisedome counsayle or deuise that can preuayle against the Lorde But let vs returne to the holy prophet Dauid whose sayings and testimonies bicause they haue alwayes bene of such worthy estimation in the Church of God let vs bring yet furthermore to confyrme the truth of our assertion In the .lxxxj. psalme he bringeth in God thus speaking to the people of Israel Heare ô my people and I assure thee ô Israel if thou wilt hearken vnto mee there shall no straunge god c. If God speake here to all the people in generall high and lowe riche and poore one with another then of congruence belongeth it to all people in generall to hearken and carie awaye what is sayde But howe shall they heare if they haue not his worde marke his saying If thou wilt harken And it must be vnto him we must harken For whosoeuer speaketh not as he doth must not be hearde though it were an Aungell from heauen as Paule sayth yea if Christ woulde come and preach any other Gospell than he hath already preached we ought not as some of the olde writers saye to heare him Howe much lesse then ought we to harken what these newe Gospellers say who speake 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 contorted wrested and peruerse things altogither repugnant to Gods worde and saying The prophetes also in all their sermons and writings crie vnto the people audite verbum domini heare the worde of the Lorde Loe here is no state or degrée no age or sexe excluded but all must heare For populus and turba as is often read in the olde and newe Testament comprehende promiscuam multitudinem the whole multitude one with another Therfore no sort is excepted from hearing But me thinketh I heare what one of these new Diuines replyeth Sir sayth he when did we forbid any kinde of persons from hearing our Sermons No in déede but when men came to heare you they coulde not heare the worde of the Lorde but doctrines that were the preceptes of men wherewith Christ sayth you worship him in vaine It had bene somewhat tollerable to haue forbidden men the reading of the Scriptures so that you had taught them nothing but the scriptures as you ought to haue done But to preach your owne fantasies and inuentions and to forbidde men to search the scriptures which Christ so earnestly commaundeth them to doe was too too presumpteous for a seruant to doe against his Lordes commaundement Howbeit you saye Christ and the Pope haue but one Consistorye and therefore bicause he commaundeth it you thinke you may safely doe it But S. Paule aunswereth all these pretie obiections at once saying Bee yee not the seruants of men Howbeit hereto you will say the Pope is not purus homo a pure man And that I am sure all that knowe what he is will easilye graunt you Surely S. Paule was so little offended that the Thessalonians searched the Scriptures to sée whether his preaching agréed therewith yea or no that he rather much liked and commended them for their doing But you in no poynt resemble Paules condicions but in persecuting Christ his Church The same Dauid likewise in his .xix. Psalme hath matter ynough though there were none other any where else both to prooue howe necessarye the worde of God is for all men to knowe and also to aunswere the obiections of all our newe Diuines The lawe of the Lorde sayth he is an vndefiled or perfite lawe conuerting the soule The testimonie of the Lorde is sure and giueth wisedome vnto the simple He calleth the lawe perfyte to aunswere those controllers which saye the Scriptures are not sufficient and therefore haue forged a sort of vnwritten verities so they call them
feare him 548 34. The eyes of the Lorde are ouer the righteous 497 37. I haue seene the vngodly in great prosperitye and flourishing lyke a greene baye tree 505 48. The Citie of the great king 18 50. Call vpon me in the time of thy trouble I will heare thee and thou shalt glorifie me 115.116 50. Thinkest thou that I will eate bulles flesh and drinke the bloud of Goates 545 51. washe me throughly from myâ—e iniquitie and clense me from my sinne 545 51. Renewe in mee a right spirite 77 56. Thou haâ—t numbred my flittinges thou hast put my teares in thy bottell 328.745 58. They are as venemous as the poyson of a Serpent they bee like the deafe â—dder that stoppeth hyr eares 548 65. Blessed is the man whome thou choosest 525 68. Thou wentest vp on high thou hast ledde captiuity captiue 124 69. The zeale of thine house hath euen eaten mee 659 69. I will prayse the name of the Lorde with a songue 461 72. His domynion shall be from the one sea to the other 32 72. He shall delyuer the poore when he cryeth the afflicted c. 321 and .453 76. In Iewrie is God knowne his name is great in Israell 91.95 80. Shewe the light of thy countenaunce and we shall be saued 120 89. I haue sworne once by my holynesse that I will not fayle Dauid 24 89. My couenant will I not breake nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lyppes 298 94. He that made the eye shall he not see 300 94. In the multitude of the sorrowes that I had in my heart thy comfortes did refreshe my soule 115 94. The Lorde seeth it not neyther doth the God of Iacob vnderstande it 253 104. Thou that makest the clowdes thy charyot 36 104. He watereth the hylles from aboue the earth is replenished with the fruite of thy workes Pag. 575. â—05 Touch not mine annoynted 142 106. They turned theyr glorye into the similitude of a Calfe that eateth haye 337.574 107. Let them giue thankes whome the Lorde hath redeemed and deliuered out of the hande of the enimie 496 110. The Lord sayde vnto my Lord sitte thou on my right hand 266 and .119.33 110. Thou art a priest for euer after the order of Melchisedech 37.168.122 110. Rule thou in the myddle among thine enimies 98 113. Hee lifteth the simple out of the dust 330 116. Right deere in the sight of the Lorde is the death of his saintes Pag. 475 116. What rewarde shall I gyue vnto the Lorde for all the benefits that he hath done vnto me 461 118. The Lord is the strength of my lyfe 253 118. The same stone which the builders refused 200 119. It is better to trust in the Lord. Pag. 254 119. It is good for mee that I haue beene in miserye 101 121. I will lyft vp mine eyes vnto the hylles â–ª from whence my helpe shall come 353 123. Beholde euen as the eyes of seruaunts looke vnto the handes of theyr maysters c. 113 132. I will not enter into the tabernacle of my house 346 141. Set a watche O God before my mouth 85 146. Put not your trust in Princes Pag. 317 147. Hee declares hys worde vnto Iacob his statutes and ordinances vnto Israell 95 147. Hee couereth the heauen wyth clowdes and prepareth rayne for the earth 575 1 PRouerb The beginning of knowledge is the feare of the Lorde 416 2. If thou seeke after wisdome as after golde thou shalt finde hyr Pag. 88 6 The Lord hateth a false witnesse that bringeth vp lyes 354 16. Lottes are cast into the lappe but the ordering thereof standeth in Lorde 72 25. He that searcheth the maiestie of of God shall be depriued of the glorie 28 MAtthei 1. Thou shalt call hys name Iesus for he shall c. Pag. 168 3. Repent 130 3. And say not we haue Abraham to our father 350 3. This is my beloued sonne in whome I am well pleased 202 and .449.103 5. Blessed are the poore in heart for they shall see God. 120 5. The Citie of the great King. 18 5. One iote or one title of the lawe shall not scape 335 5. If thou bringest thy gyft to the aulter and there remembrest 48 5. You shall be perfect euer as your father which is in heauen is perfect 512 5. He maketh his sonne to aryse c. Pag. 638 6. Where your treasure is there will be your heart also 632 7. Seeke and you shall finde 88 7. With what measure you meate it shall be c. 301 7. Not euerye one that sayth vnto me Lorde 94 7. Depart fro me yee that worke iniquitie 351 8. Follow me and let the deade burye the deade 511 9. Thy fayth hath made thee safe Pag. 168 10. A mans foes shall be them of his owne housholde 56.563 10. Whosoeuer shall confesse me before men him will I also confesse before my father which is in heauen 86 10. He that receyueth you receyueth me 9.161 It is not you that speake but the spirite of your father that speaketh in you 9 10. Be you wise as Serpents 657 10. Feare ye not them which kill c. Pag. 685 10. If they persecute you in one Citye c. â—01 10. Goe not into the waye of the Gentiles 533 10. Hee that loueth father or mother more than me 591 10. It shal be gyuen you in that same hower what to speake 780 10. Come vnto mee all yee that labour sore and are laden 7 11. No man knoweth the father but the sonne 566 11. I thanke thee O Father bicause thou hast hidde these things from the wise 45.625 12. How can one enter into a strong mans house and spoyle c.  12. Out of the abundance of the hart the mouth speaketh 85 13. The secrets of the kingdome of Heauen 641 15. Euery planting which my heauenly father c. 342 15. It is not meete to throwe the Childrens breade vnto dogges  15. Nothing that goeth in at the mouth c. 608 15. In vaine doe they worship mee teaching doctrines preceptes of men 589 16. The gates of hell shall not preuayle against it 298 17. This is my beloued sonne in whome I am well pleased heare hym 449 18. Where two or three are gathered togither in my name  20. Who so will be cheefe among you Let him be your seruaunt 39.70 and .141 21. The kindome of God shall be taken from you c. 683.552 22. I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac 327 22. Giue vnto Cesar those thinges which are Cesars and vnto god those things that are Gods. 211 23. All whatsoeuer they bidde you obserue that obserue and doe 56 23. Hierusalem Hierusalem thou that killest the Prophetes 16 24. Heare is Christ or there 8 24. Ye shall heare of warres and rumoures of warres 99 25. The parable of the talentes 308 25. Enter into the ioye of thy Lord Pag. 119 25. I was harbourlesse and yet toke me in 557 27. If
mynisters of his woorde And first of all he prooueth the veritie of his Resurrection by many arguments sixe weekes togyther For whereas this is the ground of our saluation whosoeuer wel vnderstandeth knoweth not the same he shall nothing preuayle in preachyng the Gospell Secondly he expoundeth openeth the mysteries of the kingdome of God both bycause he would put out of theyr mynde the opinion conceyued by common error of the earthly kingdome of Christ and also bycause they should perceyue after what order and sorte they ought to handle the businesse of our beliefe and saluation by preaching of the Gospell And vnto these two adhereth a thirde point that is to say the promise of the holy Ghost which he both now repeateth confirmeth the truth thereof by graue testimony least by his sodaine departure from the earth they should be all amazed admonisheth them also of the place when where they should wayte for the same This is a notable place seruing much both to our instruction consolation First of the place he admonisheth them commaundyng them that they departe not from Hierusalem but to wayte there for the promise of the Father Here the Citie of Hierusalem is appointed to the singularest affayres and purposes that euer happened in the world And as the sonne of God by the sacrifice of his body and bloud in this Citie restored mankynde againe to his saluation so in the same place he would first haue his Apostles illuminated with his holy spyrite and beginne the preachyng of the Gospell And here is that thing that would make vs to marueyle if wee consider the state and condition of the Citie For this is that Citie vpon which Christ pronounced such terrible and horrible thinges should fall Against this Citie is spoken that that is in the .xxiij. chapiter of Mathewe Hierusalem Hierusalem that killest the Prophetes and stonest them that are sent vnto thee how often woulde I haue gathered thy chyldren togyther as the Henne gathereth hir chyckens vnder hir wynges and thou wouldest not And while he was in Galyley beyng told how Herode layde wayte for him he aunswered it coulde not be that a Prophet shoulde dye in any other place than at Hierusalem not onely hereby declaring how sinfull the Citie was but also many times denouncing the ouerthrow and destruction of the same What shall wee thinke then was the cause that mooued Christ to appoint so wicked a City and so neare hir destruction to so holy an vse and businesse Surely none other than the infallible truth of God whose promises cannot fayle It was once prophecied by the Prophetes that the preaching of saluation shoulde spring from thence In the latter dayes sayth the Prophetes the hill where the house of the Lorde is builded shall be the chiefe among hilles and exalted aboue all little hilles And all Nations shall prease vnto it and the multitude of people shall go speaking thus one to another vp let vs go to the hill of the Lorde and to the house of the God of Iacob that he may shew vs his way and that we may walke in his pathes For the lawe shall come out of Syon and the worde of the Lord from Hierusalem Where it seemeth me good not to pretermit that whereof Suetonius though an heathen Auctor and enimye to the Christians maketh mention in the life of Vespasian saying that there was an olde and common opinion in the East countrie affirming that it was their destenie which should come from Iurie to be conquerors of all the worlde Which Oracle he as an Ethnicke and Gentile vnderstandeth of Vespasian who by reason of his valiauntnesse â–ª and courage shewed in the warres with the Iewes made an entrye thereby for himselfe and his children to climbe vnto the Empire We may more truly expounde the same of the Apostles which being borne in Iurie beganne to preach the Gospell in the Citie of Hierusalem afterwarde filled all Iurie with their preaching and at length dispersing themselues out of Iurie into all nations subdued and brought all the world to the obedience of christ Nowe bicause Christ was not ignorant that these things were decreed by God his father therefore he bade them they shoulde not depart from Hierusalem In the meane season the consideration of these things serueth muche both for our consolation and instruction For hereby it appeareth that the promises of God through the wickednesse and impietie of a fewe persons cannot be frustrated and made vaine What sayth Paule though some beleeued not Shall their vnbeliefe make the promise of God of none effect God forefende Naye let God be true and all men lyers This ought deepely to bee layde vppe in our memorie bicause we see it commeth often to passe that while we consider the great want of beliefe and wickednesse in man we vtterly dispayre as though the wickednesse of other should be our losse and hinderance which is a most grieuous temptation and as it accuseth God eyther of to much seueritie or of vnrighteousnesse so it hindreth and stoppeth vs most in the race of godlynesse For who woulde holde on in goodnesse that were once perswaded in his minde that he must perishe with the multitude of the vngodly Here therefore it is necessarye that we be armed against such temptations And stronger armour we cannot put on vs than if we thinke that God knoweth his be the multitude of the wicked neuer so great And in the Prophet he confesseth he beareth to vs such affection as mothers vse to beare vnto the children borne of their owne bodies And bicause he is the iust iudge of the earth he will not destroy the godly with the vngodly as Abraham the father of the faithfull well considered Againe bicause he is most wise and omnipotent he can easily discerne betweene the godly and vngodly and can punish the one as they haue deserued and with fauour defende the other Herevnto is to be referred that fanne which Iohn the Baptist attributeth to Christ wherewith he shall purge his floore and separate the chaffe from the corne Hereof wee haue in euery place examples The Lorde knewe Loth in the middest of Sodome He had a care of the Patriarches lyuing among the Chananites although by Gods appoyntment they were ordayned to be destroyed So in this place he knoweth his Apostles and whosoeuer in Hierusalem are of the number of his elect Neither doth the corruption and wickednesse of other more in number and authoritie than they preiudice or hinder them After the same sorte will hee know vs in these dayes for his people and will saue vs so that we will depart from iniquitie and in our lyfe expresse Christianitie It maketh for amendement of life that we learne by the example of the Hierosolimytes that no glory authoritie or prerogatiue of auncestrye can defende them against the iudgement of God which continue in their wickednesse and vnthankfulnesse
noysed no further among the people let vs threaten and charge them that they speake hencefoorth to no manne in this name And they called them and commaunded them that in no wise they shoulde speake nor teach in the name of IESV THe Apostle Peter so aunswereth the question propounded to him and to Iohn in the counsell at Ierusalem concerning the lame man that was healed that he teacheth them not onely that they enquire of but also declareth to them after a compendious and briefe sorte the whole effect and summe of saluation We are taught by this example so to traueyle with the professed enimies of the truth as to laboure to winne them to Christ and to saluation Which ende Christ as it is manifest set before him as often as he had contention with his aduersaries But nowe let vs see what effect ensued of Peters answere which in so great vehemencie of speach and earnest ayde of the holy ghost coulde be of no small force Where we may see a marueylous confusion of mindes which that it might be the more perceyued is so described of Luke that first he declareth what an abashment it wrought in the counsell then what deuise and counsell they toke concerning the Apostles both which we meane to entreate of in order First they are filled with admiration and amazednesse and wotte not what way to take in so much that they know not what to say against it And least any man might thinke they were fooles or at their wittes ende for feare he sheweth the causes which made them so perplexed and in doubt First was the confidence and boldnesse of speach in the Apostles which they here perceyued did surpasse their expectation For they knewe they were simple and vnlearned men not brought vp in faculties or artes beside their mother tongue They knewe they were taken from fyshers craft to be the Apostles of christ And euen yet still did that olde opinion bewitch their mindes which caused them once to saye that none of the Scribes or Phariseys but the accursed and rascall people which were ignorant in the lawe and scriptures helde with christ Therefore presupposing they shoulde easily haue ouercome the Apostles they could not choose but be amazed when they see them aunswere with such discretion to their question reprooue their iniustice so boldlye and defende Christes quarell with such wisedome and constancie For they are compelled will they nyll they to acknowledge some power of God in them and perceyue they are ledde with a farre other wisedome than the wisedome of the fleshe And this was the chiefe cause why Christ woulde choose ignorant and vnlearned Apostles that the doctrine of the Gospell might be acknowledged to be set forth by the power of God and not through mans wisedome eloquence or authoritie and that all the prayse and glorie thereof might redounde vnto God alone whereof Paule disputeth at large in the first to the Corinthians the first Chapter The other cause of their amazednesse was the euident truth of the myracle wrought by the Apostles which they are neyther able to call in doubt nor yet to charge with any suspicion of Magicke or enchauntment For they see the man stande before them on whome the Apostles had bestowed this benefite of health whether called by them or of his owne accorde ioyned to them to see the ende and successe of the matter I wote not Therefore they are in a perplexitie of minde and haue not one worde to answere So they which thought to haue ouercome and caught the Apostles in some trip by demaunding of one question are shamefully vanquished and confounded Here is fulfilled that which Christ promised saying I will giue you vtteraunce and wisedome against which all your aduersaries shall not be able to make resistaunce It appeareth also howe vaine the deuises of men are against christ He knoweth their cogitations to be vaine and bringeth the counsayle of the heathen to naught but the counsayle of the Lorde endureth for euer as Dauid sayd Psal. 33. and. 94. For it is he verily who as Elephas the Themanite sayth destroyeth the deuises of the subtill so that their handes are not able to perfourme any stedfast thing he compasseth the wyse in their owne craftynesse and ouerthroweth the counsayles of the wicked The Gospell sheweth vs a like example in a blinde man restored by Christ to his sight againe who being both vnlearned and a begger doth marueylously hold the whole Colledge of Scribes and Phariseyes at a baye that the more questions they aske of him the more they vtter their foolishnes Let no man therefore be afrayde eyther of the power or craft of these enimies where as God so easily turneth them both vpside downe For it is not our cause that we haue in hande but Gods which will giue vs both a mouth and vtterance nor it is not we that speake but the spirite of our father which is in vs. But before we leaue this place we must speake somewhat of two things very worthy to be obserued First it is not without a cause that Luke writeth the wicked enimies of Christ were so amazed at the bolde and free speach of the Apostles For by this example we are taught that there is nothing so effectuall to bridle the wicked as is freedome of speach where they are reprooued to their faces and the truth which they withstand is boldly defended For such is the force of wordes that they easily pierce the minde But if the zeale of Gods truth and glorie be ioyned therevnto it cannot be but the consciences of the hearers must be wounded howsoeuer â–ª they many times dissemble the same Whereby it commeth to passe that although they alwayes do not truly repent yet many times they counterfeyte repentaunce and abstayne from doing euill where of we maye see a manifest example in Achab after that Elias had with such libertie as beseemed a Prophete vpbrayded him with the vnworthy slaughter of Naboth Againe when the ministers of the word suffer their tongues to be brydled or else of themselues keepe silence to please the worlde by and by we see the wicked are encouraged to runne into all kinde of licentious sinne and fill vp the measure of iniquitie and at length miserably perishe with their blinde watchmen and dumbe dogges See Ezechiel the .iij. and .xxxiij. Chapters For the which cause a franke and bold kinde of reprehension is euerywhere required in the Ministers The Lorde sayth vnto Esaye crye now as lowde as thou canst leaue not of lift vp thy voyce like a Trumpet and shewe my people their offences and the house of Iacob their sinnes And the Lorde commaundeth Hieremie to stande against the Priestes people Princes and Kinges like a brasen wall without feare Therefore Paule woulde haue sinners openly rebuked afore all men that other thereby might be brought in feare Yea where being iâ— prison he commendeth himselfe and his cause to the
seene these men turned out againe by Monkes and Bishops and that they haue founde no helpe or succour in those goodes which they had layde vp for that vse to defende the Church by force agaynst the open enimies of religion And better successe let them not looke for which commit lyke offence For if Ananias and Sapphira deserued sodeyne death who as Luke writeth tooke nothing from the Church but deceytfully put aside and withhelde part of their owne goods what deathes and mischiefes doe not they deserue â–ª which dare ryfle Churches by open force and publike authoritie Let vs in these things acknowledge the power of Iesus Christ who as he alwayes doth vouchsafe to be mercifull to his Church so will he not suffer hir to be beguiled but will worthily punish both hir professed enimies and persecutors and also all hypocrites and deceyuers that the synceritie of true religion may be preserued to him be prayse honor power glorye for euer Amen The .xxxiiij. Homelie AND great feare came on all the congregation and as many as hearde it By the handes of the Apostles were many signes and wonders shewed among the people And they were all togither with one accorde in Salomons porch Anâ— of other durst no man ioyne himselfe to them Neuerthelesse the people magnified them The number of them that beleeued in the Lord both of men and women grewe more and more in so much that they brought the sicke into the streetes and layde them on the beddes and couches â—hat at the least waye the shadowe of Peter when he came by might shadowe some of them There came also a multitude out of the Cities rounde about vnto Ierusalem bringing sicke folkes and them which were vexed with vncleane spirites And they were healed euery one WEe haue hearde the horrible example of Goddes iudgement whereby Ananias and his wife Sapphira were punished with sodeyne death both for that they falsly counterfeyted a fayth in Christ and al so went about to beguyle the Churche in the goodes that were giuen for the reliefe of the poore This example teacheth vs how great the seueritie of God is in punishing of hypocrytes who as he cannot be deceyued so can he not but be grieuouslye offended with them that go about to beguyle him We haue seene also what a feruent desire was in the primitiue Church to conserue and mainteyne discipline least eyther dissemblers or open malefactors shoulde creepe in and cause the fayth of Christ eyther to be defamed or suspected And to thintent all posteritie myght be enflamed to followe the same this present place followeth which rehearseth manye and singuler fruites of this example whereto are adioyned the traueyles and exercises of the primitiue Church to thintent we maye learne by them what we haue in these dayes to doe if we desire to haue the kingdome of God enlarged or Christ to be fauourable vnto vs. First Luke sayeth And great feare came on all the congregation and on as manye as hearde these thinges Then the Christians feared as well as straungers to whome the report of this thing came And this was no vnprofitable feare for by it the godlye were the more aware and traueyled the more earnestly in Gods affayres â–ª and the enimies durst doe the lesse against the Church which they sawe had the spirite of God so manifestlye with them This is the chiefe fruite of ecclesiasticall discipline that it keepeth the godly in doing their dutie and feareth the vngodly Now a dayes bicause all men may doe what they will the Churches being disordered by licentiousnesse of lyfe become a praye to the enimies Here must we also learne the vse of Gods iudgementes which consisteth in this that by them we learne Gods iustice and being afrayde amende our liues by the godly consideration thereof God taught vs this vse â–ª when he shewed Abraham the horrible destruction of Sodome saying I knowe that he will commaund his housholde and his children after him that they keepe the way of the Lord and doe after right and conscience And for this cause woulde â—e that the presidentes of his iudgementes shoulde be recorded in writing and be reade in the Church both priuately and apertly as Asaph testifieth where he thus writeth He made a couenant with Iacob and gaue Israel a law which he commaunded our forefathers to teache their children That their posteritie might knowe it and the children which were yet vnborne To the intent that when they grew vp they might shew their children the same That they might put their trust in God and not to forget the woorkes of God but to keepe his commaundementes And not to be as their forefathers c. Therefore this vse of Gods iudgement whereby Ananias and Sapphiras dissimulation is punished must also be now a dayes retained that we may conceyue a true feare of God and take heede of hypocrisie and worship God in spirite and truth as Christ hath commaunded vs yea let all men be excited with this example and applye vnto themselues whatsoeuer any where in hystories is written of this kinde that by other mennes examples they maye learne what they haue to doe if they meane to auoyde the wrath of God. Secondlye it is sayde of the Apostles that by their ministerie many signes and woonders were shewed among the people Wherby it appeareth the prayers of the faythfull were hearde also in this behalfe which besought God that the Apostles might be endued with myracles through the authoritie whereof they might be holpen in setting forth the kingdome of christ And they worke not only common myracles but their power is extended so farre that the diseased layde in the streete desire but the shadowe of Peter paâ—sing by and thinke that it will helpe them Nowe beginneth that saying of Christ to be fulfilled He that beleeueth in mee the woorkes that I doe he shall doe the same and greater than these shall he doe This is the second fruit of ecclesiasticall discipline that God heareth the prayers of the Church and encreaseth the gifts of his spirite where contrarily he abhorreth their prayers which stop their eares at his lawe This appeareth by histories which euidently declare that the rarer giftes of the holy ghost and working of myracles began then to cease when discipline beganne to waxe dissolute and corruption of maners encreased Yet let no man thinke that superstition is here defended by that is written of Peters shadowe no more than by that we shall afterwarde heare of Paules handkerchefe â–ª Some vse thus to reason of this place If Peters shadow helped many how much more shall his rayment and bones And herof springeth all that confused Chaos of superstition which we see is in pilgrimages about Saints reliques wherof the most part be counterfeyted But we say that these myracles were not wrought to testifie eyther of Peter or Paules power but to confirme the preaching of the Gospell whereof they were ministers Therefore they
God without controlment feareth the common people This is always the propertie of the wicked that their iudgements and the godlyes be diuers For the saying of the godly and faithfull person is this The Lorde is my light and my saluation whome then shall I feare The Lorde is the strength of my lyfe of whome then shall I be afrayde The Lorde is on my side I will not feare what man doth vnto me The voyces of the wicked be these The Lorde shall not see neyther shall the God of Iacob regarde it But these which haue cast from them the feare of God are compelled to feare mortall men and manye times their seruauntes yea their owne children and they which will not be ledde with the courageous feare of God are vexed with the cowardly and slauishe feare of most miserable men So God reuengeth his contempt And this preposterous feare is a worthy punishment for tyranny set vp agaynst righteousnesse and truth Which thing Magistrates desyring to continue in office with commendation ought diligently to beware of But some man may marueyle why God would suffer his Apostles to be apprehended and brought before them agayne whome a little before he delyuered by the ministerie of an Aungell was he no more able to defende them Or passed he no more on them who so diligently obeyed his commaundement Not so For their great constancy declared God had a singuler care of them But God would hereby teach vs that the Godly must triumph vnder the baner of the crosse For where Christ hanging on the crosse ouercame the world with the Prince therof and also synne death and hell it were vniust that we should desyre an easier way of victorie but wee must folow his steps as Peter teacheth This is a good remedy against the slouthfulnesse and securitie of the fleshe alwayes to be readie to beare the crosse And the Apostles shewe vs a singuler example of christian modestie who being taken and caried awaye in the vocation of God neyther murmur impaciently against God nor mooue the people to sedition against the magistrate For they knewe God would order all things wisely iustly and to their behoofe and commoditie They knew that Christes kingdome was not of thys world nor to be defended with worldly weapons They knew that God would assist them if his glorie and theyr saluation so requyred Therefore they commit themselues to his care and tuition and wayte paciently for his helpe All they are reprooued by this example which mutter against God and dare ouer boldely reprehende his iudgementes And as many also as seeke to mainteyne themselues by vnlawfull sedition as though it made any thing to the setting forth of Christes kingdome We knowe in deede that Tyrannes are sometimes punished by sedition and that by Gods iust iudgement it commeth to passe that they be a pray for the seditious bicause they are not contented to vse a moderate and iust kinde of rule towardes the godly But we neuer read that the godly were authors of sedition from which it appeareth Dauid so abhorred that he would not kill Saule his open enimie bicause he woulde commyt no heynous offence against the annoynted of the Lorde I speake of priuate men For the Magistrates office is an other thing which if they be christians must vse the sworde committed to them of God chiefely for the defence of the godly and glory of christ And what Byshops and Ministers of the Church haue in such a case to doe we are taught by the example of Ambrose who when the Emperour commaunded him to delyuer the Churches to the Arrians and that therevpon ensued not onely the disturbaunce of the congregation but also an vprore of the whole Citie he would neyther forsake the congregation being in perill ne yet mooue or procure fight agaynst the Emperour His wordes vnto the people amongst many others were these yee were afrayd least I would forsake the Church leaue you for feare of mine owne safegarde But you may remember he speaketh of the aunswere he made to the kings officers what I haue sayde that I can not forsake the congregation bycause I more feare the Lorde of the worlde than the Emperour of this worlde Surely if any force should carrie me from the Church my fleshe might be put out of possession but not my minde that I am readye to doe as the Priest vseth to doe if he purpose to doe as the Prince ought to doe Why therefore are you troubled willingly I will neuer forsake you enforced I knowe not how to resist I may sorrowe I may weepe I may mourne Against battayle Souldiours and the Gotthes my weapons be teares for such is the armour of a priest Otherwise I ought not nor may not resist and to flye and forsake the Church I vse not c. And when he was bydden by the officers of the Gothes to appease the people he aunswered In my power it is not to incense or mooue them but it is in the hande of God to appease them I though good here in thys place to note these things that ministers may learne constancie ioyned with true and christian prudencie by these things In the meane season it is euery mans dutie constauntly to abyde in hys vocation paciently to suffer perils faythfully to wayte for the helpe of God and then Christ will not fayle vs which hath promysed to be the defender of those that be his To him be prayse honor glorie and power for euer Amen The .xxxvij. Homelie AND when they had brought them they set them before the Counsayle And the chiefe Priest asked them saying Did not we straightly commaunde you thaâ— you shoulde not teache in this name And beholde you haue filled Ierusalem with your doctrine and intende to bring this mannes bloude vpon vs Peter and the other Apostles aunswered and sayde we ought more to obeye God than man The God of our fathers raysed vp Iesus whome you slewe and hanged on tree Him hath God lift vp wyth hys right hande to be a Ruler and a Sauiour for to giue repentaunce to Israel and forgiuenesse of sinnes And we are recordes of these things which we saye and so is also the holy ghost whom God hath giuen to them that obeye him ALthough God had deliuered his Apostles out of prison by the ministery of an Aungell yet he suffreth them to be apprehended and brought agayne before a Counsell of their moste cruell enimies For hereby he woulde teache vs that he is able not only to deliuer vs from daungers towarde but also to saue and preserue vs being in daunger This doctrine teacheth vs that we must not despaire of our safetie and Gods helpe whensoeuer he suffreth vs to be tempted with daungers and aduersities and taketh not from vs that cuppe which he once beganne to vs of that we should drinke it vp after him For he is out of daunger and safe which dwelleth vnder the defence of the
cryeth woe to thee that destroyest for thou shalt be destroyed Agayne woe be to him that buildeth the Citie with bloude wo be to him that heapeth vp other mennes goodes Wherevnto are to be referred the things which God in his lawe threateneth to the oppressours of wyddowes of fatherlesse and straungers See Exod. 22. In the consideration whereof woulde God they were more occupied that thynke nowe a dayes the greatest commendation of manhoode and safetie of a commmon weale standeth in waged warrefaring But it is not to be negligently ouerpassed howe God speaking of the ende of their deliuery sayth And after that they shall come foorth and serue me in this place This is a generall precept that they whome God hath delyuered must serue hym whereof we are also admonished Thys must specially be considered in our saluation We are deliuered out of the tyrannie of the deuill and from the horrible bondage of sinne by the singular benefite of God who hath vouchsafed to giue his sonne for vs Let vs therefore come forth of Egypt and casting away the desires of this wicked worlde let vs serue God in holynesse puritie innocencie fayth and loue vnfeyned touching which thinges see what is sayde euerywhere in the writings of the Apostles Rom. 6. Tit. 2. 3. 1. Thess. 4. c. The same must they doe that are deliuered out of any other distresses They that are recouered of sicknesses let them thinke that spoken vnto them that Christ sayth to the man healed of the palsie See thou sinne no more least a woorse thing come vnto thee Let them thinke likewise that are deliuered from pouertie hunger pestilence warres or whatsoeuer like calamyties In times past the sacrifices called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which God ordeyned to be offered to him for benefites receyued admonished vs hereof which also were vsed of the Gentyles although they were straungers from the true worship of god And to this ende did Christ institute his mysticall supper which the auncient fathers called Eucharistiam that is to say a giuing of thankes bicause they knewe it was ordeyned in the remembraunce of Christes death And their wickednesse is very worthy to be condemned which glorying in the benefite of redemption and feeling euery day the vengeaunce of God yet will not serue him but giue themselues wholy to serue sinne and the deuill Let that principally sticke in our remembrance that Steuen vrgeth so instaâ—tlye that is howe we be deliuered from the tyrannie of Satan and sinne by the benefite of Gods grace only and that therein nothing is to be attributed to our workes and other colde ceremonies Let vs therefore by fayth embrace this benefite and serue God our Sauiour in spirite and truth that with him we maye hereafter enioye the blisse of the heauenly Chanaan through Iesus Christ our Lord to whom bee prayse honor power and glory for euer Amen The .xlv. Homelie And he gaue him the couenaunt of Circumcision And he begatte Isaac and circumcised him the eyght daye And Isaac begat Iacob and Iacob the twelue Patriarches And the Patriarches hauing enuie at Ioseph solde him into Aegypt And God was with him and deliuered him out of al his aduersities and gaue him fauour and wisedome in the sight of Pharao king of Aegypt and he made him ruler ouer Aegypt and all his housholde THe godly Martyr Steuen was accused of impietie agaynst God the lawe the holy place and all the lawes ceremoniall His aduersaries tooke occasion to accuse him for that he taught meÌ„ that these outward thinges were abrogated by Christ and that they could not be iustified by them but that iustification and saluation came by fayth onely in Iesus Christ and that the ceremonies serued for none other vse but to signifie the way of saluation which is conteyned in Christ and to bring men vnto him Wherefore it behooued him to vse a kinde of earnest and graue defence before them whith stoode altogither vpon ceremonies He so handleth therefore and frameth his defence that he prooueth by the matter it selfe he is cleere from all impietie For he diligently rehearseth whatsoeuer God did to the fathers in time passed partly to declare that he acknowledged and kept the auncient beliefe of the fathers and partlye for that the Iewes shoulde vnderstande howe the fathers in time past were iustified by faith only without any ceremonies Wherevpon euery man may easily gather that there is no cause or let why men nowe a dayes also shoulde not be saued without the ceremonies of the Leuiticall lawe by fayth in Christ and that therfore they are not to be accused of impietie which holde and affirme that they are abrogated And beginning with Abraham he diligently setteth out his fayth in following the mercifull calling of God without anye his desertes before going to th ende he might stirre vp the Iewes to follow his steppes But bicause the holy martyr of Christ was not ignoraunt that the Iewes did principally glorye in their Circumcision and in the fathers agaynst the grace of God giuen them in Christ he continueth on in his Oration begunne bicause he woulde wype them cleane from both these gloryinges Of circumcision he briefely intreateth saying And he gaue him the couenaunt of circumcision and he begat Isaac and circumcised him the eyght day He confesseth that circumcision was instituted of God but whyle he ioyneth it with the things going before he thereby putteth it away in that he sheweth it was giuen vnto Abraham after all those things which hitherto had bene recyted For after he was called out of Chaldea and had declared his beliefe openly by many and notable signes and was by his faith and beliefe iustified God gaue him the testament of circumcision that is to say he made a Couenaunt with him which was sealed as it were and confirmed with circumcision Whervpon it followeth that he was not iustified by circumcision but that his circumcision was a seale of the righteousnesse which he had alreadie gotten by fayth Which argument Paule also vsed in his fourth chapter to the Romaines And as Abraham receyued the institution of circumcision simply and plainly as the Lord did appoynt it so he plainely obserued and commended the same to his posteritie For he circumcised Isaac the eyght day according to Gods institution without adding of any other superstitious ryte which thing none that is godly doubteth but that Isaac also did to Iacob his sonne and he agayne to hys twelue children which were the Patriarches of the people of Israell And the holy Ghost would haue fewe things nowe almost remembred touching thys matter that it might thereby appeare howe the holy father s stacke not in these outwarde things but rather had a regarde vnto Gods testament and couenaunt wherein was contayned the promise of saluation than to the outwarde ceremonie The things we reade in the .xvij. of Genesis make for the better vnderstanding hereof In the meane season Steuen plainely
name of Egypt he comprehendeth the abhominable superstition which raigned in that Nation whervpon he sayth they set their myndes againe And in this he noteth the execrable leuitie and inconstancie of them which had so soone forgotten both their grieuous seruitude and bondage and their woonderfull deliuerie and would now imitate and folow them whose names they ought in their harts to haue abhorred This is the fountayne of all vngodlynesse when in our hearts we turne from the worde of God to the presidents and examples of men and studie more to please them than god Forthence springeth that detestable vnstablenesse which maketh vs not onely to forget the lawe of God but quyte putteth out of our remembraunce all the thrall and bondage that before tyme we haue bene in We haue examples hereof in these dayes euerywhere of them who to please the worlde followe the superstitiousnesse thereof and the intollerable yokes of Antichristianitie wherewith before they were oppressed they extenuate and make verye light of bicause they will not seeme to doe wickedly altogyther But after the contempt of Gods law followeth the contempt of Moses which they manifestly expresse in these wordes where they saye As for this Moses which brought vs out of the lande of Aegipt we wote not what is become of him They confesse then the benefite they receyued by Moses meane but of him they wote not what is befallen Yet they sawe him goe vp vnto the mountaine at Gods calling he also bade them to abyde hys comming He appoynted them Hur and Aaron to be his vycares and delegates Yet as though they had bene left doubtfull and vncertayne of all things they dare to complayne them Whereby it appeareth that Moses authoritie was very small with them seeing they coulde wickedly cast the lawe of God from them So alwayes where men in their hartes contempne the worde of God it vseth to breede the contempt and lothing of Gods Mynisters For where Sathan knoweth that God hath set them as labourers and watchmen through whose admonitions we be kept eyther in doing well or else be brought into the waye when we doe erre he laboureth onely how to discredite them and to bring them out of authoritie wyth men And this place teacheth vs what to iudge of them which vse to scoffe and rayle at the Mynisters of the worde Surely by that argument they prooue they are the despysers of God and his worde although they neuer so much denye the same For as he vseth not to contempne the Legate or Ambasadour which honoureth the Prince that sent him so if they had not learned to â—et â—â—d light they coulde not contempne his mynisters and Legateâ— Of these fountaynes beganne Idolatrie to spring For whyle they saye they â—â—ote not what is become oâ— Moses by and by they adde Make 〈…〉 to go before vs Shal we thinke that they were become so madde as to iudge Goddes coulde be made by the handes of men No. But they wouâ—â—e haue some visible signe or token of Gods presence whereby they might be assured of Gods present helpe and wherevnto they might dyrect the ceremonies of their outwarde seruice and worshipping And bycause they had once swarued from the worde to the deuyse of mans reason they cause a golden Calfe to be molten following the Egyptians who worshipped Apis their God in fourme of a Calfe wherein they commit manifolde errour For first they doubte of the presence of God whose many and notable signes they had hitherto seene And now they neyther remember the woonders which he shewed in Egypt and in the redde sea neyther regarde they the piller of clowde and fire that went before their campe neyther are they mindefull of the dreadfull Maiestie that appeared in the mounte of Sinai Next contrarie to the commaundâ—ment of God they make a molten Image wherein they go about to expresse the fourme or shape of God and as the Prophet sayth tourne the Maiestie of their God into the similitude of a Calfe â–ª that eateth haye Therefore they doe God extreme dishonour and make new Goddes while they imagine God to be a farre other maner of one than in deede he is This is the next step to Idolatrie when men are not contented with suche meanes as it pleased God to reueale himselfe by but dare of their owne heades deuise newe meanes God reuealeth himselfe by his worde and Sacraments by the frame and workemanship of this worlde and by his creatures in all which there appeare euident tokens of his godlye wisedome goodnesse iustice and omnipotencie And to the intent that we seeing these thinges might be stirred vp with the coâ—sideration of God and true godlynesse there is nothing almost conteyned in this worlde but the holy ghost hath taken parables out of them whereby he shadoweth out the mysteries of God and our saluation Therfore our eyes on euery side beholde Images consecrated by the worde of God to admonishe vs of our dutie Whosoeuer despyse these Images and follow the reason of the fleshe they can not choose but be polluted with the vice of Idolatrie For that that herein came to passe vnto the Iewes we reade the same also fell out among the Gentyles â–ª And that the Idolatry among the christians sprang of the same cause is more euident than needeth long proofe Furthermore we are taught howe requisite it is that from our childehoode we be well instructed in religion seing the Israelites after so many myracles seene and hearing the worde of God fall agayne to that kinde of Idolatrie that they were vsed to in Egypt After thys newe God foloweth worshipping Wherefore he sayth They offred sacrifice vnto the Calfe Howbeit they woulde seeme to haue offered to the true God that brought them out of the lande of Egypt For they make mention of the true God and Aaron as we reade proclaymed an holye day to the Lorde But bicause this Calfe was neyther true God nor the Image of God for who will say God is like vnto a Calfe they truely are sayde to haue done sacrifice to the Calfe Here therfore thou â—ast what to aunswere them which vnder a 〈◊〉 of godly 〈…〉 worshipping of Images maye be excused and saye that whatsoeuer we 〈◊〉 in the â—â—nour of him is acceptable vnto him â–ª although we sometime 〈◊〉 from the rule ofhis worde But the holy ghost speaking 〈◊〉 Steuen is 〈…〉 ther 〈◊〉 and opinion For all this worshippe resteth in the Images and stâ—etcheth not vnto God whoâ—â— similitude they represen◠〈◊〉 For 〈◊〉 should Idols represent God which is the truth it self â–ª which Idols or Images â–ª the Prophet calleth lying Schoolemaysters â–ª And if thou wilâ— say â—hys worship streâ—cheth yet further I will confesse it is doâ—e in deede to the deuill who is both the father of lyes and onely delyghted in lyes Thys sawe Paule when in the first Epistle to the Corinthians the tenth chapter he wrâ—te The thinges that the Gentiles offer
God in what place so euer they be sayd So God heard Ionas praying in the belly of the Whale â–ª and Daniels fellowes crying out of the fornace found how God was able to deliuer them And the roaring of the Lyons could not let but that Daniels prayers ascended vp before the Lorde Unto these is added an other argument taken of the place whereby he prooueth the worshipping of God not to be tyed to the Tabernacle For he sayth it had no abyding place but was caried vp and downe for fower hundred yeares vntill the time of Dauid who was the first that through the singuler goodnesse of god had by the Aungell a place shewed vnto him where the Temple shoulde be builded which thing we reade he obtayned by most hartie and feruent prayers where he sayth I will not come within the Tabernacle of my house nor climbe vp into my bedde I will not suffer myne eyes to sleepe nor myne eye liddes to slumber neyther the Temples of my head to take any rest vntil I finde out a place for the Temple of the Lord an habitation for the mightie God of Iacob See the hystorie in the second booke of Samuel 24. chap. Item in the first of the Chronicles .xxj. chap. Before this time the Scripture playnely teacheth that the Tabernacle had no resting place For first it was placed in Silo where it seemeth it rested vnto the time of Heli. Whyle Saule was king it was first in Gilgal then in Nobe one of the Cities of the Priestes Under Dauid it was placed in Gabaon At length all the things belonging to it were by Salomon layde vp in the Temple as it had bene some singuler treasure Who nowe that is in his witte will say that the worshipping of god and meane of saluation was tyed vnto the Tabernacle where it had neuer no sure abyding place It is worthy to be diligently considered where he sayth it was through the singuler grace of God that Dauid knewe a certayne place wherein God would be worshipped vntill the time of correction This made for the confirmation and stabilitie of his kingdome which thing Ieroboam euidentlye obserued who perceyued that his kingdome could not be firme stable without some certayne place house for religion In the meane season we learne that this is a singuler gift of god vpon earth if externe religion be firmly established and that men may safely follow it This is a most strong bande to conserue Ecclesiasticall vnitie and an vnspeakeable argument of Gods goodnesse and fauour They that lyue vnder the tyrannous persecutors of the church acknowledge this thing and earnestly desire the same Let vs likewise acknowledge it which liue in rest peace least we prouoke the wrath of God by our notorious vnkindenesse and being in aduersitie let vs vnderstande howe great a commoditie that is which nowe a dayes so many men make so little account of Nowe hauing discoursed the thinges belonging to the Tabernacle he entreth to reason of the Temple also which succeeded in the Tabernacles place and which had the very same vse the Tabernacle had And this the scripture declareth was builded by Salomon whereas before tyll religion had a place appoynted there was none But bicause Dauid through diuine reuelation knew this place the Iewes seemed not all in vayne to thinke that the true worshipping of God was in that place onelye where Steuen sharpely rebuketh their blockheadnesse For although he graunt them that the Temple was builded by Gods appoyntment yet he by and by agayne sayth But hee that is the highest dwelleth not in Temples made with handes And bicause he would not be reprooued of rashnesse he bringeth the words of God speaking on this wise in Esay 66. cap. Heauen is my seate the earth is my footestoole what maner of house will you builde vnto me sayth the Lord or which is the place of my rest Hath not my hande made all these things By arguments taken of his owne nature he prooueth that he is included in no certain place nor hath no neede of these things which are done by men For he that is of all power and might and whom the heauen of heauens is not able to receyue as Salomon himselfe confesseth 1. Reg. 8. it is impossible that he can be conteyned within any house Agayne he that is the Creator and maker of all things hath no neede of our benefites as is declared at large Psal. 50. These things serue both for our consolation and instruction For whereas God is euerywhere he may therefore euerywhere be worshipped so that we neede to be neyther troubled with ouermuch costes ne yet with any great labour about the same And for bicause he hath no neede of our goodes the true trade of worshipping him and his fauour can not consist in such things Therfore it is a fowle and filthie error of these hypocrytes which when they had done these things thought they had fully discharged their duties vnto god Wherefore it behooueth vs rather to consider what the true vse and meaning of these outwarde things is They consist of time place ceremonies Tyme and place is conuenient for order sake For as it behooueth vs to appoynt certayne dayes for religion to be obserued on so the same cannot be done but in some place also But as saluation is not tyed to obseruation of dayes no more is it to this or that place Yet these things haue their vse in religion For they serue for the vse of the holy congregations whome it behooueth oftentimes to meete togither by reason of the preaching of the worde publike prayers and administring of the sacramentes And bycause Temples be appoynted to these exercises therefore they shoulde be exempt from all prophane and secular vsances Which was the cause that Aggeus the Prophet so much called on the building vp of the Temple But let vs not supersticiously be tyed in opinion to the ouermuch reuerencing of the place Nowe the vse of the Ceremonies appointed by God for of mans constitutions here is no one worde such as common custome calleth Sacraments is to seale or confirme vnto vs the benefites of God and therefore they lift vp our mindes by contemplation of fayth into heauen and admonishe vs of our duties both to God and to man These things it be commeth vs well to obserue and to be contented with them least being occupied in outwarde things we be wrapped in the olde errour of the Iewes and so lose the heauenly goodes Let vs therefore worship God the father in spirite and in truth who hath fully giuen vs in his sonne our onely Priest and Sauiour Iesus Christ all those things which he sometimes figured to the fathers in signes of ceremonies and the Temple to him be prayse honor power and glory for euer Amen The .liiij. Homelie YE stiffe necked and of vncircumcised harts and eares you haue alwayes resisted the holy ghost As your fathers did so doe you
common weales These and infynite such like thyngs it is to be thought recourced to Paules minde bycause he was a man which by long experience had learned what was meete in euery thing to be done But leauing all these reasons he setteth boldlye on the matter teaching them that are occupyed in Gods vocation by his example to admit no reasons of the flesh that might procure them from doyng their dutie For if the Prophetes and Apostles had bene ruled by such reasons neuer shoulde anye of them haue done his dutie but rather lyke Ionas they shoulde haue prouided for themselues to haue escaped by the sea For we see Moses straue agaynst Gods commaundement and refused the charge as long as he followed his owne reason and compared his impediment of speach and lacke of skill with Gods commaundements Let vs consider therefore that all thinges depende vppon Gods will and pleasure and not ours who can easily make the way plaine for them that walke in his calling For he is a sharpe double edged sworde piercing euen into the marrowe he is a deuouring fyre and deuiding the very stones Being therefore encouraged herewith let vs boldly enterprise whatsoeuer god commaundeth vs leauing to him the successe of the matter which cannot be other than ioyful vnto such as folow his conduct leading Furthermore Luke declareth the order that Paule followed in setting forth the kingdome of Christ among the Athenians First he reasoned with the Iewes touching that matter bicause he knewe they woulde the more easily giue eare vnto him if he brought Moses and the Prophetes This done he taketh those to instruct which had tasted of syncere fayth and religion by keeping company with the Iewes but yet were not fully enformed And hauing nowe layde this foundation he talketh with euery one he met withall in the market and went so farre that the Philosophers wherof the Citie had abundance beganne to dispute agaynst him And among diuers sectes of them the Epicures and Stoikes chieflye encountred with him who being of contrary opinions one to another coulde yet agree togither to set vpon the Minister of truth For the Epicures being the enimies of all wisedome and good learning did set perfyte felicitie in pleasure yet honest pleasure as they sayde as which conteyned in it quietnesse of mynde and health of body but climbing no higher than this they were authors of most absurde opinions which sprang hereof For where the feare of God and consideration of the lyfe to come stryketh mennes consciences in dread and maketh all worldly things vnpleasant they denyed the prouidence of God and also the life to come For they fabled that God walked vppe and downe from one side of heauen to another and had no regarde of mortall mennes affayres and that the soules died aswell as the bodies Insomuch that they vsed this Sardanapalus like saying Eate drinke make mery without any measure for after death there is no pleasure The Stoikes vtterly differing from them taught all felicitie and blysse to stande in vertue whych opinion though it seeme plausible and godly yet it pulled men from God as much as the Epicures did bicause it taught men to seeke felicitie in the merites of their owne workes Agayne bicause they perceyued the studye of vertue was disturbed and troubled by affections they woulde haue the followers of felicitie to be voyde thereof so that neyther they shoulde reioyce in prosperitie nor shewe any signifycation of sadnesse in aduersitie making of men stones and stockes deuoyde of those naturall motions and affections whereby parents and children are ledde one to loue another Furthermore by a certayne concatenation and connexion of causes they imagined a fatall necessity or destiny whervnto they made god also subiect These things teach vs with whom Paule had to doe and also admonish vs who are at this day euer haue bene the enimies of the gospell and of true doctrine For although in times passed the names of Epicures and Stoikes were in vse among the gentiles only yet were there among the people of God that were of their opinion be also in these daies Surely Nabal somtime among the Iewes sayd There is no God and Dauid testifyeth there were innumerable other of the same opinion Psal. 14. 53. Such were they also that sayd The Lord shall not see neyther shall the God of Iacob regard it Touching the later times in the which we are there are prophecies extant both of Christ the Apostles which euidently teach vs that Epicures trade and sect shal reigne among vs For Christ saith As it came to passe in the dayes of Noah so shall it be in the daies of the sonne of man they did eate and drink they maried and were maryed euen vnto that same day that Noah went into the Arke c. And Peter prophecieth that there shall come mockers in the later days which shall walk after their owne concupiscence saye where is the promise of his comming for since the fathers died all things continue in the same estate c. And such we see euerywhere now a dayes which although they directly professe not Epicures opinion yet liue they so that euery man may easily perceiue they beleeue there is neyther God nor life to come And they cannot abide the light of the Gospell bicause by it as Christ sayth their euill workes are reprooued In like wise may the Stoikes opinion be founde in all ages For this opinion helde the Phariseyes sometime among the Iewes who as they trusted in the ryghteousnesse of their owne works so were they the greatest enimies of christ This sect as we sawe in the .xv. Chapter bredde great disquietters in the Primitiue Church mingling the lawe and the Gospell togither and the merites of works with fayth In the dayes of the fathers and Doctors sprang the Pelagians the maynteyners of the same doctrine And if a man woulde search for the lyke in our age he should fynde the Monkes whome we may truly call the sworne Disciples of Zeno. For beside that they ascrybe felicitie vnto their owne vertues they teach also and earnestly exact such indolencie and want of griefe as the Stoikes did and go about to pull vppe by the rootes those affections which Nature hath sowen in the minde of man For what else doe they whyle they commaunde parentes to cast of their owne children and to penne them vp in monasteries while they also teach the children to put away all the loue and care of their parentes and to addict themselues wholye to Moonkishe rules It is knowen both to Barbers and bleare eyed as they say what hard and vnworthy things eyther to be spoken or beleeued they beate into tender mindes Such as these are must needes be enimies of the Gospell which accuseth and condemneth these madde and furious errors But we must not therefore gyue place vnto them but rather according to Paules ensample stryue earnestly agaynst them And what
the meane season and how some beleeued the promisse of god and some not touching euery of the which points we shall speake in order And first of all we haue to consider the Mariners who being in the Adriaticke sea and perceiuing by certaine markes that the lande was not farre of vsed all the diligence that they coulde to gette vnto the shore For letting downe a plumbet of lead by a long line they sounded for the depth of the sea and prepared all other things necessary for that present season which might seeme to be a worke of faith considering they so buckled and framed themselues vnto the promisse of god But when they had cast out their plumbet the seconde time and perceyued that the sea waxed verie shaule being stricken with a newe feare and forgetting the promise and oracle of God they go aboute dishonestly to runne awaye for they hoyse ouer the boate and gette them downe into it and make as though they woulde hoyse out the ankers aforeship where as they meant to prouide for themselues and to leaue the passengers destitute of all hope and sâ—â—coure Heere appeareth the propertie of the fleshe and of all suche as purpose to followe the waye and reason thereof These men at the firste are delyghted with the promyses of God and frame themselues accordingly that is when the successe of things agreeth with the promyses and when they thinke euerie thing will go forwarde and well But assoone as daungers begyn once to appeare that dashe their hope of successe they playnely renounce their fayth and turne them to the counsels of the flesh and shewe themselues moste dishoneste persons bothe towarde God and man And that these Mariners dyd we see the people of Israell dyd also who when they fyrste hearde that God had promysed to sette them at libertie embraced the deuice and counsell of God with great reuerence But Pharao vexed with the demaunde or request of Moyses and Aaron began to handle them more seruilely than before then forgat they the promise of God and fell to reâ—yling saying The Lord looke vnto you and iudge you which hath made the sauour of vs to stinke in the eyes of Pharao and in the eyes of his seruantes and haue put a sworde in their hande to sley vs. And the same people when they shoulde go out of Egipt laden wyth golde and costly apparell tooke their iourney ioyfully But when they came to the red Sea and sawe the Host of their enimies harde at their backes they by and by accused Moyses and Aaron the faythfull seruauntes of God of treason and murther Exod. 14. Agayne being miraculously delyuered out of that daunger they declared their ioye of myndes wyth singing But anone after perceyuing want and scarcitie of meate and drinke they turne agayne to their murmuring and complayning But what neede we rehearse this of the Israelites seeing we haue euerie where in these dayes the lyke examples And this is commonly the chiefe cause why men fall from the fayth and forgetting the commaundementes of God neglecte their dutie Let vs learne therefore to abandon the counsell of the fleshe which so disagreeth with the worde of God and in our temptations haue a respect onely vnto hys worde and not vnto the fleshe For the fleshe by reason it can see nothing but the presente state of things doth quickly dispayre But true faâ—th grounded vppon the worde of God onely cannot fall 〈◊〉 fâ—lter 〈…〉 knoweth that God is 〈◊〉 of whose wyll she is certified by hys worde See the 〈◊〉 of Abraham whiche Paul â–ª handleth in the fourthe to the Romaines diligently and trimly Agayne in these marâ—â—â—â—â— we may see what the propertie of suche bolde and confident persones is as despise◠〈…〉 and refuse godly and faythfull admonitions For thus wee see they dyd before â–ª where then persuaded the Centurion to sayle from Candâ—â—â— to the counsell of Paule But when they had brought bothe 〈…〉 and others in daunger then were they lyke â—asâ—atdes afraide 〈◊〉 sought dishonestly to forsake their tackle and compaâ—â—e This is the propertie of all those whiche are dronken in the 〈◊〉 of their owne wisedome The lyke partes also play seditious persones and those that are aucthoures of rebellion in common weales when daungers are on euery side at hand they conuey themselues away Thus Chore when he had made a stirre and vproare through oute the campe he setteth himselfe quiet in hys tente Num. 16. And Absalon while his souldioures are in the fight rideth himselfe vpon a Mule taking his pleasure and pastime when all other were in daunger These examples teache vs to suspect suche kinde of men and not to despise the wholesome counsell of sage and sober persons which we see agreeable with the worde of God. Nowe let vs returne vnto Paule who throughe the secrete instincte of the holy Ghoste perceiuing the Marriners intent admonished the Captaine and souldioures to disappointe this thing Heere we haue diligently to consider the woordes of Paule Except these men sayth he abide in the ship you can not be safe Yet God before this had promised them all their safetie whose Counsels can not be frustrate or made vaine Howe then can they not escape except the Marriners abide in the shippe Doth the truthe of Goddes promisse depende vppon the false Marriners But Paule reasoneth not in this place of the absolute power of god who might easely haue deliuered them oute of all daunger without helpe eyther of Marriners or shippe But bicause hee had no certaine promisse of miraculous deliuery yea hee was tolde that they muste all be cast a lande into a certaine Ilande hee thoughte the order of nature and the remedies that were at hande were not to be despised least by ouermuche confidence and truste in Goddes promisse hee shoulde make them to tempt god Which Example teacheth vs that the prouidence of God and the faithe that consisteth therein is no lette vnto the godly to vse all other lawfull and ordinary meanes For God will haue the order appoynted by him to bee obserued as by many Examples may bee declared In sowing of corne the Scripture teacheth vs that nothing succedeth except God giue the increase But the same Scripture testifieth that God hathe appointed this order that the grounde shoulde bee tilled by oure laboure and so muste receiue blessing from heauen and bee made fitte to beare corne So in the gouernaunce of an house wee knowe that all endeuoure is superfluous onlesse the Lorde builde the house And yet in the scripture diligent and careful housholders are commended and in setting forthe the praises of a good huswife or matrone the holy Ghoste mighte 〈◊〉 almost too industrious and carefull Therefore Paule dothe well in thinking the Marriners oughte not to bee lette goe althoughe hee nothing douâ—red in the promisse of God following the Example of Christe who where hee certainely knewe that he was commended to the ministerie and tuition
great and eternall deuyse and counsell of God concerning the redemption of mankind For Paule teacheth that we were chosen in him before the foundations of the worlde were layde And Peter sayth he was predestinate or foreordeyned from euerlasting that we shoulde be redeemed through his merit We must thinke it is not without a cause that he is sayd to haue appeared to Moyses For hereby it is euident that Christ tooke not his beginning when he was borne of the virgin Marie but that he was froÌ„ euerlasting yea and talked with the fathers in tymes past of such thinges as belonged to their saluation For although he yet was not incarnate and made man yet in his diuine power and goodnesse he coulde not choose but helpe and deliuer them of whom in the time appointed he ment to take his manhoode Therefore he sayth he was before Abraham and that Abraham sawe him And Daniel sawe in the Clowdes of heauen a Iudge lyke vnto the sonne of a man which came vnto the olde aged Furthermore Peter plainly confesseth that the Prophetes in tymes past were inspired with the spirite of Christ and so prophecied of things to come Therefore great is the temeritie of those which vtterly refuse all the olde Prophetes and say their bookes belong not at all vnto vs whereas both they were illuminated with Christes spirite and diuers and sundrye wayes bare witnesse of him See Iohn 5. Luc. 24. Lette vs rather acknowledge the goodnesse of God which in times past did vouchsafe to declare himself to the old fathers and by this meane woulde set forth vnto vs how to knowe the antiquitie and certaintie of our beliefe Furthermore Steuen diligently teacheth vs in what fourme and fashion Christ appeared vnto Moyses For he sayth the Aungell of the Lorde which was Christ appeared to Moyses in a flame of fire in a bushe This is the auncient guise vsage of God to talke with men in times past in some visible liknesse which men were not able to abide his godly nature and maiestie We haue examples euerywhere in the hystories of the Patriarches and Prophetes This causeth men to be attent and heedefull and to be in admiration of God which otherwise woulde carelesly contemne all godlynesse yet God for the most part tooke on him such formes and shapes as were most agreeable with the present affayres times and persons Which thing we also see done in this place For he woulde by a fiery bushe set before Moyses eyes the condicion and state of his people which were afflicted in Egypt They burned being incensed with the cruell tyrannie of Pharao but they were not consumed bicause the sonne of God was in the middle of them which at the time appoynted shoulde take his manhoode of the posteritie of them And this is the state of the Church in all ages in the consideration wherof it shal be profitable for vs often to be occupied It is like a bramble bushe a weake feeble flock but such as cannot easily be scattred abrode bicause thorowe faith it is most straightly knit and ioyned in Christ the heade thereof Therefore as husbandmen put fire vnto brambles and thornes cleauing one to another to burne them altogither so this worlde putteth the fire of persecution to the Church and with one fire goeth about to destroye it all at once And Christ suffereth this fire to be kindled bicause it is needefull this way to haue the fayth of his people to be tryed and the fleshe to be kept vnder and bridled yet he suffreth not his Church vtterly to be consumed but is himselfe in the middle thereof For he sayeth I will not leaue you comfortlesse I am with you vnto the ende of the worlde Hitherto belong whatsoeuer things God hath done for the defence of his Church since the beginning of the world Caine first set fire to it who though he killed his brother Abel yet he could not destroy his fayth and much lesse hinder God from raysing vp a freshe spring of his Church in Seth. Neyther after that could the mightie men which went before the floud any thing let but when they perished as they deserued God could marueylously preserue certaine remnaunts of his Church through the benefite of the Arke This bushe burned often also in the time of the Iudges but it was alwaye preserued by Gods aide and assistance It burned in Babylon from whence yet the Lorde brought it agayne and deliuered it It burned more than once after their returne from Babylon and at length when Antiochus reygned it seemed almost past recouerie when God raysed vp the Machabees who restored Gods religion and brought the people to their libertie agayne It burned after Christ was borne whole three hundred yeares almost vntill the time of Constantine the great Yet God neuer fayled it who is able to defende his people in the middle of the fire as he sometime did Daniels felowes It burneth euen at this day and there be euerywhere such as put firebrandes vnder it and inflame the mightyest Monarches of the worlde with hatred agaynst hir Yet shall they neuer preuayle so much as they woulde but shall feele the wrath of Gods vengeaunce in whose sight the death of those that be his is precious and will not suffer the bloude of hys belooued to be vnreuenged Yea whyle the persecuting tyraunts put fire vnder the Church they lyke drie woode are consumed with the fire of Gods iudgement the Church in the meane whyle abyding in the middle of the fire of persecution lyke a Leade or Cauldron where mettall tryers melt and get out golde and siluer See what is sayde of these similitudes Zacharie 12. and .13 But let vs come to his calling whereby he is restored to the office which he beganne to execute fortie yeares before This calling hath in it certaine pointes the consideration wherof is verie profitable First God declareth who hee is least Moses might doubt any thing of the certainetie of his vocation For he sayth to him as he was amazed with the sight of the bushe burning I am the God of thy fathers the God of Abraham the God of Isaac the God of Iacob It pleased God among many of his styles to vse this tytle chiefely to call to Moses remembraunce the couenaunt made with Abraham and the promises made long before vnto the fathers declaring thereby that he was not forgetfull of his couenaunt and promyses although he hytherto suffered the people to be afflicted By which example we are taught that in aduersitie we should chiefely haue respect to Gods promises which God can neyther forget nor fayle to perfouâ—me Yea we see the truth of Gods promises so infallible that God forsaketh not the deade whome he hath once taken to his tuition For hee is the Lorde both of lyfe and death Wherefore neyther lyfe nor death can seperate vs from the loue of god For whether we liue or die we be