and clamor with vniust force wyth stones swordes firebrandes and whatsoeuer other instrumentes of the power of darckenesse With these we reade the Prophetes were in tymes past assaulted With such they disputed agaynst christ And the hystorie following will shewe howe they vsed the same agaynst the Apostles But bicause Christ hath many times giuen vs warning of these thinges we must not be offended at the same Let vs therefore be so prepared that they light not vpon vs vnawares and vnlooked for It is worthy of great obseruation and heede that whyle they rage most in violence and wrong yet they seeme to obserue a kinde of lawe and equitie For bicause they had accused him of blasphemie agaynst God and false doctrine therefore they gyue him the punishment appoynted of God for blasphemers and seducers And the witnesses as is prescribed in the law threwe the first stones at him which to doe with the more ease they put of their apparel and deliuer it vnto Saule to keepe who after he was conuerted vnto Christ was called Paule Therefore here wanteth nothing belonging to the forme of lawe And Steuen myght seeme iustly to haue suffered and according to the lawe But that is not alwayes lawfully done which hath a shewe of lawe and we must deepely wey the causes of punishments or else we shall grieuouslye erre in our iudgement In the meane season marke howe God sometime suffreth the wicked with whose rage he will haue his people exercised to fyll vp the measure of their wickednesse And by example of the witnesses we are taught howe farre impietie proceedeth if it be not stopped at the beginning They sinned in bearing of false wytnesse being neyther ignoraunt of the lawe of God neyther of the punishment appoynted for false wytnesses And they are not afrayde that Salomon sayth the Lorde hateth and vtterly abhorreth a false witnesse They are not yet contented to haue committed so horrible a fault but they go further and embrue their handes with innocent bloude where also they were not ignorant of that that is written in the lawe touching murtherers So true it is that Salomon sayth when the wicked are once ouer their shooes there is no hoe with them Let vs therefore feare the entycing beginnings of sinne least whyle they instill into vs an hatred to the worde of God we sticking fast in the toughe myer thereof be at length wholye swallowed vp of the great gulfe of vngodlynesse The things sayde of Saule who as it is written consented to the death of the holye man and receyued great pleasure therein make a waye and preparation to the hystorie following and for the setting forth of the glory of god But of these things more shall be sayde in their place It remayneth that we declare howe Steuen behaued himselfe when he was put to this cruell death where three thinges are tolde of him First he called vpon the Lorde which thing we beleeue he continually vsed to doe And it is expressed that he prayed in three wordes Lorde Iesu receyue my spirite These wordes haue in them the confession of a true fayth and an argument and token of a great and strong beliefe For being on euery side beset with the terrors of death yet he acknowledgeth and confesseth that Christ is his Sauiour folowing the example of the theefe crucified with Christ. Further he beleeueth that the soules dye not in death but passe to the state of a better life yea he knoweth that euen in death through fayth in Christ men fynde lyfe This is a great prayse of fayth that euen then it is inuincible and comforteth vs when all other helpes fayle Also Steuens example teacheth vs to whome to commende our soules when we be at the poynt of death Not to Saintes as the superstitious vse but vnto Christ our Lorde who as he hath redeemed them with the pryce of his bloude so by his resurrection he hath ouercome death and by his ascention into heauen hath prepared for vs a place in the which we shall be gathered vnto him Secondarily Steuen sheweth a token of charitie which can not be seperated from fayth For folowing the example and commaundement of Christ he prayeth for his enimies that God woulde not punishe them for their sinne as they deserued This reprooueth the wickednesse of his enimies which put him to death as an enimie of the common weale which witnesseth by his last wysh he made that no man was more desirous of all mennes welfare than he But this is the state of the vngodly in this worlde the chiefe cause of whose infelicitie is this that they neyther can knowe their benefactors nor beware of the most daungerous enimies of the publike weale Let vs learne to extende our charitie euen to the ingratefull and with godly prayers commende them to God which moste grieuously offende agaynst vs And let vs not suffer our selues to be feared with the wickednesse of men forasmuch as Gods iudgements be vnknown to vs and God lightly vseth not to reueale vnto euery man who they be that are incurable amongest men as we reade he did sometime vnto Ieremie 7.14.15 cap. Let vs also be stirred vppe with the effect of this prayer which the conuersion of Saule alone prooueth was not fruitelesse Last of all is sayd that Steuen hauing thus spoken fell on sleepe whom yet his enimies hoped now with his doctrine to haue now bene cleane dispatched out of the way The scripture oftentimes vseth this word slepe speaking of the death of the godly For so is the condicion propertie of death set forth Death is the resolution or dissolution of man consisting of soule and body In this death the soule neyther dyeth nor sleepeth but passeth into lyfe euerlasting as Christ sayth Iohn 5. Wherevpon death hath aptly bene called a passing into heauen The body is sayde to sleepe bicause it is layde in the earth as it were to sleepe out of the which in the latter daye it shall be raysed vp by Christ that it may also enioye the blysse of heauenly lyfe There are euerywhere testimonies of Scripture concerning these things and occasion shall serue oftentimes to intreate of the same Wherefore we nowe meane to be briefe Let vs set Steuen before vs to imitate that when we shall depart this lyfe our soules being gone before to the dwellings of the blessed and happy we being at the last gloriously raysed vp also in body may attayne to the inheritance of the kingdome of heauen through Iesus Christ our Lorde to whome be prayse honour power and glory for euer Amen The eyght chapiter vpon the Actes of the Apostles The .lvj. Homelie AT that tyme there was a great persecution agaynst the congregation which was at Hierusalem and they were all scattered abrode throughout the regions of Iurie and Samarie except the Apostles But deuout men dressed Steuen and made great lamentation ouer him As for Saule he made hauocke of the
the exchaungers of money Next vnto these are Kinges Princes and all the great trayne of noble menne in this worlde For superstition is gainefull vnto them also bicause vnder the pretence hereof they prouide for numbers of their children and the defence of their dignitie whyle by their authoritie they thrust them into Bishopprickes Abbacies and Cardynalshippes which perhaps otherwyse should be set to Marchaunts trade or to get their lyuing with their hands which seemeth to them the heynousest matter in the worlde Nowe both these sortes togyther helpe the inferior sort of the commons which lyue eyther by Monkes and priestes or by these nobles For these commons being of a seruile nature and disposition and fearing to dye for famishment are soone perswaded to anye thing by these Demetrij Adde vnto all these such as eyther desire and seeke to lyue lycentiously or else such as follow their pleasures and gaines by mischieuous meanes as are vsurers whoremongers drunkardes hyred Souldyours and all such other lyke For these people bicause their workes be naught would not be reprooued and therefore they wishe the lyght of the gospell which bewrayeth their dooings at once extinguished These I say are the begynners of sedition against the gospell as no man can denye which will dyligently viewe the vsage of our dayes But chiefely Demetrius oration is to be considered the proposition and state whereof is that Paule ought not to be suffered which by his doctrine draweth men from the olde religion He confyrmeth his proposition wyth three reasons or arguments which vse to be of great force in the kinde deliberatiue The fyrst is taken of commoditie or profyte wherevnto the hungryer and poorer sorte haue alwayes a specyall regarde you knowe sayth he that by this craft we haue aduauntage What remayneth then but that you must perishe for hunger if you suffer your occupation to be ouerthrowne by Paules doctrine The second reason he borroweth of necessitie you see and heare that not onely at Ephesus but almost throughout all Asia thys Paule hath perswaded c. Therfore this matter can be driuen of or borne with no longer but it is needefull with speede to prouyde a remedie The thirde argument he fetcheth of honestie saying Not onely this our craft commeth into perill to be set at naught but also the Temple of the great Goddesse Diana should be despised and hir magnificence destroyed whome all Asia and the worlde worshyppeth As though he should say O companions what infamie shall we purchase vnto our selues if we suffer that religion to decay amongst vs which hath bene so many ages of so great authoritie in all the worlde Also in this oration appeare the craftes and vsages of the wicked who incensed and led with the desyre of priuate lucre onely wyll yet be counted for the defenders of religion Such an one doth the holye-ghost describe Caiaphas to be Iohn 11. Such are the talkes of the Monkes in these dayes and of all those which vpholde and maintaine Poperie amongst whome a man shall scarce fynde one so plaine as this Demetrius which doth not dissemble but that his chiefest respect was for hys priuate gaine and aduauntage Let vs learne to suspect these clamoures and to marke better wherevnto they tende It appeareth also in this place with what arguments most times the wicked vse to defende their superstition Uerily with the consent of the vnlearned multitude with the authoritie of kings and princes with the pompe and shewe of outwarde holynesse with contynuaunce of tyme but chiefely with the pretence of priuate gaine and aduauntage These things are common nowe a dayes if a man would marke the talke of our aduersaries But it is a foule fault for christians to vse the argumentes of the heathen in matters of religion which ought to be iudged and determyned by scripture onely Fynally by Demetrius owne saying may be gathered what force and power the gospell is of For he confesseth that by Paules teaching in two yeares space that famous temple was brought in daunger which all Asia was in buylding about the space of two hundred and twentie yeares as we declared erewhyle and which the barbarous people spared in the Persian warres where they set fyre on all other churches He complayneth also that all mennes mindes for the most part were turned from worshipping of Diana But it is euident this coulde be done by no mannes power or authoritie We are also taught that men haue then profyted well in the Gospell when their mindes are wholy turned from superstition and Idolatrie For as long as they hang in suspence hereof it is certaine their mindes are not lightened with the truth Let vs therefore examine our selues after this rule and casting awaye all superstition turne with feruent fayth to Iesus Christ our Lorde to whom be prayse honor power and glorye for euer Amen The Cxxix Homelie WHEN they hearde these sayinges they were full of wrath and cryed out saying Great is Diana of the Ephesians And all the Citie was on a rore and they rushed into the common hall with one assent and caught Gaius and Aristarchus men of Macedonia Paules companions When Paule woulde haue entred in vnto the people the Disciples suffred him not But certayne of the chiefe of Asia which were his friendes sent vnto him desiring him that he woulde not preace into the common hall Some therefore cryed one thing and some another and the congregation was all out of quiet the more part knewe not wherefore they were come togither Some of the company drewe forth Alexander the Iewes thrusting hym forwardes But Alexander beckened with the hande and would haue gyuen the people an aunswere When they knewe that he was a Iewe there arose a showte almost for the space of two houres of all men crying great is Diana of the Ephesians THe Euaungelist Luke by the instinct of the holye Ghost setteth out in thys booke not onely the persecutions layde vppon the Apostles by Magistrates and order of lawe but also the raging seditions of the furious commons amongst which this deserueth to be counted the chiefe which was begonne by Demetrius agaynst Paule at Ephesus The vse of this and all other lyke serueth for two causes speciallye First they serue for the instruction of the Ministers that they be not offended with the tumultes of the seditious commons as at anye straunge and rare thing nor leaue not their duetie vndone for feare of them But rather they must consider that the Church in thys worlde is as it were a Barke or vessell tossed to and fro with wynde and tyde whose Pylate Christ seemeth sometime to be on sleepe as the storie of the gospell declareth Math. 4. Let them also remember that it can not scarcely be chosen but seditions must be bycause there are euerye where so many which can not brooke the doctrine of the gospell for that it maketh eyther agaynst their gaine dignitie or licentious lyuing And our sauyour Christ prophecied
else to the fyre But he respected the promises of Christ wherewith he was so emboldened that no daunger coulde feare him to doe his duetie It is also a token of singuler modestie that he yeeldeth to better counsell and doth not obstinately vrge that which was both daungerous and had little profyte ioyned therewith Let euerye manne followe this example bicause we see many times the greatest wyttes in their owne daungers knowe least what waye or counsell to take It is also worthye the noting that Paule hath great men to his friendes A fewe such we reade Christ had amongst whome Nicodemus and Ioseph are counted the chiefe Iohn 12.3 Math. 27. Here the error of the Anabaptistes is refelled which saye that a christian ought to beare no office But chiefely we learne howe vaine the defence and succour of the worlde is seing their authoritie coulde not keepe Paule from daunger of sedition It becommeth vs therefore to put all our hope and trust in God alone and not in Princes or in the children of men for there is no helpe in them Psalme 146. And that this is the vse of this present example Paule teacheth in hys seconde Epistle to the Corinthians the fyrst chapter Nowe Luke commeth to the seditious of whome he reporteth two things First some sayth he cryed one thing some an other and the most part knewe not wherefore they were come togyther This is a peculiar thing in the time of sedition that like a flowing streame it caryeth many away with it being vtterly ignoraunt of the meaning thereof and a great many good men also euen against their will. Therefore such would be appeased rather by counsell and reason then by force For if force be vsed commonly the Innocentes drinke for it the wicked beginners slylie slipping awaye A dolorous example whereof Germany sawe when in the yere of our Lorde a thousande fyue hundred twentie and fyue horrible streames of husbandmens bloude almost ouerflowed hir Let Princes therefore haue in minde rather that saying of the Prophet where they are commaunded to holde their subiects liues deere Psalm 72. Moreouer the Iewes thrust forwarde one Alexander who by all likelyhoode was one of Paules friendes and drewe him forth bicause they ment to bring him in daunger He desired silence and woulde haue giuen a reason and an accounte of things attempted touching religion But when they perceyued he was a Iewe and an enimie of heathen superstition they turne to their furious exclamations againe and for two houres long fyll all the Citie with the noyse of their Diana For as the belly lacketh eares so commonly they are deafe and wyll heare no reason which mooue sedition for the bellyes sake And this is the contynuall practise of the wicked to barke against the truth wyth furious clamours which otherwyse they knowe is inuincible In the meane season the faintnesse of a great many is reprooued who knowing the truth are yet altogyther colde in the confessing thereof and regarde not the zeale of the vngodlye whome they see bolde euen in the defence of superstition Let vs learne therefore what state the truth standeth in in this worlde and beyng armed wyth the constancie of fayth let vs stowtely beare out whatsoeuer God sendeth that we maye vanquishe all aduersity through Iesus Christ our Lorde to whom be all praise honour power and glorye for euer Amen The Cxxx. Homely WHEN the towne Clarke had ceased the people he sayde yee men of Ephesus what man is it that knoweth not howe that the Citie of the Ephesians is a worshipper of the great Goddesse Diana and of the Image that came from heauen Seing then that no manne sayth here against yee ought to be content and to doe nothing rashly for ye haue brought hyther these men which are neyther robbers of Churches nor yet despysers of your Goddesse VVherefore if Demetrius and the craftesmen which are with him haue a matter agaynst any manne the lawe is open and their Rulers let them accuse one another But if you go about any other thing it shall bee determined in a lawfull congregation For we are in ieoperdye to be accused of this dayes vprore forasmuch as there is no cause whereby we maye giue a reckoning of this concourse of people And when he had thus spoken hee let the assembly depart WE haue hearde the sedition that Demetrius raised against Paule described by Luke Where beside the propertie of the furious people we noted diuers pointes wherein Paule was chiefely to be considered First he boldly and constantlye woulde haue ventured to go in among the people mynding to haue giuen an account openly both of his fayth and doctrine But seeing he coulde not be permitted so to doe he keepeth him among his friends committing the whole successe of the matter vnto God yet so as he swarued not a nayle breadth from the truth nor yet dissembled anye thing for cowardlye feare Which example admonisheth vs what we shoulde doe in lyke case or in open persecution Before all things it becommeth vs according to Peter the Apostles precept to be ready to giue an account to euerye manne that demaundeth it 1. Pet. 3. But when the enimies shall so raue that there is no place for truth and the confession therof we must proceede warily and wiselye least we put our selfe in daunger without Gods calling and so tempt him In the meane season let vs be constaunt in acknowledging the truth and wayte the Lordes leysure who neuer forsaketh them that put their trust in him and who by his wisedome and power is able easily to cease and alaye all cruell tempestes This present hystorye sheweth vs an ensample hereof where God appeaseth a very daungerous sedition to all seeming by the help of one Scribe or Towneclarke and such a one as the whole course of his Oration proueth manifestly to haue had no vnderstanding in Christes religion where the power of God appeareth the more seeing he vseth the reprobate and their helpe in the defence of his people Let vs examine the Towneclarkes Oration throughout all the partes thereof the chiefe ende whereof is to represse the seditious tumult of the vnruly people himselfe in the meane season being little carefull for religion He beginneth with that the most vexed these seditious They stoode in great feare of their Diana for hir sake they so cryed out as we haue heard before bicause if the worshipping of hir were layde awaye they sawe their gayne was lyke to be gone But the Towneclarke sayth this was no iust or sufficient cause for them to make such a stirre For what man is there sayeth he but knoweth that the Citie of Ephesus is a worshipper of the great Goddesse Diana and of the Image that came from heauen As who shoulde saye To what purpose repeate you so often with furious clamor the name of Diana Who denyeth you to be hir honourers Who knoweth not that Dianas Image came downe from heauen Or who letteth you
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
translated diuers other treatises also out of Gréeke into Latine as Didimus worke touching the deitie of the holy ghost Epiphanius bishop of Cyprus Epistle to Iohn the Patriarch of Ierusalem and diuers other such And bicause none shall saye what maketh this for the translating of the Bible into other more vulgar tongues as into the Englishe c. For they can well admit the Hebrewe Gréeke and Latine tongues and any other that the people vnderstande not therefore S. Hierome translated the Bible into the Sclauonian tongue that is to say into his owne natiue countrie tongue We haue therefore antiquitie ynough on our side for proofe of our diuers translations Neyther did he euer feare or make account of such inconueniences as these new Diuines pretende spring of such translations or any thing regarded the sharpe censure and checks of diuers Comptrollers that founde fault with his doings but helde on and continued to the ende translating wryting and endyting sending his bookes onewhile to virgins one other whyle to married women sometime to widowes but euer to one kinde of person or other being still exercised and occupied in such doinges And I marueyle why these men should be so offended that euery Nation shoulde haue the scriptures in their owne tongue séeing in some places of their writings they make the holy ghost the author of this opinion and iudgement Doth not Aeneas Syluius which was afterwarde Pope and called Pius secundus tell vs that when about the yeare of our Lord .900 there fell a great contention at Rome whether the Hungarians shoulde haue their seruice in their owne tongue yea or no that there was a voyce hearde from heauen saying Let euery thing that hath breath prayse the Lord and euery tongue giue thankes vnto his holy name Whervpon sayth this Aeneas the Councell brake vp and the contention surceased So that by this storye whosoeuer denyeth Gods people Gods seruice in their owne proper tongue resist Gods ordinance and commaundement These men count it a great absurditie that a woman a childe or an artificer shoulde talke of the Gospell or of the Scripture And yet many times we may heare women children and artificers vnderstande more of Gods holy mysteries than a number of some ruddy Rabbines that notwithstanding looke very high and lofty Moses was not of this minde and opinion For when Iehosuah his seruant would haue had him to forbid Heldad and Medad from prophecying he aunswered woulde God that all the Lordes people coulde prophecie and that he woulde giue his spirite vnto them all Christ commaundeth little children to be suffred to come vnto him and not to be forbidden But who maye not more iustly thinke it a greater absurditie to heare women children and artificers patter their Pater noster in a tongue that they so little vnderstande that Cardinall Ascanius Parot at Rome was as wise as they Yea the Crowe that saluted Augustus coulde saye his Aue Caesar better than they coulde their Aue Maria. And surely if the newe Diuines godly intention may not in this case helpe at a pinch they may also saye and say truly as an other Crowe did at another time we haue lost all our labour So little doth God allowe such godly intention For he biddeth we shoulde not be like Horse and Mule in whome there is none vnderstanding Then séeing we haue the Scriptures aswell of the olde Testament as the newe so full and whole on our side séeing Christ commaundeth vs to search the Scriptures séeing S. Paule sayth they are written for our learning and instruction séeing we haue thexample of the Primitiue Church permitting all men to haue and reade the Scriptures in all tongues séeing we haue so many translations of the Scriptures I meane of olde tyme I speake not of those in the Englishe tongue in Ethelstanes dayes and in the Saxons tongue ne yet of that gift of tongues giuen to the Apostles to the intent that all Nations might heare the great workes of God in their owne language séeing there is nothing in the Scriptures eyther threatened or promised but it appertayneth to all men in all ages nothing done by Christ of olde but the same in one respect or other is dailye done For Christ is newly borne among vs euen at this day There are Herodes that goe about to murther him in his Cradle euen at this day He notwithstanding groweth in fauour with God and men euen at this day He healeth all maner of maladies Leprouse Demoniacks Dumbe Blinde Deafe Dropsies Palsies bloudy Fluxes at this day so that we say sonne of Dauid haue mercy vpon vs and Lord if thou wilt thou canst make vs whole Yea he rayseth men from death to life againe by the power of his worde euen at this daye He teacheth threatneth promiseth comforteth euen at this day There are Iewes which will not suffer their vayled Moses to yéelde to his brightnesse in these dayes He hath Scribes Phariseys and Sadduceyes that lye in wayte to catch and entangle him in his talke euen nowe a dayes also He hath more than one Annas and Caiphas to buye and more than one Iscarioth to sell him at this daye Herode Pylate and their Crewes want not to mocke whip and crucifie him yea to kéepe him downe also in his graue that he rise not againe euen at this day And yet all this notwithstanding he hath still also at this day his little flocke that doth and will depende vpon him saying Lorde to whome shall we go Thou hast the wordes of eternall life Therefore whatsoeuer the newe Diuines say to the contrary let vs still reade the Scriptures and sticke to that olde Diuinitie But bicause many men are ledde not so much eyther with reason or testimonies of Scriptures as with authoritie of Doctors to fulfill my promise and somedeale to satisfye if happily it may be their preposterous zeale and peruerse iudgement I will shewe also that the best and soundest of the olde Doctors haue alwayes bene of this opinion that all people at all times ought to haue the scriptures in their owne tongue And if any man as delighting in a worke of supererrogation that is to say for a man to doe more than he hath bounde himselfe to or néedeth shall require so much I will also by the olde Doctors aunswere the obiections of such as thinke the scriptures ought not to bee read of all men bicause of the difficultie of them and that varietie of translations cause and bréede errors And first we will begin with the Doctors of the Latine Church not for worthynesse eyther of life or learning that hath bene at anye time in them more than in the Gréekes For verily the Gréekes are able to shew as many worthy writers of their Church as the Latines can by any meanes if I say not more but bicause perhaps some Romanist or Latine man may hit vpon this writing which if he be partially affected toward the Latine Doctors
shall be rewarded 300 W ante E. Weakenesse of man acknowledgeth not goddes workes  Wrake must not be yelded to in outwarde thinges  Weakenesse of manne hath neede of Gods tuition  W ante H Whoredome  W ante I Wickednesse hath hir degrees 682 Wicked meete in hell 541 Wicked in subiection to Gods commaundement 834 Wycked stryue in vayne agaynst Christ. 536 Wycked keepe a countenaunce of equitye 351 Wicked though they bee of sundrye opinions among themselues yet they are soone agreede against Christe and the truth 805 Wicked then rage most when theyr ende draweth neerest 315 Wicked laye all disturbaunces and troubles to the godlyes charge Pag. 562 Wickeds enterprises against Christ his kingdome are vaine 285.390 and .812 Wickeds mindes vnquiet 834 Wickeds craftes what they are 809 Wickeds familiaritie must be shunned 441 Wyckeds enterprises turned vpon the aucthors heades by God. 398 Wickeds estate 493 Wickeds agreement lasteth not long Pag. 805 Wickeds propertie 115.253.354 Wicked in the Church must bee confuted 703 Wickeds feare is preposterous 644 Wickeds wordes and sayings 253 Wickeds societye daungerous and hurtfull 311 Wickeds good successe in a preamble of destruction 504 Wickeds companions shall be punished with the wicked 397 Wicked amende not by Gods iudgements 499 Wicked are suffred of God till the pit be dygged vp for them 785 Wicked what power GOD gyueth them ouer his elect 837 Wickeds number is the greater 579 Witnesse how much it comprehendeth in it 693 Witnesse what his dutie is 30.31 Wisdome of christians must be bounded 28 Wisdomes first degree is to acknowledge the corruption of nature and how all ablenesse to doe well commeth of God. 27 W ante O Worlde cannot abyde Christ and his Gospell 208 Worlde rageth against christ in vaine Pag. 126 Worlde how it receyueth the doctrine of the Apostles 190 Worldes ingratitue towards the ministers 825 Worldes troublesome estate forshewed by the Prophets 98 Worldes force a vaine thing agaynst God. 311 Worlde what affection it beareth to Gods worde 842 Workes and doctrine must ioyne and go togyther 9 Woorkes that be good 415 Workes haue none of the faythfull enimies to them 420 Workes of Christ commended 106 Workes of Christ considered what they teache vs. ibid. Workes of Christ to what ende they serue ibid. Workes of God are needefull to bee considered of 〈◊〉 157 Workes of Gods maiestie euidentlye seene in Christ. 86 Workes righteousnesse ouerthrowne Pag. 545 Worde of God is the father enlarged by the assaultes of the enimies 555 Worde of God must bee so preached that the hearers may perceyue it belongeth to them 533 Worde of God preuayleth not wyth men led onelye with humaine reason 547 Worde of God must be preached not mans deuise 899 Worde of God can not be bound 903 Worde of God wherby it is hyndred Pag. 138 Worde of God how it must be harde Pag. 44.6 Worde of God must bee preached in the Church onely 512 Worde of God neuer preached without fruite 561 Worde of God contemned is an heynous sinne 547 Worde of Gods efficatie 233 Worde of God preached is not vaine Pag. 138 Worthynesse of Gods worde 266 Worde of GOD must bee beleeued though preached but by a man. 368 Wordes of the supper vttered by a sacramentall speache 40 Worshippers of Christ being persecuted â—hrist is persecuted 397 Worshippers of Christ are taught of God. 50 Worshippers such as God riquireth Pag. 916 Worship of one God. 667 Worshippers of God truly how much hee regardeth 818 Worshipping of Creatures ouerthrowne 572 Worship is in vaine if it bee not done as God appoynteth 342 Worshippings papisticall are preposterous 339.340 Worshipping of planetes and starres Pag. 34â— Worshipping of â—oloch ibid. Worshipping of ymages 343 W ante R Wrath is the worst councellour that is 264 W ante Y Wyll of God conteyned and learned in Christ onely 790.791 Wyshe of Paule 868 Z ante E ZEale preposterous in religion auayleth little vnto saluation as maye be seene in the example of Paule 400 Zeale feruent is needefull in them that should set forth Christes kingdome 549 Zeale of Godlynesse may not excuse thinges done against godlynesse and true religion 391 Zeale is necessarie in the godly 659 FINIS ⧠A TABLE OF THE PLACES OF SVCH Scriptures as are expounded in these Homelies and Annotations GEn. 3. I will put enmitie betweene thee and the woman Pag. 650 3. Thy desyre shall be to thy husband and hee shall haue the rule of thee 236 4. Cain slewe Abell his Brother Pag. 306 4. Who made mee my brothers keeper 235 12. Get thee out of thy Nation and from thy Fathers house 294 15. Thy seede shall bee a straunger Pag. 299 17. Euery man childe among you shal be circumcised 303 22. By my self haue I sworne 123 22. In thy seede shal all the Nations of the earth bee blessed 163 and. 185 26. I will perfourme the oth which I sware to Abraham thy father pag. 123 37. The Patriarches solde Ioseph their Brother 306 45. God sent mee before you to prepare c. 310 46. Iacob goeth downe into Egypt with all his familie ibid. 50. Iacob is buried in Canaan 312 EXodi 1. Pharao commaundeth the men children to bee caste away 315 2. Moses was borne when tyranny raged most 316 2. Who made thee a Ruler ouer vs pag. 322 3 I am the God of thy Father the God of Abraham 327 3 And fortye yeares after the Aungell of the Lorde appeareth too Moses in the desert of Sina in a bushe of fyre 326 19. Yee shal be vnto mee a kingdome of priestes and an holy people 95 22. Yee shall trouble no wydowe nor fatherles childe 329 32. Make vs Goddes to goe before vs. 335 LEuitici 20. Whosoeuer hee bee of the children of Israell or of the straungers that gyueth of his children vnto Moloch 342 35. The murtherer shall bee put to death 350 NUmerorum 1. Howe greatly the people of Israel was increased 596 6. The Nazarites 694 12. If there bee a Prophete of the Lordes among you I will bee knowne of him in a vision 333 DEuterono 7. The grauen Images of their Goddes shalte thou burne with fyre and couet not the golde and siluer that is on them 602 15. There shall be no begger among you 145.225 18. The Lord thy God wil stirre vp vnto thee a Prophet among you euen of thy Brethren lyke vnto mee vnto him shall yee harken pag. 177. c. 32. Uengeance is myne and I will rewarde 304 28. Thou shalt buylde an house and an other shall dwell therein 58 IOsue 10. Be not afrayd of them pag. 681 1. SAmuell 2. Them that woorship mee I will woorship pag. 242.148 15. Hath the Lorde as great pleasure in burnt sacrifices and offringes as when the voyce of the Lorde is obeyed 529 SAmuel 7. When thy dayes be fulfilled thou shalt slepe with thy Fathers and I will set vp thy seâ—de after thee 122 7. Who am I O Lorde God and what is my
house â–ª that thou hast brought me to so great dignitie and honour 529 15. Cary the Arke of God againe into the Citie if I shall c. 530 16. Suffer him to cursse ibid. 24. I am in a wonderfull streight Let vs fall now into the hand of the lord Agayne I haue sinned it is I that haue done wickedly But these sheepe c. 530 1. REgum 8. The Heauens of Heauens is not able to conteyne thee and how should then this house doe it that I haue buylded 666 2. PAralipom 14. Lorde it is no hard thing with thee to help with many or theÌ„ that haue no power 885 NEhemias 13. Of the Sabboth pag. 736 ESaie 2. In the latter dayes the Hill of the Lordes house shall be prepared 2 6. Heare in deede c. 340 10. If the number of the people of Israell â—cre as the sande of the Sea. c. 901 23. After the ende of seuentie yeares shall the Lorde visite Tyre and shee shall conuerte vnto hir rewarde 761 29. They worship mee in vayne teaching the doctrines of men 342 30. Prophecie not c. 222 33. Wo to thee that destroyest for thou shalt be destroyed 306 40. The worde of our God endureth for euer 335 42. I am the Lord this is my name my glory will I gyue to none other 571 1â—0 42. Beholde this is my seruaunt vpon whom I leaâ—e myne elect in whome my Soule is pacified Pag. 20â— 48. The vngodly haue no peace 207 49. It is but a small thing that thou art my seruaunt to sette vp the kindreds of Iacob 32 49. Will a woman forget hir owne infant 48 52. O howe beautifull are the feete of the Ambasador that bringeth the message from the mountaine and proclaymeth peace 447 53. Who hath gyuen credence vnto our preaching 50.89 53. Wee haue all gone a straye lyke sheepe euery one hath turned his owne waye 566 53. And in his mouth hath beene founde no guile 350 53. This shal be his name by which they shall call hym the Lord our righteousnes 459 55. Let the vngodly man forsake his owne wayes and the vnrighteous his owne Imaginations and turne againe vnto the Lorde Pag. 132 55. The worde that commeth out of my mouth shall not turne againe voyde vnto me but shall accomplishe my wyll and prosper in the thing wherto I sende it 138 55. Wherefore doe you laye out anye money for the thing that feedeth not 589 58. Cry now as lowde as thou canst leaue not of lyft vp thy voyce lyke a trumpet 205 58. Wherfore fast we and thou seest it not 235 60. Euery people and kingdome that serueth not thee shall perishe â–ª 622 63. Abraham knoweth vs not â–ª neyther is Israell aquaynted wyth vs. 541 64. God hath prepared such things for them that loue hym as neyther eye hath seene eare hearde nor harte hath vnderstanded c. Pag. 212 65. It shal bee that or euer they call I will aunswere them 685 66. HeaueÌ„ is my seate and the earth is my footestole 35 347.66â— IEremie 1. Beholde I putte my wordes in thy mouth 21 1. Be not abashed at their countenaunces 685 1. Beholde this daye doe I make thee a stronge fensed Towne Pag. 750 2. My people hath committed two euilles They haue forsaken mee the well of the water of lyfe c. Pag. 589 4. O Israell if thou wilt turn thee then turne thee vnto mee 131 10. Yee shall not learne after the maner of the Heathen nor be afrayd for the tokens of heauen 343 12. How happeneth it that the waye of the vngodly is so prosperous Pag. 504 17. Blessed is the man that putteth his trust in the Lord and whose hope is in the Lorde hym selfe Pag. 353 23. Behold the tyme commeth saith the Lorde that I will rayse vp the righteous braunche of Dauid 6 23. I fulfill heauen and earth sayeth the Lord. 35 23. The Lorde our righteousenesse Pag. 350 23. The woorde of GOD is fyre Pag. 660 31. I will plant my Lawe in the inward partes of them and wryte it in their hartes 96 31 Turne vs and wee shall be turned 786 48. Cursed bee hee that dooth the woorke of the Lorde fraudulently 151 EZechielis 3. The bloud of them that perish I will requyre at thy handes 17 3. Thou shalt heare the worde at my mouth and gyue them warning from mee 21 3. When I shall saye vnto the wycked thou shalt surely dye 560 3. Thou sonne of man I haue made thee a watche man c. 683 DAnielis 2. Of the Mountayne Pag. 2 HOsee 4. Idoles robbe men of their hartes 338 13. Death where is thy stynge Pag. 111 IOelis 2. And it shall come to passe toward the latter dayes I will poure out my spirit vpon al flesh Pag. 93. c. 2. Turne you vnto mee with all your hartes 131 AMos 2. Prophecie not 222 3. You onely haue I knowne of all the families of the earth Pag. 99 3. There is no euill in a Citie but the Lord is auctor of it 483 3. The Lord God hath spoken and who will not prophecie 683 5. Haue you offred vnto mee Sacrifices and offrings fourty yeres in the wildernes 341 7. I was neyther Prophet nor prophetes sonne 69 9. The place of Amos. 9. 600 MIchee 4. The hill of the Lords house 2 ABacue 2. If he differ or put of yet wayght still 79 ZAcharie 2. Who so toucheth you toucheth the apple of myne eye Pag. 502 2. The apple of myne eye c. 300 9. His dominion shal bee from the one sea to the other 32 9. Behold thy King shall come vnto thee euen righteous a Sauiour and lowly 199 11. Wo to the Idole sheepeherd that leaueth his flocke 517 3. Aryse O thou swerde vpon my Shepherd and vppon the man that is my fellow 106.107 MAlachie 2. The Priestes lips shall keepe knowledge 63 3. It is but vayne too serue God. 236 IObe 5. He compasseth the wyse in their owne craftynes 204 19. I am sure that my redeemer liueth c. 13 ECclesiastic 3. Many haue bene deceyued through their owne vayne opinion 28 35. The prayer of him that humbleth himself goeth through the clowds Pag. 637 PSalm 1. Blessed is the man that walketh not c. 638 2. Of the kingdome of Christe Pag. 2 2. Aske of me and I will gyue thee the Gentiles for thyne inheritaunce 35.201 2. Thou shalt bruse them with a rodde of yron 126 7. They trauell with mischiefe and bring foorth vngodlynesse 218 14. There is no God. 114 16. The wordes there are prooued ought to bee vnderstanded of Christ and not of Dauid 113 22. My prayse shall be of thee in the great congregation 116 27. Tarrye thou the Lordes leysure be of good courage and hee shall comfort thine heart 79 27. When my father and my mother forsaketh mee the Lorde taketh me vp 308.520 34. Keepe thy tongue from euill 85 34. The aungell of the Lorde campeth round about them that
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
the people all the world besides being fallen to superstition and Idolatrie But neyther the paucitie of his houshold was able to bereaue him of saluation nor the multitude of his aduersaries to condemne him yea where al the world beside perished he was saued and hath God both to allowe and defend his faith The same we may say of Loth liuing among the Sodomites Besides this Elias onely setteth himselfe aswell against al the Priests of Baal as against king Achab al his Courtyers in the quarell of faith and religion And Micheas alone encountreth with three hundred false Prophetes whome the king fauoured and maintayned Therfore it is meete that we regarde rather the very doctrine of truth which comming from the mouth of God is contayned in the holye Scripture than the authoritie of men Forasmuch as all men are lyars and God alone true in his saying It is profitable also to consider what Peter doth who rising vp amongst the Disciples proposeth this thing to bee entreated of openlye amongst them all Herehence the Bishops of Rome seeke the defence of their supremacie or rather tyranny as also of other places that seeme to attribute any prerogatiue of superioritie to Peter They seeme to mee to doe as men which are in daunger in deepe gulfes and ryuers For as they vse to catch holde of euery thing that commeth next to their hande so these men snatch at euery thing whereby to defende the dignitie of their supremacie so battred nowe and shaken that it threatneth the catholyke and vniuersall ruine therof By this meanes they challenge to Peter the keyes of the kingdome of heauen which yet were giuen to all the Apostles at once as is euident to be seene in Iohn the .xx. Chapter So they contend that the charge of Christs flocke is committed to Peter onely as to the chiefe consider not what iniury they doe to the residue of the Apostles as though Christ had made them feeders of swyne and Asses and not of his sheepe After lyke maner where they nowe heare howe Peter speaketh first in the congregation by and by they make him Christs Uicar the head of the Churche and the chiefe of the Apostles And going farther they take all this honor to themselues as to the lawfull and ordinary successors of Peter But howe vayne and friuolous these things are the matter it selfe declareth For Peter prescribeth nothing of his owne heade as any ruler of the Church or Lorde ouer the other Apostles but being in the middest of the Disciples as his equals and fellowes proposeth a matter of great weyght to be intreated of indifferently amongst them all In the which treatie hee leaueth to euery man free libertie according as God should put in their harts by his spirite to saye or to doe And that he speaketh first was done by the speciall instinct of the holy ghost which by this meanes would make the example of grace that Christ shewed in Peter being receyued againe into fauour after his foule fall more euident and manifest Furthermore in that the other paciently heare him speake it is a token of vnanimitie which Luke before attributed to them and is not done so much for superiorities sake as for order without which nothing in the Church or common weale can continue in safety Wherfore Paule commaundeth all things in the Church to be done comely and in order As touching the state of the Apostles he maketh them all fellowes and equals and where in one place he calleth himselfe the least of the Apostles hauing respect to the vnworthynesse of his former lyfe the same speaking of the ministery feareth not to match himselfe with Peter saying He that was mighty in Peter in the Apostleship ouer the Circumcision the same was also mighty in me among the Gentyles And meaning to roote out from amonge the Corinthians the sectes of them that helde of Paule Peter and Apollo he sayth What is Paule what is Apollo but ministers by whom you haue beleeued euen as the Lorde gaue euerye man grace Peter himselfe acknowledgeth the same who within a little after speaking of Iudas witnesseth that he had receyued a part in the ecclesiasticall ministery And if Iudas had a part therein what ignorance shall it be to ascribe and pull the whole vnto Peter Unlesse perhaps wee will saye that Peter for fauour flattered the wicked traytour and woulde transferre to the childe of perdicion that which belonged onely vnto hymselfe But whereto vse wee so manye wordes seeing it is plaine that Iesus Christ diuers times rebuked with great seueritie the ambicious desire of supremacie that was among his Apostles It is knowne what is written of this matter And Peter earnestly admonisheth the pastors of the Church to beware that they take vpon them no Lordship ouer the Church which is called Christes patrimonye and the lot of his enheritance For whome shall we thinke to be of such great authoritie to be worthy to haue rule and dominion ouer that precious flock that is redeemed with the bloud of Christ And if no man must beare rule ouer the Lordes flocke lyke as Princes of this world vse to doe how much more absurde shall it be for them which haue but one maner of charge in feeding the flocke to arrogate any Lordshippe or rule vnto themselues Therfore what else doe the Bishops of Rome by their so greedye desire of supremacie but forget the preceptes of Christ and bewraye themselues to be nothing lesse than Peters lawfull and true successors But let them passe and come we to Peters Oration And that consisteth of two parts First he pulleth that stumbling blocke out of the waye which myght trouble the mindes of the more simple and vnlearned sort For when they sawe that Iesus Christ was betrayed by Iudas and afterwarde perished himselfe most miserablye both body and soule it was an easie matter for them eyther to doubt whether Christ knewe all thinges or else to suspect all the sort of the Apostles togither with their doctrine Therfore Peter doth not without a cause aunswere this great inconuenience in the beginning of his Oration On the other side he exhorteth the Disciples that they will appoint some other in Iudas roume least his falling from the fayth myght any thing preiudice Christes institution The first part he beginneth with the testimony of holy scripture wherin he plainly vttereth the euerlasting purpose of Gods prouidence which is a most strong reason to put awaye offences that is to beleeue that nothing commeth to passe by chaunce but by the decree and will of god Wherfore he sayth ye men and brethren it behooued thys Scripture shoulde be fulfilled which the holy ghost spake before by the mouth of Dauid touching Iudas which was guide to them that tooke Iesus The sense of which words seemeth me to be this I would not O brethren haue any of you to be offended at the cruell deede of Iudas
their mindes as they read occupied with other cogitations as though the reading of scripture were appoynted but for delyte or to passe the time away Let vs therfore well marke what commaundementes and examples belong to our vocation that we maye continue in the same and declare our industrye towarde god For in thus doing a minister of the worde shall thinke whatsoeuer things are spoken by the Prophetes or Apostles touching the administration of the same worde to be sayde vnto him And they that be Magistrates let them thinke whatsoeuer is sayde in the Scriptures touching the dutie of Officers with examples of auncient Magistrates whether they be good or badde to be spoken vnto them The same shall priuate men also doe of what state or condicion so euer they be So shall it come to passe that with a certayne godly delight and pleasure of minde they shall receyue incredible profite by reading of the Scriptures Let vs examine the wordes of Peter wherein two things most appertayning to this present purpose are handled First he teacheth what maner of person should be chosen to the roume of an Apostle Then he defineth the office or dutie of an Apostle And of these two he so disputeth that they may serue to the institution of all Ministers of the word of the congregation To the first part appertayneth this saying Wherefore of these men which haue companied with vs all the time that the Lorde IESVS had all his conuersation among vs beginning at the baptisme of Iohn vntill that same day that he was taken vp from vs must one be ordayned c. Peter requireth here two things of great weyght The first is a sure and sounde knowledge of Iesus Christ and of all the things he did whyle he was amongst his Disciples For vsing an Hebrewe phrase by two contraries that is to saye of going in and comming out he includeth all things that euer Christ did Yet least any man should take occasion hereof ouer curiouslye to inquire after euery thing he compasseth this knowledge within certaine boundes that is to saye the baptisme of Iohn and the glorious ascention of Christ into heauen For before Christ was baptised of Iohn he led a priuate life in Nazareth of Galiley behauing himselfe obediently to his Parents and exercising the Carpenters craft as maye be gathered But the thinges that concerned our redemption and belonged to the office of the Messias he then went aboute when hee had bene baptised of Iohn and was authorized by the visible annoynting of the holy Ghost and by the testimonye of the father which was hearde from heauen For which cause the Euangelists contented with the describing of his incarnation touching his nonage and childehoode haue written very little For the holy ghost ment hereby to bridle the foolish curiositie of mans wit which not many yeares ago vttred and set forth it selfe by no simple writers I warrant you who haue compyled vs the lyfe and whole chyldehoode of Christ to the great mockery open scorne of the Christian profession Howbeit Peter thinketh the knowledge of these things sufficient and inough which Christ did after he was so solemnlye admitted and put in office And this knowledge was necessary bicause Christ ordayned his Apostles to be faithfull witnesses of his doings Secondly he requireth a certaine and euident signe of perseuerance and continuance For he woulde haue none chosen out of that number which were yet but nouices and newly entred into Christes religion but such as began to follow Christ from the beginning of his conuersation amongst men and so continued with him being neyther feared with daunger of persecution nor offended with the crosse and his â—launderous death And these thinges should now a dayes be obserued in choosing ordering of Ministers if they had any care of the Church which chalenge greatest authoritie ouer the same For it is playne that the chiefe dutie of the Minister standeth in teaching as God sayth by the Prophete In the Priestes lippes should be the sure knowledge that men may seeke the lawe at his mouth For hee is the messenger of the Lorde of hostes But how shall he teach who is vnlearned and rude him selfe Surely Paule in a Bishop requireth this thing chieflye that he be able to teach and that not only the playne doctrine of truth to the more tractable sort of men but also that he be able to refell and conuince such as shall gainesay and contrary the same whereof there is alwayes a great multitude Therefore in a Minister of the worde the knowledge of Christ and his misteries is necessary with al the things that concerne the articles of the Christian fayth and the dutie of the faythfull There is required of him diligent reading of the Scripture wherein hee ought to be well exercised He hath neede of the knowledge of the tongues that in reading the Scriptures he depende not vpon the sense of others and be constrayned to looke with other mens eyes and to go with other mens feete Furthermore it is meete he be furnished with the Artes of speaking that hee maye perceyue what to propounde in what place and after what sort and order All which are of such weyght that Paule not without a cause exhorted Timothy to continue on still in reading who yet he confesseth of a childe had learned the Scriptures Moreouer whereas infinite daungers hange ouer the function of Ministers boldenesse of minde is requisite least being ouercome with feare of perill hee drawe backe or sticke in the middest of his course But this shall chiefly be perceyued by perseuerance or continuance whereof no doubt he had giuen manifest tokens The same hath Paule obserued likewyse where he sheweth vs that a Byshop shoulde not be a yong scholer or Nouice least being puffed vp with sodaine dignitie he commit some thing dishonest or vncomely and giue occasion to the aduersary to reprooue him Yea and Christ himselfe at his last supper commendeth his Apostles whom it is plaine were subiect to many faultes and infirmities chiefely for this cause that they abode with him in all his temptations But let vs see Peters last wordes where he defineth the office or dutie of an Apostle Let one be appoynted sayth he which may be a witnesse of his resurrection First he will haue a partner or fellow ioyned with the eleuen not a seruant whome the reast at their pleasure might commaunde For he knewe that equalitie was needefull to be amongst Christes Ministers Then he calleth him a witnesse which name Christ called them by a little before he went from hence And the often repeticion and diligent consideration of this name is not a little profitable For hereby the worthynesse of the Christian fayth and certaintye of the doctrine euangelicall may be perceyued bicause Christ had not onely preachers of the things he did â—ut also sworne witnesses which wrate and deliuered to vs the fayth in him Last of
committed to Peter as others then none of them obtayned the whole whereby he might be called the heade or Lorde of others Neyther coulde Peters authoritie in preaching the Gospell be greater than eyther Iohns or Matthias bicause they all receyued but one and the same commaundement of the Lorde Iesus as is playne Againe they ioyne the names of Ministerie and Apostleship togither both to withstand ambition and to fortifie the worthynesse of the office For where it is a Ministerie that is here entreated of it is foolishnesse and great absurditie vnder colour thereof to seeke reuerence of the people or to exercyse tyrannicall Lordship ouer them But rather it behooueth vs to obserue the rule of Christ Whosoeuer will be great among you let him be your minister and who so will be chiefe among you let him be your seruant And for this cause Paule shoulde be preferred before many of the Apostles bicause he laboured more than all the other in the Church of christ There is a preposterous order in the Church in these dayes where they are counted the first and chiefe that labor least in the ministery of the Church that liue most pompeously of all others vpon the Churches goods and which heape vp treasures to them and their posteritie of the same Agayne least the name of Ministerie might seeme to signify any vile or base condicion that the contemners of the Gospell should take no occasion of vngodlynesse thereby nor the Ministers themselues esteeme euer the worse of their office they make mention also of an Apostleship By the which worde we are taught that they are the Ministers of Christ his Church which are occupied in that ministery For an Apostle signifieth as much as a Legate or one that is sent But he is no Legate that runneth of his owne heade and handleth his owne matters but he that is sent from a more excellent and superiour and is appointed for the intreatie and discussion of publike affayres In so much that Legates are not esteemed with wise men so much for their owne persons sake as they be for his worthynesse from whome they are sent And the Apostles were sent from Iesus Christ as we hearde before who would haue them to be witnesses ouer all the worlde of the redemption and saluation of mankinde which he had purchased by the merite of his incarnation and death Such therefore ought they to be esteemed and not to be contemned bicause of their outwarde port which is vyle and abiect in the sight of the worlde For it is Christes saying If any man receyue whomsoeuer I sende hee receyueth mee And whosoeuer receyueth me receyueth him that sent me And Paule to the same purpose sayth We be messengers in the roume of Christ euen as though God did beseech you thorowe vs. Therefore euen as in the Apostleship the ministery must be considered least the Ministers puft vp with ambicion aspyre to Lordship and bearing of rule so in the ministerie let both the Ministers and hearers remember the Apostleshippe least eyther the hearers contemne the Ministers or the Ministers thinking to slenderly of the ministery forget their dutie and dignitie Now let vs come to the last part of this place wherein is declared how they sought the will and pleasure of God by casting of lottes They gaue out their lottes sayth he and the lot fell on Matthias and he was counted with the eleuen Apostles Here we first haue to speake of lottes For there are places of Scripture not a fewe wherein soothsaying Artes and curiositie of mans wit in searching for secretes and things to come are earnestly condemned See Leuiticus the .ix. and Deuter. viij Chapter And the Prophete Esaye in the .viij. Chapter calleth all men to the law and testimonie as for all other meanes of seeking Gods counsayle he forbiddeth with great authority And Micheas in the fifth Chapter excludeth out of the kingdome of Christ all soothsayers and such lyke rabble of men But we must marke how there is two kindes of lotteries or casting of lottes the one lawfull the other vnlawfull That is vnlawfull when they go about after the curiositie of mans brayne by sciences condemned of God to search out secrets and what is to come the knowledge whereof belongeth not vnto vs This the Astrologers vse which wryte Prognostications of the course and successe of yeres to come according to the Clowdes the Planets and influences of heauen Which kinde of men reigneth nowe a dayes amongest Christian men not without the great shame of christian religion To these may we ioyne those that when they haue the houre of ones Natiuitie looke vppon the Ascendent and according to the position and figure of heauen pronounce of the course of his whole life of the nature condicions and disposition and come to such impietie that they put man the excellentest creature of God yea and Lorde of all the things that God hath created vnder the rule and gouernance of the Planets and starres To these appertaine they which are giuen to the studie of Geomantie and thinke they are able to foretell the successe and effects of all thinges And as manye as by any Art forbidden by God search after secret matters and things to come For where these men of a curious audacitie go about to pierce into Gods secrets their boldnesse must plainly be iudged to be wicked The lawfull kinde of lottery or drawing of lottes is when the successe of a thing lawfull yea necessary and belonging to vs is committed by lottes to the iudgement of god And this is vsed commonly for the more authoritie of thinges in hande and for the auoyding of contentions which men ledde with hatred or priuate lucre vse for to seeke And this kinde of drawing lottes Salomon sheweth vs where he sayth The lot pacifieth variance and parteth the mighty a sunder The vsage of this kind of lottery is very auncient and the very Ethnicks thought it not irreligious or vnlawfull Homere writeth that the Greekes in times past vsed it when they chose any out of the number of the valiaunt Captaynes to fight with Hector demaunding the combate The Romanes vsed the same when they sent forth their Magistrates to beare rule abroad in the Prouinces bicause they shoulde not seeme to take authoritie or beare office without the Gods appoyntment The Israelites also were commaunded to deuyde or distribute the lande of Chanaan by lottes And the vse of lottes in the deuiding of inheritance hath bene vsed amongst vs may be retayned without hurt of Christian religion so it be not corrupted with anye other kinde of superstition Therefore the Apostles in this doing take no vngodlye thing in hande but are onely carefull to vnderstande Gods will and to that ende make their harty and faythfull prayer before And it is plaine by Salomon that men in these dayes also should not offende if they would vse lottes with the lyke godlynesse
or religion in the lyke case For he separateth them farre from things chaunceing by casualtie and putteth them vnder the gouernance of Gods prouidence saying The lottes are cast into the lap but the ordering thereof standeth all in the Lorde But Ioseph is pretermitted or put backe and Matthie appoynted to succeede Iudas in the roume of an Apostle But as farre as maye be gathered by this place Ioseph to mans iudgement seemed the meeter and better man who beside the surname of Barsabas which signifieth the sonne of an othe that is to saye one most faythfull and true of his worde was also called Iustus And as touching Matthias there is nothing mentioned in the Scripture beside his bare name Yet he in the iudgement of God is preferred before the other This thing serueth both for our instruction and consolation For it teacheth vs not to be prowde of the iudgement of men and of the great estimation they haue vs in For as men maye be deceyued in their iudgements so they oftentimes chaunge their iudgements as they see mens fortune vseth to chaunge And there are examples in all Nations which teach vs that they haue bene throwne into extreeme ignominie which not long before that many headded beast the people extolled aboue the starres Let vs therefore seeke to stande vpright in Gods iudgement who as he cannot be deceyued so whome he once fauoureth hee neuer casteth of if that they continue in their dutie Againe this example comforteth vs when we see our selues charged with the vniust preiudices of men or rather altogither reiected For then we must not thinke that therfore God also contemneth vs forasmuch as he dependeth not vpon mans authoritie but many times chooseth the despisedst among men to the weyghtiest and greatest affayres to th ende that all glory may be giuen to him and that no flesh should eralt it selfe in his sight See 1. Cor. 1. Moreouer we must not pretermit to consider in this place how neither Ioseph nor yet those that fauoured him murmured or grutched when they hearde Matthie admitted by the Lorde Neyther is it lyke that Ioseph was discouraged therefore forasmuch as he knewe there were diuers other states and callings wherein he might declare his obedience and seruice vnto god Let vs folowe the example of so great modestie and being content with our estate let vs not couet to climbe any higher least we rashlye accuse the iudgement of God and whyle we thinke our selues worthye of greater honor be founde vnworthye of that place that God hath set vs in There be many implements in a well stored house and also great diuersitie among the same The chiefe roume the Apostles are worthy of which they obtayned through the meere fauour of god They continued in the same roume and place with constant faith contemnyng themselues lyuyng innocently and charitably whose steps whosoeuer will followe they shall liue an immortall and blessed life with them in Christ Iesus our sauiour to whom be blessing honour power and glory for euer Amen The seconde chapiter vpon the Actes of the Apostles The tenth Homelie WHEN the fyftie dayes were come to an ende they were all with one accorde togither in one place And sodeinly there came a sounde from heauen as it had bene the comming of a mighty winde and it filled all the house where they sate And there appeared vnto them clouen tongues lyke as they had bene of fire And it sate vpon eche one of them And they were al filled with the holy Ghost AMongst the promises wherewith our Sauiour Iesus Christ vseth oftentimes to comfort his Apostles there is none more often repeated than that promise touching the sending of the holy ghost For where he sayth they should be faine to pleade their causes before Princes and Rulers he putteth all feare out of theyr myndes in that he sayth they should haue the holy ghost to counsell them who should furnishe them with Argumentes and all kinde of vtteraunce And when he was neere vnto his death he iterateth the same promise of his spirite three or foure times which he sayth should be vnto them a Comforter a Counceller and a guide in all they should go about Finally when he was risen from death he both admonisheth them againe of his promise and commaundeth them to wayte for the same holye Ghost at Hierusalem And this so diligent a repetition of his promise must not bee thought superfluous For it serued both for the instruction of the Apostles least eyther they should runne vnprepared to the function of so high an office or else through feare of daunger should be dismayde or discouraged And it is very profitable for vs in these dayes for we may gather hereof that the Apostles doctrine is inspired from God and may not without manifest impietie be dispised But least any obscuritie or ambiguitie of so great a matter might remaine it behooued that the spirite so often promised should not come into the mindes of the Apostles by any secrete maner of inspiration but visiblie and not without publike miracle Which thing Luke sheweth both was done and howe it was done in this place he declareth diligentlye and wyth great perspicuitie It is an Hystorie verie worthie whose circumstances euerie one should be throughly considered Before we enter into the Euangelistes wordes something must be sayde touching the holy ghost that we may well vnderstand what the Apostles receyued First we must not imagine that before this tyme eyther there was no holy ghost or that the Apostles were wholy destitute of him For that he is from euerlasting of the same substaunce that God is it is plaine by manye testimonies of the olde Testament Dauid verily confesseth that all the hostes of heauen were made by the breath of the Lordes mouth And Peter teacheth vs that the Prophetes in tymes past were inspired with the spirite of Christ by reuelation of which spirit they prophecied long before both the afflictions that Christ should suffer and also the glorie that he should haue Also the Archangell Gabriel promiseth that Marie the Uirgin should conceyue and bring foorth through the operation of the holye ghost As touching the Apostles there is no man will affirme that is in his wittes that they vtterlye lacked the spirite of God vntill this day of Pentecost For although their weaknesse and imperfection was great yet they both knewe Iesus Christ and plainly confessed that he was the promised Sauiour of mankinde which thing as Christ testifieth they coulde not doe without the reuelation of the holye ghost Neyther must we expounde thys Hystorie of the substaunce of the holy spirite as though the thirde person in Trinitie as auncient writers call it had come downe and bene inclosed in the mindes of the Apostles For this person can be contayned in no one place but which is a sure and certain note of Godheade entereth through all things and filleth all places both in heauen and in earth
them when he sayth that he shall be saued that calleth vpon the name of the Lord. Where we may note a double consolation First it is an vniuersall promise which promiseth saluation to all them that call vpon the name of the lord Ergo here is a doore of saluation opened to all men from entring into which we are not kept backe neyther by pouerty nor infamy of the world â—â—yther by diseases nor cruell torments neyther by sexe nor age neyther by difference of nation or kindred Nay we cannot be put by neyther by sinne nor death bicause in Christ we haue expiation of all our sinnes and he hath ouercome death and the gates of hell Furthermore saluation is absolutely promised so that we see they haue all things necessary to saluation that call vpon the name of the Lorde Wherevpon we gather that they which feele no taste nor comfort of saluation by their prayers call not vpon the name of the Lorde that is they are destitute of faith in Christe which fayth will not suffer our prayers to be made in vaine And this is the only way of saluation which the holy scriptures teach vs euerywhere And Peter thought to make mention hereof in this place to thintent the Iewes might vnderstand how they could none other wayes be deliuered from the imminent daungers and the horrible iudgement of God but by casting away all trust in their owne workes and righteousnesse and turning vnto the throne of grace by the fayth that is in Iesus Christe The same must we also in these dayes marke and consider Whatsoeuer troubles or calamities the Lorde or his Apostles foretolde shoulde happen in the later dayes they vrge and assault vs on euerye side The wysest and greatest men consult in euery place how to get a waye and remedye to bee saued And the vnhappy successe of things in these dayes teache vs howe vayne all counsayles be that proceede of mans deuyse Let vs therefore holde this waye which as it is the most simplest and playnest and deliuereth vs from many cares and troubles so is it infallible and certaine bicause it stayeth and resteth vpon the promise of God which no force of the worlde can ouerturne Wherfore let vs acknowledge our sinnes and in them let vs seeke the causes of the euils which we suffer Let vs vse the acknowledging of our sinne to beate downe the affiaunce in our owne righteousnesse And then turning vnto God let vs call vppon his holye name who surely will heare vs and deliuer vs for his names sake in Iesus Christ to whome be blessing honor power and glory for euer Amen The .xiiij. Homelie YE men of Israell heare these wordes Iesus of Nazareth a man approued of God among you with myracles woonders and signes which God did by him in the middest of you as yee your selues knowe him haue you taken by the handes of vnrighteous persons after hee was deliuered by the determinate counsell and foreknowledge of God and haue crucified and slaine him whom God hath raysed vp and loosed the sorowes of death bycause it was impossible that he shoulde be holden of it WE haue hearde the first part of Peters Sermon alreadye wherein he cleareth the Apostles from the crime of drunkennesse and teacheth how they were endued with the holy ghost He vseth in the place of demonstration the testimony of the Prophet Ioël which he so rehearseth that therewith he declareth the horrible punishmentes remayning for the contemners of the Gospell and teacheth the onely way of remedye and escape to be the fayth in Iesus Christe which things bicause they were sufficient to feare them that were not altogither incurable the Apostle passeth to the other parte where he preacheth Christ whome of late we sayde was the chiefe marke that the Apostles shotte at in all their doctrine And least his preaching might be in vayne he so proposeth the matter that he stirreth vp their mindes with the conscience of their sinnes to the ende that being feared therwith they might with the more feruent fayth and greedinesse embrace Iesus Christ in whom they heard saluation was preached And his chiefe studye is to be short and playne least any man might thinke the knowledge of Christ and the way of saluation contayned therein to be lyke the dreames of the Philosophers which neyther can be explicated in infinite volumes nor be discussed by any disputations nor fully be comprehended of anye man For he compriseth the chiefe articles of our fayth in fewe woordes which whosoeuer vnderstandeth he hath both attayned to the knowledge of Christ and to all the waye of saluation For first he descrybeth the person of Christ and teacheth vs what he is and howe we should knowe him Secondly he intreateth of the passion and death of christ Thirdly he declareth his resurrection Of these three we meane to saye so much as his spirite shall giue vs grace In speaking of Christes person he handleth all things prudently and circumspectly least they that were as yet weake might take occasion of offence For when he had gotten them to be attent by a short kinde of exhortation he bringeth them by little and little to the knowledge of Christ saying Iesus of Nazareth a man approoued of God amongest you by myracles signes and woonders which God wrought by him in the middest of you as ye your selues know â–ª c. In the which words he pronounceth of Christ two things First that he was a man for he calleth him one of Nazareth which name he had of Nazareth a Citie of Galiley where he was brought vp as appeareth by the storie of the Gospel But bicause this seemed not sure and strong ynough he calleth him Virum that is to say a man which name agreeth to none but him that is a very man in deede And Christ is truly called a man bicause as Paule saith he taketh on him no Angels nature or other heuenly essence but the sede of Abraham Furthermore least any man might take him for some common person he maketh a difference betweene him and other adding approoued of God amongest you with myracles c. And although he purposed to teache the diuinitie of Christ yet he prudently as yet dissembleth the name of God which would haue seemed very straunge in the eares of the Iewes He woulde haue them by his deedes to learne that he was very God whome hitherto they thought to be onely but a rascall and common person It is as much as if he should saye I preach vnto you Iesus of Nazareth which many of you iudge to be but a man only But you ought to consider that God hath openly shewed in him many declarations of a diuine nature the ende of all which was to commend him vnto you and to teache you that he was that long wayted for sauiour of mankinde which in tyme past he promised you And the workes of Christ whereof God commended him he adorneth with three titles First he calleth
faythfull reioyce in the Lorde The wicked also be glad and reioyce and for ioye manye times become madde But this they doe eyther bicause they haue riches and honors and the fruition of the naughtie lustes of the fleshe or else by reason of their wickednesse as Salomon sayth of some But their ioyes are neyther sounde nor sure but are ended in most grieuous sorrow For Christes sentence in the Gospell was long ago pronounced against them woe be to you that nowe laugh for you shall mourne and weepe But the mirth or ioye of the godlye bicause it stayeth vpon the Lorde cannot quayle or be ouerturned For they glorye and reioyce in afflictions bicause that in all thinges they knowe they shall ouercome by him which loued them in Iesus Christ. The seconde fruite of godlynesse is the gladsomnesse of the tongue By this is expressed the greatnesse of the ioye which can not be kept within the minde but breaketh forth by the tongue For this tongue of the godly reioyceth not in light affections and ribauldrie or in wanton talke such as we maye see in the vngodly but in godly giuing of thankes and in setting foorth the name of God and his benefites And surely this is a great glory of the godly that they perceyue themselues euery day bounde vnto God by new and fresh benefites for the which cause they prayse his holy name Many reioyce in the fauour of Princes and thinke it a worthye matter when they haue any iust occasion offred them to prayse and commende the Princes liberality But the glory of a christian man is farre greater which euery day findeth most weightie causes fresh occasions to commend and set forth the goodnesse of god And herein consisteth not the least part of our dutie For God will be magnified and extolled of vs and requyreth none other thing of vs for his beneficence bicause he hath no neede of any thing that is ours Call sayth he vpon me in the time of trouble so will I heare thee and thou shalt glorifie me Hereof proceede those vowes of the Saints which promise songs and hymnes vnto the lord Christ in one place in the person of Dauid promiseth this thing to his father saying I will declare thy name vnto my brethren in the middest of the congregation will I prayse thee My prayse is of thee in the great congregation my vowes will I perfourme in the sight of them that feare him And Dauid where he asketh helpe of God speaketh after like maner I will prayse the name of God with a song and magnifie it with thankesgiuing This also shall please the Lord better than a bullocke that hath hornes and hoofes Hereto maye be applied the voyce of the godly spoken of by the Prophete O forgiue vs all our sinnes receyue vs graciously and then will we offer the bullockes of our lippes vnto thee Here by the way may the infelicitie of our dayes be perceyued For where there be very fewe whose tongues reioyce in giuing God thankes and in praysing his holy name therefore is that true ioye also verye rare that is conceyued by faith and holy exercise of obedience By the which argument we maye strongly conclude that the exer I se of fayth and godlynesse is also very rare The thirde fruite of godlynesse is My fleshe shall rest in hope He speaketh of death whiche he promiseth him shall be ioyfull and without all griefe Here in the meanewhile is shadowed out a moste absolute felicitie and blisse which by death as the Poete sayth death is the last ende of all thinges can not be let or hindred By death which for the most part commeth sodainly all things whereby this vnhappye worlde measureth felicitie vse to be disturbed At the mentioning of death rich men are amazed ambicious men quake voluptuous men tremble and the most valiaunt men vse to be afraide But Christ reioyceth herein as in a rest full of great hope So doe all the members of Christe to whome aboue all other men it is giuen to contemne death yea to reioyce in death whose propertie the Prophet in this place most liuely expresseth First he maketh mention only of the fleshe or body shewing that death hath no power vpon the soule which is the chiefe part of man For the soule departing out of the bodye goeth to euerlasting life as otherwheres we haue shewed which was the cause that Paule desired to be loosed and to be with Christ. Then speaking of the flesh or of the body he threatneth it not with destruction but sayth My fleshe shall rest in hope Therfore he promiseth a rest to the flesh which the godlye in death finde to be most sure All the whole race of our lyfe swarmeth with heapes of calamities and daungers Trauell and paines are still at hande Sorrowes and cares spring euery day still a fresh And to be briefe this short life is tossed with the continuall stormes and tempestes of combrances and traueyles so that the Prophete truly sayde The dayes of our age are threescore yeares and tenne and though men be so strong that they come to foure score yeares yet is their strength then but labour and sorowe And in other places the Scripture sayth that man is borne to labour as the birde to flying But in death is rest and he that is deade hath escaped all the toyle of labours and care sickenesse and all other accidents of aduersities And least any man shoulde thinke we had none other rest in death than such as beastes and other liuing creatures haue which haue no life after this he sheweth that our fleshe resteth in hope He meaneth the hope of resurrection which is both certaine and also the only cause of true comfort For God putteth vs in this hope in calling himselfe the God of them which are departed this life as Christ teacheth of Abraham Isaac and Iacob And in the Prophets he constantly promiseth there shal be a resurrection See Ezechiel 37. Dan. 12. Isa. 26. 66. Christ reasoneth oftentimes in the Gospell of the same The tyme shall come sayeth he when all they that bee in their graues shall heare my voyce and shall come foorth c. Looke more touching this matter in Math. 25. Iohn 11. Iob speaking of this hope sayth I knowe that my redeemer liueth and that I shall rise out of the earth in the last day and shall be couered againe with my skinne and shall see God in my flesh yea and I my selfe shall behold him not with other but with the same eyes And doubtlesse the holye Martyrs being emboldened with this hope ouercame all the sorrowes which they susteined with great constancie of minde Therefore it is not without cause that Paule biddeth vs out of these and such like places to take argumentes of comfort in the departure and burials of our friendes Furthermore bicause the Prophet tooke occasion to make mention
vs. And the sonne himselfe bindeth his promise to vs by an othe as often as he repeateth that verilye I saye vnto you so much vsed in the Gospell These things serue much for our comfort and instruction we are taught to make much of Christ and not to despyse the saluation which commeth by his merite and is offered vs by preaching of the Gospell as he commaunded In time passed as Paule sayth they which had transgressed the lawe of Moyses dyed without mercye vnder twoo or three witnesses How much sorer shall he be punished which treadeth vnder foote the sonne of God and counteth the bloude of the newe Testament as an vnholy thing c. And Iohn the Apostle admonisheth vs earnestly hereof saying if wee receyue the witnesse of men the witnesse of God is greater which he testified of his sonne He that beleueth in the sonne of God hath the witnesse in himselfe He that beleeueth not God hath made him a lyer bicause he beleeued not the recorde that God gaue of his sonne c. But what can be more horrible than to accuse God of a lye which is both eternall truth and also may so easily reuenge the contempt of himselfe Furthermore these things comfort vs asmuch in the conflict of temptations Satan many times goeth about to call the certaintie of our saluation into doubt But if we consider howe the same is sealed and confirmed as it were by an othe our fayth can not wauer For God is true and his worde endureth for euer But Peter returneth to Christ and prooueth that in him whatsoeuer things Dauid before times prophecied of the Messias are fulfilled The end of all his sayings is that men shoulde vnderstande howe Iesus of Nazareth was the sauiour of the worlde that was promised And of a manye of things which he might haue alledged he speaketh only of the resurrection and ascention bicause these two sufficed his purpose and serued chiefely for the present cause and controuersie which rose by sending of the holy ghost We shall speake of eche of them in order He reherseth the article of the resurrection to prooue Christ to be the sauior promised which argumēt Paule vseth also Of Peters words we may frame this argument Dauid a great while sithens prophecied of the Messias that neither his soule should long abide with the other soules of them that were departed nor that his bodye should suffer corruption bicause God woulde rayse him from death But this prophecie is fulfilled in Iesus of Nazareth Ergo it is manifest that Iesus of Nazareth is the Messias and sauiour Touching the Maior there is no doubt Therefore Peter laboureth in proouing the Minor the veritie whereof he confirmeth by the common testimonye of the Apostles of this thing sayth he wee bee all witnesses Neyther might these witnesses in whome there were such euident tokens of the holy ghost and of Gods working be easily reiected or contemned of men in their right wittes The Apostles vse oftentimes to prooue Christ to be our sauiour by his resurrection bicause Satan through death which happened by reason of sinne had the rule and Lordship ouer vs Neyther coulde we safely acknowledge Christ to be our sauiour except we were certaine that he had subdued the force of death In the meane season we must diligently consider the loyaltie and trustynesse of Peter and the other Apostles The Lorde chose them to be his witnesses as we sayde in the first Chapter They therefore perfourme the dutie of witnesses faithfully and boldly without all feare of any perill For in the citie of Ierusalem before a great assembly of people they testifie that Iesus is risen againe from the deade by the power of God yet was there a farre other rumor spred abrode in that citie For the souldiers as is declared in the last of Mathew being bribed with money by the Priests bare witnesse that the Disciples by night had stollen the body of Iesus awaye What a daungerous matter it was openly to gainesay these men euerye one may easily iudge seeing they had the authoritie of the Priests and of Pylate the Romaine President to defende them But the Apostles by faith in Christ ouercame all feare of daunger and left all men an example to follow which haue the testimonie of Iesus Christ committed vnto them The other argument whereby he prooueth Iesus to be the Messias promised he taketh of Christes ascention And this argument it seemeth hee vseth chiefely bicause of them which might thinke it a ridiculous matter to preach him to be a sauiour which coulde be seene no where amongst men Which also is the error of thē in these dayes who thinke him not a sauiour vnlesse he will shew himselfe bodily vnto them But Peter speaketh on this maner He being exalted by the right hande of God and hauing receyued of the father the promise of the holy ghost hath shed foorth this gift which you see and heare This saying seemeth the obscurer bicause for the breuitie thereof it cannot be perceyued wherevnto it is to be referred But the obscuritie is easily put awaye if we ioyne therewith the Oracle which Dauid vttered touching Christes ascention For of this Oracle and those thinges that Peter sayth we may frame an whole argument after this sort Dauid prophecied that Christ shoulde not only rise againe from the deade but also taught vs that he shoulde ascende into heauen For so he sayth Thou art gone vp on high thou hast led captiuitie captiue and hast giuen giftes vnto men This thing as also the other before is fulfilled in christ For he after he was risen againe being exalted by the mighty right hande of God ascended vp into heauen we looking on and poured vppon vs the spirite which he obteyned of God the father which spirit hath wrought in vs these giftes of tongues which you doe see and heare Therefore it is manifest that this is the Messias Further no man must be offended for that he saith Christ receyued the spirite of his father as though he were not of lyke power with the father For Peter speaketh this of Christs humanity wherin Christ confesseth that his father is greater than he Although in an other place againe he saith his father and he bee both one that is to say in respect of his diuinitie And Christ himselfe very trimly looseth this knot speaking of the sending of the holy ghost in this wise He shall glorifie me for he shall receyue of mine and shall shewe vnto you All thinges whatsoeuer the father hath are mine Therefore sayde I vnto you that he shall take of mine and shew vnto you c. When the comforter is come whom I will sende vnto you from the father euen the spirite of truth which proceedeth of the father hee shall testifie of me c. But least any man might suppose that the things spoken of Christes ascention were to be vnderstanded of Dauid or would call
for their faithfull endeuour and godlynesse and not to be offended if the like also fall out vpon vs. But least we shoulde haue any iust occasion to be offended the Euangelist teacheth vs how little the wicked with all their tyrannie preuayled against Christ and his Church Many sayth he of them that heard the words beleeued and the number of the men was about fiue thousande What shoulde we here first saye or marueyle at O brethren The vnspeakable power of God or the woonderfull constancie and boldenesse of the faythfull of that time Here appeareth the inuincible power of Christ which doth not only scatter the counsell of his enimies but also turneth it vpside downe which Dauid once prophecied he should doe They go about to stoppe the course of the Gospell and by feare to pull men from the Church of Christ. But they are so deceyued that rather maye be perceyued a marueylous fruite of the Gospell and newe scholers are added vnto the Church of Christ. This is the perpetuall condicion of the Church that by persecutions it encreaseth The same came to passe longe agone in Babylon what time the kinges of Assiria and Persia did set forth God and his religion Under the Romaine Emperours the whoter the persecution was the more there were that thought it a goodlye matter to confesse Christ with their bloude This is it that Dauid sayth Christ shall reigne or beare rule in the middle of his enimies Let vs followe the boldenesse of the primitiue Church and not be feared with the crosse or rage of persecutors They shewe crueltie but vppon our bodies and that no further than God permitteth but vppon our soule they haue no power at all They binde the Preachers of the worde and the faithfull hearers but the worde of God cannot be bounde For the spirite of the Lorde bloweth not where the worlde will but where it selfe will. Further he is greater that worketh in vs than he that so rageth in the worlde Christ worketh in vs through whose comfort we are able to doe all things He is a strong and faithfull shepeherde which will not suffer his sheepe to be taken from him He hath prepared for vs a place in heauen to the which it becommeth vs by the crosse and all maner of tribulations to come that we may liue with him and reigne in the house of his father To whome be prayse honour power and glory for euer Amen The .xxvij. Homelie AND it came to passe on the morowe that their Rulers and Elders and Scribes and Annas the chiefe priest and Caiphas and Iohn and Alexander and as many as were of the kinred of the high priestes gathered togither at Ierusalem And when they had set them before them they asked By what power or in what name haue you done this Then Peter full of the holye ghost sayde vnto them you Rulers of the people and Elders of Israel if we this daye be examined of the good deede that we haue done to the sicke man by what meanes he is made whole Be it knowen vnto you all and to all the people of Israell that by the name of Iesus Christ of Nazareth whome you crucified whome God raysed vp againe from death euen by him doth this man stande here present before you whole This is the stone which was cast awaye of you builders which is become the chiefe of the corner Neyther is there saluation in any other For amonge men vnder heauen there is giuen none other name wherein we must be saued ALthough our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christ according to his promises neuer fayleth those which embrace him with true fayth yet hee chiefly succoureth them when they are persecuted of their enimies and finde no helpe in man wherevnto to leane And then he comforteth them not onely with his spirite but also sheweth them what to doe and to saye This present hystorie giueth vs an example hereof whyle the wyse men and of greatest power in the world after the worlds iudgement be ouercome and shamefully confounded by Christes Apostles being but vnlearned men and of no estimation We haue seene howe the Apostles were had to prison bicause they tooke vpon them the office of preaching and taught howe Christ was risen from death being not licensed thereto of the Bishops But now Luke declareth how they handled Christes cause before the counsell at Ierusalem which place as well for many other skilles as for this chiefely is notable bicause it containeth the craftynesse of the enimies of truth and an example of a counsell of Bishops assembled against the truth He beginneth with the benche of the Iudges which he painteth out with a diligent rehearsall of all them that were gathered togither not only bicause we should vnderstande who and what maner of men were assembled but also that we might perceyue howe the enimies of truth trust more in the authoritie and power of men than in any thing else It came to passe sayde he that their Rulers and Elders and Scribes of Hierusalem c. Whatsoeuer was of any excellencie or authoritie among the Iewes he comprehendeth in three degrees They are Rulers to whome the Romaines had committed the gouernaunce of such thinges as chiefely concerned the constitutions and rules of Iurie wherein they differed from others The Elders were the state of the Senators as appeareth by other places of the Scripture The Scribes are they which attributed to themselues the knowledge of the lawe and the Scriptures and who had the keeping of the publike writings and recordes And not contented to haue rehearsed these degrees he reciteth also the names of certaine other of most authoritie amongest them that is to saye Annas who seemeth here to be the high Priest not bicause he was then Bishop for the hystories report that Caiphas was this yeare Bishop but bicause he had bene Bishop before then Caiphas Iohn and Alexander wherevnto afterwarde he ioyneth all those that were of the high Priests kinred Now if you consider well this bench you shall perceiue there was nothing at that present of greater honour For they whose power was of most authoritie with the Romaine Presidentes were all assembled togither They also were there to whome the publike administration of the Church was committed And they whose name and fame for learning and doctrine was greatest among the people were there But herein stoode the chiefe poynt of all others that these degrees of men were instituted of God and commended for the succession of about a thousande and fiue hundred yeares if we count from the departure of the children of Israel out of Egypt or from the time that Aaron was Byshop vntill the dayes of Christ and his Apostles And in deede they might call themselues the successors of Aaron Eleazar Abiathar Iehosuah and others to whome there is no small prayse attributed in the Scriptures With these men are the Apostles coped yea they are brought before them
shoulde be instructed with the example of the primitiue Church what to doe in time of persecutions And to this ende principally are all those things to be applied which hitherto haue bene sayde of the Apostles They being brought before the counsayle doe plainly and boldly confesse christ Then when the enimies had forbidden them to preach the Gospell they protest with marueylous constancie that they can not obey so wicked a commaundement At length when they perceyue that reason coulde not preuayle with these wicked Counsaylers but that they were still threatened they declare all the matter to the congregation to th ende that ech one being admonished of the daunger ensuing might the more easily prouide for themselues These proceedings let the Ministers imitate as often as they perceyue the world raise stormes of persecutions against them Let their stoute and bolde confession of Christ be an example vnto others Let them not yeelde to the wicked commaundements of Princes Let them faithfully premonish the congregation least any mannes saluation stande in perill through their sloth Luke proceedeth on in his hystorie and sheweth what the Church doth being thus admonished by the Apostles By which example it maye appeare what euery Christian hath to doe both particulerly and in generall when persecutions are stirring They sayth he when they hearde the Apostles lift vp their voyce to God with one accorde And he telleth of the Church howe they sought the succour and helpe of God only by prayer They were not carelesse therefore nor did not set light the daungers approching Neither fledde they to mans wisedome helpe or counsayle but sought all maner of ayde and succour by prayers This is the sure sanctuarie of the Church bicause God euerywhere promiseth to be their defender that seeke their helpe of him And that which he euerywhere promiseth he hath by infinite examples perfourmed so that none that is a true Christian can doubt of the truth of his promises To this may be ioyned how he deliuered the Israelites enuironned with the hoste of the Egyptians at Moyses entreatie and prayers And after that through the prayers of the same Moyses he gaue them victorie ouer the Amalechites In the Psalmes there are infinit examples of them which testifie how God hath bene fauourable and gracious vnto their prayers Yea Ioël the Prophete giueth this only counsell to the Church in distresse that they shoulde all turne vnto God and call vppon him for helpe prescribing also such a forme of prayers as they shoulde openly vse And that his counsayle was not in vaine the successe of the matter prooued For God sent his Aungell which in one night slewe the hoste of the Assirians and deliuered the citie of Ierusalem from the great tyrannie of Sennacharib Wherefore the primitiue Church coulde not doe better than to sue vnto God by praier as they did The corrupt condicions and maners of our dayes are by this example reprooued For we see many with ouermuch carelesnesse contemne the daungers hanging ouer the Church scoffe and deride all admonitions and wholy giue themselues to all vntimely pleasures and exercises But when they feele the fire of persecution burning either they follow the counsell of the fleshe dissembling their fayth or else fortifye themselues in the league of Princes and helpe of man Which is the cause that the more they seeke to be out of daunger the more grieuously they entangle and endaunger themselues Luke also in fewe wordes comprehendeth the right trade and order of praying First they call vpon God who is onely to be inuocated as appeareth both by the couenant made with Abraham by the first commaundement in the Decaloge and by the order of the Lordes prayer And it is manifest by many examples that he only heareth vs euerywhere and can deliuer vs Wherfore great heinous is their error whosoeuer they be that make their prayers vnto Creatures Then they lift vp their voice and pray And yet is it plaine that God heareth euen the groning onely of them that are afflicted and their teares continually are in his sight Howbeit they woulde expresse the synceritie of their fayth by lifting vp their voyce and testifie that they were not ashamed of their prayers and calling vpon God for helpe For this is not the least poynt of the confession of our fayth as we may perceyue Daniel well iudged who hauing before prayed in secret when he perceyued the King had commaunded God shoulde not be inuocated setteth open his windowes and prayeth as it were in the sight of all men bicause he woulde not seeme to like or allowe the wicked proclamation Last of all he attributeth vnanimitie or concorde vnto them which thing except the Church obserue neyther shall their prayers be hearde ne yet their selues be taken for the Church of god For the Church being made one body vnder one head which is Christ is quickened with one selfe spirite calleth vpon one and the same father and hath one and the same inheritance layde vp for them in heauen And they that in these things agree cannot in their mindes be deuided Therefore let vs followe the trade of praying vsed in the primitiue Church and we shall perceyue in our aduersities that Gods helpe will be most neare at hande It shall be good to consider diligently the prayer that they made which may be deuided into three partes The first conteyneth a description of God wherein they acknowledge him for the creator of the whole worlde They make mention first of the creation that men might consider the omnipotencie of God and his singuler power ouer all creatures whereby they might conceyue the greater consolation For thus they were aduertised that the wicked enimies of Christ neyther coulde hinder the worke of God by their enterprises nor yet hurt them in any thing without the deuise and sufferance of god It behooueth vs likewise to haue a consideration of Gods omnipotencie that we acknowledge him not only for the creator but also for the gouernour and preseruer of all creatures who though he hath set his throne on high yet hee humbleth himselfe to beholde whatsoeuer is done eyther in heauen or in earth Which consideration as it is very profitable for the amendement of our life and maners so in tribulations it bringeth comfort and in our prayers chiefely confirmeth our faith wherevpon the effect of prayer principally dependeth And this is the chiefe vse of the first Article in the Apostles Creede where we professe we beleeue in God the Father maker of heauen and earth For it maketh for the confirmation of our faith and taketh awaye all cause of distrust which commonlye springeth by reason we thinke God eyther cannot or will not helpe vs But what is impossible vnto him which hath made heauen and earth by his worde and hath hyther to preserued all this worlde Or is it like he will neglect men whom he hath made Lords ouer all the things
man might iudge them rather kindled and enflamed with the threats of their enimies than made afrayde Whereof more shall be sayde in the next Sermon We are taught by this example that God neglecteth not the praiers of the godlye but that his eyes be fixed vpon the iust and his eares open vnto their prayers Let vs follow the example of the primitiue Church in these dayes where most cruell enimies euerywhere conspire togither against the truth and turning our selues vnto God by prayer let vs commit our whole cause vnto him let vs beseech him of increase of fayth and the holye ghost that we be not ouercome with any daungers or terrors but that after we haue happily ended the course of our life we may be receyued into his heauenly kingdome there to liue with Iesus Christ to whome be prayse honour power and glory for euer Amen The .xxxj. Homelie AND they spake the worde of God boldly And the multitude of them that beleeued were of one heart and of one soule Neyther sayd any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his owne but they had all things common And with great power gaue the Apostles witnesse of the resurrection of the Lord iesu And great grace was with them all Neyther was there any among them that lacked For as many as were possessours of lands or houses solde them and brought the price of the things that were solde and layde it downe at the Apostles feete And distribution was made vnto euery man according as he had neede And Ioses which was called of the Apostles Barnabas that is to saye the sonne of consolation being a Leuite and of the countrie of Cyprus hauing lande solde it and layde the price downe at the Apostles feete AS Luke the Euangelist hath diligently described the first persecution that was raysed against the Apostles so reporteth he as diligentlye what the faithfull did during the time of these whurly burleys The ende of all which is that we should learne what to doe in like case First and foremost they gaue themselues vnto prayers which they powred out before God with one feruent accorde of minde To God likewise must we resort in our aduersities and not to the vaine helpe of the fleshe And we must aske of him not such things as serue the carelesnesse and ydlenesse of the fleshe but such as concerne the setting forth of Christs kingdome Now let vs see the other exercises of the primitiue Church wherby it shall appeare that they intermitted nothing that belonged to their dutie First Luke speaketh of the Apostles and all those who had the office of teaching committed to them He sayth they preached the worde of God with confidence that is boldly and freely whervnto a little after is added with great power gaue the Apostles witnesse of the resurrection of the Lorde Iesu. They accomplished therefore that which they protested they woulde doe contrarie to the decree of the counsayle Luke maketh mention only of the resurrection not for that they only preached the same only but bicause thereby Christ perfited and fulfilled the businesse of our redemption and saluation and for that we shoulde not thinke the Apostles yeelded anye thing to the Saduceyes which then were in greatest authoritie And it is not without a cause that Luke maketh mention of doctrine first of all other things for therevnto a principall care must always be had For where we are regenerate by doctrine and by the same the Church is gathered togither without the same the Church cannot stande in hir full strength and vigour Neyther was it without the prompting of the holy ghost that Salomon in tune past sayde When prophecying fayleth the people go to hauock And that this was truly sayde the examples of all ages abundantly testifye Wherefore as before he sayde the Church continued in the preaching and doctrine of the Apostles so now also he testifieth the Apostles are most mindefull and earnest in their office By which examples Ministers are admonished that they must not suffer the libertie of preaching to be taken from them through feare of persecution and threatning of enimies nor when daunger approcheth cease not to feede Christes sheepe with the word of doctrine and comfort For that is the propertie of hyrelings as Christ sayth and not of those which are readie to lay downe their liues according to the example of Christ for the sheepe committed to their charge But bicause men are much faultie herein it shall be profitable diligently to discusse this example that hereby Ministers may learne what appertaineth to them to doe And first bold libertie of teaching and vnfearefull affiance of minde is attributed to the Apostles Which is necessary for all ministers as it is plaine bicause there will be alwayes some that woulde haue them brydled and musseled For Christ witnesseth that the worlde cannot abide the light of the truth The same worlde cannot abide to be aduertised and reprehended So that there were in the olde time which durst say vnto the Prophetes Prophecie not to vs Looke not out right things for vs but speake faire wordes vnto vs looke out errours get you out of this waye depart out of this path and turne the holy one of Israell from vs. And Paule sayeth there shall be in the later dayes which shall not abide the worde of truth but hauing the ytch in their eares shal get them an heape of teachers which shall bring doctrine agreeable to their corrupt affections And we see it is euerywhere true that he prophecied Here therfore is required an Apostolike liberty bolde affiance of preaching whereby Bishoppes in the Church may applie their office in season and out of season that they maye encourage others of whom there is yet some hope remayning and deliuer their owne soules that the bloude of them that perishe be not required at their handes Furthermore it is sayd they chiefely inculcated the article of resurrection aboue all other And in deede this was the principall and chiefe article wherewith the chiefe of the Iewes were most offended For through this article they were conuinced partly of putting Christ vniustly to death and partly the Saduceyes coulde not suffer the same to be preached as who denied the resurrection Yet notwithstanding the Apostles boldly and stoutly preached the same so that it maye appeare they had a great care of the same This example teacheth vs that those articles are chiefely to be vrged which the aduersaries vse most to impugne For all things in the ministerie of the worde must be directed to edification and profite And the next care must be that the thing which is edified or builded must not fall downe againe But he shall performe none of these prosperously which most constantly resisteth not when the truth of doctrine is assaulted with the craft tiranny of the enimies and is moste in hazarde They that are set to defende Cities and Castelles vse
be extolled thought good to doe lyke as he did yet bicause he was couetous meaning to prouide for neâ—de that afterwarde might ensue he priuily withholdeth a part of the price for his and his wiues necessities seeking yet to be accounted in the number of those which had giuen all they had vnto the Church Many other things be annexed with this fault which aggrauate the heynousnesse thereof For to saye nothing of the ambicion and couetousnesse which tossed the vnhappy minde of this hypocrite as it were with contrarie waues it is manifest that he was distrustfull and altogither voyde of fayth which is the beginning of all mischiefe For he distrusted the promises of Christ who sayth that he will alwayes helpe his Church and will abundantly prouide those that be his of meate drink and cloth Which promises if he had beleeued he woulde neyther haue feared penurie following nor by craft haue made prouision for the time to come To this distrust was ioyned the great contempt of God such as Dauid ascribeth to them which in their harts say either there is no God or else perswade themselues he regardeth not what becommeth of men and supposed he had only to doe with men which is the propertie of all hypocrites For it is not like that he durst thus haue done if he had beleeued that God had bene the beholder of our thoughts and deedes Beside this he committed sacriledge in his owne goodes For where he woulde haue men beleeue that he had giuen all the money he receyued for his lande to the Church he thereby plainly confessed that it was due to the Church Wherefore he cannot auoide the blotte of sacriledge And where afterward all they which had giuen their goodes to the reliefe of the Church were founde of the Church treasurie and money it was a sacrylegall collusion whereby hee ment to deceiue the Church in ioyning himselfe to them whom the Church gaue liuing vnto So full of euill is distrust and vnbeliefe and such newe vices spring therof continually So Ananias is a president of all false Christians who meane so to professe Christ that it shall neuer be to their losse or hinderance For when they see Christ hath set vp his kingdome in any nation and doubt of the continuance thereof they will consent and agree to the present reformation but they will well beware of giuing any such counsayle as may be occasion of any losse to them when the Church fayleth or decayeth They go about to serue two maisters that is to saye Christ and the worlde which Christ himselfe sayth is impossible Yet such men moste commonly haue the greatest prayse of wisedome and modestie But in very deede they be Ananiases whose heart is not right with the Lorde although there appeare some benefites of theirs towards the Church These kinde of men beare the swaye nowe a dayes and woulde God they alone bare it For there is almost a greater number of such as beside they doe no good to the Church waxe riche of the church goodes and appropriate to them selues the things that other haue giuen who followe the example of Iudas which where he himselfe gaue nothing vnto Christ vsed to imbecill and pilfer awaye that that other did giue And not content with this wickednesse betrayed Christ also so that by his example we may learne what to looke for of such as he is Furthermore where in these dayes such men as these are in all places and will be taken commonly for Nurses and refourmers of the Church they go about by manye reasons to defende themselues and for the most part cloke their couetousnesse with the tranquilitie of the Church and common weale the lawes of man feaultyes donations and many such lyke But let vs heare the iudgement of the holy ghost pronounced by Peter the Apostle that thereby it may appeare what we maye iudge of them which in these dayes be worse than Ananias For Peter by releuation of the spirite perceyued thys guyle and howe great prayse so euer Ananias thinketh to get by his subtiltie yet he coulde not beguyle Peters spirite so â—rue the saying of Christ is that nothing is so secret but it â—hal be disclosed And the Apostle cloketh not the fault he espyed but most seuerely accuseth it By which example we are taught that Ministers must not onely openly accuse manifest faultes but also whatsoeuer the wicked go secretly about against the truth and church of christ For as it is the propertie of a good Capitayne not only to resist the open attemptes of his enimies but also to preuent and disclose their ambusshes and lyings in wayte so must Ministers of the worde fight wyth all encouragement agaynst all the enterprises of the wicked There is in Peters wordes a marueylous vehemencie and his saying ryseth as it were by certayne steps to the ende Ananias heynous fault might appeare the more First he detecteth the roote and beginning of all this euill saying Ananias how is it that Satan hath filled thine heart By the which wordes he declareth that he is destitute of all beliefe and a plaine reprobate The godly and elect are also tempted of Satan which runneth vp and downe alwaye seeking whome he may deuoure But for as much as they resist hym being strong in fayth he can not fyll their heartes The state of the wicked is of an other sort who after they be once fallen from the fayth are wholy possessed of Satan so that there is no more place left for the holy ghost in them We are also admonished that all hypocrites and as many as vse dissimulation in religion are the bondemen of Satan For Christ teacheth vs that he is the father of lying and by thys argument prooueth the Phariseys to be borne of the Deuill Where vnto the example of Iudas also may be referred into whom it is sayde that Satan entred after he had gone about by hys rooted hypocrisie to be guyle Christ and the Apostles as his last supper Furthermore Peter sheweth the effect of Satan where he sayth Ananias was brought to that poynt to lye vnto the holye ghost which may be vnderstanded two maner of wayes For partly he falsely fayned he was ledde by the holye ghost and partly he went about to beguyle the Church which he knewe hytherto by many arguments was endued wyth the holy ghost Both these meanings argue an impudent boldenesse in hym and declare howe farre men runne if once they suffer Satan to haue power ouer their mindes Thirdly drawing nearer to Ananias fact he accuseth him for that he had withdrawne a parte of the price of his lande Therefore he accuseth him of theft and sacriledge which as I shewed a little before we may commyt in our owne goodes And they are all partakers with Ananias which couetously conuert to their owne vse the goodes which they knowe are due to the poore or else ryotously waste and consume them We offende herein
she was guiltie But where without all care and boldly she dareth to lye she prooueth by a strong argument that she is altogither incurable â–ª For what goodnesse may a man there hope for where shame is banished wherewith honest natures as it were with a bridle are kept in doing their dutie In the meane season Sapphira expresseth a confident audacitie which is the peculiar propertie of hypocrites For whome feare they that haue minded to beguyle God and are not afrayde of his sight â–ª Wherefore the Scripture by many examples prooueth that that there is nothing more bolde and confident than hypocrisie And where open sinners for the most part fall downe at the first worde that God speaketh and are afrayde to come in his sight Hypocrites dare euen then vaunte of their integritie perfection when they feele their consciences wounded layd open before the iudgement of god Caine sheweth vs an example of this thing who being asked for Abel his brother durst malapertly answere God say who hath made me my brothers keeper And in the Prophete the Hypocrytes expostulate with God as being to wayward where they saye wherefore fast we and â—hou seest vs not wee put our liues to straightnesse and thou regardest vs not Againe It is but lost labour to serue God what profite haue we for keeping his commaundementes and for walking humbly before the Lorde of hostes What shall we saye of Iudas the Traytour who when he knewe Christ was not ignoraunt of his wickednesse and perceiued he was grieuously rebuked and reprehended yet with the other Apostles he dare to aske Christ whether he suspect him of so great an offence And Sapphiras confidence is as great considering there were so many examples that declared the Apostles were inspired with the holy ghost It is very profitable to marke well these thinges that through their boldenesse and temeritie hypocrites beguile vs not or by their wicked sayings put vs of But let vs returne vnto Peter who by inspiration of the holy spirite vnderstandeth this fraude and guyle and suffreth himselfe not to be mooued with this womanish and hypocriticall boldenesse but pronounceth the sentence of God which the same spirite put in his minde agaynst hir which consisteth of two partes The first accuseth and reprooueth hir sinne For God punisheth no person but first conuict of his sinne that he may vnderstande wherefore he is punished Howe commeth it to passe that you haue agreed togither to tempt the spirite of the Lorde He amplifyeth the boldenesse and heynousnesse of the fact by admiration and interrogation and he sayth they haue conspired togither to tempt the spirite of the Lorde But if a man woulde haue asked Ananias or Sapphira of this their doing I beleeue they woulde haue earnestly denyed they had had any such meaning But it maketh no matter what iudgement we haue of our sinnes for they are examined after the rule of Gods lawe And bicause these two maried folke went about to beguyle the congregation in whome the spirite of God is resident and reigneth it cannot be denied but through wicked temeritie they tempted the spirite of god Therefore by their hypocriticall wilynesse they sinned against the lawe which forbiddeth to tempt god And they are lymed with the same fault which go about in these dayes to beguyle the Church of Christ with counterfayting of fayth and holynesse who also shall well find that God will not let them go vnpunished for their tempting of him And least Sapphira might be excused by the authoritie and commaundement of hir husbande Peter first accuseth the consent that was betweene them and by that argument taketh from hir all excuse Where we learne that no man must consent to euill men if he will escape the iudgement of God no not to those which haue authoritie ouer vs giuen them of god For the man had power giuen him ouer his wife when it was sayde to Eue Thy lust shall pertayâ—e to thy husbande and hee shall haue the rule ouer thee And the Apostles commaunde wiues to be obedient vnto their husbandes But Sapphira is blamed for this onely that she consented to hir husbande who craftily withhelde a part of the money which he woulde seeme to haue giuen to the church Therfore the sinne that is committed against the lawes of God can be excused by no authoritie or commaundement of man bicause we must obeye God rather than man as Peter before had sayde and shall be repeated agayne in this Chapter Nowe if it be not lawfull to consent to their sinâ—es which haue power ouer vs by the ordinaunce of God what sâ—all become of those which allowe and defende not onely with consent of minde but by vnlawfull company and publike prayse the wickednesse of them whose companie they maye altogither forbeare yea which by the lawes of God they ought to forbeare To say nothing of them which are companions with them in their traueyle and daungers and helpe them forwarde in their mischieuousnesse The other part of Gods sentence pronounced by Peter conteyneth the punishment which Sapphira had with hir husbande Beholde sayeth he the feete of them which buried thy husbande bee ready at the doore to carye thee out And by and by she fell downe deade at Peters feete and was caried forth and buried by hir husbande This is the tenour of Gods iustice that they which commit like fault are punished with like punishment as he testifieth in the Prophete saying Should I not punishe these things and should I not be auenged of all such people as these be Hereof ought a generall rule to be taken which must extende to all sinnes and wickednesse For he that in times past reuenged most seuerely the oppression of the poore vniust violence tyrannie vsurie slaughter adulterie whoredome and such like he will punishe the same in vs at this day except we repent as be commeth Christians Yet the chiefe ende and meaning of this place is that we should learne what remayneth for them which vnder the pretence of Christ seeke their owne lucre and dare deceyue the Church It seemeth sometimes that the worlde laugheth vpon them but their felicitie is not stable and they long enioye not their goodes wrongfully gotten For the gladnesse of the vngodly is quickly ended and the ioy of hypocrites continueth but the twinkling of an eye We haue also an example hereof in Iudas the Traytor who when he thought he had best prouided for his owne behoofe and seemed to haue bene in high fauour with the Bishops feeleth in himselfe such seueritie of Gods iustice that it driueth him to the halter so that he coulde long enioye neyther his lyfe nor his money which was dearer to him than his lyfe And God graunt that a number in these dayes taste not of the lyke punishment which vnder colour of the Gospell haue sought nothing else but the spoyle and possession of the Church goods We haue
manifestly set forth Gods helpe and the myraculous deliuerie of the Apostles For they say they finde the prison close shutte and the keepers diligently watching and yet no man in the prison What other could be hereof gathered but that this was the worke of God For who was able so to haue beguyled the keepers and brought out the Apostles without their knowledge They are therefore not without a cause wonderfully vexed in their minde and wote not what to doe For they feele the prickes of conscience which vse to take holde euen on the wickedst But there commeth an other message that more mooueth and grieueth them For there commeth one that telleth them how the Apostles are openly and boldly teaching in the Church which could not but be occasion of great griefe to such ambitious men perceauing that their authoritie was neyther regarded nor their power feared This example teacheth vs howe easie a thing it is for God to frustrate the wicked attemptes of his enimies For who would haue thought the Apostles could haue bene brought out of the prison without the knowledge of the keepers But that which seemeth impossible to man is as easie to God as the dust to be scattered with the winde For he is able to beguile them whom it seemeth no man can beguile eyther by sleepe eyther by benumming of senses eyther by giddinesse of head or many other wayes Furthermore they haue them to witnesse and declare the myracle whose helpe they thought to vse in oppressing the truth Therefore the same thing happeneth here vnto them that did at the first when they sent their seruauntes to take Christ and they returned agayne not onely without him but also gaue a notable testimonie of hys doctrine Whervnto that testimonie was not vnlyke that the souldiours gaue of Christes resurrection whome they therefore hyred to watch his graue bicause he should not rise agayne Lyke examples we reade euerywhere in the scripture Pharao went about to oppresse and destroye the children of Israell And yet he brought hym vp in his owne house and set him on his lap whome God had appointed to be the delyuerer and reuenger of his people Afterwarde when he set the Magitians agaynst Moses he hearde them openly testifie that the finger of God wrought by Moses And this is also like where Balaam hyred by the king of Moabytes to cursse the people of Israell was enforced whether he would or no to blesse them What shall we speake of Achab who most cruelly persecuting the Prophetes of God cherished and reuerenced the most faythfull Patrone of the Prophetes and the verye onely Mecaenas of those dayes amongs the Lordes of his Court I omyt infinite examples of lyke sort which might be brought both out of later and auncient hystories besides those whereof we haue daylie experience I thought good to admonishe the faythfull seruaunts of Christ by these onely that they might diligently marke and obserue the lyke For great and verie profitable is the vse of these examples For first they comfort vs in aduersitie in that we see mannes power farre inferriour to Gods and that mannes enterprises can not hynder the purpose of god Next they profite vs to frame our lyfe after that we rashely withstande not Gods prouydence and ordynaunces For what is impossible to God which in times past so merueylousâ—y did frustrate and disappoint the attempts of the men in the beginning with the wonderfull diuision of tongues and not so fewe tymes as once by the ministerie of one Angell only made kinges and princes to be laughed at of all men Wherfore to humble our selues vnder his mightie hand is both safest and profitablest for our helth and saluation Further let vs consider the priestes and other that satte in thys counsell which yet haue not learned to gyue place vnto God and not content that their folly is nowe opened to all men shewe yet an incurable impietie of minde For the Captaine of the Temple being sent by them bringeth the Apostles without anye resistaunce before the counsell absteyning in deede from vyolence not that the consideration of Gods woorke and myracle made them euer the meeker but bicause they feared least the people would stone them Here we haue to consider not onely the priests and their complyces but also God and the Apostles In the Priestes and Captayne of the Temple may be perceaued the incurable malice and peruerse blindenesse of minde in the wicked For it was sayde before howe they were in doubt and perplexitie what to doe Whervpon maye easily be gathered that they were striken with some perseueraunce of the thing that was done But yet they go not on therein so farre to acknowledge the myracle with their hart and to yeelde vnto god Nay they returne to their purpose and as the things folowing declare go about to kyll them whome they sawe God a little before had so marueylously saued Many examples prooue that thys is the disposition of all wicked Pharao many times ouercome with the maiestie of Gods myracles and griefe of plagues confesseth the God of Israell desyreth Moses to make intercession for him and promiseth he wyll accomplish the commaundement of god By and by he falleth to hys olde vsage being ready to resist God agayne a freshe And euen as these men doe here so did they before in the resurrection of christ For when they knewe it by relation of the souldiours they would neyther beleeue the truth nor feare the inuincible power of Christ but brybed the souldiours with money and spredde false rumours amongst the people of him as though Christes glorie could haue beene defaced by lying whome the authoritie of the Emperours maiestie in whose name the graue stone was sealed could not keepe within the graue And would to God we had onely but olde examples of thys obstinacie and founde not euery where nowe a dayes such as neyther by the iudgements of God nor testimonie of their owne conscience are content to yeelde to Christ and his truth This is an infallible argument of reprobation and a worthy punishment of the contempt of Gods word which once by his Prophete and afterwarde by Christ he threatned to his enymies where he sayth yee shall heare in deede but ye shall not vnderstand ye shall plainely see and not perceaue Harden the hart of this people stop their eares and shut their eyes that they see not with their eyes heare not with their eares and vnderstande not with their hartes and conuert and be healed These things ought to feare vs that we contynue not in hatred of the truth the ende whereof hath so euill successe We are further taught that the wicked can not alwaye doe that they would but that they many times are brydeled by the secret power of god For hereof commeth it to passe that the Captaine and his souldiours holde their handes fearing least the people woulde stone them So he that thinketh he maye contemne
most high and vnder the shadowe of the almightie although a thousande fall beside him and tenne thousande on his right hande Luke in this present hystorie giueth vs an euident example hereof where he declareth what they did with the Apostles in the Counsell wherein we shall heare they were whipped and so escaped the handes of their enimies Yet before the Euangelist commeth therevnto first hee describeth howe the Priestes accused the Apostles and howe they aunswered and defended themselues Hereof at this present we purpose to saye so much as the Lord shall giue vs grace and leysure for The Apostles are accused by the high Priest who also is the chiefe Iudge in this controuersie Neyther doth he so accuse them as though it were a matter doubtfull wherein they had offended but his intent is with great exaggeration of wordes to fraye them and almost to ouerwhelme them as persons conuicted of heynous offences For he sayth Did not we straightly commaunde you that you shoulde not teach in this name And beholde you haue filled Ierusalem with your doctrine and intende to bring this mannes bloude vpon vs. By which wordes if they be well marked we shall perceyue the Apostles are accused not of one but of diuers most weightie offences For first they accuse them of contumacie and disobedience bicause they continued preaching agaynst the manifest Edict and decree of the sacred Counsell And this was no small offence bicause the authoritie of the high Priest was of great account euen by Gods appoyntment and it was death to resist him Furthermore they might be called transgressors and breakers of Goddes constitution in that neyther being called nor annoynted they tooke vppon them so boldlye the Priestes authoritie and to teache as we reade Corah with those of his conspiracie did And that the Bishops had a speciall care that none shoulde thrust themselues into the roume of teachers except they had taken their orders of them after the accustomed maner appeareth by this that they oftentimes demaunded of Iohn the Baptist and of Christ who gaue them authoritie to teach as they did But the seconde crime is more grieuous where they saye they had filled all Ierusalem with their doctrine For this is as if a man would saye It is an heinous offence that you haue thus continued teaching against the Counsels decree But in that you haue spreade abrode yours that is to say a new and false doctrine this is by no meanes to be suffered forasmuch as God in the beginning appoynted them to dye that were authours of anye false doctrine To these they adde yet a third offence more heynous grieuous than the rest where they saye you meane to bring this mannes bloude on vs. For by these wordes they charge them with sedition as though therfore they preached to the people that Iesus Christ was vniustly put to death bicause they woulde incense and mooue the mindes of the people agaynst them as open tyrauntes But it is a marueylous matter that they nowe so much abhorre to be charged with Christes death seeing before Pylate they tooke vppon them with solemne protestation all the fault thereof For when they perceyued Pylate somewhat slacke to pronounce sentence of death agaynst him bicause it stoode not with his conscience they cryed His bloude be vpon vs and vpon our children And nowe as though they had forgotten all this they thinke they are much wronged to be counted the authors of such an offence This is the perpetuall guyse of the vngodly that although they glory in their wickednesse as the holye Psalmist sayth and seeke prayse of their mischieuous actes yet will they not haue them reprooued and accused by the worde of God. But chiefely we haue here to consider the tyrannie and insolencie of false and wicked Bishops which when they haue gotten the supremacie in the Church vnder the colour of Gods ordinance dare exact and require what pleaseth them and will haue men obey their commaundementes without further adoe Hereof came it to passe that they thought the Apostles had so grieuously offended bicause they continued teaching contrary to their commaundement And would to God this tyranny had reigned but in the daies passed only and did not in these days also beare to great a swinge For since the Bishops of Rome haue persuaded the people that they be the lawfull successors of the Apostles and that it is sayd vnto them he that heareth me heareth you I will giue you the keyes of the kingdome of heauen c. We see howe they are gone so farre that they haue not onelye chaunged lawes and times as Daniel prophecied long sithence Chap. vij but also they saye they are not to be reprehended though they shoulde by heapes tumble mennes soules into hell See the .xl. Distinction Chapter If the Pope O shamelesnesse O blindnesse And yet euen in these dayes when they see their iuggling and craft disclosed by the light of the Gospell they dare require obedience of vs and striue most egarly for them where they ought with all diligence to defende both their owne libertie and theirs which are committed to their charge of which libertie Christ is the author Let vs also here marke what crimes the Ministers are commonlye charged with For the worlde holdes his owne and striueth against the truth at this daye euen with the same weapons and sleightes that it vsed at the beginning Disobedience and contumacie was alwayes layde to the charge of Gods Ministers and that they woulde be Lordes and Rulers and obeye neyther Princes proclamations nor Counsels decrees They were also called deceyuers and beginners of sedition as men delighting in tumultes and vprores There are many examples hereof in Moses and the Prophetes Achab calleth Elias the disturber and troubler of the people of Israel and sayth he is his enimie He sayth also he hateth Micheas bicause he prophecieth nothing but aduersities and troubles towardes him Amos is accused to Ieroboam for that the Citie and whole Countrie coulde not awaye with his sermons They laye to Ieremies charge that he feareth the mindes of the souldiers with his sermons whose strength serued for the defence of the Countrie and they openly saye he was the cause of all the aduersitie trouble that they suffred What things the enimies of Christ layde to his charge are more manifest than neede greatly to be rehearsed It is no marueyle therefore if the Apostles be charged with the lyke and as many as in these dayes followe their steppes Let no man therefore to rashly beleeue those which lay such faults to the Ministers charge but let him search the truth that he be not deceiued through to rash iudgement In the meane season let vs acknowledge the naughtynesse of the worlde and the ingratitude of the people who being blinded take them for their enimies by whose ministerie the benefite of saluation is offred them But let vs
their moodes who iudged the Apostles to be put to death But before wee declare Gamaliel his wordes we haue to consider howe easie a thing it is for God to deliuer his people from daunger seeing he can raise vp for them defenders euen from among their enimies by the counsell and authoritie of one man can confounde the enterprises attempts of a great many For as euen now was sayd no kinde of men were more bent against Christ and his doctrine than the Phariseyes who had a good whyle before this pronounced sentence of excōmunication against all those that professed christ And yet of this Colledge also was Nicodemus who before this defended Christes quarell Now commeth Gamaliel out of the same Colledge whose meanes it pleaseth the Lorde to vse for the deliuerie of the Apostles And this one man without any armour or weapon only by prudent counsayle dasheth all the deuise of the whole counsayle There are other examples of lyke sort which teach vs to take a generall doctrine consolation hereof Herevnto apertayneth it that Ruben only who also hated Ioseph in his hart yet afterwarde saued him from present death To this maye we adde also howe the Philistines deliuered Dauid being inclosed on euerye side wyth Saules souldiors What shall we speake of Moyses the Capitaine of the people of Israel whome the daughter of cruell Pharao saued from drowning in the riuer Nilus But it woulde be very long if we shoulde tarie in all the examples which might be brought It behooueth vs rather to obserue the vse of them which is that we be not feared with the attempts of men which the Lord can forthwith bring to naught to whose seruice we all are bound Which one thing if men as well in generall as particulerly woulde thin ke on they woulde by no meanes suffer themselues to be pulled from fulfilling their vocation Let vs marke Gamaliel his counsayle full of wisedome in deede yet such as wherein a man may perceyue diuers things wanting which declare hee was not yet fully instructed in the truth Yet it pleased the Lorde to vse his helpe and it is to be thought that he afterward grewe to more godlynesse His saying consisteth in three poyntes First he vseth a pretie preface wherby he apeaseth the furious and exhorteth them to do nothing rashly or vnaduisedly Take heede to your selues sayth he concerning these men what you intende to doe As though he shoulde saye I heare that you determine they shall suffer death But I feare your deuyse is to headie and therefore to daungerous I woulde therefore haue some diligent and sober deliberation taken that in our wrath we commit not that which afterwarde wee may repent This is a most profitable and in all ages necessary admonition that in our anger we doe or appoynt nothing For the auncient wryters sayde anger was an euill counsayler as the which is a very phrenesie for the whyle And what goodnesse or equitie maye a man hope for of a madde man wherefore Iames most truly sayth The wrath of man worketh not the righteousnesse of God. And would God the authoritie of this sentence were as much in these dayes as we reade it was among the Ethnickes It is sayde of Augustus that he thought the companye of Athenodorus the Philosopher very necessary for him bicause vpon his departure from him he admonished him that he shoulde decree or appoynt nothing to be done in his anger before he had first recyted the Alphabet or names of the .xxiiij. letters For the wyseman vnderstoode that wrath by leysure woulde coole and abate And as notable is it that another of the Philosophers said to his seruant that had offended him Thou shouldest be beaten if I were not angry But now a dayes among Christians many thinke that men in their anger may doe what they list and they go about vnder the cloke of anger to excuse most heynous offences And in deede if God had made vs Beares or Lyons their excuse might take some place But forasmuch as we be men who ought to be ruled with the bridle of reason and word of God we shall be inexcusable as many as let our selues be caried and ruled with the lust of our affections But chiefely men of authoritie and Iudges must be myndefull hereof least they being caried awaye with wrath swarue from equitie and righteousnesse Gamaliel his saying also is worthye to be diligently considered Take heede to your selues c. Why the Apostles case was in question and their lyfe in daunger But the wise man and diligent obseruer of Gods law perceiued that Iudges commonly were more in daunger through giuing false iudgement than they that were accused For what thing can chaunce vnto them more acceptable than death that chaunge this mortall lyfe for an immortall But these Iudges prouoke the wrath of God against them which sitteth in the middest of them as is written Psal. 82. and will not suffer their boldnesse to go vnreuenged which vnder the pretence of godly iudgement exercise vnrighteousnesse Therfore whosoeuer beare office let them thinke this sayd vnto them and take heede to themselues that being blinded with affections they stray not from the tracke of righteousnesse In the seconde part of his Oration he intermedleth examples out of the which a little after he draweth the arguments of his sentence He first alledgeth examples very prudently and so telleth them that at the first it appeareth not what he will conclude thereof least eyther they shoulde not harken to his saying or without expending of it reiect it Out of a great many he chooseth two specially which as they were to all men knowne so were they able most to mooue their minds the one was of Theudas the other of Iudas of Galiley Iosephus also maketh mētion of them but touching the order of the storie he much dissenteth from Luke bicause he writeth Iudas was many yeares before Theudas whome yet Gamaliel openly testifieth to haue risen long before him But the authoritie of an holy writer must be of more credite with vs than Iosephus who it is euident was deceiued in many other things also whose writings might easily be corrupted and peruerted In the histories there is no difficultie and Gamaliel his purpose is to teach none other thing thereby but that none hitherto went vnpunished that tooke vpon them the name and office of the Messias but that they with all their sect perished which vnder this pretence went about to seeke their owne profite and aduauncement whereof afterwarde he gathereth that the lyke woulde come to passe by the sect of the Christians if Christ had bene a fraudulent and deceytfull worker and that therefore they ought to abyde the iudgement of god c. We haue to obserue in the rehearsal of these examples what shal become of them which wil not embrace Iesus Christ the true Messias For such men commonly as are authors and beginners of
accuse that religion of falsehood whose professours they see exercised with persecutions and aduersities Wherefore it is not so profitable as necessary that we be well instructed agaynst all occasions of offences Which thing is the cause that the holye ghost would haue Luke so diligently wryte the afflictions of the primitiue Church Wherein chiefely is to be obserued what hath alwayes beene the state of Christes Church in this worlde and howe through the present and faythfull ayde of the Lorde it hath in times past beene preserued in greatest tribulations that we neyther be offended at the calamities of our daies as vnwonted nor dispayre of Gods helpe and preseruation of hys Church Thys present hystory sheweth vs examples of both these things the conclusion whereof the Euangelist nowe discribeth and first he telleth what the coniured enimies of Christ did and afterwarde what the Apostles dyd Concerning Christes enimies gathered togyther in the counsell Luke wryteth thus They agreed vnto Gamaliel and when they had called the Apostles they bet them and commaunded them they should not speake in the name of Iesu and let them go He sayth they obeyed Gamaliel his saying when yet they did two things which he counselled them not to doe For they bette the Apostles with roddes and renewed their first decree whereby they go about to prohibite the preaching of the Gospell Yet they herein obey Gamaliel that they put not the seruauntes of Christ to death as they had minded to doe yet could they not refrayne but beat innocent men with whippes and roddes Therefore it must needes be that they were in a verie great rage which when matters seemed done and past was not yet quenched But this is the verie propertie of the persecutours of Christ that when they seeme pleased and appeased yet secretly foster hatred and furie in their mindes and seldome will let any of Christs ministers passe without some marke of ignominie or open punishment least they might seeme vniustly to haue risen against them and for that they would put those that followe them in feare So Pylate although he iudged Christ to be innocent yet would he not let him go before he had scourged him It is yet verie comfortable that the Lorde so brydeled their rage by the onely perswasion of Gamaliel that they durst not put the guyltlesse to death whereof we gather that the wicked can not alwayes doe what they liste but are ruled euen against their willes with the raynes of Gods prouidence There are in this example diuers other thinges the obseruation whereof is also verie profitable for vs in these dayes And first we are taught that it is no straunge and vnwoonted thing though the godly and holy worshippers of Christ in these dayes be subiect to the will and pleasure of the vngodly and suffer afflictions For Christ hymselfe gaue vs warning hereof long agoe tolde vs that a time would come that whosoeuer kylled anye of his people should thinke he dyd God seruice He calleth those that be his to the crosse and by his owne example teacheth vs that we should not hoâ—e for any better state or condition than he suffered The Apostles nowe feele the same and are not offended thereat but rather oftentimes admonishe vs that we be not offended as at any straunge thing if at any tyme we be tryed by fyre See the first of Peter the fourth Chapter It shall be profitable for vs diligently to consyder and thinke vpon the same For in so doing it shall come to passe that we shall neyther vse our selues insolently in prosperity nor yet be discouraged in aduersitie bicause we haue foreseene them both Secondly it is worthy of consideration that the Apostles the elect instruments of Christ in a verie good and holy quarrell which to defend they take vpon them according to Christs commaundement are ignominiouslye beaten Whereof we plainly gather how foule and shamefull an error they are in which iudge afflictions to be a token and argument of a naughtye and vnrighteous cause of whose number are they which now a dayes charge vs as causers of all kinde of miseries and calamities whereby it appeareth say they how we erre in our beliefe and religion But herby it appeareth howe destitute they be of wytte and reason for that they perceaue not those thinges wherein the verie Ethnike Poets gaue a better iudgement For it is well knowne what Naso sayth I wyshe he may misse of successe That of the effect the deede doth gesse For if these mens iudgements preuayle we shall finde fewe or none of the true worshippers of God but they deserue likewise to be condemned bicause a blinde man may see many of them not onely molested with many persecutions but also slayne by the handes of most cruell enimies And that we should hope for no better Christes worde where he aduertiseth vs of the state of the latter dayes aboundantly teacheth vs Wherfore whosoeuer iudgeth of religion according to the falling out and successe of thys worlde may be iudged lyke to the Iewes Souldiours which gaue Christ hanging on the crosse Uineger to drinke and sayd If he be the king of Israel let him nowe come downe from the crosse and we will beleeue him Hee trusted in God let him delyuer him if he will haue him for he sayde he was the sonne of God. And surely what more tarte and eger Uineger can there be than such vpbraydings whereby both the glory of God and the certaintie and truth of his worde is called in question And yet we may not thinke that God hath no care nor prouidence of the worlde when we see the true and holy seruaunts of God afflicted For to say nothing of his secrete iudgementes there are infinite other causes wherefore God suffreth these things so to come to passe For thys wayes God sometime pulleth downe the secret corruption and haultinesse of our flesh which vnlesse it were tamed would burst forth to the great inconuenience and dammage of his people And we may not reply and say that God many times vseth to humble bring downe those that otherwyse are lowly ynough and neuer shewed any great signe of fiercenesse or pride For God knoweth the naughtinesse of mans inclination and wherof we haue neede better and surelier than we can perceaue Therfore he chastiseth vs in time and some whyle preuenteth our naughtinesse before it waxe strong and make vs incurable and to be condemned with the worlde Furthermore he tryeth our fayth by this meanes not that he is ignoraunt of any thing but that both we may be an example to others and also prooue what infirmitie as yet remayneth in vs and howe much we haue neede of the helpe and grace of god Beside this he wyll hereby shewe vnto the worlde howe sinne displeaseth him seeing he so seuerely correcteth the small faultes of his electes yea their secret and hidden naughtinesse And herevnto had Peter a respect where he sayth
were neglected in the publike distribution of the Church goodes Which examples the holy ghost would therefore diligently to be written to declare what daungers chiefely they ought to shunne and auoyd which purpose not vnprofitable to bragge of their christian calling but in their doings meane to expresse the same For it becommeth not them which eyther haue already forsaken their owne goodes for the name of Christ or else ought to forsake them if necessitie so requyre to bestowe the goodes of the poore fraudulently and guylefully And it is an absurde and neuer ynough punishable offence to purloyne and imbecill away those things which other men haue giuen to the reliefe of the poore for the maynteyning of whome we are commaunded to spend all we haue But woulde God it were as easie a matter herein to correct the vsage of our dayes as we may not without great cause bewayle the same But what doe the Apostles after this grutch is risen Doe they rayle on them whome they heare thus murmure against them for their vniust distribution Doe they forsake these vnkinde murmurers and leaue of in displeasure all care of administration of the Church Doe they of their priuate authoritie prescribe anye newe order to the Church Or which thing might haue had some shewe of charitie doe they dissemble and make delayes as though by delaying and winking at the matter this mischiefe might haue beene qualified Luke maketh no mention at all of anye suche thinges For they see that mindes already to much incensed are not to be more prouoked neyther can they for a fewe of murmurers sakes leaue of the care of the whole Church which Christ had committed to them neyther doe they of their priuate authoritie as aspyrers to tyranny prescribe Gods houshold or inheritance any such thing neither do they thinke it good to dissemble or negligently to passe ouer so apparaunt an inconuenience But in time they prouyde a remedie and calling all the multitude togither they openly and friendly consult of some better order and way to be appointed for the poore This example or president is not onely in all ages to be obserued but also with great diligence to be followed if we desyre the churches preseruation and safetie For neyther must the pleasure of a fewe be so borne with that they shall doe whatsoeuer lyketh them and lyke Lordes prowdely beare rule ouer the church neyther must open vices be winked at especially such as giue occasion of murmurings and complaint For both they gather strength and creepe further with long tarryaunce and so inflame the mindes that that euill which at the beginning might easily haue beene cured or remedied becommeth incurable It also commeth to passe that hereby occasion is gyuen to such as be rashe and seditious to inuade and vsurpe a rule and dominion ouer the Churche and so at their pleasure to make and appoint newe orders and reformation This thing ought they to haue consydered which nowe a dayes bragge of their false succeeding the Apostles and will be taken for chiefe rulers of the Church who thinke it intollerable that the godly Magistrates should appoynt any reformation in their Churches as the complaintes of the whole worlde these many yeares could not awake them to take away the manifest and horrible abuses whereof they haue bene to long both the authors and defendors Yea and we also ought to haue consydered this thing which glory in the name of the gospell and wil seeme to haue refourmed our Churches For who is so foolish that heareth not the poore euery day for the like cause murmuring and complayning And would God the complaynts of poore were not more iust than theyrs of whome it is here intreated For in many places the Magistrates rape and reaue the Church goodes and they are spent and consumed by such as neyther serue the Church neyther are ledde with any desire of Euangelike truth the poore in the meane whyle and the ministers of the church also being in extreme beggerie and ready to sterâ—e for hunger whome Christ so diligently hath commended to hys church To say nothing of the neglecting of studies and wasting of schooles the contempt of discipline and good maners and infinite like mischiefes all which we may thanke this wicked robbing of churches and Colledges of Many wise men see these things and lament them Diuers faythfull Pastours of Churches reprooue them and desyre amendment Many openly bewayle it and there wante not which with seditious murmuring testifie the indignation of their mindes But what profite is there in all these wayes There be men which thinke these murmurers are to be brydeled by threates and proclamations and by punishments And they that seeme to be the best neglect and care nothing at all therfore So no man thinketh earnestly of any reformation bicause no man will be put out of possession of the Church goodes But the Lorde will finde a way one day and by his horrible iudgement will awake these sluggardes whome no admonishment of his diuine worde nor complaintes of the poore can awake But where the matter is of great wayte that is here intreated Luke also reciteth the Apostles Oration wherein they proposed this matter to be discussed of the church The Oration is deliberatiue and the state therof is that Deacons must be ordeyned to whome the distribution of the common money and care of helping the poore may be committed And the Oration consisteth of three pointes The first conteyneth a briefe excuse wherein they both render a reason of their present doing and modestlye put away the crime laide against them by these murmurers so that they take vpon them all the faulte least any occasion of suspicion or vpbrayding should remayne For they say It is not meete that we should leaue the worde of God and serue at the table The argument is deduced of impossibilitie For they declare that it can not be that they can discharge both the offices that they haue hytherto susteyned wherefore it is necessarie that one of them be committed to some other They also declare that no man ought to take it grieuously if they haue made any default consydering the manifold affayres wherein hitherto they had beene occupied It is as much as if they should say Bicause the money was taken vnto vs which certaine godlye disposed had giuen to the churches vse we gladly tooke vppon vs the distribution of the same least we should seeme anye waye to neglect the Churches commoditie But we learne by experience that we are not able both to satisfie the place of teaching and also this office of distribution and we confesse that among so manifolde businesses something might be ouerseene of vs Wherefore we must lay aside the one or the other of these offices But we may not intermyt the office of teaching seing Christ hath commended the same vnto vs and hath appoynted vs witnesses of the thinges he hath done Therefore this other office must be
senses into heauen that we maye enioye Christ sitting on the right hande of the father aboue Nowe if the ceremonies instituted of God can neyther iustifie nor saue vs yea to vse them it is hurtfull if they be done without fayth how much more detestable is the errour of them which will attribute to mans constitutions and to the wearishe and colde ceremonies that the bolde curiositie of brayne hath deuised the glorye of iustification and saluation For as the Lorde once vniuersally condemned all the traditions of men so it is as cleere as the Sunne that these ceremonies can not be ministred with faith bicause fayth can rest vpon none other foundation than the worde of God as Paule teacheth Therefore this onely Canone ouerthroweth all Poperie which with all the rytes and ceremonies therof is so mainteyned with the foolishe decrees of superstitious men that it needeth no further demonstration Steuen prosecuteth his narration begonne and beateth downe the vaine affyaunce in the fathers in whome they marueylously gloryed as we tofore haue declared And to prooue that the fathers were iustifyed neyther by circumcision nor euer a whyt the better therfore nor yet merited saluation by anye workes but were saued through the meere and vnspeakeable goodnesse and fauour of God he rehearseth the straunge vnnatural deede that they did against Ioseph their brother which he toucheth in fewe words but such that it may easily appeare how heynous a deede it was For thus he sayth The Patriarches hauing indignation solde Ioseph into Aegypt The storie is in Moses Gene. 37. chap. First he sheweth the spring of this fact to be enuie wherein they boyled against their innocent brother for none other cause but for that they vnderstoode God had appointed for him great honors and dignities They were in the lyke fault that Caine once was in For he slewe his brother Abel blynded with the affection of enuie and hatred For although the Patriarches shed not his bloude yet were they guilty of murther both bycause of their pretenced malice of mynde the fulfilling wherof God stopped by meanes of Ruben and also for that they solde their brother to alyauntes which was a thing that God afterwarde appoynted to be punished with death Adde vnto this a number of other things concurring in the doing of this deede and it shall appeare that by this one fact they had deserued to be cast of for euer and therefore that it was not to be ascribed to their righteousnesse but to Gods goodnesse that he did vouchsafe to make the nation that came of them his owne people and inheritaunce For they vpon a bolde and rashe impietie and vngodlynesse tooke vpon them to contende wyth God whose deuise by thys meane they thought to stop and hinder They were also vnkinde towardes their father who they knewe well had a great delight in Ioseph and whose olde age they should rather haue comforted than haue made sadde Of theyr vngodlynesse towarde their brother what needeth it to speake whom as much as in them laye they went about not onely to kyll in bodye but also in soule whyles they sell him to Ismaelites into Egypt miserably to serue among such as they knewe had no knowledge of God nor his wyll What punishmentes therefore what Helles were sufficient to reuenge suche a deede if God would haue shewed his rigour rather than his goodnesse and mercie This place also serueth for our information teacheth vs that it is a vaine thing to vaunt or glory in the vertue of our auncestors Not that we deny it is a singuler gift of God if any man happen to haue famous and excellent progenitors but we say we haue them not to thend to brag of them in Gods sight For though our forefathers were neuer so good yet had they that goodnesse of the fauour of God and to vs commeth no profite by their vertue vnlesse we endeuor to follow it which thing is at large set forth in Ezechiel the .xviij. Chapter And it is manifest that God neuer sharplier threatned the Iewes than when they begonne to bragge of Abrahams vertue For then Iohn calleth them Adders broode and Christ the children of the Deuill And that that Steuen noted in the Iewes the same is most euident to be seene in all Nations as well particulerly as generally For although there be some of their forefathers which by reason of their vertues and good deedes deserued some prayse amongst men yet there want not diuers others whose vngraciousnesse deserued not onely the destruction of the whole Nation but also eternall damnation and forsaking of the whole posteritie vnlesse God of his peculiar and fauourable sparing woulde haue them saued Let vs all therefore humble our selues in the sight of God and let him that reioyceth reioyce in the Lorde who is mercifull louing pacient and of great goodnesse who dealeth not with vs after our sinnes nor rewardeth vs according to our wickednesse See the Psalme 103. And bicause Steuen is entred into the historie of Ioseph whose chastitie wisedome righteousnesse and godlynesse myght seeme to deserue to bring him to promotion and dignitie and that for his sake all the Nation of the Iewes was honoured and benefited he aunswereth this error also and sheweth that euen Ioseph also receyued whatsoeuer he had of Gods fauour and not of his owne desert and merite God sayth he was with him and deliuered him out of all his troubles Where Ioseph therefore suffred aduersitie paciently that he was not ouercome with the whorish entisements of his dishonest mistresse that he kept his fayth and trust to his maister vnblemished that he despayred not in the miserie of prison and captiuitie all this was the benefite of God which woulde not leaue him destitute of his grace By his grace it came also to passe that he being instructed with the spirite of prophecie coulde giue the king wholesome counsell and get hys fauour Wherfore it is to be attributed neyther to Iosephes witte neyther to Pharaos clemencie but to Gods goodnesse that Ioseph came to be gouernor of all Egypt Adde herevnto howe God woulde haue all these things come to passe in a prophane Countrie when the people of God had yet no temple builded nor ceremonies of the lawe as yet appoynted Wherevpon agayne we gather that the ceremonies which long after ensued were not deliuered to iustifie by but to shadowe to vs the true meane of iustification and saluation which was giuen by promise in the beginning of the worlde and was to be fulfilled by Christe in the time thereto appoynted What meane we therefore to contende for those thinges without the which it is playne the fathers pleased God and were saued There remayne in the example of Ioseph certaine other pointes that serue for the information and teaching of euery man whereof wee haue yet farther to speake The first is that he sayth God was with Ioseph Then neyther the falshoode of his
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
nothing contrary to the same though it seeme neuer so worthy of authoritie And hereof the Lord himselfe giueth vs warning where he forbiddeth vs in the law to beleeue false Prophets although they confirmed their doctrine with myracles For the Lorde your God sayeth Moses tempteth you to see whether you loue the Lorde your God with all your heart c. Therefore they obiect myracles to vs in vaine which go about to perswade vs in things varying from Gods worde See 2. Thess. 2. Math. 24. Besides in Simon is set forth a manifest marke whereby a deceyuer may be knowne For he challengeth to himselfe godly honor which Satan chiefly desireth to th ende to spoyle God of his honor wherein he farre differeth from the good Aungels which refuse godly honor being offered them and put it ouer vnto god See Apocal. 19. and .22 And the faythfull seruaunts of God being well remembred of their naturall corruption be most free from this sacrilegall desire of godly honor and giue all the prayse to God for whatsoeuer they doe well and laudably Example hereof we haue seene before in Iohn and Peter and shall hereafter see the lyke in Paule Therfore let them be driuen from vs and clapped out of our company which dare to take vpon them any be it neuer so little a peece of diuine honor For he can be no faythfull seruant that will take vnto him his maisters glory Last of all we haue in the Samaritanes an example of the inconstancy and lightnesse of the Commons in that they yeelde to this crafty deceyuour and suffer themselues to be beguiled This is the propertie of the world to delite in deceyuers and to reioyce in deuisers of straunge subtelties But if there be any hope of neuer so little gayne yee shall see them who oughte to depend onely vpon the word of God by and by striken in a great rage They that in these dayes seeke after Soothsayers to heare tell of thinges lost or who hath taken them away giue vs examples of this madnesse And there be woorse than these which thinke diseases may be put awaye by incantations and certaine conceiued formes of wordes and with costly superstition hyre such as professe such kynd of witchcraft But the obedience of the Samaritanes being better instructed deserueth prayse This it becommeth vs to imitate and not to giue our studye to curious sciences which are long since plainely condemned by Gods sentence See Exod. 22. Leuit. 20. Deut. 18. Mich. 5. God the father hath appointed Iesus Christ to be our teacher and Sauiour Him it behooueth vs to heare and to doe his commaundement to whome be prayse honor power and glory for euer Amen The .lviij. Homelie BVT assoone as they gaue credence to Philips preaching of the kingdome of GOD and of the name of Iesu Christ they were baptized both men and women Then Simon himselfe beleeued also And when he was baptized he continued with Phillip and woondered beholdyng the my racles and signes which were shewed When the Apostles which were at Ierusalem heard say that Samaria had receyued the worde of God they sent vnto them Peter and Iohn which when they were come downe prayed for them that they might receyue the holy Ghost For as yet he was come on none of them But they were baptized only in the name of Christ iesu Then layde they their handes on them and they receyued the holy ghost BIcause the kingdome of our Sauiour Iesus Christ was to be extended ouer all the world it was therfore necessary that the gospell by the teaching wherofmen are brought vnto Christ should be preached vnto all Nations whereof we haue seene how the Apostles receyued a commaundement of the Lorde himself being ready to ascende vp into heauen The great persecution which Luke sayth beganne at Ierusalem gaue an occasion of the putting this matter in execution For where before the tyme of this persecution the sermons of the Apostles sounded but in Ierusalem onely the other faithful ministers of Christ beyng thence dispersed beganne to preach in other places and had such good successe that within short space Phillip being come to Samaria wanne vnto Christ by his continuall preachyng the Gospell the people of the Citie which Simon long tyme had bewitched with his Magicall sciences For they contempning his Magicall conueyaunces began to giue eare vnto Christ to heare him only And how prosperously they tooke this thing in hand this present place declareth which setteth out vnto vs a more full constitution and ordering of that churche and most diligently sheweth the great going forwarde of those men in fayth and other gifts of the spirite First it is declared how they grew into one body of a congregation where he sayth Assone as they gaue credence to Philips preaching of the kingdome of God and of the name of Iesu Christ they were baptized both men and women Therefore this place is attributed chiefly to the beliefe which they gaue vnto Philips preaching in such sort that they thought his doctrine was confirmed with authority inough by the myracles which he wrought We learne therfore that through fayth congregations do duely grow in one are most stronglye knit with an inwarde bande For this Fayth only grafteth vs in Christ Iesu and maketh vs members of one body in him as Paule in many places testifieth Whervpon we euidently gather agayne that where men want faith there can be no church of Christ for such must needes be led with most variable and contrary senses and meanings We are taught by the example of the Samaritanes that the worde of God where men teache must be beleeued and that it must not be comptrolled by mans reason so that it shall nede euery day new authority For as Paule testifieth that the scriptures are inspired of GOD so the ministerye of the worde instituted of Christ in his church expressely teacheth the same Therfore whosoeuer beleeueth the ministers of Christ bringing Christes voyce and his worde we may saye hee beleeueth Christ and not men For vnto all suche belongeth this saying of Christ He that heareth you heareth me And whosoeuer receyueth hym that I sende receyueth me Wherefore Paule iudgeth the Thessalonians for this cause woorthy to be praysed for that they receyued his doctrine not as the worde of a man but as of an Aungell And the same prayse the Samaritanes deserue and as many as haue beleeued the Gospell according to their ensample Furthermore to this inwarde communion consisting of Fayth is ioyned also an outwarde bande of communion or societie For it is sayd that all as well men as women were baptized in the name of Iesus christ For as Christ chose his elect out of the world so will he haue them separated from the world and consecrated to himselfe onely To the which ende he requireth of them a playne confession of their fayth and furnisheth them wyth sacraments whereby they be
of Aethiopia a Chamberlane and of great authoritie wyth Candace Queene of the Aethiopians and had the rule of all hir treasure came to Ierusalem for to worship And as he returned home againe sitting in his Chariot he read Esay the Prophete Then the Spirite sayde vnto Philip go neere and ioyne thy selfe vnto yonder Chariot And Philip ranne to him and he hearde him reade the Prophete Esaye and sayde vnderstandest thou what thou readest And he sayde how can I except I had a guide And he desired Philip that he woulde come vp and sit with him BIcause God hath appointed Iesus Christ his sonne to be the vniuersall Sauiour of the whole worlde therefore it behooued that the Gospell also wherin is contayned the way of saluation purchased by him shoulde be preached among all Nations Howe this was done Luke declareth in this Chapter He beginneth with the conuersion of Samaria which Christ himselfe expressely commendeth vnto the Apostles as we haue seene in the Historie of his Ascention And thither came Philip and first sowed the seede of Euangelike doctrine and fayth Shortly after the Apostles being sent thither gaue vnto them that were alreadie baptised in the name of Christ the gyftes of the holy spirite which thing was the occasion of the adooe that they had with Simon Magus The beginning of this present place appertayneth to the hystorie of the conuersion of Samaria wherevnto after is ioyned a newe discourse declaring howe the knowledge of Christ came vnto the Aethiopians And first Luke meaning to conclude his former narration proposeth in fewe wordes what the Apostles did furthermore at Samaria saying When they had testified and preached the worde of God they returned to Ierusalem and preached the Gospell in many Cities of the Samaritanes In the which wordes the Apostles are sayde to haue done three things First they beare witnesse of Christ whom Philip had preached Therefore they fulfill the office wherevnto Christ appoynted them when he commaunded them to bee his witnesses Then they preached the worde of GOD not the deuises of their owne head And herein also they haue a respect vnto Christes commaundement who charged them to preach the things which he commaunded them Thirdly in their returne they pretermit not the inferior places but preach Iesus Christ euery where in the Townes and Uillages This is an argument of a great and feruent zeale wherewith they being inflamed thinke they ought to let slip no occasion that may serue to set forth the kingdome of god In these thinges are most fully set forth the dutie of the Ministers of the worde and of the congregation Let the Ministers remember that they be not onely Preachers but also witnesses of christ And it is the propertie of witnesses to say the truth and boldly and without feare to speake that they knowe And he shall be called no faythfull witnesse that for fauour of men or any other affection shall obscure or hide the truth Moreouer let them know that the worde of God is committed vnto them whereof the Lorde hath made them Preachers and not Authors of newe opinions Therefore let them thinke that spoken to them that is sayde to Ezechiel who is commaunded to take his wordes from the mouth of the Lorde And let them not thinke it is graunted them to ioyne theyr gloses vnto Gods worde For what hath chaffe to doe with corne Howbeit in all these things is required a certaine zeale wherewith if they be not inflamed they shall doe no great good Therefore let them imitate Christ which we see euery where sought occasion to teach and to preach And Paule sayth he fashioned himselfe in all thinges to all men to winne many vnto Christ. Nowe vnto these premisses Luke ioyneth a newe hystorie as we before sayde wherein he telleth vs howe the doctrine of the Gospell came into Aethiopia by the ministerie of one man but such an one as we shall thinke laboured not in vaine bicause he was of great authoritie among the people And here is most manifestly fulfilled that that was long agone prophecied by the Prophete touching the subduing and bringing of the Aethiopians vnto the kingdome of christ See the Psalmes lxxij lxviij .lxxxvij. Nowe bicause this hystorie conteyneth an ensample of true conuersion it grieued not the godly writer to declare all the circumstances thereof And first he treateth of Philip whose ministerie it pleased God herein to vse After that he diligently describeth the Aethiopians person who was conuerted vnto the fayth of christ And last of all he beginneth to declare what Philip and he did being togither In Philip by whose meane the Aethiopian was conuerted we haue two things to note The speciall calling whereby God appointed him to this businesse and his obedience in following Gods calling It was a very singuler vocation forasmuch as it was a thing of no small importaunce which God had appoynted to be done For the Aungell of the Lorde appeareth vnto Philip and instructeth him diligently what to doe Aryse sayeth he and get thee towarde the South vnto the way that leadeth from Ierusalem vnto Gaza c. And although the Aungell doth not plainely declare what he shoulde there doe yet it was easie for Philip to coniecture that he was appoynted to some great and heauenly businesse This place teacheth vs by the way the dignitie of the Gospell forasmuch as we heare that Philip is called to the preaching thereof by an Aungell For where God hath appointed the Aungels as the Apparitories or Bedels of his maiestie whome he sendeth out for the saluation of his elect as Paule witnesseth to the Hebrues the first chapter it must needes be some great and excellent matter that is to be done by their ministerie seruice We learne also that the beginning of our saluation ought to be referred to the meere grace and fauour of god For as God in this place appoynteth to the Eunuche nothing thinking hereof a preacher of saluation so moste times when we thinke least of it he vseth to bring vnto vs the doctrine of saluation Which grace of God we ought so to acknowledge as to attribute nothing ouer arrogantly to our selues in that matter that may any thing blemishe or deface the maiestie of Gods grace The obedience of Philip deserueth singuler prayse which neyther replyeth vpon the Aungell nor curiously enquireth why he so commaundeth him but without al delay goeth on to the place he was commaunded committing all the successe of the matter to God which commaunded him Let vs thinke that the lyke obedience is required of vs least whyle we call Gods commaundements to the account of our reason we first become foolishe tryslers and lyngerers and then after that rashe and heady transgressors And as oft as the Lorde shall simply commaunde any thing not rendring any reason why he so cōmaundeth so often let vs thinke he tryeth our obedience and let vs with his general promises be
Tharsus for behold he prayeth and hath seene in a vision a man named Ananias comming vnto him and putting his handes on him that he might receyue his sight Then Ananias aunswered Lorde I haue hearde by many of this man howe much euill he hath done to thy Saints at Ierusalem and here he hath authoritie of the high Priestes to bynde all that call on thy name The Lorde sayde vnto him Go thy way for he is a chosen vessell vnto me to carie my name before the Gentyles and Kinges and the children of Israel For I will shewe him howe great things he must suffer for my names sake ALthough we ought diligently to consider the conuersions and callinges of all the Apostles yet Paules conuersion of all others deserueth singulerly to be marked partly bicause it contayneth in it a rare example of Gods mercye towarde sinners and partly for that Paule laboured more than alâ— the Apostles neyther is there anye other whose writings are more often alledged eyther of the olde writers or newe in matters of fayth and religion It is therfore necessary that we knowe who he was howe God called him and conuerted him that we may haue his doctrine in the more authoritie which thing is the cause that Luke writeth his hystorie so diligently And hitherto he hath declared howe the Lorde interrupted his fiercenesse and horrible attempts in the middle of hys race and businesse and that so forceably that he was fayne to offer himselfe to the Lord to be obedient and to be taught being a whyle before his grieuous enimie Herevnto he conueniently addeth howe he is appoynted to the office of an Apostle which contayneth a notable discourse betweene the Lorde Iesus Christ and Ananias by whose ministerie Paule was to be ordered Euery part whereof we will declare as farre forth as God shall permit First the Lorde calleth Ananias that Paule may take orders by his ministerie And of Ananias Luke speaketh but little in this place but Paule at large where he commendeth him of his godlinesse and sayth he deserued among the Iewes the testimonie of a good and an innocent man Him the Lorde certifyeth of his will by a vision and likewise prepareth Paule being in his prayers by an other vision worthily to receyue Ananias Here our Sauiour Christ is well to be marked which instructeth them both by euident visions For hereby is perceyued the ardent desire that Christ hath to the saluation of mankinde shewed and declared ingenerall towardes all men and especially in seeking the lost sheepe as himselfe elsewhere testifyeth Which thing as it is for our comfort so it also serueth for our instruction that we should traueyle rather to saue sinners than to destroy them and not follow those which glorying in their feruent zeale of Gods glorie rashly reiect and condemne all those whome they see once to haue swarued from the way of truth Moreouer we are taught how expedient it is that all things be done rightly duely in the outwarde ministerie of the worde For except the ministers be duely called and well assured of their calling and the hearers well prepared to receyue their sayings there can followe no worthie fruite and auayle of their doing For howe shall they preach except they be sent Or with what argumentes shall they bee emboldened agaynst the threates and enterprises of the wicked which craftily haue vsurped and intruded vpon the office of teaching Againe if the hearers come not well minded and prepared to heare the worde of the Lorde then shall they receyue that wholesome seede eyther into the way eyther into stonie places or among thornes and there shall be many impediments that shall cause that they shall bring forth no worthie fruites Wherfore Christ requireth honest mindes which will holde fast the seede they haue once receyued and being armed agaynst all suggestions of Satan the worlde and the flesh bring forth worthie fruits with pacience And that we haue neede of diligent preparation hereto euery man may easily vnderstande that well considereth the corrupt nature of man These things if we will well weigh and expend it shall easily appeare why there is so much preaching in these dayes with so little profite For most part of the Ministers without wayting for the lawfull calling of the Lorde get into the ministerie by vnlawfull meanes for the belly sake and they that will not seeme the vngodlyest of the hearers of the worde come vnto it more for custome sake than of any earnest desire of amendment beeing altogither like vnto those which in the Prophete sayde Come I praye you let vs heare what woorde is gonefoorth from the Lorde Furthermore we haue also to consider Paule whom the Lord speaking to Ananias witnesseth to be in his prayer This is to be vnderstanded of the continuall prayers he made all the three dayes long as easily appeareth by the circumstaunces bicause there were many thinges which might mooue Paule vnto prayer For he felt the horrible hande of God which threw him downe He hearde howe he was accused from heauen to be the professed enimie of the sonne of god Then came to his minde the wicked enterprises crueltie that he had vsed against the name of Christ and his Church also the banishments chaynes imprisonment and torments with the lamentation and crying of women and children whereofhe had beene the authour Yea his guiltie conscience as yet troubled him Then againe the wayting for the promise of reuelation and instruction was able to styrre him vp to earnest prayer and yet in this earnestnesse and diligence of praying God disappoynteth him as I might say whole three dayes togither These things commend vnto vs an incessant earnestnesse of prayer bicause there are as many and as vrgent causes to styrre vs vp also theretoo For if we discende into our selues wee shall finde they are no tryfling sinnes whereby we haue deserued Gods wrath We many tymes feele the hande of Gods anger The conscience of our wickednesse oftentymes molesteth vs We are still in daunger of all kindes of aduersitie And if the thinking hereof be not able to kindle in vs heartie and ardent prayer then shall wee worthily be called colder than yron or yce Paule for these causes commaundeth vs continually to pray And let vs so remember to continue in prayer that we be not ouercome with distrust or impaciencie and rashely prescribe God any tyme to heare or helpe vs in For he sometime deferreth the helpe he promiseth vs not bicause he meaneth to disappoynt them that trust in him but bicause he will exercise and trie our fayth Examples wherof we haue both in Paule in Abraham in the woman of Chanaan and in many others Here therefore let vs bende the force of our fayth and follow the example of that Widdow by whose importunatenesse Christ sayth the wicked Iudge was ouercome But O miserable and vnhappie wretches that we be which as we scarce take vs vnto prayer
in extreeme necessitie so we by and by faint and giue ouer if God doe not graunt our peticions at the first being verie little mindefull of our state who being seruauntes ought paciently to abyde our Lordes leysure and not imperiously to appoynt him But let vs consider Ananias which being ouercome with feare of daunger putteth of the expresse and euident commaundement of the Lorde For he sayth Lorde I haue hearde of this man by many howe great euill he hath done to thy saintes at Hierusalem and here hee hath power from the highe priestes to binde all that call vpon thy name He alleageth the testimonie of others least he might seeme to feare in vaine But it is a ridiculous matter to stande more vpon the testimonie of man than vpon the worde of god It is also ridiculous to rehearse Saules doings of others mouthes before the Lorde as though he had hitherto beene ignoraunt of them But herevnto feare a naughtie and foolish Counsaylor vseth to bring vs if we once take him to consult with in discussing of Gods commaundements Yet it appeareth by this example that it taketh hold many times euen of holy men and faythfull worshippers of God. With this feare we reade Abraham was so ouercome that he denyed Sara to be his wife Moses striken with lyke feare can scarcely be induced to take vpon him the conduct and leading of the people of Israel Elias the Prophete tasted of this feare when after the slaughter of Baals Priestes he wiâ—t not whither to flie for feare of Iesabell the Queenes manaces and threats Ionas also deceyued through feare promised himself more safetie among the flouds of the sea and barbarous shipmen than in the ayde and vocation of the lord Here might also be brought forth the examples of others both Prophetes and Apostles But this is mans infirmitie for the which no man is rashely to be condemned bicause we see many tokens hereof appeared in Christ also when the howre of his death drewe nigh We must take heede that we be not so ouercome herewith that we leaue the charge inioyned vs of the lord But rather hauing a respect to the prouidence of God committe our selues wholy to the will of God as Christ teacheth his Apostles Wherevnto also are to be referred the general promises of Gods helpe which promise them that walke in his vocation sure and certaine ayde and succour And herewith I beleeue Ananias also was confirmed who although at the first seemed somewhat timerous yet he yeeldeth to God being instant vpon him and the seconde tyme of commaunding he faythfully obeyeth him It is a singuler consolation wherewith the Lorde comforteth Ananias wauering and fearefull minde Go sayth he for he is a chosen vessell vnto mee to beare my name before the Gentiles and kinges and children of Israell For I will shewe him howe great thinges he must suffer for my names sake It seemeth there are two reasons alleaged wherefore Ananias ought not to feare and both of them are taken of Paules person First he sayth he is not a Tyranne and persecutor as he was heretofore but of the number of the elect hereafter should be a most valiant and faithfull defender of Christes name Then that there is so little feare to be had of any persecution to be made by Paul that rather he had to suffer many things for the name of Christ. These wordes contayne a singuler and worthie prayse of Paule which we ought diligently to consider both for that the excellencie of Gods goodnesse may the better be knowne and also that we may vnderstande howe great authoritie Paules doctrine is of First he is called after an Hebrue phrase the vessell of election that is to say a chosen picked or culled instrument For the Hebrues by this name vessell vnderstande all kinde of instruments vtensiles or implements And they vse the Genitiue case of the Substantiue for the Adiectiue Men are called the vesselles or instrumentes of God bicause God executeth hys iudgementes by them So Paule otherwheres calleth the elect the vessels of glorie and mercie and againe the reprobates the vessels of wrath And Senacherib by the same reason is called the rodde of Gods furie Christ calleth Paule a chosen vessell bicause he executed many thinges by him yea most wholesome workes in setting forth the Gospell and the fayth In the meane season this word vessell or instrument teacheth vs to remember our state and condition that if we haue any thing in vs that is excellent wee should not thinke it to be ours but learne to giue all the prayse and glorie vnto God who hath vouchsafed to vse their helpe The reprobates and such as want the knowledge of God vnderstande not this therefore they attribute to their owne power and witte whatsoeuer is of any excellencie in them But howe much such doing displeaseth the Lorde Senacherib the Assirian and Nabuchodonosor the Babilonian aboundauntly testifie Paule much better weighed these thinges which plainely confesseth that he is by the grace of God whatsoeuer he is The same teacheth all Ministers that they must arrogate nothing to themselues or to others but that they remember all effect and successe of Ministerie commeth of the Lorde which giueth the increase The consideration hereof serueth very much to make men humble in heart and minde For it maketh them to take heede that they exceede not in pride or securitie and so become the vessels and instruments of wrath Secondlye Christ declareth the ende and vse of this instrument and sheweth that Paule is appoynted to beare his name that is to aduaunce and extoll his name before the Gentyles and Kings and people of Israel He vnderstandeth the preaching of the Gospell whereby Christes name vseth to be extolled and celebrated when repentaunce and remission of sinnes is preached in him Here all Ministers are admonyshed of their duetie To them it belongeth to beare the name of Christ that is to preache him to be a Sauiour King and Priest and to declare that all thinges that appertayne to our saluation are in him So Paule sayth he knoweth nothing but Iesus Christ and him crucified The same sayth he reioyceth onely in the crosse of christ The same name did Peter cary where he sayde there was none other name vnder heauen giuen vnto manne in which he coulde be saued Wherby we gather that they be not the ministers of Christ but ledde with the spirite of Antichrist that declare any other name wherein repentance and forgiuenesse of sinnes is preached See concerning these men 1. Iohn 4. Let Ministers remember also that they must not cary this name into corners but before Nations Kings and Iewes For although we be not all Apostles yet it appertayneth to all Ministers not to be ashamed of Christ but to speake of the testimonies of the Lorde as Dauid sayth before Kings and Princes being readye to giue an account of our fayth
our eyes when the glory and friendship of this world inuegleth vs to forsake christ For although Christes flocke be but little and the state of the Church seemeth but miserable and vnhappie yet is this the common saying of all that are godly One day in thy Courtes is better than a thousande I had rather be a doore keeper in the house of the Lorde than to dwell in the tentes of the vngodly Also Paule giueth vs a great argument of Christian modestie whyle being suspected and reiected of the godly he doth not stubbornely murmure against them nor immodestly setteth out his owne prayse nor forsaketh the Church disdainfully but paciently abideth all this doing For remembring his former lyfe he marueyleth nothing at the matter Yea he acknowledgeth the iudgement of God who woulde haue him so humbled and exercised that he shoulde as it were in humble and lowly wyse seeke their societie whome before he had disdainefully contemned and cruelly persecuted Let vs followe this example as often as the iniurie that other doth vnto vs grieueth vs And although we knowe our selues vniustly iniuried by them yet lette vs thinke we are not vnworthye of this iniurie but that we haue deserued more than this if God woulde deale with vs according to our deserts Finally when he seeth himselfe reconciled to the brethren he prooueth himselfe in deede to be a true Disciple of christ For he speaketh freely and boldly in the name of Iesus Christ. This is a description of the Gospell which preacheth to vs repentance and forgiuenesse of sinnes in the name of Iesus Christ onely as we haue oftentimes declared He disputeth also with the Greekes who we sawe heretofore were the authors of a murmure and grutch that greatly disquieted the Church These men vsed to mingle the lawe with the Gospell and to ouerthrowe the fayth in Christ with the iustification of workes To the confutation of whome Paule was appoynted by the peculiar counsell of God as his Epistles declare This place teacheth vs that saluation must so be preached in the name of Christ only that therewithall we must also earnestly withstande all those things that maye ouerthrowe the same Touching which poynt bicause we haue intreated in the last Sermon it shall suffyse by the way to haue noted thus much But in the ende it is sayde that Paule had no better successe at Ierusalem than he had before at Damascus For the Iewes made a newe conspiracie agaynst him and woulde haue killed him And these are the argumentes of hypocrites which most egerly contending about the righteousnesse of workes thinke it but a tryfle to slea innocentes and to shed guiltlesse bloude But here agayne appeareth the fayth and loue of the Disciples which accompanie him to Caesarea and so sende him to Tharsus in Cilicia which was Paules natiue countrie And here Paules constancie is worthy of singuler commendation who being on euery side still in daunger yet forsaketh not Christ and his fayth For he knew by reading of the Prophetes that many were the tribulations of the iust He knewe that all they which professed Christ were called to beare the crosse He knewe also that he had deserued much grieuouser punishmente bicause he had procured the like vnto the christians before Wherfore he thought he ought rather to reioyce seeing he suffred that for Christes sake â–ª which God might haue layd on him as a punishment for his owne sinnes Which consideration if it were in our mindes it woulde easily cause vs also not to be offended at any aduersitie In the meane season Paule deserueth great prayse for that according to Gods commaundement when h ehad escaped he preached the Gospell in Tharsus being his owne countrie as appeareth hereafter in the xxij Chapter following the example of Christ who had a regarde of hys owne countrie though it were ingratefull and vnkinde Lette vs imitate Paules fayth godlynesse and constancie So shall it come to passe that God being our protector and defender we shall be deliuered from all the troubles of this lyfe present and liue hereafter in heauen with Iesus Christ the sonne of God our only Sauiour to whome be prayse honor power and glory for euer Amen The .lxviij. Homelie THEN had the congregation rest throughout all Iurie Galiley and Samarie and were edified and walked in the feare of the Lord and multiplied by the comfort of the holy ghost And it came to passe as Peter walked throughout all quarters he came also to the Saintes which dwelt at Lidda And there he founde a certaine man named Aeneas which had kept his bed eyght yeares and was sicke of the palseye And Peter sayde vnto him Aeneas The Lorde Iesu Christ make thee whole Aryse and make thy bedde And hee arose immediatly And all that dwelt at Lidda and Assaron sawe him and turned vnto the Lorde WE haue hitherto seene the beginninges of the Apostle Paule howe he entred hys Apostleshippe with great labors and daungers For he was twyse in ieoperdie of his lyfe and twyse he escaped through the faythfull helpe and industrie of the Disciples thoughe not without their daunger These things teach vs what troubles are ordeyned for the faythfull seruauntes of Christ whome yet it becommeth to follow the constancie and fayth of Paule that they suffer not themselues to be drawne from Christ wyth any perils or aduersitie For blessed is he which abydeth vnto the ende But he that putteth his hande to the plough and looketh backe thereby declareth sufficiently that he is not worthy and meete for the kingdome of heauen But whereas the things hitherto declared may seeme such as threaten the vniuersall ruine and destruction of the Church the godlye writer breaketh of the storie of Paule and not without the instinct of the holy spirite passeth to Peter the Apostle and describeth the cheerefuller successes of the Church which shortly followed In the consideration whereof we ought to bee the more diligent the more comfort they be able to minister vnto vs wading in the waues of these tempestuous dayes He beginneth with the generall state and condicion of all the Churches gathered togither and founded in Iurie Galiley and Samarie and he declareth that there was a most ioiful prosperous ende of all the troubles and turmoyles which the enimies of the truth began The Churches sayth he were at rest This may seeme a sodeyne chaunge of thinges and passing all expectation if we consider the state of the Church before and compare the fierce mindes of the enimies their deuises and power with the Church as it nowe was But this is Gods vsage who hauing regarde to our infirmitie intermedleth prosperitie with aduersitie and suffereth vs not to bee tempted aboue our strength And where afflictions abounde there giueth most comfort And this is no difficult thing for him to do which euery day sheweth lyke examples in things naturall So after Winter being grieuous to vs with frost and colde commeth the
of the Prophete He sent out his worde and healed them They be also to vs in steade of fathers bicause through their ministerye we bee borne againe and made the sonnes and heyres of God as we reade Paule hath oftentimes inculcated And the Philosophers haue taught euen by the lawe of nature that children are neuer able to make their parentes amendes Who then is able to recompence him through whose labour and traueyle he is made the sonne of God and heire of the kingdome of heauen For the which cause the Prophetes vse to account faythfull teachers among the chiefe benefites of God as may be seene Psal. 147. Esay 30. Amos 2. Mich. 6. c. And Paule among the giftes of the holye ghost wherewith from aboue he adorneth his Church maketh mention chiefely of Pastors Teachers Prophetes Apostles and Euangelists But now a dayes men are growne to such vnthankfulnesse that they dare say Ministers are sent of the deuill and are the publike authors of all euill But they shal one daye haue teachers meete for them since they so vnthankfullye reiect the preaching of saluation Thirdly Cornelius promiseth Peter obedience and attention where he sayth Nowe therefore we are all here present before God to heare all thinges that are commaunded thee of God. These wordes are worthye of singuler consideration For they teach vs what maner of persons the hearers of the worde should be First he sayth they are present before god Therefore it behoueth all men that heare the worde of God in the Church to remember aboue all thinges that they stande in the presence of god For this is the saying of Christ He that heareth you heareth me And he promiseth that he will bee in the middle of them that are gathered togither in his name Moreouer he sayeth he is present with those that belong vnto him This is one other thing which the hearers shoulde remember namely that they haue neede of teaching and instruction and therefore it is vnmeete that they shoulde suffer their wittes at the Sermon time to be a wooll gathering For they that so doe receyue the word as Christ sayth into the way where it is destroyed of the birdes and can bring forth no fruite Finally Cornelius is ready to heare all the things that Peter hath to say from god Let vs thinke that the very same is required of vs also and let vs not be so bolde as to heare and embrace some things and to let passe other some which like not our appetites and fantasie If a man woulde compare these thinges wyth the vsage of our dayes alas what an horrible corruption shall he finde Many come togither but not as in the sight of God but much like vnto those of whome we reade in Ezechiel 33. chap. Further a man shall euerywhere heare such busie bodies who when they haue hearde the worde brag that they haue no neede of teaching and instruction But what a number is there of those which dare to controlle the worde of God and will haue such things preached whereof they hope to haue gayne and will commaunde the Ministers to silence if they speake any thing that dislyketh their affections or which the worlde cannot brooke Howbeit it were better the worde were not preached to them and they shall one daye feele that their wicked contempt shall beare witnesse agaynst them These things also admonish Peter of his dutie that he shoulde onely and freely preach the things which God had committed to him without any inuentions of his owne braine In the which the dutie of Ministers specially consisteth as hath already oftentimes bene declared Let vs set Cornelius before vs to imitate and followe that being enflamed with lyke desire of the worde we may worthilye receyue the doctrine of saluation and being therby regenerated may liue a godly life in Iesus Christ to whom be prayse honor power and glory for euer Amen The .lxxiiij. Homelie THEN Peter opened his mouth and sayde Of a truth I perceyue that there is no respect of persons with God but in all people he that feareth him and worketh righteousnesse is accepted with him you know the preaching that God sent vnto the children of Israell preaching peace by Iesu Christ which is Lorde ouer all things ALthough Cornelius hath sufficientlye heretofore declared his great desire to knowe the truth by godly prayer and holy fast yet he more euidently sheweth the same when he heard that Peter the Apostle was come vnto him and was ready to teach him For he confesseth that the Apostle is welcome vnto him and promiseth him that he will faithfully and obediently heare all that he had to say vnto him on Gods behalfe Which place teacheth vs what all they haue to doe which meane to heare the worde of God profitably Furthermore as Cornelius sheweth vs an example of a godly and diligent hearer so in him also it appeareth that a godly and feruent desire vnto the word cannot be without profite and good successe but according to the promise of Christ whosoeuer shall vnfeynedly seeke shall finde out the will of god For he that a little before stirred vp Peter by the oracle of an heauenly vision to go vnto Cornelius euen the same now also by the secret inspiration of his spirite stirreth vppe his minde to prepare himselfe with great grauitie and diligence to teach For so is ment by the opening of his mouth as already hath bene declared The argument of his Sermon is that men are purged and saued through Iesus Christ alone He vseth a very commodious order For it hath a beginning verye apt and meete to get good will and beneuolence bicause that he sheweth howe the doctrine of saluation belongeth also vnto the Gentyles Then in fewe wordes he comprehendeth the summe of the whole Gospell which shortly after he prosecuteth more at large by hystoricall narration confirming the same wyth testimonies both of the Prophetes and Apostles At length he declareth the marke and ende of all these things teaching vs that we become partakers as well of Christ as of the saluation giuen vs in him by fayth onely But at this time we meane to intreate but of the two first partes onely minding to speake of the other when time and oportunitie shall serue He frameth his beginning with an exclamation saying Of a truth I perceyue that with God there is no respect of persons c. The sense is that the Gospell and doctrine of saluation belongeth aswell to the Gentyles as to the Iewes Heretofore there was a great space and an high wall betweene the Iewes and the Gentyles For Paule writeth that the Gentyles were straungers from the common weale of Israel aliauntes from the testaments and couenantes without hope without Christ and without God. And he addeth that that maketh for the explication of this place but now by the meanes of Christ Iesu you which were sometime farre of are made nye by the
ghost It seemeth that Peter reasoneth on this wise Christ our Lorde promised to his elect his spirite which the worlde coulde not receyue and he sayd that he alone was the giuer therof Therfore whereas he hath sent the same spirit vnto the Gentiles hath vouchsafed to baptise them with his holy ghost I could not choose but followe the example of such a guyde nor iudge them vnworthy the baptisme of water whom God had iudged worthye of his spirite And Peter maketh a trimme difference betweene Christ the Minister bicause he woulde not haue that wrongfully attributed to the externe ministerie that belongeth onely vnto christ But bicause we haue otherwheres entreated hereof it shall suffise for this time to haue noted thus much by the waye The fifth part conteyneth a very graue conclusion as well in wordes as arguments For he sayth If God therefore gaue vnto them lyke giftes as he gaue vnto vs which beleeued in the Lord Iesus Christ what was I that I should withstande God It shoulde haue bene a wicked part to haue sayde they had bene vnlike whome God had vouchsafed to make like But how much more greater impietie had it bene to haue shut out from the communion of the Church those whome God by so euident an argument had declared to haue pertayned to his Church Yea whome he had openly chosen and adopted Therefore Peter confesseth that he shoulde haue bene an aduersary of God if he had gone about any such thing And if they be the aduersaries of God which keepe those men from the fellowship that is in him whom he doth vouchsafe to make members of his Church bicause they thinke them vnworthy of so great fauor and grace what shall we saye of them which by false doctrine deceyue Christes sheepe or else rage against them with plaine force and tyrannie bicause of their confession of Christ They shall one daye feele his mightie and heauie hande whose enimies they chose rather to be than his friendes followers It is our part so to acknowledge and embrace the grace of God as also to bring and trayne all other to the fellowship of saluation the which God the father hath set out to his elect in his beloued sonne Iesus Christ to whome be prayse honor power and glory for euer Amen The .lxxix. Homelie WHEN they heard this they helde their peace and glorified God saying Then hath God also to the Gentyles graunted repentaunce vnto lyfe They also which were scattered abroade through the affliction that rose about Steuen walked throughout vnto Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioche preaching the worde to no man but vnto the Iewes onely Some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene which when they were come to Antioche spake vnto the Greekes and preached the Lorde Iesus And the hande of the Lorde was with them and a great number beleeued and tourned vnto the Lorde AS the Apostle Peter in conuerting of Cornelius dyd the duetie of a godly and faythfull Apostle whyle he thought it good to obey the expresse commaundement of God wythout any lyngering so when his dooing was of some persons vniustly reprooued he shewed an excellent example of a christian and Apostolyke modestie For he declared the reason of his doing most friendly and diligently vnto them of whome he might most iustly haue requyred what authoritie they had so to doe But leauing all other arguments apart he vrgeth this one thing that he did nothing of hys owne deuyse but according to Gods appointment and commaundement By which example we haue learned with what argumentes we shoulde arme our selues against those which nowe a dayes accuse vs with lyke frowardnesse for breaking the traditions and customes of men Let the authority of Gods worde suffise vs which whosoeuer despyseth he is vnworthye of whome the Church of Christ should make any accompt It remayneth in thys hystorie to intreate howe those men which erewhile were such knapped Comptrollers accepted Peters Apologie or defence He sayth they helde their peace and gloryfied God saying Then hath God also to the Gentiles graunted repentance vnto lyfe Moreouer they were whysted and dyd not with mans reason argue or replye agaynst the commaundement and wyll of god By which argument is aboundantly declared that they stroue not against it of malice or enuie but rather of an inconsiderate and blinde zeale of godlynesse which Paule also otherwheres layeth to their charge And bicause Peter easily espyed the same affection in them for thys cause he thought to deale with them herein the more gently For they which are ledde with a zeale of the glory of God and vse to credyt and yeelde vnto reasons shewed them must not be cast of as incurable or be ouer bytterlye delt withall And 〈◊〉 is the propertie of those that be truely faythfull that they will willingâ—â— yeelde vnto arguments brought out of the worde of God although they â—â—lly perceyue not the reason of the things that are sayde For this is the true and right exercise of fayth when we submit our reason vnto the commaundementes and worde of God which thing Paule euerywhere teacheth vnder the obedience of fayth which he sheweth to be the ende and scope of preaching the gospel wherby it easily appeareth that they are not to be taken for faythfull which are not ashamed stiffely to contende against the manifest Oracles of Gods worde Furthermore it is sayde they glorifyed God which is a meere euident signe that they receiued Peters excuse and admitted it with good wyll For there be some that being subdued by force of reason holde their peace bycause they haue not what to answere yet as the Poet sayth they hyde their griefe in the bottome of their hart But he that glorifyeth God testifieth by an infallible argument that he is fully satisfyed We are taught that we must reioyce and be gladde at those whome God doth illuminate with the lyght of his truth This we ought to doe both by reason of the desyre that euery christian man is bounde to haue of the glorie of God and also bicause of the loue which we ought to beare to the furtheraunce and profite of our neighbour And surely there is nothing that so reioyceth a faythfull soule as to see the light of truth to spreade it selfe abroade to the increase of Gods glory and the saluation of many Againe we ought to mourne from the hart when we see any neglect or fall from the waye of saluation So we read that Samuel contynually mourned bicause of Saules most wretched fall And Paule contynueth in prayers for the Iewes and desyreth to be accursed from Christ for them that they might be saued But nowe a daies we be a colde in both these pointes which thing is the chiefe cause that the Gospell proceedeth no better But let vs see the wordes wherewith they declare the affection of their minde Then hath God also graunted to the Gentyles say they repentaunce vnto lyfe
God giueth repentaunce after two sortes eyther when he graunteth time and place to repent or else when he mollifyeth and conuerteth mens mindes by his spirite and worde by repentance to frame themselues to a better trade of lyfe In this place it appeareth that God did both although the later sense be more agreeing to this present argument It is most worthy to be obserued where they say repentaunce vnto lyfe is giuen vnto the Gentiles by preaching of the Gospell For in so saying they testifie that they speake of that repentaunce which through fayth in Christ bringeth saluation and which we may call the scope and marke of all the Gospell which is that we being reconcyled vnto God through Christ shoulde turne vnto him with all our hartes and liue in him For so Paule writeth God hath reconcyled vs vnto himselfe by Iesus Christ and hath giuen to vs the office to preache the attonement Nowe then are we messengers in the rowme of Christ euen as though God did beseech you through vs So pray we you in Christes steede to be reconcyled vnto God. They name repentaunce expreslye hauing respect vnto that saying of Christ which commaundeth both repentaunce and forgiuenesse of sinnes to be preached in his name Neyther must these two be at any time seperated least men take occasion vnder pretence of the Gospell to liue carnally Againe this hath in it a singuler comfort that he sayeth repentaunce is giuen vnto lyfe Therefore repentaunce in the faythfull is neuer in vayne or vnfruitefull but maketh them partakers of saluation through christ There are apparaunt promises of God wherein he euerywhere promiseth lyfe vnto them which turne vnto him with all their hart Where he sayth I will not the death of a sinner but rather that he conuert and liue And we must not thinke that God flattereth or deludeth any man with vaine promises Hereto belongeth the whole booke almost of the Iudges which prooueth by many examples that the Israelites neuer returned to God by true repentaunce in vayne And it is manifest that the Niniuites through faythfull repentaunce caused God to reuoke his sentence passed against them What shall I speake of these seing we reade that the repentaunce that Achab had but for a season and little time was by the mouth of God commended These things ought to encourage them which stande vpon the pytbrinke of desperation thinking that God is so offended with them for their former wickednesse that their repentaunce is not acceptable vnto him Which men woulde be comforted with these sayings of the Prophet If your sinnes were as red as Scarlet they shall be as whyte as snowe And though they were like purple they shall be as whyte as woolle Againe The Lorde is full of compassion and mercye long suffring and of great goodnesse He will not alwaye be chyding c. Nowe after Luke hath made an ende of the storye of Cornelius which contayneth the beginning and first fruites as it were of the vocation of the Gentiles he returneth to the discourse of the things belonging to the whole Church which he had intermytted and declareth howe the kingdome of Christ began to be stretched enlarged vnto the Gentyles And first he telleth how Antioch was conuerted vnto Christ and how men were there first called Christians And principally he noteth the occasion therof saying it was bicause of the persecution that was raysed agaynst Steuen And it is very worthye to be considered where he sayth the beginning of such a benefite sproong of so dolefull a cause For howe pitifull a case the Church stoode in in the time of that persecution we hearde in the .viij. Chapter when the rage of persecutours went so farre that it was not safe for a man in secrete â—o be a christian when both men and women were haled out of their dores as to a slaughterhouse which thing was the cause that the Church being scattered hither and thither seemed like a scratched and torne body that had beâ—ne incurable But by the grace and goodnesse of God it commeth to passe that of euery member of this scattered Church springeth a newe body For they whome this cruell tempest had thus scattered remembring their office and dutie beganne to preach euerywhere the name of Christ and many of them going as farre as Phenicia and Cyprus did illustrate those countries with the light of the Gospell By which example the primitiue Church and fayth full of all ages might be confirmed not to be offended with the cruell attempts of enimies forasmuch as it appeareth by these men that the kingdome of Christ can not be ouerthrowne nor driuen into straightes but is rather thereby builded vp enlarged For that that Luke reporteth here to haue come to passe the same the writers of the Ecclesiasticall hystorie report to haue come to passe in all persecutions And as after horrible tempests cleere weather commonly followeth so it appeareth that after persecutions the Church alway looked more bright cheerefull For God scattereth the deuises of Nations but his purpose standeth fast for euer whereby he hath made his sonne king and Ruler of all the worlde See the Psalmes 33.2 110 But Luke diligently intreateth of those by whose ministery God brought to passe a matter of such weight and importance All which were dispersed bicause of the faith and doctrine of Christ yet they agreed not in all points touching the order ministerie of the gospell For some of them preached to the Iewes only who it is lyke were ignorant of the things done betweene Peter Cornelius Other some which he writeth were of Cyprus Cyrene came to Antioch and preached to the Greekes that is to the Gentyles So it oftentimes commeth to passe that in some things they which are counted the most faithfull seruants of Iesus Christ doe disagree God so disposing his giftes that his woorde may be of the more authoritie and that the successe thereof shoulde not seeme to depende of a certayne conspiracie and consent of men among themselues Wherevnto also is to be referred that that is hereafter reported of the contention that fell betweene Paule and Barnabas which wexed so hote that those singuler and chosen instrumentes of Christ departed one from another Therefore let it offende no man if nowe a dayes he see any like matter to fall out in the Church For Paule writeth that there must be sectes that the elect may be tryed Howbeit in all this adooe the feruent desire of spreading abrode the kingdome of Chryst is greatly to be praised wherewith they all being enflamed haue vtterlye forgotten the daungers that they were in a little before and euerywhere publishe the worde of god Such constancie ought all faithfull Ministers of Christ to haue to th ende they must not thinke they haue done all their dutie when they haue bene once in daunger for the name of christ And they must not thinke they are for
that were committed to his charge and by all meanes to be alwayes instant vppon them Therefore their error is most absurde which thinke all doctrine vnprofytable and superfluous for those which haue already once attayned to the knowledge of truth Thirdly Barnabas goeth to Tharsus from thence he bringeth Paule to Antioch to thintent the congregation through his ministery might the more be strengthened This is an other argument of a true faithfull minde and feruent in loue towarde christ For Barnabas coulde not be ignorant howe great giftes of the spirite were in Paules brest and how much authoritie he should lose if Paule came to Antioch who was the singularest instrument that Christ had But we haue before shewed that they which are feruent in faith seeke not to be glorifyed of men but desire to promote the glory of god Yea it is certayne that all they lacke fayth which are led with the desire of their owne glory prayse which argument Christ vseth against the Scribes of the Iewes In the meane season Barnabas example teacheth vs that in well ordred congregations the chiefe care is to haue fit Ministers of the word and that they shoulde be sought for and brought from all places Christ teacheth the same where he biddeth vs to praye vnto the Lorde of the haruest that he will sende forth labourers Herof we see it came to passe that the chiefe of the Prophetes and most noble Kings had so diligent a care and consideration of schooles bicause without them they perceyued the Church coulde not stande nor the pure doctrine of fayth be maintayned Wherefore their ingratitude is very grosse which do not onely contemne the Ministers as persons vnprofitable whome the Lorde of his mercy offreth but also hate them as the greatest malefactors that can be and woorse than Toades Last of all is adioyned howe Barnabas and Paule continued a whole yeare togither at Antioch For this cause vndoubtedly for that they sawe the congregation had neede of their help For Luke writeth not that they sate ydelie there like sluggards but declareth that they instructed there a great company of men in the true faith and religion of christ Let ministers of the Church followe this example and while they perswade other men to perseuerance let them constantly perseuer in their duty and not boaste themselues of the bare name of Pastors but lette them doe that that belongeth to true Pastors least they become followers and successors of that foolishe shepeherde which is described in Zachary .xj. Chapter Nowe remayneth the profite and successe of this godly and feruent diligence which Luke sayth was notable For first he sayth a great company was added vnto the Lorde Whereby it is euident that the traueyles of the godly Ministers was not without effect For as the worde of God like vnto a fruitefull seede hath power or vertue in it selfe to bring forth fruite so it alwayes falleth vpon some which being well disposed to receyue it bring forth worthy fruites And although some bring stony hearts some thorny giuen to all kinde of pleasures yet hath God his people euerywhere which receyue his seede into good hearts and there keepe it till it bring forth much fruite And the Prophete beareth witnesse that the worde of God returneth not without fruite or in vaine but is like vnto a showre of raine which watereth the grounde and maketh it fruitfull Moreouer God blesseth the studies of his Ministers so that they shall not labour in vayne This ought to encourage those that labour in the Church of Christ to thinke their traueyles can not be lost For if they deliuer but a fewe soules from destruction let them thinke they haue gotten great treasure bicause Christ witnesseth that the saluation of one soule cannot be redeemed with all the substance of the world In the meane while marke howe he sayth this compaâ—ye was added vnto the Lorde Then Paule and Barnabas gathered not scholers to themselues but vnto the Lorde For they knewe well that they must glory in Christ alone as their teacher and maister And they knewe Christ commaunded them to bring schollers vnto him Therefore great is their insolencie which be authors of sectes among Christians and make them the seruauntes of men whome Christ hath purchased to himselfe with the price of his bloude See what Paule sayth against this doing in the first epistle to the Corinthians 1.3.7 c There ensueth yet another commoditie which hath gotten perpetuall and immortall glory to the Citie of Antioche For where in that Citie the first Church of the Gentyles was gathered togither it came to passe that they which hytherto were called but Disciples are now first adourned with the name of Christians And this is that newe name which God long before promised hee woulde giue vnto his elect And what greater glorye coulde comme vnto the Antiochianes Let the Bishoppes of prowde and haultie Rome be compared with these men and they shall whether they will or nill be inforced to giue place And yet we neuer reade that that prowde tytle was giuen to Antioch to be called the heade of the Church But to let passe these matters let vs rather expende the force of this name bicause it is not giuen vs without the prouidence of god It is euident that we be so called of the sonne of God which according to the figure of the olde â–ª Testament wherewith Kings and Priests were annointed is of the Greekes for excellencie sake called Christ of the Hebrues Meschias and of vs annoynted bicause God hath appointed him the vniuersall and euerlasting King and Priest of his people as may be seene Psalm 2. and .110 And where he giueth himselfe and all that is his wholye to his people therefore he woulde haue them to be called Christians after his owne name And he hath not giuen vs a naked and an emptie name but as the Apostle sayth he hath annointed vs and made vs Kings and Priestes to God his father Therfore the vse of this name is manifolde For first it admonisheth vs of the dignitie which we haue in Christ wherevnto there is none like as they shall confesse which throughly weigh the matter For it is plaine that there was neuer King which was able to make all the subiectes of his Realme Kings no not his Courtyers or those that were of his counsayle But such is the vertue power of Iesus Christ that he is able to make them Kings for euer that acknowledge him to be their king Then this name serueth to confirme the beliefe and certaintie of our saluation For in Iesus Christ is God the father well pleased Therefore he can not be angrye with vs nor forsake vs whome he hath vouchsafed to call after the name of his belooued sonne Hence therefore may we fett arguments of consolation in aduersity especially in the temptations of our conscience Finally this title admonisheth vs of
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
them which so boldly durst alter the state of their coÌ„mon weale but when he was gone gaue them a very good king the father of the Messias promised yea vouchsafed to turne their follye and rashnesse otherwyse than they deserued to their commoditie And that Gods benefyte might the more appeare he reciteth a praise of Dauid pronounced by God himselfe Howbeit we haue somewhat to saye both of Saules putting from the kingdome and of Dauids placing in his roume which things it is like Paule discoursed more at large bicause they serue greatly for our information And fyrst for that no man shall thinke that God delighteth in transferring of kingdomes from one to another like a tyrant the holy scripture must be pervsed which very diligently reherseth the causes why Saule was reiected The chiefe of them was the prowde contempt of Gods word which made him more desirous of his owne glorie than of Gods. Hereof we haue examples in the fyrst of Samuel cap. 13. and .15 Upon this followed monstrous and horrible deedes For he did not onely attempt to persecute Dauid whom he sawe God allowed and liked but also went about to put Ionathas hys owne sonne to death and murthered the Priests of God most cruelly Furthermore he seeketh counsayle of a witch and shewed the token of a reprobate minde euen in the ende of his lyfe by killing himselfe This example is very notable which all men but chieflye such as beare rule and office ought often to consider that they maye vnderstande howe both their owne wealth and the wealth of their common weales depende vpon God onely and therefore let them giue eare vnto the worde of God let them set forth his glory and serue him as Dauid sayth in feare and reuereâ—â—â—y and humbly kysse the sonne of God Iesus Christ whome he hath appointed king of kings But bicause Kings and Princes count it but a sport nowâ— a dayes in contempt of gods word to turne all vpsetdown at their pleasure no man must marueyle that they their kingdomes so miserably perish For of Christ it was prophecied the nation and kingdome that will not serue thee shall perish But let vs see Dauid whome God adourneth with a notable commendation which Paule gathereth partly of the .lxxxix. Psalme and partly of the .xiij. Chapter of the fyrst booke of Samuel and he addeth nothing vnto the word of God but that he calleth him the sonne of Iesse who was a Bethlehemyte and a man of a base and poore estate and which got his liuing by cattell and grasing as the Scripture declareth This maketh for the setting forth of Gods goodnesse who woulde promote a man of base degree and the yongest of all his brethren to so high a dignitie and also warneth them not to glory ouermuch in Dauid seeing he was so exalted through the meere grace of god And surely if we will credit Dauid himselfe he is content to confesse the same For when he heard the promises of God touching the Messias that shoulde be borne of his stocke we reade that he cryed what am I ô Lorde or what is my house that thou shouldest so greatly aduaunce me c. Moreouer as we sayd Saule was put out of the kingdome bicause of his great pride contempt disobedience towarde God so Dauid is commended chiefly for that he fulfylled all the will of the Lorde Whereof may be gathered a generall doctrine that they are chiefly allowed of God which frame themselues to doe his will. For God is not delighted in sacrifyces so much as in obedience Howbeit some woulde aske in this place howe Dauid did all the will of the Lord considering he defyled himselfe with adultery and manslaughter and being ouercome with pride tooke a generall muster of his people contrary to the will of god But hereto it maye easily be aunswered First when Dauid heard he shoulde be the father of the sauiour promised he tooke holde thereof by constant fayth and therefore he coulde not displease God hauing him in whome God was pleased Then out of this fayth sprang all those vertues wherein it is plaine God is delighted For this faith made him humble greatly to esteeme the benefytes of God as euen now was sayde This fayth when at any time he fell through infyrmitie rayred him vp againe and prouoked him to repentance This fayth made him to loue and desire the worde of God so that he preferred it before the honye and the hony combe It was also a worke of faith that he pacientlye coulde abide when he was rebuked by the worde yea he declared himselfe to be obedient to suffer whatsoeuer was enioyned him bicause of his sinnes For when he hearde that Nathan the Prophete threatened him with the sworde and with ciuill warres he did not lightly shake him of nor accuse him of sedition but was contented thus onely to aunswere I haue sinned agaynst the Lorde And it was not the saying of a sluggish or lumpish minde but of one hartily sorowfull and desiring to haue his offences forgiuen as we maye see in the .lj. Psalme which he made euen at that very time And the thing it selfe declareth he nothing dissembled For when by his sonne he was driuen out of the Citie and kingdome he sayde vnto Zadocke the Priest which brought him the arke Carye the Arke of God againe into the Citie If I shall fynde fauour in the eyes of the Lorde he will bring me againe and shewe mee both it and the Tabernacle thereof But and if the Lorde thus say I haue no lust vnto thee beholde here I am let him doe with mee what seemeth good in his eyes An argument of lyke minde it was that he did not onely pacientlye suffer Semey rayling against him but by his authoritie defended him that he had no hurt Where God also gaue him liberty of three plagues to choose whether he woulde he aunswered I am exceedinglye troubled let vs fall I pray you into the hande of the Lord. c. Furthermore as the Aungell strake the people with grieuous pestilence he sayde It is I that haue sinned and I that haue done wickedly But these sheepe what haue they done Lette thine hande I pray thee be against me and my fathers house What can be more modest than this minde what more godly more tractable and meeke To say nothing in the meane while of those duties and loues which he shewed towarde Saule so many wayes iniurying him With these thinges if a man compare the minde of Saule boyling in ambition pride enuie hatred wrath contempt of God and outragious stubbornnesse he shall easilye perceyue what difference was betweene them These things serue for the instruction of all men For they teach vs what maner of men they ought to be who desire to please god For if they embrace Iesus Christ with true fayth and desire to fulfyll his commaundements it shall come to passe that the offences they haue made
and trust which they did vse in the office committed vnto them For as we sawe in the ende of the Chapter before the Magistrates of Antioch so tooke against them by reason of the instigation of the Iewes that they were in daunger of their lyfe and were banished the coastes of Pisidia in shamefull wise Besides there were diuers thinges which might haue made them despaire of the Iewes saluation For they were not ignoraunt of the prophecies and threates of Christ which with one consent declared howe the kingdome of God shoulde be caryed to the Gentyles and they might manye wayes perceyue that the time of this forsaking was at hande And what I praye you might they hope for at their handes whome they sawe embrued with the bloude of the sonne of God and who did deadly hate the truth Yet go they on constantly executing the charge committed to them of the holy ghost least any shoulde perish through their sloth And no doubt but that saying rang in their eares which was sayde vnto Ezechiel If I saye vnto the wicked and vngodly man without doubt thou shalt die and thou giuest him not warning that he maye turne from his euill waye and so liue â–ª then shall the same vngodly man dye in his owne vnrighteousnesse but his bloude will I require at thy hande c. But let all men to whom God hath committed charge ouer any persons thinke that sayde vnto them that was sayde to the Prophete and which we see the Apostles obserued In which place Magistrates Parents and other such like are to be accounted All which must well beware that they let not the malice of menne ouercome them For although they whome they haue the charge of be incurable yet shall they receyue great profyte by their diligent study and endeuour if they doe deliuer but their owne soules Moreouer this is a notable example of Christian charitie that the Apostles so painefully and with such perill traueyle to bring a most enuious nation and like shortlye to perishe by reason of their incurable wickednesse vnto saluation For where charitie alway hopeth well they also hoped that some remnants might be saued as we see commeth to passe oftentimes in shipwrack Hereof commeth it that Paule so incessantly prayeth for them and wisheth to be accursed so that they might be saued The like affection we see in Christ who was mooued with all maner of pittie when he sawe them miserably dispersed like sheepe that had no shepehearde He wept also when he behelde that bloudie Ierusalem bicause he sawe they obstinatelye ranne into their owne destruction and woulde not knowe the daye of their visitation By these examples are those barbarous and grosse people reprooued who are touched so little with the calamitie of others or else so impotently ledde with the desire of priuate reuenge that for some fewes sake who haue iniuried them they will beare hatred to the whole Nation to say nothing of such who when they can alleage no cause of their hatred are yet of a certaine secrete corruption of nature driuen headlong with hatred reioyce at the miserie of others But how can they be the children of God which so farre differ from the nature and propertie of God For he desireth that men shoulde be saued and come to the knowledge of truth He vseth to spare whole Cities for a fewes sake that be good which Cities they desire to be destroyed for a fewes sake that be euill But the chiefe cause of this euill is for that we consider not as meete is the goodnesse of God towardes those that deserue a thousande deathes nor his promises which rewardeth them that earnestly doe their office and dutie Nowe let vs see what the Apostles gotte by this feruent proceeding of theirs that hereby they also may be refused which leaue of despayring they shall doe any good before they take the matter in hand They so spake sayth he that a great multitude both of the Iewes and Greekes beleeued Therefore the worde of God is neuer preached without fruite and euerywhere there are some founde which receyue it as they ought to doe so that it bringeth forth fruite as we haue oftentimes declared And God fayleth not for his part those that faithfully labour in his name For as Peter letting slippe his nettes at the Lordes bidding caught a great hale of fyshe hauing before taken nothing as long as he followed his owne heade so as manye as order their matters in the name of God and as he appoynteth them fynde greater commoditie of their labour than they looked for Therefore it must be attributed to our sloth and falshoode that so little good is done in these dayes For howe shoulde the Lorde with his helpe prosper them who hauing no regarde of his glory seeke onely their owne commoditie and neuer will aduenture to doe any thing for Gods name sake and for the saluation of all men â–ª Also it appeareth in this place as we haue often sayde that the enterprises of Christes enimies are in vaine and that his kingdome by persecutions is rather furthred than hindred The continuall course of the Actes of the Apostles declareth the same if we well regard it Let vs in these things acknowledge the wisedome of God and not despaire to soone of Christes kingdome seeing he can so prosperously defeate the deuises of his enimies Furthermore after this good successe Christes kingdome is afreshe persecuted so that a manne may see it is most true that Christ foreshewed concerning the wicked enterprises of the worlde and the traueyles and daungers of his Ministers It shall profyte our knowledge if we deepely weigh and consider all the circumstaunces of this newe tragedie First he nameth the beginners of the persecution euen the Iewes who not content with their owne incredulitie incensed the mindes of the Gentyles against their brethren who had professed Christ which coulde not be without slaundering of them And no doubt but they called them the authours and sowers of sedition and trouble forasmuch as we see the faythfull seruants of Christ haue in all ages bene charged with like crimes It is verily an horrible thing that the Iewes should conceyue such a cankred hate against the truth and they whome God in time past vsed to call his children and Priestly kingdome to be made the vngodly vesselles and instrumentes of wrath Lette no man therefore put his confydence in the worthynesse of forefathers or in any such prerogatiues but followe humilitie and reuerence God if they meane not to be throwne downe of God as they were let vs marke in this place who are the authors of tumultes and sedition Not they that beleeue the Gospell but they which refuse to beleeue it For the beleeuing labour to be at peace with all men as much as in them lyeth The other bicause they can not abide the light vse to bring the Ministers of the truth in suspition with the
people through false accusations and by sedition to oppresse the truth But in the meane season they goe about with marueylous conueyance to put the godly in the fault wherof we haue examples in Achab the king and in the Iewes accusing Christ before Pylate It behooueth vs to marke these things that we nowe a dayes to quickly beleeue not those which say that common weales and publike peace is disturbed by preaching of the Gospell Secondly it is declared what maner of men the Apostles shewed themselues to be in this tumult They go on and yeelde not at the fyrst to the wicked but abiding a long space at Iconium doe the businesse of the Lorde with great trust and boldenesse And God assisteth them with his fauour and by myracles and signes giueth testimonie vnto the worde of grace that is to saye to the Gospell whereby the grace of God in Christ is preached vnto vs The example of the Apostles teacheth vs that they which will be Ministers of Christ must not yeeld ouer soone to the attemptes of the wicked although they see great trouble like to follow therof For we must admit nothing against the glory of God the rather to agree with the world which Christ calleth naughty adulterous and vntowarde and therefore teacheth it to be vnmeete that the true seruants of God shoulde haue so much regard thereof In the meane season this place sheweth vs what the vse of myracles is They be done by the handes of the Ministers God being the author of them not for that men shoulde attribute vnto the Ministers more than vnto men but that they shoulde be as seales for them that beleeue not and which haue not bene vsed to the worde of God. Christ our Lorde confesseth the same of his myracles And he teacheth vs that those which the Apostles shoulde doe shoulde serue for none other vse Here therefore are confuted two errours reigning euerywhere in our dayes The fyrst is the errour of them which requyre myracles of vs whereof there is no great neede among Christian people whose faith must stande vpon the worde of God and which confesse that the Apostles doctrine hath long since bene sufficientlye prooued by myracles The other is of the Papistes which alleage a number of most pieuish myracles against the manifest truth for their inuocation of Saints transubstantiation Purgatorie other such kinde of trifles Howbeit it behooued they shoulde fyrst haue prooued their opinions by the worde of God which thing seeing they cannot doe they ought to be taken for false and lying signes that are brought forth for the proofe of them such as Christ long agone prophecied Antichrist shoulde worke in the later dayes Thirdly it is declared howe farre this persecution went The whole multitude of the Citie was deuided sayth he and part helde with the Iewes and part with the Apostles This was not therefore a little trouble among a fewe of persons but all the whole Citie was deuided and take part one against another which thing is the greatest plague that can happen in a Citie Howbeit this is it that Christ sayde shoulde come to passe I came not to sende peace but a sworde For I came to set a man against his father and the daughter against hir mother and the daughter in lawe against hir mother in lawe and a mannes foes shall be they that are of his owne housholde Here yet must we remember what was sayde before of the vnbeleeuers which were the procurers of this persecution For Christ is not properly and truely anye authour of diuision forasmuch as in all places he commendeth peace vnto vs and commaundeth vs to loue our enimies But such is the malice of the wicked that the more they are vrged with the wholesome doctrine of Christ the more they raue and at length professe open enmitie which thing cannot be ended without sedition For as the vngodly will holde fast their vngodlynesse with tooth nayle so the godly must not forsake their standing wherin they are placed of God least they seeme to make more of the friendshippe of the worlde than of the glorye of Christ and the saluation of mennes soules For the which cause the Apostles shewe not themselues to be Neutrales in this contention although they were straungers whome Cicero forbiddeth to be curious in other mens common weales For where some are sayde to take part with them it easily appeareth that they also tooke a part Therefore they are little like vnto the Apostles which assoone as controuersies fall out in matters of religion thinke it an high poynt of wisedome to stande as neutrales and indifferentes Solon sayth he was no good Citizen which in a sedition woulde be of no syde And shall we call them Christians who when Christes glory is assaulted will sit like ydle gazers without all daunger and looke on Surely these men are those warmelinges neyther colde nor hote which Christ threateneth he will spewe out Fourthly the same ende commeth of this persecution which was before of that at Antioch For the enimies of Christ with the rulers and Magistrates rose vppe in such rage that the Apostles were in daunger to haue bene stoned Wherefore they following the counsayle and example of Christ fled from thence reseruing themselues for a more seasonable time And yet are they not to be blamed bicause they fled in a sedition raysed by their occasion For what shoulde they else doe seeing the matter tended to open violence Let vs diligently marke what they did after they were escaped For they gaue not themselues to fylthie ydlenesse but comming to Lystra and Derba spred the doctrine of the Gospell ouer all Lycaonia As therefore it is lawfull to flie when neyther the glory of Christ nor the saluation of the Church is in hazarde least by putting our selues in daunger rashlye we seeme to to tempt Christ so must we take heede that we followe not the counsayle of rascall feare and forsake the office that God hath called vs to Let vs therefore haue alwayes before our eyes the glory of God as the marke of all our deuises For so shall it come to passe that hauing passed all daungers we shall keepe both our fayth and soules in Iesus Christ our Sauiour to whome be all prayse honor power and glory for euer Amen The lxxxxvij Homelie AND there sate a certaine man at Lystra weake in his feete being a creple from his mothers wombe and neuer had walked The same hearde Paule preach which beholding him and perceyuing that he had faith to be whole sayde with a lowde voyce I saye to thee in the name of Iesus Christ stande vpright on thy feete And he start vp and walked And when the people saw what Paule had done they lift vp their voyces saying in the speach of Lycaonia Goddes are come downe to vs in the lykenesse of men And they called Barnabas Iupiter and Paule Mercurius bicause hee was the Preacher
Citie in the partes of Macedonia and a free Citie THE spirite of our Lorde Iesus Christe woulde that the iourneyes and voyages of the Apostles and specially those of Paule shoulde be diligently described bicause the same make not a little for our instruction For by them appeareth a great goodnesse of God which within so short a space of tyme did vouchsafe to lighten all the worlde with the doctrine of the gospell and saluation and to bring the prophane Gentyles when they were most corrupt to the knowledge fellowship of him It appeareth also by this hystorie by what meanes and weapons the kingdome of God vseth here on earth both to be enlarged and conserued Uerily by the preaching of the Gospell whereby in despyte of the worlde the spirite of God bloweth where it will as Christ otherwheres sayeth And where God doth vouchsafe to vse the ministerie of men herein he required of them earnest diligence and vigilant zeale Wherein we haue to imitate Paule of all others touching whose feruent zeale Luke reporteth manye things Whereof this is no simple argument and proofe that not contented to haue gayned many Congregations vnto Christ he goeth agayne to visite them and confyrmeth them by faithfull admonitions teaching vs that we must be carefull in the matter of our saluation bicause all men knowe the sleyghtes of Satan which laboureth to turne vs or euer we be ware out of the way of saluation Yet Paule so visiteth the congregations that he endeuoreth to gather and gayne newe companies vnto Christ of the which thing in this place Luke chiefely intreateth First it is sayde he went through Phrigia and Galacia And that there were newe congregations there erected the Epistle of Paule to the Galathians abundantly declareth conteyning in a compendious and perfyte abridgement all the whole summe of Euangelike doctrine In that iourney came to passe this one thing most marueylous of all other that they were forbidden by the holy ghost to preach the Gospell in Asia Under the name of Asia is comprehended that part which bordering on the sea westwarde conteyneth in the continent Acolia and Lydia aboue Ephesus and Smyrna and Ionia it selfe Which countries as they are most fruitfull and rich of all others so for this cause they were very vnhappye in that Christ would not at this time they should heare the doctrine of saluation Such was the case of Bythinia also into the which the same spirite of Christ woulde not suffer Paule to go neyther By which argument it easily appeareth that the Apostles wandered not about the worlde at their owne pleasure but did all things by the guiding and ordering of the spirite of GOD for we knowe that this holye spirite was promised and giuen vnto them by christ Beside that they had singuler reuelations when neede was whereof we had example before in Peter and Philip where the Ethiopian Eunuch and Cornelius the Centurion by their ministery should be conuerted This maketh for the commendation of the Apostles doctrine that we despyse it not as an humane thyng and to be little esteemed seeing it is manifest it was published among men by the euident working of the holy ghost But some men vse in this place to mooue a graue question why Paule was suffred in one place to teach and forbidden in another This question some men thinke is very commodiously soluted if all such doings be referred vnto Gods prescience or foreknowledge For they saye he foreseeth who be worthy to haue his word and to be saued and who be not But these kind of menne whyle they are carefull to defende the iustice of God for feare of making him the author of any sinne they make little of his grace measuring saluation by the worthynesse of menne which is impossible for them to doe vnlesse they will also stablishe the merite of man and the prowde affiaunce in mannes righteousnesse But howe friuolous and vayne a glose this is appeareth by this in that all men of themselues are vnworthye of saluation For as Paule testifyeth All haue sinned and are destitute of the glory of God and there is not a iust man no not one And there is none worthy to receyue the worde of saluation but such as God pleaseth to make worthy and meete For of our selues we are not once able to thinke good but all our worthynesse and abilitie to perceyue that that is good commeth of God. This saying of Christ is notable and well knowne to all menne No manne commeth to me but he whome the father draweth An example whereof we had in the .xiiij. Chapter where it is sayde they beleeued that were ordeyned vnto life euerlasting And in the next Sermon we shall haue the example of Lydia which therefore beleeued Paule bicause the Lord had opened hir hart It remayneth therefore that there can be none other cause alleaged of this doing but the franke and free election of God which embraceth by his mercye whome he pleaseth and whome againe he lyâ—â—eth their harts he hardeneth And yet no man must accuse God eyther of vnrighteousnesse or crueltie forasmuch as he is bound to man and so ordreth his iudgements that great learning commeth thereby vnto vs For in the elect he sheweth an example of his meere goodnesse and in the reprobate the seueritie of his iustice that we may learne to feare the one and to embrace and kisse the other Moreouer the vse of this doctrine serueth and is necessarye for many purposes For it marueylously comforteth vs in temptations bicause we knowe our saluation is not founded in our power or in the merite of our righteousnesse but in the grace of God and merite of christ For who can ouerthrow this righteousnesse or grace who shall seperate those from the loue of God whom he hath once embraced Or who shall be able to take one sheepe out of Christes hande seeing all power is giuen to him in heauen and in earth Whosoeuer teach that saluation dependeth vpon our worthinesse doe vtterlye infringe the force and strength of this consolation Besides this doctrine teacheth vs our dutie and to acknowledge the great goodnesse of God when we perceyue our selues more sought after and visited by the worde of God than others For as God attributeth not this vnto our merites but of his meere grace goeth about to saue vs so if any disdaine to acknowledge his goodnesse and shewe themselues vnkinde towardes him he sheweth the horrible seueritie of his iustice agaynst them We haue for example Corozaim Bethsaida Capernäum and the whole Nation of the Iewes which we reade God cast of for none other cause but for that they woulde not acknowledge the day of their visitation Examples of like seuertitie are those Cities which God did vouchsafe to illuminate by the ministerie of Paule more than other For we sâ—e they are at this day tyrannously oppressed by the Turkes bicause they shewed not themselues so thankfull vnto God as they ought
that in Claudius dayes they were all driuen out of Rome and Italie And surelye it might seeme a grieuous attempt for Iewes defamed persons almost with all men to prescribe lawes vnto the Romanes the Lords seigniors of the whole world And this accusation was of such force and effect that all the people ranne vpon the Apostles as it had bene to the quenching of some great fyre begun Thou shalt in this place consider what the crafts of the enimies of the truth are We heard how they were incensed led with the desire of priuate lucre aduantage But bicause it was an vnhonest poynt to disturbe the whole citie for a fewes sake they make of a priuate case a publike with marueylous arte and craft so proceeding as though they tooke the publike weales cause in hande Thus we heare Caiaphas played the Rhetorician when he sayde vnto the Scribes consulting agaynst Christ It is expedient for vs that one man dye for the people and not all the Nation perishe And now a dayes nothing is so common a thing as to set a pretence of common weale vpon priuate affections when men desire the doctrine of truth to be banished This craft they haue learned of their Captaine the Deuill who we reade vsed the same trickes euen from the beginning For did he not this wayes entyce our fyrst parents to breake Gods commaundement so propose his matter as though he had sought no whitte for his owne auayle but was onely carefull for theirs When he begoonne also to dispute with Christ he seemed to go about to cause Christ to declare his Godheade vnto the worlde by some woonderfull and myraculous wise and not to holde the worlde anye longer in suspence and doubt what he was For to this ende were his sayings touching turning of stones into breade and casting himselfe downe from the pinnacle of the Temple We haue euerywhere examples of such sleyghtes the chiefe ende whereof is to warne vs that we suffer not our selues to be circumuented and beguiled eyther with the craftes of the deuill himselfe or of his members This place also teacheth vs with what crimes commonly the truth is charged in this worlde Namely that she troubleth and disquieteth common weales and beguyleth the simple Commons with new and false religion Hereof commeth it to passe that the Ministers and teachers of the truth are counted for seditious fellowes seducers and beguilers The faythfull seruauntes of God Moses and Aaron are so called of Pharao the tyrant For thus he aunswereth them desiring him that the people myght be set at libertie You Moses and Aaron why pluck you the people away from their labour But the wicked Achab more bitterly vpbraydeth the Prophete Elias with the same saying Art not thou he that troublest Israel Yet is that more grieuous that Amasias the Priest layeth to Amos the Prophetes charge before king Ieroboam in these wordes Amos hath made a conspiracie against thee in the middest of the house of Israel and the lande cannot away with his sermons Yea the wicked Courtyers of Sedechias the king accuse Ieremie of treason and of flying to his enimies the Assirians saying he is the onely authour of all their miseries and destruction But this is no marueyle considering these were the poynts of accusation that were layde vnto Christes charge For the Priestes sayde vnto Pylate wee founde this man peruerting the whole Nation and forbidding to paye tribute vnto Caesar saying he was Christ a king Agayne If thou let him loose thou art not Caesars friend Whosoeuer maketh himselfe a king speaketh against Caesar. These are grieuous matters and argue the great impudencie of the worlde And yet they may seeme tollerable being compared with the things done in our dayes These thinges in times past did they saye which were the professed enimies of the Prophetes and Apostles and which knewe not that Christ was their sauiour But nowe adayes they that will be taken and counted for Christians which challenge vnto them the chiefe gouernaunce of the Church which professe themselues to be the nurses shepeheardes and defenders of the Church vse to persecute the ministers of Christ and his Gospell and call that a newe doctrine a seditious and a deceytfull which according to the scriptures of the olde and newe Testament sheweth that all our saluation is onely in Christ Iesus which teacheth vs the right vse of the sacraments innocencie and puritie of life the duties of charitie commaundeth vs to loue our enimies leaueth lawes and priuiledges free vnto Magistrates biddeth vs giue vnto Caesar that is Caesars and vnto God that belongeth vnto him which commendeth vnto vs principally the desire of peace and commaundeth vs asmuch as lyeth in vs to haue peace with all men Who may not therefore crie out ô maners ô tymes Let vs therfore acknowledge the blindenesse of this world and not esteeme their slaunders one myte whereby they go about to defame and bring in suspition the wholesome doctrine of the Gospell It remayneth for vs to consider what the iudgement of the Gouernour of Philippi was concerning this present cause But what saye I the iudgement whereas without all iudgement they raged like madde men against the Apostles Sreyghtways they tare and rent their garments as though there wanted Ministers of such mischiefe Then they commaunde them without hearing their aunswere and being guiltlesse to be beaten with roddes And when they had bene well scourged at length they cast them in prison commaunding that they shoulde be well watched as though they were worthye of more punishment than other malefactors Which thing was the cause that they were put in an inner prison and their feete thrust into the stockes But what more iniustice coulde Magistrates and men in office shewe He offendeth that doth but denie him leaue that is accused to excuse himselfe But these men besides beate straungers with roddes and when they haue beaten them thrust them in prison meaning afterwarde at leysure to heare their aunswere The cause of this rage was for that they suffered other that slaundered them to much to kindle their choler Therfore let them that sitte in iudgement flie this pestilent plague and remember that they haue two eares giuen them for this cause that one maye be kept open for the Plaintife and that other for the defendant Let them also remember that God is the President of iudgements to whome they also shall one day giue an account of their iudgements In the meane season we are admonished what the state of the godly is in this worlde Notorious malefactors maye liue in safetye but the godlye are hated and persecuted of all men and where they hurt none but doe good vnto all men they haue least thanke of all men in the worlde It was a singular benefite to deliuer the Damsell out of the thraldome of Satan But for their good turne they are punished with strypes and imprisonment as publike enimies of the Citie Hereof we haue euery
at Lyddias house and them they exhort to be stedfast in the fayth and comfort them very effectually Moreouer Paule wryteth an Epistle vnto them wherin we are taught how prosperously this cōgregation afterward came forward whose beginning seemed altogither vnprosperouse vntowarde Whereby it appeereth the course of the Gospell can be hyndered by no attemptes of the wicked Sometime the Ministers thereof are bounde but the worde of God can not be bounde Againe they that preach the same are thrust out and banished but the spirite of Christ cannot be banished but breatheth wheresoeuer it pleaseth yea when men holde their peace the stones will preach Christ. Let these thinges make vs constaunt in the fayth that hauing at length ouercome the worlde and Prince thereof we may liue and raigne in heauen wyth Iesus Christ our sauiour to whome be all praise honor power and glory for euer Amen The .xvij. chapiter vpon the Actes of the Apostles The Cxiij Homelie NOWE as they passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia they came to Thessalonica where was a great Synagoge of the Iewes and Paule as his maner was went in vnto them and three Sabboth dayes disputed wyth them by the scriptures opening and alleaging that Christ must haue suffred and rysen agayne from the death and this is Iesus Christ whome sayde he I preach vnto you And some of them beleeued and ioyned in companye with Paule and Silas also of the Grecians that feared God a great multitude and of the chiefe women not a fewe OUr Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christ in the Gospell of Luke sayth No manne which putteth hys hande to the plough and looketh backward is meete for the kingdome of heauen Which wordes doe admonishe vs that of all christians especially of the Ministers of the word is required an inuincible constancie of the minde whereby they maye go forwarde without feare against al traueyle and daunger and not be withdrawne by anye temptations to forsake the office committed to their credit Of which constancie is set out vnto vs a most worthy example in the Apostle Paule who from the fyrst daye he tooke in hande the seruice of Christ and the Gospell was in continuall labour and daunger and yet held on seeking daylie new occasion with great courage of minde to set forth the kingdome of christ And as he had done heretofore in other places the selfe same did he wyth incredible industrie among the Macedonians as this present hystorie declareth For being verie euill intreated at Philippi to the which place he was called by a vision yet he murmureth not against God nor doubteth not of his calling nor leaueth not of his duetie through feare but taketh his iourney directly thorowe Amphipolis and Apollonia and commeth to Thessalonica the chiefe Citie of all Macedonia where after he had spreade the lyght of the Gospell he getteth him to Berrhoea and from thence to Athens where he preacheth Christ among the most learned Phylosophers of the Gentiles and as it were vpon the open stage of all the worlde But to let passe all other thinges let vs see what was done at this tyme at Thessalonica First it is sayde he went through Amphipolis and Apollonia and there is no mention made that Paule preached in those Cities therfore it is lyke the holy Ghost offered him no occasion there to preache But when he came to Thessalonica he went into the Iewes Synagoge which was very notable and full of people and there by the space of three Sabboth dayes he taught them the gospell of Iesus christ And yet it might seeme a straunge thing that Paule woulde offer the doctrine of saluation agayne vnto the Iewes whose incurable malice he had so often tryed and whome he perceyued God had cast of by many euident arguments But he was mooued partly with the feruent desyre he had to set forth the kingdome of God and partly with the constant loue that he bare to his nation for whose sake otherwhyle he wished to be accursed And yet we must not thinke this to be any blinde affection for as much as the Lorde had long before prophecied that though the Iewes were cast off certaine remnauntes shoulde be saued And perhappes he might be mooued by the example of Elias who when he thought all the people had forsaken the God of Israell was tolde that there were yet seauen thousande which had neuer bowed their knees vnto Baal We are taught by this example of Paule that we must not ouer hastily cease from doing our duetie bicause of many mens ingratitude but rather as the Apostle otherwhere teacheth vs tollerate the euill wyth meekenesse instruct those that make resistaunce if at anye time God will giue them repentance to knowe the truth and that they may come to themselues againe out of the snare of the Deuill For where we be the seruauntes of God it becommeth vs to imitate his condition and propertie and not to be offended with the ingratitude of the worlde for as much as we knowe that we haue a rewarde layde vp with the Lorde which shall neuer fayle vs Therefore inexcusable is their waywardenesse which assoone as they perceyue they nothing profyte cease of from doing their duetie are not ledde with the example of God and of Christ which vsed such great lenitie and long sufferaunce towards the incurable malice of the Iewes euen from the fyrst beginning of that nation It is also worthy the obseruation to see howe Paule keepeth the religion of the Sabbothes and goeth into the Synagoges to preach there following the example of Christ who dyd nothing in secret but taught abroade openly In the meane season we see this was an olde vsage amonge the people of God for the godly to come vnto the Church for whose sake we reade holy dayes and holy places were in times past ordeyned of god It is necessarie that we obserue the same both for doctrine sake which can no waye more commodiously be taught and also bicause of externe religion which ought to be openly exercised that the profession of true fayth fayle not For the which cause Christ adourned the congregation and Church comming with hys example and commended it with a notable promise and this is the cause that Paule in his fyrst Epistle to the Corinthians is so diligently occupied in gyuing preceptes for the well ordering of them Wherfore their frowardnesse must needes be detested which deryde and scoffe at the publike assemblies of christians plainely testifying that they are ledde with no care of wholesome doctrine or sincere religion But what doth Paule in the Synagoge of the Iewes euen the same that we heare he vsed to doe in many places For he taught out of the scriptures declaring howe it was necessarie that Christ shoulde die and rise againe from the dead and that this was the same Christ whom he preached Here must we diligently marke all these pointes bicause they fullye conteyne the whole trade of the
all men The which argument he vseth also Rom. 1. Under this also he comprehendeth all the whole businesse of our redemption For if he rose agayne surely he dyed and dyed as is sayde elsewhere for our sinnes but was raysed agayne for our iustification But bicause we haue oftentimes discoursed of these poyntes and haue occasion euerywhere to intreate more of the same these fewe shall suffyse for this present Now remayneth the effect of this doctrine which was diuers and variable according to the diuersitie of the hearers For some at the fyrst mention of the resurrection did mocke and scoffe at it namely they of Epicures sect wherof there are great numbers in these dayes Other somewhat better than these desired to heare him dispute againe touching this point therby declaring they had somewhat tasted of the truth There are againe other some whose hearts God had illuminated by his spirite to beleeue openly to ioyne themselues vnto Paule So euerywhere is fulfylled the saying of Paule that the Gospell is to some the sauour of death vnto death and to other some the sauour of lyfe vnto lyfe Among those that beleeued is Dyonisius accounted a man of great dignitie as who was one of the number of the Iudges called Areopagitae Also Damaris a woman by all likelyhoode of great dignitie and estimation bicause mention is made of hir by name Wherefore the gospell is neuer preached without some fruite or profyte and although but a fewe beleeue at the fyrst yet great and famous congregations growe of small beginninges as hystories declare came to passe at Athens It is our duties not to be offended at the paucitie or small number of beleeuers but to embrace with thankefull mindes the gospell of saluation that it may bring forth in vs worthy fruites and that we maye attayne vnto saluation through the promises thereof by Iesus Christ our Lorde to whome bee prayse honour power and glorye for euer Amen The .xviij. chapiter vpon the Actes of the Apostles The Cxx. Homelie AFTER this Paule departed from Athens and came to Corinthus and founde a certaine Iewe named Aquilas borne in Pontus lately come from Italy with his wyfe Priscilla bicause that the Emperour Claudius had commaunded all Iewes to depart from Rome and hee drewe vnto them bycause he was of the same craft he abode with them and wrought Their craft was to make tentes And he preached in the Synagoge euery Sabboth daye and exhorted the Iewes and the Gentyles When Sylas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia Paule was constrayned by the spirite to testifie to the Iewes that Iesus was very Christ. THe Euangelist Luke in the chapiter that went before shewed vs howe Athens was conuerted a very notable citie both by reason of the schoole of wisedome therein and also bicause of the manifolde fame of their religion Then next vnto this he handsomely ioyneth the hystorie of the conuersion of Corinth vnto Christ a most rich a most corrupt City in which hystory the power of the spirit of Christ and the efficacie of the gospell so brightly and woonderfullye shyned that Paule called the Church of Corinth the seale of his Apostleship For as Corinth aswell by reason of hiâ— situation betweene two seas was very rich and famous as also for merchandyzes and traffike there vsed so the baytes entycementes and number of merchauntes resorting thither from all partes and coastes infected the same wyth moste corrupt maners insomuch that the ryotousnesse thereof was nowe noted in publyke Prouerbes For when men woulde speake of persons giuen to great ryote and sensualitie they woulde saye they played the Corinthians And this was a common saying in all peoples mouthes Euery man maye not come vnto Corinth Among other vices there whoredome chiefely reigned wherevnto they were so giuen that in Venus Temple they had about a thousande Damosels and Nunnes for that purpose and afterward euen among them that had professed Christ there was one which vnlawfully kept company with his stepmother vntill by Paules censure and appoyntment he was excommunicated Into this Citie commeth Paule when he went from Athens and that not without the ordinance of God as the ende and successe declared For the Lorde which did vouchsafe to saue his elect out of the pumpe of sinnefulnesse by the preaching of the gospell had there a great many of people Moreouer this Citie giueth vs an ensample both of the goodnesse of God towarde sinners and also of the vertue or power of the Gospell For if a man woulde compare the abiect and base estate of Paule being but a straunger and vnknowne with the indurate custome of sinne with the glorious shewe of ryches with the abundaunce of delyghtes with the entycements of pleasures on euerye side and with the pompe and pryde of Merchauntes his attempt shall then seeme altogither ridiculous which woulde go about to reforme both their lyfe and religion at once But the thing that seemed ridiculous in the iudgement of the fleshe wanted not a most prosperous successe giuen by the Lorde For wythin an yeare and a halfe by the preaching of the Gospell the spirite of Christ therwith working Paule set a newe face vppon this Citie and vniuersallye reformed it a thing which no lawmaker of howe great authoritie so euer he had bene coulde haue bene able to haue perswaded them so that it is not without a cause that Paule reioyseth so much for the conuerting of this Citie considering he no where founde a more effectuall working of the Gospell than there Which also seemeth to mee to be the cause that Luke is so diligent in describing this hystorie insomuch that he prosecuteth at large the least circumstances thereof Which thing in other places eyther he vtterly letteth passe or else onely toucheth them lightly as it were by the waye This thing ought to stirre vppe also our diligent attention to consider the same First and foremost he maketh mention of the place where Paule hosted in the fynding out whereof I suppose Paule vsed some great circumspection bicause Christ gaue the Apostles a peculiar commaundement touching the prouiding them of commodious and fytte hostes Paule therefore founde an host called Aquilas which was a Iewe borne in Pontus who not long before by reason of Claudius the Emperors proclamation with his wyfe Priscilla was fayne to depart from Rome to come vnto Corinth For at that time the state of the Iewes was verye miserable bicause the vengeance of God followed them being embrued with the bloude of the sonne of god in al places It came to passe further also that they which denied Christ to be their sauiour were fayne euery day to seeke them newe sauiours and to make newe stirres and vprores so that all menne worthily hated them Aquilas therefore being violently caryed with the common calamitie of the whole Nation is also banished yet not without the prouidence of GOD which prepared Paule a lodging with him among the
so oftentimes founde God his ayder and helper is afrayde to go meete his brother Esau. Moses fearing the tyranny of Pharao flieth into Madian and scarce woulde returne againe into Egypt at Gods calling Iosue a valiant warrier discomfyted with one ouerthrowe of his people declareth the feare he had conceyued in his minde by vnmanly weeping and mourning We reade howe Dauid which being but a stripling ouercame Goliath after he was a man growen and had gotten many victories feared oftentimes the threates and attemptes of Saule Helias whome neyther the sight and tyrannie of Achab nor furie of the people coulde withholde from killing the Priestes of Baal being afrayde at the threates of one syllye woman which was Iesabel tooke him to hys heeles and desired god he might die What shall I speake of Peter who being not afrayde of a company of harnessed men was quite dismayde at the worde of one symple wench and denyed Christ Manye like examples might be rehearsed which we repeate not to the ende to detect the infyrmities and falles of holy men but bicause the consyderation of them serueth not a little for our instruction For both we knowe our owne infyrmitie thereby the knowledge wherof maketh vs not to trust to much in our selfe and we are admonished of charitie that we rashly condemne not men which otherwise haue deserued well if they seeme to doe otherwise than becommeth them For God will haue the tokens of common imperfection appeare euen in them also that we be not to much addicted vnto them and so forgette the grace of God which by them had wrought singular workes In the meane season we must helpe them with our prayers that eyther they may beware they fall not or else that they may by Gods grace speedily rise agayne For this deutie did Christ vse towardes his Disciples as the Gospell declareth Luc. 22. Iohn 17. But let vs consider Gods person which by and by comforteth him being in this feare although there is no mention made that he did call vppon God therefore For God doth not onely heare them which open their desire of minde by crying but he seeth the secret sobbes and gronings of the heart and helpeth comforteth them And so is it very needefull he should bicause oft times it commeth to passe that we are so compassed on euery side with aduersitie that we are not able in words to declare the desire of our hearts Then is fulfylled that that God promiseth by his Prophete Esay cap 65. It shall come to passe that or euer they call I shall aunswere them while they are yet but thinking howe to speake I shall heare them So the Lorde speaketh to Moses standing by the redde sea why cryest thou Yet we reade of no worde he spake This is a great argument of the goodnesse of god For as God knoweth whereof we haue neede so he vseth to helpe vs in season and time and although he sendeth vs temptations to teache vs our infyrmitie and to enflame vs the more vnto godlynesse yet he tempereth the same with comfort that we be not vtterly swallowed vp of sorowe Let no man therefore despayre to soone seeing God hath infynite meanes whereby to comfort and helpe vs And here in this place he thought good to vse both vision and Oracle both which were very needefull bicause Paule had no man to comfort him and sawe many causes which might make him thinke that so corrupt a Citie had no regarde of god The words that God here spake conteyne in them three poyntes of euerye whereof we will intreate orderlye First he taketh away the cause of all this euill where he biddeth him not to feare This kind of precept is often times mentioned in the scripture For so sayth god vnto Moses being dismayed at the meeting of the king of Basan To Iosue also being redy to ioyne battayle with the fyue kings it was sayd Be not afrayd of them And the Lord sayth vnto Ieremie when he called him to the office of a Preacher Be not afrayde of their faces c. Christ also biddeth the Apostles that they shoulde not feare those which killed the bodye but coulde not hurt the soule I omitte diuers places of this sort The cause why God so oftentimes forbiddeth his seruauntes to feare is for that there is nothing of more efficacie to pull menne from doing their dutie than feare For assoone as feare is once conceyued in the heart the light of reason is so blemished that it cannot see what is needefull to be done and no deuises or counsels are more vncertaine than such as persons in feare and perplexitie take in hande And if they stande throughly in feare then maketh it men shamelesse also so that for feare of losse of lyfe or goodes they committe moste mischieuous actes and many times they incurre a greater daunger for the auoyding of a perill present Bicause this thing falleth vppon priuate men howe much more necessary is it that men in publike office shoulde be bolde and voyde of feare For if these men offende it is not against them selfe onely but against other also whome God hath committed vnto their charge Which was the cause that the wise man Iethro required boldenesse of minde in Iudges Therefore God did verye aptly make his beginning of comfort in this place In the second part he commaundeth him what to doe Speake sayth he and holde not thy peace Here no manne must thinke that God vsed any superfluitie of wordes He ioyneth these two togither bicause many times diuers speake and yet holde their peace whiles they speake such thinges as they thinke no man will be offended with and in the meane while keepe silence of such things which they ought by Gods commaundement to speake The meaning therefore of the commaundement is that he shoulde preach the gospell plainly and dissemble or keepe close none of the thinges conteyned in the same although he wist many woulde be displeased therwith By this let all Ministers learne that they haue not done their dutie if they preach the worde of God except they preach it all and that plainely and so applye it vnto euery man that he maye thinke it spoken vnto him For as he is an vntrusty ambassadour which speaketh nothing but that he is commaunded and yet vttereth not euery thing but for fauour of some persons omitteth many things so can he not be iudged to be a faythfull Minister of Christ that leaueth out neuer so small a portion of the Gospell to please men with See what is sayde hereof Iere. 1. Ezech. 3. and .33 Math. 28. In the thirde part he sheweth very graue and effectuall reasons wherof this is the fyrst for I am with thee This one reason ought to be sufficient against all daungers For whereas God is almightie they can want nothing with whome he is present For what are Creatures able to doe against God without whose power they cannot stande
and soules of the deceassed wherin one of the least defences of Antichristes tirannie hath not consisted to saye nothing howe through their wicked exorcismes they haue polluted baptisme and Gods whole religion Yea by this meane it came to passe that no kinde of men had more students of Necromantie and Magike then the Monkes and Priestes and euen the highest priestes were not behinde in these wicked sciences For the hystories of Syluester the seconde Gregorie the seuenth Alexander the sixte and many other are well knowne to euery man Also we are taught what to iudge of such â–ª as attribute godly power to holy names and sentences taken out of scriptures as though by these eyther euill spirites coulde be driuen awaye or diseases and maladyes ridde from men and beastes bodyes or that they which study south-saying an arte inuented by mans curiositie could tell vs what is to come or what shall happen hereafter This is a Iudaicall or rather an heathen or a Gentile superstition and not without a cause condemned by the lawes of god For fyrst vnto a vaine sounde of wordes vnto dombe fygures and ceremonies full of horror is attributed a power of helpe which is no light offence against the fyrst precept of the tables For there we are commaunded to acknowledge God onely for our helper to put our trust in hym onely and to aske all our ayde and succour of him Next men are sent from the inuocation of God vnto wicked sciences as though thereby God might be inforced to helpe vs against his will. Moreouer the kingdome of the deuill is no waye more fortifyed then this who dyligently seeketh to make men looke for helpe and counsell in other thinges then in God bicause that is the most commodious way for him whereby to deceyue and beguile men Therefore we reade that these sciences in olde time were not without a cause abolished both by the lawes of GOD and Emperours And there remaine in the Popes law Canons gathered out of most auncient counsels and fathers which admonishe vs to keepe such as were giuen to these artes from the communion of the faythfull And here we must not giue eare to their obiections which frame arguments of the successe and holynesse of the words thereby to defende their impious superstition For they say a many are healed by these meanes and that things otherwise impossible are hereby euery day brought to passe Againe they say there is no offence in them bicause they consist for the more parte vpon the holy names of God or else vpon certaine notable sentences of holy scripture The aunswere is easie to both these obiections We knowe that Satan is able to shewe woonders but not without the sufferance of god It is well knowne what he wrought in tymes past by the Magitians in Egypt and howe he burned Iobes cattle and seruauntes by fyre from aboue Yea Augustine testifyeth that he is able to doe straunge matters bicause he can transfourme himselfe into an Aungell of light But doth it therefore become christian men to beleeue his suggestions or to vse his helpe why doe we not rather regarde the counsell of God which suffereth Satan thus to doe bicause he meaneth eyther to trye the fayth of his people or else to send effectuall illusions to those that haue deserued destruction Let vs therfore stande fast in the fayth least we swarue therefro and be left wholy to Sathans scorning and delusion Againe touching the holynesse of the wordes we dispute not but we say the more holy they are the more detestable it is to abuse them For this is not the vse eyther of the names of God or of his wordes to serue for magicall mutterings and with a vaine sounde to dryue away eyther spirites or diseases but to declare and set out vnto vs the propertie of God and his wyll And if holynesse of wordes can excuse Magicians and enchaunters then shall they also be excused that commonly abuse the other holye and wholsome creatures of god But howe vaine these mens excuse is that forme or maner of exorcisme which these exorcistes vsed aboundantly declareth For what is there in them to be reprehended They vse this worde adiuring according to the example of most godlye men Next they adiure by the name of Iesus and least they might seeme to meane some counterfeyte Iesus they plainely expresse him whome Paule preacheth Notwithstanding they are accused of impietie bicause they vsed the holye wordes naughtily and without fayth for their lucre sake and aduauntage Therefore away with them that will seeke such slender pretences for their Iewishe and heathen superstitions and let vs not beleeue them which dare abuse the names of God and his Christ. But let vs consider the successe of this enterprise which was very agreeable to their presumptuousnesse For the euil spirit answereth these exorcistes and sayth Iesus I know and Paule I know but who are you And streightway he setteth the man whome he possessed vpon them maketh hym to season on them so strongly preuayling against them al that he wel bette them and set them packing out of the house naked By the which argument it is most euidently perceyued that there is no power in holye wordes of themselues whereby to driue awaye deuils or any other euils but that all such effectes depende vpon Gods prouidence which sometime worketh myracles also euen by Infydels when he seeth their helpe serue for the setting forth of his kingdome and glory This example teacheth what all they maye looke for which abuse the name of Christ or his lawes for their priuate lucre and aduauntage This is a common thing in these dayes For what else doth the Pope seeing vnder the cloake of Christes name he chalengeth to him the supremacie in the Church What else doe Masse Priestes when peruerting the maner and order of the supper they imagine Christ is at their becke and chaunge the wordes of the supper into a coniuration through the power whereof they transubstanciate as they say the breade and wine into the body and bloude of Christ What shall I speake of the keyes vnder the pretence whereof they haue burst into mennes consciences ordeyned satisfactions and expiations of sinnes little or nothing differing from those which we reade the heathen sometimes vsed I lette passe infynite other things which though God punishe not by and by as we see he did the children of Sceua yet the iudgement of the Lorde as Peter sayeth sleepeth not by the which long sithence their punishments are appointed We are moreouer taught by this place howe great the power of our Sauiour Iesus Christ is seeing he can vse the Deuill be he neuer so lothe to the setting forth of his kingdome For who wyll thinke that he woulde willinglye beare witnesse to Iesus Christ and Paule his seruaunt and hurt his owne bondmen and instruments He is yet compelled to doe both bicause it seemeth so good vnto the Lorde at whose sight
the world he shal easily perceiue in himself that hath not vtterly lost his senses And what we haue to do when God by such meanes as these allureth vs Pauls exāple declareth In dede ther appereth in him some smack of carnal slouthfulnesse which being strickē to the groūd doth not yet know his lord But this is worthy to be cōmended that whē the Lord had told him what he was by by he demandeth what his wil is that he should do For this is the saying of a true hūble hart submitting himself wholy to obey the wil of god Let vs therfore folow this exāple which the holy Ghost wold haue put in wryting to serue for our instruction And when we are chastised let vs think we are chastised of the Lord who requireth of vs repentance And let vs do penaunce not according to our owne braine or as seemeth good in our sight but according to Gods appointment which we shal learne in his word For after this sort aduersitie shal serue to our amendment and our amendment or conuersion shall be acceptable vnto god But if a mā wold compare these things with the vsage of our dayes he shal easily perceiue how many wayes mē herein offend For a man shal find few which whē they are chastised wil acknowledge God to be the author therof but the most part impute their misfortunes vnto other causes And if there be any so touched with the feeling of religion ▪ that they are constrained to acknowledge the hand of God yet is that feling very smal and of litle continuance or else ioyned with superstition wherby being deceiued they do their penaunce but counterfetly and for a litle season as God vpbraideth the people of Israel by his Prophet And this is the cheefe cause of so many and so continuall calamities as are in our dayes which if we redresse not lette vs neuer looke for better state The last thing in this treatise is how Paule is sent into the Citie to Ananias of whome he requireth more fully to be instructed The causes of this precept or doing we haue declared before where ye may loke for the same It becommeth vs to follow the example of Paule that framing our selues according to Gods calling we turne from superstition and other sinnes vnto God and hang wholy vpon his mouth and word fashioning our life and conuersation according to his will. For so after we haue happily ended this life we shall be coheires in heauen with Iesus Christe the sonne of the euer liuing God to whome be praise honor power and glory for euer Amen The Cxliij Homelie ANd one Ananias a perfecte man and as pertaining to the lawe hauing good reporte of all the Iewes which there dwelt came vnto mee and stoode and said vnto me brother Saule receiue thy light And the same houre I receiued my sight and sawe him And he saide the God of our fathers hath ordained thee before ▪ that thou shouldest knowe his will and shouldest heare the voice of his mouth For thou shalt be his witnesse vnto all men of those things which thou hast seene and heard And nowe why tarriest thou Arise and be baptised and wash away thy sinnes in calling on the name of the Lord. BIcause all chaunge of religion is odious as arguing a light and inconstant minde therefore Paule so diligently excuseth his leauing the Iewes religion And first he declareth that he behaued himselfe therein with great zeale least any should thinke he were fallen away of ignorance and lack of knowledge or of hatred of discipline or of leuitie and inconstantnesse And he beginneth the Historie of his vocation in suche sorte as it may appeare that he was not onely called by God but also constrained And now he addeth hereunto how he was ordained vnto the office of an Apostle by the ministery of Ananias ▪ who was appointed of God to be the interpreter of this heauenly oracle and vision The principall vse of this place is to answere them which suspected the storie of his vocation and saide that Paule was deceiued by a vaine fantasie and delusion He beginneth in commodious wise with the description of Ananias lest any man might thinke he had giuen credit to any slender or light person of no estimation And for bicause the Iewes would not haue admitted the testimonie of any that had forsaken his religion he first and formoste commendeth him for a diligent obseruer and follower of the lawe where he saithe he is a godly man according to the lawe Unto this commendation he ioyneth the publike testimonie of al the Iewes dwelling at that time at Damascus Beesides this hee declareth howe his sight was restored to him againe the cheefe vse wherof it seemeth God would haue to be this that Paule mighte knowe that Ananias was sent vnto him of god For who woulde accuse him of vanitie which beeing admonished by heauenly Oracle yea beeing vtterly amased and following such an expounder of the Oracle had altered his religion And Paules example teacheth vs that of all things we must flee leuitie in religion that wee rashly beleeue not euery one For as in religion consisteth the summe of our saluation so it appeareth there haue bene in all ages deceiuers whiche haue layde snares to entrappe the mindes of the simple And both Chryste and the Apostles abundauntly teache vs that suche should arise in the Church after them Therefore the suggestions of the men of our dayes is to bee lamented which in the most cleare light of the Gospell beleeue euery spirite contrary to the bydding of Iohn the Apostle yea they take them to be the true followers of the Apostles which with scoffery and tauntes can quippe the Ecclesiastical Ministers and Magistrates in secrete wheras them selues in the meane season are neither learned nor honest Agayne let vs marke what the true commendation of a Minister is and of all that beare any publike office The first thing is godlynesse ordered and directed after the lawe of God that is according to Gods appoyntment For it is not ynough onely to be godly but wee must frame the same according to Gods worde Otherwise it shall be a zeale without knowledge suche as the Iewes and Paule sometime were deceiued with Agayne they must haue a good testimonie of them amongst whom they dwell and also of others abroade that the Gospell bee not euill spoken of for their sake See Paule touching this poynt in the first to Timothe the third chapter Unto this must be ioyned a lawful vocation or calling which thing if they feele not in them selues they shall neither boldly nor profitably discharge their duetie But it is euident that the Prophets and Apostles to whom we haue giuen credite were suche For they following the worde of God in all thing haue not swarued one nayles breadth from the same And such was their integritie of life that to this day the Turkes and Papistes reuerence their name
Paules sisters sonne hearde of their laying awayte he wente and entered into the Castle and tolde Paule PAule the Apostle in his seconde Epistle to the Corinthians the firste Chapter sayth As the afflictions of Chryst are plentyfull in vs euen so is our consolation plenteous by Chryst. This is a worthy and comfortable saying confirmed with many examples euen from the very beginning vnto the which this example here present tolde of Paule may very well be adioyned For we haue heard how he was hitherto vexed and molested with greeuous perilles and daungers And many thinges happened vnto him whiche mighte haue driuen him to desperation beeing laide in prison by the Romane Souldiours and with one whole consente of the Iewes required to be put to death and sawe none other helpe or succouâ—e but suche as he founde in the Souldiours men farthest off from true Religion But the Lorde fayleth not hys Apostle beeing in this daunger and distresse but most friendly comforteth him beeing tossed vp and downe wyth dyuerse cares and by and by performeth in deede that which he promiseth in words whiles in miraculous sort he deliuereth him out of the handes of most cruel cutthrotes Now bicause these things are writteÌ„ for the instruction and comforte of all people let vs marke euery poynt thereof in order The first thing herein is a consolation wherwith Paules minde is confirâ—ed strengthned For the Lord standeth by him in the night that is to say by his angel to teach him how true it is that he sayd he wold be with vs vntill the end of the world And he biddeth Paule to be of good cheere or to take a good harte vnto him bicause perhaps he began to doubt of Gods care and good will towards him And the cause he sayth to be for that he muste beare witnesse of him at Rome also Here it moste euidenâ—ly appeareth that God neglecteth not mens matters and affayres although he seeme sometymes to forget them For howe can he neglecte men who forgetteth not the Sparrowes as Chryst testifieth Luke 12. In deede it might seeme that God had no regarde of Paule considering howe all the worlde conspired agaynst him But seeyng God standeth by hym in pryson it easily appeareth that nothyng hathe happened vnto hym hythervnto eyther wythout the knowedge of God or without his will. But bycause wee haue examples heereof in euery place lette vs nowe consyder the manner of Consolation the bare wordes whereof beeyng wayed after the capacitie of mâ—nnes reaâ—on seeme to declare that GOD rather threateneth hym than comforteth hym For hee saythe Bee of good cheere Paule for as thou haste testified of mee in Hierusalem so muste thou also beare wytnesse at Rome Therefore the Lorde giueth him warning of newe trauelles and newe contentions lyke as if a Phisitian shoulde say to a sicke body be of good cheere O sonne for thou haste newe sicknesses comming and within these fewe dayes thou shalte haue freshe doloures and greefes Or as if one should encourage a Souldiour weeryed in a late skyrmish vnto a more greeuous fyghte Who woulde say this were a consolatyon or comforte Howe bee it suche a lyke thyng it is that is here sayde vnto Paule For by making mention of Rome he putteth him in remembrance of tediousnesse in iourneys of perils in nauigation and of a number of most cruell kinds of punishment forasmuch as Claudius was now Emperour a very foolish and cruell man and most ready to punishe gâ—â—tlesse persons But if wee waigh the matter deepely it shall appeare there were two things which might not a little encourage Paule the one was that he perceiued God had a care of him The other that he heard he shoulde be a vessell and instrument of glory to declare the name of Chryst among the Romanes also who were Lordes of the whole worlde Here therfore we are taught whence to fetche comforte in aduersitie Not in the fortunate successe of worldly affayres or of hope to lyue idelly and easily but of the prouidence of God and of that he doth vouchsafe to make vs vessels and instruments of his glory And this thing Chryst teacheth vs where he promiseth to his disciples not prosperous successe of their attempts but sayth nothing shal happen vnto them without the councell of Gods prouidence We are taught also that whyle God deliuereth comforteth vs he calleth vs not to idlenesse but prepareth vs to greater businesses And he therefore recreateth vs with the taste of his truthe and promises to make vs to returne to our businesse agayne the more cherfully as we may see all godly men vse to doo Therefore it is a shamelesse errour of them which after they haue tryed the ayde and helpe of God clayme vnto them selfe a certayne immunitie and freedome from all perilles and labours or else giue them selues altogither to the desire of the flesh and follow an vnvnbridled licentiousnesse both in saying and dooing Furthermore bycause the Apostle was like to be molested with many perilles before he came at Rome God confirmeth hys late courrage and manlynesse with a freshe benefite deliuered him out of a great and vnlooked for hazarde For there had fourtie persons conspired his death and had made a vowe that they would neyther eate nor drynke tyl they had killed him In whose wicked enterprise a man cannot tell whether he may more wonder at their audaâ—itie or bloudie myndes For beside that they intend and meane the deathe of a guyltlesse bodie whiche is contrarie to the Lawe of God they bynde themselues with an othe and vowe beeing not ignorant how many things myght happen or chaunce that might hinder and dashe all their attempt But by their example wee learne to iudge of the boldenesse and audacitie of the wicked and of all them which meane to defend the Religion they professe â–ª by force rather than by Scripture But lette vs returne to these votaries agayne who declare their bloudie intent vnto the Priestes and Counsell thinking to haue greate thankes at their handes and desiring to haue them partners of their enterprise Giue you say they knowledge to the Captaine and to the Counsell to bring him foorth vnto vs to morrowe as though wee woulde knowe something more perfectly of him and wee will be readie to kyll him or euer he come neare Heere appeare the craftes and traynes of the wicked and howe farre the hatred of trueth proceedeth These men professe a zeale and auncient Religion and can wonderfully counterfet Iustice yet in the meane season they can conceyue a deuice in their mynde voyde both of all reason and iustice Howbeit Sathan hath lefte this pollycie also in remembraunce for posteritie where it hath been seene howe the Ministers of Chryst being oftentymes called foorth vnto Disputations haue fallen into the handes of Murtherers And there want not examples of our age which teache vs to be afrayde of such sleightes in these dayes also Agayne consider what great corruption there
The hyghe Priestes accusation agaynst the Apostles 1 Disobedience Deut â–ª 17. Nu. 16. c. Iohn 1.2.18 Math. 21. 2 False doctrine Deut. 13. 3 Sedition The pryde of Antichristian Bishops What crymes are wâ—nt to be layde to the ministers 1. Reg. 18.21 1. Reg. 22. Amoz 7. Iere. 38.44 2 The aunswere of the Apostles The true trade of obedience 1. Peter 2. The doctrine of the Apostles is not newe 1. Peter 2. The Apostles be not seditious Luc. 1. Phil. 2. Math. 28. Iohn 10. The waye of saluation Math. 18. Luke 7. 2. Cor. 5. Luc. 24. The Apostles and holy ghost be witnesses of the Gospell Iohn 15. Actes 1. Math. 25. Iohn 14. 1 Death deuised against the Apostles The ende of Christes enimies attemptes Mat. 10. c. 2 Gamaliel deliuereth the Apostles from death Iohn 12. Iohn 7. Gene. 37. 1. Sam. 23. Exodus 2. 3 Gamaliel his counsell Iacob 1. Erasmus among the Apothegmes or wittie sayings of Augustus Saint Ambrose vpon occasion of a great slaughter commytted by Theodosius coÌ„maundement at Thessalonica enioyned him from thence forth â–ª that sentence of death or banishment pronounced by him should not be executed till after .xxx. dayes following that if wrath or furie had pronounced any thing vniustlye reason in the meane whyle might expende and redresse the same See Theodor in the Tripartite ix booke 30. chapter Concerning Theudas and Iudas Galilaeus See Iosephus booke of the Iewishe â—ntiquities the .18 booke 1. chapter And seconde booke of the Iewes wars or else Eusebius in the hystorie of the Churche 1. booke 3. chapter Iohn 5. 2. Thess. 2. A Dilemmas is a kinde of argument coÌ„sisting of two propositions or partes eyther of which whosoeuer graunteth â–ª shall be catched in a trip The counsels or purposes of God can not be letted Esay 40. Psal. 33. Psal. 2. Psal. 110. 1. Cor. 3. Math. 16. Irenaeus in his v. booke agaynst heresies And Eusebius in his ecclesiasticall historie .v. booke and viij chap. The Apostles are beaten with rods Luc. 23. No manne must be offended at the afflictions of the vngodlye as straunge Iohn 16. Math. 16. Iohn 15. They are deceâ—ued that iudge of religion and doctrine according to the afflictions Math· 27. The causes of afflictions We must beware of carelesnesse The decree which forbad Christ to be preached is renewed Iohn 15. Phil. 2. 1. Cor. 4. The Apostles reioyce in the reproches they suffer Luc. 22. Rom. 5. 2. Tim. 2. The perseueraunce of the Apostles in teaching 1. Cor. 14. Psal. 50. 1 The cause why Deacons were ordeyned The primitiue Church not voyde of faultes Gallat 3. Colloss 3. 1. Cor. 10. Iohn 17. 1. Iohn 2. Grutch in the multitude Iohn 12. 2 The Apostles speedily consult of the redresse 1. Peter 5. Math. 26. 3 The Apostles oration concerning the ordeyning of Deacons The dignitie of the gospel Galat. 2. Math. 6. Luc. 11. Luc. 10. 1. Cor. 1. Math. 20. Luc. 22. 1. Tim. 3. Ezec. 3.33 Math. 24. What maner of men must be chosen to be Deacons 1. Tim. 3. 1. Tim. 5. The duties of Ministers of the church 1. Tim. 4. 1. Cor. 3. 1 The congregation choseth Deacons Iohn 10. 2 A scroll of the Deacons names Reade what Eusebius wryteth of him in the thirde booke of hys storie and .29 chapter citing Clemens Alexandria in his thirde booke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the same Math. 13. Iohn 6. 1. Cor. 11. 1. Cor. 10. 1. Peter 5. Prouer. 24. 2. Thess. 2. Math. 24. 3 The Deacons are publikely authorized Ephes. 6. 4 The profite ensuing of the errour corrected The description of Steuen 1. Tim. 3. Math. 25. Steuens aduersaries Libertie were such as had somtime bene bondmen â–ª and after â—â—â—ding fauor in their Lordes sight were made free and aduaunced to great dignity Steuen is set on by disputation Iohn 14. Luke 21. 1. Cor. 1. Coloss. 2. 1. Iohn 4. False witnesses are brought against Steuen Talio is when the doer suffreth such lyke damage and hurt himselfe as he doth to an other Looke the place Deuter. 19. Steuen is oppressed with sedition and taken Actes 14. Steuen is accused of impietie and obstinacie Hierem. 26. Psalm 34. Math. 5. Steuen in the daunger of death is not afrayde A notable historie manye wayes to comfort the persecuted for religion How the wicked suffer Christes cause to bee entreated of in Councels The argument of Steuens oration The getting of attention and good wil. Gallat 3. Col. 3. c. Rom. 12. Abraham pleased God without the ceremonies of the lawe God calleth vnto saluation In the beginning of hys first booke against heresies Rom. 4. Ephes. 1. 1. Cor. 4. Ephe. 2. 1. Cor. 2. Esay 64. Heb. 2. Abraham an example of the obedience of fayth 2. Cor. 10. Rom. 1. 16. Iohn 3. Luke 14. Abrahams faith is set forth Rom. 4. Gene. 15. God exerciseth the fayth and pacience of those that be his Roma 4. Psalm 89. Psal. 2.33 Math. 16. Roma 8. The place Gene. 15. The Church is as a Pylgryme in this worlde and afflicted Iohn 7. Rom. 9. Luc. 12. Iohn 17. Iohn 14. Phil. 3. 1. Tim. 6. Zach. 12. 1. Pet. 4. The Church is defended by God. Psal. 94. Zach. 2. The ten persecutions in the Church Cornelius Tacitus in his xv booke The Romaine Legions brought into subiection Histor. Trip. lib. 6. cap. 47 Deut. 32. Math. 7. Esay 33. Abacuc 2. The deliuered serue God. Psalme 50. Iohn 5. He beateth downe the affyaunce in circumcision Genesis 17. Of Sacramentes and sacramentall kindes of speech Deut. 10. Iere. 4. Iere. 31. Third booke and .ix. chap. Isay. 29. Math. 15. Roma 10. He beateth downe theyr affiaunce in the fathers Gene. 17. Gene. 4. Exodus 21. The glory is vayne that is sought in the vertue of auÌ„cestrye Math. 3. Iohn 8. Ioseph also is of fauour saued God aydeth his people when they be afflicted Psal. 34. Psal. 27. Iohn 16. Iohn 14. Math. 28. Psal. 56. Whatsoeuer we haue that is good is of Gods gyft 1. Cor. 2. Genes 8. 1. Cor. 4. Ioseph is a figure of Christ. Iohn 1. Phil. 2. 1 The cause of the going into Egypt Gen. 12.26 Gene. 15. Gene. 45. The wisedome and thankfulnesse of Pharao Iosua 7. Iosephs loue tempered with iustice Math. 5. 2 The comming of the children of Israel into Egypt Roma 8. The Patryarches dye in Egypt Gene. 50. Exodus 13. Iosua 24. Apoca. 14. Iohn 5. Apoca. 20. 1 The people were preserued and multiplyed in Egypt by the grace and fauour of God. Num. 1. The prouydence of God comprehendeth al times Genes 15. Math. 10.6 Acteâ— 1. Psal. 27. Num. 11. Psal. 78. Iudith 8. Abacuc 2. God mixeth aduersitie among prosperitie Nehem. 4. Small is the remembrance of benefites receyued with Princes Psal. 146. Psalm 118. Hester 6. The wylynes of tyraunts Moses saued and brought to dignitie by the goodnesse of God. Of the tyme. Esay 28. Esay 11. Of the cause efficient moouing his Parentes
bloudie impietie What neede we to speake of the goodes and reuenues of Monasteryes whereof a great part as appeareth was gathered togither by Simonicall sleightes of such persons as vsed to sell all thinges in Religion For it is as cleere as the day light that these goodes are so vnhappie that commonly they are a stumbling stone to them whome the Gospell hath shined vpon while they are more earnestly busied in getting them into their handes than in setting foorth of Christs glorie So vnhappie vnprosperous is this mischieuous simonie And that that is here sayde of these goodes may iustly be vnderstanded and verified of all goodes vniustly gotten of the which this is the propertie that they procure vnto the owners of them the horrible malediction and cursse of god For the saying of the Lorde is well knowne Wo to him that hourdeth vp the things that be none of his In the seconde part of his Oration Peter exhorteth him to repentance whereby he plainly putteth him in comfort of pardon For to what ende should one repent or conuert which should thinke his doing therein vnprofitable Here it appeareth what the ende and marke of all reprehensions in the Congregation ought to be truely that men might turne from their sinnes and be reconciled vnto God which marke vnlesse it be obserued the libertie of rebuke and reprehension shall nothing differ from euill speaking or rayling Wherefore least Simon shoulde suspect Peters wordes hereof he addeth Repent of this thy wickednesse and pray God that the thought of thine heart may be forgiuen thee He mencioneth his thought that the heynousnesse of his fault might appeare the more the cogitation wherof ought to be farre from a christen mannes minde And here by the way we learne that men sinne not onely in deedes but also by thoughts and desires For where men ought to be giuen vnto God both in bodie and soule it deserueth to be called sinne if we swarue neuer so little from the obedience of god Herevnto belong the things which Christ speaketh in Mathew the fift Chapter touching the exposition of the lawe Furthermore for that he would pearce Simons minde the deeper whome he perceyued to be grieuously tempted by the deuill he toucheth the fountaynes rootes of sinne thereby shewing that he hath neede earnestly to repent Wherevnto this is to be referred which hee sayde in a maner doubtingly If happily the thought of thine heart may be forgiuen thee But nowe he addeth For I perceyue that thou art full of bitter gall and wrapped in iniquitie In the first member or part he alludeth to that saying of Moses where the Israelites are commaunded to beware of themselues least there be among them some roote that beareth gall and wormewood He noteth the inwarde malice or corruption of the minde which causeth whatsoeuer men doe to be bitter and vnpleasaunt before god For as the true worshipper of God out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth out that is good so the vngodly bring nothing but that that is wicked out of the euill treasure of their hart such as in deede Christ sayth polluteth men And by this wrapping or binding is expressed the state of them which being intangled in the snares of sinne cannot vntwine themselues without much a doe and feruent zeale of repentance He teacheth vs that Simon is in such a condition or case that he shoulde thinke a colde and superfluous shewe of repentaunce as not sufficient This place teacheth vs whether sinners ought to be sent verily vnto God with whome vnlesse they be made at one there can be no hope of their saluation Therefore we see in the Prophetes this one thing still repeated that the people should conuert and returne vnto God from whom by sinne they had strayed But for the more commodious doing hereof it behooueth to obserue two things both which Peter prescribeth vnto Simon The first is the woorke of repentance which as we haue elsewhere taught comprehendeth acknowledging of our sinne contricion of heart and amendment of our whole lyfe The other consisteth in godly prayers wherby we aske forgiuenesse of our sinnes bicause the same is a free gift and commeth not through any merites of our workes But Christ alone worketh them both who by his spirite both regenerateth the beleeuing and by the merite of his death washeth away our sinnes reconcyleth the father vnto vs againe Therefore all the order of our saluation consisteth in fayth whereby we take holde of him Therefore aboue all things it behooueth to vrge or require fayth not a deade fayth such as Hypocrites bragge of but a liuely and effectuall power of the spirite whereby it commeth to passe that we both liue in Christ and he by his spirite worketh in vs For this onely grace of God certifyeth the wauering conscience of man and vseth to bring forth in vs most plentifull fruites of true Godlinesse Nowe how did Simon take this graue and wholesome expostulation His wordes declare that he was striken in conscience and mynde For he sayth Praye yee for me vnto the Lorde that none of these things which you haue spoken fall on me It seemeth he commendeth himselfe to the prayers of the congregation but it is a manifest argument of distrust that he sayeth nothing of himselfe but thinketh he may be holpen onely with the prayers of other But in vaine are the prayers of others vnlesse we returne our selues vnto the Lorde This the places of the Prophets teache vs where we are forbidden to pray for them that are wicked and will not repent See Iere. 7.14.15 Ezech. 14. Therefore the errour of them is peeuishe and noysome which think they may be relieued with the hyred prayers of Monkes and Priestes where they themselues holde on in their wickednesse and where the prayers they murmure in a straunge tongue are many tymes not vnderstanded of the Monkes that mumble them We knowe that the prayers of the faythfull are effectuall whereby they commende vnto God the traueyles and burthens of their brethren seeing that Paule desireth to be relieued by them But these prayers take place for them whose selues are mindefull of their duetie and with constant fayth watch for their owne saluation Let vs therefore be mindefull of these thinges and praye earnestly that we be not blinded with the affections of ambition and couetousnesse and so lose our saluation but that we may serue God in sinceritie of heart and attaine vnto saluation in Iesus Christ our Lorde to whome be prayse honour power and glorie for euer Amen The .lx. Homelie AND they whenâ—they had testified and preached the worde of God returned towarde Ierusalem and preached the Gospell in many Cities of the Samaritanes The Aungell of the Lorde spake vnto Philip saying Arise and go towarde the South vnto the way that goeth downe from Ierusalem vnto the Citie of Gaza which is in the Desert And he arose and went on And beholde a man
to euery one that asketh vs And with howe great trust and diligence Paule discharged the office committed to him of Christ the Text shall declare For he confesseth that from Ierusalem and the coastes rounde about to Illyricum he filled all Countries with the Gospell Thirdly least any man might thinke that so great a Minister of Christ was endued with any priuiledge of immunitie to escape alway free he maketh mention also of his afflictions I sayth he will shewe vnto him howe great things he shall suffer for my sake Which wordes haue in them no commination but a promise For first we knowe that Christ maketh them partakers of his glorie whome he doth vouchsafe to haue parteners of hys crosse Insomuch that Paule afterward commendeth the Philippians for this cause that it was giuen them not onely to beleeue in the â–ª Lord but also to suffer for his sake Further he sayth he shall be inuincible promiseth him hys succor and ayde in bearing the crosse Paule himselfe shall be the best expositor of this saying which writing vnto the Corinthians sayth Of the Iewes fiue times receyued I euery time fourtie stripes saue one Thryse was I beaten with roddes I was once stoned I suffred thryse shipwracke Night and daye haue I bene in the deepe sea in iourneying often in perils of waters in perils of robbers in ieoperdies of myne owne Nation in ieoperdies among the heathen in perils in the Citie in perils in wildernesse in perils in the sea in perils among false brethren c. See the place â–ª 2. Cor. 11. and .12 Furthermore these things teach vs that the Gospell can not be preached without the crosse and tribulation For this worlde cannot abyde the lyght thereof bicause the workes thereof bee naught Therefore euen as Paule in this place so Christ in euery place admonisheth those that be his to beare the Crosse. Therefore they be most foolishe of all other men which thinke that in the ministerye of the Gospell the matter may be brought to passe without daunger and go about to please the worlde Nay he shall be little meete for this office and function except he well haue prepared himselfe to beare the crosse and all kinde of aduersities Touching which poynt see Luke xiiij Let vs remember that God onely giueth vs power and strength whose looue wherewyth he looued vs if we well perceyue we shall be prepared and ready to all assayes as Paule afterwarde teacheth Let vs therefore make our continuall prayers vnto him that he will graunt vnto vs to be able both to suffer for the name of Christ and also to come to the inheritance of heauen with him to whome all prayse honor power and glory is due for euer Amen The .lxvj. Homelie And Ananias went his waye and entred into the house and put his hands on him and sayde Brother Saule the Lorde that appeared to thee in the way as thou camest hath sent me that thou mayst receyue thy sight and be filled with the holy ghost And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had bene scales and he receyued sight and arose and was baptised and receyued meate and was comforted Then was Saule a certayne dayes with the Disciples which were at Damasco And streyghtwayes hee preached Christ in the Sinagoges howe that he was the sonne of god But all that heard him were amazed and sayde Is not this hee that spoyled them which called on thys name in Ierusalem and came hither for that intent that hee myght bring them bounde vnto the high Priests But Saul increased the more in strength and confounded the Iewes which dwelt at Damasco affirming that this was very Christ THe Euangelist Luke descrybeth the conuersion of the Apostle Paule very diligently partly for that we myght vnderstande thereby what grace and goodnesse God sheweth vnto sinners and partly for that Paules doctrine myght be of the more authoritie with vs as which he commendeth vnto vs with so earnest protestation that he sayth an Aungell of heauen is not to be beleeued that woulde teache the contrary To both these appertaine that singuler and notable testimonie wherewith Christ as we hearde yesterday set forth Paule For he calleth him a chosen vessell who a little before seemed to be the vessell of wrath Furthermore he attributeth to him in handling of his affayres fayth dexteritie constancie paciency of mynde Whereby we gather that the goodnesse of God towarde sinners is great and that we maye not contemne the doctrine of Paule vnlesse we will contumeliously sinne against Christ and accuse his testimonie of falshoode But let vs see this present place which comprehendeth the restitution of Paule and the first thing he did in his Apostleship or ministerye of the Gospell Concerning Paules restitution which was three dayes blynde and at length receyued hys sight agayne and was by baptisme receyued into the Church of Christ the persons both of Ananias and Paule are to be considered with the marueylous effect which the Euangelyst sayth by and by followed But first we will speake of Ananias whose ministery it pleased God herein to vse He as it is sayde went his waye and entred into the house of Iudas where he hearde that Paule was lodged The earnest repeating of Gods commaundement did put from him the stupiditie that he was in before neyther alleageth he any more the talke of the people or the reasons of fleshlye wisedome agaynst the commaundements of the Lorde which mynde we may see in all the true worshippers of God which haue this speciall care that no feare withholdeth them from the dutie of obedience which they owe vnto god Let vs also imitate these people and knowe that they are vnworthye of all pardon and excuse who are so ouercome of the infirmitie of the fleshe and feaâ—e of daunger that they forget and denye God and the dutie they owe vnto him Further Ananias layeth his handes vpon Saule whych ceremonie is for good purpose borowed of the olde testament in the ordering and making of our Ministers For in tymes past the priests layde their handes vppon the sacrifices whereby declaring that the thing which they did was in the behalfe of all the people and so consecrated the beastes standing at the aultar vnto god By a lyke reason the publike cure and charge of the Church is commended vnto the Ministers by imposition of handes and they are therby admonished to remember howe they be consecrated vnto God and that therfore they must apply all their study care labour and watching to set forth the glory of God. But bicause there is no vse or profite of a bare ceremonie Ananias ioyneth the word thereto wherby he declareth to him whatsoeuer Christ commaunded him to say Wherein the bolde courage of Ananias is to be considered who plainely professeth the name of Iesus Christ and acknowledgeth himselfe to be his seruaunt before him whome he knewe hytherto to be Christes mortall enimie Agayne