Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	day_n	place_n	sabbath_n	10,594	5	9.6630	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A68093	The practise of preaching, otherwise called the Pathway to the pulpet conteyning an excellent method how to frame diuine sermons, & to interpret the holy Scriptures according to the capacitie of the vulgar people. First written in Latin by the learned pastor of Christes Church, D. Andreas Hyperius: and now lately (to the profit of the same Church) Englished by Iohn Ludham, vicar of Wethersfeld. 1577.; De formandis concionibus sacris. English	Hyperius, Andreas, 1511-1564.; Ludham, John, d. 1613.; Orth, Wigand, 1537-1566.	1577 (1577)	STC 11758.5; ESTC S122044	265,657	396

the second that the priesthode of Christ is farre more excellent then the priesthod of Aron or Leuiticus the thyrde that by the priesthod of Christ the Aaronicall priesthod is abolished the fourth that by the priesthod of Christ the olde ceremonies sacrifices and euen the lawe it selfe doe take an ende In déede I must nedes confesse that the sayde Epistles are not writen in the popular kinde of teaching but it is vndoubtedly to be graunted that in them maye be noted such a trade and maner of collectinge argumentes and proufes and likewise such a disposition of thinges as is to be founde in no other bookes of scripture beside Therfore euen for this cause do we here worthily cōmend and set foorthe the examples conteyned in them where we haue appointed to entreate of inuention and disposition As for the Sermons of Christ and the prophetes we haue out of them shewed some examples already in the seconde Chapter of this present booke Out of Chrisostom Tome 5. may be added these sermons entituled thus that Christian ought to leade a holy and vertuous life That we must doe well in the least thinges That a Christian man ought with great endeuour to tender Gods glory That it behoueth euery man to be carefull for his owne saluation That their trespasses are to be remitted that haue offended vs That the remembraunce of sinnes past doth much profit How we should communicate the sacred misteries That we ought with all kinde of duties to giue thankes vnto god That loue doth direct and accomplishe all thinges That we ought to loue euen our enemies that persecute vs. But it behoueth not the younge beginners for whom we haue writen these thinges to be accombred and ouercharged with the multitude of examples Hitherto haue we procéeded touching the diuers formes of Sermons in one and the same kinde Didascalick in the tractation whereof like as with singuler fidelitye so also with great diligence and industrie haue we specified those thinges which we supposed were most profitable for our purpose We haue in déede bene the longer herein partely that we might make all thinges plaine and easye and partely least we shoulde of necessitie be compelled to our great griefe to repeate againe the same thinges in the discourses following For certes that in euery kinde of Sermons so ofte as the cace requireth one while the partes and manifold readinges of the sacred bookes an other while some sentence or certaine place out of the Scriptures moreouer somwhile simple theames somtimes theames compounde are expoūded declared there is no man that is ignorant And whosoeuer he be that hath now already rightly conceyued what ought to bée done in euery forme of sermon in the kinde didascalick he shall easely vnderstande what is likewise to be done in the other kindes of Sermons of which we will nowe take in hande to speake For in case thou doest except the palces of inuention and also the cantions proper to euery kinde the order and proportion of all the kindes will in a maner be all one ¶ With what great care and industry it is to be prouyded that those things which are alleadged in the sermon out of the fountaines of the scriptures or from any other place may skilfully accordingely be applied to the matters present cap. x. THat which shall now bée spoken off will profit much as well vnto the thinges that haue bene hitherto touched as also vnto those thinges that remaine may worthily be accounted amonge the chiefe and principall vertues of a faithfull teacher That is this that all those to whom it appertayneth to enstructe the multitude doe with great care and diligence endeuoure themselues cunningely and aptely to aplie those thinges which they in their Sermon produce out of the fountaines of the Scriptures or from anye other where either for proofe or illustratinge of their cause to the present state of things and matters incident For verily that it is by all meanes to be prouided and foreséene that nothinge harde wrested or in any wise far fet be alledged out of the scriptures when we intend to stablish the doctrine of faith or a principle of our religion I suppose there is no man that knoweth not And certes our desire is not onely to admonish the godly sorte of this but we aduertise thē also the a speciall diligence ought to be emploied in this the the testimony which is founde now fully ●o agrée with the busines in hande be with an apte forme of wordes declared to be as fitte and correspondent therevnto as if the diuine author out of whom it is borrowed had first purposely spoken of the very same matter And doubtles we sée some whē as they vtter a prophesie a promise threatening graue sentence or a notable example out of the canonicall scriptures to expresse it with such comelines and decencye of speache and so to apply it to the present state of thinges and euen present it as ye would saye to the eyes and senses that the hearers are compelled to iudge and not vnwillingly to confesse that the same thing was longe agoe spoken or writen for their sakes and especially of their times neither can it be tolde how greatly good men are delighted in their mindes if at any time they chaunce to here some one excelling in this craft And in déed all Preachers for the most part doe after one and the same manar goe about to apply the places of scripture to the peculiar affaires of their owne church but they do it not in any cace w like successe Wherfore if we sée any in this behalfe to surmount the reside we we must needes interprete it to come to passe by the singuler gift of the holy ghost Which thing séeing it is so we with very good right exhort all the ministers of gods word that they would with all their power enforcement apply themselues vnto this point and craue of god their heauenly father that he would vouchsafe to giue thē his holy spirite which may enstruct thē in all thinges There are found in the sacred scriptures some formes of such applications if not described with many wordes yet right worthy to be of vs exactly obserued and studiously followed For they enforced me by their grauitye importaūce that I should thinke it expedient to put those that will teache in the church in remēbraunce of them Our sauiour Christ the prince of all preachers entred accordinge to his custome on the sabboth day into the sinagog and stoode vp to reade And there was deliuered vnto him the boke of the prophet Esay And when he had vnfoulded the booke he found the place where it was writen The spirite of the Lorde is vppon me and therefore he hath annointed mee c. Wherevpon he began to say vnto them This day is this scripture fulfilled in your eares In which place Christ vndoubtedly did with manye wordes apply the oracle of the prophet vnto that time as

tryfles which béeing deriued from the Papa●ye do still remaine with vs and to reduce the simplicitye of the olde fathers in the practise of religion he coueted to restore the Ecclesiasticall discipline sore d●●ayed to the great loss● and detriment of Churches In which his holy purpose how farfoorth he trauailed and how great fruite he ministred vnto all Churches we shall thē vnderstand whē as he béeing now dead gon these meditations of which also we haue giuē some ynckeling before although vnperfect shall come into light Concerning which thinges much more might of one be sayde and that with great commendation but that I hasten to the other partes of my Oration In praysing therfore the lyfe and maners of this most famous and excellent man there is no cause why I should much stand especially before you and in your presence He was sufficiently knowen vnto you all euen straungers also knew sufficiently the state of his lyfe In dyet and apparell he was alwayes most temperate in feasting most sober in talke and dealing most friendly and iust As he detested from his hart those vnsatiable quaffinges and vncomely spéeches commonly practized of our Countrymen at the time of their bancquetinges so againe would he now then be willingly present at the moderate feastes and pleasaunt méetinges of his friendes Thus he neither allowed of the things that were vnséemely nor disallowed of the things that might be graunted to the honest recreation of the mynde To be short he so behaued himselfe in all places and towarde all men that his maner séemed not onely pleasaunt to the learned but also most swéete and delectable to the rude and ignoraunt By reason whereof how déere he was not onely to our Scole but also to the whole citie the manyfold teares of all sortes of people which your eyes haue séene shed at the solemnitie of his buriall doe sufficiently declare But when as by the space of 22. yeres and odde monethes he had in such order as wée haue said behaued him selfe as he was a man of no great health so when he had laboured certain wéekes before with cōtinual rhewmes and coughes the xxiii day of Ianuarye he began to wax sore sicke and to kéepe his bedde He complayned most chiefely of the paynes of his head breast and sides and nowe and then all his members so burned that they séemed to be shaken with a certaine quiuering or trembling ague And verily all that wéeke when as yet we did not dispayre of his lyfe he talked conferred many things both with others also especially with mée who was of euer present with him as touching matters perteyning to the Scole as touching Diuine studies as touching the reformation of Churches He sayd amongest other thinges that there should order be taken if he liued for the pertition of certaine labours betwixt vs especially those of ordering of Sermons which for bicause he had hitherto susteined alone he thought that he had lost his health Now the 30. day of Ianuarie which was the Lordes day when the Lordes supper was celebrated in the sacred assembly he desired that the holy bread and cuppe might after the custome of the auncient church be brought also vnto him Of which after that he with his familie had tasted he grew now more sicker thā before And then the day following he began diligently to giue in charge to his wife what he would haue done after his death and to commaunde his children that they should behaue themselues both towards God and their mother godlily and towardes all other vprightly and honestly Amongest the rest when a litle boye of his of thrée yeres old stoode by his beddes side Learne saith he my childe the commaundementes of the Lorde and hee shall take care of thee After much talke had he entreated diligently with those that for duties sake came to visit him as touching the professiō of his fayth and the constancy of that doctrine which he had taught And truely the very first day of Februarie wherein also he departed all his talke was altogether in this that he might testifie vnto those whome he sawe present that he remayned euento the last gaspe constant and inflexible in that profession of fayth doctrine which he so many yeres had professed in the Scole As touching which point I might now make a further discourse most excellent fathers but that the teares for remembraunce of these things breake foorth from mine eyes About the euening of the same day when hee had once againe spoken some things touching the cōstantcy of his faith and perseuaraunce therein he began to take his leaue of vs and euen to labour for lyfe Yet knewe he still euery man and being required would make answere wyth broken wordes and dying speches till after 8. of the clocke at night when it was about halfe an houre to 9. hee gaue vp his spirit vnto God hauing not as yet fully fynished the 53. yeare of his age You haue the history of the life death of the most graue and reuerend Diuine D. Andrew Hyperius which as I coulde I haue both briefely and simply declared vnto you I come nowe to our mourning heauines right worshipfull fathers which as it is wonderfull great and incredible so can it not bée lawfull and iust vnlesse wée were moued with most weighty causes to the most bitter sense and sorrowe of our mindes Men are wont for two causes especially to mourne at Funerals First forsomuch as they suppose them to be euill dealt withall whom they bewayle being deade Secondly for bicause they recount with themselues what great incōmodities doe redounde by their death either priuately to themselues or publickely to the commō wealth The former cause taketh no place in our heauines the later ministreth vnto vs sadnes most sorrowfull For wée are not either entāgeled with that error that we should suppose the minde to bée extinguished together with the body Or wée are not so vngodly as to doubt of the eternall felicitie which after this life all that haue lyued with faith and a good conscience shall enioye Naye verily wée are resolued by a most certaine and iust perswasion that our deare Hyperius as hée alwaies liued a godly and holy life so hath he now the full fruition of the most swéete and comfortable presence of Gods maiestie the company and fellowship of Angels and the societie of holy and blessed men Neither truely doe wée suppose that there was in him either any such likement or loue of this life as that wée should thinke him to dye with desire of a longer life He sawe well ynough with what great cares this miserable life was replenished he knewe well ynough that so long as we continew in this tabernacle wee are wanderers from the Lorde he was not ignoraunt that the godly being loosed from the bond of this flesh doe go vnto the lord Wherefore albeit he was in such wise conuersaunt in huge and mighty labours that

that is to say My Father my father the chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof so we also may not without good cause complaine of our master Hyperius thus taken from vs Although in very déede when I wey more déepely the whole matter with my selfe most worthy Senatours I scarcely sée what sparke of hope to be accounted off is left not onely to vs but also to all Germanye Pure religion was in the time of our fathers sore oppressed through the tiranny of the Bishops none otherwise then was a great while agoe the Common wealth of the Hebrues thorugh the violence and oppressions of the bordering Nations As the Lorde in olde time had mercy vpon the Hebrues so hath he had now also compassion vppon vs that like as then he stirred vp valiaunt Capytaynes and godly Iudges that did set the people in their former libertie so now in these dayes had be raysed vp many notable Doctors that might and did restore religion to hi● former puritie and deliuer vs from that pontificall tyranny Which either Capitaynes or Doctors of the Church séeing the Lorde doth now by littel and littel call awaye to himselfe as in the yeares past Luther Bucer Melanchthon and many other and in these last xv monethes Martyr Musculus our Hyperius wée are truly to be afrayed least these so many and great lightes of the churche beinge extinct considering that very few men or none remayne of like dignitie of like learning and experience there succéede other which not as the former will defend and maynteyne our liberty restored but will hamper vs againe in ● newe seruitude and bondage Yea verily when as those Capytaines being taken away euery man may séeme to doe and say what he list it is greatly to be feared least for our offences all our religion be againe enwrapped in most vgsom darkenes and so vtterly obscured and defaced For vndoubtedly as for the light of the trueth which after those dolfull times of darkenes wherein our forefathers were entangeled by the great benefit of God hath shined vnto vs our people can now in these dayes so ill away with all that they doe not onely openly and manifestly contemne the cléere light but euen couet also most gréedely to returne backe againe to their former darknes as it were to the flesh pottes of Aegipt Furthermore what the life of our Countrimen is what the maners of them are that glory of the profession of pure religion we sée I speake not onely of the c̄omon people basest sort of men but I speake of those whom wée all haue in admiration whom wée reuerence whom wée prayse and highly estéeme off So great is the contempt of religion amongest a great number so great the neglecting of godlines so great the suppression of vertue that they may well séeme to be no Christians at all but very saluage and barbarous people Which thinges séeing they are true there is no man verily that can imagine this our dread and feare to be vainely or without cause conceiued God winketh for a time at our sinnes and enormities as he is a longe suffering GOD and slowe to wrath But neuerthelesse when he séeth there is no hope lefte of amendement of lyfe and that our sinnes doe proclame nowe euen open warre agaynst heauen it selfe then sodenly prouoked to anger he prepareth himselfe to take vengeaunce Which when he intendeth to doe he oftetimes taketh good men from vs least they should the good with the bad the godly with the vngodly be enwrapped togither in these plages But nowe I maye séeme peraduentūre to giue an ouer vnlucky ghesse as touching the state of our Scholes and Churches wherefore then doe I not rather turne my talke vnto you most graue and prudent fathers Whom I praye and beséech most hartily that you would euery one of you so far foorth as ye are able bend all your trauayle and dilignce to the mayntenaunce and preseruation of godly studies And you especially I call vppon most excellent Companions thée I say most reuerend Rector Lonicerus thée most vigilant pastor Rodingus and you al furthermore that teach the holy Scriptures either in the Schole with vs or in the Church herevnto I beséech you bend all your co●itations and all your endeuours namely that our sacred and diuine studies may prosper and florish Procéede to teach as you doo diligently and faithfully study for the maintenaunce of peace and tranquilitie Let vs propound vnto our hearers not idle questions as touching vaine and friuolous matters but as our Hyperius alwaies did those principles most chiefely of the doctrine of religion which shall be necessary to the conseruation of the puritie of faith and most profitable to the information of lyfe and maners Let vs haue no dealing w●th vnlucky contentions whereby we sée now some Scholes to be most grieuously battered and shaken Let this our Schole rest as by Gods grace it hath already many yeares rested from importunate striuings and brablementes Let vs follow alonely in teaching the chiefe points of religion the holy Scripturesithe writinges I meane of the Prophetes and Apostles Let no mans authoritie so preuaile with vs let no Counsell be of such credite no patched writing of such force that wée shoulde depart so much as a heares breadth either from the authoritie of the Scripture or from the phrase of Thapostles or from the formes of speaking vsed by the holy GHOST himselfe These markes let vs prescribe vnto our selues as it were to ame at Let vs kéepe vs with in the compasse of these boūds For so yea so it will com to passe that we shall not be caried about hither thither with the winde vanitie of euery doctrine but shall ramayne constant in our profession and shall alwaies frō time to time kéepe a certaine forme of s●ūd doctrine And you also most diligent hearers you I say that are studious of the holy Scriptures I doe not onely exhorte but also pray and beséech you wey with your selues the state of Religion and the state of our Churches consider what perills hange ouer our heades in these dayes by reason of the wickednes of our liues and maners beholde how many famous Doctors and notable lights of the Church our almighty father hath in a short space-taken frō vs All the most excellent Teachers our heauenly father calleth out of this life by littell and littell home to himselfe many other neither so well learned neither such louers of peace concord he leaueth stil aliue which are not so carefull as touching the safetie and preseruation of the Churches as they be for their owne priuate authoritie and gaines which séeke not so much the peace left vnto vs of Christ as they doe their owne prayse and glory though it be by fetting the Lordes Sanctuary on fyre and which if thy were not brideled by thautoritie of godly maiestrates would confounde heauen and earth togither Consider I say and seriously ponder all these thinges

Pray vnto our heauenly father that he would vouchsasafe to preserue his Church amongest vs that he would gouerne it and sanctifie it by his holy Spirite praye ye that in stead of this our Hyperius now taken from vs he would giue vnto vs many godly Teachers learned peasible constant For your partes also giue your diligent attendaunce vnto the holy Scriptures read them study thē meditate vpon them learne out of them a cartaine forme of Christian doctrine and to this ende alone apply all the force of your wittes that many of you may come foorth so furnished with knowledg and vnderstanding that you may one day he placed in the roomes of those notable Capitaines called foorth of their stations to the Lord to the great profit cōmoditie of the Church And we all praye thée O almightie Father which in so short a space takest out of the vnthanckfull world so many famous Teachers and leauest behind many troublers of the peace and enimies of the Church rayse vp in the steads of these notable ministers of CHRIST many other which may teach and gouerne thy Church Nourish and defend the studies of good men which laboure to this ende that they may serue thy Church Furnish our minds O father we beséech thée with the loue of true religion and vertue that when thy sonne our Lorde Iesus Christ shall come at the last day to Iudgement be may at the least finde some remnantes of faith and sinceritie amongest vs. FINIS ¶ Of framing of Diuine Sermons or popular interpretation of the Scriptures the first Booke ¶ What the common and popular order of interpreting the Scriptures is and howe excellent a function they haue that teach the people in the Churche Cap. I. NO man doubteth but that there bee two maner of wayes of interpreting the scriptures vsed of skilfull diuines the one Scholastical peculyer to the scholes the other Popular pertayning to the people That one is apt for the assembles of learned men and young studients some deale profited in good letters This other is altogether applied to instructe the confused multitude wherin are very many rude ignoraunt and vnlearned The first is exercised within the narrowe compasse of the Scholes The seconde taketh place in the large and spacious temples The one strict and straight laced sauoring Philosophicall solytarinesse and seueritie The other stretched forth franck and at lybertie yea and delightinge in the light and as ye would say in the court of Orators In that are mani things exacted after the rule of Logical breuitie and simplicitie In this Rhetoricall bountie and furniture ministreth much grace and decencie Wherefore if a place out of the holy Scriptures bee offered at any time to a teacher in the scholes to be explaned and interpreted hee by and by sticketh wholy therein as one shut vp in a streight prison vinfolde enclosure and not only discusseth dilygently the thinges themselues in general and al the partes of them but also in a maner euery worde and sillable thinkinge it vnlawfull to omit any thinge or so much as a litle to wrench aside But he that instructe● the people sercheth and selecteth out of an argument ●●●posed some certaine common places and such as he perceiueth aboue the residew to be most congruent to the time place and persons in discoursing whereof at large hée bestoweth his time and to the intent the more large and ample a scope may be opened vnto hym now and then he ouerskippeth some thinges in the text of the holye Scripture or toucheth only eche thing slightly by the way as it were mindinge some other matter Agayne he that readeth in the Schoole heapeth together proofes and foundations with as great iudgement and dexterity as he can and coueteth to vse those in especiall in whiche he perceyueth most pithe and strength to remaine But he that vndertaketh to speake vnto the people is not so carefull or anxious but scrapeth together argumentes of all sortes and armeth himselfe with probable reasons euen such as are heard commonly among the meaner sort of men as he that directeth all thinges to the capacitie of his common auditory He that teacheth in the schole wittingly willingly neglecteth those thinges that pertaine to the procuring of beneuolence to the mouing of affections moreouer digressions tedious descriptions whiche the Greekes call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hypotyposes amplificatiōs artificial elegancye of wordes many and diuers figuers to be shorte all the furniture and ornamentes of an oration and affecteth not so much as to séeme once studious of bountifulnesse in speakynge but as one astricted to that lawe whereby the cryer proclaymed in Areopagus to speake 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is without proeme and affections he is contented with a simple yet pure and perspicious kynde of speach On the other side he to whom it appertaineth to speake before the multitude séeketh and prouideth dilygently with wonderfull circumspection al the said stuffe furniture so far forth as it auayleth to teach refel exhort reprooue comfort of nothing maketh more account then that he may draw and stir vp the mindes of his auditors ●nto what part he will after the maner quality of things 〈◊〉 ●ident Neither were it hard to bring forth examples in which the selfe fame argumentes or ●heames out of the scriptures are handled one way after the maner of Scholastical interpretation an other way after the cōmon or Popular And surely out of the writinges of the auncient fathers may be taken not a few and those most learnedlye explaned and set forth For after the Popular interpretatiō al the Sermons for the most part of the prophetes and of Christ are expounded and many also of the exhortations corrections consolations of the apostle Paule Furthermore those thinges that are read vnder the titles of Homelies Sermons or Oratiōs in the holy fathers Origen Chrisostom Basyl Nazianzene Augustine Maximus Leo after these Gregory Beda Bernard and such like Whervnto may be added the explanations of Augustine vpon the Gospell of Iohn some certaine of the Psalmes But to Scholasticall interpretation doe appertaine certaine more graue and subtile disputations of S. Paule namely that touching mans iustification in his epistle to the Romaynes in whiche yet notwithstanding the apostle breketh foorth successiuely into exhortations and consolations peculier to another kind of interpreting and to the Galathyans with some in the fyrst to the Corinthyans twaine also in the Epistle to the Hebrues the one of the two natures in Christe the other concerning the abrogation of the Leuiticall priesthood and the euerlasting priesthoode of Christ To the same order may iustly be ascribed all the commentaries of Sainct Ierom vppon the prophets of Sainct Ambrose vppon the Epistles of S. Paule also the epistles and disputations of S. August Bréefelye whosoeuer is indued with any iudgement at al being furthered with those things that we haue alreadye touched may esely discerne

be forbidden to return to Herode But they in no wise troubled themselues with any such curious inquisition yea vtterly excluding al such cogitations they accomplished with chéerfull minde the which they were commaunded Let vs therfore also enure our selues without backslyding to obey the voyce of god which we oft times heare if not in dreames yet certes in the holy Scripture in the vniuersall engine of this worlde in our vnderstanding and perfect reson in those thinges that teache vs publyquely in the ●hurch and that priuately prouoke vs to the thinges that 〈◊〉 good and iust fynally in the notable déedes and examples of holy men For by these and such like meanes God at all times talketh with vs and prouoketh vs to obedyence and all kinde of vertues L. Institution What other thing shal we suppose the godly wise men to doe after they were returned into Persia then all the dayes of their life with great gladnes and fauour to haue preached vnto their nation this Iesus whō fyrst they had learned by secrete reuelation and by the starre afterward by the Scriptures and had beléeued and worshipped him both as very God the sonne of his heauenly father and also as very man the sauiour and redemer of mankinde In lyke maner therfore if there be any of vs whiche are before the residew of our brethren lightned and aduaunced of God to an higher knowledge of spirituall thinges let vs not suffer our selues by any meanes to bee letted but that we may preache Christ sincerely faithfullye enforme al others confyrme and strengthen those that haue any whit profyted and lastly direct all our thoughts wordes and deedes to celebrate the glory of CHRIST and procure the profyt and vtilytie of our brethren Now if according to the maner of the time presente and according to the state of the Churche it séemeth good to selecte a few places amongst so many then chiefely shal be vrged with great fruite those that excite men to make confession of Christ both true God and true man Such places are 4.6.7.13.16.17.41.42.43 In these if a man stande somewhat longe and spende the principall parte of his sermon he shal very much profyt his hearers especially the slow and duller sort Amonge the people giuen to the supersticious obseruation of celestial motions of dayes of howres or to diuinations the 9. and 10. place shal prudently be discussed whervnto it behoueth those thinges to be applyed whiche are iudged conformable to the same argument accordyng as thou shalt déeme it profytable to the capacities of the hearers For so doth Chrisostom also vpon this place refel in many words iuditiall Astrologie Yf it be expedient to inueigh with sharpe speaking against the enemies of the euangelicall veritie the 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 28. 29. 30. 31. places will minister large and sufficient matter ynough Finally where the people neglectinge Gods worde and diume affaires is to bee stirred vp and awaked from their fylthye sluggishnesse and to be induced to the hearing and loue of Gods word it shall be conuenient to sticke some what the longer in the enarration of the places 3. 5. 8. 9. 11. 12. 13. 14. 16. 17. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 30. Thus muche to haue admonisshed is sufficient Héere followeth an other example out of Luke 2. And his father and mother marueiled at those thinges which were spoken of hym And Simeon blessed them and saide vnto Mary his mother Beholde this childe is set to be the fal and vprising againe of many in Israel and for a signe whiche is spoken against And moreouer the sword shall pearce thy soule that the thoughtes of many hartes may be opened And there was a prophetisse one Anna the daughter of Phanuel of the tribe of Aser whiche was of a great age and had liued with an husbande seauen yeares from hir virginitie And she had bene a widowe about fower score and fower yeares whiche departed not from the temple but serued God with fastinges and prayers night and day And she came foorth that same hower and praysed the Lorde and spake of him to al them that loked for redemption in Israel And when they had perfourmed all things according to the law of the Lord they returned into Galile to their owne citie Nazareth And the childe grewe and waxed stronge in spirite and was filled with wisedome and the grace of God was vppon him This narration conteineth a double confession of Iesus Christ namely that he is the true Messias promised to the fathers and true God for this is the state and summe of this present reading the one made by Simeon the other by Anna the prophetisse two persons of great estimation and of notable sanctimony of life Whatsoeuer therefore is héere rehearsed perteineth to the kinde didascalick And his father mother merueiled at those things which were spoken of him These words are thus added to the sermon thankes giuing of Simeō going next immediatly before we ought in the meane time to obserue héere dilligently what things conduce to the cōmon places of christian doctrine These are such as follow I. Doctrine The foundation whervpon our faith in christ doth stay are the reuelations sent of God to the godly or the church For by this meanes were taught enstructed the shepherds Simeō Anna Zacharias Elizabeth many other more ēflamed with holy the ghost which al cōfessed testified the Iesus is the promised Messias sauiour of our soules Therfore albeit many other reasons do cōcur which may worthily induce vs to beléeue in Christe yet ought these testimonies to be of great weight importance w vs to stir vp faith in vs For which cause also it is euident y they were registred amonge the sacred scriptures II. Institution It becōmeth vs highy to estéeme of the holy scriptures whiche conteine those notable testimonies of Christ our sauiour out of thē to séeke the ground confirmatiō of our faith And moreouer we must dilligently enserch heare obserue reuolue the witnesses of all famous men touching Christ and the vniuersal doctrine of religiō whether the same be newlye reuealed by the holy Ghost or taken out of the Srpitures For by this meanes Faith hath euen from the beginninge bene planted in the church and yet still groweth and is nourished lyke as in déede there haue bene bee and will bee some at all times which are not afrayde to beare witnesse of Christ euen when the hazarde of their life is set beefore their eyes For whiche cause they are called Act. 1. and els where Confessors and Martirs that is to saye witnesses Therfore with their testimonies also oft times reuoked into memory we ought to strengthen and fortify our faith III. Redargution Forasmuch as both héere in this place and also els where Ioseph is called the father of Christ a great sort gathered that Christ was borne of the séede of Ioseph and that Mary remayned not an vndefyled virgin