light They forsake the light and delight in darkenesse and this is their condemnation They wil not vnderstande nor séeke after God that they may be reformed The Prophet saith Because he loued cursing it shal come vnto him and because he loued not blessing so shal it be farre from him God will strike them with blindenesse They shal be asâ—…onied They shal fall into rebuke and the snares of the Diuell They shal be drowned in perdition and destruction So great shal be the power of errour Men shal not onely be deceiued but shal be deâ—…iued mightilie and stronglie They shal desire to be deceiued and shal beare a deadly hatred against him who so euer shal séeke to reforme them They shal harden their heartes against God and his holy worde they shal stop their eares and not hearken to his counsell they shal not open their eyes to beholde the destruction which is to come vpon them So great and so mightie shal be the delusion So deadly shal be the cloud and blindnesse of their hearts They shal bee giuen ouer into a reprâ—…bate minde They shal be filthie and increase in filthinesse Such shall be the power of Satan such shall be the power of errour and deceitfulnesse They shall despise the glorions Gospell of Christ therefore GOD shall forsake them and giue them ouer to followe Antichrist God hath this daie sent the light and comfort of his holie word into the worlde Manie godlie men haue desired to sée that we sée and to heare that we do heare Blessed be the name of the Lorde which hath in mercie visited vs. We beséeth him to blesse the worke that hée hath begunne Saint Paul saith The grace of God that bringeth saluation to al men hath appeared And to the Colossians he saieth The Gospel is come vnto you euen as it is vnto all the worlde And againe Haue they not heard no doubt their sounde went through all the earth and their wordes into the endes of the worlde The poore receiue the glad tidings of the gosped GOD hath visited and redéemed his people But yet the Apostle saieth They haue not al beleeued our Gospel For Esaâ—…as saieth Lord who shall beleeue our reporte And againe saieth the Prophet Esay I'haue spred out my handes al the daie vnto a rebellious people which walked in a waie that was not good Wisedome crieth in the stréetes 〈◊〉 I haue called and ye refused I haue stretched Prouâ—… out mine hande and none woulde regarde Such is the power of Satan so shall hée stoppe their eares that they shall not vnderstande what is spoken in the name of the Lord. Paul is a true Prophet and foretold long before that which we maie nowe beholde with our eies In the latter times some shall giue heede vnto spirites of errour They shall be as men without sense or féeling they shall forsake the truth and betake themselues to followe lies and fables Euen they shall doe this which shall sitte in the Church of God who shall professe and carrie the name of Christ. Christ ministred his last supper in both kindes Saint Paul telleth the Corinthians As often as yee shall eate this bread and drinke this cup yee shall shew the Lords death till hee come That this institution of Christ should be kept in the Church vntil the ende of the worlde The Apostles receiued this order the holie fathers and martires vsed it But nowe manie euen too too manie wil not so haue it nor so vse it They will not followe the example of the Fathers nor of Martires nor of the Apostles nor kéepe the ordinance of Christ so strong a delusion hath bewitched them The people of God were taught to praie in the vulgare tongue that their heartes might giue consent and their mouth saie Amen This order did Peter and Paul and Iohn and Iames and the godlie fathers kéepe There is not one of them that tooke order for the contrarie but nowe there are some risen vp which in spite of Christ and his Apostles saie praiers shall be made in a strange tongue either Latine or Gréeke The people shall not vnderstand what they heare They shall not knowe what it is which they themselues saie their hearts cannot giue consent thereto their mouths cannot saie Amen The example of the Apostles the commaundement of Christ the comforte of the people the confusion of the Church nothing mooueth them so great and mighty is the power of error The people worshippe a creature in stéede of the creator who is GOD ouer all blessed for euer They sée they doe amisse yet continue in it and finde no faulte They sée wherein their Fathers were deceiued yet they saâ—… they coulde not be deceiued They sée manie and fowle abuses yet séeke not to redresse them For they saie wée will walke in the waies of our forefathers wée will belieue as they beléeued howsoeuer they belieued Wée will doe as they did whatsoeuer they did they will not heare the worde of the Lord. Thus shall they delight in darkenesse and loath the light they wil be deceiued and will not sée the trueth So mightie and so terrible is the power of errour They be learned in Philosophie and in the tongues they be learned in the lawes they be learned in Phisicke learned in the Doctours and learned in stories They are skilfull to buie and sell to purchase land to enrich themselues and to prouide for their children They haue knowledge in al things else But themselues and the trueth of God and the way to saluation they haue not knowne A théese when he is taken blusheth A harlot is ashamed of her filthinesse and a drunkard of his beastlinesse But they that are such haue hardned their faces they cannot blush Whatsoeuer they haue saide or doone either openly or in secret by hipocrisie or crueltie by rauin or treacherie in offering pardons to sale in deceiuing the people of God in accusing the righteous and condemning the innocent they cannot repent they knowe no shame So great is the power of errour Christ saith vnto them The Publicanes and the harlots shall go before you into the kingdome of God They consider that they haue done amisse but you are wilfull in your blindenesse Oh the depth of the wisedome and knowledge of God Who is wise and considereth this They striue against the manifest truth they striue against their owne conscience they striue against the spirite of God This is that sinne which shall neuer be forgiuen neither in this worlde nor in the world to come Therefore saith Paul that al they might be damned which beleeued not the truth Al shal be damned which beléeued not Then let no man saie I will follow the example of my fathers I wil doe as the greater part doth So manie and so manie for so manie yeares in so manie places haue bin on this side The iudgement of God standeth not in the multitude but in the truth Whosoeuer
An Exposition vpon the two Epistles of the Apostle S. Paul to the Thessalonians By the reuerend Father IOHN IEVVEL late Bishop of SARISBVRIE Whereunto is adioined a very necessarie table of the principal matters contained in this Exposition AT LONDON Printed by Ralfe Newberie Anno salutis 1584. Cum privilegio regia maiestati◅ TO THE RIGHT honorable Sir Francis VValsingham Knight principal Secretarie to the Queenes Maiestie and one of her H◅nesse most honorable i◅ie Counsel IT is now some long tyme sithēce that learned reuerende father bishoppe Iewel deliuered vnto the people of his charge the Exposition vpon the epistles of S. Paul to the Thessalonians when manie his hearers thought it worthie to be made common and besought him earnestly euen as since his blessed departure out of this life they haue often required me to publish the same It is very likely that he would if he had liued haue perused these his trauailes and some others haue drawne them to the vse benefite of the Church and rather haue spent his time in setting forth matters profitable for al mē to vnderstand towards the attainement of saluation than in folowing their humour anie longer whom neither the weaknesse of their owne cause nor the force of the truth nor the defence thereof by so waighty autorities of the holy Scriptures of the ancient catholike fathers and of general councels could content or perswade them to forsake the waie of contention whereunto they were entred and of troubling the Church of God with their writings against the truth This his purpose hee partlie declared in giuing his last answeare to a booke written by Maister Harding entituled A detection of sundrie foule errours c. For answere whereof he thought not good to charge with number of bookes or to encomber the world with needelesse labours but onelie by a shorte augmentation of his former defence of the Apologie of the Church of England to discharge Master Hardings quarels For reason whereof he saith I cannot imagine that anie my poore labours shall be able to end these quarels For a contentious man will neuer lacke wordes I haue endeuoured for my simple parte to say so much as to a reasonable man maie seeme sufficient If any thing be left vnanswered either it was nothing or nothing worth Wherein hee was of like minde vnto that famous learned man Maister Bucer who speaking of the new and fresh supplie that is made among the aduersaries of our Christian religion said thus Veteribus respondimus novos quotidie legimus nihil adferunt novi quid ergo faciemus Aunswere hath beene made by vs to their olde Writers wee reade their newe Writers which come foorth dailie which yet bring no newe matter or proofes with them What then shall wee doe What else but as he giueth counsaile laie downe al affection and fauour of parties and peruse that hath beene saide in matter of controuersie on both sides and iudge iustly of that is alleadged and with feare and reuerence be careful of our own saluation For after the trueth is once found out whosoeuer seeketh farther seeketh not for the truth but for errour The Apostle willeth Titus to staie foolish questions and genealogies contentions and brawlings about the law for they are vnprofitable and vaine And also to reiect him that is an heretique after once or twice admonition In like cafe he said vnto Timothie If anie man teach otherwise and consenteth not to the wholsome words of our Lord Iesus Christ and to the doctrine which is according to godlines hee is puft vp and knoweth nothing but doateth about questiōs strife of words whereof commeth enuie strife railings euil surmisings froward disputations of mē of corrupt minds destitute of the truth which thinke that gaine is godlinesse from such separate thy selfe Now bicause he himself had some good liking to publish this exposition and the matter thereof is so fit for our time as nothing maie be more and there is not as I can learne anie interpretor vpon these epistles in the english tongue and his Sermons vpon them were the last fruits and trauailes hee bestowed in the cathedrall Church of Sarum I made choice of it amōg manie other excellent monumēts of his paines taken in the Church of God gaue my best diligence to peruse his notes thereupon and to draw them to some such perfection as might carrie to the Reader the whole waight of his matter without anie diminution euen as fully as he declared it so far foorth as the notes which remaine vnder his owne hand might direct me The which I most humblie commend to the fauourable protection of your Honor whom I beseech so to accept my simple indeuor herein as I haue beene careful to answere your Honors commandement in giuing foorth some part of his laboures to light In this discourse as there are manie good things fruitfully declared the vse and practise whereof is common to your Honour with al Christians so are there two matters the one of Vsurie the other of Antichrist that is of the bane and poison of the common wealth and of the infectiō and decaie of the Church wherein he bestowed more paines to open them and make them manifest that all men might know and abhorre them and beware of them What hath beene wrought by these two mischiefes to the vndoing in conscience substance and to the vtter destruction of the soules and bodies of manie thousand subiects of this realme within these late yeares it is to the griefe of all good men too wel knowne If therefore in the duetie of a good Bishop he standing in his watch hath discried these enimies to al ciuil and christian estates and if now so many yeares after his entrāce into rest by these means he cal vpon your good Honor to step forth in fresh courage into the battaile of the Lorde of hostes and to vse and employ the great giftes of wisedome and aucthoritie which God hath bestowed vppon you and to excite and stir vp others the worthie and notable captaines set ouer the people to be a fenced wal betwene them and these so perillous monsters and dangerous enimies what remaineth but that your Honour put to your hande and doe that for the comfort of Gods people which besides hir excellent Maiestie and hir honorable Counsaile no other can do in giuing life to al such lawes which haue beene deuised by men of great godlinesse and experience and haue beene confirmed by high authoritie to the suppression of Vsurie and to the setting foorth of Gods glorie The God of glory and of power who hath called your Honour to his seruice in high place strengthen you to doe his wil and grant you many and prosperous daies to the comfort of his Church and his common weale Your Honours most humble to commaunde IOHN GARBRAND A TABLE CONTAINING THE principal matters in this exposition A ANtichrist contrarie to Christ. 283 Antichrist his comming foretolde 281 Antichrist
commanded to write vnto the Angel of the church of the Smyrnians These things saith hee which is first and last which was dead and is aliue I knowe the blasphemie of them which saie they are Iews and are not but are the Synagogue of Satan They reuile you and speake al maner of euill against you for my names sake They charge you with teaching false doctrine and saie you haue departed from the Church that they are the séede of Abraham the children of promise the true worshippers of God and which walke in the steppes of their forefathers But their boast heereof is vaine It profiteth them nothing that Abraham was their father that the couenant was made with them that they were circumcised that a lawe was giuen vnto them Let them not trust in their fathers let them not trust in lying words and saie the temple of the Lorde the temple of the Lord this is the temple of the Lorde If they were Abrahams children they woulde doe the workes of Abraham If God were their father then would they loue Christ his sonne and séeke to set foorth his glorie If they were of the shéepefolde of God they woulde heare his voice They are of their father the Diuel and the lusts of their father they wil doe They are in name the seruants of Christ but serue Antichrist they call themselues Iewes but are the Synagogue of Satan For saith the Apostle he is not a Iew which is one outward neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh but hee is a Iew which is one within and the circumcision is of the heart in the spirite not in the letter whose praise is not of men but of God Of those which are such Leo saith Ecclesiae nomine armamini contra Ecclesiam dimicatis Yee arme your selues with the name of the Church and yet ye fight against the Church And Chrysostome saith The name onely of Christ doth not make a Christian but he must also haue the trueth of Christ for there are manie which walke in the name of Christ but fewe which walke in his truth It is therefore manifest as Lyra saith That the Church is not among men by reason of anie Ecclesiasticall or secular authoritie or dignitie because manie princes and high priests and others of the inferiour sorte haue forsaken the faith Though they pretend shew of holines though they drawe to themselues credite by long continuance though their numbers be great and they consent togither yet if they haue forsaken the faith if they holde not the truth of Christ if they fight against and persecute the Church if their circumcision be not the circumcision of the heart and in the spirit if they heare not the voice of y e shéepheard if they loue not Christ Iesus the sonne of God and set not foorth his glorie if they séeke to stop the course of the gospell if they séeke to get name among men if they resist Moses and Aaron they haue onelie a painted visard and carrie onelie an emptie name of the Church they call themselues so and are not But the Church of God is in God the father and in the Lorde Iesus Christ it is the companie of the faithful whom God hath gathered togither in Christ by his worde and by the holy ghost to honour him as he himselfe hath appointed This Church heareth the voice of the shephearde It wil not followe a stranger but flyeth from him for it knoweth not the voyce of straungers Of this Church Saint Iherome sayth Ecclesia Christi in toto orbe ecclesias possidens spiritus vnitate coniuncta est habet vrbes legis prophetarum euangelij Apostolorum Non est egressa de finibus suis â—…d est de Scripturis The Church of Christ which containeth the churches through al the world is ioyned togither in the vnitie of the spirite and hath the cities of the Law of the Prophets of the gospel and of the Apostles This church goeth not forth or beyonde hir boundes that is the holy Scriptures It is the piller of the truth the bodie the fulnesse and the spouse of Christ it is the vine the house the citie and the kingdome of God They which dwel in it are no more straungers and forreiners but Citizens with the Saints and of the hoshould of God and are built vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophetes Iesus Christ himselfe being the heade corner stone in whome all the building coupled togither groweth vnto an holy temple in the Lord. This Church Christ loued and gaue himselfe for it that he might sanctifie it and cleanse it by the washing of water through the worde that hee might make it vnto himselfe a glorious Church not hauing spot or wrincle or any such thing but that it should bee holy and without blame Such a Church was the Church of God at Thessalonica such a Church are they who so euer in any place of the worlde feare the Lord and cal vppon his name Their names are written in the booke of life they haue receiued the spirite of adoption by which they trie Abba Father they growe from grace to grace and abounde more and more in knowledge and in iudgement they cast away the workes of darkenesse and put on the armour of light they are made absolute and perfect vnto al good works they are euermore coÌ„forted in the mercies of God both by the holy scriptures wherein God declareth his gracious goodnesse towardes them and by the sacramentes which are left vnto the Church to be witnesses assured pledges for performance of the promise of Gods good will and fauour towardes them Grace be with you and peace c. God giue you the forgiuenesse of your sins and the peace and comfort of your conscience God let al his blâ—…ssings fal vpon you that you may sée the riches the treasures of his mercy that you may be filled with al fulnesse in the spirite that you may beholde the glorie of the kingdome of God and those thinges may bie reuealed vnto you by his spirit which he hath prepared for them that loue him Without this grace you can doe nothing you can neyther féele the burthen of your sinnes nor séeke to be eased of theÌ„ nor perceiue when they are forgiuen you cannot rent your heart and set apart from you the vanities and lustes of the flesh which doeth euermore fight against the soule you cannot discerne the worde of God and by it enter the way to euerlasting life you cannot abhorre that which is euil and cleauâ—… vnto that which is good without the grace of God you cannot continue stedfast constant in faith and in hope of the mercies of God through our sauiour Iesus Christ. 2 We giue thankes to God alwaies for you al making mention of you in our prayers 3 Without ceasing remembring your effectual faith and diligent loue and the patience of your hope in our
Lorde Iesus Christ in the sight of God euen our Father 4 Knowing beloued brethren that ye are elect of God 5 For our Gospel was not vnto you in word onely but also in power and in the holy ghost and in much assuraunce as ye know after what maner we were among you for your sakes We giue thankes c. Paule teacheth what is the office of a good minister He must euer carrie in remeÌ„brance y e estate of the congregation ouer which the Lord hath placed him He must giue thankes to God in their behalfe and pray for them that God will blesse that which he hath begunne and conâ—…rme them vnto the end that they may be blamelesse in the day of our Lord Iesus Christ that he will behold them from aboue and blesse his inheritaunce and guide the shéepe of his pasture Your effectual faith Faith is not idle it worketh and is forcible it breaketh out like fire it is alwayes fruitefull through loue Faith without workes is no faith it is dead and bringeeh death And diligent loue Loue is paineful and ful of trainaile it thinketh not euil it seeketh not hir owne things it is bountiful This loue had the Thessalonians to the saints of God which suffered affliction in all places for the Gospels sake Many were spoyled of their goods cast out of their houses and banished from their countrey Euen as at this day for the like cause manie of our brethren the good seruantes of God are driuen into banishment cast into prisons put to the sworde or consumed in fire in those places where the God of this worlde hath so blinded their eyes that the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ should not shine vnto them It is high time in such cases for charitie to shew hir self She can not dissemble nor despise the teares of hir brother It sheweth foorth as the morning light it taketh from hir selfe to relieue them which are in neede It dealeth bread to the hungrie and bringeth the poore that wander vnto hir house and couereth the naked and hideth not hir face from hir owne flesh Vnto them that haue this loue the Lorde giueth his blessing Blessed is hee that considereth the poore and needy the Lord shal deliuer him in the time of trouble And Christ saith Blessed are the merciful for they shal finde mercie And the patience of your hope How many are the troubles which the children of God suffer in this life let vs beholde the times which were before vs. Abel was innocent and iust yet was he slaine by the hands of his brother and without a cause The Prophet Dauid saieth of the Prophetes and holy men of God and the same words saith the Apostle of the Church of Christ vnder the Gospel For thy sake are we killed al the day long we are counted as sheepe for the slaughter Ieremie sayeth Thy worde is vnto them as a reproch and againe For thy sake I haue suffred rebuke What vilanies were wrought against our sauiour Christ They reproched him in spéeches brought false accusations and false witnesse against him and killed the innocent in whose mouth there was found no guile WheÌ„ S. Paul appealed to the witnesse of Timothie who did fully know his doctrine maner of liuing purpose faith long suffering loue and patience and that he knewe also the persecutions and afflictions which came vnto him and which he suffered at Antiochia IconiuÌ„ and at Lystra after he had thus remeÌ„bred his persecutions his owne innocencie he saith Al that wil liue godly in Christ Iesus shal suffer persecution What then hath the godly to leane vnto but hope the prophet Dauid therfore said Though I should walke through the vallie of the shadowe of death I wil feare no euil for thou art with mee Therefore saide Iob though hee flaie me yet wil I trust in him For he that putteth his trust in the Lorde shal neuer be confounded In this hope spake S. Paule Christ is to me both in life death aduantage Againe Whether we liue or die we are the Lords And againe God forbid that I shoule reioyce but in the crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ. And to y e Romans he saith There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus This is the foundation of faith euen a strong rocke which shal continue for euer Neither tribulatioÌ„ nor anguish nor persecutioÌ„ nor famine nor any danger can remoue the faithful from his hope But the wicked and vnstable fal from their hope and their fal is miserable They haue hard the worde of God that teacheth vnto saluation but did not regard it they haue forgotten the workes of the Lorde and receiued his grace in vaine For when they haue heard the worde the Diueâ—… commeth taketh away the word out of their heartes least they should beléeue and be saued And the end of these men is worse than the beginning It was not so with the Thessalonians They receiued the worde of God willingly and it was fruitful in them so that thereby they increased in faith in loue and in hope Their faith the Apostle calleth forcible or â—…ffectual their loue diligent painful their hope mightie through patience whereby they ouercome al maner of dangers reioyceth on their behalfe because he found so great successe of his trauaile in the Gospel amongst them Knowing that you are elect of God You were blind y e children of wrath without vnderstanding without God without hope But God hath had mercy vpoÌ„ you hath giueÌ„ you grace to know your calling Herein it appeareth y t you are the chosen of God and of the flocke of Christ. My sheepe saith he heare my voice and I knowe them and they followe me and I giue vnto them eternal life and they shal neuer perish neither shal anie plucke them out of mine hande For our Gospel was not vnto you in worde only but also in power and in the holy ghost and in much assuraunce That you haue yéelded obedience vnto the worde and that my ministerie hath béene effectual amongst you it commeth not of any power in your selues or in me it is the worke of God He hath blessed my ministery he hath blessed your hearts It is the gift of God least any man shoulde boast thereof Hereof he speaketh to the Corinthians Who is Paule then and who is Apollos but the ministers by whome yee beleeued and as the Lorde gaue to euerie man I haue planted Apollos watered but God gaue the increase It is he which hath the key of Dauid which openeth and no man shutteth and shutteth and no man openeth Without him we can do nothing He guideth vs and al our couÌ„sailes and leadeth vs into al trueth No man can come vnto mee sayth Christ except the father which hath sent me drawe him And by y e Prophet Ezechiel God saith I wil giue you a new heart
ye shal haue tribulation ten daies be thou faithful vnto death I wil giue thee the crowne of life Thus god suffereth his seruants to be sifted to be tried as pure golde in the furnace receiueth them as a swéete smelling sauour of burnt sacrifice And this is it whereof the Apostle putteth the Thessalonians in remembraunce that they are strengthned by the holy ghost not only to abide such afflictioÌ„s as they suffer because they haue receiued the gospel but also to reioice because they are assured whatsoeuer shal happen vnto them they be the children of God V 7. So that you were as ensamples to all that beleeue in Macedonia and Achaia 8 For from you sounded out the word of y e Lord not in Macedonia and Achaia only but your faith also which is toward God spread abroade in all quarters that wee neede not to speake any thing 9 For they themselues shewe of you what maner entring in wee had vnto you and howe you turned from idols to God to serue the liuing and true God 10 And to looke for his sonne from heauen whome hee raised from the dead Iesus whiche deliuereth vs from the wrath to come The countries rounde about them were drawen by the example of the Thessalonians to beléeue the Gospel preached vnto them You are sayth he as y e bright sunne beames They beholde you and reioyce of you euen as of the morning light You are an holy Citie sette vppon an hil you cannot be hid your saith is a paterne of saith your life is a patern of life vnto them They haue learned of you howe to guide their wayes You haue called them backe from errour and from vngodiâ—…nesse to serue the true and liuing God You are made vnto them a swéete smelling sauour of life vnto life For so it hath pleased God to make his Gospel knowne in al places through you to make you the builders of his church When they beholde your godly conuersation which is in Christ they are ashamed of themselues When they behold your light they find fault with their owne darkenesse O say they this is a holy people this is a people that feareth God Let vs heare them what they teach let vs leade our liues in holinesse and righteousnesse as they doe Let vs by hearing these wordes enter into our selues God hath giuen his light to â—…hine vppon vs hee hath blessed vs with the knowledge of his Gospel Let vs take héede we turne not the light into darkenesse nor the truth of God into lies Manie thousande eyes are set vpon vs to looke vpon and beholde vs. Let vs be an example of godlinesse Let vs be as a light to them that yet abide in darkenes Let not the name of GOD be euil spoken of through vs. His name is holy Woe be vnto the worlde sayth Christ because of offences for it must needes be that offences shal come but woe be vnto that man by whome the offence commeth Whosoeuer shal offende one of these little ones it were better for him that a milstone were hanged about his necke and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea It were better for that man if hee had neuer béene borne For the bloud of them that perishe by his offence shal be required at his handes The wrath of God is reueiled from heauen against those that are such because they withholde the truth in vnright conâ—…sse The kingdome of God shal be taken away from them and giuen to a nation that wil bring foorth the fruites thereof It followeth From you sounded the word of the Lord not in Macedonia Achaia only c. If a man carrie in his hande a light burning candle it giueth not light to him only that carrieth it but to al those which be in the house and they also sée it which are without Euen so if any be the child of knowledge and carrie about him the light of-God he doth not onely tast of the comfort thereof himselfe and worke comfort to those that appertaine to the Church of God but lightneth also the hearts of Paganes and Jâ—…dels which are abroade Such as are bathed or persumed with precious ointments or pouders haue not only the pleasure to themselues but the sauour therof casteth if selfe out and is pleasant to al those which stande by The Gospel is the light of God It shineth in the darkenesse of this worlde It is the swéete incense and sauour of God Wheresoeuer the breath thereof is receiued it bringeth life But your faith also which is toward God spredde abroade in al quarters As the lightning is séene from one part of the ayre to the other and as the sounde of great noise spreadeth it selfe farre and wide so deeth the light of good conuersation in the godly shewe if selfe foorth And therefore he telleth them they haue filled al the Countrie of Macedonia with knowledge with wonder at their faith and â—…nesse in the truth As if he had saide great is the renowme of your king Alexander and your countrey is famous He hath ouerrun the whole world and subdued it He hath conquered Graecia Asia Arabia Phrygia Armenia Scythia and India Kings and princes sel downe before him The whole world stoode in awe of his name Yet Alexander had but the power force of men He had great treasures of golde and siluer He had numbers of horses and camels and Elephants He had sworde bils speares and dartes and such like artillerie and armor These were the things wherewith he ouercame his enemies Hereby both he and his people were renowmed What then may be said of the battaile which you haue fought or of the victorie which you haue gpttâ—… you haue won y e Alexander could neuer win You haue ouercome your selues You haue ouercome the world He conquered the bodies of many had them at coÌ„maundement But their soules stoode out would not be conquered You haue subdued your soules brought them to the obedience of the Gospel You haue ouerrun al the countrie and triumphed among the people And al this is brought to passe without force without policie without arâ—…ur without artilerie onely by your patience and suffering for the Gospel sake That wee neede not to speake any thing To make the commendation of their faith more euident he telleth thenâ—… the same of their zeale and constancy is kno 〈◊〉 in al places Whither seener I go saith he they know you and speake of you and bearken to you Hereby appeareth how néedeful it is that chief townes and cities he wel gouerned that vice in them be senerely punished that â—…tne and godlinesse be maineteined and the people instructed because the examples of such places spread abroad in al quarters nigh them They themselues shewe of you what maner of enteraunce wee had vnto you After what sort you receiued me and ginedeare I was vnto you Al places were laide and beset for me to séeke my life but
you enlarged your selues toward me and tooke me in When I was in prison you came to me and feared no man you were not ashamed of my bonds you were readie to loose your owne liues to saue me This is spoken of to your great praise And howe you turned to God from idols to serue the liuing and true God Here are set downe in fewe words the summe and parts of Christian religion The first is to forsake at â—…ols to turne from them then to turne vnto God and to put alout trust in 〈◊〉 to serue the liuing and true God The â—…nice of God and idols can not stand togither No man can turne vnto God that turneth not from idols This is a wonderfull effect of the gospell to forsake idols and serue God to leaue customes and the vsage of forefathers and giue eare to the trueth To loue from the heart that which thou diddest sometimes hate and to detest from the heart that which thou didbest sometimes loue is strange and wonderfull But to doe this for Christ which was borne of poore Marie whom the wise and learned and mightie men of this worlde despised which was crucified and hanged betwene two théeues whome they scorned vpon the Crosse to follow or beléeue or put trust in him to cal him the power and the wisedome of God to confesse him to be in whome al Israel shall be blessed and in whom all the worlde shal be saued to giue bodie or life for his sake is a straÌ„ge miracle No King no Prince no lawe no wisedome of man can worke this and bring it to passe This is the Lordes doing and it is maruelous in our eies And this doeth he in those onelie which receiue the word of the gospel with ioy of the holie ghost And to looke for his sonne from heauen whome he raised c. The holie Scriptures do not onlie teach vs to turne vnto God but also what it is that god giueth vnto al them which séeke him euen that they be deliuered from the wrath to come and for whose sake he deliuereth vs for Jesus his sonne whome he raised from the dead Therefore he telleth them howsoeuer they be reiected or despised as foolish among men if they continue in the things which they haue learned they shall be wise vnto saluation That therefore they lift vp their heads and looke for their redéemer That they saie thy kingdome come and Come Lord Jesus because he is appointed by God to be the Judge of the quicke and the dead and hée shal come in the glorie of his father and deliuereth from the wrath to come al those that trust in him For among men there is none other name giuen vnder heauen whereby wée must be saued This is the depth of al knowledge and the comfort which passeth al vnderstanding that against al temptations and afflictions which oppresse our conscience or bere and trouble our bodies we maie growe strong by faith in the sonne of God Christ Jesus and assertaine our selues of his comming from heauen for our delinerance CHAP. 2. FOr you your selues know brethren that our entrance vnto you was not in vaine HE taketh witnesse of them of his diligence and paines taken in the fulfilling of his ministery séeing it hath so good successe among them that they by the preaching of the gospell haue forsaken superstition and are turned vnto and do now serue the true and liuing God and do bâ—…leeue for giuenes of their sinnes and deliuerance from the wrath to come by Jesus Christ. It is a great and deadly smart to the faithfull seruant of God to sée the people wilfull and to despise the word of their saluation Hereof Esaie complaineth I haue spred out my handes al the daie long to a rebellious people which walked in a waie that was not good euen after their owne imaginations They stopped their eares and woulde not heare nor be reclaimed nor returne that they might be saued And Ieremie O that my head were full of water and mine eies a fountaine of teares that I might weepe daie and night for the staine of the daughter of my people for they be adulterers and an assemblie of rebels Sword and destruction commeth vppon them and they will not sée Oh that they woulde giue eare and repent in time Againe My people is foolish they haue not knowen mee they are foolish children and haue no vnderstanding they are wise to doe euill but to doe well they haue no knowledge Dauid crieth out O yee sonnes of men howe long wil yee loue vanitie and seeke after lies Why forsake you the truth of GOD and haue no regarde to his mercie So our Sauior mourneth ouer Ierusalem O Ierusalem Ierusalem which killest the Prophets and stonest them that are sent to thee howe often woulde I haue gathered thy children together as the henne her broode vnder her wings and yee woulde not how carefully and tenderly haue I sought for thy saluation how often haue I called vpon thée sent vnto thée my seruantes and powred out my blessings before thine eies So bitter and mourneful a thing is it to al those that séeke the glorie of God to see no fruite followe of their labours to sée the people continue ignorant and wilfull and to séeke their owne destruction Therefore they turne themselues vnto GOD which is the father of lights and God of all comforte in whose hand are the hearts of the people that his worde maie haue frée passage and be glorified that God will open vnto them the doore of vtterance to speak the mysterie of Christ and publish the secret of the gospell boldlie that he will giue power to his worde declared by them and assist them with his holie spirite that hée will open the eies of the people that they maie sée and turne their heartes that they maie be conuerted So did Dauid make his praier Open thou my lippes O Lord and my mouth shal shewe foorth thy praise Albeit my month is simple and rude and barbarous yet if thou wilt it maie bée an instrument to declare thy glorie Then shall I teach thy waies vnto the wicked and sinners shall be conuerted vnto thee Be fauourable vnto Sion builde the wales of Ierusalem Thus doe they lift vp their handes and call vnto GOD that he would send downe his light into the hearts of the people that what they heare they heare not in vaine but maie receiue it and vnderstande it and kéepe it For vnlesse GOD direct the heart and make it fit to receiue instruction the preacher though he be neuer so desirous to doe good doth labor in vaine God one lic disposeth the waies of men it is hée which trieth the corne from the chasse hée knoweth whome he will bring to he of his folde make to heare his voice Manie times he blesseth his word with great encrease among them which at the first despise it and intreate cruelly the preachers and messengers thereof
When Paule disputed and exhorted the Iewes and the Graecians at Corinthus and found little fruite of his labour and that there were few or none that liked his doctrine and manie enimies which resisted and blasphemed it hée purposed to depart and goe awaie from them Then the Lorde saide vnto Paul in the night by a vision Feare not but speake and holde not thy peace for I am with thee and no man shall laie handes on thee to hurt thee for I haue much people in this citie They shall heare thée if not now yet they shall heare thée at some other time They shall beare thy sayings in minde I will be with thée I will open their hearts and make them obedient to the Gospell and they shall be turned vnto me Thou shalt sée the fruite of thy labour and that thy comming vnto them hath not béene in vaine Verse 2. But euen after that we had suffered before and were shamefully intreated at Philippi as ye know we were bolde in our God to speake vnto you the Gospell of God with much striuing The story of these his persecutions is written in the 16. of the Acts. He was stript naked and scourged with rods and cast into prison and put in hazarde of life Yet notwithstanding he were thus euill entreated at Philippi when he came to Thessalonica he was nothing discouraged but procéeded more boldly than before and went into the Synagogue of the Iewes and disputed thrée Sabbaoth daies and taught them that Christ is that Messias euen the sonne of God But that wée maie the better conceiue howe mightily GOD worketh and what great strength he giueth to weake creatures when he appointeth them to set foorth his glorie let vs beholde this boldnesse of the Apostle in speaking the Gospell vnto them To whome did he speake To the Iewes the enimies of the crosse of Christ. Where Not in hucker mucker and in corners but openly in their synagog for he feared no maÌ„ What time those he TheÌ„ when al the Iewes were assembled togither How often 3. sabboth daies togither In what citie In Thessalonica y e greatest and most famous Citie of all that Countrey How was hée entreated There arose great trouble contention They resisted him spake against him and sought to destroy him For what cause what had he deserued what had he taught the gospel of God and of Christ of the kingdome and of the life to come the gospell in which God offereth his grace and reconciliation and comfort and peace and saluation Who woulde thinke such ioifull tidings shoulde not be welcome what eie would not willingly open it selfe to behold the brightnes of the sunne what eare will refuse to heare God speake but it hath alwaies bin so There haue euer bene some that haue loued darknes rather than light The worlde shall neuer be without some Annas or Caiaphas or Iudas or Pilate The children of the Diuel shal alwaies set themselues against the children of God The cause of tumults and troubles procéedeth not from the Gospell The Gospell of Christ is the Gospell of peace But the enemies of the Gospel are stirrers of â—…quietnes and inflamers of war Abel was simple Caine spitefull Iacob smooth Esau rough and hairie Dauid gentle Saul cruel Ioseph innocent his brethren wicked and fell vpon him The Apostles humble in heart and peacemakers the Pharises bloudthirstie and sought to put them to death The like examples are before vs this daie The whole worlde is in an vproare and great troubles and afflictions are in al places No man is able to declare the misery thereof Let no man therefore slaunder or forsake the Gospel It hath bene so from the beginning and from time to time Such troubles confusion and miserie are wrought not by the gospel or them that receiue the gospel but by those which resist it they practise all meanes and turne all things vpside downe rather than it should take place The wicked are angrie there with they gnaâ—…h their téeth and consume awaye This is the cause for which the children shall rise against their parentes and shal cause them to die Cain murthered Abel because God had respect vnto Abel and to his offring Esau could not abide Iacob because Isaac had giuen him his blessing The brethren of Ioseph sought to make him away because God had a fauour vnto him Saul was wrothfull against Dauid because God gaue him great gifts of courage and strength and wisdome The Aegyptians loathed the childreÌ„ of Israel because they were Gods people The Galathians resisted Paul because he preached the trueth Therefore saith S. Paul we labor and are rebuked because we trust in the liuing God which is the sauiour of al men Speciallie of those which beleue Likewise saith our sauior They shall excommunicate you yea the time shal come that whosoeuer killeth you wil think he doth God seruice And these things wil they do vnto you because they haue not knowen the father nor me Euen so standeth it with the Church of God this day There is nothing new that is vnder the sunne Whatsoeuer is done nowe hath béene done afore Who wil lift vp his eyes and looke to the dooinges of men shal sée Cain rise vp against Abel Esau against Iacob the cruel brethren against Ioseph Saul against Dauid Pharao against Moses the Aegyptians against the people of God the High Priests and the Pharisees against Christ and al that wil be his disciples they change peace into warre they turne iudgement into gal and the fruit of righteousnesse into wormewood they resist the truth of God to establish deuises and doctrines of men But blessed be God they shal not preuaile Hee giueth vs peace He hath made vs turne our swords into mattocks He hath taught vs altogether with one mouth and one heart to praise him euen the father of our Lorde Jesus Christ. His truth is mightie and shal preuaile V. 3. For our exhortation was not by deceit nor vncleannesse nor by guile 4. But as we were allowed of God that the Gospel should be committed vnto vs so wee speake not as they that please men but God which tryeth our hearts God sayth he hath chosen me from my mothers wombe and set me apart to the office of an Apostle He hath appointed me to carrie his name before the Gentiles Therefore as he hath giuen mée charge to preach the Gospel and to bring the people vnto him from the power of Satan so I speake truely faithfully sincerely not as the words of men but as the wordes of God I haue vsed no deceit nor taught you to folow traditions of men in â—…de of the commaundements of God In like sort saith he to the Corinthians I haue receiued of the Lorde that which I also haue declared vnto you And againe We are ambassadours for Christ as though God did beseech you thorough vs. For this cause he sayth vnto them Seing that we haue this ministery
fondly or peeuishly saith Erasmus It would be ouer long to declare vnto you the foolish or rather blasphemous applying of the Scriptures to approoue their gestures at masse the soueraintie and chieftie that they chalenge One of their Bishops in y e late counsel as Trent saide of Paulus 3. then Pope Papa lux venit in mundum the Pope which is the light is come into the world Which are the words of the Euangelist declaring the Godhead of Christ. By these few it may appeare how vniustly they charge vs with corrupting the word of God And howe truely this fault is to be laid 〈◊〉 to them which either abridge the sense of the Scripture or reach it further than it yéeldeth or vtterlie refuse to stande to the authoritie thereof and in no case can like that the people of God shoulde reade the Scriptures and haue adiudged them heretiques and consumed their bodies in the fire which haue defended in spéech and sought to maintaine the doctrine of truth set down in y e holy scriptures The Apostle saith He was allowed of God They that enter into the ministerie must be allowed not of men onelie but of God Therefore whosoeuer taketh that charge ouer the people must looke narrowly into himselfe sée whether his calling be of God If be haue not a testimony that God hath called him inwardly al other outward calling is to smal purpose God is a righteous iudge He will saie to the conscience and to the heart of such a one friend how camest thou in hither without thy wedding garment Who brought thée in Giue an account of thy stewardship thine account is great And because some are this date to be admitted into this office let vs praie vnto God for them that god wil alow them that he wil giue them hearts to conceiue and tongues to speak the trueth of God that they maie be the seruants of Christ and disposers of the mysteries of God that they maie be the salt of the earth and the light of the world that they maie laie out the Lords money to his aduantage and so it maie be said vnto them Thou hast beene faithfull in little I will make thee ruler ouer much enter into thy maisters ioie V. 5 Neither yet did we vse flattring words as you know nor coloured couetousnesse God is record 6 Neither sought we praise of men neither of you nor of others The seruant and messenger of God must so speake as God speaketh God speaketh déeply and to the heart He launceth the spirit and woundeth the inward parts He biddeth Esaie them the people their transgressions and the house of Iacob their sinnes God himselfe saith I visite the sinne of the fathers vpon their children vnto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me Againe he saith If yee shall despise my ordinances either if your soule abhorre my lawes so that yee will not doe al my commandements I wil set my face against you and you shal fall before your enimies and they that hate you shal raigne ouer you But vnto those that repent them of their sins and turne 〈◊〉 to him God saith Turne vnto me ye shal be â—…aued Againe Thou disobedient Israel returne saith the Lord and I wil not let my wrath fall vpon you So must the minister of God he must â—…hew foorth the mercie of God not hide his iudgements He hath the Lords busines in band he maie not do it negligently A flatterer maketh it his greatest care to please men hée séeketh their fauor he feareth to displease and dareth not speake that that will be euill taken When he séeth a theefe he runneth with him is partaker with the adulterers he soweth pillowes vnder the armes of sinners Whosoeuer saith nay his nay is readie if any saie yea he is ready to say yea he chaÌ„geth often as y e weatherecock he dareth not striue against y e stream his hart is at the wil of others he séeketh some gaine he séeketh his owne glorie and not the glorie of God They which are such are called in the Scriptures hirelings dumbe dogs that cannot barhe They denie God betraie his truth and deceiue the people They locke â—…ppe the truth in lies Of such the spirit of god saith Woe vnto them that haue a double heart and to the wicked lippes And A double minded man is inconstant in al his waies And He that is not with me is against me And He that gathereth not with me scattereth And How long halt yee betweene two opinions if the Lorde be God follow him but if Baal be hee then goe after him And againe What communion hath light with darknesse and what concord hath Christ with Belial Cursed is he which â—…attereth the people and is vnfaithfull in the Lordes worke Nothing is so requisite in the steward of God as that he be found faithful and that he speake those things whereunto the Lord hath sent him boldly That they kéepe not backe the message giuen them of God nor feare to doe their errand for anie malice of men Who is it saith Saint Peter that wil harme you if you follow that which is good notwithstanding Blessed are yee if yee suffer for righteousnesse sake yea feare not their feare neither be troubled If the Apostle speake this comfort to all Christians which haue a care to serue God and thereby erhorteth them to stedfastnes and to sanctifie the Lord in their bearts and to â—…e readie to giue an account of their faith and of the hope that is in them howe much more ought â—…reachers and they which are appointed to the ministerie lay aside al feare and flatterie of men Woe vnto them that goe downe into Aegypt for help The Aergyptians are men and not God and their horses flesh and not spirite and when the Lorde shall stretch out his hand the helper shal fal and hee that is holpen shal fail and they shal altogether faile Christ â—…leth his diâ—…iples they are salt and they are light Salt must néedes be sharpe to a rotten wound Light must néeds be painful to a 〈◊〉 A good Phâ—…ution must néeds trouble and disguiet his sicke patient before hée can heale his disease and a good surgion must néeds trouble and rip vp â—…tered woundes We are Sur â—…eous we are â—…tions The worde of God is committed vnto vs that by vs it miâ—… be applied to season the earth and that the light ther of shonlâ—… shine foorth in al the worâ—… Crâ—…put aloud lift vp â—…hy voice as a trumpet If the trumpet giue an vncertaine sound who waâ—… prepare himselfe to the battel When God had called â—…eremie to the office of a Prophet said Thou shalt go to al that I shall send thee and whatsoeuer I commaund thee shalt thou speake he said further Feare not their faces least I destroy thee before them For beholde this daie I haue made
thee a defenced citie and an iron piller and walles of brasse against the whole land Thou shalt not bend thou shalt not yéeld Thou shalt be a consuming fire they shal be stubble before thée Likewise saith God to Abraham Feare not Abraham I am thy buckler and thine exceeding great reward When Moâ—…es sought to refose the message thâ—…ught himselfe ouer simple to goe vnto Pharao God answered Certainely I wil be with thee â—…nd after he saith I haue made thee Pharaâ—… God he shal tremble and quake at thy voice So saith Christ What I tell you in darkenesse that speake you in light and what yee he 〈◊〉 the care that preach yee on the houses And â—…are ye not them which kill the bodie but are not able to kill the soule but rather fearâ—… him which is able to destroy both soule and bodie in hell The consideration hereof euer mooued the Prophets and Apostles to warrant their sayings with authoritie from God and to set apart al feare when they spake in his name When Ahab reprooued Elias Art thou hee that troubleth Israel He answered I haue not â—…ubled Israel but thou thy fathers house in that yee haue forsaken the commandements of the Lorde and thou hast followed Baalim The Prophet Esaie is bolde with the Princes of Iuda and Ierusalem and saith Heare the word of the Lorde O Prince of Sodome hearken vnto the law of our God O people of Gomorrha Iohn the Baptist nothing feared to tell Herod a mightie Prince It is not lawfull for thee to haue her to wife If Balaac woulde giue mee his house ful of filuer and golde saieth Balaam I cannot passe the commandement of the Lord to do good or bad of mine owne minde What the Lord shall commaund that same will I speake Moses was bid to tell Pharao The Lord God of the Hebrewes hath sent me vnto thee Christ calleth Iames and Iohn the sonnes of Zebedeus Boanerges which is the sonnes of thunder bicause they shoulde not flatter but raise tempest and lighten and thunder in the eares and hearts of their hearers Saint Paul saith I am not ashamed of the Gospell of Christ for it is the power of God vnto saluation to euerie one that beleeueth It is the worde of God and shall endure for euer He hath not giuen vs the spirit of feare to flatter but the spirite of might and of power to speake roughly and couragiously where occasion so requireth And therefore saith If I would please men I were not the seruaunt of Christ. But I preach Gods doctrine and not the doctrine of men I séeke to please God and not men The Pharises sought to please men and to deceiue the people They taught them to walk in the waies of their forefathers to beléetie as they beléeued to doe as they had done They flattered them and saide you are the Church of God you are Gods people you are the sonnes of Abraham you can not erre you can not be deceiued They that in this sorte flatter the people and deceiue them they serue not Iesus Christ but their bellie and through flatterie and faire spéech seduce the hearts of the simple Nor coloured couetousnesse The Scribes the Pbarises deuoured vp widowes houses vnder pretense of their long praiers they praied and made mony of their praiers they gaue almes and made monie of their almes giuing they fasted and made monie of their fasting This did the Scribes the Pharises their doings continue stil they be dead their name is takeÌ„ away but their prosessioÌ„ abideth As they made gains of their praiers alms fasting so do some now make great gaines war rich vnder pretence of holines They haue brought in a professioÌ„ of wilful chastity forbiddeÌ„ mariage in some whole estate of men No doubt â—…astitie is a holy thing But they haue giuen licence for money to such as would to forsake their vowe of chastity They haue forbidden to eate certaine meates vppon certaine dayes God left meates as frée to the choise of euery man as he left his sunne to shine fréely to the vse of al men And they make frée libertie for money to eate what euerie man liketh They make money of Purgatorie money of pardons and money of their Masses They make money of Peter and of Paule of the Apostles and Martyrs and of Christ himselfe These are they of whom Saint Peter speaketh Through couetousnesse shal they with fained wordes make marchaundise of you One sayth of them Curia Romana non captat ouem sine lana The court of Rome careth not for that sheepe that hath no fleece I wil not lay foorth at large how they doâ—… al thinges for couetousnes I haue no pleasure in speaking it God graunt vs so to deliuer the gospel aright that we vse not the trueth of God for a cloake of couetousnesse Neither sought wee praise of men neither of you nor of others This is an other hinderaunce of the course of the Gospel when the ministers thereof loue the praise of men more than the praise of God Howe can ye beleeue sayth Christ which receiue honour one of an other and seeke not the honour that commeth of God alone how farre the Apostle was from this ambition it appeared For he was reuiled and euil spoken of and counted the filth and outcast of the world V. 7. When we might haue beene chargeable as the Apostles of Christ but we were gentle among you euen as a nourse cherisheth her childrem 8. Thus being affectioned to you our good wil was to haue dealt vnto you not the Gospel of God onelie but also our owne soules because ye were deare vnto vs. 9. For ye remember brethren our labour and trauaile for wee laboured day and night because wee woulde not be chargeable vnto any of you and preached vnto you the Gospel of God 10. You are witnesses and GOD howe holilie and iustlie and vnblameablie wee behaued our selues among you that beleeue I might haue required meate and drinke other thinges necessarie at your hands For who féedeth a flocke and eateth not of the milke of the flocke who planteth a vineyard and eateth not of the fruite thereof who goeth a warfare at any time of his owne cost who mousleth the mouth of the ore that treadeth out corne we plant the vineyarde of the Lorde of hoastes Wee féede Christes flocke We goe to warfare and stande in the watch defence of your safetie We are the poore oxen that treade out the corne which wil féede you to saluation We are your seruaunts we labour to doe you good we are ordained to minister in the Church of God It were great reason wee should reape your carnall thinges which haue sowen to you spiritual thinges The workeman is woorthie his wages Yet taught I the Gospel fréely and without rewarde and was readie to giue my bloud my life and my soule out of my bodie for
your sakes What coulde you aske of me moreâ—… what greater gift coulde I bestowe vppon you V. 11. And ye know how that we exhorted you and comforted and besought euerie one of you as a father his children 12. That ye would walke worthie of God who hath called you to his kingdome and glorie I tooke care of you as of mine owne soule and dealt with you by alwayes of comfort and erhortation that you would take héede vnto your selues and your calling I did put you in minde that you were placed in the middest of the vnfaithfull people which knewe not God and that they watched you and your doing that their eye was vpon your housholde your wiues your seruauntes and your children vpon your selues and your words to espie if they might finde any occasion to speake euil of you I did beséech you by the glorious comming of our Lorde and sauiour Jesus Christ that the name of God might not be il spoken of through you You can not denie this You must néedes confesse you haue thus béene taught Ignorance can not be your excuse What remaineth then but that you performe it For the seruaunt that knoweth his maisters wil and doth it not shal be beaten with many stripes As a father his children What maner care is it that the father taketh of his children Many men are fathers of children but what man taketh the care he ought to take for them pastours or teachers of the people should be affected towardes their people as fathers are to their natural children Let such as are fathers and haue children knowe in what sort they must be careful Your children are a good blessing of God they bée members of the bodie of Christ the sonnes of God The kingdome of heauen belongeth to them God hath appointed his Angels to guide and leade them and to â—…ield them from euil and their Angels be in the presence of God and doe beholde the face of their father which is in heauen They be fresh plantes of the Church Who knoweth what necessarie instruments they may be in the common wealth and in the house of God It is not ynough to féede them and to nourish theyr bodies with necessarie sustenaunce For this do the heathen that knowe not God and the sauage and brute beastes and the birdes which haue no vnderstanding They bréede vp their young ones and are tender and paineful to prouide for them The asse though she be dul the Beare and Lion though they be wilde and cruel yet séeke they farre and néere to get wherewith to helpe their young Therefore if there be anie or can bee any which doeth forsake and leaue his owne he is more beastly than the foolish Asse and more vnnatural than most cruel Beares and Lions and Tigres But in this part men are for the most part ouer careful For this cause many build their houses with bloud and séeke possessions by iniquitie they ioyne house to house and fielde to fielde and wil dwel alone vpon the earth they oppresse the poore and néedie and doe wrong to the widowe and the fatherlesse they make money their God and spoyle one an other and al to prouide for their children This is the couer and cloake for al their misthiefe they may not leaue their children vnprouided Unhappie are the fathers which in this sort care for their children by the ruine spoyle of the néedy and innocent and so breake the commandement of God because their portion shal be with the wicked in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone And vnhappie are their children because they are partakers of their fathers wickednesse and therefore shal also be partakers of punishment with them The Prophet Dauid sayth I haue seene the wicked strong and spreading himselfe like a greene Bay tree Yet hee passed away and loe he was gone and I sought him but hee could not be found His roote was déepe his stocke strong his braunches broade he spread ouer and shadowed the whole countrey yet he passed away He departed his sonnes died his house soone decayed and his name was in little time quite forgotten Oh howe much better then is it to furnish the mindes of your children and to instruct them in godlinesse to teach them to knowe God to leade their life vertuously and to rebuke them and correct them for dealing il The beginning of wisedome is the feare of God Let them then learne what that good and acceptable wil of God is Shewe them the way in which they should walke that they goe neither to the right hande nor to the left The worde of God is pure and giueth vnderstanding to the simple it is a light to their footesteps it teacheth those that are young to amende their wayes When Christ came into Ierusalem the young children receiued him They cryed Ozanna to the sonne of Dauid Blessed is he that commeth in the name of the Lorde Christ giâ—…eth witnesse of them By the mouth of babes and sucklinges hast thou set foorth thy praise The wordes of the little and simple children were able to confounde the wisedome of the Pharise is Thus were they taught from their cradle so careful were their godly parents for them Contrariwise they can not haue any wisedome that despise the lawe of the Lord. They become blinde and wicked abhominable in al their waies They haue no sense nor féeling of the wil of God They cannot know light froÌ„ darkenesse nor God from Belial Such were the little children that mocked the Prophet Elizeus and said to him Come vp thou baulde head come vp thou bauld head Their bringing vp was no better Their wicked fathers had taught theÌ„ nothing elâ—… but waÌ„tonnes But the wrath of God fel vppon them and there were destroyed by two Beares two and fortie of them An other care which a father ought to haue of his children is to leade them vp in the studie of vertue and of godly life Blessed are the pure in heart for they shal see God They which kéepe not this way are the children of wrath Herein standeth the whole profession of a Christian life For God hath not called vs to vncleanesse but vnto holinesse This is the wil of God and this is our promise made vnto him that wee serue him in holynesse and righteousnesse al the dayes of our life that we encrease in vertue and growe from grace to grace A good and louing father which sendeth his sonne to a daungerous iourney either by sea or lande first instructeth him with aduise and telleth him in what sort hée shal auoyde perils Take héede sayth he the way is perilous which thou must passe The sea is terrible The waues rise vp as high as heauen and by and by thou shalt sée a pit as lowe as hel The sandes may swallowe thée the rockes may destroy thée Thou shalt passe by huge mountaines and through wildernesse where théeues wil assault thée Thy heart wil quake
or crown of reioicing are not euen you it in the presence of our Lord Iesus Christ at his comming 20 Yea ye are our glorie and ioie The greatest comfort to him that laboreth is to sée that his labour commeth to good effect and worketh that which he purposed â—…e hath before ayprooued his diligence and wed the mercie of God in making his word fruitfull by opening their hearts that it might sincke into them and take roote in them Therefore now he erhorteth them to continue stodfast that so he may present them vnto God and be partaker with them of euerlasting glorie This ought to be the care of al such which are ministers they should séeke aboue al things to bring the people to such perfection of vnderstanding and to such godlinesse of life that they may reioice in their behalfe and so chéerfully waite for the comming of our Lord Jesus Christ. CHAP. 3. WHerefore since wee could no longer forbeare wee thought it good to remaine at Athens alone 2 And haue sent Timotheus our brother and Minister of God and our labour fellow in the Gospel of Christ to stablish you and to comfort you touching your faith I Knowe your faith in Christ Jesus is manie waies assaulted The enuious man will take al occasions to sowe darnel among the Lordes corne He wil séeke to take awaie the good séede that is sowed in your heartes You are deare vnto mée Your woundes are my wounds and your griefe my griefe Therfore since I my selfe am hindred that I can not come vnto you to be with you in your afflictions I send vnto you my fellow labourer in the Gospel I haue but one with me whome I loue tenderly and trust him as mine owne soule him I send vnto you I leaue my selfe destitute and without a companion among the Infidels here at Athens in a citie much giuen to idolatrie and which can not abide the name of Christ. Thus haue I burthened my selfe to reléeue you and taken from my selfe to comforte you I haue béene carelesse of my selfe and carefull for you and for the Church of God which is among you The Apostle had sent Timothie to other places to the Corinthians and to the Philippians He alwaies found him constant in faith and zealous to do good vnto the Saints And now commendeth him to this congregation and calleth him brother a minister of God and his labour fellow that so they might conceiue of his great care for them which sent so worthie a maÌ„ vnto them and also that they would estéeme him and haue him in reputation to hearken vnto Timothie and to do in al things as he should direct them Such as S. Paul nameth Timothie should al they be which are sent vnto the people They must holde the faith of Christ vnfainedly and professe it boldly they must be called and allowed of God to his seruice and must not be idle but paineful and labouring to builde vp the house of God and to gather in his haruest that they may truely be called the ministers of GOD and labourers in the Gospel They that are called to this seruice must not thinke it ynough that they serue God as men of other trades doe For princes and al sortes of people owe seruice and homage vnto God to serue him in holinesse righteousnesse al the dayes of their life This seruice of godly conuersation and obedience must ministers also most carefully performe But the especial seruice which belongeth to their calling is to carrie the arke of the couenaunt before their people to doe their message truely when they are sent To teach to instruct to erbort to comfort to rebuke in season and out of season to plant to wéede to graffe to shrid to holde vp their handes and to pray for the people To doe this seruice for kings for subiectes for rich for poore for the wise for the simple for the godly and for the wicked to establish them and comfort them touching their faiâ—…h Paul callâ—…th himselfe often The seruant of God the seruant of our Lord Iesus Christ. He reioyceth in this seruice and reckoneth it in part of his glorie If we consider the paines and trauailes which he tooke we shal knowe what diligence al others that are called to the same seruice ought to shewe Thus he writeth of himselfe I am debter both to the Graecians to the Barbarians both to the wise men and to the vnwise Therefore as much as lyeth in mee I am readie to preach the Gospel to you also that are at Rome Againe Though I bee free from all men yet haue I made my selfe seruaunt vnto al men that I might winne the more And vnto the Iewes I became as a Iewe that I may winne the Iewes to them that are vnder the lawe as though I were vnder the lawe that I may winne them that are vnder the lawe I am made all thinges to all men that I might by all meanes saue some Againe Wee preach not our selues but Iesus Christ the Lorde and our selues your seruauntes for Iesus sake Againe Wee are reuiled and yet wee blesse we are persecuted and yet suffer it I serve not my selfe sayeth hée but GOD. I serve not to séeke mine owne affections but in set smith his glorie Thus in his owne example he teacheth vs that in the seruice of the Church of God we must indure al paines and 〈◊〉 refuse to followe our calling for anie reprothe or shame or vilanie which may be wrought against vs by men V. 3. That no man should bee mooued with these afflictions for yee your selues knowe that wee are appointed therevnto Thinke not that you shal enioy the pleasures of this worlde if you he the faithful seruauntes of Christ. Christ shed his bloud for thée that thou shouldest not refuse to giue thy bloude for him Drinke the cup of bitter gal whereof Christ beganne to thée And carie thy crosse that thou mayest followe him If thou be ashamed of the crosse thou art ashamed of Christ if thou be ashamed of Christ hee wil be ashamed of thée before his father in heauen The crosse can not hurt thée for Christ hath sanctified it in his bloude Beholde not the sworde which striketh thée but thinke on the crowne of glorie which thou shalt receiue Gold is clearer after it hath béene put into the fire Be thou gold and the firie persecution shal not hurt thée Let not the feare of death put out thy faith Trust in the Lorde be strong and he shal stablish thy heart Bée roofed and built in Christ and stablished in the faith Then shall thy heart reâ—…oyce and no man shal take thy ioie from thée V. 4. For verily when wee were with you wee tolde you before that wee shoulde suffer tribulations euen as it came to passe and yee knewe it God giueth vs warning to be readie to suffer afflictions for his name My sonne if thou wilt come into the seruice of God stande
of the highest wherein they shaldwell this is the holie mountaine wherein they shall rest that walke vprightly and worke righteousnesse and speake the truth in their heart Here lette vs consider the rages and tempests of a troubled minde and of an vnquiet conscience which knoweth that GOD is an auenger of all wickednesse and that death is the due rewarde of sinne which acknowledgeth him selfe to be a sinner and findeth no way howe he shall escape Hell fire This man when he thinketh with him selfe of these things hée can not but be amazed and disquieted aboue measure The sounde of the Trumpet is euer in his eares he heareth the voice of the Judge saying stand foorth sinner now declare how thou hast vsed thy bodie giue a reckoning of thy whole life Then his conscience beginneth to quake and tremble Then he néedeth no witnesse to accuse him nor iudge to condemn him Hée is both witnesse and iudge against himselfe The daunger hereof maie somewhat appeare in those which are taken and prisoned and arraigned before a Judge When hée knoweth him selfe guiltie heareth the euidence prwued against him séeth the Judge seuere to deale iustice without mercie and therfore is assured of death what griefe and torment féeleth he at heart what would he not giue what would he not doe to scape the danger But the danger whereunâ—… God iudgeth vs is greater And the maner of his iudgement is straighter Here the Judge maie be deceiued he is but a man but there GOD is the Judge who is the searcher of the heart and raines and no man shall be hidde from his heate Here nothing can be done without euidence without witnesses and proofe before God he that hath offended shall accuse himselfe This is the case of conscience It selfe is witnesse it selfe caâ—…eth for iudgement to condemnation His conscience shall make the sinner say I haue offended against God I haue despised his word would not giue care to learne it I would not knowe the time of Gods mercie and of my visitation I liued in fornication and committed theft and kept wrongfully other mens goods I was disobedient to parents nourtered not my children in the feare of God kept not my heart from doing iniquitie I abused my goods my wits my senses and the good grace of God I haue sinned against heauen and against God and am not worthie to be called his sonne the wrath of God is worthily fallen vpon me hel fire is my méede the mercie of God can not saue me for my sinne is greater than that it can be forgiuen Mine owne hart conscience heauen and earth the angels and archangels God himselfe and Christ the redéemer of them that beléeue in him are against me I can not cast mine eyes to any place but euer I sée my damnation before me Then doth he tremble with agony and stande in feare His hart dasheth and beateth as the waues of the sea He sâ—…leth vprore warre lightning thoÌ„der death and hel in his heart hée shal flée when no man followeth him He shal sayâ—… to the hilles and rockes fal on me and hide me from the presence of him that sitteth on the throne and from the wrath of the Lambe Such is the terrour of an vnquiet mindâ—… Though al the princes in the world would ioyne themselues to do it The wicked can neuer enioy peace God kéepe vs far from such agonies and giue vs pure hearts and cleare consciences CHAP. 4. ANd furthermore wee beseech you bretheren and exhort you in the Lord lesus that ye increase more and more as yee haue receiued of vs how ye ought to walke and to please God 2. For ye knowe what commaundementes we gaue you by the Lord Iesus WE commaunde you not nor vse any force but entreat you with all pacience and méekenesse that yée wil loue your owne soules and thinke and doe those thinges which please God You are they to whom the promise was made God hath called you out of darkenesse into his maruailous light He hath not dealt so with euery nation neither haue they knowen his iudgementes Wee come not to you in our owne name We haue charge to preach y e gospell to al nations Therefore we speake vnto you in y e name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We shewe you the way that you may walke in it we declare vnto you the wil of God that you may be saued For yet wil the Lorde waite that he may haue mercie vpon you and therefore wil he be exalted that he may haue compassion vpon you sayeth the Prophet Esay Wee haue opened vnto you that whole treasure of Gods mercie We haue lead you to the throne of grace and made you sée the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the worlde We haue preached vnto you remission and forgiuenesse of your sinnes through his name If you haue hearde vs and beléeue you shal be saued If any man preach vnto you otherwise than that you haue receiued let him be accursed How ye ought to walke and please God It is not ynough that ye beléeue Ye must also walke and liue according to knowledge This is the wil of God For we are his workemanship created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes which GOD hath ordained that wee should walke in them For the grace of God hath appeared that bringeth saluation vnto al men teacheth vs that wee should liue soberly and righteously and godly in this life Looking for the blessed hope appearing of the glorie of the mighty God of our Sauiour Iesus Christ. In this sort hath our teaching béene among you That you might shewe foorth your faith by your works That it auaileth you nothing to say you haue faith if you haue no workes because the faith that hath no workes is dead This we are taught by the words of our Lord Iesus he sayth Not euery one that sayeth vnto me Lorde Lorde shal enter into the kingdome of heauen but he that doeth my fathers wil that is in heauen Againe Euerie tree that bringeth not foorth good fruite is hewen downe and cast into the fire The seruaunt that knoweth his maisters wil and doeth it not shal be beaten with manie stripes Thus hath our Lorde commaunded vs to be like our father which is in heauen to let our light so shine before men that they may sée our good workes Thus the Apostle taught Thus the church of God this day teacheth It requireth faith as the instrument and meanes to apply the merites and passion of Iesus Christ for our saluation and good workes as fruits and witnesses of our faith Whosoeuer learneth aright and beléeneth the gospell as he ought groweth and goeth forwarde from vertue to vertue If be were ignorant before he commeth thereby to knowledge If hee were weake he groweth in strength If hée were wicked he turneth vnto gedlinesse V. 3. For this is the wil of God euen your holinesse and that yee should
vnto the resurrection of life but they that haue doone euill vnto the resurrection of condemnation And againe I am the resurrection and the life hee that beleeueth in mee though hee were dead shal liue and whosoeuer liueth and beleeueth in me shall neuer die For if wee beleeue that Iesus is dead and is risen that he was deliuered to death for our sinnes and is risen againe for our iustification if we beléeue that he is ascended vp into heauen and sitteth at the right hand of GOD his father he will also raise vp our mortall bodies and bring vs with him Nowe Christ is risen from the dead and was made the firste fruites of them that sleepe He is our head wée are his bodie Wee are flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone Hée hath giuen vs his Spirite to dwell in vs. But if anie man hath not the Spirite of Christ the same is not his Christ our head liueth His bodie then can not he dead Where I am sayeth he there shall also my seruaunt be Wherefore if we be dead with Christ we beleeue that wee shal liue also with him What then shal become of the infidelles which haue no faith which haue not the spirit of God Shal not they rise againe Yes verily They shal rise but not with Christ. They shal not rise the resurrection of the iust Some shal rise vnto life some vnto death some to saluation others to damnation some to glory others to shame Wee must al appeare before the iudgement seate of Christ that euerie man may receiue the thinges which are doone in his bodie according to that he hath doone whether it be good or euil The wicked shal rise vp again with their bodies and their portion shal be with the Diuel and his Angels they shal come foorth of their graues to the resurrection of condemnation their bodie and soule shal be cast into hel fire Their worme shal neuer die their fire shal not be quenched It had béen better for them they had neuer béene borne V. 15. For this say we vnto you by the word of the Lord that we which liue and are remaining in the comming of the Lorde shal not preuent them that sleepe 16. For the Lorde himselfe shal descende from heauen with a shout and with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God and the dead in Christ shal rise first This that we declare vnto you is not of our selues It is the truth of God it shal stand good be found true for euer God wil raise our bodies out of the graue 〈◊〉 restore theÌ„ from death to life You may not reason howe or in what order this shal be doone or who shal be the first or the seconde or the third that shal rise vp in the resurrection Such questions are unfit and not to be moued We shal al be chaunged in a moment in the twinckling of an eye At that houre some shalve aliue and some shal be dead For he shal come to iudge both the quicke and the dead We that are remaining in the comming of the Lorde shal not preuent them that sleepe Neither is their part better in the resurrection that shal then be founde aliue nor their part worse that haue béene dead manis yeares before For they which were dead shal as soone be partakers of the glory of the sonnes of God as the other Touching the state of men that shal liue in the end of the world Christ sayth As the daies of Noe so likewise shal the comming of the sonne of man be I doubt not but you remeÌ„ber the storie what dreadful plague of rain tempest fel when al the world was drowned and destroyd with water Vice and vngodlines encreased and al flesh had corrupt his way vpon earth They had no shame there was no feare of God before their eyes Gods wrath was kindled against them He sent Noah a preacher of righteousnes to reforme them to tel them of the destructioÌ„ at hand that they might repent and be saued But they regarded it not They laught Noah to scorne grewe desperate and continued in sinne Sodenly al the fountaines of the great déepe were broken vp the windowes of heauen were opened As they were eating drinking buying selling building purchasing stirring and trauailing as they were in the middest of their ioyes trauailes and pleasures the raine came vpon them and the flouds grewe so great that it destroyed the whole worlde except Noah and a fewe of his companie Their landes their goods Cities Castles nor any other their pleasure or wealth could saue them so shal it be in the comming of Christ. As it was in the daies of Lot and as it betel to Sodome and Gomortha they liued and increased in filthinesse Their heartes were blind and regarded no counsel Their bodies were filthie their soules their liues their houses cities were ful of filthinesse The Angel of God departed from them Loth went out from among them and fire came downe from heauen and consumed them to ashes and caried them downe quick into hel There was no father left to lament his child no child left to lament his father So shal it be at the comming of Christ. He shal come as a théefe sodenly when no man looketh for his comming he shal come at such season when mens harts wil be asléepe and thinke not of him S. Peter sayeth There shal come in the last dayes mockers which will walke after their lustes and say where is the promise of his comming for since the fathers dyed al things continue alike from the beginning of the creation They skorne the threatninges of Gods indgement When shal the world come to an ende We haue winter and sommer raine snow day and night as before The sonne kéepeth his course the fioudes runne the frâ—… beare fruit al things are as they haue béene O sayth Peter know this that god hath made the heauen and earth and al the furniture in them They are his creatures he doth holde theÌ„ vp and preserue them by the power of his word When God shal withdrawe his word they shal decay and haue an ende As for our Lorde he shal come and not tarie at his comming heauen shal depart away as a scrol that is rold the element shal melt with heat and the earth with the works that are therin shal be burnt vp and consumed before his face Deceiue not your selues with lying wordes For when you say peace peace and al thinges are safe then shal sodaine destruction come vpon you Then two men shal be in the fieldes the one shal bee receiued and the other refused Two women shal be grinding at the mil the one shall be receiued and the other refused So shal also the comming of the sonne of man â—…ée The number of the faithful that shal remain at his comming shal not be many So sayth Christ When the sonne
of man commeth shal he finde faith on the earth S. Iohn prophecying of that day sayth The sunne was as blacke as sackecloath of hayre and the Moone was like bloud The beautie of the Church shal be defaced the light of the Gospel shal be put out Then shal few be left of those that shal behold the glory of God These shal giue witnesse vnto the truth And albeit they be but few yet are they ynough to condemne the vngodlinesse of the wicked We shal not go in rowtes for we shal be but few we shal then be in the bodie and liue in this world and looke vp and sée these things yet when the Lord shal come we shal not preuent them that sléepe Although we liue and they were dead yet shal they be as readie as we Why For the Lord himselfe shal descend with a shout c. Here is laide before vs the true maner of the terrible iudgement of God For our better vnderstanding let vs compare heauen with earth and the iudgement of God with the iudgement of men The Judges sitte on high accōpanied with noble men and Justices attended on with Constables and baylifes and the state presence of the countrey the théefe is brought foorth piniond and bound in chaines and fetters The poore wretch standeth in great feare his conscience accuseth him and sayth thou didst steale thou art worthie to die The boyce of the Judge is as a blast of thunder the face of the Judge terrible to him as hel fire But the innocent that is wrongfully imprisoned and hath not offended he séeth himselfe cleare his conscience ercuseth him and therefore reioyceth at the comming of the Judges He thought it long before they came These saith he wil strike off my shackles and set me at libertie Their voice vnto him is as the voyce of life he beholdeth them and they are as the angels of God Such shal bee the shewe and sight of the sonne of GOD he shal come downe with maiestie from heauen the Trumpet of God shal sounde and be hearde from the one ende of the heauen to the other and whosoeuer shal heare it shal quake for feare Then shal he be the iudge ouer al flesh Then be shal shew him selfe to be King of Kings and Lorde of Lords Then shal he not come in humilitie méeke nesse and mercy but with dread and terrour of iudgement and iustice Not with twelue poore Apostles but with twelue thousande Angels to attende vpon him Not in the preaching of the Gospel calling sinners to repentance but in the sounde of a Trumpet wherewith al the corners of the earth shal be amazed Then shal he not say come vnto mee al ye that trauaile and be loaden and I wil refresh you I am sent to the lost Shéepe of Israel He shal not say Father forgiue them for they knowe not what they do But you haue béene ashamed of me and of my worde before men therefore now wil I be ashamed of you before my heauenly father Then shal they that despired y e word of God know what they despised and the blasphemers shal reape the fruit of their blasphemie Then the carelesse Sheaphearde which hath not fed the Lords shéepe but neglected them and left them at al aduentures which hath betrayed his flocke and giuen them to bee a praie vnto the Woolfe shal receiue a iust rewarde for his treason Then the adulterer oppressour and Vsnrer shal haue their life layde open before them Then shal euerie eye sée him They shal see him whome they pearced through they shal sée his woundes which they did not regarde They shal sée his Sworde readie drawen to slaie all his enemies and shal fal downe for feare of him that sitteth vpon the throne and of the Lambe But the harts of the righteous shal reioyce They shal lift vp their heades and sée him in whome they haue trusted Then they shal say this is the day which the Lorde hath made let vs reioice and be glad in it Come let vs reioice vnto the Lord let vs come before his face with praise lette vs sing lowde vnto him with Psalmes Such shal be the state and countenaunce and honour and maiestie of our God when he shal come downe from heauen for our deliueraunce And the dead in Christ shal rise first The earth shal open yéelde foorth her dead bodies that so they may be ready with vs that remain to go before the presence of our iudge Which are dead in Christ. Who are they They whom he chose out of this world and which haue chosen God for their portion whome God hath sealed vnto the day of redemption Which haue saide Christ is to me both in life death aduantage And I liue not I now but Christ liueth in me And againe whether we liue or bie we are the Lords Which say I haue boūd my selfe to serue the Lord all the daies of my life They are dead in Christ which commend them selues wholie vnto him and say O Lord in thée haue I trusted let mée neuer be confounded I desire to be losed and to be with Christ. Into thy handes O Lord I commend my spirite thou hast redéemed mée O Lord of truth To be shorte whosoeuer liueth in the Lord he dieth in the Lord. He in whom Christ liueth which hath a tast and féeling of Christ in his heart he that reioiceth in Christ and looketh for that blessed hope and appearing of the glory of the mightie God and of our sauiour Jesus Christ he is a shéepe of his pasture he is a member of his bodie he is the apple of his eie he liueth and dieth in Christ. Blessed is he that so liueth and so dieth for he shall rise with Christ in the resurrestion of the righteous and shal haue his part in the land of the liuing V. 17. Then shal we which liue and remaine be caught vp with them also in the cloudes to meete the Lord in the aire and so shal wee euer be with the Lord. 18. Wherefore comfort your selues one another with these wordes We which shall sée al these things shal also be caught vp our selues But here you must note that Paul speaketh not this of his owne person and of them that liued in his time as if they should continue aliue vntil the ende or that the world should haue an ende before they should die but he sheweth what shal be the state of such whosoeuer shal then remaine aliue And againe marke that he saith not we which liue and remaine shall die soorthwith or our bodies shall be turned into dust and so our soules alone go to méete the Lorde but whether we be standing or sitting doing well or ill occupied Wee shall be caught vp For the Trumpet shall sodainely blow and then the dead shall rise and we shall be changed So saith Saint Paul Behold I shew you a secrete thing we shal not al sleepe but wee shal
al be changed In a moment in y e twinkling of an eie shal they that are dead arise and we shall be changed This our mortall bodie shall be changed and shal put on immortalitie this corruptible bodie shal be changed and put on incorruption Christ wil change our earthly bodies to the likenesse of his glorious heauenly bodie Then shall our flesh be pure and heauenly and spirituall and we shall be able to behold the glorie of God Then shall be brought to passe the saying that is written death is swalowed vp into victorie O death where is thy sting O graue where is thy victorie To meete the Lord in the aire c. This is a comfortable end of al troubles and persecutions which the godlie suffer in this life that they be receiued into the glorie of God and that both their bodie and soule doth liue with him and enioy his presence for euer Then shall they eate of the trée of life which is in the middest of the paradise of GOD. They shal hunger no more nor thirst any more neither shal the sunne light on them nor anie heate God shal wipe away al teares from their eies Then shal they féele those ioies which eie hath not séene nor eare hath heard nor hath entred into the heart of man Such an end shal they haue whosoeuer feare the Lord. Comfort your selues one another with these wordes You sée the turmoiles and troubles of the world what vexations and afflictions Sathan raiseth vp against al those that will liue godlie Open and notorious sinners are â—…borne Theft adulterie vsurie extortion wilfull murther rebellion treason are many times pardoned and vnpunished but true religion which is the turning from idols to serue the true and liuing God and faith in Jesus Christ that by him we shall be deliuered from the wrath to come findeth feâ—…e friends and seldome escapeth without strange and most cruel tormeÌ„ts What is this but to crucifie the Lord of glory and to set Barrabas a murtherer at libertie Dauid saith The Kings of the earth band themselues and the Princes are assembled together against the Lord and against his annointed They séeke to spoile the vine of the Lord and to destroy his little flocke They vse al meanes to put out the light of the Gospel But be you of good chéere coÌ„tinue you stedfast in the truth your redemption is euen at hand You shal be caught vp in the cloudes to méete the Lord and so shall abide with him for euer Let euerie neighbour comfort his neighbour and euery father his childe let vs al one comfort an other with these words CHAP. 5. BVt of times and seasons brethren you haue no neede that I write vnto you 2 For yee your selues know perfectly that the daie of the Lord shal come as a theefe in the night 3 For when they shal say peace and safetie then shal come vpon them sodaine destruction as the trauaile vpon a woman with child and they shal not escape WHen the Disciples came vnto Christ a part and saide Tel vs when these things shall be and what signe shal be of thy comming and of the ende of the world hee answered Take heede least anie man deceiue you It is not for you to know the times or the seasons which the father hath put in his owne power For of that daie and houre knoweth no man no not the Angels which are in heauen neither the sonne himselfe saue the Father vere not your spirite in vaine Séeke not for that you may not knowe you shall not be able to finde it Therefore saith Paul I néede not write of times and seasons in which these things shall be done Your selues haue béene taught the word of God you haue learned what his wil is you know the day of the Lord shal come vpon you as a théefe And how commeth a théefe not in the day time not when a man hath company about him not when he is watched but in the night in the darkenesse when al light is out when the good man of the house taketh his rest when the seruants are asléepe Euen so when the light of the truth is taken away when the hart of the goodman of the house is at rest and his eies are darkened that they cannot sée and al his senses drowned in worldlie pleasures when we care for nothing and think of nothing when we say peace and safety then wil the sonne of man come to iudgement then shal destruction sodainly fal vpon vs. Therfore let vs be readie for in the houre that we think not wil the sonne of man come Marke that Paul saith yée haue no néede that I write vnto you of times and seasons that our sauior saith it is not for you to know the times or the seasons What may we think then of them that write bookes almanackes and say such a yeare and at such a time Christ shal come and with these spéeches fray and mocke the world Paul was the Apostle of Christ an elect vessel of the holie ghost he said I haue no néed to write of it you cannot know it What néede is there nowe that such bookes and pamphlets should be written why should the world be troubled with such vanities Spare me your patience and giue me leaue a little to deale with these wisards Tell mee thou that doest measure and beholde the compasse of heauen and markest the coniunoions and oppositions and aspects of the starres and by that wisedome canst foretel the things that shalbe done hereafter where learnest thou this skil how commest thou by this déepe knowledge Paul was taken vp into the third héaueÌ„ heard words which cannot be spoken which are not lawful for man to vtter yet he knew not this secret nor might not know it What art thou then art thou greater than the Apostle of Christ hast thou béene taken vp into some place higher than the third heauen hast thou heard such words as are not lawfull to vtter if it be so why doest thou vtter them wilt thou take that vpon thée which the holie Apostle dareth not arte thou of Gods priuie counsel the angels and archangels know not hereof and shal we thinke that thou knowest it Art thou wiser than an Angel Consider thy selfe thou art a miserable man thy breath fadeth as the smoake Thou art nothing but dust and ashes thou canst not attaine to the knowledge hereof And what is that which thou boastest the knowledge of that terrible daie when all flesh shall appeare before the Judge Euen of that time which God hath put in his owne power O vaine man thou knowest not thine owne â—…aie thou knowest not when thy soule shall be taken from thée By what helpes and meanes camest thou vnto this knowledge by reading the writings of the Apostles by reading the Gospell of Christ or anie parte of the word of GOD No GOD wote thou hast no great skill in this learning Thou hast
where should the worde of God haue place where should it be hearde but in the Church of God O cursed handes that so dispitefully rent it Woe woorth that vnhappie fire that burnt it As for the Masse woulde God they that so much desire it knewe what it is Woulde God they knewe howe the people of God are mocked by it and howe the precious bloud of our sauiour Jesus Christ is blasphemed by it would God they knewe howe gréeuoustie God is offended with them in this thing wherein they thinke they please him so highlie But the Masse and Gods worde can not dwel in one house together the one is so contrarie to the other God forgiue it them and lay it not to their charge For they knowe not what they doe They are drawn on to work the things which others haue most wickedly deuised There is no doubt but God wil confound their enterprise For this is his owne cause this quarrel is pickt against his Church and against the knowledge and setting foorth of his Gospel and therefore against the setting foorth of his glorie Onely let vs lift vp pure handes into heauen cal for helpe from aboue Let vs say vnto him Rise vp for our succour redeme vs for thy mercie sake Let vs say They haue cast thy sanctuarie into the fire and rased it to the grounde and haue destroyed the dwelling place of thy name Arise oh God maintaine thine owne cause remember thy daily reproch by the foolishe man Let vs say saue oh Lorde Quéene ELIZABETH thy seruaunt establish that good thing which thou hast begunne open the eyes of al people that they may sée thy sauing health and inioy it through hearing thy Gospel which thou hast made knowen vnto vs saue thy people which trusteth in thée and breake the cordes of the wicked in sunder Let vs comfort our selues with these wordes that God hath not appointed vs to wrath but to obtaine saluation by the meanes of our Lorde Jesus Christ. Hée hath ouercome the worlde let vs be of good théere And let vs walke as the children of light let vs walke honestlie as in the day Then whether we wake or sléepe whether wee liue or die we shal liue together with him V. 11. Wherefore exhort one an other and edifie one another euen as ye doe This is the bonde of true loue and Christian friendship that euerie man be careful of his brother as of himselfe that euerie man â—…hort and teach the thinges that are good and rebuke others in il that euerie man séeke to bring home the lost shéepe and to restore him to his maister Therefore Christ sayth If thy brother trespasse against thee goe and tel him his faults betweene him and thee alone if he heare thee thou hast wonne thy brother For what knowest thou whether thou shalt saue thy brother Brethren sayth Saint Iames If any of you hath erred from the trueth and some man hath conuerted him let him knowe that he which hath conuerted the sinner from going aftray out of his way shall saue a soule from death and shall hide a multitude of sinnes Therefore sayeth the Apostle Exhort one an other and edifie one an other Let the father exhort his scnne oh son walke vprightly before God liue honestlie and vertuously in the sight of al men doe those thinges that are good thou art the childe of God be holie in spirite and holy in bodie because he is holie Say to the adulterer oh brother bée not deceiued Whosoeuer is an adulterer hath no inheritaunce in the kingdome of Christ and of God God hath sayde of them that are such they shal not enter into my rest Say to the swearer oh take not y e name of God in vaine for GOD wil not holde him giltlesse that taketh his name in vaine He that sweareth and nameth God continually shal not bee faultlesse A man that vseth much swearing shal be silled with wickednesse and the plague shal neuer go from his house nor from his cattel nor from his corne nor from his seruauntes nor from his children nor from himselfe His house shal be ful of plagues Say to the Vsurer oh heare the voyce of the Lord thus sayth the Lord before whom thon shalt stande to giue an account of those things which thou hast done in this life Thou shalt not giue thy money to Vsurie Hee that careth not for these wordes but doeth otherwise shal not scape vnpunished Say to the rich man oh put not your trust in riches Lay vp your treasure in heauen lay it vp in the bosome of the poore and it shal make intercession for thée Put thy trust in the liuing God which giueth vs abundantly all things to inioie Thy house thy lande thy money thy golde and siluer shall not continue thou shalt go the shalt of all flesh and thy riches shall not be able to deliuer thée in the daie of wrath Saie to the learned man to the wise man and to the man whom God hath endued with worldly power what hast thou that thou hast not receiued be not high minded It is the gift of God It is not thine Thou shalt giue a reckoning of all that thou hast receiued Abuse it not to the dishonour of God It is of charitie that I speake vnto thée Thou art my brother God hath a care ouer thée it is his will that one of vs should exhort an other Oh why should thy life giue offence to anie man why shoulde y e name of God be il spoken of through thee He hath made thée to bée a vessell of honour thou belongest to his folde why shouldest thou be lost and perish in thy wilfulnesse V. 12 Nowe wee beseech you brethren that yee knowe them which labour among you and are ouer you in the Lord and admonish you 13 That yee haue them in singular loue for their workes sake be at peace among your selues They which exhort you and warne you and are ouer you in the Lord they be shéepeheards and husbandmen and watchmen for you They féede the Lordes flocke plough the Lordes ground and watch the tower of the God of hosts You are Gods shéepe ye must be fedde else you cannot liue You are a field you must be ploughed else you will be ouergrowen with brambles and stand vnfruitful and lie waste You are the Lordes tower you must be watched else the enimie will breake in vpon you and so you shoulde bée destroyed They labour and trauell in your behalfe they must giue an account for your soules they are ambassadors sent from God they come to tel you the truth they preach not themselues but Christ Jesus they speake to you in the name of the Lord. Although you reckon them fooles vnlearned and simple they are the messengers of the great King euen of him that is Lord ouer all Saint Paul saith It pleased God by the foolishnesse of preaching to saue them that beleeue The heauenly
might be saned in the middest of burning fire yet y e thrée seruauntes of God walked in the fire safelie and came safe foorth againe We knowe sayth the Apostle that all thinges worke together for the best vnto them that loue God The Apostles reioyced in their persecution that they were counted woorthie to suffer rebuke for Christes sake And Paule speaking of this perfection in the godly sayeth We reioyce vnder the hope of the glorie of God And not so onlie but also we reioyce in tribulations Who hath not heard of the patience of Iob his heardes of Cattel were driuen away his houses consumed with fire his children slaine his body stricken with a scurfe or manginesse his wife loathed him and his friendes for sooke him What did Iob in all these miseries what thought hée or what spake he let his patience in suffering his wordes of thankesgiuing teach vs howe to beare aduersitie The Lorde sayeth he hath giuen and the Lorde hath taken it blessed bee the name of the Lorde Againe Though he slay me yet wil I trust in him Who is able to expresse the manly comfort of his heart which said I wil trust in him though he kill me He is my God I am his creature His wil be doone I wil alwayes giue him thankes and praise his holie name By these we are learned to giue thanks in pouertie in afflictions in miserie and in al things though they are heauy and greeuous vnto vs. What are we then that are neither thankful for riches nor for health nor for our pleasures nor in the aboundance of al things yea which abuse the good giftes of GOD to dishonour God who hath giuen them vnto vs the earth is the Lords and al that therein is the world they that dwel therin He openeth his hand and filleth al thinges liuing with his good blessing Let vs looke vp into the heauens there is God the Father of lightes from whom euerie good and perfect gift commeth there is our redeemer Iesus Christ in whom are hid all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge-When we turne in our beddes when we sée our fare and the furniture of our â—…able when we sée our seruants and children about vs when we sée our money and houses and lands let vs thinke with our selues how many good men faithful seruants of God lack the same and haue not receiued these blessinges in such measure as we In al these thinges God speaketh to vs and sayth I haue giuen them thée thou hast them at my handes vse them well and be not vnthankful If I would stande herein and declare what rauses we haue to giue thankes vnto God I shoulde neuer make an ende There is no beast on the grounde no fish in the Sea no bird in the ayre no starre in the heauens no leafe of the trée no corne of the field no sande on the shoare no droppe of water no sparckle of fire but GOD hath created them all for the sonnes of men So much are wée bound alwayes to giue thankes to God and to say as the Prophet O Lorde our Lorde howe excellent is thy name in all the worlde Let vs confesse before the Lorde his louing kindnesse and his woonderful workes before the sonnes of men But who is able to render thankes sufficient to God for that he giueth vs y e knowledge of his Gospel and maketh vs know the secrets of his wil this is a great blessing and farre aboue al the other comforts of this life They that haue not this are in darkenesse and in the shadowe of death To be short euen in death we haue to praise God we must say I thanke thée O God for thou hast deliuered him froÌ„ the bodyof this death thou hast translated him vnto thy selfe that so he may remaine with thée in thy glorie Thus whither soeuer ye turne what state or part of life or death soeuer ye coÌ„sider whether it be trouble or peace things present or things to come heaueÌ„ or earth life or death you shall alwaies finde causes to be thankefull V. 19. Quench not the spirite Hée meaneth by the spirite the giftes and graces of the spirite The spirite of God is the spirit of wisedome and the spirite of truth No man sayeth S. Paule can say that Iesus is the Lord but by the holy Ghost Againe The spirite helpeth our infirmities and againe The same spirite beareth witnesse with our spirite that we are the children of God It is he that leadeth vs into all trueth that openeth our hearts to vnderstanding and guideth our féete into the waie of peace O saith he despise not the wisedome of the spirite refuse not his help but seek it that you may be strengthened comforte your selues in his testimony of your adoption quench not the light he hath kindled in your hearts disdaine not his leading abuse not his mercy abuse not the time of your visitation let not so great mercie of God be bestowed on you in vaine fulfil not your own willes abstaine from fleshly lusts walke in the spirite desire the best gifts and let euerie man as he hath receiued the gift so minister the same to another as good disposers of the manifold grace of God V. 20 Despise not prophecying Prophecie is the preaching and expounding of the word of God and he is called a Prophet and doth prophecie that openeth vnto vs the wil of God This is not meant of fond and vain and lying prophecies as were those of Merline and such like which tell you tales of lions and beares and goates of the sunne of the moone and manie strange deuises Such prophecies must be despised they are workes of darkenesse and forged by the Diuell to make vproares and to beguile the people But despise not prophecying That is despise not to heare the word of GOD turns not awaie thine eare from vnderstanding God giueth power to his word that it may worke according to his good pleasure It will let thée sée the weakenesse of thine errour and settle thée in the waie wherein thou shouldest walke If it had béene dangerous for the people to heare the preaching of the Gospell hée would not haue sent his Apostles into all the worlde If Lidia shoulde not haue liked to heare Paule prophecie howe might she haue knowne GOD If those great numbers which heard Peter and were connerted had despised prophecying and woulde not haue heard him open the Gâ—…pell vnto them they had neuer considered the great mercie of GOD nor sought to be instructed in their saluation Faith commeth by hearing This hath béene the meanes by which Christ hath giuen knowledge to Kings Princes and al nations It hath pleased God saith Saint Paul by the foolishnesse of preaching to saue them that beleeue Despise not then to come to the Church of God to praie in the congregation of the faithful to heare the Scriptures of God read and erpounded it is
me I wrestle not with flesh and bloud but with the prince and power of darkenesse My enimies are strong they are the enimies of the crosse of Christ I am weake and of no resistance Our sufficiencie is of him Without him we can do nothing Praie for me that hée will put his word into my mouth that I may be a vessel of his glorie to preach foorth the glad tydings of his Gospell that I maie be a faithfull minister of the new Testament that I may disclose the mysterie of our redeÌ„ption that his holie spirit will assist me and make my trauels fruitfull V. 26. Greete al the brethren with an holie kisse 27 I charge you in the Lord that this Epistle be read vnto al the brethren the Saints Salute one another in token of true and vnfained loue And withholde not this Epistle from anie of the brethren It is written for their sakes Let them heare it that they maie take comforte by it How agréeth Paul in this charge with them that in no case would haue the people reade the Scriptures That saie Ignorance is the mother of deuotion It is the word of God the father why should not the people of God vnderstand it It is the water that springeth out to euerlasting life why should the people of God be driuen away and not suffered to drinke thereof It is the light of the worlde why should the people be hoodwinckt and kept that they should not looke vp and sée it Why should they sit and perish in the darkenesse of death It is the will of God that al the people should know him from the least to the greatest among them Saint Paule saith Whatsoeuer things are written aforetime are written for our learning that wee through patience and comforte of the Scriptures might haue hope Christ saieth This is life eternall to know thee to be the onelie very God and whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ. Let vs not forget these words of Paul I charge you in the Lord by his death by his crosse by his bloud by the daie of his appearance that this epistle be read to the learned and vnlearned to the wise and simple to the Maisters and to the seruants to al our brethren to all the sonnes of God V. 28 The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ be with you Amen God open your eies that you maie behold the waie of righteousnesse and direct you that you may walke in it Through his grace you haue receiued the word and it hath bene fruitfull in you and by the same grace you shall continue in it euer His grace and blessing and mercie be with you al. AMEN FINIS ¶ The Second Epistle of the Apostle Saint Paul to the Thessalonians CHAP. I. PAule and Syluanus and Timotheus vnto the Church of the Thessalonians which is in God our father and in our Lord Iesus Christ. IN the former Epistle hée wrote somewhat touching the latter day and the comming of our Lord to iudgement and saide that that daie shall come as a théefe in the night and therefore arborted them to watch and praie and to prepare themselues to be in a readinesse The false Apostles did fondly and malitiously mistake his wordes and deuised meanes thereby to disquiet the mindes of the faithfull and to trouble the Church of God Thus could the Prince of darkenesse the olde Serpent and deceiuing spirite turne the truth of God into occasion of slander In the meane while the Apostle was farre off from them at Athens But when he heard of their case hée sent vnto them this other Epistle wherein hée declareth more plainely that matter which before séemed doubtfull and séeketh to satisfie their hearts and to remooue them from that errour which they had conceiued In discourse hereof he taketh occasion to speake of Antichrist of whome wée heare much and haue had warning often Hée telleth vs that he shall come in working of signes and wonders that he is the man of sinne which shal thrust himselfe into the place of Christ. Hée sheweth who is Antichrist and how we may know him what things hée shall doe what credite he shall haue in the worlde and by what power hée shall be ouerthrowne and confounded After this he speaketh of idlenesse and of bodily labour and requireth euerie man to liue in the sweate of their browes and in painefull trauel as God hath ordeined Other comfortable and necessarie doctrine is delâ—…uered in this epistle as wil appeare The whole matter of the epistle is so fit for these dayes in which we liue as if it were purposely written for vs. For we liue in the later age of the worlde and it cannot be but the end of al thinges is at hande and that the glorious appearing of our Lorde shal bâ—… shortly Paule and Syluanus and Timotheus This Epistle was sent not onely from Paule but also from Timothie and Syluanus These thrée were al guided by one â—…pirite and had al one like care for the Church of GOD. Therefore he writeth thus Paule and Syluanus and Timotheus the seruauntes of God chosen from our mothers wombe and appointed to publishe the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to carie his name before Kinges and Princes and especially I Paule which am your father and hauâ—… begotten you in Christ which was sometimes a blasphemer and did persecute the faithful whom it pleased GOD to make a chosen vessel for himselfe which am also hated of my brethren and kinsmen after the fleshe for the Gospels sake and which am readie to giue my life for your behalfe Vnto the Church of the Thessalonians which is in God our father c. You are sayth he the beloued of God you are his people and he hath assured his mercie vnto you you haue the promise and the earnest of the life to come Here let vs marke the state of that countrie as it was then and compare it with it selfe as it is now Then it was the church of God for otherwise S. Paule would not so haue called it according to the grace of God giuen vnto him he layde the foundation he planted and watred their hearts and God gaue the increase So that they receiued the worde in much aâ—…tion and the worde of the Gospel sounded from them not only in Macedonia Achaia but their faith towardes God was spread also abroade in al quarters In such sort were they a Vessel sanoified vnto honour ful of blessing and ful of the mercie and grace of God But what is become of that countrey In what case standeth the church of Thessalonica at this day It is now the Sinagogue of Sathan vnder the tyrannie of the Turke and such as are enemies of the crosse of Christ. Such a change hath the right hande of the Lord wrought in that place which hath sometimes béene his holie Tabernacle I thought good to marke this that we might vnderstand how vaine a thing it is to put confidence in cities or churches or in
y e names of our fathers The Church of Thessalonica whose foundation was surely built by S. Paule himselfe for which he was so careful vnto which he wrate special letters to commende their increase in godlinesse and their stedfastnesse in the Gospel is forsaken and laide wast If the worke which the spirite of God wrought by the Apostle be decayed whose work may we thinke shal stande Ieremie spake vnto the people of the Jewes saying Trust not in lying wordes saying the Temple of the Lorde the temple of the Lord this is the temple of the Lord. That temple GOD himselfe commaunded to be built the forme and fashion thereof God himselfe deuised and appointed therein he placed his Tabernacle and sette vp his mercie seate therein he shewed foorth his maiestie and the glorie of his countenaunce Yet al this notwithstanding God saide by the prophet trust not in these wordes they be lying words and wil deceiue you As the Prophet spake of the temple at Ierusalem so may it be sayde of any other church throughout the worlde So may it be saide of the Churche of Rome Wée may say trust not in lying wordes saying the church of Rome the Church of Rome Say not thus with your selues the Church of Rome is built vpon a rocke so surely that it can not be moued or that no winde can shake it say not the faith of that Church can neuer faile These be lying wordes trust not in them for Christ neuer spake any such thing of y e church of Rome It neuer had promise of more special priuiledge than was giuen to the Church at Thessalonica Reade the Scriptures beholde the words of our Sauiour and consider them yen shal finde no spéech made of the Church of Rome nor any promise nor péece of promise wherein he bindeth himselfe more to y e church of Rome than he hath done to other churches or to this of Thessalonica Thessalonica was beautiful in the sight of God the Lorde of hostes had pitched his tentes rounde about her the name of the most bolie was placed in the middest of her shée enioyed like spirituall peace and prosperitie as did the Ierusalem of the almightie she was as a Citie fenced within it selfe but the Lord hath taken away the light of his countenaunce from her shée hath forsaken the waies of righteousnesse she hath left off to serue the Lorde and is become the place which the Lorde hath forsaken there is scarce anie remnant left there of those which call vppon the name of our saluation and loue the Lorde Iesus with an vnfained heart This is the Lordes doing and it is marueilous in our eyes And is his hande shortned that he cannot or is his zeale abated that he wil not in like seueritie deale with such as forsake him If he spared not the natural braunches if Ierusalem were ouerthrowne because of her iniquities it cannot be that hee wil spare other places that doe the like but that they shal also be cut off This is it that our Sauiour hath saide in the Gospel by S. Mathewe Therefore say I vnto you the kingdome of God shal be taken from you and shal be giuen to a nation which shal bring foorth the fruites thereof Such terrible dreadful examples hath God layde before our eyes to kéepe vs in his feare and in aâ—…e of his iudgements V. 2. Grace be with you and peace from GOD our Father and from the Lorde Iesus Christ. This is the salutation of Paule in al his Epistles to say I wish that the blessing and fanour and loue of God may light vppon you But for the better consideration hereof that we may know how earnestly we ought to pray vnto God for this grace and peace which the Apostle wisheth to the Churches let vs looke into our selues and sée how miserable we are if wee be left voyde of this grace and if God take his holy spirite away from vs. By nature what are we other than the bonde slaues of sinne We are not able to lift vp our eyes into heauen nor to beléeue in GOD nor to praise him nor to cal vppon his name We are not sufficient of our selues to thinke anie thing as of our selues Vnlesse hee open our lippes wee cannot shewe foorth his prayse Vnlesse hée heale our deafenesse we cannot giue care to his worde Vnlesse he giue vs vnderstanding heartes wee cannot take â—…owledge of his wil. Destruction and vnhappinesse sayth the Prophet Dauid are in their wayes and the way of peace haue they not knowne there is no feare of God before their eyes speaking of such as had not receyued the fauour and grace of God to guide and direct them And by the Prophet Malachie God vttereth his displeasure against them saying I haue no pleasure in you sayeth the Lorde of hostes neither wil I accept an offring at your handes Therefore the Apostle prayeth that they may receiue such measure of Gods grace as may quench in them the fierie dartes of the wicked and enhable them to holde fast that worthie thing that is committed vnto them and may kéepe them holic and vndefiled against the glorious comming of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ. V. 3. Wee ought to thanke God alwayes for you bretheren as it is meete because that your faith groweth exceedingly and the loue of euerie one of you towardes another aboundeth 4. So that we our selues reioice of you in the church of God because of your patience and fayth in al your persecutions and tribulations that ye suffer God hath wrought this good worke of faith and loue and pacience in your hearts he wil make it prosper and encrease It is he which hath put this fire in you and he wil make it burne Hee hath layde his leauine in the dough or meale of your heart and wil make it heauie and worke vntill al be leauined Hée wil make you abounde more and more and wil bring to a good ende the thing he hath begonne Your faith groweth exceedingly This is the wil of God that we ware and encrease in al holinesse Hereby we know whether we be of God or no. We may not stand at a stay but must be renewed One sayth in via virtutis qui noÌ„ proficit deficit Whosoeuer mendeth not him self in the practise of vertue he groweth worse God hath placed vs in a race to run we must so run that we may attaine the price We are graffes of y e Lords planting we must grow to the heigh and breadth of a trée and bring foorth fruit We are pilgrimes and strangers and passe by the wildernesse of this world into our heauenly resting place wee may not stay by the way but must remoue our tentes and continually march on forwarde vntill that day come when wee shall enter into the lande of promise So that we our selues reioyce of you in the Church of God c. Your faith is not onelie true and pure but setled and
false â—…rine The Diuel is subtile his baites are pleasaunt you are weake and simple he will soone deceiue you Here let vs consider howe easily man maie be deceiued that so we maiâ—… knowe the corruption and weakenesse of our nature and therefore what cause we haue euer to walke warily to take heede to our steppes and to praie vnto GOD that hee â—…line our heartes vnto his testimonies When I saie man maie be deceiued I meane not baies or children or fooles or the simpler sorte of men but the learned the wife the politike the â—…ga and Princes of the worlde the teachers and rulers of the people When Adam was yet in Paradise and made the ruler ouer al the beaâ—…s of the â—…ld and was full of the graces and blessings of God he soone departed from the ecuntâ—…ll of God and gaue eare to the serpent so easily was he â—…eceiued Israel was as the apple of the Lords eie a people whom the Lord loued and to whome he gaue their hearts deure Hee deliuered them from Pharao and with an out-stretched arme ledde them through the red sea Who would thinke si great â—…cies would eâ—…er be forgotten or that such a people so wel instructed in the knowledge of God and so often put in mind of their duetie shoulde either most parte or al of them turne from GOD Moses was absent but a while he went aside to receiue the tables of couenaunt in the meane time they made vnto themselues a molten calfe and worshipped it they offred vnto it and saide These be thy Gods O Israel that haue brought thee out of the lande of AEgipt So easily were the wisest of them and Aaron and the whole multituted deceiued Their children after them forsooke the Lord and serued Baal and Astaroth They said to a tree thou art my father and to a stone thou hast begotten me They haue turned their backe to me and not their face saith god by the prophet Ieremie And was this y e offence but of some smal number of them were they but few or of the baser and simpler sorte whome the wicked spirite had thus seduced to make them forsake the true and liuing GOD and to giue the glorie due vnto him to dombe creatures and to the works of their owne hands No they departed from GOD in greate multitudes with full consent and vnitie they warranted their doings by antiquitie and by the custome of their fathers before them The Prophet saith According to the number of thy cities were thy Gods O Iudah and to the number of the streetes of Ierusalem haue ye set vp altares of confusion euen altares to burne incense vnto Baal And in an other place he saith A great multitude euen al the people that dwelt in the land of Aegipt in Phathros answered Ieremie saying the word that thou hast spoken vnto vs in the name of the Lorde wee wil not heare it of thee But wee wil do whatsoeuer thing goeth out of our owne mouth as to burne incense to the Queene of heauen and to poure out drinke offerings vnto her as wee haue done we and our fathers our Kings and our Princes c. Thus euen among that nation which God hath chosen vnto himselfe the Apostacie was so great the departure from true holinesse was so vniuersal that not onelie euerie citio but euerie stréete was defiled with their Idolatrie And besides the women which burnt incense vnto other Gods a great multitude yea all the people with one consent cried out against their preacher refused to heare the word of God and maintained their superâ—…tion The lilie may be said of the Scribes Pharises They were wise they were learned and caried great them of holinesse yet they loued darknes better than light they were blind leaders of the blind they despised the commandemits of god for their own traditions not on lie they but Herod and Pontius Pilate with the gentiles and people of Israel gathered the salues togitherngainst against the Lord I against his Christ. What shoulde I speake of those Churches which the Apostles of Christ planted and watered and confirmed in the trueth at Corinth Paule preached the Gospel they receiued it gladly he thanketh GOD on their behalfe That in al thinges they were made rich in him in al kinde of speache and in al knowledge Yet soone after they abused the holy mysteries they denyed the resurrection of the dead they became carnal and had enuying and strife and contention among themselues The Galathians reioyâ—…h so much in him that he writeth thus of them I beare you record that if it had beene possible you would haue plucked out your owne eyes and haue giuen them to me Yet they did not abide in the trueth but gaue eare to false Apostles and were deceiued Therefore he reprooueth them saying O foolish Galathians who hath bewiâ—…ched you that you should not obey the trueth are ye so foolish that after ye haue begonne in the spirite yee would nowe be made perfect in the flesh ye did runne wel who did let you that yee did not obey the trueth I am in feare of you least I haue bestowed on you labour in vaine This frailtie and weakenesse of our corrupt nature hath shewed it selfe foorth and hath appeared in al ages 〈◊〉 and our Fathers haue gone astraie and haue solowed after lyes The Lorde hath looked downe from heauen vpon the children of men to see if there were any that would vnderstande and â—…eoke God Al are gone out of the way they are al corrupt there is none that doth good no not one sayth the Prophet Dauid Therefore the Apostle beseeâ—…heth the church at Thessalonica that they settle themselues vppon a sure foundation and that they be not remoâ—…d from the trueth He putteth them in mind what they haue heard and of whom they haue heard it and eâ—…horteth them to continue stedfast therein Neither by spirite nor by worde nor by letter as it were from vs. Let no man entiâ—…e you from the loue of the trueth nor withdraw you or remoue you from that blessed â—…pe vnto which you becalled neither by pretence of any which any would séeme to receiue of the spirite of God nor by pretence of any woords of mine as if I had so spoken nor by any letter giuen vnto you in my name as if I had so written In these woordes hee docth not onelie strengthen them against such practises of crafty and false teachers but giueth them there withal a testimonie of their constant abiding in the trueth of the Gospel Otherwise if the seducers had prenayled and if the Thessalonians had yéelded vnto them and receyued their errour hâ—…e woulde then haue framed his speeche vnto them after this manner Oh suffâ—…r your selues to hee aduised You 〈◊〉 not runne wel you haue lost the high way Giue place to the spirite of God submit your selues vnder his mightie hande refuse not the calling whereby hee hath
called by the name of GOD. I will not tell you in mine owne wordes Vnlesse the Bishop himselfe so speake I will not tell you Marke then and witnesse of my indifferencie whilest I speake hereof that I followe not affection but deale vprightly Therefore I say againe vnlesse the Bishop himselfe suffer himselfe to be called by the name of GOD I will not so saie of him Then let vs sée what hée hath written of himselfe and what hée hath suffered others to write Pope Nicholas saith Constat summum pontificem à pio principe Constantino Deum appellari It is wel knowen that the Pope of the godlie Prince Constantine was called God And therefore Pope Pius in his Bull saieth Nemo audeat obedire No man dare obey hir or her will or commaundements or lawes vpon paine of our curse The Pope was well content to suffer Christopher Marcellus one of his Parasites in the Councel of Laterane to say vnto him Tu es alter deus in terris Thou arte an other God in earth The Pope is content in such sorte to haue a diuision of tenures made betwéene him and God as the Poet sometime flatteringly wrote Divinsuni imperium cum Iove Caesar habet The Emperour parteth his rule and holdeth halfe with Iupiter In the Extrauagants it is set down Dominus de us noster Papa Our Lord God the Pope Marke these words Our Lord God the Pope In them the Pope is called Lord and is called God Oh merciful Lord God which from thy heauens beholdest this vanitie how great is thy mercie in suffering this I deuise not this His owne bookes his owne doctors his owne decrées and decretals speake it and set it downe Credere dominum deum nostrum Papam non potuisse statuere prout statuit Hereticum censeretur To beleeue that our Lord God the Pope might not decree as hee decrecd it were a matter of Heresie It is so written there he hath heard it he hath séene it he knoweth it is so yet he suffereth it to goe abroad and thereby suffreth himselfe to be called God He hath burnt many Saints of God and holie men for no other cause but for the profession of the Gospell He hath in manie places burnt the holie Bible and such bookes as teach nothing but godlinesse Where did he euer burne what speake I of burning where may it appeare that euer he controlled any for so writing or called in such spéeches One of them séemeth to take shame of this shamelesse and blasphemous stile or title He séeketh friendly to temper and qualifie and take vp the matter Nec deus es nec homo quasi neuter es inter vtrumque Thou arte neither God nor man in a manner thou arte neither of both but rather a meane betweene both That is thou art not so high as God nor yet so base as man Whom then shal we imagine him to be Is he an Archangell or Angel or a spirite of the aire God giue him grace to sée his owne vanitie that hée maie knowe he is but a miserable and mortal man that hée maie knowe that a time shall come when his hipocrisie and dissimulation shall be disclosed GOD giue him grace to become godlie as becommeth the man of God That he maie indéed be the minister of Christ and a disposer of the secrets of God that hee may serue God in trueth in holinesse and righteousnesse all the daies of his life But you saie the Pope at this daie is not called GOD. Hée rather abaseth himselfe and writeth himselfe by a title of humilitie and is called so Servus servorum The seruant of seruants Be it so that he is so called and so written yet he is King of Kings and Lord of Lordes This seruant saieth I doe make holie the vnholie I doe iâ—…stifie the wicked I doe forgiue sinnes I open and no man shutteth This seruant can saie whosoeuer obeyeth not mée hée shall be rooted out This seruant maie dispence for anie commaundement of the olde and newe Testament This seruant hath Christs lieftenantship not onelie ouer things in heauen ouer things in earth and ouer things in hell but also ouer the Angelles both good and bad No man maie iudge this seruant For they saie Papa solutus est omni lege humana The Pope is exempted from all lawe of man And againe Nec totus clerus nec totus umndus potest Papam iudicare aut deponere Neither all the Cleargie nor all the whole world maie either iudge or depose the Pope Such a power this seruant of seruantes claimeth to himselfe What greater power maie be giuen vnto GOD What Angel what archangel euer had the like power And this power euen at this day Pope Pius chalengeth as proper to his seate That hée hath the authority which is due to Christ ouer his Church that no man may iudge him nor say he doth erre nor aske why he doth so He is inuested in the priuiledge of his Church and loseth no one iote of his dignitie It is yet good at this day which hath béene set downe Sacrilegij instar esset disputare de facto papae It is sinne as great as sacriledge or Church robbing to reason of anie the Popes doinges These be their owne wordes God knoweth before whom we stande this day they be their owne wordes and not mine Thus doth he sit in the temple of God shewing himselfe that hee is God And therefore may we say as sometime sayd Eusebius Hoc est argumentum eos odisse deum quod veâ—…nt seipsos appellari Deos. This is an euident token that they hate God because they wil haue themselues called by the name of God Or as Gregory who speaking of Antichrist saide Cùm sit damnatus homo nequaquà m spiritus Deum se esse mentitur Whereas he is a cursed man and not a spirite he faigneth himselfe by lying to be a God V. 5. Remember ye not that when I was yet with you I told ye these thinges Before I departed from you to goe farther to plant the Gospel in other churches I tolde you that Antichrist should come and that hee should oppresse and confounde the Church of Christ. Paule was chosen to be an Apostle The office of an Apostle was not to rest in any one certaine place but to passe from countrey to countrey from lande to lande and to fil al the world with knowledge of the Gospel and therein appeareth the difference betwéene an Apostle and a Bishop A Bishop had the charge of one certaine Church an Apostle had the charge ouer al the churches But Paule was not tyed to any one citie or Ilande or countrey He had authoritie to preach to al cities and countries to al landes and Ilandes from the east to the west So did Christ appoint his Apostles Goe ye into all the worlde and preach the Gospel vnto euerie creature They were not sent to Ierusalem
nor to Samaria nor to Ephesus nor to Rome only but into al the world The whole world was their dioces and their prouince So speaketh the Prophet Dauid of them Their sounde is gone foorth through the earth and their wordes into the endes of the worlde This was the commission which our Saniour gaue vnto Iohn and to Iames to Paule and to Peter and to the rest of the Apostles that they should goe into al the world Therefore if any of the Apostles should haue staide in one only place and haue gone no farther he had offended and done otherwise than Christ commaunded Here we sée howe foulie they are deceiued which say Peter was Bishop of Rome and did sitte there fiue and twentie yeares They that say so knowe not what they say It is an errour Christ made Peter an Apostle and not to sit as a Bishop at Rome He sayde vnto Peter Goe into al the worlde thou shalt be a witnesse vnto me vnto y e outmost coasts of the earth I sende thee vnto al the churches and not to one alone The like charge receiued Paul he trauailed froÌ„ Damascus to Arabia from Arabia to Ierusalem from IerusaleÌ„ to Illyricum from Illyricum to Rome so from countrey to countrey and from coast to coast to make a pleasaunt perfume of the Gospel of God in al the worlde that it might be vnto them a sauour of life vnto life Therefore sayeth he to the Thessalomans Ye remember that when I was with you I tolde you these thinges The spirite of GOD warned me to goe farther Other churches required my presence I was debter vnto theÌ„ as vnto you Yet before I left you I told you what daungers shoulde â—…nsue It was mine office I was bounde so to doe least you might be deceiued I told you Antichrist should come euen that man of sin the sonne of perdition which should destroy himselfe and others also I tolde you he should be an aduersarie of the Gospel of Christ that he should aduaunce himselfe ouer al the kings and powers of the world that he should sit as God in the holy place that the people should giue him place to sit in their harts and in their consciences This warning the Apostle gaue to the Thessalonians The like warning he gaue to other Churches where he taught the Gospel and the same is also spoken vnto vs. They knewe by his teaching that Antichrist should come We know by the markes which he hath giuen to know Antichrist that he is alreadie come and that the very same is come which the Apostle describeth that he is growen vnto his fulnesse and hath stalled himselfe in the place of God V. 6. And nowe yee knowe what withholdeth that hee might bee reueyled in his time Paule séemeth not in these wordes to say what letteth the comming of Antichrist but what shal stay the comming of Christ. For so be maketh entrie into his matter I beseeche you by the coÌ„ming of our Lord Iesus Christ that ye be not troubled as though the day of Christ were at hand Let no man deceiue you by any meanes For the day of Christ shal not come except there come a departing first and that Antichrist be disclosed Euen so here he sayth ye know what withholdeth Christ and why he coÌ„meth not Euen this that Antichrist might first be reueiled in his time His time is appointed The spring commeth not vntil the winter haue gone before the night goeth before and then the day commeth And so shal not the glorious maiestie of Christs comming appeare before the dreadful and daungerous dayes of Antichrist shal come There shal be no deliuerie vnlesse bondage goe before Antichrist shal bring the worlde into bondage he shal do violence to the saints of God he shal be as a continual storme and darkenesse in the church The godly shal looke vp to heauen and cal for ayde they shal crie vnto the Lorde and he wil heare them They shal say O come Lord Iesus thy kingdome come confounde thine enemies Then wil hee not staie he wil appeare and she we himselfe in glorie In the meane while this is the cause of his stay this letteth his comming Antichrist must first come This I take to be the Apostles meaning It agréeth with the beginning It is simple cleare and plaine and without danger of errour Antichrist shal appeare not when he wil but he shalbe reuealed in his time His time is the time of darkenesse when shepheardes and the guides of the people shal be carelesse when the word shal be loathed when the light shall be put out when superstition shal reigne when ignorance shal haue the vpper hand when the creature shal not be knowen from the creator when there shal be no feare of God no regard of godlinesse when the people shal not knowe neither wherefore they pray nor whom they worship nor in whom they beleeue then shal it appeare that Antichrist is come then he shal shewe himselfe this is his time V. 7. For the mysterie of iniquitie doeth alreadie worke onely he which nowe letteth shal let til he be taken out of the way The mysterie of iniquitie doeth alreadie worke Let vs not be deceiued Antichrist shal certainly come and shal drawe many into errour As it was with Christ at his coÌ„ming he was in the world he did the workes of his father yet fewe knewe him So shal it be with Antichrist hee shal be in the worlde he shal worke his iniquitie and fewe shal know him Paule liued more than fiftéene hundred yeares past Yet then he saide the mysterie of the iniquitie doth alreadie worke The diuel is not idle sayth he Antichrist euen nowe worketh when as the bloud of Christ was fresh when as yet the Apostles and many other witnesses of our redemption by Christ were liuing And S. Iohn sayth Euen now are there many Antichrists come alreadie So soone was his foundation cast his plot laide his way prepared and his work begun So long sithens did Paul sée some which delited in the workes of darkenesse which were the enemies of the crosse of Christ which serued their belly and not the Lord euen then did he sée y e gréeuous wolues not sparing the flocke should enter in among them Al these were the forerunners and the harbingers of Antichrist We may not thinke y e Antichrist shal come as a robber by the high wayes or like a murtherer or like a tyrant that burneth our houses or sacketh our cities or destroyeth our fieldes or pulleth downe al that is before him Wee may not looke that hee should say I am Antichrist I am that man of sinne I am the sonne of perdition I am the aduersarie and am contrarie to Christ. He shal not shew forth himselfe in such a sort he shal not so speake of himselfe He is suttle and cunning hee shal deceiue the learned and the wise he shal cast himself into a colour of holinesse he shal fast he shal
and shall shew signes and wonders to deceiue if it were possible the verie elect Againe he saith Manie wil saie to me in that daie Lord Lord haue we not in thy name prophecied and by thy name cast out Diuels and by thy name done manie great workes and then wil I professe to them I neuer knew you depart from me ye that worke iniquitie These things shall Satan bring to passe vnder my name The Apostles wrought miracles thereby to confirme the Gospell which they preached As the Euangelist writeth The Lord wrought with them and confirmed the word with signes that followed And as the Apostle Saluation at the first began to be preached by the Lorde and was confirmed vnto vs by them that heard him God bearing witnesse thereto with signes and wonders and with diuers miracles and gifts of the holie ghost according to his wil. So shal Antichrist worke miracles to ouerthrowe the gospell As Iannes and Iambres withstood Moses so doe these also resist the truth men of corrupt mindes reprobate concerning the faith But they shall preuaile no longer for their madnesse shall be knowne to all men as theirs also was Aaron cast foorth his rod before Pharao and his seruaÌ„ts and it was turned into a serpent And the charmers of Aegipt did in like maner with their enchauntments Aaron smote the water and al the water that was in the riuer was turned into bloud and the inchaunters of Aegipt did likewise with their sorceries And as Aaron caused frogges to come and couer the land so the sorcerers did likewise with their sorceries But the illusions of the magical Artes came to naught saith Salomon and it was a most shamefull reproch for boasting their knowledge So shall Antichrist come in working signes and lying wonders as did Iannes and Iambres to desace the gospell and glorie of God It is not saide he shal worke wonders but false lying wonders But howe can his myracles be false If false howe be they myracles If myracles how be they false They shal be false after two sortes some are called false myracles bicause they séeme to be myracles and are not Some are called false myracles because they are vsed falsly to mainetaine his falshoode Of the first sorte of false myracles we haue séene an infinite number in the daiâ—…s of our fathers in the kingdom of Antichrist Then was there appearance of spirits and visions of Angels our Ladie came swimming downe from heauen poore soules came créeping and crying out of purgatorie and ietted abroad and kept stations casting stakes of fire and beset highwaies and bemoned their cases the pains and torments were so bitter They sought for helpe and cried for good praiers they cried for Diriges they cried for Masses of Requiem for masses of Scala coeli for trentals of masses Hereof grew portsale of pardoÌ„s hereof grew the prouince of purgatorie the most gainfull countrie that euer was vnder y e citie of Rome But these myracles were no miracles at al. They were deuised by suttle varlets and lazie lordaines for a purpose to get money Oftentimes the spirite hath béene taken and laide in the stockes the Angel hath béene stript good Ladie hath béene caught the conueyance and the miracle hath appeared the engines and sleights and the cause and the manner of the working hath béene confessed In those daies Idols could goe on foote Roodes could speake Belles coulde ring alone Images could come downe and light their owne candles Dead stockes coulde sweat and bestirre themselues they could turne their â—…ies they coulde mooue their hands they coulde open their mouths they could set bones and knit sineâ—…es they coulde heale the sicke and raise vp the dead These myracles were conueyaunces and suttleties and indéed no miracles The trunks by which they did speake the strings and wiâ—…rs with which they mooued their faces and bands al the rest of their treacherie hath béene disclosed These be the miracles of which Paul speaketh Miracles in sight but indéede no miracles The other sort of false miracles is when such things as be in déede wrought and done are vntruelie applied by Antichrist to maintaine his falshoode God giueth recouerie to the diseased the deafe receiue their hearing the blind receiue their sight He asswageth the tempests and staieth the rage of fire that it continue not These things are done by the finger of God Antichrist draweth vs from so thinking of the mercie of God and telleth vs we haue other friends to whom we are beholding which haue done so and so for vs. It was this Saint saith he it was that Saint that tooke pitie of your case and wrought the remedie for you It was Apollonia it was Genouefa it was Sitha it was our Ladie Such a Saint is able to do much such a Saint can worke miracles Hereof grew inâ—…ocation of Saints Hereof it came to passe that ech Saint was assigned allotted to his sundry charge and seueral office apart Saint Blase for the choaking Saint Roch for the pestilence Antonie for the burning Valentine for the falling sickenesse Romane for madnesse Apollonia for the toothach Petronilla for agues and others for other purposes Wherein it was wisely foreseene that they were so limited and ordered least perhaps else any one might be ouer saucie and incroch vppon and trouble his fellowes It was also foreséene that al saintes shoulde not haue power to worke in al places Some wrought at Canterburie some at Walsingham some at Yorke some at Buxton some in one place some in another some in the townes some in the fieldes Euen as Hieremie saide among the Iewes According to the number of thy Cities were thy Gods Hereof grewe Pylgrimages and Worshipping of Images and kissing of Reliques Hereof grewe oblations and enritching of Abbies Euerie man had his peculiar Saint on whome he called Euerie countrey was ful of Chappels euerie Chappel ful of myracles and euerie myracle ful of lies These myracles are wrought by Anti-thriste They are his tooles wherewith he worketh they are his weapons wherewith hée preuayleth They are ful of lying full of deceitfulnesse and ful of wickednesse So shal Antichrist preuaile and rule ouer the worlde By these myracles he shal possesse the eares the eyes and the heartes of manie and shall drawe them after him He shall shadowe the Moone and darken the Sunne and make the thirde part of the starres of heauen to followe him Hée shal chaunge light into darkenesse and darkenesse into light Hée shal worke in al thinges at his pleasure If a man sée wel hee shal make him blinde This is a myracle Such as are whole he shal make sicke he shal infect them with leprosie which before were cleane This is a myracle He shal chaunge the sense and féeling of nature hée shal make the sonne hate the father and shal make the Father hate the sonne yea to séeke the death of his sonne This is a myracle Hee shal make the
people mislike and doubt the word of God and imbrace his follies This is a myracle These be the workes of Antichrist which hée shal bring to passe This shall hée worke in al deceiueablenesse of vnrighteousnesse He shal come with al kindes and shiftes of deceite He shal come with shewe of praying with vizarde of fasting with companies of Monkes Fryers Chanons and al kinde and colour of holinesse He shal séeke to preuaile by threatning and by flattering by fayre meanes and by foule hee shal excommunicate and release from excommunication hée shal promise forgiuenesse of sinnes and life euerlasting He shal make boast of the Fathers and auncient doctours hée shal make boast of the vniuersal consent he shall boast of general councels he shal boast of Christes Apostles and of the Gospel of Christ and of the worde of GOD. So shal he falsely and deceitefully worke himselfe credite and beguile the worlde in abusing the holy name of God No kinde of deceitefolnesse or suttletie but he shal vse it So shal he make the people séeke vpon him and kings and emperours to fal downe before him and to say who is like vnto the beast who is so wise so learned so holie so wealthie so mightie and so catholike without him no man is to be rekoned holie or learned Without him no man may traffique buie nor sel. Without him no man may reade publiquely in Uniuersities no man may preach to the people no man may be accounted a Christian no man may hope to bee saued without him without his leaue and liking Such wonders such myracles shal he worke so shal he conquere and subdue the worlde Nowe who bee they which shal bee deceyued in whom shal he preuaile Among them that perish because they receiued not the loue of the trueth that they might be saued They shal be deceiued by him Which perish whose hearts are not marked with the spirite of God whose names are not written in the booke of life in whome the God of this world hath blinded the mindes that the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ shoulde not shine vnto them they shal followe him and shal be the children of damnation and shal haue their rewarde with him Be he learned or vnlearned bée he King or subiect albeit he be holie albeit hee be catholicke Antichrist shal come vnto him in al deceitefulnesse of vnrighteousnesse because hée hath not receiued the loue of the trueth that hée might bee saued Here marke he doeth not saye Because they receiued not the trueth but he sayth because they receiued not the loue of the trueth Manie in our dayes can speake thus I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ for it is the power of God vnto saluation to euery one that beleeueth for it is the sauour of life vnto life They can say There is giuen none other name vnder heauen whereby wee must bee saued neither is there saluation in anie other than by Iesus Christ whome we haue learned by the Gospel manie wil confesse there was neuer more nor better teaching since the time of the Apostles They séeme to receiue the trueth But they are like the horse and mule in whome is no vnderstanding They receiue it because the Prince receyueth it and because the politique lawes of countries establishe it They are carried awaye with the swaie of the worlde They heare it with their cares Nay I woulde GOD they woulde lende their eares to the hearing of it but with their heartes they doe not heare They haue no feeling of the worde of GOD and of the trueth They wetghe it not they loue it not They consider not what it is nor from whome it is sent They knowe not that it is the water of life and the breade which is sent from heauen They haue no tast no sauour nor pleasure in it Therefore it shall bée taken from them and giuen to a Nation which shall bring foorth the fruites thereof They shal be cast into vtter darknesse and the last state of them is worse than the first It had beene better for them not to haue knowen the waye of righteousnesse than after they haue knowen it to turne from the holie commaundement giuen vnto them It shoulde not be â—…harged vppon them for their damnation for our Sauiour sayeth If I had not come and spoken vnto them they shoulde not haue had sinne but nowe haue they no cloake for their sinne They finde no swéetenesse in the worde of GOD they are not conuerted by it that they may bee saued they haue no pleasure in the wayes of the Lorde they haue no comforte to knowe his will These bee the bondslaues of Sathan these be they vppon whome shall come the abhomination of desolation these be they against whom Sathan and Antichrist shal preuaile because they haue not receiued the loue of the trueth They haue not receiued it into their heartes that they might be saued They had no heartes to féele it they had no eyes to see it V. 11 And therefore God shal sende them strong delusion that they shoulde beleeue lyes 12. That al they might be damned which beleeued not the trueth but had pleasure in vnrighteousnesse The spirite of God is the spirite of trueth and giueth light into our heartes and maketh vs beholde that blessed hope and reioyce in the knowledge of his will Therefore the Prophete Dauid maketh prayer O God renue a right spirite within me and take not thy holy spirite from mee And againe O Lorde my GOD lighten mine eyes that I sleepe not in death And againe hee sayeth With thee is the wel of life and in thy light shall we see light Without this spirite we are but fleshe and bloud euen voide of sense and vnderstanding The natural man perceiueth not the thinges of the spirite of God for they are foolishnesse vnto him No man knoweth the thinges of GOD but the spirite of God And those thinges which God hath prepared for them that loue him he hath reuealed vnto vs by his spirite Christ sayth No man commeth to me except the father drawe him Vnlesse a man be borne from aboue vnlesse God print and seale his heart with his finger hee shall not be able to see the kingdome of God Nowe if we haue the worde of God before our eyes and regarde it not nor be thankeful for it nor set price by it God in his iustice wil withdrawe it from vs. Then shal we delight in darkenesse and haue pleasure in errour our latter ende shall be more dreadful than was our first beginning This is it which Paule saith God shal sende them strong delusion That is his holy spirite the spirite of trueth shall depart from their heartes and the power of Satan shal dwel with them and wholy possesse them This is the iust iudgement of GOD. And this is the condemnation that light is come into the worlde and men loued darkenesse rather than
shall set themselues against his holie will be they neuer so manie they shal be damned Let such marke wel what Ignatius who liued in the time of the Apostles hath saide Audivi quosdam dicentes si non invenero Evangelium in antiquis non credam Talibus autem ego dico quia mihi antiquit as Iesus Christus est cui non obeaire manifestus irremissibilis interitus est Ignaty epist. 5. ad Philadel I haue heard some which saie vnlesse I find the Gospell in them of olde time I wil not beleeue it But vnto such I saie that Iesus Christ is vnto me antiquitie Whome to disobey is manifest and vnpardonable destruction Let no man saie I hope I doe well my meaning is good I haue a desire to please GOD I beléeue well I doe my conscience If I doe aâ—…isse God will regard my simplicitie Let no man so saie Saint Augustine saith It is certain that a foolish faith not onelie doeth no good but also hurteth If thou beléeue not the truth thou dwellest in lying thou art the child of the Diuel which is a liar and the father thereof The mouth which speaketh lies slaieth the soule Thy faith is no faith it is but a wilful opinion it is but an errour for it is not according to the truth it is not built vppon the rocke it is not grounded on the word of God Change thine errour Faith is by hearing and hearing by the worde of GOD receiue the truth beléeue the truth and loue the truth Otherwise if thou refuse the breade of life and féede on poison if thou forsake the water of life and digge vnto thy selfe a Cesterne that wil holde no water thou shalt leade thy daies in wilfulnesse and shalt die in sinne thy bloud shall be vpon thine owne head Thou shalt not sâ—…e the glorie of God death and damnation shall be thy méede bycause thau hadst pleasure in wickednesse and diddest not giue thy heart to receiue and loue and beléeue the truth Nowe it remaineth that wée heare howe Antichrist shall be euerthrowen Wée haue séene his pompe and pride his might and power that hée ouerlooketh all the worlde bindeth all Kings and Princes and nations to kéepe his lawes and is himselfe exempted from all lawes of GOD or man So mightie and so maruailous is his power Who can declare it Hée is called of his owne side Stupor mundi The gaze stocke or wonder of the world Something lesse than God something more than man But being in all this estate in the middest of his Pontificalibus so fast mortized so high built vppe to the skies so surely shoared so strongly beset on euerie side hée shall be sodainely shaken downe and become the shame of the world How maie this be done being so mortized so built so shoared and so beset who shal shake him downe What power shall consume him shall it be the great power of Kings or of Emperours They shall giue their power and auctoritie to the beast and fight with the lamb that is against Christ. Shal it be the auctoritie of Bishoppes and Cardinalles and great Clearkes al they are lincked and ioined to him Shall it be by the wisedome and drift of Counsailours and men of lawe They be the féede men and sworne to him Shal it be the violence and conspiracie of the people They shall knéele downe to him and honour him and reuerence him as an Angell of God If neither the power of Doctours nor of Bishops nor Archbishops if not the power of Counsailors and men at lawe if not the power of the Kings and Princes of the worlde if not the power and commotion of the people if al these shal not abolishe him what power then is it wherewith he shall be consumed it shal be the power of God which shal be reuealed from aboue The Lorde shall consume him with the spirite of his mouth These wordes are diuersly taken Some â—…und them thus GOD shal appoint the great Angel Michael to set vppon Antichrist and he shal destroy him Others take these wordes to be spoken of the daie of iudgement and then this shal be fulfilled when Christ shall saie Departe from mee yee cursed into euerlasting fire that this is the spirit of the Lordes mouth wherewith hée shall be consumed But the Apostle speaketh of the preaâ—…hing of the gospel That God by his word which is mightie to doe al that whereunto hée appointeth it shal make his doings manifest and let al the world sée that he was not sent of God that he did neuer set foorth the glorie of God that hée hath not sought the saluation of the people that in matters of faith and in al his life he is aduersarie to Christ this is that breath that shal descrie his errours and vanities this is that spirite which shal consume the kingdome of Antichrist This ouerthrowe is alreadie begun as our eyes may beholde this day In like sort speaketh Esay the prophet He shal smite the earth with the rod of his mouth and with the breath of his lippes shal he slaie the wicked Princes make their conquests by power and strength by fire and sworde and engines of warre but God shal beate downe his aduâ—…rsarie with the râ—…d of his mouth By the true preaching of his worde His worde is mightie it is his sword it is his mace it is the rod of his mouth it is the breath of his lippes It is of great force no strength shal withstand it it shal finite the earth it shal â—…ea the wicked S. Paule sayth We doe not warre after the flesh for the weapons of our warfare are mightie through God to cast downe holdes This sword hath hewne downe in many places the crueltie tyrannie simonie insatiable gréedinesse the errours ignoraunce darkenesse vanities hipocrisie superstition and idolatry which haue bin brought into the church and vsed by Antichrist These were the pillars and strength and glorie of his kingdome And here marke the Apostles spéech Hée saith not God shal coÌ„uert Antichrist or change his heart that he may be saued But he sayth Whom the Lord shal consume Gods word is almightie By his word he can do whatsoeuer pleaseth him He can make the deafe to heare the blind to sée He was able to cal the théefe vpon the crosse vnto repentance He was able to raise vp Lazarus out of his graue He is able of stones to raise vp children to Abraham He can throw downe euery high thing that is exalted against the glorie of GOD and wil bring kinges and Princes and the rulers of the earth to the obedience of Christ. But of Antichrist it is sayd The Lorde shal consume him Such is the hardnesse blindnesse of his heart he wil not receiue the loue of the truth he wil not beléeue the trueth of God that he might be saued Therefore destruction shal come vpon him Hereby we are taught what to thinke or hope of
water of Tyber and Tyber is a riuer that runneth by Rome Ioachimus Abbas sayeth Antichrist is long since borne at Rome and shal be aduaunced in the Apostolique sée He is borne and sheweth himselfe not at Babylon not at Constantinople but at Rome These be plaine spéeches If any man doubt this let him reade their bookes they be extant abroade Antichrist shal sit in Peters chaire and Rome shal be the seate of his kingdome I haue tolde you he shal come when the state and maiestie of the Empire shal bee weakened Antichrist shal possesse the Emperours landes and beare the sword and weare his crownâ—… and shal make the Emperour fal downe and worship him and kisse his féete Hath there euer béene any such Bishop in the worlde Hath there I say euer béene anie such If euer there were any such Saint Paule sayth the same is Antichrist I tolde you the worlde shal fal downe and reuerence him and shal séeke life and salnation at his hands Iohn sayth they shal crie Oh who is like the beast who is like our holie father who is so wise so learned so holie they shal followe him whither soeuer hée wil leade them they shal eate what so euer he wil giue them And they which shal doe thus are such as haue no féeling no care no loue to the trueth of God Therefore God forsaketh them and leaueth them to follow liâ—…s I tolde you he shal preuaile by falshoode and by fained myracles by Bulles by Pardâ—…ns by Purgatories and by such other deuises and shifts of Sathan I tolde you he shal be contrarie to Christ in Sacramentes in sacrifice in prayers in life in doctrine in religion in the whole forme and order of the Church He shal shutte that Christ hath opened He shal open that Christ hath shutte He shal curse that Christ hath blessed and blesse that Christ hath cursed No man shal be accounted faithful no man catholike no man the sonne of the Church no man may be saued without him Such credite and countenaunce shal he beare I tolde you he shal be confounded and beaten downe by the force and power of Gods mightie worde His worde is omnipotent It shal disclose the workes of darkenesse it shal hewe downe Idolatrie Superstition and the whole kingdome of Antichrist as our eyes doe sée this day Blessed be God the father of our Lorde Iesus Christ his mightie hand hath wrought these thinges Hee hath triumphed the name of his Christ he wil blesse the thinges he hath begunne He wil ouerthrowe the whole power of Antichrist by his presence and by the glorie of his comming Then shal it appeare who is the successour of Peter who is the true vicar of Christ and who is Antichrist V. 13. But wee ought to giue thankes alwayes to God for you brethren beloued of the Lorde because that God hath from the beginning chosen you to saluation through sanctification of the spirite and the faith of trueth 14. Whereunto hee called you by our Gospel to obtaine the glorie of our Lord Iesus Christ. God hath chosen you froÌ„ the beginning his election is sure for euen The Lorde knoweth who are his You shal not be deceiued with the power and suttletie of Antichrist you shal not sal from grace you shal not perish This is the comfort which abydeth with the faithful when they beholde the fal of the wicked When they sée them for sake the trueth and delight in fables When they sée them returne to their vomit and to wallowe againe in the myer When we sée these thinges in other we must say alas they are examples for mée and they are lamentable examples Let him that standeeh take héede that he fal not But God hath loued me and hath chosen me to saluation His mercie shal goe before mée and his mercie shal follow in me His mercie shal guide my féete and stay me from falling If I stay by my selfe I stay by nothing I must néedes come to grounde Although al the worlde shoulde be drowned with the waues of vngodlinesse yet wil I holde by the boate of his mercie which shal safely preserue me If al the world be set on fire with the flame of wickednesse yet wil I créepe into the bosome of the protection of my Lorde so shal no flame hurt me He hath loued me he hath chosen me he wil kéepe mée Neither the example nor the companie of others nor the entising of the diuel nor mine owne sensual imaginations nor sworde nor fire is able to separate me from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lorde This is the comfort of the faithful So shal they wash their hands in the bloud of the Lambe Therefore saieth Paule you are my children I haue begotten you in Christ God hath giuen you vnto mee he hath made the Gospel which is come vnto you by my ministerie fruiteful in you I ought to giue God thankes alwayes for you Whatsoeuer falleth vpon others although others fal and perish although they forsake Christ and followe after Antichrist yet God hath loued you and giuen his sonne for you he hath chosen you and prepared you to saluation hath written your names in the booke of life But howe may we knowe that God hath chosen vs howe may we sée this election or howe may we feele it the Apostle saith Thorough sanctification and the faith of trueth these are tokens of Gods election Haue you receiued the gospel it is the light of the world it teacheth vs to knowe that God is God and that wee are his people The credite you giue to the Gospel is a witnesse of your election We beléeue what soeuer God speaketh because it is the worde of God For his word is trueth We beléeue that Christ is the lambe of God that he hath taken away the sinnes of the world because it is the word of God We beléeue that the bloud of Iesus Christ cleanseth vs from al sin because it is the word of God We beléeue Christ came to saue sinners Because it is the worde of God We beléeue God wil deferre his wrath and will shews mercie for himselfe for his owne names sake because it is the worde of God We beléeue they that trust in the Lorde shal not be confounded because it is the worde of God We beléeue we are saued by grace through faith and that not of our selues it is the gift of God not of workes least any man should boast because it is the word of God We beléeue without faith it is impossible to please God and againe that faith commeth by hearing and again that it is the gift of God because it is the word of God It is the trueth We beléeue that Antichrist shal be confounded and bereft of al his glorie because the worde of the Lord hath spoken it His word is righteousnes and truth We wil alwaies beléeue that is true therfore we cannot but
beléeue the word of God Faith knoweth no falshood it beholdeth the truth onely and not al truth but the truth of God It is not setled vpon vanities nor vpon errors Unlesse it be truth by the word of God whatsoeuer thou holdest in opinion is not to be called faith The Turke is setled in errors he perswadeth himselfe hee is rightly setled he calleth his opinions Faith and beléese Yet this is not faith because it is not the faith of truth it hath not the worde of GOD to assure it Therefore when men wil say beléeue our Masses beléeue our sacrifices beléeue our transubstantiations and our real presences beléeue vs what soeuer we say beléeue that we can not erre beléeue that you are in a good beléefe if you say you beléeue as the Church beléeueth though you knowe not how or what y e Church beléeueth They abuse and mocke the people of God There is no truth in this doctrine It neuer past out of the mouth of God God ordeined not Masses nor that the priest should offer sacrifice for the quicke and dead Therefore it is no matter of faith it is folly and vanity it is vngodlinesse it is errour it hath no substance He that receiueth such doctrine maketh much of a shadowe he can not hold it Faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the worde of God The worde of God is trueth The Gospel is the worde of God and the power of God to saue them that beléeue The beliefe of the Gospel is laide vp in our heartes by the spirite of God He bringeth vs to the knowledge of the trueth This spirite beareth witnesse vnto our spirite that we are the sonnes of God This spirite teacheth vs to withdrawe our mindes from worldly cares to cal our doings to a reckoning to thinke of the dreadful day of iudgement to repent for our former sinnes and to serue GOD in holinesse and righteousnesse This spirite sheweth vs the mercy of God helpeth vs to pray and prayeth for vs is our comforter helpeth our inâ—…irmities and maketh vs knowe the things that are giuen vs of GOD. This did Dauid sée when he praied Create a cleane heart in mee oh God and renue a right spirit within mee My heart is sinfull my heart is foule renue it with thy spirite thy spirite in right he shall make my heart cleane Againe take not thy holie spirit from me I am thy seruant and the sonne of thy handmaiden turne thy farâ—… awaie from my sinnes beâ—…lde me and receiue me in thy mercie Restore me to the light of thy countenance Open thou my lippes and my mouth shal shew foorth thy praise stablish me with thy frée spirit This strength we gather in God by his spirite This comforteth vs in al temptations and â—…areth witnesse with our spirit that we be the children of God that God hath chosen vs and doth loue vs and hath prepared vs to saluation that wée are the â—…eires of his glorie that God will kéepe vs as the apple of his eiè that de wil defend vs and we shall not perish V. 15. Therefore brethren stand fast and keepe al the instructions which yee haue beene taught either by word or by our epistle God hath set you in a race Let no man hinder you let no man kéepe you from the goale Stand past and kéepe that doctrine which you haue 〈◊〉 I was present with you I taught you by 〈◊〉 of mouth when I was away from you I taught you by letters I am carefull for you I beare you in my heart and loue you 〈◊〉 Christ Jesus Hée hath giuen me charge euer you hee will require you at my handes I haue clensed and garnished your hearts by the word of trueth take héede take héede the wicked spirit come not and bring seaâ—… spirites worse than himselfe and enter in and â—…el with you and the end of you be worse than the beginning Remember Lots wife shée went not foorth straight into the maie appointed her but looked backe behind hir and she became a pillar of salt and so continueth vntill this daie A terrible example to those which haue set their hand to the plough and looke backe againe and haue made themselues vnworthie the kingdome of heauen God will forsake such and make their hearts hard as a stone You are the â—…ome of the Lordes fielde God hath blessed you growe then and be fruitfull vntill the haruest that you may be gathered into the Lordes barne You are the light of God which God himselfe hath kindled let no pâ—…ffe of wind put you out You are the house of God God hath built you vppon a rocke let no violence nor tempestuous-weather beate you downe I haue spoken to you I haue written to you I haue shewed you the whole counsaile of God The word which I spake to you is the verie worde of God I testitie before the Lord and call God to witnesse vnto my soule that it is the truth of God and not anie deuise of man You did beléeue it you receiued it not as the word of men but as it is indeede the word of God Become not now vnfaithful although you spie many infirmities in your teachers although you sée them fal into offences and ware couetous and giue euil example in their life and conuersation Although you sée the faith of manie shalten and that they haue put away from them a good conscience and turne backe from the loue of the gospell which they once séemed to professe and so are gone out from among you yet stande you vpright Hold fast y e doctrine which you haue receiued and continue in the things which you haue learned and be perswaded that they are able to make you wise vnto saluation through the faith which is in Christ Jesus Christ saith woe be to the worlde because of offences whosoeuer shal offend one of these litle ones which beléeue in mée it were better for him that a milstone were hanged about his necke and that hée were drowned in the deapth of the sea And againe hee saith Blessed is he which is not offended in me Therefore worke your own saluation in trembling and in feare Blessed is he that abideth with Christ in temptations and continueth faithfull vnto the end V. 16. Nowe the same Iesus Christ our Lorde and our God euen the father which hath loued vs and hath giuen vs euerlasting consolation and good hope through grace 17 Comfort your hearts and stablish you in euerie worde and good worke After his exhortation that they would stand fast and continue faithfull vnto the ende hée turneth himselfe to God and praieth him to looke vppon them mercifully downe from heauen and to fulfill the worke begunne and to increase and multiplie his grace in them So ought al Preachers and seruantes of God to doe in their sermons For alas what are we what is our worde what is our labour without the assistance of God We are onelie the voice of a crier
in the wildernesse wée call vppon the people to prepare the waie of the Lorde and to make his paths straight wée giue warning that the Lord is euen at hand He that teacheth is nothing hée that planteth is nothing he that watereth is nothing our tongue is nothing our word is nothing our wit is nothing Peter is nothing Paul is nothing It is God which openeth the hearts of the people and maketh them tremble at his words It is God which giueth the increase and maketh his worde to be of force The Prophet saith The Lord gaue the worde great was the companie of Preachers It is the worke of GOD both to make his worde mightie and to make the people to receiue it and yéelde vnto it Hée giueth vs hearts to féele the comfort of his word and to yéeld our obedience in doing as the worde requireth For he is the father of lights from whom al giftes are powred downe vppon vs. Wée are the children of Adam wée are flesh and bloud and nothing but vile claie and ashes Our eies are dimme our senses dul and our hearts heauie Christ telleth vs truely Without me ye can do nothing neither heare the word nor beléeue it I marke your presence that you are manie gathered together this daie in this place Euerie man séemeth to stand with bent countenance and earnest lookes and desirous to learne And albeit I which speake am but a worme vnworthie to créepe vppon the earth yet the word which we haue heard is the word of God the word of comfort and the word of life But God knoweth in al this companie how manie haue eares to heare In the Acts of the Apostles when God opened their harts they vnderstoode the Scriptures Before they heard and knew not what they heard Paule preached Lydia a woman which solde purple heard him the Lord opened her heart that shée hearkned vnto Paul Then she vnderstoode his words and beléeued This comfort is of God who hath loued vs and hath giuen vs euerlasting consolation he wil giue you vnderstanding hearts and will stablish you in euerie word and good worke CHAP. 3. FVrthermore brethren praie for vs that the word of the Lord maie haue free passage and be glorified euen as it is with you PRaie for me that I may be a faithfull seruante doing the will of GOD from my heart that he will open my mouth boldly to publish the secret of the Gospell and to declare the riches and glorie of his kingdome For of my selfe I am nothing I haue not the key of Dauid I cannot giue light vnto the worâ—…e and am not able to open the hearts of the people That the word of God may haue free passage he saieth not praie for vs that my word may haue passage or that my name may be spoken of and glorified or that the people may beholde my doings and talke of me For we preach not our selues but Christ Iesus the Lorde and our selues your seruants for Christes sake I am but an vnprofitable seruant I am the poore Ore that treadeth out the wheate I am a poore crier to proclaime the will of the Lorde Praie you that the worde of the Lorde may haue frée passage that the Gospell of Christ may be glorified that the hearts of the people may be readie and gréedie to receiue it that the kingdome of Heauen suffer violence and the violent take it by force that the worde may so possesse the heartes of the people as fire hath passage through stubble that it may shine as the sunne beames ouer al the worlde that it may be knowne from Cast to Weast and from North to South In this forte pray that the worde may haue a glorious entraunce into you and also among other Héerein shall appeare the loue you haue to the Saintes and the zeale you beare to the house of God when you wish others to be partakers of his blessednesse with you when you séeke not your owne glorie but the building of the Church of Christ when you praie that GOD will be mercifull vnto otherâ—… as vnto you that a light may be giuen to them which sitte in darkenesse and in the shadow of death that they may knowe the time of their visitation Such a praier made Dauid God be merciful vnto vs and blesse vs and cause his fare to shine among vs that they may knowe thy waie vpon earth thy sauing health among al nations Let the people praise thée oh God let al the people praise thée Thus did Hieremie praie Turne thou vs vnto thee oh Lord and we shall be turned Giue vs a new heart and a new spirit encline our hearts vnto thy testimonies that wée may knowe and feare thy name So did Christ teach vs to praie Halowed be thy name among the infidels which knowe thée not let thy name be had in reuerence among al people Thy kingdome come thy will be done There is no other God but onelie thou let al the earth come and worship thée Euen so must we also pray that the word of God may haue frée passage and his name be glorified in al places V. 2. And that we may be deliuered from vnreasonable and il men for al men haue not faith 3. But the Lorde is faithfull which will stablishe you and keepe you from all euill 4. And wee are perswaded of you thorowe the Lorde that yee both doe and will doe the thinges which wee commaunde you 5. And the Lorde guide your heartes to the loue of GOD and the wayting for of Christ. From vnreasonable and euil men Which conspire against the Lorde and his annointed which blaspheme that good name that is called vpon vs. Such were Iannes and Iambres which resisted Moses in the time of the lawe Such were they in the time of the Prophets which saide The worde that thou hast spoken vnto vs in the name of the Lorde wee wil not heare it of thee But we wil doe whatsoeuer thing goeth out of our owne mouth as to burne incense to the Queene of Heauen as we haue done both we and our fathers our Kings and our Princes Such were in the time of the Gospel the Scribes and the Pharises Which made the commaundement of God of no authoritie by their tradition Which turned darknesse into light and light into darkenesse Such was Alexander the copper smith Such were others The whole Scriptures are ful of such They were false prophets false Apostics false brethren They cauled diâ—…sion in the church They went out to preach in the name of Christ but inwardly they were rauening woolues Such were in the dayes of our fathers and such there are in our dayes such Iannes and Iambres such idol worshippers such srorners of Gods word such scribes and Pharises such Alexanders such false prophets false Apostles and false brethren we haue more than a good many in our dayes They pretend the Gospel no man more In company of protestants
hande is mightie his worke shal stande his word is forcible his hey is the key of Dauid it openeth and no man shutteth it shutteth and no man openeth God is departed from thy heart his spirite wil not dwel in a filthie soule there is no agréement betwéene God and Belial Thy soule is voyde of grace and of the feare of God What becommeth of thee in this case Whither doest thou goe into what miserie doest thou fal into the gulfe of death into the seate of pestilence and the power of Sathan and the snares of the Diuel into a reprobate minde Thy heart followeth him thy soule serueth him He is the father of al the children of disobedience and his children followe him Thou art filthie and increasest in filthinesse the feare of God is not before thée thou doest not acknowledge thy sinne because of the blindnesse of thy heart Wreake not thy selfe vppon thy neighbour that accused thée nor vppon the Iudge that pronounced sentence against thée The sentence is none of his this is not his worke he hath not iudged thée The hande of God is stretched foorth to thy punishment it is thine owne life and wickednesse which forceth indgement vppon thée The Iudge sitteth in the place of GOD in the seate of iustice hée can not blesse that GOD hath cursed hee must néedes doe right and eqâ—…ie Hee séeth the abhomination of thy life 〈◊〉 séeth the filthinesse which thou hast done in the house of God and therefore saieth In nomine Dei c. in the name of the liuing God and of Iesus Christ before whome I stande and before whome al flesh shall appeare by the authoritie of his word and by the power of the holie ghost I diuide thée from the felowshippe of the Gospell and declare that thou arte no more a member of the bodie of Christ thy name is put out of the booke of life thou hast no parte in the life to come thou arte not in Christ and Christ is departed from thée I deliuer thée to Sathan the Prince of darknesse Thy rewarde shall be in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone Thou shalt sterue and wither and not abide The grace of GOD is taken out of thy heart The face of the Lorde is vppon al them that doe euill they shall not taste of his mercie As for the Iudge and Minister which giueth sentence against thée hée mourneth and lamenteth for thée When he striketh thée hée striketh himselfe We are al one flesh and one bloud and al together make one bodie and are one an others members Therefore when he doth excommunicate thée from the brethren he cutteth off an arme from his owne bodie Ieremie dealt roughly with the people that offended God and threatned them that the enimie should come vpon them the sworde shoulde deuoure them and they shoulde be vtterly destroied yet he wished that he had a streame of teares that his hart might haue wherwith to mourne for their transgressions Dauid praieth that God will stretch foorth his hand vpoÌ„ the wicked Scatter them abroad by thy power and put them downe oh Lorde our shield Againe Let them be chaffe before the winde and let the Angel of the Lord scatter them And againe Let their table be a snare before them and their prosperitie their ruine Againe Let his praier be turned into sinne Aide him not heare him not when hée calleth vnto thée Yet he saith I saw the transgressours and was grieued because they kepte not thy word I pined away and consumed to death the griefe was so deadly vnto my soule Christ cried out woe vppon Corazin and Bethsaida vppon the Scribes and Pharises yet when he came nigh to Ierusalem he wept ouer it saying Oh if thou haddest euen nowe at the least in this thy daie known those things which belong vnto thy peace but nowe are they hidde from thee Thine enimies shall make thee euen with the grounde they shall not leaue in thee a stone vpon a stone because thou knowest not the time of thy visitation Euen such a sorrowe also had Saint Paule for those that offended God Who is weake and I am not weake who is offended and I burne not My bodie is shaken my heart is wounded for them such a care haue I for the church of God It is reported of Iohn the Euangelist that hée commended a yongman to the education of a certaine Bishop nigh to Ephesus and when he heard that he was fledde and followed the companie of such as were dissolute riotous and giuen ouer to al manner lewâ—…sse hée was carefull for him and sought him out And came to the place where he and ill companie were When the yongman knew him he was astonied and â—…ed awaie from him But the olde man followed him and cried Oh my child turne againe turne vnto me I am thy father I haue begotten thée in Christ Iesus I come not to hurt thée there is yet hope of saluation I will make answere vnto Christ for thée Fall to the ground holde vp thy hands aske mercie of God he is mercifull and will receiue thée At these wordes the yongman cast downe his weapons and trembled and wept bitterly and was conuerted When Dauid heard of the destruction of that wicked wight Absalon he wrong his hands and wept saying O my sonne Absalon my sonne my sonne Absalon woulde God I had died for thee oh Absolon my sonne my sonne Such a care such a loue and zeale hath a godlie minister ouer his people if he be a true pastor which hath taken his calling from God and hath due consideration of his charge He wéepeth for the sinnes of the people as did Ieremie he gusheth out into teares and consumeth awaie as Dauid bicause of the vngodlie he is wounded at heart and trembleth as Paul to sée them perish He séeketh for them calleth after them that they maie returne to him as did Iohn the Cuangelist and is willing to die for their sake if so be he might redéeme them as Dauid was for Absalon The people are his children he is their father Albeit they be wicked and filthie yet he presenteth himselfe before God for them and poureth foorth his praiers and saith sanctifie them oh Lorde sanctifie them with thy trueth thy word is truth Let their hearts sée the wrath to come and thy heauie displeasure which they haue deserued and hangeth ouer their heads They are thine saue them and let not satan preuaile against them Turne them oh Lorde and they shall be turned Giue them a newe heart and renew a cleane spirite in them that they may feare thée al the dayes of their life Turne away the captiuitie of their soules Bring them to the fellowshippe of the Gospel make them liuely stones méete for thy building builde vp the walles of Hierusalem So careful is a good minister for the people of his charge be they neuer so vngodly Yea the more they lack
a pullie and binde great weights of leade at their héeles to rent them and teare their bodies asunder Some they haue tied vnto great péeces of timber and haue put fire at the soales of their féete They haue opened their mouthes and made them drawe in Lawne into their bodie A thing most cruel and yet which they haue practised the maner whereof hath béene thus reported They laie it so farre in the mouth that a mans breath easily draweth it into his bodie and so it is conueighed into the stomacke When it is wel setled then commeth the tormentour and taketh the Lawne by the other ende and rasheth it sodainelie with such a force as it séemeth he doth plucke out the verie heart and entrailes such a rare strange kinde of crueltie as is not practised vpon most notorious rebels and traitors As for death 40 or 50 at one time haue béene heaped together and burnt in one fire They haue set vpon the seruauntes of God and compassed the Church where they haue assembled togither to pray vnto God and murthered them in their innocencie whiles they lifted vp pure handes vnto God The French king by the counfaile of such as hate the Gospel of Christ sent his cruel souldiers and murthered his subiects at Valois He ouerthrew their houses burnt their Towne destroyed man woman and childe spoyled their corne and turned their trées vpside downe He wasted defaced vnpeopled it not for that they were théeues or rehels but because they beléeued in the name of Christ. Consider how many are murthered in Flaunders and in the kingdome of Fraunce They are not so farre from vs as Iudea from Thessalonica They ioyne next vnto vs. God is blessed in his saints and holy in al his workes no crueltie is able to quench his truth There is no counsel which shal preuaile against the Lord. He giueth increase and placeth children in fréede of their fathers The more are slaine by the enemies the more spring up by the working of his spirite The more are hewne downe the more multiplie We may not be strangers in this case It beboueth vs to consider the afflictions of our brethren They belong vnto vs We must pray to God for them that he wil put an ende to their misenies otherwise wee haue not the spirite of God we beare no loue nor care for his bause Of your countrey men This was the greatest and beauiest part of their troubles For what a heartes griefe is it to the father if his sonne rise vp against him or to the sonne to sée his father readie to betray him and to seeke his bloud Where this is done he will say O father I am thy sonne alas what haue I done to haue thy displeasure death is bitter but thy displeasure is more bitter than death It were a cruel thing that any man should kil an other what is it then if thou shouldest kil thine own child yet if thou be so bent take my life and spare my conscience spare my soule that I may deliuer it vp into his handes that hath giuen it me I would be obedient vnto thée thou art my father but I may not disobey God He is the father of fathers He hath saide He that loueth father or mother more than me he is not worthy of me It is a miserable case when persecution groweth so hot y â— the child is driuen to forsake his father or the father his child yet so doth the world blind many Satan so possesseth their harts y â— he turneth their loue into hatred and shutteth their senses and thoaketh and dammeth vp the springes of nature They become so blind and so unsensible that they neither féele their owne fleshe nor know their owne bloud They thinke in so doing they doe God good seruice They are enemies to the truth They are y e enemies of the crosse of Christ their end is destruction And forbid vs to preach vnto the gentiles that they might bee saued This is the ende whereunto the Gospel is giuen that the people should be saued S. Paule sayth God wil that al men shal bee saued and come to the knowledge of the truth Therefore our Saniour appointed his Apostles to this office of preaching his word saying Go and preach the gospel vnto al nations Goe vnto the lost sheepe of Israel He sayth It is not the wil of my father that one of these little ones should perish Whosoeuer beleeueth and shal bee baptised shal be saued S. Iames exhorteth the faithful Receiue with meekenesse the worde that is graffed in you which is able to saue your soules By it we heare the swéete voyce of our Sauiour Come vnto mee all ye that trauaile and be heauily loaden and I wil refrosh you By it we heare the merciful calling of God Turne vnto mee and ye shal be saued By it we are warned to depart from the companie of such as are enemies to the truth and to haue no fellowshippe with the vnfruitful workes of darkenesse Saue your selues sayth S. Peter from this frowarde generation By it we are taught to beléeue that Jesus Christ is the sonne of GOD that â—…is name is Jesus because he shal saue his people from their sinnes and that there is not salnation in any other besides him For faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God This is therefore the dutie of the preacher to preach vnto the people that so they may be saued that they may knowe the wayes of GOD that they may repent them of their sinnes and be renewed vnto godlinesse Who would thinke there were any that would hinder the course of the Gospelâ—… or forbid to preach it unto the people The Apoâ—…e here layeth that fault to the Jewes That they forbid him to preach to the Gentiles The same fault Christ founde in the Scribes and Pharises Woe be to you interpreters of the lawe for ye haue taken away the keye of knowledge ye entred not in your selues and them that came in ye forbad Sâ—… there haue béene alwaies and such there are now O say they why should y â— people know these thinges what should they meddle with the scriptures let them do their businesse and apply their occupations It is not reason not fit that euery one should be learned When they thinke they know somewhat they become proud and denise heresies and maintaine them as if God had not left them to enstruct the people or as if the holy scriptures and not the malice at Sâ—…tan were the cause of heresies But God hath said Gather the people together men 〈◊〉 women and children and thy stranger that is within thy gates that they may heare and that they may learne and feare the Lord your God and keepe and obserue all the words of this law The Prophet Dauid thought it méete y e people shold know the scriptures therefore said Blessed is that man whose delight is in the law of
the Lord and in that lawe doeth exercise himselfe day and night And againe Wherewith shal a yong man redresse his waies In keeping thy words When Christ himselfe came first into the world to plant his Church he vourhsafed the poore and simple the knowledge of his trueth and the wed it first vnto them The first that had tidings of his birth were not Scribes and Pharises out a company of poore shéepheards The first that receiued his gospel taught it in the world were not doctors or learned men barâ—…rs tol-gatherers of base condition The first that met him with triumph at Ierusalem and sang Ozanna were not Bishoppes and priests but babes and infants They that followed him most and beléeued were not the greatest men of power and policy but such as the Pharises termed a cursed people which knew not the law The first that told the Apoâ—…les the resurrection of Christ were not the sagest and wisest men but two or thrée séelie women The first that were â—…nuerted to the faith after his resurrection were not any of the great learned or other wise estéemed known among the people but about 3000. poore séely simple men so base so out of knowledge that not one of their names could euer be knowne Why should any man resist the wisedom of God and denie the people the breade whereon they should féed the light by which they maie safelie walke the hearing and reading of the word by which they may be turned to GOD from idols to serue the liuing and true God they haue cruel hearts and are enimies to the glorie of God and to the saluation of his people which in such sorte denie them the knowledge of the Scriptures To fulfil their sinnes alwaies They haue resused the word of reconciliation they are not contented that they haue stoned the prophets killed them that were sent to the but they yet resist the holie Gospel deuise meanes to kéepe al others from the comforte thereof This is a token of Gods heauie displeasure vpon them that they repent not of their former â—…uils but grow worse and worse When the Scribes Pharises séemed to â—…ike the crueltie of their fathers said if they had béen in their daies they would not haue béen partners with them in the vloud of the prophets our sauiour maketh their hipocrisie knowne that herein they should be like to their fathers for they shoulde kil and crucifie the prophets and wise meÌ„ and scourge them in their sinagogues persecute them from citie to city said to them Fulfil ye also the measure of your fathers The cause of this indgement of God in giuing ouer the wicâ—…ed to increase the heape of their sins the Apostle setteth down to y e Romanes As they regarded not to know God so God deliuered theÌ„ vp vnto a reprobat mind to do those things which are not conuenieÌ„t For so he somtimes punisheth our sins suffereth the wicked to heape sin vpon sin y e so their daÌ„nation may be y e greater For the wrath of God is come on them to the vtmost Though GOD he patient and long suffring because he would haue all men come to repentance yet in whom his mercie taketh no place to worke their amendment vpon them he poureth out his wrath and indignation to the utmost He meaneth not that al the whole nation of the Jewes were so caâ—… out of the fauour of GOD that neuer anie of them shall be saued for in an other place he faith Hath God cast away his people God forbid For I my selfe am an Israelite of the seede of Abraham of the tribe of Beniamin God hath not cast away his people which he knew before But miserable shall be their end and a terrible damnation shall they haue whosoeuer withstand the truth of God and to the rest of their wickednesse ioine such a hatred and dispitefull contempt of the poore and simple sort of the people that they kéepe them from the wholesome wordes of doctrine and forbid such as are willing to preach vnto them This is their condemnation that light came into the world and they loued darkenesse better than light They persecute vs saith Saint Paule and forbid vs to preach vnto the Gentiles that they might be saued to fulfil their sinnes alwaies for the wrath or God is come on them to the vtmost V. 17 Forasmuch brethren as wee were kept from you for a season concerning sight but not in heart we enforced the more to see your face with great desire 18 Therefore wee would haue come vnto you I Paul at least once or twice but Sathan hindred vs. He tolde them before how dearely and tenderly he loued them exhorting comforting and be séeching euerie of them as a father his children He taketh care least by anie meanes they should doubt of his great good wil to ward them And therefore doeth both witnesse the same and shew them through what cause hée hath staied from them Such a zeale and care had he ouer the people O in what case then are they that are carlesse and make no regard of the people of God which hunt after manie liuings and bend not themselues to do good which serue their owne bellie and séeke to be rich and eate vp the people of God as if they were breade They cannot say they haue a desire to sée the face of their flocke and that their heart is with them Howsoeuer they finde time for other matters they can neuer take time to know their shéepe and to doe the worke of their ministerie among them They care not for them they thinke not of them They plant not they water not they watch not they giue no warning of the daungers at hand they teach them not to denie ungodlinesse and worldlie lusts and to liue soberly and righteously and godlie in this present world It were happy if al such were remoued out of the Church of GOD. They destroie the soules of manie and leade them to destruction by their negligence What accompt shall they giue vnto GOD for the soules of their â—…rethren where shall they stand or what will they saie when he shall bidde them make a straite accompt of their stewardship this is the practise of Sathan He vseth al meanes to snare vs and withdraw vs from that blessed hope Sometimes he letteth the encrease of the Gospell by raising vp tumultes and disquieting the Church of God and stirring the hearts of such as are in auâ—…tie to perfecute by al meanes the teachers of the Gospell of Christ. Againe when God giueth peace and quietnesse to his Church he leadeth the ouerséers of the people to a forgetfulnesse of their duetie to séeke the pleasures and delights of this life and to haue no regard of the worke of the Lord. Such occasions the Diuel seeketh to hinder our saluation and to withstand the truth and glorie of God V. 19 For what is our hope or ioy