discouraged to flie any more neyther could he haue auoyded the name of a deceyuer if nowe he woulde rather haue prouyded for his owne safegard than obeyed god So read we that Christ fledde when he knewe his howre was not yet come But when it was come he went to his death pacientlye and without feare Therefore whosoeuer is in any publike office or charge let them set this rule before them and let them not thinke they may leaue them whose mindes they see bent to persist in Gods vocation But if the malice of the people be such that they first forsake their dutie and dishonestly reiect their magistrates be they secular or preachers of the worde faythfully doing their dutie there is no cause but that they maye as Christ hath commaunded seeke their owne suretie by flying and spare themselues for better times and oportunitie Here the obedience of fayth tempered with the loue of God and our neyghbour shall be much profitable For this shall cause that we be not blinded and deceyued with priuate affections God graunt that we all being mindfull of his grace and good will maye diligently defende our vocation that being with right course come to the marke of blisse we maye liue in heauen with Iesus Christ our Lorde to whome be prayse honour power and glory for euer Amen The .xlix. Homelie AND when fourtie yeres were expyred there appeared to him in the wildernesse of Mount Sina an Aungell of the Lorde in a flame of fire in a bushe When Moyses sawe it he woondred at the sight And as he drewe neare to beholde the voyce of the Lorde came to him I am the God of thy fathers the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Iacob Moyses trembled and durst not beholde Then sayde the Lord to him Put of thy shooes from thy feete for the place where thou standest is holye grounde I haue perfitely seene the affliction of my people which is in Aegypt and I haue hearde their groning and am come downe to deliuer them And now come and I will sende thee into Aegypt BIcause Steuen was accused by his aduersaries that he had spoken wicked and blasphemous wordes agaynst Moyses and all the ceremonies of God giuen by Moyses therefore he comprehendeth in fewe wordes yet with sufficient exposition all the hystorie of Moyses partly to shewe that he thought reuerently of him and partlye to prooue that the saluation of manne ought to be attributed to no ceremonies bicause whatsoeuer good or excellent thing was in Moyses he had it through no desert of his but by the meere grace and fauour of god The principall scope and ende of all these thinges is to call the Iewes from the vayne affiaunce that they had in the Ceremonialles of the lawe and to trust in the onely grace of God through christ And to this ende he declared Moyses maner of birth his bringing vp and first conuersation among the Israelites shewing further howe vnworthie their fathers declared them selfe to be of such a deliuerer seeing they reiected him with the greatest ingratitude that could be in so much that he was fayne to liue like a banished man among the Madianites Nowe foloweth the solemne calling of Moyses wherby he was restored to his office agayne in the which that we may the more easily perceyue the tokens of Gods fauour we will consider euery poynt thereof in order First the time is noted when Moyses was called It was the fourtyeth yeare of his banishment in Madian which came to passe in the fowrescore yeare of his age Then he ioyneth the place where he was and his kinde of lyfe For he sayth he was in the wildernesse where he kept the sheepe of Iethro his father in lawe as may be seene Exod. 3. Nowe if we consider all the time of these fourtie yeares it shall appeare Moyses serued God without anye Temple or ceremonies of the lawe Bicause it is playne these things were instituted afterwarde And where he was in the meane while excluded from the company and common weale of the Iewes it remayneth that it must be the onely and meere grace of God that he was thus called In the meane season we haue diligently to consider howe that as soone as he would haue ioyned himselfe to the church of God he felt the griefe of long banishment and of a noble man came to be a keeper of sheepe For hereof may be gathered a generall rule teaching vs what we all may trust to when we forsake the worlde to be ioyned vnto the Church of god We fall into diuers afflictions bicause this worlde can neyther suffer that falling from it nor cannot abyde the light of the truth And as Moyses found Iethro to be his hoste and father in lawe but yet is made no more account of than to keepe sheepe so the godly with them that giue them houseroume and seeme greatlye to fauour their part liue yet but miserablye and as it were in contempt This is the greatest temptation of all other and which sometime more woundeth the heart than that that open enimies cruellye commit agaynst vs Therefore Christ warneth vs that we rashly take not vpon vs the profession of his name but that we first trie our selues whether we be able if neede so requyre to suffer banishment pouertie infamie persecution or such other lyke for his names sake And when these thinges come to passe let vs followe Moyses modestie and constaunt fayth which no doubt was sundry wayes tempted Yet he ouercommeth through that fayth which before caused him to preferre the rebuke of Christ before the riches of Egypt Let vs also by the same ouercome the assaultes of temptation and not be ashamed of the crosse of Christ which he for our sake hath first vouchedsafe to beare For so it shall come to passe that he will not be ashamed of vs when he shall come in the glory of the father to iudge the quicke and the deade Secondarily Steuen sheweth who called Moyses verily an Aungell of the Lorde which he sayth appeared to him in the desert Yet the same Aungell within a whyle after sayth I am the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Iacob And againe afterwarde he sayth it wash e through whose working and power Moyses wrought signes and woonders in Egypt and which was guyde vnto the people by the way of the desert whom Paule the Apostle testifieth to haue bene Iesus Christ that promised sauior of the world Steuen therfore calleth this Iesus the Angell of the Lord not for that he acknowledged in him no greater thing or of no more excellencie than in an Aungell but as seeming to imitate Esay who on a time called him the Aungell or messenger of the great Counsell not in that he tooke on him a nature Angelicall which thing Paule to the Hebrewes 2. cap. expressely denieth but in that he was sent of God the father into the world and accomplished that
can not be in rest and safetie bicause the insatiable auarice of Priestes exacteth tribute of them fayning that their soules are tormented and purifyed in the fornace of Purgatorie Is there not an vnknowne God worshipped amonge vs the God Maozim as Daniel sayeth whome all our fathers knew not which eyther is made of bread or chaunged into breade Would God men woulde nowe a dayes expende these thinges and learne what a miserable case it is to want the lyght of truth For whoso lacketh this lyght are both ignorant themselues of all things in religion and lose their labor before God which neyther can nor will be worshipped with mans traditions Let vs therefore harken vnto Paule and the Apostles whome God ordeyned to teach the blinde worlde his true religion and worship Furthermore Paule so teacheth al these things in the second part of his sermon that therwith also he confuteth the errors of the gentiles wherof sprang those errors which yet bewitch the world In the meane while although he had to do with most subtile Philosophers and curious men yet he disputeth not subtilly of Gods essence or nature which God himselfe testifyeth Exo. 33. is inscrutable but describeth God by his works teaching what we ought to beleeue of him and how to worship him God sayth he that made the world and all things therin conteyned seeing that he is Lorde of heauen and earth c. It seemeth he speaketh this agaynst the Epicures which affirmed the world was from euerlasting or else that all things came togyther by concurrence and meeting of motes togither and that God had no care of worldly things But Paule sayth that God is the creator and lord of the world and layth this for an infallible grounde of hys doctryne such as no man will denie but he that is voide of common reason Herofhe gathereth that templary religion was but a vayne thing which was of such pryce and authoritie among the Grecians that they hated the Persians for none other cause more than for that they euerywhere burned the temples in Greece bicause they sawe they serued more for superstition than godlinesse Thus reasoneth Paule He that is Lord of all things must needes be euerywhere But god as he is creator of all things so is he Lorde of all Therefore he is present euerywhere and so by consequence dwelleth not in Churches which are builded with mens handes But that which is sayde agaynst the Gentyles which iudged that religion stoode in the bewty and furniture of Temples and vnto them tyed the maiestie power and grace of God the same maketh agaynst all those which glorying in the honour of the true God are yet drowned in the dotage of this errour When Salomon had bestowed great costes and treasure in building of a Temple at length he sayth vnto God Behold the heauen of heauens is not able to conteyne thee howe much lesse this Church which I haue builded And God himselfe in Esay cap. 66. sayth Heauen is my seate and the earth is my footestoole where therefore shall this house bee that you will builde for me Ieremie sharpely reprehendeth the Iewes trusting in the religion of their Temple Yea Christ sayeth that true worshippers are not tyed vnto certayne and peculiar places but sheweth vs that they worship God euerywhere in spirite and in truth Here therefore are all pilgrimages taken away in the whych foolish menne of an heathenish error suppose saluation chiefely to stande And yet for all this we vtterlye condemne not the vse of Churches For they serue for outward religion which is necessary for the profession of fayth and for the nourishing of concorde and vnitie whyle we resort thyther to heare the worde of God that is to saye common prayers and to haue the sacraments ministred Wherevnto Temples must be so ordered that we must thynke it vnlawfull to pollute them with any kinde of prophane vsages But Paule continueth on in describing of God saying that God hath neede of nothing Wherevpon he gathereth that he is not worshypped wyth handes and that religion consisteth not in outwarde obsequies and duties of men He prooueth the Antecedent in that he sayth he giueth life and breath vnto all men By this argument he impugneth the vaine affiance in priests in whome our Auncestours reposed the chiefe part of religion It seemeth Paule tooke his argument out of Gods wordes where he accuseth the Israelites that thought he was worshipped and pleased with sacrifyces For he sayth I will take no Bullocke out of thy house nor hee Goates out of thy foldes For all the beastes of the forrest are mine and so are the cattelles vppon a thousande hilles I knowe all the fowles vpon the mountaines and the wylde beastes of the fielde are in my sight If I be hungry I will not tell thee c. But by this argument it appeareth all popish religion is condemned For what else doe they in that religion but being deceyued by wicked superstition take from the poore commended to vs by Christ the duties which they offer to Saintes that haue no neede yea which knowe vs not Yea the most of their oblations serue for Idols voyde of all senses or for Priests that liue wantonly and in ryot In the meane season superstition hath taken so deepe roote that it is thought a lesse offence to kill a man and robbe him than to take a peece of a vayle from an Idoll or the aultar to clothe a poore bodye with O maners O times But some man maye saye If God be not worshipped by sacrifyces why did he appoynt them for the people by Moses and commaunde them Let vs consider there were two kindes of sacrifyces The one was expiatorie for sinnes so called not for that sinnes coulde be purged by the bloude of Oxen and Gotes for that Paule plainly denieth Heb. 10. but for that they prefygured Christ whome all the holy and godly men beleeued shoulde dye for the sinnes of the worlde at a time long before appoynted They taught vs also that we shoulde slaughter and mortifye all beastlye affections and bring a contrite heart before God which Dauid testifyeth is the acceptablest sacrifyce that God requireth Another kinde of them was gratulatorie or of thankes giuing for benefytes receyued Yet all these for the more part consisted in bloud bicause as yet the bloud of Christ was not shed wherwith only the father shoulde be appeased This bloude therefore being shed and the mysterie of our redemption accomplished there remayned no more sacrifyce expiatorie or propitiatorie for sinnes For Christ his merite is sufficient and there is no neede of other sacrifyce as the Epistle to the Hebrues at large teacheth vs Yet Christians want not sacrifyces but yet vnbloudy for since the bloude of Christ was shedde there is no more vse eyther of beastes bloude or mannes in the things pertayning to the ordinary honouring of God. For they make themselues
which I commaunde thee this daye shall be in thine heart And thou shalt shewe them vnto thy children and shalt talke of them when thou art at home in thyne house and as thou walkest by the way and when thou lyest downe and when thou risest vp and thou shalt binde them for a signe vpon thine hande and they shall be as frontlets betweene thine eyes and thou shalt wryte them vpon thy postes and vpon thy gates And in the same chapter it foloweth further And when thy sonne asketh thee in time to come saying what meaneth these testimonies ordinaunces and lawes which the Lorde God hath commaunded you Then shalt thou saye vnto thy sonne wee were Pharaos bondmen in Egipt and the Lorde brought vs out of Egypt with a mightye hande And the Lorde shewed signes and woonders great and euill vpon Egipt vpon Pharao and vpon all his housholde before our eyes And brought vs out from thence to bring vs in and to giue vs the lande which hee sware vnto our fathers c. The holy prophet Dauid also speaking of the same commaundement of God declared by the mouth of Moses sayth Heare my lawe ô my people enclyne your eares vnto the wordes of my mouth I will open my mouth in a Parable I will declare hard sentences of olde Which we haue hearde and knowne and such as our fathers haue tolde vs That wee shoulde not hide them from the children of the generations to come but to shewe the honour of the Lorde his mightie and wonderfull workes that he hath done He made a couenaunt with Iacob and gaue Israel a lawe which he commaunded our forefathers to teach their children that their posteritie might knowe it and the children that were yet vnborne To the intent that when they came vp they might shewe their children the same Here mayst thou sée O good Reader that the true Christians and faythfull among the Israelytes as they were commaunded euen so they taught and instructed their families and children in the wayes and works of the lord So that of them it coulde not be verified as yet that they had shut vp the kingdome of heauen from menne neyther â—ntring in themselues neyther suffring other that woulde neyther thâ—t they were blinde leaders oâ— the blinde For those broodes of Phariseyes Saduceyes and Essenes were not hatched till many hundred yeares after which when Christ came had turned godlynesse into gaine and religion into rechelesnesse as the like swarmes of religious commonly called but in déede most superstitious did amongst vs and yet doe where they are still suffered And bicause they feare that the Lord in his zeale wil whip such wicked merchants as they are out of his Church in all places as it appeareth very well he doth dailye his name be glorifyed therefore this maketh them to storme fret and fume and to take counsayle against the Lorde and against his annointed This maketh them stirre coales and to play Rex this causeth them to imprison to hang to drawe to drowne to burne to cut mens tongues out to gagge them that they shall not speake to banishe and proscribe séeing they can no longer prescribe but verily all in vaine for as much as there is no wisedome counsayle or deuise that can preuayle against the Lorde But let vs returne to the holy prophet Dauid whose sayings and testimonies bicause they haue alwayes bene of such worthy estimation in the Church of God let vs bring yet furthermore to confyrme the truth of our assertion In the .lxxxj. psalme he bringeth in God thus speaking to the people of Israel Heare ô my people and I assure thee ô Israel if thou wilt hearken vnto mee there shall no straunge god c. If God speake here to all the people in generall high and lowe riche and poore one with another then of congruence belongeth it to all people in generall to hearken and carie awaye what is sayde But howe shall they heare if they haue not his worde marke his saying If thou wilt harken And it must be vnto him we must harken For whosoeuer speaketh not as he doth must not be hearde though it were an Aungell from heauen as Paule sayth yea if Christ woulde come and preach any other Gospell than he hath already preached we ought not as some of the olde writers saye to heare him Howe much lesse then ought we to harken what these newe Gospellers say who speake 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 contorted wrested and peruerse things altogither repugnant to Gods worde and saying The prophetes also in all their sermons and writings crie vnto the people audite verbum domini heare the worde of the Lorde Loe here is no state or degrée no age or sexe excluded but all must heare For populus and turba as is often read in the olde and newe Testament comprehende promiscuam multitudinem the whole multitude one with another Therfore no sort is excepted from hearing But me thinketh I heare what one of these new Diuines replyeth Sir sayth he when did we forbid any kinde of persons from hearing our Sermons No in déede but when men came to heare you they coulde not heare the worde of the Lorde but doctrines that were the preceptes of men wherewith Christ sayth you worship him in vaine It had bene somewhat tollerable to haue forbidden men the reading of the Scriptures so that you had taught them nothing but the scriptures as you ought to haue done But to preach your owne fantasies and inuentions and to forbidde men to search the scriptures which Christ so earnestly commaundeth them to doe was too too presumpteous for a seruant to doe against his Lordes commaundement Howbeit you saye Christ and the Pope haue but one Consistorye and therefore bicause he commaundeth it you thinke you may safely doe it But S. Paule aunswereth all these pretie obiections at once saying Bee yee not the seruants of men Howbeit hereto you will say the Pope is not purus homo a pure man And that I am sure all that knowe what he is will easilye graunt you Surely S. Paule was so little offended that the Thessalonians searched the Scriptures to sée whether his preaching agréed therewith yea or no that he rather much liked and commended them for their doing But you in no poynt resemble Paules condicions but in persecuting Christ his Church The same Dauid likewise in his .xix. Psalme hath matter ynough though there were none other any where else both to prooue howe necessarye the worde of God is for all men to knowe and also to aunswere the obiections of all our newe Diuines The lawe of the Lorde sayth he is an vndefiled or perfite lawe conuerting the soule The testimonie of the Lorde is sure and giueth wisedome vnto the simple He calleth the lawe perfyte to aunswere those controllers which saye the Scriptures are not sufficient and therefore haue forged a sort of vnwritten verities so they call them
house â–ª that thou hast brought me to so great dignitie and honour 529 15. Cary the Arke of God againe into the Citie if I shall c. 530 16. Suffer him to cursse ibid. 24. I am in a wonderfull streight Let vs fall now into the hand of the lord Agayne I haue sinned it is I that haue done wickedly But these sheepe c. 530 1. REgum 8. The Heauens of Heauens is not able to conteyne thee and how should then this house doe it that I haue buylded 666 2. PAralipom 14. Lorde it is no hard thing with thee to help with many or theÌ„ that haue no power 885 NEhemias 13. Of the Sabboth pag. 736 ESaie 2. In the latter dayes the Hill of the Lordes house shall be prepared 2 6. Heare in deede c. 340 10. If the number of the people of Israell â—cre as the sande of the Sea. c. 901 23. After the ende of seuentie yeares shall the Lorde visite Tyre and shee shall conuerte vnto hir rewarde 761 29. They worship mee in vayne teaching the doctrines of men 342 30. Prophecie not c. 222 33. Wo to thee that destroyest for thou shalt be destroyed 306 40. The worde of our God endureth for euer 335 42. I am the Lord this is my name my glory will I gyue to none other 571 1â—0 42. Beholde this is my seruaunt vpon whom I leaâ—e myne elect in whome my Soule is pacified Pag. 20â— 48. The vngodly haue no peace 207 49. It is but a small thing that thou art my seruaunt to sette vp the kindreds of Iacob 32 49. Will a woman forget hir owne infant 48 52. O howe beautifull are the feete of the Ambasador that bringeth the message from the mountaine and proclaymeth peace 447 53. Who hath gyuen credence vnto our preaching 50.89 53. Wee haue all gone a straye lyke sheepe euery one hath turned his owne waye 566 53. And in his mouth hath beene founde no guile 350 53. This shal be his name by which they shall call hym the Lord our righteousnes 459 55. Let the vngodly man forsake his owne wayes and the vnrighteous his owne Imaginations and turne againe vnto the Lorde Pag. 132 55. The worde that commeth out of my mouth shall not turne againe voyde vnto me but shall accomplishe my wyll and prosper in the thing wherto I sende it 138 55. Wherefore doe you laye out anye money for the thing that feedeth not 589 58. Cry now as lowde as thou canst leaue not of lyft vp thy voyce lyke a trumpet 205 58. Wherfore fast we and thou seest it not 235 60. Euery people and kingdome that serueth not thee shall perishe â–ª 622 63. Abraham knoweth vs not â–ª neyther is Israell aquaynted wyth vs. 541 64. God hath prepared such things for them that loue hym as neyther eye hath seene eare hearde nor harte hath vnderstanded c. Pag. 212 65. It shal bee that or euer they call I will aunswere them 685 66. HeaueÌ„ is my seate and the earth is my footestole 35 347.66â— IEremie 1. Beholde I putte my wordes in thy mouth 21 1. Be not abashed at their countenaunces 685 1. Beholde this daye doe I make thee a stronge fensed Towne Pag. 750 2. My people hath committed two euilles They haue forsaken mee the well of the water of lyfe c. Pag. 589 4. O Israell if thou wilt turn thee then turne thee vnto mee 131 10. Yee shall not learne after the maner of the Heathen nor be afrayd for the tokens of heauen 343 12. How happeneth it that the waye of the vngodly is so prosperous Pag. 504 17. Blessed is the man that putteth his trust in the Lord and whose hope is in the Lorde hym selfe Pag. 353 23. Behold the tyme commeth saith the Lorde that I will rayse vp the righteous braunche of Dauid 6 23. I fulfill heauen and earth sayeth the Lord. 35 23. The Lorde our righteousenesse Pag. 350 23. The woorde of GOD is fyre Pag. 660 31. I will plant my Lawe in the inward partes of them and wryte it in their hartes 96 31 Turne vs and wee shall be turned 786 48. Cursed bee hee that dooth the woorke of the Lorde fraudulently 151 EZechielis 3. The bloud of them that perish I will requyre at thy handes 17 3. Thou shalt heare the worde at my mouth and gyue them warning from mee 21 3. When I shall saye vnto the wycked thou shalt surely dye 560 3. Thou sonne of man I haue made thee a watche man c. 683 DAnielis 2. Of the Mountayne Pag. 2 HOsee 4. Idoles robbe men of their hartes 338 13. Death where is thy stynge Pag. 111 IOelis 2. And it shall come to passe toward the latter dayes I will poure out my spirit vpon al flesh Pag. 93. c. 2. Turne you vnto mee with all your hartes 131 AMos 2. Prophecie not 222 3. You onely haue I knowne of all the families of the earth Pag. 99 3. There is no euill in a Citie but the Lord is auctor of it 483 3. The Lord God hath spoken and who will not prophecie 683 5. Haue you offred vnto mee Sacrifices and offrings fourty yeres in the wildernes 341 7. I was neyther Prophet nor prophetes sonne 69 9. The place of Amos. 9. 600 MIchee 4. The hill of the Lords house 2 ABacue 2. If he differ or put of yet wayght still 79 ZAcharie 2. Who so toucheth you toucheth the apple of myne eye Pag. 502 2. The apple of myne eye c. 300 9. His dominion shal bee from the one sea to the other 32 9. Behold thy King shall come vnto thee euen righteous a Sauiour and lowly 199 11. Wo to the Idole sheepeherd that leaueth his flocke 517 3. Aryse O thou swerde vpon my Shepherd and vppon the man that is my fellow 106.107 MAlachie 2. The Priestes lips shall keepe knowledge 63 3. It is but vayne too serue God. 236 IObe 5. He compasseth the wyse in their owne craftynes 204 19. I am sure that my redeemer liueth c. 13 ECclesiastic 3. Many haue bene deceyued through their owne vayne opinion 28 35. The prayer of him that humbleth himself goeth through the clowds Pag. 637 PSalm 1. Blessed is the man that walketh not c. 638 2. Of the kingdome of Christe Pag. 2 2. Aske of me and I will gyue thee the Gentiles for thyne inheritaunce 35.201 2. Thou shalt bruse them with a rodde of yron 126 7. They trauell with mischiefe and bring foorth vngodlynesse 218 14. There is no God. 114 16. The wordes there are prooued ought to bee vnderstanded of Christ and not of Dauid 113 22. My prayse shall be of thee in the great congregation 116 27. Tarrye thou the Lordes leysure be of good courage and hee shall comfort thine heart 79 27. When my father and my mother forsaketh mee the Lorde taketh me vp 308.520 34. Keepe thy tongue from euill 85 34. The aungell of the Lorde campeth round about them that
feare him 548 34. The eyes of the Lorde are ouer the righteous 497 37. I haue seene the vngodly in great prosperitye and flourishing lyke a greene baye tree 505 48. The Citie of the great king 18 50. Call vpon me in the time of thy trouble I will heare thee and thou shalt glorifie me 115.116 50. Thinkest thou that I will eate bulles flesh and drinke the bloud of Goates 545 51. washe me throughly from myâ—e iniquitie and clense me from my sinne 545 51. Renewe in mee a right spirite 77 56. Thou haâ—t numbred my flittinges thou hast put my teares in thy bottell 328.745 58. They are as venemous as the poyson of a Serpent they bee like the deafe â—dder that stoppeth hyr eares 548 65. Blessed is the man whome thou choosest 525 68. Thou wentest vp on high thou hast ledde captiuity captiue 124 69. The zeale of thine house hath euen eaten mee 659 69. I will prayse the name of the Lorde with a songue 461 72. His domynion shall be from the one sea to the other 32 72. He shall delyuer the poore when he cryeth the afflicted c. 321 and .453 76. In Iewrie is God knowne his name is great in Israell 91.95 80. Shewe the light of thy countenaunce and we shall be saued 120 89. I haue sworne once by my holynesse that I will not fayle Dauid 24 89. My couenant will I not breake nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lyppes 298 94. He that made the eye shall he not see 300 94. In the multitude of the sorrowes that I had in my heart thy comfortes did refreshe my soule 115 94. The Lorde seeth it not neyther doth the God of Iacob vnderstande it 253 104. Thou that makest the clowdes thy charyot 36 104. He watereth the hylles from aboue the earth is replenished with the fruite of thy workes Pag. 575. â—05 Touch not mine annoynted 142 106. They turned theyr glorye into the similitude of a Calfe that eateth haye 337.574 107. Let them giue thankes whome the Lorde hath redeemed and deliuered out of the hande of the enimie 496 110. The Lord sayde vnto my Lord sitte thou on my right hand 266 and .119.33 110. Thou art a priest for euer after the order of Melchisedech 37.168.122 110. Rule thou in the myddle among thine enimies 98 113. Hee lifteth the simple out of the dust 330 116. Right deere in the sight of the Lorde is the death of his saintes Pag. 475 116. What rewarde shall I gyue vnto the Lorde for all the benefits that he hath done vnto me 461 118. The Lord is the strength of my lyfe 253 118. The same stone which the builders refused 200 119. It is better to trust in the Lord. Pag. 254 119. It is good for mee that I haue beene in miserye 101 121. I will lyft vp mine eyes vnto the hylles â–ª from whence my helpe shall come 353 123. Beholde euen as the eyes of seruaunts looke vnto the handes of theyr maysters c. 113 132. I will not enter into the tabernacle of my house 346 141. Set a watche O God before my mouth 85 146. Put not your trust in Princes Pag. 317 147. Hee declares hys worde vnto Iacob his statutes and ordinances vnto Israell 95 147. Hee couereth the heauen wyth clowdes and prepareth rayne for the earth 575 1 PRouerb The beginning of knowledge is the feare of the Lorde 416 2. If thou seeke after wisdome as after golde thou shalt finde hyr Pag. 88 6 The Lord hateth a false witnesse that bringeth vp lyes 354 16. Lottes are cast into the lappe but the ordering thereof standeth in Lorde 72 25. He that searcheth the maiestie of of God shall be depriued of the glorie 28 MAtthei 1. Thou shalt call hys name Iesus for he shall c. Pag. 168 3. Repent 130 3. And say not we haue Abraham to our father 350 3. This is my beloued sonne in whome I am well pleased 202 and .449.103 5. Blessed are the poore in heart for they shall see God. 120 5. The Citie of the great King. 18 5. One iote or one title of the lawe shall not scape 335 5. If thou bringest thy gyft to the aulter and there remembrest 48 5. You shall be perfect euer as your father which is in heauen is perfect 512 5. He maketh his sonne to aryse c. Pag. 638 6. Where your treasure is there will be your heart also 632 7. Seeke and you shall finde 88 7. With what measure you meate it shall be c. 301 7. Not euerye one that sayth vnto me Lorde 94 7. Depart fro me yee that worke iniquitie 351 8. Follow me and let the deade burye the deade 511 9. Thy fayth hath made thee safe Pag. 168 10. A mans foes shall be them of his owne housholde 56.563 10. Whosoeuer shall confesse me before men him will I also confesse before my father which is in heauen 86 10. He that receyueth you receyueth me 9.161 It is not you that speake but the spirite of your father that speaketh in you 9 10. Be you wise as Serpents 657 10. Feare ye not them which kill c. Pag. 685 10. If they persecute you in one Citye c. â—01 10. Goe not into the waye of the Gentiles 533 10. Hee that loueth father or mother more than me 591 10. It shal be gyuen you in that same hower what to speake 780 10. Come vnto mee all yee that labour sore and are laden 7 11. No man knoweth the father but the sonne 566 11. I thanke thee O Father bicause thou hast hidde these things from the wise 45.625 12. How can one enter into a strong mans house and spoyle c.  12. Out of the abundance of the hart the mouth speaketh 85 13. The secrets of the kingdome of Heauen 641 15. Euery planting which my heauenly father c. 342 15. It is not meete to throwe the Childrens breade vnto dogges  15. Nothing that goeth in at the mouth c. 608 15. In vaine doe they worship mee teaching doctrines preceptes of men 589 16. The gates of hell shall not preuayle against it 298 17. This is my beloued sonne in whome I am well pleased heare hym 449 18. Where two or three are gathered togither in my name  20. Who so will be cheefe among you Let him be your seruaunt 39.70 and .141 21. The kindome of God shall be taken from you c. 683.552 22. I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac 327 22. Giue vnto Cesar those thinges which are Cesars and vnto god those things that are Gods. 211 23. All whatsoeuer they bidde you obserue that obserue and doe 56 23. Hierusalem Hierusalem thou that killest the Prophetes 16 24. Heare is Christ or there 8 24. Ye shall heare of warres and rumoures of warres 99 25. The parable of the talentes 308 25. Enter into the ioye of thy Lord Pag. 119 25. I was harbourlesse and yet toke me in 557 27. If
Apostles burst into all the worlde which this vehement blast here did foresignifie and in despite of the worlde and Prince of the worlde the doctrine of the gospell was published throughout all Nations Let these thinges comfort vs against the vayne enterprises of the worlde and Tyrannes which studie to stop the course of the gospell For Christe lyueth styll which from hygh derideth the counselles of them and whose spirite bloweth where he wil and is not ruled at mens pleasure Thirdly there appeare clouen tongues as it were of fire which when they were settled vpon the heades of eche of them they were all fylled with the holy ghoste Wee sayde the wynde was a token or signe of the holye ghoste But here commeth a visible signe also of the presence of the spirite that there myght be no doubt at all thereof For this is the maner and trade of God to declare by outwarde tokens the inwarde and spirituall giftes which are conceyued by fayth only and haue their beyng in the mynde The which by reason of the proportion and infallible truth of God wherof they are signes and seales vse to be called after the names of the things that they signifie By this meanes it commeth to passe that Luke reasonyng of the tongues which sate vpon the Apostles heades so speaketh of them as though the spirite him selfe had syt on their heades But it is euident that these tongues were neither essentially the holy ghost nor yet had the holy ghost included in them For who wyll say the substaunce of the holy ghost is of fire except any man list to dote with the Persians which worshipped the fire as a god Who also wyll thinke the holy ghost whiche pierceth through all thinges and whom the scripture teacheth to be euery where present can be inclosed in so small a thyng as a tongue Besydes Luke saith not that the holy ghost sate on their heades but that their mindes were fylled with the holy ghost And the holy ghost shoulde in vayne syt vpon our crownes onlesse he entred into our mindes shewed foorth his power and efficacie Therfore the tongues were tokens of the presence of the holy spirite neither coulde the name of holy ghoste for any other cause be applyed to them than by reason of proportion and similitude that is betweene them as euen nowe was sayde Furthermore as in all other signes whiche God accustometh to vse there is perceaued to be a great lykenesse with the thinges that they signified so here also the presence of the spirite coulde by no other signe haue bene more euidently and properly expressed The lykenesse of tongues was most agreable with the Apostles office whom God had appoynted to be preachers The diuision of the same tongues represented the gift which they chiefly had neede of bicause they must beare witnesse of Christe in all Countries and be vnderstanded of all men And the element of fire signified that the voyce of the Apostles shoulde be effectuous through the workyng of the spirite For by this the spirite as by a bright brenning fire consumeth all the thinges in vs that are carnall and earthly By the same the spirite kindleth the myndes of men with the loue of heauenly thinges that leauing all earthly thinges behinde them they may aspire to the onely eternall goodes of the heauenly kingdome With this the holy ghost warmeth men that are benummed with sinne and maketh them meete and nimble to all good workes and to doe all thinges in Christe And this feruencie and fierie zeale is the proper marke of them which are led with the spirite of Christ Which spirit who so euer feeleth to be quenched in him let him ceasse to glorie in the spirit I coulde here rehearse diuers other effects of Christes spirite but that there is more commodious place to speake therof in the sermon folowyng where it shall be declared what the spirite wrought in the Apostles Let vs acknowledge the truth and goodnesse of Christ wherby he would thus prouide for his Church And let vs prepare our selues after the ensample of the Apostles that we also may be endued with the spirite of Christe and enflamed with the holye loue of God that being founde stoute in the duties of Christian life we may be taken for the true children of God and Coheyres of Iesus Christ to whom be blessing honour glorie and power for euer Amen The eleuenth Homelie AND they began to speake with other tongues euen as the same spirite gaue them vtteraunce There were dwellyng at Hierusalem Iewes deuout men out of euery nation of them that are vnder heauen When this was noysed about the multitude came togither and were astonied bicause that euery man hearde them speake with his owne language They wondred all and marueyled saying among themselues Beholde are not all these which speake of Galiley And howe heare we euery man his owne tongue wherin we were borne Parthyans and Medes and Elamytes and the inhabiters of Mesopotamia and of Iurie and of Capadocia of Pontus and Asia Phrygia and Pamphylia of Egypt and of the parties of Lybia which is beside Syren and straungers of Rome Iewes and Proselytes Greekes and Arabyans we haue hearde them speake in our owne tongues the great workes of god They were all amazed and wondred saying one to another what meaneth this Other mocked saying These men are full of newe wine ALthough the promises of our Lorde and sauiour Iesus Christe were first made to the Apostles and may seeme to belong to them onely Yet is it manyfest that the same are generall and to be extended to all them that doe beleue For as the Apostles bicause of their imperfection and other faultes had neede of the holy ghost and without the helpe of him could not discharge the office committed to them euen so we haue neede of the same spirite bicause if we be destitute of him we can neither order our life christianly nor holde the certainty of faith against the temptations of Satan Therfore the consideration of this present hystorie no man ought to thinke either vnprofitable or superfluous which both strongly mainteyneth the aucthoritie of the Apostolike doctrine also instructeth vs many other wayes For it teacheth vs howe we shoulde prepare our selues to receiue the spirite how we should iudge the spirites As touching the first was spokē yesterday The other may be learned by this presēt place For Luke goeth on in the discription of the hystory declareth the effectes of the holy ghost which he wrought aswel in the Apostles as in their hearers And beginnyng with the Apostles hee attributeth two thinges vnto them which they receyued by the operation of the holy ghost The first is that by and by after they had receyued the holy ghost they began to speake with straunge diuers tongues This is so great wonderful a myracle as I know not whether euer there happened a greater amongst men For who is ignoraunt how
them when he sayth that he shall be saued that calleth vpon the name of the Lord. Where we may note a double consolation First it is an vniuersall promise which promiseth saluation to all them that call vpon the name of the lord Ergo here is a doore of saluation opened to all men from entring into which we are not kept backe neyther by pouerty nor infamy of the world â—â—yther by diseases nor cruell torments neyther by sexe nor age neyther by difference of nation or kindred Nay we cannot be put by neyther by sinne nor death bicause in Christ we haue expiation of all our sinnes and he hath ouercome death and the gates of hell Furthermore saluation is absolutely promised so that we see they haue all things necessary to saluation that call vpon the name of the Lorde Wherevpon we gather that they which feele no taste nor comfort of saluation by their prayers call not vpon the name of the Lorde that is they are destitute of faith in Christe which fayth will not suffer our prayers to be made in vaine And this is the only way of saluation which the holy scriptures teach vs euerywhere And Peter thought to make mention hereof in this place to thintent the Iewes might vnderstand how they could none other wayes be deliuered from the imminent daungers and the horrible iudgement of God but by casting away all trust in their owne workes and righteousnesse and turning vnto the throne of grace by the fayth that is in Iesus Christe The same must we also in these dayes marke and consider Whatsoeuer troubles or calamities the Lorde or his Apostles foretolde shoulde happen in the later dayes they vrge and assault vs on euerye side The wysest and greatest men consult in euery place how to get a waye and remedye to bee saued And the vnhappy successe of things in these dayes teache vs howe vayne all counsayles be that proceede of mans deuyse Let vs therefore holde this waye which as it is the most simplest and playnest and deliuereth vs from many cares and troubles so is it infallible and certaine bicause it stayeth and resteth vpon the promise of God which no force of the worlde can ouerturne Wherfore let vs acknowledge our sinnes and in them let vs seeke the causes of the euils which we suffer Let vs vse the acknowledging of our sinne to beate downe the affiaunce in our owne righteousnesse And then turning vnto God let vs call vppon his holye name who surely will heare vs and deliuer vs for his names sake in Iesus Christ to whome be blessing honor power and glory for euer Amen The .xiiij. Homelie YE men of Israell heare these wordes Iesus of Nazareth a man approued of God among you with myracles woonders and signes which God did by him in the middest of you as yee your selues knowe him haue you taken by the handes of vnrighteous persons after hee was deliuered by the determinate counsell and foreknowledge of God and haue crucified and slaine him whom God hath raysed vp and loosed the sorowes of death bycause it was impossible that he shoulde be holden of it WE haue hearde the first part of Peters Sermon alreadye wherein he cleareth the Apostles from the crime of drunkennesse and teacheth how they were endued with the holy ghost He vseth in the place of demonstration the testimony of the Prophet Ioël which he so rehearseth that therewith he declareth the horrible punishmentes remayning for the contemners of the Gospell and teacheth the onely way of remedye and escape to be the fayth in Iesus Christe which things bicause they were sufficient to feare them that were not altogither incurable the Apostle passeth to the other parte where he preacheth Christ whome of late we sayde was the chiefe marke that the Apostles shotte at in all their doctrine And least his preaching might be in vayne he so proposeth the matter that he stirreth vp their mindes with the conscience of their sinnes to the ende that being feared therwith they might with the more feruent fayth and greedinesse embrace Iesus Christ in whom they heard saluation was preached And his chiefe studye is to be short and playne least any man might thinke the knowledge of Christ and the way of saluation contayned therein to be lyke the dreames of the Philosophers which neyther can be explicated in infinite volumes nor be discussed by any disputations nor fully be comprehended of anye man For he compriseth the chiefe articles of our fayth in fewe woordes which whosoeuer vnderstandeth he hath both attayned to the knowledge of Christ and to all the waye of saluation For first he descrybeth the person of Christ and teacheth vs what he is and howe we should knowe him Secondly he intreateth of the passion and death of christ Thirdly he declareth his resurrection Of these three we meane to saye so much as his spirite shall giue vs grace In speaking of Christes person he handleth all things prudently and circumspectly least they that were as yet weake might take occasion of offence For when he had gotten them to be attent by a short kinde of exhortation he bringeth them by little and little to the knowledge of Christ saying Iesus of Nazareth a man approoued of God amongest you by myracles signes and woonders which God wrought by him in the middest of you as ye your selues know â–ª c. In the which words he pronounceth of Christ two things First that he was a man for he calleth him one of Nazareth which name he had of Nazareth a Citie of Galiley where he was brought vp as appeareth by the storie of the Gospel But bicause this seemed not sure and strong ynough he calleth him Virum that is to say a man which name agreeth to none but him that is a very man in deede And Christ is truly called a man bicause as Paule saith he taketh on him no Angels nature or other heuenly essence but the sede of Abraham Furthermore least any man might take him for some common person he maketh a difference betweene him and other adding approoued of God amongest you with myracles c. And although he purposed to teache the diuinitie of Christ yet he prudently as yet dissembleth the name of God which would haue seemed very straunge in the eares of the Iewes He woulde haue them by his deedes to learne that he was very God whome hitherto they thought to be onely but a rascall and common person It is as much as if he should saye I preach vnto you Iesus of Nazareth which many of you iudge to be but a man only But you ought to consider that God hath openly shewed in him many declarations of a diuine nature the ende of all which was to commend him vnto you and to teache you that he was that long wayted for sauiour of mankinde which in tyme past he promised you And the workes of Christ whereof God commended him he adorneth with three titles First he calleth
kingdome of heauen is at hande The same he commaunded the Apostles to preach not so little as once as may be seene Math. 10. and Luc. 24. Therefore Peter remembring his maister and the commaundement which he gaue biddeth them also to repent and declareth that all he had hitherto sayd touching their iniquitie was not to th ende that he would haue them perish through dispayre but that they should repent and be saued Nowe bicause the holy ghost woulde haue this counsell written and registred for our sake something must be sayde of repentaunce that we may learne also what is requisite for vs to doe The Latines saye that they doe poenitere that is to say repent whom it yrketh or grieueth for that they haue committed whereof is deriued this worde poenitentia repentance The Greekes call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of this verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth the correcting or amending of the minde For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the Greekes signifieth that excellenter part of the soule which the Latines call mens the minde Wherevpon the Greekes call that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Latines call vnderstanding or perceyuing with the minde We saye therefore that he doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to repent which vnderstandeth his error and beginneth earnestlye to thinke of amendement The Hebrues call it Theschubach which is as much to saye as conuersion or turning But bicause this conuersion as the nature of the Greeke word signifieth is referred to the minde we maye briefely define repentance to be a conuersion or turning of the minde vnto God from that which is euill and naught The worde of God prooueth this definition speaking thus by Hieremie If thou wilt returne thee ô Israell then returne vnto me And in other places the Scriptures saye they are gone from God which haue sinned Whereof it followeth necessarily that repentaunce whereby we renounce sinne ought to be called a returning and conuersion vnto god And the diligent consideration of this definition helpeth most grieuous errors For there are some which when they haue sinned vse to turne vnto creatures and to the workes of their owne hands and so pollute themselfe with a double fault as the Lorde sayth while they forsake the fountaine of the liuely water and digge themselues pittes that will holde no water There are another sort that imagine penance to be a game or stage playe and thinke it sufficient if after the maner of the Iewish hypocrites they light waxe candles burne incense go barefooted weare hearecloth and doe such lyke exercises the superstition wherof long sithens hath bene condemned by the preaching of the Prophetes See Esay 1.58 Hos. 6. Mich. 6. Zach. 7. But we shall well vnderstand that all these things doe little profite vs if we consider that repentance is a conuersion or turning of the minde vnto god Herevnto belongeth that which the Lord speaketh Turne vnto me with all your heart in fasting weeping and lamentation Rent your heartes and not your garmentes and turne to the Lorde your god c. Also we may learne hereby howe manye parts of penaunce there be and wherein it consisteth The chiefe poynt is the acknowledging of our sinne for except we haue that we can neyther be sorye for our sinne nor turne from it vnto god This knowledge is taken out of the glasse of the law which doth not only detect open notorious sinnes but also discloseth the nature of sinne that lieth hidden in vs as Paule teacheth Terror of conscience sorrow of minde contrition follow the knowledge of sinne wherof we spake euen now For it cannot be but he must altogither be afrayde must sorow be contrite in hart that beholdeth in the law the countenance of God which is angry with the heynousnesse of his sinne And suche is the force of this contrition and sorrowe that it extorteth and forceth vs to confesse our sinne not in another mans eare whereof there is neyther commaundement in all the Scripture nor example but euen vnto God himselfe that we be miserable and sinnefull wretches as Iohn the Apostle teacheth vs in his first Epistle and first Chapter To confession is ioyned inuocation which by no meanes can be seperated from it Nowe of all these springeth a feruent desire of amendment of life and not of life onely but as much as maye be of our whole nature For nowe a man beginneth to mortify his flesh now he desireth to die to the world and to be crucifyed with Christ. He is now wholy set on fire with the desire of holynesse innocencie He burneth in the loue of righteousnesse and truth He is wholy occupied in good woorks the exercise wherof he heareth coÌ„mended of God hauing in the meane whyle no regard to them which are prescribed by the superstitious traditions of men Finally bicause he knoweth that all the fountayne of this euill sprang of going from God and his worde he laboureth to addresse himselfe againe wholy to the worde of God and to all his lyfe after the rule of god And this is no purpose or intent for a fewe of dayes only but a permanent and a continuall such as by reason of our continuall slippes and falles is nâ—edefull euery day to be renued For as the iust man falleth seauen times a daye so hee vseth seuen times a daye to rise agayne Hereby it appeareth what Peter would haue them to doe verily to acknowledge their sinnes to feare the iudgement of God to be sory for their offences to be contrite in hart to confesse their faults vnto God and to beseeche him of his grace and finally to labour to amende their lyfe to mortifie the fleshe to giue themselues to innnocencie holynesse righteousnesse and charitie To this purpose the Prophete cryeth Let the vngodly man forsake his owne wayes and the vnrighteous his owne imaginations and turne againe vnto the Lorde c. Let euery man thinke this is spoken to him and compare his lyfe with these things and it shall easily appeare what wayes he ought to take and what to refrayne The seconde thing that Peter requireth he expoundeth in these wordes Bee you euery one baptised in the name of Iesus Christ for the remission of sinnes This precept seemeth to conteyne in it two things For first in that he will haue them to be baptised in the name of Christ he sendeth them to Christ and sheweth them that saluation and forgiuenesse of sinne is to bee founde in Christ onely So Christ commaunded them to preach shewing them that remission of sinnes ought to be declared in his name And it was necessarye bicause of the Phariseyes doctrine which taught that men were iustifyed by their owne workes which opinion also manye holde in these dayes And surely if Peter had required nothing but penaunce he might seeme to haue consented to their doctrine But seeing he sendeth them that repent vnto Christ he teacheth
vs plainely that we must of dutie repent and yet that al desert of iustification is to be had in Christ only Therfore whosoeuer maketh no mention of Christ in teaching of repentance offendeth against the example of Peter And so be they cause to the ignorant to establish their owne righteousnesse wherin they can finde no certaintie nor soundnesse Next he speaketh of outward baptisme which he commaundeth them to receiue for forgiuenesse of sinnes Which wordes are not so to be vnderstanded as though outwarde baptisme washed vs from sinne For it is euident that wee be clensed from all our sinnes by the bloude of Iesus Christ. This is attributed to baptisme bicause it sealeth in vs the benefite of purification which is gotten vs by the bloude of christ Which thing we may see in Circumcision For where Abraham was iustified by faith he receyued Circumcision as a signe of the righteousnesse of fayth So they which are conteyned within the Testament of Christ and be therefore iustifyed receyue baptisme for remission of sinnes that is to saye the righteousnesse of God which he hath giuen vs in Christ is sealed in them by baptisme Wherefore Peter by this maner of speach assureth them of their saluation and comforteth them by an argument deduced or taken of the ende of baptisme In the meane season bicause we be taken into the Church of God by baptisme and are become professors of Christ as people which vnder his conduct must fight agaynst this worlde and the Prince thereof Peter requireth further of them a free and an open confession of their fayth in christ For Christ will haue no such worshippers as shall be ashamed of him Howbeit the Iewes did openlye denye Christ before Pylate whyle they cried they had no King or Messias beside Caesar. Wherfore it was necessary that they shoulde as freely confesse Christ least they might be iudged stil to be of the number of the false runnagates This could be done no way more commodiously than by baptisme which Christ woulde haue administred to the ende to get and bring him disciples as may be read Math. 28. Nowe if a man will compare the things togither which haue hitherto bene sayde it will appeare after what order Peter taught the way of iustification and saluation He began with rebuking of sinne as we haue hard before Then when he saw them pricked and contrite in hart he requireth them to repent by this meanes bringing them to some hope of grace and fauour Then againe least they should trust in the workes of penance and leane vppon their owne righteousnesse he sendeth them to the name of Christ and to his merytes At length he commaundeth them to professe Christ openly and to ioyne themselues to his Church This order of teaching we see the Apostles euerye where obserued which they had learned of Christ their maister as no man can deny For thus he sayd a little afore his departure from hence It is necessary that repentance and forgiuenesse of sinnes shoulde be preached to all Nations in my name Go ye therefore into all the worlde preach the Gospell to all creatures and bring me disciples from out all Nations baptizing them in the name of the father and of the sonne and of the holy ghost Which things if a man compare with auriculer confession satisfactions merites pardons yeremindes purgatory and infinite such like exacted of those that should doe penance he shall finde they are farre wyde a sunder Furthermore bicause Peter had to doe with them which felt themselues guiltie of such an heynous wickednesse as had not bene seene the lyke he comforteth them with a double promise as is the maner of the Gospell for feare they should be swallowed vp of desperation First you shall receyue sayth he the gift of the holy ghost He seemeth to speake of a peculiar gift of the spirite such as in the time of the primitiue Church the beleuers were endued with either to speak with diuers tonges or else to be notable in other myracles as hereafter in the eight Chapter it shall appeare more plainely For it behooued to haue the ministerye of the Apostles adorned with some singular giftes to th ende men might the more easily be woonne vnto christ And although these gifts in these dayes for the most part be ceased yet there remayne other more necessary effects of the spirite through whose operation the beleeuing are regenerated mortified renued assured of their saluation emboldened and confirmed in perils so that they dare stoutly without any feare stand to the confession of the name of christ For it is the spirit of adoption which vseth to worke al these things in the children of God that they haue neede of in this world This promise was able singularlye to comfort them whose consciences were afrayde by reason of sinne For howe coulde they doubt to haue forgiuenesse of their sinnes which heard they should haue the same spirit that the Apostles had In the meane season this promise serueth also for our instruction For it teacheth vs that true beleeuers and Christians cannot vtterly be destitute of the giftes of the holye ghost There are diuers operations and diuers gifts of the spirite as Paule sayth and we see that some excell other some therein But there is not the meanest of them all that is vtterly voyde of the spirit bicause they be not the members of Christ which haue not the spirite of Christ. Therefore â—aine is the profession of Christ except we shewe and declare that we be quickened and gouerned by the spirite of Christ which thing caused the Apostle to saye that fayth is knowne by workes and Christ commaundeth vs to followe his father in our doings Secondly he alledgeth an auncient promise To you sayth he was the promise made and to your children and to all that be a farre of euen as many as the Lord our God shall call These things are to be vnderstanded of the couenant promises which were made in the olde Testament the summe wherof may be seene Genes 17. yet doth Peter extend the same promises to those that are a farre of that is to the Gentiles which as yet were straungers and alienes from the societie of the people of God bicause he woulde the easilier induce and perswade them For they which were borne of Abraham coulde doubt no longer of Gods goodnesse seeing they hearde the same extended also vnto the Gentiles These things teache vs to what vse Gods promises serue verily to confirme our wauering fayth in temptations and all other aduersities But before we make an ende of our sermon two things in these wordes are to be noted First he sayth the promises appertayne not to the fathers only but also to the children The wordes of the couenant teache vs the same where the Lorde sayth thus I will make my bonde betweene mee and thee and thy seede after thee in their generations
to the grace of God which worketh in vs according to his good pleasure those things that make for his glory and for our and other mennes saluation Let these suffice for declaration of the order of the primitiue Church Let vs knowe it is our partes to be occupied in the same exercises which they sometime were giuen vnto Let the ende of them all be the glorye of God and the saluation of manye whome we must labour to bring vnto christ For so shall it come to passe that we shall haue fauour and authoritie amongest men and shall receyue plenteous fruite of our traueyle in Iesus Christ to whome be blessing honour power and glory for euer Amen The thirde chapiter vpon the Actes of the Apostles The .xx. Homelie PETER and Iohn went vp togither into the Temple at the ninth houre And a certaine man that was halt from his mothers wombe was brought whome they layde dayly at the gate of the Temple which is called bewtifull to aske almes of them that entred into the Temple When hee sawe Peter and Iohn that they woulde go into the Temple he desired to receyue an almes And Peter fastened his eyes on him with Iohn and sayd Looke on vs And he gaue heede vnto them trusting to receyue something of them Then sayde Peter siluer and golde haue I none such as I haue giue I thee In the name of Iesus Christ of Nazareth aryse vp and walke And he tooke him by the right hande and lift him vp And immediatly his feete and ancle bones receyued strength And hee sprang stoode and walked and entred with them into the Temple walking and leaping and praysing God. WE haue perceyued in the Sermon before going what the trade successe and encrease of the primityue Church was This thing of all other was notable that the faythfull grewe in fauoure and authoritie with manye men and caused the wicked to be afrayd of them Among other things mention was made of manye and diuers myracles which Luke sayth the Apostles did Wherefore out of a number he taketh one which gaue occasion of a newe sermon by the which Peter bringeth certaine thousands to the knowledge of Christ as we shall see when we come to the place Nowe bicause this is so singuler a myracle it is meete we diligently discusse all the circumstances therof with as much regard as Luke hath penned them who beginneth first with the occasion of the myracle then he describeth the lame mannes person on whome the myracle was wrought and last of all sheweth what successe folowed of the myracle and what the lame man did after he was healed The occasion of the myracle was that Peter and Iohn about the ninth houre went vp into the temple at what time this lame man was brought thither to aske almes of the people The ninth houre of the day with them was three a clocke at the after noone with vs as maye be gathered of that we sayde in the seconde Chapter touching the counting of houres He calleth it the houre of prayer bicause the people of God had certayne appointed houres when they made their publike prayers as maye be seene as well otherwheres as also in Daniel the sixt Chapter And God had appoynted in the law the morning and euening sacrifice which no man being in his wit will saye was done without prayers Touching the time of mid-day or noone which also was appointed for prayers we shall speake hereafter in the tenth Chapter where Peter at the same houre being in Simon the Tanners house went into the vpper storie thereof to praye And it is not without a cause that the Scriptures make such diligent mention of the houres of prayers For first we are taught hereby that we ought to beginne finishe and ende all our doings with calling on the name of God bicause without his helpe and grace it is impossible for vs to accomplishe any thing well For as Salomon sayth A man deuyseth a waye in his heart but it is the Lord that ordreth his goings Wherevpon the Apostle S. Iames sharpely reprooueth them which without respect vnto the will of God so deliberate and appoint their matters as though the successe of them depended of their owne power Also we are admonished that disciplyne is needefull in the Church according to the which as Paule sayth all things appertayning to religion and the honour of God ought to be done decently and in order We confesse in deede that it is the dutie of Christians in euery place to lift vp pure and cleane handes vnto God when and where we haue neede of his helpe and that he may heare vs Yet bicause Christ hath commended vnto vs publike prayers by a peculiar promise it becommeth vs to haue a speciall care and consideration therof and not without a cause to refraine from the holye congregation which it is euident was instituted long agoe for doctrine and prayers sake And though many things afterwarde grewe into superstition yet ought that to be no impediment vnto vs For the superstition ought to be taken awaye and the primitiue and lawfull vse to be restored Now there is nothing left but the iangling of belles whereby we are called in the morning at noone and at euening to prayers The superstitious vsage whereof many accuse but very fewe traueyle to haue the solemne houres of prayers as they were at the first vsed to be restored The Apostles are specially to be marked who sayth Luke went into the Church at the houre of prayer Which was not for the sacrifice sake that then was offred as was heretofore declared But bicause they were desirous to praye and also hoped to finde some occasion whereby to teache the people And they would not bicause of the pieuishe superstition of the Iewes which easily might be corrected leaue their dutie vndone and let slippe such an occasion and opportunitie to doe good Whose example teacheth vs that we must seeke all maner of occasion to set forth the doctrine of the Gospell and knowledge of christ The dutie that we owe vnto Christ bindeth vs herevnto For as he intermitted nothing belonging to our saluation so must not we fayle of our duties in enlarging the boundes and borders of his kingdome This caused Paule to thinke the weight and care of all congregations laye on his shoulders And in another place he reioyceth in the attemptes of his aduersaries and yllwillers bicause he perceyued they serued after a sort to the setting forth of the Gospell Let vs be ashamed therefore of our negligence and slouth who like sluggardes to say no woorse doe daily let passe the occasions that the Lord offreth vs And here chiefely hath that saying of the Prophete place Cursed is he that doth the worke of the Lorde negligently Secondly Luke diligently describeth the lame mans person on whome the myracle was afterwarde wrought In which description the excellencie of the myracle and the power of Christ the
cryeth woe to thee that destroyest for thou shalt be destroyed Agayne woe be to him that buildeth the Citie with bloude wo be to him that heapeth vp other mennes goodes Wherevnto are to be referred the things which God in his lawe threateneth to the oppressours of wyddowes of fatherlesse and straungers See Exod. 22. In the consideration whereof woulde God they were more occupied that thynke nowe a dayes the greatest commendation of manhoode and safetie of a commmon weale standeth in waged warrefaring But it is not to be negligently ouerpassed howe God speaking of the ende of their deliuery sayth And after that they shall come foorth and serue me in this place This is a generall precept that they whome God hath delyuered must serue hym whereof we are also admonished Thys must specially be considered in our saluation We are deliuered out of the tyrannie of the deuill and from the horrible bondage of sinne by the singular benefite of God who hath vouchsafed to giue his sonne for vs Let vs therefore come forth of Egypt and casting away the desires of this wicked worlde let vs serue God in holynesse puritie innocencie fayth and loue vnfeyned touching which thinges see what is sayde euerywhere in the writings of the Apostles Rom. 6. Tit. 2. 3. 1. Thess. 4. c. The same must they doe that are deliuered out of any other distresses They that are recouered of sicknesses let them thinke that spoken vnto them that Christ sayth to the man healed of the palsie See thou sinne no more least a woorse thing come vnto thee Let them thinke likewise that are deliuered from pouertie hunger pestilence warres or whatsoeuer like calamyties In times past the sacrifices called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which God ordeyned to be offered to him for benefites receyued admonished vs hereof which also were vsed of the Gentyles although they were straungers from the true worship of god And to this ende did Christ institute his mysticall supper which the auncient fathers called Eucharistiam that is to say a giuing of thankes bicause they knewe it was ordeyned in the remembraunce of Christes death And their wickednesse is very worthy to be condemned which glorying in the benefite of redemption and feeling euery day the vengeaunce of God yet will not serue him but giue themselues wholy to serue sinne and the deuill Let that principally sticke in our remembrance that Steuen vrgeth so instaâ—tlye that is howe we be deliuered from the tyrannie of Satan and sinne by the benefite of Gods grace only and that therein nothing is to be attributed to our workes and other colde ceremonies Let vs therefore by fayth embrace this benefite and serue God our Sauiour in spirite and truth that with him we maye hereafter enioye the blisse of the heauenly Chanaan through Iesus Christ our Lord to whom bee prayse honor power and glory for euer Amen The .xlv. Homelie And he gaue him the couenaunt of Circumcision And he begatte Isaac and circumcised him the eyght daye And Isaac begat Iacob and Iacob the twelue Patriarches And the Patriarches hauing enuie at Ioseph solde him into Aegypt And God was with him and deliuered him out of al his aduersities and gaue him fauour and wisedome in the sight of Pharao king of Aegypt and he made him ruler ouer Aegypt and all his housholde THe godly Martyr Steuen was accused of impietie agaynst God the lawe the holy place and all the lawes ceremoniall His aduersaries tooke occasion to accuse him for that he taught meÌ„ that these outward thinges were abrogated by Christ and that they could not be iustified by them but that iustification and saluation came by fayth onely in Iesus Christ and that the ceremonies serued for none other vse but to signifie the way of saluation which is conteyned in Christ and to bring men vnto him Wherefore it behooued him to vse a kinde of earnest and graue defence before them whith stoode altogither vpon ceremonies He so handleth therefore and frameth his defence that he prooueth by the matter it selfe he is cleere from all impietie For he diligently rehearseth whatsoeuer God did to the fathers in time passed partly to declare that he acknowledged and kept the auncient beliefe of the fathers and partlye for that the Iewes shoulde vnderstande howe the fathers in time past were iustified by faith only without any ceremonies Wherevpon euery man may easily gather that there is no cause or let why men nowe a dayes also shoulde not be saued without the ceremonies of the Leuiticall lawe by fayth in Christ and that therfore they are not to be accused of impietie which holde and affirme that they are abrogated And beginning with Abraham he diligently setteth out his fayth in following the mercifull calling of God without anye his desertes before going to th ende he might stirre vp the Iewes to follow his steppes But bicause the holy martyr of Christ was not ignoraunt that the Iewes did principally glorye in their Circumcision and in the fathers agaynst the grace of God giuen them in Christ he continueth on in his Oration begunne bicause he woulde wype them cleane from both these gloryinges Of circumcision he briefely intreateth saying And he gaue him the couenaunt of circumcision and he begat Isaac and circumcised him the eyght day He confesseth that circumcision was instituted of God but whyle he ioyneth it with the things going before he thereby putteth it away in that he sheweth it was giuen vnto Abraham after all those things which hitherto had bene recyted For after he was called out of Chaldea and had declared his beliefe openly by many and notable signes and was by his faith and beliefe iustified God gaue him the testament of circumcision that is to say he made a Couenaunt with him which was sealed as it were and confirmed with circumcision Whervpon it followeth that he was not iustified by circumcision but that his circumcision was a seale of the righteousnesse which he had alreadie gotten by fayth Which argument Paule also vsed in his fourth chapter to the Romaines And as Abraham receyued the institution of circumcision simply and plainly as the Lord did appoynt it so he plainely obserued and commended the same to his posteritie For he circumcised Isaac the eyght day according to Gods institution without adding of any other superstitious ryte which thing none that is godly doubteth but that Isaac also did to Iacob his sonne and he agayne to hys twelue children which were the Patriarches of the people of Israell And the holy Ghost would haue fewe things nowe almost remembred touching thys matter that it might thereby appeare howe the holy father s stacke not in these outwarde things but rather had a regarde vnto Gods testament and couenaunt wherein was contayned the promise of saluation than to the outwarde ceremonie The things we reade in the .xvij. of Genesis make for the better vnderstanding hereof In the meane season Steuen plainely
they offer to Deuil â–ª and 〈◊〉 God. Beside all this they reioyced in the workes of their owne 〈◊〉 In these wordes is expressed partly a trust of minde and ioye that â—â—ringeth thereof both which ought to be sought in God onely and partly a kinde of outward reioycing whereinto ydolaters vse to fall without all modestie or measure The holye historie sheweth that both these things came to passe in thys place For assoone as the Calfe was molten and grauen with a great showte they cry These be thy Gods ô Israel which brought thee out of the lande of Aegypt Then being filled with the fleshe offred to the Idoll they rise vp to play This is the propertie of Idolaters For Idolâ— too men 〈◊〉 their hearts as the Prophet sayth So it commeth to passe that they which should reioyce in God onely reioyce in Idols and where they ought to be ledde and gouerned with the spirite of God they rage in immoderate and vnseasonable pastimes Nowe if thou wilt compare the things hytherto spoken with that is done in the Papaâ—ie or Popedome thou shalt see them all one For what other beginning canst thou alleage of ydolatrie but that men leaue the worde of God and turne agayne in their hartes â–ª to the abhominations of the Iewes and Idolaters from whence through the benefite of God they were delyuered â–ª This appeareth well in that dyuers of our doings agree with the rytes and ceremonies both of the Iewes and Gentiles By and by after contempt of the worde followed the contempt of the ministerie which the ignoraunce and blockheadnesse of the priestes greatly set forwarde which sent the simple people to dumbe ymages there to learne what belonged to their saluation Of these springes issued out newe Goddes some like men some like women some like oldemen some like yong Yea beside the fourmes of men were added fourefooted beasts fowles of the ayre wormes of the earth and fyshes of the sea I let passe the gastly fourmes and sightes of souldyours the whoorishe prancking and decking of Images which should haue represented the lykenesse of saints and of God hymselfe But new Goddes must haue new wayes and maners of worshipping Therefore in the honor of them were temples buylded aulters consecrated offerings hanged vp pylgrimages appoynted lampes burning holye dayes proclaymed sacrifices offred and nothing was left vndone which heretofore was vsed in the sacrifyces of the Gentyles And as though men had bene cleane eased of the burthen of theyr sinnes â–ª they greatly reioyced in the workes of their owne handes And there wanted not libertie of carnall ioyes which neuer raigned more than in the feastes and dedications of these Goddes So grieuous great was the blyndenes from the which God hath deliuered vs by the light of his gospell Let vs therfore hereafter flee the inuencions of our owne witte and the workes of our owne handes Let vs serue God the father of our Lorde Iesus Christ in spirite and in truth to whome be prayse honor power and glory Amen The .lij. Homelie Then God turned himselfe and gaue them vp that they shoulde worshippe the hoste of the skie as it is written in the booke of the Prophetes ô yee of the house of Israell gaue yee to mee sacrifices and meate offeringes by the space of fourtie yeares in the wildernesse And you tooke vnto you the Tabernacle of Moloch and the starre of your God Rempham figures which ye made to worship them Therefore I will translate you beyonde Babylon AMongst many other things which Iesus Christ foretold should come to passe to the faythfull Preachers of hys Gospell this is not the least that he sayde the worlde shoulde persecute them as publike enimies of true religion This thing we see the Apostles founde true euen in the first springth of the church and among them Steuen chiefely who while he goeth about to bring men vnto Christ is accused for that he had spoken blasphemy agaynst God Moses the lawe and all the ceremonies thereof But he both boldly and wisely aunswereth these shamelesse sclaunders rehearsing the auncient religion whereby the fathers were saued and diligently expounding the things done by Moses declaring howe he receyued this worde of lyfe of God and deliuered it vnto the fathers He sheweth moreouer that the fathers were neuer obedient to Gods commaundements but being addicted to outward ceremonies onely feyned diuers things of their owne braine contrary to true religion And by this meane he goeth about to put out of their minds the vayne trust which they had in their fathers religion which is the moste daungerous impediment and let that can be to them that would come to the right waye of saluation To this ende therefore he recyted the hystorie of the golden Calfe whereby he conuinceth their fathers of great vngodlynesse shewing that they were saued of meere fauour seeing they deserued destruction through that wicked Idolatry only And he adioyneth herevnto this present place verye handsomely declaring that they alone sinned not herein but prooueth that their posteritie followed their steppes The rehearsing of the Idolatry of their posterity seemeth to be as it were a preoccupation For thence he preuenteth them if any man shoulde make lyght of the erecting this calfe or should say that it were long ago expiated by the godlynesse of their successors For there is no excuse left for them bicause they were so lyttle the better after their first fall that it rather increased whole heapes of impietie following For where they had once throwne awaye the worde of God and rushed into their owne destruction with myndes bent to vngodlynesse God which before tenderly fauoured them turneth his back to them and giueth them ouer into a reprobate sense to worship all the hoste of the skye and with greedinesse to followe all maner superstition of the Gentyles And in these fewe wordes Steuen briefely comprehendeth all that euer they afterwardes did agaynst the lawes of god For Salomon the first beginner of this euill for his wyues sakes that were Aliauntes and straungers builded Temples vnto diuers Gods of the Sydonians Moabites Ammonites and other Nations Ieroboam after that brought in againe the superstitious worshipping of Calues Achab brought in the honouring of Baal Amasias of a madde counsell and deuyse setteth vp the Goddes of the Idumeans whome he had vanquished to be worshipped Achaz was delyted with the Gods and religion of the Assirians At length Manasses following which farre passed all the wickednesse of his forefathers brought into Iurie whatsoeuer superstition or ydolatrie was to be founde any where among the Gentyles and by force defended those religions agaynst the true worshippers of God insomuch that we reade Hierusalem was filled with the bloude of the Saintes Whose impietie tooke so déepe roote that it coulde not be wholy pluckte vp agayne in Iosias dayes as the sermons of Ieremie and Sophonie abundantly declare And least any man might marueyle howe these things came to
of God suffred themselues to be seduced with the lying Oracles of the deuill that they whome it became to haue worshipped God onely worshipped woode and stone and did abhominable sacrifice vnto Deuils And for bicause fewe acknowledged the great tyrannie of the deuill God suffred also that many were corporallye possessed of him and raged aswell agaynst themselues as agaynst others as we may learne in the hystorie of the Gospell But for all these maladies Iesus Christ is gyuen to be our Phisition who according to the promyse made in the beginning shoulde breake the Serpents heade and as the Apostle sayeth destroye the workes of the Deuill This thing he abundantly declareth he was both able and willing to doe whyle by his worde he healeth them whych were scourged with the horrible whippes of sicknesses while he draue forth of men deuils and vncleane spirites and would not suffer them which before seemed Lordes ouer all thinges once to hysse Heereto are to be referred whatsoeuer myracles of lyke sort the Euangelistes write whereby is declared vnto vs that that strong man is come which hath entred the Deuils house that is to saye the worlde hath bounde him and taken awaye all his armor harnesse as Christ teacheth vs in the Gospell Peter testifyeth that all these things were done by the power of God to aunswere the Scribes which sayde that he cast forth Deuils by the helpe of Belzebub There are examples in hystories which declare that the kingdome of the Deuill is destroyed by the power of christ For it is euident that all Oracles ceassed and kept silence when Christ died And Constantinus wryteth that when Dioclesian reygned the Deuill complayned out of Apollos caue or denne that the Christians whome he called iust did let that he could not gyue true Oracles as before he vsed Howbeit we shall a little hereafter see more euident proofes of Christes victorie agaynst the Deuill where Peter disputeth of his death and resurrection In the meane whyle it becommeth vs to remember our dutie which is that being taken from the power of darkenesse into the kingdome of the sonne of God we defende our libertie and fight continually agaynst Satan our common enimye that we be not at any time founde vnthankefull to Iesus Christ our deliuerer to whome be prayse honour power and glory for euer Amen The .lxxvj. Homelie AND wee are witnesse of all thinges which hee did in the lande of the Iewes and at Ierusalem whome they slewe and hanged on tree Him God raysed vp the thirde day and shewed him openly not to all the people but vnto vs witnesses chosen before of God for the same intent which did eate and drinke with him after he arose from death And hee commaunded vs to preache vnto the people and to testifie that it is hee which was ordeyned of God to be the iudge of quicke and deade To him giue all the Prophets witnesse that through his name whosoeuer beleeueth in hm shall receyue remission of sinnes THe Apostle Peter hath taught Cornelius the Centurion being appoynted therevnto of God in such wyse that he hath also set out before all men a generall and most absolute doctrine of saluation For he preacheth vnto him Iesus Christ the onely sauiour of mankinde in whome all the Scripture testifyeth that all the meane of our saluation is conteyned And hereof in the discourse before â—oâ—e he sayd two things First that God annoynted him that is ordeyned him to be the King and Priest of his people Wherevpon we gather that all those which appoynt to themselues any other mediatours or patrones of saluation doe sinne agaynst the eternall purpose of god Next he teacheth howe diligently and faythfully Iesus Christ vsed himselfe in his office For he sayeth he went about and of his exceeding liberalitie offred the benefite of saluation to them that sought it not And this was the ende and purpose of all his doyng to bring all those that were oppressed of the deuill into the kingdome and liberty of the sonnes of god which deliuery he declared and shewed by myracles thorowe the which he most faythfully releeued those that were vexed and troubled as well wyth incurable diseases as wyth rage of deuils by the wholesome helpe and power of his worde Now vnto these things Peter in thys place addeth that which perfyteth and maketh vp the doctrine of saluation For first he declareth the order and maner that Christ vsed in the redeeming of mankynde then he sheweth what vtilitye and profite commeth to vs thereby Therefore this place is worthye to be considered of vs verye diligently Before he declareth the order and maner of mannes redemption he confirmeth his doctrine by witnesses saying And wee are witnesses of all the thinges which he did in the lande of the Iewes and at Hierusalem And it ought to seeme no absurde or straunge thing to any man that Peter so boldlye produceth himselfe among his fellowes as witnesses of his sayinges For we haue already oftentimes hearde howe Christ appoynted them to that charge and a little hereafter it shall be declared that they were chosen of God to beare witnesse of Iesus Christ and of those things that he did concerning our saluation These things teach vs howe grieuously they offende which disdayne to beleeue the Gospell For where the narration of the thyngs that Christ did is not bare and emptye but hath the testimonie of God it easily appeareth that this contumely or reproch must needes redounde vnto God as hath bene otherwhere at large declared Howbeit as concerning the maner of our redemption which we sayde is chiefly intreated of in this place there are three thinges sayde of Christ in the which all those thinges are contayned that was needefull to be done in this behalfe Among which the first is the death of Christ the which he toucheth but briefly bicause it was well knowne He saith he was by the Iewes hanged on a tree and killed He maketh mention of a tree not so muche bicause he would expresse his cruell and horrible kinde of death as to put the hearers in remembraunce of the mistery of that sacrifice that Christ offred when he dyed for our sinnes For it appeareth that sacrifices were woont to be offered and burned vpon bundels of woode And thus doth Peter himself see me to interpretate this place where as in the second chapiter of his first epistle he writeth that Christ bare our sinnes in his body on the tree that is purged them by the sacrifice of his body vpon the altare of the crosse Christ teacheth vs the very same where he sayth that he will giue his flesh for the lyfe of the world which it is playne he did no where but on the crosse Esaias the Prophete is a copious expositor of these things who sayth Chap. liij He was wounded for our offences and smitten for our wickednesse For the chastisement of our peace was layde vpon him and with
And if we compare the proceedings of these dayes herewith wee shall fynde but a fewe tokens of the primitiue Church For a great number conueye awaye the goodes of the Church and dishonestly make hauock of them and there are very fewe or none which of their owne goodes will exercise christian contribution But there is a great number of them which will abuse publike calamitie to their priuate commoditie And they that bee the best men will not releeue the neede of the poore before he see him brought to extreeme beggery be compelled to go from doore to doore God graunt that we maye be enflamed with true fayth and charitie that we may by our works be knowne for Christians at that day when Christ our Lorde and Sauiour shall come to iudgement in the glory of his father to whome be prayse honour power and glory for euer Amen The .xij. chapiter vpon the Actes of the Apostles The .lxxxij. Homelie AT the same time Herode the King stretched forâ—h his handes to vexe certaine of the Congregation And hee killed Iames the brother of Iohn with the sword And bicause he sawe that it pleased the Iewes he proceeded farther and tooke Peter also Then were the daies of sweete bread And when hee had caught him hee put him in prison also and deliuered him to fower quaternions of souldiers to be kept entending after Easter to bring him forth to the people And Peter was kept in pryson But prayer was made without ceasing of the congregation vnto God for him BEfore this the Euangelist Luke described to vs the persecutions raysed by the Priests agaynst the congregation which though they might seeme grieuous and horrible yet the persecution here reported was much grieuouser For a king of great power and one which had the ruling of all the Iewishe Nation was the beginner and procurer thereof And whereas tyll this time the Apostles abode safe and vntouched nowe hath this wicked Tyrant such power that by cruell death he maketh awaye one of the chiefe among them The ende of all this hystorye is that hereby we should learne the state of the Church and being myndefull of Christes admonitions prepare our selues to the like Howbeit where in these thinges there appeareth alwayes a great dulnesse of our nature all the circumstaunces of this place must be the more diligently considered And first Luke coupleth this present hystorie with the ende of the Chapiter before going and beginneth his narration or discourse of the tyme For where he had entreated of the dearth foreshewed by Agabus he writeth that the same time Herode begunne to persecute the Church And if you conferre this place with the ende of the Chapter it shall appeare this was done in the last yeare of Herode a little before he ended his lyfe at Caesarea by the horrible iudgement of god And if we cast the time according to hystories we shall fynde that this last yeare of Herode fell in the fourth yere of Claudius the Emperor what time the Hystoriens say that this dearth reygned There came two most grieuous calamities dearth and persecution togither eche of which seemed intollerable to the congregation Thys state of the Church is to be diligently considered of vs bicause God suffreth his Church with so many afflictions to be tryed and exercised For God which a little before had stirred vp the mindes of those at Antiochia and others to releeue the necessitie of the Iewes with their liberalitie suffreth now the furious blasts of this wicked king to rise against them But it is no straunge thing that here commeth to passe For there are infynit examples of this sort We reade of Abraham howe when at Gods calling he had forsooke his natiue Countrie and was come into the lande of Chanaan hee was driuen from thence by famine and inforced to flye into Egypt Isaac his sonne fynding the like trouble sustained great want of victuals among the enuious Nation of the Chanaanites So we reade that Ioseph hauing lost his libertie was put in prison and like also to lose his lyfe What shall I speake of Iacob his father which was still invred with troubles and vexation insomuch that euen in his extreeme age he confessed before Pharao that he had led the more part of the dayes of his lyfe in trouble and cares And if a man would consider and weigh the people of Israels estate as well in Egypt as in the wildernesse he shall see continuall traueyles and as it were freshe floudes of afflictions flowing by course And that which the Primitiue Churche nowe prooueth came to passe also in the yeares following Neyther is there any cause why we shoulde looke for any better in these dayes than the Oracles of Christ declare shall be about the last days where we are taught that the Church shall be exercised with famine plague wars persecutions in all parts Wherfore it behooueth vs to prepare our selues vnto pacience that wheÌ„ these things come to passe we may consider howe iudgement must beginne at the house of God and that wee bee iudged of God to the ende we should not be condemned with the irrepentaunt worlde Here also is the error of them confuted which iudge of religion and faith according to the things that fall out in this worlde as though the Citie of the godly were on earth whereas the Scripture euerywhere sheweth howe it is prepared for vs in heauen Secondlye Luke nameth the author of this persecution and wryteth that it was Herode By this place it appeareth that the Kinges of Galiley and Iurie were commonly called Herodes verily of that famous and great Herode which being an aliaunt first obteyned to be king of Iurie For it is plaine that this of whome Luke speaketh in this place was Agrippa Nephewe to this great Herode by Aristobulus his sonne whose death Iosephus in all poyntes agreeing with Luke describeth in the .xxix. booke of his antiquities and .vij. Chapter This Herode was both a moste mightye Prince and a craftie For after he was let out of prison by Caius Caesar where Tiberius had put him bicause of his ouermuch familiaritie with Caius and was declared king of the Tetrarchies of Philip and Lysanias a little after he tooke from Herodes Antipas his vncle by the fathers side and sisters husbande the kingdome of Galiley procuring him to be banished by Caius to whome by his letters he had accused him And after the decease of Caius Caesar Claudius being Emperor he gaue him the Prouinces both of Iurie and Samarie And thus Agrippa obtayned almoste the whole kingdome of Herode the great his grandfather It shall behooue vs diligently to consider the power of this king that the power of Christ may appeare the greater which so easily subdued so mighty an enimie For God would set Christ and his Church togither with such an one as this to shew a singuler example and to declare that all the
haue left that Church destitute of their ministerye considering it was so well seene vnto after they were gone For there were among them certaine Prophetes and teachers They are called Prophets which either by instinct of the holy ghost shew of things to come as we see before Agabus the Prophete did or else which haue the gift truly rightly to expound the writings of the Prophets in which sense Paule vseth this word Prophecie in his fyrst Epistle to the Corinthians 14 Chap. Both these senses is well agreeing in this present place For by hystories it is playne that the gift of prophecying endured many yeares in the primitiue Church And it can not be sayde that so notable a Church wanted exposition of Scriptures And they are called Teachers which openly instruct the Congregation and applye the holy Scriptures duly to all mennes information whome we nowe a dayes call Pastors or Ministers of the worde There was therefore at Antioch not onely a Church such as is euerywhere but also a College or schoole out of which was taken learned Ministers to be sent to other Cities This place teacheth vs that the chiefe ornament and beautie of the Church yea all the preseruation thereof consisteth in this that it be furnished and prouided of fyt Ministers and Teachers For by the ministery of them Paule plainely teacheth that through the worde of God Churches are begotten builded vp and preserued For how shall they beleue in him sayth he of whome they haue not hearde howe shall they heare without a Preacher Agayne In Christ Iesu haue I begotten you through the Gospell Hereto chiefely it appertaineth where he writeth that Christ hath giuen some Apostles some Prophetes some Euangelistes some shepeheardes and Teachers to the edifying of the Saintes euen to the edifying of the body of Christ. And bicause it is euident that the gift of teaching is not giuen to all men in myraculous wise as it was once to the Apostles therefore it is needefull to haue schooles where such may be brought vppe as shall afterwarde serue in the Ministerie Such were woont to be among the Iewes in the Cities of the Leuites and it appeareth by the storye of Samuel and Helisaeus that those singuler Prophetes of God had a speciall care of these schooles Yea Amos the Prophete most sharply reprehendeth those that did vse to corrupt the Nazarites and the yong menne giuen to the studie of the Scriptures with wyne â–ª This did great Kings and Emperours foresee in the Primitiue Church which did erect Colleges of their owne costes least at any time want of teachers might preiudice Gods religion Howbeit nowe a dayes eyther sloâ—hfull Dranes dwell in them or else they be at the appoyntment of such prowde men as hunt rather for ambicious names than studie for the edifycation of the Church Moreouer for that the notable Ministers of Christes Church should not be defrauded of their due prayse the holye ghost woulde haue their names recorded for a perpetuall remembraunce that it might euidently appeare that God regardâ—th those which doe faythfullye serue and studye for his Church And among these persons Manaen seemeth to be the chiefe who Luke writeth was fostered and brought vp with Herode the Tetrarch of a childe He was therefore a Courtyer and of a noble stocke For who will thinke that one of a baâ—e stocke shoulde be appoynted a playfellow with a kings sonne or that Herode woulde afterwarde despyse him that had bene brought vp with him from his childehoode This is a notable example of the goodnesse of God which vseth in all states of men to haue his chosen and to call them when iâ— seemeth him good For that vniuersall spirite and author of eternall life bloweth where it pleaseth him So we reade that Naaman was in the Court of the king of Syria And in Babilon Daniel and his fellowes helde fast Gods true religion yea Paule maketh mention of some in the house of Nero that beleeued And Nichodemus is a Disciple among the Scribes the greatest enimies of christ There is also in Manaen set out vnto vs an example of fayth and syncere religion who following the example of Moses chose rather to be afflicted with the people of God than to enioy the pleasures of sinne for a season thinking the rebuke of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Herode And surely if a man woulde compare the state of the Church as it was in those dayes with the life of the Court he shall fynde a marueylous working of the holy ghost in this Manaen and euident tokens both of true regeneration and mortifycation and forsaking of himselfe But that we heare that he did it behooueth vs to imitate For it cannot be that they can truelye take holde of Christ which haue not yet learned to despyse and treade vnder foote this worlde with the honors riches and pleasures thereof But let vs come to the seconde part of this diuision wherein the sending of Paule Barnabas to the Gentyles is described Here are two things chiefely to be discussed videlicet the holy ghost the author and moderator of all this businesse and then the order that Luke writeth they obserued First he expressely teacheth that the holy ghost was the author of all this doing For as they ministred to the Lorde and fasted the holy ghost sayde seperate me Barnabas and Saule for the worke wherevnto I haue called them And it is no doubt but these things are spoken of the holy ghost forasmuch as mention is made of holy ministerye and fasting Here the Papistes playe the fooles following Erasmus his translation and bicause he as vnaptly translated the Greeke worde by this worde sacrifyce they expounde this place of the sacrifyce of the Masse Howbeit the Greekes saye they doe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which are occupied or busied in publike office or affaires as it may appéere where Paule calleth Magistrates and Aungels 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not for that they vsed to do sacrifyce but for that they are Gods publike officers ministers And where by Christes death it is manifest the Leuiticall sacrifyces are abolished that the seruice of Christ consisteth not in outwarde ceremonies but in the spirite and in truth therefore here can be vnderstanded none other ministery than such as Christ woulde haue vsed in his Church This comprehendeth in it the preaching of the worde publike prayer and the sacraments which are not sacrifyces but holye actions instituted to keepe in memorie the sacrifyce which Christ once offered vppon the aultar of the Crosse. And herein were they busily occupied when the holy ghost admonished them to sende forth Paule and Barnabas For that they were earnestly occupied herein the mention made of fasting abundantly prooueth There are in this part many things which prooue the vocation of the Gentyles to be the worke of god For as they were ministring to the Lorde the spirite aduertised the
certaine auncient copyes of great credite he sayth I saye vnto thee in the name of Iesus Christ stande vpright vpon thy feete For it is not credible that those fyrst wordes wherein the name of Christ is alleaged were of Paule omitted as it is read in the common copyes and translation bicause this was the onely ende and marke both of the Apostles doctrine and myracles to bring men to beleeue that Christ was their sauiour And this worke on both sides proceeding of faith wanted not a prosperous successe For he by and by which hitherto had alwayes bene lame start vp and walked Thus God by this myracle gaue testimonie to the Apostles doctrine as yesterday was declared And bicause the myracles of Christ and the Apostles commonly set forth vnto vs the maner of our saluation and redemption therfore we will in this lame man briefly touch the same This lame man or Creple is a paterne or example of the state and condicion of vs all yea of all mankinde For as this man is lame and that from his mothers wombe euen so all we be weake and lame vnto all things belonging to our saluation And this infyrmitie cleaueth to vs euen from our mothers wombe as who be conceyued and borne in sinne And if we consider our life passed we shall see that we neuer walked to say in the waies of God which ledd vs to the inheritance of eternall life For we haue all strayed out of the waye like sheepe euery one of vs hath followed his owne wayes And God himselfe testifyeth that the imaginations of men are euill euen from their childehoode Therefore looke in what case this lame man was as touching his body the same case be we all in as concerning our soule and looke howe farre the soule passeth the bodye and in so much more miserable a case it shall appeare we be Therefore there is no health in our selues but we must needes looke it without our selues euen there where this lame man founde it He heard the Gospell of Iesus Christ and by his power he beleeued he shoulde be made whole and by faith obtayned his desire We must go the selfesame way to be saued Lette vs heare the Gospell and beleeue in Iesus Christ which is preached in the same Gospell and streightwaye we shall be saued He it is that deliuereth all them from their sinnes that beleeue in him bicause he is made sinne for vs that we through him might be made that righteousnesse that is acceptable before God. It is he that regenerateth vs and who by the immortall eternall seede of heauenly generation healeth the sores and maladies of our corrupt nature It is he that instructeth vs with fresh force so that we that were not able of our selues to thinke one good thought are able by him to doe all things and as long as we abide in him we bring forth much fruite And bicause he only is able to worke these things he only is to be taken for our sauiour and we being in misery and like to perishe must out of hande seeke for him to be our Phisition and none other Also we are taught by example of this lame man what the dutie of them is whome Christ hath thus healed and deliuered He at Paules calling start vp by and by and walked So when Christ calleth vs let vs forthwith rise vp out of the myre wherin we haue to long sticked casting away the works of our corrupt blind flesh let vs walk in the ways of the lord These things might be more copiously dilated with many examples amplified but it may suffise by these few words to giue occasion to think further herof to those which are feruent in the studie of godlines Nowe come we to the seconde part of this place where the effect of the myracle is described which fell out farre otherwise than Paule purposed For as by his doctrine so by the myracle he ment to trayne his hearers vnto christ But they take occasion thereby to start from christ For being deceyued with the olde fables of Poetes they suppose the Apostles are Goddes which tooke vppon them the fourme or similitude of men and so came downe into the earth And perhaps they called to minde the comming downe of Iupiter and Mercurie to Lycaon their progenitor For these two cried they were come downe from heauen and most foolishly applied their names vnto the Apostles For they say Barnabas is Iupiter either bicause he was the auncienter man or else bicause of his graue countenance and they thinke Paule is Mercury the gods interpreter messenger bicause he spake vnto the people And iumpe at that time cōmeth Iupiters Priest which more pricketh these mad men forward For bringing Oxen garlands with him he maketh preparation for a sacrifyce according to the maner of the Gentyles This is a most notable example teaching vs howe easily mans nature swarueth from true godlynesse vnto superstition and ydolatrie and howe harde a thing it is to put errors away which haue bredde in vs from our tender yeares Not long before these people of Lycaonia gaue eare to Paule preaching of Christ. They sawe a myracle also wrought in the name of christ Yet the olde perswasion of the Goddes comming downe vnto the earth remayneth still in their mindes and they take occasion of foule error of that whereof they shoulde haue catched holde of godlynesse Howbeit we all confesse that they were both foolishly and wickedly deceyued But howe more foolishe than these are the Papistes which yet vse to bragge of the name of christ They confesse the Apostles are but men and the seruants of Christ whose ministerye it pleased him to vse in setting forth hys kingdome And yet they make Gods of them and attribute vnto them those things which belong to God onely and ought to be ascribed to no creature without the prophane contempt of the true liuing god For they teach vs that they are to be inuocated in daungers and prescribe vnto them their diuers properties prerogatiues as foolish as euer the heathen did in their Gods appoynting one a Patrone for prisoners another for those in daunger of shipwracke another for traueylers by the way other for those in perill of fyre And bicause they cannot tell when they haue played the fooles ynough where they confesse that these Saints haue suffred death for Christes sake yet they ascribe vnto them a great part of the glory of Christ feygning that they are intercessors and aduocates vnto God for them and making their vowes and prayers vnto them Let vs be ashamed therefore to take such paynes in confuting the follye of the Gentyles seeing there is much more folly to be founde among the professors of Christes religion Furthermore the holy ghost setteth out vnto vs in this example the beginning and proceeding of Idolatrie The beginning of all error hath bene the ignorance of the true God
the saying of Dauid Many are the tribulations of the iust and that Christ foretolde shoulde come vnto vs And in all these things we must remember that so it must be not onely for that God maye be founde true of hys worde but bicause it is expedient thus to tame and brydle our fleshe and to mooue vs to lothe this lyfe and to desire the life to come For we feele in our selues what a loue of this worlde is in our fleshe and with howe much adoe we are brought to the desire of heauenly things And what thinke you woulde come of vs if we should taste of no aduersitie in this world but haue all things come to passe according to our desire lyking Surely the flesh would neuer be brought to renounce this worlde which notwithstanding all these vexations is woonderfully in loue with the worlde The second reason is that they declare how there is a ioyfull ende of tribulations for that by tribulations there is an entrance for vs into the kingdome of god Which wordes are not so to be vnderstanded as though by suffring afflictions we deserue the kingdome of God which is purchased for vs by the bloude of our Sauiour Christ only But they teach vs that Christ by his example hath trode out this way vnto vs that as he by the crosse entred into the glory of his father so the ende of all afflictions is set forth vnto vs to be the inheritaunce of eternall life according to the promise of Christ I will that where I am there my Minister shall also be Who therfore will henceforth abhorre the crosse who will be offended at afflictions seeing he heareth they come also vnto the wicked but by Christes meane worke to the saluation of the godly Let vs remember these things at this day O brethren Let vs consider that it is Gods appoyntment that we should be thus invred with diuers troubles and that it can not be otherwise bicause the naughtynesse of our flesh so requireth Let vs haue an eye to the example of Christ who bicause he woulde be our Captaine suffered fyrst all these things Furthermore let vs fasten the eyes of our minde vppon the glory of the heauenly life and forgette these frayle and temporall things behinde vs Lette vs ioyne herevnto feruent prayer that he maye vouchsafe to accomplish and performe the good worke which is begonne in vs And so shall it come to passe that being inspyred with his spirite and grace and hauing prosperously ended this race of our life and attayned to the rewarde of the heauenly we shall liue and reigne with our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christ to whome be prayse honor power and glory for euer Amen The C. Homelie AND when they had ordeyned them Elders by election in euery congregation and had prayed and fasted they commended them to the Lorde on whome they beleeued And when they had gone thorowout Pisidia they came to Pamphilia and when they had preached the woorde in Perga they descended into the Citie Attalia and thence departed by shippe to Antioch from whence they were committed vnto the grace of God to the woorke which they fulfilled When they were come and had gathered togither the congregation they rehearsed all that God had done by them and howe hee had opened the doore of fayth vnto the Gentyles And there they abode long time with the Disciples AS it was the dutie of the Apostles to bring our Sauiour Iesus Christ Disciples and to gather him a Church out of all Nations by preaching of the Gospell so was it their parts and dutie carefullye and diligently to see vnto the same Churches And this doe Paule and Barnabas most faythfullye For after they had with perill of their lyues planted Congregations at Antioche Iconium and Lystra they laboured with all industrie possible to maintaine and defende the same against the assaults and craftes of Satan And bicause they knewe the Iewes did marueylously vexe them they returned againe to the Churches there notwithstanding they were opprobriously driuen forth of them Neither doe they returne without profyte but confyrme and strengthen the mindes of the Disciples with admonitions and comfortes exhorting them to continue and abide in the doctrine and putting away the slaunder and offence of the Crosse of all which hath bene spoken in the sermon before going Herevnto is to be adioyned that that is sayde in the beginning of this place touching Elders ordeyned by the sayde Apostles When we haue hereof intreated as much as God shall giue vs grace then will we speake of their returne vnto the Church at Antioch agayne to whome they recounted all that they had done abrode When they had sayth Luke ordeyned them Elders by election in euery congregation and had prayed and fasted they commended them to the Lorde on whome they beleeued They are called Seniors or Elders which partlye are Ministers and teachers of his word and partly such as are ayding and assisting the Pastours in the administration of the Church and which by reason of their authoritie see that Discipline be obserued in the Church And where Luke sayth they ordeyned such in euery Church it easily appeareth that it is very necessarye for the conseruation of the Church to haue such as by whose ministery the doctrine of the worde may be had in continuall vse This is requisite both for the infyrmitie of the flesh and also bicause of the corruption of mannes nature which must needes be oftentimes warned to doe his dutie least he be brought to destruction by the craftes and subtiltie of the Deuill For the which cause Christ did not onely sende forth the Apostles to preach the Gospell among all Nations of the worlde but also gaue vnto his Church Pastours and teachers by whose diligence the fayth and knowledge of God which the Apostles taught might be confyrmed and preserued in mens mindes And Paule writeth that he left Titus for this cause in Creta that he should ordeyne Elders in euery Citie of that Islande And herevnto it is manifest the godlyest Kings and Princes that were hertofore had a respect by whose liberalitie Churches were endowed and enriched least for want of prouision the ministery of the word shoulde haue fayled Therefore their error is very pieuishe and absurde which reiect the doctryne of the worde as vnprofytable and superfluous For if these men did well knowe themselues they would perceyue that thys is the readyest waye whereby to attayne vnto saluation as Christ sometime tolde Martha being very much busied and occupyed in other matters Therefore as many as will haue the Church to be maintayned let them diligentlye prouide that the Church want not fytte and worthy Ministers The Euangelyst also declareth the ceremony or maner of choosing Elders wherein prayer and fasting were fyrst placed whereof mention was made as we haue hearde before in the lyke case Act. 1. and .13 When the Scripture vseth to ioyne both these togither it signifyeth that
followe him to giue themselues wholy to him bicause in him onely those things were to be founde which are fygured by outwarde baptisme For who is able to performe them without the operation of the holy spirite Therefore the glorye you haue in Iohn your teacher is of so little sufficiencie that his doctrine and baptisme wherewith you were baptized compelleth you to go further so to cleaue vnto Christ that being graffed in him through a liuely fayth and quickened with his spirite you may declare by the very effectes of the holy ghost that you are true Christians And that this is the verye playne and vnracked meaning of Paules wordes the whole order of the hystorye prooueth Wherefore foolish is the error of them which by this place go about to prooue that Iohn his baptisme and Christes was not all one but diuers For that is a thing so farre from Paules meaning that it rather prooueth howe men are sent by the baptisme of water that Iohn ministred vnto Christ in whome onely those thinges are to be taken holde of the tokens whereof we receyue in baptisme Also here is a generall rule confyrmed how it is not to be borne with that they that will be taken for true worshippers of God shoulde stay or rest vpon the authoritie of man but that they ought to be vrged to giue themselues wholy vnto Christ to liue in him by the quickening of his spirite least while they professe him with their mouth they declare by their deedes howe they be farthest of from him Furthermore Luke ioyneth herevnto a moste prosperous ende of this hystorie For these persons being conuict in their consciences through the secrete working of the holye ghost yeelded vnto Paules reasons and were baptized in the name of the Lorde Iesus These wordes must not be expounded of the baptisme of water as though they receiued that againe For so it shoulde followe that Iohns baptisme had not bene lawfull nor sufficient to consecrate men vnto god But that this is an absurde thing to be sayde both the example of Christ teacheth vs which did vouchsafe to be baptised of Iohn and so to become a copartener with vs and also this thing prooueth the same for that we no where read how they were rebaptised whom Iohn had baptised before wherefore this place must be vnderstanded of the baptisme of fyre the Minister or author whereof Iohn before had sayde that Christ shoulde be For the holye ghost was giuen in the likenesse of fyre whereof we spake in the seconde Chapter of this booke And it is manifest that this worde baptising is often vsed for the giuing of the holy ghost and his giftes For so Iohn vseth it speaking of Christ he shall baptise you with the holy ghost and with fire Christ being ready to ascende vp into heauen vseth it in the same sense saying you shall bee baptised with the holye ghost within these fewe dayes Which phrase of speach Peter vttered in the same sense before the congregation intreating of Cornelius conuersion So in this place Luke teacheth vs howe this worde baptising ought to be taken whyle by waye of exposition he addeth And when Paule had layde his handes on them the holye ghost came on them and they spake with tongues and did prophecie Therefore by laying on of handes they were consecrated or appoynted onely vnto Christ and after that followed the holye ghost accoâ—ding as we hearde came to passe at Samaria also Wherevppon it appeareth that the olde writers abused this place whyle by authoritie hereof they contended that those ought to be newe baptised which had bene baptised by heretykes before Herein they were deceyued that they thought Iohn and Christes baptisme of water was diuers And the ignorance of the Anabaptistes is as great that apply vnto the baptisme of water that which ought to be vnderstanded of the baptisme of fyre that is to saye of the receyuing and gyft of the holy ghost But we haue principally to consider the ende and vse of the myracle that is how God ment to confyrme and adorne the authoritie of his Gospell hereby among the Gentyles as we haue already oftentimes declared Let vs therefore beleeue the Gospell whose credite and truth is prooued by so many and notable signes and woonders Let vs in lyfe aunswere to the profession of our fayth that we being quickened with the spirite of Christ maye liue in him to whome be prayse honour power and glory for euer Amen The Cxxvj. Homelie AND he went into the Synagoge and behaued himselfe boldlye for the space of three monethes disputing and giuing them exhortations of the kingdome of god When diuers waxed harde hearted and beleeued not but spake euill of the way and that before the multitude he departed from them and seperated the disciples And he disputed daily in the schoole of one called Tyranus â–ª And this continued by the space of twoo yeares so that all they which dwelt in Asia hearde the worde of the Lorde Iesu both Iewes and Greekes And God wrought speciall myracles by the handes of Paule so that from his body were brought vnto the sicke Napkins and Partelettes and the diseases departed from them and the euill spirites went out of them AFter the Euangelist Luke hath declared how Paule had fullye enstructed those twelue menne at Ephesus which liued not aunswereable to their profession he sheweth afterwarde how by the ministery of the same Paule the kingdome of God was spredde farre and neare both among the Ephesians and ouer all the Countrie bordering vpon Asia And this present place comprehendeth the summe of this hystorie in the consideration whereof we must be the more diligent bicause there are diuers thinges in euery part thereof which serue for the common instruction of vs all After this he sheweth what was done with the reprobate and vnbeleeuing Thirdly he describeth the singuler profyte and commoditie of the Apostles labour and traueyle First the Euangelist comprehendeth the whole summe of Paules doctrine in fewe wordes where he sayeth that he entred into the Synagoge and there disputed three monthes togther boldly and exhorted men to receyue the kingdome of god Therefore as otherwheres so here also he preacheth fyrst to the Iewes Hereby appeareth partly the great mercy of God towarde so rebellious and frowarde a people and partly a moste feruent and syncere affection of charitie in Paule which by so manye and grieuous iniuries coulde not be quenched But bicause we haue hereof intreated diuers times already let vs omit this poynt and see what trade of teaching Paule vsed among the Ephesians wherevnto there appertayne three things whereof Luke discourseth Fyrst he nameth the place and sayth he taught in the open Synagoge That therefore that Paule diligently obserued in other places he thought good to vse also at Ephesus namely to teach in one certayne and publike place although he knewe well the Iewes vsages which in that place bare all the rule Whereby
that not only men of our owne Countrie but also those of one house should be at deuision and hate one an other Let it suffise Ministers that they giue no cause of tumult to the seditious but if being ledde with naughtie affections they take occasion let them commyt the successe vnto God and in the meane season apply their vocation bycause as Ambrose sayth It lyeth in vs not to prouoke the people but to appease them being vp it is in the hande of God onely Moreouer the discription of these tumultes make for the instruction of all men in generall For they teach vs that we should not rashely impute the causes of vprore to the gospell and to the Ministers thereof as men vse commonly to doe but that euery man shoulde consyder the case throughly and then they shall be founde the begynners of tumultes which will not be ruled by the gospell And such an one we haue heard Demetrius was whome all they directly follow which in these dayes vse to disturbe and hynder the gospell But bicause we haue lately spoken aboundantly hereof nowe let vs consyder the sedicion and how Paule vsed himselfe in the same Luke descrybeth it verye dyligently rehearsing euerye circumstaunce thereof And fyrst begynning with the cause he sayth they were all fylled with wrath which as it is an euill Counseller in taking anye thing in hande so as Iames sayth it worketh nothing that is right or good The cause of their wrath was the daunger and losse of their gayne and auailes which as Demetrius a whyle ago sayde was neere at hande and perhaps euery one of them perticularly beganne in some part to feele the same For the worlde can abyde nothing lesse than to haue their aduauntage turned awaye or dyminished And at this daye there is none other cause of the disturbaunces vsed agaynst the gospell The Popes and Bishops are angry bicause they see their dignitie decayeth The Monkes and Priestes are offended by reason their Kitchyns waxe colde through the losse of their market of holynesse The Princes and Nobilitie are grieued for that their children are put by the possession of ecclesiasticall goodes who alwayes tyll nowe lyued lyke Lordes of the same The poorer sort of the commons which were wonte to flatter the Priestes and the Nobilitie for lyuing frette and fume Fooles Iesters Bawdes Cookes Harlottes gelded men buggered boyes and all lyke dregges of most fylthye wretches whome these I warrant you holye fathers hytherto prouyded of lyuings stampe and stare at thys geere And all these in their heate and rage runne to counselles to consult howe they maye breake in sunder the bandes of Christ as is descrybed in the seconde Psalme what good therefore shall we hope for of all these counselles where wrath is the President a blynde and frowarde Counseller Thys done they turne to playne exclamations and crye Great is Diana of the Ephesians By the which saying they testifye that they wyll defende the worship of Diana euen with their bloude They craftily make religion a cloke for their belly and lucre And the men of these dayes treade euen in their steppes which wyth as little sobrietie haue the Saintes and the blessed Uirgin in theyr mouthes agaynst vs whose honour they promise they will defende Although our men in deede be more impudent For it is not without a cause that the Ephesians so exclaymed bycause Paule openly spake against the worshyp of Diana and was a professed enimie thereof Which of vs denyeth the saintes who speaketh against the right worship of Marie who derogateth any thing from hir dignitie and honor We confesse she is mother to the sonne of God we confesse she is a Uirgin vndefyled and vnspotted We confesse the Saintes were the chosen instrumentes of God and that nowe they lyue in heauen in blisse But inuocation and godlye honour we saye is due to God alone What iniurie is this if we teach the same that they sometime taught in defence whereof they thought good to laye downe their lyues It is therefore a manifest slaunder that they saye we be enymies to the saintes Thirdly the whole Citie was in an vprore Hereof Demetrius onely was the author By which example we are taught what mischiefe sodainely maye arise of a fewe seditious persons For as a little sparkle may set fyre on an whole house the flames whereof beyng caried with the wynde catche the whole streete vppon a sodaine so sedition rysing of a fewe beginners and contempned at the fyrst euen by the onely fame thereof spreadeth it selfe abroade and compasseth about whole common weales not without the present daunger of all mennes goodes The holye Scripture sheweth vs examples in Core Absolon Saeba and dyuers others The lyke are also to be seene in the stories of the Gentyles amongst which that enterprise of Catiline is very notable which brought the Romanes common weale in great hazard by his seditious attempts euen then when it most flourished Let Magistrates hereby learne to stoppe those betymes as are lykely wyll one daye be sedicious suche as commonly ryotous persons are and as manye as loue religion for lukers sake Who if they be not kept vnder by seueritie of lawes will at length poure out their pestilent poyson to the calamitie of the publyke weale Fourthly they rushe into the common hall by vyolence and pluck awaye Caius and Aristarchus Paules companions Therefore they worke wyth force and vse all kynde of crueltie agaynst Innocentes For although the tempest of sedition manye tymes vse to catche good men which are enforced agaynst their wyll to take some part yet for the most part the greater number are euill whereby it commeth to passe that seditions are most hurtfull to good men and guiltlesse Therefore they are verye fooles that hope for anye goodnesse of sedition which they must wyth all dyligence go about to resist that desyre the prosperitie or safetie of their common weales But what doth Paule in the whottest of this sedition he woulde haue stept forth and gone in amonge them to haue asswaged these raging rebelles least his companyons shoulde haue beene hurt which were haled awaye as we hearde euen nowe But hys Disciples woulde not suffer hym chiefely those great men of Asia that were his friendes who well knewe the propertie of the people And in this place a man may beholde a whole heape of notable vertues in Paule at once For it is a singuler ensample of fayth and sincere friendship in him that woulde not leaue hys companyons in daunger and perill And if Paule made so great an accounte of two of his friendes that he woulde ieoparde his lyfe for their sakes what a care thinke we had he of whole congregations which he knewe were redeemed with the bloude of Christ Furthermore there appeareth a marueylous constancie and fortitude in him which woulde aduenture hymselfe amongst the furious commons For what other was thys then to commit himselfe to the rage of the sea or
written If therefore any thing be brought forth contrarye to their doctrine let vs knowe that it commeth from man whose tradicions long since are beaten downe by the sentence of God. We haue therefore a notable and wholesome sermon of Peters whereby the first of the Gentyles are conuerted vnto Christ. This sermon if it be well expended conteyneth in it all the articles of our fayth concerning God the father Iesus Christ his sonne and the holy ghost The same comprehendeth in it a perfite order of the saluation of man which as it is sette forth to vs in Christ so is it to be taken holde of by fayth only in him Which bicause it is the gift of God it becommeth vs by continuall prayer to aske it of him that being truly graffed into Iesus Christ iustified by his merit we may be saued To him be all praise honor power glory for euer AmeÌ„ The .lxxvij. Homelie Whyle Peter yet spake these wordes the holy ghost fell on all them which hearde the preaching And they of the Circumcision which beleeued were astonied as many as came with Peter bicause that on the Gentyles also was shedde out the gift of the holye ghost For they hearde them speake wyth tongues and magnifie god Then aunswered Peter can any man forbydde water that these shoulde not be baptised which haue receyued the holy ghost as well as we And he commaunded them to be baptised in the name of the Lorde Then prayed they him to tarie a fewe dayes AS God the father hath included all the meane of our saluation in Iesus Christ his sonne so he woulde that he shoulde be the sauiour and Redemer of all Nations and not of one people onely Whereof may be gathered euident arguments both of the first promises and oracles of the Prophetes and also of the last commaundement of Christ when he sent forth his Apostles into all the worlde to preach the Gospell But whereas the Iewes being puft vp with the prerogatiue of the lawe and ceremonies thereof vsed to despyse other Nations and woulde not vouchsafe to admit them into their congregation it was neede there shoulde be some peculiar demonstration to declare that the stoppe of the lawe was broken downe by Christ and that the grace of God was offred vnto the Gentyles also without the righteousnesse of the lawe This doth the holy ghost most liuely set forth in this hystorie For as God did vouchsafe to sende his Aungell to Cornelius a Gentyle and one vncircumcised and to awake Peter by an heauenlye vision to instruct him so Peter the Apostle preacheth vnto the same Cornelius by instinct of the holy spirite the whole order of saluation wyth marueylous breuitie and playnenesse and without any mention making of the ceremonies of the law teacheth vs that Iesus Christ is appoynted vs of God in whom to haue the forgiuenesse of our sinnes But least any man might thinke that Peter had ouer rashly and without aduyse blabbed out these sayinges the effect of the matter prooueth the same which Luke for this cause the more diligently describeth bicause he woulde stirre vs vppe to the more diligent consideration of the matter First whyle Peter as yet was speaking it is sayde the holy ghost fell on all them which hearde the preaching And not long after it is sayde likewyse that they spake with diuers tongues and declared the great grace of god The same therefore commeth here to passe that fell out in the daye of Pentecost and God thought good to confirme Peters doctrine which Cornelius and his kinne had receyued by the visible sending of his holy spirite and to declare in deede that the grace of saluation was alyke belonging to all beleeuers whether they were Iewes or Gentiles and that from henceforth the ceremonies of the lawe were no more to be obserued This is euident that in the Apostles times it was a common thing to haue the visible sending of the holy ghost to be ioyned with the preaching of the Gospell which God did vouchsafe to giue vnto them that beleeued in him By the which argument Paule prooueth the iustifycation of fayth agaynst them which affirme that men are iustified by the workes of the law For he saith This onelye woulde I learne of you whether you receyued the spirite by the deedes of the lawe or by the preaching of the fayth Are you such fooles that after you haue begonne in the spirite you nowe ende in the flesh He that ministreth to you the spirit and worketh myracles among you â–ª doth he it through the deedes of the lawe or by the preaching of the fayth We haue in this place to consider the dignitie and efficacie of the working of the Gospell For wee see this is the instrument whereby God vseth to giue his spirite and to worke effectuously in the minde of man so that it is not without a cause that Paule sayth the Gospell is the power of God vnto saluation to all that beleeue it And for the same cause he calleth the Preachers of the Gospell the ministers of the spirite For although all they that heare the Gospell in these dayes haue not the gyft of tongues giuen vnto them and such other gyftes as is euident remayned in the Church vntill the time of Iraeneus and after be for the moste part ceased yet it is manifest that all they are endued with the spirite of adoption and regeneration which duly heare the Gospell and embrace it by fayth whereby they crie Abba father and which Paule calleth the earnest or pledge of our saluation 2. Cor. 1. and .5 And the effectes of this spirite are manifest whyle it mortifyeth the fleshe wyth the earthly members thereof in the beleeuers regenerateth men illuminateth the mynde and causeth that they which by nature are apt and meete to no goodnesse are able to doe all thinges in christ Wherevpon we gather agayne that they are not to be taken for the members of Christ iâ— whome there appeare no effectes of the holy spirite For that spirite is not ydle and â—luggysh And Paule sayth that they which are destitute of the spirite of Christ are not his Agayne this place teacheth vs what the exercises of them that beleeue are after they haue receyued the holye ghost They speake with straunge new tongues which although it come not to passe to euery man as we sayd euen nowe yet the holy ghost ordreth the tongues of all them that beleeue to speake those thinges which serue to the glory of God and the edifying of other whereof hath bene sufficiently sayde in the second Chapter Then it is sayde that they greatly praysed god So doe they that truly acknowledge the grace of God which he offreth vs in Christ whereas contrarywyse whosoeuer beleeue to be iustifyed by their workes praise themselues And this giuing of thankes is a sacrifyce most acceptable vnto God which he both often requireth and the godly euerywhere vowe
and promise For herevnto appertayneth it where they promise him the bullocks of their lips Dauid speaking hereof sayth what rewarde shall I giue vnto the Lorde for all the benefites that he hath done vnto me I will receyue the cup of saluation and call vpon the name of the Lorde· I will paye my vowes nowe in the presence of all his people And he testifyeth that this shall please the Lorde better than a bullocke that hath hornes and hoofes These thinges teach vs what to thinke of the vnkinde and wicked raylers agaynst Gods worde who haue a pleasure with bitternesse of tongue to caâ—pe at it and saye it is the cause of all calamitie where it were their dutie to acknowledge and celebrate the grace of God for it Furthermore let vs see howe the beholders were affected with this myracle Amongst whome some were Iewes which accompanied Peter from Ioppeâ— Luke sayth that they were amazed seeing the gift of the holye ghost was poured vpon the Gentyles also For although they were not ignorant what came to passe vnto Peter yet the common error of the Iewes still bewitched them who thought all Nations vnholy and straungers from God but such as were circumcised and had receyued the other ceremonies of the Iewes lawe It is very notable that they which are of the faythfull are so deceyued For hereby it appeareth that euen to the godlye sometime the spottes of error cleaue and therefore all things that they doe must not be drawen to imitation Which thing it appeareth Paule obserued who biddeth the Corinthians to followe him as farre forth as they see him to follow Christ. For there is nothing so appropriate vnto man as to erre and be deceyued Nor nothing so difficult and laborious as to plucke vp olde rooted errors out of mennes mindes example whereof we haue seene in the Apostles still stumbling at the expectation and looking for of a carnall and earthly kingdome Therefore they are greatly deceyued which iudge continuall teaching and admonition to be superfluous and vnprofitable seeing that blindnesse and frowardnesse of mannes witte is such that he taketh occasion of stumbling at euery thing and hardlye can be brought into the waye againe Wherefore Paule was of a farre better iudgement when he commaunded Timothie to preach in season and out of season But to returne to the exposition of the hystory Peter hath a much better iudgement who of the premisses gathereth the ende of the myracle For where by an heauenly vision he was commaunded to go to Cornelius and to preach the Gospell vnto him and seeth nowe the gifte of the holy spirite giuen to them that heare and beleeue it he easilye acknowledgeth that the grace of the Gospell belongeth to the Gentyles also and that the vncircumcised also so that they beleeue in Christ ought to be receyued into the fellowship of the Church forasmuch as God doth vouchsafe to giue them his holy spirite For drawing an argument from the thing vnto the signe thereof he sayeth Can anye man forbidde water that these shoulde not be baptized which haue receyued the holye ghost as well as we Which is as much as if he shoulde saye As many as are the members of Christ must be receyued by baptisme into the fellowship of Christes Church But no man can doubt but these men are the members of Christ seeing they haue receyued the spirite of Christ as well as we Ergo it is reason they shoulde be baptized And forthwith he commaundeth them to be baptised in the name of the Lorde that is to saye to be consecrated to Christ the Lorde and numbred with his Church For Peters commaundement must not so much be vnderstanded of the fourme of baptisme as of the ende and vse thereof Of these things it is easie to gather all the meaning of baptisme Peter surely acknowledgeth baptisme to be the first sacrament of Gods people and Church whereby outwardly the benefites of regeneration and adoption and whatsoeuer else is giuen vs in Christ are sealed vnto vs and thereby as many as are partakers of them are admonished of their dutie Wherevpon we gather that as many as it appeareth are of the people of God haue neede thereof By these things are many errors confuted that we see haue crept in these many yeares about baptisme yet reigne euerywhere And first this place confuteth the vnholy deprauers of the Sacraments which thinke they are superfluous for them that beleeue and are regenerate by fayth Which kinde of men while they greatly extoll fayth and the grace of God doe wickedly contemne the wisedome of God and his ordinaunces Howbeit Peter sawe that Cornelius and his familie truly beleeued and that they were indued with the holy ghost and adopted into the number of the children of God and yet for all that he commaundeth them to be baptized bicause he would not seeme to contemne Christes commaundement For why shoulde he contemne the sacramentes of Christ which knewe that God in the olde Testament had made it death for them that contemned his sacraments Agayne this place confuteth the boldenesse of the Anabaptistes which vse to keepe the children of the Christians from their baptisme But Peter prooueth that they are to be baptized for none other cause but for that he sawe they were endued with the spirite of Christ and therefore were members of his Church Why then shoulde not infants be baptized by as good right who we knowe are borne members of the Church and who Christ testifyeth appertayne to the kingdome of God Moreouer the example of this place maketh agaynst the error of the Papistes which vse to tye the grace of God vnto Sacramentes and vse to bring it and put it in their sacraments by exorcismes and coniuring wheras it is euident that they are but the cognizances tokens of the grace that is giuen vs in christ And if thou well examine this place it shall appeare the same came to passe vnto Cornelius that somtime was to be seene in Abraham so that thou mayst see the sacraments of both the Testaments had all but one reason For Paule witnesseth that Abraham was iustifyed by fayth that he afterwarde receyued Circumcision which was a seale of the righteousnesse of fayth So we heare that Cornelius beleeued and was endued with the spirite of God which was an infallible argument of his regeneration and iustification and nowe at length commeth baptisme where by all these benefytes of God are sealed and confirmed Therefore it is euident that the grace of God is not tyed vnto baptisme neyther that it is by baptisme poured into vs as by a Pype or Conduite forasmuch as if we receyue the Sacramentes without fayth they be vtterlye superâ—luous yea wee knowe they indammage the contemners of them as maye be seene in the examples of Iudas the Traytour and Simon the Sorcerer Before we leaue this place it is good to